Management calls them “union avoidance consultants.” Labor people call them “union busters.” But whatever term you use for them, you can count on them showing up whenever workers dare to tell the boss that they are thinking about forming a union. All across the country, thousands of lawyers, consultants and outright shysters rake in billions of dollars working for anti-union employers. They spread fear and propaganda and some of them even assist employers in breaking labor laws just so workers will be too scared to choose union representation. And now Montgomery College has hired a “union avoidance” lawyer of its own.
Montgomery College’s union busting started when the college’s adjunct professors approached SEIU Local 500 to discuss representation. Many of us remember college faculty as being tenured, comfortable residents of the ivy tower. But today’s college professors are increasingly part-time, paid by the class, with few benefits and no job security. Montgomery College’s faculty is now mostly comprised of adjunct professors who, unlike tenured faculty, have no union representation. According to the Gazette, the college’s adjuncts are paid $880 per credit hour taught, with most classes worth three credit hours. Full-time faculty can make up to $3,038 per credit hour. SEIU reports that adjuncts do not have health benefits or defined benefit pensions. When SEIU began gathering authorization cards from workers for a state representation election, the college acted quickly to put an end to it.
Montgomery College hired Darrell VanDeusen, a lawyer with Baltimore law firm Kollman & Saucier. VanDeusen, recently named as one of Maryland’s “Super Lawyers” in Baltimore Magazine, describes his practice as “providing advice in matters such as compliance with anti-discrimination laws, union avoidance and collective bargaining, family and medical leave and fair labor standards.” The law firm also states that VanDeusen “has defended employers in hundreds of charges before the EEOC and other state and local fair employment practice agencies” and “has argued cases in state and federal courts that have interpreted the law in favor of employers.” SEIU states that the going rate for top “union avoidance” lawyers in Maryland is $400-600 per hour. If that is true for VanDeusen, he could earn more in 30 hours of billing ($12,000- $18,000) than an adjunct professor could earn teaching four courses in a semester ($10,560).
What is Montgomery College getting from VanDeusen? We’ll take a look in Part Two.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Montgomery College’s Union Busting Campaign: Part One of Four
Terminal 5
Her Majesty, the Queen, opened London Heathrow's new Terminal 5 last week but the public won't get to experience its glory for another two weeks. Let's hope that the Economist is wrong in its rather gloomy view of the airport's future:
Heathrow airport is a torture-chamber, and the opening of its new Terminal 5 is unlikely to make much difference.I had to get up at about 4am in order to get to the airport in order to catch Icelandair's flight to Heathrow. Reykjavik's Leifur Eiriksson terminal in Keflavik continues to impress. When I saw the line to check-in with Icelandair, I figured it would take about an hour to check in based on the length of the line and my past experiences with United and Delta.
It took about 10 minutes tops. I similarly whizzed through the equally long security line, leaving me plenty of time to gape at the prices in the duty-free shops. I couldn't help but notice that Icelanders had grabbed all of the vodka on sale due to the staggering price of drinks on their island.
While "torture chamber" is a bit strong (no need to call Amnesty International), I did feel rather like a gerbil in a set of yellow tubes as I passed through London's Heathrow Airport. When I arrived, the signs clearly indicated that I should go to Terminal 1 but no no flight to Geneva was posted once I passed through security and walked there.
I learned my flight was in Terminal 4 and, after much marching through more gerbil tubes and a bus ride, I was there. Terminal 4 is like Montgomery Mall on steroids. Airports in Britain have been privatized and the shopping mall approach to airports has been fully embraced.
I had hoped to pick up a paperback in the UK that is still in hardcover in the US. However, the value of the American peso being what it is these days, I discovered that it would probably be cheaper for me to just buy the hardcovers in the US when I get home.
Perhaps its for the best that I got to miss out on Terminal 5 when I changed planes in Heathrow--the advert, I mean article, trumpeting its opening in the British Airways in-flight rag "Highlife" seemed to indicate that you needed to wear or to buy about $10,000 worth of clothing or luggage to pass through it.
Oh, and British Airways managed to get only one of my bags to Geneva with me despite the long layover and flight delay of around 30 minutes. Until recently, I've always had pretty good luck with luggage but I'm now 0-3 on the last three trips so the law of averages must be catching up with me.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Maryland’s Presidential Record
From Marc Korman.
With Senator Clinton’s recent boast that “As Ohio goes, so goes the nation,” I thought this would be a good time to check in with Maryland’s record in presidential election years. As Maryland goes, does the nation follow?
Not so much. Since World War II, fifteen presidential elections have been held. Maryland voted for the winner ten times, compared to fourteen times for Ohio. The good news for Maryland’s record is that they voted for the winner in all three acknowledged electoral landslides since World War II (Johnson in ‘64, Nixon in ‘72, and Reagan in ‘84).
Maryland voted for the Democratic candidate over the Republican nine times, but only five of those times did the Democrat win the presidency. The highest Democratic vote was 65% for Johnson in 1964.
Maryland voted for the Republican candidate six times, and five of those led to Republican presidencies. The highest Republican vote was 61% for Nixon in 1972.
The biggest surprise for me when generating the list was Maryland’s support for Republican George H.W. Bush in 1988. Maryland is a safe Democratic state today, but given its support for Republicans twice in the 1980s, that status is a relatively recent development. Also interesting was Maryland’s narrow support for Republican Dewey in 1948, though that was strange election due to the presence of four major candidates on the ballot. Had Truman received the votes of Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace in Maryland, he may well have carried the state.
Notes: Maryland winners listed in bold.
1960 was the first year Alaska and Hawaii were included in the Electoral College.
1964 was the first year the District of Columbia was included in the Electoral College. They are included as a “state” in the candidate state totals.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Transgender Bill Supporters Sue Board of Elections
Yesterday, twelve Montgomery County residents filed suit against the Montgomery County Board of Elections in the county’s circuit court seeking to set aside their finding that the anti-transgender petition should proceed. The plaintiffs include former Progressive Maryland president and former state delegate candidate Elbridge James and current Takoma Park mayor Bruce Williams. They are represented by Jonathan Shurberg, an attorney working with Equality Maryland.
The complaint alleges that Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG), the group that collected the signatures, used “inaccurate, inflammatory and false information” that is “indicative of a pattern of fraud on the part of the individuals collecting the signatures…” For example, one of the plaintiffs claimed that she “was falsely induced into signing the referendum petition that is the subject of this lawsuit by individuals stating that the law in question allowed for unisex bathrooms and for men to be in the women’s bathroom.”
The complaint goes on to question the validity of the signatures themselves. It alleges that many signatures were outright forgeries, were not obtained from registered voters, were not obtained from county residents, did not have any addresses or were duplicates. The complaint lists numerous problems with the circulator affidavits, such as, “The Petition contains numerous Petition sheets reflecting alterations indicative of fraud by the circulator such as circulator and/or signer information that appears to have been covered with “white out…” But the complaint never states how many signatures or circulator affidavits are alleged to be invalid.
Finally, the complaint claims that the Board of Elections ignored the above problems, stating, “Defendant Board of Elections appears to have determined to overlook disqualifying infirmities in the Petition signatures, circulator certifications and other categories set forth above and instead to certify the Petition despite the Petition’s failure to comply with governing legal requirements.” The remedy sought by the plaintiffs is for the Montgomery County Circuit Court to set aside the board’s finding of validity, thereby allowing the transgender anti-discrimination bill to take effect.
It’s difficult to get a sense of the volume of evidence the plaintiffs have to back up their claims. CRG submitted 32,087 signatures. They need 25,001 to be upheld. The Board of Elections never stated how many signatures were found to be valid when they certified the petition. The complaint never stated how many signatures Equality Maryland’s volunteers found to be invalid. So the presiding judge would have a number of options: find that the process is so fraud-ridden that the petition must be set aside (the plaintiffs’ position), find that the Board of Elections acted within its allowable discretion or order the board to re-examine every signature.
But there is a bigger tactical field than merely the legal realm. The transgender bill started as an anti-discrimination bill, pure and simple. Then it was amended to include “any restroom, shower, dressing room, locker room or similar facility,” an amendment that was later removed but never forgotten by its opponents. CRG’s petition drive degenerated into an ugly ground war that produced this video of a County Council staffer confronting petition gatherers. CRG is promising a lawsuit over this incident. So now we have one confirmed lawsuit against a taxpayer-funded agency, another possible lawsuit involving a taxpayer-funded employee, much talk about showers and bathrooms but much less talk about protecting innocent people from discrimination – which after all was the inspiration for the bill. CRG’s fear-mongerers are running wild while the bill’s original, necessary purpose is receding into the background. From a purely tactical perspective, this order of battle is more favorable to CRG than to the bill's supporters.
