SURPRISE: Leggett worried about $13 million gap

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett says voters, in effect, would create a $13 million gap in the suburb's budget if they reject a new ambulance fee he championed. County officials adopted Leggett's proposal in May but can't implement the charge -- between $300 and $800 per ambulance ride -- until a likely voter referendum is decided this fall. Opponents of the measure say they have secured enough signatures to ensure the fee is placed on the ballot.

"Because of the limited options available, these additional cuts will impact all of the county government and will certainly hit public safety, including our fire and rescue services," Leggett wrote in a letter to the County Council, alluding to the potential hole in the budget. The fee was narrowly passed by the council, with most members saying it was necessary to fill a billion-dollar budget shortfall, after years of pressure from Leggett's office to approve the charge. Supporters say the cost would be absorbed entirely by insurance companies and that uninsured residents wouldn't pay the bill. However, critics argue that premiums and deductibles would rise, as insurance companies find ways to pass the costs to their customers. And now Leggett is being accused of fear-mongering.

"It's an attempt to scare the council and scare the public," said Eric Bernard, executive director of the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, whose organization is generating the petition against the fee. "It's just a sad attempt from the county executive to scare the people into accepting an additional tax."

SOURCE: Washington Examiner

Mike Philips for Congress debates Chris Van Hollen at NAACP 2010 forum

Mike Phillips is running for U.S. Congress in District 8, which is mostly in Montgomery County. His website is mikephilipsforcongress.com.

Heavy metal music in Potomac

Mention the name Jeff Krulik anywhere around here (Washington DC and environs) and four words generally come to mind: “Heavy Metal Parking Lot.” Made with Jeff Heyn, that quintessential back yard short, which the homegrown filmmakers shot of Judas Priest fans in the parking lot (doh!) of the now deceased Capital Centre in Largo, MD, will mark its 25-birthday next year (and celebrations will occur). But in early May 1985 (a year before the filmmakers shot whacked-out heavy metal fans in that well known Prince Georges County asphalt patch just outside the Washington Beltway), there was a whole lot of carousing going on in a (then) somewhat remote area of Potomac (Montgomery County), MD, a posh northwestern suburb of the nation’s capital. At the time I was living in neighboring Bethesda, maybe 10 minutes from the locale of what was basically a party of high school kids (many from Winston Churchill H.S., where my kids would attend a decade+ later), out getting drunk and high, and hoping for a pleasant, parent-free weekend of music from some area R&B, “Southern Boogey,” rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal bands. Billed as Full Moon Jamboree, a thousand or so kids gathered in a field, their cars passing close-by mansions, their music often annoying those homes’ disapproving inhabitants. Long before cell phones, iPods (heck Apple’s Macintosh computer was barely a year old), and other present day means of social connectivity, it was invitation by flyer, land-line phone, and other antique word-of-mouth techniques. SOURCE: Film Threat

House Minority Leader O’Donnell Endorses Pettit for Delegate, Dist. 39

August 9, 2010 – Gaithersburg- District 39 delegate candidate Jim Pettit announced today that House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell has endorsed his campaign for the state legislature. Delegate O’Donnell will address an August 12 fundraising event at the home of a local supporter and individual contributor donations will enable the Pettit campaign to raise additional funds for direct mail and get out the vote efforts.

“Delegate O’Donnell wants to get Maryland’s spending under control, and I want to help him,” said Pettit.  “Maryland state government faces a permanent era of downsizing as revenue projections are not holding up due to high unemployment and businesses fleeing Maryland’s poor business climate.”

Maryland’s business climate is 45th in the nation according to the non-partisan Tax Foundation. Delegate O’Donnell proposes basic reform of the major long-term cost drivers of the state budget including the Medicaid program, education spending and the pension system.

“I need Jim Pettit with me in Annapolis to ensure that Montgomery County public schools remain strong and that we improve our business climate in order to avoid drastic cuts for years to come.  The only way I can do that is to change the status quo in Annapolis by electing new people to the legislature,” said O’Donnell.

Delegate O’Donnell, who represents district 29 C in Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties, has been minority leader since 2007 and a member of the House of Delegates since 1995. The endorsement follows those of former Governor Robert L. Ehrlich and Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey, who was the GOP nominee for Governor in 1994 and 1998.

