Commentary

Over the weekend, The Washington Post reported that an acolyte of Donald Trump is making big plans for a “post-Constitutional” government through a series of historic changes that would give the president far more power over all aspects of government. In Russ Vought’s vision of “radical constitutionalism,” the president would have broader authority to deploy the military to quash civil unrest, make the Justice Department less independent and withhold congressional appropriations, the Post learned.

The average Baltimore resident may have only a vague idea how the Board of Estimates works, but you can bet that every senior city official does. In a nutshell, the five-member board has a big say over city spending — from preparing the annual budget to overseeing contracts and even getting the final say on the sale of city-owned property.

Financial abuse and exploitation of older adults is a vexing problem requiring increased public awareness. Every year, thousands of cases are reported in Maryland. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (“IC3”), up to 5 million older Americans experience financial exploitation every year, but it is estimated that only one in 24 instances of abuse is reported.

I have been involved in the election process in Anne Arundel County for the last four election cycles. Functioning as a chief judge three times, as well as other duties from canvassing to picking up ballots at drop boxes, including correctional facilities. I have been impressed with the competence of the people involved, both full-time and temporary. The process “chain of custody” for ballots is thorough. However, I am surprised by the gap in the structure of the board of elections.

There are a series of hilariously familiar memes on Pinterest contrasting packed lunches on the first day of school versus the last. They all follow the same theme: Kids begin the year with exquisitely assembled bento boxes of fresh fruit, charcuterie and fancy sandwiches with the crusts cut off, and end it with half a cheese stick, a smushed donut and the remnants of the last bag of chips.

When the Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck by a cargo ship and collapsed in March, the discussion of aging infrastructure was soon at the center of media coverage and public discourse. Specifics about how six construction workers died in the accident and even their identities appeared to become secondary. We would eventually find out that at the time of the accident, communication between the workers and emergency responders was clearly lacking.

How well is the city of Frederick’s charter review process going? Specific dates help tell the story. The first date — Dec. 1, 2023 — is when the appointed Charter Review Committee submitted its 10-month study, recommending ways to update the city’s charter. Those recommendations went to city officials. The city’s staff said it would spend about two months analyzing the new ideas for legality, cost, equity and more.