Route 40 Republican Club to Host Carmen Amedori, MD US Senate Candidate

MEMBERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PERSONS:

RT. 40 REPUBLICAN CLUB MEETS THIS WEEK!!!!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Time:  7:00 p.m

Where:  Ramada Inn Conference Center

1700 Van Bibber Road

Edgewood, Maryland

Just off I – 95 Exit 77 A (MD Rt. 24)

(next to the Richlin Ballroom)

TOPICS:  Federal Health Care bill

Protest Rally at Cong. Kratovil’s office in Bel Air

Tuesday March 16th; 4 p.m. – 7 pm

April 15th Tax Protest Rally

Discussion about local, county, state and Federal tax issues

SPEAKER: UNITED STATES SENATE CANDIDATE CARMEN AMEDORI

Delegate McDonough Proposes English Language Legislation

Dear Citizen:

The Baltimore County (House Bill 865) and Harford County (House Bill 1020) English language legislation that I have introduced to make English the official government language for these two counties will be heard in the House Health and Government Operations Committee on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 1:00 PM.

You may review these two bills in their entirety by going to this website and then entering the bill numbers (HB865 or HB1020) in the white box.

http://mlis.state.md.us/#bill

If you would like to testify in person, please arrive at the Committee room (#240) on the third floor of the House Office Building in Annapolis by 12 noon in order to sign up to speak.  Parking is of a premium in Annapolis, but you may find a space in one of the visitor garages; or, park at the Navy Stadium on your way in (off of Rowe Boulevard) and take the trolley to the Legislative Services stop;  walk back ½ block to the new entrance of the House Building on your right.  Security requires a picture ID and please do not bring any items that could be construed as weapons.

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Republican Files Against Franchot for Comptroller

Friends-

I have decided to run as a Republican in the 2010 race for Maryland Comptroller. I made this decision after a great deal of thought and research. With the recent Republican victories in New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts in addition to Gov. Rick Perry’s primary election victory in Texas, the people are sending a clear message: they are tired of the political establishment.Realizing that the Republicans were just simply going to nominate the person, who is “next in line” in the political establishment, I knew I could not stand on the sidelines. The Maryland Republican Party has largely been ineffective in recent years, and many elected Republicans are abandoning the core principles of the party.

My campaign, most certainly, will face an uphill battle, but victory is by no means out-of-reach. Before I take on Comptroller Franchot in the general election, I will likely have to engage in a primary battle against “establishment” Republican candidate. This is where I need your support. Unlike many other campaigns, I request that you support my campaign primarily through volunteering instead of through monetary means. My campaign is not going to accept any funds from corrupt interest groups, and, as a result, we will likely be heavily outspent in both the primary and general elections. However, this can be used to our advantage. While other candidates are spending precious campaign time paying lip service to interest groups, my campaign will be out courting voters. As we saw with the Obama campaign in 2008, building a powerful grassroots network will, ultimately, lead to electoral success.

I have already formed a candidate committee under the name Friends of Brendan Madigan, and I am planning to officially file to run sometime in early April. Please visit my website (brendanmadigan.com) for the latest campaign updates and for ways to become involved with my campaign. I look forward to working with you to create a better, stronger Maryland.

Thank you for your support,

Regards,

Brendan Madigan

bmadigan@gopresurgence.com

Cecil County FOP Lodge 27th Annual Crab Feast

Title: Cecil County FOP Lodge 27th Annual Crab Feast
Location: Ed Walls Center, Fair Hill, MD
Link out: Click here
Description: Hello Friends,

As of yesterday, I now have tickets for Cecil County FOP Lodge 2 7th
Annual Crab Feast on Sat. August 14th from 7pm-midnight at the Ed
Walls Center in Fair Hill, MD. Tickets are $40 each and tables of 8
($320) will be reserved upon request (we actually encourage this for
space reasons, so if you know a few who are going, band together and
get a table or 2 or 4). Those of you who have gone before know that
the 400 tickets sell out very quickly (last year within 3 weeks) so
figure out how many you need and email me ASAP. If you’re not going
to see me anytime soon, email me the quantity of tickets needed and
whose name the tables should be under (if reserved) so I can set them
aside for you, then just send in the payment to “Cecil County FOP,
Lodge 2 P.O. Box 452 Elkton, MD 21922″. If paying by check, please
make them payable to “Cecil County FOP, Lodge 2 ” with “crab feast” in
the memo space. We thank everyone for their support and we’re look
for a great time at the crab feast!

