The Bay Net continues the tradition we started in the primary of endorsing candidates in the November 4th General Election. Early voting began October 23rd and lasts through October 30th.
Your vote is your voice. When we vote, we are actually telling elected officials and lawmakers how we feel about education, public safety, Social Security, health care, and other important issues. One voice, one vote really does count! There is power in numbers and when we vote and get our family and friends to vote, we can truly make a difference. If you don’t vote for what you believe in, others will and you may not like the outcome.
Voting changes communities! Do you ever wonder why one neighborhood gets passed over for the things it needs, while another seems to get it all? One big reason is voting. When we vote, we can get results that we can actually see. Vote to effect change. Voting is our chance to make a difference in our own lives and within the world.
For this election The Bay Net has taken a giant step of conducting a series of video interviews with the candidates. These interviews will be appearing on our Elections page and You Tube Channel. We encourage you to watch them and become an informed voter.
Now more than ever
We are supporting Larry Hogan (R) for governor and the return of Steny Hoyer (D) to Congress.
The administration of Martin O’Malley hasn’t played very well in Southern Maryland. The most recent dagger was the veto by the governor of the wind turbine bill.
Anthony Brown has many fine qualities and his service to his country is particularly laudable. Brown spent five years on active duty after college, flying helicopters with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division in Europe. He remained in the Army Reserves and in 2004, while serving his second term in the House of Delegates, he received orders for mobilization to Iraq. He deployed to Baghdad with the 353rd Civil Affairs Command on Sept. 11, 2004, and served a 10-month tour of duty working with military and civilian officials to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of the war-torn country. Brown’s distinguished service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom earned him the Bronze Star, the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces.
We, however, see very little difference between O’Malley’s right hand man and the last eight years of governance and that’s the problem with electing Anthony Brown as governor.
The issue that will propel Hogan into the governor’s chair is the economy and jobs. Maryland has failed miserably in that regard, largely because of its tax policies that put us at a competitive disadvantage with other states. Hogan has the qualifications and experience and is by far the best candidate to get us out of the mess the state is in.
Steny Hoyer has been a leader in making sure that Naval institutions in the region not only survive but prosper. He is a highly regarded leader who deserves another term and an opportunity to continue his successes on behalf of Southern Maryland.
Charles County Candidates
From the very beginning of this election process, it became clear that change would define 2014 in Charles County.
In a county fraught with many challenges, one thing will be clear after the 2014 General Election — new leadership is likely to emerge.
County residents have deluged public hearings with complaints of rising taxes and diminishing returns. Sixty percent of citizens continue to leave the borders of Charles County to work elsewhere, economic development remains an ongoing concern, the long-awaited comprehensive plan is still plodding through the planning commission two years after it was supposed to be completed, and budget concerns which last spring took the commissioners and staff to the eleventh hour to sort out, only narrowly avoiding have to raise property taxes yet again, are all areas of unease for voters.
The natives are restless and in such instances, the electorate usually advocates change, not for change sake, but for the intention of getting a better return on their investment at the ballot box.
These endorsements were discussed by The Bay Net editorial staff.
Commissioner President
To The Bay Net, the clear choice for Charles County Commissioner President is Democrat Peter Murphy.
Republican candidate Tom DeSalba deserves much credit for stepping forward to participate in the political process. His concerns regarding high property taxes and waste in government did not fall on deaf ears. His concerns are those of everyday citizens and they are valid in the political climate of those “fed up” with those who fill the seats at the county government building.
However, Murphy’s extensive background will provide Charles County with the leadership many feel it has lacked in recent times and will provide a “calming influence” on a sometimes contentious board of county commissioners.
His skills honed under former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes and as an effective delegate for the citizens of Charles County in Annapolis will have an immediate impact on the board of county commissioners.
His insistence on the need for the county to work in tandem with the state of Maryland reveals an introspection and knowledge of what it will take to lead Charles County into the foreseeable future. He is aware that a tax levied on the citizens will not serve the county’s needs, that economic development is drastically needed, how important education—representing a significant portion of the county budget—means to the citizens, and how desperately the county needs to address its transportation issues.
His experience will reap dividends as the county seeks to procure needed federal and state funding for the proposed light rail into Charles County.
Experience will mean a great deal to the forthcoming board and in this case, we must support Peter Murphy, who has the background and the far seeing vision needed to guide Charles County into the 21st century.
District 1
In one of the more interesting county commissioner races, Democratic incumbent Ken Robinson will face Republican Charles Lollar.
Lollar, who ran a failed campaign in the primary for Maryland governor, became a candidate when longtime Republican commissioner entrant Jim Crawford left the race. His platform is one of family, a strong military and values long held by the GOP.
Robinson, however, has been a voice of consistency and the one bright light on the current board of county commissioners.
It takes a while for a new commissioner to learn the ropes and Robinson learned quickly. His leadership skills became evident this spring when the board was debating the Fiscal Year 2015 budget, helping to ferret out ways to help balance a budget deep in the red.
His concern for the environment and Mattawoman Creek is commendable, in an effort to preserve some of the beauty of the delicate region for future generations, a position lauded by environmentalist groups which have long sought to have a voice in the future of their county. Charles County’s natural resources are an important factor in the region’s burgeoning tourism industry, most importantly a multi-million dollar bass fishing industry, now threatened by encroaching development. The time to protect such important assets is now. Another 10 years could be too late.
