Hogan, Republicans thank Dundalk for election victory

(Originally published in the East County Times, Volume 20, No. 7 [Nov. 20, 2014], pages 2 + 9)
- By Emily Blackner -

Governor-elect Larry Hogan drew a crowd so large it spilled out of the doors and parking lots of the Boulevard Diner in Dundalk when he made a stop at the eatery as part of his state-wide victory tour. Hogan's victory was just one part of the Republican wave that swept legislative districts 6 and 7, giving the GOP dominance on the east side of Baltimore County.

"I knew we were gonna win the election on July 4th at the Dundalk parade," Hogan told a supporter at the event. "I knew we were gonna need that kind of enthusiasm, and we got it. I felt the energy."

Well-wishers came from as far away as the eastern shore to shake hands with the governor-elect, get his autograph or snap a photo. Hogan spent the entirety of his hour-long visit last Thursday, Nov. 13, circulating through the rooms, meeting with and thanking voters.

"Governor[-elect] Hogan's visit shortly after his victory shows his commitment to southeastern Baltimore County," stated John Fiastro Jr., outgoing chair of the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee. "His goals of lower taxes, lower spending and lower regulation resonates with folks down here. For the first time in eight years, Dundalk and Essex have a partner in the governor's office."

The other Republican victors were also in attendance, notably the three delegates-elect Bob Long, Ric Metzgar and Robin Grammer and state senator-elect John Salling, who formed a ticket with Hogan during the final months of the campaign.

"We won because people believed in us and believed in our word. But having the governor at the top of the ticket helped as well," Salling said. "Mr. Hogan impressed a lot of people at the debates and we worked well with him and his team."

Robin Grammer declared, "Governor-elect Hogan is on the same page as we are in making eastern Baltimore County the economic engine of the state again. I think this district has nothing but opportunity ahead."

But all the candidates stressed that Hogan's name on the ballot was far from the only factor in the sweep.

"This has been building for years. People had just had enough and they wanted change," noted Del. Pat McDonough, who easily won his re-election bid in District 7.

"This election has shown that the voters were dissatisfied with the status quo and that they wanted real action, communication and transparency," declared Todd Crandell, who will become the first Republican to hold the County Council seat in District 7 since the Council was chartered in 1956. "I think we ran a very solid campaign and had the necessary bipartisan support to win the seat."

Hogan himself also emphasized the importance of bipartisan support in his victory.

Delegate-elect Metzgar attributed his success on his third run for the seat to "persistence, perseverance and pushing through" to bring his message across.

The Merritt Boulevard stop was Hogan's only one in eastern Baltimore County to date. He had planned to visit Perry Hall Square Shopping Center earlier that afternoon, but decided to cancel that appearance due to the search for a missing 12-year-old girl (who has since been found safe).

"I think it was appropriate to cancel the Perry Hall event," said Councilman David Marks at the time. "It's not a celebratory time in Perry Hall and we're all focused on finding the missing girl."

After the celebrations are over, each of these leaders will have to turn to the task of governing, which each man seemed ready to tackle.

"I am humbled and honored to serve the constituents and this community," said Metzgar. "I promise we'll hit the ground running; we've been working nonstop since we heard."

Salling said, "I am honored and overwhelmed with joy that I have the opportunity to represent the people. I see it not as a challenge, which of course it is, but as a great opportunity to make a difference.

McDonough was also optimistic about his new colleagues' performance. "I think that the people of Dundalk and Essex are getting energetic representatives who are going to be at almost every event in the community and will tell them the truth," he declared.

"It's still very, very surreal," Robin Grammer admitted. "Nobody expected this [complete sweep]. But we put in effort and it paid off."

A big night for Republicans in Baltimore County, state races

(Originally published in the East County Times, Volume 20 No. 5 [Nov. 6, 2014], front page and page 2.)
- By Devin Crum, Emily Blackner and Patrick Taylor -

Election night 2014 was a huge success for Republicans, who not only took the state house but also claimed victories all over eastern Baltimore County.

The GOP won every delegate and senate seat from Dundalk up through Middle River and parts of Perry Hall and Harford County, with only one delegate and one senate seat remaining in the hands of Democrats.

The Republicans managed to pick up a County Council seat in the Seventh District as well, meaning that Dundalk went from entirely blue to entirely red.

In the race for the Sixth District House of Delegates, Republicans managed to pull off a clean sweep with Bob Long, Ric Metzgar and Robin Grammer easily defeating Nick D'Adamo, Jake Mohorovic and incumbent Mike Weir. Long had the highest precentage of votes with just over 21 percent, while Metzgar amassed more than 19 percent. Grammer sealed the third and final seat with 18.5 percent of the vote.

"We were told by members of the Democratic Central Committee that we would take one seat and we would be limited to that, and instead we've taken the whole damn thing," said Grammer. "The people heard our message and turned out today. It's a little surreal right now."

"I am so excited and so honored to be state delegate and to be the representative for the Sixth District," said Metzgar. "I'm excited to put my vision into action to make this a strong community again. I want to make Essex and Edgemere and Dundalk very proud. They listened to their heart and voted with their heart and saw that we have what it takes to do something good here."

