Martin O'Malley has taken a page out of his rival Doug Duncan's fundraising scheme handbook. Governor O'Malley has quietly put forward legislation that will require every employee of the State of Maryland to give money to the unions that fund his campaigns. Here's how the scam works:

O'Malley forces state employees to give money to unions.
Unions increase their income by that amount.
Those same unions then write checks to O'Malley and fund other efforts towards his reelection.

Ingenious, isn't it?

I'll acknowledge that at least this scheme doesn't use taxpayer funds!

Maryland citizens, will you allow this scheme to go forward in Annapolis?

How about some positive news about immigrants for a change? In contrast to the recent anti-Catholic bigotry of the Washington Post and John Edwards' bloggers, there was a Post article about legal immigrants in England Saturday. Because the European Union has adopted the rather free market idea of interstate movement of labor, it doesn't have the chaotic immigration crisis we have on this side of the Atlantic. So many Polish Catholics have come to England and Ireland in search of better jobs. Not only are they legal immigrants, but they also are very hardworking and religious. In the process, then, they have given quite a boost to the Catholic Church in both countries.

300,000 have arrived since 2004, and it is important to realize that A) No catastrophe has occurred as a result, and B) this is an orderly process that the government can control as necessary. And many parishes that were declining are now standing-room only at every Sunday Mass. One migrant in the article, Monika Swierczyusko, reports that she works a six-day week in a factory, and then spends her only day off Sunday volunteering at her church from 7 AM to 9 PM(!). She adds, "I don't understand people who don't like to go to church." Isn't this the definition of an upstanding citizen?

Most Latino immigrants who come to the United States have a similar devotion to faith and family. Of course there are a number of bad guys who cross the border. But that's why we would do best to secure our borders and switch from the chaos that some Democratic County, State, and national politicians cynically exploit for political purposes, to an orderly system that will weed out the criminals. And that would allow the Federal Government to control the number of immigrants entering in relation to the employment needs of not just business, but of American workers. We should first be sure that there really aren't Americans who "won't do" this or that job. And if there aren't, then we shouldn't be afraid to allow upstanding, law abiding people of any country to find employment here and pursue the American Dream.

There was also a serendipitous aspect to the article, given the Lenten season. Another immigrant, Dominika Marszalkowska, is not only a devout Catholic churchgoer, but has a newborn child as well. The article mentions nothing about the child's father. I don't know if that was intentional or symbolically coincidental. It's safe to say this was a positive Easter story that James Cameron and the Discovery Channel would not enjoy.

Chris Van Hollen vs. Israel. This is a stunning development. Chris Van Hollen, our Democratic congressman here in Congressional District 8, has put Israel's security on the table. Quoted in the Washington Post on February 20, 2007, Chris Van Hollen called for a congressional vote on the "full" Baker Commission proposal as a Democratic alternative to the Bush plan. Van Hollen's Democratic constituents cheered his latest swing at George Bush at first, but then, oh no, wait! Wasn't the Baker Commission's requirement of major security concessions the very downfall of the Baker Plan? It's not hard to forget. The day the Baker Commission announced its proposal, the Washington Post was declaring it a defeat for George Bush. Then, as people studied the details, they found it tied everything to concessions by Israel. Suddenly, the Post said, 48 hours later, that Bush ought to ignore the Baker Plan, and the national Baker-mania evaporated faster than the integrity of a Maryland election.

Chris Van Hollen's demand for the "full" Baker Plan means that Chris Van Hollen has endorsed the full Baker Plan. Ergo, Chris Van Hollen has endorsed the Israeli concessions that are fundamental parts of the Baker Plan. That's strange, considering I was at the Candidates Forum at a Potomac synagogue last year, and heard Van Hollen pledge his full support for Israel.

Would the real Chris Van Hollen please stand up?

Many of our elected officials believe that "public service" means that the public serves government, as I mentioned a few weeks ago re: the radical Clean Cars legislation, etc. This concept leads not only to bigger government, high taxes, and greater control of our lives, but also to hypocrisy.

