Saqib Ali and Nancy King Discuss Progressive Issues, Part One

Part One: Let's Discuss the Issues!

By Delegate Saqib Ali (D-39).

It is no secret to political insiders that there has been speculation about my political future. Rumors about me running for the State Senate have been written up right here on the pages of MPW. Mostly, those rumors are based more in fantasy than in fact :) However, there will certainly be plenty of time next year for speculation and intrigue. So lets put aside those rumors for now and talk about issues of substance.

What the media and political watchers have missed are very clear distinctions on the issues between State Senator Nancy King and myself. We have very distinct records of public statements and legislative records. And that's OK :) We are simply two people of good conscience who often arrive at opposite conclusions on major public policy issues of the day.

For many residents of Montgomery County, these are issues of very great urgency. These residents may not understand our respective values, our decision making processes and why we arrive at the conclusions we do. Certainly large national media outlets can't devote the coverage to such niche stories. But I believe that we owe it to Montgomery County residents to air out these differences in a public forum. And the internet is the cheapest, most widely accessible means for us to do so.

So over the next few days and weeks, I would like to discuss and debate those differences right here on MPW. I will be contrasting my record with Nancy's on three key issues and would welcome her response. This will be a thoughtful, respectful, serious exchange of ideas and it will be something that is rather new to Montgomery County Politics. Hopefully we will be providing an important service to our mutual constituents by giving them unparalleled access to our decision making processes. And who knows? Maybe we will even start a cool new trend! :) :)

Undoubtedly there will be a certain amount of Sturm und Drang about the proposition of two elected representatives debating on the internet. But there is really no call for that. Nancy and I are friends. We visit each others' homes and know each others' children. And that will always be the case.