Adam Streight
443-309-4465
Start Time: 7pm
Date: 2010-08-14
End Time: 11pm

Jackie G. Says Patriots Tried to Work w/ Kratovil

Healthcare Summit Was A Flop Mr. Kratovil!

Mr. Kratovil,

The recent healthcare summit left me unhappy with both the Republicans and the Democrats.

First, how can the President reform health insurance when he doesn’t even know what health insurance is?
He claimed that high-deductible plans aren’t REAL insurance. This is like claiming that I don’t have real car insurance if my policy doesn’t cover oil changes.

With this one comment the President completely disqualified himself from having any further involvement in our healthcare.

Are my other elected representatives any better informed? Please be clear about this . . .

* Insurance is supposed to cover major events that people can’t afford to pay out of normal income and savings
* This means that REAL health insurance is of the high deductible, major medical variety, whereas . . .
* The plans the President mistakenly thinks of as health insurance are really expensive pre-payment schemes

These pre-payment schemes aren’t REAL health insurance. They only exist because of stupid federal tax policies, and corporate welfare regulations at the state level.

What our President, and many in Congress, mistakenly call REAL health insurance is actually the very root of the problem. As Cato scholar Alan Reynolds points out . . .

* A study by Amy Finklestein of MIT suggests that expanded health insurance coverage is responsible for nearly half of the increase in per capita healthcare spending http://tinyurl.com/ykpdmj9
* Which suggests that the pre-payment schemes the President mistakes for health insurance have driven up healthcare costs, while the high-deductible plans the President rejects would actually reduce costs

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SEN. PIPKIN LAUNCHES 2010 BAY BRIDGE USERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS

SEN. PIPKIN LAUNCHES 2010 BAY BRIDGE USERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS

Senator E. J. Pipkin (Upper Shore 36) asserted that “Bay Bridge users may be the most ignored group in Maryland. The 2010 Bay Bridge Users’ Bill of Rights demands important common sense changes.”

The Bill of Rights includes five pieces of legislation:

• SB 651: The MdTA must hold a public meeting within a 30 mile radius of the toll facility. Citing the MdTA public hearing held on January 29, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Baltimore City, the MdTA heard public comment on the increases in E-Z pass fees and tolls. Senator Pipkin said, “The hearing might as well barred public participation because it was held at a time and place impossible for most Bay Bridge commuters to attend.”

• SB 650: The Executive Secretary of the MdTA must keep the Board informed in detail about the public comments received. “Currently that information is spoon-fed to the Board in a summarized fashion, and I want the Board to know word-for-word what the public is saying,” Pipkin stated. “The Board should not to lose touch with the public it serves.”

• SB 649: Requires an immediate independent inspection of the Bay Bridge, using state-of-the-art technology of all seven bridge construction components and all the elements of the superstructure and substructure. “The use of state-of-the-art technology in the aftermath of the tragic August 10, 2009 accident is the only way the corroded steel inside the Bridge girders would have ever been revealed. It is also deeply troubling that the invasive examination of the westbound bridge’s suspension cables was overdue by six years. What else don’t we know about the condition of the bridge?” asked Pipkin.

• SB 991: Requires the MdTA to temporarily stop collecting tolls when eastbound vehicles are waiting for longer than 30 minutes to cross the Bridge.

• SB 648: Starts the process for the serious consideration of a third Bay Bridge by submitting a request for consideration to the federal government under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). “There is no dispute of the need for a third Bay Bridge”, said Pipkin. “The need for a third bay crossing becomes more imperative each year; this is only a first step for consideration.” Pipkin emphasized that beginning process is not a commitment to build a third bridge. It is only the first step in an investigatory and decision-making process.

“The citizens who endure the intolerable traffic gridlock deserve to have their demands taken seriously,” Pipkin asserted.

Katie Nash

Chief of Staff
Senator E.J. Pipkin
Upper Shore – Legislative District 36
410.841.3639

Want to Be A Part of the Cecil County Tea Party?