Robinson’s keen interest in conserving such resources for future enjoyment is essential for shaping Charles County’s future.
The Native Americans often talked of “far-seeing vision,” the ability to see beyond what most can see to what can be. We are gratified to have this quality in a candidate and strongly endorse the re-election of Ken Robinson for District 1 Commissioner.
District 2
Democratic incumbent Debra Davis emerged from the Primary Election having faced the largest field of challengers of any candidate. Her victory over challenger Melanie Holland, however, was by a narrow margin of just over 400 votes.
Holland has re-entered the race as a write-in candidate for the General Election and the chances of this former federal worker of upsetting the incumbent make for an intriguing District 2 campaign.
One of the 60 percent of Charles County’s population who for 30 years rode the bus to Washington, D.C. where she oversaw a $100 million annual budget and received numerous awards for her ability to come repeatedly within budget, Holland knows firsthand the challenges facing those transient residents who leave the county’s borders on a daily basis to work outside the region where they live. Transportation is among her top issues because she has experienced the challenges those constituents face.
She has placed education, strong support for law enforcement and economic development as some of her main concerns. As a former administrator with a vast experience in areas where the county could use leadership, we feel that with the discord surrounding the current commissioner, long the target of those unsatisfied with their government, the choice becomes clear.
The Bay Net endorses Melanie Holland for District 2 Charles County Commissioner.
District 3
The former seat held by Commissioner Reuben Collins II is now up for grabs in District 3, where Democrat Amanda Stewart will face Republican Marcus Tillman.
Stewart, a school teacher for the past 15 years, emerged as a viable candidate during the Primary Election and remains, in our view, the top candidate for the District 3 seat.
With the Board of Education constituting the largest segment of Charles County’s annual fiscal budget, the thought of having an educator on the Charles County Board of Commissioners is an exciting prospect.
Although she teaches in Prince George’s County, Stewart’s children attend the Charles County Public School system, so she knows firsthand the challenges of raising a family and the value of their education locally.
Her campaign grew from a grassroots effort and working in her community to affect change. When urged, she ran for the seat vacated by Collins, and her presence at commissioner meetings and public hearings for nearly a year prior to the Primary Election speaks volumes of her willingness to sacrifice time from family to educate herself on local issues, a fact that also highlights her dedication to those she will most likely represent.
Such dedication is one clear reason why The Bay Net endorses Amanda Stewart for District 3 Commissioner.
District 4
The District 4 race for county commissioner in our minds is a slam dunk. While Republican challenger John Young is to be commended for entering the political forum, his lack of experience will likely handicap his chances against Democratic incumbent Bobby Rucci.
Rucci won the Primary Election by the largest margin of any candidate. With four years of experience under his belt, Rucci is the clear favorite in the District 4 race. This is not to say that the next four years will be the same as the previous four.
The Democrat has been part of what local constituents are calling “the three-to-two vote” which often frustrated citizens on issues they considered vital to the county’s future. Rucci may well face a different scenario should he indeed declare victory in November. There is a lesson for our esteemed commissioner that despite the large margin with which he won in June, citizens still want a leader who will look out for their interests in the community at large.
His contentious votes of the past may be on the wrong side of the fence in the future. Rucci has some bridge building to do, to not only form a consensus with his fellow commissioners, two at least who will be new to the board, but he has some patchwork to do relating to the citizens of Charles County who have been frustrated by his actions in the past.
Rucci is a personable commissioner who is a very likable candidate. We feel he represents a strong segment of the county’s business community, creating a balance and viewpoint needed on the board of county commissioners.
The Bay Net endorses Bobby Rucci for the District 4 commissioner’s race.
House of Delegates
Our endorsement for candidates entering the House of Delegates race in Charles County, the Bay Net endorses incumbent Del. Sally Jameson, who has proven an effective representative in Annapolis, C.T. Wilson, a likeable and popular candidate who is seeking his second term in the halls of state government, and former commissioner Edith Patterson.
Circuit Court Judge
In the race for Charles County Circuit Court Judge, H. James West has proven over his tenure on the bench to be a compassionate and considerate magistrate. The forthright manner in which he conducts himself on the bench is commendable. We recommend that voters allow him to continue for service to Charles County as Circuit Court Judge.
The issue remains between sitting Judge Jerome Spencer and challenger Thomas Simpson. Both are excellent candidates. Spencer has a very likable persona and has done good work on the bench. Simpson, who has been passed over in the past in his efforts to ascend to judgeship, is also a competent and capable candidate who could well serve the citizens of Charles County. It will be the voter’s choice in this election. Residents will have good sound judgment from either candidate regardless of which way they decide to go in this campaign.
Whoever your choice is for political office in 2014, we urge citizens to exercise their right and vote Nov. 4 and earlier for those who choose to take advantage of early elections.
To present the voters of Southern Maryland the opportunity to make the most informed choice this election, we’ve conducted a series of interviews with all local candidates who would agree to sit with us.
These videos give you an opportunity to hear each candidate as they express their views and plans for the various issues in a one-on-one interview setting.
To view these interviews, please click http://www.thebaynet.com/election-2014-interviews.html