IF NOT YOU...WHO? IF NOT NOW...WHEN?

   If not you, WHO?

If not now, WHEN?

It is time to take a stand against this corrupt out-of-control government. The Progressive Liberals and the RINOs are leading us in a downward spiral towards a Socialist government that does not respect our Republic or our Constitution. We were called paranoid, stupid, delusional, extreme, conspiracy theorists. In the last few months alone we have had to defend our 1st, 2nd, and 4th Amendment rights! We have been bullied by the IRS, spied on by the Justice Department, and treated like criminals because we want to own a firearm. 

IS THIS THE NEW NORMAL? ARE YOU REALLY OK WITH THIS?

Are we going to do nothing as our rights are tested over and over and our freedoms are eroded until they are finally...no longer politically correct? no longer valid?

OR IS ENOUGH FINALLY ENOUGH?

Hurry to reserve your seat on the bus to the 
AUDIT THE IRS RALLY/PROTEST

http://htpaudittheirs.eventbrite.com/

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 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! 

INTERESTED IN A LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE WELL ARMED WOMAN?

 

Sig Sauer P238: We the People (my new gun)

  I have been following a group called The Well Armed Woman: Where the Feminine and Firearms Meet. As a woman who has only recently become interested in gun ownership, I have a lot to learn, and I feel that I learn something new every day from this group. Their web address is http://www.thewellarmedwoman.com/. 
  I did a search to look for a local chapter only to find that there isn't a chapter in MD, WV, or in PA (only one in Erie). I am in contact with many Conservative woman and I have noticed that, like me, they are interested in buying their first gun and most want to take a class. While I was planning the Western Maryland Day of Resistance, I learned that there are many women in the tri-state area who already own guns and are quite knowledgeable not only about guns but also 2nd Amendment issues. 
  I started to wonder if there is an organization that reaches out specifically to women gun-owners. I really like this organization because like their website states, they aim: 

"to educate, equip, and empower you as a woman gun owner...to provide everything you need to make well informed decisions about the role of firearms in your life whether you are a new or experienced gun owner...and also to provide a much needed sense of community to this growing but often ignored group of women."  

   That is exactly what I have been looking to find! I love the fellowship of interesting and intelligent women. I would like nothing more than to share my new journey into firearm ownership and use with a group of like-minded women. I would like to add an element of 2nd Amendment activism to the mission of a local chapter, if possible.
   Now as I said, I am new to this and trying to learn all that I can as quickly as I can. My experience and strengths are rather in organizing, promoting, and motivating others with like-interests, community organizing, and political activism. I also like to write about issues that interest me. If there is enough interest to start a local chapter of TWAW, it will take at least a few women to join me who are more experienced than I in gun-ownership and everything that entails. 
   I have started a poll on the Facebook page for The Western Maryland Day of Resistance (https://www.facebook.com/WesternMarylandDayOfResistance). I am attempting to measure the interest and hopefully entice a few well-armed women to join me in the development of this group. Please take the poll and invite your mother, sisters, daughters, nieces, and friends to take the poll so that we can get a measure of the interest in this area for a new chapter. Go to The Well Armed Woman website (http://www.thewellarmedwoman.com/) and study it closely to see if it is something that you would be interested in and encourage others to do so.
   I figure that I have nothing to lose by asking!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND CONSIDERATION. 

The Liberty Bell

SENATOR SHANK PERCEIVES TWO MARYLANDS

   I attended the Post-Legislative Forum for the Western Maryland delegation the other evening. As expected, since I try to stay informed about what goes on in Annapolis, there wasn't anything new revealed. However, I found it interesting and quite refreshing to hear Senator Chris Shank honestly state:

They don't even pretend anymore that there is One Maryland [a MD slogan from several years ago]. There are two different states.

He went on to say that "West Maryland" as in "West Virginia" begins at Frederick County [minus Senator Ron Young]. He gave an example where he read an article in the Montgomery County Gazette entitled, Montgomery Leaders Celebrate 2013 Annapolis Session, where their delegation was celebrating the victorious session. The article states:

Maryland’s gas tax increase, repeal of the death penalty and sweeping gun control legislation were cause to beat the drum Wednesday in Montgomery County.

