A summer season with consumer restrictions is most likely ahead for the Ocean City area. There seems to be an acceptance this summer will dramatically underachieve from previous seasons, as business operators balance optimism with realism for 2020.City Manager Doug Miller’s memo to the Mayor and Council this week set off a firestorm. Miller’s memo… Read more »
Though clearly well intentioned, it’s counter-productive for the federal government to supplement the states’ unemployment benefits with a $600 boost a week in “pandemic unemployment.” It’s simply too much money to accomplish the goal of unemployment – keep people afloat while jobless but low enough to incentivize seeking work.It’s clear the majority of people are… Read more »
In trying to form budgets for the next fiscal year, governments across the country are predicting – guessing is the better term – how much of a disastrous economic impact the COVID-19 health crisis will have.On the state front, Comptroller Peter Franchot reported last Friday the state should expect a 15% loss – about $2.8… Read more »
It should be prom season. It should be a time to celebrate college acceptances. There would be a countdown on to the walk across the stage before loved ones. It should be a time of mixed emotions of starting a new and exciting chapter and ending a familiar one. These should be the final weeks… Read more »
In this unprecedented time of anxiety and uncertainty, it’s incumbent upon us to seek out the good things in life. With a somber future ahead for now, it’s these silver linings in our daily life that require attention and reflection and even celebration when possible.We have published numerous stories with this objective in mind in… Read more »
If the economic relief initiatives outlined by Maryland and federal officials over the last two weeks sound too good to be true, it’s because they are.When the elected officials talk glowingly about all the state and country are going to help small businesses as well as citizens, it’s impossible not to be excited and optimistic…. Read more »
As a disclaimer, this is not a hard-hitting editorial criticizing a certain government’s direction or policy decision. We look forward to those critiques soon. In the meantime, this comes from this newspaper’s heart and in many ways is the exact opposite of what a newspaper editorial should represent. We don’t care. We need to work… Read more »
The hope with the reinvented special event zone legislation working through the Maryland General Assembly currently in Annapolis is local courtesy will win out.It’s what should have happened last year, but partisan whining over the previous year’s election results derailed it. In the 2018 election, the state’s Republicans went hard after sitting and ranking Democrats…. Read more »
The Town of Ocean City has too much money in reserves based on its own policy. The numbers confirm the town’s fund balance carries more money than the norm, but what to do with the excess dollars is the question.The majority of the Mayor and Council, armed with support from the city’s finance staff, favors… Read more »
Though the dialogue involving year-round residency remains speculative in nature, the ongoing frank discussions at City Hall remain productive.There are many different reasons why people choose to not live in Ocean City. Some folks simply do not want to be subjected to the crowds and traffic of the hectic summer season as well as shoulder… Read more »