Jim Pettit
Delegate candidate. District 39. 301.704.1363
www.pettit4delegate.com
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Authority:  pettit4delegate / Arlene Hale Treasurer

Big tree falls in Colesville

A large tree toppled Saturday morning with little or no warning onto a house in Montgomery County in what might have been one of the last effects of Thursday's thunderstorms. It was not clear late Saturday why the great oak fell about 7 a.m. in the Colesville area. But it heavily damaged the two-story, single-family house, in the 13500 block of Collingwood Terrace, and trapped a couple inside for a time, said Capt. Oscar Garcia of the county Fire and Rescue Service.

The tree fell less than 48 hours after a punishing storm that snapped tree trunks like flower stalks, but whether it was a delayed consequence was "hard to tell," Garcia said. Garcia said the tree's trunk was several feet in diameter. At least two residents of the street said they had heard that the tree might have been rotten inside.

A Collingwood Terrace resident said she had "no idea" why the huge tree came down. The storm, she said, "may have loosened" its root structure. The tree was "very, very old," said the woman, Judy Siebenberg. Calling the oak "the biggest tree you've ever seen," she said it came down with "a big thump," and the sight of it lying across the neighboring house "was horrific." SOURCE: Washington Post

Two killed in Bethesda crash

BETHESDA, Md - Two people were killed in a head-on collision Saturday morning. A mini-van and a station wagon collided in the southbound lanes of Old Georgetown Road near the Beltway, according to Montgomery County Fire and EMS. One person was in each vehicle, both of whom lost their lives on scene. Old Georgetown Road remained closed in this area for sometime while Montgomery County Police investigated. SOURCE: FOX DC

Saqib Ali attacks Nancy King again and again in District 39 Senate

Metro brawl at L'Enfant on Friday night

At about 11:00 p.m. on Friday night, a fight -- in fact, a brawl -- broke out on the Metro. Some 70 people were involved in a fight that led to three arrests and five injuries at L'Enfant Metro Station. Metro Transit Police Department officials initially responded to a disorderly conduct call at Gallery Place Chinatown. The crowd dispersed after the police arrived. Minutes later, Metro Transit Police received another disturbance call from L'Enfant Plaza Station. Police arrived to find some 70 teens and young adults engaged in a brawl. Police arrested three individuals -- all D.C. residents -- including Angelo Nicholas, 18, whom they charged with disorderly conduct. Police also charged one 16-year-old man with disorderly conduct and charged another 16-year-old man with simple assault.

Five people received emergency medical services and were taken to the hospital. Two teenagers and two adult men received minor injuries, and one of the men has been released. One woman who received an injury not directly related to the fight received treatment at the hospital and has been released. Another man remains in the hospital with serious injuries. The man's serious injuries may be the result of a stab wound, according to an early report from Metro Police Department. Investigators from Metro Transit Police are conducting the investigation and discovered no weapons on the scene. SOURCE: NBC Washington

Are Montgomery County bloggers turning their backs on Leggett?

This is from the owner of Wheaton Calling, a blog about Wheaton:

I headed over to Jackie's Side Bar in Silver Spring last night for a farewell happy hour for Dan Reed, the creative genius behind just up the pike. It was great to meet Dan in person after reading his blog for years now. I also spent some time chatting with local photographer Chip Py, and Casey, a local Silver Spring resident. As a relative newcomer to the Silver Spring area (going on six years now), I was really impressed by everyone's knowledge of and involvement in local politics. I definitely learned more about Ike Leggett's political past than I've ever wanted to know (and I'll just leave it at that). This was the first time I've met with local bloggers, and everyone was very welcoming. I definitely hope to stay in touch with this group who is so enthusiastic about our area and where it's headed in the future. Thanks, guys!

Voting for Bob Ehrlich kills the Purple Line

By TENEILLE GIBSON One year ago today, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley announced his support for a light-rail line over a rapid bus system that would link the Bethesda and New Carrollton Metro stations. Now, that decision could cost him votes in November. The Purple Line’s original opponents are looking to O’Malley’s opponent to reopen their cause, according to the Washington Examiner. Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bob Ehrlich promises to kill current light rail plans in favor of the bus rapid transit system. Ehrlich’s spokesman, Andy Barth, told The Washington Examiner that a bus route is more cost-effective and will mean fewer trees along the trail will be lost.

