Engage the purple shirts (and release the hounds!)

In the wake of the Madison showdown, the Service Employees International Union (affectionately known about these parts as the purple shirts) is holding a number of local rallies to show their support. I don’t think they have the cajones to show up in Salisbury, so they’ll be in friendlier Maryland territory – Annapolis.

The details are as follows (h/t to Ann Corcoran and Potomac TEA Party Report):

Time: 12:00 PM (Tuesday, February 22)
Location: Lawyers’ Mall, Maryland State House
Address: 100 State Circle – Annapolis, MD. 21401

What a way to sully George Washington’s birthday – a real group of freedom fighters would be on Governor Scott Walker’s side, not backing Wisconsin’s ‘cut-and-run’ Democrats. But we know how the SEIU rolls, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see a few of their toadies in the General Assembly sneak out and show their support. (It would be even cooler for GOP members to mount a counterprotest – like these union thugs would vote for Republicans anyway. Our job is playing to the real people of Maryland who believe unions should be kept in check and do what they are supposed to do – organize workers, not play political games.)

As of this moment, the SEIU website shows 26 rallies in 22 states – mainly those where union presence is heaviest. A notable omission from the list is Virginia. Delaware isn’t on the list yet, either; then again, Annapolis isn’t all that far for them.

This would be a great opportunity for those TEA Party activists (well, the ones who aren’t trying to make a living like yours truly) to bring your cameras and verify that these purple shirts act with decorum and respect for opposing views. Yeah, like that will happen – the 1-2″ of snow predicted for Tuesday morning will arrive too soon to cover the mess they’re sure to leave given the track record of lefty protests. It also may give the Anne Arundel County schoolteachers some cover if school is cancelled due to the wintry conditions. (Saves them from calling in ‘sick.’)

In the meantime, I stand with Governor Scott Walker. Maybe we’ll find one of those cut-and-run Democrats hiding in Annapolis at the rally – if so, make sure he or she is returned to Madison, Wisconsin.

The federal land grab

Over the past few weeks there’s been a push to place more of the land below our feet under federal control.

Using the lure of potential tourism dollars, Democratic members of Congress from both Maryland and Delaware have submitted bills to set aside land for a national historical park – Maryland’s would honor Harriet Tubman while Delaware’s would encompass a number of the state’s historical sites. In particular, the Delaware lament is that they are the one state without a national park. (Hey, they’re also one of just five states where their state capital isn’t served by an interstate highway either, but I’m not seeing a clamor for something more important like that.)

Certainly there can be a case made that some historical areas are worth seeing and rank among the nation’s top tourist attractions. But the argument can and should be made that, if an area were worth preserving, it would have already been done by now. And, as fellow bloggers in both states point out, what other restrictions will be placed on those who live in areas surrounding the parks? In particular, Ann Corcoran speaks from experience, and as she notes:

I’m not saying economic development is bad.  It’s just that when governments and developers team up to cheat or trick landowners that’s where I object.  Our Founding Fathers would, I am positive, agree with me.

By the way, the strategy is always the same—they dupe those true historic preservation-minded citizens with this “preserving our heritage” mumbo jumbo into being shills for the plan.   What about our heritage of private property rights and limited government?

And a side note: remember awhile back when there was a development planned for a tiny sliver of the Blackwater area? Well, those 3200 homes and the golf course will be a distant memory now that the state has its clutches of the land, but perhaps the even more onerous taskmaster would be the federal government. They’ll allow the state its $8 million boondoggle that’s already in the works, but that’s about it. Isn’t it nice to have a park suitable for maybe a three-hour day trip but nowhere to stay or play nearby because the natural beauty of farmland must be preserved?

It’s worth pointing out too that the federal government already controls about a third of the land mass in the country, although the vast bulk of the area is west of the Mississippi. Yet they can’t maintain what they have, nor are they eager to allow mineral, coal, or fossil fuel exploration under their land (which could help defray part of their upkeep costs.) Although it’s doubtful we have that particular concern under the Delmarva Peninsula, the counties affected will have to deal with the projected vast increase in tourism without the help of the property taxes they may have collected from the government-owned land.

Sometimes the powers that be just do something because they can. The state already has its mitts on the most important part of the Tubman area and presumably the same situation applies in Delaware for its historical sites. To me, that’s plenty enough protection – we don’t need Fedzilla telling us what to do as well.

If anything, let’s start returning land to taxpaying status and encourage upgrading our infrastructure to accommodate more commercial and industrial development to go along with the bid for more tourism. While it wouldn’t be appropriate to render these historical sites worthless by crowding them with development, we don’t need them to exist in isolation either.

Second C of C forum…well, it was different than the first

New moderator, new cast of characters, new questions – it was an interesting mix at the second of two PACE/Chamber of Commerce Salisbury City Council forum kicked off at noontime yesterday to a cast of onlookers which included the Daily Times, WMDT-TV, and two bloggers (although the other just took pictures.) The four gentlemen in the hot seat this time were Muir Boda, Joel Dixon, Tim Spies, and Michael Taylor.

Matt Creamer, who was supposed to moderate last week until he fell ill, did the honors this time after thanking Mike Weisner for handling part 1.

After each candidate had five minutes to deliver an opening statement, the questions dealt with health insurance for City Council members, the prospect of user fees for stormwater expenses, fire calls, non-resident accidents, and the like, afterschool programs, nonconforming uses, and a quick closing question on whether there should be a skateboard park in City Park along North Park Drive.

