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

Federal Appeals Court Rules Frederick Sheriff Illegally Detained Latina Immigrant // Decision Restrains Deportation by Police

Tea Party Sheriff Chuck Jenkins at "Take Back America" Rally

Maryland Juice just received the following press release from CASA de Maryland, LatinoJustice and the law firm Nixon Peabody announcing that a federal appeals court has ruled that Frederick County, Maryland's Tea Party Sheriff Chuck Jenkins illegally detained a Latino immigrant.

The groundbreaking ruling has major implications for Sheriff Jenkins' racial profiling and mass deportation program and sets groundrules for law enforcement activities in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The press release below summarizes the ruling in the case and contains commentary from CASA de Maryland Executive Director Gustavo Torres:


PRESS RELEASE

Court Finds Frederick County, MD Sheriff
Chuck Jenkins Illegally Detained Latina Immigrant
In a groundbreaking decision, a federal appeals court found that that a state or local law enforcement officer’s suspicion or knowledge that an individual has committed a civil immigration violation without more information does not provide them with probable cause to suspect that the individual is engaged in criminal activity. The court said the officer may not detain or arrest the individual solely based upon a purported civil violation of federal immigration law.

Moreover, the subsequent issuance of an ICE detainer, after the illegal arrest and detention, “does not cleanse the unlawful seizure.” The decision came from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Virginia, setting law for Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

The decision unequivocally holds that local law and state law enforcement cannot enforce civil immigration law and found that the deputies had no legal authority to arrest or even briefly detain the plaintiff on the basis of a suspected or known civil immigration status violation.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF, CASA de Maryland and the law firm Nixon Peabody LLP in November 2009 filed a lawsuit against the Frederick County (Maryland) Board of Commissioners, Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins and two deputy sheriffs for violating the civil rights of Roxana Orellana Santos who had illegally been arrested and detained by two Frederick County Deputy Sheriffs on October 7, 2008.

The complaint alleged that Santos was eating her lunch in a public area outside her workplace when two uniformed and armed deputy sheriffs approached and began questioning her. They requested that she produce identification. Upon prolonged questioning and ascertaining that she had an outstanding civil immigration removal warrant, the deputies arrested Santos and placed her in a local jail before she was transferred to the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (“ICE”). She was detained in a detention facility without any criminal charges for 46 days, away from her then two year old son and family before she was released.

In a 2012 decision, the U.S. District Court of Maryland dismissed Santos’ lawsuit finding that the deputy sheriffs’ initial questioning and subsequent arrest on the civil immigration warrant did not violate the Fourth Amendment, a determination that was overturned with today’s ruling.

“We are extremely pleased by this ruling explicitly holding that local law enforcement cannot detain or arrest Latinos whom they may suspect of questionable immigration status,” said Jose Perez, Deputy General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “It is apparent that the Frederick County deputies pre-textually stopped, questioned and detained Ms. Orellana Santos solely based upon her physical appearance at a time when the Fredrick County Sheriff was publicly trumpeting how many immigrants his office had arrested. This is the essence of racial profiling.”

Increased attempts by local or state law enforcement to engage in federal immigration law enforcement have been accompanied by a troubling rise in racial profiling across the country as local police who are often untrained and poorly supervised seek to discriminatorily enforce federal immigration law against those they may suspect of being without status which is often impossible to discern.

“Sheriff Jenkins declared war on Frederick County’s immigrant community and today’s decision validates the complaints of local residents who have been terrorized for simply driving to the store, taking their children to school, or, like Roxana, eating lunch,” said Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland. “We hope that policing agencies across Maryland take this decision, and the liability that may flow from similar acts, very seriously.”

John Hayes, lead counsel on the case and a Litigation Partner at Nixon Peabody stated: “At stake in this case is a matter of acute public importance. Law enforcement practices that target a group based solely their appearance have no place in America. It takes great courage and commitment for Ms. Orellana Santos to come forward in the name of equal justice under law to stop this discriminatory treatment for everyone who lives or works in the County.”

The decision upheld dismissal of the claims against Sheriff Jenkins and the two deputies in their individual capacity determining that it was not clearly established law that local and state law enforcement officers could not detain or arrest an individual based on a civil immigration warrant at the time of the underlying October 2007 encounter. The U.S. Supreme Court in its June 2012 decision finding much of Arizona’s notorious anti-immigrant law SB1070 preempted by the U.S. Constitution noted that “detaining individuals solely to verify their immigration status would raise constitutional concerns.”

The decision reverses the District Court’s dismissal against the municipal defendants and remanded plaintiff’s official capacity claims against the County back to the District Court to determine whether the deputies’ unconstitutional actions are attributable to an official policy or custom of the county or the actions of a final county policy maker.

Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins upon being elected in Fall 2007 on a pro-immigrant enforcement platform entered into a 287(g) memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security permitting trained local deputies who undergo requisite training to engage in certain limited immigration enforcement. Neither of the two deputies who arrested Ms. Orellana Santos had received 287-g training and were thus not permitted to engage in any immigration enforcement. The lawsuit was filed on the heels of the Sheriffs’ announcement publicizing that he had detained his 500th immigrant.

###

JuiceBlender: 2 MoCo Democrats Trying to Weaken Assault Weapons Ban, PG School Takeover & Anger Over Frederick Cops

Below Maryland Juice highlights several tidbits of notable news and analysis for politicos:

JUICE #1: DELEGATES KATHLEEN DUMAIS & LUIZ SIMMONS UNDER FIRE FOR EFFORTS TO WEAKEN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN - Maryland lawmakers are currently debating various efforts to curtail gun violence, including a ban on assault weapons. But the NRA has succeeded in scaring some lawmakers about these efforts -- even though a super-majority of Marylanders favor stricter gun regulations. Now Democratic Delegates Kathleen Dumais and Luiz Simmons of Montgomery County are trying to exempt AR-15 weapons from the proposed gun laws:

AR-15 rifle with a Stag lower receiver California legal (only with fixed 10-round magazine). Photo Source: Wikimedia.