“I’d vote for Ehrlich in a heartbeat,” a registered Democrat in Chevy Chase told the Examiner.

“It’s a deal breaker, as far as I’m concerned,” said another Chevy Chase resident.

O’Malley did admit last year that a rapid bus line would cost a third as much as light rail and would steer clear of the popular Capital Crescent Trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring. But he also said light rail emerged as a better option because it’s more cost-effective and rider-friendly. And O’Malley does not appear shaken or stirred by the possible loss of votes. His spokesman Mark Giangreco said in an e-mail that “O’Malley stands with business community and with the thousands of families that need this long term commitment to transit and sustainable development.”

It’s been a 20-year effort to get public transportation between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties without having to pass through the District. Right now, the Purple Line project is awaiting permission from the Federal Transit Administration to enter the next phase of the project -- preliminary engineering.

“It’s really not the time to reopen this issue,” Stewart Scharwtz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, told the Examiner. “It’s going to be hard enough to get funding for new transportation projects.” And if the Purple Line receives federal funding, construction could begin in 2013/2014. It would likely take three to five years to complete construction. SOURCE: NBC Washington

Over 1500 foreclosures in Montgomery County last quarter

Foreclosures in Maryland increased 5.3 percent during the second quarter of 2010, according to new statistics released Friday. A report by RealtyTrac shows the state’s foreclosures numbered 15,637 over the past three months, giving Maryland the 11th-highest ranking for homeowner default in the nation. The rate was 67.8 percent higher than the second quarter in 2009. Overall, a total of 895,521 foreclosures were filed in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2010, RealtyTrac statistics show, down 3.9 percent over first quarter 2010 figures. One in every 144 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing during the second quarter.

Baltimore City foreclosures totaled 2,066 default notices during the second quarter, a 172 percent increase over the same period last year. The largest number of home defaults in the state occurred in Prince George’s County, where 4,331 filings took place from April through June, up 13.5 percent over the first-quarter default figures. The town of Bladensburg was listed as a foreclosure “hot spot” by RealtyTrac because there was a concentration of 35 home defaults recorded there. There were 1,583 foreclosure filings in Montgomery County in the last quarter, and 1,854 recorded in Baltimore County.

Overall, the RealtyTrac report said, Maryland lenders purchased 2,740 foreclosed properties during the second quarter – the highest quarterly rate since the first quarter of 2006. The foreclosure filing picture could look radically different in the third quarter: The flood of foreclosure filings in Maryland slowed to a trickle when the new mediation law went into effect July 1, The Daily Record reported Thursday.SOURCE: Maryland Daily Record

Rockville mother accused of trying to kill kids

Montgomery County (web | news) police say a Rockville woman charged trying to kill her sons told detectives that she was listening to voices in her head. Authorities say Dina Lemus' 5-year-old son told a social worker last month that his mother tried to choke him while he was sleeping. Police say detectives later learned that 30-year-old Lemus tried to smother her 11-year-old son by holding a pillow over his head as he slept. Both boys survived. Lemus is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault. An affidavit indicates Lemus heard voices commanding her to kill the children. On Thursday, a judge ordered her to undergo a mental health evaluation. She is being held in a Montgomery County jail. Both children are staying with relatives. SOURCE: WJLA

Shane Robinson is strong newcomer in District 39

One of the strongest challengers to emerge in the District 39 Delegate race is nonprofit management professional Shane Robinson. Robinson finished college with degrees in biology and Spanish with the intention of becoming a biologist, but his 3 ½ years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Zambia put his life on a different track.

“Since the Peace Corps my goal has been to improve people's lives,” he said.

Much of Robinson's nonprofit work has been in advocacy and government relations, and those experiences led him to believe that he would be an effective legislator for District 39. Robinson's endorsements include the MCEA, SEIU Local 500, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, Progressive Maryland, the ATU Local 689, the Washington DC Metro Council AFL-CIO, the Montgomery County Youth Slate, the Maryland State Education Association, the Montgomery County Public Schools Retirees Association, and the People for the American Way. Robinson and his wife Mary live in Montgomery Village. They are expecting their first child in November. In addition to Robinson, Bob Hydorn, Arthur Jackson, and Tony Puca are Democratic Candidates vying for the open seat in District 39. The Republican Candidates are Jim Pettit, Al Phillips, and Bill Witham.

