Commentary

It should come as a surprise to nobody, but Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) is really leaning into her role as Prince George’s County executive now that she has publicly declared that she isn’t going to run for governor in 2022. In fact, ironically, Alsobrooks’ State of the County address last week had all the trappings of a gubernatorial address, including an enthusiastic, live prime-time audience. It also happened to be chock-full of substance.

On April 21, our Board of Education began discussing the proposed policy on “Safe and Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ+ students.” Unfortunately, since that time, many board members have made comments that demonstrate their lack of understanding about what this policy means to the LGBTQ+ community. At the meeting Board member Corine Frank said: “I heard in public testimony a lot of comments on bullying … To my mind, we already have a significant amount of policy addressing bullying ... So, I would like to ask what we think another policy is going to do?”

One year, three months and 10 days. That’s how long we’ve been under a state of emergency, a step Gov. Larry Hogan took back in March 2020 once the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Maryland. Since then, 9,472 lives around the state have been lost to the virus — including 331 in Frederick County. The number of confirmed cases has reached 461,392, with 19,814 right here in the county.

Democrats have had a majority on the City Council in Annapolis for decades. Five of the last seven mayors have been Democrats. With little more than a month to go until the filing deadline for the September primary, there are signs that this trend may continue. Chief among them is the number of Republicans actively running so far. Only one has stepped forward to run for a council seat — the one being vacated by the lone Republican alderman now on the council.

Paraphernalia decriminalization — a bill repealing the prohibition of items associated with drug use — passed in both houses of the Maryland General Assembly. Knowing It wasn’t easy to win enough favorable votes, this triumph evoked pride in our legislative process. Thoroughly researched and well-presented, the persuasive facts carried the day. My spirits soared — the greater good had prevailed! Until that is, Gov. Larry Hogan, despite the support of our legislators and the Maryland State Medical Society, vetoed the bill.

Imagine living in what you think is a quiet, residential neighborhood — and then suddenly your peace is interrupted by loud, late-night parties with excessive drinking that attract large crowds and lead to public drunkenness. In the morning, you may be greeted with vandalism or a young person passed out on the lawn. You can try talking to your neighbor, or, more likely, you can call the police.

Writing about gubernatorial candidates in terms of their media styles got a lot more interesting with the entry of author and former nonprofit CEO Wes Moore in the race on Monday. Moore is a smooth and polished media presence who has a relaxed and easygoing engagement with the camera. But he can also communicate a sense of intense intellectual focus once he starts talking. And he clearly knows how to stay on his talking points.

Paraphernalia decriminalization — a bill repealing the prohibition of items associated with drug use — passed in both houses of the Maryland General Assembly. Knowing it wasn’t easy to win enough favorable votes, this triumph evoked pride in our legislative process. Thoroughly researched and well-presented, the persuasive facts carried the day. My spirits soared — the greater good had prevailed! Until that is, Gov. Larry Hogan, despite the support of our legislators and the Maryland State Medical Society, vetoed the bill.

Chronic kidney disease is an often-overlooked public health crisis that affects an estimated 37 million Americans, 15% of the adult population, and is one of the top 10 leading causes of death. It’s most often caused by long-term diabetes and high blood pressure, but another significant cause is that of a genetic disease: Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), which affects an estimated 600,000 Americans — including me. PKD came about in my family as a spontaneous mutation in my mother, who then passed it to me.

Over the past 15 months, hundreds of thousands of Marylanders have experienced the anxiety and despair of losing their jobs. More than 193,000 are currently unemployed, down from the pandemic high of 282,000. Some were let go in those early, dizzying days when everything shut down. Others deemed essential were forced to work despite coronavirus risks, only to be laid off later as the pandemic worsened. All confronted the challenge — with no income and often no savings — of trying to stay housed, fed, safe and healthy.