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.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Whispers of the At-Large Race, Part Four
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Chris Paladino Endorses Ben Kramer
The following statement appears on former District 4 candidate Chris Paladino's website.
March 9, 2009
Over the past week I’ve been reaching out to my supporters and others I’ve met to let them know the news about my family and my dropping out of this special election. Many people have asked whom I would support in my place.
As you can imagine, I’ve looked long and hard at the other Democratic candidates over the past few weeks and I believe that Ben Kramer is the best choice for the District 4 seat. I hope you will take some time to learn more about Ben and join me in supporting him for this critical position. His fiscal responsibility, independence and desire to preserve our quality of life will make him a great voice on the council and for our district.
I’ve talked with Ben and he has assured me of his commitment to constituent service. I look forward to working with him in that regard when his is our next councilmember. You can learn more about Ben at www.BenKramer.org.
Chris Paladino
Monday, March 02, 2009
Chris Paladino Withdraws
Chris Paladino released the following statement today.
FRIENDS OF CHRIS PALADINO
13904 FOGGY GLEN DRIVE, SILVER SPRING, MD 20906
(301) 910-6199
WWW.CHRISPALADINO.ORG
March 2, 2009
The last month has been a whirlwind and a real honor as I’ve talked with dozens and dozens of District 4 residents about the needs of our community, and received so much wonderful feedback and support.
The last week has also be a whirlwind for my family as we learned of the rapid spread of my mother-in-law’s cancer. My wife spent several days in Florida arranging for her mom’s care and treatment. The memories have come flooding back of my wife’s support for me as my father went through his long illness and death 15 years ago, and her Herculean efforts through my mother’s three year battle and passing.
Over the last few days, I’ve looked at what it will take to win a special election that is only seven weeks away, and what that would mean to my wife and family during a time they need me most. It wasn’t hard to know that it’s my turn to be there for them and focus on the most important thing in life – family.
My original plan had been to run for the seat in 2010 when Don Praisner completed his term. While I’m disappointed to be dropping out of the special election, I will take the next 18 months to work in the community, build even more relationships, and consider how I can make a difference in 2010 or beyond. I’m young, still enthusiastic, and plan to be part of Montgomery County for a very long time.
Thank you to everyone I’ve been able to reach personally with this news for your understanding and support of my family. Thanks also to them and everyone else for taking the time to get to know me and for encouraging me to run.
You’ll see a lot more of me over the coming months. In the meantime, I hope I’ll hear from many more people in the community and continue to make new friends and learn about our needs and diversity. My Web site (www.ChrisPaladino.org) will stay active and you can reach me through it be phone or email any time.
Thanks again for your support.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
More District 4 Tidbits
Here’s what we have for all you D4 junkies today!
1. Nancy Navarro’s new website is up. She joins Cary Lamari, Chris Paladino and Republican Lou August in D4 cyberspace. Ben Kramer has a Delegate website up, but it contains no reference to the County Council race.
2. After nearly two weeks of harassment by this blog, the Washington Post has finally acknowledged the candidacy of Cary Lamari. Of course, that was buried in an article about Robin Ficker.
3. The Montgomery County Board of Elections has published its special election timeline. Among the key dates are:
March 5: Deadline to file candidacy for the primary
March 9: Deadline to withdraw from the primary
March 24: First campaign finance report due
March 30: Voter registration closes
April 10: Second campaign finance report due
April 14: Last day for primary absentee ballot application
April 21: Primary election
May 8: Third campaign finance report due
May 19: General election
June 9: Fourth campaign finance report due
4. We hear the precinct closure plan is dead. No word on Executive Director Margaret Jurgensen’s retention by the board. Former County Executive Doug Duncan called for her resignation more than two years ago.
5. This special election is not the first time Robin Ficker has changed his residence to run for office. Ficker, a resident of Boyds in District 15, moved to Montgomery Village in 2002 to challenge District 39 Senator P.J. Hogan. Hogan won the general election by a 19,099-9,689 vote.
