The other night, as a bit of a lark, I started to watch this relatively new series on Netflix called Partner Track. It is about a group of associates who are trying to make partner at a high-powered New York City law firm. They constantly struggle to make themselves look good and their fellow associates look bad in front of senior partners and potential clients. 

In the first episode, associates spend time predicting what phrases will be used in a meeting about a potential merger and acquisition. They guess phrases like boil the ocean, that’s real money, golden ticket, kick the tires, circle the wagons, slippery slope, and align the incentives. It turns out they are right. Within minutes after the meeting has begun, the jargon spews forth. 

The scene cracked me up. When I was in consulting, I found lingo used in business meetings hilarious. I started recording common phrases and then got sophisticated enough to divide phrases into groupings. There were the sports metaphors, like full court press, taking it over the finish line, there is no “I” in team, the ball’s in your court, Hail Mary pass, down for the count. And whenever we were bidding on a long-shot proposal, you could bet someone would pipe up with “any Given Sunday” you never know what will happen. 

Then there were the money metaphors, like cash cow, printing money, pouring money down the drain, money talks, time is money, rainmaker, and giving my two cents.

Next came the old sage metaphors like it’s not over til the fat lady sings, don’t reinvent the wheel, you’ve got to break eggs to make an omelet, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, it’s not in my wheelhouse, at the drop of a hat, don’t let the cat out of the bag, you missed the boat, leave no stone unturned, and cut to the chase.

Consultants would tell me phrases their parents used when they were growing up. They gave examples like I brought you into this world, I can take you out, tell someone who cares, two peas in a pod, the world is your oyster, you’re barking up the wrong tree, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill, she’s a diamond in the rough, life isn’t a bed of roses, and, of course, money doesn’t grow on trees. 

Often when we had meetings, just to get things going, we would see how many phrases we could use in the first five minutes. Then we would make up our own bad sage sayings. My favorite was “assign blame whenever possible” which, of course, is the worst thing you can do. 

There is something about these sayings, I find fascinating. Often, they speak of an era. Parents who grew up during the depression used sayings about tough times—A penny saved is a penny earned, don’t cry over spilt milk, a stitch in time saves nine. FDR said, “It is the American people themselves who are in the driver’s seat.” He called people who were in denial about the horrors of war “cheerful idiots.” And he frequently used the phrase “separating the wheat from the chaff.” 

Many popular sayings come from Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack. They include haste makes waste, lost time is never found again, no gains without pains, we must indeed all hang together or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately, well done is better than well said, and guests like fish begin to smell after three days.

My mom’s favorite saying was, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I was thinking about that saying as I watched the news coverage about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Say what you want about the woman, there was no question that she ruled with a quiet grace and dignity that is all too rare in today’s rude crude world. It is difficult not to juxtapose her countenance with Trump’s mean-spirited comments about others. I am sad and embarrassed as I reflect on the fact that America elected a president who clearly put no stock in grace, class, kindness, or compassion. The word decorum was not in his lexicon. Such virtues were not a priority for us as a nation when we elected him to be our president, and the world was watching.

In closing, when I reflect on where we are as a country, perhaps the most appropriate saying is, you reap what you sow. Let us hope that one of my favorite authors, George Eliot, was right when she said, “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”   

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.

The Easton Town Council unanimously passed a new law prohibiting retail stores from providing customers with single-use plastic bags at the checkout counter.  The vote brought to the end a long process of public hearings and workshops that took place since the idea was mooted by members of Plastic-Free Easton back in March.  Council members discussed their support of the bill, finally passing it 5-0 to happy smiles and applause. This was an achievement on reducing an important source of plastics pollution in Easton guided by Council President Megan Cook.  The law is a result of an positive collaboration between town leaders and residents.

In his message supporting the new law Ward 2 Council member Don Abbatiello noted, “The overall goal is to reduce the amount of plastic trash in our community and our waterways.  Every piece of plastic that was ever produced but not incinerated is still with us today. If the Puritans invented plastic, it would still be here.”  Mr. Abbatiello said when the president of the Talbot Watermen Association spoke in favor of a ban, “We were all listening. The Tred Avon, the Miles, and the Choptank all have part of their headwaters in Easton. The ban will help to improve the bay.” He also said that unlike plastics used in life-saving medical applications, “plastic bags are a convenience, not essential.”

