Welcome to a new, weekly column in which a topic of interest, piece of news, relevant opinion, or general request for feedback is presented. We’ll offer the topic du jour and accompanying question, and you have the opportunity to respond with your thoughts.
Simply fill out the form below. A collection of each week’s responses will appear in the following week’s column. To read last week’s responses, scroll below this week’s topic.
Publisher reserves the right to edit responses for clarity and publish online and/or in our print publications.
Please let us know your thoughts!
This week’s topic is:
Sports Betting in Maryland
As of June 1st, betting on sports became legal in Maryland at its six casinos, M&T Bank Stadium, Camden Yards, and Fed-Ex Field. Wagers can also be placed online. More than two-thirds of Marylanders voted for sports betting back in November and this year’s general assembly supported its legalization as well. Sports betting is already legal in Delaware, West Virginia, and Virginia. The industry is expected to bring in up to 19 million dollars this year, money that officials say will go toward education.
Our questions to you:
Did you agree with legalizing sports betting? Why or why not?
And do you believe the state revenue generated from sports better will go toward education?
Please share your thoughts by filling out this form.
Last week, we asked you about Maryland Ending Jobless Benefits and you responded! Here is a sampling of reader responses. To read more, click here.
There are many people avoiding returning to work as long as they can receive $900.00 per week for staying home. At the same time, employers are having difficulty getting back up to full staffing levels, and are offering incentives to new hires. eliminating the supplemental payment would help solve the labor shortage problem.
Al DiCenso, Easton
We need people to get back to work. We get resumes, but no shows, no one shows up to interviews, no one calls back. We can only assume it is because Unemployment is too tempting over working. People must adjust and learn how to live even if they have children. Childcare credits and help maybe would help over unemployment benefits.
Janet Sumner, Pasadena
Governor Hogan should NOT! end enhanced jobless benefits until All schools are open! Many parents do not have daycare and this year has been hard enough already! A few months is not going to hurt for him to wait. Parents and children need time to get into a routine with going back to school. He needs to change this ASAP!
Karen McElwain, Annapolis
Despite what many employers are saying, and the general public about people not wanting to work, that applies only to a limited few. I am highly skilled, have applied for six to ten jobs every week during COVID, I have only had one unsuccessful in person interview, two Zoom interviews, and none of them even had the professionalism to let me know that the status of my interview. All of these interviews happened before high school and college graduations. Most of the jobs are short term seasonal, part-time with a schedule that varies each week, no benefits, and thus, you cannot fit another part-time job in, because both want variable schedules. It's oversimplification to say that we don't want to work. Add over fifty into the equation, and it get even worse.
Carolyn Miller, Upper Marlboro