They clearly see the world differently and speak another language. Our delegation, except for maybe Delegate Donoghue and Senator Young, all voted against all of these bills...as they should. We elected this delegation to speak for we-the-people of our districts and we expected their votes to represent our beliefs.  Needless to say, this room on this night did not have the feel of a celebration. 
   I found his forthrightness to be especially brave and commendable because Senator Shank was recently applauded in a Herald-Mail op-ed for "representing the county well in his new role." To paraphrase the op-ed, it stated that he was ineffective as a delegate but that he is now more effective as a senator because he isn't causing as much trouble.This is highly unusual for Senator Shank to be spoken of in any way but with disdain by this newspaper. Senator Shank could have rested in the open arms of this Liberal newspaper and those who are in their camp. He could have decided to go along to get along as our senator in the past was known to do. He may have even brought home more pork next session and used it for his re-election campaign as other senators past and present do. But no, Senator Shank represents the people who elected him. He didn't take the political bait. He said:

I don't have a solution for you. I want to be positive, but I am not going to sugar-coat it for you. We are a minority in Annapolis. They don't even look our way unless they need something. They don't even pretend anymore. There are two Marylands.

   The gun-control issue is a prime example of the differences between the two Maryland states. He said that this issue created the most passion than any other issue past or present. He received approximately 10,000 emails and hundreds of phone calls asking him to vote against the bill, most coming from Washington County. I personally witnessed the turnout at the hearings that often went way into the night with people wanting to testify against the bill. There were people lined up from the hearing room all the way downstairs and out the door! Yet, the majority went along with Martin O'Malley's agenda. Our delegation did not, except for Senator Young.
   During the Q&A part of the meeting, a man stood up and asked what we all have been asking ourselves since the last presidential election and then maybe even more so after this horrific legislative session: 

Why should I vote? We are powerless.

   I thought that I would hate to be the one expected to answer that question. I thought this is going to be painful to watch. Not so. The delegation spoke without hesitation, beginning with Senator Shank:

During the gun-control debate I had several military veterans who said to me, "Do not make my service in vain and do not make me a criminal." Continue to vote to honor and support them. We have to exercise our right--our obligation--to vote, to run petition drives, and use the courts to fight for our rights and our freedoms.

   Senator Edwards said:

Many times in history one vote has made a difference. We have to let the opposition know that we are there. Many people died so that we can vote. 

Delegate Parrott said: 

We in the delegation feel the same way sometimes. We see  those typically on the other side come to us and say, "I agree, but we have to vote with the leadership." Our votes encourage them. Who knows they may be in leadership one day and vote with us.  One vote can make a difference. They scramble in Annapolis for that one vote!

Delegate Serafini said:

There are consequences if they don't vote with the leadership. They will take your chairmanship, move your office...petty stuff. 

    It is clear to me that there are indeed two Marylands. In fact Maryland looks like a microcosm of our country. The United States is deeply divided with each side having a different perspective and speaking a different language. For now it looks like the Conservatives are a helpless, hopeless minority. But I'm old enough to remember when it was the reverse. I used to think that one campaign could turn everything around. I wonder if this time though there has been permanent damage to our rights, our Constitution, our monetary system, and to our system of economics to be able to turn it around again. One thing I do know...we have to keep fighting and we have to keep voting, just as our delegation so aptly explained. 
   Many (not just a few as in other times) are talking about secession on the state level and the national level. Is that crazy talk? Is that extreme? Can it be done peaceably?  I guess that's a topic for another time.  

HAGERSTOWN NEEDS A P4: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND PATIENCE

   Today was the big day for the City of Hagerstown. There was a mayor and council special session where a verbal presentation was given by Bruce Poole and Dane Bauer of the written report that the Sora "dream team" had submitted to mayor and council. I think all of Hagerstown had been on the edge of their seats waiting to hear back from them after the city signed a letter 5-weeks ago giving them permission to represent the city in meetings with interested parties regarding the revitalization of downtown. This was followed by a presentation of  Ripken Report Part II on two alternative sites for a new Suns stadium.  I will post blogs on these presentations separately, beginning with the dream team's. Both presentations had tense moments, but overall I walked away with a good feeling about the future of Hagerstown. I'll tell you why, but first I want to give a brief description of the verbal presentation.

THE USUAL PLAYERS WERE ALL THERE

   There was a good turnout of government and community stakeholders in attendance: State Delegate John Donoghue, County Commissioners Ruth Ann Callaham and William McKinley, Chamber of Commerce Chairman Brien Poffenberger, Greater Hagerstown Committee Executive Director James Kercheval, a representative from CHIEF, and others, including residents of the community. 

 LETTERS OF INTENT?

