News From Jeff Cline, Candidate for Washington County Commissioner

April 8, 2010

Dear Friend of Washington County,

If you’re like most people, you are probably tired of the cookie cutter politicians who conduct the public’s business in the same old way with the same old people. I am seeking the office of Washington County Commissioner and I pledge to you and to the voters of this county that I will study the issues and then vote in the best interest of our community. We cannot tolerate, indeed, we cannot afford “done deals” and business as usual.

Furthermore, I pledge to bring energy and enthusiasm to Washington County government. I want to see this county reach its economic and cultural potential while maintaining the neighborliness that makes Washington County such a wonderful place to live.

My professional career combined with my commitment to community service enhances my qualifications for public service.

Acknowledgements such as the Pen-Mar Regional Association of REALTOR®’s 2008 Community Service Award and the successful completion of the 2008 Maryland Association of REALTOR®’s Leadership Academy were great learning opportunities.

Membership as a District Vice-President on the Maryland Municipal League Board of Directors representing the towns of Washington County provided valuable insight and training. This experience provided exposure to the other local and state issues from across Maryland.

A four year term as a town councilman for Williamsport provided hands on experience in constituent service, from barking dogs to zoning issues to budget concerns. We are all tired of politicians who listen politely and then ignore our concerns. I pledge to listen actively and then act in the best interests of Washington County.

It will take an active listener and a problem solver to combat done deals and business as usual. I know the sacrifices that our small businesses endure as they try to compete against large, out-of-state contractors and suppliers.

The citizens of Washington County need someone who will manage their tax money with care and transparency. The business of Washington County is the people’s business and to manage it any other way would be a dereliction of duty and ethically unacceptable.

I cannot do this alone, however. Over the next few months I will need both moral and financial support. Whatever you can donate, be it $5.00 or $50.00 or more would be greatly appreciated. In addition, your time is a valuable asset as well, and so I ask you to consider serving as a campaign volunteer.

As we move forward in this process, raising the necessary funds and forming a team are essential for success. Again, Citizens For Jeff Cline invites you to join our team as a volunteer and help coordinate our campaign efforts.

In closing, I ask for your help as I embark upon a journey to become a Washington County Commissioner.

I do not take this responsibility lightly and I understand that with your support, my campaign can make a difference for generations of families in Washington County.

I thank you in advance and look forward to talking to you.

Jeff Cline

From Steve Berryman – Contributor to the Frederick News Post – Jobless economics

The man who brought us the term “jobs saved or created,” your president, was proud of his new jobs report. A tiny recovery viewed nationally. That he was bragging based upon temporary census workers is telling.

Jobless recovery continues. A 9.7 percent unemployment rate is staying put, and there was also a 3 percent increase in productivity for the same time frame. This means that fewer people are doing more work.

In order for our productivity to increase while the total work force remains stagnant, many workers are now doing the job of more than one.

Unfortunately, this productivity gain phenomenon did not affect the labor-intensive manufacturing activities of BP Solar in time to save 320 precious jobs here in Frederick . For BP, it was mostly about the cost of labor when the once-giant contributor to alternative energy technology decided to move the jobs out of the U.S. To be fair, BP flirted with wind power as well, and to a degree lost sight of its core corporate mission.

Additionally, having Germany and Italy heavily subsidize their domestic solar panel production — where we vied for market share — played just as much of a role in these job cuts as did American cost of labor versus Chinese.

Global markets don’t just shift jobs. They can also pick winners and losers even within entire industries when not supported internally.

It was easy — for any business — to become confused in projecting hiring needs and budgets as President Barack Obama gave every indication that “green technologies” and alternative energy would receive preferential treatment in our stimulus packages to promote jobs!

One sign that solar energy support should have been more than campaign promise was that — conversely — our coal industry continues to be burdened by government regulation and lacks support, even though it is highly productive, efficient, and native to our land.

Again, job creation seems to be a minor issue relative to the feel-good politics of paying lip service to alternatives to fossil fuels.

