Election Day Musings

If you haven’t voted yet, today is the day. Make it the most important thing on your schedule, because: it is.

A few thoughts: the states where reproductive rights are safest in the nation are the states where Democrats hold the majority in the state legislature. Maryland is one of them, and yet, because of the actions of a Republican Governor, necessary funds for training providers haven’t been released.

I’m not seeing any Republican candidates campaigning on reproductive rights. In this case, the concept of people suffering and dying due to a lack of appropriate health care is not a top issue for them.

It is for me.

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I continue to be more excited by the candidacy of Brooke Lierman for Maryland State Comptroller than any other race in the state. (My apologies to all the other candidates.) If you want to know why, here’s my piece from earlier this year.

“Still Excited”

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Pet peeves: misplaced political signs and sign theft. For Heaven’s sake, people. Can’t we get a handle on this? Are candidates not able to communicate adequately to staff and volunteers where signs are allowed to go and that you never steal another candidate’s signs? Are human beings completely unable to follow the most basic rules imaginable?

I don’t have an answer for that.

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A huge thanks to all the people who will be working today to keep each poll location running smoothly. One of the things I miss about voting on Election Day is thanking them in person. Yes, I’m that person who actually says “Thank you all for being here today so that I could vote.”

You should try it.

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Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

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