Once again, I had the pleasure of enjoying the company of about 65 or so other Republicans and some really good food (I believe the provider was a company called “Catering by Melissa” and Melissa herself tended the wonderful stuff) as we had another month’s meeting of the Wicomico County Republican Club. I tell you, it’s going to be hard to top our food this summer. But the club DOES have a Crab Feast next month….ok, in my view they won’t top this summer’s meeting fare but I’m not a big crab eater. Must be because my idea of seafood is good Lake Erie walleye.
Anyway, we did the usual inhouse business of the Pledge of Allegiance, recital of minutes, and treasurer’s report. We are still over twice as prosperous as we were this time last year.
Woody Willing of the Board of Elections had a few comments regarding the demise of early voting and the removal of Tom Perez from the ballot as unqualified. Having the sample ballots reprinted to delete the statement about early voting would cost Wicomico County over $11,000 so the ballots will go out with a sticker over the incorrect portion. However, it’s uncertain what the disposition of Perez will be since I’m certain some Democratic primary voters have already made their choice with him on the ballot. And I learned something tonight, in Maryland the absentee ballot form is available online. I’m not planning on using it but that may be valuable information for others to ponder.
Generally John Bartkovich, chair of the Central Committee, speaks toward the end of the program but he was close to the beginning tonight. We found out that Michael Steele will be appearing at two upcoming local events. One will be the Crab Derby down in Crisfield this weekend and the other will the the annual J. Lowell Stoltzfus (my State Senator from District 38) picnic on September 23rd. But can one call it a picnic when it’s held indoors? Regardless, Steele is slated to be at both events. John also talked about making sure signs were located appropriately but not to take matters into your own hands if they’re not. Of course, we also got a call for volunteers (from him and others) and most importantly a call to run clean and positive campaigns. He cited a letter in yesterday’s Daily Times as an example not to follow (it’s the first letter posted.)
We then had a few brief remarks from Governor Ehrlich’s Wicomico County chair, Ellen Andrews. Her main point was that we can’t get Ehrlich to appear at the Crab Feast because of a scheduling conflict (methinks it’s Rep. Gilchrest’s Bull Roast, held the same day up the Shore) but we are slated to get running mate Kristen Cox. Certainly we get the better looking of the duo.
With that, we turned the meeting over to Wicomico County Sheriff candidate Chris South, who noted that George Washington never gave a speech over ten minutes long and he was going to follow a good example. I didn’t time the speech but South was relatively brief.
He touched on his five platform elements: community relationships, reaching our youth, comunication between law enforcement agencies, enhancing professionalism in the WCSD, and looking into the future. As part of the community relationships, he advocated that the deputies stick to the county areas and leave the highway patrolling to the Maryland State Police, and also plugged a proactive approach to crime prevention rather than a reactive one.
Continuing, Chris stated that “deputies are looked upon as leaders by our youth” and as role models. He would encourage his deputies to interact with kids as young as preschool and would be certain to retain the deputies in our schools. Communication between agencies under his watch would be fostered by daily conference calls between himself and the local police departments.
Whether this was a problem wasn’t clear, but South said he’d work for higher morale and better training among the WCSD deputies and work to diversify the department to “mirror the community”. As the first new Sheriff in 20 years he wanted to work closely with whoever was chosen as County Executive. I thought of it as South stating he’d be happy these offices could start afresh and usher in a new era on both sides.
In his current position with US Air at the Wicomico County Airport, South asserted that he was responsible for passenger safety and is the liason for the TSA there. He also noted that he’s been selected as an “Officer of the Year” twice in two different police departments, so he’s had lengthy law enforcement experience.
To sum up South’s remarks, he wanted to implement his skills for a safer community by working together.
We then heard from House of Delegates District 38B hopeful Bonnie Luna. Luna came across as a quite humorous speaker to start, quipping that she’s spent more time with the four men opposing her than her husband. And while stating her admiration for President Bush, she did allude in a gentle jibe at the President that because he’s spent his day in the areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina a year ago “if I don’t do well (here tonight), it’s his fault.”
With that good beginning, Bonnie launched into a little bit of biographical information and stuff I didn’t know about her. Like me, Bonnie is a “come-here” but of much older vintage (early 1970’s) who was (and remains) a licensed Realtor. She also claimed that she was likely the first woman on the Shore to own a construction company while she lived in Ocean Pines. But Bonnie came to politics much later, beginning with the campaign of George H.W. Bush for President. She also worked early on campaigning for an obscure Congressional candidate named Luis Luna – obviously that made the biggest change in her life. As she joked, Luis lost the election but got the prize.
While Luna’s also worked on several other campaigns (Ellen Sauerbray for Governor, Senator Stoltzfus as campaign manager, and local coordinator for President Bush twice) what convinced her to run for this seat was a stint as an intern in the office of Delegate Dick Sossi back in 2005. Describing the atmosphere in Annapolis as “disheartening” and “partisan”, she related the three themes she’s built her campaign on: common sense, putting people before politics, and doing the right thing for the people – not solely for reelection.
Bonnie contended that, rather than the General Assembly taking all of its effort to pass an early voting bill that was a “waste of time” because it was ruled as nonconforming to the Maryland Constitution, the energy should have been exerted on passing items like, as one example, tort reform. Health care was in a “near crisis” state according to Luna, warning that the lack of sensible tort reform was forcing doctors to retire early or cut services. She called this a “quality of life” issue. In a related matter, she saw getting more help to small businesses attempting to buy employees health insurance as a priority, seeking for them a way to more easily attain “umbrella” coverage and allowing small businesses to combine their efforts and dollars.
Another thing Bonnie chided the recent editions of the General Assembly for was not passing any safeguards against the misuse of eminent domain. (Wonder if she knows about the Castle Coalition?) And of course, she did have some unkind words about her Democrat opponent’s support of the Wal-Mart bill.
One item that blew my mind was her contention that Governor Ehrlich stopped in one way or another taxes proposed by Democrats in Annapolis that would have amounted to $1,500 for each and every resident of the (not so) Free State. Describing her district as a “battleground” because of the effort by Democrats to maintain their stranglehold on the General Assembly and also due to the fact this essentially is an open seat due to the April death of longtime Delegate Bennett Bozman, Luna concluded by asking us for our vote and our help in gaining a seat for the Republicans in Annapolis.
Finally, M.J. Caldwell was called upon to introduce all of the candidates in attendance. If my count was correct there were 30 candidates there, including myself. He said something that I didn’t know as part of his overall remarks – apparently the Democrats have already selected a replacement should the late Tony Bruce “win” the Democrat primary in District 38A. I guess they don’t see the young man (Patrick Armstrong) who paid his fee and got his name on the ballot as a credible candidate they can get behind. Who has the “good old boy” network?
Our next meeting will have far fewer candidates in attendance, as it will be after the primary. That date to remember is September 25th, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