The Washington Post editorial board this weekend condemned efforts by these two Montgomery County Democrats to weaken the proposed assault weapons ban (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST:  [The] Maryland lawmakers now wavering on banning military-style weapons include Democrats who are highly unlikely to face a serious challenge in a general election. In fact, a number of them represent districts in Montgomery County where large majorities of voters favor gun control. They should favor prohibiting the sale of assault weapons such as the popular AR-15 because it’s the right thing to do to promote public safety and it would reflect the interests of their constituents.

After all, a variant of the AR-15 was used by John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo when they stalked innocent victims during their killing spree in the Washington area in 2002....

A pair of Montgomery County Democrats, Dels. Luiz R.S. Simmons and Kathleen M. Dumais, both members of the House Judiciary Committee, said they were inclined to exempt the AR-15 from the weapons ban....

Indeed, recent Washington Post coverage of the proposed assault weapons ban indicates that Del. Kathleen Dumais may have been swayed by flimsy arguments. Specifically, some veterans have been arguing against the ban by claiming that shooting assault weapons is relaxing. But Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown calls that argument "nonsense" (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Since he has returned from Afghanistan, A.J. Wynne, 24, who was a corporal in the Marines, has spent countless hours shooting in the farmland north of Frederick.... “It’s not yoga — it’s not graceful in any sense of the word, but I could do this all day long,” he said....

Del. Kathleen M. Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat and vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said veterans and competitive sportsmen were central factors in her thinking that a total ban may be inappropriate....

“It’s nonsense,” said [ Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown], the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to have served in Iraq. “The military trains us on these military-style assault weapons to perform a combat mission, and that combat mission does not exist in the communities of Maryland or anywhere in this country....”

You can contact the two MoCo Delegates who are wavering on the assault weapons ban below:

• DEL. KATHLEEN DUMAIS: (410) 841-3052 or kathleen.dumais@house.state.md.us 
• DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS: (410) 841-3037 or luiz.simmons@house.state.md.us

JUICE #2: MEDICAL EXAMINER RULES DEATH OF FREDERICK MAN WITH DOWNS SYNDROME HOMICIDE, BUT NO CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR 3 RESPONSIBLE COPS - Maryland Juice has been following the shocking story of a Frederick man with Downs Syndrome who was recently killed while in custody of three off-duty cops in Frederick, Maryland. The poor guy was watching a movie and wanted to stay for another showing -- but that was apparently too much for a movie theater employee, who proceeded to call three rent-a-cops (on loan from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office). From there, the cops apparently allowed the situation to escalate to the point that they handcuffed the young man and put him face-down on the ground. The case was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, but this weekend The Washington Post reported that no criminal charges were being sought in connection with the death (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Less than five miles from the theater where a man with Down syndrome died at the hands of the law enforcement officials he idolized, a grand jury on Friday heard the details of the case and decided that no crime had been committed....An attorney for the parents of Robert Ethan Saylor, who died at the age of 26, described their reaction as “extremely disappointed and saddened and concerned....”

Nationally, the case has drawn wide attention from parents of children with Down syndrome and advocacy groups. More than 1,000 angry messages also fill the Facebook page of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office....  [The] family has been concerned that the investigation was handled by the same sheriff’s office that employs the deputies....

Hundreds of Washington Post readers have posted angry reactions in response to the news. If you are unfamiliar with the basic facts, The Washington Post recently provided a summary (except below):

WASHINGTON POST:  Robert Ethan Saylor died last month in the custody of off-duty Frederick County sheriff’s deputies after he refused to leave a movie theater. The county is investigating, and parents of other children with Down syndrome have voiced concern.

As officials tell it, Saylor had been watching “Zero Dark Thirty” at a Frederick movie theater last month and, as soon as it ended, wanted to watch it again. When he refused to leave, a theater employee called three off-duty Frederick County sheriff’s deputies who were working a security job at the Westview Promenade shopping center and told them that Saylor either needed to buy another ticket or be removed....

The deputies restrained him using three sets of handcuffs linked together and escorted him from the theater. At some point, Saylor ended up on the ground and began showing signs of medical distress. A short while later, he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.... Late last week, the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore ruled Saylor’s death a homicide as a result of asphyxia....

Hundreds of residents have been speaking out in outrage over the incident on the Frederick Sheriff's Facebook page. (Note that Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins also happens to be a notoriously anti-immigrant Tea Partier).

Maryland Juice highly doubts that ordinary residents earn the same benefit of the doubt or sympathy from prosecutors that the cops in this case likely received. Typical.

In the meantime, Delegate Jill Carter thinks she may have a legislative response to the death of Robert Saylor. She posted the following response on Twitter drawing attention to her bill HB1281, which would require training in the proper use of force and dealing with diverse residents. The bill recently passed the Maryland House 110-21 and is now being heard in the State Senate:



JUICE #3: COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUSHERN BAKER'S ATTEMPT TO TAKEOVER THE SCHOOL SYSTEM GENERATES CONTROVERSY - Last week Maryland Juice appeared on News Channel 8's NewsTalk show to discuss some of the legislative battles going on in Annapolis. But host Bruce DePuyt also brought on Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker to discuss his newly launched effort to take control of the county's public school system. The effort was quickly introduced in Annapolis last week, and The Washington Post summarized Baker's broad goals (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is planning a takeover of the county’s struggling school system, seeking state legislation that would put him in charge of the school superintendent and $1.7 billion budget while significantly reducing the power of the elected Board of Education.

