If you are a regular reader of this newsletter, you’ve seen past articles about the Kirwan Commission, that commission tasked with making recommendations for improving the State’s education system. I’ve been concerned about the cost of those recommendations, purported to be an additional $3.8 billion per year once all the recommendations are implemented. In September members of the Kirwan task force elected to meet behind closed doors in order to develop formulas to determine how much the State should pay for this extra education funding, as well as how much the individual counties should pay. Commission Chair William Kirwan said the “closed door” session was needed so that the workgroup could consider many options and not confuse the public with proposals that will never be adopted.
That’s all well and good if this workgroup were part of private business that gets to set its own rules, but this is a public workgroup. There are open meetings policies, and laws, that require for public meetings for this sort of thing. Kirwan countered the criticism by citing an opinion from Attorney General Brian Frosh’s office that the closed session is legal because the workgroup is not technically a public body, but with all due respect, this is just the opinion of a lawyer in Frosh’s office. It is not an opinion from a judge, or a distinction contained in the open meetings regulations of the State.
Not surprisingly, some of the workgroup members voted against holding the “closed door” meeting. Budget Secretary David Brinkley, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman, Baltimore County Board of Education member Cheryl Pasteur and Prince George’s County Board of Education Chairman Alvin Thornton all voted against meeting in secret.“ I just thought the issues we had to discuss could be appropriately discussed in front of the people of Maryland,” Alvin Thornton said. Kirwan promised that the workgroup would vote in public on the recommendations that are sent to the State legislature.
This type of secrecy does not serve the Kirwan Commission well as it attempts to argue for educational reform. It harkens back to the smoke-filled room meetings of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The people of this State should demand full transparency as this process moves forward.
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A recent commentary piece in the Baltimore Sun had me shaking my head in disbelief. The author wrote about how it is an exciting time to be living and working in Towson because of the dramatic growth brought on by new developments like Towson Row, the Cinemark movie theatre and many residential projects. But the author also opined that this growth has brought on challenges, such as the overcrowding of Towson High School, the need for additional public transportation and other issues.
Now where the author lost me was in the following quote, “Additionally, the state must take steps to reduce the cost of living for residents of Towson who are already feeling the pressures of a growing area.” That opinion is the height of delusion. Local governments should be doing cost/benefit analysis before new development is approved, and its at the local level that remedies need to be fashioned if growth and development have negative consequences on existing residents. Can you just imagine the State’s budget if every time the city of Hagerstown or Easton makes a mistake in their land use decisions that the State comes to the rescue to correct the problem. We need to accept the good and correct the bad at the local level. It’s called accountability!
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The trial of off-duty police officer Amber Guyger for the murder of Botham Jean certainly drew a lot of national attention because of the bizarre circumstances that caused officer Guyger to shoot Mr. Jean. But I was truly impressed by the victim’s brother and his actions at the sentencing of Guyger. Brandt Jean, the brother of the victim, told the court and Guyger that he forgave her for the killing of his brother, and he took it even a step further by giving Ms. Guyger a hug, another sign of his forgiveness. When someone such as Mr. Jean can show that much grace in an unimaginable situation, it should urge all of us to live better lives.
Eric Rockel
President, GTCC