UPDATE: Race to Fill Rob Garagiola's Senate Seat Heats Up // MCDCC, Politicos and Delegates Miller & Dumais Weigh In

UPDATE: The article below has generated a lot of heated debate; enough so that Maryland Juice thought it would be worth clarifying a few points. First, though I sprinkle some light commentary throughout the post below, the views printed are almost all those of other politicos in the State. Second, some have suggested that the writings about this topic from me and others is not productive, but it is hard to argue for ignoring this emerging dialogue when I receive multiple emails representing different perspectives about it. 

As for my own views on the matter, I put social and economic justice issues ahead of demography (meaning, no, I would not vote for a conservative minority over a progressive white candidate). But that being said, I think there are many examples where demographic representation is important. During the marriage equality battle, for example, the LGBT caucus was a powerful voice for change. Similarly, Latino lawmakers were instrumental in getting some of the major immigration-related bills through Annapolis in recent sessions. Sometimes its a win-win, because the LGBT and Latino lawmakers in question are also progressives!

Maryland Juice recently reported on the jockeying to replace State Senator Rob Garagiola when he resigns from his District 15 seat later this year. Garagiola's D15 colleague Delegate Brian Feldman is the likely frontrunner for the seat, but the State Senate vacancy has created an opening for minority activists to highlight the lack of diversity in Montgomery County's all-white Senate delegation. Below we provide a few updates to the story, starting with an interesting take on the situation from Center Maryland columnist Josh Kurtz:

JUICE #1: A NEW GLASS CEILING FOR WHITE, MALE DEMOCRATS? - It is unlikely that the domination of white men in state and national politics will end anytime soon, but Center Maryland's Josh Kurtz today published a very interesting take on the D15 Senate vacancy (full article). The column below places the race in a national context (excerpt below):

CENTER MARYLAND: It’s tough to be a white male in Democratic politics these days. Just ask Brian Feldman, the state delegate from Montgomery County. And Attorney General Doug Gansler. And maybe even Gov. Martin O’Malley....

Feldman instantly became the odds-on favorite to succeed Garagiola, whose replacement will be chosen by O’Malley based on a recommendation from the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee. But a loose coalition of minority community and political activists who have been agitating and organizing to get more minority candidates elected to public office in Montgomery County have different ideas.... Montgomery County has never, ever, sent anyone to the Senate who isn’t white. This is, undoubtedly, an embarrassment and a disgrace.

A similar conversation is taking place in Howard County, where more than half the legislative seats will be open in 2014, and in Prince George’s County, where voters in a jurisdiction that’s two-thirds African-American must surely be wondering why only three of their eight state senators are black.... [The] fact is that if black voters turn out in huge numbers for [Lt. Gov. Anthony] Brown, the primary’s over — that’s too big a structural advantage for his opponents to overcome....

JUICE #2: DELEGATES ARUNA MILLER & KATHLEEN DUMAIS ENDORSE BRIAN FELDMAN FOR STATE SENATE - Two of Delegate Brian Feldman's District 15 colleagues endorsed him for the State Senate seat in the letter below. Delegates Aruna Miller and Kathleen Dumais issued the following statement of support to the Chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) Gabe Albernoz. Notably, the members of the MCDCC will soon be voting to appoint a replacement for Garagiola. The letter below highlights Feldman's long record of service to the Democratic Party, though I continue to nitpick on one point that keeps getting raised during this debate.

Feldman backers keep insisting that D15 could be taken over by Republicans without him being appointed to the seat. But the truth is Feldman will be well-positioned to win a Democratic Primary for the seat in 2014 -- whether or not he is appointed to fill the remainder of Garagiola's term in 2013. Moreover, it is absolutely false that any Montgomery County District is susceptible to a Republican takeover. In 2010, Sen. Rob Garagiola beat his Republican challenger 64% to 36%, and in 2012 Democrats held a massive registration advantage in D15 -- 43,939 Dems vs. 23,323 GOP voters. I'm just calling it like I see it! With that clarification, check out the letter below:

DELEGATES ARUNA MILLER & KATHLEEN DUMAIS:

The Honorable Gabriel Albornoz
Chair, Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee
3720 Farragut Ave. Kensington, MD 20895

Re: Unanimous Support for Appointment of Delegate Brian J. Feldman to Maryland Senate Seat Being Vacated by Hon. Rob Garagiola

Dear Chairman Albornoz:

Please accept this letter as evidence of our unqualified support and endorsement of our colleague Delegate Brian Feldman to succeed Senator Rob Garagiola.

