T. Dan Baker
T. Dan Baker (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Maryland's 7th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 2, 2020.
Baker also ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Maryland's 7th Congressional District. He lost in the special Democratic primary on February 4, 2020.
Baker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2020
Regular election
See also: Maryland's 7th Congressional District election, 2020
Maryland's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
Maryland's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Maryland District 7
Incumbent Kweisi Mfume defeated Kim Klacik, Charles Smith, and Ray Bly in the general election for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kweisi Mfume (D) | 71.6 | 237,084 |
 | Kim Klacik (R) | 28.0 | 92,825 | |
 | Charles Smith (D) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 21 | |
 | Ray Bly (R) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 16 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 1,052 | ||
| Total votes: 330,998 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Gary Schuman (Independent)
- Amber Ivey (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kweisi Mfume | 74.3 | 113,061 |
 | Maya Rockeymoore Cummings | 10.0 | 15,208 | |
 | Jill Carter | 8.7 | 13,237 | |
| Alicia Brown | 1.2 | 1,841 | ||
| Charles Stokes | 0.9 | 1,356 | ||
 | T. Dan Baker | 0.7 | 1,141 | |
 | Jay Jalisi | 0.7 | 1,056 | |
 | Harry Spikes | 0.7 | 1,040 | |
 | Saafir Rabb | 0.6 | 948 | |
 | Mark Gosnell | 0.5 | 765 | |
| Darryl Gonzalez | 0.3 | 501 | ||
 | Jeffrey Woodard | 0.2 | 368 | |
 | Gary Schuman | 0.2 | 344 | |
| Michael Howard Jr. | 0.2 | 327 | ||
| Jermyn Michael Davidson | 0.2 | 298 | ||
| Dan Hiegel | 0.1 | 211 | ||
| Charles Smith | 0.1 | 189 | |
| Matko Lee Chullin III | 0.1 | 187 | ||
 | Adrian Petrus | 0.1 | 170 | |
| Total votes: 152,248 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Terri L. Hill (D)
- Brian Britcher (D)
- F. Michael Higginbotham (D)
- Talmadge Branch (D)
- Leslie Grant (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kim Klacik | 68.8 | 16,465 |
 | Elizabeth Matory | 14.2 | 3,401 | |
 | William Newton | 5.3 | 1,271 | |
| Ray Bly | 5.2 | 1,234 | |
| Brian Brown | 4.7 | 1,134 | ||
| M.J. Madwolf | 1.8 | 442 | ||
| Total votes: 23,947 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Christopher Anderson (R)
- Mekkah Mohammed (R)
- Reba Hawkins (R)
Special election
See also: Maryland's 7th Congressional District special election, 2020
Maryland's 7th Congressional District special election (February 4, 2020 Democratic primary)
Maryland's 7th Congressional District special election (February 4, 2020 Republican primary)
General election
Special general election for U.S. House Maryland District 7
Kweisi Mfume defeated Kim Klacik in the special general election for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kweisi Mfume (D) | 73.8 | 111,955 |
| Kim Klacik (R) | 25.1 | 38,102 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.1 | 1,661 | ||
| Total votes: 151,718 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7
The following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on February 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kweisi Mfume | 43.0 | 31,415 |
| Maya Rockeymoore Cummings | 17.1 | 12,524 | |
| Jill Carter | 16.0 | 11,708 | |
 | Terri L. Hill | 7.4 | 5,439 | |
 | F. Michael Higginbotham | 4.4 | 3,245 | |
| Harry Spikes | 3.5 | 2,572 | |
| Saafir Rabb | 1.8 | 1,327 | |
| Jay Jalisi | 1.7 | 1,257 | |
 | Talmadge Branch | 1.1 | 810 | |
| Mark Gosnell | 0.8 | 579 | |
| T. Dan Baker | 0.5 | 377 | |
| Charles Stokes | 0.4 | 297 | ||
 | Paul Konka | 0.3 | 251 | |
| Darryl Gonzalez | 0.3 | 245 | ||
| Alicia Brown | 0.2 | 180 | ||
| Leslie Grant | 0.2 | 176 | ||
 | Anthony Carter Sr. | 0.2 | 155 | |
| Jay Fred Cohen | 0.2 | 150 | ||
| Matko Lee Chullin III | 0.1 | 79 | ||
| Charles Smith | 0.1 | 75 | |
| Adrian Petrus | 0.1 | 60 | |
| Nathaniel Costley Sr. | 0.1 | 49 | ||
| Dan Hiegel | 0.0 | 31 | ||
| Jermyn Michael Davidson | 0.0 | 31 | ||
| Total votes: 73,032 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7
The following candidates ran in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on February 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kim Klacik | 40.2 | 4,525 |
| Elizabeth Matory | 24.3 | 2,740 | |