In the race for state senate in the Sixth, John Olszewski, Jr. was surprisingly taken down by Johnny Salling with approximately 1,000 votes separating the two. With John Olszewski, Sr. calling it quits from the County Council and John Olszewski, Jr. losing to Salling, this will be the first time in almost two decades that an Olszewski hasn't held a major local office.

"Tomorrow I get my life back," said Olszewski during his concession speech. "It was a close race and we came up a little short, but I called to congratulate our next Seantor in the area, and I wish him the best. But we have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"'I'm so honored. So many talented people put a whole lot of time into this, and they fought hard," said Salling. "Honestly the right words aren't here right now. But the Sixth District spoke and they spoke loud. They said, 'We want change!' Well, guess what they got?"

But the Republican takeover didn't stop there, as Todd Crandell came away with an easy win over Joe DiCara in the County Council race in the Seventh District. Crandell amassed an impressive 61 percent of the vote, a more-than-impressive tally considering that John Olszewski, Sr. held the County Council seat for the Democrats for 16 years.

DiCara realized he was out of the running early, saying, "There's no way I'm coming back from this, unless there's an absolute miracle. Really, this is a bit puzzling for me, but the votes don't lie. But I'm proud of the campaign we ran and thankful for my son, Tony, who did a great job managing the campaign. But the sun comes up tomorrow, and I'm here talking to you, so things aren't all bad."

There were no surprises in the Seventh legislative district as all four incumbent Republicans also swept the House and Senate seats. J.B. Jennings held onto his Senate seat, taking nearly 75 percent of he vote, and Pat McDonough, Kathy Szeliga and Rick Impallaria all retained their delegate seats, each with approximately a quarter of the vote, while none of their Democratic challengers made it out of single digits for vote percentage.

Where there was somewhat of a surprise was in the Sixth District County Council race, which saw incumbent Democrat Cathy Bevins face off against Republican challenger Jason Samios-Uy. By all accounts, Bevins was expected to handily dispose of her challenger. But the final tally was only 57 percent to 43 in Bevins's favor.

"It's been a very difficult day; it's been one I did not expect. But for the last four years, I've been working really hard for the Sixth District. And tonight it paid off," Bevins expressed. "There was definitely a movement in Baltimore County tonight, but I was successful."

While Bevins will hold onto her post in the council, she was visibly emotional due to the many losses by other Democrats she supported in their various races, particularly Renee Smith in the Eighth District who she said had probably worked harder than anyone on her campaign.

In District 8, incumbents John Cluster (R) and Eric Bromwell (D) will retain their seats, as expected. But even these returns were not without their surprises: newcomer Christian Miele earned the highest vote total of the day, 19,616 to Cluster's 19,379 and Bromwell's 16,817.

"It's surreal," Miele commented. "We've worked so incredibly hard over the last year and it's nice to know that hard work can pay off and that our message is resonating with people."

"Christian worked his butt off," Cluster, who was on a ticket with Miele and County Councilman David Marks, acknowledged as he awaited results with Miele at the Silver Spring Mining Co. restaurant in Perry Hall. "I am not surprised that he ended up beating me."

"I think people have had enough of partisan politics and just want people to do what's best for the community and not for the partisan interests," Miele said. "And we were able to bring people together regardless of political party."

Bromwell, the only Democrat to be elected to the House of Delegates from District 6, 7 or 8, faced a tough re-election bid.

"It's common for District 8 to elect two Republicans and one Democrat," he noted. "Everyone ran a very good, very clean race; we were all very friendly, regardless of party. I think we will all work together well in Annapolis." He blamed his relatively poor showing on the voters' general unhappiness with the government in Annapolis.

Bromwell's ticket-mate Bill Paulshock came in fourth place, just shy of a seat, with 15,397 votes.

"I have to say, I am disappointed in Perry Hall," he admitted. "They lost a good man for this district, and this state, a small businessman which no other candidate is. But I have a good life here, and I live and breathe Perry Hall." He promised to continue his efforts on behalf of the community, especially his work on Angel Park, but he said he will not seek office again.

Trailing Paulshock by only 187 votes was Republican Norma Secoura; Democrat Renee Smith netted 14,240 votes. Smith's affiliation with popular state senator Kathy Klausmeier, who easily won re-election with 61.22 percent of the vote, was not enough to pull her through the general election as in the primaries.

For the incumbents, the election means a return to their job as legislators.

"It makes me proud to represent the Eighth District again," Cluster declared. "I will go down and continue what I've been doing."

Bromwell echoed those sentiments, stating, "Being able to go back to Annapolis is an honor."

For Miele, it marks a new chapter in his life, but one he is excited to experience. "I want to focus more on the ways to bring District 8 together," he said. "I don't have a lot of preconceived notions about what we need. I just want to tell people, thank you for believing in me. I am humbled by their support."

County Council candidates clash at EMRCC Q&A forum

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 20 No. 2 [Oct. 16, 2014], pages 6 + 23.)
- By Emily Blackner -

Candidates for Baltimore County Council in the 6th and 7th districts met for a candidate forum hosted by the Essex-Middle River Civic Council last Wednesday, Oct. 8. Incumbent Cathy Bevins (D-6) and her Republican opponent, Jason Samios-Uy, and District 7 candidates Joe DiCara (D) and Todd Crandell (R) remained issue-focused throughout the two-hour forum, which featured a mix of questions drawn from the audience and those devised by a panel of moderators that included EMRCC President Bob Bendler and East County Times Editor Devin Crum.

