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Robert Dyer, other Republican Candidates

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My opponents are still running scared and hiding, as all candidate forums for May were cancelled. Now we're into June, and this month's forums are cancelled so far, as well. Where are they hiding? Well, they're spending a lot of time in the Montgomery County Cable Office.

Regular readers know that I have kept you up to date on the activities of County Cable Montgomery (Ch. 6), which have included the use of taxpayer funds to produce and air what are essentially 30 min. campaign ads for Gov. Martin O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown. Ike Leggett used taxpayer-funded airtime on his "One on One" program (one of about 3 recurring programs Mr. Leggett has at his disposal on CCM) to engage in campaign activity in 2009, when he criticized special election candidate Robin Ficker. CCM airs an advertorial series on the MTA, which provides no transit service within Montgomery County; ergo, why are taxpayers paying to have it broadcast when it has no relevance to us? And how about that slick Ambulance Fee ad on which taxpayer funds were spent - before it was even county law?!

I could go on, but, wait, there's more!

In the midst of an unprecedented budget crisis, with a $1 billion dollar deficit, somehow our humble County Cable Office was able to expand and purchase expensive and unnecessary new equipment!

What the heck?

Allow me to introduce you to "CR." This doesn't star George Clooney (that was ER). CR is a slick, new program that does the same job as the others on CCM: promote the executive and council.

But there's a new, expensive twist: Filmed with the aforementioned new HD camera, CR airs not only on CCM, but also on most - if not all - of Comcast's "local" channels, including Rockville 11, Takoma Park 13, and the Montgomery College channel.

This means that, at just about any hour, you can find the inescapable CR running on one channel or another. Ethical questions abound, as Rockville residents - who might not hear the latest fictional accomplishments of county leaders whose names they don't even recognize - now get a daily dose of Leggett & Co.

Do you know what CR on every local channel reminds me of? That law that says you can't put campaign literature into a mailbox or mail slot. The county cable office is essentially stuffing campaign ads into the broadcast "mailboxes" of local residents.

Hold on though, because we're throwing in a complete set of oven mitts and a free cookbook!!!

Something called MMC 16 is also producing political ads for local candidates - free for the candidates, but not for you, the taxpayer!

Two shows, "Political Pulse," hosted by Charles Duffy, and "Inside Out," hosted by Pat Smith, have managed to feature just about every one of the Democratic candidates for Montgomery County Council At-Large. Strangely, neither myself, nor Brandon Rippeon, the other Republican candidate for CC At-Large have received an invitation to appear.

George Leventhal, Duchy Trachtenburg, Marc Elrich, Becky Wagner, Hans Reimer and Jane de Winter each have had a half hour to introduce themselves to you, the voter, on MMC 16. (And those are just the shows I happened to catch!). And in a very friendly environment.

On these programs, hosts throw more softballs in 30 minutes than Jennie Finch. (BTW, did you hear the Super Whammy Mr. Duffy let Gov. Martin O'Malley get away with last week? Gov. O'Malley said, in preposterously defending the irresponsible cart-before-the-horse growth policies of this council, that - in essence - we have a grand tradition in America of growing before we put the infrastructure in place. And that citizens shouldn't be too hard on our poor elected officials for that reason. Mr. Duffy's follow-up to that outrageous assertion? Nothing. Unbelievable! That's the best one since Michael Laris called George Leventhal a "pro-business councilman" [hey, no giggling, please] and let Mr. Leventhal declare he is solely motivated by delivering services to the poor. Again, no follow-up from Mr. Laris, either).

No incumbent has been authoritatively grilled on their direct responsibility for the fiscal crisis they created. You've heard the new talking points by now. You know, this whole thing just kind of hit us by surprise... It's an international economic downturn... We had good intentions... The taxpayers and unions made us do it, but we've taken charge and the crisis is solved! [Hey, I said no giggles!]

Yeah, solved until that $900,000,000 bill hits the dais next May - and that's if we don't have another blizzard (Snowgate 2011?) this winter, and doesn't include the teacher pensions no one wants to talk about.

It's sure to be another budget disaster. So why can't challengers such as myself be heard on these taxpayer-funded, "public access" programs?

It could be that they just haven't gotten around to the Republicans yet. But there's also another reason to delay my appearance: It's the same strategy that Hillary Clinton tried against Barack Obama, and that John McCain and Rudy Giuliani tried in 2000 and 2008, respectively - the aura of inevitability.

Their reasoning may be that if you see Marc Elrich or Becky Wagner this early, and not me, that, well, they're the only ones running, in the minds of the viewers.

How successful was the "inevitability" strategy for Hillary, Mac, and Rudy? Get back to me on that.

I'm asking the incumbents again to meet the challengers in a series of debates. Some can be televised on these wonderful county cable channels! And I want my free 30 mins. on MMC, with a relaxed, easy-going question and answer session, like my opponents have had.

I'm ready for my close-up. I'm demanding equal time. I believe there is an FCC regulation on that.

I want my DEMtv.

At what point do TV programs become in-kind contributions of campaign ads? I feel we are rapidly reaching that point, if I am not invited to appear on these programs soon. I have filed for office a long time ago. The discrimination has to end.

Above all else, the use of these local channels is simply out of control. There's no way equipment should have been upgraded at a time like this. These channels are for the purposes of showing council meetings, traffic cameras (for CCM), and providing emergency information. If there is so much free time for puff programs beyond that, then clearly there is budget cutting to do.

That's why I've said we must "pull the plug" on these other uses of local cable channels, particularly when they are used to promote politicians.

Let politicians pay for their own ads, not the taxpayers.