| James Arnold | 12.4 | 1,401 | ||
 | Reba Hawkins | 8.1 | 913 | |
 | Christopher Anderson | 7.6 | 852 | |
| William Newton | 3.7 | 414 | |
| Ray Bly | 2.1 | 236 | |
| Brian Brown | 1.6 | 185 | ||
| Total votes: 11,266 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Regular election
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
T. Dan Baker did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Special election
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
T. Dan Baker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Baker's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Son of a Baptist Minister and high school Math teacher. - One of the first graduates of the Virginia Military Institute to join the Peace Corps. - Huge fan of JFK's 'can do' vision supporting the 'moonshot' and 'civil rights'. - A civilian veteran (US Foreign Service) of Afghanistan, International Public Health professional, and recently returned Country Director of an infectious disease prevention and treatment program covering southern Turkey and northern Syria.
I've been fortunate over my career as an international health & development professional to have visited many countries of the world, and I have seen with my own eyes the changes which have befallen countries suffering from poor governance, corruption, and lack of leadership, especially in addressing climate change.
I am running because together we must fight to prevent this from happening to the United States!
The US Congress is in need of leaders who not only directly represent the will of their constituents but who also understand the global realities of what we ALL will be facing in the coming decades ... leaders who can make balanced, informed, and measured decisions for how best to respond to the Global Climate Crisis ... I am one such leader.
Please refer to my website VoteTDanBaker.com for more information.- Improved Race Relations via: 1) Universal Basic Income / Reparations - For Native, African, & Japanese Americans and 2) A 21st Century Civil Rights Bill - Covering All Races. Please refer to https://votetdanbaker.com/what-im-for__trashed/improved-race-relations-via/
- Reduced Corporate Influence in Government via: 1) Repeal of Citizens United Ruling - End government for hire and 2) Term Limits - 16 years total time in Congress. Please refer to https://votetdanbaker.com/reduced-corporate-influence-in-government-via/
- Less Interventionist Foreign Policy via: 1) Ending Regime Change Wars - Apparently IKE was right and 2) A 21st Century National Security Act - Tanks vs. Terrorists doesn't work. Please refer to https://votetdanbaker.com/less-interventionist-foreign-policy/
As a trained member of Vice President Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership Corps, I've believed in the need for US leadership and an aggressive response to the Global Climate Crisis for many years now.
The UN Environmental Program report that came out in November provided evidence and stated emphatically that the global community of countries is not effectively reducing its Green House Gas emissions to meet the pledges of the Paris Climate Agreement signed in 2015 to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 C.
Though several states and cities across the US are working diligently to meet the Paris Agreement, including Maryland, clearly much more needs to be done.
To this end in my website platform I propose a "stretch goal" to begin Reversing Climate Change - while establishing new jobs - starting right here in District 7 by:
• Establishing the first all renewable energy municipality (including all residences and businesses) in the United States &
• Training District 7's unemployed and underemployed in solar and wind turbine manufacturing, grid conversion, and systems installation.
I believe that America's diversity is her greatest strength.
I believe that people protect what they help create and that working together - in the community and across the aisle - is the only way to get effective and sustainable work accomplished.
I believe that there is serious denial in government - that needs to be called out and addressed at the federal level - regarding the realities of race relations and climate change.
I believe that there is serious corruption in government - that also needs to be called out, investigated, and addressed - regarding corporate influence in government and foreign policy.
