From Marc Korman: Recently, County Executive Ike Leggett visited with the Montgomery County Young Democrats. The event took place one day prior to toiletgate, so we were unable to ask the County Executive about the important issue of his bathroom habits. I also did not have the opportunity to share my idea. I believe we should rig the County Executive, and maybe all of our other elected officials, to catheters. That way we can ensure they are working hard for us at all times and we are really getting our tax dollars worth. But since we could not discuss his bathroom, we had to settle for a discussion about Ike Leggett’s career and the budget.
The County Executive began by playing to his audience a bit, thanking us all for being Democrats and working for the Party. He also talked about his dislike of the term “tax and spend,” as he believes that Democrats have been both fiscally responsible and supportive of the people. For example, he discussed his early advocacy for the County Charter Limit. The County Charter Limit caps the increase in County property taxes each year to the rate of inflation plus new construction. The Charter Limit can only be breached if a supermajority of the County Council votes to do so.
The County Executive next talked about his budget proposal. His command of the budget was quite impressive. He was not just speaking in talking points, but really dug deep into the details of the proposal. He spent most of his time talking about the County’s structural deficit, really focusing on the rate of spending over the past few years. In fiscal year 2006, the County’s spending including government operations, the capital budget, debt service, and grants grew by 9%. In fiscal year 2007, it grew by 11.6%. Leggett takes credit for slowing the pace last year with a growth rate of 6.6% and a proposed rate in 2009 of 3.8%.
In the abstract, Leggett’s numbers sound good. He wants to bring us to sustainable growth so that the long term budget is balanced. To get there he is proposing some sensible moves, like a hiring freeze and phasing out 225 government positions. But he is also proposing to breach the Charter Limit he was so proud of helping to implement. He has also made some policy recommendations, like an ambulance fee, which seem problematic.
Five questions were asked of the County Executive. Surprisingly, three questions involved job opportunities in County government, which will be plentiful in future years despite planned job cuts. Leggett spoke about the coming county government workforce shortage due to the baby boomer retirements. That will create an unusual situation for the County, which typically has high retention and little need to recruit. Another question was by a young realtor, who asked about the increases in the recordation rate and its effect on home sales. The recordation rate was just increased at the end of last year by $3.10 per every $1,000 of the sale price over $500,000. The County Executive said he had opposed the hike, but knew of no efforts to freeze or overturn it.
The other question came from yours truly. Back in January I wrote an op-ed in the Gazette regarding the County’s regulation of alcohol. The County’s direct control of liquor sales generated $20.5 million for the general fund in fiscal year 2007 and I believe more money could be raised for government priorities like transit, education, and healthcare if the regulatory structure was reformed. I asked Leggett about the issue and, to my surprise, he was quite immersed in it. First, he updated my numbers for fiscal year 2008, but then said he agreed with me about the need to discuss reform. While vague, he said an effort was underway to look at ways to reform the process.
The County Executive saw three reasons to reform. First, there could be a better fiscal return for the County under a different system. Second, there are some technical issues that make County regulation problematic. For example, according to Leggett, Anheuser-Busch is requiring the installation of new data stamping equipment in County facilities if the County is going to keep distributing their products. Third, he has some serious philosophical concerns with the County directly selling alcohol. He told a personal story about when he was protesting apartheid in South Africa, only to learn that County retail stores sold South African alcohol.
Altering the way the County regulates alcohol cannot be taken lightly. The County needs to study the issue carefully for fiscal, safety, and labor concerns. But I was happy to hear from Ike Leggett on this topic and the other budgetary issues the County is wrestling with.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Ike Leggett and the Young Democrats
Iceland v. Uzbekistan
Being able to hit the ATM is one of the great blessings of modern travel. No longer do travelers have to spend a lot of time waiting in bank lines at home waiting to buy travelers checks and abroad waiting to cash them for a fat commission. Now, banks are happy to take the commission with no middle man.
Iceland, however, has taken electronic transactions to a whole new level. It was the first time I ever visited a country without hitting the ATM or changing any money. Instead, it all went on the credit card. No charge is too small--even hot dog vendors on the street take credit.
The only time I ever wished I had any change was when I wanted to hit the soda machine. I imagine that hiccup will soon pass. I saw my first soda machine that takes credit cards while waiting for my luggage in the Miami airport a few weeks ago.
Uzbekistan lies on the other extreme from Iceland. Except in a few international hotels, credit cards cannot be used anywhere and I didn't see any ATM machine anywhere in the country. Visitors have to bring dollars to exchange and hold on to exchange receipts if they want to exchange it back.
And not just any cash. Unless the dollar bills are in mint condition, Uzbeks won't take them for the excellent reason that other Uzbeks won't take them. And you better have the latest version of each note. Unlike Americans, Uzbeks actually check for forgeries. This is not unique to Uzbekistan but common in cash-based societies.
Once you've changed your money in Uzbekistan, you get a large pile of money. Coins don't exist and the largest note (1000 sum) was worth around $0.75 when I was there. However, it is difficult to figure out what to do with the wads of cash--you get around twenty-seven 1000 sum notes for $20.
Furmansky Slams Muse, Defends Raskin
From the Gazette:The March 19 article, ‘‘Freshman Raskin seeking a balance in his second session,” creates a muddled picture of the senator’s pivotal role in the debate about protections for families headed by same-sex couples, repeating so-called ‘‘rumors” that Senator Raskin (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park helped doom passage of comprehensive legislation because he publicly discussed Sen. C. Anthony Muse as a swing vote on the issue.
It’s hardly a secret that key to passage of any comprehensive relationship recognition legislation in Judicial Proceedings rested with Senator Muse (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington, who openly discussed the topic with major press outlets and portrayed himself as open to compromise.
The Baltimore Sun reported, ‘‘...the lawmaker says he opposes gay marriage on religious grounds. But he also says that he is concerned about fair, equal treatment for gay couples. He has not made up his mind on civil unions.”
In the end, Senator Muse’s equivocations amounted to little more than hot air, since he opposed all proposed measures that would help alleviate difficulties faced by unmarried couples in committed relationships, including measures far more modest than civil unions or domestic partnerships, which polls have shown have majority public support.
For his part, Senator Raskin is the lead sponsor of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, which would open civil marriage to same-sex couples, and is one of the strongest new advocates for ending discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Marylanders.
Speaking as the head of Maryland’s LGBT civil rights group and as a constituent, I feel well-served by Senator Raskin’s leadership in Annapolis on civil rights issues for LGBT Marylanders.
Dan Furmansky, Silver Spring
The writer is executive director of Equality Maryland, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization.
In Defense of Taxing Millionaires
The current battle over whether to replace the hated computer services tax with an income tax surcharge on millionaires has become a defining ideological struggle among Maryland state legislators, especially those from Montgomery County. Many MoCo Democrats, including a few really good ones, argue that millionaires pay enough. Today I take up the banner for the rest of us.
The best case for the other side has been presented by David Lublin, founder and owner of this blog. His central arguments are budgetary and geographic. David points out that millionaires pay a lot of taxes. He does not want them to move out because if they do it will hurt our capacity to fund programs we need. He also describes both the computer tax and the millionaire surcharge as targeting MoCo because both affect lots of people who live in the county. “You're replacing one tax which targets Montgomery County with another that does exactly the same,” he writes.
David’s argument is logical and pragmatic, and I respect it. But a millionaire surcharge is a worthy alternative to the computer tax for three reasons.
First, let’s examine how people who earn a million dollars in a year get their money. I will bet that the majority of them do not earn a million dollars every single year. Rather, many of them will earn in the mid-to-upper-six digits in most years but then obtain an occasional spike. That spike may be from a payout in a lucrative lawsuit settlement, a capital gain or an inheritance. Would people in this category really move out of the state because they had to pay a couple extra thousand dollars in a year when they got lucky?
As for the super-rich, those who do earn a million dollars in every single year, they already can park their compensation in tax-deferred vehicles like 1031 exchanges or establish part-year residency in no-income-tax states like Florida and Nevada.
The Washington Post reports that 6,150 Maryland residents reported at least one million dollars in income in 2005 and 2,535 lived in MoCo. How many of those residents earned a million dollars in every single year over the last five years and would therefore be really tempted to move? Possibly several hundred, but only the Comptroller’s office would know for sure. Are these several hundred people really worth the colossal amount of political capital that MoCo’s state legislators are expending on their behalf?
Second, anyone who believes that the economic well-being of our county is a linear function of the number of millionaires who live here does not understand the source of our prosperity. Montgomery County’s vitality comes from its excellent schools, the entrepreneurialism of its small businesses (including those in the tech sector), its highly-educated and diverse population, its attractive neighborhoods and, of course, federal spending. Millionaires live here for those reasons just like the rest of us do. If tax rates were the sole determinant of their residency, they would all have moved to Virginia long ago.
Third, Maryland’s working and middle classes have already paid their share. Just last fall the legislature’s special session passed a regressive tax package. Last October, I calculated that the Governor’s original $1.7 billion proposal derived 61% of its revenues from regressive sources like the sales tax hike. The package that was ultimately passed was worse. The Maryland Budget and Policy Institute analyzed the session’s product and found: The poorest 1/5 of taxpayers will pay nearly 0.8% more of their income in taxes. The middle 1/5 will pay half that percentage: just over 0.4%. The wealthiest 1/5 will pay between 0.3% and 0.5% of their incomes in increased taxes. This overall regressive distribution occurs because the regressive nature of the sales tax increase overwhelms the progressive features of the income tax changes.
Now I am not opposing all regressive taxes. The cigarette tax, for example, saves lives. The gas tax encourages mass transit use and fuel efficiency. But when a billion-dollar-plus tax package is comprised primarily of regressive measures, that sends a message about the legislature’s priorities. And the principal reason for relying on regressive taxes like the sales tax was the desire by some legislators – including some from MoCo – to limit income tax increases for the rich. Now some of these legislators are talking about cutting transportation funding as an alternative to the surcharge.
Isn’t relieving traffic congestion also a high priority for this county? If the rest of MoCo’s residents sit in gridlock to protect the rich from paying more taxes, isn’t that an example of replacing one measure that targets Montgomery with another, as David says? MoCo Democrats rightly criticized Governor Ehrlich when he diverted transportation funding to avoid raising taxes. And we should not forget how Virginia has suffered for its inability to finance its transportation infrastructure.
Furthermore, let’s recall the unholy moment in which the computer tax was spawned. The creature was conjured from the abyss by the Maryland Senate for the sole purpose of not raising taxes on millionaires to the extent that the Governor originally recommended. Interestingly, no member of the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee will admit to fathering the wailing beast in whatever dark corner of the Senate chamber such acts are usually committed. If the Senate had adopted the Governor’s admittedly imperfect proposal, we would never have the computer tax or the current row over the millionaire surcharge.
I once blamed Senate President Mike Miller for the computer tax and the regressive special session tax package, but he proved me wrong. Back in January, I reported the following from our now-legendary blogger interview with him: Regular readers will recall how I criticized the Senate President for the regressive character of the special session tax package. Leaping into the jaws of the lion, I asked him the following question:
And so Mike Miller is actually to the left of a good part of the MoCo statehouse delegation on this issue. That’s right readers, print those bumper stickers: MIKE MILLER: TOO LIBERAL FOR MOCO.
“The tax package that was passed by the special session collected the majority of its revenues from raising the regressive sales tax. If you could have that one back and do it over, would you have taxed the rich a bit more to give the working people a break?”
Miller did not back down from the sales tax. He described it as “the most regressive but also the most acceptable” of the taxes, claiming that he received little protest on it. “But I wish I could have had more from the income tax.” Miller noted, accurately, that part of the Montgomery County delegation, backed by their County Executive, pushed back against the Governor’s rate increase for the top income tax brackets, thereby limiting the legislature’s ability to raise them. “You need 24 votes to pass something through the Senate and I didn’t have the votes to spare!”
Saturday, March 29, 2008
A Good Idea from Virginia on Housing
According to the Post, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly is proposing to use county funds to buy foreclosed homes and sell them at below-market prices to working families.
I know that both Maryland and its two largest counties, Montgomery and Prince George's, have significant budget problems. But foreclosed homes already sell at discounts and the program's cost would merely be the difference between the low purchase price and the sale price to families. Additionally, such a program would help stabilize the property tax base by preventing neighborhood deterioration. I do not regularly applaud Virginia's economic policies but here is a good idea that should be considered in Maryland.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Maryland Ratepayers Fatten Power Industry Bosses
Maryland’s electric power industry has been in the news quite a bit lately. The Washington Post had a good wrap-up story a couple weeks ago on how Maryland consumers are struggling with rising electric bills. Politicker Maryland ran a few articles linking deregulation to campaign contributions. The Governor is announcing a legal settlement with Constellation Energy that would provide BG&E customers with a $170 rebate each. And the Maryland Senate is considering a plan that would cut electric bills by $2 a month. But none of these stories cover an important set of facts: just how well have Maryland’s electric power companies fared under deregulation?
Traditionally, power companies were vertically integrated. They owned the generating plants, the transmission facilities and the distribution lines. Deregulation was intended to create competition by separating generation and distribution ownership. Multiple generators were supposed to compete by selling power at the lowest price to commercial and retail users. Those users would order that power through the now-independent distribution companies.
After Maryland passed its law in 1999, its power industry re-organized to comply with the new regime. Baltimore Gas & Electric established a new holding company, Constellation Energy Group, and separated its generation and distribution assets into different subsidiaries. Allegheny Energy, which owned Potomac Edison in Western Maryland, followed suit. Pepco sold its power plants to a totally independent third party, national generator Mirant, and became a pure distributor. Those corporate re-organizations are one reason why deregulation is so hard to undo.
Consumer choice took effect in 2000, but to give competition a chance to develop, consumer retail rates were frozen through 2006. However, there were two problems. First, no new major competitors came to Maryland. Second, power fuel prices soared. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2000 and 2006 wholesale prices increased 44% for coal, 80% for natural gas and 116% for refined petroleum. Constellation and Pepco claimed that these input cost increases were largely responsible for the 40-70% electric bill hikes faced by Maryland ratepayers starting in 2006.
Is that true? If all the power companies were doing was passing on cost increases to consumers (something the old regulated system was supposed to restrain), we would expect the companies to report higher revenues but stable net incomes. But that is far from what is really happening. Below we report to our readers the financial results from Maryland’s four largest electric power companies in 2003 and 2007 from their Securities and Exchange Commission filings. We also report the total compensation earned by their CEOs in 2003 and 2006 (the latest year available). Judge for yourselves the real record of Maryland’s deregulation.
Constellation Energy
Parent Company of BG&E, Nationwide Merchant Generator
Stock Close, 1/2/03: $24.84
Stock Close, 3/26/08: $90.23
Revenue, 2003: $9.343 Billion
Revenue, 2007: $21.193 Billion
Net Income, 2003: $277 Million
Net Income, 2007: $822 Million
Chairman/President/CEO: Mayo A. Shattuck III
Total Compensation, 2003: $6,901,426
Total Compensation, 2006: $20,058,669
Pepco
Electricity Distributor in Washington Suburbs
Stock Close, 1/2/03: $15.61
Stock Close, 3/26/08: $24.67
Revenue, 2003: $7.269 Billion
Revenue, 2007: $9.366 Billion
Net Income, 2003: $107 Million
Net Income, 2007: $334 Million
Chairman/President/CEO: Dennis R. Wraase
Total Compensation, 2003: $895,942
Total Compensation, 2006: $4,921,550
Mirant
Nationwide Merchant Generator, Owner of Former Pepco Power Plants
Stock Close, 1/2/03: NA (Filed for Bankruptcy on 7/14/03)
Stock Close, 3/26/08: $35.92
Revenue, 2003: $3.856 Billion
Revenue, 2007: $2.019 Billion
Net Income, 2003: Lost $3.835 Billion (declared bankruptcy)
Net Income, 2007: $1.995 Billion (includes $1.562 billion from discontinued operations)
President/CEO in 2003: S. Marce Fuller
Total Compensation, 2003: $3,231,071
Chairman/President/CEO in 2006: Edward R. Muller
Total Compensation, 2006: $8,646,648
Allegheny Energy
Generator and Distributor in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Western Maryland
Stock Close, 1/2/03: $7.76
Stock Close, 3/26/08: $50.39
Revenue, 2003: $2.182 Billion
Revenue, 2006: $3.307 Billion
Net Income, 2003: Lost $355 Million
Net Income, 2007: $412 Million
Chairman/President/CEO: Paul J. Evanson
Total Compensation, 2003: $7,652,138 (includes “make-whole payment” of $6,397,330 connected to leaving another power company in mid-year)
Total Compensation, 2006: $9,329,832
Now I suppose we could recover some of these executives’ plunderings from Maryland ratepayers through a millionaire surcharge but some people might argue against that. After all, if any of these looting bosses – excuse me, these upstanding members of the community – actually live in Maryland, we don’t want to drive them out of the state, right?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Just Say No to Both
Sorry, Adam. I gotta disagree with you on this one. The computer tax is a terrible tax. However, I think the rest of the legislature must have started chuckling to themselves when Sen. Rob Garagiola proposed the surcharge on millionaires to replace it. Here's why I think Sen. Rich Madaleno is right and neither tax is a good idea.
