From the Comments and My Mail on Reuseable Bags

Councilmember Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) kindly commented in response to my post about her handing out reuseable bags during her last campaign though she now opposes the bag tax. Nancy probably has commented more on MPW than any other elected official, so I thought I'd do her the courtesy of reprinting (recyclying?) it here:

Since this issue came up I am indeed embarrassed about the reuseable bags I gave out. Turns out the liners have a lot of lead in them, the bags themselves are largely made out of petroleum products, not recycleable themselves, and need to be washed. I thought AL Carr had a good idea when he started handing these things out,but based on what I now know, I am not so sure. the reason there is really not that much backlash about this tax is because it is not enough to actually change behavior. As Roger says, it's a "nudge." But Montgomery County people are already great recylcers, they don't need nudges. This is just another tax.

For the other side, see Keith Berner, who points out that bag use is down dramatically in DC and far fewer bags have been found in local waterways.

I also received mail from a Claudia Holwill (posted below), a spokeswoman for Hilex Poly--a manufacturer of plastic bags--containing a link to a video with helpful tips for reuseable bag newbies or people who are just bag curious. Among the useful nuggets of information from the "practice safe sacks" (aw shucks) video are:

• Wrap meat, fish in separate plastic bags. Thanks Hilex Poly! I didn't know that--I've just been tossing in the salmon and the steaks in together unwrapped--the way those awful supermarket folks always give them to me--together. Probably a good tip even if you use plastic bags.
  

• Don't place reuseable bags on rotating children's playground equipment. Seriously, watch the video.
  

Hilex Poly repeats Nancy's warnings about lead and bacteria. Hilex Poly also offers helpfully that plastic bags are a great alternative if you can't wash your bags after each use and want to avoid the mass death that has plagued jurisdictions that have adopted the bag tax:



Here is the full letter from Claudia Holwill:

Hi David,

Allow me to introduce myself; My name is Claudia Holwill and I do digital public affairs work at Edelman, a communications firm in Washington, D.C., where one of my clients is Hilex Poly, an American manufacturer of plastic bags made from recycled materials.

I am writing because I saw your post on Nancy Floreen’s reusable bags, and your caution to readers about the potential dangers of reusables, and thought you might be interested in this video we produced to help educate consumers on how to properly clean and store their reusable bags. As the operator of the world’s largest plastic bag recycling facility, Hilex Poly hopes to see solutions such as recycling initiatives, rather than bans or taxes on plastic bags.

If you would like to speak with someone at Hilex Poly for any other posts you have planned on this issue, I would be happy to set something up for you. We are also working on a number of additional videos and interactive facts sheets that I can share with you if you think they would be of interest to your readers. Thank you for your time!

Best,
Claudia

Claudia Holwill
Edelman | Digital Public Affairs
1875 I Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20006

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From Nancy Floreen's Last Campaign

Not Meant for Groceries

I was surprised to learn that Councilmember Nancy Floreen handed out reuseable bags during her last reelection campaign. She expressed concerns about sanitation and hygiene related to bag reuse in a Washington Post op-ed written before she became the sole at-large councilmember to oppose the new Montgomery County bag tax:

And speaking of environments: The one inside a reusable bag is perfect for growing bacteria and cross-contaminating food, so if you opt against paying for disposable bags, you had better remember to wash your reusable ones. Do you really want to carry home unwashed chicken or seafood in a bag you might be carrying apples in later?

From the color and design, one might get the impression that using bags is an environmental rather than hazmat situation, though I know green is also Nancy's campaign color. Roger Berliner and the other eight members of the County Council seemed willing to risk public health as they disagreed with Nancy's view:

“I consider this to be a nudge, not a nuisance. This nudge has profound effects on our consciousness,” said council member Roger Berliner (D-Bethesda-Potomac), who cast one of the eight votes for the measure.

Reducing the number of plastic bags that end up clogging waterways is the principal aim of the new tax. By taxing paper bags as well, officials are trying to keep shoppers from simply choosing paper instead.

Del. Al Carr is sponsoring a similar measure at the state level.

Update: Apologies for problems with the image.

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Nancy Floreen on Marriage Equality

Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) made these remarks at a press conference held just before the start of the Senate hearings.

I am proud to be here on behalf of the Montgomery County Council as chief sponsor of a resolution urging the General Assembly to enact the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act with unanimous support from colleagues.

