Vote. Just Vote.

Small Potatoes Blog is largely about issues and politics, so I feel like I would disappoint you if I didn’t write the predictable “please vote…your vote counts…exercise your rights…make your opinion count” Election Day-eve kind of post.

So, as not to disappoint, I’m pleading with you to exercise your right to vote tomorrow.

On top of that, I’m also going to give you my opinions, because I like to opine – at least on the races I see as really important. If you don’t want them, read no further.  I won’t be offended, but you might be missing that little something to help you frame an informed opinion.  Warning – I am not a straight-ticket democrat, particularly on the Ballot questions (against the union, against my party’s map, for gambling).  My ballot is kind of all over the place, and in one particular case (senate), I still haven’t made a happy decision.

President – I’m voting for Barack Obama.  I think Romney is fine, but he won;t talk about his budget plan to make me feel comfortable that he can fix this mess better than Obama.  Obama’s economy is trending upward a little, and I don’t want to spend the next year risking that trend in limbo until Romney would get his sea legs.  On top of that, I’m a woman and I have a daughter.  That Romney wouldn’t even indicate if he would/would not sign the Fair Pay Act, and that he would take away the provisions in Obamacare that prevent my gender from simply being a pre-existing condition are enormous red flags for me.

Senate – This is where I’m undecided.  I have carefully examined all three candidates – Bongino (R), Sobhani (I), and Cardin (D).  I will likely vote for Cardin, but I’m not happy about it. Cardin is visible to his constituents 2 months before any election, and we don’t see him much otherwise.  He’s done some good advocacy work for the Chesapeake Bay, and I appreciate that.  I really WANTED to like Bongino, just because I felt like a change might be warranted, and I was hoping for a moderate republican to support.  Bongino is not moderate.  He is hard-core republican, and I can’t support his blind support of the Republican platform.  Sobhani seems more moderate, but won’t answer the questions about women’s health and women’s rights that I asked him. I don’t believe he necessarily holds the opposite opinions of me in that regard, but I think he just doesn’t care.  He is solely focused on the economy and jobs.  That’s not a bad thing…I guess everyone needs to know their limits, but I’d like to know where my Senator is coming down on critical votes.  So, I’m probably a reluctant vote for Cardin, but could switch to Sobhani if I can get better info at the polls.

Congressman – I’m voting Delaney.  I like him.  I really like him.  He’s a business guy, and when I spoke with him, he was very down to earth.  He’s not an establishment kind of guy, and in fact was not really supported by the party in his primary.  I voted for him then, and I’ll proudly cast my vote for him tomorrow.

School Board – Smondrowski vs. Evans:  Smondrowski has my vote.  She has a depth of recent experience in the school system that I can appreciate.  Evans is a really great guy, too, but more removed from the current state of affairs.

Question 4:  YES.  If a child graduates from a MD High School, is academically prepared and accepted into a MD State University, has a family who has paid MD taxes, and wants to learn and grow into a productive adult, it’s only fair that we let them.  I don’t care about your stance on illegal immigration – these are just kids who didn’t choose to grow up in a place they weren’t born, and they deserve a shot at a productive career.  To be completely cliche, it’s the American Way.  If I was blamed for the ills of my parents as I tried to transition into adulthood, I’d be nowhere right now.

Question 5: NO.  The congressional redistricting map is a disgrace to the democratic party.  O’Malley and our party leaders should be ashamed.  I wrote a longer post about it awhile back.  ‘Nuff said.

Question 6: YES.  I’m embarrassed that I have to vote to give my friends the same rights that I take for granted.  I think my grandkids and great-grandkids might look back on this period the same way we study the sufferage movement.  See a longer post on this one, too.

Question 7:  YES.  Bring on the gambling, and all the jobs and economic investment that will come with it.  Click for my diatribe!

Question B:  I’m voting YES, against the union.  Our MoCo police chief shouldn’t have to argue with the union about small management decisions.  To me, that negatively impacts safety and creates unnecessary costs.

 

So, there are my opinions on the big issues.  My only hope is that this election isn’t riddled with fraud like our own City elections were last year.  Although, I don’t hold out hope for a fraud-free day, considering the State BOE “inadvertently” left off the 2nd page of thousands of absentee ballots, and then sent over 5,000 voters TWO absentee ballots, even after some (2-page ballots, not even the ones with missing pages!) were already completed and sent back.  Ugh.

Sweet dreams!  Can’t wait for tomorrow – I’ll be volunteering at the Lakelands Park poll in the early evening.  Come visit!