Should Baker (D) succeed, it would mark a dramatic shift in power and result in a hybrid of the restructurings that have taken place in big cities across the country, such as the District and New York, where reform-minded executives have wrested control of embattled school systems....

In comments appearing on News Channel 8 (watch below), Maryland Juice highlighted some of the potential political risks involved in Baker's school takeover plan. Below you can watch the News 8 discussion with County Exec Rushern Baker and Maryland Juice, followed by my comments on the death penalty, gas tax and more.

If you really want to dig into the schools issue, the PG Politics blog has been compiling news coverage about Rushern Baker's Prince George's takeover effort. Note however, that the PG Politics blogger is decidedly opposed to Baker's plan and has written a five-part series critiquing the schools takeover plan: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUSHERN BAKER EXPLAINS HIS SCHOOL TAKEOVER PLAN



  MARYLAND JUICE & PETER SHAPIRO DISCUSS BAKER'S PLAN



  MARYLAND JUICE DISCUSSES KEY LEGISLATIVE BATTLES THIS SESSION

WATCH: Fred Evans vs. Rebecca Smondrowski - MoCo School Board Debate // PLUS: Blaine Young vs. Frederick Teachers

This November, numerous Maryland voters will elect members of their local school boards. But some of these low-profile races are among the most competitive contests on the ballot. Below Maryland Juice highlights three notable Board of Education battles: Montgomery County, Frederick County & Prince George's County.

BOE BATTLE #1 - VIDEO DEBATE FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION (DISTRICT 2): Last April, Montgomery County voters nominated former principal Fred Evans and local politco Rebecca Smondrowski to run for the lone District 2 school board spot this November. Candidates from throughout Montgomery County can vote in this race. Fred Evans has the backing of the teachers union (MCEA), while Rebecca Smondrowski has the backing of The Washington Post and two other unions in Montgomery County: MCGEO and SEIU Local 500. Below you can watch Fred Evans and Rebecca Smondrowski debate on MoCo cable's "Political Pulse" show:



BOE BATTLE #2 - CANDIDATE WITHDRAWS FROM FREDERICK COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION RACE: This November, Frederick County voters will vote to fill a portion of their Board of Education seats. The race is highlighting numerous ideological battles, as Frederick Tea Party leader Blaine Young is trying to wrest control of the school board. He needs one more vote on the school board to unleash his agenda. Last May, Gazette columnist Joe Volz gave a quick background on Young's attempts to gain control the Frederick County school board:

CD6 ANALYSIS: Rep. Roscoe Bartlett Lacking Appeal in Montgomery County // Will Delaney Capitalize on GOP Gaffes?

MARYLAND JUICE'S ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATE OF THE CD6 RACE

BACKGROUND: Maryland's 6th Congressional District race is one the nation's most competitive contests for the November 6 elections. Indeed, Maryland Juice has been tracking this slugfest ever since Maryland Democrats redistricted Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's seat to become a majority Democratic U.S. House district. Note: check out our CD6 article archive. The formerly Western-Maryland anchored district now includes a majority of voters who supported President Barack Obama in 2008 -- including many voters in strongly Democratic Montgomery County and the city of Frederick.

MARYLAND JUICE'S QUICK ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT CD6 RACE: For Rep. Roscoe Bartlett to hold onto his seat, his campaign would need to make a number of things happen. First, they would have to appeal to some percentage of the new Democratic majority in CD6. Second, they would have to hope that either overall turnout was low in the Democratic areas of the new district or that enthusiasm for John Delaney remained low. Lastly, they would have to hope for high turnout among GOP base voters in CD6. Here's our take on how these factors are currently playing out:

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's Recent Attack Ad Against John Delaney

WILL NEGATIVE ADS REDUCE SUPPORT FOR DELANEY? - Here's the problem for Roscoe Bartlett: This is a presidential election cycle, which means that turnout will be higher than in off-year cycles (like during the Tea Party wave of 2010). Pinning your re-election hopes on low turnout in a presidential year is no way to win an election. Both the GOP and Democratic bases have additional reasons to be active in Maryland this year, but frankly there are more Democratic than Republican voters in CD6. So barring unusually low turnout in Montgomery County, Bartlett will have to count on finding artificial ways to suppress Delaney's share of the Democratic vote.

This is clearly where the Bartlett campaign's recent attacks on Delaney's environmental record come into play. The Maryland GOP has been sending mail pieces to Democratic voters trying to paint Delaney as a callous member of the 1%. Meanwhile, Bartlett is on TV with similar attack ads against Delaney. Clearly, the Bartlett campaign is trying to raise Delaney's negatives and suppress his support among Democrats.

One unusual feature to this strategy, however, is that Roscoe Bartlett himself does not appear to stand by the negative ads or even know what his campaign operatives and allies are saying. The Gazette recently covered this bizarre disconnect (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: At a recent town hall meeting, a man confronted Bartlett with what he perceived to be a negative campaign on the congressman’s part....

When the man handed Bartlett a campaign flier he’d received in the mail that labeled Delaney a “loan shark,” Bartlett shrugged it off. “That wasn’t me; that was the campaign,” he said, handing back the flier and shaking his head.

In a more recent exchange, Bartlett’s opponent called out the congressman for quoting a 2006 opinion piece in Forbes magazine, entitled “Loan Shark,” for Delaney’s business practice of lending money to small businesses....

“Oddly enough, the veteran Republican actually defended Delaney against accusations that he ripped off small businesses in favor of making bigger profits in the financial loaning industry. ‘I have no idea how he could be called a loan shark,’ said Bartlett....”

