JuiceBlender: Hitler's Jewels in MD, Rushern Baker's Son for Delegate, More Syria Response & O'Malley on Saylor's Killing

Below Maryland Juice provides a few news items that may be of interest to Free State politicos:

JUICE #1: SALE OF HITLER'S NAZI JEWELS IN MARYLAND PROMPTS CRITICISM  - During the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah this year, a reader forwarded us news of a controversial sale of Nazi artifacts in Maryland. Jezebel.com provided a quick snapshot of the controversy (excerpt below):

Hitler's ring for sale (Jezebel.com)

JEZEBEL.COM: Raise your hand if you'd be willing to spend almost $110,000 on a super fancy swastika ring made especially for Hitler by a rabid anti-semitic jeweler. None of you should be raising your hands....

Nazi memorabilia enthusiasts (ew) are basically pissing themselves with excitement over this item's availability, because people are into some f*cked up sh*t.

The UK's Daily Mail provided further detail on the sick retail event in Maryland (excerpt below):

DAILY MAIL: A rare Nazi bling-ring once owned by Adolf Hitler is going up for auction in Maryland next week and is expected to fetch at least £70,000.... It is being offered for sale by the Alexander Historical Auctions House in Maryland and comes with documents come with it testifying that it was made for the Fuhrer.

The ring was crafted by the master goldsmith Karl Berthold who was a fanatical Nazi and kicked Jewish craftsmen out of his business in Frankfurt shortly after the regime came to power in 1933 - long before laws forbidding them from working came into place. He wrote to Hitler saying he had fired the "Bolshevik-Jew servants" and was commissioned by a party functionary to make the ring for the Nazi leader....

The Alexander Historical Auctions House is famous for selling Nazi-themed militaria and artefacts. Three years ago it sold the diaries of Auschwitz 'Angel of Death' Josef Mengele - the camp doctor who performed terrible medical experiments on inmates - that he kept while on the run in Brazil....

Maryland Juice visited the website for the Chesapeake City, MD-based auction house "Alexander Historical Auctions House" and it appears Hitler's ring is not the only Nazi artifact they are selling. Based on their homepage, they appear to have a specialty in catering to Nazi collectors, which they categorize as items relating to "The Holocaust." Among the items for sale are anti-semitic children's books, and something tells me the potential buyers for these items may not be interested in the "never again" message of the post-Holocaust world. This stuff is sick!  

JUICE #2: PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUSHERN BAKER'S SON LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR DISTRICT 22 HOUSE OF DELEGATES - The Washington Informer recently reported that Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker's son, Rushern Baker IV, launched a campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates on Labor Day (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON INFORMER: [Rushern Baker IV], 25, said he’s a candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 22, and he used Greenbelt’s Labor Day parade on Monday, Sept. 2 as his first campaign event to shake hands and make his candidacy known....

Baker is seeking one of the three District 22 House seats in 2014. Currently those seats are occupied by delegates Tawana P. Gaines, Anne Healy and Alonzo T. Washington. All three will be up for re-election with the top three vote-getters taking office....

[Rushern Baker IV is] also the son of Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and said he’s been inspired by his father’s leadership, which he called “undeniably beneficial for Prince George’s County.”

JUICE #3: CONGRESSMEN JOHN DELANEY & JOHN SARBANES SHARE THOUGHTS ON POTENTIAL BOMBING OF SYRIA - Yesterday Maryland Juice provided a round-up of responses to the potential bombing of Syria from a range of our state's Democratic officials, including Chris Van Hollen, Elijah Cummings, Ben Cardin, Barbara Mikulski and Martin O'Malley. Below you can see additional commentary from Rep. John Sarbanes and Rep. John Delaney. While stumping for a candidate in Iowa (?), Delaney provided his current of state of thinking on intervention in Syria (excerpt below):

SIOUXLAND NEWS: While Representative John Delaney was in town supporting Jim Mowrer, a candidate vying for Iowa's 4th congressional district seat, he also gave a little insight into how the House and Senate are handling the debate over a military strike against Syria....

