Delegate Derrick Davis responds to Blair Lee's column:
So political corruption is now the exclusive domain of African-Americans? I’m going to assume an editor wrote that title because I know Mr. Lee is far too enlightened to hold such an opinion, let alone have it headline his weekly commentary. Yes, some African-Americans have committed egregious crimes against the very people they were elected to represent but why can’t the focus be on the individuals themselves and not their race? Too often African-Americans are accused by bloggers and opinion writers of “playing the race card” or injecting race where it does not belong. I certainly will concede that race has been, and will continue to be, used as an excuse or justification for criminal behavior. By the same token, it is headlines and commentaries such as Mr. Lee’s column (December 11th) that does fuel speculation about media bias as it relates to how African-Americans are portrayed versus our counterparts.
Let me say right now that I do not believe the arrest and indictment of the former Prince George’s County Executive and his wife, the current Councilwoman representing the 6th Councilmanic District, was in any way racially motivated. There have been far too many allegations and investigations over the past eight years for any fair-minded individual to believe otherwise. However, the alleged personal malfeasance of the former county executive and the violation of the public trust of the councilwoman are an indictment of their personal failings and not that of an entire race of people. As noted author Zora Neal Hurston famously said, “Not all my skin folk is my kin folk.”
Mr. Lee, when did you become such an expert on the thoughts and opinions of African-Americans? I have been black 43 years and I am far from an expert on the thoughts and opinions of my race as a whole. As many of us have said time and again, we are not monolithic in thought and/or action. Respectfully, it was totally irresponsible and uninformed of you to suggest that because the allegations against the former county executive didn’t include ripping off poor black kids but taking advantage of the political spoils system, “in the eyes of many blacks” that was acceptable behavior. You justify this outlandish statement by saying, “That’s why, for almost a month, there’s been a deafening silence out of PG County.”
You and other members of the media have complained about this so-called silence among elected officials in the county. First of all, many of us joined County Executive Rushern Baker at a press conference on November 15th, the first business day after the arrest, to let our citizens know that despite these despicable allegations we were united in effort to moving the county forward. Secondly, many of us have had direct contact with our constituents about the matter and what options were available. Thirdly, the county council took appropriate measures to limit the new councilwoman’s power and influence until these issues have been resolved. No Mr. Lee, there has not been deafening silence on this matter.
Allow me to let you and others in on something. Most residents and elected officials in the county are appalled and embarrassed by what has transpired. Most were irate that the former county executive did not resign immediately and the current councilwoman did not have the decency to step aside for the good of the district she professes to love. The reason the media did not get to cover numerous press conferences or read pithy press releases from various elected officials was likely because we were not going to provide others with any more entertainment than what these individuals already have. No, I am not downplaying the seriousness of the situation by referring to it as “entertainment”; rather, I understand the desire of some to see this tragic betrayal replayed constantly to denigrate the accomplishments of an entire race of people.
Please tell me what can I say or do on behalf of all African-Americans in Prince George’s County (I mean PG County because I know how much it pains you to use our actual name) to assure you and others that there are many decent, hard-working people who reside in the county and that we do not all share the same personal failings of a few? What can I say or do to assure you that most people do not view these actions as “arrival” but in fact as “shame”? What can I do to assure you that there is public outrage even though you may not read press accounts about it? What can I do to assure you that while some people have chosen to leave the county for a variety of reasons, many people are still proud to call the state’s second largest jurisdiction home?
Finally, I’d like to address why the inaugural crowd’s greatest applause went to Marion Barry as you put it. Councilman Barry’s personal struggles during his later years in office have been well-chronicled. As heart-breaking as it has been to watch these struggles, many of us simply cannot forget what he meant to the civil rights movement in his earlier years. Many of us cannot forget his accomplishments in his early mayoral years, all those summer jobs he helped to provide for our young people and all those senior citizens he tirelessly served. Many of us do understand how so many people are supportive of you when you are on top but forget about you when you are not.
Maybe you are right, it is a black thing…and you wouldn’t understand.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
"It's a Black Thing?"
