Commentary

How do Marylanders describe the effect industrial sludge has on their lives? “Smells like rotting meat and death.” “You can feel the smell in your teeth.” “People sometimes have to pull over to puke.” These are quotes from farmers and people who have lived in farming communities all their lives. But what they’re smelling is not the typical aroma of manure and fertilizer that rural Maryland is used to. It’s the stench of industrial sludge, particularly dissolved air flotation or “DAF” — a substance derived from the protein rendering process.

With lawmakers now having officially passed the halfway point in the annual 90-day Maryland General Assembly session, it’s time to get serious about balancing the state budget and taking action to reduce a structural deficit that could exceed $3 billion by 2028. Whatever Gov. Wes Moore and his Democratic majority embrace — be it substantially higher taxes (unlikely), massive reductions in spending (ditto) or some combination of taxes and budget cuts (the typical compromise) — the circumstances raise a question: Are all Marylanders now paying their fair share of the cost of government, and will they continue to pay after whatever deal is struck?

Ravens fervor is ebbing after the team led the NFL in wins, and the Orioles’ fan base is stirring again — jolted awake by a promising spring training and a forthcoming sale. So I was struck by Mayor Brandon Scott’s boldness when he told me, “Baltimore is a basketball town above everything else.” Scott and I spoke last week, ahead of the city hosting the CIAA tournament, an NCAA Division II men’s and women’s hoops event that brings 13 schools to CFG Arena, which finished a $250 million renovation last year.

There is not much we agree on as a nation anymore. But we do agree that our politics is broken and that our country is headed in the wrong direction. Yes, the two parties come to that conclusion from vastly different perspectives, but agree they do. Since the traditional Republican Party has gone the way of the Whigs, let’s focus on the two parties that now dominate our political discourse: the MAGA and Democratic parties.

Two years ago, in a heartfelt conversation with my father in his final days, we talked about his lifelong commitment to democracy, and he voiced his dismay about what he believed is the undemocratic nature of Maryland’s appointment process. My dad, Ezekiel (Zeke) Smith, said, “Things have changed for the best in Virginia but not Maryland. Those people in Maryland are stealing the vote from the people, and you can’t allow people to steal your vote.” He told me to fight like hell.

Confession: I was one of those day care parents. You know, the one that picks up their kid — usually the only one left by then — two minutes before the 6 p.m. deadline and the racking up of extra fees. I wasn’t trying to be neglectful or delay the irritated but professional staff from locking up and going on with their lives. I was just a single mom with a busy job.

As members of the faith community, we appreciate that the General Assembly is taking the concerns of the community regarding public safety and the reduction of crime seriously. We understand the fears that have been amplified in the media and at conversations around dinner tables. Yet, we also believe that most of the new juvenile justice legislation (House Bill 814/Senate Bill 744), as it is currently written, will do more harm than good.