Part 1:
Part 2:
Having my brother over this past weekend, he said word-for-word "I wish there was a Republican like Kittleman in my district."
The young vote is just going to get older. Their views on this issue aren't going to change. Said otherwise, a vote against marriage equality may come with a retirement date.
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Budget Debate
I've been consuming as many op/ed's and news analysis pieces about the National Budget crisis as I can get my hands on. (Strongly recommend this set of arguments about why "their program" shouldn't be cut). This is a really big deal. Not only for those federal workers who may be locked out of work for a few days (or weeks), but also for the financial future of this Country.
Many on the left are imputing any number of bad motives on Republicans for forcing this stare down across the aisle. Frank Rich encapsulates this argument with the following line: "The real goal is to reward the G.O.P.’s wealthiest patrons by crippling what remains of organized labor, by wrecking the government agencies charged with regulating and policing corporations, and, as always, by rewarding the wealthiest with more tax breaks." Ignoring the fact that this view is insultingly simplistic and without much in the way of a factual basis, it will plug into the partisan constructs that most voters have in their heads. Interestingly enough, the same Democrats that so relished the opportunity of painting the GOP as the "Party of No" in 2010 (which didn't quite work) have seen the tables turned. They are the party of "No alternatives."
From my perspective, it looks like the Right is clearly over-reaching, and setting off political landmines on funding matters that really are insignificant in the face of tremendous debt. I hate (HATE) arguments that certain matters cost so little that they shouldn't be considered for cuts; however, right now there needs to be some manner of consensus that includes buy in from the American people. Purposefully knocking off political flagposts for the sake of partisan victories is not going to get that done. Republicans are in danger of missing an opportunity to fulfill their mission statement of fiscal responsibility and possibly being the knight in shining armor that saves our Country from financial ruin...but they choose to take this time to pick on NPR...a program with costs in the millions.
Many on the left are imputing any number of bad motives on Republicans for forcing this stare down across the aisle. Frank Rich encapsulates this argument with the following line: "The real goal is to reward the G.O.P.’s wealthiest patrons by crippling what remains of organized labor, by wrecking the government agencies charged with regulating and policing corporations, and, as always, by rewarding the wealthiest with more tax breaks." Ignoring the fact that this view is insultingly simplistic and without much in the way of a factual basis, it will plug into the partisan constructs that most voters have in their heads. Interestingly enough, the same Democrats that so relished the opportunity of painting the GOP as the "Party of No" in 2010 (which didn't quite work) have seen the tables turned. They are the party of "No alternatives."
From my perspective, it looks like the Right is clearly over-reaching, and setting off political landmines on funding matters that really are insignificant in the face of tremendous debt. I hate (HATE) arguments that certain matters cost so little that they shouldn't be considered for cuts; however, right now there needs to be some manner of consensus that includes buy in from the American people. Purposefully knocking off political flagposts for the sake of partisan victories is not going to get that done. Republicans are in danger of missing an opportunity to fulfill their mission statement of fiscal responsibility and possibly being the knight in shining armor that saves our Country from financial ruin...but they choose to take this time to pick on NPR...a program with costs in the millions.
New Blog in The HoCo
Yesterday afternoon I had a chance to meet with Duane St. Claire over coffee. Duane and I are working together on a new volunteer Board and I have been truly impressed (and inspired) by his ability to not only think of ways to help the community, but get things done. As noted over on WB's blog, Duane is the founder of Columbia Freecyle, although I must say that after talking with him for a little under two hours, I'm not sure Freecyle, as great as it is, would even make it into his top five greatest community accomplishments.
Duane also shares my belief that the non-profit community needs to learn how to operate independently from government resources. Government support for community efforts is important, but to the extent such programs want long term sustainability, these funds should not be a necessity. If a nonprofits can strategically and effectively tap into community networks and resources, government funding becomes less and less important.
Now Duane's got a new blog. I'm not going to presume to know what HoCo's newest blogger will be posting about, but I know that I will be reading. This is a blog that seeks to push the boundaries of what these forums can do, and I am excited to help find out.
(I'm also excited to read the comments and see what memories you all have of a place called "Mrs. Z's").
Duane also shares my belief that the non-profit community needs to learn how to operate independently from government resources. Government support for community efforts is important, but to the extent such programs want long term sustainability, these funds should not be a necessity. If a nonprofits can strategically and effectively tap into community networks and resources, government funding becomes less and less important.
Now Duane's got a new blog. I'm not going to presume to know what HoCo's newest blogger will be posting about, but I know that I will be reading. This is a blog that seeks to push the boundaries of what these forums can do, and I am excited to help find out.
(I'm also excited to read the comments and see what memories you all have of a place called "Mrs. Z's").
Here You Are Monday, Right Where I Left You (Links)
Interesting weekend. Fun weekend. There is a very simple quote from "The Art of Racing in the Rain" that has been stuck in my head: "It's not good to have enemies." I agree, but I don't know if I always carry myself that way. In fact, I know I don't. The good thing about a blog is that it allows for an abundance of self-reflection. The bad thing is that you need to share that self-reflection with everyone else. It is certainly not a good thing to write everything I think, but I don't really know any other way.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not in this gig to make enemies. If I have been overly aggressive, obtuse, sarcastic, hurtful, or shown any "agenda" other than just "getting stuff out there," I do apologize. But despite my best efforts, it will probably happen again. Not intentionally. Not with malice. But as a recognized and accepted consequence of talking honestly about things that people care deeply about. And that is not anything I'm willing to apologize for.
LINKS
The Sun notes that Howard County's annual transportation funding from the state was approximately $16 million during boom times, but that for the past two years it has been around $500,000. I'm not sure if this is something we should be "feeling" now, or whether, due to the nature of road repairs, we will not notice the lack of funding until we are a few years past the shortfall. Either way, I think transportation is one of the bedrock functions of state and local government and am disappointed that our legislature has seen fit to raid transportation funds rather than make hard decisions about the budget. Allow me to correct myself, they have made hard decision, one of them being that we don't need to fix our roads. Now that same group seems ready to use their own budget tricks as a basis for raising the gas tax. There are meritorious arguments for raising this tax that have very little to do with budget shortfalls. Namely, we need to reduce dependence on oil ASAP, and raising gas taxes will force the hand of consumers to finally get that fuel efficient vehicle to replace the Momma-tank they've been driving around. I like that excuse better than "Hey...uh...soooo...we kinda spent all your money."
Off Track Betting is dying. No tears shed here.
A 20 year old cyclist was hit by an 83 year old woman while driving in a designated bike lane near the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus. A damn shame.
It is scary to me that Governor O'Malley is running a panel on "cyber-security" while other governors across the nation are holding around the clock sessions to balance their budget. Speaking of Governors, I saw NJ Gov Chris Christie's interview on Face the Nation, where he said that he supports collective bargaining and depends on an "adversarial process" to get the best result. This is why I think Christie is smarter than some of these other governors. He's not looking to cripple his opposition. He is just fighting hard for his side.
Sarah questions the reasoning of Virginia legislators who will be imposing hospital regulations on abortion clinics.
WB tapes another episode of And Then There's That, which has reached 10,000 downloads per episode.
Mo is raising money for the Wounded Warrior project in conjunction with her entry in the Tough Mudder (which is a very hard race). I know that I will be contributing. Blogs don't pay diddly squat, but if you read Mo's stuff (and it is quite good), you are getting something of value for free. This is a nice chance to show Mo that you appreciate what she's doing, and support a great cause.
HowChow has a funny moment at Bon Appetit Bakery that makes his cold February day a little colder.
That's all for now. Have a great Monday.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not in this gig to make enemies. If I have been overly aggressive, obtuse, sarcastic, hurtful, or shown any "agenda" other than just "getting stuff out there," I do apologize. But despite my best efforts, it will probably happen again. Not intentionally. Not with malice. But as a recognized and accepted consequence of talking honestly about things that people care deeply about. And that is not anything I'm willing to apologize for.
LINKS
The Sun notes that Howard County's annual transportation funding from the state was approximately $16 million during boom times, but that for the past two years it has been around $500,000. I'm not sure if this is something we should be "feeling" now, or whether, due to the nature of road repairs, we will not notice the lack of funding until we are a few years past the shortfall. Either way, I think transportation is one of the bedrock functions of state and local government and am disappointed that our legislature has seen fit to raid transportation funds rather than make hard decisions about the budget. Allow me to correct myself, they have made hard decision, one of them being that we don't need to fix our roads. Now that same group seems ready to use their own budget tricks as a basis for raising the gas tax. There are meritorious arguments for raising this tax that have very little to do with budget shortfalls. Namely, we need to reduce dependence on oil ASAP, and raising gas taxes will force the hand of consumers to finally get that fuel efficient vehicle to replace the Momma-tank they've been driving around. I like that excuse better than "Hey...uh...soooo...we kinda spent all your money."
Off Track Betting is dying. No tears shed here.
A 20 year old cyclist was hit by an 83 year old woman while driving in a designated bike lane near the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus. A damn shame.
It is scary to me that Governor O'Malley is running a panel on "cyber-security" while other governors across the nation are holding around the clock sessions to balance their budget. Speaking of Governors, I saw NJ Gov Chris Christie's interview on Face the Nation, where he said that he supports collective bargaining and depends on an "adversarial process" to get the best result. This is why I think Christie is smarter than some of these other governors. He's not looking to cripple his opposition. He is just fighting hard for his side.
Sarah questions the reasoning of Virginia legislators who will be imposing hospital regulations on abortion clinics.
WB tapes another episode of And Then There's That, which has reached 10,000 downloads per episode.
Mo is raising money for the Wounded Warrior project in conjunction with her entry in the Tough Mudder (which is a very hard race). I know that I will be contributing. Blogs don't pay diddly squat, but if you read Mo's stuff (and it is quite good), you are getting something of value for free. This is a nice chance to show Mo that you appreciate what she's doing, and support a great cause.
HowChow has a funny moment at Bon Appetit Bakery that makes his cold February day a little colder.
That's all for now. Have a great Monday.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Homeless at the Mall: A Rebuttal
In the past week, the Mall has been allowed two opportunities to give "its side of the story" regarding the Washington Post article that came out two weeks ago. This is not, in itself, a bad thing, but I have to admit that there seems to be an tinge of "Oh-those-crazy-homeless" to the interviews, along with a titter of laughter as to how this is all just one big misunderstanding...worthy of two separate interviews.
I, for one, would love the opportunity to talk with Henri Cauvin who wrote the WaPo story. I've sent an e-mail regarding availability for a potential podcast. The thing about any story involving the homeless is that their advocates are not all that interested in having the spotlight on them. They just want to help their clients. As such, there is unlikely to be a counterpoint from Grassroots.
But I have a few:
1) The suggestion that this "became a story" once Mr. Cauvin was asked to leave the Mall doesn't make sense. There is no "chicken or the egg" problem here. In reverse order: He was in the Mall because of the story. He heard of the story because someone contacted him. Someone contacted him/the newspaper because they were concerned about the Mall's actions towards the Homeless beginning in January of 2011 alleged to be a continuation of contacts made with Grassroots.
2) There are two specific individuals, both men, that were interviewed by Mr. Cauvin in the article. Both said they had been asked to leave Mall property based on vague rules of "trespassing." There was no suggestion of mental instability in either case, nor did the alleged admonition from security guards include such a basis.
3) Athar Khan. Columbia Bike Guy. Looks different. Dresses different. Banned from the Mall for a year...starting in January...around the same time that the alleged targeting of people "presumed to be homeless" began. (EDIT: For using profanity). Still allowed at all Howard County libraries.
I acknowledge that this is private property and that individuals that are disturbing other shoppers should be asked to leave. I don't believe that "disturbing other shoppers" should be so broad as to allow the expulsion of homeless men and women based on vague rules of "trespass." I don't think the Mall has an obligation to respond, but I also am not sold on the explanations we've heard thus far. There is a specific set of facts that merit response and all we've heard are vague generalities relating to "codes of conduct."
And I'll tell you something else, if Skylar, Blake, or Jeffrey was the one barking at a shopper while holding on to Mommy's diamond clad hand, no one would be warned or asked to leave.
UPDATED COMMENT:
It is not my intention for this post to be read as a criticism of the interviewers. This post is meant to address the Mall's response to the Washington Post story and reasoning provided by both the Mall and, in some cases, the interviewers. Due to the conversational nature of these interviews, it is difficult to parse out exactly what is being communicated by the Mall representative, and what is being put up for agreement by the interviewer. The fact that these interviews exist at all is a good thing. I just don't buy what the Mall is selling. (Pun intended)
I, for one, would love the opportunity to talk with Henri Cauvin who wrote the WaPo story. I've sent an e-mail regarding availability for a potential podcast. The thing about any story involving the homeless is that their advocates are not all that interested in having the spotlight on them. They just want to help their clients. As such, there is unlikely to be a counterpoint from Grassroots.
But I have a few:
1) The suggestion that this "became a story" once Mr. Cauvin was asked to leave the Mall doesn't make sense. There is no "chicken or the egg" problem here. In reverse order: He was in the Mall because of the story. He heard of the story because someone contacted him. Someone contacted him/the newspaper because they were concerned about the Mall's actions towards the Homeless beginning in January of 2011 alleged to be a continuation of contacts made with Grassroots.
2) There are two specific individuals, both men, that were interviewed by Mr. Cauvin in the article. Both said they had been asked to leave Mall property based on vague rules of "trespassing." There was no suggestion of mental instability in either case, nor did the alleged admonition from security guards include such a basis.
3) Athar Khan. Columbia Bike Guy. Looks different. Dresses different. Banned from the Mall for a year...starting in January...around the same time that the alleged targeting of people "presumed to be homeless" began. (EDIT: For using profanity). Still allowed at all Howard County libraries.