CAN ROSCOE BARTLETT SELL HIMSELF AS AN INDEPENDENT VOICE? - While trying to reduce support for Delaney, Bartlett is also trying to re-brand himself as an independent voice in Congress. His campaign is now attempting to make Bartlett more palatable to moderate, independent and Democratic voters  in the new CD6. The New York Times recently profiled a number of embattled House Republicans who are now claiming the mantle of bi-partisanship. Maryland's Roscoe Bartlett, of course, is included in the NYT mix (excerpt below):

NEW YORK TIMES:  In campaign advertisements, some lawmakers who once dug in against Democrats now promote the wonders of bipartisanship. And legislatively, Republicans in tough races are seeking to soften their edges by moderating their votes, tossing their teacups and otherwise projecting a conciliatory image to voters.

The Republican quest for bipartisanship — at least nominally — is not hard to explain. A New York Times/CBS News poll conducted last week and released this weekend showed that 44 percent of Americans see Republicans at fault for gridlock in Washington, compared with 29 percent who blame President Obama and the Democrats....

On election night in 2010, as Tea Party conservatives were being swept into office, Representative Roscoe G. Bartlett of Maryland, a 10-term Republican, declared: “The Tea Party came to where I was. I’ve always been there.”

But then came Maryland’s redistricting and an influx of Democratic voters to Mr. Bartlett’s once-reliable Republican corner of the state. Now much of his advertising emphasizes his support for higher education, including contributions to college funds out of his own pocket.

“Roscoe has never been afraid to buck his own party,” a radio ad intones. “Roscoe Bartlett, an independent voice for Maryland....”

BARTLETT'S GAFFES ARE DISTRACTING VOTERS FROM HIS MESSAGE: The reality, in Maryland Juice's honest opinion, is that it is hard to implement campaign messaging strategy when your candidate veers off course. In Maryland's CD6, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett has been veering wildly off course. Much media attention has been drawn to his recent comments comparing student loans to the Holocaust. The Frederick News-Post, for example, today published an editorial blasting Bartlett's Holocaust comments. But they also took the opportunity to dredge out past examples of Bartlett's gaffes (excerpt below):

FREDERICK NEWS-POST: U.S. Roscoe Bartlett faced a firestorm of attention in the past couple of weeks for his unfortunate invocation of the Holocaust to illustrate how ignoring the Constitution could result in serious ramifications.... Cue the sharp intake of breath, then the apology, then a call to resign....

As longtime 6th District constituents already know, the congressman has flubbed publicly before. Bartlett had been in office for only three months in 1993 when he referred to Asian-American names on a list of scholarship recipients, saying they didn't "represent the normal American." Naturally, a firestorm ensued after the story was first published in The Washington Post.

Then, during a 2002 announcement of expansion plans for Fort Detrick's PX and commissary, Bartlett questioned continued funding for cleaning up a polluted site on post.

IF A TREE FALLS IN THE WOODS // WILL THE DELANEY CAMPAIGN CAPITALIZE? - One great unknown in the CD6 race, is whether John Delaney will start airing advertisements highlighting Bartlett's record and gaffes. After all, it is currently unclear what percentage of CD6 voters have even heard about Bartlett's holocaust comments. My suspicion would be that a relatively small percentage of CD6 voters happened to be reading The Baltimore Sun, Frederick News-Post, Washington Post or Huffington Post at the time that Bartlett made the Holocaust comments. That means that unforced errors from the Bartlett campaign ought to present John Delaney with a "use it or lose it" choice to make about his advertising buys. After all, how many Montgomery Democrats will believe any attempts by the Bartlett campaign to moderate his image after hearing his comments about students loans and the Holocaust?

Yesterday, for example, a CD6 economic development blogger wrote a post titled "Why I Oppose Re-Election of Roscoe Bartlett," and they highlighted his long history of rightwing positions on issues. The blogger, at a site called "Thoughts about K4D" showed a scatterplot comparing Roscoe Bartlett to other members of Congress, and how based on his bill sponsorships, he is among the most rightwing Republicans in the U.S. House (see the graph below, noting that I've circled Bartlett's position):

The CD6 blogger also highlighted Bartlett's votes on a range of issues:

• Voted YES on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion. (May 2011)
• Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Jan 2007)
• Voted NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. (May 2005)
• Voted YES on terminating the Home Affordable mortgage Program. (Mar 2011)
• Voted NO on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending. (Jul 2009)
• Voted NO on modifying bankruptcy rules to avoid mortgage foreclosures. (Mar 2009)
• Voted NO on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package. (Jan 2009)
• Voted NO on monitoring TARP funds to ensure more mortgage relief. (Jan 2009)
• Voted NO on $15B bailout for GM and Chrysler. (Dec 2008)
• Voted NO on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy. (Sep 2008)
• Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Nov 2007)
• Rated 7% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
• Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
• Rated 25% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)
• Voted NO on letting shareholders vote on executive compensation. (Jul 2009)
• Voted YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC. (Oct 1999)
• Voted YES on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests. (Sep 1998)
• Voted YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. (Apr 2011)
• Voted NO on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program. (Jul 2009)
• Voted YES on deauthorizing "critical habitat" for endangered species. (Sep 2005)
• Voted YES on speeding up approval of forest thinning projects. (Nov 2003)
• Rated 30% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes. (Dec 2003)
• Voted NO on supporting democratic institutions in Pakistan. (Jun 2009)
• Voted YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. (Oct 2005)
• Voted YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse. (Apr 2003)
• Voted YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)
• Voted YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts. (Apr 2011)
• Abolish federal Medicare entitlement; leave it to states. (Dec 2000)
• Limit anti-trust lawsuits on health plans and insurers. (Mar 2002)
• Rated 22% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record. (Dec 2003)
• Redefine "birthright citizenship" to exclude illegal aliens. (Jan 2011)
• Declare English as the official language of the US. (Feb 2007)
• Declared English the official language of the US. (Jan 1999)
• Rated 0% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation. (Dec 2006)

FINAL THOUGHT: Many of the aforementioned details would surely alarm the numerous Democratic voters in the new CD6. But the question remains, will Democrat John Delaney go on the offensive or will he try to quietly ride into the sunset?

