A SKEPTIC'S OPINION: HOGAN NAILED IT!

     I just watched the Hogan-Brown Gubernatorial Debate sponsored by Baltimore news station WJZ-TV and the Baltimore Sun newspaper. To be honest, I thought that Hogan may choke, being in the bowels of O'Malley-Brown territory. I have not been a fan of Hogan's because I simply did not think he was electable. I didn't think that he could possibly win the voters of Baltimore City, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County, which everyone knows are key to winning this race. Larry Hogan convinced me tonight that he can win this race! 
   Larry Hogan's presentation was flawless. He appeared calm, honest, prepared, confident, and ready to rumble, while never coming off as aggressive or arrogant. He answered all accusations emphatically and without hesitation. He was not phased at all by being in "enemy territory." He is not one of those guys who only feels comfortable talking to a crowd of supporters. 
    While I was impressed with how he presented himself, I was even more impressed with what he had to say and not just how he said it. He answered each question without avoiding any topic, only going off topic once briefly to defend himself against a Brown accusation that was not allowed a rebuttal. 

OPENING STATEMENTS

     It began with Anthony Brown's opening statement where he immediately talked about he and O'Malley's accomplishments ("we've accomplished"). He did not shy away from his connection to the governor and the policies of that administration, mentioning specifically that Maryland is leading the nation in Education and also the states' AAA bond rating. He then quickly veered away from O'Malley saying that he is not looking to the past, but wants rather to talk about the future. He mentioned his military experience and then said that he was "on a different mission." He finished with what seemed to be his mantra for the evening: He will get up every morning and fight for working families and middle class values, claiming that Hogan was for favoring a small group of the wealthy and large corporations. This was repeated word-for-word several times. Hogan was not having it.
     Hogan's opening statement was about why he was running and it basically was a list of what he called "the failures" of the O'Malley-Brown administration. He said that he was fed up with the politicians in Annapolis, stating that he is not a politician, but rather a small business owner. He mentioned the over-40 tax hikes, $10B out of the pockets of working families, the 8,000 businesses that left the state, the high unemployment rate compared to the rest of the country, and the "mass exodus" of people leaving the state to relocate elsewhere with less regulations and taxes. He got my attention. BAM!

1. TAXES: WILL YOU LOWER OR AT LEAST NOT RAISE OR CREATE NEW TAXES?

    Brown said, "Let me be clear [where have we heard that before?], there will be no new taxes." He stated that everything that the administration has done has been to attract businesses. He said that his tax relief will start with the middle class, while he accused Hogan of planning to give $300M in tax giveaways to wealthy corporations. He again stated that he will be fighting for working middle-class families. 

    

    Hogan said, "It sounds good, but it is the opposite of your record of failure." He again pointed to the over-40 tax hikes "crushing the middle class, especially those at the lower end of the scale." He stated that 71percent of Marylanders think taxes are too high. He said, "You did that! Are you going to roll them back?" He accused Brown of giving tax credits only to specific corporations [crony Capitalism]. He reminded Brown that he said he was going to reform taxes in 2007 and did the exact opposite. BAM!

REBUTTAL

   
     Brown's rebuttal was to warn voters not to "go back" to raised college tuition and congested streets, implying that Hogan was somehow responsible for these problems, which he and O'Malley corrected. He then named one success story, Armor All, which he claimed is now second in the world in their industry thanks to he and O'Malley's business policies.  

2. EDUCATION: WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE AFFECTS OF RECENT INCREASED SPENDING IN K-12 EDUCATION?

    Hogan conceded that they were doing a "good job" in building schools, but said that they doubled the spending with mixed results. He said we may have the best schools, but we are the lowest in performance, with the performance gap between blacks and whites still too large. He said he would like to push money down to the local level, and to also have the decision-making at the local level. He said that he would put a pause on Common Core, calling it an abject failure. He would push for more charter schools. BAM!

    Brown repeated his ad statement that every child deserves a good education. He said that they have made progress in closing the achievement gap. He asked Hogan what resources he is willing to invest? Brown is promising a free pre-K education for every child. He accused Hogan of opposing that, and also of opposing new school construction, claiming Hogan will cut $450M in construction funding. He warns the voters that Hogan will take them backwards. 

REBUTTAL 

     Hogan said that he is for a pre-K education, but not free, not for everyone. He accused Brown of not telling the truth about this issue in his ads. He said that he is for free pre-K only for those who are 300-percent above poverty level (roughly $75,000 family income) or below. He stated that Brown's plan would not be instituted until 2022, and that he has no viable plan to pay for it. He said that Brown already increased spending by $10M and that we
can not afford it. He said the issue was an election ploy. BAM!

3. TAXES: DO YOU AGREE WITH COMPTROLLER  FRANCHOT WHEN HE STATED THAT MARYLAND HAS HUGE FISCAL CHALLENGES THAT WILL REQUIRE RAISING TAXES. 

    Brown does not agree with Franchot, and again stated that he will not raise taxes. Instead he will give targeted tax credits to small businesses, he will look at spending, vehicle fee management, and Medicaid savings. He accused Hogan of planning to raise property taxes by $300M. 

    Hogan said that everything Brown said in that answer was not true. He said that Brown does not want to talk about almost 8 years of failure including increased spending and increased taxes."You said that during the last election and you raised taxes! He wants a promotion, but doesn't want us to look at his record." BAM!

