Thoughts on Addressing Maryland’s State Budget Structural Deficits by David Reel
While attending college, a visionary entrepreneur named Fred Smith wrote a term paper proposing a revolutionary system for time-sensitive and reliable package deliveries. He received a C on the paper. Undaunted, Smith used that paper as a model to launch the Federal Express Corporation in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1971. Using a fleet of 14 […]
Thoughts on the 49th Annual Tawes Clam Bake and Crab Feast by David Reel
Once every year for the past 49 years, people from across Maryland and beyond travel to Crisfield in Somerset County. Crisfield is Maryland’s southernmost incorporated city and is also widely known as the Seafood Capital of the World. This annual journey to Crisfield is to participate in the J. Millard Tawes Clam Bake and Crab […]
The World Is Run by Those Who Show up by David Reel
“The world is run by those who show up” is an observation by Robert B. Johnson that was published in 1999 in the Journal of Management of Engineering. While his observation has universal applicability, it is especially relevant with regard to political campaigns and elections. Recent election news from Butler County, Pennsylvania, on the results […]
Addressing Maryland State Budget Deficits Past and Present by David Reel
In William Shakespeare’s play — The Tempest in the Teapot — he wrote: “The past is prologue.” In other words, one way to anticipate what to expect in the future is to study the events of the past. History often can and does repeat itself. This is good advice with regard to the Maryland General […]
Unwelcome News for Maryland Taxpayers and E-zpass Users
Earlier this month, numerous media reports covered a performance audit detailing Maryland’s lack of success to date in addressing Medicaid fraud, which state officials said has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in improper Medicaid payments. The latest unwelcome news comes from the findings of the nonpartisan, independent Office of Legislative Audits on the […]
Who Was Paying Attention to Medicaid Fraud in Maryland? By David Reel
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown recently announced that his office is suing United Health Group. Between 2019 and 2024, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Health Care— Optum — had a 126.9-million-dollar contract with the Maryland Department of Health to process Medicaid claims and payments to substance use and mental health treatment programs. The suit […]
A Family Road Trip That Led to a Revolution in the Lodging Industry by David Reel
In August 1952, Kemmons Wilson, a home builder in Memphis, Tennessee, drove to and from Washington, D.C., to attend meetings at the National Association of Home Builders. Joining him for those long drives were his wife and their five young children. While the family visit to our nation’s capital was an enjoyable experience, the overnight […]
Time for a High-Priority Traffic Safety Improvement on Route 50
Drivers on Route 50 in Easton already know the delays from vacation and special events traffic to and from Ocean City are currently even longer than usual. That is largely the result of a $9.9 million Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration “Serious About Safety” traffic improvement project. This project includes: New sidewalks along […]
A Role Model for Putting People Before Politics in Annapolis by David Reel
Last week, a supermajority in the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate voted to approve placing a referendum question on the November general election ballot. The question is approval of an amendment to the Maryland Constitution on the guidelines to be used when the General Assembly draws the boundaries of Maryland’s eight Congressional […]
Welcome Back Otter by David Reel
In the mid 1970’s, a popular TV sitcom was Welcome Back Kotter. The show focused on Gabe Kotter, a teacher who returned to his high school alma that he graduated from ten years previously. Kotter’s assigned class included an assortment of remedial students who were almost universally viewed as a lost cause. As the show’s […]