Category: Opinion
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A Call to Sisterhood
By Tough Love/Allie, the Conversation Starter Due to time constraints I was unable to deliver my speech at the Annapolis Women’s March on Saturday, 20 January 2018. As I co-emceed the event, and then later watched other marches online, I recognized that these words I have written need to be said. Here is what I…
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Councilman Andrew Pruski: Campaigns Need to Focus on Real Issues
As we approach election season, you will see a lot of communication from candidates and incumbents running for office at all levels in Anne Arundel County. Voters will get inundated with mail, flyers, and literature in the coming months. As each candidate and their surrogates get their message out, it is important for voters to…
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Let’s Bring AACPS’ Focus Back To Classrooms so Students Can Thrive
I am honored to be the first candidate to file in the first election for a seat on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education. My name is Melissa Ellis, and I hope to represent the citizens of Council District 4 on our school board. The recent focus on testing in an attempt make our…
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To Understand Trump, Read Orwell
If you have not read “1984“ then you may want to do so. If you have, it may be time to read it again. Orwell (1903 to 1950) lived through some of the most traumatic political events of the 20th century. His statue at BBC headquarters in London has an inscription with his words: “If liberty means…
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Money Running Out for Children’s Health While Congress Plays Politics
As of January 16, the Children’s Health Insurance Program is 107 days overdue for a renewal of its funding by the Congress. While Maryland has been able to continue to use funds that were appropriated in the past, our neighbor Virginia is likely to run out of funding in March. Close to 200,000 children rely…
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Maryland Democrats’ New Healthcare Bill Makes Insurers Rich: Leaves Millennials in the Lurch
On January 9, a new bill was announced that would uphold the Affordable Care Act’s insurance mandate, imposing penalties on uninsured Marylanders who do not purchase insurance through the Maryland Healthcare Marketplace. Under this legislation, Marylanders who pay the $700 fine and who would qualify for subsidies would be automatically enrolled into a plan, while…
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Falling Through the Cracks
It is a tough time to be a kid. No generation before has grown up with smart phones so readily available, with the threat of terrorism and gun violence in every day conversation, and with social media bringing bullying and social stressors to new heights. Meanwhile, kids today have been subjected to more standardized testing…
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Como Ayudar Y Entender A Nuestros Hijos Adolescentes
Es la etapa más difícil como ser padres. No importa es que situación de nuestras vidas estemos pasando, buenas o malas, nivel social, si somos padres solteros o trabajamos mucho. Cualquiera que sea nuestra situación- la adolescencia es algo que no podemos evitar. Sin duda es la etapa mas temerosa por todos los padres y…
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Republicans Bet Country’s Future on a Weak Hand. Will Dems Call their Bluff in ’18?
The Republican Party just passed a major revision to the federal tax laws. This act may result in either a very good or a very bad outcome for the Republican Party in the 2018 elections. In a poker game of Texas Hold’em, they would be considered to be “All In.” When I was a young…
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Sarah Elfreth: A Rising Star in Maryland Politics
You know how writers are supposed to keep their descriptions “brief”? Well, I can describe Sarah Elfreth in just two words: political virtuoso. Over the past year, I have been in many activist and political meetings where Sarah was present, not knowing exactly who she was, but wondering why people – especially elected officials –…