Berliner Endorsed by Governor O’Malley

Following is the press release from Council Member Roger Berliner's campaign.

Contact: Heather D. Mills

Email: friendsofrogerberlinerpress@gmail.com

Berliner Endorsed by Governor O’Malley

Bethesda, MD (June 21, 2010) – Incumbent County Councilmember Roger Berliner (District 1) today concluded his sweep of every major state officeholder when his campaign announced the endorsement of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley in Berliner’s bid for re-election. The Governor explained his choice concisely:

"As I’ve traveled around Montgomery County, I’ve consistently heard three things about Roger – he’s a tireless advocate for his constituents, he knows how to build consensus on the serious issues facing the county, and he has a clear vision for a sustainable future. District 1 is one of the most important economic engines of our great state, and Roger's proven leadership creating good green jobs and growing our tax base is more important than ever."

Councilmember Berliner responded to the Governor’s comments:

“I am very grateful to have the Governor’s wholehearted support, particularly since we share similar democratic values and priorities. We need Governor O’Malley in Annapolis to keep our State moving forward, and I look forward to vigorously campaigning with him in District 1.”

The addition of Governor O’Malley’s endorsement underscores the value many elected officials see in Berliner’s continued presence on the Council. As Delegate Brian Feldman, the Chair of the County’s Delegation to Annapolis, pointed out when he endorsed Berliner in April, “teamwork” and strong, trusted relationships matter in doing the business of District 1, the County, and the State – especially in these trying economic times.

Berliner’s campaign had previously announced more than 150 endorsements of local and elected leaders in January, a list which included United States Senator Ben Cardin, Attorney General Doug Gansler, and State Comptroller Peter Franchot. Last month, the incumbent councilmember expanded that list when he received the endorsements of the District 15, District 16 and District 18 delegations. Additionally, Berliner’s campaign announced the endorsements of the County Executive, Ike Leggett, and five of Berliner’s colleagues on the council, including Council members Andrews, Elrich, Leventhal, Navarro and Trachtenberg.

Berliner has also been endorsed by the Montgomery County Education Association (the “Apple Ballot”) and the Montgomery County Sierra Club.

The primary election is scheduled to take place Tuesday, September 14, 2010.

About Councilmember Roger Berliner:

Roger Berliner, a life-long Democrat, was first elected to the Montgomery County Council in November 2006 when he defeated the incumbent Republican by 12 percentage points. He currently serves as Lead Member for Energy and Environment on the Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, and Environment Committee and is a member of the Public Safety Committee. He also serves as the Council’s representative to the County’s Sustainability Working Group and Green Economic Task Force. Regionally, he is on the Washington Regional Board of Directors of the Council of Governments, and serves as Vice Chairman of COG’s Climate, Energy, and Environment Policy Committee.

Councilmember Berliner’s accomplishments on the County Council include:

· Comprehensively addressing our traffic nightmare by sponsorship and passage of a tough new transportation test for development; proposing that Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenues be designated by the Governor as Sustainable Transportation Corridors; and providing incentives for developers to commit to taking action that will result in fewer cars on our roads.

· Sponsoring and passing several major energy/environmental initiatives that include the groundbreaking Home Energy Loan Program, a tax credit for solar energy, and a consumer measure that gives homebuyers information on how much their new home will cost to heat and cool, as well as sponsoring a first in the country “carbon tax” that would be paid by the largest polluters in order to compensate the County for its investment in greenhouse gas reduction programs.

· Successfully fighting to protect our quality of life by sponsoring and passing comprehensive McMansion reform; preserving the open space at the heart of Bethesda on Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues; preserving the historic viewshed of the C&O Canal from unsightly development; and sponsoring legislation to preserve farmer’s markets.

· Leading the fight to provide stronger public safety by keeping the Bethesda police station open to the public 24/7; fighting against the proposed ambulance fee that would cripple our invaluable volunteer service; and advocating for a new computer system to reduce response times for ambulance calls;

· Strengthening our local economy by working with the County Executive’s team to provide small businesses with access to capital; creating good “green” jobs in Montgomery County; being a leader in the remaking of White Flint, which is estimated to produce $6-7 Billion in additional county revenues; and sponsoring a resolution that would create a Joint County Executive/County Council Commission on Restructuring County Government.

· Fighting to preserve the quality of our school system by sponsoring and passing the amendment to the growth policy that ensures developers contribute where schools are overcrowded; working with MCPS to ensure that District 1 schools receive their fair share of modernization funding; and supporting 99% of the school system’s operating budget requests.

From speed bumps to modern elementary schools to sustainable transit policies, Roger's focus has been and will continue to be protecting the community we love and preserving our quality of life.

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