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Ana Sol for Delegate, 1998
Here's an odd one. School Board member Ana Sol Gutierrez first ran for Delegate in 1998 against a slate of incumbents. She lost that race, but was elected in 2002 and finished first in this year's primary. In her 1998 run, Gutierrez distributed the flyer below promoting her candidacy. The reverse side of the flyer reprints a column by none other than Blair Lee, who got into a spat with incumbent Leon Billings and actually urged him to drop out in favor of Gutierrez. It's not often that Ana and Blair are on the same side of an argument, so this is one for the ages.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Blair Lee Protests Barve Response to Power Outages
Gazette columnist Blair Lee, one of MoCo's most ardent defenders, is crying foul on House Majority Leader Kumar Barve's call for an examination of disproportionate power outages in MoCo during the recent blizzards. In his letter to the Public Service Commission (PSC), Barve noted that Pepco suffered 78,000 outages in MoCo against just 7,700 in Prince George's County and asked the PSC to find out why. That rubbed Lee the wrong way, and he sent the following email to Barve.
From: Blair Lee
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 12:34 PM
To: 'Majority Leader Kumar Barve'
Cc: 'luiz.simmons@house.state.md.us'
Subject: RE: Barve calls for investigation of power outages in Montgomery County
Kumar
I am surprised at your selfish, parochial response to the power outage disparity between MoCo and P.G. Montgomery is a wealthy, privileged community with a progressive world view. Demanding Pepco service at the expense of our less-fortunate neighbors flies in the face of Montgomery’s core principal of adopting a statewide perspective when confronting state issues.
Historically, when others have a need (education funding, teacher pensions, tax increases) we have been the first to sacrifice for the greater good. That’s “The Montgomery Way.” Surely, wealthy Montgomery has the financial ability to pay for its own Pepco service upgrades with local taxpayer funds so more money is available to help our neighboring Prince Georges customers and ratepayers. I am confident that Prince Georges would do the same for us under reversed circumstances.
Finally, I expect that your near-sighted parochialism will hurt you in this year’s elections. Our voters don’t take kindly to politicians who put Montgomery’s self-interests ahead of the state’s other jurisdictions and residents. Perhaps you have forgotten that Montgomery’s mission is to help lift up Maryland’s less fortunate and less enlightened citizens no matter where they live. Again, that’s the “Montgomery Way” for which we are widely known, respected and admired by the rest of Maryland.
Blair Lee
Friday, February 05, 2010
Friday, January 01, 2010
Best and Worst of State and Local Political Media, 2009
List-mania is alive and well in Maryland and everywhere else, as everyone and their Aunt Ethel are issuing lists left and right. But no one else is offering a list like this: the best and worst of state and local political media over the past year.
Best Mainstream Media (MSM) Political Reporter
We still miss the Gazette’s Janel Davis and the Examiner’s Kathleen Miller, both of whom are no longer covering local politics. But we are going with Post reporter John Wagner, who has been following Annapolis for five years. Wagner gives you the meat and potatoes of state political reporting – who, what, when, where and why. Other reporters may throw a few morsels on the plate, but statehouse political coverage starts with the steady, objective writing provided by Wagner.
Runner-up: The Examiner’s Alan Suderman, who delights in uncovering misbehavior in local government. Suderman picked up one of the best quotes of the year from County Executive spokesman Patrick Lacefield, who responded to a question about a county-funded $25,000 staff retreat by sputtering, “Are you really asking me that question?”
Best New MSM Political Reporter
The Post’s Jonathan Mummolo, who has substantially improved the paper’s reporting on Prince George’s County politics. Now all the Post has to do is find five more Mummolos and they might have a shot at doing that county justice.
Best MSM Column
This one is easy: Blair Lee’s epic and touching column on his old foe, former Baltimore Mayor and Governor William Donald Schaefer. We know that some of you liberals don’t agree with Lee, but you really should read his work because of his unequaled LONG memory of state politics.
Runner-up: Barry Rascovar’s comparison of Governor O’Malley to Dracula.
Worst MSM Columns
Most material appearing on the Sun’s Second Opinion site, which has five contributors and just ten Google subscribers (one of whom is your author). Most of this stuff is pure opinion without additional original research. The Sun’s editors need to understand what the best bloggers already know: no one cares what your opinions are! Readers primarily want new information. This experiment by the Sun is failing because almost no one is interested.