One might recall the controversial Montgomery County Council mandate years back that forced homeowners to immediately clear snow and ice from any public sidewalk that crossed their lawns. Council members jabbed their fingers at the taxpayer, who is of course responsible for all that is wrong in Montgomery County. Well, it seems that the County government is not holding itself to the same standards it holds the taxpayer to. Days after last week's snow and ice fell, the County has yet to clear many sidewalks - including one in front of an apartment building for residents with disabilities. There is a photo in today's Washington Post Metro section that shows one resident having to flag down a bus, unable to access the Metrobus stop due to uncleared sidewalks. The County should be ashamed. They always trumpet those wonderful "services" as the reason you must hand over your wallet to them. Apparently the disabled do not receive the same level of service.

Readers of this blog, few as they may be, know that I just dealt with a similar disability issue last fall with the County Board of Elections, and was able to bring about a change there. Here goes the County again! It's a disgrace.

Now, while this is going on, what are Senator Frosh, and Delegates Bronrott, Lee, and Goldwater up to?

Ah, yes, they're once again helping convicted felons vote! What did you expect from legislators who haven't addressed increased violent crime in the last four years?

We often hear politicians talk about the "first 100 days" in office, and the legislation they plan to pass during that time. Regardless of party, they are usually items that are popular and have mass approval within their ideological base. Often they gain votes even from moderate lawmakers in the opposing party or parties. Not so in Rockville and Annapolis.

Bob Ehrlich went to great lengths to foster a bipartisan cooperative spirit in Annapolis directly following his election. Like the usual 100 day wish list, no such efforts have been made by Governor O'Malley or by other Democratic leaders in Annapolis.

Instead, amidst a general do-nothing atmosphere in Annapolis, the only legislation being put forward is on divisive, partisan fringe issues by the most radical Delegates and Senators in our capital city. Forced vaccinations, radical auto emission legislation that will devastate working families and small businesspeople across the state, radical new gun control laws, a hefty tax on the poor, and, yet again, early voting(!) legislation that has already been declared unconstitutional by the courts. Rockville has not fared much better. After a show trial about development, and a bluff moratorium, it's back to business as usual under the "new" Planning regime, which has yet to make any substantive change in the way the County manages development. Next on the agenda? Naming the Rockville Library. Heavy lifting indeed.

What citizens want to know is, what happened to the major issues? Affordable housing, transportation, taxes, healthcare, utilities, education, eliminating portable classrooms? Many voters stayed home in 2006 because they were tired of the partisan bickering and want politicians to solve these problems. As I warned during the campaign, and as voters are now finding out the hard way, we are in for another four years like the last four.

It is frustrating to witness District 16's delegation waste our time with a minimalist agenda of far-left issues. So far, Brian Frosh and Bill Bronrott (the only active District 16 legislators, apparently) have only supported the radical Clean Cars measure, and new taxes on the poor and middle class. Again, even their beloved-yet-flawed Geographic Index for the Thornton Plan is off their agenda. Yes, O'Malley, Frosh, Bronrott: fighting for working families. It sounds more like they are just fighting working families. Are you a working mom with 4 or 5 kids? Do you want to pay higher taxes and stuff your kids into a tiny hybrid car? I rest my case.

Contrast this inaction and hostility with my positive, substantive agenda that was supported by the many people I met during the campaign, and who voted for me on November 7. First priority of William Bronrott: Clean Cars/Tax Increase. Robert Dyer's first priority (on video record at robertdyer.net): My Comprehensive Transportation Plan. You know, transportation - remember that? While Democratic delegates are putting radical measures forward, I would have instead been introducing bills for transportation, elimination of portable classrooms, tough anti-crime measures, and reducing taxes and utility bills. Furthermore, while much psuedo-scientific pontificating has been offered in support of the radical Clean Cars bill, the real, known environmental crisis - the Chesapeake Bay - has been utterly ignored by the Governor and his allies.

The victors in 2006 should be ashamed. It's time to get to work. If they continue this for another four years, it will be an interesting election in 2010.

Speaking of interesting, you've probably heard about the Washington Post Company's outrageous blogger, William Arkin, who wrote some of the most vile, hateful, vicious, extremist attacks I have ever heard directed at the men and women of our nation's armed forces. Men and women who are dying so that Mr. Arkin can continue to freely offer his hate speech through the Washington Post. Mr. Arkin clearly represents the opinions of the editors at the Washington Post, as evidenced by the Post's decision not to discipline him. I won't quote Arkin's blog here, because I don't want to give him any wider audience, but I will quote a damning statement by the Post's biased, ineffective, and unresponsive "ombudsman," Deborah Howell, regarding the controversy:

"Blogs are held to the same standards as any Post journalism, [the Post's Jim Brady] said."

