Bay Weekly’s Primary Primer
Who’s who on your September ballot — and why you should care, whether or not you’re a September voter
by Bay Weekly editor Sandra Olivetti Martin and staff writers Aubree Allen & Carrie Steele
How do you vote?
If you’ve got a date at the polls Tuesday, September 12, you’re a partner in a civil union. You’ve registered your commitment — dare we call it love? — to the Republican or Democratic party with the state. Now you can even call yourself by your party’s name.
Some 2,598,889 Marylanders — 1,699,400 Democrats and 899,489 Republicans — can keep that date with the polls. Anne Arundel’s 305,499 voters divide into 133,230 Democrats and 117,867 Republicans. Calvert, with 49,661 voters, has 20,847 Republicans and 20,251 Democrats.
Have you studied the pedigrees of the candidates so you’ll be well prepared to keep your date?
Have you met them?
If so, maybe you’ve found the woman or man your heart is set on. That happens when you meet the candidates face to face and person to person. You see, hear, smell and touch them —making contact at many levels. It’s at that pheromonal level where the strongest connections are made; some political analysts think that’s how all of us vote.
“It’s emotional. We don’t vote with our brains,” says Bobbie Walton, director of Common Cause. “The front of our brain isn’t even working.”
If you’ve made such an emotional connection, September 12 is a date you wouldn’t think of missing.
On the other hand, life may be moving so fast that you haven’t and don’t have time to know who’s who. Even so, you don’t have take your voodoo pin or Ouija board or blind luck to the polls. In fact, please don’t, ‘cause just as there are candidates out there, even in your own party, you could love, there are ones you’re sure to hate.
As House Speaker Michael Busch told a gathering of environmental voters at a summer evening picnic overlooking Oyster Creek, “This election is going to be about you and what kind of government you want.” So don’t leave your vote to chance.
Read your Bay Weekly Primary Primer, we’ll see you at the polls.
The Races
Every four years, everybody who ever thought they could do a better job than their senator, representative, council member or commissioner gets their chance.
If the job happens to be vacant, applications rise even higher.
That’s why 28 candidates — 10 Republicans and 18 Democrats — are competing to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes.
In the contested races we’re watching at Bay Weekly — statewide and in both Anne Arundel and Calvert counties — we stopped counting at 150 candidates, spread across —
• two statewide races — U.S. Senate and Maryland comptroller;
• two congressional races — the First and Third Districts;
• contested races for the House and Senate in six Maryland districts;
• Anne Arundel County race for County Executive plus three contested County Council races;
• Calvert County’s race for its Board of Commissioners.
Many other races — from Maryland Attorney General to state’s attorney in both counties to Calvert’s School Board — deserve your attention. We’d love to give them our attention, too. But we’d be writing a book, not a newspaper.
So we’re limiting this year’s Primary Primer to the candidates who lead our governments, make our laws and shape our lives at county and state level in the region we call Chesapeake Country: Anne Arundel and Calvert counties from Severna Park to Crofton to Solomons.
In framing our primer, we’ve consulted with voters meeting the candidates for themselves. Looking to the future — to the children and grandchildren politicians so often talk about — voters told us their most important question is where these people will take us. We’ve also listened to the candidates about how they think the best judgment can be made.
“Anybody can fill out a questionnaire and tell you what you want to hear. Judge me on my record,” said Paula Hollinger, a Maryland Senator running for Congress in the Third District, which includes Anne Arundel County between the Severn and South rivers (so she is not profiled in this Primer, though you read about her in Vol. xiv, No. 29: July 20).
So in this Primer we’re including a brief biography of each candidate, including their record (compiled by Bay Weekly researchers) and their answer to this question:
When your term in office is finished, how will you have used our vote — and our trust — to make our county, and state, a better place to live?
The Candidates
Anne Arundel County Executive
Democratic
Dennis Callahan
65-year-old Annapolitan. Mayor of Annapolis from 1985-1989; ran unsuccessfully for a second term. Resigned as director of Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks to run for county executive. Business owner: Maryland Medical Labs, Tuxedo International/Brenda’s Bridal. www.callahancountyexecutive.com.
Many politicians make promises about what they will do to make Anne Arundel County a better place to live. But I think the key to understanding whether they can deliver what they promise is to look at what they have done in the past. A track record is an important indicator in determining whether or not they are speaking the truth.
When I completed my term as mayor of Annapolis, we had the highest bond rating in the history of the city and the lowest tax rate in over a decade.
During my term, we passed the first Critical Area Legislation in the state of Maryland, which became known as the finest in the state; started a Land Conservancy Program; and established the first Comprehensive Plan for Recreation and Open Space. I also introduced and passed protective zoning to preserve the maritime character of the Eastport peninsula.
As director of Recreation and Park for Anne Arundel County, we preserved over 6000 acres in the last seven years, more acreage than all previous administrations combined.
When I was in the private sector, I founded and ran two successful businesses, Maryland Medical Laboratory (now Quest Diagnostic) and Tuxedo International/Brenda’s Bridal, a multi–state retail operation.
So what does this mean to Anne Arundel County residents?
It means that with this record of success behind me, that when I make a promise about what I think Anne Arundel County would be like when I complete my first term, you’ve have good reason to believe that I can deliver what I promise.
When I finish my term as county executive, I would like people to say that Dennis Callahan left a legacy of creating public access to clean waterways that Anne Arundel County residents can be proud of and enjoy.
Also I would like them to say that as county executive I continued the rural legacy program I started when I was director of Recreations and Parks and preserved the agricultural, rural and maritime character of Southern Anne Arundel County.
George Johnson
52-year-old resident of Glen Burnie. Anne Arundel County sheriff for 12 years. County police officer for 22 years. President of the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association. Blue Crab Candidate; also endorsed by the Sierra Club. www.votegeorgejohnson.com.
As an officer of law, you learn that your integrity is everything. For the past 35 years, I have served the people of Anne Arundel County with that principle in mind and will continue on the same course as county executive.
During this campaign, I have provided a clear vision for sensible growth management and environmental stewardship that has been supported by the leading environmentalists in our county. I have laid out a vision to improve the quality of education in our county and fix our traffic congestion. I have brought people together to seek real solutions for Anne Arundel County so that we can protect our quality of life. If elected, I will work diligently on continuing to bring our communities together to build on our vision and turn them into reality.
Republican
Tom Angelis
60-year-old resident of Davidsonville. Ran unsuccessfully for county executive in the Republican Primary, 2002. Baltimore City English/Social Studies teacher for six years. Former director, Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks. Former police officer and sergeant, Metro Police Department, D.C., 1968-1974.
When I leave office in 2014, I am confident that I will have led our county government in increasing the quality of life of our citizens to a level of greatness. By focusing on managed growth through government accountability and fiscal responsibility, this county will rise to unprecedented heights. Issues of appropriate economic development, quality education, middle-class affordable housing, comprehensive public safety, senior citizen services, improved transportation, clean waterways, and green-space preservation are all vital components of my leadership as county executive. Finally, my administration will seek to raise your quality of life to this level of greatness not only in the short term, but also serve as a basis for this quality-of-life level to extend well into the century.
Philip Bissett
50-year-old resident of Mayo; District 30 delegate from 1992 to 1998. Won the Republican Primary for County Executive in 2002; lost to Janet Owens in the General Election. Former head of Maryland Rail Commuter Train and Commuter Bus Service; former Giant Foods warehouse man and Teamster. www.PhilBissett.com.
I want to restore citizens’ faith and trust that government can operate in their best interest. How will I do it? By giving citizens a greater voice, for one. As a former state delegate and chair of the Anne Arundel County Delegation to the General Assembly, I was often called upon to act as a referee; as county executive, I want to be the coach.
What are my plans? I intend to focus on initiatives (with the taxpayer and stakeholder in mind) that will enable us as citizens — and our children — to Live Here, Learn Here, and Earn Here successfully.
If I can help Anne Arundel County families do those three things better tomorrow than they can today, I will feel I’ve succeeded in my term as county executive.
Living Here successfully means a traffic flow that allows you to get from point A to point B in time to see your child’s entire soccer game or band performance — not just the second half. It means public safety is a secure sense that we all share, not just words on a brochure. It means our kids can swim in our creeks whenever they want, not just when the health inspector says it’s okay.
