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“Liberty: The Promises and Paradoxes”

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:30:49 GMT

Just up the road from Maryland’s Eastern Shore lies Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. Administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the park is dedicated to the preservation of historical structures and properties associated with the American Revolution and the founding and growth of the United States.

The centerpiece of the park is Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers in the late 18th century. Nearby is the Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of American independence, displayed in the Liberty Bell Center.

In the park as well is what’s called the President’s House, an exhibit on the site of the first official residence of the president of the United States. President Washington occupied the Philadelphia President's House from 1790 to 1797. His successor, John Adams, lived there from 1797 to 1800. Although the original structure no longer exists, the exhibit includes a view of the foundation of the house where our first two presidents lived with their families.

Research has turned up information about nine enslaved Africans owned by Washington and brought to Philadelphia’s presidential residence during his time there. To commemorate the lives of those slaves, their names are etched in a wall in the exhibit: Oney Judge, Austin, Christopher Sheels, Giles, Hercules Posey, Joe Richardson, Moll, Paris, and Richmond.

The site includes exhibits on how their struggles for freedom represented this country’s progress away from the horrors of slavery and into an era where the founding ideals of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” could be achieved for every American.

An intended theme of the President’s House exhibit is “Liberty: The Promises and Paradoxes.”

“The promises of liberty and equality granted in the founding documents present a paradox: not only were they ideals to strive for but they were unfulfilled promises for people who struggled to be fully included as citizens of our nation.”

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On March 27, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” EO14253 stated in part: “Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our nation's history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”

In order to “restore truth in American history,” EO14253 directed the Secretary of the Interior to ensure that all public monuments, memorials, or similar properties within the Department of the Interior's jurisdiction do not contain descriptions or other content that “inappropriately disparage” Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times) and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people.

In response to this order, on January 22, 2026, the NPS suddenly removed 34 educational panels and video exhibits that referenced slavery and provided information about the individuals enslaved at the President’s House.

The day these exhibits were removed, the City of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit in the federal district court in Philadelphia against Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the Department of the Interior, Acting Director of NPS Jessica Bowron, and the NPS itself, claiming that the removal of the displays was unlawful agency action.

On February 16, Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the Trump administration to restore the slavery-related exhibits at the national park site, holding that NPS lacked the power “to dissemble and disassemble historical truths.”

In court, the government asserted it alone had the power to erase, alter, remove, and hide historical accounts on taxpayer and local government-funded monuments within its control. According to Judge Rufe, to claim that “truth is no longer self-evident, but rather the property of the elected chief magistrate and his appointees and delegees, at his whim to be scraped clean, hidden, or overwritten” comes right out of George Orwell’s 1984. In her opinion, no government agency can “arbitrarily” decide what is true, “based on its own whims or the whims of the new leadership.” “It is not disputed that President Washington owned slaves.”

Moreover, Judge Rufe determined the removed displays were not mere decorations to be taken down and redisplayed; rather, they were a memorial to the “men, women, and children of African descent who lived, worked, and died as enslaved people in the United States of America.”

Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history. Removal of the crucial interpretive materials strips the site of that truth and deprives the public of educational opportunities designed to be free and accessible. For Judge Rufe, the abrupt elimination of historically significant educational material is like “pulling pages out of a history book with a razor.”

John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.

Run for Something Endorses Megan Outten for Wicomico County Council District 7

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:30:13 GMT

Last month, Megan Outten, candidate for Wicomico County Council District 7, was endorsed by Run for Something (RFS), a national organization that recruits and supports the next generation of progressive leaders for state and local office. The organization’s slate of newly endorsed candidates includes young, diverse progressives from across the country who are ready to lead in their communities.

Outten said, “This campaign has always been powered by our community. By parents, teachers, small business owners, and neighbors who know we can do better. Run for Something’s endorsement affirms what we already know here in Wicomico: when everyday people step up to lead, we change what’s possible. Together, we’re building the kind of local government that plans ahead, listens first, and puts families at the center of every decision.”

“Bold leaders like Megan are at the forefront of the fight for our rights and freedoms at a time when they have never faced greater threats,” said Amanda Litman, Co-Founder and President of Run for Something. “Run for Something is proud to endorse Megan Outten as part of our latest class of young leaders working to secure lasting change in their communities.”

Outten’s platform is rooted in real data and shaped by direct community engagement. With Wicomico now the fastest-growing school system on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and 85% of students relying on additional resources, she points to the county’s lagging investment as a key area for action.

“Strong schools lead to strong jobs, thriving industries, and healthier communities,” Outten said. “Our schools and infrastructure are at a tipping point. We need leadership that stops reacting after things break — and starts investing before they do.”

About Run for Something:
Amanda Litman and Ross Morales Rocketto launched RFS in January 2017 with a simple premise: to help young, diverse progressives run for state and local offices in order to build a bench for the future. RFS aims to lower the barriers to entry for these candidates by helping them with organization building, connecting them with a robust community, and providing access to the trainings they need to be successful.

Since its founding, RFS has helped elect over 1,600 candidates across the country — including 43 candidates in red-to-blue seats in the 2025 election cycle. Today, RFS has the largest database of any Democratic organization, with nearly 80,000 people reaching out since November 2024 with interest in running for office. In total, over 250,000 young people from across the country have signed up to run and gained access to RFS’s resources since the organization launched — a powerful signal that a new generation is showing up to lead.

DHS is Violating a Court Order that Prohibits Warrantless Immigration Arrests in D.C., New Filing Alleges

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:29:24 GMT

The Trump administration is still arresting immigrants in D.C. without warrants or probable cause despite a judge’s previous ruling that the practice was unlawful, a coalition of immigrant rights groups alleges in a recent court filing.

A federal judge ruled in December that the administration’s use of warrantless immigration arrests likely violated federal law and issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting such arrests without probable cause. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant rights groups and four migrants who were arrested without warrants last year during President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in the capital.

But federal immigration officials in D.C. are failing to comply with that order, continuing to make warrantless arrests “without the required probable cause determinations,” according to the Feb. 19 motion by plaintiffs.

The lawsuit alleges immigration authorities began operating under an “arrest first, ask questions later” policy to comply with arrest quotas imposed after Trump took office last year — and started to ignore the probable cause requirements under immigration law.

Click here to read the rest of the article , on the Capital News Service website. The article also details the arrest stories of the plaintiffs who were tricked, and concerns about D.C. police cooperation with immigration authorities.

Capital News Service is a student-powered news organization run by the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism. For 26 years, they have provided deeply reported, award-winning coverage of issues of import to Marylanders.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free”

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:24:16 GMT

These are the words from Emma Lazarus’ famous 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus” inscribed on a bronze plaque on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

In 1990, Congress reaffirmed this vision of America by establishing the Temporary Protected Status program. TPS is designed to provide humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United States who come from disaster-stricken countries.

In its present form, the TPS legislation gives the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security responsibility for the program. However, the legislation prescribes the kind of country conditions severe enough to warrant a designation under the statute, the specific time frame for any such designation, and the process for periodic review of a TPS designation which could culminate in termination or extension.

All initial TPS designations last from six to eighteen months. Before the expiration of a designation, the statute mandates that the Secretary shall review the conditions in the foreign state to decide if the conditions for the designation continue to be met, following consultation with appropriate agencies of the government. Extension is the default; the designation “shall be extended” unless the secretary affirmatively determines that conditions are “no longer met.”

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A massive earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010, and precipitated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Shortly after, then-DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, after consultation with the State Department, designated Haiti for TPS due to “extraordinary conditions.” Haitian nationals in the United States continuously as of January 12, 2010, could thus apply for TPS, and obtained the right to remain and work in the U.S. while Haiti maintained its TPS designation.

Napolitano set the initial TPS designation for 18 months. As Haiti’s deterioration worsened, successive DHS secretaries have extended this program. Gang violence and kidnappings have spiked. In 2021, a group of assailants killed Haiti’s then-President Jovenel Moïse. In 2023, another catastrophic earthquake hit Haiti. In 2024, in response to these conditions, then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas once again extended and redesignated Haiti for TPS, this time effective through February 3, 2026.

During the 2024 election cycle, the GOP candidate, Donald Trump clearly indicated that time had not tempered his views on Haiti, characterized by him as a “shithole country” during his first term. He stated that when elected, he would “absolutely revoke” Haiti’s TPS designation and send “them back to their country.”

On December 1, 2025, Kristi Noem, DHS secretary in the second Trump administration, announced, “I just met with the president. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies. Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom, not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owned to Americans. We don’t want them, not one.”

So says the official responsible for overseeing the TPS program. And one of those (her word) “damn” countries is Haiti. Three days before making the above post, Secretary Noem announced she would terminate Haiti’s TPS designation as of February 3, 2026.

Five Haitian TPS holders filed suit in federal court in Washington initially seeking an injunction against the termination of the Haitian TPS program pending the completion of the litigation. These plaintiff TPS holders are not “killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies.” They are instead a neuroscientist researching Alzheimer’s disease, a software engineer at a national bank, a laboratory assistant in a toxicology department, a college economics major, and a full-time registered nurse. The case was assigned to district court judge Ana Reyes who granted the plaintiffs’ injunction request on February 2, 2026, by way of an 83-page opinion.

The plaintiffs charge that Secretary Noem preordained her termination decision because of hostility to non-white immigrants. According to Judge Reyes, “This seems substantially likely. Secretary Noem has terminated every TPS country designation to have reached her desk — twelve countries up, twelve countries down.”

Judge Reyes also decided that Noem’s conclusion that Haiti (a majority non-white country) faces only “merely concerning” conditions cannot be squared with the “perfect storm” of “suffering and staggering” humanitarian toll described in page after page of the record in the case. In Judge Reyes’ view, Noem also ignored Congress’s requirement that she review the conditions in Haiti “after consulting with appropriate agencies.” Indeed, the record indicates she did not consult other agencies at all. Her “national interest” analysis focuses on Haitians outside the United States or here illegally, ignoring that Haitian TPS holders already live here and legally so. And though Noem states that the analysis must include “economic considerations,” Judge Reyes concluded Noem ignored altogether the billions that Haitian TPS holders contribute to the economy.

The administration’s primary response in the litigation has been to assert that the TPS statute gives Secretary Noem “unbounded” discretion to make whatever determination she wants, any way she wants. Yes, Judge Reyes acknowledges, the statute does grant Noem some discretion. But, in Judge Reyes’ opinion, “not unbounded discretion.” To the contrary, Congress passed the TPS statute to standardize the then ad hoc temporary protection system; in Judge Reyes’ words, "to replace executive whim with statutory predictability.”

The administration also argued that the harms to Haitian TPS holders were “speculative” if they are forced to return to Haiti. Because the State Department presently warns, “Do not travel to Haiti for any reason,” the administration asserts that harm is “speculative” only because DHS “might not” remove them. However, according to Judge Reyes, this argument fails to take Secretary Noem at her word: “We don’t want them. Not one.”

The public interest also favors the injunction, in the opinion of Judge Reyes. Secretary Noem complains of the strains that unlawful immigrants place on our immigration-enforcement system. Noem’s answer is to turn 352,959 lawful TPS Haitian immigrants into unlawful immigrants overnight. Noem complains of strains to our economy; her answer is to turn employed lawful immigrants who contribute billions in taxes into the legally unemployable. Noem complains of strains to our health care system. Noem’s answer is to turn the insured into the uninsured. “This approach is many things – but the public interest is not one of them,” according to Judge Reyes.

The opinion of Judge Reyes concludes: “Kristi Noem has a First Amendment right to call immigrants killers, leeches, entitlement junkies, and any other inapt name she wants. Secretary Noem, however, is constrained by both our Constitution and the law to apply faithfully the facts to the law in implementing the TPS program. The record to-date shows she has yet to do that.

The administration has already appealed.

John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.

Gov. Moore Signs Legislation to Prohibit Md. Jurisdictions from Deputizing Officers for Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 20:58:20 GMT

Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation on February 17, 2026, to prohibit State and local jurisdictions from deputizing officers for federal civil immigration enforcement activity. The law, created under SB 245/HB 444 , is effective immediately.

“In Maryland, we defend Constitutional rights and Constitutional policing — and we will not allow untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents to deputize our law enforcement officers,” Moore said. “This bill draws a clear line: we will continue to work with federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable, but we refuse to blur the lines between state and federal authority in ways that undermine the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Maryland is a community of immigrants, and that's one of our greatest strengths because this country is incomplete without each and every one of us.”

“As an immigrant, this bill is deeply personal to me,” said Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. “Immigrants make Maryland stronger every day, and our communities are safer when everyone feels protected and valued. This legislation ensures that our law enforcement resources remain focused on keeping Marylanders safe, not on actions that create fear in our neighborhoods. I thank the bill sponsors and Governor Moore for their leadership in ensuring Maryland remains a place where dignity and opportunity go hand in hand.”

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, established its 287(g) program to authorize local law enforcement officials to perform federal civil immigration enforcement functions under ICE’s oversight.

Under SB 245/HB 444, State and local jurisdictions in Maryland are prohibited from engaging in such agreements. Any local jurisdictions with standing 287(g) agreements must terminate them immediately.

The legislation does not:

Authorize the release of criminals
Impact State policies and practices in response to immigration detainers that are issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Prevent the State or local jurisdictions from continuing to work with the federal government on shared public safety priorities, including the removal of violent criminals who pose a risk to public safety
Prevent State or local jurisdictions from continuing to notify ICE about the impending release of an individual of interest from custody or from coordinating the safe transfer of custody within constitutional limits

State and local law enforcement will also maintain the ability to work with the federal government on criminal investigations and joint task forces unrelated to civil immigration enforcement. Any individual who is charged with a crime is entitled to due process and, if convicted, must serve their sentence.

Farmers Now Owe a Lot More for Health Insurance

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 20:23:58 GMT

It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Department of Justice

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 22:53:41 GMT

When I practiced law, much of my litigation involved issues arising under federal antitrust laws. The Department of Justice (DOJ) was my frequent adversary in court. In some cases, DOJ challenged a client’s conduct as anticompetitive. In others, they claimed an intended client merger would create a monopoly.

Some of these DOJ court battles were won, others were not.

Overall, I had great respect for DOJ lawyers. They were professional, well prepared, and dedicated to their mission of seeing justice done. They were courteous, honest, and forthright with the courts before which we argued our cases.

In those days, without resorting to social media or press conferences, the DOJ spoke entirely through its court filings. Although as an advocate I took issue with various DOJ investigatory decisions as well as decisions to initiate litigation, I never thought politics was involved. Post-Watergate internal rules strictly limited communication with any figures at the White House. Not so, it seems, anymore. Beginning last January 20, all of this changed rapidly and spectacularly .

On March 14, Trump triumphantly arrived at the main DOJ building in D.C. to be welcomed by a group of carefully selected VIPs. He was greeted by Pam Bondi, his chosen new attorney general, who exclaimed, “We are so proud to work at the directive (sic) of Donald Trump.” Bondi’s boast that the DOJ now worked at the president’s behest was something never said before and, in effect, surrendered the department’s long and proud independence.

And Bondi’s comment was not an empty gesture. As chronicled by reporters Carol Leonnig and Aaron Davis in their new book, Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America’s Justice Department , within hours of being sworn in, Trump and his lieutenants began punishing those at the Justice Department who had investigated him or those he considered his political enemies.

Career attorneys with years of experience under many administrations were fired or reassigned to lesser work, or they resigned. As Leonnig and Davis report, what followed was “the wholesale overthrow of the Justice Department as Trump insert[ed] his dutiful former defense attorneys and 2020 election deniers atop the department.” [Source: Injustice , p. xix.] In the place of years of experience, the new team appears credentialed simply by loyalty to the president’s causes.

The DOJ’s conduct in court has since caused damage to judicial and public faith in the integrity and competence of the department.

Just Security is an independent, non-partisan, daily digital law and policy journal housed in the Reiss Center on Law and Security at the New York University School of Law. Since January 20, it has documented federal judicial concerns about DOJ conduct.

In 26 cases, judges raised questions about DOJ non-compliance with judicial orders and in more than 60 cases, judges expressed distrust of government-provided information and representations. This count was taken the day after a federal court dismissed the DOJ cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
[Source: Just Security , “The ‘Presumption of Regularity’ in Trump Administration Litigation,” Nov. 20, 2025.]

As summarized by the Georgetown Law Center’s Steve Vladeck, “It’s one thing for the Department of Justice to so transparently pursue a politically motivated prosecution. But this one has been beset from the get-go with errors that remotely competent law students wouldn’t make. Indeed, it seems a virtual certainty that the Keystone Kops-like behavior of the relevant government lawyers can be traced directly to the political pressure to bring this case; there’s a reason why no prosecutors with more experience, competence, or integrity were willing to take it on.” [Source: One First , Nov. 24, 2025.]

Rather than accept criticism and instead of trying to do better, Bondi’s DOJ and the Trump administration lash out in a fashion apparently aimed at demeaning the federal judiciary.

At a recent Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, one of Trump’s former defense attorneys, attributed the Trump administration’s myriad losses in the lower federal courts to “rogue activist judges.” He added, “There’s a group of judges that are repeat players, and that’s obviously not by happenstance, that’s intentional, and it’s a war, man.”

Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller decries each adverse ruling against the Trump administration as just part of a broader “judicial insurrection.” Not to be left behind, Trump himself regularly complains of “radical left lunatic” judges.

In addition to the harm these comments inflict on the federal courts, their premise is simply not true. According to a survey by Vladeck, as of Nov. 14, there were 204 cases in which federal district courts have ruled on requests for preliminary relief against the Trump administration. In 154 of them, district judges granted either a temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction, or both. Those 154 rulings came from 121 district judges appointed by seven presidents (including President Trump) in 29 district courts. In the 154 cases with rulings adverse to the Trump administration, 41 were presided over by 30 Republican-appointed judges, fully half of whom were appointed by President Trump.

No, it is no longer your grandfather’s Department of Justice.

Salisbury City Council Appoints Melissa Holland to Fill District 2 Seat

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 22:49:40 GMT

The Salisbury City Council has appointed longtime public servant Melissa D. Holland to fill the vacancy in District 2. Holland was selected on Dec. 1 after the council reviewed several applicants.

A 27-year resident of Salisbury, Holland brings more than 20 years of experience in government, education, and administration. As executive assistant to the president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, she currently oversees operations, budgeting, communications, and planning.

Before joining UMCES, Holland worked for nearly 11 years with the Wicomico County Council, gaining extensive experience in legislative procedure, constituent services, research, and budget preparation. Her background includes positions with the Wicomico County Board of Education, the State of Maryland’s Holly Center, and multiple early-learning programs.

Approved by a 3-1 council vote, Holland was selected based on her administrative expertise and long-standing community involvement. (Salisbury’s City Council is now comprised of only women.)

She has a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from Post University and an associate degree from Wor-Wic Community College. She has also served as PTA president at East Salisbury Elementary and Wicomico Middle School.

In her application, Holland emphasized her commitment to maintaining transparency in city government and ensuring that District 2 residents remain informed and represented. “I plan to be well-informed on the issues that matter to the citizens of Salisbury and to listen to their concerns carefully,” she wrote. “I want to make a positive and lasting impact on our city.”

Holland’s appointment restores the City Council to full membership as it faces debates over budgeting, infrastructure planning, and local governance initiatives. She is expected to begin constituent outreach immediately and participate fully in the selection of the next council president.

Democrats Ambushed in Hurlock Election

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 20:09:52 GMT

Voters in Hurlock have delivered sweeping changes in this year’s municipal election, as Republican and GOP-aligned candidates won key races there.

The results mark a setback for Democrats and a significant political shift in a community that has historically leaned Democratic in state and federal contests.

The outcome underscores how local organizing and turnout strategies can have an outsized impact in small-town elections. Analysts also suggest that long-term party engagement in municipal contests could shape voter alignment in future county and state races.

Political analysts warn that ignoring municipal elections and ceding them to the GOP could hurt the Maryland Democratic Party in statewide politics.

Turnout increased by approximately 17% compared with the 2021 municipal election, reflecting heightened local interest in the mayoral and council races.

Incumbent Mayor Charles Cephas, a Democrat, was soundly defeated by At-Large Councilmember Earl Murphy, who won with roughly 230 votes to Cephas’s 144.

In the At-Large Council race, Jeff Smith, an independent candidate backed by local Republicans, secured a 15-point win over Cheyenne Chase.

In District 2, Councilmember Bonnie Franz, a Republican, was re-elected by 40 percentage points over challenger Zia Ashraf, who previously served on the Dorchester Democratic Central Committee.

The only Democrat to retain a seat on the council was David Higgins, who was unopposed.

The Maryland Republican Party invested resources and campaign attention in the Hurlock race, highlighting it on statewide social media and dispatching party officials, including Maryland GOP Chair Nicole Beus Harris, to campaign.

Local Democrats emphasized support for Mayor Cephas through the Dorchester County Democratic Central Committee, but the Maryland Democratic Party did not appear to participate directly.

Giordano Sides with Ehrlich Over Hogan, Underscoring GOP Rift as Moore Widens Lead

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 20:07:53 GMT

In what political observers are calling a clear break from Maryland’s moderate Republican establishment, Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano chose former Gov. Bob Ehrlich — not former Gov. Larry Hogan — as the guest of honor at her re-election fundraiser in late October.

Billed as Giordano’s annual Harvest Party, her event drew conservative activists from across the lower Eastern Shore and featured Ehrlich as keynote speaker. This was immediately read by insiders as a signal that Giordano will embrace the party’s right-wing base ahead of 2026, distancing herself from Hogan’s more centrist, bipartisan image.

“Bringing in Bob Ehrlich instead of Larry Hogan wasn’t accidental,” one longtime Republican strategist said. “It shows Giordano wants to plant her flag with the MAGA-aligned wing of the party, the same voters who now dominate Maryland’s Republican primary base.”

Hogan, who has hinted at another run for governor, was notably absent from this year’s Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Somerset County, a high-profile gathering long considered essential for statewide contenders. Coupled with Giordano’s public alignment with Ehrlich, Hogan’s absence has fueled speculation that his influence within Maryland’s GOP is slipping.

Those doubts were amplified by new polling data. A statewide survey commissioned by the Baltimore Banner found Gov. Wes Moore (D) leading Hogan 45% to 37% in a hypothetical 2026 matchup, with 14% undecided. The poll, conducted by phone and web from Oct. 7–10 among more than 900 registered voters, carries a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.

The results suggest that while Hogan remains popular among moderates and independents, Moore continues to hold a firm advantage statewide, particularly among Democrats and younger voters.

Giordano’s decision to align herself with Ehrlich rather than Hogan further illustrates the ideological divide defining Maryland Republicans heading into 2026. As the party drifts further to the right, analysts say Hogan’s brand of pragmatic centrism may no longer have a natural home in today’s GOP.

For now, Ehrlich’s appearance in Salisbury is being seen as a symbolic moment, one that cements Giordano’s status as a leading figure in the state’s Trump-aligned movement and underscores how quickly the political winds have shifted.

For Hogan, once seen as the Republican best positioned to reclaim the governor’s office, that shift may mark the end of an era.

New Congressional Map for Maryland and District 1?

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 20:07:28 GMT

Can Maryland create a new congressional map that will flip the state’s sole Republican district to the Democrats?

Gov. Wes Moore has created a Governor's Redistricting Advisory Commission to consider mid-cycle redistricting and Maryland has jumped into the redistricting fray.

The commission will conduct public hearings, solicit public feedback, and present recommendations to the governor and Maryland General Assembly.

“My commitment has been clear from day one — we will explore every avenue possible to make sure Maryland has fair and representative maps,” said Moore.

“And we also need to make sure that, if the president of the United States is putting his finger on the scale to try to manipulate elections because he knows that his policies cannot win in a ballot box, then it behooves each and every one of us to be able to keep all options on the table to ensure that the voters’ voices can actually be heard .”

Moore’s commission is one of those options — a response to Trump’s call to Republican-led states to create more GOP House districts before the 2026 midterm elections.

Three GOP states — Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina — have completed a Trump gerrymander for a gain of seven seats and three more states — Indiana, Utah, and Ohio — could create new maps with a total of four additional Republican seats. That would make 11, should they withstand challenges.

Democratic-led states made a lot of noise at first about countering these GOP efforts, but only California and Virginia have campaigns for new maps underway. California wants to flip five seats and Virginia hopes for up to four. Optimistically, that could add up to as many as nine.

Maryland’s goal would be to add one Democratic seat. Other states on both sides could soon follow, in some cases taking advantage of existing redistricting deadlines or ongoing litigation.

Maryland State Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Balto City) is not in favor of mid-cycle redistricting, calling it too dicey.

“Simply put, it is too risky and jeopardizes Maryland’s ability to fight against the radical Trump administration. At a time where every seat in Congress matters, the potential for ceding yet another one to Republicans here in Maryland is simply too great,” Ferguson wrote in a letter to Senate Democrats.

Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD01), whose district would be targeted by redistricting, called the effort "the most partisan thing you could do." He whined, “It just wouldn’t be fair.”

Harris warned that any redistricting could backfire on the Democrats. “We will take this to court, it will go as high as necessary, and in the end, a judge could draw a map that actually has two or three Republican congressmen,” Harris said. “I’d caution the Democrats, be careful what you wish for.”

Harris and his wife, Maryland GOP Chair Nicole Beus Harris, have perhaps already worked out a strategy.

The Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission, last constituted by Gov. Martin O’Malley in 2011, will begin its work this month.

The five-member commission includes:

Chair: Senator Angela Alsobrooks
Senate President Bill Ferguson or designee
Speaker Adrienne A. Jones or designee
Former Attorney General Brian Frosh
Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss

“We have a president that treats our democracy with utter contempt. We have a Republican party that is trying to rig the rules in response to their terrible polling,” said Sen. Alsobrooks. “Let me be clear: Maryland deserves a fair map that represents the will of the people. That’s why I’m proud to chair this commission. Our democracy depends on all of us standing up in this moment.”

Will Maryland’s First District finally be competitive? Can we at long last replace “AWOL Andy” Harris? Stay tuned….

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Residents Turn Out for Offshore Wind Information Session

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 20:06:21 GMT

In strong numbers, local residents turned out last month for a community information session on offshore wind hosted by the Alliance for Offshore Wind at the Ocean Pines library.

The forum heard from industry experts, environmental advocates, and labor leaders to discuss how offshore wind projects can support jobs, clean energy, and coastal resilience along Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Featured were Sam Saluto of Oceantic, Jim Strong of the United Steelworkers, Ron Larsen of Sea Ink Solutions, and Jim Brown of the Audubon Society, all of whom emphasized the long-term environmental and economic benefits of wind development off Maryland’s coast.

Speakers outlined how the project, once completed, is expected to create hundreds of high-paying jobs, generate clean power for tens of thousands of homes, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels that cause pollution and coastal erosion.

“The potential here is extraordinary,” said Saluto, highlighting Oceantic’s ongoing work to ensure safety and sustainability standards remain at the highest level. “We’re not just talking about wind turbines. We’re talking about revitalizing local economies and protecting the Shore’s way of life.”

Union representative Jim Strong echoed that sentiment, noting that Maryland’s labor community sees offshore wind as a chance to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity while giving workers access to strong wages and long-term stability.

Environmental voices, including Jim Brown of the Audubon Society, focused on how properly sited wind projects can reduce carbon emissions while coexisting with marine wildlife and migratory bird patterns.

While most of the evening centered on data and community questions, the event briefly turned tense when Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, who is leading a lawsuit challenging Maryland’s offshore wind plans, attempted to question the panel. The mayor appeared to lose his train of thought mid-sentence and later cast doubt on the reality of climate change, drawing visible concern from several attendees.

Meehan, a New Yorker who moved to Ocean City in 1971 and has held public office since 1985, has become one of the region’s most vocal opponents of offshore wind. His critics argue the lawsuit represents an effort to stall progress rather than engage with the facts presented by energy, labor, and environmental experts.

Despite the brief exchange, the overall tone of the evening was forward-looking. Residents lingered after the formal discussion to review informational materials, speak with industry representatives, and learn about opportunities for community involvement.

For many, the message was clear: Maryland’s transition to clean energy is not only feasible, it’s already underway, and the Eastern Shore stands to benefit.

Mayor Randy Taylor Moves to Dismantle Salisbury’s Housing First Program, Undermining Proven Strategy for Ending Homelessness

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:25:31 GMT

Sparking alarm among housing advocates, social workers, and residents, Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor has announced plans to gut Salisbury’s nationally recognized Housing First program, signaling a break from years of bipartisan progress on homelessness.

Created in 2017 under then-Mayor Jacob Day, the initiative was designed around a simple but powerful principle: that stable, permanent housing must come first before residents can address problems with employment, health, or recovery.

The program was designed to provide supportive housing for Salisbury’s most vulnerable residents — a model backed by decades of national data showing it reduces homelessness, saves taxpayer dollars, and lowers strain on emergency services.

But under Taylor’s leadership, that vision appears to be ending.

In a letter to residents, the City of Salisbury announced that the Housing First program will be shut down in 2027, in effect dismantling one of the city’s long-term programs to prevent homelessness.

Taylor says he plans to “rebrand” the program as a temporary “gateway to supportive housing,” shifting focus away from permanent stability and toward short-term turnover. “We’re trying to help more people with the same amount of dollars,” Taylor said.

Critics call that reasoning deeply flawed, and dangerous.

Former Mayor Jacob Day, who helped launch the initiative, says that Housing First was always intended to be permanent supportive housing, not a revolving door. National studies show that when cities replace permanent housing programs with short-term placements, people end up right back on the streets, and that costs taxpayers more in emergency medical care, policing, and crisis intervention.

Local advocates warn that Taylor’s move will undo years of progress. “This isn’t just a policy shift, it’s a step backward,” one social service worker said. “Housing First works because it’s humane and cost-effective. This administration is turning it into a revolving door to nowhere.”

Even some community partners who agree the program needs better oversight say that Taylor is missing the point. Anthony Dickerson, Executive Director of Salisbury’s Christian Shelter, said the city should be reforming and strengthening its approach, not abandoning its foundation.

Under Taylor’s proposal, participants could be limited to one or two years in housing before being pushed out, whether or not they’re ready. Advocates fear this change could push vulnerable residents back into instability, undoing the progress the city was once praised for.

While Taylor touts his plan as a way to “help more people,” critics say it reflects a troubling pattern in his administration: cutting programs that work.

For years, Salisbury’s Housing First initiative has symbolized compassion and evidence-based leadership and has stood as a rare example of a small city tackling homelessness with dignity and results.

Now, as Taylor moves to end it, residents and advocates are asking a simple question: Why would a mayor tear down one of Salisbury’s most successful programs for helping people rebuild their lives?

John Roberts Is 20

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:25:02 GMT

On the first Monday of October, the Supreme Court began a new term, Term 2025 as it is officially called. The day also marked John Roberts’ 20 years as Chief Justice of what history will clearly record as the Roberts Court.

Twenty years is a long time but at this point, Roberts is only the fourth longest serving Chief Justice in our history.

John Marshall, the fourth and longest, served for 34 years, 152 days (1801–35).
Roger Brooke Taney, served for 28 years, 198 days (1836–64).
Melville Fuller, served 21 years, 269 days (1888 to 1910).

John Roberts was originally nominated by George W. Bush to fill the seat held by the retiring Sandra Day O’Connor but, upon the unexpected death of William Rehnquist, Bush instead nominated Roberts to serve as Chief Justice.

His nomination was greeted by enthusiasm and high hopes in many quarters. He was young, articulate, personable, and highly qualified, having had an impressive academic record, experience in the Reagan administration and the private bar, and service on the federal D.C. Court of Appeals for two years.

His “balls and strikes” comment at his confirmation hearing struck many as suggesting judicial independence. He sounded as well very much like an institutionalist, having said at an early interview that “it would be good to have a commitment on the part of the Court to act as a Court.”

Whatever else might be said 20 years later about the tenure of John Roberts as Chief Judge, the Supreme Court is no doubt much less popular and much more divisive today than it was on September 29, 2005, when he was sworn in as the 17th Chief Justice by Justice John Paul Stevens, then the Court’s most senior associate justice, and witnessed by his sponsor, George W. Bush.

Gallup’s polling data shows popular support for the Court now at the lowest levels since they started measuring it. In July 2025, a Gallup poll found that, for the first time in the past quarter-century, fewer than 40% of Americans approved of the Supreme Court’s performance.

According to Gallup, one major reason that approval of the Supreme Court has been lower is that its ratings have become increasingly split along party lines — the current 65-point gap in Republican (79%) and Democratic (14%) approval of the court is the largest ever.

The legal scholar Rogers Smith wrote in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science in June, “Roberts’s tenure as Chief Justice has led to the opposite of what he has said he seeks to achieve. The American public now respects the Court less than ever and sees it as more political than ever.”

These results signify more than simply a popularity poll because a Court without broad public support is a Court that will not have the same public respect upon which their most important decisions have historically depended. And, whatever the reasons for this development, it has happened on John Roberts’s watch.

There is no better example of the current divisiveness on the Court than the remarkable string of “emergency” rulings on the Court’s so-called shadow docket since January 20. The extent of ideological and partisan differences has been sharp and extreme.

The conservative majority’s votes have frequently been unexplained, leaving lower court judges to have to puzzle the decision’s meaning and leaving the public to suspect partisan influences.

And the results of these shadow docket rulings have had enormous, sometimes catastrophic, consequences:

Removing noncitizens to countries to which they had no ties or faced inhumane conditions
Disqualifying transgender service members
Firing probationary federal workers and independent agency heads
Ending entire governmental departments and agencies without congressional approval
Allowing the impounding of foreign aid funds appropriated by Congress
Releasing reams of personal data to the Department of Government Efficiency
Allowing immigration raids in California based on racial and ethnic profiling

John Roberts has written many Supreme Court opinions in his 20 years as Chief Justice. At the 20-year mark, the most important, to the nation and to his legacy, will likely be his opinion in the Trump immunity case, which changed the balance of power among the branches of government, tipping heavily in the direction of presidential power. Trump v. United States (2024).

In her dissent from his majority opinion in that case, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, warned about the consequences of such a broad expansion of presidential power.

“The Court effectively creates a law-free zone around the president,” upsetting the status quo that had existed since the nation’s founding and giving blanket permission for wrongdoing. “Let the president violate the law, let him exploit the trappings of his office for personal gain, let him use his official power for evil ends. In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law.”

Roberts claimed in his majority opinion that the “tone of chilling doom” in Sotomayor’s dissent was “wholly disproportionate” to what the ruling meant. However, Sotomayor’s words have proved prescient: the breadth of power that Trump and his administration have asserted in the months since he was sworn in for his second term has made plain how boundlessly they now interpret the reach of the presidency in the wake of the Roberts opinion.

Despite the early “balls and strikes” comment, the assessment of John Roberts’ long term judicial record suggests something different as seen by several distinguished legal commentators from significantly different perspectives.

As summarized by Lincoln Caplan, a senior research scholar at Yale Law School, in a new retrospective article on Robert’s 20-year tenure, “From his arrival on the Court until now, his leadership, votes, and opinions have mainly helped move the law and the nation far to the right. An analysis prepared by the political scientists Lee Epstein, Andrew Martin, and Kevin Quinn found that in major cases, the Roberts Court’s record is the most conservative of any Supreme Court in roughly a century.” “What Trump Means for John Roberts's Legacy,” Harvard Magazine , October 8, 2025.

Steve Vladeck, Georgetown Law Center professor and a regularly incisive Court commentator, characterized the 20-year Roberts’ Court as follows: “The ensuing 20 years has featured a Court deciding quite a lot more than necessary — inserting itself into hot-button social issues earlier than necessary (if it was necessary at all); moving an array of previously settled statutory and constitutional understandings sharply to the right; and, over the past decade especially, running roughshod over all kinds of procedural norms that previously served to moderate many of the justices’ more extreme impulses.” “The Roberts Court Turns Twenty,” One First , September 29, 2025.

In another remarkable new article by a widely respected conservative originalist, similar concerns about the present Court have very recently been expressed. Caleb Nelson, who teaches at the University of Virginia and is a former law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, has written that the text of the Constitution and the historical evidence surrounding it in fact grant Congress broad authority to shape the executive branch, including by putting limits on the president’s power to fire people. “Must Administrative Officers Serve at the President’s Pleasure?” Democracy Project, NYU LAW , September 29, 2025.

When the First Congress confronted similar ambiguities in the meaning of the Constitution, asserts Nelson, “more than one member warned against interpreting the Constitution in the expectation that all presidents would have the sterling character of George Washington.”

Nelson continues, “The current Supreme Court may likewise see itself as interpreting the Constitution for the ages, and perhaps some of the Justices take comfort in the idea that future presidents will not all have the character of Donald Trump. But the future is not guaranteed; a president bent on vengeful, destructive, and lawless behavior can do lasting damage to our norms and institutions.”

Rep. Harris Earns An “A” on GOP “Trump Score”

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:23:57 GMT

If you’ve ever wondered just how slavishly loyal Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD01) is to President Donald Trump, you can now put a number on it! Just consult the Republican National Platform Ratings.

When you do, you will find that Rep. Harris has a very high overall score: 90.38%. He is the most aligned with the Trump/GOP platform among Maryland’s congressional representatives. No surprise there.

Among all U.S. senators and representatives (using 2024 votes), Harris is 43rd most aligned. One might expect more from the chair of the right-wing Freedom Caucus.

Harris scores at 90.38% aligned overall. His ratings by topic range from 82.98% to 100%.

The topics refer to chapters in the platform:

Defeat inflation and quickly bring down all prices.
Seal the border and stop the migrant invasion.
Build the greatest economy in history.
Bring back the American Dream and make it affordable again for families, young people, and everyone.
Protect American workers and farmers from unfair trade.
Protect our Constitution and seniors.
Cultivate great K-12 schools leading to great jobs and great lives for young people.
Bring common sense to our government and renew the pillars of American civilization.
Government of, by, and for the people.
Return to peace through strength.

Here are all Harris’s scores:

Incredibly, there is no score for Chapter 6: Protect our Constitution and seniors. But these scores were calculated using 2024 votes, and the Constitution was not under constant attack in 2024. We’ll check back after the 2025 scores are calculated to see how he’s doing.

The Republican National Platform Ratings were developed to rank every federal lawmaker — not just Republicans — on how closely their votes adhere to the 2024 Republican Platform , as passed at the Republican National Convention.

So we can see how Trumpy all our elected officials are. Here are our Maryland federal legislators’ 2024 scores. Only those in office in 2024 are listed below:

Our first district representative is an outlier!

Next time we’ll delve into the scores of our state senators and delegates, and take a look at the seven state delegates who are more obsequious than Harris is.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Several Thousand Rally Across the Eastern Shore in Protest of Trump Administration Policies

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:22:14 GMT

Several thousand people turned out on Oct. 18 in communities across the Eastern Shore to participate in the national “No Kings Day” protests, joining thousands of simultaneous events nationwide opposing the policies of President Trump’s administration.

Demonstrations were held in Salisbury, Ocean City, Easton, Cambridge, Chestertown, and Centreville. These gatherings were part of a broader coalition effort that organizers say reflects frustration with the administration’s direction and a demand for renewed accountability and democracy.

Participants across the Shore held signs and expressed concerns about immigration enforcement, executive power, and transparency in government. In jurisdictions that lean Republican and supported Trump in 2024, the rallies underscore a growing discrepancy between voting patterns and present activism. For example, in Queen Anne’s County — where the Trump vote was strong — residents joined the demonstration with statements of surprise at the turnout.

Despite the scale of national mobilization, local organizers emphasized that the protest is rooted in community values of fairness, participation, and civic voice. One organizer on the Shore described the event as a reminder that “when people choose to show up, they remind their communities what democracy looks like.”

Authorities reported no major disruptions during the Shore events, and police in some areas confirmed the rallies proceeded peacefully.

For many in the region, the demonstrations mark an opening moment for more active civic engagement on the Shore, one that observers say could reshape local politics in counties historically seen as less partisan.

Maryland Democrats Launch Statewide Candidate Recruitment Initiative

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:19:59 GMT

The Maryland Democratic Party has launched a statewide initiative, Contest Every Seat, that aims to recruit candidates to run for public office across all levels of government ahead of the 2026 elections.

Party officials say the goal is to ensure voters in every district across Maryland have a choice on the ballot. The program will include outreach, training sessions, and support for prospective candidates considering campaigns for local, county, and state positions.

“The effort is designed to encourage Marylanders who want to make change in their communities to step up and take action,” the party announced.

Interested individuals can visit mddems.org/run for information about the application process and training opportunities.

The Maryland Democratic Party said similar initiatives in past election cycles helped increase candidate recruitment in local and rural areas, including the Eastern Shore.

Maryland Faces Economic Strain as Federal Shutdown Continues

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:18:31 GMT

With the federal government now shut down for more than three weeks, Maryland is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue daily, a reflection of the state’s deep economic ties to the federal workforce.

According to the Maryland Comptroller, approximately 230,000 Marylanders work directly for the federal government, with an additional 200,000 employed by federal contractors. The state’s economy, long intertwined with the operations of nearby federal agencies, is feeling the strain as paychecks stall and agencies close.

Comptroller Brooke Lierman estimates Maryland is losing about $700,000 in state revenue each day — roughly one percent of the state’s average daily revenue of $100 million.

“That is a small piece of our overall state budget,” Lierman said, “but as long as all our federal workers are paid what they are owed, that money will get back to us.”

Federal employees generally receive back pay after shutdowns end, but recent statements from President Trump suggesting that furloughed workers may not be repaid have created uncertainty.

More than 150 members of Congress, including Maryland’s entire Democratic delegation, signed a letter this week urging the Trump administration to guarantee back pay under the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, which requires compensation for federal employees affected by a shutdown, and which Trump himself signed into law.

Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD03) said Congress is prepared to defend those protections. “Denying that pay would be illegal, and we will use every tool we have — both in Congress and in the courts — to ensure federal employees are made whole,” she said.

During the 35-day federal shutdown in 2019, Maryland lost more than $13 million daily in economic activity and over $550,000 daily in tax revenue, according to state data.

This latest shutdown comes amid broader federal workforce reductions under the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, which announced layoffs earlier this year. A federal judge temporarily halted further cuts on Oct. 15 following a legal challenge.

The effects extend beyond government offices. Universities such as Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center report disruptions to federally funded research projects and grant cycles.

Gov. Wes Moore has directed state agencies to provide emergency support to furloughed federal workers, including housing and utility assistance. On Oct. 17, Moore announced the Maryland Transit Administration will offer free MARC and commuter bus rides to federal employees who show valid government ID.

“This is what Maryland does in times of crisis, we band together and help each other out,” Moore said. “But no state can fill the gap created by the federal government. The longer this shutdown lasts, the more pain we will feel.”

There is no indication of when negotiations in Washington to end the shutdown will resume.

Health of His Constituents is Apparently Not a Priority for Rep. Dr. Andy Harris

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:39:27 GMT

The Republican Congress and President Trump are causing a health care crisis and Democrats are trying to fix it.

Passed in July, the GOP budget reconciliation bill is drastically cutting health insurance programs to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD01) voted for the budget reconciliation bill.

He voted, knowing that his vote would mean that health care costs would rise for 25,000 of his constituents in Maryland’s First Congressional District:

When Harris voted he also knew that his vote would mean that 28,207 of his constituents would lose health coverage:

Now that the government has been shut down, the Senate Republicans need votes from Democratic senators to pass a continuing resolution to temporarily reopen it. With both leverage and backbone, the Democrats are using this opportunity to fix the health care crisis.

The Democratic senators are withholding their votes to pass a continuing resolution unless the GOP extends Obamacare subsidies and stops cuts to Medicaid. (Democrats also want to restrict the administration’s ability to illegally freeze or redirect appropriated spending, but that’s another story.)

Rep. Harris is falsely characterizing the Democrats’ position as a demand for “$1.5 trillion in unrelated liberal priorities.” The health of his constituents is apparently not a priority for Rep. Andrew P. Harris, M.D.

According to a recent KFF poll , 78% of Americans say the federal health insurance subsidies should be extended; only 22% say they should end as scheduled.

In favor of extending subsidies:

Democrats: 92%
Independents: 82%
Republicans: 59%, against their party’s official line

And according to a recent Washington Post poll, 76% of Democrats and 55% of independents want Democrats in Congress to demand the extension of insurance subsidies even if it extends the shutdown.

To sway public opinion their way, Republicans have resorted to lies. They falsely claim that the Democrats are insisting on spending trillions of dollars on health care for “illegal aliens.” However, because undocumented immigrants are not eligible for insurance bought on the ACA exchange or for Medicaid, few people outside the MAGA faithful are buying this.

No matter how this battle turns out, the First Congressional District in Maryland needs a representative who will fight for ordinary people, not billionaires. Harris is not that person and First District voters need to replace him in 2026.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Judge Denies Trump Administration’s Attempt to Stall Maryland Offshore Wind Case Amid Federal Shutdown

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:35:00 GMT

Efforts by the Trump administration to delay a critical court case over Maryland’s offshore wind project have failed, marking another setback in the president’s campaign to block renewable energy development along the East Coast.

On Oct. 2, U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Gallagher denied a motion filed by the Department of Justice to pause an ongoing lawsuit involving US Wind’s proposed 114-turbine wind farm off Ocean City. The administration had argued that the federal government’s shutdown prevents its attorneys from continuing the case.

The judge’s swift rejection ensures that the litigation and progress on one of Maryland’s most significant clean energy projects will continue.

Initially filed by Ocean City officials and a small group of residents nearly a year ago, the suit challenges the federal approval of US Wind’s project, which would deliver enough clean electricity to power more than 700,000 homes. Under the Biden administration, the federal government had defended the project in partnership with US Wind. That stance was reversed after Trump took office earlier this year and installed officials hostile to offshore wind.

In September, the Trump administration filed a separate motion seeking to vacate federal approval for the Maryland project altogether, a move widely condemned by environmental advocates, labor groups, and business leaders who see offshore wind as a cornerstone of Maryland’s energy and economic future.

US Wind responded forcefully to the shutdown motion, warning the court that the administration’s attempts to delay proceedings could allow it to undermine the project’s approval behind the scenes quietly. The company argued that halting the case would create “existential risks” for the future of Maryland’s offshore wind industry.

Judge Gallagher agreed that the case should move forward, setting the next status hearing for Oct. 7.

The Trump administration’s repeated efforts to obstruct offshore wind development come as Maryland and other states have invested heavily in building the infrastructure, workforce, and port facilities needed to anchor the growing clean energy industry. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has championed the sector as a key driver for well-paying jobs and long-term economic resilience for the Eastern Shore.

Supporters of US Wind point out that the project will bring over $1 billion in investment to Maryland, generate thousands of construction and maintenance jobs, and help deliver cleaner, more affordable energy to homes and businesses across the region.

“Offshore wind isn’t just about turbines, it’s about jobs, innovation, and independence,” one clean energy advocate said after the ruling. “Every delay costs working Marylanders opportunity, and this decision ensures progress continues.”

While the broader lawsuit over the project’s approval is ongoing, the latest ruling represents a clear win for those fighting to keep Maryland’s offshore wind future on track — and a blow to Trump’s attempt to turn back the clock on clean energy.

Should We Pin Our Hopes on Mid-Cycle Redistricting in MD-01?

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:34:25 GMT

Maryland has eight congressional districts, and the seats for all but District 01 are filled by Democrats. As we well know, the First District representative is a Republican — Andrew P. Harris.

Here’s what Maryland’s congressional district map is now.

Over the summer, faced with a tanking approval rate and policies the American people despise, and fearing a loss of the GOP’s thin majority in the House, President Donald Trump pressured Texas to redistrict with the goal of adding five Republican seats.

Texas happily complied and now has a new congressional map. A group of individuals and advocacy groups has sued, claiming that the unusual mid-cycle redistricting is unconstitutional because lawmakers illegally relied on race to draw the districts. The Republican legislators claim that is not true, and that they relied on naked partisanship, not race, to draw the new boundaries, which is ok to do.

Texas’s new map has had a cascading effect in blue states, which vowed to counteract the Texas addition of GOP seats, and in red states, which wish to toady up to Trump, too.

Even though Maryland has only one seat to add to the Democrats’ side, state lawmakers have jumped into this battle.

Del. David Moon (D-Montgomery), majority leader in the House of Delegates, has filed a bill that would require Maryland to respond to redistricting by Texas or other states with its own map-drawing session.

Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Anne Arundel and Howard) has filed a bill that would redraw Maryland’s congressional district map in response to the red states doing the same. His bill proposes to use one of the unadopted concept maps offered by the Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission in 2021.

With his district more competitive with a new map, GOP Rep. Harris — apparently without irony — called the effort "the most partisan thing you could do."

Harris warned that any redistricting could backfire on the Democrats. “We will take this to court, it will go as high as necessary, and in the end, a judge could draw a map that actually has two or three Republican congressmen,” Harris said. “I’d caution the Democrats, be careful what you wish for.”

Sen. Steve Hershey (R-Upper Shore), minority leader in the state Senate, also not seeing the irony, said “Only Maryland Democrats would see election mischief elsewhere and think, ‘Let’s out-cheat the cheaters.’ Delegate Moon’s proposal to redraw Maryland’s congressional maps mid-decade if another state does the same isn’t bold — it’s reckless, shameless, and a transparent grab for partisan advantage.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), has said that “all options need to be on the table … if the president of the United States is putting his finger on the scale to try to manipulate elections because he knows that his policies cannot win in a ballot box.” But Moore has not yet called a special legislative session to address these bills.

Meanwhile, time is getting short.

The 2026 General Assembly session begins on January 14, 2026.
The filing deadline for the 2026 election is February 24.
The primary election is June 23.

While there is still some chance that we may see a more competitive First District in time for the 2026 election, it’s looking less likely.

So, back to Plan A — let’s hope for an unbeatable candidate and work hard to get them elected. Maybe our neighbors are tired of having a representative who kowtows to a dangerous, fascist king. Maybe our neighbors will vote him out of office. Maybe this time we’ll win.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Megan Outten Kicks Off Wicomico County Council District 7 Campaign with Packed Crowd and Strong Early Momentum

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:32:39 GMT

With standing room only at Salisbury’s Historic Poplar Hill Mansion, and blending policy, community service, and grassroots energy, Megan Outten launched her campaign for Wicomico County Council District 7 before almost 100 supporters on Oct. 4.

The event drew community residents, labor leaders, and local officials, many of whom also helped to pack nearly 300 care kits for Wicomico residents in need. The community service effort doubled as a campaign statement about what Outten calls “choosing connection over convenience.”

District 7 is one of Wicomico’s newly drawn single-member districts, with a Democratic advantage of 7.7%.

Outten recalled her family’s history of service in Fruitland and Salisbury. “Service isn’t just politics in my family,” she said. “It’s how you belong to a place. It’s how you prove you care.”

She pointed to the county’s landfill crisis, water and septic system failures, and school underfunding as examples of leadership that reacts rather than plans.

“This is what happens when leaders only react after things break,” she said. “It costs us more. It hurts families. It robs our kids of the future they deserve.”

Outten was joined by several local leaders who offered strong endorsements and reflections on her record.

AFSCME Local 3 Eastern Shore representative Jack Hughes praised her leadership on the Salisbury City Council, crediting her with helping pass the Eastern Shore’s first municipal labor code, a significant win for city workers and first responders.

Councilman Josh Hastings, who represents the district and is running for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 38B, said Outten would be “crucial in carrying forward the progress we’ve made” on clean water, schools, and infrastructure planning.

Whitney Snowden-Olanrewaju from Blending Cultures, a non-profit organization that promotes diversity and equality, spoke about Outten’s record of community inclusion and bridge-building across diverse groups.

Outten’s campaign is expected to roll out additional endorsements in the coming weeks.

In her speech, she outlined a platform focused on fully funding schools, investing in infrastructure before it fails, and ensuring that county government works for everyone.

“This campaign is not mine,” she told the crowd. “It’s ours. I am not standing above you. I am standing with you. And together, we will put Wicomico families first.”

With enthusiasm, endorsements, and her message that’s focused on service and accountability, Outten’s kickoff reinforced that District 7 is already shaping up to have a strong favorite in 2026.

Community Rallies After Theft of Car Containing Hundreds of Care Kits for Wicomico Residents in Need

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:32:05 GMT

An act of inhumanity in Salisbury has sparked an outpouring of compassion.

Early on Oct. 5, community organizer Jared Schablein’s car was stolen from his backyard. Inside the vehicle were hundreds of care kits assembled just days earlier during Megan Outten’s Wicomico County Council District 7 campaign kickoff event.

Packed by volunteers at Salisbury’s Poplar Hill Mansion, the kits contained feminine hygiene products, socks, and toiletries meant for Wicomico County residents facing housing insecurity.

“Those kits were meant for neighbors in need,” said Schablein. “If nothing else, I hope whoever took them returns them. Getting those care kits to the folks who need them matters more to me than anything else.”

Schablein and Outten have turned the theft into action, launching a new effort called the “Care Kits Comeback Drive.” The event, scheduled for Oct. 12 at 2pm at Poplar Hill Mansion, aims to replace every lost kit, and more.

Volunteers are asked to bring or donate items such as sanitary wipes, socks, toothpaste, period products, and underwear. Donations will support the Wicomico County Library, Help and Outreach Point of Entry, and other local service organizations.

In announcing the new drive, Schablein emphasized the deeper meaning behind the effort: “When acts of inhumanity happen, the best response is acts of humanity. We’re showing that Salisbury’s compassion can’t be stolen.”

Despite the setback, organizers say community support has been overwhelming. Donations began arriving within hours of the announcement, and several local groups have offered to distribute supplies once the new kits are complete.

The theft is still under investigation by the Salisbury Police Department.

As one volunteer put it at the last event, “Community isn’t guaranteed, it’s built.”

This Sunday, Salisbury will build it again.

Momentum Builds to Save Connelly Mill Park: Community Leaders and State Officials Unite Around Vision for Wicomico’s “Central Park”

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:30:42 GMT

What began as a grassroots campaign to preserve a parcel of local land has become one of the most inspiring community movements on the Eastern Shore.

Led by residents James and Mikele Dahlen and Holly Campbell, alongside dozens of volunteers, the Save Connelly Mill Park effort reached a significant milestone last week as Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz toured the site with local and state officials to explore opportunities for partnership and permanent protection.

On Sept. 23, citizens gathered at Connelly Mill Park with a delegation of state and county leaders, including Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, Del. Barry Beauchamp, County Council President John Cannon, Vice President Jeff Merritt, Councilman James Winn, and local municipal representatives from Delmar and Salisbury. The tour marked the strongest signal to date that the state may play an active role in turning the park’s long-promised vision into reality.

Advocates for Save Connelly Mill Park presented Kurtz with a booklet outlining the site’s environmental, historical, and economic importance. The presentation highlighted Connelly Mill’s potential to become a keystone of Wicomico’s park system — protecting the Paleochannel aquifer, preserving wildlife habitats, and providing much-needed green space for recreation and community gathering.

Located just five miles from Salisbury, the 234-acre property has rolling forest, wetlands, and unique topography that advocates say could one day make it the “Central Park of Wicomico County.”

“The natural beauty of Connelly Mill spoke for itself,” said one organizer after the event. “What we have here is not just land, it’s a promise to future generations.”

Adding to the momentum, the community’s advocacy materials were presented directly to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore the next day at the Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield, where he was briefed on the citizens’ efforts and growing local support.

The proposed park would provide walking trails, open space for families, and educational opportunities while safeguarding vital water resources and promoting mental, physical, and social well-being for county residents.

For many, the movement to save Connelly Mill has come to represent more than just one park. It’s about accountability, long-term planning, and ensuring public commitments to community spaces are kept.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” the group shared in a recent update. “But the spotlight is on Connelly Mill, and the momentum is growing.”

As the state evaluates whether to designate Connelly Mill as a Partnership Park, supporters say they will continue to meet with officials and rally community engagement to ensure this once-forgotten project finally fulfills its promise.

If realized, Connelly Mill would not only protect vital natural resources — it would stand as testament to what determined citizens can build when they refuse to give up.

Ocean City Restaurant Owners Who Backed Trump Now Struggle with Visa Crackdown

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:24:33 GMT

Heavily dependent on international students working under the J-1 visa program, Ocean City’s seasonal restaurants face a new difficulty after federal policy changes under the Trump administration.

Each summer, roughly 3,300 J-1 visa holders arrive in Ocean City to help fill more than 12,000 seasonal jobs, according to the Maryland Restaurant Association. Many of these restaurant workers handle everything from cooking to serving customers. The U.S. State Department identifies Ocean City as the nation’s top destination for summer work travel exchange visitors.

This year, the program was paused and later reinstated with new restrictions and federal investigations, which disrupted hiring and complicated staffing for the 2025 season.

Nearly 60% of Worcester County voters supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Now, however, restaurant owners who backed Trump are confronted with the consequences of his administration’s visa policies, which threaten the flow of international workers upon which they rely.

The disruption has led to worker shortages, operational difficulties, and uncertainty about future seasons. Restaurants that depend on J-1 students to meet demand during peak tourist months are preparing for further complications as federal reviews of visa programs continue.

Local economic leaders warn that without these workers, Ocean City’s seasonal businesses could struggle to stay afloat. For restaurant owners and community members who overwhelmingly supported Trump, the new reality has raised questions about the resort town’s current workforce model under tighter immigration policies.

Poverty in MD-01 Will Increase with GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:22:48 GMT

Poverty in Maryland’s First Congressional District will increase because of the GOP’s budget reconciliation bill— the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — that was narrowly passed in July.

Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD01) voted to pass that wildly unpopular bill and to kick our neighbors off SNAP and Medicaid to give tax cuts to billionaires. That was a cruel choice. More of his constituents will be living in poverty because of the OBBBA’s cuts to programs that support people’s basic needs.

Poverty Rates in Maryland’s First Congressional District
The official poverty rate for MD-01 has hovered between 8.5% and 9.8% for the last seven years. (Poverty rates for congressional districts were not calculated for 2020 due to the pandemic.)

In 2024, 72,800 of our neighbors were living in poverty.

The poverty rate for MD-01 has consistently been lower than the poverty rate for the U.S. during that time and has been close to that for Maryland.

In 2024, over 555,000 Marylanders and 35.9 million people in the U.S. were living in poverty.

The child poverty rate for MD-01 has been higher than the official (overall) poverty rate for the district by 2-3 percentage points for most years. Child poverty decreased in 2022 and 2023 due to pandemic relief programs; the expiration of these programs resulted in a surge in child poverty rates, bringing the rates back up to where they were before covid-19.

One out of every eight MD-01 children is living in poverty.

The White poverty rate has always been lower than the overall poverty rate in the First District.

The Hispanic/Latino poverty rate showed a big decrease due to pandemic relief programs and has not yet returned to its high pre-covid rates.

The African American poverty rate is shamefully high, however. While also dipping due to pandemic relief programs, the expiration of those programs has seen the African American rate skyrocket back to its pre-pandemic levels.

More than one in five African Americans in MD-01 is living in poverty, a level that approaches the extreme rates of poverty of African Americans in Mississippi, Alabama, and New Mexico.

What will OBBBA do to MD-01 poverty rates?

OBBBA will ensure that the number of people experiencing severe financial hardship will skyrocket in the years to come as core pillars of the nation’s anti-poverty programs undergo historic cuts.

~Center for American Progress

OBBBA will have devastating consequences on poverty .

Between 26,000-39,000 people in MD-01 will lose Medicaid coverage. More people will go without medical treatment. More medical bills and prescriptions will be paid for out of pocket and more people will suffer medical bankruptcy.

More than 300,000 people in Maryland will have to pay more for health insurance (through ACA and Medicaid expansion), leaving less money for food and housing. Many will drop health insurance coverage due to unaffordability and will have to pay out of pocket for medical visits and prescriptions, if they can pay for them at all.

The OBBBA cuts federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by 20% through 2034 — by $187 billion. Of the 42 million people helped nationally, 3.2 million to 4 million participants (8-10%) will lose all or some of their eligibility for the food assistance program.

A study found that the SNAP program kept nearly 3.6 million people out of poverty in 2024; it is one of the country’s most effective anti-poverty programs.

Cuts to SNAP will strain food budgets at a time when grocery prices keep rising. Food insecurity will spike. People will spend money for rent, gas, and medicine instead on food, jeopardizing their housing, jobs, and health. People will go hungry.

Children make up 40% of SNAP participants. Children who lose their SNAP eligibility lose their automatic eligibility for free school meals and summer food assistance as well. Childhood hunger will increase.

In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24:

Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits.
43% SNAP households included at least one senior.
29% of SNAP recipients were people of color.
15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally.
6% were Hispanic.
2,200 veterans lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%).

Instead of passing obscene tax cuts for his billionaire buddies and voting for a government shutdown, Rep. Harris needs to protect the most vulnerable of his constituents by safeguarding SNAP, ACA, and Medicaid from devastating cuts that increase poverty in this district and the country.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Don’t be Fooled! OBBBA is Not a Tax Cut for Working Families!

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:09:47 GMT

President Trump has recently realized — apparently — that his One Big Beautiful Bill Act is not universally beloved by the American people.

Aside from GOP lawmakers, billionaires, and MAGA faithful, the measure has never enjoyed the support of anyone.

Polling conducted up to the bill’s passage, and analyzed by G. Elliott Morris , showed that

On average across pollsters and methods, 31% of Americans support the One Big Beautiful Bill, while 54% oppose it. That net rating of -23 is, to put it mildly, abysmal… [H]aving a majority against you with just a third in support is terrible!

And the bill has not become any more popular since its passage.

But instead of fixing the parts of the bill that average people detest — the cuts to social programs for families, the extended tax cuts for billionaires — Trump has decided to just rebrand the bill as something he thinks they’ll love.

And having decided that a public relations fix is all that’s needed, the White House has told GOP legislators that the bill shall now be known as the Working Families Tax Cut Bill.

What tax cuts for working Americans are in the bill?

Tax credits. The bill includes modest increases in the Child Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Care Credit.

The standard tax deduction. The bill increases the standard tax deduction for individuals by $750 and for couples by $1,500.

The no-tax-on-tips provision. Trump touts this as a true working-class tax cut. But it does not benefit many because only 3% of workers earn tips, and one-third of those earn too little to pay federal taxes.

The no-tax-on-overtime-pay provision. This sounds good, but the no-tax applies only to the “half” portion of time-and-a-half pay. If a worker earns $20/hour regular pay and $30/hour overtime pay, the first $20/hour of overtime pay is taxed; only the $10/hour of premium pay is not taxed. It is estimated that for the bottom 40% of workers by income, this will equate to a tax savings of $10/year.

Those meager offerings cannot obscure the fact that the bill gives 45% of the tax cuts to the wealthy ; only 1% of the tax cuts go to the lowest fifth of wage earners.

To pay for those tax cuts for the wealthy, the bill contains $1.4 trillion in benefits cuts that will affect lower income Americans: many millions will lose health insurance coverage, food assistance, and federal student financial aid.

Any small tax benefit that accrues to lower income Americans from the OBBBA is more than offset by benefit losses and Trump’s new tariffs (a defacto sales tax).

The Yale Budget Lab found that when one combines the effects of Trump’s tariffs and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 90% of American families will end up worse off. Seventy per cent of households will face losses ranging from $780 to $2,570 each year.

So, don’t be conned. Recognize Trump’s gaslighting for what it is, a desperate attempt to mislead and deceive the American people.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Wicomico County Councilman Josh Hasting launches bid for House of Delegates in District 38B

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:09:14 GMT

Before a crowd at Burnish Brewing Company, Wicomico County Councilman Josh Hastings, a Democrat, launched his campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 38B, setting up what is expected to be one of the most competitive races in the state in 2026.

The seat is held by GOP Del. Barry Glassman, who was appointed after former Del. Carl Anderton accepted a position in the Wes Moore administration.

Although Glassman begins the campaign with more than $30,000 in campaign funds and will run as the incumbent, the district — with a +7 advantage for Democrats — is considered a top pickup opportunity for House Democrats in Annapolis.

Having grown up on Maryland’s first certified organic poultry farm in Mardela Springs, Hastings has built a career at the intersection of agriculture, environmental sustainability, and land use.

Before gaining elected office, he spent 15 years in state and local policy and nonprofit leadership positions, including as executive director of Forever Maryland, a statewide nonprofit focused on conserving farms, forests, parks, and critical habitats.

Since joining the County Council, Hastings has established himself as a productive legislator, and is credited with:

Converting Pirate’s Wharf into a public park.
Securing $200 million in county budget commitments for Salisbury firefighters.
Advancing a countywide water and sewer master plan.
Ensuring consistent above-maintenance-of-effort funding for Wicomico public schools.
Championing major upgrades to parks and recreation facilities.

He has also worked to:

Expand pickleball opportunities at Harmon Field Park.
Secure a new middle and high school in Mardela Springs.
Address invasive species management.

Public safety and quality of life have been recurring themes in his tenure, with Hastings backing investments in first responders and cleaner, healthier communities. Colleagues often note his ability to foster civil, thoughtful debate on complex issues.

Hastings is no stranger to Annapolis. Earlier in his career, he served as an aide to Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee Chair Joan Carter Conway, where he wrote and helped to pass legislation reduce concussions in youth sports.

On the campaign trail, Hastings emphasizes a platform focused on opportunity, affordability, and quality of life on the Shore. His priorities include:

Creating more well-paying jobs that build on the region’s strengths while opening doors in growing industries
Strengthening public schools with smaller class sizes and stronger pathways from arts to trades to higher education
Tackling the housing shortage with more options for residents of all ages and abilities

He also pledges to lower the cost of living by advocating for fair wages and more affordable essentials, such as food, energy, and housing.

Hastings emphasizes community health and safety as central to his vision, with a focus on increasing access to health care, broadband, transportation, and recreational spaces.

His platform stresses the need to protect the Shore’s clean water and healthy land while supporting farmers and a resource-based economy. At the heart of his message is a call for fairness and opportunity, and a government that works for everyday people rather than the few.

His announcement also came with personal news: Hastings and his wife Alyssa are expecting their first child in April.

With deep local roots, a track record of legislative success, and a competitive district in play, Hastings’ campaign launch signals that Democrats view District 38B as a pivotal race in the 2026 election cycle.

Gov. Wes Moore and Housing Sec. Jacob Day Celebrate Smith Island’s New High-Speed Internet

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:08:04 GMT

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Housing and Community Development Sec. Jacob Day were on Smith Island Sept. 24 to mark completion of an infrastructure milestone, the island’s first connection to high-speed internet.

Funded by state grants, the $2 million broadband project was completed two months ahead of schedule, and will provide reliable internet access to residents, businesses, and schools on the island, where less than full connectivity has been a long-standing problem.

Moore is the first governor to visit Smith Island since 1999, underscoring the administration’s focus on reaching often-overlooked communities.

Residents welcomed the infrastructure improvement, noting that high-speed internet can enhance education, healthcare access, small business growth, and overall quality of life.

Moore, a Democrat, has made broadband access a central part of his infrastructure agenda, with similar projects underway in other rural parts of the state. For Smith Island, this connection represents a long-awaited lifeline to the wider world, and a signal that Maryland’s leaders are paying attention.

Wicomico Councilman James Winn’s Religious Remarks Spark Controversy at Sept. 16 Meeting

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:07:23 GMT

Wicomico County Councilman James Winn (R-At Large) drew criticism at the Sept. 16 council meeting because of his extended religious rant that included pulling out a Bible and declaring he would “pray for non-Christians” in the wake of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s shooting death.

During the meeting’s public remarks portion, Winn shifted from county business to a sermon-like address. He held up a Bible, quoted passages, and suggested that residents who do not identify as Christians need his prayers and guidance. Winn tied his comments to the recent death of Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, framing it as a moment for Wicomico residents to recommit to Christian values.

Several attendees called the outburst inappropriate for a public governmental meeting, noting that Winn blurred the line between his own religious faith and his role as an elected official. Critics argued the comments excluded non-Christian residents and showed a lack of respect for the county’s religious diversity.

The council meeting continued after Winn’s remarks. Still, the episode has drawn sharp reactions on social media, with some residents calling the behavior “embarrassing” and “unbecoming of an elected leader.” Others are defending Winn, saying he was exercising his free speech and sharing a message of faith in a difficult moment.

Council leadership did not formally intercede during the meeting. However, community members are suggesting that the county ought to adopt clear standards to prevent religious proselytizing during official sessions.

The controversy arises as Wicomico County confronts pressing local issues, including land use debates and the fallout from its immigration enforcement partnership with ICE. For some residents, Winn’s comments were perceived as a distraction from the county's real work of governance.

The ICE Man Cometh II

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:50:39 GMT

In a case concerning the proper standards employed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when detaining people suspected of being in the United States illegally, the ideologically split Supreme Court — acting on the 23rd emergency request filed since January 20 — handed another win to the Trump administration. Noem v. Perdomo (September 8, 2025).

Lower federal courts had approved a temporary injunction to prevent roving patrols of armed and masked ICE officers from detaining people without satisfying the Constitution’s reasonable suspicion requirement.

The Court’s majority — as it has too often — offered no explanation for its decision to vacate the injunction. Justice Sotomayor wrote a dissent, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson. The result would appear to allow all Latinos, U.S. citizens or not, who work at low-wage jobs to be seized at any time, taken from their workplace, and held until they provide proof of their legal status to ICE agents’ satisfaction.

---------------------------------------------------------

Launching “Operation At Large” in early June, the government conducted large immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles and its surrounding counties. During the raids, teams of armed and masked agents pulled up to car washes, tow yards, farms, and parks and seized individuals on sight, often before asking a single question.

As discussed in an earlier Common Sense article (August 12, 2025), a California federal District Court found that these raids were part of a pattern of conduct by the ICE agents that likely violated the Fourth Amendment requirement that any detention be premised upon facts that reasonably warrant the suspicion that the individual may be illegally in the country.

Based on the evidence before it, the court found that the government was stopping individuals based solely on one or more of four factors: (1) their apparent race or ethnicity; (2) whether they spoke Spanish or English with an accent; (3) the type of location where they were found (such as a car wash or bus stop); and (4) the type of job they appeared to work.

Concluding that stops based on any one of these four factors alone, or even when taken together, could not satisfy the Fourth Amendment’s requirement of reasonable suspicion, the District Court temporarily enjoined the government from continuing its pattern of unlawful mass arrests while it decided if longer-term relief was appropriate. The District Court stated, the ICE “officers cannot rely solely on generalizations that, if accepted, would cast suspicion on large segments of the law-abiding population.”

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to interfere, noting that the government did not dispute that these detentive stops had been based solely on the four enumerated factors and did not challenge the District Court’s findings that those stops were part of a pattern of conduct that has apparent official approval. In the context of the Central District of California, the four factors, even when considered together, describe only a broad profile and do not demonstrate sufficient “reasonable suspicion” for any particular stop.

The Trump administration sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court and on September 8, it received the relief it sought, thereby allowing continued stops based upon any one of these four factors alone. The votes of at least five justices would have been required for such an outcome but only one of those justices, Justice Kavanaugh, explained his vote.

Kavanaugh asserted that the “high prevalence” of undocumented immigrants on the Central District would make it inevitable that immigration officers would target any Latino person, or any person speaking Spanish or any person in a low wage job.

However, nearly 47% of the Central District’s population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. For that reason, as explained by Justice Sotomayor in her dissent, the Fourth Amendment prohibits exactly what the government is attempting to do here: seize individuals based solely on a set of facts that would embrace a very large category of presumably innocent people. The four factors are no more indicative of illegal presence than of legal presence and surely in no way reflect the kind of individualized inquiry the Fourth Amendment demands.

In deciding such an issue, the Court typically must also “explore the relative harms to both sides, as well as the interests of the public at large.” The government’s sole argument on this score was that the injunction “chills [its] enforcement efforts.” However, the injunction does not prevent the government from enforcing its immigration laws, provided it stops individuals based on additional facts on top of any one of all the four factors listed.

Moreover, the on-the-ground reality appears to contradict the administration’s and Justice Kavanaugh’s claim of a chilling effect. Since the issuance of the injunction, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has called the district judge an “idiot” and vowed that “none of [the government’s] operations are going to change.” ICE’s chief patrol agent in the Central District has stated that his division will “turn and burn” and “go even harder now,” and has posted videos on social media touting his agents’ continued efforts “chasing, cuffing, and deporting” people at car washes.

Balanced against the “chilling effect” claim, it is the people of Los Angeles and the Central District who will suffer. As characterized by Justice Sotomayor in her dissent, “countless people in the Los Angelos area have been grabbed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed simply because of their looks, their accents, and the fact that they make a living by doing manual labor.”

Nor are undocumented immigrants the only ones harmed by the government’s conduct. United States citizens are also being seized, taken from their jobs, and prevented from working to support themselves and their families.

As stated by Justice Sotomayor, the Fourth Amendment protects every individual’s constitutional right to be “free from arbitrary interference by law officers.” In her opinion, the Court’s decision is “unconscionably irreconcilable” with our nation’s constitutional guarantees.

Checks? Balances? Where?

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:49:06 GMT

We, the People, like our system of government. At least in the abstract.

We like its checks and balances. We like its oversight. We like how the Founding Fathers created a system to prevent any one branch of government from wielding too much power.

But we’ve never had a president who wanted to be a dictator and who has convinced Congress and the Supreme Court to give him carte blanche to carry out an extreme right-wing agenda.

The results of four recent polls illustrate how Americans feel about the state of our three branches of government and the theory of checks and balances right now. (Links to the polls are at the end of this article.)

Voters overwhelmingly support our system of checks and balances. Large majorities of voters feel that democracy is strengthened by congressional oversight (78%), judicial review (70%), and congressional power of the purse (68%).

But when the congressional majority votes in lockstep with the president’s dictates and enables his extralegal agenda without a whimper, that’s not oversight.

When the ultraright Supreme Court majority ignores precedent and crafts twisted, illogical arguments to reward the president’s illegal behavior, that’s not review.

And when Congress allows the president to illegally impound allocated funds without a peep, much less a fight, that’s not using the power of the purse as a check or a balance.

Most Americans feel that Donald Trump has exceeded his authority as president (63%).

Most voters would prefer that the next Congress be in Democratic hands, to act as a check on Trump (56%).

With its ruling in 2024 that presidents have absolute criminal immunity for “official actions,” and the recent inscrutable shadow docket decisions in Trump’s favor, the Supreme Court has not acted as a check against presidential power. Americans have not had a favorable view of the Supreme Court since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Dobbs decision in 2022.

Most Americans do not think the Supreme Court is politically neutral (59%). The Court’s pandering to Trump is evident to Americans of all political parties.

But the reality is that Trump is governing with intense opposition from nearly half the country, according to G. Elliott Morris in his Strength in Numbers Substack.

According to the most recent YouGov/Economist poll (Sept. 12-15, 2025), Trump’s overall approval number has slipped to 39%.

Twice as many Americans strongly disapprove of Trump’s job performance (48%) than strongly approve (24%). This indicates how soft his support is. The 15% who somewhat approve can easily move to somewhat disapprove, depending on the scandals of the week.

Our path to restoring effective checks on the president and this administration lies in electing enough Democrats to both houses of Congress such that there is a solid Democratic majority. With GOP efforts to tip the scales through disenfranchising voters this will not be easy. But there is no hope for oversight by the Supreme Court, so our only chance is to legislatively combat this corrupt administration.

YouGov, Aug 2025

Washington Post/Ipsos, Sept. 2025

Reuters/Ipsos, June 2025

YouGov/Economist, Sept. 12-15, 2025

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

300,000 Marylanders Will See Big Increase in Health Insurance Premiums Due to Harris, OBBBA

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:47:24 GMT

Health insurance premiums for nearly 300,000 Marylanders will increase dramatically next year because of the Trump/GOP One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law in July.

Our Congressman, Maryland District 1 Rep. Andrew P. Harris voted for that bill.

Who will this affect?

People who buy individual health insurance plans through Maryland’s Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

How much will the increase be?

13.4% on average; policy holders will pay hundreds more for health insurance in 2026.

Why is the increase happening?

Federal tax credits that help keep costs down for low- to middle-income Marylanders are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025 because the OBBBA did not renew the credits.
The Maryland General Assembly approved funding this year that will cover some, but not all, of the increase.
An estimated increase of 6.5% in medical and pharmaceutical costs also contributes to the rate hike.

What does this mean for Marylanders ?

A 30-year-old individual earning $39,125 per year could see their monthly premiums increase by 97% ($61/month to $121/month for a Silver plan). However, without Maryland’s new financial help, they would have seen an even bigger increase of 348% (from $61/month to $275/month for a Silver plan)

Why are the tax credits ending?

The enhanced health insurance premium tax credits provided by the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act will expire on December 31, 2025.
The tax credits were not extended in the Trump/GOP OBBBA.

What is the likely outcome?

People who can no longer afford their plans will drop their insurance.

Can anything be done?

As part of negotiations to prevent a government shutdown on Oct 1, Democrats are pushing to preserve health care programs , including the permanent restoration of the federal tax credits and reversal of Medicaid cuts in OBBBA.

Reactions in Maryland:

“Under this new federal administration, Washington has shirked its duty to help middle-class Americans and families in poverty get affordable health care. Congress should act without delay to avoid these federal tax credits being ripped away from hardworking families,” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore . “In Maryland, we will continue to do everything in our power to keep costs low for families and preserve access to affordable care.”

“This can still be fixed,” said Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Health Care for All coalition. “If Congress fails, it will hurt Marylanders.”

While we're talking about health insurance, we should not forget the severe cuts to the Medicaid program that will affect many people on the Eastern Shore. Rep. Harris voted for those, too. Read more here and here .

This article was updated to include an example increase.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

“First Trump Came For…”

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:46:31 GMT

(With apologies to the Rev. Martin Niemoller)

First Trump came for undocumented immigrants, and I did not speak out because I was a citizen from birth.

Then Trump swept up citizens in their immigration raids, and I did not speak out because my skin is not brown.

Then Trump came for several white-shoe law firms in NYC and the District, and I did not speak out because I’m not an attorney.

Then Trump came for Goldman Sachs, and I did not speak out because I’m not an economist.

Then Trump halted collective bargaining for most federal workers across two dozen agencies, and I did not speak out because I’m no longer in a union.

Then Trump came for Columbia, Penn, Brown, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, UCLA, Duke, UVa, and UMaine, and I did not speak out because I am no longer a student. (I did speak out as a Harvard grad.)

Then Trump came for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and I did not speak out because these federal agencies lacked spines.

Then Trump came for Los Angeles with U.S. Marines and California National Guard, and I did not speak out because I’m not an Angelino.

Then Trump came for the District of Columbia, but I had nothing to do with that city and said nothing.

Then Trump threatened to come for Chicago, New York, and Baltimore, but ran into stiff resistance from Democratic mayors and governors and decided instead to come for Memphis, and I did not speak out.

Then Trump came for Federal Reserve’s Lisa Cook, and I did not speak out because she’s fighting back in court and will likely win.

Then Trump came for NPR and PBS, and I did not speak out because my news is from other sources.

Then Trump came for New Jersey’s state’s Democratic governor and attorney general over immigration policies, and I did not speak out because I wasn’t directly affected.

Then Trump came for a Wisconsin judge for allegedly obstructing ICE, and I did not speak out because Wisconsin’s a long way from the Eastern Shore.

Then Trump came for former Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, and I did not speak out because if there was anyone on the planet who can take care of himself, it’s Smith.

Then Trump came for NY AG Leticia James and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, and I did not speak out because they’re also fully capable of resisting threats and imprecations from Trump and his thugs.

Then Trump came for Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel and I did not speak out because the other shoes — Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon, and John Stewart — have yet to drop.

Then Trump promised to target “radical left lunatics,” and I did not speak out because, really, this is too nutty to be taken seriously, isn’t it?

Then Trump threatened to “go after the NGO network that foments, facilitates and engages in violence,” and I did not speak out because, again, so very difficult to take seriously.

Then Trump sued the NY Times for defamation, and I did not speak out because I believed his suit would be summarily tossed (as it was).

Then Trump came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.

As a community organizer, journalist, administrator, project planner/manager, and consultant, Gren Whitman has led neighborhood, umbrella, public interest, and political committees and groups, and worked for civil rights and anti-war organizations.

Maryland Issues New, Unambiguous Respiratory Vaccine Guidelines

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:42:48 GMT

To combat confusion and misinformation from the federal government, the Maryland Department of Health has taken the following steps to protect vaccine access for Marylanders:

Issued new, clear recommendations for respiratory vaccines for individuals based on science
Issued a statewide standing order giving all Marylanders access to the covid-19 vaccine
Joined the bipartisan Northeast Public Health Collaborative to protect public health and access to vaccines

The recommendations are for covid-19, RSV, and flu vaccines and follow science-based guidance issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Academy of Family Physicians.

The clear, understandable recommendations were adopted to replace the confusing and restrictive federal standards that are being issued by the Trump administration.

In a clear departure from federal guidelines, MDH makes the following recommendations:

Covid-19 vaccination is for:

All children 6 months–2 years
Children 2 years–18 years old who are at risk
All adults

RSV immunization is for:

Infants under 8 months
Children 8-19 months with risk factors
Anyone pregnant
People 50-74 who are at risk
People over 75

Flu vaccine is for:

Everyone older than 6 months
Adults older than 50 years should get higher dose

To reduce morbidity and mortality from covid-19, the statewide standing order supports access to the vaccines and provides guidelines to physicians for administering them.

Maryland has joined the Northeast Public Health Collaborative , a coalition of states that is working to protect and increase access to vaccines. The collaborative is developing vaccine recommendations and other public health guidelines to counter the Trump administration’s more restrictive vaccine policies and to protect evidence-based public health.

“Research continues to show that vaccines are an effective way to keep our communities healthy,” said MDH Secretary Meena Seshamani, MD, Ph.D.

“The federal government’s rapid changes and unnecessary swirl around vaccine policy is harmful for Marylanders and all Americans, and could result in disastrous public health outcomes,” said Gov. Wes Moore. “We will do everything in our power to ensure [Marylanders] have access to life-saving medicines like vaccines.”

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Good News About Offshore Wind

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:41:43 GMT

Construction on the Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island is back on after U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth blocked the Trump administration’s most recent attempt to shut it down.

The project is already 80% complete and will soon provide 704 megawatts of clean power to Rhode Island and Connecticut. Its supply chain spans 34 states, with shipyards in Louisiana and New England, steel production in New York, cable manufacturing in South Carolina, and hundreds of union jobs in Providence.

This is proof that offshore wind is about more than turbines. It’s about jobs, investment, and energy independence.

This matters here at home. Just as with his other stunts, Trump’s lawsuits against wind power projects in Maryland and Delaware are on track to fail. That means offshore construction for US Wind is still slated to begin in 2029, and the Eastern Shore will be at the center of it.

Here’s what’s on the line:

Rebuilding and expanding the deteriorating 45-year-old pier in West Ocean City into a modern operations and maintenance facility, complete with dredging guaranteed for 30 years. That project alone will support about 100 full-time local jobs.

US Wind has also committed $20 million to the Fishing Community Resilience Fund, with $13.5 million dedicated to Maryland fishermen for offloading, ice services, harbor maintenance, and seafood marketing.

The project will create nearly 2,700 jobs a year over seven years, power 718,000 homes with clean energy, and bring $815 million in investments to Maryland, with more than 50 companies already contracted.

At Sparrows Point in Baltimore, US Wind is partnering with Haizea Wind Group to build a 100-acre monopile factory. At Wagner’s Point, Hellenic Cables is setting up a new undersea cable plant. These are well-paying, union-backed jobs that strengthen Maryland’s manufacturing base.

For our Eastern Shore community, it means opportunity. US Wind has partnered with the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance, which received $700,000 from Maryland Works for Wind, to train the next generation of local workers. Our community college is already structuring its trades curriculum around offshore wind.

These are careers for the future, right here at home.

The project also sets a new standard for environmental protection.

Turbines will be spaced to minimize migration impacts.
Lights will remain off unless aircraft are nearby, thanks to aircraft detection lighting systems.
Construction will be monitored with bubble curtains, acoustic listening for whales, and strict shutdown zones to protect marine life.

These are the reasons that groups like the National Audubon Society, American Bird Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, and Greenpeace all support this project.

In total, US Wind’s Maryland project will deliver two gigawatts of clean power — the equivalent of two nuclear plants and enough to serve about a quarter of Maryland homes.

Four phases, 114 turbines, four offshore substations, and a record of decision already in hand from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The fight is far from over, but the momentum is on our side.

Trump and 1st District Rep. Andrew P. Harris can waste our tax dollars in court, but they can’t stop progress. Offshore wind is how we build good jobs, reduce bills, protect our Shore, and power a cleaner future, and is worth every ounce of the fight.

Easton Pastor Faces Immigration Hearing After Release from ICE Custody

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:04:33 GMT

Easton pastor Daniel Omar Fuentes Espinal, who was detained by federal immigration officials earlier this summer and later released, now has a court date set before a federal immigration judge, according to newly filed records.

