Things Not to Say in a Barbershop

Nobody likes eminent domain... or the idea of blackouts…

Dear Fellow Expat:

Barbershop political banter is almost always the same...

This morning, I heard how the governor, new congressman, and incoming county commissioner want to turn a local, struggling business park into affordable housing. It backed up to the barber shop property.

Everyone had an opinion.

There's not enough infrastructure in the area.

This could bring MORE crime.

Property values nearby could fall…

I sat there, eyes forward, watching blonde and grey hair fall to the floor in silence.

"How's it feel to be back home?" asked the stylist, who cut my hair when I was 12.

"Nothing’s changed,” I said.

After a few more minutes, he asked me if I was worried about the new development.

“To be honest, I’m more concerned about electricity blackouts,” I said.

The Blackout Battle in My Backyard

The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project ("MPRP") is a proposed 70-mile high-voltage electricity transmission line that will installing towering power lines across Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Counties.

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