 

We should all be Embarrassed Voting on Question 6, but Vote Yes

I’m completely embarrassed that I have to cast a vote to give fellow human beings – my friends, colleagues, and neighbors – the same civil rights that I take for granted.  It’s ludicrous that such a vote should have to take place at all.  We should all be embarrassed, so much that we go scream from the mountaintops to support yes votes on Question 6.

Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker hit the nail on the head when he said, “Equal protection under the law – for race, religion, gender or sexual orientation – should not be subject to the most popular sentiments of the day, marriage equality is not a choice. It is a legal right.” I like Cory Booker.   (Full article and a video of Cory Booker speaking on the issue, much more eloquent than I ever will be, can be found here.)

If that isn’t enough persuasion for you, check out this article in the Baltimore Sun – marriage equality will be great for attracting highly-qualified and creative talent to the state from states who are not yet considering marriage equality as a legal right.

How do your local officials react to this ballot question?  A certain Councilman in Gaithersburg, the one that I respect most, is sadly off the mark on this issue, and is allowing his conservative version of humanity to cloud his vision of human rights.  Another certain Honorable Small Potato, one of those I respect least, is on the leading edge of this debate, having testified in Annapolis in support of marriage equality.  I think that particular small potato was really just trying to kiss the governor’s tushie and earn himself some state house credit, but I commend him none-the-less.   The other 4 haven’t really said much about it.  Unfortunate.

This shouldn’t be a partisan issue.  It’s about human rights – not a liberal or conservative platform.  My friends and neighbors shouldn’t have to fight for a vote to say that they’re in love and married.

This debate also should not be about the bible.  I’m a born and bred Christian, attend a wonderful church, and believe in the holy trinity, but I do not believe the bible is an effective tool for governing public policy or human rights.  John Shore said it best here:

“Employing the Bible in an argument about the legality of gay marriage,” I said, “is like employing pliers to saw through wood. It’s the wrong tool for the job.Illegal is not a religious term.”

“The fight against gay marriage is about fear. It’s about anger. It’s about unadulterated bigotry. It’s about stupid, ignorant, stubborn, blind, gut-level hatred. It’s got as much to do with anything Jesus taught as checker pieces have to do with playing chess.”

But, if you are among those fear mongers who must employ the bible to prevent my friends from getting married, then maybe you should also make certain that men can carry a food buffet around in their ever-growing, never-shaven beards, we should all go to he11 for our awful potty mouths and for watching the Redskins on the Sabbath, we should publicly stone to death any suspected adulterers (and in my pleasantville neighborhood, there is more suspicion than you’d think!), all women should go into isolation during their periods, lest they sit in your chair and make it “impure,” we should offer up sacrificial animals, we should never eat Maryland crabcakes, or wear cotton-poly blend shirts.  Oh, the horror!

Please vote yes on Question 6 and end my humiliation at having to even consider this issue as one fit for the polls.

Sobhani bandwagon?

I think I like this guy…

I wrote an email to Sobhani’s campaign asking some questions about his views on issues not explicitly listed on his website.

Here is what I received back, unedited.  Do I agree with everything he says?  No.  Would I like to see him take a stance on every question I asked?  Sure, but he didn’t.  But, I have to give him credit for knowing what he cares about and not pandering on an issue just because I asked, and I really do like most of what he wrote.  I may just jump on the Sobhani bandwagon with my vote.  Anyone have a reason I shouldn’t?

Dear Paula Ross,

Your interest in my campaign for U.S. Senate is much appreciated, and through this response I hope to answer some of the questions you have regarding my stances. 

  On Education: I have two priorities when it comes to education. The first is to create 15,000 internships for talented high school students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This will be a pilot program in Maryland which I know will be successful in helping young men and women get practical experience for the workplace, giving them a leg up in finding a well-paying job. The second is to make student loans tax deductible. America may be the world’s envy when it comes to the number or quality of our colleges, universities and technical institutes, but this quickly becomes irrelevant if Americans can no longer afford to attend them. When it comes to education, we need to put our money where our mouth is and create the same incentives for advanced education that we have for home ownership.

 On Medicare and Social Security: Those who have paid into the social security system should see a return on their years of paying into the system, but the real question today is whether your children or mine will be able to rely on social security being there when they retire. The real entitlement crisis however is Medicare. The projected cost of Medicare will undeniably bankrupt the system in the very near future – it is on an unsustainable path. Politicians on both sides are using Medicare as a political football and doing absolutely nothing to deal with the crisis. Medicare needs to be reformed to ensure that those who have reached retirement can count on a health care system that meets their needs without decimating their savings. Making sure these programs can exist in the future will require some serious talk today about efficiencies and sacrifices. Let’s have that conversation honestly, and put aside the political games.

