Maryland gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan and Lieutenant-Governor candidate Boyd Rutherford will hold their final Southern Maryland fundraiser on Friday, October 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. This event takes place at Running Hare Vineyard in Prince Frederick. Tickets are $50 per person; VIP tickets are $1,000. For more information you may contact Chris Cavey at (443)221-4450, Ext. 109 or at (443)465-1002.

Excerpts from Larry Hogan’s Talking Points* on Jobs and the Economy, and the Rain Tax:

-Maryland is third in the nation in foreclosures; about one in every 17 housing units in Baltimore had a foreclosure filing over the past year;

-When Gov. O’Malley and Lt. Gov. Brown came into office in January 2007, the state unemployment rate was 3.6 percent; now it’s 6.4 percent.

-Rather than driving unemployment down, as O’Malley and Brown claim, unemployment has nearly doubled under their administration from 108,096 to 218,741 after 7 and ½ years under their leadership. Brown has called this high unemployment the “new normal” for MD.

-Brown was put in charge of economic development; under his leadership, the Maryland economy is 49th out of all 50 states in economic growth.

-The 40 consecutive O’Malley-Brown tax hikes have caused Maryland to lose more than 8,000 businesses;

-Brown supported all of MD’s taxes that have hurt middle-class families – including a 20% increase in the sales tax, gas tax increases, and tolls;

-The average family now pays $4,600 more per year in fees and taxes thanks to the O’Malley-Brown administration;

-The O’Malley-Brown administration levied 40 consecutive tax hikes on Marylanders;

-Maryland is one of the most highly taxed states in the country;

-Maryland was ranked 45th in the cost of doing business; now even the company that makes Old Bay seasoning is thinking of leaving the state;

-Brown has no plan for reducing government spending;

-Maryland’s had three income tax increases in four years;

-Even after $8 billion in new taxes, Maryland still has a deficit;

-Maryland has the third-highest food stamp registration rate in the U.S.;

-The U.S. Department of Labor ranks Maryland’s economic growth the second-worst in America;

-Maryland faces an expected $405 million drop in state revenue over the next 21 months;

-Maryland is the only state that taxes the rain; the rain tax is just one of 40 consecutive tax hikes that have been levied by the O’Malley-Brown administration since 2007 that have taken over $9.5 billion out of the Maryland economy and are projected to cost taxpayers $20 billion by 2018.

There is a way to remedy the above situations: VOTE REPUBLICAN ON NOVEMBER 4!!

(*Ellynne en Pointe thanks newly-elected SMC RCC member David Willenborg for forwarding a copy of Larry Hogan’s Talking Points).

St. Mary’s County GOP Volunteer Opportunities
-Join the GOP Unity Sign Wave on Wednesday, October 22 from 4:45 to 6 p.m. at the intersection of Routes 4 & 235 near the WAWA. Contact St. Mary’s County Republican Central Committee Communications Director Kevin Cioppa at: kevincioppa@gmail.com if you would like to participate.

-If you are able to volunteer to staff a GOP table at a precinct in St. Mary’s County on November 4, please contact John Johnson at: underwaycv63@yahoo.com

Elephant Joke of the Week from 101 Elephant Jokes by Robert Blake, available on Amazon.com
Q: What has twelve legs, is pink, and goes “Bah, Bah, Bah”?
A: Three pink elephants singing the “Wiffenpoof Song”.

Events around Town
– “Reapers in Red Coats: The Ghosts of Sotterley 1814” will run on October 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25. Performances begin at Sotterley Plantation in Hollywood at 7 p.m. each night and run every 10 minutes. Take a trip back in time and witness the tears, laughter, and sorrows during the tumultuous year of 1814.  Advanced reservations are required and may be made online at: www.sotterley.org. Tickets are $15 per person. No walk-ins permitted. This event may not be suitable for young children. No rain dates or refunds. This is an outdoor walking tour; please remember to dress accordingly.

-Joyce Judd, Illustrator, and Ellynne Davis, author, will be signing copies of their books, Ellynne’s Top Tomato Cookbook, and Halloween Fright on a Chesapeake Night at The Good Earth this Saturday, October 18 from 2 to 5 p.m. in Leonardtown.

-The St. Mary’s County Library will hold a Mini Book Sale on Sunday, October 26 from 11 am to 3 pm at the Leonardtown Library (Rain Date: Nov. 2). There will be lots of gently used books available – perfect for gifts!

Contact Ellynne at: LynnieBDavis@gmail.com