Buerger Bites

Please be advised that as Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, my work program is vast and demanding.  I coordinate the outreach component of the Governor’s Office working with municipal leaders/issues, faith based organizations and ethnic & cultural entities and there are further responsibilities.  They include oversight of the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism, the Volunteer Maryland Program, the Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs, and the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism (administering AmeriCorps dollars).  In addition this, my office acts as a coordinating liaison to the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs and the Maryland Commission for Women.

I am a regular attendee at the Governor’s Cabinet meeting. I also serve as Maryland’s Liaison to the White House Office of Faith Based Initiatives, where I actively add a Jewish voice to their conference calls and meetings.

Below for your convenience/interest, I am providing a listing of Jewish events that I have participated in some with Governor O’Malley and some with his Chief of Staff, during the first six months of the new administration. Please note in the listing below that Governor O’Malley was in the Park Heights area as recently as July 25, 2007.  Also be advised that Governor O’Malley recently approved a $2.5 million grant for The Associated’s new Jewish Community Development Building.

1) Prior to taking office, then Governor-elect O’Malley met with the leadership of the Associated and the BJC to review issue important issues to the Jewish Community, Baltimore (Dec 2006)
2) BJC sponsored Jewish/Muslim Dialogue, Ellicott City, (02/08/07)
3) Speaker at Politically Connect with Jewish Youth, Annapolis (02/12/07)
4) Maryland Jewish Alliance, Jewish Advocacy Day, Annapolis (02/12/07)
5) BJC Interfaith Dialogue JCC Baltimore (2/22/07)
6) The Federation and JCRC of Greater Washington’s Super Sunday, Rockville (2/25/07)
7) BJC Jewish/Muslin Interfaith Passover Seder, JCC Baltimore (03/27/07)
8) The Associated and the BJC celebration of Israel’s 59th Birthday, Beth Tfiloh Baltimore (3/29/07)
9) JCRC of Greater Washington’s Yom Ha’Shoah, B’nai Israel Rockville (04/15/07)
10) BJC’s 2007 MD General Assembly Legislative Wrap-Up, Baltimore (04/26/07)
11) BJC’s Jewish/Hispanic Dinner & Discussion, JCC Baltimore, (05/01/07)
12) MIDC Meeting, Baltimore (05/18/07)
13) Baltimore Zionist District’s Yom Yerushalayim, Walk for Israel, Oheb Shalom Baltimore (05/20/07)
14) BJC’s Annual Meeting, Beth El Baltimore (05/21/07)
15) Jewish Federation of Howard County Women’s Event, Temple Isaiah Fulton (06/05/07)
16) Baltimore Zionist District’s Brandeis Gala, Baltimore (06/10/07)
17) Meeting with Minister Counselor Rafael Harpaz Director of Public Affairs from the Israeli Embassy, Washington , (6/13/07)
18) JCRC’s Annual Meeting, Rockville (06/14/07)
19) Meeting with Sinai Hospital Executive, Baltimore (7/10/07)
20) Meeting with Governor’s Chief of Staff & Executive Director of BJC, Baltimore (07/19/07)
21) Private Meeting with Governor O’Malley, County Executive Jim Smith and Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor , Baltimore (07/25/07)
22) MIDC Gala, Baltimore (07/25/07)
23) Meeting with Governor’s Chief of Staff & Executive Director of JCRC of Greater Washington, Annapolis (07/31/07)
24) Meeting with the Executive Director of CHAI, Baltimore (08/01/07)

In closing I’d be happy to provide the Jewish Times with a short article on my September mission to Israel, upon my return. Please visit our website http://www.goci.maryland.gov

As long as Jews continue to always automatically vote over 85% Democrat, why should they pay any attention? What would they gain? Votes?