- 2016 Graduate of St. Mary's of Maryland and 2019 graduate of UMD, with concentration in Archives & Digital Curation. ... more2016 Graduate of St. Mary's of Maryland and 2019 graduate of UMD, with concentration in Archives & Digital Curation. Currently working at National Security Archive. Papers/documents are organized into various categories have been uploaded to archive.org.edit
In California one institution stands out among the rest, a place that falls under the Core Trust Seal: Merritt, part of University of California (UC). It is an “open-source digital preservation repository” which is jointly maintained by... more
In California one institution stands out among the rest, a place that falls under the Core Trust Seal: Merritt, part of University of California (UC). It is an “open-source digital preservation repository” which is jointly maintained by the California Digital Library (CDL) and the University of California Curation Center. It is, according to the homepage of the repository, designed not only for “open public access to digital content” but restricted access in the form of a dark archive
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For this visualization...I used data from one of my favorite shows, Futurama. It was an animated sitcom created by Matt Groening, who also was one of the people behind The Simpsons, another animated sitcom, set in 31st century New New... more
For this visualization...I used data from one of my favorite shows, Futurama. It was an animated sitcom created by Matt Groening, who also was one of the people behind The Simpsons, another animated sitcom, set in 31st century New New York. It first aired in March 1999 and its last episode aired in September 2013, with four direct-to-TV movies and 124 episodes...With that, there was a lot of material to choose from.
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Using data from the Infosphere, which bills itself as the “largest Futurama knowledge bank on the web,” aiming to be the most comprehensive on the subject, I began collecting my data. I first mapped out the data on paper, showing the... more
Using data from the Infosphere, which bills itself as the “largest Futurama knowledge bank on the web,” aiming to be the most comprehensive on the subject, I began collecting my data. I first mapped out the data on paper, showing the connections, then expanded that into an adjacency list which has 175 nodes and 304 edges...
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The recommendation of New York State Archives and Records Administration (SARA) and New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) for sampling the prison inmate records of New York State deserves to be fully and justly... more
The recommendation of New York State Archives and Records Administration (SARA) and New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) for sampling the prison inmate records of New York State deserves to be fully and justly considered. Clearly, looking at the capacity of SARA, it is evident there would need to be sampling...
Research Interests: Information Security, Records Management, Archives, Library and Information Science, Digital Archives, and 6 moreAppraisal theory, Archives and Records Managment, Archives and Records Management, Incarceration, Personally Identifiable Information, and Information Science / Archives / Records and Information Management
"The Maryland State Library Resource Center (SLRC), established in 1971 as a public library institution, serves as the State Library for Maryland, working to provide services and resources for Maryland libraries and their... more
"The Maryland State Library Resource Center (SLRC), established in 1971 as a public library institution, serves as the State Library for Maryland, working to provide services and resources for Maryland libraries and their patrons...Clearly, it is not a form of crisis management, as talked about by Lord and Markert, in their writing on the subject, and was put forward to clearly guide development of this unique library institution"
Research Interests: Library Science, Academic Libraries, Public Libraries, Library and Information Science, Public Budgeting and Finance, and 10 moreSpecial Libraries, Library 2.0, Digital Library, Library and Information Studies, Baltimore, School libraries, Maryland, Library, enoch pratt free library, and pratt library
In 2015, the Undergraduate Library (UGL) of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a public research university home to one of the biggest research libraries in the country, which focuses on undergraduate students, began an unusual... more
In 2015, the Undergraduate Library (UGL) of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a public research university home to one of the biggest research libraries in the country, which focuses on undergraduate students, began an unusual campaign....With a goal to promote their library services, this team planned to use more humor, with a “cat librarian” named Carver becoming the library’s “star”...
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Describing the information need and research question As a person with an archival and digital curation specialization as part of my MLIS degree here at UMCP, I have become more interested in digitization of records, even making it the... more
Describing the information need and research question As a person with an archival and digital curation specialization as part of my MLIS degree here at UMCP, I have become more interested in digitization of records, even making it the topic of my capstone project for my information infrastructure class. I asked questions across various services in order to gauge their responses, comparing how one can pose a reference question on varied platforms. The questions were tailored to different organizations and the specific venues and are telling about the nature of information professionals as a whole. My question was simple at its core: asking archives how they digitized records and if citizens could participate. Originally I attempted to pose a version of this question through non-library services like Blurtit (which seems inactive), Able2Know, and Yahoo! Answers but received no responses, but only views and points, with people even downvoting the question on Able2Know (Historyhermann, 2018; Burkely, 2018). I also attempted to ask the Library of Congress and Smithsonian questions, but as of the date of writing this essay, they have not fully responded to any of my inquiries. Even so, I achieved great success on the social media outlet of Twitter, but also through asynchronous interaction with the UMD Archives and synchronous interaction on Maryland AskUsNow! All three are significantly different types of reference services, with the question I was asking not being something that can be answered by online searching on search engines such as Google. Rather my question was likely to lead to at least some back-and-forth, with this paper comparing my experience each of these services.
