Adrian’s Microblog

How Maryland found its way into a $3 billion budget crises via Baltimore Sun

Comes down to:

  • Bluerprint for Maryland’s Future unfunded for 2028 - 2030
  • Other spending commitments: $1b in public school construction, $1.2b in stadium renovations, $400m into Pimilico & training grounds
  • Increase in costs, especially Medicaid program, prison health care, childcare, & developmental disability programs
  • No new revenues other than digital advertising taxes (which under judicial review)
  • Lagging state economy (e.g., 1.6% from 2016 to 2023, compared to 13.9% nationwide), including lagging labor force participation
  • Over dependence on federal workforce, federal contractors without incentives around private industry

Missed this one the first time around: The Minimum Wage Loses via WSJ

California, yes California, voted 51% against increasing the minimum wage from $16 to $18/hr. (This arising from a period Sep 2023 through Apr 2024 [when the change went into effect] where fast-food prices climbed more than 10% and the industry lost more than 4,400 jobs since January.)

And Massachusetts, yes, Mass., 64% voted against switching tipped workers (at $6.75) to match that of nontipped workers ($15) by 2029 – primarily due to the opposition from the workers themselves.

Interesting.

Had a friend recommend the UFL’s DC Defenders as a very reasonably-priced way to get to see a football game 🏈 – around $20 a ticket (and perhaps a way to actually afford to get a family there).

He also shared that for the WWE matches in Vegas, the front row of seats go for something like $40k each and the 8th row is something like $10k each. Still trying to figure out in which world that makes sense. 🤪

The Great Evernote Reboot with David Pierce of Verge and Federico Simionato, lead developer at Evernote.

Good to see innovative and fresh life breathed into this app – I know my use of it has resurged this year as I take advantage of new features and updated old ones that make the app a great side-kick to wrangling everyday life. :)

“… local assemblies of citizens constitute the strength of free nations.” - Alexis de Tocqueville in his book Democracy in America, 1841

New FTC rule banning fake reviews took effect this past Monday.

A variety of scenarios are covered, like:

  • AI-generated fake reviews,
  • Did not have actual experience with the business or its products or services,
  • Prohibits businesses from buying reviews,
  • And more.

Here’s hoping this makes a difference to the growing amount of “noise” online in this arena (which seems to be outnumbering the legit reviews).

“Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and war. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” — Winston Churchill

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.“ – George Bernard Shaw