6. We hear that some in the General Assembly are considering filing a bill to allow early voting in the District 4 special election. Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing early voting last year, but the legislature must pass implementing legislation. This idea is drawing a lot of interest, pro and con, from players in Montgomery County and we will have more on this soon.
7. For all the tumult about developer contributions in the last special election, none of the 2008 candidates had any record on development policy. This time around, two of them do. We will go all the way back to the 1990s next week to find out who they are, what they did and what happened. Don’t miss this one, junkies!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Council District 4 Special Election Preview, Part Four
In Part Three, I gave my take on this race. Now we consult a group of our spies who have knowledge of this district. None of them have committed to support any of the candidates at this point. Here’s what they had to say.
Spy #1:The race will effectively be between Navarro and Kramer, the other two won't have the name recognition or campaign experience to put together a serious campaign over the short term. Anecdotally, a lot of people seem to think Kramer has an edge because of name recognition, money, and the large concentration of Jewish voters on the western side of District 4. But I think Navarro has the edge right now for a couple of reasons:
Spy #2:
1. Last year, she came within 350 votes of beating the widower of the beloved former councilmember, quite a feat given the sympathy Marilyn's death elicited in the electorate and the institutional power that had lined up behind Don.
2. Kramer has never run a great campaign, he squeaked in to his delegate seat after running a lackluster race and his performance in the precincts that overlap D19 and Council 4 was unimpressive.
3. In a special election with a short timeline money only helps so much and at some point you experience diminishing returns on your 10th or 12th mailing - and anyway Navarro is starting with 40k in the bank.
4. Navarro at least right now has the better team of organizers. David Moon is very good at what he does.
So I'd put my money on Navarro, but, in politics, there's never a sure thing.As I see this race shaping up, it will come down to two candidates: Ben Kramer and Nancy Navarro. Chris Paladino is impressive, earnest and well motivated, and he will be able to self-fund, but for a first time candidate, a special election with very low turnout is going to favor those with name-ID going in, so unless lightning strikes, I don’t see him making it. No one else has a shot.
Spy #3:
Ben Kramer will run well in his part of the district, including Leisure World, where he and his dad are very popular, and this alone might be enough to take it. He has deep ties in the district and most of the local business community will line up behind him, given his longstanding ties there, and Ben is a likeable guy with a record of supporting job creation that will resonate well in this economy. A candidate with real business experience may be more attractive than ever now as voters look for leadership to help chart our way out of this fiscal mess. Also, he reportedly did some polling before the last race and the numbers looked very good for him for what that’s worth. He will be a real contender and is probably the front-runner going in.
Nancy Navarro is the other candidate with a real chance of winning this thing. She can pull together the broadest coalition, labor, minority groups, some business leaders, and she has the right inclusive message about expanding economic opportunity, a good theme in a time like this, and a balanced view on growth and transportation issues, plus she has positive name ID from last time. But her chances depend on running a highly disciplined and focused campaign and we will see if she does a better job this time at turning her supporters out in a low-turnout special election. If she does, she might overcome Ben’s advantage in Leisure World. Last time there was a great “sympathy” factor that worked to Mr. Praisner’s advantage but I don’t see that happening this time. District 4 voters have gone down that road, and many who did not support Nancy last time have commented recently that they regretted backing Don. They won’t do that again, even if another Praisner family member jumps in. Some of that potential support may be more comfortable with Nancy than with Ben on issues, and some may go with Ben because the civic crowd so harshly and unfairly demonized Nancy last time. We’ll see, but I think some of that vote will break her way and that makes her a contender.