   Bruce Pool and Dane Bauer gave a quick verbal presentation of what was in the 8-page report that was submitted to mayor and council yesterday. I personally thought that they would have specific projects that each of the stakeholder entities that they met with had agreed on some level to act on with the proposed P3.  Instead it was a very brief and very vague presentation of talking points. Dane Bauer talked of a consensus building process saying that each entity felt that their individual projects depended on the action of all of the other entities. He named the BOE/BISA and the Maryland Theater and that they are interested in having an arts center all under one roof, he said that a hotel is needed downtown, that Meritus Health was interested in a clinic or wellness center downtown and that they "would be OK with the old hospital site to be used for the new stadium." However, when I read the so-called letters of intent from these entities I read a different story. To summarize what the BOE said, it was nothing more than nice to meet you, we aren't moving downtown but we are already invested in downtown [as was already stated in a Herald Mail article prior to their announcement to purchase the Allegheny Building], and we look forward to seeing what you can do downtown...we'll talk. The WCPS stated being encouraged and impressed with their efforts but made no real statement of intent to participate in anything specific except to explore opportunities that may come up...we'll talk. Meritus Health made no mention of starting a clinic downtown (in fact they recently closed the one that was on Antietam Street), but clearly stated that "our immediate objective is the sale of the old hospital site." The Maryland Theater stated that they believe that the dream team can help them achieve preliminary concepts already defined with the BISA...and they are hoping that Sora can tell them how to get a hold of some money. 
   Oh, and guess what the written report plainly states regarding the stadium site? 

"Our Team's relationship with Meritus Health will promote and advance opportunities to use that site for the new stadium..."

That's right. Here we go again. It's a foregone conclusion before Ripken even publicly presents the report! At least somebody thought so, but later the mayor and council claimed that is not the case. 

WE WILL DO THIS WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

   In the written version of this report, the dream team is selling themselves from every angle as thee only viable option for the city to engage for the revitalization of downtown. It goes so far as to say, in essence, we will do this with or without you. They claim that,

"...all parties have indicated that if for any reason the City would not agree to pursue the recommended approach described later in this report, that they would pursue these initiatives with our Team directly to implement desired outcomes and to use our Team to network with the other groups mentioned above."  

This is a pretty bold and arrogant statement from people who are trying to form a partnership. That would get my back up and make me question the dream team's ability to work respectfully and cooperatively with our elected officials. Although Dane Bauer has come off as a big shot at times in prior meetings, I have overlooked it out of respect for his record and hope for the future of our city, but I think that this was out of line. I looked at the letters of intent, and only the Maryland Theater made such a claim in writing. However, the Maryland Theater immediately  followed that statement with:

" ...the Maryland Theater reserves the right to explore all options independent of this initiative..."  

This attitude enforces the need for the advisory committee formed to advise the city on forming the P3. I know that the city was mocked by the Herald Mail for forming this committee, but it is now obvious that it was a good move. 

  NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE THAT FIRST STEP ALONE

   I suspect no one wants to take that first step alone because they don't have the money to do so. But that said, it makes sense that in a master redevelopment plan all entities would work together and collaborate throughout the entire process. 

   Dane Bauer talked about forming an Advisory Team or Steering Committee of 12-15 members. In the written report those interested and being considered for this committee are mostly the same ones who "steered" the first stadium proposal and who steers just about everything else that the city or county attempt to do: Joe Ross, Ron Bowers, Justin Harding, and Don Bowman, in addition to representatives from CHIEF, Greater Hagerstown Committee, Washington County EDC, State Office of Planning, MD Department of Economic Development, local business owners, and "community leaders." I heard or saw no mention of Neighborhoods 1st. 

    

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

Isn't it always? Bruce Pool said it is time to turn it over to DMV to lead the next phase because "time is of the essence." He argues that although the legislative session just ended, things are already in the works for next session. Besides that this will be the last year of 4-year terms and there will be turnover. New relationships are very difficult to start the process again. The next proposed step is for DMV and the city staff to work together as another team to perform certain tasks that make up Phase I of the master plan. Overall the entire plan would take up to a year to complete. The written report points out it is time to start paying the dream team and some of the terms that they would like to proceed on immediately following the meeting. 

MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS 

This is where it usually gets fun. I was not disappointed. 

Council Member Munson:

1. Were there any conversations with the University of Maryland?

Dane Bauer answered regarding a medical center not the college. Bruce Poole answered that there were talks, but the university feels that with there current financial situation they can not talk about expanding at this time, but maybe in the long term after other projects progress and after "we get the streets cleaned up and secured."

2. If we use the hospital site for a stadium, will the hospital [Meritus] bring serious facilities downtown to help us grow the city? Will they play ball with us?