Republican County Executive candidate George Harman was also present for the beginning of the forum, although his opponent, Democrat incumbent Kevin Kamenetz, was not. Harman was given the opportunity to speak and answer a few questions before he had to leave for another event.

“With the current executive, there is a bit of an arrogance about him,” he declared. “They are running the county based on what the administration wants to see done. I want to run the county based on what the community wants to see done.” He pledged that community input would begin six months to a year before a decision is made, not at the end of the process.

Another focus would be on bringing jobs to the county, he said, and to do so he would restore funding for the Department of Economic Development and lobby state legislature to repeal some of the taxes and fees it has imposed. He favors tax breaks for all businesses instead of targeting relief to only certain businesses.

Harman’s work at the state departments of natural resources and the environment has given him a different view of the stormwater remediation fee, known popularly as the “Rain Tax,” than many of his fellow Republicans.

“We have more people in the watershed, and when you add more people to the landscape you have more strain. That’s why the concept for the storm water tax is very important. We need to amplify that,” he said. But he still takes issue with the bill’s implementation, saying the county council should have taken more time for deliberation to find an implementation method that was less harmful to businesses and nonprofits. He also suggested using general fund money that is part of the county’s $200 million surplus to pay the obligation without the need for a tax.

His background also makes him an advocate for open space throughout the county. ”We need to preserve it in blocks of 30, 40, 50 acres so the space can actually be used for rec. activities,” he said, instead of the current preservations which often occur in small parcels of three to five acres.

Harman was thoughtful when asked about the possibility of an elected schoolboard, noting that personal experience has shown how expensive and stressful mounting a campaign is and whether that would be advisable. He does oppose the governor or the county executive appointing the board, however, suggesting that perhaps local PTAs could nominate people from their ranks to serve.

After Harman’s departure, the stage was turned over to the four county council candidates, who were given two minutes per response. Some questions were more general and directed to all the candidates, while others were specific to particular districts and addressed by those canddiates only.

Asked about the oversaturation of workforce and low-income housing on the east side of the county versus elsewhere, all of the candidates said that this was an issue that needed to be addressed, and that efforts should be made to distribute it more evenly. Bevins and DiCara pointed to their previous success at stopping additional housing from being built (55 units in Rosedale and a four-story high rise, respectively) while Samios-Uy and Crandell both said that more scrutiny needed to be given to those applying for housing assistance to make sure they really need it. Crandell additionally suggested Towson as a place where such housing might be a better fit.

Each candidate also said that they would be selective in how they approved variances for new construction in the county. “We need to be smart in how we handle the code; we need the jobs and we need the growth. So I would use [variances] as a surgical tool to get things done,” declared DiCara. Crandell said regulations need to be enforced but that if the variance requested would lead to an improvement he would consider it; Bevins also said they are approved on a case-by-case basis. Samios-Uy wondered “Whose decision is it that it’s best for the community to give a variance? As always, community input should be number one.”

Regarding public works projects, DiCara said that smart inlets, bulk trash pickup and increased fines for people who dump large items like tires and furniture to help protect the environment, as well as upgraded pumping stations and sidewalks and additional speed bumps would be priorities. Crandell focused on infrastructure improvements to prepare for the revitalization of Sparrow’s Point. He also plans to have a staff person to help local organizations secure grants to do projects on their own, without county funding, and a neighborhood scorecard system that “would create a mechanism of communication and accountability between the community and the councilman.”

Samios-Uy said that he would like more street lights in certain neighborhoods and that the community concerns brought to his attention would become his priorities. Bevins noted that she has gotten traffic calming measures in several parts of the district, including near Franklin Square Hospital, and approved the purchase of five new street sweepers for the county, as well as supported the single-stream recycling that the county adopted.

Both sets of candidates got fired up over long-debated issues. For District 7, that was the North Point Government Center sale. In response to a question about government transparency in light of the controversy, DiCara said, “Frankly, I’m a little bit tired of talking about it [the government center]. That was a sale that was voted on by two Republicans- two. That’s the PUD process, that’s the law, that’s how it works.” He did say that he would have sought community input “from day one” of the process.

Crandell responded, “Well, Joe, I’m not tired of hearing about it, because there are lessons to be learned. I don’t think the folks opposed to it have given up. Let’s not sell park land for fast food. We can do a lot better.”

For District 6, the issue was the Paragon outlet mall proposed for White Marsh, which the County Council sent back to the county for approval as a material change.

Samios-Uy declared, “I believe the community needs the voice, and the communities I’ve spoken with seem to be against this PUD. They say it will bring 1,600 jobs- what kind of jobs are they going to be, minimum wage?”

Bevins responded by noting that a plan for 1,250 apartments is already approved for the site and that that plan could go through regardless of the decision on the Paragon proposal. “This plan, the outlet mall, is job creation. $8 an hour jobs, $10 an hour - people need those jobs too,” she argued. She also said that the developer will build a new ramp to Rt. 43 and improve the intersection at Route 40 and Ebenezer Road.