Ward 4 Council member Rev. Elmer Davis urged residents to consider how our lifestyles might do harm to our environment and advised residents “do good and not cause harm to our community.”

The new law not only bans single-use plastic bags at checkout, but also requires retailers to charge 10 cents for paper bags. Retailers keep the fee to help defray the added cost of paper bags.  The combination of plastic bag ban and fee on paper bags helps move consumers towards bringing in their own reusable bags. The law goes into effect April 2, 2023.

 Marion O Arnold is leader of the Plastic-Free Easton action committee.  She lives in Easton, MD.

 

Vacations may be over. All county council members were present for the August 23 meeting, and Dr. Cliff Coppersmith, President of Chesapeake College, and Karen Smith, V.P. for Administrative Services, were pleased to see so many students back on campus for the first day of classes.

They had more good news. Teachers’ salaries are being raised, and these increases include a 6% raise for all employees. The revised FY23 budget request, an increase of $1.295 million, was passed unanimously. There’s no change to the county budget. It is all state funded.

Next up, an administrative resolution to establish a Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe committee. County attorney Patrick Thomas recalled that council member Pack had introduced the idea to establish a standing committee for fundraising in 2018. This moved to a vote and passed unanimously.

A policy to establish a sewer connection from Tunis Mills and Copperville to Royal Oak pump station to serve a government-owned property was introduced. Addressing concerns for the possibility of additional development, County Engineer Ray Clarke explained that this service would be limited to government properties. The public hearing for Resolution 334 is scheduled for September 13, 6pm.

Regarding legislation to expand structures for nonconforming uses under certain conditions, Bill 1525 is scheduled for a public hearing on September 13.  And a hearing for an amendment to Bill 1524 regarding solar energy installations and the preservation of our highest quality croplands is also scheduled for September 13.

Resolution 331 was up for a vote. Two parcels on Matthewstown Rd. would be reclassified to S1 W1, priority status. This development of 200 homes has been in planning stages since 2008, and the number of homes to be built has been reduced from possibly as many as 550. The Planning Commission has approved this amendment, and Mayor Willey confirmed that traffic issues have been addressed over the years. Our schools haven’t been consulted; but Easton’s highly rated sewer system is ready, and the town is, too.

Concerns remained for possible impact upon our schools and services. There was more discussion of Resolution 331 than of any other this evening, but it was put to a vote and passed 3-2.  Price and Packer voted against it. Divillio, Lesher, and Callahan voted for it.

Concerning a suggestion that developers aren’t “stepping up,” their role in these matters remains a concern. Sharing the burdens of development with our town may also complicate matters. The town of Easton collects property taxes. Income taxes are collected by the county, but the county funds schools (nearly half its budget), provides many or most services, and maintains county roads.

Preston Pepper, Director of Talbot County Parks and Recreation, turned the conversation in another direction. He presented the 2022 Land Preservation and Parks and Recreation Plan to preserve our waterways and trails. This plan is revised every 5 years, and his careful supervision is clearly appreciated.

County Manager Clay Stamp then announced committee appointments and funding for new HVAC units for the Hogs Neck remodeled pavilion, dugouts and a playground at the Community Center and Back Creek Park, and eight pickleball courts at the Community Center. Legislation will also be filed for a Talbot County Correctional Officers Retirement system.

Note: The dugouts, playground and pickleball courts are all state funded! We do still work together, and I was recently reminded of our county’s pride in becoming the first in Maryland to extend broadband access to all its citizens.

In this case we received $1.75 million from President Biden’s Recovery Plan, and the county will be working with Easton Utilities to spend $13 million already received from a USDA Program initiated by Obama. This will help our county attract and retain the workers we need.

Another busy meeting adjourned in a timely fashion at 7:34 pm, but there was more news. Talbot Integrity Project has filed a complaint with our Talbot County Circuit Court regarding the award of a contract to Rauch, Inc. to rewrite our Talbot County Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan.

Rauch’s bid was lower than another submitted, but the complaint describes Rauch as unqualified due to a conflict of interest described in Talbot County Ethics Ordinance, Section 60-12A. Rausch, Inc. is also the principal engineer for Lakeside in Trappe.

