2022 Voter Guide: Kathy Szeliga, candidate for Maryland House District 7A

Why are you running for office?

To protect citizens and taxpayers and defend common sense conservative ideas against the extremely liberal Maryland House of Delegates.

What is the most pressing issue in your district?

Inflation and government overreach

How will you help your constituents deal with inflation?

Lower taxes so people can keep more of their hard-earned money. Inflation hits senior citizens and working families particularly hard.

What do you see as the top transportation priority in your district, and how would you address it?

Better roads and highways. Fighting for more of the gas tax to go to roads, highways, and bridges. And working to restore the local highway user revenue fees, or the gas tax money that is supposed to go to the counties for road and highway maintenance.

What should schools do differently during the next pandemic to help students, families and teachers?

Hopefully, the next pandemic is 100 years away. Covid has exposed some weaknesses and also created an opportunity for change and improvements. Public schools must become more transparent and accessible. Access to curriculum and instructional materials must be made available for parents and tutors so they can help children learn and succeed in school. Allowing parents and students to have school choice will also create competition and make all schools better.

How equitably do police officers treat people of color?

Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep our communities safe. While civilians run from danger, the police run towards it, knowing they may be harmed or even lose their lives. Baltimore County homicides are at a record high. Car jackings and juvenile crime are escalating. Crime in Baltimore City is heartbreaking and truly a crisis. Most of the homicide victims in Baltimore City are black. The senseless violence has caused the deaths of innocent children and senior citizens. People of color are being shot and even losing their lives almost daily. Law enforcement should arrest violent criminals. State's Attorneys should charge criminals and work harder to get them off the streets. Repeat violent offenders are too often let go by soft-on-crime judges to victimize more people. I support law enforcement and oppose the defund the police movement. It's not working.

What would you do to make sure Maryland's voting system is secure and accurate?

Secure and accurate elections are the bedrock of a free society. Assuring voters that the system is honest and secure, and their vote will be counted is essential. The unsolicited mailing of ballots to voters from a voter role that had not been updated or prepared for a massive absentee ballot program made voters question the security of the vote during COVID. I have worked with the State and County Boards of Elections to ensure that ballots/votes are protected, and our elections are free and fairly run. I urge voters to take advantage of early voting and make sure they get their vote cast on or before July 19th.

What are the right goals and deadlines for Maryland to reduce carbon emissions and develop renewable energy sources?

Everyone wants clear air, clean water, and a healthier world. Maryland has some of the strictest and strongest environmental laws in the country and perhaps in the world. We must ensure that Maryland does not turn into California where they have rolling brown outs and energy costs are so high people cannot afford to heat and cool their homes. Gas is $7/gallon in California! I support all forms of energy. We need a balanced portfolio of energy sources. The United States of America was energy independent just two years ago. I'd like to restore our energy independence and export more energy. This is good for Americans, for our economy, and for national security. Helping our allies obtain clean and reasonable energy, like natural gas, will help with world peace as they will not be beholden to Russia or the Middle East for energy to run their homes and countries.

What's Maryland's best use of federal COVID relief money?

Return it to taxpayers. Stop printing money. Inflation is being fueled by Pres Biden and the Democrats in Washington. Yet, they want to continue printing money and growing government further. The current debt per citizen is $91,350 and it is $242,501 per taxpayer! Our grandchildren and great grandchildren cannot afford this runaway spending and the escalating debt being passed on to future generations.