Final Word on FOP Endorsments

An email from FOP President Andy Mackert

Related to this post 

My name is Andy Mackert. I am a Sheriff Deputy in Howard County, Maryland.

As the Presdent and co-founder of the Howard County Sheriff’s F.O.P. I am surprised but pleased that this Post on my friend David Keelan’s blog has generated so much interest.

That the F.O.P. could so quickly generate the passionate interests of Howard County citizens confirms that our concerns are being noticed. Now we need to ensure that action will be taken. Our endorsements were just the first step in a long process. Long after I and others have left the Sheriff’s Department we hope that positive changes will last.

As the Voice of the F.O.P as a whole I am in a position where some people love me and some don’t. Looking back setting up the F.O.P. may have been easier than running it. The endorsment process is an example where all the members did not agree on the endorsements. Not that anyone expected full agreement. One of the things I love about this department is that we all can agree to disagree.

Let me set the record straight for some of you today!

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Roger Lerner for Board of Education

The Howard County Blog reported the Democracy for Howard County Board of Education endorsements.  I was disappointed that he did not receive their endorsement.

I met Roger Lerner when I took my kids to Meadowbrook Park.  Coincidentally, Roger had left a comment on this blog regarding Chancery SMS software the night before.  He had no idea who I was.  When he approached me to introduce himself I told him “I know who you are and I plan on supporting you”.

Roger Lerner has great ideas and enthusiasm.  What is more – he has a solid head on his shoulders and a firm grasp on the issues.

You may want to read his full platform here.

He supports, among other things:

Bernhardt’s seriousness, humor aids run for judge

From the Baltimore Examiner.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Rick for a number of years.  I have also had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Julia, a public defender in Baltimore City, on a number of occasions.

They are wonderful people who are dedicated to public service.

In February 2005 I was honored when Rick asked me to write the following letter of recommendation to Governor Ehrlich when Rick was seeking an appointment to his current position.

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Governor Ehrlich,

This is a great development

Please pardon the pun… 

I think the Savage Marc station development is a great idea.  I have long wondered why Dorsey Station off Rte 100 sits their surrounded by nothing, but I didn’t know the County was thinking the same way.  I knew about Rte 1 it is just that I didn’t know that Dorsey and Savage were targeted too.

Two years ago, Howard County officials rezoned land around the Dorsey and Savage train stations to transportation-oriented development, a new category intended to encourage dense, mixed-use projects along the U.S. 1 corridor. The zone requires that 15 percent of the apartments be for moderate-income families.

If we are serious about mass transit options I think developing around these two stations is a step in the right direction.

I was also encouraged by this report

Maryland Secretary of Transportation Robert L. Flanagan, a former Howard County delegate, said the state got no offers in 2003 when it advertised for private development around state-owned MARC and Metro train stations.

Hopefully these plans by Petrie Ross Ventures will kick of a new era of development along rail transportation corridors.

Story here and here

There is a small problem.  Savage and Dorsey are on the Camden Line of the Marc Train system.  Marc does not run as often on the Camden Line as it does on the Penn Line.  I also found that the schedule not as convenient as the Penn Line.  I don’t know if this is because of the freight trains or not or other variables such as demand, but I hope they can improve the scheduling.  There are currently 9 Southbound trains and 9 Northbound trains on the Camden Line that stop at both Dorsey and Savage. 

The Camden Line does not stop at BWI Airport.  Can they fix that?

The Penn Line has 20 Southbound and 24 Northbound trains and it does stop at BWI Airport.  There are four trains between Penn and Union stations between the hours of 5PM and 7PM and five trains between 5AM and 7AM which is convenient for commuters.

The Camden Line connects Union Station to Penn Station.  Riders can switch to Amtrak in Baltimore (they can also switch to the Penn Line) and DC.  They can also jump to the DC Metro or the Baltimore Light Rail.  Trains abound.  Although I find the Camden Line schedule to be incovenient for my I am sure others find it perfectly suitable.  Additionally they can adjust the schedules as ridership demands.

I just hope they connect it to BWI.