IKE LEGGETT:

DANGEROUSLY WEAK ON

PUBLIC SAFETY

Montgomery 911 Service Inoperable for Hours

Leggett Threatens to Transfer

Resources from

Glen Echo Fire Department

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett's attempt to produce a doomsday budget, designed to justify - what else? - more new taxes, has only increased the spotlight on his poor management of public safety in the county.


Already, residents were unable to get through to 911 for hours a few weeks ago. Mr. Leggett had few answers for what went wrong in this unspeakable situation, but many excuses. This echoed his earlier response to complaints about the county's poor road-clearing efforts during the recent winter storm.


Now Mr. Leggett is threatening Bethesda residents - threatening to make life more dangerous by cutting funds to our Glen Echo volunteer fire department.


According to the latest Gazette:


"$400,000 would be saved by reducing overtime for emergency medics by transferring resources from Glen Echo and Laytonsville, which also would increase response times to those communities overnight, according to [Leggett]."


These funds could easily be recovered from Mr. Leggett's many unpopular pet projects, where too much of our tax money is ending up these days. To instead risk the lives of Bethesda residents is an abomination and certainly does not qualify as responsible leadership.


It's outrageous.

WESTWOOD SHOPPING CENTER

AT THE MOVIES

Ample Surface Parking is a "National Treasure"

The film National Treasure: Book of Secrets was #1 at the box office last weekend. Readers of this blog know that the National Treasure film crew lived in a tent city at the Westwood Shopping Center on Westbard earlier this year. In fact, I broke the story and no news organization in town ever covered it.


I personally was wandering around in the midst of this impromptu Hollywood set, and toured the tent city. At one point, I thought about getting in line for some of the hot and hearty victuals that were being served up. It smelled good. Besides operating a dining hall in the parking lot, there were all kinds of big rigs, equipment, campers, and props - including fake Metropolitan Police cruisers.

Of course, this was with the approval of Richard Cohen and Capital Properties of New York. And without permission from or notification of the adjacent neighborhoods. This gave some indication of the level of respect we can expect from CP as the redevelopment of Westbard goes forward. The legality of using a parking lot as a campground and food service operation is still in question.


What cannot be disputed is that this episode proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the rare value offered by ample surface parking lots. With most lots having been replaced by garages charging outrageous prices, Jerry Bruckheimer had little choice but to turn to the humble Westwood Shopping Center.

Thank you, Capital Properties, for making my own case for why we must retain that ample surface parking, just as W.C. & A.N. Miller did so successfully in their redevelopment of Little Falls Mall. The new Little Falls Mall - now called the Shops at Sumner Place (but still Little Falls Mall to those who live around here) is the blueprint to follow on Westbard.


Despite my criticism of Capital Properties, the film is great - "fourrrr starrrrrs" as Arch Campbell would say. The original National Treasure was four stars as well. Perhaps it helps to be a history major like me, or at least to have an interest in American history. Part of the new movie was shot on the campus of the University of Maryland at College Park. Very familiar to me. But there are plenty of other familiar locations in the movie you will recognize.


They don't make many family films like this anymore, so you ought to reward yourself and the filmmakers with your $10 ticket purchase. A patriotic, All-American film like National Treasure won't get a second thought from the far-left media elites and Academy Awards, but this is one of the top movies of the year.

O'MALLEY BUDGET SECRETARY

SENTENCED

FOR

DRUNK DRIVING

Foster is Second Prominent Democrat

Caught Driving Drunk in 2007

Judge Issues Slap on the Wrist

Sentence

Washington Post and Gazette

Cover Up Story to Protect

Democratic Party

The Baltimore Sun and WBAL radio report that Governor Martin O'Malley's budget secretary, T. Eloise Foster, has been sentenced to probation and a one-year abstention from alcohol for driving while intoxicated on I-95 in June. Pulled over by one of Maryland's finest, Foster failed several sobriety tests. Shockingly, this incident went entirely unreported by the Washington Post and Gazette newspapers. Had this been a Bob Ehrlich administration official, this would have been front page news.

Less surprising is the double standard at work here. Foster's sentence allows her to expunge the DUI incident from her record entirely, if she complies with its terms. Chairman of the House Alcohol and Drug Committee, Bill Bronrott, has not released a statement to the press critical of Secretary Foster's dangerous vehicular escapades. Bronrott also declined to criticize fellow Democrat Kumar Barve, also arrested for drunk driving in 2007. We have to ask Mr. Bronrott and his comrades at the Post and Gazette again: Is drunk driving a dangerous behavior and serious offense? Or not? Well, what is the answer? We are still waiting to hear it. All we have now are a double standard for Democratic drunk drivers, hypocrisy, and a cover-up by the Democratic house organs, the Post and Gazette.

I attended a sham of a "town hall meeting" in Kensington last September. A town hall meeting on the O'Malley tax plan where the "town" was not allowed to speak. Along with State Senator Richard Madeleno and Montgomery County's own Michael Kinsley clone, the panel also featured Secretary Foster. She lectured all of us, the taxpayers, about all of the wonderful new taxes we would pay. And how these massive, regressive, flat taxes on the poor and middle class would allow our brilliant governor to solve all of those super-serious budget problems we have in Annapolis.

Turns out, three months before lecturing the poor on taxes, Ms. Foster was intoxicated and tearing up I-95 in her expensive Jaguar. As with the Barve incident, I ask again, why is a public official becoming intoxicated in public in the first place? And then turning their vehicles into deadly weapons by getting behind the wheel drunk?

What kind of message does all of this send to the taxpayer, and to young drivers receiving the Democrats' double message on drunk driving?

More importantly, what kind of message will you send to Annapolis in the 2010 election?

Breaking News!

CHIEF CLERK OF THE

HOUSE OF DELEGATES DECLARED

"FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE"

FBI Continues Nationwide Search

Judge "Concerned;" Postpones Case to Jan. 4

A Carroll County judge postponed a legal challenge to the Democratic General Assembly's historic tax increase today, after process servers and the FBI were unable to locate a star witness, Maryland House of Delegates Chief Clerk Mary Monahan. Judge Thomas Stansfield halted the proceedings until January 4, calling Monahan's potential testimony "absolutely essential," and having "great bearing" on the case.

Monahan is believed to be evading a legal deposition that would potentially reveal illegal actions by the Democratic leadership of the General Assembly during November's Special Session, according to news accounts. These actions regarding House procedures, if confirmed, would be in violation of the Maryland Constitution. The suit also calls for the historic, regressive Democratic tax increases to be voided.

Plaintiffs' attorney Irwin Kramer spoke to reporters after the hearing, according to The Examiner.

"It is not a minor technicality when the chief clerk of the Maryland House of Delegates flees the jurisdiction after losing a motion to block that deposition in an effort to deprive my clients, the defense and all of the taxpayers of Maryland information about what the legislature did," Kramer said.

