JUICE: Gansler's MoCo Endorsers (& Misfire), Gaithersburg Mayor Sid Katz for Council, Caretaker to Replace Valerie Ervin

Below Maryland Juice provides a quick round-up of news items that may interest politicos:

JUICE #1: MOCO COUNCIL PRESIDENT SAYS BODY WILL APPOINT A CARETAKER TO REPLACE VALERIE ERVIN - Yesterday we speculated that Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin's seat would be filled by a caretaker appointee who would agree not to run in the 2014 election cycle. At Large Councilmember George Leventhal disagreed with the decision on Facebook:

Nevertheless, today, MoCo Council President Craig Rice confirmed the new consensus decision in the following press release:

PRESS RELEASE

Statement of Montgomery County Council President Craig Rice on Process to Fill District 5 Vacancy
Councilmember Valerie Ervin announced on Dec. 10 that she will resign from the Council on Jan. 3, 2014 to become executive director of the Center for Working Families.  We wish her the best in this new position.

Under Section 106 of the County Charter (shown below), the Council intends to appoint a new Councilmember for District 5 by Jan. 31, 2014 to complete Councilmember Ervin’s unexpired term, which ends on Dec. 1, 2014.  The Council intends to select a person who has shown a clear understanding of the issues that are important to residents of District 5.  To assure a level playing field for all persons interested in seeking election to the next full term from District 5, the Council intends to appoint a person who does not intend to run for election to that term.

Excerpt from Section 106 of the County Charter regarding a vacancy on the Council in the final year of a term:

When a vacancy has occurred, a majority of the remaining members of the Council shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy within thirty days. An appointee to fill a vacancy, when succeeding a party member, shall be a member of the same political party as the person elected to such office at the time of election.

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JUICE #2: GAITHERSBURG MAYOR SIDNEY KATZ WEIGHING RUN FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL - Yesterday, Montgomery County Community Media reported that Gaithersburg Mayor Sid Katz is weighing a run for the District 3 County Council seat being vacated by Phil Andrews (excerpt below):

MOCO COMMUNITY MEDIA: Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz has confirmed he is considering a run for Montgomery County Council. In a telephone conversation today (Dec. 10), Katz said he will make his decision about running for the District 3 seat shortly after the holidays.

Montgomery County Councilmember Phil Andrews currently holds the seat but has previously announced that he is running for county executive in 2014, and would not seek reelection to his Council seat....

Although he has not officially filed, Gaithersburg City Councilmember Ryan Spiegel, an attorney, said earlier this month he plans to seek the District 3 seat....

JUICE #3: DOUG GANSLER ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENTS FROM MOCO OFFICIALS // PLUS: 2 ENDORSERS REMOVED FROM GANSLER'S LIST - Yesterday, Attorney General Doug Gansler announced a list of over 40 MoCo endorsers for his gubernatorial campaign (see below). Two of the officials on the list were listed in a transcription error (Sen. Roger Manno & Del. Jeff Waldstreicher), however one of them quickly released an email blast clarifying that he had in fact endorsed Anthony Brown. The initial press release from Gansler is below:

PRESS RELEASE

Gansler Announces Endorsements From Over Forty Montgomery County Officials

Silver Spring, MARYLAND – Today, candidate for Governor Douglas Gansler and his running mate Jolene Ivey, announced the endorsements of over forty current and former Montgomery County elected officials, including, among others, state senators and delegates, the "Courthouse Team," and the current sheriff and former sheriff.

"I am pleased to have the support of so many Montgomery County elected officials, present and past.  Ours is a relationship forged over many years and I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together for the people of Maryland; but there is still more to do with respect to education, transportation and job creation. As Governor, I will continue working with the leaders of the county to best serve the people, because, in the end, it is the people's endorsement and only their endorsement that truly matters," said Gansler.

Montgomery County Endorsements (as of 12/9/13)

Former Congressman Michael Barnes

State Senator Brian J. Feldman (Dist. 15)
State Senator Jennie M. Forehand (Dist. 17)
State Senator Richard S. Madaleno, Jr. (Dist. 18)
State Senator Roger Manno (Dist. 19)
State Senator Karen S. Montgomery (Dist. 14)
Former State Senator Sharon M. Grosfeld (Dist. 18)
Former State Senator Laurence Levitan (Dist. 15)
Former State Senator Leonard H. Teitelbaum (Dist. 19)

State Delegate Sam Arora (Dist. 19)
State Delegate Charles E. Barkley (Dist. 39)
State Delegate Alfred C. Carr, Jr. (Dist. 18)
State Delegate Kathleen Dumais (Dist. 15)
State Delegate David Fraser-Hildalgo (Dist. 15)
State Delegate James W. Gilchrist (Dist. 17)
State Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez (Dist. 18)
State Delegate Ariana B. Kelly (Dist. 16)
State Delegate Susan C. Lee (Dist. 16)
State Delegate Aruna Miller (Dist. 15)
State Delegate Luiz R.S. Simmons (Dist. 17)
State Delegate Jeffrey D Waldstreicher (Dist. 26)
State Delegate Craig J. Zucker (Dist. 14)
Former State Delegate Saqib Ali (Dist. 39)
Former State Delegate Leon G. Billings (Dist. 18)
Former State Delegate Marilyn R. Goldwater (Dist. 16)
Former State Delegate Henry B. Heller (Dist. 19)
Former State Delegate Adrienne A. Mandel (Dist. 19)
Former State Delegate Carol S. Petzold (Dist. 19)
Former State Delegate Tod D. Sher (Dist 14A)

State’s Attorney John J. McCarthy
Sheriff Darren M. Popkin
Clerk of the Court Loretta E. Knight
Register of Wills Joseph M. Griffin
Former Sheriff Ray Kight
Former Clerk of the Court Molly Ruhl

Former Montgomery County Councilmember Bill Sher

Board of Education Member Patricia O’Neill (District 3)
Board of Education Member Rebecca Smondrowski (District 2)

Former Mayor of Rockville Rose Krasnow
Former Mayor of Rockville Steve Van Grack

Former MCDCC Chair Jay Bernstein
Former MCDCC Chair Stanton Gildenhorn
Former MCDCC Chair Michael Gildea

Note: Current county council, municipal, and central committee endorsements to be released at a separate occasion.

