Elon Musk recently referred to Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme” because, like a Ponzi scheme, it relies on incoming contributions (from current workers) to pay benefits to retirees, instead of being based on a self-sustaining investment fund. 

A Ponzi scheme collapses when there aren’t enough new investors to cover payouts, and Musk may be criticizing Social Security’s financial structure, suggesting it could face similar risks as the workforce shrinks or the ratio of workers to retirees declines. 

It’s hyperbolic though—Social Security is a government program, not a fraudulent scheme, and its funding challenges stem from demographics, not deceit.

 If the Trump administration (or any administration) heavily restricts immigration and deports undocumented workers, the U.S. workforce could shrink, making it harder to sustain programs like Social Security. The system depends on a steady or growing pool of workers paying payroll taxes to support retirees. 

With the baby boomer generation retiring, there’s already pressure on this worker-to-retiree ratio. Limiting immigration exacerbates the problem—it reduces the number of young workers contributing to the system and slows overall population growth. Immigrants have historically helped bolster the U.S. workforce and offset demographic shifts like declining birth rates.

In short, fewer workers + more retirees = future challenges for Social Security’s solvency unless reforms are made (e.g., raising payroll taxes, reducing benefits, or increasing the retirement age). Otherwise, it’s like taking a leg out from underneath a wobbly stool!

Doris Theune
Talbot County

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Communities along the Eastern Shore have been planning for sea level rise for the last several years.  Communities like Crisfield, Cambridge, Oxford, and St. Michaels have spent thousands of dollars preparing studies and plans to combat projected increases in Chesapeake Bay water levels due principally to sea level rise and storm surge events.  Our state, “with its 3,190 miles of shoreline, extensive low-lying coastal land, and productive estuarine habitats, is particularly vulnerable to multiple consequences of sea-level rise”, as stated in the State of Maryland’s most recent Sea-Level Rise Projections for Maryland 2023.

At the end of the communities’ study and design phase, there existed a federal program called Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) which provided construction funds to states to then allocate to local communities to assist with the significant cost of implementing sea level rise protections. This was a competitive nationwide program designed to protect properties and businesses from natural disasters.  However, on April 4, 2025, President Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary Noem, abruptly ended the program calling it a “wasteful and ineffective FEMA program.  It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters.”   

It should be undeniable that mitigating flood events now will alleviate the funds needed for communities to recover from natural disasters in the future.  Suggesting that BRIC was due to a “political agenda” illustrates a disdain for science and indifference in protecting citizens and businesses impacted by future flood events.  Their action is an unfortunate short-term view of addressing a significant issue that is real and is happening.  Helping communities prepare for flood events is not “waste, fraud or abuse,” as the Secretary suggests.

Unless there is assistance from the federal government, funding to address this problem will fall to local towns and their taxpayers, those least able to afford such expenditures, or the flooding will continue to devastate our communities.  We should actively encourage our legislators to work toward restoring a funding mechanism to address this extremely critical problem.      

Dennis Glackin
St. Michaels

In a recent debate on closing Maryland’s budget deficit, Minority Leader Jason Buckel, a Republican Delegate from Allegany County, made an important point: “The man upstairs has only been there for two, three years. I don’t blame him for our economic failures of the last 10,” referring to Democratic Governor Wes Moore, who was elected in 2022 and whose office is on the second floor of the State House.

Buckel’s comments highlight a key reality that many of his Republican colleagues seldom admit ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial elections: it isn’t right to blame Governor Moore for budget challenges that have been brewing for years.

Maryland’s structural deficit, now projected at $3.3 billion, was a problem that started long before Moore took office. In fact, it was first projected in 2017, during the tenure of former Governor Larry Hogan. This isn’t an opinion—it’s a fact that Buckel and other lawmakers, including Republican Delegate Jefferson Ghrist, have bravely acknowledged. During that same debate, Ghrist remarked that the Department of Legislative Services had warned about this deficit throughout Hogan’s administration, yet he did little to address it.