Fuentes Espinal, 54, has led Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama since 2015 and is widely regarded by neighbors and local officials as a respected community leader. In July, he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which alleged he overstayed his visa by 25 years after arriving from Honduras.

The arrest drew swift reaction from across Maryland. Lawmakers and community members questioned why Fuentes Espinal was detained, noting he had no criminal record. Rep. Glenn Ivey and Sen. Sarah Elfreth reported at the time that his family had not seen him since the arrest, had only limited contact, and feared he would be deported.

After weeks of uncertainty, Fuentes Espinal was released on August 15 and reunited with his family. “My family and I are very thankful for all of you,” he said. “I’m very happy to be home with my family and my community. I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you, and God bless everyone.”

Friends of the family say he is now working toward legal citizenship, but his case remains unresolved. Federal court records show his first hearing is scheduled for March 31, 2026, in Baltimore.

The proceeding, known as a master calendar hearing, marks the initial stage in removal cases. Immigration judges use the session to explain rights and responsibilities to those appearing before the court. According to ICE, if Fuentes Espinal fails to appear, he could be ordered to leave the country.

For now, the pastor continues his ministry in Easton, awaiting what is likely to be a lengthy legal process.

Rep. Andy Harris Signs Letter Demanding Investigation of Left-Wing Enemies

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:04:03 GMT

On Sept. 11, a group of ultraright House Republicans delivered a letter to House leadership demanding the formation of a select committee on “the money, influence, and power behind the radical left’s assault on America and the rule of law.”

Twenty-three reactionary members of Congress signed the letter, including some of the most extreme right-wingers in the House of Representatives. Among the signers is our own First District congressman, Andrew P. Harris, who’s added his voice to the cacophony demanding that something be done about the so-called left-wing threat to America.

The letter was composed quickly after last week’s sniper murder of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing podcaster and campus provocateur. It presents a rationalization for investigating the finances of left-wing organizations and persons by blaming them not only for Kirk’s violent death, but for all manner of other problems ills in the country today:

Many attacks on “our way of life”
Sustained breakdown of law and order
Open borders that allow “illegal aliens” to victimize law-abiding Americans
Murders of innocent Americans, prominent and unknown alike
Assassination attempts of GOP politicians

The solution proposed in the letter is to “follow the money” by investigating such persons and groups as George Soros, the Wren Collective, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the U.N., and radicals and organizations suspected of financing the concerted effort to destroy MAGA America. They want to trace the money that, they claim without evidence, funds “the NGOs, donors, media, public officials, and all entities driving this coordinated attack.”

But moderate observers and commentators see a broader aim — the end of free speech when the speaker disagrees with the views of the current ruling party.

As expressed by Democracy Docket , a digital news platform, “The Trump administration’s rhetoric around Kirk’s murder and its attempt to link it to progressive causes and groups has raised fears it seeks to use the killing as false justification to further crack down on political speech and opposition politics in the U.S.”

Harris and the other letter signers have joined a loud and strident chorus of alt-right voices demanding “justice” by dismantling the liberal and left organizations that they claim are fomenting violence.

Also on Sept. 11, President Trump told reporters , "We have radical left lunatics out there and we just have to beat the hell out of them."

On Sept. 15, Vice President Vance called for the mass doxing of anyone celebrating Kirk’s murder. “Call them out. Hell, call their employer.” A growing number of companies are terminating and suspending employees for posting messages critical of Charlie Kirk on social media.

Stephen Miller , Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, referred to the Democratic Party as “a vast domestic terror movement” responsible for Kirk’s murder. He said the administration would target those who are “paying for violence.”

“With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks and make America safe again for the American people,” Miller vowed in the Oval Office.

“I don’t care how — it could be a RICO charge, a conspiracy charge, conspiracy against the United States, insurrection — but we are going to do what it takes to dismantle the organizations and the entities,” he added.

The average American realizes that this sort of language is dangerous.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after Kirk’s murder found that most Americans are worried about political violence and partisan divisions:

63% said the way Americans talk about political issues does "a lot" to encourage violence.
79% said people are less tolerant of opposing viewpoints than they were 20 years ago.
66% said they were concerned over the prospect of violence committed against people in their community because of their political beliefs.
71% said that “American society is broken.”

Read the right-wingers’ letter and judge it for yourself:

 Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Princess Anne Commissioner Guilty of Illegal Gun Possession

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:02:35 GMT

Following a jury trial in Somerset County Circuit Court, Princess Anne Town Commissioner Lionel Frederick was convicted on Sept. 10 of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

A former Town Commission president, Frederick was indicted last April in connection with an October 2024 incident in which investigators alleged he had a shotgun in his home. Because of a 2019 conviction for second-degree assault, considered a crime of violence, Frederick was banned from owning or possessing firearms under Maryland law.

During Wednesday’s trial, Frederick — as the sole defense witness — testified he did not realize his earlier conviction barred him from keeping the shotgun. He said the weapon had been purchased legally more than 10 years ago and that he had never been told to surrender it.

Prosecutors countered that the restriction was clear. The county State’s Attorney’s office produced a probation order from 2019 that prohibited Frederick from having a gun without court authorization. Frederick questioned the authenticity of his signature on the document, going so far as to suggest, “It’s Somerset County. I wouldn’t put it past this court.”

After the three-hour trial, jurors deliberated for 30 minutes before finding Frederick guilty on both counts, one a felony for illegal firearm possession and the other a misdemeanor for possessing ammunition unlawfully.

Frederick’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2 before Judge Leah Seaton.

Lot 10 Privatization Proceeds, Mayor Randy Taylor Blamed for Wasted Tax Dollars

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:02:10 GMT

Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor’s administration has suffered another setback in court after the city failed in its attempt to block developer Mentis from privatizing the downtown parking lot known as Lot 10.

In February 2023, the city sold Lot 10 to Mentis with the understanding that the property would remain a municipal lot until the developer was ready to begin construction of its hotel and conference center. This summer, Mentis announced its intent to convert Lot 10 to a private lot and to collect its own parking revenue.

Taylor’s administration responded on Aug. 19 by filing for a temporary restraining order and injunction, claiming Mentis had breached its agreement by attempting to take control of the lot without obtaining the necessary permits. The city argued that public access should remain until redevelopment officially began.

On Sept. 12, Wicomico Co. Circuit Court Judge Leah Seaton rejected the city’s request, ruling that Salisbury had failed to prove “irreparable harm,” a necessary condition for an injunction.

The ruling means that Mentis is now free to collect parking fees from Lot 10, while taxpayers are left footing the bill for a failed legal maneuver.

Critics say Taylor misplayed the case
Residents and downtown stakeholders have accused the Taylor administration of mishandling the dispute and wasting public money. Rather than negotiating directly with Mentis or resolving the funding agreement for the redevelopment project, the mayor opted for an aggressive legal strategy, which ended in defeat.

“This administration keeps charging ahead with lawsuits it cannot win,” one downtown business owner said. “Meanwhile, the city burns through taxpayer dollars, and we’re no closer to seeing real progress on the hotel and conference center.”

Developer signals willingness to proceed
Mentis officials, for their part, said the project can move forward if the city finalizes the sub-recipient agreement needed to release grant funding.

“If we can get the city to move forward with the sub-recipient agreement, and that opens up the grant funding flowing to the project, we will continue to move forward with the hotel and conference center,” said Mentis’ Nick Simpson.

Taylor points fingers
Pushing back, the mayor argued that the developer needs to secure financing, site plans, and construction approvals before the project can advance — materials that have already been provided to the city.

But to many observers, the back-and-forth underscores a larger problem: a stalled project that continues to pit City Hall against its private partners, with little to show for years of promises.

A hearing on the remaining disputes is scheduled for December, but critics say the damage has been done. The court ruling leaves Mentis in control of Lot 10’s parking revenue and the city with another legal bill, raising questions about whether Salisbury’s mayor is fighting the right battles and how many more tax increases city residents will endure to pay for these legal battles.

Tenants Win $11.2 Million Settlement in PG Co., Highlighting Tenant Protection Issues on the Shore

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:01:28 GMT

Tenants of a dangerous, code-violating, bat-, rat-, roach-, and mold-infested apartment complex in Prince George’s County will collect an $11.2 million settlement against the owners and operators of the complex.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced the landmark settlement with Heather Hill Apartments after allegations that the property collected rent without a valid license, dodged code inspections, and tried to evict hundreds of tenants.

The settlement is the largest restitution ever obtained by the AG’s Consumer Protection Division in a landlord-tenant case. It will provide debt forgiveness, credits, and cash payments to tenants who paid rent while Heather Hill was unlicensed and requires the company to dismiss pending eviction cases tied to that period.

“This settlement provides relief for hundreds of Maryland families who were forced to pay rent while some lived in unsafe conditions,” Brown said. “My office will always hold landlords accountable when they put profits over people’s safety.”

The company faces three more lawsuits.

Broader implications across Maryland
While the Heather Hill case is centered in Prince George’s County, housing advocates note that the issues it raises — unlicensed properties, unsafe living conditions, and tenants struggling without recourse — are not confined to one region.

On the Eastern Shore, where affordable housing is limited and oversight often inconsistent, tenant advocates have warned of similar problems. Aging multi-family housing in Salisbury, Cambridge, and Crisfield has drawn complaints about weak code enforcement and unsafe conditions.

The Heather Hill settlement underscores that the state will step in when landlords fail to comply with licensing laws. For Shore renters, the precedent could mean stronger accountability in local housing markets, which have long marked shortages and rising costs.

Connection to statewide reforms
The action also comes just days after Gov. Wes Moore signed his Housing Starts Here executive order to accelerate the construction of affordable homes statewide. Together, the order and the Heather Hill settlement reflect a two-pronged strategy: building more housing while holding existing landlords accountable.

For Shore communities, where new housing and stronger enforcement are badly needed, the Heather Hill case signals that state officials are paying closer attention to the conditions renters face, not only in the urban core, but across the state.

Md. BPW Approves $13 Million for Parks, Community Projects, Land Conservation

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:00:45 GMT

The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved $13 million in grants from the Department of Natural Resources for local governments and land trusts to support community centers, parks, and land conservation projects in 16 counties, including several on the Eastern Shore.

In addition to local recreation projects, the board approved $3.2 million in Rural Legacy funding for conservation easements that permanently limit development to protect farms, waterways, and natural habitats.

Among the Eastern Shore investments:

Talbot County will receive funding for a new softball field at the Home Run Baker Sports Complex.
Caroline County is approved to install new playground equipment at Jesse Sutton Memorial Park in Greensboro.
Worcester County will receive funds to build new restrooms at Sturgis Park in Snow Hill.
The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy will get an award to protect two adjoining properties in Caroline County, covering 220 acres, and safeguarding 7,400 feet of forested stream buffers along tributaries of the Choptank River and preserving scenic views near Preston.
In Dorchester County’s Harriet Tubman Rural Legacy Area, the Conservation Fund will secure an easement on a 121-acre farm, preserving historic landscapes along public roads tied to Tubman’s story and protecting valuable agricultural land.

“These projects are about building stronger, healthier communities,” Gov. Wes Moore said during the meeting, underscoring the administration’s focus on expanding recreational opportunities and conserving Maryland’s natural resources.

The DNR noted that similar projects were approved in counties across Maryland, ranging from new playgrounds and sports facilities to strategic farmland preservation. Officials emphasized that the funding supports immediate community needs and long-term environmental protections.

“These grants reflect our dual mission, creating vibrant spaces for Marylanders today while ensuring our land and water resources are protected for generations to come,” DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz said.

US Wind, Oceantic Pitch Offshore Wind Future Amid Trump Attacks

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:13:03 GMT

At Shore Progress’s monthly meeting last week, the tension between national politics and local opportunity was on full display. With President Donald Trump escalating his attacks on offshore wind, representatives from US Wind and the Oceantic Network made their case directly to members gathered in Salisbury.

From the outset, the presenters stressed the scale of what’s coming to the Eastern Shore. “This project is the equivalent of building two nuclear power plants off our coast,” US Wind representative Dave Wilson said, pointing to plans for 114 turbines and four offshore substations. Together, he said, the project will generate two net gigawatts of clean energy, enough to power approximately 26% of the homes in Maryland.

The presentation walked members through the timeline: a four-phase buildout beginning in the southeast corner of the lease area, with each phase, including its own export cable, routed through Indian River Bay into the regional grid at the Indian River Power Plant in Delaware.

Environmental safeguards on display

Slides showed how US Wind plans to minimize negative effects on wildlife. The company will use an aircraft detection lighting system to keep turbines dark until a low-flying aircraft approaches, reducing night-sky light pollution. Marine protections include bubble curtains to dampen noise during pile driving, visual and acoustic monitoring for whales, and strict shutdown zones if animals enter construction areas.

Lights will be on less than 1% of the time in any given year, underscoring their view that offshore wind can coexist with migratory birds, commercial fishing, and marine transit.

Economic promise for the Shore

The discussion turned quickly to what the project means locally. US Wind pledged hundreds of jobs for the Shore, with commitments to use union labor and partner with minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses. Officials noted that the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance has already received $700,000 from Maryland Works for Wind to build training programs, while community colleges are adjusting trade curricula to educate the next generation of turbine technicians.

A planned operations and maintenance facility in West Ocean City will house technicians and crew transfer vessels, bringing steady employment and infrastructure investment to the harbor.

A national fight with local stakes

The meeting didn’t shy away from politics. Several members noted Trump’s repeated attempts to derail offshore wind projects including his latest push to revoke US Wind’s federal permit. US Wind officials acknowledged that such lawsuits could delay progress but insisted that the project’s federal approvals are on solid ground.

“This is the Eastern Shore's moment,” Shore Progress Chair Jared Schablein said, referring to a slide that showed more than $815 million in offshore wind investments statewide. “The question is whether politics will slow us down, or whether we keep building for the Shore’s future.”

The presentation had a clear message: Offshore wind is not just about clean power, but also about jobs, investment, and opportunity for Eastern Shore families.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Gov. Moore Signs “Housing Starts Here” Order to Tackle Maryland’s Affordability Crisis

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:12:19 GMT

Standing at the Legacy at Twin Rivers apartment community in Howard County, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order aimed at addressing his state’s deepening housing crisis. Titled Housing Starts Here, his order is designed to accelerate construction of affordable homes and cut through what Moore called years of “no and slow” decision-making in state housing policy.

Maryland is facing a shortage of at least 96,000 housing units, according to state estimates, a gap that officials say has driven up prices, pushed families out of the state, and stifled economic growth.

“Building pathways to wealth for Marylanders, creating jobs, attracting new businesses and residents, growing our economy, and securing our future all start with housing,” Moore said at the signing. “We need to be the state of yes and now.”

Five guiding principles
The executive order lays out five core priorities for state housing policy:

Use state land for housing . Agencies must identify surplus properties and land near transit stations that can be converted into new housing developments.
Cut red tape. State permitting processes will be streamlined, with new rules allowing third-party reviewers to accelerate approvals.
Strengthen partnerships. A new State Housing Ombudsman will serve as a liaison to help coordinate projects between state agencies, local governments, and developers.
Set clear goals. By January 2026, the state will publish housing production targets for each county and update them every five years.
Incentivize affordable housing. Jurisdictions that meet housing targets or pass pro-housing policies will be recognized with new Maryland Housing Leadership Awards, making them more competitive for state funding.

Speed as the priority
State officials said the new framework is focused on cutting delays that can hold back projects for years. By digitizing applications, engaging multiple agencies simultaneously, and allowing outside reviewers, the state aims to expedite project completion while upholding environmental and community standards.

What could this mean for us on the Eastern Shore?
Moore acknowledged that housing affordability consistently ranks as Marylanders’ No. 1 concern. For young people in particular, high costs and long commutes are major reasons they leave the state. The order seeks to reverse that trend, tying housing growth to job creation and transit access.

On the Eastern Shore , where rental availability and starter homes are limited, Moore’s order could open opportunities for mixed-use, transit-oriented projects on state-owned land, as well as accelerate approval for affordable housing initiatives backed by nonprofits and local developers.

What comes next
The Department of Housing and Community Development will publish the state’s first set of production targets by Jan. 1, 2026, followed by annual progress reports starting in 2027. Agencies have until March 2026 to implement many of the new permitting and funding acceleration rules.

Moore framed the executive order as a generational investment. “Making housing more affordable is not just about building shelter, it’s about building a legacy,” he said.

Alsobrooks Leads Push to Remove RFK Jr. From HHS, Citing “Costs, Chaos, and Corruption”

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:10:17 GMT

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) has intensified her calls for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to step down, releasing a detailed report that she says proves his tenure has been a disaster for American families.

The first senator to demand Kennedy’s resignation in May, Alsobrooks joined Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in unveiling a 54-page report that chronicles what they describe as the “costly, chaotic, and corrupt” record of Kennedy’s first 203 days at the department. Released before Kennedy’s Senate hearing last week, the report outlines examples of alleged mismanagement for each day since he was sworn in on Feb. 13.

“Robert Kennedy’s tenure as America’s chief health officer has been higher costs, more chaos, and boundless corruption,” Wyden said. “His actions are endangering children, leaving parents confused and scared, and forcing families and taxpayers to pay more for their health care.”

Echoing that assessment, Alsobrooks cited testimony from scientists at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland who she says have watched critical cancer research grind to a halt under Kennedy’s leadership. “His actions are increasing Americans’ health care costs, causing chaos, and furthering the Trump administration’s endless stream of corruption,” she said.

The report argues that Kennedy has:

Driven up costs by backing the Trump administration’s budget plan, which Alsobrooks says strips health coverage from 15 million Americans while handing tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations.
Created chaos by dismantling HHS programs, undermining research institutions, and promoting vaccine misinformation.
Engaged in corruption by using the office to advance personal and family financial interests, particularly around limiting vaccine access.

Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, praised Alsobrooks’ leadership. “President Trump and Senate Republicans made a grievous error when entrusting Kennedy with our nation’s health,” the group said in. “It is far past time that President Trump rectifies this error by firing Kennedy before more lives are unnecessarily put at risk.”

Alsobrooks appeared on the Morning Joe TV show on to discuss the findings and to reiterate her demand that Kennedy resign or be removed.

“This is about protecting families and protecting science,” she said. “Our nation’s health system cannot afford another day under Robert Kennedy’s reckless watch.”

Wicomico Officials Advance ICE Partnership Amid Community Opposition and Rising Concerns

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:09:51 GMT

Wicomico County leaders have announced plans to move forward with the federal government’s controversial 287(g) program, entering into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that would deputize local officers to serve immigration warrants inside the county jail.

Under the model selected, known as the Warrant Service Officer program, specially trained deputies at the detention center would be allowed to serve civil immigration warrants on individuals already in custody. County Executive Julie Giordano and Sheriff Mike Lewis emphasized that deputies would not conduct street-level immigration enforcement.

“Public safety is our top responsibility,” Giordano said. “The Warrant Service Officer program provides our sheriff’s office with the tools they need to address individuals already in custody who may pose a risk to our community at no additional cost to the county.”

Lewis added that the program “gives our deputies the ability to safely and lawfully carry out their duties while ensuring that Wicomico County remains a secure place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Community pushback
The announcement drew swift opposition from civil rights and community organizations, including the ACLU of Maryland, the Wicomico NAACP, and local grassroots groups such as Crabs on the Shore, who have warned that the agreement will harm immigrant families, sow fear, and erode trust between residents and law enforcement.

Opponents also criticized the process, arguing that the decision was rushed through without meaningful public input despite repeated calls for hearings. “This is being framed as an administrative detail, but it has huge consequences for our neighbors,” one advocate said.

Concerns about cost and precedent
Supporters of the WSO model have emphasized that the partnership comes “at no additional cost” to Wicomico taxpayers, but critics point out that other jurisdictions have found otherwise. Anne Arundel County canceled its own 287(g) agreement, citing high costs and community backlash. The Camden Police Department in Delaware withdrew from a similar partnership after public protests in May.

Advocates note that the federal government does not fully reimburse counties for the time, training, and legal exposure associated with 287(g) programs, leaving local taxpayers to shoulder hidden expenses.

First on Delmarva
If finalized, Wicomico County would become the first government or police agency on the Delmarva Peninsula to formally enter into a 287(g) agreement with ICE. Supporters say that distinction demonstrates a commitment to accountability and public safety. Opponents warn it risks branding the county as hostile to immigrant communities that have long been central to the Shore’s workforce, particularly in poultry processing and agriculture.

The county’s decision comes amid a broader national debate about local involvement in federal immigration enforcement, with critics warning that partnerships like 287(g) make communities less safe by discouraging victims and witnesses from coming forward.

For now, the final agreement is pending federal approval. But with strong opposition already mobilized, the fight over Wicomico’s new partnership is likely only beginning.

Wicomico Democrats Silent as County Leaders Advance ICE Agreement

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:09:21 GMT

Wicomico County Republicans have moved forward with an agreement to join the federal 287(g) program, aligning the county with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). County Executive Julie Giordano and Sheriff Mike Lewis are backing the program to train county officers at the detention center to help ICE identify non-citizens for deportation proceedings.

The agreement has triggered strong pushback from immigrant advocates, civil rights groups, and community leaders who warn that this partnership will erode trust between residents and law enforcement, risk racial profiling, and allot local tax dollars to assist federal immigration enforcement.

Yet amid the growing controversy, the Wicomico County Democratic Central Committee has issued no response to the ICE agreement, even as residents voice frustration that the Democratic establishment’s silence has ceded the conversation to Republicans.

Moreover, the Central Committee has remained silent with regard to recent comments by Democratic Councilwoman April Jackson, who told the Washington Post that the poultry industry should reduce its reliance on immigrant workers. Jackson also said, “a lot of Americans aren’t employed because the Haitians are taking our jobs.” Jackson’s remarks have drawn widespread criticism from immigrant advocates.

For many residents, the Democratic leadership’s silence is as much of a concern as the county government’s new partnership with ICE.

As the county waits for federal approval of the 287(g) agreement, the absence of a Democratic counterweight has left immigrant families and community organizers to carry the opposition on their own.

As Questions Swirl About County Executive Run, Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes to Host Community Conversation in Dorchester

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:08:38 GMT

With speculation mounting that Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-37A) may run for County Executive for Wicomico County in 2026, the longtime Eastern Shore lawmaker will headline a Community Conversation in Dorchester County on Sept. 17 at 6 pm.

Sponsored by the Eastern Shore Democrats, the event will give residents the opportunity to hear Sample-Hughes speak about local priorities — schools, public safety, health care access, and economic development in the mid-Shore.

Sample-Hughes, former Speaker Pro Tem of the Maryland House of Delegates, has represented portions of Wicomico and Dorchester counties for more than a decade. Her record includes bipartisan work on district projects, as well as efforts to expand health services and invest in infrastructure.

Although organizers emphasize that the Sept. 17 gathering is not a campaign event, the timing has fueled interest. Political observers note that any appearance by Sample-Hughes will be closely watched as Democrats weigh potential challengers for County Executive in the upcoming cycle.

The forum will include remarks from the delegate, followed by a question-and-answer session. Seating is available first-come, first-served and residents from across the Shore are encouraged to attend.

Key details
What: Community Conversation with Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes
When: Sept. 17, 6 pm
Where: Dorchester County, venue to be announced by organizers.
Format: Remarks followed by audience Q&A

Before her election to the House of Delegates, Sample-Hughes served on the Wicomico County Council. Should she enter the county executive race, many believe she would be a serious challenger to Republican incumbent Julie Giordano.

Rep. Harris Voted to Strip Medicaid Coverage from Tens of Thousands of Eastern Shore Residents

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 03:52:33 GMT

Between 26,000 and 39,000 people in Maryland’s First Congressional District will lose or be denied Medicaid coverage over the next decade because of cuts made to the program in the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill.

Our congressman, Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD01), voted for these cuts and voted to throw tens of thousands of his constituents off Medicaid and snatch away their health insurance.

The draconian new law will:

Take Medicaid coverage away from people who can’t document that they meet rigid, red-tape-laden work requirements.
Require some people to complete paperwork even if they are exempt from the work requirements.
Prevent people from enrolling unless they are already employed.

Almost one quarter of Harris’s constituents – 188,800 people – are on Medicaid. These are our neighbors.

Nationally , 64% of Medicaid enrollees are employed and will need to document their employment. Figures for MD01 are likely similar:

44% are employed full time.
20% are employed part time and must work 80 hours per month to keep their coverage.

Twenty-nine percent of Medicaid enrollees are exempt from the new work requirements, but may have to re-certify their status:

12% have caregiving responsibilities.
10% are disabled or ill.
7% are in school.

The other 8% have been unable to find a job, are retired, or are not working for some other reason.

The new Medicaid requirements will cause many people to lose eligibility because of reporting and paperwork demands even if they are working or are exempt from the work requirements. Plus, many Medicaid enrollees work in low-wage jobs with variable hours, making it difficult to consistently report employment.

Rep. Harris talks about “common-sense work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving federal government assistance on the taxpayer dime — an important step toward restoring the dignity of work and ensuring taxpayer dollars aren’t used for those who choose not to work.”

This pompous GOP talking point does not acknowledge some real-world truths:

Most Medicaid recipients are already working, or are exempt from working under the new rules.
Some people are forced to work on a part-time basis , and may not be guaranteed 80 hours per month.
Some people have trouble finding even part-time work.
It is easy to walk away from red tape and onerous reporting requirements when one is healthy, even when working.

To hear Rep. Harris tell it , “Work requirements for able-bodied adults help lift people out of poverty — promoting independence, not dependency.”

But according to research and the Congressional Budget Office, work requirements do not increase employment. Instead, the result for people who lose health coverage is that they delay getting needed medical care, stop or decrease medications, and incur medical debt.

The GOP made sure to postpone implementation of these new rules until after the 2026 midterm election in the hope that they wouldn’t become an election issue.

These cruel and ill-advised cuts to health insurance for vulnerable Americans were made to put more money into the pockets of billionaires. Rep. Harris, as a physician, should have more compassion for people seeking health care, not less.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

History Repeats...

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 03:51:30 GMT

“Bodily autonomy is once again the dividing legal line between the states, but this time with women’s bodies and lives on the line. And the “states’ rights” proponents have once again set up two sets of laws, with pregnant women likely soon to have no abortion rights or access at all on one side of the state line.”

~Jay Kuo, “Status Kuo” (Substack)

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022 and with the consequential variances in different states’ abortion laws, there are obvious parallels to the pre-Civil War Fugitive Slave Act and the Dred Scott decision.

The Fugitive Slave Act (1850) declared that a citizen in a free state was legally required to assist a slave catcher, with heavy fines and imprisonment for those who refused to help or interfered. As authorities today in anti-abortion states — such as Texas — attempt to prosecute a citizen in a pro-choice state for actions that are legal there — i.e., a physician prescribing and mailing abortifacients such as mifepristone and misoprostol — history appears to repeat itself.
And the Dred Scott decision (1857) held that a Black person in the U.S. had “no rights that a white man is bound to respect” and ruled that Black persons were less than full citizens. This odious decision highlighted the danger of letting states have different laws when Americans’ rights are affected. In holding that they no longer have the constitutional right to full reproductive health care, women are degraded to second-class citizenship in certain states.

When Texas’s elimination of abortions is compared to Maryland's pro-choice laws and regulations, it's obvious that Texas does not offer "equal protection of the laws" for women.

This national disconnect reeks of inequality and unfairness and loudly echoes the Fugitive Slave Act and the Dred Scott decision.

With the impetus supplied by “Project 2025” — the model for Donald Trump’s broad assault on government, law firms, universities, cultural institutions, corporations, health care, labor unions, foreign aid, treaties, Democratic-run cities, etc. — right-wing extremists are undoubtedly considering how to further repress women in the U.S.

In addition to denying a woman’s right to full health care, for example, what if former Confederate states decide that women can no longer vote (exactly as they denied the vote to Black citizens under Jim Crow for 100 years)? If state legislatures decide a woman can’t have a driver’s license? Or a checking account? Or a credit card? Or hold a paying job? Or travel unescorted?

It’s fearfully and dangerously analogous.

Scientific Health Research and DEI

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 03:50:57 GMT

In a shadow docket ruling which will have a serious negative effect on the nation’s public health research, a fractured Supreme Court once again came to the aid of the Trump administration.

By a 5-4 vote, the Court allowed the National Institutes of Health, the largest public funding source for biomedical research in the world, to terminate $783 million in grants previously awarded. National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Association (August 21, 2025).

In a strong dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asserted that just when the Judiciary should be hunkering down to do all it can to preserve the law’s constraints, the Court opts instead to make preventing manifestly injurious government action “as difficult as possible.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the world’s leading funder of biomedical and behavioral research and is, as such, responsible for the discovery of new ways to diagnose, prevent, and treat the most challenging diseases.

By congressionally enacted statute, the NIH must make grants-in-aid to universities, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private institutions to contribute to the effort to “diagnose, treat, and prevent physical and mental diseases.”

Various statutory provisions shape the NIH’s discretion in allocating these funds, including ways that recognize the importance of science for the study, healing, and service of a diverse nation. For example, Congress requires the funding of programs designed to assist women who are members of “medically underserved populations, low-income populations, or minority groups.” And it instructs the NIH to make grants in biomedical and behavioral research training for individuals who are “members of minority health disparity populations.”

Historically, the NIH has awarded multi-year grants pursuant to established statutory criteria and scientific objectives in recognition that disease research takes time.

Also historically, the NIH’s grant selection process has been rigorously scientific. In the past, grant terminations have been extremely rare.

The NIH’s implementation of its grantmaking obligations changed dramatically in February 2025, after President Trump signed a trio of executive orders instructing the government to stop diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, “gender ideology” promotion, and covid–19 research.

In response, NIH leadership issued a series of directives ordering the termination, en masse, of existing grants that the agency perceived as in tension with the new administration’s policies.

Thousands of grants were canceled, including those supporting research into suicide risk and prevention, HIV transmission, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular disease.

A group of individual researchers, doctors, and unions who depend on NIH funding for their research and a coalition of 16 states on behalf of their public universities sued in federal district court in Massachusetts, arguing that the NIH had implemented the executive orders in a manner that violated, among others, the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) and the separation of powers under the Constitution.

Following discovery and a bench trial, Judge William Young (a Reagan appointee) determined that both the underlying policy and the grant terminations were “breathtakingly arbitrary and capricious” in violation of the APA. American Public Health Association v. NIH (July 2, 2025).

In fact, he found that there was “no reasoned decision-making” at all with respect to the NIH’s abrupt “robotic rollout” of these grant-termination actions. In place of science, the district court found “an unmistakable pattern of discrimination against women’s health issues” and “palpable” racial discrimination of a sort the judge had “never seen” in his 40 years on the bench.

Following a decision by the First Circuit Court of Appeals not to intervene, the administration sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court.

In another shadow docket ruling, four justices (Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson) would have rejected the administration’s appeal in full. Four justices (Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh) would have granted the administration’s appeal in full.

Justice Barrett, casting the deciding vote, split the difference. “My preliminary judgment is that the plaintiffs’ challenges to the grant terminations belong in the Court of Federal Claims, and their APA challenges to the guidance belong in district court.”

As a result, the Court granted the government’s request to block that part of Judge Young’s ruling that required NIH to continue to fund the terminated grants.

Justice Jackson dissented, asserting that by today’s order, an evenly divided Court neuters judicial review of grant terminations by sending plaintiffs on “a likely futile, multivenue quest for complete relief.” The Court evidently wishes to impose its “cumbersome, multistep judicial-review process” on any grantee that attempts to preserve its research advancements by filing a lawsuit. With potentially life-saving scientific advancements on the line, the Court turns a nearly century-old APA statute aimed at remedying unreasoned agency decision-making into a “gauntlet rather than a refuge.”

Justice Jackson lamented the adverse impact on scientific research the Court’s decision will cause. The NIH grantees have detailed the devastating and irrevocable damage to the “symbiotic relationship” between the government and the nation’s research community that an abrupt cessation of funding would cause, not to mention the harm to the global primacy of American science.

As Congress recognized when it made the NIH the world’s largest public scientific funder, scientific advancement lifts all boats. As Judge Jackson noted, “the harm is not just to researchers who will lose their livelihoods; vulnerable members of our society will also lose the benefits of their research.”

The Latest Desperate GOP Attempt to Kill Maryland’s Offshore Wind Project

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 03:50:19 GMT

Trump and Harris would deny the Eastern Shore jobs, infrastructure, support for watermen, and clean, reliable energy

Donald Trump and Andy Harris’s latest desperate attempt to stop offshore wind off our coast will fail.

The Trump administration is threatening to revoke the federal permits for US Wind’s project off our coast. Let’s be clear: this does not kill the project, and it’s unlikely to succeed in court.

There’s no legal precedent for pulling back a Construction & Operations Plan (COP) after approval. Once granted, the Bureau of Ocean Energy has never revoked a permit. But if Trump attempts a revocation, it will go straight to court and the courts don’t reward political games.

In fact, after the Supreme Court’s Loper Bright v. Raimondo decision last year, agencies can’t just reverse themselves for political reasons; judges strike down such attempts all the time.

We’ve seen this play before. Trump demanded a halt to the Empire Wind project in New York and tried to block the Vineyard Wind project in Massachusetts. But the courts and regulators upheld both projects and both are moving forward today.

Trump’s track record is clear: these stunts fail. The truth is, his latest move is nothing more than an attempt to waste our tax dollars and prolong the process, hoping that the delay will cause US Wind to abandon the project. However, history shows that these projects hold up, as they’re built on years of rigorous review, backed by strong permits, and supported by the public.

The benefits for the Shore are enormous, a real investment in our Shore and in our future. This project is rebuilding and extending the deteriorated 45-year-old commercial pier in West Ocean City, upgrading it to 625 feet with a concrete deck, jib crane, and wave screen, and adding a new operations & maintenance facility that will generate about 100 full-time local jobs.

It also establishes a $20 million Fishing Community Resilience Fund, with $13.5 million allocated for Maryland to support local watermen. That fund will cover 30 years of harbor maintenance — dredging, docking, and shore stabilization — while also providing grants for catch offloading, ice services, gear innovation, seafood marketing, and business development to keep our fishing industry strong for the next generation.

The project comprises up to 114 offshore wind turbines, four offshore substations, one meteorological tower, and four cable corridors that bring power to the grid. Onshore, new connections near Millsboro, Del., will feed into the Indian River substation. Together, the project supports nearly 2,700 jobs annually over seven years and delivers more than 2 gigawatts of renewable power, enough to serve 718,000 homes with clean, reliable energy.

It doesn’t stop there. US Wind and Haizea Wind Group are opening a 100-acre steel monopile manufacturing facility at Baltimore’s Sparrows Point, bringing union manufacturing back to a historic site. They’re also partnering with Hellenic Cables to build a new undersea cable manufacturing facility at Wagner’s Point, securing the supply chain right here in Maryland.

Why should the Eastern Shore give up all these benefits in a desperate attempt to prop up a failing, losing fossil fuel industry?

Shore Progress (formerly LSPC) is a nonpartisan civic organization covering the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The organization is committed to building strong communities across the Eastern Shore by building the Progressive movement.

Community Divided: Should Wicomico County Partner With ICE?

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 03:49:38 GMT

Wicomico County considers 287(g) program amid confusion and concerns

Wicomico County leaders are considering whether to enter into a controversial federal partnership known as the 287(g) program, sparking questions about its implications for residents and how it could affect the relationship between local law enforcement and immigrant communities.

At a recent County Council meeting, confusion about the program led to debate and speculation, with some residents fearing that local deputies would begin rounding up undocumented residents on the street.

County Executive Julie Giordano described the effort as a “measured” step, but the proposal has already prompted alarm in community forums, with residents voicing concerns about safety, civil liberties, and the county’s image.

Sheriff Mike Lewis explained that the county is exploring only the Jail Enforcement Model, which is limited to the detention center. Under this model, correctional officers trained by ICE would screen people after arrest to determine their immigration status and possibly issue detainers for deportation proceedings.

Supporters of 287(g) argue that it helps identify noncitizens with criminal records, but critics warn the program carries serious risks for counties like Wicomico:

Erodes Community Trust: When local law enforcement becomes tied to federal immigration enforcement, immigrant residents may fear reporting crimes, serving as witnesses, or seeking help, undermining public safety for everyone.

Costly and Inefficient: While ICE provides training, counties often shoulder administrative and legal costs. Studies in other jurisdictions have shown 287(g) can drain local resources without clear benefits.

Risk of Racial Profiling: Even under the jail-only model, questions remain about how individuals are flagged and if profiling can be avoided. Civil rights groups have long argued that the program encourages unequal treatment.

Limited Impact on Serious Crime: National reviews of 287(g) show that many of those flagged are low-level offenders rather than violent criminals, raising doubts about whether the program delivers on its promise of enhancing safety.

Local Process Still Unclear

Sheriff Lewis and County Executive Giordano have confirmed they are interested in joining the program, but approval could take several months. The federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must negotiate a memorandum of agreement with the county, and logistical questions remain because the detention center does not fall entirely under the sheriff’s authority.

Lewis stressed that Wicomico deputies do not currently partner with ICE to make immigration arrests. “To my knowledge, that has not happened,” he said, clarifying that any prior interactions have involved responding to traffic accidents or assisting when other agencies request aid.

For now, Wicomico is in the early stages of consideration. Whether the county proceeds will likely depend not only on federal approval but also on whether community leaders and residents believe the costs and risks outweigh the promised benefits.

As the debate continues, one fact remains clear: trust between residents and law enforcement is at stake.

Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Announce Over $1.2 Million for Shore Students Pursuing Higher Education

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 03:48:50 GMT

Maryland’s U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks have announced the awarding of more than $1.2 million in federal funding to expand access to higher education for students on the Eastern Shore.

Secured through the U.S. Department of Education’s Strengthening Institutions Program, the funding will help three Shore institutions support students and improve services:

Chesapeake College: $669,583
Wor-Wic Community College: $272,364
Salisbury University: $272,364

The Strengthening Institutions Program provides resources to colleges and universities that serve large numbers of first-generation and low-income students, helping schools expand academic support, upgrade technology, and improve retention rates.

Local leaders welcomed the announcement as a step forward for families navigating the rising cost of college. Although the funding is modest compared to statewide education budgets, advocates say investments in local institutions such as Chesapeake, Wor-Wic, and Salisbury can have a direct effect on families who want their children to succeed without taking on crushing debt or moving away.

The new awards build on broader federal and state efforts to expand college affordability and workforce readiness across Maryland.

“A quality education opens doors to good-paying jobs and meaningful opportunities, but many still face unnecessary and unfair barriers to academic achievement — especially when it comes to college. These federal investments will enable the Eastern Shore’s colleges to provide students with the resources they need to overcome obstacles and succeed in school and beyond,” said Sen. Van Hollen.

“I believe every person should have access to a great education, which is why I am so proud to work alongside Sen. Van Hollen to secure funding for our colleges on the Eastern Shore. Education unlocks opportunities to succeed. Not only will this funding help support students in need of additional resources, it will ultimately fuel our economy and create our next generation of leaders,” said Sen. Alsobrooks.

Trump Targets US Wind Permit, but Legal Experts See Slim Chances

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:06:21 GMT

The Trump administration has moved to revoke the federal permit for US Wind’s offshore wind farm, throwing one of the Eastern Shore’s most significant economic and energy projects into uncertainty. While the legal fight plays out, supporters emphasize what the project means here at home: jobs, lower bills, and new opportunities for the Shore.

US Wind’s planned investment of more than $1 billion would ripple through local economies. Thousands of well-paying jobs are tied to construction, operations, and supply chains, with work ranging from skilled trades to steel fabrication. The project’s turbines, located about 10 miles off Ocean City, are designed to generate enough clean energy to power more than 718,000 homes. Advocates argue that it will reduce reliance on fossil fuels, alleviate price pressures on families, and enhance Maryland’s grid reliability.

“This project is about jobs, affordability, and securing our energy future,” said Nancy Sopko, US Wind’s vice president of external affairs. She noted that the permits were issued after years of rigorous review and remain legally sound.

The Oceantic Network, a Baltimore-based nonprofit representing the offshore wind industry, underscored that the project will also support Maryland’s manufacturing base, pointing to the steel fabrication facility planned for Sparrows Point. “Once completed, the Maryland project and Sparrows Point steel will enhance our national security and economic freedom by directly supporting steel mill investments and bringing back important steel fabrication capabilities to America,” said Sam Salustro, the group’s senior vice president.

For Eastern Shore residents, the promise of steady work and lower electricity bills is a rare opportunity in a region often left behind in statewide economic growth. Shore Progress , a grassroots progressive organization, vowed to defend the project: “This fight will be won in the courtroom and in the General Assembly, with strong allies like Governor Moore, Lt. Governor Miller, and the members of the Maryland General Assembly standing with us.”

Gov. Wes Moore, who has made clean energy central to his administration’s agenda, has called attempts to cancel the project “utterly shortsighted.” He pointed to the looming demand for new electricity sources and warned that scrapping offshore wind would lead to higher utility rates across the state.

Often backed by oil and gas lobbyists and out-of-state tourism groups, opponents argue that the turbines could affect views or local fishing. However, similar claims have been unsuccessful in courts in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, where projects have proceeded despite high-profile challenges.

The Trump administration has tried to block offshore wind several times before, including New York’s Empire Wind and Massachusetts’s Vineyard Wind, but in each case, courts upheld the projects. Supporters believe the same outcome is likely here.

For now, the administration has until Sept. 12 to finalize its action. Until then, the future of a project poised to reshape the Shore’s economy and energy future remains tied up in the courts.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Surprise! Andy Harris is Not Listening to His Constituents About Offshore Wind

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:05:54 GMT

“For many years, my constituents across the First Congressional District have been overwhelmingly clear: they do not want offshore wind off their coast.”

~ Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01), July 11, 2025

Congressman Andrew P. Harris (R-MD-01) has not accomplished much in his 15 years in Congress, but he has become famous for being Maryland’s regressive anti-offshore wind farm champion — no matter how his constituents feel about it or the benefits that would accrue to them.

He has called offshore wind an existential threat to local economies, and claims it poses a risk to national security and will cause great harm to marine life and the environment.

And he has consistently maintained that his “constituents across the First Congressional District have been overwhelmingly clear: they do not want offshore wind off their coast.”

However, a recent poll of Eastern Shore residents found that

There is solid support for offshore wind.
Strong majorities are convinced that wind projects will create jobs, improve health conditions, and support American energy independence.

The poll found that 51% of Eastern Shore residents support building offshore wind farms off the coast of Maryland; only 37% say they are opposed, and 12% gave no opinion.

The poll also found that 54% of Shore residents support a goal of moving away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources, such as offshore wind; only 39% are opposed, and 7% offered no opinion.

Respondents agreed by significant margins that offshore wind would bring benefits in key areas:

Job creation: 70%
Health benefits: 67%
Air and water quality: 66%
Electricity prices: 65%
Energy independence: 65%
Electricity reliability: 61%
Climate change: 56%

On the question of whether offshore wind would have a positive impact on ocean ecosystems and marine life, respondents were evenly split: 43%-43% with 14% undecided. (This is a complicated issue, but most marine scientists agree that while there are negative effects on marine life during turbine construction, these effects disappear when construction ends or actions are taken to mitigate harm. There are also benefits from the creation of artificial reefs that protect and attract wildlife.)

“The results are clear. Eastern Shore voters strongly support building an offshore wind farm off our coast,” said Jared Schablein, Chair of Shore Progress . “The US Wind project is a huge investment in our community. It will bring good-paying jobs and help us become energy independent at a time when energy bills are skyrocketing. It’s time to move forward with clean energy, lower costs, and good jobs for the Shore.”

US Wind has permits to build an offshore wind farm well off the coast of Ocean City. The project would build 114 wind turbines, generating more than two gigawatts of clean electricity — enough to power over 718,000 Maryland homes, with zero greenhouse gas emissions, according to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management . The project could begin construction in 2025.

It's time that Congressman Harris started listening to his constituents and working for us. The people of the Eastern Shore want to be in the vanguard of adopting clean energy sources and benefitting from them. Don’t stand in our way, Andrew!

About the Poll:

The poll was sponsored by Shore Progress , an Eastern Shore regional advocacy group, and conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services , Inc., based in Annapolis.

The poll was conducted from December 27, 2024, through January 6, 2025. It sampled 404 registered voters on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in Maryland Senate Districts 36, 37, and 38, and has a margin of error of ±5 percentage points. If the entire population in the region was surveyed, there is a 95% probability that the true numbers would fall within this range.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Federal Harm Registry Seeks Reports From Citizens Hurt by Trump Policies

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:04:43 GMT

Last January 20, President Trump raised his right hand to swear that he’d “preserve, protect, and defend” the United States Constitution.

Surprise! He quickly ignored his oath and continues to. Hourly. Upon taking the oath, Trump ordered his minions — guided by the extremist right-wing handbook, “Project 2025” — to carry out an across-the-board assault on the federal government and various private institutions. This assault continues.

Millions of American citizens have already been harmed by Trump’s betrayal, and many more millions will be injured until his depredations are stopped.

Welcome to the Federal Harm Registry! Initiated and managed by the Maryland Democratic Party, this registry offers an immediate remedy to Trump. Here’s tangible means to fight Trumpism.

The Federal Harm Registry is designed to document the myriad adverse effects of Trump’s maladministration! It’s the tool to register every specific harm citizens have experienced or witnessed. Eastern Shore residents, no matter if we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, must be active, not passive!

Consider:

As a college student, have you been denied a Pell grant?
Has your family been denied SNAP benefits?
As a Shore farmer, is your corn or soybean crop losing its value?
As a Shore resident needing medical insurance, have you lost your Medicaid?
Have you been harmed by work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps?
Has your child’s vaccine become unavailable because of an HHS mandate?
As a federal employee, have you been laid off or fired without cause?
Have you been terminated from the U.S. military because of your sexual identity?
Are Trump’s illegal tariffs forcing you spend more for food and other necessities?
Do you know anyone adversely affected by the closure of Head Start for poor children, as well as child welfare, juvenile justice, and youth care programs?

The Federal Harm Registry invites Marylanders to document each type of damage to them personally from harmful federal policies under Trump. The registry also offers Marylanders a megaphone to voice their frustrations and fears, and their vision for improving our country.

The Federal Harm Registry is a space for Maryland residents to report their personal stories — cuts to health care, higher living costs, job losses, housing problems, civil rights attacks, or any other consequences of this administration’s harmful policies. These reports will document and provide a guide for the eventual reversal of what’s happening in Maryland and in D.C.

So, take your first step to report any harm to you by contacting federalharmmd.com !

At federalharmmd.com, you will be able to:

Write or record your story;
Report any harm you’ve experienced, share an opinion, expose federal malpractices, and advocate for policies that help — not injure — Maryland families; and
Help to publicize the Federal Harm Registry by sharing on Facebook, X, or LinkedIn.

If you have been harmed by Trump’s maladministration, the Maryland Democratic Party wants to know. The information you provide will be used to build a movement for economic justice and dignity for all. Your party affiliation is of no concern; all are welcome.

Together we can catalog the evils done by this dangerous, faux-populist strategy by reporting all our injuries to the Federal Harm Registry . Consider doing so today!

Salisbury Awaits Accountability as Mayor Taylor Promises Report on Fourth Car Accident

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:04:15 GMT

When Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor released a public statement on Aug. 4 following his involvement in a traffic incident with a pedestrian with a walker, he promised “a final report of facts in the next 10 days.” That deadline has now arrived, and city residents are waiting to see if the mayor will follow through on his promise.

The Aug. 4 accident marked Taylor’s fourth vehicle-related incident since he took office less than two years ago, fueling public concern about what many describe as a troubling “pattern of recklessness.”

In his statement, Taylor described the South Boulevard collision as “minor,” claiming that only the wheel of the pedestrian’s walker struck his vehicle and that the individual refused medical treatment. He emphasized his cooperation with the Maryland State Police investigation and insisted that “all protocols were followed.”

But eyewitness testimony and photos circulating online continue to cast doubt on that account. One bystander alleged the mayor struck the pedestrian in the crosswalk and initially drove on “as if he had hit a cone” before returning to the scene. Images shared widely on social media show a shaken pedestrian, supported by his walker, while Taylor inspects his vehicle.

The incident has renewed calls for transparency. Residents are demanding to know if mandatory post-accident procedures, including drug and alcohol testing for city employees, were applied to the mayor. “If this were a city worker, they’d be gone by now,” one commenter said. “Why does the mayor get special treatment?”

Taylor says he wants to be “forthcoming” with citizens, stressing that the intersection where the accident occurred underscores the “need for continued effort for pedestrian safety.”

As of press time, no final report has been released by the Maryland State Police or the Salisbury Police Department. The mayor’s office has not provided updates beyond his initial statement.

For many in Salisbury, the delay only deepens frustration. “It’s about trust,” said one resident in a community forum. “Four accidents in two years is not normal. We’re tired of excuses.”

Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall Launches Exploratory Campaign for Congress in Maryland’s First District

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:03:47 GMT

Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall has announced the formation of an exploratory committee to consider if he should seek the Democratic nomination for Congress in Maryland’s First Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Andrew P. Harris.

A two-term mayor and lifelong Eastern Shore resident, Tyndall said his decision reflects recognition of the challenges facing the region and his belief that the Eastern Shore needs a “commonsense Democrat” willing to prioritize solutions over partisan politics.

“In a time of growing division and political extremes, it’s clear that Maryland’s First Congressional District needs more than partisan soundbites. It needs solutions,” Tyndall said in a statement on his campaign website, zacktyndall.com. “As mayor, I didn’t wait on Washington to act. I built consensus, cut red tape, and delivered results.”

Tyndall pointed to his nearly decade-long tenure in local government, highlighting efforts to balance budgets, improve responsiveness during emergencies, and streamline municipal operations. He described his leadership as “rooted in community, not party.”

In a social media post on Aug. 26, Tyndall elaborated on why he is testing the waters for a congressional run. “I have chosen to create a congressional exploratory committee because the people of Maryland’s First Congressional District deserve a representative who is not only visible and accessible but also responsive and a partner,” he wrote. “I believe that I am the person to help bring Eastern Shore values back to Washington.”

Tyndall’s exploratory committee will focus on gathering feedback from residents of the district, which includes Harford County as well as the entire Eastern Shore. He said the goal is to determine if there is sufficient support and momentum to mount a competitive challenge to Harris in 2026.

While holding the seat since 2011, Harris has faced mounting criticism over his alignment with far-right positions, including his recent vote against releasing the Epstein files.

Tyndall acknowledged the uphill climb but said his candidacy would offer voters a new kind of leadership. “This exploratory phase is about one simple question: Can a commonsense Democrat, with deep local roots and a record of getting things done, offer voters a real alternative in 2026?” he said.

Residents can provide input on issues and learn more about Tyndall’s background through his campaign website and social media channels .

Local Group Calls Out Harris Over Epstein Vote, Demands Accountability

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:02:49 GMT

A local organization, Decency for District One, is increasing pressure on Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD1) for his vote against releasing the full Epstein files, saying constituents deserve answers about why their representative voted against transparency.

Since July 24, the group has posted daily content on social media calling Harris to account. Every day, the page highlights his vote and presses the same question: Why did Harris oppose making public documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s network of political and financial connections?

“People in the First District deserve honesty,” said a spokesperson for Decency for District One. “When it comes to something as serious as the Epstein files, voting against disclosure raises real questions about judgment and accountability.”

The campaign has been visible across Harris’s official Facebook page, where commenters now regularly flood his posts with demands for answers. The pattern has become so consistent that nearly every statement or press release from the congressman is met with renewed questions about the Epstein vote.

Despite the growing attention, the major Eastern Shore media outlets have failed to report on Harris’s role in the vote or the backlash that has ensued. Advocates say that silence is part of the problem.

“If this were happening anywhere else, the press would be asking hard questions,” the Decency for District One spokesperson said. “Here, it’s being left to everyday residents to raise their voices.”

The group plans to continue posting daily until Harris explains his vote. In the meantime, frustration continues to build among constituents who feel ignored.

“This isn’t about partisanship,” one supporter commented online. “It’s about whether our congressman believes the public has the right to know the truth.”

Congressman Harris Faces Online Criticism Over Epstein Vote, But Local Media Remains Quiet

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:47:03 GMT

Congressman Andy Harris is facing a steady stream of criticism on social media following his vote against releasing the full files related to Jeffrey Epstein in July. The House of Representatives blocked the release of the files on a 211 to 210 vote.

Since his vote, commenters on nearly every post from Congressman Harris’s official Facebook page have repeatedly raised the issue, questioning his decision and asking for an explanation. The comments are often similar in wording and appear across different topics, from agriculture updates to health care policy.

In addition to individual commenters, local advocacy pages such as Decency for District 1 have been highlighting Harris’s vote since July 31. The page has consistently called for greater transparency, arguing that constituents deserve to know why their representative opposed making the records public.

Despite the visible online pushback, no major Eastern Shore news outlet has yet reported on Harris’s vote or the public response to it. Neither local television stations nor regional newspapers have published stories on the controversy, leaving the discussion largely confined to social media platforms.

The Epstein files vote has drawn national attention in recent weeks, as lawmakers in both parties have faced questions about whether more information should be released.

In a town hall at Chesapeake College, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen talked about the importance of transparency and the need to release the files; he offered an amendment in the Senate to force the release.

Rep. Harris, the Eastern Shore’s lone representative in Congress, has not issued a public statement addressing his position beyond his recorded vote.

For now, the conversation remains one-sided. Constituents continue to press the question online, while traditional media outlets in the district have yet to engage with the story.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Marylanders Will Lose A Lot Due to Trump and GOP

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:37:19 GMT

Donald Trump promised he would lower costs on Day One. A lot of people believed him. (Some still do.)

But instead of addressing the economic concerns that got him elected, he pushed his One Big Beautiful Bill into law.

Instead of lowering the cost of energy and groceries for regular folks, his OBBB gives handouts to the rich.

The Democratic National Committee has put together a website that details all the ways we lose and the rich guys win. They’re calling it the Trump Tax.

Here’s what they have to say. Nationally,

Here are the figures for Maryland:

Despite all these negative consequences for his constituents, Rep. Andrew P. Harris (MD-01) voted for this bad bill.

He called it a “major victory for the American people.”
He called it “fiscally responsible” even though the deficit will skyrocket by $3.3 trillion, stoking inflation and potentially causing an economic crisis.
He stated that “the work to dismantle the Swamp’s agenda isn’t finished — it’s just getting started.”

Congressman Harris, with his extreme, far-right, so-called “America first” agenda, is not fit to represent us. Make sure all Maryland District 01 voters are aware of how Harris has betrayed the people he is supposed to be working for.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

“The ICE Man Cometh”

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 22:32:46 GMT

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution prohibits “unreasonable searches and seizures.” It applies to all seizures of a person, including seizures that involve only a brief detention short of traditional arrest.

As interpreted by the Supreme Court in an immigration context, except at the border, the Fourth Amendment prohibits immigration enforcement officers to make detentive stops unless they are aware of “specific articulable facts that reasonably warrant suspicion” that the person detained may be illegally in the country. Reasonable suspicion cannot be based on “generalizations” that, if accepted, would cast suspicion on large segments of the law-abiding population.

On June 6, 2025, federal law enforcement arrived in Los Angeles to participate in what federal officials have described as “the largest Mass Deportation Operation . . . in History.”

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents and officers were sent to join officers from the Enforcement and Removal Operations directorate of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) to carry out “Operation At Large” in Los Angeles, California.

This operation involved teams of three to five agents who temporarily detained individuals in public places such as streets, sidewalks, and publicly accessible portions of businesses, and made arrests for immigration violations.

On July 2, five individual plaintiffs and three membership associations sued twelve senior federal officials, who share responsibility for directing federal immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area, alleging a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Perdomo v. Noem (C. D. Cal).

The complaint asserts that by an ongoing policy and/or practice, detentive stops in the Central District of California were being conducted without reasonable suspicion that the person to be stopped is within the United States in violation of U.S. immigration law.

Reviewing the evidence offered by the plaintiffs in support of an injunction pending further litigation, the district court found that circumstances surrounding the stops were coercive enough that the interactions were not consensual.

The district court also found that the plaintiffs are “likely to succeed in showing that seizures were based only upon four enumerated factors” or a subset of them. Those factors were (1) apparent race or ethnicity; (2) speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent; (3) presence at a particular location; and (4) the type of work one does.

The district court then concluded that in the context of the Central District of California, those four enumerated factors — even when considered together — describe only a broad profile and “do not demonstrate reasonable suspicion for any particular stop.”

Moreover, the court determined that, despite there being no evidence of an “official policy” of making stops based only on the four factors and without reasonable suspicion, there was sufficient evidence to show that defendants’ agents were routinely doing so.

Premised on these conclusions, on July 11, the district enjoined the defendant officials from relying solely on the factors below, alone or in combination, to form reasonable suspicion for a detentive stop: Apparent race or ethnicity; Speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent; Presence at a particular location (e.g., bus stop, car wash, tow yard, day laborer pick up site, agricultural site, etc.); or The type of work one does.

The administration appealed the district court’s order to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which refused to intervene. Perdomo v. Noem (July 28).

The three judge panel determined that “a characteristic common to both legal and illegal immigrants does little to arouse reasonable suspicion.” In the U.S. generally, apparent Hispanic or Latino race or ethnicity generally has limited probative value, because large numbers of native-born and naturalized citizens have the physical characteristics identified with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.

Speaking Spanish and speaking English with an accent are likewise characteristics that apply to a sizable portion of individuals lawfully present in this country.

As to location, the Supreme Court has made clear that an individual’s presence at a location that illegal immigrants are known to frequent does little to support reasonable suspicion when U.S. citizens and legal immigrants are also likely to be present at those locations. US v. Brignoni (1975).

Like location, the type of work one does is at most “marginally relevant” to establishing reasonable suspicion, even if it is work commonly performed by immigrants without legal status. Evidence that a particular employer is employing a large number of undocumented workers does not create reasonable suspicion as to each individual employee.

On August 7, the administration once more sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court. In doing so, the Solicitor General asserts that the injunction entered puts “a straitjacket on law-enforcement efforts.”

Although this case arises out of ICE activities in Southern California, the Supreme Court’s ultimate decision will have obvious implications for the practices of ICE agents nationwide.

Trump’s Treatment of Immigrant Workers Will Make Food Prices Even Higher

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 22:23:34 GMT

Across the U.S. food supply chain, more than one in five jobs is carried out by immigrants, the equivalent of 14 million workers across the sector.

But many of these foreign-born workers — regardless of legal status — are afraid that they’ll be swept up in the administration’s illegal and cruel arrest, detention, and deportation actions.

So, they’ve started staying home.

The long-term effects of losing a substantial portion of the workforce will send a shock through the industry: crops will not be harvested, livestock will not be processed, grocery shelves will thin out, restaurants and food trucks will close, and food will get more expensive than it already is.

But the personal cost to the people who migrated here to make better lives for their families will be devastating.

Late last year, a Pew Research poll showed that a large majority of voters believe that immigrants fill jobs that U.S. citizens don’t want. Many of these jobs are dangerous and poorly paid.

A Gallup poll was conducted in June that shows that an all-time high of 79% of U.S. adults view immigration as a good thing for the country. Only 17% said immigration is a bad thing.

This same poll revealed that a large majority of Americans disapprove of the way that Trump is handling immigration.

The Senate Joint Economic Committee published a paper in 2020, “Immigrants are Vital to the U.S. Economy.” The report stated that immigrants disproportionately worked in the jobs labeled essential during the covid lockdown.

The report concludes:

Since the founding of the nation, immigrants have played a vital role in creating a diverse, dynamic, and growing U.S. economy. Immigrants help fuel economic activity through their attachment to the labor market, their spending power, and their entrepreneurial spirit behind much of our innovations. To foster a stronger and more equitable American economy, new policies must build upon the essential contributions — and address the challenges of — the foreign-born workforce and immigrant-owned businesses.

The Trump administration has not read this paper, written during Trump’s first term, when Republican Don Bacon was chair of the committee.

The administration persists in labeling immigrants as criminals and unlawfully conducting violent raids carried out by anonymous, jackbooted thugs.

The GOP majorities in Congress are doing nothing to stop this assault by the government.

The American people do not agree with the administration’s policies or the brutal and vicious treatment of immigrants who live in this country.

There is only one solution: Take back the Congress in 2026. If our elected officials will not carry out the will of the people, they should not be in office.

Perhaps Maryland will join the Democratic states and gerrymander our congressional districts to force out Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD01).

We should be so lucky.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Live Event: Can Eastern Neck Survive Federal Funding Cuts?

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 21:21:02 GMT

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is threatened by federal budget and staffing cuts.

We are fortunate to have this unspoiled, undeveloped public land in Kent County. More than 70,000 people visit ENNWR annually for recreation and to enjoy its natural beauty.

In April, Common Sense for the Eastern Shore published an article asking for help in spreading the word about the threat to ENNWR.

The need for support in the face of this threat still exists.

If you’d like to know more and would like to pitch in to help, Citizens Connect is holding an informational session:

Monday, August 18, 5-6:30 pm
Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River, 914 Gateway Dr, Chestertown

The presentation and discussion will be led by members of the Board of Directors of Friends of Eastern Neck, Bill Burton, president, and Bonnie Ford, vice president.

The session will cover how drastic budget cuts to the US Fish & Wildlife Service jeopardize the health of the refuge and threaten its survival. Without adequate staff, Eastern Neck could be “shuttered," public access curtailed, and the Visitors Center closed. Invasive plants would grow unchecked, migratory waterfowl would be at risk, and hunts would end.

Salisbury Mayor Involved in Fourth Car Accident: Community Pushes Back on “Pattern of Recklessness”

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:00:41 GMT

Mayor Randy Taylor is once again at the center of controversy after being involved in a traffic incident Monday morning, his fourth car accident in less than two years since taking office.

According to Mayor Taylor’s official statemen t, the accident occurred around 8:30 a.m. on South Boulevard and involved a pedestrian using a walker. Taylor described the incident as “minor,” claiming that only the wheel of the pedestrian’s walker made contact with the rear of his city-issued vehicle. He further stated that the pedestrian refused medical treatment and that all protocols were followed.

However, eyewitness accounts and photos circulating on social media paint a different picture.

A bystander who witnessed the event posted that the mayor struck the pedestrian in the crosswalk and initially continued driving as if he had “hit a cone,” before returning to the scene. The witness described a delayed police response and expressed frustration that no other vehicles stopped to assist.

Photos of the aftermath show a visibly shaken pedestrian, leaning on his walker, with Mayor Taylor standing nearby inspecting the damage. The images have sparked widespread outrage across the community.

“This is not an isolated event,” said one resident in a viral post. “This is his fourth accident since taking office, and every time it’s brushed off as a ‘minor issue.’ How many more ‘minor issues’ will it take before there’s real accountability?”

The mayor’s track record with city vehicles has drawn sharp criticism, with many Salisbury residents demanding answers about why repeated accidents have not resulted in consequences. Previous incidents have ranged from parking lot collisions to property damage, all involving city vehicles.

Calls for transparency have intensified, with community members pressing for clarity on whether mandatory post-accident drug and alcohol tests were administered, as required by city policy.

Mayor Taylor maintains that all procedures were followed and has promised to share a final report of the incident within 10 days.

In the meantime, public confidence continues to erode, with many expressing frustration over what they see as a dangerous pattern of recklessness.

“Four accidents in two years,” another commenter posted. “If a city worker had that record, they’d be gone. Why does the mayor get a free pass?”

Neither the Salisbury Police Department nor Maryland State Police has issued an official report yet.

SCOTUS Shadow Docket Strikes Again — This Time at Education

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 14:34:41 GMT

On July 14, by a cryptic unsigned and unexplained order, the Supreme Court cleared the way for President Trump to significantly restructure and radically downsize the Department of Education. Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education v. New York .

According to Steve Vladeck, law professor at Georgetown and author of the book Shadow Docket , this is the seventh, different, completely unexplained grant of emergency relief to the Trump administration in just the last ten weeks. It is yet another one that will have massive real-world effects long before the justices ever confront whether what the government is doing is actually lawful.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

During his campaign for a second term in office, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to “close up the Department of Education … early in the administration.” Following his election, he asserted that “you can do a lot of things without Congress … including a virtual closure of the Department of Education,” describing the Department’s work as a “big con job.”

Later, when nominating Linda McMahon to head the Department, President Trump said that he had directed her “to put herself out of a job.” Consistent with that directive, on her first day as the new Secretary of the Department, McMahon issued a memorandum explaining that she would lead the Department’s “final mission” and fulfill the President’s “campaign promises.”

About one week later, on March 11, McMahon announced a “reduction in force” that would eliminate nearly 50% of the Department’s workforce, slashing the number of employees from 4,133 to 2,183.

Those terminations would, in effect, do away with whole offices and teams within the Department. For example, the directive terminated:

The entire Office of English Language Acquisition, which Congress tasked with administering the Department’s “bilingual education programs”
All employees within the Office of the General Counsel that specialize in K–12 education funding
Seven of 12 regional divisions of the Office of Civil Rights
Most of the Federal Student Aid office responsible for certifying schools so that their students can receive federal financial aid
The entire unit of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services charged with providing technical assistance and guidance on complying with the Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

McMahon subsequently characterized these staff reductions as only “the first step on the road to a total shutdown” of the Department.

Following McMahon’s March 11 announcement and the mass termination of Department employees, a group of 20 States, the District of Columbia, several school districts, and unions sued the Department in the federal district court for the district of Massachusetts.

They argued that these reductions in force would “effectively dismantle” the Department and “incapacitate” components of the Department responsible for performing functions mandated by Congress. The plaintiffs assert that this unilateral executive action violates the Constitution’s separation of powers, among other violations of law.

Following the initiation of the litigation, the plaintiffs urged the district court to enter an injunction against implementation of the administration’s plans, including reinstatement of the terminated employees, while the underlying legal issues remain to be litigated.

In support, dozens of affidavits from Department officials and federal funding recipients described the mass termination’s effects on schools and students across the Nation.

School districts, one such affidavit averred, depend on timely disbursement of federal funds to pay teachers and to purchase materials and equipment throughout the academic year. Even short-term delays in funding can force school districts “to make cuts … to staff and programs, disrupting services for students and families.”

Scores of officials who worked at the Department also attested that the agency would no longer be able to carry out many of its Congressionally mandated duties following the mass termination.

The administration, for its part, submitted no evidence to rebut the factual record compiled by the plaintiffs. Nor did it argue that the Executive could singlehandedly abolish the Department. Instead, it simply asserted that the mass terminations fell within the President’s authority because it was only part of an effort to “streamline” the Department.

District Court Judge Myong J. Joun granted the requested preliminary injunction request. The court found that “the record abundantly reveals that the administration’s true intention is to effectively dismantle the Department without an authorizing statute,” and that the proposed terminations would prevent the Department from “carrying out its statutory functions.”

That unilateral executive action, the District Court concluded, likely violated the separation of powers by being beyond the president’s powers without the consent of Congress.

Judge Joun also concluded that a preliminary injunction would serve the public interest “because there is a substantial risk that, without it, there will be significant harm to the functioning of public and higher education, particular in plaintiff States. It is well established that an educated citizenry provides the foundation for our democracy.”

The administration subsequently appealed the entry of the injunction to the First Circuit Court of Appeals which left the injunction in place. In an opinion by Chief Judge David Barron, the three-judge appellate panel determined that “we see no basis on which to conclude that the District Court erred in finding that the RIF made it effectively impossible for the Department to carry out its statutory obligations.”

In doing so, the First Circuit faulted the administration for not even contesting the intent behind the proposed reduction in force or “the disabling impact of those actions on the Department’s ability to carry out statutorily assigned functions.”

The administration then filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court seeking to have the preliminary injunction overturned, the 18th such emergency appeal since the administration arrived in office on January 20.

As indicated above, on July 14, the Court granted the motion, allowing the administration to proceed with its plan during however long it takes for the judicial system to ultimately determine the legality of doing so. The Court’s three-sentence order exhibits no indication of the reason(s) behind the majority’s conclusion.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a scathing 19-page dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The opinion begins by asserting that Congress had mandated that the Department of Education play a vital role in this Nation’s education system, safeguarding equal access to learning and channeling billions of dollars to schools and students across the country each year.

Federal involvement in education was not a modern phenomenon as, for over 150 years, the Federal Government has played a critical role in supplementing and supporting the education provided by States, localities, and private institutions.

However, in 1979, Congress enacted the Department of Education Organization Act to “strengthen the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual.” In service of that goal, the Act integrated the Federal Government’s educational programs into a new Cabinet-level agency called the Department of Education.

Congress tasked the new agency with administering a broad range of educational programs. For example, the Department runs the federal student financial-aid system, federal grants for higher education institutions, federal work-study program, and federal funding for kindergarten through 12th grade.

The scale of these efforts is vast:

In June 2025, the Department reported awarding over $120 billion a year in federal student aid to over 13 million students.
In 2020–2021, the Federal Government distributed over $100 billion in funding directly to public schools, representing around 11% of all funding for public elementary and secondary schools across the country.
Tens of millions of low-income families rely on financial assistance programs administered by the Department.
Schools and students in every State rely on federal programs established by Congress and run by the Department.

Congress has prohibited the Secretary of Education from “abolishing organizational entities established” in the Department’s basic statute. As for statutory entities later transferred to the Department by Congress, the Secretary may only “consolidate, alter, or discontinue” the entities specifically affected, after providing Congress with 90 days’ advance notice and a “statement of the action proposed … and the facts and circumstances relied upon in support of such proposed action.”

The dissenting Justices acknowledged that past presidential administrations have taken different positions on the Department’s value and its proper role in the Nation’s system of education over the years. Presidents Carter and Clinton, for instance, made investing in it a priority. President Reagan, by contrast, submitted a proposal to Congress that would have abolished the Department, though he ultimately withdrew the proposal after it garnered little support in Congress. Until now, however, Presidents have recognized they lack the unilateral authority to eradicate a department that Congress has tasked with fulfilling statutory duties.

Undeterred by any limits on executive authority, President Trump has made clear that he intends to close the Department without Congress’s involvement.

The dissenters assert that in our constitutional order, Congress “makes laws” and the President “faithfully executes them.” Quoting Justice Robert Jackson in the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co (1952) case, “the Founders of this Nation entrusted the lawmaking power to the Congress alone,” and “there is no provision in the Constitution that authorizes the President to enact, to amend, or to repeal statutes.”

The President thus lacks unilateral authority to close a Cabinet-level agency. In short, as the dissenters see it, “Congress created the Department, and only Congress can abolish it.”

Justice Sotomayor contends that “when the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it.”

Rather than maintain the status quo pending resolution of the underlying legal issues, this Court now intervenes, lifting the injunction and permitting the administration to proceed with dismantling the Department. Sotomayor concludes that decision is “indefensible.” “The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive, but either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave.”

Rather than contest these principles, the administration in the lower courts contended that the mass terminations were not part of any planned closure, but instead were simply intended to “cut bureaucratic bloat.”

According to Justice Sotomayor, the record in the case “unambiguously” refutes that account. Neither the President nor Secretary McMahon, she contends, made any secret of their intent to ignore their constitutional duties. “That the majority of this Court sees fit to repay that obfuscation with emergency equitable relief is troubling.”

Justice Sotomayor also contends that the relative harms to the parties are “vastly disproportionate.” While the administration will, no doubt, suffer pocketbook harms from having to pay employees that it sought to fire as the litigation proceeds, the harm to this Nation’s education system and individual students is of a far greater magnitude.

Lifting the District Court’s injunction in her opinion will unleash untold harm, delaying or denying educational opportunities without the federal resources Congress intended. “The majority apparently deems it more important to free the Government from paying employees it had no right to fire than to avert these very real harms while the litigation continues. Equity does not support such an inequitable result.”

The Unseen Workers Behind Maryland’s Iconic Blue Crabs

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 14:04:20 GMT

The labor of immigrant women sustains a cherished cultural tradition

This story was originally published by Barn Raiser , an independent source for rural and small town news.

Few things symbolize Maryland’s culinary heritage more perfectly than blue crabs.

Every summer, locals and tourists gather around newspaper-covered tables, armed with wooden mallets and picks, ready to crack open steamed crabs seasoned with Old Bay. These festive crab feasts represent more than just a meal — they’re cultural rituals where conversations flow, relationships deepen, and Maryland’s maritime identity is celebrated.

Yet behind this beloved tradition lies a largely invisible workforce: the Mexican women who meticulously pick the sweet meat from these crustaceans, making Maryland’s iconic crab cakes and other delicacies possible.

The women of “La Isla de las Mexicanas”
Hooper’s Island is a remote collection of three small islands, inhabited by 500 year-round residents, connected by causeways along Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Local residents have nicknamed the area “La Isla de las Mexicanas” (The Island of Mexican Women). This name acknowledges the seasonal presence of female migrant workers who arrive each spring to work in the commercial crab processing plants.

These women, primarily from rural regions of Mexico like Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí, travel thousands of miles on temporary H-2B visas to perform the intricate, demanding work of extracting crabmeat from hard shells — a skill that requires remarkable dexterity, patience, and endurance.

The irony is striking: Maryland’s blue crab industry — celebrated as quintessentially local — depends almost entirely on global labor networks. Since the 1980s, crab processing plants have increasingly relied on Mexican women through the H-2B visa program. The demanding physical nature of crab picking and seasonal employment makes it difficult to attract and retain local workers. The previous workforce of local African American women diminished as younger generations sought educational opportunities or jobs with better working conditions and pay.

The Mexican workers typically arrive in April and stay until November, working long shifts in challenging conditions. Their day begins early, often at 4am, as they meticulously break off claws, crack open shells, and pick meat for hours, paid by the pound rather than hourly wages. Many develop chronic pain in their hands, wrists, and shoulders from repetitive motions. Exposure to chemicals, cuts from shells and knives, and skin conditions from constant contact with saltwater and cleaning solutions are routine occupational hazards.

Most workers earn a piece rate of $3.50 to $4.50 per pound of shell-free meat. A typical day’s output can vary between 30-40 pounds for each worker, a number that can depend on one’s experience as well as the number and size of the crab population, which in recent years has reached record lows. Earnings are significantly below the Maryland statewide average of $14.62 per hour.

The pay is still worth it for many. As Xiomara, who has worked in crab processing for over a decade, says: “We are here because of the work. Because in Mexico, you do not earn anything. Imagine, we are paid about 100 pesos [less than US$5] per day. And that is all day and all evening. If you make money here and then go back home, you end up living a different life. But you suffer when you are here.”

Life in limbo

Beyond the physical demands of the work, these women navigate a complex social landscape. Most live in company-provided housing, sharing small quarters with other workers. Their living arrangements and working conditions create a profound sense of isolation, despite being surrounded by others in similar circumstances.

“Each of us keeps to herself, in our own world,” Xiomara says. “We sleep, we get up, we eat, and [then] time to work. It’s the same routine. There’s also too much stress. I think too much. I worry about my family.”

The geographic remoteness of Hooper’s Island compounds this isolation. Without reliable transportation and with limited English skills, many workers rarely leave the immediate area. They exist in a liminal space — physically present yet socially invisible to the broader community and the tourists who enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Health care in the margins

Access to health care presents another significant challenge. When injuries or illnesses occur, these workers face multiple barriers to receiving care.

A mobile community health clinic occasionally visits the processing plants, providing basic services, but specialty care remains largely inaccessible due to cost, transportation issues, and language barriers.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of these women’s experience is the contradiction between their economic importance and their social marginalization. Crab processing plant owners publicly acknowledge that their businesses would collapse without these workers. Politicians and industry representatives lobby for expanded visa programs. Yet these same women remain largely unseen by those who consume the crab meat they produce.

Their labor creates value that sustains not just an industry but a cultural tradition central to Maryland’s identity. But the physical toll of this work, from injured hands to chronic pain, represents a transfer of value from their bodies to the marketplace — an exchange that’s rarely acknowledged in discussions about “saving” the iconic crab industry.

Beyond exploitation narratives

It would be a mistake, however, to view these women solely as victims. Many make strategic decisions to engage in this work, using their earnings to build homes, fund children’s education, and establish small businesses in Mexico. They develop sophisticated knowledge about navigating seasonal migration, managing workplace risks, and maximizing their economic opportunities within constrained circumstances.

Gloria, a single mother, puts it this way: “It is not that I like [this work], but I need this job. In Mexico, you earn very little, and here, I have secured a job. If I do well, the owner asks me to return next year.”

These women exercise agency and create meaning even within systems designed to extract maximum value from their labor and minimize their social presence and rights.

The next time you enjoy Maryland crab cakes or participate in a traditional crab feast, consider the hands that made that experience possible. Beyond the fishers who harvest from the bay and the chefs who prepare these delicacies, remember the Mexican women whose skilled labor transforms hard shells into the sweet meat that sustains not just an industry but a cultural tradition.

Their story invites us to reconsider not just Maryland’s iconic blue crab industry but also larger questions about how we value labor, who belongs in rural communities, and what it means to truly see those whose work sustains our most cherished cultural practices.

Thurka Sangaramoorthy is professor of anthropology at American University. She is a cultural anthropologist with expertise in medical anthropology and epidemiology. Her research focuses on developing more effective care systems for non-citizen immigrants and advocating for social justice.

Megan Outten Launches Campaign for Wicomico County Council, District 7

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:17:13 GMT

A New Generation of Leadership, Grounded in Service and Results

Megan Outten, a lifelong Wicomico County resident and former Salisbury City Councilwoman, officially announced her candidacy recently for Wicomico County Council, District 7.

At 33, Outten brings the energy of a new generation combined with a proven record of public service and results-driven leadership.

“I’m running because Wicomico deserves better,” Outten said. “Too often, our communities are expected to do more with less. We’re facing underfunded schools, limited economic opportunities, and years of neglected infrastructure. I believe Wicomico deserves leadership that listens, plans ahead, and delivers real, measurable results.”

A Record of Action and A Vision for the Future
On Salisbury’s City Council, Outten earned a reputation for her proactive, hands-on approach — working directly with residents to close infrastructure gaps, support first responders, and ensure everyday voices were heard. Now she’s bringing that same focus to the County Council, with priorities centered on affordability, public safety, and stronger, more resilient communities.

Key Priorities for District 7:

Fully fund public schools so every child has the opportunity to succeed.
Fix aging infrastructure and county services through proactive investment.
Keep Wicomico affordable with smarter planning and pathways to homeownership.
Support first responders and safer neighborhoods through better tools, training, and prevention.
Expand resources for seniors, youth, and underserved communities.

Outten’s platform is rooted in real data and shaped by direct community engagement. With Wicomico now the fastest-growing school system on Maryland’s Eastern Shore — and 85% of students relying on extra resources — she points to the county’s lagging investment as a key area for action.

“Strong schools lead to strong jobs, thriving industries, and healthier communities,” Outten said. “Our schools and infrastructure are at a tipping point. We need leadership that stops reacting after things break — and starts investing before they do.”

A Commitment to Home and Service
Born and raised in Wicomico, Megan Outten sees this campaign as a continuation of her lifelong service to her community. Her vision reflects what she’s hearing from neighbors across the county: a demand for fairness, opportunity, and accountability in local government.

“Wicomico is my home; it’s where I grew up, built my life, and where I want to raise my family,” Outten said. “Our county is full of potential. We just need leaders who will listen, work hard, and get things done. That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s exactly what I’ll continue to do on the County Council.”

Outten will be meeting with residents across District 7 in the months ahead and unveiling more details of her platform. For more information or to get involved, contact info@meganoutten.com

“Turtles All The Way Down”

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:00:35 GMT

Way back in 1935, the Supreme Court determined that independent agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) do not violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935).

Congress provided that the CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, would operate as an independent agency — a multi-member, bipartisan commission whose members serve staggered terms and could be removed only “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause.”

Rejecting a claim that the removal restriction interferes with the “executive power,” the Humphrey’s Court held that Congress has the authority to “forbid their [members’] removal except for cause” when creating such “quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial” bodies.

As a result, these agencies have operated as independent agencies for many decades under many different presidencies.

Shortly after assuming office in his second term, Donald Trump began to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of several of these agencies.

The lower courts determined to reinstate the discharged members pending the ultimate outcome of the litigation, relying on Humphrey’s , resulting in yet another emergency appeal to the Supreme Court by the administration.

In the first such case, a majority of the Court allowed President Trump to discharge the Democratic members of the NLRB and the MSPB while the litigation over the legality of the discharges continued. Trump v. Wilcox (May 22, 2025).

The majority claimed that they do not now decide whether Humphrey’s should be overruled because “that question is better left for resolution after full briefing and argument.”

However, hinting that these agency members have “considerable” executive power and suggesting that “the Government” faces greater “risk of harm” from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty,” the majority gave the President the green light to proceed.

Justice Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, dissented, asserting that Humphrey’s remains good law until overturned and forecloses both the President’s firings and the Court’s decision to award emergency relief.” Our emergency docket, while fit for some things, should not be used to “overrule or revise existing law.” Moreover, the dissenters contend that the majority’s effort to explain their decision “hardly rises to the occasion.”

Maybe by saying that the Commissioners exercise “considerable” executive power, the majority is suggesting that Humphrey’s is no longer good law but if that is what the majority means, then it has foretold a “massive change” in the law and done so on the emergency docket, “with little time, scant briefing, and no argument.” And, the “greater risk of harm” in fact is that Congress provided for these discharged members to serve their full terms, protected from a President’s desire to substitute his political allies.

More recently, in the latest shadow docket ruling in the administration’s favor, the same majority of the Court again permitted President Trump to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of another independent agency, this time the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Trump v. Boyle (July 23, 2025).

The same three justices dissented, once more objecting to the use of the Court’s emergency docket to destroy the independence of an independent agency as established by Congress.

The CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, was designed to operate as “a classic independent agency.” In Congress’s view, that structure would better enable the CPSC to achieve its mission — ensuring the safety of consumer products, from toys to appliances — than would a single-party agency under the full control of a single President. “By allowing the President to remove Commissioners for no reason other than their party affiliation, the majority has negated Congress’s choice of agency bipartisanship and independence.”

The dissenters also assert that the majority’s sole professed basis for the more recent order in Boyle was its prior order in Wilcox . But in their opinion, Wilcox itself was minimally explained.

So, the dissenters claim, the majority rejects the design of Congress for a whole class of agencies by “layering nothing on nothing.” “Next time, though, the majority will have two (if still under-reasoned) orders to cite. Truly, this is ‘turtles all the way down.’” Rapanos v. United States (2006). *

*****

*In Rapanos , in a footnote to his plurality opinion, former Supreme Court Justice Scalia explained that this allusion is to a classic story told in different forms and attributed to various authors. His favorite version:

An Eastern guru affirms that the earth is supported on the back of a tiger. When asked what supports the tiger, he says it stands upon an elephant; and when asked what supports the elephant, he says it is a giant turtle. When asked, finally, what supports the giant turtle, he is briefly taken aback, but quickly replies "Ah, after that it is turtles all the way down."

“Andy Harris Just Made the Most Dangerous Vote of His Career”

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:02:55 GMT

Marylanders will not forget this vote.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Republican budget bill, which slashes Medicaid, strips healthcare from millions, and transfers billions of our taxpayer dollars to the wealthiest people and corporations in America.

Shore Progress, Progressive Maryland, and Progressive Harford County issued the following statement in response.

Andy Harris just made the most dangerous vote of his career. Instead of standing up for the families of Maryland’s 1st District, he stood by and let one of the most violent, greedy budget bills in modern history pass. He didn’t protect his constituents. He rewarded Trump and the billionaires.

This bill rips healthcare away from 17 million people, guts Medicaid, and robs Maryland of billions in critical federal funding.

On the Eastern Shore alone, 150,000 Medicaid recipients, 68,000 people who rely on food assistance, and 316,400 children who depend on SNAP are all at risk of losing the vital safety net that keeps them out of extreme poverty.

It means more sick kids, more uninsured seniors, and more working families pushed to the brink. It means our state will be forced to cut back on the programs and institutions that our communities rely on, such as housing, food assistance, schools, and hospitals.

Let’s be clear about what this bill truly is: a massive wealth transfer from working people to the ultra-rich.

While Marylanders fight to make ends meet, MAGA Republicans gave tax breaks to billionaires, oil companies, and corporate CEOs. They turned their backs on us and voted to make the rich richer, while the rest of us are left to suffer.

This budget reconciliation shows us what the Republicans and Andy Harris value most, and it’s not us. It’s cruel and will kill people. It will make us less safe, secure, and healthy.

Marylanders will not forget this vote. We won’t forget that Andy Harris helped push this through by voting 'present' last time. And we won’t forget that when it came time to fix his mistake, he doubled down and ignored the people in his district who need Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and access to hospitals and nursing homes.

But here’s what they forgot: we’re still here. We’re still organizing. And we’re going to turn our anger into action.

How Many Will Be Kicked Off Medicaid in MD-01 Because of Andy Harris?

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:11:13 GMT

For Harris, Cruel Big-Beautiful-Bill is Not Cruel Enough

More than 30,000 of our neighbors in Maryland’s first congressional district will lose their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid because of provisions in the GOP’s heartless tax cut and spending bill passed last week.