1. You're replacing one tax which targets Montgomery County with another that does exactly the same. No wonder the rest of the legislature is willing to go along if Montgomery's delegation says yes.
2. The recession is just beginning. Unlike the federal government, Maryland cannot just endlessly borrow more money to cover expenses since it must balance its budget. Do we really want to do all the painful tax increases at once? Perhaps legislators ought to take another look at the budget or some of the other alternatives you've proposed as well.
3. Del. Tom Hucker's argument is politically appealing in the Democratic primary but doesn't make economic sense for the State. While it is hard for people to escape higher federal taxes by leaving the U.S., getting out of Maryland isn't too hard. At what point do the very wealthy start retiring even earlier to Florida or moving across the Potomac to Virginia. Just because they can afford to pay the tax doesn't mean that they are going to pay it. And I don't want to bash the very wealthy: I like having wealthy taxpayers live here--even at lower tax rates they still pay a heck of a lot which means others can pay less or we can have more services.
4. The federal tax cuts which favor the wealthy referred to by Del. Hucker are soon to end under existing federal law--the Republicans set it up that way because it is the only way they could claim that they would balance the budget over the long term. This shift becomes even more certain with Democratic majorities in Congress and if a Democratic president is elected next year.
5. Progressive or regressive is measured not at each level of government but the whole scheme of taxation. State taxes tend to be much less progressive than federal taxes precisely because the states compete for them. Moreover, you have to compare how progressive states are not just in terms of taxes but in spending. We do well here.
6. I don't buy that the governor's tax package was incredibly regressive (or necessarily regressive at all). Yes, the sales tax went up with wealthy people tend to spend more and pay more of it even if it ends up being somewhat regressive. However, the income tax change was progressive. The sin taxes are voluntary, after all.
In short, Rich is right on this one. Interestingly, both Rob and Rich deserve kudos for taking stands against their immediate political self-interest. I can't imagine that a surcharge on the wealthy gets Sen. Garagiola that many kudos in his affluent and marginal legislative district. Similarly, Rich represents a very Democratic district and doesn't gain any points in the critical Democratic primary for suggesting that there are costs to the same proposal.
NoCo and the Computer Tax: BFF
So you’ve never heard of NoCo and BFF and don’t understand how they relate to the computer tax? Read on!
The Washington Post is reporting that Governor O’Malley is floating a deal to get rid of the much-hated computer services tax. He proposes to replace its revenue with three sources: a surcharge on millionaires increasing their income tax rate to 6.25% from 5.5%, “diversion” of transportation funds and more budget cuts. Senator Verna Jones (D44 – Baltimore City) proposed to pay for repeal through a high-earner surcharge alone, but the Governor would like to rely on multiple sources instead.
Why is the Governor treading so carefully with the rich? Why, it’s because of our politicians in Montgomery County!
Here is County Executive Ike Leggett’s reaction to the Governor’s plan:Leggett said he favors a repeal, partly because the planned tax significantly affects the thriving technology industry in the Washington suburbs. Leggett said, however, that he opposes raising the top personal income tax rate because a large number of wealthy Marylanders live in Montgomery and that he is wary of cuts to transportation funding.
Even blogger hero Senator Madaleno was lukewarm:
"I want to be supportive of resolving this, certainly as it relates to this computer tax, but Montgomery County cannot be the sole source of solving a statewide problem," he said.Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) acknowledged that the number of those who would be affected by the millionaires' tax is small. "But this is a class of people who generate a lot of tax revenue for Maryland and Montgomery County," Madaleno said. "To create a disincentive for them to stay would be damaging to the rest of us."
Senator Brian Frosh and Delegate Tom Hucker were more accepting of the surcharge, but there are enough MoCo legislators who agree with the County Executive that the delegation has become a significant hurdle to repeal. Many MoCo legislators don’t want the computer services tax. And they don’t want a millionaire surcharge. And they don’t want transportation cuts. That is why, by the power vested in me as the author of this blog post, I am officially changing the nickname of our county from MoCo to NoCo.
Now there are alternatives and I laid one out a couple weeks ago. An extra point hike in the corporate tax rate, combined reporting and installation of the Governor’s original upper income tax rates would pay for the computer tax repeal. And the first two components would spread the pain more evenly across the entire state than a straight surcharge. Plus, all three components are progressive taxes and would partially mitigate the special session’s overwhelmingly regressive tax package.
But if NoCo politicians do not offer an alternative soon – whether it looks like mine or not – we all know what is going to happen. The Governor will make a deal with the General Assembly leaders and the delegations from Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Prince George’s County. Some variant of his proposal will pass because the pressure to repeal the computer tax is reaching a fever pitch. And guess where the diverted transportation money will not be going? You guessed right: some project in NoCo will have to wait a few more years. And who is going to be shedding tears for us in other parts of the state? You guessed it: absolutely no one.
And what if NoCo’s politicians successfully resist repeal? NoCo and the computer tax: Best Friends Forever. And there you have the title to this post.
Illegal Robocalls in Council District 4?
MCDCC Vice-Chairman Alan Banov reported receiving a negative robocall in connection with MoCo's County Council District 4 race. This is quite curious considering that he is a District 5 resident.
Mr. Banov left the following comment on one of our recent posts:The other night I found a message on my voice mail from a robo-call to the effect that Nancy Navarro takes money from developers and if she does that, who would she listen to if she is elected. There was no "authorization" line on the message I heard, so I don't know if there was one in the beginning. Does anyone know who is sending out that message? I have no idea where Nancy Navarro is getting her money or whether the message is true or false, but I am concerned about an anonymous negative robo-call.
Mr. Banov then supplied the following partial transcription. He did not have the complete first sentence:
Disclaimer: I don't have a dog in this race (I don't live in District 4). If I did, I might or might not vote for Nancy Navarro. I haven't decided what I would do."… the upcoming County Council special election, please remember:
Maryland’s election law mandates authority lines for all campaign materials, which specifically include "oral commercial campaign advertisements." If these robocalls are going out without authority statements, they are illegal under state law.
Nancy Navarro will take campaign moneys from developers. When you get her campaign mail and phone calls, ask yourself: If Nancy takes developer money, will she represent the people or just the developers?"
This reminds me more than a bit of Al Wynn's robocalls. As I remember, they did not help him very much. But at least they were openly authorized and not anonymous.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
More on County Council District 4
Here’s our latest roundup for D4 residents and MoCo political junkies. (Yes, we know that you junkies need help, but in the meantime, keep reading our blog!)
Dan Reed at Just Up the Pike has posted an interview with Nancy Navarro. Once again, Dan shows off his knack for picking out the most interesting, and even the most provocative, statements from his interviewees.
Progressive Neighbors has posted interviews with Nancy Navarro and Don Praisner. These interviews contain the most detailed positions on issues so far released by either candidate. They even address our beloved CARR bill! Progressive Neighbors did not endorse in the contest.
Navarro has wrapped up the vast majority of union endorsements in the county. The only union to have endorsed another candidate is the Montgomery County Federation of Teachers, an American Federation of Teachers local union, which is supporting Don Praisner. MCFT has no contracts with the county and should not be confused with the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), which represents county teachers and has endorsed Navarro.
Steve Kanstoroom and Pat Ryan have websites up. Don Praisner has completely redone his website and it is much improved.
The recent County Council committee changes hinge on who wins the District 4 race. If the winner disagrees with Council President Mike Knapp’s assignments, they could change next year.
Kevin Gillogly and I are working on a joint post about last week’s candidate forum. Hurry up, Kevin! We know you are still grumpy because of your decision not to run, but that is no excuse for not covering this race for our all-important readers. The Gazette’s coverage of the forum is here. They missed the central exchange in the debate over the relationship of the education budget and the county’s deficit, but we will cover that for our readers.
Del. Dwyer Terrorizes Committee Witnesses
Del. Don Dwyer (R - Anne Arundel) has found a new way to simultaneously silence those who disagree with him and strike terror into a community whom he seems to despise: Threaten to have them arrested when they come to Annapolis to testify on a bill.
According to the Annapolis newspaper The Capital, Dwyer's latest over-the-top conduct occurred at a March 20 hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, which he is a member of. The subject was a bill that would require proof of citizenship or legal residency to get a driver's license. One of the organizations opposed to the legislation and bringing people to testify against it was Casa de Maryland.
According to The Capital:Casa de Maryland provides services to immigrants regardless of their status, and representatives at past rallies have refused to say whether their supporters were in the country legally. ...
"This is a building of law and order," [Dwyer] said. "I think we ought to maintain it."
So during the hearing, Dwyer announced that he had called the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (formerly INS) to come and arrest anyone there who was not in the country legally.ICE agents declined to come to the hearing because they cannot inquire about someone's immigration status unless they see a law being broken, according to Mr. Dwyer's staff. ...
Mr. Dwyer said he was not trying to stop people from testifying, but he was wondering what rights an illegal immigrant would have before the committee.
"If they are here illegally, I'm not sure they have any rights," he said.
"I'm not sure they have any rights." It scares me that a legislator actually believes that there are people in our society who have no rights.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Lost in the Lava Tube
The Blue LagoonJet lag from flying from the east coast of the U.S. to Iceland ought to be terrible. The difference in time between Annapolis and Reykjavik was only four hours when I went. The flight is too short to sleep much even if you can sleep on planes so you have to begin your new day in Iceland just as your old one in the U.S. ends.
However, I didn't have any problem. The bright sun and bracing Icelandic wind (umbrellas are a clear sign of tourists as they are useless if it's raining) kept me wide awake despite the lack of sleep. Unlike I when I went to Madrid, I didn't make the mistake of trying to visit an art museum--the ultimate soporific--and just stuck with coffee and walking around.
Iceland has a population of around 300,000 and is the sort of place where everyone claims to know everyone else. Even if that is an exaggeration, there are usually only two or three degrees of separation instead of the six claimed for the rest of the world.
Still, it was a bit of a surprise when two people came up and said hello with a look of recognition on the streets of Reykjavik. It turned out it was two nice Americans from the Embassy who had seen a picture in advance of my visit. However, that never happened to me in any other country!
Despite the small population, I still managed to take a wrong turn. On Saturday, I took a tour of a lava tube. March isn't exactly high season in Iceland so the only two people on the tour were a Finnish woman and myself.
Tourists hoping to encounter Icelanders in the form of tour guides may end up disappointed. My tour guide was a Canadian expatriate. A Polish man was driving one of the other vans.
There are a lot of immigrants in Iceland--one of the locals working for the American Embassy is originally from Bosnia. (Side note: do you know many people who can speak Bosnian, English, and Icelandic?) Strong economic growth is drawing immigrants to Iceland and literally changing the face of this heretofore homogeneous island.
Historically, Iceland was so homogeneous that it was considered the ideal place for genetic research. deCode genetics has the genetic records of everyone in Iceland. Genetic analysis has already indicated the accuracy of the Icelandic sagas about the settlement of the island.
Today, about seven percent of Iceland's population are immigrants. When I visited Iceland around sixteen years ago, I can't recall seeing a single nonwhite face but seeing a black person on the streets of Reykjavik is not so rare anymore.
Much like Ireland but even more so, Icelanders are still getting used to the idea of immigration into their tight knit formerly-poor-but-now-rich island country. Incorporating newcomers is still a relatively new idea--as is hearing Icelandic in a foreign accent.
My genial Canadian tourguide took us inside a lava tube. Water seeping in through the entrance created amazing temporary stalactites (or is it stalagmites?) in the form of icicles dripping down from the ceiling and even connecting to the floor on occasion.
When the guide directed us to go on our own to the other exit, we figured it had to be tourist proof or he wouldn't let us go on our own. Wrong. Caves are confusing places and we somehow managed not to go the right way.
When one is lost in a cave, one's first thought is that this is not a good time to panic. The cave is small, the guide knows it well, and will come find us. (The second thought is that this is an excellent time to panic.)
Eventually, about 90 minutes after we entered the cave as it turned out, we ran into the guide hunting for us just as we finally figured out the route back to the entrance. "All's well that ends well" though we were both mighty glad to see the light coming from the entrance.
On the ride over, the guide told us how only one drunk tourist and one who spoke no English got lost and were quickly found among the hundreds he had taken through the lava tube. Well, he now has to double his count of lost tourists. (No pre-caving alcohol here and I speak good Englush.)
Needless to say, the Blue Lagoon, a wonderfully hot bathing mudhole made out of the runoff from a geothermal power plant, was extremely welcome relaxation at the end of the day. It has become one of Iceland's major tourist attractions since it is a lot of fun and located between Reykjavik and the airport.
Maryland’s Democratic Presidential Primary Record
From Marc Korman: Previously, we examined Maryland’s track record in presidential elections. Today, we take a look at Maryland’s Democratic presidential primary record since World War II.
According to the Maryland Secretary of State, Maryland’s first partisan presidential primary was in 1912. The practice did not become a regular quadrennial occurrence until 1952, with the exception of 1968 when the state did not hold a primary because of an overlapping state constitutional convention. From 1912 until 1984 Maryland held its primary in May. From 1988 until 2004 the primary was held in March.
A total of thirteen presidential primaries have been held in Maryland since World War II. In seven of those primaries, Maryland voted for the eventual Democratic nominee. That number climbs to eight if you count 1964, when home state Senator Daniel Brewster was standing in for incumbent President Lyndon Johnson.
Of the seven races where Maryland voted for the eventual Democratic nominee, only two went on to win the fall election. They were Kennedy and Clinton. If you count Brewster in 1964, three went on to win the general election. Two of the three were incumbent presidents, Clinton in ’96 and Johnson in ’64.
Of the eight races Maryland Democrats voted for the eventual Democratic nominee, six have come since 1980 beginning with the vote for Jimmy Carter over Ted Kennedy and continuing until 2004 with the exception of Tsongas’ victory over Clinton in 1992. Maryland Democrats’ new found ability to pick the eventual nominee probably reflects the trend, until 2008, of party nominees being picked earlier and earlier in the cycle.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Maryland News of the Weird
The Washington Post story on Confederate pride in Cumberland, Maryland was one of the strangest stories I've read in awhile.
As when I taught in South Carolina, defending one's "heritage" is apparently the cri de coeur of those who would wear or fly the Confederate flag in Cumberland:Deana Bryant allowed her 16-year-old son to wear a shirt emblazoned with the flag to school one day last week in open defiance of the ban. Speaking from behind the grocery counter where she works, Bryant said the flag is not about racism.
Except that it's most certainly not the heritage of Cumberland. Western Maryland was a hotbed of Union sympathy during the Civil War. During the debate over secession, he rump Maryland legislature reconvened in Frederick, located east of Cumberland in Western Maryland, and wisely voted to stay in the Union--after pro-Confederate legislators had been arrested--precisely because this was Union territory.
"It's his heritage," she said, her blue eyes flashing.
Cumberland, after all, lies right on the Maryland border with West Virginia--a state formed because it refused to join the rest of Virginia in secession. Like West Virginia, there were few slaves or free blacks in Allegheny, so going to war under the banner of "States Rights" to protect the "peculiar institution" of slavery sensibly lacked appeal in this part of the world.
Appalachia was a hotbed of Union sympathy not just in Maryland and West Virginia but all the way down the mountain chain. Even the foothills in Alabama and Mississippi were the most pro-Union portions of these states. Ever wonder why western Maryland votes so Republican? It is the region's "heritage" dating back to its staunch support for the Union in the Civil War.
Urban Iceland
Reykjavik at SunsetThe last time I visited Iceland, I spent almost no time in Reykjavik, the capital, and lots traveling around rural areas of the island. Recently, I traveled back to talk about the upcoming U.S. elections. I spent most of my time in Reykjavik and got a view of urban Iceland this time. Here are some random thoughts on one of Europe's most interesting countries:
Expensive
Reykjavik may be the most expensive capital city in the world, outpacing even its Nordic rival of Oslo, Norway. Remember that virtually everything has to be imported across the Nordic Sea and the country has a standard VAT rate of 24.5%.
The staggering prices make it hard for an American traveling on the weak dollar to drown their sorrows. I saw ordinary glasses of wine going for $32 per glass (not bottle) and a beer usually sold for around $10. It is far cheaper to buy hardcover editions of books by Icelandic authors in the United States than to buy paperback ones in Iceland.
Finding dinner for less than $50 was tough, though I did find a marvelous place by the harbor where you could point to the fresh catch, including whale, and they'd cook it for you. I had some of the largest and best scallops of my life for around $21--not a bad deal even in America.
Icelanders really love their cars--I can tell because the number of them had clearly increased since my last visit some 16 years ago and they are willing to fill up the tank at several multiples of the U.S. price for gas.
Declining US Influence
In retrospect, American influence could only decline from the period after World War II. We had established a military base at Keflavik, where the major international airport is located, and the presence of thousands of U.S. soldiers brought American culture and dollars in large dollops to the then-relatively isolated and poor Iceland.
