Please knock before entering

by David Grand
August 19, 2004

Based on Sen. Haines negative reaction to the commissioners appointing Frank Johnson as the Director of Legislative Services for Carroll County, calling the position "superfluous" and inferring that it was an affront to the delegation, he'd no doubt like to post that notice on the door of his office in Annapolis, along with a peephole so he could see who's knocking. And if it was Johnson, he could pretend he's not there.      

But even if Johnson is snubbed and treated like an interloper trespassing on what the delegation views as their exclusive turf, I'm certain nothing will deter him from carrying out his twofold mission of forming working relationships with legislators from other counties, and serving as the commissioners "eyes and ears" regarding bills that could impact the county.      

And rather than huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf over the commissioners creating that position, I'd suggest Sen. Haines ask himself what prompted them to take that course of action, and what if anything the delegation may have done to contribute to it. The answer, of course, is crystal clear whether or not he's willing to accept it.        

For their decision was obviously borne out of years of  frustration in having their more important legislative proposals being rejected out-of-hand, with the delegation continually superimposing its judgments over theirs as to how the county's interests may be best served.       

There's no better example of that than their turning thumbs-down each year, like rote, the commissioners' proposed 1 percent increase in the real-estate, transfer tax. And whenever their decision is questioned, their answer is always the same: we are unalterably opposed to any new taxes or raising existing ones where we have the final say-so, no matter how essential they contend it is that they have that added revenue in order to help balance the books. And to add insult to injury, they scoff at the commissioners' request of allowing the voters' voices to be heard on the question in a referendum. Such arrogance one would expect from despotic rulers, rather than from those who are supposed to be our public servants.      

Now, Johnson's initial baptismal under fire will come in his attempting in the remaining months of the year to break through thheretofore impenetrable wall of resistance to that tax, which would make the walls at Jericho that Joshua knocked down look like they were made out of tissue paper.      

If, however, by some miracle he's able to succeed in changing their minds (albeit that for Sen. Haines it would require an act of divine intervention), their consenting to introduce that tax bill at the upcoming session would, if approved (as it surely would be), produce an estimated $5 million in revenues annually. Realistically, though, I'm afraid that all of his persuasive arguments will fall on deaf ears, and that he'll find his  objective as impossible to achieve as that of a salesman trying to sell air conditioners to Eskimos.       

To end on an encouraging note, there's a change in the wind, however slight, that may make the delegation more amenable to giving their blessings to that tax increase. For faced as the county presently is with the grim prospect of having to pickup an added burden of $12.5 million (if the state doesn't cough up the funds for the retirement plans for employees of public schools, colleges and libraries), some of its members-hopefully the majority-will recognize the absolute necessity of giving the county a helping hand (as Susan Krebs already has publicly), provided, that is, they have the courage to tangle with their leader, the implacable "silver fox." .