For context, in 2024, 188,800 adults and children in MD-01 were enrolled in Medicaid, accounting for 24% of the district’s population .

“Medicaid is the primary program providing comprehensive health and long-term care to 83 million people living in the U.S (particularly those with low incomes) and accounts for nearly $1 out of every $5 spent on health care.”

~KFF

In Maryland:

1,469,000 children and adults are enrolled in Medicaid
A majority — 88% — of Medicaid adults in Maryland are working, have a disability, or are over 65. Many of the remaining Medicaid adults have caregiving responsibilities or are in school.
Full-time job 48%
Part-time job 24%
Have a disability 9%
Are over 65 7%
42% of births are covered by Medicaid
32% of children are covered by Medicaid (37% nationally)
43% of working-age adults with disabilities are covered by Medicaid
64% of nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid

Source: KFF Medicaid state fact sheet

Our Republican Congressional Rep. Andrew P. Harris voted for the bill giving tax cuts to billionaires. He tried to buck his party leadership and vote against the bill, saying that the cuts to social safety net health insurance and nutrition programs did not go far enough to pay for the tax cuts. He was promised further cuts for his vote.

If those promises are kept, things could get even worse.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Six Reasons Why the House Budget Bill Will Hurt Rural America

Wed, 21 May 2025 11:29:10 GMT

Republicans in Congress are jamming through a sweeping bill to fund handouts to the rich

This story was originally published by Barn Raiser , an independent source for rural and small town news.

Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.

The House majority will be advancing their bill to the floor in the next few days. With their narrow majority, it will need every vote to pass.

As the Communications and Policy Director for the Rural Democracy Initiative , I’ve been hearing from rural leaders across the country about the devastating impacts this bill would have. The good news is it’s not too late. But there is little time to spare.

Last Friday, five Republicans in the House Budget Committee — including four members of the conservative Freedom Caucus — joined all Democrats on the committee in blocking the bill from reaching the House floor. But some of the opposition want even deeper cuts to programs like Medicaid to offset exorbitant tax cuts for the rich.

Overnight on Sunday, the House Budget Committee barely passed the bill out of committee by promising that changes would be made, including additional work requirements for Medicaid recipients, an increase in state support of Medicaid, and a quicker end to clean energy tax credits.

The House vote is expected this week.

Now is the time to make sure every member of the House of Representatives knows how we feel.

Congress is working to pass this sweeping bill using a budget maneuver called “reconciliation.” While this process allows the bill to pass the Senate with fewer votes, it also complicates the process by only allowing policies that impact the budget to be included. President Trump and congressional Republicans have also decided that, rather than passing multiple pieces of legislation, they will enact major changes to government in a giant, fast-tracked bill that will have sweeping impacts across the country.

This is an incredibly nontransparent, partisan, inefficient way to enact legislation. Still, it is nearly their only option to enact extremely unpopular changes that will raise prices and take away critical programs that benefit working people to give tax breaks and handouts to the rich.

The Stakes for Rural People

This dangerous reconciliation bill would increase costs for rural working families by thousands of dollars per year, leaving millions hungry and without healthcare, to provide tax breaks and handouts to the wealthy and special interests. Here are just six of the worst provisions:

1. Guts rural healthcare

The bill will take healthcare away from 13.8 million Americans and increase the cost for millions more. In some states, 50% of rural children get healthcare from Medicaid. Millions of people rely on access to clinics and hospitals that would likely close because of these cuts.

2. Takes food off the tables of rural people

The plan includes approximately $290-$319 billion in cuts to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) even as the cost of groceries continues to escalate. More than 15% of families in small towns and rural areas rely on this support to feed their families.

3. Shifts costs to states and local governments

State and local governments in rural states depend more on federal funding from programs like SNAP and Medicaid than other states. Slashing federal funding to states will create new burdens for rural states that are already struggling to provide critical public services like healthcare, transportation, and emergency response services to local communities.

4. Takes away local control

Landowners have fought to stop the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines by passing bans and moratoria, as well as enacting county setbacks and safety requirements to protect their communities. The bill would create a new federal process that overrules state and local laws and ordinances, overrides local voices, and deprives residents of a fair opportunity to evaluate the adverse impacts of pipeline construction and operation. The bill preserves the tax credit that is driving carbon pipeline proposals, and it would set up a “pay to play” system under which companies can pay for pipeline, mining, and drilling permits, and avoid public comment and legal challenges.

5. Ends clean energy and infrastructure tax credits and funding

The bill would phase out the tax credits for wind, solar, batteries, geothermal, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. It would also rescind $262 million in funding for energy efficiency and conservation grants as well as transportation infrastructure. Ending the tax credits is projected to increase household energy costs by 2-7%, which are already higher in many rural communities. These changes are projected to reduce clean energy projects by 57-72%, and jeopardize the $522 billion of investment in clean energy manufacturing facilities and installations.

6. Provides handouts to agribusiness and mega farms

Leaders in Congress have failed to negotiate a new farm bill because they continue to prioritize increasing payment triggers known as reference prices for a small number of mega farms rather than reforming the farm safety net to support all farmers. Now they are using the budget reconciliation process to eliminate payment limits and give those big farms a $50 billion windfall with no plan to pass a farm bill this year. Add the heightened pressures and instability caused by the Trump administration’s erratic trade policy, more farmers will lose their farms, while big farms continue to grow.

While GOP leaders insist that they are cutting trillions in healthcare, food assistance, clean energy, and more in order to root out “waste, fraud and abuse,” taking away basic services and making life more unaffordable does nothing to address any of these. Rather than making it harder for people to meet their basic needs and take care of their families, Congress should address waste and fraud by stopping corporate price gouging, curbing profits, breaking up monopolies that abuse consumers, and making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share of taxes like the rest of us.

Rural Voices Matter

Hearing directly from rural voters will have a significant impact on whether this bill moves forward and what it ultimately includes. Here are three actions that you can take right now to ensure we apply the maximum amount of pressure on members of Congress:

Post on social media platforms and tag your congressional representatives.
Encourage your entire community to call or write Congress about this bill. The Congressional Hotline is available in English and Spanish 866-426-2631. You can also use this line to organize a volunteer phone bank.
To make sure you’re heard, visit your local congressional office yourself or with a group to express your opinion.

This legislation contains many unpopular ideas and terrible trade-offs for working families, but those who will be most impacted by the devastating changes to Medicaid, food stamps, energy policy, etc., are largely unaware. It’s up to us to alert our communities and engage constituents in taking action in-district, where they can have the greatest influence on their representatives.

Michael Chameides is Rural Democracy Initiative’s Communications and Policy Director and supports a rural network to engage communities and advocate for meaningful policy.

Who Will SNAP Cuts Affect in Maryland? On the Eastern Shore?

Wed, 21 May 2025 11:28:38 GMT

The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food.

With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below.

In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits.

In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24:

Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits.
Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60).
29% of SNAP recipients were people of color.
15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally.
6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally).
There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%).

The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below.

See data from all the states and download factsheets here.

Catlin Nchako is an expert in food assistance and SNAP basics at CBPP.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a nonpartisan research and policy institute that advances federal and state policies to help build a nation where everyone — regardless of income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, zipcode, immigration status, or disability status — has the resources they need to thrive and share in the nation’s prosperity.

Not Law Yet

Wed, 21 May 2025 11:27:50 GMT

Apparently, some people think that the GOP’s “big beautiful bill” is a foregone conclusion, and that the struggle over the budget and Trump’s agenda is over and done.

Not true.

On Sunday night, the bill — given the alternate name “Big Bad Bullsh*t Bill” by the Democratic Women’s Caucus — was voted out of the House Budget Committee.

The GOP plan is to pass this legislation in the House before Memorial Day.

But that’s not the end of it.

As Jessica Craven explained in her Chop Wood Carry Water column:

“Remember, we have at least six weeks left in this process. The bill has to:

Pass the House,
Then head to the Senate where it will likely be rewritten almost completely,
Then be passed there,
Then be brought back to the House for reconciliation,
And then, if the House changes that version at all,
Go back to the Senate for another vote.”

She adds, “Every step of that process is a place for us to kill it.”

The bill is over a thousand pages long, and the American people will not get a chance to read it until it has passed the House.

But, thanks to 5Calls , we know it includes:

(Click here for more details.)

Our Republican congressional representative, Andrew P. Harris (MD-1), chair of the House Freedom Caucus, is opposed to the bill, but not because of the cruel and draconian cuts it contains that will injure Americans.

He is opposed because the cuts don’t go far enough. Extending President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts for the wealthy will create a huge budget deficit that the ultra-right winger is opposed to. His solution is to pay for the millionaire tax cuts by slashing services used by poor and working class people.

Now is the time to contact Rep. Harris’s office to express our opposition to the bill and to tell him why.

In Maryland, our Democratic senators will not vote for this bill once it gets to the senate for action. But it is important to let them know we oppose it and we support their NO vote.

The 5Calls app makes calling easy — enter your zipcode and the app pulls up the names and phone numbers of your elected officials, and helps you with what to say (there are now eight scripts dealing with aspects of this horrible bill).

To really get down in the weeds about what could happen to this bill during negotiations, check out this post from The Congressional Progressive Caucus Center . It’s got a cool timeline.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Eastern Shore Delegation: 2025 “Highlights”

Tue, 13 May 2025 21:27:28 GMT

The 2025 General Assembly was a packed legislative session dominated by intense budget negotiations and aggressive energy packages.

We’ve previously reported on the budget and legislative achievements here .

Now, let's talk about our Eastern Shore Delegation, the representatives who are supposed to fight for our nine Shore counties in Annapolis, and what they actually got up to this session.

They spent a lot of time during the Session and in the weeks that followed complaining: “Annapolis doesn’t care about us,” “Governor Moore ignores the Shore,” and ranting about a lack of funding for our schools, then turning around and voting against that funding.

Let me give you a few “highlights”:

Delegate Charles Otto represents Somerset County, the poorest county in Maryland. This year, he passed five local bills for first responder funding and minor liquor license tweaks. But he also fell asleep during a live, publicly broadcast subcommittee meeting. That image says more than words ever could about the urgency or lack thereof he brings to helping the people who need him most.

Senator Mary Beth Carozza was vocal about her concerns for Shore residents' energy bills, but in the same committee meetings, would vote down bills that encouraged in-state generation through clean and reliable energy sources like solar.

Delegate Jeff Ghrist stood on the House floor criticizing HB 286 (which will advance sustainable growth in the state), claiming it didn’t protect the Eastern Shore. The truth? Advocates from Wicomico County worked to add amendments to protect the Shore specifically. He later withdrew his objection, admitting he hadn’t read the bill. Still, he publicly challenged it and then voted against a law designed to preserve our region’s natural beauty. Fortunately, it passed and was signed by Governor Wes Moore without any support from any Shore representative.

The worst moment was when the entire Shore Delegation voted against the Excellence in Maryland Schools Act, which funds our local schools and helps recruit high-quality teachers. Then, they turned around and complained that Governor Moore didn’t care about the Shore or include us in his cabinet, when in reality, we have the most shore representation in this Governor's Cabinet and Administration:

Secretary of Planning Rebecca Flora lives in Chestertown.
Special Secretary for the Governor’s Office for Children, Carmel Martin, lives in Oxford.
Secretary of Veterans and Military Families Anthony Woods lives in Easton.
Director of the Maryland 250 Commission Michele Johnson lives in Trappe.
Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jacob Day lives in Salisbury.

It’s hard to think of a team that is more rooted in the Shore than the one leading in Housing and Community Development. Why? Because the Shore isn’t just affected by the housing crisis, we're leading the way in fixing it. From zoning reform to smart growth to environmental protections, Shore voices are driving real solutions for all of Maryland.

The Shore deserves better than naps in subcommittee meetings and scapegoats in press conferences. We need to counter these narratives, and I hope this breakdown gives you the tools to do just that. It’s going to take all of us.

Maryland Eastern Shore Delegates:

 Maryland Eastern Shore State Senators:

 Jared Schablein is chair of Shore Progress.

Democrats reach historic goal: A full slate in Virginia House races

Mon, 12 May 2025 21:28:17 GMT

For the first time in recent memory, Democrats are fielding candidates in all 100 districts, including deep-red turf like the Eastern Shore.

Markus Schmidt is an award-winning journalist who covers Virginia politics from the state Capitol in Richmond. His coverage area includes the General Assembly, the executive branch and elections in Virginia.

This article was originally published in Virginia Mercury , which is part of States Newsroom , the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

2025 General Assembly Report: Results for Working Families on the Eastern Shore

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 12:53:54 GMT

The 447th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly adjourned on April 8. This End of Session Report highlights the work Shore Progress has done to fight for working families and bring real results home to the Shore.

Over the 90-day session, lawmakers debated 1,901 bills and passed 878 into law. Shore Progress and members supported legislation that delivers for the Eastern Shore, protecting our environment, expanding access to housing and healthcare, strengthening workers’ rights, and more.

Shore Progress Supported Legislation By The Numbers:

Over 60 pieces of our backed legislation were passed.
Another 15 passed in one Chamber but not the other.

Legislation details are below, past the budget section.

The 2026 Maryland State Budget

How We Got Here: Maryland’s budget problems didn’t start overnight. They began under Governor Larry Hogan. Governor Hogan expanded the state budget yearly but blocked the legislature from moving money around or making common-sense changes. Instead of fixing the structural issues, Hogan used federal covid relief funds to hide the cracks and drained our state’s savings from $5.5 billion to $2.3 billion to boost his image before leaving office.

How Trump/Musk Made It Worse: Maryland is facing a new fiscal crisis driven by the Trump–Musk administration, whose trade wars, tariff policies, and deep federal cuts have hit us harder than most, costing the state over 30,000 jobs, shuttering offices, and erasing promised investments. A University of Maryland study estimates Trump’s tariffs alone could cost us $2 billion, and those federal cuts have already added $300 million to our budget deficit. Covid aid gave us a short-term boost and even created a fake surplus under Hogan, but that money is gone, while housing, healthcare, and college prices keep rising. The Trump–Musk White House is only making things worse by slashing funding, gutting services, and eliminating research that Marylanders rely on.

How The State Budget Fixes These Issues: This year, Maryland faced a $3 billion budget gap, and the General Assembly fixed it with a smart mix of cuts and fair new revenue, while protecting working families, schools, and health care.

The 2025 Budget cuts $1.9 billion ($400 million less than last year) without gutting services people rely on. The General Assembly raised $1.2 billion in fair new revenue, mostly from the wealthiest Marylanders.

The Budget ended with a $350 million surplus, plus $2.4 billion saved in the Rainy Day Fund (more than 9% of general fund revenue), which came in $7 million above what the Spending Affordability Committee called for. The budget protects funding for our schools, health care, transit, and public workers.

The budget delivers real wins:

$800 million more annually for transit and infrastructure, plus $500 million for long-term transportation needs.
It invests $9.7 billion in public schools and boosts local education aid by $572.5 million, a 7% increase.
If current revenue trends hold, no new taxes will be needed next session.
Even better, 94% of Marylanders will see a tax cut or no change, while only the wealthiest 5% will finally pay their fair share.

The tax system is smarter now. We’re:

Taxing IT and data services like Texas and D.C. do;
Raising taxes on cannabis and sports betting, not groceries or medicine; and
Letting counties adjust income taxes.

The budget also restores critical funding:

$122 million for teacher planning
$15 million for cancer research
$11 million for crime victims
$7 million for local business zones, and
Continued support for public TV, the arts, and BCCC

The budget invests in

People with disabilities, with $181 million in services
Growing private-sector jobs with $139 million in funding, including $27.5 million for quantum tech, $16 million for the Sunny Day Fund, and $10 million for infrastructure loans.

Health care is protected for 1.5 million Marylanders, with $15.6 billion for Medicaid and higher provider pay.

Public safety is getting a boost too, with $60 million for victim services, $5.5 million for juvenile services, and $5 million for parole and probation staffing.

This budget also tackles climate change with $100 million for clean energy and solar projects, and $200 million in potential ratepayer relief.

Public workers get a well-deserved raise, with $200 million in salary increases, including a 1% COLA and ~2.5% raises for union workers.

The ultra-wealthy will finally chip in to pay for it:

People earning over $750,000 will pay more,
Millionaires will pay 6.5%, and
Capital gains over $350,000 get a 2% surcharge.

Deductions are capped for high earners, but working families can still deduct student loans, medical debt, and donations.

This budget is bold, fair, and built to last. That’s why Shore Progress proudly supports it.

Click on the arrows below for details in each section.

 Jared Schablein is chair of Shore Progress.

Speak up for Eastern Neck and NWR System

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 11:48:11 GMT

Editorial Note: This letter was recently sent to Friends of Eastern Neck members through the organization’s newsletter, The Rookery.

To Our Members:

The front page of your quarterly newsletter is usually filled with good news: a Friends-led educational program, or a new volunteer initiative, or funding for a much-needed environmental or infrastructure project, all thanks to your support.

This spring, we have to bring a different story to the forefront.

All the public lands under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of the Interior are facing an unprecedented challenge. The National Wildlife Refuge System, already short-staffed and underfunded after decades of shrinking budgets, could soon see further cuts that would cripple conservation work and severely limit or end public access to many of these precious spaces.

In short, your Refuge needs you. Your generous monetary contributions and hands-on volunteering remain critical for our work as the Friends of Eastern Neck, but we need ask you for something more in the immediate future: Your voices.

Please reach out to your local, state, and federal representatives and tell them what Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge means to you and to our community.

Tell them how much you value the hard work of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service staff from our Complex headquarters at Blackwater NWR, who regularly make a four-hour round trip to carry out biological and maintenance projects that preserve this island habitat for migratory birds and other species.

Let your elected representatives and business and cultural leaders know that our Refuge and others like it all over the country deserve to be protected. They deserve our stewardship for the natural wonders they shelter, and because they provide refuge for people, too.

If you've ever cleared your head with a trail walk, strolled the Butterfly Garden in late summer, heard your child or grandchild describe the fun they had on a school field trip, watched the sunset from the Tubby Cove overlook or Tundra Swan boardwalk, hunted, fished, picnicked, or launched a kayak on the island, or marveled at the amazing photographs to be taken around every corner of Eastern Neck — you understand what we mean.

Eastern Neck has a timeless quality. Generations of area residents and visitors have treasured it since 1962, when our community fought to keep it pristine in the face of a proposed housing development. But during this moment in time, none of us can take the future of the Refuge for granted.

A few words of explanation about why we're being so blunt:

Eastern Neck is one of four Refuges in the Chesapeake Marshlands Complex, managed by the Blackwater-based staff near Cambridge. At one time, Eastern Neck had five on-site FWS employees. That number is now zero.

At the same time, the Complex overall has seen its staffing decrease from a high of 23 in 2007 to the bare bones count of 10. Four employees were lost in the last two months — two to voluntary retirement and two to government-wide layoffs. Each personnel loss can bring about an associated cut in the operating budget for the Complex.

As we publish, a court order has temporarily stayed some layoffs, but that could be reversed on appeal, and the eventual outcome is unclear. The staffing numbers in this story, and the chart below, reflect what the federal government is seeking.

Cutbacks are not new. Over the last 15 years, the National Wildlife Refuge System has lost 800 positions — more than one-quarter of its workforce — leaving less than 2,300 employees to manage more than 570 Refuges and 850 million acres of habitat.

Additionally, a mandatory Reduction in Force across all federal agencies is expected in the coming months. The National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management are bracing for similar impacts.

We thank the Fish & Wildlife Service for its continuing dedication in difficult times. Friends groups around the country have played an increasingly crucial part in filling the gaps, but we can't replace the qualifications, expertise, and experience of FWS biologists, rangers, visitor services managers, and maintenance specialists.

The stark reality is that further cuts could make those gaps harder and harder to bridge.

In a worst-case scenario, Eastern Neck could be "shuttered" for lack of staff support, curtailing public access to much of the island.

Volunteer activities would be forced to cease. Our youth and adult programs — school visits, bird walks, marine science days — could no longer take place.

The historic Lodge that houses the Visitors Center and the FOEN Bookstore and Gift Shop, a building saved thanks to considerable investment by both FWS and Friends, would close indefinitely.

And the most important mission of the Refuge, preserving natural habitat, plants, and animals, would be undermined by neglect and potential vandalism.

More remote, but still plausible, is the possibility that public lands, including those in our region, could be put up for sale.

We hope these bleak outcomes never come to pass. You can do your part by spreading the word to your neighbors and friends, and contacting community leaders and elected officials. Be sure to include personal stories about your connection to Eastern Neck. If you're willing to share your story publicly, please reach out to us on our Facebook page , our website , or at our mailing address (PO Box 450, Rock Hall MD 21661), and we will include your thoughts in our efforts.

Thank you in advance for your time, resources, and passion.

 Friends of Eastern Neck NWR is a volunteer-led, 501(c)(3) membership organization that supports the work of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in its conservation and management work at the refuge.

Letter: These Republicans Are Right — Hogan is Responsible for Maryland’s Budget Deficit

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:25:19 GMT

Don’t Blame Gov. Wes Moore for State’s Long-Projected Budget Deficit

The Budget Deficit

In a recent debate on closing Maryland’s budget deficit, Minority Leader Jason Buckel, a Republican delegate from Allegany County, made an important point: “The man upstairs has only been there for two, three years. I don’t blame him for our economic failures of the last 10,” referring to Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who was elected in 2022.

Ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial elections, Buckel’s comments highlight a key reality that many of his Republican colleagues seldom admit: It isn’t right to blame Gov. Moore for a budget deficit that has been brewing for years.

Now projected at $3.3 billion, Maryland’s structural deficit is a problem that started long before Moore took office. In fact, it was first projected in 2017, during the tenure of former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan.

This isn’t an opinion — it’s a fact that Buckel and other lawmakers, including Republican Del. Jefferson Ghrist, have bravely acknowledged. During that same debate, Ghrist remarked that the Department of Legislative Services had warned about this deficit throughout Hogan’s administration, yet he did little to address it.

Ghrist pointed out that during Maryland’s “good years,” when the state received a flood of federal covid-19 relief dollars, spending spiraled without regard for long-term fiscal health. Hogan used these one-time federal funds to support ongoing programs, which masked the true state of Maryland’s finances and created an illusion of fiscal stability.

Hogan continues to take credit for the “surplus” Maryland had in 2022 — even though experts repeatedly note it was caused by the influx of federal dollars during the pandemic.

As Ghrist correctly observed, the lack of fiscal restraint and slow growth during the Hogan years laid the groundwork for the $3.3 billion structural deficit the state faces today. Indeed, Maryland’s economy has been stagnant since 2017, especially in comparison to its neighboring states, well before Moore took office.

Compounding these challenges are President Donald Trump’s reckless layoffs and trade wars with our allies. Thousands of federal workers who live in Maryland are losing their jobs, which will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. Trump’s tariffs will also put an enormous strain on local businesses, including Eastern Shore farmers, who are now subject to up to 15% retaliatory tariffs on chicken, wheat, soybeans, corn, fruits, and vegetables.

FY2026 Budget

Considering this grim reality, Maryland’s lawmakers are making difficult, but necessary, decisions to shore up the state’s finances. Gov. Moore and state legislative leaders recently agreed to a budget that prioritizes expanding Maryland’s economy without raising taxes on most residents.

In fact, 94% of Marylanders should see either a tax cut or no change at all to their income tax bill under the proposed agreement.

Lawmakers also plan to cut government spending by the largest amount in 16 years, while at the same time making targeted investments in emerging industries, such as quantum computing and aerospace defense, so the state is less dependent on federal jobs.

While the richest Marylanders might see their income taxes go up, it’s reasonable to ask someone making over $750,000 a year to pay $1,800 more to support law enforcement, strengthen our schools, and grow our economy.

As for the proposed tax on data and IT services, these products aren’t subject to Maryland’s sales tax under current law. Maryland leaders want to modernize our tax code by levying a 3% sales tax on these products.

Because they don’t raise income taxes on the majority of Marylanders and because state leaders are also cutting spending by billions, these ideas are fair.

They’re also necessary after Gov. Hogan chose to kick the can down the road instead of addressing Maryland’s long-predicted deficit and now that Trump’s policies will lay off thousands of Marylanders and his tariffs will hurt our state.

By making responsible choices now, Maryland leaders are putting the state on a path to long-term economic stability. Their decisions will help Maryland thrive, create jobs, and invest in the vital services that every resident relies on — without burdening hardworking families. I’m confident Maryland will emerge stronger, more resilient, and ready to lead in the industries of tomorrow.

Elaine McNeil is chair of the Queen Anne’s Democratic Central Committee.

Fighting the President’s Executive Orders

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:38:07 GMT

Among Donald Trump’s most recent targets is what he calls “rogue law firms.”

At 6pm last Thursday, March 27, he issued an Executive Order (EO) aimed at my old law firm, WilmerHale, as one of those “rogue” firms.

Approximately 15 hours later, the firm filed a 63-page complaint challenging the EO on multiple constitutional grounds.

The EO is an “unprecedented assault on the bedrock principle that one should not be penalized for merely defending or prosecuting a lawsuit” and constitutes an “undisguised form of retaliation for representing clients and causes Trump disfavors.”

And by 8pm on Friday, March 28, a little over 24 hours after the EO was first issued, a federal district court judge in Washington granted a request for a temporary restraining order, blocking key provisions of the EO from taking effect for now. In doing so, the Court found that “the retaliatory nature of the EO is clear from its face. There is no doubt that it chills speech and legal advocacy and qualifies as a constitutional harm.”

The Executive Order

The EO and a so-called “Fact Sheet” that went with it recites that the Administration is committed to addressing the significant risks associated with law firms, particularly so-called “Big Law” firms that engage in conduct detrimental to critical American interests. Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) is yet another law firm said to have abandoned the legal profession’s highest ideals and abused its pro bono practice by engaging in activities that “undermine justice and the interests of the United States.”

The specific examples offered in support of this conclusion:

The EO asserts that WilmerHale “engages in obvious partisan representations to achieve political ends,” an apparent reference to the firm’s representation of Trump’s political opponents — namely the Democratic National Committee and the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

The EO cites WilmerHale’s “egregious conduct” in “supporting efforts to discriminate on the basis of race,” an apparent reference to the firm’s representation of Harvard in the Students for Fair Admissions litigation.

The EO accuses WilmerHale of “backing the obstruction of efforts to prevent illegal aliens from committing horrific crimes,” an apparent reference to the firm’s litigation related pro bono practice and successful challenges to immigration related policies.

The EO accuses WilmerHale of “furthering the degradation of the quality of American elections,” an apparent reference to the film’s involvement in challenges to restrictive state voter-identification and voter-registration laws.

The EO singles out certain current and former WilmerHale partners, including Robert Mueller, for special criticism by describing Mr. Mueller’s investigation as “one of the most partisan investigations in American history” and having “weaponized the prosecutorial power to suspend the democratic process and distort justice.”

The EO then

Revokes security clearances held by WilmerHale attorneys;
Prohibits the federal government from hiring WilmerHale employees absent a special waiver;
Orders a review and the possible termination of federal contracts with entities that do business with the firm;
Calls for the withdrawal of government goods or services from the firm; and
Calls for restrictions on the ability of WilmerHale employees to enter federal buildings (presumably including federal courthouses) and on their “engaging” with government employees.

WilmerHale’s Complaint

WilmerHale engaged Paul Clement, a former Solicitor General during the George W. Bush administration and a well-known advocate frequently representing conservative causes, to represent the firm in this matter.

Assisted by some 15 WilmerHale litigators, the complaint names the Executive Office of the President and 48 other Departments, Commissions, and individual Officers in their official capacity as defendants. A variety of constitutional violations are alleged:

The First Amendment protects the rights of WilmerHale and its clients to speak freely, and petition the courts and other government institutions without facing retaliation and discrimination by federal officials.
The separation of powers limits the President’s role to enforcing the law and no statute or constitutional provision empowers him to unilaterally sanction WilmerHale in this manner.
The EO flagrantly violates due process by imposing severe consequences without notice or an opportunity to be heard.
The EO violates the right to counsel protected by the Fifth and Sixth Amendments and imposes unconstitutional conditions on federal contracts and expenditures.

The complaint alleges that WilmerHale has already suffered irreparable damage in the 16 hours since the EO issued. The firm has been vilified by the most powerful person in the country as a “rogue law firm” that has “engaged in conduct detrimental to critical American interests. The EO will inevitable cause extensive, lasting damage to WilmerHale’s current and future business prospects. The harm to the firm’s reputation will negatively affect its ability to recruit and retain employees.

Further Proceedings

Temporary restraining orders constitute emergency relief upon a showing of likely success on the merits and irreparable harm were the temporary relief not entered.

A later hearing will be held in order for the judge to determine whether a preliminary injunction should be issued preventing the government from executing the EO during the continued length of the litigation.

Editorial Note: In light of the recent capitulation of several “Big Law” firms to the unreasonable and unconstitutional attacks by the Trump administration, WilmerHale is providing a blueprint for resistance as it fights back. More law firms need to be inspired by WilmerHale’s response to Trump’s demand for revenge on his so-called political enemies.

Remembering Tom Timberman

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:37:38 GMT

Tom Timberman was one of the founders of Common Sense for the Eastern Shore. Sadly, he died last month. He will be missed.

Common Sense exists because of his leadership and inspiration. His vision was to provide factual and timely commentary and analysis on topics that concern people who live and work on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and to provide factual reporting to help readers shape their own lives.

It was important to Tom, as it is today to the editorial board, for Common Sense to help voters to be aware of the effects — personal and local — of decisions made at the federal and state levels.

Especially relevant now is this from our Mission Statement: “We seek an America responsive to its citizens and its constitution.”

We reprint this tribute from Bill Flook, President of the Democratic Club of Kent County :

Many of us were deeply saddened to learn of TomTimberman’s passing last week. It’s hard to believe that such a strong Democratic voice is gone. I worked with Tom for much of the past decade on many good projects promoting our values and activities, including helping on his campaign for County Commissioner, and I’ll particularly miss following his lead as Captain of the Dawn Patrol. Our group met most Saturday mornings for coffee and some good chat, before heading up to Dems HQ to set up the booth there. We’ll miss you, Tom!

The Truth About the FY2026 Md. Budget HB350

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:37:05 GMT

After over 12 hours of debate over two days (and a whole circus from the other side), the Maryland House of Delegates has passed HB 350, this year's state budget, and sent it to the State Senate.

This budget is a deal between House Democrats, Senate Democrats, and Governor Wes Moore. It faces our state's $3 billion deficit head-on not with fantasy math, but with real choices: smart cuts and fair new revenue. This is what grown-up governing looks like.

How We Got Here:

Maryland’s budget problems didn’t start overnight. Leaders began warning about a shortfall in 2017 when Governor Larry Hogan was in office.

Hogan made our state budget bigger every year, but the legislature wasn’t allowed to move money around or make common-sense changes. By law, they could only make cuts. In 2020, Maryland voters changed that. Starting in 2023, lawmakers finally got full power to shape the budget, not just cut from it.

Instead of fixing the problem, Governor Hogan used federal COVID relief to hide our fiscal instability. Then, before leaving office, he drained our state’s savings from $5.5 billion to $2.3 billion to boost his image.

Today, we are facing a new fiscal arsonist. Donald Trump’s trade wars and cuts to federal programs hit Maryland hard. We have more federal jobs and agencies than any other state, so we felt it worse than most. A University of Maryland study says Trump’s tariffs alone could cost us $2 billion.

Trump/Musk's policies caused over 30,000 people in Maryland to lose their jobs, offices to shut down, and promised investments to disappear. These federal cuts added another $300 million to our budget deficit.

COVID relief gave us a short break and even created a fake surplus under Hogan, but that money is gone now. Meanwhile, housing, healthcare, and college prices have gone way up.

The Trump–Musk White House is making it worse by cutting even more funding, eliminating research, and gutting the services we rely on.

That’s why Maryland had to act. We needed a real plan to protect working people, fund our schools and hospitals, and keep our state strong.

Why Cuts Were Needed

Trump’s trade wars and cuts to federal agencies hit Maryland harder than any other state. A University of Maryland study says those tariffs alone could cost us $2 billion.

That hurts real people:

A chicken farmer on the Eastern Shore is paying 25% more for fertilizer.
A dock worker in Baltimore has fewer ships to unload.
A restaurant owner in Western Maryland can’t afford eggs and tomatoes.

We’ve lost over 30,000 jobs. Offices have shut down. Promised investments disappeared.

The decisions of the Trump/Musk administration added $300 million to our state deficit.

What the Budget Actually Does

This budget:

Cuts $1.6 billion responsibly
Raises $1.3 billion in fair new revenue
Leaves a $350 million surplus
Builds over $2 billion in rainy day savings
Protects funding for schools, health care, transit, and public workers

And here’s the best part:

94% of Marylanders will see a tax cut or no change at all. Only the wealthiest 5%, the folks who’ve been dodging taxes for years, will finally chip in like the rest of us.

We’re also updating our tax code:

Taxing IT and data services (just like Texas and D.C.)
Raising taxes on things like cannabis and sports betting, not groceries or medicine
Letting local governments raise income taxes slightly if they choose

Who Pays More?

This plan asks the ultra-wealthy to do their part:

People making over $750,000 will pay a little more
Millionaires will pay 6.5%
Capital gains over $350,000 will face a 2% surcharge
Deductions are capped for high earners

Working people still get to write off medical debt, student loan interest, and charitable donations. That’s real relief.

What’s NOT In the Budget?

There’s no new tax on:

Soda or sugary drinks
Small businesses
Retail delivery (like Amazon or DoorDash)
Gas, estate tax, or car trade-ins
Property
iGaming (online gambling)

And there are no cuts to:

Services for people with disabilities
Public schools
Health care
State jobs

Bottom Line

This budget doesn’t just fix a crisis, it builds a better future. It protects what matters most and puts the burden where it belongs: on the folks who can afford it.

This budget invests in world-class public schools, better transit, and strong protections for working families. There are no gimmicks or games—just smart, responsible leadership.

Feel free to share this information to push back on some misleading narratives the far-right is pushing.

In Solidarity,

Jared Schablein

https://www.facebook.com/ShoreProgress/

Salisbury MD

Jared Schablein is chair of Shore Progress.

Election 2024 — The Aftermath

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:06:38 GMT

It’s probably too early for a real analysis of why the Harris/Walz ticket was defeated in this year’s presidential election, although there are plenty of people taking a crack at it. For a couple of interesting examples, take a look at Heather Cox Richardson’s Nov. 6 column , or David Brooks in the New York Times.

Important factors certainly included sexism and racism. Many Americans still aren’t ready to accept a woman leader — especially a Black woman. And I spoke to one local person who said that many Black men he knew were wary of voting for Harris because she had been a prosecutor, putting other Black men and minorities behind bars. Whether or not that was a factor, Harris’s share of the Black vote was some 10% lower than Biden’s.

But the most significant factor was probably voter turnout. According to a Nov. 11 New York Times story , Democratic turnout was significantly lower than in 2020. This helped produce a narrow majority in the popular vote for the Republican ticket. Trump’s total nationwide was about 74 million votes, roughly the same as he received in 2020. Harris, on the other hand, was at 70 million — roughly 11 million less than President Biden’s 2020 total. If those voters had come out again and voted mostly Democratic, Harris would have some 81 million votes to Trump’s 74 million, giving her the popular vote. Depending on where the voters lived, that could have produced a very different result in the Electoral College and the election itself. Though the Electoral College totals imply otherwise, this was really a close election.

Incidentally, a reaction against incumbents may be another significant factor, and a global rather than a U.S. phenomenon. An article in the Financial Times notes that every incumbent party — on both ends of the political spectrum — in developed countries lost significant vote share in an election this year — an astonishing turn of events.

Here on the Eastern Shore, nobody should be surprised that the majority of the voting public went for the Republicans. The area, after all, is predominantly rural and conservative, with a few blue enclaves such as Easton and Chestertown. While town-by-town results on the Shore are not yet available, in Talbot County, in which Easton is the largest town, Trump won by some 500 votes. Queen Anne’s gave Trump the win by about 9,000 votes.

Local elections were not on the ballot in 2024, but local officials on the Shore — mayors, sheriffs, state’s attorneys, county commissioners, delegates to the General Assembly, etc. — largely reflect that Republican dominance. And day-to-day life is more directly affected by these people in all communities than by anyone in Washington.

Still, what happens on the national level will have its effect on all of us. The architects and supporters of Project 2025 are going to be part of the new Trump administration, and he has appointed some of the project’s supporters already. Those appointees are probably going to be quite adamant in pushing through their agenda.

Even if they can’t accomplish everything, some of the proposed plans ought to be cause for concern, above all the weakening of women’s rights, especially reproductive freedom. And with the Senate, possibly the House, and the Supreme Court effectively on the same page as the administration, the constitutional checks and balances will be severely weakened.

If, as he said he would, Trump imposes heavy tariffs on imports, almost every economist predicts that consumer prices will rise, thus making it harder to control inflation.

If a mass deportation of immigrants gets underway, many jobs will go unfilled, particularly in construction and food service. This will further hurt the economy. It’s possible that pressure to fill those jobs could raise wages.

If RFK Jr. brings his anti-vaccine beliefs to the health department, another pandemic — a new covid strain, or just the regular flu — could kill millions.

If Elon Musk starts cutting back what he perceives as governmental waste, programs benefitting local communities are likely to suffer, again removing dollars from local and state economies.

The foreign policy implications of some of Trump’s statements could be significant. He has threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO. This may be unlikely, but that political stance may encourage current and would-be aggressors in Europe and the Middle East. And Trump has said he will end the war in Ukraine in one day. Does he really have that much influence on Putin? Or does Putin have that much influence on Trump? Time will tell.

Looking down the road, one also has to consider Trump’s health. Born in June 1946, he will be 82 by the end of his term. What if he becomes incapacitated, physically or mentally? A stroke, a heart attack, or just the rigors of old age in a stressful office — all are possible.

Would Vice President-elect Vance, a former venture capitalist in the technology sector, continue Trump’s policies, or would he have ideas of his own? At one time, Vance criticized many of Trump’s positions. If Trump is no longer in charge, could there be a period of infighting as various factions within the party and administration assert their own priorities? Any of that could have significant effects, and it’s not unlikely, given Trump’s age.

So it looks as if we are about to live in “interesting times.” Some people are talking about leaving the country, while others are still trying to understand what just happened. Many are already looking forward and starting to concentrate on the 2026 midterms, when Republicans could consolidate their gains or Democrats could make a comeback.

May we all get through these times to the point where we can tell a younger generation the kinds of stories our elders told us about the Great Depression or the Civil Rights movement — hopefully, with something resembling a happy ending.

Peter Heck is a Chestertown-based writer and editor, who spent 10 years at the Kent County News and three more with the Chestertown Spy. He is the author of 10 novels and co-author of four plays, a book reviewer for Asimov’s and Kirkus Reviews, and an incorrigible guitarist.

No, Mr. Trump, You Have No “Mandate”

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:06:14 GMT

The 2024 presidential election was over swiftly. The Associated Press called it at 5:34 am on Nov. 6, and by 8 am, President-elect Donald Trump was crowing about the “ historic mandate ” given to him by the American people.

A “mandate”? Turns out not.

Trump jumped to an early lead on election night, but in the following days, his lead diminished as mail-in and provisional ballots were counted.

A Baltimore Banner article on Nov. 6 highlighted the “Trump shift” that had occurred in every political subdivision in Maryland, even in counties where Democrat Kamala Harris won. This shift described the increase in Trump support since his loss to President Joe Biden in 2020 .

As of Nov. 6, the biggest Trump shift was an 8.1% increase in his support in red Cecil County, but there were also shifts in the central Maryland counties that are the state’s Democratic strongholds — 4.3% in Montgomery and lesser amounts in other blue counties. Fourteen counties recorded shifts of 4% or more. On the Eastern Shore, every county had a shift over 4.5% except Talbot (2.7%), and the five largest shifts were Shore counties. For the state’s Democrats, it did not look encouraging.

But as mail-in and provisional ballots were counted across the state, the Trump shift was reduced everywhere, and as of Nov. 16, disappeared altogether in Garrett (-1.2%) and Charles (-0.1%) counties.

The shift dropped below 3% in all Maryland counties. Cecil’s shift became 2.1%. Montgomery’s shift dropped to 2.9%.

Talbot’s shift declined to 0.2%, lowest of the Eastern Shore counties. Now, instead of five, only two of the highest five shifts were in Eastern Shore counties.

The red bars in the chart below represent the Trump shift percentage values as of Nov. 16, in ascending order.

The grey bars represent the misleading (and ephemeral) Trump shift percentage values as of Nov. 6.

Please note the degree to which the Trump shift lessened and disappeared in the 10 days after the election.

Another red mirage. But if you had only read the Nov. 6 article and not looked at the updated data, you would have been fooled into thinking Trump support is stronger than it is.

That same story is playing out nationally. Trump’s margin looked like a blowout on election night, but as mail-in and provisional ballots were counted, his margin shrank dramatically.

In recent days, Trump’s support has slipped below 50% to 49.96% (76.5 million votes) to Harris’s 48.24% (73.9 million) — a difference of only 1.72%, according to Cook Political Report .

Votes are still being counted and this difference will continue to decrease. The election was very close, as was predicted all along.

Also contradicting Trump’s claim of a mandate is the fact that 93 million eligible voters did not vote — far more than Trump’s share of those who did vote. He was elected with less than one-third of voters choosing him.

So, the majority of eligible U.S. voters did not vote for Trump. And more Americans voted for someone other than Trump.

Hardly a mandate.

Trump’s Electoral College vote count stands at 312, comfortably more than the 270 needed to win. But that doesn’t come close to a mandate compared to these Republican presidents :

1972, Nixon, 520 Electoral College votes
1980, Reagan, 489
1984, Reagan, 525
1988, Bush I, 426

Voters in Eastern Shore counties supported Trump, however. Trump received 50% or more of the votes in eight of the nine counties. That support ranged from 67.7% in Caroline County to 50% in Kent County. The only county where Trump did not receive a majority of the vote was Talbot County, where support for Harris and Trump is currently 48.7% each; as of Nov. 16, Trump is ahead by six votes.

Many voters who voted for Trump also supported progressive ballot initiatives across the country. According to the Economic Policy Institute , voters:

Approved minimum wage increases to $15 per hour in two states (Alaska and Missouri)
Expanded workers’ ability to earn paid sick leave in three states (Alaska, Missouri, and Nebraska)
Approved a state constitutional right to abortion in seven states (Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York)
Rejected school vouchers in three states (Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska)
In Alaska, opted to ban anti-union captive audience meetings, while Oregon voters passed a measure to protect cannabis workers’ right to unionize

Maryland was part of this progressive trend.

Question 1 (the ballot initiative to guarantee reproductive rights in the Maryland Constitution) passed with a large majority — 75.7% of Maryland voters voted For Question 1.

On the Eastern Shore, a majority of voters in all counties voted Yes on Question 1, ranging from 57.5% in Caroline to 72.6% in Kent.

Now that’s a mandate!

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Success of Right-wing School Board Candidates is a Bad Omen

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:05:28 GMT

How many times were Common Sense readers told that the 2024 election would be the most important ever? Whoever the winner, people knew the results would not unite the country but further divide it. One place of divisive conflict on the Eastern Shore, indeed almost everywhere, is the local school system.

Two extreme right-wing organizations targeting school board control have made their presence known on the Eastern Shore.

Moms for Liberty , according to its website , wants “to empower parents to defend parental rights at all levels of government.” In the recent election, Moms for Liberty endorsed at least two Cecil Co. Board of Education candidates.

One of them, Sam J. Davis (who got 44% of the total vote ), lost his race to Diane Racine Heath (55%). Another Moms for Liberty candidate, Tierney Farlan Davis, Sr. (57%), defeated Dita Watson (42%). Both defeated candidates were endorsed by the Cecil County Classroom Teachers Association .

A second active conservative organization is the 1776 Project PAC . This PAC’s mission statement declares that it “is committed to reigniting the spark and spirit of that revolution by reforming school boards across America. Since progressive-led efforts to lockdown schools during the covid epidemic, test scores have declined, parents and students are increasingly worried about violence both in and out of the classroom, while politicians and activists push their own ideology.” Of the eight Eastern Shore school board candidates the 1776 PAC supported, three were unopposed. The five competitive races were won by 1776 PAC candidates; the average margin of victory was about 12%.

The Talbot Co. candidate Ann O’Connor wrote a piece for the Delmarva Times and the Easton Gazette denying that her candidacy had received “endorsements from Moms for Liberty or any other group.” On the other hand, on X , we read that the 1776 PAC gave “huge congratulations to Ann O’Connor . . . for being elected to the now-conservative Talbot County Board of Education!” One might wonder whether or not any group gave her an endorsement.

In a late October, the Washington Post ran a long story about the significant partisan cash flowing into Maryland school board races. In theory, Maryland school board elections are nonpartisan, because state law prohibits party labels on school board ballots. On the other hand, according to the Post, the 1776 PAC “has spent a total of $75,409.58 on 13 Maryland school board candidates across Cecil, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Calvert, Somerset and St. Mary’s counties.” That sum and the other money spent on school board candidates does not indicate the strength of passion in the candidates and their supporters.

Our governments are obligated to allow, if not to support, all citizens in their exercise of their First Amendment rights. Assuming freedom of speech applies to students and teachers , the last thing public school administrations should do is wrongly to restrict material that teachers teach and students learn. But when students learn that school systems inappropriately control what is taught, they will be at best confused. On one hand, they are taught they have free speech; on the other hand, they learn that in school, they don’t.

Have we just been through American history’s most important election? If these school board elections diminish our Constitutional rights, the sad answer is yes.

Jim Block taught English at Northfield Mount Hermon, a boarding school in Western Mass. He coached cross-country and advised the newspaper and the debate society there. He taught at Marlborough College in England and Robert College in Istanbul. He and his wife retired to Chestertown, Md., in 2014.

Women’s Health Wins in This Election

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:05:02 GMT

Although the election of Trump as president represents an open threat to maternal health according to the statements in Project 2025, there were some wins for women’s health at the voting booths.

One major win for Maryland is the election of Angela Alsobrooks to the Senate. She has stated her position explicitly . She promised to co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would reinstate a nationwide right to abortion care by codifying Roe v. Wade . Even more strongly, she declares she will oppose any judicial nominee who does not support abortion rights. She firmly believes Congress and the Supreme Court should respect women’s health care decisions and leave them to be made between women and their doctors.

Maryland also is a winner for passing a ballot measure to add the right to abortion into the state constitution. Six other states did the same: Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, New York, and Nevada.

The National Law Review stated, “In Colorado, Maryland, New York, and Nevada, abortion was already protected under state law, so the ballot measures did not change what employers and health insurers will need to do to comply with the law. However, the ballot measures enshrined the right to abortion in those state constitutions, so it will be harder for future lawmakers to revoke these protections in the future.”

Similar ballot measures failed in three states: Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Maryland’s measure states that every person “has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including but not limited to the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s pregnancy. The state may not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden, or abridge the right unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”

Ironically, Amanda Marcotte in Salon noted that “In state after state, voters backed both Trump and ballot initiatives that advanced and protected progressive goals.”

Fortunately, many organizations have reaffirmed their intention to continue to fight for women’s health. Moms Rising , for example, affirms its dedication to maternal health: “Focusing on equity in pregnancy, childbirth, and the period after childbirth, our organizing is built on understanding and lived experience of greater systemic issues mothers experience throughout motherhood due to race, class, and gender disparities. This work includes campaigns on maternal mortality/morbidity, as well as mass incarceration and police reform.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the maternal mortality rate in the United States is 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. In 2021, 1,205 women died of maternal causes compared to 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019.

That does not include all deaths occurring to pregnant or recently pregnant women. According to the American Medical Association, this spike in maternal deaths is the highest since 1965. The reasons are many. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer stated that “Black women are three times likelier than White women to die from a pregnancy-related cause. Health care access problems, underlying chronic conditions, and structural racism and implicit bias all contribute to these bleak statistics.

“Poor insurance coverage prior to, during, and after pregnancy; lack of interprofessional teams trained in best practices; and closure of maternity units in many rural and urban communities” are other factors that contribute to bad maternal outcomes according to the AMA. It recommends expanding access to medical and mental health care and social services for postpartum women.

The Commonwealth Fund wrote, “The United States continues to have the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income nation, despite a decline since the covid-19 pandemic. And within the U.S., the rate is by far the highest for Black women. Most of these deaths — over 80% — are likely preventable.”

In her recent book, Eve (2023), Cat Bohannon explores women’s health within the largest framework possible — the last 200 million years of human evolution. She explains that humans have relied on gynecological aid for millennia because giving birth is very risky. However, when well supported and cared for, women can give birth successfully to the future generations, that is, as long as they have special care before, during, and after birth.

According to the Commonwealth Fund , “Nearly two of three maternal deaths in the U.S. occur during the postpartum period, up to 42 days following birth. Compared to women in the other countries we studied, U.S. women are the least likely to have supports such as home visits and guaranteed paid leave during this critical time. The U.S. and Canada have the lowest supply of midwives and ob-gyns.”

Given that mothers shape the health and growth of new generations, a society needs to put special emphasis into promoting the health and education and social well-being of infants and children by their moms. That means supporting women. Countries that do this benefit economically on the national scale and those that don’t fall behind.

Racism and misogyny embedded in cultural practices, such as giving preference to males in detriment to females, to White people instead of to Black and Brown people, have long reaching deleterious effects. Egalitarianism has always been a human tendency that improves the chances of human survival.

Jeanette E. Sherbondy is a retired anthropology professor from Washington College and has lived here since 1986. In retirement she has been active with the Kent County Historical Society and Sumner Hall, one of the organizers of Legacy Day, and helped get highway /historical markers recognizing Henry Highland Garnet. She published an article on her ethnohistorical research of the free Black village, Morgnec.

Thanksgiving Stories Gloss Over the History of U.S. Settlement on Native Lands

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:03:27 GMT

Too often, K-12 social studies classes in the U.S. teach a mostly glossed-over story of U.S. settlement. Textbooks tell the stories of adventurous European explorers founding colonies in the “New World,” and stories of the “first Thanksgiving” frequently portray happy colonists and Native Americans feasting together.

School Board Candidates by District on the Eastern Shore

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:48:09 GMT

Who is running for school board in your district?

With schools in Maryland facing issues ranging from the Blueprint for Maryland's Future to classroom cellphone use, voters will go to the polls Nov. 5 to vote for their local Board of Education. For that reason, the Local News Network at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism sent a questionnaire to all 109 school board candidates to get their views on important issues. The results are compiled below. Read the Local News Network's stories about the issues in Maryland's school board races.

The Local News Network at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism aids news outlets throughout Maryland by creating important localized news content and by teaming those news outlets with student reporters.

Conservative PAC, Dems Face Off over Maryland School Board Races

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:48:04 GMT

There's a little-known conservative power player in the nation’s school board elections, and it has endorsed more candidates in Maryland than in any other state.

The 1776 Project PAC, which says on its website that it supports “reform-minded conservatives who oppose political indoctrination and believe in parental rights,” has endorsed 19 Maryland school board candidates in nine of the state’s 24 school districts. The endorsements come as the state’s Democratic Party announces strategic targeting of 24 “extreme” conservative candidates.

This isn’t the 1776 Project PAC’s first foray into Maryland’s election. In 2022, the political action committee campaigned for at least three Maryland school board candidates, but not without incident.

A year ago, the state prosecutor and the Maryland State Board of Elections fined the PAC more than $20,000 for its campaign practices during the 2022 school board elections. The fine stems from what the 1776 Project PAC did in November 2022, when it sent 13,879 text messages to Carroll County voters urging them to vote for certain candidates.

“Stop indoctrination in our schools, early voting has started [sic] vote for the pro-parent ticket for school board Tara Battaglia, James Miller and Steve Whisler,” one message read. Battaglia and Whisler won election to the school board.

In Maryland, the law requires campaign messages sent on behalf of candidates to record who paid for the information to be distributed, regardless of whether it is a yard sign, a pamphlet, or a digital advertisement. The 1776 Project PAC text in 2022 lacked such a provision and therefore deserved to be sanctioned, said Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard in announcing the fine a year ago.

“Being able to identify the source of information for campaign material is essential to honesty and transparency in our electoral process,” Howard said.

This year, the 1776 Project PAC has spent a total of $75,409.58 on 13 Maryland school board candidates across Cecil, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Calvert, Somerset, and St. Mary’s counties. Other candidates endorsed by the group did not receive direct funding as of the latest campaign finance filing deadline.

The political action committee is the brainchild of former political consultant and journalist Ryan James Girdusky, who founded the organization in 2021. A letter from Girdusky on the PAC’s website explains that he was spurred to start the 1776 Project when his godson’s teacher read his class two books about police brutality and white privilege.

“Progressive activists within our public education system were using their positions to indoctrinate children,” Girdusky wrote in the letter.

“I created the 1776 Project to change public education by reforming school boards and electing reform-minded conservatives who wanted to improve public education in this country,” he added.

The Maryland Democratic Party calls the 1776 Project PAC a “radical right-wing group,” alongside the conservative parental rights organization Moms For Liberty, which successfully banned 21 books from public school libraries in Carroll County earlier this year. The involvement of the two organizations has prompted the state Democratic Party to invest directly in Maryland’s school board races, a move the party referred to as “unprecedented.”

“The Maryland Democratic Party is committed to defending our students from the dangerous fringe agenda that extremist candidates and the far-right groups are hoping to bring to our state,” said Ken Ulman, chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, in a press release. “We won’t allow radical activists dedicated to banning books and discriminating against students to take over our schools.”

In its X account bio, the 1776 Project PAC boasts that it has helped elect over 200 “un-woke,” or conservative, school board members since its founding. According to its website, the Project 1776 PAC has focused its endorsements on four states — Maryland, Tennessee, Florida and Arizona — after its successes in three Wisconsin races in April.

To date, the organization has endorsed six candidates in Tennessee, 15 in Florida and 17 in Arizona this election cycle.

The 1776 Project PAC did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the specifics of its policy proposals on school library regulation or preferred pronoun use in public schools. However, some of the candidates it endorsed — such as Elena Brewer of St. Mary’s County — did.

“My main priority is to promote excellence in education and not indoctrination,” Brewer said in response to a Local News Network questionnaire. “Our public schools should in no way become avenues for various special interest groups to promote their political agenda, such as radical gender theory, which attacks the children’s God-given identity and robs them of their innocence. I intend to promote age-appropriate teaching materials, stop the sexualization of children, and promote learning, and the building of character.”

On the 1776 Project PAC website, the organization writes that “biological sex is real and must be taken into account in schools” and that so-called “gender ideology” has been popularized among youth in recent years, something the 1776 Project PAC views as a threat against young girls.

On the topic of book bans, Girdusky stated in a post on his X account that “the 1776 Project PAC does not take a position on which books are offered in school libraries." He listed the organization’s priorities as fiscal transparency, improving academic standards, promoting classic education and patriotism, safe classrooms and parental involvement in public schools.

Specifically, the 1776 Project PAC opposes critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, stating on its website that they “subordinate the liberal arts to indoctrination.”

That’s the kind of conservative agenda that some candidates want to stop.

“In recent years, I have become increasingly concerned with the politicization of public education,” Amanda Jozkowski, a Carroll County school board candidate who lost in 2022 and who is running again this year, said in response to the LNN questionnaire. “Decisions that impact our children should be driven by data, best practices, and the needs of our students and educators — not by partisan agendas. I want to eliminate division and distraction and refocus the board’s efforts on what matters most: ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality education that prepares them for life after graduation, whether that means college, career, or other pursuits.”

Local News Network reporter Tolu Talabi contributed to this report.

Capital News Service is a student-powered news organization run by the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism. For 26 years, they have provided deeply reported, award-winning coverage of issues of import to Marylanders.

Education and the Election

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:47:57 GMT

The present general decline in American education was underway well before the covid pandemic, and surely, the pandemic worsened school outcomes. The harm done to students will not fade for some time. Those circumstances, one might think, call for debate and discussion in the 2024 general election.

In previous presidential elections, education has been an important question. Candidates have made public school support major planks in their platforms. George H.W. Bush wanted to be the “education president.” And to improve reading readiness, to increase high-school graduation rates, and to put the U.S. in first place in math and science. Bill Clinton also wanted to increase school readiness and to set high goals for American schools. President George W. Bush eventually introduced the concept of “no child left behind” and wanted accountability enforced by increased testing. Barack Obama’s education policy wanted schools to “race to the top” by offering money to schools for innovation and reform. All of these efforts produced few, if any, results.

There’s more bad news: The 2024 presidential candidates have had little to say about education. Donald Trump has vowed to abolish the Department of Education, but not said much beyond that. The United States’ educational needs did not appear in the Harris-Trump debate. In the vice presidential debate, Walz and Vance spoke of school safety, but not much else.

The Democratic Party platform does argue for universal pre-school and for reducing absenteeism. It argues against schemes that divert public school funds, such as vouchers and tuition-tax credits. Harris and her party do support increased funding for career and technology education, believing that a four-year college education is not the only path for young people to succeed and to contribute to the economy.

Angela Alsobrooks, currently Prince George’s county executive and candidate for Maryland senator, may have, as a local government official, immediate connection with educational needs and problems. One of her efforts created a public-private partnership to build new and rebuild old schools. This first-in-the-nation program, according to one report , builds schools much faster and more inexpensively than in the ordinary way. She also allocated $15 million for a career and technical education center in Temple Hills, Md. However important buildings and facilities may be, most in the education industry know that research shows what is most important in education: teacher quality . Excellent teachers may well be drawn by high pay. According to the Alsobrooks campaign website , she “funded the largest salary increase in a generation for all Prince Georges County school system employees.”

Common Sense readers will not be surprised to read that the two major teacher unions (National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers) have endorsed Harris and Alsobrooks.

But teachers who follow education in the national press may be surprised and perhaps disappointed that the media has not much looked into an important national issue, let alone an educational one: outside efforts to control curriculum content. A September National Public Radio report tells of school book bans and bans on divisive concepts: “Between July and December 2023, PEN America recorded more than 4,300 instances of school book bans, a big uptick from the previous year.”

The book banners tried to replace those people in the schools, the teachers and administrators, who have the training and experience to choose reading and other curricular material. Assuming that one of the major purposes of schools is to prepare students for citizenship in a democracy, then what is taught and how it is taught counts for a great deal.

However one might sympathize with parents’ desire to oversee their children’s education, censorship, or perhaps less powerful control over curriculum content, amounts to government censorship of free speech. When that constitutional right is violated in schools, children, more knowledgeable than many adults will grant, will face a contradiction. On one hand, they know that they and the press have freedom of speech. On the other, their schools prohibit the freedom of speech and the press. In her speech to the AFT, Harris said, “While you teach students about our nation’s past,” she told the crowd of teachers , “these extremists attack the freedom to learn and acknowledge our nation’s true and full history, including book bans.”

As one might expect of two Democrats, their positions on education are similar. The public schools may not be as prominent a campaign issue as the economy, employment, or immigration, but surely the education of young citizens plays a great role in the nation’s economy, employment, and democratic government.

Jim Block taught English at Northfield Mount Hermon, a boarding school in Western Mass. He coached cross-country and advised the newspaper and the debate society there. He taught at Marlborough College in England and Robert College in Istanbul. He and his wife retired to Chestertown, Md., in 2014.

The Presidential Candidates — A Policy Comparison

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:47:50 GMT

Here’s a brief comparison of the positions of Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic nominee for president, and former president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, to help voters decide which candidate most reflects their own ideas. Summaries are based on information from guides.vote and NBC news — visit their websites for more details and additional policy comparisons.

Abortion, reproductive rights

Harris: Would sign national abortion rights legislation if president.
Trump: Takes credit for ending Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court precedent that decriminalized abortion; has said states should decide whether abortion is legal.

Climate change, global warming

Harris: “We must do more” to address climate change. Voted to commit $369 billion to combat climate change and support clean energy.
Trump: “Climate change is a hoax.” Will expand domestic coal and oil production.

Economy

Harris: Supports expanded tax credits for childcare. Wants to lower costs of groceries and prescription drugs, and subsidize first-time home buyers.
Trump: Promises increase tariffs on imported goods. Says he will free up housing market through mass deportations of immigrants. Promises to deregulate businesses.

Education

Harris: Supports universal pre-K, debt-free college education, increased teacher pay.
Trump: Would abolish Education Department, eliminate teacher tenure. Supports “parental rights” regarding course content.

2020 Election results

Harris: 2020 election results were certified, confirmed by numerous court cases — Joe Biden won.
Trump: Election was “rigged,” Jan. 6 protesters were “patriots.”

Foreign policy

Harris: Calls for cease-fire and two-state solution in Israel, but Israel has a right to self-defense. Supports Ukraine’s war against Russian aggression. Would continue strong support for NATO and other alliances.
Trump: Unreserved support for Israeli actions in Gaza. Would deport pro-Palestinian protestors. Will “end the war” in Ukraine by pushing Ukraine to cede territory already occupied by Russia. Has threatened to pull out of NATO unless other countries “pay their fair share.”

Healthcare

Harris: Would expand Affordable Care Act, link drug costs to those in comparable nations.
Trump: Says he will end Obamacare, replace with unspecified new program.

Immigration

Harris: Supports comprehensive immigration reform, pathways to citizenship for DACA participants.
Trump: Would deport 15 to 20 million immigrants; told supporters in Congress to kill a Senate bipartisan immigration reform bill in early 2024.

Labor, Unions

Harris: Supports “the sacred right to organize” workers. Walked a picket line with auto workers.
Trump: Praised employers who fire striking workers. As president, restricted collective bargaining rights for federal employees.

Minimum Wage

Harris: Supports raising federal minimum wage to $15/hour.
Trump: Questions need for federal minimum wage, claiming it “would eliminate jobs.”

Social Security

Harris: Would eliminate $168,000 income cap for Social Security payments, making wealthier Americans pay at same rate on all income. This would help ensure the continuing solvency of the program.
Trump: Proposed $35 billion cut in Social Security disability programs.

Taxes

Harris: Supports higher corporate tax rates, voted against Trump tax cuts.
Trump: Enacted largest tax cut in history for corporations and the wealthy.

Voting rights

Harris: Supports legislation to make registration and voting easier.
Trump: Wants stronger voter ID requirements, sued to eliminate voter drop boxes.

Peter Heck is a Chestertown-based writer and editor, who spent 10 years at the Kent County News and three more with the Chestertown Spy. He is the author of 10 novels and co-author of four plays, a book reviewer for Asimov’s and Kirkus Reviews, and an incorrigible guitarist.

Election Officials Warn of Misinformation: Bad Actors and Trickery

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:47:42 GMT

Election experts are concerned that partisanship and a lack of faith in elections could be a problem this November, mainly due to the public’s susceptibility to misinformation.

Some are particularly wary that information warfare could happen in the final days before the election, when people can take in false information but there’s not enough time left to set the record straight.

“Elections tend to be a tinderbox,” said Dan Avondoglio, an expert from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the federal government, also known as CISA. There are, he said, “opportunities to influence at the last minute.”

With less than a month to go to national elections, experts gathered recently near the University of Maryland campus to talk about those worries, along with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, a university-based research and education center.

The shared consensus was one of concern. It’s getting harder to run elections, officials said, and the costs are rising. It’s easier than ever to spread false information and more difficult to counter it. Complicating all of it is the new and unpredictable role that artificial intelligence will play.

Driving the costs are the expenses of training polling workers, the cost of auditing and the cost of protecting databases from cyberattacks, said Ben Hovland, who serves on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

“We are looking at an all-hands approach when it comes to this election,” Hovland said. And when it comes to polling locations, “those are even softer targets.”

In the areas where the election is particularly tight, states and counties are under a microscope, and could be an active target for bad actors, Hovland explained.

Cody Buntain, an assistant professor who studies misinformation and disinformation, said artificial intelligence should be a top concern. It’s the nature of social media to create filter bubbles and echo chambers, he said, limiting people’s exposure to content they disagree with.

Because of that, he said, artificial intelligence has the power to “rapidly generate content that pushes on people’s existing beliefs.”

Professor Doug Lombardi said the attack strategy of the 2016 presidential cycle has evolved and become more effective.

Similar to the Russian propaganda of that era, he said, today’s actors are involved in “efforts to push on social ills and social fractures.”

The solution is helping people think critically, Lombardi said, which means making decisions that help increase people’s agency and help fight confirmation biases.

Amy Pate, director of the START program, argues that in today’s environment, misinformation has become not only cheap and effective but also difficult to correct.

Pate said most people used to vote without consideration of how the vote gets counted. Now, she said, people need to know how it works in order to feel confident in the outcome of the election.

Still, the consortium’s message is not all gloom and doom. The more skeptical and aware people become about election misinformation, officials said, the more capacity they’ll have to resist it.

With more people aware of the election certification process, Pate said, “heightened awareness helps build some resilience.”

Is America Ready for a Woman President?

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:47:29 GMT

Voters’ attitudes to women politicians are radically different from a decade ago

Opinion: The Case for Angela Alsobrooks

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:40:34 GMT

Angela Alsobrooks, county executive of Prince George’s County, is the Democratic candidate for United States Senator from Maryland. In one of the most important races on the ballot this November, Alsobrooks is taking on Larry Hogan, the Republican former governor. The outcome of this contest could well decide which party holds the majority in the Senate for the next two years — if not longer.

Born and raised in Maryland, Alsobrooks graduated from Duke University and the University of Maryland School of Law. After serving as an assistant state’s attorney in PG County, she became the first woman elected as state’s attorney in that county.

During her tenure, violent crime in the county dropped by 50%, and she increased prosecutions for property crimes such as car break-ins, vandalism, and burglary. At the same time, she supported rehabilitation for juveniles and worked to reduce problems in the county school system.

She was elected county executive in 2018, the first Black woman to hold that office in any Maryland county. She put the focus on creating jobs and economic opportunities for county residents. A strong advocate of education, she broke ground for 10 new schools during her first six years in office. She also expanded healthcare access and made crucial decisions to keep county residents safe during the early years of the covid-19 pandemic.

In short, Alsobrooks brings a strong record of accomplishment to her campaign for Senate. But she’s not going to rest on those achievements when she takes her seat in Washington. Here are some of her priorities, as highlighted on her website.

On abortion and women’s health: Alsobrooks will co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act on her first day in office, to establish federal protection for the right to abortion care. She will fight efforts by Republicans to defund Planned Parenthood and oppose any federal court nominee who doesn’t support abortion rights. According to Alsobrooks, women’s healthcare decisions should be between the women and their doctors, with government interference uncalled for.

On climate change — the effects of which are so recently evident in Hurricanes Helene and Milton — Alsobrooks supports the current administration’s work to invest in clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a senator, she says will work for federal emissions targets and expanded tax credits for clean energy. And she also plans to co-sponsor Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act, to ensure that the largest contributors of fossil fuel emissions pay their fair share to reduce climate change.

On the economy: Alsobrooks advocates passage of a permanent child tax credit to help families address the rising costs of childcare. She supports the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, investing to build new roads and bridges, improve access to drinking water, expand high-speed internet, and strengthen supply chains.

On gun safety: Alsobrooks is committed to fighting for essential gun safety legislation to protect children and communities from school shootings, mass shootings, and other gun violence. Measures she supports include universal background checks, banning AR-15s and similar military-style weapons, prohibiting devices like bump stocks, and passing red flag laws to prevent dangerous persons from obtaining firearms.

On immigration: She advocates comprehensive reforms to mend the immigration system, with a pathway to citizenship for those already living and working in the U.S. She supports initiatives aimed at safeguarding the rights of immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors, and those under Temporary Protected Status.

On senior issues: Alsobrooks opposes any effort to defund or privatize Social Security and Medicare, or to raise the retirement age. She supports expanding Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices, and advocates the elimination of the payroll cap for Social Security, ensuring that the wealthiest Americans do their share to support the program and keep it solvent.

On voting rights and preserving democracy: Alsobrooks supports the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, preventing states from undermining the right of all citizens to vote. She will sponsor the Freedom to Vote Act, expanding voting rights, reforming campaign finance law, and bringing an end to gerrymandering. She supports stronger ethics laws for all federal officeholders. And she will work to end the use of the filibuster in the Senate, preventing partisan minorities from blocking essential legislation.

Alsobrooks has been endorsed by an impressive list of state and national figures, including President Barack Obama and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, as well as Vice President — and Democratic nominee for president — Kamala Harris. Harris and Alsobrooks have a long history. It was Harris’s success as a district attorney in California that inspired Alsobrooks’ entry into politics here in Maryland, and Alsobrooks adopted several of Harris’s initiatives to fight crime during her own tenure as state’s attorney.

Alsobrooks has also won the support of the Washington Post editorial board.

Alsobrooks’ opponent, Hogan, has claimed that he will be an independent Republican if elected to the Senate, but realistically, as a first-year senator, he would have little power to change the minds — or votes — of the MAGA Republicans if they are in the majority. In fact, he would be under great pressure to go along with them on any close votes. And while he has claimed to favor reproductive freedom for women, his vetoes during his gubernatorial term of abortion legislation and his refusal to approve funding to train abortion providers speak louder than his words. Also, the fact that he has received significant funding from out-of-state Republicans suggests that they see him as a reliable representative of their priorities.

Angela Alsobrooks’ career to date has been consistent in its focus on helping ordinary Marylanders, whether in fighting crime, building schools, or working to create jobs. If elected to the United States Senate, she hopes to have the opportunity to continue this sterling track record on a national level.

It would be a shame to deny her that opportunity.

Proposals for the Economy: Serious and Not

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:40:07 GMT

Polls report that the national economy is a top issue for voters in this presidential election.

Why? With inflation rates higher in the recent past, and greedy corporate price gouging that started during the covid pandemic, households have faced rising prices for everyday goods. And although the inflation rate has dropped and a number of prices have eased, others have not fallen and are not expected to.

Traditional measures of economic growth — a lower rate of unemployment, gains in the stock market (to record levels), wage and salary increases — are often not felt at the household level, and so are not part of the average person’s perception of economic prosperity.

Many people are also laboring under the notion that Republicans and Republican administrations are somehow “better” for the economy — even in the face of contradictory evidence — and do not acknowledge the robust economic gains under the Biden/Harris administration.

To attract voters, both presidential candidates have presented their economic platforms and detailed their economic plans. Their visions could not be more different.

Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, outlined an economic plan last month in Pittsburgh and published an economic blueprint on her website. She plans to lower prices and create economic opportunities. Building up the middle class, helping small businesses, supporting workers and innovation, and promoting home ownership are major elements of her platform.

Her proposals:

Cut taxes for working people
Lower food and grocery prices
Lower health care and prescription drug prices
Lower energy prices
Protect consumers from fees and fraud
Help Americans buy a home and pay rent
Invest in the small businesses that drive growth, innovation, and jobs
Invest in American innovation and industrial strength that employ American workers
Create security and opportunity for American workers and build a care economy
Strengthen opportunity in communities across America
Protect Americans’ ability to retire with dignity
Make the tax code more equitable and promote growth

Independent economic analyses by business leaders and economists show that the plans outlined by Harris will be more beneficial for the country than a second Trump presidency.

In contrast, GOP candidate Donald Trump’s plan is not serious and has inspired such headlines as, “ Trump’s big ideas would stunt U.S. growth and spur inflation,” in the Washington Post.

Trump’s economic plan has three major elements:

Impose tariffs of 10-20% on all goods imported into the U.S. (and 60% on goods from China)
Deport 10 million immigrants
Extend the 2017 tax cuts for billionaires and corporations; abolish taxes on Social Security, tips, and overtime pay

Trump claims that the tariffs, which he says will be paid by the foreign countries exporting the goods (not true), will create revenue for the U.S. government — enough to pay for additional tax cuts as well as any other programs (like deporting immigrants) he wishes to fund. He also claims that the tariffs will solve the U.S. childcare problem. In reality, these tariffs would be a national sales tax on American households, as they are ultimately paid by consumers, not exporters.

Trump also claims that deporting 10 million immigrants will solve the affordable housing crisis in this country because there will be less demand once they’re gone, and housing prices will decrease. Economists, however, have deemed this plan “ inconsequential from the housing problem we have on a national level.”

The Trump immigrant deportation plan does not account for the jobs left unfilled, the small businesses not built, or the tech innovation that would not occur in this country. If immigrants are not welcome here, they will go to Canada or Australia or Europe to go to school and resettle, and the U.S. will be left behind.

And Trump continues to claim that additional tax reductions for wealthy Americans and corporations will encourage investment and spur economic growth because of the trickle-down effect created when the 1% have even more money to invest. In fact, the bogus claims of the benefits of trickle-down economics have been debunked repeatedly for decades. The biggest effect of tax cuts for the rich is that the rich get to keep more of their riches, which exacerbates income inequality.

A new study by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) calculated that the Trump economic proposals would increase the national debt by $7.5 trillion. (The Harris proposals could increase the national debt anywhere from $0 to $3.5 trillion, depending on the income model implemented.)

But just as important, the all-too-predictable chaos of a second Trump administration would be economically destabilizing. Markets would react to crazy tweets and “truths,” the business climate would be more volatile and subject to uncertainty in domestic policy and foreign relations, and economic instability would affect how Americans feel about the economy, leading to unpredictable spending behavior.

The choice is ours.

Bonus: Watch Jen Rubin’s Green Room analysis: Why Kamala’s Economic Message Beats Trump (6 mins)

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Maryland has been a “Blue” State for Decades, and it’s Getting Bluer

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:39:29 GMT

The 2024 election is Donald Trump’s third bid for the U.S. presidency, having won in 2016 and lost in 2020. Maryland voted for the Democratic candidate in both cases and its 10 electoral votes have been considered a given for the Democratic candidate in past general elections.

As we near the 2024 general election, Capital News Service examined how Maryland has voted in presidential elections over the past 50 years.

“Maryland as a whole has high levels of education, which is one of the things — but only one of the things — that helps to account for its commitment to the Democrats,” said Matthew Crenson, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University’s political science department.

Other factors Crenson mentioned were that Black voters make up around 30% of Maryland’s electorate, as well as large numbers of the Latino community, although the political leanings of the latter demographic are currently in flux.

Current Maryland opinion polls for the 2024 election have Harris ahead of Trump by a significant margin, par for the course in a state that has voted consistently blue for eight presidential elections. According to data from the Maryland State Board of Elections, Maryland voters have chosen only three Republican candidates since the 1960s: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.

In 1972, Nixon was an incumbent president who won re-election in a landslide victory, the largest popular vote margin in United States history. Reagan’s 1984 victory was another case of incumbency and an extremely popular candidate. In the following election, Bush narrowly won 51% of the Maryland popular vote.

It’s generally agreed that the 2024 election’s swing states are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin; some include North Carolina in the list as well. But are there “swing” counties in Maryland?

Three counties switched sides between the last two elections: Frederick, Kent, and Talbot voted for Trump in 2016, but Biden won in those three counties in 2020.

Kent could qualify as a swing county. Voters there chose the Democratic candidate three times out of the last nine elections, and the voting margins were typically small: in four elections, merely a fraction of a percentage point decided the county’s popular vote. Kent is also the state’s least populous county, with about 19,000 residents, according to 2020 U.S. census data.

“The balance of politics within a small population can change radically with relatively small changes in the population itself,” Crenson explained.

Biden won Frederick County by about 10 percentage points in 2020. The three previous general elections in the county were close, with the Republican candidate winning in each case by less than four percentage points. Crenson said that Frederick County is becoming more politically divided as it becomes “a suburb of Washington.”

“The result is that federal employees, most of whom vote Democratic, are beginning to populate Frederick County and taking over its electorate,” Crenson said.

In fact, the voting habits along the entire I-95 corridor are subject to influence from the nation’s capital, Crenson said.

“Government employees tend to have rather high levels of education and recently — that is, within the last 10 or 15 years — people with college degrees have been gravitating toward the Democratic Party.”

Maryland voter turnout — the percentage of registered voters who cast a ballot — also took a dip from 74% in 2012 to about 72% in 2016. A change in voter turnout under five percentage points is typical, but 2016 was the lowest voter turnout since 1996, the general election between Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican Bob Dole.

“Neither of the two candidates electrified Maryland,” Crenson said.

The 2024 election will be the first general election after the covid-19 pandemic. For the last election, which took place at the onset of the pandemic, the Maryland State Board of Elections restricted poll voting and encouraged voters to request and complete mail-in ballots — which accounted for a majority of all Maryland ballots.

The results of the 2024 election will establish whether many Marylanders continue to vote by mail or return to the polls. Crenson predicts that mail-in ballots will likely continue to be the avenue for many voters.

Abortion: Human Rights as a Political Issue

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:37:43 GMT

“Abortion” seems to encapsulate the current political concerns about women’s health — a narrow focus, but a crucial point: Ban it or legalize it? We already know from centuries of experience what the results are of banning it, so why is it an issue in 2024 election?

Abortion is a key piece of the fascist restrictions on women’s health in the GOP’s Project 2025 — the roadmap for the next Republican administration.

Simply put, the GOP plans to ban it and punish it.

Comparing Democratic and Republican candidates, the pattern is for the former to restore it to legal status and to look into other issues regarding women’s health, such as deaths in childbirth.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacted to the recent backlash to banning of abortion in Florida by stating during the presidential debate that he would not sign a nation abortion ban into law. This is Trump’s latest attempt to play down his earlier position on this issue to appeal to women voters, but he celebrated the overturning of Roe v Wade and took credit for it, in the past.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris stated , “When congress passes a law to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States, I will sign it into law.” She wrote she would never allow a national abortion ban to become law.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, however, has said abortion should be “illegal nationally” with no exceptions for rape or incest. “Two wrongs don’t make a right” was his nonsensical statement. He opposed President Biden’s reproductive care privacy rule. He wants to leave legislation to the states.

During the vice presidential candidates’ debate, Vance declared “I never supported a national ban. I did during when I was running for Senate in 2020 talk about setting some minimum national standard.”

However, in an article by The Fact Checker, Glenn Kessler ( Washington Post , October 6, 2024) responded by saying that “Vance is being disingenuous here. He backed a law that would impose a nationwide limit of 15 weeks for when women could get an abortion — which would overturn the laws of many liberal states. In 2022, Vance said: ‘I certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally.’ Moreover, last year, he urged the Justice Department to enforce the Comstock Act , a 151-year-old federal law that bans the mailing of abortion-related materials. The Biden administration has not invoked the law, but a more conservative one could, thus limiting abortion rights even without any new laws.”

Democratic vice presidential candidate Walz on the other hand wants to legalize the right to abortion and reproductive health into law and has done so for Minnesota, including protection for access to abortion in Minnesota for out-of-state patients.”

Republican senatorial candidate for Maryland, Larry Hogan, says, if elected, he would vote to codify Roe v Wade ; however, as governor of Maryland he vetoed measures broadening the range of health professionals who can provide abortion care and requiring more insurance coverage. Both vetoes were overturned by Maryland lawmakers. Additionally, if Hogan is part of a GOP-majority Senate, a vote to codify Roe v Wade will never reach the floor for a vote. Hogan also refused to release money the General Assembly had appropriated to train abortion providers; his successor, Democrat Wes Moore, released these funds on his first full day in office. As governor, Hogan negated the will of the majority of lawmakers, proving himself to be not a good executive for the state.

Angela Alsobrooks, Democratic candidate for Maryland senator, has stated strong support for women’s reproductive health . She promises to co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act, that would reinstate a nationwide right to abortion care, codifying the former Roe v. Wade decision the Supreme Court recently overturned. Even more strongly, she declares she will oppose any judicial nominee who does not support abortion rights. She firmly believes Congress and the Supreme Court should respect women’s health care decisions and leave them to be made between women and their doctors.

As for Congressional candidates for District 1, Republican Andrew P. Harris coyly avoids issuing statements, but his voting record in Congress reveals his opposition to women’s reproductive rights. He calls himself “pro-life.” In the 2000 legislative session he introduced a bill to ban abortions after fetal viability. More recently in 2021 he cosponsored the Life at Conception Act to ban all abortions. He celebrated the overturn of Roe v. Wade .

His opponent, Democrat Blaine Miller, is opposed to government oversight of women’s health decisions.

Clearly, the Democratic Party candidates in these elections support women’s reproductive rights and the Republican party candidates do not. In fact, the GOP is blindly unconcerned with women’s health, a national issue. This issue will become more of a national issue going far beyond concern with abortion and contraception in coming years.

Briefly, health has been studied primarily in men, not women, but now it has become vital to study women’s bodies and to understand how they differ from men’s bodies.

According to Cat Bohannon, PhD, author of Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution (Knopf 2023), the male bias in animal studies as well as human studies is glaring. Expect to see new research that points out that general anesthesia and use of painkillers function very differently in women than in men.

We hope for more enlightened actions and attitudes, not less, from legislators and executives with regards to women’s health in general — reproductive, or not.

Jeanette E. Sherbondy is a retired anthropology professor from Washington College and has lived here since 1986. In retirement she has been active with the Kent County Historical Society and Sumner Hall, one of the organizers of Legacy Day, and helped get highway /historical markers recognizing Henry Highland Garnet. She published an article on her ethnohistorical research of the free Black village, Morgnec.

Farming, the Bay, and Politics

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:37:06 GMT

Introduction

Agriculture is essential to the economy of the Eastern Shore, although the number of farmers has been gradually decreasing over the years as corporate farming increases and swallows up what once had been smaller family farms.

On the website of the Chesapeake Bay Program it is stated that agriculture is the largest source of nutrient and sediment pollution that enters the Bay. Of course, Eastern Shore farms are not the only nor perhaps the largest contributors to this runoff. The Susquehanna River has its origin New York State and collects sediment and polluters as it flows from there though Pennsylvania and into the Upper Bay. The Bay watershed , in fact, encompasses 64,000 square miles. One-third of the Bay watershed is devoted to agriculture .

The farming practices that have a negative impact on the Bay include over-irrigating, over-tilling soil and over-applying fertilizers and pesticides. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, based on 2022 estimates , agriculture contributes 48% of the nitrogen pollution that enters the Bay, 27% of the phosphorus, and 9% of the sediment.

The poultry industry and dairy farming here on the Eastern Shore also contribute to our economy in a major way. Farmers frequently use poultry litter and livestock manure to fertilize their fields. According to the EPA’s report Guidance for Federal Land Management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed the application of manure to the land is responsible for 19% of nitrogen and 26% of phosphorus pollution in the Bay. The same source reports that chemical fertilizers and pesticides are also major contributors to Bay pollution.

What is being done to counteract Bay pollution?

Farmers can use conservation practices to reduce agricultural runoff into rivers and streams and thence into the Bay. These practices also have the benefit of reducing the farmers’ costs and improving production. These conservation practices are subsumed under the term “regenerative agriculture” and include:

Leaving a third or more of the land covered with crop residue or vegetation throughout the year
Planting cover crops to prevent erosion during all or part of the year
Providing forest buffers along the edges of farm fields and along rivers and streams
Using fencing to keep livestock from waterways
Developing a nutrient management program
Careful management of manure and poultry litter by developing animal waste storage programs and transporting excess manure to areas in need.

Much remains to be done, because, as is evident from the title of a recent article in the Baltimore Banner (6/29/24) by Aman Azhar: “The Chesapeake Bay Program flunked its 2025 cleanup goals. What happens next?” The gist of the article is that the Bay is not on target to meet the 2025 cleanup goals.

The Chesapeake Bay and the 2024 election

What do the candidates for office in the upcoming election have to say about the condition of the Bay, and do they have proposals to improve the situation?

Blane H. Miller III, Democratic candidate for Congress in Maryland’s District 1, has stated the following: “The Chesapeake Bay is not just an environmental treasure, it’s a critical part of Maryland’s economy and heritage. I will push for stronger protections and federal funding to preserve the Bay, restore its ecosystem, and support the industries that depend on it. My opponent has failed to champion policies that protect this vital resource — I'll make it a priority.”

Rep. Andrew P. Harris is the Republican candidate for re-election to Congress in District 1. On his campaign site , he makes a general statement on the importance of the Bay as follows: “Watermen, oystermen, crabbers, farmers, hunters, restaurants, and the tourism industry depend on a healthy, clean Chesapeake Bay for their livelihood. I am committed to commonsense, multi-state solutions that protect the Bay and its precious waterways. In order to make meaningful progress, we need to make sure that all of the stakeholders have a seat at the table, and that everyone has a voice in repairing our beautiful estuary.” He does not, however, give any indication of what his policy recommendations are. Based on his voting record in Congress, the League of Conservation Voters gives him a score of 0 in 2023 and a lifetime score of 2%.

Maryland’s Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Angela Alsobrooks, has already taken action on the Chesapeake Bay as County Executive of Prince George’s County by investing $1.3 billion in storm water management. As a candidate, she advocates for increasing funding to clean up the Bay. She is also a strong advocate of Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s (D) proposal to designate a Chesapeake National Recreation Area as a protected National Park.