Research Interests: Information Science, Archival Studies, Library Science, Archival science, Digitization, and 10 moreArchives, Library and Information Science, Manuscript digitization, Google, Digital Library, Library and Information Studies, Digitisation, Digitization of library materials, Yahoo.com, and Digitization Projects
Since the 1980s, the homeless population in the United States has expanded due to a Reagan administration policy which deinstitutionalized those deemed mentally ill, coupled with a breakdown of marriages, stagnant wages, spread of illegal... more
Since the 1980s, the homeless population in the United States has expanded due to a Reagan administration policy which deinstitutionalized those deemed mentally ill, coupled with a breakdown of marriages, stagnant wages, spread of illegal drugs in cities, increased poverty, and expensive housing, all putting strain on public services. The Enoch Pratt Free Library (EPFL), the main library in the City of Baltimore, has a mobile jobs center, book mobile, and other services that help the homeless. However, their policies of no loitering, having offensive body odor, sleeping, lying down or appearance of sleeping on library premises, undoubtedly lead to conflict with those who are homeless, a population which does not have means of other individuals and may have mental illnesses. Homeless people are sometimes restricted by existing library systems, even though libraries are becoming pseudo-homeless shelters since libraries provide necessary services for these unique library patrons. While the exact number of homeless Baltimoreans is not known, possibly numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands, there is clearly a population of individuals, who can be assisted by our mobile library, the Baltimorean Homeless Library (BHL). We also hand out cards with food, legal assistance, shelter, employment, and welfare information like the BCPL (Baltimore County Public Library) system. We do not charge fees for our service and allow homeless individuals to use shelter addresses as their permanent addresses. In order to serve this community, we work with the local system, the Behavioral Health System of Baltimore, the BCPL system, Housing Our Neighbors, Homeless People’s Action Network, Youth Empowered Society (YES), St. Vincent De Paul of Baltimore, Archdiocese of Baltimore, Baltimore Outreach Services, Healthcare for the Homeless, the Baltimore Station, United Way of Central Maryland, the Interagency Council on Homelessness in Maryland, The Journey Home, and the Baltimore City Government, including the Mayor's Office of Human Services and the Baltimore City Health Department. In order to promote our mission, some of our members also give informational talks at EPFL branches, universities, and at other public institutions.
Research Interests: Library Science, Homelessness, Critical Studies in Library and Information Science, Library and Information Science, Open Source/Open Access and Libraries, and 7 moreInformation retrieval (Library Science), Urban Homeless, Digital Library, Library and Information Studies, Library Management, Library and Archival Science, and Library
In May 1776, the Revolution had been raging for almost a year with skirmishes between the British imperial army and the rag-tag revolutionaries. William Marr, probably with his brothers Nicholas and James, enlisted in the Continental Army... more
In May 1776, the Revolution had been raging for almost a year with skirmishes between the British imperial army and the rag-tag revolutionaries. William Marr, probably with his brothers Nicholas and
James, enlisted in the Continental Army in Capt. Nathaniel Ramsey’s Fifth Company, a section of the First Maryland Regiment, at Whetstone Point. [1] It was not uncommon for multiple men of the same
immediate family to enlist in the Revolutionary War.
James, enlisted in the Continental Army in Capt. Nathaniel Ramsey’s Fifth Company, a section of the First Maryland Regiment, at Whetstone Point. [1] It was not uncommon for multiple men of the same
immediate family to enlist in the Revolutionary War.
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Baltimore Town was more than a diverse and pre-industrial port town that sat on the Patapsco River. It had numerous sentiments, ranging from the pro-revolutionary, some of which were militant in their beliefs, to support for the British... more
Baltimore Town was more than a diverse and pre-industrial port town that sat on the Patapsco River. It had numerous sentiments, ranging from the pro-revolutionary, some of which were militant in their beliefs, to support for the British Crown.