Bevins also became passionate about the proposed relocation of the MARC train station to Middle River Depot. “It’s been a two year fight for me to get that done,” she said. “We want the depot to not be a shopping center but to be a destination. People have gotta get away from ‘It’s just retail.’ It’s not. These are professional buildings.” Samois-Uy said that he would need more information on the plan and what, precisely, the objections are before making a decision.

In their closing remarks, each candidate made their final pitch for votes. Bevins explained, “Everything I’ve told you that I’ve done for the past three and a half years I have done because the community asked me to. I have experience, and, frankly, I’d like to be re-elected. I have way too much left to do.” She also mentioned her endorsements by various county workers’ unions.

Samios-Uy contrasted himself by saying, “I am not a professional politician, so I don’t have a voting record. But I have had interactions with a whole lot of the people in the community- I have had them in my classroom.” He feels that his experience as a teacher has given him the skills in prioritizing, listening and presenting information clearly that will allow him to be effective if elected.

Joe DiCara touted his extensive work throughout the Essex community over the past 40 years and asserted, “I will be with you and for you every day.”

Crandell took the opportunity to raise a new issue in the debate: property taxes, vowing to look into the possibility of lowering them, if not for all residents than at least for senior citizens who have lived in their houses for decades. “I want to work so hard for our district because I am so excited for the future of our area,” he declared.

Athletic activists put spotlight on redistricting reform

(Originally published in the East County Times, Volume 19, No. 52 [Oct. 2, 2014], page 1 + 3)
- by Emily Blackner -

Running for a cause is nothing new in today’s world of charity 5Ks, but this weekend, a group of activists took on a much longer trek, 225 miles, in an effort to bring attention to gerrymandering in Maryland’s congressional districts and push for redistricting reform.

The Gerrymander Meander, a challenge to traverse the borders of Maryland’s Third Congressional District to highlight its gerrymandered nature, was organized by Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and the Annapolis section of the National Council of Jewish Women. Over the course of three days, Sept. 19 - 21, two dozen concerned citizens took turns running, biking and kayaking the borders of the district. After a kick-off in Baltimore City Friday morning, the runners arrived in White Marsh just after 5 p.m., traveling along Perry Hall Boulevard, Ridge Road, Kenwood Avenue and other thoroughfares in Perry Hall and Overlea in their golden-yellow “Tame the Gerrymander” shirts.

Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, a nonprofit dedicated to pursuing accountability and transparency in government, was one of two runners who did the White Marsh portion of the meander. “I feel pretty good,” she said after her run. “But it’s crazy; I’ve just done 10 miles and haven’t even made it through the first county yet.”

The route crossed four counties and included four separate water crossings and was set up in relay style, with participants in groups of two or three (and a few solo runners) rotating through 10 mile legs. Switch-off points were set up with support vehicles dispensing water bottles and encouragement. The campaign had people continuously running, biking and kayaking for 36 hours, from 10 a.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday for the first, 206-mile portion of the journey, with the final 19 miles in and around the Annapolis area starting on Sunday at 10 a.m. and culminating in a rally on Lawyer’s Mall by the state capitol. Bevan-Dangel said that the groups would also be presenting petitions to the 2014 gubernatorial candidates to get them to pledge to support reform once in office. Republican Larry Hogan and Democrat Anthony Brown sent representatives, and Libertarian candidate Shawn Quinn was there in person.

“We wanted to make redistricting an issue so big that our gubernatorial candidates can’t ignore it,” she said. “The way this campaign is structured, it shows the tremendous grassroots support we have, so they can see that people really do want to see a change.”

Gerrymandering is the term given to the process by which political parties and elected officials draw district boundaries in ways that are most advantageous to them, stacking the deck in elections. Maryland has been called the most gerrymandered state in the nation (tied with North Carolina); the Washington Post’s WonkBlog evaluated its eight congressional districts and all but two were given a gerrymandering score of over 90 on a 100-point scale. The scores were calculated by comparing the district’s actual borders with those of a circle with the same perimeter. Maryland’s Third District is the second-most gerrymandered seat in the nation, with a score of 96.79. Famously described by a federal judge as “a broken-winged pterodactyl,” it includes parts of Nottingham/Perry Hall and Overlea, as well as areas north of Owings Mills and parts of Towson and Baltimore City and snakes down to encompass Olney, Laurel and Annapolis and points south.

The boundaries of congressional districts are redrawn every 10 years after the U.S. Census is completed to ensure that each district has roughly the same number of residents, but beyond that there are often no guidelines as to how the borders are drawn. In Maryland, Gov. Martin O’Malley and an advisory committee were responsible for this task following the 2010 census, and used their power to add Democratic voters in Montgomery County to the previously-conservative 6th district. As a result, Maryland’s national delegation now contains only one Republican, Rep. Andy Harris (1), following the loss of long-time Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. The new districts borders were placed on the 2012 ballot after a petition drive, but voters approved Question 5 by 64.1 percent. The boundaries have also survived legal challenges.

Bevan-Dangel and the others behind the Gerrymander Meander maintain that this carving-up of districts is harmful to the public, because it makes it harder to hold leaders accountable. “Part of the reason we have such low voter turnout is because people feel disenfranchised,” she said. “It’s almost impossible to know who represents you and almost impossible to find someone who really speaks for the community with the districts the way they are.”