The Republican candidate for the Senate is former Maryland governor, Larry Hogan. As governor he took some positive steps on behalf of Bay cleanup efforts. In 2020, he directed the state’s attorney to sue the EPA and Pennsylvania to protect Bay restoration efforts, and in 2021 he signed a regional climate pact in efforts to protect the Bay from further pollution. Nevertheless, the Chesapeake Accountability project, a coalition of four environmental groups, declared that the environment took a back seat to pro-business policies when Hogan was governor. He mostly received C grades from the League of Conservation Voters . I found no indication of Chesapeake Bay cleanup policies in Hogan’s Senate campaign literature online.

While Miller and Alsobrooks clearly have more to say on the environment than their Republican counterparts, not one of the candidates seems to have even considered, let alone promoted, regenerative agriculture as one solution to Chesapeake Bay contamination. Clearly none of them are in tune with agricultural practices, but given that farming has such an important role in our state, I would encourage them to give it more of their attention, particularly in promoting a cleaner Chesapeake Bay.

A native of Wicomico County, George Shivers holds a doctorate from the University of Maryland and taught in the Foreign Language Dept. of Washington College for 38 years before retiring in 2007. He is also very interested in the history and culture of the Eastern Shore, African American history in particular.

White House OKs Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Project

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:36:13 GMT

Offshore wind energy is coming to Maryland, and with it, union jobs.

The Biden administration in late August approved Baltimore-based US Wind’s project to build offshore wind turbines about 10 miles off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland.

The offshore wind farm could generate over two gigawatts of wind energy and power over 718,000 homes, according to the Department of the Interior.

President Joe Biden said in a statement that the wind energy industry had been “struggling to gain a foothold” in the years before he came into office.

“From manufacturing and shipbuilding to port operations and construction, this industry will support tens of thousands of good-paying and union jobs, provide reliable clean power to homes and businesses, strengthen our power grid against outages, and help reduce pollution — all while protecting biodiversity and marine ecosystems,” the president said.

Maryland Energy Administration Director Paul Pinsky called the Biden administration's action "an important step forward in the effort to bring clean, renewable energy production to Maryland’s coast."

"This announcement underscores the careful, comprehensive and collaborative environmental analysis that has gone into these projects," Pinsky said in a statement.

The Maryland project is the tenth commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved by the Biden administration. Combined, the projects are projected to generate 15 gigawatts of clean energy, half of Biden’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind-produced energy by 2030.

The Maryland project includes up to 114 wind turbines, four offshore substation platforms, and a meteorological tower. There will be three phases to the US Wind project, two of which — called MarWin and Momentum Wind — have already received offshore renewable energy certificates from the state.

Energy is set to start flowing in December 2028 from the first phase of the project. The final project is expected to be completed in late 2027 or early 2028, according to the plan submitted by US Wind.

The approval is a win for Maryland environmental groups and the state government, which have been working for offshore wind power in the state for around 10 years.

The Maryland legislature passed a series of bills, starting in 2013, to set offshore wind energy projects in motion.

The state set a goal in 2023, through the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources Act, to generate 8.5 gigawatts of power from offshore wind by 2031.

This goal has hit some road bumps along the way, including the withdrawal of Denmark-based Ørsted’s planned offshore wind projects in January.

US Wind won the competitive lease sale of the 46,970 acres of federal ocean waters in 2014.

“By moving away from reliance on dirty fossil fuel energy and building renewable energy, Marylanders will be able to breathe cleaner air and benefit from new clean energy jobs,” Maryland Sierra Club Chapter Director Josh Tulkin said in a statement.

Jamie DeMarco, the federal campaigns coordinator for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said in an interview with CNS that the Maryland wind farm is a milestone in moving offshore energy generation forward in Maryland.

“This is a huge undertaking to build an entire machine to deploy offshore wind, but once that machine is built, it'll be able to hum and crank out new domestic energy, and clean energy that's going to help us clean the air and meet our climate goals,” DeMarco said.

Offshore wind turbines have been coming online across the East Coast, DeMarco said, but this will be the first operational offshore wind facility in Maryland.

Environmental advocates aren’t the only celebrating parties. Union officials are touting the jobs set to be created by the wind farm.

Almost 2,680 jobs annually over seven years could be created during the development and construction phase of the wind farm, according to the Interior Department.

US Wind’s planned permanent offshore wind components production facility, called Sparrows Point Steel in Sparrows Point, Baltimore — the former home of Bethlehem Steel — is forecast to generate jobs for steelworkers.

The Baltimore Bethlehem Steel mill, which closed in 2012, was once the largest steel producer in the world. Sparrows Point Steel will bring steelworker jobs back to Maryland, DeMarco said, in a way that hasn’t been seen since the closure of Bethlehem.

Jim Strong, the offshore wind sector assistant for the United Steelworkers International Union, told CNS that the facility is expected to bring in over 500 jobs. The project will help not only steelworkers, Strong said, but other union trades as well.

“It's about addressing our climate crisis, about creating new green energy jobs — these will be high paid union jobs,” Strong said.

Strong has served as a liaison between the union and US Wind. He said that the Sparrows Point facility has the opportunity to become a “central hub” for monopile production on the Atlantic Ocean. Monopiles, steel cylinders, are used for wind turbines, bridges and other projects, he said.

US Wind is a subsidiary of Italian company Renexia SpA.

The project has some detractors, like Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD01), who represents the Eastern Shore.

“Offshore wind industrialization comes at a heavy cost to our marine life and environment, and is an incredibly expensive way to generate electricity,” Rep. Harris said on X in July. “We should never allow foreign owned companies to control our energy supply — much less harm our environment while doing it.”

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s director, Elizabeth Klein, said in a statement that the Maryland project “reflects the best available science and invaluable insights from Tribes, government agencies, local communities, industry leaders, ocean users, and environmental groups gathered during our extensive environmental review process."

"As we continue to support the undeniable momentum we see along our coasts, our focus remains on fostering responsible energy development, while protecting marine life and ecosystems,” she said.

Democrats in the state, including Gov. Wes Moore, have been supportive of the project. Moore signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government in June supporting offshore wind production.

Campaign for VP: Tim Walz vs. JD Vance

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:25:50 GMT

John Nance Garner, a Texas Democrat who served as vice president for two terms under Franklin D. Roosevelt, once stated that the vice presidency “is not worth a bucket of warm spit.”

It is true that the only duty that the Constitution assigns the vice president is to preside over the Senate. That in itself is important, especially if there is a tie vote and the vice president can break the tie in favor of his/her own party. It is also important to keep in mind that the VP may in fact become president, should the president become incapacitated or die in office.

Most persons who have occupied the office of vice president, with the support of the president they serve with, have found other important ways to use their time and talents.

When we vote, we vote for the president and the vice president as a team. Therefore, it is important to consider the qualifications of the second person on the team.

Let’s look first at the positions that Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance has taken:

Once stated that he was opposed to abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest. He now supports leaving it to the States.
Believes that there is no climate crisis and sponsored a bill to repeal a program to curb leaks of methane.
Opposed the bi-partisan infrastructure bill
Supports the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.
Opposed tougher gun laws.
Has stated that environmental justice laws have resulted in jobs going to China.
Called for the repeal of Obamacare.
Supported Israel’s extreme response to the Hamas attack.
Called the $15 minimum wage “a medicine worse than the disease.”
Would have voted for Trump’s 2017 tax cut for the wealthy and corporations.
Stated that he didn’t care what happened to Ukraine.
Supports Voter ID and ending early and mass mail-in voting. Proposed giving parents an extra vote per child.
Stated that universities are dedicated to “deceit and lies.”
Said that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are racist and should be outlawed nationwide.

New let’s look at the positions that Governor Tim Walz has taken:

As Governor of Minnesota, worked with the legislature to establish the right to abortion and reproductive health in state law and signed a bill to provide abortion access to out-of-state patients.
Signed a bill that requires that Minnesota utilities transition to carbon-free energy by 2040.
Invested $1.9 billion on construction and innovation projects and signed $2.6 billion on infrastructure.
Made a strong statement against banning books and helped start the first gay-straight alliance in the school where he taught.
Signed one of the world’s strongest bans on toxic chemicals and increased protection for historically polluted neighborhoods.
Signed universal background checks for gun sales and a red flag law. Increased the penalty for straw gun purchases to a felony.
Would let all Minnesotans buy into state’s low-income health insurance program.
Expanded low-income public health insurance to undocumented people in his state.
Supports a two-state solution in Israel.
Has taken strong pro-labor actions in his state.
Banned LGBTQ conversion therapy in Minnesota and protected access to gender-affirming care for out-of-state patients.
Legalized recreational marijuana in Minnesota and expunged low-level marijuana offenses from criminal records.
Exempted Social Security income from state taxes for most senior citizens. Supports taxing the wealthy to fund Social Security.
Raised taxes on the wealthy and corporations and opposed the 2017 Trump tax bill.
Supported loan repayment help for eligible teachers and nurses and tuition assistance for lower income families.
Declared the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “unlawful” and “unprovoked.” Supports continued aid to Ukraine.
Approved automatic voter registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Restored voting rights for ex-convicts.

It is also important to look at how the presidential candidate chooses and relates to his or her running mate.

Controversy has surrounded Trump’s choice of Vance since the beginning. Was Vance the choice of Trump’s son Eric or was it based on a recommendation from Elon Musk? There have been almost constant rumors that Trump would drop Vance from the campaign. Vance himself has done little in his public statements to support his adequacy for the job.

It has been clear from the beginning, on the other hand, that Kamala Harris carefully vetted several candidates before choosing Tim Walz, and their campaign has demonstrated how well they work together. It has also been clear during the campaign that their positions and values are closely in sync.

Getting Ready to Vote: Questions Answered

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:25:21 GMT

As Maryland voters get ready to head to the polls on Nov. 5, here is information about how, when, and where to vote.

When is the deadline to register to vote in Maryland?

Oct. 15 is the deadline to register to vote, update registration, or change party affiliation by mail or online before the general election. Maryland residents can also register to vote in person at the polls when you vote.

Can I register to vote on election day?

Yes. In Maryland, you can register to vote during early voting or on election day at the polls.

When does early voting begin in Maryland?

Early voting begins Oct. 24 and ends Oct. 31. Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm. Residents can vote in any early voting center in the county where they live. Maryland has 97 early voting centers and many counties have multiple early voting locations. You can find more information about early voting centers here .

What should I bring if I am voting in person? What should I not bring?

You can bring any printed material including your marked specimen ballot to assist you in voting. If you are a first-time voter, you may be asked to show a form of identification before voting. You can show an election judge one of the following forms of ID:

A valid Maryland driver’s license, U.S. passport, or any other state or federal government-issued ID such as an MVA ID card or a student, employee, or military ID card.
A copy of a current government document that shows your name and address, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck that is dated within three months of the election.

If you choose to wear clothing, buttons, or stickers with political messages, you must leave the early voting center or polling place immediately after voting. Additionally, using your cell phone, pager, camera, and computer equipment is not allowed at these locations.

When can I vote?

Early voting for Maryland residents begins Oct. 24 and ends Oct. 31. Hours are from 7 am to 8 pm.

If you want to receive your ballot by mail or fax, your request must be received by Oct. 29. If you want your ballot via email, you have until Nov. 1 to request it. Mail-in ballots must be turned in by Nov. 5 at 8 pm either by mail, to an approved voter drop box near you , or by hand-delivering it to the board of elections.

If you are not participating in early or mail-in voting, you may vote in-person on general election day, Nov. 5 from 7 am to 8 pm.

Where can I vote in person?

Every voter in Maryland has an assigned voting location where they can vote on election day. Click here to look up your voting location.

If you are participating in early voting, you can vote in-person at one of your county's early voting centers. You can find more information about early voting centers here .

What is the accessibility for voters with disabilities?

There are numerous ways for voters with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to cast their vote. Check out the resources here if you or someone you know many need assistance.

How do I vote by mail?

Once you have registered to vote, anyone may choose to vote by using a mail-in ballot. To request a mail-in ballot, you may complete this online form . You can also complete this form and return it to your local board of elections by mail, fax, or email.

The last day to request a mail-in ballot to be delivered by mail or fax is Oct. 29, while Nov. 1 at 11:59 pm is the last day to request a mail-in ballot by email. Mail-in ballots must be turned in by Nov. 5 at 8 pm either by mail, to an approved voter drop box near you, or by hand-delivering it to the board of elections.

How do I register to vote online?

To register to vote online, you must use Maryland’s Online Voter Registration System (OLVR). This website will walk you through how to register.

Am I voting for my representative in Congress this election?

Yes, all eight congressional districts in the state of Maryland will be voting for a congressional representative in this election. Look here to find out your district and congressional candidates.

Who is running in the Maryland Senate race?

The Democratic candidate is Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Republican candidate is former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and the Libertarian candidate is Mike Scott.

What will my ballot look like?

Each county has a different ballot. This is due to local elections and varying open seats/candidates. The Senate race is state-wide, so it will appear on every ballot, as well as Question 1 regarding abortion rights. Every ballot in Maryland will include a vote for House representatives, but candidates will be different depending on your congressional district . Three Maryland Supreme Court justices and six intermediate appellate court judges are up for retention election. Several counties will be holding school board elections and Baltimore’s ballot will include municipal government elections for mayor, comptroller, city council and circuit court judges. You can download a sample of your county's ballot here .

What is Question 1? Will there be other voter referendums on the ballot?

Question 1 asks voters to vote “yes” or “no” to the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, which would establish reproductive freedom as a constitutional right in the state of Maryland. There will be no other voter referendums on your ballot.

Top Election Official Warns of Maryland Voter Scams

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:24:55 GMT

Scammers posing as election workers are trying to mislead Maryland voters with fraudulent text messages, prompting concerns at the State Board of Elections.

The scammers are telling voters they’re not registered to vote in November and then urging them to click a false link to remedy that, according to Jared DeMarinis, the board’s state administrator of elections.

“They’re capitalizing on the hypertension involving this election,” DeMarinis said in an interview with Capital News Service . “The text message is urgent, and they’re playing on a fear that an individual is not registered to vote when they really are.”

He said he worries that texting scams of this nature could have a sweeping impact on the election, especially if they mislead voters about whether they’re registered and eligible to vote.

“The impact of this is to create a new narrative and foster disinformation about voter rolls,” DeMarinis said.

Similar incidents of text scams have been reported in Illinois, Georgia, and Pennsylvania already this year. In Peoria County, for example, text scammers also meant to deceive voters into registering to vote by mail through a false link.

Ensuring the integrity of elections and maintaining public trust are critical issues for Maryland election officials and the nation, especially as the 2024 election nears and texting scams become more prevalent.

As the state elections administrator, DeMarinis is tasked with administering and conducting elections and creating consistent policy and application of the laws in Maryland.

The Maryland board was already working to recruit election judges, track mail-in ballots and secure the local elections. Now, they must also battle continuous threats to undermine public trust in elections.

According to the board, the text scam informs recipients that public records show they are not registered at their address. The matter is “URGENT,” the text says. The text then invites the recipient to click a fake link to register before the deadline.

The board’s website lists the valid sources for voter registration, polling locations, mail-in ballot status, and ways to vote. The board is also reminding voters that trusted information will come from a .gov web address.

DeMarinis told CNS he is determined to combat the spread of disinformation by being proactive on social media. He also encouraged people to contact him or the state board to verify information.

“You don't wait until things hit critical mass,” he said, “you combat this information and correct the record immediately.”

The board created a portal on its website where people can report instances of scamming and disinformation. DeMarinis said he plans to work with social media platforms to help correct false information.

He said that if scam efforts rise to the level of voter disenfranchisement or suppression, the board will work with law enforcement to ensure that Marylanders are “free to vote, without any sort of undue influence.”

As the general election approaches with only 48 days left and early voting starting on Sept. 23, the threat of these scammers remains high. The public must remain vigilant and, in the meantime, the board will continue its efforts to combat scams and safeguard the integrity of the election, he said.

“These scams are a direct threat to the legitimacy of the electoral process, because, at best, they're just trying to steal identities,” DeMarinis said. “But at worst, they're there to kind of sow distrust in an election administration and undermine confidence in the system.”

Md. Rep. Andrew P. Harris and Gun Control

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:24:24 GMT

Andrew P. Harris, representative from Maryland’s First Congressional District, was one of a small group of House Republicans who repeatedly tried to evade the long-established prohibition against taking firearms into the House or Senate chambers.

On Thursday, January 21, 2021, Representative Harris walked to the entrance of the House chamber. He was carrying a gun.

Though concealed by his suit jacket, the gun set off the new metal detector that had been installed after the January 6th rioters’ invasion of the Capitol.

According to the HuffPost , whose reporter witnessed the incident, when Harris set off the metal detector, the Capitol Police proceeded to wand-scan him, revealing a gun concealed under his suit jacket. The officers refused to let Harris enter the House floor where a vote was in process.

The reporter then saw Harris attempt to get another member to take his gun so that Harris could go in and vote. That member, Rep. John Katko, a Republican from New York, said that he didn’t have “a license” and refused to hold the weapon while Harris voted.

Harris then left and returned shortly without the gun and was allowed into the House chamber.

This type of flouting of D.C. law, Capitol Police regulations, and House rules was easier to get away with before the metal detectors.

After the metal detectors were installed, some lawmakers, including Harris, openly resisted the new security measures. They tended to walk around the detectors, refusing to go through them. Or they walked through and refused to be searched or wand-scanned when they set off the detectors’ alarms.

In a way, this resistance to following what most would consider reasonable gun regulations is consistent with Harris’s voting record on gun control. He has voted against practically every proposed law that would regulate guns in any way, including a bill that would prevent the regulation of armor-piercing bullets. This would make it easier for criminals to obtain ammunition that could penetrate the bullet-proof vests worn by police and security guards. Harris also voted against banning the carrying of guns at airports and similar locations. His complete voting record on gun control and other topics can be found here .

Who may legally carry guns in the halls of Congress and the surrounding Capitol Complex? That’s a question that is currently quite controversial. And a bit tricky.

The Capitol Complex contains 20 buildings and extensive grounds, covering several blocks in downtown Washington, D.C. — most of the buildings used by Congress and the Federal Courts. There are nine House and Senate office buildings, three Library of Congress buildings, the Supreme Court building, and the U.S. Botanic Garden, plus several other facilities — many connected by tunnels. The grounds include four small parks and the Capitol Visitor Center.

This entire complex is subject to both federal and D.C. law.

In addition, there are rules, regulations, and traditions handed down from Congress, the Capitol Police, and various other supervising organizations. None of these, however, are supposed to take precedence over either federal or D.C. law.

Every year, millions of people visit the Capitol Complex. None are allowed to carry guns.

D.C. gun regulations are strict. Only registered firearms are permitted and only a few types of guns are eligible for registration. For example, rifles and shotguns are not allowed. They’re considered not appropriate or needed in an urban environment. Likewise, semi-automatic defined as assault weapons are forbidden as are any guns with detachable ammunition magazines that can hold more than 10 bullets.

Pistols require a “license to carry” issued by the District. Licenses to carry from other states are not valid in D.C.

And D.C. laws have numerous areas and situations where even registered guns are not allowed. The prohibition of firearms extends to such areas as schools, within 1,000 feet of a demonstration, and in the Capitol Complex.

The no-guns policy applies to everyone in the Capitol Complex — except the Capitol Police and members of Congress who may keep guns in their office but not carry them onto the floor of either the House or Senate.

This exception for legislators has some significant restrictions.

Lawmakers’ guns:

Must be kept in their offices except when being transported to and from the building.
Cannot be carried into the House or Senate chambers and some other specified areas in the Capitol Complex.
Must be unloaded. (Ammunition may be carried separately.)
Must be stored safely and transported securely wrapped and covered.

Harris, whether knowingly or not, was clearly in violation of the latter provision. He had complained in the hearing of the HuffPost reporter that his aides were supposed to remind him about the new metal detectors. However, he, along with several others, had repeatedly resisted the new security measures by walking around the detectors until the Capitol Police had cordoned off that access.

Some may wonder what reason legislators have for keeping firearms in their offices at all, or elsewhere in the Capital Complex. Or why they should not have to obey the same laws and regulations that everyone else in D.C. and Congress are required to follow.

Jane Jewell is a writer, editor, photographer, and teacher. She has worked in news, publishing, and as the director of a national writer's group. She lives in Chestertown with her husband Peter Heck, a ginger cat named Riley, and a lot of books.

Black Farmers in Delaware, Part 3: Two Farmers and Hope for the Future

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:23:45 GMT

Twenty-five years ago, Black farmer James (Tim) Harmon, a resident of Jimtown near Lewes, Delaware, rented farmland in Rehoboth and Angola.

Through the years he saved to buy five acres of land, build a house and a shed to house three combines, five tractors and attachments, and trucks for hauling grain. He now owns and rents 225 acres in Sussex County where he grows corn, soybeans, barley, and wheat.

Having no formal agricultural education, Tim worked with and learned from his father and his uncle. His father rented farmland in Rehoboth, Oak Orchard, Millsboro, and Milton. Tim learned to repair all equipment. His son, who works full time, helps during planting and harvesting.

As a Black man, he applied for only one federal loan about five years ago and did not experience any discrimination.

Surrounded by upscale housing developments about one mile in all directions from his five-acre home, and in his late fifties, he is still not tempted to sell his property. And, he said, “God has blessed me. When farmland [I’ve rented] is sold, I have been able to find other farmland and been able to bounce back.”

Seventy-six-year-old Seaford resident, Chris Thompson, states, “I will hold on as long as I can.” Chris rents farmland in the Angola area. Last year, the owner warned there was a potential buyer. This year, until June, he wasn’t sure he could farm there. The owner finally allowed him to plant when the sale fell through.

“The ag industry is diverse, and although I have not been formally educated, most of what I have learned has been ‘hands on’ learning from my grandfather and father, from seminars, industry companies, and sharing information with other farmers.”

Other than a four-year stint with the U.S. Navy and working as a salesman, Chris has always lived and farmed in Sussex County. To pay for farming expenses and to supplement his farming income, he works for approximately nine months of the year at a feed mill and delivers fertilizer to farmers, often 12 to 16 hours a day in the early spring, and hauling vegetables in the summer to lower Sussex County farm stands.

Throughout his lifetime, he saved and paid cash for a combine, two trucks, and other equipment. “When I qualified for a commercial loan, the interest rate was too high.” When applying for a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency loan, he was questioned why he had no credit. He stated, “I never financed anything. I always paid cash.” Also, the FSA paperwork was extraordinary. “And I had to get a lawyer to do the title search, all expenses I couldn’t afford and still qualify. I never had a lender who required this.”

Thompson is proud of himself. He owns five acres and a home that is paid for. His daughter completed a University of Delaware Masters’ degree.

Justice for Black Farmers Act

The Justice for Black Farmers Act, 2023, initially introduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), addresses the long history of USDA discrimination against Black farmers that has resulted in the decimation of the Black farmers’ population in America today. The Act will create an independent civil rights oversight board, investigate reports of discrimination within the USDA, and provide oversight of Farm Service Agency County Committees. During the pendency of civil rights complaints, a moratorium will be placed on foreclosures.

One of the bill’s provisions is the Equitable Land Access Service, within USDA, to acquire farmland and provide up to 160-acre land grants to existing and aspiring Black farmers. Access to USDA operating loans and mortgages under favorable terms, successful planning, and legal assistance will be available to new Black farmers.

Delaware House Bill 297

Delaware House Bill 297, known as the Agricultural Opportunities Act, could be beneficial in addressing decades-long agricultural discrimination. The primary sponsors of HB 297, State Representative Sherry Dorsey Walker and State Senator Marie Pinkney, state the bill aims to include socially disadvantaged farmers, military veteran farmers, and beginning farmers in the agricultural decision-making process in Delaware and provide outreach to disadvantaged farmers to make them aware of programs to assist them.

The bill requires the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with Cooperative Extension programs at Delaware State University and the University of Delaware, to create an agricultural training program. It also establishes an agricultural land lease program. Land owned by the State that is suitable for agricultural use will be identified. Priority for leases will be given to socially disadvantaged farmers, military veteran farmers, and beginning farmers. Current and prospective farmers of color will learn new agricultural practices and have access to funding, land, and education necessary to be successful.

Delaware’s farm statistics mirror nationwide statistics: there is a continued decline in the total number of farms, but a rise in the number of new and young producers.

Black farmers are less than 8% of the nation’s farm population. “That’s because a long list of discriminatory behaviors continues to plague them,” states Bill Spiegel in Successful Farming . He cites comments from an Alabama farmer that injustices and prejudices they face as Black farmers are numerous, including spending months straightening out incorrect invoices from input providers and waiting more than a year to obtain a critical disaster payment from FHA. Other discriminatory behavior includes excessive charges for supplies and getting approval by local banks or USDA for crop loans too late for the growing season, if at all.

Agriculture, the major industry in Delaware , is estimated to be worth $8 billion. Despite their unique situation that exposed them to political, economic, and social discrimination, Black farmers played, and continue to play, an important role in Delaware’s present-day development.

Jessica Clark is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism. After a 30-year career as a Public Information Specialist and photojournalist for several federal agencies, she retired to Georgetown, Del. She restored former Governor John Collins’ 1790s home on Collins Pond and is a Sussex County Master Gardener.

Maryland Counties Push Bay Passenger Ferry. Will Funding Follow?

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:23:06 GMT

A new Chesapeake Bay passenger ferry service could attract tens of thousands of users in its first year, but it would run in the red while doing so, according to a study backed by a coalition of coastal Maryland counties.

The 114-page study , released Aug. 15, suggests that 50,000 passengers would take rides in its first season, operating over 26 weeks from mid-April to mid-October. That’s based on boats traveling along six proposed routes between the Bay’s Western and Eastern shores.

Under that scenario, the system is expected to generate $2.5 million in revenue during that season, according to study author Cambridge Systematics, a Massachusetts-based transportation consultant. But the expenses would add up to $5 million from paying off the vessels, operating the system, maintenance and other costs.

The proposal’s backers say the study underscores the need to develop a viable transportation alternative for crossing the Maryland portion of the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, part of U.S. Routes 50/301, is the lone highway connection between the two shores, spanning the water between Kent Island and Annapolis.

“We are optimistic about the study results and the path forward, which could better connect our Chesapeake Bay destinations and create economic impact across the entire state,” said Kristen Pironis, executive director of Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, one of the counties supporting the effort. The others are Calvert, Queen Anne’s, Somerset and St. Mary’s.

The initial routes under consideration include the following assemblages along 14 stops:

Route 1: Baltimore, Annapolis, Matapeake, St. Michaels, Kent Narrows, and Rock Hall

Route 2: Annapolis, Baltimore, Rock Hall, Kent Narrows, and St. Michaels

Route 3: Annapolis, Chesapeake Beach, Solomons Island, and Crisfield

Route 4: Easton/Cambridge, Oxford, and Chesapeake Beach

Route 5: Solomons Island, St. Mary’s City/Leonardtown, and Crisfield

Route 6: Solomons and Cambridge

The system could expand to 21 stations in the future, according to the proposal.

The report envisions using a fleet of two 149-passenger catamarans and five 49-passenger catamarans, powered by diesel or diesel-electric hybrid engines. The service likely wouldn’t be feasible for commuters, though some may take advantage of it in Baltimore and Annapolis, the authors say in the report. It would be open only to passengers and not their vehicles.

The focus is on recreation and tourism, advocates say. By enhancing water-based transportation, the service would boost economic growth, the report argues. The service would be expected to support 143 jobs and $14.5 million in economic effects.

The average roundtrip fare would be $50, the study put forward.

The study identifies several things that need to happen before the first ferry sets sail. Among them: establishing an entity to oversee the system (likely a public-private partnership, it recommends), generating buy-in among host communities, developing more detailed plans and obtaining funding and environmental permits.

Theirs isn’t the first to investigate a Bay ferry service. As recently as 2020, the Maryland Transportation Authority conducted a lengthy evaluation of launching a car-carrying ferry service as part of its analysis of constructing a third Bay Bridge span.

It estimated that the service would remove 900 vehicles from the existing two spans during peak traffic periods in 2040. The ferry would cost $3.4 billion to operate over 40 years. State officials at the time said the idea was only feasible “in combination with other alternatives” if the process to construct a third span across the Bay were to move forward.

The last ferry operation in Maryland that transported vehicles across the Bay closed in 1952 with the opening of the first Bay Bridge span.

This article was originally published in the Bay Journal , a non-profit news source that provides the public with independent reporting on environmental news and issues in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Ask Yourself: Why Is a Democratic Senate Important to You?

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:54:52 GMT

Larry Hogan, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is claiming that, if elected, he will single-handedly break the partisan gridlock in D.C. There’s no chance he can do this.

If Hogan is elected, the Senate would likely flip to a Republican majority.

Hogan would be a JUNIOR senator with no seniority and would have only ONE vote in a Senate body that’s overwhelmingly controlled by MAGA Republicans.

He would have as much chance of influencing the Republicans in the U.S. Senate as he did of bucking the Democrats in the Maryland General Assembly when he was governor: None.

Democrats currently have a slim majority in the U.S. Senate — a majority that’s in danger of disappearing in January. With so much riding on this election, Democrats must ask:

What’s vital for me?
What kind of country do I want to live in?
What will I lose if the GOP takes over the Senate?

To understand the likely Republican Senate agenda, just look at the Republican Platform for 2024 and Project 2025 :

Seal the border; stop the migrant invasion; deport millions of immigrants
Allow unrestricted fossil fuel production and development; cancel the electric vehicle mandate; cut regulations (i.e., ignore the climate change crisis)
Cut or eliminate critical federal programs that support people experiencing hardship and children living in poverty
Cap funding for Medicaid; impose lifetime caps on benefits
End student debt relief
“Secure our elections”: require same day voting on paper ballots, voter ID, proof of citizenship
“Cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children”
“Keep men out of women’s sports”
“Deport pro-Hamas radicals and make our college campuses safe and patriotic again”

In addition, if presented by a Democratic president, a Republican Senate would delay or deny judicial nominations for federal courts at every level — including the Supreme Court. (Remember when GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to hold a hearing for Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court, reserving that seat for an ultra-right-wing judicial activist appointed by Trump?)

Several Supreme Court justices are in their 70s and will soon need to be replaced, perhaps by the next president. The Senate plays the leading role in appointing justices. And the Supreme Court, as we’ve painfully learned, can shape American society in anti-democratic ways.

As one so-called moderate senator among 50 Republicans influenced to greater or lesser degrees by MAGA ideology, Larry Hogan would have no chance to advance his “bi-partisan, common sense solutions,” as he proclaims on his campaign website , much less get them passed. His “solutions” are not the priorities of the MAGA-riddled GOP.

For example, Hogan has said that he will vote to restore Roe v Wade . But with a Republican Senate, he will never have the chance — that vote will never come up.

Hogan is backed by MAGA super PACs and dark money donors who are looking forward to a Republican majority in the Senate to enact their terrifying agenda, including banning abortion access. And Hogan was recruited to run by Sen. McConnell, so how beholden would he be to the GOP? How important to him is GOP support for his own political aims (the presidency?)?

Hogan claims that the Republicans will not be able to count on his vote, but will he be willing to vote with the Democrats in opposition to his party? Or will he instead vote “Present” on major issues (much like he refused to either sign or veto many pieces of legislation while he was governor, not taking a stand either way)? That will not break the gridlock.

Angela Alsobrooks is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate for Maryland. Her priorities embrace and promote our Democratic values. She will work with a Democratic Senate for these things:

Strengthen democracy, protect freedom, advance equity, fight for our rights
Value each person and enable all Americans to prosper and achieve their potential
Grow our economy from the bottom up and the middle out
Cut taxes for working families; make the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share
Lower costs for Americans: healthcare, prescription drugs, childcare, gas and groceries, housing
Ensure that all people have access to the healthcare they need and want, and that government does not interfere with access for anyone
Work to ensure that all American citizens can cast their vote with no impediment and that our democratic system gives fair and equal representation to everyone
Protect communities and tackle the scourge of daily gun violence
Tackle the climate crisis, lower energy costs, secure energy independence
Secure our border and fix the broken immigration system
Strengthen American leadership worldwide

So, we must ask ourselves: What is important to me?

Democracy? Reproductive rights? LGBTQ+ rights and dignity? Personal freedom? Voting rights? Kindness? Respect for individuals? Safety?

Will these be threatened or taken away by a GOP Senate?

Am I willing to live in an America without them?

Make sure we preserve our way of life and Democratic values. Vote for Angela Alsobrooks to keep the U.S. Senate Democratic.

For more information on this topic, check out former Del. Maggie McIntosh’s talk with the Kent Co. Democratic Club.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Who Is Congressional Candidate Blane Miller?

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:54:12 GMT

“Not your typical Democrat” — that’s how Blane Miller III describes himself on the website promoting his candidacy for the District 1 Congressional seat. That’s an intriguing slogan, and it’s reasonable for us voters to ask exactly what it means.

The biographical data isn’t any kind of puzzle. Born and raised in Havre de Grace, Miller attended the local high school, where he was on the wrestling and varsity lacrosse teams. Upon graduation in 1993, he became the third generation in his family to serve in the nation’s military. After training in Naval Air Crew School, Miller completed several deployments, and won numerous medals, ribbons, and citations for his service.

Honorably discharged in 2001, Miller put his naval experience to work as a high-speed photographer and deep-water diver for a contractor testing military equipment at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. He started his own consulting company, BH Miller Group, in 2014, continuing to work as a photographer and diver with construction firms. He is married, with one adult son.

Miller first entered politics in 2002, when he served as a member of the Harford County Republican Central Committee. However, on his first run for office — for Harford County Executive in 2022 — he listed himself as a moderate Democrat. In a candidate profile for the patch.com website, he said, “I am tired of the same lack luster, career politician(s) that are a part of the political machine that is fueled by lobbyist and special interests.” He lost that election, taking just over 30% of the vote against Republican Bob Casilly. Not bad for a first-time candidate in a county with a strong Republican majority of registered voters.

Unsuccessful in his first bid for office, Miller didn’t back off from a bigger challenge in 2024, declaring himself as a Democratic candidate to unseat Republican incumbent Andrew P. Harris in the District 1 Congressional race. In the Democratic primary election held in May, Miller took 60% of the vote against Blessing T. Oluwadare, another former Republican and his only opponent. He now faces the formidable task of unseating Harris, a six-term incumbent who has for much of that time been the only Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation.

Many of Miller’s positions clearly distinguish him from Harris, who has been called “Dr. No” for his record of frequently voting against legislation that would benefit his constituents. As documented on his website , Miller supports well-funded public education and, in contrast to Harris, opposes public support for alternative and private schools. He is opposed to government oversight of women's personal health decisions. He advocates legislation to ensure the safety of Social Security funds and suggests engaging experts to find ways to enhance the healthcare system.

On the other hand, many of his positions seem likely to appeal to more conservative voters who might not normally support a Democrat. He advocates closing the southern border and reexamining the criteria for granting asylum. At the same time, he recognizes the important economic importance of immigrants. He seeks to balance the arguments of environmentalists and skeptics concerning climate change. He also argues for “common sense measures” such as education and background checks to reduce gun violence while respecting the Second Amendment as “a fundamental right.”

It remains to be seen whether Miller’s “moderate common sense leadership” (as he describes it on his website) will attract some of the conservative voters who have regularly returned his Republican opponent to office, and how much it will appeal to more liberal Democratic voters who hope to see “Dr. No” sent to the sidelines. As noted, he has taken on a daunting challenge, one that has deterred many potential contenders over the years. As chronicled on his FaceBook page, Miller has begun making campaign appearances at sites across the Eastern Shore, traveling in his “tour bus” — an SUV with a trailer displaying his campaign signs.

If you see he’s coming to your neighborhood, why not go find out just who Blane Miller is? It might well provide you with still another incentive to go to the polls this November.

Maryland Legislative Caucus Criticizes Hogan’s Record on LGBTQ+ Issues

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:53:36 GMT

Members of the Maryland Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus are accusing former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan of not standing up for the LGBTQ+ community.

Hogan, the Republican nominee for Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat, has proven he is not an ally to LGBTQ+ Marylanders, a statement from five members of the caucus reads. All are Democrats. Caucus members said it is critical that the Democratic candidate, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, beats Hogan in November.

“I see the indifference that Larry Hogan expresses and it causes me great pause,” Del. Kris Fair (D-3A) told Capital News Service . “It should cause every LGBTQ+ community member great pause about his ability to support our community.”

The caucus spoke out after Hogan recently dismissed an LGBTQ+ Maryland voter’s concerns about his record at a campaign event, according to the statement and reporting from The Advocate .

In addition to Fair, who is the chair of the Maryland Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus, the statement was signed by Del. Anne Kaiser (D-14), Del. Joe Vogel (D-17), Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-22), and Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-19).

During his time as governor, Hogan elected to not sign several LGBTQ+ rights bills, including one that protects victims from hate crimes based on their identity. Hogan did not veto or directly oppose the bill and it ended up becoming law without his signature.

Hogan choosing not to sign bills that would protect LGBTQ+ individuals indicated to Cullison that he doesn’t understand the challenges facing the community. LGBTQ+ people rely on laws to give them protections, she said.

“For political reasons, he felt it was important that his name not be on those bills,” Cullison told CNS .

In 2018, Hogan signed a bill into law that bans conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth. Cullison — who was a leader in this effort — said it was “an easy one for him to sign.”

Anti-conversion bills were already passing across the country and politics were on his side, she said. Since Hogan signed the bill, similar laws have been enacted in Utah, Virginia, and Michigan.

“He’s just been responsive,” she said. “He hasn’t been proactive.”

Martinez thinks Hogan has been silent about the concerns of LGBTQ+ community members and that indicates how the former governor would act in the U.S. Senate if he is elected.

“He decided not to sign these bills,” Martinez told CNS . “I think that’s a clear indiciation to LGBTQ folks and our allies across this state that he is not the champion that we know Angela Alsobrooks will be.”

As governor, Hogan allowed measures to take effect that extend coverage of IVF treatment to same-sex couples and allow transgender people to revise their birth certificates, Hogan campaign spokesperson Blake Kernen said in a statement to CNS . He also appointed the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as chief judge of a Maryland appellate court, Kernen wrote.

“After calling for ‘tolerance and mutual respect’ in his inaugural address, Governor Hogan supported LGBTQ community priorities throughout his time in office,” she wrote. “Maryland has a bipartisan legacy of supporting the LGBTQ community, and Governor Hogan looks forward to building on this work in the Senate.”

Hogan walked in the Annapolis Pride Parade in June, sporting a Pride sticker and lei. His campaign posted on Facebook dozens of pictures of Hogan with attendees at the parade.

“Maryland is a mosaic of diverse communities and cultures, and that’s one of many things that makes our great state so special,” Hogan said in a statement. “As governor, I was proud to represent all Marylanders, and that’s exactly the leader I’ll be in the United States Senate.”

Martinez, a resident of Prince George’s County, said he has witnessed Alsobrooks supporting the LGBTQ+ community during her time as county executive. He appreciates that prominent members of her staff are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Alsobrooks has held listening sessions, attended Pride events, and created an LGBTQ+ liaison position in her office, Martinez said.

“It is really important that we have ourselves represented in all facets of government,” Martinez said.

Cullison agrees that Alsobrooks is the candidate for U.S. Senate that will stand with LGBTQ+ community members.

“Angela Alsobrooks will be the senator who will fight the fight with us,” she said. “She’s supportive and advocates and won’t back down and won’t hide behind not signing something.”

If elected senator, Alsobrooks said she plans to co-sponsor the Equality Act — a bill that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in public accommodations and facilities — and oppose Republican efforts to undermine equality, she wrote in a statement to CNS .

The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, endorsed Alsobrooks this summer.

“What we understand is that this race in Maryland will likely decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate Majority. Republicans have made it clear that no such votes to protect and elevate our LGBTQ+ community will come to the Floor if they take back the Majority,” Alsobrooks wrote in her statement.

Fair said that while Hogan may not propose bills that directly harm the LGBTQ+ community, he will likely allow other Republicans to do so.

“Larry Hogan is the symptom of a problem coming down the road that’s going to be devastating for our community,” Fair said.

Read the Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus statement .

Poll: Alsobrooks has Slim Advantage over Hogan in Senate Race

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:52:53 GMT

Bryan Sears covers the governor and General Assembly, state politics, and transportation for Maryland Matters.

Black Farmers in Delaware, Part 2: Present Day

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:49:28 GMT

At a time when agricultural land is being swallowed up for big developments, Black as well as White farmers are in jeopardy.

Sussex County Administrator, Todd F. Lawson, said on September 21, 2023, “Agriculture is the number one industry in Sussex County and it’s important now, more than ever, with a growing population and increased pressure on the agriculture industry, that we work hard to keep ag as the centerpiece of Delaware’s economy.” Sussex County Council’s contribution in 2023 totaled nearly $1 million.

By the Numbers:

Delaware’s 2022 Census of Agriculture reveals there were 1,053 farms statewide, a decline from 2,500 in 2010
The average size of the farm was 249 acres
The real estate average value per acre in 2018 was $8,410; in 2022, it was $9,800 per acre, an increase of 5.4%
Irrigated rented cropland was valued at $174 per acre in 2022 and $183 in 2023. Non-irrigated cropland in 2022 was $94.50 per acre and $97.50 in 2023
Sussex County had 262,079 acres of farmland; Kent County 187,248 acres, and New Castle 73,507 acres
2,507 farmers were male; 1,305 female
345 farmers were under age 35; 1,986 were 35-64 years old; 1,481 were 65 and older
3,654 farmers were White and 24 were Black

Farmland Preservation

Governor John Carney said, “Preserving farmland protects Delaware’s agriculture heritage and its number one industry. That’s why we allocated $20 million in last year’s budget (2022) to help preserve farms from the ground up. This year’s process was very competitive. Twenty-one offers were submitted. The foundation ( Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation ) selected 60 farms encompassing 5,353 acres to purchase the development rights.”

Since 1996, the Foundation has selected farms approved for easement purchase. In the ensuing years, 22% of New Castle County farmland, 39% of Kent County farmland, and 19% of Sussex County farmland has been preserved. The foundation does not own the land, but purchases landowners’ development rights and places a permanent agricultural conservation easement on the property.

In 2023, 151,257 acres of farmland (four farms in New Castle County, 16 in Kent County, and 40 in Sussex County) were preserved. In 2021, 23 farms in Kent County and 22 farms in Sussex County were preserved by the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation.

In addition, Delaware’s Aglands Preservation Program has more than 45,500 acres of land enrolled in 10-year farmland preservation districts. Delaware has a total of 1.3 million acres. In addition to state funding, other partners include county government funds and federal partners from the departments of Agriculture and Defense.

To be eligible for the preservation program, farms must meet the following eligibility requirements:

The property must be zoned for agriculture and not subject to any major subdivision plan
The property must meet the minimum Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) score of 170. LESA attempts to estimate the farm’s long-term viability based on the farm’s soil productivity, land use, and agriculture infrastructure on and around the farm. Scores range from 0-300
The property must be working farmland with at least $1,000 in agricultural sales annually and generally have at least 10 acres of cropland
Farms of 200 acres or more constitute an agricultural district
Farms under 200 acres can enter the program it they are within three miles of an existing agricultural district

Immigration: An Important Issue for the Eastern Shore in the 2024 Election

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 13:19:19 GMT

Many, perhaps most, people here on the Eastern Shore, especially the large number of Republicans, don’t realize how important immigrants have become to our local agricultural economy, as well as to our seafood industry. Without the presence of immigrants, largely from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Haiti, our economy would flounder. That’s why it’s important to look at how the candidates in the November 5 election stand on that issue.

I. House of Representatives

Republican Congressman Andrew P. Harris has made statements condemning immigrants who enter the country illegally, but as a member of Congress for years has made no effort to support efforts to make legal immigration easier. This is not surprising given his strong support for Trump and the MAGA agenda. He did vote for the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which, among other things, would have forced the Biden administration to restart construction of a border wall, increase the number of Border Patrol agents, and provide bonus pay, but would have done nothing to facilitate legal immigration.

Andrew P. Harris’s Democratic opponent, Blane Miller, was formerly a Republican himself, but has taken a more enlightened position on immigration. His website includes the following statement: “First, economic growth relies on a dynamic workforce, and immigrants contribute significantly to innovation, entrepreneurship, and productivity.” He goes on to say that refugees and vulnerable populations seek protection, that a well-regulated immigration system allows the U.S. to fulfill its humanitarian obligations, and that legal avenues for employers to access skilled workers are essential for sustained economic prosperity.

II. The Senate

The candidates in Maryland’s Senate race are Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and Republican Larry Hogan. Angela Alsobrooks, as state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, strongly supported legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. She was also vocal in her support of the Maryland Dream Act. As county executive she instructed the County Department of Corrections to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only in cases where an undocumented immigrant was arrested and charged with gang-related or violent criminal offenses. She was opposed to deportation for minor offenses such as speeding tickets.

If elected to the Senate, she pledges to be a strong advocate of comprehensive immigration reform, including creating a pathway to citizenship for those already living and working in the U.S. She will also support legislation in support of Dreamers, believing that these persons “deserve certainty and security.” For more on Alsobrook’s views on immigration, see her website .

Immigration doesn’t seem to be a big issue in the campaign of former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. He has stated , however, that he decided to enter the race when Republicans in the Senate killed the bipartisan border bill under orders from Donald Trump. In an op-ed he wrote for the Washington Post on July 9, 2024, Hogan expressed strong condemnation of Project 2025, which is Machiavellian on the subject of immigration and which is strongly supported by Trump.

As governor, Hogan vetoed an immigration bill introduced by Delegate Vaughn M. Stewart (D-19), that would have required that counties that have agreements with ICE to jail detainees to end their contracts. Hogan argued that local law enforcement should “fully cooperate with federal law enforcement.” He vetoed another bill to limit cooperation with federal authorities (House Bill 23). The candidate’s campaign website presents no official statement on immigration. (In fact, there was a paucity of statements on issues in general.)

III. The Presidency

In the presidential election, Democrat Kamala Harris faces off with Donald Trump, who can’t wait to declare himself dictator and who already had a disastrous term as president, ending with his leading a mass attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Kamala Harris just came out of the Democratic National Convention, where she and her running mate, Tim Walz, delivered uplifting speeches accepting their nominations, bringing an unprecedented level of excitement and joy to the crowd.

The daughter of immigrants herself, Kamala has a long history of supporting immigrant communities. As state’s attorney in San Francisco from 2004 to 2010, she went after abusive employers and encouraged immigrants to feel safe when dealing with law enforcement. She has supported legislation that would provide a path to citizenship to undocumented immigrants, and she supported Biden’s Bipartisan Border Security Bill in 2021. Of her work as California’s attorney general, she said recently at a campaign event in Georgia: “I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers that came into our country illegally,” and added, “I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.”

President Biden gave her the mission of overseeing diplomatic efforts in Central America, also in 2021. She brought together the Partnership for Central America to act as liaison between companies and the U.S. Government. This effort has led to job creation in the region, and some experts have saluted her ability to secure private sector investments in the region.

Harris visited the border with Mexico in 2021, and declared that “This issue cannot be reduced to a political issue. We’re talking about children; we’re talking about families; we’re talking about suffering.”

The Republican Party platform, on which one assumes Trump is basing his campaign, was published in July. It was developed by Trump’s campaign in conjunction with the Republican National Committee. Its priorities on immigration are succinct:

“Seal the border and stop the migrant invasion.” The platform promises to restore all the border policies of the previous Trump administration, including finishing his long-promised border wall and moving troops now overseas to the border.
“Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.” It should be noted in this context that 1.1 million immigrants have been deported so far during the Biden administration, while 1.5 million were deported during Trump’s term.
“Stop the migrant crime epidemic, demolish the foreign drug cartels, crush gang violence, and lock up violent offenders.” According to the Brennan Center for Justice , the data doesn’t support the claim that the U.S. is experiencing a surge in crime caused by immigrants. They cite one study that found that undocumented immigrants are 33% less likely to be jailed than those born in the U.S.
“Stop sanctuary cities.”
“Ensure that the legal immigration system puts American workers first.”

IV. Conclusions

The candidates of both parties express the view that border security is essential, but it appears to be of the highest priority for Andrew P. Harris and Donald Trump. For Hogan’s Senate campaign, it appears not to be an important issue at all, despite the importance of immigrants in our state’s economy. None of the candidates seem to be acknowledging the realities our country, including the Eastern Shore, face in the 21st century, namely that:

Our native-born citizens are aging and thereby contributing less to the national economy
The native birth rate has been steadily dropping for some time now
As a result, there are fewer citizens available to do the jobs
U.S. natives are unwilling to do manual labor and are happy to hand those jobs to immigrants

In view of the above, the Trump proposal for a massive deportation of undocumented immigrants not only makes no sense, but also undermines national security. Until there is legislation passed that facilitates legal immigration, especially from our neighbors to the south, we will have to continue to depend on those brave, and often desperate, people who continue to come without proper documentation.

Opinion: Vote YES on Question 1

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 13:11:59 GMT

The Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment will be Question 1 on our ballots in Maryland this November.

To include and preserve reproductive freedom in our state Constitution, it’s important that we vote YES on this question.

There are people who think that Marylanders don’t need to worry about our right to reproductive freedom and choice. After all, we’re a liberal state with a law that already provides full access to abortion and contraception.

But the Democratic majority in the Maryland General Assembly (encouraged by women’s health organizations) did not want to take the chance that a hard-right president or Congress or Supreme Court might restrict or remove these rights. The legislature enacted a bill to have a referendum on the ballot this fall.

The proposed amendment defines reproductive freedom as "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy."

If Question 1 passes , the Maryland Constitution will be amended to ensure that everyone has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion access and birth control.

Abortion access is currently protected in Maryland by a 1992 law that was affirmed by 61% of voters. But a law can be repealed without involving voters and the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision confirmed that even if abortion is currently legal, it remains at risk.

A constitutional amendment offers the highest form of protection for abortion care in Maryland. Repealing an amendment to the Constitution is much more difficult than reversing other types of policy protections for reproductive freedom.

"We can't take anything for granted when it comes to reproductive health care," Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones said in January. "We don't just need to win. We need to send a message."

It’s important to note that — despite what the opposition is saying — the proposed Maryland constitutional amendment will not alter or affect current law.

Opponents of what they call the “extreme” ballot Question 1 are fearmongering and spreading lies that this constitutional amendment would:

allow abortion at any time from conception to birth and perhaps beyond
make it a crime to be “pro-life” in Maryland
invalidate health and safety statutes and regulations regarding abortion
force taxpayers to fully fund abortion on demand
have implications for transgender drugs and procedures, and
infringe on parental rights

Not one of these claims is true. Question 1 will not change current Maryland law, only make it part of the state Constitution.

If the ballot question is approved by the voters, Maryland will join an ever-increasing number of states that have preserved reproductive rights in their state constitutions.

In 2022, constitutional amendments for reproductive rights were approved in California, Michigan, and Vermont. Constitutional amendments to limit reproductive rights were defeated in Kansas, Kentucky, and Montana.

In 2023, voters in Ohio approved a constitutional amendment to establish a state constitutional right to "make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions.”

Ten states in 2024 will have reproductive rights constitutional amendments on the ballot: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota.

It’s a growing movement to preserve American rights and freedoms.

By voting Yes on Question 1, Maryland’s voters can safeguard the right to choose today, tomorrow, and for generations to come!

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Trump, Vance, and the Republican Agenda

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 13:04:13 GMT

In reporting on the 2024 Democratic Convention, the media were abuzz with the word “joy.” It was a true celebration of Democratic values. For many, both at the convention and in the home TV audience, it was both fun and inspirational.

But we should not forget what Vice President Kamala Harris said in her speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president: “The consequences of putting Donald Trump back in office are extremely serious.”

She went on to list some of the specific dangers a second Trump term would entail: his promise to free those convicted of violence in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, his threat to imprison journalists and political opponents, his intention to deploy the nation’s armed forces against our own citizens. In a word, Harris was calling out Trump’s undisguised lust for authoritarian power, and the MAGA Republicans’ willingness to indulge that lust.

“Consider the power he will have — especially after the United States Supreme Court just ruled he would be immune from criminal prosecution,” Harris said. “Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.”

And despite the euphoria surrounding Harris’s nomination and the inclusion of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate, the race remains close in all the recent polls. The danger of a second Trump term is still alive, and with it the danger of authoritarianism.

Trump has not concealed his admiration for dictators or near-dictators in other countries. Vladimir Putin of Russia, Kim Jong Un of North Korea, Viktor Orban of Hungary — these men are his role models. As widely reported, he told supporters he planned to be a dictator “for one day” after his reelection. Of course, someone with presidential powers and a ready-to-go agenda could do a good deal of damage even in one day. And if there’s no one to stop him, who really believes he’d give up that power on day two?

We already know what Trump’s agenda would look like. It’s called Project 2025 . Among other things, it would end or drastically weaken Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, cut Social Security, and eliminate the Department of Education — just to list the points Harris called out in her convention speech.

Evidently aware of just how toxic Project 2025 appears to ordinary Americans, Trump has disavowed it. This ignores the fact that it was crafted in large part by former members of his administration. Trump and his policies are mentioned favorably several hundred times in the document. And his vice presidential nominee, JD Vance, reportedly praised it in the foreword to a book by Kevin D. Roberts , the plan’s major architect. (The book’s publisher delayed releasing it until after the election, possibly to deflect attention from Vance’s overt approval.)

Speaking of Vance…

It used to be that a vice presidential nomination was a way to buffer support in a swing state, or to give a symbolic hat tip to a segment of the population the party wanted to attract. The last time a vice president had to assume the role of president (other than by being elected in his own right) was more than 50 years ago, with Gerald Ford replacing Richard Nixon. But if Trump is reelected, what are the prospects?

I am not a doctor, so what follows should be taken with a pinch of salt. Nonetheless, judging by news reports of his remarks in recent months — for example, the August 12 “conversation” with Elon Musk on X (the former Twitter) — Trump is living in a world of delusions. He seems to confuse fictional characters with real life personalities, and his statements — when they are not outright lies — often fail to make even minimal sense. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder if these are early signs of dementia.

Also, Trump will be 78 years old at the beginning of the next presidential term. While he has access to the best possible medical care, it is far from certain that his health will hold up for another four years in the most demanding job in the world — even if he spends the whole time playing golf and shuffling off the actual work to his staff.

There is a real chance that JD Vance would become president before 2028 — either through the actual death of the president, or through the provisions of the 25th Amendment, should Trump become obviously too ill to remain in office. And as bad as Trump’s return to office would be, Vance’s accession could be far worse. He has made it clear he fully supports Project 2025 — and his public statements indicate that he is broadly opposed to women’s rights, immigration, and U.S. support for Ukraine, just to name a few.

To put it bluntly, whether or not Trump is capable of (or interested in) overseeing the actual operations of government, we are unlikely to have a thoughtful problem-solver in the White House if he is reelected. The advocates of Project 2025 are likely to have free rein in putting it into effect if he returns to the White House — especially if there is a Republican majority in Congress. And unless you happen to be a right-wing billionaire who expects to get substantial tax cuts, that is bad news for all of us.

Black Farmers in Delaware, Part 1: Early Farmers

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 12:49:42 GMT

Delaware land and population records prior to and during the 1800s are spotty and incomplete, especially where free Black men are concerned. The free Black population was increasing, rising from a 50/50 split in 1800 (230 free Blacks, 239 enslaved persons) to a 75/25 split in 1840 (305 free, 111 enslaved).

Free Blacks were still regarded by law as something more than mere pieces of property but “less than fully human,” and did not enjoy the rights and freedoms of White men. Although they paid taxes, they could neither vote nor testify in a courtroom against Whites. There were few schools available for their children.

As of 1832, it was illegal for more than 12 free Blacks to hold a meeting past 10pm in winter without three “respectable” Whites present. By 1849, it was illegal to be unemployed while poor and the state held the power to sell anyone judged as such into servitude.

Free Black men and women risked the threat of being grabbed by “slave catchers” or arrested. Free Blacks lived in constant fear that they or members of their families would be sold back into slavery. Kidnappers found that taking free Blacks had far fewer consequences than seizing those who were enslaved. One of the most notorious “slave catchers” was Patty Cannon who lived four miles west of Seaford in Sussex County. Cannon abducted hundreds of free Black people and freedom seekers along the Delmarva Peninsula and sold them into slavery in southern states such as Alabama and Mississippi. When arrested, she confessed to nearly two dozen murders of Black kidnap victims.

Some free Black men, individually or in groups, actively expressed their opinions on contemporary issues. They sought religious freedom and fairness in labor practices and spoke passionately about their sense of justice, independence, and desire for equality. They petitioned the state demanding action on abolition, emigration, and education. The White majority responded to their growing numbers by passing increasingly harsh, restrictive legislation to restrict their political and economic progress. In spite of these discriminatory practices, free Blacks found ways of creating economically and socially viable families and communities.

Even later, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs designed to help all farmers largely hindered Black farmers’ ability to obtain loans or increase their acreage. White farmers wouldn’t sell land to Black farmers. If Black farmers were successful in acquiring land, they often were denied operating loans, and were provided limited access to USDA programs intended to help farmers improve their property. USDA documents revealed, in many cases, loans for Black farmers would take two or three times longer to receive compared to loans for White farmers. As such, Black farmers had to wait to plant crops and so their yield suffered. Every obstacle forced more Black farmers out of farming.

“Thompson’s Beginning”

Levin Thompson, a free Black man, displayed a great deal of creativity and business acumen. By the time of his death in 1816, he was among the top 5% of assessed property owners in Sussex County. He was wealthy enough to loan money to his White counterparts for interest.

According to William H. Williams’s Slavery and Freedom in Delaware, 1639-1865, in 1794, Levin Thompson, born to a Maryland free family, arrived in Delaware and purchased a 200-acre farm and timberland east of Laurel that he expanded into ownership of 428 acres of farmland named “Thompson’s Beginning.” Thompson also operated a gristmill and a sawmill. He owned several spinning wheels and a loom that produced 200 yards of linen and 60 yards of woolen cloth a month. He formed partnerships with White neighbors who assisted him through the tangled legal network that restricted Blacks. To operate his extensive holdings, Thompson employed many free Blacks and provided housing near his mills for 40 free Blacks. Many of his workers purchased freedom for their family members.

Delaware has three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex. Around 1860, about 10% of free Black men in Kent and Sussex counties were tenant farmers or were temporary farm laborers who worked during the growing and harvesting of crops such as corn, wheat, and other foodstuffs. In the Cypress Swamp area of Sussex County, free Blacks took jobs related to the timber industry, cutting down trees, driving teams of oxen, and reworking logs into lumber and shingles. Those who did not have land might own oxen they could rent out for cultivating fields, hauling wood and bark, or moving buildings.

Belltown

By 1860, 68 enslaved persons showed on property listings by White farmers within a three-mile radius of Belltown , now the Five Points intersection near Lewes, Delaware. Fully half of those were listed as “fugitives” so a good number of them had probably set out in search of freedom along the Underground Railroad.

Oral tradition states the Sussex County town was named after Jacob “Jigger” Bell, whose name first appears in the 1822 historical record. Bell, a thirty-something resident of Lewes and a free Black man, was painted as a bold businessman and as Delaware’s first Black real estate developer. He bought up land, divided it into smaller parcels, then sold the parcels to others drawn to the free-Black haven and self-sufficient community. Most of the land in Belltown was farmland with cornfields and apple orchards. In the census of 1860, Bell is listed as a 60-year-old minister. He died in the late 1870s, nearing the ripe old age of 90. By the 1870s, Belltown was big enough to support two churches, both built on land donated by Black property owners.

Special Field Order 15, issued on January 16, 1865, promised newly-freed Blacks 40 acres of farmland in a strip of land covering 400,000 acres ranging from South Carolina to Florida. Nearly 40,000 freed Blacks took up residence on this land. But this field order did not benefit Black Delaware farmers as Delaware was a border state and not a Confederate state. Additionally, President Andrew Johnson rescinded the Special Field Order in the fall of 1865. This returned the land to the previous property owners, many of whom had been White enslavers.

Many of Delaware’s former enslaved farmers became sharecroppers, under terms that benefitted the landowners who collected half the crop. Landowners often financed the cost of seeds, fertilizers, and other crop inputs but often at exorbitant interest rates. This left the Black farmers with little money for food, clothing, and other living expenses. Black farmers often were forbidden to seek better opportunities.

By 1980, gripping drought suffocated much of the South. White farmers put in irrigation. Black farmers were denied access to federal or local money and were not advised to structure their business to separate the farm from the home. Without irrigation, yields suffered and forced many Black farmers to lose their homes. The number of Black farmers nationwide plummeted from 926,000 in 1920 to less than 46,000 by 2017.

Although Blacks could not become doctors or lawyers and despite, for the most part, living in a state of poverty or semi-poverty, free Blacks found ways to survive, to accumulate significant amounts of material wealth, and build a future for themselves and their families as they became an essential aspect of Delaware’s economic growth.

Walz, Harris's VP Pick, Draws Plaudits from Md Dems, Scorn from GOP

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:01:53 GMT

Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate last week won praise from Maryland Democrats, who pointed to the governor’s experience and approach to politics as key assets in the fall campaign.

Maryland Republicans, with one notable exception, saw little to like in the final piece of the Democratic ticket that will face off against former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential choice, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md-05) said in a statement that Democrats and other voters should be excited for his friend Walz, whom he called an invaluable member of the House Democratic Caucus during his time in Congress.

“His plainspoken, common-sense approach to governing allowed him to deliver for veterans and Minnesotans,” Hoyer said. “I know he will bring that same dedication and empathy to the vice presidency.”

Walz served in the House from 2007 until January 2019, when he became Minnesota’s governor. He was reelected in 2022.

Harris’ decision on her running mate came hours after she officially became the Democratic Party’s nominee for the presidency, clinching the vote of 99% of delegates in a virtual roll call. Walz and Harris went on a battleground state tour together last week, debuting in Philadelphia.

Before his political career, Walz was a high school teacher, football coach, and command sergeant major in the Army National Guard.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore highlighted fellow Democrat and veteran Walz’s experience in the Army and his “proven track record of progress” in a recent post on X, formerly Twitter.

“His incredible journey of service…isn’t just a source of inspiration for future generations and evidence of his deep commitment to this country; it’s also proof of his effectiveness as a leader who is going to generate wins not just for the Democratic Party in November, but for the entire country,” Moore said.

“To the window...to the Walz!!!” the Maryland Democratic Party tweeted, inviting Maryland residents to sign a card welcoming the governor to the campaign.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md-08) called Walz “a rock star to veterans, teachers, football players, and common-sense Americans.”

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic candidate for Senate, said in a statement that the Harris-Walz ticket presents a vision that stands “in diametric opposition” to the Trump-Vance ticket and is instead focused on protecting freedoms.

“I couldn’t be more excited for Vice President Harris, for Maryland, and for our country in her decision of Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate,” Alsobrooks said.

Walz signed numerous pieces of LGBTQ+ protection legislation throughout his governorship including bills that protected gender-affirming care, outlawed book bans due to LGBTQ+ content, and banned conversion therapy. The governor also signed bills protecting abortion in Minnesota and people who travel to Minnesota for the procedure.

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who also served with the governor in Congress, said there was no better person to serve alongside Harris.

“Tim has always put our country first,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “I'm excited and ready to do everything I can to turn out the vote and elect President Harris and Vice President Walz — a brighter future for all Americans and our democracy depends on it.”

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin kept his endorsement succinct, posting on X: “Harris-Walz. Strong. Experienced. Authentic. Unifying. Exciting! Can’t wait to cast my ballot.”

Rep. Andrew P. Harris (Md-01), the sole Republican in the Maryland congressional delegation, joined other party members in accusing Walz on X of being “pro-open border" and repeating the false claim that Harris is the “border czar.”

“It is no surprise failed Border Czar Kamala Harris picked a running mate who is more pro-open border than she is,” Andy Harris tweeted. “The same person who said he would invest in a ladder factory to defeat Trump’s border wall is now vying to be VP.”

Walz was critical of Trump’s border wall proposal, supported a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, and signed a law that allows undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses.

“The selection of Tim Walz as the Democrat candidate for vice president just confirms what we already knew: this is the most extreme, far-left ticket in modern American history,” the Maryland Republican Party said in a statement.

However, Republican Senate candidate and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan struck a different tone than his GOP counterparts. Hogan congratulated Walz on X and said the country needs more governors on the national level because “governors have to actually get stuff done."

“While we come from different parties, I have always appreciated his dedication to public service,” Hogan said, acknowledging their past working together as governors.

Hogan is in an awkward place in his own party, whose national convention in Milwaukee he skipped last month. He has said he will not support Trump, even though the former president has endorsed him.

Praise for Selection of Walz as Harris’s VP Running Mate

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:01:48 GMT

Shore Progress (formerly known as the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus) enthusiastically welcomes Tim Walz's selection as Kamala Harris’s vice presidential running mate. Walz, the current governor of Minnesota, brings an impressive array of experience and achievements that resonate deeply with Eastern Shore values and aspirations.

As a Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard, Walz's dedication to service and leadership is unquestionable. His 17-year tenure as a teacher underscores his commitment to education and our children's future. Walz's track record as governor highlights his capability to enact meaningful change and advance progressive policies that improve lives.

Major Achievements of Tim Walz:

Universal free school lunches: Ensuring that every child receives a nutritious meal, contributing to better learning outcomes and health.

Universal background checks on firearm sales: Strengthening safety and security by implementing comprehensive checks.

Legalization of recreational marijuana: Promoting personal freedom and economic growth through sensible drug policy reform.

Enshrined abortion rights in law: Protecting women's health and reproductive rights in a landmark legislative move.

Expanded access to pre-kindergarten: Investing in early childhood education to give every child a strong start.

Major investments in summer learning programs: Enhancing educational opportunities and reducing learning loss during the summer months.

Paid medical and family leave: Supporting working families by providing essential leave benefits for medical and family needs.

Tim Walz's background as a non-Ivy League, blue-collar Midwesterner and his roots in a rural community mirror our own experiences and challenges. His life and career exemplify the values of hard work, dedication, and a commitment to serving the common good.

"Tim Walz is an everyday guy like us," said Jared Schablein, Chair of Shore Progress. "He understands the struggles and aspirations of rural communities. His selection as Kamala Harris's running mate ensures that our voices will be heard and our needs addressed. Walz's progressive leadership aligns perfectly with our mission and values, especially in areas like childcare, child poverty, and labor rights."

Walz stands out as the most progressive vice presidential choice among the finalists. His proven ability to get things done makes him the ideal partner for Kamala Harris. His selection signals a strong commitment to advancing policies supporting working families, protecting rights, and promoting economic and social justice.

Shore Progress is excited about the future and looks forward to working towards a brighter, more equitable America with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz at the helm. Together, we will continue championing the causes that matter most to our community and ensuring a better future for all.

Shore Progress is an organization that fights for economic, social, and environmental justice. Its goal is to work on the local level to bring about positive change for the underserved and underprivileged. Its mission is to identify, recruit, and elect progressive candidates, and to promote labor and progressive issues.

Election Surprises — A Bumper Crop

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:01:38 GMT

Back in June, a Common Sense article on the importance of voting responsibly said, “Let’s look at the presidential race. The fact is that one of two men, Joe Biden or Donald Trump, the Democrat or the Republican — barring some unforeseen event — will be the next president of the United States.”

That phrase about unforeseen events was prophetic — though the part saying it will be the Democrat or the Republican who wins in November is probably still true. Probably.

We’ve had more than the usual quota of the unforeseen during the last two months. Politics is always subject to the unexpected, but this year seems to have produced a bumper crop of surprises.

First, a lackluster debate performance by Biden — caused in part by a severe cold — sent a wave of panic through Democratic elected officials and voters. The perception that 81-year-old Biden was “too old,” which was already being peddled by Republicans, took on strength — although their own candidate, at 78, is hardly a young man. After that debate, serious news outlets including the New York Times began calling for Biden to end his campaign.

Then, a 20-year-old sniper fired into the crowd at a Trump rally in Butler, Pa. — killing one and wounding several more, including the former president. The injury to Trump — a nick on the right ear — was a few inches from being a fatal head shot. A flood of speculation and conspiracy theories followed, fueled by the fact that the shooter, who was killed by police, was unavailable to provide hard facts about his motivation for the assassination attempt.

And then, just after the Republican National Convention came to an end, President Biden announced that he was ending his re-election campaign, and endorsed Vice president Kamala Harris to take the top spot in the Democratic ticket. The response by most Democrats was enthusiastic, while the Trump campaign, which had geared its strategy to attack Biden, was caught unprepared. What a surprise! After pushing the line that he was too old to run, they weren’t ready for him to take them at their word.

Following all these events, the election campaign we thought we were in store for in early June has been replaced by something quite different. After Biden’s withdrawal, the Republicans are faced with the question whether their own candidate is “too old to be president.” Trump’s rambling, nearly incoherent performances on the campaign trail haven’t made that question any easier for them to answer.

Harris’s background as a prosecuting attorney should give her the debating skills to take on her opponent far more energetically than Biden did in the June debate. Possibly in recognition of that fact, Trump at first refused to take part in the debate scheduled for September 10 on ABC News. Instead, he proposed a September 4 debate sponsored by Fox News, where he probably felt he can escape tough questions and fact-checking. Then, on August 8, he reversed course and agreed to the ABC debate, plus two more at unspecified dates. One wonders if his advisers convinced him that ducking out of a debate made him look like a “chicken” — something totally at odds with the image he has cultivated.

For her part, Harris has made it clear she wants to debate Trump, calling for him to “say it to my face” after some of his remarks, and she has said she is willing to debate Trump — in his words — “anywhere, anytime, anyplace” in addition to the originally scheduled September 10 debate.

Meanwhile, JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, probably seemed a safe choice when the prospective opponent was Biden. A Christian conservative, Vance seemed likely to shore up the Republican base in an election where a significant number of voters were unhappy with both presidential choices. Now, Vance’s record of outright sexist comments risks alienating a significant number of voters, especially the swing voters who are likely to be the deciding factor in a close election. Democrats are gleefully pointing out these gaffes. On the other hand, it’s not clear how many voters are comfortable — even in 2024 — with the idea of a woman president. Trump’s defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016 was a surprise to many.

Harris’s choice for vice president is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz , a popular progressive from a midwestern state. A military veteran and a former high school teacher, Walz served six terms in Congress from a district that previously had elected only two Democratic representatives since before the Civil War. He is expected to add to the ticket’s appeal in neighboring rural states the Democrats need to win in November. Walz has been on the reported shortlist for the position since it became open, so his selection doesn’t qualify as a surprise.

That doesn’t rule out something unexpected, though. It wasn’t that long ago that John McCain and his advisers saw Sarah Palin as an asset to their ticket, though most commentators thought otherwise after the election. The 1972 Democratic ticket initially had Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton as George McGovern’s running mate, but he dropped out after the revelation that he was seeing a therapist for depression. Things have changed enough that this probably wouldn’t disqualify a candidate today.

With just over two months until the November 5 election, there’s still room for more surprises. In fact, the “October surprise” — some unanticipated last-minute revelation — has been a fairly regular feature of presidential elections as far back as October of 1840, when federal prosecutors charged Whig party officials with a scheme to have Pennsylvania residents illegally vote in New York state.

More recent examples include Lyndon Johnson’s announcement of a bombing halt in Vietnam the weekend before the 1968 election in an unsuccessful attempt to boost Hubert Humphrey’s candidacy, or the 2016 announcement by then-FBI Dir. James Comey that he was investigating Hillary Clinton’s emails. Who knows how much those October surprises affected the final results? And who knows what the respective campaigns may pull out of their sleeves by October of this year?

Still, the next president of the United States will be Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, barring some unforeseen event. Stay tuned for the next big election surprise. It’s sure to come.

We Can’t and Shouldn’t Turn the Clock Back, But…

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:01:32 GMT

Believe it or not, those who idealize the 1950s may be right on target, at least in some areas:

By the mid-50’s the U.S. was at peace for the first time in almost a decade.

The Supreme Court’s decision in the Brown vs. Board of Education case outlawing school segregation opened the way for the civil rights movement, leading eventually to much greater racial equality.

During the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961, the top income tax bracket in the U.S. was 91% and taxes on corporate profits were two times greater than they were in 2017. The tax on large estates went up to more than 70%. And keep in mind that Eisenhower was a Republican, albeit of the old school.

One third of workers were unionized and on an equal footing for negotiation with management.

In 1955 Fortune magazine reported that the incomes of the top 0.01% of Americans had dropped by more than half of what they had been in the 1920s and their share of total income had dropped by 75%.

The average corporate CEO received a salary 20 times greater than his company’s typical employees, while by 2016 the salaries of CEOs were more than 200 times more than that of the average worker.

Well-paid workers were able to consume more, thereby leading to business expansion and hiring, and thus raising corporate profits and producing higher wages and more hiring.

Since the passing of that halcyon period of economic growth and greater income equality, this country has basically jumped back to the period of the “Robber Barons” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That transformation began during the administration of President Ronald Reagan and has continued when Congress has had Republican majorities and under other Republican presidents, culminating in Donald Trump’s major tax cuts for the wealthy in 2017 with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of that year.

In a written statement presented to a Senate Budget Committee hearing on “The Income and Wealth Inequality Crisis in America,” Sarah Anderson, director of the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, made the following points:

In 1980 the CEOs of big companies average 42 times more compensation than their typical workers. During the present century, the annual gap has averaged 350 to 1.

Women and workers of color make up a disproportionate share of low-wage workers and a tiny share of corporate leadership: only 1% of CEOs in the 500 largest corporations are Black, 2.4% are Asian, 3.4% Latino, and 6% women.

The financial crisis of 2008-09 is “a dramatic example of how corporate pay practices that incentivize reckless behavior put us all at risk.”

Contributing to the crisis, according to a Harvard study, publicly held corporations, especially the largest ones, extended huge executive stock grants when the market was at its lowest. These grants drove up executive compensation at Russell 3000 firms by 37% between 2008 and 2010.

Corporate CEOs have taken advantage of the covid crisis by outsourcing jobs and turning many others into low-wage, part-time work without benefits. Examples given by Anderson include Coca Cola, Tyson Foods, and Carnival Cruise Lines.

A Harvard study on the negative impact of large pay gaps on company performance reinforce the theory proposed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in 1990 that pay disparity causes resentment among lower-level employees resulting in their taking actions, such as shirking or quitting, thereby undermining the company’s effectiveness.

In 2016 a Stanford survey showed that 52% of Republicans want to cap CEO pay relative to worker pay.

In her testimony Anderson made the following recommendations for reducing income inequality:

Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act. This legislation would apply a graduated tax rate increase on large corporations based on the size of the pay gap between their CEO and the median worker.

Financial Transaction Tax. Placing a financial transaction tax on Wall Street trades would generate much needed revenue and curb executive excess.

CEO pay ratio incentive in federal procurement. Giving corporations with narrow pay ratios preferential treatment in granting government contracts.

Close the “carried interest” loophole. “Carried interest” refers to earnings that are tied to a percentage of the company’s profits. It is actually compensation for managing other people’s investments and should be taxed as regular income.

Fully close a loophole that allows unlimited tax deductions for excessive pay.

Restrict stock buybacks.

Require top financial executives to contribute compensation into a fund to pay for penalties.

Finalize and firmly enforce the remaining Dodd-Frank executive compensation reforms.

Additional recommendations made by Anderson include making it easier to organize and form labor unions, taxing the accumulated wealth of the ultra-rich, taxing investment income at the same rate as income from work, raising corporate income tax rates on offshore profits to make them equal to domestic rates, and shutting down the means used by the wealthy to hide money and avoid taxes. Further, she suggests broadly canceling federal student debt and establishing a “ baby bonds ” program to help narrow the racial wealth divide. “Baby bonds” refers to a government policy in which every child at birth would receive a publicly funded trust account, potentially with more funding for lower income families.

Democrats in Congress are working to remedy tax inequities and salary inequities. President Biden also made his intentions clear for 2025 before he dropped out of the electoral race. There is no doubt that Vice president Harris agrees.

The Democrats’ plan is to increase the tax rate of the wealthy and of corporations. The increased revenue would be invested in childcare programs, internet access, and housing.

A proposal introduced by progressive legislators, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), this year would put into effect a 2% tax on households worth $50 million to $1 billion and a 3% tax on those worth more than a billion. According to an article in USA Today by Riley Beggin, it would affect the wealthiest 100,000 households in the country, which amounts to about 0.05% of the population. It includes provisions to prevent people from dodging the tax. The proposal also includes a 40% exit tax on those worth more than $50 million who dump their citizenship to avoid paying. According to the Wharton Budget Model at the University of Pennsylvania the proposal would produce an estimated $2.7 trillion over the next decade.

Much hangs on the election in November. We cannot expect any major changes in tax policy or in income inequities without a substantial victory by the Democrats. They must take not only the presidency, but also win majorities in the House and Senate. That can only happen if the Party wins over Independents and moderate Republicans.

Progress on Restoring Oyster Reefs in Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore Rivers

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:01:18 GMT

For thousands of years before Europeans arrived in North America, the first Americans fished and hunted in and around the Chesapeake Bay. Along with numerous varieties of fish, these indigenous people also prized oysters.

Oysters are a keystone species, meaning that they are essential to many other species and for the general health of the Bay. Originally, the Bay had massive reefs, built from the shells of generations of oysters. These reefs provided habitat for many other species. In addition, oysters via their filter-feeding help to keep the Bay’s water fresh and clean. A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water every day, removing toxins and debris.

In those early days, the waters of the Bay were filled with oysters, a seemingly endless supply. When the early European settlers began arriving, the Chesapeake Bay quickly became an important food source and economic driver for the colonies.

However, over the decades the number, variety, and size of the Bay’s aquatic species declined. This trend sped up increasingly in the 1800s and 1900s as commercial fishing grew and more efficient techniques such as tonging and dredging were developed. The oyster reefs suffered great damage which also affected the other species that depended on the reefs, including crabs, eels, seagrass, and many varieties of fish. Reefs vanished or were greatly reduced in size.

By the late 1800s, over-fishing along with various forms of pollution had significantly reduced oyster the population in the Chesapeake Bay. Over the next hundred years or so, pollution from agricultural fertilizers, gasoline engines, and factory chemicals all contributed to the decline in the Bay’s abundance.

Today it’s estimated that the oyster population is a mere one to three per cent of its levels in the late 1500s and early 1600s when Europeans began to colonize the Chesapeake Bay area.

As this became apparent, both government and conservation organizations started programs to protect and restore the Bay. It has been a long haul and only recently has there been much progress. There is still a long way to go but projects to rebuild the oyster reefs and oyster populations have begun to make some significant progress.

One oyster sanctuary and reef restoration in Maryland was started in 2011 in Harris Creek on the Eastern Shore. The project showed almost immediate improvement in the oyster population. This proof of concept encouraged the involved parties to expand their efforts.

Thus in 2014, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement was signed, extending a partnership between governmental and private organizations that had been working on oyster reef restoration. Organized by the Chesapeake Bay Program, the cooperating partners include, among others, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the six states — Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, plus Washington, D.C. — that are part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The projects focused on 10 tributaries of the Bay — five in Maryland and five in Virginia. Four of the five Maryland oyster reservations are in rivers on the Eastern Shore.

In Maryland, the tributaries are Harris Creek and the Tred Avon River in Talbot County, the Little Choptank River in Dorchester County near Cambridge, and Manokin River in Somerset County. The fifth is the St. Mary’s River on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Harvesting of oysters is prohibited in these sanctuary areas.

Reef restoration is nearly completed in the first three while work on the Manokin River oyster sanctuary, which began in 2021, is ongoing. Monitoring of oyster population and the measuring of other aspects of Bay health will continue even after the initial rebuilding of the reefs is completed.

The plan is to restore over 2,300 acres of oyster reef habitat in the two states — an ambitious undertaking, making it the world’s largest oyster reef restoration project.

As of 2024, that target has almost been met, with 1,572 acres of healthy reefs established in eight of the ten Bay tributaries. The remaining acres are in the Lynnhaven (Virginia) and Manokin (Maryland) rivers.

While significant progress has been made in restoring oyster reefs, the projects have not been without some skepticism and controversy. The required permits for various aspects of the projects have often been difficult to obtain. For example, a federally funded restoration project in the Tred Avon River was delayed for several years over its proposed use of granite to build reefs. Natural oyster or clam shells are the preferred building materials, although granite has been used successfully in other reef restorations. Objections by some watermen and conservationists were finally lifted after the Army Corps of Engineers explained that there simply weren’t enough clam shells available to finish the job within the allotted time frame.

There has also been controversy over dredging shells from reefs such as the Man O’ War oyster reef near Baltimore. This reef is one of the few remaining ancient oyster reefs; however, it is no longer productive. Proponents of dredging said that it could provide millions of bushels of old oyster shells from its almost 450 acres according to a 1988 survey. The Man O’ War reef is a popular fishing and boating area, and many anglers and conservationists protested the dredging.

There have also been worries about potential incompatibilities of the various construction materials as well as fears of introducing diseases and toxins or disturbing nearby aquatic habitats.

One of the many reasons that that oyster shell reefs have declined is that so many oysters from the Chesapeake Bay have been exported to other countries, especially to Japan and other countries in Asia where Maryland oysters are considered a delicacy. To keep the oysters fresh on such long trips, they need to remain in the shell on ice in refrigerated containers.

When oysters are transported relatively short distances, a few hours by plane or truck, they can be shucked at processing plants near the Bay and sent on ice without their shells. The shells then are often discarded back into the water where they contribute to reef building. But now in an interesting turn of events, some Asian oyster shells — a slightly different genetic variety that floated or hitchhiked on boats from Asia to the Pacific coast of the U.S. and built oyster reefs there — will be arriving from a seafood plant in Washington State to help rebuild the oyster reefs of the Chesapeake Bay. After settling some disagreements over their safety and suitability for the Bay, 84 truckloads of Asian oyster shells will be deposited in the Bay by the end of summer 2024. Global commerce comes full circle with Chesapeake Bay oyster shells going to Asia and Asian oyster shells coming to the Bay.

All in all, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement’s ten oyster reef restoration projects appear to be well on the way to a successful completion by their target date of the end of 2025.

Log Canoe Races on the Eastern Shore

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:01:04 GMT

If you are a resident of the Eastern Shore, chances are reasonable that you’ve at least heard of log canoe racing. One hopes that Eastern Shore school education includes enough Native American history to include the log canoes the Europeans encountered when they arrived in the 1600s.

Without the technology of metal tools and materials, the Native people made their canoes out of large trees harvested in the forests. To fell these trees, the early boatwrights built fires at the base of a selected tree and chipped the burnt wood away until the tree could no longer stand.

These dugout canoe makers then used more fire and stone tools to round off the ends of the logs and remove unneeded branches and limbs. Finished canoe lengths ran from 24 to 36 feet. Once launched, the canoes were used for hunting, fishing, and transporting people.

The European colonists adopted the Native vessel. They had the technological advantages of metal tools and materials and of sails and rigging.

The colonial canoe hulls improved on the Native ones by narrowing one log to serve as the keel. And added to the sides of that central log were as many as five, seven, or more logs to make up the full hull. Tall pines were cut, dressed, and fitted as masts for sails, eliminating paddles.

These colonial vessels were used as fishing and oystering boats, and as transports to carry raw materials to Annapolis and Baltimore. The sooner a colonial waterman delivered his seafood to a market buyer, the higher the price he was paid. Consequently, well before the sport of canoe racing began, log canoe owners and operators were accustomed to fast sailing.

In the latter part of the 19th century, some 6,300 sailing canoes worked the Bay. But the eventual take-over by the internal combustion engine rendered sailing vessels obsolete .

But well before the internal combustion engine eliminated the use of wind power, watermen began racing their log canoes. Some crews even used two sets of riggings. One set of shorter masts and smaller sails worked for dredging for oysters. A second set of much higher masts and larger sails drove the canoes in races. To balance and stabilize the racing boats, springboards or hiking boards on stuck out on the leeward side and were weighted by agile crew members.

These purpose-built racing boats have long, narrow hulls and low drafts. The stem-to-stern lengths of 35 or so feet are extended by a bowsprit half the hull length. The much higher racing speeds and the scramble from one side of the boat to the other while racing made these vessels impractical for dredging and fishing.

Today’s races are scheduled in the summer at various courses up and down the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels offers private charters to watch some of the races. Maryland Public Television and others offer videos for armchair race watchers .

In 1984, an application went to the National Park Service’s Registry of Historic Places to recognize a group of 18 Chesapeake Bay log canoes. This group of boats is “the last active representations of the oldest indigenous vessel type on the bay … which was developed in the 17th century by early European settlers from the original dugout canoe.” Log canoes and their history are unique to the Eastern Shore and tie us to our past.