It's Official: Blaine Young Announces for 2014 Governor // MD Tea Party Fanatic Pushed English-Only Law, Frederick Sprawl

Drawing of Blaine Young from his website.

It's official -- Frederick County's attention-seeking Tea Partier, Blaine Young, has launched a bid for Maryland Governor in 2014. Mr. Young is the head of Frederick's Board of Commissioners, and Maryland Juice has previously written about some of his controversial actions.

He recently ensured that Frederick passed a useless law declaring English the official language of the County, and Frederick residents previously tried to launch a movement to recall him over his war on government employees. His hard turn to the right began after he was linked to an area Madame's prostitution scandal, in an incident that locals refer to as Blaine Young's "Black Book Scandal."

You can catch a television report of the announcement at Your4State.com, but The Frederick News-Post carried a print report (excerpt below):

FREDERICK NEWS-POST: Blaine Young says he will seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2014. In an announcement sent to media outlets today from his Yellow Cab email address, the Frederick County Commissioners president stated he has filed a statement of organization with the Maryland Board of Elections to create Blaine Young for Maryland as the first step in his gubernatorial bid....

UPDATE: No Change to Frederick Board of Education Results // 12 Vote Photo Finish for Primary Election

Maryland Juice recently noted that the Frederick County Board of Education primary this month might face a changed outcome with absentee ballots. Last week, the first round of absentee counting resulted in a 17-vote margin separating two candidates in the school board primary.

The election was to select six candidates to advance to the November General Election, but Tony Chmelik only held an 11 vote lead over seventh place candidate Emily Ann Meyer. After today's final round of absentee ballot counting, Mr. Chmelik is still in the lead -- by 12 votes! See the current unofficial results below:

Last Updated 04/13/2012 03:46:47 PM

Board of Education

Non-Partisan (Vote for No More Than Three)
Name	Party	Early Voting	Election Day	Absentee / Provisional	Total Votes	Percentage
Zakir Bengali	Non-Partisan	872	6,418	205	7495	9.5%
Tony Chmelik	Non-Partisan	441	6,074	162	6677	8.5%
Donna J. Crook	Non-Partisan	570	5,536	223	6329	8.0%
Colleen Cusimano	Non-Partisan	531	6,075	170	6776	8.6%
Kiesha La Kay Edmonds	Non-Partisan	175	1,382	50	1607	2.0%
Kathryn B. "Katie" Groth	Non-Partisan	1,248	9,895	320	11463	14.5%
James E. Hoover	Non-Partisan	317	4,149	147	4613	5.9%
Emily Ann Meyer	Non-Partisan	612	5,906	147	6665	8.5%
Cindy Ann Rose	Non-Partisan	342	4,770	119	5231	6.6%
Joy Schaefer	Non-Partisan	838	6,480	170	7488	9.5%
Tom Shade	Non-Partisan	739	7,179	261	8179	10.4%
Pam Ward	Non-Partisan	439	5,685	172	6296	8.0%

Montgomery & Frederick School Board Primaries May Come Down to Absentees // Two Analyses of the Results

Below Maryland Juice prints two analyses from Maryland politicos regarding potentially up-in-the-air results in Montgomery and Frederick counties.

A Close Race in Montgomery // Background: In Montgomery County, the District 2 Board of Education primary will ultimately yield two winners who will proceed to the November General Election. But currently, the second and third place finishers are separated by about 450 votes, with over 3,000 absentee ballots outstanding. A Leisure World Democratic Club leader and advocate Paul Bessel provides a micro-analysis of the race. Leisure World is a massive retirement community in Montgomery County with a large Democratic Club, and its super-large precincts have historically had the highest turnout in Maryland. Bessel looks at the District 2 results thus far in the Board of Education race, and he concludes that the outcome could shift. Read his take below. The current results are as follows (click to enlarge):

A Close Race in Frederick // Background: Meanwhile, in Frederick County, the Frederick News-Post editorial board notes that Tea Party leader Blaine Young received a rebuke from voters, given the strong showing of teachers union-backed candidates in last Tuesday's school board primaries. Young has triggered famous wars with public employees in his quest to raise his profile for a run at the Governor's mansion. Nevertheless, the News-Post ed. board highlighted the potential for the results to shift slightly, given the large number of outstanding absentee ballots (relative to the narrow margins). The Frederick Primary is a preview battle for three seats on the county's school board. In last Tuesday's election, voters were allowed to select three candidates out of twelve -- but the top six will proceed to the November ballot. Read the Frederick News-Post's take below. The current results are as follows (click to enlarge):

To help guide you through the math of whether any election results might change, you may want to take a look at the numbers of absentee ballots that were mailed out by the Board of Elections - [Absentee Totals Here]. Also, note that ballots will continue being counted until April 13, 2012.

Maryland Schedule of Ballot Tabulation:

1. Early Voting: Reporting (Early Voting Results are expected to be posted by 8:30 p.m. on Election Night)
2. Election Night: 1851 of 1851 Precincts Reporting
3. Absentee 1: Reporting (The Absentee 1 canvass begins April 5, 2012)
4. Provisional: Not Reported (The Provisional canvass begins April 11, 2012)
5. Absentee 2: Not Reported (The Absentee 2 canvass begins April 13, 2012)

Current Leisure World Democratic Club Leaders : Paul Bessel is standing next to President Obama

MoCo Board of Education District 2 Outcome Could Change // by PAUL BESSEL

Political JuiceBlender: O'Malley White House Update, Pundit Analysis of CD6 Democratic Battle, Blaine Young for Governor

Here's a random blend of political tidbits, starting with an update on Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's status in the 2016 White House field.

