Christiana Mercer Rigby
mercerrigby.bsky.social
Christiana Mercer Rigby
@mercerrigby.bsky.social
Very into local government, dipping a toe in over here. Hometown enthusiast.
Over 90% of Howard countians have and USE their library card.

This will impact all of us. 📕 ❤️
NEW — Keith Sonderling, Trump’s Deputy Secretary of Labor, has been named the Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an agency source tells me. He’ll arrive tomorrow at their office with DOGE and their security detail.
March 21, 2025 at 12:25 AM
@howard county MD’s town hall w/ @alsobrooks.senate.gov @elfreth.house.gov @vanhollen.senate.gov and CE Ball. Hearing from our federal leaders and federal workers in the face of unlawful and frankly, awful actions from the Trump/Musk administration.
March 11, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
Testify in support of @mercerrigby.bsky.social's sponsored CB 18 which promotes Transit Oriented Development and Disability Housing in Howard County at the Legislative hearing 3/17 at 7pm at the George Howard Building! #affordablehousing cc.howardcountymd.gov/calendar/cou...
COUNTY COUNCIL: Legislative Public Hearing | Howard County
cc.howardcountymd.gov
March 11, 2025 at 4:25 PM
👏🏻 louder for the folks in the back! 👏🏻
We don't have to accept carnage on our streets. Traffic violence is a solvable problem.
March 7, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
March 6, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
“In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back into a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.”
Finland ends homelessness and provides shelter for all in need - scoop.me
In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Why? The country applies the "Housing First" concept agains homelessness.
thebetter.news
March 6, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Don’t worry MD isn’t in the top 25! We’re #26 😫😢
"...a 10,000-square-foot increase in a Maine municipality’s minimum lot size is associated with a 4 percent increase in home prices. The typical buyer would save $16,000 if communities reduced minimum lot sizes by that much."
www.bangordailynews.com/2025/03/04/b...
Maine towns are driving up home prices with these common rules
A new report is the first of its kind in pinpointing the cost of common zoning policies across different cities and towns.
www.bangordailynews.com
March 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
On Tuesday, March 11th, @chrisvanhollen.bsky.social, @alsobrooks.senate.gov, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, and I are hosting a Town Hall at Howard Community College! We look forward to answering your questions and you can RSVP at the link below:

iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/E...
March 4, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Texting with your kid is wild…
March 2, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
“Loneliness and isolation can lead to: 29% increased risk of heart disease; 32% increased risk of stroke; 50% increased risk of developing dementia among older adults; and 60% increased risk of premature death.”

Surgeon General recommends designing cities to create more connections. #WalkableCities
Walkable Neighborhoods Help Adults Socialize, Increase Community
Adults who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to socialize and have a stronger sense of community, report researchers at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human...
today.ucsd.edu
March 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM
At National Association of Counties legislative conference and the room is PACKED to hear how the changes to immigration will affect child care, construction, home building, infrastructure work and more in our communities.
March 2, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
BREAKING: Office of Special Counsel Finds Many DOGE Firings Unlawful with Major Implications for the Future of the DOGE Purge and Potential Jeopardy for Those Who Executed DOGE's Orders talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/big-d...
BIG: DOGE Firings Found Unlawful by Office of Special Counsel
There was a very important development today, still only little noted in...
talkingpointsmemo.com
February 24, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
In a feat of impeccable timing, the wonderful editors at the Lewis & Clark Law Review have finished their work on my article, "Is Originalism Bullshit?" The final version is now online at SSRN: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
February 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
CSPAN Caller from West Virginia: I’m a diabetic and I’m on Medicare. When Biden was in there, my insulin was $6 for a 28 day supply. I just went to CVS, it went back up to $80…
February 21, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
New:

DOGE's spending has been secret.

No longer.

My colleagues have uncovered it.

www.propublica.org/article/doge...
February 20, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
Why it matters to elect younger leaders to local offices: Our experience in the housing market is wildly different! As of 2021, more than half of people under the age of 44 were renters. That changes the way you understand what matters in housing policy.
Median age of homebuyers just hit a new record high of 56
(Via Torsten Slok)
February 21, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
-The Question: How the hell did we get here?
-The Answer: Citizens United.
February 18, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
Less than a month since a crash that took 67 lives, Trump is firing hundreds of federal employees who inspect and maintain air traffic control communications, radio and computer systems. 

This is extremely dangerous and could have deadly consequences.

www.cnn.com/2025/02/16/p...
Hundreds of FAA probationary workers fired by Trump administration, union says | CNN Politics
The Trump administration has started firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration probationary employees who maintain critical air traffic control infrastructure, according to their union.
www.cnn.com
February 17, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
No, 150-year-olds aren't collecting Social Security benefits. Elon Musk claims to have found rampant fraud; but there's a much simpler explanation.
No, 150-Year-Olds Aren't Collecting Social Security Benefits
Elon Musk claims to have found rampant fraud in the Social Security Administration. There's a much simpler explanation.
wrd.cm
February 17, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
People who don’t live in the DC area have little idea of the mass panic and confusion folks are experiencing here. Everyone knows dozens and dozens of people who are being indiscriminately fired or who face the imminent threat of layoff. Imagine 1/2 of your neighbors facing this.
February 18, 2025 at 8:20 PM
This feels like a horror movie. Real estate markets, which basically secure all our communities and associated public services, will implode with these actions.
February 18, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
Friday SCOOP: @vox.com has learned that USFWS has frozen its vast portfolio of international conservation grants.

This is far beyond the scope of USAID-funded work and will inevitably harm wildlife internationally and in the US.

@benjij.bsky.social has the story: www.vox.com/down-to-eart...
Leaked emails show the nation’s leading wildlife agency has halted critical funding for conservation
Exclusive: The US Fish and Wildlife Service has frozen millions of dollars, imperiling animals abroad.
www.vox.com
February 15, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Reposted by Christiana Mercer Rigby
🚨Calling all creative youth 🚨

♻️ @mtamaryland.bsky.social is accepting submissions for its 2nd Annual Earth Day Art Competition! 🖼️

Your artwork connecting public transportation & sustainability could be featured on a specially wrapped bus! www.mta.maryland.gov/earthdayart
February 18, 2025 at 7:53 PM
I am curious to know the distribution between FL, AL, MD, and more state communities.

Trump/Musk are torpedoing towns, counties, cities, and states across America.

Federal worker payroll taxes, property taxes (all the taxes we pay) help fund 🎓🚌👵🏻🍎🚰🚽📚🗳️♻️🧩⚽️🚒🚑🚓🍂☃️🌊🚲✈️🚧🚦🏨🛣️🌉⚖️💉🔬🧸 (and more!)
10% of NASA’s workforce has been laid off—guess that’ll be a boost for SpaceX.
February 18, 2025 at 8:06 PM