Opinion: The Case for Angela Alsobrooks

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:08:58 GMT

It’s easy to make a case for voting for Angela Alsobrooks on strategic grounds, to keep the Republicans from gaining control of the U.S. Senate. There’s no question that’s an important goal, especially given the recent concerns over the presidential race. A Democratic Senate could be one of the country’s strongest protections against a Republican president with authoritarian longings. She would also be the state’s first Black senator, and only the second woman in that office.

But as important as those arguments are, Alsobrooks is not just some generic placeholder to keep Maryland’s open Senate seat “blue.” She is a strong candidate in her own right, with extensive experience in government and politics at the local, state, and national levels. She would be a good choice to represent the state even in a less critical political climate. Let’s take a look at her record and the positions she advocates.

Born and raised in Suitland, Prince George’s County, Angela Alsobrooks is a graduate of Duke University and University of Maryland Law School. She was admitted to the bar in 1996 and worked as a law clerk in the Howard County circuit court, then the Baltimore City circuit court.

She returned to her home county of Prince George’s in 1997 as assistant state’s attorney, with a focus on domestic violence cases, a position she held until 2002, when she became legislative liaison to the county executive, then worked as executive director of the county’s revenue authority.

Alsobrooks had been interested in politics since high school. She worked as an intern for Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, and attended the 1992 Democratic National Convention, working for candidate Bill Clinton after the convention.

In 2000, she was on the presidential campaign staff for Al Gore, and in 2008 she ran for delegate to the Democratic National Convention, pledged to Hillary Clinton. Following the convention, she worked for eventual President Barack Obama. And in 2016, she again attended the convention as a delegate for Clinton.

In 2010, Alsobrooks was inspired by a magazine story on Kamala Harris, who was then district attorney of San Francisco. With Harris’s encouragement, she ran for state’s attorney of PG County. She won and was reelected in 2014. She was seen as a “tough on crime” prosecutor, and increased prosecutions for property crimes such as car break-ins, vandalism and burglary.

At the same time, she supported rehabilitation for juveniles, and worked to reduce problems in the county school system. She also worked with Harris to implement a “Back on Track” program, designed to reduce recidivism in the county. The program was modeled on one introduced by Harris in San Francisco.

In 2018, Alsobrooks ran for PG county executive, defeating former U.S. Representative Donna Edwards in the primary and winning the general election unopposed; she was reelected in 2022. Her focus as executive was on creating jobs and new economic opportunities. She was also a strong advocate of education, building 10 new schools during her first six years in office. She also expanded healthcare access and made crucial decisions to keep county residents safe during the early years of the covid-19 pandemic.

She was critical of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision as soon as it was announced, saying that the choice to get an abortion should be “a family decision” by a woman, her family, and medical professionals. If elected to the Senate, she said she would work to overturn the Dobbs decision and would not support any judicial nominee opposing abortion rights. In an interview with the New York Times before the Senate primary, she said, “As women, we don’t want people talking about us and making decisions about us without us.”

On immigration, another issue likely to be a prominent feature in this year’s national elections, Alsobrooks has stated her support for comprehensive immigration reform, including proposals to allow a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. As county executive, she opposed efforts by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to enlist local law enforcement to detain suspected undocumented immigrants for potential deportation efforts.

On foreign policy issues, Alsobooks has expressed support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation, and has called for a cease-fire along with immediate release of captives held by Hamas. She has also advocated for foreign aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, although she opposes sending American troops to fight for Ukraine.

Alsobrooks’ website includes a detailed list of her policy priorities, along with endorsements by a host of national and local leaders and organizations.

Clearly, Angela Alsobrooks is a well-qualified candidate whose views are in line with those of many Marylanders. This year’s Senate race is arguably the most important for that office in many years. Let’s hope the state’s voters look carefully at the candidates’ positions and experience and make a choice that will best serve both the state and the nation.

Hogan on the Environment

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:08:36 GMT

Rising sea levels, recurring floods, and an increasing number of dangerous storms along with the hottest summers on record have made environmental issues among the most important and hotly debated issues across the country. This article takes a look at former Gov. Larry Hogan’s record on environmental policy during his two terms as Maryland’s governor from 2015 to 2023.

Hogan, a Republican, is now running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Ben Cardin. This Senate race in Maryland is important at the national as well as the state level because the result could well be the deciding factor in which political party — Democrats or Republicans — will control the U.S. Senate.

Most environmental experts and organizations gave Hogan a mixed review, mentioning some progress on the issues, but noting that Hogan’s support of environmental and climate solutions was in general more talk than action.

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) summarized Hogan’s record on the environment in their Governor’s Report Card , stating that “While Governor Hogan took positive actions, his leadership was inconsistent and he failed to adequately staff environmental compliance offices. He made strong statements committing to climate policy and the Chesapeake Bay that too often were followed by weak actions.”

Overall, the LCV’s Report Card gave Governor Hogan one “B-”, one “C”, and two “Ds” for his record on four key environmental and climate issues during his two terms in office.

Below are examples of the type of action or inaction that were considered in the report.

Several communities on the Eastern Shore have been struggling with air quality problems due to nearby large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). The Hogan administration declined to introduce any measures to reduce the sources of the air pollution but it did direct the MDE to install air monitors to record ammonia emissions from poultry farms, thus taking a small first step in addressing the issue.

However, when a court issued a ruling requiring the state to regulate poultry ammonia emissions as part of its Clean Water Act, Hogan declined to comply and appealed the decision, thus delaying any reduction of emissions and any relief from the unhealthy, polluted, and stinking air for the local residents.

The annual report from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) on enforcement and compliance showed a significant reduction in enforcement of environmental regulations during Hogan’s tenure.

Transportation and Energy also had mixed, though generally low, reviews.

The LCV said that “On the whole, the Hogan administration’s record on environmental justice, especially with regard to public transit, and clean and renewable energy, is inadequate.” The LCV went on to state that Hogan’s Department of Transportation prioritized highway expansion, especially in rural Maryland, and “actively starved public transit of funding and support.”

This significant reduction in funding for the Maryland Transportation Administration (MTA) resulted in Maryland’s public transit system being listed as one of the least reliable in the entire country according to the Federal Transit Administration.

Governor Hogan’s budget did provide some limited support for the Purple line. However, Hogan canceled all plans for the Baltimore Red line which would have expanded public transportation into poorly-serviced areas of Baltimore, helping residents travel for both employment and shopping. The cancellation of the long-awaited Red Line disproportionately affected the poorer sections of Baltimore.

Hogan refused federal funding that would have provided nearly a billion dollars towards the construction of the Red Line . Then, adding insult to injury, Hogan redistributed the already approved state’s share of the money for the Red Line to nearly every other state jurisdiction except those that would have benefited from the Red Line. An investigation reported in the magazine Washington Monthly pointed out that many of these rerouted funds ended up going to highway projects located near properties owned by Hogan’s real estate investment firm, thus increasing their potential value.

On the positive side, Hogan supported tax credits for electric vehicles. This could help achieve the state’s goal of 300,000 electric cars by 2030.

Hogan’s record on clean energy has also been mixed. He opposed a ban on fracking in 2017 and planned to expand fracked gas infrastructure in Maryland. Then at the last minute, he changed course and supported the fracking ban as well as joining in the opposition to the Potomac Pipeline expansion through Western Maryland.

In a seeming contradiction of that decision, Hogan then supported expansion of the existing pipeline infrastructure of the Del-Mar Energy Pathway Project planned to run through the Eastern Shore. This inconsistency in energy policy, according to the LCV, leaves Hogan’s thinking and position on energy policies unclear. His policies may be evolving, or, as many think, such decisions may be significantly influenced by press and public pressure.

On the positive side, the Report Card points out that as governor, Hogan actively supported wind farms off the Atlantic coastline near Ocean City to generate clean electricity. He sought both grants and federal funding for these projects.

In both 2020 and 2021, Hogan’s administration proposed legislation that promised a path to 100% clean and renewable energy, a laudable goal. But the bill had questionable provisions that resulted in opposition by the environmental community. While those issues were mostly addressed in the 2021 version of the bill, the bill was submitted three weeks after the deadline thus assuring that it could not be considered during that legislative session.

The LCV concluded that “In both 2020 and 2021, the Hogan administration’s attempts to build legislative or community support for a 100% clean energy policy were lackluster. … The Hogan administration has been vague about its support for clean energy, and overall progress has been disappointingly slow.”

In the 2022 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly approved new legislation to help with climate and environmental issues. The Washington Post called the bill “one of the most ambitious climate change plans in the U.S.” The article went on to state that the new plan “accelerates Maryland’s already ambitious environmental goals, seeking to cut emissions by 60% of 2006 levels by 2031, up from the current goal of 40%. It also spells out sweeping changes to get there.”

Governor Larry Hogan opposed the bill, calling it a “reckless and controversial energy tax.”

Continuing the mixed review trend, the LCV cited Governor Hogan’s record on funding land preservation and open space as excellent, while his water management policies ranked as inconsistent to poor.

Hogan advocated for full federal funding of the Chesapeake Bay Program during the Trump administration when significant cuts were proposed. Yet Hogan repeatedly opposed legislation for science-based oyster management and sanctuaries. Oysters are vital for the health of the Bay and for the economy of the fishing and oyster industry.

A summary of the Environmental Report Card for former Governor Larry Hogan with a link to download the full report can be found here .

A previous Common Sense article reported on Hogan’s career and his record of legislative vetoes on several issues, including abortion, education, and gun control.

Look for more articles on the candidates and their records in upcoming issues of Common Sense for the Eastern Shore.

Trump’s Project 2025 — What You Need to Know

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:08:03 GMT

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless, if the left allows it to be.

~Kevin Roberts, president of Heritage Foundation and architect of Project 2025

What is this second revolution? Simply, it means "restructuring the country so that the right — meaning primarily straight White men, as was the case 100 years ago — can decide how power and status are allocated.”

~ Philip Bump , Washington Post

Don’t be fooled by his recent disavowals. Donald Trump has a transition team working already — mapping out the course of his second administration. The MAGA Trump elite will be prepped for a Trump victory this time.

The plans — or most of them — are not secret; in fact, they’re published on the internet as Project 2025 .

Critics of Project 2025 characterize it as an authoritarian, Christian nationalist plan to transform the U.S. into an autocracy. Many legal experts claim it would undermine the rule of law, destroy the separation of powers, end the separation of church and state, and erode civil liberties.

Conceived by the Heritage Foundation (the former conservative think-tank turned far-right ideological tribe), aided by a large cast of former high-level Trump administration appointees and reactionary organizations, and funded to the tune of $22 million by right-wing billionaire megadonors such as the Koch brothers and Leonard Leo, Project 2025 aims to reshape American society completely.

How to accomplish this, as stated in the introduction to the document, is to:

Restore the family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children
Dismantle the administrative state and return self-governance to the American people
Defend our nation’s sovereignty, borders, and bounty against global threats
Secure our God-given individual rights to live freely — what our Constitution calls ‘the Blessings of Liberty’

These coded dog whistles are crafted to appear innocuous , harmless, and “American,” while signaling their true intent to far-right believers.

As unobjectionable as this language appears, a close reading of the 900-page document reveals some ugly policy plans.

Highlights of Project 2025 include:

Revenge and retribution

Prosecute Trump’s political opponents
Pardon and free the Jan. 6 insurrectionists
Deport protestors
Jail journalists
Fire federal civil servants and replace them with Trump loyalists

Expand presidential power

Concentrate power in Trump’s hands
Replace government experts with MAGA loyalists
Withhold congressionally allocated funding at will
Bring the Department of Justice and FBI under Trump’s power to prosecute his opponents
Completely dismantle key agencies such as the Department of Education

Rip away reproductive freedom

Enshrine law that life begins at conception
Pass a national abortion ban
Block national protections for IVF (in vitro fertilization)
Restrict or prevent access to contraception
Establish surveillance state to track women and health care providers

More handouts to the ultra-wealthy. More taxes on the middle class. Cut Social Security and Medicare

Terminate ACA (Obamacare)
Cut funding to Medicaid
Cut and privatize Social Security and Medicare
Raise retirement age
Impose tariffs that would raise taxes on middle class families up to $8300/year
Extend and expand Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans

Foreign Policy

End U.S. support for Ukraine
Curtail foreign aid through USAID
Start dramatic build-up of nuclear bombs and weapons in excess of treaty limits
Resume nuclear weapons testing despite international testing bans
Transition armed forces to a “wartime footing”

Insert principles of Christian Nationalism into the national government
Reinstate Muslim ban
Detain illegal immigrants in huge camps
Eliminate a long list of terms from all laws and federal regulations, including: sexual orientation; diversity, equity, and inclusion; gender equality; abortion; reproductive rights
Institute policies that support the formation of straight families
Do away with “woke” propaganda in public schools
Cripple public education through “school choice”
Put more guns in schools
Cut money from school meal programs
Terminate college loan forgiveness programs
Eliminate Head Start
Roll back everything Joe Biden accomplished on climate change

As horrifying as all this is, there’s more — more monstrous stuff that hasn’t been released to the public. Earlier this year, Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, said, “There are parts of the plan that we will not share with the Left: the executive orders, the rules and regulations. Just like a good football team, we don’t want to tip off our playbook to the Left.”

As word of Project 2025 spreads, public outrage has spiked. House Democrats launched a task force to fight back against the agenda. Joe Biden’s reelection campaign published a webpage explaining the contents of the plan. But it’s up to us to spread the word.

Realizing how toxic Project 2025 is, Trump is trying to distance himself from it, simultaneously disavowing knowledge of the plan and claiming to disagree with at least parts of it.

But Trump is mentioned on 190 pages of the 900-page document. Trump’s own super PAC is running ads promoting it and calling it “ Trump’s Project 2025 .” Trump’s campaign rallies feature many of the policies outlined in the document.

To combat criticism, the Heritage Foundation published “ 5 Reasons Leftists Hate Project 2025 .” In it — and these are quotes — they argue that Project 2025 will:

Restore the American family. The radical Left hates families.
Dismantle the deep state. The radical Left needs the deep state to maintain its iron grip on power.
End America’s border crisis. The radical Left rejects the idea of borders and national sovereignty.
Reject climate hysteria. Billionaire climate activists use the “climate crisis” as a tool for scaring Americans into giving up their freedom.
Stop socialism in its tracks. The radical Left hates Project 2025 because it will save America from becoming a socialist nightmare.

The implementation of this blueprint, especially in the context of the newly defined powers of presidential immunity for “official acts,” would spell the end of American life as we know it.

Only the election of Democrats up and down the ballot in November can prevent this dystopian takeover of our country.

The Founders are turning in their graves.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Biden’s Presidential Accomplishments

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:07:20 GMT

Biden’s greatest accomplishment has been to strengthen America with economic and humanitarian policies. He took many steps to shore up our democracy: government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

In economic life of America the cost of living is going down in spite of inheriting an inflationary economy from his predecessor!

Salary increases are outpacing inflation. The job growth in his first three years outperformed any previous president. Nearly 11 million jobs have been created since 2021, including 750,000 new manufacturing jobs. This is the strongest job growth in history.
We are experiencing the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years: 3.5%! There is a record low unemployment rate for people with disabilities and a near record low unemployment rate for Hispanics and African Americans. $15 is the minimum wage for federal workers and contractors. Income inequality is narrowing at last!
Families are better off than they were before Biden’s presidency and his policies are targeting inequality. Net worth has climbed under his presidency. The cost of energy, gas, and internet are lower. He initiated over 100 actions to lower household energy costs by $100 per year. He helped bring gas prices down more than $1.60 from their summer 2022 peak. Over 16 million households receive lower cost or free high-speed internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

President Biden has created rapid disinflation that no other president in history achieved.

The health of Americans has improved dramatically. President Biden rescued the economy and changed the course of the pandemic. 79% of American adults are fully vaccinated against covid-19.

There are more people with health insurance than ever before in American history.
Millions of Americans are saving $800 per year on health insurance coverage. There is an all-time low of uninsured Americans. Over 90% of the people are insured.
He reignited the Cancer Moonshot with the goal of cutting the cancer death rate by at least half over the next 25 years.
He ended our failed approach to marijuana.
There is historic expansion of benefits and services for toxin exposed veterans.

Another major area of success is in education. He canceled loans that were unbearable and increased funding for scholarships.

More than 40 million borrowers benefitted from historical student debt relief for middle- and working -class families.
Biden increased the maximum value of Pell Grants by $900.

This presidency also has improved the quality of American life by

Implementing the first meaningful gun violence reduction legislation in 30 years.
Protecting marriage for LGBTQ+ and interracial couples.
Issuing executive orders protecting reproductive rights.
Advancing equity and racial justice, including historic criminal justice reform.
Signing the most significant gun violence prevention legislation in nearly 30 years.
Violent crimes, especially homicides, have fallen. Biden has encouraged states to use stimulus money on law enforcement. Under Trump homicides rose substantially. The U.S. was in the midst of its worst spasm of violence in decades when Biden took office, with the homicide rate rising to 29% in 2020. It started to fall in the autumn of 2022, then an additional 11.8% drop last year — the sharpest on record, according to estimates by AH Datalytics.

Biden delivered on the most aggressive climate and environmental justice agenda in American history. Green spending is booming, but it’s still not enough. The goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 requires $1 trillion in transition investment now. He is rebuilding our infrastructure with investments in all 50 states, D.C., territories, and throughout the tribal nations.

Basically, more people are working than at any point in American history. Households are prospering. The ever-widening gap between the poor and the super-rich is beginning to close. More rights were extended to the people, even though the Supreme Court destroyed reproductive rights recently. Under Biden democracy has been thriving in spite of damaging radical opposition.

Michael Moore has summed up Biden’s presidency very well:

There has been more action taken, through executive orders and legislation, to protect the environment, more serious funding to lift millions out of poverty, more support for labor unions, libraries, single mothers and college students deep in debt. And he has had this fervent, almost religious zeal to fight greed and obscene profits due to a true compassion he has for those dealt a bad hand in life — and he has had more of all of that than all the good presidents like Kennedy, Obama, and Carter were able to muster.

Based on data from the White House and Bloomberg . Additional data from Michael Moore on Substack.

Childcare is Scarce in Maryland — and the Pandemic Made Matters Worse

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:06:48 GMT

Halfway through her 12-week maternity leave last summer, Sarah Haddaway didn’t expect the trouble that would accompany her search for childcare.

After unexpected rejections from one fully booked childcare facility after another, the lifelong resident of Maryland’s western panhandle began calling every provider she could find.

Almost 11 months later, Haddaway’s son Brooks — who just turned 1 — is on at least seven providers’ waitlists. He’s been on those waitlists since the end of July 2023.

“It’s a nightmare,” said Haddaway, who is from Frostburg, in Allegany County. “There is no opening anywhere you look. It’s like winning the lottery.”

Parents across Maryland and the nation face the same struggle for one simple reason: the number of children who need childcare exceeds the number of slots available in child care facilities.

The covid-19 pandemic made matters worse. Maryland lost 15% of its childcare providers and nearly 7% of its child care slots from Jan. 1, 2020, through Jan. 1, 2024, according to state statistics retrieved by the Local News Network. Those stats show that the number of childcare slots in Maryland fell by 15,152 in those four years.

Some Maryland counties experienced especially dramatic changes. St. Mary’s County, in Southern Maryland, lost more than a quarter of its providers. Caroline County, on the Eastern Shore, lost nearly a quarter of its childcare slots.

In other words, in many parts of Maryland and the nation, childcare has gone missing. In this project, the Local News Network details how and why it happened and what can be done about it. Included is a county-by-county-look at childcare trends, which readers can access here .

It’s not just Maryland families who struggle to find childcare. A national survey of 2,000 Americans conducted in November 2023 for Care.com , a company that tries to match families with caregivers, found 65% of families with young children had spent time on childcare waitlists.

Many childcare providers nationwide left the business amid the pressures of the pandemic, said Dr. Jay Belsky, a child psychologist and professor of human development at the University of California, Davis. He said that’s one reason why families struggle to find childcare in a nation that, unlike many others, doesn’t offer consistent federal support for it.

“What covid showed us was how fragile the childcare system was,” Belsky said. “We don’t have a childcare system. We have a non-system.”

‘Super, super difficult’

Childcare providers closed their doors in recent years for a variety of reasons tied to one central fact: their work is harder now. In a Local News Network survey of 256 current childcare providers in Maryland, 62.5% said their jobs have become more difficult since the start of the covid-19 pandemic.

Asked to cite the challenges they face, 57.4% of childcare providers listed financial stability, while 48% cited burdensome state regulations — issues that are connected, according to many providers. Meanwhile, 46.5% of the providers surveyed said they struggled to hire quality staff.

Childcare providers who left the business in recent years echoed those concerns.

Ben Stelle founded Kidpower at Silver Spring International in 2003 under a contract with Montgomery County that allowed him to work directly out of a school.

“It’s super, super, super difficult to turn a profit if you don’t have the kind of sweetheart deal that I had,” Stelle said. “Unless you were getting subsidized and had your own sort of small monopoly on a school area, you were out of luck.”

He attributed this mostly to Maryland state regulations, which require that childcare centers have one adult employee for every three children under the age of 2.

“You couldn’t turn a profit because you couldn’t stay affordable at the ratios that were being forced upon you,” Stelle said.

Raven Hill, a spokeswoman for the Maryland State Department of Education — which oversees childcare in the state — said there’s a good reason the state requires more staff to supervise the youngest children.

“The 1:3 staff-to-child ratio for infants ensures that children receive high-quality care and activities,” Hill said. “Younger children typically need more care and attention, and smaller group sizes allow adults to interact more easily with each child and respond to their unique individual needs.”

Stelle decided to leave the childcare business, ending his contract with the county before the end of the 2021 school year, for reasons other than state regulations. He said he was fatigued after decades of working with children.

“The glamor of it wore off,” he said.

Candace Hall, who operated a childcare facility out of her home in Montgomery County, cited a different reason for why she closed her operation in 2021.

“The last licensor specialist I had was extremely rude and demeaning,” Hall said in response to the Local News Network survey. “I decided after that last inspection, I would have to close down as I will not be disrespected in my own home.”

Meanwhile, Maxine Seidman — who owned and operated Play Keepers Inc. out of a school in Randallstown for 40 years — said her income fell as the pandemic prompted parents to keep their children at home. Some of her staffers left, too.

“Certainly none of us were making the kind of money we were making before, which wasn’t a whole heck of a lot,” Seidman said. “But this made it very difficult to get staff after covid.”

The struggle to stay afloat during the pandemic was unlike anything she had experienced.

“It was very distressing,” she said.

Seidman decided to retire in 2021. But now she’s concerned about the availability of childcare in Baltimore County, which state statistics show lost 1,821 childcare slots between the start of 2020 and the start of 2024.

“I worry about some of the families,” Seidman said. “Who is taking care of their children? I wonder where those children are.”

A frustrating search

Many Maryland parents also wonder where the childcare providers are.

Noor Shakeel said she knew finding childcare in Montgomery County would be a struggle.

“I was always stressed out, hearing from my friends’ experiences,” said Shakeel, who lives in Germantown.

To alleviate that stress, Shakeel’s parents cared for her son until he was 18 months old. At that point, she could tell he wanted and needed more socialization.

Shakeel and her husband tried to keep an open mind when they started touring childcare centers, but she came across obstacles.

“Distance, safety and money,” Shakeel said. “Those are the three big factors.”

The process is also long, she said.

“It comes to a point when you don’t have a choice other than to settle,” she said.

Eventually, Shakeel’s mother-in-law connected them to a family friend who happened to have an opening in her in-home day care.

“We just got lucky,” Shakeel said.

Other parents are not as fortunate.

Masha Mukhina, an assistant professor of physics at the University of Maryland, moved to Prince George’s County in 2023. Colleagues advised her to add her son, who is now almost 2 years old, to the waitlist for Bright Horizons, a childcare center in College Park affiliated with the university.

Much to her surprise, her son continues to be on the waitlist and has even dropped down a few spots due to aging out of the infant group into the toddler group.

“Children move from this waiting list in and out based on age, and I’m supposed to be on the priority list as an employee of the university,” said Mukhina, who ended up hiring a nanny to care for her son. “And I don’t think it gets me any priority because everyone, more or less, on that waiting list is in the same position.”

Several childcare providers said availability is especially tight for families seeking care for children under the age of 2.

“Because of the regulations and because of the guidelines that surround children under the age of 2, many of the providers and centers are no longer taking infants, which is making it harder to find infant care or childcare for children under 2 throughout the state of Maryland, not just Baltimore," said Brenda Velez-Jimenez, who operates Brenda’s Little Monkey Daycare in Catonsville, in Baltimore County.

A continuing struggle

As difficult as it is for families to find quality childcare now, some providers across Maryland fear the situation will get worse before it gets better.

For one thing, the federal government offered temporary aid totaling about $24 billion to prop up the childcare industry during the pandemic. That program expired in September 2023.

On top of that, several providers noted they face new competition from unlicensed providers that popped up during the pandemic and operate without the same costly restrictions imposed by state regulations.

“You’ve got other children’s neighbors that are providing unlicensed care,” Velez-Jimenez said.

Velez-Jimenez criticized the state for not doing anything about those unlicensed providers, but Hill, the Maryland State Department of Education spokeswoman, begged to differ.

“The Office of Child Care investigates all illegal childcare complaints within 10 days of receipt,” she said. “A cease-and-desist letter is issued to providers informing them that they must stop providing childcare if they are doing so.”

Other childcare providers expressed fears about another new competitor: the new state pre-K program for 3- and 4-year-olds to be implemented over the next few years under the state’s education reform plan, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

While private childcare providers are being counted on to join the pre-K program, some worry they will lose clients — and income — once the state starts offering free pre-K to 3- and 4-year-olds.

“We are terrified that if we lose our 3- and 4-year-olds, you’re going to see centers closing down right and left because there won’t be enough income to support the teachers who work there,” said Flora Gee, pedagogical administrator at the Greenbelt Children’s Center in Prince George’s County.

Gee said her facility has already been losing teachers to public schools that pay twice as much, and she isn’t the only childcare provider who worries about staff shortages.

“Finding and retaining competent employees who align with my day care facility’s values and standards is a constant challenge,” said Yvette Gordon, who runs a family childcare facility in Baltimore City.

Kelli Deist, who runs an in-home day care in Frostburg, in Allegany County, said there’s an obvious reason for childcare staffing shortages.

“We don’t get paid what we deserve,” she said.

During the pandemic, the state permitted Deist to take in children of essential workers in exchange for state compensation.

“Financially, it was a struggle because we weren’t allowed to charge the parents,” she said. “The state was supposed to be paying us, but because it was such a big, new thing, they were way behind. I went three months without any payment at all.”

A nationwide problem

Maryland’s childcare shortage is part of a nationwide phenomenon. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as many as 100,000 Americans have been forced to stay home from work because of their struggles to find childcare.

“This burden falls disproportionately on women of color who are on the frontlines of many essential jobs,” said Tina Kauh, a senior program officer and childcare expert at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Many are also childcare providers who face the monumental feat of juggling their low-wage, high-risk jobs with caring for their families and themselves in the midst of a pandemic.”

With childcare slots in such high demand, parents end up paying more and more. Care.com in 2023 found families responding to its survey spent 24% of their income on childcare — even though the federal government considers child care affordable if it takes up 7% or less of a family’s income.

Families spent an average of $321 a week on day care, up 13% from $284 in 2022, and many families are going into debt to pay childcare bills.

“Within the first five years of their child’s life, parents are being forced into a financial hole that is nearly impossible to climb out of,” Care.com CEO Brad Wilson said in a statement announcing the study’s findings.

The United States is unusual among developed nations in that it has no universal support system for childcare or standardized policy on parental leave. Maryland offers a scholarship program that helps subsidize the cost of childcare for lower-income families, but it does not cover the full cost.

Belsky, of the University of California, Davis, said he believes there should be a system in place that gives parents a choice to stay home to raise their children if they want, or to be able to choose a high-quality care facility.

“Giving families with young children more support, including economic support, might afford them the ability to more freely choose what they feel is best for their young children’s care,” Belsky said.

But for families where both parents work, stable childcare is a necessity, Belsky said.

“Especially at younger ages, stability of care is preferable, desirable, if only from the standpoint of quality of life,” he said.

That stability is important for kids and parents alike, according to Natasha Cabrera, a University of Maryland expert on human development.

“The first five years of life [and] the first year of life is critically important for brain development,” said Cabrera, a professor at UMD’s College of Education. “Children are like sponges. Their brains are ready, and they’re wired to learn, but they need the cognitive stimulation from the environment.”

The childcare shortage could have negative consequences for children across Maryland, such as decreased trust, lowered academic success or increased risk for developing a mental illness, she said.

“It’s awful,” Cabrera said. “It’s very scary. If you care about the future of Maryland, you need to invest in its children.”

Childcare summaries and statistics for every county in Maryland, along with the city of Baltimore, are available at this link .

Local News Network reporters Fiona Flowers and Jess Daninhirsch contributed to this report.

Finding Childcare in Maryland is Hard. Finding the Right Childcare is Even Harder.

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:06:02 GMT

When Stephanie Jovine searched for childcare for her nearly 4-year-old daughter LuzMarie in Prince George’s County in 2015, she found two options, both of them bad. Jovine couldn’t afford the first one, and the second denied the young girl snacks and then sheets for sleeping.

“I was so upset, you know, it was so hard to trust anyone,” said Jovine, a teacher in the District of Columbia Public Schools at the time.

After six months of searching, Jovine found a grandmother who ran a small before-and-after care service, LiLi’s Child Care Center, in Temple Hills. The times the program was open aligned perfectly with Jovine's needs.

“She’s a godsend, for real,” said Jovine, who's now 33.

Jovine’s arduous search for childcare is not unique — and it would not even be her last search. Interviews with several Maryland families showed that while finding childcare is hard, finding a facility that fits a family’s needs and budget is even harder.

Maryland offers a rating system to help parents select the right childcare facility, but providers say the rating system is difficult to navigate. Most parents interviewed by the Local News Network said they never looked at the state rating system.

Similarly, the state offers a generous scholarship program to help pay for childcare, but providers complain they often have to wait months for the state to pay for childcare for those scholarship recipients. Parents like Jovine struggle with the scholarship program, too.

The complications of finding childcare in Maryland often leave families waiting for a place for their child, and that can lead to trouble, said Doug Lent, communications director for Maryland Family Network, which helps parents find childcare and helps providers manage their businesses.

“When you're on that waiting list, that's when you're more likely to be tempted to rely on unlicensed care, unregulated care, and get into a situation that's maybe not safe or maybe not high quality,” Lent said.

The ratings dilemma

Linda Garey woke up at 6am on a springtime Saturday at her home in Dundalk to create a communication board for the autistic children she cares for daily in her home. Eleven hours later, she was still working on the project. She isn’t paid for the time she spends preparing her classroom.

Garey is a level-3 provider with Maryland EXCELS , the childcare quality rating system in the state that offers a top rating of 5 to the state’s top child care centers. Garey created a 65-page handbook outlining her teaching philosophy. She also assists other programs with their handbooks.

“I've typed probably about 20 to 30 handbooks and turned them in for other people, right? And they're all level 5,” she said.

EXCELS — which stands for “Excellence Counts in Early Learning and School Age Care” — is an optional program for licensed child care providers. It offers them training and guidance and, if they qualify for it, a rating that parents can refer to when choosing a place to care for their child.

The Maryland EXCELS rating is based on five categories: licensing, staff qualifications, accreditation, developmentally appropriate practices, and administrative policies. The highest overall rating a facility can get is the lowest rating it gets in any of those five categories.

And even though Garey has more than 20 years of experience, her lack of national accreditation as a childcare provider means she can’t go higher than level 3.

Garey is working on getting her child development associate credential and becoming accredited — but she won’t be submitting that information to Maryland EXCELS. She said whenever she submits new documents and information to the Maryland State Department of Education, it goes to waste.

“'I turned in some information about 20 times and it was denied,” she said.

State officials insist they are trying to help. Jena Smith, the director of quality improvement initiatives at the state’s Division of Early Childhood, said quality assurance specialists work with each childcare facility to improve its quality rating.

The Maryland State Department of Education also publishes a provider toolkit that outlines the documents necessary to rise up the ratings ladder, Smith said. The requirements for each level build on the last, she said.

“It's a scaffold, and so that's really how our quality assurance specialists work with our programs,” Smith said. “They help them assess where they currently are and where they want to go.”

Since January 2020, the number of level-5 providers in Maryland has increased by 9.6%, according to state statistics retrieved by the Local News Network. However, 15 of the state’s 24 jurisdictions have lost level-5 providers, and providers overall appear to have mixed feelings about the EXCELS program.

Asked to rate the EXCELS program’s effectiveness on a 1-to-5 scale, with 1 being least effective and 5 being most effective, the 256 childcare providers who replied to a Local News Network survey gave the program an average rating of 3.

“I answered 3 because part of the program, I feel, has been extremely helpful, such as writing policies for guidance (on) nutrition and such,” Cheryl Thomsen, a childcare provider in Salisbury, wrote in her survey response. “I did obtain accreditation but found it was very difficult to actually follow all the requirements properly on a daily basis.”

A difficult search

Jovine moved from Prince George’s County to Waldorf, in Charles County, in 2020 and left teaching. Two years later, she returned to the District of Columbia Public Schools system while pregnant with her second child — only to discover searching for childcare was still difficult and time-consuming.

“I was looking and looking and looking for childcare,” she said.

Jovine experienced exactly what other young mothers have experienced in recent years. She went on a frantic search for childcare without referring to the state’s EXCELS ratings.

Priya Mahfooz’s son Zakir was born in May 2019. She sent Zakir to a childcare facility near the family home in Clarksburg, in Montgomery County, a few months later. But that operation shut down at the start of the covid-19 pandemic, never to reopen.

Desperate for childcare, Mahfooz and a friend banded together to hire the teacher who ran that closed facility to look after their children. Each family paid the teacher $425 a week.

In the summer of 2021, Mahfooz decided to send Zakir back to a childcare facility. During her search, Mahfooz said, she didn’t rely on Maryland EXCELS or the state inspection reports.

“When you're searching, it's really just whatever you're being fed in your feeds,” Mahfooz said. “You're thinking about price, location, [online] ratings.”

Mahfooz found a childcare slot for Zakir later that summer in Germantown and then enrolled him in Green Valley Montessori School in September 2021.

Meanwhile, Javiera King, an administrator at the University of Maryland, had to hire a nanny to take care of her young daughter, Layla, while the family searched for a slot in a childcare facility.

While pregnant, “I had to put myself on a waitlist already because most day cares have a waitlist a year out,” she said.

King’s nanny gave her two weeks’ notice in December 2023. That meant King had to quickly piece together a schedule where family members took turns caring for her daughter, who was 11 months old at the time. The family then found a childcare facility that had a part-time slot for Layla, meaning the family’s piecemeal plan for caring for the young girl would continue.

Finally, in February, Layla’s part-time slot at that facility became full-time.

“We were really lucky with how everything played out for us,” King said.

Jovine wasn’t so lucky. When she was five months pregnant with her second child, she called 12 childcare facilities. All of them had a waiting list of a year or more for infants.

Her daughter Lily was born at the end of February 2023, and Jovine finished the school year on maternity leave. She had to go back to work in August, but the earliest availability at most nearby childcare facilities was in October.

“There was one spot that had an availability. I wasn't too satisfied with it,” Jovine said.

There were few toys and learning tools. The outdoor play equipment was dirty and the facility had no curriculum for promoting development in infants, Jovine said.

She found another option on a billboard. Jovine called that facility and when she found they had a spot, she took it. She only took three days off work to care for Lily.

The facility Jovine sent Lily to after a 10-month search is enrolled in the EXCELS program but is not yet rated.

Asked if she referred to the EXCELS system during her search, Jovine said she didn’t even know about the state rating system at the time.

Jovine has seen her daughter develop significantly at the day care. Lily is happy to go and a little reluctant to leave in the evenings, Jovine said.

“This is how I know she's in good hands. She likes it there,” she said.

A scholarship program

In addition to offering ratings of the state’s childcare providers, Maryland expanded its child care scholarship program in 2022, making it easier to afford childcare, said Heather Harding, coordinator at the Federalsburg Judy Center in Caroline County.

But providers said the scholarship program doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in theory.

The eligibility requirements for the scholarship program allow middle class families to apply. Any family of two making less than $61,222 per year is eligible; for a family of four, the limit is $104,438.

A new fast-track program, launched on July 1, 2023, aims to reduce the wait time for parents to receive approval for a scholarship. Three days after applying, eligible families can get 60 days of childcare paid for while their long-term aid application is processed. Scholarship values each year can range from $9,000 to $25,000 per child.

Lent, of the Maryland Family Network, said the new fast-track has vastly improved the scholarship program. Previously, parents would be placed on a waiting list to receive help with their childcare expenses, he said.

But other requirements can make the system a catch-22, Harding said. Parents are required to be enrolled in school or working to be eligible for the scholarship, she said. But many of them can’t do either unless they have childcare guaranteed.

“Even if they find it, then they can't pay for it till they get the scholarship,” Harding said.

These scholarships can only be used in facilities that are enrolled in the EXCELS program. After parents receive a voucher from the state, they present it to the provider. The provider then has to send paperwork to the state in order to be paid.

Garey, the childcare provider from Dundalk, said this is one of the most frustrating parts about the process. Multiple times, she filed paperwork and had to wait three months to be paid. At one point, the state owed her $15,000 in scholarship pay. This happened after the state moved to an advance-payment system that was supposed to provide providers with income more quickly.

“It's this delay after delay after delay,” Garey said.

She finds ways to deal with the months-late payments because she refuses to make the parents pay or to drop families from her list of clients.

“One little girl is nonverbal. She sang and pointed to every single letter of the alphabet,” Garey said. “I did that. So why in the world would I drop that family?”

Other providers also complain about late scholarship payments. Christine Morris, the director of Trinity Lutheran Christian School and Early Learning Center in Joppa, in Harford County, said this spring that the state owed her $40,000 in scholarship payments. And Shantel Rouzer, who runs Happy Feet Enrichment Childcare Center in Baltimore City, said she turned away students on the scholarship program because she knows the state’s reimbursements will come so late.

“It’s not the families’ fault, but (Maryland State Department of Education officials) don't hear us!!!?? And providers are tired!!!” Rouzer wrote in response to a survey from the Local News Network.

Solving her own problem

Parents like Jovine don’t always know about the scholarship program. When she found out about the program in February, months after Lily, her youngest daughter, started day care, Jovine applied. A day later, the program’s new fast-track program started temporarily covering her childcare costs for two months.

“It took a huge load, And it's amazing to have that option,” she said.

Before that, Jovine was paying $1,360 per month for childcare for Lily. On top of that, she had to provide snacks, milk, lunch and other resources to the center.

But four days before Jovine’s temporary aid expired, she hadn’t gotten a final decision from the state. Jovine didn’t receive a response until June. By then, she was already paying out of pocket.

She’ll have to continue to do so because the state decided she was earning too much money to qualify. Noting her application listed extra money from her old job at D.C. Public Schools that doesn’t reflect what she’s making now, she has reapplied.

Jovine and her longtime partner, Abdul Dopson, now need childcare more than ever. Their third child, Mia, was born on June 14.

Knowing infant spots are difficult to find, Jovine decided to leave her teaching job — and do her own small part to alleviate Maryland’s childcare shortage.

“I got licensed to start a day care myself: a home day care,” she said. “The need is that prevalent, you know, I might as well try to open up a day care myself and see what happens.”

Jovine’s fledgling childcare facility, Elite Kidz Clubhouse, opens in August — but it’s already overtaken her home’s living room and dining room. She’s spent more than $2,500 on cots, desks, developmentally appropriate toys, and other necessities.

A large, colorful tree painted on the wall of the facility showcases the skills Jovine wants her students to get out of their day-to-day activities. Jovine said she wants her facility to work its way through the EXCELS system and eventually qualify as a preschool under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s education reform plan.

“Why not start this beautiful generation how it should, educating them and giving them what they need to be successful little children?” she said.

Local News Network reporter Laura Shaughnessy contributed to this report.

Opinion: Don’t Throw Your Vote Away! It Might be the One That Helps Decide a Close Election

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:22:55 GMT

In November, Americans will go to the polls and decide the leadership of this country for the next two to six years. Some candidates run unopposed and a few others win by sizable margins or even a landslide. But most elections, especially at the national level, are close with just a few percentage points separating the winner from the runner-up. This is why — whether any individual voter believes it or not — every vote counts.

Let’s look at the presidential race. The fact is that one of two men, Joe Biden or Donald Trump, the Democrat or the Republican — barring some unforeseen event — will be the next president of the United States.

Other names may be on the ballot but they will not win. However, they can be spoilers, reducing the margin of victory, creating controversy and chaos, or drawing enough votes to cause some candidates to lose a race they otherwise might have won. This is especially true in the presidential race, due to the winner-take-all system of the electoral college in most states.

The same is true for elections to the Senate and the House. The choice, realistically, is between the candidates of the two major political parties — the Democrats and the Republicans. There are, of course, other parties, minor parties such as the Green Party and the Libertarian Party . There are also Independents, candidates who are not affiliated with any political party.

The percentage of votes that these minor players get is always very small, just a few percentage points of the total vote, generally less than 5% of all votes cast. However, that fraction is often more than the difference between the two major party candidates.

Even if you don’t particularly care for either Biden or Trump, nonetheless, one of them will be the next president. Which do you prefer? You can either vote for one of the two candidates who will become president or you can vote for an independent, a third party candidate, or a write-in.

Or you can not vote at all — just stay home. But all those decisions are essentially choosing to throw your vote away.

In the 2020 election, about 66% of eligible voters went to the polls . Approximately 34% stayed home. That’s enough votes to swing any election.

Just under 3 million of the 158 million voters in 2020 cast their ballots for third party or independent candidates or voted for write-in candidates . Some cast protest or joke ballots, writing in their own names or Abraham Lincoln or Donald Duck. Sadly, most of those votes were basically “thrown away” because those candidates never had any realistic chance of winning.

Reasons for voting for a minority party candidate or not voting are many. And those reasons may feel correct or righteous. “I want to send a message. Because climate change is my main concern, I plan to vote for the Green Party.” Or “I’m voting for the Libertarian candidate because I like their policies on government regulation.” Or perhaps “I’m not voting because they’re all corrupt, and my one vote won’t make a difference.”

But it does make a difference. Many elections, especially in small districts, are decided by just a few votes. Some are tied and winners have been chosen by a coin flip or by drawing straws. In 2017, a tie between the Democratic and the Republican candidates for a seat in the Virginia state legislature was decided by drawing names from a bowl . The Republican’s name was drawn, giving the Republicans a 51-49 majority. Had the Democrat’s name been drawn, the legislature would have been tied at 50 each. Just one vote determined which party controlled the Virginia legislature.

In Maryland, polls show the race for the Senate seat between Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and Republican Larry Hogan are very close, within two percentage points and well within the margin of error. Whichever one wins will affect control of the Senate. Whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate will have a great effect on many issues, including reproductive rights, immigration policy, taxes, and foreign policy, especially regarding the two on-going wars in Ukraine and Gaza. There are significant differences between the policies of the two major parties on all of these issues.

No matter who you vote for — or if you don’t vote at all — the next president is still going to be either Biden or Trump. Alsobrooks or Hogan will be the senator from Maryland. The House and the Senate will be under either Democratic or Republican control.

Don’t throw your vote away.

Vote. And vote as if your vote matters. It does.

Opinion: How to Reforge a Land of Opportunity — A Modest Proposal

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:21:57 GMT

A song from Hamilton says it all: “Immigrants. We Get the Job Done.”

Maybe there are many other jobs immigrants can do. Let’s think outside the box. Perhaps a new paradigm is called for.

Recently I drove through north central Florida. This sparsely inhabited, flat, scruffy landscape reaches for miles and looks depressing. We should cheer it up. As John Winthrop imagined for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, this land could be “as a city upon a hill.” It is not far from major airports and highways and has a pleasing climate. What a perfect location for a new mega-city! An archetype for the world! America is great again!

I can see it now. Envision this — a new metropolis initially established by the federal government, built and then staffed by immigrants, in partnership with Amazon, Walmart, and other labor-intensive national and international businesses that cannot fulfill the continual need for skilled and unskilled workers.

The source of funds for such an enormous project?

Think of the vast, inestimable amount of money now spent on U.S.-Mexico border patrols, enforcement, infrastructure, technology, emergency medical and social services, attorneys, busing immigrants to New York! Instead of this DEstructive, dream-killing policy being implemented every day by the U.S. government, imagine a CONstructive (pun intended) project where everyone wins. Build a new city, bring those immigrants, grant them legal authorization to work, and employ them. Imagine! It would be cheaper than the wall!

Of course, the Republican governor of Florida and his supporters in the Florida statehouse will be overjoyed to see this city arise. An increase in population will add to Florida’s representation in Congress, and possibly even add an electoral vote. And since, as non-citizens, they will be ineligible to vote, they pose no threat to the established order in the state.

In 2023, 2.5 million people were turned away from the U.S.-Mexico border — 2.5 million people wanting to work. In 2022 it was over two million people, and authorities fully expect that this number to hold steady or to increase in 2024.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, “about 50% of the labor market’s extraordinary recent growth came from foreign-born workers between January 2023 and January 2024.” Catherine Rampell writes on this topic for t he Washington Post . She points out that one reason immigrants are more likely to work than native-born people is that they tend to be considerably younger. Their arrival can offset that alarming, expected decrease in workers due to our aging population. She quotes a Congressional Budget Office forecast that, from 2023 to 2034, the U.S. GDP will be $7 trillion higher than it otherwise would have been without immigrants.

“Immigration is one of America’s great sources of power and prosperity,” according to economist Paul Krugman. Why do we not welcome these people?

It’s just Common Sense.

Editors’ Note: Just in case some readers didn’t have their coffee yet and weren’t completely awake before they read this, yes, this article is intended as satire — a spoof, a tongue-in-cheek look at the immigration issue. Hope you enjoyed it.

Muriel Cole lives in Chestertown where she enthusiastically works to solve problems, large and small, and to make the world a better place for all of us. She has a great sense of humor.

Maryland's Blueprint to Prepare Students for College and Careers

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:21:24 GMT

Counselors Lead the Way

Northern High School had never had a career counselor. Not until Christian Wargo walked through its doors.

In September, Wargo became the Calvert County high school’s first career advisor as a part of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a multi-billion dollar legislative plan to improve education across the state.

Now, every school district across the state is hiring career counselors like Wargo to help students navigate a pressing question: What do they want to do when they grow up?

Wargo said his help is in high demand.

“I’m in the classrooms a lot with the kids still introducing myself so they know who I am, but I’m starting to have a lot of students come to me on their own,” he said.

A new emphasis on career counseling is just part of the Blueprint’s college and career readiness “pillar,” which starts with an ambitious goal: to make sure all high school students are prepared for their next steps after high school by the end of the 10th grade.

Many students fall short of that goal now, and Rachel Hise, executive director of the Blueprint’s Accountability and Implementation Board, said that leaves educators with an important lesson.

“The bulk of kids need something different than what we're doing for them now,” Hise said.

That “something different” is already taking shape amid the state’s education bureaucracy and at its 1,421 or so public schools. The State Department of Education is redesigning curriculums and has already revised how to measure college and career readiness. Districts are funneling more high school juniors and seniors to dual enrollment programs at local community colleges, and schools are placing a far stronger emphasis on career and technical education.

A sweeping curriculum overhaul

All Blueprint changes need to be in place by the 2031-2032 school year. While each school district is tasked with developing its own implementation plan, one key to the Blueprint is a “model statewide curriculum” that’s currently under development.

“We are trying to get rid of our gaps and to really understand what we need to do to meet our kids to make sure that they leave us prepared for college, career and life,” said Rachel Amstutz, policy director for the Accountability and Implementation Board that’s overseeing the Blueprint rollout.

While it’s not yet clear what those changes might entail, the Blueprint Implementation Plan discusses possible adjustments to math, English language arts, science and social studies curriculums to align with local college admissions standards and research on student learning.

“You'll hear us talk about reimagining the school day,” Amstutz said. “We don't envision high school looking like what high school has looked like since my parents were in school.”

The Blueprint also requires a universal standard to measure college and career readiness. The state had been using Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program scores, a state standardized test, as an indicator of success. By 10th grade, students need to meet expectations in English language arts and math to be deemed “career and college ready.”

But the test results from the 2020-21 school year, the latest available, showed just over half of students (53.5%) met the English language arts requirements and roughly 40% passed math standards by 10th grade. Maryland high schoolers have to take the test to graduate, but aren’t required by the state to pass. However, starting this year the government and life science tests will count for 20% of a student’s course grade .

Studies commissioned by the Blueprint found that including an alternative to demonstrating college and career readiness through passing exams, such as earning a 3.0 GPA, was more inclusive than standardized tests alone and better predicted student success in college.

That being the case, the State Board of Education in January unanimously adopted a new set of college and career readiness standards last month that includes that GPA measure as an alternative to test scores.

Now it’s up to teachers, career counselors and students to try to meet those standards.

“The Blueprint is really asking us to rethink what high school looks like and really make sure that we're preparing all of our students to go to college or enter the workforce in a way that we just haven't done before,” said Sarah Bento, assistant principal at Northern High School in Calvert County.

College Prep: AP Classes and Dual Enrollment

The requirement to add career counselors in every school means students will have more support to think about what they want to do. For many, that still means pursuing a college degree.

On average, roughly half of Maryland high school graduates go straight to college after high school.

Northern High School sophomore Simon Mackenzie Dean, 15, is one such student planning on going to college. He knew he liked math and science, and after speaking with Wargo, he decided to go either into nuclear engineering or quantum physics.

“We had the resources to look at more job opportunities, what it does, how it works and sort of that stuff,” Dean said. “And it made me think more about it. Even just having the ability to do that [is helpful], so you can narrow it down more.”

For high school students interested in college, options such as AP classes or dual-enrollment at community colleges help them prepare for that next step and can defray the costs of earning a four-year degree.

Last year, about one in 15 Maryland high schoolers participated in dual enrollment programs at local colleges.

The Blueprint requires local community colleges to accept 11th- and 12th- graders who meet college and career readiness standards and requirements for dual enrollment tuition-free.

Career counselors can also help students make informed decisions about where to go to school, what to study and how to pay for it, said Carrie Akins, director of Career and Technical Education at Calvert County Public Schools.

“I think people have been hungry for that knowledge for quite some time, but as parents, what they knew was, ‘I don't want my kid to have thousands of dollars in debt, but I don't know what to tell them,’” Akins said. “So I think that they're very excited to now have somebody that can help their child through that process.”

Alternatives to a Four-Year Degree

The Blueprint also requires increasing career preparation opportunities for students who won’t end up going to college. The Blueprint aims to have 45% of high school graduates completing an apprenticeship or industry-recognized credential by the 2030-31 school year.

That’s a lofty goal. Current state data show that, as of February 2023, 27% of high school students had completed a career and technical education program. However, just 7% had earned an industry credential or completed an apprenticeship.

High schools in Garrett, Somerset, Kent and Caroline counties currently have the highest participation rates in career and technical education, while Prince George’s and Montgomery counties have the lowest, State Department of Education data show .

State-approved career and technical education programs include health professions, early childhood education, dental hygienist and dental assisting, culinary arts, carpentry, cosmetology, air traffic control and many other career training options.

The key to getting students to consider such careers involves reaching them young and debunking some old stereotypes, educators said.

"We really should be starting a conversation of college and career at the K through eight level,” said Ryan Daniel, principal of Fort Foote Elementary School in Prince George’s County.

Such conversations can make a big difference. Northern High School freshman Cody Bach Du, 14, wanted to either go to college for landscaping architecture or go to the Calvert County Career and Technology Academy for woodworking or welding. Talking with Wargo made Duhim realize there were other pathways to sustainable careers outside of a four-year degree.

“When Mr. Wargo came in and he told me about all of these different opportunities, it kind of opened my view up,” Du said.

Given the historical emphasis on a four-year college education, there can be a lingering stigma for students who want to enter the workforce out of high school or opt for job training instead.

“We still need to make sure that we’re doing a better job, really, taking some of that stigma away,” said Chrystie Crawford-Smick, president of the Harford County Education Association, a bargaining union for local education employees. “They're very lucrative careers and very needed.”

Nikki Phillips, the new advisor at Plum Point Middle School in Calvert County, said some students come to her with a set idea of what success looks like based on perceptions they learn from their parents.

Because older generations were taught that earning a four-year degree was the best path to success, part of the job now involves educating parents on today’s career landscape, especially with factors such as artificial intelligence and automation, Akins said.

It’s a slightly different conversation than the one Phillips has with younger students.

“When we talk about anything in the future, they’re like, ‘I want to be rich,’” she said.

Instead of getting her students to focus on how much money they will make, however, she said she tries to get them to focus on other things, like the quality of life with each job.

“Are you willing to put in the effort to get there?” Phillips said. “Because, no matter what the job is, you still have to go through the effort to get there.”

A Quest to Bring Back Habitat for Grassland Birds

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:20:42 GMT

Washington College and Queen Anne’s County transition farmland to habitat at Conquest Preserve

For decades, the call of the Northern bobwhite quail was synonymous with life on the farm along Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The bird’s pleasing chirp, a whistling bob-white that sweeps upward in pitch, would ring across the field during spring breeding season, around the time when farmers planted their crops.

“Quail are very vocal and easy to see when they're around, so people want to hear and see them again,” said Dan Small, coordinator of the Natural Lands Project at Washington College.

Through the Natural Lands Project, which is run out of Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society, Small is working with public and private landowners to make room for grassland birds like the bobwhite quail. Unlike birds that prefer to live in dense forests or along shorelines, species such as quail, field sparrows and golden winged warblers require early successional habitat. This is essentially meadows and field where young trees, shrubs, and other plants grow. The edges of forests are also preferred by these species, depending on the time of year.

“During the nesting season they want the big open grassland and diverse meadow habitat for nesting. But then in the winter, they want winter cover,” said Small.

Watch how Small and his team helped restore a similar grassland at Washington College's Chester River Field Research Station at Chino Farms.

Farms were once the perfect place for successional habitat. Farmers would leave areas at the edge of their farm empty, known as fallow land, where native grasses, shrubs, and young trees would grow. But starting in the 1940s, farmers began planting crops and including pasture all the way to the edge of the property, usually at a forest or riverbank.

Today, Small says that many landowners are encouraged to bring back some of that habitat at the edge of their property when they find out how it benefits bobwhite quail. He’s built much of the Natural Lands Project around the idea that farmers are attached to the nostalgia of grassland birds, which were once abundant on the Eastern Shore.

“Farmers are often willing to make changes to their land, to their properties, to support quail,” said Small.

One of the newer and largest examples of turning farmland into successional habitat can be found at Conquest Preserve in Centreville, Maryland. The 758-acre property is public land, not private, and instead of using the edge of a farm to establish successional plants, the entire farm has been turned into a mosaic of habitats, successional included.

Since 2019, Washington College has been working with Queen Anne’s County on making this transition. The property was gifted to the county decades earlier by the Wilson family and included a beach and nearly 378 acres of farmland. Washington College converted an initial 212 acres of farmland into natural habitat with support from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, and they now are helping to manage the remaining farmland for habitat.

Today, all 758 acres of Conquest Preserve have been turned into wetlands, forest and meadows, the latter two being the habitat most used amongst quail. The native grasses and wildflowers within the meadow, which burst with color during the summer, offer large open areas for the bird to nest, while the edges of the forest is where they can shelter during winter.

“The numbers of quail out here [have] increased each year,” said Small.

But the meadows aren’t just popular among quail. Other grassland birds like grasshopper sparrows, field sparrows, common yellowthroat, blue grosbeaks, and indigo buntings also use the habitat. This has made the preserve popular amongst birders.

In October 2023, two rare LeConte’s sparrows arrived at the property and stayed for several weeks. “There were probably 300 birders that came to look for this species,” said Small. One of those birders, so delighted with the park, ended up donating money for wildflower seeds to be spread in the meadow.

According to Small, filling the meadow with diverse plants and wildflowers is key to creating good habitat. “Wildflowers or anything that's producing nectar or pollen are going to attract pollinators or other insects. That in turn provides a food source [that’s] high in protein for grassland birds or birds in general,” said Small.

One roadblock is the amount of cool season grasses that continue to grow on the property. Cool season grasses, which are typically found in people’s yards, are often planted because they don’t die over the winter. The downside is that out in the wild, these grasses don’t leave room for a greater diversity of plants to grow in, limiting the amount of insect life.

Warm season grasses on the other hand, which tend to be native to the region, grow in clumps that leave space for wildflowers and other plants to grow in. “Generally, the native grasses facilitate more diversity than these non-native [grasses] tend to,” said Small.

Another challenge is that in order to keep the meadow as early succession habitat, Small and his team have to limit the growth of trees like eastern red cedar that will grow too tall and ruin that low-to-the-ground vegetation. To do so they use controlled burns — a common environmental practice where taller trees and shrubs are burned down. The natural growth cycle of native grasses actually includes fires, so the controlled burns help to reinvigorate the vegetation while making room for more plant diversity.

Every couple of years, the meadows are burned by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, typically from February to March to leave as much habitat during winter as possible.

“It greens up pretty quickly,” said Kathy Thornton, a field technician who works on the Washington College team. “Some of the wildflowers, just two weeks after it burns, you'll see them starting to grow up.

Outside the meadow, Small’s team also manages five wetlands, totaling 32.3 acres, which they restored in 2020 with partners from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. While some songbirds and mammals will visit the wetlands, they’re primarily for the region’s waterfowl, such as geese, wood ducks, and teals. According to Small, a handful of waterfowl will use the wetland during the summer for breeding, but over winter, hundreds will stop by as they migrate South.

“The diving ducks are super numerous off the beach in the winter months as well,” said Small.

Bordering the meadows and wetlands are 175 acres of forest, 38 of which were planted by Washington College. The team planted over existing farmland, filling in a large hole in the woods to provide continuous habitat for forest-dwelling species. “The was an idea to help some of those woodland birds, too,” said Small.

The preserve’s latest edition is a five-acre food forest, a space that offers food for not just wildlife, but people as well.

In 2020, the Washington College team began planting rows of fruit-producing trees and shrubs in a fenced area, welcoming the public to come and pick from them. The food forest includes a variety of native plants like American plum, persimmon, paw paw, hazelnut, and black chokeberry that start producing in the late spring and summer. Before the fruit comes in, flowers and leaves emerge that are a great source of sustenance for pollinators and invertebrates, which are in turn food for birds. Because these are native plants, they tend to require less water and fertilizer, can offer preferable habitat to other local insects and even produce better quality food for wildlife.

“There are studies [showing that] native fruits have better nutritional content than some of the non-native fruits,” said Thornton.

At the end of the day, all of these habitats help keep the two rivers that border the property — the Chester and Corsica rivers — healthy, which means cleaner water flowing to the Chesapeake Bay. Wetlands, meadows, and forests soak up stormwater runoff coming from the surrounding area and help keep the beach from eroding. Estimates show that the land practices at Conquest Preserve have resulted in a reduction of 1,094 pounds of nitrogen, 73 pounds of phosphorus, and 42,890 pounds of sediment that would otherwise have flowed into the water.

“Our projects serve a dual function where we're helping to improve water quality,” said Small.

The success of Conquest Preserve is being replicated all across the Eastern Shore.

Through the Natural Lands Project, Washington College and other partners are creating meadow and forest habitat on private properties like farms, as well as public areas such as Cypress Branch State Park, Tuckahoe State Park, and Sassafras Natural Resource Management Area. At Sassafras alone, Small says his team put in about 160 acres of meadow and 120 acres of trees.

But at Conquest Preserve, the meadow remains the biggest draw for grassland birds and people coming to appreciate them.

“You can't go anywhere else on the Eastern Shore and see this much open grassland habitat,” said Small. “You can go down the lower shore and see open marshland habitat, but not grassland habitat like this.”

Jake Solyst has been telling environmental stories about the Chesapeake Bay watershed for nearly five years.

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983.

Primary Election Wrap-up 2024

Tue, 28 May 2024 11:03:25 GMT

The polls have closed in the 2024 Maryland primary election, held on Tuesday, May 14.

To nobody’s surprise, President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are the voters’ choices to face off in this year’s general election in November. In the race for the state’s open Senate seat, Republican Larry Hogan, the former governor, will face off against Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George’s county executive. And in the District 1 Congressional primary, incumbent Andy Harris easily won the voters’ approval for the Republican ballot slot, while newcomer Blaine H. Miller III won the Democratic voters’ nod.

U.S. Senate

The most closely watched race was the U.S. Senate primary, where the winner will replace long-time Democratic Senator Ben Cardin. With the Democrats holding a slim one-seat margin in the current Senate, the Maryland result in November could well determine which party holds the majority in the Senate for the next two years, if not longer.

Hogan is the rare Republican who seems to appeal across party lines in solidly Democratic Maryland. In the Republican primary, Hogan took 60% of the votes in a seven-candidate field, his closest rival being perennial candidate Robin Ficker, who — in contrast to Hogan — aligned himself with Trump. Hogan has been trying to position himself as a moderate, saying only recently, for example, that he would work to restore Roe v. Wade if elected to the Senate — although, as governor, he vetoed several measures that would have ensured access to abortion in Maryland. His record is essentially that of a traditional business-oriented conservative Republican. It seems a good bet that most Republicans, including the Ficker voters, will stick with the party line and vote for Hogan come November.

Alsobrooks parlayed strong support from Gov. Wes Moore and the state’s Democratic party establishment to defeat Rep. David Trone (MD-6) and eight other candidates. She soundly defeated Trone, 54% to 43%. None of the other candidates received more than 1% of the votes. If elected in November, she would be the second woman and the first African American to represent Maryland in the Senate. Once in office, she has pledged to co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would establish legal protection on the federal level for abortion rights.

Given Hogan’s previous popularity state-wide, Alsobrooks will have her work cut out for her. Support from the national Democratic party would be a significant asset for her campaign, as would a strong get-out-the-vote effort. While the state is reliably Democratic, in what promises to be a close race, independent voters will be unusually important.

Trone, a successful businessman and the current 6th District congressman, spent more than $60 million of his own money on his campaign, with numerous ads in TV, newspapers, and social media. His ads presented him as a champion of working people and retirees, and as the candidate best positioned to defeat Hogan in November. In contrast, Alsobrooks began her media campaign much later, and spent roughly one-tenth as much as Trone, showing that money doesn’t always decide the outcome.

Trone won all the Eastern Shore counties. Trone and Alsobrooks were tied in Kent County with 722 votes apiece before absentee ballots gave him the lead, by a final margin of 24 votes. How many of those Trone voters will remain faithful to the Democratic candidate and how many will switch their votes to Hogan is unknown.

President

Both Biden and Trump won their races easily. That’s no surprise, since both are at this point their party’s presumed candidates in the November election. However, both the Democratic and Republican primaries saw a fair number of voters opting for someone other than the probable nominee. In the Democratic primary, Biden took 87% of the vote. Most of the rest of the total went to “uncommitted,” with two relative unknowns receiving just over 1% each. In the Republican primary, Trump won just over 78%, with former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley — who withdrew from the race several weeks ago — taking the rest.

It’s not clear how to interpret these results, other than the obvious fact that a number of voters aren’t happy with their party’s choices for November. Conceivably, some proportion of these voters — especially those who went for Haley — simply haven’t been paying attention to the news. But other voters object to their party’s probable nominee for any of several reasons. Some see both candidates as too old. Many Democrats are unhappy with the Biden administration’s reactions to the Israel-Gaza war. And many Republicans have soured on Trump in response to the criminal charges he faces, or because of his record while in office.

The interesting question is what these dissatisfied voters are likely to do in November. Will they sit out the election? Will they “come home” to their party’s nominee? Will they cast a protest vote for some third-party candidate? Or will they cross party lines and vote for the other major-party candidate? The answer varies from voter to voter, of course, and many of them probably won’t decide what they’re doing until November. In a reliably Blue state like Maryland, it won’t affect the ultimate result in the presidential race. But in swing states, which are crucial to the nationwide outcome, it could make all the difference.

1st District U.S. Congress

Finally, it looks as if Republican incumbent Andy Harris is set to coast to another term in Congress. He received nearly 78% of primary votes, with Chris Bruneau Sr. taking 16% and Michael Scott Lemon 6%. In the Democratic primary, Blaine Miller won with 61% over Blessing T. Oluwadare with 39%.

The figure that may be most telling is that 36,122 Democrats voted in the congressional primary compared to 41,681 in the presidential race. To put it bluntly, more than 5,000 Democrats weren’t inspired to vote for either of the two District 1 congressional contenders. That doesn’t say much for Miller’s chances to eject Harris from Congress.

It’s a good long stretch from now to the general election, and there are bound to be a few surprises along the way. But for Marylanders, it looks as if the senatorial contest will be the hardest fought, with Hogan hoping his appeal to voters of the opposite party remains strong and Alsobrooks highlighting her administrative experience and proven support of reproductive rights, jobs, education, and access to healthcare.

The primary is now over, with a Democratic slate of Biden for President, Alsobrooks for Senate, and Miller for 1st District in Congress taking on the Republican ticket of Trump, Hogan, and Harris. Keep reading Common Sense for regular updates on all the issues and candidates.

Freedom to Read Act

Tue, 28 May 2024 11:02:56 GMT

After reading, watch the short video at the end.

Watch this Video by Sidney Nauman, from Capitol News Service :

Maryland librarians praise passage of the Freedom to Read Act, which thwarts attempted book bans in the state.

Maryland Matters is a nonprofit and nonpartisan news site, reporting news about Maryland government and politics.

Letter to President Biden

Tue, 28 May 2024 11:02:05 GMT

Dear President Biden,

Although we are roughly of an age and live within an hour of each other, we have never met in person. My first memory of you was during the hearings in the U.S. Senate to decide whether Clarence Thomas was an acceptable candidate for the Supreme Court. I can only imagine that those days continue to haunt both of us.

Diplomacy has since become your middle name. You were a strong vice president, a valuable resource for a young, inexperienced president who made good use of your insight and years of service to foster a bi-partisan view of governing. You helped him become a better national leader.

As you enter the last months of your first term as chief executive, you are at the center of unnumbered crises, both at home and abroad. It cannot be easy to keep your head focused on so many important issues while disparate voices shout at you to do their bidding or lose their support. I am especially concerned about how we stand by our allies without supporting their militaristic agenda. We should have learned since 9/11 that striking out in anger and revenge accomplishes nothing, and we should support teaching that lesson to every country that would try to repeat our mistake.

From my perspective, you have accomplished a great many positive outcomes during these few years, beginning with an all-out assault on the covid pandemic that saw the effects of trusting science and letting the experts direct the medical issue. You have managed to pass significant bi-partisan legislation designed to move the country forward so that everyone will benefit and life will be more equitable for all. It is not a perfect record, but it is a very solid start.

The next six months will be crucial to our country, as we prepare for another pivotal election. I know that I do not speak for everyone, but I am also sure that I speak for many when I implore you to spend this time focused on the positive, not the personal. The message voters want to hear is not about your opponent and his failures, both personal and professional; they need to be reminded of the good things that have happened since you took office. The message your campaign should be sending to the people is how you are planning to build on the past three-plus years to create something even better. The view you project should always be one that is looking forward with hope and confidence.

As you would probably say, “We are the United States of America, and we can do anything that we put our minds and hearts to.”

Sincerely yours,

Lanetta (Lanny) Parks

Lanny Parks has always loved books. She was a librarian at the EPFL in Baltimore, at Kent School, and Queen Anne’s County, and owned a local bookstore. Her weekly newspaper column ran for over 20 years. She has lived with her family in Chestertown for over 50 years.

“An Absolute Equality of Personal Rights”

Tue, 28 May 2024 11:01:39 GMT

Most nations have at least one national holiday to celebrate their independence or constitution. The United States may be said to have two Independence Days, one on July 4 and another on June 19. That second holiday is, of course, Juneteenth. That day has become America’s celebration of African Americans’ freedom from slavery.

In January 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed enslaved people in the Confederate States. Because enslavement was protected by the Constitution (Art. I, sect. 2), Lincoln used his Constitutional power as commander-in-chief to free the formerly enslaved by taking them into the U.S. military. Once in the Army or Navy, the liberated people were the commander-in-chief’s responsibility.

Because news did not travel then as fast as it does now, reports of Grant’s victory at Appomattox took some time to spread, especially to the West. On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Tex., Major General Gordon Granger announced:

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.

The next year in Texas, on June 19, 1866, African Americans celebrated their liberation on what they called “Jubilee Day.” The festivities included orations, religious and prayer services, picnics, dancing, food, and music. As Black people moved to other locations in the nation, the celebrations moved with them. In 1872 in Houston, four Black church leaders bought land on which to celebrate the end of slavery, and that land eventually became Emancipation Park .

Jim Crow laws, Black migration out of Texas, Reconstruction’s racial prejudice all diminished Jubilee and Juneteenth celebrations. But it was Texas governor James Allred who in 1938 proclaimed June 20 as Emancipation Day. Then Juneteenth celebrations increased during the Civil Rights decades of the 1950’s and 1960’s. In 1968 the Poor People’s Campaign organized a Solidarity Day rally for June 19 in Washington, D.C.; at least 50,000 attended.

In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. All 50 states and the District of Columbia now recognize the day in some form. Perhaps one of the more interesting Juneteenth celebrations is Portland’s Black rodeo, called the Eight Seconds Rodeo (“A lot can happen in 8 seconds”). In June 2021, Galveston dedicated a huge downtown mural honoring Juneteenth.

In May of this year, Southern Methodist University awarded Opal Lee (born October 7, 1926), an activist and a retired teacher, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree . On June 16, 2016, she began a series of two-and-a-half mile walks in places around the country. She chose the distance because it took that many months for the news to reach Texas that slavery had ended.

Three years ago, President Biden signed a law making June 19 a national holiday. He mentioned Lee at the law’s signing, identifying her with the popular label as the “grandmother” of Juneteenth. Last year, North Texas University, where Lee earned her M.Ed., awarded her an honorary doctoral degree.

Eastern Shore readers looking to celebrate Juneteenth have at least these choices. Click the links for more information.

Oxfam: Md. Among Best States for Workers, But There’s Room for Improvement

Tue, 28 May 2024 10:58:15 GMT

Wanted For Crape Murder: Gardeners and Landscapers

Tue, 28 May 2024 10:57:21 GMT

Crape myrtles are a very popular landscaping choice. They are often chosen for their long, summer blooming period. They also provide “great fall foliage and a beautiful sculptured trunk when allowed to grow naturally,” according to The Arbor Gate .

Crape myrtles prefer hot, sunny climates and can grow as high as 40 feet or more. For strong growth and abundant flowering, crape myrtles should be planted in full sun. Though they can survive in shaded areas, you’ll likely be disappointed with a lack of blooms each year if they are underexposed.

Crape myrtles grow well in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 to 10 — most of the South as well as parts of the mid-Atlantic — and some will do just fine in zone 6. Almost all of the state of Delaware is in planting zone 7b; if you live near the coast, you’ll probably be in zone 8a. Maryland’s Eastern Shore is in zone 7b except on the bays and the ocean where it is zone 8a.

They are available in dwarf and semi-dwarf compact, shrub sizes (five to 10 feet) as well as small, medium, and large tree selections. The large variety of colors and sizes provides many options to select the right size plant for a certain space.

Their peeling bark, fall color, and the grace of their natural form are other prized characteristics. Crape myrtle is typically a low-maintenance plant and is as tough as it is beautiful. Established crape myrtles will tolerate drought.

Many gardeners and landscapers believe “topping” is required to promote flowering. According to Purdue agricultural extension service, topping is “the reduction of tree size by heading back many or most large, live branches without regard for tree health or structural integrity.” Some top because the plant is too large for the space provided, while others see their neighbors doing it and feel they need to do it as well. Chopping off the tops is aptly named “Crape Murder” due to the murderous effect on the plant’s appearance resulting from the severe nature of the pruning. Topping is the high crime of horticulture — the senseless, annual chopping back of beautiful crape myrtles.

If your crape myrtle has outgrown the space, please do not resort to chopping off the tops. Topping is an inappropriate means of reducing the height of a tree. These cuts destroy the tree’s architecture and will likely lead to the entrance of decay-causing organisms. Decay can then lead to stem failure. Crape myrtles develop their natural style without whacking off their tops. Topping results in whip-like shoots sprouting from the end of each ugly stump. These whips are too weak to hold up the flowers, so the branches often bend to the ground.

Full sized, tree form crape myrtles can be magnificent and do not need to be pruned or should be lightly pruned. If your crape myrtle appears to have too many trunks to develop a tall tree shape, remove all but three to five of the strongest trunks at ground level. As these trunks mature, remove lower lateral branches up to one-third or halfway up the height of the plant. Remove branches that are crossing or rubbing against each other, shoots growing into the center of the canopy, or branches that grow inward (toward the trunk instead of upward and outward). Always remove any future growth from the roots or lower trunk (suckers/basal sprouting) to retain the desired tree shape. This is called “pollarding” and is done yearly with a hand pruner. Like most trees, this should be done in the winter, when the tree is dormant. Removal of seed pods or snipping the ends of branches can make for a neater appearance and can be done without harming the tree.

For trees that are just the right height or shorter, simply prune off the old flower heads and seedpods, if within reach, in winter or early spring before growth begins. If the tree was perfect last year but the past summer’s growth made the plant too tall, remove just that growth. If the seedpods and flower heads are not within reach, they will drop, the plant will bloom, and the natural grace of the tree will be retained.

Crape myrtle will produce plenty of flowers without any pruning. Flowering is produced on new growth. On smaller plants, encourage a second bloom in summer by pruning flowers immediately after they fade.

The best way to maintain a crape myrtle at a certain size is to plant an appropriate cultivar that will grow to the mature height and spread desired. Corrective pruning should be done to remove damaged or dead branches when a problem is detected. Otherwise, prune while the plant is dormant (winter or early spring) to remove only lateral branches, small twigs, or branches in the center of the plant to open more space for sun and air movement. Always remove any suckers that have sprouted from the roots or lower trunk.

Following these guidelines, your crape myrtle will provide many summers of incredible blooms for many years to come. And the tree police will not arrest you for crape murder!

General Assembly Wrapup 2024

Tue, 14 May 2024 10:31:26 GMT

The 2024 Maryland General Assembly adjourned April 8, having enacted several hundred bills during its 3-month session. This article will look at some of the more significant of those new laws.

Always at the top of the list in any legislative session is the state’s budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins June 1. Not surprisingly, this is a complex piece of legislation – the highlights summary provided by the state government runs to more than 200 pages. It allocates some $63 billion to a variety of state, county, and local agencies.

Governor Wes Moore said he followed three guidelines in constructing the budget. First was “a fiscally responsible approach” to increasing investments and making necessary cuts. Second, he said, the administration shifted money from programs that are underperforming to those with “a proven record of success.” And third, he focused on making public investments that will help the state’s economy grow over the long term.

Among the highlights are $9.1 billion for the state’s public schools, a 5.3% increase over 2024. Higher education and transportation also receive increases of about 5% over last year’s budget. The budget also includes increases in tobacco taxes and vehicle registration fees, to help avoid a projected deficit in the Blueprint for Maryland’s future, the state’s education reform bill. Personal income taxes will not be increased.

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after a collision from a cargo ship was a major issue in the final days of the General Assembly session. The collapse threatened a long closure of the Baltimore harbor, a major element of the state’s economy. On the final night of the session, legislators approved a bill to provide grant assistance to workers and businesses affected by the collapse. The bill also provides scholarships for dependents of the six workers killed by the collapse, as well as construction workers killed in other state projects.

One of Moore’s priorities was to increase the availability and affordability of housing in the state. To that end, he supported three bills, all of which passed. One creates a state Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs, which is charged with creating a bill of rights for tenants, to be included in all residential leases and rental agreements. It also limits the cost of security deposits to one month’s rent, and increases the cost to landlords of serving an eviction notice. The other two bills seek to make it easier for local jurisdictions to increase affordable housing, and to provide grants and loans to communities building or redeveloping housing in low-income areas.

Another bill authorizes Eastern Shore counties to increase the rental rate tax on hotels, motels, and B&B operators from 5% to 6% of the room rate, beginning July 1, 2024. Given the importance of tourism in many Shore counties, this increase could be a welcome addition to the revenues of those counties.

The state’s juvenile justice system was addressed in a bill increasing the number of offenses a child between the ages of 10 and 12 can be charged with, and the penalties to which the offender is liable. Offenses covered under the act include third-degree sex offenses, aggravated animal cruelty, stealing motor vehicles, and various firearms offenses [1] . The bill increases the length of probation to which juveniles can be sentenced to one year for misdemeanors and two years for felonies.

The Freedom to Read Act prohibits state-funded libraries from banning books based on the origin, background, or views of the author or other creator, or because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval of the contents.

Given that 2024 is a presidential election year, it should be no surprise that several bills focused on electoral matters. One prohibits threats of harm to an election official or their family members, punishable by up to three years in prison or a $2,500 fine. Two others address compensation for election judges, prohibiting their wages from being deducted from any unemployment benefits and requiring compensation and leave for county employees and public school students serving as judges. And still another new law requires social media platforms with more than one million monthly users to take “reasonable efforts to prevent, detect, and remove accounts and posts that communicate election disinformation in the State and report accounts or posts that communicate election disinformation [to] the State Board of Elections.”

A comprehensive list of measures enacted by the 2024 General Assembly can be found at the WYPR website.

[1] Block changed font/

Watch the Moms!

Tue, 14 May 2024 10:30:06 GMT

Moms are a particularly powerful way of organizing. This is not a history but a commentary on some of today’s Moms organizations that have played a role in America’s politics in different forms.

Moms for Liberty caught our attention here on the Eastern Shore a couple of years ago in the elections for local boards of education. It was founded in Florida in 2021 by Tina Descovitch, Tiffany Justice, and Bridget Ziegler. Moms for Liberty claim to be “a grassroots organization dedicated to fighting for liberty and parental rights in education.” [M4L FB website, March 22.] “They promote liberty in our homes and community” according to their mission statement.

In a gesture of defiance and common sense, The Book Plate bookstore started advertising that they have been selling banned books for decades.

Moms for Liberty, Worcester County, Md., also was active in the same year’s elections. Barbara Barbato, Chair, stated that

“Moms for Liberty – Worcester County is dedicated to the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.”

Two grandmothers’ organization were organized to oppose them: Grandmothers for Truth and Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights or GRR!.

Grandmothers for Truth is a group of grandparents and their allies organized by People For the American Way who are “fighting for the next generation’s freedom to learn, and who are resisting authoritarian attacks on the freedom to teach the full truth about our history and culture. In partnership with allies of all ages and communities, we will defeat this generation’s book-banners, censors, and authoritarians."

They are “a voice, coming from grandparents’ unique place of wisdom and love, against censorship and for the freedom to learn.”

“Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights was formed to resist Moms for Liberty by women who grew up in the 50s, 60s, and early 70s when women in this country had little or no access to birth control. Abortion was illegal, and women were dying after unsafe abortions. Their vision is ‘a world where all people have access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion. A world where all can exercise their human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children they do have in safe and sustainable communities”.

A larger and older group is Moms Rising that is a merger of two separate organizations, MomsRising Together, a social welfare organization, and MomsRising Education fund in 2006. It was founded by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, an American author, speaker, and radio-host and by Joan Blades. This organization has broad interests and could be described as progressive or liberal while actually stating that they are conserving American values that are far from those of Moms for Liberty:

“We take on the most critical issues facing women, mothers, and families by educating the public and mobilizing massive grassroots actions to:

Bring the voices and real world experiences of women and mothers straight to our local, state, and nation's leaders;
Amplify women's voices and policy issues in the national dialogue & in the media across all platforms (from print, to radio, to blogs, social media, and more);
Accelerate grassroots impact on Capitol Hill and at state capitols across the country;
Hold corporations accountable for fair treatment of women and mothers and for ensuring the safety of their products.

Shauna Shames , Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University, wrote in Conversation :

“MomsRising combines the best of American innovation and ingenuity. We are a transformative on-the-ground and online multicultural organization of more than a million members and over a hundred aligned organizations working to increase family economic security, to end discrimination against women and mothers, and to build a nation where both businesses and families can thrive.

“Although Moms Rising never interferes in elections, it works to support or oppose proposed legislation on the federal level and has a political effect throughout the year. It’s reassuring that several Moms and Grandmoms groups formed in opposition to Moms for Liberty and equally, that Moms Rising was formed to opposed the liberty-minded individuals. In this context, 'liberty' tends to describe a struggle for liberty for themselves but not for others and 'freedom' represents a struggle for the rights of all, and formally recognized by governments. Politically these groups are at loggerheads.

Professor Shames continues:

“Others see them as well-organized , publicity-savvy anti-government conspiracists . By 'parental rights' they mean limiting certain content in schools and having local councils and boards run only by ' liberty-minded individuals ' — which sounds like rhetoric from the American Revolution. There’s historical precedent in this. Change the clothes and hairdos and these ladies could look like the conservative white women who opposed busing in 1970s Boston , supported McCarthy anti-communism or blocked integration in Southern schools . Those women also formed mom-based groups to protest what they saw as government overreach into their families’ way of life.

“But as a scholar of American politics with a focus on gender and race, I also see differences. Moms for Liberty skillfully leverages social media, drawing on a population activated by the 2009-2010 rise of the Tea Party followed by the Trumpian MAGA movement . Mask mandates were the trigger for the group’s formation, but opposition to gender fluidity and queerness has become its bread and butter — more 21st century than 20th.

“How racial equality is talked about animates its work also, in a distinctly new way. The conservative position on race and government’s role in the past century has pivoted from enforcement of segregation and hierarchy to a kind of social “ laissez-faire ” — hands off — position to match the Reaganite view that government is bad.

“The extreme, hyper-male form of this anti-government, pro-traditional gender-roles ideology took shape as the Proud Boys , a number of whose leaders are now under indictment and sentence for their part in the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks. Moms for Liberty, while not going this far, shares similar beliefs and apparently has ties to the Proud Boys organization and leaders . They don’t march with guns, but their actions undermine and impede local government.

“Moms for Liberty soon found success with disruptive tactics a VICE News investigation called a ' pattern of harassment' of opponents that include online and in-person targeting of school board members, parents or even students who disagree with the group.

“Members in many chapters generate ill will by turning up to school board and other meetings — sometimes to the homes of public officials or teachers — yelling insults like ' pedophile ' and ' groomer ' at opponents.

“For a newcomer, Moms for Liberty has had real victories. It has disrupted countless meetings , forcing local governance bodies to focus on topics important to the group such as lifting mask mandates and, more recently, removing curricular content that they deem controversial, such as texts on gender identity and racial oppression.

“The group’s success in getting talked about is perhaps its greatest strength so far, moving it from outside disruptor to political player, at least locally. It has successfully supported many local candidates and book bans .”

She concludes:

“The mom rhetoric may be real, but as a political scientist, I can say confidently that the framers of the Constitution would not endorse this brand of liberty. Book bans are weapons of autocrats, and democracy ends where political figures call each other 'pedophiles' in public.”

Shames’s analysis of 21st century conservative women’s groups shows an American pattern of how conservative women may respond to rapid changes by pushing for smaller governmental control while the other Mom’s groups demonstrate a firmer foundation in democratic principles when they oppose them. Ironically these often-labeled liberal principles are also deeply conservative in the sense of keeping faith with the intentions of the founders of our nation, which of course, does not recommend destroying the government!

Maryland's Teacher Shortage: Will the Blueprint's Plan for Better Pay, Training Do Enough?

Tue, 14 May 2024 10:29:03 GMT

Fifth-grade teacher Melissa Carpenter works a 10-hour day on average during the week, and her job sometimes requires her to put in hours on weekends, too.

“I feel like teaching is one of those jobs where we go to work to do more work — to do work after work,” said Carpenter, who teaches at William B. Wade Elementary School in Waldorf, in Charles County.

Carpenter’s long hours are far from unique among Maryland’s educators, as the state and nation grapple with a teacher shortage.

The U.S. Department of Education keeps a Teacher Shortage Areas database — and it found that for the current school year, Maryland was short of teachers in 28 subjects, which the state defines as “areas of certification.” That’s up from 17 five years earlier. Some teacher certification areas — such as English as a second language, health science and special education — are short on teachers from pre-K through the 12th grade.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future – a landmark state law reforming public education — aims to fix that problem by “elevating the stature of the teaching profession” through higher pay, better training and stronger recruitment efforts.

However, experts and educators have mixed views about whether that will successfully address the root causes of the shortage.

“Money is a huge help, but it's not everything,” said Simon Birenbaum, director of grading, assessment and scheduling at Baltimore City Public Schools. “Human capital is the biggest issue, and money can help with that problem, but recruiting, training and retaining high-quality teachers and staff has to be the primary focus. No amount of money can compensate for a lack of highly-skilled educators.”

Documenting the shortage

Maryland’s teacher woes follow national trends. The National Center for Education Statistics reported 86% of U.S. K-12 public schools faced challenges in hiring teachers for the current school year.