JUICE #1 // O'MALLEY WHITE HOUSE UPDATE: The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza has created a 2016 Presidential "bracket" and has named Gov. O'Malley the #2 seed in the race, one step behind New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (who Maryland Juice thinks is generally a douche). Unfortunately, the match-ups are a little uneven, as Gov. O'Malley is paired off against Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the first round. NY Gov. Cuomo, on the other hand, is paired off against the Montana Governor. Cillizza writes the following about his White House bracket effort:

CHRIS CILLIZZA: In our bracket we have seeded the top eight Democrats and top eight Republicans considered — by us — to be their party’s leading presidential candidates in 2016....

Here’s how the Sweet 2016 will work. Check out our bracket. Then vote in our first round matchups. Voting is open through Wednesday at 7 pm. We’ll tabulate the winners and then move on to the Elite Eight on Thursday. After narrowing the field to a Final Four on Monday, we’ll pick a winner on April 2, the day of the national championship game.

[ FILL OUT YOUR BRACKET CHOICES ]

O'MALLEY ON THE RADAR: There is no doubt that there are several reasons Governor O'Malley is constantly mentioned as a top 2016 Presidential contender. First, he has the natural advantage of representing the Washington media market -- which leads to unnaturally amplified and leveraged national political coverage, by virtue of a shared media market with the Congressional beat. Moreover, O'Malley has smartly chosen a number of tipping point issues to work on that are either priorities of the national party base or national Democratic leaders (ie: marriage equality, Dream Act and millionaires tax issues). His profile has also been elevated by strong back-to-back electoral performances in 2006 and 2010 and his leadership at the helm of the Democratic Governors Association. O'Malley's attendance at last week's White House "State Dinner" with U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron did not go unnoticed by those of us at home. Politico reports that not too many politicians were invited to the exclusive event, but Gov. O'Malley was there alongside George Clooney and the band Mumford and Sons.


JUICE #2 // MORE PUNDIT ANALYSIS OF CD6 DEM RACE: Josh Kurtz from the Center Maryland website has a scorching column today that condemns the leading candidates in the 6th Congressional District Democratic Primary. While blasting Rob Garagiola and John Delaney, Kurtz draws attention to the candidacy of military doctor Milad Pooran:

JOSH KURTZ: ...what does it say about our political system that the two leading Democratic contenders are the ultimate Annapolis insider, who has bent state fundraising rules and had the seat handed to him on a silver platter — and may still fumble the opportunity — and a very wealthy guy who is trying to buy the seat, and political credibility, aided by a Washington Post editorial board that’s on one of its unfathomable crusades?

And what does it say that both men — at the advice of their high-priced advisers — see their path to victory as a race to the bottom....

Garagiola had a legitimate claim on this Congressional seat, once the lines were drawn the way they were. But he’s made a pact with the devil — really, several devils — as he’s waged his campaign.

The first devil, of course, was Senate President Mike Miller, who was loudest among party leaders in insisting that the new 6th district be drawn just so — with Garagiola’s home in it, and other prominent Democrats out. Garagiola has considerable political talents of his own, but it only reinforced the notion, unfair but unavoidable, that he owes his entire political rise to Miller and Miller alone. Now Garagiola has the chutzpah to say he’d favor national redistricting reform....

This is clearly a case of Garagiola having to sleep in the bed that he’s made for himself. Worse, from a purely tactical perspective, he has teed up his candidacy for an unending series of attacks from the Washington Post editorial writers, who hate Mike Miller and Annapolis lobbyists almost as much as they hate unions — who, by the way, have also gotten behind Garagiola’s candidacy.

Which brings us to the Post’s favored candidate, Delaney. He seems like a good guy, and money shouldn’t be a disqualifier when considering a candidate’s merits. But haven’t we seen this movie too many times before?

Who the hell is John Delaney? Would we be giving his candidacy a moment’s thought if he didn’t have the ability to open his wallet to build a campaign apparatus? Would he have snared President Clinton’s endorsement if he hadn’t raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Hillary Clinton’s White House bid? Would the Post editorial writers even be returning his phone calls if they didn’t see his candidacy as a vehicle to knock the unions down a peg or two? And what about that contribution to Andy Harris, anyway?

Which brings us last, but not least, to Milad Pooran, a man with an interesting story to tell and solid progressive ideals. His family emigrated to the U.S. from Iran when he was 6 years old. “I’ve walked the long path to citizenship,” he says.

He’s a military doctor who has seen the horrors of war – and poverty – up close. He supports achieving universal health care coverage in this country and does not rule out the possibility of pushing for a single payer system. He’s been endorsed by Howard Dean and the co-chairmen of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

GOOD ONE MIKE MILLER - Maryland Juice continues to blame Senate President Mike Miller for artificially limiting the viable options in the 6th Congressional District. Way to go! Score one for democracy by the Democratic Party leader in the Senate. I'm not even talking about redistricting -- I'm talking about him using fear to squelch potential candidacies. You know, because he's so "good" at being a Party Boss. HaHaHa. Uh, will somebody show this guy the door already? Anyways, back to Kurtz' tirade. I'm not surprised at all that pundits and voters both should be disappointed in the way the CD6 race is developing. This doesn't look like a grand debate about the future of the Democratic Party or its issues in CD6, does it? Speaking of old news, did you catch Josh Kurtz's article noting that Delaney endorser Doug Duncan is thinking about running for Montgomery County Executive in 2014? Rolling my eyes.