As for Cary Lamari, let’s face it, the guy is a shallow, hypocritical windbag who loves to hear himself talk, but he is well outside the mainstream and his appeal is very narrow. He has been preaching his Johnny-one-note anti-growth message (anti-jobs, anti-housing, etc.) for years. This may resonate with some in the militant civic crowd, but I don’t see that message resonating at all with voters in the midst of a deepening economic crisis, and he will not be able to win over labor, teachers and other public employees, minorities or local businesses – all of whom pay the price for his “let’s all go back to the ‘60s” stance. If he were elected, you could count on a declining tax base and lots more furloughs and layoffs for public employees, teachers, firefighters, etc. for years to come. I think people get that connection now, and understand the “no-growth=no-jobs” equation: We need some job growth, some new roads and transit, and some new home construction to keep our economy alive. He talks a “smart growth” game, but his record is anti, anti, anti. Now we’ve seen what happens to our budgets when we bring everything to a grinding halt and it’s not pretty. It is interesting that he continues to blast away at the building and development industry, when he has dabbled in those industries himself as a small-time would-be builder and developer. Anyway, the good news is, he’s got about as much chance of winning as George W. Bush has of beating Martin O’Malley in the 2010 Democratic Party Primary in Maryland. That would be zero, zip, nada, and that is a good thing for you and me.
Ike has got to be smarting from his role last time too. What a mistake he made. He is the main reason Don won the seat, and how many times could Ike count on Don’s vote these last few months? Now District 4 is again deprived of leadership at a critical time, plus Ike took a lot of heat from the minority community that he is still paying for. Don’t look for him to get as visibly involved this time.I believe the only candidate in the race thus far deserving of support is Cary Lamari. Mr. Kramer is beholden to the business and developer community and this county needs an advocate for neighborhoods. Ms. Navarro too has taken an inordinate amount of money from developers and Supt. Weast's support of her against Don Praisner shows that as a Board of Ed member she showed no independence and served as a rubber stamp for him. Weast's record is an extremely tainted one and his arrogance about relating to the communities he is supposed to serve has reached epic proportions. As to Mr. Paladino, nothing is known about him for the reason he has done nothing in and for our communities and it is the height of egotism and arrogance for him to come forward to desire to represent one fifth of the county with absolutely no record of activism at anything.
Spy #4:
No one in this race is more knowledgable on county issues nor more concerned for our communities than Cary Lamari. His service as President, of his Civic Association and of the Montgomery County Civic Federation is only a small reason why his experience is head and shoulders above the rest.
It is my opinion that Kramer will attempt to buy this election as he did the delegate seat he now holds. A family name is no qualification for the office he seeks.The only candidate who would genuinely reflect what the voters have gotten from Marilyn is probably Cary and he'll never get the resources to mount a credible campaign. Cary would most likely vote like Marilyn 95% of the time. The unions probably wouldn't find him more friendly than Marilyn or Don, and he's not going to lie down and play dead for Weast. I think Paladino will have a ton of money from the developers and business folks who gave a lot to Nancy, but he has almost no community connections. Debates are sparsely attended and it will be hard to get to know him via a mail campaign. They'll try to do with him what they did with Nancy - paint the landscape with his flyers and try to buy it. It's hard to say where he is because he hasn't answered any hard questions, but you got to figure that the Chamber and business interests don't line up behind a candidate that they don't think/know will take care of them. I don't think Nancy can win - the unions are tapped out for money and a bunch of her $$$ supporters have gone to Paladino. The power play for an election during vacation failed, nice try though, so her road gets harder. There are also one, possibly two, more minority candidates in the race who won't have much money or ground game, but they could sap some of her vote.
Spy #5:
All that said, I think Ben likely wins and he'll eschew taking any developer money, so I heard, and then play that against Nancy. He's less of a developer, in the actual world, than he's perceived to be - he owns a couple of shopping centers but he's not out there building housing or office buildings. He's going to have to fight off the perception, but like Paladino he'll have enough money to paint himself any way he wants to. He's very pro-business and he played a big role in fighting the millionaires tax. Not sure how that plays in a district without many millionaires. He has a base in Leisure World and Kemp Mill, the precincts that vote are very favorable to him and I heard an interesting number - 63% of the voters in the last special election were over 65.
It will be interesting.This is a tough one.
Last time, Nancy nearly upset the sentimental favorite Don Praisner with a combination of labor, business and the teachers, and by running a smart campaign where she raised a lot of money in a short time. Ben Kramer will take much of the business support away from Nancy. I see Leisure World as the issue here. Ben likely will have the support of Ike, and with his dad helping him work Leisure World, he will get a lot of votes there. Nancy has a strong coalition with minorities, teachers and unions. If she can take just enough of the vote from Leisure World, she may be able to pull it out. The question is, how much of the Leisure World vote does she need?