I believe that most folks in District 7 want:
• to have the financial boot off their throats - even if a little bit - so that the income they are making today stretches a little bit further each month (perhaps by reducing the work week to 4 days);
• to feel safe and secure from violence - both domestically and internationally;
• to have access to decent health care, food, and education for their kids.
And I believe that the following policies can help achieve these wants!
• Equal Pay: Same salary for same job
• Minimum Wage: = A living wage!
• Drug Use Decriminalization: For non-violent offenders
• Education: Pay teachers their real worth! Ensure curriculum is preparing our children for their future
• Female Reproductive Rights: It is a woman's right to choose and have access to health care services!
• Universal Health Care (Plus Public Opt) : It is a Human Right! People should have the right to choose the kind of care they want.
• Gun Control: License and registration to own
• Immigration: Far enough back, aren't we all immigrants?
• Legalization of marijuana: And new research into medical use
• Gay marriage & adoption: We all need love & loving parents!
Please refer to https://votetdanbaker.com/tdans-platform/ where I explain how I hope to work on these challenges in the coming years.
What I'm for?
• Improved Race Relations via:
- Universal Basic Income / Reparations - For Native, African, & Japanese Americans
- A 21st Century Civil Rights Bill - Covering All Races.
• Reduced Corporate Influence in Government via:
- Repeal of Citizens United Ruling - End government for hire
- Term Limits - 16 years total time in Congress.
• Less Interventionist Foreign Policy via:
- Ending Regime Change Wars - Apparently IKE was right
- A 21st Century National Security Act - Tanks vs. Terrorists doesn't work
• Reversing Climate Change (while establishing jobs and reducing crime in District 7) via:
- Establishing the first all renewable energy municipality (including all residences and businesses) in the United States
- Training District 7's unemployed and underemployed in solar and wind turbine manufacturing, grid conversion, and systems installation.
What else I'm for?
• Equal Pay: Same salary for same job
• Minimum Wage: A living wage!
• Drug Use Decriminalization: For non-violent offenders
• Education: Pay teachers their real worth!
• Improving Transportation and Infrastructure
• Female Reproductive Rights: It is a woman's right to choose and have access to health care!
• Universal Health Care (Plus Public Option) : It is a Human Right! People should have the right to
choose the kind of care they want.
• Gun Control: License and registration to own
• Immigration: Far enough back, aren't we all immigrants?
• Legalization of marijuana: And new research into medical use
• Ending Regime Change Wars - Apparently IKE was right
• A 21st Century National Security Act - Tanks vs. Terrorists doesn't work
I'd welcome joining any of the following committees (listed in order of preference):
- Appropriations
- Budget
- Armed Services
- Foreign Affairs
- Intelligence (Permanent Select)
2) In support of my platform position of Reversing Climate Change (while establishing jobs and reducing crime in District 7) via:
• Establishing the first renewable energy municipality in the United States
• Training D7's unemployed in solar and wind turbine manufacturing, grid conversion, and systems installation.
I'd welcome joining any of the following committees (listed in order of preference):
- Climate Crisis
- Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources
- Transportation and Infrastructure
- Science, Space, and Technology
3) In support of my platform position of Improved Race Relations via:
• Universal Basic Income / Reparations - For Native, African, & Japanese Americans
• A 21st Century Civil Rights Act - Covering all races
I'd welcome joining any of the following committees (listed in order of preference):
- Oversight and Government Reform
- Judiciary
- Human Rights
4) In support of my platform position of Reduced Corporate Influence in Government via:
• Repeal of Citizens United Ruling - End government for hire
• Term Limits - 16 years total time in Congress
I'd welcome joining any of the following committees (listed in order of preference):
- Modernization of Congress
The idea of rotating representation in government finds its roots in ancient Greece and Rome where it was recognized that forces outside the will of the people - could more easily gain foothold and influence the will of government - through representatives who repeatedly sought reelection. The wisdom of just such a policy was supported by numbers of the founding fathers to include Thomas Jefferson and George Mason. And in fact up to the adoption and ratification of The US Constitution in 1789, the practice of term limits and rotating representation in Congress was the accepted practice.