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In March 1777, revolutionary leader John Adams wrote an angry letter to his wife, Abigail. He declared that Baltimore was a “dull place” where many of the town’s remaining inhabitants were Quakers, who he described as “dull as Beetles”... more
In March 1777, revolutionary leader John Adams wrote an angry letter to his wife, Abigail. He declared that Baltimore was a “dull place” where many of the town’s remaining inhabitants were Quakers, who he described as “dull as Beetles” and a “kind of neutral Tribe, or the Race of the insipids.” These Quakers were living in a town where religious beliefs interlinked with political events.
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On December 21, 1776, Sergeant John Hardman of the Edward Veazey‘s Seventh Independent Company arrived at a public prison in Baltimore Town with captured British soldiers. [1] He was there escorting the British prisoners from... more
On December 21, 1776, Sergeant John Hardman of the Edward Veazey‘s Seventh Independent Company arrived at a public prison in Baltimore Town with captured British soldiers. [1] He was there escorting the British prisoners from Philadelphia. That night, Hardman ordered a “bowl of toddy” for the prisoners. Toddy, a popular drink originally adopted by the British, consisted of rum, hot water, and sugar.
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On April 13, 1777, John Adams described the spread of disease in Philadelphia and the fate of the sick soldiers in that city in a letter to his wife, Abigail Smith [Adams]. In his letter, he mentioned a local institution, called the... more
On April 13, 1777, John Adams described the spread of disease in Philadelphia and the fate of the sick soldiers in that city in a letter to his wife, Abigail Smith [Adams]. In his letter, he mentioned a local institution, called the Philadelphia Bettering House...The Bettering House, built in 1766 or 1767, sitting on south Spruce street, was an important part of the city’s landscape. At the time, it was an almshouse, where fever-stricken patients were cared for by nuns and fed warm meals.
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On the night of September 10, 1777, many of the soldiers and commanding officers of the Continental Army sat around their campfires and listened to an ominous sermon that would predict the events of the following day. Chaplain Jeremias... more
On the night of September 10, 1777, many of the soldiers and commanding officers of the Continental Army sat around their campfires and listened to an ominous sermon that would predict the events of the following day. Chaplain Jeremias (or Joab) Trout declared that God was on their side and that "we have met this evening perhaps for the last time…alike we have endured the cold and hunger, the contumely of the internal foe and the courage of foreign oppression…the sunlight…tomorrow…will glimmer on scenes of blood…Tomorrow morning we will go forth to battle…Many of us may fall tomorrow."
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On the morning of October 4, 1777, Continental troops encountered British forces, led by Lord William Howe, encamped at Germantown, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia’s outskirts. George Washington believed that he had surprise on his side. He... more
On the morning of October 4, 1777, Continental troops encountered British forces, led by Lord William Howe, encamped at Germantown, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia’s outskirts. George Washington believed that he had surprise on his side. He had ordered his multiple divisions to march twenty miles from their camp at Perkeomen, with some of the soldiers having neither food or blankets. Washington thought that if the British were defeated he could retake the Continental capital of Philadelphia and reverse his disaster at Brandywine.
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At 10 or 11 o’clock in the morning of April 25, 1781, one and half miles from Camden, South Carolina, British troops advanced on Continental Army soldiers, commanded by Major General Nathaniel Greene, who were having their breakfast. The... more
At 10 or 11 o’clock in the morning of April 25, 1781, one and half miles from Camden, South Carolina, British troops advanced on Continental Army soldiers, commanded by Major General Nathaniel Greene, who were having their breakfast. The Continentals, camped on a low, but “strong and difficult,” ridge named Hobkirk’s Hill, which extended for about one thousand yards, surrounded by thick woods, and a swamp on the East, were taken by surprise.
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A new biography expands on previous writing on this blog about Henry Chew Gaither, a Revolutionary War captain of the First and Fourth Maryland Regiments. On the eve of the Battle of Brooklyn, he served as a witness for Daniel Bowie’s... more
A new biography expands on previous writing on this blog about Henry Chew Gaither, a Revolutionary War captain of the First and Fourth Maryland Regiments. On the eve of the Battle of Brooklyn, he served as a witness for Daniel Bowie’s will. Unlike most Revolutionary War veterans, Gaither remained in the military after the war, serving two years in Ohio, seven years on the Georgian frontier, and two years in the Mississippi Territory as a U.S. Army officer. In August 1792, Gaither, 41 years old at the time, received nine pages of instructions for his service in Georgia from Secretary of War Henry Knox, telling him to obtain a “healthy” place for his troops, be cordial to the Spanish and
Georgian governments, and avoid a “heated” incident with their governments.
