Strange Bedfellows

Del. Pat McDonough says people are talking to him about running for governor and he’s decided to listen — up to a point.

McDonough said he is beginning a “testing the waters” process, which he defined as “something less formal than an exploratory process.”

McDonough, a Republican who represents the 7th District, has previously expressed an interest in running for county executive.

But over the past few months, the three-term delegate said he has been getting calls from listeners to his radio show on WCBM, and also comments from people he meets encouraging him to run for governor. (more…)

So you came out to Towson University last night to protest federal health care reform proposals as part of the so-called Astro Turf group; or perhaps you answered the call of some community organizer and came out to counter-protest.

But you couldn’t get inside. (more…)

If you followed my live blogging of Sen. Ben Cardin’s town hall meeting on health care on Twitter last night or read coverage in The Baltimore Sun this morning, you may have noticed a mention of Towson University police.

About 10 minutes into the meeting, about a half-dozen university police officers made their way down the two aisles of the Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall and took up positions briefly in front of the stage. The crowd was boisterous at times, with some people interrupting Cardin, but nothing that would give the impression that physical confrontation was imminent. (more…)

You just can’t trust those fortune cookie messages. Just ask Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.

Cardin came to Towson University last night to talk health care and face a large number of people — most of whom disagree with efforts to reform health insurance at the federal level.

But that didn’t mean the senator left his sense of humor at home. (more…)

Just a note to our readers: I’ll be live blogging Sen. Ben Cardin’s town hall meeting tonight at Towson University. You can follow along at Twitter.com/bpsears. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.

As we noted earlier today in a story here, organizers have set ground rules for protesters and counter-protesters.

Look back here at explorebaltimorecounty.com for stories and updates.

If you were hoping the Baltimore County Council would adopt a schedule that included evening work sessions in time for the Sept. 1 hearing on speed cameras — you’re about to be disappointed.

A schedule released this afternoon moves work sessions back to 2 p.m. Beginning with the Sept. 1 meeting. The speed camera bill is on the agenda for a hearing at that meeting.

The council had been holding its work sessions at 3 p.m. for about the past year to accommodate Councilman Vince Gardina’s teaching schedule.

The council also announced the end of its annual summer schedule. Starting Sept. 8, council legislative sessions will be held at 7 p.m.

The 50 future recipients of grants for projects that will make homes more energy efficient could find themselves part of a voluntary BGE program if Councilman Vince Gardina has his way.

The County Council on Monday unanimously approved acceptance of $400,000 in state grant money from the Maryland Energy Administration’s EmPower Clean Energy Communities Program.

Three-quarters of the money will be used for residential projects that demonstrate at least a 20 percent reduction in energy use. The Office of Community Conservation estimates that up to 45 low- to moderate-income families will be helped.

The remaining $100,000 is expected to be spent on three to five projects that reduce energy consumption between 50 and 90 percent.

Gardina, arguably the “greenest” member of the council, has successfully lobbied for tax credits for new construction that meets higher energy efficiency standards. He is the only councilman who drives a hybrid county vehicle. Earlier this year he called for mandatory residential recycling and the creation of “recycling police” to ensure compliance.

Gardina, a five-term Democrat who represents Perry Hall and Towson, said he thinks the county should require grant recipients to participate in BGE PeakRewards, a voluntary program that allows the power company to cycle off air conditioners during peak hours in return for credits on the customer’s energy bill.

“We’re talking about $400,000 in expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of these homes,” Gardina said prior to the vote. “Is there any way we can request or mandate that they abide by this new BGE program that requires the installation of these monitoring thermostats?”

“You’re talking about putting in insulation, you’re talking about putting in Energy Star windows and so forth, at the very least we could also include that. That helps reduce the energy consumption as well.”

“I think it’s something that should probably be required if we going to spend this kind of money,” Gardina said.

What do you think: Should the county require grant recipients to participate in the BGE program? Are there other energy efficient programs the county should require county residents to participate in? Does mandatory participation go to far?

Joseph “Prince of Darkness” Steffen has added his voice to the chatter related to the recent driving under the influence arrest of County Councilman Sam Moxley.

Steffen, a former staffer for Gov. Robert Ehrlich, reports in his blog Darkness Rising that there is “a movement afoot to draft Bob Ehrlich to run against Moxley.”

No, not the former governor. The former governor’s father, Robert Ehrlich Sr. (more…)

Remember the dust up back in the mid-1990s about an allegedly math challenged Barbie? That’s the doll some claimed said, “Math is hard.”

Meet her counterpart, the Campaign Finance Ken doll.

OK, he doesn’t really exist. After all, what kind of kid would want to play with him? (Other than maybe political reporters, that is.) (more…)

Earlier today I wrote about Caroline Cash, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Maryland, and the organization’s explanation on why the group has remained silent on the arrest of Councilman Sam Moxley on charges of Driving under the influence. (You can read the full previous post here.)

Well, the Internet is a marvelous thing. That post generated sharp criticism from Jeanne Pruett, president of Responsibility in DUI Laws, a Canton, Mich.-based organization.

“If you believe that cock-n-bull excuse that you got from Caroline Cash you are extremely naive,” Pruett wrote in an e-mail to me today after seeing the blog post. (more…)