 On Foreign Policy: My basic concern is that we lack leadership today. Too often narrow interests dominate our foreign policy agenda and what gets lost in these debates is the vision of what America needs to do best ensure our economic competitiveness and national security. On China, I believe we should do more to improve our trade deficit, including encouraging manufacturing first at home and when not practical at least in our own hemisphere. Israel is a strong ally of the United States, and I am concerned that efforts to appear more balanced in the resolution of the long-standing Palestinian stand off has made the Israelis feel a cold shoulder from Washington in recent years. This should be remedied. The answer to Iran lies in a peaceful transition to a more democratic system where the rights of citizens are respected at home and Iran becomes a constructive actor abroad. This will diminish the current regime’s demand for a nuclear option.

 On Women’s Reproductive Rights: At present, women, through consultation with their doctor are allowed to make decisions regarding the matter. If the public feels the need to change the status-quo in regards to the current policy, then that is something which can be accomplished through the democratic process. My foremost goal at this point is to revive both the state and national economy, and provide a prosperous future to our citizens. 

 Hopefully I’ve been able to answer your most pressing concerns. Once again, thank you for taking such an interest in the campaign. 

Sincerely, 

Rob Sobhani

 

FYI – Bongino campaign response

Here is the response I received today from the email I sent to Bongino’s campaign last week.  FYI – make your own judgments.  I’m still waiting to hear from Sobhani’s campaign.

_______________________

From: Communications Bongino for Senate <communications@bongino.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 11:16 AM
Subject: Issue Positions
To: paula@greatkidsvillage.com

Ms. Ross:

Thank you for your interest in bringing real change to Washington.

Dan believes that education reform must be a top priority for our nation’s leaders.  He supports expanding the tools available to parents and educators by local implementation of means-tested voucher programs, charter schools, merit-based pay for teachers, and year round schooling.

Dan is the proud father of two little girls.  He believes that life begins at conception, and should be protected.

Dan views Governor Romney’s 47% comment as an attempt to highlight our serious economic problems.  Reason Magazine reviewed the comment and determined that roughly 49% of American households receive a direct cash benefit from the government.  This is a serious issue at time that government at all levels is spending far more money than it collects in taxes.  Dan believes that we cannot afford a continued lack of leadership on this critical issue. Dan has a clear vision on how to move Maryland and America back onto the path towards prosperity. Dan’s main principles include: streamlining the tax code and reducing tax rates, encouraging foreign investment, prioritizing effective reforms to education, and a predictable, streamlined system of regulations to help grow business.

We encourage you to attend one of our upcoming meet-and-greet events, and listen to Dan express his views personally. Please refer to Dan’s website for additional guidance on his ideas and upcoming events.

Thank you,

David Kahn

Communications Team Director

Communications@bongino.com

Dan Bongino for U.S. Senate

P.O. Box 827                       

Severna Park, MD 21146

301-BONGINO (266-4466)

www.bongino.com

__________________________________

Shake it up, baby!

After last year’s local election, I was criticized for not shaking things up more.  I was an “issues” candidate, not a “personality” candidate.  I bit my tongue, was ever-so-PC, didn’t engage in mudslinging even when provoked, said the nice things, and stuck to a routine campaign schedule.  I was a boring version of myself – I was boring like the bland and dirty baked potato incumbents I was running against because I thought that was how I was supposed to win.  I put on my suit jacket, scarf and heels and explained my opinions in a thoughtful, only mildly agitated manner.  The craziest thing my team and I did was was deliver ghost lollipops with a clever poem attached (to vote for me, of course) to likely voters, just because I thought it was a cute idea!

It was only behind my closed doors (and at the occasional house party behind my host’s closed doors!) that I would get entirely worked up and, well, splenetic (a made-up (?) adjective an old boss of mine loved!)!  Well, we all know how well that worked!  Personally, it got me nowhere near a seat with the decision-makers…and as for the democratic process, perhaps even more disappointing,  only 7% of our voters cast a ballot.  People weren’t motivated to vote.  grrrr.

What lesson can we learn from my experience?  Shake it up, people!  Make your opinion known, shout it from the mountaintop, sing impassioned pleas, write heartfelt letters to the editor (or a heated blog post…), be fervent in your efforts, be convincing, be relentless, be consistent, challenge others to engage in debate, and only then can you make others excited!  Shout your opinions not just during election season, but all the time.  Stop biting your tongue.  When you’re wronged, tell people.  When you’re wrong, tell people.  When you believe in something, tell people.  That’s how we change our communities for the better, and that’s how I know that I can change a debate – and so can you.