Learning Here means we’ve got a public school system that’s as attractive to local families as any private-sector system is. (With three kids in our public school system, I’ve got a stake in the process.) It also means we can count on our other public institutions — our community college and library system, for example — to help us continue to learn for a lifetime.
Finally, Earning Here means our local economy is robust, with a workforce to match. If more of our citizens earn here, without having to cross numerous county lines to get to their workplace, our quality of life will improve — and so will the quality of our air and water.
In the end, my goals as county executive can be boiled down to the individual level: an extra hour of free time that you once spent in traffic; an education that gives you a leg-up in life; a feeling of security as you go about your daily business; happy family memories of time spent on the water. If this is our children’s Anne Arundel County experience, they’ll want to Live Here, Learn Here, and Earn here for their lifetime too.
David Boschert
58-year-old resident of Millersville. District 33A delegate since 2000; member, Ways and Means Committee. Previously elected as a Democrat to three terms on the Anne Arundel County Council. Retired Marine; adjunct professor: Anne Arundel Community College.www.davidboschert.com.
Once the Boschert Administration has fulfilled its commitment to the citizens of Anne Arundel County, we will experience 21st century achievements: a transit authority; a peninsula commission; a stormwater utility fund (without a new tax or fee); a rural legacy throughout South County; through public-private partnerships (lease-lease back) a new high school, additions and renovation projects. We will have more police, fire and teachers throughout our county to protect and enhance our quality of life. We are all in this together and we will succeed in making Anne Arundel the Number One county in the state of Maryland.
John Leopold
63-year-old resident of Pasadena; 30 years as state legislator in Maryland and Hawaii. First Republican elected to House from District 31; elected to his fifth term in 2002; member, Appropriations Committee. National Republican Legislators Association Legislator of the Year, 2005. www.johnleopold.com.
I hope to demonstrate the courage and bridge-building skills necessary to provide creative solutions to our managed growth, public safety, economic development and environmental protection problems. Specifically, I hope to be a responsible guardian of the public’s trust and resources by:
1. Restructuring county government to provide essential services at less cost while creating public-private and state-county funding partnerships to solve problems within existing resources and without increasing taxes.
2. Reforming the impact fee law to make the fee progressive, not regressive.
3. Implementing the property tax relief that I initiated in the legislature for seniors on fixed incomes.
4. Working closely with the school board and superintendent to encourage and enhance academic excellence in our public schools while insisting on strict accountability of monies spent.
5. Creating a 311 telephone system to ensure departmental responsiveness to constituent concerns.
6. Protecting environmentally sensitive land and strengthening, not weakening, the Critical Area Law and its enforcement.
7. Protecting South County and furthering revitalization efforts in a revised General Development Plan.
8. Establishing planning measurement goals in the county to ensure that the percentage increase in developed land does not exceed the percentage increase in preserved land.
Gregory Nourse
57-year-old resident of Glen Burnie. First time seeking public office. Assistant Superintendent of Anne Arundel County Schools for Business and Management Services. Former Anne Arundel County budget and management analyst. www.gregnourse.com.
I want to be known as the county executive who opened up the governmental decision-making process to the public and was a diligent steward of the public’s funds. There hasn’t been much communication with the public the last 12 years. I believe that an open and honest discussion of the issues, with citizens having the opportunity to voice their opinions, and effective communication of those decisions is most important. Being a good financial steward, with communication to the public on how their funds are being utilized, is also the legacy I want to leave. Those two principles will assure that our county will be a better place to live, work and play.
Anne Arundel County Council District 1
Democratic
Rik Forgo
41-year old North County resident; Air Force veteran. President of Linthicum-Shipley Improvement Association and co-chair BWI-Linthicum Small Area Planning Committee. Founder of the North County Coalition of Community Organizations. Endorsed by Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County. http://rikforgo.com
I hope that when my term is complete, I will have had the wherewithal to provide better homeownership opportunities for our county workers. I want to know that the people who work so hard for us here — firemen, teachers, police, clerical workers and road crews alike — will be able to own homes here, too. Right now that’s not true, and that must change.
I hope that I will have had a hand in making sure that our teachers are paid commensurate with teachers in neighboring counties, because I don’t want the trend to continue of their getting experience here and then teaching elsewhere.
I hope that I will have had the ability to reduce the number of blighted commercial areas across the county, and that the revenue from reborn commercial centers will help pay for the services we need.
When I’ve finished my work on the council, I would like to look back and know that I’ve helped change our antiquated stormwater management policies, and that we’ve made headway in restoring the damage that has been caused to our streams and tributaries. I hope that we, as a council and the new administration, will have helped put more zoning inspectors on the street so that debacles like Little Dobbins Island are less likely to occur.
But more than anything else, I hope that I’ll be remembered as a consensus builder, a councilman who went to the people to gauge their concerns and desires and did his best to convert those desires into sound legislation and policy.
Daryl Jones
42-year-old criminal defense attorney and tavern owner of Dotson’s Live. Running to be the second African-American elected to County Council. Platform includes construction of state’s first park for people with disabilities.
No response
Anne Arundel County Council District 4
Democratic
Jamie Benoit
Resident of Piney Orchard; attorney. Former platoon leader in the XVIIIth Airborne Corps and the 3D Infantry Division. Assisted the victims of Hurricane Isabel in gaining relief from the National Flood Insurance Program. Endorsed as a Blue Crab Candidate.
No response
Andrew Pruski
27-year-old resident of Gambrills. Acting supervisor of assessment with the Baltimore County School System; former Prince George’s County high school social studies teacher. Elected member of the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee. www.votepruski.com.
If I have the honor to serve as the next Anne Arundel County Councilman in District 4, I would evaluate success based upon my service and stewardship to my constituents. When you become an elected official, you are given a responsibility to show leadership and care for your constituents. As a candidate who has experience as a public high school social studies teacher, I already know how to serve and lead. The voters of Anne Arundel County deserve and require an individual with character and willingness to serve. Through my service in groups such as the Odenton Kiwanis Club, the West County Lions and as an usher at The Church of the Holy Apostles, I am committed to our community and to others.
If elected, it would be nice to reminisce about legislation and action that lead to a better quality of life for the residents of Anne Arundel County:
• cleaner Chesapeake Bay and overall environment;
• an increase in resources for our public safety departments of fire, police and paramedics;
• funds to better maintain our schools, initiatives to lower class sizes and increase teacher pay;
• responsible development.
Some of our most visible challenges include the care of our environment, strengthening our education system, providing the proper resources for public safety and supporting job growth and business in our county.
As a county it would be prudent to make development more transparent by involving greater citizen input. Additionally, there is a need for affordable housing that include the multifaceted approach of inclusionary zoning, low-interest loans and partnerships to help our low- and middle-income families. All of this legislation has a theme, and it is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Anne Arundel County.
Walter Moody
No response
Devin Tucker
Resident of Russett. Senior program manager for the Corporation for Enterprise Development. Former executive with General Board of Global Ministries, international mission and relief organization of the United Methodist Church. www.DevinTucker.com.
My recent endorsement by the Baltimore Sun helps validate my commitment to working class families. At the conclusion of my tenure as your councilman, I will have used your vote to hold developers accountable. I will have used your vote to redeem the hope of every taxpayer by securing affordable housing. I will require developers to set aside 25 percent of new units for working class families. I will work to increase our woefully inadequate impact fees to help ensure vital infrastructure needs.
I will have earned your trust by working diligently with PTA organizations to ensure that every child in Anne Arundel County has a healthy and competitive start in our schools. Together, we will expand investments in parents as first teachers and learning models. We will increase the number of award-winning Blue Ribbon schools in our county, close the student achievement gap, increase the number of minority students enrolled in talented and gifted programs and address our $1.5 billion maintenance backlog. Meade High School will be one of the premier high schools in the country.
Our county will be better because residents in Maryland City and Pioneer City, Anne Arundel county’s lower Ninth Wards, will finally have a true champion. Every resident will have the tools they need for a productive future. We will work together to improve mass transit options to help ensure gainful employment and promote responsible economic development in areas traditionally underserved in Anne Arundel county.
When my term in office is finished, there will be one Anne Arundel County, where bountiful opportunities exist for all to live, work and play in a safe and prosperous community.