That comment speaks for itself. The prosecution rests.

George Will bashing Ronald Reagan? Just when we were getting used to the new Senator Warner, now Mr. Will has a stunt double writing his columns. According to Will, Ronald Reagan was not a true conservative because his conservatism was "without anxieties." And, assert Will and like-minded author John Patrick Diggins, because Reagan did not subscribe to "melancholy fatalism."

Will and Diggins then go on to make false claims about Ronald Reagan's religious beliefs, that are in stark contrast to Reagan's message of personal responsibility. It was Ronald Reagan who took on the Great Society and said there was "no free lunch." Further, they say that "Reagan's popularity was largely the result of 'his blaming government for problems that are inherent in democracy itself.'" Nothing could be further from the truth. To believe Will and Diggins, one must believe that big government and high taxes are "inherent in democracy," a ridiculous suggestion that has no basis in fact or logic.

Finally, they offer this whopper: "Reagan's theory of government has little reference to the principles of the American founding." Absolute rubbish, which could only be posited by persons who have no knowledge of American history. Were high taxes a major issue in our Revolution? I would go out on a limb and say they were. Was government control of an individual's liberties and commercial activity an issue? Yes, claro que si.

We seem to have a continuing attempt by some to claim that Reagan conservatives and religious conservatives are false conservatives. They state that we have lost our way from the true path of the Goldwater era and that conservatism is simply about fiscal issues. In an attempt to feel less ashamed at their Washington and Hollywood cocktail parties, they are prepared to toss social issues overboard in hopes that they will be accepted by the liberal elite. But that is a road to ruin. To abandon our defense of life and liberty, as well as our values, is the road to destruction.

The reason Ronald Reagan was popular was precisely because he was not a "melancholy fatalist." Reagan was an optimist. We have a superior message to what liberals offer. We have the American dream, opportunity and ownership societies, national security, low taxes, less government, and defense of traditional values. If Will and Diggins want a melancholy President who will lecture the people about why they should be ashamed and be prepared for painful sacrifices, it's not to late for them to start a Draft Jimmy Carter website.

So much for global warming. High tomorrow: 24 degrees, Low: 7 degrees. It is, frankly, hilarious to listen to people who have no scientific expertise whatsoever pontificate ad nauseum about changes in global temperature for their own ideological benefit. The limits of even the scientific community to make broad judgements on the subject are real, given the relatively short historical data available. And what data we have suggests that temperatures have changed drastically over the history of our planet, and the level of the oceans has risen before. The only difference this time, is that we have a group of extremists, and the more mainstream followers they've gained through the liberal media and stunt movies like An Inconvenient Truth, using these phenomena to advance an agenda. And it's an agenda that goes frighteningly beyond conservation and alternative fuels. Is the planet doomed? Yes, because every planet in this universe has a lifespan. Our job as the human race is to figure out how to get off this planet and beyond our own solar system before that distant doomsday occurs. So there is irony in the complaints that George Bush's space initiatives (which are admittedly modest, but more than anyone else is proposing) are taking priority over studying our own environment. Global warming is up for legitimate debate; the lifespan of the sun is not.

It was plenty cold already Saturday morning when I left for our County Republican Party Convention at the the University of Maryland Shady Grove campus. When I went through the drive-thru at McDonalds, I tried to roll down my window and found it was frozen shut. After arriving at the campus, I manned the table for District 16. Our first vice chair, Dan Willard, who organized the convention started the actual program which had many speakers including our state national committeepersons Louis Pope and Joyce Terhes. Jim Pelura, the new state party chairman, also spoke. We had a presidential straw poll and the winner was Rudy Giuliani. Mitt Romney was second, and Newt Gingrich, third. Surprisingly, John McCain finished low on the list. I'm not committed to any candidate yet, as I want to know their positions on all of the issues and their platforms. I have concerns about the current frontrunners' positions on social issues, deep concerns in some cases.

