Dear Friends,
It was great to end the week back on the radio for "The Politics Hour" on WAMU-FM. I was able to talk about many subjects including my objection to Montgomery Planning's Attainable Housing Strategies initiative and how I think support is building statewide for a new approach to revenue challenges. I hope you have time to listen to the program through the link provided here. My segment begins around 25 minutes into the show.
As we head into Labor Day weekend, I want to highlight the true purpose of the day. Labor Day celebrates the incredible contributions labor unions and everyday Americans have made to our country, promoting fair wages and safe workplaces.
Specifically, I want to acknowledge and thank Montgomery County Government workers for their service, care and professionalism in serving our residents. And I want to appreciate the collaboration and partnership we have with our labor unions who represent many of workers.
I am proud that, with the support of our labor unions, Montgomery County leads the State, and is among the highest in the nation, in terms of the minimum wage.
With the costs on the rise and rent still a struggle for too many families, it is time to once again look at elevating the minimum.
The advantage of having strong unions is that they have helped countless families move into the middle class. They fought for, and won, protections from long workdays and workweeks. Many of the benefits that so many families benefit, like healthcare and pensions, can be attributed to the work of unions.
Unions have made life better, not just here, but around the world. Previous generations that fought for the right to organize and belong to a union had to overcome the oligarchs of their time, the police and the military that were used to suppress demonstrations and strikes, and the murder of union leaders to silence their voices. Still today, there are major companies that use every tactic possible to prevent workers from organizing.
The continued anti-labor practices depress wages and the standard of living for many Americans who go to work every day to put food on the table and to pay the rent. We, as a society, have a wealth of public policies and assistance programs that help people make ends meet—programs that might not be necessary if workers earned the wages needed to support their families. Effectively, anti-labor companies unload the true costs of labor onto us in the public sector who must create policies and programs to mitigate the impact of these anti-labor practices.
On Labor Day we celebrate the dedication to building a society where more people share in the wealth created by labor. I grew up with parents who reminded me that you could stack all the gold in the country at the entrance to a coal mine, and not an ounce of coal will come out of that mine without the human labor-- the miners-- who dig it out.
We owe gratitude and respect to the workers and unions who continue to advocate on behalf of working people everywhere.
New School Year Begins with New Cell Phone Policy for Students
I am very pleased that MCPS is addressing cell phones and social media usage. They have announced that students will not be able to access social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, on the MCPS network. Additionally, they have a pilot program dubbed the “Away All Day” plan. You can read about it in this memo from the superintendent to the school board.
Schools have until next week to voluntarily sign up for the pilot program, which will restrict cell phone during the school day. This is a good start, and I hope it eventually becomes the policy throughout MCPS.
Under the current policy, students in other middle and high school campuses will continue to have access to their phones at lunch. High schoolers are also allowed to be on their phone between classes under the current policy.
These are important changes because we need students to focus on why they are at school. As a former schoolteacher who was in the classroom before these devices were ubiquitous, I cannot understand how we have allowed phones to become such a big distraction in the classroom. In visits I have made to schools since then, I have seen how disturbing it is to watch kids easily tune out of class through their phones.
Cell phones also offer easy access to social media sites which students primarily communicate on. We know social media can be detrimental to someone’s mental health.
Earlier this summer, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy asked Congress for warning labels on social media platforms. Statistics show that adolescents who spend more than three hours on social media daily face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms. There is also no filter to help developing young minds understand what kinds of lies and nonsense permeate social media.
Warning labels could help provide greater awareness about the harmful impacts of social media on growing minds, and they could also change behavior. That is what happened when warning labels were put on cigarettes.
I am glad that Montgomery County is part of a multi-jurisdictional lawsuit to hold social media sites accountable for their addictive natures. MCPS and the Maryland Attorney General also have filed similar suits. Currently, this suit is going through pre-trial motions and processes.
The increases in the rates of both genders are concerning, but the greater impact it has on young women is very alarming. The fact that nearly six out of 10 teenage females are experience persistent sadness and loneliness is shocking.
Some other statistics cited in our lawsuit:
- The share of children seriously contemplating suicide increased 11 percent from 2011 to 2021, accounting for 22 percent of all high school students.
- 18 percent created a suicide plan.
- From 2007 to 2018, suicide rates among youth 10-24 in the United States increased by 57 percent.
- By 2018 and through last available data in 2022, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for youth 10-24, only behind accidents and ahead of cancer.
- From 2007 to 2016, emergency room visits for anxiety disorders among kids and teens rose 117 percent, visits for mood disorders were up 44 percent and attention disorder visits grew by 40 percent.
These lawsuits make a difference. In 2019, this County sued e-cigarette maker Juul in a class action lawsuit with other jurisdictions. Due to that lawsuit, this school year there will be a $2 million investment to install vape detectors in all County high schools to address a common complaint about vape and drug use during school.
The statistics do not lie: social media is just as dangerous to our children’s health as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The companies that profit from this need to be held accountable.
