Tom Coale and Ellicott City

Justice Louis Brandeis famously wrote that a “state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory, and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.”  This outlook is based, among other factors, upon the supposition that state legislators represent a population that is more likely to share common interests related to geographic proximity and other provincial characteristics.   They are intended to be closer to “the people” of the regions and municipalities of a particular state as compared to those representatives elected to serve as a member of the general, or federal, government.

With that in mind, I can’t think of anyone who cares more about, understands better, or will work harder for, the citizenry of Maryland’s House of Delegates District 9B than Tom Coale.

His extensive record of public service is truly impressive.  Beyond that, Coale has a deep, sincere and abiding commitment to Ellicott City.  Having kicked around the political arena for a while, I have been unfortunate enough to meet some office-holders and seekers who were, shall we say, primarily driven by self-interest.  Coale, thankfully, cannot be counted among that number. 

When I first moved here, Tom’s blog (hocorising.com) helped acquaint me with Howard County’s characters and challenges.  It was, and remains, an invaluable resource for someone who wants to understand the who, what, when, where, why and how of our corner of Maryland.  The more I write, the more I appreciate Tom’s erudition and dedication to educating his readership about the goings-on in our community.  It takes time to craft smart, focused posts…and to make them interesting.  The fact that he accomplishes this, consistently, is remarkable.

Having served a stint on Wilde Lake’s Village Board, I gained yet another perspective on the challenges facing those who serve on the Columbia Association Board of Directors.  It is a volunteer position yet it is really, at the very least, a part-time job.  And it is not a sinecure.  Tom dove into it, did the hard work, took some principled stands, and left his mark.  That, my dear readers, is the textbook example of leadership.

So now District 9B, as a single-member district in the House of Delegates, has the opportunity to send one Delegate to Annapolis to work on their behalf.  This person should be someone who is effective, knowledgeable, can get things accomplished and who is not an ideologue.  From my perspective, of the two candidates seeking the office, Tom Coale, with his pragmatic focus on addressing concrete problems (such as combating flooding in Ellicott City) seems to be the better positioned to deliver for the District.

Granted, I am a District 12 resident.  I already have great choices on Election Day.  That said, if you believe, as I do, that our General Assembly needs more smart and serious legislators…and if you are a 9B resident, I hope you cast your ballot for Tom Coale.  He would be good for Howard County and for our great laboratory, the State of Maryland.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

The Cacophony of the Desperate

A perfect day for a run today, did the 4-Mile/4-Village Loop…from the Wilde Lake Village Center (open for business with plenty of parking off of Cross Fox!) over to Harpers Farm Road, down Cedar Lane and past the Hospital to the long Hickory Ridge Road straight-away, left onto Broken Land Parkway and completing the route with a dash back up Twin Rivers.

Wish I could have enjoyed the scenery a bit more, but one discordant note kept popping up.  I recognized the tune.  It was the Cacophony of the Desperate, a solo composed by Rich Corkran, candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates. 

What does it say about Mr. Corkran when…

…he is a former teacher but the Howard County Education Association (HCEA), which represents more than 5,000 Howard County educators, endorses Tom Coale?

…he keeps repeating the refrain that he is a “lifelong Democrat,” but the Columbia Democratic Club and other progressive organizations and individuals support Tom Coale?

…he appears to spend a fair amount of time on Facebook attacking Tom Coale whereas Mr. Coale spends time engaging with other members of the community…talking about working collaboratively to find solutions to some of the challenges facing Howard County in general and District 9B in particular.

By launching his amateurish attacks, Mr. Corkran reveals himself to be what he is: a hollow candidate who can’t articulate a positive, substantive rationale for his campaign.   It is very disappointing that Mr. Corkran, who should know better, decided to go negative against a fellow Democrat. 

Mr. Corkran seems to forget the adage that politics is, fundamentally, about addition and not subtraction. 9B is a swing District.  For a Democrat to win the General Election, you need a top-flight, forward-thinking candidate who can also appeal to progressive-minded Independents (and yes, even a few Republicans…because some of them won’t be able to stomach the eventual GOP nominee).  I have seen candidates like Mr. Corkran before…too many times…they tend to lose and lose badly.  I don’t think the voters of 9B want to endure four years of either Bob Flanagan or Carol Loveless, and that nightmare scenario is far more likely to happen if the hapless Mr. Corkran were to become the Democratic standard-bearer.

Given a choice between:

Candidate A: A smart, serious-minded Democrat who is a problem-solver and who works well with others and who can win in November OR

Candidate B: A Democrat who spends time and resources attacking Democrats (much like a Republican would)…and who is likely to get stomped by whichever conservative Republican emerges out of their primary.

Well, the choice is not difficult. 

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

You Can Find Me in the Club

Some thoughts on the recent Columbia Democratic Club’s candidate endorsement meeting, but first a quick response to a reader:

“Why Are You Writing Self-Indulgent Claptrap?”

Excellent question. Let us re-visit our First Principles.

