An indictment of failed leadership:

Maryland is now officially the wealthiest state in America.

Maryland is officially #4(!) on the list of states with the most violent crime.

This is what do-nothing "leadership" on crime ends in: disaster.

And no one should congratulate themselves on the wealthiest label. That has ended up in the hands of a few, not working families. It's worth remembering that powerful statistic from the 2006 holiday shopping season: many fewer Americans shopped; the smaller number that did shop bought more than ever. That reinforces the fact that the rich simply are getting richer and the poor, poorer. Now the talk out of Annapolis and Rockville is "tax working families." Remember, gas taxes, service taxes, vehicle-related "fees," road and bridge tolls, and cigarette, alcohol and hospitality taxes are taxes on the poor and working families. The wealthy are willing and painlessly able to pay such "nuisance" taxes. To working families, these taxes are absolutely devastating. Not everyone in Montgomery County is rich; many sacrifice and work hard to live in this relatively safe area with excellent schools. With credit and mortgages now denied to the average citizen, the powers-that-be are now going to drive up the already outrageous cost of apartment rent in Bethesda and elsewhere. Stay tuned for a full analysis of this and other real-world economic issues, as our elected officials continue to wreak havoc on working families statewide.

The slots machine continues to convert opponents to supporters in Montgomery County. In this pull of the arm, the industry got three matching photos of County Executive Ike Leggett in the three windows. What payout is due? The potential compliance of Montgomery County's Democratic delegates in legalizing slots. I don't know if any hypocrisy can match that of Annapolis' record on the environment, but the slots flip-flop is coming close.

It turns out that Ike Leggett had a secret, off-the-record meeting with our Democratic delegates on July 30, according to the Washington Post. The article goes on to state that "some people at the meeting objected," but only State Senator Jamie Raskin went on the record. Who else "objected," and why haven't we heard from them a full month later? Obviously, because they are now on board the Slots Express. This political sham concocted in a team effort between the Democratic Party and the casino industry, caused me to cancel my reservation on the Slots Express. Because that train was assembled by less-than-noble causes, I suspect it is heading to a dark destination where I and most Marylanders don't want to go. And the evidence keeps pouring in, as Thomas Schaller wrote in a recent Baltimore Sun editorial:

"During his term, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Mr. O'Malley's predecessor, spent a lot of political capital trying to move several versions of a slots bill through the General Assembly, to no avail. He and other Republicans now complain that their efforts were thwarted precisely to deprive Mr. Ehrlich of a political victory before his re-election bid - and there's some truth to that."

My bottom line question for Governor O'Malley is, why, when Maryland was just named the richest state in America, is he going to balance decades of mistakes by the Democratic legislature on the backs of working families? Nothing should be done until every reform and cut can be applied to the budget. If there is truly no other recourse, any tax should be on those who can afford to pay it, not the poor. Were the current talking points to become law, it would be an immoral action by this governor and legislature.

Crime Wave Continues; County Police Running Out of Bullets

As I am the only person who is following the violent crime crisis in Maryland, here are some of the latest stories. We already know that while the county government wastes funds on the strangest things - including unethical County Council vacations paid for by lobbyists, as reported in today's Post - it for some reason cannot afford to renovate Bethesda's 2nd District Police Station! Like I kept repeating during the campaign, priorities and values, priorities and values. What are the priorities and values of your elected officials when they can't even provide basic facilities for the men and women protecting our community? Now the county government has failed to provide enough funds to cover the cost of ammunition. It's outrageous. But we don't need more firepower, say our elected officials, because there's no serious crime. Well, try this on for size:

Here are two quotes from the July 26 Worcester County Times:

"Berlin is a hotspot for year-round drug activity." - Joel Todd, Worcester County State's Attorney

"There is some gang activity in Dorchester County and we remain alert and vigilant." - Worcester County Sheriff Charles Martin

As they say, the first step is admitting you have a problem.

