Fraternal Order of Police Endorsements

As the newspapers reported the Howard County Fraternal Order of Police issued their endorsements.

It is just as interesting as who they didn’t endorse as it is who they endorsed.

Not endorsed were:
Jim Robey

Former Police Chief, current County Executive, and carpet bagger er candidate for Senate District 13

Wayne Livesay

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A Fox/Merdon Aging in Place Property Tax Proposal

Update: I didn’t have all the details yesterday, just a heads up of what was to come.  See my new post on this issue.

This afternoon Chris Merdon proposed Property Tax legislation for Howard County Senior Citizens based upon actions of the General Assembly session of 2006.  I am glad he siezed upon the opportunity to help this important segment of our community.

Over the past few years attempts have been made to assist Howard County Senior citizens with an escallating tax burden, especially where property taxes are concerned.

Clarification

The posts I have made about Mr. Livesay have ignited a lot of emotions. For the most part I think that is a very good thing. It is part of the political process.

Some of the emails I have received have been gracious, to the point, and on subject (whether pro or anti Livesay). Others have been – well lets not go there. I would like to reply to some of these critics. We are all entitled to our opinions. I have a lot of opinions which is why I have this blog. You also know my name, yet you all remain anonymous. I am willing to say what is on my mind and sign my name too it. I think you are a coward for posting anonymously and it makes me wonder how strongly you are married to your convictions. Despite that I let you post comments here anyway.

Some people think I work on the Fox campaign. I do not. I don’t even live in District Five. I know and admire Greg. I am the treasure of a slate committee comprised of five Republican Candidates and Greg is one of them. When I was approached to be treasurer it wasn’t by Greg Fox. I am managing money for a Golf Tournament. Want to come? So that is the extent of my connection to Greg Fox.

Fox Adams Livesay

I got a couple comments about my posts regarding Wayne Livesay that are simply not worth posting. They attack Mr. Fox and/or Mr. Adams and refuse to address the issues I raise concerning Mr. Livesay's fitness for elected office.

Normally I approve any post except spam and those containing profanity. Other than those criteria these are the only posts I refused to publish since I have had this blog.

If anyone wants to address the issues about Mr. Livesay that I have brought up for discussion I would be happy to post your comments. If you have substantial issues regarding other candidates I will publish those as well. However, I won't post simple bashing – my guy is better than your guy or your guy is a (fill in the blank).

Mr. Livesay's long term roots in Western Howard County and term as police coupled with the concerns I raised does not make him a qualified nor the best candidate.

If you have something to contribute (specifically) regarding Mr.Fox's or Mr. Adams' qualifications let me know.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Andy Warhol once said that everyone gets 15 minutes of fame in their lives. I am working on my 15 minutes in chunks. One minute here, 30 seconds there… I think I am up to five and a half minutes.

Here is 30 seconds of fame for the four Howard County Bloggers from today's Baltimore Examiner

Local bloggers take opinionated stabs on Howard County politics

Laura Greenback, The Examiner
Apr 12, 2006 7:00 AM (2 hrs 23 mins ago)

Howard County – Divided along party lines, four Howard County bloggers are taking their first opinionated stabs at local election coverage.

“You will undoubtedly see my bias come through (I can’t help it) on my posts,” blogger David Keelan, the 2004 president of the Howard County Republican Club, states in the biography on his Web site.
But the bloggers say they ensure their accuracy by posting official documents, reader comments and links to traditional news sources.

“Obviously there are people who I want to win. I still have this yearning to be as objective and idea-focused as possible,” said Ian Kennedy, who disclosed his name to The Examiner on Sunday after blogging anonymously since September.

Evan Coren created his blog to provide explanatory maps, graphics and an analysis of Columbia revitalization. Even politicians monitor the sites and leave comments.

“It allows us to see what other people’s perceptions are,” said Greg Fox, a Republican who is running for County Council in District 5.

On Coren’s blog, Fox recently posted a response to his coverage of a candidates forum.

Blogs are a safe place for freedom of dialogue.

“I can’t talk about politics at work. I need an outlet to put my thoughts out there,” said blogger David Wissing, whose site covers national and local politics.

Chief Livesay Is Staying – For Now.

The Chief will stay through or up until April of this year. At that point he will take an early retirement.

All this according to Larry Carson's story in The Baltimore Sun. I give him credit. I think he is doing the right thing by the department and the community. This shows he is a stand up guy – despite his "political opportunism".