Bruce Pool said that more discussion is needed. Joe Ross was already interested in downtown project. He's not clear on what the vision is and needs a plan first. [As I revealed earlier, he is only interested in selling the hospital site at this time. This makes me wonder how much of the other claims are sugar coated. Again, we had a clinic on Antietam Street and they recently shut it down.]

Council Member Brubaker:

   Brubaker wants to be a big-spending Liberal, but I am often surprised when he states exactly what I myself want to say. He seemed to be laboring over what is meant by a plan. He indicated that much has already been done. "We have taken great risks buying up properties and we're not even sure what we are doing with them. [Whoa!] We are not starting fresh. We have plans. We need imaginative investors." 

   Poole and Bauer jump in and state that we need a plan first and that we need government investment first. Investors don't want to invest here. There is no security, no longevity, and they think that it is going to get worse. We have to show them a noticeable difference that says that things are going to be different. 

   Brubaker is almost screaming at this point, "We had a clinic and it closed! We don't need government. We need private investors! [Woo hoo!] We need a strategy for reaching out to outside investors." Bruce Poole said, "That is not good enough. The Maryland Theater is a gem and they can't get anyone to fund them. Investors need details."

   I seem to remember the first time the dream team presented to mayor and council that Bauer was claiming that he had piles of money. Now...not so much. 

Council Member Alshire:

   When Alshire speaks I listen. It is always entertaining to me how he just lets it rip. This led to some tense moments today. He begins by scolding the dream team for not living up to the agreement as spelled out in the letter of intent. They were supposed to provide weekly reports and he hasn't seen any. All he has is an email where the dream team chastised the city for not being grateful for their work thus far and another email 40-days after the letter was signed that asks to meet with city staff.  He said that they gave the council this report in writing only yesterday. He does not so far have any confidence in a trusted cooperative partnership with them. He can't believe that the dream team wanted the $100,000 after a vote tonight with no pubic bid process. "The LOIs, the basis of which you want to proceed with an aquatics center and a stadium on the hospital site, and nothing has been presented to the public so far?" 

***crickets***

Bruce Poole said that he frankly didn't want to spend too much time on this or "it could deteriorate relationships. We have worked for 12 months and we are delivering results. The voters want results."

Council Member Metzner:

   Metzner stated that the city has been working on downtown for two decades and that they were making progress until the housing bubble burst. Hagerstown is having the same issues as many other towns due to the bad economy. He again acknowledged the momentum that was building during the initial stadium proposal, and the excitement of the business community that was apparent. [Not with investment money. Just saying.] He also acknowledged that the community and the voters did not want it. It was a huge disappointment. [The past administration should have asked the community before they made the initial plans.] He points out that the city is now at a crossroads. Will we move forward and keep the momentum building or do nothing. He wants us to move forward with the dream team. "RFPs yes, but I firmly support this effort." I'm sorry, but that seems a contradictory statement. 

Council Member Nigh:

   "I want to see a plan and investors. I want it to move forward, but you need a private entity to invest."

Mayor Gysperts:

   "I talk to people in the community and when I mention Sora it puts stars [money signs] in their eyes. The community seems to rather work with a private partnership than the city. [They are hoping for money.] Are we worth $30M in investment? I think we are. We are having an executive session next week with the legal team and we will have an RFP draft. The budget has to be finalized by May 21st, so something will be decided by then." 

Dane Bauer:

   We did keep in touch with the mayor. [That's not a weekly report.] Eighty percent of the work we have  done in the past has not been by RFP. We have done our part. Together we have spent $250,000. The city should match it. [Really? No formal agreement yet.] Sole source is acceptable with our special services, our contacts, and our networks. In the past, "we just did it!" We are offering 80-years of combined business and contacts. No RFP can provide that. I am just asking for the opportunity for Bruce...not the money. [Another one claiming he isn't in it to make a profit, which everyone knows is nonsense.] 

   I said in the beginning that I left the meeting with a good feeling about the future of Hagerstown. This was messy. It is supposed to be. I still feel,  5 months after the election, that we have a great balance with this mayor and council. I think that we need every one of them even though I don't agree with some of them most of the time. We need the spenders and we need the thrifty. We need the Pollyannas and we need the second-guessers. We need those who just see the big picture and those that are down in the details.  I believe that this mayor and council care about this city and will be successful at revitalizing downtown. It may be a messy, sometimes uncomfortable but necessary process, and the result will be what they were able to negotiate and deliberate until they got it right. It's not the one-party spending spree that happens in Annapolis, and it's not the grid-lock that we see in Washington D.C. It is just the way it is supposed to be, and I like it. 

