JUICE: Dutch to Decide on Governor by FEB, Heather Mizeur's LG Pick & Progressive Endorsement, 2014 Issues & GOP Odds

Below Maryland Juice provides a brief roundup of news bits that may be of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: REP. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER CLARIFIES THOUGHTS ON CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR // DECISION BY FEBRUARY - Yesterday Maryland Juice discussed a recent interview with Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger that appeared in The Capitol Gazette. In expansive remarks about state and national politics, Ruppersberger revealed that he was leaning against running in the June 2014 Democratic Primary for Governor. But a follow-up article by The Daily Record's Bryan Sears contains additional thoughts and a new timeline from Congressman Ruppersberger (excerpt below):

DAILY RECORD: Dutch Ruppersberger says he would shake up the Democratic primary if he entered the race for Maryland governor.... Ruppersberger has been considering the race for governor off and on for more than a year but he said his interest waned as he traveled Syria and Iraq in January as part of his official congressional duties....

Ruppersberger said he's spending time with supporters studying state issues and putting together a plan to raise money should he decide to get in. "If I get in I plan to run to win," Ruppersberger said. "I don't think I'll need as much money as some others. Polls show I'm really well known and popular in the Baltimore area.... My only timeline is the filing deadline," he said. Ruppersberger has until 9 p.m. Feb. 25 to decide.

Notably, Rep. Ruppersberger previously stated he would make a decision on a gubernatorial run by Thanksgiving, and he has now pushed that timetable out to the February 2014 filing deadline.


JUICE #2: HEATHER MIZEUR TO ANNOUNCE RUNNNING-MATE THIS WEDNESDAY? - Maryland Juice just received an email blast from Heather Mizeur's campaign seeking phonebanking volunteers to help promote an event this Wednesday, where it appears she'll be announcing her pick for Lieutenant Governor:

Juice,

Heather's excited about her upcoming announcement on Wednesday, November 13th. We need your help to spread the word.

On Monday and Tuesday, we will be hosting a phone bank at our office. Join us as well tell our supporters all about their first chance to see Heather alongside her pick for Lieutenant Governor.

Location – Mizeur HQ, 1430 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring
Monday 11/11 – 2:00-5:00pm and  5:00-8:00pm
Tuesday 11/12 – 5:00-8:00pm

When can you come in for a shift? Click here to sign up. Please bring your cell phone.

We're looking forward to having a good crowd at the event. Your calls will make it happen.

Best,
Andrew Katz
Field Director
Friends of Heather Mizeur

Mizeur's campaign followed up on this volunteer solicitation with the following event announcement:

Juice,

Our campaign made big news recently. I announced my 10 point plan to make sure Maryland families have an economy that works for us. My plan will strengthen the middle class, make sure our economy is built to grow throughout the 21st century, and provide the jobs Marylanders need.

I am keeping the momentum moving forward this week. On Wednesday, November 13th, I will be in Silver Spring for a special announcement. You will not want to miss this event. Join me on Wednesday and be the first to hear the news.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, November 13th
Time: 5:30pm

Location:
American Legion Post 41,
905 Sligo Ave, Silver Spring, MD

Click here to RSVP

I look forward to having you seeing you at the announcement. It will be a great event.

Best,

Heather

JUICE #3: HEATHER MIZEUR NETS PROGRESSIVE ENDORSEMENT FOR GOVERNOR - Maryland Juice received the press release below from the Montgomery County-based advocacy group Progressive Neighbors announcing an endorsement of Delegate Heather Mizeur in the race for Governor.  Maryland Juice previously flagged some differences between Gansler and Mizeur's responses to Progressive Neighbors on hot-button issues ranging from marijuana decriminalization and public financing of campaigns, to fracking and the minimum wage. In their endorsement statement, the group noted that one of the factors in their process was evaluating issue surveys from the candidates, but only Doug Gansler and Heather Mizeur provided responses (excerpt below):

Press Release

Announcement of Endorsement of Heather Mizeur for Governor

Progressive Neighbors is proud to endorse Delegate Heather Mizeur in her campaign to become the next Governor of Maryland because she is the most progressive candidate in the race. An accomplished legislator, able to reach across the aisle and bring ideological opponents together in pursuit of common interests, Delegate Mizeur will also be Maryland's first female governor as well as possibly becoming America's first openly gay governor.

Our endorsement process was intensive, including a questionnaire dealing with a range of issues, from economic to social – the candidates' responses are posted on our website, www.progressiveneighborsmd.org. Both Delegate Mizeur and Attorney General Doug Gansler provided extensive, thoughtful responses to the questions generated by the Progressive Neighbors endorsement subcommittee. Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown was repeatedly invited to submit his responses, but chose not to do so. We considered the candidates’ responses in our deliberations, as well as their records....

JUICE #4: GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES COME OUT ON THE ISSUES // READ MY SUMMARY OF BROWN, GANSLER AND MIZEUR'S PLATFORMS THUS FAR - Speaking of issues, this week Heather Mizeur released a slew of proposals on issues related to jobs, taxes and the economy. As a result, Maryland Juice thought this might be a good time to highlight the various platform items the gubernatorial candidates have released thus far. We previously compared survey responses between Gansler and Mizeur on progressive issues including fracking and marijuana reform, as well as responses by Brown, Gansler and Mizeur on schools issues. But below you can see our summary and round-up of the official campaign platform positions from Anthony Brown, Doug Gansler and Heather Mizeur thus far. We also provide some brief commentary on the gubernatorial candidates' issue papers below:

ANTHONY BROWN

• Ending Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault - Includes items to: 1) establish domestic violence screening, referral and assistance at all Maryland community hospitals; 2) require cell phone carriers to allow domestic violence victims to pull out of their partners' cell phone contracts without penalty; 3) provide a $5 million domestic violence innovation fund for local programs; and 4) establish a statewide domestic violence stats program to promote cross-agency collaboration.
• Competitive Business Climate - Includes items to: 1) Reform our tax code to generate job investments; streamline regulatory & licensing requirements to reduce business costs; 2) promote cost-effective energy generation and improve delivery of energy delivery through the grid; 3) expand affordable housing, health care and transportation; 4) provide a court system that allows individuals to get justice but keep awards fair; 5) facilitate small and medium size businesses access to capital by working with banks; 6) invest in high school and college job skills training; 7) make fiscally responsible improvements in funding for transit, education, public safety, health care, parks and the arts; and 8) and maintain & redevelop infrastructure through creative and conventional financing.
• Universal Pre-K - Includes items to expand to universal all-day Pre-K by the year 2022.

DOUG GANSLER

• Renewable Energy Proposals to Fight Bay Pollution - Includes items to: 1) Create innovation grants for companies to who can turn animal waste and other contributors to Bay pollution into energy generators; 2) spur investment in renewable energy by providing credit multipliers for certain energy sources; 3) encourage energy production from chicken litter through "aggregate net metering" policies; 4) provide state support for chicken litter energy projects; 5) incentivize utilities to generate power from farm waste; 6) encourage green energy through a voluntary surcharge to be distributed to local farmers; and 7) green energy marketing for renewable "Farm Power."
• "Build it in Maryland" Job Creation Plan - Includes items to: 1) Give preference to Maryland businesses when competing for state contracts and procurement; 2) Subsidize workforce training and provide manufacturing tax credits and grants for "Industrial Business Zones," 3) Extend tax credits to Maryland businesses receiving R&D grants to actually manufacture their products in Maryland; 4) Provide tax abatement for businesses renovating vacant buildings using renewable energy systems; 5) Create a grant program to help 12 small and medium sized businesses to manufacture and export Maryland-made goods within 12 months, 6) Develop a summer workshop for high school and college students geared toward the high-tech manufacturing industry; and 7) Launch an online marketing campaign to support "Made in Maryland" products
• Responsible Re-entry Reforms - Includes items to: 1) Establish a cabinet official to focus on re-entry of ex-offenders into society; 2) Create re-entry centers within prisons; 3) Establish re-entry courts to reduce recidivism; 4) Conduct an annual cost-benefit analysis of imprisonment, recidivism, and crime rates; 5) Restrict access to criminal records for those with demonstrated clean records; 6) Create challenge grants to incentivize recruitment of social workers for high-stress environments; 7) Provide transitional housing for ex-offenders; 8) Sponsor constructive family engagement opportunities for children of offenders; 9) Use technology (eg: tablets) to build individualized educational programs for offenders; and 10) Convene summits of nonprofits to coordinate statewide support networks.
• Educational Initiatives Targeting Achievement Gap - Includes items to: 1) Expand access to all-day pre-K to more low-income households; 2) Promote parental engagement in limited-English households through grants to incentivize schools to develop outreach and training programs; 3) Create an open data portal on school system information to facilitate accountability and planning; 4) Build a "Governor's Teacher Corps" to provide mentorship and professional development support to new teachers; 5) Form partnerships with nonprofits and philanthropists to provide after-school, summer and Saturday school programs; and 6) Create a volunteer coprs to assist at-risk children.
• Good Government Overhaul Proposals - Includes items to: 1) Create a Public Information Inspector General to collect public information across agencies and conduct performance audits; 2) Consolidate existing databases into a user-friendly portal; 3) Adopt an Open Meeting Records Rule to archive meetings with outside parties regarding state regulatory changes; 4) Create a database of state contracts and campaign contributions made by the winning corporations, officers and employees; 5) Host open source innovation labs to develop transparency tech tools; and 6) Provide "sunshine" grants to local governments to replicate the state data portals.