Trappe was mentioned only once or twice this evening. As the meeting adjourned, Council Vice President Lesher reminded us to drive safely. School is starting.

Carol Voyles is a graphic designer/illustrator who retired to the Eastern Shore and became interested in politics. She serves as communications chair for the Talbot County Democratic Forum and lives in Easton.

Recent media attention has focused on China’s military actions and threats against Taiwan and its general bellicosity towards both Taiwan and the US. Some Western and all Chinese commentary blame Speaker Pelosi’s brief trip to Taipei as the provocation and also a violation of the “One China Policy”. Beijing also believes that the West’s continuing refusal to recognize Beijing’s right to recover Taiwan (considers it a lost  province), fully justifies its rhetoric and military actions. But War?

Xi’s likely near term motivations: (1) remind the globe the PRC is a super power, (2) distract unhappy Chinese from the increasing economic and Covid lock-down problems as well as from (3) the tighter control Xi is slowly exerting over them and their lives. Younger Chinese now project a  growing militant nationalism as Xi absorbed Hong Kong and militarily pushes China’s claims on Taiwan.  His mantra  “America is declining, China is rising” continues to feed these feelings.  

Xi is applying to Taiwan, a strategy similar to Putin’s against Ukraine: face it with an overwhelming military force, calculating Kiev/Taipei will be cowed into submission. It didn’t work for Moscow and I doubt it will succeed for Beijing. The question becomes: will Xi decide to invade Taiwan as Putin did Ukraine?

The Hong Kong Precedent:

In 1997 the UK transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to the PRC, ending 156 years of its colonial status. Great Britain had conquered Hong Kong in 1841 during its Opium Wars with China.  However, the 1997 agreement also contained Beijing’s acceptance of a 50 year transition period, during which Hong Kong’s government would be democratic and would follow a rule of law protecting individual rights. This arrangement was labeled “One China, Two Systems”.   

However, Xi’s patience did not extend to 2047 when the 50 year two systems approach would have naturally ended.  Thus, starting in 1919 he forcefully put down Hong Kong residents’ frequent large,  demonstrations protesting Beijing’s attempt to impose a draconian national security law. In August 2022, Beijing directly, totally controls the former colony, over which it received sovereignty in 1997.  

Xi unilaterally abrogated the 1997 agreement with London, generating loud objections from the West and Taiwan.  As a consequence, Hong Kong’s long standing role as Asia’s financial hub, is ending.    .

How Legitimate is Beijing’s Claim to Taiwan? 

Taiwan’s legal situation is quite different from Hong Kong’s because Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong was not in question after 1997.  However, China ceded its Taiwan sovereignty to Japan in 1895. 

In 1945, Japan surrendered to the US and its Allies, ending WWII, but the documentation left the issue of  who “owned” Taiwan, unaddressed. At the time, American Forces occupied the island. Later, the Truman Administration invited its wartime ally, Chiang kai-shek, then the Chinese leader, to administer Taiwan, but unaccompanied by a legal transfer of Taiwan sovereignty to China. 

The PRC holds that it was implicitly made, which would have required the US to have claimed sovereignty over Taiwan when Japan surrendered, which it never did. 

If China wasn’t a credible military threat to Taiwan, Ukraine and Russia would continue to monopolize international news. However, most of the 23 million Taiwanese, are strongly opposed to and willing to defend against, becoming citizens of Communist China.

The following historic chronology traces the 500 year sequence of shifting sovereignty over Taiwan.  My opinion only, but China has a very circumstantial, but not a convincing legal case, to support its assertion that Taiwan is rightfully part of China.  

Taiwan: Chronology

• 13th to early 17th Century:

• • • Taiwan “discovered” by Portugal (called it Formosa), 
    • Colonized by Dutch, lesser extent, by Spanish.
    • 1683, China’s Qing Dynasty conquered/absorbed Taiwan’s Southern region into its empire.. 
    • Various Chinese dynasties ruled it until 1895.  

