Perdue: Poultry industry is not ‘complacent’ about Chesapeake Bay
Following a report from the Environmental Integrity Project, The Baltimore Sun editorial board alleged this week that Marylanders have become “complacent” about the Chesapeake Bay’s health (“Chesapeake Bay cleanup: Have we become complacent?” Nov.
1). Once again, the board directed its dismay at the area’s poultry processors and men and women who make a living through chicken farming. This is a narrow portrayal of local farmers who, in our experience, are dedicated to protecting the environment for the benefit of their own operations and the community.
The editors suggest companies like Perdue should be accountable for poultry litter these farms produce. But we already do what they say we should: We help farmers find outlets for poultry litter, often investing to distribute it as fertilizer outside the area while providing farmers additional revenue. Perdue agrees with EIP’s call for additional state resources to validate on-farm nutrient management plans. That’s why we’ve supported Maryland’s Phosphorous Management Tool which is designed to reduce runoff from manure sources.
Finally, from our perspective, this community is anything but complacent. We regularly work with engaged citizens and nonprofits on a range of efforts to support the Chesapeake Bay. Their work is important and should be celebrated. We fully intend to keep doing our part and we know these groups will too.
This Washington County resident would rather stay in Maryland
The Baltimore Sun editorial, “Western Maryland lawmakers make a run for the hills” (October 22), takes issue with the proposal of secession of Maryland’s three western most counties to West Virginia.
Having spent 20 years as a Maryland state delegate and living part of my week in Sharpsburg (Antietam), I wish to add our state’s geography and wealth to the discussion.
I see West Virginia from my Washington County home. Between my home and West Virginia is the Potomac River. Citizens living between Harper’s Ferry and Cumberland have few river crossings. Washington and Allegany counties have a Baltimore-Washington orientation with the transportation networks running east to west.
However, Garrett County is a different story. Its orientation is north towards Pittsburgh. If any of the three counties have “beef ” with Maryland, it is Garrett. A sizeable portion of the county is stateowned lessening its taxable base.
The answer to the secession proposal is the governor of West Virginia’s excitement over getting three counties from Maryland. Maryland is one of the wealthiest states. West Virginia is one of the poorest.
Living in Sharpsburg, I prefer looking to Maryland for services rather than to West Virginia. This month, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources plans to send a crew to our community to remove forest debris to reduce the risk of forest fire. I am skeptical we would be able to get a West Virginia truck across the Potomac to provide those services.
Expand Medicare to cover dental care for seniors
I am writing about my concern for the dental health of our seniors. We would like to think that if you work hard your whole life, you should be able to retire and not live in poverty. Some employers have pension plans or 401(k) plans and allow employees to maintain their supplemental health and dental benefits. But I have been a practicing dentist for many years in Baltimore and have seen firsthand how it’s a smooth transition for some and devastating for others.
In fact, nearly half of Maryland seniors living alone live in economic insecurity. A 2019 University of Massachusetts Boston report found that 49.3% of them, and 22.3% of senior couples, live below the Elder Index, defined as the income level at which older people are able to cover basic living expenses. Low-income Maryland adults reported that the top oral health problem they have is pain in the mouth, and that they are less likely to participate in social activities because of it. These are the people who really need help accessing dental care.
I firmly believe just adding dental coverage to Medicare Part B is not the answer. Any Medicare expansion created by Congress should be to help the underserved through a separate and unique program dedicated to providing comprehensive dental care for low income seniors.