Ghrist pointed out that during Maryland’s so-called “good years,” when the state received a flood of federal COVID-19 relief dollars, spending spiraled without proper regard for long-term fiscal health. Hogan used these one-time federal funds to support ongoing programs, masking the true state of Maryland’s finances and creating the illusion of fiscal stability. Hogan continues to take credit for the “surplus” Maryland had in 2022—even though experts have repeatedly noted that it was caused by the influx of federal dollars during the pandemic.

As Ghrist correctly noted, the lack of fiscal restraint and slow growth during the Hogan years laid the groundwork for the $3.3 billion structural deficit we face today. Indeed, Maryland’s economy has been stagnant since 2017, especially in comparison to our neighboring states, well before Governor Moore took office.

Compounding these challenges are President Donald Trump’s reckless policies, including massive layoffs and trade wars with our allies. Thousands of federal workers who live in Maryland are losing their jobs, which is costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. Trump’s tariffs are also putting an enormous strain on our local businesses, including farmers on the eastern shore who are now subject to up to 15% retaliatory tariffs on agricultural products like chicken, wheat, soybeans, corn, fruits, and vegetables.

In light of this grim reality, Maryland’s lawmakers are making difficult, but necessary, decisions to shore up the state’s finances. Governor Moore and state legislative leaders recently came together on a budget plan that prioritizes growing Maryland’s economy without raising taxes on the vast majority of residents.

In fact, 94% of Marylanders should either see a tax cut or no change at all to their income tax bill under the proposed agreement. Lawmakers also want to cut government spending by the largest amount in 16 years, while making targeted investments in emerging industries, like quantum computing and aerospace defense, so we’re less reliant on federal jobs.

While the richest of Marylanders could see their income taxes go up, it’s reasonable to ask someone making over $750,000 a year to pay $1,800 more to support law enforcement, strengthen our schools, and grow our economy. As for the proposed tax on data and IT services, these products aren’t subject to Maryland’s sales tax under current law. Maryland leaders want to modernize our tax code, just like other states across the country including Texas and Ohio, by levying a 3% sales tax on these products.

These ideas are fair—especially since they don’t raise income taxes on the overwhelming majority of Marylanders—and because state leaders are also cutting spending by the billions. They’re also necessary, as Governor Hogan chose to kick the can down the road instead of addressing Maryland’s long-predicted deficit, and because Trump’s policies are laying off thousands of Marylanders and issuing tariffs that hurt our state.

By making responsible choices now, Maryland leaders are putting the state on a path toward long-term economic stability. These decisions will help Maryland continue to thrive, create jobs, and invest in the vital services that every resident relies on—without burdening the majority of hardworking families. I’m confident Maryland will emerge stronger, more resilient, and ready to lead in the industries of tomorrow.

Elaine McNeil
Chair of the Queen Anne’s Democratic Central Committee

For weeks I have been watching the slow dismantling of my America, the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.  I have also sensed the confusion and frustration of my friends and neighbors. 

I am sad. Not depressed, but a kind of sadness that seems almost universal. What is happening to us, I wondered.  And then I had an AHA!    

I recognized that I was reacting to the betrayal of Truth. The constant barrage of lies, untruths and ‘alternative facts.’

I am a course leader for Chesapeake Forum, an Academy for Lifelong Learning. I created and lead a course called Life Reimagined, where we have the opportunity to become more self-aware in order to lead a more purposeful life.

Last week in class, we talked about valuing and even needing honesty and trustworthiness as well as clarity and certainty. We spoke of the importance of relatedness and community. We recognized many of our feelings and emotions and recognized our frustration and wanting ‘To do something.’

After class I looked through my research and notes. And what I found was very appropriate for today’s state of confusion and uncertainty. I found that people are likely to suffer in an environment dominated by lies and alternative facts. They might experience cognitive dissonance – a psychological conflict between their belief in honesty and the dishonest reality around them. The daily denial of their values can cause chronic stress, anxiety and frustration.