Here we go again. More Democratic partisan theatrics, extreme hubris, and a lack of respect for citizens and the law. Is this the way you want to be represented not only to Maryland but to the entire country? We need new leadership that will put time and energy not on games for personal and political gain, but rather on the serious issues that have been evaded for decades in Annapolis and Rockville.

METRO SOAKS THE POOR

Outrageous Fare Increase Will

Reduce Ridership

Metro Raises Rates on Senior Citizens and the Disabled

One Giant Leap for D.C. Area Gentrification

The Metro board yesterday approved the largest fare increase in the history of the transit system. At a time when Metro is providing poor service to the customer, there is absolutely no justification for this outrageous increase. Metro continues to suffer from poor leadership at the top and on its board.

We the citizens also suffer from poor leadership in our government centers. Let me inform our elected officials that high fares = lower ridership. When we are trying to encourage more people to use mass transit, our officials are reducing the incentives to do so. Now that the average suburban Metro rider is going to pay $10 more per week ($520 per year), this serves as yet another tax on lower and middle income families. How many groceries will $520 buy in a year for a citizen of moderate income? A lot. This $520 tax on working families is an immoral disgrace. Perhaps the most reprehensible item on the fare increase list, was a doubly outrageous fare hike specifically for senior citizens and the disabled!!! Remember, there is no low too low for our elected officials.

But you won't hear any protest from our elected officials. In fact, they wanted an even higher fare increase. You might ask, how does a Metro fare help them, as it does not go to the governments? The answer they don't want you to hear is that this goes to their strategy for the gentrification of our metro area. This strategy serves the needs of politicians who are in league with developers, in search of wealthy residents to buy expensive properties they build.

Of course, there are a few simple minded people who say, "the cost of operating a vehicle and of auto insurance make it more expensive than Metro." Unfortunately, unless you live in a dream world like they do, the majority of people own a car and have auto insurance. Therefore, they are already paying those operation costs. So when a moronic decision is made to increase fares and Metro parking fees... Suddenly, unless you are driving an Escalade, gas and parking garage fees are less than the cost of using Metro.

So, how does that mesh with our officials' claims of favoring mass transit and of taking action on "human-made global warming" (the greatest hoax of our time)? It just doesn't. What's the real agenda? I call it "Pay to Live" Society. This is a philosophy held by many on the far left and even some Republicans. Under the guise of "climate change," which is naturally occuring on a cyclical basis, governments and bodies will reduce freedom and increase taxes. Suddenly, every action, product, and service will require a fee to offset this or that "effect" on the environment.

This extremist environmental agenda will combine with governmental tax, spending and housing policies to drive up the cost of living. Areas such as Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County will only be affordable for the elite. Where the rest of us - the poor, and the middle class - are supposed to go hasn't been answered yet. North Dakota?

But the hypocrisy has been laid bare for all to recognize. The "environmental" agenda has only served so far as a revenue device for Big Government. The Chesapeake Bay is worse off than ever, and the state has continued to take a hands-off approach to the real polluters. Further, under the guise of "clean, alternative fuels," governments are now promoting ethanol as a legitimate answer to environmental concerns. Hypocrisy again! Ethanol, aka corn and sugar production, will require massive increases in fertilizer that will flush directly into the Bay and any other nearby bodies of water. The result, of course, will be to further destroy the Bay's natural environment and wildlife. Equally catastrophic will be the inflation of corn and sugar prices on the national and world markets. This will make basic foods too expensive for lower income citizens to buy here and in Latin America. Again, this is immoral. To top it off, ethanol-powered cars can't go as far as gasoline-powered cars. I'm sorry, but it's true. No ethanol, no nuclear reactors. Neither one is environmentally safe.

And now, here we have another hypocritical move: claim to support mass transit but then make it too expensive to use. Add this to "HOT lanes" (which are hot if you are a tax and spend Democrat or a Lexus driver; not so hot if you are the average working-class driver) and "congestion pricing" (aka move to North Dakota if you can't afford to pay $16 a day to drive into D.C.), and you've got the idea: Pay to Live. It works for the developers, who need elites to buy their luxury homes and condos they currently can't sell at Donald Trump prices (you know, like that building near White Flint Metro, across from Toys R Us - the one that has 9 lights on at night). Welcome to Fantasy Island.

So what is the real answer? Take it from me, the only candidate in the 2006 election who had a comprehensive transportation plan, and a real environmentalist: we need to make mass transit easy to access, affordable to all, and provide world class service. Metro had no business raising fares with its poor service and terrible safety record. Give us a world class product first. If Mr. Catoe and his board cannot operate Metro in a fiscally responsible manner while still providing an exceptional user experience, find others who can. If not, turn it over to a public-private partnership. Introduce accountability, competitive bidding, and innovation. We need a farecard that gives unlimited rides on Metro, Metrobus, regional buses, MARC, VRE, and Amtrak for one low monthly fee. That will be the greatest advance in mass transit history and create a surge in ridership. It can be done. What are we waiting for? Or is the concern about mass transit and the environment just an inconvenient lie?

DOMINION POWER

BUYS BIG MONEY AD

IN

WASHINGTON POST

Not only does the Washington Post Company have a financial interest in the success of Dominion Power's proposed transmission line and Lake Anna nuclear reactor, but it also received Dominion cash for a full page ad in yesterday's A section.

DOUBLE STANDARDS

IN THE

WASHINGTON POST/GAZETTE

DEMOCRAT PROTECTION PROGRAM

Weeks after the drunk driving arrest of Democratic House Majority Leader Kumar Barve and a bizarre vehicular incident involving Montgomery County Council member Marilyn Praisner, we have unanswered questions and no reporter is seeking answers.

Where is the Kumar Barve mug shot?

Where is the police cruiser video of Kumar Barve failing sobriety tests at the scene of his arrest?

These films would be a political disaster for Mr. Barve; is that why the press is withholding them?

On the Marilyn Praisner incident, in which Ms. Praisner struck another vehicle, then crashed less than 15 minutes later in a second accident... where is the investigation? What are the details?

Was Ms. Praisner driving under the influence of prescription drugs?

Would the average citizen be able to cause this much vehicular mayhem in 15 minutes and not be charged?

I dare say, we are dealing with a double standard here and it is the taxpayer's dollars paying to clean up the Barve and Praisner messes. Don't we then have the right to know all of the details and examine the evidence from both incidents?

Vindicated Again!!

Survey Confirms County

Residents Share

Robert Dyer's

Priorities and Values

93% OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

VOTERS SAY:

"READ OUR LIPS...

NO

NEW

TAXES!!"

Washington Post Admits for the First Time:

CRIME IS UP IN MONTGOMERY

COUNTY!