Back in 1991, the Planned Parenthood vs. Casey federal abortion case caused many people to fear that the Supreme Court might overturn Roe vs. Wade. Maryland’s legislature passed a bill providing for Roe vs. Wade protections in the state’s law in case the Supreme Court threw out Roe. The law’s opponents successfully petitioned the bill to referendum, but the voters upheld it by a 62-38 margin. Since that 1992 vote, anti-choice groups have not come close to banning abortions in Maryland, though they do try to chip away at them.
If CRG does succeed in getting its referendum before the voters, it might be the best thing that ever happened for supporters of the transgender anti-discrimination bill. Voter affirmation will be much more useful for their cause than endless lawsuits (and videos).
Friday, March 14, 2008
Putting a Gun to the Heads of Maryland’s Teachers (Updated)
The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Senate President Mike Miller is threatening education and teachers’ pension funding in an effort to get the Maryland State Teachers Association to support slots. This proves Eric Luedtke’s worries about this issue correct.
According to the Sun:“They've got to help us either get some type of revenue, either taxes or the video lottery terminals, so we can continue funding public education at the rate I want it funded,” Miller said. "There's nothing more I want than to fund public education, but the beneficiaries of public education have got to respond in kind.”
But there is more:The Senate president has also told union leaders that their failure to back the measure could force the General Assembly to seek another funding source for teacher pensions, including asking counties and school boards to foot the bill, a move that would almost certainly force severe cuts on the local level.
I have disagreed with the Senate President on slots in the past. But even more than that, I disagree with his approach to the relationship of slots and education funding. A common-sense, pro-education approach to this issue is to say, “I’m committed to education, now let’s go find the money.” Instead, Mr. Miller seems to be saying, “I’m committed to slots, now let’s figure out how to pass them.” This is not the kind of pro-education behavior I expect from my party in Annapolis.
Slots are now being marketed as a magical solution to the state’s budget problems. Some politicians are now telling us that if we pass them, we can pay for education, repeal the computer tax and pay for virtually any other kind of program that we want. But in fact, as surrounding jurisdictions increase their gambling programs in a mad, dice-and-whiskey-fueled gaming arms race, our revenue take will be far from certain. The only certainty is that license-holding corporations will be enriched beyond their executives’ wildest dreams, including those that are now teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
The Senate President is a recognized master of politics and has survived as long as he has by knowing the sentiments in his chamber better than anyone – ever. He is pressuring the teachers by threatening education funding and holding up their grievance arbitration bill because he knows that voters respect them. Apple Ballots with one-armed bandits on them are almost as valuable as penthouse comps. But there is a price to this tactic.
First, the teachers waged a relentless four-year campaign to get their pension benefits increased, a fight that ended in 2006. By threatening to subject those benefits to county financing, Mr. Miller is signaling his willingness to endanger the teachers’ top legislative achievement of the decade.
Second, he is pressuring the state organization’s board to make a decision without input from a closely-divided membership. This does not take into account the internal realities of a union, which is in fact a political organization. No political organization likes dealing with divisive issues – for example, look at the General Assembly’s contortions on gay marriage, illegal immigration, the death penalty and, of course, slots. As any political organization works it way through a tough issue, it needs time, delicate negotiations and ways to assuage those who come up short. Putting a gun to the heads of the leadership, as Mr. Miller is doing, may earn him a temporary victory but is sure to create fury in the ranks and a desire for revenge against the Senate President, his pro-slots colleagues and even some of the state union leaders themselves.
In Montgomery County, we call MCEA the 800-pound gorilla. Don’t make it angry, Mr. Miller, because this gorilla has a long memory.
Update: MSTA's board voted last night to support the slots referendum. The Post has the story here. MSTA President Clara Floyd released this statement:Today the MSTA Board of Directors voted to support passage of the November slots referendum.
Despite the state board's endorsement, readers should not assume that all local affiliates will now do everything in their power to support slots. Judging from the controversial nature of the decision and, especially, the way in which it was made, some local affiliates are bound to work harder for the referendum than others.
Thanks to Thornton funding, we are making clear progress in raising student achievement across the state. Our greatest moral responsibility is to continue this progress by ensuring that educators and schools have the resources they need to give every child access to great public schools.
The referendum establishes an Education Trust Fund and dedicates half of future proceeds to our public schools. It provides Maryland with an additional source of funding, beginning with licensing fees in early 2009.
Because of our state’s precarious fiscal outlook, if this referendum fails, students, teachers and support staff will be left with outdated facilities, larger classes, outdated textbooks and shortages of materials. School systems will be left with fewer resources to recruit and retain the best teachers and support staff.
Although this referendum is a necessary component to curing our state’s long-term fiscal woes, it is not sufficient. MSTA will continue to advocate strongly for other progressive and sustainable revenue alternatives to provide adequate funding for public education.
District 4 Candidate Forum Scheduled
CANDIDATE FORUM
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Aspen Hill Library
4407 Aspen Hill Road, Rockville, MD 20853
All candidates for the Montgomery County Council
District 4 vacancy* are invited.
Special Primary election: April 15, 2008
Special General election: May 13, 2008
*The vacancy was left by the death of Councilmember Marilyn Praisner.
Sponsored by: Aspen Hill Civic Association; Friends of the Library, Aspen Hill Chapter; Republican Club of Leisure World; Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce; Montgomery County Young Democrats; Hispanic Democratic Club; District 14 and District 19 Democratic Clubs; District 18 Caucus; Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.
Vicky Surles
Administrative Asst.
Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce
2401 Blueridge Avenue, Suite 101
Wheaton, MD 20902
301-949-0080 / 301-949-0081 fax
www.wkchamber.org
Thursday, March 13, 2008
0-2 on Luggage
Greetings from Reykjavik. I flew directly from a vacation in Miami, Florida to Reykjavik, Iceland yesterday. (Just imagine trying to pack that suitcase!) I arrived here but my luggage never made my Delta flight from Miami to JFK where I transferred to Icelandair.
Way to go, Delta! While not quite in the special Division 1 League of luggage loss populated by United which lost my luggage for two days for a flight which was canceled, Delta still deserves kudos for providing the extra-special level of service for which the airlines are increasingly known in America.
On the other hand, non-sarcastic kudos to Icelandair. Their lost-luggage person in Keflavik Airport was not only pleasant and efficient but gave me a toiletries case to tide me over until my luggage arrives. I hope it comes soon--tomorrow will be day three for this particular pair of jeans and shirt.
Fortunately, I grabbed the ski jacket out of the suitcase just before handing the luggage over to Delta. I just wish I had the hat and gloves which are still in the suitcase. It's not so much the cold but wind which gets you in Iceland (sort of like the humidity is to the heat of Washington summers).
Is the Computer Tax Here to Stay? (Updated)
The Washington Post reports that Maryland’s Senate has not reached a consensus on how, or whether, to replace the much-despised computer sales tax. But Maryland Politics Watch readers have seen this coming.
Remember the now-legendary blogger interview of Senate President Mike Miller back in January? When we asked him about the computer tax, the Senate President answered, "The computer tax is not a good tax, but it’s $200 million and I’m going to fight to keep it... No one can agree on a replacement." And here’s our report on House Majority Leader Kumar Barve's comments: "The House got rid of the computer sales tax but it came back. It’s bad public policy. It’s unwise to tax businesses that are mobile," Barve stated. "But unless we’re willing to find $200 million in extra revenues, it will be very difficult to get rid of." And why was the computer industry vulnerable? "In politics, when something unpleasant has to be done, it’s usually done to whoever squirms around the least!" Barve noted that Senator Rob Garagiola (D-15, MoCo) had a proposal to replace it with a gas tax, "but that is a non-starter." Added to Mike Miller’s comments, Barve’s opinion indicates that the computer tax is not going anywhere because there is no other way to raise the money.
