Strange Bedfellows

Del. Todd Schuler announced Saturday that he will run for the County Council rather than seek a second term in the House of Delegates.

The announcement, made over the weekend at a campaign fundraising event, was not entirely unexpected. Schuler talked to me about running for the seat back in February 2008.

Schuler, a Democrat from Overlea, now represents the 8th District in the House of Delegates. He said he will run in 2010 for the 6th District council seat currently held by four-term Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder, who is running for county executive in 2010. (more…)

We’ll be talking politics including County Executive Jim Smith’s political future, county pension plans, the state budget and slots on Maryland Public Television’s State Circle.

Tune in tonight at 7:30 p.m. or catch the rebroadcast Sunday at 8 a.m. It’s a bye week for the Ravens so it’s not like you’ll be tailgating.

For Del. Adrienne Jones, co-chair of the technically defunct Special Committee on Employee Rights and Protections , the pursuit of Craig Chesek is about one thing: “closure.”

That’s what she told me last week when I asked her why the state is continuing to try to enforce a subpoena ordering Chesek to be deposed by lawyers representing the committee. After all, the committee issued a final report nearly three years ago on alleged political firings under then Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

Chesek, an Ehrlich appointee to the Public Service Commission, is the lone holdout. He testified in 2006 but Jones and others felt Chesek failed to sufficiently answer some questions and subpoenaed him to testify a second time. (more…)

Want to guess what Bill Vanko and I talked about this morning on Maryland’s Morning News on WBAL 1090 AM?

Here’s the audio.

Jim Smith’s planned move to Cockeysville and expected announcement that he will run for the open Senate seat that represents the 7th District has had a ripple effect.

Specifically, Councilman Vince Gardina, who was raising money for what many thought would be a run for the same senate seat, is rethinking things.

“I’m not running if the county executive runs,” said Gardina, who added that he “never really had the gumption to run for (senate), though.”

Gardina said he has spoken to Smith about running in the district but offered no insight on a possible decision by the county executive.

Smith has said publicly that he’ll wait until after the General Assembly session next year before making a  decision.

Gardina, a five-term Democrat who represents Perry Hall, Parkville and Towson, announced in September that he would not seek re-election.

He has continued to raise money and is thought to have between $250,000 to $300,000 in his campaign account.

Now, he said he’s looking at his options “politically and personally.”

“I’m looking at possibly not running for anything,” Gardina said, adding that he might consider running for House of Delegates in the  7th District.

Del. John Olszewski Jr. returned four days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year.

Olzsewski, a Democrat who represents the 6th District, released documents today 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. (more…)

Fred Homan’s influence on county budget and policy is widely discussed among county employees and elected officials, who frequently refer to county operations as “The World of Fred.”

But is the former budget director and current county administrative officer so important that his absence could require the council to stop meeting?

The council was halfway through its 18-minute meeting Monday night and had just finished voting on the five bills on its agenda when Councilman Bryan McIntire asked the question. (more…)

Comptroller Peter Franchot came to Towson last week, preaching the gospel of penny-pinching in a place even he seemed to think was a bit odd — a Democratic club meeting.

Franchot spoke to about 50 attendees of the Central Baltimore County Democratic Club last Tuesday and compared the economy to a blizzard.

“The snow has stopped falling, but there’s 10 feet outside and it’s going to take a while to dig out,” Franchot said, adding that the possibility of new taxes to support state spending is slim to none until the economy rebounds.

“As Democrats, we have to reform state spending,” Franchot said. “A lot of Democrats look at me like, ‘What’s that?’ Like they took an oath to defend every last dime of spending in public programs.” (more…)

Ask former Baltimore County Public School Superintendent Stuart Berger a question and you’ll get a straight answer.

Berger spent just over three years, from 1992 to 1995, running the county school system. His tenure is remembered more for the controversy that accompanied the changes he made, and a lack of any kind of tact, than the actual changes.

“If I think you’re an idiot for some reason, I feel the need to share that with you,” said Berger during a phone interview Monday. He added that the character trait was “probably something I should have learned to change.” (more…)

The Baltimore County Council meets tonight at 7 p.m. in Towson.

I’ll be tweeting the session which includes a vote on a bill to regulate pet cemeteries in the county.