Commentary

Nobody asked me, but Baltimoreans who complained week after week about squeegee crews might want to look around. The boys and young men who clean car windshields at busy intersections are not as visible as they once were, and that’s owing in large measure to the work of the Squeegee Collaborative, convened by Mayor Brandon Scott, to get squeegee guys off the streets, into jobs or back in school.

Every day should be Mother’s Day. In 2023, I wrote a gift guide tailored to single mothers like myself who don’t have anyone living in their house that’s allowed to reach for high shelves or have their own credit. The list included stuff like brunch I didn’t have to cook, or universal childcare that would make it easier for parents without partners — or for anyone, really.

No one knows who came up with the phrase, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Virgil? Samuel Johnson? Muhammad? It especially applies to public policies that appear beneficial at first glance, but turn out to be anything but.

With less than one week to go to Maryland’s May 14 primary election, it’s safe to say that many voters here have never experienced anything quite like the battle in the U.S. Senate primary among U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, both Democrats, and Republican former governor, Larry Hogan. The sheer volume of TV ads has been impressive, thanks in large part to Trone’s deep pockets, which have provided his campaign with at least $57 million.

Zachary’s Jewelers announced the winners of its annual Mother’s Day contest on Sunday. For the past 13 years, kids from area elementary schools have submitted designs for a piece of jewelry and a short explanation. Zachary’s picks three, makes the pieces and presents them to the winners and their moms at a reception in the Main Street shop in Annapolis. Some of the kids focus more on jewelry, others on their mothers. A few, like Hannah Raspet, reveal personal glimpses of their family life.

Two weeks ago, I had the honor and the privilege to serve as a volunteer mentor and volunteer judge for at the 24th annual HopStart new venture awards program at Johns Hopkins University. Hosted by the Center for Leadership Education at Johns Hopkins, HopStart is a competition that challenges Hopkins students to develop a business plan around an innovative idea and pitch their plan to a panel of judges. Participation in the HopStart competition is open to teams that include undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students at Hopkins.

There is a maxim that most politicians have learned by the time they are elected to Maryland’s General Assembly: “Never argue with a man who buys ink by the barrel.” In other words, don’t publicly disagree with your local newspaper’s publisher. Another maxim publishers intuitively understand when lobbying to preserve their government subsidies: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” The stick in this case is controlling information about local politicians and their opponents. The speak softly refers to exercising this power below the public radar.