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Recent Articles from Donald C. Fry
Lieutenant governor legislation a missed opportunity for Marylanders
As is often the case, this year’s Maryland General Assembly session, which closed its annual 90-day session on April 11, had a number of highs and lows. Among the disappointments, in my view, was the failure of the Senate to take up a proposed constitutional amendment that would have established that the primary winners in […]
Inclusionary housing bill would curb new home construction in Baltimore
A bill before the Baltimore City Council that aims to increase the number of new housing units built specifically for low-income residents, known as inclusionary housing, could end up having the opposite effect and even has the potential to stifle any major new housing construction in the city if passed. The proposed legislation essentially would […]
A growing threat to public safety, ghost guns must be banned
It’s no secret that the digital revolution is rapidly changing our lives and purchasing power, but perhaps few with such alarming potential public safety consequences as the sale of gun parts, individually and in kits, over the Internet so that virtually anyone with a credit card number can buy and assemble a gun at home. […]
Maryland’s HBCUs fuel economy, innovation and upward mobility
Last December, Mackenzie Scott, the philanthropist and former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated $85 million to three of Maryland’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs. The recipients of the generosity were Bowie State University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). The gift generated a lot of […]
How Md. small businesses can fight the pandemic
President Joe Biden’s Sept. 9 order for the Labor Department to issue mandatory COVID-19 vaccination rules for companies that employ 100 workers or more will affect a number of major employers in Maryland. These range from private employers such as Giant Food Inc. with 27,000 employees and Verizon with 14,000 to T. Rowe Price and […]
Continued population loss for Baltimore is troubling and unacceptable
According to 2020 census figures released recently, Baltimore city’s population fell to 585,708, down from 620,961 in 2010. That’s a loss of roughly 35,000 residents or 5.7%. To put this loss in context, the counties that surround Baltimore in the region all gained population, according to the 2020 census. The population of Baltimore County and […]
Baltimore police reform is progressing
It was disappointing to read in a recent news article that there is a perception among some in Baltimore that reforms called for in a 2015 consent decree between the Department of Justice, the City of Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department either aren’t working or have yet to be put into action. This points […]
The leadership qualities needed in Baltimore’s next mayor
In 2016, after candidate Donald Trump won the presidency, President Barrack Obama said, “Elections matter.” Those words are worth considering again as the 2020 General Election nears on Nov. 3. The words of advice are not just relevant for the highest elected office in the country, but also for Baltimore, which is poised to elect […]
5G technology is Maryland’s future
While the way we communicate, work and live has evolved in recent years, the rate of change has accelerated dramatically in the last few months. The novel coronavirus has forced us to stay home and revealed just how much we rely on technology to go about our daily lives. For many, the ability to get […]
Mayoral candidates weigh in on fighting crime
While COVID-19 dominates the attention of many these days, there is a pivotal and transformative primary election coming up in Baltimore City on June 2. Seats up for election include those for mayor, city council president, comptroller and city council. Those elected on June 2 will go on to have a significant role in Baltimore’s […]
New General Assembly leadership shone in first year
Talk about trial by fire. The presiding officers of the Maryland General Assembly, Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones, had their plates full during this year’s legislative session even before the outbreak of COVID-19. There was a packed legislative agenda of key policy initiatives, including a proposal to restructure the state’s horse […]
Salvos over public safety in Maryland, Baltimore
In recent days, the debate in Annapolis over legislative proposals to address public safety concerns has become personal and emotional between Gov. Larry Hogan and legislative leaders.