Georgian governments, and avoid a “heated” incident with their governments.
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In the past, we have written about poems and songs relating to the Maryland 400. They were celebrated years after and during the Revolutionary War, with newspapers often containing poems and songs. Such poems included one about William... more
In the past, we have written about poems and songs relating to the Maryland 400. They were celebrated years after and during the Revolutionary War, with newspapers often containing poems and songs. Such poems included one about William Sterrett in 1776 and a song by Tom Wisner titled “The Old Line.” Poems and ballads, which are narrative poems, not only appeared in newspapers but also in books. This post analyzes the 1901 ballad titled “The Maryland Battalion in the Battle of Long Island” and its author.
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In the past, we have written about Col. Barton Lucas, captain of the Third Company. Previous posts have focused on records kept by Lucas's clerk about the clothing worn by members of the Maryland 400 and mentioned in passing that he was... more
In the past, we have written about Col. Barton Lucas, captain of the Third Company. Previous posts have focused on records kept by Lucas's clerk about the clothing worn by members of the Maryland 400 and mentioned in passing that he was sick and missed the Battle of Brooklyn. We also recalled how John Hughes, a private in Lucas's company, mentioned how the Battle of Brooklyn made Capt. Barton Lucas " deranged in consequence of losing his company " and about his other military duties in the rest of the war including his service as a militia captain. Rather than just reciting the recently expanded biography of Lucas, this post focuses on a number of aspects of Lucas's life including his family relations and life as a slaveowner with a plantation.
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Solomon Slocum was born in 1759, likely on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In early 1776, at age 17, Slocum enlisted as a private in Edward Veazey's Seventh Independent Company. He was five feet, two and half inches tall...During his... more
Solomon Slocum was born in 1759, likely on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In early 1776, at age 17, Slocum enlisted as a private in Edward Veazey's Seventh Independent Company. He was five feet, two and half inches tall...During his military service, he was sick multiple times...After September 1780, Slocum deserted to the British and then re-joined the Second Maryland Regiment not long after, purportedly as a spy.
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Henry Chew Gaither Sr., a revolutionary war officer, was born in 1751, likely in Anne Arundel County. He was born to Martha (Ridgely) Gaither and Henry Gaither, taking his middle name from his grandmother Sarah Chew Burgess, to a family... more
Henry Chew Gaither Sr., a revolutionary war officer, was born in 1751, likely in Anne Arundel County. He was born to Martha (Ridgely) Gaither and Henry Gaither, taking his middle name from his grandmother Sarah Chew Burgess, to a family with twelve siblings. When Gaither’s father died in 1780, he passed his land to all of his children. Gaither, along with his brother, William, and his mother Martha, was an executor of his father’s will, which bestowed Gaither’s Forest to him, divided with his brother Beale. Gaither was never married but later in his life he became the legal guardian of numerous young relatives.
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On May 11, 1896, comic magazine Puck turned upside down. The comic magazine Puck was named after the witty and mischievous jester named Puck, within William Shakespeare’s comedy, Midsummer Night's Dream, who used magic “for comic effect”... more
On May 11, 1896, comic magazine Puck turned upside down. The comic magazine Puck was named after the witty and mischievous jester named Puck, within William Shakespeare’s comedy, Midsummer Night's Dream, who used magic “for comic effect” and is capable of “cruel tricks for the sake of enjoyment.” These aspects of Puck's character played out in the publication itself and likely why it was was chosen as a symbol of the paper itself.
Updated with photographs and changes in text in December 2018.
Updated with photographs and changes in text in December 2018.
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In recent years, civil rights scholars have written about the use of armed self-defense by participants in the southern freedom struggle. However, many of these studies focus on black men and relegate women to mere paragraphs or... more
In recent years, civil rights scholars have written about the use of armed self-defense by participants in the southern freedom struggle. However, many of these studies focus on black men and relegate women to mere paragraphs or footnotes. This essay begins the study of the “fascinating and useful subject,” as historian Lance Hill put it, of women's role “in the self-defense movement.” The main focus of this essay is on acts of armed self-defense practiced by black women, such as Mabel Williams, women affiliated with the Deacons for Defense and Justice, Black Panther women, and numerous others during the freedom struggle, between the years of 1955 and 1975.