Shane Robinson for Delegate
(301) 337-7284. www.robinson4delegate.com

Crime alert in Montgomery County for day crimes

Since the beginning of July there have been 10 residential burglaries of single family / town homes in the beat. These incidents have occurred on multiple days and during all time periods, however, most occurred during the day time hours. The suspects forced entry or broke doors/windows in seven of the incidents and four of the residences were ransacked. Cash, jewelry, tools, televisions, computers, stereo equipment and handguns were targeted. Several of these burglaries are similar to the previous pattern in this area,that also crossed over the line to the J1 beat in our 4th District∑ MORE

Joy Nurmi. Director, Eastern Montgomery Regional Service Center
3300 Briggs Chaney Road. Silver Spring, MD 20904. Tel # (240) 777-8414/ Fax # (240) 777-8410.
www.montgomerycountymd.gov/eastco

Howard County barn collapses

Although this is not in Montgomery County, it is worth seeing that barns collapse from time time. Montgomery County has barns in it, too.

Fenty loses important straw poll to Gray

Last night, the ward where Mayor Adrian Fenty began his career decided it is time to end it. Rival Vincent Gray beat Fenty in a high-stakes Ward 4 straw poll by a wide margin, with an unofficial tally showing Gray with 581 votes to Fenty’s 401. While Gray did not hit the 60 percent threshold required to win a formal endorsement, that’s beside the point -- it was a crippling blow to the flailing Fenty campaign. A huge crowd gathered outside the venue in the hours before the event began, and Ward 4 Democrats President Deborah Royster repeatedly admonished the energized throng during the candidate forum before the vote.

During the debate, Gray accused Fenty of putting in 9-to-5 work days, saying, “I don’t see you around at midnight,” and said at one point, “You’re the most credit-taking mayor I’ve ever seen in my life!” Gray challenged Fenty to put his notes away and debate without them, but the mayor ignored him. Fenty hit Gray over his refusal to say what he would do with schools chief Michelle Rhee. Fenty said of Leo Alexander, who has vowed to fire Rhee, that while he doesn’t agree, “at least he takes a stand.” Gray feebly replied that Rhee “has decided she won’t be working in a Gray administration. I haven’t.”

But the winner of the debate was Gray. Fenty was booed when he trotted out his familiar criticism of Gray’s tenure as head of the Department of Human Services in the early 1990s. WTOP’s Mark Plotkin asked Fenty what had become of the upbeat candidate of four years ago, and suggested he’d had a “personality transplant.” And minor candidate Sulaimon Brown even used his closing remarks to tell the crowd to back Gray over Fenty. With 40 days to go, Fenty needs to do something drastic to turn this race around. While a straw poll is hardly scientific, this is a stunning repudiation in a ward that elected Fenty twice and gave him nearly 70 percent of the vote in the 2006 mayoral primary.

An interesting subplot of the evening was the result of the straw poll vote for At-Large Council member. While incumbent Phil Mendelson won with 389 votes, D.C. shadow senator Michael D. Brown received a stunning 330 votes, with Clark Ray at 199. While Brown has been a vocal advocate for D.C. voting rights, his Council campaign has been nearly invisible compared to Ray’s aggressive effort, and it seems many voters may have confused Brown with Council Member Michael A. Brown. Another Brown – Council Chair candidate Kwame – won 524 votes in his race, with Vincent Orange receiving 385. SOURCE: NBC Washington

More on Sarah Palin endorsement of Maryland's Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy, a little-known Republican candidate for Maryland governor, unexpectedly won an endorsement Wednesday from one of the biggest names in national politics: Sarah Palin. Palin's decision to side with Murphy over former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) in September's GOP primary prompted plenty of head-scratching in Maryland political circles. But it remained unclear what impact the endorsement might have in a state where the "tea party" movement has not packed nearly as much punch as elsewhere. Murphy, 33, a business investor from Montgomery County, has tried to position himself as a more conservative alternative to Ehrlich on issues including taxes and gun rights. But prior to Wednesday, Murphy's candidacy had been considered so much of a long shot that most pollsters had not bothered to measure his support.