In 1808, Thomas Jefferson refused a third term as President of the United States establishing precedent of an unofficial two term limit for this office. And not until FDR in 1940 was this tradition broken leading the way to the 22nd Amendment ratified in 1951 restricting Presidents to two terms in office.
Though attempts have been made over the years at the State and Federal level to prevent "homesteading" or the practice of being in Congress for life, these attempts were made prior to the US Supreme Court Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission resulting in the pervasive influence of corporations and industries in our government or what some today have termed our US "corporatocracy".
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
| “ |
Improved Race Relations via: Show me a US citizen who’s not from an immigrant family and I’ll introduce you to the first of three US citizen groups long owed UBI/Reparations, Native Americans. The US government is guilty of domestic genocide going back to the time of President Andrew Jackson who was a staunch supporter and leading advocate in support of relocating Native American tribes – such as the Cherokee of North Carolina – from the South-Eastern US to West of the Mississippi River e.g. “Indian Territory”. This forced migration codified under the 1830 Indian Removal Act was known as the Trail of Tears during which no less than 60,000 Native American citizens were forcibly relocated with some 4,000 dying during the journey West. As a result of this flagrant abuse of universal human rights and the repeat taking of life, liberty, and property on the part of the US government, I propose from now into perpetuity that upon reaching adulthood all US Native American Citizens ([greater than or equal to] 1/8th Native American) receive a UBI of $2,000 / month. And when we talk about most US citizens being from immigrant families, we must acknowledge that many of us – some 40,000,000 (40 million) US citizens – come from families of unwilling immigrants brought to the Colonies and later The United States completely against their will. Such kidnapping, imprisonment without cause en masse, and enslavement of some 600,000 forced immigrants from Africa brought – to what eventually became the USA as “free labor” – today is unconscionable. Such activities being condoned by the US Government, has never effectively been answered for nor restitution ever provided. As a result of this flagrant abuse of universal human rights and the repeat taking of life, liberty, and property, I propose from now into perpetuity that upon reaching adulthood all US African American Citizens (descended from slaves) receive a UBI of $2,000 / month. The travesty of Japanese American internment during World War II has also proved one of the darkest periods of US citizen race relations. Such activities being directed by the US Government upon its own citizens, has never effectively been answered for, nor restitution ever provided. As a result of this flagrant abuse of universal human rights and the repeat taking of liberty, livelihood, and property, I propose from now into perpetuity that upon reaching adulthood all US Japanese American Citizens (whose families were interned during WWII) receive a UBI of $1,000 / month. • A 21st Century Civil Rights Bill – Covering all races Regardless of race what I believe most Americans want is to improve their month to month, have their children, and raise their families in safety while still enjoying their respective cultures, customs, and even different languages. While nine Civil Rights Acts were passed by Congress (between 1866 to 1991), given the ever changing demographic makeup of the United States and the ever increasing outing of xenophobic and racist acts – largely due to modern communication technology – the time has come to take a modern day, multi-racial look at both inter & intra race relations and racial inequality in the United States. Within the ongoing US experiment – of an ever-expanding multi-racial population – are we as a country aspiring to have an ever more egalitarian and harmonious society or one which falls victim to its baser fears? In line with the former, I propose opening a fresh, innovative, multi-racial, bipartisan dialogue regarding a 21st Century Civil Rights Bill addressing, existing and future, potential inter & intra racial priority concerns as well as the development of a new, dedicated, Department of Domestic Race Relations & Cultural Affairs at the federal level. Reduced Corporate Influence in Government via: In thinking about the idea of three coequal branches of government, most of us want to believe that the government and its branches are independent of outside forces. Or as stated by President Abraham Lincoln, “democracy is direct self-government, over all the people, for all the people, by all the people.” Such leadership in words and deeds has provided most Americans the sense that we as US citizens are and should always remain the only influencers of government in these United States. This right of the people was first codified by the words of James Madison in The First Amendment of The US Constitution which states, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” No where in the Bill of Rights or elsewhere in The Constitution is there language expressing, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people” is the norm EXCEPT when large corporations