Hello Everybody,

It’s that time for us to get together and organize our tax day TEA PARTY in Cecil County. This is our year to make things right in our government. We are hoping to put together the same committee as we had for last years 4th of July Tea Party. That was extremely successful drawing over 550 participants. This year we are hoping to draw over 1000.

The first meeting to get this rally going is going to be held on March 10th @ 6:30 pm at my house. It is located at 10 Academy Drive, Elkton Md. in a development called Academy Hill. I am about 1/4 mile south of the circle off Rt 213 just before you get to the Moose Club.

Please either e-mail me at rlobos@comcast.net or call me at 443-945-1052 and let me know if you can make it.

Best Regards,

Ron Lobos

Harris Campaign Meeting Coming Up!

Team Harris Cecil County Organizational Meeting

Are you TIRED of Nancy Pelosi controlling Congress

and your family’s future?

Are you TIRED of Congress stripping away America’s Identity?

If so, it’s time to take action!!!

It’s time to invest in your future by becoming an active volunteer for

State Senator Andy Harris

Say NO to Nancy Pelosi by saying YES to Dr. Andy Harris for Congress!

Come Join

Harris for Congress Campaign Chairman

The Honorable Ellen R. Sauerbrey

Saturday, March 13th to see how you can help Andy WIN back the 1st Congressional District seat and take back our Congress!

Who: Cecil County Volunteers

What: Grassroots Meeting

When: Sat March 13 @ 10:30am

Where: Anchor Pontiac and Buick

3 Automotive Blvd (RT 40) – Suite 310

Elkton, MD 21921

RSVP: Pat Daly 240-925-7462 / pat@andyharris.com

MD GOP Voter Vault Training Scheduled for March 12th

NEWS FROM MDGOP

Message from the chairman:

Flash!!
I am very pleased to announce that Voter Vault training will be held at MDGOP headquarters on Friday, March 12, from 6 to 8 pm. This is a true Happy Hour(s)!! The RNC is sending trainers to assist us in making sure our candidates are current on every aspect of voter targeting. Attendance is limited to the first 40 to register. Reserve your spot today by emailing Chuck Gast at chuckgast@yahoo.com

Thought of the day…
“Too often we underestimate the power of a smile, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Maryland Republican Party, R. Christopher Rosenthal, Treasurer

Tax-n-Spend Steny Must Be Stopped!

Dear Mr. Kratovil,

Here’s what Steny Hoyer said at the Brookings Institution on Monday, March 1: “No one likes raising revenue (increasing taxes), and understandably so, but if you’re going to buy, you need to pay.”

I’ve got a better idea — don’t buy!

Millions of Americans have had to cut their expenses because of the economy. Their prudence is fruitless if you raise their taxes to pay for YOUR orgy of spending.

And please don’t tell me that you’re going to tax the rich, and NOT me. Rich people don’t spend most of their money — they invest it to create jobs! That’s how they got rich. So the more you tax them the fewer jobs there will be. Politicians don’t create jobs, rich people do! Instead, you destroy jobs with high taxes and wasteful spending.

Poor people always end up paying for your “tax the rich” schemes by losing their jobs.

And please don’t tell me you’re going to motivate the rich to create jobs by offering them tax credits in return for hiring new people. Raising their taxes with one hand while giving them money back with the other is just plain stupid.

The problem is that you guys think nothing can happen in this country unless you have your noses right in the middle of it. Well, I say it’s long past time for you politicians to butt out. Instead of raising taxes and cluttering the tax code with more tax credits, please do the following . . .

* Cut spending. Cut everything, including entitlements and reduce the military budget by bringing some troops home.
* Cut taxes, and keep cutting them until America has the lowest taxes in the world. Doing that will create jobs.

Any politician who talks about raising taxes, or spending, will deserve to be fired the next time they’re up for election. I’m watching what you do, and discussing it with other voters.

Sincerely,

John Q. Taxpayer

Senator Nancy Jacobs Weighs in on Gay Marriage

We have surpassed the halfway point in the 2010 Maryland General Assembly and in the weeks to come it will be do or die time for bills ranging on a number of subjects. Today, in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee we will be hearing a number of bills dealing with the definition of a marriage.