JUICE #3 // FREDERICK NEWSPAPER DISSES BLAINE YOUNG FOR GOV: A few days ago, Maryland Juice flagged news coverage indicating that Frederick County politician and Tea Party leader Blaine Young had announced an exploratory effort for Governor. Thankfully, The Frederick News-Post does not rate his chances well. Also thankfully, Mr. Young has promised to serve only one term on the Board of County Commissioners. Maybe we'll be rid of him for good!

FREDERICK NEWS-POST: Frankly, it's hard to imagine how Maryland's electoral math could turn his way. Not even former Gov. Bob Ehrlich could pull off a second term, and he was, for all intents and purposes, a moderate. We'll be interested to see if this goes beyond the exploratory stage. To be honest, we doubt it.

Young, despite having once been a Democrat then flipping parties after he decided not to run again for Frederick city alderman, is about as conservative a conservative as Frederick County has to offer.

On the plus side, now is as good a time as any for a Republican to float a potential run, however....

And Young certainly is prominent, if controversial. He and his fellow commissioners gathered statewide recognition with their most recent vote to make English the official language of Frederick County government....

But it's the negative side of the ledger that Young will have most trouble with. It's unlikely the public persona -- Frederick's youngest good ol' boy -- will resonate in Montgomery, Prince George's and Baltimore counties. No Republican will be elected in Maryland without siphoning off Democratic voters in those areas.

The harsh spotlight of a run for public office can be a terrifying thing. It shows up flaws and failures in stunning high definition. No doubt the issue of the Frederick madam's Black Book -- and Young's listing in it -- will be floated and floated again in grainy black and white with ominous music and a gravelly voiceover attacking Young's credibility for office.

INVITATION: Frederick County Democrats Host 6th Congressional District Debate // FEB 29th 6-8 PM

INVITATION: 6th Congressional District Democratic Debate // Frederick County 2/29/2012

WOW: Frederick County Makes English Official Language // Montgomery & Baltimore Join Federal Deportation Program

WTOP is reporting that last night, Frederick County voted to make English their official language:

Frederick County has become the first in Maryland to make English the official language of the government.

The vote was 4-1 on Tuesday, with the lone dissent coming from Commissioner David Gray....

A public hearing regarding the issue took nearly three hours, during which most of the 19 people who spoke were against the measure.

Among those speaking against the ordinance was Meredith Kelly, who says the first settlers of Frederick County were German.

"By various reports, English was not the area language until the Irish immigrants came in in the late 1840s. The original newspapers were published in both German and English. So, I have to look at the history of the county and wonder, what the hell is the point of this legislation? What does it benefit, because it looks like pure anti-immigrant posturing," Kelly says.

Meanwhile, CASA de Maryland reports that today is doomsday for many Latino families in Maryland. Montgomery County and Baltimore City are set to implement the so-called "Secure Communities" program that was rejected by Democratic Governors in New York, Massachusetts and Illinois. The federal program demands that local governments check and transfer information about the citizenship status of residents, even if they are not convicted of a crime. The District of Columbia also rejected the program on the day that researchers released disturbing findings about the program. A number of actual U.S. citizens were arrested under Secure Communities (oops!), and the program disproportionately targets Latinos, sometimes breaking up families over trivial issues:

The study is the first to analyze government data on the program. Among its findings:

• 1.6 percent of those arrested were actually U.S. citizens
• 39 percent of people arrested through Secure Communities have at least one child or spouse who is a U.S. citizen
• 93 percent of those arrested are Latinos, even though they account for 77 percent of the entire undocumented population

See the press release from CASA below:

Top Chef Bryan Voltaggio Testifies in Annapolis // Bravo TV Star Seeks Funding for Nutritious School Breakfasts

Bryan Voltaggio of Bravo TV's Top Chef testifies in Annapolis, Maryland - February 20, 2012

Today Bryan Voltaggio of the Bravo TV show Top Chef made the rounds in Annapolis. According to the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland, the Frederick-based celebrity chef was on hand to advocate for funding for nutritious school breakfasts. Believe it or not, many children in the Free State do not have access to hot or nutritious meals every day. Voltaggio is part of growing number of chefs around the nation who are using their fame to promote healthier eating and better nutrition.

Maryland Juice has had the opportunity to dine at his restaurant, Volt, a couple times. Besides simply serving up tasty food, Voltaggio is also helping to transform and revitalize the city of Frederick, where he grew up. See his testimony below:

Marriage Equality JuiceBlender: Frederick Rally Coverage, Gansler on Referendum/Legal Challenge, Video Debate & More!

UPDATE: Metro Weekly has a video of Attorney General Doug Gansler's speech at the Frederick marriage equality rally last night:



News coverage in the Free State is currently focused on the growing battle over marriage equality. Before the start of the weekend, Maryland Juice highlighted a few developments with this issue:

1. The Tea Party announced an anti-equal rights rally tonight in Annapolis; the impetus is rumors that the form of the marriage bill will change to avoid a referendum,
2. The Catholic Church is helping promote the Tea Party rally, 
3. But their Archbishop is now stoking racial hostility to marriage equality, and 
4. Frederick area churches organized their own rally this Sunday to fight back against propaganda claiming that marriage equality is a religious issue, rather than a social justice issue.

Here is a quick round-up of updates to these stories, along with new coverage of Maryland marriage equality:

JUICE #1 - GANSLER SAYS PLAN FOR REFERENDUM: The Metro Weekly today posted two articles discussing yesterday's marriage equality rally in Frederick, Maryland. The first article (excerpt below) flags Attorney General Doug Gansler's remarks about the possibility of a referendum. We previously noted that rumors are circulating that the law may avoid the ballot this November.

METRO WEEKLY: Maryland's Attorney General, Doug Gansler, joined a standing-room only crowd at a church in Frederick on Sunday to support gay marriage....

"Obviously the law that we have -- marriage between a man and a woman -- is unconstitutional. It defies the equal protection, it's against due process, and it will change...."

