Tuesday, November 5, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
Baltimore, MD
63°
Mostly Cloudy
FOLLOW US:

Commentary

Voted printed papers on white surface
It’s Election Day in Maryland. Are you ready for what comes next?

Here we are. Election Day, at last. Columnists being what they are, I’ve got some predictions. Vice President Kamala Harris will win Pennsylvania, thanks to massive turnout around Philadelphia and Maryland Democrats who crossed the state line to register and motivate voters. Midwest blue-wall states will hold, and she’ll pick up one or more of the Sun Belt states.

Maryland voters should vote for ALICE this election

What would you do if, despite working full-time, you didn’t earn enough to cover the basics? What would you do if, after buying groceries and covering the rent, you had to decide which expenses to delay? Your choices: an essential car repair, a vital doctor appointment, or safe, nurturing child care. Do you fix the car so you can get to work on time? Do you finally see the doctor, preventing your health issue from spiraling into a medical crisis?

Highlighting an alarming threat to Maryland workers

“Earned wage access” is marketed as a means of making it easier for workers to get their paychecks before payday. In reality, these so-called EWA advances are exorbitant loans that harm workers by putting them in a worse financial position than before they borrowed money in the first place. With “fees” and “tips” that the lenders require or solicit, EWA advances are loans with interest rates that regularly exceed 100%, and often exceed 300%, far above interest rates allowed by Maryland law.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Policymakers must address the difficulties small businesses face

In election season, we are inundated with campaign messaging and rhetoric that is light on policy solutions to the most pressing issues facing small business owners like me. As the CEO of Strum Contracting, a family- and African American-owned business that my father founded in 1987, I have seen firsthand how the small-business landscape has shifted and evolved.

Cherry-picked data doesn’t tell whole story on juvenile crime

Recently, the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit that advocates for reduced imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults, issued a report that suggested that youth offenses are declining based on data showing that arrests in Baltimore City of juveniles have been on the decline since 2022. In an attempt to discredit the concerns I have expressed about youth offenders in our city, the report identifies me directly: Recently, the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit that advocates for reduced imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults, issued a report that suggested that youth offenses are declining based on data showing that arrests in Baltimore City of juveniles have been on the decline since 2022.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
train tracks with power lines above them
It’s still not too late to choose the right course for the Red Line

It seems we have been discussing Baltimore’s Red Line project for quite some time, and in fact, we have. The Red Line was initially proposed in 2001, when Parris Glendening was the governor. Fast forward to 2024, and the current governor is moving forward with the Red Line. Another debate over the Red Line has been what mode of transit is used: tunnel or light-rail. Bus rapid transit has also been discussed at various points in time.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
In search of a cure for Baltimore’s pharmacy deserts

Last month, CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch stepped down amid the drugstore chain’s disappointing earnings while financially struggling Walgreens announced it’s closing about 1,200 stores. Philadelphia-based Rite Aid recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy closing hundreds of stores and wiping away billions in debt.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Drowning out the noise is its own form of self-care

In my two and a half years as a columnist at the Baltimore Banner, I have written increasingly about the intersection of race and gender, from parenting to politics. But recently, you may have noticed that my topics have been less controversial and more congenial. I’ve interviewed the “Golden Bachelorette,” considered learning to can tomatoes and written about bad Halloween candy.

The Secret Service needs an overhaul

Based on 58 multi-hour interviews and more than 7,000 documents, the independent bipartisan panel President Joe Biden assigned to analyze the Secret Service after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump this summer issued a grim warning: Without fundamental reforms to the agency, what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 “can and will happen again.” These changes, even more than the specific events of the rally, ought to be the focus going forward.

Vote to create an inspector general’s office in Howard County

Howard County voters will have the opportunity to vote on ballot Question A this year. Question A summarizes a charter amendment approved by all five members of the County Council in July. Approving Question A would allow the County Council to create an independent Office of the Inspector General. Passage of Question A would enable the appointment of a citizen board by both the executive and legislative branches of the local government, ensure that the Office of the Inspector General is funded and authorize the office to access independent legal advice.

The Morning Rundown

We’re staying up to the minute on the issues shaping the future. Join us on the newsletter of choice for Maryland politicos and business leaders. It’s always free to join and never a hassle to leave. See you on the inside.