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The Washington Post's John Wagner caught the errors in Gansler's list (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Hours after the initial list was released, two names were removed: Del. Jeffrey D. Waldstreicher and Sen. Roger Manno. In an interview, Waldstreicher said his name was “erroneously listed.” “I have not endorsed Doug Gansler for governor,” Waldstreicher said. “In fact, I’m endorsing Anthony Brown.”

Manno did not immediately return a call seeking comment. A Gansler aide conceded that Manno’s inclusion was a mistake as well....

Several hours after Gansler's erroneous press release went out, Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher sent out the following email alert announcing an endorsement of Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown:

JEFF WALDSTREICHER: Dear Juice, Today I made an important decision.  I'm proud to endorse Anthony Brown for Governor of our great state.  Anthony represents the same brand of progressive politics that I do, including strong support for public education and decisive leadership for economic justice.  Make no mistake, I know and respect Anthony's competitors, and count them among my friends.  I believe that when it comes to both Montgomery County and the State of Maryland, Anthony is the best choice.  Please see my official announcement below.

Yours,

Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher

PRESS RELEASE

Del. Jeff Waldstreicher Endorses Anthony Brown for Governor

Del. Waldstreicher: Brown’s leadership in education, economic justice make him best choice for Montgomery County
SILVER SPRING, MD. – Today, Del. Jeff Waldstreicher endorsed Anthony Brown for Governor and Ken Ulman for Lt. Governor, citing Brown’s strong commitment to public education and bold support for economic justice as key to his decision. Earlier in the day, another candidate for Governor issued a release erroneously claiming Waldstreicher’s backing in his bid for Governor.

“Supporting Anthony Brown for Governor was the right decision, as his fierce leadership in public education and decisive commitment to increasing the minimum wage makes him the best choice for Montgomery County,” said Del. Jeff Waldstreicher. “Anthony has worked hard to ensure Maryland’s schools have remained the best in the country for five years running, and his commitment to economic justice is key to the vitality of our county. I look forward to joining with so many other Montgomery County leaders in working to elect Anthony and Ken Ulman over the next year.”

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I'll be working hard to elect Anthony Brown.  Want to support Anthony, too?  Click the logo below to learn more, contribute, or volunteer on Anthony's campaign.

ACT NOW: One Vote Needed to Pass MoCo Minimum Wage // Fate of Prince George's & DC Hike Rests on $11.50/Hr in MoCo

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS NOW:  In recent weeks, a battle has been brewing among government officials in Montgomery County, Prince George's County and the District of Columbia over efforts to pass minimum wage increases at the local level. Councilmembers in all three jurisdictions are poised to move a "regional minimum wage" of $11.50/hour that is indexed to the consumer price index (aka a minimum wage that increases as the cost of living rises). Note that a person working 40 hours week and who takes no vacations would make $23,920/year under the proposed $11.50/hour rate -- keeping them just above the $20,000 poverty line. Given the record high wealth inequality we've witnessed over the past few decades, this hardly seems like a radical proposal.

But efforts are afoot to weaken the bills in a way that threatens to derail the tenuous arrangement between a coalition of Councilmembers in MoCo, Prince George's & DC, who have all agreed to move an $11.50/hour minimum wage. While compromising on the amount of the wage increase would normally seem like fair game, in this instance, Prince George's lawmakers have a ready majority for $11.50 an hour but are waiting for Montgomery to act before pulling the trigger. A failure to pass the same rate increase will throw all sorts of unpredictability in the process and threaten to derail a historic economic justice pact between governments in the ever-expensive DC Metro region.

WHIP COUNT: Here's the current status of the $11.50/hour minimum wage proposals within the three participating jurisdictions:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY: The $11.50/hour minimum wage bill in MoCo is being sponsored by Councilmember Marc Elrich and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Valerie Ervin. Additionally, Councilmember George Leventhal has publicly supported an $11.50/hour minimum wage but tells Maryland Juice he would support a lower amount, "if that's what it takes to get a bill out of the full Council." That means there are currently four votes for an $11.50/hour minimum wage in MoCo, but one more vote is needed to pass the bill without weakening amendments. We also need to shore up Councilmember Leventhal's vote. The full MoCo Council votes on Tuesday and the members need to start hearing from you now - you can email all nine Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. In the meantime, here's a whip count for the nine Councilmembers:

• Marc Elrich - Sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Nancy Navarro - Co-sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Valerie Ervin - Co-sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov

• George Leventhal - Would support $11.50/hour or less if the votes aren't there - councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Hans Riemer - Sponsoring an amendment to lower the rate to $10.75/hour or $1 over the state minimum wage - councilmember.riemer@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Nancy Floreen - Position unknown - councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Roger Berliner - Position unknown - councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Craig Rice - Position unknown, but stated he would prefer to table the bill until the state acts - councilmember.rice@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Phil Andrews - Position unknown, but stated he would prefer to table the bill until the state acts - councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov

Note that a key element to the MoCo wage hike is a plan to index the pay rate to the cost of living, so that we don't have to have this fight every few years. But all Councilmembers need to hear that you support an "indexed $11.50/hour minimum wage."