She hopes that the attention drawn to the issue through the event will lay the framework for reform before the next redistricting process in 2020. She also notes that the issue is a non-partisan one, with both Democrats and Republicans fighting for reform. North Carolina, tied with Maryland for first place in gerrymandering, has Republican-controlled panels. In Maryland, Rep. Harris and Rep. John Delaney (D-6), both beneficiaries of the new borders, support reform, with Delaney introducing legislation this summer asking for a review of redistricting nationwide as a first step. Gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan fully supports creating a nonpartisan redistricting commission in Maryland, according to the Washington Post, and while Brown supports creating national redistricting standards for all states to follow.

“This is one of our main issues at Common Cause, so I’m excited to see this happen,” Bevan-Dangel said. “Fair representation is such a cornerstone of our democracy. So this is an exciting first step but it certainly can’t be the last.”

County agencies weigh in on proposed White Marsh outlet mall at hearing

(Originally published in The East County Times, Vol. 19, No. 38 [June 26, 2014], pages 6 + 8.)
- by Emily Blackner -

At a public hearing on June 19, various county agencies and representatives of developer Paragon Outlet Partners spoke to an administrative law judge about the Paragon at Nottingham Ridge outlet mall proposed in White Marsh along MD-7/Philadelphia Road near I-95.

The hearing room was packed with over 100 people, a mix of supporters and opponents of the project, as Administrative Law Judge John E. Beverungen heard the case.

Both sides were legally represented as well, with Paragon’s lawyer facing off against lawyers hired by White Marsh Mall and by two private citizens whose suit will allegedly be joined by unspecified community associations, attorney G. Macy Nelson claimed. The first day of the hearing featured testimony from county agencies who reviewed various aspects of the proposal and by Paragon witnesses. The project’s opponents will call their own witnesses when the hearing resumes on July 23.

The county departments of zoning and environmental protection and sustainability did not have any objections to the plan as submitted. The representative from the Office of Real Estate Compliance said that his department had initial concerns about the project regarding the width of the sidewalks, but that they had been addressed in the most recent filing. Jane Tansey from the Department of Recreation and Parks noted that the proposed 250 apartment units would require the plan to meet county open space requirements. But Paragon has opted to instead pay a $30,000 fee to waive this requirement, as allowed by county law.

Only the Department of Planning raised substantial objections to the plan. Representative Lloyd Moxley revealed that the school impact studies suggested that the plan would put Vincent Farms Elementary School at approximately 117 percent capacity, higher than the 115 percent capacity the county allows. But other schools in the area are not as full and could ameliorate this situation by accepting overflow students, he said.

Moxley explained that the bigger issue was the 75-foot sign tower proposed on the site’s west side. “We could not recommend conceptual signage that matched what’s being proposed here,” he declared. “The height of the tower is a factor, but the intensity of the sign is more of an issue. This would be a commercial enterprise with a joint identification component that doesn’t exist anywhere in the county.”

The sign in question is a tower that would feature the names of the retail tenants in the outlet mall along with Paragon’s own logo. Exact details of how the sign would be laid out would vary depending on the lease terms agreed to, but Moxley said the combination of height and function lead to the decision. His office recommended a reduction to 50 feet and no joint identification component, similar to the other signs already in White Marsh.

“We feel this tower is a very important part of the plan,” said Salam LaHood, the architect who designed the proposed center. He noted that the tower is an architectural component built into the outlets’ design rather than the standard piling sign that many retailers use and that it would sit next to a parking garage, so it would not appear as high in comparison to its surroundings. Judge Beverungen will make the ultimate decision on whether to allow the sign as proposed.

Issues related to the outlets’ potential impact on traffic in the area were also discussed. Wes Guckert, president and CEO of Traffic Group, Inc., presented a report his company made modeling the traffic effects the project may have. Baltimore County divides roads into Level of Services which are impacted by specific intersections. It grades these levels of service and marks grades D, E and F on its yearly Basic Service Map. Guckert said that the Paragon property is located in a Level of Service C or better (since it is not marked in the map), although surrounding intersections are Grade D. Paragon plans to improve one intersection by widening the lanes and installing a right turn lane.

Guckert also said that his firm recommends that a ramp from northbound MD-7 to eastbound MD-43 be constructed if the plan was approved, but did not specify whether Paragon or Baltimore County should be expected to build this ramp. “We think it will enhance traffic operations to the area,” he said. If the ramp is not built, the Level of Service will drop to an F, which the county deems unacceptable, he said. Guckert also pointed out that the outlet mall will generate the greatest amount of traffic on Saturday, when the impacts would be the least severe because of the reduction in commuters on the road. However, even with this ramp the intersection of Ebenezer Road and MD-7 could fall to grade F.

Judge Beverungen will hear testimony from the rest of Paragon’s witnesses and from community members when the hearings resume. “This is an amendment to a plan that was approved years ago, so that makes things exceptionally difficult,” he stated.

This PUD plan under review is an amendment to a PUD approved by the County Council in 2008. The revision calls for a 560,000-square-foot outlet mall paired with 60,000 square feet of additional retail space, including restaurants and a hotel, and 250 apartment units. There are also currently two office buildings on the property, which are owned by Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT). They would be upgraded to coincide with the new development even though COPT would retain ownership of them. The original plan featured 1,250 apartment units and 1.2 million square feet of office space. Paragon’s lawyers noted that that plan could still go forward if the amended version is not approved.