HEATHER MIZEUR

• Give Marylanders Much Needed Tax Relief - Includes items to lower taxes for 90% of Marylanders by reinstating a millionaire's tax.
• Institute a Living Wage - Includes items to phase in a living wage to $10.10/hour by 2016, up to $16.70 by 2020.
• Strengthen Job Training - Includes items to: 1) Increase funding for the Maryland EARN program, which brings together employers, government agencies and educational institutions to train workers; 2) require that grant partners in the EARN program include certain numbers of low-income participants, and 3) eliminate waiting lists for residents seeking GED assistance through increased funding.
• Provide Tax Relief to Small Businesses - Includes items to: 1) Institute "combined reporting" to prevent big corporations from dodging tax payments in Maryland, and 2) Use "combined reporting" revenues for assistance to small businesses in the form of local property tax subsidies.
• Make Earned Sick Leave Available to All Maryland Workers - Includes items to require Maryland employers to provide 30 minutes of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (for both part-time and full-time employees), up to 7 days per year.
• Rebuild Our Schools - Includes items to: 1) Create "school opportunity bonds" (aka 63-20 bonds) through public-private partnerships to reduce loan costs and induce companies to provide capital for school infrastructure; and 2) Allow local governments to add a penny to their sales tax to finance school construction.
• Grow Maryland's Innovation Economy - Includes items to: 1) Find ways of commercializing academic research in Maryland; 2) Invest in ways to make Maryland a leader in nanotechnology development; and 3) Make cybersecurity a core part of Maryland's economy by building workforce skills and marketing Maryland as a leader in the industry.
• Invest in Maryland's Public Infrastructure - Includes items to: 1) Invest in public transportation, starting with the Purple Line and Red Line, and also including bike and pedestrian access, the CCT, bus rapid transit, and potentially a high-speed rail system from Washington and Baltimore to New York; 2) Rebuild roads and bridges, specifically in the I-270 corridor, the Harry Nice and Thomas Johnson Bridges, and around BRAC facilities; and 3) Expand the Port of Baltimore.
• Streamline Our Regulatory System - Includes items to: 1) Streamline or scrap business regulations that serve no public good; 2) Create a "Business Advocate" cabinet post to hear and investigate complaints from the public and business community; 3) Develop a single statewide set of procurement procedures, instead of delegating the job to various agencies; and 4) Reduce turnaround time on responses to bids by one-third.
• Expand Sustainable Clean Energy Jobs - Includes items to: 1) Make Maryland a manufacturing hub for wind farms; 2) Removing regulatory barriers to clean energy production; 3) Doubling the share of renewable energy sources that Maryland electricity suppliers are required to use to 40% by 2030; 4) Encourage more clean biomass energy production for commercial and residential buildings; 5) Provide low-interest loans to builders constructing low-energy homes; and 6) Help counties promote ecotourism.
• Make Pre-K Available to Every Child in Maryland - Includes items to phase in universal access to pre-K, starting with all 4-year olds, and then expanding to 3-year-olds.
• Improve Access to Child Care for Maryland Families - Includes items to: 1) Expand access to and increase the benefits of Maryland's Child Care Subsidy program; and 2) Expand number of child care providers covered by state voucher program.
• Expand Maryland After School and Summer Programs - Includes items to expand access to after school and summer programs for K-8 children through a phased increase in funding.
• Renew Our Commitment to Public Education Funding - Includes items to convene a "Thornton 2.0" to modify school funding to consider teacher pay and pensions, inflation, class size, teacher recruitment and retention, educational support services, infrastructure, and technological improvements.
• Free Our Educators from Teaching to the Test - Includes items to: 1) Delay use of newly implemented "PARCC" academic achievement tests for teacher and principal evaluations for four years; 2) Study alternatives to PARCC that consider problem solving, creativity and innovation; and 3) Give counties more flexibility in teacher evaluations.

Maryland Juice Analysis of Gubernatorial Campaign Platforms: Most Maryland political pundits believe that the 2014 gubernatorial contest will be effectively decided in the June Democratic Primary, and recent election results demonstrate a sizeable number of progressive voters in the Free State. But perhaps predictably, the major platform items from the two candidates leading the money race thus far (Brown & Gansler) are fairly cautious in their approach and so far lack "red meat" for the party base. Brown has proactively released items on education, domestic violence, sexual assault, and improving the state's business climate. Meanwhile, Gansler has proactively discussed transparency reforms, environmental protections, issues relating to ex-offenders re-entering society, jobs and education. Most of the aforementioned issues will not prove to be terribly controversial among Democratic Primary voters. On the other hand, Mizeur has proactively released a series of proposals relating to jobs, economic justice, and numerous education issues -- but the specifics in a number of her proposals have a decidedly progressive bent.

All three candidates are promoting expansion of universal pre-K in Maryland, and all are planning to push jobs and economic development initiatives. But the devil is obviously in the details, and already there are some interesting differences between the candidates. Gansler talks about the environment, for example, but his platform does not address the issue of fracking -- which may be the most heated environmental issue in Maryland right now. At the same time, Mizeur has come out strongly against fracking, and the issue has not been discussed in Brown's platform yet. Similarly, Gansler raises issues within our criminal justice system, but so far only Mizeur has stepped out front in calling for marijuana decriminalization. Gansler and Brown have not yet weighed in on the increasingly high-profile issue.

Economic issues may be where we see the largest differences between the candidates. Though all three candidates support increasing the minimum wage to about $10/hour, Mizeur is calling for an ongoing, phased-in increase until we reach a living wage. Notably, Gansler called for a corporate tax cut immediately before endorsing a minimum wage increase. Lastly, in Mizeur's latest round of proposals, she is calling for a restoration of the state's millionaire's tax, which lawmakers allowed to expire recently. Mizeur's plan is to increase taxes on those making $500,000 and above, and to lower taxes for most other taxpayers. Notably, newly elected New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is theoretically an emerging harbinger of progressive political issues (eg: War on Drugs, smart growth, and progressive taxation) just announced a similar plan to increase taxes on those making over half-a-million. So on the issues right now, I would say the advantage goes to Mizeur. This should not be a surprise though, as success for her campaign is contingent upon exciting the party base, while Brown is likely trying to play it safe in the front-runner seat. Will Brown and Gansler try and compete for the hearts and minds of primary voters? For the health of the party activists, I sure hope so.