Best Move by the MSM
Last summer, the Post’s Maryland Moment blog was moribund and rarely publishing new content. But Aaron Davis turned the blog around by creating First Click, possibly the most thorough daily aggregator of state and local political stories in Maryland. The success of First Click is that it creates the illusion that the Post is offering more content by linking to everyone else’s work when the Post is actually producing less content in-house. But site visits are site visits, and lots of first clicks are going to Davis’s picks.
Runner-up: The Sun editors chose to let go of transportation reporter Mike Dresser’s leash and he mutated into “Baltimore Guy,” the ranting MoCo basher who excoriates the I-270 project and protects the rest of the state from our alleged arrogance. Few MoCo insiders will ever see Dresser as an “objective” reporter again, but that is beside the point. Dresser’s anti-MoCo screeds are refreshingly honest and should warn our politicians about how the rest of the state feels about us. One of our favorite spies paid Baltimore Guy the ultimate compliment recently, fuming, “I HATE Mike Dresser.” Mike, it just doesn’t get any better than that!
Worst Move by the MSM
Hands down, the Washington Post’s colossal Boy King scandal. The Post’s hiring of a non-resident, crazed, ignorant intern to write local editorials totally destroyed its credibility with Maryland’s political community. Even worse, the Post continued to let the Boy King run amok for five months(!) after we broke the story, revealing its utter contempt for Maryland readers.
Runner-up #1: The Sentinel’s hiring of Republican activist Glynis Kazanjian as a “reporter” while overlooking her continuing advocacy for the GOP.
Runner-up #2: Massive turnover at the Post and the Gazette.
Runner-up #3: The MSM’s uncritical, pack-animal coverage of the Dana Beyer-Duchy Trachtenberg-KGB story. None of them bothered to look into whether Beyer’s allegations had any credibility at all. The MSM needs to remember that part of its job is to investigate allegations, not merely transcribe them.
Best New Blog
Yes, we know that Darkness Rising started in December 2008, but the blog did not gain recognition until last year. Former Ehrlich hatchet man Joe “Prince of Darkness” Steffen is hilarious, more than slightly deranged and better connected to the GOP establishment than any other blogger in the state. The only problem is that he just doesn’t post often enough. Everybody should put aside their preconceptions, visit this blog at least once a week and laugh along with the rest of us.
Runner-up: Nobody. There are actually fewer good political blogs in Maryland today than there were in 2006.
Best Move by Online Media/Blogs
Annapolis Capital Punishment author Paul Foer changed the course of that city’s mayoral election with his dynamite scoop about Democratic nominee Zina Pierre’s legal problems. The MSM exploded without mercy and Pierre had no choice but to bail. Few if any blog posts have ever had a bigger impact on Free State local politics than this one.
Runner-up: MPW contributor Paul Gordon’s scoop on MTA spying, which generated successful pressure from the Sun’s Mike Dresser to abandon the practice.
Worst Move by Online Media/Blogs
Marylandreporter.com’s failure to acknowledge its conservative funding. Look guys, the secret is out. Why not admit that your money is coming from far right-wing organizations but say that you are still trying to be objective? Ignoring our research just raises even more questions.
Runner-up: The failure of many blogs to provide publicly-available site visit statistics. Come on bloggers, what are you hiding? Everybody knows that most blogs have almost no readers so you may as well fess up.
Best Politician at Driving the Media
Has anybody ever been better at this than Delegate Saqib Ali (D-39)? Whether it’s hustling the MSM for glowing editorials on his Legislative Sunshine bill, arranging for stacks of letters to the Gazette targeting potential primary opponent Senator Nancy King, writing four(!) anti-King guest blogs or directing his legions of Facebook friends to read articles about him and vote for him in online polls, Ali does it all. He makes no distinction between media formats. If anything - paper, radio or web-based - is discussing state politics, Saqib Ali is on it like butter on toast.
Runner-up: No one, because nobody else is on Ali’s level. Here’s a quick idea for how Ali could raise money: he should hold a workshop for candidates about how to deal with both old and new media, as well as social networking sites, and charge $500 attendance fees. Every smart politician in the state would ante up and Ali would have more money than E.J. Pipkin.
Worst Politician at Driving the Media
First, the state prosecutor’s gift card theft indictment made Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon look like a Charm City Marie Antoinette. Then she refused to testify at her trial and cut off most comments to the media, which just compounded her problems. In the wake of her conviction, she desperately clings to power in a state of complete denial. The narrative of her character over the past year, that of a haughty and selfish politician, was eagerly promoted by the media but was in fact fashioned by the mayor herself.