District 15 and the State of Maryland certainly benefitted from Senator Garagiola’s years of public service. His recent resignation announcement, needless to say, is one we were both saddened to learn about as we will miss his leadership and friendship. With Senator Garagiola’s resignation on September 1, 2013, the MCDCC faces the tremendous responsibility of submitting a name to Governor O’Malley to replace a person who upheld the duties and responsibilities of the office of State Senator with great integrity, compassion, intelligence and commitment.

We believe Delegate Brian Feldman is the right person to fill the position. He has maintained a remarkable career in public service, both in and outside of the government. As you know, Brian was first elected in 2002 when three of the four legislative seats in District 15 were occupied by Republicans. Brian was re-elected in 2006 and 2010 and has distinguished himself over the past 11 years in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Brian has a proven track record as a progressive voice in the Maryland House of Delegates and has an extensive and impressive portfolio of legislative accomplishments. He served for five years as Chair of Montgomery County Delegation representing the interests, needs and concerns of the citizens of Montgomery County in the Maryland General Assembly (MGA). As Chair, he worked tirelessly to work in partnership with his colleagues, bring consensus amongst the 24 delegates and overcame MGA partisan politics. As Montgomery County represents the largest voting block at the MGA, Brian’s leadership allowed Montgomery County to have a greater influence on policies, the budget and the strengthening our presence in the state of Maryland.

In 2011, the Speaker of the House appointed Brian as the House Parliamentarian and in 2006, as Chair of the prestigious Banking, Economic, Development, Science and Technology Subcommittee on the Economic Matters Committee. Throughout his tenure in the Maryland General Assembly, Brian has demonstrated the knowledge and proven capacity to effectively resolve some of Maryland’s toughest challenges and has been a pioneer in the development of legislative initiatives in the area of bio-tech, directly affecting Montgomery County’s business economy.

Having had the opportunity to work closely with Brian in Annapolis, we can attest to the fact that he is well respected, considered a team builder, influential, and most importantly, deeply committed and dedicated to serving the people of District 15, Montgomery County and the state of Maryland. Brian has consistently demonstrated his ability to coordinate with his constituents, democratic activists and elected officials, special interest groups, and the two of us in producing as well as executing important pieces of legislation that benefit the state of Maryland. He is a political intellect, humble and well liked and well respected.

We also believe Brian is particularly well suited to fill the seat to be vacated by Rob because he will be ready to hit the ground running, based on his legislative experience. This is critical since Montgomery County will be losing two leadership positions in the Senate with the departure of Rob, who serves as the Majority Leader and Senator Brian Frosh, current chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, who is running for Attorney General and will not be returning to the Senate.

In conclusion, District 15 which had a Republican delegate as recently as 2006, remains competitive beyond the Democratic primary. Thus, it cannot be assumed that any Democrat winning the primary is guaranteed to win the General Election in District 15. Brian’s successful record in Annapolis, his years of commitment to our constituents, and as a candidate in District 15 will ensure the Senate seat remains Democratic in 2014.

Delegate Feldman has sustained a lifetime of successful public service and because of his work ethic and long list of achievements we enthusiastically endorse Brian for the District 15 State Senate position. We believe he is the best candidate and we humbly request that you give full
consideration for Delegate Brian J. Feldman for the soon to be vacated Senate seat.

Thank you for allowing us to share our thoughts. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you any questions.

