My HoCo By Design Testimony

Posted on June 16, 2023June 16, 2023 by Jenny

This past Wednesday, I testified in person at the Howard County Council's first public hearing on the HoCo By Design general plan update. While I ran short on time and had to skip over a few parts toward the end, this was largely what I stated (and sent) to the Council: Good evening, council members. My name is Jennifer Solpietro, and I am on the Board of Directors of the Howard Progressive Project and a member of the Howard County Housing Affordability Coalition. I am a resident of Harper’...

“No one gives a [bleep.]”

Posted on June 9, 2022June 9, 2022 by Jenny

If you haven't seen today's Baltimore Sun article about an incident involving Howard County Councilmember Deb Jung wielding her power and privilege over a group of young men in a parking lot, you need to drop what you're doing and read it. But make sure your family is wearing a poncho, because your head is going to explode like a melon at a Gallagher show. Video courtesy Baltimore Sun via Sam Hightower The video (above) of the incident is damning, showing Ms. Jung threatening to call t...

Following Up on “Flip Flops”

Posted on January 21, 2022January 21, 2022 by Jenny

Whew. A lot has transpired since my last piece on the Citizens’ Election Fund kerfuffle. I won’t be covering all of it in this piece, because it would fill a book at this point, and y’all know how to use Google. But I did want to follow up on some of the details other folks may have missed. This week, the County Council held a public hearing on CB-6, the bill intended to revise the CEF statute and eliminate the verbiage stating that elections will be determined to be contested (or not) on th...

Flip-Flops and Funding

Posted on January 13, 2022January 12, 2022 by Jenny

This week, I've been tracking some consternation in the community regarding the Citizens' Election Fund, Howard County's public campaign financing program. In 2016, Howard County voters voted for a charter amendment via a ballot question to establish the fund, and the County Council introduced legislation instituting the program. Then-County Executive Allan Kittleman consistently and steadfastly opposed the CEF program, saying "our taxes should not go to boost the campaign coffers of any politi...

Unfair Housing

Posted on May 20, 2021May 20, 2021 by Jenny

I live in Howard County District 4, specifically in Harper's Choice Village in Columbia. Like our neighbors in Wilde Lake and Hickory Ridge, our village's socioeconomically diverse population is evident in our housing. Stand at the edge of a cluster of single-family homes, and you can throw a stone across Harper's Farm Road and reach a group of mid-priced apartments. Walk toward our village center - where we shop for groceries, grab a cup of coffee, get takeout, and enjoy Italian ice on hot sum...