• 19th & 20th Centuries

• • • China lost first Sino-Japanese War and ceded Taiwan to Japan.
    • Japan ruled Taiwan until 1945 when it lost WWII to US and Allies. 
    • Washington asked WWII Ally, China (then under Chaing kai shek) to administer Taiwan.
    • 1949 Chiang lost Chinese civil war to Mao and  Communists, moved government and contents of national museum to Taiwan. 
    • Until 1979, US dealt with Chiang and his Kuomintang Government, not Mao and his successors as the legitimate diplomatic representatives of China internationally.    
    • 1972, President Nixon first US President to visit Communist Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC).
    • 1979, US established full diplomatic relations with PRC and recognized its sovereignty over China, but no mention of Taiwan.  
    • 1980s democratic reforms in Taiwan.
    • 1995 first democratically elected President of Taiwan.

• 21st Century

In 2022, Taiwan’s economy is thriving and features a major global microchip manufacturing sector. It has a large, well educated middle class and a functioning democracy equipped with police and national security forces.  An observer might sensibly ask why Taiwan doesn’t just declare its independence.  The answer: it might drive Xi to actually invade the island, and lead to a wider Pacific war.  This is a fear shared in Taipei, Washington, Tokyo, Canberra and Seoul 

Will the PRC attack Taiwan?

Unlikely in the near term, i.e. 1- 2 years, despite the fact the PRC in 2022 bears no resemblance to the country Nixon visited 50 years ago and appears competent to do so.  It has a number of billionaires, a large, well educated middle class and a nuclear armed military. It’s GDP is second only to America’s and it is an industrial power house with a huge export market.  But, it has problems.

Economic Issues:

The looser domestic grip Xi’s immediate predecessors allowed, which welcomed foreign investment and international businesses, is chilling in the wake of Beijing’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, his efforts to control multinationals combined with his expansionist actions in the South China Sea and military threats to Taiwan, have created an unpredictable economic/commercial environment.  The result: a number of foreign firms are moving their production facilities and jobs out of China.  

Pandemic:

The Pandemic has killed millions of people and substantially disrupted global trade and economies. China’s zero Covid policy has exacerbated the pain in China through massive lock-downs of large cities, citizens restricted to their homes, fences erected around apartment complexes and closure of factories, banks and other businesses.   Xi’s Zero Tolerance Covid policy clearly evidences his objective of creating a highly concentrated, strong man rule.  

Conclusion:

To repeat, I do not believe Xi will invade Taiwan unless something unexpected occurs, e.g. a referendum is held and Taiwan declares its independence or North Korea sends missiles into Seoul,Tokyo or Guam and the US retaliates or a major political or economic or natural disaster occurs in the US, absorbing Washington’s attention.  

The reasons are the following: (1) The US and the West have not shrugged their shoulders at China’s militant moves as they did when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, possibly emboldening Putin; (2) the Chinese military has never fought a full scale war, whereas the US is seriously battle hardened and very experienced; (3) the Chinese people have a lot to lose now if the PRC goes to war. Xi does not enjoy an unassailable power position comparable to Mao’s or Stalin’s. Thus, he cannot be totally confident the public won’t challenge him should body bags and huge economic demands to support a war, arrive. Such an eventuality could encourage another competing power clique to replace or remove him and (4) Xi doesn’t appear to be irrationally obsessed with recreating some earlier, larger Chinese empire.  

Tom Timberman is an Army vet, lawyer, former senior Foreign Service officer, adjunct professor at GWU, and economic development team leader or foreign government advisor in war zones. He is the author of four books, lectures locally and at US and European universities. He and his wife are 24 year residents of Kent County.

I knew something was up when the store public address system blasted a message something like this: “Good morning shoppers. We are experiencing difficulties with our electronic systems. Most registers at our checkout stations are temporarily out of order. We appreciate your patience.”

I was in Walmart. It was mid-morning on a Saturday and the store was humming with folks eager to fill their shopping lists and get on with their day. 

The reactions on the aisles were immediate. Some were silent, a raised eyebrow or a whisper to one’s shopping companion. Others were sarcastically humorous “Just what I needed this morning.” Only a few were muttering nasty phrases that should not be repeated. 

I finally found everything my wife, Lynn, had asked me to pick up and I headed for the self-checkout area. Soon, the line of shoppers behind me was so long it snaked across the main store entrance aisle and into the fruits and vegetables department. Shoppers who decided to stand in lines for the two or three working registers were backed up across a wide aisle and into the racks of women’s and girl’s clothing where they were almost totally hidden. 

