Sometimes I save something because it speaks to me, or because I see within it the seed of a future blog post. If I’m lucky, another thing comes down the road and reminds me of the first thing. Remember this? Remember how you wanted to talk about how this could be relevant right here in Howard County? Case in point, this September 7th piece from NPR: Missed shifts were costly to this McDonald's. An app has fixed the problem. Unexpected absences can cost employers tens of thousands of dollars a month. An app that helps workers with last-minute transportation, food and childcare is making a difference. - - Andrea Hsu, NPR In order for us to understand why this story mattters, we have to acknowledge that some people experience barriers and challenges in their daily lives that we do not. Period. For example: we have to understand that if we want parents to engage in school events that we need to provide childcare. If we want neighbors to come to community meetings w...
Once upon a time - - in 2019 - - County Executive Calvin Ball was accused of destroying the universe because he proposed discontinuing the county’s aviation program. Fruit Salad , April 2019 Even though his (Republican) predecessor had advocated for the very same thing, Ball’s recommendation was interpreted as a threat to the well-being of the entire county rather than the responsible fiscal decision it was: one piece in a comprehensive response to a pre-existing 108 million budget deficit. I might add that posts on social media for some time after this showed those folks singing this same song over and over. The helicopter brouhaha seemed to be an agreed-upon “public safety” talking point, even though: Howard County will continue to have aviation coverage from other partner agencies, 24 hours a day. The availability of aviation service to officers and the public will not be affected. In addition, the Howard County Police Department will continue to explor...