REBUTTAL

   Brown said that his record will show that he created $40,000 jobs, and through a private-public partnership (P3) created 5,000 jobs at the port. Again, accused Hogan of wanting to cut $450M in school construction and increase the tax base by $300M in property tax. 

4. ENVIRONMENT: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FEE?

    Hogan said that the Bay is a valued asset and top priority, but he would not blame the farmers or the rain. He stated that no one has looked at management of sediment (43-percent) from the Conowingo Dam. He would look to the Federal government, the EPA, and Army Core of Engineers, along with the states of Pennsylvania and New York to pay their share of the cleanup. He then accused Brown of raiding $460M out of the Open Space Fund along with $1.3B from a trust fund meant for the Bay cleanup. He promised not to raid these trust funds. He said that Marylanders hate the Rain Tax and are disgusted with them for passing it. BAM!

    Brown said that Maryland has a tradition of a "balanced approach" to environmental issues. He said that Hogan shouldn't blame other states, and said that he would work with local governments on these issues and also on reducing new septic systems. 

REBUTTAL

    Hogan said that was nonsense, because Brown robbed the money that they could have used to clean up the bay, and that he blamed it on the recession. He said that Brown did not cut spending, but that he had increased spending and taxes. "You are making things up! We are not recovering." BAM!

5. NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING: WHY HAS THIS RACE BEEN SO NEGATIVE?

   Brown said that his ads are a conversation with the voters. Voters have a right to know where Hogan stands on important issues. He said it is fair to show the contrast in issues. He specifically named SB 281 and said that he opposed the bill in total and each piece of the bill including the banning of "assault weapons," limiting magazine size, background checks, and fingerprinting. He accused Hogan of secretly planning to overturn or not enforce SB 281 and called it dangerous. 

    Hogan said that he will not repeal SB 281. He actually felt that the bill didn't go far enough concerning mental illness and Federal background checks. It is set into law. He said that Brown has been running untrue ads trying to scare the public and as a distraction from his own record. "The ad shows an assault weapon on a playground! It is 100-percent false." He said that Brown keeps referring to Hogan's "long record" when he has no long record. He is not a politician. He also said that abortion is set into law and he does not intend to revisit that issue. He said that Brown ran more untrue ads about abortion meant to scare women into voting for Brown. 

REBUTTAL

    Brown spoke about "extreme gun owners" and again claimed that Hogan plans to not enforce SB 281. He said that Hogan has been a "political operative."

6. IMMIGRATION: DO YOU SUPPORT BRINGING CHILDREN FROM THE BORDER TO OUR STATE?

    Hogan first went off topic to rebut the accusation in Brown's last rebuttal. "I don't have a record. You are using an article from decades ago that was actually about my dad. You should apologize to women for trying to scare them." BAM!
    About immigration, my wife is a first generation immigrant from South Korean. I am obviously welcoming to immigrants, but we are a nation of laws. I actually blame the president and both the Republicans and the Democrats in Congress and the Senate for the situation at the border. BAM!

    Brown said, "I am a first generation American, my parents came here from Jamaica. This is a land of immigrants." He blamed the Republicans in Congress for the situation at the border, but stated that we can't fix that in Maryland. He feels we are obligated to protect the children at the border. He feels that we should reunite them with their family here in the states and return them to their country of origin "eventually, if possible." He said that the Federal government should reimburse us for our foster care services. 

REBUTTAL

    Hogan said that the issue is a humanitarian issue and that we should feed, clothe, house and give them a medical exam. He does not think that we should take more immigrants per capita than other states, especially since they have to be bused hundreds of miles to get them here. 

    
7. SAFETY & CRIME: WHAT CAN YOU DO TO LOWER CRIME?

    Brown said again that he lost a cousin to gun crime and that he supported SB 281. He said that crime is at an all time low, but there is more to do. He said we must not rollback or not enforce SB 281. We need to build on the success of our new gun safety laws. 

    Hogan said that we have some of the toughest gun laws in the country, but we are in the top ten in violent crime. He stated that our number one problem is heroin. It is an epidemic all over the state no matter how small the community. Yet, there has been no action. Hogan would call a state of emergency and address the heroin problem immediately.

REBUTTAL

    Brown claimed that they have driven down crime rates and also recidivism. He said that Hogan just doesn't understand the problem.

8. GERRYMANDERING: WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING TO STOP THE EXCESSIVE GERRYMANDERING OF OUR STATE?

    Hogan said that he is nonpartisan and offered proof by pointing to his organization, Change Maryland, which he claims is half Democrats and Independents. He said that we need to take the redistricting out of the hands of the monopoly Party in Annapolis and let it be handled by a nonpartisan independent commission. 

    Brown said that he agrees with Hogan, however, he blames the extreme Right in Congress for the problem. He thinks it ought to be handled at the Federal level with an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

REBUTTAL

     Hogan said, "You just refuse to take responsibility! Your administration did this and it was the worst in the nation." He agreed that there is dysfunction in DC on both sides of the aisle with rabid partisanship. 

9. BUSINESS: HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE THE BUSINESS CLIMATE IN MARYLAND?

    Brown stated that when he is elected his first strategic act will be to move that goal to position one. He said it is debatable that the state is actually hostile to business, so he doesn't want to discuss it. He would rather talk about successes and then he named  4 or 5 businesses that are expanding. 