Amid the shortage, the Blueprint calls for hiring an unspecified number of additional teachers to ease the workload of classroom veterans.

“You hear a lot about the teacher shortage — and how are we going to implement all these Blueprint programs, which require additional staffing, when we have a teacher shortage?” asked Addie Kaufman, executive director of the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals.

Shortages stem, in part, from the fact that teachers are leaving the profession. In Prince George’s County, 1,126 teachers resigned between July 2022 and July 2023 — up from 989 the previous year, The Washington Post reported. Meanwhile, 625 resigned in Montgomery County Public Schools, up from 576 a year earlier.

Dorchester County experienced the highest attrition rate in Maryland during the 2021-22 school year at 18%, according to a Department of Education report.

“I used to never have people just quit in the middle of the year,” said Dorchester County Superintendent Dave Bromwell, who recently retired. “The pandemic told some people, you know what? If you're not happy, move on.”

All those factors end up impacting teachers like Carpenter. She said her grade level saw an influx of students, with around 30 students in her own fifth grade class this year.

“Our class sizes are growing, and we don't have the support in place to help some of our struggling learners,” she said.

‘Teaching isn’t approved’

Schools are suffering from a long-term decline in the number of people interested in becoming teachers.

That decline has been ongoing since the mid-‘70s, “but it gets worse and worse and worse, year over year,” said Mike Hansen, an education policy expert at the Brookings Institution.

According to the State Department of Education, 9,134 people were enrolled in teacher preparation programs in the state in 2012. That number plummeted by about half by 2017, but rose to 6,037 by 2020.

Why is teaching becoming less appealing as a career? Zid Mancenido, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has been studying that issue.

“One of the major findings of my research has been that people are taught over time that teaching isn’t a great career,” he said in a 2022 interview on the school’s website. “There are all these tiny interactions they have over their lifetime that give them this feeling that teaching isn’t approved, that they should be aspiring to other careers that might be more prestigious or well-paid.”

Amid the shortage, many schools hire less-credentialed “conditional” teachers — those who have not yet received their professional certifications. Maryland’s issuance of conditional certificates more than doubled between 2018 to 2022, a state Department of Education report said.

In Charles County, where Carpenter works, 12.4% of all teachers held conditional certificates by 2021 – a rate only surpassed by Baltimore City (13.4%) and Prince George’s County (14.3%).

Carpenter said experienced teachers are leaned on to help the conditional hires.

“Which would be fine if you had one or two teachers who needed that support. But we have a massive amount of teachers who are conditional right now,” she said.

The Blueprint’s pay bump

In order to address the teacher shortage, the Blueprint provides a number of measures that lawmakers hope will encourage people to become teachers and ensure that existing ones don’t leave for more lucrative out-of-state positions – or exit the profession altogether.

A key Blueprint initiative increases teacher pay to a minimum of $60,000 by 2026. In some counties, that means a nearly $15,000 pay bump for new teachers.

David Larner, chief human resource and professional development officer at the Howard County Public School System, said the pay raise will attract teachers from other states and build up Maryland’s teacher workforce.

“If our salaries are higher than salaries in surrounding states … then candidates are more likely to come,” Larner explained.

However, Hansen, of the Brookings Institution, expressed skepticism about the likely impact of the measure on the state’s teacher shortage.

Hansen argued that rather than a universal rise in minimum salary levels, money should be targeted where it’s needed the most – attracting teacher talent in high-need schools and specialized fields like STEM subjects and special education. He also highlighted research that suggests salary is just one of many factors that can lead to teacher attrition.

“I think we need to be paying teachers more – I don’t think paying a $60,000 minimum wage is the way to do it,” he said.

Boosting careers and diversity

The Blueprint also aims to improve teacher quality by encouraging educators to obtain additional training.

The plan provides for a salary increase of $10,000 for teachers who become National Board Certified, an advanced teaching credential that fewer than 6% of Maryland teachers held at the start of 2023, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Teachers in high-need areas may see their annual salaries increase by up to $17,000 by becoming certified.

“We want to professionalize the career of teaching, and I think that is absolutely what we should be doing,” said Stephanie Novak Pappas, principal of the Holabird Academy, an elementary and middle school in Baltimore.

However, Hansen questioned the Blueprint’s emphasis on National Board certification.

“We don’t have a lot of evidence that actually getting your NBC makes you a better teacher,” Hansen said.

The Blueprint also calls on school districts to create a diverse workforce. The Accountability and Implementation Board – which oversees the Blueprint – will evaluate those efforts.

A diverse workforce has significant benefits, according to David Blazar, an education policy expert at the University of Maryland.

Blazar said that increasing the share of Black teachers has “exceptionally large impacts on students’ short and long term outcomes,” he said. “I’d say some of the largest impacts I’ve seen across all of the educational intervention literature.”

But maximizing the benefits of a more diverse workforce will be complicated, Blazar said. Even if the state’s teacher workforce came to match the demographics of its students, there would likely still be “clustering of Black teachers within certain districts, and within certain schools within districts,” he said.

Hansen echoed those concerns, and said that teachers nationwide remain even more racially segregated than students. Rather than aiming to make the teachers within individual districts reflect the exact racial demographics as their students, he suggested that policymakers should “maximize exposure and access to a diverse set of teachers for every student” across different regions.

A work in progress

Beyond the Blueprint, the General Assembly last year passed the Maryland Educator Shortage Reduction Act, which requires the state to set recruitment goals for teacher education programs, creates an alternative teacher prep program for early childhood educators and establishes a $20,000 yearly stipend for eligible student teachers.

Gov. Wes Moore, who proposed the legislation, said upon signing it that it is intended to place “world class teachers in every classroom.”

Carpenter, the Charles County teacher, said future changes may be necessary, too.

“We will have new students next year, and they will [have] different needs. So we need to make sure that we are constantly evolving,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sparkle Jefferson, an assistant principal at Flintstone Elementary School in Prince George’s County, stressed that reinforcing the teacher workforce is key to the Blueprint’s overall success.

“It lands in the hands of our educators, and if we don't have educators who are highly qualified or able to do the work, then the Blueprint work would never get accomplished,” she said.

Local News Network Director Jerry Zremski contributed to this report.

Legal Gray Areas Hinder Police Watchdogs

Tue, 14 May 2024 10:27:56 GMT

Three years after state lawmakers celebrated the passage of the Maryland Police Accountability Act, the rollout of the new police oversight systems has proven slow, inconsistent and rife with disagreements about how to implement the new oversight process — challenges that frustrate critics and administrators alike.

But the Maryland General Assembly has shown little appetite for revisiting the law, leaving many of the unresolved questions about the new police oversight systems in the hands of local governments.

A Capital News Service investigation revealed that roughly a quarter of Maryland jurisdictions did not get their police oversight systems up and running before the July 2022 deadlines set by state lawmakers. The new oversight bodies in Baltimore City, along with Dorchester, Cecil and Kent Counties, did not meet until 2023.

Even in jurisdictions that did meet the deadline, some administrators have struggled to navigate ambiguities in the law. In one county, three people who submitted misconduct complaints later had to defend themselves in court against counter-accusations that they had submitted false reports and wasted police resources.

The 2021 Maryland Police Accountability Act outlined a three-tiered police oversight system that theoretically overhauled the state’s long-standing rules for police misconduct investigations and gave civilian bodies the authority to receive misconduct complaints, review police internal investigations and issue discipline. The reforms were the most prominent contribution by Maryland lawmakers to a wave of police oversight reforms nationwide in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer a year earlier.

Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon, D-Montgomery County, was a member of the Maryland General Assembly’s police reform and accountability work group and a leading voice of support for the Police Accountability Act in 2021. He says state lawmakers generally expect local governments to be proactive in making the new police oversight systems work, though he doesn’t always endorse that approach.

“If there are real issues, of course, the state can step in for clarification, but we are essentially still in the early stages of allowing the implementation to flow through local governments,” Moon said.

Police Accountability Boards, or PABs, form the foundation of the new system. The boards are responsible for receiving civilian complaints and passing them to the appropriate law enforcement agency for an internal investigation.

State lawmakers set an unenforced timeline for the creation of new county-level police oversight agencies: each jurisdiction, including Baltimore City, would establish a PAB by July 2022, and each PAB would release an annual report on its activities that year.

But a half-dozen counties struggled to stand up their PABs and to refer complaints for investigation before that deadline, generally because of administrative barriers, a shortage of volunteers, or simply the scale of the task.

Moon says that state lawmakers anticipated those setbacks, but opted to set a shorter timeline to establish the new oversight bodies rather than stalling the process on behalf of smaller jurisdictions. “We ultimately decided to force the implementation process along, even if there were delays and hiccups,” he said.

In many counties, a lack of outreach and preparation meant that positions on the boards “often went to people who were already in the loop,” said Yanet Amanuel, the Director of Public Policy for the ACLU of Maryland.

Those delays have come with consequences. Joshua Harris, the chair of Baltimore City’s PAB, says administrative red tape pushed back the board’s first meeting to February of last year, during which the city’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights accepted more than 300 complaints on the board’s behalf; the city did not form its ACC until July 2023.

“[By the time of its first meeting], our ACC already had a backlog of cases,” Harris said. “If cases are not reviewed within a year and a day [after they are submitted], whatever the police department’s integrity bureau decides is basically final. That could mean there are problematic officers that remain on the streets.”

Harris adds that the committee also continues to receive cases for review with little time to spare before the 366-day deadline, forcing them to rush their review or risk leaving the discipline to the discretion of the police department.

Meanwhile, county attorneys and PAB administrators elsewhere in the state have raised concerns that the rules for reviewing police misconduct and issuing discipline are riddled with ambiguities.

The Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office’s decision to bring criminal charges against three people whose police misconduct complaints were deemed to be unfounded offers a prime example.

“The law does not currently provide protections for people who file complaints,” says Amanuel of the ACLU.

Worcester County has charged three people — including the first person to submit a complaint through the county’s PAB in 2022 — with filing a false report after submitting complaints about Ocean City police officers.

The Ocean City District Court has yet to side with the State’s Attorney’s Office on the matter; judges dismissed all three cases, arguing that while the complaints themselves were unfounded, they did not rise to the level of criminality.

“I have never seen a case where police bring a criminal charge against a person that wanted to be heard on their view of police conduct,” said Judge Richard Collins, who presided over the first trial, during his closing remarks. “I believe that it would have the effect of telling people, ‘don’t complain against the police because they might decide to make a criminal investigation of your differing opinions as to the conduct of these officers.”

Messiah Burrell, a Pennsylvania resident and the second person to face charges after filing a misconduct report in Worcester County, believes his experience calls into question the value of the new oversight system itself.

“I might have known what I was getting into,” he said. “I never got to talk to anyone on that [Police Accountability] Board. I only spoke with Ocean City Police.”

The Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office did not respond to inquiries about the cases.

Worcester County Attorney Roscoe Leslie, however, identified other glaring ambiguities in the Maryland Police Accountability Act, including the definition of “police misconduct” itself.

The law defines misconduct as “depriving persons of rights protected by the Constitution, violation of criminal statute and violation of law enforcement agency standards or policies.”

“The way that it’s written leaves it open to the interpretation that you need all three – depriving persons of constitutional rights, violating criminal statutes and violating agency policy – to constitute misconduct,” Leslie argues. “I haven’t taken that interpretation, but it’s still possible.” The Prince George’s County PAB raised similar concerns, and the Maryland Attorney General’s office stepped in last April to clarify that counties should use the broader definition of police misconduct.

Lawmakers in Annapolis considered one proposed change to the new police oversight system this year: a bill introduced by Baltimore delegate Malcolm Ruff (D-41) that would have granted the boards subpoena powers to conduct investigations concurrently with law enforcement agencies’ internal reviews.

Jim Gormley, a former member of Howard County’s PAB and a founder of the Howard County Police Accountability Task Force, argues that granting subpoena power would encourage boards to take a more active role in police oversight. At the moment, he said, most boards serve as a “mail box,” in part because of uncertainty about the extent of their role in recommending reforms.

“The state law says the PABs should work to ‘improve matters of policing,’” Gormley said. “What does working to improve policing actually mean? It doesn't mean nothing, but until we have a statutory mandate to take an active role, we're going to have a lack of clarity, lack of energy, and lack of drive towards accountability.”

Law enforcement advocates, however, countered that the ACCs already have subpoena power — whether or not they use it — and that adding another investigative step would over-complicate an already convoluted process.

“Across the state, we're talking about hundreds of cases,” Maryland Fraternal Order of Police President Clyde Boatwright told the Maryland House Judiciary Committee. “We still have found the one case that says the internal investigation should have been done differently. How many bites on the apple do we need to have?”

Ruff’s bill ultimately failed to advance beyond the state’s Judiciary Committee, ending consideration of changes to Maryland’s police accountability system this year.

Without an appetite in the General Assembly for revisiting the Maryland Police Accountability Act — or, in some counties, confidence to expand upon the state law independent of the General Assembly — Howard County’s Gormley says that those seeking to improve the new system are “a little bit stuck.”

But Moon maintains that state lawmakers designed the Maryland Police Accountability Act to leave much of the decision-making to the state’s 23 counties and Baltimore City.

During the drafting of the bill, “I think everybody accepted that a lot of the decisions would be made locally,” Moon said. “We were standing up a framework, and local governments would have to fill in the gaps.”

Tommy Tucker contributed to this report.

John Barth – 1930-2024 – An Eastern Shore Man

Tue, 14 May 2024 10:25:26 GMT

A Biography and Appreciation

John Barth, prominent American author and Eastern Shore native, passed away on April 2, 2024 in a hospice facility in Bonita Springs, Florida. He was 93.

Barth was the author of over twenty works of fiction and non-fiction. These include novels and short story collections, most with settings in Maryland, particularly the Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore—plus three books of critical essays and numerous articles.

Born in Cambridge, Dorchester County, Md., in 1930, John Simmons Barth was the son of John Jacob and Georgia (Simmons) Barth. He had a twin sister, Jill, and an older brother, Bill. In a nod to his twin’s name, he was called Jack. And, although he used “John” professionally and publicly, it was as “Jack” that he was known to family and friends.

At Cambridge High School, Barth played drums in the band and wrote for the school newspaper.

Barth loved music and had initially planned to study music and become a jazz arranger. However, after graduating from high school in 1947, he entered a summer program at Julliard School of Music in New York. There, he realized that, while good, he didn’t have the same talent as many other students. In a 2008 interview, Barth recalled “that the young man to my right and the young woman to my left were going to be the real professional musicians of their generation, and that what I had hoped was a pre-professional talent was really just an amateur flair.” He decided to switch fields.

He attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in English in 1951 and a master’s degree in English and Creative Writing in 1952.

Following graduation, Barth began his four-decade long teaching career—first at Pennsylvania State University from 1953 to 1965 then at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo from 1965 to 1973. He also had a stint as a visiting professor at Boston University in 1972.

He returned to Maryland in 1973 and taught at his alma mater, Johns Hopkins, until his retirement in 1995 with the emeritus rank.

After retirement, Barth and his wife Shelly spent many years on the Eastern Shore in their home on Langford Bay in Kent County before moving to Florida.

Barth’s first novel, The Floating Opera published in 1956, was nominated for a National Book Award as was his 1968 short story collection, Lost in the Funhouse. In 1973, Chimera, a collection of three short novels focusing on the myths of Perseus, Bellerophon, and Scheherazade, won the award.

Barth’s breakthrough novel, though, was The Sot-Weed Factor, published in 1960. This picaresque story lampooned the conventions of historical novels and was a biting parody of 18th-century English novels, according to Britannica.com .

Set in the 1680s and ‘90s, first in London, England, then on the Eastern Shore of the colony of Maryland, the novel follows the escapades of one Ebeneezer Cooke, poet and son of a British tobacco merchant or “sot weed factor.”

Filled with bawdy capers, black humor, and an irreverent account of early Maryland colonial history, the Sot Weed Factor became a literary smash hit, with a cult following and a fan club that proudly termed itself “The Society for the Celebration of Barthomania.” Each year on Barth’s birthday, club members would inundate him with cards and letters. The club also made a board game based on Barth’s 1968 book, Lost in the Funhouse.

The Sot Weed Factor has been voted one of the 20 best post-war novels in a poll of authors and critics.

As a writer, according to the obituary in the British newspaper, The Telegraph. Barth “tore apart the classics of the Middle Ages and antiquity, reusing legends in different settings with his own casts of insane characters.”

References and More Information:

Associated Press (AP), “John Barth, innovative postmodernist novelist, dies at 93,” Brian White, April 3, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/john-barth-obituary-hopkins-university-31a8f5779b524125940da17b4b15d3bf

Britannica.com, “The Sot Weed Factor,” https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Sot-Weed-Factor

Johns Hopkins Libraries. Barthomania Society collection, 1970-2000, https://aspace.library.jhu.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/52388

New York Times, “John Barth, Writer Who Pushed Storytelling’s Limits, Dies at 93,” Michael T. Kaufman and Dwight Garner, April 2, 2024; https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/books/john-barth-dead.html

The Telegraph, “John Barth, author whose novels Giles Goat-Boy and The Sot-Weed Factor became a cult – obituary,” April 11, 2024. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/john-barth-author-whose-novels-135253683.html

Washington Post, “John Barth, novelist who orchestrated literary fantasies, dies at 93 - His comic novels and metafictional stories made him a giant of postmodernism,” Harrison Smith, 2 April 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/04/02/john-barth-author-dead-obituary/

Hogan for Senate — Not as Moderate as He Claims to Be?

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:27:19 GMT

The Maryland primary election is set for May 14, with early voting beginning May 2 and mail-in voting already in progress.

There are seven Republican candidates for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, all hoping to be the GOP candidate in the general election on November 5.

For nearly a year, the Republican primary was considered basically an open race, with the winner anyone’s guess. Then in February, Maryland’s former governor, Larry Hogan, entered the race and immediately became the front runner and — in many commentators’ opinion — the presumptive winner.

This puts Maryland’s entire senate race in a new light. Until Hogan entered the GOP primary, Maryland was considered a safe state for the Democrats. Recent polls now predict a close race in November between Hogan and either of the two leading Democratic candidates.

Maryland’s senate race is important because the senate is almost evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Given the Democrats’ one-seat majority, the loss or gain of even one by either party will affect control of the senate.

To help voters decide who best represents their views, this article looks at Hogan’s biography and his record as governor, including abortion and reproductive rights, education, voting rights, gun violence, and transportation.

Hogan’s Biography

Born in Washington D.C., Hogan attended Catholic high schools in Maryland and Florida and in 1978 was awarded his bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University.

His early career was in real estate after he founded his brokerage firm, the Hogan Companies.

His political experience includes serving as secretary of appointments from 2003 to 2007 for then-Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R). Hogan was elected governor in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. In 2019-20, he chaired the National Governors’ Association.

Hogan on the Issues

Hogan is considered a moderate, pro-business Republican, generally in line with traditional GOP positions and policies. He does not support former President Donald Trump and has said publicly that President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election.

As governor, Hogan’s stance on various issues can best be seen in his many vetoes of bills passed by the Maryland General Assembly; most were overridden.

His veto record suggests that Hogan may not be as moderate as his reputation and distance from Trump imply.

Hogan vetoed the bill to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 over several years. He also vetoed an earned sick leave bill to allow workers five paid sick days per year. Another of his vetoes was against legislation to establish a paid family and medical leave insurance program. All three were overridden by the General Assembly and became law during Hogan’s term of office.

Hogan has consistently opposed abortion and reproductive rights and services. He vetoed a bill to increase the availability of reproductive services and the number of trained providers. This veto came just before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and the General Assembly overrode this veto. In a related action, Hogan refused to release $3.5 million in appropriated funds to train abortion and reproductive health providers.

He also vetoed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future . Proposed by the Kirwan Commission, t his educational reform proposed a 10-year plan to “expand pre-kindergarten programs and increase funding for schools with high concentrations of poverty, increase pay and career opportunities for teachers, create new career pathways for high schoolers who don’t plan to attend college, and establish an accountability board.” This veto was overridden.

In 2018, a mass-shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis by a gunman using a shotgun ended with five people dead and two others wounded. In response, the General Assembly passed a bill requiring background checks before the sale or transfer of shotguns and rifles. Hogan vetoed it.

Hogan vetoed a bill to give voters the chance to sign their mail-in ballots if they had forgotten to do so. In 2015, Hogan vetoed a bill, also over-ridden, to restore the voting rights of ex-prisoners on probation or parole.

On other issues, Hogan canceled the Red Line light rail project in Baltimore City which would have expanded public transit into new areas. He vetoed a bill to prevent the eviction of tenants who have pending applications for rental assistance in response to covid-related economic hardship. He also vetoed funding for the Prescription Drug Affordability Board , that would have helped lower medical costs for all Marylanders.

In addition to Hogan, the other Republican primary senatorial candidates (with links to candidate information on Ballotpedia) are:

Maryland Primary Election Basic Information

The Maryland Board of Elections has information here along with links to find your polling place, request an absentee/mail-in ballot, track your ballot, and sign up to be an election judge.

Here’s the schedule for the Maryland primary election:

In-person voting:

May 2 — Early voting begins, 7 am-8 pm
May 9 — Early voting ends, 7 am-8 pm
May 14 — Primary election day, 7 am-8 pm

Absentee/Mail-in voting:

Any registered voter may request an absentee/mail-in ballot.

Voter registration deadline — for new voters or to add/change party affiliation:

In-person: May 14

Absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline:

In-person: May 14
By mail: Received by May 7
Online: May 7

Absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline:

In-person: May 14
By mail: Received by May 14

More Information

“United States Senate Election in Maryland, 2024,” Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics.

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Maryland,_2024

“Maryland just passed one of the most aggressive climate laws in the US,” Jeff St. John , April 12, 2022, Canary Media .

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/policy-regulation/maryland-just-passed-one-of-the-most-aggressive-climate-laws-in-the-us

“Commentary: A look at Larry Hogan’s record on key issues,” Larry Ottinger, Feb. 26, 2024, Maryland Matters .

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2024/02/26/commentary-a-look-at-larry-hogans-record-on-key-issues/

“Larry Hogan Is Running for Senate as a Moderate. His Vetoes Tell a Different Story,” Eric Cortellessa, Feb, 14, 2024, Time.com .

https://time.com/6694872/larry-hogan-maryland-senators-abortion/

“Hogan slams Maryland Senate's proposed Climate law, calling it a tax bill,” Ryan Dickstein, Mar. 10, 2022; WMAR2news .

https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/hogan-slams-maryland-senates-proposed-climate-law-calling-it-a-tax-bill

Convention Delegates — How They’re Chosen and What They Do

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:26:34 GMT

On the ballot for Maryland’s primary election on May 14, in addition to the usual offices — U.S. president, U.S. senator, District 1 representative, possibly the local school board — are the candidates for delegates to your party’s national convention. Who are these people? What are their responsibilities if elected?

Convention delegates — usually local political leaders or party activists — are chosen at the state level, and each state has its own procedure for choosing them, subject to rules set by the national parties. We’ll look at the Maryland ballot, specifically District 1 — which includes the Eastern Shore — then at some of the variations nationwide.

On the District 1 primary ballot, each party has a slate of delegates. The Democrats have six delegate slots and nine candidates; six are pledged to President Joe Biden and three are uncommitted. The Republican ballot has three delegate slots and six candidates, three each for Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. The Republicans also have three slots for alternate delegates, with six candidates — again equally divided between Trump and Haley supporters.

An additional wrinkle at the Democratic convention is the inclusion of “superdelegates” — typically elected officials or high-ranking party officials, who are chosen by the national party and make up about 16% of the total. They aren’t bound to a single candidate. Party rules adopted in 2020 bar superdelegates from voting on the first ballot unless one candidate is deemed to have an insurmountable lead. This rule gives the regularly elected delegates a chance to choose a candidate, based on the state primaries and party caucuses — which take the place of primaries in 13 states — if the voting appears close.

The GOP has not adopted the superdelegate model, but each state has three “automatic delegates,” who are members of that state’s Republican National Committee, including the state chairman.

The two parties have different systems to decide how many delegates the primary candidates receive. The Democrats allocate delegates proportionally to the candidates’ totals in the primary or caucus; a candidate must receive at least 15% of a state’s vote to be allocated a delegate. This rule applies to all Democratic primaries.

The Republicans’ system varies from state to state; some allocate delegates winner-take-all and others use a proportional method like the Democrats.

What does a delegate’s support of a specific candidate mean? In several states, delegates are required by law to support their candidate for a specified number of ballots. In states where that is not a requirement — Maryland is one — the Democratic party strongly encourages delegates to vote for the candidate to whom they’re pledged, at least on the first ballot.

Republican delegates are “bound” — in which case they are required by the party to vote for the winner of their state’s primary — or unbound and free to vote for anyone. The automatic delegates from every state are bound.

At the conventions this summer, the delegates will nominate their party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, unless the nominees have already been selected by primary and caucus results prior to the convention; in that case, the actual vote will be a formality. The last time the choice of nominee took more than one ballot was 1952 for the Democrats. The candidate for vice president is typically chosen by the presidential candidate before the convention and is voted on by acclamation.

Delegates are different from Electoral College electors, who are appointed after the general election in November. The electors may or may not have served as delegates; it’s a completely different step in the election process.

If everything is decided at the primary/caucus level, what then, you may ask, is the point of the national conventions? Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper just to pick a candidate based on the primaries?

Yes, but that overlooks the significant publicity splash from the conventions, which receive major media and press coverage. The convention is often the first chance for voters to see and hear the candidates, especially if they are not incumbents. And speeches and raucous celebrations on the convention floor generate enthusiasm, which the parties hope will spread to the general public.

A convention also showcases other political figures, some of whom may go on to run for major office. Barack Obama’s keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic convention is widely cited as the point at which he emerged into the national consciousness, setting the stage for his successful presidential campaigns.

In addition to selecting candidates for president and vice president, conventions adopt a party’s platform, which often reflects the priorities of the leading candidate, especially in the case of an incumbent. On the other hand, the platform can provoke considerable internal wrangling — at the 1996 Republican convention, for example, moderates unsuccessfully fought against a “Human Life Amendment” plank. In 2020, to avoid debates over policy that might split the party, the Republicans offered no platform at all beyond support for Donald Trump.

When you vote for convention delegates, you’re sending the winners to one of the nation’s most visible political events. The smoke-filled rooms may be gone, but the days of stirring speeches, energetic demonstrations in support of candidates, and national media exposure of the party’s personalities and principles are still with us. And delegates still have an important role to play in the formation of policy priorities.

In short, convention delegates are in for an experience of a lifetime. After all, it’s not every day they get to be on the main stage of history.

Eastern Shore School Board Elections — Primary

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:25:10 GMT

School board elections are getting more attention than ever.

Although voters may be aware of each candidate’s party affiliation, elections for boards of education in Maryland are officially non-partisan. The number of members on a county board varies from county to county, but if the number of candidates is more than two times the number of vacancies on the board, the candidates appear on the primary ballot. In some counties — Dorchester and Talbot, for example — school board members are elected from districts. In others — for example, Kent — they run at-large.

A county school board’s responsibilities include hiring and evaluating the school system’s superintendent, developing the system’s annual budget, and approving school policies. School boards also consider citizens’ concerns. Boards are not, however, responsible for day-to-day operations of the system. Those are the superintendent’s, who hires staff, measures student performance, and responds to problems such as the covid pandemic.

Dorchester and Talbot are the only Eastern Shore counties with school board candidates on their ballots in this year’s primary.

Voters in District 1 of Dorchester will vote for one of the following:

Brandy Dawson Cumberland
Michael D. Diaz, Sr.
Lucas A. Thorpe

Information about the candidates, including contact information, can be found at the League of Women Voters’ VOTE411 website . The League posed questions to the candidates. One of the questions was: What strategies would you support to attract and retain effective teachers and administrators?

Thorpe responded, “To enhance teacher diversity, I advocate for diverse recruiting initiatives and scholarships for aspiring educators from our school system. Revamping the Teacher Academy Program at DCTC will provide hands-on experience. By investing in these strategies, we ensure a rich and inclusive pool of educators, fostering a dynamic learning environment.”

Cumberland responded: “Aside from a competitive benefit package, we need safe schools for our teachers. This is a tremendous concern presently in our schools. Additionally, teachers and administrators must be supported by their superiors and board.”

Diaz did not respond.

Voters in District 5 of Dorchester will vote for one of the following:

Jerome J. Harris
Michael Hartford
Christopher M. Wheedleton, incumbent

Information about the candidates, including contact information, can be found at the League of Women Voters’ VOTE411 website .

To the question of what strategies he would support to attract and retain effective teachers and administrators, Wheedleton responded, “I have been working to support competitive compensation packages, professional development opportunities, and mentorship programs to attract and retain effective teachers and administrators. A positive work environment with opportunities for career advancement and leadership roles further enhances retention. Prioritizing work-life balance and listening to needs and challenges are integral strategies to ensure long-term commitment and satisfaction among educators and administrators.”

To the same question Hartford replied, “I encourage broadening our teachers’ trainings and listening to their concerns firsthand. The more they learn, the better off our children will be.”

Harris did not respond to the League’s questions.

Voters in District 2 in Talbot County are asked to choose one of the following:

Candace N. Henry, incumbent
Connie Loveland
Ann C. O’Connor

Detailed information on the candidates can be found at the VOTE411 website . The same question concerning teacher retention was posed to these candidates by the League of Women Voters.

Henry responded: “ To attract and retain effective teachers and administrators, a multifaceted approach is necessary. We must incorporate strategies aimed at creating an appealing/supportive work environment, competitive compensation, professional development opportunities, ongoing support for new teachers and administrators, advancement and leadership opportunities, prioritizing work-life balance, and recognizing/appreciating the value of educators and leaders.”

Loveland’s response: “ I feel this is a subject that will require quite a bit of research. We need to make sure our teachers feel supported and appreciated. Talbot County needs to regain the reputation of the County where everyone wants to work. The County where long-time teachers want to stay. Effective recruitment and high retention rates are key. Happy teachers are the best tool to recruit new teachers.”

O’Connor said: “Ask the teachers! The teachers are in the classroom and know firsthand what is needed to succeed. They know what is working and what isn’t as far as subject matter and discipline, Utilizing the talents of our teachers in placing them in certain positions/grades would have to be researched and developed. Offering support in the classroom with aides, ample planning time, reduced class sizes, and of course, compensation are all things that would be on the top of my list.”

I encourage readers to seek information about all school board candidates. The current atmosphere in the nation of book banning and attempts by a minority of citizens to gain control over curriculum and educational policy makes it imperative for us as citizens to pay attention to school board races.

Hogan's Environment Agency was Underfunded and It Underperformed, Experts Say

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:22:26 GMT

Funding cuts and staffing shortages at the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) over the past decade have coincided with a decline in the state’s ecological health.

MDE’s water-related enforcement actions and identification of major polluters plummeted during former Gov. Larry Hogan’s time in office. During this same period, water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay declined significantly, falling to the same levels as those observed in the early 1990s, according to data from Chesapeake Progress.

Over two decades, MDE lost one out of every seven employees and those positions went unfilled as environmental challenges increased.

“What we saw in 2021 and in prior years was just a really dramatic cut-off (in resources) and Hogan’s initiatives to make sure that state agencies weren’t fully enforcing the law,” Katlynn Schmitt, a senior analyst at the Center for Progressive Reform, told Capital News Service . She is one of the authors of the 2022 Chesapeake Accountability Project scorecard — an evaluation of “water-related enforcement trends over the last two decades,” according to its website .

Ben Grumbles, Secretary of the Environment under Hogan from 2015 until March 2022, disputed allegations of lax water quality enforcement.

“The administration absolutely put an emphasis on compliance and enforcement,” he said. “We imposed and recovered many record setting penalties. We also had to deal with covid — we were not able to have on-site inspections because they put our employees at risk.”

“When you get much below 1% (funding), that's when you start to see a lot of pollution problems. It kind of sends a signal to polluters that you're not going to get caught,” said Doug Myers, Maryland senior scientist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

More than 18 million people live within the Chesapeake watershed and over 3,600 species of plants and animals call the bay home. The bay is an integral part of the regional economy, providing upwards of 500 million pounds of seafood each year. However, commercial fishery stocks in the region have plummeted in recent years.

The Chesapeake Bay is America’s largest estuary , and its watershed encompasses six states and the District of Columbia. Among these, Maryland provided its environmental protection agency with one of the lowest funding levels in 2020. Only West Virginia allocated a smaller percentage of its general fund to its environmental department.

This low funding has observable results. The 2022 CAP scorecard said that “there has been a dramatic decline in the number of enforcement actions taken by the Water & Science Administration (WSA) (a subsidiary of MDE), the number of sites inspected, and the number of significant violations identified involving environmental or health impacts.”

Although the scorecard says that the MDE situation has been degrading since the early 2000s, many of the identified changes became more severe during Hogan’s tenure, beginning in 2015.

From 2010 to 2015, the WSA took 1,280 enforcement actions against water policy violators; from 2016 to 2021, that number plummeted to less than a third of that, to 422. The number of total site inspections by the WSA also fell from almost 29,000 to less than 18,000 in those same time periods.

“So if your political philosophy is to shrink the size of government, and do as little as possible with it, that works great in your favor,” Myers told CNS . “But then when you get to the point where you're no longer producing the services the government is supposed to provide — for example, protecting water quality — then it's really hard to get that funding back.”

The decline in regulatory capacity at MDE coincided with new challenges for the Chesapeake Bay.

In 2022, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation gave the bay’s health a D+ rating . The current score of 32/100 is only a marginal improvement over 1998’s inaugural score of 27/100.

Chesapeake Progress found that only 27% of the Chesapeake Bay by surface area had acceptable levels of dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll alpha, and water clarity in 2020. This represents a precipitous drop from the monitoring program’s highs in the mid-2010s.

Phosphorus and nitrogen fuel the growth of algae species that thrive at the expense of other marine life. The Choptank River in Eastern Maryland in particular was determined to have “degrading” phosphorus and nitrogen load trends, according to Chesapeake Progress, as was the Susquehanna River’s overall long-term sediment trend.

Qian Zhang, an assistant research scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Program who worked on the Chesapeake Progress report, said that the primary source of these nutrient loads are “generally” agricultural facilities and farms.

A May report from Scientific American highlighted the Eastern Shore, home to the Choptank, as a region with many soy and corn farms, as well as chicken farms. According to river conservationist Elle Bassett, these farms can contribute extreme loads of problematic nutrients to water sources during heavy rains — and many are mere miles from the bay itself.

“A lot of pollution slips through the cracks, even with adequate enforcement of the laws,” Schmitt said. “There are far more polluters than there are regulators. So right now, for instance, in Maryland, every waterway inspector is given approximately 600 facilities that they are accountable for.”

In 2022, there were 53 MDE inspectors tasked with managing 31,000 permits, according to Schmitt.

There are other emerging challenges beyond nutrient loads that the MDE needs to tackle, according to experts.

Peter Tango, Chesapeake Bay monitoring coordinator for CBP, said that new working groups are being created to keep tabs on new hydrological threats.

“We recognize that there are new pollutants that are out in the bay that we may not necessarily understand as well as we do with nutrient and sediment pollution,” he said, such as plastics and even toxic chemicals.

Compounding all of this is the looming threat of climate change.

Warmer waters hold less of the vital oxygen that marine life needs to survive. CBF’s Interim Maryland Executive Director Erik Fisher told CNS last spring that increased water temperatures mean that the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution that needs to be reduced to hit healthy oxygen targets is higher now. Warmer water combined with rising sea levels reducing available freshwater wetlands makes bay restoration a steeper climb.

Gov. Wes Moore’s 2024 budget includes over $5 million in funding for the MDE in support of “environmental conservation efforts,” as well as dozens of new positions. Moore’s administration has also increased the general fund allocation to the MDE by almost $30 million for 2024.

“We face an historic challenge,” Moore said of his administration’s climate goals in April, “and we will tackle it with an all-of-government, an all-of-community, and an all-of-state approach.”

EPA Finalizes the Nation’s First PFAS Limits in Drinking Water

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:17:38 GMT

Although there are thousands of forever chemicals, the new regulation targets six of the most pervasive ones

A Review: Christopher Tilghman’s "On the Tobacco Coast"

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:15:23 GMT

On the Tobacco Coast (2024), Christopher Tilghman’s latest novel, is the last of four that trace the history of the Mason family and their house on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Mason’s Retreat. Readers familiar with this series will find plenty of familiar personalities and conflicts.

About a dozen family members, ranging from toddler to nonagenarian, gather annually for a celebration, including a banquet, and on July 4, 2019, the Mason family is observing the estate’s 350th anniversary. What follows is a communal soul searching about family history, race and privilege, and the effort to find peace with the past.

The characters’ conversations and thoughts recall people from the past, and these remembrances make up much of the novel. Actions and events offer the characters their opportunities to tell of characters and events in the past.

Perhaps grimly, perhaps too self-referentially, Kate Mason, the family matriarch, imagines saying aloud later at dinner: “It is time to remember those whose lives were destroyed in order to make this moment possible.” This statement may be a clue to an understanding of Tilghman’s book.

Eleanor, the middle child of Kate and Harry Mason, is a fiction-writing grad student at Columbia whose current project is a historical novel about the foundation of the Mason dynasty. Through her main character, Mary Foxley, Eleanor examines her family’s harsh, sixteenth-century history in establishing their early success.

Foxley wonders about the legitimacy of the colonial enterprise’s displacement of the native people and abuse of the indentured. The natives’ lives and culture were destroyed to allow the survival of the English colony. Not to speak of the harm done to the later-arrived enslaved Africans.

In the past, as the banquet has begun, Harry (the patriarch) has offered a “thought about the privilege of being a family in this unique place,” but this time he gives way to Margaret, a neighbor and friend of the family. Margaret stands and offers: “I would like to say that we all gratefully acknowledge the diverse and vibrant Native American communities who make their home here today,” provoking some hostility and a reparations discussion.

French cousin Julien and his daughter Celeste are attending the celebration. They are descendants of two Americans born at the Retreat, Thomas Mason (White) and Beal Terrill (Black), childhood sweethearts who married and fled to France. The vineyard they started continues today under the ownership of Julien and Celeste; that story is told in Tilghman’s novel Thomas and Beal in the Midi (2019).

Julien and Celeste are given a tour of the remains of their American ancestors’ village, Tuckertown. They see both White and Black cemeteries, including the headstones of Beal’s parents and brother. Having travelled 3,000 miles, they symbolically and emotionally reunite with their American ancestors.

William Faulkner famously wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Few historians would argue that statement has no truth. Many clergy members argue that the past sin of Adam and Eve plagues their descendants today. In classical traditional tragedy, heroes commit errors that bring them down. The Mason establishment has no innocent past. In Tilghman’s four Eastern Shore novels, plenty of harm has been done by past Masons, not the least of which is a pre-Civil War sale of Retreat slaves that breaks up families. That pain and harm lasts long after.

Tilghman shows us that the 2019 Mason family members eventually find themselves, if not blessed, then at least free enough from curse to live decent, productive, and even somewhat creative lives. This writer, having reviewed the three previous books, appreciates the development and extension of them in the fourth. A new reader of the series, however, is far better off to read one of the earlier novels, in particular Thomas and Beal in the Midi . In that third book, the interracial marriage of Thomas and Beal Mason, their adventure in viniculture, and Beal’s life of social service in their rural community, readers will find rich reward.

Eastern Shore High Schools Among State Leaders in Graduation Rates

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:08:22 GMT

The 2023 Maryland Public Schools Report Card is out. The Eastern Shore has received a good grade for its overall graduation rate and the four Shore school districts with graduation rates in the top five statewide.

Since 2011, schools in the state have aimed at a target graduation rate of 95% for all districts. According to the March report card, four districts achieved that goal, with three of them on the Eastern Shore! Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Worcester counties joined Carroll County as the only districts with 95% graduation rates.

Other Eastern Shore counties also scored well. With its 94.2% rate, Kent County came close to the statewide goal and was ranked fifth.

Two other Shore counties scored above the statewide average of 85.8%. Cecil had a 90.3% graduation rate and Caroline was at 86.6%. Wicomico was just below the average at 85.4% and Dorchester, with 84%, was also close. However, Somerset’s 73.8% rate was one of the three lowest in the state, along with Prince George’s (74.4%) and Baltimore City (70.6%).

The Maryland State Department of Education defines graduation rate as the percentage of ninth grade students who graduate with a regular high school diploma within five years. It accounts for students who transfer into a district, transfer to another district, leave the state, or die.

Because the state cuts off the ratings at 95%, minor differences between the top four ratings aren’t listed in the report card.

The statewide average for the 23 counties plus Baltimore City was 85.8%. The rate is affected by considerable differences in student population among districts. With 889,971 students statewide, the number of students range from Kent County, the smallest, with just 1,751 students, to Montgomery County, with 160,554, nearly a tenfold difference.

A large county’s rate will affect the average disproportionately, especially if that rate is considerably higher or lower than others in the state.

Maryland’s statewide graduation rate declined slightly over the last five years. In 2019, it was 87.1%, 1.3 percentage points higher than now. The covid-19 pandemic was undoubtedly responsible to some extent, with students working from home from March 2020 through the reopening of most state schools in September 2021. During the closings, many students were cut off from resources they would normally have.

And not all county graduation rates declined. Kent, for example, improved its rate from 92.7% in 2022 to 94.2% in 2023.

Recognizing that improvement, Dr. Karen Couch, Kent County Superintendent of Public Schools, said on the district website : "Our significant improvement in the graduation rate is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our administrators, principals, teachers, and staff. This achievement reflects our collective commitment to excellence and the success of every student."

The state also reports graduation rates for subgroups, i.e., race and ethnicity, economically disadvantaged, disabilities, and those whose first language is not English.

Although most subgroups showed little to no improvement in 2023, two — African Americans and students with disabilities — showed improvement in the graduation rate. The only subgroup exceeding the 95% target rate was Asian Americans, with a 96.5% rate for four years. Subgroups are not broken down by county, so there is no data for these groups on the Eastern Shore.

Among other statistics recorded is attendance, which was 91% statewide. The report is available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Congratulations to the six Eastern Shore counties with 2023 graduation rates above the state average. And especially to Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Worcester, and Kent, in the top five statewide.

The data on graduation rates, demographics, and other statistics on school performance can be found here .

Maryland Senate Primary — Key to Control of U.S. Senate?

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:07:53 GMT

The Maryland State Primary Election is set for May 14, and one of its biggest tasks is deciding who will be the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from Maryland in the November general election.

The current senator, Ben Cardin (D), is retiring after three terms, following 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Now Cardin will be replaced, and that new person’s party — Republican or Democratic — will help decide control of the Senate for the next two years.

Maryland has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1980. However, this year, whoever wins the Democratic primary will probably run in November against Larry Hogan, the former Republican governor from 2015 through 2023. Hogan was popular with a large number of Marylanders from both parties. His unexpected last-minute entry into the senatorial race in February heightened the stakes in the Democratic primary.

The big question for Democrats now appears to be “Who has the best chance to beat Hogan in November?”

Although there will be 10 candidates on the Democratic primary ticket, the two front-runners are Angela Alsobrooks and David Trone. Both are liberal Democrats with similar views, thus making it trickier for voters to choose between them.

Both support environmental issues, reproductive rights, Medicare and Social Security, along with expanded health care and services for various groups.

Their resumes reflect some differences, both working in government but in different areas. Alsobrook’s expertise is in management and administration, while Trone’s government experience is in legislation.

Angela Alsobrooks

Angela Alsobrooks is the chief executive of Prince George's County, the first woman to hold that office and the first Black woman to hold a county executive office in Maryland. Her experience is in implementing and directing policy, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and finding and managing personnel. She has focused on jobs, education, and expanding health care access, including mental health and addiction treatment.

She is a former state's attorney for Prince George's County, as well as that county's first full-time domestic violence prosecutor.

According to her website , “Angela has been endorsed by Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and over 150 elected officials, labor unions, and organizations across Maryland.”

Union endorsements include Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Locals 70 & 1900, and the Teamsters Local 639 and Joint Council 55.

Alsobrooks has stated that on her first day in office, she will co-sponsor the Women's Health Protection Act, legislation that will help establish federal legal protection for the right to provide and access abortion care across all states. Additionally, she will oppose any judicial nominee who does not support abortion rights.

David Trone

David Trone has extensive experience as an entrepreneur and businessman, plus several years of legislative experience in the U.S. Congress. He is a co-founder of Total Wine and More, a highly successful national liquor store chain.

Last year, Trone won re-election to a third term as the representative from Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.

In the U.S. House, Trone worked on multiple issues including medical research, mental health, opioid addiction, and criminal justice reform.

On Trone’s website he proudly states that “he’s never taken a nickel from PACs, lobbyists, or corporations” and thus is not beholden to any special interests.

Trone is an original co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which aims to codify Roe v. Wade’s protections and establish a nationwide right to abortion. He also supports the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act.

Trone belongs to the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and his voting record in Congress has received a 100% approval rating from both Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Freedom for All. He has also shown his support for reproductive rights by endorsing and speaking at the opening of an abortion clinic that moved to his district to serve Western Maryland and surrounding states.

Trone pulls no punches. Regarding Hogan’s entry into the Senate race, as reported on his website, Trone stated that Hogan’s candidacy is a “desperate attempt to return Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump to power and give them the deciding vote to ban abortion nationwide, suppress votes across the country, and give massive tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Marylanders are tired of empty promises from career politicians like Larry Hogan. During his time as governor, Larry Hogan neglected and failed the city of Baltimore, pushed for policies that kicked 200,000 Marylanders off the voter rolls, and cut backroom deals to benefit developers like himself at the expense of Maryland taxpayers….”

See the candidates’ websites for more information on their views on other issues such as education, immigration, environment, and more.

Campaign Finances

Trone has outspent Alsobrooks by roughly ten to one. Trone’s campaign has run television ads across Maryland since last fall and reported spending $23.1 million through the end of 2023. In the same period, Alsobrooks spent about $2.4 million. Trone’s campaign is primarily self-financed from his fortune as a businessman.

Alsobrooks is funded mostly by grassroots campaign donations and a few donations from Political Action Committees. She decided not to run television ads until just a few months before the primary. Her staff and staff payroll are considerably smaller than Trone’s.

How much this financial difference will translate into votes is unclear. While larger war chests and more media buys have been shown to influence potential voters, political experts note that a better-funded campaign does not always guarantee electoral success. History has shown that results vary, although having more financial resources does tend to give a campaign an edge.

Campaign finance data for the first quarter of 2024 was due on April 15.

Polls

According to two polls, Trone has an early advantage for the primary election.

A poll by Goucher College in partnership with the Baltimore Banner was conducted in late March. Of Democrats who are likely to vote in the primary, 42% favored Trone. Alsobrooks was favored by 33%. Nearly a quarter of voters are undecided between the two candidates. The margin of error was 4.9%.

Another poll — this one by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland from early March — showed Trone leading Alsobrooks 34% to 27% among registered Democrats. However, almost four in 10 Democratic voters stated that they were still undecided. The margin of error was 4.5%.

Both polls indicate that neither Democratic candidate has a clear advantage over Hogan in the general election. Both matchups — Trone vs. Hogan and Alsobrooks vs. Hogan — are, at the moment, statistically tied.

The Current U.S. Senate

Every state has two senators who each represent the entire state. Each senator serves for six years, and the terms overlap so that, except under unusual circumstances, there is only one senate election in a state at a time. Maryland’s other senator is Chris Van Hollen (D), whose term ends in January 2029.

The primary results in Maryland as well as in several other states may have a significant impact on which party controls the Senate, which currently has 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans. Those 51 Democrats include three Senators who are Independents but caucus and vote with the Democrats, thus giving the Democratic Party control of the Senate and the right to name the Senate Majority Leader. Any tie votes in the Senate are broken by the vice president of the United States, who, according to the U.S. Constitution, officially holds the office of Senate president, and may only vote when there is a tie.

In the upcoming general election in November, 34 senatorial seats will be up for election. Of those 34 seats, 23 are currently held by Democrats. Many of these Senate seats have incumbents who are running for re-election; in most cases these incumbents are expected to retain their seats. However, nationally there are several open Senate seats due to retirements, deaths, or other reasons. These include Dianne Feinstein’s (D) seat in California, Debbie Stabenow’s (D) in Michigan, and Mike Brown’s (R) in Indiana.

When West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) announced that he would not run for re-election, most commentators allowed that that decision would almost certainly hand the seat to the Republicans. This would bring the Republican party one seat closer to regaining Senate control unless the Democrats pick up one or more seats in other states to compensate. Most of the Senate seats with no incumbent, including Maryland’s and Michigan’s, are considered tight races, any of which alone or in combination could determine which party ends up in control of the Senate starting in January 2025.

Be sure to vote!

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Maryland Primary Election Basic Information

The Maryland Board of Elections has information here along with links to find your polling place, request an absentee/mail-in ballot, track your ballot, and sign up to be an election judge.

Here’s the schedule for the Maryland primary election:

In-person voting:

April 23 — Last day to register to vote in the primary election
May 2 — Early voting begins, 7 am-8 pm
May 9 — Early voting ends, 7 am-8 pm
May 14 — Primary election day, 7 am-8 pm

Absentee/Mail-in voting:

Any registered voter may request an absentee/mail-in ballot.

Voter registration deadline — for new voters or to add/change party affiliation:

In-person: May 14
By mail: Received by April 23
Online: April 23

Absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline:

In-person: May 14
By mail: Received by May 7
Online: May 7

Absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline:

In-person: May 14
By mail: Received by May 14

More Information:

“United States Senate Election in Maryland, 2024,” Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Maryland,_2024

Want to Help Ukraine? Here’s How

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:06:51 GMT

Only Common Sense readers who have spent the last two years under a rock will be surprised to hear that Russia has invaded Ukraine. Because the United States battled England for its independence, many Americans side with the Ukrainian people as they fight Russia to preserve their own independence.

Russia’s attack means Ukraine needs food, clothing, shelter, and medical supplies. Beyond what Washington does to assist Ukraine, a U.S. citizen can help by contributing to a non-governmental humanitarian organization.

NATO members are providing aid to Ukraine, but delivery is often slow and cumbersome and smaller, more flexible charitable organizations can be effective.

Some experts recommend donating to in-country organizations because these groups know what is needed and where.

For example, with headquarters in Kyiv, Sustain Ukraine supplies vehicles and other equipment and cooperates with similarly-purposed groups.

The U.S. Ukraine Foundation , based in Falls Church, Va., works to meet immediate needs. Those needs include emergency medical supplies, including oxygen, food, clean water, shelter, and so forth.

United Help Ukraine has programs to help with battlefield medical care, internally displaced people, medical aid, and community engagement.

The United Nations established the UN Women program in 2010. This program projects that 8 million Ukrainian women will need humanitarian assistance this year.

Food, clothing, and shelter come first, and even when these vital needs are met by charitable organizations, other needs remain.

For example, an organization called “ ENGin ” teaches English to Ukrainians over the internet and provides emotional support. An extensive account of an ENGin relationship ran in the Chestertown Spy in February 2022.

However you can help the people in Ukraine, your efforts and attention will be appreciated.

Landmark Settlement Announced in Historic Federalsburg Voting Rights Case

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:06:22 GMT

Adding reconciliation to history-making election reform, a landmark settlement was announced this month in a federal lawsuit that challenged 200 years of discrimination against Black voters in the Town of Federalsburg.

With a sweeping array of restorative measures, the town seeks to make amends to Black residents for wrongs of the past. The remarkable agreement — the first of its kind in any Maryland voting rights case — was reached through mediation overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan. It includes an official apology for historical racism, a street renaming, and community markers commemorating and celebrating the history and contributions of Black residents.

The agreement builds on historic election reform already achieved, with the first election of two Black residents to the town council in September under the new, court-approved election system. The plaintiffs in the case are Black voters from Federalsburg — Roberta Butler, Sherone Lewis, Darlene Pitt Hammond, Elaine Hubbard, Nikendra Bordley, Ryan Haynes, and Lywanda Johnson — along with the Caroline County branch of the NAACP, led by Dr. Willie Woods and Wanda Molock, and the Caucus of African American Leaders, led by Carl Snowden and the Rev. James Jones.

The unprecedented settlement promises a series of actions by the town to rectify past wrongs, promote reconciliation, and bring healing to the community:

Federalsburg will deliver an official, signed apology, which will be framed and permanently displayed at the town hall.
The town will commission a commemorative plaque to be affixed to the town hall, “From Protest to Progress: Events that Changed the Face of Federalsburg,” celebrating Black voters’ voting rights victory.
The town will install a photo display at the town hall, in collaboration with the historical society and the plaintiffs, featuring Black community contributions to the town.
The town will restore the name Brooklyn Avenue to the portion of the avenue in the Black district renamed Gerardi Boulevard.
The town will erect a historical marker in the Black community of Brooklyn celebrating the contributions of the neighborhood's residents and their ancestors.
The town will issue a proclamation naming September 26 as Voting Rights Day in recognition of Black voters' historic win on that day in 2023, the town's bicentennial year.
The town will establish a unity committee of elected officials and residents from each district to focus on community engagement in elections and matters related to the promotion, engagement, and enhancement of the town’s diverse community.
The town will establish an annual multicultural celebration.

Read the Town of Federalsburg’s official apology for historical racism:

By this writing, the Town of Federalsburg formally acknowledges responsibility and expresses its deep regret for actions and inactions contributing to racial discrimination and exclusion of Black residents, including its use of an election system that prevented any Black person from holding a position on the Town Council over 200 years. As officials of the town, we accept moral accountability for the harms these actions inflicted upon Black residents, their families, and ancestors before them.

Black residents have lived in Federalsburg since the town’s founding in 1823, and today make up a much-valued share of our diverse community. In times past, however, the town excluded Black residents from full participation in the town’s political life, working a grave injustice for which we are deeply sorry. As officials and residents of the Town of Federalsburg, we have collective responsibility to build a community based firmly on the principle of equality of opportunity, regardless of one's race or ethnic origin.

Through this expression of regret to those who endured race-based hardship and injustice, we seek to turn the page on this shameful history, and to begin a process of reconciliation among all of the town’s residents. Our deep sorrow for past wrongs inspires our unwavering commitment to build a better future for all Federalsburg residents. Going forward, we pledge to do all within our power to ensure that such injustices never happen here again, and to embrace all residents of our town in an inclusive and vibrant community.

Black residents account for 47% of Federalsburg’s population, yet until this past fall, Federalsburg’s government was all-White throughout its history. That is why, in the town’s bicentennial year, the plaintiffs challenged Federalsburg’s election practices, including its longstanding use of at-large and staggered elections, as violations of the 1965 federal Voting Rights Act.

Deborah Jeon, legal director for the ACLU of Maryland, said: “This extraordinary settlement now brings the parties together in a truly remarkable way — one that I have not seen before in over 30 years doing voting rights work across Maryland and the Eastern Shore. Through the town’s public acknowledgment of its history of past racism, genuine expressions of regret, and by undertaking amends to bring healing to a community that has endured two centuries of racial oppression, officials and residents seize this opportunity to move beyond the wrongs of the past, and toward a new day of equity in Federalsburg.”

The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

EPA Announces Historic Funding for Chesapeake Bay Restoration Programs

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:05:48 GMT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that $206 million will be allocated to projects that restore the Chesapeake Bay.

The historic levels of funding reflect the Biden administration’s increased investments in environmental programs and infrastructure projects.

“For a long time, the EPA’s budget has been so small, roughly about $10 billion a year,” EPA Assistant Deputy Administrator Mark Rupp said during a ceremony in Arlington, Va. “Between the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, there’s now over $100 billion flowing through our agency, and it really has been a game changer.”

With $96 million coming from President Joe Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda, the announcement marks the largest single contribution to the Chesapeake Bay Program in its 41-year history.

Maryland is expected to receive over $14 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s share of the funds, which in turn makes up 40 individual grant projects.

“Agendas matter, elected officials matter, vision matters,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said. “For the sake of the country, thank God we have the 117th Congress and Joe Biden to sign those bills into law.”

Attending the ceremony were federal officials, members of Congress, and legislators from state and local governments around the Chesapeake Bay.

The NFWF will give $1 million to farmers in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia to implement high-priority water quality conservation practices.

“There are 40,000 farms in Pennsylvania, and many of them contribute nutrients and sediment to the bay,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said. “So, anything we can do to get Pennsylvania on board with Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware will be incredibly important.”

The Chesapeake Bay Trust, another non-profit grant-making organization, will receive $13 million from the EPA to assist local organizations improve the bay.

This could include providing computers and other hardware or funding employee training and professional development.

“We have to do better on agricultural runoff, and we have to do better on stormwater runoff. We do well on sewage treatment and on other point source pollution,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told Capital News Service . “This $200 million is going to be heavily focused on grants that focus on non-point sources, and we should continue to see significant improvements.”

Thi-i-s close: Advocates keep pushing for the Equal Rights Amendment

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:05:11 GMT

Nearly 80% of Americans favor adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, according to a 2020 Pew Research survey.

According to Executive Director Rachael Glashan Rupisan of the Alice Paul Institute, an organization that works for gender equality, if there were an Equal Rights Amendment, policies like recent abortion bans wouldn’t have happened.

“We just saw specific acts and bills that have been in place in the law of land for decades taken away very easily,” Rupisan said in an interview with Capital News Service . “That's the difference: It's a lot harder to take away a constitutional amendment.”

The ERA would explicitly place sex-based discrimination protections for women into the Constitution.

ERA advocates point out that the only place where women are mentioned in the Constitution is in the 19th Amendment.

“So women can vote but they can't really have anything else,” Gonzalez said. “The ERA is such an important issue, so many different generations and cross sections of people can really get behind it because we all have something to gain from it.”

Despite more than a century-long push, the fate of the Equal Rights Amendment still sits in the hands of a deeply divided Congress, as well as various state legislatures, while debate continues over a controversial ratification deadline.

Origins of the ERA

In the 1920’s, fresh off the success of the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote, National Women’s Party members began to look at how to stop other methods of sex-based discrimination in the United States.

Alice Paul, a member of the party, wrote the original Equal Rights Amendment in 1923. For nearly half a century, a version of the amendment was introduced in every session of Congress.

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex,” the current version of the amendment, rewritten in 1943, states.

Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment and sent it to the states for ratification in 1972, with a seven-year ratification deadline. Activists later cited that deadline as the reason for the amendment’s travails, arguing that the deadline would encourage states to delay their ratification.

There have been opponents of the amendment since its inception, one of its most famous being the late anti-feminist attorney Phyllis Schlafly, who said the amendment would take away policies that benefit women, would institute a draft for women, enshrine same-sex marriage rights, and protect the right to abortion in the Constitution.

Since the expiration of the 1982 deadline, three states — Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia — have ratified the ERA. Virginia, the last state needed, ratified the amendment in 2020.

Recent push in Congress

With the threshold now met, politicians and advocates are rallying around the amendment once again — hoping to finally add the ERA to the Constitution.

Multiple members of Congress introduced legislation to move the amendment forward in 2023, for the 100th anniversary of the amendment’s first introduction.

Current legislation follows two strategies: removing the 1982 deadline and then directing the archivist of the United States to add the amendment to the Constitution.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D–MA) said the House Equal Rights Amendment Caucus is leveraging every tool available to pass the legislation. Pressley founded the caucus in 2023 with Rep. Cory Bush (D-MO).

“The ratification threshold has been met,” Pressley said during a March 18 press conference. “The women of this country have done their job, states have done their job, and now Congress must do its (job).”

Bush and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D–NY) both introduced resolutions that would recognize the ERA as ratified and enforceable. Both bills are sitting in each chamber’s judiciary committees.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D–MD) also introduced now-failed legislation to remove the deadline in 2023 in the Senate. In 2012, he argued against the deadline because such a restriction isn’t included in the Constitution and another amendment, the 27th Amendment, took over two centuries to ratify.

“The women of this country are exhausted and it’s been 101 years too long,” Pressley said.

Some states take initiative

As activists wait on updates to the constitutional amendment, state-level Equal Rights Amendments have been passed.

As of 2022, 22 states have state-level Equal Rights Amendments and 28 states have forms of gender equality provisions in their constitutions, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Molly Gonzales, the advocacy manager at the Alice Paul Institute, said the state amendments give advocates a window into what the ERA could do nationwide.

For example, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court used the state’s ERA in January to argue that abortion restrictions can be challenged as sex discrimination.

“We're kind of just starting to see the untapped potential of what that means,” Gonzales said about the state amendments.

Congressional Representatives from Maryland’s First District

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 13:04:02 GMT

Based on decennial census population counts, congressional district boundaries are redrawn (or recertified) every 10 years. There are 435 voting seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, each representing an average of about 761,000 people. The number of seats is fixed by law.

Maryland has eight congressional districts, each with approximately 772,000 people, more than the national average. Each state is responsible for drawing up the boundaries of congressional districts (apart from seven states with a single at-large representative). Within each state, districts must be “ as equal in population to all other congressional districts in a state as practicable,” according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The number of House seats has not changed since 1911, but states can gain or lose districts based on population changes as determined by the census. Because the U.S. population has increased but the number of districts is still 435, a House member now represents more constituents .

Although Maryland’s First Congressional District has been variously configured from 1789 to the present, since 1902 it has included all nine Eastern Shore counties. Whole counties or portions of counties have been added or removed, according to expediency and politics. Neither federal nor Maryland law requires that congressional districts be contiguous, and the First District has jumped over the Chesapeake Bay to include counties on the western shore in several recent redistrictings. More recently, the district has snaked westward, north of the Bay, once as far as Carroll County.

For redistricting in 2022, several maps were proposed. One would have had the First District include parts of Anne Arundel County. But the map that was adopted instead (see main photo above) includes all of Harford County and the eastern part of Baltimore County.

Of the 34 representatives from the First District since 1863, 22 have been Democrats and 12 have been Republicans. Before that, affiliations included Anti-Administration, Pro-Administration, Federalist, Anti-Jacksonian, Whig, and Unionist. John W. Crisfield, from Princess Anne, was the lone Unionist, and was elected in 1861 and served only one term.

The county of residence for each representative elected since 1863 is shown below. All were from the Eastern Shore except Roy Dyson, from Calvert County.

Since Rogers C.B. Morton was elected in 1963, Republicans have dominated. Morton was followed by William O. Mills, who served one term; next came Robert E. Bauman, who served four terms. Wayne T. Gilchrest, at that time a Republican, served from 1991 until 2009 (he has subsequently switched to the Democrats, dismayed by the extremism of his former party).

Democrat Frank M. Kratovil, Jr., served one term from 2009-2011.

Prior to Andrew P. Harris, all the Republicans were of the moderate and traditional variety. Elected in 2011, Harris has proved to be a right-wing Trump supporter. He rarely seems to vote in the interest of his First District constituents, particularly on bills related to the environment and the Chesapeake Bay. While he now lives in Dorchester County, for most of his term, he resided in the Baltimore area.

Moving Sidewalk to Replace the Third Bay Bridge

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 13:02:54 GMT

Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore announced last week that he’s cancelled the long-awaited third span over the Chesapeake Bay.

“A highway bridge is just too unpopular and too expensive. Eventually it would bring on even more (no pun) traffic,” said the governor. But Moore will leave no Bay-crossers behind; instead, an airport-style moving sidewalk will be substituted.

This project will, of course, require two sidewalks, one for each direction, with railings. Railings are required for cowards who suffer from gephyrophobia. But a leak from former governor Larry Hogan’s office decries the railing because it would cost too much in taxes. According to the leaker, Hogan said, “Let the wimps afraid to drive over the bridge drop into the Bay. Maybe one of them will be that chicken-hearted tyrant, Trump. If nothing else, it will blow out his combover.”

When traffic rolls in both directions on the north span, two sidewalks will eliminate head-on collisions. And in another safety step, the Maryland Transit Authority can rent clip-on safety belts, using that revenue for rolling sidewalk maintenance.

Whatever the disadvantages of moving sidewalks, the advantages outweigh them:

Except during deadly high winds, bridge walkers will get much more fresh air than in stuffy, climate-controlled cars.
Speaking of high winds, another advantage to these sidewalks is reducing the obstacles caused by huge empty truck trailers being capsized by wind. Cars on the bridge would still be stalled, but walkers will not be inconvenienced.
With fishing lines over the side, fisherpeople on foot can troll and perhaps catch enough rockfish to feed a family for six months. Tonging for oysters from almost 400 feet up might not be as easy.
Drivers turned into walkers need not keep their eyes on the road. Instead, they will be able easily to catch beautiful views of the Bay and the merchant ships running aground or colliding and sinking.
Toll fees draining commuters’ pockets could be eliminated.
If, however, the Maryland Transit Authority insists on fees, EZ-Pass transponder tags could be taped to crossers’ foreheads. Those who resist this government control of their bodies may be forced to have license tags welded to their butts.

Readers may worry about the cost of electric power for the rolling walks. Some of that anxiety will be reduced if the walks are powered by super-trendy solar panels.

When this third bridge alternative makes its debut, masses of Washington, D.C., lobbyists and tourists will arrive sooner in the Land of Pleasant Living, and at their expensive beach houses.

Hedgerows and Birds of the Eastern Shore

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 13:02:22 GMT

A few days ago, I had lunch with some Chestertown High School classmates and given that we’ve known each other for decades, inevitably our talk turned to memories of old friends, living and dead, shared experiences, and what’s changed.

A couple of the gang brought up their efforts to raise chickens, a common topic in a rural area. A key problem was protecting the birds from predators — foxes, hawks, and eagles. And that brought back a memory for me.

One of our classmates, Dan Gibson, was an avid amateur ornithologist — in fact, he became a professional ornithologist at the University of Alaska, his boyhood dream come true. Dan was especially interested in birds of prey. He raised a couple of hawks in his bedroom and once climbed a tree to look into a Great Horned Owl’s nest — a risky venture. But the bird he never encountered in his years growing up on the Eastern Shore was a Bald Eagle. They didn’t exist here.

When I returned to the Shore in the 1990s, my wife and I were driving from Chestertown to Rock Hall when she pointed to a bird above the road and said, “Look, there’s an eagle!” My automatic response was, “No, there’s no eagles around here.” I quickly admitted I was wrong — it was an eagle.

Bald Eagles and other large raptors, common in colonial days, became endangered after the introduction of the pesticide DDT, widely used after World War II. In 1963, there were only 417 known nesting pairs of eagles in the lower 48 states. In the 1960s, research showed that DDT caused the birds’ eggs to have dangerously thin shells, as well as harming many species the eagles preyed on. In 1972, the federal government banned DDT and the eagle population began to grow steadily. With Bald Eagles now common on the Eastern Shore, there are 71,400 nesting pairs nationwide in the most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife survey, and 316,000 individuals.

I mentioned my eagle story to my high school friends, and several of them brought up a related point. “I haven’t seen a quail in years,” said one, and another said the same of whippoorwills — two birds whose distinctive calls were heard widely across Kent County fields in our younger years. What happened to these once-commonplace birds? “They went away when the hedgerows got cut down,” was the answer.

Loss of habitat has hit many species hard. Populations of bobwhite quail have declined by 85% since the mid-1960s, according to a study by Cornell University. Another study showed that whippoorwill populations have declined by 60% over a similar period. And for these East Coast birds, as for other small birds and mammals, hedgerows were an important part of their habitat.

Hedgerows may not be something you think about, and are certainly not part of a city person’s experience. The main thing most people know about hedgerows is the experience of Allied troops fighting through the Normandy hedgerows after D-Day. But hedgerows — lines of trees and bushes that mark the edge of a property — aren’t just an Old-World thing. They were once common in the English colonies, including the Eastern Shore.

Hedgerows differ from a hedge you might find in front of your house because they’re made up of several species instead of just one. Also, while garden hedges are usually trimmed in neat, geometric shapes, hedgerows are left mostly untended — “little lines of sportive wood run wild,” as William Wordsworth described hedgerows he saw while he was on a walking tour in Wales in 1798. This makes them good habitat for small animals and birds, providing them with shelter and food.

There’s a cost to this, of course. A hedgerow takes up more of an adjacent field than just a fence. Needing the largest crop yield, a farmer is likely to find it hard to justify, especially when corporations now own more farms and the bottom line is harder to ignore. What are a few songbirds and fluffy bunnies compared to an extra chunk of tillable land?

That question had a different answer in the days of small family farms, when a farmer — or the farmer’s kids — might supplement family meals by hunting. My grandfather, who owned a farm near Worton in the early days of the last century, regularly brought home rabbits and squirrels for supper. Quail and squab were regular additions to the menu, as well. My grandfather had stopped hunting by the time I came along, but several of the guys I knew in high school regularly supplemented the family larder with small game.

Nowadays, of course, few of us depend on hunting to eat, but there’s much to be said for maintaining a habitat for the small creatures that live in hedgerows. There are still bobwhites and whippoorwills, even if we don’t hear them as often. And too many species have gone extinct because of the human race’s thoughtless destruction of their habitats, with more disappearing every year. It would be more responsible to instead maintain — and, where possible, restore — those habitats.

We’re probably not going to have much luck getting factory farms to forgo acreage for the sake of wildlife habitat, but you can do something on your own property, especially if you have a good-sized yard. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources suggests creating your own hedgerows ; not only do they provide wildlife with shelter and food, they can reduce energy costs by sheltering your home from winds. The DNR has suggestions for what types of trees and bushes to plant and how to maintain them.

It’s not an easy project, nor is it something that can fit on everybody’s property. And it’s not something that will show results overnight. But if planting a hedgerow would work on your property, it’s something you can do for the environment.

And who knows? Maybe one morning you’ll look out your window and find that one of the birds that went away has come back, thanks to you.

Leave What You Can

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 13:01:01 GMT

The worst of covid is over in most parts of the country, but the increase in homelessness and hunger has not gone away. If we feel responsibility for our neighbors, we can provide and stock blessing boxes.

Blessing boxes are two-way streets. Those in need receive food and other items from a box while those who walk by are reminded to re-stock them.

If you want to establish a blessing box, there is a lot of information available on construction and maintenance. Most sources agree there are two steps.

First, these boxes must be constructed and installed. Houses of worship and other non-profits can put them at locations in their neighborhoods. Town governments can approve these pantries on public land. A bit of privacy prevents embarrassing exposure; a blessing box at a major downtown intersection will not do. Obscurity is not a problem once the word is passed in the community.

The internet has plans for building a blessing box; designing your own is not necessary. Many plans are based on a standard 4x8 sheet of exterior plywood. Some retailers will sell wood and paint to a non-profit at a discount.

Second, the box must be filled and refilled. In the long run, keeping a blessing box stocked may be more of a challenge than installing one.

Commitment is needed. It’s unhappy to imagine a blessing box well-supplied for a few months and then remaining empty. For obvious reasons, organizations are better sponsors than individuals. Churches and Boy Scout troops that sponsor a pantry can arrange schedules for members to monitor and supply food. Children can ask for food donations instead of birthday presents. There are obvious limits; food in long shelf-life containers is ideal, ice cream is not.

Some blessing boxes provide essential non-food items, such as hygiene products, toilet paper, gloves, and socks. Once your blessing box has been installed, the knowledge of the important needs it satisfies may bring its blessing to you.

For inspiration, check out this article about Blessing Boxes on the Mid-Shore .

Click here for more pictures and video instructions. Click here for more information. For construction instruction, click here .

Blueprint or Budget-Breaker?

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 12:59:22 GMT

No One Knows How to Pay for Maryland's Massive Education Reform

Maryland’s Democratic-led legislature passed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future in 2021, vowing to pour billions of dollars into the state’s public schools to offer universal pre-K, improve teaching, and make sure students are ready for college or careers.

But the General Assembly didn’t outline a long-term plan to fund the ambitious 10-year education reform effort — which increasingly looks like a blueprint for red ink.

Diving deep into the reform plan in reporting "Behind the Blueprint" — a multi-part look at the state effort — the Local News Network at the University of Maryland found that the Blueprint is already devouring hundreds of millions annually from the state’s fund balance, which is on target to be fully drained in 2027.

And according to a state Department of Legislative Services fiscal briefing released in January, the state will start running a structural deficit in fiscal year 2025 that will multiply nearly sixfold by fiscal year 2029, when it will hit $2.93 billion. Not coincidentally, that fiscal briefing estimates implementing the Blueprint will cost more than $4 billion in 2029.

The General Assembly’s plan for dealing with the cost crunch? There isn’t one — at least not yet. Neither Gov. Wes Moore in his State of the State address nor any of the Democratic state legislators interviewed for this story have offered any potential solutions for the coming Blueprint cash crunch.

“Several years from now we're going to have to have a much more direct conversation about the long-term costs,” said state Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat from Baltimore City. “But we’re not there yet.”

Republicans, meanwhile, see the Blueprint as a budget-breaker.

“We cannot pay these billions and billions of dollars in extra monies — not just state but local as well,” said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-1B). “We can't pay for them unless you're going to talk about new taxes — and significant taxes.”

The Blueprint’s background

Ironically, the Blueprint was born out of a commission supported by a Republican governor — who later backed away from the plan because of cost concerns.

In 2016, then-governor Larry Hogan and the General Assembly created the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education to assess the public education system in Maryland and determine whether current funding schemes were conducive to student success.

Headed by William Kirwan, the former chancellor of the University System of Maryland, the commission came to the conclusion that an overhaul was needed.

“One of the ‘aha’ moments of the commission was really to face the fact that, on what we call the Nation's Report Card, Maryland’s score was about in the middle … and moving in the wrong direction,” said Rachel Hise, executive director of the Blueprint’s Accountability and Implementation Board, a state entity that’s making sure school districts adhere to the plan.

But Hogan had an “aha” moment of his own after Democrats crafted the Kirwan Commission’s report into comprehensive legislation. In 2019, Hogan criticized the pending reform proposal, telling a group of county officials it would mean “billions and billions more in mandated spending increases for county and state taxpayers,” according to the Frederick News-Post.

Hogan vetoed the bill creating the Blueprint in May 2020, saying he did not want to raise taxes amid the covid-19 pandemic to fund the education plan. The General Assembly overrode his veto in 2021.

And the following year, voters elected a strong backer of the Blueprint — Democrat Wes Moore — to succeed Hogan, who is now running for a U.S. Senate seat.

On the first day of the current legislative session that began in January, Moore said he believes in the reform plan, and he will work with the General Assembly to ensure the Blueprint is implemented properly and sustainably.

“I believe in the premise and the promise of the Blueprint. I think we need a world-class education system in the state of Maryland,” Moore said. “I think that's going to be a prerequisite for us to be able to accomplish the economic goal that we're hoping for.”

Lofty goals

In the state’s 24 public school districts, the Blueprint and its lofty goals are already beginning to take shape.

Each school district has already drawn up a preliminary plan for how it will meet targets for offering pre-K, increasing teacher salaries, and improving student performance. The Accountability and Implementation Board has approved all those plans after first asking for revisions.

The Blueprint is meant to revamp the state’s education system by presenting the same opportunities for all students. With a law like the Blueprint, one size must fit all to achieve its goals of maximizing reading and math skills, as well as increasing pathways into college, said Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-21).

“So we want that for every kid across the state. We don't want variation of those goals,” Rosapepe said. “Now, the details of how stuff is paid for — I mean, I think that's a conversation that will be ongoing.”

Cheryl Bost, president of the Maryland State Education Association, said the teachers union is fully behind the Blueprint.

“We have a shared understanding that our goal is for students to succeed academically and become valuable citizens in our state and in our country,” Bost said. “In order to do that, we have to make an investment in public education. I think for the most part, the Blueprint identifies where that money has to go.”

What it doesn’t do, however, is identify where the money will come from. Bost, whose union represents 74,000 educators in the state, acknowledged the concerns about the Blueprint’s cost. But she indicated the increased spending on education is both needed and long overdue.

“We constitutionally have to provide a public education for all students, so the investment is needed,” Bost said. “And when some people balk at, ‘Oh, it's all this money’ — well, we've been starving public education for many years.”

The budget dilemma

The Blueprint remains fully funded in Moore’s latest fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, leaving many lawmakers to turn their attention to other legislative issues this year. Ferguson, the Senate president, said in terms of current Blueprint funding, “we’re more than fine.”

But that’s not so in the long term. The cost of implementing the Blueprint is projected to grow from $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2024 to $4.1 billion five years later, according to the Department of Legislative Services. Meantime, the state’s structural budget gap is set to balloon every year through 2029 — when Legislative Services expects it to be $2.9 billion and the Moore administration says it will be about $3.5 billion.

Closing that budget gap will be immensely difficult, said Christopher Summers, president and CEO of the conservative Maryland Policy Institute, who also said the Blueprint should be paused.

“Raising taxes (is) not going to solve this problem, and I think the governor knows that,” said Summers, who has been critical of the Blueprint for years.

The Blueprint calls on school districts to increase education funding too, thereby prompting Summers to say that county budgets face the biggest fiscal threat.

But in Annapolis, lawmakers from both parties acknowledged that the General Assembly will have to make some tough decisions in the years to come as the Blueprint’s bills come due.

“I think we know the reality that we're facing. And I think there's gonna be a lot of discussion about that,” said State Sen. Guy J. Guzzone, a Democrat from Howard County. “I just don't know that there's an immediate answer.”

One obvious solution would be raising taxes to cover the state’s coming shortfalls. But Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey, a Republican from the Eastern Shore, said a solution lies in cutting back the demands of the Blueprint rather than paying for the sweeping overhaul as it stands.

“Republicans have stated very often that we need to move to a ‘Blueprint lite’ or you know, some type of education reform that takes some of the important components of the Blueprint, but at the same time is affordable and allows counties to make decisions on which parts of the Blueprint are more meaningful in each of their public school systems,” Hershey said.

Democrats, however, back the current Blueprint, despite its cost. Del. Ben Barnes, a Democrat who chairs the Appropriations Committee, said legislators should start talking about a long-term payment plan for the Blueprint now. The shared values between the legislature and the governor will bring them together, Barnes said, to solve the Blueprint budget dilemma.

“This legislature, the governor, we share values, and those shared values include all the priorities of the Blueprint,” Barnes said. “Getting to children who live in communities of poverty, taking care of special needs students, I mean, these are what we all ran on. And so I feel confident we'll find the revenue we need to support that program.”

Several state officials have said they are looking to the Accountability and Implementation Board to issue recommendations regarding the Blueprint’s budget challenges. The board has made policy proposals included in bills that, if passed this legislative session, would adjust the law without changing the finances.

In addition, the board is set to release additional recommendations this legislative session.

“What the AIB has suggested is, let's try to implement it the way it's intended. And if it doesn't work, if it's no longer the right thing to do, then we need to change it,” said Hise, the board’s executive director. “But for many things, we haven't gotten to that point yet.”

Maryland’s Education ‘Blueprint’ Struggles to Expand Pre-K

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 12:58:42 GMT

As a group of 4-year-old boys worked to create a towering building block castle in their colorful Montgomery County Public Schools pre-K classroom, Head Start teacher Molly Scherf reminded them it is important to build a strong foundation.

The boys used their tiny hands to create the tower piece by piece, building the foundation to their castle and for their future education.

With research showing children who attend pre-K perform better in later years, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future — the state’s landmark education plan — aims to make pre-K much more widely available to every 3- and 4-year-old in the state.

Scherf, who has worked in early childhood education for 30 years, said it’s a great idea.

“[Pre-K] is not just all about learning the letters of the alphabet or learning how to count to 10; it's also learning how to get along with your peers,” she said.

The state’s plan to make pre-K available to all children and free to low- and moderate-income families faces some serious struggles, however. The Blueprint relies on a mix of private providers and public schools to expand the availability of pre-K — but many districts are struggling to enlist enough private providers. On top of that, some public schools that would otherwise host the pre-K population don’t have the room to do so.

Educators in the state call the Blueprint pre-K plan a “mixed delivery system” that aims to expand pre-K without making it a public school monopoly.

“So in theory, it's a great model,” said Rachel Hise, executive director of the Accountability and Implementation Board, the state agency created to oversee the Blueprint. “In practice, it has a lot of challenges.”

A vast expansion

The state says 30,718 children were enrolled in pre-K in Maryland during the 2022-23 school year, and that number is expected to expand as the 10-year Blueprint is implemented.

The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, which drew up the early childhood education effort incorporated into the Blueprint, estimated the changes it proposed would mean 80% of eligible children would be in pre-K when the plan is fully implemented. That’s a lofty goal considering state figures showed the pre-K participation rate for 4-year-olds was below 50% in half of Maryland’s school districts in 2022-23.

Costs will increase along with the pre-K population. According to the state’s Department of Legislative Services, Blueprint-related early childhood programs cost the state $445 million in fiscal year 2023 alone. While future cost increases depend largely on enrollment, that department projects a 15.7% increase in funding for pre-K programs between fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

Research shows that could be a good investment. William T. Gormley, co-director of Georgetown University’s Center for Research on Children in the United States and his colleagues tracked the results of youngsters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for more than 20 years after they left pre-K. The researchers found that while 44% of children who attended pre-K went on to college, only a third of those who missed out on pre-K went on to higher education.

“In this respect, early childhood education is indeed the gift that keeps on giving,” Gormley and his colleagues wrote in a 2023 paper.

That being the case, Pillar 1 of the Blueprint — early childhood education — calls for government-funded pre-K to be available to all low-income 4-year-olds by the 2025-26 fiscal year. Preschool will be free to all 3- and 4-year-olds from families that earn up to 300% of the federal poverty level. Families with incomes between 300% and 600% of the federal poverty level will pay for pre-K on a sliding scale, and higher-income families will pay for it in full.

Instead of placing all pre-K students in conventional public school classrooms, the plan relies on participation from both public and private child care providers. Preschool classrooms can either be in public schools or other childcare facilities.

This will create a diverse set of pre-K options that aims to make childcare accessible for limited-income families, according to Molly McGriff, senior director of United for Childcare, an initiative of the United Way of Central Maryland.

“That diversity benefits families as they're able to choose from all different settings that maybe look a little bit different, might be closer to home, might be able to meet their needs better,” she said.

The system’s struggles

So far, though, the mixed delivery plan is not meeting expectations.

School districts were expected to have 30% of their pre-K slots filled by private providers in the 2022-23 school year, but most school systems did not meet that requirement, according to Brianna January, an associate policy director for the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo).

And all but one local school district — Montgomery County Public Schools — requested a waiver after being unable to meet the requirement of having 35% of pre-K seats in the private sector for the 2023-24 school year, said Hise, of the Accountability and Implementation Board.

With districts expected to fill half their pre-K slots through private providers by the 2026-27 school year, districts find themselves under increasing pressure to strike deals with companies that provide that service.

“It’s proving to be a bit more challenging than I think a lot of folks really expected,” January said.

The creators of the Blueprint expected private childcare providers would be interested in joining the pre-K industry, January explained, but providers are not as eager as had been anticipated.

For one thing, there’s a money issue.

“We recognize that the reimbursement rate for [private] providers is not high enough to incentivize them to provide slots for these 3-year-olds,” said Del. Courtney Watson (D-9B). “That is a major problem across the state.”

In addition, childcare providers must overcome a number of barriers before they can actually qualify to offer pre-K.

For example, starting in the 2025-26 school year, pre-K teaching assistants will be required to obtain either an associate’s degree or a child development associate certificate. Pre-K teachers will be required to have a bachelor’s degree and hold teaching certification in early childhood education or be enrolled in a certification program.

The trouble is that some childcare providers will not be able to go to school and keep their businesses running at the same time, said Christina Peusch, executive director of the Maryland State Childcare Association.

“That is set up to fail,” Peusch said. “It’s not equitable.”

Another potential barrier is that private providers must adhere to Maryland EXCELS — the state’s quality rating and improvement system for childcare facilities. Bonuses ranging from $150 to $13,500 will be awarded to participating childcare programs on a rating scale of 1 to 5 based on program type, quality rating, and capacity.

St. Mary’s County has no private providers that are rated “EXCELS 5,” the highest possible ranking, said Kristen Paul, director of early childhood programs at The Parents’ Place of Maryland, which connects parents of children with disabilities and health care needs to resources.

“We don’t have enough pre-K slots right now,” Paul said. “We’ve got a gap.”

A space shortage?

On top of the struggles in finding private providers, some education experts are concerned there is not enough physical space in some school buildings to accommodate pre-K classrooms.

“I would love to have pre-K in our school,” said Jamie Miller, principal of Broadneck Elementary School in Anne Arundel County. “But our school building is very, very old and there's not a place for them. Every single classroom is full and at max capacity, so I don't have space right now.”

Shamoyia Gardiner, executive director of Strong Schools Maryland, an organization created to advocate for the passage of the Blueprint, said she’s worried about such space shortages.

For Maryland public schools to offer pre-K, the physical space in buildings must meet standards set by the state’s Interagency Commission on School Construction. But Gardiner noted the commission’s requirements were not aligned with the Blueprint during its creation.

That commission — which decides exactly which school construction projects the state will fund — uses a “blunt tool” of measuring the amount of square feet per student, said Lynne Harris, a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education. But that blunt instrument doesn’t take into account that pre-K classrooms have different requirements, such as a bathroom, Harris said.