Meanwhile, County Executive Ike Leggett has indicated he will sign a minimum wage hike into law but prefers a $10.75/hour increase with no increase with rises in the cost of living. He has not yet declared whether he would veto an $11.50/hour minimum wage if approved by the County Council. Former County Executive Doug Duncan has stated he has problems with a county minimum wage increase and wants to wait for the state to act. The County Council votes this TUESDAY, so please email all nine Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive NOW by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY: Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich, the sponsor of MoCo $11.50/hour proposal, indicates that a majority of the Prince George's County Council is prepared to approve the same plan in their county. However, P.G. lawmakers want certainty that Montgomery County to act and are scheduling their vote to occur immediately after MoCo passes an $11.50/hour wage rate. Meanwhile, County Executive Rushern Baker has expressed concerns about the proposal, and it is unclear whether he would sign it into law or veto the plan. Please contact Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker to urge his support for a minimum wage increase at: (301) 952-4131 or countyexecutive@co.pg.md.us. And please do the same for the P.G. Councilmembers - their contact info is available here.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Councilmember Vincent Orange and his colleagues are pushing an $11.50/hour minimum wage proposal, though Mayor Vincent Gray wants an "independent commission" to study the exact rate. If Montgomery and Prince George's pass an indexed $11.50/hour minimum wage, it seems likely that the D.C. Council will follow suit. Please contact Mayor Gray and urge his support at (202) 727-6300 or eom@dc.gov. You can also find contact info for the D.C. Councilmembers here.

BOTTOM LINE?  IT'S NOW OR NEVER FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE - On Tuesday, all eyes in the region will be on the Montgomery County Council. If they pass an $11.50/hour minimum wage, I predict the Prince George's and D.C. Councils will do the same, and their Executives will more likely than not sign the bills into law. This would also help lay the political groundwork for a robust state minimum wage increase in Maryland. But if Montgomery County cannot summon the will to get this done, all bets are off, and the wrong message will be sent to lawmakers in Annapolis. Please contact all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the MoCo Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. You can read some more context on the MoCo fight below:

The MoCo Council staff memo regarding the minimum wage proposal describes two amendments to the minimum wage hike proposal that will be considered by Councilmembers. The bill's lead sponsor Councilmember Marc Elrich proposes reducing his proposed $12/hour minimum wage to $11.50/hour to create a regional standard in tandem with the District of Columbia and Prince George's County:

MOCO COUNCIL STAFF MEMO: Councilmember EIrich intends to introduce an amendment to reduce the minimum wage in 2016 from $12.00 per hour to $11.50 per hour to be consistent with the anticipated regional minimum wage that may be adopted by Prince George's County and the District of Columbia.

Meanwhile, Councilmember Hans Riemer proposed an amendment to reduce the MoCo minimum wage increase even further to $10.75 (or $1 over the Maryland minimum wage). His amendment would stop MoCo's minimum wage from rising with increases in the cost of living. This foreshadows a fight that may begin brewing in Annapolis, if state lawmakers similarly try to stop the Maryland minimum wage from rising with the cost of living. The County Council's staff memo also described Riemer's amendment and its rationale (excerpt below):

MOCO COUNCIL STAFF MEMO: Councilmember Riemer intends to introduce an amendment that would set the County minimum wage in 2016 at the greater of $10.75 or $1 over the State minimum and remove the index to the CPI-U. Councilmember Riemer's amendment would make similar changes to the County minimum wage during the phase-in period....

COUNCILMEMER HANS RIEMER: Of the 45 states that have minimum wage laws, eleven (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington) have inflation escalators. No state or locality in the Washington D.C. area currently has one. As of this moment, there is no assurance that the State of Maryland will adopt one.

Riemer's amendment may help explain why the advocacy group Jews United for Justice hosted a call-in day with its members asking Councilmember Riemer to support an $11.50 minimum wage. You can see the script they are asked members to read (excerpt below):

JEWS UNITED FOR JUSTICE: I'd like to thank the Councilmember for his commitment to raising the minimum wage in Montgomery County and for his leadership on raising the local EITC. Also, I appreciate the Councilmember proposing to amend certain provisions of the current minimum wage bill that would weaken the bill.

I think the Councilmember is a leader on progressive issues, however, I was disappointed to see he does not support a timeline that would raise the minimum wage to $11.50 by 2016. Workers in Montgomery County can't wait any longer.

I'm calling to ask Councilmember Riemer to join his colleagues in supporting an increase in the minimum wage to $11.50 per hour by 2016....

ONE LAST TIME: CONTACT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS NOW - Please contact all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the MoCo Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com

JUICE: SEIU Endorses Saqib Ali, Craig Rice Non-Endorsement, Mizeur's Pitch, Fracking #'s, Consumer Heroes & Family Farms

Below Maryland Juice provides a quick round-up of news tidbits of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: SEIU LOCAL 500 ENDORSES SAQIB ALI FOR BRIAN FELDMAN'S DELEGATE SEAT - Maryland Juice received a copy of the following letter from SEIU Local 500 endorsing former Delegate Saqib Ali for Brian Feldman's vacant D15 seat:

October 3, 2013
Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee
3720 Farragut Avenue, Suite 303
Kensington, MD 20895

Dear Committee Member:

On behalf of the 15,000 SEIU Local 500 members, I am writing to you to strongly encourage you to appoint former Delegate Saqib Ali to the District 15 House of Delegates vacancy created by the appointment of Delegate Brian Feldman to the Maryland Senate.

Our decision was not an easy one, there were many candidates who were kind enough to meet with our COPE Committee and share their views on issues of importance to working families across Montgomery County.  We were, in particular, impressed with the earnest commitment to our issues put forth by your Vice Chair Ms. Venatta Vann.  In the end, however, we were swayed by Delegate Ali’s long track record of fighting for the progressive values of the Democratic Party.  From his insistence on ensuring increased transparency in Annapolis to his full-throated endorsement of collective bargaining rights for adjunct faculty and an increase in the minimum wage, there was no candidate we found that could match his record of experience.  We are confident that he will be a great delegate who will do the citizens of District 15 proud.