Montgomery County has long believed in the core principle of non-discrimination. We are proud of our diverse and ever growing population. We also think it’s unfair to deny the rights of civil marriage to the over 2000 same-sex couples in Montgomery County and over 15,000 couples across the State.

“The Montgomery County Council recognizes that the opportunity to publicly and legally commit to share one’s life with the person of one’s choice is one of the most central aspects of human experience, and denial of marriage to same-sex couples is the denial of a fundamental civil right.” And it’s just not fair.

It’s not fair to couples and it’s not fair to families. Denied the freedom to marry, same-sex couples and their families are deprived of the critical safety-net that comes with marriage especially at times of great vulnerability such as birth, death, illness, disability, and unemployment.

We can no longer stand by and let these families go to Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont or DC for the recognition they want, they need, and they deserve.

Maryland is known as the “Free State” for a reason. And together, we can make it free and fair for all Marylanders.

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Councilmember Nancy Floreen on Pepco

There's a lot going on when it comes to the efforts to get Pepco to improve its service reliability and communications, and it can be difficult to sort out all the moving pieces and the various players. It is important to understand that Pepco is regulated by the Public Service Commission, which is a State agency. While the County does not have any direct authority over Pepco, we have been strong advocates for reform.

Last year, we asked the PSC to open an investigation into Pepco, and that investigation (Case 9240) is in progress now. But wait, there's more, including a routine investigation of the January 26 snowstorm, pending recommendations from the County's Pepco Work Group and legislation at the State level. Here's what you should know right now:

Montgomery County Special Counsel on Utility Regulation

• Montgomery County hired Stanley Balis, a nationally recognized attorney with more than 30 years specializing in utility regulation and related issues, to represent our interests in a number of cases coming before the Public Service Commission, including those listed here.

Montgomery County Pepco Work Group

• The Pepco Work Group is comprised of community leaders who were appointed to investigate the reliability of Pepco's service in Montgomery County and formulate concrete steps necessary to improve that service. It works in close partnership with Special Counsel Balis. If you wrote to me, I forwarded your comments to the group. The Work Group's final recommendations will be sent to the Maryland Public Service Commission as part of Montgomery County's testimony in Case 9240. To weigh in, e-mail the Office of Consumer Protection or take the online survey.

Public Service Commission Case 9240 (investigation into Pepco reliability)

• The public comment period has been completed and included statements from Montgomery County elected officials in addition to County residents. The County's Pepco Work Group will file its report on behalf of our interests in this case.
• An independent consultant will file a report on March 4.
• Montgomery County will provide direct testimony on the consultant's report on May 6.
• The PSC will hold an evidentiary hearing on June 16, 17, 20 and 21. The hearing is open to the public (although no further testimony will be taken), or you can follow it live online.
• The date for a final ruling has not been determined.

Public Service Commission Case 9256 (investigation into January 26 snowstorm)

• This is a routine investigation required for all power companies after a major storm.
• A legislative hearing will be held on March 3. The hearing is open to the public (although no public testimony will be taken), or you can follow it live online.
• The date for a final ruling has not been determined.

Public Service Commission Administrative Docket (RM 43)

• This is a Rule Making action in which the PSC seeks comments on its proposed changes to the Code of Maryland Regulations to set standards for all electric utilities.
• The County will submit testimony on this case, but no public testimony will be accepted.

Legislation

• State Delegate Brian Feldman introduced legislation that would require the PSC to adopt enhanced reliability standards by July 2012. Under Emergency Bill HB391, utilities could be fined for poor performance. The bill was submitted to the Economic Matters Committee, which will decide when to hold a hearing in Annapolis.

Routine Complaints

• You can always file a general complaint with the Public Service Commission or with the Maryland Office of the People's Counsel.

While we work our way through these issues, remember this: when your power goes out, you must call Pepco every day so that they know the lights are still out. In the meantime, I will do everything I can to keep up the pressure on Pepco and the Public Service Commission, and I continue to welcome your input so let me know your thoughts.

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Floreen Introduces Resolution in Support of Marriage Equality

From Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen's e-newsletter:

On Tuesday we will vote on the Resolution I introduced urging the Maryland General Assembly to pass the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act during the 2011 state legislative session. To me it is a question of civil rights. Allowing the thousands of same-sex couples in Maryland to legally commit their lives to each other is the right thing to do to make the Free State even freer. I'm pleased that all of my colleagues have signed on as co-sponsors.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act would remove references to sex and gender as eligibility requirements to receive marriage licenses and would extend to same-sex couples all state-administered legal benefits, protections and obligations. It would not compel any religious institution or members of the clergy to marry same-sex couples.