Tom Perez said, "Hit me!" this week, and shadow governor Peter Franchot was all too happy to oblige. Tom Perez - former liberal on the Montgomery County Council, and now a Martin O'Malley cabinet member - The Gambler? Who knew? We all found out this week when Secretary Perez released a favorable report on gambling in Maryland that sounded awfully familiar. It included language and talking points directly from the casino industry. Franchot echoed my reaction in a press conference in Salisbury, and he is absolutely correct.

It's mighty strange. A year ago, when I was running for Delegate and popular Governor Bob Ehrlich was running for reelection, the casino industry was nowhere to be found. But recently, every time you flip a light on in the state of Maryland, casino backers are scurrying towards the cabinets. What's going on here? Let me tell you. The casino industry has shown its hand.

This was a risky bet that paid off big for the slots business. Here's the deal: Bob Ehrlich made the case, and slots were a sure bet for Maryland. But, hold it, said Mike Miller and other partisan Democrats in Annapolis. "If slots come in now, Bob Ehrlich will get all the credit!" Leveraging their power, slots were amazingly tabled until 2007. Now, the same Democrats who blamed slots for every societal ill are suddenly lining up behind the one-arm bandits.

I was in favor of slots up until this point. On paper, slots make sense to provide desperately needed funds. But now I'm questioning what we're getting in return for slots based on not only this political sham, but my personal experience during the 2006 campaign.

In 2006, I endorsed slot machines for racetracks, just as O'Malley has. But in all the months of the campaign, I never heard one word from anyone in the gaming industry. Remember, all of my opponents were against slots. You would think the industry would have reached out and had a dialogue on the issue. But there were no words and certainly no financial contributions. (The same goes for all of those phony medical societies which claim to be so concerned about medical malpractice reform). This revealed that they were more concerned with helping elect Democrats than helping the residents of Maryland. Count me as a new skeptic about slots now. I question the casino industry's commitment to the state of Maryland and to assisting our horse racing industry.

Peru Earthquake

This has been a terrible tragedy. It is important locally, as many Peruvians live in the area. I am hopeful that the U.S. will offer a temporary amnesty to immigrants from Peru until the situation can be stabilized. Here are some quotes from an AP report on the current chaos in Peru:

"As many as 80 percent of the people in quake-hit urban areas may not have access to clean water and many rural communities still have not been reached to assess the damage, said Dominic Nutt, part of an emergency assessment team in Peru for the aid agency Save the Children."

"'The situation is probably worse than first imagined,' Nutt said."

"We don't have water. The tents have not arrived," said Maria Tataja, 38, who shared an open-fronted shelter with nine other people.

"There is nothing to eat. There is a lot of looting going on," he said. - Motorcycle taxi driver Marco Coila

The Goldwater Scandal Continues to Unfold

Reaction to the resignation of Marilyn Goldwater continues... To update, the Democratic colleagues of Ms. Goldwater, and their friends at the Washington Post and The Gazette, deliberately misled the voters regarding her health condition. As a result, we lost 1/3 of our representation in Annapolis in 2007. Further, now that she has resigned, 12 Democrats - not the voters - will choose a replacement who will serve almost a full term without ever having been approved by the residents of District 16. It's outrageous. On that very subject, here is a quote from an objective Democrat from a Gazette article:

[Former Democratic delegate Cheryl C.]Kagan and others pointed out that one-tenth of the county Annapolis delegation could effectively be chosen by a majority vote of the Central Committee — or 12 people.

‘‘These legislators will not have been elected, but selected,” Kagan said. ‘‘I think it raises questions about the fairness of the process.”

So much for democracy.

You've been had.

It's official, Marilyn Goldwater has stepped down. Exactly as I warned you would happen. I predicted she would not serve if reelected, and she never cast a single vote this year. I also predicted that she would cross the finish line on election day and resign. It just happened. District 16 was cheated out of 1/3 of its representation for a full year in Annapolis.