We actually had some enthusiastic District 16 Republicans who took time to come out early on a frigid Saturday to participate in the convention, and they had many good ideas that we can utilize. One thing we all agreed on was to continue having District 16 meetings. All Republicans, and anyone who wants to register as a Republican, in District 16 are invited to our monthly meeting at the Bethesda Library on Arlington Road, February 22, 2007 at 7 P.M.

Can someone get Roger Manno a copy of the program? Just when Democrats in Maryland and elsewhere have learned to avoid the gun control issue, Delegate Manno (D - District 19) has put forward a bill to give more gun control authority to the Montgomery County Council. Several council members, including Marc Elrich and Phil Andrews expressed great interest in this new authority that would expand government power and further weaken the 2nd Amendment rights of every citizen in the county. One national Democrat said recently that the party would ignore these issues indefinitely, to counter the belief that the party "is going to take your guns away!" Well, it sounds like the Mssrs. Manno, Elrich, and Andrews are "going to take your guns away!"

In a bizarre twist, Manno gave a recent armored car shootout as an example of why the law is necessary. The participants in this shootout were professional armored car guards and the robbers of said armored vehicle. Statistics have revealed again and again that criminals rarely purchase firearms legally at gun shops or gun shows. Once again, the absurd arguments of the far-left, gun control movement have proven false. Maryland's gun laws are already far too strict; no additional legislation is necessary.

Combined with the bill put forward by another member of Mr. Manno's delegation, that would outlaw all use of cell phones by drivers, and you begin to understand why so many voters are tired of the extremist theatrics. They want their public officials to work on the serious issues like education and transportation. From these early developments in Annapolis and Rockville, it appears that won't happen anytime soon.

Clean Cars. This law requires you to get a car wash every week, doesn't it? Wrong. It's a piece of legislation so far out of left field that it must have been hit out of the park by a steroid-enhanced baseball player. If anyone wondered why I was quoted in the Sentinel newspaper saying that our Montgomery County delegation to Annapolis shares the values of the extreme left, you understand now.

Intoxicated with the hubris and power that result from an election victory of absurd proportions and decades of one-party, monopoly rule, Democrats at all levels of government are going for broke. Off the deep end. And off their rockers.

And there is who else but Brian Frosh, handing down yet another edict from on high. Here's what Mr. Frosh has in store for you:

1. Elimination of your right to own a full size van or large Sport Utility Vehicle. And that's even if you have a large family and need the extra seats! Move out of the state, Mr. Frosh will tell you, you're just part of the auto industry.

2. A whopping $3000 increase in the price of your next automobile. Not a misprint. That's what Martin O'Malley means by fighting for working families, I guess.

And this, combined with the new gas taxes Ike Leggett and state Democrats want, will certainly help working families, right? Only if you failed elementary school math.

Here is a piece of legislation that appears to have been crafted by a card-carrying Communist, or someone who thinks Al Gore is the source of all knowledge in the universe.

What I want to know is, why doesn't the extreme left ever put their money where their mouth is on "clean cars?" Specifically, why don't they use the monopoly power they hold to legislate tax credits that will make hybrid vehicles available to those working families they always talk about?

Instead, they punish the poor and middle class, and the owners of the auto dealerships in our state who are also residents. It's outrageous. They simply want to limit your ability to own a private vehicle and maximize their tax treasure chest to grow government and their power to ever greater proportions. This was revealed recently in the Washington Post's criticism of government policies in Venezuela that allow the less wealthy to own a nice car. They believe the poor should ride the bus, while they ride in limos and on chartered jets provided by your tax dollars and the special interests. And then they come out with hogwash like this legislation. They have been in power all along; if there's an environmental crisis, they are responsible and should be held accountable. Don't pass the buck to the poor. Strange how Bob Ehrlich was the only one to actually do something to help the environment. All the Democrats have done is talk for decades.

Somewhere along the way, Brian Frosh and the extreme left in the Democratic party lost the idea that public servants serve the public. They truly believe, as exemplified by their very actions, that the public serves the elected official. The public is the servant of government, according to this concept. And Mr. Frosh and his gang expect your full compliance with this new edict. Are you ready to serve them?

