"I would like to encourage those who have a subprime loan and who may be facing foreclosure or risking other financial problems because of their mortgage to consult an attorney to inquire about a class action suit against the predatory, unscrupulous mortgage lenders who inflated the financial condition of a borrower, just to sell a mortgage. All the evidence you need is right in the news every day. These loans never should have been approved, and these lenders knew it up front. If you, the American citizen, were robbed at gunpoint or someone broke into your home, the thief would be held accountable, so the predatory lenders should be, too. They are stealing your emotional security as well as your financial security. I am not a person who has been duped by this scam. I am a concerned citizen who is saddened for those put in - so go for it." - Sharpsburg

"Sen. Obama just lost my vote. I see the Kennedys are backing him, so if they're backing him, I certainly don't want anything to do with him." - Williamsport

"I just wanted to call in and say how outraged I am with the outcome of the Brandon Morris trial. I think it is a travesty. I cannot believe that the judge ruled the way he did. I just wonder how the judge would have felt if it had been one of his family members." - Hagerstown

"I saw on the news where Brandon Morris didn't get the death penalty. I don't know what you have to do in this country to get the death penalty, but there's no doubt in my mind that he should have got the death penalty. I hear they're gonna appeal the life sentence he got, so I imagine it's gonna drag on for a while." - Williamsport

"I was in Baltimore this past Monday, and gas prices at major outlets were $2.99, and in Mount Airy the prices were $2.97. In the Hagerstown area the prices were still $3.03 on Tuesday morning. I wonder how that could be." - Beaver Creek

"In regards to page A3 on Jan. 28, about the different Board of Education candidates saying about the bullying problem, they are saying that there is not a problem. Well, they need to wake up and spend a day in these schools. They especially need to go to these middle schools. There is a tremendous bullying problem ... for them to say there is no problem - they need to open their eyes and wake up. Poor little kids are being beat up and bullied every day." - Washington County

"This is about the bullying at school. There is definitely a problem with this, but of course, anyone with the BOE or commissioner, etc., will deny it. My daughter ... was bullied by two girls every day for months. ... I went to the vice principal and he just kept saying that we had to work together. - Smithsburg

"I've heard and also read about people complaining about leaves blowing in their yards from other people's trees. Well, I finally witnessed something that I never thought I would and that was an individual raked his yard, the yard looked very nice and he left the leaves lay in it. ... He then put all the leaves in a container and then carried them to another person's property and dumped it. Apparently he knew where each leaf came from and they must have all came from this neighbor's yard. I could not hardly believe what I witnessed but then it dawned on me - I'm living in Hagerstown." - Hagerstown

"I want to make a comment from the person who said a Hummer is a big polluting machine. I personally own a Hummer, and for their information, a Hummer has a 30-gallon tank and uses the same amount of gas as any other SUV or large vehicle on the road. I only drive this about 15,000 miles a year, so therefore I'm not polluting the earth any more than someone who drives a four-door economic car that racks 25,000 to 30,000 miles a year. So before you go bashing a Hummer you need to get your facts straight. I pay my car payment, I can afford the gas, I don't live on welfare or assisted living, so what's the problem? I think the problem personally is that the average American can't afford a Hummer, so the problem here is just pure jealousy." - Rohrersville

"You've got to be kidding. These candidates don't believe that there is a bullying problem in the schools. How naive can you be? I had three children go though the school system in Washington County. I can't begin to tell you how many times my kids came home crying, bruised, or bleeding from bullies." - Washington County

"The picture on the front page of (Tuesday's) paper of Brandon Morris makes me sick. He hasn't changed one bit since his life was spared. His sticking his tongue out should show the judge that sparing his life was a mistake. His attitude in life will never change. When you can talk to an officer nice one minute and shoot them the next should tell you this. Just because you had an abusive life doesn't entitle you to kill, and counseling won't help him if he doesn't accept it." - Hagerstown

"I'd like to speak out about dog fighting or rooster fighting or cock fighting, whatever you want to call it when you put two animals in a cage and fight. Why would you put two humans in a cage and fight like you see on television? The people who promote these cage fights between two guys beating each other in the face is just as guilty as when you have a dog or cock fight. They should get the same punishment that Michael Vick got. It is inhumane for animals and for humans." - Keedysville

"Of course there are bullies in school, right down to first grade. I work with toddlers and infants, and I see parents who are teaching these kids this young to be bullies so they can survive in public school. It's that bad."

"I am baffled by the sentencing for the Morris trial. If a man were convicted of stealing cars, no one would sentence him to life as a valet. Why would the judge sentence a man who killed a correctional officer to life in a correctional facility?" - Greencastle, Pa.