Republican
Sid Saab
35-year-old resident of Crownsville. Small business owner; former aviation mechanic. Member Greater Odenton Improvement Association, Maryland Farm Bureau. www.citizensforsaab.com.
Your vote will be translated into a voice. I’m not reinventing the wheel. I’m not a politician, and I’m not doing this to advance my career. I don’t represent any public interest groups. I will be your public servant. My legislative assistant will focus on constituent service and not just sit in the office waiting to be contacted by citizens. One way of my paying back my constituency is by forming small neighborhood watch groups. To be connected, I need neighbors to help me represent my district through being my eyes and years in the community. Citizens will be directly tied into what happens in their district.
David Tibbetts
55-year-old resident of Odenton; attorney and vice president of an elevator sales company. Ran unsuccessfully for House of Delegates District 32 in 2002. Director of the Anacostia Wastershed Society. Former chair of the Environmental Subcommittee of the Odenton Small Area Planning Committee. Member of Sierra Club; volunteer firefighter (Odenton 28).
I aspire to serve a county that has handled growth and development: a vibrant economy, plentiful jobs, adequate police and fire protection, good schools and a clean environment.”
Anne Arundel County Council District 6
Democratic
Josh Cohen
33-year-old resident of Eastport. Parole and probation agent for the state. Elected to the Annapolis City Council in 2001 and 2005; chairs the Finance Committee. Past Chairman of the Annapolis Democratic Central Committee. Endorsed as a Blue Crab Candidate, by the Maryland Chapter Sierra Club and The Baltimore Sun. www.votecohen.com.
During my term in office I will involve and empower residents of District Six to protect our quality of life by successfully shaping policy and decisions that affect us. To protect the Bay and promote wise land use, I will work to:
• enact a Watershed Restoration Fund;
• revise our zoning and building codes to encourage innovative and flexible environmental friendly building methods;
• increase performance standards for stormwater infiltration of redevelopment projects;
• implement more innovative, eco-friendly grading and landscaping techniques such as conservation-style development that protects existing habitat and minimizes clear-cutting of land;
• strengthen sediment control standards for construction projects to require more immediate stabilization of work sites and better protect against major storm events;
• promote Smart Growth to reduce vehicle trips in the area;
• push to fully implement an integrated biking trail network throughout the county;
• push public/private partnerships to leverage resources of community groups and the private sector in cleaning up and beautifying our natural areas;
• lead by example and make sure that the county’s own capital projects are eco-friendly and minimize stormwater runoff and sedimentation;
• lead by example and purchase low-emissions vehicles for the County’s fleet;
• improve communication and coordination between the City and County. One cannot successfully address growth issues in the Sixth District without first improving City/County cooperation.
Phillip Dales
58-year-old resident of Annapolis Roads. Attorney in private practice. Board member Annapolis Neck Peninsula Federation; Chairman, Annapolis Neck Small Area Plan Committee. Former member, Conflict Resolution Center; former coach at Naval Academy and plebe sponsor.
I will have used the confidence of the citizens to put communities, natural resources and quality of life at the top of the county’s priorities, where it belongs. Communities ought to be returned to their rightful place in public affairs. The county doesn’t presently know what its assets are. The citizens have to inform the county of the community’s assets, when it should be the other way around. The Bay is not just another pretty place; it’s everyone’s responsibility.
Classie Gillis Hoyle
70-year-old Annapolitan. Second-term alderwoman on the Annapolis City Council; defeated a 20-year incumbent in the 2001 primary. Headed efforts to change the City Code to formally use the term alderwoman; chairwoman, Democratic Central Committee and Tribute to Women of Color. Running to be second African-American elected to County Council. Adjunct prof at Sojourner-Douglass College, Annapolis-Southern Maryland Campus. Taught at Morgan State College and the Baltimore City schools for 14 years: www.classiehoyle.org.
When my term is finished, I hope to have a better school system. I expect our school system to be rated one of the best in the nation— certainly higher than now. I expect affordable work-force housing for middle-income residents. I think my term in office will show that I have worked hard to make Anne Arundel County a better place for its citizens.
House of Delegates District 30
The capital district’s three seats are always prizes for which many compete. This year it’s 12. Democrats vote for three of five candidates; Republicans vote for three of seven.
Democratic
Michael Busch
59-year-old Annapolitan. Delegate for 19 years and Speaker of the House since 2003. Legislator of the Year, Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce. League of Conservation Voters 100 Percenter and endorsed candidate. Also endorsed by the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. Assistant to the director of Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks; former teacher and coach at St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis. www.speakerbusch.com.
As a resident of Anne Arundel County for 48 years, the father of two daughters in the Annapolis public school system and a homeowner, I know that every vote I make affects my family and me just as it does my neighbors and my constituents. I want voters to be confident that on every issue I act with integrity and with their interests foremost in my mind.
If given the opportunity to represent District 30 for another term, I will continue to promote a strong public education system, both K-12 and higher education; improve access to affordable, quality health care for working families; and champion initiatives that promise a healthier Chesapeake Bay and the preservation of open spaces.
Virginia Clagett
63-year-old resident of West River. Lawmaker for 30 years: delegate since 1995; Anne Arundel County councilwoman for five terms. Helped create Jug Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. League of Conservation Voters 100 Percenter and endorsed candidate. Also endorsed by the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club.
For 32 years, every four years, I have thought that my term in office might be finished. So I have worked to make every year count toward the vision I had 32 years ago of a county that still had sustainable farming and a thriving Bay.
In 1981, on the County Council, I forged legislation to greatly lower the density of development in Southern Anne Arundel County. I worked to establish the first agricultural easements programs and tax incentive to entice landowners to save their lands.
The vision continued into the State House to include a Bay and its waterways that can sustain fish, crab and oyster harvest (and the saving of the terrapins), and the water uses that our residents cherish as our heritage. Saving and restoring Program Open Space and Rural Legacy are crucial to saving the water.
I believe my votes have been consistent with this vision, and I hope will have made a difference when I leave.
Shirley May Little
57-year-old Annapolitan. Ran unsuccessfully for District 30 in 2002. Anne Arundel County teacher for 32 years. Elected to Board of Directors of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County. Volunteer at Bywater Boys and Girls Club and Parole Rotary Club Volunteer of the Year. www.shirleylittle.com.
I will have honored the votes of my constituents in several ways, generating good will and cooperation among the delegates of both parties and becoming known as a thorough researcher who shares information frequently and broadly.
Full funding of the Thornton initiative and other funding measures for education will have supported construction and renovation of school buildings to modern standards.
I have worked with environmentalists, business, and industry to start a serious clean up our Chesapeake Bay, achieving standards set by the House of Delegates. Environmental education of the public will have increased.
As a moderate, I will have —
• voted for stem cell use with careful regulation by the state;
• worked with business to help establish a no-smoking-in-public-areas policy throughout the state;
• co-sponsored legislation focusing attention on the problem of domestic abuse within families and strengthened the enforcement of laws concerning child abuse and neglect;
• created legislation that encouraged families to stay together;
• voted for state legislation and encouraged federal legislation to stop illegal immigration by collecting fees from businesses that hire illegals; researched and formulated a pathway for illegal immigrants to become American citizens;
• worked with local officials and administrations to help develop work-force housing for District 30, collecting fees from developers for education of the children who will live in their developments as well as including work-force housing at lower prices for rent and purchase price;
• worked with the governor to help citizens, especially in the District 30 area, own their own homes with low-interest loans and investment education.
Barbara Samorajczyk
60-year-old resident of Annapolis Roads; Anne Arundel County Councilwoman since1998. Former general counsel of an international recycling services company. Pioneered legislation to protect bogs. Served on the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission. Blue Crab Candidate; endorsed by League of Conservation Voters. Also endorsed by the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. www.Barb4D30.com.
As I did on the County Council, I will champion measures that protect our quality of life in this region, whether it is promoting the health of the Bay; protecting our natural resources including our farm land and open space; ensuring quality education for our children; making health care accessible and affordable; improving public safety; planning for our transportation needs; or responsibly managing the growth of our rapidly developing area.
Konrad Wayson
45-year-old resident of Edgewater; president of the County Board of Education and part owner of Hopkins and Wayson construction company. Member of the County Economic Development Corp. for five years.
