Maryland Politics Watch: June 2009

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ike Leggett's Statement on Blair Ewing

Following is the statement from County Executive Ike Leggett on former Montgomery County Council Member and Board of Education Member Blair Ewing.

Statement by County Executive Isiah Leggett on the Passing Of Blair G. Ewing
June 30, 2009

I am deeply saddened by the death of my friend, former Council colleague, and former County Council President and Montgomery County School Board president Blair Ewing.

During 22 years on the School Board, two years on the County Human Relations Commission, four years on the County Council, and, most recently, as a member of the Maryland State Board of Education, Blair Ewing demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to making Montgomery County a better place to learn and live. As a member of Federal Executive Service for 22 years until his retirement, Blair worked with distinction as a senior executive with the Department of Defense, the Office of Management & Budget, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of Justice.

Coming from a distinguished political family in Missouri, he recalled as a boy watching Harry Truman in action. His grandfather was Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court and his uncle served as Governor. One of his ancestors died in defense of the Alamo. He was raised in a tradition that valued public service as a noble calling and Blair Ewing carried on with that tradition his entire life - as a reporter, a public official, and a teacher.

Blair Ewing's honesty and integrity were legend in Montgomery County. So, too, was his doggedness in promoting the common good, regardless of the odds. He was a fighter all his life against racial prejudice and for a helping hand for those in need, perhaps most especially for those coping with mental health issues.

I have ordered Montgomery County flags to be flown at half-mast through the day of his funeral.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Blair's wife, Marty Brockway, and to his entire family. Blair will be missed. This is a difficult loss for all who value honesty and integrity in public life.

Media Contact: Patrick Lacefield, 301-919-9372

Blair Ewing Passes Away

Following is the press release from the Montgomery County Council.

Former Montgomery County Councilmember, School Board Member Blair G. Ewing Passes Away

Council President Andrews: ‘His Impact on Public Education in
Montgomery Was Greater Than Any Other Single Person’

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 30, 2009—Former Montgomery County Councilmember and former member of the Montgomery County Board of Education Blair G. Ewing passed away today. Mr. Ewing, until very recently a member of the Maryland State Board of Education, was 76.

Mr. Ewing was elected as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council in November of 1998 and served through 2002, chairing the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee and serving on the Transportation and Environment Committee. He lost in his bid for re-election in a September 2002 Democratic primary.

Prior to his election to the County Council, he served 22 years on the Montgomery County Board of Education. He was elected to the Board of Education six times and twice served as the board’s president.

Mr. Ewing, a native of Missouri and graduate of the University of Missouri, retired from the federal government in 1998 after 28 years of service, 22 as a senior executive in four federal agencies (the Department of Defense, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Justice).

“Blair Ewing provided so many years of tireless service to the residents of Montgomery County. His unparalleled service made a lasting impression in the County,” said Council President Phil Andrews. “He made lasting contributions in public education, mental health services and integrity in government, among other areas. He was highly intelligent, gracious, effective and had a delightfully dry sense of humor. His impact on public education in Montgomery County was greater than that of any other single person. I had the pleasure and honor of serving on the Council with Blair Ewing for four years. The community has lost an outstanding leader who always put the public interest first.”

Mr. Ewing constantly said, “Education is the highest of all priorities in Montgomery County.”

Mr. Ewing was strong proponent of what has become known as “Smart Growth.” In an assessment of County priorities he issued in November 2001 as Council President, he said, “We must use all the tools at our disposal to place growth where it belongs, near transit and transit stations, require developers to pay a fair share of the costs of growth, use the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance and the Annual Growth Policy to restrain growth until we have truly been able to find the funds to build the needed schools and roads, build stronger protections for open space and for air quality, water quality and protections against noise pollution.”

Mr. Ewing came from a long line of public servants. One grandfather was the chief justice of the State Supreme Court in Missouri. His father was the mayor of a small town in Missouri and served for more than two decades as a school board member. His uncle, James T. Blair, was a governor of Missouri. Mr. Ewing traced ancestors who lived in Montgomery County to 1700, including those who helped found St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish, in 1712. [That church is now in Washington, D.C.]

Mr. Ewing, who lived in Silver Spring, is survived by his wife, Martha Brockway.

He was a member of the Montgomery County Human Relations Commission, the Education Foundation’s board of directors and a civic association in Silver Spring.

Following his election as Council president in December of 2000, Mr. Ewing told The Journal Newspapers: “I am a big believer in the role government can play in the solution of problems. I am not one of those who subscribes to the notion that government is the source of the problems.”

Statements by current Councilmembers on Blair Ewing:

Nancy Floreen: “He was a truly dedicated community leader.”

George Leventhal: “Blair made so many contributions to our County, from his years of service on the Board of Education to his advocacy for the mentally ill and for children, as chairman of the County Council’s Health and Human Services Committee, to his recent outstanding service on the State Board of Education. He was a public servant of tremendous integrity.”

Duchy Trachtenberg: “Blair Ewing was a compassionate, enormously dedicated public servant whose work ethic was legendary and whose record of accomplishment was exemplary. I first got to know Blair during my advocacy for the mentally ill, and I came to deeply admire, respect and love Blair for his unswerving commitment to delivering quality, affordable mental health services. Blair Ewing counseled me, mentored me and inspired me. I will miss him terribly.”

“You Got To Dance With the The One Who Brung You”

By Marc Korman.

A Congressman I once worked for represented a western district won by Bush 43 twice. On some environmental issues he had what I viewed as a moderate record. When the Republicans tried to amend the Endangered Species Act in 2005, I expected to have to work hard to convince my boss to stick with the majority of Democrats and the Sierra Club and vote no. After days of preparation, I went into his office to pitch a no vote. After a minute he interrupted me and said “You got to dance with the one who brung you,” indicating that he would not be voting for the Republican proposal. I thought of that moment last week watching Maryland’s newest Congressman, Frank Kratovil.

Congressman Kratovil represents the 1st Congressional District, which essentially lines the Chesapeake Bay and covers parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Harford on the western side and the entirety of the Eastern Shore. In 2008, Kratovil beat State Senator Andy Harris by less than 3,000 votes, out of over 350,000 votes cast. He is due for a tough reelection in 2010. Although his predecessor was a moderate Republican, the district leans far to the right in some areas. John McCain received 59% of the vote there according to the National Journal.

I heard Kratovil speaking last week to a group of Montgomery County Democrats, which I suspect was a nice break from the tornado of legislative activity in the House. As a member of the moderate to conservative Blue Dog Coalition, Kratovil is considered a swing vote on Obama Administration priorities such as healthcare reform and climate change legislation.

News reports last week from Capitol Hill gave glimpses into Kratovil’s thinking on the climate change legislation, which passed the House before they adjourned for a July 4th recess. Leaving the merits of the legislation aside, the bill is a political risk because of its complexity, far reach, and subject matter.

Kratovil started the week linked to the efforts of Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, who was seeking changes to the legislation to benefit the agriculture sector. Peterson is influential as a chairman and Blue Dog leader, but he has been a thorn in the side of the Democratic leadership side for years. For example, in the past he has refused to pay the contribution to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee expected of all incumbents.

When Peterson’s climate change demands were met by the sponsors of the legislation, reports indicated that Kratovil was still resisting a yes vote. But by Friday night, Kratovil was apparently comfortable enough to vote for the bill. Forty-four other Democrats voted against the legislation, while eight Republicans crossed over and voted for the landmark bill.

On another major domestic priority of Obama’s, healthcare, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Kratovil say he supported a public option, which would create a government backed competitor to private health insurance companies. Many moderate legislators have expressed concern with a public plan, but Kratovil embraced one openly.

That is not to say that Kratovil is an automatic yes vote for the House Democratic leadership. For example, Kratovil did not vote for the original House version of the stimulus. But Kratovil seems to have realized a few things in his short time in Congress. First, no one expects him to vote with the Democratic leadership in lock step. That would not serve his district, his political future, or, probably, his own views. Second, lots of what Obama is proposing is good for the 1st district, good for Maryland, good for the country, and good for Frank Kratovil. And third, sometimes, “you got to dance with the one who brung you.” For Frank Kratovil, that includes Chris Van Hollen and Steny Hoyer, two members of the House Leadership who believed in and supported Kratovil when few other serious pols thought he had a chance.

Is This Smart Growth? Part Two

In 2007, the Planning Department devised a new system for measuring a project’s impact on transportation capacity: Project Area Mobility Review (PAMR). The system relied on a trade-off between road congestion (defined as actual speed divided by free-flow speed) and transit mobility (defined as transit speed divided by road speed) in each of 22 bite-sized “policy areas.” A policy area with congested roads could still be deemed to have “adequate” transportation capacity if transit service was almost as fast as road speed. Inversely, a policy area with very slow transit relative to road speed could still be deemed “adequate” if cars often approached the posted speed limit. But if a policy area had both slow transit and congested roads, it would be designated “inadequate” and developers would be required to mitigate at least some of the vehicle trips their projects generated.

Currently, developers have five options to mitigate trips in congested policy areas:

1. Sign a binding Trip Mitigation Agreement to reduce trips using transportation demand management techniques.

2. Provide non-auto facilities to make transit, walking and bicycling more attractive.

3. Add road capacity by building more lanes or widening intersections.

4. Add transit capacity by buying Ride On buses and subsidizing their operating costs.

5. Make a payment to the county in lieu of the above measures.

It’s important to note that the County Council set a floor for allowable auto congestion in its 2007-2009 Growth Policy Resolution. No matter how fast transit service was relative to road speed, the council established that road level of service should not fall below Level D, defined as car speeds of at least 40% of free-flow speed (essentially, the posted speed limit). So if a policy area had an average speed limit of 40 mph and the average car speed was 15 mph (38% of the speed limit), the policy area would have inadequate transportation capacity regardless of transit speed. The council defied the wishes of the planning staff, who argued that Level of Service E (25% of the speed limit) should be the allowable floor.

In its new proposal, the staff reasserts its recommendation that Level of Service E, and not D, should be instituted. Here is the staff’s reasoning:

Staff finds that LOS E conditions are appropriate for two reasons.

First, from a technical perspective, LOS E is the condition at which the throughput of a roadway facility is maximized. This is somewhat counterintuitive simply due to the fact that the LOS grading system is oriented toward the customer. For the customer, LOS A represents the least delay, and therefore the best level of service. Provision of LOS A service to all customers, however, is not practical from either fiscal or community-building perspectives. Most jurisdictions across the country require conditions ranging from LOS C to LOS E.

Second, from a community-building perspective, the establishment of more stringent LOS requirements in urban areas can create pressures to widen roadways to provide auto capacity, an action which not only uses valuable property but also tends to reduce pedestrian comfort and accessibility. In the White Flint Sector Plan, staff has recommended that the end-state conditions, which would result in Transit LOS B and Arterial LOS E conditions, should reflect an appropriate balance between land use and transportation.

The staff is actually claiming that many areas of the county should be congested. According to them, congestion relief through added road capacity is inherently harmful to pedestrian activity. But the above mitigation measures provide many other ways for developers to counter congestion, including buying buses and contributing to transit. The staff would simply let developers off the hook.

The staff’s recommended change has a real impact on many policy areas. Under the current system, developers of projects in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase policy area are required to mitigate 30% of trips generated by new projects. Under the staff’s proposal, that requirement would drop to 0%. Trip mitigation in Derwood and Shady Grove would fall from 20% of trips to 0%. North Bethesda mitigation would fall from 35% to 20%. Rockville City mitigation would fall from 25% to 20%. Aspen Hill mitigation would fall from 20% to 5%. And in Olney, Kensington/Wheaton and Silver Spring/Takoma Park, mitigation would fall from 10% to 0%.

Current PAMR Mitigation Requirements

Proposed PAMR Mitigation Requirements

This particular change only serves two purposes. First, it undeniably reduces costs for developers. Second, it undeniably increases costs for the rest of us by allowing more congestion with no offsetting gain. How smart is that?

But there is more – MUCH more. Come back tomorrow for Part Three.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Planning Staff Recommends BRT for CCT

In striking contrast to recommendation for light rail (LRT) for the Purple Line, the Planning Board Staff has recommended bus-rapid transit (BRT) for the Corridor City Transitway (CCT).

If the decision to opt for BRT sticks, politicians may find that strong statements made regarding the great superiority of light rail over bus-rapid transit come back to bite them (darn Google and those digital records!) as they must explain to Upcounty residents why they should get the cheaper, much-derided buses but the Downcounty must have the vastly more expensive light rail. (Your gentle blogger has argued for BRT for both modes.)

Next post: the plan to pay for transit. Here is the press release from the Planning Board:

Planners Recommend Bus Rapid Transit for Proposed Corridor Cities Transit Project; Planning Board Schedules Public Hearing July 6

SILVER SPRING – Montgomery County planners have recommended bus rapid transit, a system designed to move transit vehicles past traffic congestion on dedicated lanes, for the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT), a planned public transportation project linking Shady Grove with Clarksburg.

Following recommendations rolled out in the draft Gaithersburg West Master Plan, planners have endorsed a route for the CCT that follows a long established alignment from the Shady Grove Metro Station through Gaithersburg, Middlebrook and Germantown on its way to Clarksburg. However, planners recommend a change to the previously planned route through the Life Sciences Center near Gaithersburg.

Responding to a Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) report, planners also addressed a proposed expansion of I-270 as another strategy to improve mobility in the heavily traveled corridor. The expansion could include preferential lanes for high occupancy vehicles and drivers willing to pay a toll. Both projects would try to alleviate chronic traffic concerns in the I-270 Corridor, the economic engine of Montgomery County.

Planners made their recommendations based on MDOT’s Alternatives Analysis/Environmental Assessment report. Their recommendations go to the Planning Board, which has scheduled a July 6 public hearing to allow residents and others to have their say.

The board’s recommendation will be considered by the County Council’s transportation committee on July 13. Once the Council has collected input, it will send the county’s collective position on the two transportation projects back to the state.

The CCT has long been proposed along I-270, and the Planning Board has featured the CCT as an integral part of master plans for Gaithersburg West and Germantown. The transit route would support a growing number of workers and proposed new residences in those areas. In the state report, transportation planners evaluated premium bus, light rail and bus rapid transit. By choosing bus rapid transit, county planners have endorsed an alternative that is estimated to cost around $450 million. The CCT is expected to carry up to 27,000 people daily by 2030.

Planners say bus rapid transit would link activity centers in the corridor, maximize connections to other transit routes such as Metro, and increase opportunities for funding and construction phasing that would allow it to be built quickly.

As part of their proposal, planners recommend adding a busway segment through the Life Sciences Center that creates a loop serving Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, the Universities at Shady Grove, the emerging Johns Hopkins University campus, a redeveloped county Public Safety Training Academy site and other businesses. That new route, which would support proposed residential development, existing and planned heath sciences and hospital facilities, and biomedical research initiatives, has been the subject of much discussion as the Planning Board prepares to finalize its draft of the Gaithersburg West Master Plan next month.

The state report combines the CCT with I-270 highway improvements. Planners recommend that the CCT go first to emphasize the most affordable, green solution by combining transit and mixed use development to support a community less dependent on auto travel.

Planners reviewed the highway alternatives presented by the state and recommended a combination of express toll lanes and high-occupancy vehicle lanes. Express toll lanes provide a speedy and reliable option by charging a toll that varies depending on the time and day of use. The I-270 improvements, extending well into Frederick County, may cost up to $3.9 billion and could displace up to 260 homes, although transportation officials believe that number can be reduced significantly by minimizing the width of roadway shoulders and constructing retaining walls.

Adding a combination of high-occupancy lanes and tolls also would encourage people to commute longer distances by bus or rail and use the highway for carpooling to transit stations, planners say.

Planners also recommended that the County Council establish a working group to pursue potential funding for the CCT in addition to existing public transportation like Metro and Ride On.

New Board of Education Member Appointed

Following is the press release from the Montgomery County Board of Education.

Michael Durso Appointed to Fill District 5 Board of Education Seat
June 26, 2009

Retiring Springbrook High Principal To Step into Post Left Vacant by Election of Nancy Navarro to County Council; Term Runs Through 2010

Michael Durso, who retires this month as principal of Springbrook High School, has been appointed by the Montgomery County Board of Education to fill the District 5 seat vacated by the election of Nancy Navarro to the Montgomery County Council. Durso was elected by the Board today on the first ballot, by a unanimous vote of 7-0 and will complete the remainder of the term, through 2010.

“I am honored to be selected and for the opportunity to serve in the District 5 Board of Education post,” said Durso, a Silver Spring resident. “I am looking forward to working with the other Board members in dealing with all of the challenges that face our school system, as we continue our effort to be a first class system in all aspects.”

The vote on the appointment took place on Friday, June 26, following a series of interviews earlier in the day with each of the six finalists selected by the Board.

Durso has served as principal at Springbrook since joining Montgomery County Public Schools in 1996. Prior to that, as part of a 44-year education career—including 38 years as a school administrator—Durso was a principal at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia, and a principal at Woodrow Wilson High School and Lincoln Junior High School in the District of Columbia. He holds a bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America in American History and a master’s degree from American University in educational administration.

Durso will be sworn in at a special ceremony on Wednesday, July 1, along with Timothy Hwang, the new student member of the Board of Education, who will serve a one-year term.

Is This Smart Growth? Part One

The new Adequate Public Facility Ordinance (APFO) proposed by the Planning Department staff would provide new incentives for development around transit stations. That’s smart growth by anyone’s definition. But the proposal would also encourage development around strip malls and in Upcounty areas far from transit and would throw in the towel on congestion in many parts of Downcounty. How smart is that?

To understand how the staff proposal works, we must first understand how new projects are evaluated for their impact on transportation capacity. Two years ago, I wrote about how transportation review works in Montgomery County on Just Up the Pike. Here is an excerpt.

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Between the early 1980’s and 2004, new developments in Montgomery County were subject to two kinds of analysis for their impact on traffic: Policy Area Transportation Review (PATR) and Local Area Transportation Review (LATR). LATR examined the impact of development on traffic in a handful of intersections close to the project. PATR examined the impact of development on traffic in a large area surrounding the project called a “policy area.” The county had 21 of these policy areas in addition to 10 smaller “Metro Station Policy Areas” and “Town Center Policy Areas.”

The idea behind both LATR and PATR was that if the new development caused traffic congestion to rise above a certain threshold in either a small immediate area around the project (LATR) or a large area around the project (PATR), the developer would be required to provide certain mitigation measures, such as additional road or transit capacity. If traffic conditions were extremely congested in a policy area (as measured by an average congestion index), a moratorium could be declared. In 2004, the last year PATR was in effect, the county had eight policy areas in moratorium for housing construction and six policy areas in moratorium for commercial construction.

In 2003, the County Council voted to abolish PATR, keep LATR and institute a combination of increased and new development impact taxes. The council’s reasoning at that time was that new development should pay for added infrastructure capacity (like roads and schools) rather than be subject to a moratorium until the county could construct the added infrastructure.

New developments would now be analyzed only for their traffic impact on immediate surrounding areas. For example, under the old system, a new development at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Forest Glen Road would be analyzed not only for its impact on that intersection and a couple others nearby (LATR), but also for its impact on the average congestion level for the Kensington-Wheaton policy area (PATR). Under the new system, only the impact on a small number of nearby intersections would be considered.

Critics of PATR’s abolition contended that it was unrealistic to believe that traffic impact from a new development would only spread for a couple blocks away from the site. After the 2006 County Council elections, the council called for an analysis of the county’s growth policy from the Planning Board and specifically requested a recommendation on whether to bring back PATR. The board’s response was to suggest instituting a similar, but not identical process called Project Area Mobility Review (PAMR).

Like PATR, PAMR also assesses the traffic impact of a project on a broad policy area. However, its methodology differs. PATR relied on an average congestion index to determine whether a policy area’s transportation infrastructure was “adequate” to handle additional traffic. PAMR calculates a tradeoff between auto congestion (termed “relative arterial mobility”) and transit capacity (termed “relative transit mobility”). If a policy area had low relative arterial mobility (meaning it had lots of auto congestion), it could still be judged as “adequate” if residents could use transit to get to destinations almost as fast as through car travel. Conversely, if a policy area had transit use that took substantially more time than car use, it could still be judged as “adequate” if auto congestion was low. If a policy area had both high auto congestion and transit options that were much slower than car use, it would be judged as “inadequate.”

Developers in adequate policy areas would not be required to provide mitigation measures under PAMR, though they might face requirements if nearby local intersections were found to be excessively congested under LATR. The planners contended this new system fairly reflected the tradeoffs that residents could make between cars and transit – for example, by switching to transit if car travel was too slow.

#####

We’ll learn more about how PAMR works and how the staff would like to change it in Part Two.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Planning Board Shenanigans

Adam has an upcoming series taking you through some of the arcana surrounding the proposed new growth policy with a great focus on proposed radical changes to transportation tests for new development. However, I didn't want to let the weekend go by without flagging the approach to schools.

And Here's to You Mr. Robinson
Planning Board Commissioner John Robinson's term expired on June 15th but he is still sitting on the board. The Montgomery County Council has yet to fill the appointment. Yet there is no vacancy on the Board:

This time, the council and Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson quietly came to an agreement to delay picking Robinson's successor until later this summer, allowing Robinson to stay on as the panel attempts to complete some major pieces of work. . . .

The decision to allow Robinson to stay a bit longer was not publicly announced or formally voted on by the council. It has not sparked any dissent from members, council President Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg-Rockville) said. . . .

