Hate Crimes Still Plague Our Nation

The recent killing of a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. was a stark reminder that hate crimes are still a part of our society. In 2007, the FBI reported more than 7,600 hate crimes throughout the nation, with 153 occurring in Maryland. Unfortunately, this number could be much higher because many hate crimes are never reported by the victims.
Too many Americans have been a target of hate crimes, from racially motivated fire bombings in Charles County to swastikas painted on synagogues and churches in Montgomery County to the brutal beating death of a 25-year old Mexican immigrant in Shenandoah, PA. Hate crimes are acts of violence against people or property that are meant to frighten and intimidate the victim and the entire community. They can have a devastating effect and cannot be tolerated.
Today, current federal hate crime laws are based only on race, color, national origin and religion. Despite the existing laws, we have seen a significant increase in hate crimes, particularly crimes based on gender identity, sexual orientation and disability. It’s time to expand the federal definition of a hate crime to cover individuals and groups that have become increasingly targeted.
I am an original co-sponsor of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Prevention Act, S. 909, which would extend protections to individuals who are targeted because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It allows for the prosecution of hate crimes wherever they take place, and it would provide greater resources to local, state and tribal governments for hate crime prosecutions and prevention programs.
This legislation does not diminish the role of states in prosecuting criminal activity. Instead, it would assist states by providing them with greater resources to effectively fight hate crimes. Most importantly, the bill protects the First Amendment and does nothing to diminish the right of free speech or the freedom to assemble.
Hate crimes affect all of us, not just the victim. They are intended to intimidate and frighten our communities. It’s time to give our law enforcement officials the tools they need to fight all hate crimes, including those that are based on sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

Auto Dealers Got A Raw Deal From Chrysler And Gm

In May, Chrysler and General Motors (GM) announced they were closing more than 3,100 auto dealerships nationwide, including 30 in Maryland. Since then, I have met with a number of Maryland auto dealers who have talked to me about the arbitrary and capricious nature of the decision by the automakers to close their dealerships.

I agree with them. I see no reason for Chrysler and GM to have taken this step, particularly since these dealers are mostly small business owners who operate at no cost to the car companies. For that reason, I have co-sponsored the Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009 (S. 1304). This legislation would help save local auto dealerships by requiring automakers in which the federal government has an ownership interest to continue to honor their commitment to the dealers and not deprive them of their economic rights.

When GM and Chrysler notified more than 3,100 dealers nationwide that their relationship was ending, the auto companies essentially left these dealers with millions of dollars invested in inventory, with no options for consolidation and little leverage for liquidation. At that time, I joined with Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski in writing to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to urge that the federal Auto Task Force obtain more information about the decision of the auto manufacturers to close dealerships.

Closure of these dealerships will have a profound effect on many communities. Many of these auto dealers are the mainstay of their communities, providing jobs and supporting local projects and priorities. I do not believe we should allow the arbitrary action of the automakers to skirt state law and void legitimate contracts with auto dealers.

Key provisions in S. 1304 would restore the economic rights of GM and Chrysler car dealers as they existed prior to each company’s bankruptcies and preserve GM and Chrysler car dealers’ rights to recourse under state law.

I realize that the auto companies are faced with difficult financial decisions, but the solution should not be to force the closure of thousands of dealerships and the loss of thousands upon thousands of jobs. The dealerships are not the reason these car companies are in financial trouble.

 

Cardin sets budget priorities for area military bases and

 support for key missions at Pax and Indian Head

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today announced his FY 2010 budget appropriations requests for Maryland, including priorities for the Southern Maryland.  The Senate will take up the appropriations bills this summer. A complete list of Senator Cardin’s appropriations requests can be found at cardin.senate.gov.

“The appropriations process must be open and transparent. The American people have a right to know how their tax dollars may be used.  I have carefully vetted every request for Fiscal Year 2010 to ensure that they reflect our regional and national priorities and will help Maryland meet the challenges of the future,” said Senator Cardin. “My appropriations requests focus on creating new jobs through innovation and technology, improving our transportation infrastructure, supporting health research, strengthening homeland security, restoring the environment and lessening our dependence on foreign energy.” 

More than 45 percent of all funds requested by Senator Cardin fund or supplement funding for federal programs that benefit Maryland. Approximately 30 percent of the funds requested would provide essential resources to our state and local governments.

Examples of statewide requests include:

• $2 million for the State of Maryland for its First Responder Interoperability Project to help the state implement an interoperability radio system

$ 1 million for the Maryland State Police to upgrade the state’s computer-aided dispatch/management system in order to coordinate resources and provide quicker deployments in case of an emergency

• $2.5 million for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s statewide oral health literacy campaign to educate low-income, high-risk families about the importance of oral health and preventive behaviors including working with dental and medical providers
• $2 million for essential infrastructure of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Water Trails

Senator Cardin’s list of appropriations requests based in Southern Maryland focus on the major U.S. Navy installations at Patuxent River and Indian Head. Requested projects include:

·         $16.46 million for the Advanced Energetic Research Lab at the Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center which will seek to discover and develop new and advanced materials for new weapons, platform designs and applications to support the warfighter

·         $9.8 million to add a Telemetry Data Center to the Atlantic Test Range at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. This will support integrated test operations and joint testing with other facilities

• $6 million for the Naval Air Station Patuxent River to support integrating and upgrading Special Operations Forces vehicles and platforms to provide warfighters with access to a common operational picture and air-ground-sea interoperability.

Examples from the full list of requests from Senator Cardin for entities or projects based in Southern Maryland include:

• $5 million for the Southern Maryland Commuter Bus Initiative to relieve congestion by enhancing peak period transit service for commuters in Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert Counties
• $3 million for The Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT), headquartered in the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons that provides vital services for NOAA’s developing Integrated Ocean Observing System
• $1 million for the Office of Naval Research’s N-STAR Edcuational Outreach Program to continue the collaboration among the College of Southern Maryland, Southern Maryland public schools, and the two Naval installations that provides students and teachers with the resources they need for careers in mathematics, physics, engineering and other sciences

In addition, Senator Cardin has requested funding for the following projects:

o   Comprehensive planning for the Middle Potomac River Watershed that combats a broad spectrum of problems and reflects the diversity of the landscape of the Potomac basin, which includes urban, rural, and natural areas in six different eco-regions and five local jurisdictions-MD, PA, VA, WV, and DC

o   Southern Maryland Simulation Alliance for Health Education project will improve the College of Southern Maryland's capacity to deliver high quality clinical simulation experiences and build a multi-sector alliance for sharing simulation technology and expertise with local hospitals and other schools of nursing in Maryland

o   Higher Ed partnership for with the Navy for Research in Atomic Physics , which will provide summer training and research in atomic physics for students at St. Mary's College of Maryland and the Patuxent River Naval Air Station wanting to enhance their training in physics and engineering

For more details on the above requests and a complete list of all of Senator Cardin’s FY 2010 appropriations requests for Maryland, please go to cardin.senate.gov