I acknowledge that this is private property and that individuals that are disturbing other shoppers should be asked to leave. I don't believe that "disturbing other shoppers" should be so broad as to allow the expulsion of homeless men and women based on vague rules of "trespass." I don't think the Mall has an obligation to respond, but I also am not sold on the explanations we've heard thus far. There is a specific set of facts that merit response and all we've heard are vague generalities relating to "codes of conduct."
And I'll tell you something else, if Skylar, Blake, or Jeffrey was the one barking at a shopper while holding on to Mommy's diamond clad hand, no one would be warned or asked to leave.
UPDATED COMMENT:
It is not my intention for this post to be read as a criticism of the interviewers. This post is meant to address the Mall's response to the Washington Post story and reasoning provided by both the Mall and, in some cases, the interviewers. Due to the conversational nature of these interviews, it is difficult to parse out exactly what is being communicated by the Mall representative, and what is being put up for agreement by the interviewer. The fact that these interviews exist at all is a good thing. I just don't buy what the Mall is selling. (Pun intended)
It's a Beautiful Morning (Saturday Stuff)
I'm feelin' pretty good this morning! This week just took it all out of me. Last night I got into bed and thought I would check out "Thurgood", which I had seen in parts on Thursday. It is a one man play...and I don't think I stayed awake long enough to see Lawrence Fishburne walk onto the stage.
I'm also pretty excited because my brother is coming over tonight. We don't get as much time to hang out now that one of us is married and the other one engaged. He also lives in Bawlmer Cownie (with an intention to someday return here). Tonight we will be tackling Memoir '44...and some craft beers.
For those attending the Evening in the Stacks, have a great time. I am experiencing a little community burn-out, otherwise I would be right there with you.
LINKS (And Reporting on Sun Reporting)
GOP Central Committee Chairperson Loretta Shields has been quoted in the paper a few times in her tenure as Chair, but I really liked her comments in response to Con. Elijah Cummings's speech that Democrats must "guard the change" (which sounds like what I would have to do in college when my roommates were low on beer money...badum ching). Loretta said that it sounded like "scare tactics." She noted that Con. Cummings's reference to Wisconsin collective bargaining rights being "gone forever" was incorrect and that public employees would still be able to bargain collectively over wages under the Republican proposal. Con. Cummings also said that we need to make federal cuts "with the precision of a heart surgeon" and Loretta noted that cutting on the edges doesn't work. I'm starting the slow clap over on this end. I think Loretta did a great job responding to these issues that were (admittedly) well put by an experienced Congressman who knows how to work a crowd. It's not fair and its not right to try to scare voters into the voting booth. Those are not educated voters. They are just doing what they're told. As for the heart surgeon talk, I wish Congressman Cummings had used that precision when building the costs that he now believes should be delicately dissembled. Why don't we pass a thousand page bill of cuts, and read it afterward? Seemed to work for other legislation.
If you have not being paying attention, Howard County is making a hard push towards mass transportation. Larry Carson reports in this Saturday's Sun that after years of searching, the County has purchased a 6 acre bus maintenance facility in Savage. The County Council will vote on a request for $6 million in earmarked funds to be directed towards this purchase in a few weeks. The theory is that having a County owned maintenance facility will allow for more entrants in the bidding process amongst private bus companies. (Do we have the most MPA's working in our County compared to all the other jurisdictions? Wouldn't be surprised if we do.)
Seemingly simultaneous to the purchase of the facility will be the creation of the Howard County Office of Transportation, which will be formed from four existing positions in the Department of Planning and Zoning. (At the cost of filling a vacant position left by Carl Balser, the county transportation planning chief). At the County Council hearing, Greg Fox reminded everyone to watch out for his right hook when he responded to Raymond Wacks comment that there would be no "short term costs" by saying "Never worry about the long term." (Although he later noted that this comment does not mean he is against the proposal).
Speaking of transportation, a former Baltimore City transportation authority officer is now being investigated in relation to Tow-gate (adding "gate" to the end of everything scandalous is easy after all). For those that have not had a chance to keep up with this story, the City has a list of ten "medallion" towing companies that it refers cars to after an accident. The allegation is that police officers would respond to accidents, call a non-approved towing company to take the damaged vehicles for repairs (totaling tens of thousands of dollars), and tell the drivers not to call their insurance companies until their cars had been towed. The police officer gets a kick back, the towing company gets some very lucrative hands-are-tied business.
HoCo based Terrapin Adventures may be submitting a proposal to build an outdoor adventure park near the Inner Harbor...which may include that zip-line that was of such controversy earlier this year.
Both of my Delegates (Bates and Miller) are committed to vote against the same-sex marriage bill, but I would suggest that the rest of you not presume that your "D" Delegates are going to vote for it. If you support marriage equality, please e-mail, call, or paper airplane a request to your delegate this week. In fact, just do it today before you forget about it. (And if you oppose same-sex marriage, feel free to do the same, but I hope your paper airplane gets caught in a tree).
The House GOP has offered a proposal that will keep the government open for two more weeks in exchange for $4 billion in spending cuts. Somehow $2.8 billion came from earmarks, despite Congress's promise to forgo these "pet projects." $2.8 billion!!! I must say that it was easier to potty train my dog than it seems to be for these legislators to learn to keep their hand out of the honey pot. Only $57 billion to go!
Qaddafi is trying a very "Western" means of appeasing his people: higher government wages and $400 per family.
I'm with David Brooks: Mitch Daniels would make a great GOP nominee for President. It seems like all of the "common sense conservatives" are refusing to run in 2012. I don't know if this is a fear of facing Obama populism or whether they are waiting for the other shoe to drop on this economy, as the debt becomes more than our currency can bear.
Ok, I think that is enough for today. Lots of things on the to-do list today, most notably getting my headlight replaced. Yes, I am the cause of numerous "padiddles." For what it is worth (and please don't go today), I really like the people at the Midas on Route 40. Great customer service. I can always ask them "Do I really need this?" and they will give me an honest answer. Have a great Saturday!
I'm also pretty excited because my brother is coming over tonight. We don't get as much time to hang out now that one of us is married and the other one engaged. He also lives in Bawlmer Cownie (with an intention to someday return here). Tonight we will be tackling Memoir '44...and some craft beers.
For those attending the Evening in the Stacks, have a great time. I am experiencing a little community burn-out, otherwise I would be right there with you.
LINKS (And Reporting on Sun Reporting)
GOP Central Committee Chairperson Loretta Shields has been quoted in the paper a few times in her tenure as Chair, but I really liked her comments in response to Con. Elijah Cummings's speech that Democrats must "guard the change" (which sounds like what I would have to do in college when my roommates were low on beer money...badum ching). Loretta said that it sounded like "scare tactics." She noted that Con. Cummings's reference to Wisconsin collective bargaining rights being "gone forever" was incorrect and that public employees would still be able to bargain collectively over wages under the Republican proposal. Con. Cummings also said that we need to make federal cuts "with the precision of a heart surgeon" and Loretta noted that cutting on the edges doesn't work. I'm starting the slow clap over on this end. I think Loretta did a great job responding to these issues that were (admittedly) well put by an experienced Congressman who knows how to work a crowd. It's not fair and its not right to try to scare voters into the voting booth. Those are not educated voters. They are just doing what they're told. As for the heart surgeon talk, I wish Congressman Cummings had used that precision when building the costs that he now believes should be delicately dissembled. Why don't we pass a thousand page bill of cuts, and read it afterward? Seemed to work for other legislation.
If you have not being paying attention, Howard County is making a hard push towards mass transportation. Larry Carson reports in this Saturday's Sun that after years of searching, the County has purchased a 6 acre bus maintenance facility in Savage. The County Council will vote on a request for $6 million in earmarked funds to be directed towards this purchase in a few weeks. The theory is that having a County owned maintenance facility will allow for more entrants in the bidding process amongst private bus companies. (Do we have the most MPA's working in our County compared to all the other jurisdictions? Wouldn't be surprised if we do.)
Seemingly simultaneous to the purchase of the facility will be the creation of the Howard County Office of Transportation, which will be formed from four existing positions in the Department of Planning and Zoning. (At the cost of filling a vacant position left by Carl Balser, the county transportation planning chief). At the County Council hearing, Greg Fox reminded everyone to watch out for his right hook when he responded to Raymond Wacks comment that there would be no "short term costs" by saying "Never worry about the long term." (Although he later noted that this comment does not mean he is against the proposal).
Speaking of transportation, a former Baltimore City transportation authority officer is now being investigated in relation to Tow-gate (adding "gate" to the end of everything scandalous is easy after all). For those that have not had a chance to keep up with this story, the City has a list of ten "medallion" towing companies that it refers cars to after an accident. The allegation is that police officers would respond to accidents, call a non-approved towing company to take the damaged vehicles for repairs (totaling tens of thousands of dollars), and tell the drivers not to call their insurance companies until their cars had been towed. The police officer gets a kick back, the towing company gets some very lucrative hands-are-tied business.
HoCo based Terrapin Adventures may be submitting a proposal to build an outdoor adventure park near the Inner Harbor...which may include that zip-line that was of such controversy earlier this year.
Both of my Delegates (Bates and Miller) are committed to vote against the same-sex marriage bill, but I would suggest that the rest of you not presume that your "D" Delegates are going to vote for it. If you support marriage equality, please e-mail, call, or paper airplane a request to your delegate this week. In fact, just do it today before you forget about it. (And if you oppose same-sex marriage, feel free to do the same, but I hope your paper airplane gets caught in a tree).
The House GOP has offered a proposal that will keep the government open for two more weeks in exchange for $4 billion in spending cuts. Somehow $2.8 billion came from earmarks, despite Congress's promise to forgo these "pet projects." $2.8 billion!!! I must say that it was easier to potty train my dog than it seems to be for these legislators to learn to keep their hand out of the honey pot. Only $57 billion to go!
Qaddafi is trying a very "Western" means of appeasing his people: higher government wages and $400 per family.
I'm with David Brooks: Mitch Daniels would make a great GOP nominee for President. It seems like all of the "common sense conservatives" are refusing to run in 2012. I don't know if this is a fear of facing Obama populism or whether they are waiting for the other shoe to drop on this economy, as the debt becomes more than our currency can bear.
Ok, I think that is enough for today. Lots of things on the to-do list today, most notably getting my headlight replaced. Yes, I am the cause of numerous "padiddles." For what it is worth (and please don't go today), I really like the people at the Midas on Route 40. Great customer service. I can always ask them "Do I really need this?" and they will give me an honest answer. Have a great Saturday!
Athar Khan
Strobist has a moving piece over at HoCo 360 about the "Columbia Bike Guy" Athar Khan that I really hope you will take a second to check out. Also, please watch this video:
Athar Khan has been banned from the Columbia Mall.
Athar Khan has been banned from the Columbia Mall.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Dear GOP Delegates,
Thank you for your continued efforts to trim our State budget and focus on initiatives that will help small businesses and encourage job growth. It has come to my attention that you all may be debating a small matter referred to as "same sex marriage" within the next few weeks. In considering how you may vote on this issue, I wanted to share a few items of note:
First, a recent article in the New York Times noted that opposition to gay marriage is losing steam as an issue for the National GOP. Conservative stalwarts like Dick Cheney have even opened their arms to the LGTB community. This is similar to the shift that began to occur in the Democratic party when segregation was no longer palatable to the national electorate. Remember when Robert Byrd cried on the Senate floor when talking about his opposition to desegregation? Don't be a Robert Byrd.
Second, you are known for your attention to the bottom line. Empassioned pleas for this or that have no place in the business of deciding how the government is going to pay its bills. The UCLA School of Law has released a study noting a net benefit of $3.2 million for the state if same sex marriage were to pass. Maryland license fees alone are estimated to bring in $273,000. Let's see those budget hawks in action. Pass same sex marriage. Get more money.
Finally, let's talk brass tacks -- the politics of it -- making sure you are re-elected and get to go back to Annapolis to rage against the machine. I know you are concerned that your electorate does not support this bill. I want you to consider the fact that the vast majority of people that are "against" same sex marriage in polls really don't give a crap. Sure, there are some very loud voices purporting to voice the will of our Creator, but that is mostly because they are afraid of change. When same sex marriage passes (and I'm pretty sure it will), things won't change one bit for them. There will be no daily reminder that same sex marriage passed and you were a vote that helped that happen. But I will tell you one thing, if you vote against the bill, and it doesn't pass (which I don't think will happen), there are voters that will have a daily reminder of what you did (or failed to do). They are our neighbors, our brothers, our sisters, and our friends. People don't know much about politics, but they know about the things that affect their friends. These people will have a much greater motivation for getting out the vote than any of those who oppose this bill. Just look at the division of advocates at the most recent delegation hearing in Howard County.
In the grand scheme of things, people will forget how you vote on the 2011 budget. They will remember how you vote on Same Sex marriage...especially the ones that are affected.
Sincerely,
HCR
First, a recent article in the New York Times noted that opposition to gay marriage is losing steam as an issue for the National GOP. Conservative stalwarts like Dick Cheney have even opened their arms to the LGTB community. This is similar to the shift that began to occur in the Democratic party when segregation was no longer palatable to the national electorate. Remember when Robert Byrd cried on the Senate floor when talking about his opposition to desegregation? Don't be a Robert Byrd.
Second, you are known for your attention to the bottom line. Empassioned pleas for this or that have no place in the business of deciding how the government is going to pay its bills. The UCLA School of Law has released a study noting a net benefit of $3.2 million for the state if same sex marriage were to pass. Maryland license fees alone are estimated to bring in $273,000. Let's see those budget hawks in action. Pass same sex marriage. Get more money.
