Campaign Phone
410-205-9524
Campaign Instagram
www.instagram.com/votedayanabergman
While I understand that Data centers can bring some economical benefits to the region. I also understand the unintended consequences to the power grid, water supply, and land use. I currently do not support the additional data centers in Maryland. I prefer to wait until the Data Center study is concluded to see how the information analyzed would change my stance. I prefer making informed decisions carefully, especially when it impacts the environment and the quality of life in our communities.
Some of the factors contributing to the escalation of utility costs in Maryland is that we are being taken advantage. The current White House Administration is not doing its due diligence in protecting the people & keeping utility costs down. I plan on addressing this by collaborating with our Congressional representatives. I will introduce legislation to help Marylanders get lower utility rates by bringing stakeholders, community members and grassroots environmental advocates to find solutions.
Absolutely, access to public transportation needs to be improved and introduce throughout Maryland. It provides individuals the opportunity to hold on to their independence if they are unable to drive. It’s affordable, reliable and a necessity to access services. Such as buying groceries, visiting your doctor and getting someone to and from work. Improving access to public transportation also helps build the economy and helps revitalize communities.
My top three budget priorities are:
1. Public Education, in order to have thriving communities we need to provide a world class education.
2. Healthcare, we need access to quality healthcare services, make visits and medication affordable. I believe that medical providers should be affordable and accessible for all.
3. Bringing down the cost of Utilities, we need to figure out how to do everything possible to make basic necessities such as utilities expenses be affordable and accessible.
As a first generation Cuban American immigrant, I will continue to make significant contributions wherever I reside in Maryland. I have firsthand knowledge and experience of the challenges one faces as an immigrant. I will continue to collaborate with organizations that provide services and supports to our immigrant families. Such as educational programs, access to immigration legal services for free, safe food pantries and safe access to healthcare.
Campaign Twitter
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Campaign Phone
410-259-9824
Campaign Instagram
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I feel that Data Centers can provide jobs. Unfortunately, they have proven to be problematic in Carroll County due to the proposed Transmission Lines involved in the current proposal from PSEG. The taking of property to enact this plan is unacceptable. The drain on the grid is significant. Energy policies that have been enacted in Maryland over the past few years with the elimination of power plants and the focus on solar and wind have driven up the cost of everyone's bill.
Laws passed over the past several years have resulted in much higher utility bills for our citizens. We cannot rely on wind and solar to provide enough energy for our grid. This results in Maryland becoming an energy importer using power from other states which is expensive and is resulting in a threat to property owners in Carroll County. We need to reopen power plants, bring on new nautral gas plants and support research and development of nuclear reactors.
We have invested too much money in public transportation as a policy in Maryland. This is at the expense of moving forward with road projects throughout the state including Carroll. Putting resources into public transit has also pulled budget dollars away from road and bridge safety. The red line is entirely too expensive and we need to stop subsidizing WMATA which has never been self sustaining.
We need to support the business community to generate growth and employment opportunities. We need to repeal non-business friendly legislation. We should cut the corporate income tax rate which benefits both large and the smallest of businesses. We need to repeal laws that make Maryland a very unfriendly business state. We need to address utility costs and the tax burden on families. We must become competitive in our region to provide a much better environment for business growth and jobs.
I support legal immigration. I appreciate the contribution of other cultures in our country. I think that there are many programs already in place to assist in the assimilation of immigrants to the US and provide the "American Dream" for everyone. I do believe we must do that legally. I would support laws that would help to streamline the pathway to legal immigration.
Campaign Phone
4438982137
Campaign Instagram
@AlisonRudolphforStateDelegate
I do not support additional data centers in Maryland at this time. We do not yet know how to offset the utility and environmental impacts to make whatever economic benefit we may gain to be worth it.
Data centers are absolutely driving up the cost of utilities, and those profiting most off of both the data centers and the utility companies are allowing these costs to be passed onto working Marylanders rather than impacting their profits. We need a halt to data centers until we can better understand and mitigate their impacts, and we need to see that rising utility costs are being absorbed by CEOs and upper management before being passed onto residents.
Public transportation helps to solve two of our most serious problems: Unemployment and climate change. Not having the ability to get to work is a huge issue for many who would otherwise be employed. Cutting down on exhaust and congestion while providing an affordable transportation option across the state is a win-win.
My top three budget priorities are education, foster care, and affordable housing. All three of these have a major impact on Maryland's children, who need to be our priority this year and every year.
I support ending all partnerships between the state and ICE, including the location of detention centers and other facilities. ICE has proven to be an unlawful and damaging presence in communities they enter, full stop. We need to work to undo that damage their racist and violent actions have had on our immigrant community by continuing to provide supports for immigrants in Maryland.
Campaign Phone
(301)708-6265
Maryland should adopt a regional approach and work with county officials to plan data centers strategically. While they create few permanent positions, these facilities can boost tax revenue and construction jobs. They are essential infrastructure for the ever developing AI economy. Noise is a concern often overlooked, but with careful planning, data centers can be located in industrial or commercial zones to minimize impacts on nearby communities.