Last week you may have heard that Attorney General Douglas Gansler issued an opinion that ran contrary to current Maryland law which states that marriage is between one man and one woman. Attorney General Gansler said that same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions should be legally recognized in Maryland.

The Associated Press explained:
“While the opinion does not change the law, it can guide state officials. The attorney general’s office would defend a state agency in court for recognizing a same-sex marriage from another state.”

The Attorney General is not a legislator. The matter of recognizing out-of-state gay marriages is one of the bills we will be hearing today.

I have co-sponsored Senate Bill 852 which would codify that same-sex marriages performed out-of-state will not be recognized in Maryland. Simply put, I believe that marriage is between one man and one woman.

Another bill, Senate Bill 582, before us tomorrow would change our marriage law to read that marriage is a union between “two individuals” instead of between “one man and one woman.”

I urge you to call or e-mail members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee with your thoughts. You can find all of our e-mail addresses by clicking on our names found here.

I have heard from so many of you about so many of the issues facing the Maryland General Assembly this year and I appreciate the kind words and support. I look forward to working even harder in these remaining weeks to serve you.

Sincerely,

Nancy

From the archives: History on Taxes in Cecil County

I find it disturbing that Mrs Demmler seems to blame the taxpayer for the Commissioner’s decision to not grant the police their pay increase (“Due to the outcry from the taxpayer…“), yet she and the rest of the Commissioners seem to be very comfortable with approving hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses that could well have been cut in last year’s budget.

Here are some reminders from the last year’s effort to cut spending:

Holding the line on School Spending (didn’t happen last year) “…from 1998 to 2009 the total county-wide school population only increased by 1785 kids, yet appropriations rose $1598.17 dollars per student and the CCPS budget almost doubled from approx. $39M in 1998 to approx. $70M in 2009. The CCPS budget almost doubled for an approx. 11% increase in student population over 11 years.”

Also posted here last year, we have some history for those who might need a refresher on how the Cecil County Commissioners have consistently spent more and more each year, and taxed you and me for it… (with Mrs Demmler’s vote). In 2007,

“Commissioner Demmler made a motion to approve the FY 08 Budget and to increase funding to the Historical Society in the amount of $10,000 and funding to Upper Bay Counseling Services $25,000.“

Lucky for us on that one, the motion died for lack of a second.

I’m all for the amazing work the Historical Society does (and greatly appreciate it), as well as the Upper Bay Counseling Services. But, can we argue that these where “essential services”? Perhaps some of these would be better funded through private efforts, rather than tax payer funds.

As Delegate Smiegiel reminds us in his blog,

“The property taxes [have] been raised for thirteen years straight on the citizens of Cecil County.  If there was any hope for the citizens of Cecil County it was this year [2009].  Instead, we have seen a 14th straight year of increased property taxes on the citizens of Cecil County.”

Unfortunately, nothing personal, but Mrs. Demmler simply has no credibility with the citizens of this county when it comes to taxes and County spending. Blaming the “no new taxes” group doesn’t help. They have simply run out of excuses.

Rebecca J. Demmler: collective bargaining, my perspective

This came in via email from one of our County Commissioners. The email was not modified at all and is re-printed verbatim.

Hello All:

I’m sending this to a some who I’m certain are well aware of the recent unfortunate controversy regarding the introduction by our delegation of legislation which the majority of the commissioners oppose. I ask that you pass it on to others who may have an interest and are on your email lists….Thanks!

This legislation (House Bill 916 and Senate Bill 726) would allow for a referendum regarding collective bargaining with or without binding arbitration. One might suppose allowing the public to decide this question is the ultimate answer, but there is much more to the story.

Last year through much negotiation, the County and FOP arrived at a collective bargaining agreement that would give the FOP a voice in the budget process, yet offered protection to the taxpayer from a final opinion from an outside arbitrator as to wages. We were about to include this in our 2009 list of requests to the Annapolis Delegation when at the last minute the FOP withdrew their support with the insistence that allowing for binding arbitration be included. We would not agree.