Finally, let's talk brass tacks -- the politics of it -- making sure you are re-elected and get to go back to Annapolis to rage against the machine. I know you are concerned that your electorate does not support this bill. I want you to consider the fact that the vast majority of people that are "against" same sex marriage in polls really don't give a crap. Sure, there are some very loud voices purporting to voice the will of our Creator, but that is mostly because they are afraid of change. When same sex marriage passes (and I'm pretty sure it will), things won't change one bit for them. There will be no daily reminder that same sex marriage passed and you were a vote that helped that happen. But I will tell you one thing, if you vote against the bill, and it doesn't pass (which I don't think will happen), there are voters that will have a daily reminder of what you did (or failed to do). They are our neighbors, our brothers, our sisters, and our friends. People don't know much about politics, but they know about the things that affect their friends. These people will have a much greater motivation for getting out the vote than any of those who oppose this bill. Just look at the division of advocates at the most recent delegation hearing in Howard County.
In the grand scheme of things, people will forget how you vote on the 2011 budget. They will remember how you vote on Same Sex marriage...especially the ones that are affected.
Sincerely,
HCR
A Hard Rain (Friday Links)
It is hard to get all multi-vowel happy about Friday when it is pouring rain outside. I will find a way.
This has been an interesting week of politics for seemingly no reason. We've had the entire spectrum from hyper-local to National news. I welcome the passage of same sex marriage for two reasons: 1) I believe it is the right thing to do; 2) I'm ready to move on to something else. I realized on my ride home yesterday that I have no idea what the status of direct shipping is. None. I am also very interested in how our budget is going to shake out. I can't quite figure out the National scene, but I get the feeling that the media is attempting to paint Governor O'Malley as the counter-point to Governors Walker and Christie. I think for that to work, the Guv is going to have to get a budget passed without raising significant taxes. As many of you may know, six Democratic Senators offered an alternative budget that imposes $827 million in new taxes. I'm concerned that the conversation is moving in that direction.
Anyway, that's a bit of a ramble, but is otherwise what is on my mind today. Started "The Art of Racing in the Rain" last night. Why you all trying to get me to read a book where I get choked up in the first ten pages? You know I'm a softie.
LINKS
I linked to Patch's coverage of the HoCo delegation hearing yesterday, but here is the Flier's take. Looks like one of the other three opponents to the same sex marriage bill was David Bates, Gail Bates' husband.
The Board of Education approved its budget by a vote of 5-2. The two dissenters were Cindy Valliancourt and Brian Meshkin. I have to agree with Ms. Valliancourt that it is a little backwards to approve a budget before teacher salaries are negotiated, but I also see that the legislative relationship with the County Council requires a later supplementation.
Were you missing the Clarksville Funeral Home debate? Me too. I'm happy to tell you that it is back in all of it's hearse museum glory. There is a new proposal to prohibit funeral homes from being built in residential areas, and limiting those that already exist from expanding. As I said before, you won't find a much more convenient political bad guy than "death" and any reminder that death is a common affliction. I hope that the "easy target" aspect of this debate is considered by our County Council.
Ironically enough, the ring of Baltimore City police officers involved in the tow truck scandal referred to themselves as the "untouchable group." Well boys, they touched you. They touched you deep.
And the number one worst headline you will read today IS..."Police: Pregnant Woman Stole from Parents to Fund Drug Habit."
Cordish just got the "Game On" signal from the courts. Arundel Mills is getting its slots.
Sarah does not approve of AAA's position on the ICC.
WB has blog envy directed at the three Daves of HoCo blogging.
In closing, I need some advice. My CSA from last year is not answering my e-mails, so I'm thinking it may be time to move on. I really loved the food we received from these folks, but I've also felt a little guilty about not supporting Howard County farmers. Do any of you belong to a HoCo LoCo CSA? If so, are they taking new members?
Have a great Friday!
This has been an interesting week of politics for seemingly no reason. We've had the entire spectrum from hyper-local to National news. I welcome the passage of same sex marriage for two reasons: 1) I believe it is the right thing to do; 2) I'm ready to move on to something else. I realized on my ride home yesterday that I have no idea what the status of direct shipping is. None. I am also very interested in how our budget is going to shake out. I can't quite figure out the National scene, but I get the feeling that the media is attempting to paint Governor O'Malley as the counter-point to Governors Walker and Christie. I think for that to work, the Guv is going to have to get a budget passed without raising significant taxes. As many of you may know, six Democratic Senators offered an alternative budget that imposes $827 million in new taxes. I'm concerned that the conversation is moving in that direction.
Anyway, that's a bit of a ramble, but is otherwise what is on my mind today. Started "The Art of Racing in the Rain" last night. Why you all trying to get me to read a book where I get choked up in the first ten pages? You know I'm a softie.
LINKS
I linked to Patch's coverage of the HoCo delegation hearing yesterday, but here is the Flier's take. Looks like one of the other three opponents to the same sex marriage bill was David Bates, Gail Bates' husband.
The Board of Education approved its budget by a vote of 5-2. The two dissenters were Cindy Valliancourt and Brian Meshkin. I have to agree with Ms. Valliancourt that it is a little backwards to approve a budget before teacher salaries are negotiated, but I also see that the legislative relationship with the County Council requires a later supplementation.
Were you missing the Clarksville Funeral Home debate? Me too. I'm happy to tell you that it is back in all of it's hearse museum glory. There is a new proposal to prohibit funeral homes from being built in residential areas, and limiting those that already exist from expanding. As I said before, you won't find a much more convenient political bad guy than "death" and any reminder that death is a common affliction. I hope that the "easy target" aspect of this debate is considered by our County Council.
Ironically enough, the ring of Baltimore City police officers involved in the tow truck scandal referred to themselves as the "untouchable group." Well boys, they touched you. They touched you deep.
And the number one worst headline you will read today IS..."Police: Pregnant Woman Stole from Parents to Fund Drug Habit."
Cordish just got the "Game On" signal from the courts. Arundel Mills is getting its slots.
Sarah does not approve of AAA's position on the ICC.
WB has blog envy directed at the three Daves of HoCo blogging.
In closing, I need some advice. My CSA from last year is not answering my e-mails, so I'm thinking it may be time to move on. I really loved the food we received from these folks, but I've also felt a little guilty about not supporting Howard County farmers. Do any of you belong to a HoCo LoCo CSA? If so, are they taking new members?
Have a great Friday!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Ellicott City Patch Covers Same Sex Marriage Debate
Ellicott City Patch put together some great footage of the testimony provided at the Howard County delegation hearing on the Marriage Equality Bill that just passed the Senate:
I was very disappointed that the Howard County Republican Club chose to recruit members to testify against this bill. I was not at the hearing, so I don't know how successful they were in this effort (note: the article states that three residents testified against the bill), but to the extent the Howard County Club is formed to support Howard County Republicans, they could have at least left this issue off the table in tacit support of (or at least the choice not to oppose) Allan Kittleman, Howard County's only Republican State Senator. I think it is up for debate whether Republican ideology presupposes a particular position on this issue, but I know that J'Neanne Theus did not articulate whatever that position may be ("Follow the money"? So this is an effort by gay couples to steal money from taxpayers? Seriously?)
UPDATE: From the President of the Howard County Republican Club
HCR-- As the president of the Howard County Republican Club, I need to correct a statement that you've made above. The HCRC did not "recruit members to speak against [the Gay Marriage] bill." We did, however, recommend to our membership that they attend the hearing on Wednesday night to testify on a range of issues on which we thought Republicans would want to take a stand.
In some cases we suggested a position (taxes, right-to-work, etc.). In the case of the Gay Marriage proposal, we noted that it would be up for likely discussion, but did not take any stance ourselves. The membership appeared at our urging but spoke from their hearts. In fact, as in the case of Alan Kittleman, at least one member attended and spoke in favor of the bill without admonition from the rest of the Republican attendees.
Although I may personally disagree with you politically on this particular issue, I think it is incumbent on our organization to not be seen, or portrayed, as a polarizing one in this community. Instead, we want to ensure that our members, and Republicans in general, have a voice in the legislative process, no matter what their stance on the individual issue at hand.
Thank you for this opportunity to clarify our role in this week's hearing.
--Jeff Robinson
President, Howard County Republican Club
I was very disappointed that the Howard County Republican Club chose to recruit members to testify against this bill. I was not at the hearing, so I don't know how successful they were in this effort (note: the article states that three residents testified against the bill), but to the extent the Howard County Club is formed to support Howard County Republicans, they could have at least left this issue off the table in tacit support of (or at least the choice not to oppose) Allan Kittleman, Howard County's only Republican State Senator. I think it is up for debate whether Republican ideology presupposes a particular position on this issue, but I know that J'Neanne Theus did not articulate whatever that position may be ("Follow the money"? So this is an effort by gay couples to steal money from taxpayers? Seriously?)
UPDATE: From the President of the Howard County Republican Club
HCR-- As the president of the Howard County Republican Club, I need to correct a statement that you've made above. The HCRC did not "recruit members to speak against [the Gay Marriage] bill." We did, however, recommend to our membership that they attend the hearing on Wednesday night to testify on a range of issues on which we thought Republicans would want to take a stand.
In some cases we suggested a position (taxes, right-to-work, etc.). In the case of the Gay Marriage proposal, we noted that it would be up for likely discussion, but did not take any stance ourselves. The membership appeared at our urging but spoke from their hearts. In fact, as in the case of Alan Kittleman, at least one member attended and spoke in favor of the bill without admonition from the rest of the Republican attendees.
Although I may personally disagree with you politically on this particular issue, I think it is incumbent on our organization to not be seen, or portrayed, as a polarizing one in this community. Instead, we want to ensure that our members, and Republicans in general, have a voice in the legislative process, no matter what their stance on the individual issue at hand.
Thank you for this opportunity to clarify our role in this week's hearing.
--Jeff Robinson
President, Howard County Republican Club
Ken on Midday: A Few Home Runs and a Punt
I just finished listening to Ken Ulman on Midday with Dan Rodricks and...well...I was really impressed. My criticisms of Executive Ulman thus far have related mostly to the continued reference to vague accomplishments and goals (and being "really excited" about just about everything). This interview, which will later be available as a podcast, had a lot of the nitty gritty stuff that any hyper-local wonk can sink their teeth into.
A few notes:
A few notes:
- Ken made specific reference about how helpful it is to have a Governor that came "out of local government" nudge nudge, wink wink, nowhatamean nowhatamean.
- He rebuffed Dan's suggestion that Howard County was the "fastest growing" County in the State, noting that the Southern Counties have seen a faster rate of growth over the past ten years. In fact, Ken was downright insistent that Howard County has had "slow and steady" growth, which I don't think many people would disagree with.
- Ken wore both hats in discussing the new septic ban put forth by Governor O'Malley. He said that the counties were surprised at the lack of dialogue leading up to this announcement and said that the counties are concerned about how this policy may affect their ability to grow. Ken described Howard County as being a "mature county" in that most of the rural areas that would be "off-the-grid" are already spoken for and will not be the subject of new development. Howard development is focused more on the redevelopment of properties that are already connected to the County's water and sewer systems. (He also noted that shared septic systems have not turned out so well in the HoCo).
- Healthy Howard was a big feature of the interview, as expected. One of the less heralded efforts of HHAP has been creating the "Door to Health", which is a single online application that can be used to apply for multiple state and federal health access programs, including Healthy Howard. I like this program on multiple levels: 1) It leverages the greatest success of HHAP, which is referring applicants to other programs; 2) This software could potentially be sold to other jurisdictions to make money back for the program (I don't know the intellectual property dynamics of this effort, but hopefully this is something that is being considered).
- Ken talked about the four new electric buses, which sound pretty cool. They charge via a magnetic pad under the bus for five minutes, which will be enough to power them for four hours.
- Ken even answered a question I submitted online: "What are Ken’s intentions regarding the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness that was recently submitted to his administration?" He said it is on his desk...which I imagine is a very large desk. Nonetheless, he could easily have said that it is something he "will have to look into" as he said in response to other questions (most notably about creating a brewery in Howard County, which, according to the caller, is not permitted by our zoning laws).
Ken Ulman on Rodricks
I also wanted to let everyone know that Ken Ulman will be on Midday with Dan Rodricks from 12 to 1 this afternoon. Don't expect too much local stuff. He will be on in his capacity as President of the Maryland Association of Counties.
Social Media Day (Thursday Links)
Yesterday was one of those days that could not have existed in the 1990's. I registered online for the Marine Corps Marathon, posted it on Twitter, and found three other HoCo's that are also running in October. Then I posted my registration on Facebook and found three more friends that are running the marathon. In thirty minutes I had found enough friends to fill a minivan, who were registering for an event that approximately 1% of Americans will do in their lifetime, and were also running the same race as I was. Admittedly, there are some conditions that make it more likely for me to have people in my "network" that run marathons and will sign up for events in the Washington, DC area, but I still found it to be an eye-opening experience (and a lot of fun -- the HoCo crew is already chatting about a local carb fest prior to the big race).
I also had part of my Social Media day at Victoria Gastro Pub. As I noted yesterday, Voices for Children was having a fundraiser at Victoria, whereby they would give us 15% of every check that included a voucher stating they had come to support Voices. While sitting down for dinner with my two favorite ladies (Momma & Jane [whose name is not really Jane by the way]), I saw another one of my favorite people: Jessie Newburn. She was having dinner with Phil Nelson, the president of the Columbia Association. While I have rolled my eyes at some of the CA foibles over the past two years, I really do respect Phil and think he has done a good job addressing his Herculean task of leading a ship with so many first mates. Phil also seemed interested in the whole "new media/social media" environment in HoCo, which is always nice to hear.
Anyway, that was my day in social media. Besides "work", there wasn't too much that happened to me yesterday that would have happened but for these wacky little web applications that let me talk to hundreds of people at once. Pretty freakin' cool.
LINKS
Ellicott City residents are concerned about having their quiet hamlet turned into "Columbia North" by way of the new Hilltop development, which will include a mixed income apartment complex and a new rec center. This seems like a tough crowd. They even had criticisms over where the meeting was held. The "Columbia North" thing cracks me up because I remember Redev proponents pointing to the evaporated business in Old Ellicott City as a concern for up-and-coming Columbia.
Speaking of Historic Ellicott City, pretty soon residents and tourists will be able to have it "their way" after Subway moves in to the old Leidig's Bakery spot along Main Street. The bakery has not been open since 2005, so I'm not sure exactly where this is, but I'm excited (gasp!). That's right, excited. My mom's side of the family is from Greenwich, Connecticut and I've seen a lot of historic areas from up there that have been updated with more modern storefronts to mix in with historic antique shops. I can only hope that Subway is a first, and maybe down the road we'll see a GAP or Restoration Hardware move in. I'm no development maven, but I think that some of those newer stores will need to see a right fit for their shops, and Subway may just be a hint that Ellicott City is about more than antiques and coffee.
Big police scandal broke yesterday when 17 Baltimore police officers were arrested in relation to an alleged kick-back scheme with towing companies. I'm surprised that such a kick-back scheme would ever be necessary or profitable. Drive five minutes around Canton or Federal Hill and I can find you $1,000 worth of towing opportunities. (The story seems bad, but not "so bad" until you read stories like this, where other tow truck vendors are being locked up for protesting against the corruption).
Maryland's Same Sex Marriage bill is expected to pass the Senate today.
Here is a Teacher's Union I can get behind.
WB posts about Columbia Freecyle and Howard County's apparent unwillingness to help people "dump" less at the Dump. Come on, Greenies! This is so not "green." Government doesn't always have to be the answer. There are some regular old citizens that have some pretty good ideas too.
Sarah has a great post (with a graph!) tracking Maryland millionaires.
A HowChow reader suggests "hand torn noodle soup." Yes, please.
That's all for now. Have a great Thursday and enjoy a healthy dose of Friday-anticipation.
I also had part of my Social Media day at Victoria Gastro Pub. As I noted yesterday, Voices for Children was having a fundraiser at Victoria, whereby they would give us 15% of every check that included a voucher stating they had come to support Voices. While sitting down for dinner with my two favorite ladies (Momma & Jane [whose name is not really Jane by the way]), I saw another one of my favorite people: Jessie Newburn. She was having dinner with Phil Nelson, the president of the Columbia Association. While I have rolled my eyes at some of the CA foibles over the past two years, I really do respect Phil and think he has done a good job addressing his Herculean task of leading a ship with so many first mates. Phil also seemed interested in the whole "new media/social media" environment in HoCo, which is always nice to hear.
Anyway, that was my day in social media. Besides "work", there wasn't too much that happened to me yesterday that would have happened but for these wacky little web applications that let me talk to hundreds of people at once. Pretty freakin' cool.
LINKS
Ellicott City residents are concerned about having their quiet hamlet turned into "Columbia North" by way of the new Hilltop development, which will include a mixed income apartment complex and a new rec center. This seems like a tough crowd. They even had criticisms over where the meeting was held. The "Columbia North" thing cracks me up because I remember Redev proponents pointing to the evaporated business in Old Ellicott City as a concern for up-and-coming Columbia.
Speaking of Historic Ellicott City, pretty soon residents and tourists will be able to have it "their way" after Subway moves in to the old Leidig's Bakery spot along Main Street. The bakery has not been open since 2005, so I'm not sure exactly where this is, but I'm excited (gasp!). That's right, excited. My mom's side of the family is from Greenwich, Connecticut and I've seen a lot of historic areas from up there that have been updated with more modern storefronts to mix in with historic antique shops. I can only hope that Subway is a first, and maybe down the road we'll see a GAP or Restoration Hardware move in. I'm no development maven, but I think that some of those newer stores will need to see a right fit for their shops, and Subway may just be a hint that Ellicott City is about more than antiques and coffee.
Big police scandal broke yesterday when 17 Baltimore police officers were arrested in relation to an alleged kick-back scheme with towing companies. I'm surprised that such a kick-back scheme would ever be necessary or profitable. Drive five minutes around Canton or Federal Hill and I can find you $1,000 worth of towing opportunities. (The story seems bad, but not "so bad" until you read stories like this, where other tow truck vendors are being locked up for protesting against the corruption).
Maryland's Same Sex Marriage bill is expected to pass the Senate today.
Here is a Teacher's Union I can get behind.
WB posts about Columbia Freecyle and Howard County's apparent unwillingness to help people "dump" less at the Dump. Come on, Greenies! This is so not "green." Government doesn't always have to be the answer. There are some regular old citizens that have some pretty good ideas too.
Sarah has a great post (with a graph!) tracking Maryland millionaires.
A HowChow reader suggests "hand torn noodle soup." Yes, please.
That's all for now. Have a great Thursday and enjoy a healthy dose of Friday-anticipation.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Diamondback on Living Social
Get $30 worth of Diamondback food for $15! I already know exactly what my money is going towards: Bangers and Mash. Incredibly good comfort stick-to-your-bones goodness that goes well with the multitude of beers available at this Ellicott City pub.
Jane and I were chatting the other day about Diamondback. We really don't know how to classify it. Our first visit was after our less-than-satisfying trip to Pure Wine Cafe (still promise to go back sometime soon). Having never been there before, it looked like a semi-fine dining restaurant, along the lines of Aida. Multiple trips later (including one visit to the "upstairs") and I feel like it is more of "a bar that cleans up well." I would probably put it in the same category with Lee Lynns, River Hill Grille, and maybe Victoria (although my love for Victoria's is unmatched).
Any way you cut it, they have one dish that I crave. As Jane will tell you, this singular motivation is often non-negotiable. Diamondback, whatever-you-is, I'll be there soon.
Jane and I were chatting the other day about Diamondback. We really don't know how to classify it. Our first visit was after our less-than-satisfying trip to Pure Wine Cafe (still promise to go back sometime soon). Having never been there before, it looked like a semi-fine dining restaurant, along the lines of Aida. Multiple trips later (including one visit to the "upstairs") and I feel like it is more of "a bar that cleans up well." I would probably put it in the same category with Lee Lynns, River Hill Grille, and maybe Victoria (although my love for Victoria's is unmatched).
Any way you cut it, they have one dish that I crave. As Jane will tell you, this singular motivation is often non-negotiable. Diamondback, whatever-you-is, I'll be there soon.
Much Ado About Nothing (Wednesday Links)
Yesterday evening, I attended the County Council hearing to hear whatever debate there may be regarding the appointment of the Charter Review Commission. Thankfully, there was none. I don't really know why I thought there would be. Paranoia? An inflated sense of importance? Probably an unhealthy mix of both, but I will admit to being a little nervous before the hearing.
While sitting through the remainder of the meeting, I reflected on all the nasty angry things that you hear people say about the Council. Admittedly, this is a very tiny minority of folks, but they are passionate and seem to have an endless amount of time to spend on the internet. The Council Chamber, where the work is actually done, seems to be a bubble of "civility" (and you all know how I feel about that word). I know it is not always that way, but even when Greg Fox was asking Ray Wacks about whether the streamlined Office of Transportation would increase County costs by filling a vacant position, it was an emotionless query about government business. Don't get me wrong, it is boring boring stuff (at least for those that are not afflicted by a hyper-local interest, such as myself), but also refreshing.
As a counter to that, I wanted to share this clip of Union protestors announcing that they plan to "target" our Senator, Allan Kittleman, for his "Right to Work" legislation:
I guess this should have been expected, but I wonder if they could have gone about doing it without looking like a bunch of partisan thugs. I also recognized some of these faces from my walks past "Where's the Rat? South Street" protests in Baltimore City.
LINKS
The gay marriage bill (SB 116) is the only thing on the Senate's agenda today, and may go into tomorrow. Barring a change of heart by any of the Senators, and the weird conditional "if-it-will-pass-I-will-vote-for-it" commitment of Senator Joan Conway, this bill will probably pass the Senate.
Baltimore City is seeking nonprofits to run its abandoned rec centers. This feels weird to say, but it really is a great time for social entrepreneurs in Maryland. Funding is being cut, but the need stays the same. Here's your textbook.
Rahm Emanuel is the new mayor of Chicago. I think he is right where he belongs.
I read this Op/Ed in the Washington Post yesterday and thought it made a compelling argument about the difference between public and private unions and the need for "union reform."
I then followed that up with an Op/Ed from one of my favorite writers, David Brooks, who suggested that we all need to get behind an "Everybody Hurts" initiative if we want to solve our spending problem(s).
Mo joins the Bittman Brigade.
53 Beers suggests that Dr. Beilenson may be a good candidate to replace Rich Krieg at the Horizon Foundation. After listening to this interview with HoCoMoJo, I'm not sure Dr. B has the same temperance and moderacy that Mr. Krieg brought to the position. We also don't need the CEO of the Horizon Foundation getting in shouting matches with a member of our County Council. Still an interesting suggestion.
WB notes that the Security Clearance logjam may have been broken.
Sarah welcomes the arrival of the ICC (which has otherwise received very little fanfare in the local blogosphere) and notes the possibility of some new mass transit options around the bend.
Have a hard to find spice in your new Russian-Slovak-Icelandic cookbook that your great-aunt bought you? You may be able to find it in Rockville (so says HowChow).
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Fundraiser today at Victoria! 15% of every check goes to Voices for Children! The one condition is that you need to include a paper voucher, which I will happily send you, with your check. We are looking to pack the place this evening and I will be there around 6 pm.
Have a great Wednesday and I hope to see you tonight!
While sitting through the remainder of the meeting, I reflected on all the nasty angry things that you hear people say about the Council. Admittedly, this is a very tiny minority of folks, but they are passionate and seem to have an endless amount of time to spend on the internet. The Council Chamber, where the work is actually done, seems to be a bubble of "civility" (and you all know how I feel about that word). I know it is not always that way, but even when Greg Fox was asking Ray Wacks about whether the streamlined Office of Transportation would increase County costs by filling a vacant position, it was an emotionless query about government business. Don't get me wrong, it is boring boring stuff (at least for those that are not afflicted by a hyper-local interest, such as myself), but also refreshing.
As a counter to that, I wanted to share this clip of Union protestors announcing that they plan to "target" our Senator, Allan Kittleman, for his "Right to Work" legislation:
I guess this should have been expected, but I wonder if they could have gone about doing it without looking like a bunch of partisan thugs. I also recognized some of these faces from my walks past "Where's the Rat? South Street" protests in Baltimore City.
LINKS
The gay marriage bill (SB 116) is the only thing on the Senate's agenda today, and may go into tomorrow. Barring a change of heart by any of the Senators, and the weird conditional "if-it-will-pass-I-will-vote-for-it" commitment of Senator Joan Conway, this bill will probably pass the Senate.
Baltimore City is seeking nonprofits to run its abandoned rec centers. This feels weird to say, but it really is a great time for social entrepreneurs in Maryland. Funding is being cut, but the need stays the same. Here's your textbook.
Rahm Emanuel is the new mayor of Chicago. I think he is right where he belongs.
I read this Op/Ed in the Washington Post yesterday and thought it made a compelling argument about the difference between public and private unions and the need for "union reform."
I then followed that up with an Op/Ed from one of my favorite writers, David Brooks, who suggested that we all need to get behind an "Everybody Hurts" initiative if we want to solve our spending problem(s).
Mo joins the Bittman Brigade.
53 Beers suggests that Dr. Beilenson may be a good candidate to replace Rich Krieg at the Horizon Foundation. After listening to this interview with HoCoMoJo, I'm not sure Dr. B has the same temperance and moderacy that Mr. Krieg brought to the position. We also don't need the CEO of the Horizon Foundation getting in shouting matches with a member of our County Council. Still an interesting suggestion.
WB notes that the Security Clearance logjam may have been broken.
Sarah welcomes the arrival of the ICC (which has otherwise received very little fanfare in the local blogosphere) and notes the possibility of some new mass transit options around the bend.
Have a hard to find spice in your new Russian-Slovak-Icelandic cookbook that your great-aunt bought you? You may be able to find it in Rockville (so says HowChow).
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Fundraiser today at Victoria! 15% of every check goes to Voices for Children! The one condition is that you need to include a paper voucher, which I will happily send you, with your check. We are looking to pack the place this evening and I will be there around 6 pm.
Have a great Wednesday and I hope to see you tonight!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Delayed (Tuesday Links)
My "get up and go" has not yet arrived this week. Hence, another set of "late" links.
Kudos to the weather folks for hitting this weather storm spot on. By my estimation there are 5-6 inches of snow outside my door. I'm not so sure my car can handle the unplowed parking lot, so I will probably be spending the morning (or possibly the day) in the HoCo. It's times like these when I wonder whether I am using the snow as a reason or an excuse. Either way, as long as my hours get billed, it is a work day.
LINKS
This piece about Memory Games is fascinating, and very well written. It is also very long.
Baltimore wants to create its own currency to support local businesses. I'll give you one guess on where this idea came from -- Hampden. (Insert drug reference here).
The first stage of the Baltimore City teachers' contract has been implemented, which places teachers in career tracks according to their education and experience level. As you are aware, this system abolishes the automatic "step" increases in favor of merit based pay bumps. Very exciting stuff.
Congratulations parents! You now have the opportunity to passive-aggressively suggest to your children that you believe they are promiscuous disease-carrying Quarterbacks and Prom Queens.
Horizon Foundation CEO Richard Krieg is retiring at the end of 2012. This may be sacrilege in this County, but his retirement may be a great time to reevaluate how much our non-profit CEOs are being paid. (Sure would be nice if one of our journalism outlets would get a salary number in one of their interviews).