A major victory has been won in the culture wars this week. The flag of Western Civilization has been planted atop the headquarters of WETA FM, Washington's "new" classical music station. Of course, WETA was the "old" classical music station until it was taken over by activists who jettisoned the format for a 24 hour leftist propaganda broadcast. It continued for several years until a combination of public humiliation and low-key threats from Capitol Hill forced the station to make a very painful return to actual public radio functions.

The rejection of its role as a musical arts resource for the public - whose tax dollars fund the station - ironically, was the downfall of its new rebel radio format. Even when listeners fled, and took their financial contributions with them, the NPR shock troops at WETA stood fast and refused to acknowledge their shameful actions. Finally, the financial pressure was joined by the usually liberal Marc Fisher of the Washington Post, who wrote a number of columns on the station's outrageous shunning of its cultural and educational obligations.

Holed up in WETA's headquarters, the NPR forces covered their ears and continued to broadcast hour of hour of far-left journalism and newsmagazines that, well, just all sound the same. Then, admirable members of Congress weighed in, strongly hinting that if WETA would continue to operate as a private, for-profit station that duplicated other NPR outlets in town, then it would have to become a private station. And that meant no more public money. Oops! We made a mistake, WETA's honchos said this week, and radio listeners tuning in for another dose of Bush-bashing, the sky is falling, new-values ranting and raving crashed head on into the genius of J.S. Bach.

That's got to hurt. But I'm not feeling their pain. Even before the NPR format switch, WETA had dropped many programs from its schedule, and I had complained to the station about this in the mid-90s. Add the absence of classical music on radio to the slashing of music programs in our county middle schools, and you have two great examples of the ever-advancing assault on Western Civilization. With no opportunity to hear classical music, how will new generations enjoy and appreciate it? That's exactly the brilliant idea the anti-culture forces had. On this particular issue, they have suffered a serious setback, and WETA has gone from blue to red on the radio dial. You will now find classical music back on the air, and as before, the playlist has a depth and variety that far surpasses WGMS, which was always a "Top 40" kind of classical station. If you were a listener, this was a refreshing victory. Now, if they would just bring back those old programs...

It's a "time of great peril" indeed. Martin O'Malley, as usual, found eloquent words to describe the beginning of a new era in Maryland. One that will involve higher taxes, bigger government, and greater control over our lives. Prepare for a Bill Clinton-style speech in 2008 about how they've examined every other option, and now we'll have to raise your taxes. Anybody remember that classic? In a weepy voice, no less. "I worked harder than I've ever worked on anything in my life," and I've concluded we must raise taxes, he said. Vintage.

Our Republican counterparts in Virginia have apparently pulled a Benedict Arnold, and jumped ship from the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan to get aboard the S.S. Tax And Spend. They will find that after discarding the most basic Republican - American - values of limited government and less taxes, that Captain Kaine and Virginia voters will make them walk the plank this November anyway. That's what happens when you sell out your beliefs simply to get reelected.

Republicans in Maryland had best not follow suit. Joining the tax and spend crowd in Annapolis is a recipe for total destruction. The amount of wasteful spending I found in my own audit of only part of our County school system simply boggles the mind. Our State government does not need to get any bigger. And what of the liberals who say that only a woman can make decisions about her body, not the government? Those same liberals are now mandating a forced vaccination of every female student in the state of Maryland with a fairly new vaccine. The arguments about that particular vaccine aside, I just find it fascinating that the same people who say government has no business in a woman's health decision can turn around and forcibly vaccinate those same women, possibly against their will.

And, finally, Mr. O'Malley said it best: We are in "a time of great peril." Not just in Maryland, but internationally. China has just flexed its military muscle, and now we are under the threat of any vital satellite being shot out of the sky by Beijing. I would hope for a firm response and plan of action by President Bush. And, clearly, 2008 is no time to turn our national security over to an inexperienced, Democratic media celebrity. The times call for a strong Republican leader whom the American people can trust to protect us and our national interests. And we need no more convincing argument for a major increase in our defense budget and in the size of our military forces. Even as the Democratic Congress moves in outrageous fashion to risk the lives of our troops, we need to ensure that our military grows in size and has world class equipment and quality of life. Anything less, and we surely will find our nation in "great peril."