No response
Republican
Nancy Almgren
58-year-old Annapolitan. Retired vice president with Morgan Stanley, Annapolis. Taught Investing for Women at AACC for 15 years. Founder Battle of the High School Rock Bands, member Annapolis Rotary. www.nancyalmgren.com.
I’m a firm believer in advocacy, so I will listen. And basically, what I’ll get done is simplify things; we need fewer laws rather than new laws. What I would like to see after I leave is a cleaner Chesapeake Bay with real solutions being implemented, a business-friendly state with less taxes and a state known for its excellent educational system.
Les Belcher
45-year-old Annapolitan. Originally registered to run for state senate. Vice president Sunny Acres Landscaping in Davidsonville. Past president, vice president and secretary of the South River Ruritan Club. www.belcherforsenate.com.
When my term in the General Assembly is finished, I will have cast votes on behalf of District 30 that will strengthen the family through the empowerment of our citizens, limit the role of government by reducing spending and taxes, promote free enterprise by encouraging business in this state and protect our environment by reducing pollution and planning future growth.
Adelsia Braxton
No response
Mike Collins
44-year-old resident of Cape St. Claire. Ran unsuccessfully in 2002 House of Delegates in 2002. Elected to Republican Central Committee. Home loan security analyst and emergency response manager for the Department of Transportation. Naval Academy graduate, class of 1984; Board of Trustees, Naval Academy Alumni Association. Founding member, Annapolis Irish Cultural Society. www.votecollins.org.
In a macro sense, I would like to bring a higher level of civility and collegiality to the legislature. I think the scorched-earth approach to legislating demeans us all. I think it is important to fight for our ideas and principles — and I will do that — but pay-backs and get the other guy are not principles worth fighting for.
In a tangible sense, I want to leave the Bay better than when I begin office. This means building on Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s initiative to improve sewage treatment facilities to repair and upgrade existing pipes and infrastructure before it fails (think of Mill Creek in Arnold) and if possible, expand coverage to older waterfront areas that have septic systems that leech into the Bay.
I would also like to see all of our schools improve. We are justifiably proud of schools like Severna Park, Broadneck and South River, but Annapolis and Meade cannot be left behind. This means improving facilities and providing incentives to recruit and retain top-flight teachers and creating an environment where they want to stay.
I would also like to see our community safer, with more affordable housing and a business climate that helps entrepreneurs, especially women and minorities, succeed. The greatest avenue to success is to own your own business. Fostering an entrepreneurial climate is the surest way to diversify our economy and lift new generations out of poverty and into the American dream.
Ron Elfenbein
32-year-old Annapolitan. Physician. Member of the U.S. Secret Service Emergency Services Response Team. During medical school, served for a month on the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico. www.ronelfenbein.com.
I will have helped turn around our dying healthcare system here in Maryland. Under my leadership, Maryland will be the model for all other states in terms of providing good, quality, and affordable health care for all of our citizens, as we should be. I will have been a leader in putting an end to the ugly partisanship that currently plagues and bogs down our government. I will have been someone who worked with members of all parties and who got things done. I will have fought hard to lower taxes, restore the Bay, make our state more business friendly and improve our education system. Most of all, I will have been someone of whom the citizens of District 30 and the great state of Maryland could be proud to have had represent them.
Ron George
53-year-old resident of Arnold; jeweler and Main Street, Annapolis small business owner. Received the 2005 Ronald Reagan Award from the Annapolis Republican Central Committee. Director, Springhill Center for Family Development. www.voterongeorge.com.
No response
Andy Smarick
30-year-old resident of Arnold. Ran unsuccessfully for State Senate in 2002. Former senior legislative assistant to Congressman Wayne Gilchrest. Co-founder KIPP Harbor Academy in Annapolis, a charter school that provides a rigorous education to prepare low-income students for college. Also started the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. www.andysmarick.com.
I would consider my tenure a failure unless we see measurable improvements in the Bay and our rivers. I am so tired of the current batch of delegates calling what we have environmental improvements. The Bay is just as sick today. I am all about measurable results. It’s not about the programs you create or money spent; it’s about is the Bay healthier.
House of Delegates District 31
Del. John Leopold’s retirement to run for county executive has lured many candidates into this race, making for the largest field in Anne Arundel County: 13 candidates with two incumbents and 11 challengers. Democrats choose three from eight candidates, Republicans three from five.
Democratic
Joan Cadden
65-year-old resident of Brooklyn Park. Owner-operator of cosmetology business. Delegate since 1991; member of the Appropriations Committee, chair, public safety & administration subcommittee; Legislator of the Year: State Department of Education, 1998 and 2002. Endorsed by Maryland League of Conservation Voters and the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club.
As I always have with great thought, integrity.
My leadership position in the house has enabled me to bring many benefits to my county in attaining funding for waterway improvement projects, school construction, roads and the environment — while ensuring the budget stays under spending affordability. I will continue to do that.
Mike Cadogen
No response
Thomas Fleckenstein
35-year-old resident of Pasadena. Ran unsuccessfully for District 31 in 1998 and 2002. Lawyer; former Anne Arundel County prosecutor for seven years. Vice chairman, Maryland State Board of Elections.
When my term is done, I hope to have earned the trust of every person who votes for me by making good on my pledge to work hard with all members of the General Assembly, regardless of party or philosophy or jurisdiction, to best serve my District and other communities effectively; to always be honest and open with my constituents, and to provide leadership on innovative conservation solutions to assure that my children and grandchildren enjoy our state's natural beauty and especially the Chesapeake Bay as I have.
Rose Forrest
27-year-old resident of Glen Burnie. 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, recently returned from Ramadi, Iraq. Former legislative assistant to state Sen.Rob Garagiola, District 15. www.roseforestd31.com.
At the end of my term, I hope to have instilled trust in the District 31 voters that their elected officials have worked for them, not outside corporations and interest groups. More schools will be built and high quality teachers hired. The Bay will be cleaner because of the storm run-off systems I will have enplaced. Health care will be more affordable as hospitals will have been taught to be more efficient. Residents will receive incentives for using alternative energy. New constructions will be built with high efficiency fixtures and plumbing.
Ed Garcia
69-year old resident of Orchard Beach. Founding member of the North County Land Trust, which protects non-developed land. Member of the Cox Creek Dredge Site Oversight Committee. www.electedgarcia.com.
No response
George Law
63-year old resident of Glen Burnie; owner and operator of Law Brothers Hardware. Ran unsuccessfully for County Council in 2002 as a Green Party candidate.
I will make Anne Arundel County a more balanced place to live. A more peaceful and abundant, safer place, a less cluttered and more organized place to live. We’re out of balance, and all the facets of our society are out of balance. Rich people are doing well, but middle-and low-income people are not doing well. I will address the environment in ways as inexpensive that I can. I will assist with healthcare issues. I’m in support of mandated single-payer healthcare, and I think that can be done on state level or federal level. I am very concerned about mental healthcare and would like to see the reinstitution of mental hospitals.
Craig Reynolds
57-year-old resident of Severna Park. Former teacher at Glen Burnie and Old Mill High Schools, Assistant Principal at Meade, Northeast and Severna Park High Schools. Endorsed by the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. www.craigreynoldsfordistrict31.org.
By representing the constituency as they wish you to represent them. Basically, you’re not going to express your own feelings, but those of the constituents. Those matters that you deal with in the legislature are the bread and butter of their lives — like this BGE bill in the past session — and it’s being able to represent them how they want you to and not get involved in partisan politics. You give your best effort 365 days a year — because it’s more than a January to April session. It’s important that constituents know who you are and feel comfortable speaking with you and trusting you. If you can maintain that feeling of comfort and trust, then you’ve done your job.
I’ve walked over 2,000 homes, and I feel that politics has become a nasty word. I would love to see a difference and have people know that they can trust me and feel that I’m a person of integrity.
Republican
James Braswell
28-year old resident of Pasadena. Served as law clerk for Judge Paul F. Harris Jr., Circuit Court of Anne Arundel County (2005-2006). Former intern to Congressman Wayne Gilchrest. Member of the North Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce. www.jcbraswell.com.