Bill Bronrott, Susan Lee, Brian Frosh, the Washington Post, and The Gazette all told you that Ms. Goldwater could and would serve a four year term. They did not tell you the truth. Now they must be held accountable by the voters and the press. But don't expect much from the press. Predictably, neither the Post nor the Gazette contacted me - the candidate who lost as a result of the Goldwater fraud, for comment. Never mind that I had the highest number of votes behind the Democrats, and would have won had the voters known the truth about Marilyn Goldwater. Just a small detail, in the partisan, megacorporate world of the Post and Gazette.

Enjoy some quotes from today's soft-hitting articles:

‘‘I’m very sad to leave, but one has to know when to say goodbye,” Goldwater (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda said in a telephone interview. ‘‘I hope that I’ve made a contribution that has helped people, and now it’s time to let other people do the job.” - from The Gazette

Wasn't 2006 the time to say goodbye and let other people do the job? Not after scamming our community out of 1/3 of our power in Annapolis? Why is now conveniently the time to say goodbye? Because the Democratic Central Committee - not you, the hard working taxpayer and voter - will choose your Delegate. That's right - they arbitrarily will choose your Delegate for you, after denying you that ability on November 7, 2006. So much for democracy.

"During the campaign, she denied speculation that if she were elected, she would resign and have the Democratic Central Committee appoint her successor. The Gazette endorsed Goldwater in 2006." - The Gazette

Well, at least they admit they endorsed her. Will they admit that they lied to you in that endorsement?

‘‘I think this was a good time to do it, to give [the committee] time to decide, and give whoever takes my seat time to get acclimated,” Goldwater said. ‘‘To wait any longer would have been unfair to everybody.”

‘‘To wait any longer would have been unfair to everybody.”

I couldn't have said it better myself. But why didn't Marilyn Goldwater say that in 2006 and just allow Reggie Oldak to fill the spot on the ballot? And why did Bronrott, Lee, Frosh, the Post and the Gazette deliberately mislead the public?

Remember that in 2010.

‘‘To wait any longer would have been unfair to everybody.”
-Marilyn Goldwater

I was right again. The results are in, and our elected officials have failed to keep their promises to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. As we know, they banned dish detergent, a useless move that will make life more difficult, more expensive, and more primitive for working families statewide in 2009. Useless, because even environmentalists acknowledged that detergent accounts for no more than 3% of phosphorus in the Bay, even by the most extreme measurements. Meanwhile, medical waste continues to flow down from Pennsylvania, industrial and energy-based pollutants continue to be put into the air and ground water, and polluters continue to dump toxic waste into tributaries and the Bay itself. And because these culprits have paid off our officials with massive campaign contributions, those officials simply will not take action until we vote them out of office.

Examine the latest report, quite a contrast to the fiction we've heard from O'Malley, Bronrott, Lee, and Frosh:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report "shows that the mid-Atlantic region, including the Chesapeake Bay, has the greatest concentration of estuaries with moderate to high levels of nutrients - the largest contributor to pollution. And the bay is one of the worst estuaries in the nation when it comes to pollution that creates oxygen-starved 'dead zones.'"

"Nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen come from fertilizer and stormwater runoff as well as dirty air and outdated sewage treatment plants." - The Capital newspaper, Annapolis, MD

(Please note that they did not mention dish detergent as a source - as I just mentioned, it is not a significant source by any measurement.)

For shame, for shame.

In 2010, let's vote for real leadership for the Chesapeake Bay.

Developer Land Grab Alert!

County Executive Ike Leggett is about to sell a wooded area adjacent to Tilden MS to a developer who will build townhouses on the property. Is this what Mr. Leggett meant by "slow growth?" Is this "preserving green space" in action? Is this an example of "Project Open Space" in action? No, no, and no! This is one of the last green spaces in north Bethesda!