AN UNPRECEDENTED ADMISSION

THAT VINDICATES WHAT

ROBERT DYER HAS SAID

ALL ALONG ABOUT THE

ONGOING VIOLENT

CRIME WAVE

A tremendous embarrassment for my 2006 Democratic opponents, current office holders in Rockville and Annapolis, the Washington Post, and the Gazette. That's the only way to describe the results of Montgomery County's survey of residents. 93% of voters oppose new taxes, even to maintain current "services" provided by Montgomery County Government. That's strange... I recall promising "no new taxes" during my campaign, while Bill Bronrott, Susan Lee, and Bill Frick joined Martin O'Malley in passing the largest, most regressive tax increase on the poor and the middle class in Maryland history. Citizens will cast their own votes on taxes in 2010. And it turns out that 93% of those citizens share the Robert Dyer position on taxes - no new taxes, reduce current taxes, and repeal the massive 2007 Democratic tax increases.

80% of citizens also share my concerns about out-of -control development, and the lack of transportation infrastructure to support that development. Elected officials have yet to do anything on transportation, while I had promised to make my comprehensive transportation plan the top item on my agenda. A year later, we still don't have a bus on River Road to downtown Bethesda. There are a variety of other bus and rail projects that we could fund with Federal funds and public/private partnerships. But we don't have the leadership in Annapolis and Rockville to get it done.

My proposal for rail service to Ocean City qualifies for special Federal funds that would pay to upgrade the existing trackage to Class I passenger status. Our elected officials, and even the Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock, do not seem to realize this! I thought that was their job.

County Executive Isiah Leggett has not kept his promises to control growth; in fact, he is handing over county lands and green space to developers at a record pace. Now Mr. Leggett is going after the largest undeveloped tract of land left in Gaithersburg. This also sets up another developer land grab for the existing county lands around Crabbs Branch and Gude Drive.

Most significantly, residents have vindicated what I have said all along: we are in the midst of a violent crime wave. A full 62% say that crime is a major issue that needs to be addressed, and is a higher priority than traffic or education.

Only 49% of residents feel safe in downtown areas after dark.

For the last two years, I've been the only one talking about the increase in violent crime. I've also spoken on the need for bail reform and new measures to address domestic violence. In contrast, not only have the victors of 2006 continued to be silent on crime, but they have even taken tools away from the criminal justice system. Furthermore, Martin O'Malley and our Democratic delegates have given convicted felons the right to vote, and then tried to release large numbers of them from prison. Delegate Roger Manno tried to further violate your Second Amendment rights with new gun control legislation. I fundamentally disagree with their unconstitutional, far-left, extremist agenda.

No elected official has yet admitted we are in a crime wave. Neither have the Democratic house organs, the Post and Gazette. Until now.

In a major reversal, the Washington Post today admitted for the first time that crime is up. Here is the exact quote:

"The county's crime rate has inched up in recent years, most notably with the number of robberies increasing 13 percent from 2005 to last year, according to a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments."

As I've said before, the first step is admitting you have a problem. The next step is electing new leadership to address the problem.

Double Trouble!

WASHINGTON POST

PUBLISHES SECOND

PUFF PIECE FOR

DOMINION POWER

Breaking News!

A www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!

Today's Washington Post Business section contains a massive front page puff-piece on the proposed Dominion Power transmission line. The story takes Dominion's own propaganda and presents it as scientific fact. For example, the Post states as fact that there will be rolling blackouts if the line is not approved. It doesn't say there "might be," or that "Dominion claims" there will be blackouts; it simply states that there will be blackouts as a fact. The only data, however, is that provided by Dominion Power - hardly an objective, scientific study. An accompanying chart representing power demand is also based on Dominion Power data, not objective facts.



As a www.RobertDyer.net exclusive investigation revealed last week, the Post has extensive financial connections to the utility and energy industries. Any victory for Dominion Power benefits the Post Co. Board of Directors. I ask again, why does the Post not have to print a disclaimer with any story or editorial related to utility and energy regulation and issues?

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?

WASHINGTON POST

GREASES WHEELS FOR

DOMINION REACTOR

WITH PUFF PIECE

Breaking News!

A RobertDyer.net Exclusive!

Last week, the Washington Post published a very curious article about the relationship between the Dominion Power nuclear facilities at Lake Anna, Virginia, and the residents who live nearby. In contrast to what you would expect - fears and complaints - the article was bizarrely titled, “Happy in Their Haven Beside the Nuclear Plant”(!) No, that is not a misprint.

Here's a Post quote from a neighbor of the nuclear plant, Barbara Kempf: "Oh my God, it's beautiful," she said. "I love our crystal-clear waters. Every other weekend we take baths in the lake. We never come out smelling fishy."

My initial reaction was of suspicion, knowing the Post's concern about the energy sector. Why would the Post print a puff piece about a nuclear plant?

Why? The very next day, in the back pages of the Post's Metro section, was a small item reporting that Dominion Power had just filed with the government to build a third nuclear reactor at Lake Anna. Unbelievable.

Was this just an unethical advertorial for Dominion Power? Or is it something more?

How does this nuclear puff piece relate to other odd editorial positions of the self-proclaimed "environmental" Washington Post, such as its advocation of drilling for oil near the entrance to the already fragile Chesapeake Bay?

Why has the far-left Post gone after the far-left energy competitor Hugo Chavez with such a vengeance?

Tired of waiting for other so-called "reporters" to address the issue, I've begun investigating myself. The preliminary results are in.

It turns out:

The Washington Post Co.

is in the energy business.

Examining the holding of just one member of the Post Co.'s Board of Directors, reveals just some of the Post's energy interests:

• MidAmerican Holdings - parent of Iowa's largest gas and electric utility
• Kern River Gas Transmission
• Northern Natural Gas
• $900 mm loan at 30% to Williams Cos.
• 180,000 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline
• PacificCorp - major electric utility serving six Western states
• 1% of PetroChina, the world's first $1 trillion dollar company

Source: Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections; Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. 2005 Annual Report

Many of these holdings directly involve regulatory issues - how can the Post then advocate a position on those issues related to Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. utilities?

And we're just scratching the surface.

Now, about that wonderful, clean water and recreational activity the Lake Anna residents are enjoying? Don't schedule that Beach Boys concert just yet.

Turns out those wonderful waters have received more than 5700 curies of radioactive water since 2000 alone, according to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission data. According to the organization Beyond Nuclear, this water contains "tritium with a radioactive half-life of 12.3 years."

Beyond Nuclear goes on to state that "this radioactive form of hydrogen can be [easily] absorbed, inhaled and ingested."

According to the organization's Paul Gunter, "tritium exposure is proven to cause cancer and birth defects. Tritium crosses the placenta barrier to the fetus. There is no clinical safe dose. Currently eleven reactors discharge into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Water consumption and thermal pollution by thermoelectric plants (fossil and nuclear) are increasingly contentious."

Ah, yes, Washington Post: we are all happy by the lake. Well, at least Warren Buffett and the Washington Post Company are.

Frosh, Democrat Extremist

Dish Detergent Ban

Proven Fraud Again

The latest studies show again that dish detergent is not a credible source of phosphorus in the Bay - after much phosphorus was removed from dish detergent years ago, the level of phosphorus in the Bay has increased. The draconian total dish detergent ban passed by Democratic extremists in Annapolis this year has once again proven to be a worthless, empty action by those who continue to exempt the real polluters from prosecution.

