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EDUCATION:
– Mac believes supporting our public schools and higher education is a top
priority for our future. We need to ensure that all children in Charles County
attend quality public schools and have the opportunity to go to college.
SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION: – Working with the County Commissioners, delegates and
school board, Mac helped win approval of every request made for state funds for
Charles County school construction! Over the last eight years, Mac
fought for approval of over $50 million in State funds for school projects,
including:
- Berry Elementary
- Thomas Stone High School addition and renovation
- J. C. Parks addition/renovation
- Lackey High School addition/renovation
- Stoddert Middle School roof replacement
- Piccowaxen Middle School roof replacement
- Wade Elementary addition
- La Plata High School roof replacement
- Indian Head Elementary RTU replacement
- McDonough High School roof replacement
- Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy roof renovation
- North Point High School – new school
- Mary Burgess Neal Elementary School (new school)
- Theodore G. Davis Middle School (new school)
PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING: - Mac helped pass the Thornton Commission plan to increase funding for
public schools. This will result in more money for Charles County schools
in the coming years.
HIGHER EDUCATION:
- Mac has helped fund improvements to our
University of Maryland system and our community colleges. Supported
the prevention of college tuition increases for the third year in a row
as well as increasing aid to community colleges by $150 million over the
last two years. About half of Charles
County public school graduates attend community colleges.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS:
- As a member of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and then chair of the
Capital Budget Subcommittee, Mac fought for approval of $3.6 million for many
worthy local projects in Charles County and Southern Maryland. These State
funds help leverage private sector investments in non-profit groups’ projects.
- Bel Alton High School project
- Izaak Walton League – outdoor education center
- Friends of Old Waldorf School
- Thomas Stone Historical Site
- Mattawoman Creek Art Center – final phase
- Sotterly Mansion
- Chesapeake Bay Floating Theatre
- Lions Camp Merrick renovation of camp buildings
- Calvert County Historical Society – renovation of Linden Building for Research and Education
- Port Tobacco Players – planning, design and construction
- Charles County Western Business/Industrial Park
- Lackey High School Swimming Pool
- Charles County Boys and Girls Club
- Southern Maryland Regional Strategy-Action Plan for Agriculture
- Southern Maryland Stadium
- Civista Medical Center improvements
- Hospice House of Charles County
- Indian Head Center for the Arts
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COMMUNITY:
- Those who provide care for the
developmentally disabled have long been underpaid. A stressful job, many of
these well meaning people could not survive on what amounted to less than
minimum wage. Mac provided a voice for this community in Annapolis, winning
approval of legislation to increase their wages.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: -
Maryland has a legacy of progress and fiscal responsibility. We honored that
legacy by cutting $1.1 billion from our budget while also reducing taxes for
over 72% of Marylanders. The resulting balanced budget also keeps our
business climate strong by repealing the Tech Tax and by having a corporate
income tax that's among the lowest in the region.
TRANSPORTATION: - Mac has fought for Charles County’s fair share
of transportation funding, to improve our road system and provide transit choices.
- Funding for the Hughesville bypass.
- Brought new Metrobus service to Charles County to connect
residents to the Metro Green Line, including the
Indian Head Express and the C-18 from Waldorf to Branch Avenue.
- Expansion of the Maryland Transit Administration’s commuter bus
service, providing direct service to downtown Washington, D.C.
- Worked with Prince George’s County and secured funding for
planning money for light rail from Waldorf to the Branch Avenue Metro Station.
- Continue efforts to build a Waldorf bypass
PUBLIC SAFETY: - Mac fights for safe Charles County communities
and for our police, deputies, and fire and rescue volunteers.
- Worked with delegation, State Police to build a new, larger state
police barrack in Charles County and increase the size of the police force.
- Worked with the Sheriff, the Fraternal Order of Police, the County
Commissioners, and Delegation on the passage of collective bargaining
legislation for our Deputies and Correctional Officers.
- Expedited construction of a new Southern Maryland fire and rescue
training center in La Plata.
- Increased funding for Med-Evac Shock Trauma.
- Support of the Bill Amoss Fund, providing support to local fire
and rescue
ENVIRONMENTAL AND RURAL PRESERVATION: - Mac supports common-sense efforts to protect our
environment and preserve the rural character of Southern Maryland.
- Restored funding for Maryland Center for Environmental Training at
the College of Southern Maryland, supporting our local municipalities.
- Supports higher standards for safe drinking water
- Secured Smart Growth revitalization funds for Indian Head – including a $1.2 million streetscape
- Obtained funding for badly needed water and sewer upgrades in
Woodland Village, an aging minority neighborhood in Indian Head.
- Rural Legacy protection of the Zekiah Swamp
- Working to keep farms viable – including providing nearly $80
million over 10 years for tobacco farmers to transfer to other crops
- Supported the creation of the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund to restore
the Bay with $25 million the first year
- Supported Global Warming legislation and
- Provided 3.25 million to keep farming viable and profitable in Maryland
with a special fund for Next Generation Farmers.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: - Supporting Charles County’s business community
will help the entire community, providing good job opportunities within the
county for our residents, increasing our tax base to increase revenues for
schools and other investments. Mac has supported tax cuts, improved
transportation infrastructure, and an educational system that provides a
well-prepared workforce.
- Chaired a task force
restructuring Department of Business and Economic Development incentive
programs, to make them more accessible to Southern Maryland businesses.
- Supported funding for programs providing financial assistance to
disadvantaged businesses
- Obtained revitalization funds for Indian Head, including
acquisition and clearing of Indian Head elementary school site for commercial
development
REBUILDING LA PLATA AND CHARLES COUNTY: - Following the tornado that swept through Charles County,
devastating homes and businesses in downtown La Plata, Mac has worked with town,
county and State leaders to make sure the resources were available for La Plata,
our residential communities and farms. He will continue to work for funding to rebuild and revitalize the
town, homes, farms and other businesses. Mac is a member of the Governor’s La Plata task force, working to provide
additional resources for the town.
HEALTH CARE: – Mac believes we need to address health care for the young and old. We
need to understand and stabilize high prescription drug costs. The Federal
government is not living up to its responsibility to provide prescription drugs
for Medicare recipients.
- Sponsored Health Care Reform Legislation during 2007 Special Session to
expand coverage to more than 46,000 uninsured residents, as well as expanding medicaid coverage to
low income parents.
- Sponsored legislation that started the initial Medicare
prescription drug program after Care First eliminated prescription drug coverage
for rural Medicare populations.
- Fought for expansion of the Children’s Health Care Initiative
Program, providing coverage for pregnant women and children of low-income
working families.
- Co-sponsored legislation to provide more oversight of elderly care
in Maryland.
- Working with local African American leaders and our Charles County
Health Department to better address
health care for economically disadvantaged populations.
- Assistance to help 30,000 Maryland seniors struggling with rising drug
prices.
- Sponsored expansion of oral health care services for our children and
secured $180,000 for a Prostate Cancer Pilot Program for screening and
treatment of under and uninsured Charles countians.
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