Maryland Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Townsend Proposes Increased Community Health Center Funds
Maryland gubernatorial candidate and Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) on Aug. 14 announced a proposal to "modernize and expand" the state's 45 community health centers, which provide inexpensive medical services to low-income, uninsured residents, the Baltimore Sun reports. Under her proposal, the state would contribute $5 million annually over four years to the "Capital Needs Fund for Maryland's Community Health Centers." The fund would provide grants to renovate existing centers, purchase new equipment and build new centers in low-income neighborhoods. The Sun reports that the program is the final component of Townsend's four-part health care proposal, which also would include expanding eligibility for state health programs, subsidizing prescription drug costs for low-income residents and seniors and expanding the scope of public health programs, including outpatient drug treatment centers. Townsend has proposed a 36-cent-per-pack increase in the state's cigarette tax during her second year in office to help pay for the expanded services.
Criticizing Ehrlich
Townsend on Aug. 14 also criticized the voting record of gubernatorial candidate Rep. Robert Ehrlich (R-Md.), her likely opponent in the November election. She said Ehrlich has voted for bills that would reduce Medicare funding and has voted against legislation that would increase funding for the Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food vouchers and nutritional information to low-income families. Townsend's campaign also distributed flyers that stated Ehrlich has voted to "deny health coverage to legal immigrants" and to "repea[l] national nursing home standards," the Sun reports. Responding on behalf of Ehrlich, state House Minority Leader Alfred Redmer (R) said that Townsend is "taking irrelevant votes that have been cast [and] ... misinterpret[ing] the stance of Bob Ehrlich," adding, "[T]here is no question that Bob Ehrlich is an advocate for poor people having access to high-quality health care" (Craig, Baltimore Sun, 8/15).