The Old Bronrott

Position on Drunk

Driving

That's right. It was just this year that Bill Bronrott made public statements on teen drunk driving and the need to (guess what) raise taxes on alcohol.

‘‘If we’re really serious about short-circuiting the cycle of violence in our communities that typically shows up in our emergency rooms, in our unemployment lines and in our criminal justice system, then we have to invest more up-front to ending this scourge that affects all of our communities...It’s about our public health and safety and it’s long overdue."

- Bill Bronrott, May 2007

"Long overdue," just like Mr. Bronrott's public response to the drunk driving arrest of top Democrat Kumar Barve. It has been a full week, and we have heard no public comment from Mr. Bronrott criticizing Mr. Barve's behavior. Is drunk driving a concern or not?

Overall, there is virtually no criticism of Mr. Barve's actions. No calls for him to step down or resign as Majority Leader. Why not? Again, had this been a Republican, the media would have made this a major offense and called for him or her to resign immediately. Total hypocrisy, total double standard.

Kumar Barve Democrat Drunk Driver Update

Luiz Simmons, the Democratic delegate from District 17 who distinguished himself during the General Assembly's special session by standing up to his tax-, spending-, and slots-mad Democratic colleagues, is on the verge of squandering those credits by serving as House Minority Leader Kumar Barve's attorney. It has been suggested by some on the internet that this is an attempt to intimidate the judge and jury, should a trial be held. That argument has merit. A new detail is that Barve and Gaithersburg Assistant City Manager, Fred Felton, used city police cars as personal limousines!! So while crimes are being committed, police officers are being forced to shuttle Kumar Barve and Fred Felton all over town. "Where to next, Your Excellency?"

How can anyone justify or excuse Mr. Barve's outrageous, dangerous behavior?

Again, where is Bill Bronrott's condemnation of Barve? Mr. Bronrott has claimed drunk driving is a serious issue. By not condeming Mr. Barve's actions, Mr. Bronrott is giving him a free pass if not a solid endorsement. If we do not hear public comment from Mr. Bronrott soon, he will have lost all credibility on the drunk driving issue.

Mr. Barve himself has no shame. Unlike other public personalities arrested on similar charges, who have released self-critical statements and apologized for their behavior, Mr. Barve is shameless: his only public statement since his arrest has been "I don't care to comment on this." Barve's disgraceful behavior is only compounded by his arrogance and belief that he is above the law.

And what of the law? Barve and many of his fellow Democrats in Maryland believe they can pick and choose which laws to obey, and which to ignore. If caught, they will use power and intimidation to escape the consequences ordinary citizens would face. Barve and others have another powerful tool: The Post-Gazette Democrat Protection Program. The Post has been dead silent on the Barve arrest. The Gazette has hidden a mild report in only some editions of the paper today. It is shameful, and unethical, but certainly no surprise from the premier house organs of the Democratic Party.

I cannot emphasize enough the fact that Barve refused to take the court-admissable Breathalyzer test. That is arrogance, ladies and gentlemen. If he was above-board, he would have taken the test. Barve's keen knowledge of how to manipulate the laws he himself is sworn to uphold was on brazen display. He believes - knows, almost - that you, the voter, are simply too stupid to remember this drunk-driving episode and disdain for the law in 2010. Prove him wrong at the ballot box.

B U S T E D

Democratic Majority Leader

Arrested For DUI

Democrat Barve Had

Blood Alcohol Level of

.10



Democrat Delegate Kumar

Barve Had Been Noted

Critic of Drunk Drivers



Democrat Barve

Spearheaded Legislation

Which Lowered Legal

Limit to .08

Maryland Democratic House Majority Leader Kumar Barve was arrested Thursday for DUI. Once again, Democrats in Annapolis command us to do one thing while they do whatever they wish. A classic case of hypocrisy was exposed - but very briefly - by Democratic house organs the Washington Post and Gazette.

Mr. Barve's apparently cynical smarts led him to take the unadmissable breath test administered by the police at the site of his arrest in Gaithersburg, but to refuse the court-admissable Breathalyzer test at police headquarters. Mr. Barve was handcuffed, booked, charged, and later driven home in police custody. Under the Post-Gazette Democrat protection plan, Mr. Barve's mugshot has mysteriously not been printed. Can you imagine what the papers would have printed if this had been a Republican?



Mr. Barve has been charged with DWI, DUI, failure to obey a traffic device, and failure to drive right of center. He drove the wrong way through a one-way entrance, which could have resulted in a head-on collision. Likewise, Mr. Barve crossed the center line on East Diamond Avenue, again narrowly missing a head-on collison, had there been a car approaching in the opposite direction.



In direct contradiction to his grandstanding on the drunk driving issue, Mr. Barve allegedly operated his vehicle while intoxicated. Why is an elected official becoming intoxicated in the first place? Second, he consumed these beverages at a Municipal League event; why didn't his Democratic colleagues stop him from driving home? Finally, the top Democrat in Annapolis chose to turn his vehicle into a deadly weapon, putting the citizens of Montgomery County at fatal risk. Mr. Barve also forced police to waste time dealing with his drunken antics while other crimes were being committed in the area.



Mr. Barve has told you what to do from on high in Annapolis for almost two decades. Mr. Barve has now put citizens at risk with his potentially fatal drunk driving shenanigans. Martin O'Malley and Michael Busch have defended what they apparently consider Mr. Barve's "right" to drive while intoxicated. What kind of a message is that for young drivers? Where is Bill Bronrott's comment on this shameful behavior by a fellow Democrat? Just last week, the Post gave him page after page to talk about his 9 PM teen curfew. Haven't heard Mr. Bronrott's comment on Barve yet.



Send Mr. Barve a powerful message in the 2010 election; send Mr. Barve home using your power at the ballot box. Let's just hope he drives sober this time.

Breaking News:

Washington Post

Protects PEPCO;

Covers Up 2007

Thanksgiving Day

Blackout

Today's Washington Post contains only a brief, vague paragraph regarding PEPCO's Thanksgiving Day blackout yesterday. It mentions not a word about Thanksgiving dinners being ruined. It mentions nothing about the cause or why it took PEPCO so long to turn the power back on, when they knew it was an important holiday. Could it be that, like Bill Bronrott, Marilyn Goldwater, and Susan Lee, the Post was also the recipient of PEPCO cash?

This blackout was a disgrace and there is no excuse for the Post covering it up. I even called the news desk and left my name and number, which I was told would be forwarded to the Metro editor. Almost 24 hours later, I have not received a call. It turns out they don't need comments from the victims of PEPCO's 2007 Thanksgiving Blackout, because they are going to cover it up to help their apparent friends at PEPCO. PEPCO: The Grinch that Stole Thanksgiving. THE WASHINGTON POST: The newspaper that helped the Grinch make a getaway. Regardless, PEPCO must pay the bills for those customers whose Thanksgivings they ruined yesterday.