Opposite-sex couples, whose marriages are honored by the government, have access to more than 400 state-administered and more than 1,000 federally-administered benefits, protections and responsibilities that are otherwise unavailable to same-sex families. Many of these vital protections come at times of great vulnerability such as birth, death, illness, disability and unemployment. The federal Defense of Marriage Act still prevents same-sex married couples from accessing federal benefits.

Montgomery County has long been committed to non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity.

The Resolution is scheduled for adoption on Feb. 1. It includes the following:

The MontgomeryCounty Council recognizes that the opportunity to publicly and legally commit to share one's life with the person of one's choice is of the most central aspects of human experience, and denial of marriage to same-sex couples is the denial of a fundamental civil right.

Therefore, the Montgomery County Council urges:

That the Maryland General Assembly pass the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act to amend state law to remove references to sex and gender as eligibility requirements for a civil marriage license and provide all of the state-administered legal benefits, protections and obligations of marriage, regardless of sexual orientation;

That the Montgomery County Delegation and members of the General Assembly cosponsor, advocate, and vote for passage of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act;

That the Speaker of the House of Delegates and President of the Senate move marriage equality legislation to the floor of their respective chambers for a vote during this legislative session;

That the Governor of Maryland sign into law the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act upon its passage by the General Assembly;

That this resolution be sent to the Governor of Maryland, the Honorable Chairs and Members of the Montgomery County House and Senate Delegations, the President of the Maryland Senate and Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates.

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Nancy Floreen for Council At-Large, 2002

Nancy Floreen won her first at-large primary in 2002, in which she finished third. Here's a mailer from that year in which she touts endorsements from County Executive Doug Duncan and former County Executive Neal Potter, who at the time represented competing ideologies in county politics. Floreen has won three straight at-large primaries without the Apple Ballot, the only MoCo candidate we know of who has performed that feat.

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MoCo Primary 2010: Nancy Floreen Precinct Results

By District


By Local Area


By Race/Ethnicity

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MoCo Primary 2010: Council At-Large Precinct Results

Total Results (Including Absentees and Provisionals)


By District


By Local Area


By Race/Ethnicity

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End Gridlock Team, Council At-Large, 2002

During the entire 1998-2002 term, freshman Council Member Blair Ewing battled County Executive Doug Duncan on the ICC, development policy, living wage and other issues. In the spring of 2002, intense speculation centered on whether Ewing would challenge Duncan in the primary. Ewing instead formed a slate of challengers to take over the council, prompting Duncan to form his own slate: the End Gridlock Team. Duncan's team massively outspent Ewing and swept all the at-large seats. End Gridlock did many negative mailers, some of which we will be reprinting, but below is one of the positive ones.

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Special Spy Report: Council At-Large

The County Council At-Large race may be the most unpredictable primary in the county. Over and over again, we have consulted our spy network for insights into how it will play out. But this time we are checking in with a truly special group of informants:

State legislative candidates.

Why are we asking them, do you ask?

First, perhaps even more than the council candidates, the folks running for state legislature are on the doors. They see who has signs up. They see what literature has been dropped. They attend many of the same events at which the council candidates show up – or don’t show up. And they hear who is being talked about and what is said. In the years between elections, the delegation and the council don’t know very much about each other. But right now, the political radar is up.

Second, politicians know politics. They can size up other candidates – their message, their logistical capabilities, their knack for the game – a lot better than can lay people. Asking politicians about other politicians is like asking bank robbers about lock picks.

Third, while some of the state legislative candidates have endorsed one or more council candidates, they are not truly invested in those choices. They are far enough removed to have a more impartial point of view of the council election than the council candidates or their supporters. Frankly, the delegation members assume that the council will be dysfunctional regardless of who gets elected!

That said, most of the state legislative candidates we asked about the council at-large race did not venture an opinion. They are QUITE busy now, as you might expect. But twelve of them did give us their take on a super-confidential basis. Some are incumbents and some are not. They come from all over the county. Here’s what they told us about which council at-large candidates will be elected.

State Spy #1:

Probably the four incumbents. The reason: the dead weight of inertia. If an incumbent loses I would say it would be Duchy. Hans is in the best position to take advantage of an opening because he comes from vote-rich District 20.