As I did last week I’ll go through each candidate in turn, with Michael Taylor drawing the first slot.

Taylor literally came from work to play his part; his task today was helping to set up the Civic Center for tonight’s Fernando Guerrero fight. He works for Wicomico County, but ran for Council to “help the city of Salisbury the best I can.” One piece of his past he pointed to in his opening statement was a background in construction.

Since Michael was brief in his opening statement and had allotted time remaining, Matt Creamer opened the forum to questions specifically for Taylor. I asked, given his construction background, whether he had any insight into improving business and development. Permitting and licensing could be “more user friendly…(it was) very, very difficult” to secure permits. However, Michael’s experience was that Salisbury wasn’t much different than other cities for permitting. (Perhaps this “streamlining” could be something we can take advantage of.)

Taylor “would say no” to part-time Council members getting health insurance paid for. He’d also say no to user fees unless they were “necessary, fair, and equitable.”

Michael informed the questioner regarding afterschool programs that the county already performs these tasks. “Having somewhere for kids to go is paramount.”

To Taylor, the mayor’s neighborhood housing initiative was “essentially killing an industry.” Instead, each of the seven parts should be passed on its own merits after some necessary “tweaking.” He added, in response to another audience question directed specifically at him, that we need a “balance” of places to live because many in the working class lack their own transportation, thus they live close to work in the city.

Finally, Taylor agreed the need is there for a new skate park, and the county’s parks and recreation department is looking into suitable venues for one.

Following Taylor in his opening statement was Muir Boda. Boda went over his background and work experience in his opening statement, pointing out that 1/3 to 1/2 of his current job deals with criminal activity. But he was running because “I love the city of Salisbury.”

“We all get frustrated with the political environment,” continued Muir, who called on the process to be “inclusive, not exclusive.” He applauded the current Council’s decision to spread out capacity fees over 24 months as “a wise decision,” and saying people affected by City Council “need to be part of the process.” He wrapped up the statement (and his time) by challenging the faith-based community to step up.

He agreed that City Council members don’t need to have their health insurance paid for, and while we could pick through the budget to question specific items from the past (as Tim Spies did in answering before him) the Council should have benefits similar to those of other part-time positions in the city.

Boda believed we could look into a stormwater fee, but the fire department could benefit from a system similar to Worcester County’s. There each department gets a base contribution but additional funding depends on the number of calls serviced. Muir also thought it time to take a fresh look at the tax differential.

Muir was familiar with some youth programs through his church, which served as a mentorship to WiHi. Government could create the environment but needed to identify partners to lend a helping hand.

The neighborhood housing initiative was an example of legislation crafted without input, Boda believed. He also opined that Salisbury was using the wrong comparison models – instead of Dover and Annapolis, he thought better comparisons would be Morgantown, West Virginia and Blacksburg, Virginia – towns which house West Virginia University and Virginia Tech, respectively. They have relatively similar renter to homeowner ratios as Salisbury’s.

Boda would only support a skate park if the residents wanted it.

Tim Spies described his experiences in the Navy and with returning to the Eastern Shore after his military service. In the early ’90’s he bought a house he described as a “fixer upper” and eventually he became involved with the Camden Neighborhood Association. He’s contributed “ideas, time, and energy” to the city since.

Crime was at the “forefront” of issues and the crime rate was “rather embarassing,” but “employers are what we need here.” And while crime was down 11 percent, as a questioner claimed, it’s gone up “400 percent” since he came to the city.

In responding to the question about health insurance for City Council members, Spies pointed out previous foibles like the acquisition of the Cypress Street property for the new Station 16 for $660,000 shortly after a previous owner bought the property for $175,000. “The foolish spending has to stop,” said Spies, but “$10,000 (to cover health insurance for Council members) is paper clip money.”

“I think you need more incentive (to run) than a $10,000 salary,” said Tim.

But when it came to a response fee for those from out of town who were unfortunate enough to cause an accident, Spies borrowed a familiar phrase. “You betcha,” he said. In addition, a stormwater fee wasn’t a bad idea but it had to be “scientific,” based on the total property area and impervious surface. “There is money to be generated,” he said.

Spies also reflected on his previous experience running the “Weed and Seed” program in answering the afterschool activity question. “We can’t have enough afterschool programs,” Spies enthused. He added that faith-based organizations have their place too.

The “seventh and most deadly” part of the neighborhood housing initiative turns out to be the nonconforming use provision. Spies doesn’t support it “to this point.” Compromise with the housing industry on that portion and get the other six parts rolling, pleaded Spies.

And build the skate park – just not in a dense residential district, concluded Tim.

Our final contestant in opening statement order was Joel Dixon. He drew the last position in his first public campaign event.

In his opening statement he passed around a prop – a chart from the Salisbury Police Department showing a 29.4% drop in Part One crimes vs. the total one year ago. It’s a “good step in the right direction,” said Dixon, a firefighter by trade who works in Anne Arundel County and volunteers here on his off days. He’s a volunteer lieutenant at the aforementioned Station 16.

He jumped into the race as a victim of crime. “I didn’t want to sit back and complain about it,” said Dixon. He also felt that his age (25) brought a different perspective than the others would have.

Since he also came in under the five-minute wire in his opening, Joel got the opportunity to confess his ignorance about a nearby community center in his first answer. But he promised to look into what was offered there.