For a couple reasons. I will set bar high to bring statesmanship back to Annapolis and set an example as to how politicians should act. I would hope that healthcare is a lot better. I’d really like to see Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s ideas brought down here. And make sure child rapists are behind bars for at least 25 years. Kids will be protected.
Pat Corcoran
50-year old resident of Glen Burnie. Employed at Maryland Aviation Administration. Former US Airways employee for 26 years; member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Director: Anne Arundel Chapter, ABATE of Maryland for seven years. www.patcorcoran.com.
No Response
Don Dwyer
48-year-old resident of Glen Burnie. Delegate since 2003; Deputy Minority Whip. Executive Director, Institute on the Constitution. Director, American College for Cultural Studies. Extreme social conservative labored much of the past two years to define marriage in law or by Constitutional amendment. Gun Owners of America 2006 Legislator of the Year. www.delegatedwyer.com.
No Response
Nic Kipke
27-year old resident of Pasadena; managing partner of an independent factory representative firm. Advocate for the autism community. Endorsed by the Maryland Farm Bureau. www.kipke.com.
I know the type of official I’ll be. I refuse to be partisan and believe that I’ll be most proud of the fact that I’ll have achieved goals for the community, including strengthening property rights, greater access for first-time home buyers, giving teachers more control of their classrooms and providing better education.
Steve Schuh
46-year old resident of Pasadena; managing member of Schuh Advisory, LLC, an investment banking, financial advisory and direct investments firm. Board of Directors, Chesapeake Arts Center. Treasurer, American Red Cross of Central Maryland. www.steveschuh.com.
Readers of Bay Weekly can count on me to work for the following core principles,
which I believe represent the keys to a better future for Maryland:
• Less government and lower taxes. Maryland is the seventh most-taxed state in the United States. I pledge not to support any further tax increases on Maryland families and job-creating small businesses and to vote for lower taxes.
• Traditional values. I will work to strengthen Maryland families, defend traditional marriage, promote respect for life, protect Second Amendment rights and prevent unjust seizure of private property.
• Stop illegal immigration. There are over 300,000 illegal immigrants in Maryland. While we should be welcoming of legal immigrants, we should not give illegal immigrants the same rights and benefits of citizens and legal immigrants. I will fight illegal immigration.
• Improved educational system. About one-third of Maryland students drop out of high school, and another one-third of those remaining in school are failing math and English. I support reform of our public schools and expanded educational alternatives, such as charter schools.
• Clean up Chesapeake Bay. The Bay currently ranks only a 27 on the 100-point scale of the highly respected Chesapeake Bay Foundation — no better than in 1960! I will support more aggressive efforts to assure a healthy environment for Maryland citizens.
Maryland State SenateDistrict 31
Sen. Philip Jimeno’s retirement has brought on a herd of contenders, from which primary voters of each party get to choose one.
Democratic
Matthew McBride
35-year-old resident of Pasadena. Former legislative aide to Sens. Phil Jimeno and John Cade. Founding member of Maryland Respite Care Coalition, an organization providing support to families coping with serious illness. www.mcbride2006.com.
New teachers will have more incentive to remain and teach in the area, the roads will not be any more crowded than they are now, the waterways and environment will be cleaner and those who choose to stay and live out their older days here will not live in fear of the government taking their homes because they’re too poor to pay their property taxes. My views on other issues may be found on my website, www.mcbride2006.com.
Walter Shandrowsky
58-year-old resident of Pasadena; Former District 31 delegate from 1979-1982. Retired manufacturer’s representative. Past president of the Riviera Beach Volunteer Fire Department; Vietnam War helicopter pilot. www.baystreetout.com/index.html.
My first inclination is to say something lofty, but fact of the matter is, I think I’m an average citizen who hopes to speak with reason and without excessive partisanship or harsh rhetoric, marking the return of some civility in Annapolis. We’ve been fortunate in our district in that we’ve had a senator who has been a voice of reason and could disagree with opponents respectfully. But not so for the House of Delegates. It’s been contentious in the House side. With my election, I believe that the Senate would remain in capable and moderate hands. There are a number of important issues. The issue of deregulation has to be back on the table. Slots is going to be back on the table, and I intend to favor slots, but don’t support giving ownership to the racetracks.
Republican
Dutch Holland
63-year-old resident of Pasadena. Former county councilman from 1990-1994 and the first Republican elected to that seat. Secured funding for the New Solley Road Elementary School and Mountain Road Library. www.hollandforsenate.com.
No response
Thomas Gardner
45-year-old resident of Point Pleasant. Elected in 1998 and 2002 to the Republican State Central Committee. State employee for 31 years. Executive officer of an aviation maintenance company during the Bosnian Conflict. www.tomgardner.org.
My big goal will be not voting for any tax increase. And I support the governor’s Project Exile program. Also, anyone who’s convicted should have to serve 80 percent of their sentence before they’re eligible for parole, making streets safer. Additionally, sex offenders should serve a minimum 25 years in prison.
Mike Jacobs
40-year-old resident of Pasadena. Owner of machine shop and boat lift business. Coaches children’s teams: Glen Burnie Girls Softball, Lake Shore Athletic Association and Panthers Athletic Club. www.electmikejacobs.com.
No response
Charles ‘Casey’ Robison
76-year-old resident of Glen Burnie; Retired Bethlehem Steel worker. Retired United Steel Workers Union 2610 Representative.
No response
Bryan Simonaire
43-year-old resident of Pasadena. Systems engineer in computer science industry. Founder of Heroes at Home and Simonaire Santas, supporting local families and abused children. Elected to Republican Board of Governors. Endorsed by Maryland Right to Life. www.simonaire.com.
I entered this race because I wanted to champion the voice of the people. It is my desire to passionately, diplomatically and effectively stand for the values and concerns of the people that I am elected to serve.
At the end of my term, I want to say to the people that I used my God-given talents to listen to the people’s concerns and championed their issues to make Maryland the best it can be.
House of Delegates District 33A
Del. Dave Boschert’s retirement to run for Anne Arundel County executive opens up this race, especially as the other incumbent, Tony McConkey, has served only one term. Voters get two choices, Democrats from three candidates, Republicans from four.
Democratic
Paul Rudolph
74-year-old resident of Severna Park; retired Westinghouse engineer. Member Anne Arundel County Board of Education for 10 years.
I will have done the best I can to instill trust in government by setting an example. I’m not an issue candidate as such, but I do believe that there’s a lack of trust in government and want to set an example of constituent service and involvement with the community.
Torrey Jacobsen
47-year old resident of Crofton; insurance agent/broker and senior loan officer. President: Greater Crofton Council for four years; treasurer three years. Spearheaded improvements at Arundel High School and other local schools; Greater Crofton Council Citizen of the Year, 1999. www.jacobsen2006.com.
I hope to have helped with mass transportation upgrading in 33A, get more money for better schools and relieve overcrowding in my district, and get taxes down at reasonable rate. I’m fighting Wal-mart to make sure it doesn’t get built on Route 3; I’m already doing that, I don’t need to be in office. I’m not a candidate that just talks; I’ve been doing the walk.
Patricia Weathersbee
54-year-old resident of Crownsville; Owner of Classic Designs Country Store and professional addiction counselor. Alcohol and Drug Advisor for the state Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists, where she recommends laws and writes regulations for counseling professionals. President: Board of Directors, Hope House.
Hopefully when my term is finished, every Marylander will be covered by health insurance. We’ll have stricter regulations with nursing homes and assisted living institutions. We’ll have become a veteran-friendly state.
And one of the most important things is that there will be a law passed that will keep government officials — from either party — from stealing the environmental bills that have been passed and using the money for things that they weren’t meant for. Using money meant for the Bay to balance the budget: That’s ridiculous.
Republican
Daniel Alan Grimes
45-year-old resident of Millersville. Former staff member for Congresswoman Marjorie Holt; former substitute teacher and firefighter/paramedic. Past treasurer of the Severna Park Jaycees.
No response
John Hollywood
62-year-old resident of Crofton; managing partner for a financial services firm. Retired from the U.S. Army after 22 years. President: Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce. Member of Anne Arundel County Planning Advisory Board, five years. www.electhollywood.com.