Larry goes on to discuss possible friction in the GOP because of the Chief's "political opportunism".

Larry spoke to our current Council Member in District Five.

County Councilman Charles C. Feaga, a western county Republican, has jumped firmly on Livesay's bandwagon…

"I want someone to represent us who knows that section of the county," Feaga said. "[Livesay] went to school at Glenelg High with some of the farm kids out there. He knows [the area] so well, and he's very active in his church — a religious person.

"You have to realize that before politics you have to look at issues and the person," Feaga added

Charlie, you need to look at yourself. Many people still carry a grudge with you because they think you are the reason Jim Robey won County Executive in 1998. For our readers here is the background.

A nasty GOP primary ensued in 1998 between Charlie Feaga and Denis Schrader. Schrader won, Charlie was pissed and swung his support to Robey and actively campaigned for him. I think he even showed up at a Robey rally. I got all this second hand – I was living in Baltimore City at the time.

Charlie, I would also encourage you to take your own advise "…look at issues and the person…" What do you know about Greg Fox? What do you have to say about the Chief's political opportunism? Before you "look at a person" do you have to fist consider where they were born and went to school?

Another question. Charlie, are you sure that the Chief won't switch parties again if he were to win the general election? Given the warm support of Ulman and Guzzone who see a potential ally in the Chief I don't put this scenerio far outside the realm of possibility.

Greg has a wife and a family living in District 5 and is deeply concerned about the way of live in the District. He knows the issues, wants to campaign and has been campaigning. He is devoted to doing this. To Greg this is not his retirement hobby.

Chief Livesay

The Hedgehog Report and Hayduke have had their say. I have been holding off on saying anything not because I don't have an opinion, but because I didn't want to be rash in anything I had to contribute to the conversation. Now that it has sunk in and I consider the statement of my peers. Hayduke

I don’t think his party switching will matter as much to the regular voters as it does to party insiders, who usually take their party way too seriously anyway. I think voters want someone they know and trust, and that’s what Livesay is.

Nothing could be more true. I deeply resent Livesay switching parties to support Robey and now switching back to the GOP to run in a heavily GOP district. Unfortunately, Hayduke is probably right about how most voters will feel about it. As Mr. Wissing puts it. Opportunistic

You do have to wonder about the deeply-held beliefs of a guy who will switch parties at a drop of the hat in order to advance his political career. District 5 is a heavily Republican area, which is most likely why Livesay wants to switch parties yet again back to Republican.

Greg Fox, who has been campaigning for almost a year already has the support of the GOP. More importantly he has Allan Kittleman's support. That is name recognition enough to help Greg in a primary. The Kittleman's are not a political dynasty, they can't annoint anyone. However, the family is deeply respected in the district and Allan's support goes a long way in helping Greg. Some people, despite acknowleging that to win in District 5 you have to run as a Republican, think that the Republicans should be grateful that Chief Livesay would even consider running as a Republican as if that will ensure the seat for the GOP. For Pete's Sake. If you think he stands a chance then why isn't he running as a Democrat? I will lay odds that won't ever happen. Livesay has no choice but to run as a Republican in that district. A Democrat has no chance – at all. And PLEASE, that is the point! The guy left the party and now he is switching back so he can win. That is plain bullcrap. Livesay needs the GOP a lot more than the GOP needs him PERIOD. If he wins will he vote as a Republican or as a Democrat? Who knows and who can trust him? I wouldn't risk trusting that he would support Republicans on critical votes. And what about this…. What would prevent him from switching back to Democrat again after he wins in a Republican district? Here is a great idea. The Republicans just won't run anyone for the seat and let the Democrats have it? In the end, what would be the difference. Lets remind our readers about Chief Livesay's reasons in 2002 for switching parties in the first place. He wanted to 'clear my consience' because he supports gun control. Well lots of Republicans support gun control and guess what? They are still Republicans. So, Chief, do you support gun control any less than you did before? No?! So, tell us what else has changed to persuade you to come back to the Grand Old Party? Oh, you are running for elected office representing a heavily Republican district. I believe it when people say Chief Livesay is hard working, is known as a direct, no-nonsense chief who does not waste words, and neither ego nor humor gets in his way. That doesn't mean he isn't being 101% opportunistic, and he isn't willing to disregard his principles. That, my dear reader, are the reasons why I don't respect the Chief's decision. He does not make for the kind of Council member I am looking for.

