Gerrymandering Round II – The Insatiable Addiction to Power Politics
With the release of their gerrymandered federal and state legislative district maps, Democrats in the Maryland General Assembly, anxious for every opportunity to one-up Governor Hogan, are reveling in their return to their glory days under Martin O'Malley, the king of the gerrymander.
Veterans’ Day November 11, 2021
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in the year 1918 the world fell silent. Soldiers stood still on the battlefield and people across America and Europe paused their daily rituals as the clock mercifully counted down the seconds to the end of “the war to end all wars.” We now …
20th Anniversary of 9/11
Several months ago, I was reviewing in court the file on a long-standing matter when I came across a letter that I had written on September 10, 2001. Seeing that date, I was momentarily stunned by that stark reminder of my normal life on the eve of 9-11, a life so completely unaware that the …
Protecting Our Kids in Schools
As we prepare for the start of the upcoming school year, we must remember that what our children learn in the classroom can have a life-long impact. I want to share with you the following passage that appeared this past school year in a 4th grade lesson in a Harford County Public School: …
Back to School – Masking Children
With the school year on the horizon, it’s disconcerting that Harford’s public schools, like schools across the nation, are considering a resumption of their mandatory face mask policy and requiring little kids to wear face masks for 8 hours a day, from the time they get on the bus until they return home. The very …
American Heritage – the Fourth of July – Proud & Strong
In 1492, the vast expanses of the American continents were opened to the empires of an Old World that had for thousands of years presumed the legitimacy of slavery, indentured servitude, racial and sexual superiority, debtor prisons, child labor, and other conditions that our modern world now almost universally condemns. As was the practice of …
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Consequences of Anti-Police Legislation
This past legislative session, I urged my Senate colleagues to reject the numerous anti-police bills pending in the General Assembly. I argued that these bills were counterproductive and, if passed, would seriously harm public safety by driving officers from the force and discouraging the rest from actively policing the community. In a sincere effort to avoid such outcomes, …
Harford County School Redistricting
Below is a copy of my letter to the Harford County Board of Education regarding school redistricting: Dear Board Members: It has come to my attention that the Board of Education has once again begun the difficult process of redistricting to balance attendance in our public schools. While the redistricting process is an essential part …
Crime Measures That Make Marylanders Less Safe
This past legislative session, I urged my Senate colleagues to reject the numerous anti-police bills pending in the General Assembly. I argued that these bills were counter-productive and, if passed, would seriously harm public safety by driving officers from the force and discouraging the rest from actively policing the community. In a sincere effort to …
Maryland’s Education Power Play
Even in this hyper-politicized environment, it’s surprising that the Maryland General Assembly’s signature bill on education reform is far more about grabbing political power than improving the quality of education. Ignore for the moment the bill drafters’ ridiculous assumption that dynamic & intelligent teachers are best recruited and retained by burying them in a behemoth …