Mr. Miller’s and Mr. Barve’s political predictions have been proven correct. When the Republicans proposed spending cuts and tapping "unallocated funds" to pay for a repeal, the Senate rejected it. When Senate Democrats proposed an income tax surcharge on the rich, Montgomery County officials opposed it. Time is running out: the current session has less than a month left and the computer tax is due to take effect this summer.
The tragedy is that it didn’t have to be this way. Governor O’Malley never proposed this tax. The House of Delegates did not propose it. And there were other ways to raise the money. An extra point hike in the corporate income tax could have raised at least $100 million and Maryland’s rate would still have been lower than Pennsylvania and D.C., equal to New Jersey and barely higher than West Virginia and Delaware. Combined reporting on corporate income taxes could have raised $25 million. Progressive Maryland believes it could have been worth $100 million. The legislature could have kept the Governor’s original higher income tax rates on individuals making $150,000, raising perhaps tens of millions more. And the legislature could have aggressively gone after tax-cheating employers but so far has not done so.
Instead, we are left with a looming, devastating tax on a knowledge-based industry critical to the state’s future. Everyone hates it. But no one has figured out how to get rid of it. Surely the Democrats in Annapolis can do better than this.
Update: The Sun reports that a surtax on millionaires is gaining ground. Democratic Senator Verna Jones's (D44-Baltimore City) proposal would raise $230 million by instituting a surcharge rate of 6% on incomes between $750,000 and $1 million and 6.5% on incomes above $1 million. But Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has written in opposition to the plan.
Update 2: The Governor has come out in favor of replacing the computer tax with the surcharge. However, Democratic Senator Robert Zirkin (D11-Baltimore County) has proposed to repeal the computer tax if the slots referendum passes. He also favors cutting transportation projects.
Senator Zirkin, I know my Montgomery County delegation is split on taxing the wealthy. But I would hope that all of them would stick together on opposing transportation cuts. All they hear is how horrible traffic congestion is from both their constituents and our County Council. Good luck in getting our eight State Senators to cut State Highway and transit projects in our county.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Nancy Floreen Joins the Blogosphere
The blogosphere has a new member: Montgomery County Council Member Nancy Floreen. Welcome to our world, Nancy! You will soon learn the joys of staying up until two in the morning to overcome writer’s block, trying to figure out html script errors and wondering who is using those anonymous screen names to make the snarky comments you’re tempted to delete.
Other politicians have tried to run blogs before. They have usually succumbed for two reasons: lack of regular postings and boring content. Now I am not worried about regular postings with Ms. Floreen. She is a very hardworking council member who labors on many issues every day and knows them all inside-out. I am sure she will feed her blog well. But on content, well...
You see, we really like Nancy Floreen. She is extremely charming, has a playful sense of humor and is very engaging in person. But we the voters give our politicians every incentive to be boring. I mean, when they say anything halfway interesting, we punish them for it. Just look at Robin Ficker. OK, bad example… How about George English? OK, another bad example, but you get my point. Only a few politicians regularly flout this rule (including our friend Dana Beyer, who is always good for an occasional blog post). So as one of Ms. Floreen's supportive constituents, I would like to start her off to blogging fame and fortune by suggesting she answer a few questions of mine. If she did, it would surely draw lots of eyes to her blog! Here goes:
1. Is it true that it once took four MCPD officers to force Marc Elrich to wear a tie for a council hearing?
2. Forget transgendered people. Can we pass a law that keeps the shower nuts out of the bathrooms?
3. True or false: George Leventhal once beat Mike Knapp in a game of one-on-one basketball.
4. Why do council staffers escort visitors out of the council offices? Don't you trust us not to steal the staplers? Or is this policy only used for me?
5. MoCo is not getting enough transportation money from the state. What if the county council members formed a human chain across the Beltway as a show of resolve?
Monday, March 10, 2008
Nancy Navarro's Show of Force
One week after Don Praisner announced his candidacy for the District 4 County Council seat backed by the County Executive and four council members, Nancy Navarro responded with an announcement of her own.
Navarro’s campaign kicked off at the Good Hope Community Center at 11 this morning. Supporters in attendance included Council Member Valerie Ervin, Casa de Maryland leader Gustavo Torres, District 20 Delegate Tom Hucker, several members of the school board, representatives from MCEA and SEIU Local 500 and scores of district residents. Navarro read this statement:
My name is Nancy Navarro. I am the President of the Montgomery County Board of Education, a wife and a parent of two amazing daughters who could not be with us because they are in school. Earlier today, I filed as a candidate for the District 4 Council seat.
Three things stood out about this announcement to your blogger:
This candidacy was not in my plans. It came about after a sad and unexpected death of a woman who dedicated her life to service. I have learned that many honorable endeavors usually are not planned and that is why it is so important to be ready. And I can say with absolute resolve that I am ready for this seat and I am willing to represent all the residents of District 4 and this County.
Yesterday, I visited with over 100 residents of this neighborhood at the Good Hope United Methodist Church. They came together to demand a renovation of this center and other centers located in mostly low-income communities of color. This community came out to be heard, to be supported and to indicate their presence in this District.
In the last three weeks, I have heard that the only issues that people in this District care about are land use, the ICC, traffic and the environment. Indeed these are very important issues to all of us, but let’s not forget all the other issues that we all face everyday: the need for quality education, jobs, affordable housing, access to affordable child care, access to affordable health care, business development, enhanced transportation services and many more.
These are the issues that we must grapple with as a District and as a County. In these difficult economic times, we will not be able to solve everything. But it sure helps to have someone who has been in elected office, who has presided over an elected body and who is not afraid to exercise her independence while making very difficult decisions. I do believe in the politics of possibilities. I do believe that Montgomery County with its ever-changing face can and will continue to preserve its quality of life.
I pledge to seek consensus whenever possible, to promote civil discourse and to always make decisions based on what is in the best interest of District 4 and the County. Please come out to vote on April 15. District 4 deserves a leader that is here for the long haul, one that has been tried and tested, one that reflects the hopes and dreams of all its residents.
1. The campaign showed off an extremely diverse group of supporters for the event. Just look at the picture below:
Blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, seniors, kids, union people, community activists and many others were present in abundance. As Council Member Valerie Ervin said, “When we talk about the new Montgomery County, this is what it looks like.” More importantly, the gathering resembled a district in which no one demographic group commands a majority.
2. Special elections depend on turnout and this one will be no exception. The fact that MCEA, SEIU and Casa de Maryland activists have all pledged to support Navarro gives her a ground game that her opponents must match. They should all beware of the fist-pumping declaration delivered by Gustavo Torres: “We are going to fight to make sure immigrants vote in this election!”
3. Mr. Praisner is effectively the incumbent in the race. Nevertheless, there was immense confidence among Navarro’s supporters. (Perhaps the Good Hope Community Center was aptly named for today’s event.) They truly believe that they will outwork the Praisner campaign and bring change to the district.
This race is compelling because District 4 has not seen a truly competitive contest since it was created in 1990. That year Marilyn Praisner, coming off service on the school board, ran as the candidate of change and defeated three-term council incumbent Mike Gudis. Is Nancy Navarro the 2008 model of Mrs. Praisner? We’ll find out in less than five weeks.
Disclosure: The author is the Assistant to the General President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. The union’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Council has endorsed Navarro.
What Are Our State Senators Doing?
From Marc Korman.
With approximately a month left in the state legislative session, are you wondering what Montgomery County’s Senators are working on? To save you the trouble, I have assembled a list below of each Montgomery County State Senator’s sponsored bills.
The list includes the total number of sponsored bills, how many are bond bills authorizing state debt for a particular local spending project, how many are substantive bills, a brief description of the substantive bills, and what the legislator’s major theme appears to be.
The list tries to capture the bills’ major purpose and includes a link to media where possible, but I encourage you to visit the General Assembly website for detailed information about the legislation and its status.
Sponsored legislation is not the only indicator of what our legislators are doing, but it should demonstrate what their priorities are during the 2008 session.
Rona Kramer
District 14
Total Bills Sponsored: 13
Bond Bills: 7
Substantive Bills: 6
Major Theme: Senior Citizen Protection
SB 333-Requiring collection of DNA from arrested violent crime suspects.
SB 498-Requires the creation of an “Amber Alert” type program for missing senior citizens with cognitive impairment like Alzheimer’s.
SB 499-Establishes a task force to study off shore wind farms.
SB 500-Criminalizes obtaining the property of a senior by deception, intimidation, or undue influence.
SB 501-Criminalizes offenses against a senior with a disability.