Hanson and Andrews said they thought it was a good idea to keep Robinson on. "Otherwise we lose the benefit of his expertise," Andrews said.

No formal or public approval required, I guess.

Don't Build a School, Just Lower Standards
Needless to say, the desire to keep Robinson on the Board was related to the "major pieces of work"--and the desire to have Commissioner Robinson's vote on them.

The County requires that a moratorium be placed on new development when a school district is overcapacity. Not over 100% of capacity--that doesn't cause developers any problems or even new fees--but at 120% of capacity. And not just overcapacity in one school but in an entire cluster. The B-CC and Clarksburg clusters have to placed in moratorium in less than a month under this standard.

The Solution? Make sure the problem doesn't get worse so that the schools which are an enormous economic asset and the pride of the County don't decline? Work with the County and the School Board to increase capacity?

Nope. Not according to the Planning Board:

Montgomery County planners pushed through the approval yesterday for a 497-unit apartment building in downtown Bethesda before a residential development moratorium takes effect, despite concerns about the building's design and its potential to add students to crowded schools.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but the project would have failed on a 2-2 vote if Commissioner Robinson had not been there to give the project a 3-2 victory.

Now, one might give the Board the benefit of the doubt and assume that this is an unusually meritorious project. Except that the proposed growth policy changes regarding schools will exacerbate the problem by raising the capacity levels at which developers begin to pay impact fees from 105% to 110% of capacity. So less money to solve the problem.

The growth policy proposal also makes it easier to develop in places like Bethesda and Clarksburg--places already out of attainment. In short, the Board's approach is to eliminate standards for public facilities rather than make sure the infrastructure, even for schools, is available.

Perhaps we should just allow teachers in the schools to lower standards and grade easier. That's the lesson that the Planning Board has been teaching this week.

County Report: June 26

Friday, June 26, 2009

A Blueprint for Transportation Reform

By Marc Korman.

The Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee of the House of Representatives recently released a bipartisan proposal for a major surface transportation bill. The blueprint is worth reading because it gives a nice overview of federal surface transportation programs and some potential reforms. If eventually passed, it could also have an impact in Maryland.

The bipartisan package was written by the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the full T&I Committee and the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit as a proposal for the multi-year surface transportation authorization bill. The legislation determines how gas taxes and other transportation revenues will be allocated over a multi-year period on roads, transit, and rail lines. The proposal is just a first step in a lengthy process to get a bill passed. So far, the President has indicated he does not even want long term legislation, just a short term extension of the current law so transportation revenue can continue flowing to the states. There is also the nagging question of how to pay for the estimated $450 billion package, with the Administration refusing to support a gas tax increase.

But political challenges aside, the plan contains a lot of good ideas and is indicative of the direction of federal transportation policy. The blueprint seeks to consolidate many disparate lines of funding into fewer, but more flexible, programs. Some programs will also become modal neutral, meaning funds can be accessed for transit programs as easily as highways. It also includes a national infrastructure bank, which would leverage government funding with private sector resources to stretch transportation dollars farther. Of course, private funding means projects will have to provide some type of revenue stream such as tolls. In order to ensure any tolls or public private partnerships are in the interests of the public, the bill establishes a new Office of Public Benefit to assess these proposals.

Importantly for Maryland, the bill would also reform the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New Starts program. The New Starts program is where the state hopes to obtain federal funding for the Purple Line and Corridor Cities Transitway. Currently, FTA puts almost all of its emphasis on the Cost Effectiveness Index (CEI), which has required states and localities seeking New Starts funds to do the same in their plans. The CEI looks at the amount of travel time saved by a project versus its costs. Relying so heavily on the CEI means the FTA is ignoring other factors such as pollution reduction, the effect of suburban sprawl, public transportation mobility, technical capability of applicants, and other factors that are included in the law, but virtually ignored by the FTA. CEI’s dominance is part of the reason most observers believe the Corridor Cities Transitway will have to be Bus Rapid Transit as opposed to rail, because unlike the Purple Line it would have great difficulty meeting CEI requirements.

Both Elijah Cummings and Donna Edwards serve on the T&I Committee and should support a great deal of the proposal. They need to hear from state and local legislators on the importance of improving federal transportation programs, particularly transit programs. Maryland should also look to the legislators who drafted the bill for inspiration in moving forward with state based transportation solutions.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Young Guns of MoCo, Part Four

Here they are, the three most influential people in MoCo aged 35 or under. Give me these three on my team and I can whup any other five people you pick.

3. Lisa Fadden, 27
Vice-President, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
15 Votes

Respondent: Lisa Fadden is smart and passionate. She loves her job and it shows. She’s not just a “one to watch” cliché. She’s already a leader. She’s sworn off elected office, but I wouldn’t be so sure. We need more folks like Lisa.

Respondent: Connected with everyone; really smart; thinking ahead about issues facing the county.

Respondent: Smart and charming, helps advance the business community’s political agenda in Annapolis and Rockville without the abrasiveness of past Chamber staff.

Respondent: Lisa is the next woman to lead the Chamber. She has a great policy background and presents her issues to electeds extremely well. She has a lot of room to move up in the corporate world and her experience in Montgomery County will help her be a great fit at any company.

Respondent: Lisa is a rising star and key behind the scenes player in Montgomery County and Annapolis, and a respected and highly knowledgeable source on transportation, fiscal and tax policy, and other economic and quality of life issues as well as politics.

Respondent: Even in progressive and Democratic Montgomery County the Chamber has a seat at the table. That is partly due to the energy and intelligence of this lady. She tries to stay out of partisan politics but knows everyone and every issue.

Respondent: Lisa is the shining star of the under 35 crowd in Montgomery County politics. She runs the Chamber’s legislative efforts with remarkable strategy, intelligence and a mastery of the issues. Lisa’s professional efforts are complimented by a friendly and welcoming demeanor that makes people want to be around her – and elected officials are no exception.

Respondent: The VP of Government Affairs for the Chamber of Commerce is smart and sassy and an active lobbyist, especially for transportation projects - like the Purple Line and CCT - of importance not only to the business community, but also to young people. Without the baggage of having been involved in the ICC, Clarksburg, and other business/developer debacles, Lisa may be able to reshape the image of business in Montgomery.

Adam: Brings a devastating combination of brains, relentlessness and pragmatism to her job. Always plans ahead. Never gives up on an issue. Turbocharged Supergirl is tougher than you are, going on 50-mile runs and 100-mile bicycle rides just for the joy of kicking butt.

2. Jackie Lichter, 29
Political Director, SEIU Local 500
16 Votes

Respondent: Union diva with aspirations - a powerful combination.

Respondent: Great policy advocate, great political advocate. Passes SEIU priorities, elects SEIU priority candidates. Will make for a great candidate someday.

Respondent: The future face of union bosses? Smart, hard-working and liberal – she’d do justice to collective bargaining in the County. But she’s also a tough field operator, having coordinated SEIU’s Virginia effort for Obama and twice worked on campaigns for Nancy Navarro. Whatever direction her career heads in, she’s one to keep an eye on.

Respondent: She’s a smart strategist, a high-energy labor leader, and a committed advocate. Whether she runs herself some day or chooses to help elect others, Jaclyn will be on the horizon as a “player” in Montgomery County for many years to come.

Respondent: Talented field organizer and consummate campaign pro who played a big role in Nancy Navarro’s win. Smart, hard-working, able to reach beyond traditional labor base and work as part of a broader coalition in the community.

Respondent: Quickly gaining a reputation for being both sharp and effective. One of the masterminds behind the successful Navarro campaign and gained experience helping run SEIU’s ground operation for Obama in Virginia. Also a prominent leader in her own right - is active in the women’s community.

Respondent: A sure candidate some day soon. Jackie is a constant presence around county political leaders and helped bring Navarro to victory for SEIU. When people talk about young progressive leaders in the county, they are talking about Jackie.

Respondent: She is the secret weapon. Make no mistake about the fact that Jackie will outwork everybody and look the best while doing it. She has earned her stripes and I am betting on her to go really far at whatever she wants to do politically in Montgomery County. That means either behind the scenes or as a candidate.

Adam: All of our young guns are smart and Jackie is no exception. What sets her apart is her savvy, people skills and campaign experience. The electeds she lobbies give her high marks. She has more options for the future than anyone else on this list. Whatever role she chooses, she will be a force in this county for a long, long time.

1. David Moon, 30
Chief of Staff, Council Member Nancy Navarro
Former Campaign Manager for Jamie Raskin, Nancy Navarro, Purple Line NOW
17 Votes

Respondent: There is nobody better at running campaigns in this county than David Moon. Just look at what he was able to do at the helm for Nancy Navarro. He has earned a lot of respect from folks all over Montgomery County. Everybody wants to hire him.

Respondent: This is a no-brainer. He delivered Navarro to the County Council by reaching out to demographics no one expected to even vote, let alone vote in a special primary election. Moon knows what the changing face of Montgomery County looks like because, as one of a small but growing number of politically active people of color, he’s part of it.

Respondent: David is not a showman or an extrovert but a methodical and inexhaustible analyst, conceptual thinker and workhorse. In Raskin’s 2006 campaign, Moon frequently pulled all-nighters at Raskin headquarters. He’s also a MoCo native.

Respondent: Responsible for two major campaign victories at a young age: Raskin (2006) and Navarro (2009). Let’s hope he’s got one more in him (Purple Line, 2011).

Respondent: David Moon is a proven, winning campaign manager. From Jamie Raskin’s 2006 race to Nancy Navarro’s 2009 Special Election, David has used a variety of cutting-edge strategies to get his candidates' name out there and get voters to the polls. He is a master-strategist who also has an excellent grasp of all things policy. He doesn’t seem interested in running for political office, but would like to run many campaigns one day, I’m sure!

Respondent: Behind the scenes, he is orchestrating a significant amount of Montgomery County’s progressive politics. Purple Line coalition work was excellent - he is a young gun for hire.

Respondent: David is incredibly smart and very progressive on the issues...he’s also an all-around nice person. However, his outwardly laid-back demeanor hides an aggressive strategist and a political fighter - he is not to be underestimated. That said, he gets along really well with all sorts of people and should be able to help Nancy forge consensus on tough issues.

Respondent: David has earned an incredible reputation as a campaign organizer. His successes include the Jamie Raskin campaign, the successful efforts to mobilize supporters of the Purple Line, and a win for Nancy Navarro in 2009. David will be among the most coveted campaign managers for Dems in Moco come 2010. While he at first appears quiet and reserved, he is actually very opinionated about all things related to progressive politics and knows how to turn out voters.

Adam: In just four years of work, Moon is now the most feared campaign operative in the county. Organized, obsessive and intensely competitive, he will out-think and out-work any rivals. MANY politicians are considering hiring this guy if only to keep him from working for their opponents.

Dear readers, all of these youngsters are going to rock your world for a long time. Just remember, we called it first!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

He's Barack Obama

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Young Guns of MoCo, Part Three

The young guns are getting more dangerous. Here are Six, Five and Four.

6. Marc Korman, 27
Member, Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee
Contributor, Maryland Politics Watch
10 Votes

Respondent: Law student and Central Committee member: Marc is “in the know” on several fronts - local issues, the Hill and general state politics. Marc's leadership of the MC Young Dems helped get more Young Dems elected in 2006 than any of us could remember. He’s a regular name on the host committees of all the players in the county and an unabashedly nice, friendly guy - something you don’t see very often in the hypercompetitive and ambitious bubble that is the Montgomery County Young Democrats.

Respondent: Hard-working, thoughtful, fair. We are likely to see him on the judicial bench or in Annapolis.

Respondent: Very bright analyst, a comer in the party, either behind the scenes or running himself.

Respondent: Smart, insightful, dedicated. Would not bet against him in anything.

Respondent: Whether you agree with his positions or not, you’ve got to agree that the guy is just bright! Marc leads the Democrats’ District 16 precinct volunteers with great organization and tireless contributions. When he is ready – look out for a quick rise of the Honorable Marc Korman.

Respondent: One of the most effective members of the MCDCC. Sees it as a force for helping strengthen the party, not just as a social club for aging Dems.

Respondent: Influential regular contributor to MPW and MCDCC member. Getting his law degree. Very smart. Will no doubt remain an intellectual force in MoCo, influencing policy and perspectives for years to come.

Adam: Korman belongs in Annapolis. If he doesn’t run by 2014, I am kicking him off this blog as punishment.

5. Bill Frick, 34
Delegate, District 16
12 Votes

Respondent: Delegate Frick has in short order earned himself an incredible reputation in Annapolis. He is well regarded by his colleagues and others in Annapolis. He sits on the influential Ways and Means Committee and has already proven that he won’t simply rubber stamp the decisions of leadership. As a Harvard law school grad, he certainly has the intellectual capacity as well as the people skills to have significant influence.

Respondent: Smart, aggressive, likeable, rational – and fun / funny.

Respondent: Very smart and quick to learn his way around Annapolis.

Respondent: I predict he will succeed Frosh in the Senate and could break through statewide. He has the intelligence, drive, and personality for it.

Respondent: Mere months after the “Who the Frick is Bill” article, I believe Bill has begun to make a name for himself. When you speak to Bill about an issue you get the impression that he actually understands what you are talking about. Sadly one does not get that impression from all elected officials.

Respondent: He’s doing things the right way in Annapolis and will be rewarded for that. He hit the ground running right before the Special Session in 2007 and has been a strong legislator on the Ways and Means Committee the past two sessions. He could quickly work his way up into Leadership in Annapolis.

Adam: Central committee appointee has the complete package: looks, brains, tact, charisma and a sense of humor. All he needs is a convincing electoral win and he is on his way to the top.

4. Jeff Waldstreicher, 29
Delegate, District 18
13 Votes

Respondent: A dogged campaigner and patient legislator.

Respondent: Showing more influence and maturity than he did when he ran.

Respondent: He is not everyone’s favorite delegate, but he is a hard worker who looks at the long term. I hear people say that he is future leadership or, more likely, a future committee chairman.

Adam: Received several votes from his colleagues, a sign of growing respect in the legislature. Don’t be fooled by his youthful appearance. This guy is already a superior tactician and a very shrewd player, both in Annapolis and in his district.

Tomorrow, we’ll reveal the final three!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Kagan Challenges District 17

Former Delegate and current Senate candidate Cheryl Kagan had something to say to every other District 17 candidate at her fundraiser last week. And no, it wasn’t “let them eat cake.”

Kagan described her fundraiser on her website and said this about her remarks to the crowd:

Most importantly, I pledged to voluntarily cap my campaign contributions. Too often, I believe that voters lose confidence in candidates and their government because campaigns are largely financed by super-rich and by special interests. I announced that I will take no more than 50% of the legal maximum contribution levels of $4,000 per person and $6,000 per political action committee. In addition, my campaign will address the so-called "LLC Loophole" that allows one person with multiple corporate interests to get around the current campaign laws by writing the maximum checks from each account they control. I vowed to accept my reduced contribution limit of $2,000 per person and not per checkbook as is the case now. Because many in the Senate voted to support this move on LLC's, I am optimistic that it will soon become law. In the meantime, I will voluntarily commit to this practice, because it is simply the right thing to do. I am hopeful that every candidate for either the House or Senate in District 17 will abide by these same limits. Wouldn't it be great if we became known as "Clean Seventeen" for our commitment to financing our campaigns using stricter limits than current law requires?!

It’s worth noting that Senator Jennie Forehand, Kagan’s opponent, voted for an amendment to the 2009 campaign finance reform bill that would have closed the LLC loophole. But Forehand did not co-sponsor the bill itself, which was not introduced in the House. As a matter of fact, no District 17 incumbent – including Forehand and Delegates Kumar Barve, Luiz Simmons and Jim Gilchrist – co-sponsored the 2008 or 2007 campaign finance reform bills.

Kagan will have more than enough money to compete even if she abides by her pledge. She had better stand by it because we have caught other politicians breaking campaign finance promises before. We are not about to fall asleep on the job now!

The incumbents are all running on a slate with Senator Forehand. What will they do? Will they accept Cheryl Kagan’s challenge? Or will they ignore it and cede the clean money issue to her? Best of all, will anybody take the pledge and then cheat? We LOVE to catch cheaters!

When the incumbents respond, we will be sure to let you know!

Young Guns Hold Shootout at MPW Corral

Your author has passed on congratulations to today's Young Guns winners on Facebook. And now their Facebook friends are running wild! As of this writing, 30% of all visits to this blog are direct entries into our Young Guns Part Two post and most of them are coming from Facebook. Yee-ha!

Young Guns of MoCo, Part Two

The wait is over. Let the young guns list begin!

10. Ryan Spiegel, 30
City Council Member, Gaithersburg
7 Votes

Respondent: Ryan was an effective candidate for the House of Delegates who came in a narrow 4th place. He then led the One Montgomery slate and serves on the Gaithersburg City Council. He has a bright future for his passion, warmth, and ability to work with a diverse group of people and interests.

Respondent: Very much the up and comer. Was the only member of his slate to get elected in a contentious city election, but has since been able to get some good work done within the limiting confines of small city council politics.

Respondent: Big aspirations for a career in Annapolis, but may be waiting awhile before getting the opening.

Respondent: Anyone think he's not going to be a legislator in D17 or, if he wants, Mayor of G’Burg?

Respondent: Showed that he could bounce back from a tough loss, is working hard on the City Council. A potential mayor of Gaithersburg after Sid Katz leaves?

Respondent: Ryan is an upcoming leader in Montgomery County. He is well respected as a City Councilmember in Gaithersburg, and is both a strong policymaker and campaigner.

Adam: Gaining some stature in Gaithersburg and beyond. People are wondering what’s next.

7 (tie). Eric Luedtke, 27
Board Member, Montgomery County Education Association
Contributor, Free State Politics and Maryland Politics Watch
9 Votes

Respondent: What can I say? Eric is a natural born leader and proved this at an early age. He has not only been involved in a variety of community and advocacy organizations, but he’s a great teacher-leader and awesome dad and husband. What I like best about Eric is that he doesn’t do all of these things as “resume builders” (there are people out there who do this), but he does them because they are causes in which he truly believes. He is certainly ambitious, but not to the point where he doesn’t listen to and respect those that have led the way. This is why a lot of people like him and believe he is a true leader with the right ideology.

Respondent: School teacher and union geek. Will have good creds for a future state house run.

Respondent: He is smart, young, strategic and will be a force in the county for a long time.

Adam: Civic activist, union leader, political activist, intellectual, and overall good guy. One of the most versatile players in the county. Needs to blog more often!

7 (tie). Ben Moskowitz, 19
Former Student Member, Board of Education
Former Campaign Staffer for Chris Van Hollen, Steve Silverman and Saqib Ali
9 Votes

Respondent: It’s relatively easy to get young people interested in national politics or social issues like gay marriage, but near impossible to make them care about local politics. Ben Moskowitz, however, has been doing just that. As Student Member of the Board of Education, he helped organize a student caucus on the Purple Line last spring. Sure, he worked on Steve Silverman’s ill-fated campaign for County Executive, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Here’s hoping he decides to come back to MoCo after he graduates from U-Penn in a couple of years.

Respondent: Ben’s been active for decades, it seems, and he’s still in undergraduate school! Elected as the SMOB, he has worked on countless campaigns. He’s serious, articulate and reliable.

Respondent: Wow - this kid is a born politician. He has been working on and helping run campaigns for many years and successfully got himself elected as the Student Member of the Board of Education. With that experience under his belt, plus his internship this summer at the DSCC, he will only become more of a threat to knock off almost anyone (once he graduates from College, that is).

Respondent: Left the county to go to college, but will return with an Ivy League education and more dangerous than ever. If you’re running a campaign, you need this guy with you and not against you.

Respondent: He is a political phenom destined for greatness. 18 or 19 years old but pure genius. Wonderful to work with. Wise beyond his years. An unbelievably aggressive campaigner and a sharp policy eye too.

Respondent: Ben may be away in college, but he’s not that far away. And he intends to remain active in MoCo. At the ripe old age of 19, Ben has already held high-level positions in the campaigns of MoCo luminaries. He may have a little growing up to do before he can run for office himself, but Ben is often referred to by Dem leaders as “the future governor” - and it’s only partially a joke. He commands the time and respect of County Council Members and Congressmen. He is a terrific tactician and tireless worker, but his real expertise is number-crunching. He can sort, manipulate, and micro-target with voter databases like nobody else.

Adam: May have the biggest upside of any name on this list. He is only 19 and has already been a valuable contributor to multiple campaigns. What havoc will this kid be wreaking across MoCo in ten years?

7 (tie). Jason Waskey, 27
State Director, Democratic National Committee/Organizing for America
Former Special Assistant, Office of the Maryland Secretary of State
Former Campaign Director, Maryland for Obama
9 Votes

Respondent: He has been one of the go to guys to actually run campaigns in Maryland and Montgomery for years, including doing great work on the 2006 coordinated. He dealt with the nuts and bolts of Obama’s Maryland operation, getting in on the ground floor in 2007 and staying with it all the way until election night.

Respondent: One of two co-chairs of the County Obama Campaign, Jason is well-connected and can only keep moving up. His recent appointment to the DNC as Maryland’s voice is a great coup for this young leader.

Respondent: Jason Waskey has made quite a name for himself through his leadership on the Obama campaign, standing out among many in Maryland. Few people put in the same kind of time, raised the same kind of money, and worked as hard to get Obama elected than Jason.

