Issue Position: Environment

Issue Position

For the residents of Dundalk, Edgemere, Essex, Middle River and Rosedale the Chesapeake Bay is a way of life. The people of our district work on the bay, live on the bay and spend their free time on the bay. We all understand the need to protect the environment.

For too long our leadership has turned a blind eye to the environmental issues all around us. They have allowed "kish" to rain on our communities. They have allowed cars to be dumped into the bay. They have allowed thousands of sewer overflows to sludge into our streams and tributaries. Instead of addressing these issues, they have pushed ideological bills that chase jobs from our state.

We need to send people to Annapolis that will stand up for the environmental challenges our communities face with common sense solutions. As your Delegate, I pledge to stand up for our communities and the Chesapeake Bay.

Prohibit the Looting of Tax Trust Funds
We have continually had our taxes raised for the purpose of taking care of the Chesapeake Bay. Time and time again these taxes are looted from the "trust" fund and spent elsewhere. Our laws should enforce the integrity that our communities expect. I pledge to sponsor legislation that would prevent the looting of our tax funds.

Attack Abuse
"Kish" is a airborne particulate from steel manufacturing facilities. Our leadership has watched as kish has rained on our communities, damaging our environment and the health of our families. While we must be mindful of how we impact our economy, we cannot tolerate the blatant abuses that we see around us. I pledge to take action to stand up against these abuses.

Stop Sewage Overflows
There have been more than 14,897 sewage overflows recorded since 2005, releasing more than 8.3 billion gallons of raw sewage into our tributaries. Obvious problems like these are ignored while ideological bills receive the focus of our leadership. I pledge to advance common sense solutions to obvious problems like the continual sewage overflows that damage the Chesapeake Bay.

Put Priority in Our Communities
In many parts of our district, the roads, schools and infrastructure aren't invested in as well as they are in other parts of our county. As many local environmental groups have pointed out, this is a major detriment to our streams, creeks and tributaries. I pledge to fight to make sure our tax dollars are spent in our communities.

Engage and Unify Our Community Members
There are organizations throughout our community that are dedicated to empowering our community members. We need leadership that will rally our communities into action, promote civic engagement and help create more cohesion in our district. I pledge to engage our people and help rebuild a sense of community.

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