I was able to leave in about 45 minutes, taking with me an observation I found stunning.  Almost no one complained about the delay they were experiencing. In fact, there were lots of amiable conversations among strangers.  

In a word, dozens of shoppers, anxious to fill their orders and leave the store, were PATIENT. 

As I have thought about that morning, I have hoped that it might have been a small sign, a tiny case study, demonstrating that we Americans  have the capacity to be patient when things go wrong. 

As individual citizens, and as communities in a free and democratic society, we are certain to face enormous challenges in the days and weeks ahead—some we can predict, most we cannot. Our patience will be sorely tested. We will need to dig deep to find it because, with patience, we can gain that precious moment or two of time that will allow us to assess those challenges and overcome them with   thoughtful and clear-headed responses.  

Ross Jones is a former vice president and secretary emeritus of The Johns Hopkins University. He joined the University in 1961 as assistant to President Milton S. Eisenhower. A 1953 Johns Hopkins graduate, he later earned a Master’s Degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

We may appreciate this advice more than ever these days. With major news channels arguing over the meaning of Joe Biden’s statement that we have ”no inflation this month,” our Talbot County Counsel is providing relief.

First on the docket at their August 9 meeting was the introduction of Sharon Pepukayi, Ed.D., our new superintendent of Talbot County Public Schools. A “from here, come-back-here” graduate of St. Michaels High, she became a teacher in North Carolina, taught 4th grade in Ohio, and then headed back in this direction to become a teacher and an administrator in Delaware. She’s glad to be back home and is looking forward to meeting and listening to everyone who might assist her in ensuring our students’ success.

Following her welcome and the unanimous approval of updated rules for our Talbot County Board of Appeals, legislation was introduced to add a definition of “country club” to county code. Typical of our democratic process, every action taken is subject to the review of multiple governing agencies and public scrutiny. This takes more time and effort than autocratic leadership, but yields better results. We will hear more about the modification of an existing property at the public hearing for bill 1523 on Tuesday, September 13.

This procedure could be considered troublesome, but success reminds us that accountability to a community is key to positive results. Recognizing concerns for the mitigation of agricultural land in solar installation is requiring more discussion of code guidelines here in Talbot County. Considering the importance of both solar energy and farmland on our Eastern Shore, the removal of topsoil that has occurred in other states will not occur here in Talbot County. Practical considerations of how and where topsoil might be moved and stored remain; and these issues will be discussed at the council’s August 23 meeting – in time for bill 1524 to be voted upon at the September 13 hearing.

Cassandra Vanhooser, Director of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and Reza Jafari, Chairman, Talbot County Economic Development Commission, presented recommendations for the distribution of $3.2 million – Talbot County’s share of the $50 million to be awarded to projects that stimulate economic activity and grow jobs. 23 applications have been submitted here. The projects selected will then be submitted to the Mid-Shore Regional Council on August 12 and go to the Department of Commerce on September 2.

Winners announced this fall could include: $22,000 for equipment for the Talbot County Free Library, $87,133 for workforce development at Black African American Minds (BAAM), $125,000 for Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism,  $257,000 for workforce training at Chesapeake College, $240,000 for Mid-Shore Broadband Cooperative, $300,000 for Talbot County Parks and Recreation at Frederick Douglass Park, $400,000 for Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, $501,700 for town of Easton to bury power lines on Port St., $500,000 for the Avalon Foundation’s Stoltz Pavilion, and $750,000 for Talbot County Public Works.

There were questions. What about the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum? And Trappe? Since the parameters of this project are to promote economic development and tourism within two years, this residential project doesn’t qualify. It was also noted that the Maritime Museum is already drawing tourists and receiving funding; but the final decision of which projects will be submitted is up to our Talbot County Council, and Scott Warner of the Mid-Shore Regional Council reassured them, “We will work with you.”

This all might have been accomplished in one day, with suitable spin to follow in an autocracy; but in this case a council work session is scheduled for this coming Thursday, August 11. Council member Price wishes they had been advised sooner, but looks forward to reviewing the awards; and Vice President Lesher assured the committee that he would recuse himself from deliberations regarding the Maritime Museum.