Icelanders are no longer isolated or poor. No Icelander in 1940 or 1950 would have believe how wealthy Iceland--now home to two of the world's billionaires--would become by 2008. Despite the comparatively harsh conditions of their climate, they have built one of the most successful and connected countries on the planet. In addition to regular air connections via Icelandair, Icelanders are avid consumers of cell phones and the internet, easily outpacing Americans on both counts.
The base at Keflavik was always controversial in Iceland, NATO's only member without its own standing army. However, the Icelandic government never asked the Americans to leave. In the end, Iceland was surprised when the U.S. closed the base in 2006 and mourned the loss of jobs.
The former base location now serves as a source of cheaper housing (yup, it's expensive too), albeit with a longish and expensive commute (don't forget the price of gas) to Reykjavik. Icelanders also enjoy that they don't have to pass through a foreign military base to enter or to leave the country's major airport.
The U.S. still maintains the largest foreign embassy in Iceland. Nonetheless, the twelve Americans still constitute the smallest American embassy in Europe.
Rising EU Influence
Iceland falls increasingly within the orbit of the European Union. Iceland is a member of the European Economic Space (EES) so it already has adopted three-quarters of EU laws and regulations and already contributes to EU cohesion funds. It is also a member of the Schengen zone, permitting free movement among participating European nations.
Historically, the desire to protect its exclusive fishing rights around the island to continue to subsidize farmers heavily precluded serious consideration of an EU application. Moreover, it took Iceland until 1944 to achieve its independence from Denmark, so giving up sovereignty remains a sensitive topic.
Nonetheless, Iceland increasingly thinks about the advantages of joining the EU. The Icelandic krona is a small and volatile currency--it varied from 66 to 70 kronur to the U.S. dollar while I was there. Icelanders would like to adopt the Euro in the hopes of better containing currency fluctuations and inflation but have been told unequivocally that they would need to join the EU to do so.
Despite sitting astride North America and Europe, Iceland is culturally closer to Europe. Iceland retains close linguistic and cultural ties with the Nordic countries. Though the tie with Denmark was severed in 1944, all Icelanders continue to learn Danish is school and many still spend time studying in Copenhagen.
Just before my arrival in Iceland, a poll showed that 55 percent of Icelanders support joining the EU--the first time any poll showed majority support for the idea. However, the current government--as shotgun marriage between the right-wing Independence Party and the left-wing Social Democratic Alliance (SDA)--has agreed not to apply for EU membership during this parliament, so don't expect a quick application.
However, the SDA may choose to make joining the EU the center of its platform in the hopes of forming the anchor of the next government. It will be interesting to see if the SDA can use the EU question to overturn the usual dominance of the Independence Party which is divided over this question.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The County Executive’s Bathroom: An Investigative Report
Greetings readers. I am joined live at the scene of the soon-to-be-constructed County Executive’s bathroom by special MPW correspondent and County Council staffer Dana Beyer. As you know, the Washington Post reported that the project would cost $65,000 and county staff said it was necessary for the security of the County Executive. Ms. Beyer has been investigating the project. Dana, what can you tell our readers about the new bathroom?
Dana Beyer: Well Adam, I have been unable to access the bathroom for three reasons. First, it is still under construction. I have seen several carpenters and plumbers hauling in platinum and gold fixtures but they won’t let me see what they’re doing.
Carpenter: Youse have to have a union card to get in! Widdout one… fuhgeddaboutit.
Former County Executive Candidate Bob Fustero: Do you hear that? I was right about those unions!
Dana: The second reason is that the transgender bill is still tied up by Citizens for a Responsible Government so I might not be allowed in even after it’s built.
Michelle Turner, CRG Spokeswoman: We have to protect the children from Dana! Errr, assuming any are actually allowed in the County Executive’s bathroom…
Adam: Dana, what is the third reason?
Dana: After the Post article, the County Executive’s office became quite sensitive about the project’s cost. So they instituted a fee schedule for access to pay for it. The fees operate on a sliding scale depending on exactly how one uses the bathroom.
Adam: Can you give us the details?
Dana: I’d rather not. After all, this is a family blog. I understand the fees are quite expensive and council staff are not paid enough to afford it.
Michelle Turner: That’s not a problem for us. We’ll just take it out of the per diem we receive from the Family Research Council.
Adam: Look! We now have a special guest – it’s County Executive Ike Leggett!
County Executive Leggett: Who are you people and what are you doing here?
Adam: Sir, we are reporting on the bathroom project. It’s part of our effort to follow your example in maintaining transparency in county government.
Leggett: Security, get them out of here!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Domestic Partnerships: Mike Miller's Extended Dance Mix
As I said in my comment to David’s post below about the domestic partner home ownership bill, Andy Harris was in top form during the debate. But so was Mike Miller.
How this debate ends up will determine whether thousands of innocent people will be allowed to own their own home. It will determine whether thousands of people will continue to live in fear of losing their home if their partner dies.
Friday morning, as debate on one round of consideration of the bill wound down, after attacks against innocent gay people by Andy Harris and Alex Mooney, the Senate bell seemed to be malfunctioning. So, while waiting for it to ring, he started to sing the gay disco classic "Ring My Bell." I laughed, but my partner was furious. As he pointed out, for us and many others, this bill matters. It's about people’s lives. But Miller acts like it's all a game.
Sorry, Mike, but our lives aren't a game.
This comes after Miller told the press last year that he thinks that same-sex couples don’t need the legal rights that come with marriage (or even those lesser rights that would come with civil unions).
Now, it would be one thing to say that gay people are evil marriage-hating child-molesting monsters who shouldn’t have rights as couples. In that case it doesn’t matter that we need them – it’s a simple issue of not deserving them.
But as far as I know, Miller has never sided with the Christian Right (or its political arm, the modern Republican Party) on the “gays are out to destroy society” canard.
So maybe it was just a stupid, thoughtless comment based on complete ignorance. But I don’t think so – Miller is not stupid, and what he says is based on careful thought and crafty political strategy. That’s why he’s been able to remain Senate president almost since the colonial era.
But when he makes flip comments that couples like me and my partner don’t need rights – or when he sings gay disco classics as his fellow senators work to deprive us of our rights and our homes - he needs to know how he comes across to people who lives are affected by the bills he shepherds through the Senate chamber.
Some of us were listening to the floor debate barely able to breathe, waiting for the outcome.
Flip brush-offs and 70s flashbacks are fine when you’re considering bills to designate walking as the official state exercise or Smith Island Cake as the official state dessert.
But not here.
Thanks Rona, Equality Hits the Housing Market
According to the Washington Post, the Maryland Senate has passed a bill granting same-sex couples property rights equivalent to married couples:Same-sex couples would be eligible for property benefits enjoyed by married couples under a measure to which the Senate gave preliminary approval yesterday.
Our own Paul Gordon explained why this matters in a press release by Equality Maryland:
The bill exempts members of same-sex couples from paying recordation taxes and state and county transfer taxes when they transfer a home or other property to their partner or partner's family members. The measure also applies to opposite-sex unmarried couples.Paul Gordon of Montgomery County told legislators that he still isn’t listed on the deed to the home that he shares with his partner because of the prohibitive transfer taxes that same-sex couples have to pay, but that married couples and a slew of other relatives are exempt from.
Meanwhile, Alex Mooney continues his hysterical opposition to this mild measure:
“My partner Rick and I met back in 1992, a couple of years after he’d bought a house in Silver Spring,” Paul testified. “That house – our home – is still in his name only. And I live in fear that I could lose it if something happened to him. In 2005, I told a House committee how Rick and I had just spent three weeks as a family with his mother in intensive care and decided as a family to end her life-support. But Maryland says that Rick and I are not a family. Maryland says we are no different than two total strangers. And when I testified in 2005, Maryland was forcing us to choose: If we wanted to put my name on the title of our home, that meant we could not afford a gravestone for Rick’s mother. We picked the gravestone, and three years later, I still have no ownership interest in my own home, and I could lose it if something happens to Rick,” Paul stated. He added, “Current law imposes a financial punishment on innocent families and puts us at risk of losing our homes. It’s cruel. It’s wrong. And you can put a stop to it.”It advanced after vigorous opposition from conservative Republicans, who said the General Assembly should not deny needed revenue to local governments to give unmarried couples a tax benefit.
Mooney actually appears to believe that people will turn gay or lesbian due to this measure. For everyone I know, sexual preference isn't determined by state property tax law. Perhaps Alex is different from the rest of us.
"Do we really want to encourage people to shack up to promote the homosexual agenda?" asked Sen. Alex X. Mooney (R-Frederick). Sen. Andrew P. Harris (R-Baltimore County) said the bill is "really just about money" same-sex couples are seeking to save in property transactions.
But the bill's lead sponsor, Sen. Rona E. Kramer (D-Montgomery), said the financial security of couples who happen not to be married is at stake. Someone who is not on the deed of his home could lose the property if his partner dies, Kramer said.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Getting to Know the Real Montgomery College
A reprint of a forthcoming Montgomery County Sentinel column by Wayne Goldstein.
Montgomery College is in the news these days in some very unflattering ways. The first is because the communities who live near the former Maryland College of Art and Design (MCAD) on Georgia Avenue, now owned by the Montgomery College Foundation, want this land to become a park. Although the College and its Foundation were given the MCAD site for free, they want to sell the land to developers for as much money as possible. The second is what is being called "Montgomery College’s Union Busting Campaign" documented this week in a four part series where the College is being accused of interfering with the right of adjunct professors to consider joining a union.
I think it's time that a new generation of county leaders and residents be introduced to what I call "The Real Montgomery College." From 2000-2002, I was part of a group who fought to stop the College from building its Cultural Arts Center in South Silver Spring's historic Jesup Blair Park because of the irreversible damage that would be done to the park's remaining old growth oak trees and to the setting of the last of the historic Blair family mansions. Against all odds, our group, with the timely help of others, successfully pressured the College to relocate this building to the corner of Georgia and Burlington Avenues, where it is being constructed today.
As I searched for ways to stop the College's building plans for the park, I began to do research about the College that soon became an exhaustive pursuit of the history of how the College grew its campuses and its buildings. What I found were some very embarrassing, even shameful moments in the College's history, as well as long periods of near-reckless behavior where the College fought everyone to try to get its way. By 2002, I had written a 100,000-word manuscript titled "The Real Montgomery College" covering the time period from the early '40s through 2002. In part, as a result of sharing this long-forgotten history with those concerned about the College's behavior in 2002, more people and institutions stood up to the College and forced it to make changes it did not want to make. And now, in 2008, it looks like the College is once again starting to spin out of control, so it is time to once again tell some of those shameful stories of the past.
For decades, the College has complained about not having room to expand its Takoma Park campus, a problem it continues to struggle with to this day. It might surprise you to know that this problem could have been entirely avoided, except that past College officials intentionally chose to ignore the obvious. In 1946, Montgomery Junior College [MJC] began evening classes in World War II surplus government building at B-CC High School. By 1950, the College was ready to move to its own campus. It ended up preferring the former Bliss Electrical School in Takoma Park.
"In June [1950], "The [Montgomery County] Board [of Education] discussed further the purchase of Bliss Electrical School for the [MJC[" Then on 7/11/50, "...the Board directed that negotiations be proceeded with for the purchase of the property..., including all land, buildings and equipment... Mrs. Baylor [a board member] voted for the purchase of the property, after stating her position as follows: 'I have prepared a statement in regard to my position in connection with the proposed purchase of the Bliss Electrical School, which I would like to have inserted into the minutes of this meeting. First, the campus of approximately 7 acres is, according to all educational standards, inadequate for a Junior College. A minimum of 35 acres is desirable. [Emphasis added] Second, the proximity to the B & O Railroad with its accompanying noise is detrimental to carrying on a school program... However, I want it noted that the proposal for the purchase of the... property has been approved by a committee from the Advisory Council of the Junior College, by the Civic Federation... and by Dean Price. It appears obvious that unless the Bliss Electrical School is purchased, the [MJC] is doomed to struggle along in its present inadequate quarters. With this in mind, and considering the other factors, I will cast my vote with the majority of the Board.'"
The College's leaders, knowing the site was far too small for the College's needs, rationalized the decision based on the price and on their hope that they could always use local parks and schools for all of their athletic programs. Within 5 years, they had outgrown the campus and began looking for ways to expand it, including buying adjacent residential properties as they became available. One did become available, the Grabill Property:
"...The following resolution was adopted [4-2]...That the Grabill property at 703 New York Avenue... is needed as additional property for the [MJC], and... that the Superintendent be authorized to make the purchase of this property in the name of the Board of Education... from the estate in an amount not to exceed $17,000." 5/14/57 School Board meeting: "The Superintendent announced that the Grabill property on New York Avenue.., for which the Board had been negotiating for use by the [MJC], had been sold to another party."
"Here's how this institution, at their 6/11/57 meeting, responded to having the object of their desire snatched from their outreaching hand: "The Superintendent and Dean Deyo... briefed the Board on the action to date in connection with the proposed acquisition of a site adjacent to the College for future use. They stated that they felt this land is valuable to the school. In view of the fact that neighbors have purchased the Grabill property during the period of negotiations between the Board and the owners, the Superintendent remarked that he felt condemnation proceedings should be recommended." [Emphasis added]
The School Board voted to have condemnation investigated as a possible action. Miraculously, without any outside intervention at all, the College realized that it should not abuse the condemnation process, and the motion was rescinded on 1/27/58. This may have been the last time in the past 50 years that Montgomery College did the right thing without being forced to do so by others.
As to the issue of relationships between College leaders, professors and students, consider this: "5/10/78: "The faculty at [MC] has voted overwhelmingly to recommend to the college's board... against renewing the contract of college president William C. Strasser when it expires on June 30 of next year... Students, incensed over next year's calendar which crams exams into 3 days scheduled to run from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. are circulating a petition opposing Strasser... Of the 246 faculty members who responded [to a poll], 225 (91.5 %) were opposed to renewing the president's contract, 14 were for renewing... and 7 had no opinion. The poll also gave Strasser low ratings in several areas. On a scale of one (low) to 10 (high), the majority of faculty members against renewing Strasser's contract gave him 1.5 for leadership, 2.8 for administrative ability, 1.1 for communications and 1.8 for public relations. The poll... conducted in Feb. and sent confidentially to the board... also listed the 3 most important problems facing the college as apathy and morale, Dr. Strasser, and lack of communication...
"Several members of the [MC] Student Senate are distributing a petition asking the board... not to consider Strasser as a candidate... Several thousand students have already signed the petitions. The goal is 6000 signatures (about half of the Rockville campus enrollment) to be presented to the board... Previously [Strasser] had been censured by the faculty (1968), asked to resign (Dec.,1976) and hung in effigy by students (Nov.,1977)."
11/8/78: "The president of [MC], William C. Strasser, will step down when his current 5-year contract ends on 6/30/79... Strasser has been president... since 1966. He presided over a great expansion in the college's enrollment, offerings and the addition of a third campus--but will also be remembered for tremendous friction with the faculty and students... during his tenure... The friction at [MC], according to some faculty members, led to the state legislature's unprecedented vote last spring to allow collective bargaining at MC, which is not authorized at any other community college in Md..."
Today, adjunct, untenured Montgomery College professors are paid $880 per credit hour taught, normally as three credit hour courses. Full-time, tenured faculty can earn as much as $3,038 per credit hour. It is also reported that adjunct professors do not have health benefits or defined benefit pensions. Montgomery College's uniquely bad behavior over the decades has caused a number of "unprecedented" votes and actions by other government entities. I hope that all who seek to hold the College to the same standards as all of us will find assistance in this and future installments of "The Real Montgomery College."
Wayne Goldstein is the President of the Montgomery County Civic Federation and is one of the grand-daddies of civic activism in this county.
Hitting the Loo in Style
Readers, I just could not resist this Post article about the County Executive's new bathroom. Among other things, it contains some intimate details about the "private business" habits of several of our current and former politicians.
A variation of an old joke comes to me. What can you do in a $65,000 bathroom? Apparently, whatever the hell you want! And if that didn't make you grimace, check out the crude attempt at irony in our labels to this post.
Maryland’s Democratic Presidential Primary Record
From Marc Korman.
Previously, we examined Maryland’s track record in presidential elections. Today, we take a look at Maryland’s Democratic presidential primary record since World War II.
According to the Maryland Secretary of State, Maryland’s first partisan presidential primary was in 1912. The practice did not become a regular quadrennial occurrence until 1952, with the exception of 1968 when the state did not hold a primary because of an overlapping state constitutional convention. From 1912 until 1984 Maryland held its primary in May. From 1988 until 2004 the primary was held in March.
A total of thirteen presidential primaries have been held in Maryland since World War II. In seven of those primaries, Maryland voted for the eventual Democratic nominee. That number climbs to eight if you count 1964, when home state Senator Daniel Brewster was standing in for incumbent President Lyndon Johnson.
Of the seven races where Maryland voted for the eventual Democratic nominee, only two went on to win the fall election. They were Kennedy and Clinton. If you count Brewster in 1964, three went on to win the general election. Two of the three were incumbent presidents, Clinton in ’96 and Johnson in ’64.