   

NEIL PARROTT ANNOUNCES NO PETITION DRIVE FOR SB281

   I think that everyone who attended the MDPetitions.com Kickoff event thought that they were going to get their marching orders to start a petition drive for the new Maryland gun control law SB281. Instead, the surprise announcement was that there would not be a petition drive. 
   Delegate Neil Parrott, the chairman of MDPetitions.com, spoke to a crowd of about 150 people. Surrounded by one state senator (Edward R. Reilly), five state delegates (Michael D. Smigiel, Sr.; Nicholaus R. Kipke; Gail H. Bates; Tony McConkey; W.E. Cluster, Jr.; and Cathy Vitale), an NRA official, several leaders of sportsman's clubs, and the Western MD Sportsmen's Coalition legislative representative (Ray Givens), Parrott said:

"God has given us rights and these rights are recognized in the Bill of Rights. This law [SB281] attempts to deny us that right [2nd Amendment right to bear arms]. This is an issue that was given to us and granted to us by God and the U.S.Constitution...we will not stand for this law."

   At this point I was expecting that he would go on to announce the petition. I think we all  were poised to applaud as soon as we heard the official call to arms, until Parrott went on to say: 

"We do not tax a right. We do not license a right. Yet this bill attempts to do both. A right is not subject to a public opinion vote. This is why we will not petition this bill for referendum."

   Wait, huh? I thought I heard him wrong for a minute. I saw everyone else glance around the room wondering if they too had heard it wrong. Then Parrott finished by saying,

"We acknowledge that this is already given to us by God, by the Constitution, and by our government. This will be settled in the courts and we expect SB281 to be overturned."

   I understand the concept of not voting on a right. It makes sense, but I'm not sure that I trust the court system, especially if a decision would get delayed long enough for President Obama to place another Liberal judge or two on the Supreme Court. I was not alone with this concern. As I walked around the room attempting to take the temperature of the crowd in response to this announcement I heard this concern repeated along with others. 
   Many thought that we should pursue both the petition and litigation. If ever there was a law that could be successfully overturned by referendum this would be it. Second Amendment advocates had united and fought hard against this bill and were prepared to work even harder to have it overturned. Ray Givens, in his remarks,  said it well:

"I stand with Neil on this decision because I understand it. However, had he decided to do a petition I know that we would have had 100,000 people not only sign it but work hard doing whatever they had to do to make the petition a success. But, instead of working the petition, these same 100,000 people will be working as hard as they can to make sure that those who voted for this bill will no longer be in office after the next election."

   I kind of had a selfish motive for wanting the petition drive. I have not seen an issue that has united people and energized grassroots activism on this level since Obamacare was first introduced. Conservatives took a few hits since then and people were getting frustrated and tired. SB281 woke everyone up again and compelled people to get out of their comfort zones and become active in the political process again. I have met many amazing people who I came to know only because we shared a passion for liberty, our Constitution, and our God-given rights. I saw people using talents that they had forgotten that they had or never realized they had them until their zeal for liberty brought them out. I think a petition drive would have kept the momentum going for this issue and other Conservative causes.
   I recently saw the rise of a fantastic organization called Responsibly Armed. There are two new Campaign for Liberty (C4L) groups, one in Frederick County and one in Washington County. The Frederick County Republican Club is on fire with a smart and energetic group of people  that are engaged in educating and advocating for Conservative issues. There is new interest in reorganizing a Frederick County TEA Party. Just over the border in Pennsylvania, the Franklin County 912 Group is very active and has been a strong supporter of the Hagerstown TEA Party. I am reading intelligent and inspiring  blogs such as the the Potomac Tea Party Report by Ann Corcoran. I appreciate those who are keeping us aware and teaching us our Constitutional history and what it provides for us in its purist form. I am really excited about the new breed of candidates I see who are going to run campaigns for 2014. 
   Yes, I thought a petition drive was necessary to get back what what stolen from us by SB281. Yes, I wanted another excuse to work with the amazing people and groups I have come to know and appreciate because of this issue. But I understand that if we allow a public vote to return a right, we could also see more rights taken from us by a public vote. I don't think we want to start down that path. Besides, I am confident that this new resurgence of zeal, talent, and dedication to our causes will continue. In fact, I get the sense that these things are all the laying of a new foundation for an important movement in Western Maryland towards defining our future as a region with strengths that other parts of the state just can not understand or appreciate. 
   OK Neil...what IS going to petition?