Commentary

The Baltimore skyline has looked a little dim ever since March 1, when a 70-year piece of history disappeared from sight. That’s when the lights were shut off on the iconic “Domino Sugars” sign, which brightened up the Inner Harbor and could be viewed from various vantage points around the city. To Baltimore, the Domino sign was as much a part of its fabric as the Radio City Music Hall sign that blazes across New York City’s Rockefeller Center, or the dozens of similarly lit marquees that make it seem like it’s always daytime in Times Square.

Public education is transforming faster than ever, and the needs and expectations evolve with each school year. School buildings must support the teaching and learning needs of today to best nurture the leaders of tomorrow. In Prince George’s County Public Schools, many children attend classes in aging facilities. Nearly half of all school buildings are more than 50 years old — the second-oldest school buildings in the state.

At the Baltimore City Council’s Taxpayer Night on May 27, Councilmember Eric Costello told residents the council would “listen to your comments,” to “help guide our decisions as we pass this year’s budget.” Taxpayer Night was the council’s only public forum where Baltimore residents could weigh in on Mayor Brandon Scott’s proposed budget — and our voices were ignored. More than 50 Baltimore taxpayers, including both of us, prepared testimony about how we thought the city should spend our money.

One of the things that aggravates me about Larry Hogan is his narrative about why he decided to run for governor. He was just a simple businessman, he explains, who became so frustrated with the direction of the state, and high taxes and stifling regulations, that he felt compelled to run and try to make things right.v Not true. Hogan has been around politics his entire life, and has thirsted to be a player in the political game from a very young age.

The letter from an Exelon employee (“Conowingo Dam License Will Benefit the Bay” Maryland Matters, June 18, 2021) is full of inaccuracies, and claiming that the dam is a “best management practice” is completely ridiculous. While the dam may have slowed the flow of some sediment and trash for a time, the dam collected it and now releases it in catastrophic unnatural high-impact releases.

Since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, governments at most every level have, often to their credit, recognized that the potential damage to the U.S. economy was profound. In response, officials quickly turned on the spending tap, particularly at the federal level, often leaving it to states and local government to decide how the money could be used most effectively.