Of the eight races Maryland Democrats voted for the eventual Democratic nominee, six have come since 1980 beginning with the vote for Jimmy Carter over Ted Kennedy and continuing until 2004 with the exception of Tsongas’ victory over Clinton in 1992. Maryland Democrats’ new found ability to pick the eventual nominee probably reflects the trend, until 2008, of party nominees being picked earlier and earlier in the cycle.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
On Political Pulse
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett will be on the 'Political Pulse' TV Show on Channel 16 to discuss budget released on March 17th which addresses the County's $300 million budget deficit. Mr. Leggett also discusses other issues, including the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, the Clinton - Obama Primary and the State Legislative Session which is proceeding in Annapolis. The interview will air on: Thursday, March 20th at 9 p.m.; and Tuesday, March 25th at 9:30 p.m.
Montgomery College’s Union Busting Campaign: Part Four of Four
In Part Three, we began examining the FAQ sheet that Montgomery College sent to its adjunct faculty to spread propaganda about unions. We demonstrated how the administration tried to make SEIU Local 500 look like an intimidating, coercive organization and how they tried to attach questionable generalizations about unions to the local. Now, we expose how their questions and answers serve a third tactical objective:
3. Scare the workers and make them think the union is not worth it.Q. How long does it take for a union to negotiate a contract?
The FAQ sheet neglects to mention that many first contracts are not reached because of “union avoidance” programs of the kind that Montgomery College is now running. And the SEIU action at Carlyle, a troubled company by any measure, involved a campaign at nursing home chain Manor Care. Local 500 does not organize nursing homes and did not participate in the picket action against Carlyle. And Local 500 does not require picket duty of its members because most of its employers are in the public sector and in Maryland are are not subject to strikes. Montgomery College is well aware of this but nevertheless tries to smear Local 500 by talking about the actions of a different SEIU group on a different campaign.
A. Recent studies show that contract negotiations usually take more than one year when employees are represented by a union, and that unions are successful in negotiating an agreement within a year only 25% of the time.
Q. Will I have to walk a picket line?
A. That is a possibility. Although there is a “no strike” provision in the law, a union may require members to picket in an effort to get its point across. Many unions also require their members to serve picket duty at other companies where they have a strike. The SEIU is known for its frequent picketing of businesses that it is trying to get to accept its positions.
For example, look at the article in the Washington Post on February 18, 2008 titled “A Stubborn Union Storms the Gates at Carlyle Group,” which reported on the SEIU’s picketing on Pennsylvania Avenue. The Post noted that picketers “swarmed through the Carlyle building, jumping on and off elevators, running up stairways and trying to get into Carlyle offices in an effort to confront [a] Carlyle co-founder… After some heated moments, security and D.C. police escorted the union from the premises.”
As someone who has been fighting law-breaking employers for more than 13 years, I’m accustomed to this sort of misleading propaganda from private-sector employers. But now a public institution has hired a “union avoidance” attorney to apply these same tactics to county employees – all through our tax dollars. How many thousands of dollars is Montgomery College spending on its union-busting campaign? How many students could be educated with that money? And why is Montgomery College being allowed to pay a “union avoidance” lawyer hundreds of dollars an hour at a time when the county is projecting a $297 million budget deficit and is raising property taxes to pay for it?
What will Montgomery College do next? Union-busting campaigns usually do not end with FAQ sheets. Common tactics include captive audience meetings, one-on-one interrogations by supervisors, promised improvements (which may or may not actually materialize), threats of job cuts and even firing union supporters. Is this what the college’s adjunct professors have to look forward to?
Montgomery College’s union busting campaign is an absolute abomination in a progressive county like Montgomery. Adjunct professors and any other public employees should be free to choose, or not choose, union representation without being subjected to taxpayer-subsidized propaganda and fear. The County Executive and the County Council should immediately take measures to terminate Montgomery College’s “union avoidance” attorney and compel the school to let its employees make their own labor decisions in peace.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Legislative Vacancies: Annapolis Update
Last Friday, the Senate Education Health and Environmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on a bill to reform how legislative vacancies are filled in the General Assembly.
It got a cool reception.
The current system to fill state legislative vacancies is … well, it has problems. For some background, check out this December 13 post of mine, or this dramatic tale of Adam’s, based on a true story.
Sen. Rich Madaleno is sponsoring a constitutional amendment to reform the system, with the wise counsel of people like our resident blogger and political scientist David Lublin. The proposed amendment wouldn’t overhaul the current system; party central committees would still make legislative replacements. But under the amendment, if the vacancy occurs during the first two years of the four-year term, then the committee-selected replacements would be temporary. Voters would elect a permanent replacement during the midterm election (which, in Maryland, is the same as presidential election years) to serve until the end of the term.
So when Madaleno offered his testimony in support of the bill last Friday, did anyone speak out against it? Nope.
But the committee’s reaction was cool at best. It would seem unlikely that the bill will be going anywhere this session. It may be for the same reasons that Madaleno had predicted back in December. Legislators just don't see this as a problem. The rapid loss of so many Montgomery County state legislators within a year of the 2006 election is not the norm, and many delegates and senators may see it as "just" a Montgomery County problem.
I also suspect that few, if any, constituents or lobbyists talk to delegates and senators about this issue. So the only thing that many legislators would get for supporting this bill would be a group of angry Central Committee members.
Interestingly enough, and previously unbeknownst to me, a similar bill was introduced back in 2003 by Del. Elizabeth Bobo (D - Howard County). It got a committee hearing and was never heard from again. My guess is that we'll see a replay of that fizzle this year.
But that's okay. Even if the amendment were passed tomorrow and approved by the voters in November, the first midterm where it could come into play would not be until 2012. So there is no rush: We’ll get the same result even if the amendment doesn’t pass until 2010.
So Madaleno will have to talk it up among his colleagues in the Senate over the next couple of years. Perhaps he’ll have a House ally in Bobo. Whatever he does, certain bloggers certainly won't be quiet about this issue until it is resolved.
For those of you who keep track of these things, here's a transcript of Madaleno's committee testimony:SB693 is a constitutional amendment that would require vacancies in the General Assembly that occur during the first half of the four-year term to be filled by a special election to coincide with the presidential election. The relevant party central committee would still nominate a replacement to serve until the results of the special election are certified.
Unfortunately, both chambers of our General Assembly have lost members this past year due to a variety of circumstances. We have had three vacancies in the Senate and five in the House of Delegates. The remainder of these terms will be filled by a person who was appointed, not elected. Current law provides that the county central committee of the vacating member’s party to nominate someone to the Governor to fill the remainder of the term. This system has served us well for many years, but the recent spate of reshuffling in our legislature so early after an election has left many of us reviewing this process. Our constituents are troubled by the idea that a person could be appointed to a position so early in a term without any input or say from the majority of the people they represent.
In Montgomery County, the overwhelming majority of those on the parties’ central committees do not live in the district whose Delegate or Senator they are choosing. Although central committee members are elected, most voters are unfamiliar as to what a party central committee does and who the candidates are when they see them on an election ballot. In addition, citizens who are not registered to the same party as the legislator being replaced have no voice at all in electing the body that is making the selection for them.
While these flaws might be acceptable for someone filling a vacancy on a short-term basis - and even that is a debatable proposition - they are not acceptable for selecting a replacement who could serve out the remaining three or even four years of a term, not when there is an opportunity for the voters to cast a ballot in the midterm elections. To deny voters this opportunity is inconsistent with the basic principles of electoral democracy. I urge you to give SB693 a favorable report.
Montgomery College’s Union Busting Campaign: Part Three of Four
When Montgomery College administrators sent a memo to adjunct faculty warning them against joining SEIU Local 500, they attached a document called “Typical Questions That Are Asked During a Union Organizing Campaign.” An FAQ document is a typical opening shot in any union busting program. Provided by the “union avoidance consultant,” the FAQ sheet spins the labor law, spreads misleading propaganda and scares the workforce. Montgomery College’s document is no different and seeks to accomplish the following tactical objectives:
1. Make the union look like an intimidating, coercive organization. Here are a few questions and answers in the FAQ sheet designed to do that:Q. Do I have to let a union representative into my house?
So union representatives are “paid salespersons” who threaten, coerce, pressure, bother and needle workers. And management is the voice of reason merely informing workers of their right to be left alone.
A. No. A union representative has no more right to enter your house than any other paid salesperson.
Q. Do I have to sign a union authorization card?
A. No. You don’t have to sign such a card to teach at Montgomery College. Under the law you have the right not to join a union and no one can threaten or coerce you into joining.
Q. What difference does it make if I sign a union authorization card?
A. If you and other part time faculty feel pressured to sign a card and actually do so, it increases the chances that the union will be able to file a petition for an election. If that should happen, you should expect even more pressure from the union to vote for it if an election is held.
Q. The union organizers say that everyone else is joining the union. Why shouldn’t I join too?
A. It is a common organizing tactic of unions to claim that “nearly everyone has signed” union membership application cards and they want only a few more employees’ signatures to make it 100 percent. Actually, they may have very few people signed up and they use a “don’t be last” approach to get enough signatures to legally petition for an election. Many employees sign to keep from being bothered and needled by the organizers. This is why the law relies on the secret ballot vote as the true test of employee’s choice.
2. Make questionable generalizations about other unions and insinuate the specific local union in the organizing campaign is guilty of them. Here are a few examples from the FAQ sheet:Q. Will it cost me anything to belong to this union?
The FAQ sheet does not mention that the federal Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 guarantees union members the right to vote by secret ballot on local dues and assessments. Union members also have rights to free speech, due process in any disciplinary procedures and to sue their unions in court.
A. In all likelihood, yes. Unions collect monthly dues, and besides that there are a lot of other charges such as initiation fees, assessments and contributions to organizations and causes a union may sponsor or support. Unions also fine and suspend members who violate any of the union’s many by-laws and rules forbidding any “disloyalty” to the union.
Q. What can the union fine its members for?
A. It depends on the union’s internal rules. Most union constitutions and by-laws provide that the union can fine you for almost anything – for not attending union meetings, for trying to come into work if there is a strike, or for talking back to an officer of the union.
Q. Is it true that a union may require its members to pay more than dues each month?
A. Yes. The union may require a member to contribute to the international union, as well as to pay charges for political contributions, informational clinics, building funds and other special project funds. If a member refuses to pay these special assessments, your union membership may be suspended or you may be fined by the union or even expelled by the union.
SEIU Local 500’s bylaws specifically guarantee all members the right “to receive a fair and open hearing in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws on any charge brought by him/her or against him/her.” Furthermore, SEIU Local 500’s bylaws do not require political contributions (which are voluntary) and specifically allow member votes before raising dues or assessments. But of course, Montgomery College is not going to tell its workforce these facts.
We’ll finish looking at the FAQ sheet in Part Four.
Correction: An adjunct professor wrote me to state that not all adjuncts receive $880 per credit hour as the Gazette reported and I cited in Part One. According to this adjunct:Please take note of the fact that $880 per ESH (estimated semester hour) is the MAXIMUM that an adjunct can presently earn at Montgomery College. The minimum is $810 per ESH. The next level, $850 per ESH, can only be obtained after a teacher has taught at least 6 semesters (three years) and has accumulated a certain amount of professional development credit by taking various workshops. In three more years, the teacher can advance to $880 per ESH; once again professional development credit has to be earned. These courses must be taken during the adjunct's own time, so of course there's no compensation. Also, it's up to an adjunct to petition for the next pay level by submitting the appropriate form along with proof of professional development credit to his or her respective department. There is no such thing as automatic advancement. If an adjunct doesn't follow the above procedure, he or she will remain at the same pay level indefinitely.
So after six years and much training on the adjunct’s own time, the professor may earn up to $10,560 for four courses in a semester. Nice.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Montgomery College’s Union Busting Campaign: Part Two of Four
On March 3, Mary Kay Shartle-Galotto, Executive Vice-President for Academic and Student Services and Marshall Moore, Vice-President for Administrative and Fiscal Services sent a memo warning adjunct faculty not to support SEIU Local 500. This document has the fingerprints of a “union avoidance consultant” all over it. The memo begins:As some of you may already know, organizers of the Service Employees International Union Local 500 have approached the part-time faculty at Montgomery College and have asked them to sign union authorization cards. If a sufficient number of part-time faculty sign these cards, the union intends to submit a petition for a representation election to the State Commissioner of Labor.
So Shartle-Galotto and Moore admit to maintaining “good relationships” with their other unions but nevertheless say “the College does not believe” that unionization would be in the interest of adjuncts. Why not? They refer to “many complicated facets to this issue – and some misunderstandings.” They talk about the “sizable fee/cost factor” of unions but avoid mentioning that U.S. union members were paid on average 30% more than non-members last year. They also do not want their adjuncts to know that while 69% of U.S. unionized employees have access to a defined benefit pension plan (which the adjuncts do not have), only 15% of non-union workers have similar access. And their discussion of “standardizing” the workforce omits the fact that any employee classifications are a subject for collective bargaining in which the employer has full rights of participation.
Montgomery College has always maintained good relationships with its full-time faculty and staff unions; however, the College does not believe that the unionization of part-time faculty would best serve the interests of this faculty base, the College, or our students. There are many complicated facets to this issue - and some misunderstandings - that part-time faculty members should understand and reconcile before they commit themselves to union representation. Unions can promise a lot - namely wage increases, better benefits, job security - but the union may not always be able to deliver everything it intends. Faculty should also be aware of the sizable fee/cost factor involved with any union membership.
Part-time faculty members are a diverse group of people with many different goals and priorities. We have faculty who work for a variety of different industries and institutions, and this diverse, real-world perspective is something we highly value in this faculty base. Unionization would almost necessarily standardize the treatment of this population, which could result in difficulties with the assignment and scheduling of classes, not to mention possible difficulties involving full-time faculty relationships.
Later in the memo, Shartle-Galotto and Moore claim that adjuncts received an 8 percent salary increase in the 2007-08 academic year. They neglect to mention that the college's adjuncts receive as little as one-third of regular faculty pay for the same work. They also fail to mention that their hired “union avoidance” attorney, Darrell VanDeusen, could be making more in 30 hours of billing (perhaps $12,000- $18,000) than adjuncts can make teaching four courses in a semester ($10,560).
But Montgomery College is not merely selectively releasing information. They attached a list of “frequently asked questions” about unions to their memo which was probably drafted in consultation with VanDeusen. We’ll take a look at that list in Part Three.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Paying for Roads One Way or Another
Yes, I know everyone is talking about MoCo’s budget crisis, and don’t worry – we will too. But this Post article on a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) calling for a comprehensive toll network caught my eye.
According to the article:The [COG] study, which will be presented to the council of governments' Transportation Planning Board, includes three scenarios. The first would add a series of new toll lanes to every freeway in the region, with tolls applying only to drivers on those lanes, a proposal that is seen as unworkable. The new roads and overpasses would be so costly and eat up so much land that it is essentially a non-starter.
Why are we talking about tolls? Because there just aren't very many alternatives to pay for massively expensive but necessary transportation projects. Neither Maryland nor Virginia have done very well at this. In last year’s special session, the Maryland legislature voted to allow the gas tax to increase along with construction costs, thereby generating an extra $400 million annually for transportation. But $250 million will go to maintenance, leaving just $150 million – roughly equal to the cost of one average interchange project – for new projects statewide each year. In Virginia, a plan to allow an unelected board to levy taxes for transportation unraveled when the state’s Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. Politicians in neither state have shown much willingness to further increase gas taxes, so COG is proposing tolls as an alternative.
"We can't build a duplicate highway network; it ain't gonna happen," [COG transportation director Ronald] Kirby said.
The report lays out two other scenarios that would add tolls to existing highways:
One would add tolls to all District river crossings and existing freeway lanes in the city, where there is no room for new or expanded lanes. The plan would, in effect, connect the 1960s-era highway network that was discontinued in favor of Metrorail. For example, the stretch of New York Avenue from the District line to the Third Street tunnel, which connects U.S. 50 and Interstate 395, would be tolled. Similarly, the stretch of Independence and Maine avenues that joins the Arlington Memorial Bridge and Southeast/Southwest Freeway would be tolled.
The most comprehensive scenario, which has captured the imagination of planners and government leaders, would toll every regional highway, plus all the regional parkways, including the Baltimore-Washington, George Washington, Rock Creek and Potomac, Clara Barton and Suitland parkways.
According to the report, the most comprehensive tolling network would raise $2.75 billion a year, increase transit use by 6 percent, boost carpool rates by 4 percent and result in a relatively small -- 1.2 percent -- increase in vehicle miles traveled, which is how traffic planners measure the amount of driving.
I have never actually met a person who loves tolls. I mean, not just one who tolerates tolls, but one who has formed a pro-toll fan club, collects toll-related memorabilia, has opened a toll museum and worships toll collectors like rock stars. That said, EZ-Pass has made paying tolls less painful than it used to be.
But think about it like this: one way or another, we will pay for our road network. We can pay for it through a gas tax. We can pay for it through tolls. We can pay for it by privatizing roads (as Indiana has done) and then watching the private operators jack up the tolls over time. Or we can pay for it by sitting in congestion, burning needless gas as our cars idle and further pollute the atmosphere. The first two options present costs that are obvious and up-front whereas the last two have costs that are hidden or deferred. Nevertheless, I find the first two options preferable to the last two because at least they do not increase greenhouse gas emissions or enrich plutocratic investors.
