"Here we go again, here comes the 1970s. We lowered interest rates again another half percent, with inflation completely out of control. I understand there was one person on the Federal Reserve Board who voted against it. Apparently they're like me; they remember the 1970s. The only thing this is gonna do is delay the recession maybe four to six months, and when it comes it's gonna be long and severe and wrenching, just like 1981, '82. What people will do just for politics, Democrats and Republicans both. Interest rates need to go up until inflation is whipped. Otherwise the economy is never gonna come back." - Hagerstown

"To the person who thinks because they went out to dinner and there were 'lots of people eating expensive entrees' means there is no recession: This person is not looking at the big picture. How many of these people were charging their meals on already high-balance credit cards? What about the housing and stock market crunch? What about the huge disparity between the cost of living and job wages? People are hurting, and just because there were people eating at restaurants is in no way an indicator (of) the economy. By the way, I go to a 'fancy' restaurant for Valentine's Day every year, and guess what? They hardly have any advance reservations this year, which is very unusual." - Hagerstown

"This is regarding Mr. Callaham's remarks about the central office being 'a slum.' If he thinks so, he should visit some of our schools, where we have shower curtains instead of doors. Perhaps his wife could take care of the children before we worry about the central office." - Knoxville

"I seen in the paper where they gave that Brandon Morris life in prison. He's a young kid. Imagine if he lives another 50 years - this all I'm saying - what's it gonna cost the state? I saw the other day where it costs $30,000 a year for each inmate. If he lives another 50 years - I just figured it out - it's gonna cost the taxpayers $2,280,000." - Funkstown

"I see where my husband and I will not be getting a tax rebate. I guess we've done something wrong, because we worked hard in school, we continued our education, we worked hard all of our lives, and we sometimes worked two and three jobs. We invested our money, we're not in credit card debt up to our ears, we do not drive brand-new cars, we don't take lavish vacations, and we don't live in a mansion. So they're taking our money, thousands of dollars that we pay in tax money, and then distributing to people who perhaps haven't worked as hard as we have. That's the U.S. government for you. I understand there are people in poor circumstances, but if everyone would work hard and make the best of what they have been given, perhaps we wouldn't be in this situation."

"I am so grateful for the debate on home rule, which was on TV. I could not attend in person, but I am just so happy that we were able to watch and see the debate. And if anyone had any doubt in their mind what to do, last night should have put a cap on that and let them know, vote 'no.' I am so pleased, because I was undecided what to do. Now I know which was the best, and I'm so thrilled with the three people who were on the debate against home rule."

"I'm reading Mail Call on Thursday about the Brandon Morris. I knew from the very beginning he would never get the death penalty, or if he did get the death penalty, he would get - the lawyers would appeal it, appeal it, appeal it, and it would just cost the state more money. I am definitely for, as the Bible states, an eye for an eye. His childhood - that's sick. I read that, and it's just, he's not the only one that had a bad childhood, but we didn't turn a gun on a police officer." - Hagerstown

"The state delegate from 2B keeps telling people if the charter home rule is adopted, county government would intrude on our lives. Who is telling us where we can smoke, how fast we can drive, buckle up? You got it - the state. Now just who is intruding?" - Williamsport

"Building permits are down by more than 50 percent, but has the appropriate city and county departments reduced their staff proportionately? I was wondering, would Commissioner Barr or Mayor Bruchey please let us know?" - Hagerstown

"Bullying is a big problem in the schools, from prekindergarten through high school, but it won't be eliminated by the school system's approach to use guidance counseling as a resolution tool, which only makes the situation worse for the one being bullied. Obviously, the methods currently used are not working. There needs to be consequences. School board members need to make frequent, unannounced visits to the schools, and actually speak to the students at random - not those chosen by school staff. Those being bullied are fearful of saying much. I have a child who was viciously assaulted, and we received no support from the school, except to be informed that they did not want the attack made public. We never heard from board members or anyone else within the school system, not even to say they were sorry our child experienced such a horrific attack." - Hagerstown

"Just wanted to say you're not gonna get any sympathy from the BOE regarding bullying. The only thing the BOE is worried about is whether or not the kids pass the MSA test." - Hagerstown

"This is for those against charter home rule. You think it's OK for the delegates in Annapolis to tell us what to do, but not the Washington County Commissioners? You elected them all. What makes the delegates more qualified?" - Hagerstown