One last flag I'll raise here, is that Brown has a quiet but potentially curious item in his platform on creating a "competitive business climate" in Maryland. He states a goal to "Provide a civil justice system that allows deserving individuals to get justice and hold wrongdoers accountable while ensuring that awards are fair and equitable" (Item #5 in this document). My fear here is that "when ensuring awards are fair," Brown is talking in code about so-called "tort reform," which has been the business community's advocacy effort to reduce the ability of consumers to get justice when dealing with corporations making dangerous products or services. During the George W. Bush era, progressives had to deal with ridiculous hysteria maligning consumer protection attorneys, claiming that they were driving up the costs of health care and other goods and services through frivolous litigation. But the stronger reason for insurance premium increases at the time, was that companies had gambled customers' insurance premiums on risky investments and needed to invent a bogeyman for their desired policy changes. Hopefully Brown is not embarking on a campaign to implement so-called "tort reform" in Maryland.


JUICE #5: REPUBLICAN PUNDITS WEIGH ODDS OF WINNING STATEWIDE IN 2014 // PROGNOSIS = BLEAK - Maryland Juice caught an interesting segment on WYPR interviewing GOP pundit and consultant Richard Cross on the Maryland Republicans' chances for statewide office in 2014. Cross suggests that the situation is bleak and that the state party should focus on local races in 2014 (transcript excerpt below):

RICHARD CROSS (VIA WYPR): I don't think this is a situation in Maryland where any Republican can win statewide, and I would point to kind of two pieces of evidence. First of all, the results with the ballot initiatives in Maryland last time around. They were put forth by the Republican Party, they were advocated by the Republican Party, and they all went down hard. Secondly, the most interesting stat I've seen in the cycle is Governor O'Malley's approval rating, which according to Gonzalez and the most recent poll is 48% approve and 40% disapprove. Given some of the controversial measures that went through the legislature earlier this year, I don't see the kind of second term drag on Governor O'Malley that Governor Schaeffer experienced or Governor Glendening experienced. In order for someone like Mr. Craig to have a chance, Governor O'Malley would have to have a meltdown that brought his numbers into the high 30's or mid-30's.

MORE ON MARYLAND'S RACE FOR GOVERNOR SOON!

JUICE: Dutch Leans Against Run for Governor, Troopergate Whistleblowers Investigated & Sen. Conway Accused of Assault

PLUS: A Primary Challenger for Sen. Joan Carter Conway, A Redistricting Contest & "Smoking While Black"

Below Maryland Juice provides a round-up of news that may be of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: REP. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER LEANING AGAINST RUN FOR GOVERNOR // BEACH WEEK COVERAGE BOOSTS GANSLER NAME ID? - The Capitol Gazette reports that Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger is leaning against a run for Governor in the 2014 Democratic Primary, and he partly attributes this to the NSA surveillance scandal (excerpt below):

CAPITOL GAZETTE: U.S. Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger said constituents are asking him to run to be Maryland’s next governor and he thinks he’d “kick butt” if he were elected in 2014.... “I’m leaning not to, but I haven’t made that decision yet,” Ruppersberger said. “One of the reasons is I haven’t had the time. With the NSA ... it’s just overwhelming....”

He said that a poll his office commissioned about two months ago showed that his name recognition still ranked No. 2, behind Brown — “without lifting a finger.” Ruppersberger said Brown is a front-runner because “half the state” is in an area Brown previously represented near Prince George’s County, and there is typically a heavy turnout of African-Americans in primary elections.... Brown and Gansler “don’t have management experience,” Ruppersberger said. Still, Ruppersberger said he’s being away pulled from a gubernatorial run by his colleagues on Capitol Hill.

WAS DOUG GANSLER'S NAME ID BOOSTED BY STATE TROOPER & BEACH WEEK COVERAGE? - Interestingly, in the article above, Ruppersberger says a poll he commissioned last month had him in the #2 spot for name recognition. But Goucher's name ID poll released yesterday had Gansler in the #2 spot. Assuming Ruppersberger's poll is accurate, we can guess that the recent State Trooper and Beach Week stories involving Gansler have boosted his name ID dramatically.


JUICE #2: POLICE LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO WHISTLEBLOWING STATE TROOPER // DOUG GANSLER DENIES INVOLVEMENT - The Associated Press reported yesterday that state troopers involved in documenting Doug Gansler's alleged lawless driving are now under investigation for an unrelated matter (eg: whether they were authorized to moonlight as guards). An attorney for the troopers questions the timing of this investigation (excerpt below):

ASSOCIATED PRESS (VIA WBAL): An attorney for a Maryland state trooper who documented allegations about being ordered by Attorney General Doug Gansler to hit the lights and siren...says his client is under investigation by MSP.

State Police spokesman Greg Shipley told The Washington Post that the agency is investigating whether several employees' moonlighting work was sanctioned. But he declined to say which ones.... [Attorney Michael Davey] says he is suspicious of the investigation's timing since the complaint that sparked it came days after the Gansler story broke.

WUSA9 followed up with commentary from Doug Gansler denying involvement in potential retaliation against the whistleblowers:

WUSA9: Gansler said his office was not the source of information that sparked the investigation into Lt. Charles Ardolini and at least two another troopers now accused of using a state vehicle and firearms on executive protection jobs in DC and Virginia. The investigation began three days after a memo outlining Ardolini's complaints about Gansler were made public. "Obviously, it didn't come from my campaign," Gansler said.

JUICE #3: BALTIMORE MAN ACCUSES SEN. JOAN CARTER CONWAY OF 2ND DEGREE ASSAULT // VIDEO BELOW - The Baltimore Sun reported yesterday that a Baltimore man is accusing State Senator Joan Carter Conway of second degree assault (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Former Senator Theatre owner Tom Kiefaber is accusing state Sen. Joan Carter Conway of assault after an incident last week that ended with him in handcuffs at the auction of his former home.

Kiefaber recorded a confrontation with the Baltimore lawmaker and posted it to YouTube. The video shows him walking outside the Orkney Road house and approaching Conway, who pushes the camera away before walking off with two men.

"I told him: 'You can keep that camera out of my face,'" Conway said. "I went behind the house, then I heard all this noise, and I said, 'Why are you following me?'"

Kiefaber filed second-degree assault charges Monday against the Democratic senator who represents North Baltimore. The state's attorney's office for Baltimore will meet with Kiefaber and determine whether it will prosecute. A spokesman for the office declined to comment.

You can watch a video capturing the incident below:



JUICE #4: BALTIMORE CITY COUNCILMEMBER BILL HENRY TO CHALLENGE JOAN CARTER CONWAY FOR D43 STATE SENATE SEAT  - In addition to the alleged assault incident above, State Senator Joan Carter Conway is also facing a challenger in the 2014 Democratic Primary. Baltimore City Councilmember Bill Henry announced today he will be running against Conway for State Senate. See the press release below:

Press Release

Henry Announces State Senate Run

Baltimore, MD (November 7, 2013) – At a series of gatherings held earlier this week, Baltimore City Councilman Bill Henry (D-4th) announced his intention to run for the Maryland State Senate next spring in North & Northeast Baltimore’s newly-redrawn 43rd Legislative District.

“I love the job I have now, but there are important issues that impact our communities which can only be addressed at the state level,” said Henry. “In two terms on the City Council, I’ve been privileged with the opportunity to help a lot of people, but I believe I can help even more in the State Senate.”

Henry made his announcement to several dozen supporters Tuesday morning, at a series of events spread across the 43rd District.  The first was at a morning meeting at Santorini’s on York Road in Henry’s current Council district, then moving to a mid-day meeting at The Red Canoe on Harford Road, and concluding with an evening event at the Peabody Heights Brewery in the Abell community.

When asked about specific issues he plans to address in the General Assembly, Henry listed liquor regulation, responsible banking practices, charter schools, additional funding for school facilities, and environmental preservation among his priorities.  As a state senator, Henry has pledged to continue his practice of hosting districtwide community meetings each year, as well as continuing to regularly attend individual neighborhood meetings.

At 45, Henry is one of the youngest veteran members of the Council, chairing the Housing & Community Relations committee and serving as vice chair of the Taxation, Finance & Economic Development and Education & Youth committees. Henry introduced the City Council’s first successful resolution supporting civil marriage at the State level and just last year succeeded in passing landmark Late-Night Commercial Operations licensing legislation, which for the first time provides residents across the City with a process through which they can have a say in the hours of operation for problem businesses in their communities.