On several of his answers, Joel came across as a fiscal conservative. For example, paid health benefits for City Council members would be “a good tool” but right now wasn’t the time for that.

“I don’t think I could support any new fees at this time” was his succinct answer to the fee question, although he conceded Anne Arundel County is implementing accident fees similar to what the questioner proposed.

Community-based and citizen-based afterschool programs could create the proper atmosphere for youth, Dixon argued. He also opined on the Neighborhood Housing Initiative question that there was no plan for relocating those affected and asked if they could afford the newly created single-family units.

In his final answer, Dixon echoed Muir Boda (who answered first) in leaving the question up to those affected. Joel’s answers were usually the most brief but generally conveyed the points he wanted to make adequately. (This also tended to be true in his responses to my questions.)

Upcoming forums include the AFP effort at Brew River next Wednesday and the NAACP forum at the St. James AME Zion Church the next night.

Boda surges to lead in new Salisbury Council poll

Well, the results are in from my second Salisbury City Council poll, and the winner is… my advertising fund. Well, how else would one explain Muir Boda moving from a tie for third in the first poll from late January to first place this time? At today’s Chamber forum Boda confided he had seen a good amount of traffic to his website from here. (That’s called a hint. I don’t guarantee any of the other seven would have the same result, but there is an ‘ads’ tab above.)

In truth, the poll showed essentially the same contenders as before, although instead of what looked like a four-person race it’s now perhaps five as Joel Dixon made a solid upward move to close the gap on the frontrunners. Conversely, the one who may need to worry most based on results would be Orville Dryden. His good first impression may be fading, although he still looks primed to survive the March 1st primary. And the survivor out of the bottom three (Ford, Mitchell, Taylor) has a steep uphill climb to make in the final five weeks if this poll is any indication of eventual results.

This poll was a somewhat shorter effort than the last one but there were still 162 votes cast. The order of finish is listed here, with the previous poll finish, percentage and percentage change from the initial poll following:

  1. (3 – tie) Muir Boda – 37 votes (22.84% – up 4.37%)
  2. (3 – tie)Terry Cohen – 33 votes (20.37% – up 1.9%)
  3. (1) Tim Spies – 30 votes (18.52% – down 0.76%)
  4. (2) Orville Dryden – 25 votes (15.43% – down 3.45%)
  5. (5) Joel Dixon – 20 votes (12.35% – up 2.71%)
  6. (6) Bruce Ford – 6 votes (3.7% – down 3.13%)
  7. (8) Laura Mitchell – 6 votes (3.7% – down 0.32%)
  8. (7) Michael Taylor – 5 votes (3.09% – down 1.33%)

A few other notes of interest:

As you’ll see in my rundown of today’s Chamber forum tomorrow, the format and questioning were very different from the initial effort last week. It’s possible that, with two remaining forums next week (AFP and NAACP) the finished product between the two for PAC-14 may not be aired until after the primary and edited to cut out the two bottom finishers. It was hoped, though, that the editing would be done for Tuesday.

I finally caught up to Michael Taylor today and he apologized for not answering my questions. I may do an audio interview (you could call it a podcast) with him early next week. However, it probably won’t take the exact same form as the questioning I gave the other seven. He may remain the lone candidate in the race without a website or Facebook page, though.

Having the split forum before the poll hurt most of the candidates who participated in round 1 – only Terry Cohen increased her percentage from the last poll. Meanwhile, my top gainers were two who participated today.

I’m working on enhancing the poll and broadening its scope for the final effort before the primary. Stay tuned to see if my effort bears fruit.

New Delaware links

Apparently it was a hot time in Sussex County last night – and we thought the battle for Chair here in Maryland between the establishment and TEA Party was intense. But given the venom which still exists after the entire Christine O’Donnell and Mike Castle primary last September (five months ago!), I’m doubtful we here in Maryland have anything on the First State.

Obviously I’m looking at this as an outside observer, but thanks to Chris Slavens (who I already link to) I found a few other link-worthy sites across the Transpeninsular Line – check out DelawarePolitics.net and their extensive coverage along with Blue Hen Conservative and Sussex County Angel

In many ways, Delaware is the image of Maryland – a state dominated by an urban region where conservative rural residents are forgotten or just plain abused by the state government. They have a story worth telling as well, and while I don’t focus much on their state it’s worth linking to those in the know.

The war on rural Maryland

In response to legislation prohibiting septic systems in rural developments, State Senator E.J. Pipkin and Delegate Michael Smigiel created a website called The War on Rural Maryland.

It’s no secret that people in Maryland care about Chesapeake Bay. I’ve noted before that any legislation deemed to be “for the Bay” would likely pass in Maryland regardless of its merits – even the mythical Chesapeake Bay Legalization of Murder Act of 2011 might get the support of rabid environmentalists if they could kill off the right people – after all, it’s “for the Bay!”

(For all you high-strung progressives and PC police types, yes, I’m only kidding. Sort of. Somewhere in this state I’m sure a Jared Loughner type is lurking and he or she may just take up that type of offer if presented.)

But when septic systems in Maryland create a relatively small portion of the problem, the effect on rural development may be akin to taking a sledgehammer to an ant. It’s not like Wicomico County is growing by leaps and bounds, despite what the Census may have said – I’d wager most of that population growth occurred before 2006. Since that point, planned residential developments such as Aydelotte Farms and the Village at Salisbury Lake (a.k.a. the Old Mall) have built up slowly, if at all. The building slump also affected commercial plans such as the Hobbs Road development I was involved in. Overall, the number of building permits issued is well off its mid-decade peak.