Breaking news for those who supported Democrats in the November 7 election. You're not getting what you voted for. Entering office with a "mandate" from the citizens, Democratic politicians are already throwing their supporters' pet projects overboard. Remember the issue of eliminating portable classrooms? And the save-our-election plan put forward by the 2006 County Council and Dr. Weast that would supposedly phase out those dangerous trailers? Not going to happen, according to County Executive Ike Leggett.

How about this one: the "Geographic Index" for the Thornton Plan? Gone, says incoming Governor-elect Martin O'Malley. That was the most talked about promise of every Democratic candidate in Montgomery County. Every reporter asked me about that in every campaign interview. Every endorsement questionnaire asked my position on it. Now, the Geographic Index is a new spending mandate at a time when the budget is going to be tighter. And it funnels money from Montgomery and other counties to irresponsibly run schools in Baltimore without reforming the operation of those schools. But Democrats and a fair number of independents voted for it, and it's surprising to find out that Democratic officials are going back on their promise.

Compounding this news in recent days was a surprising attack by new Democratic Council Member Marc Elrich on what could be described as a sacred cow in Southwest Montgomery County: the BCC Rescue Squad. Yes, you heard that right: a politician attacking the BCC Rescue Squad in the Washington Post. And apparently hell has not frozen over. The Rescue Squad happens to be one of the most respected and valuable institutions in our community, and is primarily funded by donations. Mr. Elrich says it should stop its long-established service to NW Washington, or also serve the entire Montgomery and D.C. area. Now, if I was having a heart attack in Clarksburg or SE Washington, why would I call an ambulance headquartered in Bethesda? I'm still waiting for public reaction to Mr. Elrich's broadside against the BCC squad and it will be interesting to hear.

Trivia question: If Cuba's lauded healthcare system is so outstanding, why does Fidel Castro need a doctor from Spain?

Washington Post embarrassment of the day: Massive headline in Metro claims O'Malley to offer millions for schools. Inside, near the end of the article, it admits that O'Malley has dropped the centerpiece of the school funding plan: the Geographic Index. The Post continues to provide the poor journalism and party organ functions we know and expect.

Help me welcome back Douglas Tallman to the legislative coverage in the Gazette. After essentially going on vacation during the election season, and thereby failing to cover the District races in Montgomery County, Mr. Tallman has a tremendous amount of catching up to do. Perhaps the other reporters who were called away from their usual assignments to cover Mr. Tallman's beat can be of assistance in that.

Meanwhile, in the Washington Post, Marc Fisher continues to pontificate from on high about Washington D.C. Given a front page piece in Sunday's Outlook, he chose parked cars and litter as two critical issues for Mayor Fenty to concentrate on. With all of the serious, life and death matters Mr. Fenty has before him, those hardly seem like issues of import. And Mike Musgrove provided a column extolling the superiority of XBox 360 over the Playstation 3. Just one problem: Microsoft is one of many corporate interests financially intertwined with the Post. And it just happens to manufacture the XBox 360. Hmm.

Finally, no sooner has Gerald Ford passed than we encounter another significant American: Evel Knievel. In a front-page story in yesterday's USA Today, the paper's top sports columnist, Jon Saraceno, caught up with a depleted Knievel who suffers from multiple medical problems. But what an icon. I still remember my plastic Evel Knievel costume and the toys. Today's "extreme sports" do not compare. If Evel Knievel couldn't do it, it couldn't be done. If it seems impossible, you try your best anyway. And if you fail spectacularly, you don't quit; you try it again. Those are American ideals embodied by Evel Knievel.

A few words on the recent passing of a great American and Republican, President Gerald Ford. As all-American as you can get, Mr. Ford was a leader of destiny as important to history as Ronald Reagan and FDR in his own way. If a lesser man had succeeded Richard Nixon in the White House, the damage to the country could have been far greater. And without the Ford Presidency, and the Carter disaster that the 1976 electorate chose when confronted with that choice, Ronald Reagan could not have arrived at the precise moment of destiny in 1980. This despite the late realization at the 1976 Republican convention that Reagan was clearly the leader called for by world events. Everything happens for a reason, and for reasons unknown to us, 1976 was not to be the year that Reagan would become president. Underappreciated for his economic policy and demonstrated commitment to racial equality, Mr. Ford's brief term is now receiving a well-deserved reevaluation.

