Commentary

Development is essential to the health and longevity of a community. Typically, it brings more diverse goods and services, new employment and educational opportunities and higher property values in the long-term. But rapid, unchecked and ill-planned development creates overcrowding and danger — and it drives out the very residents that make up the heart and soul of the community.

Actor Nicole Ari Parker and I grew up in Baltimore around the same time, but we never met. Because it’s Smalltimore, though, I knew people who were like, “Didn’t you go that party at the thing where she was that time?” or “Girl, I used to take dance lessons with her.” We didn’t run in the same circles — Parker went to Roland Park Country School, I was a public school kid — but I can now say she is, sort of, part of a group of old friends.

Frederick County Councilman Mason Carter, a freshman Republican, has identified a significant problem with the county program that offers tax credits to businesses that create new jobs. Only two businesses are taking advantage of the program. That is a problem because the program was created to strengthen economic development.

What mixture of despair, desperation and thwarted pride would make one or more shooters fire wildly at dozens of innocent people — kids mostly — enjoying a holiday block party? How does an annual summer celebration go from pony rides and face painting to a mass shooting? In a chronically violent city, last week’s bloodshed in South Baltimore was unusually disturbing.

Montgomery County is one of the most diverse areas in the country. Recognizing this fact, the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has been working to create an educational environment that includes and embraces previously marginalized groups by reflecting their diversity in its curriculum, staffing, and culture. Students do best when they feel connected to their schools and know they belong.

Ask a Black person about reparations, and you might hear a story about the generational impact of slavery and racism. Ask a white person and you may hear some variation of, “Why should I pay for this? I didn’t own slaves.” There’s never been a consensus on reparations in Maryland — should we make them, what they might look like, who should qualify or how we pay for them.

The Port of Baltimore is a billion-dollar economic engine for the Maryland economy. Recent investments in dredging the harbor and expanding the infrastructure around the port mean that bigger ships can dock before being carried by truck and rail throughout the United States, delivering everything from automobiles to Amazon household products.