A graduate of several schools in the 43rd District, Henry earned a master’s of business administration degree with a concentration in finance from Loyola University Maryland, after receiving an undergraduate degree from the Johns Hopkins University, where he focused on urban studies and public policy. Henry lives in the North Baltimore neighborhood of Radnor-Winston with his wife Ruth and their two daughters, both of whom attend Baltimore City Public Schools.

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JUICE #5: COMMON CAUSE MARYLAND ANNOUNCES REDISTRICTING CARTOON CONTEST  //  $1000 PRIZE  - Maryland Juice received the following press release from Common Cause Maryland asking artists to submit political cartoons highlighting gerrymandering in the Free State. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize:

Press Release

Calling All Artists!

Coalition launches political cartoon contest to draw attention to gerrymandering in Maryland

(Annapolis) – Art and politics came together Wednesday night, as a coalition of groups announced a political cartoon contest aimed at drawing attention to redistricting reform in Maryland. The winning cartoon will be published in papers across Maryland, and the artist will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

“Maryland is now home to some of the most poorly drawn congressional districts in the nation. We want to build on the powerful history of political cartoons by running our own cartoon contest to document the current state of redistricting in Maryland,” said Susan Cochran, President of the League of Women Voters of Maryland.

“Gerrymandering is a term that is now widely used to describe any act of drawing legislative districts for partisan advantage. The name was invented thanks to an 1812 political cartoon that depicted an irregularly drawn district in Massachusetts as a dragon-like monster. The image of a salamander stuck, and was combined with the name of the Governor, Elbridge Gerry, to coin the now infamous term,” explained Ralph Watkins, Voter Services Chair for the League.  “Maryland’s current congressional map has been widely lampooned.  We think it deserves its own cartoon!” 

“We are using humor to draw attention to a very serious issue,” said Carol Ann Hecht, representing the National Council of Jewish Women Annapolis Section.  “Gerrymandered districts create situations where all votes are not equal. They also make it difficult for legislators to know and represent their constituents, and undermine confidence in the democratic process. Marylanders deserve better.”

Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, Executive Director of Common Cause Maryland, agreed.  “Voters should choose their elected officials – elected officials should not choose their voters.”

Maryland draws new congressional and legislative districts every ten years, to update the maps for population changes.  District maps are supposed to reflect the ideal of “one person, one vote.”  But Maryland ranks worst in the nation when it comes to the compactness of its new congressional districts.  Four of our eight districts (50%) are among the most gerrymandered in the country. Critics have called the Maryland map “highly partisan and racially charged,” questioning how a congressman could fairly and accurately represent a district that “slices and dices counties, communities and neighborhoods.”

For more information on the contest, including rules and entry forms, visit www.commoncause.org/md.

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JUICE #6: NEW REPORT SAYS "IN EVERY COUNTY IN MARYLAND, BLACK PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA" - The ACLU of Maryland today released a new report showing that in every county in the state, black residents are far more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white residents. See the press release below:

Press Release 

In Every County in Maryland, Black People More 

Likely to Be Arrested for Marijuana Possession

New Maryland ACLU Report Details Growing Marijuana 

Arrest Rates, Even As Support for Decriminalization Grows

BALTIMORE – Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland released a new report, The Maryland War on Marijuana in Black and White, which provides a detailed county-by-county analysis of marijuana possession arrest data in Maryland. Using official Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Census data, the report shows that over the last ten years, the number of people arrested for marijuana possession in Maryland has increased dramatically – by 34 percent – and that, despite comparable rates of marijuana use across race, communities of color are policed differently for marijuana possession. In every county in Maryland, Blacks are disproportionately targeted for enforcement of marijuana laws.

Key statewide findings from the report include:

1. Maryland now has one of the highest rates of arrests for marijuana possession in the nation.
2. Between 2001 and 2010, arrests for marijuana possession increased dramatically in Maryland – by 34 percent.
3. Even though Blacks and Whites use marijuana at comparable rates, police arrest Blacks for marijuana possession at higher rates than Whites in every county in Maryland.
4. Racial disparities in marijuana arrests worsened dramatically in Maryland from 2001 to 2010. During that time, the number of Black arrests increased by 5,614 – but the White arrests increased by only 371.
5. Maryland spent approximately $106 million enforcing marijuana possession laws in 2010 alone.

“Now is the time to end this racially disparate approach of stopping, searching, arresting and jailing people in Maryland for possession of marijuana because it not only wastes limited resources, but it hurts communities and erodes trust with law enforcement,” said Sara Love, Public Policy Director of the ACLU of Maryland. “With this Maryland report, the ACLU of Maryland will be strongly advocating for reform in the 2014 legislative session.”

The Maryland report is drawn from a national ACLU report, Marijuana in Black and White: Billions of Dollars Wasted on Racially Biased Arrests, released in June. That report showed that, nationally, African Americans were nearly three times as likely as whites to be arrested for simple marijuana possession in 2010, even though research consistently shows comparable rates of use across race.

In Maryland, police arrest one out of every 250 people for marijuana possession; the state is now fourth highest in the country in marijuana possession arrests per capita and seventh highest in the country in terms of the raw number of marijuana possession arrests – outranking far more populous states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, which have more than twice the population of Maryland.  In Maryland, marijuana possession arrests now make up 90% of all marijuana-related arrests and 50% of all drug arrests. And while African-Americans comprise only 30 percent of the state’s population, they are 58 percent of arrests for marijuana possession.  Even more shockingly, race disparities in arrests worsened between 2001 and 2010 – during that time period, Black arrests increased by 69%, compared to four percent for Whites. 

“This report proves something we police have known for a long time: The drug war is inherently racist in its execution,” said Neill Franklin, Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). “Inequities in arrest rates affect the life opportunities of Blacks and create distrust between police and the communities they serve. And as a Maryland police officer for 34 years, I can tell you that race-based policing of marijuana users does nothing to make communities safer.”

Maryland voters are ready for marijuana reform. A poll commissioned by the ACLU and the Marijuana Policy Project in October showed that 53 percent of Maryland voters support making marijuana legal for adults and regulating it like alcohol. Only 38 percent said they were opposed. The poll also found that more than two-thirds (68 percent) support removing criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replacing them with a civil offense punishable by a fine of up to $100 with no possibility of jail time. Only 26 percent said they were opposed. Under current Maryland law, it is a criminal offense for a person to possess a small amount of marijuana, and he or she can be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail and fined up to $500.

The ACLU of Maryland supports legislation to legally tax and regulate marijuana. Last session, the group also supported legislation that would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.  While the bill made historic progress by passing the State Senate, the bill stalled in the House Judiciary Committee.

Arrests for possession of even the smallest amounts of marijuana have often resulted in greater difficulty obtaining a job, losing student financial aid, deportations, losing custody of children, or ineligibility for public housing.  Just as importantly, for every person who is found with marijuana, many more who have done nothing wrong are subjected to humiliating stops and searches by police – disproportionately people of color.

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You can read the ACLU's full report below:

ACLU REPORT: The Maryland War on Marijuana in Black and White

A Closer Look at New Polling Numbers in Maryland's Race for Governor // Race, Gender & Political Party Divides in Name ID

Yesterday Maryland Juice published a polling memo from Goucher College that included early name identification data in the heated race for Governor. Today we decided to dig a little deeper into Goucher's poll to provide some early insight into any differences in name ID based on party identification, race and gender. Before we begin our discussion, it is worth noting that none of the candidates has invested any noteworthy amounts of spending on media at this early stage, so we expect these numbers to shift (perhaps dramatically) once the campaigning begins in earnest.