Runner-up: Former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan built a bully pulpit that has been lost in the basement by his successor, Ike Leggett. Leggett is an immensely intelligent and likable man who could wrap local reporters around his finger if he gave them access. Instead, he has taken a back seat to the Council Presidents – especially Phil Andrews - who are well served by able press officer Neil Greenberger. No executive should ever be overshadowed by a legislative leader unless such leader is named Mike Miller.
So that’s 2009. How well will the media perform in 2010? We’ll find out in a year!
Friday, November 20, 2009
A Note on Maintenance of Effort
One of the points made by Blair Lee in his must-read column on the state's Maintenance of Effort (MOE) law for school funding is that Montgomery County has been paying well in excess of the state's requirements for education funding for many years. Lee is right about this in a very big way and here is the evidence supporting his view.
The Maryland Legislative Information Services' website contains the following data on above-MOE expenditures since Fiscal Year 2003. Effectively, these are the amounts by which each county has exceeded its prior year's local funding for public schools.
Montgomery County has contributed $420 million more to its schools than has been required by the state's MOE law since FY 2003. That is more than double second-ranked Anne Arundel County ($177 million) and more than triple third-ranked Howard County ($133 million). The state gives no credit to Montgomery County for its historical generosity to its public schools. In fact, the law works in just the opposite way: each year's bountiful school budget becomes next year's floor. As Council Member Marc Elrich says, the clear incentive for each county is to spend as little as possible to meet MOE requirements so that the law does not handcuff its budget in a bad year.
The MOE law is full of perverse incentives and desperately needs to be reformed.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Montgomery County’s Most Influential People, Part Four
Our respondents collectively nominated 158 individuals as the most influential non-elected people in Montgomery County. Of these people, 101 received just one vote and 19 received two. To make it onto the upper reaches of our list, it was not enough for a person to be well-known in one local area or in one sector of the community. A person needed wide recognition across multiple segments of our sample to get near the top. Today, we begin presenting the leaders, along with some commentary from myself and our voters, in reverse order of the number of votes.
14 (tie). Doug Duncan, Former Montgomery County Executive
7 Votes
Reader: Watching Doug Duncan since 2006 has been like watching Whack-a-Mole. He keeps popping up briefly and then disappearing again, all the while we know he’ll eventually emerge yet again. Now we hear he’s weighing a return to the campaign trail. But the fact that what he’s planning is being watched so closely simply underscores his influence, even when out of office.
Reader: Seriously, could make a comeback. Just waiting for the opportunity. The whole depression episode seems to have tempered some of the opposition he had accumulated through so many years of doing whatever developers wanted.
Reader: Whether next year is a pretty calm election year with a few primary flare-ups or a knock down drag out fight that could lead to a Republican governor is up to this man.
Reader: Because of his recent remarks in the Post blasting O’Malley, Duncan makes the top 10 list because with over 300k in the bank, he could mount a strong (although probably unsuccessful) primary challenge to O’Malley next year.
Adam: The dominant political figure of Montgomery’s modern era. Cast a long shadow over the county’s politics for twelve years. Part of today’s dysfunction stems from the fact that many people are struggling to find their place in a post-Duncan county landscape with no single leader. That includes Duncan himself.
14 (tie). Glenn Orlin, Deputy Chief of Staff, Montgomery County Council
7 Votes
Reader: The single most knowledgeable resource about transportation in the County and maybe in the State. Glenn has the memory of an elephant and is not afraid to play tough with Council Members when he believes they are headed in the wrong direction. I believe Council Members trust Glenn more than any other person on the merit staff.
Reader: I heard him referred to as the tenth Council Member. Who sets the county’s transportation priorities? It is more likely Glenn than any of the nine Council Members who have served for a far shorter period of time. His influence is huge. Every candidate for state and local offices in 2010 will have to formulate opinions on projects he has put or kept on the table. He makes the election almost meaningless since he will remain no matter who wins. The rise of powerful legislative staff at the state and county level are one development of the past 30 years little understood, noticed, or appreciated by the public. How could such nice, hardworking people have anything but the best in mind for the county? However, if Glenn likes rail more than buses, his passion will be what drives decisions more than the elected Council Members or County Executive. It is sad and undemocratic.