"I think there's more work to do. I think I need to understand the implications of this action to the American People and to our interests internationally and I want to know what good is going to come from this. I don't think this discussion is actually about Syria anymore. It's about our response to chemical weapons which I think is the right way of framing our discussion because that really is the issue," said Delaney. "Because what's been going on in Syria for the last 18 months or almost two years is terrible and tragic, and we weren't going to do anything so this situation is really not about Syria it's about them violating its international norm that really has been around for 100 years and making sure there's consequences."

Meanwhile, Rep. John Sarbanes released a press release outlining his thoughts on the Syria debate:

JOHN SARBANES: "On August 21, 2013, the Assad regime launched a chemical weapons attack into rebel-held areas of the Damascus suburbs, killing over one thousand people, including hundreds of children. This shocking and abhorrent use of a weapon that the civilized world has long banned demands a forceful and unequivocal response.

"President Obama has asked the Congress to authorize the use of military force in support of a strike against the Assad regime as punishment for this attack. In the coming days, Congress will debate the President's request and I look forward to hearing all competing perspectives and examining any additional information provided by the Administration or other sources. I find persuasive the President's arguments that a strike is warranted in order to give teeth to the international ban on chemical weapons and in order to demonstrate American resolve in the Middle East. However, I share the conviction of many of my colleagues that any strike be limited in time and scope and otherwise designed to minimize the risk of drawing the United States into a broader military engagement. Those are the standards I will use in determining my support for any resolution that members of the House of Representatives are asked to vote upon."

JUICE #4: FAMILY OF ETHAN SAYLOR DELIVERS 340,000 PETITION SIGNATURES TO GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY CALLING FOR ACTION ON FREDERICK POLICE KILLING OF MAN WITH DOWNS SYNDROME - Yesterday the widely-read progressive netroots blog DailyKos.com published an open letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley calling for Maryland to take concrete action on the death of Ethan Saylor in Frederick. Saylor's killing at the hands of off-duty Frederick cops sparked widespread outrage and accusations of a rigged "investigation," prompting 340,000 people to sign a petition calling for immediate action (excerpt below):

DAILYKOS.COM: Dear Governor O'Malley, This morning the family and supporters of Ethan Saylor will deliver over 338,000 signatures to you. They are asking you to do two things. First, call an independent investigation of the death of Ethan Saylor. Second, standardize training for police in how to handle situations like this in the future....

I assume your staff has read the 98-page report on Saylor's death produced by the Frederick County Sheriff and pronounced it sufficient. I disagree.... These officers decided to initiate contact. Why? Did they understand what they were doing?....

We're looking for justice here....  On that petition, hundreds of thousands of people have signed on, and your response will be, for many, their first interaction with you as a leader. Some are in Maryland, but this issue has gone national. If you want to be my president, if you want my vote in a Democratic primary, you will say yes. Whatever your decision, I'll be watching and waiting. And writing....

The Washington Post yesterday reported on O'Malley's response to the effort, noting that he is promising to create a plan on the training of police but is unsure about whether to launch an investigation (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) is preparing to issue a plan related to the training of law-enforcement officers and first responders when interacting with people with disabilities, aides confirmed Thursday....

Family members presented the governor with three boxes full of petitions which they said contained more than 340,000 signatures from people across the country asking O’Malley to launch an independent investigation into Saylor’s death. The 26-year-old died in January as three Frederick County deputies sought to remove him from the movie theater.

Upon emerging from the late-morning meeting in the State House, Patti Saylor told reporters that O’Malley was going to continue to think about an investigation into her son’s death....

The chief medical examiner’s office in Baltimore ruled Saylor’s death a homicide as a result of asphyxia, but a Frederick County grand jury determined in March that no charges were warranted against the deputies. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the civil rights of Saylor were violated.... Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Montgomery), who is running for governor next year, has been among those calling for an independent investigation....