And this is all public record. Talbot County Manager Clay Stamp then presented several county board and committee appointments for approval. County Engineer Ray Clarke relayed information regarding a sewer-related project in Tilghman; and County Attorney Patrick Thomas kept all these procedures on track for a very busy county council.

Vice President Pete Lesher also thanked volunteers who have stepped forward to serve on these projects. Council member Pack remarked about positive efforts regarding the county’s Police Accountability Board, and Laura Price ended the evening with an observation that she and Pack are both on the same page now and “on their way out the door.”

That progress has been noted. Growth issues may not have been  a concern while our county’s population remained relatively stable over the past decade, but they were addressed in a robust manner during the last county council meeting. Our council is now discussing traffic and school issues regarding a development of 200 homes. That’s reassuring, but our next council will have its hands full with many more homes and a new comprehensive plan on the horizon.

Meanwhile a county website is suggesting that at least 50 local businesses are hiring. And the mayor of Ocean City, standing proudly on a crowded beach, suggested that falling gas prices are even lower this week closer to the shore.

A county council work session to determine development and tourism award recipients is scheduled for August 11, and a public hearing for legislation discussed this evening will be held on Tuesday, August 23. The August 9 meeting adjourned at 7:58 pm.

Carol Voyles is a graphic designer/illustrator who retired to the Eastern Shore and became interested in politics. She serves as communications chair for the Talbot County Democratic Forum and lives in Easton.

The little town of Quarrelsville lies on the outskirts of Malberg. The speed limit posted on Main Street is 25 mph, but most drivers passing through are too impatient to comply. Several children have been knocked off their bikes and injured. Thankfully, none have been killed.

The town council is equally divided, as they are on most issues, on what to do. Camp Blue, noting that speed signs are ignored, wants to put in three-inch-high, yellow-painted speed bumps.

Camp Orange disagrees. Three-inch speed bumps would exceed the town’s budget. Two-and-a-half-inch speed bumps would be acceptable, but only if they’re orange. 

“Okay,” said Camp Blue, “we’ll agree to your proposal. Will you now vote for it?”

“No,” said Camp Orange, “we still don’t like it.” 

“Why?”

“Because you’ll take credit for the idea.” 

I guess you can see the parallel to the vote just tallied in the US Senate. All fifty Democrat Senators voted for the Inflation Reduction Act; all fifty Republican Senators voted against it.

What? 

In part one of Gulliver’s Travels, shipwrecked Gulliver finds himself in the land of the little people of Lilliput. A civil war is about to begin over disagreement on the proper end of the egg to break. Obviously satire, Swift is trying to show the stupidity of the extent to which a silly, nit-picking argument can lead.

Our present situation is not so trivial. Our Congress is staunchly divided on a bill that would lower healthcare costs for all Americans and mitigate global warming that threatens all life on Earth. And one side is hung up on who gets credit for the progress!

Has there ever been an argument more inane? Objectors are saying “We don’t like your plan that saves our grandchildren because it makes you look too good. (Note: here I am assuming that the nay-sayers are actually educated enough to be aware that there is a problem). 

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. 

For those who may doubt we have a problem, I would be happy to elucidate. Though I myself am not a climate scientist, one of my best friends, now semi-retired, was head of NOAA’s global greenhouse gas monitoring system for many years. I could provide a not-too-technical translation of his summary of the global warming problem if you email me at khufubob@gmail.com.

This is not time to worry about the scorecard.

Bob Moores retired from Black & Decker/DeWalt in 1999 after 36 years. He was the Director of Cordless Product Development at the time. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Peroutka “warriors” assembled at the Giant parking lot on Saturday, July 29. Armed with a “rock solid plan of attack” and list of targeted addresses, they would promote Peroutka’s candidacy as they confirmed Talbot County voters’ existence and eligibility to vote.

The success of such an effort in “42 other states” implied a slam-dunk here. According to the Peroutka campaign, “Maryland is the most corrupt state in the entire country in regards to election fraud.” Considering also that it could be “this or turning in your right to vote,” twenty-four warriors signed on to canvass for Michael Peroutka, Republican candidate for Maryland Attorney General.

