Shocking!

BRONROTT AND LEE

ABSENT

FOR SLOTS VOTE

District 16 Loses 2/3

Representation on

Slots Implementation

"No Vote" Recorded

for Democrats

Bronrott and Lee

House Records 'NV' as Permanent

Record of Democratic Delegates'

Abdication of Sworn Duty and

Voter Trust

Eighty percent of success in life is just showing up, it has been said. District 16's Democrats are not aware of this, however. Absenteeism is either contagious or simply a fad among Democratic legislators in District 16.

Marilyn Goldwater missed critical votes in 2006. The Washington Post, The Gazette, and Ms. Goldwater's Democratic colleagues then misled the public by not only sweeping that under the rug, but by also claiming that she would be able to serve if reelected.

Marilyn Goldwater proceeded to miss the entire 2007 session, and never cast a single vote. As a result, District 16 had only 2/3 representation in the House of Delegates.

Ms. Goldwater was replaced by "The Gambler," Bill Frick, in September 2007.

But Ms. Goldwater's carefully orchestrated retirement was not the end of absenteeism in District 16.

District 16 delegates Bill Bronrott and Susan Lee took the baton from Ms. Goldwater and shockingly did not vote on the Slots Implementation bill at the end of the 2007 Special Session.

Slots are a highly contentious issue in Maryland, and certainly are controversial here in District 16. You may favor or oppose them, but everyone has an opinion on them.

Are you shocked to know that you had only 1/3 (33.3%) of your legal representation in Annapolis to speak for you on the implementation of legalized slot machine gambling in the state of Maryland? You should be!

The most basic duty of a legislator is to cast votes on behalf of his or her constituents. Ostensibly, they are representing the will of the people - or, at least, the majority of the people - in their respective district. You did not have that representation on the slots implementation bill. Bill Bronrott and Susan Lee were recorded absent for that vote - (NV).

Of course, we know that Bill Bronrott, Bill Frick, and Susan Lee all share Senator John Kerry's strong principles and leadership style: they were against slots before they were for them.

As you know, Bill Frick's law firm, Akin, Gump, is a major lobbyist for the gaming industry before Congress. So, while his doubletalk on slots is equally hypocritical, it was no surprise when "The Gambler" voted for slots.

But Bill Bronrott and Susan Lee were outspoken opponents of slots during the Ehrlich administration and during the 2006 election. Suddenly they flip-flopped and voted for the slots referendum. In contrast, I have maintained my position on slots all along - although one has to be highly suspicious of the gaming industry after the Faustian bargain they struck with the Maryland Democratic Party to delay approval of slots until Bob Ehrlich was out of office. To have done that to Governor Ehrlich - and to all of us who supported slots - was one of the most lowdown, sleazy, filthy, dirty, doublecrossing, backstabbing betrayals in the history of Maryland politics. And don't expect us not to remember that in the future.

We've witnessed Mr. Bronrott's waffling again on the drunk driving issue recently. After lecturing on drunk driving from on high in Annapolis for years, he did not criticize Democratic House Majority Leader Kumar Barve for his drunk driving escapades that put Montgomery County citizens in mortal danger. Mr. Barve continues to escape any media criticism under the Washington Post-Gazette Democrat Protection Program.

But when it came time to go on the record to vote YES or NO on the implementation of the slot machine gambling Bronrott and Lee did not oppose when they had the chance to kill it, neither one cast a vote. Absent again.

Where were Bronrott and Lee when it was time to cast their votes - 2/3 (66%) of District 16's constitutional voice on the slots issue? Absent. They were just continuing the grand Democratic tradition in District 16 of not showing up. Regardless of your party affiliation, don't you think you deserve better?