Commentary

The Inflation Reduction Act, recently signed into law by President Biden, is a landmark moment in our effort to address climate change and improve American health care. Because the bill is so dense, we thought it would be useful to detail the enormous benefits the law will generate for families, homeowners, seniors, small businesses and communities across Maryland and the country.

Despite what you may have heard, the deal negotiated to win the support of coal baron Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), is not a big victory for the climate. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law last week, epitomizes the egregious legislative compromises that plague climate action — and offers key lessons for Maryland legislators. We can celebrate the IRA’s investments in renewable energy while also being clear-eyed about the alarming trade-offs it took to get here.

I vividly remember the day. Already an avid sports fan and aspiring young athlete, my love affair was cemented on one gorgeous afternoon in the summer of 1968. It was my first Orioles game. The excitement built as we drove up 33rd Street and caught a glimpse of Memorial Stadium off in the distance. Not one to fight the traffic on the parking lot, much less pay the $4 fee for the right to park right next to the ballpark, my dad weaved his way through the adjacent neighborhoods until we found a spot on the street.

Despite what you may have heard, the deal negotiated to win the support of coal baron Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), is not a big victory for the climate. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law last week, epitomizes the egregious legislative compromises that plague climate action — and offers key lessons for Maryland legislators. We can celebrate the IRA’s investments in renewable energy while also being clear-eyed about the alarming trade-offs it took to get here. Democratic leadership has achieved green investment at the expense of decades of new pollution. Loopholes in the act encourage “carbon capture,” an unproven, unrealistic technology scheme with a failing track record; fossil fuel-backed hydrogen production; and expanded fossil fuel drilling and fracking on public lands and waters.

Recently, The Baltimore Sun Editorial Board asked the question, “What can be done about Baltimore’s unreliable transit?” (Aug. 11). This week, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council appointed a diverse work group of regional leaders and transportation experts to address a long-standing issue at the heart of that question. The Baltimore region is one of the few large metropolitan areas in the country in which local elected officials are voiceless in the operation or planning of the transit system. The Sun’s editorial rightly framed Baltimore’s transit challenges as the result of state planning and funding decisions. The editorial board is also correct in its assertion that addressing Baltimore’s transit challenges cannot wait for the next governor to take office in 2023.

A few months back I wrote about how parents were facing higher-than-ever bills for summer camp for our offspring who were too young to stay home by themselves or get jobs that would pay for their own babysitters. The consensus seemed to be that those of us with kids in public school were all just gutting through June, July and most of August until those kids go back to class and learn stuff somewhere that’s free. Or is it?

I am a special education teacher for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. I used to love my job. I build kids’ confidence along with their skills, help them through some of life’s toughest challenges, and have some of the most amazing colleagues and administrators anyone in the profession could ask for. I consider myself well-paid when it comes to the teaching field, and for that I am grateful.

It was a sunny day last week when it finally happened, the thing Jay had left his small, conservative hometown in the South to avoid — hate. He came here to be his full self. But it was the pink mask and Birkenstock sandals the man singled out as he verbally assaulted the 31-year-old on the Yellow Line last week, using slurs targeting gay people, ranting about monkeypox and advancing into Jay’s personal space as the train stopped in a tunnel.