State Spy #2:

1st place will be Marc Elrich - for his caring, astute, in-depth analysis of every issue, he knows more about the issues before them than any other member. 2nd Nancy Floreen - President of the Council can’t hurt and she has worked with the community continually since on the council. 3rd George Leventhal - knows how to reach a consensus with Executive and council. 4th Becky Wagner - She was 5th until the NOW issue is forcing Duchy to the back of the pack. Becky is sharp, understands what is needed and how to get it.

State Spy #3:

I think right now that it’s Leventhal, Elrich, Riemer, Trachtenberg, in that order. Leventhal and Elrich have had good all-around campaigns, though Leventhal is weak on field and Elrich on mail. Riemer’s campaign has been strong all around, and he has rolled up a lot of vital endorsements. Trachtenberg squeaks in on incumbency and the Jewish vote, though for someone with as much money as her the campaign has been lackluster to say the least. My two cents: I think she’s so confident of re-election that she is saving her money for an Exec race in four years. There is no end to that woman’s ego...

State Spy #4:

1. George Leventhal - Has maximized incumbency to his advantage. High visibility over his 8 years in office and corresponding high name ID matters in low turnout races.

2. Marc Elrich - Won in 2006 without much institutional support. Marc has broadened his appeal over the past 4 years and has key institutional support this time around, including both the Post and the Apple Ballot.

3. Hans Riemer - The general dissatisfaction with the current Council will cause one incumbent to go down. With the Post and Apple Ballot endorsements and what looks like the best field operation/campaign amongst all the challengers, Riemer appears best positioned to capitalize.

4. Nancy Floreen - Stumbles to the finish line on the strength of high visibility serving this year as Council President and the other inherent advantages associated with having been an incumbent for 8 years.

State Spy #5:

Leventhal, Elrich, Riemer, Trachtenberg. As much of a tool as Leventhal is, he has a lot of support and it is pretty clear he is going to be first. Elrich also has a lot of support, as he has spent a lot of time in the last four years building grassroots support so that it would not take a lot of money to run for re-election. Riemer is a force of nature this year and frankly deserves it. I’m just guessing on the last one, but I don’t see Wagner knocking off Duchy, as much as I wouldn’t mind it.

State Spy #6:

George Leventhal - He publicly admitted regret about spending which is refreshing because voters don’t hear too often elected officials understanding their mistakes. Despite the “throw the bums out” feeling in the electorate, the challengers are a little lackluster. The Community Conversations over the summer were fairly popular and having mail in mailboxes before everyone else made him standout.

Marc Elrich - Has built the broadest coalition in the entire county. Not easy to do in a bad economy. When the teachers union, Post, developers and environmental groups support you, there's really no one else to go against you. People pay attention that he is everywhere in the county and genuinely listens to every point of view. Despite some disagreeing with his conclusions about various issues, everyone knows that his thought process is untainted.

Nancy Floreen - Knows how to consistently come in the top four. Her creative mailers get a few seconds of hesitation before they end up in the recycling.

Hans Riemer - The voters are going to want at least one new person. Becky Wagner is significantly more qualified and would be a great councilmember, but she’s a first time candidate going against some real pros. He is going to win because so many groups and elected officials are supporting his campaign and he has the field organization and mail plan to let every voting Democrat know it.

State Spy #7:

I would say Leventhal, Trachtenberg, Elrich, and it will be a close race for 4th between Wagner, Riemer, and Floreen. Definitely too close to call but I would say that Riemer pulls it out based on ground game.

I think that Trachtenberg and Leventhal win because of their incumbent status/name recognition. And though he has not sent many, Elrich’s mail is by far the best I have seen over here.

State Spy #8:

My two cents (which is all this is worth), is that Nancy, George and Marc will likely be reelected. I think the fourth will be Hans or Becky -- with an edge to Hans. Nancy is generally well liked and is seen on the “news” often -- so, despite the negative website and signs about her, I think she’ll be fine. For whatever reason, people like George and he campaigns very hard. He’s not my choice but he’s in touch with voters and I believe he’ll be reelected. I think Marc appeals to many people --- he comes across as honest and sincere, despite some recent criticism. As a newcomer, Hans is campaigning hard and is connecting with people. But I think Becky has come a long way in the past three weeks and has some traction.

State Spy #9:

The incumbents, because despite the anger towards and discontent in Rockville, I don’t think the voter anger is directed in a single direction. However, Duchy seems to be sitting on her huge campaign account and not sending out much mail. So, though I would bet a few dollars on the incumbents, I wouldn’t be too shocked if Riemer wins and Duchy loses.

