Baltimore: Middle of the drunken pack

Well, it could have been better, but it could have been worse. Baltimore is the 46th safest drunken city in a recent survey by Men’s Health magazine. Not bad out of 100.

The survey, which is being reported by KNBC in Los Angeles, looked at drunken driving, liver disease, and other alcohol-induced crimes. But seriously folks, I have never felt that Baltimore is a city that drinks to excess, though we are prone to a certain type of brew.

However, some of our neighbors are more extreme examples from the survey. Richmond, Va. was the ninth best, while Washington was the eighth-worst.

So what do you think? Is Baltimore really that much safer than Washington when it comes to alcohol consumption?

-ANDY ROSEN, Business Writer

To bear or to ban?

The Supreme Court announced today that it will consider the constitutionality of Washington, D.C.’s long-time handgun ban — and in doing so, the right of individuals to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment.

The case stems from a federal security guard who, with the backing of a rich libertarian, challenged the District’s 31-year-old gun control law that prevented him from keeping a gun in his home. In a split-decision, the federal appeals court sided with the security guard in March.

The Supreme Court’s decision had been widely anticipated by the parties, each of which petitioned the Court to hear the case, along with several states who filed briefs, including Maryland, and advocates on both sides of the issue nationwide.

Does the Second Amendment give an individual the right to bear arms, or was it just created to maintain “a well-regulated Militia?”

If the Supreme Court decides next year that the ban is unconstitutional, what effect do you think that will have on Maryland’s gun laws, and on gun-related crime in places such as Baltimore City and Prince George’s County?

-BRENDAN KEARNEY, Legal Affairs Writer

Adrian Fenty and the nexus of the universe

At Naylor Road and Alabama Ave. SE yesterday, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced that the District's cab zoning system would be replaced with a standard metered fare.

Why in Southeast? Because each corner at the chosen intersection represented a different cab zone, emphasizing the zoning system's flaws.

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It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer gets lost at the corner of 1st and 1st ("Can the same street intersect with itself?"), what he fears is the "nexus of the universe."

Nexus or not, the scenario is one that the District's tourism directors worry is all too familiar to visitors in the nation's capital.

"Universally, the hospitality industry wants to go to time-and-distance meters," William A. Hanbury, president of the Washington, D.C., Convention and Tourism Corp., recently told The Washington Post.

I know the industry brings billions to the District, but let's forget about tourists for a minute. Do we think the zoning system was that horrible?

Is a simpler metered system the best we can do? Sound off, cab riders!

-JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor