Dee Hodges had hoped to make a more formal announcement about her candidacy, but you know you can’t say anything in a meeting in front of a reporter.
Hodges, the chairwoman of the Parkville-based Maryland Taxpayers Association, told about 100 or so attendees of a meeting of the Baltimore County Chapter of Americans for Prosperity that she was”running for senate in the 8th District.” Read the rest of this entry »
Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch?
Up to 400 county employees will be treated to lunch at an event Tuesday as “thanks for a job well done during the Blizzard of 2010,” according to a county press release e-mailed Monday afternoon.
And the event won’t cost taxpayers a dime, courtesy of donations made by at least eight companies.
Marjorie Hampson, a county spokeswoman, said at least 250 people are expected to attend the two-hour event at Oregon Ridge Park. Read the rest of this entry »
Is the topic of pension reform so hot that it can’t be discussed in public?
Depending on who you talk to, it’s an issue that’s already been addressed — or one that should continue to be talked about as a campaign issue leading up to the elections in November.
Steve Bailey, chairman of the Baltimore County Chapter of Americans for Prosperity, is in the latter camp, but says it’s an issue at least one councilman doesn’t want people talking about. Read the rest of this entry »
Criticism by the Baltimore County firefighters union of an endorsement by Councilman John Olszewski Sr. has another county labor union president crying foul.
Cheryl Bost, president of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, said Friday in Annapolis that she was disappointed to see Olszewski criticized as no longer being friendly to organized labor in the county. Read the rest of this entry »
If Mike Gimbel decides to seek the council seat held by Democratic Councilman (and soon-to-be county executive candidate) Kevin Kamenetz, he says it will not be a typical campaign.
“Everything that is traditionally done, I’m going to do the opposite,” said Gimbel, who served as the county’s drug treatment czar for nearly three decades. “I’m not going through all that crap of taking money from people who can’t afford it. There won’t be any bumper stickers or signs. I’m just going to go door-to-door and talk to people and see if my name holds up.” Read the rest of this entry »
Councilman Kevin Kamenetz’ s nascent county executive campaign picked up another eastside endorsement Thursday morning.
In a video posted on Youtube, Democratic former state Sen. Michael Collins praises Kamenetz for his management of the county budget and said the councilman who represents Owings Mills, Pikesville and Ruxton, has demonstrated a “dedication, an understanding, and concern for our natural resources, particularly our waterways.” Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s this morning’s chat with Maryland Morning News Anchor Bill Vanko where we cover water main repairs and dueling bills that would change the county school board from fully appointed by the governor to either a fully elected or a hybrid of the two.
Suzanne Mensh ended months of public speculation about her political future and the 2010 elections on Tuesday.
Mensh, 80, has served the county in elected office for 12 consecutive terms since 1962 — first as an Orphans Court judge and later chief judge of that court from 1962-1986 and then as clerk of the court from 1986 to present. Read the rest of this entry »
Members of a newly-minted “Court House Ticket” for Baltimore County are slated to meet outside the Old Courthouse in Towson around 11 a.m. Tuesday to pose for campaign photos before going together to Catonsville to register as candidates for their respective offices.
R. Jay Fisher, a Democrat running for his third term as sheriff, said the ticket will consist of other Democratic incumbent candidates including State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, Register of Wills Grace Connolly and the three incumbent Orphans Court judges — William Evans, Colleen Cavanaugh and Theresa Lawler.
“We want people to know we’re coming back and we want constituents to know we want to serve another four years,” Fisher said Monday afternoon, adding that he believes such a ticket in the primary is unprecedented.
Fisher said the group is doing it as “a symbol of unity.”
The group is not a formal slate — a designation that would allow the candidates to pool money that could be spent to benefit all of them.
And one long-time Democratic court house denizen is missing from the list. Read the rest of this entry »
Last week I wrote that the Baltimore County Professional Firefighters Association wasn’t tickled about Councilman John Olszewski Sr.’s “endorsement” of Kevin Kamenetz for county executive, and that the union was officially backing fellow Democratic Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder.
It’s easy to see how one might make that leap since the union was clearly irked by Olszewski’s move and they’ve only donated money to one county executive candidate — Bartenfelder.
But Mike Day, president of the union, told me Monday that the support is somewhat less than official — at least for the moment. Read the rest of this entry »