The King Jerry Treatment

There have numerous stories about getting the Johnson treatment when officials were brought to a meeting with LBJ. He would call you into the room and you would not be able to leave until he got what he wanted. The smoke usually was blown straight into your face.

Well dear readers we have a MoCo version of the Johnson Treatment. It seems we have a public official who wants to be a political kingmaker: School Superintendent Jerry Weast.

The only problem is King Jerry has been elected to nothing. He is appointed to run the School System. Not content with that running half of the MoCo Budget he is now seeking to control all of it. He wants to run the County Council as well. King Jerry wants to select the key fifth vote on the nine member County Council to protect his kingdom, not yours. Weast's candidate: Nancy Navarro. His target the two biggest unions in the MoCo: MCEA and SEIU. MCEA has the coveted "Apple Ballot". SEIU brings money and manpower almost the equal of MCEA.

As Merle Cuttita, president of Service Employees International Union Local 500 was quoted in the story said "He (Weast) let us know that she would be a good candidate for county council ... that Nancy Navarro would be a good candidate for the council."

Before I go any further I should tell you that I am a supporter of Don Praisner. I came to that conclusion after sitting down with Nancy Navarro, Pat Ryan and Cary Lamair (while he was still in the race). I also talked with Don Praisner and very briefly with Steve Kanstoroom. I live in the District 4 and I come from a union household. Now you know where I am coming from. But listen to the rest of this story and you dear reader make up your own mind.

When contacted about these two backroom meetings, King Jerry who is never shy about talking to the press about the school system, finds the perfect time to hide behind his Chief of Staff, Brian Edwards, who says on the King's behalf "of course Nancy Navarro would be good candidate for the county council".

My question is why is an appointed person even offering an opinion about an election? Why is an appointed official calling key unions to his home to make a command such as this?

Let's Go To The Video Tape
So now everyone who was there is trying to say that would have no influence on their own decision. That the meeting was only 30 minutes about the special election and mostly about the budget. Ok as Warner Wolfe used to say let's go to the video tape and see if the school budget and this election are in any way connected.

We have a $296 million shortfall. You have union contracts that make up the bulk of the School System's budget -- 89% of the entire school budget is for personnel costs. Most of whom are union members. BTW, the school system is just over 50% of the MoCo budget. And 80% of the entire MoCo budget is for personnel, union and non-union.

MoCo has maxed out on what state allows for each county to take from its residents via a local income tax surcharge of 3.2% (generating $1.29b last year). We have declining numbers of recordation taxes and transfer fees which occur when one sells or transfers property because of the downturn the real estate market. That leaves two places to get more money: higher property taxes and red light cameras. As Ike Leggett mentioned at a recent town meeting the only part of the budget that is growing is from red-light cameras. So if you want to save your fellow residents help out by collecting a few extra red light tickets. ;)

Even Kings Have Their Limits
King Jerry is not so powerful as to get more revenue. Even Kings have their earthly limits. Our School Board Superintendent may not look it but he is mortal. But he does control contracts, union contracts. So if you are an union representative of school employees and the call comes from School Superintendent Jerry Weast to meet to talk about the budget. You go obviously. So what if the meeting is after hours (Friday night and Sunday). So what that the meeting is not at MCPS HQ rather at King Jerry's North Potomac castle. You go.

So here are the folks sitting in Superintendent's living room for one or both of the meetings: Merle Cuttita, president of local SEIU, a MCEA member or two, School Board President and candidate Nancy Navarro, former School Board member and County Council member Valerie Ervin. There might have been others but since the Gazette story I doubt we will find out who else was there. Still that is an impressive lot.

King Jerry knows what MoCo is facing. So do the unions. So do Ervin and Navarro both elected officials. Now you do too. Here is what King Jerry wants if you want him to protect your union contracts. Endorse Jerry Weast's candidate. If you don't follow King Jerry you get larger classroom sizes and/or The King will be forced to re-open the contracts and the gravy train is going to be stopped. King Jerry probably did it with a large smile on his face.

So ask yourself you are in a secret meeting with the King and you are talking about the budget with a known candidate in the room, his Kingship starts to talk about the special election but only for 30 minutes. Now go back to portion of the Gazette article that says the conversation about who King Jerry wants as the next member from District 4 is not connected to the budget discussions.

Just remember the Johnson Treatment. You are at the King's house eating the King's food and he is talking about what he needs done to avoid reopening your union contracts that he controls as part of the school system. He wants someone who will protect the school system from anymore cuts. Who cares if it will mean higher taxes. That's not his problem. That's for the County Executive and the Council.

Ask yourself one question
Q: What would you do if you are a union rep when faced with the King's Treatment?
A #1: Endorse someone who will protect our contracts all the way; and
A #2: If the story of this meeting ever gets out just say "it had no influence whatsoever in our decision making."

#1 is obvious. And if faced with the story getting out don't you think #2 is the answer? If you say "no" to #2 then I got a piece of the Cabin John Bridge I can sell you.

Beware of the Non-Denial Denial
What is also interesting is the responses from those in attendance seems they can't all agree on what was said and by whom? It hearkens but to The Mother of All Political Intrigue: Watergate. Everyone was issuing non-denial denials. Have you heard anyone who got the invitation to the King's castle say the facts of the Gazette article were incorrect? I haven't. And I doubt you will.

If those that are there have only non-denial denials then you know that they have been caught trying to rig the election to protect themselves and to fatten King Jerry's turf.

All of the King's Men (and Women)
Anyone who was there should do the honorable thing tell us the exact details of these two backroom meetings. As Howard Baker would have asked "what did you know and when did you know it?"

Again I ask why is the School Superintendent sticking his nose into who should be the next candidate from District 4??? He is an appointed official. If Weast wants to become a political Kingmaker than resign from his $300k taxpayer salary and become an elected official like the rest of them.

You Can Do Something About It
Special elections are new to MoCo. We had one in 2000 and the one now, both for County Council. Seems as though our School Superintendent, Jerry Weast, felt he should have a greater say than the 185,000 residents of District 4. Did you get the notice to come to his living room. But if you are a District 4 resident then take this information along with all other resources you would use to select the next candidate for District 4.

My question for King Jerry is: did you allow your guests to smoke inside or did I have to go outside?