A Better
Western
Maryland
is Possible

This region once powered Maryland. There was opportunity if one was willing to put in the work. We can make that opportunity real again, with a plan that’s just as much about the present for us as it is the future for our children.

  • This plan puts control of process and the benefits into local hands. This is our land and our resources, we’re going to make sure it benefits our people.

  • Good jobs pay the bills. Good careers build futures. With this plan, we make sure families can put down roots for generations to come and be secure in the knowledge there is a place in this economy for them.

  • These plans are short, medium, and long term projects. If we focus too far into the future, we fail to address the problems of today; if w stay focused on the present, we won’t be ready for tomorrow. There is no one-fix solution, but how each project plays into another.

Western Maryland has been ignored for decades. This wasn’t by accident or misfortune; this was a deliberate choice by leaders and corporations. This is the result of ignoring the families that live and work here, and instead focusing on boardrooms and shareholders. We change that with action that follows a very simple principle: we use our land and our resources to fund our future. 

Energy

power western maryland. Keep our dollars here.

Now, more than ever Maryland families are struggling to pay their energy bills. Rising energy costs for the home and gas prices reaching a historic high have put undue pressure on working families. Addressing this problem is one of the most pressing issues facing western Maryland. Reducing energy prices through common sense and consumer-focused energy development is one of the most important goals for this campaign.

  • By rapidly introducing small-scale, locally owned solar canopies into our community, not only can we decrease local energy costs but also give western Maryland the freedom to own our own energy generation and take charge of energy future. We can’t wait for the utility to build new generation, so we’ll do it ourselves.

  • Western Maryland’s beautiful natural landscapes are a source of pride.. We should not be forced to surrender them to the whims of property developers to lower their ridiculous energy prices. With control in the hands of county governments, town councils, and individual property owners, the benefits stay in our communities and ensure that energy development within our district is done for our benefit, not the utility.

  • We are being asked to lower our power usage to cut costs. Our government should do the same. I’ll pass legislation to mandate that develop Energy Efficiency Master Plans to cut energy usage in government buildings.

Economy

AN ECONOMY FOR ALL

In order to build a better Western Maryland the district needs strong industry and jobs that provide livable wages in order to support the well-being of not only ourselves but also our children and grandchildren. This starts by supporting the growth of small businesses here in the district as well as investing in industries that give people the opportunity to build their lives here in Western Maryland.

  • Maryland is not doing enough to support local businesses. Whether its a mountain of paperwork and bureaucracy, or being priced out by large corporate stores, our locals communities suffer when the economy is dominated by big box stores. I’ll increase funding to support small business creation and development, and fight corporate overreach with state-level anti-trust laws.

  • Billion dollar companies have set their sights on Western Maryland. Companies like Amazon and Walmart see our communities as nothing more than resources to be exploited. They also pay poor wages, putting their employees on public assistance and costing the State millions. I will push legislation that funds small business creation from taxes on these corporations, and mandate better conditions and wages to actually provide opportunity rather than relying on the taxpayer for their payroll.

  • Western Maryland gets treated like an afterthought, with businesses and politicians alike asking “why Western Maryland?” My direct response will always be “why not Western Maryland?” We have the work force and the work ethic to be the powerhouse we once were; what we need is a delegate that fights for us. I’ll fight for local jobs in energy and manufacturing that will build a community for our children to thrive in.

Housing

IF DEVELOPERS WON’T DO IT, WE WILL

Lack of affordable housing is one of the most pressing crises we face. Instead of taking steps necessary to help Marylanders find affordable and stable housing, the government has pushed the construction of useless warehouses and data centers. In order to save our communities we have to take handle of the housing development and commit to these projects ourselves. No one is coming to save us, so we must save ourselves.

  • Home ownership is one of the great promises of the American dream. This dream has become harder and harder for working class families to achieve. Home ownership is a thing of the past for our children. As Delegate, I’ll push for down-payment assistance and financial support for first time home-buyers. I will also pass legislation mandating financial literacy classes in all public schools, and fund these courses in community centers for anyone, regardless of background, to afford a home.

  • Housing development should not be dictated by billion dollar corporations and distant landlords with no interest in the people of western Maryland. These far away developers bulldoze acres of our natural landscape and farmland in order to build million dollar suburbs made for DC transplants and unavailable to the majority of Marylanders. Funding community housing placed under local control will keep prices down and make sure we build housing for Western Maryland, not wayward movers.

    • A County-State partnership program to identify and assess abandoned properties: unsalvageable properties will be demolished and rebuilt. Once the work is completed, they are sold to the county governments to utilize as they determine; sold to first time home buyers, turned into community housing, or used for local needs. Local control and benefit at every point of the process.