and industrial lobbies gain greater power and influence – in the three coequal branches of government – than the people. Nevertheless, the United States has come to a place in its history where in fact the Presidency, the Supreme Court and yes, the Congress are no longer independent of outside forces with each now a victim to the insidious and pervasive influence of large corporate lobbies and the dictates of the uber wealthy. There is no greater example of this outside influence than that codified by the US Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (558 US 310 – 2010), which held that the freedom of speech conveyed upon the citizens of the United States in The Bill of Rights equally protects corporations, unions, and other associations. However, unlike the American people who have “inalienable rights”, corporations, unions, and other associations only have those rights which are conferred upon them by the people. Nowhere in the Constitution does it state that corporations are the same as people. As such please join me as I propose to enter the fight to overturn Citizens United removing outside, large corporate interests from government … returning the government to the people of the United States! • Term Limits – 16 years total time in Congress The idea of rotating representation in government finds its roots in ancient Greece and Rome where it was recognized that forces outside the will of the people – could more easily gain foothold and influence the will of government – through representatives who repeatedly sought reelection. The wisdom of just such a policy was supported by numbers of the founding fathers to include Thomas Jefferson and George Mason. And in fact up to the adoption and ratification of The US Constitution in 1789, the practice of term limits and rotating representation in Congress was the accepted practice. In 1808, Thomas Jefferson refused a third term as President of the United States establishing precedent of an unofficial two term limit for this office. And not until FDR in 1940 was this tradition broken leading the way to the 22nd Amendment ratified in 1951 restricting Presidents to two terms in office. Though attempts have been made over the years at the State and Federal level to prevent “homesteading” or the practice of being in Congress for life, these attempts were made prior to the US Supreme Court Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission resulting in the pervasive influence of corporations and industries in our government or what some today have termed our US “corporatocracy”. If elected, please join me as I seek to establish a combined, maximum 16 years total time in Congress further preventing outside, large corporate interests from influencing Congressional members who are “homesteading” … ultimately returning us to a government, “of the people, by the people, for the people!” Less Interventionist Foreign Policy: The United States is a country born from war and war has been an integral part of who we are as a culture and as a people since our beginning. Nonetheless, during my graduate training years ago, I was shocked to learn the United States has invaded 40 plus countries over the course of its history – many of which multiple times – with as many invasions since World War II as since declaring independence. While I believe that wars fought in defense of a nation or an ally are justifiable, wars fought in the name of ‘prevention’ and/or under the obscure rubric of ‘protecting US national interests’, are typically wars of opportunity. These types of wars have repeatedly gotten the US into trouble over its history. A recent example of this is how following 9/11 – after routing the Taliban in 2001 from Afghanistan – US forces were received as liberators by the Afghan people. However, the very next year then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld and his Deputy Paul Wolfowitz, diverted the almost $1,000,000,000 ($1 Billion) in US aid – meant to help Afghanistan rebuild – to instead prosecute a war of opportunity falsely presented to the American people as ‘protecting US national security interests’ in Iraq. In 2011 during my 2nd year in Afghanistan as a US Foreign Service (Health) Officer, I began to question the strategy of the United States Government (and our coalition partners). At that time after almost 10 years into the war, the United States was expending some $1,300,000,000 ($1.3 Billion) EACH MONTH in support of the 100,000+ troops and 1,000+ civilians on the ground in Afghanistan. Fast forwarding to present day, Iraq remains more unstable and dangerous than ever and alas we are still at war in Afghanistan and with little to nothing to show in return. Or do we? Certainly the American, Iraqi, and Afghan people have little to nothing to show for the near $2,500,000,000,000 ($2.5 Trillion) (CBO) spent in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. However, for large DOD supplier and contractor corporations – lobbyist for whom carry immense influence in Congress – business is booming! Suffice to say, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, retired 5 Star General and former Supreme Allied Commander in World War II, warned the American people in his 1961 Farewell Address of the following: “Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors …. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations. This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience…. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex.…We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes….” Considering that the yearly discretionary spending of the United States on defense is now more than 50% of the entire national budget – while programs of the people e.g. healthcare, education, social security, veterans affairs, and the environment all combined are barely 25%. And considering the absence of transparent accountability re. the expenditure of nearly $2.5 Trillion over the last two decades in Afghanistan and Iraq, I say it is time we heed the prescient advice of one of our greatest leaders Pres. Eisenhower (nickname of IKE). As such, join me in calling for an immediate curbing of the unwarranted financial influence of the DOD on Congress starting with a full accounting and reporting to the American people of the $2.5 Trillion expended in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001. *FYI: $2.5 Trillion is the estimated 10 year cost to begin reversing climate change under the Green New Deal! Further, I ask that you join me in calling for a rationalizing of future DOD spending – presently greater than the defense budgets of the next seven countries combined – to more appropriately align with the greatest national security threats that exist to the United States today, climate change. • A 21st Century National Security Act – Tanks vs. Terrorists doesn’t work The United States has been on an overall upward trajectory in military spending from the time following World War II until present day. Certainly there are dips and spikes in the spending over the years but still the direction continues upward with more and ever greater spending. The United States government spends +50% of each year’s budget, some +$600,000,000,000 ($600 Billion), on defense, with one result being that the DOD has become the single greatest consumer of fossil fuels in the United States as well as the single largest institutional emitter of Green House Gases in the entire world. (Brown University) Further, the US DOD has upwards of 800 military bases around the world and likewise that 11 US Navy Aircraft Carrier Strike Groups – capable of imminent warfare anywhere on the planet – are now on around the clock patrol of the worlds’ oceans 24/7/365. (DOD) In effect, the United States has maintained a permanent war footing worldwide and a permanent war economy in support of this preparedness for more than 70 years. With such an immense force, my questions are: Who are we at war against? & What ever happened to post-war de-escalation? It is time to rationalize the spending of the DOD to align with the greatest national security threat that exists. The greatest threat is not terrorism nor cyber-attacks, which we cannot fight with tanks and aircraft carriers anyway. The greatest threat is climate change! I fully support maintaining a force more than capable of defending the borders and shores of the United States but otherwise: – It is time to begin eliminating force redundancy while reducing emissions at the DOD! – It is time to retrofit and convert the DOD from the single largest institutional polluter on the planet, to the institution that is leading the charge to reverse climate change! If elected I will propose a 21st Century National Security Bill where the DOD evolves into the flagship US institution leading the WAR TO REVERSE CLIMATE CHANGE. Reversing Climate Change (while establishing jobs in District 7): In establishing the first all renewable energy municipality in District 7, what is required first and foremost is citizen and distributor incentives to convert from fossil fuel based electric supply to renewables only supply. To be clear, several outside companies have attempted this in District 7 in the past, but households remain hesitant to switch their electricity supply for fear of a mishap in billing or getting stuck with an incorrect increase in cost. *As a point of fact, renewable energy costs per kilowatt hour are typically 3 to 5 cents less than that of fossil fuel-based supply. As Representative for District 7, I would work with local communities and all levels of Maryland state and local government: first, to identify the economic and environmental benefits of conversion to ‘renewables only’ for municipal electric supply; second, to move such popular initiatives forward while overcoming key roadblocks to making such a conversion successful; and third, to entreat and lobby the US Congress to provide support for this cutting edge, first of its kind, state and locally run, initiative. • Train District 7’s unemployed in solar and wind turbine manufacturing, grid conversion, and systems installation Developing a model for the “GREEN AMERICA” renewable energy employment initiative in District 7 will require integrated investment in both rural (solar array and wind turbine component manufacturing) and urban (grid conversion, electricity storage, and installation) development. To attract such investments will require incentives – for small and large businesses alike – in the form of favorable terms of land use and taxation so that existing and startup green manufacturing companies can in turn offer attractive and favorable terms to their employees.[1] |
” |
| —T. Dan Baker's 2020 campaign website[2] | ||
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ T. Dan Baker's 2020 campaign website, "TDan’s Platform," accessed December 13, 2019