Adam: He is the tenth Council Member, like it or not. Orlin has a long memory, a nose for detail, a facility for numbers and a quiet but shrewd style. He is the most influential transportation planner in the county, period. He also has one of the largest minor league baseball program collections in the United States.
14 (tie). Jerry Pasternak, Former Special Assistant to the County Executive
7 Votes
Reader: The former Duncan fixer still has access to and influence over various elected officials.
Reader: After three years out of County government, Jerry has largely shed the label of the Duncan administration but still has a huge rolodex of great relationships. Even though he works as a lobbyist, many influential people in County government still seek his advice on political strategy, and on that topic, there is nobody better.
Reader: Might be out of sight, but he is still behind every corner of important policy in the D.C. suburb side of Maryland. He knows what you did last summer. But he’s not necessarily telling.
Adam: Almost every rumor in the county goes through Darth Vader at least once before you hear about it. Still knows all the cards on the bottom of the deck.
12 (tie). Gigi Godwin, President/CEO, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
8 Votes
Reader: The Chamber’s CEO is warm and welcoming with a bubbly personality and a great smile. Don’t be fooled though - her policy knowledge is very deep and elected officials rely on her for guidance and advice. She is the consummate professional and her grace always helps the cause of the business community, even in difficult circumstances.
Adam: Leads a whip-smart team of super-women (including Vice-Presidents Barbara Ashe and Lisa Fadden) who give business a respected policy voice. Worth every penny of their members’ money.
12 (tie). Jackie Lichter, Political Director, SEIU Local 500
8 Votes
Reader: Helped coordinate the SEIU effort for Obama in VA. Helped elect Nancy Navarro. Now, rumor is, may get hired out by DLLR. Definitely continuing the meteoric rise.
Reader: Everyone has had a crush on her for years. (Lucky Alan!) Smart, funny, and she’s advising half a dozen upstart candidates for state office.
Reader: Should run in the future.
Reader: Can’t find anyone who will not rave about her. Unlimited upside. What she ends up doing will be entirely up to her.
Adam: Fastest rise in local politics since Valerie Ervin.
10 (tie). Blair Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Lee Development Group and Gazette columnist
9 Votes
Reader: Blair continues to be an insightful analyst of Montgomery County and Maryland state politics.
Reader: Like a crazy old uncle locked in the attic, Blair drips with frustration and sometimes incoherent musings. But his analysis of political culture in Montgomery and his regular skewering of the press and liberal politicians is still a must read. Here’s a prediction of his next column: Montgomery is getting steamrolled because it doesn't stand up to the Governor and the press will elect Obama to a second term.
Adam: MoCo’s old bull continues to snort and stomp on liberals and Baltimorons. Knuckleheads beware!
10 (tie). Gustavo Torres, Executive Director, Casa de Maryland
9 Votes
Reader: Executive Director of CASA de Maryland, his work has significantly and positively impacted the lives of many Montgomery County residents who have little influence or voice.
Reader: Most important voice in the Latino community in the state and will play an important role in the immigration reform debate next year.
Reader: Gustavo is a widely-respected strategist and advocate for the Latino community. CASA de Maryland is the go-to organization for the press, which makes them visible and effective on issues of concern.
Adam: Undisputed leader of MoCo’s immigrant community.
9. Doug Prouty, President, Montgomery County Education Association
10 Votes
Reader: As the MoCo political establishment has become increasingly disenchanted with Jon Gerson, the locus of political influence in the county's most powerful union may shift. Prouty is smart, well known to both older activists (because his parents were active in the NAACP) and younger (because of his work with MCEA), and charismatic. He is also unflinchingly dedicated to education, with no ambitions to elected office, which will serve him well.
Reader: He’s president of the county’s teachers union, which is one of, if not the, strongest political player in the county. I’m only putting one person per union, the President. While Tom Israel and Jon Gerson are certainly influential in the endorsement process and other decisions, at the end of the day, Prouty is MCEA president and Gerson is just staff.
Reader: The new MCEA President will play a huge role in the 2010 election. His support is one part of the Holy Grail of local endorsements - the other being Chris Van Hollen. Look for this county native to play an even bigger role than his powerful and much respected predecessor Bonnie Cullison. Prouty’s local roots make him less dependent on advice from Jon Gerson as well. However, he may focus MCEA’s efforts on County Council and Board of Education elections next year since their membership will have a greater impact on teacher salaries over the next decade.