When my term of office is completed, Anne Arundel will be the premier county in Maryland. The county will be respected by other jurisdictions and the state legislature, receiving our fair share of state revenues. We will have one member of Congress representing us who actually resides in Anne Arundel County. Finally, I will see Smart Growth, which will continue to protect the environment and the Chesapeake Bay.
Some specific legislation I will have sponsored, and with help from other delegates and senators, will have passed:
• Ensuring that Anne Arundel County will receive its fair share of tax money, to:
• Increasing state matching funds for school construction.
• Providing seed money to Anne Arundel County for additional bus shuttle service to underserved areas.
• Providing seed money to look at expanding the Green Line to Odenton, BWI/Thurgood Marshall Airport.
• Expanding State GAO to really see where our tax dollars went and whether they were well spent.
• Reducing taxes with private-public partnerships.
• Protecting and expanding traditional family values;
• Protecting and expanding Second Amendment rights;
• Working with Anne Arundel County to ensure a smooth transition for new folks coming into our area as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission;
• Establishing a Veterans’ Hospital and Home in Crownsville.
• Increasing competition in the number of health-care companies that provide services in Maryland, reducing costs to small business owners and their employees;
• Passing an eminent domain bill that protected private property from confiscation by the state for commercial purposes;
• Protecting and expanding Open Space in coordination with Anne Arundel County;
• Passing legislation that provided tax credits for solar and wind power development that helped reduce dependence on foreign oil;
• Integrating the State Inheritance Tax with the Federal Estate Tax system;
• Passing legislation that requires a photo ID to vote.
• Passing legislation that requires a Green Card” or citizenship to get a driver’s license.
When my term of office is over, I will be most proud that I represented all of the people in District 33A. I will look back on my time in office as a period when I effectively accomplished common goals that benefited both the county and the state. Issues will have changed during my term, but I will know that my character, integrity and values remained the same.
James King
31-year-old resident of Gambrills; owner of Kaufman’s Tavern, Rockfish Raw Bar and Grill and Sherwood Forest Market. Maryland Restaurateur of the Year Finalist. www.electjamesking.com.
One of the biggest issues we face in Maryland is that we let our issues become crises; for example, the current BGE problem. It is crucial that we address these issues while they are still issues. When my term is office is through, we will have prevented these issues from becoming serious problems.
Gregory Kline
35-year-old resident of Severna Park; attorney and counsel to Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee. Former staff attorney, Office of Federal Programs, Department of Justice. Former president of the Anne Arundel County Young Republicans. wwwklinefordelegate.com.
To fight against the ever-increasing tax burden on our citizens, to make our streets safer, to bring an elected school board that will give more control of our children’s education to citizens rather than politicians and to protect our social values by promoting family, marriage and respect for life.
Tony McConkey
42-year-old resident of Severna Park. Delegate since 2003; member of Environmental Matters Committee. Republican Central Committee member,1995-2002. Endorsed by Maryland Right to Life, National Federation of Independent Business and Maryland Farm Bureau. Real estate agent for 20 years. www.tonymcckonkey.com.
I hope to leave a more responsive and accountable system —including an elected school board— and a constituency that felt that they were included more in the decisions that affected our county.
Calvert County Board of Commissioners
Twenty-one men and women are competing for five seats on the county’s combined executive and legislative Board of Commissioners. Four of the candidates are incumbents; two are former commissioners. Ten of the candidates are Republican and 11 are Democrats. Half (plus one Democrat) will fold in the primary, as five from each party step up to the general election.
Democrat
Kevin Cornett
35-year-old resident of Lusby. First try for public office. Engineer at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory.
Hopefully they’ll want to keep having me on the commission. As far as growth, the county will be sitting in a better position financially and I would have more educational programs for kids of all economic backgrounds; not a lot of programs kids have to pay $600 or $700 to attend, so I hope to make more opportunities.
Charles Donnelly
62-year-old resident of Solomons; attorney. Former classroom teacher for 10
years. Served as attorney to the Calvert County Board of Appeals, second counsel for Calvert County Planning Commission. Former City of College Park Council member; has started three small businesses.
Through me, your vote will have been cast for:
• open government with an end to insider politics;
• equal access to government for all citizens with one set of rules for all,
• sound fiscal planning with spiraling real property taxes brought under control and reduced;
• Planning and Zoning decisions based upon serving broader citizen needs rather than decisions based on special interests;
• Maintaining the current growth restrictions;
• Excellence in public education;
• Support for small business and agriculture with incentives and innovations encouraged by government policies;
• Improved water quality and preservation of habitat on the Patuxent River and its tributaries and support for regional efforts to improve the quality of the Chesapeake Bay;
• Improved recreational parks and an increase in conserved land for future generations;
• Sound traffic/safety policies based on need rather than continued bad decision making such as the location of Huntingtown High School without adequate traffic access to Cox Road, roads that go no where such as the Lusby Town Center and the waste of limited tax dollars on frivolous traffic projects such as the unneeded traffic circle on Solomons Island.
Mark Frazer
65-year-old mayor of North Beach for eight years; dentist. Former Commissioner, elected in 1986 and 1994 as a Republican; vice president for four years. Past president of the Maryland Municipal League.
When the next term is finished, I believe we will be able to say that we put growth issues and debates behind us and were able to focus for the first time in two decades on maximizing the quality of life in a county with a stabilized population.
The voters of Calvert County have entrusted me with their vote four times, twice for County Commissioner and twice for consecutive terms as mayor of North Beach. When the upcoming term ends, I hope they find I continued to earn their trust. It is a trust that in my initial term led to the adoption of the county’s first innovative ordinances to preserve rural character and manage growth, establishing Town Centers, allowing transfer of development rights and requiring adequate facilities.
In my second term as commissioner, we further refined our growth-management and land-preservation strategies and strengthened an already excellent administration, leaving behind a healthy financial reserve for hard times.
Then followed my two terms as mayor, an office with very direct impact. We have managed to move from crisis fiscal management to a place where the Bay is an integral part of our quality of life, health care services are directly available for patients of all incomes, affordable housing and a modern activities center are here for our seniors, a Boys & Girls Club is being built for our youth and proactive zoning and code enforcement have made North Beach a prime spot in the county for safe, quality rental workforce housing.
The hope and promise I have for the next term is that, now that build-out is at hand, I will do my utmost to make this amazing county an even better place to live. We will begin to find and implement comprehensive solutions to improving transportation, desirable workforce housing will be a reality in our major town centers, our excellent school system will maintain its high standards, more and better recreational facilities will be in place, and that we will do all a small county can do to protect the health of our national treasure, the Chesapeake Bay.
These are challenging goals, but not daunting ones for a county so blessed with such enviable resources of people and place.
In sum, when the next term is finished, I hope to have been part of what people will view as the beginning of Calvert County’s truly golden age.
Dixie Miller
Resident of Solomons; President of Dixie Miller PRESENTS LLC, an educational consulting firm. Serves on Calvert Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees. Ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner as a Republican in 1990. dixiemiller.com.
No response
Bernie Nutwell
52-year-old resident St. Leonard. Retired corrections officer. Ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 2002. Past board member of Calvert Crusade for Children. Member of the Democratic Central Committee (1998-2002).
Taxes are one of the big issues, particularly property taxes. Hopefully we can reduce the tax burden and make the county a better place to live. I still like the rural aspect of the county. It’s a nice place to live and I want to keep it that way.
Wilson Parran
56-year-old resident of Huntingtown; commissioner since 2002; VP 2002. President of Winspeed Technologies. Active in civic groups including Calvert County Board of Education; President, Maryland Association of Board of Education.
In 2002, I shared with Bay Weekly my vision for Calvert County as a great place to live, work, raise a family, go to school and operate or start a business. Our communities are safe and healthy. Our government is effective and not a barrier in providing services to its citizens. Our leaders conduct business with the utmost integrity.
During my term, I have worked hard and made decisions consistent with my vision. With your vote, I will continue to make the decisions that will maintain or improve the quality of life for our citizens.
I have demonstrated my support and passion for quality education. I assisted in the creation of the education funding formula to fund education consistently for years to come.
I supported large projects such as the much-needed indoor pool, to be completed in 2008; the Southern Connector Road, scheduled for completion in 2009; and the Prince Frederick Loop Road, which continues to make significant progress.