While it’s true that other counties in Maryland may be developing faster, the idea of the ban is simple and can be summed up in two words: “smart growth.” (To me, it’s more of a “so-called” concept because who’s to say what is smart for us here on the Eastern Shore? Certainly not some faceless planner locked in an Annapolis or Washington office building.) In other words, under “smart growth” you will develop property where we (the government) tell you to, and if you happen to own property outside that area you may want to build on sometime down the road, well, you’re shit outta luck. We need to preserve those wildlife corridors and wetlands for mother Gaia’s creatures.

The state moved in this direction several years ago with the “flush tax” and accelerated the process last year by requiring nitrogen removal on new septic systems – but they only could cover a portion (if any) of the additional costs incurred by hapless homeowners forced to switch to or install these units.

A hearing on HB1107 is slated in front of the Environmental Matters Committee on March 11 at 1 p.m.

But even if we can stave off the ban for a year or two – you know O’Malley and his environmentalist buddies are going to keep knocking on this door until we finally tire of the fight and relent – we Maryland drivers also have the prospect of an additional gas tax hanging over our heads.

Now, the argument on this one is that we’ve not raised the gas tax in nearly twenty years and we need to make sure there’s money in the Transportation Trust Fund. (Of course, that’s until the fund is raided by a certain governor – who shall remain nameless – to balance his budget.) One bill which would make the pilfering more difficult but raise gas taxes 10 cents a gallon now AND provide for automatic increases in the future was introduced by Western Shore Democrats in the House and Senate. Another bill which would force Eastern Shore drivers to subsidize mass transit used across the bay via a 4% sales tax on gasoline is SB451. The House bill will be heard March 1; the Senate bills on March 9.

In general, we on the Shore drive a lot. It’s not uncommon for a resident to put 20,000 miles a year on their car or truck and if they get 20 miles from a gallon of gas the extra dime a gallon would cost them $100 a year. That may not seem like a lot, but for those who make their living on the road and pile on even more mileage it’s a serious dent placed on their finances. This provision also puts in place a permanent tax hike each year, meaning the state takes more and more out of your wallet.

If I didn’t know liberals as well as I do I’d be perplexed that they can back the state getting another dime of pure revenue out of a gallon of gas through taxation yet bitch and moan about the oil companies who actually do the work of extracting, refining, and delivering the gasoline to the pump for your use making a nickel a gallon profit. But I know them so I just shrug my shoulders at their hypocrisy. I’m used to it.

(And yes, I bitch and moan about the state of the roads, too. My suggestion for improvement: stop subsidizing mass transit that no one rides and start filling potholes. Oh, and get rid of that “living wage” crap while you’re at it so we can save a little bit on road construction labor costs.)

But if you’re tired of the state always trying to take, take, take, you may be interested in a brand new website called stopthegastax.com. (Frankly, I’m amazed they got the domain name considering there’s always someone in some state trying to gouge motorists.) There’s still a little construction to do there but you can sign a petition against the gas tax and vent your frustration.

Instead of raising the gas tax, the alcohol tax and income tax rates for the upper crust, why not prioritize what we have and live within our means for awhile? That’s what the private sector has been forced to do.

Tickets to Iowa

Well, fresh off his CPAC success, I guess Ron Paul either read my post where I thought he could be a kingmaker or just wants more money for his Liberty PAC.

In either case, I got an e-mail yesterday, over Rep. Paul’s signature, which told me the following:

Along with all the attention and National news, invitations to visit key political states are pouring in. I want to honor as many of these requests as possible, and I need your help.

I have committed to trips to Iowa on March 7th and March 23rd, and I need your help to get me there.

My trip on March 7th would include three stops across the state, and it will prove tremendously valuable to our cause. But, all of these stops are hundreds of miles apart and cannot be done in a car.  This trip will require a charter plane, and let me tell you, it is not cheap. 

Others can rely on big corporate money to fund their travel budget.

We may not be able to tap the deep coffers of the Establishment, but we have something they will never have: a committed group of individuals armed with knowledge and ideas.

If thousands of us come together and chip in, we can counter the big special interest money.

Other invitations are flooding in from New Hampshire, Florida, California, Arizona, Nevada, and more.

I want to honor as many of these requests as possible to spread our message and set the stage for all of our political activity over the next 18 months. (Emphasis in original.)

Paul’s Liberty PAC was a fairly minor player in the last two-year cycle – FEC records show it only spent about $22,000 on candidate contributions in 2009-10 and had just under $100,000 cash on hand at the end of last year. And while I’ve never enlisted the services of a charter plane, I don’t think $100k will get you too far in a Presidential campaign.

Perhaps the Iowa trip is a precursor to forming an exploratory committee?

The conventional wisdom – at least prior to this era where the apple cart is overturned as quickly and completely as possible – used to be that one needed to get into the race really early to build up a profile. But this election seems different because of the aspects of social media and a 24/7 news cycle. As of this writing, I’m only aware of two candidates with exploratory committees while others are biding their time, including Paul.

But, to me, this Iowa trip suspiciously seems like a way of testing the waters for Ron Paul, and if I were a betting man I’d say he’s going to make one more go of it. And don’t be surprised if his son Rand doesn’t follow in his footsteps come 2016 or 2020. Perhaps then we could have a Paul/Paul ticket.