Adam: Brand new MCEA President. Few people know him now. EVERYONE is going to know him a year from now. Has equal roots in the labor and educational communities and has the word “Leader” written all over him.
6 (tie). Tim Firestine, Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer
11 Votes
Reader: The buck stops somewhere on Firestine’s desk. It’s gotta be tough being the budget guy when times are so bad. Cutting salaries for teachers, firing a few county employees, talking about furloughs. But, hey, at least we have enough money to get Ike’s Helicopter Adventureland off the ground. Free rides for kiddies and campaign donors.
Reader: Handles the nuts and bolts of the county.
Reader: A calm overseer of daily operations of Maryland's largest jurisdiction.
Reader: No one knows the county government as much as the CAO. He has more institutional knowledge than anyone. He knows where the money comes from and where it goes.
Reader: Shapes the running of the government, shapes the form of Ike’s arguments.
Reader: He’s got his hands in everything MoCo and is very effective.
Adam: Still the most powerful man you’ve never heard of.
6 (tie). David Moon, Former Campaign Manager for Jamie Raskin and Nancy Navarro
11 Votes
Reader: Quiet political mastermind behind Jamie Raskin and Nancy Navarro, now a force feared by several incumbents.
Reader: Now has quite the reputation for winning campaigns. As regards electoral work, any pol in MoCo worth their salt will be seeking his help. We’ll have to see whether influence at the polls can translate into influence over policy.
Reader: At least everyone seems to have a political crush on him right now.
Reader: Talented political strategist and organizer.
Reader: Political and policy guru.
Reader: With several successful campaigns under his belt, Moon has become the go-to political operative in Montgomery County. But only as a staffer to Nancy Navarro can we see the full extent of his influence, leading some to wonder if he’s playing puppet-master.
Reader: Played the David Plouffe role in the Navarro special election, but what will he do for an encore?
Adam: Growing fame is matched only by his deviousness.
6 (tie). Steve Silverman, Montgomery County Director of Economic Development
11 Votes
Reader: Like a previously caged bobcat, Silverman has leapt back into Montgomery looking for fresh game.
Reader: A team of rivals? Ike’s decision to appoint Silverman to run Economic Development for the County should be seen simultaneously as one of the better decisions he’s made, but also a sign of his own weakness. The fact that so many people were thrilled to have someone in the Executive Branch to turn to other than Ike cannot help but underscore the buyer’s remorse so many people I have spoken to have mentioned.
Reader: Incredibly well-connected and well-liked in various sectors around the County. Many who are disappointed in Ike’s leadership are eager to see Steve succeed in his new role and appreciate his ability to get things done (not a strength of the Leggett administration).
Adam: Ike Leggett made the political move of the year by making Silverman the new Director of Economic Development. That appointment simultaneously placated the business community and neutralized a potential opponent. The problem is that Silverman’s success depends on Leggett’s willingness to fund his department and allow him to use the money as he sees fit. The jury’s still out on that one.
We’ll present the Fabulous Five tomorrow!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Blair Lee Takes on Baltimore Guy
“Baltimore Guy” Mike Dresser has accomplished the impossible – producing substantial agreement between me and the notorious Blair Lee. I have only one thing to add to Lee’s description of MoCo’s willingness to turn its tender cheek to other jurisdictions’ parochialism: our county has already committed more than $120 million in local funds to the Purple Line. How much has the City of Baltimore spent on the Red Line, Mr. Dresser?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Recently Noted
By Sharon Dooley.
Sometimes one notes odd juxtapositions in the news:
Adam recently linked to Blair Lees' column in tribute to William Donald Schaefer. Montgomery County was never high on the list of favorite places for "the mayor" but he appeared here now and then and many in this area got a chance to see or hear him over the years. Although he never handed out "Schaefer coins", as did the "Comptroller for life" (his predecessor Louis Goldstein) - always flush with his symbolic "louis dollars" - Schaefer did leave his mark on the state with highways and re-vitalization of Baltimore. To see him as described by Lee, apparently befuddled and disoriented, must be difficult for many. Although his intemperate remarks and actions - when in office, frequently described as sexist, racist and just plain wrong, hastened his removal by the voters; to see any previously powerful figure in such public mental decline is dismaying.