Being forced to accept or ignore dishonesty may lead to what is referred to as moral injury. Moral injury can occur when someone feels they’ve betrayed their core principles, potentially resulting in guilt, shame, and emotional turmoil.  I am certainly feeling an erosion of trust from the constant exposure to lies and “mistruths” or rationalizations.

Then there is mental exhaustion-something I often feel after listening to TV and reading even the most non-partisan print news. The mental gymnastics required to be exposed to this news, to deny or go along with an obvious misrepresentation of the truth can undermine one’s trust in others – the media, institutions (think Supremes) and maybe even their own judgment. Some may even feel isolated if their personal environment is full of what one perceives as lies. Over time, this can lead to sleeplessness and depression.

When someone cannot authentically express a core value like honesty, she may feel as though she is betraying herself. This disconnect from one’s identity can foster low self-esteem and even existential despair. We hear our friends and neighbors say they are afraid to speak out or put up a lawn sign for fear of retribution.

To thrive is such a situation, we may need to find like-minded communities, engage in activism, or develop personal outlets where our own value of honesty can be expressed. Suppressing it too long could cause significant emotional and psychological harm.

Last week we heard from Congressman Jamie Raskin who stepped in for our no-show Representative Andy Harris at a Town Hall in Cambridge. He encouraged us to fight against the encroachment of dysfunction overtaking this administration and suppressing our freedoms 

Organizations like Indivisible and People Power United are here to help us come together in community to share  our frustration and angst by powerfully expressing our values and demanding what we need as well as what we want. We can write to Congress, we can march, we can rally and we can speak truth to power. As I say in Life Reimagined…It’s not too late and we’re not too old.

(Doris) Dodie Theune
St Michaels

Program Open Space was created in 1969 and was funded through of a transfer tax of 0.5 percent on every real estate transaction in the state.  This new special tax was designed to directly tie development to available funding for open space and recreational facilities for the public good. Now because of the State budget deficit the POS funds are being threatened with total removal for the next four years!

Program Open Space supports parks, forests, and wildlife management areas and is an important contributor to the State’s conservation commitments and goals.  It also supports community playgrounds, ball fields, tennis courts, hiking trails, historic sites, Chesapeake Bay water access and multiple other community benefits. These programs are important for citizens’ well-being and also have substantial economic benefits. Quality of life is a very important factor in home and business investment in a community.

I am impressed with the value of open spaces when I visit the Oxford Conservation Park and see the Park enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities.  I see toddlers running around, senior citizens—some proceeding slowly with the help of a cane, dog owners with their enthusiastic pets and many others enjoying the outdoors. I am particularly mindful of the many citizens who safely walked in the  Park during the worst days of the pandemic for exercise, tranquility, and inspiration. The Park has also become a highly valued locale for viewing wildlife, with, for example, a large number of bird species identified, including recent sightings of quail.

Program Open Space provides very important benefits to residents of the Eastern Shore. I encourage you to contact our Talbot County representatives and ask that they continue funding for Program Open Space.

Sarah Ramsey
Oxford

On Saturday, March 22nd, 800 people filled the Mace Lane Middle School in Cambridge to capacity for a Town Hall to discuss President Trump’s policies and District 1 Representative Andy Harris’ role in supporting them.  Harris was invited but refused to attend, leading to the placement of a large milk carton on the stage with ‘MIA” and “Missing” in large letters. Throughout the meeting Representative Harris was referred to as “AWOL Andy.”

Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congressman from Maryland’s District 8, replaced the absent Harris.  Raskin, a former law professor who was elected in 2017, focused his comments on the unconstitutionality of Trump’s actions attempting to dismantle federal agencies and programs.  Citing the language of the Constitution verbatim from memory, he took the audience through Articles I through III of the Constitution that specify the powers of Congress, the Executive, and the Courts.  He summarized his discussion by noting that the Congress enacts laws and funds programs, whereas it is the Executive’s responsibility to implement them.

