Before we lose power…

Post #67

Yesterday’s powerful storm uprooted trees, downed power lines, and left intersections dangerously unregulated by traffic signals.  An estimated 200,000 PEPCO customers lost electricity.

For some, this is cause for panic.  How can they watch their favorite program, work on their computer, or even read?  From a health perspective, nutritious food was lost, and those with health challenges needed to find respite from the heat.

Others see an outage as an excuse for a romantic evening with candles and a return to conversation.

Since I was knocking on doors when the storm blew through, I saw another result of the power outage.  An apartment building I approached could only be accessed with a magnetic pass that was not functioning.  Buzzing someone into the building wasn’t an option, as this was electrically controlled as well.  How was the young couple I encountered at the front door to get into their home?

Fortunately, we spotted a woman sitting out on her balcony.  She kindly agreed to come down to the first floor to let us into the building.  Her kindness and good luck made this work out just fine.

But what would have happened if a frail resident needed an ambulance?  How could a paramedic have entered the building, especially in the middle of the night?  What if it takes a few days to restore power to this [unnamed] community?  How will residents return to their apartments?

These are the kind of questions that should have been asked when the building’s security system was designed, but obviously weren’t.  When I served District 17 in the House of Delegates, I was well-known for asking questions about any proposal-- and expecting thorough answers from those responsible.  I’ve found that’s the only way to find flaws in a plan and figure out how to fix them before it’s too late. Asking questions is what led me to work to defeat a plan (and coming within six votes of doing so!) for purchasing new voting machines that wound up wasting over $100 million in taxpayer funds.  It’s a pattern I would continue in the State Senate if elected this fall. 

We are lucky to be living in an age that offers speed, comfort, innovation, and so much more.  But we should always ask plenty of questions about any new idea before putting it into effect.  I hope that building owner is crafting solutions now so residents are never stranded in the future.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  Are there devices or processes in your daily life that wind up offering less that promised because no one thought through all the implications of their innovation? Do you think government does a good job of asking the tough questions about new programs, procedures and spending plans?  Send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#67) you're addressing.

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.

Blowout Prevention?

Post #66

With the hopeful news that the BP oil leak off the Gulf Coast has finally been contained, we need to take a moment to evaluate its causes and impact.  This is yet another disaster in that region that will affect its economy and people for untold years to come.  Unlike after Hurricane Katrina, when we could send contributions to the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, or other charities of our choice, most of us were fairly helpless in responding to this catastrophe.  But we’re far from helpless in preventing the next one from happening.

During the crisis, the media carried several stories about people trying to assist.  They collected pantyhose or got haircuts in order to donate their locks that might create organic “sponges” to absorb the gushing oil.  Many women (and men) rushed out to cut inches off their tresses in order to provide some support for the Gulf region. 

Mostly though, we continue to have to do our part at home.  And that means reducing our demand for oil that forces exploration into ever deeper and more dangerous waters. There are the basics of using less energy: turn off and unplug your appliances (I love the name “Wall Warts” to describe the modest but constant use of energy by anything plugged in at home or work).  Carpool and combine errands to minimize your trips.  Don't fill your gas tank in the heat of the day (I understand that it also costs you approximately 5% more because of expansion of the gas in the stations’ tanks.) 

Put your PC or laptop on the energy-conserving “standby” setting if you're going to be away from it for a couple of hours.  Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible, thereby saving the energy of heating the water.  Run the dishwasher only when it's totally full.  And power your home and/or business with wind or solar energy.  (Our home uses 100% wind power from Clean Currents.  You can learn more at www.CleanCurrents.com.)

Whether or not you got a haircut to help BP in its clean-up efforts, I hope you'll be conscious of selecting at least one additional conservation activity to reduce the demand for oil-- because that’s ultimately the most effective “blow-out preventer” of all.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  Do you have any ideas you've put into practice that might help alleviate the environmental damage done by this latest oil spill-- or to prevent the next one by reducing demand for oil? Please send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#66) you're addressing. 

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.

Marriage Inequality

Post #65

For those of us who are white, heterosexual, and economically comfortable (whatever that means!), some public policy issues can be more theoretical than real.  The issue of civil marriage equality may fall into that category.  In theory, most Americans probably believe that everyone should be treated equally.  But what does it mean in practical terms… and why should we care?

I have a friend who is beautiful, upbeat, generous in spirit, talented, thoughtful and so much more.  She’s also a lesbian and has been in a committed relationship for 16 years.  As in any marriage, she and her partner support each other in challenging times and enjoy the many blessings that they have.  Her partner has served our country in the military and now serves her community as a teacher.  Part of her remuneration is health insurance. 