Violent Crime Spree Continues in Montgomery County

A man was carjacked on Battery Lane. This was not emphasized in the local papers. Why not? To protect our do-nothing elected officials, that's why. They've worked on trans-fats, dish detergent, and restaurant menus, but not on crime!

Arnold for President

Regular readers of this blog know that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is the most prominent example of leadership in all 50 states. Gov. Schwarzenegger has proven that government can work when citizens are the priority, instead of partisan politics. When his last term is up in Sacramento, U.S. Congress and the White House beckon. Can a legal loophole be found to allow him to run for President? Let's hope so. Clearly there is broad support for a Schwarzenegger candidacy. Here is the result for an online poll at one point last week on Yahoo!:

Would you vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger for president of the United States?

YES: 54%
NO: 44%

Enjoy the clips at this special Yahoo! site, featuring the most successful and popular governor in America - and he's a Republican!

Click here for more of America's top governor.

"Excellent."

Once again I am vindicated. You may remember I predicted that Marilyn Goldwater would be unable to serve if reelected, and that we would end up with only 2 votes in Annapolis for District 16. And that came to pass. Now another issue I warned about, violent crime - and its relation to the safety of law enforcement personnel - is in the headlines.

Yesterday's USA Today reported that - surprise - violent crime is increasing. And the number of police officers killed in the line of duty has increased as well. During my campaign last year, I made crime a major issue; my Democratic opponents were silent on crime. Not surprising, considering that Bronrott, Lee, Goldwater, and Frosh have done nothing to reduce crime, but have, in fact, made life easier for criminals. They have frozen the death penalty, given felons the right to vote, and then tried to release mass numbers of them from state prison so they could vote. I wonder who they'll vote for?

Last year, I warned of the increase of violent crime in our community. And advocated providing better weaponry and body armor to our county police, state troopers, and Park Police. You can read it under "More issues" on my website http://www.robertdyer.net/ I wish I had been wrong in my prediction, but here is what yesterday's report said:

"A surge in fatal shootings has contributed to a dramatic increase in deaths of law enforcement officers during the first six months of this year, the highest midyear body count in nearly three decades."

"The annual count by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found that 39 officers were killed in shootings, up from 27 during the first six months of last year."

"These are the most alarming increases in officer fatalities I've ever seen for a midyear period," said Craig Floyd, the memorial fund's chairman and chief executive officer. "It's somewhat shocking. Is there something at work that nobody has gotten their arms around?" he said.

"Floyd and other law enforcement analysts said that recent spikes in violent crime across the country may be a factor in the rising shooting deaths this year."

"This is very consistent with the increasing crime in many American cities," said Joseph Carter, president of the Inter-national Association of Chiefs of Police. "This should be a wake-up call for the whole country."

"There certainly could be a relationship to the increases in violent crime," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Darrel Stephens said.

"Clearly, if you have more violent crime, there is a greater threat against law enforcement. One naturally follows the other," said Floyd, who called on local police agencies to provide additional resources, including upgraded weaponry and body armor.

Police deaths at highest midyear level in decades USA Today

Clearly, it is time for new leadership in Annapolis.

In preparation for the devastating effects of the Bronrott-Lee-Frosh-O'Malley tax increases, Governor Martin O'Malley has welcomed Maryland residents to shop at a state-run store. Here, the poor and working families can purchase surplus and used goods left over from the state government. Can't pay your rent anymore, and you've lost your high-speed internet? Bang out a quick note to your landlord on that nifty 1950 typewriter. But true to the new Jimmy Carter spirit of sacrifice, pain, and taxpayer repentence in Annapolis, even the state store is going to close soon! So hurry in, and do some holiday shopping Peter Franchot-style. "Wait a minute, Peter, I'm the governor!" "No, I am." "Just because you have power equal to me, doesn't mean you're the governor." "Yes it does, Martin."

Maryland's surplus property warehouse is at 8037 Brock Bridge Rd. in Jessup. It is open to the public 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 301- 596-1080.