State Spy #10:

Marc Elrich, because he’s calm and usually level-headed and may be the only grown-up on the Council

George Leventhal, because he’s everywhere--nobody loves his explosive personality but everybody respects his commitment

Duchy Trachtenberg--a serious legislator with a good sense of how to run and win, may finish 4th because of a late start

There will be a photo-finish recount between

Nancy Floreen--ubiquitous on the campaign trail but grating

And

Hans Riemer--who has targeted MoCo seniors very effectively with non-stop calls and mail about his AARP work which make him a real force in the race despite his failure to win the hearts of many local political activists

Leading to victory of Hans….

State Spy #11:

Being a pragmatist, I expect all four incumbents to return. All of them have significant bases of support and frankly no one has angered any of their base. While Duchy is sometimes irrational, the general public does not see it and they have no reason to vote against her. I was offended by her piece which bragged about how she beat up on the unions about the budget, but some people probably liked it.

Hans has run a fantastic campaign and he certainly has a great deal of support. If anyone can pull off an upset I think it is he, but I still think that it is a long shot.

State Spy #12:

Hans Riemer. Great field. Good mail. Has broad endorsements.

Becky Wagner. Has teachers and she is prominent in their mailers. Undercurrent of voter frustration against current council. She has tapped it.

Marc Elrich. No enemies. Has endorsements. For four years, has gone to events in all corners of the County. Of all at-large council members, I have seen him the most at various events. Has not really alienated business, has labor support, has environmental and civic group support. Will be low turnout election and many of his constituencies vote.

Slight edge to Leventhal over Floreen. I think both are seen as emblematic of problems with current council on multiple fronts. Though they have varying and good mix of endorsements, I have seen lack-luster campaigns that rely predominantly on mail and existing name recognition.

Duchy Trachtenberg is not going to win. Lackluster mail. Hardly at events throughout the county. She’ll do well in her corner of the county, but not very well in the rest of the county. I think she could have won had she run a stronger campaign. She did not frame for voters why she should get another 4 years. If her message is fiscal responsibility, no one knows it’s her message.

Our spies’ tally:

George Leventhal: 12 (unanimous)
Marc Elrich: 12 (unanimous)
Hans Riemer: 8
Nancy Floreen: 7
Duchy Trachtenberg: 7
Becky Wagner: 2

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Nancy Floreen's Walk Piece

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Floreen TV

As far as we know, Nancy Floreen is the only Council At-Large candidate on TV. This ad is being shown on Comcast on a variety of cable networks.

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Nancy Floreen's Third Mailer

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Nancy Floreen's Second Mailer

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At-Large MoCo Council Debate at the 4H in Chevy Chase

Thirteen candidates showed up in Chevy Chase tonight for the second to last candidate forum--or so I am told--of the at-large campaign season. The debate was sponsored by a panoply of municipalities and organizations from around the area. Channel 16 covered it so you should be able to watch it. Here are my impressions on how candidates struck people--less about the specifics of what they said and more about style.

As mayor, I got to introduce the candidates--a great example of a politician taking credit of the hard work of others in putting the forum together and Charles Duffy for moderating it. The candidates looked like they were ready to throw me off the stage when I suggested that elections are like reality TV in that you actually get to vote people off the island--a thought I admit was inspired by viewing of Top Chef last night and perhaps by a post on the delegate race in District 18 inspired by Project Runway four years ago. Perhaps I was on firmer ground when I spoke about all the important decisions they get to make.

George Gluck (Green) lost me when he said that the solution to the economic crisis in a nutshell is that we all need to stop shopping at Barnes and Noble in Bethesda and go to the Cricket Book Shop in Ashton instead to keep money and jobs in the County. Reinforced the impression of Greens as well-meaning but utterly impractical and a bit kooky.

Duchy Trachtenberg (D) had one really good theme that resonated well and one that sounded a little tinny to me. The good theme is making tough choices in tough times. In short, it makes a virtue out of Duchy's loss of political support from unions--a smart and sensible response to the choices she has made in office that fits the mood of the times--not to mention the Post. In contrast, Duchy recitation of Ike's endorsement and how we can only trust experienced hands now rang false as it left me wondering why one should have supported her four years ago.