Frederick County GOP Official Compares Blaine Young's Anti-Immigrant Proposals to Nazi Germany

Maryland Juice recently flagged an article in the Frederick News-Post discussing Tea Party leader Blaine Young's package of xenophobic and anti-Liberty policy proposals. We noted that a lone member of the Frederick County Board of Commissioners, David Gray, stood up to the Tea Party proposals

The Gazette now has their take on the proceedings, and it turns out the events were even more contentious than we previously reported. First, they involved comparisons of Blaine Young's proposals to Nazi Germany, and second, Maryland Juice did not realize the criticisms were being lobbed by a fellow Republican:

One longtime Frederick County commissioner is comparing another commissioner’s decision to crack down on illegal immigrants to 1940s Nazi Germany and the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust.

Commissioner David P. Gray (R) made the comparison during a discussion at a Board of County Commissioners meeting Thursday about a package of legislation targeting illegal immigrants in the county.

TONIGHT @ 5 PM: Frederick Rally for Marriage Equality w/ Doug Gansler, Ron Young & Galen Clagett

Maryland Juice just received the following invitation to a Frederick County marriage equality rally tonight from 5 to 6 pm. The notice comes from a new coalition of churches in Frederick. Sorry for the late notice, but I'm currently on the road:

Media Advisory

A new coalition of five downtown Frederick congregations will bring together more than 100 clergy, lay leaders, and members for a public accountability session on Sunday, January 29th, on the issue of marriage equality in Maryland.

Guests include the city’s representatives to the General Assembly: Sen. RonYoung, Del. Galen Clagett. (Del. Patrick Hogan was invited but declined). Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler will also join the event. The five congregations include All Saints Episcopal, Evangelical Reformed UCC, Grace UCC, Congregation Kol Ami, and Unity in Frederick.

Date: Sunday, January 29, 2012

Time: 5 – 6 p.m.

Place: Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ, 15 W. Church Street, Frederick [map]

Frederick County to Declare English Official Language? // Dear Neighbors, Please Do Something About Blaine Young (Seriously)

A Message to Frederick County Residents:

DE-THRONE YOUR KING: BLAINE YOUNG

Blaine Young, the elected leader of Frederick County's government has turned the Frederick County government into a taxpayer-funded Tea Party press operation. The Frederick News-Post is reporting on more embarrassing theatrics from up the I-270 corridor:

Frederick County has moved one step closer to making English its official language.

The Board of County Commissioners decided Thursday to hold a public hearing next month on the proposed ordinance. Residents will get a chance to speak on the issue before the commissioners vote....

"It just sets the tone," Commissioners President Blaine Young said.

Gov. O'Malley Says PlanMaryland Stops Subsidies for "Stupid Decisions" // MoCo Planning Board's Casey Anderson Explains

Maryland Juice has periodically discussed Governor Martin O'Malley's smart growth initiative PlanMaryland. Montgomery County Planning Board member Casey Anderson today provides readers with some information about the new land use guidelines. Conservative lawmakers have attacked the plan, but Gov. O'Malley adopted it as an Executive Order over their objections. The Baltimore Sun reported last month:

The plan has been decried by conservative county officials and Republican legislators as a usurpation of local power over land use, but O'Malley defended it Monday as a framework for making wise decisions about where the state should invest in capital projects....

O'Malley said the plan will not dictate local land-use policies but will guide state spending, steering money away from projects that promote sprawling development.

"The state's not going to be a part of those stupid decisions, and we're not going to be subsidizing stupid decisions — pardon me — unsustainable decisions," O'Malley said....

The plan seeks to discourage the spread of what it calls "large lot development areas" — subdivisions that are typically built with septic systems rather than with public water and sewer. The policy explicitly seeks to discourage the spread of such developments by minimizing funding for programs that fuel such growth.

Montgomery County Planning Board member Casey Anderson provided the following additional explanation of PlanMaryland:

The most important thing for anyone who lives in Montgomery County to understand about Plan Maryland is that if the surrounding jurisdictions are allowed to do whatever they want, the resulting sprawl will clog up our roads (because many of the people who move there will be commuting to jobs here or travel through MoCo on their way to DC).  It also will increase the amount of water pollution from runoff (because of increased amounts of impervious surface when new roads and parking lots are built, etc.) which limits our ability to grow, because the total amount of pollutants entering the Chesapeake Bay is subject to increasingly tight restrictions.  

In other words, if Frederick's development ends up polluting our watershed, then development in Montgomery will be more expensive and difficult because we will be required to pay for additional water quality mitigation in order to build anything.  

PHOTO: Rep. Chris Van Hollen Stumps in the New 8th Congressional District // Frederick Plowman & Fisherman Event

Former Frederick Mayoral candidate Jason Judd emailed Maryland Juice the following photographic evidence of Rep. Chris Van Hollen stumping in his new district.

Mr. Judd included the following caption:

Cong. Van Hollen at the Frederick County Plowman and Fisherman fundraiser tonight. Big crowd--120+. Benefits Frederick Co. Democratic Party.

Frederick County GOP Leader Blaine Young Seeks to Push "Illegal" Immigrants Into Montgomery County

Maryland Juice does not feel the need to give airtime to every moronic statement by a GOP politician -- but a recent comment by Frederick County politician Blaine Young is too ridiculous to ignore. While our neighbors in D.C. are fighting anti-immigrant sentiment, our other neighbors in Frederick are promoting it. In an article describing Mr. Young's new immigration strategy for Frederick County, The Gazette reported:

Commissioners’ President Blaine R. Young (R) said commissioners will explore avenues to try to curb the county’s spending on illegal immigrants. 

“We are going to make Frederick County as unfriendly to illegal residents as possible,” he said. “Let them go to Montgomery County.”