I’m kicking myself for not learning this lesson sooner, and I should have!  Three years ago, my friend ran for Mayor.  He was (and is) extremely qualified, had (has) great ideas, and would have turned this City in a much better direction.  I wasn’t shouting my support for him from the mountaintops because I didn’t think I should.  I was trying too hard to walk the line, to protect a little organization I had founded that needed to work in partnership with whoever won – I even facilitated their public debate!  What I didn’t realize is that the dirty potato he was running against wouldn’t really support us anyway – that dirty potato could probably sense my distrust and frustration with him and his administration.  I should have worked harder, been more obvious in my choices, and made a better case for my friend’s views.  I don’t know if it would have helped, but I at least wouldn’t have thought “what if?”

From now on, I pledge to you to make my opinions clear.  I will “out” stupidity, and I will promote intelligent and creative ideas when I see and hear them.  You’ve probably noticed I’ve stopped biting my tongue.  I’m tired of being PC.  Please join me – let’s make sure people are motivated by the process to cast a ballot. Shake it up!

Part of county looks like a blood spatter, according to Andrews.

You have been displaced, at the hands of your governor. Montgomery County has long been part of District 8, but if you live in Gaithersburg, you are now part of District 6.

Redistricting is nothing new. Governors and State legislatures all over the country have rigged their state maps to favor their “teachers pet” candidates since the dawn of dirty potato politics. But in MD, the redistricting process has been egregious and ugly. Here is a quick visual history.

Here was the map in 1991, when most of MoCo was in the same District 8, nice and simple:

Here is the map in 2002 when District 8 was re-drawn with the sole intent of defeating long-time Congresswoman Connie Morella in favor of favored pet Chris Van Hollen.

And finally, here is the current map, adopted by the MD legislature last fall in order to favor O’Malley and Mike Miller’s (MD Senate President -D27) pet Rob Garagiola, who, btw, was defeated soundly by John Delaney in the primary (woot woot! Too bad, so sad, gerrymanderers!):

Notice how we are cast into the same district as Garrett, Allegany, Washington and the rural part of Frederick County. Other than being in MD, MoCo has very little in common with these areas.

I generally like O’Malley (pro-environment, pro-access to higher education, more), but he was acting like a potato head when he demanded this map. And I really like Phil Andrews’ comment about the other part of our county being redrawn: “District 3 includes the far-flung communities of Silver Spring, Towson, and Annapolis, yet excludes most of the areas between. District 3 looks like blood spatter from a crime scene rather than a Congressional district.” You can read Andrews’ full statement on this map here.

I’ve never been in love with Phil Andrews (not for any reason other than I can’t name any of his initiatives, so I must not have passion for them, and I throw up in my mouth a little every time I see his perma-smile while Mike Sesma kisses his tushie), but I like that he’s taking the potato heads in Annapolis to task, even the heads of his own party, on this one.

I will enjoy being represented by Delaney – I supported him in the primary and think he’ll be a great Congressman. But I really don’t like the gerrymandering that will have made him my Congressman. The party should vote for reform of this map. I can’t put it more eloquently than Andrews: “Don’t sully the Democratic Party’s good name by supporting this indefensible, gerrymandered map.”

I almost wish I could bring myself to vote for Bartlett just to show my disdain for this process, but considering Bartlett is about as exciting as a baked potato without butter, and his policies are no better, I think I’ll still vote for the self-starter who will do a good job and is not a puppet for the governor – Delaney.

I’ll keep you posted on what the Montgomery County Democratic Party precinct leaders vote for tonight regarding supporting reform of this gerrymandered map.

Update:  The MoCo Dem Party Precinct leaders voted to support the Congressional Districting Map.  wimpy.

Meet Dan Bongino, Candidate for U.S. Senate

An informed voter is the best voter.  Meet Dan Bongino at this event being planned in part by our City Councilman Henry Marraffa.  Here is Henry’s email, unchanged…he says feel free to forward.  –paula

Just a Reminder

 Bob Carlstrom and I are hosting a meet and greet event at Smokey Glen on Tuesday, Sept 18 at 6:00 pm for Dan Bongino who is running for the Senate.

We will have the event rain or shine as we will be indoors, also there will be food for your enjoyment.

This is a good time to come out to meet and get to know Dan, a great conservative who can beat Senator Ben Cardin this November.

He needs your support as we strive to take back our country and state.

This is a Meet and Greet Event to have an opportunity to talk to Dan and get to know him.

Any donations are optional or can be made later to show your support.

Feel free to forward this email or tell your friends as they are welcome also.

Please try and RSVP as we would like to have an approx. count for food, but if you or your friends have not RSVP’d, please come anyway as we will have plenty of food.

We will also have some other candidates you may want to talk to

An informed voter is the best voter.

For more information go to  www.bongino.com

I hope to see you at Smokey Glen and the victory celebration in November

Henry