IN THE INTEREST OF FURTHERING POLITICAL DISCOURSE

the following is a public service announcement.....Tune in to local politics this Saturday morning on WRYR 97.5 FM at 9am. Full Circle Political Roundtable features Republican Mike Collins, Democrat Ray Naughton, and Green Rob Savidge as political commentators discussing local and state issues. This week features an interview with District 7 County Councilman Ed Reilly. We will also be talking about the coup that took place earlier this month with the ouster of Mike Collins as the chair of the county's Republican Central Committee. Also up for discussion will be the legal standing issue and theMagothy River's islands. We will also take a look at County Executive Leopold's recent order concerning illegal immigration, and Governor O'Malley's slots proposal. JOIN THE CONVERSATION...email full.circle@wryr.org or call in at 410-867-9677. Listen in South County at 97.5 FM or anywhere via the internet at http://www.wryr.org

ET TU LEOPOLD???

CP has been very pleased with the performance of AA County Executive John Leopold and has praised him and his administration from this blog. We have been led to believe that somehow the new County Executive Leopold is a different kind of politician, yet we find that since taking office less than a year ago, he is already on the campaign warpath. Yep-warpath. CP dislikes those terms such as "war chest" but how can this be any different? The Baltimore Sun reports that he just held a private, invitation-only $4000 a head dinner.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.leopold12sep12,0,2587257.story

The Sun says he raised $100,000 even though he does not stand for re-election until 2010.

It gets worse. Many of the guests were big developers. Oh-the dreaded D word. But of course, that is always where money is concentrated.

Here is what is so troubling. Leopold has been saying all along that he is different and not in bed with special interests. He ran an unusual campaign and in many ways is doing things differently. He did not appear to be seeking or accepting major campaign contributions or backing from corporate interests. He has shifted direction in government and taken a stronger stance against rampant development than any of his predecessors. He has been very positive on many environmental issues and most recently is involved in new legislation that would impose stormwater management fees.

So, why is he already campaigning and raising money? In the fashion of just about any other typical politician, Leopold told The Sun, "They wanted to get to know me better, to get acquainted with me, to have an opportunity to have a frank exchange of views," he said. "Whether a donor gives me $4,000, $1,000 or zero dollars, it won't change the direction I will pursue in the county."

A FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS?? IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE A FRANK EXCHANGE OF FRANCS, er I mean of DOLLARS.

I want to get to know you better too, Mr. Leopold. Do I have to spend $4,000? Developers can meet with you anytime as well too, right? And they have lobbying and trade groups that represent them too, right? So why not meet me--or them, as part of the normal duties of being our County Executive? Why an exclusive dinner party at the Marriott?

Here is an idea for you Mr. Leopold. Keep doing the very best job you can to lead our government. Stop these fundraisers NOW. When the time comes for re-election, we will sweep you back into office because you are different and are doing (and will do) a fine job as head of county government. Be fair. Focus on the campaign promises you made and continue to carry out the policies upon which you have already embarked. You were elected to this office by being a different kind of campaigner. CP knows. CP knew you as a Delegate. CP saw you many days waving in traffic. CP spoke with you at campaign events. George Johnson ignored CP. Next election, you will have the power of incumbency. Make sure when that time comes that you use that power of incumbency by having been the best darn guy in office. Not only that, but if you do so well, no challenger will want to take you on.

Please--stop this campaign finance @$%#**(*($) NOW and get on with the business of good government. And yes, CP would like to meet with you, during normal office hours, and with no donation required. And there is this little parcel of land CP has his eye on, but it seems that .......

GET RID OF YOUR OLD ELECTRONICS IN ANNAPOLIS-- 'E-CYCLING' but for gosh sakes keep tuned in to the blogosphere...

CP gave up his television years ago.......People are invited to bring unwanted computers, monitors, VCRs, televisions, cell phones and other electronic items from 8:00 a.m. to noon, Saturday, September 29 to the Truxtun Park Pool parking lot, 1000 Primrose Lane (off Hilltop Lane between Spa Road and Tyler Avenue).

This will be the first citywide e-cycling event, open to all residents and businesses in the city and county. This is made possible through a grant from the Maryland Department of Public Works to pay for disposal and recycling of computers and other electronic equipment.

For more information on the program, contact the Department of Public Works at 410-263-7967. AND KILL YOUR TELEVISION!!!!

ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES LAW....is it adequate?

CP appreciates the hard work put forth by our City Council, led by Alderman David Cordle, to enact an adequate public facilities ordinance. However, as reported by The Capital, while it covers many important areas, traffic road impacts were left out. CP is the first to admit the complexity and detail of creating, enacting and now enforcing or attempting to enforce such a set of laws, is mind boggling. The impacts may be far reaching, may lead to complex legal wrangling and may never completely do what its creators set out to do. However, it is a start, an important start to ensure that our city can handle growth and provide services in the future.

Considering CP's lack of familiarity with the law, except in its early stages as a bill, there's not much to comment on it for now. However, it is is a shame that Alderman Shropshire and Stankivic voted against it, considering how long it took to craft, and how everyone was so involved. But they were the minority of 2. Perhaps they are right that by not focusing on impacts on roads, it was inadequate. Only time will tell if we are going down the right path.