Subsequently to also read that several thousands of checks issued by the Maryland Treasury just last month, carried the name of Schaefer, instead of current comptroller Peter Franchot (described as a technical error due to a software update) must have appeared to many, as a voice from the past, coming back to haunt our current consciousness. The checks were reportedly honored by the State, once the error was noted. Strange indeed.
Then to learn that the Preakness may be in jeopardy, with bankruptcy declared by the track owners, one must wonder has the sun stopped shining on the black-eyed Susans? What is happening just a few miles up Route 95? Is the storied infield track celebration at Pimlico about to disappear? Will the Maryland legislature gallop to the rescue with emergency legislation as requested by the Gov? Will the triple crown have only two prongs? Stay tuned!
In my best Balmmer imitation: "Hey Hon, Who says that stories is stranger than reality?"
Friday, April 03, 2009
Blair Lee's Tribute to William Donald Schaefer
If you have not done so already, be sure to read Blair Lee's magnificent tribute to the legendary former Governor.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Blair Lee on MPW
Long-time Gazette columnist Blair Lee (voted by our readers as one of MoCo's most influential people) picked MPW as one of his "Rising Stars" of 2008. Here's what he had to say about this blog:
Rising StarsLet's put aside the fact that this is not "my" blog since it was founded by David Lublin in July 2006. But... gee everybody, do you think I have a slant?
Adam Pagnucco's blog: "Maryland Politics Watch" is a good read once you get past the leftist/labor slant.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Assessing the Budget
Kudos to Maryland on My Mind (MOMM) for noticing that the Department of Legislative Services has released its analysis of the impact of the budget bills. Leaving aside the impact of the "sin" taxes on cigarettes and slots, the impact of the other taxes falls primarily on the wealthy:
The net result of the income tax, sales tax and titling tax changes: The $40,000 family pays $7 more per year; the $75,000 family pays $45 more per year; and the $150,000 family pays $196 more. Relatively modest increases. The analysis offers only one example for higher income families. A family earning $750,000 would pay more on all three taxes, totaling $3,613 more a year.MOMM nonetheless concludes that the overall package is too regressive once one includes the sin taxes. On the other hand, Montgomery did much better than other major jurisdictions in terms of the fiscal impact of the budget:
For major jurisdictions: Anne Arundel County, $43 per capita loss; Baltimore City, $48 per capita loss; Baltimore County, $39 per capita loss; Howard County, $33 per capita loss; Montgomery County, $17 per capita loss; Prince Georges County, $58 per capita loss. Montgomery County came out quite well.Perhaps this explains Blair Lee, who has long criticized the delegation for failing to fight for Montgomery, gave some grudging credit to the delegation in his latest Gazette column.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Cranky Gazette
All of the Gazette columnists dislike the outcome of the special session for totally different reasons. Blair Lee writes that Montgomery got taken again by caving on the income tax since its revenues come disproportionately from Montgomery County. However, Blair Lee completely ignores the rest of the tax package, and one should assess it based on the total impact, not just one tax.
My colleague, Allan Lichtman, attacks the Senate, and specifically senators from Montgomery, for exactly the opposite reason. Allan thinks the tax bill is not progressive enough:
Lichtman is right that the affluent have benefited from the Bush tax cuts and essentially argues that the proposed tax bite on them was so small that they would notice it. The latter part of this argument was undermined by the backlash against the bill. They appear to have noticed. Opponents also argue that raising federal taxes doesn't cause Maryland to suffer the same loss in competitiveness vis-a-vis other states, so the place to seek more progressive taxation is in Congress--not the General Assembly.State Senators from Montgomery County played a major role in dismantling proposals for a progressive state tax structure. Where was Brian Frosh of Bethesda, the progressive conscience of the Senate for so many years? Where was freshman Sen. Jamie Raskin of Takoma Park, who promised in his campaign against veteran incumbent Ida Ruben to be a progressive hero in the Senate? In what is likely the most important vote they will cast in their four-year term, both senators voted for the regressive tax package, along with nearly every other senator from Montgomery County. Commendably, Frosh and Raskin voted against the slots proposal.