You can take action to stop developer excess in Ocean City, MD. As previously reported, the historic Trimper's amusement park is being targeted by developers who want to turn it into a mixed-use condo-retail development. Maryland's outrageous state and county property taxes are one of the forces being used to help Democrats' developer buddies in their land grabs. The same thing is happening here in Montgomery County, and apparently at the historic park at Coney Island, NY. Now you can take action as Trimper's supporters have set up a website to coordinate efforts to save the park:

http://www.savetrimpers.com/

Montgomery County, the state of Maryland, and the U.S. continue to fall behind the rest of the world in rail transportation. Consider these new advances in European rail service reported by the Associated Press recently:

"People can go anywhere on the network and get there more quickly than air. We do believe people will choose to make those journey because it's more environmentally friendly," said Eurostar Chief Executive Richard Brown.

"Lower-stress, lower carbon emission rail journeys are already attracting people away from airlines, the rail companies claim, after extra security checks lengthened lines at airports."

"[T]rains, on average, release 10 times less CO2 than flying. Eurostar is also aiming to make its trains carbon neutral, offsetting emissions that it can't reduce."

" In November this year, Eurostar trains in Britain will speed up to 208 miles per hour (335 kilometers per hour) as a faster line is laid."

Find out more about the future of rail transportation using the following link, and ask your elected officials why they continue to delay the future here on our side of the Atlantic.

http://www.railteam.eu/en/

Brian Frosh, modest as always. Holding a fundraiser ostensibly to show he can "raise money to help Democrats get elected to the Senate," he refers to the event as a "Reception honoring Senator Brian Frosh." In other words, "help me raise money by honoring me." What would Frosh be honored for? Spending $1.1 million of taxpayers' money on political investigations that found nothing? Is Brian Frosh to be honored for his dispicable distinction of being one of a handful in Maryland to oppose Jessica's Law? Or are we to honor his brave and valiant crusade to ban dish detergent in the state of Maryland?

But just as Brian Frosh couldn't tell you the truth about Marilyn Goldwater's inability to serve, he can't be honest at his fundraiser either. He touts an endorsement - and explicitly implies the appearance - of Governor Martin O'Malley. Yet O'Malley will be in another state during the reception!! So he won't be there to witness what Democratic house organ the Post calls Frosh's "fundraising prowess." Yes, raising money for the Democratic Party is a real tough job in Maryland, a real challenge that tries men's souls. Actually, it's more like the job of parking attendant. The cars keep rolling in, and you just collect the money. So that's what we need in our next State Senate president, eh? Oh, and modesty, too.

More Gilbert Gude, this time hidden on the back of the Outlook section in the Post, by Burton Kummerow, chairman of the Potomac River Basin Consortium:

"Gilbert Gude died June 7. There were no front-page headlines, just the completion of a long life, well lived. Gude was one of an older breed of elected officials, noted most for their civility and authenticity."

"Gude had a disarming affability. He made everyone he met feel important. His civility came naturally. Together with other Maryland Republican leaders of his era, such as Sen. Charles "Mac" Mathias and Gov. Theodore R. McKeldin, he understood the meaning of public discourse. Progress comes with dialogue, respect, compromise and friendship."

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Sun is acknowledging the Brian Frosh-Democratic double standard in Annapolis:

"After making so much noise about what happened during the Ehrlich years, Democrats failed to reduce the number of so-called at-will employees when they had a chance earlier this year. Could it be because they wanted to give the newly elected governor a free hand in personnel matters? It's hard to see it any other way. That was their moment of genuine hypocrisy."

