Commentary

For ages, philosophers and others have contemplated and debated whether beauty is subjective or objective. The Greek philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, spent a great deal of time considering the nature of beauty. Confucius is believed to have said, “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Much later, in William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” the princess says, “Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye.

A letter to the editor from Mike Heaps of Forest Hill suggests that John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” deserves a replacement at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where the song has long been played during the seventh-inning stretch — the brief interlude when the visitors have finished their at-bats in the seventh inning and the home team Orioles are about to take their swings. It is traditionally a moment when fans are encouraged to stand and “stretch” (hence the name) as many have likely been sitting for two hours or so, and, let’s face it, can start to feel a bit drowsy, especially at a night game with requisite hot dogs and beer consumed.

In the realm of American politics, we frequently find ourselves in the unenviable position of choosing between the lesser of two imperfect options. The 2020 presidential election vividly illustrated this dilemma. On one side stood Donald Trump, a polarizing figure who was involved in the events of Jan. 6, 2021 — actions that remain a point of contention. On the other side was Joe Biden, a seasoned politician whose cognitive abilities appeared to be in noticeable decline and who carried his own baggage of potential legal problems.

Eight years ago, Congressman Elijah Cummings changed my life. His legacy initiative — the Elijah Cummings Youth Program in Israel — was seeking a new director, and the congressman tapped me. Looking back, I had no idea how deeply this relationship would transform me personally and professionally. ECYP, as the program is commonly known, began 25 years ago as a partnership between Congressman Cummings and Baltimore Jewish community leaders.

New Greater Baltimore Committee president and CEO Mark Anthony Thomas is hitting the ground running to boost the prospects of Baltimore-area businesses and the regional economy. So far, Thomas has expressed the desire to make Greater Baltimore more competitive compared to regions anchored by cities such as Charlotte, Nashville and Atlanta. As Thomas told the Baltimore Business Journal in January 2023: “We have to be the best version of ourselves for the global economy.”

It’s easy to be dissatisfied with the actions, or inactions, of government these days. While Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives dithered over a plan to keep the federal government funded in order to avoid a calamitous shutdown — a scenario that has “always been a loser for Republicans politically,” according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — their leaders still found time to schedule a hearing on their ill-advised impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden.

Now that summer has drawn to a close and legislators, government officials, nonprofits and service providers turn their attention to the 2024 legislative session in Annapolis, proposing legislative initiatives to address issues of crime, childhood poverty, education and more will be on their minds. According to the Department of Legislative Services, when the 2024 session opens, lawmakers will be faced with a structural budget deficit even before they have a chance to take off their hats and coats and get down to the business of appropriating taxpayer dollars.

Transit ridership has still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels in DC and nationally, and many transit providers, including WMATA, currently face fiscal cliffs as federal pandemic aid runs out. However, as Tracy Loh* and I discussed in a report for the Brookings Institution in August, there is still a bright future for transit, if we plan for it.