PEPCO has reached a new low. PEPCO is the Grinch that Stole Thanksgiving!! PEPCO turned off all power to my street from 4:00 to 7:20 P.M. Everyone's Thanksgiving dinner was ruined, thanks to PEPCO. Don't give me any of that baloney about the wind; there was not a single limb or tree down on the line. In fact, much as during PEPCO's infamous January 1999 eight day blackout(!!!), power was momentarily restored for about two minutes before going out again. I am tired of these fake power outages. Is this Cuba or the United States? Last time I checked it was the U.S., so turn the power back on, comrades!!

With the outrageous rate increases, endorsed by Bill Bronrott, Marilyn Goldwater, and Susan Lee, customers expect an improvement in service. A Thanksgiving blackout is a new low for PEPCO. Even more than Christmas, Thanksgiving is a day that requires power in order to cook the Thanksgiving dinner. I realize this is not a priority for PEPCO and their friends on the extreme left who protect them, but for the rest of America it is a priority.

The fact is, as I told you last year, Bronrott, Goldwater (and possibly her successor, Bill Frick, in the future), and Lee all get a fat check each year from their friends at PEPCO. In return, they allow PEPCO to raise your rates to new levels, while customer service hits a new low. Comcast has the same deal going. So there is no accountability, no competition, your rates go up, and you can't get a single live person on the phone to complain to. It's outrageous. Get this straight: YOU WILL NEVER HAVE EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM PEPCO OR COMCAST UNTIL YOU ELECT NEW REPRESENTATIVES WHO AREN'T BEHOLDEN TO THEM.

Anyone who knows me knows that Robert Dyer is the People's Crusader when it comes to PEPCO's high rates and failure to provide the level of service equal to the excessive cost. Last year I made competition in utilities a major issue in my campaign. Robert Dyer is apparently the only one who will speak out on behalf of the citizens of Bethesda. PEPCO must pay the bills for every customer who lost power today, including food that had to be thrown out, and the restaurant bill for those of us who increased the 5% of Americans who eat Thanksgiving dinner at restaurants today.

To PEPCO and their elected friends in Annapolis and Rockville, the Grinches who Stole Thanksgiving: Bah humbug. To everyone else, Happy Thanksgiving.

Breaking news:

BRONROTT, FRICK, AND LEE

VOTE FOR SLOTS

Welcome to the Waffle House, ladies and gentlemen. Although we can understand Bill Frick voting for slots, as his law firm Akin Gump is a major lobbyist for the gaming industry, Bill Bronrott and Susan Lee have no such pro-slots history. Bronrott and Lee have told you for years that slots are the instrument of the devil himself, and will surely lead to moral and societal decay in Montgomery County. (If the County Council doesn't bring us there first). Now the new Bronrott and Lee join "The Gambler," Bill Frick, in voting for the slots referendum which will almost surely be approved by Democrats statewide in the 2008 election. Why? Because they've all flip-flopped on slots for personal and political gain.

I've already told you in the past how the casino industry mysteriously offered no support or outreach to slots supporters such as myself in 2006. They also transferred their massive financial contributions from popular former governor Bob Ehrlich to Martin O'Malley that same year. This was a Faustian bargain between the gaming industry and the Maryland Democratic Party that is now reaping the benefits for the industry and Democrats alike. It is an embarrassment for both the gaming industry, which stabbed Republicans in the back like nobody's business last year, and for their new best friends the Democrats, home to District 16's own hypocrites, Bronrott, Frick (even he weakly claimed to be anti-slots), and Lee. And also for the 5 Republican delegates who joined the Democrats in voting for yesterday's bill. For shame, for shame.

"Gimme, gimme, gimme."

Brian Frosh turns to a colleague during Senate passage of the largest, most regressive tax increase in Maryland history, exhorting him to get more taxes out of the residents of District 16. This included a Frosh measure that would have forced summer vacation renters to pay Maryland income taxes, thereby devastating the rental home and condo market in Ocean City. Another day, another billion dollars for the extremist, far-left agenda in Annapolis.

Photo: The Gazette

BREAKING NEWS:

BRONROTT, FRICK, AND LEE VOTE FOR HIGHEST,

MOST REGRESSIVE TAX INCREASE IN

MARYLAND HISTORY

District 16's delegates, William Bronrott, Bill Frick, and Susan Lee have voted for the largest, most regressive tax increase in Maryland history. The bills they voted for not only rob working families but savagely penalize the most vulnerable in our community: the poor, children, the sick, the disabled, and the elderly. It is shameful. Shameful.

Having taken $4 million from Maryland children, Governor O'Malley and his allies Bronrott, Frick, Lee, and Frosh are now going to prey on the senior citizens and disabled of District 16. In another move out of (really far) left field, they are putting a 6% tax on snow removal service! Again, this is not a misprint. The majority of customers for snow removal are the elderly and disabled who need professionals to clear walkways and driveways. Don't expect any sympathy from these greedy Democrats if you are elderly or disabled. As I told you earlier, there is no low that is too low for these individuals when it comes to taking your hard-earned money.

Environmental Hypocrisy, Vol. 247, Chapter II

Let the oil spill in the San Francisco Bay be a lesson to anyone - such as the ultra-hypocritical Washington Post - who is calling for oil drilling near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. As we've seen over 2007 in Rockville and Annapolis, the unthinkable is becoming reality all around us. I support additional drilling for domestic oil, but not in highly sensitive environments like the Maryland/Virginia coast. Yet this is what the Post and others are proposing. These are the same people who want to put an environmental catastrophe off the coast of Ocean City by building a turbine farm that will harm wildlife and mar the view of el mar. We need to stop this. But let's review the environmental "achievements" of Democratic Annapolis in 2007:

• Banned Dish Detergent. Effect on Bay pollution/environment: zero.


• Passed "Clean Cars Act," adding $3000 to sticker price on cars when Maryland dealerships are already suffering from lower sales. Effect on Bay pollution/environment: zero.

The Robert Dyer environmental plan actually addresses the contamination and pollution in our environment without resorting to scare tactics, distortions, and pseudo-science. Highlights include tough measures to reduce the three actual sources of Bay pollution, a revolutionary solar energy program that will clean the air and cut energy bills, new rail transit options, a real crackdown on polluters, etc. Importantly, it does not punish the taxpayer or harm wildlife like the plans and laws currently eminating from Annapolis. These days, punishment and harm are about all that is eminating from Annapolis.

Chuck E. Cheese is asking you to call your delegates and senator to stop the madness. Yes, it's true: Martin O'Malley is even going after your children's money, with a tax increase on arcade games! That is not a misprint. O'Malley is taxing video games. And haircuts. And public parking lots and garages. And landscaping service. Gift cards you don't use? The unused amounts are scheduled to be seized by O'Malley and his far-left cronies in Annapolis. They are shockingly out of touch with the residents of Maryland, as such arbitrary gift card deadlines are under investigation by Attorneys General nationwide. Remember, this is the governor who said slots were "morally bankrupt," but is now the biggest proponent of one-armed bandits in America. And of the largest, most regressive tax increase on the poor and middle class in American history - that's no joke, run the numbers yourself. Like the Washington Post, there is absolutely no limit to how low down and dirty O'Malley and the far-left will get in foisting their extremist agenda on every man, woman, and child in the state of Maryland.