With a stimulus or subsidy, certainly the never-occupied new building on the BP Solar campus, now being demolished, was “shovel-ready” enough to convert to other related usages … had any influential white knight such as Gov. Martin O’Malley championed the cause.

Again, it goes to the top leadership; we follow signals. Americans suffer mixed signals, and are now fully confused about planning for the future. That costs jobs, as uncertainty equals risk in business.

Today we endure “Obamanomics,” which may be fairly characterized as an end-justifies-the-means, trial-and-error method. This agenda-based political ruse will continue to stifle recovery until it is fully called out.

That classical economic theory is never used in defense of actions taken in executive branch fiat is all one needs to know about our policy travails; it’s agenda-driven, and we pay in jobs.

Jobs cannot be created within an artificial market, as is energy, without specific support or subsidy. Looming “cap and trade” legislation alone certainly kept smart business forecasting far from BP Solar.

Post-health care reform, it’s fair to assume that our current administration is fully capable of forcing through counterproductive legislation via slip-sliding arguments, as was the original justification of the Iraq incursion.

Perhaps learning from his predecessor, our president knows that the shell game works, as cover is provided to absentee congressional oversight.

And the sheep have yet to look up.

srbmgr@comcast.net

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_comments_columnist.htm?section=sBerryman&storyID=103474#postComments

Washington Examiner Op-Ed: Enough already with the bashing of the Tea Partiers

Ron Miller for State Senate

Previously apolitical Americans who have become involved with the unexpected uprising known as the Tea Party movement have been subjected to a virulent and sustained assault by the political class, the media elite, academia and the entertainment industry.

Those who still trust these corrupted institutions are misled into believing this textbook application of the people’s First Amendment rights to free speech, assembly and petition is motivated by racism, targeting America’s first black President.

As a veteran, family man and law-abiding citizen, I am angry at these institutions for impugning my neighbors and friends.

As a black man who knows real racism when he sees it, I am furious at their trivialization of the word for political gain. The people who gave President Obama approval ratings in the mid-80’s at the beginning of his term didn’t become racists overnight. It’s not his skin color, but his policies that mobilized the silent majority into action.

Regular folks are angry because the institutions we trusted in the past have failed us. Our elected officials are supposed to work for us, not demean and disregard us.

The media is supposed to inform us without an agenda, to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable” regardless of ideology.

Our schools are supposed to impart information to our children and develop their critical thinking skills, not spout propaganda and promote groupthink.

Our entertainers, whose careers depend on the millions of ordinary Americans who adore them, are supposed to amuse or inspire us, not deride us for our beliefs and lifestyles, which they deem less enlightened than their own.

Obama, who promised to transcend our divisions, instead exacerbates them. He represents all the people, but openly mocks those of us who object to his vision of America as people who are not just wrong, but stupid and easily misled. This open display of condescension toward ordinary Americans by our own president is unprecedented in my lifetime.

We expect the people in the political arena to take shots at one another. We don’t expect our elected officials, whose salaries we pay and whose respect we are owed due to the power we accorded them, to attack us and mobilize their allies against us.

We are not the enemy.

We believe in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

We believe true compassion is a personal, voluntary act of love taken by individuals acting alone or collectively, not the confiscation and redistribution of our wealth by government.

We believe government serves the people, not the other way around, and should be our protector and enforcer, but not our provider. We know the price of government meeting our needs is the loss of our liberty and prosperity.

If you share our beliefs, regardless of race, you are welcome here – I guarantee it.

For me, the face of the Tea Party movement is the woman in her 90’s who attended a rally in March 2009 at which I was the master of ceremonies. As I knelt down to thank her for coming, she said to me, “I’ve never done anything like this my entire life, but I’m angry and I have to do something.”

These are the people for whom I served my country. These are my people, and insults don’t frighten us, they just make us angrier and more determined. The vile practitioners of racial politics and the arrogant elites of the culture will not silence us. We know who we are, and we know what we must do.

