Whoosh! “Eyah!” Two noises. The first sound is an e-bike (electric bicycle) rushing by me at 15 to 18 miles per hour. The second noise is me jumping out of my skin. For those enjoying an idyllic walk in Baker Park, the atmosphere is increasingly punctuated by the whoosh of an e-bike, or a motorized skateboard, or a motorized scooter, racing by at high speed.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias should be more empowered than ever, but he continues to take a cautious approach. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)
What does it look like when Mike Elias is freed from the constraints of his previous bean-counting owner? Don’t let the crazy influx of eight new Orioles sway you. So far, things look fairly similar.

Many have struggled with dramatically increasing rents in recent years, and rent stabilization is one way to provide and enforce predictability in the rents that tenants pay. A year ago, I regrettably joined my colleagues on the Rockville City Council in signing a letter against Montgomery County’s implementation of rent stabilization. I signed on despite having been the only council member to recommend a total moratorium on rent increases for the duration of the pandemic.

Between January and June, more Marylanders chose to register as independents than chose to be affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. And Republicans outpaced Democrats in registration during the same period, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. The board’s monthly activity reports show 14,668 more voters listed as unaffiliated since the first of the year, and 8,111 more Republicans. At the same time, the number of registered Democrats dropped by 21,259.

 

Legislative action is needed now to curb deadly police vehicle pursuits. Another death resulting from a police pursuit occurred on Maryland’s roadways, this time in Talbot County after sheriff’s deputies tried to initiate a traffic stop on July 22. Following the April deaths of three innocent third parties killed in separate crashes where police chased suspects fleeing in motor vehicles, Attorney General Anthony Brown called for a statewide standard with clear guidelines that would enhance safety and reduce fatalities.

If current polls are to be believed, Donald Trump could win this presidential election. But if he does win, it will likely not be with Maryland’s 10 Electoral College votes. In 2020, Trump received just 32 percent of the statewide vote, and in Baltimore, just 11 percent. Even if independent-minded Republican Larry Hogan wins this year’s Senate contest, Maryland will still be as blue as the Chesapeake.

To my fellow skaters in Montgomery County, I recently had the exciting opportunity to identify an issue within my neighborhood and work towards resolving it. And let me tell you, it’s a passion project that hits close to home for me — quite literally. I am a long-time resident of Germantown, Maryland. I have a strong personal connection to the Germantown Town Center area, as I utilize it for both leisure and community activities.

What will it take for Baltimore City to get its act together with respect to the health and safety of its employees? A disturbing emergency report just published by Baltimore’s Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming seems to reflect that it will take a lot and that improvement is urgently needed. The full report and its exhibits, as well as a synopsis of the report, can be found on the IG’s website under the “Latest OIG Report” Section.

The work of building Frederick County’s future economy is always going on, as it must be. If a business community is not moving forward, it is dying. Resting on laurels is a disaster waiting to happen. The business community in Frederick and the government officials of the city of Frederick and Frederick County all recognize this reality. That is why they are enthusiastic in their support for innovative organizations and leaders.

This was going to be a column about fancy-pants horse dancing. You know, dressage. Four years ago, the American horse Mopsie made the world lose its collective, Olympic-watching mind with his rave-dancing performance in Tokyo. Equestrian events started Friday in Paris, and dressage continues this week at the Palace of Versailles.