A highly recommended “SOS Report” on Rumble emphasized that more of us have voted, but avoided mentioning the number of eligible registered voters in Maryland or the fact that voter participation is up nationwide.

Maryland’s eligible registered voting population was 4,109,762 in 2020. The SOS reported 3,066,945 voters and referenced 2,998,874 as “Voter History.”  The 68,071 more of us that voted are portrayed as “Missing Voters” buzzed by an angel of death.

Suggesting that even half that number were voters that had assumed the identities of dead people is a stretch, but it could explain how one might possibly believe Maryland is rife with election fraud.

According to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative site, just seven cases of voter fraud have been prosecuted in Maryland over the past decade. Not every case is discovered, adjudicated in court, and covered in the media; but claims of thousands of dead people voting have been thoroughly debunked.

The Maryland Board of Elections provides statewide registration lists to qualified registered Maryland voters. These can be checked for compatibility with other public records. They could also be made into lists for canvassing. Peroutka warriors carried out most of their mission in the town of Easton.

CNN News has reminded us of Peroutka’s 9/11 conspiracy theories. He’s suggested that the hijacked planes hitting the World Trade Center did not cause the buildings to collapse. An “elite bureaucrat” had more likely planted demolition devices, and those who died in the plane that hit the Pentagon may have been killed elsewhere.

Peroutka’s campaign coordinator confirmed only that Maryland’s “primary election results demonstrate that Maryland Republicans are dissatisfied with their current leadership.”

Governor Hogan responded more succinctly, “These disgusting lies don’t belong in our party.” And he tweeted,” We know who was responsible for 9/11. Blaming our country for al-Qaeda’s atrocities is an insult to the memory of the thousands of innocent Americans and brave responders that died that day.”

We haven’t heard reports of the warriors’ findings in Talbot County, but Arizona has announced the results of yet another election audit. The last one, months long in duration, discovered more votes for Biden. This one yielded evidence of one deceased person voting.

According to election security officials at the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), records requests have become “voluminous and daunting” across our nation since the 2020 election. Local election officials are also struggling to recruit and retain administrators at a time when workers are being harassed and receiving death threats. Hundreds of hostile messages have been documented.

We might recall that President Trump, faced with more mail-in ballots during Covid, feared “levels of voting that if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.” With this observation in mind, it can’t be too surprising that over 60 court cases challenging the results of our 2020 election have since been either lost or dismissed.

Scores of recounts nationwide have yielded no evidence of voter fraud that could possibly have impacted the results of our 2020 election, and Trump has more recently suggested, “No one has gotten to the bottom of 9/11.”

Let’s not be too surprised if even more of our eligible registered voters exercise their right to vote in 2022.

Carol Voyles is a graphic designer/illustrator who retired to the Eastern Shore and became interested in politics. She serves as communications chair for the Talbot County Democratic Forum and lives in Easton.

The small yet critically important Marshyhope Creek on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has been targeted for a massive facility that poses a serious threat to its water quality and its habitats. The state’s initial attempt to permit AquaCon’s massive Federalsburg facility is grossly deficient.

The start-up Norwegian company’s promises about sustainable indoor salmon farming and the economic benefits it would bring to Maryland have not panned out elsewhere in this industry.

Instead, the nascent indoor salmon farming industry has been plagued by mass die-offs of fish, lackluster consumer support, and in one case a catastrophic fire that destroyed an industrial salmon production facility in Demark.

Despite the industry’s problems, AquaCon is now proposing a 25-acre indoor salmon farm near Federalsburg, and a draft discharge permit for it has been issued by the Maryland Department of the Environment. As scientists and environmental advocates who have reviewed the proposed permit, we find it to be concerning and deficient. If AquaCon is allowed to operate under this permit, there are numerous risks to Eastern Shore ecosystems and the Chesapeake Bay.

Anyone concerned with this proposal should attend the in-person public hearing 5 to 8 p.m., Aug. 10 at Federalsburg Town Hall. MDE plans to accept written comments until close of business October 17,

AquaCon is proposing to produce about 35 million pounds of salmon per year at this facility in a series of tanks. Within these tanks, the water would be filtered and recycled to limit the wastewater that leaves the plant.