NAME ID AND POLITICAL PARTY: In our polling write-up yesterday, we noted the following name id for gubernatorial candidates among Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated/third party voters:

• 62 percent recognize “Anthony Brown”
• 58 percent recognize “Doug Gansler”
• 49 percent recognize “Dutch Ruppersberger”
• 31 percent recognize “David Craig”
• 23 percent recognize “Charles Lollar”
• 22 percent recognize “Ron George”
• 13 percent recognize “Heather Mizeur”

But it is worth remembering that Maryland has closed political party primaries, so that only Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective primary elections in June 2014. If you restrict the survey results to only Democrats and only Republicans, the results in the name ID poll shift in interesting ways. Note the name ID survey results when restricted to Democrats and Republicans below:

Name ID Among Democrats

1. Anthony Brown 67%
2. Doug Gansler 56%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger 45%
4. Heather Mizeur 15%

Name ID Among Republicans

1. David Craig 39%
2. Charles Lollar 26%
3. Ron George 25%

Note: Gansler & Ruppersberger both have higher name ID among Republicans. When you restrict the survey to only Democrats, Brown and Mizeur both see increases in their name ID, while Gansler and Ruppersberger see declines. In the Republican field, all three candidates have higher name ID among Republicans than Democrats.

NAME ID AND RACE: The name ID results shift once again when you sort the results in the Democratic Primary by the race of the respondents (details below):

Name ID Among Black residents

1. Anthony Brown - 68%
2. Doug Gansler - 50%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger - 47%
4. Heather Mizeur - 11%

Name ID Among White residents

1. Doug Gansler - 64%
2. Anthony Brown - 59%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger - 52%
4. Heather Mizeur - 15%

Name ID Among Non-White/Black residents

1. Anthony Brown - 64%
2. Doug Gansler - 45%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger - 38%
4. Heather Mizeur - 9%

Note:  When factoring in race, Brown sees a fairly substantial advantage in name ID among black and non-white/non-black residents, while Gansler sees a healthy lead among white residents. But note that these results reflect the name ID among residents of all political parties, and we can surmise that Gansler's advantage among white residents is enhanced by recognition within the pool of white Republican residents.


NAME ID AND GENDER: The name ID results shift in interesting ways yet again when you sort the results in the Democratic Primary by the gender of the respondents (details below):

Name ID Among Males

1. Anthony Brown 58%
2. Doug Gansler 58%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger 51%
4. Heather Mizeur 13%

Name ID Among Females

1. Anthony Brown 66%
2. Doug Gansler 58%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger 48%
4. Heather Mizeur 14%

Note: When looking at gender, Anthony Brown and Doug Gansler both have equal name ID among male residents, abut Brown has an 8-point advantage among women over Gansler. Ruppersberger is slightly more known among men than women, and the same holds true (to a slight degree) for Mizeur. Maryland Juice expects the Democratic Primary voting population to skew disproportionately toward women.

The Goucher poll includes the following notice and disclaimer about methodology and funding:

GOUCHER POLL: To ensure all Maryland citizens are represented, the Goucher Poll is conducted using random digit dialing (RDD) of a stratified random sample using landline and cellular telephone numbers. The Goucher Poll is conducted under the auspices of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center, which is housed in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Goucher College. Directed by Mileah Kromer, the Goucher Poll conducts surveys on public policy, economic, and social issues in Maryland. The Goucher Poll is fully funded by the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center endowment and does not take additional funding from outside sources. The Goucher Poll seeks to improve public discourse in the state by providing neutral and nonbiased information on citizen perceptions and opinions.

You can see the polling memos on the race, gender and party crosstabs below:

Goucher November 2013 Maryland Gubernatorial Name ID Poll: Race Crosstabs

Goucher November 2013 Maryland Gubernatorial Name ID Poll: Gender & Party Crosstabs

POLL RESULTS: Maryland Gubernatorial Candidates' Name ID, Minimum Wage Hike & Pension Funding for State Employees

Goucher College released the results of a new poll today on various items of interest to Maryland politicos. Their survey results (below) highlight the current name id of gubernatorial candidates and show where voters are on issues ranging from the minimum wage to pension funding:

Name Recognition of Maryland Gubernatorial Candidates

• 62 percent recognize “Anthony Brown”
• 58 percent recognize “Doug Gansler”
• 49 percent recognize “Dutch Ruppersberger”
• 31 percent recognize “David Craig”
• 23 percent recognize “Charles Lollar”
• 22 percent recognize “Ron George”
• 13 percent recognize “Heather Mizeur” 

MINUMUM WAGE #1: As you may know, the minimum wage in Maryland is $7.25 per hour. Would you [support or oppose] raising the state minimum wage to $10 per hour?

• Support: 70 percent 
• Oppose: 27 percent

MINUMUM WAGE #2: Would you [support or oppose] raising the state minimum wage to $10 per hour?

• Support: 74 percent 
• Oppose: 24 percent

PENSION #1: I’d like to ask you two questions about pensions. In Maryland, retired state employees receive an average annual pension of about $12,000 per year. Do you think the average pension for a retired Maryland state employee is [too little, too much, or about the right amount]?

• Too Little: 59 percent
• About the Right Amount: 26 percent
• Too Much: 4 percent Don’t Know: 9 percent

PENSION #2: Next, I’d like to ask you two questions about pensions. Do you think the average pension for a retired Maryland state employee is [too little, too much, or about the right amount]?

• Too Little: 36 percent
• About the Right Amount: 21 percent
• Too Much: 11 percent
• Don’t Know: 31 percent

PENSION #3: Sixty-seven percent of respondents agreed that all Maryland workers, not just those employed by the state or local governments, should have a pension, while 28 percent disagreed.

Goucher November 2013 Poll: Maryland Governor & More

Voters Confront Chris Van Hollen About NSA Mass Surveillance // PLUS: Rep. Dennis Kucinich Slams NSA at DC Film Screening

Privacy Advocates Criticize Chris Van Hollen at Town Hall

Maryland Juice previously reported that more than half of the Free State's Democratic members of the U.S. House voted to continue potentially illegal violations of our Internet and telephone privacy. Democratic Representatives John Delaney, Chris Van Hollen, Dutch Ruppersberger, and Steny Hoyer voted against ending constitutionally questionable surveillance of Americans, while Donna Edwards, John Sarbanes, Elijah Cummings and GOP Rep. Andy Harris voted to end the sketchy practice.

Below we provide a round-up of updates to the snowballing story, including responses from Congressmen John Delaney & Chris Van Hollen.

VOTERS SLAM VAN HOLLEN AND OTHER POLITICIANS OVER NSA SURVEILLANCE - In the wake of startling revelations that the NSA (our top spy agency) has been engaging in mass surveillance of innocent Americans, voters are beginning to confront members of Congress during their August recess Town Hall meetings. Politico reported on the development last week (excerpt below):

POLITICO: Activists with Demand Progress and similar groups raised their surveillance qualms at a town hall held Tuesday by Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee. And a small group of protestors appeared to disrupt [Rep. Chris] Van Hollen’s recent August gathering, an event focused on climate change in Silver Spring, Md. The tiny activist cohort carried signs emblazoned, “VAN HOLLEN WRONG ON NSA: Restore the 4th!” The Democratic congressman voted against the so-called Amash amendment because it wasn’t “the most comprehensive and effective” approach, according to a spokeswoman, who added Van Hollen does support “rewriting these laws....”

The foremost congressional supporters of the NSA long have been playing defense on Capitol Hill. At one point, though, agency allies invited the NSA’s leader, Gen. Keith Alexander, to brief lawmakers “in advance of the August district work period,” according to an invite sent to Democrats last month and obtained by POLITICO.

Maryland Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the leading Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, hosted his party’s session. He stressed the meeting wasn’t focused on teaching members how to fend off angry voters. The point, Ruppersberger said, was to “get the facts from the source so that there’s not false information.”

OVERSIGHT FAILURE FROM CONGRESS - Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, whose district includes the NSA's headquarters in Ft. Meade, has abdicated his responsibility to conduct oversight of the agency's surveillance activities, and has instead served as a cheerleader for illegal spying on Americans. The reason why this is a serious problem, is because the NSA's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has now admitted he perjured himself when asked by Congress about the unconstitutional surveillance. Salon.com writer David Sirota now reports that a new poll shows a strong majority of Americans want to see Clapper prosecuted for perjury (excerpt below):

SALON.COM: There is no longer any doubt that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lied to Congress. Likewise, there is no doubt that his lie runs afoul of federal law. And, of course, there is no doubt that in terms of its implications for oversight, constitutional precepts and privacy for millions of Americans, his lies were far more serious than those that have gotten other people prosecuted for perjury. The question now is whether his brazen dishonesty will become a political issue — or whether it will simply disappear into the ether.