Montgomery College’s Union Busting Campaign: Part One of Four
Management calls them “union avoidance consultants.” Labor people call them “union busters.” But whatever term you use for them, you can count on them showing up whenever workers dare to tell the boss that they are thinking about forming a union. All across the country, thousands of lawyers, consultants and outright shysters rake in billions of dollars working for anti-union employers. They spread fear and propaganda and some of them even assist employers in breaking labor laws just so workers will be too scared to choose union representation. And now Montgomery College has hired a “union avoidance” lawyer of its own.
Montgomery College’s union busting started when the college’s adjunct professors approached SEIU Local 500 to discuss representation. Many of us remember college faculty as being tenured, comfortable residents of the ivy tower. But today’s college professors are increasingly part-time, paid by the class, with few benefits and no job security. Montgomery College’s faculty is now mostly comprised of adjunct professors who, unlike tenured faculty, have no union representation. According to the Gazette, the college’s adjuncts are paid $880 per credit hour taught, with most classes worth three credit hours. Full-time faculty can make up to $3,038 per credit hour. SEIU reports that adjuncts do not have health benefits or defined benefit pensions. When SEIU began gathering authorization cards from workers for a state representation election, the college acted quickly to put an end to it.
Montgomery College hired Darrell VanDeusen, a lawyer with Baltimore law firm Kollman & Saucier. VanDeusen, recently named as one of Maryland’s “Super Lawyers” in Baltimore Magazine, describes his practice as “providing advice in matters such as compliance with anti-discrimination laws, union avoidance and collective bargaining, family and medical leave and fair labor standards.” The law firm also states that VanDeusen “has defended employers in hundreds of charges before the EEOC and other state and local fair employment practice agencies” and “has argued cases in state and federal courts that have interpreted the law in favor of employers.” SEIU states that the going rate for top “union avoidance” lawyers in Maryland is $400-600 per hour. If that is true for VanDeusen, he could earn more in 30 hours of billing ($12,000- $18,000) than an adjunct professor could earn teaching four courses in a semester ($10,560).
What is Montgomery College getting from VanDeusen? We’ll take a look in Part Two.
Terminal 5
Her Majesty, the Queen, opened London Heathrow's new Terminal 5 last week but the public won't get to experience its glory for another two weeks. Let's hope that the Economist is wrong in its rather gloomy view of the airport's future:
Heathrow airport is a torture-chamber, and the opening of its new Terminal 5 is unlikely to make much difference.I had to get up at about 4am in order to get to the airport in order to catch Icelandair's flight to Heathrow. Reykjavik's Leifur Eiriksson terminal in Keflavik continues to impress. When I saw the line to check-in with Icelandair, I figured it would take about an hour to check in based on the length of the line and my past experiences with United and Delta.
It took about 10 minutes tops. I similarly whizzed through the equally long security line, leaving me plenty of time to gape at the prices in the duty-free shops. I couldn't help but notice that Icelanders had grabbed all of the vodka on sale due to the staggering price of drinks on their island.
While "torture chamber" is a bit strong (no need to call Amnesty International), I did feel rather like a gerbil in a set of yellow tubes as I passed through London's Heathrow Airport. When I arrived, the signs clearly indicated that I should go to Terminal 1 but no no flight to Geneva was posted once I passed through security and walked there.
I learned my flight was in Terminal 4 and, after much marching through more gerbil tubes and a bus ride, I was there. Terminal 4 is like Montgomery Mall on steroids. Airports in Britain have been privatized and the shopping mall approach to airports has been fully embraced.
I had hoped to pick up a paperback in the UK that is still in hardcover in the US. However, the value of the American peso being what it is these days, I discovered that it would probably be cheaper for me to just buy the hardcovers in the US when I get home.
Perhaps its for the best that I got to miss out on Terminal 5 when I changed planes in Heathrow--the advert, I mean article, trumpeting its opening in the British Airways in-flight rag "Highlife" seemed to indicate that you needed to wear or to buy about $10,000 worth of clothing or luggage to pass through it.
Oh, and British Airways managed to get only one of my bags to Geneva with me despite the long layover and flight delay of around 30 minutes. Until recently, I've always had pretty good luck with luggage but I'm now 0-3 on the last three trips so the law of averages must be catching up with me.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Maryland’s Presidential Record
From Marc Korman.
With Senator Clinton’s recent boast that “As Ohio goes, so goes the nation,” I thought this would be a good time to check in with Maryland’s record in presidential election years. As Maryland goes, does the nation follow?
Not so much. Since World War II, fifteen presidential elections have been held. Maryland voted for the winner ten times, compared to fourteen times for Ohio. The good news for Maryland’s record is that they voted for the winner in all three acknowledged electoral landslides since World War II (Johnson in ‘64, Nixon in ‘72, and Reagan in ‘84).
Maryland voted for the Democratic candidate over the Republican nine times, but only five of those times did the Democrat win the presidency. The highest Democratic vote was 65% for Johnson in 1964.
Maryland voted for the Republican candidate six times, and five of those led to Republican presidencies. The highest Republican vote was 61% for Nixon in 1972.
The biggest surprise for me when generating the list was Maryland’s support for Republican George H.W. Bush in 1988. Maryland is a safe Democratic state today, but given its support for Republicans twice in the 1980s, that status is a relatively recent development. Also interesting was Maryland’s narrow support for Republican Dewey in 1948, though that was strange election due to the presence of four major candidates on the ballot. Had Truman received the votes of Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace in Maryland, he may well have carried the state.
Notes: Maryland winners listed in bold.
1960 was the first year Alaska and Hawaii were included in the Electoral College.
1964 was the first year the District of Columbia was included in the Electoral College. They are included as a “state” in the candidate state totals.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Transgender Bill Supporters Sue Board of Elections
Yesterday, twelve Montgomery County residents filed suit against the Montgomery County Board of Elections in the county’s circuit court seeking to set aside their finding that the anti-transgender petition should proceed. The plaintiffs include former Progressive Maryland president and former state delegate candidate Elbridge James and current Takoma Park mayor Bruce Williams. They are represented by Jonathan Shurberg, an attorney working with Equality Maryland.
The complaint alleges that Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG), the group that collected the signatures, used “inaccurate, inflammatory and false information” that is “indicative of a pattern of fraud on the part of the individuals collecting the signatures…” For example, one of the plaintiffs claimed that she “was falsely induced into signing the referendum petition that is the subject of this lawsuit by individuals stating that the law in question allowed for unisex bathrooms and for men to be in the women’s bathroom.”
The complaint goes on to question the validity of the signatures themselves. It alleges that many signatures were outright forgeries, were not obtained from registered voters, were not obtained from county residents, did not have any addresses or were duplicates. The complaint lists numerous problems with the circulator affidavits, such as, “The Petition contains numerous Petition sheets reflecting alterations indicative of fraud by the circulator such as circulator and/or signer information that appears to have been covered with “white out…” But the complaint never states how many signatures or circulator affidavits are alleged to be invalid.
Finally, the complaint claims that the Board of Elections ignored the above problems, stating, “Defendant Board of Elections appears to have determined to overlook disqualifying infirmities in the Petition signatures, circulator certifications and other categories set forth above and instead to certify the Petition despite the Petition’s failure to comply with governing legal requirements.” The remedy sought by the plaintiffs is for the Montgomery County Circuit Court to set aside the board’s finding of validity, thereby allowing the transgender anti-discrimination bill to take effect.
It’s difficult to get a sense of the volume of evidence the plaintiffs have to back up their claims. CRG submitted 32,087 signatures. They need 25,001 to be upheld. The Board of Elections never stated how many signatures were found to be valid when they certified the petition. The complaint never stated how many signatures Equality Maryland’s volunteers found to be invalid. So the presiding judge would have a number of options: find that the process is so fraud-ridden that the petition must be set aside (the plaintiffs’ position), find that the Board of Elections acted within its allowable discretion or order the board to re-examine every signature.
But there is a bigger tactical field than merely the legal realm. The transgender bill started as an anti-discrimination bill, pure and simple. Then it was amended to include “any restroom, shower, dressing room, locker room or similar facility,” an amendment that was later removed but never forgotten by its opponents. CRG’s petition drive degenerated into an ugly ground war that produced this video of a County Council staffer confronting petition gatherers. CRG is promising a lawsuit over this incident. So now we have one confirmed lawsuit against a taxpayer-funded agency, another possible lawsuit involving a taxpayer-funded employee, much talk about showers and bathrooms but much less talk about protecting innocent people from discrimination – which after all was the inspiration for the bill. CRG’s fear-mongerers are running wild while the bill’s original, necessary purpose is receding into the background. From a purely tactical perspective, this order of battle is more favorable to CRG than to the bill's supporters.
Back in 1991, the Planned Parenthood vs. Casey federal abortion case caused many people to fear that the Supreme Court might overturn Roe vs. Wade. Maryland’s legislature passed a bill providing for Roe vs. Wade protections in the state’s law in case the Supreme Court threw out Roe. The law’s opponents successfully petitioned the bill to referendum, but the voters upheld it by a 62-38 margin. Since that 1992 vote, anti-choice groups have not come close to banning abortions in Maryland, though they do try to chip away at them.
If CRG does succeed in getting its referendum before the voters, it might be the best thing that ever happened for supporters of the transgender anti-discrimination bill. Voter affirmation will be much more useful for their cause than endless lawsuits (and videos).
Friday, March 14, 2008
Putting a Gun to the Heads of Maryland’s Teachers (Updated)
The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Senate President Mike Miller is threatening education and teachers’ pension funding in an effort to get the Maryland State Teachers Association to support slots. This proves Eric Luedtke’s worries about this issue correct.
According to the Sun:“They've got to help us either get some type of revenue, either taxes or the video lottery terminals, so we can continue funding public education at the rate I want it funded,” Miller said. "There's nothing more I want than to fund public education, but the beneficiaries of public education have got to respond in kind.”
But there is more:The Senate president has also told union leaders that their failure to back the measure could force the General Assembly to seek another funding source for teacher pensions, including asking counties and school boards to foot the bill, a move that would almost certainly force severe cuts on the local level.
I have disagreed with the Senate President on slots in the past. But even more than that, I disagree with his approach to the relationship of slots and education funding. A common-sense, pro-education approach to this issue is to say, “I’m committed to education, now let’s go find the money.” Instead, Mr. Miller seems to be saying, “I’m committed to slots, now let’s figure out how to pass them.” This is not the kind of pro-education behavior I expect from my party in Annapolis.
Slots are now being marketed as a magical solution to the state’s budget problems. Some politicians are now telling us that if we pass them, we can pay for education, repeal the computer tax and pay for virtually any other kind of program that we want. But in fact, as surrounding jurisdictions increase their gambling programs in a mad, dice-and-whiskey-fueled gaming arms race, our revenue take will be far from certain. The only certainty is that license-holding corporations will be enriched beyond their executives’ wildest dreams, including those that are now teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
The Senate President is a recognized master of politics and has survived as long as he has by knowing the sentiments in his chamber better than anyone – ever. He is pressuring the teachers by threatening education funding and holding up their grievance arbitration bill because he knows that voters respect them. Apple Ballots with one-armed bandits on them are almost as valuable as penthouse comps. But there is a price to this tactic.
First, the teachers waged a relentless four-year campaign to get their pension benefits increased, a fight that ended in 2006. By threatening to subject those benefits to county financing, Mr. Miller is signaling his willingness to endanger the teachers’ top legislative achievement of the decade.
Second, he is pressuring the state organization’s board to make a decision without input from a closely-divided membership. This does not take into account the internal realities of a union, which is in fact a political organization. No political organization likes dealing with divisive issues – for example, look at the General Assembly’s contortions on gay marriage, illegal immigration, the death penalty and, of course, slots. As any political organization works it way through a tough issue, it needs time, delicate negotiations and ways to assuage those who come up short. Putting a gun to the heads of the leadership, as Mr. Miller is doing, may earn him a temporary victory but is sure to create fury in the ranks and a desire for revenge against the Senate President, his pro-slots colleagues and even some of the state union leaders themselves.
In Montgomery County, we call MCEA the 800-pound gorilla. Don’t make it angry, Mr. Miller, because this gorilla has a long memory.
Update: MSTA's board voted last night to support the slots referendum. The Post has the story here. MSTA President Clara Floyd released this statement:Today the MSTA Board of Directors voted to support passage of the November slots referendum.
Despite the state board's endorsement, readers should not assume that all local affiliates will now do everything in their power to support slots. Judging from the controversial nature of the decision and, especially, the way in which it was made, some local affiliates are bound to work harder for the referendum than others.
Thanks to Thornton funding, we are making clear progress in raising student achievement across the state. Our greatest moral responsibility is to continue this progress by ensuring that educators and schools have the resources they need to give every child access to great public schools.
The referendum establishes an Education Trust Fund and dedicates half of future proceeds to our public schools. It provides Maryland with an additional source of funding, beginning with licensing fees in early 2009.
Because of our state’s precarious fiscal outlook, if this referendum fails, students, teachers and support staff will be left with outdated facilities, larger classes, outdated textbooks and shortages of materials. School systems will be left with fewer resources to recruit and retain the best teachers and support staff.
Although this referendum is a necessary component to curing our state’s long-term fiscal woes, it is not sufficient. MSTA will continue to advocate strongly for other progressive and sustainable revenue alternatives to provide adequate funding for public education.
District 4 Candidate Forum Scheduled
CANDIDATE FORUM
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Aspen Hill Library
4407 Aspen Hill Road, Rockville, MD 20853
All candidates for the Montgomery County Council
District 4 vacancy* are invited.
Special Primary election: April 15, 2008
Special General election: May 13, 2008
*The vacancy was left by the death of Councilmember Marilyn Praisner.
Sponsored by: Aspen Hill Civic Association; Friends of the Library, Aspen Hill Chapter; Republican Club of Leisure World; Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce; Montgomery County Young Democrats; Hispanic Democratic Club; District 14 and District 19 Democratic Clubs; District 18 Caucus; Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.
Vicky Surles
Administrative Asst.
Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce
2401 Blueridge Avenue, Suite 101
Wheaton, MD 20902
301-949-0080 / 301-949-0081 fax
www.wkchamber.org
Thursday, March 13, 2008
0-2 on Luggage
Greetings from Reykjavik. I flew directly from a vacation in Miami, Florida to Reykjavik, Iceland yesterday. (Just imagine trying to pack that suitcase!) I arrived here but my luggage never made my Delta flight from Miami to JFK where I transferred to Icelandair.
Way to go, Delta! While not quite in the special Division 1 League of luggage loss populated by United which lost my luggage for two days for a flight which was canceled, Delta still deserves kudos for providing the extra-special level of service for which the airlines are increasingly known in America.
On the other hand, non-sarcastic kudos to Icelandair. Their lost-luggage person in Keflavik Airport was not only pleasant and efficient but gave me a toiletries case to tide me over until my luggage arrives. I hope it comes soon--tomorrow will be day three for this particular pair of jeans and shirt.
Fortunately, I grabbed the ski jacket out of the suitcase just before handing the luggage over to Delta. I just wish I had the hat and gloves which are still in the suitcase. It's not so much the cold but wind which gets you in Iceland (sort of like the humidity is to the heat of Washington summers).
Is the Computer Tax Here to Stay? (Updated)
The Washington Post reports that Maryland’s Senate has not reached a consensus on how, or whether, to replace the much-despised computer sales tax. But Maryland Politics Watch readers have seen this coming.
Remember the now-legendary blogger interview of Senate President Mike Miller back in January? When we asked him about the computer tax, the Senate President answered, "The computer tax is not a good tax, but it’s $200 million and I’m going to fight to keep it... No one can agree on a replacement." And here’s our report on House Majority Leader Kumar Barve's comments: "The House got rid of the computer sales tax but it came back. It’s bad public policy. It’s unwise to tax businesses that are mobile," Barve stated. "But unless we’re willing to find $200 million in extra revenues, it will be very difficult to get rid of." And why was the computer industry vulnerable? "In politics, when something unpleasant has to be done, it’s usually done to whoever squirms around the least!" Barve noted that Senator Rob Garagiola (D-15, MoCo) had a proposal to replace it with a gas tax, "but that is a non-starter." Added to Mike Miller’s comments, Barve’s opinion indicates that the computer tax is not going anywhere because there is no other way to raise the money.
Mr. Miller’s and Mr. Barve’s political predictions have been proven correct. When the Republicans proposed spending cuts and tapping "unallocated funds" to pay for a repeal, the Senate rejected it. When Senate Democrats proposed an income tax surcharge on the rich, Montgomery County officials opposed it. Time is running out: the current session has less than a month left and the computer tax is due to take effect this summer.
The tragedy is that it didn’t have to be this way. Governor O’Malley never proposed this tax. The House of Delegates did not propose it. And there were other ways to raise the money. An extra point hike in the corporate income tax could have raised at least $100 million and Maryland’s rate would still have been lower than Pennsylvania and D.C., equal to New Jersey and barely higher than West Virginia and Delaware. Combined reporting on corporate income taxes could have raised $25 million. Progressive Maryland believes it could have been worth $100 million. The legislature could have kept the Governor’s original higher income tax rates on individuals making $150,000, raising perhaps tens of millions more. And the legislature could have aggressively gone after tax-cheating employers but so far has not done so.