"The Federal Reserve is in the process of cutting interest rates for the sake of Wall Street. For myself and other savers, we will be losing money as CD rates continue to decline because of this policy. Also, the dollar will grow weaker and gas prices will continue to rise in response to lower interest rates. The rebate that Bush and Congress are pushing through will be about 10 times less than the money I am going to lose because of the reduction in interest rates. Extremely low interest rates mostly benefit those addicted to incurring extreme debt."

"I see the BOE in its great wisdom is now going to send kids from Keedysville to elementary school in Hagerstown, right past two elementary schools, and when gas is more than $3 a gallon. Talk about wasting taxpayers' money." - Keedysville

"I'm calling about the life without parole for Brandon T. Morris, and the picture on the front of The Herald-Mail with him sticking out his tongue. I think this is so disgusting. We have the death penalty, why not use it? He is gonna have to hurt another correctional officer or kill another one before he gets the death penalty. How many have to die to take care of us? I'm just really, really upset with this whole thing. I've been keeping up with it, and I'm just so sorry for the family and the friends and the correctional officers that have to deal with these kind of people every day. It's disgusting." - Clear Spring

"This is about the article on Donoghue and Shank, 'AWOL on leadership,' on the Opinion page in Tuesday's paper. They say that remembering he works for the citizens of Washington County first, and the Maryland Republican Party second and all that blah blah, but people need to remember when these politicians run their campaigns, they're running on things that people are telling them, and they think 'Yeah, this is what I'm gonna do, this is what I'm gonna do.' That's their campaign. Once their campaign's over and they're elected, they're elected officials. They turn to their own agenda and say 'Ah, I'm in now. These are the things that I want to change.' Not many of them that you could see care about the people that put them in office. They claim they will, but most of them, their personal agenda takes over." - Hagerstown

"To the person complaining about the increase on his/her property tax assessment being too high: I advise you to appeal it if you truly feel they have it too high. I have done so and gotten an adjustment. They try hard to be fair, and while I wouldn't advise people to do this just to see if they can get a better deal, it's worthwhile for those who are sure it's assessed too high."

"It's Tuesday morning, I'm looking at The Herald-Mail, and the front page says 'Life without parole'. Brandon Morris got 295 years, and there's a nice little picture of him sticking his tongue out, mocking the media, the family. You know what the definition of a shame is? That's that our judicial system don't have the (courage) to put someone to death." - Hagerstown

"I certainly hope Bob Maginnis remains in his position at The Herald-Mail and keeps reporting the in-depth issues affecting Washington County politics. We need to know what he has learned. It may be time to replace all of our career politicians." - Beaver Creek

"The problem of school bullying lies solely with the parents. I was bullied in school some 40 years ago, but never suffered physical harm like the little 10-year-old girl in the front page article in Monday's newspaper. This is totally outrageous and unacceptable. The students who harmed that little girl should be tossed out of school permanently. The parents can then decide what to do about their little darlings. It's long past time for parents to take responsibility for their child's behavior. I wonder if this issue will cause as much outrage as the light bulb fiasco. I doubt it." - Hagerstown

"In The Herald-Mail on Jan. 30, Del. Robert A. McKee's feelings on term limit for the governor is a great idea. It has been my thoughts for many years that the term for the president of the U.S. should be six years. At the present, the president spends his first two years learning the job, and the next two years campaigning for another term. I feel that he should serve a term of six years, and the only way he could succeed to another term would be if he did such an outstanding job as president, he could be elected to another term by write-in vote only. I believe the same should be for the Congress and Senate. This would save money for the candidates, practically eliminate special interest. If a president or a member of Congress are not performing in their position we can have them recalled. Our election, as often as we have them now, are costly to all and creates bad feelings on all sides." - Williamsport

"All those used-to-be signs all over the North End, in the yards of used-to-be good old boys, told me all I needed to know about why I'm not voting for charter rule. Those used-to-be good old boys have got to have plans that are for the future instead of used-to-be, with what they're gonna do with my money. Vote 'no' for charter rule." - Hagerstown

"To those of you who badmouth John Donoghue for not attending the delegation meetings, perhaps you should walk in his shoes. He has to sit in meetings with the likes of Chris Shank ... and that he can at any time criticize Donoghue and the Democratic party. Would you like to take Donoghue to task for all that he has done for the health issues, the return of the trauma unit to our hospital, and the changes made that new mothers weren't put out of the hospital until they were medically ready? " - Hagerstown

"Let's see, I see a call from Boonsboro, one from Fairplay, and one from Clear Spring, saying that Del. Donoghue should step down. No, he shouldn't. He's not your delegate. He's my delegate, and thousands of other people in 2C, and we're very happy with him. Maybe when you vote for the right people that can work with someone, then you might be concerned about them attending the meeting. I have no intention of getting rid of him, and he would vote and take care of the delegate 2C. He's not responsible for your part of the county. One other thing, he's the only Democrat from this area, so he can get things done. I think there's less than 25 percent of the people in the General Assembly that are Republicans, so you all are really out of step with the rest of the state." - Hagerstown suburb