MAYOR MOYER GETTING TOUGH ON DRUGS

The Annapolis Police Department has signed a State and Local Task Force Agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The two year agreement goes into effect on October 1, 2007. The move came about as part of Mayor Ellen Moyer's 5 Point Plan to address public safety in the City of Annapolis.

This appears to be the first real and serious crime-fighting initiative to come from the Mayor's office and is a lot better than getting Segways or horses. CP thinks most Annapolitans would agree that drug-related violence should be the number one area for law enforcement activity. Let's hope that we can get our full complement of officers on the rolls as well. Finally, let's also continue to hope for better cooperation between the Mayor, our own police and our public housing communities.

CHUCK WEIKEL TALKS THE TALK AND WALKS THE WALK

Never in the history of the AA County Democratic Central Committee has there been such a busy and active member as Chuck Weikel--at least in CP's fetid memory. Local activists and elected officials know that Chuck Weikel is working on parking, transportation, ferry boats or downtown infrastructure issues along with registering voters, hosting events and....sending out a newsletter called The Weikel Tipster. This front-and-back, color glossy appears in CP's mailbox from time to time and CP gives Chuck credit for his civic-mindedness, his grasp of issues and his willingness to talk the talk AND to walk the walk. We need more committed activists such as Chuck.

This latest issue mentions that Maryland's primary election has been moved up to February 12, IN CASE YOU HAVE BEEN ASLEEP....(CP's emphasis). Chuck is recruiting Dems for help with that. Although CP has made it clear that he intends to ignore the Annapolis Mayoral race for a year or so, and wishes all the announced and putative candidates would keep silent as well, he will never the less, "borrow" from The Weikel Tipster. Chuck's "The Rumor Mill" section, which purports to include juicy news to know about people and events in our District" has a little game for readers to match elected officials "with their rumored electoral aspirations in three years."

PUHLEEZE. Chuck, and others, please spare us the rumors. Our elected officials should be governing and we as activists should be focused on that as well. Electoral politics and campaigns are not governance. They are politicking--and often at its worst. Many of us wish that election campaigns would be legally shortened. All this rumor stuff and campaigning and fundraising distorts the entire public discourse--especially this early.

Wake me when it starts. Better yet--wake me when it's over. But while we're on it, what about you Chuck?

SIX YEARS AGO TODAY....WHERE WERE YOU?

CP can recall exactly where he was and what he was doing on September 11, 2001, as can nearly all Americans. On that same day, Annapolitans might also happen to recall, we had a primary election in Annapolis. Take a moment today and reflect on the events of that day. CP remembers the videos being replayed and replayed and replayed and replayed....and saying to his co-workers, "One thing is for sure. Everything is going to change after this."

Indeed it has.

When we each take a moment to think about the horrible events, think about hatred and violence in the world, and how we as individuals, as a community, as a society, as a species, can work for peace. Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

Pause and reflect on whether or not our nation has taken the right course of action, and whether we are any safer now, or if we are more threatened. Are we being the change we wish to see in the world?

ANYBODY GOT A LIGHTHOUSE?

Good things always seem to be happening at The Annapolis Maritime Museum. When Hurricane Isabel roared into town almost 4 years ago to the day, and just about took away the entire old McNasby Seafood Building at Second Street and Back Creek, it was questionable whether the incipient museum would survive, but the new and improved Annapolis Maritime Museum, like the phoenix, has risen from the ruins. Tours and visits to Thomas Point Lighhouse, perhaps the most visible and tangible symbols of Annapolis and The Chesapeake are now available.

The museum has a lot of events coming up this fall. Please visit http://www.annapolismaritimemuseum.org/ for information

A FELLOW MARYLAND BLOGGER ON ANNE ARUNDEL BLOGS...

Herewith CP re-posts the follwing from Brian Griffiths, one of the most prolific and perhaps influential bloggers in Maryland with redmaryland.blogspot. While CP is certainly pleased with the mention, it must be noted that most, if not all of the other bloggers looking at Anne Arundel issues tend to be supportive of Republican politics and profess conservative--sometimes tridently so, values. As Griffith notes, all bloggers need to "keep up the good work".: (http://redmaryland.blogspot.com/2007/09/growing-influence.html)

The Growing Influence
"In the last Conservative Refuge podcast Greg Kline alluded to the fact that the influence of blogs in our state is continuing to grow, particularly among conservatives and particularly here in Anne Arundel County. You only have to see the impact blogs had in getting information the recent Central Committee ruckus through the coverage in the local media to see that we can have an impact, no matter how minor.

Eight of the top ten most influential blogs in Maryland are from a conservative perspective.

Five of the top twenty most influential (# 7 The Candid Truth, # 8 Annapolis Politics, #13 The Conservative Refuge, # 17 Capital Punishment and yours truly again at # 1 for the fourth time in five weeks; thanks Central Committee!) are based in Anne Arundel County.

I think we are all just glad that we are able to fill a niche in our community from our own perspective and make sure that the important stories get recognized.

All of Maryland's bloggers, left and right, need to keep up the good work."

ACADEMY'S TRIDENT EDITOR MARTHA THORN RETIRES

The Baltimore Sun notes the retirement of Martha Thorn, the editor of the Academy's weekly newspaper. The Trident, and praises her for 30 years of service as the "institutional memory" of our military neighbor. CP recalls the many times that Thorn has been helpful and cooperative and wishes her well. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.trident09sep09,0,3415092.story