This blog is about change and continuity… the indefatigable reality of impermanence.  Politics is a recurring thread but, fundamentally, the blog is an exploration of evolving perceptions.  It is a discussion of thoughts at a certain time and place…of choices, musings and [yes] considerations.

I have to be willing to set the torch to it…to “keep, and pass, and turn again” as Emerson might say. Venture off-topic.  Alienate some readers.  If that means non-political subject matter, or writing in verse from time-to-time, then that is the stone-cold deal.

With that preamble out of the way, I have some topline impressions of the gathering.  [Select races only].

On the State Attorney General race:  I was pleased that all three Democratic candidates showed up to deliver their one-minute pitches. When it came time to tally the votes, State Senator Brian Frosh crushed it, securing a First Ballot endorsement.  Candidly, I haven’t focused on the AG race but I am inclined to support Frosh. Delegate Aisha Braveboy voted against marriage equality in 2012, so that rules her out.  That leaves Delegate Jon Cardin and I have yet to see a compelling reason to vote for him.

On Senate District 9:  I have met neither Ryan Frederic nor Daniel Medinger.  While Medinger captured the CDC endorsement, I have to say that Frederic has an impressive background and would make a fine State Senator.  Although I am not a resident of the Fighting Ninth, I look forward to learning more about these two candidates in the coming weeks.

On House District 9B:  What can I say that hasn’t already been stated, eloquently, by Howard County’s own Marshmallow Man here in this great blog post.

Tom Coale is smart, hard-working, and knows 9B.  He would be an excellent State Delegate and would serve the people of his district quite well.

His primary opponent, Rich Corkran, seems like a decent-enough fellow but his heart doesn’t appear into it.  Until very recently, his campaign website still referred to his 2010 campaign.  His main lit piece is…lackluster and his presentation skills are middling.  Corkran is standing for election while Coale is running for election and that is a very important distinction. I know which candidate I would prefer to represent me in Annapolis.  

I am sure I will write more about this race soon.  For now, suffice to say that I am pleased that Coale received the CDC endorsement.  

District 12.  This is my home district.  I have thoughts on this race.  This will be the subject of a future post.  Note: Terri Hill and Clarence Lam both received the CDC endorsement for this three-member state legislative house district.

District 13.  Delegate Frank Turner was kind enough to hear me out on a government reform issue (here).  Having resided in Kensington in Montgomery County in 2010, I am familiar with Vanessa Atterbeary.  She has great credentials and would be a fine State Delegate. Her one-minute pitch was a little off (she acknowledged that she was nervous).  Sometimes great public policymakers are not natural campaigners.  I look forward to watching this race over the next several weeks.  Note: Delegate Turner and Atterbeary, along with incumbent Delegate Shane Pendergrass, received the CDC endorsement.

Democratic Central Committee (12 candidates are elected every four years)

Any list of Howard County rising stars should have Candace Dodson-Reed’s name at or near the top.  A talented policy wonk with top-flight political acumen, she will do fantastic work helping elect Democrats.

Among the incumbents seeking re-election, Abby Hendrix delivered a very thoughtful and compelling presentation regarding a strategic plan for the County Party.  This is not an easy task in a 60-second statement. In my humble opinion, she should serve another four-year term on the Central Committee.  Ethel Hill also made a very strong case for re-election. I will be voting for her in the gubernatorial primary election.  While I don’t know Deanna Peel as well as some of the other candidates, smart people…people I trust…tell me she is fantastic.  I have met Kim Pruim on a handful of occasions and I am aware of her reputation for solid constituent services work in the Second County Council District.  I am inclined to vote for both Peel and Pruim in June.  A soft-spoken Bill Adams gave a low-key presentation.  He had the tough challenge of representing the Mizeur campaign at the forum, not an easy position in what is considered to be prime Brown/Ulman country.  He put himself out there and I respect that.  I will probably cast my ballot for him.

Among the non-incumbents, beyond Dodson-Reed, a handful of others stood out.  Marcia White made a strong case for her election.  I think she will do great work for the Democratic Party as a Committee member. Kathy Macfarlane, based on my increasingly illegible hand-written scrawl, focused her one-minute presentation on the need for a well-financed operation, the need to “put money in the bank.”  Very sensible.    In contrast to Mr. Adams’ mellow approach, Josh Friedman offered up, in a rather forceful manner, some practical suggestions regarding establishing benchmarks for Democratic volunteerism.  His was the 49^th presentation of the evening, but was probably the most entertaining.  More importantly, his ideas were interesting.  

I believe that works out to my top nine candidates for 12 seats.  I may vote for one, two, or three others but I need to see and learn more before deciding among the remaining candidates for the Central Committee.  As of this writing, Jonathan Branch, Patricia Thomas and Charles Bubeck are the most likely to round out my ballot…but who knows?  Campaigns are fluid.

[Note:  Candace Dodson-Reed, Abby Hendrix, Ethel Hill, Kathy Macfarlane and Jonathan Branch all received the CDC endorsement].

A long post on a rather chilly mid-April Day.  That will do for now.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.