    Hogan asked, "Then why haven't you? You have had 8 years to do this." He said that Brown needs to take responsibility for driving 8,000 businesses out of our state. He said he has lost 200,000 jobs, and our unemployment rate is higher than the national average.  He said that we have 3 problems: 1) we are 41st out of 50 in business friendliness, 2) the burdensome regulation environment created by Brown-O'Malley, and 3) we have the fourth highest corporate tax in the country. BAM!

REBUTTAL

     Brown again accused Hogan of planning to give huge tax breaks to large corporations, even some that are out of state. "I support tax relief to small businesses." 

10. WOMEN'S ISSUES: WHAT WILL BE YOUR PRIORITY REGARDING WOMEN'S ISSUES?

    Brown  said that the average person on minimum wage is a 33 year old woman, and she cannot raise a family on it. Raising the minimum wage would help to raise her out of poverty. He said that he led the effort to reduce domestic violence, and that he would find a way to increase education opportunities. 

   Hogan conceded that they did a good job regarding domestic violence. He said that woman are worried about the economy. Women typically do the budgeting. The over-40 tax hikes are crushing them. Raising the minimum wage will do nothing, but there will be drawbacks. The minimum wage was never meant to support a family. "It was meant for kids! If you have a better economy it becomes a non-issue." BAM! He believes in unfettered birth control available over the counter. He will not revisit abortion, and again, states that Brown's ads regarding abortion are nothing but lies.

   In closing, both candidates restated their opening statement. 

    In summary, Hogan won the debate, my vote, and I think the vote of my 80-year-old mother who is Democrat. With the condition of this state, and with the complete dissatisfaction with the tax and spend O'Malley-Brown administration, voters are more open to listen to another perspective. Larry Hogan delivers a message that makes sense with an honesty that can't be denied.  
    I think he needs to iron out where he stands on SB 281 and courageously declare the truth of his intent...whatever that is. Making a firm statement and sticking to it will mean more than a wink and a nod to either side. Somebody is going to  be mad or disappointed. I think he needs to realize that and accept it. This election is about the economy first. His strengths are in fiscal financial policies, so in my opinion, he should stick to those.  I personally am disappointed that he isn't more forthright about gun rights, but I will take the 95 percent that we agree on instead of the maybe 9 percent I might agree on with Brown...just so I can stick it to Hogan for the gun issue. It doesn't make sense and I'm not going to do it. 
    I wonder if anyone noticed that there was no mention, from either side, of the failed ACA website and the huge loss of taxpayer money?

#VoteHogan4Governor 

RELATED POST: 

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, LT. GOV. BROWN, SPEAKS TO THE CHAMBER

http://liberatedconservativewoman.blogspot.com/2013/06/democratic-candidate-for-governor-lt.html

  

MEET THE CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND

    I attended a forum last night in Anne Arundel County for candidates who are running for governor of the state of Maryland. I am writing strictly for the voter who may not have the time or opportunity to attend a forum where they can meet the candidates. I want to provide not only their answers to the questions, but I also provide some video and personal opinion to give a feel for the candidate and his character.
    The forum was organized by two Republican clubs, two ladies Republican clubs, and the AA County Republican Central Committee. It was very nicely planned and well attended. There were around 20 elected officials present and welcomed from the podium, and I'd estimate about 150 in attendance. The candidates that participated were: Charles Lollar, Ron George, David Craig, and Brian Vaeth. Larry Hogan had declined the invitation.
    I can't say that I personally learned anything new about the candidates as far as where they stand on the issues, with the exception of Vaeth whom I have never before seen or even read anything about his campaign. I did find myself with different or evolving impressions about some of these candidates than what I had previously.  Ron George presents very knowledgeable about the nuts and bolts of all of the major issues, which shouldn't surprise me since he already serves as a state delegate. George seemed to know the story behind the story on every topic. I was aware of David Craig's extensive experience, but I didn't know he had such an easy going personality. When I first saw him many months ago in Hagerstown he seemed rather stodgy and stiff, but last night he was relaxed and confident and even humorous at times. Lollar is consistent in presentation every time that I've seen him speak. He is confident, intelligent, and ready to share his vision. Vaeth is the un-politician, somewhat unpolished and at times inappropriate and provided the audience a lot of comic relief. Larry Hogan had declined the invitation, and I am hearing a lot of chatter about it. People are starting to take offense and think that he may be over confident about his following and their votes.
    The forum began with 1.5 minutes each for an opening statement. I have posted them on YouTube at http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G8TR7r39uqc. This was followed by moderated Q&A with each candidate getting equal time to answer. The questions were almost too wordy to understand, so I will do my best to paraphrase and make them more concise. It was no surprise that the candidates' answers seemed all over the board and off topic at times. For instance, the first question was primarily about the minimum wage increase, and was probably the most straightforward of questions, but the candidates were mostly off topic.

Question 1-  What are your thoughts on the minimum wage increase?

George:   He talked about himself as a business owner, why he first became involved in politics, and then stated that he wants to lower income taxes by 10% immediately and retroactively.
Lollar:  He talked about the low quality of life in this state and that increasing the minimum wage will not make it better, but could in fact make it worse because of the loss of jobs. He said that he would start by eradicating the 80 new taxes passed by this current administration. He talked about the bait and switch use of taxpayer money, and that he would eliminate the income tax. He has worked with Arthur Lambert to develop a 5-year phase out plan, and then he finished his answer with a promise for transparency.
Vaeth:  He talked about renewable energy, in particular solar energy, as a solution to the state's economic woes, saying it would create jobs and give people who don't want to go to college usable skills with which to make a living. He then talked about making people pay the taxes that they owe and cracking down on truckers to make them pay for road maintenance.
Craig:  He started out asking, How many of you had a 30% raise this year? I am assuming he was referring to the large increase in the minimum wage, and he did get a few laughs from the audience. He then said that the average person on minimum wage are approximately age 24 or younger and they are working a temporary job not meant to be a career.
 
Question 2-  What are your thoughts on the Rain Tax?

Lollar:  He would repeal it. He thinks that Marylanders need to be educated on the facts about what is actually polluting the bay.  Just because something sounds right they line up behind it. He claimed that the Susquehanna River is the source of pollution to the bay, and that Maryland does not add to it. Vaeth: He  believes that we need to fight all federal mandates on our state. He is against fracking near the bay, and that we should begin manufacturing hemp products.
Craig:  He would repeal it. He said that he had fought against it since it was first mentioned two years ago. He warned us to watch for a Trash Tax sometime in the next two years.
George:  He fought against it since he first heard about it and before it was even proposed. He said it was passed without even going to committee and that he voted against it on the floor.
 
Question 3-  What are your thoughts on the business climate in the state, and what would you do to improve it?

Vaeth: He would work with businesses on an case-by-case basis finding their particular challenges. He would have also have an individualized tax plan for each business because one size doesn't fit all. He again reiterated that he would attract businesses through new energy programs.
Craig: He believes that the income tax is the tax that most affects small businesses because small business owners usually file their business taxes with their personal income taxes. He would phase out income tax over 5 years and pay for it by asking every department head in his administration to cut their budgets 3% a year for 3 years.
George:  Referenced a 10-point promise that can be found on his website. He would cut income tax 10% immediately and it would be retroactive. This would give people more discretionary money to spend and it would help the economy.
Lollar: Stated he has travelled all over the state to talk about this issue. He talked to the watermen on the Eastern Shore, talked about opening up fracking to those in Western Maryland, and  learned that Carroll County was most concerned about the minimum wage increase. He intends to offer a "real" Taxpayer's Bill of Rights.
   
Question 4-  What would you do about Obamacare and the delays that have cost the state $30.5M in the first year?

Craig: He would apply the 10th Amendment of the Constitution for states rights. He said Obamacare is unaffordable and inaccessible. He claimed that doctors and hospitals are cutting services because of this law and it will increasingly affect accessibility of healthcare.
George: He believes that contracts for the implementation of Obamacare in this state have been tied to donations and fundraising opportunities. He made a strong statement that he would not listen to the Feds on this or on Common Core.
Lollar:  Obamacare cannot work in the state or in the nation. He will not submit to the mandate and would instead develop private healthcare exchanges like some that have already developed in other states. He said that it is important to be able to balance the budget so that we can stand up to the Feds. When we depend on $9.3B from the Feds in our budget, we can't take a stand. 
Vaeth: Believes that accountability is needed most because he thinks it is a kickback scheme. He said that we need to go after the website developer to get our money back. He believes we need to take care of veteran's healthcare first.

Question 5: What is your view on Common Core, and should AA County switch to an appointed or elected School Board?

George: Stated that there have been five bills on Common Core. The first two were OK, but when they began to try to mandate it I began to fight it. He would restore parental rights, protect privacy, and take the control from the Feds and give it to the local school boards.
Lollar:  He is against Common Core and would provide the alternative of school choice. Parent's tax money would follow the child to whatever school they choose, public or private. The state and the Feds should have no say. He would increase standards by increasing choices.
Vaeth:  Common Core is yet another corporate kickback scheme. He named the Gates Foundation as a participant. He wondered if there were any teachers consulted in developing it. He is against the distribution of tablets to the children, saying that the information on the tablets can be modified without notice, while a book cannot.
Craig: He called upon his 15 years as a teacher and school administrator. He said it is about common sense. Politicians should not be making these decisions, and that only the teachers and the parents should have control of education. He thinks that Common Core is another 10th Amendment issue.
   
Question 6- Do you think teacher performance should be tied to test scores? 

Lollar: Stated that measuring teacher performance in this way will lead to teaching students to a test and that this should be avoided.
Vaeth: Believes that you can't base teacher performance on a failed curriculum. He also shared that he was a bad student and would not want a teacher to have to pay in some way for his refusal to learn. He thinks that teachers should be assessed by other teachers.
Craig:  It would not be appropriate for teachers or students, and he also believed that it would lead to teaching to a test. He thinks that this should be between the teachers and the school administrators.  George:  Introduced his running mate as a teacher. He said that he homeschooled his children. He believes in school choice. Not sure if he answered the question.
 
Question 7- Can you name one thing positive that this administration has done in the last 8 years?

Vaeth:  Nope.
Craig: He [Martin O'Malley] plays guitar well.
George: He does not agree with one thing. He said that Brown is an empty suit who still has not presented an economic plan, and that the state has been completely mismanaged.
Lollar: There were some good intentions, but the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
 
Question 8- What can you do to increase voter confidence? 

Craig: Stated that he has a history of restoring confidence when he served on city council, as mayor, and now as county executive. He has an open door policy, and supports hiring an independent auditor giving them free reign to audit anything.
George:  The problem is that the government doesn't trust you! They don't trust you with the 2nd Amendment or to run your business. He will build trust by trusting the people first.
Lollar:  He will build trust by limiting the size of government without  cutting essential services. He will guarantee a Tax Payer's Bill of Rights. He is profit-minded, so he plans to not only balance the budget but make money and return it to the people. He will avoid partisan politics, and bring Maryland together to find solutions regardless of party.
Vaeth: Vote for Bongino. He said he would get the DOJ to investigate everybody. He would especially look into all of the money for consultants and reports.
 
Question 9- The day after the primary, how will you reach out to voters in the larger areas [Baltimore City, Montgomery County, and Prince Georges County]?

Lollar:  Stated that his business is in PG County, and that he already has Democrats for Lollar groups in all four [not sure where the 4th is located] major areas.
Vaeth: Take away their pensions. I will tell them that I will protect entitlements and then I won't. I will trick them like they tricked us. They took our pensions.
Craig:  Stated that he has won over Democrats several times in his career when he won elections from long-term Democrats. He lamented that too many Republicans stay home and do not vote.  George:  I either failed to note his response or he was passed over. I am sorry if it was my mistake.
 
Question 10- If you caught your child with drugs, would you call the police? 

Lollar:  She would wish that I'd call the police! He added that he felt it would be his responsibility to deal with it as her parent.
Vaeth: I don't have children, but I think it should be handled by the parents.
Craig:  Stated that his children are successful adults, but he thinks that it is a matter for the parents.
George: It would be my responsibility as a parent.
 
    The candidates were given equal time for closing statements. I posted a video on YouTube at
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KqoAB_KEGNo.
 

UPDATED! CHARLES LOLLAR FOR GOVERNOR SPEAKS ON ISSUES

 

 

   

 

 

* I just added a full length video of a campaign speech made on 3//26/14: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecGJ29kRP1c&feature=share&list=UU8nAHf9dn3neqKHeGgQPs2w

    I first became aware of Charles Lollar on January 13, 2010. I remember it vividly because it was at a TEA Party on a cold night in Annapolis. I think it was the only TEA Party that I have ever attended after dark. Lawyer's Mall was filled to capacity in protest of O'Malley's budget mismanagement and the anticipated new taxes to be proposed in that legislative session. The event had been organized by Americans for Prosperity, but I was there with the Hagerstown TEA Party. There were several dynamic speakers there that were able to tap into the fervor of the crowd, but none better than a man named Charles Lollar. As I heard him speak I began to work my way threw the incredible crowd hoping to see the man behind the charisma. I'm not going to pretend that I wasn't intrigued to see a black man who was a Republican and who seemed to "get" the TEA Party, especially since the movement had been maligned by Liberals and branded as racists. I was fascinated. Beyond that he was able to almost "preach" Conservative principles unscripted, intelligently, and with a passion that I am sure convinced all who were there that he indeed shared our principles, our concerns, and our hopes for going forward. I knew nothing more about him, but I felt right then and there that he would play an important role in the future of Maryland politics. Over 4 years later I have learned that he is not only a charismatic speaker, but that he is highly educated (Political Science, B.A. and an MBA), a decorated Marine (Officers Candidate School), a devoted family man (married 20 years with 4 daughters), and someone with a grasp on Conservative issues like no other.  I attended the Charles Lollar for Governor Meet and Greet last night and I was not disappointed.



Huge Rally in Annapolis in 2010

    The event was held in a trendy setting, where good food and drink were available, and cool music played in the background. It had all of the expected promotional materials like palm cards, signs, and T-shirts and even the expected raffle for a very classy hospitality basket. Team Lollar did a great job of organizing the event. I immediately noticed something different about this candidate's event, and that was that he was actually greeting and meeting with people for at least an hour before the event. I don't mean hobnobbing with Republican elected officials...he was going from table to table talking with regular people. When he came to my table I asked him several of my own questions about issues in addition to some that had been texted to me to ask on other's behalf. His answers were so forthright and succinct that it almost through me off task. I asked him if I could have a chance to talk to him again after he spoke and he said that he would be available. He was not introduced by Republican bigwigs or marched out with pomp and circumstance. He just grabbed a mic and did what Charles Lollar does. He spoke about issues.
    He started by saying that he believes that many people are asking the wrong questions. We are struggling in this state. There is a mad exodus of businesses from the state. People need jobs and they are over taxed and over regulated. Yet people are asking him what he is going to do about social issues. He couldn't have spoken a TEA Party precept more precisely if it had been dictated to him. Many people do not realize--because of the Liberal media smear campaign against the TEA Party--that although individual TP members may feel strongly about certain social issues, in the spirit of compromise and cooperation they have always avoided them as a group or organization. This is what he said:

"I am not running to be your priest. I am running to be your governor. There is a very real difference between those two occupations. If you want me to be your pastor and tell you  how to live then let's get out of the governor business and start a church and I will tell you how to live. My job as your governor, if I am honored enough to serve you, is to be held accountable for every penny that you sent to Annapolis. To make sure it is spent properly and what is not spent properly should go right back to you the taxpayer." 

Can I get an "Amen"?

    As if we needed convincing that this state is struggling, Lollar rattled off some statistics. In the last 5-7 years we've lost 40,000 jobs. We have lost 6,500 small businesses, taking with them $5.5B in revenue. [We historically lose revenue when taxes are excessive.] In one fiscal year the state budget has gone from $34.6B to $36.9B. That is an increase of $2.5B or 7.5%. In that same fiscal year the Consumer Price Index cost of living grew only 1.5%. "That means that your government grows at 5 times the rate of your pocketbooks...and why do we need 74 new taxes over 7 years? There is nothing left to tax!" Lollar then laid out his 5-part plan for economic growth:

1. Control Spending.

• Tax Payer's Bill of Rights- Legislatively ensuring that our government no longer grows faster than our CPI. 
• Return to Zero-based Budgeting- Starting with what we spent last year and not with a wish list for which we increase taxes in order to obtain all that we want.
• Hiring/Employee Budget Accountability by Department Secretaries..

"The governor of Maryland controls the budget. So whenever the governor decides to, he can make the hard decisions to balance it...whether he does so or not. Yes the legislators vote it up and down and they can propose taxes against it, but the governor controls it."

    2.   Regulation Reform. Create a Citizens Industry Review Board to work in conjunction with the EPA. The board will be made up of volunteers, so there will be no cost to the taxpayer. They will have experience in their respective industries and create common sense solutions that respects the environment, but does not senselessly burden the business owners, farmers, watermen and the economy as a whole.

"No longer will academia regulate any industry without experience."

    3.  Transparency.

• No appointed boards or commissions with the power to raise taxes and fees.
• No raiding the Transportation Trust Fund to balance the budget.
• This governor will understand that I work for you and you do not work for me.

"We will not allow non-legislative non-elected bodies or commission boards to increase your fees or your taxes going forward. That should be left to those who are elected, and not to those who are appointed."

    4.  Education.

• School Choice so that children are not trapped in a school that is operating below standards just because of where they live. Wherever the child goes to school his parent's tax dollars will follow, either by voucher or tax credit. Schools will be competing for your children!
• Internships in high school especially for those seeking a trade instead of a degree.
• Teacher training out of their districts and maybe even out of the country in order to expand their teaching experiences and perspectives.

"The often touted No.1 ranking in education is not based on standardized test scores. It is based on dollars spent per student as well as the number of teachers affiliated with or a part of our public union. They know that! What we need is less and less students needing remedial courses in order to get into college." 

  5.  Repeal taxes.

• Rain Tax
• Progressive Gas Tax
• Taxes on pensions of First Responders

"With the Rain Tax we are the laughing stock of our region."

    The following is a Q & A exchange with the audience (only parts appear on the video due to technical difficulties) and also from my interview. The answers are mostly paraphrased.

1. Q [Audience]: What will you do to make a college education affordable?
    A: Overall the cost of in-state tuition is quite affordable at just under $9,000 a year. Two things that can help:

• Educational Trust Funds. Start early saving for your children and grandchildren.
• Repeal or amend the Dream Act. You cantnot have one group of people paying into the system and another group not paying into the system (illegal immigrants) and then have both groups receive the same benefits. Somebody has to pay the difference between the in-state ($9,000) and the out-of-state ($28,000) tuition and it is the taxpayer. This has nothing to do with racism. It has to do with fairness and this act could lead us into financial trouble. We can't afford it.

2. Q [Audience]: How exactly do you propose to cut taxes?
    A: Poor spending decisions and wish-list budgeting has led to this tax burden. We plan to:

• Create a board to look at each one of the 74 taxes to determine how many we can eradicate.
• Enact a flat 5% tax rate across the board.
• Look at casinos for future tax revenue (when asked by the audience).

3a. Q: Do you feel as do some establishment Republicans that you need to distance yourself from the TEA Party?
      A. No. I have always identified with the TEA Party on issues. I have presented TEA Party principles to some very tough audiences...as you might imagine.
3b. Q: Why do you think establishment Republicans do not embrace the TEA Party?
      A: I think it threatens their status as career politicians. Politics was never meant to be a career. The founding fathers intended for elected officials to work jobs. They were to serve from January to March and then go home and work their jobs.
4.  Q: Do you think that Plan Maryland has adversely affected farmers?
     A: Yes. Plan Maryland seeks to target growth and resources towards an urban environment making it hard or in some cases impossible for farmers to sell their property or to get a loan against their property. I do not think that rural Maryland is being served by this administration.
5. Q: Where do you stand on fracking? Do you think that technology has now made this a safe industry?
    A:  "It is time!" We do not need to spend anymore taxpayer money on research and studies. It is being done successfully and safely in our neighboring states, and they are horizontally fracking and taking our resources and revenue. This could bring major economic growth to Western Maryland.
6. Q: Do you think that SB281 went too far?
    A: Absolutely. They have no right to define what kind of firearms our citizens may own. The 2nd Amendment is the right of every citizen to protect themselves with whatever firearm they choose to purchase.
7. Q: Hagerstown is a dying city. How can the state help revitalize our downtown?
    A: This administration does not want to help Hagerstown in a big way or they would have enabled fracking in Western Maryland, improved I-81, and created the highway by-pass that has been discussed for years. [I wish that I had been able to ask him to explain this further.] They are putting more state resources into the larger urban centers of the state and giving the rest of the state little to nothing.
8. Q: Hagerstown had been negotiating with a minor league baseball team to build a new stadium. The team has since decided to leave town, but the possibility of building a new stadium is still being considered. Do you think that public funds should be used to build stadiums?
    A: Absolutely not. "The day is over for taxpayer money for stadiums. The Governor is in charge of the budget. You will not see a stadium in my budget."
9. Q [Audience]: Would your administration make any changes to the pension plans of First Responders?
    A: I think that we can find ways to make a better life for our First Responders. I think that their pensions should be like my combat pay was in Kosovo...tax free.
10. Q: Where to you stand on increasing the minimum wage?
      A: I think that it inflates the whole system and winds up costing the wager earner and consumers more in taxes and increased costs that are passed down to the consumer. I think that lower taxes and smarter budgeting are the answers.
11. Q: What do you think of Common Core?
      A: "It is unconstitutional."  For a video of the full answer on Common Core go to http://youtu.be/F1rnB_e_NsQ.

   In the end, he asked for volunteers but only if they could be committed to sticking to the issues and resisting the urge for bickering and nasty campaign tactics. He admonished everyone to stick to the issues.  Privately I asked him about the rumors that his campaign team was "falling apart." He said that he cannot control every word that comes out of the mouths of 100 or more volunteers, but that once he was informed that one volunteer had used terms degrading to the developmentally challenged he took care of it and that person is no longer with the campaign. He said that his team is united and focused and moving forward. Based on the event that evening...I would have to agree with him.

You can see the video of his speech by going to http://youtu.be/CqPm_WP0r9E.

Visit the Charles Lollar for Governor website at http://www.lollar4governor.com/.

Also see: http://liberatedconservativewoman.blogspot.com/2014/03/meet-candidates-for-governor-of-maryland.html

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, LT. GOV. BROWN, SPEAKS TO THE CHAMBER

     

    Maryland Lt Governor Anthony G. Brown was the guest speaker at the Chamber of Commerce's monthly Eggs and Issues event today. Make no mistake. It was a campaign speech. Following the announcement of his candidacy at a picnic in Prince George’s County on May 10, 2013, this was just one stop on his campaign trail.
     I  read that he plans to run on the successes of the O'Malley-Brown administration. As anyone who knows me could imagine,  I am disgusted with the outcome of the 2013 legislative session. For this reason I felt compelled to attend this campaign event. I wanted to hear for myself how he plans to paint the state of our state, our business climate, our many tax increases, and our many state regulations as accomplishments to be celebrated. Those are just the subjects that I thought were relevant to this audience at the Chamber. I personally also would have liked to have  heard how he can make the worst 2nd Amendment infringements in the country besides NY sound like anything but unconstitutional, unnecessary, and oppressive.

It's Barack Obama! Right?!

    To be fair, he is clearly a very educated man with a remarkable resume, a veteran, a family man, a man that has lived  a life of service. All of that is admirable and I recognize that to be true. That said, I found his social presence to be rehearsed and one of a purely political personality.  He shook all of the right hands and slapped all of the right backs. His speech was every bit a speech. His manner is uncannily almost like Barack Obama's. I imagined that if I was a judge on the political version of the TV show The Voice, where you cannot see the person and only hear his voice, I would have sworn that it was President Obama speaking. The resume and the presence seemed a dichotomy. Lets be honest, personality does count in America...especially for the largely uninformed voters. 

The Gong Show

     So right out of the box he says, "We have come out--or are coming out in some areas of the state--of the Great Recession as a state able to weather the storm, growing economically, creating jobs faster than any other state other than Virginia..." I imagined that I was on the old Gong Show. I wanted to hit that big gong to make him stop singing so horribly and sit down! He is saying this presumably to business owners and entrepreneurs! In Maryland!! The audience wasn't applauding, but it wasn't balking either. 

   He went on to say, "Government can't solve every problem, but people want leaders to make the difficult decisions even when it's against their self interest." 

 This administration was completely driven by O'Malley's self interest in running for president in 2016! 
   "We have fought for our successes. We need continued economic prosperity and a growing economy, and the economy grows when businesses want to come to Maryland and when businesses want to stay in Maryland. 

 Not only do businesses not want to stay in Maryland, but neither do the productive citizens of the state! It is estimated that 40,000 people left the state in 2012.
   "Businesses want to stay in Maryland when we provide the investments in infrastructure." 

    The O'Malley-Brown administration robbed the transportation fund for two terms in order to fraudulently balance the budget! Then they made cuts to the funds given to the municipalities for infrastructure adding to the burdens of already tight budgets.
   "Government needs to provide these investments, but with fiscal responsibility and we have adhered to that..."

 

 "...while maintaining a AAA bond rating with a $1.8B structure deficit that we inherited."  This has to be Barack Obama! When all else fails blame somebody else. 

Barack! Is that you?!

   "We believe in Hagerstown and Washington County...and we are looking to continue a relationship with the business community here."
   The speech was precisely 15 minutes in length followed by a Q&A session.  I give every politician credit for submitting to Q&A. I could tell already that this candidate was pretty safe with this crowd. This audience was polite, gentle, even grateful!

All unicorns and rainbows here!