I’d like to see Ron Paul a little closer to home myself, but Maryland and Delaware will likely be afterthoughts in the political process. It’s why we need regional primaries; otherwise my suspicion is that Super Tuesday will be April 3, 2012 and Maryland would be just one of a dozen or more states scattered all across the country vying for the candidates’ attention. With only a few dozen convention delegates at stake we’re probably not a big target.

(As the rules stand right now, states which allot delegates proportionately go first, with ‘winner-take-all’ states like Maryland only allowed to select convention delegates after April 1, 2012. I presume this is to maintain the maximum possible number of contenders for the longest amount of time, so we’re not stuck with only a few surviving candidates by the time our turn arrives.)

That’s something as a state party we need to address soon. Meanwhile, if Ron Paul gets any of those Maryland delegates you can consider me shocked.

Valentine leftovers

This was somewhat amusing.

The photo below was one of a series taken of Valentines dropped off at particular Congressional offices (for the full story, go here.)

Sadly I don’t know who to give the credit to aside from the Bankrupting America website.

Honestly, I’d be surprised if these weren’t just tossed out – not because someone wasn’t receptive to the message but because Capitol security is probably a little paranoid about unsolicited food gifts. You never know who could lace these with arsenic.

But it’s a cute way of getting a message across and you can’t fault Bankrupting America for trying. As Kate Pomeroy of the group notes:

Our “gift” is to remind lawmakers that while the debate about spending cuts is a good start, one old adage rings truer now than ever before: actions speak louder than words.

Among a few of the Members on tap to receive this special gift are: Speaker Boehner, House Minority Leader Pelosi, House Majority Leader Cantor, House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan, Minority Whip Hoyer, Majority Whip McCarthy, Minority Whip Lewis, Senate Minority Leader McConnell, Senate Majority Leader Reid, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sessions, and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Conrad, to name just a few.

We are holding both sides of Congress to do what they promised to do. Cut Spending!

Not exactly love letters, but we hope it will warm the hearts of taxpayers everywhere.

Especially when they’ve been chilled by that $3.7 trillion budget Barack Obama proposed. On the other hand, perhaps it’s a cause of heartburn for Congress when they have to deal with that.

(Too bad John Boehner didn’t say it was “dead on arrival” like the Democrats used to say about Reagan’s budgets.)

Update: Rep. Paul Ryan came close.

But as time goes on we’ll see if the love affair between the TEA Party and the House continues. We need not ask about the irreconcilable differences between them and the Senate majority, or the President for that matter. Those divorces will likely become final in November 2012.

Ron Paul wins CPAC straw poll (again…yawn)

To the surprise of few, Texas Congressman Ron Paul beat out a slew of Republican candidates to win the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC for short) straw poll, a traditional close out event for the gathering. His 30% of the vote bested other so-called frontrunners Mitt Romney (23%), Newt Gingrich (5%), Tim Pawlenty (4%), and Sarah Palin (3 percent.) It was Paul’s second CPAC win in a row; last year he ended Mitt Romney’s three-year winning streak.

But bear in mind that the poll only counted a total of 3,742 ballots; by comparison, Wicomico County accounted for 8,902 Republican primary votes in 2008. Moreover, Paul’s Campaign for Liberty front group was a key promoter of the event, so the results weren’t completely surprising.

Straw polls can be notoriously fickle, too. Remember back in September 2007 when Duncan Hunter won a Texas straw poll? By the time Texas actually had a say in the matter, Duncan Hunter was long gone from the presidential contest. (Too bad, because he was my personal choice.) While his campaign was one of notable conservativism and attracted backing from luminaries like Gen. Chuck Yeager, WorldNetDaily‘s Joseph Farah, and columnist Ann Coulter, Hunter disappeared from the race shortly after the New Hampshire primary. (Perhaps Hunter simply ran four years too soon, but there’s no indication so far he’s looking for a repeat in 2012.)

Even the Ames Straw Poll, which is seen as a kickoff to the Presidential race because of its Iowa location, hasn’t been a good prognosticator of results. Out of five such events, only twice (Bob Dole in 1995 and George W. Bush in 1999) has the eventual GOP nominee been the winner of this bellweather event. Mitt Romney won the straw ballot in 2007 but didn’t even win the state’s caucuses five months later.

So it would appear that Ron Paul, despite running strongly in a caucus-style situation, wouldn’t have a great chance of winning the GOP nod. After all, this would be his third time around the block should he choose to run – besides the 2008 campaign, he ran as the Libertarian Party standardbearer in 1988 – and he would almost certainly be the oldest candidate in the field since he turns 76 in August. Another strike against him is that most states have winner-take-all primaries, although Republican Party rules this time around push those states to the back of the electoral line.

But there are a number of ways that Paul can have a role in the race, even if he doesn’t win or even come anywhere close to victory. Consider the impact of the TEA Party this time around.

It’s a group that wasn’t politically active in 2008, which served as the end of the era of so-called compassionate conservatism. While this new course of conservativism was designed to appeal to the big tent of moderate voters the result was an ever-expanding government, and Republicans disgusted with the excesses of the Bush years stayed home in droves on Election Day. The only excitement in the McCain campaign turned out to be the selection of Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential nominee; picking the Alaska governor may have been the only thing to save McCain from a Goldwater-like electoral slaughter by Barack Obama.