Ron Miller is executive director of Regular Folks United, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and education of liberty.

Sheriff Candidate for Washington County Jim Woods Chimes in on Sheriff Mullendore

Serious crime (homicide, rape, robbery, burglary, theft) has been reduced in Washington County in each of the last three years.

Crime has been down approximately 7.5 % statewide over the past three years ( I guess Mullendore has been the reason for that )

Created a much safer environment for our citizens and our criminal justice personnel when conducting business within the Circuit Courthouse.

The State of Maryland funded a upgrade to the Circuit Courthouse. This project included security considerations and was begun before Mullendore became sheriff.

Formed a combined Warrant Task Force with the Hagerstown Police Department and Maryland State Police. The Warrant Task Force uses each agency’s resources more efficiently by working as a Team.

Although partially true, no increase in Warrant staff was accomplished and warrant entries are backlogged. This also had to be approved by allied agencies before it could happen.He also did not plan for the increase in administrative work and there is still one person handling warrants from all three agencies.

Made our Policies and Procedures Manual available to all staff through any Internet Connection. Employees can review these policies from any computer with an Internet Connection.

Big deal, how does this serve the people?

Consolidated our dispatch center with the Hagerstown Police Department, Maryland State Police and Fire and Emergency Services into a single 911 Center. This provides a more efficient means for our citizens to receive services when they have an emergency. Citizens only need to call 911 for any emergency

This was a countywide initiative and not a Sheriff’s initiative. The consolidation was approved by each agency. Sheriff Mades signed off the master plan before leaving office.

Upgraded our Radio communications to a state-of-the-art radio system that allows all the public safety agencies to talk to one another.

Approximately 10 years ago the county began a project to study and upgrade the county radio net. This project included the upgrade of all emergency services radios. The County Engineer (Joe Krobath ) was the force behind the need to upgrade the county radio system. There are still three towers not buit and the system is not operational at this time.

Established a mobile data communications system that allows our deputies to be able to communicate with the 911 Center, run driver’s licenses and tags, issue traffic citations electronically and do reports from the car. The mobile data system will keep our law enforcement deputies on the street more.

This was a specification under the countywide radio system upgrade. At present no Sheriff’s vehicle is connected to the net or capable of electronic tickets or report submissions. This initiative was approved by the previous Sheriff ( Mades ) In addition, the terminals are not removable, limiting their usefulness. The Sheriff’s Dept. reports are in MS Word format and this format is not on the Terminals, so reports cannot be done from the vehicle and electronically transmitted. Also, the terminal and associated equipment to support it costs 19,700 dollars per vehicle, Boonsboro, Hancock and Smithburg are using mobile computers with a cost per vehicle of approx. 6500.00 dollars.

Established Central Booking as a one-stop location for all persons who are arrested to be processed. This eliminates the need for law enforcement agencies to have their own holding cells and processing areas. Central Booking also eliminates the need to transport individuals arrested multiple times increasing the risk for confrontation or escape. Central Booking will save time for all of the law enforcement officers making arrests in Washington County and will put more law enforcement back on our streets patroling to keep us safe.

This was approved by Sheriff Mades and was a funded out of a State program. It is not currently operational and when up and running has only two computers available to officers making arrests. It services six primary law enforcement agencies and several allied agencies. On a busy night, officers will have to wait to use the computer before the processing can be accomplished. Mullendore also only budgeted for 6 months salaries and benefits for the personnel assigned and has now gone back to the County Commissioners to get the remaining funds by asking for a 5% increase in his budget. He had 4 years to plan for this. Also, the booking facility is open, but serving Sheriff’s arrests only at present.

The Detention Center was re-accredited through the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards and the American Correctional Association.

The detention center has held its accreditation for over 15 years and was first accredited long before Mullendore had command responsibility.

Our Law Enforcement services became accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. We now operate under approved national standards for law enforcement services.