Healthcare

healthcare in any zip code

Whenever the State faces a budget crisis, rural hospitals are among the first to be on the chopping block. Quality medical care shouldn’t require a drive to DC, and it shouldn’t mean seeing an underfunded, understaffed, or unprepared hospital. We must invest in training and recruitment for medical personnel, as well as increasing the effectiveness of our local healthcare system.

  • We’ve made strides against the opioid crisis, but there is still more to do. Maintaining funding of our crisis centers, and ensuring that job training and housing is available means people who start treatment are more likely to succeed. These centers are just one part of a process to beat addiction, but their availability is crucial to taking the first steps towards recovery.

  • Medical school is often prohibitively expensive for Marylanders and leaves them with mountains of debt that pushes them our of county to higher paying facilities. By covering tuition costs for students who serve Western Maryland for 10 years, we recruit talented medical professionals without raising medical costs. The University of Maryland already offers an identical program for the Eastern Shore, so why can’t we?

  • Western Maryland has a large population of seniors, people with disabilities, and working families with small children, with unreliable transportation that makes healthcare inaccessible. Telehealth and mobile nurses make no one is left behind by the healthcare system and builds a healthy community These programs already exist in Western Maryland; they just need a Delegate who fights to bring them needed resources.

Education

OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE BEGINS TODAY

Good education is the cornerstone of good community. Our children have been disadvantaged for years due to failing school infrastructure. Teacher shortages and low pay, underfunded schools with large class sizes, and policies that prioritize graduation over understanding for our students. We must rebuild public education that teaches our children to think critically and prepares them for an ever-changing world.

  • Blueprint for Maryland increased education funding, but we’re not seeing the results. We still teach to a test, not to ensure understanding and build critical thinking. By making sure kids understand the fundamentals of reading, math, and writing, as well as planning targeted interventions when a student falls behind, we set them up for the future.

  • Early childhood learning is crucial for future development. States with Universal Pre-k and 3K show better education outcomes all the way to college. This program would help address the lack of childcare in Western Maryland that hurts working families as well as build a foundation of learning for our children.

  • The U.S spent $30 billion to put laptops in schools, believing it would help our kids succeed. It did the opposite. Now AI floods our schools and we don’t have a plan to address what we’re already seeing - students understanding less about what they’re learning and crippling their ability to think. We need to develop a comprehensive approach that teaches children how to use technology effectively, not rely on it to do their thinking for them.

Agriculture

SUPPORTING THOSE WHO FEED US

Over a third of the district is farmland, and agriculture is an essential part of our history. Maintaining and expanding support is essential for them to keep providing for us. The current subsidies benefit Big Ag and processing foods, rather than healthy food that we actually eat. Changing this structure, and rebuilding our community connections to our farming legacy, builds a new generation of farmers to keep us fed.

  • Farming corporations don’t need our support, family farmers do. Our children should be fed on locally grown food that connects them to the rural history of the district, and encourages them to support community farms. I’ll add funding directly to public schools for purchasing local produce from farmers, and increase the subsidies for those local farmers to invest and expand with security.

  • To build healthier communities, we should focus on supporting farms that grow food we eat every day. We can do this by offering incentives to farmers to grow these foods for eating rather than processing, as well as funding community garden programs in our local communities.

  • Land trusts, entities which permanently protect farmland by purchasing the land from farmers, keep our landscape safe from over development. We must expand these programs to offer alternatives to large developers, far-off board rooms, and data center encroachment.

Coming Soon

  • I am opposed to data center construction in our community. As Delegate, I’ll propose a moratorium on data center construction, a repeal on their tax-exemptions and label as “critical infrastructure”, and mandate the strongest possible regulations possible to protect our people, our jobs, and our environment.

  • I’m not running for one party or one town, but for Western Maryland as a whole. Our state is a perfect example of the failings of the two party system. I have no interest in upholding that system. Ensuring every person has a say in government means breaking that status quo with policies like ranked choice voting, open primaries, and ridding our elections of corporate rigging and Super PAC spending.

  • Maryland’s budget issues are no secret. The solution is not to keep raising the gas tax, registration fees, or cutting support for our workers. These all hurt working people, those who make and do everything for our society to run. Target taxes at large corporations and the highest of earners, end tax loopholes that only benefit the top class, and cut waste and overlooked spending at all levels to solve the budget crisis.

This page is a living document. It will evolve as issues arise. Below are issues to which I am developing plans for that go beyond rhetoric into actionable legislative priorities.