State of Maryland Archives: on Welfare & Poverty

Ashwani Jain: Offer grants, incentives to grocers to serve food deserts

We must encourage healthy eating. Typically, those living in low-income neighborhoods lack access to fresh produce; they live too far away from full-service groceries; they're poorly served by public transit; and what they have is limited to what smaller convenience stores carry. We should offer grants, loans and tax incentives to grocers willing to open stores in underserved and impoverished areas. Source: Medium.com posting on 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial race May 14, 2021

Doug Gansler: Provide economic incentives to address housing affordability

Provide local governments with the planning tools and economic incentives to address housing affordability without sprawl, through investment in multi-family housing, amended height restrictions on multi-family units, redevelopment of vacant and abandoned properties and repurposing of vacant commercial and office space. Source: 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial campaign website DougGansler.com Dec 29, 2021

Margaret Flowers: Guaranteed basic income of $1,000 per month per person

We could face up to the reality of inadequate jobs in the future due to globalization outsourcing, robotics and artificial intelligence by putting in place a guaranteed basic income. What would you do with $1,000 of guaranteed income each month?

A Basic Income would also end poverty as well as end poverty programs. The reality of lack of jobs and a basic income is not discussed by any current candidate even though in 1972 both Nixon and McGovern favored various forms of a basic income.

Source: 2016 Maryland Senate campaign website FlowersForSenate.org Feb 3, 2016

Martin O`Malley: Move from welfare to work; & raise Earned Income tax credit

As One Maryland, we choose to move forward. Because progress is a choice. Together, here in Maryland:

We've invested dearly, to improve education as a ladder to success.
We are investing more than ever in our transportation infrastructure, to get more of our people back to work.
We raised the Earned Income tax credit. Why? To better reward hard work.
We've maintained the highest goals for minority and women-owned business participation, and for the first time ever, we actually exceeded it.
We became the first state in the country to pass a living wage.
We put in place for the first time a progressive income tax, reducing income taxes for 86% of Marylanders.
Just last calendar year, we moved more people than ever from welfare to work.

We, of course, are part of a larger national economy. And something is still very wrong. We've lost sight of how our economy works when it is working well. Prosperity doesn't trickle down from the top. It never has. Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Maryland legislature Jan 23, 2014

Richard Madaleno: Supports affordable housing & community development projects

Supports affordable housing and community development projects
Voted YES to allowing ex-felons to apply for food stamps

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maryland Governor candidate Jun 1, 2018

Rushern Baker: Affordable housing is a right

Affordable housing is a right. Studies show that affordable housing means more money spent in local communities, a healthier population, and a decrease in childhood poverty. It helps restore dignity in the homeless population by serving as a bridge to improved quality of life. This can only be accomplished with dedication to fair housing principles that address pervasive stereotyping and systemic bias lurking in rental and lending practices. Source: 2022 Maryland Governor campaign website RushernBaker.com Jun 24, 2022

Thomas Perez: Invest in state's successful affordable housing program

TOM'S ADMINISTRATION WILL:

Invest in affordable housing by fully funding Maryland's highly successful affordable housing program
Leverage every federal dollar to help renters and small landlords avoid eviction
Pass state laws based on President Obama's housing policies that promote diverse, inclusive communities.

Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com Jul 18, 2021

Wes Moore: Prioritize environmental justice for low-income communities

Prioritize environmental justice for the low-income communities and communities of color facing the worst effects of climate change by taking action to address extreme heat, improve access to cleaner public transit, increase tree canopy cover to reduce pollution and cool the climate, and ensure equitable access to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Source: 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial campaign website WesMoore.com Jul 24, 2022

Wes Moore: We can and we will end child poverty in Maryland

We can, and we will, end child poverty in the state of Maryland. Permanently extending the enhanced Earned Income Tax Credit and expanding the Child Tax Credit is how we begin. This push will make nearly 40,000 families eligible for one of the most successful child poverty tools this country has ever seen. If we do this, and we raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and index it to inflation, we can lift more than 152,000 children in Maryland to the next rung of the economic ladder. Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature Feb 1, 2023

The above quotations are from State of Maryland Politicians: Archives. Click here for definitions & background information on Welfare & Poverty. Click here for other issues (main summary page).
*2024 Presidential contenders on Welfare & Poverty:*
	*Candidates for President & Vice-President:* V.P.Kamala Harris (D-CA) Robert F. Kennedy Jr.(I-CA) Chase Oliver(L-GA) Dr.Jill Stein(D-MA) Former Pres.Donald Trump(R-FL) Sen.J.D.Vance(R-OH) Gov.Tim Walz(D-MN) Dr.Cornel West(I-NJ)	*2024 presidential primary contenders:* Pres.Joe_Biden(D-DE) N.D.Gov.Doug Burgum(R) N.J.Gov.Chris_Christie(R) Fla.Gov.Ron_DeSantis(R) S.C.Gov.Nikki_Haley(R) Ark.Gov.Asa_Hutchinson(R) Former V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN) U.S.Rep.Dean_Phillips(D-MN) Vivek_Ramaswamy(R-OH) S.C.Sen.Tim_Scott(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026