Respondent: Statewide Obama role includes Montgomery County - he is a leader to hundreds of Obama activists in the County. Knows more Maryland electeds than most delegates.

Respondent: Jason is a genius when it comes to political ground game strategy, and a tireless worker who puts everything into a task. He deserves most of the credit for the fact that Maryland made more phone calls and door-knocking trips to battleground states for Obama than any other state in the nation on a per capita basis. Look for him to be a Maryland hybrid of Rahm Emmanuel and Karl Rove (in a good way) for many years to come, and he may run for office himself one day.

Adam: The best-connected Young Gun. Few people in Maryland are closer to President Obama. Already a rising player in state politics.

Tomorrow, we’ll reveal Young Guns Six, Five and Four. Be here!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Duchy Trachtenberg's Chief of Staff Voted National NOW President

Council Member Duchy Trachtenberg's Chief of Staff, Terry O'Neill, has been voted the new national President of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Council Member Trachtenberg is herself a former President of Maryland NOW. The Gazette reported that O'Neill would have to leave Trachtenberg's staff if she won the NOW presidency, so the Council Member will be picking a new Chief of Staff.

Young Guns of MoCo, Part One

Ladies and gentlemen of the blogosphere, welcome to a special MPW series. Beginning today, we are unveiling the next generation of MoCo leaders – the ones who will inherit this county, and maybe the state as well.

Remember when you were fresh out of college? I sure do. Back in the good old days, my priorities were booze, babes and bling. (Now they’re diapers, Da-Da and doo-doo.) But MoCo is home to a growing cohort of young people with a very different priority: politics.

These youngsters are challenging the status quo at every level. They are organizing, volunteering, strategizing, lobbying and even legislating. Some of them are already among the best at their trade. Others are catching up rapidly. Today’s county leadership, most of whom are in their 50s or older, needs to look over their shoulders. The next wave is fast breaking upon their shores.

We wanted to identify these Young Guns, the best of the best of the new generation. And so we turned to the greatest intelligence organization in the county: MPW’s omnipresent spy network. We asked our informants to identify people up through age 35 who live in or work in Montgomery County and either have significant influence now or have great potential for influence in the near future. Forty-two spies answered our call and submitted a combined total of sixty-nine names. Ten of them rose to the top and have earned recognition from this blog. They are the Young Guns. Remember these names, people, because you will be hearing them for a long time.

Tomorrow, we will begin revealing their identities in ascending order of number of votes cast. Don’t miss it!

Is O’Malley Vulnerable?

The Baltimore Sun recently reported on possible primary challenges to Governor Martin O’Malley, an event that drew cheers from the conservative blogosphere. The mainstream media wants an exciting race to cover and the GOP desperately wants to get rid of the incumbent Governor. So is O’Malley vulnerable?

Of course not, silly! Martin O’Malley is not going anywhere. Here’s why.

1. Money

Between 11/3/04 (the day after his last mayoral victory in Baltimore) and 11/7/06 (the day he defeated Governor Bob Ehrlich), O’Malley raised $10.9 million in contributions. The O’Malley-Brown Committee Slate raised an additional $1.6 million over that period. The Democratic State Central Committee raised $2.2 million. Ehrlich raised $13.2 million – more than O’Malley – and still lost. As of January 2009, O’Malley had over $1 million in the bank. Former Governor Ehrlich had just $151,529.

Any effort to overthrow O’Malley by a member of either party would require millions of dollars just to be competitive. Unless a multi-millionaire was willing to self-finance, that funding will be extremely difficult to obtain. And don’t forget O’Malley’s faithful lieutenants: Senate President Mike “Big Daddy” Miller and the rest of the General Assembly leadership. If any of the state’s major interest groups tried to finance an opponent of O’Malley, they would find their entire legislative agenda quickly shut down.

2. Poll Findings

While Martin O’Malley may not be hugely popular, he is not especially weak among the public. Here are his poll results from Gonzales Research:

O’Malley bottomed out in March 2008, immediately after passage of the special session’s tax package, at a net negative 11 points in approval rating. His most recent net in January 2009 was plus 12. As of that month, he had a 65% approval rating among Democrats, a 59% approval rating among Independents and a 17% approval rating among Republicans. The GOP rank-and-file may detest O’Malley, but they are not numerous enough to get rid of him. And few serious contenders would primary an incumbent who starts with two-thirds of the voters in support.

3. Challengers

As of right now, the only challengers floating their names are former Calvert County Delegate George Owings, former Prince George’s County Executive Wayne Curry and his successor, Jack Johnson. We agree with Marc Korman; none of them will be much more than a speed bump against O’Malley in a primary. Owings, a member of Governor Ehrlich’s cabinet, will find no traction among Democrats who still remember George W. Bush. Curry and Johnson start off with a solid base in Prince George’s County, home to more registered Democrats than any other Maryland jurisdiction. But the county’s reputation for low-performing schools, controversies in its police department and government corruption will cast a shadow over any resident politician in a statewide race. Only an Executive who actually made progress on the county’s problems would stand a chance. Neither Curry nor Johnson qualifies.

4. Montgomery County

In a Democratic primary, O’Malley starts with lots of support in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Any challenger would need to carry Montgomery County to have any shot at the Governor. That is extremely unlikely to happen. A fair number of county insiders gripe about O’Malley, especially over issues like money for school construction, the disparate treatment of funding for Baltimore’s Red Line and the Washington suburbs’ Purple Line, his handling of the ICC and various allegations of broken promises after the special session. Some even call him “the Governor of Baldamore.” But O’Malley held the line on teachers pensions, fully funded Geographic Cost of Education Index spending and did not target Montgomery for extra cuts in this year’s budget.

And let’s put the complaints of the insiders in perspective: NONE of them would dare challenge O’Malley publicly. Rank-and-file Democrats still, by and large, support him. Only ICC opponents resent him, and by themselves, they cannot turn the county against him. In short, only Attorney General Doug Gansler or former County Executive Doug Duncan would even have a hope of carrying Montgomery in a Democratic primary against O’Malley.

5. Watch the Big Guys

Maryland has many ambitious politicians who would love to be Governor. Of the most capable among them, none are preparing to take on O’Malley.

Doug Gansler led the state in fundraising last year. He has never had one bad word in public for O’Malley and appears to be biding his time for 2014. Comptroller Peter Franchot has been very quiet since we published our “Long Knives” series. He will have his hands full holding his current office against term-limited Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith. Doug Duncan is known to be unhappy with the state’s leadership, but he is undertaking none of the activities that are typically associated with a statewide campaign. And former Governor Ehrlich is putting on his best Mario Cuomo imitation rather than aggressively taking it to his 2006 rival.

Every one of these men has the resources to commission a poll. More than one probably has. And those polls will probably show the same result as Gonzales: O’Malley is currently strong enough among both Democrats and Independents to defeat any challenger. If O’Malley were truly vulnerable, all of these men would know it and one or more would be taking him on even as we write this. And they’re not.

Let’s face it: whether you like him or not, barring an economic or natural disaster, we are very likely to get four more years of Martin O’Malley as Governor.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Iran Demonstrations

Iran Police Fire on Protestors

Iranian Protesters Chasing Basij Militia

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Crackdown Video from Iran

County Report: June 19

Friday, June 19, 2009

Organizing for Healthcare, Part Two

By Marc Korman.

Last time, we discussed the Organizing for America healthcare event that took place earlier this month to build up grassroots support for healthcare reform. This time we will talk a bit more about some of the discontent at the meeting.

President Obama may have three priorities for healthcare (costs, choice, and coverage), but many of the grassroots supporters at the OFA event had just one: single payer. Sharon Dooley gave a preview of the desire by many progressives for a single payer system, instead of tinkering with the current marketplace of competing insurance companies. That same desire was expressed at the OFA event.

There was always a bit of unrest among progressives over some of candidate Obama’s positions, such as a troop increase in Afghanistan or his failure to support gay marriage. But people were willing to shove that aside in order to get a progressive Democrat elected. But with healthcare, many attendees expressed a willingness to let healthcare reform die entirely instead of allowing a system resembling the current mix of public plans like Medicare and private insurance exist.

Delegate Barve spoke about the importance of securing 60 votes and Karen McManus from Congressman Van Hollen’s office conceded that the final product would not be perfect. But those reality checks did little to settle down anxious activists. I have heard that many of the earlier house parties had a similar vibe.

One way to calm the base might be to provide a little more information. Costs, choice, and coverage make nice talking points, but many of those in the room wanted more information. A few were even honest enough to admit to not knowing the difference between a public option (where a government run plan would compete against the private insurers) and single payer (where all health coverage would flow through one entity). The idea of the public option is something of a “single payer lite.” A robust, government run program could use its bargaining power to negotiate low prices and provide comprehensive services, theoretically requiring its public sector competitors to do the same. One of the downsides of the current cooperative compromise put forth by Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) is that they would likely be local cooperatives, total lacking in the bargaining power that makes a federal public option appealing.

But President Obama may not really be that interested in what the OFA attendees know or support. He may be using a disgruntled base for Machiavellian purposes. The assumption has been that the purpose of the healthcare house parties is to encourage grassroots supporters to contact their legislators and educate their neighbors about healthcare reform. But a slightly unhappy progressive base could allow President Obama to tell moderates in both parties he cannot compromise any further. That could lead to him getting more of what he wants in a final plan.

Maybe the Obama faithful will fall in line once a plan starts moving through Congress, but as of today they do not appear sold, at least not in Montgomery County. But with a vast network of Congressional liaisons and a high approval rating, perhaps President Obama can bring them around.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Who’s Doing the Best Job on the Environment?

The Maryland League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has released its 2009 scorecard. Four of Montgomery’s eight Senators and nineteen of Montgomery’s twenty-four Delegates earned perfect scores. Only two of the county’s legislators scored less than 70%. Read more to find out who they are!

LCV scored eleven committee votes and six floor votes for Senators, and eleven committee votes and six floor votes for Delegates. Many of these votes were on different bills because some were considered in one chamber and not the other. Legislators were not penalized for votes taken by committees on which they did not sit or for excused absences.

First, let’s recognize the legislators with perfect records this year. They are:

Senators Brian Frosh (D-16), Rich Madaleno (D-18), Mike Lenett (D-19) and Jamie Raskin (D-20).

Delegates Anne Kaiser (D-14), Karen Montgomery (D-14), Kathleen Dumais (D-15), Craig Rice (D-15), Bill Frick (D-16), Susan Lee (D-16), Kumar Barve (D-17), Jim Gilchrist (D-17), Luiz Simmons (D-17), Al Carr (D-18), Ana Sol Gutierrez (D-18), Jeff Waldstreicher (D-18), Ben Kramer (D-19), Roger Manno (D-19), Sheila Hixson (D-20), Tom Hucker (D-20), Heather Mizeur (D-20), Saqib Ali (D-39) and Kirill Reznik (D-39).

Every other Montgomery legislator scored at least 70% and missed just one or two votes with two exceptions: Senators Rona Kramer (D-14) and Jennie Forehand (D-17).

Kramer voted wrong four times, by far the most in the county’s delegation. She earned a 50% score, which was tied by one Republican (District 2 Senator Donald Munson) and exceeded by another (District 35 Senator Barry Glassman, who scored 56%). LCV penalized Kramer for:

Voting against HB 309, which would have reauthorized a program for restoring historic buildings. The bill passed the House unanimously but died in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on an 8-7 vote.

Voting for a floor amendment to SB 666. The bill would have tightened requirements for developers to prevent forest loss from new projects. The amendment, which passed, exempted utility companies and the entire bill became law.

Voting against SB 672, a bill by Senator Jamie Raskin that would have established stormwater user charges to pay for stormwater management activities. The bill failed in the Senate.

Voting against SB 554, the Chesapeake Bay Nitrogen Reduction Act of 2009, which required nitrogen removal technology on new septic systems near the Bay. The bill became law.

Senator Jennie Forehand voted with Kramer on the stormwater and nitrogen bills. Because she serves on Judicial Proceedings, a committee that did not consider any environmental bills this session, she was not rated on any committee votes and earned a 67% score.

We previously reported that Kramer and Forehand were ranked best and second-best in the county by a right-wing business group. Now they are ranked last and second-to-last in the county by the state’s premier environmental organization. That is a bad combination for a Montgomery politician.

Here are LCV’s lifetime scores for Montgomery Senators:

100%: Brian Frosh (D-16), Jamie Raskin (D-20)
95%: Rich Madaleno (D-18), Mike Lenett (D-19)
88%: Rob Garagiola (D-15)
84%: Nancy King (D-39)
81%: Jennie Forehand (D-17)
65%: Rona Kramer (D-14)

And here are LCV’s lifetime scores for Montgomery Delegates:

100%: Bill Frick (D-16), Roger Manno (D-19)
98%: Karen Montgomery (D-14), Ana Sol Gutierrez (D-18), Tom Hucker (D-20)
96%: Craig Rice (D-15), Heather Mizeur (D-20)
95%: Anne Kaiser (D-14)
94%: Bill Bronrott (D-16), Kirill Reznik (D-39)
93%: Luiz Simmons (D-17), Al Carr (D-18), Hank Heller (D-19), Charles Barkley (D-39)
92%: Jim Gilchrist (D-17), Jeff Waldstreicher (D-18)
91%: Susan Lee (D-16)
90%: Kathleen Dumais (D-15), Saqib Ali (D-39)
89%: Sheila Hixson (D-20)
88%: Herman Taylor (D-14)
85%: Kumar Barve (D-17)
84%: Brian Feldman (D-15), Ben Kramer (D-19)

WSSC Board Picks New GM, But...

...The Gazette is already finding problems with his record in his old job in the District of Columbia. You just can't make this up, folks!

Update: Following is the press release from County Executives Ike Leggett and Jack Johnson. Note their lack of comment on the Gazette's information.

Update 2: The Post's Katherine Shaver, who has done consistently strong reporting on WSSC, has more.

Press Release
For Immediate Release: June 18, 2009

Leggett, Johnson Recommend New General Manager for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson today announced their recommendation of Jerry N. Johnson to serve as the new Chief Executive Officer/General Manager of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC).

Johnson is currently General Manager of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (WASA), a position he has held since 1997. He is nationally known as a turnaround specialist. As the first General Manager of a newly created water and sewer authority, he guided it from an unrated agency, with a projected $8 million deficit, to one with an A+ credit rating and $170 million reserve in just two years. In addition to being responsible for the day-to-day operations, planning and management of the authority, he developed and recommended long-range capital programs, financial programs and special projects to the Board, then oversaw
their implementation.

WASA provides drinking water and wastewater treatment to more than half a million residential, commercial and local governmental customers in the District and collects and treats wastewater for 1.6 million WSSC customers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland and for Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. The authority also operates the 150-acre Blue Plains Water Treatment Plant, the largest advanced treatment plant in the world.

Before his career at WASA, Johnson was employed by the City of Richmond for nearly two decades, serving in various capacities. From 1991 to 1997, he was Deputy City Manager for Operations. He also served as Director of Public Utilities and was responsible for four utility operations -- gas, electric, water and wastewater – providing service to the metropolitan Richmond area.

”I am very pleased that Jerry Johnson has agreed to serve in this important role,” Johnson said. “His extensive experience and background with wastewater treatment and management and his knowledge of our region makes him the best choice for General Manager.”

“Jerry Johnson’s extensive experience with utilities, especially with water and wastewater treatment, makes him the ideal person for this position,” Leggett said. “He also has the added advantage of knowing the WSSC service area and could hit the ground running.”

Johnson has an A.S. degree in Business Administration from Ferrum College, a B.S. in Urban Affairs and Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He also completed the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local
Government at the JFK School of Government at Harvard.

The WSSC is the eighth largest water and wastewater utility in the country, providing water and sewer services to nearly 1.8 million residents of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. The agency operates and maintains nearly 5,500 miles of freshwater pipe lines and more than 5,300 miles of sewer main lines.

Challenger Announces Exploratory Committee for District 20 Delegate

Elihu Eli El, a 39-year-old Takoma Park resident, has announced his formation of an exploratory committee for a run at District 20 Delegate. El is a computer programmer, an instructor in the U.S. Army Reserve, a former member of the Teamsters and an active member of the District 20 Democratic Caucus.

Delegate Tom Hucker (D-20) is not loved by the other three members of his delegation. One source of unhappiness was his distribution of the "Hucker Ballot" last November. Could a newcomer like El benefit from tension among the incumbents and squeak through? Don't laugh - Gareth Murray did just that back in 2002 (although he benefited mightily from incumbent Dana Dembrow's domestic violence difficulties).

Following is El's announcement email.

FRIENDS OF ELI
Dear Friend,

This movement will be built by ordinary citizens from the bottom up. We need your donation in order to get this campaign up and running. We don't want this to end before it really gets started. This process has been a real human experience -- there's a strong community that's emerging here among our supporters. However, this recession has hit our families unexpectedly. Most supporters are visiting the website and donating $20 or less. You may also elect to make a small recurring amount by checking the "Make my selection a recurring payment" checkbox. I know what I'm asking is hard. I know that politics and politicians have disappointed you so many times before, to the point where sometimes it seems easier just to tune out and walk away. But what you have to remember is that when you walk away, the same old politics wins every time. That's what all the people who benefit from politics as a game are counting on. That's why we need you. That's why I can't do this alone:

1. Go to: http://www.friendsofeli.com/
2. Click on "enter" or "FRIENDS OF ELI"
3. Click on the "online donation system" menu selection item
If Prompted:
Click on the Active X bar, if displayed.
Repeat steps 2 and 3.

Congratulations...you are about to make history.

It's a feeling that's bigger than the excitement of a typical political campaign. It's the feeling of a movement. And that movement isn't just here in Maryland. It's in every state, as shown by the record number of people getting involved. We're just a few thousand donors shy of getting our campaign off the ground and you owning a piece of this campaign. Make your first donation of $5 now. We're also working together to change the broken political process that requires candidates to spend so much of their time raising money as opposed to focusing on issue advocacy.

That potential to revive that feeling of community and connection is why we decided to do this. We knew there was an opportunity to change politics, to make it about hope and a shared passion for our common future. And we knew that other people who feel the same way would come back into the process or decide to participate for the first time. We're closer to something historic than anyone ever imagined we could be. It's the culmination of talking and listening and building the kind of organization that engages people.

I hope you understand how much of a difference it makes to raise this money in a different way. Rather you are a family member, friend, or professional contact, I am proud that you are a part of this.

Yours sincerely,
Eli

Organizing for Healthcare, Part One

By Marc Korman.

Harking back to his community organizer roots, President Obama has transitioned his presidential campaign, Obama for America, into an activist group, Organizing for America. Their work is just getting started in Montgomery County.

Organizing for America exists under the auspices of the Democratic National Committee. Jason Waskey, who served as Campaign Director of Obama’s Maryland operation, is moving over to the DNC where he will serve as State Director for DNC-OFA. Every Congressional district in the country will have a volunteer liaison working with DNC-OFA. In Montgomery County, the 8th Congressional District liaison is Jon Randall, who worked tirelessly at the Bethesda Obama Office. Curtis Valentine is the liaison for the 4th Congressional District. He was an Obama fellow who worked in Prince George’s County during the general election.

A little outreach bye OFA began earlier in the year in support of President Obama’s budget proposal. But their real debut came in early June when house parties were held all around the country in support of healthcare reform, one of the Obama Administration’s top domestic priorities. After a weekend of house parties around Montgomery County, OFA held an event at the new Montgomery County Education Association headquarters.

The event had over sixty people in attendance, including State Senator Jennie Forehand, Delegate Kumar Barve, and State Senate candidate Cheryl Kagan. The purpose of the event was to build excitement for healthcare reform, including preparing for a day of healthcare service on June 27th, and presumably to activate a grassroots army of supporters to promote reform.

At the event, attendees heard about President Obama’s vision for healthcare reform, including his three priorities of lower costs, freedom to choose doctors and healthcare plans, and full coverage for all Americans. Karen McManus from Congressman Van Hollen’s office also spoke, encouraging people to contact his office with thoughts or ideas on the plan.

Following the speeches, the room broke into four smaller groups. Each group had two purposes. First, participants shared personal stories from their lives that demonstrated to them that healthcare reform was needed. Second, attendees brainstormed ideas for a healthcare service activity. Some ideas in the group I sat in were to hold a healthy barbecue, bring health professionals to a specific community to provide services, offer educational services, or conduct activities to lobby for healthcare reform. OFA is still finalizing its plans for the service day, but when they become available we will post them here.

That tells you the who, what, when, where and why of the event. Next time, we will take a look at some of the underlying tension at the meeting.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

What ACT is Not Telling You About Rich Madaleno

Action Committee for Transit (ACT) and a blogger who sits on its board have launched a double-barreled attack on Senator Rich Madaleno (D-18) alleging that he is anti-transit and only wants to build toll lanes for the wealthy. Are they right?

On June 5, ACT released a statement accusing Madaleno of “opposition to new bus rapid transit and light rail lines.” Greater Greater Washington blogger Cavan Wilk followed with a post mimicking the statement on which he failed to disclose that he is an ACT Board Member. In addition, ACT and Wilk accuse Madaleno of supporting $800 million high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on I-95 north of Baltimore “to subsidize rich people’s commutes.”

ACT’s antipathy for Senator Madaleno is understandable given that he opposes the Purple Line. Your author disagrees with Madaleno’s position on that project. We believe light rail is the best option for the Purple Line and that the O’Malley administration will select it. If ACT and Wilk merely said that Madaleno opposes the Purple Line (as they did today), we would have no argument with them.