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The work by black artist Faith Ringgold done in 1982 or 1983 stands out on the history of contemporary black art. The intricate quilt titled “Who's Afraid of Aunt Jemima?” makes one think just from looking at it. Having a composite... more
The work by black artist Faith Ringgold done in 1982 or 1983 stands out on the history of contemporary black art. The intricate quilt titled “Who's Afraid of Aunt Jemima?” makes one think just from looking at it. Having a composite border, the pulls you in bit by bit. Middle-aged black women of all classes dot the edges of the quilt and as one moves their eye toward the center of the piece, it becomes just that much more complex. Those of all races and professions each have a little box of words next to them. Closer examination finds this to be a whole story in black dialect about a family in sections called “pages.”
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By 1900, the situation was grim for Africa with the onset of the final stage of European penetration representing imperialism at its mightiest. This essay rewinds back to focus on how Africa arrived at such a grim state starting in the... more
By 1900, the situation was grim for Africa with the onset of the final stage of European penetration representing imperialism at its mightiest. This essay rewinds back to focus on how Africa arrived at such a grim state starting in the late 19th century. Specifically, this essay examines if the impact of Europeans on 19th century Africa across the domains of politics, religion, and disease is captured in the phrase “things fall apart.” This essay will support the view that European imperialism caused things to fall apart in Africa.
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As said once, “between the imagined ideal and the lived reality there lies a chasm.” This applies to Islam and the West African jihads of the 19th century. This paper, in three to four pages, will engage in a careful examination of the... more
As said once, “between the imagined ideal and the lived reality there lies a chasm.” This applies to Islam and the West African jihads of the 19th century. This paper, in three to four pages, will engage in a careful examination of the Islam's foundations as detailed the PBS documentary, titled 'Islam: the Empire of Faith' and how the jihads in nineteenth century West Africa deviated from or affirmed the vision of Islam.
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Assia Djebar's novel, Children of the New World, is about the experiences of young men and women during the Algerian Revolution and is compelling not only because of the themes of revolution, alienation and brutalities of colonialism, but... more
Assia Djebar's novel, Children of the New World, is about the experiences of young men and women during the Algerian Revolution and is compelling not only because of the themes of revolution, alienation and brutalities of colonialism, but because of its focus on gender conflicts between men and women. Numerous female characters in Djebar's novel challenge their husbands and their concerns are ignored or pushed to the sidelines. In reality, women participated in the war for Algeria's independence from France, which lasted from 1954 to 1962. At the same time, these women clashed with male nationalists. Adding to this, female voices were alienated or excluded from the nationalist revolution, causing androcentric voices to win out as women continued to be repressed in Algeria. Despite the fact that Algeria was officially independent from France in 1962, generally the status of women didn't improve. In this historical context, Djebar's novel, Children of the World, serves as a perfect example of women's struggle during during the Algerian Revolution.
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The social movement within academia, the Perestroika movement, still has deep influences on Political Science to this day. This paper will not only discuss this movement within an academic discipline, but will look into the possible... more
The social movement within academia, the Perestroika movement, still has deep influences on Political Science to this day. This paper will not only discuss this movement within an academic discipline, but will look into the possible tension between the 'main' goals of the discipline: scientific knowledge and policy knowledge, while expressing my own opinion on these subjects as well.
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What one might wonder when looking at French-born American Michael Duchamp’s “readymade” piece of art, L.H.O.O.Q. is why he would something so simple or be insulting such a “great” piece of art. This piece is something that anyone could... more
What one might wonder when looking at French-born American Michael Duchamp’s “readymade” piece of art, L.H.O.O.Q. is why he would something so simple or be insulting such a “great” piece of art. This piece is something that anyone could do in their spare time. I could get a copy of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and draw a moustache and goatee on it. I ask two questions: why did Duchamp create this image? What was his purpose?
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From 1932 until 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) studied the degenerative effects of syphilis on more than 600 black men in the Deep South. The principal investigators of the study deliberately withheld drug treatment to the... more
From 1932 until 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) studied the degenerative effects of syphilis on more than 600 black men in the Deep South. The principal investigators of the study deliberately withheld drug treatment to the study’s participants, nor did the doctors tell the subjects the details of the experiment. Many of the men were prevented from seeing doctors who could have helped them. Instead, doctors leading the Tuskegee Study waited until many subjects died painful deaths and then performed autopsies on their bodies. The experiment has become an infamous illustration of institutionalized racism and exploitation in the United States and seen as a metaphor for racism in medical research. Harvard University medical historian Allen M. Brandt has performed in-depth research and analysis on the Tuskegee Study and claims it showed more about the pathology of racism than the pathology of syphilis, and that the basic presumptions of how the study was put into practice were never questioned. This paper carefully examines the primary documents related to the study and uses additional scholarship surrounding the Tuskegee Study to evaluate the validity of Professor Brandt’s claims. The validity of Brandt's first claim needs to be evaluated: did the study show more about the pathology of racism than the pathology of syphilis?