Yet despite the fact only two years have passed since that nadir, the political landscape has been irrevocably changed by the ascension of the TEA Party, with the proof being the 2010 midterm elections. There’s no need to recount here the entire rise of the TEA Party, but it’s a group where Ron Paul’s acolytes have certainly found a home. Add to that the evidence from 2008 that Paul can be a powerful and convincing fundraiser, and it shows the financial firepower and grassroots support should be there for a reasonable run at the brass ring.

This election will be a showdown between establishment Republicans who favor the predictability of a Mitt Ronmey and the TEA Party irregulars who could throw their support behind Paul initially and make or break the candidacy of whichever populist conservative eventually emerges as Ronmey’s foremost challenger for the nomination.

In time, Ron Paul could become a dealmaker, with his small but loyal following moving squarely behind another darkhorse candidate like Herman Cain, Jim DeMint, or Gary Johnson. (It’s a sure bet that Donald Trump is not on that list.)

But at this early stage, Paul and his legions can bask in the glow of a straw poll neatly set up to make him look good. We’re still nearly a year out from actual voting so every Republican with a pulse theoretically has a shot at the nomination. Most of the likely contenders are working hard behind the scenes building a campaign team while being coy about their intentions in public.

Still, in a time where conventional wisdom has evolved into a contest of who can most completely upset the apple cart in the quickest time, we can’t just dismiss the renegade Texan. The CPAC results prove Ron Paul has a role to play in this process, with the question being only what frontrunners like Romney and Palin will do to accommodate his diligent supporters.

On the O’s: guarded optimism

As spring training begins for the local hometown teams, it appears fans are cautiously optimistic about the Orioles’ chances – at least that’s how they polled here.

Let’s do a quick review: since losing the 1997 ALCS to Cleveland, the Orioles have been among the most mediocre of franchises as they’ve endured 13 straight losing seasons – in fact, the 70-win mark has eluded them the last four. But the majority of those responding thought the revamped Orioles, who have added power bats like Derrek Lee, Mark Reynolds, and perhaps Vladimir Guerrero (assuming he passes a physical) would eclipse that number and maybe – just maybe – break that string of losing seasons.

But the optimism stopped there, as no one expected the team to win 90 games or make the playoffs. Perhaps that’s more due to the reputation of the American League East than actual talent level.

And there were a few who chose to be pessimistic, as 1/6 of those voting foresaw the moves blowing up in Andy McPhail’s face. They figured a 100-loss season wasn’t out of the question, and if neither Derrek Lee nor Mark Reynolds adjusts well to the American League, Vladimir is indeed in the coda of his career, and the pitching fails us it could happen. But I fall into the camp of thinking 81 or more wins is indeed possible. (Over 80% believed Baltimore should win at least 75 games.)

With the season now just around the corner, optimism is king and all 30 teams might fancy themselves World Series contenders. (Okay, maybe not the woeful – as in 57-105 last season – Pittsburgh Pirates. They’ve actually gone nearly two decades without a winning season, which is too bad because they play in a nice ballpark. And to think these two franchises tangled for a World Series crown twice back in the 1970’s – I remember the ’79 Series well although O’s fans might prefer to forget.)

Hopefully an improved major league teams pays dividends down the chain as well since the Shorebirds fans are overdue for a playoff team. I’ve seen one playoff game in six seasons here so consider me one who thinks it’s time!

The Orioles’ season starts on April 1 at Tampa Bay, with the home opener April 4 against Detroit. (Sorry about that home opening sweep by the Tigers; things will look up from there.)

Poll results:

  • 62.5% believe the Orioles could finish with a .500 season (81-81)
  • 20.83% foresee a 75-win season
  • 12.5% think they’ll lose 100 games
  • 4.17% believe they’ll only match the 66-96 mark last year’s team produced
  • No one saw the Orioles win 90 games, make the playoffs, or win the World Series

2011 Wicomico County Lincoln Day Dinner in pictures and text

Well, the reviews are in – this may have topped last year’s effort as a great Lincoln Day dinner. We had our fair share of red meat, complements of our newly sworn-in Congressman who was featured speaker and we received valuable input on the direction our state party should take from another special guest.

But first we heard from the birthday honoree, who brought a few friends.

Honest Abe was actually flanked by three Union troops, but I could only get two in the picture.

Since my picture of county party Chair and event host Dave Parker didn’t turn out, his standing in the background while Lincoln spoke will have to suffice.

Abe spoke of many things during his remarks: his battles against Black Hawk in the Indian uprisings that plagued the state of Illinois in its early days, the advancement of the tools of war (which far outstripped the tools of healing the soldiers affected by this mechanization of mayhem), and his trip from Springfield to Washington in the winter of 1861. His inauguration occurred amidst a nation undergoing a perilous division, with states openly in revolt.

Yet I’m getting ahead of myself, for even the invocation had something of a political tone. Delegate Mike McDermott was pressed into service by the absence of my Central Committee cohort who usually handles these things, and Mike remarked “this is the one thing we can’t do in the House of Delegates.”

College Republican President Tim Riley did the Pledge of Allegiance, which was a change since I had handled the job previously. I didn’t mind giving up the slot to our event co-hosts, who were a significant portion of the attendees.

If you’ve never come to a Lincoln Day Dinner, the usual format is to have a featured speaker or two. Last year, this was ably handled by the tag team of Bob and Kendal Ehrlich. But in his introduction for guest speaker Eric Grannon, Joe Collins asked what Martin Luther King and those involved in women’s suffrage would say about the state of our party now? The way I see it, obviously were aren’t a monochrome, single-gender organization, nor should we be.