Raising funds and waving signs

I am not entireley pleased with this article.

Once again the Baltimore Sun's Larry Carson shows his bias against the Republican's in Howard County by winding up his article with comments by John Loftus, key note speaker at the GOP Lincoln Day Dinner. Carson gives the impression that Loftus, and the HOCO GOP through association, are extremists by selectively quoting Loftus. Carson gives no balance to the story and fails to mention the outreach to Muslim organizations or the Muslim Groups that reservered tables at the Lincoln Day Dinner and who praised Loftus for his comments (because they were their to here the speech in context)."Oh my gosh…." exclaims Guy Guzzone when learning that his likely opponent in the general election, Chris Merdon is sign waiving. Who is Guzzone kidding? He has been campaigning in his own way by pandering to special interests in the county since 2002.

Now Robey is accusing Republicans of saying Government and Taxes are bad. Mr. Robey, Government and Taxes are good and necessary. Your style of government and taxes are bad.

WITH BLUE "Merdon, County Executive" signs plastered everywhere, the annual Howard County Republican party's Lincoln Day Dinner at Turf Valley looked more like the launching of the county councilman's 2006 campaign than what it was – a fund-raising gathering for the party.County Councilman Christopher J. Merdon, the Ellicott City Republican expected to oppose council Chairman Guy Guzzone, a North Laurel-Savage Democrat, for the county executive's job next year, was also out sign waving with a group of supporters early Wednesday morning at Broken Land and Little Patuxent parkways.

He won't officially announce his campaign until fall, Merdon said at the party dinner Sunday night, but "this is family," he said about displaying the signs at the dinner. Merdon said he plans to begin regular sign-waving several times a week until the November, 2006 election.

Guzzone, who donned a tuxedo as host of the Democrats' slightly larger annual $60-a-ticket Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner Tuesday night at the Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville – sans campaign posters – took a dim view.
"Oh, my gosh. While he's busy doing that, I'll be busy doing the work we need to accomplish. It's sad the campaign season has become as long as it is," Guzzone said.

The Democrats heard from gubernatorial candidate and Montgomery County executive Douglas M. Duncan, who said that although he hasn't formally announced, "I would like to be the next governor of the state."
He boasted that since his first election as county executive in 1994, Montgomery County Republicans have lost nine of the 11 elected positions they once held in his county.

Democrats, he said "believe in community, in bringing people together." He ridiculed President Bush's slogan of an "ownership society" for what he said is the phrase's real meaning: "the on-your-own society."
Howard County Executive James N. Robey also spoke, urging the party faithful to work especially hard for next year's elections to defend Democrats' belief that government services are vital to keeping Howard County atop Maryland in education, in lowering crime, and boosting economic development.

"We had the guts to do what's right," he said of the 30 percent increase in income taxes he and council Democrats pushed through in 2003. "I am so sick and tired of hearing that all we have to do is cut taxes to make Howard County better."

He said he has seen no caravans of refugees leaving the county, and he assailed "a mentality that says government is bad, taxes are bad."

"We are a party that cares about people first and not a mentality that only the wealthy can be treated with dignity."

The Republicans also plan to be aggressive, party Chairman Howard M. Rensin told the approximately 200 people who attended the $75-per-ticket event.

"We're well under way" in building precinct organizations, and in "intensive efforts" targeting new groups of voters, he said.

"The GOP will be reaching out to more ethnic and special interest groups than we have in the past, as well as independents." He also promised an "intensive voter registration and recruitment campaign," plus efforts to interest independent voters with specific issues.

The GOP faithful also heard an after-dinner speech from John Loftus, a former Justice Department prosecutor, security expert and media analyst, who talked about terrorism and the Iraq war.
Loftus, a lawyer who appears on Fox News and ABC radio as a consultant, called Islamic extremists "the new Nazis" and said he still thinks Iraq's weapons of mass destruction exist in Syria, a country the United States could defeat militarily in "20 minutes," he said.

Loftus said he believes Saddam Hussein moved his chemical weapons there secretly just before the United States invaded Iraq.

Loftus also labeled China "our real enemies" for its alleged efforts to spread nuclear technology through surrogate hostile countries such as North Korea and Iran. He warned that Iran is developing a missile called a Super Electronic Magnetic Pulse (SEMP) that detonates 200 miles in space and destroys all electrical circuits below.