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This essay will not only identify the factors responsible for the abolition of Atlantic slave trade but will also comment on the impact of abolition on the economic and political fortunes of nineteenth century West Africa.
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In the last years of the revolutionary war, a number of Maryland soldiers and generals from the First Maryland Regiment, part of the Maryland 400, were returning to their homes in Cecil County. On December 23, 1778, in the midst of the... more
In the last years of the revolutionary war, a number of Maryland soldiers and generals from the First Maryland Regiment, part of the Maryland 400, were returning to their homes in Cecil County. On December 23, 1778, in the midst of the war, Alexander McMunn, a soldier within the First Maryland, married Agnas Jake in Cecil County, with the ceremony conducted by Reverend Thomson. Others had more established roots in the county. In 1780, William Dawson, a former private in the First Maryland and serving three years in the Second Maryland, settled down. On December 29 of that year, he married a woman named Elizabeth Graves.
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Dan Rodricks's commentary "Big fix: Buried power lines, anyone?" (Sept. 4) offered a creative idea to improve America's infrastructure. But something more radical is needed. Flooding or other environmental problems could still disturb... more
Dan Rodricks's commentary "Big fix: Buried power lines, anyone?" (Sept. 4) offered a creative idea to improve America's infrastructure. But something more radical is needed. Flooding or other environmental problems could still disturb buried power lines. Wireless electricity could solve the problem of transmitting electricity in a way that is both safe and economically sound.
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I have attended Towson High School for four years, and the change in class size this year was a dramatic shift. Your recent article made clear how cutting 200 high school teachers in the Baltimore County School System has negatively... more
I have attended Towson High School for four years, and the change in class size this year was a dramatic shift. Your recent article made clear how cutting 200 high school teachers in the Baltimore County School System has negatively affected students and teachers (“Baltimore County high schools see class sizes grow,” May 12).
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I was shocked by what Anne Neal wrote about St. Mary’s College in a recent commentary (“Campus cautionary tale,” May 30). This is a school with a wonderful community environment. Ms. Neal writes that “higher education is a bloated... more
I was shocked by what Anne Neal wrote about St. Mary’s College in a recent commentary (“Campus cautionary tale,” May 30). This is a school with a wonderful community environment. Ms. Neal writes that “higher education is a bloated wastrel,” part of a bubble that’s about to burst, and
she implies private funding is needed. Maybe she should have talked about a real bubble, like rising student loan debt.
she implies private funding is needed. Maybe she should have talked about a real bubble, like rising student loan debt.
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Though state policy allows BGE to levy a small fee on consumers even when they don’t have electricity (officially called a “bill stabilization adjustment”), it’s easy to see why Marylanders are frustrated by it (“For frustrated BGE... more
Though state policy allows BGE to levy a small fee on consumers even when they don’t have electricity (officially called a “bill stabilization adjustment”), it’s easy to see why Marylanders are frustrated by it (“For frustrated BGE customers, even small bills too much,” July 13th). Supposedly it is used to pay for the electricity grid.
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Lobbying usually gets a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason: it can be part of corporate special interest money's current corruption of the political system. But during the first-ever national Single-Payer Lobby Day events in May, real... more
Lobbying usually gets a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason: it can be part of corporate special interest money's current corruption of the political system. But during the first-ever national Single-Payer Lobby Day events in May, real people lobbied for a good cause that benefited the general public, not just a wealthy few.
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Recently, Every Voice came out with a new poll on money in politics, showing how American voters spanning political spectrum in twelve battleground states reject the idea the huge amount of money spent in the political system is "... more
Recently, Every Voice came out with a new poll on money in politics, showing how American voters spanning political spectrum in twelve battleground states reject the idea the huge amount of money spent in the political system is " business as usual. " The poll shows intense dislike of money interfering with elections.
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Recently, 1305 members and supporters of Public Citizen responded to a survey question asking whether they have personal stories and/or why they care about the work Public Citizen does. It was enlightening and inspiring to sift through... more
Recently, 1305 members and supporters of Public Citizen responded to a survey question asking whether they have personal stories and/or why they care about the work Public Citizen does. It was enlightening and inspiring to sift through all of the comments. Many harkened back to the 1971 founding of Public Citizen by consumer advocate Ralph Nader.