The Washington Post continues to lose credibility. Recent weeks have found the Montgomery County Government placing huge ad buys in the Montgomery Extra published on Thursdays. The question is, does paying the Post massive amounts of our taxpayer dollars help ensure the continued puff-piece, lovefest coverage of the Montgomery County Government and its Democratic elected officials?

Remember the Post's Ahab-like quest to defeat Hugo Chavez in Venezuela? The latest economic news from Venezuela is positive: consumer spending is up, as is use of consumer credit. Ownership society; the Post can't stand it.

Democrats have an early Christmas gift for you. It's called a regional tax. For those who enjoy paying taxes to the County, the State of Maryland, and the Federal Government, as well as existing taxes on gas, cell phones, restaurant take-out, etc., you may now have a new tax to pay.

Regional taxes are a new concept supported by liberal Democrats, but surprisingly, also by a Republican leader in the Maryland Senate(!). A handful of states have this new type of tax, and it is simply a new way to rob the taxpayer of more money to funnel to the special interests. Democrats in Virginia have been hinting at such a tax all year. Now the wallet vacuum is heading this way, as Maryland legislators are floating a regional tax trial balloon in their party organ newspapers such as the Post and Gazette.

That trial balloon should burst like the fantasy that Democrats are helping the poor. The regional tax is a horrifically bad idea, and yet another Democratic flat tax on the poor. And the idea that some parts of Maryland don't want to pay for transportation projects in the D.C. and Baltimore areas... If there is a natural disaster in Ocean City or out west, our tax dollars will pay the bills. And I have no problem supporting transportation projects in those counties with our tax dollars. In fact, my transportation plan would have built projects across the state. Everyone needs to realize that we are in this together; that's why we all pay State taxes. So there is no need for a new regional tax. Just a need for budget discipline in Annapolis and Rockville.

Thanks for sticking around. I've been busy the last few weeks and haven't had time to post here, but there is plenty to write about. In addition, as a new member of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, I attended the state convention in Annapolis on December 1st and 2nd. As you have heard, we elected a new chairman, Jim Pelura of Anne Arundel County. They seem to know how to get out the vote there. Just ask John Leopold or Don Dwyer. It's an honor to represent Republicans in District 16 on the Central Committee. You have trusted me with your vote. I take this very seriously and hope to serve you well over the next four years.

It's been quite a start for the new county and state governments. All indications are that the poor and the middle class will find their cost of living going up over the next four years. Gas taxes are being proposed, in addition to the Democrats' already-proposed bill to raise taxes on the poor for a partial health plan in 2007. In another unbelievable report, Metro is planning to hit the average working person with massive fare increases on bus and subway transit. Up to $2 on the daily Metro fare, when it's already too expensive. This is no way to increase ridership. Metro is out of control and clearly is suffering from poor leadership, operations, and planning. Currently, transit is heading in the opposite direction from the advances I had talked about during my campaign. We need to lower fares and unify our fare system, not force the poor and middle class back into cars.

This and other existing problems, and the apparent worsening of them under our new elected officials, require action on behalf of the citizen. In addition to my work on the Central Committee, I will also be an independent advocate for the issues I campaigned on. More details on that forthcoming.

Other interesting facts: 5 million less people shopped on the day after Thanksgiving, but those who did bought more than last year. That says to me that the rich got richer, in another true cliche. The Washington Post also argued against no-document loans that help people afford homeownership and criticized the Venezuelan government for policies that allow the less wealthy to afford nice automobiles. These absurd attacks both represent a continued assault on the "ownership society" here and abroad by the left. Imagine, the Post criticizing the ability of people in a less-wealthy society to own a car. Extreme arrogance.

The Washington Post continues to boggle the mind. In 48 hours last week, the Post went from celebrating the Baker-Hamilton report as the plan for the future (and a defeat for George W. Bush) to attacking the report and essentially offering weak support for the current Bush position. Then an editorial speaks well of Pinochet's economic legacy and blasts Fidel Castro. Check that masthead. Is this the Post or the Times?

