A LITTLE OF THIS AND A LITTLE OF THAT, SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
Since I began this exercise last year, I have written extensively about a couple of topics that I thought would keep your interest. One was the slots issue, which is still totally screwed up, and local politics, which is never dull.
As events have been unfolding lately, my musings about Governor O’Malley’s poor leadership resonates. I sometimes feel like the boy who cried wolf. All I can do is put it out there for your edification. The same, old, same old keeps happening.
First I want to talk about O’Malley, who showed up a couple of weeks ago on Bill Maher’s show on HBO. He was terrible, and made no discernable impression, but some of it was not his fault. He was on a panel with Chris Matthews and Alec Baldwin, and the show never had any chemistry. If he thought this was going to be a vehicle for him to shine in the national spotlight, he was sadly mistaken. He missed this opportunity.
Now, the slots issue has come once again to the forefront. The location in Anne Arundel County is still not decided. It is apparent that the county council in Anne Arundel County does not want to make this decision. The Cordish Company will not relent on its proposal for the site to be at the Arundel Mills Mall. The whole thing is going back through the wringer again with a timetable scheduled before the end of the year. O’Malley, as I said previously, wants others to do his bidding for him and take the heat.
Also, another jag that I’ve been on concerns the budget deficits. Finally, the governor seems to be addressing this, but this upcoming legislative session will be critical. If he cannot get our fiscal house in order, he could be in a challenge next November.
On the local front in Baltimore County, I attended a fundraiser for State Senator Jim Brochin, from the 42nd Legislative District. Brochin, a bona fide maverick, sits in the last row in the chamber, a distinction that was made by pissing off the powers that be—Mike Miller. Brochin has no plans to modify his approach. He may have a race next year against a candidate that fits my most despised criteria—a right wing loony. Hopefully, Jim will prevail again. He’s a unique and special politician.
I bumped into former Senator Paula Hollinger and had a nice chat with her. She encouraged me to run for the county council seat being vacated by Kevin Kamenetz, who is challenging next year for county executive. Let me announce now that I will not run, nor will I seek the position, and all rumors concerning my political ambitions are false. My loyalty is to my family and to my readers.
Speaking of right-wing loonies, Andy Harris and the club for growth will be going again against Frank Kratovil in the 1st Congressional District of Maryland. Last time around, I covered this race, and it will be déjà vu all over again with this one. Hopefully, Harris will finally be out of politics after this election.
Harris will have to give up his state senate seat to make the run. Primed to take that seat is none other than my old boss Jim Smith, who has changed his legal residency to the 7th Legislative District from Reisterstown. Smith still wants to be a player. You can bet your sweet bippy that I will keep my eye on that one.
Posted by Jay Liner on 10/26/09 at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)