We look forward to your appointment of Delegate Ali to the Maryland House of Delegates in the very near future, and we thank you for taking the time to consider the views of our members in this regard.

Respectfully,

Merle A. Cuttitta
President

cc:           Brian Feldman
               Aruna Miller
               Kathleen Dumas
               David Rodich
               Mark McLaurin

JUICE #2: MOCO COUNCILMEMBER CRAIG RICE SENDS MCDCC LETTER DENYING ENDORSEMENT OF CANDIDATE IN D15 RACE - This week, the District 15 Democratic Caucus hosted a well-attended candidates forum for contenders in the race to replace Delegate Brian Feldman. A few sources noted that one candidate, David Frasier-Hidalgo, claimed the endorsement of Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice. But a Maryland Juice source forwarded us a copy of an email sent by Craig Rice to the Montgomery Democratic Central Committee denying he made any endorsement in the D15 contest:

Dear Gabe,

It is my understanding that David Fraser Hidalgo, indicated during the candidates' forum last night, October 2, 2013, I have endorsed him for the vacant D15 delegate seat. This is not true.

I have elected not to endorse any candidate in this race. As you know, I have been committed to increasing diversity in our elected representation for a long time. We have an opportunity with this seat to expand diversity and have excellent representation for the district, which is precisely what I want. With a number of candidates that I feel would do just that, I remain neutral.

If you have any questions please give me a call.

Regards,

Craig Rice, Vice-President
Montgomery County Council

c: Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee

JUICE #3: HEATHER MIZEUR FUNDRAISING TO MAKE HISTORY AS WOMAN & LGBT GOVERNOR - Maryland Juice received a copy of the following fundraising solicitation being sent by Heather Mizeur's gubernatorial campaign. Her pitch leads with a bid to help her make history as a woman and LGBT Governor:

JUICE #4: ENVIRONMENT MARYLAND RELEASES REPORT HIGHLIGHTING NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF FRACKING - The advocacy group Environment Maryland yesterday distributed a press release and new report detailing the negative impacts of fracking (see both items below):

PRESS RELEASE

Fracking by the Numbers: New Environment Maryland Research and Policy Center 
Report First to Quantify Threat of Gas Drilling

Annapolis, MD — Today, a new Environment Maryland Research and Policy Center report called “Fracking by the Numbers” measures the damage being done by dirty drilling across the country. Even as a Maryland state commission is working on guidelines for fracking in the state, the report is the first study of its kind to measure the footprint of fracking damage to date— including toxic wastewater, water use, chemical use, air pollution, land damage and global warming emissions.

“The numbers don't lie— fracking has taken a dirty and destructive toll on our environment. If fracking is allowed here, this is the kind of damage we will see in Maryland,” said Talya Tavor, Field Associate from Environment Maryland. “In suggesting that some regulatory scheme could make fracking safe, the Commission has vastly underestimated the scale and scope of pollution that comes with this dirty drilling.”

Of particular concern, the report shows that in Pennsylvania 1.2 billion gallons in 2012 and more than 2.5 billion gallons have been produced since the fracking boom began. Often laced with cancer-causing and even radioactive material, toxic fracking waste has contaminated drinking water sources from Pennsylvania to New Mexico.

“We need to protect the people and future generations of Maryland from the threats of Fracking,” said 16th District Delegate, Ariana Kelly.

“The bottom line is this: the numbers on fracking add up to an environmental nightmare,” said Tavor, “For public health and our environment, we need to put a stop to fracking.”

Shane Robinson, Delegate of Maryland’s 39th District, also spoke out against fracking. “I am worried about what this could mean for my family’s health an safety, should we start fracking in Maryland. The most responsible thing we can do to protect the ones we love is to not frack at all.”

On the federal level, Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania (D-Scranton) introduced the CLEANER Act (H.R. 2825)— a bill to close the loophole exempting oil and gas waste from the nation’s hazardous waste law.

“Here in Maryland, we can stop the fracking frenzy before it ever starts,” concluded Tavor. “But for places where fracking is already generating billions of gallons of toxic fracking waste and making people sick, it’s time for Washington to step in; officials can start by closing the loophole exempting toxic fracking waste from our nation’s hazardous waste law.”

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Environment Maryland is a state-based, citizen-supported, environmental advocacy organization, working towards a cleaner, greener, healthier future.

Environment Maryland: Fracking by Numbers Report

JUICE #5: MARYLAND CONSUMER RIGHTS COALITION SCORES LAWMAKERS - Last month, the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition released a scorecard for Annapolis lawmakers, factoring in their positions on consumer issues like debt prisons and homeowners protections. See their press release and scorecard below:

PRESS RELEASE

Consumer Champions, Heroes Highlight MCRC’s 2013 Legislative Scorecard

• Consumer Champions, Consumer Heroes: Eleven legislators named MCRC “2013 Consumer Champions” for perfect scores on consumer rights bills this year as eight “Consumer Heroes” earn perfect scores for the 2011, 2012, and 2013 sessions.

• Key victories create high scores:  Near-unanimous votes passing new laws to limit debt prisons, give homeowners new protections, prevent identity theft, and stop mandatory insurance bundling lead to high scores for many legislators.

• Unfinished Business: Failure to pass bills to prevent price-gouging, give consumers better information about debts under collection, and stop unfair retaliation against auto dealers leaves legislature’s work incomplete on key consumer issues.

Baltimore, MD:  Eleven lawmakers earned perfect scores for their consumer rights votes during the 2013 legislative session and eight were named “MCRC Consumer Heroes” for their 100% pro-consumer records in the 2011, 2012, and 2013 sessions on the 2013 Legislative Scorecard the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition (MCRC) released this morning.  Nine Senators and 51 members of the House of Delegates earned scores of 90% or better for the 2013 session while eight Senators and 16 House members got failing grades (under 65%).