Finally, could that new, conservative Washington Post be any more irrelevant? After felling many a paper-providing tree and much ink to defeat President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, he won in a landslide in a free, fair election. Again. Clearly Chavez is the choice of the majority in Venezuela, and we're just left to wonder why Chavez is such a concern to the Washington Post company and its corporate empire.

Robert Dyer voters can give thanks that they are on the record voting against high electricity bills and higher taxes on the poor. My opponents haven't even been sworn in again yet, and two of the things I spoke out against during the campaign are already happening.

First, Pepco rates are going up. Again. That's not a misprint, Pepco is raising your rates again. There's no competition, and now there certainly won't be with Delegates Bronrott, Lee, and Goldwater back in office.

Second, the health care partial plan that doesn't cover everyone - and raises taxes on the poor to pay for it(!) - is one of the first pieces of legislation that will come before the new General Assembly.

Clearly, the poor and elderly are two of the biggest losers in this election; they now get to pay higher utility bills and higher taxes. Imagine, raising taxes on the poor for a plan that won't cover them. And they say Democrats tax the rich to help the poor? Not in Maryland. Meanwhile, my universal health insurance access plan and other initiatives to help the poor and middle class have been tabled as the status quo emerged temporarily victorious in the election.

The Washington Post and Gazette are biased. We knew that. But what we found out during this election is that the Post and Gazette are irrelevant. Non factors. Despite their desperate endorsements, many of their candidates lost. Their positions on the ballot questions were overridden by the ones listed on the Democratic Party's sample ballot (I've already given my analysis of the success of that sample ballot at the polls in a previous entry, although I'll have updates on that in the future).

We also found out that this is not the Post we knew. There are serious questions about the editorial and reporting staff at the paper. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that Bob Woodward continues to associate his name with the Post. The reporters do not return voice mails. I'm serious. Ann Marimow alone was contacted by my campaign 5 times since August, and has never once returned a voice mail or email. The Post never covered the unprecedented story of 3 members of the same family running for office on the same ballot. That is simply unbelievable. They didn't even cover the General Assembly races. When you consider the puff pieces and filth that the Metro section is usually comprised of, there is no excuse for the lack of coverage of my campaign.

Then there is the ethical question of the downright lies that were printed in the endorsements. It's one thing to not endorse us, but there is absolutely no reason or justification for lying about us. Specifically, I was lumped together with my Republican running mates as having a "thin agenda." That is a lie. That is preposterous. Visit my website and read my massive agenda, with more details than any other candidate in Maryland ever offered in this election. The Washington Post lied, period. When I called one of the editors, he had no credible explanations, mostly just giggles. So, we are definitely dealing with a new type of editorial and journalistic standard at the Post.

I was upset about the lies and lack of coverage at the time, and wrote a letter to the Editor. Which they didn't print. I knew they wouldn't. But after the results came in, I realized there's not any reason to be upset - the Post is irrelevant. Irrelevant. And the Gazette is irrelevant. Irrelevant. It serves them right for trying to change the outcome of the election.

Not an encouraging start to the process of rebuilding the Republican Party at any level this week. In addition, there are still many in denial about what went wrong in the election. Karl Rove is the most prominent of these, and the fact is that his strategy failed. The "Democrats are weak on terrorism" argument just didn't work. And, again, the tidal wave explanation is not supported by the results. Many Republicans were reelected. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tom Davis. Not exactly conservative territory, California and Northern Virginia. Bob Corker won in Tennessee. Was there a tidal wave in all three of those states? It takes more than annoying phone calls to get people out to vote. It takes at least one volunteer at each polling place handing out Republican sample ballots. It takes a compelling, inclusive message and agenda, not the divisive tactics of recent years. And it takes a state Party that supports the candidates strategically and financially. Just ask the Democrats.

It is notable that many of the new Democrats who won nationally were relatively moderate or even conservative. So our base is still there. The Reagan Democrats are still there. Where we didn't win, people have to admit that they didn't get out the vote, and didn't make the case for why Democrats should cross over. With zero help from our state Party, I was able to do this on a very small scale. Here is the latest article about a Republican who did this on a very large scale, who I've been referring to all year, and who Republicans in Maryland could learn a lot from:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger - a Republican - Wins