-Editorial, The Baltimore Sun, June 19, 2007

Taxation without representation in Bethesda. It is undeniable. Here in District 16 we pay full taxes to the state of Maryland, and yet we have only 2/3 representation in the House of Delegates! Marilyn Goldwater did not cast a single vote in Annapolis this year. As noted in the previous blog entry, we knew this was going to happen. The grand irony is, as the next highest finisher on November 7, I could have been actively representing our community in Annapolis, and we would have had our full 3 votes in the House. Instead, Ms. Goldwater was reelected under false pretenses. The public statements and newspaper endorsements that hid Ms. Goldwater's true medical status were nothing less than a cover-up perpetrated by the press and Ms. Goldwater's Democratic colleagues on the voting public. How much longer will this scandal go on, and will there be accountability demanded from those who misled the public?

More remembrances of Gilbert Gude:

How interesting that the developers' favorite Planning chief, Royce Hanson, was once a very partisan Democrat who made the mistake of challenging Gilbert Gude for Congress in 1966!

‘‘Gilbert Gude was the gold standard for Republicans in terms of his character, in terms of his intelligence, in terms of constituent services and in term of issues.” - Howard A. Denis

‘‘He was very enthusiastic, very energetic ... He took a balanced approach. He was a moderate in his views and he was able to reach all parts of the community.” - Charles McCurdy ‘‘Mac” Mathias

"[He] stood up for people who were in need of help, who felt they were victims of injustice.” - Gordon Hawk

Finally, some respect for our former Republican Congressman, Gilbert Gude. There is a small piece in today's Montgomery Notebook in the Post Montgomery section.

They did not include my comment about the tradition of Republican leadership on the environment in Montgomery County. A real energy policy starts with energetic leadership, and that's what we don't have in Annapolis today. In fact, we only have 2/3 of our constitutional representation in the House of Delegates. Marilyn Goldwater did not cast a single vote in Annapolis this year. She was absent every day. I have been utterly vindicated as I told everyone during the campaign that this would happen. Of course, I wish Ms. Goldwater the best, given her serious medical condition. That is not the point of contention here. The point is that Robert Dyer told the voters the truth about the danger that we would have only 2 active delegates - and therefore only 2 votes - in the House. It came to pass. In contrast, Bob Asher and the Washington Post, the Gazette, and my Democratic opponents Bill Bronrott and Susan Lee (along with Brian Frosh) misled you, the public. They told you Ms. Goldwater was fully able to serve over and over again. Asher, Bronrott, Lee, and Frosh, and the Washington Post and Gazette are all on the public record stating that Goldwater's health would not be an issue. That was absolutely false, and now they must be held accountable. And yet the Post has never covered this story! It's happening right now! We in District 16 have only 2 votes. For all the talk about "representation" in the Congress for D.C., the hypocritical Post and Gazette are aiding your denial of representation in our Maryland House of Delegates. This will be a historic scandal.

The hypocrisy of Brian Frosh and the Democratic monopoly in Annapolis exposed - and punished - by the justice system! How many times did I talk about the financial cost of their political investigations during the election? Here is the breaking news and response from Maryland Republican Party Chairman, James Pelura:

Martin O’Malley Breaks Campaign Promises and Now The Law
ANNAPOLIS—Administrative Law Judge Susan Sinrod has ruled that Governor Martin O’Malley’s Administration acted “unconstitutionally” and “for political reasons” when Transportation Secretary John Porcari fired Greg Maddalone on January 23, 2007. Judge Sinrod has ordered the O’Malley Administration to reinstate Mr. Maddalone with full back pay.

Chairman James Pelura of the Maryland Republican Party made the following statement:

“Martin O’Malley has made a name for himself – breaking campaign promises and now the law. It is amazing that Democrats spent more than $1.1 million and thirteen months investigating Governor Ehrlich for perceived unlawful firings, and there was not one violation found. Martin O’Malley was in office for not even six days when his Administration unlawfully fired a state employee. Marylanders should be outraged that $1.1 million was wasted last year on investigations and not one penny has been spent on real, documented cases of abuse under Martin O’Malley. Marylanders deserve better than these double standards and political games.”