“Are they going to finally acknowledge that to build facilities to house the pre-K programming that is mandated by the Blueprint, it's going to require the [school construction commission] to relax?” she said.

Some private providers need more space, too, and the state has a grant program that aims to allow them to expand.

“The grant is highly competitive,” said Ruby Daniels, president of the Maryland State Family Child Care Association. “When you apply, you're actually competing with the [local education agencies], which is the public school. You're completely competing with Head Start, you're completely competing with childcare centers.”

In a letter sent to state leaders in November, MACo urged lawmakers to increase state aid to construct pre-K facilities and ease requirements to encourage more private providers to take part in the program.

This legislative session, the General Assembly is hoping to iron out some of the Blueprint’s wrinkles to ensure Maryland is living up to its promises of expanding and improving early childhood education, said Watson, the Democratic state delegate from Howard County.

January emphasized the county leaders she works with are dedicated to implementing the Blueprint and collaborating with state leaders to help expand pre-K successfully.

“We have to work together. We have to get it right,” January said. “County governments are really trying to be good partners and they want to make the Blueprint work. They want to see it successful.”

Movie Review: Hope of Escape

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 13:05:10 GMT

Hope of Escape , based on a true story, is testimony to the hopes and struggles of an enslaved woman who, helped by her two freeborn sisters, embarks on her harrowing journey from slavery to freedom in the years before the American Civil War.

Over 175 years later, another set of sisters, descendants of one of the film’s three sisters, has brought the story of their heroic ancestors to the big screen.

The movie, by director and writer Amy Gerber, tells the life story of her great-great-great-grandmother, Diana Williams. It begins in 1845 on Rice Hope Plantation near Charleston, S.C., where Diana, still enslaved, has two daughters. Her impending sale means separation; escape is the only way to for them to stay together.

Diana and her daughters are promised freedom on the death of their enslaver, but everything changes after he dies unexpectedly. Though her new enslaver frees Diana (but not her daughters), he reminds her, “Don’t get caught!” as freedom for Black people was often not recognized or respected. Intense dialogue such as this reveals the characters’ thoughts and emotions.

The first minutes of the film are a succinct summary of what slavery meant for the enslaved. Diana sums it up: “I was never fully protected, nor my daughters.” Constant threats of sexual abuse from the enslaver are not explicit but clearly implied. They are chattel. They can be bought and sold.

It’s “always about saying goodbye,” Diana murmurs, referring to the sales, promised emancipation, and attempted escapes, all constants in enslaved peoples’ lives.

Diana hopes to find her sisters in the North: Anna in Nantucket in Massachusetts and Julia in New York.

Julia Williams was the first wife of Henry Highland Garnet, the well-known abolitionist and native of Chesterville in Kent County, Md., where he was born enslaved. He and his family escaped to New York City when Henry was a boy. (See Common Sense’s article on the women in Henry Highland Garnet’s life here and an article on Garnet’s call for resistance to slavery in 1843 here .)

The film shows how Julia and Henry meet when as abolitionists and pioneers in organizing formal education for Black people. They want all Black people to have the opportunity to learn to read and write. Julia says it is important to “Never give up!” The actors speak standard English rather than the dialect of field workers.

The film also follows the story of Diana’s daughter, Cornelia, and her sweetheart and future husband, William Benjamin Gould, known as Wilby.

In pursuing freedom, literacy was a practical and a symbolic tool. Wilby gives a writing set to Cornelia before she leaves on her dangerous journey North. “Words connected them and gave them their friendship and energy,” Diana says.

Education was illegal and risky for the enslaved. Wilby’s mother encourages him to share his gifts with others. He is a talented mason and decorative plasterer, expertise which makes him valuable as an enslaved person. Unlike most other enslaved Black people, Wilby has considerable freedom of movement because of his work. His skills are in demand, and he is often rented out by his enslavers.

The dignity and high values of Diana’s family are revealed in incidents during the escape. Despite being legally free, Diana and her daughter are caught and returned to slavery for several years before they finally reach freedom. Diana laments being “stripped of our dignity and beaten down by our sorrow.”

The film also shows how Diana and her daughter receive help from strangers as well as friends and families, both Black and White, often at high risk to those who helped hide or transport them. One must admire the gritty and often spontaneous aid Black people give to the escapees as well as the efforts of sympathetic White people who use their social networks to find the money for the enslaved to buy their freedom.

Gerber states in an interview that “it ‘took a village’ to fundraise and emancipate a slave. Hope of Escape shows how my own family depended on a complex network of abolitionists, both inside and outside the United States. We see how, even though separated for many years and by thousands of miles, families (both free and enslaved) managed to keep their connections, holding onto hope that their circumstances would change for the better.”

This is a film of brave people with hopes of escape. The dialogue has many gems that highlight the philosophy of Diana’s family. The photography is exquisite, and the music is a powerful expression of the enslaved about their condition and their hopes.

“ Hope of Escape offers an alternative to the standard Hollywood ‘slavery film’ genre that usually depicts excessive violence and victimization. This film features enslaved persons with agency, who used their special skills and literacy to plan their emancipation. The film also shines light on the ‘above-ground Underground Railroad’ when slave masters were paid a ‘ransom’ (much like how Frederick Douglass gained freedom) by families in order to free their enslaved relatives.”

~Amy Gerber

Filmed in Virginia with local and regional talent, the movie runs an hour and a half.

Released in 2024, Hope of Escape has already won several awards, including Best Film at the African Diaspora Film Festival. It was also an award winner at the Broadcast Education Festival of Media Arts. Trailers for the movie are here .

Hope of Escape is available on Amazon Prime to rent or buy.

About the filmmakers:

Director and writer Amy Gerber is associate professor and chair of Film, Gender, and Women’s Studies at Hollins University. She has written and directed many independent films focusing on culture and history. Her films have won awards at numerous film festivals, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Mill Valley Film Festival, and Women in the Director’s Chair, Chicago.

Gerber’s sister, Heidi Gerber-Salins, collaborated with her sister in making the film. Gerber-Salins is assistant professor in the Media, Journalism, and Film Department of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications at Howard University.

In the Chesapeake Bay, an Island is Reborn One Stone at a Time

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 12:39:01 GMT

Though hard to imagine now, Barren Island once boasted more than a dozen farms, a church, a schoolhouse, and a handful of stores.

Now that the island has dissolved into a few dollops of land along the eastern edge of the Chesapeake Bay, it truly lives up to its name. It’s barren! Its last residents fled a century ago and the hunting lodge built in their wake has long since disappeared.

Yet, beginning last March, the remote archipelago has been a hive of construction, plus equipment, barges, and hard hats. Boulder by boulder, a new shield is taking shape from one end of to the other.

The project was sidelined for years by lack of funding from Congress. Had it been delayed longer, there would not have been much island left to save, said Trevor Cyran, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Climate change is a big driver of erosion here, which drives increased wave energy,” he said during a progress inspection in mid-August. “This will establish and stabilize the island much better, as well as create additional acreage of wetlands.”

Barren Island lies just west of Upper Hoopers Island in Dorchester County, Md. The only way on and off is by boat, and even that is tricky because there is no dock, just acre upon acre of eroding marsh and pine woods.

The Army Corps estimates that Barren loses 3–4 feet of land per year to erosion. Over the past two decades, more than 40 acres has been lost, nearly one-fourth of the island.

The $43 million first phase of Barren’s restoration, now underway, includes constructing about two miles of stone barriers, mostly along the island’s western shore. A 4,600-foot-long breakwater will also be raised to about eight feet above the average water level, adding further protection.

Over 30% of phase one construction has been completed, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Completion is expected by this October.

The next two phases will pipe in dredged material from channels in local rivers to create as much as 83 acres of wetlands behind new barrier walls. Engineers also plan to create two “bird islands” totaling nearly nine acres of new land behind the extended barrier, just south of Barren.

Additional congressional approval is needed to fund the final two phases, Cyran said. The cost of all three phases will be $200 million.

One project goal is to provide erosion protection to the fishing village of Hooper’s Island to its east, Cyran said. Another is to replace rapidly vanishing wildlife habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages most of the island as part of the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

“When this project is complete, it’s for the birds, the fish, and the reptiles,” he added. “The intent is to give it back to nature.”

Barren Island is the first step in the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration. This overall $2 billion project is centered on rebuilding an island in the mouth of the Choptank River, about 13 miles north of Barren.

Measured by acres, the James Island restoration will be 25 times the size of Barren Island. Dredged material from the approach channels to the Port of Baltimore and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal will transform 2,100 acres of open water into dry land. Construction will be adjacent to the remnants of existing James Island, which is privately owned.

Dredged material from those channels is currently offloaded at Poplar Island, about 15 miles north of James. Since the 1990s, this island off Talbot County has grown into the Army Corps’ largest dredged material “beneficial use” project undertaken on the East Coast.

Poplar Island will reach its 1,715-acre capacity around 2030, which will require moving to James, said Amanda Peñafiel, project manager for the Maryland Port Administration.

“The Port Administration feels like this project is a win-win for the State of Maryland,” she said. “We are reusing dredged material to restore remote island habitat while keeping federal navigation channels clear, which ultimately keeps the port open for business.”

The federal government is paying 65% of the project cost, with Maryland picking up the rest.

Maryland Lawmakers urge Congress to Spend More on Chesapeake Bay Restoration

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 11:51:06 GMT

Citing encouraging signs of improvement, five Maryland lawmakers expressed their support Wednesday for increased funding of the federally-backed Chesapeake Bay restoration program.

“We’ve made progress,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D) said at a luncheon hosted by the Choose Clean Water Coalition. “We have the least amount of dead zones that we’ve seen since the 1980s on the bay. We have underwater grasses that are coming back in the Chesapeake Bay. We have oyster crops that we never thought we'd be able to see starting to bloom in the Chesapeake Bay. We're not at our historic levels, not even close. I understand that. But we've made progress.”

The coalition, which was started in 2009, hosted its 13th annual Chesapeake Bay Day in March with nearly 100 of its members and nine members of Congress in attendance. Made up of over 290 nonprofit organizations from the Chesapeake Bay region, the non-profit advocates maintaining or increasing spending on clean water programs.

“I think the Chesapeake delegation in Congress is just so passionate about this work, and they understand the benefits to their districts and the people that live there,” Kristin Reilly, director of the coalition, told Capital News Service .

“I think that’s also why there’s such wide bipartisan support for these programs because they can actually see the benefits in their communities,” Reilly added.

The Chesapeake Bay Program, which receives funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, was started in 1983, with its main efforts directed towards reducing pollution and restoring the bay’s ecosystem.

The program encompasses six states that surround the bay as well as the District of Columbia, and its funding needs were at the forefront of the coalition’s lobbying day. Over 70% of the program’s funds are spent on projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including planting trees, reducing runoff from farmland, and boosting the crab and oyster populations.

The coalition highlighted the recent introduction of the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024, which authorizes funding for various programs, including $93 million in funding for the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program for the 2025 fiscal year and $100 million for 2026 and beyond.

“This bill (the ACE Act) is going to get the bay on track,” Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-2) said. “Some of the things that these grants do, like sediment reduction, really make a difference in helping the Chesapeake Bay.”

The coalition also is backing $15 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) program, which provides grants to local organizations in the Chesapeake region that focus on restoring or protecting wildlife habitats.

The coalition recognized Ruppersberger, Cardin, and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-3) as “Chesapeake Champions” for their contributions to the restoration efforts throughout their careers.

Rep. David Trone (D-6), who is running for the U.S. Senate, said he plans to continue working to protect the bay if he wins the seat.

Pollutants need to be kept out of the bay and the efforts towards no-till farming have not been as successful in Pennsylvania and Virginia as in Maryland, Trone said. No-till farming is a technique used to grow crops without disturbing the soil.

“The environment is top of the list,” Trone told CNS . “So the environment and the bay, that's the very, very top of the list. If you don't get that right, nothing else matters.”

After the luncheon, coalition members had scheduled 44 meetings with members of Congress, presenting letters from 169 organizations that endorsed the coalition’s appropriations requests.

“We have to both maintain the momentum, but we also need to accelerate our efforts even further,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) told CNS . “That means making sure that we protect and expand the resources that go to protect the bay from all the federal agencies.”

LSPC Calls on Local Leaders to Renounce Ties with Jan. 6 Insurrectionist Carlos Ayala and Return Campaign Donations

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:09:07 GMT

The Lower Shore Progressive Caucus unequivocally condemns the violent actions of Carlos Ayala during the Jan. 6 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol. Recent charges brought against Ayala by the U.S. Department of Justice for civil disorder and related misdemeanors have brought to light his alarming involvement in this attack on our democracy.

Ironically, Ayala, a resident of Salisbury, was appointed as a Republican member of the Maryland State Board of Elections by Gov. Wes Moore last year, after being recommended by the Maryland Republican Party. The board ensures compliance with federal and state election laws. Ayala resigned after being arrested by the FBI on felony and misdemeanor charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection .

Eyewitness accounts and video evidence clearly show Mr. Ayala climbing over police barricades and advancing towards the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol. His actions directly contributed to the breach of police lines and the ensuing chaos that engulfed the Capitol grounds. More disturbingly, security footage from inside the Capitol allegedly shows Ayala waving his flag inside one of the windows next to the Senate side door, an act that symbolizes a blatant disregard for the rule of law and the sanctity of our nation's democratic institutions.

The Lower Shore Progressive Caucus demands accountability and calls upon elected officials who have received donations from Carlos Ayala to renounce their association with him and return the funds. These donations include:

Congressman Andy Harris: three donations totaling $4,700
County Executive Julie Giordano: two donations totaling $2,500
Wicomico School Board District 3 Representative Susan Beauchamp: two donations totaling $2,200
Wicomico County Republican Central Committee: two donations totaling $1,100
State Senator Mary Beth Carozza: two donations totaling $1,050
Wicomico County School Board At-Large Representative Kristin Hazel: one donation of $1,000
Wicomico State's Attorney Jamie Dykes: two donations totaling $225
Wicomico County Council At-Large Representative James Winn: one donation totaling $200
State Senator Johnny Mautz: one donation totaling $200

It is vital that our elected officials and institutions stand firmly against those who threaten our democracy. Accepting financial contributions from individuals who participate in such acts is not only morally reprehensible but also undermines the integrity of our democratic process.

We urge all elected officials to take immediate action to distance themselves from Mr. Ayala and return any funds received. The Lower Shore Progressive Caucus remains committed to upholding the principles of democracy, justice, and the rule of law.

Jared Schablein is the Chair of the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus.

The Lower Shore Progressive Caucus is a political and activist organization that covers Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. It is unaffiliated with any political party and is committed to empowering working people.

Two Iconic Delaware Bay Species are in Trouble

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:03:50 GMT

The rufa red knot — a shorebird and spring visitor to Delaware Bay shores during migration — is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. Some sources report that red knot numbers have declined by 94% over the past 40 years. One reason cited for the listing is the continuing overharvesting of horseshoe crabs for bait and biomedical tests.

Horseshoe crab eggs are critical food for red knots as they undertake one of the longest annual migrations in the avian world. The red knots’ journey of 9,000-plus miles begins in mid-February at the southern tip of South America. By mid-April they reach Brazil, and by the middle of May they arrive at the Delaware Bay, where horseshoe crabs have laid their eggs for eons. The red knots’ survival depends on the abundance of horseshoe crab eggs in the Delaware Bay; this migration stopover is the bird’s last chance to gain sufficient energy reserves to reach the Arctic for its breeding season.

As living fossils, horseshoe crabs have existed unchanged for an estimated 445 million years, from well before the dinosaurs. They may be resilient, but it often takes human intervention to turn them over when they’re belly up on the beach with 10 legs grasping for the sky.

The Common Sense article, “ Horseshoe Crabs and Red Knots are in Peril ,” described the importance of the horseshoe crab as a critical biodiversity link in the Delaware Bay. Their hard shells serve as microhabitats for other species, such as sponges, mud crabs, mussels, and snails. Their nutritious eggs are needed for migratory red knots and other shorebirds, fish, and wildlife.

The world’s largest springtime spawning population of horseshoe crabs is found in the Delaware Bay. Concerned about overharvesting, 23 organizations are petitioning the federal government to list the horseshoe crab as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

Threats: Harvesting, Environment, and Counting

Horseshoe crab blood contains a rare clotting agent, limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), that is critical for the safe development of biomedical devices and injectable drugs through bacterial endotoxin testing. About 500,000 horseshoe crabs are collected from marine populations in the United States annually. They are bled in biomedical labs and returned to the water. The mortality rate for bled and released crabs is 8-20%.

Environmental threats to the horseshoe crab include oil spills and other pollution, habitat loss from coastal development or shoreline alterations to prevent erosion, other human disturbances, and sea level rise due to climate change. Coastal development and climate change have encroached on areas where horseshoe crabs lay their eggs and mature horseshoe crabs have to spawn further and further above the tide line.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) recently made a controversial change to how to measure the horseshoe crab population and determine annual harvest limits. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services analysis and an independent peer review by experts claim that the changes reflect “the best available science.”

Conservation groups disagree and contend the revisions “will generate significantly higher horseshoe crab population estimates” and thus permit the harvesting of females, that hasn’t been done in a decade. “With the red knot on the very edge of extinction, now is the time to double down, not diminish, horseshoe protections,” said Defenders of Wildlife’s Christian Hunt.

Other conservation organizations — Earthjustice, New Jersey Audubon, Delaware Audubon, and the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays — have also spoken out against revising how to measure to the Bay’s horseshoe crab population.

In a News Journal article, the conservationists wrote, “The commission claims sophisticated computer modeling supports the counterintuitive conclusion that harvesting more crabs, including females, would not harm the horseshoe crab population or the red knots that depend upon the crabs’ eggs. But it would be risky to reopen a female bait harvest and add further mortality to the population.”

Some Progress

A South Carolina lawsuit brought by several environmental groups against the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Charles River Laboratories — a multinational biomedical company that provides the pharmaceutical industry with more than half its supply of LAL — was settled in 2023. For the next five years, horseshoe crab harvesters will be banned from 30 island beaches, prohibited from keeping female crabs in ponds away from the shore, and required to report their harvest locations. An independent company will oversee compliance with these rules.

U.S. Pharmacopeia, the regulatory body charged with setting national medication safety standards, announced a proposal to make it easier for companies to use non-animal-derived reagent tests, i.e., synthetic alternatives to LAL. This is expected to take effect early this year. Most of the East Coast bleeding companies now sell non-animal-derived reagent tests, synthetic alternatives to LAL.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would provide federal funding for the conservation or restoration of wildlife and plant species. The bill was introduced in 2021 and passed the House of Representatives in 2022, but needs to restart the legislative process with the new Congress. If passed, the bill would provide up to $1.4 billion annually to states and territories to implement their wildlife action plans to include helping recover endangered species and prevent at-risk wildlife from becoming endangered.

Delaware’s senior U.S. senator, Tom Carper, signed onto the act and expects $11.5 million will go to Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which has listed the red knot among the 692 species it will prioritize aiding.

The Value of Being Multilingual on the Shore

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:51:29 GMT

Urge your state legislators to support the Credit for All Language Learning Act

Maryland is increasingly becoming a multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual state.

Last July, the state reported that 16.7% of the population were born outside of the country — around 946,000 multilingual individuals out of 6,180,253 total residents. According to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau numbers and Data USA , about 22% percent of the state population identifies as belonging to ethnicities other than White American or African American alone, that is, Asian (about 6%), Multiracial (about 3.6 %), and Hispanic (about 12%).

Nearly 21% of Maryland households report speaking languages other than English at home as their primary language. The five most common languages in Maryland’s households other than English are Spanish (494,447 households); Chinese, including Cantonese and Mandarin, (72,246 households); followed by French, Korean, and Tagalog.

These numbers demonstrate the linguistic and cultural richness of the state, and highlight the need to value the many economic, educational, and political contributions that this diversity brings to our communities.

Multilingualism has always been part of our social fabric, despite English’s dominance. This has, for many years, created a tension between and within PK-12 education and higher education. While the first has often positioned the multilingual child as a “problem” to fix with the help of English Language Learning (ELL/ESL/ESOL) courses, the best higher education institutions, such as Washington College, recognize acquisition of an additional language is one of the most significant academic and professional assets one can obtain. This tension often limits students designated as English learners from accessing sufficient resources for their academic and professional success.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of a robust multilingual education, by the time high schoolers arrive at college, some have not fully developed their home languages. Similarly, many multilingual students (both ‘heritage’ speakers or international students) have to quickly catch up and acquire mastery of the English language during high school to thrive or to get into college. Maryland community colleges do not currently award college credit for ELL classes, nor are these credits transferable to bachelor-awarding institutions. The problem with this English-first approach is that we, as a society, are missing opportunities to energize multilingual citizens, to value their multiculturality, and to recognize their hard work.

Students and educators in Maryland are working together to ensure that the academic work of multilingual students is valued by passing the Credit for All Language Learning (CALL) Act in the Maryland General Assembly. The CALL Act requires Maryland community colleges to award degree-applicable credit for advanced ELL courses and requires Maryland colleges and universities to accept these transferred credits for the fulfillment of foreign languages requirements and/or Humanities electives. Multilingual students in Maryland who have taken ELL courses are working as hard as any other student learning French, Spanish, German, or Chinese.

As a community college educator on the western shore and a world languages professor on the Eastern Shore, we fully support the CALL Act because of the positive impact it will have on students, their families, and our communities. This Act brings value to the mastering of languages and to the academic work of multilingual English learners.

It is important to consider the positive impact the CALL Act will have on both the western and the Eastern Shore’s education systems, economies, and cultural lives. At the high school level, the CALL Act would send a message to students learning English that the workforce and academic credentials offered at community colleges are for them, too. Community colleges, meanwhile, would likely see increased enrollments and retention of multilingual English learners. Currently, both Chesapeake College and Wor-Wic College offer robust ESL programs for beginners and may add offerings of the advanced courses incentivized by the CALL Act.

Many colleges and universities support this initiative, from ESL professors and staff at University of Maryland Eastern Shore to Washington College’s professors and staff. They all recognize that multilingual students are an asset for our state and our nation, regardless of a student’s first language.

The benefits of the CALL Act would also stimulate economic and cultural vibrancy in the region. Multilingual employees and multilingual businesses are better positioned to meet the needs of an increasingly multicultural and globalized world. Enhancing workers’ English skills is good for workplace safety, from the farm field to the packing plant to the hospital emergency room, energizing a more efficient workforce. Furthermore, valuing Marylanders’ multilingualism, and recognizing their hard work as active members of our society, is the first step in embracing the rich cultural tapestry made by the many cultures and languages they bring to our shores.

We encourage our neighbors, on both shores of the mighty Chesapeake Bay, to support the Credit for All Language Learning Act. Contact your state senator and delegate and ask them to vote for SB395 and HB569 , respectively. Our students will appreciate it, as will our local schools, businesses, and cultural centers.

This article was originally published in the Chestertown Spy .

Dr. Elena Deanda is a professor of Spanish at Washington College, where she is also the director of the Black Studies Program.

Owen Silverman Andrews is an instructional specialist of English Language Learning at Anne Arundel Community College. He has taught English to adult immigrants in Maryland at community colleges and community-based organizations since 2013.

As Maryland Waits for Wind Energy, Andy Harris Tries Blowing up a Storm

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:43:07 GMT

As I listened to Rick Meehan, the longtime mayor of Ocean City, talk about the many reasons he opposes wind turbines planned off — way off — the coast of his seaside resort town, I kept thinking about another mayor.

Larry Vaughn, presented with evidence of an environmental threat, famously put short-term profits over public safety.

“I’m only trying to say that Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars. Now, if the people can’t swim here, they’ll be glad to swim at the beaches of Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Long Island.”

The danger at hand, of course, was an imaginary great white shark, and Vaughn the pretend mayor of a beach resort in the original summer blockbuster “Jaws.”

Standing before a few thousand people on Saturday, Meehan took Vaughn’s role as he spoke during a two-hour display of disinformation on wind-generating turbines planned 16 miles off the Atlantic coast.

The hearing was organized by U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland’s lone Republican in Congress and a longtime opponent of harnessing the wind to reduce the carbon pollution destabilizing the climate.

Click here to continue reading this piece in the Baltimore Banner. You can create a free account and access the article.

House Leaders Prepping Legislation to Boost Maryland Offshore Wind

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:34:01 GMT

Stung by news that one of the two companies planning to install wind energy turbines off the coast of Ocean City is reassessing its projects, House of Delegates leaders have drafted legislation to support the state’s offshore wind industry.

Look Up! UFO Hotspots on Delmarva

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:44:48 GMT

Have you ever seen a UFO (unidentified flying object)? Or, as they’re called now, a UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomenon)?

You may think you must go to the New Mexico or Nevada desert to see one, but you’re just as likely — if not more so — to see a UFO on parts of the Delmarva peninsula.

Take Roswell in Chaves County, N.M. for example, long considered a prime spot for spotting UFOs. In 1947, a rancher found the remains of what many people suspected was an extraterrestrial flying saucer, and Roswell gained a reputation for being a hotbed of UFO activity.

Between 2000 and 2023, there were 59 reports of UFO sightings. But Worcester County and all three Delaware counties have more sightings during the same time period.

Then there’s Lincoln County, Nev., home of Area 51, a top-secret U.S. Air Force base and home of fabled stories of UFOs, government coverups, and the testing of recovered alien spaceships. But five Delmarva counties have had more reports of UFOs seen from 2000-2023 than Lincoln County’s 37 sightings.

However, if you look at the prevalence of UFO sightings per 100,000 population, Lincoln County beats all other counties in the U.S. with a calculated rate of 821 sightings per capita — six times the rate of Worcester County, which has the highest (142) rate on Delmarva.

What accounts for this high prevalence? Lincoln County is sparsely populated, so a modest number of sightings calculates to a high rate per 100,000 population.

But it’s a useful way to look at the phenomenon. UFO sightings tend to happen in parts of the country where the sky is darkest, and those tend to be areas that are thinly populated.

Nights are dark in much of Delmarva, and more so in Maryland and Virginia than in Delaware. And Worcester and Sussex counties have large summer populations of people on vacations who are walking the beach and looking at the skies.

The National UFO Reporting Center lists close to 2,000 reports of UFO sightings in Maryland in the last two decades.

These detailed reports contain information on where, when, probable cause, and photos and videos. Here are a few samples:

Last fall, NASA appealed to the American public to help spot UFOs so that more research into the origin of these phenomena can be done. Enigma Labs has developed a smartphone app for reporting UFO and UAP sightings. This start-up company is dedicated to “crowdsolving” the ongoing mystery of UAP/UFO sightings using technology and citizen science.

So, look up! You might just see something to report!

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Notes on the Life of a Buffalo Soldier

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:03:15 GMT

Thomas E. Polk, Sr., was a free man from the Eastern Shore who served as a Buffalo Soldier on the western frontier of America.

“Since 1641, there has never been a time in this country when Blacks were unwilling

to serve and sacrifice for America.” — Gen. Colin Powell

One such man was born and raised in the village of Allen on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Thomas E. Polk, Sr.

Polk was born a free man in 1860. At that time, Allen was a part of Somerset County. However, by the time Polk turned 21, Allen was a part of Wicomico County after Somerset had been divided into three counties.

When Polk enlisted in the Army in Baltimore, Md., he was illiterate. There are a few theories as to how he arrived in Baltimore, well over 100 miles away from Allen, but the most logical (although not documented) is that he boarded a steamer somewhere along the Eastern Shore and landed at Baltimore’s Harbor in 1882.

From Baltimore, where he was assigned to the 9th Cavalry, Polk and other Army recruits were shipped by train to Fort Riley, Kan., according to one Buffalo Soldier historian. Fort Riley was established in 1853 as a base for westward expansion, well before the Civil War, and was thought of as the home of America’s Army. Polk’s time at Fort Riley in no way mirrored today’s boot camp. As a matter of fact, the Army had no boot camp at that time. Recruits filled their time by digging trenches and other mundane activities.

Polk was later stationed at Fort Sill, Ok. This is perhaps where he learned to read and write, documented because of the letters he wrote to his family while stationed there. Poor grammar and misspellings in the letters were indicative of someone who had just recently learned to communicate in writing. Polk may have also been stationed at Fort Davis or Fort Concho in Texas for a while. It is documented that several 9th Cavalry troops were stationed at both installations, but documentation of Polk having been among them has not been discovered.

Nonetheless, it is known that Polk served two five-year terms in the U. S. Regular Army — all 10 years in the western territories. As a member of the 9th Cavalry, Polk escorted settlers moving west, thwarted cattle thieves, captured Comancheros, escorted mail wagons, and helped to lay railroad ties, hang telegraph lines, and build forts.

Polk ended his first five years of service at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and returned to Allen where he stayed a few months before deciding to reenlist. After five more years, he ended his last term of service at Fort Robinson, Neb. He returned home and started purchasing parcels of land that have remained in the Polk family since 1892.

In the early 1930s, Polk granted the State of Maryland permission to dig a borrow pit on a portion of his land. The dirt and gravel that was removed was used to build or shore up Upper Ferry Road, a main route to the Wicomico River. Polk was compensated $1.00 for the use of his land. The football field size pit was never filled in and remains as a pond today.

Polk was married twice. Four years after his first wife died, he married Harriett Boone from Baltimore. This marriage resulted in three children, Celestine, Thomas Jr., and Everett. Polk died in 1940 and Hattie, as his wife was commonly known, died in 1949. Hattie’s Trail, a short walking trail, is located on the site where the Buffalo Soldier Living History Site Co. is establishing a venue that will be open to the public. Visitors will learn about the integral role that Buffalo Soldiers played in American history.

Additional source material from “A Ride through Buffalo History,” Susan Zimmerman, July 14, 1922.

Deborah Scott is a granddaughter of Thomas E. Polk, Sr., and a leader in promoting the establishment of a living history site honoring him and the Buffalo Soldiers on his land in Allen, Wicomico Co. She has been writing since she was a young girl growing up on the Eastern Shore. It is her hope that readers will be informed, touched, or inspired by her words.

When the Freedom Riders Came to Kent County

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:02:30 GMT

In the summer of 1961, the Freedom Riders made their mark on American society.

A mostly young and biracial group, they challenged racial segregation by traveling on interstate buses into the Deep South, where they carried out nonviolent protests against segregation in restaurants and stores. They endured arrests and beatings, and at least one bus was burned, but they succeeded in showing that nonviolent direct action could help end racism.

Inspired by the early riders, other groups of young people continued to visit segregated areas, working to bring about a change in racial attitudes. Early in 1962, it was Chestertown’s turn.

At the time, Kent County’s schools were segregated and would remain so for several more years. Washington College had at most three Black students, and many of their fellow students and faculty showed little inclination to treat them as equals. No Black person had ever served on the county commission, any town council, or the police force. The local newspaper routinely identified Black people by race, while the race of Whites went unreported.

Except for a few Black-owned businesses — such as Charlie Graves’ Uptown Club — Black customers were not welcomed or were restricted to takeout orders in local bars and restaurants. In the downtown movie theater, now the Garfield center, Black customers had a separate entrance and could sit only in the balcony.

On Feb. 3, 1962, Freedom Riders in two buses and about 10 cars came to Chestertown, hoping to make the town aware of its deeply ingrained racism. According to news reports, most of the protesters were northern college students, about half from New York City plus groups from Baltimore and Swarthmore College, near Philadelphia. Though most riders were White, there were Blacks as well.

They assembled at Bethel A.M.E. Church on College Avenue, where they were greeted by the Rev. Frederick Jones Sr., who had helped arrange for their visit. With food, a first-aid station, and training for the demonstrators, the church served as the headquarters for the operation. The riders were joined by locals, including Washington College students.

Protesters were instructed to speak softly and politely, and to enter and leave premises in an orderly manner. They were to let their group leaders do the talking and not to respond to curses or blows. The protesters also were given copies of the state trespassing laws, which business owners relied on to deny services. The marchers targeted several local businesses, including Bud’s Restaurant, the Riverside Restaurant, the Tally-Ho Diner, the Home Restaurant, Lombardo’s Pizza, and the Queen Anne’s Bowling Center.

According to the Washington College Elm — which gave the most detailed account of the day’s events in its Feb. 9, 1962, issue — the marchers expected that Bud’s, a bar and restaurant on upper High Street, would be the place most likely to give them trouble. They were right; Bud Hubbard, the owner, was openly hostile. The Elm reported that he invited some 300 local “friends” to the bar that day. The “friends” began arriving before noon, and Hubbard reportedly gave them plenty to drink.

Anticipating violence between marchers and White residents, the Maryland State Police sent 30 cars to town, including K-9 dogs and their handlers. Tyrone Johnson, a Black Chestertown native who was 20 at the time, said in an interview about 50 years later that he had seen local White men with baseball bats and other improvised weapons outside a High Street pool hall. He also remembered a White man he knew from Chestertown spitting in his face as the group of protesters marched down the street later in the day.

The first group of demonstrators arrived at Bud’s around 3 pm, where the owner read the trespassing law and asked them to leave. They did so, but some of the White men at the restaurant pursued them down High Street until they reached the railroad tracks in the vicinity of Vita Foods, then the largest local employer of Black people. There, local Black residents aided the peaceful marchers by chasing Hubbard’s “friends” away.

A second wave of Freedom Riders arrived at Bud’s about an hour later and were again denied entry to the restaurant. At that point, the marchers dispersed and returned to Bethel Church for a discussion of race relations that included several Washington College students. A couple of weeks later, the county’s chapter of the NAACP was founded.

Police made three arrests at the second visit to Bud’s, two Black men and one White — all locals. One Black man was convicted of disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon — an ice pick — and sentenced to four months in jail. The other was convicted of assault and sentenced to 60 days in jail. The White man, found guilty of assaulting a police photographer, was fined $31.79. The arrests were the focus of coverage by the Kent County News and out-of-town newspapers such as the New York Times.

The reaction of the local White establishment was typified by a Kent News editorial calling the demonstrations “a publicity stunt.” The paper then ignored follow-up demonstrations, which lasted for several weeks. There are no recorded comments from then-Mayor Philip Wilmer or other elected officials. Elmer Hawkins, the Black principal of Garnet, the Black high school, widely seen as a community leader, left town for the weekend — no doubt a difficult choice for him.

The demonstrations didn’t go unnoticed. Aware of larger, more violent demonstrations in other Shore towns, influential locals embarked on a quiet campaign to persuade local businesses to desegregate. “We don’t want to be like Cambridge,” said one local attorney, referring to the violent demonstrations there in 1962.

Kent County’s progress was slow. In 1963, the first Black student graduated from Chestertown High School, but it was a couple of years more before any significant number began to attend. Full desegregation of the county schools didn’t take place until the early 1970s. Stam’s ice cream parlor finally allowed Black customers inside but removed its tables. Other businesses made their own adjustments. Blacks remained reluctant to patronize those that had been especially unwelcome before things began to change.

Lycurgus Henry, a young Kent County Black man who worked at Vita Foods and who played a prominent part in the demonstrations, died in 2023. In 2014, he looked back on his experience with the Freedom Riders and said, “Somebody had to die, somebody had to go to jail or be beaten up, to get where we are today.”

Although no one died in Chestertown, quite a few were roughed up, and far too many people elsewhere gave their lives during the long fight for racial equality in America. And no one today claims that race relations in Kent County are utopian. Still, it’s clear that the efforts of those such as Johnson and Henry who marched and demonstrated with the Freedom Riders in 1962 made a real difference.

The Race is On! — Maryland Primary Election

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:01:51 GMT

The race is on! February 9 was the deadline for candidates to file for state and federal offices in Maryland. Voters must now choose from among these candidates in the Maryland primary election that begins with early voting May 2-9 and ends with the primary election on May 14.

Primary winners will be on the ballot for the general election on November 5.

This article gives an overview of the primary with an emphasis on the senatorial race. A later article will look at the 1st District’s congressional race.

Regulated and run by the state, the primary is how political parties select candidates for the general.

Only registered members of a party are permitted to vote in that party’s primary. Registered Democrats receive a ballot listing only the Democratic candidates while the same applies to Republicans.

Unaffiliated candidates only appear on the general election ballot.

One in five Maryland voters is not affiliated with any party. Yet they can still vote by registering for the party whose candidate they want to vote for or against. Voters can switch back to unaffiliated status after the primary.

This year, Marylanders will vote for four offices at the federal level — president and vice president, U.S. senator, and a representative to the House of Representatives from their district.

House of Representatives

Maryland is divided into eight districts with each having one representative in the House. The 1st District includes the nine Eastern Shore counties plus Harford County and parts of Baltimore County. Geographically, it’s the largest congressional district in Maryland.

Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-1) is the only Republican from Maryland in the House. The district is safely Republican while the other seven districts are seen as solid (or pretty solid) Democratic territory.

Senate

Of the 10 Democratic candidates running for the Senate, Angela Alsobrooks and David Trone (D-6) are considered the front-runners.

Alsobrooks is county executive of Maryland's Prince George's County, the first woman to hold that office and the first Black woman to hold a county executive office anywhere in Maryland. She has focused on jobs, education, and expanding health care access, including mental health and addiction treatment.

Trone was re-elected last year to his third term as 6th District representative. As such, Trone worked on medical research, mental health, opioid addiction, and criminal justice reform. He is the founder of the Total Wine & More liquor stores and has self-funded his election campaigns.

Before former Gov. Larry Hogan jumped into the Republican race, Chris Chaffee or John Teichert were most likely to win the primary. Chaffee was the GOP’s nominee against Sen. Chris Van Hollen in 2022. Teichert is a retired brigadier general who’s endorsed by several prominent Republicans, including Boyd Rutherford, Hogan’s lieutenant governor.

Hogan's candidacy comes as a surprise. Many pundits thought he was contemplating a presidential run on the No Labels ticket along with a Democrat as the veep nominee.

Hogan recently resigned his position as co-chair and a board member of the No Labels organization which has been organizing ballot access lines for a possible 2024 “Unity Ticket.”

In January, Hogan endorsed Republican Nikki Haley for president and on February 9 — just hours before the filing deadline — he declared for the Senate seat.

No Labels

No Labels started in 2009 as a non-partisan, non-profit, politically centrist group with an eye to providing an alternative to angry and extreme politics — both right and left. For 2024, No Labels has spent $70 million to qualify for ballot access in as many states as possible.

Unlike a political party, No Labels is not required to reveal its donors and has been described as a dark money group. Reporters have identified several large donors — such as Harlan Crowe, who also gives large amounts to Republican and conservative causes — that calls into question the centrist goals of the organization.

As of January 2024, the group met the qualifications for a spot on the November presidential ballot in 14 states, including Maryland. In total, these states have 123 Electoral College votes, enough to make a difference in who wins the presidential election. The group is gathering signatures for ballot slots in another 14 states.

Many commentators characterize the No Labels bid as a spoiler tactic that would hurt Democrats more than Republicans. No Labels leaders claim that they are not spoilers and will only enter the election if they have a clear path to win the presidency, but experts dispute that a third party can win. The group claims it does not want to help elect Trump, but many say that will be the result if they field a presidential candidate.

As Republican Chris Christie said in an interview with The Hill in July last year, "They think they know who they're going to hurt. They want to hurt Donald Trump if he's the nominee. But, you know, when you get into a third-party campaign — we saw this with Ross Perot, we saw this later with Ralph Nader — you never quite know who you're going to hurt."

The group’s decision on whether or not to announce a slate of nominees will be made after the Super Tuesday primary on March 5. No Labels has a convention in April.

Currently, many of the candidates’ official online sites do not have much information on the candidates’ positions.

U.S. President — Democratic Party Candidates

Joe Biden

https://joebiden.com/

Dean Phillips

https://www.dean24.com/

Marianne Williamson (has withdrawn, but not yet in Maryland)

https://marianne2024.com/

U.S. President — Republican Party Candidates

Nikki Haley

https://nikkihaley.com/

Donald J. Trump

www.donaldjtrump.com

U.S. Senate — Democratic Party Candidates

Angela Alsobrooks

https://www.angelaalsobrooks.com/

Michael W. Cobb, Sr.

tiktok@mikecobb355

Marcellus Crews

https://www.marcelluscrews.com/

Brian E. Frydenborg

https://brian4md.com/

Scottie J. Griffin

No listed online presence

Robert K. Houton

No listed online presence

Joseph Perez

No listed online presence

Steven Henry Seuferer

https://www.facebook.com/SteveSForCongress

David J. Trone

https://davidtrone.com/

Andrew Jaye Wildman

https://www.commonsense2nd.com/

U.S. Senate — Republican Party Candidates

Moe H. Barakat

https://barakatforsenate.com/

Chris Chaffee

No online presence

Robin Ficker

https://voteficker.com/

Lorie R. Friend

No online presence

Larry Hogan

https://larryhogan.com/

John A. Myrick

https://www.johnmyrickforsenate.org/

Laban Y. Seyoum

No listed online presence

John Teichert

https://teichertformaryland.com/

The Maryland Board of Elections has information here along with links to find your polling, place, request an absentee/mail-in ballot, track your ballot, and sign up to be an election judge.

Here’s the schedule for the Maryland primary election:

In-person voting:

April 23 — Last day to register to vote in the primary election
May 2 — Early voting begins, 7 am-8 pm
May 9 — Early voting ends, 7 am-8 pm
May 14 — Primary election day, 7 am-8 pm

Absentee/Mail-in voting:

Any registered voter may request an absentee/mail-in ballot.

Absentee/Mail-in ballot must be requested by:

Request In-person: May 14
By mail: Request must be received by May 7. Postmarks do not count.
Online : Request received by May 7

Absentee/Mail-in Ballot must be returned/received by:

In-person: Received by May 14
By mail: Received by May 14. Post-marks do not count.

General Election — Tuesday, November 5, 2024, 7 am-8 pm

Jane Jewell is a writer, editor, photographer, and teacher. She has worked in news, publishing, and as the director of a national writer's group. She lives in Chestertown with her husband Peter Heck, a ginger cat named Riley, and a lot of books.

Let My People Go: A Prophet’s Letter from Prison

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:00:51 GMT

“Let justice roll down like waters and

righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Amos 5:24

Adversity can produce a powerful outcome. Such were the results of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 13 days in the Birmingham, Ala., jail in April 1963.

There he wrote “ Letter from Birmingham Jail ” under difficult circumstances. Limited in writing supplies (he used newspaper margins and toilet paper ), King produced a document that ranks with Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence , Washington’s Farewell , and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address .

Civil rights activists had decided to move into Birmingham because of its violent segregation. Those planning to demonstrate were trained in nonviolent civil disobedience .

On April 12, eight Alabama clergymen published a “Public Statement” urging Birmingham’s “Negro community to withdraw support from these demonstrations .” On April 16, King and others were jailed because they defied a court injunction not to conduct a march.

Responding to criticism from the clergymen and with many religious references, King reminds us of Moses in Exodus 5, telling Pharoah to “let my people go.” The parallels between the Israelites enslaved in Egypt and 20th century Black Americans are obvious. (On the other hand, the “Slave Bible” first published in 1807, not surprisingly, removed nearly the whole Book of Exodus, thus making it an un-biblical Bible.)

One might argue that a secondary purpose of King’s “Letter” was to remind the clergymen and the public of vital parts of scripture. King quotes the prophet Amos in answering charges that he was an extremist: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Speaking of the prophetic tradition, Jeremy Taylor, Bible professor at Abilene Christian University, writes:

“King’s deep immersion in the Old Testament prophetic tradition keenly trained his eye to see the masses of poor African Americans who were being allowed to drown in the ocean of White wealth. Instead of his middle-class education in White institutions anesthetizing him to the plight of those trapped in the misery of poverty, King used his education to unleash the power of his mind and the spirit of the prophets to unleash his tongue in defense of the exploited.”

Taylor’s view persuades us that King was not like a prophet. He was one.

King makes much of the teachings in the New Testament. In his introduction to the “Letter,” he tells us that he follows the example of St. Paul in preaching the gospel beyond his hometown. And while Paul was imprisoned, he wrote letters. In 1956, King preached a sermon in Pittsburgh in which he took on the persona of Paul. King said, “you stand in the most segregated hour of Christian America ,” chastising both Blacks and Whites for their segregation.

To explain the harm from racism King draws on the ideas of the Jewish theologian Martin Buber. “Segregation … substitutes an ‘I-it’ relationship for an ‘I-thou’ relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things.” King reminds us that, according to theologian Paul Tillich, sin is separation, separation between persons, and between God and persons.

One of the most important points comes from St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas: the distinction between just and unjust laws. An unjust law is one not based on eternal and natural law; it degrades people. King wrote, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority.” An unjust law not only does harm, but it obligates us to disobey it: “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

King’s conclusion to his “Letter” is uplifting: “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow, the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”

Amen.

Youth Crime Process Prompts Questions in House, Eastern Shore

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:00:01 GMT

The House Judiciary Committee recently held a second hearing on youth crime. During the hearing, lawmakers scrutinized the options left to law enforcement and others to address crimes by children and young teens.

Lawmakers expressed concern that current law offers no solutions when youth and families do not participate in recommended services or when services fail to prevent young people from continuing to break the law.

A 2022 state law barring police from charging youth under 13 with all but violent crimes has focused attention on the state’s Child in Need of Supervision process. Officers and the public can use CINS to request the help of the Department of Juvenile Services and the courts to refer youth and families to services.

Clyde Boatwright, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said officers are not filing CINS complaints because there is no recourse when young people who are referred to services continue to break the law.

“I think what we’re now questioning is, what happens after that recommendation is made? What is the next step?”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Luke Clippinger (D-46) said that “there needs to be another look” at the tool that intake officers in the Department of Juvenile Services use to decide to close a case, mandate that youth and families participate in services, or petition a juvenile court.

Clippinger said this reexamination should determine whether young people who are repeatedly referred to DJS are “triggering anything within the department to say, ‘Hey, wait a minute. This is somebody who’s come back multiple times over a short period of time.’”

In Dorchester County, where police say youth crime has spiked since the law went into effect in June 2022, law enforcement and community leaders are questioning whether the CINS process offers adequate options for interventions to address the reasons for youth crime, while allowing law enforcement to protect the public.

When an officer or member of the public files a CINS complaint, DJS must decide within 25 days whether to close the case, agree with the young person and family that they will participate in services, or file a petition with the juvenile court. If a CINS case goes to court, a judge can order evaluations or services for youth and families, but courts have no means to enforce their decisions.

Cambridge Mayor Stephen Rideout said there is a need for provisions to spur action in cases where families do not participate in recommended services or when 25 days is too long to await a DJS decision.

In such cases, said Rideout, a former youth and family court judge in Virginia, courts can help.

Cambridge Police Chief Justin Todd and Rideout referred to the case of a child under 13 accused of stealing 11 cars in Dorchester County.

Rideout said a juvenile court can start the process of information gathering, rather than “waiting and waiting for voluntary cooperation by parents who may not be willing to cooperate.”

Rideout has suggested an amendment to Dorchester County’s delegation in the General Assembly that would authorize Local Care Teams representing a county’s child-serving agencies to directly petition courts when they disagree with DJS decisions.

Statewide, only 13 out of 511 CINS complaints filed in fiscal year 2023 resulted in formal court petitions, according to DJS data.

Nancy Shockley, coordinator of Dorchester County’s Local Management Board, Moving Dorchester Forward, echoed the challenge of gaining families’ trust while emphasizing that CINS is not the only way to connect youth and families with services.

“The biggest challenge is that you can connect families all day long, but it’s making them take advantage of those resources,” Shockley said. “The majority of the services, unless they’re court ordered, are voluntary services.”

Todd said that communication between Cambridge Police and DJS has improved as the agencies have worked more closely on CINS cases. But he questioned whether current law offers law enforcement and courts sufficient “steps and accountability” for families who resist participating in services or when services do not deter crime.

“The (Act) really ties the hands of everybody,” Todd said, “because you can mandate them to go to services, but if they come back to court a month later [and they haven’t done the services], there’s no next step, and that makes it very difficult.”

Worried by Spikes in Youth Crime, Maryland Lawmakers Close in on New Fixes to the System

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 12:59:21 GMT

Almost two years after passing landmark youth justice reform, Maryland lawmakers are scrutinizing its impact on young offenders — and questioning whether they’ve done enough to make things better.

The 2022 reforms were meant to help more young offenders avoid incarceration and get on the path to rehabilitation. But with spikes in auto thefts, carjackings, and handgun violations by youth around the state, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are thinking about refining and updating the reforms this year.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-46) said there is an agreement taking shape among lawmakers who want to smooth the process for referring young people for rehabilitative services. State agencies have the resources to help kids and families, Ferguson said, but a lack of cooperation sometimes gets in the way.

He said one thing in need of improvement is the Child in Need of Supervision process, which lets law enforcement refer young people to Juvenile Services for assessment and programs when they get into trouble.

“What happened over the last few years is that the CINS process never led to actual conversations or collaborations amongst agencies that have various resources to surround the child with those supports,” Ferguson said last month.

In their quest to change the law, lawmakers are motivated both by complaints from constituents and by a sense that youth crime is on the rise. While youth violent crime arrests fell 16.5% overall between fiscal years 2022 and 2023, according to a Juvenile Services report last year, carjackings increased by 85.4% and handgun violations rose almost 220%. Auto theft grew 64.6%, doubling between 2022 and 2023.

Some Republicans blame the reform itself, and some prosecutors are joining them in raising concerns about the law. Among other changes, the 2022 reforms set 13 as the minimum age for a young person to be sent to juvenile court — except in cases of violent crime, where the minimum age is 10 — and prohibited police from interrogating youth without letting the child consult an attorney.

But Democrats are more interested in refining the system, and they’re engaged in discussions that could produce a more sweeping set of improvements in the coming days.

Gov. Wes Moore’s office is also involved in talks and expects that like-minded lawmakers may introduce legislation aimed at making improvements to the current law.

Sen. Jill Carter (D-41), one of several lawmakers concerned about juvenile justice this session, said she wants to see police and prosecutors work together to use the tools the legislature has already given them.

“I think that the most effective thing that could happen is that law enforcement and prosecutors could work within the law, stop resisting it and work more collaboratively, and if they come up with suggestions, they should be data-driven,” Carter said.

Several lawmakers defended the 2022 reforms in a press conference with the Maryland Youth Justice Coalition recently, and urged law enforcement and state’s attorneys to use the tools it set up.

Del. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-19) said that the reform legislation is “still in its infancy.”

“We know that there are things that need to be put in place to ensure that it continues and that our youth are well taken care of under this legislation,” Crutchfield said.

Prosecutors say it’s not that simple. Juvenile Services officers sometimes see six or seven complaints regarding the same young person before prosecutors are notified, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said during a recent Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

“Let us, as state’s attorneys, have what we had before,” McCarthy said, “the ability to have those matters referred to us so that we may put a second additional set of eyes on it.”

Pandemic is Over — But Covid is Here to Stay

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:36:56 GMT

The good news is that the covid pandemic is over, but the bad news is that covid isn’t gone for good. Instead, experts say, covid is here to stay.

The covid virus has become pervasive almost everywhere, and like flu, the common cold, and other ordinary illnesses, covid is now endemic, with seasonal and local fluctuations. It’s the new normal.

Covid is still dangerous and now surging again across the United States.

Along with flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), cases of covid have been rising sharply since December 2023.

Nationwide, hospitalizations from covid were up 20% for the week ending December 30.
That same week, deaths rose 13%, with covid deaths accounting for 3.6% of all deaths in the U.S.

Covid has been among the leading causes of death in the U.S. every year since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, and this year doesn’t look any different.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital admissions for covid peaked at 7,778 in January 2024.

For comparison, in January 2022, covid hospitalizations reached the all-time national high of over 145,000. Infections were at record levels then, with the national number of new cases at over 700,000 per day.

This winter, the numbers are much lower. However, they are still high, with continuing — though lower — peaks and valleys.

This surge in hospitalizations reflects holiday travel and socializing from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, as well as the appearance of a new Omicron variant, JN.1, nicknamed Pirola.

This variant was detected in last August and showed up a month later in the U.S.

In mid-November, it was responsible for 3.5% of U.S. covid cases.
By mid-December, it accounted for 21%.
By January 5 of this year, that percentage had risen to 62%.
Two weeks later it reached 85% and is expected to continue to rise.

Fortunately, even though it is more contagious, Pirola doesn’t appear to cause more serious disease. It has a new mutation that helps it evade vaccine protection more easily, though vaccines still protect against severe illness or death. As with previous covid strains, early data on JN.1 indicate that the unvaccinated are three to five times more likely to die from a covid infection.

After an early January peak, hospitalization rates began to drop, but not by much. Two weeks later, there was still an average of 6,754 new hospitalizations every day for that week.

This current surge in covid cases and hospitalizations is driven by several factors. Cold and dry winter weather is more hospitable to viruses in general and keeps people indoors which concentrates the virus and prolongs exposure. Good indoor air circulation can significantly reduce infections, as can efficient, high quality air filters.

Covid Hot (and Warm!) Spots

The above numbers are all national statistics, showing that covid is increasing in the U.S. However, covid rates fluctuate locally, creating hot spots. These hot spots change rapidly; as one hot spot fades another arises.

The map below shows known U.S. covid hot spots as of January 20 as measured by daily hospital admissions.

Fewer than 10 admissions per 100,000 population is considered low.
Medium is 10-19.9 hospitalizations.
Any area with an admission rate of 20 or more is considered high.

There are hot spots across the U.S. Numerous areas are over 20; some are as high as 50 (red) or 75 or more (dark purple). The Eastern Shore is one such area.

The grey on the map covers areas for which there is no data. Since the pandemic was declared officially over in May 2023, the reporting of covid statistics is no longer mandatory, so many municipalities have stopped collecting or reporting their local covid cases. There are undoubtedly more hot spots in those grey areas.

The Maryland State Public Health Services sent out an advisory letter on December 28, strongly recommending that medical facilities increase their safety measures against covid and other respiratory illnesses by re-instituting universal masking and other protective measures until Maryland’s combined hospitalization for all respiratory illnesses stays below 10 per 100,000 population for two consecutive weeks. The state-wide rate was 11.4 on December 16 but much higher in the hot spots.

The enlarged section of the map shows that large parts of the Eastern Shore had high hospitalization rates of 45-75 and up per 100,000 residents.

95 per 100,000 populations in the Easton hospital service area
38 in the Chestertown hospital service area
10 in the Salisbury hospital area
15 in nearby Wilmington, Delaware

These rates are for hospitals, not towns or counties. Some hospitals have more beds and services, drawing people from outside the hospital’s geographical area, thus possibly exaggerating the prevalence of covid in the surrounding area while underestimating the amount in other areas.

Sources and More Information:

“COVID-19 Activity Increases as Prevalence of JN.1 Variant Continues to Rise,” CDC, Jan. 5, 2024.

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/whats-new/JN.1-update-2024-01-05.html

“Maryland hospitals seeing post-holiday increase in COVID and flu cases,” Angela Roberts, Baltimore Sun , Jan. 8, 2024. https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/01/08/respiratory-season-flu-covid-rsv-hospitals/

“Md. Health Department Urges Masks, Vaccination after Respiratory Illness-related Hospitalizations,” Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters , Jan. 4, 2024. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2024/01/04/md-health-department-urges-masks-vaccination-after-respiratory-illness-related-hospitalizations/

“Track Covid-19 in the U.S.,” New York Times , updated Jan. 30, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/us/covid-cases.html

“We’re In a Major COVID-19 Surge. It’s Our New Normal,” Jamie Ducharme, Time Magazine , Jan. 12, 2024.

https://time.com/6554340/covid-19-surge-2024/

“What to know about JN.1, newly dominant COVID-19 variant in US: Symptoms and more,” Caroline Kee, Today , Jan. 19, 2024.

https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/jn-1-covid-variant-symptoms-rcna129344

“What to Know about the New COVID Variant JN.1,” Julie Appleby, KFF Health News , Jan. 8, 2024.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-to-know-about-the-new-covid-variant-jn-1/

Baltimore Sun Sold to Right-Wing Media Mogul

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:36:12 GMT

The news broke on Jan. 15: the storied Baltimore Sun has a new owner. Just two years after acquiring the paper, Alden Global Capital announced that it was selling the Sun to David D. Smith, a Baltimore businessman best known as executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, a nationwide network of 200 TV stations.

Founded in 1837 by Arunah S. Abell, the Sun has long been the most respected print news outlet in Maryland. It remained in the Abell family until 1910, when a locally-owned syndicate took over ownership and added an evening edition under the editorship of H.L. Mencken.

In their heyday, the morning and evening “Sunpapers” (as locals fondly called them) were more than a local operation. The morning Sun’s first foreign bureau opened in London in 1924, and over the next few decades, the paper opened seven more in Berlin, Moscow, Mexico City, Beijing, Tokyo, Jerusalem, and Johannesburg. Touting its global reach, it adopted the slogan, “The Sun never sets on the world.” It also dipped a toe in new media, founding Baltimore’s first TV station, WMAR, in 1947.

Sold to the Times Mirror syndicate in 1986, the paper began cutting its operations in the 1990s, closing all its overseas bureaus by 2008. Cuts continued, with Tribune Publishing (which had acquired Times Mirror in 2000) laying off nearly a quarter of the staff. In 2021, Tribune merged with Alden Global Capital as the owner of the Baltimore Sun .

At the time of the Alden takeover, Baltimore businessman Stewart W. Bainum, Jr., was trying to buy the Sun from Tribune. However, the deal fell through, and Bainum decided to found the Baltimore Banner , a rival publication that employs a number of former Sun personnel.

In the meantime, Alden continued to make dramatic cuts in the Sun’s staff — a practice it had used at most of the 200 other American papers it controlled. The editorial staff of the Denver Post characterized the Alden group as “vulture capitalists” after massive layoffs at that paper.

So, the Baltimore Sun sale to a new, locally based owner after decades of out-of-state control ought to be a good thing, right? Well, not necessarily, especially if the paper takes sides.

The Sinclair group’s TV stations have a distinct right-wing slant. As reported by many journalists and communications experts, local stations are required to air content that is supportive of former president Donald Trump. While Smith emphasized that he bought the Sun with his own money, not Sinclair’s, he has a track record of supporting conservative political candidates as well as such political action groups as Project Veritas and Moms for Liberty. Project Veritas has produced a number of videos that are edited to make opponents appear to be saying something other than what they actually said. Moms for Liberty supports censorship and banning books from school libraries.

It seems a good bet that Smith will make every effort to move the paper in a direction consistent with his own political orientation and away from objective reporting. The point is not that newspapers should be free of opinion and analysis — it’s nearly impossible to avoid it — but it needs to be clearly labeled as “opinion” in the article’s title.

A story in the Baltimore Brew — an independent online daily — reported on Smith’s first meeting with Sun staff and reporters. Several attendees reportedly said that Smith held up the local Fox News TV station — a Sinclair outlet — as a model of what journalism should be doing. So while Sinclair may not be the name on the bill of sale, it’s easy to see why readers who trusted the Sun to bring them well-written, objective reporting could feel uncomfortable with the new owner.

A Sun staffer (who understandably preferred to remain anonymous) told the Brew that Smith informed the group that they are now “in the manufacturing business.” The new owner compared the paper to a restaurant whose business depends on giving people what they want. He showed little interest in covering local sports or the arts, though he apparently recognized that those subjects could appeal to a number of readers. As far as “hyper-local” coverage of neighborhood news, he reportedly said, “Nobody cares about a tree falling on a car unless it’s on your block.”

Those aren’t the only concerns with the new owner. In the Sun story reporting the sale, Smith said that he had begun reading the paper only a few months earlier. Another report, on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” said that he had read it only four times — hardly enough to suggest any real familiarity with the paper’s role in the community.

It’s still possible that Smith will allow the experienced journalists at the Sun to produce a newspaper worthy of its distinguished history, committed to reporting factual news instead of just another mouthpiece for right-wing opinions. He’s only been in the owner’s seat for two weeks, and undoubtedly, he’s still finding out how newspapers really work. But those of us who grew up reading the Sun when it was one of the most distinguished papers in the country may be excused for worrying that we’re about to lose something that every community needs — a source for factual reporting, free from ideology and political agendas.

Seniors — By the Numbers

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:35:43 GMT

How many seniors live on the Eastern Shore? Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland Department of Aging can answer that question.

Talbot, Worcester, and Kent counties (sometimes called the retirement meccas) have the highest percentages of seniors 65-84 in the state, all at about 25% of their total population. The eight counties with the highest percentages of this age group are all on the Eastern Shore and in western Maryland, the state’s rural areas. Fourteen percent of Maryland’s population is in this age group.

Talbot, Kent, and Worcester counties also have the highest percentages of seniors 85-99 on the Eastern Shore, each with 3% to 4% of total population. Again, the six counties with the highest percentages of this age group are on the Eastern Shore and in western Maryland. Less than 2% of Maryland’s population is 85-99.

As expected, not many people in Maryland make it to the 100+ years age group; in 2020, that number statewide was 1,542, with 116 on the Eastern Shore. Once again, the rural counties of the Eastern Shore and western Maryland lead the list of counties with the highest percentage of centenarians. In all Eastern Shore counties, less than 1% of total population is 100 years old or older, ranging from 0.01% (Queen Anne’s and Talbot) to 0.08% (Kent). Statewide, it’s 0.03% of the population.

A quarter to a third of all seniors over 65 in the counties of the Eastern Shore live alone, according to estimates from the American Community Survey , ranging from 32% in Somerset to 23% in Queen Anne’s.

Older people are more likely to live alone in the U.S. than elsewhere in the world. Nearly four in 10 older adults around the world live with extended family, but those in the U.S. rarely do, according to the Pew Research Center .

In 2017, Caroline, Dorchester, and Somerset counties all had 8% or more of their total older adult population residing in poverty, according to the Maryland Department of Aging .

About 75% of people 50 and older who were surveyed by AARP say they want to remain in their homes as they age.

The Maryland Department of Aging found that respondents to their aging needs assessment survey think the government should have a large role in supporting older adults and helping them to remain in their homes. This support should include funding programs; providing information; providing home delivered meals, educational classes, service coordination, and transportation; and advocating for the rights of older adults.

The number of older Eastern Shore residents is increasing. Individuals 85 and over are the fastest growing segment of the population.

By 2045, the 60+ population on the Eastern Shore is projected to increase by 28%, with the largest increase in Cecil County (43%) and the smallest in Somerset (8%).

The Maryland State Plan on Aging , 2022-2025, contains information on how the state plans to address the needs of the growing population of seniors. It makes interesting reading.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

UMES Responds to National Vet Shortage with New School

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:34:13 GMT

A new School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore will be the first of its kind in Maryland and among the nation’s public historically Black colleges and universities. The school, slated to accept students in fall 2026, received approval in January from the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

MHEC’s approval came Jan. 16, while the University System of Maryland Board of Regents was received mid-December 2023. The timing could not be more appropriate, according to UMES’ Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences Moses T. Kairo, who has helped lead the program from inception toward actualization.

When the first anticipated students are accepted in fall 2026, it will also be Maryland’s first stand-alone program.

“Our new veterinary medicine school will help UMES fill an unmet need on the Eastern Shore and throughout the state,” said UMES President Dr. Heidi M. Anderson. “Deeply rooted in our 1890 land-grant mission, this program will enable us to serve farmers, the food industry, and the 50% of Marylanders who own a pet. It will also increase both the diversity of the profession and address the workforce needs of the industry. We’re deeply grateful to the Maryland Board of Regents and for the widespread support this program has garnered.”

The timing could not be more appropriate, according to UMES’ Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences Moses T. Kairo, who has helped lead the program from inception toward actualization.

“In terms of demand based on labor statistics, we are looking at 19% projected growth in the field over the next seven years,” Kairo said. “Black veterinarians make up only 3% of the population in this country, indicating a tremendous need to diversify the profession.”

Compared to traditional four-year programs, the proposed school calls for three-year completion. This “innovative approach” will allow UMES veterinary students to learn the same critical components found in existing programs but more expeditiously.

“Our goal is to use student time more effectively in order to graduate students a year earlier,” he said. The proposed target is to graduate 100 students per year.

A consultative visit from the American Veterinary Medicine Association-Council on Education is expected to occur in the latter part of this year.

The university is proceeding with advocacy, fundraising, and planning for infrastructural developments, Kairo said, and an interim founding dean has been named. Dr. Kimberly Braxton, an assistant professor and veterinarian at UMES, will hold the post until a successful search for a permanent dean next year.

A UMES alumna (2007), Braxton has served as the pre-veterinary faculty advisor for the past five years, having started her career at UMES in 2018. She is also the IACUC attending veterinarian and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in lab animal science at Drexel University.

The monumental accomplishment of bringing a school of veterinary medicine to UMES is lauded not only by current and prospective students but by stakeholders.

Braxton said it has been a “collective unified front” advocating for the opportunity to help fill an ever-increasing demand for veterinarians on the Eastern Shore and throughout the state, particularly those of color. The state’s only veterinary program to date is the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, stemming from a land-grant partnership between the two universities.

“If the covid crisis has taught us anything, it is that the current number of veterinary schools cannot keep up with the increase in demand for veterinarians to handle the national shortage,” Braxton said. “The pandemic has also taught us that we have to be open to different styles of teaching this next generation of professionals. This new HBCU vet school aims to help move the needle in the right direction.”

Representation and inclusion, she said, are fundamental tools needed to resolve the shortage.

“Today’s students, particularly underserved, become passionate about a career because they see someone that look likes them in that profession being successful,” Braxton said. “Our mission is to mediate accomplishment of their dreams and ultimate success. If they choose to remain in the state to practice veterinary medicine, all the better.”

“UMES having a vet school would make me feel more confident about my future graduate school and career goals,” said Kaila Tyree-Castro, a second-year UMES pre-vet student from Prince George’s County. “It would provide a comfortable environment not having to move far from home and being able to stay connected to the HBCU community.”

Gail Stephens does agricultural communications at the UMES School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.

States Urged by Biden Administration to Rectify Underfunding of Land-Grant HBCUs

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:32:21 GMT

Ariana Figueroa covers the nation’s capital for States Newsroom (Maryland Matters). Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.

Maryland Matters Editor Danielle E. Gaines contributed to this report.

Maryland General Assembly Opens with Talk of Budget Fixes, Juvenile Justice Problems

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:40:22 GMT

As Gov. Wes Moore and lawmakers head into the 2024 General Assembly session with a looming budget deficit, they want to avoid tax hikes and dramatic cuts and focus on their priorities.

Moore and his fellow Democrats made clear they would rather work on improving the juvenile justice system, fighting climate change, funding transportation, and making housing more affordable – all possible, they say, if lawmakers collaborate.

“The thing that we have seen now in the state is that Maryland is doing big things again,” Moore told reporters shortly before the legislature convened. “And the reason Maryland is doing big things again is because we are actually doing them together.”

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-46) and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-10) appeared at the same panel discussion and praised their relationship with Moore. They talked about working together to address budgetary concerns regarding new avenues of revenue, taxes, and the expensive education reform passed in 2021 known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

The way to reach a solution on crime in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, Jones said, is for the three of them to “close the door and [say] this is what makes sense.”

Ferguson also emphasized the need for collaboration. Communication will be “crucial,” Ferguson said, adding, “I am confident that we are going to work through the budget. I have no doubt at all.”

There are likely to be many tough decisions ahead this session. The state budget is facing what state officials agree is a structural deficit, with the Department of Legislative Services estimating the deficit might be $1.78 billion in fiscal 2028.

But while cuts may occur, the governor and General Assembly leaders said they are not likely to make substantial changes to the education Blueprint. This is despite concern from county governments trying to fund the law’s requirements.

“We have to have a world-class education system in our state, full stop,” Moore said. “That is my point of no compromise. If we do not have an education system that is preparing our students for the 21st century and to be leaders in the 21st century, we repeatedly find ourselves putting money into trying to fix brokenness.”

The Democratic leaders avoided specifics about how to pay for state programs. Moore said government officials need to ensure they will be “good stewards of taxpayer dollars and getting the economy going.” The state can be fiscally disciplined, he said, while making investments that yield long-term gains.

Moore argued that the gas tax is a bad system for funding the transportation needs of a state that includes the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., metro areas. With more fuel-efficient vehicles, more electric vehicles, and fewer miles driven, the gas tax is not as productive a revenue source.

“I’m new to politics but I’m not new to balance sheets,” Moore said. “We need to come up with a system that is sustainable and that works and that actually is responsive to people of the state.”

The leaders also talked about climate change and affordable housing as important as well as juvenile justice reforms and illegal firearms.

Guns and crime issues are also top priorities for Republican lawmakers, who sounded a collaborative note during the first day on the floor.

“To all my colleagues, again, we look forward to working with you all in the spirit of cooperation while still maintaining our Republican values and holding the chamber accountable and form a transparent government that we all want to see happen,” Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey (R-36) told colleagues.

Hershey has been critical of Democratic policies in recent weeks. While unveiling Republicans’ legislative priorities in November, he referred to Maryland’s policies as “soft on crime.” GOP lawmakers have called for toughening penalties and reversing recent juvenile justice reforms passed by the legislature.

Outside the State House, advocates offered viewpoints on what the legislature should do in the coming weeks.

Environmentalists called for investing $9 billion to prepare for and recover from escalating natural disasters.

“Climate change impacts in Maryland are going through the roof,” said Mike Tidwell, the founder and director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network, adding, “we saw flooding today in Annapolis and it’s expensive and we have to pay for it and taxpayers shouldn’t pay for it. The polluters should pay for it.”

Opinion: Our System for Elections Still Needs Reforms

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:38:24 GMT

In Common Sense last January, I called for extensive reforms of the United States’ electoral system but, not surprisingly, none have appeared.

With another presidential election year upon us, I am again pounding my reform drum in the hope that the federal government will change our election laws.

Topping my list is that when one election cycle ends, campaigning for the next begins immediately. How can we stop this?

Have a national primary . Establish a single one day when all state primaries are held. With this, Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire would no longer influence voters in other states. Set the first Tuesday in June for the national primary.

Limit campaigns to the two months before Election Day in November . In Great Britain, the limit is five weeks, for example. Levick, a public relations firm in Washington, D.C., suggests the following: “Instead of a slow drip of opposition research to fill a 24/7 news cycle, a shorter election season forces a discussion of policy and emphasizes a candidate’s governing capabilities. Other countries have done so, and they have shown us that a debate on the policies needed to address the major issues the United States faces can be done in mere weeks. Everything else is just noise. Instead, our long election cycle turns this most important democratic process into a reality TV show, replete with drama, emotion, and characters the viewing public will tune in for. With 59% of Americans fatigued by this election, a shorter cycle will result in a happier electorate that is motivated to vote and engaged in important policy discussions.”

Publicly finance all campaigns to remove the corruption of wealth . Use a formula to decide the amount allotted to each candidate, including small parties with a national presence. Funding could be based on the number of party members or the number of votes received in the previous electoral cycle, with a non-partisan national electoral commission to determine which. Giving all candidates free airtime on national TV would drastically reduce the cost of campaigns.

Other reforms would require constitutional amendments:

Extend congressional terms from two to four years so that they coincide with presidential elections.

Abolish the Electoral College . Have the president selected solely by the popular vote. Without the Electoral College, neither George W. Bush or Donald Trump would have been president.

All the proposals above were in my 2023 article. In view of the current state of politics in this country, I’m adding the following:

Any candidate who has been indicted by a federal court should not be allowed to appear on a ballot, even if they have not yet been tried on that indictment .

No candidate who has stirred up an insurrection should be permitted to run for office .

Any candidate for any office or occupant of any office who refuses to accept the results of an election should be removed from office and prohibited from running for any future office .

A mechanism other than just the next election should be created to remove from Congress any member who consistently lies and who demonstrates a lack of knowledge of and/or support for the Constitution . The House of Representatives expelled George Santos — clearly an extreme case — but what about others who continue to serve?

Given the current mood of the country and its tendency to embrace undemocratic, extremist ideas, this may not be the best time to contemplate changes to the Constitution. Nevertheless, unless change does happen and happen soon, I fear for the future of democracy in the United States.

Gender Identity: Who Do You Think You Are?

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:37:54 GMT

Last fall there was a protest at Washington College against a professor from another university who was scheduled to give a public lecture. He was well-known for his personal negative opinions on LGBTQ+ sexual orientations and gender identities. One of the protesters stated, “My rights are not an opinion! You know how many death threats I get from being trans?”

What is “trans” and all those other new words? They seem opaque and even nonsensical, but let’s look at them. We will also need to consider the concept of gender. It hasn’t always been in our vocabulary — not until it became evident that sex and gender were not the same thing.

Do you remember when you went through puberty? Was it easy going or did you have to struggle with labels such as “sporty girl” that implied you were not pretty? Did your gym teacher call you a “sissy” when you weren’t anxious to be tackled? Did you rebel against having to dress in a style that you detested and against not being allowed to put on what you wanted to wear? Did it rankle that teachers or parents wouldn’t let you consider a career because girls were destined to be housewives and mothers but not scientists? Or were you shamed for liking to cook because men only grilled food outside, not in the kitchen?

These are examples of ways in which our culture has tried to mold adolescents into the kinds of people that males and females should be, based on the ideas associated with their anatomical genitalia that were visible at birth. If those sexual characteristics seem to clash with our stereotypes of what men and women are, young people are scolded, punished, and shamed.

We thought that relationship was unchangeable.

We have changed some of those ideas, but even today we tend to apply the same criteria. The sonogram that shows a penis says, “It’s a boy!” And blue, not pink, becomes the required color for his clothes. However, in his teenage years, he may be longing to wear pink gowns and feel that he is more a girl than a guy. This is a quandary: Does his sex assigned at birth not fit how he feels who he really is?

Gender identity doesn’t always align with the sex that was assigned at birth. Why? One’s hormones may not harmonize. The invisible chromosomes may have variations. And the experiences of living through childhood and puberty may create inner conflicts. In other words, biological sex does not determine gender identity. Many individuals find themselves in between the ideals of simply male or female. These people are “intersex.”

Instead of thinking about male and female as opposites that come together to produce children, we discover that there is a wide range of characteristics that influence how people think about themselves. There always have been intersex persons, who are about 1-2% of the human population, about as common (or uncommon) as red hair. Basically, we need to recognize that gender identity can be quite complicated.

Based on the way a person understands who he/she really is, it is helpful to introduce the concept of “transgender” — that means the uncoupling of the sex assigned at birth based on the visible genitalia from the whole conglomeration of experiences, hormones, chromosomal variations, and the shape of the reproductive organs. Instead of a simple binary framework, we need to consider using TNG that stands for the “transgender, non-binary, and/or gender expansive” or TGD that stands for “transgender and gender diverse.”

The terms individuals use to classify themselves are not cut and dried either. In fact, they vary widely. The best advice is to ask someone how they identify themselves. Some trans people feel that they are just plain men or women like the others, even though they have anatomical features that would indicate otherwise. How do they talk about themselves? Some just say “man” or “woman” and some say “trans woman” or “trans man.” Others may feel basically “non-binary,” neither completely male or female, and some persons define themselves as “non-binary transmasculine” or “non-binary transfeminine.”

Our language is expanding to include a more comprehensive understanding of sex and gender.

Other societies have found other ways to classify people. Some refer to non-binary persons as being “third gender.” Six different categories of gender are found in the Bible. In the United States, “two-spirit” people may be used to indicate them. Some societies prudently wait until a young person has passed through puberty until they assign them a gender category.

The factors that contribute to the formation of a mature gender identity are internal (chromosomes) and external (lived experiences). For transgendered persons it may take longer to come to a feeling of being comfortable with themselves, but when they do, researchers find that “brain sexual differentiation and the development of gender identity have a polygenic basis, involving interactions among multiple genes and polymorphism.”

In sum, it’s the brain that needs to find a way to harmonize how a person self-identifies. It’s not the external genitalia at birth that is the answer. Often the brain needs more years to create that comfortable gender identity in persons who are non-binary and trans. There are many factors involved, many genes, chromosomes, anatomical features, hormones, and the whole history of lived experiences.

For the well-being of all, we are challenged first to be non-judgmental of individuals who are LGBTQ+. There are many more terms that people use, and the exact meanings of many terms change frequently, so we must be open to informing ourselves, accepting that our culture is in a kind of culture shock. We are still learning. Our goal should be understanding, not condemnation. It’s not a willful choice to upset one’s parents. It’s an internal dilemma that creates incredible discomfort in our society and makes a trans person the target for shunning, abuse, and murder.

This is just the briefest of introductions to the topic. A short but comprehensive introduction to gender is Gender is Really Strange by psychiatrist Teddy G. Goetz, MD, MS (2024). Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place (2019) is a transgender memoir by Jackson Bird , who also has podcasts.

In Praise of Libraries

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:36:50 GMT

There was no public library in Kent County when I was growing up in Chestertown. But I was lucky — my mother belonged to the Women’s Literary Society, which early in the 20th century founded its own library at the corner of Queen and High streets, half a block from our home. At a young age, it was there that I discovered the huge world that existed beyond my hometown.

Richard Halliburton’s The Royal Road to Romance portrayed exotic places and cultures and awoke a nascent sense of wonder in me. The Earth for Sam and The Stars for Sam by William Maxwell Reed introduced me to the vistas of time and space revealed by paleontology and astronomy. And of course, my imagination was sparked by dozens of story books. Much of who I am was born in the back room — the “children’s section” — of that little library.

Chestertown’s public library arrived in the early 1970s. The Literary Society kept its library open until 2002, after which it held a book sale, donated its extensive Maryland history collection to Washington College, and moved its meetings to the public library annex. (I bought a 20-volume set of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverly novels and several other choice items at the book sale.)

Then there was Washington College’s library, where I had an enviable summer job during my high school years, shelving books and discovering many literary treasures. And of course, I took ample advantage of my school libraries, particularly their science fiction.

I grew up in a book-rich environment even before Kent County had its own library, but those libraries were only open to subscribers, students, or others by special permission. I believe that a good public library, open to everyone, is one of the richest resources a community can have. And today’s libraries open an even wider world than the one I found in my youth.

It’s not just books, magazines, and newspapers anymore. Movies, videos, music, online courses, and internet access are available to anyone with a library card. Best of all, it’s available at no charge! One of the best uses of our tax money — supplemented by charitable contributions — is to pay for public libraries.

With 25 public library branches across the Eastern Shore — at least two in each county — there’s a library near everyone. And that’s not counting college libraries, often available to the public.

To find your library branch, go to the Maryland State Library Agency website and search by zip code or county. The link will take you to county library’s home page, where you can find branch addresses and operating hours, programs and classes, a link to the digital library, and more.

If you haven’t been to your library recently, you’re likely to be surprised at the resources available. There are books galore, of course, fiction, non-fiction, large print, references, e-books, audiobooks, and picture books, including bestsellers. If a title you want isn’t available in your branch, you can ask for it on interlibrary loan, or borrow an e-book from elsewhere in the system.

You don’t have to trek to your local library to enjoy its riches. Most are available online, day and night. An astonishing number of books, movies, music, and educational courses are available from your computer. You can borrow an e-book at 3am or stream a movie to your tablet on a Sunday afternoon. And you can’t lose an e-book or forget to return it on time; these digital loans return themselves automatically. Go to your library’s home page for links to all these resources.

Friends of the Library or equivalent groups in every community raise funds for acquisitions, repairs, and improvements, often through book sales. Why not join them in 2024? You can be a part of these fabulous book sales by donating, volunteering, or buying books.

If you don’t already have one, get a library card. Not only does it allow you to access the printed book collection, it opens the door to a range of e-books and online resources.

Hoopla, for example, has a nice selection of movies you can stream to your home computer or TV. Overdrive, via its Libby software, lets you borrow up to 10 e-books or audiobooks at a time, and a wide selection of digital magazines. Newsbank gives you access to newspapers, including such local journals as The Bay Times, The Capital, Dorchester Star, Kent County News, Record Observer, Star Democrat, and The Times Record .

If you’re interested in genealogy, the library offers access to Ancestry.com and other resources to help you research your family history. There are online tutorials for using these online resources, or a librarian can show you how.

Getting a library card also supports the library by adding to its number of users — a number the library’s administrators will almost certainly cite when seeking public financial support. While you’re at it, take your kids or grandkids along and get them cards. Encourage them to use the card and to take part in library programs for younger people. It’s one of the best things you can do for them — and for yourself and the whole community.

Links to county library systems:

Eastern Shore Regional Library – https://esrl.org/

Caroline – https://www.carolib.org/

Cecil – https://www.cecilcountylibrary.org/

Dorchester – https://www.dorchesterlibrary.org/

Kent – http://www.kentcountylibrary.org/

Queen Anne’s – https://www.qaclibrary.org/

Somerset – http://www.somelibrary.org/

Talbot – http://www.tcfl.org/

Wicomico – https://www.wicomicolibrary.org/

Worcester – https://worcesterlibrary.org/

Video with Subtitles: “I Have a Dream Speech”

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:36:13 GMT

“I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, Dr. King called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech was a defining moment of the civil rights movement and among the most iconic speeches in American history.

The speech will remain under copyright in the U.S. until 70 years after Dr. King's death, through 2038.

The speech was posted on YouTube by Rare Facts. The poster apologizes for the audio-video sync problem.

Homelessness on the Eastern Shore

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 11:55:23 GMT

Despite large reductions in inflation and unemployment the past two years and the generally improved economy in the United States, a significant number of Americans of all ages don’t have a home.

Being homeless is hard anytime, and downright dangerous in winter. A park bench or an alley isn’t easy for sleeping even in good weather, and when the thermometer dips below freezing, it’s life-threatening.

Here’s an overview of homelessness on the Eastern Shore and what is being done to make life bearable for those in its grip.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Maryland had an average of 5,349 homeless people a night in 2022, a rate of 8.7 per 10,000 population. While county-by-county data is not available state-wide, the Alliance provides data for 11 “continuum of care” regions, two of which make up most of the Shore. The Mid-Shore region, MD-511, includes Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot, and Dorchester counties. The three Lower Shore counties, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester, are MD-513.

As of 2022, there were 116 homeless people on any given night in the Mid-Shore region, at a rate of 6.68 per 10,000, and 237 in the Lower Shore counties, 13.04 per 10,000 — the second highest rate in the state.

Cecil County belongs to a “Balance of State” continuum of care region, which includes several counties in southern and western Maryland. That region has a homeless rate of 10.58 per 10,000, which is third highest of the 11 districts in the state. The highest concentration of homeless was recorded in Baltimore City, at 27.7 per 10,000.

The good news is that between 2007 and 2022, the number of homeless in the state decreased by 44%. Also, the availability of homeless shelters has increased sufficiently that anyone seeking a bed should, in theory, be able to find one. However, too many people are still without shelter during the coldest months.

The non-profit Samaritan Group works to house Kent County’s homeless population. On its website, the group reports it can serve 15 people in local churches during the winter months. In addition to overnight lodging, the group provides dinners, hot breakfasts, and a bag lunch. Guests are referred by the county’s Department of Social Services and the Chestertown Police Department and must remain drug- and alcohol-free.

According to its website, in 2018 and 2020 the Samaritan Group served an average of 26 individuals per night over the course of the winter — most for multiple nights. It’s not clear if that figure includes people from outside Chestertown, and it’s not known how many others were turned down because of alcohol or drugs (let alone how many never applied).

In Easton, Talbot Interfaith Shelters operates two shelters, one for single men and women, the other for couples and families. According to the group’s annual report, in 2023 the shelters served 110 homeless people including 42 children. The group also offers transitional housing, in which the guests pay a portion of the rent while receiving support and life skill training to allow them to find jobs, hopefully moving to permanent housing on their own.

Church-supported shelters are available in other Shore counties. In Queen Anne’s County, Haven Ministries operates a shelter from October through April, as well as a food pantry and a mobile food pantry truck. In Wicomico County, Christian Shelter in Salisbury provides services. His Hope Ministries operates shelters in Dorchester and Caroline counties. Worcester County’s shelter needs are provided by Diakonia, a non-profit based in Ocean City. Somerset County Health Department also maintains a list of shelters on the Lower Shore.

Much of the work to run the shelters is provided by volunteers, who stay overnight, prepare meals, or do cleaning and general maintenance. Also consider donating your dollars, as shelter finances are dependent on community and individual contributions. For more information on shelters, to learn about volunteer opportunities, or to make a contribution, contact a local shelter or visit the National Alliance to End Homelessness website .

Contact information for Eastern Shore homeless facilities:

Dorchester and Caroline Counties

His Hope Ministries

https://hishopeministries.org

443-448-7297

Kent County

Samaritan Group of Kent County

https://www.samaritangroupofkentcounty.org/

410-810-7600

Queen Anne’s County

Haven Ministries

https://haven-ministries.org/

410-739-7859 or 410-758-3977, ext. 2062

Talbot County

Talbot Interfaith Shelters

https://talbotinterfaithshelter.org/

410-690-3120

Somerset County

Somerset County Health Department

https://somersethealth.org/homelessness/shelters-and-housing/

Wicomico County

Christian Shelter, Salisbury

https://www.christianshelter.org

410-749-5673

Worcester County

Diakonia West, Ocean City

https://diakoniaoc.org/

410-213-0923

For more information on homeless services on the Eastern Shore, Lower Shore residents (in Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset) can call 443-253-1815. Residents of other Shore counties can call 1-888-407-8018.

