Ocean City Sand Dunes Are Damaged But Not Destroyed

No Loss of Life, No Major Property Damage
The storm that hammered Ocean City for three days last week should remind people in Ocean City and Maryland not to take the resort’s sand-dune system and beach replenishment program for granted, Mayor Richard Meehan told the City Council Monday night.
Despite the severity of the storm, no ocean [...]

President Barack Obama: “Rebuilding A Better Economy”

Today’s Washington Post Op-Ed page features a column by President Barack Obama reviewing the steps his administration is taking to lead the U.S. out the deep economic recession.
One paragraph in particular seems crucial to me:
“There are some who say we must wait to meet our greatest challenges. They favor an incremental approach or believe that doing [...]

Health Care Public Option Explained (Thank you, George Will)

Wordsmith George Will, the venerable arch-conservative newspaper columnist, has made some astute observations about the economics of health insurance.
Note that Mr. Will is arguing against the proposed “public option” as an alternative to private health insurance. 
“Competition from the public option must be unfair because government does not need to make a profit and has enormous [...]

Health Care Public Option: Can Do

American health care: Public Option or Public Plan??  Yes. Please.
Single payer would be even better. But a Public Plan competing with private insurers is acceptable.
I don’t have time to write a post. But I’ll do a fragment of a post.
Old saying in Montgomery County politics: You compromise on . . . “You can compromise on [...]

“Age of the Unthinkable” — Maryland State Senate’s Time Has Run Out

I’ve got the book! “The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It,” by Joshua Cooper Ramo, published March 2009 by Little Brown.
I’ve only just started to read Unthinkable, but it’s already reinforced my cynical conclusion that the Maryland General Assembly is an obsolete, [...]

General Assembly’s Priorities: Dogs in the Back of Pickup Trucks

The Maryland General Assembly is an obsolete legislative institution. Its rules and procedures make it dysfunctional as a modern governing body. Fortunately, the General Assembly is also irrelevant; therefore, it can do little damage.
The recent presidential election and the continuing economic crisis have clarified the following reality: In the United States of America, [...]

Anne Arundel Public Hearing on Slot Machines at Arundel Mills

I’m publishing the following e-mail in full for the information of Maryland On My Mind readers. This Anne Arundel County hearing looks like an excellent opportunity for people who oppose slot machines in Maryland to make their views known. I have put some parts of the e-mail in boldface for emphasis. — Bernie Hayden
Dear Bernie,
The [...]

Wall Street Wants Status Quo; Main Street Wants Change

Who can say where this economic crisis, including the near collapse of the banking system, will end, or how long it will last?
Remember that a year ago, most of the highest government and business leaders had full faith and confidence in the global economy, the markets, and the over-leveraged banks. Most of our government [...]

The Truing of American Capitalism

The wailing and gnashing of teeth emanating from Wall Street, and parroted by Republicans on Capitol Hill, is hurting my ears. The uproar over executive bonuses is loud but disingenuous!
Look, the game is up! The bubble has burst, the market has crashed, the economy is in crisis. Capitalism has run wild. The people want [...]

Fireworks in Ocean City, Doomsday in New York

In a tedious and contentious process that is being played out in city halls and state capitals across the land, Ocean City, Maryland, is working to cut spending in the face of an economic crisis that seems to worsen by the week.
(News Flash: NYC mayor unveils DOOMSDAY BUDGET)

This week, the Ocean City Mayor and Council [...]