Campaign Phone
2026431895
No data centers; they waste land and energy and don't create jobs. The internet is global - there's no reason all these data centers can't be built way out in the empty brushlands where they won't harm areas where people live and work
Increasing demand for existing utility resources due to population growth, data centers, and escalating severe weather impacts. Utility price gouging is also a factor - the State needs to work to prevent this. We also need to grow (green) energy production, prevent data centers from sucking up our resources, and promote commercial & consumer products (heating/cooling) that are more energy-efficient.
Yes. Good public transportation is faster, cheaper, safer, and more energy-efficient than everybody sitting in stop-&-go traffic twice a day.
1) Offset the unnecessary tax cuts for billionaires and corporations from the Federal BBB, at the State level.
2) Privatization and subcontracting for State services has been growing for decades - many of these companies are gouging or outright swindling us. Get them in line, or kick them to the curb.
3) In tough budget situations, ironically it is usually the smallest programs that face the harshest cuts; I will fight for our parks, our public health services, and our community services.
I will seek to oppose, hinder, and disrupt any ICE facility construction in this state, using any and all possible legal mechanisms available to the State. I will seek to ensure that any actions taken by Federal immigration agents within these borders are done so in strict accordance to our legal and human rights as defined by State law, and that violations of these State laws result in the swift arrest and prosecution of any criminals who commit them.
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Campaign Phone
3016601921
Campaign Instagram
@bt4md
No. Data centers strain the power grid, consume enormous amounts of water, and deliver few local jobs relative to their footprint. Maryland should require a state permitting process that evaluates grid impact, water use, and community effects before any new facility is approved. Being "innovation-friendly" shouldn't mean handing an industry a blank check at ratepayers' expense.
Rising utility costs come from aging infrastructure, insufficient grid investment, and energy market volatility - made worse by the explosive growth of high-demand facilities like data centers driving up load. I'll support energy efficiency programs like EmPOWER, push for transparent rate-setting, and oppose cost-shifting onto residential ratepayers from commercial and industrial users who aren't paying their fair share.
Yes. Washington County residents drive long distances because alternatives don't exist yet. That's a policy failure, not a geographic inevitability. I support MARC expansion, demand-responsive rural transit, and bike/pedestrian infrastructure in communities like Hagerstown that have been deprioritized for decades. Car dependency is expensive - for families and for the state.
My three priorities: fully fund the Blueprint for Maryland's Future without raiding dedicated education funds; protect Program Open Space and environmental special funds from General Fund raids; and invest in rural healthcare infrastructure and workforce. I'll oppose budget solutions that balance the books by cutting services working families in Washington and Frederick Counties depend on.
I've seen firsthand what immigration enforcement looks like in Washington County - I helped break the story of a converted warehouse being used as an ICE detention facility in Williamsport. I'll support state legislation protecting due process rights, oppose 287(g) programs that turn local police into immigration agents, and fight for immigrant communities' access to services they're legally entitled to.
I recognize both the economic benefits and environmental impacts associated with the growth of data centers in Maryland. Data centers can create jobs and generate revenue for local governments. This revenue is often used for schools, roads and public safety. I will not support additional data centers unless, prior to construction, adequate energy and water supplies are in place and their establishment does not negatively impact agricultural land, natural resources or residential areas.
Rising utility costs in Maryland are driven by several factors, including renewable energy mandates, restrictive regulations and the closure of multiple power-generation plants prior to reliable alternatives being put into place. I support halting these mandates, focusing on creating or refitting power plants and decreasing Maryland’s continued reliance on the importation of energy.
There is room for improvement in the availability of public transportation, and it remains a high priority for many Marylanders. However, these improvements should not come at the expense of rural counties who rely on transportation funds, derived from vehicle registration fees and fuel tax, for bridge replacements and highway improvements to ease traffic congestion and promote safe roadways in their communities.
I believe in fiscal restraint and strong oversight. My priority is no new tax or fee increases. This will foster economic and small business growth. Funding for much needed highway improvement projects such as I-81 and Rt.15 are at the top of my budget priorities. The developmental disability community continues to be one of my budget priorities as well, this program focuses on some of our state's most vulnerable individuals.
I have worked with the business community and federal officials to ensure temporary foreign labor (H2A) employees are able to continue to work in Maryland legally. I support local law enforcement and their partnership with federal immigration officials when conducting investigations that focus on removing criminal offenders who are in this country illegally and who victimize our immigrant communities.
The question of data centers is more of one involving economic development preparedness and not whether government supports the establishment of one industry over another. That is a socialist viewpoint. The role of government is to ensure that infrastructure is available to support industry. Data centers can bring their own electricity generation to the table. MD policies need to allow it. Land use policies and water supply are a local decision.
Escalating utility costs is a simple matter of supply & demand. MD is a net importer of 40% of its electricity. This legislative session, I introduced a bill to retrofit closed fossil fuel plants in the State with natural gas until such time that small nuclear reactor technology can be deployed. In addition to increasing supply, MD can also reduce taxes on electricity bills — eliminate the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative & other surcharges, excise, and ad valorem taxes on utility bills.
An imbalance exists between the source of revenues and expenditures. The majority of Transportation Trust Fund revenues are collected from gasoline taxes while the majority of expenditures go toward mass transit. If public transportation is to be improved, it needs to pay its own way. Minimum farebox recoveries need to be restored and fare collections need to be enforced. Rural counties bear an unfair burden of the gasoline tax as they generally drive more miles to reach their destinations.
MD is currently on a fiscal cliff - facing a $3.5 billion structural deficit next fiscal year. Budgets are balanced by raiding special funds (a 1x source of revenue), excessive borrowing, and passing obligations onto local governments. The spending is not sustainable. It is necessary to 1. Reduce spending levels; 2. Restore pay-go funds for capital projects; 3. Reduce borrowing levels from the current level of $1.8 billion annually; 4. Cease passing unfunded mandates onto local govts.
I support legal immigration & the rule of law. I do not support individuals entering the Country illegally. My wife and I waited 2 1/2 years for the legal immigration process to work. How fair is it for someone to enter the country illegally and move to the front of the line? in addition, I signed an affidavit that she would not be a burden on the federal government for 10 years. All immigrants should be held to the same standard & supported/educated to be productive members of society.