“Those strong scores reflect the good work the legislature did to curtail debt arrests, identity theft, unfair insurance practices and to protect homeowners and renters this year,” MCRC Executive Director Marceline White argues. “We salute our Consumer Champions and Consumer Heroes for standing up time and time again to protect Maryland consumers against financial predators.”

Senators Richard Madaleno, Paul Pinsky, and Jim Rosapepe earned perfect consumer rights scores for all three sessions (2011 to 2013) while Delegates Al Carr, Bill Frick, Barbara Frush, Carolyn Howard, and James Hubbard compiled perfect records on the House side. Sen. Roy Dyson and Delegates Liz Bobo and Nina Harper joined those other eight legislators on the list of 2013 Consumer Champions.

MCRC also named 12 members of the four committees that mark-up most of the controversial consumer bills (the Senate Finance and Judicial Proceedings Committees and the House Economic Matters and Judiciary Committees) who earned 80% or better overall scores our “2013 Consumer Committee Champions.” “Members of these committees cast many more tough committee votes on consumer issues than other legislators do,” Marceline White notes. “The leadership of these committee champions makes a real difference on the panels where Maryland consumers need it most.”

Sen. Brian Frosh, Sen. Lisa Gladden, Sen. Delores Kelley, and Del. Tom Hucker are among long-time allies of Maryland consumers who made the list of MCRC’s 2013 Consumer Committee Champions.

MCRC’s fourth annual consumer scorecard grades legislators on their floor votes on seven key consumer rights bills and on their committee votes on a larger set of consumer issues. Their floor scores and committee scores are averaged to arrive at a legislator’s overall score. Legislators who serve on committees that do not handle consumer rights bills are graded solely on their floor scores.

For the first time, this year’s MCRC scorecard also included a three-year average for legislators’ scores for the 2011 to 2013 sessions. “The three-year average score gives consumers better information about which legislators really stand up for consumer rights, year in and year out,” Marceline White notes.

Nearly unanimous floor votes backing important bills that protect consumers arrested in debt cases (HB 597/SB 419), allow state officials to put a security freeze on the credits records of foster children (HB 1297/SB 897), prohibit mandatory bundling of home and auto insurance (HB 342/SB 446), and limit foreclosures based on liens in common-ownership communities (HB 286/SB 161) helped give many legislators high scores for 2013.

Most legislators lost points, however, for voting for a bill that will hurt residential gas consumers by letting gas companies add a surcharge of up to $2/month to residential energy bills (HB 89/SB 8). Most Senators also cast anti-consumer votes to help defeat a bill that would have prohibited unfair retaliation by auto manufacturers against Maryland auto dealers (SB 249).

Important bills that would have given consumers better information about the debts that collectors say they owe (HB 1157/SB 432), licensed property managers for common-ownership communities (HB 576/SB 794), and increased the compensation homeowners can get for home improvement jobs gone bad without  a formal hearing (SB 78) also died in key committees last Spring.

The legislature’s mixed record leaves MCRC and other consumer advocates with plenty of challenges to confront in 2014. “Consumers won some victories this year,” Marceline White argues. “But we’re eager to come back next year to do more to make insurance fairer and more affordable, protect families against foreclosures, and make sure consumers understand the debts they’re told they owe.”

To see all the scores and legislators MCRC recognizes this year, please download:
The full scorecard here: http://bit.ly/17SgOLL
MCRC’s list of 2013 Consumer Champions here: http://bit.ly/14GFkgu
MCRC’s list of Consumer Heroes, 2011 to 2013 here: http://bit.ly/186i3dW
MCRC’s list of 2013 Committee Champions here: http://bit.ly/1dWnmiE

You can see the full list of floor and committee votes we used to grade each legislator on the MCRC’s Legislative Scorecard homepage here: http://bit.ly/SfZNSx

Please Note: You will find copies of the scorecard, this statement, and MCRC’s lists of Consumer Champions, Consumer Heroes and Consumer Committee Champions attached to this note.

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Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition 2013 Scorecard

JUICE #6: FAMILY FARMS & FARMERS MARKETS SEEK HELP FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL - Local progressive advocate and farmer Mike Tabor provided Maryland Juice with the following alert regarding potential threats to the ability of family farms and farmers' markets to survive in the world of the agro-industrial complex:

MIKE TABOR: Most consumers and many farmers don't know or understand the sweeping new FDA regulations that are about to inpact farmers markets and a new industrial-style approach to the food we're allowed to consume.  Attached is what the family farm organizations are trying to put together for the consumer, to help them understand what is going on and suggested language for comments to FDA.  It is critical that the FDA get inundated with comments from concerned farmers and consumers at Farmers markets and CSA's.  Additionally, the funding for the 3,000 federal inspectors must not be funded.  The talk is that the inspectors will be contracted out, will not be well-informed and will have a financial incentive to cite as many farms as they can.  

So in addition to contacting the FDA, our elected reps need to be asked to oppose the funding of the inspectors. The regs have gotten so out of hand, the bottom line is that most family farms will not be able to comply both financially and the compliance will be extraordinarily cumbersome and prohibitive, the end result is that most family farms will go out of business, there won't be any farmers markets that will have fresh produce, or CSAs.

Below you can read a fact sheet and call for comments from the National Sustainable Agriculture Commission:

Food Safety Modernization Act Fact Sheet

Instructions for Submitting Comments on the Food Safety Modernization Act

DISTRICT 15 UPDATE: Del. Brian Feldman & Councilmember Craig Rice Letters to MCDCC // PLUS: GOP Lit & More on Race

Happy Independence Day!  But as you watch fireworks and parades & nosh on BBQ today, don't forget the revolutionary spirit that birthed our nation.  Indeed, in today's political culture, we could use far more independence to achieve social and economic justice. With that being said, we hope you enjoy our post below on this holiday!

Below Maryland Juice provides a few recent exhibits regarding the District 15 State Senate seat being vacated by Rob Garagiola. Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) members will select a replacement for Garagiola, and it appears they are receiving numerous communications from politicos in the area.