As evidenced by President Obama this week attempting to promote Clapper to head an “independent” NSA reform panel, the White House clearly believes it will be the latter. But a set of new polls out today suggests such a calculation may be wrong....

In the Democratic states of California and Hawaii, 54 percent and 58 percent of voters, respectively, want him prosecuted. In middle-of-the-road Iowa, it’s 65 percent. And in Republican Texas and Kentucky, it is 68 percent and 69 percent, respectively. These are particularly striking numbers because the “not sure” numbers are relatively small....

Indeed, outrage over the NSA's surveillance of innocent Americans has become a bipartisan issue, even impacting those who voted correctly to end the questionable snooping. The Huffington Post reported recently that Maryland's Tea Party Congressman Andy Harris was confronted by voters over the issue, even though he voted the right way (excerpt below):

HUFFINGTON POST: A Maryland town hall meeting grew heated Tuesday, when GOP Rep. Andy Harris faced disgruntled constituents angry over partisan politics fraying the country and the perceived lack of Republican action to fix problems.

At a packed gathering in Bel Air, voters voiced their discontent on topics ranging from the Benghazi attack to National Security Agency surveillance to health care reform. Some demanded that Republicans do more to pressure President Barack Obama and Democrats to change the direction of the country....

Harris tried to calm the crowd during the almost-two-hour meeting, emphasizing that he is "very, very worried about what the NSA is doing"....But Harris' constituents had grave concerns.

"When is this government going to come clean with the American people and tell us what this secret law says, how it's being secretly interpreted, how it's being secretly implemented, and what it means [to] every person in this room," one angered resident asked....

DENNIS KUCINICH SLAMS NSA & COMMENTS ON SNOWDEN AT DC FILM SCREENING - Last week, Maryland Juice invited readers to the DC film premiere of "Terms and Conditions May Apply," a new film about privacy and surveillance in the digital era. The screening was attended by numerous national civil liberties advocates, several Montgomery County residents and filmmaker Cullen Hoback. But former presidential candidate and U.S. House member Dennis Kucinich stopped by the premiere and offered his thoughts on the NSA scandal. Kucinich slammed the NSA and called for its dissolution, while stating that there should be ticker-tape parades for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Maryland Juice captured his comments in the video below:



VAN HOLLEN & DELANEY (KIND OF) BACKING AWAY FROM SUPPORT FOR NSA SURVEILLANCE - After the outcry over the failure to end the NSA's mass surveillance program, two Maryland supporters of the spy agency, are quietly trying to "reform" the program. Politico reported that this morning Van Hollen claimed that we should fix the snooping program to make it better (excerpt below):

POLITICO: [Rep. Chris Van Hollen] voted against an amendment by Rep. Justin Amash to pull much of the funding for the NSA program, calling it the wrong approach....  The NSA was back in the news last week after recent with a report in The Washington Post that the agency has broken privacy rules “thousands” of times.... The NSA to needs to get “advanced approval” for its queries, Van Hollen said....

Meanwhile, a few weeks ago Rep. John Delaney issued a press release asking for Congress to "examine" the NSA's mass surveillance activities:

JOHN DELANEY: Congressman John K. Delaney (MD-6) has joined 153 Members of Congress on a letter to President Obama regarding the NSA’s collection of bulk metadata. The letter states that, “Congress must examine the various national security collection programs and consider amendments to the law.”...

“My constituents have made it clear that they are troubled by the scope of our intelligence and counter-terrorism programs. I share their concerns. In the Washington region, we also know that we face an elevated risk of terrorism each day. Congress has a critical oversight role to perform and we should continue to examine the constitutional and national security implications of our policies,” said Congressman Delaney. “There was a heated debate last week on the Amash amendment, but that was not the final chapter. It’s important that we get this right: these programs are at the intersection of our security and protected liberties, the stakes are very high.” 

Indeed, Van Hollen and Delaney both signed a flimsy and meaningless letter to President Obama noting that there are "lingering questions" about NSA activities and that Congress should "examine" what's going on. It should be noted, however, that the letter lacks any credibility, given that it calls for no specific policy changes and was also signed by the same Democratic leaders who were whipping the NSA vote against privacy advocates. Indeed, many long-time rubber-stamps for the NSA and Pentagon signed the letter calling for more "examination" of the NSA's assault on the constitution. What have they been doing the last ten years? Apparently not "examining" what the NSA is doing.  #OversightFAIL

MORE ON THE GROWING NSA SURVEILLANCE SCANDAL SOON!

Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger Still Weighing Run for Governor, Decries Negativity Between Brown & Gansler

Last April, Maryland Juice published an exclusive interview with Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, who told our readers he was weighing a run for Maryland Governor in 2014. Today, The Washington Post reports that Ruppersberger is still weighing a run, and his comments highlight that he sees an opportunity given the recent negative turn in the race (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) said Friday that he is still considering running for governor of Maryland and decried the “negativity” that has emerged between the two leading candidates.

“Whatever I do, I’m going to make my decision in the fall,” Ruppersberger said in an interview here, where he is attending the annual summer conference of the Maryland Association of Counties.... “This negativity out there that’s started already, I don’t believe in that,” Ruppersberger said.

More on the Maryland governor's race soon!

ROLL CALL: See How MD House Members Voted on NSA Mass Surveillance // HINT: Vote Edwards or Sarbanes for US Senate?

BACKGROUND: Yesterday Maryland Juice reported that in response to revelations that our government was engaging in constitutionally questionable mass surveillance of Americans, the U.S. House of Representatives would be voting on a proposal to end funding for the NSA's warehousing of your communications. For years Democrats berated President George W. Bush and his minions (Dick Cheney and John Ashcroft) over their post-9/11 war on civil liberties and the Constitution. But for years now, we've watched as the Democrats took power and used their status to continue and expand Bush's assault on our privacy and liberty.

Yesterday the nation got a chance to see who among the hundreds of members of the U.S. House would actually be willing to take a vote to restore due process. Unfortunately, the effort to protect civil liberties came breathtakingly close but fell short by a handful of votes in a 205 to 217 vote.

Maryland's eight U.S. House members split 50/50 on protecting due process and your privacy, and a switch of only seven votes would've changed the outcome in favor of the people. Below we highlight how the Free State's Congressional delegation voted on the effort to end the NSA's mass surveillance program, and we provide some political context for the pathetic anti-civil liberties votes from four of our U.S. House members. But first, The New York Times reported on the broad context of the anti-surveillance effort (excerpt below):

NEW YORK TIMES: A deeply divided House defeated legislation Wednesday that would have blocked the National Security Agency from collecting vast amounts of phone records, handing the Obama administration a hard-fought victory in the first Congressional showdown over the N.S.A.’s surveillance activities since Edward J. Snowden’s security breaches last month.

The 205-to-217 vote was far closer than expected and came after a brief but impassioned debate over citizens’ right to privacy and the steps the government must take to protect national security. It was a rare instance in which a classified intelligence program was openly discussed on the House floor, and disagreements over the  program led to some unusual coalitions....

The amendment to the annual Defense Department spending bill, written by Representatives Justin Amash, a libertarian Republican from Western Michigan, and John Conyers Jr., a veteran liberal Democrat from Detroit, turned Democrat against Democrat and Republican against Republican. It would have limited N.S.A. phone surveillance to specific targets of law enforcement investigations, not broad dragnets....

Mr. Amash framed his push as a defense of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure, and he found a surprising ally, Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Republican of Wisconsin and one of the principal authors of the Patriot Act. Mr. Sensenbrenner said his handiwork was never meant to create a program that allows the government to demand the phone records of every American. “The time has come to stop it,” Mr. Sensenbrenner said....

