Economic Justice
As your Delegate, I will fight for economic equity and combat economic injustice issues. Too many Marylanders are working harder, yet still struggling to make ends meet. I believe that all workers are entitled to safe workplaces, fair compensation and benefits, and the right to unionize and bargain collectively. We must recommit ourselves to building an economy for everyone. That means a livable wage, affordable housing, fairness in the tax code and the structure for our elderly citizens to age in place becomes a way of life for all Marylanders.
- Building Ecologically Sustainable and Economically Just Communities: I will support legislation to bring new, good-paying “green jobs” to Frederick County.
- A Collaborative Labor and Climate Movement: I will foster a collaborative relationship between labor and climate movements, recognizing the intersectionality between the economics of climate change and organized labor as a key to confronting the climate crisis.
- Livable Wages and Paid Sick Leave: I will fight for a statewide livable wage so all workers can support their family’s basic needs in safe and stable home environments. This includes paid sick leave for all workers.
I will advocate for the passage of the “Time to Care Act” so employees would have the choice to join an affordable paid family leave insurance program that would allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for maternity/paternity leave or to care for their own or their family members’ serious health conditions or disabilities.
- Affordable Housing: I will advocate for a number of initiatives and programs that expand and secure affordable housing for all of our residents. Families need safe, healthy, and affordable housing options in order to access jobs, schools, healthcare, and other services. My priority areas include the following:
- Bridge the growing gap between renter incomes and rising housing costs.
- Provide aid to people experiencing job losses or other economic setbacks to prevent housing instability or homelessness.
- Ensure that our community remains vibrant and diverse. Take action to ensure that there is enough housing of the right types, and rent and prices are affordable. This will support growth in our County’s workforce and ensure that current and anticipated housing needs are met.
- Make homes more energy-efficient, which will reduce carbon emissions and lower the cost of utility bills
- Independent Living Options for Elders:
“Aging in place” programs like “PACE4You”, an all-inclusive care for the elderly, whose goal is to help the elderly live as independently as possible for as long as possible called Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
- Support for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs: Small business owners need greater access to capital, loans, and grants. Entrepreneurs need support and resources. Women, minorities, veterans, and business owners in economically distressed areas need a boost. Diverse small business ownership is key to our economic future and I will fight programs that support it.
- A Fair and Just Tax System: Closing tax loopholes for large corporations that allow profitable big businesses to avoid paying millions of dollars in Maryland taxes. This will be accomplished by ending the corporate “nowhere income” rule, eliminating ineffective subsidy programs, and changing Maryland’s upside-down tax code.
- Workplace Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Equal Pay for Equal Work: I will advocate for stronger state laws to end workplace discrimination, ensure equal pay for equal work, and safe and healthful working conditions.