At this point, I would give Nancy a slight edge.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Council District 4 Special Election Preview, Part Three
At this moment, four candidates have declared their intention to run in the District 4 special election: Board of Education Member Nancy Navarro, Delegate Ben Kramer (D-19), former Montgomery County Civic Federation President Cary Lamari and former Red Cross official Chris Paladino.
Nancy Navarro
Last year, Navarro was the favorite until Don Praisner got in. Her campaign attracted more endorsements than the other campaigns combined. She raised more money ($104,221) than the other campaigns combined and starts this race with roughly $40,000 in the bank.
After coming within five points of a quasi-incumbent, Navarro is a battle-hardened candidate who knows what to expect from her opponents. Ben Kramer may peel away a substantial chunk of the business community, but Navarro will still enjoy support from labor, the immigrant and civil rights communities, and large parts of the district’s left. Best of all, her crack campaign operation is easily rebuilt (including the return of super-smart campaign manager David Moon) and she can rely on many of her friends from last year.
What Navarro must do to win
Even though Navarro won almost as many precincts (21) as Mr. Praisner (22), she lost because her precincts had lower turnout rates. Navarro must boost those rates a few points. That means contacting all of the elements of her base multiple times and getting them to come out strong. Navarro is the only candidate who can afford to lose Leisure World and still win, but she must retain the foothold she established there last time.
Ben Kramer
Kramer has run for office three times. He lost a District 2 County Council race to a Republican in 1994, lost an at-large County Council race in 1998 and won the third slot in the District 19 Delegate race by 307 votes.
There are 23 precincts in both State District 19 and County District 4. In 2006, here is how Ben Kramer fared in those precincts:
3rd place: 4 precincts
4th place: 8 precincts
5th place: 8 precincts
6th place: 1 precinct
7th place: 2 precincts
His mean finish was 4.5. He finished 3rd in Leisure World. This is not an encouraging performance, but he is not facing veteran Delegate Hank Heller (D-19) or hyperactive doorknocker Delegate Roger Manno (D-19) in this race. The Kramer family name (also held by former County Executive Sid Kramer and current District 14 Senator Rona Kramer, Ben’s father and sister) provides better name recognition than any other candidate except Navarro.
What Kramer must do to win
Kramer must dominate Leisure World and the Jewish precincts in the Kemp Mill neighborhood. He must then pick up as much support from older voters in other areas who remember his father as well as draw on his sister’s supporters in the eastern side of the district. Kramer will have to rebut charges connected to his commercial property ownership as well as his record in the General Assembly. Money won’t be a problem: Kramer has loaned his campaign fund $130,450 since 2006.
Cary Lamari
Lamari, a former Montgomery County Civic Federation President, ran for an at-large County Council seat in 2006. He finished 11th out of 13 candidates. Lamari stepped down from the last District 4 special election in favor of Mr. Praisner and worked extensively for him at Leisure World. Lamari will be the slow-growth candidate in the race.
What Lamari must do to win
Lamari must re-assemble the Praisner coalition. That means drawing out the slow-growth vote, making the case that he is the best candidate to implement the Praisners’ agenda of constituent service and fiscal austerity, and winning Leisure World. He faces two challenges. First, he must raise enough money to get his message out; the state campaign finance website does not list ANY contributions to him in 2006. Second, winning Leisure World will require significant effort with Kramer in the race. Leisure World gave Mr. Praisner 44% of its margin. If Lamari loses there, he cannot win.
Chris Paladino
Paladino is a former Red Cross official who now runs businesses in the private sector. Your author finds him to be smart and motivated. But he will have to be a quick study to best three better-known candidates who have all run before.