Instead, we are left with a looming, devastating tax on a knowledge-based industry critical to the state’s future. Everyone hates it. But no one has figured out how to get rid of it. Surely the Democrats in Annapolis can do better than this.
Update: The Sun reports that a surtax on millionaires is gaining ground. Democratic Senator Verna Jones's (D44-Baltimore City) proposal would raise $230 million by instituting a surcharge rate of 6% on incomes between $750,000 and $1 million and 6.5% on incomes above $1 million. But Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has written in opposition to the plan.
Update 2: The Governor has come out in favor of replacing the computer tax with the surcharge. However, Democratic Senator Robert Zirkin (D11-Baltimore County) has proposed to repeal the computer tax if the slots referendum passes. He also favors cutting transportation projects.
Senator Zirkin, I know my Montgomery County delegation is split on taxing the wealthy. But I would hope that all of them would stick together on opposing transportation cuts. All they hear is how horrible traffic congestion is from both their constituents and our County Council. Good luck in getting our eight State Senators to cut State Highway and transit projects in our county.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Nancy Floreen Joins the Blogosphere
The blogosphere has a new member: Montgomery County Council Member Nancy Floreen. Welcome to our world, Nancy! You will soon learn the joys of staying up until two in the morning to overcome writer’s block, trying to figure out html script errors and wondering who is using those anonymous screen names to make the snarky comments you’re tempted to delete.
Other politicians have tried to run blogs before. They have usually succumbed for two reasons: lack of regular postings and boring content. Now I am not worried about regular postings with Ms. Floreen. She is a very hardworking council member who labors on many issues every day and knows them all inside-out. I am sure she will feed her blog well. But on content, well...
You see, we really like Nancy Floreen. She is extremely charming, has a playful sense of humor and is very engaging in person. But we the voters give our politicians every incentive to be boring. I mean, when they say anything halfway interesting, we punish them for it. Just look at Robin Ficker. OK, bad example… How about George English? OK, another bad example, but you get my point. Only a few politicians regularly flout this rule (including our friend Dana Beyer, who is always good for an occasional blog post). So as one of Ms. Floreen's supportive constituents, I would like to start her off to blogging fame and fortune by suggesting she answer a few questions of mine. If she did, it would surely draw lots of eyes to her blog! Here goes:
1. Is it true that it once took four MCPD officers to force Marc Elrich to wear a tie for a council hearing?
2. Forget transgendered people. Can we pass a law that keeps the shower nuts out of the bathrooms?
3. True or false: George Leventhal once beat Mike Knapp in a game of one-on-one basketball.
4. Why do council staffers escort visitors out of the council offices? Don't you trust us not to steal the staplers? Or is this policy only used for me?
5. MoCo is not getting enough transportation money from the state. What if the county council members formed a human chain across the Beltway as a show of resolve?
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
I'll Drink to That
I imagine that they had endure more than a few snickers about being from the granola district of the wine-and-cheese county of Maryland but kudos to Del. Tom Hucker (D-20) and Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-20) for fighting Maryland's wine protectionism:The Maryland General Assembly appears poised to reject legislation that would let consumers purchase wine from retailers and vineyards over the Internet.
I wonder if the Senate hearing will feature moppets explaining that this law is the one thing that keep them from using mommy's credit card to order cheap Chablis off the internet.
The House Economic Matters Committee has rejected a bill to lift the prohibition of online sales of wine, a law that critics have decried as antiquated and overly protectionist.
The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee heard testimony on the proposal last week but has not voted on the bill.
Wine aficionados from across the state testified before lawmakers considering the proposal from Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery) and Del. Tom Hucker (D-Montgomery). Maryland would join 35 other jurisdictions, including Virginia and the District, in legalizing wine shipments.
Maryland's powerful liquor lobby resisted the measure, arguing that it could make tax collection difficult, hurt local retailers and distributors and make it easier for minors to obtain alcohol.
But Raskin said the legislation could still pass in the Senate.
"I think the bill is very much alive on the Senate side, and so the opponents of the wine bill should not be opening any champagne yet," Raskin said.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Nancy Navarro's Show of Force
One week after Don Praisner announced his candidacy for the District 4 County Council seat backed by the County Executive and four council members, Nancy Navarro responded with an announcement of her own.
Navarro’s campaign kicked off at the Good Hope Community Center at 11 this morning. Supporters in attendance included Council Member Valerie Ervin, Casa de Maryland leader Gustavo Torres, District 20 Delegate Tom Hucker, several members of the school board, representatives from MCEA and SEIU Local 500 and scores of district residents. Navarro read this statement:
My name is Nancy Navarro. I am the President of the Montgomery County Board of Education, a wife and a parent of two amazing daughters who could not be with us because they are in school. Earlier today, I filed as a candidate for the District 4 Council seat.
Three things stood out about this announcement to your blogger:
This candidacy was not in my plans. It came about after a sad and unexpected death of a woman who dedicated her life to service. I have learned that many honorable endeavors usually are not planned and that is why it is so important to be ready. And I can say with absolute resolve that I am ready for this seat and I am willing to represent all the residents of District 4 and this County.
Yesterday, I visited with over 100 residents of this neighborhood at the Good Hope United Methodist Church. They came together to demand a renovation of this center and other centers located in mostly low-income communities of color. This community came out to be heard, to be supported and to indicate their presence in this District.
In the last three weeks, I have heard that the only issues that people in this District care about are land use, the ICC, traffic and the environment. Indeed these are very important issues to all of us, but let’s not forget all the other issues that we all face everyday: the need for quality education, jobs, affordable housing, access to affordable child care, access to affordable health care, business development, enhanced transportation services and many more.
These are the issues that we must grapple with as a District and as a County. In these difficult economic times, we will not be able to solve everything. But it sure helps to have someone who has been in elected office, who has presided over an elected body and who is not afraid to exercise her independence while making very difficult decisions. I do believe in the politics of possibilities. I do believe that Montgomery County with its ever-changing face can and will continue to preserve its quality of life.
I pledge to seek consensus whenever possible, to promote civil discourse and to always make decisions based on what is in the best interest of District 4 and the County. Please come out to vote on April 15. District 4 deserves a leader that is here for the long haul, one that has been tried and tested, one that reflects the hopes and dreams of all its residents.
1. The campaign showed off an extremely diverse group of supporters for the event. Just look at the picture below:
Blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, seniors, kids, union people, community activists and many others were present in abundance. As Council Member Valerie Ervin said, “When we talk about the new Montgomery County, this is what it looks like.” More importantly, the gathering resembled a district in which no one demographic group commands a majority.
2. Special elections depend on turnout and this one will be no exception. The fact that MCEA, SEIU and Casa de Maryland activists have all pledged to support Navarro gives her a ground game that her opponents must match. They should all beware of the fist-pumping declaration delivered by Gustavo Torres: “We are going to fight to make sure immigrants vote in this election!”
3. Mr. Praisner is effectively the incumbent in the race. Nevertheless, there was immense confidence among Navarro’s supporters. (Perhaps the Good Hope Community Center was aptly named for today’s event.) They truly believe that they will outwork the Praisner campaign and bring change to the district.
This race is compelling because District 4 has not seen a truly competitive contest since it was created in 1990. That year Marilyn Praisner, coming off service on the school board, ran as the candidate of change and defeated three-term council incumbent Mike Gudis. Is Nancy Navarro the 2008 model of Mrs. Praisner? We’ll find out in less than five weeks.
Disclosure: The author is the Assistant to the General President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. The union’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Council has endorsed Navarro.
What Are Our State Senators Doing?
From Marc Korman.
With approximately a month left in the state legislative session, are you wondering what Montgomery County’s Senators are working on? To save you the trouble, I have assembled a list below of each Montgomery County State Senator’s sponsored bills.
The list includes the total number of sponsored bills, how many are bond bills authorizing state debt for a particular local spending project, how many are substantive bills, a brief description of the substantive bills, and what the legislator’s major theme appears to be.
The list tries to capture the bills’ major purpose and includes a link to media where possible, but I encourage you to visit the General Assembly website for detailed information about the legislation and its status.
Sponsored legislation is not the only indicator of what our legislators are doing, but it should demonstrate what their priorities are during the 2008 session.
Rona Kramer
District 14
Total Bills Sponsored: 13
Bond Bills: 7
Substantive Bills: 6
Major Theme: Senior Citizen Protection
SB 333-Requiring collection of DNA from arrested violent crime suspects.
SB 498-Requires the creation of an “Amber Alert” type program for missing senior citizens with cognitive impairment like Alzheimer’s.
SB 499-Establishes a task force to study off shore wind farms.
SB 500-Criminalizes obtaining the property of a senior by deception, intimidation, or undue influence.
SB 501-Criminalizes offenses against a senior with a disability.
SB 597-Exempts domestic partners from paying recordation taxes when transferring property between them.
Rob Garagiola
District 15
Total Bills Sponsored: 19
Bond Bills: 5
Substantive Bills: 19
Major Theme: Energy
SB 294-Expands the definition of law enforcement official for crimes committed against law enforcement officials.
SB 342-Mandates that 50% of the state’s flexible fuel fleet run exclusively on E85 (ethanol and gasoline mix) by 2012.
SB 343-Mandates that 50% of the diesel vehicles in the state’s fleet use a diesel blend that is at least 10% biodiesel.
SB 344-Allows flexible use of leave with pay to care for sick, immediate family members.
SB 473-Requires parental consent forms before schools can administer a Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey.
SB 474-Exempts county and municipality biodiesel vehicles from the state motor fuel tax.
SB 565-Provides a state income tax credit for the purchase of home heating oil with biodisesal.
SB 566-Provides visitation and other medical rights to domestic partners.
SB 567-Repeals the computer sales tax and increases the state gas tax from 23.5 to 27.5 cents a gallon.
SB 570-Alters the state program for automated external defibrillators.
SB 608-Extends the ‘Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts’ scholarship program.
SB 677-Reforms the state’s nursing facilities program including developing a plan for pay-for-performance.
SB 884-Allows certain uses of alternative medical treatments.
SB 991-Requires consideration of energy alternatives before electric companies can enter into long term contracts.
Brian Frosh
District 16
Total Bills Sponsored: 17
Bond Bills: 3
Substantive Bills: 14
Major Theme: Judiciary Bills
SB 42-Allows judge’s to require persons subject to temporary protective orders to surrender their firearms.
SB 103-Alters Maryland’s procedures for depositions and discovery in legal cases.
SB 245-Business subsidiaries or businesses with substantial overlapping ownership are subject to the campaign finance limits of one business.
SB 246-Requiring a phase out of phosphate content in fertilizer.
SB 293-A constitutional amendment authorizing some counties and the City of Baltimore to request additional qualifications for orphan court judges.
SB 389-Limits trustee commissions and attorney’s fees on foreclosure actions.
SB 441-Makes changes to the offender registry as it relates to juvenile offenders.
SB 442-Increases the fees for clean air permits.
SB 443-Sets requirements for subpoenaing mental health records.
SB 492-Allows the Maryland Transportation Authority to designate vehicular crossings for bikes and pedestrians.
SB 493-Alters the requirements for lawyers paying taxes and unemployment insurance.
SB 610-Requires license suspension for children who violate alcohol prohibitions.
SB 654-Requires public utilities to do more to protect and preserve trees.
SB 771-Makes technical changes to laws governing personal representatives and fiduciaries.
Jennie Forehand
District 17
Total Bills Sponsored: 25
Bond Bills: 3
Substantive Bills: 22
Major Theme: Domestic Violence
SB 28-Creates a task force to study All Terrain Vehicle Safety
SB 46-Repeals the computer services sales tax.
SB 232-Increases the alcohol tax by $3.00/gallon of distilled spirits, $.80/gallon of wine, $.45/gallon of beer.
SB 392-Authorizes judges to use law enforcement to return a minor child to a custodial parent if a protective order has been issued.
SB 393-Makes protective orders permanent if the party subject to the order is convicted and sentenced.
SB 394-Makes it a misdemeanor for a suspect to violate an order of “no contact” with the alleged victim.
SB 412-Establishes a task force for automotive warranty enforcement.
SB 546-Requires the Governor to declare June 20th as Maryland Charter Day, the day the British granted the initial charter for the Maryland colony.
SB 575-Requiring collection of DNA from arrested violent crime suspects.
SB 576-Prohibits the state from implementing the federal REAL ID Act involving uniform identification.
SB 577-Providing further protections and services for animals assisting the disabled.
SB 578-Allows the use of state collected statistical medical information for research purposes.
SB 579-Creates an immunity from liability for the use of automated external defibrillators.
SB 700-Authorizes the use of GPS electronic monitoring of domestic violence offenders.
SB 789-Strengthens the requirements that any child under eight years old be secured in a car seat.
SB 790-Requires the titling of off-highway recreational vehicles.
SB 791-Authorizes municipal corporations to impose building excise taxes.
SB 917-Authorizes arrests for violating health quarantines.
SB 918-Makes long term care insurance subject to genetic non-discrimination requirements.
SB 942-Makes changes to the “Master Settlement Agreement,” the 1990s tobacco company settlement with states.
SB 943-Regulates the relationship between auto manufacturers and distributors and dealers.
SB 972-Allows for government seizure of instruments used in support of identity theft.
Rich Madaleno
District 18
Total Bills Sponsored: 22
Bond Bills: 4
Substantive Bills: 18
Major Theme: Budget and Tax Issues.
SB 290-Legalizes gay marriage.
SB 423-Requires increased campaign finance disclosure for committees supporting or opposing the slots referendum.
SB 424-Establishes a task force to study the notary commission process.
SB 475-Establishes a commission to study the impact of immigration in Maryland.
SB 476-Provides for information sharing between health insurance companies and the state Department of Budget and Management.
SB 477-Establishes May as “Dandy-Walker Syndrome and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month.”
SB 478-Makes technical changes to the state property tax law
SB 559-Applies the state recordation tax to different types of mortgages.
SB 560-Allows state employee health insurance to be extended to other members of a family.
SB 561-Authorizes counties to impose different levels of property tax on different classes of property.
SB 562-Increases the alcohol tax to pay for addiction treatment and prevention services.
SB 690-Requires “Limited Service Pregnancy Centers” to disclose that they are not medical centers.
SB 691-Establishes a task force to study the budget needs and expenditures of state programs.
SB 692-Makes technical changes to line items presented in the state budget.
SB 693-Requires some state legislative vacancies to be filled by special election.
SB 728-Allows non-State employees to contribute to tax-deferred retirement plan accounts under the state retirement program.
SB 885-Consoldiates existing Maryland energy and conservation programs as the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program.
SB 976-Prohibits transgender discrimination.
Mike Lenett
District 19
Total Bills Sponsored: 16
Bond Bills: 0
Substantive Bills: 16
Major Theme: End of Life Care
SB 2-Prohibits text messaging while driving.
SB 45-Alters the membership of the State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of Life.
SB 289-Increases the tax deduction for seniors.
SB 315-Expands the tax benefit for members of the military.
SB 355-Requires disclosure by medical facilities of their practices involving life sustaining care.
SB 612-Sets state procurement preference programs to include businesses owned by disabled individuals.
SB 709-Authorizes optometrists to prescribe and dispense contact lenses.
SB 710-Extends by six months the date a ban on phosphate in dish washing detergent begins.
SB 711-Prohibits the advertising of live musical performances without appropriate copyright disclosure.
SB 785-Prohibits smoking in vehicles with minor passengers.
SB 792-Alters the Maryland Building Performance standards for residential homes.
SB 845-Establishes a state false claims act to punish contractor fraud.
SB 851-Limits the issuance of fire arm dealer licenses to ensure that someone prohibited from holding one is in no way involved in a new license application.
SB 857-Allows other state’s licensed health practitioners to volunteer in Maryland during an emergency.
SB 888-Establishes a biotechnology scholarship program.
SB 995-Authorizes increased disclosure to improve minority owned business participation in state procurement.
Jamie Raskin
District 20
Total Bills Sponsored: 19
Bond Bills: 5
Substantive Bills: 14
Theme: Legal Issues
SB 92-Authorizes those under 18 to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election.
SB 158-Establishes a farm to school program to bring local farm products into local schools.
SB 336-Establishes a task force to study required deposits on returnable beverage containers.
SB 337-Altering the definition of legal newspapers.
SB 515-Requires the Public Services Commission to collect increase data on the deployment of broadband services from broadband providers.
SB 516-Providing a procedure to end a father’s parental rights if he rapes his child.
SB 528-Makes changes to the Maryland Human Relations Commission in cases involving employment discrimination cases.
SB 529-Allows defendants to remove state constitutional claims to the Anne Arundel Circuit Court.
SB 563-Extends the length of time back pay can be recovered in unlawful employment practice cases.
SB 614-Establishes the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment.
SB 615-Extends stalking laws to protect animals.
SB 616-Authorizes direct wine selling, removing wholesalers from wine sales.
