Strange Bedfellows

Sorry for the delay I was out of town yesterday. Here’s the audio from my weekly chat with Maryland’s Morning News anchor Bill Vanko on WBAL AM 1090 where we talked about Mike Pappas, tanning beds and three councilmen who want to be County Council chairman.

One small correction. Larry Hogan is NOT a Democrat. Not sure how to account for the brain cramp since I later mention that he wouldn’t run against Republican Robert Ehrlich, should the Republican former governor decide to seek a rematch against O’Malley.

There are no mulligans on live radio.

Mike Pappas, a Perry Hall resident and Towson attorney, said Wednesday he has ended his bid for the Republican nomination for governor.

Pappas announced in December that he was going to seek the nomination. Since then, he has spent time traveling and meeting Republicans around the state.

At the time, Pappas said he would seek the position unless former Gov. Robert Ehrlich entered the race.

Pappas said he made the decision to withdraw now for two reasons. Read the rest of this entry »

Del. Todd Schuler returned five days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. Schuler, a first-term Democrat who represents the 8th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 8th District includes Perry Hall, Parkville and Overlea. Read the rest of this entry »

Del. Pat McDonough returned five days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. McDonough, a two-term Republican who represents the 7th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 7th District includes Cockeysville, Honeygo and Middle River.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels. Read the rest of this entry »

Another County Councilman is weighing in on the issue of possible pension reforms for council members.

Bryan McIntire, the council’s lone Republican, said he believes the current council will have to confront the issue.

“It’s out there,” said McIntire, who represents the 3rd district, including Parkton, part of Cockeysville, and Kingsville. “The public is concerned about it, and it must be addressed.”

McIntire made his comments during a Thursday night phone interview. All seven councilmen were called about the pension issue. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s the first of what I hope will be a regular feature on some of the funny, ironic and interesting things said in the world of politics.

“It’s like being on an airplane when those oxygen masks drop down from the ceiling. You put your mask on first and then you assist others.”

~Former Republican Del. Don Murphy, Oct. 30, 2009, on when it isappropriate for candidates to help campaign for other candidates.

The current controversy about pensions for County Council members is a no-win scenario regardless of what the council may or may not do in the way of reform, according to former County Executive Don Hutchinson.

“There’s no way they can win on it,” Hutchinson said, adding that voters would likely see any action as “nothing more than reaction to a story of exposure.”

“I don’t think this council can do anything about it,” Hutchinson said. “I think the council, any council, could have changed it, but they chose not to. The new council can talk about it, consider it, discuss it. I think this council is best to leave it alone.”

The two-term Democratic executive talked about the pension issue during an interview about a possible return to politics.

Hutchinson said he understood why the pension issue has captured the attention of the public.

“I think that the average man and woman always look at somebody else’s life in comparison to their own and what they know,” Hutchinson said. “They know that when they retire, regardless of the job they had or what they’ve done, they know they’re not going to get full compensation for their retired years. They know they’re income is not 100 percent of what it was when they left their job.

“That’s all they know, and that’s what they think is fair. They think what is fair for everybody is what has been fair for them.”

So is the public wrong? Read the rest of this entry »

Two weeks ago I wrote that Al Redmer is close to announcing a return to  politics and is considering a run for the 7th District Senate seat held by Republican Sen. Andy Harris.

Redmer sent an e-mail to supporters Monday, alerting them to a “no-cost, campaign kick-off” event on Nov. 11.

But for what?

Redmer, a Republican former delegate and state insurance commissioner, won’t say.

I pointed out an e-mail he sent to supporters in which he asked them to hold off on donating money to candidates in the 7th District Senate race. In a post here two weeks ago, Redmer confirmed that he wrote the e-mail in which, in part, states, “Make no mistake, the Senate race in D7 is critical to the state and to the Republican party.”

Redmer wouldn’t budge.

“I want to preserve some of the mystery,” Redmer said.

Isn’t that kind of like the political equivalent of putting pasties on Blaze Starr?

Redmer laughed.

“Maybe,” he said.

It may have been a little confusing if you tuned in to WBAL 1090 AM  this morning at 7:39 expecting to hear my weekly chat about county politics but heard Bill Frist. You were just a few minutes late.

Paper covers rock, rock breaks scissors and a Republican former Senate Majority leaders with a perspective on the national health care debate beats a local reporter talking pensions every day.

Yeah, ok, I got bumped a few weeks ago for Paula Zahn, too. Ok, she’s not a health care expert but come on, have you seen me?

That meant moving me to a slot 17 minutes earlier than usual.

Here’s today’s audio link.

Sen. Norman Stone returned four days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. Stone, an 11-term Democrat who represents the 6th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 6th District includes Dundalk and Essex.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels. Read the rest of this entry »