What Paladino must do to win
This is a difficult question to answer without knowing what Paladino thinks about the issues and what targeting he plans to do. He has a very substantial challenge. If Kramer locks up the senior and Jewish vote, Lamari gets the slow-growth vote, and Navarro gets the union member, non-white and liberal vote, there may not be enough votes left to give Paladino a victory. One plus for Paladino is that he plans to put as much of his own money into his campaign to be competitive, but then again, so did Steve Kanstoroom.
Tomorrow, we will ask our spies to size up this race.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Chris Paladino's Biography
Attached is Chris Paladino's bio courtesy of the candidate.
*****
I was born in New York City to two young parents who struggled every day to make ends meet. Mom worked long hours at whatever job she could, while Dad worked and went to school at night to try to earn a degree.
I remember what it was like to be a kid during the recession of the 1970s. My brothers and I may not have understood everything, but it was hard to miss both parents losing their jobs and worrying about paying the rent and putting food on the table. I didn’t know it then, but that was my first experience with the government safety net that was set up to help families like ours through the toughest times.
My parents always believed education was the key to success. I’ll never forget how proud they were the day I graduated from Rutgers University – the first in my family to earn a college degree. After losing our home to a gas explosion in 1986 while I was a freshman at Rutgers and being helped through the recovery by the American Red Cross, I was thrilled to find a job with the Red Cross after graduation and began what would be a twelve-year career with the organization.
I lost my Dad at the very young age of 50 to cancer, and Mom at 59 to various causes that left her disabled and unable to work during the last three years of her life. The struggle with Social Security and the disability system was eye-opening.
My Red Cross career focused on improving operations and helping local leaders create lasting plans for growth and community impact. I was also lucky enough to be a member of the Red Cross emergency response team and had the opportunity to be part of major relief operations throughout the country and around the world. Each and every crisis presented its own unique challenges, and I learned to think on my feet, solicit input from people I agreed with and people I didn’t, and to act decisively.
I also learned how important it is, when additional facts come to light, to re-think a position and change my mind. In life, that can be called leadership. In politics, it’s seen as weak. I think we need to work together to change that perspective.
After moving for the Red Cross four times in eight years, I spent the last four years of my Red Cross career at the executive director of the Montgomery County office. I worked with public safety, health and human services and other County government departments and learned a good deal about what works, and some about what doesn’t.
Together with my wife Pam, son Nicholas (now 10), and grandmother Sophie (91), we live in the northern part of Silver Spring just north of the old Indian Springs Country Club. Beside my work with the Red Cross, I’ve worked to give back to the community by serving as president of my homeowners’ association and a member of the Layhill Alliance, on the board of the Montgomery Alliance for Community Giving, as a loaned executive to the United Way, and on various school and community projects.
These experiences left me with a few clear beliefs:
• Education, if valued by both the student and parents, can completely change a life;
• Government has and should play a role in supporting families through hard times, but the programs must be effective and help change the person’s future. The old adage, “if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day – teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life,” is still true.
• Fiscal responsibility – at home, at work, and in government – is the way to prosperity. My wife and I have earned non-profit salaries for much of our careers and had to learn to budget and live within our means. Sometimes that meant hard choices. Countless families, businesses and governments are facing similar choices today. While the federal government may be able to spend us out of this recession, Montgomery County must balance the budget and make difficult choices.
Almost four years ago, I left the Red Cross and was invited to join the executive team of a local distribution company. It was a big change for someone who spent his entire career to that point in social services – and it was an eye-opener to realize that my skills were so transferrable. Every organization – for-profit or not-for-profit – has to perform the same basic functions. Bring in more money than you spend. Provide goods and services that your clients or donors want and are willing to pay for. Create jobs that are challenging, rewarding and pay well enough to attract and keep the best people.
We sold the company in 2008, and (knowing Don Praisner did not intend to run for re-election) about eight months ago I decided to explore a run for the County Council in District 4. I’ve spent that time gradually reaching out to opinion leaders, government leaders, district residents and neighbors about what they want from their next Council representative.
People are worried, and they are frustrated that our great standard of living is threatened – and even more frustrated that it costs so much to provide. Income tax, property tax, sales tax, and a host of other taxes and fees have added a lot to the burden of affordability in the County and our district.