Despite starting off the debate by complimenting his fellow incumbents, George Leventhal (D) quickly lost any chance of taking home the Mr. Congeniality statuette. A bull in a china shop, George is tough and argumentative rather than pleasant and controlled, and sometimes clever instead of convincing. His tone is the one I try to keep out of my classroom teaching--the one that suggests you're a real idiot if you disagree with me--reinforced with a frown and crossed arms. Folks, we even nearly had a Saturday Night Live moment brought to life when he went after Jane de Winter. But hey, I guess you can't argue with George's electoral success.

In contrast, Nancy Floreen (D) came across as an adult who has firm convictions and a grasp of the facts but keeps her head. Like George, Nancy has strong opinions and defends them armed with a quick mind and grasp of the issues.. However, she managed to make her points, and even correct people, without looking like she was berating them or being unpleasant. Not an easy balance but one Nancy carried out with conviction. Looked like a Council President.

Jane de Winter (D) benefited from being George's target and having a sense of humor about it as she turned George's attack on her fiscal sense and her advocacy for education into a family anecdote about an adult handling a child. One can debate about who won the point but the optics of standing up to a bully were good as Jane held her own as she made an impression--something challengers have to do. Seated wrongly as a "W" instead of a "D", de Winter got to sit in the center of the pack.

Raj Narayanan (D) came across as an outsider with economic knowledge but lost credibility when he urged the audience to vote for him and Marc Elrich--mainly because it looks weak and because he apparently urges support for himself and a different incumbent at each forum. Nonetheless, he was a fresh face to me and I enjoyed his contribution.

Hans Riemer (D) was the candidate who really gets that debates are not just about what you say but the impression you make. Though younger than the other Democrats, he came across as calm, likable, and knowing the notes he wanted to hit, particularly reinforcing the message of his recent mailer on seniors. Though some will ask where's the beef? his competitors did not press this point as at other forums.

Becky Wagner (D) had an ability to relate governmental problems to both her past experience and to make clear points on complex issues. As with Jane de Winter, I got the impression of someone who has worked hard in the community and earned her spot up there. Becky came across as clear-eyed even if one wondered about her stands on issues as her responses sometimes could be read a number of ways--not necessarily a bad thing when one is trying to corral voters with diverse opinions.

Marc Elrich (D) must have been good in the classroom. He has clear views but also looks like someone who is practical, knows a lot, is willing to talk calmly with others, and thinks that politics is about bringing people together to solve the community's problems. In short, another grown up. He elicited the only applause for the night when he mentioned his bus-rapid transit proposal.

Fred Evans (D) seemed like a nice enough fellow but did not leave much of a memory--bad news for any candidate, I'm afraid.

Robert Dyer (R) wanted you to know that he is the man with the fiscal plan. Very intense. I confess I don't know what to make of Republicans with pony tails. The repeated references to Fantasy Island didn't help. I resisted urges to stand up from the back of the auditorium and shout: "The plane! The plane!"

Mark Fennell (R) brags about being a tea-party candidate in his literature but oddly sounded more interested in making sure that developers pay their fair share for infrastructure in addition to standard Republican fiscal concerns. I preferred the guy on stage to his written materials. Mark is sort of an inverse Bob Ehrlich who looks great in his ads but really should never be allowed to debate.

Brandon Rippeon (R) woke me up with a resonant voice and a passionate presentation but then disappointed with his anodyne attack suggesting that increasing gang violence indicates that the county council has provided bad value for its money. Like Hans, Brandon is a young, fresh face but has a very different style.

Note: I have endorsed Marc Elrich and Jane de Winter. I apologize for any votes this loses them.

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Anti-Floreen Activist Speaks Out

On Tuesday, we reported that a civic activist had launched an anonymous campaign to prevent Council President Nancy Floreen from being reelected. That activist subsequently contacted us and has gone on the record about his effort to oust Floreen. Following is his email to us along with our comment.

From: David Reile
To: acp1629@hotmail.com
Subject: Rumor Blog
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 13:24:01 -0500

Dear Mr. Pagnucco:

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am David Reile, (a.k.a. the “anonymous civic activist” mentioned in the Rumors section of your Blog entry Tuesday, August 31, 2010).

I am the treasurer of Ethically Responsible Government/EIGPAC.com, a grass roots organization whose mission is to hold elected officials in Montgomery County accountable in their service to our citizens. We are registered with the Maryland State Board of Elections. Though our website was initially marked with a placeholder page, it now includes contact information and is in full conformance with all county and Maryland law. There was never any intention on our part to “hide.” It was just a matter of competing life priorities.