Some community leaders believe that those 1,250 apartments would have a greater traffic impact than the 250 in the current plan. Proponents also claim that the outlet mall will bring 1,600 jobs to the area and bring in $180 million in sales each year on top of the initial $100 million investment to build it.

Opponents question the impact on other local retailers like White Marsh Mall and The Avenue, the effect of new traffic congestion and patterns on the community and the lack of community input on the project.

Few surprises as primary elections come to a close

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 19, No. 38 [June 26, 2014], pages 1, 2 + 4.)
- by Patrick Taylor, Devin Crum and Emily Blackner -

After months of campaigning, the primaries are finally over and the focus will now shift to the general election in November. And across the board there were few surprises.

One of the closest races of the evening belonged to the Democrats in the District 6 House of Delegates race. The 6th District race was handily won by incumbent Mike Weir, Jr., who ended the day with a staggering 4,181 votes. Taking up the other two nominations are Nick D’Adamo and Jake Mohorovic, who finished with 3,437 and 2,847 votes respectively.

Anna Pearce and Ed Crizer were in close contention throughout the whole evening, with Crizer and Mohorovic separated by a little over 100 votes. Pearce ended the evening off by 300.

“I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder in any election I’ve ever been in,” said Weir. “It was a lot of knocking on doors and writing literature and making calls and knocking on more doors. But I’m excited and it looks like we have to get working for November.”

Of the “Our Team” ticket, only Weir and Johnny Olszewski, Jr. made it past the primary, with Olszewski cleaning up in the 6th District’s State Senator race.

Olszewski took a commanding lead from the beginning and never looked in danger of giving it up. When all was said and done, Olszewski knocked off challenger Russ Mirabile by almost 2,000 votes. Olszewski will now face Republican John Salling in the general election.

“This was a really encouraging result,” said Olszewski. “It just goes to show that our hands-on approach really worked. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made over the last few years and I’m going to look to keep up that momentum when I get to the Senate.

When asked about facing Salling in the general, Olszewski responded that he was ready for what’s ahead.

“I don’t know much about John Salling,” said Olszewski. “I haven’t seen him around in the community much over the last few years and haven’t heard much from him. But I’m looking forward to the fight and hope we can move the campaign forward.”

In the County Council race in the Seventh District, Joe DiCara managed to come away with the nomination, but it was close throughout. DiCara maintained a lead for a strong majority of the evening, but there were moments when it seemed as if Brian Weir or Buddy Staigerwald were making a comeback. However, DiCara was able to hold on and edged out Weir by close to 700 votes.

“I’ve been involved in this community since 1974 when I began teaching at North Point Junior High,” said a beaming DiCara. “All I can really say is thank you to the voters.”

“My name is out in the community and the numbers suggest that I have electability,” he continued. “But I’m really excited because we won the Battle Grove Elementary precinct today and that area is much like a lot of the different communities in the Seventh District.”

DiCara will face Republican Todd Crandell, who ran unopposed, in the general election.

The race for the County Council’s Sixth District seemed at times especially heated. And both campaigns descended into negativity by the end of it.

Challenger Jeff Beard claimed incumbent Cathy Bevins has not done enough for her constituents and instead favored special interests in her decisions regarding zoning and land use. Meanwhile, Bevins attacked Beard’s past criminal record, as well as his lack of administrative or legislative one.

But in the end, with nearly 99 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday morning, Bevins carried the day with a lead of just under 2,200 votes.

Bevins held a watch party with family, friends and campaign volunteers at the Hazelwood Inn in Rosedale, where they watched as she held a commanding lead from the beginning of reporting. However, she stated she was still stressed and never got too confident. “It’s been a rough day,” she said.

At just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Bevins announced to the group that Beard had sent her a message congratulating her. Although it was not official, campaign manager Chris McCollum commented, “I’d take that as a concession.”

As jubilation filled the room, Bevins gave a quick victory speech to her supporters. “I knew we were going to be okay - it was just getting through it - because we got so much work done,” she said.

“The end result is that she won and I didn’t,” said Jeff Beard. “That’s how these things work. I want to thank all of my supporters who believed in me. Honestly I’m more upset for the ones who worked so hard in getting me through this election.”

“I feel that I ran a clean campaign,” he continued. “I was only interested in her policies and not attacking her family or her personal life. My fullest intention was to make a difference in a positive way in District 6. I just wanted to help.”

In the House of Delegates’ Eighth District, the Democratic race was extremely tough and came down to the wire. Eric Bromwell, Renee Smith and Bill Paulshock received the Democratic nominations while Harry Bhandari and Debbie Schillinger put up strong fights.

“There are so many things to be proud of. This is the first time I ran for office and I ran against the establishment, so this is not bad at all,” said Bhandari. “We won people’s hearts and I am proud of the support we earned. This is not the end, this is a beginning, and starting point we can be proud of.”

The Seventh District race for the House of Delegates had never been heavily contested, with only three Democrats running on the blue side and two little-known challengers facing three entrenched incumbents on the red side.

In fact, polling by Pat McDonough’s campaign just weeks before Election Day indicated that the three Republican House incumbents held strong leads with voters over the challengers.