HowChow posts Kyle's review of the Kimko Korean and Sushi buffet. Any place that puts "sushi" and "buffet" near one another on a menu has my attention. I may have to head over there for lunch.
Staying with the food theme, Sarah went to Jessie Wong's Champagne Brunch. Not many people know this, but the Jessie Wong restaurant is all the rage in Baltimore County. I won't get into the comparable culinary offerings of BaltCo, but it is important to note that this may be an undiscovered treasure for those of you who make a weekly trip to Pei Wei or PF Chang's (although Wong's is admittedly much more expensive). Sarah left "full and happy" but not necessarily "wow'ed." From the few times I've been there, my reaction has normally been just about the same, although on one occasion the service almost had me walking out the door (It was a "Do you think they know we're here?" moment).
TJ takes a very honest look at the local media market, with a special eye on Patch, in response to the Business Insider piece that I linked to yesterday (and he had previously planned on posting himself). My limited knowledge of (but constant interest in) economics has me looking at local markets in terms of whether there is room for new entrants. I certainly believe our local media market has room. The question is whether the new entrants will ever connect with those consumers in a financially sustainable way. In the 21st century, people think news should be free. That is very hard to "compete" with.
Before I leave the media topic altogether, I have a confession to make: Starting this Sunday I will be receiving the Washington Post. I am now a two newspaper guy. For the past six years, I have been a loyal Sun subscriber. I've been a daily reader since about age 14. However, the Sunday edition has continued to get smaller and smaller, until I no longer have to sit down to read the entire front page. More and more of "our" paper is being written by journalists from Chicago or the AP. I feel like it's "Sundays with Bernie" and I'm reading an imitation of a newspaper, as opposed to the real deal. So I had to supplement. I will still get the Sun and still plan to read it first, but I feel like this is the point that I stop caring as much about the death throes. That makes me incredibly sad.
WB is not so sure that Bill Clinton has been out of office long enough for us to be fawning over him on Presidents Day. I tend to agree. Jane and I watched an awesome show on the History Channel about the behind the scenes "perks" and hindrances of being President. My only gripe was that there was one segment that made Ronald Regan look like a senile old toot that really wanted chocolate.
That's all for today. In the time writing this, my parking lot has been plowed, so there is still hope of making it into the office today. I guess that's a good thing.
Kudos to the weather folks for hitting this weather storm spot on. By my estimation there are 5-6 inches of snow outside my door. I'm not so sure my car can handle the unplowed parking lot, so I will probably be spending the morning (or possibly the day) in the HoCo. It's times like these when I wonder whether I am using the snow as a reason or an excuse. Either way, as long as my hours get billed, it is a work day.
LINKS
This piece about Memory Games is fascinating, and very well written. It is also very long.
Baltimore wants to create its own currency to support local businesses. I'll give you one guess on where this idea came from -- Hampden. (Insert drug reference here).
The first stage of the Baltimore City teachers' contract has been implemented, which places teachers in career tracks according to their education and experience level. As you are aware, this system abolishes the automatic "step" increases in favor of merit based pay bumps. Very exciting stuff.
Congratulations parents! You now have the opportunity to passive-aggressively suggest to your children that you believe they are promiscuous disease-carrying Quarterbacks and Prom Queens.
Horizon Foundation CEO Richard Krieg is retiring at the end of 2012. This may be sacrilege in this County, but his retirement may be a great time to reevaluate how much our non-profit CEOs are being paid. (Sure would be nice if one of our journalism outlets would get a salary number in one of their interviews).
HowChow posts Kyle's review of the Kimko Korean and Sushi buffet. Any place that puts "sushi" and "buffet" near one another on a menu has my attention. I may have to head over there for lunch.
Staying with the food theme, Sarah went to Jessie Wong's Champagne Brunch. Not many people know this, but the Jessie Wong restaurant is all the rage in Baltimore County. I won't get into the comparable culinary offerings of BaltCo, but it is important to note that this may be an undiscovered treasure for those of you who make a weekly trip to Pei Wei or PF Chang's (although Wong's is admittedly much more expensive). Sarah left "full and happy" but not necessarily "wow'ed." From the few times I've been there, my reaction has normally been just about the same, although on one occasion the service almost had me walking out the door (It was a "Do you think they know we're here?" moment).
TJ takes a very honest look at the local media market, with a special eye on Patch, in response to the Business Insider piece that I linked to yesterday (and he had previously planned on posting himself). My limited knowledge of (but constant interest in) economics has me looking at local markets in terms of whether there is room for new entrants. I certainly believe our local media market has room. The question is whether the new entrants will ever connect with those consumers in a financially sustainable way. In the 21st century, people think news should be free. That is very hard to "compete" with.
Before I leave the media topic altogether, I have a confession to make: Starting this Sunday I will be receiving the Washington Post. I am now a two newspaper guy. For the past six years, I have been a loyal Sun subscriber. I've been a daily reader since about age 14. However, the Sunday edition has continued to get smaller and smaller, until I no longer have to sit down to read the entire front page. More and more of "our" paper is being written by journalists from Chicago or the AP. I feel like it's "Sundays with Bernie" and I'm reading an imitation of a newspaper, as opposed to the real deal. So I had to supplement. I will still get the Sun and still plan to read it first, but I feel like this is the point that I stop caring as much about the death throes. That makes me incredibly sad.
WB is not so sure that Bill Clinton has been out of office long enough for us to be fawning over him on Presidents Day. I tend to agree. Jane and I watched an awesome show on the History Channel about the behind the scenes "perks" and hindrances of being President. My only gripe was that there was one segment that made Ronald Regan look like a senile old toot that really wanted chocolate.
That's all for today. In the time writing this, my parking lot has been plowed, so there is still hope of making it into the office today. I guess that's a good thing.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Snow? For Serious?
I can't explain it, but I feel a certain sense of injustice at the projected 4-8 inches that we are supposed to get overnight. The 70 degree day seemed like a love note from Mother Nature, letting us all know that Spring was on its way. We knew our calendars would not allow for Spring in February, but at the very least it seemed like the worst was over.
But it's not.
Oh well, I normally use winter weather advisories as an excuse for an extra glass of wine with dinner. Spring does not allow for such indulgences. Maybe this winter thing isn't so bad after all.
But it's not.
Oh well, I normally use winter weather advisories as an excuse for an extra glass of wine with dinner. Spring does not allow for such indulgences. Maybe this winter thing isn't so bad after all.
Presidents Day (Monday Links)
Presidents Day is an interesting holiday in that is is the only one specifically designated in respect for a particular branch of government. Sure, it's really George Washington's birthday (nearby Abraham Lincoln's birthday), but we don't call it Washington Day. We call it Presidents Day.
It seems that since the position was created, people either adore or despise the person in this office, which is why I am skeptical of anyone who sits in either of those camps. I think the President should be respected as a representative of our nation who has been designated with tremendous power, but I don't think this means I have to like them. Nor do I think it is appropriate for people to hold placards attacking the President as a person, as opposed to policies he or she may have promoted. I mean, go ahead if that's what makes you happy, but for the most part I've found that it is representative of a confusion or ignorance of the actual policies that are at issue. My bet is that those with signs that say "Obama Lied, Jobs Died" are not going to be able to turn around and explain the economic policies that they believed caused job loss...or even the manner in which a President implements economic policy.
Same is true on the opposite end for those people with the really cool Change T-shirts.
In an ideal world, Presidents would be viewed the same way someone with a very important job is treated at the company he or she works for. Not loved. Not hated. Respected. And when he screws up, replaced.
LINKS
In their infinite wisdom, our State government attempted to encourage voter registration by allowing voters to register at the MVA. The only problem? They put the MVA in charge of voter registration. (Article states 1 in 4 people who try to register through the MVA do not make the voter roles).
Cool story about a stone "fort" in the middle of the woods, and one man's efforts to preserve it.
If there is one type of story that the Sun reporters continue to knock out of the park, it would be crime reporting. Justin Fenton has a fascinating piece about the Dead Man Inc. gang and its leader's pending release from prison.
There was a Trekkie convention this past weekend? I am a little surprised I wasn't alerted to this by my Facebook friends...maybe what happens at Farpoint stays at Farpoint.
Thanks to my Dad (and more recently Mark Bittman), I am always excited by and dedicated to local businesses. There is no reason to spend my money outside of the County/State if there is a vendor that can meet my consumer needs here. As such, I am very excited about the new Sloop Betty vodka to be produced in Stevensville, MD by the new Blackwater Distillery. Admittedly, I am not a vodka fan, but I will try to get my hands on the first batch and report back.
Over the weekend, Strobist posted this piece on Twitter, which is a pretty damning account of the Patch business model. At first I was a little hot and bothered about this. I consider the Patch folks, or at least a few of them, to be my friends. I also think they do good work. However, if you're wondering why the front page is normally filled with high school basketball scores, this may give some insight. All that said, Patch is still a go to location for local news (for me at least) and I think the quality of their work is comparable with any other local news outlet.
Sarah visits Blob's Park and has a great time. (Another item added to the "must visit" list).
Apparently, WB has been sleepwalking to a local valet stand. If you see a semi-conscious man in a red scarf, do not give him your keys.
53 Beers lays out his wish-list for the next EDA Chair. It certainly will be interesting to see how our County's development reflects the new demographics (as suggested in number three). Any dormant xenophobia will be forced out into the spotlight in quick and dirty fashion. ("Why Tom, whatever do you mean? This is Howard County! We love everyone!")
That's all I have for you today. I'll be working from home in celebration of GW. How does one celebrate such a man? The peaceful relinquishment of the remote control? Ideas?
It seems that since the position was created, people either adore or despise the person in this office, which is why I am skeptical of anyone who sits in either of those camps. I think the President should be respected as a representative of our nation who has been designated with tremendous power, but I don't think this means I have to like them. Nor do I think it is appropriate for people to hold placards attacking the President as a person, as opposed to policies he or she may have promoted. I mean, go ahead if that's what makes you happy, but for the most part I've found that it is representative of a confusion or ignorance of the actual policies that are at issue. My bet is that those with signs that say "Obama Lied, Jobs Died" are not going to be able to turn around and explain the economic policies that they believed caused job loss...or even the manner in which a President implements economic policy.
Same is true on the opposite end for those people with the really cool Change T-shirts.
In an ideal world, Presidents would be viewed the same way someone with a very important job is treated at the company he or she works for. Not loved. Not hated. Respected. And when he screws up, replaced.
LINKS
In their infinite wisdom, our State government attempted to encourage voter registration by allowing voters to register at the MVA. The only problem? They put the MVA in charge of voter registration. (Article states 1 in 4 people who try to register through the MVA do not make the voter roles).
Cool story about a stone "fort" in the middle of the woods, and one man's efforts to preserve it.
If there is one type of story that the Sun reporters continue to knock out of the park, it would be crime reporting. Justin Fenton has a fascinating piece about the Dead Man Inc. gang and its leader's pending release from prison.
There was a Trekkie convention this past weekend? I am a little surprised I wasn't alerted to this by my Facebook friends...maybe what happens at Farpoint stays at Farpoint.
Thanks to my Dad (and more recently Mark Bittman), I am always excited by and dedicated to local businesses. There is no reason to spend my money outside of the County/State if there is a vendor that can meet my consumer needs here. As such, I am very excited about the new Sloop Betty vodka to be produced in Stevensville, MD by the new Blackwater Distillery. Admittedly, I am not a vodka fan, but I will try to get my hands on the first batch and report back.
Over the weekend, Strobist posted this piece on Twitter, which is a pretty damning account of the Patch business model. At first I was a little hot and bothered about this. I consider the Patch folks, or at least a few of them, to be my friends. I also think they do good work. However, if you're wondering why the front page is normally filled with high school basketball scores, this may give some insight. All that said, Patch is still a go to location for local news (for me at least) and I think the quality of their work is comparable with any other local news outlet.
Sarah visits Blob's Park and has a great time. (Another item added to the "must visit" list).
Apparently, WB has been sleepwalking to a local valet stand. If you see a semi-conscious man in a red scarf, do not give him your keys.
53 Beers lays out his wish-list for the next EDA Chair. It certainly will be interesting to see how our County's development reflects the new demographics (as suggested in number three). Any dormant xenophobia will be forced out into the spotlight in quick and dirty fashion. ("Why Tom, whatever do you mean? This is Howard County! We love everyone!")
That's all I have for you today. I'll be working from home in celebration of GW. How does one celebrate such a man? The peaceful relinquishment of the remote control? Ideas?
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Pizza and Oysters, It's a Maryland Thing
A dream born in the early morning hours of Saturday, February 19th has become a reality. I had pizza and oysters for lunch.
First, the pizza. Man, was it good. After taking the picture and posting it here, I think pizza is one food that you just can't get a pretty picture of. Sure, you can have basil, goat cheese, and a light tomato sauce that looks pretty, but when we want Pizza (capital P), it just isn't going to look pretty.
As I noted before, there was a Pudgie's in my college town of Williamsport, PA. I say "was" because when I was looking up the phone number for our Pudgie's (410-531-6444 -- yes, they deliver), I noticed that my old Pudgie's is gone. I want full disclosure here that my complete unconditional love for this pizza may be somewhat tinged by nostalgia, but that only gets you so far.
If you love garlic, you will love Pudgie's. The sauce is garlicy. The crust is garlicy. The box may be made of garlic shells. Just a lot of garlic. But what makes the pizza good is the strong cheese flavor. This is not just provolone. There is some parmesan mixed in, which I think is a critical requirement for any good pizza.
If you're big on crusts, this pizza may not be for you. If you can't tell from my picture, the crust plays a very small supporting role. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it is a little weak and very soft. I kind of like it that way. In their larger sizes, the pizza is squared (further study: Howard County and square pizzas), which means the crust is pretty much delegated to "extra reading the newspaper in the cafe" for the center pieces.
Price wise, it was $16 for a medium pizza. I can't tell if that is expensive, but it seemed a little steep for what would probably barely constitute a meal for a teenage boy.
BUT, I loved it. This is good pizza, and I would probably say it is the best pizza in town right now (although a good Food v. Food would be Coal Fire v. Pudgies)...(I don't really like Facci pizza).
Next, the oysters. This was my first trip to Frank's and I was a little taken aback by the security (you need to turn in your ID to be allowed to take your car inside the "seafood zone"). Once inside I was glad that I came there with a purpose, otherwise I would have been overwhelmed. There is so much to choose from, all with very expensive consequences. Despite just coming in for oysters, I ended up grabbing some shrimp salad as well (personal weakness). I bought a dozen "Maryland" oysters and a dozen "Chincoteague" oysters. I also bought a shucking knife.
In preparation for my shucking, I watched two online videos. I'm not very coordinated, which is why I choose sporting activities that require little more than the physical and mental endurance to continue doing something simple over long distances. As such, I wanted to make absolutely sure I was not going to cut my thumb off.
I went for the Maryland oysters first. Despite the way those videos make it seem, it is very hard to find an entry point (TWSS). However, after you get in a groove, it is almost like those magic eye puzzles where you finally just "see" it. I shucked four oysters and was very proud of myself.
They looked just like they do in the restaurant! I don't know why I didn't expect them to look the same, but...well...I didn't. Sadly, one of my oysters did not get eaten. He looked a little too gray for comfort, and had a distinctly different smell. Ever since my bout with food poisoning this past summer, I don't mess around with seafood I don't trust. The other three were light, with just enough "taste of the sea." I admit that I put cocktail sauce on my oysters (which is frowned upon by certain shell heads), but this was only because I don't know where to find the vinegar sauce that you find at places like Woodberry and Victoria.
Next, the Chincoteague oysters. These things are the cat's meow. They're rich without being overpowering and have a great mouth-feel (does "mouth-feel" apply to oysters? Don't care. It makes me sound sophisticated).
Needless to say, I am very satisfied with myself right now. I had Pizza and oysters for lunch, and I don't think that is offered by many restaurants.
First, the pizza. Man, was it good. After taking the picture and posting it here, I think pizza is one food that you just can't get a pretty picture of. Sure, you can have basil, goat cheese, and a light tomato sauce that looks pretty, but when we want Pizza (capital P), it just isn't going to look pretty.
If you love garlic, you will love Pudgie's. The sauce is garlicy. The crust is garlicy. The box may be made of garlic shells. Just a lot of garlic. But what makes the pizza good is the strong cheese flavor. This is not just provolone. There is some parmesan mixed in, which I think is a critical requirement for any good pizza.
If you're big on crusts, this pizza may not be for you. If you can't tell from my picture, the crust plays a very small supporting role. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it is a little weak and very soft. I kind of like it that way. In their larger sizes, the pizza is squared (further study: Howard County and square pizzas), which means the crust is pretty much delegated to "extra reading the newspaper in the cafe" for the center pieces.
Price wise, it was $16 for a medium pizza. I can't tell if that is expensive, but it seemed a little steep for what would probably barely constitute a meal for a teenage boy.
BUT, I loved it. This is good pizza, and I would probably say it is the best pizza in town right now (although a good Food v. Food would be Coal Fire v. Pudgies)...(I don't really like Facci pizza).
In preparation for my shucking, I watched two online videos. I'm not very coordinated, which is why I choose sporting activities that require little more than the physical and mental endurance to continue doing something simple over long distances. As such, I wanted to make absolutely sure I was not going to cut my thumb off.
They looked just like they do in the restaurant! I don't know why I didn't expect them to look the same, but...well...I didn't. Sadly, one of my oysters did not get eaten. He looked a little too gray for comfort, and had a distinctly different smell. Ever since my bout with food poisoning this past summer, I don't mess around with seafood I don't trust. The other three were light, with just enough "taste of the sea." I admit that I put cocktail sauce on my oysters (which is frowned upon by certain shell heads), but this was only because I don't know where to find the vinegar sauce that you find at places like Woodberry and Victoria.
Needless to say, I am very satisfied with myself right now. I had Pizza and oysters for lunch, and I don't think that is offered by many restaurants.
Bachelor Saturday (LINKS)
Jane is heading off to (insert flower place) to help her sister pick out (type of flower) for her wedding, which is this Fall. Said flower place is a couple hours away, so I will be by myself today. I've already promised to make dinner from my new Food Matters Cookbook, which came in the mail yesterday, but lunch is TBD.
Until about five minutes ago. When you work in Baltimore, but live in HoCo, there ends up being a lot of food places you hear about, but don't have a chance to check out (I know this is even more true for those with kids...which is why I don't have kids). Two on my list: Frank's and Pudgies. Pudgies just opened Thursday, but I've been excited ever since I saw their violently orange sign along 108. In my college town of Williamsport, PA, Pudgies was THE pizza place. It is good stuff and may be better than a good number of the pizza offerings in the area (despite being a chain). As for Frank's, I love oysters. They have oysters. And HowChow tells me that they may give me a brief tutorial on how to shuck the oysters.
So there's the choice...until HowChow suggested I do both. (Jane: "Oysters and Pizza? Is that a Maryland thing?") These places could not be much further from one another, but I'm going to make it happen. Hopefully a post (with pictures in appreciation of The Chow) will follow.
Addendum: Do yourself a favor and make the trek out to Black Ankle Vineyards in Mount Airy. I am not a fan of Maryland wine. Allow me to restate that: I really do not like Maryland wine. Most of it has been chapitalized beyond recognition, and when they aren't adding sugar, they're adding chocolate, berries, or gummy bears. Black Ankle is good real wine. The tasting room is like one big party and Damon Foreman knows how to work a crowd. Jane and I had a blast.
LINKS (and reporting on Sun reporting)
I can't find a link, but the Howard section states that Howard County gained 43 jobs last year. That may not sound like much, but this is while our surrounding counties lost thousands of jobs, even in those areas effected by the early stages of BRAC.
There's also a neat article about seniors that have been recruited by the Board of Ed to volunteer at Howard County schools, and even teach some classes. These are the types of programs (and people) that make the County a great place to live.
From the add-insult-to-injury playbook, the Frederick County Board of Commissioners voted to cut the County's entire $2.3 million share of Head Start, which is approximately half of the program's budget. Two of those county commissioners followed that vote with stories about how their wives had given up 18 years in the workforce to stay at home with their kids, thereby suggesting that others do the same to make up for the downsized program. My mom stayed at home to raise my brother and me when we were growing up. She made sure we did our homework, didn't watch too much TV, and, most importantly, was the first person to go nuts when we got off the school bus with a good grade in our hands. I have no doubt that I am the person I am today (or at least the good parts) because of this additional support from my Mom.
However, I think it is wrong to suggest that women have an obligation to take on this role. We just found out today that Jane was admitted to the Johns Hopkins Masters program for Museum Studies. This will be her second masters. I would never ever expect, suggest, hint, or subliminally proffer that Jane should give up a career that she is working hard to build in order to take care of our children. There are certainly practical matters that must be evaluated by a family unit in terms of comparative incomes, cost of day care, etc., but that is for each family to decide. In the 21st century, there are plenty of couples where the woman is the primary bread-winner, and that will only increase as social norms are found to be...well...stupid. I know that these County Commissioners meant well, but they ended up just looking old-fashioned and condescending. That's a bad combination.
Florida's loss could be Maryland's gain. $2.4 billion in transportation funds is in the balance. If the Federal government was the teacher, and all the states were students, I think O'Malley would be the kiss up.
Dear Maryland Republicans, please stop giving the Baltimore Sun opportunities to flaunt your ridiculous failures as human beings, such as naming a black cow "Oprah." Sincerely, HoCo Rising.
David Zurawik points out how ridiculous and self-important MSNBC has been in its coverage of the Wisconsin protests.
Let's talk a bit about Wisconsin. It seems to be a crystallization of the GOP/Dem dynamic. The Republicans pass large scale tax cuts, which put the budget in a bind, which puts the Governor in a position where he says he has to take a hard line with the unions. The public employee unions have been very successful for their peeps. Most pay only 6% of their health care costs and don't have to contribute anything to their pensions. That can be compared to the nationwide averages of 29% and 5.8% respectively. In Milwaukee, teacher compensation (salary plus benefits) is approximately $100,000. I know that we Americans have had fun with our Facebook accounts by "standing in solidarity" with all sorts of protests recently, but let's take a breather. Something needs to be done about these labor costs. I don't think it is appropriate to interfere with bargaining rights, but I also don't think it is fair for the people of Wisconsin to fund extraordinary salaries and benefits. Fight union wages, not union power.
I've gone a little long today and need to get started on my schedule of events. I'll let you know how the Pizza & Oysters thing turns out.
Until about five minutes ago. When you work in Baltimore, but live in HoCo, there ends up being a lot of food places you hear about, but don't have a chance to check out (I know this is even more true for those with kids...which is why I don't have kids). Two on my list: Frank's and Pudgies. Pudgies just opened Thursday, but I've been excited ever since I saw their violently orange sign along 108. In my college town of Williamsport, PA, Pudgies was THE pizza place. It is good stuff and may be better than a good number of the pizza offerings in the area (despite being a chain). As for Frank's, I love oysters. They have oysters. And HowChow tells me that they may give me a brief tutorial on how to shuck the oysters.
So there's the choice...until HowChow suggested I do both. (Jane: "Oysters and Pizza? Is that a Maryland thing?") These places could not be much further from one another, but I'm going to make it happen. Hopefully a post (with pictures in appreciation of The Chow) will follow.
Addendum: Do yourself a favor and make the trek out to Black Ankle Vineyards in Mount Airy. I am not a fan of Maryland wine. Allow me to restate that: I really do not like Maryland wine. Most of it has been chapitalized beyond recognition, and when they aren't adding sugar, they're adding chocolate, berries, or gummy bears. Black Ankle is good real wine. The tasting room is like one big party and Damon Foreman knows how to work a crowd. Jane and I had a blast.
LINKS (and reporting on Sun reporting)
I can't find a link, but the Howard section states that Howard County gained 43 jobs last year. That may not sound like much, but this is while our surrounding counties lost thousands of jobs, even in those areas effected by the early stages of BRAC.
There's also a neat article about seniors that have been recruited by the Board of Ed to volunteer at Howard County schools, and even teach some classes. These are the types of programs (and people) that make the County a great place to live.
From the add-insult-to-injury playbook, the Frederick County Board of Commissioners voted to cut the County's entire $2.3 million share of Head Start, which is approximately half of the program's budget. Two of those county commissioners followed that vote with stories about how their wives had given up 18 years in the workforce to stay at home with their kids, thereby suggesting that others do the same to make up for the downsized program. My mom stayed at home to raise my brother and me when we were growing up. She made sure we did our homework, didn't watch too much TV, and, most importantly, was the first person to go nuts when we got off the school bus with a good grade in our hands. I have no doubt that I am the person I am today (or at least the good parts) because of this additional support from my Mom.
However, I think it is wrong to suggest that women have an obligation to take on this role. We just found out today that Jane was admitted to the Johns Hopkins Masters program for Museum Studies. This will be her second masters. I would never ever expect, suggest, hint, or subliminally proffer that Jane should give up a career that she is working hard to build in order to take care of our children. There are certainly practical matters that must be evaluated by a family unit in terms of comparative incomes, cost of day care, etc., but that is for each family to decide. In the 21st century, there are plenty of couples where the woman is the primary bread-winner, and that will only increase as social norms are found to be...well...stupid. I know that these County Commissioners meant well, but they ended up just looking old-fashioned and condescending. That's a bad combination.
Florida's loss could be Maryland's gain. $2.4 billion in transportation funds is in the balance. If the Federal government was the teacher, and all the states were students, I think O'Malley would be the kiss up.
Dear Maryland Republicans, please stop giving the Baltimore Sun opportunities to flaunt your ridiculous failures as human beings, such as naming a black cow "Oprah." Sincerely, HoCo Rising.
David Zurawik points out how ridiculous and self-important MSNBC has been in its coverage of the Wisconsin protests.
Let's talk a bit about Wisconsin. It seems to be a crystallization of the GOP/Dem dynamic. The Republicans pass large scale tax cuts, which put the budget in a bind, which puts the Governor in a position where he says he has to take a hard line with the unions. The public employee unions have been very successful for their peeps. Most pay only 6% of their health care costs and don't have to contribute anything to their pensions. That can be compared to the nationwide averages of 29% and 5.8% respectively. In Milwaukee, teacher compensation (salary plus benefits) is approximately $100,000. I know that we Americans have had fun with our Facebook accounts by "standing in solidarity" with all sorts of protests recently, but let's take a breather. Something needs to be done about these labor costs. I don't think it is appropriate to interfere with bargaining rights, but I also don't think it is fair for the people of Wisconsin to fund extraordinary salaries and benefits. Fight union wages, not union power.
I've gone a little long today and need to get started on my schedule of events. I'll let you know how the Pizza & Oysters thing turns out.
Friday, February 18, 2011
I Can Fix That -- Episode 4 BUDGETS
The latest episode of I Can Fix That is up on the interwebs for download.
As always, we had a lot of fun. Budgets, despite their not-fun title, are an interesting topic to discuss, especially if you can manage to get behind the political rhetoric. Both parties have sacred calves that are shielded behind vague titles like "Education" and "National Defense." Once you lift the hood you see that "cuts" are always available, so long as you can offer them in a palatable context.
You are free to listen, critique, or slander, but please don't ignore...and if you're going to slander, make it me...Jodi didn't sign off on that part.