Raskin also reiterated the recent warning from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts that, if disagreeing with a court’s decision, the proper course of action is to appeal that decision and not call for a judge’s impeachment.  While Roberts did not name the President, it was clearly in response to Trump’s earlier call for the impeachment of US District Judge James Boasberg, who had issued a temporary injunction to halt the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.  

When citizens in the Town hall rose to ask questions, there was a considerable amount of ridiculing of Representative Harris’ claims that he did not want to attend these kinds of meetings because the Democratic Party was busing in paid, out-of-area protesters to disrupt them.  When people attending the event asked questions, most of them identified where they lived in District 1 and what their professions were.  Many of these individuals asked what ordinary people could do to halt what they characterized as the President’s unconstitutional actions.  Representative Raskin responded that it was important to attend public events such as this meeting as well as look to electing more responsive legislators in the 2026 elections.  

Representative Raskin’s presentation and responses to questions were widely applauded during the meeting.  He was awarded numerous standing ovations throughout the event, and was asked by some participants whether he would be willing to run to be the District 1 Representative or even President in the future.  Raskin jokingly responded he would do anything to further the cause of democracy in America.

The event was sponsored by Cambridge Indivisible.  At the conclusion of the meeting, they indicated a March on Washington DC was planned for April 5th on the Washington Monument grounds.  The “Hands Off” march is being orgnized by the national Indivisible organization with other organizations (such as The Women’s March) also planning to rally that day.      

Wilson Dean
Oxford

On March 6th, we joined 300+ of our friends and neighbors in a protest outside of the Tidewater Inn in Easton, where Rep. Andy Harris was having a fundraising event. Last night, March 13th, another protest greeted Rep. Harris on Route 50 in Cambridge, at the entrance to the Hyatt. Protesters gathered to show Mr. Harris that we aren’t happy with him, to encourage a Town Hall and to shine a big, bright light on the many, many terrible things coming out of DOGE and the Trump administration.

At the Cambridge event, Mr. Harris was asked about the protests, two in a week, and he reached into the old bag of tricks and said that he didn’t believe that those gathered were constituents, that he believed many were bused in and paid $40 for participating. That’s a golden oldie! When asked for the source of that information, he simply said that he learned it “from someone in DC who knows”.

For the record, hundreds of us from Talbot, Dorchester, Caroline, Kent, and Queen Annes gathered days earlier to prepare.  I spotted no buses and no paid actors. It’s a tired old ruse to say that protesters are bused in. Also, during the Q&A, Harris said that his primary job is to further President Trump’s agenda, not to represent his constituents or to protect the Constitution, but to do the bidding of the POTUS. Funny, I thought that Harris AND the POTUS work for We The People. Another questioner asked Harris about his recent statements declaring Russia a US enemy and how that jives with mixed signals coming from the White House. Harris became a little combative and asked the questioner if she believed what she’d heard the president say when he said that Russia didn’t attack/invade Ukraine… he asked, “Do you believe everything the President says? Do you believe him just because he said it?”.

Oh boy, I wish Andy had asked me that question! TOWN HALL NOW!

Rick Hughes
Easton

David Reel’s recent articles about President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) miss some important constitutional problems. None of us know exactly how the Supreme Court will rule on DOGE, but it clearly undermines the balance of power between the branches of government. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the authority to create and fund government agencies — not the president. Letting the president restructure or close agencies without Congress’s approval takes away power from Congress and weakens the system of checks and balances that protects our democracy.

What makes this even more troubling is that Trump doesn’t need to bypass Congress. He has a majority in both the House and the Senate. If Trump wants to restructure the government, he could go through Congress and follow the constitutional process. But instead, DOGE allows him to act unilaterally, cutting Congress out of decisions that should involve all three branches of government. That’s a dangerous step toward giving too much power to the executive branch.

Making the government more efficient is important — but it must be done in a way that respects the Constitution and preserves the balance of power.

Sarah Gavian
Cambridge