As to the “illegally-placed road signs” that you mention, we have made every effort to place our signs in close proximity to the signs placed by candidates running for elected office in Montgomery County, including the Floreen campaign. Further, you may note the presence of hundreds of signs placed throughout the county by home builders and developers.

Next, we are not tied to or coordinating with ANY political party, campaign, or politician. This includes Marc Elrich. It is true that we like Marc Elrich and believe that he has been and will continue to be good for Montgomery County. For some perspective, we have also contributed to the campaigns of Nancy Navarro and Sharon Dooley. We financially supported Marc Elrich and attended his campaign kick off long before the PAC (Ethically Responsible Government) was formed or even thought of.

For the record, I/we do not “despise” Nancy Floreen. I/we do oppose many of her actions and decisions, including her excessive ties with the development community and her apparent antipathy toward civic associations and Montgomery County citizens in favor of large scale, over development of residential and rural communities outside of the Agricultural Reserve.

We believe that Ms. Floreen has not earned another term on the County Council or in any other elected office in Montgomery County.

As to the other “rumors,” we are delighted to know that our efforts to send Ms. Floreen home this election are being noticed. You may notice that there are other organizations which believe similarly. You reported on how Police, Firefighters, and MCGEO are working to support three at-large candidates. Who is conspicuously absent from that list? Nancy Floreen! We hope that she is absent from the County Council next year as well. We will add our support to any effort to make that a reality.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like additional information on our organization.

All the best,

David M. Reile

#####

At the time that we wrote our post, Reile's website had no identifying information on it and his PAC had no registration record on the State Board of Elections' website. The website now identifies the PAC's officers and the PAC is now registered.

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Heard a Good Rumor?

There are MANY rumors floating around in the County Council races right now. Let’s be irresponsible and review a couple of them, shall we?

1. The Rockville consensus is that Craig Rice should and will win the Council District 2 seat. No one believes Sharon Dooley has a shot, and no one in either the council building or the Executive Branch wants to see combative former Planning Board Chair Royce Hanson get in. As a result, lots of people are wooing Rice and hoping to earn his vote later. Ike Leggett, for example, gave Rice $3,000.

2. The at-large incumbents loathe Hans Riemer and are picking up their whisper campaign against him. More than one person who has publicly supported him has told your author that they have been pressured by one or more incumbents to retract that support. There has been an intense effort to discredit Riemer and plant derogatory allegations about him in the media. One such allegation is that he has never worked for AARP. Your author knows that is a lie because Riemer would answer the phone at AARP when called there by yours truly.

3. A civic activist who despises Council President Nancy Floreen has started an illegal, anonymous anti-Floreen website and has begun erecting illegally-placed road signs calling for her defeat. The activist is known to be a supporter of Council Member Marc Elrich. Elrich denies responsibility for fomenting the anti-Floreen effort, but his pleas are not entirely believed. Rumors are spreading that the activist is planning an attack mailer against Floreen. This is beginning to stress the incumbents’ four-way mutual non-aggression pact.

4. Council Member George Leventhal has taken an increasingly hard line against challenger Becky Wagner in the at-large candidate forums. Leventhal is suspected by many of tacitly supporting Wagner a year ago, a charge he denies, and some are now accusing him of throwing Wagner under the bus as part of the incumbents’ deal.

5. Council Member Duchy Trachtenberg is so upset about the growing circulation of stories about her mishandling money while she was Treasurer of Maryland NOW that she is vowing to locate their source. Perhaps she should blame the Gazette, which originally reported on the issue. Our informants are wondering whether distraction over this matter explains why Trachtenberg, who is sitting on over $200,000 in the bank, has apparently not yet sent out mail.

6. More than one council incumbent has recently butted heads with Council Vice-President Valerie Ervin, who will likely become President this December. That is EXTREMELY unwise as Ervin will be determining committee assignments, including chairmanships. Ervin is a tough cookie who will not tolerate mischief and will break heads if she has to.

7. We’ll finish with something positive. Yes, we know such things bore you, but you received plenty of dirt above, so deal with it. The County Council and the county’s statehouse delegation are often criticized for not talking to each other, but that could change for the better. One example is that Council Member Roger Berliner, who has significant expertise on energy policy, and Delegate Brian Feldman (D-15), who sits on the House committee that oversees electric utilities, are collaborating on legislation to establish performance standards for Pepco. We don’t care what they come up with, but the very fact that they are working together may be a sign of good things to come.

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Nancy Floreen's First Mailer

Hey Nancy - do I get a free iPhone for posting this?