Sincerely,

Delegate Kathleen Dumais   Delegate Aruna Miller

cc: Members of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee

JUICE #3: DISTRICT 15 MINORITIES CONTEST DECLARATION OF UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FOR FELDMAN FROM D15 CAUCUS - Maryland Juice previously published an endorsement from the District 15 Caucus announcing unanimous support for Delegate Brian Feldman for the upcoming State Senate vacancy. The D15 Caucus is a political party club that operates externally from the MCDCC. But strangely enough, I received a letter from members of the D15 club indicating that they were not provided an opportunity to weigh in on the vacancy:

DISTRICT 15 CAUCUS MEMBERS: Dear Members of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC):

Recent press reports indicate that the Board of the District 15 Democratic Caucus has sent a letter to the members of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.  The letter recommends a candidate for the District 15 State Senate vacancy.

We are members in good standing of the District 15 Democratic Caucus; however, we were never given the opportunity to comment on the Senate vacancy and we were not made aware of the letter before it was sent.

The purpose of this correspondence is to implore the members of the MCDCC to implement a fair and open process.  The process should enable all interested candidates to be interviewed (by the MCDCC) and to be considered over the next three months.  Moreover, District 15 residents should be permitted to share our views on all of the candidates.

We recognize that efforts are being undertaken to wrap-up the process quickly in order to dissuade competition; however, that stance is contrary to what the Democratic Party stands for.  The Democratic Party stands for inclusive participation and the Democratic Party stands for expanding opportunities for all.  So, we urge you to resist efforts to curtail the deliberation process. 

As very loyal members of the Democratic Party, we appreciate the opportunity to be part of this process and respectfully submit this letter.

Respectfully,

Tufail Ahmad
Khalid Chaudhry
Vernon Ricks

 
JUICE #4: ANONYMOUS MCDCC MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS HISTORY OF VACANCY APPOINTMENTS - In previous commentary about the MCDCC's history of filling vacancies, Maryland Juice suggested that the organization had a mixed record at using the appointment process to diversity MoCo's Democratic delegation. An anonymous MCDCC member provided us with the following timeline of appointments to help clarify the record:

ANONYMOUS MCDCC MEMBER: Now that your blog post made it into the Gazette, I thought I would send a quick recap of MCDCC's "record at filling vacant seats with women and people of color" for your own background as you continue coverage of the appointment process.

2001 - Kopp becomes Treasurer, Susan Lee appointed.
2005 - Hurson resigns, Jane Lawton appointed.
2007 - PJ Hogan resigns, Nancy King appointed.
2007 - King elevated, Kirill appointed.
2007 - Goldwater resigns, Frick appointed.
2007 - Lawton passes, Al Carr appointed.
2010 - Bronrott retires, Karen Britto appointed (as she ran as a seat warmer I could see not counting this).

There might be others I am forgetting.  I can't tell you the record before 2001, although I think only one or two current members were even on the committee then.

CONCLUSION: So there you have it folks! Montgomery County Democrats continue to face growing pains relating to the significant churning and demographic shifting in the county's electorate. I know a lot of folks are getting testy about having this conversation, but come on, there's something wrong if the Democratic Party is uncomfortable confronting issues of race, gender, and diversity. It is healthy and will help us evolve in a way that the Republicans are incapable of competing with. But more importantly, Delegate Feldman shouldn't feel threatened by this conversation. I consider it due diligence, as the D15 Senate appointment will likely lead to perpetual re-election of whomever they choose. A State Senate seat should not just be given away lightly. Lastly, the most important factor in this discussion is that there is currently no woman or person of color seeking the D15 Senate vacancy! So what's all this fuss about?

SPOTLIGHT: The Issue of Race in Montgomery County // PLUS: MoCo Residents Fighting Affordable Housing Effort (Again)?

Maryland Juice caught an excellent article today from Center Maryland columnist Josh Kurtz. In his lengthy diatribe, Mr. Kurtz outlines how Montgomery County is an extremely diverse community -- both racially and socioeconomically. His thesis, however, is that the County's politicians are nearly all-white and oftentimes appear to be well-to-do. Kurtz discusses the political impact of this problem (excerpt below):

JOSH KURTZ: Hey Montgomery County leaders and voters: Tired of being the ATM for the rest of the state? Then it’s time to start electing a delegation to Annapolis that actually looks like the county....

