Remembering former Maryland GOP Chair Diana Waterman

On Thursday, Oct. 17, Diana Waterman, the former chair of the Maryland Republican Party, passed away after a nine-year battle with cancer.

Diana took over as chair of the MDGOP in February 2013, following the resignation of Alex X. Mooney. At the time, the party was in financial turmoil, with $150,000 in debt and just $10,000 in cash. In October 2013, Diana hired me as executive director of the party. Together, we worked tirelessly to stabilize the party’s finances and support Republican candidates across Maryland.

Although not a well-known figure in Republican circles when she took over, Diana was deeply committed to making the Republican Party a viable opponent to the Democratic stronghold in the state. She traveled across Maryland, promoting and supporting Republican candidates and central committees, and successfully led the party out of debt.

Under her leadership, the 2014 election saw historic victories for Republicans. Larry Hogan was elected governor, two additional Republicans were elected to the state Senate, seven to the House of Delegates, and over 50 Republicans won local offices. It was one of the most successful elections for the GOP in modern Maryland history.

Diana was a tireless worker and one of the most successful MDGOP party chairs in the past 50 years. By the end of her tenure, the Party had $250,000 in cash and no debt.

It was the honor of a lifetime to work alongside Diana and be part of one of the party’s best periods. She was one of the finest people I’ve ever known, and she will be deeply missed.

As we approach the upcoming election, I know Diana would encourage everyone to go out and vote and be civil to each other. She believed that divided we fail, but united, there is hope.

— Joe Cluster, Forest Hill

The letter writer is a former executive director of the MDGOP and former Maryland state delegate.

Striving to right the opioid crisis wrongs in the Baltimore area

Over the past year, more than 2,400 Marylanders have lost their lives to fatal opioid overdoses. As fentanyl continues to flood the country and we grapple with this crisis, it’s clear that the fight against opioid addiction will require a long-term effort and innovative thinking.

Today, the Old Line State stands at a critical juncture. Maryland’s recent $400 million settlement with several companies involved in the manufacturing and distribution of opioids offers a glimmer of hope in the fight against this epidemic. This influx of funds will provide vital resources for prevention and treatment efforts across the state, as well as important law enforcement initiatives aimed at tackling the opioid crisis.

These efforts seem to be a thoughtful approach to the opioid epidemic that balances public health and public safety concerns. But in the decision by city leaders to pursue separate litigation, Baltimore had created a $100 million shortfall in the state’s planned funding allocation. The decision was particularly concerning given the fact that The New York Times in May dubbed the city “the U.S. overdose capital.”

As we entered September and Baltimore was preparing to take its massive lawsuit to trial, it appeared that city leadership had chosen to engage in a high-stakes legal gamble with no guaranteed outcome. The risk of receiving nothing at all was real.

Fortunately, city leaders were able to reach timely settlements with almost every defendant named in the case before the trial started. It appears they realized that such delays would have not merely been an inconvenience, but a matter of life and death. While there is still some work to be done in resolving the outstanding cases, this is an important development.

Seeking maximum compensation was understandable, but every day without adequate resources could have meant more lives lost to overdoses, more families torn apart, and more communities destabilized. The opioid crisis is not a problem that can wait for a perfect solution. It demands urgent action, not protracted legal battles.

Moreover, Baltimore City’s decision would have had impacts far beyond its borders, particularly for my district which borders the city.

The opioid epidemic is a complex problem that requires a united front. By ultimately reaching settlements that will allow the rapid deployment of resources, Baltimore no longer runs the risk of hampering Maryland’s ability to implement a coordinated, statewide response to the crisis. This fragmentation of efforts could have led to inefficiencies and gaps in services that could have harmed those most in need of help, and ultimately undermined the ability of the state to realize the full potential of these settlement funds.

Residents of the Baltimore area and all of Maryland deserve nothing less than a united, fully funded effort to combat the opioid crisis.

— State Sen. Johnny Ray Salling

The letter writer represents Baltimore County’s 6th Legislative District, and serves as a member of the Public Safety, Transportation & Environment subcommittee of the Budget and Taxation Committee.