The District 7 Team, comprised of incumbent Republicans McDonough, Kathy Szeliga and Rick Impallaria, as well as Senator J.B. Jennings, was a formidable ticket and swept the race as expected.

California election illustrates benefits of open primaries in Maryland

(Originally published in The East County Times, Vol. 19, No. 36 [June 12, 2014], pages 12, 13 + 14.)
- by Emily Blackner -

This year marks the first that Maryland has chosen to hold its primary election in June rather than September. This gives more time for the party nominees who will officially be in the general election to get their message out there to voters, but it also means that the beginning of summer has so far been overrun by campaign ads on radio, TV and billboards. You can’t go on your daily run without passing seas of signs in front of every willing home and business. I will admit, it can get a bit tedious, and I will be absolutely sick of it by the time June 24 finally arrives. But I actually think this plethora of candidates is a good thing. Voters will have more of a choice, several shades of Democrat or Republican to choose between and, therefore, more likelihood of finding someone they really like and really believe will do the best job for the county, district or state. But I think there’s a way to expand this trend and make sure those chosen are even more representative of the people - open primaries.

A little bit of history is pertinent here. Primary elections as we know them didn’t really exist until 1968. The Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago that year and was beset by protests that turned to riots after citizens felt shut out of the process when the presidential candidate who won most of the primaries, Eugene McCarthy, was denied the nomination. People were rightly upset over the incident, and the binding primary that we now have was born (Republicans followed suit, and the states expanded the practice to other national and local elections as well). Prior to that, primaries were “preference primaries,” where the winner was a suggested candidate that the party insiders could ignore if they so chose. But until the 1910s, there was no primary election at all. The parties would hold national conventions (much like we have today) to select the nominee to represent them without any input from the public at large.

So the nomination process has certainly democratized over the decades, giving the people even more of a voice in choosing who will represent them. But the parties were never happy about giving up their control; this can be seen in the superdelegate system the DNC still uses today. It is also seen in the practice of closed primaries, where citizens must be registered with a party to vote in the primary, and may only choose from that party’s candidates in selecting nominees. This means that at least half of the eligible candidates are off-limits to that voter. In Maryland, a registered Democrat must chose a Democratic candidate for the nomination, even if he or she likes a Republican candidate more. Of course, the voter could simply change his or her party affiliation in order to back that Republican, but the stark truth is people are busy. Between work and kids’ activities and volunteering and exercise, most people don’t spare a thought to elections until the choice is imminent, usually after the deadline to change party affiliation has passed (It was June 3 this year). And voter turn-out is always low in primary elections (especially midterm elections like this one), partially because the hassle of changing parties discourages people from doing it, in which case they don’t show up to the polls at all. It would be so much easier if people could just arrive at the polls on primary day and select the candidate they like the most, regardless of party, as they do in the general election.

The closed primary system also cuts out an entire group of voters: independents and those unaffiliated with either major party. A January 2014 Gallup poll said that percentage of Americans identifying as independent has risen its highest level, 42 percent. Compare this to the 31 percent who said they were Democrats and 25 percent who identified as Republicans and you see this is a significant portion of people disenfranchised by the primary system.

Some will worry that in an overwhelmingly blue state like Maryland, an open primary system would mean that Republican candidates would never get a shot. But the results in California, which just held its first election under its blanket primary (or jungle primary) system, provide a rebuttal. California’s system is a top-two system, where all candidates, regardless of party, appeared on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters advance to the general, regardless of party. The state is as reliably Democratic as Maryland is, and yet the gubernatorial primary resulted in one Democrat (incumbent Jerry Brown) and one Republican (Neel Kashkari) candidate. The race for controller is incredibly close pending absentee ballot tallies, but Republican Ashley Swearingen got the most votes cast on actual election day. And in District 31, the first place finisher was Republican Paul Chabot, with fellow Republican Lesli Gooch battling closely for second with Pete Aguilar (as of this writing, less than 200 votes separate them). The San Bernardino Sun says that “If Gooch finishes second, it would be the second time in two elections that the district- despite a plurality of voters being registered Democrats- had two Republicans in the November election.” The 2012 election for this office also used the blanket primary system. So open primaries are not as disastrous to the minority party as some think. There is always a chance of hard-core partisans attempting to sabotage the other party in the primary by voting for weak candidates, but this happens with the current closed primary system as well. And an open primary would offset this trend by bringing in the independents and unaffiliated voters who will be voting based on the candidates’ merits and not the party interests.

The result would be more moderate candidates- Kashkari is a moderate Republican who the GOP believes is much more electable than the alternative, a right-wing firebrand named Tim Donnelly who made damaging, controversial remarks. Moderate candidates are more likely to listen to the other side, forge actual compromises and govern instead of descend into partisan bickering. After all, they would have to show how they are working for the entire district, not just the party activists. Similarly, you would see less of the flip-flopping that dogs leaders today. In closed primaries, a Republican (for example) will swing farther to the right to get the base to come out and vote and then migrate back to the center to pick up independents in the general, leading to inconsistencies in message. But in an open primary system, he (or she) would need to appeal to all voters in both races, which cuts out this swinging.