Harris Surveys: Intentionally Misleading? Incompetently Designed? Not sure?

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 11:54:56 GMT

Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD-1) — my congressman — wants to know what I think.

He wants to know so badly that he’s invited me to respond to two opinion surveys. Which my tax dollars help pay for.

Via text message last month, Harris asked me to weigh in on the “issues that matter most” to me. Linked to the text was an online survey with 12 questions (what I’ll call the long form). (Unfortunately, this survey doesn't look active any more.) I wasn’t asked which issues matter most to me. Instead, Harris’s office seems to assume I agree with the MAGA Republican agenda, and the survey questions reflect that bias.

Via mail last week, I was invited to tell him what I think by answering a shorter questionnaire with seven questions (the short form). On this survey, I was asked to choose which issue concerns me most from a list of right-wing GOP talking points. I could answer by return mail or online.

Contrary to what you might expect, the short form is not a condensed version of the long form. Only one question is shared by the two surveys. Two other questions are similar, but the answer choices differ.

I contacted one of Harris’s field offices to ask about this not-quite-duplicative effort of dueling surveys. The staff person who answered the phone did not have much information to share with me about survey design or participant selection but said that he would record that I called asking that the results be shared with Harris’s constituents.

The long form was not presented to all Harris’s constituents (I did my own casual survey to determine this); the short form was mailed to a much larger audience — even to people who have moved away.

The questions reveal no nuanced understanding of complex issues, and the answer choices are simplistic sound bites.

Here are a few examples:

Long Form Question : Americans continue to face record high inflation. Do you believe we need to control government spending, particularly wasteful spending, to bring down inflation?

Yes

Not sure

The problem with this question is that record high inflation is not continuing. The inflation rate for the last six months was 2%. The inflation rate for 2022 was 6.2%, so the inflation rate has come down dramatically. Predicted average rates for 2024-27 are in the 1.8% range. Republicans such as Harris have a political interest, however, in perpetuating the myth that Americans still face out-of-control inflation.

Economists agree that cutting government spending is one element of fiscal policy for controlling inflation, but only one; another major element is increasing taxes, which this question doesn’t touch. Harris fails to acknowledge that inflation is a complex issue and that things are better than he’ll acknowledge.

Harris’s phrase, “wasteful spending,” is a dog whistle that includes spending on social programs — such as food assistance, welfare and unemployment payments, assistance for childcare — used by people who consume what is considered (by some) to be more than their fair share of government resources.

This question really reads: You are paying more for goods and it’s not your fault. Should the government reduce spending on social programs that you don’t use so that inflation can be curbed?

There is no short form version of this question.

Long Form Question : Should Congress limit late term abortions or leave it up to states to decide?

Limit late term abortions

Leave it to states to decide

Not sure

There are several problems with this question. First, what is a “late term abortion”? This is not a medical term, but a political construct. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , this term has “no clinical or medical significance.”

A full-term pregnancy is 39-40 weeks and ”late term” refers to 41-42 weeks. Because abortions do not occur during these two weeks, there is no such thing as a late-term abortion, although this imprecise language makes it seem as if many abortions are performed in the third trimester.

Later abortions typically take place at the end of the second trimester, but only about 1.3% of abortions take place at 21 weeks or beyond (second trimester is weeks 13-28). As a medical doctor, Harris should take more care with his language, as some people tend to trust his word and think he knows what he’s talking about.

The other problem with this question is the choices given. Not wanting to choose either of the first two options does not mean one is not sure.

There is no short form version of this question.

Long Form Question : Should Maryland do more to crack down on crime?

Yes

Not sure

Crime is another issue often exaggerated by Republicans, especially during a Democratic administration. The crime rate in Maryland in fact decreased in 2023, due in large part to a 21% reduction in homicides in Baltimore City. This question does not acknowledge the recent decrease in crime, nor does it assume that there are effective programs in place to reduce crime.

But “Yes” is an easy answer to this question, no matter your political persuasion. “Cracking down” on crime can include the implementation of data-based community programs and community policing initiatives — hardly right-wing solutions. But it can also mean easing gun safety laws so that more people can arm themselves, expanding qualified immunity of local police so that officers are not “hampered” in their policing efforts, and mandating harsher punishments for persons convicted.

The short form does have a version of this question.

Short Form Question : With rising crime, should we support the police and enforce criminal sentences or weaken law enforcement?

Fund Police & Enforce Penalties

Weaken

Unsure

Perhaps this is the second, revised version of the crime question, the first version having been determined to be too wishy-washy and not liable to produce the desired result. This version reduces the issue to a simplistic and restrictive choice. And, as pointed out above, crime is not rising.

I could critique more questions, but you can see for yourself. I’ve copied all the questions to the end of this article.

I am looking forward to seeing the results of these opinion surveys.

Here’s a final note about the “right direction/wrong track” question. Over the last 50 years, since the question was first asked in 1971, there have only been three times when Americans have answered that the country was going in the right direction. These were in 1984-86, under Reagan; in 1998-2000, under Clinton; and in 2001, right after 9/11 when Bush was in office.

At all other times, “ polls have consistently found that a solid majority of Americans have not been happy with the direction of our nation.” As Philip Bump wrote in the Washington Post, “The first thing to know is that Americans are almost always more likely to say the country is headed in the wrong direction than on the right track.”

Interestingly, a Gallup poll in 2022 found that people were five times more satisfied with their own life than with the direction of the country.

Let’s keep that in mind when Harris reports his results.

The survey questions are below. How many problematic questions can you find?

~~~~~

The Short Form Survey

~~~~~

The Long Form Survey

Text received Wednesday, 12/13/23:

Hi, this is Congressman Andy Harris. As 2023 comes to a close, I wanted to get your input on the issues that matter most to you. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey here .

Good evening, this is a constituent survey paid for by official funds authorized by the House of Representatives. It is critical that we hear from you about your concerns and your thoughts on key issues. Please take a few moments to answer these quick questions so we can better serve you in Congress.

Do you believe our country is headed in the right direction, or is it going off on the wrong track?

Right direction

Wrong track

Not sure

How, if at all, have you and your family been impacted by inflation?

Extremely impacted

Somewhat impacted

Not impacted at all

Not sure

What is your opinion of Joe Biden’s policies?

Favorable

Unfavorable

No opinion/not sure

What is your opinion of Governor Wes Moore’s policies?

Favorable

Unfavorable

No opinion/not sure

Should Maryland do more to crack down on crime?

Yes

Not sure

Should Congress limit late term abortions or leave it up to states to decide?

Limit late term abortions

Leave it to states to decide

Not sure

Should we secure the Southern Border?

Yes

Not sure

Americans continue to face record high inflation. Do you believe we need to control government spending, particularly wasteful spending, to bring down inflation?

Yes

Not sure

One of the first acts of the new Congress was to eliminate the administration’s plan to hire 87,000 new IRS Agents according to the Ways and Means majority staff. Do you support stopping the expansion of the IRS?

Yes

Not sure

Do you support limiting government spending on food stamp programs to nutritious foods only?

Yes

Not sure

Do you think Maryland should expand school choice options for students in failing public schools?

Yes

Not sure

Do you believe taxpayer dollars be used to fund transgender surgery in our military?

Yes

Not sure

How much have you seen, read, or heard recently about Congressman Harris?

A lot

Just some

Nothing at all

Are you female or male?

Female

Male

Which age range do you fall under?

18-29

30-39

40-49

50-64

65+

We thank you for your time spent taking this survey. Your response has been recorded.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Too Much Light has Far-Reaching Effects on Environment and Human Health

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 11:53:44 GMT

Seeing stars is harder every year. This should not surprise residents of Washington and Baltimore, where it is often difficult to see much more than the moon.

Although it may not garner the same popular attention as other forms of environmental degradation, light pollution has far-reaching negative effects on Earth’s ecosystems and human health.

Astronomers at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab (the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory) estimate that light pollution levels increase by 10% every year. Children born today in a city where 250 stars can be seen at night will only be able to see 100 by the time they turn 18.

Connie Walker, a scientist at NOIRLab, told Capital News Service that increasing light pollution represents a lost cultural heritage.

“Just think about [Gustav] Holst in creating the musical composition, ‘The Planets’, or [Vincent] Van Gogh, who did ‘The Starry Night.’ I mean, this is not just astronomy, it's art. It's if we basically cut ourselves off from access to the night sky, we're really damaging the opportunities for future generations and the inspiration that provides,” Walker said. “And so it's like cutting off an appendage or something, we're losing part of ourselves. So it's really a kind of imperative for us to take action and try to protect the night sky.”

What some may not realize when viewing paintings like “The Starry Night” or “The Night Cafe” is that during Van Gogh’s time, the Milky Way really could be seen from the city streets at night. This is how it was for most of human history; change came with the explosion of electricity in the 20th century.

However, light pollution is a serious threat beyond cultural heritage. It disrupts our sleep cycles and circadian rhythms, which can put individuals at greater risk of developing several cancers, according to researchers at Harvard University.

Sleep deprivation also interferes with people’s work and social lives and puts individuals at increased risk for heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression.

Millions of Americans miss out on much-needed sleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that at least one in three Americans does not get enough sleep.

For animals, the consequences of light pollution can be even more dire.

Many animals use the moon and stars to guide their way in the night. Sea turtle hatchlings use moonlight to find their way to the ocean, but in light-polluted areas, the newborns become disoriented and may actually crawl inland. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates that light pollution results in thousands of sea turtle deaths every year.

Many communities from Florida to the Carolinas have ordinances requiring people living on the coast to turn off lights during sea turtle nesting season.

Light pollution is also a likely culprit in what some scientists have called the “insect apocalypse.”

In recent years, global insect populations have plummeted, with as many as 40% of species around the globe experiencing declines. For example, species that rely on bioluminescence, like fireflies, are unable to find mates because of competing lights.

Other species that rely on the moon and stars for guidance, like moths, can spend the entire night in disoriented wandering. Some species mistake light bouncing off pavement for the surface of a body of water and mistakenly lay their eggs in the street.

One of the challenges to assessing light pollution’s growth is that it doesn’t show up well in satellite data.

It is difficult to do longitudinal studies because of the dramatic changes in satellite imaging quality over the years. Even modern sensors are largely unable to pick up the blue light that is the most biologically disruptive component of light pollution.

This is why NOIRLab created the Globe at Night Program, which collects light data from ordinary people around the world. Participants rate their ability to see stars in the sky from wherever they find themselves.

Over 277,000 measurements have been submitted since the program began collecting data in 2006. The submissions have been compiled into interactive maps and datasets available to the public that give a better snapshot of light pollution than standard satellite imagery.

Reducing light pollution is far from a Herculean task, according to Jim Dougherty, an environmental attorney and president of the International Dark-Sky Association’s D.C. Chapter. One easy fix is making sure that lights are properly covered so that the light is aimed down and not shooting off towards the night sky.

“Here in D.C., the light fixture that we love to hate is the globe, which sends maybe 70% of its light straight up into the sky and serves no purpose whatsoever,” Dougherty told CNS. “That’s what we do in our homes, right? We don’t have bare light bulbs over the dining room table, we have lamps shades and covers.”

Alongside better covered lights, the IDA advocates for dimmer and warmer lights overall. While some cities such as Pittsburgh have moved towards dimmer lights, Baltimore has been growing brighter with an increased number of electronic billboards.

In Washington last month, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History launched an exhibit titled “Lights Out: Recovering Our Night Sky.” The temporary exhibit features over 100 photographs, 250 objects, and interactive experiences underscoring the importance of nighttime darkness.

For many, brighter streets are associated with safety and crime prevention.

“That’s a common reaction. And there’s very little truth to it,” Dougherty said. In fact, studies have shown that brighter streets have little effect on crime. One study in Chicago found that increasing the brightness of alleyways corresponded with a significant increase in crime.

What Really Started the American Civil War?

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 11:53:08 GMT

The U.S. citizenship test — which immigrants must pass before becoming citizens of the United States — has this question: “Name one problem that led to the Civil War.” It lists three possible correct answers: “slavery,” “economic reasons” and “states’ rights.”

Wind Power! From Windmills to Wind Turbines

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 11:51:00 GMT

Because it’s clean and renewable, wind is one of our best energy sources.

“Windmill” describes any bladed structure that generates power from wind, but there’s a big difference between windmills and turbines.

Windmills harness wind for mechanical tasks, such as pumping water, operating a saw, or grinding grain. A windmill uses mechanical action, not electricity, to perform a specific job at a specific location. But a wind turbine generates electricity that’s sent elsewhere.

Windmills were in use as early as the 9th century in Persia. By the 1600s, windmills dotted the landscape across the Middle East and Europe, most famously in Holland. From there, through trade and colonization, windmills spread around the world.

In the United States and Australia, windmills were crucial to the development of agriculture. They were vital through the 1800s and into the 1930s, when windmills were replaced by electric motors and appliances.

Unlike windmills, wind turbines produce electricity through camshafts that rotate at high speed. As the blades turn, a wire is moved across a magnetic field to produce electric current. Turbines are larger than windmills, with higher towers and longer blades. Giant turbines in wind farms have up to 300-foot blades, with even longer blades (as long as 700 ft.) on the newest ones.

Wind turbines are generally three-bladed, usually white, and sit atop a single pole. Dozens or even hundreds of wind turbines form wind farms.

The first power plant using wind turbines opened in 1895 in Denmark, with more than 2,500 wind turbines installed over the next five years.

By 1900, however, wind proponents had lost out to gas and coal companies and during the 20th century, almost all power plants were fueled by polluting, non-renewable fuels.

The situation is improving, though.

For example, approximately 50% of Maryland’s power now comes from clean (non-carbon-producing) sources, and the state has ambitious goals. (See our recent Common Sense article on solar power.) Wind-generated electricity accounts for only 1.3% of all Maryland power but planned projects will increase this percentage.

The U.S. Wind Turbine Database assembles data on 73,352 turbines in 43 states, plus Guam and Puerto Rico. The most recent turbines became operational just this year, while the oldest were installed before 1990. Collectively, these turbines have a capacity of almost 145,000 megawatts of electricity.

Most wind farms are on land, but over the past few decades, the industry has moved to offshore installations. Winds are stronger at sea and can generate more electricity more efficiently. Offshore turbines are larger and stronger to survive storms, thus more expensive.

Last year was a tough year for the wind farm industry, and it is not clear how things will shake out. Ørsted, a Danish company with contracts for the majority of the offshore wind farms in the U.S., has recently canceled two projects off the New Jersey coast.

Several other Ørsted contracts are being reconsidered. Costs and delays rose significantly during 2023, due to supply chain issues, inflation, interest rates, and political unrest.

There are four wind farms along the Atlantic coast off Rhode Island, Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts.

Maryland has four offshore wind power projects under contract. None are under construction yet, and Ørsted has moved completion dates to 2026 or later. 146 turbines are expected to generate 12,000 full-time-equivalent jobs and 2,022.5 megawatts of power, and to supply power for nearly 600,000 homes on the Eastern Shore and elsewhere in Maryland.

These wind farms would also generate jobs in related areas. In August 2022, through the American Rescue Plan, Maryland was awarded a $23 million grant to establish a training center to create an offshore wind turbine workforce. Called Maryland Works for Wind, the grant will provide funds for training, fabrication, and employment. The project will be guided by Ørsted.

Turbines will be built initially in Baltimore. Operational, maintenance, and construction jobs will be created in Federalsburg, West Ocean City, and Salisbury.

The Eastern Shore will host a training program for apprentices and interns to learn how to maintain turbines.

While most welcome the prospect of cleaner, renewable wind power and new jobs, there are local officials, business owners, and residents in and near Ocean City who worry about damaging their tourism industry. Although the turbines would be 12 to 25 miles out to sea, on clear days the tops of the turbines would be visible and might be considered unaesthetic.

Ocean City officials point out that even small turbines are taller than a cruise ship, while medium-size turbines are taller than the Statue of Liberty. The tallest (over 800 ft.) would be higher than the Washington monument. In response, the developer agreed to move the turbines further offshore. They also agreed to reduce the number of turbines.

After a century-long downturn in its use, wind power may be coming back to Maryland and the U.S. Maryland has ambitious plans, but they depend on the outcome of the turbulent issues now affecting the wind turbine industry.

Sources and more information:

“Amid offshore wind industry struggles in the US, how will Ocean City projects fare?” Christine Condon, Nov. 17, 2023, Baltimore Sun

https://www.baltimoresun.com/2023/11/17/amid-offshore-wind-industry-struggles-in-the-us-how-will-ocean-city-projects-fare/

“List of offshore wind farms in the United States,” Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_offshore_wind_farms_in_the_United_States

“New York Turns On Its First Offshore Wind Farm,” Patrick McGeehan, Dec. 6, 2023, New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/nyregion/ny-wind-farm-long-island.html

“OC supports green & unseen wind farms,” Town of Ocean City, Md.

https://oceancitymd.gov/oc/oc-supports-green-unseen-wind-farms/

“Offshore wind in the U.S. hit headwinds in 2023. Here's what you need to know,” Miriam Wasser, Dec. 27, 2023, NPR

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/27/1221639019/offshore-wind-in-the-u-s-hit-headwinds-in-2023-heres-what-you-need-to-know

Off-Shore Wind Projects in Maryland

https://offshorewindmaryland.org/offshore-wind-projects-in-md/

“Vineyard Wind, country’s first large-scale offshore wind project, is producing clean electricity,” Miriam Wasser, Jan. 3, 2024, WBUR.org

https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/01/03/vineyard-offshore-wind-massachusetts-first-power-clean-energy

Wind Energy in Maryland, WindExchange, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

https://windexchange.energy.gov/states/md

“Wind Industry Jobs on the Way to Maryland’s Eastern Shore,” Aug. 5, 2022, WBOC.com

https://www.wboc.com/news/wind-industry-jobs-on-the-way-to-maryland-s-eastern-shore/article_8acf30b4-14c2-11ed-96e3-ffec03b3d8fa.html

Windmills for Sale in Montana, Big Sky Windmills

https://bigskywindmills.com/

Windmills for Sale, Rockridge Windmills, California

https://www.rockridgewindmills.com/windmills-for-sale/

“Wind turbines 11.9 miles off the coast of Ocean City,” Jack Fietchner, July 17, 2023, WMDT.com

https://www.wmdt.com/2023/07/wind-turbines-11-9-miles-off-the-coast-of-ocean-city/

Tax Inequities in Shore Counties

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 13:17:24 GMT

Residents of towns in three Eastern Shore counties may not realize they’re paying for services they don’t receive. More precisely, they pay taxes to their counties for services they already pay for with their town taxes.

This shouldn’t happen. Legislation by the Maryland General Assembly in 1986 required nine counties to provide some sort of tax set-off for towns that provide their own services, such as police protection and highway maintenance , so that the counties don’t need to provide these services within town limits. This set-off can be a reduced county tax rate — a “tax differential” — for residents of those towns, or a payment to the towns to defray the cost of those services.

However, the other counties, mostly rural, including all counties on the Eastern Shore — the “may" counties as opposed to the “shall” counties, which are required to provide a set-off — were merely encouraged (not required) to compensate their municipalities for the services they provide.

The majority of “may” counties have accepted the responsibility to help their constituent towns cover the cost of police protection and the like, but if you live in a town in the counties of Kent, Worcester, or Wicomico, you’re out of luck. The county commissioners in these three counties have so far refused to provide any offset for the difference in services.

As Chestertown’s Mayor David Foster put it in a November interview with Common Sense , “If you go back in a 10-year history, those are the three counties that are at the bottom of the barrel,” referring to their commissioners’ refusal to provide any tax set-off for their constituent towns.

The amount at stake can be significant. For example, in Chestertown, the 2024 town budget laid out over $2 million for its police department and road repairs while the Kent County budget laid out roughly $8 million for law enforcement and highway maintenance. Chestertown residents pay county property taxes at the same rate as the rest of the county, but do not receive a proportionate share of the county’s law enforcement or highway repair expenditures.

To add to the confusion, Kent’s commissioners allocated a “grant in aid” of just over $100,000 annually to Chestertown until 2014, but in the wake of the 2008 recession, the county’s tax revenues sharply declined and the commissioners decided they could not spare the money from their budget. Chestertown’s mayor and council members protested, but to no avail. One Kent County commissioner at the time reportedly said in a candidates’ forum that he wondered if the town even needed a police force.

Foster says the three counties’ failure to provide compensation of some sort raises the issues of equity, economic development, and trust in elected officials. The equity issue is clear enough. Town residents pay county taxes for essential services that they do not receive from the county. Instead, the services are provided by the town and are paid for by town property taxes.

The trust issue is easy to understand as well, especially when surveys show that trust in government is already at an all-time low, Foster says. Given that county commissioners have promised several times over nearly 10 years to work with the towns to resolve the issue — then backed away from that promise — the lack of trust is likely to increase.

Economic development is an important issue on the Shore. Foster points out that Kent County’s population declined by 5% between 2010 and 2020, with the loss mostly in the under-40 age group, who leave in search of good jobs. To retain young wage earners — potential entrepreneurs, homeowners, and taxpayers — Shore municipalities need to attract businesses that can provide good jobs. Foster says it’s especially hard for “a high-tax town in a high-tax state” to compete with nearby “tax-free Delaware.”

In an August 2023 letter to the Maryland Municipal League, Foster expanded on the economic development issue. He wrote, “Not only does the current Maryland policy create a severe equity problem, but when municipalities are doubly taxed without compensation, this runs directly counter to the Maryland Smart Growth Policy of Priority Funding Areas , which seeks to direct future economic growth toward municipalities and other areas that have the infrastructure to support it. Furthermore, as median household income is frequently lower within the municipalities than in the surrounding areas and property tax ultimately burdens the home renter as well as the homeowner, the current policy is highly regressive. In fact, this often results in low-income residents being required to subsidize their higher-income counterparts living outside the municipal boundaries.”

In support of that assertion, Foster points to data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, showing that median household income in 2017-21 in Chestertown was $44,665, compared to $64,451 in Kent County and $83,877 in the non-municipal areas of the county. Foster believes that removing the current inequitable taxes on Kent County’s municipal residents will ultimately improve Kent County’s economy and allow an increase in services without requiring higher taxes.

Foster has been in touch with the Maryland Comptroller’s office, focusing on the economic development implications of the tax differential questions.

Along with his two immediate predecessors, Foster has tried to persuade Kent County to join the town in sponsoring an independent study of the tax structure, although the current commissioners have so far balked. However, the National Center for Smart Growth, at the University of Maryland, is organizing a study of the fiscal relationships between several municipalities in Kent, Wicomico, and Caroline counties. “It should be objective and reliable data,” Foster says, and available early next year.

Foster has been working with the MML to promote the issue in the General Assembly, the only body with the power to require all counties to provide relief to town residents paying taxes for services they don’t receive.

Unfortunately, the Maryland Association of Counties opposes this, making it unlikely that the state legislators will take sides. However, Foster hopes that Gov. Wes Moore will recognize the statewide economic benefits of such a change and be persuaded to take a stand, possibly making it easier to get momentum for a tax relief measure in the legislature.

It’s time for residents of affected towns to tell their county officials that they don’t want to pay for services that they don’t receive. As Foster points out, failure to correct this inequity retards economic development and will hurt all residents of the counties that fail to provide some kind of tax relief for their municipalities. It’s something everyone should think about the next time their county officials are on the ballot — and make it clear their vote depends on how those officials plan to address the problem.

For additional information, see Property Tax Set-offs , Md. Department of Legislative Services, 2022.

The Future of Solar on the Eastern Shore

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 13:12:31 GMT

Maryland goals for clean and renewable energy are ambitious.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) has announced a goal to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035.

The state’s goal for 100% renewable energy is 2040, as outlined in the latest Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS).

Are those the same? Not necessarily .

Also known as carbon-free or net zero emissions, clean energy generates no carbon emissions. Its sources can be renewable or non-renewable.

Renewable energy is a naturally replenishing resource that produces zero emissions.

In 2021, nuclear power accounted for almost 37% of the state’s energy.

In 2021, only about 13% of Maryland’s energy came from renewable sources.

So, in 2021 clean energy accounted for 50% of the state’s energy.

We’re a lot closer to meeting our clean energy goal than our renewable energy goal. How does solar power factor in?

Source: Maryland Manual Online

The U.S. Solar Photovoltaic Database is an online resource that maps the locations and array boundaries of solar facilities with a capacity of one megawatt (mw) or more that became operational before 2022.

We can use this resource to see how the Eastern Shore solar installations contribute to Maryland’s renewable energy goal.

According to the database, there are 68 solar installations currently operational in the state, with a combined capacity of 431mw.

(This analysis also includes the Bluegrass Solar installation in Queen Anne’s County, which came online in 2022, after the USSPD was compiled; this inclusion adds 101mw to the Eastern Shore energy output. Bluegrass is the largest operating solar facility in the state.)

Twenty-five of the state’s solar farms are on the Shore, with a total capacity of 269mw. This is 62% of the state’s capacity. The Eastern Shore accounts for one-third of the state’s land.

Where are the solar farms on the Eastern Shore and elsewhere in Maryland?

The less-developed and less-populated Eastern Shore has more “room” (agricultural fields, forested land) for solar farms, so these counties will be shouldering the brunt of utility-scale solar development in the future.

In the past six years, of the 19 solar projects submitted to or approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission, 10 are on the Eastern Shore. Additionally, there are at least five older projects that are not yet operational.

Source: Maryland Public Service Commission

Of the 15 projects yet to be built:

When all are operational, the solar capacity on the Shore will more than triple, to 903mw.
Projects are becoming larger: eight are 45mw or more, whereas only two existing projects are that large.
Cherrywood Solar in Caroline, 202mw, 1085 acres, (online in 2026) is the largest proposed solar generating facility in Maryland to date.
Waypost Solar, also in Caroline, 92mw, 495 acres.
The Porter Mill solar farm in Wicomico County, 46mw, will provide nearly three times the energy output of all the county’s other utility-scale solar installations combined.

Even those who favor solar and renewable energy have had problems with the approval process. There have been conflicts between officials at the local level and those at the Public Service Commission about certain issues, particularly the siting of solar facilities. Members of the community have been outspoken about the preservation of rural character. Farmers, landowners, and developers have a vested interest in how the approval process plays out as well. But improvement may be coming.

In a Nov. 21 phone interview with Herald Mail Media , Fred Hoover, the new chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission, said, “There have been a lot of disagreements between the local governing authorities and the solar developer industry, and to a certain degree with some of the farm communities. My goal is to get everybody in the room, exchanging ideas, and hopefully coming up with consensus proposals.

“The [approval] process does not allow a local government to use their zoning authority to prevent the location of the energy facility,” he added. “Some of the rural counties have had concerns about the exact location of where the solar projects are going.”

The commission is conducting a one-day public conference on the topic on Dec. 15, in Baltimore. The goal of the meeting, according to Hoover, is “to get all the relevant folks in the room, get them to talk to each other, and see if there is some room for consensus.”

Changes could also come administratively, through informal agreement, or via legislation in the 2024 session.

New solar installations will continue to be built. The process of approving projects needs to be as painless as possible for all involved.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Opinion: What I would Like for the Holiday Season

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:53:43 GMT

The gifts I’d like for Christmas this year will not fit in Santa’s bag nor even in his sleigh, but perhaps some of our readers are also hoping for at least some of the items on my list.

I am wishing for members of Congress who are willing to put the interests of the country ahead of those of their party, especially establishing policies that will reduce and eventually eliminate poverty and hunger in the United States.
I would like to see Congress finally act so that the U.S. is no longer the only developed country without a national health system that fully covers every citizen, with the result that that many are often forced to choose between food or medication and some are driven into bankruptcy by medical costs.
I would also like to see Congress establish a fair and reasonable immigration policy so that Americans stop blaming our problems on immigrants and finally recognize that immigrants are contributing to the economy of the United States and often doing work that citizens are not willing to do.
l also wish for a Speaker of the House of Representatives who is not so far to the right of the political spectrum that some would consider him un-American and a borderline fascist.
I would like to see the voters throw the extreme MAGA Republicans out of Congress in 2024. It is too bad that the vote is the only means we have at our disposal to rid ourselves of such un-American politicians. They only represent a minority of our voters but have gained more power than they otherwise would have by means of gerrymandered state election districts.
I would like to see rational Republicans (and I still believe there are some) admit that Joe Biden is an excellent president and just the one our country needs at this juncture in our history.
I would like NOT to see the face of Donald Trump on my TV screen ever again, unless it is to report that he has finally been sentenced to a long prison term.
I wish that Republicans would recognize that Russia’s attack on its democratic neighbor, Ukraine, is a threat to democracy everywhere, and that the United States must continue to aid President Zelensky at all costs.
I hope that Russia’s parliament will soon recognize Putin for the petty dictator he is and get rid of him and his imperialist agenda that is weakening, their country.
I would like to see Ukraine accepted as a member of NATO.

Of course, I am a realist and recognize that few, if any, of my wishes will come true this holiday season. I would like to believe, however, that if enough of us get behind this wish list, we can bring about significant changes by the holidays in 2024.

At the end of every sermon, the rector of my church says, “May it be so.”

May it be so, indeed!

How Climate Change Will Harm Santa Claus’s Mission

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:29:41 GMT

Climate change has affected all of us in many unfortunate ways, but perhaps the most harm is done to our children. This December, having hung their stockings by the chimney with care, the good little girls and boys of the world will go to bed on Christmas Eve hoping for nice presents in the morning. Little do children know what havoc rising global temperatures have had on Santa and Ms. Claus’s important work.

To begin with, the melting of the North Pole icecap seriously threatens the workshop where Santa’s hardworking, exploited, non-union elves make Christmas toys, including pink Ken and Barbie dolls. Santa’s home at the North Pole is projected to sink into the Arctic Ocean before the end of the current century but has already begun to suffer serious effects of melting. And if the northern icecap melts and Santa, Inc., doesn’t leave in time, Christmas is canceled. Yes, canceled. It will end, not with a bang but a drip.

Whenever Santa’s magic sleigh flies, it must occasionally land. But the sleigh will likely find landings at unhappy locations because global warming has turned much formerly dry land into water, and Santa’s sleigh must be retrofitted with pontoons for water landings. Of course, a pontoon-rigged sleigh will not park easily on a roof. And parking on the ground will increase the average down-chimney delivery time.

Assuming Santa, Inc., escapes from the northern polar melt, they might want to transfer their business to the South Pole.

When Santa’s team finally reaches the Antarctic, they may face difficulties choosing where to land there, as well. Of course, they must avoid the National Science Foundation researchers who drink all the time to stay sane.

Their most difficult problem may be those funny waddling birds wearing tuxedos. Because of this costume and the accompanying elitist arrogance, the stuffy penguins will — at best — turn their backs on the newly-arrived Northerners, and — at worst — become pests begging for food and interrupting the work at hand.

However long Ms. and Mr. Claus, their eight reindeer, and assorted elves may live, drunk or sober, in Antarctica, the Santa Team may need a break from drinking booze and making carcinogenic pink plastic toys. Recent worldwide temperature increases have caused more forest fires. So our public-spirited environmental social justice warriors may consider employment as fire fighters. All hands will need special training. If the reindeer and elves have had their college loans forgiven, they will then be eligible for new, high-interest, loans for fire-fighting training.

As time goes on, the catalog of climate-change-created problems for Santa Claus will no doubt unfortunately increase. May you all have a wonderful Christmas anyway. Keep the tiny dogs out of your holiday turkeys.

Jim Block taught English at Northfield Mount Hermon, a boarding school in Western Mass. He coached cross-country, and advised the newspaper and the debate society there. He taught at Marlborough College in England and Robert College in Istanbul. He and his wife retired to Chestertown, Md. in 2014.

Municipal Election Results on the Shore

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:24:25 GMT

Tuesday, November 7, was Election Day across the United States. Democrat Andy Beshear was re-elected as governor in Kentucky, Virginia Democrats gained control of both houses of the state legislature, and Ohio voters voted to ensure a woman’s right to abortion by a constitutional amendment.

There were also municipal elections on the Eastern Shore.

Salisbury

Salisbury elected its mayor and five council seats. Running for mayor were Megan Outten, Jermichael Mitchell, and Randy Taylor. In election night results, Taylor led by 56 votes, with 1,032. Outten was in second place, with 976 votes, while Mitchell received 810 votes. After a count of mail-in ballots on November 9, Taylor extended his lead to 1,120 votes; Outten remained in second place with 1,055, and Mitchell had 861.

Results are not official until the remaining mail-in and provisional ballots are tallied on November 17. According to City Clerk Kim Nichols, there are 40 provisional ballots, and at least 25 mail-in ballots outstanding. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by November 7.

Council winners were as follows:

April Jackson, District 1
D’Shawn Doughty, District 2
Sharon Dashiell, District 3
Michele Gregory, District 4
Angela Blake, District 5

All are incumbents except for Dashiell, who takes the seat vacated by Outten.

Cambridge

In Cambridge, nine at-large town council seats were to be filled from a field of 24 candidates. Cambridge is unusual among Shore municipalities in that it uses a ranked-choice ballot, also known as an “Australian” ballot, in which voters rank the candidates in order of preference; those with the least votes are eliminated after each round of counting and the second-place votes of eliminated candidates are distributed among the remaining candidates. This procedure is repeated until there are clear winners. With 24 candidates, this may take several rounds. This method of choosing candidates is considered a superior method of picking the winner from a large field. To view a sample ballot, click here .

Based on the Election Day ballot count, the following candidates currently lead: Sumbul Siddiqui, Burhan Azeem, Marc C. McGovern, Patricia M. Nolan, Paul F. Toner, Jivan G. Sobrinho-Wheeler, E. Denise Simmons, Ayesha M. Wilson, and Joan F. Pickett. If results do not change, all six incumbents on the ballot will be returned to office. Assuming no changes after the final ballots are received, the remaining three seats will be filled by first-term council members Sobrinho-Wheeler, Wilson, and Pickett.

Mail-in and provisional ballots are yet to be counted and could alter the results. After the remaining ballots are counted on November 17, results will be official.

Uncontested elections in Chestertown and Denton

In Chestertown, council members Tom Herz (Ward 2) and Meghan Eflin (Ward 4) were reelected to second terms without opposition.

Denton’s election was canceled because incumbent Mayor Abigail McNinch was unopposed.

Remembering African Americans in the Civil War

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:17:08 GMT

Veterans Day, November 11, honors the men and women who served in our nation’s military. This issue of Common Sense reports on contributions by African Americans to the U.S. military in the Civil War, especially the United States Colored Troops (USCT). Not surprisingly, there were numerous members of the USCT from the Eastern Shore.

More than 200,000 African American men served in the Union armed forces after President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation in late 1863. One of the provisions of the proclamation was to accept Black men into the Union Army and Navy.

Recruitment efforts were aimed at enslaved men who — given the promise of freedom after the war — chose the risks of the battlefield. According to Black Soldiers in the Civil War, by Rick Beard, published by the National Park Service, the former masters of slaves who enlisted were paid $300 by the government, below the usual market price.

While at first many Black soldiers were assigned non-combat roles, such as constructing fortifications or serving as cooks or laborers, it wasn’t long before they were bearing arms and fighting in important battles. Beard writes, “Units of the USCT fought in 449 engagements, 39 of which were major battles.”

Notable was the July 1864 Battle of the Crater near Petersburg, Va., where a number of Kent County soldiers fought. Many Black soldiers died in that battle because of disastrous misjudgment by Union commanders. As at the earlier battle at Fort Pillow in Tennessee, Black soldiers were massacred by the Confederates after their capture. Other Black captives found themselves enslaved with new Southern owners. In all, over 40,000 Black Union soldiers were killed in battle or died of disease.

The records of most of the Black soldiers and sailors of the Civil War are on file in the National Archives. There are also numerous local institutions dedicated to preserving their memory. On the Eastern Shore, there is Chestertown’s Sumner Hall — originally the Grand Army of the Republic Post No. 25, a lodge for Black Civil War veterans from Kent County. Restored over a 13-year period and reopened in 2014, Sumner Hall is one of two remaining GAR posts established for USCT veterans. According to its website, Maryland fielded seven regiments of the United States Colored Troops, and more than 500 African Americans from Kent County volunteered or were conscripted into the Union forces.

To put that number in perspective, the U.S. Census for 1860 — the last before the start of the Civil War — reports Kent County’s population at 13,267, including 3,118 Black males, about 1,200 of whom were enslaved. While about 1,000 of them were under 15 years old, many of those younger men were old enough to fight by the end of the war. Overall, it appears as if 20% of the Black men from Kent who were old enough to fight for the Union did so. Significant numbers of Blacks served from all the Eastern Shore counties — probably several thousand.

Recently, the story of Isaac Copper — a USCT soldier from Talbot County who was mentioned by Frederick Douglass in his autobiography — has been in the news. He figures prominently in a book by two of his descendants. Kin: Rooted in Hope, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by her son Jeffrey. They traced their family history to Unionville, a town in Talbot County founded during Reconstruction by 18 USCT veterans, including Copper. A 2017 article in Smithsonian Magazin e said it is believed to be the only town in the U.S. founded by formerly enslaved soldiers. Before joining the USCT, Copper was enslaved at Wye House, the same plantation as Douglass. You can hear the Weatherfords, interviewed by Tom Hall, talk about their book on WYPR’s Midday .

Of course, the role of Harriet Tubman — who escaped slavery in Dorchester County to become a leading abolitionist and Underground Railroad “conductor” — is well known. Not as well known is that during the war, Tubman not only served in the army as a nurse, but as a spy, a scout, and the leader of a dramatic raid to free slaves in South Carolina. She was the first woman in American history known to lead troops into battle.

Frederick Douglass, also an Eastern Shore native, was a recruiting agent for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first regiment of Black soldiers raised in the north.

The Confederate army also had Black men who accompanied their owners, not as combat soldiers but as personal servants, cooks, and in other support roles such as laborer.

While there were no significant actions fought on the Eastern Shore during the Civil War, the United States Colored Troops from the region played roles in many of the battles elsewhere. It’s good to know that institutions like Sumner Hall and writers like the Weatherfords are preserving and promoting this important part of our history.

On Veterans Day, we salute all our veterans.

Sources and more information:

U.S. National Archives

https://www.archives.gov/research/military/civil-war

Rick Beard, Black Soldiers in the Civil War , National Park Service

Natalie Hopkinson, “After the Civil War, African American Veterans Created a Home of Their Own: Unionville,” Smithsonian Magazine , Sept. 2017

Jacqueline Simmons Hedburg, Plantations, Slavery & Freedom on Maryland’s Eastern Shore , The History Press

Shayne Davidson, Civil War Soldiers; Discovering the Men of the 25th United States Colored Troops , self-published

Black and Hispanic Faculty Underrepresented in Maryland Public Universities

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:08:24 GMT

Black and Hispanic communities are underrepresented among university faculty at Maryland’s six largest public universities, according to the 2021 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). This analysis does not include Maryland’s online universities or Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

IPEDS is an annual data collection system run through the U.S. Department of Education.

These findings align with trends across the country, data shows . Maryland is the fourth most diverse state, according to the U.S. Census’ diversity index , and the most diverse state on the East Coast , according to the U.S. News and World Report.

The U.S. Census projects that 32% of Maryland’s population is Black and 12% is Hispanic . At Maryland’s six largest in-person public universities, not including HBCUs — University of Maryland, Baltimore County; University of Maryland, College Park; Towson University; Frostburg State University; Salisbury University; and St. Mary’s College of Maryland — less than 6% of the total faculty is Black and less than 5% is Hispanic, as of 2021.

According to Laura Perna, Vice Provost for Faculty at University of Pennsylvania and a researcher on college access, faculty underrepresentation is a widespread issue, though the specifics differ by university.

Across Maryland, faculty demographics vary widely. At Towson University, 7% of faculty were Black in fall 2021 and 3% were Hispanic. At Frostburg State University, those numbers were about halved, with 4% Black faculty and almost 1% Hispanic faculty.

Prior to 2022, Maryland’s education code allowed individual public universities to implement their own plans for “cultural diversity.” In 2022, a new code was instituted, requiring public universities to ensure that faculty, staff, and administration demographics reflect the state’s diverse population.

Between 2016 and 2021, the percentages of Black and Hispanic faculty at the universities included in the analysis both increased by just under a percentage point.

“It really is amazing how little progress there has been in some ways on this,” said Perna.

But not unexpected, according to Perna. Because positions open when current faculty members retire, seeing an increase in representation might take time.

According to Dr. Kimberly Griffin, Dean of University of Maryland’s College of Education, many people assume that faculty will diversify alongside the student body. This “trickle up” system is unrealistic, she says.

The problem is multifaceted, says Griffin. Academia is tasked with generating a pool, hiring inclusively, yielding candidates, onboarding hires, retaining them, and ultimately, promoting them. “We have to do more in all of those spaces,” says Griffin, whose research has, for years, focused on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in postsecondary education.

According to Perna, one roadblock is “invisible labor”; faculty of color often take on work that requires time and energy but does not fit academia’s standard promotion metrics.

“We should be looking at to what extent our definition of merit is very narrow,” said Perna.

Underrepresented minorities often spend more time serving on committees and mentoring students of color, labor that often goes unrecognized, says Perna. Come time for promotions, publications and course evaluations are weighted more heavily.

Research may also go unappreciated. According to Griffin, members of minority groups often pursue research in applied topics, like solutions to community issues.

“Bias that we have around what good work looks like, and what’s meaningful can shape how the tenure and promotion cases of women and men of color are perceived,” Griffin says.

As the student body has diversified, the gap between representation among students and faculty has widened, straining faculty of color.

As of fall 2021, Black students made up 17% and Hispanic students made up 8% of the student body at the universities included in the CNS analysis. That was an increase of 10% and 19% since 2016, respectively. Faculty demographics remained stable.

In 2021, the resulting ratio of Black students to Black faculty members was 60:1. The ratio of White students to White faculty members was 15:1.

According to Griffin, while it’s crucial for students of color to have role models and mentors of color, there isn’t enough faculty of color to shoulder that responsibility alone. “That’s a load everyone should share,” she said.

A lack of diversity also impacts faculty of color pursuing tenure. At Maryland’s six largest in-person public universities, not including HBCUs, in 2021, 71% of tenured professors were White, 5% Black, and 4% were Hispanic, according to IPEDS.

Across all six universities in 2021, there were 104 tenured Black professors, an increase of 3 professors from 2016, according to IPEDS. There were 10 more Black faculty members and 16 more Hispanic faculty members in tenure track positions than in 2016.

A lack of diversity among tenured faculty can make it harder for some faculty of color to find mentors as they pursue tenure, though many members of academia, like Griffin, are trying to combat this by developing intentional mentoring policy.

“Mentorship that helps you build a sense of connection and community in your unit and in your college is also really important for helping folks get to tenure,” said Griffin.

Tenure and tenure track positions provide more job security than other faculty roles . In Maryland in 2021, 38% of Hispanic faculty and 30% of Black faculty were not tenured or on tenure track compared to 27% of White faculty.

Katharina Maisel, a bioengineering professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, co-authored a list of best practices for increasing diversity alongside several other faculty members in the STEM field.

According to Maisel, diversifying the faculty, especially tenure and tenure track, takes intention at every stage of the process, from inviting people to apply, inviting people for internships, and checking your shortlist to make sure you’re not just inviting people from Ivy League schools.

But it’s possible.

In science, technology, engineering, and math, says Maisel, a tendency to be overspecific in job listings can discourage faculty from underrepresented backgrounds. Being broader can cut through imposter syndrome and help develop a wider applicant pool.

Using rubrics to evaluate a candidate for hiring or promotion can help ensure an objective set of criteria, helping reel in internal biases, Maisel said.

“If you as a department are really actively interested in increasing the diversity of your faculty, there are things you can do,” Maisel said.

“Dr. No” is also “Dr. Below Expectations”

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 11:43:16 GMT

Maryland’s First Congressional District does not have high standards for its elected congressman.

Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD1), fringe-right MAGA disciple, election denier, and Freedom Caucus member, has been in the House of Representatives since 2011. He is well known across the Eastern Shore for having sponsored and passed only a single bill in all that time — HR 4913 — to re-name a post office in Salisbury. That was in 2018. Because of his haste to obstruct any positive legislative agenda advanced by Democrats, Harris is nicknamed “Dr. No.”

So how does Harris compare with his fellow House members in terms of advancing his legislative agenda in Washington?

The Center for Effective Lawmaking — a joint initiative of Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia — looks at this question of legislative accomplishment. The center’s research uses a data-driven approach to study the success with which each member of Congress advances bills through the legislative process and into law.

The center’s legislative effectiveness scores are based on a combination of 15 metrics regarding the bills that each Congress member sponsors, how far those bills move through the lawmaking process, and how substantial their policy proposals are.

Sponsored bills are categorized as substantive and significant, substantive, or commemorative. The commemorative category would include renaming a post office.

The scale for legislative effectiveness (LE) starts at 0. The average House member has a score of 1.000.

A legislator is also compared against members of the same political party with the same level of seniority and committee chair status; within these groups benchmark scores are calculated. A legislator is then categorized as above expectations, meets expectations, or below expectations, based on the comparison to the appropriate benchmark score.

The latest data are from the last session, the 117th House (2021-22).

In that session, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) had the highest score of all Republicans — 6.137 — making him the highest scorer out of 222 Republicans. He sponsored 49 substantive bills, 16 of which became law.

On the Democratic side, Gerald Connolly (D-VA), had the highest score out of 232 Democrats, at 7.142. He sponsored 48 substantive bills (four became law) and three substantive and significant bills, one of which became law.

In Maryland, the highest scorer of our seven Democratic congressmen was David Trone (D-MD6) with a score of 2.576, making him 27th out of 232 Democratic congressmen. He sponsored 39 substantive bills, four of which became law.

And then there’s Andrew P. Harris (R-Md-01), our state’s lone Republican congressman. His score for the 117th House is 0.009, ranking him 216 out of 222 Republican congressmen. Harris’s lone sponsored substantive bill went nowhere; after its introduction, it was never taken up in committee.

Harris’s bill was HR 6060, the Conscience Protection Act of 2021. This bill would have given religious exemption to health care workers who don’t want to assist with abortions.

In terms of legislative effectiveness, Harris scored below expectations .

Nationally, there are eleven congressmen who scored 0.000 or 0.009 — 10 are Republicans. Fun fact: one of them is Jim Jordan (R-OH).

The question is: Given Harris’s paltry, almost non-existent legislative record, why do his constituents keep reelecting him?

Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Is Clean Water Achievable in Sussex County, Delaware?

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 11:42:24 GMT

Delaware is a small state big in agriculture, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Broiler production annually accounts for over 75% percent of Delaware’s agricultural production and Sussex County is the largest broiler producing county in the United States.

Chicken production may be good for the state’s economy, but it’s bad for water quality. Sussex County’s major industrial chicken producer — Mountaire Farms — is a particularly egregious polluter.

Mountaire Farms

Mountaire Farms is an agricultural food production and processing company that employs more than 10,000 workers and has revenues of more than $2 billion annually. It’s the fourth largest chicken company in the U.S., according to its website. It has a large presence in Delaware and plays a major role in Sussex County’s economy as the main employer in Millsboro, where per capita income is $10,000 below the national average.

The company pledges “to be good stewards of all of the assets that God has entrusted to us” and holds “that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are inseparable.”

From its scholarship programs to its support to many organizations, including Little League, Boys and Girls Club, and the local fire company, Mountaire is known for its generosity and community involvement. Mountaire feeds thousands of folks at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, and participates in Earth Day coastal community cleanups.

But despite these many community contributions, the company is embroiled in a major legal battle over its longstanding failure to protect the groundwater from extremely dangerous levels of pollution.

As in neighboring states, Delaware has a system in place for tracking water quality. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control monitors the bays, ponds, streams, and rivers to assess the quality of Delaware’s surface waters, and collects data on chemical, physical, and biological characteristics, including nitrogen and phosphorus.

The U.S. Geological Survey and other federal agencies, academic institutions, and citizen volunteer monitoring programs contribute to these efforts, and the University of Delaware collects data on water quality conditions in the Broadkill River and inland bays watersheds.

Despite these controls, contaminated drinking water has long been an environmental justice issue for rural communities of color in Sussex County that are near poultry processing plants that release toxic wastewater that ends up in local wells and waterways.

Thanks to some Millsboro residents, this problem has garnered plenty of media attention, after they sued Mountaire Farms.

An Environmental Disaster

In late 2017, many Millsboro residents found large pallets of water bottles on their porches, along with a note from their “Friends at Mountaire” cautioning them not to drink the water their wells produced from the northern Columbia aquifer. There were no other explanations until the media broke the story.

Hundreds of gallons of effluent containing 41 times the permitted levels of nitrates and 5,500 times the permitted level for fecal coliform had been released onto hundreds of acres of farm fields. Additionally, Mountaire also failed to report crucial data about its activities to the state, even after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered the company to stop polluting more than a decade earlier.

Two residents on Jersey Road live about a mile from the Mountaire Farms plant. Called Anne and Nancy for this article (they fear retribution because their claims are not yet settled), they immediately joined the class action suit, which ultimately expanded to thousands of members.

According to the lawsuit, Mountaire “sprayed billions of gallons of highly contaminated wastewater and liquefied sludge onto fields, which then percolated into the groundwater for nearly two decades.”

A 2021 Washington Post article by journalist Darryl Fears, who focuses on environmental justice issues, stated that wastewater was contaminated with nitrogen, phosphorus, and other chemicals.

As he wrote:

Daily, the company drenched spraying fields around the plant with two million gallons of largely untreated wastewater. It maintained nine-million-gallon lagoons that leaked into Swan Creek, which flows into the Indian River. Nitrogen also trickled into the groundwater. The nitrate level reached more than 25 parts per million, far exceeding safety limits and raising the risk of severe health problems, including cancers of the bladder and stomach as well as brain tumors. Other ailments include birth defects, pre-term births, and ‘blue baby syndrome,’ a condition that is fatal to newborns.

What’s more, the plaintiffs’ lawyers maintained that nitrate toxicity caused high rates of cancer, gastrointestinal disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, diarrhea, wheezing, shortness of breath, other ailments, and deaths. Likewise, the polluted air was ripe with hydrogen sulfite that smelled like rotten eggs.

The $205 Million Settlement

In April 2021, Delaware Superior Court Judge Craig Karsnitz approved a $65 million settlement for more than 3,000 people neighboring the poultry plant who rely on the Columbia aquifer for water.

Mountaire also entered into a federal consent decree requiring it to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility; remediate groundwater contamination; and provide safe drinking water to affected residents through either a central water system, deeper wells, or individual, whole-home filtration systems. As ordered, it would cost the company $120 million, along with another $20 million for maintaining the improved operations.

At the time, Mountaire stated that they did not believe they caused any damage to any of the plaintiffs, but chose to settle in order to achieve a final resolution, as well as to allow construction of the new wastewater treatment plant that would allow continued operations. Permits were issued in January 2021.

Residents’ Dilemmas

A court-appointed official was assigned to determine how the $65 million settlement will be split among the class action plaintiffs. To receive a portion, class members such as Nancy and Anne are required to submit a claim that includes the severity of injuries and damages incurred.

“In the beginning, since I have health problems, lawyers came to my house regularly. I wasn’t informed when I must make some decisions about settling. Now, I have many more questions about how to settle and I can’t get return phone calls,” Nancy said. “Can I get a deeper well and/or a whole house filtration system, or both, to guarantee safe water? Or is it too late?”

Nancy and her husband built their house in 2004 upon moving from the Philadelphia area. After being diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2011, he died in 2012. Seven years later, Nancy learned she had congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease.

“I was told by my lawyer that even if our health problems could be attributed to bad water quality, it would be difficult to amass the large amount of medical documentation needed to prove causation,” she recalled. “Additionally, my husband served in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange. I don’t have faith in the outcome. They are waiting for me to die.”

Recently, Nancy left a message with her attorney to request a deeper well and the whole house filtration system as her settlement to guarantee safe water but has not yet received an answer.

In Anne’s case, her parents bought their house in 1984 and lived there until their deaths in 2011 and 2015. “My father had atrial fibrillation, cancer, circulation problems, and problems with his intestines resulting in a colostomy. My mother had an irregular heartbeat and became immobile and then bedridden before she died.”

Anne and her husband retired and moved from New Jersey into her parents’ home in 2015. Anne suffers from constant itching after bathing, skin breakouts on her upper torso, and yeast infections. After the move, her husband was diagnosed with heart problems and had a pacemaker installed.

“When I spoke with my lawyer about having public water, he commented it was ‘not possible, out the window,’” Anne said. So Anne chose the whole house filtration system and a deeper well as her best alternative. “I did accept a check for $2,500, so I don’t know if that was the final settlement.”

Possible Solutions?

Approximately 15% of Americans rely on private drinking water supplies, which are not subject to EPA standards. Elevated nitrate concentrations are most common in domestic wells that are less than 100 feet deep. Deeper wells are a solution.

A DNREC hydrologist told this writer, “Twenty-five percent of wells in Sussex County have nitrates over the EPA drinking water standards of 10 parts per million or 10 mg/L from runoff of agricultural farming based on groundwater studies.”

Indeed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shallow rural wells are those most likely to be contaminated with nitrates, especially in areas where nitrogen-based fertilizers are widely used. Moreover, contamination by animal or human organic wastes can raise the concentration of nitrates in water.

Some protection against nitrate pollution is afforded by deeper wells, which provide for a protective clay layer between the aquifer and the surface. The DNREC hydrologist stated, “The Columbia aquifer is about 110 feet in the Millsboro area. Residents who install a well at 65 feet deep would not have a protective clay layer.”

Ellendale, a community of about 550 people, solved the problems of contaminated wells by implementing a public central water system, after decades of pushing for one. The project got off the ground in 2018 after final passage of a third referendum, with the help of a partnership between Sussex County and Artesian Water Company, and funding from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services Bond Bill.

Delores Price, longtime resident, former mayor, and then-president of the Ellendale Civic Community Improvement Association, worked tirelessly to convince other residents to connect to the central water system. As she explained: “Our town, surrounded by forests, farms, and swampy areas not far from the Delaware Bay, is gradually succumbing to housing developments. These factors contributed to overreach for water supplies, the water table changed, and many of the wells were not deep enough and failed. I had to replace my well two times when it went dry. Runoffs from farms and farming irrigation systems contributed also.”

Loretta Benson, now president of ECCI, said, “The water smelled. We couldn’t use it. It took more than 20 years for the project to become a reality. Most residents connected to the present system at no cost. Water bills are usually $25 a quarter, so it is affordable — and now safe to drink and bathe.”

Michael J. Globetti, DNREC spokesperson, provided this update on Mountaire:

Mountaire has completed Phase 1 upgrades as required. All remaining upgrades are scheduled to be in place by the end of January 2024. Mountaire will be inspected biannually. DNREC staff will visit the site, meet with Mountaire staff, and observe wastewater treatment plant upgrade status.

Meanwhile, many Millsboro class action members are under pressure to make a settlement decision and the two Millsboro women cited in this article haven’t received answers from their lawyers to their many questions despite repeated phone calls. There is no quick resolution to this story.

How the West Was Won — With Guns and Gun Control

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 11:41:27 GMT

Americans today argue loudly and vehemently over gun rights versus gun regulations. And many gun-rights advocates believe that they are fighting against the erosion of gun rights that have existed since America began. They frequently point to the so-called Wild West era as proof of those rights and a model for how things should be.

Most of these proofs, however, are fictions and myths, not history. Dime novels, Wild West shows, and stories around the campfire have created and perpetuated images of exciting adventures in the Wild West. Movies and television have brought the action, characters, and lonely western landscapes to life for millions.

These are tales of rare and exaggerated events. Most often, the incidents never happened. For example, there were few duels when two men faced each other on a dusty, wind-swept street as frightened townsfolk raced for shelter and the shooters’ pals leaned out of windows and doors to watch. Yet the legends, movies, and magazines make it seem as if such were everyday scenarios.

Shoot outs, saloon brawls, cattle rustling, Indian wars, train robberies, and posses in pursuit of fugitives — yes, all those happened, but with far less frequency than Hollywood would have you believe. There was violence and crime in the Old West, but when and where gun laws were enforced, there was significantly less violence. Such laws were sometimes ignored or applied selectively, but that is also true today.

Many Old West towns had stricter gun (and knife) regulations than do modern ones. Policies for "open-carry” and permit-less concealed-carry by anyone are now legal in cities that prohibited such in the 1800s. And one of the main arguments for this absence of regulations is the false assertion that that’s the way it used to be.

Those pushing for fewer or no gun regulations believe the Constitution and American history support their views.

Let’s look at that claim.

The United States of America was created in 1789 when its Constitution was adopted. One of the new government’s first acts was to consider a dozen constitutional amendments, and 10 became the Bill of Rights in 1791.

The Second Amendment has become controversial in large part because of the misreading and mythologizing of history, of the Wild West. It states that:

A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

When the Constitution was written, “militia” meant informal or official groups of residents organized into military units to protect their communities. Local militia units took the place of a standing army and were similar in organization and function to today’s National Guard.

A major problem now is that hard-core proponents of “no-gun-laws-at-all” refuse to account for the phrase, “a well-regulated militia.”

Supreme Court decisions in the 1800s stated that the right of citizens to bear arms did not prevent state and local government from imposing reasonable rules on where, when, and how firearms could be used (i.e., “well-regulated”).

What were typical gun laws in the Old West?

Openly carrying guns and knives in most populated areas was generally illegal.

In Tombstone, Arizona, for example, in the 1880s, no one — not residents or visitors — was allowed to carry a weapon. Visitors were required to turn their guns in at the local police station or another designated location, such as a hotel. Upon leaving, their weapon was returned. Abilene, Deadwood, and Dodge City had similar laws.

In 1878, when Dodge City, Kansas, was incorporated, the first city law banned the carrying of guns in town.

Even before the Wild West era, many Eastern and Southern states enacted strict gun control laws. In 1812, Louisiana and Kentucky outlawed concealed weapons. Soon after that, carrying concealed weapons became a frequent cause for arrest, along with drunkenness and disorderly conduct.

Granted, there was much lawlessness and violence in new or transient frontier towns with many single men. However, despite dime-novel legends and glamorized Hollywood movies, many towns had stricter gun laws than today, and those that enforced strong gun-control had less violence and crime than those without.

While there were only a few Supreme Court cases concerning the Second Amendment in the 1800s, its decisions almost always supported the right of federal, state, and local governments to regulate firearms. This was true for most of the gun-related court decisions during the 1900s as well.

It is only in recent decades that the Supreme Court has tended to rule against gun-control legislation. Even now, there are gun restrictions which recent Supreme Court decisions have declared valid or declined to review — thus leaving those gun restrictions on the books.

Under the Second Amendment, is it constitutional for a citizen to “bear arms” without being a member of “a well-regulated miitia”? The answer has yet to be found for this practical, commonsense question, but needs to be, quickly.

Sources and More Information:

Pierre M. Atlas, “American gun culture is based on frontier mythology – but ignores how common gun restrictions were in the Old West,” June 29, 2022, The Conversation.

https://theconversation.com/american-gun-culture-is-based-on-frontier-mythology-but-ignores-how-common-gun-restrictions-were-in-the-old-west-184932

History.com editors, “All Amendments to the US Constitution,” July 17, 2023.

https://www.history.com/topics/united-states-constitution/amendments-us-constitution

Matt Jancer, “Gun Control Is as Old as the Old West,” February 5, 2018, Smithsonian Magazine.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gun-control-old-west-180968013/

Greg Price, “Second Amendment History: Biggest Supreme Court Cases to Affect Gun Control,” March 27, 2018, Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/scotus-second-amendment-cases-gun-control-861959

Marshall Trimble, “Did Most Old West Towns Have ‘No Carry. Gun Laws?” True West Magazine, Jan 5, 2018.

https://truewestmagazine.com/article/did-most-old-west-towns-have-no-carry-gun-laws/

Adam Winkler, Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America, W. W. Norton & Company, 2011.

LSPC Endorses Megan Outten for Mayor of Salisbury

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 11:40:44 GMT

Megan Outten’s tenure on the Salisbury City Council is marked by her commitment to responsible spending, transparency, and community engagement. She stopped major tax increases, passed a labor code, and worked to end the housing crisis. An independent voice, she’s proven that Salisbury families can count on her for real solutions. Her focus on affordability and safety is why voters will elect her Salisbury's next mayor in November.

~Jared Schablein, Chair, Lower Shore Progressive Conference

Today’s political landscape confirms what the people of Salisbury have known for a long time: Megan Outten is the independent voice they need representing them as the next mayor of Salisbury.

Outten quickly established herself as a leader and earned her place as a steadfast advocate for the community.

As a Salisbury City Council member, Outten has been a force of positive change. Fully engaged in the community, she has been present at almost every event, listening to her constituents and acting on their behalf. Her leadership has played an essential role in stopping major tax increases on hard-working city residents, easing financial burdens, and securing a fairer economy for everyone.

Her passion for standing up for working families extends further. As an affordable housing advocate, Outten has been an outspoken defender of the Here is Home Initiative, a program from fellow progressive leader Jacob Day's administration, as the city continues to see pushback from landlords on affordable housing alternatives. She helped pass a strong labor code, standing with working families and protecting city employees’ labor rights.

As a renewable energy professional and environmental advocate, Outten has consistently been at the forefront of fighting for sustainable practices and well-paying green energy jobs in our community. Her initiatives have advanced a greener future and have resonated deeply with the constituents of her district.

Outten’s priorities as mayor will be:

Bringing affordable housing options to our residents
Being proactive against crime
Engaging residents in local government
Supporting our vulnerable populations like our youth and senior citizens
Prioritizing projects that reflect the real needs of the community
Strengthening our local economy
Supporting workforce development opportunities

These are the principles by which she lives and works. As an independent voice on the council, she has advocated for fiscal responsibility, demanded improved communication from the city, and fostered transparency.

Outten’s track record stands as a testament to her commitment to the people she represents. Her solutions-oriented leadership is exactly what Salisbury needs from its next mayor. When it comes to putting hard-working families first, supporting responsible spending, enhancing transparency, and advocating for community support, Outten's tenure speaks for itself.

There's no doubt that Megan Outten will continue to serve the people of Salisbury with integrity and commitment as the next mayor. Her election will ensure that the voices of her constituents are heard, and their needs are addressed.

Jared Schablein is the Chair of the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus.

The Improbable Orioles

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:50:35 GMT

Against all expectations, the 2023 Orioles are seeded first in the American League postseason series, with the best record in the American League — 101 wins in the regular season. Only the Atlanta Braves in the National League won more.

Two years ago, the Orioles lost 110 games, the worst record in the major leagues. Since then, the team has made one of the most dramatic turnarounds in major league history. No other big-league team has gone from a 110-loss season to a 100-win record so fast. Racking up the best record in the league gives them more than just bragging rights. They get a week off to rest their players, especially pitchers, while teams with less stellar records slug it out in the league’s Wild Card series.

This turnaround has been guided by manager Brandon Hyde, whose team includes several talented young players. A lot of credit also goes to general manager Mike Elias, who scouted and signed — among others — catcher Adley Rutschman and infielder Gunnar Henderson, a likely Rookie of the Year winner this season. The 2023 Orioles include a core group of veterans from before the rebuild, and a few acquisitions from trades and free agency. Remarkably, it’s a team without a superstar (though some say Rutschman and Henderson have the makings) and gets contributions from everyone on the roster.

At the same time as it clinched the division, the team announced that it had agreed in principle — the exact terms still must be negotiated — to a new 30-year lease with the city of Baltimore to continue playing in Camden Yards, thus keeping the team in the city for another generation. Whatever happens in the next cycle of games — and anything can happen in a short series, as the saying goes — this is a historic season for the team.

Not everything was good news for the Orioles’ family. Just before the season’s 160th game, Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson died. A mainstay of the team’s glory years of the 1960s and 70s, Robinson is widely considered the finest fielding third baseman of all time. More than that, he was beloved as “Brooksie” and “Mr. Oriole” to the team’s fans. Cal Ripken, Jr., with his own Hall of Fame Orioles’ career after Robinson retired in 1977, referred to him as a role model for younger players. Ripken called Brooks “baseball’s gentleman, on and off the field.” Fans agreed.

The Baltimore Orioles have a long history. The original team in the National League practically defined the early game in the 1890s, with an aggressive playing style and several memorable characters. That team was broken up when the league was realigned, and its best players went to the team in Brooklyn, N.Y., that became the Dodgers.

When the American League was first organized, a new Orioles team was founded in 1900, but in 1903, the city lost that team to New York — where it eventually became the Yankees. A minor league Orioles team filled in the gap for most of the early 20th Century, until 1954, when a deal brought the lowly St. Louis Browns to the city — a move that included the team’s assumption of the Orioles’ name. It took a while for the team to put together a respectable record, but by the 1960s, they were regularly winning more than they lost. And in 1966, they won their first World Series by sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers four straight. Since then, they have won two more World Series and eight American League pennants. Now, after a disappointing gap, they’re back in the playoffs.

Baseball in Maryland may center on the Orioles, but there’s more to the Maryland story, as any fan knows. The game’s greatest player was a Baltimore boy, Yankees legend Babe Ruth, who single-handedly sparked the game’s popularity in the 1920s. The Eastern Shore has its share of baseball history, too, starting with Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx, the slugger who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox. Foxx’s 534 career homers were for a long time second only to Ruth’s 714. His statue stands in the town square in Sudlersville, his hometown.

Another ballplayer’s statue stands just outside town hall in Chestertown. It shows Kent County’s favorite baseball son, Bill Nicholson, who played for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed “Swish” for his powerful practice swings, Nicholson led the National League in homers twice in the World War II era. In a 1944 double-header in New York, he hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats. When he came up for his next at-bat with the bases loaded, he was intentionally walked, giving up one run but depriving him of the chance to drive in several more.

Kent County had another home-grown star more recently in Ryan Thompson, who played for five big-league teams in the 1990s, including the Mets and Yankees. Nor should we forget Harold Baines, a St. Michaels native who played for the Orioles for seven years along with several other major league teams, notably three stints with the Chicago White Sox. Between 1980 and 2001, Baines helped to define the role of designated hitter by setting several records.

But the baseball story of 2023 — at least in Maryland — remains the Orioles. While their more optimistic fans thought they had a shot at making the playoffs, nobody expected them to have the best record in the league. They’ve got some tough baseball still to play — as of this writing, they’re in an 0-2 hole in a best-of-five series against the Texas Rangers. The odds against them gaining the next level are daunting, though not impossible. Even so, their rise from the bottom of the league just two years ago to the top seed for the playoffs is an amazing accomplishment.

We’re rooting for our improbable Orioles. This could still be their year!

Plastic Bag Bans on the Eastern Shore

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:43:26 GMT

In 2021, Maryland Delegate Brooke Lierman (D-46) introduced a bill to prohibit retail businesses from providing customers with plastic carry-out bags. That bill died in committee. But since the failure of the state bill, several Eastern Shore jurisdictions have passed or are considering passing plastic bag bans. Delaware passed a single-use plastic bag ban that went into effect in 2022.

Some may ask, “Why should we ban plastic bags? After all, they are very convenient and easy to carry when we are shopping.” According to an article on the website of Green Tumble Environmental Awareness , 300 to 700 plastic bags are used by the average American yearly. The fact is, there are many good reasons to eliminate their use:

They pollute the environment.
They are made from fossil fuels, the production of which contributes to global warming.
They are composed of very resistant synthetic polymers that take a thousand years or more to completely degrade in natural environments.
They are harmful to marine life and wildlife.
They are also harmful to human health. Microplastics have been found in soft drinks, tap water, and seafood. Researchers have estimated that half the people on the planet could have some microplastics in their body.
They are difficult to recycle. They tend to get caught in recycling machinery, so most recycling facilities don’t accept them.
On average, plastic bags cost retailers 1-5 cents each. This cost is incorporated into the price of the items they sell. The cost of plastic bag cleanup is estimated at about 17 cents per bag.
Plastic bags also have external costs, resulting from environmental degradation, including loss of quality of life.
There are better alternatives available. The best alternative is the reusable shopping bag (those not made from plastic!)
Other governments are banning plastic bags — around 60 countries and municipalities around the world to date.

That brings us back to the Eastern Shore communities that have banned the use of plastic bags. Chestertown banned plastic shopping bags in 2011. Unfortunately, that ban was never adequately enforced, and then was relaxed because of supply chain problems during covid. One retailer responded to the ban on “single-use” plastic bags by using what they refer to as “multi-use” bags, made from a heavier plastic. Anyone who looks at the bag recycling bin outside the store can easily deduce that they are not being used multiple times by many customers. Meghan Efland, a current member of the town council, recently pushed to revive the ban . (She stated, however, that the heavier plastic bags are exempt from the ban.) Her proposal was supported unanimously by the town council, with the proviso that a strong public education program be undertaken to prepare the way this time.

Salisbury’s bag ban took effect July 1. It includes a ban on all single-use plastic bags at the point of purchase. There is a long list of exceptions . The original ban included a controversial charge of 10 cents for each paper bag provided by a retailer, but that fee has been amended .

Easton passed a plastic bag ban in 2022. As of April 2023, retail businesses are prohibited from offering single-use plastic bags to customers. They may offer customers paper bags with a charge of not less than 10 cents a bag. The goal of the ban is for customers to use reusable bags to cut down on the waste and litter that results from single-use plastic bags. The legislation is quite specific about exceptions and about what constitutes a reusable bag and includes fines for violations. The ban applies to all retail businesses within Easton’s town limits.

The town of Centreville has also passed a ban on plastic bags. Town Council president Steve Kline led the effort, stating “We’ve got to do a better job. Those bags are winding up in the rivers. In the Chester River trash patch. In the Corsica River. In the creeks that my kids play in and fish in.” The council supported his ban proposal unanimously at their July 20 meeting. The Centreville ban will go into effect on January 1, 2024.

No doubt these actions by local municipalities will help to reduce the environmental pollution posed by single-use plastic bags; however, state and federal bans would do much more to protect the environment. Furthermore, plastics permeate our lives in many other areas as well, plastic straws being only a small example. Much work remains to be done.

Sustainable Communities are Key to Environmental Justice

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:38:22 GMT

As we continue our crusade as stewards to conserve the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, it is impossible not to think of the 18 million people who live, work, and play in its watershed.

Environmental protection is a job for all of us. But local government leaders are the secret weapon for strengthening the connections between residents, their communities, and their environment to maintain sustainable practices over the long term and reach our local and common goals. Local elected officials can understand the complex environmental needs of their communities and voice those concerns.

The result should be to create and maintain a resilient society that promotes ecological wellness and improved health for all, right? To achieve our common goals, we must have real and frank conversations about environmental justice.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, environmental justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” The movement began during the Civil Rights era, when individuals fought against hazardous dumping sites that bordered their communities and caused numerous health concerns.

Similar documented cases of residents fighting for equitable support led to a first-of-its-kind toxic waste study by the United Church of Christ Commission on Racial Justice in 1987. The commission found that “over 15 million African Americans, 8 million Hispanics, and half of all Asian/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans resided in communities with at least one abandoned or uncontrolled toxic waste site.” This study showed the disproportionate correlation between race and socioeconomic status and the placement of hazardous sites.

These situations can be directly traced to redlining, which established neighborhood boundaries that limited or restricted access to certain amenities and services based on discriminatory social constructs. It derived from an era when the Home Owners’ Loan Corp. designed color-coded maps of major cities to inform financial lenders of mortgage risks in certain areas. According to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, “Neighborhoods considered high risk or ‘hazardous’ were often ‘redlined’ by lending institutions, denying them access to capital investment which could improve the housing and economic opportunity of residents.” The impact of environmental inequities on historically redlined communities still exists prominently today.

For the EPA, environmental justice is achieved when everyone has the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and has equal access to the decision-making processes that ensure a healthy environment.

It is important to remember that these goals do not pertain to low-income or racially marginalized communities only. When we talk about environmental justice, we talk about equity among diverse societies and landscapes as well. For example, a bustling urban sector and an active coastal town do not experience the same challenges. Factors associated with climate, population density, air quality, infrastructure, and recreational access, to name a few, all vary by location and should not be generalized or dismissed. As local elected officials, understanding our communities’ demographic, regional, and land use data is paramount to creating equitable and sustainable strategies.

We also must do our part to inform and engage our constituents on policies that promote a sustainable society. We have an obligation to translate how protecting the land we live on, the water we drink, and the air we breathe is critical to the everyday lives of local residents. We can do this by acknowledging our current needs, future goals, and truths related to the environmental inequities we identify and assess.

So, how can local decision-makers challenge injustice in their communities? Sustainable neighborhoods are key. Here are some actions that can meaningfully integrate environmental justice principles into advocacy and decision-making while fostering a sense of place among residents.

Identify smart growth solutions. Smart growth is a concept that prioritizes meaningful societal development by encouraging collaboration and the implementation of “green” initiatives. It supports inclusive housing according to the culture of the community, safe walkable neighborhoods, incorporating green spaces, and the analysis of innovative long-term developmental strategies. This approach aims to connect residents to their neighborhoods, and local governments to the development process, in an efficient and sustainable manner.

Support efficiency measures in affordable housing. It may sound costly, but the installation of energy-efficient devices within residential buildings and affordable housing can have many benefits. The EPA’s Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing guide for local governments analyzes the potential impacts. It explains the benefits, such as improved housing costs for low-income communities and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Insufficient planning for residential neighborhoods can lead to increased environmental and public health risks and higher displacement of residents.

Invest in green infrastructure. Installations of forest buffers or rain gardens help beautify the community while capturing polluted runoff. They also help combat climate-related problems. Green infrastructure may meet with reluctance, though. Check out the EPA’s guide to Overcoming Barriers to Green Infrastructure to understand what can work best.

Create workforce benefits. It’s important to understand the return on investment from establishing careers dedicated to launching and maintaining green initiatives. Building a green workforce can stimulate the local economy, create opportunities for a diverse public, and improve the value of sustainable practices on a consistent basis.

The impact of sustainable communities can lead to increased life expectancies, an influx in the local economy, and the attainment of environmental goals. And that can affect your community for generations to come.

So the next time you think about conservation, ponder the gaps between the communities you serve. Only together can we protect our local waterways, so let’s encourage each other and get on the same page. Are you doing your part to fight for all through environmental justice? If not — talk about it.

Jasmine Gore is a councilmember in Hopewell, Va., and chair of the Local Government Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council.

Average SNAP Benefits Fall to About $6 a Day

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:31:10 GMT

National and Maryland-based hunger relief organizations are grappling with the fact that millions in federal dollars for food assistance programs are no longer available to low-income families who relied on them through the covid-19 pandemic, even though many families still struggle to afford basic needs.

The Decline of Landlines and the Rise of Political Polling

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:13:04 GMT

What kind of telephone do you use?

Do you have a landline? Do you rely only on a mobile (wireless) phone? Do you have both? Or do you not have any kind of telephone service at all?

The National Health Interview Survey has been tracking these statistics for 20 years. Unfortunately, they are not available on a county basis, so we can’t look at the Eastern Shore, but they’re interesting, nonetheless.

The NHIS is a federal government program that conducts interviews about health issues. They interview Americans by telephone and started asking respondents about their choice of telephone device when cell phones started to be a bigger presence in Americans’ means of communications. Twice a year, the agency releases a report with estimates of what they call “Wireless Substitution.”

Nationally, as of the end of 2022, two-thirds of American adults were “wireless-only” — they had their own wireless phone and lived in a household that did not have a landline. Here are the characteristics of the wireless-only adult Americans:

The percent of wireless-only adults decreased by age: 85% of adults 25-34 relied only on a wireless phone, whereas 40% of those over 65 did.

Hispanic adults (80%) were more likely than non-Hispanic Asian (73%), non-Hispanic Black (70%), or non-Hispanic White (70%) adults to be wireless-only.

Men (72%) were slightly more likely than women (71%) to be wireless-only.

Adults living in the West (76%), Midwest (74%), and South (74%) were more likely than those living in the Northeast (58%) to be wireless-only (Maryland is included in the South).

The percent of wireless-only adults decreased with an increase in family income: 78% of poor adults and 75% of near-poor adults were wireless-only, compared with 71% of adults with higher family incomes.

Adults living in rented homes were more likely to be wireless-only (85%) than adults living in homes owned by a household member (66%).

Quite the opposite are the adults who live in a landline-only household, which, at the end of 2022, was a smidge over 1%. Adults over 65 account for most of this group.

And there are those who, even though they own wireless phones, hold on to their landlines; at the end of 2022, these folks accounted for a quarter of adults. Adults over 65 account for most of this group as well.

Households without phone service at all has remained steady at less than 1% for a number of years.

Pollsters, researchers, and others who once relied on telephone communications to gauge the opinions of Americans saw the trend toward wireless telephone use and quickly changed the way they did business.

Using a sample pulled from the universe of landline telephone numbers was once an acceptable way to get a representative sample of Americans because most everyone had a landline.

But as wireless phones became more prevalent, the universe of landlines became increasingly less representative (see the statistics above to illustrate the uneven adoption of wireless technology among demographic groups). So wireless telephones were added to the universe.

However, wireless phone owners proved just as reluctant as landline owners to answer calls from unknown callers. So many survey operations moved online.

For online polling, representative samples are generally selected from an address file, not a telephone file. Respondents are contacted via mail, with an invitation to participate in a survey, and are then instructed on how to participate online; if the individual does not have online access, it can be provided.

But an opportunity presented itself with online polling that had not existed before: opt-in surveys. The people who participate in these surveys sign themselves up to get money or other rewards by taking surveys or they are recruited by a company. For example, after responding to a survey designed on the Survey Monkey platform, people are offered the opportunity to take another survey; certain credit card companies extend offers of rewards for survey participation.

Pew Research Center estimates that “more than 80% of the public polls used to track key indicators of U.S. public opinion, such as the president’s approval rating or support for Democratic presidential candidates, are conducted using online opt-in polling.” Hmmm. That sounds like a lot.

To try to gauge what effect this survey method has on results, Pew Research Center did a study. Published in 2020, the study surveyed over 62,000 U.S. adults using different online methods of surveying. Responses were then examined for quality.

The study found that online surveys can be influenced by “bogus respondents.” A bogus respondent is defined as a person who took the survey multiple times; or lived outside the United States (even though the survey asked for U.S. adults to respond); or gave multiple illogical or plagiarized open-ended answers; or always said they approve or favor regardless of what was asked.

The study found that the opt-in survey where respondents were paid or otherwise rewarded for their participation had a relatively large number of bogus respondents — 7%. The surveys where the respondents were recruited by survey companies had fewer (4-6%). These numbers are large enough to affect the outcome of a poll. The surveys that used a representative sample of respondents randomly sampled using addresses had too few bogus respondents (1%) to have any significant effect.

Fraudulent data generated by bots is also a problem — an “emergent threat to many opt-in polls,” according to the Pew Research Center. At least one commercial bot product is currently available to participate in surveys and polls.

The Pew Research Center is careful to state that, although their findings indicate problems with some online polling, polling is not broken. But there are problems with some methods of online surveying that will only get worse.

We’ve been warned by many sources not to put any stock in the 2024 presidential polls this early in the game. That sounds like good advice. Plus, we should also pay more attention to the way polling data are collected if we want to have confidence in the results.

Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

It’s a New, Milder Covid this Fall — But It’s Still Covid

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:06:52 GMT

There’s a new pattern to covid this fall. It’s milder, following a course similar to the common cold or other upper-respiratory tract illnesses.

The Mayo Clinic says that the most common symptoms for the current variants are fatigue, headache, runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat.

In a common scenario, the illness starts with a headache and just feeling a little tired, less energetic. It then progresses to sneezing and a runny nose, followed by a sore throat and raspy voice. The fatigue increases. Occasionally, laryngitis develops with a complete loss of the voice.

It can look like allergies, a cold, RSV, flu. Many people who thought they were suffering with their usual fall allergies have been surprised to discover they had contracted covid, resulting in a delay in treatment and unknowingly exposing friends and family. This similarity to other common diseases is why it’s becoming harder to accurately diagnose, doctors are saying.

For some people, it can be more like the stomach flu with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Coughing, especially a persistent dry cough, is no longer a primary diagnostic symptom. Loss of the sense of taste or smell is now a rare, though still diagnostic, symptom.

It takes roughly two to three weeks now for covid to run its course. The sore throat that develops within the first week or so often lessens. With this there may come a few days of fever and chills. The fatigue and muscle aches tend to lift after a few days, but the congestion may linger for several weeks.

This is the new pattern. But along with this, many people are experiencing a wide range of secondary effects not usually seen in a cold or flu. These may include rashes, cramps, and fast shooting pains that can affect any area of the body.

But while milder, the new covid is still a serious illness with around 85 deaths per day, 600 deaths per week nationwide. As disturbing as that number is, it pales beside the 25,000 deaths per week in the U.S. at the peak of the pandemic.

The national and Maryland death rates are both down over the past two weeks, but hospitalizations are on the rise.

Hospitalizations from covid are at a daily average of 12,550 for the week ending September 29. That’s a 3.7% increase over the previous two weeks. Of those hospitalizations, 1,693 were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), representing an increase of 3.6%.

These covid-related deaths and hospitalizations are not spread evenly across the country. There are hot spots that spike first in one community then spread to another city or state. Currently, Maryland with 12.6 hospitalizations per 100,000 population has the second highest hospitalization rate in America. A few weeks ago, Maryland was number one, now North Carolina is with a rate of 13.6.

The rate starts to drop significantly from there with South Carolina at third highest and an 8.4 rate. Nearby, Pennsylvania is fifth highest with a rate of 7.6 while Delaware is sixth with a rate of 6.1. It continues to drop with most states having rates between two and four hospitalizations per 100,000 population.

These are fast-changing statistics and may change significantly in the coming weeks as hot spots flare and fade.

In Maryland, the number of cases declined steadily from a high in January of over 1,000 new cases per week to under 200 in mid-June. Then new covid cases and the resulting hospitalizations and deaths began to rise again. During August and into September, deaths per day in Maryland usually ranged from zero to four or five, occasionally higher.

The table below shows the five states with the highest rates of hospitalization for covid plus four other nearby states and the District of Columbia. The second table has covid death and new case rates for the nine counties on the Eastern Shore. Both tables show seven-day averages, and are as of October 2, 2023.

On the Eastern Shore, Wicomico and Dorchester counties have the highest rates of covid cases. Wicomico reported 0.8 per 10,000 population while Dorchester has 0.7. Kent and Queen Anne’s have the lowest rates on the Shore at 0.3 and 0.28, respectively. Queen Anne’s case rate is the lowest in the state.

Statewide, Allegheny County has the highest case rate at 1.06 per 10,000 population. Garrett is second at 0.95 while Wicomico on the Shore has the third highest in the state.

Current variants

The two most prevalent strains circulating now are officially named EG.5 and FL.1.5.1, nicknamed Eris and Fornax. Both are subvariants of the Omicron variant which became widespread in late fall of 2021. Together they account for 30% of tested cases nationwide.

A new sub-variant, BA.2.86, known as Pirola, has come to the attention of researchers who are watching it closely because it’s such a highly mutated strain of Omicron. Not enough cases have been detected yet for it to be included in the CDC’s official statistics, but it has been reported in Maryland as well as several other states including Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. It has also been found in the Midwest in Ohio and Michigan, and further west in Colorado and Texas. So far it doesn’t seem to cause more serious illness, but scientists are watching it and other new variants for new symptoms and any capacity to evade current tests, vaccines, or treatments.

Monoclonal antibodies, which used to help in recovery from covid, are no longer recommended as they are not very effective with the new variants. Paxlovid is still effective at reducing the incidence of severe cases.

The best preventative of both infection and severe disease is still the vaccine booster. The newest booster, which became available in mid-September, should be covered by insurance including Medicare and Medicaid, though there may be co-pays. The payment issue seems to be unclear at this point. Those who have had covid recently should check with their doctors and CDC guidelines before getting the booster. They may be counseled to wait two to three months from recovery before getting a vaccine booster. For everyone else over six months, a booster is recommended.

Sources and More Information:

Covid-19 in Maryland: Track death, hospitalization and case data from the state and CDC, Baltimore Sun , Update dated Sep 26, 2023

Covid-19, Center for Disease Control (CDC).

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

“Covid Map Shows 9 States Where Cases Are Rising This Month,” Nick Mordowanec, Newsweek .

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/covid-map-shows-9-states-where-cases-are-rising-this-month/ar-AA1hzsfX

“Covid hospitalizations: See the latest trend and current count,” Joe Murphy, September 1, 2023, NBC News .

https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/covid-hospitalizations-see-latest-trend-current-count-rcna61053

New York Times Interactive Covid Tracker.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/us/covid-cases.html