Ultimately, 94 House Republicans defied their leadership; 111 Democrats — a majority of the Democratic caucus — defied their president....

HOW DID MARYLAND'S U.S. HOUSE MEMBERS VOTE?- Though a majority of U.S. House Democrats voted to curb the NSA's sketchy mass surveillance program, a majority of Maryland's U.S. House Democrats voted to continue the erosion of their constituents' privacy rights and civil liberties. See the Maryland roll call below:

VOTED TO END SURVEILLANCE OF MARYLANDERS (GOOD VOTE)

• Rep. Elijah Cummings - CD7 Democrat
• Rep. Donna Edwards - CD4 Democrat
• Rep. Andy Harris - CD1 Republican
• Rep. John Sarbanes - CD3 Democrat

VOTED TO CONTINUE SURVEILLANCE OF MARYLANDERS (EVIL VOTE)

• Rep. John Delaney - CD6 Democrat
• Rep. Steny Hoyer - CD5 Democrat
• Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger - CD2 Democrat
• Rep. Chris Van Hollen - CD8 Democrat

SHADINESS FROM MARYLAND'S HOUSE DEMOCRATS WHO SUPPORT NSA SPYING - Four Maryland Democratic House members voted to continue funding the NSA's mass surveillance program, joining a majority of Republicans, including policymakers like Michele Bachmann, John Boehner, and Eric Cantor. Let's explore the anti-civil liberties votes (and some hypocrisy) from a few of Maryland's Democrats below:

#1 - REP. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER: Ruppersberger's vote to continue funding the NSA's mass surveillance program should not come as a surprise to anybody. The NSA, after all, is headquartered in his district, and Dutch co-authored the controversial CISPA cybersnooping proposal which failed earlier this year (ironically with the backdrop of a White House veto threat that cited the privacy rights of individuals). But it is worth noting the numerous reports that Rep. Ruppersberger is one of the top recipients of contributions from the same Pentagon contractors who are doing much of the spying. The Washington Times reiterated this point last month (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON TIMES: Six of the largest government contractors doing “Top Secret” work for the National Security Agency and other U.S. intelligence agencies have given more than $16 million to lawmakers since 2007, according to Maplight, a firm that tracks political donations.   

The biggest donors were Lockheed Martin, whose employees gave over $5 million; Boeing, Inc. whose workers chipped in more than $4.5 million; and Northrop Grumman, $3.3 million....

Democratic Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, whose Maryland district includes the Fort Meade headquarters of the NSA, and who is the ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, received the second most in contributions, with just over $225,000....

#2 - REP. STENY HOYER: Steny Hoyer's vote to continue the mass surveillance of Americans is also not a shocker. Hoyer previously voted for the Patriot Act twice. Moreover, in past months, Hoyer was running around the country endorsing centrist/conservative Democrats in contested Democratic Primaries, presumably in the hope of finding allies in his quest to succeed Nancy Pelosi. But even more disturbing than Hoyer's positioning against progressives is his seeming use of the Patriot Act and government surveillance as political tools. For example, Maryland Juice located a 2005 press release from Mr. Hoyer where he hypocritically chastised Republicans over their use of the Patriot Act, before voting for it multiple times. Interestingly, the press release appears to have been removed from Hoyer's website, though I was able to track down a backed up copy (excerpt below):

STENY HOYER (CIRCA 2005):  House Republicans Abdicate Oversight on Patriot Act

Today, on this House floor, the American people will see no division in our willingness to do what is necessary to fight terrorism. What they will see today, however, is an absolute abuse of power by this Republican Majority – which has deliberately and purposely chosen to stifle a full debate on this important legislation, the Patriot Act.

This Republican rule is nothing less than a craven failure of our Congressional oversight responsibility on legislation that involves the government’s power to intrude on American lives. Every single year, Mr. Speaker, this Congress reauthorizes Department of Defense programs.  This reauthorization process allows us to assess, to re-examine and to re-calibrate our defense policies to the changing circumstances.

Today, however, we are being forced by this Republican Majority to permanently authorize 14 of 16 provisions of the Patriot Act.  And, we are being forced to extend the remaining two provisions – one that involves “roving” wiretaps; the other dealing with the FBI’s power to demand business records – for 10 years.

Democrats fought to sunset these provisions.  Why?  Because when it comes to the government’s power to intrude on the private lives of American citizens, the United States Congress should not be a participant in giving the government unchecked power to do so.  But our Republican friends seem to be afraid of a free, full debate on this issue.  Why are they so afraid of our democratic process?....

This Republican rule is an affront not only to Democrats – but to the American people and to our constitutional principles. And, history will record it as such.  Vote no on this rule.

#3 - REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Van Hollen is actually my own representative in Congress, so his vote to continue supporting the mass surveillance of Americans (including me) is very, very disappointing. Many of us expect a solid progressive voting record from Rep. Van Hollen, especially considering that his district is anchored in liberal Montgomery County. But the vote to continue eroding civil liberties and due process for Van Hollen's constituents appears to be the latest in a small string of support for the military industrial complex from someone who is often seen as Montgomery County's "golden boy."

In March of 2011, Van Hollen voted against winding down the war in Afghanistan (note that Rep. Donna Edwards was the only House member from Maryland to vote to end the war). Then in October of 2011, the Montgomery County Council introduced a completely symbolic resolution asking Congress to spend more money on social programs instead of war. The resolution had enough sponsors to pass, but strangely The Washington Post reported that it was withdrawn after lobbying by Lockheed Martin and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: A Montgomery County Council resolution asking Congress to spend less on wars and redirect the funds to social programs has drawn the scrutiny of one of the county’s largest employers and other lawmakers.... The nonbinding resolution, introduced by County Council President Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring), had gained a 5 to 4 majority on the council and was scheduled for a vote Tuesday.

But late last week, lawmakers and Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin, a defense contracting giant that employs more than 5,000 workers in Montgomery, urged county officials against the resolution. Ervin has withdrawn the measure, citing lack of support.

Council members and county officials were called by one of Lockheed Martin’s top lobbyists, a state delegate, and the offices of County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D)....

Going back to the topic of the Patriot Act, it should be highlighted that like Steny Hoyer, Van Hollen sang a different tune in 2005. Check out his hilariously contradictory past statements about the Patriot Act (excerpt below):

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (CIRCA 2005): Mr. Chairman, I rise to explain my decision to vote against the Conference Report on the Patriot Act.... It is very important that, in our effort to defend the liberties that Americans cherish, we not enact measures that erode the very freedoms we seek to protect. We can ensure that the government has the necessary surveillance powers without sacrificing the privacy rights of Americans....

Unlike the Senate bill, the Conference Report allows the government to obtain personal information on a mere showing of “relevance,” thereby striking the safeguard contained in the Senate passed bill that required a three-part test.  This allows the government to obtain this information without demonstrating that the information that they are seeking has some connection to a terrorist or a spy....

It is important that any policy that is advanced to enhance our nation’s security always maintains appropriate “sunshine” and checks and balances on those law enforcement and intelligence agencies that are empowered to promote national security.  History reminds us that these law enforcement tools can be overzealously used and may also be directed at innocent parties....

#4 - REP. JOHN DELANEY: There's not much to say about John Delaney's vote to support the mass surveillance of his constituents. As a freshman lawmaker with no legislative record, politicos had little information available to try and predict how Delaney might vote in Congress. But I guess we're beginning to get a sense of him, and if this vote is any indication, it does not appear that Delaney prioritizes civil liberties or due process. This morning, however, I did receive the following press statement from Delaney's office "explaining" his vote:

JOHN DELANEY: In considering the Amash amendment, I do not believe that it represents the best approach to this critical national security topic. Oversight and smart reform deserve full deliberation and consideration. Unfortunately, this was a hurried debate on truly sweeping changes, via an amendment to the defense appropriations bill. Such an approach does not do justice to the seriousness of the issue, for either side.

The surveillance programs administered by the NSA and other agencies raise serious and troubling constitutional questions that need to be resolved. With new technologies emerging each day, we need to continually revisit our government practices. Our system of government has checks in place and Congress has an important oversight role. We should continue to be vigilant, ensuring that our constitutional rights are protected and I hope we have a serious debate about the future of this program. 