Over the last four years, I have made the kinds of decisions that eliminated the budget deficit, established a structurally balanced budget; increased the commercial tax base while effectively managing residential growth. I have met with farmers to listen to their concerns and to take actions that were considerate of the many farmers in our county.
Regarding workforce housing, I supported the Calvert and state partnership that will provide up to $15,000 toward closing for county employees (teachers, deputies, etc.) who qualify, in addition to a potentially lower interest rate on their mortgage. For our many property owners on fixed or moderate incomes, I supported the Homestead Tax Credit, which will give credit of up to the first $400,000 of assessed value of their property. I supported activating the Housing Opportunities Fund Committee as well as zoning that allow waivers for workforce housing projects. I will continue to look for additional opportunities to partner with business, organizations, and government to tackle the Workforce housing concerns.
With your vote I will continue to ensure that our tax dollars are conservatively managed to get the maximum service for the least cost. I support efficiency in government as well as serving the public as our customers.
I bring leadership experience in business, local and state government. I have the sensitivity, understanding, and educational and professional background to make decisions that benefit the citizens of Calvert County. I fight for the citizens of Calvert County and not special interest groups. I am an independent thinker with the courage to serve with integrity and the courage to lead with compassion.
Alan ‘AJ’ Pitcher
No response
E. Lloyd Robertson
Resident of Huntingtown; retired chief of new school plans for Calvert County.
No response
Barbara Stinnett
70-year-old resident of Owings. Former two-term county commissioner with 20 years legislative experience. Legislative aide to state Sen. Roy Dyson. Runs bookkeeping/accounting service for 35 years. Active in American Legion Auxiliary, Calvert County Citizens Advisory Board. Received Ducks Unlimited Conservation Award.
I will be accessible and accountable for my actions, promoting openness in government with fewer closed-door sessions. I am committed to a fully funded educational system. I will prove that we can decrease taxes with out decreasing community services. I will manage growth to bring in more businesses, thereby increasing more affordable housing options for the working public. I will expand regional transportation for medical services and work with other counties to help citizens get where they need to go for medical appointments.
Jim Wiseman
67-year old resident of Broomes Island. First time to run for elected office. Retired Prince George’s County police officer. Member of American Legion Post 274, Broomes Island Civic League. Safer to live. Lower taxes. Better roads. Public safety.
Republican
Mike Benton
39-year-old Calvert County resident; owner of real estate and home improvement companies. Chairman Southern Maryland Economic Development Commission; member Economic Development Authority, Natural Resource Advisory Committee. Calvert County Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year. www.electmikebenton.com.
Four years from now, Calvert County citizens will know that Mike Benton stood for the 2004 revised comprehensive growth plan and supported the planned build-out number. Citizens will know that I concentrated commercial growth in the already planned town centers and made it a priority to ensure that we have proper safety and infrastructure in place before we commit to action. Citizens will know that I made it my mission to ensure our volunteer fire and rescue had incentives and funding options investigated on their behalf, and that all of our public safety programs were fully funded and given 100 percent support. Citizens will know that I worked hard with our local delegation to Annapolis on tackling our transportation issues and protecting the Chesapeake Bay.
Citizens will know that I looked hard at our budget, ensuring that our yearly increases are wise and our spending fiscally conservative. Citizens will know that I wanted our public education and excellent bond ratings to remain well-respected, and that our funding was put to the best use possible for each student. Citizens will know that I supported our farmers, rural and waterway land owners with both their rights to their property and our citizens’ rights to enjoy everything that makes Calvert unique.
Citizens will remember that I worked hard to improve communication between government and citizens, with quarterly town hall meetings to find out what citizens want me to spend my time on, what their issues are and what I can do to help. Most of all, citizens will know that I never forgot what it was like growing up in Calvert, and that I worked hard, 100 percent of the time, to do what I felt was right for Calvert County’s citizens.
William ‘Bill’ Chambers
Past chairman of the Board, Calvert County Chamber of Commerce, 2002-2003, Baltimore-Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce, 2004-2005. www.checkchambers.com.
No response
Gerald ‘Jerry’ Clark
Resident of Lusby. Former Democrat, elected to the Calvert Board of Commissioners as a Republican in 2002. Owns retail and real estate businesses. Former president, vice pres. and treasurer of Solomons Business Association. Past Treasurer Calvert County Chamber of Commerce.
No response
Patrick Flaherty
42 years old. Second try for Board of Commissioners. Operates an office equipment repair and service business, publishes Tidbits of Southern Maryland. Member of VFW John W. Trotter/Robert Stethem Memorial Post 8810.
No response
Jan Horton
51-year old resident of Prince Frederick. Background in accounting, finance and management. Member, Citizens Advisory Committee; treasurer and board member for Safe Harbor. Republican Woman of the Year, 2005-’06. Regular visitor to Board of Commissioner meetings.
At the end of my term, I would like to hear citizens say Calvert County is a better place to live because Jan Horton:
• Did not raise taxes and was prudent with our tax dollars.
• Looked for inefficiencies, utilized public land and buildings more efficiently and combined the uses of public facilities.
• Continued to preserve land and supported the goal of preserving 40,000 acres.
• Continued to support the initiatives already in place that reduce development in our rural areas and direct growth into our Town Centers.
• Enhanced our transportation system by making significant progress toward completing the Prince Frederick loop road. In addition, meeting with the citizens in the other town centers, found practical solutions that could be installed within a reasonable period of time and direct shuttle service to Metro stations from the new commuter parking lots.
• Increased our recreational facilities and developed useful, easy-to-find information that identifies locations, hours and amenities of each facility.
• Significantly reduced the 82 portable classrooms and worked closely with the BOE to improve our children’s education.
• Implemented televising the Planning Commission and Board of Appeals meetings. In addition, the Commissioners meet weekly and conduct evening meetings in a variety of locations.
Linda Kelly
Resident of Owings; seeking fourth term as commissioner. (president 1998-2000; vice president 2000-’04). Former federal employee (29 years). Helped create the Calvert County Market and Waterman’s Wharf.
No response
Ben Ridgely
No response
Susan Shaw
58-year-old resident of Huntingtown; elected commissioner in 2002. Switched to Republican Party following a failed attempt at a commissioner seat in 1998. Self-employed as Susan Ellsworth Shaw, L.C.S.W.-C, B.C.D., a private psychotherapy and mental health consulting firm. www.imchoosingsusan.com.
As I finish my first term in office, it is useful to see how much of what I hoped to accomplish got accomplished, given the required three-commissioner majority.
In response to Bay Weekly questions four years ago, I wrote: “by choosing Susan, you choose:
• commitment to slower, smarter, sustainable growth in Calvert;
• a zoning advocate since 1975 who will comprehensively review the zoning code;
• respect for Calvert’s historical, agricultural and maritime industries;
• innovative ideas for expanding green corridors while advancing eco-tourism;
• preservation of rural character, open spaces, wildlife habitats, conservation easements.”
I am pleased to report success in all areas. Calvert’s residential growth rate has been reduced to a sustainable and healthy two percent; the zoning ordinance was rewritten over a year and a half with the input of hundreds of citizens; proposals to over-regulate agriculture were defeated while the Southern Maryland Heritage area designation was achieved, opening the door to historical grants; partnerships with the Watermen’s association were formed. While more remains to be accomplished on green corridors, eco-tourism is forging ahead; more land has been preserved than has been developed.
Four years from now, I hope to claim the same kind of success on the issues Calvert is facing: maintaining a rate of residential growth at two percent or below; focusing on our quality of life, including getting the indoor aquatic center that was recently approved built and open; building a mid-county community center with a teen center; conservative fiscal management that holds the line on taxes; continued upgrades to Route 4; expanded business-friendly practices and advocacy; utilization of the town center concept and newly revised zoning ordinance to continue to preserve more land than we are developing, while keeping Calvert unique and livable.
My vision four years ago had six components: use funds wisely to avoid tax increases; achieve a sustainable rate of residential growth; thrive economically with an increasing commercial tax base; move safely and efficiently by road, bicycle, and public transportation; provide a quality education for children and adults; actively value the environment. The only component that falls short is moving safely and efficiently by road, bicycle and public transportation, which is a monumental task to complete. However progress has been made on the Prince Frederick Loop Road and on the Southern Connector Road.