"I have a two-part comment. If the death penalty wasn't enacted for the positively, absolutely guilty as Brandon Morris, then who was it intended? We euthanize rabid animals to protect the innocent from their disease. My next comment is for the family of Officer Christopher Nicholson. The loss of your hero son is felt by many. From the morning of the tragedy to this day, my heart breaks every time his name and picture is shown. God bless you." - Smithsburg

"During the Jan. 30 charter home rule debate, Tom Berry, Chris Shank and Bill Wivell used almost every right-wing scare tactic possible to try to put down those who are in favor of charter home rule. They stopped just short of saying that Washington County will be overrun by terrorists if charter home rule passes. Vote for charter home rule. Legislators from the rest of the state shouldn't be making the decisions that our local government should be making." - Williamsport

"I don't know how the Clintons got to be the de facto heads of the Democratic Party. It is not Hillary's time to be president. I owe her nothing. I will not vote for her." - Rohrersville

"I have a message for all the correctional officers out there: You had better watch your own backs, because Maryland is not only turning its back on you, but is also setting you up for danger. Jeffery Wroten was shot in cold blood, and what was the inmate's punishment? He got to breathe fresh air in a courtroom for a few days and then went back to jail - where he came from. I generally am not in favor of the death penalty, but in the case of someone who is already incarcerated committing a murder, you have to take the next step and use it. The judge has now sent a message to all inmates that if they want to try to escape, they can do so, and if they kill someone along the way, they will simply be sent back to jail. My condolences to the Wroten family. May God bless you." - Williamsport

"Giving Brandon Morris only life in prison instead of the death penalty is only showing other inmates that if they kill a guard or an officer that they will only remain in prison and not be put to death."

"I'm calling in regards to the inmate Brandon Morris getting life without parole. This should not have ever happened. He killed that correctional officer, and meant to do so, and now we're gonna keep him for the rest of his life. He'll get an education - something that we have to pay for for our kids, but he'll get a free one. And to top this off, you talk about our judicial system - 42 years ago I had a family member shot and killed - that was shot in the back - and that man's still walking the streets. So that tells you what our judicial system does, and that was 42 years ago." - Williamsport

"I don't know if the public realizes this or not, but that travesty of justice with this Brandon Morris, well, to me, that inmate won his case in court, because now he's going to serve a life sentence. So what? He'll have everything he wants given to him by the state, except his freedom. Unlimited medical care, food, legal services, everything the public has to pay for, he'll have given to him through our tax dollars. My opinion is this inmate won his case in court." - Hagerstown

"Sounds like you're out of touch and surprised on this Brandon Morris case. I go to court in multiple counties and actually sit and listen. Whether a speeding ticket, an assault, a DUI, or theft, armed robbery or murder, nobody ever gets the punishment that's listed ... suspended sentences and fines, concurrent sentences, and half a dozen others, gives the defendant all he or she may need. This country is exactly what we have made it out to be - the open chicken coop door, and the wolves will come." - Halfway Boulevard

"About the charter home rule, all you have to do is look at the map that appeared in The Herald-Mail, of all the counties that have the three choices of government types, and those that have charter home rule aren't places I would want to live. Would you?" - Hagerstown

"Read the articles that are written in the local paper. They are fairly good quality. Judge Manck carefully explained that there are layers of appeals for a death sentence, which can be overturned at any point, but the life sentence without parole cannot. It's not up for review. It's not going to change. The man is in jail for the rest of his life. Hopefully - this wasn't in the article - but hopefully he'll be sentenced to a Supermax prison where he'll spend 23-plus hours a day in a cell by himself. But the main point here, had he been given the death sentence, it could very easily have been changed to something else, somewhere along the line, much less than life without parole. We should be grateful the judge gave him that." - Hagerstown

"I just wanted to congratulate the mayor and council. They now have two vacant stores to go along with their widened sidewalks. Another waste of taxpayers' money." - Hagerstown

"I don't understand the concept of giving the taxpayer a rebate check. How can the government give back something it took in the first place? We will pay for the rebate with the compound inflation tax. If Congress would get its act together, pass the fair tax law and balance the budget, it would help clamp down on the boom bust policies for the central bank." - Hagerstown

"If Brandon Morris had received the death penalty and gets executed, he would be given the opportunity to make peace with his maker, and according to Christian doctrine, he could enter eternal paradise. With a life sentence, he could die suddenly from a natural cause or be murdered in prison, and then he would suffer eternal damnation, so it's not as bad as you think that he got life."

"I'd just like to call in on the Brandon Morris. If the judge doesn't have the guts to give him the death penalty, at least they ought to put him in a padded cell for the rest of his life and never let him out, just in respect for his family." - Martinsburg, W.Va.