Register of Wills:
Loraine Davies Hennessey or Susie Bowles

Despite the reasons I gave for choosing the Clerk of the Circuit Court, I cannot in good conscience do the same for the Register of Wills. Bowles, from all accounts, has done a good job in her position as Register of Wills. My deviation from rewarding her for that good job stems from her involvement from Charles County Bill 2007-06. Don’t remember that one? Well, that was a bill enacted by the Charles County Commissioners to amend the “Charles County Code to allow the County Register of Wills to be included into the County’s Retirement account.” Still doesn’t sound like a big deal? Well, it was Susie Bowles, the Register of Wills, who petitioned the commissioners to enact this legislation, stating at the April 4, 2007 Board of Commissioner hearing on Bill 2007-06, “as everybody is aware, I don’t have a retirement, and I would hope that you would look at this favorably for me.” She gave the impression to them that she was to receive no pension for her service in elected office without their amendment. She neglected to inform the Commissioners that she did in fact have a State pension, like all of Registers of Wills around the State. A year later, after an extensive investigation, and much public embarrassment, the Commissioners enacted Bill 2008-04 to reverse the actions of Bill 2007-06, thus rescinding Bowles’ duplicate retirement plan. At the same time, the Commissioners stated they would report the matter to the State Ethics Commission for a full investigation. Despite many attempts to find a resolution to that request, no such report from the Ethics Commission on Bowles exists. No one seems to know if the Commissioners ever followed through with an ethics complaint regarding the issue. Multiple e-mails and letters from me regarding the issue have gone unanswered. However, the facts are clear.

If you need any further background information on the incident, go to http://delusionalduck.com and do a search for ‘Susie Bowles.’ About 20 threads, each linked to a different newspaper article will return. Read all the facts and decide for yourself. [As an aside, about a year ago, the Delusional Duck experienced a database issue where many comments became corrupted. The main bodies of the threads remain intact, but several comments are gone – so reading through the comments sometimes doesn’t make sense with some older threads.]

As I said, though, she in her position as Register of Wills has done a fine job, and she’s a very nice lady. But I cannot support, endorse or vote for someone who would compromise their integrity, their Office and the public’s faith for a few measly dollars.

This is one of the very rare times where I encourage and condone not voting for a candidate, but against a candidate.
Delusional Duck endorses Loraine Davies Hennessey for Register of Wills.

Sheriff:
Rex Coffey or Tim Crawford.

Sheriff Coffey has done a miraculous job as Sheriff. Many of his opponents have tried to play down the decline in the crime rate (and crime numbers) by stating that crime is down everywhere. This is true. But even if we were grading on a curve, by making the average decline the “zero” point, Charles County has experienced a significant drop in crime. What makes this an even more impressive is the fact that the Commissioners cut the Sheriff’s budget year after year after year. This speaks volumes to the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office and the management by Sheriff Coffey. To be able to do more with less is the rallying cry that every politician has been spouting since the campaign season kicked off. Here we finally have a candidate that can point to the work he’s done and say, ‘hey look, I actually did it.’

The Sheriff’s race has been one of the most heated races. Not because of the issues, but because of the dirty politics and lies that were spread to discredit the current Sheriff. Some of the candidates who ran against Coffey – mainly Jesse Williams and Robert Foster – took the high road and ran on a position of what they would do differently. Unfortunately for them, their high road didn’t reach their destination. Only one of the candidates who took the low road remains. After his friend Dave Williams lost the Democratic Primary, Tim Crawford – the Republican candidate for Sheriff – decided it was time to retire. I found this odd. He’s worked under Coffey the last four years. He filed to run for Sheriff in September of 2009 and was fine working under Coffey for an entire year while running for Office. It wasn’t until after the Primary Election that he suddenly couldn’t stay any longer. Personally I think that he was hoping for a different outcome to the Primary Election and would have then stuck around, but that’s purely my own speculation. Crawford hasn’t been speaking to what he’d do differently from our current Sheriff. He hasn’t been running on the issues. His talking points consist of being a Marine and a long serving Sheriff’s officer.