SB 597-Exempts domestic partners from paying recordation taxes when transferring property between them.
Rob Garagiola
District 15
Total Bills Sponsored: 19
Bond Bills: 5
Substantive Bills: 19
Major Theme: Energy
SB 294-Expands the definition of law enforcement official for crimes committed against law enforcement officials.
SB 342-Mandates that 50% of the state’s flexible fuel fleet run exclusively on E85 (ethanol and gasoline mix) by 2012.
SB 343-Mandates that 50% of the diesel vehicles in the state’s fleet use a diesel blend that is at least 10% biodiesel.
SB 344-Allows flexible use of leave with pay to care for sick, immediate family members.
SB 473-Requires parental consent forms before schools can administer a Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey.
SB 474-Exempts county and municipality biodiesel vehicles from the state motor fuel tax.
SB 565-Provides a state income tax credit for the purchase of home heating oil with biodisesal.
SB 566-Provides visitation and other medical rights to domestic partners.
SB 567-Repeals the computer sales tax and increases the state gas tax from 23.5 to 27.5 cents a gallon.
SB 570-Alters the state program for automated external defibrillators.
SB 608-Extends the ‘Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts’ scholarship program.
SB 677-Reforms the state’s nursing facilities program including developing a plan for pay-for-performance.
SB 884-Allows certain uses of alternative medical treatments.
SB 991-Requires consideration of energy alternatives before electric companies can enter into long term contracts.
Brian Frosh
District 16
Total Bills Sponsored: 17
Bond Bills: 3
Substantive Bills: 14
Major Theme: Judiciary Bills
SB 42-Allows judge’s to require persons subject to temporary protective orders to surrender their firearms.
SB 103-Alters Maryland’s procedures for depositions and discovery in legal cases.
SB 245-Business subsidiaries or businesses with substantial overlapping ownership are subject to the campaign finance limits of one business.
SB 246-Requiring a phase out of phosphate content in fertilizer.
SB 293-A constitutional amendment authorizing some counties and the City of Baltimore to request additional qualifications for orphan court judges.
SB 389-Limits trustee commissions and attorney’s fees on foreclosure actions.
SB 441-Makes changes to the offender registry as it relates to juvenile offenders.
SB 442-Increases the fees for clean air permits.
SB 443-Sets requirements for subpoenaing mental health records.
SB 492-Allows the Maryland Transportation Authority to designate vehicular crossings for bikes and pedestrians.
SB 493-Alters the requirements for lawyers paying taxes and unemployment insurance.
SB 610-Requires license suspension for children who violate alcohol prohibitions.
SB 654-Requires public utilities to do more to protect and preserve trees.
SB 771-Makes technical changes to laws governing personal representatives and fiduciaries.
Jennie Forehand
District 17
Total Bills Sponsored: 25
Bond Bills: 3
Substantive Bills: 22
Major Theme: Domestic Violence
SB 28-Creates a task force to study All Terrain Vehicle Safety
SB 46-Repeals the computer services sales tax.
SB 232-Increases the alcohol tax by $3.00/gallon of distilled spirits, $.80/gallon of wine, $.45/gallon of beer.
SB 392-Authorizes judges to use law enforcement to return a minor child to a custodial parent if a protective order has been issued.
SB 393-Makes protective orders permanent if the party subject to the order is convicted and sentenced.
SB 394-Makes it a misdemeanor for a suspect to violate an order of “no contact” with the alleged victim.
SB 412-Establishes a task force for automotive warranty enforcement.
SB 546-Requires the Governor to declare June 20th as Maryland Charter Day, the day the British granted the initial charter for the Maryland colony.
SB 575-Requiring collection of DNA from arrested violent crime suspects.
SB 576-Prohibits the state from implementing the federal REAL ID Act involving uniform identification.
SB 577-Providing further protections and services for animals assisting the disabled.
SB 578-Allows the use of state collected statistical medical information for research purposes.
SB 579-Creates an immunity from liability for the use of automated external defibrillators.
SB 700-Authorizes the use of GPS electronic monitoring of domestic violence offenders.
SB 789-Strengthens the requirements that any child under eight years old be secured in a car seat.
SB 790-Requires the titling of off-highway recreational vehicles.
SB 791-Authorizes municipal corporations to impose building excise taxes.
SB 917-Authorizes arrests for violating health quarantines.
SB 918-Makes long term care insurance subject to genetic non-discrimination requirements.
SB 942-Makes changes to the “Master Settlement Agreement,” the 1990s tobacco company settlement with states.
SB 943-Regulates the relationship between auto manufacturers and distributors and dealers.
SB 972-Allows for government seizure of instruments used in support of identity theft.
Rich Madaleno
District 18
Total Bills Sponsored: 22
Bond Bills: 4
Substantive Bills: 18
Major Theme: Budget and Tax Issues.
SB 290-Legalizes gay marriage.
SB 423-Requires increased campaign finance disclosure for committees supporting or opposing the slots referendum.
SB 424-Establishes a task force to study the notary commission process.
SB 475-Establishes a commission to study the impact of immigration in Maryland.
SB 476-Provides for information sharing between health insurance companies and the state Department of Budget and Management.
SB 477-Establishes May as “Dandy-Walker Syndrome and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month.”
SB 478-Makes technical changes to the state property tax law
SB 559-Applies the state recordation tax to different types of mortgages.
SB 560-Allows state employee health insurance to be extended to other members of a family.
SB 561-Authorizes counties to impose different levels of property tax on different classes of property.
SB 562-Increases the alcohol tax to pay for addiction treatment and prevention services.
SB 690-Requires “Limited Service Pregnancy Centers” to disclose that they are not medical centers.
SB 691-Establishes a task force to study the budget needs and expenditures of state programs.
SB 692-Makes technical changes to line items presented in the state budget.
SB 693-Requires some state legislative vacancies to be filled by special election.
SB 728-Allows non-State employees to contribute to tax-deferred retirement plan accounts under the state retirement program.
SB 885-Consoldiates existing Maryland energy and conservation programs as the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program.
SB 976-Prohibits transgender discrimination.
Mike Lenett
District 19
Total Bills Sponsored: 16
Bond Bills: 0
Substantive Bills: 16
Major Theme: End of Life Care
SB 2-Prohibits text messaging while driving.
SB 45-Alters the membership of the State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of Life.
SB 289-Increases the tax deduction for seniors.
SB 315-Expands the tax benefit for members of the military.
SB 355-Requires disclosure by medical facilities of their practices involving life sustaining care.
SB 612-Sets state procurement preference programs to include businesses owned by disabled individuals.
SB 709-Authorizes optometrists to prescribe and dispense contact lenses.
SB 710-Extends by six months the date a ban on phosphate in dish washing detergent begins.
SB 711-Prohibits the advertising of live musical performances without appropriate copyright disclosure.
SB 785-Prohibits smoking in vehicles with minor passengers.
SB 792-Alters the Maryland Building Performance standards for residential homes.
SB 845-Establishes a state false claims act to punish contractor fraud.
SB 851-Limits the issuance of fire arm dealer licenses to ensure that someone prohibited from holding one is in no way involved in a new license application.
SB 857-Allows other state’s licensed health practitioners to volunteer in Maryland during an emergency.
SB 888-Establishes a biotechnology scholarship program.
SB 995-Authorizes increased disclosure to improve minority owned business participation in state procurement.
Jamie Raskin
District 20
Total Bills Sponsored: 19
Bond Bills: 5
Substantive Bills: 14
Theme: Legal Issues
SB 92-Authorizes those under 18 to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election.
SB 158-Establishes a farm to school program to bring local farm products into local schools.
SB 336-Establishes a task force to study required deposits on returnable beverage containers.
SB 337-Altering the definition of legal newspapers.
SB 515-Requires the Public Services Commission to collect increase data on the deployment of broadband services from broadband providers.
SB 516-Providing a procedure to end a father’s parental rights if he rapes his child.
SB 528-Makes changes to the Maryland Human Relations Commission in cases involving employment discrimination cases.
SB 529-Allows defendants to remove state constitutional claims to the Anne Arundel Circuit Court.
SB 563-Extends the length of time back pay can be recovered in unlawful employment practice cases.
SB 614-Establishes the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment.
SB 615-Extends stalking laws to protect animals.
SB 616-Authorizes direct wine selling, removing wholesalers from wine sales.