The Commission on accreditation advises that the Sheriff’s Office is in the process and not accredited yet. According to CALEA the Sheriff’s Office is in the process, but this has not been completed. Mullendore touts this as a means to cut insurance costs, but the county is self insured?

Candidate Jim Woods remarks are in bold content.  We need Jim Woods are our Sheriff for the future of our County.

The Leprechaun vs. The Linebacker Part Deux

Ron Miller for State Senate

Today begins the rematch we all knew was coming. Former Governor Bob Ehrlich is in Rockville and his home town of Arbutus today to kick off his campaign, seeking to reclaim the office he held for four years. The current occupant, Martin O’Malley, the man who defeated him in 2006, is ready to defend his title. It’s better than Ali-Frazier III, the “Thrilla in Manila.” It’s the Leprechaun vs. the Linebacker, Part Deux.

To be fair, there are others on the gubernatorial fight card. Brian Murphy, a young businessman from Chevy Chase who is making his first foray into politics and counts Jack Kemp among his political heroes – one of mine, too, by the way – is running for the GOP nomination and intends to continue his campaign despite Ehrlich’s presence. I’ve met him and visited his website, and he’s an impressive young man. I hope he stays active in Maryland GOP politics beyond 2010, because the party needs people like him to maintain its competitiveness in the future, and the state needs more business-minded leaders in government.

On the Democrats’ side, we have southern Maryland’s own George Owings who hopes to attack Governor O’Malley from the right flank of the party. George is a good friend and fellow veteran, and his record of service to his country and his state is unimpeachable. You will never hear a discouraging word from me about him. My only beef with him will have to be settled one day over a beer and soda – beer for him, soda for me – when I ask him why he continues to consort with a political party that has not only left the principles he espouses far behind, but mocks them and anyone who holds them.

The duel between Maryland’s most prominent Republican and the Democrats’ Golden Boy from Baltimore, however, is what has the Maryland press and pundits in a feeding frenzy. Many have ridiculed or become frustrated over the length of time it took for Ehrlich to make his decision, but anyone who thinks he was sitting on his hands the whole time sorely underestimates him. He will have the resources he needs to mount a serious campaign, and he’s in it to win.

The Democrats, anxiously awaiting his announcement, have largely telegraphed their moves in a series of preemptive statements and fundraising letters to their donors, trying to frighten them into giving O’Malley money for his campaign. I don’t doubt for a minute that the Ehrlich camp has dissected every one of these jabs and figured out how to block them.

The fact is both men have records to run on, and when Bob Ehrlich left Governors House in 2006, he left behind a $1 billion plus surplus in the rainy day fund, a balanced budget, and $1.4 billion less in taxation. His approval ratings were consistently over 50%, a solid achievement for a Republican governor in arguably the bluest state in the nation.

The Democrats carp about how he had no solution for the structural deficit, Maryland’s negative expense-to-revenue ratio, and had he won, he would have had to raid the rainy day fund or raise taxes as O’Malley did. Speculating on the Hobson’s choice he would have faced, however, had he been reelected is just that – speculation. He could also have proposed significant adjustments in spending to break Maryland’s addiction to indiscriminate spending without accountability.

The Democrats have already swung their haymaker, decrying Ehrlich as an enemy of the middle class who raised fees for services and increased college tuition, and wasn’t averse to government spending.

Ehrlich and his team will counter with a barrage of punches to the body – largest tax increase in Maryland history, the loss of over $1 billion in the state’s tax base, the hemorrhaging of jobs and businesses, and the annual budget shortfalls and the slapdash measures employed to fill the gaps, just to name a few.

As these two slug it out, however, let me give you a test to help you make your decision in November.

Maryland’s gravy train has derailed. The air cover we thought we had from our proximity to the federal government and our status as a dependent state – for example, nearly half the revenue for the 2011 budget comes from the federal government – is gone.

Budget analysts project annual deficits of $2 billion or more a year until 2014. Generous public sector pensions, and money spent on education and health care without any awareness or concern about how it’s being used, have broken the camel’s back.