Yet AquaCon still proposes to dump 2.3 million gallons of wastewater into Marshyhope Creek each day. This amount of polluted water could overwhelm the narrow and mostly shallow tidal creek.

Federally and state designated as critical habitat, the Marshyhope is the smallest known river in the United States that’s home to the endangered Atlantic sturgeon. It’s also the only river in Maryland where the species is known to spawn. MDE has not addressed concerns expressed by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and scientists from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science about how the pollution and coldwater discharges from the industrial salmon farm would affect Atlantic sturgeon.

This project represents the first experiment of its kind where fecal wastes, well exceeding those of the entire human population of Caroline County, are self-contained under a single roof.

Neither AquaCon nor MDE has provided assurances that the proposed technology, which has only been tested in small production units, will work to filter the feces from millions of large salmon grown in tanks. Maryland’s Eastern Shore already faces a severe overabundance of animal processing wastes.

In the U.S., there’s only one industrial salmon farm in operation that’s of a similar scale as what’s being proposed by AquaCon—a plant in Miami operated by Atlantic Sapphire. That plant, which first began producing salmon in 2020, suffered mass die-offs of salmon in 2020 and 2021 that killed more than 600,000 fish—equivalent to about 1,300 cattle being wasted. In September 2021, Atlantic Sapphire’s pilot plant in Demark, where it was testing technology to raise salmon indoors caught fire and destroyed the facility. The fire created a cloud of smoke that covered neighboring communities and caused a nearby waterway to turn red. Authorities warned citizens in the area not to enter the water due to excessive amounts of iron chloride spilling into the water next to the plant.

Despite these catastrophic events, MDE’s proposed permit does not address what AquaCon would be required to do in the event of loss of power, water supply interruptions, fish die-offs, debilitating storms, or devastating fire. Even if AquaCon were required to obtain a bond to cover operational failures, the environmental risks are too high to be mitigated by this kind of compensation.

The Marshyhope is already impaired by primary Bay pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus, yet MDE’s permit doesn’t detail how the plant could ensure it doesn’t exceed the limits the agency sets for these pollutants.

The permit doesn’t address how stormwater runoff would be treated from the plant, which would be one of the largest buildings in the state—about the size of six Super Walmarts. An inch of rainfall on this facility could produce up to 750,000 gallons of runoff, which would create flooding and pollution risks.

AquaCon is also proposing to withdraw 2.3 million gallons of water per day from underground aquifers, yet MDE has failed to address whether groundwater supplies and existing uses can accommodate this level of withdrawal, or could cause nearby land to sink, as has happened elsewhere.

What MDE did do is compare this new permit with one issued in Belfast, Maine for a different indoor salmon farm. However, the comparison is less than apt. In Maine, the facility would drain into Penobscot Bay, a much larger, deeper, and colder body of water, whereas the Marshyhope at the proposed discharge location is only about 100 feet wide and wadable at low tide. And while Maine did grant a discharge permit for the facility, the plant has not been built so there’s no way to tell if the permit is appropriate or being met.

The indoor-raised salmon industry has struggled with an off-taste due to high levels of the compound geosmin being present in the salmon tanks. In Maryland, AquaCon is proposing to “purge” that geosmin from their fish straight into the Marshyhope. The effects of doing that to the fish already living in this sensitive waterway – from temperature and salinity imbalances, to chemical contamination, to excessive nutrient loads – are mostly unknown.

Taken together, the risks posed by this speculative business proposition are great. If Maryland is really interested in enabling farm raised salmon production on the Shore, state regulators need to do more to protect surrounding communities, guarantee pollution in local waterways won’t get worse, and find a site that doesn’t directly threaten the endangered Atlantic sturgeon.

Alan Girard, Eastern Shore Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Dr. Bradley Stevens, Professor Emeritus of Marine Science, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Dr. David Secor, Professor, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory

Fred Pomeroy, President, Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth

Jay Martin, President, Friends of the Nanticoke River

Dr. Judith Stribling, Faculty Emerita, Salisbury University

Madeleine Adams, President, Wicomico Environmental Trust

Matt Pluta, Director of Riverkeeper Programs, ShoreRivers

Nick Carter, Retired Fisheries Biologist, MD Department of Natural Resources