Issues
Education
Maryland spends 37 percent of its budget on secondary and higher education. Education is the highest priority for all of us.
As your Delegate I support
- Maintaining funding levels that support our Baltimore County schools and teachers. Even in these difficult economic times we must keep education a priority
- Improving facilities that promote academic excellence: Baltimore County has the second oldest building stock in the state. Academic excellence is tied to the the quality of our facilites
- Full and fair funding so that all students can access a quality education and achieve their potential no matter where their school is located
- Accountability that values student performance but doesn’t rely solely on high stakes tests
- Making the school administration more accountable to the families of the County and examining alternatives that clarify the lines of accountability among the School Board, Superintendent and County Executive
Jobs and the Economy
As the only candidate running who has started small businesses and created jobs, I have first-hand experience about the actions the state can take to promote job growth. Job growth and economic development are critical to our having the quality schools, roads, environment and life we all want. We can take steps in the short-term to promote economic development and job growth by investing in the state’s school and transportation infrastructure.
As your Delegate I will work to
- Increase the availability of loans and other credit resources for small and mid-sized businesses
- Invest in green renovation in our public buildings and our schools that achieve energy cost savings and improve the health, safety and educational environment
- Upgrade and expand public transportation options and improve roads and bridges
- Fully use state loan and guarantee programs to help businesses grow
- Implement sensible regulatory reform that reduces the burden on small businesses without compromising consumer protection
- Increase workforce education programs that prepare our workers for jobs in the areas of the economy that are growing such as technology and healthcare
- Maintain fiscal responsibility and address the State’s structural deficit
Environment and Energy
Maryland must have environmental and energy policies that move our state towards a greener, cleaner environment. Supporting emerging industries such as clean energy will not only provide Marylanders with jobs but can save families money on future energy costs.
As your Delegate I support
- Energy conservation: Energy conservation is the most cost efficient and effective way of reducing demand for energy and reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. The State needs to agressively promote conservation by families and businesses
- Green building renovation and development: The state should be a leader in making its buildings greener, healthier and more energy efficient, particularly school buildings
- More and improved transit options that can reduce vehicle use, emissions and sprawl: We must make greater efforts to implement Smart Growth policies that provide direct funding to areas targeted for growth as a way to curb sprawl
- Development of alternative energy: We must provide the right incentives and marketing to make Maryland a leader in developing and supporting the use of alternative energy
- Policies that protect and preserve the Chesapeake Bay: We need a budget that fully funds Bay restoration and cleanup. We must address the mounting needs to repair old and deteriorating water and sewer pipes. local municipalities are struggling to keep up with repairs essential for the health of the Bay.
- Protecting drinking water sources: We all depend on clean water. We must ensure this critical resource is protected with better regulation of ground water resources. We also need to make investments to upgrade and improve waste water treatment facilities.
Health Care
The 2007 Special Session of the General Assembly increased the income limits extending eligibility to more low income Maryland families who had been uninsured previously. The primary beneficiaries are children and their parents. Yet, despite this new expansion, approximately 700,000 Marylanders remain uninsured.
Budgetary constraints may hamper Maryland’s ability to cover more uninsured until national health care reform is fully implemented in 2014.
Until then, Maryland citizens will benefit from at least two provisions of the new law: first, children may continue to receive coverage under their parents health care insurance policies until age 26 and second, insurance cannot be denied to children with pre-existing conditions.
The State will be responsible for ensuring that national health care reform is implemented effectively in Maryland so that the goals of covering all citizens and reducing costs are achieved.
Until full reform is implemented in 2014, the State can play an important role in educating the public about the availability of options including the provisions that provide for eligibility for children up to age 26 and the elimination of pre-existing conditions for children.
Under the new law, by 2014, the state must create an exchange that will allow Maryland citizens to shop for insurance across state lines. The law also provides for the establishment of regional non-profit cooperatives to provide insurance options for Maryland citizens.
Each of these provisions will create a more robust and competitive market for insurance and more affordable options for consumers.
As your Delegate, I want to be part of seeing that the insurance exchanges are implemented in a way that maximizes affordable options for all Marylanders. And I will play a role in encouraging the establishment of regional non-profit cooperatives to provide health insurance options for the uninsured.