Perhaps with an eye on that, back in December the state party selected a female First Vice-Chair and black Third Vice-Chair. Both were in attendance last night, as Diana Waterman is a frequent guest of ours anyway and Grannon gave us a clear message about the “straightforward but difficult task” of getting Republicans elected in Maryland.

He pointed out that Lincoln had the moral courage to wage a war and end slavery while Ronald Reagan had the moral courage to say the Soviet Union was the “Evil Empire.” Eric also recalled as a young boy – from a welfare family in Brooklyn, no less – hearing Reagan’s message of optimism and self-reliance and being inspired.

That Republican message, continued Eric, was one we needed to convey to what Grannon called “non-traditional” groups. By population, Maryland is nearly 30% black and we can’t win if we concede 30% of the voters to the other side. We have to go to them, but we need not change our principles. We need a plan, not a platitude – he called this a Republican Agenda for Working Families.

Introduced by former SU College Republican president Matt Teffeau, the featured speaker was a familiar face now playing a new role. I’m only disappointed that the voters of the First District realized two years later than they needed to that Andy Harris would be a dynamic voice for conservatism; then again, he plays a much bigger role in the majority than he would have as a minority party backbencher.

Right out of the gate, Andy alerted us: the revolution of 2011 is coming to Washington, D.C. While the Democrats pounded on the message of job creation over their four-year run in the majority, “they don’t get it,” claimed Andy. The “harsh reality” for them is that the private sector creates the jobs.

But Harris also warned us of a “sobering” fiscal future, one where we have a $75 TRILLION “fiscal gap” over the next 75 years. All that we have been promised is $75 trillion more than the revenue we can expect – undoubtedly, this has to change. As he said, “the path back will be difficult.”

Yet there are a number of obstacles in the way of regaining prosperity. Harris divided them into three main areas – regulatory, taxation, and the debt itself.

Andy gave us the example of regulation run amok by pointing out the lengthy process of having dairy farmers exempted from an EPA regulation on oil tanks. Yes, milkfat is considered an oil and if you have a large enough tank preventive measures need to be in place to avoid contaminating the waterways. (Talk about crying over spilt milk!) Even after two years where the EPA promised the exemption, dairy farmers are still waiting for something that should have taken weeks, even with the required public comment period.

On taxes, our Congressman believed we need to give entrepreneurs “an edge” by lowering the corporate tax rate, and, more importantly, eliminating the estate tax entirely.

Harris brought a prop to talk about spending, a copy of The Hill with a headline that blared “Tea Party yanks GOP leash on spending cuts” and a message of not compromising the promised $100 billion in cuts despite the fact the fiscal year is nearly half-over. “100 is 100,” Andy said. He predicted “this week will be rough for Republicans” as Democrats trot out so-called victims of budget cuts. Many of these cuts will come from defunding Obamacare and zeroing out the “czars”, a comment which drew applause from the packed house.

Andy had a little time after his remarks to answer questions, but only received one regarding the PATRIOT Act. Harris revealed that only three provisions of the whole had come up for discussion – the Democrats connivingly had those expire months prior to the full reauthorization to promote a divisive vote. “We will look at the PATRIOT Act” in full come December, including hearings, promised Andy.

After Andy concluded his remarks, we took a few moment to recognize a number of elected officials and honored guests, a group which included those who ran for office in 2010 but didn’t succeed. We also commended both our 2010 Republican of the Year and a new, special category created for the recipient: the 2010 Republican Youth of the Year. Unfortunately, neither were there to collect our accolades.

Ed Nelson was our choice for Republican of the Year thanks to his tireless behind-the-scenes work, while Katherine Gaetano, who was a fixture at the Victory Center making phone calls despite her tender age of 11 at the time, was honored as the Republican Youth of the Year.

Since Delegate McDermott had opened the proceedings with his invocation, it fell to him as well to do the benediction. But he couldn’t resist making a few other remarks about the General Assembly, reminding us that President Lincoln jailed the body so Maryland wouldn’t secede from the Union. “We are fighting the good fight” in the General Assembly, said McDermott, but “there’s an insanity run amok in this state.” Eventually Mike did get to the defined purpose of a closing prayer and the 2011 Wicomico County Lincoln Day Dinner was history.

Yet many participants lingered afterward, and I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Broadus of Protect Marriage Maryland – he’s also throwing his hat into the ring to challenge Ben Cardin in 2012. (He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in the Fourth District in 2010, taking on Donna Edwards.) Broadus will be back in the area for a gathering to discuss the same-sex marriage proposal in Maryland at 7 p.m. on February 22nd at Adam’s Ribs in Fruitland. (The event is being sponsored by the Wicomico Maryland Society of Patriots.)

Speaking of the MSP, Julie Brewington at Right Coast has more pictures of the event as well as remarks on video, including from Andy Harris. Between us, we pretty much have the full coverage.

I’ll leave you with the wisdom of “Maxine.”

First C of C forum breaks little new ground

About two dozen people took time from their lunch break yesterday afternoon to hear what four of the eight Salisbury City Council hopefuls, including the lone incumbent running, had to say. The forum, sponsored by the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce and PACE, featured candidates Terry Cohen, Orville Dryden, Bruce Ford, and Laura Mitchell.