Ehrlich boosters, meanwhile, argued that being shunned by Palin could actually help him in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 2 to 1. To defeat Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) in the November general election, Ehrlich will need to draw significant support from Democrats and independents, some of whom harbor great antipathy toward the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. In recent months, Palin has thrown her support behind more than two dozen candidates, a mixture of tea party favorites and more established Republican types, with decidedly mixed results.

In a posting Wednesday on her Facebook page, Palin called Murphy "a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment common-sense conservative and a firm believer in the free market and the cause for energy independence."

"Brian has the private sector experience that is so lacking in government today," Palin said in the posting. "He knows how to incentivize industry to get our economy moving again."

Murphy, who has never sought public office before, said he was "humbled and honored" to receive the support of "an icon." He said Palin's people had first reached out to his campaign about a possible endorsement several months ago. Murphy, whose investments include a small bakery on Smith Island, has portrayed himself as having more business acumen than Ehrlich. Murphy has also sought to lump Ehrlich and O'Malley together on taxes and spending issues, arguing that he represents a clean break from the past eight years. Ehrlich has, for the most part, ignored Murphy. While Maryland's Republican establishment has rallied behind Ehrlich, Murphy has made inroads with some conservative activists, including James Pelura, the former state party chairman. SOURCE: Washington Post

As Kagan is confirmed, Senate Democrat laughs at Republicans like SNL

When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell laid out his opposition to Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court nomination, someone in the chamber appeared to be moving around in his chair, gasping and rolling his eyes. It was Sen. Al Franken.

Moments before Kagan’s confirmation vote Thursday, the Minnesota Democrat was presiding over the Senate — and the Kentucky Republican thought the freshman senator was mocking his speech. Upon the conclusion of his remarks, a very irritated McConnell removed his microphone, approached the dais and confronted the former comedian.

"This isn't ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Al," McConnell told Franken sternly, according to people who overheard the exchange.

Franken later apologized to McConnell.

“The leader thought I was disrespectful while he was giving his speech on General Kagan,” Franken said in a statement to POLITICO. “He is entitled to give his speech with the presiding officer just listening respectfully. I went directly to his office after I was done presiding to apologize in person. He wasn’t there, so I’ve sent him a handwritten note.” SOURCE: Politico

Murphy exposes Ehrlich's conservative problems

CROFTON, MARYLAND – Yesterday, Brian Murphy, Republican Candidate for Governor of Maryland, received the endorsement of Governor Sarah Palin. Bob Ehrlich, Murphy’s opponent, replied to the endorsement with a statement confirming Ehrlich’s intention to distance himself from Republican voters and Republican ideals.

"Ehrlich did not seek out [Palin's] endorsement… [Ehrlich] has never been captive to one particular ideology,’” read an Ehrlich campaign release.

Today, Murphy issued the following statement:

“Bob Ehrlich has distanced himself from every core Republican principle, even though it is those principles which will mend Maryland’s economy. Maryland’s ‘stagnant economy’ and ‘tax-and-spend cycle’ are by-products of the reckless policies of the last eight years,” said Murphy.

“This is exactly the problem with American politics. Bob Ehrlich continues to say whatever he thinks the people want to hear. He claims to have fought for lower taxes and smaller government, but as Governor he raised taxes by $3 billion and grew our government more than any governor in history,” said Murphy.

“Further, Ehrlich refuses to pledge not to raise taxes. Maryland can’t afford four more years of Ehrlich-O’Malley tax-and-spend culture,” said Murphy.

An Evening with Christine Thron, District 8 candidate

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Christine and company will hold an event at Timpano Restaurant on August 7th at 6:00 pm. A $30 entrance donation to the campaign efforts will be collected per person at the door. Appetizers will be served and two drink tickets per person will be provided, good for beer, wine or soda. Please join us to talk with and hear from Christine about current issues. She would like to hear what is on your mind.

When: August 7, 2010 6:00pm-8:30pm. Where: Timpano Restaurant. 12021 Rockville Pike. Rockville, MD 20852-1603. (301) 881-6939. Who: Friends and supporters of Christine. What: Meet and Greet/Fundraiser. Please reply back to this email to RSVP by Wednesday August 4, 2010.