Below we print a letter from Delegate Brian Feldman, who is seeking the Senate appointment, along with a letter from MoCo Councilmember Craig Rice endorsing Feldman for the seat. We also include additional dialogue from some District 15 Democrats complaining about one of the endorsements that has been issued. Lastly, at the bottom of this post, you can see a Montgomery County Republican Party lit piece that is being dropped around District 15 neighborhoods, attacking the three incumbent D15 Delegates: Brian Feldman, Kathleen Dumais, and Aruna Miller.

JUICE #1: DEL. BRIAN FELDMAN'S APPEAL TO THE MCDCC FOR THE D15 SENATE SEAT - In the letter below, Delegate Feldman makes his case to MCDCC members for an appointment to the Maryland State Senate. He highlights a range of endorsements from high profile MoCo Democrats, including statewide officeholders and members of Congress. Feldman also notes that he might be the only candidate in the race that has faced the D15 voters before. Check out his full comments below:

Del. Brian Feldman's Letter to MCDCC

JUICE #2: MOCO COUNCILMEMBER CRAIG RICE'S LETTER TO THE MCDCC ENDORSING DEL. BRIAN FELDMAN - In the letter below, Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice endorses Delegate Brian Feldman for the District 15 Senate vacancy. Rice previously served with Feldman as a Delegate in District 15. Check out his comments below:

Craig Rice Letter to MCDCC

JUICE #3: MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DISTRICT 15 CAUCUS ENDORSEMENT OF BRIAN FELDMAN - The District 15 vacancy has generated interest from numerous MoCo insiders and triggered a dialogue within the party about the role of diversity in vacancy appointments. But one endorsement in particular seems to be drawing the ire of party activists. The District 15 Democratic Caucus, a group that functions independently of the MCDCC, recently proclaimed a unanimous endorsement of Feldman for the D15 Senate seat. But since then a few D15 residents have complained that they were not given an opportunity to weigh in on the D15 Caucus endorsement. Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck dug into the controversy with a series of interviews in an article today (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: [A] letter from leaders of the District 15 Democratic Caucus, declaring their “unanimous support” for Feldman, was met with protests from some party activists in the district, who complained that minorities were excluded from the process. “Until I received an email about it, I was not aware the [caucus’] letter had gone out,” said Vernon Ricks, a Potomac resident who is a board member of the county’s NAACP chapter....

Daphne Bloomberg, immediate past chair of the District 15 Democratic Caucus, said the decision to endorse Feldman had been made unanimously by all eight board members, not just the four on the caucus’ executive board. She added that two District 15 members of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee—including Sharon Bland, who is African-American—had been consulted and assented in the move. Bloomberg characterized the controversy as a “non-issue”....

Nevertheless, yet another resident has weighed in on the D15 Caucus endorsement, as Maryland Juice recently received a draft of an incendiary letter that to the editor that was submitted to The Gazette from D15 resident Jason Tsai (excerpt below):

JASON TSAI: As a registered Democrat in District 15, I am surprised to learn that the District 15 Democratic Caucus has already thrown their support behind a replacement in a process that is more similar to Chicago in the 1960s than Montgomery County in the 2010s.... it was disappointing to learn that the District 15 Democratic Caucus bosses apparently already have — as they say in Chicago — their “guy.”

Yikes!

JUICE #4: MOCO REPUBLICAN LIT PIECE ATTACKS DISTRICT 15 DEMOCRATIC DELEGATES - To round out this update, an anonymous source provided Maryland Juice with the following literature that Montgomery County Republicans are distributing in District 15 neighborhoods. The GOP piece below attacks the incumbent Democratic Delegates Brian Feldman, Kathleen Dumais and Aruna Miller. The party seems to think it can still play in District 15:

Montgomery County GOP District 15 Lit Piece

GUEST POST: Councilmember Craig Rice "Why I'm Going to the MCDCC Spring Ball" // PLUS: Former Pol Gail Ewing Comments

The planned labor protest of this Saturday's MCDCC Spring Ball is continuing to roil politics in Montgomery County. After all, the event is the party's biggest fundraiser of the year. Below Maryland Juice publishes a guest post from Democratic Councilmember Craig Rice and former Councilmember Gail Ewing.

JUICE #1: MOCO COUNCILMEMBER CRAIG RICE - "Why I am going to the MCDCC Spring Ball"

CRAIG RICE: What is missing in this debate about the MCDCC Spring Ball are the awardees.  I am presenting the Rosalie Reilly Lifetime Service Award to Tina Clarke.  You will not find a Democratic candidate in this County that Christine ”Tina” Clarke has not worked for.  Over the past years, she has volunteered her time, her car, her family, her friends and her work colleagues to help Democratic candidates.  Tina’s kitchen in Poolesville is known as “Election Central”.  She is famous for bringing candidates to Black churches and for generating volunteers and support from these congregations for the candidates.

In addition, there is not one non-profit, school or civil rights organization in the County that Tina has not helped.  Tina has provided enormous assistance to children in need and parents from challenged communities.  She has never asked for credit, she just works behind the scenes to help.

Her and her family are stalwarts in the historic Black community of Poolesville and in Montgomery County as a whole.  There is nothing that would stand in the way of me honoring her and her commitment to our community.

My wife and I will be there to honor her and the other community volunteer awardees that have fought hard for years to enact and foster Democratic principles in our County.

It is my hope that all parties will join me in honoring those that have given of themselves to help us all have a better way of life here in Montgomery County.

JUICE #2: FORMER MOCO COUNCILMEMBER GAIL EWING - A reader posted the following letter in the comments section of a post earlier today:

GAIL EWING: Dear Montgomery County Democratic Elected Officials,

I am ashamed of our elected officials who are participating the the boycott of the Spring Ball on Saturday. This Labor action is despicable -- intended to bring the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and Party to it's knees.

