Knocking the delegation out of the catbird seat

by David Grand
March 29, 2006

Shortly, our battered and bruised delegation will be staggering home, after 90 days of hand-to-hand (or more accurately, mouth-to-mouth) combat in Annapolis, where once again they were vastly out manned and outgunned by the Democrat's ferocious, highly disciplined army.

At the next year's session of the General Assembly, however, a few of 'em may be spared from suffering another crushing defeat, by being replaced by fresh troops, who hopefully won't view compromising with the enemy as cowardliness.

Senators Brinkley and Kittleman, despite having done doodly-squat to help the county out, need not worry about being axed, since their districts cover only a small portion of Carroll.

But Sen. Haines' head could roll, if a "worthy" Republican were to throw down the gauntlet, and who had sufficient funds and enough support from mainstream. Republicans, who've growing tired of his "I know what's best for the county" attitude, and his unwillingness to work in tandem with the board.

And while many consider him to be unbeatable, just as many--if not more--see him as a "walking and talking" conflict of interests, whose overstayed his time in office.

What makes him more vulnerable than ever before is: his attempting to throw out the results of a referendum, in which voters chose (by a large margin) for having one commissioner elected in each of the five districts, rather than at-large; and in snubbing the board by not consulting with them before introducing a bill to lower the property tax cap (that died a merciful death in a House committee).

That doesn't speak well of someone who prides himself on his ethical conduct in office, and being always mindful of his proper role as a "servant of the people," not its master.

As regards delegates Krebs and Elliott, they should be shoo-ins to be reelected, unless they commit a monumental faux pas. But not so for Stocksdale and Shewelll, who face stiff opposition in their district from a mayor and a school board member.

Stocksdale (a "household name") has a better chance of winning one of the two seats than Shewell, who babbles more than a babbling brook; and whose defense in not voting for the map of the five districts the bipartisan committee recommended would (pardon the expression) make a maggot gag.

Now, I've never understood why past boards would've shy away from getting rid of that albatross around their neck, by simply passing a resolution to put the question of adopting code home rule on the ballot at a general election, especially since local government is a core belief of the GOP.

For if approved by the voters, they'd be freed from having to appear before them each year (hat in hand), hoping they'll bless their proposed bills, a la their perennial request for an increase in the property transfer tax that were shot down like clay pigeons in a trapshooting match.

I've got my fingers crossed (and every thing else that's crossable), in the hope that the current board will see fit to pass that resolution, which was last voted on and rejected in 1984.

But  in the interval, the population has multiplied like fruit flies, making it imperative that future boards be able to govern the county without the delegation superimposing its judgment on their decisions.

Sen. Haines would, of course, have conniptions in having to relinquish the "whip hand" to the commissioners, and who'd pull out all the stops to derail it. Don't  know why, for he'd then have more time to devote to his real estate business and planning for his next picnic at the Farm Museum, that everyone is welcome to attend (for $25). Even me!