Commentary

Any serious list of Maryland’s major economic assets is certain to include its health care and scientific expertise, its transportation connections (water, air and land), and its proximity to East Coast markets and the nation’s capital. Yet there is at least one more important asset that’s often overlooked or discounted: the state’s immigrants.

I want more for Baltimore. Four years ago I ran for mayor out of a sense of desperation for this city. Persistent poverty, high crime rates, stagnant growth and population loss, poor public education and a dysfunctional transportation system drove my decision to run. While I did not win the race, I learned a lot about our situation. Fundamentally, Baltimore suffers from a lack of leadership that prevents us from solving problems at scale and lifting confidence in our city.

Maryland in 2023 stood among states with the highest rates of home foreclosures, and unfortunately, too many homeowners do not know where to turn, or wait too long, to seek help for their financial distress. Working in the Maryland housing market for decades as both a broker and a credit repair specialist, and as someone who has faced foreclosure in the past, I know that the possibility of foreclosure can come with stress, shame and embarrassment.

We may or may not be happier than our ancestors were in 1950, when Baltimore reached its largest population. But on average, we certainly live longer and earn more money. These are good things. Curiously, though, these factors contribute to the city’s population decline as measured by the U.S. Census. Multigenerational households were once more common.

As Maryland embarks on the journey of reopening and rebuilding in the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, it’s imperative that we do not overlook agriculture, our state’s largest commercial industry. Agriculture contributes more than $8 billion to the state economy annually and puts about 350,000 Marylanders to work. The tragic incident at the bridge shocked us all, and our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones, and we applaud the heroic efforts of first responders.

In a daring political gamble, Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater has proposed increasing the property tax rate by 4.7% to increase the funds available to renovate and build new schools, the first increase in the rate in about 20 years. In an interview with The Frederick News-Post, Fitzwater said residents from around the county told her during her listening tour this year that aging school buildings were a huge problem.

Abigail Diehl knew how crucial Wednesday night was to her long-shot campaign for Congress. Born and raised in Severna Park, she works in cannabis and owns popular produce stands that sprang from the one her dad opened 53 years ago. She talks about her ideas with anyone who will listen. Plenty of people recognize her in return — one person even sent Diehl a photo of them together in the second grade.