Because they cannot legally wed in their state, my friend is not covered by the teacher’s insurance policy.  Instead, she must purchase her own policy… at a cost of $905 each month.  This whopping expense each month is far more than their household budget can reasonably afford.  Still, she wisely persists in obtaining coverage, though it is causing her to go into debt.  If she ultimately gave up her policy, we could all be subsidizing some future trip to the emergency room or unexpected medical costs.

It seems to me that there are only two ‘winners’ in this arrangement: her partner’s employer and the insurance company.  Rather than pay for a family plan, the school system gets away with just covering an individual.  My friend’s insurance provider gets an extra customer (undoubtedly one of many!) and her monthly premium.

How much of this story is a reflection of our broken health care system?  How much of it reflects our society’s biases?  How much of this bias might be eliminated if Americans heard real-life stories about devoted couples like this one?  I hope that my posting this snapshot of one couple’s travails might cause others to reconsider their hesitancy about supporting marriage equality.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  Do you support the right of all loving couples to marry in Maryland?  Please send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#65) you're addressing.

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.

Librarians’ Rights Are Overdue

Post #64

Everyone likes librarians, and for good reason.  They are smart, thoughtful, helpful people who manage and facilitate the use of essential repositories of stored knowledge.   If you think about it, libraries are like a physical Internet, with vast amounts of data and entertainment all available in one place-- and of course, they help keep the actual Internet democratic by providing free online access to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Given all the practical reasons to admire librarians (not to mention the fond memories many of us have of a children’s librarian who sponsored story times and helped us get our first library card), you’d think they’d be treated well by society-- as least as well as other public servants.  In most of Maryand, though, they’re not.   Unlike firefighters, teachers, police officers, and other state and county employees, non-school-based librarians lack the right to organize themselves to improve their salaries, benefits and working conditions.   Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties-- where librarians have traditional labor rights-- are welcome exceptions to this unfair arrangement.

Two state legislators--Tom Hucker and Nancy King-- are trying to bring the same rights to librarians in the rest of the state through legislation they introduced last session.  It’s a moderate bill that recognizes the distinctive nature of public employment by, for example, barring strikes.  Our County Executive, Ike Leggett, supports the change; he was quoted in a March article in the blog Maryland Politics Watch as saying: “… I want to reiterate that in the 23 years Montgomery County Government has had collective bargaining it has served the interests of labor, management and the residents of the county.”  I posted a comment on the article, congratulating Hucker and King on their initiative.

The quality of a society can often be judged by how it values its professions.  Librarians are currently undervalued in most of Maryland.  It doesn’t take the assistance of a research librarian to know that’s wrong and should be corrected soon.   

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  Do you have a favorite librarian? Or is there another profession you think doesn’t receive the recognition and respect it deserves?  Please send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#64) you're addressing. 

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.

District 17's Diversity, Part Two

Post #63

In my last posting, I wrote about the wonderful opportunities for cross-cultural growth and understanding offered by District 17‘s ethnic and linguistic diversity.  But just as Montgomery County has grown more culturally diverse since I grew up here, it has also grown more economically diverse.

From lovely single-family homes to contemporary town houses to garden apartment complexes, there are housing choices for all income levels here.  That means we attend community events, shop in stores, join in worship, and our kids go to school with people from different economic backgrounds.  That diversity gives us all a broader, more realistic view of society and deepens our understanding of how the actions of consumers, business, and government affect our collective well-being. 

But among the diversity, there is one consistent phenomenon throughout the District: the effect of the Great Recession.  As I campaign door-to-door, what I have heard-- from residents of both impressive single-family homes and modest one-bedroom apartments-- is the pain and uncertainty caused by the nation’s biggest economic slump since the 1930s.  It's not just the hourly wage workers who are having their shifts shortened or eliminated.  Paralegals and employees of public relations firms have been let go as business has slackened.  People are tightening their belts in fear that they could be next.  Employees are staying at jobs that cause them stress and unhappiness, grateful for the work that enables them to pay their bills and support their family.

Traditional family vacations and camp experiences for the kids are being abbreviated or eliminated.  Instead, parents are looking for community service opportunities (including volunteering at our new Rockville campaign headquarters!) as a way of keeping their school-aged kids busy and learning. 

We need bold action at the federal and state level to reverse this Recession.  I have endorsed targeted tax credits, eased credit for small businesses, and Smart Growth as part of the solution.  But even in the midst of a crisis, we should look for opportunity.  One of the many long-term impacts of this lengthy economic downtown will be on the young people who live through it.  They will be taught different more lessons about career planning, hard work, and thrift than their parents may have learned.  Along with the education of living in an economically diverse Montgomery County, let’s hope that what they learn from today’s recession will help prevent the next one.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  How have your family and your neighbors been affected by the Great Recession?  Send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#63) you're addressing.

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.