That giant sucking sound you hear is the lost $1 billion in tax base, where businesses, tired of trying to make a go of it in one of the most anti-business states in America, and the millionaires that typically own them, are leaving.

Small businesses are suffering or closing because of the taxation and regulatory burden placed on them by a one-party monopoly that, in the words of Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey, former Maryland GOP gubernatorial candidate and co-chair of Maryland Business for Responsive Government, “see business as a cow to be milked” rather than “the horse that pulls the wagon.”

Many of our legislators or their family members have no clue about managing a payroll or making a profit-and-loss statement, but they know how to cash their government salary or pension checks. Not a single penny of those checks was generated by government, but from the wealth created by private businesses and individuals, and confiscated through taxes.

The wealth creators in Maryland are shrinking in number, and the political class and their dependents are left wondering why they can’t pay the bills.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” Lord Rutherford, a Nobel-prize winning physicist, declared, “We are out of money, and now we must begin to think.”

Here’s the thinking part; if Governor O’Malley’s current budget, which even the Washington Post said “is deferring pain, not curing the disease”, is enacted, and that appears to be the case, we will need a revenue increase in excess of 30 percent to balance the budget next year. To the government, “revenue” means taxes.

Everyone knows that a significant tax increase is coming in 2011 after the election is over. The Democrats defeated a GOP proposal in the General Assembly last week that would have put them on record as opposing such a move. Despite the cause and effect of higher taxes and a shrinking tax base, which has actually caused the state to lose money, they have a feeble understanding of economics and don’t know another way.

Bob Ehrlich has a blueprint to follow, thanks to the GOP legislators in Annapolis, which would allow him to balance the budget without raising taxes. In fact, that blueprint proposes lowering taxes to their 2006 levels, before O’Malley’s record-breaking tax increase.

Would this be painless? No. Because no hard choices were made during the nearly four years of O’Malley’s reign, the pain is inevitable. If O’Malley had enacted the budget proposals put forward by the GOP in the early years of his term, we would not have a budget deficit right now. That opportunity has passed.

We have to start somewhere, though, and if we are disciplined, if we manage the budget like a sound business would, if we account for every penny spent so they reach the intended recipients and achieve the intended objectives, if we open the government so everything they do is visible and accountable to the people, and if the pain is shared by everyone, including the political class, maybe we can turn this doomed vessel around.

Maybe we can start attracting businesses back to Maryland. Maybe our small businesses can start to dig out, and spend their time making money rather than filling out paperwork or paying taxes that keep them from hiring more people. Maybe we can restore the people’s confidence that government gets it and wants to help them create wealth to benefit everyone.

That’s the choice you have in November. You can validate the current approach, which is already causing our fiscal house to crumble and will eventually bring it down when the bills come due.

The alternative is a bold change in direction that signals Maryland will no longer squander the advantages of a highly educated workforce, high quality of life and strategic location just so more people can feed at the government trough.

Governors McDonnell of Virginia and Christie of New Jersey, in tackling their states’ fiscal challenges, are being bold in their stewardship of the people’s resources, and they have illuminated a path for Bob Ehrlich to follow – and I believe he will. He is determined to talk about solutions, not what he’s done in the past. That’s the focus we need and should demand in times such as these.

O’Malley, when confronted with a crisis, chose the path of least resistance. Anyone who says it takes courage to raise taxes is a fool. There is nothing easier for the government to do than to take and spend other people’s money. We should know by now where that kind of cowardice leads. Ask the owners of the $1 billion in lost tax base where it led them.

In November, Marylanders will have a clear choice of what kind of leader they want in Governors House when the feces hits the fan. Let’s get ready to rumble!

Ron Miller, of Huntingtown, is a military veteran, conservative writer and activist, communications director for the Calvert County Republican Party, and executive director of Regular Folks United, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.  Ron is a regular contributor to RegularFolksUnited.com, American Thinker, and RedCounty.com. You can also follow Ron on his website TeamRonMiller.com, as well as Twitter and Facebook.