But they went further, saying he opposes all BRT and light rail projects and supports HOT lanes on I-95. Let’s deal with the latter issue first. The Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) controls all toll facilities in the state. MdTA and MDOT decide which, if any, toll projects are built. The legislature rarely votes on any individual projects and has not voted on HOT lanes for I-95. Madaleno has not introduced any legislation on the subject. ACT and Wilk have no evidence from Madaleno’s record as a legislator to support their allegation. Furthermore, even if Madaleno did support HOT lanes, that would not make him an enemy of transit. To the extent that HOT lanes are financed by the tolls they generate, they do not threaten other transportation projects.

The evidence cited by ACT and Wilk that Madaleno opposes all BRT and light rail projects is this excerpt from his testimony on the Purple Line last fall:

Quite frankly, the state does not have the resources to pay for any of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or Light Rail Transit (LRT) options. Over the past decade, the only major new construction projects the state has moved forward with have been funded primarily with toll-backed revenue bonds. There are no alternative funding mechanisms available for this project. As a member of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, I feel confident in reporting that no new revenue options appear politically feasible in the foreseeable future.

Senator Madaleno never said that he opposes all BRT or light rail projects. He merely said the state does not currently have the money for them. That is a fact. Senator Ed DeGrange (D-32), Chairman of the Senate Capital Budget Subcommittee, told Maryland Commons this week, “I do not see any growth in revenue for transportation in the near future and we may see further declines and budget reductions.” Your author has bludgeoned the Lords of Annapolis for not sufficiently funding transportation again and again and again and again and again with NO aid from ACT or Cavan Wilk. Where were they when the O’Malley administration cut transportation funding by $1.1 billion last fall? This blog criticized the administration twice for it while ACT and Wilk did not utter a peep. Instead, Wilk actually praised the Governor for supporting the Purple Line six weeks after his administration cut the project’s financing by 19% (and cut money for the Corridor Cities Transitway by nearly half). Why do ACT and Wilk leave O’Malley alone while slamming Senator Madaleno, who had nothing to do with these cuts?

ACT is essentially criticizing Madaleno for telling the truth about the state’s sorry performance on transportation funding. If we bash our politicians for telling the truth, they will only be encouraged to lie.

Let’s examine Senator Madaleno’s actual record on transportation. Following is a list of the pro-transit and pro-transportation bills Rich Madaleno has sponsored over his years in the General Assembly. For whatever reason, ACT and Cavan Wilk have either not compiled or not released this record.

HB 1157 2003: Constitutional amendment to prevent raids on the Transportation Trust Fund.

HB 981 2006: Creates a mass transit account within the Transportation Trust Fund.

HB 1345 2006: Requires MDOT to study operating and capital funding needs for transit.

SB 31 2007 Special session: Raises the gas tax by 5 cents.

SB 461 2007: Requires MDOT to issue transit passes to training organizations for low-income people. Became law.

SB 444 2009: Requires the Maryland Transit Administration to study adding a new MARC station near the Walter Reed annex in Forest Glen. Lead sponsor.

SB 722 2009: Raises the gas tax by 5 cents. Lead and only sponsor.

SB 273 2009, SB 276 2009 and SB 280 2009: Governor O’Malley’s smart growth package. Became law.

SB 539 2009: Sets goal for reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 2036.

Senator Madaleno also wrote a blog post on gas tax indexing and said this after his election as Chairman of the Montgomery Senate Delegation:

Finally, I plan to lead the delegation in a discussion concerning the future of transportation funding in our state and region. The last year has highlighted the growing volatility in the revenue sources that support the transportation trust fund. While we may not agree on every project, we need to explore new ways to provide financial stability to the trust fund and to ensure that we have the resources to meet our significant transportation infrastructure needs.

So let’s see. If Senator Madaleno had his way, the state would have a constitutional amendment to protect the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) from raids. The TTF would have a separate account reserved for mass transit and MDOT would have a solid cost estimate for transit needs across the state. The gas tax would be raised and indexed for inflation, thus providing more funds for all manner of transportation projects. Forest Glen Seminary would have a new MARC station and the state would set a goal for reducing VMT by 2036. Few state legislators, if any, can match this record. But Action Committee for Transit and Cavan Wilk do not reveal any of this and would have us believe that Madaleno is anti-transit. Good grief!

Here’s a tip for starry-eyed transit advocates: pragmatism pays. Senator Madaleno disagrees with us on the Purple Line. He won’t change his mind and we won’t change ours. But he is the Chairman of Montgomery’s Senate Delegation and he can be a powerful ally on transportation funding.

ACT and its followers have a choice. They can work with legislators like Madaleno on raising more money for transportation, without which the Purple Line will never be built. Or they can post sloppy propaganda, engage in fruitless battles and watch transit projects sink into penniless oblivion. We hope they choose the former option.

Disclosure: The author is Treasurer of the District 18 Democratic Team, which includes Senator Rich Madaleno.

Politicians Must Act on WSSC

Crack, crack, crack. That’s the sound of pipes breaking in Derwood, Potomac and Temple Hills. And what sound has come from the politicians charged with fixing the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s problems? With the exception of Senate President Mike Miller, we have heard very little sound at all.

WSSC has two related problems that stem from a common cause. First, it cannot select a new general manager, a position that has been vacant for more than a year. The nominee agreed on by County Executives Ike Leggett and Jack Johnson looks doomed because of accusations of racial bias in his last job. Second, WSSC’s Commissioners cannot agree on a capital fee schedule to accelerate replacement of its aging pipes. The agency’s paralysis continues despite the fact that WSSC’s former general manager warned in 2007 that catastrophic pipe failures could explode “like a missile.” Federal stimulus money contributed a measly $8 million to WSSC’s backlog.

The root cause of these issues is WSSC’s Board of Commissioners, which has three members each from Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Of the Prince George’s Commissioners, all appointed by Jack Johnson, one is a budget manager with no utility experience, one is a contractor who has worked on WSSC contracts and one is a repeated political candidate who has made a career of alleging racism at the agency and runs up big expense tabs. All are obsessed with minority contracting, and at one point they held a 12-hour meeting dominated by that issue in the aftermath of a pipe break.

As long as WSSC’s Board deadlocks, there can be no agreement on a general manager or a capital replacement fee. It’s just that simple. Leggett’s preferred approach of cooperation with Johnson has not paid off. Consider Johnson’s recent statement about the two County Executives’ general manager nominee to the Gazette: “I don't support [him] and I don't not support [him]. I just think there are some issues that need to be resolved.” How exactly can Leggett cooperate with an individual with that style of “leadership?”

WSSC cannot be restructured without state legislation. The Montgomery and Prince George’s delegations considered several proposals heading into Annapolis for the 2009 general session, including a bill to add a rotating municipal member to the Board and a bill requiring at least one vote from each county for a Board motion to pass. Both bills failed. The General Assembly did pass bills calling for whistleblower protection and more financial oversight - good ideas that do nothing to change the Board’s structure. Neither will help WSSC hire a new general manager or fix its pipes. Only Mike Miller is threatening action.

But the failure on WSSC does not belong to the state legislature alone. The Montgomery County Council complained loudly about the agency last winter but they never developed a common position on structural reform to send to the county’s statehouse delegation. County Executive Leggett still maintains that cooperation is the way out despite voluminous evidence to the contrary. And Governor Martin O’Malley, who made saving Prince George’s County’s hospital system a priority, has been completely absent from the WSSC debate.

So what will happen the next time a giant pipe breaks and homes and businesses dry up? All of the politicians will point fingers at each other. And you know what? They will all be right.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Big Daddy Spanks Jack Johnson Over WSSC (Updated)

Senate President Mike Miller is getting fed up with the problems at WSSC. Following is a letter he wrote to Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson (referenced by the Post) in which he calls for "quick and decisive action" and "a WSSC that is ethical and competent."

Miller has long been concerned about WSSC. In 2005, he called turmoil at the agency a "cancer" and said, "Public confidence in the ability of this board to govern is nonexistent." Judging by the contemptuous reaction of Johnson's staff, Miller may have to take direct action to fix the agency. And if Big Daddy is serious, we will be cheering him on every step of the way.

Update: Miller offers more in the Gazette, including this beauty: "In another year we'll have another county executive and, hopefully, a better working relationship between the county executives and the commissioners." Youch!

June 15, 2009

The Honorable Jack Johnson
Office of the County Executive
County Administration Building
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

Dear County Executive Johnson:

I am writing to express my grave concerns and frustration as to the level of total incompetence at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (“WSSC”). As you know, in Prince George’s County, we are surrounded by the Patuxent River, the Potomac River, numerous tributaries of these rivers, and the accompanying watersheds that flow directly into these very environmentally sensitive areas.

Given the importance of these areas, it was truly beyond belief that, on May 11, 2009, 30,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into a direct tributary of the Potomac River, the Piscataway Creek. Incredibly, on June 4, 2009, another 30,500 gallons of raw sewages spilled directly into the Piscataway Creek. This means that in less than one month, over 60,000 gallons of raw sewage has been allowed to pour directly into Piscataway Creek. This is not only incomprehensible, it is unacceptable.

I believe one of the most critical roles of government officials is to serve as stewards of our environment. The health and safety of our citizens depends upon our ability to protect the air and the water quality in the county. Additionally, it is not fair or equitable for one county to be allowed to have raw sewage polluting the rivers and tributaries that go beyond its own borders.

These recent events confirm that the WSSC has sunk to levels of incompetence that we should all be embarrassed to see. The needs have been well documented and yet WSSC Commissioners representing our County have sat idly by, while pipe after pipe has burst. Now, during the worst recession we have seen since the Great Depression, they raise rates by 9%. This rate increase coincides with public disclosure of thousands of dollars of ratepayer funds being used by WSSC members to pay for things such as political and charitable events. All during a time when there still is no General Manager of the Agency. Given this information, why on earth should we or the citizens of this County believe that they need the rate increase or even know how to address these serious issues with additional funds?

It is far past time for a massive overhaul of this agency. We cannot simply shrug our shoulders and accept delays and excuses for things such as raw sewage flowing into sensitive environmental areas again and again. I would, therefore, formally call upon you to act in your official oversight roles to take the reigns of this situation.

The first step must be the expeditious appointment of a General Manager, who possesses the sufficient credentials and expertise to take over the agency and resolve these issues immediately. Next, the County Council should call for hearings and demand a comprehensive plan for an effective resolution of these matters, as soon as possible. The use of ratepayer funds for questionable activities by WSSC members should also be reviewed. If these issues cannot be addressed at the local level by the time the General Assembly convenes in January, State legislators cannot in good conscience allow things to continue as they have been.

I look forward to your decisive and quick action and am willing to assist you in these efforts in any manner possible. Thank you for your consideration of my concerns and I would further ask that you please advise me as soon as possible as to actions the County plans to take in this matter. The citizens of our County deserve a healthy environment in which to live and raise their families and they deserve a WSSC that is ethical and competent.

Sincerely,

Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.
TVMM/vlg

cc: Prince George’s County Council

Saqib Stokes Senate Speculation (Updated)

We just love Delegate Saqib Ali (D-39). Just a couple hours after we posted "Ten Random Questions," which included the commonly-heard rumor that he might challenge Senator Nancy King, Delegate Ali linked to the post from his Facebook page. He told his 1,800+ Facebook friends, "Saqib Ali just read speculation that he'd run for State Senate. Wow... Just wow. Apparently it's 'the rumor that refuses 2 die.'"

At the moment, 39% of this blog's traffic consists of direct entries to the "Ten Random Questions" post. Most of them are coming from Delegate Ali's Facebook page and that guarantees a good day for this blog. All of you politicians out there should heed the example of Saqib Ali, a blogger's best friend!

Update: Now Robin Ficker is encouraging Delegate Ali to run for Senate. No folks, I am not making this up.

Ten Random Questions

Here are ten random questions we – and the spies – have been asking.

1. Will progressives find someone to run against Rona Kramer?
Senator Rona Kramer (D-14) is the bane of the left, having an even worse labor and environmental record than her brother, Delegate Ben Kramer (D-19). And Rona had no coattails for Ben, pulling in only three of sixteen precincts in her district for his County Council race. But the left has not yet found a plausible candidate to take her out. If they do – watch out!

2. Will Saqib Ali challenge Nancy King?
Delegate Saqib Ali (D-39) reported a cash balance of $87,423.54 in January 2009 – higher than any other Delegate except Susan Lee (D-16) and more than double District 39 Senator Nancy King ($40,217.23). Ali competed with King for the Senate appointment and criticized her months after she won, leading to speculation of a contest ever since. If Ali does challenge King, it endangers any chance of an incumbent slate and may make District 39 Delegate Kirill Reznik vulnerable. This rumor refuses to die.

3. How many open seats will there be in District 19?
Most observers believe Delegate Hank Heller will retire. Delegate Ben Kramer has made it clear that he would rather be on the County Council. So how many Delegate seats will be open? If there is more than one, how many people will come out of the woodwork to grab one? As if this is not enough, we hear Senator Mike Lenett may draw an opponent.

4. Once Jim Smith runs for Comptroller, what will MoCo Dems do?
Comptroller Pete Franchot may be the most hated man in Annapolis, but he is a statewide incumbent from Montgomery County. On the other hand, once Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith finally announces his challenge, there could be pressure from friends of Franchot targets Martin O’Malley and Mike “Big Daddy” Miller to support Smith. That will put many members of the Montgomery delegation – especially those from Franchot’s home base in District 20 – in a tight spot.

5. When will the state make its decision on the Purple Line?
Last fall, the Maryland Transit Administration released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement listing eight options for the Purple Line: no-build, maintenance of existing bus service, three options for Bus Rapid Transit (with one of them on Jones Bridge Road) and three for light rail. We expected the state to make its decision by now and begin the federal review process. Which option will they pick? And why are they taking so long?

6. What is happening at the Washington Post?
Change is coming to the Post, but not in a good way. The organization is undergoing its fourth buyout since 2003 and Greater Greater Washington has written that at least one local reporter is leaving. The Post ombudsman is already warning of a drop in coverage quality. Montgomery County reporters Ann Marimow and Miranda Spivack together produce only about three articles a week. (A blog with that little output would struggle to hold its readership.) If either of them takes a buyout, the impact on local coverage would be devastating.

Meanwhile, one of the county’s politicians recently asked us, “So, did anything come of the Post editorial story, or did they arrogantly ignore it like the lazy monopolists they are?” Unfortunately, the Post continues to employ an intern to write its editorials despite conduct that would have gotten him fired anywhere else. One of his latest MoCo editorials saying, “Maryland bureaucrats think they know best about Montgomery County school funding,” mimicked the county’s press release on the state School Board waiver, which said, “This is a classic example of state bureaucrats second-guessing an agreement reached on the local level by Montgomery County and the Montgomery County Public Schools to fully fund County school programs.” We deserve better.

7. What will happen to the fifth floor?
The County Council has two kinds of staff: political and merit. Political staffers (on the sixth floor) work directly for individual Council Members. Merit staffers (on the fifth floor) are technical experts in their subject areas who perform policy work for multiple members and often last over several councils. While some of the political staffers are excellent - and some are not - much of the institutional knowledge of the place resides with the merit staff. And the best of them are approaching retirement age in the next few years, including Staff Director Steve Farber, Deputy Staff Director Glenn Orlin (known as “the tenth Council Member”) and Senior Legislative Attorney Mike Faden. If all of them retire at the same time and are not replaced by top-notch people, Rockville will go down the tubes.

8. How tough will Ike Leggett be at the bargaining table?
We all know that County Executive Ike Leggett wants to run for re-election as a fiscal conservative. Later this year, he will get his chance to prove his conservatism because five of the six public employee union contracts (all except the Fire Fighters) will come up for bargaining prior to their expiration. Leggett’s team will handle the negotiations with the police and MCGEO directly. While Superintendent of Schools Jerry Weast will bargain with the three education unions, Leggett will have some influence over that process because of his ability to recommend funding levels for the education budget. So will Leggett be a tough bargainer? Few of our spies expect that. If he is not, then he will be leaving it to the council to decide whether to fund any cost-of-living increases. That will be a tough argument to have in an election year with another multi-hundred-million dollar budget deficit looming over Rockville.

9. Who will build momentum in the Prince George’s County Executive race?
Right now, we see three credible candidates in the hunt: former Delegate Rushern Baker (D-22B), who nearly defeated term-limited incumbent Jack Johnson in 2006, Senator C. Anthony Muse (D-26) and State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey. A few months ago, we picked Ivey as the early leader, partially because Baker’s and Muse’s finances were in terrible shape. But there is a long time to go in this race. Montgomery County residents have a lot at stake here because Prince George’s dysfunction often spills over the border, especially with regards to WSSC. Most of our spies with an opinion favor Ivey, with one calling the dropoff between him and the other Prince George’s politicians “huge.”

10. When will the At-Large challengers announce?
We have received an awful lot of traffic on our Whispers of the At-Large Race series. We are hearing that we have missed a couple prospective candidates and we may have to revisit them. In the meantime, only two at-large hopefuls have websites up: Jane De Winter and Guled Kassim.

We cannot stress to the challengers how difficult this race will be. All four incumbents are running again. The county is a huge and expensive place in which to run. Money is tough to raise. Whoever jumps out first and shows some game will have an edge in generating buzz, lobbying for endorsements and getting some backing. There is no reason why any plausible candidate would want to cede these advantages to his or her rivals. So we are looking for some action soon.

Lordy, people, that is enough trouble-making for one day!

Monday, June 15, 2009

George Leventhal Hires Dan Reed

Just Up the Pike's Dan Reed has announced his hire by County Council Member George Leventhal. There is precedent for a MoCo blogger to get such a plum job: Mike Raia, who wrote Outside the Beltway, was snatched up by Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown as Deputy Press Secretary in 2007. (He has since been promoted to Press Secretary.) Mike ended his blog but Dan intends to keep JUTP going.

Leventhal is getting one of the best local writers in the county. Dan is getting access to one of the brainiest, and funniest, politicians in the state. Here's hoping the arrangement works out for both of them.

Montgomery Teachers Under Stress

By Eric Luedtke.

This spring, educators in Montgomery County and across the state participated in the TELL Survey, which sought to gauge the opinions of Maryland's teaching workforce on a broad variety of issues. The results are, frankly, fascinating. They paint a picture of the teaching workforce in Montgomery County in which many teachers are stressed by an increasing workload and unhappy with not being included in district and school level decision-making. Most surprisingly for a school system which prides itself on being among the best in the state, our system does not compare favorably with other parts of the state. And I need to be clear - this is not just an issue for teachers and their union leadership. It's an issue for everyone who cares about our schools. As I've pointed out on MPW before, the issues of workload and inclusive decision-making are profound factors in our ability to recruit and retain the best teachers. Just as importantly, any one with a child in school will tell you that they want them in a classroom with a relaxed, well-planned teacher, not one who is stressed and distracted by bureaucratic minutiae and who doen't have time to do their job right.

In the results that follow, results are shown for both Montgomery County and the state as a whole. The results of our county skew the statewide results, of course, so the reality is that the difference between our responses and responses in other jurisdictions may be larger than they first appear. Numbers aside, compared to the state as a whole, Montgomery teachers are less likely to report that:

- they have reasonable class sizes
- they have enough instructional time to meet the needs of all students
- school leadership consistently enforces rules
- teachers are involved in decision-making in the district
- teachers are trusted to make sound decisions about instruction
- there is an effective process for making group decisions in their school
- their school leadership facilitates an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect
- teachers feel comfortable raising concerns in their school
- school leadership makes an effort to address concerns about conduct and learning

Perhaps more damning for a school system which prides itself on collaboration with employees, only 38% of teachers think they have an appropriate say in decision-making in their schools and only 19% think that about the school system as a whole.

These results are alarming. We know that the most successful school reform models across the country have placed a high premium on professionalism and the inclusion of teachers in decision-making. We know that reasonable workloads and empowerment are key to keeping good teachers in our classrooms. We know from a University of Pennsylvania researcher that when staff have more say in their schools, it not only decreases staff turnover but drastically reduces problems between teachers and students.

And yet, Montgomery County is underperforming the state. If nothing else, this proves again that addressing workload and school leadership issues will be key to continuing the improvements we've seen in student performance in MCPS. The system and teachers have a golden opportunity to chart a new course during the coming contract negotiations, if only we have the will to take advantage of it.

Right-Wing Business Group Gives High Marks to Rona Kramer and Jennie Forehand

Maryland Business for a Responsible Government (MBRG), a business advocacy group that seldom has anything nice to say about Montgomery County state legislators, has made a partial exception for two of them: Senators Rona Kramer (D-14) and Jennie Forehand (D-17).

MBRG’s membership roster includes some of the biggest businesses in the state, as well as some of the most anti-union (Miller and Long, the Associated Builders and Contractors Chesapeake Chapter and Wal-Mart). Even one of our business sources describes them as “really right wing.” They recently issued a 2009 score card that ranked Senators on 11 votes and Delegates on 9 votes. Some of the bills MBRG criticized legislators for supporting were Delegate Roger Manno’s shift breaks bill, a bill making it easier for employment discrimination victims to claim back pay, a bill that instituted a very weak effort to crack down on employee misclassification and a bill expanding family and medical leave for employees. In MBRG’s opinion, a vote to help workers is a vote against business.