This year, those speaking for the FOP went directly to the Delegation and between them (beyond the knowledge of the commissioners) legislation was written…on both the question of collective bargaining with binding arbitration, or bargaining without it. The bill calls for the question to be placed on the ballot, and the winning choice comes with the enabling legislation. To our knowledge there will not be a choice labeled “neither.”

Without the courtesy of having this legislation to review, the commissioners were asked to offer an opinion shortly before it was “dropped.” We took the stand that we could not agree to support (or not) without first having the full bill in front of us to study. This was taken as an affront, and the bill submitted.

We’ve since had time to read through the legislation and find it very troubling. Neither choice is the version we had worked so diligently on the previous year. We feel it imperative that budget authority not be taken from elected officials and placed with an arbitrator who is not accountable to the citizens and who likely would not be a citizen of Cecil County. We feel this bill is going around the role of the county commissioners and its introduction without our approval is a clear abuse of power.

Because we oppose the bill, very heated accusations have been thrown toward the commissioners. We’ve read in the paper and email and have had an extremely heated and unkind anonymous letter mailed to our homes…all essentially telling us that we do not support our police. We are told of the low pay of the deputies. We are accused of treating the deputies terribly over the years. The facts prove that none of these are true. Through the years the deputies have been treated very well. Pay increases were progressive. We’ve approved a steady addition of vehicles and equipment when needed. A new headquarters was opened.

Certainly, we all hold our police officers in high esteem and support them as best we can within the confines of a budget. We recognize the special challenges of their work. It is very unfair to characterize any of us as not valuing our fine police officers.

Although some surrounding areas have traditionally paid a higher wage, we should see that this is naturally the case of counties that enjoy a higher tax-base. Always keep in mind that the dollars to pay salaries and equipment comes from the tax-payer. Due to the outcry from the taxpayer and the state of our recent economy, we’ve found it necessary for the second year to deny a step increase or a cost of living increase for ALL of our employees. This is not as a ‘pick on you’ mentality, but as a necessity due to this weak economy that all of us together have had to endure. Those who count themselves among the “no new taxes” group should be especially troubled over this legislation.

With that…I will include below educational information regarding Collective Bargaining and questions and answers that relate directly to the different forms of Collective Bargaining. This is quite lengthy, but I hope you take the time to read through it. It will answer many questions.

This can also be found on the ccgov.org webpage….under “News Highlights”….third listing “News Briefs.”

Again…I’d appreciate if you would pass this along to all you know who may be interested.

Thank you for your time in reading this.

Rebecca J. Demmler

Commissioner, 2nd District

rdemmler@ccgov.org

I’ll let you decide for yourself on the issue of collective bargaining.

FOP Response to the Cecil County Commissioners

Via Delegate Smiegel’s website, the FOP responded to the Cecil County Commissioners “news brief” posted on www.ccgov.org about the issue of collective bargaining with binding arbitration for deputy Sheriffs.

The Cecil County Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 2 would like to take this opportunity to respond and address issues the county commissioners raised in their recent opinion entitled, Some Facts About Collective Bargaining With Interest Arbitration For Deputy Sheriffs, found on the county website at www.ccgov.org.

You can read the entire response at Delegate Smigiel’s website, but I have to point out this very important paragraph:

This was born over many years of neglect by the county as to what their number one priority should be: protecting its citizens. This goes way beyond inadequate pay and benefits and straight to the heart of the issue: with very few exceptions, the county has consistently viewed the sheriff’s office as a necessary evil and has funded it as such. In a county such as ours, it is outrageous that only 6 or 7 deputies per shift are expected to adequately patrol the county and keep bad guys at bay. The Town of Elkton has almost that many covering their town because they get it – is your family’s safety any less important?

If we’re not aggressively pursuing more police coverage when violent crime goes up EACH YEAR, then are we at least going to invest in the deputies we do have? The county’s answer is, apparently, no.

Last year, when the County Commissioners told me the reason for my tax increase was because of the “essential services” the county needed to provide, I naively assumed this was one of those “essential” services worthy of a tax increase.

But, evidently, this is not the case. Read it for yourself and you decide if the Commissioners are spending YOUR hard earned money on what is truly important? Pet projects, or good pay for the police officers that keep up safe? You decide.