As always, we had a lot of fun. Budgets, despite their not-fun title, are an interesting topic to discuss, especially if you can manage to get behind the political rhetoric. Both parties have sacred calves that are shielded behind vague titles like "Education" and "National Defense." Once you lift the hood you see that "cuts" are always available, so long as you can offer them in a palatable context.
You are free to listen, critique, or slander, but please don't ignore...and if you're going to slander, make it me...Jodi didn't sign off on that part.
No Shelter, No Service?
The Washington Post has a very concerning piece about the apparent targeting of homeless men and women at the Columbia Mall. The Grassroots Cold Weather shelter has a drop off point at the Mall, which may have caused a number of homeless to go into the mall for shelter, coffee, or just to spend some time. According to the post, our fellow citizens are being routinely removed and targeted as "trespassers."
GGP has released a de minimus statement in response to the Post's inquiry: "If anyone does not adhere to our rules and regulations," the statement read in part, "they are first issued a warning; and secondly, if their behavior does not improve, they are banned from the center."
The bigger question is whether "appearing to be homeless" is against the rules and regulations of the Columbia Mall.
According to the piece, it is even against the rules to ask about how the homeless are being treated: "A few minutes later, two security guards appeared and ordered a Washington Post reporter to leave the mall grounds. One of the guards, J. Middleton, said interviewing people at the mall without permission constituted solicitation and warned that police would charge the reporter with criminal trespassing if they were summoned. "
Before any apologists come out, lets all admit that we've spent some time at the mall without the intention of buying anything. Some of you have used the Mall as an indoor track during the winter season. Others a recording studio. We are not talking about loitering. This story has the nasty tinge of a rich community seeking to ignore and/or hide its poor. If you don't like seeing homeless people, work towards finding them a home.
And GGP, this smells like a mighty fine lawsuit. I hope your e-mails are clean.
GGP has released a de minimus statement in response to the Post's inquiry: "If anyone does not adhere to our rules and regulations," the statement read in part, "they are first issued a warning; and secondly, if their behavior does not improve, they are banned from the center."
The bigger question is whether "appearing to be homeless" is against the rules and regulations of the Columbia Mall.
According to the piece, it is even against the rules to ask about how the homeless are being treated: "A few minutes later, two security guards appeared and ordered a Washington Post reporter to leave the mall grounds. One of the guards, J. Middleton, said interviewing people at the mall without permission constituted solicitation and warned that police would charge the reporter with criminal trespassing if they were summoned. "
Before any apologists come out, lets all admit that we've spent some time at the mall without the intention of buying anything. Some of you have used the Mall as an indoor track during the winter season. Others a recording studio. We are not talking about loitering. This story has the nasty tinge of a rich community seeking to ignore and/or hide its poor. If you don't like seeing homeless people, work towards finding them a home.
And GGP, this smells like a mighty fine lawsuit. I hope your e-mails are clean.
Frikka Frikka Friday (LINKS)
I hope you all have had an expedient intermission between weekends. Mine started slow and is ending strong. Tonight, Jane and I plan to go to Mt. Airy to see our friend Damon Foreman play at Black Ankle Vineyards. I really can't think of a better way to spend a 65 degree February evening.
LINKS
The small news getting big attention award has to go to the announcement that Healthy Howard will be requesting an additional $500,000 from the County. With the support of Ball, Sigaty, and Terrasa, they will be getting this money. The real question is whether Courtney Watson holds the line from 2009, or whether the exit of the Horizon Grant will have her see a larger role for County funds. In terms of the longer narrative, it should be noted that HHAP has kept its request steady, despite the absence of its largest donor. This suggests that the program has been successful finding private donors. However, as I've noted previously, any nonprofit born from the mind of the current County Executive should be given additional scrutiny when it requests funds. (And I still plan to post that audit once I have some time)
Don't worry everybody, the Hilltop development is just a sparkle in its daddy's eye right now.
A man set himself on fire and jumped off a bridge near the Columbia mall yesterday evening. That's all there is to say about that. (Patch does a great job covering this one)
If Jeopardy ever has a category for "Maryland Civil Rights", one of the answers spewed by Watson 3.0 (over the objections of Watson 1.0 and 2.0) may be "Who is Senator James Rosapepe?" (For fear of compelling you to click the link, he was the final committing Senator that gives gay marriage enough votes to pass).
I wish there were as many "lower drug penalty" supporters as there are "increase animal cruelty penalty" supporters.
Very interesting piece about the disbursement of Race to the Top grant funds...and all the contractors that are dying to show Baltimore City how to spend their money.
The Flier editorial staff suggests that Howard County should no longer be so much detritus that is scraped into other Congressional districts. We deserve our own, and the political clout that goes along with having your own Congressional district, and not having to travel to Baltimore or Towson to visit your Congressman/woman. That brings up the follow-up issue of "We don't really ask for much." Howard County is a self-contained municipality. We certainly contribute more to the State than our County gets back. The recent "Online State" grant was pulled in (primarily) by Ulman administration folks, but will be shared with the surrounding counties. It's time for us to collect on some vouchers.
WB is ready to declare the re-opening of the political season, with his recent invitation to an Ulman fundraiser at Turf Valley. Dennis thinks it may be a show of force (a la parking some warships along the coast line). Earlier yesterday, Dennis also posted about "The Amazing Meshkin."
53 Beers lost 45 lbs since July and for that I give him 2 thumbs up.
HowChow posts about Tres Leches cake at Cuba de Ayar in Burtonsville, which is still on my "must try" list.
Sarah puts out another great post, this time about the environmental impact of septic tanks.
Trevor jumps head first into the Healthy Howard debate, offering to start a reduced price (CORRECTION: Free, or as Trevor says "FREE") dental clinic for 720 people if the County pays him $500,000.
That's all for now. For those of you who have a three day weekend coming up, congratulations. Buy us two day weekenders a beer.
LINKS
The small news getting big attention award has to go to the announcement that Healthy Howard will be requesting an additional $500,000 from the County. With the support of Ball, Sigaty, and Terrasa, they will be getting this money. The real question is whether Courtney Watson holds the line from 2009, or whether the exit of the Horizon Grant will have her see a larger role for County funds. In terms of the longer narrative, it should be noted that HHAP has kept its request steady, despite the absence of its largest donor. This suggests that the program has been successful finding private donors. However, as I've noted previously, any nonprofit born from the mind of the current County Executive should be given additional scrutiny when it requests funds. (And I still plan to post that audit once I have some time)
Don't worry everybody, the Hilltop development is just a sparkle in its daddy's eye right now.
A man set himself on fire and jumped off a bridge near the Columbia mall yesterday evening. That's all there is to say about that. (Patch does a great job covering this one)
If Jeopardy ever has a category for "Maryland Civil Rights", one of the answers spewed by Watson 3.0 (over the objections of Watson 1.0 and 2.0) may be "Who is Senator James Rosapepe?" (For fear of compelling you to click the link, he was the final committing Senator that gives gay marriage enough votes to pass).
I wish there were as many "lower drug penalty" supporters as there are "increase animal cruelty penalty" supporters.
Very interesting piece about the disbursement of Race to the Top grant funds...and all the contractors that are dying to show Baltimore City how to spend their money.
The Flier editorial staff suggests that Howard County should no longer be so much detritus that is scraped into other Congressional districts. We deserve our own, and the political clout that goes along with having your own Congressional district, and not having to travel to Baltimore or Towson to visit your Congressman/woman. That brings up the follow-up issue of "We don't really ask for much." Howard County is a self-contained municipality. We certainly contribute more to the State than our County gets back. The recent "Online State" grant was pulled in (primarily) by Ulman administration folks, but will be shared with the surrounding counties. It's time for us to collect on some vouchers.
WB is ready to declare the re-opening of the political season, with his recent invitation to an Ulman fundraiser at Turf Valley. Dennis thinks it may be a show of force (a la parking some warships along the coast line). Earlier yesterday, Dennis also posted about "The Amazing Meshkin."
53 Beers lost 45 lbs since July and for that I give him 2 thumbs up.
HowChow posts about Tres Leches cake at Cuba de Ayar in Burtonsville, which is still on my "must try" list.
Sarah puts out another great post, this time about the environmental impact of septic tanks.
Trevor jumps head first into the Healthy Howard debate, offering to start a reduced price (CORRECTION: Free, or as Trevor says "FREE") dental clinic for 720 people if the County pays him $500,000.
That's all for now. For those of you who have a three day weekend coming up, congratulations. Buy us two day weekenders a beer.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Good Letter, Bad Logic
Doug Dribben of Woodstock Maryland submitted a very well written letter to Columbia Flier arguing the public policy reasons for prohibiting same sex marriage. Many folks, myself included, get tired of the religious arguments for why a state law should or should not be enacted, and this is a nice respite in the same-sex marriage debate.
The centerpiece of Mr. Dribben's argument is that marriage, and its favorable treatment under the tax code, is for procreation, and that once you take out that element, there is no reason for the government to favor marriage.
I have some follow up questions for Mr. Dribben:
A) Should the allowance for joint returns extinguish itself after the woman reaches menopause?
B) Should infertile married couples be required to self-report to the IRS and forgo all tax benefits?
C) Should taxpayers pay less taxes for every child they have?
D) If you have a child out of wedlock, should you be able to file a joint return with anyone who agrees to help you raise it?
Mr. Dribben does make one argument that (almost) left me speechless: "The current law does not 'deprive a minority of equal rights.' Both homosexuals and heterosexuals can marry a member of the opposite sex, and neither can marry a member of the same sex. In fact, the proposed change, if limited only to homosexuals, would discriminate against heterosexuals who wish to marry a member of the same sex to provide that partner benefits."
I am curious whether Mr. Dribben foresees a "homosexual inspection" before same sex marriage is permitted. "You must be 'This Gay' to enter...into a homosexual monogamous relationship."
The centerpiece of Mr. Dribben's argument is that marriage, and its favorable treatment under the tax code, is for procreation, and that once you take out that element, there is no reason for the government to favor marriage.
I have some follow up questions for Mr. Dribben:
A) Should the allowance for joint returns extinguish itself after the woman reaches menopause?
B) Should infertile married couples be required to self-report to the IRS and forgo all tax benefits?
C) Should taxpayers pay less taxes for every child they have?
D) If you have a child out of wedlock, should you be able to file a joint return with anyone who agrees to help you raise it?
Mr. Dribben does make one argument that (almost) left me speechless: "The current law does not 'deprive a minority of equal rights.' Both homosexuals and heterosexuals can marry a member of the opposite sex, and neither can marry a member of the same sex. In fact, the proposed change, if limited only to homosexuals, would discriminate against heterosexuals who wish to marry a member of the same sex to provide that partner benefits."
I am curious whether Mr. Dribben foresees a "homosexual inspection" before same sex marriage is permitted. "You must be 'This Gay' to enter...into a homosexual monogamous relationship."
Friday yet? (Thursday Links)
Nothing much new with me. Let's more directly to the...
LINKS
Along with HowChow, I am a big Mark Bittman fan (with his new book in a cardboard box somewhere between me and "Amazon" as I type this). Check out his column in the New York Times.
Right when I start to enjoy this nice weather, the prognosticators tell me that it will be short lived. This is revenge for the not-so-nice things I said about your "competence," isn't it?
Baltimore City redistricting has begun. These folks have the Herculean task of finding Democrat majorities in every district.
Builders see O'Malley's proposed septic ban as a stop-work order.
If one of your Facebook friends has "RIP Uncle Leo" as their status, you do not have to send flowers. They are not really related.
The story about the Wedersheim trial is one of the most fascinating true crime stories out there right now. For those that need Cliff Notes, these two brothers were part of a Jewish neighborhood patrol group called "Shomrim." The older brother is a former Israeli Special Forces member. They are accused of assaulting a black teenager in the Park Heights neighborhood while on patrol. Provocation, if any, is disputed.
The Friendly Inn is going in a more family friendly direction (I'm sorry, but my resistance for bad jokes is greatly diminished before 8 am).
The Flier has a great piece looking at how Howard County's increasingly diverse population has affected and/or reflected itself in our public services.
Senator Allan Kittleman is putting forward a package of pro-business legislation, including a "Right to Work" bill, which is modeled after similar efforts in 22 other states. I don't think Allan will expect any union endorsements in his next election.
For those interested in the nitty gritty of master plans and urban planning (I am!!), I would recommend reading this (short) piece about Howard County's Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance and its effect on County growth.
Mo recommends "The Art of Racing in the Rain." (So did WB, for all those keeping track).
WB notes that CA has hired our own HoCoBlogs godmother, Jessie Newburn, as their Community Engagement Strategist. He also gives a neat explanation for why he chose the "Lobby art" that he chose for Emerson One.
Sarah compares Facebook and Twitter, but chooses not to use the latter. I use both, but I primarily use the Twitter for news.
That's all for today. Hope to check in later.
LINKS
Along with HowChow, I am a big Mark Bittman fan (with his new book in a cardboard box somewhere between me and "Amazon" as I type this). Check out his column in the New York Times.
Right when I start to enjoy this nice weather, the prognosticators tell me that it will be short lived. This is revenge for the not-so-nice things I said about your "competence," isn't it?
Baltimore City redistricting has begun. These folks have the Herculean task of finding Democrat majorities in every district.
Builders see O'Malley's proposed septic ban as a stop-work order.
If one of your Facebook friends has "RIP Uncle Leo" as their status, you do not have to send flowers. They are not really related.
The story about the Wedersheim trial is one of the most fascinating true crime stories out there right now. For those that need Cliff Notes, these two brothers were part of a Jewish neighborhood patrol group called "Shomrim." The older brother is a former Israeli Special Forces member. They are accused of assaulting a black teenager in the Park Heights neighborhood while on patrol. Provocation, if any, is disputed.
The Friendly Inn is going in a more family friendly direction (I'm sorry, but my resistance for bad jokes is greatly diminished before 8 am).
