Perspective

a boy sitting at the table
When I was a teenager, I was up before the sun every morning. I’d put on my shitkickers and take my flashlight out to the barn, where I’d feed animals, muck out stalls, and collect eggs. In the winter, I’d be out there breaking ice on water buckets and checking for frozen pipes. Then, I’d grab breakfast, get ready for the day, and make the 8 ½ mile trek into town to get to school by 8 AM. On the weekends – and all summer long – I had to be up even earlier to make it to my job in town by 7:30...
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I Was Born in a Small Town

empty railways
Well, I was born in a small town And I live in a small town Probably die in a small town Oh, those small communities "Small Town" John Mellencamp I think John Mellencamp sang a better song about small towns. Jason Aldean, not so much. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t know whereof he speaks. After all, Mr. Aldean reportedly grew up in the city of Macon, Georgia, population 157,000, and spent summers in the Miami-area city of Homestead, Florida, population 80,000. Then there’s me:...
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What Does Our APFO Accomplish?

Guys, we need to talk about APFO in Howard County. Specifically, we need to talk about the fact that our Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) isn't doing anything to help school capacity, and it's creating a barrier to affirmatively furthering fair housing. So what does it accomplish? Has it put us on a sustainable path? APFOs are intended to help jurisdictions manage growth by making new development approval contingent on the existence of adequate public facilities such as roads, ...
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My HoCo By Design Testimony

white blue and gray concrete building
This past Wednesday, I testified in person at the Howard County Council's first public hearing on the HoCo By Design general plan update. While I ran short on time and had to skip over a few parts toward the end, this was largely what I stated (and sent) to the Council: Good evening, council members. My name is Jennifer Solpietro, and I am on the Board of Directors of the Howard Progressive Project and a member of the Howard County Housing Affordability Coalition. I am a resident of Harper’...
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Moms for the First Amendment

set of condoms for contraceptive and protection against infection
Unless you've been living under a rock, by now you've probably heard about Moms for Liberty and their activism regarding sex education, library books, and LGBTQ+ topics in schools. As word spreads of a new M4L chapter recently launching in Howard County, with failed (phew) 2022 Board of Education candidate Tudy Adler serving as its vice chair, I sit in amazement about the fact that in the year of our Lord 2023, people still get all bajiggity about sexual topics being discussed in public schools...
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