By supporting this boycott our elected officials are saying and affirming that our Democratic Party is just a front for Organized Labor. Whatever Labor wants -- Labor gets.... and when they don't, the Party will pay -- dearly -- and we, as elected officials, think that is okay and support Labor's actions by joining in the boycott.

Organized Labor is a major part of the Democratic Party but just one of many partners and the thousands of supporters who make up the heart and hard work of the Montgomery County Democratic Party.

Our Central Committee is an elected body chosen by Montgomery County Democrats. They didn't do what Organized Labor wanted them to do on this one issue. After all the 30+ years of doing just about everything Organized Labor asked them to do.

Is Organized Labor afraid of the Central Committee's power?

How else to explain the insanity of turning their backs on the award winners who will receive recognition Saturday night for their hard work and dedication to the Democratic Party.

How else to explain failing to contribute to the Party's major fundraiser of the year.

How else to explain the ridicule, humiliation and embarrassment to the Party caused by this boycott -- for all to see.

Organized Labor has made their point and the only salvation in this situation is to call-off their boycott. If they do not, I, for one, will proudly cross their picket line on Saturday and support the Montgomery County Democratic Party that has been there for all of us and will continue to be there with us in spite of this action by Organized Labor.

I urge all our elected officials join me and be there Saturday night.

Gail Ewing
Former Montgomery County Councilmember

MORE ON THE LABOR PROTEST OF THE MCDCC BALL SOON!

JUICE: Jay Hutchins Not Running Against Sam Arora, Kagan Attacks Del. Simmons, Councilmembers Leventhal & Rice Spar

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few notable items from the last week, including some interesting points of conflict between politicos.

JUICE #1: 2010 RUNNER-UP JAY HUTCHINS DECIDES AGAINST REMATCH WITH SAM ARORA - The candidate thought for months to be most likely to challenge freshman Del. Sam Arora has now announced he will not seek office in 2014. Indeed, many had presumed that Jay Hutchins (the runner-up to Arora in the 2010 Democratic Primary) would take another shot at a now mortally wounded Delegate Arora. After all, progressive advocates and LGBT activists have promised to back a candidate to replace Arora after the Democrat broke a promise to support marriage equality. But a few days ago, Hutchins posted a message on his Facebook page announcing his decision not to seek office in 2014:

JAY HUTCHINS: Friends, After serious consideration, I have made the decision not to run for elected office in this upcoming election cycle. I will continue to be an active voice in the district, county and state. I cannot express deeply enough my gratitude for your ongoing support. Jay

Hutchins' departure from the District 19 race in 2014 creates a wide opening for another ambitious progressive candidate to challenge Sam Arora. Maryland Juice is aware of a few candidates who have been mulling over the race for the past few months, but it remains to be seen who among them will emerge as the strongest contender. More soon on the new crop of District 19 challengers!


JUICE #2: D17 RIVALRY IN 2014? // FORMER DELEGATE CHERYL KAGAN JABS AT DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS - Maryland Juice recently highlighted comments from former Delegate Cheryl Kagan questioning Del. Luiz Simmons' commitment to passing new gun regulations in Maryland. The controversy emerged after The Washington Post published an editorial suggesting Simmons was open to exempting AR-15 rifles from the state's new assault weapons ban. Kagan blasted Simmons on Facebook, prompting the District 17 lawmaker to host a town hall meeting reaffirming his support for new gun regulations. Maryland Juice previously speculated that we could be witnessing a preview of the 2014 Democratic Primary for State Senate in District 17. Kagan notably lost the 2010 race for State Senate by only a few hundred votes and Simmons is now rumored to be eyeing the same office.

Cheryl Kagan further commented on the matter through a pair of Facebook messages last week, and her additional musings included new jabs at Delegate Luiz Simmons:

CHERYL KAGAN: Following the blog posts and flurry of emails and messages yesterday, several questions occur to me this morning:

1) Why can't a former elected official (me) express opinions about pending legislation without folks jumping to conclusions about intent?

2) Why would a current legislator (Del Luiz Simmons) have surrogates contact me... but not reach out to a constituent directly?

3) How is it that any significant representative could have absolutely no presence on any social media as another method of communicating his/her views?

4) Will Del Simmons ever decide to comply with campaign finance and ethics laws and actually use authority lines in his robo-calls (he again failed to do it in yesterday's call) and taxpayer-paid mailers???

I'd love hear some answers to these questions, but I need to go to work now!

The message above was followed soon after by a comment from Kagan about Delegate Luiz Simmons' telephone town hall on gun control:

CHERYL KAGAN: Ah, the power of Facebook! For 10+ years, Del Luiz Simmons has delivered robo-calls and taxpayer-funded mailings with no required authority line ("Paid for by..."). After posting about that issue issue here, he actually added one to his phone call tonight! Now, let's see if he'll finally do right on the issues of gun control, domestic violence, and other pending legislation!

Maryland Juice concedes Cheryl Kagan's point that she ought to be able to express thoughts about legislation without folks jumping to conclusions. But even still, a hunch is a hunch, and my gut tells me I'm right to think we haven't seen the last of Kagan on the campaign trail. We may know soon enough!


JUICE #3: MOCO COUNCILMEMBERS GEORGE LEVENTHAL & CRAIG RICE TRADE SHOTS OVER WALMART LOBBYING - Maryland Juice sources recently flagged a testy exchange between Montgomery County Councilmembers George Leventhal and Craig Rice over a proposed new Walmart in Aspen Hill, Maryland. Below we provide a bit of background about the controversy, along with video footage of the amusingly feisty debate.