MBRG gives an award to legislators scoring at least 70% on its priorities. Only one Montgomery legislator met that standard this year: Senator Rona Kramer (D-14). MBRG credited her on the following votes:

Voting against a bill that would have restricted transfers of rental units covered by federal housing assistance.

Voting against a bill that would have cracked down on fraud against the state health department.

Voting against a bill that would have tightened requirements on lead paint testing and mitigation on owners of residential properties.

Voting against an amendment to a bill that would have limited credits to employers on some workers compensation claims.

Voting against a bill by Senator Jamie Raskin (D-20) that would have imposed a stormwater user charge that would have funded stormwater management activities.

Voting for an amendment to the workers misclassification bill that weakened penalties for tax-cheating employers.

Voting against the Preakness bill, which authorized the state to condemn and purchase the Preakness.

Kramer’s lifetime cumulative score from MBRG is 62% - 22 points higher than the next-best lifetime scorers in Montgomery (Senators Rob Garagiola and Jennie Forehand).

Forehand received a 59% score this year. She voted with Rona Kramer on the rental unit transfer bill, the lead paint bill, the workers compensation credit amendment, the stormwater user charge, and the weakening of misclassification penalties. She also voted against a bill that would have reinstituted partial electricity reregulation.

Here are the scores for the rest of the Montgomery Delegation:

40%: Senator Rob Garagiola (D-15), Delegates Ana Sol Gutierrez (D-18), Kirill Reznik (D-39)
33%: Delegate Luiz Simmons (D-17), Jeff Waldstreicher (D-18), Ben Kramer (D-19)
30%: Senator Nancy King (D-39), Delegate Heather Mizeur (D-20)
25%: Delegates Herman Taylor (D-14), Charles Barkley (D-39), Roger Manno (D-19)
20%: Delegates Anne Kaiser (D-14), Karen Montgomery (D-14), Craig Rice (D-15), Bill Bronrott (D-16), Bill Frick (D-16), Kumar Barve (D-17), Jim Gilchrist (D-17), Al Carr (D-18), Henry Heller (D-19), Sheila Hixson (D-20), Tom Hucker (D-20), Saqib Ali (D-39)
18%: Senator Brian Frosh (D-16)
17%: Delegate Kathleen Dumais (D-15), Susan Lee (D-16)
13%: Delegate Brian Feldman (D-15)
0%: Senators Rich Madaleno (D-18), Mike Lenett (D-19), Jamie Raskin (D-20)

Sunday, June 14, 2009

On Political Pulse

Ken Ulman, the 35 year old County Executive from Howard County will be on the "Political Pulse" TV Show on Channel 16 TV in Montgomery County.

County Executive Ulman is a rising star in the Maryland Democratic Party and there are already published reports that he might run for statewide office in 2014 when he would be term limited as County Executive. Mr. Ulman addressed that subject during the interview and he talked about some of the other future possible candidates for higher office in Maryland, like Anthony Brown and Doug Gansler.

Other subjects that were discussed include Howard County's new health care initiative which is receiving some national attention, how Howard County is doing in these tough budget times and Mr. Ulman's hands-on approach to government.

Political Pulse now airs 6 times a week and the Ulman interview will air on Channel 16 TV:

Tuesday, June 16th at 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 17th at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 18th at 9:00 p.m.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 19th, 20th and 21st) at 6 p.m.

New Legislation in MoCo

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Post Ombudsman Warns of Quality Drop

In a must-read essay, Washington Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander gathers confidential feedback from Post reporters about their ongoing financial difficulties and buyouts and reports their consensus: quality will drop. We have already seen this and it looks like it is about to get worse.

County Report: June 12

Friday, June 12, 2009

Whispers of the At-Large Race, Part Five

In our final part, we examine the last three potential at-large contenders.

Hans Riemer, Silver Spring

Riemer moved into Montgomery County in December 2004 and ran unsuccessfully for the County Council District 5 seat in 2006. He has lots of experience as a national political activist, working against George W. Bush’s social security privatization plan, running Rock the Vote and working for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign as his national youth director. He currently works for AARP.

Riemer has a number of important strengths. He was a maniacal door-knocker in 2006, has a knack for making a good impression, has quickly developed a network of friends across the county (including your author, who supported him last time) and has participated in numerous political and advocacy campaigns. He raised over $130,000 for his last council race and that was before he went to work for Obama. His weakness is that he does not have a long history of activism in the county. His service on Action Committee for Transit’s board was interrupted by his employment with Obama. Still, Hans Riemer will be a major contender for an at-large seat because of his progressive background, campaign experience and ability to raise money.

Spy: Can’t see him winning, but he is politically immersed and was gracious after losing to Valerie Ervin. He would be a dark horse candidate. I believe he will run.

Spy: He is someone that can be a progressive consensus builder in Rockville.

Spy: Hans also works for the AARP so he should be able to deliver credible messages to the “Obama Generation” as well as Seniors. He will have to work against the potential “Downcounty” heaviness on the Council (Marc, Valerie, Nancy, Hans and George). To do this, he’ll have to work hard to prove to the UpCounty folks that he can represent them too and that he’s able to relate to their concerns. He is a good fundraiser and will be able to fundraise a lot of money, which is necessary for an At-Large bid, and if done early, could scare some others out of the race. He would be an asset to the council as a new, young voice in contrast to the status quo.

Spy: Young - experienced, smart and multi-ethnic appeal as his wife is minority. Cute child. Said to be exploring a run as an at large candidate. Ran against Valerie and is rumored to be supported by her for the at large spot. Don't know his politics or his alliances. With experience in Rock the Vote, AARP and the Obama campaign - could be a formidable candidate especially if he can still draw on some of that West Coast money.

Spy: I think Hans will be a strong candidate. You can’t even count the number of friends this guy has made over the last few years. A talented, fresh face to shake up an underwhelming council. While he lost in 2006 his campaign was quite well run and this is the type of guy who learns from experience. Of all the names, only Hans seems strikingly different than the same-old tired list of Council candidates. He’s a proven money-raiser and knows how to campaign. He’d be appealing to new, younger voters and senior citizens alike, and is well positioned to be the strongest voice on sustainability issues.

Spy: Smart and likeable. Could be a dark horse. Claims to have the ability to mobilize young voters - but didn’t do so when he ran against Valerie Ervin in the 2006 District 5 primary.

Spy: Hans Riemer would be a great at-large candidate, who could bring in younger, progressive Democrats and minorities. His run (and loss) in the District 5 Council race a couple of years ago was good preparation for a second try, and I think it’s a sign of his political talent that he and Valerie seem to have a good relationship now.

Spy: He’s been planning to run since he lost. He is much more established than he was a few years ago and is a logical additional vote for the Floreen/Ervin/Knapp/Leventhal side of the council. He has the organizational know-how to run countywide and can raise the money.

Spy: Hans Riemer is one of the more frequently mentioned serious at-large candidates. Though Valerie Ervin handily defeated him, Riemer seems to have smartened from the loss and has built strategic alliances since then. The key fact in his favor is that he raised a large wad of cash for his first run for office, both proving that he can raise money and also that he must have built serious name recognition in D5 after having spent so much money there three years ago. Since branching out to serve on the brain trust of Obama for America, AARP and ACT, he should be a fundraising juggernaut compared to the other challengers. His youth also gives him both a fresh image and makes him harder to tie to the older battle-lines (ie: End Gridlock). Keep an eye on Hans Riemer. He is likely to gain the support of perhaps some incumbent councilmembers, as well as Obama volunteers, progressive activists, labor, business, and more.

Steve Silverman, Silver Spring

Prior to County Executive Ike Leggett’s hire of Silverman as his new Director of Economic Development, a possible comeback by the former at-large Council Member was one of the hottest rumors in the county. That was probably part of the reason why Leggett brought him in. Few people believe that Silverman will run again now. But what happens if he figures out that Leggett will not give him the resources he needs to do his job?

Spy: Can’t see him doing that, but he does burn to win and loves wielding power. Enough with the retreads. Let’s develop a new bench.

Spy: This rumor doesn’t pass the credibility smell test. No way in hell he’s going to trade in his cozy $180,000 County job for the right to go back to the Council and make 50% less. “Been there, done that” saying certainly applies here.

Spy: Steve Silverman is the other all-star (along with Becky Wagner) on your list. He is already getting rave reviews from inside and outside DED and he’s only been on the job a few weeks. He is “A-list” material, without a doubt, with a proven track record from his previous service on the Council and a practical, no-nonsense approach to local government that is focused more on results and helping people than ideology or political correctness. He would instantly be a leading candidate for any office in the County, if he wants to run in 2010. That is the only question. He knows how to get along with others, even those whose views differ from his, and the County would benefit from more true leaders, like Steve, at the helm right now in these very difficult times.

Spy: Steve is making much better money than Council Members. Been there, done that.

Spy: Not sure he would run, but if he did, he surely would round out the leadership team. This man is a leader. Steve is honest, practical, effective, and respected by residents, community groups, labor, business and other elected officials. Indeed, his former rival, Ike Leggett, has called on him to serve.

Spy: He burned too many bridges in his last campaign. Leggett is too smart to have brought him on if he thinks he would be a rival. He has been a state official, and tried for county exec, - wouldn't another run for at-large be a come down?

Spy: I’ve never heard of him as a potential candidate for council. I had heard rumors of him running if Leggett didn’t (a big rumor a few months ago), but hopefully he settles into his new post.

Spy: Interesting to think about Silverman returning to public life. Though I know many a person who now regrets supporting Leggett over Silverman, most of these are knowledgeable political operators. They mostly voted for Leggett because they thought he was more liberal, but now find him to be either an incompetent manager or an intentional waffler. They do not outnumber the much larger group of primary voters who (fairly or unfairly) drank the Kool Aid and started believing Silverman was the devil in developer’s clothing waiting to plow over the Ag Reserve. It is sort of sad, actually, as Silverman seems like a nice guy and Ike seems more like a weasel every day. In any case, Silverman would hurt George Leventhal’s re-election prospects. But, is he really going to run for office after picking up the high-profile post he just accepted?

Spy: Has a much better job now as Economic Development Director. The big surprise would be if he decides the Leggett administration is dysfunctional, resigns and runs for County Executive against Leggett!

Becky Wagner, Bethesda

Wagner has been the Executive Director of Interfaith Works (formerly Community Ministry), one of the county’s most prominent charities, for about ten years. She is one of the biggest names in the county’s non-profit community and is well known by both the political class and the business world. She was named a 2008 Washingtonian of the Year by the magazine of the same name.

Wagner has never run for office before but she did work as an aide to Senator Paul Sarbanes. As a successful non-profit executive, she should know how to raise money. Her organization’s mission of helping homeless people and the working poor should give her plenty of credibility with progressives. Her biggest potential problem is her opposition to the county’s living wage law, part of an effort by non-profits to successfully exempt themselves from the law that ultimately passed. Wagner is a heavyweight contender for an at-large seat.

Spy: Becky Wagner is the standout among the early names surfacing so far. She is the real deal, a true, proven, visionary leader with deep roots and incredibly broad support in the community. She has dedicated most of her life to making the community we live in a better place, especially for those less fortunate, and she is a good manager who knows how to run a tight ship. She has earned lasting respect and admiration from everyone who has ever gone through Leadership Montgomery, run a local business, had any interaction with Community Ministries or dozens of other major non-profit organizations she has helped in the County, or basically anyone who has ever met her. She is the kind of serious, dedicated community leader (and I use the term “leader” deliberately here) who you’d hope in your wildest dreams might be persuaded to run for public office one day. She is on everyone’s “A-list” and would be a huge asset to Montgomery County as a member of the Council. Just let me know when she launches her campaign committee and where to send the check. As leaders go, it doesn’t get any better than Becky Wagner.

Spy: Runs a very professional, respected non profit. Has political experience working for former Sen. Sarbanes. Can’t see her having the patience for the B.S. required for running and serving as an at-large council member in Montgomery. However, if she does, she could be a very strong candidate. Already has a built in network with her non-profit and has a track record of serving others.

Spy: She knows the non-profit worlds but is there money there for her campaign? Does she have her feet on the ground and is she grounded enough to hit the trail running? I have my doubts - and do not see her on the circuits, nor have I heard her speaking forcefully on any cause that could rally the faithful.

Spy: Becky Wagner is the new Jane De Winter, meaning people are floating her name quite a bit right now as a potential serious at-large challenger. Unfortunately, she suffers from the same problems as Jane De Winter - no name recognition, no demonstrated fundraising ability, and nothing particularly exciting or different about her, except that she is a woman whose name is not Duchy Trachtenburg. This seems like a real long-shot, even with incumbent support. Putting gender aside, the fundamentals of her candidacy are little different than that of Chris Paladino, who has no chance.

Spy: I know a lot of people who will drop everything to support Becky Wagner… I see Hans and Becky as the only two on your list who will be able to excite people enough that they will open up their checkbooks to give generous contributions.

Spy: The strongest possible non-incumbent (other than Silverman). Wide reach across the county, strong base in the religious and non-profit communities, impressive fundraising potential. Excellent speaking skills and knowledge of the issues. If I were an incumbent at-large member, I’d be very worried about Becky. She needs to make amends with labor for her opposition to the living wage legislation years ago, which she should be able to do, given labor's antipathy to Trachtenberg and desire to back a winner in 2010.

Final comment:
At the moment, we see Becky Wagner, Hans Riemer and Jane De Winter as the most likely and viable at-large challengers. But it’s still very early. Each of them needs to start running hard, raising money and gaining visibility SOON. Whoever slacks off will fall behind in the early contest for surrogates, endorsements and the critical Apple Ballot. And don’t forget that all four incumbents are in the race. So, to all the candidates, we say this – start showing us some hustle and run!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

District 39 Town Hall Meeting

Following is the announcement from Senator Nancy King (D-39).

Senator Nancy J. King
Invites you to join her and
Delegates Charles Barkley, Saqib Ali and Kirill Reznik
For District 39's
Annual Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

North Creek Community Center
20125 Arrowhead Road
Montgomery Village, MD

7:00 PM

2009 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
Followed by Questions and Answers

We look forward to seeing you there!

House Majority Leader: Pagnucco Should "Burn in Hell"

Blog-weary Delegate Kumar "Bad Boy" Barve (D-17), fatigued from Kindle, Twitter, Facebook and all online communications, is cutting loose against your author. I know some people hate our blog but this is ridiculous!

Leland Community Center to be Renamed for Jane Lawton

Following is the press release from the county.

Contact: Bonnie Ayers, 240-777-6507

LELAND COMMUNTY CENTER TO BE RENAMED IN MEMORY OF FORMER DELEGATE JANE LAWTON

Leggett joins local officials, friends, family members, community residents for ceremony

Sunday, June 14
2:15 -3 p.m. – Speakers, Presentations
3 p.m. – Unveiling of signs, Dedication of memorial tree
3:15 - 4 p.m. -- Reception
4301 Willow Lane,
Chevy Chase

The Leland Community Center will be renamed in memory of former Delegate (and Chevy Chase mayor) Jane Lawton who died in November 2007 following a presentation to a telecommunications symposium in Washington, DC.

Former Chevy Chase Mayor Mier Wolf will serve as master of ceremonies. Participating in the ceremony will be: County Executive Isiah Leggett, County Council President Phil Andrews, Congressman Chris Van Hollen, State Senator Rich Madaleno, Montgomery County Parks Director Mary Bradford, Pat Baptiste, friend of Ms. Lawton and Stephanie Lawton, her daughter.

# # #

Whispers of the At-Large Race, Part Four

Here are four more actual, potential, or improbable at-large candidates.

Guled Kassim, Silver Spring

Kassim is a Somali immigrant who grew up in Kemp Mill, served in the Marines and became a real estate settlement officer. He is young, good-looking, polite and shows up at a lot of events. In 2006, he ran for Delegate in District 19. Despite being on a slate with incumbent Hank Heller and successful candidate Ben Kramer, Kassim finished eighth of eight candidates in the Democratic primary. Unlike many candidates who lost last time, he has stayed active in politics. His active support of Kramer in the 2009 special election will not play well among progressives. Given his last-place finish in a Delegate race, it is hard to imagine him being a top-tier contender at-large. He has a campaign website up but it does not mention the office he is seeking.

Spy: A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Continental African, Guled could energize the rainbow coalition that helped Nancy Navarro win in District 4. He would need to overcome anti-Muslim prejudice, which he is easily likeable enough to do if he campaigns hard, especially in the Jewish community.

Spy: Guled Kassim had a dismal performance as a D19 delegate. I can say with complete confidence that he has no chance as an at-large candidate, unless he were to mysteriously come across $300,000. Guled's only hope at public office would have been had he been appointed to replace Ben Kramer in Annapolis. Some had speculated such a deal had been made, but with Kramer’s loss, that door has shut.

Spy: Nice kid, better suited for District 19 than at-large Council.

Ben Kramer, Derwood

Delegate Ben Kramer (D-19) came within 63 votes of becoming the new District 4 County Council Member. No one knows for sure whether he will run for re-election as a Delegate, challenge Nancy Navarro, run at-large or not run at all. He never conceded to Navarro and never endorsed her against Robin Ficker, facts that have not escaped the notice of other politicians and activists around the county. Kramer’s capacity for more self-funding is a mystery given that he has loaned his campaigns a total of $220,450 – money that has not been paid back.

Spy: He would certainly have the money (although, I can’t imagine it’s easy for him to spend all of his own money and never fundraise), but I just don’t think he’s that likeable. He is aloof and comes across as if he thinks he’s better than everyone (I think he does, and that he’s smarter than everyone). Not to mention that he talks about himself in the 3rd person! As your research has pointed out, the General Election electorate is not his base and he’d have a tough time with such a crowded field.

Spy: How much is he willing to invest this time?

Spy: Could he self-finance an at large council campaign? Would he have broad appeal - would he work hard for it? Where is his support group? Does he think he is safe in Annapolis? Guess I have more questions than answers here.

Spy: This just doesn’t make any sense. He was the favorite in an open race special election and lost in many of the places where the Kramer brand should be at its strongest. So he’s going to run against incumbents across the whole county?

Spy: May want another go... but I think he would rather take on Navarro again in District 4.

Spy: Will he run on the Trachtenberg slate? Politics makes strange bedfellows. Easy to imagine him winning the Gazette and Post endorsements as a candidate who wants to “run government like a business” but then losing the Democratic primary.

Spy: The only person that comes close to former Delegate Robin Ficker’s record of unsuccessful bids for public office is Ben Kramer. His track record as a candidate has been awful. In this most recent run, Kramer faced his ideal voting population: older, whiter, more affluent, more Jewish. If he can’t win a council seat under those circumstances, he never will. But this raises a more obvious point. Why so many people (including Ben Kramer himself) thought he would easily win the D4 special election is beyond me, but I hope this last campaign puts the fabled Kramer mystique to rest for good. Perhaps a pleasant side-effect from this could be that Rona Kramer faces a strong challenge in 2010.

Spy: Ben Kramer is damaged goods and shouldn’t even try it.

Cary Lamari, Silver Spring

Lamari is a former President of the Montgomery County Civic Federation and is one of the most prominent and knowledgeable civic activists in the county. He finished eleventh of thirteen at-large candidates in 2006 and ran third in the 2009 District 4 special election Democratic primary. Lamari’s biggest problem is money. In the 2009 District 4 special primary, he was outspent 9-1 by both Nancy Navarro and Ben Kramer. That election, which was limited to an area containing Lamari’s best friends and supporters (including many long-time allies in Leisure World) was probably his best chance to win office.

Spy: Cary Lamari has zero chance of winning an at-large seat. The Civic Federation/civic activist population makes up no more than 5-10% of the Democratic Primary population, and that is on a good day. Lamari may think he can pull off a Marc Elrich-like victory built on multiple runs for the Council, but Elrich has something that Lamari does not. Elrich has traditionally been considered a progressive activist IN ADDITION to being a civic activist. In the 2006 primary that carried Elrich to office, there was a clear progressive wave in the primary that was aided by high-profile, head-to-head primary battles up-ticket. With no such action in 2010 AND the fact that Lamari is not very progressive, he stands no chance. Elrich himself might be in danger of losing his seat and would be foolish to slate up with Lamari.

Spy: Nice guy, but please. The voters have spoken. Replace the battery on your hearing aid and listen to what the voters are saying.

Spy: If Lamari runs for Council At-Large, he will likely take votes away from Elrich (who gets backing from the civics, as well). This would not be good for Marc because he’s going to see some names missing in his supporter list in 2010 that were with him in 2006. Lamari does not have the fundraising capability to raise the money necessary for an at-large bid; he barely had enough for the district race.

Spy: Gaining maturity and stature. If he energizes civic activists to get out and work hard for him, he could pull off an Elrich-like surprise - perhaps at Elrich’s expense.

Spy: Three times a charm? More likely three times and he’s out. Lamari tends to know more than anyone about the county issues during debates, but something about him puts people off and it shows in his election results.

Spy: Cary’s strength is with his neighborhood and with the civics - it did not carry him that far in 2006 when he ran at large. I do not think he can finance an at large race - his campaign was underfunded this time and he came in a poor third on his turf. He may well run as he has inferred that - but I would guess he might again try the District 4 race. He also has thrown his hat in for the last two times for the planning board and that went nowhere. He may well win the Stassen label.

Spy: Will run again. This time at-large. He will lose really big time.

Chris Paladino, Silver Spring

Former Red Cross executive Chris Paladino withdrew from the District 4 race before it started due to family health issues. Paladino really believed he could win and our informants tell us he was ready to sink lots of his own money into the race. But we never got a chance to see him in action as a candidate. His fundraising, issue knowledge, people skills, work ethic and campaign savvy were never tested in the heat of battle. He may challenge Navarro in District 4, run at-large or not run at all.

Spy: Same problem as he would have had in the Special – people don’t know who he is and he’s going to get lost in the crowd. He may be able to fundraise, but he’s not a politician and he didn’t have any campaign plan (or intention of hiring staff) for the Special. He’d really need to hire someone qualified, but still, it’s a longshot.

Spy: For five minutes during the special election, Paladino was on everyone’s mind. But he has no political experience and a countywide race requires it. Either that, or a much bigger bank account.

Spy: Yeah right. Paladino is rumored to have $75,000 in self-financing available, but that is a drop in the bucket for a no-name, unestablished candidate in an at-large race. He’ll need many times more than that. Plus, with some of the other names floating around, he stands no chance. The most important question is will any of the incumbents slate up with him. The answer will undoubtedly be no.

Spy: A Knapp wanna-be without any union support. He sees himself as an entrepreneur and thinks everyone else can do it. Not compassionate despite his Red Cross background; had hoped to get the Praisner endorsement and have that propel him into office. Not aligned with any major interest group unless it might be the Chamber - (which was said to have been poised to support him last time - aligned somehow I’ve heard with Cheryl Kagan - more to learn there). Not curious nor charismatic. Does not understand the multi-layered strata of county politics. Can self finance to over $100,000, so he may be in if he senses an opening. At large - doubt it because he has not ventured out across the county yet. Son is in private school which may hurt him.

Spy: Non-entity with little $ and less familiarity. He is totally unprepared and has even less knowledge. No experience in civic matters. A complete unknown and totally unprepared. They'll make mincemeat of him in a forum or debate.

Spy: Unknown to voters and opinion-makers. Will have trouble raising sufficient money.

We will finish tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Ilaya Hopkins for Planning Board

I have no hesitation in suggesting that the County Council should appoint Ilaya Rome Hopkins to the Planning Board. She'd be an outstanding addition and bring valuable skills to the Board.

No question about it, the Planning Board is one of the toughest jobs in Montgomery County. Yet it also among the most important. Here are some of the reasons that I think Ilaya would be an excellent Board member:

Knowledge and Organization. Ilaya has been intimately involved in the Planning process on a number of occasions but particularly in the BRAC/Medical Center process. One of the most complex and quick changes to Montgomery County, Ilaya mastered to material and as is one of the few people I know who really understands what is going on. She has an M.A. in International Relations and is used to working with big organizations from USIA to the Navy. In short, she always knows her brief.

Community. I live in a municipality which brings a lot of institutional advantages. Ilaya organizes a civic association which cannot rely on staff or taxes to help out. Nevertheless, she has made the East Bethesda Civic Association an effective advocate for her community. She has done this even though the neighborhood often has diverse and conflicting interests. No mean feat.

Listening and Respect. Anyone who has been an elected official knows that you need to spend more time hearing from people than talking. This is especially true on the Planning Board where one spends about one minute talking for every hundred minutes of listening to others. Ilaya not only understands how to listen but is actually good at hearing people. She can hear all sides and help bring people together. Knowing how to disagree without being disagreeable is a rare skill and especially useful in Planning.

Independence, Integrity, and Judgment. One might assume that I always agree with Ilaya though that's not the case. She thinks through the issues carefully and independently and forms her own opinion, having listened to all views and the evidence. I don't think I've met many people with the ability to take their own stand and defend it well. Equally important, she knows how to respect the professionals who work for the Board yet also ask the tough questions. Even when I don't agree with Ilaya, I have to respect her opinion and the thought behind it. The Planning Board Staff and County residents will value her approach.

In sum, with no denigration meant to other candidates, the Council can't go wrong if it appoints Ilaya. Will she make mistakes? Yeah, sure. We all do. I also think hers is a rare talent it'd be a shame to miss.

MCDCC Picks New District 18 Member

Following is the press release from the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.

Gabriel Albornoz Elected to Democratic Central Committee

The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee met on Tuesday, June 12, 2009, and elected Gabriel L. Albornoz of Kensington, as a Member from Legislative District 18. The vacancy is the result of Member Oscar Ramirez moving out of District 18. District 18 encompasses Kensington and parts of Chevy Chase and Silver Spring.

Gabriel L. Albornoz (Gabe) has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland and a Master in Business Administration degree from Johns Hopkins University. Albornoz is currently Director of the Department of Recreation, Montgomery County. Earlier he was in managerial positions with the Children's Hospital Foundation, Children's National Medical Center, Latin American Youth Center and the Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers.

Before the vote, Gabe assured the Central Committee that there would be no conflict between his County and Committee roles.

Albornoz may be reached at 301-530-2811 (h), 301-651-1054 (c) or galborno1976@yahoo.com.

Extended biography and photograph available on request.

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Feldman, Lee Re-Elected as Leaders of MoCo House Delegation

Following is the press release from the Montgomery County Delegation.

NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sara Hartman, 301-858-3018

Feldman Re-elected Chair and Lee Re-elected Vice Chair of the Montgomery County House Delegation

ROCKVILLE , MD , June 10, 2009 -- The Montgomery County House Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly unanimously re-elected Delegate Brian J. Feldman (D-15) as its Chair to serve a third year and re-elected Delegate Susan C. Lee (D-16) to serve a fourth year as Vice Chair at the Delegation’s annual organizational meeting yesterday evening.

Now serving in his second term in the House of Delegates, Delegate Feldman currently chairs the House Subcommittee on Banking, Economic Development, Science & Technology and is the House Chair of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Technology Oversight. He is also a member of the House Economic Matters Committee.

Outside of the General Assembly, Delegate Feldman is a practicing attorney with a Washington D.C. law firm and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. He lives in Potomac with his wife and two children.

Delegate Lee has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2002. She is a Deputy Majority Whip and a member of the House Judiciary Committee where she also serves as chair of the Juvenile Law Subcommittee. Additionally, Delegate Lee holds the position of 1st Vice President for the Women Legislators of Maryland and she is a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures Communications, Financial Services & Interstate Commerce Committee. Delegate Lee is Of Counsel to a Washington D.C. law firm and lives in Bethesda with her husband.

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Whispers of the At-Large Race, Part Three

Today we will begin looking at rumored candidates for the at-large race. Some are actual candidates, some are potential candidates and others probably will not run. We examine them in three parts, all in alphabetical order, and supplement our remarks with comments from our all-seeing spy network.

Jane De Winter, Kensington

De Winter is the former President of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations. She has been a civic and education activist in the county for over a decade. Her position with the PTAs gives her access to other education activists throughout the county, a thorough understanding of one of the county’s premier political issues and an acquaintance with the school unions (including the ever-critical MCEA).

De Winter has not run for office before, has not contributed to other state or county candidates and is not known to be affiliated with one wing or the other on the existing council. Her advantages are intelligence and experience. Her fundraising capability is a question. De Winter is running now, with an appearance at Valerie Ervin’s recent fundraiser and an early version of a campaign website online.

Spy: Jane will have an advantage of name recognition county-wide, at least with the PTAs, which will help her some. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from UPenn and could really be an asset on the council as someone who truly understands the economic impact of decisions (and looks at things through this lens). She could really help on the MFP Committee, as well.

Spy: She is off and running and is lining up the MCEA folks - she hopes. She kicked off in February with an exploratory committee. Does not have the repartee needed nor the easy way with a crowd - but her PTA experience and Rolodex could well pay off.

Spy: I don’t know her personally, but she has made no secret of her desire to run. She has been attending D16 events, the Spring Ball, etc. She is ready to go.

Spy: Could also be a strong contender if she sharpens her message and targets one or two specific incumbents and their records. Will be very competitive for the Apple Ballot endorsement.

Spy: Jane De Winter generated some buzz earlier this year, when her name was floating around. That seems to have died down and most political insiders have moved on. She has no name recognition, no known fundraising prowess, and unless she can muscle together some support from incumbents, she will have little chance. The Apple Ballot could provide a lifeline, but it will likely be unavailable unless one of her other cons changes (ie: incumbent suport or money). A strong bid by Jane De Winter could, however, pose problems for other women running at-large.

Pete Fosselman, Kensington

Fosselman has been the Mayor of Kensington since 2006. He ran for Delegate in District 18 in 2002 and finished last of seven candidates in the Democratic primary. He is a principal of Rodgers Consulting and has owned more than one small business in Kensington.

Fosselman is a popular Mayor, has many friends (including your author) and is a major player in District 18. He would be a favorite for any open Senate or Delegate seat in the district. He is also one of a very small number of Montgomery politicians who backed Martin O’Malley for Governor when Doug Duncan was still running. His job at Rodgers and experience as a business owner could help him raise money from the business community. But the Town of Kensington, with its 768 households, is a very small base for an at-large campaign. Fosselman would need a lot of help to compete county-wide. He is not a confirmed candidate for any office other than his current one.

Spy: Nice guy, very approachable and would bring a mixture of common sense and pragmatism to the Council.

Spy: I would describe him as “universally liked and respected.” He has a great temperament for governance.

Spy: He shows up in many places - attended a forum on how to run a campaign in January; could be the first gay candidate for council - but I think he is more Delegate inclined. But what has been his showcase in Kensington - a hot bed of controversy? Street lights were the only thing I can think of - the Safeway and the flower pots on Connecticut - come on - what could he run on?

Spy: He has shown he can actually govern, but the last time he ran for anything larger than the Town of Kensington he came in last. Does a county wide campaign make sense? On a personal note, I really like the guy and he is a great supporter of the county party.

Spy: Pete is energetic, likeable, very popular in Kensington and could pull gay support away from Duchy Trachtenberg.

Spy: Would make a great Councilman. Unknown outside of Kensington. Can raise some $ but enough?. Works hard. In my very humble and unsophisticated opinion he could win but only with a lot of $ and work. I also don’t think the desire is there.

Spy: Pete Fosselman has been spotted around town more times than Elvis. This can only mean that he is at least considering running for another position. At-large council is what seems to come up the most. He definitely has going for him that he's photogenic and sometimes even mistaken for our Governor. Nevertheless, his name recognition is probably not high, and his fundraising prowess is not yet clear either. Most importantly, it is difficult to comment on Fosselman without knowing more about his politics and where he fits in the County political spectrum. Some consider him a protege of Sen. Madaleno, but the only evidence we've seen of this is his opposition to the Purple Line. Does he have backers on the Council? Not that I have heard, but let's wait and see.

Larry Giammo, Rockville

Giammo is the former Mayor of Rockville. We speculated last December that he might be running against District 3 County Council Member Phil Andrews. Since that time, we have heard very little about him. Giammo has been a longtime Independent who, along with Fosselman, supported O’Malley against Duncan. Mayors of Rockville tend to be big players in county politics, but Giammo’s silence indicates he may not be in the 2010 mix.

Spy: Never seemed content to just be Mayor of Rockville - I would guess he has a campaign in his future but he has been quiet since he left office; was never quiet in his disagreements with Duncan - could he be thinking about a county Exec run some time down the line? I don't see him anywhere - so if he is a candidate - he must be doing it in stealth mode.

Spy: Wasn’t Larry Giammo a Republican until recently? I have to believe that the days of party-switching opportunists easily winning seats might be over -- but only so long as his opponents are willing to raise that fact in a primary. If so, it would be a deal-breaker for many Democratic primary voters. The one thing that might save him from this is that it is unclear if people will use resources to call out a challenger on something like this. In any case, I thought Giammo was considering challenging Phil Andrews. If so, he might be more at home in that race, since Andrews seems to be imitating Republicans lately with his anti-collective bargaining, anti-early voting, fiscal conservative positions.

Spy: He is almost invisible outside of Rockville, where I think he is running his business.

Spy: Has support and necessary $ if he wants to raise it. I don’t think the desire is there but I for one will certainly urge him to jump in now that I know his name is in circulation.

Spy: Larry has to decide whether or not he is a Democrat. If he is not, he can’t get elected to the Montgomery County Council in 2010. If he re-registers as one, he needs to explain why he was registered Independent for so long. This will not be a trivial problem in a Democratic Primary. He has a strong base in Rockville and would be very competitive for the Gazette and Post endorsements.

More tomorrow!

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Organizing for America Announcement on Health Care

Following is a call for action from Organizing for America on health care.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Organizing for America, the former Obama for America operation, is holding a large health care meeting on Wednesday June 10 ay 7:30pm (doors open at 7pm). OFA is a part of the DNC, and is focused in furthering the President's agenda. We expect a fierce debate in Congress and the nation over health care. We want to organize around President Obama’s three principles: Reducing costs; Guaranteeing choice; Ensuring that all Americans have quality affordable health care.

We’ll talk about personal experiences that make health care reform important, review President Obama’s plan, how we can best support that plan, and local health care service events for the weekend of June 27. Dozens of these meetings have already been held throughout Maryland, and thousands nationwide. Join us at the last meeting for Montgomery County as we build towards a weekend of service on June 27.

Please join us on Wed. June 10 for this important health care meeting. (And please don't go to the old meeting place!) We'll also update everyone on OFA's mission and organization. Refreshments available.

Date: Wednesday June 10
Time: Doors open 7 pm, Program starts promptly at 7:30 pm
Location: NEW LOCATION!! At the new MCEA (teachers’ union) headquarters:
12 Taft Court, Rockville MD 20850
Link for directions: http://www.mcea.nea.org/pdf/DIRECTIONSTOMCEA.pdf

(FYI: Taft Court is off of East Gude Drive, near where East Gude meets Norbeck Road; the old location where Obama meetings were held before the election was on West Gude Drive, on the other side of Rockville Pike).

(In case of extreme weather: if MCPS evening school activities are cancelled, this meeting will be cancelled.)

PLEASE RSVP HERE http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpclfj OR TO mcforobama@gmail.com

Whispers of the At-Large Race, Part Two

Believe it or not, the County Council at-large race is almost upon us. And of course we have the inside scoop on the incumbents, the prospective challengers and their chances. But there are a number of factors that influence the outcome of any race. Here are the questions we are asking in assessing what 2010 will look like.

1. Who can raise enough money?
A successful at-large campaign will require a full-time campaign manager, a combination of paid and volunteer staff, disciplined use of a voter tracking database, multiple mailings and other ads, a press operation and multi-media outreach (including to blogs!). All of that will take money – lots of it. Our political consultant sources tell us that just one county-wide mailing could cost up to $50,000. We are advising at-large challengers that they must have $100,000 in the bank by January 2010 in order to be taken seriously by the county’s power brokers and should plan on spending $300,000 by the end of the campaign. There are a very limited number of contenders who can raise that kind of money on their own.

2. Will there be any slates?
At the moment, there are no slates. But that may change by next year. There are three good reasons to form slates: mutual protection, knocking off enemies and money. The escalating cost of campaigning is making that third reason especially important since slates can do joint advertising. We may see incumbents – possibly together with one or more challengers – forming at least one slate even if they have to hold their noses to do it. And the creation of one slate may very well stimulate the creation of a rival slate. The current 5-4 split on the council (Nancy Navarro, Valerie Ervin, George Leventhal, Nancy Floreen and Mike Knapp vs. Phil Andrews, Marc Elrich, Duchy Trachtenberg and Roger Berliner) may offer a rough starting point here but nothing is guaranteed. Former County Executive Doug Duncan organized a slate in 2002 and used it evict his greatest adversary, incumbent at-large Council Member Blair Ewing. Would Ike Leggett participate in any slate?

3. What will the unions do?
Last time, the unions went their separate ways more than once. In the County Executive race, MCGEO endorsed Ike Leggett, SEIU supported Steve Silverman and MCEA stayed neutral. In the at-large race, the Police, Fire Fighters and SEIU supported Nancy Floreen but the other unions did not. Labor was relatively united in supporting George Leventhal, Marc Elrich and Duchy Trachtenberg, who non-coincidentally finished first, second and third in the at-large race.

This time, the public employee unions have a common priority: getting rid of Duchy Trachtenberg. They are split on whether to support Elrich, who rubbed some of them the wrong way in voting to hold up the FY 2009 budget because of his disagreement with the structure of the property tax increase. Moreover, the unions may have differing opinions on the challengers.

Labor is always at their best when they stick together. The Apple Ballot, union member canvassing, independent expenditures and PAC contributions are a powerful combination if employed in concert. If labor rallies around one or two at-large challengers, they will maximize their impact on the race.

4. Who can attract support from the business community?
Many activists have two misconceptions about the county’s business community: first, that they are monolithic, and second, that they care only about encouraging development and building the ICC. That is far too simplistic an analysis.

Developers will always contribute to county candidates because their livelihoods depend on land use. But the rest of the business community mirrors the diversity of the county. Check out the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. It includes representatives of multi-national corporations, real estate firms, law firms, hospitals, banks, IT firms, utilities and even the Gazette and Montgomery College. And there are countless more businesses – especially small businesses – who are members of the local chambers. Two issues unite most of these businesses: transportation and tax policy. Both apply to the state level as well as the county level. Candidates who hope to draw support from business outside of the development community must emphasize how they would successfully deal with these issues.

In 2002, the business community gave substantial support to Doug Duncan’s End Gridlock County Council slate. These days, the Chamber of Commerce is more focused on promoting transportation and pro-business tax policy than it is on promoting politicians. But business money can still be had, and a challenger probably will not be able to win without it.

5. What will be the hot issues?
Education, development and traffic are perpetual issues in Montgomery County. In 2006, a strong economy, crowded schools and congested roads gave slow-growth candidates the edge. Next year, job creation won’t look like such a bad thing. Ben Kramer and Nancy Navarro both prioritized it in the 2009 District 4 race and together grabbed 88% of the primary vote. But the sleeper issue may be crime. Will incumbents who supported cutbacks in the police department pay a price?

Dear readers, we will be seeking answers to all of these questions throughout primary day. But enough! Now we will proceed to what you really want to know. Besides the incumbents, who is running at-large? Who could run? Who has the best chance of winning? Who should avoid embarrassing themselves? Our spies tell all, starting tomorrow. Don’t miss it!

Monday, June 08, 2009

Earmarks

By Marc Korman.

Since January 2009, the US House and Senate have required their members to post their earmark requests on their websites. The links are collected here for the convenience of MPW’s readers.

Earmark requests come in the form of projects and programs. Projects are requests for targeted funding to specific legislative districts or states. For example, the $10 million funding request for the Purple Line by Congressman Van Hollen and others is a project request. Programs are funding for general activities by a government agency. For example, Congressman Bartlett’s $215 million request for Advanced Nurse Education.

Legislators ask for far more than they expect to receive, both in overall projects and the dollar amount of each request. Since legislators strategically ask for far more than they are expecting to receive, the request lists can appear excessive. A Baltimore Sun article declaring that Maryland legislators requested over $1 billion in funding makes good copy, but the amount they will eventually bring home is far less.

When reference is made to earmarks, it usually is to projects funded by the annual appropriations bills Congress passes each year to fund the federal government. However, there are a few other bills where earmarks are common and some legislators also list earmark requests for those even though the rules do not require it.

Barbara Mikulski-http://mikulski.senate.gov/Appropriations/FiscalYear2010/index.cfm

Ben Cardin-http://cardin.senate.gov/legislation/appropriations.cfm

Frank Kratovil-http://kratovil.house.gov/appropriations/

Dutch Ruppersberger-http://dutch.house.gov/approps.shtml

John Sarbanes-Unable to identify appropriations from website. Press reports indicate it is buried within a grants announcement page, but I could not identity it.

Donna Edwards-http://donnaedwards.house.gov/?sectionid=15§iontree=15&itemid=131

Steny Hoyer-http://hoyer.house.gov/issues/approps10.asp

Roscoe Bartlett-http://bartlett.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=4853

Elijah Cummings-http://www.house.gov/cummings/appropriations.shtml

Chris Van Hollen-http://vanhollen.house.gov/HoR/MD08/Legislation/Issues/FY10+Projects.htm

On Political Pulse

Montgomery County Council-Member Valerie Ervin (District 5) will be on the "Political Pulse" talk show on Tuesday June 9, 2009 at 9:30 p.m. and Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 9:00 p.m.

Political Pulse is on Channel 16 TV in Montgomery County.

Whispers of the At-Large Race, Part One

Just like the rest of you, we are finished with District 4 and ready to move on to the mother of all MoCo races: County Council at-large. Who’s running? Who may be running? Who could win? Who shouldn’t bother? We asked our immense spy network and boy, were they willing to dish it!

The County Council at-large race is fascinating for several reasons. First, it is the only race along with County Executive that covers the entire county. Not even Congressional candidates have to run in that much territory. Second, since there are four at-large County Council Members, voters can pick up to four candidates. The sort of conventional calculations of candidates taking votes away from each other don’t always work out the way they do in a one-seat race. The winning candidates often attract support from different groups in the county and can have vigorous disagreements after they take office. Third, the resources needed to run at-large draw in all of the county’s political factions: business, labor, civic activists, immigrants, municipal and state officials and more. Everybody gets sucked into the at-large race whether they want to be or not!

We believe all four incumbents are running for re-election. In February, we ranked their chances and have seen nothing to change our opinion since then.

George Leventhal

Leventhal finished first in the 2006 Democratic primary, had a greater cash balance than any other at-large incumbent and has been raising money ever since. He is supported by a broad coalition of business, labor, non-profit, immigrant and civic groups and increased his visibility by working to get Nancy Navarro elected. We still believe Leventhal will finish first in 2010.

