Consider O'Malley
While the Republican presidential candidates have garnered the bulk of the public's attention, we would do well to remember that there indeed is a primary on the Democratic side as well. The lack of discussion is perhaps understandable; party elites are intent on coronating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and have used such tactics as a wholly inadequate debate schedule to promote her candidacy. However, we do have choices, among them former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
As mayor of Baltimore, O'Malley reduced crime rates by more than 40 percent, increased funding for drug addiction treatment, and created a budget surplus. If the unrest in that city last spring taught us anything, it's not that his policies failed, but that such actions are merely the first step in revitalizing our neglected urban cores. In his two terms as governor, the state's schools were top in the country for five years, and new gun safety legislation was passed in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy.
Looking forward, O'Malley has ambitious and detailed goals, among them plans to reform the banking sector, raise the minimum wage and move toward a renewable energy grid by 2050. Moreover, he understands the need to work with our allies and use modern thinking to combat terrorism.
With his executive experience and vision, Martin O'Malley deserves our consideration, and I hope voters realize that we need not settle for the "inevitable front-runner."
Philip H. Whitman Jr.
Newport News
http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/letters/dp-nws-edt-letssat-1128-20151127-story.html