Repeal the restrictions that stop us from generating our own energy. Maryland is importing power produced without the same rules while Marylanders pay skyrocketing energy bills. Reopen power plants and use every option—natural gas, nuclear, and yes, even coal.
Mass public transportation should be located where there is a demand and where it can be sustained by ridership ticket prices. Smaller concierge transportation services using mini buses is a good alternative for our rural areas to connect senior citizens or veterans to health care and shopping or other needs not met in their own communities. A higher priority than mass public transportation is maintaining or upgrading Maryland roads and bridges.
Marylanders deserve confidence that tax dollars are spent wisely through strong audits, an independent inspector general system, and public transparency. My top three budget priorities are 1) reducing taxes and fees on residents and businesses, 2) supporting public safety and first responder equipment and training, 3) investing in infrastructure, such as improving roads, assisting communities upgrade or repair their existing water systems, and school construction and repairs.
To support immigrant communities, the focus must be on lawful entry into the country and assimilation into American society. Immigrants must learn English, understand the U.S. Constitution, and participate fully in civic and economic life. This ensures immigrants can pursue the American Dream and avoid isolation or exploitation by groups that seek to keep them separate from the broader society for their own political agendas.
Campaign Phone
4437891486
I believe we need a temporary moratorium on new data centers in Maryland, while we consider options and strategies to mitigate their potential drain on resources – especially power and water. Ultimately, I believe data centers can be a net positive for Maryland, bringing new jobs and revenue, if the proper planning, locating, permitting, and oversight processes are put in place.
Maryland's energy crisis is a self-inflicted result of progressive climate policies that prioritize green idealism over economic stability, energy reliability, and the needs of citizens. Forced premature retirements of coal plants and a stubborn refusal to permit even clean natural gas (the proper short-term answer) is at the heart of the problem. The only reasonable, reliable long-term answer is nuclear power.
I worked at the Maryland Transit Administration from 2017 to 2024 in management. I understand the importance of public transit and why it's absolutely needed in some parts of the state. Rather than ignoring the benefits of public transportation on one side, or trying to socially engineer society by pushing everyone to public transportation on the other, I seek a mixed approach, balancing the public’s personal preferences with demographic and geographic realities and available financial resource.
My budget priorities are: 1 - to not balance the budget by raising taxes & fees. Hardworking Marylanders pay more than enough and we need to resist the government’s ever-growing appetite for more funding. 2 - I’d prioritize restoring the DDA cuts. We can’t balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable. 3 - the State needs to fund the many mandates inherent in Blueprint, if it continues to refuse to grant local jurisdictions the flexibility to run their own school.
I support legal immigration into the US, and I oppose illegal immigration, and I believe it is the duty of the government to enforce the law. Legal immigrants and immigrant communities are welcome and valued members of our state. They deserve the same support and protection as any other residents. I don’t believe they need or want special treatment – just open arms and a fair shot.
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Campaign Phone
4109637066
Campaign Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/steve_whisler_for_delegate/
Data centers offer a unique opportunity to create jobs and tax revenue that can fund local government services and schools; however, I would require strict guardrails to permit their use. First, local communities, not Annapolis, should always decide where data centers are located. In addition, facilities must generate their own power with Small Module Reactors (SMRs) or other safe, approved methods. It is critical that data facilities never impact our local power grid and existing utility rates.
Marylanders experience very high utility bills due to unrealistic climate change policies. Sadly, a large portion (about 30%) of current utility bills include taxes and fees designed to create and deliver wind and solar projects that won't inject power into our grid for many years to come. The decision to close several power plants in recent years has forced Maryland to import about 40% of our electricity; and we will likely need to import about 80% if two other locations are forced to close.
Annapolis shouldn't enact more comprehensive public transportation policies statewide. Very few citizens use existing methods and we have a larger population working remotely. Allocating more funds to expand the existing grid is unwise, considering the state's financial woes. I'm very concerned that state leaders use the Transportation Trust Fund as a slush fund to move money into the General Fund to "balance the budget." I would prefer funds be provided to localities where they can use it best.
The growth of Maryland’s budget is astonishing -- now at $70 billion. Our governor started with a $5 billion surplus, created a $3 billion deficit in just two years, and enacted the largest tax and fee increase in state history. (1) I will oppose any new tax and fee increases. (2) I will not support pushing more costs onto county governments and municipalities to "balance a budget." (3) We must reform significantly Medicaid eligibility to ensure only those who truly need it receive support.
I definitely support immigrants that are here in Maryland legally. That said, Maryland must end misguided sanctuary policies that have attracted nearly 300,000 illegal immigrants. Our state spends over $3 billion annually to provide them with health care, housing, education, and so much more. We must always support our state and local law enforcement to deport safely all criminal illegal aliens -- not force their release into our communities and pose a significant threat to our communities.