SB 617-Extends collective bargaining rights to adjunct faculty and graduate students at the University of Maryland. (Disclosure: As a graduate student employee at the University of Maryland this legislation may have affected me).
SB 689-Repeals all references to marriage in Maryland law and replaces with domestic partnerships.
Nancy King
District 39
Total Bills Sponsored: 10
Bond Bills: 3
Major Theme: Adult Education and Horse Industry.
SB 131-Authorizes municipalities to levy a hotel tax not to exceed 2%.
SB 257-Exempting computer services used in fulfilling government contracts from the computer services sales tax.
SB 297-Authorizes a state income tax credit for work based education programs.
SB 298-Authorizes a state income tax credit for adult literacy programs.
SB 444-Alters corporate tax reporting to the Comptroller.
SB 658-Allocates certain state lottery funds for horse racing purses and bred funds.
SB 784-Alters the horse racing and bred funds allocation of slots revenue.
I Fly United So You Don't Have To. . .
Even if I continue to fly the not-so-friendly skies, I figure I can report on it here so at least someone can get some good schadenfreude out of it.
As you may recall, whence we last left our story, United had managed to lose my luggage even though they never managed to fly me anywhere from Dulles because they didn't have a crew to fly the plane.
It took United only two days to find luggage for a flight that never left and return it to me. In this process, I did get the opportunity to have many conversations with completely inflexible and unhelpful people in various parts of India. And I suppose I should be grateful that my luggage got to visit Austin even if I never left D.C.
I'm still waiting for the United vouchers that I've been given in "compensation" to arrive. Of course, they can only be used under certain cirucumstances for reasons one suspects have to do with being sure that as few of these coupons are used as possible.
More recently, I tried to use my three-jillion United miles to upgrade a flight on Lufthansa--United's main partner in the Star Alliance. The flight was a United codeshare (i.e. the seat had been sold as a United flight but the flight will be operated by Lufthansa). Apparently, it is not even possible to try for an upgrade. While they can request upgrades using United miles on Lufthansa, it is not possible to do for seats on the same flight sold as United seats. As usual with the airlines, it is not best to think to much about why.
The airlines have added new fun baggage restrictions. Ordinary mortals (i.e. non-elite passaengers) are limited to one checked bag of 50 pounds or less. Fees are now imposed for a second bag ($25 on United) which probably means that more people will try to carry on a bag which means an even fiercer scrum for the space in the overhead compartment. It is being done to decrease fuel consumption, according to the airlines.
Leggett in Bethesda
From Marc Korman: On Wednesday, March 19th at 7:30pm the Montgomery County Young Democrats will be hosting County Executive Ike Leggett at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center at 4805 Edgemoor Lane adjacent to the Bethesda Metro.
The event will be a great opportunity to speak with the County Executive about local issues that affect us such as development in Bethesda, the Purple Line, and rental prices. I hope you will attend and share the information with your friends and colleagues.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Maryland's "Crisis Pregnancy Centers"
Although Maryland is a safely pro-choice state, that does not mean that the war against reproductive choice is not being waged here. A major front in that war is the "crisis pregnancy center" (CPC).
The NARAL Pro Choice Maryland Fund has researched a number of these facilities throughout the state, sending volunteers in to find out if these are really reliable resource centers for pregnant women. Their extremely troubling published report, released in January, demonstrates the opposite.
According to the report:Our investigation of 11 Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Maryland found consistent use of false and misleading information, biased and manipulative counseling, and delay tactics to deter and prevent women from exercising their right to choose. ...
Sen. Rich Madaleno and Del. Roger Manno are sponsoring a bill that would require CPCs to disclose that they are not medical facilities. CPCs would be required to give clients and potential clients disclaimers stating that:
[Women] are given wildly inaccurate information about the physical and mental health risks associated with abortion, and informed only about the joys of parenting and adoption. If a client continues to consider abortion, she is given false information about abortion service availability and encouraged to delay her decision. CPCs that offer ultrasounds and STI testing are able to delay clients further through appointment wait times, while also gaining a sense of authority and credibility in their client’s eyes as a medical service provider. However, CPCs are not medical centers. They are operated by volunteers who are, in general, poorly trained in women’s reproductive health issues and well trained in anti-choice propaganda.
- the information provided by the center is not intended to be medical advice or to establish a doctor-patient relationship;
- the client or potential client should consult with a health care provider prior to proceeding on any course of action regarding the pregnancy; and
- the center is not required to provide factually accurate information to clients.
Should this bill pass, will Gov. O'Malley sign it? How would this affect the state Democratic Party's strategy of using its hold of the governorship and its overwhelming majorities in both houses of the General Assembly to appease conservatives by passing Republican-like and Republican-lite bills?
Navarro Announces Kickoff
The Navarro campaign sent out the following announcement.
You Are Invited:
Nancy Navarro Campaign Kickoff
Where: Good Hope Community Center at 14715 Good Hope Rd, Silver Spring, MD
When: Monday, March 10th @ 11:00 AM
RSVP or to Volunteer: Mike Hamby jmhx9c@gmail.com
Please join Nancy Navarro and her supporters for a County Council campaign kickoff rally. Nancy's belief in the politics of possibilities and her inclusive vision of governance will be reflected by the diverse lineup of speakers who will announce their support for her candidacy:
Congresswoman-elect Donna Edwards
State Senator Jamie Raskin
State Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez
County Councilmember Valerie Ervin
and more!
We hope you can make it! In the meantime, please visit NancyNavarro.org for campaign updates and to donate.
By authority: Friends of Nancy Navarro, Laura Barnitz, Treasurer.
Board of Elections Approves Anti-Transgender Petition
The Post has the story here. The Gazette also reports on it.
Citizens for a Responsible Government, the group organizing the petition, needed 25,001 votes to put the county's transgender law to referendum. Interestingly, neither the Board of Elections' letter nor CRG's press release indicates how many of the 32,087 signatures were found to be valid. As Equality Maryland intends to challenge the petition in court, the number of signatures by which CRG beat the margin will be relevant.
CRG has something else to worry about. Back in the summer of 2006, noted petition addict Robin Ficker was trying to get yet another tax ballot question approved. But the County Council rejected the petition wording by a 7-0 vote in part because of this:One issue is whether the intent statement circulated with the petition reflected what the measure would do if voters approved it. It is misleading at best, council members said.
Many people, including Council President Mike Knapp, have alleged that CRG has been spreading misinformation about the transgender law. Could this issue come back to haunt them, perhaps before the council?
So this issue is not going away anytime soon. Oh joy! Maybe we will get lucky and receive some more video from new YouTube celebrity Dana Beyer.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Foreclosure Roundup
The Baltimore Sun reports foreclosures are up 150% in Maryland this year:Lenders were trying to foreclose on more than 13,000 homeowners at the end of last year, up about 150 percent from a year earlier, the Mortgage Bankers Association said yesterday. That's the biggest 12-month increase since the trade group began tracking the state numbers in 1979.
The Washington Post reports that the foreclosure rate is double that of last year around the nation with the Washington region well below the national foreclosure rate:The crisis in home lending reached another milestone with the report from the Mortgage Bankers Association, which said that 2.04 percent of outstanding mortgages were in foreclosure in the fourth quarter of last year, an all-time high. A year earlier, 1.19 percent of loans were in foreclosure.
Over 30% of the nation's foreclosures in just California and Florida alone.
In the Washington region, foreclosure rates were below the national level: In the District, 1 percent of loans were in foreclosure; in Virginia, 1.01 percent; and in Maryland, 1.22 percent.
Project Runway Update
Apparently, I am not the only one who thinks that politics might be modeled more after Project Runway. A Baltimore Sun columnist has recently updated the idea.
By the way, Christian Siriano, a 21-year old originally from Annapolis and student of the Baltimore School for the Arts, won the contest this year. He's still waiting for Gov. O'Malley to declare "Fierce" the Official State Expression of 2008.
On Political Pulse
Montgomery County Council-Member Phil Andrews (District 3) will be on the 'Political Pulse' political talk show on:
Thursday, March 6th at 9:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, March 11th at 9:30 p.m.
Topics that will be discussed include the $300 million budget deficit that the County Executive and County Council will be addressing in the next few weeks.
Political Pulse is on Channel 16 TV in Montgomery County.
Longtime Democratic activist Myrna Byer Passes Away
This comes from Alan Banov of MCDCC.