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Council At-Large: Nancy Floreen

Council Member Nancy Floreen finished fourth in the 2006 at-large Democratic primary. What does that mean this year?

First, some basic statistics on Floreen along with her performance chart in 2006.


Electoral Experience
Two-term at-large incumbent. Finished third in 2002 as a member of the End Gridlock slate. Finished fourth in 2006. Former Mayor of Garrett Park.

Areas of Strength, 2006
Finished first in Montgomery Village, Poolesville and Garrett Park. Finished second in Council District 2, State Legislative Districts 14, 17 and 39, and in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Damascus, Clarksburg, Sandy Spring and Laytonsville.

Areas of Weakness, 2006
Finished fourth in Council Districts 4 and 5, State Legislative Districts 18, 19 and 20 and in Silver Spring, Potomac, Chevy Chase, Derwood, Kensington, Takoma Park and Brookeville.

Endorsements
In 2006, Floreen had overwhelming support from the business community plus a couple unions and the Post, but not the Apple Ballot. The story is the same this year.

Campaign Receipts
$347,369 for the 2006 cycle, best in the at-large field. In the 2006 cycle through the Pre-Primary 1 report in 2006, Floreen raised $281,656. In the 2010 cycle through the Pre-Primary 1 report in 2010, Floreen has raised $225,983, a 20% decrease from the prior cycle. Floreen is a good fundraiser, primarily because of her popularity in the business community.

What is Different Now
Not much. Nancy Floreen is the same candidate with the same positions and pretty much the same kind of campaign and endorsement mix as in 2006. If there was a powerful anti-incumbent sentiment, Floreen might be targeted by angry voters as the current Council President, but our door-knocking spies do not report a wave of this kind. Challenger Becky Wagner could steal some votes from Floreen, but Floreen could also benefit from Duchy Trachtenberg’s problems.

Forecast

There is little reason to believe Floreen’s performance will be substantially different from last time. Sure, we have heard theories of her vulnerability including Trachtenberg’s money, Hans Riemer’s endorsements and even a backlash about her Council Presidency. (Trust us – rank-and-file Democratic voters don’t care how she became President.) But the bottom line is that Nancy Floreen is a survivor and nobody has made a lot of money betting against her.

We are picking Floreen to finish fourth, with a small chance of finishing fifth if Hans Riemer does very well and Duchy Trachtenberg gets lucky.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at the top two challengers: Becky Wagner and Hans Riemer.

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Council At-Large Geography, Part Four

The bottom line in any election is who wins and who loses. We’re not ready to make that call for 2010, but we know in excruciating detail how the 2006 contest played out. And now we reveal all!

Here are 2006 at-large Democratic primary results for the top five candidates for all voters casting ballots at precincts by Congressional District, State Legislative District, Council District and locality. Our statistics are limited by the fact that precinct-level data excludes absentee and provisional voters. But we are using the precinct data to zero in on the geographic areas where each candidate ran strong and weak. That information is indispensable for evaluating possible results in 2010.


We understand that there is a tremendous amount of data in the chart above – too much to be digested in any one sitting. And we will break it down further in individual analyses of the four incumbents later in the series. But for the moment, we offer a few notes.

1. George Leventhal was not only the top vote-getter, he was also the most reliable performer. Leventhal finished first in five of eight State Legislative Districts and four of five Council Districts.

2. Marc Elrich and Duchy Trachtenberg were nearly tied, with Elrich barely capturing the second spot. But as we shall see, their votes came from very different places.

3. Nancy Floreen and Mike Subin were the two incumbents left off the Apple Ballot. Even though Subin had served five terms while Floreen was a freshman, Floreen had more money and worked much harder to win reelection.

4. Sixty-five percent of the at-large votes came from four areas: Silver Spring (31.2%), Bethesda (12.8%), Rockville (11.7%) and Gaithersburg (8.9%). Any candidate who runs weak in any of those areas risks a loss.

5. The Apple Ballot included Leventhal, Elrich and Trachtenberg in 2006. The latter two were challengers but these three candidates finished at the top in that order. In 2010, the Apple Ballot includes two incumbents – Leventhal and Elrich – and two challengers – Hans Riemer and Becky Wagner. Two incumbents – Floreen and Trachtenberg – have been excluded. Despite the Post’s best efforts to destroy MCEA, that change will impact this year’s at-large race.

We’ll look at the individual candidates in greater detail next week.

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