It is understandable that senators from Montgomery County would want to protect their constituents who are relatively more affluent than residents of other jurisdictions. But they should not be protecting the 5 percent to 10 percent of the county’s richest citizens at the expense of everyone else. The rich have already benefited enormously from the tax cuts pushed through Congress by the Bush administration and today rake in more of the national income than at any time since the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929.
I discovered a couple of interesting factoids:
(1) Maryland has the 14th most progressive tax structure in the nation according to at one analysis (located using that scientific method of "doing a google"). Maryland is more progressive than such liberal paragons as Massachusetts (27th) and New York (26th). Virginia is just one notch below us in 15th place. Delaware is first in the nation in terms of progressivity but it has very few taxes at all.
(2) Maryland's tax structure is mildly regressive--the tax structure of all but six states is regressive with many being substantially more so than Maryland. Of course, federal taxes, which loom much larger than state and local taxes, shape the overall structure of the tax burden.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Budget Forum Impressions
Last night's budget forum at the Kensington Town Hall was well attended by local activists as well as a number of local elected officials. One could also not fail to impressed by the number of citizens who took time to learn more about the budget crisis and to take their hand at trying to solve it. Many thanks to Dee Schofield of the District 18 Democratic Caucus who worked hard to put the forum together and to Sen. Rich Madaleno and Secretary Eloise Foster who walked us through the budget maze. Here are some quick and dirty impressions from the forum:
Elected Officials: In addition to Sen. Rich Madaleno on the podium, all three delegates from District 18, Jane Lawton, Ana Sol Gutierrez, and Jeff Waldstreicher, were there. Councilwomen Duchy Trachtenberg and Nancy Floreen listened closely and booed amusingly when the issue of cutting aid to the counties, especially for teacher retirement, was mentioned. The senior assistant to Executive Ike Leggett didn't look too thrilled by that idea either. Sen. Mike Lennet and Councilman Marc Elrich also came to the forum. Kensington Mayor Pete Fosselman and Town Councilman Al Carr were there to graciously welcome everyone to their Town.
The Budget and MoCo's Legislators: The budget is going to place our legislative delegation in a tough bind. Do they stand firm and oppose slots like their constituents even though this is the revenue raiser least likely to impact Montgomery? Do they oppose tax increases which will fall disproportionately on county residents? If the governor threatens to slash support for teach retirement or some other program dear to the heart of Montgomery, does the delegation see his bluff and dare him to cut funding for teachers in the state's largest county which provided a motherload of votes for him? Let's hope that our county and legislative leaders are strategizing hard to have a plan when the budget finally comes up.
Eloise Foster is someone I had not met before getting involved with the budget forum. However, one quickly sees why three governors have trusted her on budget issues and two of them have appointed her as budget secretary. She is smart, knowledgeable, and discreet yet also does a good job of outlining and defending the basic approach and priorities of the administration.
Blair Lee is a Democrat who drives many progressives up the wall because his columns seem way too supportive of conservatives. After the forum, I heard him commenting eloquently and sharply on the current budget crisis. A fierce defender of Montgomery's interests, he knows the issues well and would be a worthy adversary in any debate on the topic. We can expect him to advocate vocally against more taxes unless Montgomery's legislative leaders bring home something bring for the County--and it better not be something we already have or were promised in his eyes.
Immigration. The anti-immigration posse were handing out flyers to everyone entering the Kensington Armory and were under the delusion that denying services to illegal immigrants would save Maryland $300 million. Not only would it would be illegal to deny many services, including schools and emergency health care, it would also be extremely shortsighted even from a selfish perspective. Keeping kids out of school seems like a great idea if you want to increase crime and create a class of people who have no skills, no attachment to this country, and only a poor command of the language. The irony is that most illegal immigrants go to great lengths to avoid government because they don't want to be sent home so they are actually less likely to use government services.
District 16: Tonight, the Montgomery County Central Committee will choose a successor to Del. Marilyn Goldwater. Reggie Oldak and Don Mooers, both considered strong candidates, were at the forum, as was at least one member of the central committee--District 18's Vic Weissberg. Dana Beyer, a former candidate for delegate in District 18 and now an aid to Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, was arguing hard for Reggie Oldak. Oldak came in a strong fourth in last year's Democratic primary. Others tell me that Mooers may have the edge. We'll just have to wait and see what the central committee decides.
