CAN WE TALK?

Incumbent Politicians Running

Scared as Candidate Forums are Cancelled,

Postponed

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

Why are the incumbent members of the Montgomery County Council in hiding? And why are community groups and organizations - apparently friendly to those incumbents - cancelling or delaying their usual election year debates and forums?

Well, if I had just passed a 300% Energy Tax increase, a Cell Phone Tax increase (how does using your cell phone cost the county government, anyway?), and water bill increase, an electric bill increase, and a whopper of an Ambulance Fee, I'd probably be hiding too!

I remember quite well, that 4 years ago, several candidate forums had already been held by this time. Strangely, we're nearing June 1, and none of these forums has been scheduled this time around.

What's changed?

Everything.

With devastating cuts for seniors, MCPS, children, the poor, working families and the disabled, this budget retains full funding for the councilmembers' political cronies and the developers.

It's outrageous.

No wonder many groups who apparently used these powder puff, softball forums to highlight preferred candidates in past elections would like to wait for this to blow over. Or maybe just have hardly any debates at all. (To their credit, the Town of Chevy Chase is holding a District 1 and At-Large debate in the months ahead).

If the incumbents are so smart and super-qualified, why can't they come out and debate the challengers on the substantive issues? And that includes Republican challengers, by the way!

Come out, come out, where-ever you are...

The voters are waiting to hear you explain 8 years of failed leadership and Madoffonomics.

If the council is willing to pass hefty taxes now, just to save the developers and other buddies, can you imagine what your tax bill will be next year when they've gotten past the election?

You can stop the tax madness on November 2!

But here in the month of May, let's not be afraid to discuss the issues in public forums. I ask the incumbents to come out of hiding, and engage the council and county executive candidates in multiple candidate forums. If the incumbents are so much better than the challengers, what is there to fear in a civil, mature discussion of the serious issues and challenges faced by Montgomery County in 2010?