And what a tremendous embarrassment for the Washington Post last night, as Republican Corey Stewart won reelection in a landslide in Prince William County. The Post put every resource they had behind Mr. Stewart's opponent, as they continue their gentrifying blitzkrieg into Washington D.C., and Northern Virginia. They even stooped to call one Republican "clownish" in their pathetic roundup of endorsements. We remember well how the Post insulted Republican candidates in the most childish way last year, and then proceeded to lie in their endorsement editorials. It is shameful, and unethical. And once again, it has failed.

Christmas starts earlier every year. The Heat Miser, aka Governor Martin O'Malley, has already taken his throne in Annapolis and is prepared to drain the lifeforce of every poor, middle-class and wealthy individual in the state of Maryland.

In 36 years, I have never witnessed a regressive tax plan of this magnitude. The sheer number of new taxes being proposed is simply beyond belief. It's more a question of "which taxes are not going to be increased?" Martin O'Malley, Bill Bronrott, Susan Lee, Bill Frick, and Brian Frosh make Bill Clinton seem like a supply-sider by comparison. Usually, a government proposes increasing the income tax or the sales tax; not both.

Local Catholic Church officials released a document reminding lawmakers that taxation should be based on the ability of an individual to pay. A progressive tax system takes more from those who can afford to pay more. The O'Malley plan is not progressive at all; it is the largest regressive tax increase in Maryland history.

What does the average working-class Maryland man do after work? He might go to a bar or pub, smoke cigarettes and have one or more drinks. Well, guess who's working the bar tonight? The governor himself, and that tab is going to send our working-class man into bankruptcy. How about a whopping $3 tax ($2 MD + $1 Federal) per pack of cigarettes? At a pack a day, that comes to $1095 a year! Now add on Montgomery County's own Jennie Forehand $2 liquor tax on those frosty mugs... $730 a year! Granted, I'm not endorsing this as a healthy lifestyle, but the lower one's income is, the more likely a person is to smoke. Here our self-proclaimed "progressive" governor has added almost $2000 to the financial burden of those least able to afford it, and that covers only 2 of the taxes on the list.

And speaking of healthy lifestyles, if you belong to a gym or health club, and are trying to live a healthy lifestyle, the governor is going to punish you! Shame on you for working out! Now pay the new O'Malley-Bronrott-Lee-Frick-Frosh health club tax.

How about driving up the already inflated cost of rent with the new real estate services tax? Martin O'Malley will do it. So desperate is he for every last cent that he can redirect to a far-left agenda and his wealthy campaign contributors, that he is willing to devastate the already devastated poor across the state of Maryland.

So let's have a quick taxation tutorial: Taxes serve 3 purposes in society, and one can argue against all three, but three they are. First, taxes provide funds for government, which ideally exists to protect the Constitution rights of all Americans and should limit its involvement in our lives. Second, taxes can affect the economy in positive and negative ways. Finally, taxes can be used to modify behavior, although I would argue that in most cases that is not true. Behaviors are notoriously hard to change, and citizens simply end up paying more taxes.

What, then, to make of this nightmarish O'Malley mother of all tax increases? It raises incredible amounts of money from the poorest among us and does not even clarify what that amount will be spent on. I'm proud to have opposed the outrageous, unfunded Thornton mandates during the election last year, when every intelligent person knew that a) we could not afford it, and b) the money has had no effect on the worst schools in the state. I have advocated switching to a funding system based on merits of particular projects and reforms. This would not only keep the budget within its means, but would also force jurisdictions such as Baltimore to finally provide the education its students deserve. All the politicians supporting this simply want more money to play with and give to their bigshot contributors - who then pay them back with more contributions.

Stop the madness; call your delegates and senator and tell them you oppose this inhuman, mean-spirited, draconian, regressive tax scheme. But no one should be surprised; if you elect far-left Democrats, your wallet is going to take a hit. Don't blame me, I voted for Ehrlich.

~

Crime Wave Continues

I hate to keep saying I told you so, but I continue to be absolutely vindicated as the violent crime wave continues in Montgomery County. I was the only candidate who talked about crime during the campaign last year, and our current delegates famously have done nothing to stop our current crime wave that is now in its second year.

Are you ready for this? 6:40 P.M., Halloween night... The Safeway in Twinbrook, packed with customers. Four masked men with guns shoot a cashier and get away. The record of our elected officials during this violent crime wave has been shameful.

I leave you with this quote from the Gazette today, if you want to know the effects of government inaction on violent crime:

"Ghassan Abbasi, who moved to the neighborhood two weeks ago, came upon the crime [scene] as he approached the supermarket last night."

‘‘I just moved here from California actually,” he said. ‘‘That was an ugly sight to see right away.” Abbasi says he is already considering moving.

The latest assault on Ocean City is now coming from a wind power corporation and its allies in Annapolis. Just this year, developers and their elected buddies slated the historic Trimper's amusement park for destruction in favor of "mixed use development." While those of us who realize that Trimper's is essential to the historic inlet area of Ocean City are fighting that proposal, now a second front has opened: an oceanfront, to be precise.

Hopefully you are sitting down at the moment. A New Jersey company, arm in arm with paid-off government officials, is attempting to ram through a wind farm directly off the coast of Ocean City. They did this in Delaware. They successfully pulled off a scam here in Maryland to have an environmentally-damaging wind farm constructed in Western Maryland, thanks to their campaign donations to members of the General Assembly. Now they want to destroy the natural view and environment of our classic seashore. Ladies and gentlemen, the line must be drawn here.

Understand the implication of this wind farm: It is absolutely going to be visible from the shore. It is hideous and manmade. It is going to severely harm birds and aquatic life. It must be stopped. The time is now to start writing your elected officials and letters to the editor. Wind farms off the coast are a no go, much like drilling.

~

Now, of course, don't count on being heard in the Washington Post or Gazette. First of all, you should know that the Washington Post - without informing its readers - has some financial interest in oil. It will be interesting to find out what the Post's position is on this wind farm proposal. What's their connection to oil? We don't know. But here's what we do know: they constantly criticize Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a rival oil producer and U.S. supplier. And most shockingly, the Post endorsed drilling for oil near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay and off the coast of Ocean City!!! This from the supposed environmentalist Washington Post.

Need more evidence of the Post's unethical reporting? They have still refused to print the truth about new delegate Bill Frick, that his law firm is a major lobbyist on Capitol Hill for the gaming industry. This, of course, when we are about to vote on slots in Maryland. It is shameful reporting, unethical, and there is no excuse; they are aware of the conflict of interest and have willingly chosen to protect Mr. Frick and his Democratic colleagues.