SB 617-Extends collective bargaining rights to adjunct faculty and graduate students at the University of Maryland. (Disclosure: As a graduate student employee at the University of Maryland this legislation may have affected me).
SB 689-Repeals all references to marriage in Maryland law and replaces with domestic partnerships.
Nancy King
District 39
Total Bills Sponsored: 10
Bond Bills: 3
Major Theme: Adult Education and Horse Industry.
SB 131-Authorizes municipalities to levy a hotel tax not to exceed 2%.
SB 257-Exempting computer services used in fulfilling government contracts from the computer services sales tax.
SB 297-Authorizes a state income tax credit for work based education programs.
SB 298-Authorizes a state income tax credit for adult literacy programs.
SB 444-Alters corporate tax reporting to the Comptroller.
SB 658-Allocates certain state lottery funds for horse racing purses and bred funds.
SB 784-Alters the horse racing and bred funds allocation of slots revenue.
I Fly United So You Don't Have To. . .
Even if I continue to fly the not-so-friendly skies, I figure I can report on it here so at least someone can get some good schadenfreude out of it.
As you may recall, whence we last left our story, United had managed to lose my luggage even though they never managed to fly me anywhere from Dulles because they didn't have a crew to fly the plane.
It took United only two days to find luggage for a flight that never left and return it to me. In this process, I did get the opportunity to have many conversations with completely inflexible and unhelpful people in various parts of India. And I suppose I should be grateful that my luggage got to visit Austin even if I never left D.C.
I'm still waiting for the United vouchers that I've been given in "compensation" to arrive. Of course, they can only be used under certain cirucumstances for reasons one suspects have to do with being sure that as few of these coupons are used as possible.
More recently, I tried to use my three-jillion United miles to upgrade a flight on Lufthansa--United's main partner in the Star Alliance. The flight was a United codeshare (i.e. the seat had been sold as a United flight but the flight will be operated by Lufthansa). Apparently, it is not even possible to try for an upgrade. While they can request upgrades using United miles on Lufthansa, it is not possible to do for seats on the same flight sold as United seats. As usual with the airlines, it is not best to think to much about why.
The airlines have added new fun baggage restrictions. Ordinary mortals (i.e. non-elite passaengers) are limited to one checked bag of 50 pounds or less. Fees are now imposed for a second bag ($25 on United) which probably means that more people will try to carry on a bag which means an even fiercer scrum for the space in the overhead compartment. It is being done to decrease fuel consumption, according to the airlines.
Leggett in Bethesda
From Marc Korman: On Wednesday, March 19th at 7:30pm the Montgomery County Young Democrats will be hosting County Executive Ike Leggett at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center at 4805 Edgemoor Lane adjacent to the Bethesda Metro.
The event will be a great opportunity to speak with the County Executive about local issues that affect us such as development in Bethesda, the Purple Line, and rental prices. I hope you will attend and share the information with your friends and colleagues.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Maryland's "Crisis Pregnancy Centers"
Although Maryland is a safely pro-choice state, that does not mean that the war against reproductive choice is not being waged here. A major front in that war is the "crisis pregnancy center" (CPC).
The NARAL Pro Choice Maryland Fund has researched a number of these facilities throughout the state, sending volunteers in to find out if these are really reliable resource centers for pregnant women. Their extremely troubling published report, released in January, demonstrates the opposite.
According to the report:Our investigation of 11 Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Maryland found consistent use of false and misleading information, biased and manipulative counseling, and delay tactics to deter and prevent women from exercising their right to choose. ...
Sen. Rich Madaleno and Del. Roger Manno are sponsoring a bill that would require CPCs to disclose that they are not medical facilities. CPCs would be required to give clients and potential clients disclaimers stating that:
[Women] are given wildly inaccurate information about the physical and mental health risks associated with abortion, and informed only about the joys of parenting and adoption. If a client continues to consider abortion, she is given false information about abortion service availability and encouraged to delay her decision. CPCs that offer ultrasounds and STI testing are able to delay clients further through appointment wait times, while also gaining a sense of authority and credibility in their client’s eyes as a medical service provider. However, CPCs are not medical centers. They are operated by volunteers who are, in general, poorly trained in women’s reproductive health issues and well trained in anti-choice propaganda.
- the information provided by the center is not intended to be medical advice or to establish a doctor-patient relationship;
- the client or potential client should consult with a health care provider prior to proceeding on any course of action regarding the pregnancy; and
- the center is not required to provide factually accurate information to clients.
Should this bill pass, will Gov. O'Malley sign it? How would this affect the state Democratic Party's strategy of using its hold of the governorship and its overwhelming majorities in both houses of the General Assembly to appease conservatives by passing Republican-like and Republican-lite bills?
Navarro Announces Kickoff
The Navarro campaign sent out the following announcement.
You Are Invited:
Nancy Navarro Campaign Kickoff
Where: Good Hope Community Center at 14715 Good Hope Rd, Silver Spring, MD
When: Monday, March 10th @ 11:00 AM
RSVP or to Volunteer: Mike Hamby jmhx9c@gmail.com
Please join Nancy Navarro and her supporters for a County Council campaign kickoff rally. Nancy's belief in the politics of possibilities and her inclusive vision of governance will be reflected by the diverse lineup of speakers who will announce their support for her candidacy:
Congresswoman-elect Donna Edwards
State Senator Jamie Raskin
State Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez
County Councilmember Valerie Ervin
and more!
We hope you can make it! In the meantime, please visit NancyNavarro.org for campaign updates and to donate.
By authority: Friends of Nancy Navarro, Laura Barnitz, Treasurer.
Board of Elections Approves Anti-Transgender Petition
The Post has the story here. The Gazette also reports on it.
Citizens for a Responsible Government, the group organizing the petition, needed 25,001 votes to put the county's transgender law to referendum. Interestingly, neither the Board of Elections' letter nor CRG's press release indicates how many of the 32,087 signatures were found to be valid. As Equality Maryland intends to challenge the petition in court, the number of signatures by which CRG beat the margin will be relevant.
CRG has something else to worry about. Back in the summer of 2006, noted petition addict Robin Ficker was trying to get yet another tax ballot question approved. But the County Council rejected the petition wording by a 7-0 vote in part because of this:One issue is whether the intent statement circulated with the petition reflected what the measure would do if voters approved it. It is misleading at best, council members said.
Many people, including Council President Mike Knapp, have alleged that CRG has been spreading misinformation about the transgender law. Could this issue come back to haunt them, perhaps before the council?
So this issue is not going away anytime soon. Oh joy! Maybe we will get lucky and receive some more video from new YouTube celebrity Dana Beyer.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Foreclosure Roundup
The Baltimore Sun reports foreclosures are up 150% in Maryland this year:Lenders were trying to foreclose on more than 13,000 homeowners at the end of last year, up about 150 percent from a year earlier, the Mortgage Bankers Association said yesterday. That's the biggest 12-month increase since the trade group began tracking the state numbers in 1979.
The Washington Post reports that the foreclosure rate is double that of last year around the nation with the Washington region well below the national foreclosure rate:The crisis in home lending reached another milestone with the report from the Mortgage Bankers Association, which said that 2.04 percent of outstanding mortgages were in foreclosure in the fourth quarter of last year, an all-time high. A year earlier, 1.19 percent of loans were in foreclosure.
Over 30% of the nation's foreclosures in just California and Florida alone.
In the Washington region, foreclosure rates were below the national level: In the District, 1 percent of loans were in foreclosure; in Virginia, 1.01 percent; and in Maryland, 1.22 percent.
Project Runway Update
Apparently, I am not the only one who thinks that politics might be modeled more after Project Runway. A Baltimore Sun columnist has recently updated the idea.
By the way, Christian Siriano, a 21-year old originally from Annapolis and student of the Baltimore School for the Arts, won the contest this year. He's still waiting for Gov. O'Malley to declare "Fierce" the Official State Expression of 2008.
On Political Pulse
Montgomery County Council-Member Phil Andrews (District 3) will be on the 'Political Pulse' political talk show on:
Thursday, March 6th at 9:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, March 11th at 9:30 p.m.
Topics that will be discussed include the $300 million budget deficit that the County Executive and County Council will be addressing in the next few weeks.
Political Pulse is on Channel 16 TV in Montgomery County.
Longtime Democratic activist Myrna Byer Passes Away
This comes from Alan Banov of MCDCC.
Sadly, I report the death of another former District 18 representative to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) --Myrna Rosen Byer of Silver Spring. She died on March 4 of cancer.
Below is the Washington Post death notice, which announces her funeral tomorrow (Friday), in the same Temple where we attended Dorothy Davidson's funeral on Monday:MYRNA R. BYER On Tuesday, March 4, 2008 MYRNA R. BYER of Silver Spring, MD. Beloved wife of the late Jeffrey Byer; beloved sister of Richard Rosen of FL; loving aunt of Mindy Kushner, Robin Coburn, Mark, David and Stephan Rosen. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m. at Temple Emanuel, 10101 Connecticut Ave., Kensington, MD 20895. Interment will follow Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney, MD. Family will be observing Shiva at the residence of Mrs. Byer starting Saturday 6:30 p.m. through Saturday, 9 p.m. Contributions may be made to The Byer Jewish Enrichment Fund, c/o Temple Emanuel. Arrangements by HINES-RINALDI FUNERAL HOME, INC. under Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington contract.
She was a Democratic activist for many years, a member of MCDCC, and its Vice-Chair. (I believe she was the last District 18 member to be an officer of MCDCC before me.)
When I was nominated to be a vice-chair of my precinct (13-40 at the time), in 1989, she "vetted" me personally, to make sure I was a good Democrat.
She left active politics about 8 years ago and devoted her energies to Temple Emanuel, our synagogue. First she was active in the choir. Eventually she became president of the congregation. She was a very sweet person. Her husband, Jeff, died a few years ago. They both owned a printing consulting company in Wheaton and had a home on the Eastern Shore, where she enjoyed boating.
Myrna, we miss you!
Alan Banov
Thursday, March 06, 2008
New State Budget Projections Sure to Frighten Counties
Maryland's Board of Revenue Estimates projected today that the state would take in $330 million less in revenue than originally forecasted. This is sure to trigger alarm bells in every county government in Maryland.
The Post and the Sun reported that the Board of Revenue Estimates, a panel comprised of Comptroller Peter Franchot, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Budget Secretary Eloise Foster, said that the state's weakening economy was causing shortfalls in income and sales taxes. According to the Sun:"The hard numbers that have been presented here today speak for themselves," state Comptroller Peter Franchot, who sits on the state's Board of Revenue Estimates, which reviews revenue forecasts, said Thursday.
The Senate has already approved cuts of $280 million to the Governor's budget but the House has yet to act. Furthermore, no one is yet taking account of the Keynesian effect of spending cuts: their tendency to cause additional reductions of aggregate demand in the state's economy. Montgomery County's economy, for example, is already close to recession.
"They merely confirm that the collapse of the U.S. subprime mortgage industry has taken a profound toll on consumer confidence and, for that matter, virtually every aspect of our nation's economy, and that the state of Maryland is not immune to these trends."
Franchot warned that the "storm clouds" were not receding: "The conditions are likely to get worse before they improve."
Anxiety in county governments was high prior to this announcement. MoCo faces a $297 million deficit. Prince George's County is projecting a $100 million deficit. Several counties expressed their worries to the Sun last week about possible cuts to state aid. MoCo's union leaders are becoming uneasy about whether the county will honor employee contracts. And these issues are sure to affect MoCo's County Council District 4 race, which is already contentious.
The only people who can take comfort from this situation are the politicians who lost back in 2006. They don't have to deal with these problems. As a matter of fact, many will probably blame the incumbents for them when they run again in 2010.
Teachers Endorse Navarro
Maryland Moment has the story here.
Additionally, Navarro's website now lists her supporters as including MCEA, the Service Employees, the Carpenters, Congressional candidate Donna Edwards, Senators Jamie Raskin and Rich Madaleno, Delegates Ana Sol Gutierrez and Tom Hucker, Council Member Valerie Ervin, Casa de Maryland leader Gustavo Torres and a majority of the school board.
Disclosure: the author is employed as Assistant to the General President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
Senator King, Delegate Barkley Propose Changing MCDCC Membership
Senator Nancy King and Delegate Charles Barkley, both of District 39, are proposing legislation that would change the membership composition of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC).
Currently, MCDCC has 23 members: two elected from each of the county's eight legislative districts and seven elected at-large. Senator King and Delegate Barkley's bill, MC-802-08, would expand the committee's membership to 27, with three elected from each legislative district and three elected at-large. Senator King told the Gazette, "It’s a fairness thing more than anything. It’s to even out the playing field... With the upcounty growing like it is we need three members to help build the upcounty part of the membership."
MCDCC spokesman Milton Minneman (who has spoken on reform issues before) had this reaction:Although the Central Committee has taken no official position on the bill, they believe the discussion would be better if tabled and taken up during a summer county legislative session, committee spokesman Milton Minneman said.
Hmmm, Mr. Minneman. Now who would those "various people" be? You surely are not referring to any blog authors in this county, are you?
"We don’t think there is any reason to make the change. We know this is all a kickback because various people are concerned with the filling of the delegate and senate seats," Minneman said. "The system we’ve been under has worked for years and only in the last year or so has the issue popped up."
Of MCDCC's current at-large membership, five members are from down-county legislative districts (one from 16, one from 18, one from 19 and two from 20) and two are from up-county districts (one each from 14 and 15). Districts 17 and 39, the latter represented by King and Barkley, have no at-large members. This is the likely prompt for King and Barkley's bill.
There is another side to this issue. It is not the easiest thing in the world to find active, dedicated Democrats willing to volunteer for MCDCC. The position has no pay. Its occupants achieve little fame and fortune. The committee is constantly dogged by fanatical bloggers. And remember House Majority Leader Kumar Barve's famous joke that if committee members could not appoint themselves to be delegates, they would have to be paid to serve? Perhaps Mr. Barve was not kidding. While I understand Senator King and Delegate Barkley's position, it's important to have a way to attract the most talented, well intentioned Democrats to serve on MCDCC regardless of where they live.
But the issue addressed by this bill is a small matter relative to MCDCC's other issues. Far more important is that MCDCC members can and do appoint themselves to state office, do not adhere to formal standards in deciding vacancy selections (with Alan Banov being a prominent exception) and are not required to consider any measure of actual voter sentiment within the district in which a vacancy occurs. These are the matters that should be addressed by MCDCC itself, or failing that, state legislation.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Prediction Fulfilled: More Attacks from Clinton
I thought I had it right when I wrote last night (or early this morning) that Hillary Clinton would continue her negative attacks on Obama because they had been effective in Ohio and Texas. I just didn't know I'd be proven correct so quickly.
As the YouTube shows, on March 3, Sen. Clinton said that "Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience, I have a lifetime of experience, Sen. Obama has one speech in 2002", incredibly allying herself with Sen. McCain against Sen. Obama. According to James Fallows, she has already repeated this statement twice more on CNN today.
Meanwhile, despite last night's setbacks, the Obama campaign is hanging tough and preparing to slog it out. Here is a section from a fundraising email from David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager:Our projections show the most likely outcome of yesterday's elections will be that Hillary Clinton gained 187 delegates, and we gained 183.
That's a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted.
For comparison, that's less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It's also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it's considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.
The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.
They failed.
It's clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative -- and increasingly expensive -- campaign to tear us down.
That's her decision. But it's not stopping John McCain, who clinched the Republican nomination last night, from going on the offensive. He's already made news attacking Barack, and that will only become more frequent in the coming days.
Praisner vs. Navarro: It's On
The campaigns of both Donald Praisner and Nancy Navarro made major announcements this week in the race for the District 4 County Council seat.
Donald Praisner, 76, kicked off his campaign at the County Council building on Monday. Backed by County Executive Ike Leggett and several council members, Mr. Praisner plans to hold the seat only for the remainder of his wife's term.
Navarro's campaign responded with this press release:##FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE##
The Gazette article also reports that District 19 Delegate Ben Kramer is still considering entering the race. And the Post has more on the continuing dispute between Steve Kanstoroom and the Planning Board.
March 4, 2008
Nancy Navarro Recruits Top Staff for
Montgomery County Council Campaign
Navarro Promises to Bring Vigorous Volunteer-Energy and Fundraising to Big-Tent Campaign
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Nancy Navarro
Phone: 301-628-7705
Email: nancy@nancynavarro.org
SILVER SPRING, MD - Montgomery County Board of Education President, Nancy Navarro, today announced the hiring of top staff in her campaign for the vacant District 4 County Council seat.
Having retained Congresswoman-elect Donna Edwards' field director and Sen. Jamie Raskin's campaign manager, Navarro promises to run a first-rate campaign and to raise the resources necessary for victory on April 15th.
Navarro has already recruited dozens of volunteers and a high-profile list of endorsers to be announced in the coming weeks.
The campaign plans an official kickoff event on Monday, March 10th. Details to follow.
Next up is MCEA's endorsement, which could come this week. The union could endorse a candidate or sit out the race entirely.
Update: The Post's coverage is here.