Here's some brief background on the issue: Walmart is trying to open a store in Aspen Hill, Maryland, but the county isn't scheduled to revise zoning in that neighborhood for a few more years. Walmart is therefore pushing aggressively to expedite the rezoning discussion, and Leventhal highlighted the activities of Walmart's lobbyists on Twitter last week:

But when Leventhal arrived at a County Council hearing about expediting rezoning for Walmart's Aspen Hill location, he was upset to see audience members holding pre-printed signs supporting the plan. Check out the following report on the incident from The Sentinel (excerpt below):

SENTINEL: Even debating whether or not to build a Wal-Mart in Aspen Hill brought about one of the most heated arguments in recent memory to the County Council this week.... More than 30 members of the Aspen Hill and Leisure World communities were in attendance and they came with signs printed with the phrase: “What’s the wait? Give Aspen Hill a chance!...”

The development group, led by President Bruce Lee, owns several other properties in Aspen Hill and has looked to revitalize the area. Unable to find takers for a lease, Lee said he wants  the property rezoned for retail....

Councilmember George Leventhal (at-large) said his concern with the mini master plan is there is an existing agreement between Lee’s group and Wal-Mart to have Wal-Mart become the tenant for the property and build a store there. Leventhal said he is worried about the county council becoming susceptible to manipulation and lobbying by developers and corporations....

Leventhal said the audience members holding signs were holding signs printed by consultants hired by the Lee Development Group and Wal-Mart. In fact, Lee said his group provided transportation to the county council meeting and the signs which were created by a consultant....

Leventhal's comments about the attendees holding pro-Walmart signs triggered an angry rebuke from Councilmember Craig Rice (a supporter of the Walmart plan).  

Below you can see video footage of the heated exchange:

MOCO POLICY WAR: County Council Divided on Protections for Janitors // Chambers of Commerce & Rival Unions Weigh In

UPDATE: Montgomery County Council passes the displaced workers bill in a divided 5-4 vote. See the vote split below.

• Voting FOR: Valerie Ervin, Marc Elrich, Nancy Navarro, Hans Riemer & Craig Rice. 
• Voting AGAINST: Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Phil Andrews & Roger Berliner.
  

MOCO COUNCIL DEBATES WORKER PROTECTIONS FOR JANITORS - Today, the Montgomery County Council is scheduled to vote on legislation that would grant janitors and other low-wage service workers temporary protections in the event that their employer suddenly terminates their contract. Indeed, it is a common story to hear about janitors and other service workers whose lives are upended after their contracts are suddenly terminated. The proposed MoCo bill would simply provide a 90-day transitional period for the displaced janitors and service workers to stay employed while seeking new employment or transitioning to unemployment.

NOTE: Any workers (ie: bad employees) could still be fired for cause, and the provisions of the law are only temporary. This policy is the law in numerous bastions of "socialism" like D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. In fact, in 2010 the Obama administration created similar temporary protections for federal contractors.

JuiceBlender: Federal Court Kills MoCo & Baltimore Abortion Laws, Police Union Referendum Rejected, More Costco Debate

Below Maryland Juice flags a few stories and updates you may have missed, starting with news coverage of a recent legal battle in the pro-choice vs. anti-abortion debate. Some of these controversies are not yet settled, so we'll let you know how they go (see below):

JUICE #1: FEDERAL COURT OVERTURNS MOCO & BALTIMORE REGULATION OF ANTI-CHOICE CLINICS - In 2010 the Montgomery County Council passed a law intending to prevent anti-abortion centers from providing misleading information to visitors. The law, which was proposed by former Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, required the centers to post signs noting that they did not employ staff with medical licenses and to therefore consider seeing a medical professional. Baltimore City around the same time also adopted a similar law. The Washington Post reports that a federal appellate court struck down both the MoCo and B'more laws (excerpt below):

After MoCo Curfew Fail, County Executive Ike Leggett Issues Tirade // Councilmember Rice Consults Robert's Rules

Maryland Juice earlier today reported on the Montgomery County Council's decision to indefinitely table the County Executive's controversial youth curfew proposal. Since then numerous outlets have reported on Mr. Leggett's harsh response to the curfew's demise, but I'm not sure I've seen any of them print the response in its entirety. It is fairly wild (see the full document below).

We also reported on some procedural drama that arose as the Council was about to table the curfew proposal, when Councilmember Craig Rice argued that the body couldn't table the bill indefinitely and had to take a vote. The Washington Post's Victor Zapana follows up with a surreal article that even consults the author's of Robert's Rules of Order (former student government parliamentarians around the nation are gushing):

Montgomery Shuffle: Del. Eric Luedtke Weighing District 5 County Council Bid

For the past few weeks, Maryland Juice has been following redistricting developments in Montgomery County, as well as the emergence of candidates in the County Executive's race. If you put those two stories together, you start to see two sources of new candidacies: 1) through officeholders vacating their seats for higher office, and 2) through officeholders living in new political boundaries after redistricting.

For District 14 Delegate Eric Luedtke, it appears that both factors are in play: District 5 Councilmember Valerie Ervin appears to be vacating her seat for a County Executive bid, while the Redistricting Commission's proposed map would move his Burtonsville neighborhood from Council District 4 into Council District 5.

Several people are now saying that if Councilmember Ervin does indeed run for Executive, and if the Council ultimately approves the Redistricting Commission's proposed map, Mr. Luedtke would be interested in the position and is currently taking the steps to weigh a candidacy. Maryland Juice could not get confirmation of these allegations, but the sources are very credible.

Montgomery County Council Redistricting Review

The Gazette's Erin Cunningham reports on the new competing Democratic and Republican redistricting maps for the Montgomery County Council:

Montgomery Republicans have crafted a proposal to redraw the county’s electoral districts to give them a better chance of being represented on the County Council.

A proposal from Republican Henry J. Kahwaty, expands County Council District 2, which would be shaped like a horseshoe, hugging the northern borders of the county. In doing so, the district would include 39,085 Republicans — about 30 percent of registered voters. The district currently has 35,968 Republicans, or 27 percent of voters.

First, here are the current district boundaries: