Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Contact delegates TODAY to stop MoCo Council's attempt to undermine term limits

As I reported last week, a bill that would give the Montgomery County Council several tools to undermine the term limits on their time in office is under consideration in Annapolis. HB 348 would the first step toward allowing the Council to stagger its terms, with some County Council seat elections moving to presidential years. Term limits passed overwhelmingly last November with nearly 70% of voters approving them. The County Council should not disrespect the voters' wishes for new leaders, and for a four-year cooling-off period for long-stagnant members who will finally be forced out.

Potential abuses the current text of the bill would allow include extension of term-limited councilmembers' terms for an additional two years, cutting short terms of new councilmembers they'd like to get rid of by two years, allowing those forced out by term limits in 2022 to run again in 2024 before the new Council has even four years to change the county's direction, and moving seats not as favorable to the county political cartel (District 2) to presidential years, when voters are paying less attention to county-level issues.

The Montgomery County delegation's Economic Development Committee will take up, and vote on, the bill tomorrow, Thursday, February 23.

CALL OR EMAIL THEM TODAY,
and tell them to respect the voters' clear decision on term limits, and allow the reforms voters wanted to happen play out. The voters have not asked for this bill, some on the Council have.
Ask them to vote "no" and 
KILL BILL HB 348:

Ariana Kelly, Chair - Democrat, Legislative District 16; Phone: 301-858-3642 / 410-841-3642;
ariana.kelly@house.state.md.us

Maricé Morales, Vice-Chair - Democrat, Legislative District 19; Phone: 301-858-3528 / 410-841-3528
marice.morales@house.state.md.us

Sheila Hixson - Democrat - Legislative District 20; Phone: 301-858-3469/410-841-3469 
Sheila.Hixson@house.state.md.us

Anne Kaiser - Democrat Legislative District 14; Phone: 301-858-3469/410-841-3469
Anne.Kaiser@house.state.md.us

Kirill Reznik - Democrat, Legislative District 39; Phone: 301-858-3039 /410-841-3039
kirill.reznik@house.state.md.us

Jeff Waldstreicher - Democrat, Legislative District 18; Phone: 301-858-3130 / 410-841-3130
Jeff.Waldstreicher@house.state.md.us

Then the whole delegation will take up the bill on Friday.

(carbon-copy every Montgomery County delegate if you can) 
BEFORE FRIDAY
Tell them to VOTE NO on HB 348

for their 
contact information

39 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:51 AM

    "before the new Council has even four years to change the county's direction"

    LOL. You're like that girl balancing a bucket of eggs on her head in Aesop's Fables, fantasizing about a glorious future that's never going to come.

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  2. Anonymous6:52 AM

    Shouldn't Frick and Korman be on the list also, or they can't vote on this?

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  3. Anonymous7:17 AM

    Remember the days in the Clinton Administration when the Hillary-bashing doormats were all the rage in downtown Bethesda?

    Good times.

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  4. Anonymous7:20 AM

    Your insistence on term limits is wrong headed, and studies have shown that it empowers special interests.

    http://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2016/10/18/13323842/trump-term-limits

    "Since 15 states do have term limits, we actually can know something about their effects. And the political science literature here is pretty unequivocal. Term limits are the surest way to weaken the legislative branch and empower the executive branch. Term limits are also a great way to empower special interests and lobbyists. Basically, what term limits do is shift power toward those who are there for the long haul.

    For example, here's the conclusion from a 50-state survey published in 2006: "Term limits weaken the legislative branch relative to the executive. Governors and the executive bureaucracy are reported to be more influential over legislative outcomes in states where term limits are on the books than where they are not."

    This result has been replicated multiple times. In one study, a post-term-limits respondent said that after term limits, "agencies [do] what they want to. [One bureaucrat told me] we were here when you got here, and we'll be here when you're gone." As the authors of this study note, "Legislative oversight is the venue of specialists. A term-limited legislature tends to be populated by generalists, who lack the accumulated knowledge to exercise oversight effectively, if they even recognize it as their responsibility."



    Term limits are just a feel good knee jerk populist reaction that has many unintended consequences.

    If people dislike incumbents enough, they should just not elect them.

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  5. Anonymous7:27 AM

    So here's the truth
    You were right all along
    You were never my friends
    I was living a lie
    But I won't fall for it next time
    You figured me out
    Like a leaf in the wind
    I try to find who I am
    But wind up lost in the end
    Sometimes its hard to know what's real
    When your not
    Cause you know I change myself to impress
    Whoever happens to be next to me
    But I'm sick of trying so hard
    Waste all your time with me
    I know I'm a mess right now
    Don't give up, believe
    I'd wait it out for you
    Waste all your time with me
    I know I'm a mess right now
    Don't give up, believe
    I'd wait it out for you
    Everyday I'm just making my rounds
    Just digging a hole 6 feet underground
    Sometimes its hard to know what's real
    When your not

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous7:33 AM

    "Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s staff last week started the process of unblocking social media users who posted negative comments and made criticisms of his policies. The blocking could have been a violation of constitutional free-speech protections, according to the American Civil Liberties Union."

    LOL

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  7. 6:52: They're on the second list at the bottom. The reason Korman and Frick are not on the first list, is because that is just the Economic Development Committee, which will vote on the bill first tomorrow.

    By all means, do let Korman and Frick know you oppose HB 348 ASAP, as they will be voting on it Friday.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous7:35 AM

    @7:20am Not sure why this is a matter for debate. The people of MoCo voted overwhelmingly (2-to-1) in favor of term limits. The people want them, so we should let them have them.

    As for your argument that people can just vote them out, that's difficult in 90% Democrat MoCo. It means the election is essentially decided at the Democratic primary, which those who are not affiliated with a party (like myself) and Republicans cannot vote in.

    Other solutions would be open primaries, or to make Council seats non-partisan like the School Board. I'd be open to the latter solution in particular.

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  9. 6:51: How do you figure that? The voters bodyslammed your guys, with 70% voting for term limits. Now the other shoe will drop in 2018, as we boot off the rest who aren't forced out by term limits.

    7:20: We have a supremely incompetent Council by every metric (and, no, being required to pass a balanced budget by jacking up taxes to cover your structural deficit does not qualify as talent). It literally could not get any worse if you grabbed a random 9 people off the street and put them in the seats.

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  10. Anonymous7:46 AM

    Remember to Feel Real? Let's Not Pretend?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous7:51 AM

    Dyer, why must you make everything sound like a fight in a middle school locker room? It's childish. Hardly worthy of someone who aspires to be a community leader.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous8:15 AM

    7:46 has good taste in music!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous8:18 AM

    @8:15AM The respect and recognition go to 7:27. I was guessing which song. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:19 AM

    Dyer, why the obsession with the phrase "structural deficit"? It doesn't make you sound any smarter than just saying "deficit".

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  15. Anonymous8:26 AM

    We need a few Hogan Republicans on the next Council.

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  16. Anonymous9:21 AM

    I voted yes. You going to fight me bro?!

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  17. Anonymous9:47 AM

    "MoCo Council's attempt to undermine term limits"

    Didn't realize the "MoCo Council" also represented the county in the State House.

    "It literally could not get any worse if you grabbed a random 9 people off the street"

    Riiiight...but it certainly be better than a Council with a lying, delusional Trump-lover like Robert Dyer.

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  18. Anonymous9:54 AM

    The Westbard Plan (and continuing saga) was the last straw for many Bethesda residents.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous10:37 AM

    "The Westbard Plan (and continuing saga) was the last straw for many Westbard residents."

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  20. Anonymous10:39 AM

    10:37 AM Westbard is Bethesda. Adjust your GPS please.

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  21. Anonymous10:42 AM

    10:39 - Subset vs. Superset, Birdbrain!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous12:06 PM

    Nice reference. 10:42. Bonus points.

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  23. Anonymous12:25 PM

    10:42 AM is always quick with an insult, but hesitant to ever say anything positive

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  24. Anonymous1:21 PM

    Q: How many Westbard residents does it take to screw a lightbulb?

    A: None. They just wait for the County to revolve around them.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous6:43 PM

    "10:42 AM is always quick with an insult, but hesitant to ever say anything positive"

    Says the idiot who constantly whines about "relentlessly positive coverage" of the County.

    Oh, and 20816 /= 20814.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous8:03 PM

    6:43 PM I've been hearing lately that the press is supposed to have a skeptical/adversarial relationship to elected officials to serve as a check on their power.

    Other than Robert Dyer's news sites, there's no other local MoCo media outlet that is even skeptical of the Council & Planning Board. Full stop.

    And, yes, 20814, 20816 and 20817 are all Bethesda zip codes. Maybe the interns need geography lessons? Downtown Bethesda is Bethesda's downtown. That wasn't too hard, was it?

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  27. Anonymous4:55 AM

    8:03PM What you're saying is 10:42 nailed it with the subset/superset analogy! Full stop.

    Having a skeptical/adversarial relationship to elected officials does not mean blatant unsubstantiated accusations.

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  28. Anonymous5:08 AM

    Journalists are supposed to be objective and detatched, not running a perpetual campaign for a lone failed perennial candidate for Council.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:56 AM

      5:08am agreed. There are self proclaimed journalists running perpetual re-election campaigns for failed Councilmembers.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:00 AM

      5:56 - Keep it up and Dyer will let you use the microwave again. He might even bring home some free food he mooched from a local restaurant opening.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous6:48 AM

      6:00am your jealousy is palpable that you are no longer invited to restaurant openings :)

      You can experience them vicariously through Robert Dyer.

      Delete
  29. Anonymous7:37 AM

    " There are self proclaimed journalists running perpetual re-election campaigns for failed Councilmembers"

    Pot = kettle

    Both refer to running a perpetual election campaign.

    Dyer just as guilty as whomever else you are alluding to.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous7:41 AM

    At the end of the day, we need strong, local journalists (like Robert Dyer) that have a skeptical/adversarial relationship to elected officials to serve as a check on their power.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous8:58 AM

    "we need strong, local journalists (like Robert Dyer)"

    That's not even funny

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous9:31 AM

    I'd hate to have 7:41/6:48/5:56/8:03/12:55's job. It's even more degrading than cleaning up after the elephants at the circus.

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  33. Anonymous9:45 AM

    8:58 AM & 9:31 AM You have a strange compulsion to have to respond to any compliment or positive statement about Robert Dyer with an insult or threat.

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  34. Anonymous9:59 AM

    9:45 - You have a strange compulsion to respond...period.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous10:38 AM

    All about the atta-boys.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous2:49 PM

    Excellent article by Bill Turque:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-battlefield-of-memory-asphalt-where-a-black-cemetery-is-said-to-have-stood/2017/02/23/af01ba42-efa2-11e6-9973-c5efb7ccfb0d_story.html?hpid=hp_local-news_cemetery-1030am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.70313993c5c3

    The article doesn't even mention Dyer once.

    It also mentions what Dyer doesn't want you to know - that many of the remains there had been previously disinterred from cemeteries in the Tenleytown area.

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