Basically it sounds like Delaney did not have enough time to think about whether the gutting of the 4th amendment and mass surveillance of his constituents was kosher. Um, okay. It was also reported this week that he stands to earn $69 million from the sale of his company, so maybe he's banking on being able to vote however he wants.


A HYPOTHETICAL OPEN SEAT PRIMARY FOR U.S. SENATE? -  So there you have it folks -- only four of Maryland's eight U.S. House members voted to curb the mass surveillance of their constituents, and one of the four "good" votes even came from Tea Party Rep. Andy Harris. Where does that leave progressives in the event that a U.S. Senate seat opens up down the road? At this point in time it seems like most of Maryland's congressional delegation would be interested in a promotion to the U.S. Senate, but there seem to be dwindling choices for those of us who are tired of the "inside" game when it comes to issues of justice and liberty. If the election were held today, based on the trajectory of these voting records, Maryland Juice would be forced to take a close look at Rep. Donna Edwards and Rep. John Sarbanes. I hate to say it, but a lot of other folks in our delegation are looking kind of suspect right now.... You can attribute this partly to their ambition, partly to their unwillingness to buck leadership, and partly to their feelings of invincibility in their current positions (*eye roll*).  But as one of my friends used to enjoy stating, "nobody's irreplaceable." And you can bet that if a U.S. Senate seat eventually emerges, Maryland's progressive primary electorate will be able to quickly rule out some of the potential options. But there's still time for these wayward lawmakers to make it right!


ANGRY TWEETS AGAINST THE FOUR MARYLAND DEMOCRATS WHO SUPPORTED MASS SURVEILLANCE - Maryland Juice is not the only one who is extremely irate about the assault on civil liberties from Congress. After the NSA vote, we saw a number of angry Tweets being directed at Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Rep. John Delaney and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (samples below):

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR A CIVICS LESSON? - Amazingly, a wide range of telephone and Internet companies decided to give the NSA access to your user data (eg: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Skype, YouTube, etc). That is a situation that will need to be addressed by consumers very soon. But even more disturbing than the corporate misbehavior is that a large chunk of Congress (aka our representatives) apparently need a civics refresher course. After all, Maryland Juice would argue that this NSA surveillance vote was no ordinary vote. Whether the U.S. government can snoop without justification on the communications of millions of innocent Americans raises fundamental questions about due process, civil liberties, and abuse of power -- and more importantly, the issue begs the question of where these lawmakers draw the line when acting in the name of our safety. The slippery slope we all feared when Bush implemented the Patriot Act has become all too real, and Congress continues to let it happen. Enough already!

NOW OR NEVER: Congress to Vote on Ending NSA Surveillance Today // Left-Right Coalition Needs You to Call Your House Reps

PLEASE CONTACT MD MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TODAY  //  DETAILS BELOW

MARYLAND JUICE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: If you paid attention to the news in the last month, you likely discovered that the NSA, America's top-secret surveillance agency headquartered in Maryland, has been spying on and harvesting data on your telephone usage, email communications, social media accounts, and much more -- all in the name of your safety. Numerous major corporations have been complicit in providing the NSA and FBI access to your communications data, including Google, Microsoft, Apple, Skype, AOL, YouTube, Facebook, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and more. But the surveillance dragnet has involved millions of innocent Americans with little to no transparency for the public and minimal oversight from members of Congress. The only reason we now have proof of this government snooping on residents of the United States is due to the disclosures made from a handful of whistleblowers dating back to the George W. Bush administration, and most recently from 29-year-old former defense contractor Edward Snowden -- who is now being pursued as a "traitor" and "spy" by the Obama administration.

In fact, due to the NSA's classification of their spying operations as top-secret information, Senators who knew about what was going on were not even allowed to talk about it. But as the liberal blog DailyKos recently reported, a trio of U.S. Senators has been warning us for years about this civil liberties travesty (excerpt below):

DAILYKOS: Over two years ago [U.S. Senators] Merkley, Udall and Wyden warned about the administration's surveillance overrreach: "I want to deliver a warning this afternoon,” Wyden said. “When the American people find out how their government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they will be stunned and they will be angry...."

U.S. HOUSE VOTE TO END MASS SURVEILLANCE OF AMERICANS TODAY: This may be the only vote the American public gets out of Congress to finally curtail years of sketchy behavior from government spying agencies, so your diligence as a voter is urgently needed today (details below). Dozens of groups on the left and right are mobilizing their supporters to call members of Congress and urge them to vote to end mass surveillance of Americans. The Huffington Post reported on the rare development yesterday, and noted that the NSA is now lobbying against the interests of the people (excerpt below):

HUFFINGTON POST: The National Security Agency called for a "top secret" meeting with members of the House on Tuesday to lobby against the first House amendment to challenge the agency's authority to cull broad swaths of communications data, according to an invitation circulated in Congress.

The amendment was authored by Rep. Justin Amash, a libertarian Republican from Michigan, and cosponsored by former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and liberal Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers. The House ruled the amendment in order on Monday, and it is expected to get a vote sometime this week.

NSA head Gen. Keith Alexander scheduled a last-minute, members-only briefing in response to the amendment, according to an invitation distributed to members of Congress this morning and forwarded to HuffPost. "In advance of anticipated action on amendments to the DoD Appropriations bill, Ranking Member C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of the House Intelligence Committee invites your Member to attend a question and answer session with General Keith B. Alexander of the National Security Agency," reads the invitation. The invitation warned members that they could not share what they learned with their constituents or others....

The Amash amendment would put the House on record when it comes to NSA snooping. The measure, which would be attached to the Pentagon's spending bill, "ends authority for the blanket collection of records under the Patriot Act" and "bars the NSA and other agencies from using Section 215 of the Patriot Act to collect records, including telephone call records, that pertain to persons who are not subject to an investigation under Section 215...."

But Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee with access to classified details about the program, said there is no evidence that the data collection had been directly responsible for stopping any single plot. Civil libertarians, meanwhile, are aghast at the NSA's broad interpretation of the law, and even the [Patriot Act's] author said he was surprised at how it is being used....

IT'S NOW OR NEVER TO STAND UP FOR YOUR CIVIL LIBERTIES: The excuse by our nosy bureaucrats and government contractors over the years has been that the mass surveillance of Americans was all made legal years ago through the Patriot Act and FISA Amendments Act. Today you have an opportunity to take that excuse away from lawmakers and finally tell Congress to put their money where their mouths have been regarding civil liberties and your privacy rights. Please contact Maryland's U.S. House members and ask them to support the "Amash amendment" to end mass surveillance of Americans:

• CD1: Rep. Andy Harris (GOP)  -  Email,  Tweet  or call 202-225-5311
• CD2: Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (DEM)  -  Email,  Tweet  or call 202-225-3061
• CD3: Rep. John Sarbanes (DEM)  -  Email,  Tweet  or call 202-225-4016
• CD4: Rep. Donna Edwards (DEM)  -  Email,  Tweet  or call 202-225-8699
• CD5: Rep. Steny Hoyer (DEM)  -  Email,  Tweet  or call 202-225-4131
• CD6: Rep. John Delaney (DEM)  -  Email,  Tweet  or call 202-225-2721
• CD7: Rep. Elijah Cummings (DEM)  -  Email,  Tweet  or call 202-225-4741
• CD8: Rep. Chris Van Hollen (DEM)  -  Email,  Tweet  or call 202-225-5341

This issue speaks to the fundamental balance of power between the people and our government, and Maryland Juice will be fairly unforgiving to those Democrats who choose to stand with the military industrial complex on the side of the Bush-Ashcroft-Cheney surveillance state. You can find additional details on the effort to protect our civil liberties through the "Amash amendment" in the ACLU Fact Sheet below:

ACLU Fact Sheet on Amash Amendment to End NSA Surveillance

Full disclosure: Note that I work for a progressive, Internet Freedom organization called Demand Progress that has been fighting the NSA's surveillance efforts.