Education In Politics
Newly Positioned Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson Makes A House Call To Prince George’s And Shares Honor, Respect For Legacy Leader Thomas V. “Mike” Miller
It was the first time that the Maryland Senate president visited the county’s business community through the Roundtable since being elected to office.
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson shared his own origins as a Maryland teacher whose path led him into politics before discussing the pertinent issues the state faces today.
Prior to the state of the state remarks, Ferguson gave a respectful nod to former Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller who maintained the seat for 33 years.
Thomas V. “Mike” Miller PHOTO: RAOUL DENNIS // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA
“I went down to his home last week to check in on him,” he said of the senior statesman who is battling cancer. “It has been a long hard battle but it is remarkable how well he is doing. We sat by [Miller’s] pool and he was still giving me tips. It’s difficult to express how grateful I am to have his experience and his mentorship. He has been an incredible guide through this whole process.”
He continued: “There are only three people out there that know the feeling of being senate president of Maryland with Congressman Hoyer and Mike Miller.”
His own urgings into leadership came clearly to him some 10 years ago. “Programs are great but if you want to change things, you have to change the law,” Ferguson said of the undercurrent that drove him from his place as a Baltimore city teacher and into Maryland politics.
“We are in the midst of change,” Ferguson said of the current environment in Maryland politics. “The Senate leadership positions - in the standing committees and other leadership positions - from 2018 to 2020 - there is not a single position that has the same person in that role. That’s a very abnormal thing for the Maryland senate which is a bedrock institution.”
He noted that the longstanding leadership of generational members like Miller led to Maryland being one of only six states to maintain a AAA bond rating during that period.
“There’s no guidebook or template for this kind of leadership. [But the bond rating history] is a symbol of objective belief in the power of Maryland to be responsible for its people, to pay its bills on time, to balance its budget, to do the things that fundamentally matter in providing public services that matter to all of us. That stability going into this role is something that is important to me.”