People are telling me that we have to look at how we spend our tax dollars, and act as if it were our own money – not a gift from some generous taxpayers who now trust US to do the right thing. If we look at the current fiscal crisis as something temporary – something we “just have to work through until times get better” – then all of the pain will have taught us nothing. It’s time to reset, not just recover. It’s time to hold government accountable for responsible and effective services.
I believe my background in social service and in business proves that caring, compassion and fiscal responsibility are NOT contradictions in terms. In fact, I’ve often been called upon to serve in a role that “bridges” what people too often incorrectly see as disparate interests. My life has been one terrific learning experience, and I hope to learn even more as your Councilmember while I work to protect the quality of life we have and to keep it affordable for all of us.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Chris Paladino Announces for District 4
Following is Chris Paladino's announcement of candidacy in the upcoming County Council District 4 special election.
FRIENDS OF CHRIS PALADINO
13904 FOGGY GLEN DRIVE, SILVER SPRING, MD 20906
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Paladino (301) 910-6199
chris@chrispaladino.org
CHRIS PALADINO ENTERS RACE FOR
MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 SEAT
Cites unique mix of social service and business backgrounds,
and strong record of fiscal responsibility and improving efficiencies.
SILVER SPRING, MD (February 9, 2009) – Chris Paladino, a non-profit leader and successful businessman, announced today that he is entering the special election in the Democratic race to fill the District 4 County Council seat recently vacated by the very sad passing of Don Praisner.
“Our community has been blessed with strong leadership, but I believe the desire for change runs from our national offices all the way down to local races. I want to bring a new way of looking at issues to the Council,” Chris said.
“Our county is facing a once-in-a-generation economic crisis. In times like this, we have to focus on making sure our local government is operating at peak performance.”
Chris says that he knows this will be a hard fought election, but the people of District 4 deserve a spirited contest. “This campaign will be about listening to the voters in our community, focusing on constituent service, and making sure their interests are represented on the Council. I promise to work hard every day to earn the support of District 4’s residents.”
Chris served as the executive director of the Montgomery County office of the Red Cross from 2002 to 2005, where he learned firsthand about many of the needs of County residents. His tenure at the Red Cross was focused on a strong desire for outcomes.
“Too often we see charities, businesses – even government – talk about service in terms of numbers. The number of calls answered, or people fed today, or widgets sold. We need to focus on whether our programs are effective, what we can do to improve them, and how we can streamline them to be as efficient as possible. I plan to press this conversation on the Council.”
After his tenure at the Red Cross, Chris joined the executive team of the Marjack Company, a local distribution firm. At Marjack, he worked for increased efficiency and fiscal responsibility. This mix of successful business and social service backgrounds will bring unique experience and perspective to the Council.
Chris is supported by his wonderful wife Pam, his son Nicholas (10), and his grandmother Sophie (91) who lives with and is cared for by the family. The family lives in Layhill Village. A Web site will be launched soon at www.ChrisPaladino.org.
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By Authority: Pam Paladino, Treasurer.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Who's Running in District 4
We have confirmed the following four Democratic candidates who are entering the Special Election in Council District 4.
Former Board of Education President Nancy Navarro
Navarro lost to Don Praisner last year in a tight race. We recommend Dan Reed's interview from a year ago.
Delegate Ben Kramer (D-19)
Kramer's father is former County Executive Sid Kramer. His sister is District 14 Senator Rona Kramer. Ben Kramer has run for County Council twice before. In 1994, he won the Democratic nomination in District 2 and was defeated by Nancy Dacek. In 1998, he finished 7th of 8 candidates in the Democratic at-large primary.
Former Montgomery County Civic Federation President Cary Lamari
Lamari considered running last year but dropped out to support Don Praisner.
Former Montgomery County Red Cross Executive Director Chris Paladino
A first-time candidate, Paladino has international disaster relief experience working with the National Red Cross.
Maryland Moment carried the news on Navarro and Kramer. We confirmed the intentions of Lamari and Paladino directly with the candidates themselves.
We will have much more on this race in coming weeks.