The lack of Gilbert Gude articles this week has been embarrassing to the Washington Post. What scares the press most, is the powerful reminder Congressman Gude's death presented: that Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac - as well as the larger 8th Congressional District - have a long and distinguished tradition of Republican leadership. And that leadership has been on issues that we don't often get credit for leading on, such as the environment, civil rights, and controlling developer excess. This is the truth that the press in Montgomery County doesn't want you to know. But it is the truth: consider that when Howard Denis was closing out his last term on the County Council, he was making a Herculean effort to protect champion trees in our community. In contrast, our current, all-Democrat County Council's single environmental achievement in 2007 was to classify a rooftop garden as "green space," as it approved yet another Royce Hanson colossus of development excess in downtown Bethesda.

Where were the great, sweeping retrospectives in the A Section? After all, there was far more to Gude's terms in office than his monumental environmental achievements. Where was the poor quality "Appreciation" that liberals get in the Style section?

For a variety of reasons, Republicans are briefly out of office here in District 8/16. But there is reason to believe it won't last for long, as voters quickly discovered this year that the narrow, extreme Democratic agenda excludes them. That majority of voters finds its civic role reduced to being a bank of ATM machines, to fund the radical agenda that covers such weighty societal crises as trans fats and dish detergent. And they are going to respond by voting for Republicans in 2008 and 2010, because we have been inclusive and represented the interests of Republicans, Independents, and moderate Democrats in the past.

Here is the full statement I released this week to acknowledge the passing of Congressman Gude:

"It is with sadness that we note the passing of Congressman Gilbert Gude, but with great pride that we recall his accomplishments. Gilbert Gude exemplified the tradition of Republican leadership on environmental issues in our community. To those of us in Bethesda, he was a neighbor - a neighbor who changed all of America for the better. The C&O Canal National Park is his immortal legacy. We should take that legacy forward by aspiring to equal his leadership and commitment to a cleaner environment, regardless of party affiliation."

According to Democrats in Annapolis, $11.30 is a "living wage." Ok, enough chuckling. I'm serious, and apparently so are Governor O'Malley, and his partners, Bronrott, Lee, Goldwater, and Frosh. They have rammed through a bill, now law, that mandates a wage of $11.30 for contract employees of the state in Montgomery County. If you've tried living on $11.30 in Montgomery County, you know that's not a living wage. $15.30 wouldn't be a living wage here. As with so many Orwellian doublespeak policies of these politicians, my response is "put your money where your mouth is." First of all, admit $11.30 is not a living wage. If I were in office, I'd say, give me a bill that calls $20.30 a living wage, and now you're talking. Don't mock poor people by calling $11.30 cents a living wage. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. As part two of "put your money where your mouth is" on the living wage, I challenge O'Malley, Bronrott, Lee, Goldwater, and Frosh - and O'Malley fan Hillary Clinton - to do just that. Let's make it law that the Governor, Delegates, State Senators, and U.S. Congress be paid only $11.30 per hour from now on. And they will have to cover all of their expenses, housing, and children's college education with that $11.30. I'll buy that for a dollar.

Developer Land Grab Alert:

This time in Ocean City, MD. Rumor has it that Trimper's Amusement Park at the inlet may go up for sale. Sources indicate that the powers-that-be want to replace amusements with, what else, a Bethesda Row-style "multi-use" commercial-residential development. Don't let it happen. Much like our Montgomery County government's demolition of the former B&O Railroad line, this is a greed-fueled, shameful assault on history, a historic site that should be preserved. Will the governor and Eastern Shore delegation step in to prevent catastrophic change in the character of Maryland's historic tourist destination? Or are they too heavily in debt to the developers to move? The Esskay clock is ticking. As in the case of the Westbard Sector, citizen action is needed to fill the vacuum of "leadership."

Yes, it has been awhile between entries. My apologies for the delay, but a family medical emergency and other assorted events have left no spare time over the last month.