     The questions were hard to hear and most often comments rather than questions. I will try to paraphrase, but I admit it is pretty boring:

Q.    [inaudible] Is there someone we should tie in with for senior housing? 
A.    We have many programs like tax credit programs and grant programs. Ben on our staff can talk to you and lead you to the different programs and departments.

Q.  [COC host] There is an opportunity to build a stadium and to revitalize Hagerstown. How best can we work with Annapolis?
A.    We already provided $100,000 for a study. Now your challenges are largely local. We will look to your leaders. 

A poke in the eye to the Mayor and City Council!

Perhaps there will be resources from that strategy. The private sector creates, but strategic and public resources may be available...ought to be made available. We will take your lead and bring the resources. 

Q.    Thank you for your support for schools and libraries, but could you add to that support for the arts and museums?
A.    If you look at our budget you will see an increase for the arts. I am a big believer in the arts. 

Q.    How is sequester impacting Maryland now and in the future?
A.    We accounted for it in our budget this year, raising the Rainy Day Fund from 5% to 6% [Wow!] to mitigate the impact on the Headstart Program and furloughs for government employees.  [In other words, there was no impact because it was a gimmick to try to get more spending.] We only account for one budget year at a time. Not sure how it will impact next year's budget. We take each budget year as it comes. [Hagerstown actually got an INCREASE in CDBG money.] 

Q.    You say we are poised to be more business friendly, but the impression is that it is not so. How can we change that perception?

Candy coating makes everything more palatable. 

A.    We have to establish that goal. BTW, we have 15 strategic goals on our website.

        Develop metrics.

        Public and private need to work together on agreed upon metrics. 

        Action items.

        [Yay! All better!]

We need to provide a good cost of energy. [Can somebody say gas tax?]

We need to look into fracking in this area. [Get the hell out of the way!]

"We should not spend a lot of time in debating our level of friendliness. You can find a study for any results that you want." [The data is in. We are #40.]

" You the private sector have some work to do as well!" Yes, he did say that and nobody said a peep. 

Q.    Who establishes that goal? 

A.    At every level of government and the private sector.

Q.  Thank you from the Teacher's Association. [Anyone surprised? No? Me either.]

Q.    Wade Watson from Volvo Mack  was very grateful and full of praise for the business friendliness they have received. He has seen positive changes over the last 1-2 years and thinks MD is very competitive in energy and....taxes. [Well they always spread a little pork around to try to cultivate some gratitude. Besides, they have to do something right once in awhile. Could be that government behaved as it should have in this case.]

Q.    I work at workforce development and training of vets. Is there any help at the state level?

A.    I credit Barack Obama for working on the private sector to hire vets. What we did is create a program where universities have to provide college credit to vets for their related experience as do licensing boards. I will tie you up with Ben Stutts for our programs.

Q.    Don't forget the Maryland Theater. 

        Regarding the airport tower, we not only want to keep it, we want to build a new tower and we have a developer willing to pay one third of the investment for it. 

        Regarding workforce development: our technical schools that provide a trade are treated like 2nd class citizens when it comes to funding. 

A.  In my day it was called Vo-tech. [In my day too and I went to one.] It was looked down upon. But many years later I ran into a guy named Dave who went to Vo-tech and his home is three times larger than mine! [I think I know Dave.] Yes, we need to put more money into the trade schools. People will say that we don't have the money, but we have done it while balancing the budget!

One last gong. I promise. 

    There were no surprises. It was a campaign stop. The democratic candidate for governor was singularly given a captive audience at a Chamber of Commerce event. They rolled out the red carpet for him. What will surprise me is if a Republican candidate for governor gets the same opportunity and is met with such...glee (some were absolutely giddy).  

     

   

DAVID CRAIG FOR GOVERNOR VISITS HAGERSTOWN

   I attended a meet and greet for Republican gubernatorial candidate David Craig last evening at Bulls & Bears in downtown Hagerstown. The event was well-attended by citizens, elected officials, and community leaders. After Commissioner Terry Baker introduced the candidate, he came to the podium and gave a short speech with all of  the standard Republican candidate content. He said nothing bold or daring, but he had the presence of  a good man who has been serving his country in one form or another for many years. I had no prior knowledge of Mr. Craig and I found him to be a pleasant man who seemed to present himself with a good balance of confidence and humility.
   After his speech he did do something fairly bold by taking a few questions from the audience. I was all ears as he was asked about the recent gun control bill (SB281). He gave a long answer that made me a little impatient because all I wanted to hear is that he is 100 percent against it and that he would do everything in his power to repeal. He did not. He did say that he thinks we just need to enforce the many gun laws already on the books.
  When asked about taxes he was righteously indignant against the "40 new taxes" (that number varies in all of the writings and speeches that I've heard), and stated that he would do everything that he could to lower or repeal many of those taxes. He said that if he is elected the budget for that first year will have already been  in place, but that his first budget would be truly balanced  and not falsely balanced by robbing money from other funds to balance it.
   The crowd seemed to want to be polite, including me, since this was his first visit to the area. The moment that I posted this event on-line I began to receive a lot of negative information about the man and his record on issues such as Agenda 21 and Plan Maryland that may or may not be true. I plan to do my research on this and every candidate. I did not want to ask obnoxious questions at his coming out party...particularly when I don't already know the answers...yet.  I will be ready the next time that our paths cross.
 

Senator Shank may not like this picture...but I thought it was charming. Sorry Chris!