Please bear with this letter as it may be fragmented since there are so many things to address.

There was a time when Rep. Andy Harris would brag about being Co-Chair of the Ukrainian Caucus in Congress.

There was a time, too, many times in fact, when Harris would wax poetic about his mother, describing her as an “Ukrainian immigrant who fled Soviet tyranny.”

There was a time when Harris supported providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, continuing financial aid to Ukraine, and granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to all Ukrainian citizens in the US.

That time has passed.

Today Harris supports removing TPS from everyone—to please Donald Trump.
Today Harris questions providing any further aid to Ukraine—to please Donald Trump.
Today Harris supports rewarding the Russian invasion by giving Putin Ukrainian land—to please Donald Trump.
Today Harris betrays his mother by acquiescing to the very Russian tyranny she fled—all to please Donald Trump.

Harris is a moral coward, and the people of Maryland’s First District deserve better.

Now is the time for Harris to try pleasing the people of his district rather than pleasing Donald Trump.

Slava Ukraini!

James N. Sicks
Cambridge

Elon Musk and Congress are waving a chainsaw towards the American safety net which has kept most of us healthy and provided some security in old age for 90 years.  Talbot County is especially vulnerable as a rural area with older residents. 

1.     Social Security is an insurance program that all workers pay into until they lose their jobs, become disabled, retire, or die. Thirty percent of Talbot County residents rely on social security benefits for income; for about 40% of them, it is their sole income. Trump claims he won’t cut benefits, but Musk seeks to lay off half the Social Security Administration workers and close the field offices.  

2.     Medicare and Medicaid, created in 1965, are slated by Congress’s budget resolution of February 25 for a cut of $880 billion, perhaps all in Medicaid, to enable tax cuts for the wealthy. 16.8% of Talbot’s citizens are on Medicaid, which pays for nursing homes and healthcare for those under 65 with limited income.  The loss of Medicaid money would heavily affect our Memorial Hospital and clinics.  Some nursing homes could close.  

3.     To help young families with children, another safety net was created by combining Medicaid with CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). 34% of children in Talbot County are on this program, and cuts in Medicaid will affect it. 

4.     The Affordable Care Act (also called Obama Care) was signed into law in 2010, offering a more affordable health insurance to Americans, particularly those with existing conditions such as diabetes.  Republicans have sought for years to end this program. 

We must speak up to save our safety net.  

Lena Gill
Easton

The White House continues to stress that the Executive Order attacking DEI programs was intended to combat illegal discrimination. Additionally, it was titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.”

A federal judge also granted a nationwide injunction, finding that the DEI executive order is unclear and violates the 1st and 5th Amendments to the Constitution. Click here for more.

This is all in constant motion and there is no reason for Talbot County to jump to conclusions and get out over its skis on an issue that has yet to be resolved. There is no clear evidence that Talbot County could lose federal funding, as asserted by some. Unless you believe that the Talbot County DEI Statement violates standing discrimination laws, there is no reason to remove it: unless it is simply a political move to comply with the political agenda of the President and further the ongoing American cultural war.

There is nothing wrong and everything right with believing in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in everyday life. “Liberty and justice for all”, remember? Take a pause. Do the right thing – reject the proposal to remove the statement.

Mr. Stepp, help us avoid a mess that pits Talbot County citizens against each other over a political non-issue that doesn’t need fixing – rescind your proposed resolution. Enough with division, we all live here TOGETHER with diversity, equity and inclusion!

Rick and Peg Hughes
Easton

There’s a strange sickness in this country—where we dismantle what works, just because some rich loudmouth decides it’s “wasteful.” And now, USAID—the agency that has helped millions of people around the world while keeping American farmers, contractors, and businesses employed—is on the chopping block.

You’d think small-town Marylanders wouldn’t care. But let me tell you—USAID buys American. It buys our corn, our wheat, our equipment. It opens markets that our farmers depend on. Without it, those opportunities disappear, and guess who takes our place? China.

USAID partners with the University of Maryland’s eastern shore and college park campuses to deliver its life-saving care. It also works with Johns Hopkins, 16 Maryland farmers and another 11 nonprofits in our state. All in all, nearly $1 Billion was spent in Maryland by USAID. These businesses and workers are all affected.

Do not be fooled that USAID only spends money abroad. Its total budget is less than 1% of the federal budget and only 0.13% of US GDP. It literally saves lives around the world, projects US soft power and SPENDS MOST OF ITS MONEY AT HOME.

Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, you know better. Don’t let Elon Musk’s Twitter tantrums dictate U.S. foreign policy. Stand up. Defend USAID. Because a strong, self-reliant America doesn’t shrink from the world—it leads it.

Sangeet Chowfla
Oxford MD

To our Republican friends and neighbors:

In the few short weeks since Inauguration Day, our new “leader” of the Free World has:

Conceded to Vladimir Putin – ahead of any meaningful discussions either with our allies or with Ukraine – his objectives in any settlement that would end his bloody invasion of Ukraine, and accused President Zelensky of starting the war in the first place;

Sent his Vice President to Europe to denigrate our NATO allies and to support the election of the far-right AfD party in Germany;

Threatened to impose tariffs on our partners in USMCA – Canada and Mexico – and other countries, which would worsen inflation in our country and do little to achieve campaign promises – such as protecting American jobs or raising revenues to pay for tax cuts for millionaires;

Fired thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of federal employees without cause and without notice as required for Civil Service employees;

Gutted the work of USAID – the agency charged with the responsibility to distribute American foreign aid, including the produce of American farmers, to needy countries throughout the world – by withholding funding and firing much of its workforce;

Unleashed Elon Musk and his gang of un-vetted “DOGE boys” to capture the files of agencies like the IRS, Social Security, etc., which  puts at risk the personal (and formerly private) information of fellow Americans;

Proclaimed himself ”THE KING” in a tweet released on his Truth Social media site on February 18 – and more. 

In short, our world is about to become a more dangerous and unfriendly place under our current President.  So my question to our friends and neighbors is: 

How do you like this guy now?

Steve Clineburg
Easton

If the Republican Party is abdicating its responsibility as one of the co-equal branches of government; if they are abdicating their responsibility to legislate; if they are abdicating their responsibility to provide the check and balance the Founding Fathers designed to check the executive branch (which we fought a Revolutionary War over….remember declining to have a King?.. )If the Republican Party doesn’t do its job, I think they should be “defunded”.  People, stop sending your hard earned money to a political party who hasn’t even taken the time to read their job description.

Judith Fauntleroy
Easton, MD