The Issues
"I want to work for you. We need to create more living wage jobs, support and defend public education, and make workers, small business owners, and their families, our number one priority. With over a decade of experience working with the General Assembly, I know what it takes to find solutions, navigate complicated governmental agencies, and get things done."
LIST OF ISSUES
Wages & the Economy
We need to stay hyper-focused on working folks and their families. If we prioritize workers in every economic development decision that we make, everyone benefits. Business owners and workers, alike, benefit, and the tax base for our state improves with better pay, benefits, and increased economic growth. That means more resources to pay for essential services which leads to stronger growth in the future.
Oftentimes, we don't think of small business owners as workers, but they are! Anyone who puts in the immense time and energy building a business from scratch works harder than most people that you know. They are there, doing the day-to-day work, sometimes 7 days a week, and we need to make sure that the decisions in Annapolis reflect our respect for what they do to build a stronger economy.
Every bill that touches on economic development should be able to positively answer one question: "Does this benefit workers, small business owners, and their families?"
Education
We have a world class education system in Maryland, but only if we continue to fund it and protect it. The Blueprint for Maryland's future is constantly under attack by those who want to undermine public education in our state. The opposition would rather take your tax money and give it to private schools in the name of "school choice". In reality there is no choice. Once we give our money to their rich donors, there won't be a public education system left for our children.
Teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff in our public school are heroes. I'm proud to have come from a family of teachers, and will work hard in the General Assembly to make sure they have the resources they need in order for them to be able to produce the finest young minds in America.
Housing
We are in the midst of a housing crisis in Maryland. The majority of renters are paying more than a third of their income in rent, and almost 50% of homeowners are paying 30% or more on their mortgage. And, since the Great Recession in 2009, we have produced, on average, 40% less housing per year. With less supply comes greater costs, and every dollar spent on rent is a dollar not spent in our economy.
We need policy makers who understand what drives housing costs and will support policies to stabilize and lower them for working families. Greater protections for renters, more down payment options for buyers, and cutting the red tape that leads to exorbitant housing prices, need to be our priorities. Couple that with greater resources and subsidies for the development of affordable housing, and we can work our way out of this crisis.
Healthcare
Maryland is the only "all payer" system in the country. That means we have the opportunity and ability to make decisions on health care to lower the cost and improve the level of care in a way that no other state has the ability to do.
From lowering the cost of prescription drugs through group purchasing, to increasing the standards of care through staffing level mandates and compensation, the General Assembly can improve health care for every Marylander. Our decisions on health care need to prioritize affordability, accessibility, and quality for working families.
Environment
Climate Change isn't some far off distant issue. It's here with us, right now. Increased frequency in flooding in Annapolis and Ellicott City, record heat waves with each successive summer, and more frequent and devastating hurricanes are just the beginning. The science is clear: Without action, we will face deleterious effects in the future that will make all of our lives, and the lives of our children, harder.
We have the power to make changes in Maryland. Increased investment into carbon-free energy, greater mandates on energy efficiency, and programs to assist more people in weatherization for their homes will reduce our carbon output and we will be contributing to Maryland doing its part to fight climate change.