I encourage you to talk to your kids about their social media use and watch for changes in their behavior that could be linked to what they are watching or their online interactions.
Priority on School Traffic Safety
According to the Montgomery County Police Department, last year, more than 48,000 drivers were captured by school bus cameras illegally passing a stopped school bus.
Our Department of Transportation has been helping improve school traffic safety through extensive outreach and by developing the Safe Routes to School program. It reviews the school walk areas for each MCPS school with about 15 schools reviewed for safety improvements each year.
This summer, safe crossing infrastructure, such as crosswalks, median refuge islands and curb ramps, were added at Sally K. Ride, Judith Resnik and Pinecrest elementary schools. Herbert Hoover, Earl B. Wood and Francis S. Key middle schools were also upgraded.
I want to thank Dr. Taylor for helping prioritize traffic safety, saying MCPS will be providing “a higher level of customer service” for those with transportation issues and manning a transportation hotline. The MCPS transportation hotline is 240-740-7790. I hope you use it if you have any school bus-related questions.
Closed Red Line Routes Reopening
The Takoma station was also closed for one month for construction, but has since reopened. The closures allowed crews to build part on the new Purple Line mezzanine and do rehabilitation work on the Red Line. Thousands of feet of rail were replaced, lots of concrete was restored and track signals replaced—among other improvements. You can read more about the work done on the rail system here.
I am glad that this work is being completed on time and I appreciate WMATA’s efforts and partnership throughout this disruption to commuters and all those who count on the Red Line for transportation.
It is also helpful that the State decided to continue the ‘bus only’ lanes along Georgia Avenue. These are along seven miles of State road in the County and will help evaluate the impact of these lanes once the Metro stations reopen. The pilot program will be extended through at least December thanks to an agreement with the Maryland Department of Transportation and WMATA.
Federal Appeals Court Backs Maryland Handgun Licensing Law
We got some good news this week about the Handgun Qualification License (HQL) law in Maryland, which had been challenged in court. This law has been in place for 10 years and puts certain protections in place like a background check for all applicants.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown called the decision in the State’s favor a victory for common-sense gun safety. The ruling shows that our laws hold public safety above all factors when someone wants a gun. Background checks, fingerprinting and safety training are important tools to keep firearms of out of the hands of people who should not have guns.
Maryland’s HQL promotes responsible gun ownership and strikes the right kind of balance between Second Amendment rights and the interest of public safety. The data shows that policies like this help jurisdictions experience fewer gun deaths. Common-sense gun safety laws protect all Marylanders and can prevent tragedies that leave our communities scarred and broken.
I am glad that a majority of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the argument that Maryland’s gun licensing law was unconstitutional. I believe it strengthens the argument that background checks are not infringements on someone’s ability to get a gun license and that the decision will stand up even if it is appealed to the Supreme Court.
New COVID-19 Vaccine and Guidelines
Last week, the FDA approved and granted emergency use authorization for new COVID vaccines that correspond to the KP2 strain. The rule of thumb this time is that if you have not had a COVID-19 vaccination within the last two months, then you need the updated shot. If it has been at least three months since you were last sick with COVID, a vaccination is recommended.
COVID-19 vaccines should be as annual as a flu shot to arm yourself with the best protection. You could compare the need for them to the need for a flu shot but also realize that COVID continues to be a more lethal illness than the flu, even though vaccines have been developed.
Common sense prevention methods should also be regularly used, especially now that school is back in session. The graphic shared above can be found on the MCPS website. Practicing proper hygiene like washing your hands regularly is an important step for everyone to remember to stop the spread of any disease.
It is also crucial to stay home if you are sick and until your symptoms subside. I have had several friends become sick over the last few weeks so I realize that this can still impact people you care about. I wish everyone dealing with recent bouts of COVID a speedy recovery.
You can rely on our weekly messaging as a source to keep you updated on the availability of vaccines in our community though most people will get their shots at a doctor’s office or nearby pharmacies.
'Community Conversations' on the Budget Begin on Monday, Sept. 9
We are about to begin our comprehensive effort to reach as many people as possible through "community conversations" about the next operating budget.
Over the past few years, we have expanded these conversations to make them more inclusive. In addition to the five forums in each of the regionals service center areas, we will also hold budget forums for the African-Caribbean diaspora, older adults, the Black community, Chinese speakers and Spanish-language sessions.
These conversations about the budget are an opportunity to understand how we build our operating budget and determine community needs. They involve local business owners, County and public safety officials, nonprofit partners, residents and stakeholders from all walks of life. We will discuss the current state of Montgomery County's services, resources and opportunities and seek input on how to advance this work in the next budget year. Public participation is vital as scrutinize spending and delve into community essentials.
The first meeting will be Monday, Sept. 9, at the White Oak Community Center. It will be followed by a Mid-County forum on Monday, Sept. 16, in Layhill. The meetings will continue through November. They will all be televised live on County Cable Montgomery. As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