Nancy Floreen

Floreen was left off the Apple Ballot in 2006 and finished fourth in the primary. Since then, she has rebuilt her ties to labor and has maintained her business base. She is raising money and also gave substantial aid to Navarro, which should give her additional support. Floreen is a dogged campaigner who should not be underestimated. We are picking her second.

Marc Elrich

Elrich finally won in his fifth County Council race as an Apple Ballot insurgent. His recipe for success combined his Downcounty base, labor support, civic support and backing from the slow-growth movement that was very active in 2006. Elrich has maintained his civic constituency but has not raised any money and has had ups and downs with labor. We believe he must pick up his fundraising and renew his ties with the public employee unions or he will face a challenging race for re-election. One complication for his finances is that he refuses all developer contributions.

Duchy Trachtenberg

Trachtenberg ran as a slow-growth, pro-labor progressive and rode the Apple Ballot to victory last time. She has five big problems. First, the slow-growth movement is not what it once was. Second, her labor record has probably burned away most of her union support. Third, she has not been raising money. Fourth, other than the GLBT community (which she helped as the champion of the transgender anti-discrimination law), no powerful faction in the county has an incentive to work hard for her re-election. Fifth, her hard work for Ben Kramer in the 2009 District 4 special election will not be forgotten by some progressives. She is the most vulnerable incumbent.

Incumbents usually don’t go down easy. But they do go down. In 2002, at-large Council Member Ike Leggett vacated his seat to become Chairman of the state Democratic Party. A ruthless onslaught by then-County Executive Doug Duncan and the business community ousted at-large incumbent Blair Ewing from office, producing two freshmen (Floreen and Leventhal). Four years later, at-large Council Member Steve Silverman left his seat to run unsuccessfully for County Executive. The slow-growth climate and MCEA’s decision to leave Floreen and incumbent Mike Subin off the Apple Ballot combined to again produce an incumbent loss (by Subin) and two freshmen (Elrich and Trachtenberg).

We believe that one or perhaps two at-large seats may turn over next year. And so we tapped our underground informant organization to evaluate the actual, potential and even the improbable challengers. But first we have a number of questions about important factors in the next race. We’ll ask those questions in Part Two.

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Preservation: Looking at Our Heritage and Our Future

By Sharon Dooley.

Growing up in New England, as I did, one becomes infused with history from an early age. In my community and others nearby there were constant reminders; as one drives from town to town, each town is announced with a sign noting when it was founded or incorporated. In my town just north of Boston the sign stated our founding in the 1630’s – that is right – close to 400 years ago. The stone Congregational Church (descendant of the Pilgrims) was built in the 1700’s; the oldest building in town dates back to the previous century. So when I see debates about Historic preservation – I understand the importance of retaining important memories from years and cultures long passed. Many who grew up in areas that had colonial settlements have had similar experiences.

The current debate in Montgomery County – so well described by Ann Marimow in the Post Metro section recently brings this conversation home to Montgomery County.

The question asked was: “ when is a building “just old” and when is it historic?” I might also ask is every old building salvageable? How many old barns do we need to preserve? Should we require a farmer to preserve a building that no longer has a use to him? All of these are important questions and need to be explored further when the council takes up Mike Knapp’s proposal to allow owners to walk away from historic preservation designation if they so wish. But as with many questions in Montgomery County – there are complexities that lie beneath the surface.

Over the years preservationists have saved many structures from destruction and have kept some unique buildings intact. Examples such as the Comsat Building in Clarksburg, the AFI Theatre in Silver Spring and Higgins Tavern in Olney are just a few of the prominent architectural types that dot our county and have had major campaigns to preserve and/or restore them. In Olney, an historic Spring House was discovered along Route 108; it was over grown with vines and weeds but was restored when a nearby building was constructed. (Here the owners revised their development plans in order to preserve the building.)

Some might say that the discussion should be ‘how many old barns should we save’ versus the ‘save every old thing’ crowd. Others might indicate the necessity to understand our heritage by showing where we have been is vital by using places to mark this history - the recent purchase by the Parks Department of Josiah Henson’s Cabin along Old Georgetown Road is an example. (Henson was notable as the slave on whom Uncle Tom’s Cabin was modeled and he and his family went on to prominence in later years.) Several of the most recent historic sites in the County are noted in this map that accompanied the article referenced above.

In my view – since once something is torn down, it cannot be restored, our community should always be cautious with irreplaceable architecture. We need to be able to have a heritage to leave to our following generations. In ancient Greece and Rome the crumbling public structures are maintained and honored by their communities; ours are not 2000 years old - does that mean we should do less? I think not. We need to be careful not to amend our heritage out of existence. We also must be careful not to harm property owners. When properties are designated historic, the owners receive advantages in their taxes since the property has an easement on it and that is considered to reduce its value. When properties are considered in a district other special considerations apply and restrict use and modifications to those in keeping with the area. Therefore some who have advantages in one manner should not be able to have subsequent owners say – “never mind- we are no longer historic.” What should happen if an historic tiny church wants to expand its footprint as the congregation has grown – how should this be accommodated? What should happen if someone wants to place a fast food enterprise in an historic zone – what should be the approved façade? These are all questions that require serious study and should be answered. I hope with the assistance of each of the County interests having a say; these matters can be adequately addressed in hearings.

The council, as Marimow described, is going to consider a bill on Monday that would weaken many current protections and might change historic designations significantly in the future. By requiring a super majority on the historic preservation commission to approve changes, two persons could stall future designations. It appears to me that we should look toward some compromises that might allow a bit of flexibility. If a people purchase property next to a current historic building, there should be some assurances that this is going to remain ‘undeveloped’, so to speak. If maintaining properties are financially difficult for some owners, then perhaps the county could provide some resources to reduce these hardships by means of training artisans who are skilled in the trades of the past. We could have a restoration job corps bank, or a collection of old boards and bricks to aid in maintenance. Owners could apply for grants to preserve upkeep. This, to me is better than the county producing what is in effect a license to tear down buildings that the owner no longer wants. By lowering the bar we reduce our ability to learn from the past; this is not in our collective interest as a community.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

County Report: June 5

Friday, June 05, 2009

Andres Teams Up with Delegate Al Carr to Bag Some Publicity

Check out the last item in this Gazette article. It's a hilarious - and successful - attempt by Delegate Al Carr and little Andres to promote Al's reusable bag bill. Since the District of Columbia is on the verge of passing a similar law, Al's bill (along with Andres) has a bright future. Andres and the whole family offer their thanks to Delegate Carr and Gazette reporter Sean Sedam.

Little Andres is all bagged up and ready to go!

At Least We Aren’t California, Part Three

By Marc Korman.

In Parts 1 and 2 we explored California’s flawed political structure and failed reform. Today, we will see what warning signs there might be for Montgomery County in California’s troubles.

Before delving into some of the disturbing parallels between California and Montgomery County, we should make clear that the two are quite different in their size, political structure, and problems. But that does not mean we cannot learn some lessons.

Leadership Vacuum
Unlike California, Montgomery County does not have term limits. But a series of retirements, electoral defeats, and deaths have left the County Council short on experience. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that each year the Council has a new President and Vice President. Just as sooner or later, every Californian will be Speaker of their Assembly, every Montgomery County resident will have a crack at Council President.

A change should not be rushed into, but the County should consider increasing the length of the Council President term to two or four years but still have the Council elect one of their own or convert it to an elected office where candidates could specifically run for Council President. A new leadership position could improve political stability and reduce Council infighting.

Flawed Political Systems
Until this past November, Montgomery County had a sensible charter limit on property taxes. It kept the rate low, but allowed seven of nine councilmembers to agree to raise rates above the limits if absolutely necessary. With such a small legislative body, it made sense to have such a high standard to pierce the limit. If voters did not think an increase justified, as one notable regular reader of Maryland Politics Watch would argue, they could make it an issue at the next election.

Unfortunately, the Ficker Amendment turned a sensible policy into a ticking fiscal time bomb. The Amendment to the charter which passed into law in 2008 requires nine out of nine members to agree before the charter limit is pierced. In fact, the Amendment specifically requires nine members, so if there is a vacancy during the budget process, as there was this year, it would be legally impossible for the Council to break the charter limit regardless of the need or popular support.

Rule by Initiative
And speaking of the Ficker Amendment, Republicans in Montgomery County seemed to have discovered their love for direct democracy by embracing ballot initiatives. Robin Ficker has been pursuing his policy agenda that way for years, but last year saw an attempt by some to petition the County’s transgender protections to the ballot with a fear mongering campaign. The ballot initiative was averted only due to a technicality. Complicated legal and political questions should not be dealt with that way. Done poorly, it could lead Montgomery County towards a California-style system where laws are a patchwork of poorly understood charter amendments and repealed statutes with no sensible structure and a complete lack of accountability by elected leaders.

Unlike California, the government in Montgomery County still works well. But seeing what institutional failings have brought California to the edge can serve as a cautionary tale for our county and other places throughout the country.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

WSSC Spills Raw Sewage into Piscataway Creek

PG Politics forwarded us this message about a raw sewage spill by WSSC into a Potomac River tributary. This raises an interesting question: how much pollution is WSSC creating in the Chesapeake Bay?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kelly Canavan
Date: Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Subject: [PrinceGeorges_Discussion] WSSC saved you a trip to Piscataway; put your foot in your toilet instead.
To:

The AMP Creeks Council
The Accokeek, Mattawoman, Piscataway Creeks Communities Council
301.237.5040
301.283.0263 fax
P. O. Box 477, Accokeek, MD 20607

Hello, Elected Representatives, and Friends of The AMP Creeks Council!

Today WSSC spilled 30,500 gallons of raw sewage into Piscataway Creek. (See photo below, taken next to Piscataway Wastewater Treatment Plant.)

On May 11, 2009, WSSC spilled 30,000 gallons of raw sewage into Piscataway Creek.

That's 60,500 gallons minimum so far this year.

In 2008, as documented by WSSC, a minimum total of 7,358,000 gallons of sewage overflowed into Broad Creek/Piscataway.

Since Prince George's County policy makes sustainable farming here nearly impossible anyway, lets cross our fingers and hope for a drought. If the County won't help put food on the table, I don't know if we can depend on them to keep feces out of the water. And when it rains in South County, it frequently pours from WSSC.

The spills were not into drinking water. They were into recreational water that fish swim in. Reconsider fishing in those waters, especially if you plan to eat the fish. Today may not be the day to take the boat out.

Please let us know if you can help tidy up down here.

Thank you, and stay dry!

Kelly Canavan

President, The AMP Creeks Council

Delegate Anne Kaiser's End of Session Letter

April 2009

Dear Neighbors and Friends --

It’s hard to believe how quickly time goes by! Another 90-day legislative session in Maryland is behind us. Again, I was proud to put our shared values into action by advocating for continued progress in public education, equality and fair tax policies.

Let’s get right to it. I’ll go over some of this session’s highlights -- especially the state’s budget, our efforts to repeal the death penalty and also enhance our education policies. I’ll also discuss how our District 14 communities fared as well.

But first, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank you once again for your trust. It has been my honor and privilege to try my best to foster a better quality of life for Marylanders by providing reasonable, responsive and responsible representation in the Maryland House of Delegates.

I believe the interests of our diverse communities are well represented, especially when Governor Martin O’Malley, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, House of Delegates Speaker Mike Busch, Senator Rona Kramer and Delegates Karen Montgomery and Herman Taylor and I work together on public policy issues.

As you may know, more than 100,000 people reside in District 14 -- which includes: Ashton, Brookeville, Brinklow, Burtonsville, Calverton, Cloverly, Colesville, Damascus, Laytonsville, Olney, Sandy Spring, and parts of Silver Spring and West Laurel.

Maryland’s Budget: the Great Balancing Act of 2009

Like so many residents in Maryland, our state budget has suffered during these trying economic times. Because of the drop in tax revenues, the governor and the legislature have worked to tighten Maryland’s belt and, unfortunately, close its pocketbook to many worthy programs.

This year’s budget marked the first time in 30 years where the governor and the legislature reduced the operating budget from the prior year. This is certainly very different from the 11 percent increase that marked the end of my first four years in the House of Delegates.

While we certainly made significant reductions to state government operations, we did not lay off hundreds of state employees or turn our backs on the progress we’ve made in education, the environment or health care as appeared probable early in the session.
We continued our commitment to invest in K-12 education, fund teacher pensions, and freeze tuition for the fourth year in a row to make Maryland’s public universities more affordable.

We used to have the sixth highest tuition rate -- but because of the tuition freezes, we’re down to 16th.

The legislature also prioritized funding for the environment by making it possible for the state to purchase additional open space land parcels and to continue the ongoing efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

Kudos to Governor O’Malley and his team for restoring fiscal responsibility in Annapolis while managing the state’s complicated fiscal matters during very difficult economic times.

President Obama’s American Reinvestment and Recovery Act

Mid-way through the 90-day session, Maryland’s budget forecast became slightly less bleak when President Obama announced that his stimulus package included nearly $2 billion for Maryland.

Because of these new federal funds coming to Maryland over the next two years, we should see more than 50,000 new jobs, improvements to our transportation system and an increase in food stamps for the needy.

High-Fives All Around… Maryland is Number ONE in Public Education

According to Education Week, Maryland now has the best public schools in the nation. The best! I am so proud of our state for this impressive accomplishment -- and you should be too -- especially since the legislature has been allocating so much taxpayer money to the public schools. Since 2007, we’ve invested more than $2 billion in education and school construction and it has obviously paid off.

I firmly believe our state’s willingness to fund both early education and college readiness programs are also crucial components of this success.

In addition, as chair of the Education Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee, I see the state’s ability to provide a quality education for every student as our single most important endeavor for the next ten years -- if not beyond. I was fortunate to have been selected for this leadership role in 2007 by House Speaker Michael Busch.

Growing and Learning as an Elected Official

As a subcommittee chair, I am sometimes called upon by Speaker Busch to explain the intent and predicted outcomes of particular education-related legislative proposals.

These explanations occur during full sessions of the House of Delegates -- when all 141 members are seated together in the chamber with the public looking on from the gallery. Some of these explanations are simple and take just a minute or two, while others require a great deal of preparation.

All in all, I think my ‘performance’ in this setting has improved tremendously over the last two sessions. My understanding of the issues is richer, my public speaking ability is stronger and my preparation is greater, thereby giving your needs and concerns a stronger, more resonant voice in Annapolis.

Statewide Progress on Social Issues of Interest

I believe the death penalty is unfair, unjust and unwise public policy. I do not trust the government to always be perfect at investigating crimes and prosecuting people. Often, convictions and death penalty sentences are overturned for a wide range of reasons.

While I was disappointed that the legislature refused to throw out the death penalty all together -- we did place mighty restrictions on the use of the death penalty by requiring a much higher standard of evidence before a judge can hand down a death sentence.

In regards to other issues, we passed legislation to make it more difficult for domestic violence perpetrators to get guns and easier for same-sex couples to inherit jointly owned homes.

Notable Changes and Enhancements to Maryland’s Public Education Policies

Specifically this session, the Education Subcommittee dealt with a range of issues, including early childhood education; increasing bargaining rights for support service employees in schools; child obesity and related health issues; and making education spending more transparent in Montgomery County schools.

In their own unique ways, each of these issues strengthens our public school system, and I was proud to play a role in moving these public policies forward.

I was also delighted to be the primary co-sponsor of Governor O’Malley’s bill to help reduce the education barriers that many children of military families face when they are forced to move to different states because their parents are carrying out their military duties and orders. A typical military family can move up to nine times in a 12-year period.

This measure first originated in 2007 when I was asked by Lt. Governor Brown and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sheila Hixson to attend a conference on public education and military families. Governor O’Malley will sign the bill in just a few short weeks and when enacted, it will require schools to be much more flexible and understanding when military children enroll from out-of-state.

Here….Data…Data…Data…Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are…

Let me be clear: good data is a cornerstone of good policy. There are no ifs ands or buts about that. Unfortunately, though, we don’t always have the data we need to make the best public policy decisions.

That’s why I introduced and passed two bills requiring the public school system to track key data to answer important questions in the near future: Do certain teacher training programs have greater impacts in the classroom? Are more minority students enrolling in and passing advanced placement courses?

One bill assigns an identification number to all teachers and the other creates a standardized course numbering system. These will ultimately expand the state's ability to measure student performance. Maryland has already gotten a $6.5 million federal grant because of these bills. And again, I was pleased to work with Governor O’Malley to pass them through both the House of Delegates and the State Senate.

Getting Our Heads Out of the Sand

It has always seemed odd to me that we penalize students if they come to school late or skip school all together by suspending them from school. While I certainly don’t want to encourage students to skip school -- I don’t believe it’s smart to punish them by making them miss even more school.

That’s why I introduced a measure prohibiting school principals from suspending or expelling a student from school solely for attendance-related offenses.

In addition, I also don’t understand why we withhold financial aid from students who take relatively small course loads. In these tough economic times, people need options for financing their higher education.

Many are working more hours for fewer dollars. I introduced legislation to allow financial aid officers in Maryland colleges and universities to offer aid to students who take 3-5 credits at a time. Some students are a few credits away from graduating but are forced to take fewer classes because of time and cost. Hopefully, this modest measure will help them get their respective degrees.

Notable Local Projects

Since the late 1800s, the Sharp Street United Methodist Church has worked extremely hard on behalf of the Sandy Spring community and will get a $50,000 matching grant from the state to build a new food pantry to better serve those in need in our community.

The Olney Boys and Girls Club provides sports and other programs for more than 7,000 children in our community. It also has a historic landmark on its property called Falling Green, so named by property owner Mary Briggs Brooke in 1824. The District 14 legislative team worked hard to get $150,000 to preserve this historic building and convert it into the organization’s office and caretaker residence.

And -- one of the jewels of our district -- the Olney Theatre will get $150,000 to expand their campus. I hope you have been able to take in a theatre production there -- they are really fabulous!

Also, on the home front, Montgomery County will be receiving at least $26 million for school construction. The Germantown Bioscience Center is slated to receive $32 million over the next two years, complementing the strong biotechnology presence in our county.

A Special Thanks to Artists and Community Groups

I am proud to decorate my Annapolis office with some of the districts finest points of interest, including the work of Miche Booz from Ashton and Donna McNeil from Damascus.

I also have images from the Trolley Museum, Olney Theatre, Olney Boys and Girls Club, the Sandy Spring Museum, Project Change and the Sandy Spring Slave Museum. If you happen to be in Annapolis, I welcome you to stop by my office and take a look at the great artwork.

In Closing...A New Hobby: Terrapin Pride

So…I was never a fan of women’s basketball… until just a few years ago when I started watching Coach Brenda Frese, point-guard Kristi Toliver and forward Marissa Coleman work their magic at the Comcast Center in College Park. It was such a joy to watch this special team win the ACC Tournament this year and advance to Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament.

I am hooked -- they are so fun to watch! Please let me know if you ever want to come with me to a game. The basketball season runs November through March (madness).

Again, it’s my absolute honor to represent our community. My success is completely dependent on your continued guidance, suggestions and support. Thank you for all of your visits, calls and e-mails.

Sincerely,

Anne R. Kaiser

P.S. -- I would love to come to one of your community meetings to discuss your issues of interest. Feel free to call me at 301-858-3036 if I can ever be of assistance. Here’s to a great summer filled with great barbequed food and terrific friends!

Editor's Note: Delegate Anne Kaiser has represented District 14 (Ashton, Brinklow, Brookeville, Burtonsville, Calverton, Cloverly, Colesville, Damascus, Fairland, Goshen, Laytonsville, Montgomery Village, Olney, Sandy Spring, Silver Spring, Spencerville and Sunshine) since 2002.

At Least We Aren’t California, Part Two

By Marc Korman.

In Part 1, we briefly looked at California’s current budget problems and some of the institutional barriers to any real change. In Part 2, we will look at California’s missed opportunity for reform. Then in Part 3 we will draw some parallels with Montgomery County.

In 2002, as Democrats went down in defeat all across the country, California’s unpopular Democratic Governor, Gray Davis, was reelected (Full disclosure, I spent approximately a year interning in Governor Davis’ office and volunteering on his campaign). At the time, California was going through severe budget problems exacerbated by the Internet bubble burst. Even before he was inaugurated for a second term, Davis’ opponents were circulating petitions to recall him. They would succeed in forcing a special election to decide the recall less than a year after Davis was reelected, largely thanks to the funding by wealthy GOP Congressman Darrell Issa.

The 2003 recall ballot was bifurcated. Question 1 asked California’s voters whether they wanted to recall Governor Davis. Regardless of their answer, voters could pick a replacement candidate in Question 2. 135 names would appear in the list of replacements.

The initial Democratic strategy was to encourage voters to vote no on Question 1 and leave Question 2 blank. For at least a week, party officials and Gray Davis tried to convince potential Democratic candidates to stay out of the race, most notably Dianne Feinstein. But the strategy collapsed when Insurance Commissioner John Garimendi, an elected office in California, filed for the ballot. A new strategy was quickly initiated, “No on Recall, Yes on Bustamante,” with the then Lieutenant Governor bumping the Insurance Commissioner out of the race and serving as the consensus Democratic candidate in case the recall succeeded.

Of course, the real notables in the field were not on the Democratic side. On the Republican side, Arnold Schwarzenegger jumped into the race, bumping aside 2002 Republican nominee Bill Simon, Congressman Issa, and former LA Mayor Richard Riordan. On Election Day, Davis was recalled and Schwarzenegger became governor.