Sadly, I report the death of another former District 18 representative to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) --Myrna Rosen Byer of Silver Spring. She died on March 4 of cancer.
Below is the Washington Post death notice, which announces her funeral tomorrow (Friday), in the same Temple where we attended Dorothy Davidson's funeral on Monday:MYRNA R. BYER On Tuesday, March 4, 2008 MYRNA R. BYER of Silver Spring, MD. Beloved wife of the late Jeffrey Byer; beloved sister of Richard Rosen of FL; loving aunt of Mindy Kushner, Robin Coburn, Mark, David and Stephan Rosen. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m. at Temple Emanuel, 10101 Connecticut Ave., Kensington, MD 20895. Interment will follow Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney, MD. Family will be observing Shiva at the residence of Mrs. Byer starting Saturday 6:30 p.m. through Saturday, 9 p.m. Contributions may be made to The Byer Jewish Enrichment Fund, c/o Temple Emanuel. Arrangements by HINES-RINALDI FUNERAL HOME, INC. under Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington contract.
She was a Democratic activist for many years, a member of MCDCC, and its Vice-Chair. (I believe she was the last District 18 member to be an officer of MCDCC before me.)
When I was nominated to be a vice-chair of my precinct (13-40 at the time), in 1989, she "vetted" me personally, to make sure I was a good Democrat.
She left active politics about 8 years ago and devoted her energies to Temple Emanuel, our synagogue. First she was active in the choir. Eventually she became president of the congregation. She was a very sweet person. Her husband, Jeff, died a few years ago. They both owned a printing consulting company in Wheaton and had a home on the Eastern Shore, where she enjoyed boating.
Myrna, we miss you!
Alan Banov
Thursday, March 06, 2008
New State Budget Projections Sure to Frighten Counties
Maryland's Board of Revenue Estimates projected today that the state would take in $330 million less in revenue than originally forecasted. This is sure to trigger alarm bells in every county government in Maryland.
The Post and the Sun reported that the Board of Revenue Estimates, a panel comprised of Comptroller Peter Franchot, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Budget Secretary Eloise Foster, said that the state's weakening economy was causing shortfalls in income and sales taxes. According to the Sun:"The hard numbers that have been presented here today speak for themselves," state Comptroller Peter Franchot, who sits on the state's Board of Revenue Estimates, which reviews revenue forecasts, said Thursday.
The Senate has already approved cuts of $280 million to the Governor's budget but the House has yet to act. Furthermore, no one is yet taking account of the Keynesian effect of spending cuts: their tendency to cause additional reductions of aggregate demand in the state's economy. Montgomery County's economy, for example, is already close to recession.
"They merely confirm that the collapse of the U.S. subprime mortgage industry has taken a profound toll on consumer confidence and, for that matter, virtually every aspect of our nation's economy, and that the state of Maryland is not immune to these trends."
Franchot warned that the "storm clouds" were not receding: "The conditions are likely to get worse before they improve."
Anxiety in county governments was high prior to this announcement. MoCo faces a $297 million deficit. Prince George's County is projecting a $100 million deficit. Several counties expressed their worries to the Sun last week about possible cuts to state aid. MoCo's union leaders are becoming uneasy about whether the county will honor employee contracts. And these issues are sure to affect MoCo's County Council District 4 race, which is already contentious.
The only people who can take comfort from this situation are the politicians who lost back in 2006. They don't have to deal with these problems. As a matter of fact, many will probably blame the incumbents for them when they run again in 2010.
Teachers Endorse Navarro
Maryland Moment has the story here.
Additionally, Navarro's website now lists her supporters as including MCEA, the Service Employees, the Carpenters, Congressional candidate Donna Edwards, Senators Jamie Raskin and Rich Madaleno, Delegates Ana Sol Gutierrez and Tom Hucker, Council Member Valerie Ervin, Casa de Maryland leader Gustavo Torres and a majority of the school board.
Disclosure: the author is employed as Assistant to the General President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
Senator King, Delegate Barkley Propose Changing MCDCC Membership
Senator Nancy King and Delegate Charles Barkley, both of District 39, are proposing legislation that would change the membership composition of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC).
Currently, MCDCC has 23 members: two elected from each of the county's eight legislative districts and seven elected at-large. Senator King and Delegate Barkley's bill, MC-802-08, would expand the committee's membership to 27, with three elected from each legislative district and three elected at-large. Senator King told the Gazette, "It’s a fairness thing more than anything. It’s to even out the playing field... With the upcounty growing like it is we need three members to help build the upcounty part of the membership."
MCDCC spokesman Milton Minneman (who has spoken on reform issues before) had this reaction:Although the Central Committee has taken no official position on the bill, they believe the discussion would be better if tabled and taken up during a summer county legislative session, committee spokesman Milton Minneman said.
Hmmm, Mr. Minneman. Now who would those "various people" be? You surely are not referring to any blog authors in this county, are you?
"We don’t think there is any reason to make the change. We know this is all a kickback because various people are concerned with the filling of the delegate and senate seats," Minneman said. "The system we’ve been under has worked for years and only in the last year or so has the issue popped up."
Of MCDCC's current at-large membership, five members are from down-county legislative districts (one from 16, one from 18, one from 19 and two from 20) and two are from up-county districts (one each from 14 and 15). Districts 17 and 39, the latter represented by King and Barkley, have no at-large members. This is the likely prompt for King and Barkley's bill.
There is another side to this issue. It is not the easiest thing in the world to find active, dedicated Democrats willing to volunteer for MCDCC. The position has no pay. Its occupants achieve little fame and fortune. The committee is constantly dogged by fanatical bloggers. And remember House Majority Leader Kumar Barve's famous joke that if committee members could not appoint themselves to be delegates, they would have to be paid to serve? Perhaps Mr. Barve was not kidding. While I understand Senator King and Delegate Barkley's position, it's important to have a way to attract the most talented, well intentioned Democrats to serve on MCDCC regardless of where they live.
But the issue addressed by this bill is a small matter relative to MCDCC's other issues. Far more important is that MCDCC members can and do appoint themselves to state office, do not adhere to formal standards in deciding vacancy selections (with Alan Banov being a prominent exception) and are not required to consider any measure of actual voter sentiment within the district in which a vacancy occurs. These are the matters that should be addressed by MCDCC itself, or failing that, state legislation.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Prediction Fulfilled: More Attacks from Clinton
I thought I had it right when I wrote last night (or early this morning) that Hillary Clinton would continue her negative attacks on Obama because they had been effective in Ohio and Texas. I just didn't know I'd be proven correct so quickly.
As the YouTube shows, on March 3, Sen. Clinton said that "Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience, I have a lifetime of experience, Sen. Obama has one speech in 2002", incredibly allying herself with Sen. McCain against Sen. Obama. According to James Fallows, she has already repeated this statement twice more on CNN today.
Meanwhile, despite last night's setbacks, the Obama campaign is hanging tough and preparing to slog it out. Here is a section from a fundraising email from David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager:Our projections show the most likely outcome of yesterday's elections will be that Hillary Clinton gained 187 delegates, and we gained 183.
That's a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted.
For comparison, that's less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It's also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it's considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.
The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.
They failed.
It's clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative -- and increasingly expensive -- campaign to tear us down.
That's her decision. But it's not stopping John McCain, who clinched the Republican nomination last night, from going on the offensive. He's already made news attacking Barack, and that will only become more frequent in the coming days.
Praisner vs. Navarro: It's On
The campaigns of both Donald Praisner and Nancy Navarro made major announcements this week in the race for the District 4 County Council seat.
Donald Praisner, 76, kicked off his campaign at the County Council building on Monday. Backed by County Executive Ike Leggett and several council members, Mr. Praisner plans to hold the seat only for the remainder of his wife's term.
Navarro's campaign responded with this press release:##FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE##
The Gazette article also reports that District 19 Delegate Ben Kramer is still considering entering the race. And the Post has more on the continuing dispute between Steve Kanstoroom and the Planning Board.
March 4, 2008
Nancy Navarro Recruits Top Staff for
Montgomery County Council Campaign
Navarro Promises to Bring Vigorous Volunteer-Energy and Fundraising to Big-Tent Campaign
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Nancy Navarro
Phone: 301-628-7705
Email: nancy@nancynavarro.org
SILVER SPRING, MD - Montgomery County Board of Education President, Nancy Navarro, today announced the hiring of top staff in her campaign for the vacant District 4 County Council seat.