Late Election Night Commentary
Off the cuff thoughts on the results from last night. Hillary Clinton had a night of good press coverage and what look like solid wins in Ohio and Rhode Island--Barack Obama won Vermont in a walk. Texas remains a toss-up at this point though Sen. Clinton currently has about a two-point lead.
1. It's Going to Get Nastier
Negative worked for Hillary. She is going to do more of it--lots more of it. Barack will have to respond. Which leads to my second point:
2. It's Good for McCain
The Democratic nomination contest resembles a boxing ring increasingly. Primaries can strengthen candidates but this is starting to look bloody with the attacks aiding the GOP--not the Democrats.
3. Psychology Good, Delegate Math Bad for Clinton
As I wrote yesterday, this result is essentially the nightmare scenario. If Clinton's lead holds in Texas, she will have won both big states but essentially gained no net delegates. Clinton has gained critical momentum and looks like a tough fighter but the math is still against her winning the pledged delegate count.
4. Clinton is Willing to Split the Party
Clinton is clearly determined to go on--and the results from tonight so far do nothing to discourage her despite Bill's earlier statement that she needed "big" wins in Texas and Ohio to continue. Yet, the math means that she can only seize the nomination through superdelegates and counting the non-contests in Michigan and Florida in violation of her own pledge and Democratic rules. If this occurs, it will not be pretty.
5. Stay Tuned.
It has been quite a wild ride. On to Wyoming and Mississippi.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Save Us Superdelegates!
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has vowed to continue in the race even if she loses both Texas and Ohio tonight. Now, this could be what candidates do--it always looks weak to concede that their campaign is in trouble. However, the campaign has been tamping expectation, arguing that a win in either big state provides a reason to continue.
However, it looks all but impossible for Hillary Clinton to have the most pledged delegates going into the Convention. Unless she has unexpectedly large wins tonight in both states and in Pennsylvania (on the order of some number around 65%), she cannot possibly catch Barack Obama in the share of pledged delegates.
And don't forget that Obama has favorable contests yet to come on the calendar as well. Besides Mississippi, North Carolina--the 10th largest state in the country--has yet to vote and polls indicate it will go to the Senator from Illinois.
The worst scenario is that Hillary Clinton narrowly wins Texas and Ohio. Winning both states would give her campaign a psychological reason to continue even though she would probably gain few if any net delegates over Barack Obama. Indeed, due to the vagaries of the Texas "two-step" system, Clinton could even be further down in the delegate count even if she narrowly wins both states.
Assuming she doesn't achieve massive surprise victories, the only way Hillary Clinton could be become the nominee other than massive victories in the remaining states is by: (1) overturning the rules to which she specifically agreed by seating the delegations from Michigan and Florida even though there was no real campaign there and Obama's name wasn't even on the Michigan ballot, and (2) getting the superdelegates to overturn the popular result.
The Clinton campaign has shown a decided interest in overturning rules which don't benefit its campaign. In addition to pushing for the seating of the delegations from Florida and Michigan, Bill Clinton vilified the Nevada Caucus rules and demanded that the system for allocating delegates be changed--until his wife actually won those disputed Caucuses on the Strip.
The Clintons have similarly attacked rules in Texas--rules which have been in place since Bill Clinton sought the presidency. However, they have been mighty quiet on the fact that Clinton won more delegates than Obama in Alabama even though he trounced her in the state due to the quirks of the system of awarding relatively small numbers of delegates proportionally within congressional districts.
While Hillary Clinton would probably gladly take the nomination no matter how it comes, it is unacceptable for a party committed to fairness and equality to deny the clear popular vote winner the nomination unless he or she is completely unacceptable--and neither Clinton nor Obama come close to meeting that requirement. The thought that the Democrats would deny Obama--the first African-American nominee--the nomination even if he wins the pledged delegates is unthinkable.
The superdelegates can bring the contest to an effective close by moving en masse to Barack Obama. If Obama wins Texas and Ohio--or wins Texas but loses Ohio by a relatively narrow margin--the superdelegates will probably move quite quickly. If Clinton wins, it will be harder for them to do even if she has no greater chance of victory.
Clinton certainly has the right to continue her campaign. After all, if Mike Huckabee can continue his obviously hopeless cause to make a point, Hillary Clinton surely has the right to stay in a much closer race in which she has far greater support. However. she shouldn't split the party by attempting to overturn the result or the rules--rules to which she agreed and were designed in many cases to benefit her campaign by former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe.
It is time for the superdelegates to perform a useful role--not nullifying the popular choice but ratifying it and rallying behind the nominee.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Capital Crescent Trail and the Purple Line
From Marc Korman: On March 1st my fiancé and I braved the wind to go on a walking tour of the future Capital Crescent trail through Silver Spring and the proposed Purple Line alignment from Silver Spring to Bethesda.
The walk was led by Wayne Phyillaier of Silver Spring Trails and Webb Smedley of Purple Line NOW!. Among the trail users and other interested parties in attendance were Delegate Al Carr and his son Miles. The walk took on new meaning when the County Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee voted to appropriate $55 million for a new entrance to the Bethesda Metro that is envisioned as an eventual connection to a light rail Purple Line. The full Council will consider the funding in a few weeks. Previous articles on the varying options for the Purple Line have been well covered on MPW by David Lublin and others.
The first portion of the walk was from downtown Silver Spring until the Georgetown Branch Trail and the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) connection at Lyttonsville. What many of us think of as the CCT in that area is actually the Georgetown Branch Trail, which has a number of at grade street crossings and does not have the enclosed feel of the rest of the CCT. As we walked through neighborhoods, CSX tracks, and County owned land originally acquired for roads, which were never built, the organizers tried to show us where the CCT was planned to go if funding was ever found.
Completion of the Capital Crescent Trail and construction of the Purple Line have become linked because to complete the trail as envisioned, land owned by the CSX railroad must be acquired. Many CCT supporters have lined up behind the Purple Line so that, as the County acquires CSX land for the Purple Line, they can also pick up land for the trail. Others, most notably www.savethetrail.org, oppose linking the Purple Line and the Capital Crescent trail because of the potential disruption to the trail that a light rail system would bring. When asked about the problematic effects light rail may have on the trail, the walk organizers discussed the ten foot buffer that would exist between the ten foot wide trail and the beginning of the Purple Line track. That buffer could be used for a safety barrier, as well as for green space. That does not really address the concern of many www.savethetrail.org supporters, who are actually home owners along the trail using trail preservation for political convenience when their real, and quite legitimate, concern seems to be preserving their yards.
The second half of the walk, on the existing Capital Crescent trail to Silver Spring, made it much easier to see the downside to the Purple Line, a project I generally support. There were many homes that would be adversely affected. Usually, when a noisy road or rail line is being built by someone’s house noise and safety concerns can both be met by building a large barrier. With a trail in the mix, large, concrete barriers are less of an option. A few issues that will need to be discussed to determine how adverse the effects are the level of noise light rail will actually create and the frequency of trains.
Another problem is that less savvy homeowners along the trail may not actually realize how large the right of way for the trail is, meaning they may be unclear on the potential effect it would have on them. In many places, the trail’s right of way is much wider than the trail itself currently is. For example, as the trail cuts through Columbia Country Club, the trail itself is perhaps ten feet across with a small foot or two buffer on each side, then black fences. These do not mark the actual right of way, which is actually a hundred feet across in that area. The golf course, as will be the case with many homes, may face even more land loss than it realizes.
I do not envy the job of planners who are trying to make a trail and a light rail line work in a tight space with lots of different interests. In various places trail and rail must cross major roads like Connecticut Avenue, crowd through the existing Wisconsin Avenue tunnel, and even cross each other. All of these variables involved a dizzying array of potential grade changes, crossing points, and other options that the walk organizers tried to discuss while we walked. This being Montgomery County, there were no shortage of questions from participants including concern about tree preservation to questions about the fate of the trestle that crosses Rock Creek and offers a beautiful view.
Despite the walk organizers having their own biases, the walk was enlightening even if it did not change my underlying support of light rail. Despite the tight space, I still believe that light rail will have better ridership than buses and can coexist with neighborhoods and the trail. Regardless of your view, I recommend keeping an eye on Silver Spring Trails because they plan to offer more walks in the future.
A Red Letter Day for True Blue Democrats
Medieval times signified special events with the wearing of scarlet robes by the judges. They came to be known as red letter days. These days had a higher significance than other days. Monday March 3, 2008 is a red letter day for MoCo Politics.
Two lives -- one very public and one fulfilled behind the scenes -- converge today. The lives of these two women, who died exactly a month apart, dominate the local political news on this day. Dorothy Davidson's funeral will be at 11:00AM at Temple Emanuel, 10101 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington. The campaign to replace Marilyn Praisner begins in earnest at noon as her husband, Don, attempts to succeed her onto the County Council.
It is 44 days to the finish line and prior to today three candidates have filed their papers for the special election: Pat Ryan, Steve Kanstoroom and Cary Lamari. Lamari dropped out on Saturday. Two candidates on most people's mind have not filed. Both of them, Nancy Navarro and Don Praisner, are filing today.
Don Praisner will have his kick off announcement immediately after he files. He will have County Executive Ike Leggett and four County Council members behind him: Marc Elrich, Duchy Trathenberg, Phil Andrews and Roger Berliner. He also will have the support of State Delegates Hank Heller, Karen Montgomery and Anne Kaiser.
School Board President Nancy Navarro will have her kick off announcement next week and already has a strong list of supporters behind her including Congresswoman-to-be Donna Edwards, County Council member Valerie Ervin, Senator Rich Madaleno, and Delegate Tom Hucker.
Not to be overlooked in this race is the 800 pound gorilla. Their deadline for applications is also today. Its prominently placed ad in the printed copy of the Gazette was hard to miss. Getting their endorsement is one of the most prized in the county.
Still mulling over this race is Delegate Ben Kramer. His candidacy is only one that causes 800 pound gorillas to sweat.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
What a Way to Announce for Delegate
Of all things to come out of MoCo’s raging transgender debate, we now have a campaign announcement for state delegate!
For those who have not visited it, I recommend trying out the Vigilance blog run by Teach the Facts.org. Teach the Facts advocates for a public schools curriculum that contains facts about birth control and sexual orientation, including open acknowledgement that homosexuality is not a choice or a mental illness.
The blog has been quite busy lately because of the ongoing attempt to overturn MoCo’s Transgender Anti-Discrimination law. One recent post attracted more than 80 heated comments about the conduct of both sides. A participant in the argument, former (and apparently future) District 18 Delegate candidate Dana Beyer, made this statement:I can say that when elected I will represent all the people, and that includes those who don't want to even acknowledge my existence.
Now that sounds like a campaign announcement to me although it occurred in a debate forum swarmed by “shower nuts,” as Teach the Facts calls them. I don’t know how many of the shower nuts will vote for Dana, but I admire her tenacity in going after every vote!
This was also a great comeback line from Dana and I think I am going to try it out. You see, I have been having an off-and-on dispute with my neighbors over their howling dog. The next time I confront them, I will announce:I can say that when elected I will represent all dogs in the district, and that includes big dogs, small dogs, yappy dogs, quiet dogs and even dumb, drooling dogs. And after I take office, you would be wise to seek my favor in dealings with Animal Control!
Errr, just one thing, Dana. Your use of the word "when" rather than "if" doesn't mean you're messing with those Diebold machines, right?
My Rabbi, My Mentor
They say never answer your phone after midnight nothing good can happen. Well we can add -- in the modern age -- to not look at your email late. I did and I now sitting here trying to compose my thoughts on the First Lady of Montgomery County Politics, Dorothy Davidson, who died Saturday morning.
To limit my recollections to just a few would leave an incomplete picture of her. So I hope my writing skills can match the impact she had on me.
Our paths crossed the same as it did for most of her friends in the middle of a campaign. For me, the year was 2002 and the race was Chris Van Hollen's campaign for Congress. I had left politics almost ten years earlier certain I had been in my last campaign; the bitterness of three tough personal losses in one year had shaken me to my core. But like a moth to a flame I came back. The race, the stakes and the candidate were too compelling. It was June and all the "smart money" was on our primary opponent. I knew the odds were long. I saw all the young unscrubbed faces. I felt old... then from around the corner I saw the two youngest people in the room, Peter "Boston" Dennis, who was a college junior, and Dorothy Davidson. She never aged when she talked about politics.
Looking back that first image was perfect. Peter using 21st Century technology constantly updating and changing the look of that new political tool, the campaign web site, and Dorothy working with implements from the previous Century of pen, paper, and phone. It was high tech on the left and high touch on the right. Dorothy was on the phone constantly. There was always someone holding for her. Mayors had shorter lines to see them than Dorothy Davidson did.
After a day of canvassing she wanted to know what I saw, where I was sent, what was the response, what literature was being dropped. She spoke in numbers, such as "we shouldn't going into the '7s' we got those people," or "why aren't we in working the '5s' they are new to us." I knew exactly what she meant. It was the language of a field campaign by precinct number. I would mention a number and she would tell me the precinct chair, vice chair and how it had performed faster than any computer.
She worked harder and longer than anyone else on the campaign, even the candidate. She did it because if she believed in you then she was going to give you everything that she had. It was all or nothing with Dorothy with all being the operative word. She was described by the Washington Post during the campaign as "Montmomery County's secret weapon". But she was not so secret. Anyone who wanted to run a race in Montgomery came to see her.
After the 2002 campaign she told me that I needed to get involved in the Democratic Party. I thought I was involved. Dorothy showed me a new world; that of working a precinct throughout the year. She gave me my precinct application form and would not rest until I was accepted. She even selected the precinct I should work: 13-36. That's Viers Mills and Ct. Ave. to Turkey Branch for the rest of you.
I grew up outside of Chicago. Where the city poured out impressive numbers for their candidate. Dorothy did the same in Montgomery County because she knew campaigns from their smallest unit, the precinct. In Chicago political lingo the person who brought you into the Democratic Party was called either "A Chinaman" or "A Rabbi". We both agreed that the former was dated and offensive. But she loved the latter. From that day forward she was My Rabbi.
I would call her on the phone, this Catholic from the Midwest, looking to talk to his mentor, an elderly Jewish woman. She was never at a loss for words or shy with an opinion. I guess that is what a Rabbi does.
Our paths diverged in 2006. She was, shall we say, not pleased. Her eyes rolled to the side and back as if I had personally insulted her. Perhaps I did. My excuse was to blame My Rabbi. She reintroduced me to the passion and the good in politics that many never see. I felt it as keenly in 2006 as I did in 2002. I know that because my Rabbi showed it to me. She lived it. I learned it. That was the best lesson I got from My Rabbi.
Like the impish child who knows how to get their way, I was able to neutralize that glare I got by going for her soft spot. "I want to work another campaign like 2002 with you." She patted my hand and a smile quickly melted the frown from her face. It was the campaign of a life time and Dorothy was our linchpin. There were many pictures taken on election night 2002 of the people who toiled in the trenches. As we gathered for a group photo afterwards the number key contributors swelled to a couple dozen. Cameras were flashing but all photos were incomplete until My Rabbi was front and center.
We may not have always agree on candidates. But I know that my life has been enhanced because I learned at the foot of a wise woman, Dorothy Davidson. She was My Rabbi. She was My Mentor.
Senate Passes Farm-to-School Program
From Sen. Rich Madaleno: Yesterday morning, the Senate unanimously passed the Farm-to-School Program (SB158), a bill Jane Lawton had championed in the House of Delegates last session.
This program will encourage our public schools to work with local farmers to offer fresh produce for school lunches. By opening up our school cafeterias to locally grown produce, we can support our local farmers and provide children with fresh, healthy nutrition while reducing the environmental impact of transporting our food from across the state. This bill espouses many of the values for which Jane stood. While it is still hard to accept that she is no longer with us, it is comforting to know that her legislative ideals continue to influence public policy in the General Assembly.
Dorothy Davidson Died Yesterday
From Alan Banov: Sadly, Dorothy Davidson, one of the great Montgomery County Democrats, died yesterday morning after a series of illnesses.
She was a wonderful, funny, and warm person, and she was one of the best tacticians you could ever hope to have on your side. While she supported some losers, she was very successful in contributing greatly to the successes of Rep. Chris Van Hollen in winning the nomination and election in 2002. We will sorely miss Dorothy.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m., Monday, March 3, at Temple Emanuel, 10101 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, in District 18, where she was a Democratic stalwart for many years.
Burial will follow at King David Cemetery, and a luncheon will be held at Temple Emanuel following the burial. We all extend our sincerest condolences to her husband, David Davidson, and the rest of her family.
Update: Karen MacManus asked me to let people know that the family has requested that donations be made in lieu of flowers to either:
Hebrew Home of Greater Washington
6121 Montrose Rd
Rockville, MD 20852
or
MCPS-EF, memo “Davidson Scholarship Fund”
P.O. Box 10514
Rockville, MD 20849
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Lamari Is Out; Opts for Praisner
Dan over at Just Up The Pike beat me to the punch. In fact, his post is so good that there is nothing else I can add. I just got off the phone with Cary Lamari and he confirmed that he will be at Don's announcement on Monday in Rockville.
There are several moving parts to this race. So stay close to MPW and we will keep your up to the date with the latest news.
