Entering Middle Age at 70: A New Chapter for The Maryland Wire
They say life begins at 40, but as I mark my 70th birthday, I’m convinced that youth and young adulthood are officially behind me. I am finally entering middle age—and I’ve got at least another half-century’s worth of political reporting left in me.
To celebrate this milestone, The Maryland Wire is taking a major step forward: we are officially moving to our new, permanent home at themarylandwire.com.
This transition isn't just about a web address. It marks a fundamental shift in my life’s work. After more than 33 years in the IT and database technology sector, I am officially retiring from the tech industry to focus full-time on what has been my burning passion for more than five decades: political journalism and policy analysis.
Hooked on Politics at 13
My political education started in 1970. I was 13 years old when my Aunt Nancy called the house and offered me a gig passing out poll cards on Election Day. The pay? Breakfast, lunch, and $20 in cash—what we used to call "walking around money." To a teenager in 1970, $20 was a fortune. But what really hooked me wasn't the cash; it was the raw energy of the process, the people, and the realization that normal citizens could influence outcomes.
By 1972, at age 15, I was serving as a student coordinator for George McGovern’s presidential campaign in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Campaign headquarters in those days was an education in itself—a mix of high-stakes idealism, college organizers, sangria, and late-night strategy sessions after the phones were shut off at 9:00 PM.
Over the years, my political journey took its share of twists and turns. For a time, I found myself on the other side of the aisle, eventually working in national conservative circles, meeting political giants, and building a formidable "trophy wall" of photos with figures like Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
But by 1992, the terrain shifted. I realized the party I was participating in was drifting away from core fiscal discipline and foreign policy toward an ugly brand of social warfare I couldn't endorse. On election night at a Pennsylvania courthouse, when a local operative crossed the line and insulted my family during the vote count, I laid him out flat on the courthouse floor. As soon as voter registration reopened, I changed my party affiliation back to Democrat. I was home.
Overcoming Dysgraphia: From "Village Idiot" to Author
Growing up, writing by hand was an agonizing task. I wrote words in reverse order, scrambled spellings, and struggled to produce legible text. I flunked out of college because I couldn't write the required term papers. For years, I felt trapped by the perception that I lacked basic academic ability.
Then came the PC revolution.
Discovering computers transformed my life overnight. Typing bridged the gap between my brain and the page. Between 1993 and 1996, I went from feeling functionally illiterate to discovering my voice. After failing English Composition twice in my youth, I went on to become the associate editor of Oriental Rug Review, contribute to Scribner’s Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, and author multiple books.
If you occasionally spot a transposed word or an odd typo in my weekly dispatches, that’s just a ghost of the dysgraphia still tracing through the keyboard. But the technology gave me my career back—and ultimately gave me the tools to launch this publication.
The Next Chapter: Serious Journalism for Maryland’s Decision-Makers
After more than three decades in IT, the tech market shifted. Offers began coming in for half the pay to move to cities I had no interest in living in. I realized it was time to close that chapter and dedicate my energy entirely to The Maryland Wire.
While it’s always fun to write about political silliness or local county scandals, those stories don't build a sustainable enterprise. Over the last few months, we have pivoted The Maryland Wire to deliver high-value, actionable reporting on the issues that drive Maryland’s economy:
Land Use and Development: In-depth coverage of zoning, entitlement processes, and regional growth.
Energy and Infrastructure: Deep dives into solar energy deployment, utility rate hikes, and regulatory decisions.
State Governance: Inside analysis of agency administration, legislative shifts under Governor Moore’s team, and policy changes affecting regulated industries.
The response from the community has been overwhelming. We recently crossed 62 paying subscribers—with 21 new readers joining us in just the last three weeks alone. Government relations professionals, land-use attorneys, lobbyists, and business leaders are finding real value in the work we do every week.
At 70, I’m just getting warmed up. Thank you for reading, subscribing, and being part of this journey.
Kudos!