Having retained Congresswoman-elect Donna Edwards' field director and Sen. Jamie Raskin's campaign manager, Navarro promises to run a first-rate campaign and to raise the resources necessary for victory on April 15th.
Navarro has already recruited dozens of volunteers and a high-profile list of endorsers to be announced in the coming weeks.
The campaign plans an official kickoff event on Monday, March 10th. Details to follow.
Next up is MCEA's endorsement, which could come this week. The union could endorse a candidate or sit out the race entirely.
Update: The Post's coverage is here.
Late Election Night Commentary
Off the cuff thoughts on the results from last night. Hillary Clinton had a night of good press coverage and what look like solid wins in Ohio and Rhode Island--Barack Obama won Vermont in a walk. Texas remains a toss-up at this point though Sen. Clinton currently has about a two-point lead.
1. It's Going to Get Nastier
Negative worked for Hillary. She is going to do more of it--lots more of it. Barack will have to respond. Which leads to my second point:
2. It's Good for McCain
The Democratic nomination contest resembles a boxing ring increasingly. Primaries can strengthen candidates but this is starting to look bloody with the attacks aiding the GOP--not the Democrats.
3. Psychology Good, Delegate Math Bad for Clinton
As I wrote yesterday, this result is essentially the nightmare scenario. If Clinton's lead holds in Texas, she will have won both big states but essentially gained no net delegates. Clinton has gained critical momentum and looks like a tough fighter but the math is still against her winning the pledged delegate count.
4. Clinton is Willing to Split the Party
Clinton is clearly determined to go on--and the results from tonight so far do nothing to discourage her despite Bill's earlier statement that she needed "big" wins in Texas and Ohio to continue. Yet, the math means that she can only seize the nomination through superdelegates and counting the non-contests in Michigan and Florida in violation of her own pledge and Democratic rules. If this occurs, it will not be pretty.
5. Stay Tuned.
It has been quite a wild ride. On to Wyoming and Mississippi.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Save Us Superdelegates!
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has vowed to continue in the race even if she loses both Texas and Ohio tonight. Now, this could be what candidates do--it always looks weak to concede that their campaign is in trouble. However, the campaign has been tamping expectation, arguing that a win in either big state provides a reason to continue.
However, it looks all but impossible for Hillary Clinton to have the most pledged delegates going into the Convention. Unless she has unexpectedly large wins tonight in both states and in Pennsylvania (on the order of some number around 65%), she cannot possibly catch Barack Obama in the share of pledged delegates.
And don't forget that Obama has favorable contests yet to come on the calendar as well. Besides Mississippi, North Carolina--the 10th largest state in the country--has yet to vote and polls indicate it will go to the Senator from Illinois.
The worst scenario is that Hillary Clinton narrowly wins Texas and Ohio. Winning both states would give her campaign a psychological reason to continue even though she would probably gain few if any net delegates over Barack Obama. Indeed, due to the vagaries of the Texas "two-step" system, Clinton could even be further down in the delegate count even if she narrowly wins both states.
Assuming she doesn't achieve massive surprise victories, the only way Hillary Clinton could be become the nominee other than massive victories in the remaining states is by: (1) overturning the rules to which she specifically agreed by seating the delegations from Michigan and Florida even though there was no real campaign there and Obama's name wasn't even on the Michigan ballot, and (2) getting the superdelegates to overturn the popular result.
The Clinton campaign has shown a decided interest in overturning rules which don't benefit its campaign. In addition to pushing for the seating of the delegations from Florida and Michigan, Bill Clinton vilified the Nevada Caucus rules and demanded that the system for allocating delegates be changed--until his wife actually won those disputed Caucuses on the Strip.
The Clintons have similarly attacked rules in Texas--rules which have been in place since Bill Clinton sought the presidency. However, they have been mighty quiet on the fact that Clinton won more delegates than Obama in Alabama even though he trounced her in the state due to the quirks of the system of awarding relatively small numbers of delegates proportionally within congressional districts.
While Hillary Clinton would probably gladly take the nomination no matter how it comes, it is unacceptable for a party committed to fairness and equality to deny the clear popular vote winner the nomination unless he or she is completely unacceptable--and neither Clinton nor Obama come close to meeting that requirement. The thought that the Democrats would deny Obama--the first African-American nominee--the nomination even if he wins the pledged delegates is unthinkable.
The superdelegates can bring the contest to an effective close by moving en masse to Barack Obama. If Obama wins Texas and Ohio--or wins Texas but loses Ohio by a relatively narrow margin--the superdelegates will probably move quite quickly. If Clinton wins, it will be harder for them to do even if she has no greater chance of victory.
Clinton certainly has the right to continue her campaign. After all, if Mike Huckabee can continue his obviously hopeless cause to make a point, Hillary Clinton surely has the right to stay in a much closer race in which she has far greater support. However. she shouldn't split the party by attempting to overturn the result or the rules--rules to which she agreed and were designed in many cases to benefit her campaign by former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe.
It is time for the superdelegates to perform a useful role--not nullifying the popular choice but ratifying it and rallying behind the nominee.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Capital Crescent Trail and the Purple Line
From Marc Korman: On March 1st my fiancé and I braved the wind to go on a walking tour of the future Capital Crescent trail through Silver Spring and the proposed Purple Line alignment from Silver Spring to Bethesda.
The walk was led by Wayne Phyillaier of Silver Spring Trails and Webb Smedley of Purple Line NOW!. Among the trail users and other interested parties in attendance were Delegate Al Carr and his son Miles. The walk took on new meaning when the County Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee voted to appropriate $55 million for a new entrance to the Bethesda Metro that is envisioned as an eventual connection to a light rail Purple Line. The full Council will consider the funding in a few weeks. Previous articles on the varying options for the Purple Line have been well covered on MPW by David Lublin and others.
The first portion of the walk was from downtown Silver Spring until the Georgetown Branch Trail and the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) connection at Lyttonsville. What many of us think of as the CCT in that area is actually the Georgetown Branch Trail, which has a number of at grade street crossings and does not have the enclosed feel of the rest of the CCT. As we walked through neighborhoods, CSX tracks, and County owned land originally acquired for roads, which were never built, the organizers tried to show us where the CCT was planned to go if funding was ever found.
Completion of the Capital Crescent Trail and construction of the Purple Line have become linked because to complete the trail as envisioned, land owned by the CSX railroad must be acquired. Many CCT supporters have lined up behind the Purple Line so that, as the County acquires CSX land for the Purple Line, they can also pick up land for the trail. Others, most notably www.savethetrail.org, oppose linking the Purple Line and the Capital Crescent trail because of the potential disruption to the trail that a light rail system would bring. When asked about the problematic effects light rail may have on the trail, the walk organizers discussed the ten foot buffer that would exist between the ten foot wide trail and the beginning of the Purple Line track. That buffer could be used for a safety barrier, as well as for green space. That does not really address the concern of many www.savethetrail.org supporters, who are actually home owners along the trail using trail preservation for political convenience when their real, and quite legitimate, concern seems to be preserving their yards.
The second half of the walk, on the existing Capital Crescent trail to Silver Spring, made it much easier to see the downside to the Purple Line, a project I generally support. There were many homes that would be adversely affected. Usually, when a noisy road or rail line is being built by someone’s house noise and safety concerns can both be met by building a large barrier. With a trail in the mix, large, concrete barriers are less of an option. A few issues that will need to be discussed to determine how adverse the effects are the level of noise light rail will actually create and the frequency of trains.
Another problem is that less savvy homeowners along the trail may not actually realize how large the right of way for the trail is, meaning they may be unclear on the potential effect it would have on them. In many places, the trail’s right of way is much wider than the trail itself currently is. For example, as the trail cuts through Columbia Country Club, the trail itself is perhaps ten feet across with a small foot or two buffer on each side, then black fences. These do not mark the actual right of way, which is actually a hundred feet across in that area. The golf course, as will be the case with many homes, may face even more land loss than it realizes.
I do not envy the job of planners who are trying to make a trail and a light rail line work in a tight space with lots of different interests. In various places trail and rail must cross major roads like Connecticut Avenue, crowd through the existing Wisconsin Avenue tunnel, and even cross each other. All of these variables involved a dizzying array of potential grade changes, crossing points, and other options that the walk organizers tried to discuss while we walked. This being Montgomery County, there were no shortage of questions from participants including concern about tree preservation to questions about the fate of the trestle that crosses Rock Creek and offers a beautiful view.