Unfortunately, the time constraints and format only allowed for a limited number of audience questions. In order, they dealt with the conduct of meetings, the prospect of adopting a city manager form of government, and a two-part question about a wastewater commission and bringing new development to the city. The candidates also made opening and closing statements.

Thus, the wayI’ve decided to tackle this is to summarize what each candidate had to say as a whole, beginning with Terry Cohen.

In one of the lengthier opening statements, Terry told us she ran originally because she “wanted to be a voice for the citizens of Salisbury.” A second term would be a continuation of this while she focused on a pair of priorities: crime, where we have “made headway but (are) not where we need to be”, and city finances.

When asked about the conduct of meetings Cohen reminded us that the “dotting of i’s and crossing of t’s is important” and work sessions need to be more productive places where details of legislation are hashed out. Yet the rules in place need to be about facilitation and not control. She also revealed, in the next question, that she would be “open” to the prospect of a city manager, but it’s not a priority item right now.

Terry was more in-depth about the wastewater treatment plant, reminding us that the city was a “guinea pig” for a new type of design and that fixing it may not necessarily cost $55 million, which was one figure tossed about. Once the plant can be brought up to standard, the need for fixing via the sequential list of solutions proposed would be over. She had a “high degree of confidence” in the suggestions presented.

As for development, one of the “key things” we need is to cut crime. But we also need to be cautious and judicious with incentives and focus on small, local businesses – the recent story of Evolution Brewing coming to Salisbury was a success thanks to some diligence on the city’s end.

She closed by reemphasizing she was running to serve once again.

On the other hand, Orville Dryden was perhaps the most succinct and understated of the four candidates.

It began with his introduction, where he recounted his past career as a postmaster and current job as a bailiff – it was a setting where he saw firsthand the effects crime had on the city. He vowed to work closely with the State’s Attorney and law enforcement to combat the problem while his other priority would be to keep and attract new businesses.

He was equally brief in answering the question about conduct, merely suggesting that a dose of common sense would help in allowing Council to work together. Dryden would also be “very open” to hiring a city manager, believing that a city this size may require one. However, he would also like to have an idea of how many hours a week the mayor puts into the job.

Orville also suggested a panel of experts for the wastewater plant, in conjunction with the Maryland Department of the Environment and thought impact fees were “too high.” To that end, he presented the idea of splitting the costs over a longer period of time to give fledgling businesses a break.

Dryden closed by suggesting the election was about the city and not the candidates, but also implored people to get out and vote.

Turning to Bruce Ford, he was a candidate who would be guided by one question: “is it right?”

In his opening he lamented the “slow decline” in both his neighborhood and the city at large, telling those assembled, “this cannot continue, something’s gotta change.” He wanted to address the issues which cause crime by acting on Mayor Ireton’s Safe Streets Initiative and encouraging change in the neighborhoods. Also, Ford called impact fees “horrendous” and said the wastewater treatment plant “doesn’t function” as it should.

He repeated the “is it right?” response in addressing the conduct of Council, noting also that “compromise and civility are tools.” Regarding a city manager, Bruce wondered if there would be more stability.

A wastewater treatment panel was a “good idea,” and Ford also asked a key question – when do we outgrow the system? But his ire became most apparent when discussing business development as he related a story about a local business which had to invest $8,000 into covering up already-installed (and approved) fire windows because of a mistake made by the city of Salisbury. Bruce claimed the business owner told him, “I wouldn’t come back to Salisbury again.”

Ford also believed that every city should have a “jewel”, or a place one would want to go on the weekend. He suggested that downtown development should also address the North Prong at the same time.

“The election is more important than any candidate here,” concluded Ford, who also revealed he was instituting a nonprofit organization to “pull neighborhoods together.”

Laura Mitchell also had her say on the issues. “If you don’t get your house in order, you can’t worry about anyone else’s,” remarked Mitchell in her opening. We needed to have a civil conversation about issues, but she also contended that had we moved more quickly on the Safe Streets Initiative, we wouldn’t be where we are now.

“We all have a common goal,” Mitchell continued, “I want to be that voice to bring everyone together.” But she also noted, “Council can’t be experts on everything.” Community involvement was necessary, and it’s a theme she returned to often.

This began with the meeting conduct question, where Laura suggested that the council hold monthly evening public meetings to go over the next month’s agenda. She was also open to hearing any ideas on the city manager position, and believed we should tap into the expertise provided by Salisbury University.

Where Mitchell stepped away from the crowd was her ideas for development. We “need to focus on infilling empty spaces,” she said, and rattled off a list of ideas such as tax increment financing (which she acknowleged had a spotty success record here), strategic use of enterprise zones, and spacing out impact fees. She noted that we can’t keep Salisbury University’s graduates here due to a lack of good jobs.

Another proposal for retention of city police officers was to partner with local colleges for tuition assistance for them and their families – it was a carrot to keep officers from leaving once they were trained and got to know the city.

But, in the end, Mitchell insisted she had no agenda – “I’m trying very hard to be Switzerland.” All she wanted to do was move toward common goals.

From what I understand, the hour-long forum was taped for a future broadcast on PAC-14 and would be packaged with a second forum featuring the other four City Council candidates (Muir Boda, Joel Dixon, Tim Spies, and Michael Taylor) – but they wouldn’t necessarily get the same questions. (It’s possible they may roll tape on this one and attempt to reuse the questions for part 2 – I know it was a topic for discussion afterward.)

Still, if you wish to see those four candidates in person the second forum is slated for noon next Friday at the Chamber of Commerce.