Four years later, there are competing visions for Calvert County. I subscribe in Calvert’s remaining a semi-rural community with open vistas of farms and forests, but with safer roads and an even better quality of life.
One competing vision is that Calvert County would become an inner suburb with affordable houses on small lots all across the county, and with businesses strung up and down Route 4. A third vision is that Calvert County would become Ocean City west with high rises on the Bay and the river and workforce housing in between.
I hope that in four years, my vision will prevail making our County an even better place to live.
Cal Steuart
67-year-old resident of Huntingtown; owner of a Dunkirk title company. Ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for judge of the Orphan’s Court in 2002.
I will use my vote to strive to make Calvert County a more affordable place to live. I support decisions by the commissioners that will limit the annual increase in property taxes, for many of us, to the maximum 10 percent per year. We cannot expect Calvert County citizens to continue to pay outrageous tax increases each year and continue to afford to live in the county.
I will urge the expansion of our business-employment tax base to provide additional employment opportunities in our county. An expansion of the business tax base will decrease the tax burden on residents and provide additional opportunities for local employment.
I support an open government and will work to increase the opportunities for citizens to communicate with their government and participate in the affairs of local government.
Becky Tice
56-year-old resident of Chesapeake Ranch Estates; bookkeeper at Raleigh Management. Member National Business Advisory Council, Calvert County Infrastructure Task Force.
Every decision must be based on the best interest of the children and their families. This must include the frugal use of tax dollars and tax roll-backs and refunds wherever possible.
A better school system through cooperative partnerships, including more parental involvement and after school programs.
Actions for the safety of children, including lobbying for a stronger version of Jessica’s Law.
Traffic Safety, planned and implemented on recommendations from a blue ribbon panel of our professional drivers.
Community input action and full disclosure concerning Lusby Town Center and other projects.
Common Ownership Infrastructure Advisory Committee to resolve the issues plaguing the 18 percent of the citizens who reside in the communities platted before 1980.
Housing For All Calvert innovative solutions to affordable workforce housing while preserving the rural beauty of the county.
Humane treatment of animals by empowering our Animal Control officers with updated ordinances that allow common sense enforcement practices.
Evacuation and disaster plans updated based on the current population and incorporating the expansion of Community Emergency Response Teams.
Maryland House of Delegates Calvert County: District 27A
Democrats vote for two of six candidates; Republicans make their two choices from three candidates.
Democratic
Sheri Beach
No response
Jeffery Lane Brockington
No response
Tamara Davis Brown
40-year-old resident of Clinton; attorney. President, Windbrook Area Citizens Association; member District IV Police Precinct Advisory Council; board member D.C. Law Students in Court Program.
When I leave Annapolis, I hope that I will have improved the quality of life for all Marylanders by making housing and tuition affordable, guaranteeing health care for all Marylanders, improving the quality of education in Maryland and creating a plan to manage growth in Calvert County and throughout the state.
Russell Butler
No response
James Proctor
70-year old resident of Accokeek. Delegate since 1990; member Appropriations Committee; chairman, Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development. Calvert’s only person of color in General Assembly. Former principal, Prince George’s County Schools, for 17 years. 100 Percenter endorsed by Maryland League of Conservation Voters. Endorsed by Progressive Maryland.
As an educator, I have made educating our children my number one mission. Providing funding for increased operating budgets for our schools and capital budgets for new schools and renovations for our old schools are my proudest achievements as chairman of the Subcommittee on Education.
Teacher pension improvements, curriculum projects and helping develop a principals’ academy with Maryland State Department of Education are just a few of the special programs that I have helped become a reality.
As a former environmental education teacher and as a past Sierra Club Environmentalist of the Year, I have made the environment my second mission. Saving the Bay, protecting wetlands, ensuring clean air and water as well as saving trees are projects on which I have been actively involved with successful legislation.
My votes have positively enhanced our education system and helped protect the environment for Calvert and Prince Georges counties, making Maryland a more desirable place to live.
Joseph Vallario
69-year-old resident of Suitland. Delegate since 1975. Chairman, Judiciary Committee for13 years. Past president Prince George’s County Criminal Trial Lawyers Association. Endorsed by Maryland League of Conservation Voters and Progressive Maryland.
Hopefully I’ll be instrumental in maintaining the best quality air and water, free from all and any pollution for the betterment of all Marylanders and the future of our younger citizens.
Republican
Kenneth Brown
38-year-old resident of Clinton. Chairman of the Neighborhood Advisory Committee of the Summit Creek Neighborhood Association; member, Prince George’s County Republican Central Committee; founding member Prince George’s County Black Republican Caucus. Attorney. Member of the Board of Trustees Ebenezer AME Church.
When I'm elected, you will have the leadership that you can be proud of. It often seems trite, but people don't expect miracles. They want character. They want integrity. They want someone who will fight for them. The goals of each of us are the same, and to that end I will work for better schools, improved health care, lower taxes, a dramatic decrease in crime, but most of all to be a responsive leader who can bridge philosophical and ideological differences.
I want to be judged, as Booker T. Washington once said, not by the heights to which I have risen in life, but by the depths from which I have come. I want to be remembered as an individual who was a bridge builder and a drum major not only for the diversity of views but also as creative visionary who revolutionized the political system in Maryland so that partisan politics evaporate and response leadership begins. That is my commitment, and that is my promise. People must ask whether they want more of the same or whether it time for a breath of fresh air that brings with it new ideas and a new energy to the Statehouse.
When I leave office, my goal is to leave every resident better off tomorrow than they are today.
Antionette ‘Tony’ Jarboe-Duley
No response
Michael Hethmon
53-year old resident of Croom; General counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute. Founder of Friends of Croom, internet based community group focused on fighting sprawl.
In 2010, our quality of life will have improved through careful implementation of the measures discussed on my campaign website, www.mikehethmon.com, as briefly described below:
I will have worked to control sprawl and promote sustainable land use by strengthening adequate public facilities laws. Improved standards for major land-use projects will ensure that developers are providing adequate roads, schools and public safety facilities, as well as open space and watershed conservation, before or at the same time that new development takes place, shifting the costs of growth-driven infrastructure away from the taxpayer and small property owner in a more sustainable manner.
Maryland will no longer be defying federal law and our Constitution by tolerating and encouraging illegal immigration and unauthorized alien employment. Our drivers’ licenses will finally be secure and fully comply with the REAL ID Act. Employers in Maryland will be actively recruiting and training U.S. citizens and legal immigrants for job opportunities, rather than relying on unauthorized or cheap foreign labor. Wages and working conditions will have begun to improve at all levels, as legislation like that enacted in Georgia, Colorado and other states gives employers and landlords a reliable non-discriminatory means to verify lawful presence and effective penalties deter the scofflaws and bottom-feeders. Crime will be down, as alien gang members are identified and removed, and at-risk American youth are actively recruited and trained in a competitive employment market. The number of impoverished aliens dependent on public benefits and services will decrease, leaving our emergency rooms solvent and our public schools and recreational areas less crowded.
Although energy shortages will continue to grow globally, in Maryland we will have moderated the impacts by creating a bipartisan public Energy Supply Security Commission that brought energy producers, distributors, regulators and consumers together to ensure sure that investments in clean and reliable electricity and fossil fuel power were made, with speculative price spikes and spot shortages minimized, while our most vulnerable residents, especially the elderly and the young, do not go without.
We will have seen educational costs moderate and achievement improve, as performance-driven cooperation between public, private and parental educational approaches began to move our state away from inefficient industrial models to more flexible and productive partnerships between educators and parents.
Residents of District 27A will be better informed about all areas of legislation, as bills were posted in advance on my website, for public debate on my legislative blog, in an open government trend that other delegates will also be starting to adopt.
Finally, the citizens of Maryland will have been given the opportunity to vote on a constitutional referendum to protect the institution of traditional marriage, and, with God's help, the percentage of households where children have the priceless opportunity to grow under the guidance of a father and a mother will have begun to increase, reversing decades-old trends of juvenile delinquency, child poverty and educational failure.
Any of your readers who might be skeptical of this agenda can find a good public record of my work as an ordinary citizen to manage growth in Prince George's Rural Tier, to control illegal immigration nationwide, and to generally make our state a better place by Googling Michael Hethmon on an internet search engine.