Seventeen states currently have open primaries, with 13 having a mixed primary, and their elections work just fine. And interestingly, Maryland could have open primaries any time it wanted to. The law allows for the parties to hold open primaries if they so choose, provided they notify the Board of Elections six months prior to the election. But open primaries would take away from the influence of the party machines, and however good that might be for the state, it will be a hard sell. But California showed that the open system doesn’t shut out the minority party, and that party insiders can trust the voters to choose a suitable (appealing, electable, qualified) candidate without their hand-holding. And given the benefits a more open primary system could provide, it seems worthwhile to at least make that pitch.

Campaign finance reports reveal some fundraising surprises

(Originally published in The East County Times, Vol. 19, No. 36 [June 12, 2014], page 2)
- by Emily Blackner -

In the absence of polling data, campaign finance reports filed by candidates on May 27 may provide some idea of where each candidate stacks up in competitive races.

The District 6 House of Delegates race, where two open seats have drawn an impressive 19 total candidates into the fray, reveals disparate spending strategies. On the Republican side, Roger Zajdel’s $20,076.13 bank account is an anomaly since he claims he is funding his campaign himself, leaving Bob Long’s balance of $10,041.73 as the highest. $7,997.60 of that was raised in the past five months, putting him ahead of Ric Metzgar’s $5,879.50 and Robin Grammer’s $2,585 receipts. However, these three have been able to keep pace with each other spending-wise, with $4,620.44, $4,617.04 and $4,483.91 of spending, respectively. Conversely, Zajdel and Mitchell Toland have spent under $1,000 total, and Liberatore, Magee and Sparks have signed affidavits affirming they did not and plan not to accept or spend more than $1,000 total. Zajdel’s reluctance to spend in spite of his balance, nearly double that of the second place Long, perhaps suggests confidence in his chances and, thus, saving up for the general election fight. But it is unclear if a mere $965.60 in expenditures will get him the name recognition he needs.

The Democratic field varies more widely in terms of fundraising, expenditures and overall balance. Nick D’Adamo has an impressive $88,679.94 in his war chest, but outspent his receipts by $22,887.48, having only raised $5,300. Still, he has spent more this cycle than any other single candidate in the race. Things get complicated somewhat by the presence of two tickets, Our Team with Ed Crizer, Eric Washington and Mike Weir and Team Clean Sweep, Anna Pearce and Rick Roberts. Crizer, Washington and Weir combined have spent $18,090.83 and Pearce and Roberts, $13,539.51, a surprisingly small difference. Crizer’s individual campaign balance of $17,074.69 puts him in second place, followed by Weir with $9,572. Pearce is a distant third, with $4,802.81 remaining, but she has raised an impressive $11,820 for herself. Only Washington and Crizer outraised her. Larry Harmel and Jake Mohorovic are sitting in the middle of the pack with only $799.65 separating their bank totals. Mohorovic’s fundraising dwarfs Harmel’s, though, with the former delegate pulling in $8,935.49 to Harmel’s $909.72. Steven Brown and Johnathan Campbell signed affidavits.

Democrats in District 8 are pulling some huge numbers campaigning for the open seat created by redistricting. Bill Paulshock, Eric Bromwell and Renee Smith have formed a formidable ticket with state senator Kathy Klausmeier. Bromwell, the incumbent, leads the pack with a $36,843.83 bank account, of which $19,455 was raised since January. Challenger Harry Bhandari, a veteran campaigner and party activist, actually beat Bromwell’s fundraising totals, but only just, raking in $19,955.01. He is also closely matching Bromwell in terms of expenditures, but Bromwell has a $569.50 lead (hardly statistically significant). This aggressive buying could pay off on election day due to name recognition. But Bill Paulshock outspent both Bhandari and Bromwell significantly; his $11,170.35 worth of expenditures is almost double that of Bromwell. Renee Smith has a comparatively modest $7,463.44 war chest and has only spent $1,085.56, so she seems to be relying on the heavy lifting of the others on her ticket to carry her through. Debbie Schillinger has a deficit of $150 in her campaign coffers, so her chances are minimal.

Turning to County Council, Democratic primary candidates are all in contested races, giving their Republican counterparts an advantage in that they can save their money for the general election fight. Jason Samios-Uy of District 6 filed an affidavit , while District 7’s Todd Crandell has $7,079.28 at his disposal. Meanwhile, District 6 Councilwoman Cathy Bevins is in a surprisingly difficult primary fight. Her $205,726.98 war chest is nearly 10 times that of challenger Jeff Beard ($24,242.23), but Beard has raised more than double her $46,255 total this cycle, raking in $102,062. This has enabled him to spend $77,849.76 and have money to spare, compared to Bevins’ $17,689 expenditures. The Baltimore Sun reports that much of Beard’s receipts are from groups tied to developer David Cordish, owner of the Caroll Island Shopping Center, while Bevins’ appear more diverse.

The District 7 race is turning out to be quite expensive as well, with $67,569.16 total used across the five Democratic candidates. Leading the way in both expenditure and fundraising is Ron Yeatman, with $25,755.05 (almost 40 percent of all expenditures) to $32,255 worth of receipts. Buddy Staigerwald has raised $23,373 and spent just over $18,000, and Joe DiCara has spent $13,540.47 while bringing in $27,555. Roll-over money leaves DiCara with the largest bank balance going forward - $21,999.53 - trailed by Yeatman at $12,179.14. Staigerwald, Brian Weir and Scott Holupka all have war chests below $10,000.