The Flier has a great piece looking at how Howard County's increasingly diverse population has affected and/or reflected itself in our public services.
Senator Allan Kittleman is putting forward a package of pro-business legislation, including a "Right to Work" bill, which is modeled after similar efforts in 22 other states. I don't think Allan will expect any union endorsements in his next election.
For those interested in the nitty gritty of master plans and urban planning (I am!!), I would recommend reading this (short) piece about Howard County's Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance and its effect on County growth.
Mo recommends "The Art of Racing in the Rain." (So did WB, for all those keeping track).
WB notes that CA has hired our own HoCoBlogs godmother, Jessie Newburn, as their Community Engagement Strategist. He also gives a neat explanation for why he chose the "Lobby art" that he chose for Emerson One.
Sarah compares Facebook and Twitter, but chooses not to use the latter. I use both, but I primarily use the Twitter for news.
That's all for today. Hope to check in later.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Obama's Budget Made Easy
Seeing as none of us are going to read President Obama's proposed budget, I thought I would pass on this (really frickin' cool) interactive graphic put together by the New York Times.
Quite An Endorsement
I found this comment on the Baltimore Sun article about Columbia's sign code:
Talking about a failed dystopic vision, Columbia is just that.
Soaring high crime rates, tolerance of illegal immigration, ultra liberal educators brainwashing children, and to top it off, ridiculous lack of signs to help you find your way around something which resembles a maze.
The whole town is a commuter nightmare, with huge traffic backups clogging up route 175 that it deters everyone else from visiting. This is compounded by nearby Washington DC offering government jobs to people that live there which honestly produce nothing of value.
It was founded by a wacked out liberal and populated by them as well. I discourage anyone from visiting.
The structure is almost poetic.
Talking about a failed dystopic vision, Columbia is just that.
Soaring high crime rates, tolerance of illegal immigration, ultra liberal educators brainwashing children, and to top it off, ridiculous lack of signs to help you find your way around something which resembles a maze.
The whole town is a commuter nightmare, with huge traffic backups clogging up route 175 that it deters everyone else from visiting. This is compounded by nearby Washington DC offering government jobs to people that live there which honestly produce nothing of value.
It was founded by a wacked out liberal and populated by them as well. I discourage anyone from visiting.
The structure is almost poetic.
Maryland Campaign Disclosures Rank Near Bottom
I was directed by this article in the Washington Post to a UCLA study that noted Maryland as being 44th in its rankings for Campaign Disclosure Laws. 44th!
As I noted yesterday, I'm not too keen on painting big donations as bad in and of themselves, BUT I do want to be able to track the money. Especially in an age of legislative immunity, where favorable acts by an elected official that may be related to campaign donations are legally prohibited from being offered as proof of a bribe.
As I noted yesterday, I'm not too keen on painting big donations as bad in and of themselves, BUT I do want to be able to track the money. Especially in an age of legislative immunity, where favorable acts by an elected official that may be related to campaign donations are legally prohibited from being offered as proof of a bribe.
Who put the dip in the dip-de-dip-de-dip (Wednesday Links)
We recorded another episode of "I Can Fix That" last night, and the topic for discussion was "Budgets." One of the questions Jodi asked me (in a non-accusatory or aggressive manner, of course) was "Have you read the budget?" Despite a quick inquiry last year, I've never read a state budget (I read the Howard County budget last year and boy is that a thrill-ride, especially if you have a thing for sidewalks). Also, I don't think I ever will read a State budget. It made me wonder whether it is a obligation of an informed citizenry to read the budget and keep our legislators honest, or whether we can rely on journalists to give a thorough read and give us an honest scoop. The latter just seems so lazy, but the former is just too onerous.
Maybe we need budget reading study groups. Split the budget into sections, every one read their portion and then reports back to the group. ... Sorry, law school flash back. That doesn't sound like such a good idea after all.
At the end of the day, we may debate this budget, but we really will have no idea who put the dip in the dip-de-dip-de-dip, or whether it deserves to be there.
LINKS
Baltimore City schools need more funding for building updates at just the wrong time. Unfortunately, it seems like they are already past due.
Harford County Republicans are shutting Democrats out of the redistricting process by way of a "fringe party" exception for political party inclusion. I guess these are the dangers of a one-party County.
This article about the Columbia sign code almost comes off as a satire. "Everybody's getting lost! We can't find a daggone thing. Only reason I can eat is because I stumbled across a McDonald's while looking for a hair salon."
Cordish has hired Billy Murphy in a $600 million defamation lawsuit. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
Maryland has received $6.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to set up a model health exchange that may be implemented in other states under the new health care law (PPACA).
I don't know if people realize how much of an effect O'Malley's septic ban could have. This ban would effectively put a ban on rural development, which is a driver of growth in many of the Counties that don't lie along the 95 corridor. AKA the red counties. I'm not going to suggest that this is politically motivated (or at least not solely politically motivated), but you can assume that the deep red folks that are concerned about the new ban do not have the ear of the Band-leader-in-Chief.
Sarah posts about women's experiences in public spaces.
Trevor is taking off his dentist coat and putting on his lobbyist hat today. In other news, Trevor charges $300 for teeth whitening.
WB posts about local bean sprouts, record breaking, and sex. Don't worry, the three categories remain separate throughout the post.
It seems the big news in the local blogosphere yesterday was HowChow's post about a new kosher deli coming to Maple Lawn. Despite all of the good food in Howard County, I feel like a good sub is one of the areas where we fall short. My favorite is still Boarman's, but that may be nostalgia since I grew up down the road from there. I also hear the BP Gas Station in Maple Lawn has some good hoagies. Any thoughts?
Have a great Wednesday!
Maybe we need budget reading study groups. Split the budget into sections, every one read their portion and then reports back to the group. ... Sorry, law school flash back. That doesn't sound like such a good idea after all.
At the end of the day, we may debate this budget, but we really will have no idea who put the dip in the dip-de-dip-de-dip, or whether it deserves to be there.
LINKS
Baltimore City schools need more funding for building updates at just the wrong time. Unfortunately, it seems like they are already past due.
Harford County Republicans are shutting Democrats out of the redistricting process by way of a "fringe party" exception for political party inclusion. I guess these are the dangers of a one-party County.
This article about the Columbia sign code almost comes off as a satire. "Everybody's getting lost! We can't find a daggone thing. Only reason I can eat is because I stumbled across a McDonald's while looking for a hair salon."
Cordish has hired Billy Murphy in a $600 million defamation lawsuit. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
Maryland has received $6.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to set up a model health exchange that may be implemented in other states under the new health care law (PPACA).
I don't know if people realize how much of an effect O'Malley's septic ban could have. This ban would effectively put a ban on rural development, which is a driver of growth in many of the Counties that don't lie along the 95 corridor. AKA the red counties. I'm not going to suggest that this is politically motivated (or at least not solely politically motivated), but you can assume that the deep red folks that are concerned about the new ban do not have the ear of the Band-leader-in-Chief.
Sarah posts about women's experiences in public spaces.
Trevor is taking off his dentist coat and putting on his lobbyist hat today. In other news, Trevor charges $300 for teeth whitening.
WB posts about local bean sprouts, record breaking, and sex. Don't worry, the three categories remain separate throughout the post.
It seems the big news in the local blogosphere yesterday was HowChow's post about a new kosher deli coming to Maple Lawn. Despite all of the good food in Howard County, I feel like a good sub is one of the areas where we fall short. My favorite is still Boarman's, but that may be nostalgia since I grew up down the road from there. I also hear the BP Gas Station in Maple Lawn has some good hoagies. Any thoughts?
Have a great Wednesday!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The LLC Loophole and You
The Sun is reporting that Governor O'Malley would support closing the LLC loophole that allows creative rich folk to put on different hats in order to avoid contribution totals. It doesn't take too much fooling around on the campaign finance database to see that this will have a significant effect on local elections, where a few thousand dollars can make or break a candidacy. (If you really want a good time, start looking up the Articles of Incorporation as well...)
I'm not big on the "follow the money" memes of political mud throwing. If there is favoritism, then you can follow a thread back, but there is nothing "evil" in contributing large sums of money to a political candidate. I do have a problem with the intentional manipulation of a loophole...and look forward to it being closed.
I'm not big on the "follow the money" memes of political mud throwing. If there is favoritism, then you can follow a thread back, but there is nothing "evil" in contributing large sums of money to a political candidate. I do have a problem with the intentional manipulation of a loophole...and look forward to it being closed.
CMP (Tuesday Links)
I had a revelatory moment last night. It did not have to do with public policy or the fine art of law, but rather...the best dessert I have had in my entire life. Up to this point in life, the best dessert (...) title would probably go to a Dangerously Delicious pie (noting that my wife's fine cooking is not placed into consideration for this honor because it can be presumed that she would win). Last night, we went to Woodberry Kitchen. We had another great meal, but saved just enough room for dessert. The last time I was at WK, I had a bread pudding that was very good and Jane had some sort of ice cream that she also liked. This time I ordered the CMP. It stands for Chocolate, Marshmallow, and Peanuts. But don't let the simple title fool you. It is malt ice cream, topped with a layer of fudge/peanut/caramel, topped with a layer of fluff, topped with a thin sugar shell. I don't think I spoke five words in the 10 minutes it took me to eat the thing. Jane and I already decided that we may come back just for desserts sometime...ok, well, I decided that we would come back for desserts and Jane has agreed to oblige.
LINKS
Larry Carson has a great piece juxtaposing the County's financial woes with three community initiatives in need of funding. Whenever I get into a discussion about County spending with someone on the other side of the aisle (and no, I don't mean a Republican), they normally say something to this effect "Well, I know you care about funding for the homeless. Where do you think that money comes from?" At which time, I will stomp on their foot and run away. The real answer, despite being somewhat trite and very obvious, is that government funding is about priorities. You are a "tax and spend liberal" unless you are spending money on the Department of Defense. Then you're a patriot. You can certainly look for "efficiencies", but the manner in which government money is directed does not incorporate the same market forces that reward efficiency. After the nuts and bolts of government is taken care of, any remaining projects are subject to the whimsy of the elected officials.
I believe the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness is a critical opportunity to end homelessness in Howard County before this problem reaches a size that can not be easily managed. We are about to experience an unprecedented population boom from two different directions: BRAC and Columbia Redev. Finding a way to stave off large increases in homeless men, women, and families is one of the most important considerations our County faces over the next few years. This issue will affect crime, quality of life, the cost of future public services, and the way in which our County is seen by others. It is not just "one of three" issues presented at the end of a budget hearing. I wish I knew where the County could find funding, but I certainly think it deserves high prioritization. Soon enough it will demand it.
I believe the Baltimore Sun has effectively manufactured a controversy in their suggestion that Baltimore City is buying out its most "experienced" teachers. Just about all of my best teachers throughout my life have been in their late thirties/early forties. Is that to suggest that older teachers are not as good? Absolutely not. But if a teacher is older and wants to take a buy-out, it may be fair to consider that they've lost their passion for teaching. All the experience in the world can't replace that.
In case you had not heard about this, a Loyola University professor has been accused by a US Representative of having links to a secessionist group.
Vegi-Pak in Mt. Airy has been closed over unsanitary conditions.
The fight for marriage equality gained two more friends yesterday (including Senator Ed Kasemeyer! Nice job, Ed!).
Sarah notes a few pieces that she would recommend for consideration, addressing wedding dresses and the transportation trust fund.
About 15 years ago, Dennis sold a guy a church to use as an art studio. Dennis would now like to know whether you would like to use a church as a _________.
That's all for today. Have a great Tuesday!
LINKS
Larry Carson has a great piece juxtaposing the County's financial woes with three community initiatives in need of funding. Whenever I get into a discussion about County spending with someone on the other side of the aisle (and no, I don't mean a Republican), they normally say something to this effect "Well, I know you care about funding for the homeless. Where do you think that money comes from?" At which time, I will stomp on their foot and run away. The real answer, despite being somewhat trite and very obvious, is that government funding is about priorities. You are a "tax and spend liberal" unless you are spending money on the Department of Defense. Then you're a patriot. You can certainly look for "efficiencies", but the manner in which government money is directed does not incorporate the same market forces that reward efficiency. After the nuts and bolts of government is taken care of, any remaining projects are subject to the whimsy of the elected officials.
I believe the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness is a critical opportunity to end homelessness in Howard County before this problem reaches a size that can not be easily managed. We are about to experience an unprecedented population boom from two different directions: BRAC and Columbia Redev. Finding a way to stave off large increases in homeless men, women, and families is one of the most important considerations our County faces over the next few years. This issue will affect crime, quality of life, the cost of future public services, and the way in which our County is seen by others. It is not just "one of three" issues presented at the end of a budget hearing. I wish I knew where the County could find funding, but I certainly think it deserves high prioritization. Soon enough it will demand it.
I believe the Baltimore Sun has effectively manufactured a controversy in their suggestion that Baltimore City is buying out its most "experienced" teachers. Just about all of my best teachers throughout my life have been in their late thirties/early forties. Is that to suggest that older teachers are not as good? Absolutely not. But if a teacher is older and wants to take a buy-out, it may be fair to consider that they've lost their passion for teaching. All the experience in the world can't replace that.
In case you had not heard about this, a Loyola University professor has been accused by a US Representative of having links to a secessionist group.
Vegi-Pak in Mt. Airy has been closed over unsanitary conditions.
The fight for marriage equality gained two more friends yesterday (including Senator Ed Kasemeyer! Nice job, Ed!).
Sarah notes a few pieces that she would recommend for consideration, addressing wedding dresses and the transportation trust fund.
About 15 years ago, Dennis sold a guy a church to use as an art studio. Dennis would now like to know whether you would like to use a church as a _________.
That's all for today. Have a great Tuesday!
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