Having beaten an establishment Democrat and a conservative Republican (Tom McClintock), Governor Schwarzenegger was positioned with his large personality to bring the state together. His first proposals were basically a rehash of Davis’ solutions to the immediate budget deficit, massive government bonds. But unlike Davis, the new Governor could sell the proposals to the public. He also began courting legislators of both parties, famously setting up a cigar smoking tent outside of the state house to woo them. Of course, it was not a golden age. Schwarzennager also reversed a car fee being used to help balance the budget, a decision he would later regret due to the cost, and spent a lot of time blaming his predecessor and the Democratic legislature for the state’s problems.

But instead of boldly pursuing bipartisan efforts with the Democrat dominated legislature and seeking fundamental reform to the way California does business, the Governor backed a package of four ballot initiatives in a special election in 2005 that managed to anger the Democratic legislators he needed and cause the voters to turn against him. The package included a proposition setting overall spending limits and altering California’s required education funding, an initiative to require independent redistricting of legislative and Congressional districts, an initiative to make it easier to fire teachers who have worked for between two and five years, and a proposal to limit political spending by public employee unions. All went down in defeat.

Some of these reforms might have been necessary, but they also favored the right wing and outraged the dominant left leaning interest groups in California. Had the Governor combined these efforts with some left leaning or moderate reforms, he might have gotten at least some passed. Instead, he spent the next year fighting for reelection and has been treading water since then. Governor Schwarzenneger is very popular at press conferences and Sunday morning talk shows, but the Democratic legislature ignores him and the California Republican Party does not even invite him to their statewide conventions.

The question for California is whether any of the prospective gubernatorial candidates for 2010, when Schwarzennger is term limited, can do any better. The question for Montgomery County is what can we learn from California’s turmoil? We will take a look in Part 3.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

At Least We Aren’t California, Part One

By Marc Korman.

At the last Montgomery County Young Democrats meeting, Councilmember Elrich was summarizing the County’s dire budget situation. One Young Democrat leader joked “at least we aren’t California.” Everyone laughed, but the thought of the comparison should give us brief pause. In Part 1, we will look at California’s institutional barriers to real reform that are deepening its budget crisis. In Part 2, we will discuss California’s missed chance of reform. Finally, in Part 3 we will examine some of the emerging comparisons between California and Montgomery County.

California and Montgomery County are both wealthier than most of their state or county peers. They are also both dominated by Democrats. Montgomery County’s elected leadership is entirely Democratic. California Democrats are not quite as dominant. The state’s governor is a nominal Republican, though what few friends in the legislature he has are on the Democratic side of the aisle. The state Senate has 26 Democrats and 14 Republicans. The Assembly has 51 Democrats and 29 Republicans.

Earlier in May, California voters (or at least the 28% or so who showed up to vote) rejected five of the six statewide propositions that were designed to save the state from its budget turmoil. California is facing an approximately $24 billion budget deficit. The package of initiatives that recently failed would have plugged most, though not all, of that hole through a combination of fund shifting and borrowing.

Although popular news stories are linking California’s problems to the general economic crisis, they are only tangentially related. It is true that California’s revenues have declined with the economy and California’s massive borrowing has gotten more difficult with the recession. But California was in trouble long before the housing bubble burst and the finance system collapsed.

Those on the left lay the blame for California’s woes at the feet of Proposition 13, the 1978 ballot initiative which capped property taxes at 1% of the property’s assessed value and limited increases in property taxes to 2% a year until there was a change of ownership. Those on the right blame California’s problems on its spending, which has grown quickly despite two major destabilizing California specific economic events in the past quarter century: the end of the Cold War which hurt the aerospace industry and the bursting of the Internet bubble which sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley.

But California’s current structural problems did not begin with the so-called tax revolution or the liberally spending elected leaders from Earl Warren to Arnold Schwarzenneger. Progressive Governor Hiram Johnson helped bring about the initiative, referendum, and recall in the state in the 1910s, firmly establishing California as a bastion of direct democracy. Since then, further statutory and constitutional changes have made California virtually ungovernable by elected leadership. Among the institutional barriers to reform are:

The 2/3 Budget Rule
In order to pass a budget, 2/3 of the legislature is required to vote in favor of it. Even the dominant Democrats have not been able to muster the type of numbers necessary and the partisan politics in Sacramento have prevented most legislators from crossing party lines. This has led to gridlock and brinkmanship during annual budget negotiations.

Overuse of the Ballot
California has a low standard to petition initiatives to the ballot, which can either be statutes or constitutional amendments. Constitutional amendments require an amount equal to 8% of registered voters who voted in the last gubernatorial election. Statutes, just 5%.

These low barriers to the ballot have led to major, complicated legislative packages being passed by the ballot box. The vast majority are bond and budget bills. As a result, California has a debt servicing level of 6% of its budget, compared to just 2% for Maryland. 85% of the state’s budget is controlled by state initiative, as opposed to legislative action. Meaning when it comes time to negotiate that budget requiring 2/3 of the legislature, they are really only negotiating around the edges.

Term Limits
California has strict term limits, holding Assembly members to three two year terms and State Senators to two four year terms. No state has shorter limits than California, though other states share the same length. These have led to three major problems:

1. Expertise in the legislature is almost entirely with the staff, not the elected officials. When I lived in California we had a joke, sooner or later every Californian would be Speaker of the California Assembly. That was because the Speaker would either be a new legislator who did not know what they were doing or a veteran legislature who was about to be term limited out. The job had a lot of turnover.

2. Elected officials care less about the long term effects of their action because they will not be in that office when problems arise.

3. Elected officials are constantly looking for their next political job, even more so than the usual politico. That means they are constantly playing to their base, raising money, and generally ignoring their actual work.

Recall
California famously recalled its sitting Governor in 2003, the second time in US history that has occurred. But recall efforts are being funded on a semi-regular basis to seek political vengeance. To get a recall on the ballot, supporters need to collect signatures equaling 12% of those who voted in that race in the last election. Most recall efforts do not get past the signature gathering stage, but that energy would be better served towards defeating candidates for reelection.

Next time, we will look at California’s missed chance at reform.

Duchy Trachtenberg’s Labor Record

Council Member Duchy Trachtenberg recently wrote to the Gazette protesting a flyer critical of her that was distributed by the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization (MCGEO) at the Montgomery County Democrats’ Spring Ball. The exchange between Ms. Trachtenberg and MCGEO may have been entertaining, but it is time to put aside the rhetoric and focus on the underlying issue: Ms. Trachtenberg’s labor record.

Consider the following:

1. When Council Members George Leventhal and Marc Elrich introduced a bill to require contracts for domestic workers Ms. Trachtenberg criticized it as providing “false promises” and said that education of workers was the answer. After the bill’s advocates pushed back, Ms. Trachtenberg eventually supported it.

2. In 2008, Ms. Trachtenberg proposed a two-point cost-of-living reduction for public employees at a time when the county could afford to abide by their contracts. She did not have enough votes to push the reduction through the council.

3. Last summer, the county’s Inspector General issued a report describing management oversight problems in the disability program. Ms. Trachtenberg and her colleague, Phil Andrews, responded with a bill that would have dictated collective bargaining outcomes even when that idea was never proposed by the report. In the end, only those items agreed to by the County Executive and the police union were approved by the council.

4. Prior to the 2009 District 4 primary, Ms. Trachtenberg did not support a proposal to allow early voting. That proposal would have aided working people with multiple jobs and long hours to vote on days other than Tuesday, including the weekend.

5. Ms. Trachtenberg twice opposed District 4 candidate Nancy Navarro, who was supported two years in a row by nearly the entire county’s labor movement. The candidates Ms. Trachtenberg backed instead were Don Praisner, who voted against prevailing wage, and Ben Kramer, who had the worst labor record of any Montgomery Delegate. Furthermore, Ms. Trachtenberg has employed Eric Hensal, who managed both campaigns opposing Navarro, as an advisor in seeking concessions from the unions.

6. Ms. Trachtenberg co-sponsored the Montgomery County prevailing wage law, which protected labor standards on county-owned construction projects. She deserves great credit for supporting that bill. (Disclosure: your author lobbied for it.) She also deserves credit for being a firm advocate of light rail on the Purple Line, a project that enjoys the support of a large coalition including labor.

Ms. Trachtenberg was understandably unhappy about MCGEO’s comparison of her to the infamous former Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI). Those are not the words of your author. We do not believe that Senator McCarthy is a suitable comparison for any Montgomery office holder, including the Council Member.

But Ms. Trachtenberg’s overall record is a disappointment to most of labor. Time after time, they have asked for her support and found her on the opposite side. Labor expects that from Council Member Phil Andrews, a principled budget hawk who honestly – and civilly – disagrees with most of their priorities. It is a different thing coming from Ms. Trachtenberg, who is the granddaughter of a union organizer and still claims to be pro-union even while repeatedly voting against them.

Look at all the labor organizations that endorsed Duchy Trachtenberg in 2006.

Given her record, how empty will that page be next year?

Examiner Writes MoCo Blog Round-Up

Examiner reporter Claire Pak wrote a piece about four MoCo blogs: Just Up the Pike, Rockville Central, Gaithersblog and MPW. On MPW, she writes, "Maryland Politics Watch covers Maryland politics with a focus on Montgomery County. David Lublin and Adam Pagnucco update more than once daily, and their sharp, detailed commentary often sparks heated (but generally civil) debate in the comments."

Hmmm... I wonder if she was thinking about the comments in our now-infamous "Is Leggett Undermining Navarro on Day One?" post?

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Now Nevada is Ahead of Maryland Too

On Sunday night, the Nevada legislature overrode the governor's veto of a domestic partnership law giving same-sex couples essentially the same rights and responsibilities of married couples.

Kagan Sweetens Up District 17

We don’t normally pay attention to many fundraisers. But this one is newsworthy since it is a harbinger of the most competitive Senate race in the county so far in this cycle.

Former Delegate Cheryl Kagan, who is challenging incumbent Senator Jennie Forehand, sent out this sugar-coated fundraising invitation. Check out the people on her 158-member host committee.

For us, the names that jump out are Montgomery County Council Members Nancy Floreen, Mike Knapp and Valerie Ervin, former Senator (and Forehand predecessor) Mary Boergers (D-17), former Delegate Gene Counihan (D-39), career Fire Fighters President John Sparks, Council Member George Leventhal’s Chief of Staff Patty Vitale, former (and perhaps future) County Council candidate Hans Riemer, former Board of Education Member (and former Republican) Steve Abrams, former MCDCC Chairman Stan Gildenhorn and Somerset Mayor Jeff Slavin, a major player in the GLBT community and a prominent supporter of Nancy Navarro. Absent are any sitting state legislators or current members of the Rockville or Gaithersburg City Councils, though few would expect them to take sides against an incumbent Senator. As for Valerie Ervin, we hear that she has given money to both Kagan and Forehand and is not endorsing either of them.

Last February, we ranked Senator Forehand as the Montgomery state legislator who most needed to do more to get ready for 2010. Kagan raised a net $20,634.69 last year – far more than any other potential challenger – and started 2009 with $44,224.76 in the bank. Forehand had $71,044.34 but only raised $4,705.66 net. Kagan is making it clear that she will have more than enough money to be competitive and has already assembled an impressive supporter list.

For weeks, one hot rumor held that Delegate Luiz Simmons (D-17) might also challenge Forehand, making this contest a three-way race. Our most recent information indicates that all four District 17 incumbents (Forehand, Simmons and Delegates Kumar Barve and Jim Gilchrist) will run as a slate. That is good news for Forehand, who will need help fending off her extraordinarily energetic challenger.

One observer who is closely watching the race offered this:

It's very interesting that certain high-profile electeds were willing to endorse her this early against a sitting Dem senator, particularly the County Council members (Knapp, Floreen, Ervin, etc.). It's no secret that many of us dislike Forehand and find her ineffectual, but it's suprising that they would say so publicly. To be fair, Forehand has generally voted the right way on most votes in Annapolis, unlike the Ida Ruben/Jamie Raskin race, where Ruben could be pegged as more conservative. And kicking her out would be a blow to MoCo's seniority in the Senate. If Cheryl can make this the next Ruben/Raskin race, she's in good shape, but I think she faces a different climate in a post-Bush world where Dems are generally running the show now, and change is already here. The "we need change" mantra rings a tad hollow after '06 and '08. It's sort of hopping on the bandwagon too late.

I would have thought that electeds would try to be cautious on this one. It's not clear that Cheryl can win. People need a reason to vote against Jennie. And Cheryl, despite being smart and organized, can really rub people the wrong way with her aggressive, brash style. So, all that being said, I am surprised so many electeds and certain well-known D-17 activists agreed to lend their names to this flyer -- especially when we are well over a year away from the primary. I think it bodes well for her that she has "locked them in" so early. But I don't know if it will translate into votes. We'll see. I also worry that Cheryl could "peak too early" at this rate, leaving little excitement and momentum left for summer 2010. On the other hand, this early show of strong support for Cheryl might cause Jennie to think twice about retirement (sort of another Len Teitelbaum situation), since Jennie surely isn't capable of performing well at debates or of doing any door-knocking. I am hearing that the unions will stick with Jennie because she is an incumbent, is reliable, and generally votes the right way.

I'd like to know what Knapp, Ervin, Floreen, and other bigwigs on the host committee have to say about why there are supporting Cheryl this early on.

Another thought - the demographics of D-17 have shifted dramatically in recent years. To the extent that Jennie has a voting bloc, it's the older voters. Of course, they are the ones most likely to turn out for a primary in 2010, but D-17 isn't the sleepy place it was 20 years ago, and Jennie hasn't had a challenger in many years.

And one of our most intelligent spies said this about Kagan’s fundraiser:

I think that it serves as a wake up call for Sen. Forehand to kick it into gear and not take Cheryl for granted. Before Cheryl gains any traction or momentum, Sen. Forehand needs to demonstrate that she still believes she has a lot to offer to her constituents and State of Maryland. I believe that Sen. Forehand does have a long list of accomplishments to point to and is generally well liked and regarded. But in politics, I think it is equally, if not more, important to talk about what you will do for your constituents and the state going forward in the future as well. This is something Sen. Forehand needs to effectively convey now - her vision and agenda going forward. And she needs to demonstrate a broad and deep base of support with a host committee of her own or by some other means, all of which I currently think she can do. There is still plenty of time to go!

Yes there is, folks. And you can bet we will be watching!

Monday, June 01, 2009

Welcome, Andres Calisto Pagnucco!

Vital Statistics:

Date of Birth: June 1, 2009
Time of Birth: 12:57 PM
Place of Birth: Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, MD
Length: 21 inches
Weight: 8 pounds, 5.1 ounces
Party Registration: Democrat

Primary Challenges?

By Marc Korman.

Statewide, most of the discussion of the 2010 Primaries revolves around whether Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith will challenge Comptroller Peter Franchot. But two Democrats have recently made noise about challenging Governor Martin O’Malley as well: Former Prince George’s County Executive Wayne Curry and Former Delegate and state Veterans Affairs Secretary George W. Owings III.

Each potential candidate has their own constituency and political base, but either one would have an uphill climb. A January 2009 poll by Gonzalez Research & Marketing Strategies pegged O’Malley’s approval rating among Democrats at 65%, compared to 49% over all. At O’Malley’s low of 37% approval in March 2008, his approval rating among Democrats was 48%.

Owings served as a Delegate from Calvert County until 2002, when he moved to Governor Ehrlich’s administration as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Owings claims to speak for “solid, working-class Democrats.” His base of Calvert County is a growing force in the Maryland Democratic Party. The County picked up 3,000 registered Democrats from 2004 to 2008 and Obama improved on John Kerry’s performance, drawing 46.1% of the vote compared to Kerry’s 40.6%. O’Malley lost Calvert in the 2006 general election, but he did improve on Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s vote total by about 3,000 votes.

Wayne Curry served as County Executive in Prince George’s from 1994 to 2002. Since then, he has been rumored for numerous campaigns in both the Republican and Democratic Parties. In 2006, he very publicly floated with the possibility of crossing party lines to take Michael Steele’s place as Ehrlich’s running mate. Curry also endorsed Steele in his U.S. Senate race, a move that did little to help the candidate against Ben Cardin.

Both Curry and Owings would have almost no choice but to challenge O’Malley from the right, given their records. Owings would likely try to draw more moderate white Democrats with a populist message. Curry would be attempting to attract African American Democrats. His message is not as obvious, but he could try to draw more conservative, church going African Americans from the incumbent. The black vote makes up a substantial percentage of the Democratic vote in Maryland and is a necessary ingredient to any Democratic victory.

There has not been a contested Democratic Gubernatorial Primary in Maryland in many years to offer a meaningful comparison, but the odds that either of these candidates has a real shot at O’Malley are pretty long. Primaries tend to bring out base voters, so challenging a candidate from the right in a Democratic Primary is not a winning strategy. That is especially the case in Maryland, where a more moderate candidate will have difficulty painting a progressive Democrat as unelectable.

O’Malley’s running mate will also likely remain Anthony Brown and he was twice elected Mayor of a majority black city. Curry could probably draw some African American votes from the Governor, but a broad shift from O’Malley to Curry seems unlikely absent some new event.

Will either Owings or Curry jump into the race given all these facts? The months ahead will tell.

Is Leggett Undermining Navarro on Day One?

County Executive Ike Leggett was quick to endorse Nancy Navarro in the District 4 special general election after twice opposing her in the 2008 and 2009 special primaries. But Leggett’s efforts to patch things up with Navarro and her supporters may well be hindered by his appointment of a prominent Navarro opponent to a critical position in her district. It seems the battle for District 4 will never end.

On Friday, the Gazette reported that Leggett appointed Joy Nurmi as the new Acting Director of the East County Regional Services Center. Nurmi is a former Chief of Staff to both Marilyn and Don Praisner. But she is far more than that.

Joy Nurmi once worked for Republican County Council Member Betty Ann Krahnke (R-1), who stepped down from her seat in 2000 and died in 2002. The Maryland Voter Activation Network lists Nurmi as a former “Republican Voter” and she contributed to the county’s GOP. She is now a registered Democrat.

Nurmi was never merely a staffer. She was also a political supporter of the Praisners. In 2006, Nurmi bought office supplies for Marilyn Praisner’s campaign.

In 2008, Nurmi was one of Don Praisner’s key supporters in his bid to succeed his wife despite her employment on the council staff. The Post reported that Nurmi and William Klein, a press aide to Council Member Duchy Trachtenberg, conferred with Praisner campaign manager Eric Hensal during working hours. And Don Praisner’s original website, which we preserved, listed Nurmi’s home phone number and email address as his campaign contact.

Don Praisner’s Gazette profile also listed Nurmi’s home phone number as his campaign contact.

Now Joy Nurmi is the Acting Director of the East County Regional Services Center. That is a powerful position. The directors of the county’s five regional services centers are the County Executive’s liaisons to the community, including to the area citizens advisory boards, and coordinate service provision to residents. Some compare them to appointed “mayors” and they are especially important in areas without municipalities – like East County. Regional services directors have lots of direct contact with activists and can make Council Members look good or bad. Nurmi is known to be a friend of Alison Klumpp, Marilyn Praisner’s daughter, who endorsed Ben Kramer and once had ambitions to run for the District 4 seat. Joy Nurmi is hardly the top choice of any Navarro supporter for the East County job, which covers half of District 4.

The regional services directors were once merit positions, meaning that they were filled by competitive application and could only be dismissed for cause. But one of Leggett’s first initiatives upon winning election was to convert those jobs into political positions, meaning that they serve at the pleasure of the Executive. The County Council passed a bill in 2007 making the change.

Sec. 1A-102 of the County Code says this about non-merit positions:

(2) a. If the position of Chief Administrative Officer, head of a department or principal office, or any other position in the Executive Branch designated by law as a non-merit position, is vacant, the County Executive must appoint someone to fill the vacancy.

b. The County Executive should submit the appointment to the Council within 90 days after the vacancy occurs.

(3) a. Within 60 days, the Council should vote on confirmation of an appointment.

b. The affirmative votes of a majority of councilmembers in office are necessary to confirm an appointment.

(4) If the Council votes on an appointment, does not confirm it, and does not reconsider the vote, the County Executive must make a new appointment. The County Executive should make the new appointment within 90 days after the deadline for reconsidering the vote.

(5) If the Council does not act on confirmation of an appointment within 60 days, the Council may no longer vote on that appointment. Within 90 days after the end of the sixty-day period, the County Executive should either:

a. Resubmit the appointment; or

b. Submit a new appointment.

So if Joy Nurmi is to remain in her new position, the County Council must confirm her.

Back in 2007, no one imagined the succession of events that occurred in the District 4 seat. And if the Council had believed that the Executive would ever appoint a political opponent of a Council Member to serve as Regional Director in his or her district, they may very well not have approved his proposal to make them political jobs. But that is exactly what is about to happen to Nancy Navarro.

There is simply no way that Ike Leggett and his senior staff are unaware of the above facts. Joy Nurmi is a longtime supporter of Leggett’s and it makes sense that he would want to take care of her. But there are many other positions inside the government in which Nurmi could be placed without picking open the scab of the special elections. Whether it is intentional or not, Leggett’s appointment of Nurmi looks like an attempt to undermine Navarro’s tenure even before it starts. Will the County Council allow it? We’ll see.

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