The population, in the county, according to the 2010 Census count, is now majority-minority: 49 percent white, 17 percent African-American, 17 percent Hispanic, 14 percent Asian, and 4 percent who reported they were two or more races....

Almost one-third of all students were receiving free or reduced meals in school – and 41 percent of the student population had received free or reduced meals at some point in their academic career....

Yet the misconception persists around Maryland that Montgomery County’s streets are paved with gold – which can be mined at will by the legislature whenever the state is in a fiscal jam....

Plain and simple, it’s hard to make the case to the rest of Maryland that Montgomery County is a place with huge swaths of poverty and innumerable needs when so many members of the delegation the county sends to the State House look like they’re fresh out of an Ivy League fraternity – and counting the days till they can run for Congress.

In the past two elections, Montgomery voters have done a decent job of clearing out some of the legislative deadwood. But they haven’t done much to speed up the dismally slow process of diversifying the county delegation.

This majority-minority district currently sends just one African-American lawmaker to Annapolis among its delegation of 32, plus one Hispanic, one Chinese-American and, in an anomaly, three Indian-Americans. But you can’t say there’s a growth trend there when the lone Hispanic legislator, Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, who is 70, could wind up retiring in 2014, and one of the Indian-Americans, Del. Sam Arora, is already being targeted for defeat for his vote against same-sex marriage.

The county’s eight-member Senate delegation is, and always has been, 100 percent white. The two legislative districts in Montgomery County with less than 50 percent white population, according to state figures – District 20, in inner Beltway Silver Spring and Takoma Park, with 57 percent minority population, and District 39, which covers Montgomery Village and much of Germantown, with 53 percent minority population – have all-white representation....

But does the onus lie just with the voters? Organizations that recruit and endorse candidates need to do more to promote and nurture minority candidates. Community groups need to encourage their own leaders to run for office. And minority candidates themselves need to step up, in every sense of the phrase....

Maryland Juice completely agrees with the main points in Josh Kurtz's article. Indeed, in the past, we've pointed out that the newest members of MoCo's legislative delegation do not look like the legislators of yore. But still, the pace of change is not fast enough -- and the Party (at every level) does not seem to care about developing the farm team. In many instances (ie: Mike Miller *cough*) they sabotage efforts to diversify and modernize the Democratic caucus.

HYSTERIA OVER MAKING HOUSING MORE 

AFFORDABLE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Indeed, when Montgomery County used to actually be much more white and rich, a certain political culture existed that under-prioritized issues like workforce housing/housing affordability. But amazingly, even today, we persistently see a small but vocal minority of residents become extremely animated every time policymakers suggest ways of making housing more affordable in the County. The result is that our housing policies are completely B.S. and are NOT designed to solve MoCo's affordable housing crisis. They are designed to placate the residents who can already afford to live in MoCo. As we now know, this problem is keeping young professionals from moving to Montgomery County. Maryland Juice previously reported that MoCo is now more expensive than New York and San Francisco. Seriously. Think about that.

Now read the latest news report of residents getting hysterical (again) about the idea of allowing MoCo residents to rent out their basements. County planners are hoping to allow homeowners (who actually live in their home) to rent out their basements (aka "accessory apartments") without having to go through a year-long application process. MoCo currently has nearly 1 million residents, but fewer than 300 licensed basement rentals due to the current ridiculous "special exception" process. But notably, when Philadelphia implemented a policy similar to the one being proposed in MoCo, only 1 in 1,000 houses exercised their right to have a basement tenant.

Unlike past "affordable housing" initiatives, the accessory apartment proposal does not risk creating an over-concentration of cheap housing in any one place. So what's the hysteria all about? Well, did you read Josh Kurtz's article above? I think people are scared of "poor" people moving into their neighborhood -- even though "poor" might simply mean young professionals who are just getting started in the County or seniors on fixed incomes. Further proof that the hysteria against accessory apartments is unfounded lies in the fact that the proposed MoCo rules would require the home to be owner-occupied. After all, what homeowner is going to rent to a crackhead or criminal, if they have to live under the same roof? Ain't gonna happen, folks!

Check out the disturbing report from today's Wheaton Patch (excerpt below):

WHEATON PATCH: Montgomery County residents turned out in force at two public meetings on Monday to express concerns about a proposed rule change that would eliminate the special exception process for some accessory apartments, also known as “mother-in-law” apartments....

An estimated 275 to 300 accessory apartments exist in Montgomery County today, Pamela Dunn told the crowded auditorium at the Park and Planning headquarters in downtown Silver Spring. Dunn is the project manager for the comprehensive zoning code rewrite underway at M-NCPPC....

Current regulations require a special exception for every accessory apartment in Montgomery County, a process that usually takes nine to 13 months. The county's board of appeals approves special exceptions for an average of 10 apartments each year....

Instead of the board of appeals subjectively deciding which special exception applications to approve, a by-right process would establish objective criteria, Russ said....

“It doesn’t mean no oversight; it just means no public hearing,” Dunn said.

Russ repeatedly said that streamlining accessory apartments would result in more affordable housing throughout Montgomery County and more opportunities for elderly homeowners to age in place on a fixed income.

Barbara Sanders, a Silver Spring resident, remembers when her son Greg returned to the area after earning a graduate degree and getting a job in D.C.--but was unable to afford anything more than a studio apartment. Then he found a family with a basement apartment in their 1930s-era colonial home, looking for a renter. The arrangement suited both sides perfectly, as the family used the extra income to send one of their children to college. But Sanders was one of only a few people in the audience with something positive to say about streamlining the accessory apartment process....

Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich attended the afternoon public meeting and shared how he had recently accompanied some county housing inspectors on their rounds in Wheaton....

“This is about taking other single-family neighborhoods and radically altering them,” he said after the meeting....

The next step is for the Planning Board to make a recommendation to transmit the zoning text amendment to the county council. Then, if a councilmember chose to formally introduce the ZTA, it would be sent back to the planning board, which would hold another public hearing before sending back comments to the council. Next, the council would hold its own public hearing, and the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development committee would hold worksessions. Finally, the ZTA would come before the full council for a vote.

The Planning Board is scheduled to take up the ZTA in June....

I hate to be all Rollin Stanley about this, but honestly, look at the photo below of the residents who turned out to oppose homeowners renting out their basements. Does this look like a representative sample of a vibrant majority-minority County?

PHOTO SOURCE: WHEATON PATCH 5/22/2012

OTHER POLICY CONSIDERATIONS: Republicans and Libertarians should be upset about this too, albeit from a property rights perspective. Montgomery County wants to tell me who can live in my house? My neighbors want to decide who I live with? Uh, no thank you.

Moreover, one has to imagine that a basement rental income stream may be a huge benefit to homeowners facing underwater mortgages, foreclosure, or who simply need a little extra cash to survive in expensive Montgomery County -- whether or not they are young families, seniors, or youths.

EMAIL THE PLANNING BOARD & COUNTY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING & PROPERTY RIGHTS:

• PLANNING BOARD:  mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org
• ALL 9 COUNCILMEMBERS:  montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com

Maryland Juice will be following this issue very closely in the coming months. Stay tuned!

The New Normal // 15% of Marriages Now Interracial, 50% of New Mothers Unmarried & Internet Access Surging for All

 Enter the United States of Benetton

Maryland Juice loves using demographic trendlines to project policy changes and predict political shifts. Here are a few new hints of the new normal -- most being driven by people from my generation or younger. These new studies point to an increasingly connected, global citizenry and large shifts in the format of family-life and politics in America:

• 15 % of New Marriages are from Interracial Couples
• A Majority of Mothers Under 30 are Unmarried
• 35-49-Year-Olds Are Biggest Blog & Social Networking Users

Montgomery County More Expensive Than NYC & San Francisco // Fighting All Development Not Always Progressive or Green

INTRO: Montgomery County's population today is growing and changing in ways that make the once racially homogenous county one of the most diverse places in the region. This will have an impact on policy and politics for decades to come -- but in the meantime, policymakers will have to grapple with new priorities, new challenges, and new types of competition. Below we discuss a few aspects of this shift:

1. MoCo's New Face: 46% Black/Asian/Hispanic
2. MoCo Is More Expensive than NYC & San Francisco
3. MoCo Needs to Attract Young People & Families

Young Democrats are Changing the Conversation on Marriage Equality // OLD SCHOOL DEMS: Step Aside, Time's Up

Something's in the water. Maryland Juice has been predicting that the churning of the demography in the Free State would start to crescendo. I think my generation is beginning to rise to the challenge of better governance than what the generation before us has been able to deliver (no offense, but we're still allowed to be idealistic):

Rev. Joseph Lynn Kitchen

Here in Maryland, a young baptist minister from Prince George's County -- who happens to be the Maryland Young Dems Vice President -- tells the story of his personal transformation on the issue of marriage equality. Maryland Juice had the privilege of ranting about Sam Arora on WBAL this week, and Rev. Kitchen was a guest on the show. Check out his brave testimony (excerpt below):

REV. JOSEPH LYNN KITCHEN: In 2008 I voted for Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage in my native state of California. In 2012, should it come before voters, I will vote against repealing the marriage equality legislation that just passed the House of Delegates. What led to my evolution on this issue? My own personal experience with my family.

As a kid my brother who is just eleven months younger than I am became suicidal. For months he would go through long bouts of depression that resulted in attempts on his life with cutting and one night trying to hang himself in a closet. My family believed it was a phase he was going through and something to be kept internal, on the inside…family business. We were wrong. He was gay and the traditions of shame and dishonor had taken their toll on him. It wasn’t until we realized that he was a member of our family and we loved him unconditionally that he got better and the strength of our family improved.

In 2008 I forgot that experience. I became distracted by the disagreements I had with the marriage equality advocates to overshadow my better judgment. As a voter I resented their failure to engage me on the issue. As an African-American I rejected their charges of bigotry. As a Christian I refused to accept their characterizing of my faith as hate. Once we get beyond all those names and look at this issue for what it is, love and strong relationships, everything else just seems so small.

Meanwhile, the President of the National Young Democrats is calling on the Democratic Party to make marriage equality a part of the national platform. BOLD ACTION FROM YOUNG DEMOCRATS:

Today, Young Democrats of America’s Executive Director Emily Tisch Sussman joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and more than 13,000 voters around the nation in endorsing language proposed by Freedom to Marry as part of its Democrats: Say I Do campaign calling on the national party to include a freedom to marry plank in the national Democratic party’s 2012 platform.

“As the Executive Director of Young Democrats of America, I represent young people, and the way we connect young people back to Democratic politics is by speaking out for what is right and taking action,” Sussman said. “Polling shows that 70 percent of voters 18-34 support the freedom to marry, and for many of our members, it’s a cause that goes to the core of why they consider themselves Democrats. It is time to realize that marriage is no longer an effective wedge issue; it is a cause that we as Democrats should be leading on.”

LET'S KEEP IT GOING YOUNG  PEOPLE -- TIME IS ON OUR SIDE.

TONIGHT: MoCo Planning Board Chair Rollin Stanley on "Changing Demographics & Delivery of County Services"

Montgomery County Taxpayers League Meeting

February 16, 2012  -  7:30 - 9:30 pm

5th Floor Conference Room,  Council Office Building

100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20854

Topic: "Changing Demographics and Delivery of County Services"     

Speaker: Rollin Stanley, Director, Montgomery County Planning Department

Here are some facts about Montgomery County (I've picked these at random; come and hear the entire presentation on February 16):

• there has been a 2% drop in foreign immigration among new residents
• unemployment for age group16-19 was 14% in 2000 and 24% in 2010; for 55-64 year-olds it was 2% in 2000 and 6% in 2010
• between 2000 - 2010, persons in poverty increased by 59%
• of those who pay more than 30% of their income in housing costs, 44% are renters and 37% are owners
• of foreign-born residents 24% have an advanced degree and 19% have not graduated from high school
• 63% of seniors own homes