JuiceBlender: Gubernatorial Candidates Brown, Gansler & Mizeur Step Out on Issues // Plus: Will House Boot Dwyer?

Below Maryland Juice writer Dan Furmansky presents a round-up of recent news of interest to politicos:

It looks like the pace of the gubernatorial campaign is about to pick up speed. Our declared and soon-to-be-declared Democratic gubernatorial candidates -- Anthony Brown, Heather Mizeur, and Doug Gansler -- are stepping up their games and focusing on some key issues. For those of us who prefer ideas to platitudes, it will be interesting to see what issues the candidates highlight.

JUICE #1: HEATHER MIZEUR RE-OPENS CONVERSATION ABOUT FREDERICK MAN W/ DOWNS SYNDROME KILLED BY COPS - First up, Heather Mizeur is shining the light on ensuring justice and appropriate treatment for people with developmental disabilities by law enforcement. Del. Mizeur this week called on the Governor to launch a state inquiry into the case of a Frederick County man with Down syndrome who died while being arrested by police moonlighting as security guards. The man was dragged away when he stayed to watch “Zero Dark Thirty” a second time. The autopsy ruled the death a homicide by asphyxia, and advocacy groups like the ARC of Maryland claimed that with better training, the officers would have realized there was another way to work with an individual who was at greater risk of unintentional harm. Del. Mizeur suggests O’Malley have his health department investigate local and statewide policies on treatment of individuals with disabilities and establish a task force to implement statewide standards.

Full Story: Washington Post: Mizeur calls for state action after death of Frederick County man with Down syndrome

JUICE #2: DOUG GANSLER TACKLES HOW TO TRANSITION EX-OFFENDERS TO LIFE OUTSIDE PRISON WALLS - In the Doug Gansler camp, the Attorney General is taking on the high rate at which ex-offenders return to prison in Maryland, a crucial issue since ex-offenders return to prison more than 40 percent of the time in this state.  The Attorney General took a dig at Lt. Gov. Brown by saying there has been “no strategic, well-coordinated plan” to reduce recidivism in the current administration.

It’s important to note that the rate of recidivism has dropped almost eight points since 2007, according to the Governor’s Office of Crime & Control, who credit the drop “to the many partnerships and evidenced-based programming undertaken by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services since 2007.”

Regardless of the finger pointing, Maryland, the 19th most populated state, has ranked 8th most violent state in the country, according to the Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States. Baltimore has managed to decrease its violent crime rate slightly the past few years, but still has the sixth-highest homicide rate of any U.S. city with a population above 100,000. Clearly there is far more work to be done.

The Attorney General’s suggestions include making technology such as Android tablets available to prisoners to aid their education while behind bars; designating a deputy secretary in the state’s corrections department to oversee the “re-entry” of ex-offenders into society; shielding criminal convictions from potential employers in cases where ex-offenders have stayed “clean” for five years after release; and investing more heavily in subsidized transitional housing for those recently released from prison.

Full Story: Washington Post: Gansler proposes steps to ease transitions for former prisoners

JUICE #3: ANTHONY BROWN HIGHLIGHTS FUNDING FOR THE MOCO & PRINCE GEORGE'S PURPLE LINE - Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is hoping to ride the Purple Line to electoral success in Montgomery County. Earlier this week, the Lt. Governor joined Gov. O’Malley at the Bethesda metro to announce a state commitment of $1 billion to eight county road, rail and bus priorities, with $680 million going to the Purple Line. The rest is expected to come from the federal government, local governments, and private partnerships. The new funding was made possible by the new gas tax passed in this year’s General Assembly, which notably was opposed by the Attorney General. The announcement was met with predicted opposition from those living near Capital Crescent Trail, with some arguing it’s a bad idea to have a private company build and run the light rail system.

Full Story: Gazette: Most of new $1B transportation package for Montgomery is for Purple Line

JUICE #4: DRUNK-BOATING TEA PARTIER DON DWYER MAY BE BOOTED FROM MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES? - Meanwhile, could Del. Don Dwyer get booted from the House? Earlier this week he entered a guilty plea in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to a drunken boating charge stemming from a collision last year that injured seven people, including a five-year-old girl who suffered a fractured skull. At the time of the accident, his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. The Washington Post reported on the possible consequences for Delegate Dwyer (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Because all of the charges filed against Dwyer were misdemeanors and none were directly related to his job as a state legislator, he has not been under threat of automatic expulsion from the General Assembly.

But House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) has said that he expects that a legislative ethics committee will examine the episode. That panel could recommend disciplinary actions ranging up to expulsion to the full House of Delegates.

This could be interesting, since Del. Dwyer is notoriously unpopular among his House colleagues.

- Dan Furmansky

EARLY VOTE TOTALS (For vs. Against): Marriage Equality 54% vs. 46%, Dream Act 65% vs. 35% , Gambling 49% vs. 51%

10:20 PM UPDATE: Follow the results at the Board of Elections site:

• Q4: 58.5% "for" vs. 41.5% "against" - Dream Act
• Q5: 64.4% "for"  vs. 35.6% "against" - Redistricting
• Q6: 50.6% "for" vs. 49.4% "against" - Marriage Equality
• Q7: 51.3% "for" vs. 48.7% "against" - Gambling Expansion

The Maryland Board of Elections has just released the early vote totals (along with a handful of election day precinct results), and here's the current status of the major ballot questions (leaders highlighted in red):

• Question 4: Dream Act - 65.28% "for"  vs. 34.72% "against"
• Question 5: Redistricting - 66.98% "for" vs. 33.02% "against"
• Question 6: Marriage Equality - 53.5% "for" vs. 46.5% "against"
• Question 7: Gambling Expansion -  49.12% "for" vs. 50.88% "against"

• MoCo Question A: Disability Hiring - 82.05% "for" vs. 17.95% "against"
• Moco Question B: Police Effects Bargaining Repeal - 53.99% "for" vs. 46.01% "against"

• MoCo School Board At-Large: Phil Kauffman 78.32% vs. Morris Panner 21.27%
• MoCo School Board District 2: Rebecca Smondrowski 53.64% vs. Fred Evans 46.1%
 

Follow the returns online at the MD Board of Elections

We'll update this post later in the evening!

Jewish Community Relations Council Urges "Vote For" Dream Act, Marriage Equality & Expanded Hiring for Disabled Workers

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC) is urging Maryland voters to "vote for" the Dream Act (Question 4) and marriage equality (Question 6). Additionally, they are urging Montgomery County voters to "vote for" Question A, which would expand hiring opportunities for disabled individuals. The piece below, by JCRC leaders Ron Halber and Harvey Reiter, appeared yesterday in Washington Jewish Week (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON JEWISH WEEK: The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington is urging our community to vote for the Dream Act, Marriage Equality and the proposed charter amendment to Expand County Hiring for People with Physical, Cognitive Disabilities.... As Jews we are called on to act - for ourselves, our fellow Jews, our neighbors and the whole world....

Our own history is a reminder of how education has benefited not only the Jewish immigrant community, but all of society. The Maryland Dream Act extends eligibility for in-state tuition rates at communitycolleges to young people who grew up in Maryland..... To support this law, vote "yes" on Question 4.

It is with great respect for all religious traditional perspectives that the JCRC urges the community to vote in support of marriage equality.... No rabbi whose denomination bars sanctifying same-sex marriage would be required to officiate at such a marriage.... The JCRC encourages you to vote for Question 6.

Way down the ballot, past the statewide questions, under "Montgomery County," the proposed charter amendment to expand county "Hiring Individuals with Disabilities" would allow the county government to give qualified individuals with disabilities the same hiring preference for county government jobs that is now accorded to veterans.... Vote for "Question A, Charter amendment by act of County Council Merit System-Hiring Individuals with Disabilities".

Read the full JCRC endorsement at Washington  Jewish Week.