Not enough? The Post also refused to tell the public about the laughable appointment of the Purple Line Advisory Group by the Planning Board. Apparently, critics of developers and the Planning Board needed not apply - I was not named to the Group. Here is the statement I released following the approval of the small list chosen by staff, not the Planning Board:

"As a citizen who volunteered to serve on the Purple Line Functional Master Plan Advisory Group, I am disappointed in the process by which the members were chosen by the staff of the Montgomery County Planning Board.

The Planning Board staff has done nothing more than assemble the usual suspects, rather than having fresh faces review an increasingly stale debate. This looks like a list of people who should be testifying before the Advisory Group, not sitting on it. It primarily includes individuals who have already taken a position for or against a specific alignment, and equipment, for the Purple Line project. Mier Wolf's town of Chevy Chase is spending $250,000 to stop the Purple Line. Developers and business interests on the list, by contrast, will benefit from the Purple Line. My impression was that this commission was to be made up of average citizens, to assist in reaching a compromise that would benefit the entire community. It is difficult to imagine how this particular panel will be able to reach an objective consensus.

My letter of interest highlighted three concerns: cost savings, environmental impact, and disability access. I do not see a single person on the list who reflects comprehensive environmental concerns. Who on this list is going to be focused on ensuring that stations and equipment are fully accessible to riders with disabilities? I also recognize only one person on this list as a Republican, when this should be a bipartisan or nonpartisan effort. Apparently, these were not concerns of planning staff.

Finally, I question why the staff is only presenting these few, out of eighty applicants, to the Board for approval. Staff answers to neither the County Council nor the citizens, and therefore should not be deciding who is appointed to such an important endeavour."

Robert Dyer
Bethesda

~

In closing, the results are in for that "mixed-use" development: Rockville Town Center has so far been a failure. The restaurants were not upscale. I thought Bobby's Crabcakes was supposed to be the Ruth's Chris of crabcakes. It turned out to be a sandwich shop. Rockville is nothing like Bethesda at night. And there are just a handful of people living in the condos and apartments. Before this scheme spreads any further throughout the county - Royce Hanson admitted this week what I already knew: a secret plan by developers, politicians, and the status quo to build a "Bethesda Row" along 355 from Bethesda to Clarksburg. This is outrageous stuff. The demand is not there. The housing and office spaces are vacant. Stop it. Now. The environment and quality of life will suffer for the financial benefit of the developers. In 2010, vote the developers out of office, and put citizens back in charge of our community. After all, we live here. They don't.

One small step towards finally getting bus service to downtown Bethesda along River Road. This was a major issue in my campaign. It boggles the mind: in a county where politicians claim to support mass transit use, and a cleaner environment, there is no bus to take you from the River Road-area suburbs of Bethesda to the downtown! In other words, by not offering this service, county officials are implicitly advocating automotive travel for 100% of trips to downtown Bethesda.

On the eve of Bethesda's biggest annual event, the Best of Bethesda/Taste of Bethesda, tomorrow, October 6 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, I have taken my message to the top. Montgomery County's cable channel 6 aired a live program in which one could ask questions of County Executive Ike Leggett and County Council President Marilyn Praisner. I managed to get through and made my case for the River Road express bus to downtown Bethesda. Both officials promised to forward this proposal for review, and to determine the potential ridership for the route.

Such a bus would allow residents to avoid the traffic and parking problems in downtown Bethesda. One could simply disembark from the bus and use the Bethesda Circulator to access restaurants, shopping, and all of the other amenities the downtown offers. Senior citizens, and minors who can't drive, would finally have a one stop service to downtown Bethesda.

Best of all, the environment would be cleaner. This would be an excellent route to use a natural gas, hybrid, or hydrogen-powered bus. We have to make the commitment to a cleaner environment and this is a tangible and easy way to accomplish this. I would hope that, eventually, the route could officially be an "Express Bus," using not only an environmentally-friendly vehicle, but also the new technology that would enable it to change lights to green as it approaches each intersection. It can be done. So write to the County Executive and Council, and tell them you want bus service to downtown Bethesda on River Road.

I've been the only one following the 2006-2007 crime wave, and the only one who warned that we needed to give police officers the tools to compete in this new age.

The latest reports are coming in, and sadly, once again I am thoroughly vindicated. I wish that the policies promoted by Delegates Bronrott, Goldwater, and Lee; Senator Frosh; and Governor O'Malley had not resulted in a continued crime wave. But examine the reports, and ask yourself: who do you trust? Certainly not Bronrott, Lee, Frosh, O'Malley, and their allies in Annapolis.

Here are the headlines:

Time magazine: A Surge in Cop Killings

"[T]he nation's police officers...are being targeted and killed in greater numbers than at any time in recent years."

"Police officers killed in the line of duty surged to the highest midyear count in nearly three decades...up nearly 60% over last year."

"You have to come to the conclusion that some of these heinous criminals just don't care. Earlier in our history there was a code of some sense of respect, even among the most heinous criminals, that you would never harm a police officer, certainly never kill a police officer." - National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund President Craig Floyd

"Miami Police Chief John Timoney's answer to the emboldened attacks on his colleagues is to give them matching firepower...AR 15s, a military-grade assault weapon. "Cops understandably feel they are outgunned," Timoney says. "Nine, ten months ago we looked at what can we do to give the officers a fair chance." "

Hmm... "Nine, ten months ago," I was running for office and advocating "matching firepower." My opponents had no comment on our crime wave.

What crime wave, you say? You haven't been reading the papers.

From The Gazette's latest edition:

"[H]ome invasions...have been concentrated mostly in the Bethesda and Potomac areas, according to police."

‘‘'It seems like every time we have a home invasion — except one time in the Fourth District,” said Cpl. Jimmy Robinson, a police spokesman, ‘‘it is usually in the Bethesda or Potomac area.'”

"There were 22 residential burglaries in the Second District between Aug. 14 and Sept. 12, police records showed."

Failed leadership on crime, in the wealthiest state in America.

Photo: Carl Juste/AP

Goldwatergate is a now a runaway train. Outrage is bipartisan here in District 16, and if anything, the Democrats are even more furious. No one had any clue that Bill Frick would prevail over Reggie Oldak or Don Mooers. Just listen to what one Democrat, calling him or herself "bitter in bethesda" had to say on the progressive blog, Free State Politics, the day after the Frick appointment:

"...the selection of Bill Frick in District 16 was the result of a coordinated effort both within and without the Central Committee, an effort which made not even the slightest nod towards the interests of the voters of District 16."

"Bill Frick, a young (32) activist with an appealing personality but a thin resume."

"Does anyone believe that, in a contest before the voters of District 16, that Bill Frick would have stood a chance against Mooers, Oldak, or any of the other candidates? The answer is no, not a chance."

"Not to mention the utter contempt shown for the voters of District 16, 99% of whom probably don't even know who Bill Frick is."

"[T]he Central Committee was motivated by an unknown agenda and picked a clearly inferior candidate."

"Was the District 16 fiasco orchestrated or motivated by outside forces?"