New entries are on the way. Until then, enjoy the recent news that the Washington Post empire's earnings have plummeted again. Translation: Less and less people care what the Post has to say. People are tired of far-left, biased yellow journalism and a dark agenda that is simply contrary to the values of our community. In greater numbers, people of every race and income level are confirming the irrelevance of the dinosaur Washington Post.

The Post's nemesis, Hugo Chavez, the world leader who strikes the most fear into the hearts of the Post's corporate bigshots and editorial staff, is enjoying the news too (as evidenced in the above photo). If you're scaring the Post, you must be doing something right.

The long cold winter has passed and the stormy seas are behind. At any moment, someone might shout, "Land Ho!" Are we ready? What are the policies and agenda that will bring us to victory when we land? Stay tuned for discussion of that. And of the Democrats' nationwide strategy to drive the middle class into poverty through rush-hour tolls and transit fares (when they know you must go to work at that time - that's why they're doing it, as a guaranteed revenue scheme), Lexus lanes, energy taxes, carbon taxes, car taxes, property taxes, real estate taxes, sales taxes, service taxes, more taxes than can be listed here. And this is after Maryland Catholic leaders gave the legislature a failing grade on poverty issues in 2007. The middle class will have no spending money, and the poor will be devastated. Don't let it happen! Support a positive agenda, and get ready to vote in 2008 and 2010!

Lights! Camera! Action!! A Capital Properties Production. A Richard Cohen Film. Nicolas Cage. Diane Krueger. National Treasure 2. In this one, Benjamin Franklin Gates is searching for the treasure hidden somewhere in the Westwood Shopping Center. Not quite, but the crew working on the movie set up a tent city in the shopping center parking lot. This included a large circus tent that apparently was a mess hall, RVs, campers, semi trucks, fake DC police cruisers, and some security guards who acted like they owned the place. But who does own the place?

Richard Cohen, the New York-based developer who just bought it last year, that's who. This is the first time my blog has broken a news story, but nobody covered this and, most importantly, nobody told the neighborhood this was going to happen!

Since when can you use a shopping center as a campground in Montgomery County? Who issued the permits, if any were issued? Can I buy an RV, park it in the shopping center and live there? And pitch a tent beside it? Can I serve meals to a crowd of 100 people there? Doesn't this prove the rarity and value of the large surface parking lot we have there? Why are we getting the abuse, refuse, and damage to our roads and parking lot while the DC Government gets all the profits from the movie?

Is this a sign of what's to come in the future as the redevelopment of Westbard goes forward? Specifically, a profit-driven process at the expense of those who live here? It is very troubling and comes at a critical time in the Westbard Sector planning process.

It's a peculiar story that begins with the Park Bethesda high-end luxury apartment building suddenly being leased to American University as a dormitory(!). You know, why make millions on luxury apartments in Bethesda when you can make less and have tenants who'll trash the place - what a brilliant business strategy!

Then, what about the sweetheart deal Capital Properties got? In a zip code where houses go for $2 million, you can buy the entire Westbard Sector, properties included, for only $20 million? These two transactions just don't pass the smell test, in my opinion.

The average resident has, so far, been left out of the process. Despite all the hype about Park and Planning, it's still business as usual there. The developer-funded Democrats on the County Council got the man they wanted to head Park and Planning. You've got to ask yourself why those council members wanted him so badly. As a recent example, I only found out about a new industrial building being built on River Road by reading about it in the Montgomery section! This is on top of the self-storage building that literally just appeared overnight behind the Park Bethesda. The neighbors were never consulted about either building.

That our industrial zone is being expanded rather than phased out is very interesting. The County government, and its developer-beholden politicians, quickly closed the cement plant on Bethesda Avenue and tore up the Georgetown Branch railroad practically overnight. Why was it so quick to do that, but is leaving our industrial zone intact? And what is the significance of this winner-take-all, double standard development in light of the Westbard Sector redevelopment?

I hope to have answers sooner rather than later.