Commentary

There’s no need, and rarely much excuse, for State of the Union speeches. The Constitution mandates that the president make periodic reports on the subject to Congress, but for much of our history, the reports were printed on paper and read at leisure. Somehow, Americans got by without self-aggrandizing rhetoric, without feel-good guests waving from the galleries, without performative ovations. No catcalls, no members of Congress snapping selfies, no theatrical rending of paper by a House speaker. Bliss.

There is not enough affordable housing for low-income older adults in our state. Given that those 60 and older represent the fastest growing segment of Maryland’s population, more needs to be done to ensure no older adult is left behind. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 22% of Maryland’s population will be 60 and older by the year 2030.

Somehow, someone, through wire fraud, stole more than $280,000 from the city of Frederick. That’s about all we know for certain. The administration of Mayor Michael O’Connor has been mum about the crime, allowing speculation to fill in the gaps. The city said last month that it was the victim of wire fraud in connection with the $24.5 million renovation of the former Gov. William Donald Schaefer Building at 100 E. All Saints St. downtown to create a new police headquarters.

The lines between witness preparation and improper coaching are gray. According to the ABA, “[T]he task of delineating what is necessary and proper and what is ethically prohibited during witness preparation has become more urgent with the advent of commonly used remote technologies, some of which can be used to surreptitiously “coach” witnesses in new and ethically problematic ways.”

I get my dogs’ food delivered by Amazon. It started during the pandemic. Stores in Annapolis ran out of the brand they eat, and if you’ve ever suddenly changed your pets’ food, you know it can have messy consequences. All over the carpet. But it also saved me the trouble of schlepping all those bags and cans across town. It cost less, too.

An estimated 8,500 young people ages 16 to 24 in Baltimore, including nearly 16% of all Black residents in this age group, were neither working nor in school, according to an estimate by Baltimore’s Promise based on 2022 U.S. Census data. Too many of these young people are at risk of instability as they transition into adulthood. These are our kids, our family and friends.

Nobody asked me, but the idea of spending $9 billion to build a third bridge across the Chesapeake Bay still seems absurd, even more so than when I first heard the idea. I say that for several reasons: The effects of climate change on sea-level rise; the need to reduce harmful emissions as the transition to electric-powered cars and trucks takes many more years; the desire to preserve open space, the Eastern Shore’s rural character, and the general quality of life on both sides of the bay; the likelihood that the cost of a new bridge will surpass the current estimate; and Maryland’s many other spending priorities, well ahead of a third bridge.