Sure, you'll find a few apologist Democrats who'll tell you Frick was superqualified and a real swell guy, and why-don't-you-pretend-this-didn't-happen-keep-quiet-about-slot-machines-slot-lobbying-Akin-Gump-Miller-Leggett-O'Malley-and-get-back-on-the-bandwagon. But the majority opinions are certainly more entertaining.

More Goldwatergate from the Potomac Almanac, and new developments in the ongoing scandal:

"Bill Frick, I’d never heard of him before he applied." - Milt Minneman, spokesman for the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee

“We all have the same amount of experience as a Maryland State legislator, which is zero,” said Frick.

Now here's where it gets interesting, as the Faustian bargain between the Democratic Party and the gambling industry has been detected in this selection of Bill Frick, as the Almanac states:

"Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld, LLP, Frick’s law firm, has lobbied strongly on Capitol Hill on behalf of Indian tribes and the gaming industry in recent years, according to the Web site for the Center for Responsive Politics."

Wow. That pretty much answers the question that most Democrats have been asking, "Why Bill Frick?" As opposed to Don Mooers or Reggie Oldak. Hmm. Interesting. Mike Miller and Ike Leggett, who both back a slots package in a special session, endorsed pro-slots candidates in District 39, and a Leggett associate on the Democratic Central Committee was reportedly an influential voice in Frick's selection. Hmm.

Goldwatergate - The Scandal continues... Today's Montgomery section has a puff piece on Marilyn Goldwater's "unexpected" retirement.

Still shamelessly unable to admit that they lied to the public in their endorsement of Goldwater, the Post bizarrely did not have one of their regular political reporters write the story. Why? Because they've heard quite a bit from me about their failure to cover the Goldwater scandal, and this was done to have yet another excuse why the tough questions wouldn't be asked.

But the Post cannot contain this scandal, which is entering yet another chapter now, with the undemocratic appointment of Bill Frick to serve essentially a full term without popular election. This chapter will be followed by the sure-to-be-entertaining attempts of the Post and Gazette to create your new delegate, through puff pieces, liberal use of his State House file photo, and much magic sprinkling of the "Frick (D - Montgomery)" macro on reporters' keyboards. What will be the final chapter of Goldwatergate? When the people who misled the voters in 2006 are finally held accountable, either by the media or by those same voters in 2010.

For now, enjoy these quotes as the Goldwater scandal continues to reverberate around District 16:

"I think, at 80 years old, it was just time to retire," Goldwater said, comfortable on a tan leather sofa. "It was time to move on and let someone else get a shot at it."

"Critics say Goldwater should have moved on before her last election, in 2006. Now, instead of voters picking her replacement, the county's Democratic Central Committee made the choice."

Before the 2006 election, she said, "I didn't see any reason not to run. I felt well enough. I was making a contribution." - Marilyn Goldwater

Saving the best for last, here is an excerpt from a Post online discussion with Mark Plotkin when an anonymous Reggie Oldak supporter submitted a query:

"Bethesda, Md.: After her showing in last [September]'s election, I would have thought that Reggie Oldak would have been a strong candidate to replace Marilyn Goldwater. Who is Frick, and what swayed the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (which sounds like how the old Soviet Union chose its leaders) in his direction?

Mark Plotkin: Thanks for pointing this out to me -- I need to get into this selection. When a county committee makes a vacancy appointment, you are sure talking about inside politics. Your comparison to the old Soviet Union is absolutely perfect."

Would Tom Brady have so many Super Bowl rings and so many celebrity girlfriends if it wasn't for... cheating? Likewise, would all 3 of District 16's seats in the House of Delegates be held by Democrats if it wasn't for... well, cheating? Is it cheating when a candidate's Democratic colleagues and the media know she will not serve if reelected - and won't be be reelected if the voters know that - and choose to deliberately cover that up until after Election Day? You decide.

"Bill Frick" is your new delegate. You didn't elect him, he was chosen for you by the Democratic Central Committee. And you, the voter, had... no role in the decision.

Consider this: As a representative of District 16 on the Republican Central Committee, I am a legitimate elected official. Bill Frick is not. I was elected, on a Constitutionally-mandated primary election day, September 12, 2006, on an official ballot in a contest decided by every voter qualified to vote in that election. Bill Frick was not. Frick was elected in a back room by the Democratic Central Committee. In reality, Frick was not approved by anyone in our District. Furthermore, the committee members were elected only by Democrats, which excludes over 50% of District 16's voters - Republicans, Independents, etc. - from having even the slightest indirect role in Frick's selection. So much for democracy.

In 2010, District 16 will finally have a chance to elect Delegates of its own choosing. The voters will remember how they were fooled by Bronrott, Lee, and Frosh, and, quite frankly, will still be trying to figure out who Mr. Frick is, as we've never even heard of him before. Where was Mr. Frick last year while I was meeting voters and doing battle in the arena of ideas? Rest assured, the Post and Gazette - who have boldly still refused to criticize Bronrott, Lee, Frosh, and themselves for their role in deceiving the voters in 2006 -will do their best to get Frick's name out there. That is the job of those two party house organs, after all.

But the voters are tired of these partisan games, bickering, and theatrics. They want new leadership that will allow bipartisan solutions to the real problems Rockville and Annapolis have ignored, and continue to ignore. And now, the poor and working families - and the middle class in general - are going to strike back at the outrageous O'Malley - Bronrott - Lee - Frosh Budget, which they are going to balance on the backs of those very citizens. Those who are least able to afford such a devastating financial hit. It is shameful, shameful. I urge you, register to vote now if you haven't already, speak out for what's right, and get ready to vote in 2010.

One Democratic delegate, Luiz Simmons, has come forward to strongly denounce the Montgomery County delegation's new favorable position on slots. Here are some of his comments as reported in the Gazette:

‘‘For Perez and Leggett to allow themselves to be used is a spectacular capitulation,” Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons said. ‘‘The cachet of a Latino and African-American politician to give a blanket of respectability is another attempt to defuse liberal conviction about the issue.”

"Simmons (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville said gambling will fall hardest on the Latino and African-American communities."

"On Simmons’ mind, however, is a 1999 study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago that found the number of pathological and problem gamblers doubling within 50 miles of a casino. All of Montgomery County would be within 50 miles of a slot machine emporium at Laurel Park, a potential site."

‘‘The people peddling the snake oil that Montgomery County won’t be affected just don’t know the facts or just don’t want to discover the facts,” Simmons said.

You have to commend Delegate Simmons for making a courageous stand on the issue under such political pressure from Martin O'Malley, Mike Miller, and Ike Leggett. Roger Manno, Charles Barkley, Richard Madaleno, Kumar Barve, and Sheila Ellis Hixson all refused to state a position opposed to slots, a staggering flip-flop from their supposed positions during Governor Bob Ehrich's campaign for slots. How convenient.

And where is the District 16 delegation? Why haven't we heard from Bronrott, Lee, and Frosh? They're still in hiding as the fallout from the Marilyn Goldwater scandal continues.

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.