Despite the walk organizers having their own biases, the walk was enlightening even if it did not change my underlying support of light rail. Despite the tight space, I still believe that light rail will have better ridership than buses and can coexist with neighborhoods and the trail. Regardless of your view, I recommend keeping an eye on Silver Spring Trails because they plan to offer more walks in the future.
A Red Letter Day for True Blue Democrats
Medieval times signified special events with the wearing of scarlet robes by the judges. They came to be known as red letter days. These days had a higher significance than other days. Monday March 3, 2008 is a red letter day for MoCo Politics.
Two lives -- one very public and one fulfilled behind the scenes -- converge today. The lives of these two women, who died exactly a month apart, dominate the local political news on this day. Dorothy Davidson's funeral will be at 11:00AM at Temple Emanuel, 10101 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington. The campaign to replace Marilyn Praisner begins in earnest at noon as her husband, Don, attempts to succeed her onto the County Council.
It is 44 days to the finish line and prior to today three candidates have filed their papers for the special election: Pat Ryan, Steve Kanstoroom and Cary Lamari. Lamari dropped out on Saturday. Two candidates on most people's mind have not filed. Both of them, Nancy Navarro and Don Praisner, are filing today.
Don Praisner will have his kick off announcement immediately after he files. He will have County Executive Ike Leggett and four County Council members behind him: Marc Elrich, Duchy Trathenberg, Phil Andrews and Roger Berliner. He also will have the support of State Delegates Hank Heller, Karen Montgomery and Anne Kaiser.
School Board President Nancy Navarro will have her kick off announcement next week and already has a strong list of supporters behind her including Congresswoman-to-be Donna Edwards, County Council member Valerie Ervin, Senator Rich Madaleno, and Delegate Tom Hucker.
Not to be overlooked in this race is the 800 pound gorilla. Their deadline for applications is also today. Its prominently placed ad in the printed copy of the Gazette was hard to miss. Getting their endorsement is one of the most prized in the county.
Still mulling over this race is Delegate Ben Kramer. His candidacy is only one that causes 800 pound gorillas to sweat.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
What a Way to Announce for Delegate
Of all things to come out of MoCo’s raging transgender debate, we now have a campaign announcement for state delegate!
For those who have not visited it, I recommend trying out the Vigilance blog run by Teach the Facts.org. Teach the Facts advocates for a public schools curriculum that contains facts about birth control and sexual orientation, including open acknowledgement that homosexuality is not a choice or a mental illness.
The blog has been quite busy lately because of the ongoing attempt to overturn MoCo’s Transgender Anti-Discrimination law. One recent post attracted more than 80 heated comments about the conduct of both sides. A participant in the argument, former (and apparently future) District 18 Delegate candidate Dana Beyer, made this statement:I can say that when elected I will represent all the people, and that includes those who don't want to even acknowledge my existence.
Now that sounds like a campaign announcement to me although it occurred in a debate forum swarmed by “shower nuts,” as Teach the Facts calls them. I don’t know how many of the shower nuts will vote for Dana, but I admire her tenacity in going after every vote!
This was also a great comeback line from Dana and I think I am going to try it out. You see, I have been having an off-and-on dispute with my neighbors over their howling dog. The next time I confront them, I will announce:I can say that when elected I will represent all dogs in the district, and that includes big dogs, small dogs, yappy dogs, quiet dogs and even dumb, drooling dogs. And after I take office, you would be wise to seek my favor in dealings with Animal Control!
Errr, just one thing, Dana. Your use of the word "when" rather than "if" doesn't mean you're messing with those Diebold machines, right?
My Rabbi, My Mentor
They say never answer your phone after midnight nothing good can happen. Well we can add -- in the modern age -- to not look at your email late. I did and I now sitting here trying to compose my thoughts on the First Lady of Montgomery County Politics, Dorothy Davidson, who died Saturday morning.
To limit my recollections to just a few would leave an incomplete picture of her. So I hope my writing skills can match the impact she had on me.
Our paths crossed the same as it did for most of her friends in the middle of a campaign. For me, the year was 2002 and the race was Chris Van Hollen's campaign for Congress. I had left politics almost ten years earlier certain I had been in my last campaign; the bitterness of three tough personal losses in one year had shaken me to my core. But like a moth to a flame I came back. The race, the stakes and the candidate were too compelling. It was June and all the "smart money" was on our primary opponent. I knew the odds were long. I saw all the young unscrubbed faces. I felt old... then from around the corner I saw the two youngest people in the room, Peter "Boston" Dennis, who was a college junior, and Dorothy Davidson. She never aged when she talked about politics.
Looking back that first image was perfect. Peter using 21st Century technology constantly updating and changing the look of that new political tool, the campaign web site, and Dorothy working with implements from the previous Century of pen, paper, and phone. It was high tech on the left and high touch on the right. Dorothy was on the phone constantly. There was always someone holding for her. Mayors had shorter lines to see them than Dorothy Davidson did.
After a day of canvassing she wanted to know what I saw, where I was sent, what was the response, what literature was being dropped. She spoke in numbers, such as "we shouldn't going into the '7s' we got those people," or "why aren't we in working the '5s' they are new to us." I knew exactly what she meant. It was the language of a field campaign by precinct number. I would mention a number and she would tell me the precinct chair, vice chair and how it had performed faster than any computer.
She worked harder and longer than anyone else on the campaign, even the candidate. She did it because if she believed in you then she was going to give you everything that she had. It was all or nothing with Dorothy with all being the operative word. She was described by the Washington Post during the campaign as "Montmomery County's secret weapon". But she was not so secret. Anyone who wanted to run a race in Montgomery came to see her.
After the 2002 campaign she told me that I needed to get involved in the Democratic Party. I thought I was involved. Dorothy showed me a new world; that of working a precinct throughout the year. She gave me my precinct application form and would not rest until I was accepted. She even selected the precinct I should work: 13-36. That's Viers Mills and Ct. Ave. to Turkey Branch for the rest of you.
I grew up outside of Chicago. Where the city poured out impressive numbers for their candidate. Dorothy did the same in Montgomery County because she knew campaigns from their smallest unit, the precinct. In Chicago political lingo the person who brought you into the Democratic Party was called either "A Chinaman" or "A Rabbi". We both agreed that the former was dated and offensive. But she loved the latter. From that day forward she was My Rabbi.
I would call her on the phone, this Catholic from the Midwest, looking to talk to his mentor, an elderly Jewish woman. She was never at a loss for words or shy with an opinion. I guess that is what a Rabbi does.
Our paths diverged in 2006. She was, shall we say, not pleased. Her eyes rolled to the side and back as if I had personally insulted her. Perhaps I did. My excuse was to blame My Rabbi. She reintroduced me to the passion and the good in politics that many never see. I felt it as keenly in 2006 as I did in 2002. I know that because my Rabbi showed it to me. She lived it. I learned it. That was the best lesson I got from My Rabbi.
Like the impish child who knows how to get their way, I was able to neutralize that glare I got by going for her soft spot. "I want to work another campaign like 2002 with you." She patted my hand and a smile quickly melted the frown from her face. It was the campaign of a life time and Dorothy was our linchpin. There were many pictures taken on election night 2002 of the people who toiled in the trenches. As we gathered for a group photo afterwards the number key contributors swelled to a couple dozen. Cameras were flashing but all photos were incomplete until My Rabbi was front and center.
We may not have always agree on candidates. But I know that my life has been enhanced because I learned at the foot of a wise woman, Dorothy Davidson. She was My Rabbi. She was My Mentor.
Senate Passes Farm-to-School Program
From Sen. Rich Madaleno: Yesterday morning, the Senate unanimously passed the Farm-to-School Program (SB158), a bill Jane Lawton had championed in the House of Delegates last session.
This program will encourage our public schools to work with local farmers to offer fresh produce for school lunches. By opening up our school cafeterias to locally grown produce, we can support our local farmers and provide children with fresh, healthy nutrition while reducing the environmental impact of transporting our food from across the state. This bill espouses many of the values for which Jane stood. While it is still hard to accept that she is no longer with us, it is comforting to know that her legislative ideals continue to influence public policy in the General Assembly.