Another point I find noteworthy is that Sheriff Coffey isn’t a Monday-Friday, nine to five Sheriff. He has actually worked various shifts with his officers. He’s gone out and run calls for service with them. He’s gone with his Community Officers to meetings with the residents of their assigned neighborhoods. He’s worked accidents scenes with them and caught bank robbers with them. You may think that this shouldn’t be role of the Sheriff. He should be managing the Agency, not running calls. Apparently whatever Sheriff Coffey is doing is working. Apparently he can do both. I think his leadership and management style has his finger on the pulse of the Agency and the County and has allowed him to earn the respect of his rank and file and of the residents of the County.

This is one of the Offices where we need to reward a job well done. With that, the Delusional Duck endorses Rex Coffey for the Office of the Sheriff, Charles County, Maryland.

Maryland Comptroller:
Peter Franchot or William Campbell.

In Franchot’s work as delegate from Takoma Park he did have a reputation of being a partisan liberal. As Comptroller, Franchot has not had the same reputation.

Franchot has opened up the revenue estimating process and gotten the private sector more involved with his “Economic Advisory Forums,” bringing in representatives from different sectors of the state economy. Outside economists and staff from the executive branch and legislature also advise the Board of Revenue Estimates. He has also set up a “Business Advisory Council” that he meets with quarterly. He was recently on a “listening tour” of the state, assessing the impact of the recession.

But something that should speak loudly to fiscal conservatives of all parties, Franchot has repeatedly called for a comprehensive spending review to make state government more efficient, and still pushes for that. In Franchot’s role on the Board of Public Works he has voted against proposals before the board a number of times, butting heads with Governor O’Malley and the Governor’s agenda. Franchot has pleased both democrats and republicans and angered both democrats and republicans.

In all that I have seen, read and witnessed he has served the last four years as a Comptroller in the interest of the State of Maryland and not of party, self or any other motivation.

William Campbell may be qualified, but I’m not persuaded that he’s the best candidate at this time. As with a few other of my choices, an incumbent who has done a great job the last four years, is getting my endorsement and vote this year.

What about Commissioner 2 and 3

Glad to see the rationale behind the endorsements.  I think it’s important to research candidates and to meet them and ask them questions.  But I also like to see what others are thinking.  It helps to broaden my approach to a candidate.  Thanks.

Thank you! And I did learn something, as I knew I would. I’d probably have just blindly voted for Register of Wills without knowing. Not a position I’d have spent time researching.

I’m still on the fence about Robinson. $23k for a windmill, and he’s still not completely off the powergrid. Doesn’t seem like fiscal responsibility to me. Will he be as eager to spend my hardearned tax dollars on something as ineffective in the name of “going green” because it’s the latest spiffy trend? Has he run a well coordinated campaign? Oh heck yes…..but it’s right up his alley professionally and he definitely had some influential people get involved. I’m just not convinced yet.

Flotsam - 26 October 2010 07:47 PM

Thank you! And I did learn something, as I knew I would. I’d probably have just blindly voted for Register of Wills without knowing. Not a position I’d have spent time researching.

I’m still on the fence about Robinson. $23k for a windmill, and he’s still not completely off the powergrid. Doesn’t seem like fiscal responsibility to me. Will he be as eager to spend my hardearned tax dollars on something as ineffective in the name of “going green” because it’s the latest spiffy trend? Has he run a well coordinated campaign? Oh heck yes…..but it’s right up his alley professionally and he definitely had some influential people get involved. I’m just not convinced yet.

I’m glad you learned something.

As for Ken Robinson’s windmill, he’s generating about 50% of his energy needs with the windmill. That may not sound like a lot, but it really is. And while energy costs rise, as long as his windmill spins, that 1/2 of his cost doesn’t rise. Not to mention that saves those Megawatts for someone else’s use. He did spend $23,000 for the windmill and installation, however, as I said, he paid a large portion of that through grants. I’ve since found the old article that stated that he received a $6,000 grant from the State and a $6,000 federal tax credit. Paying for a little over half of such a project through unconventional means is noteworthy. But as I mentioned, the windmill is but only an issue of not sitting on the sidelines, the reasons for voting for Ken go well beyond putting a wind mill in your backyard.

As for Ken Robinson’s windmill, he’s generating about 50% of his energy needs with the windmill. That may not sound like a lot, but it really is. And while energy costs rise, as long as his windmill spins, that 1/2 of his cost doesn’t rise. Not to mention that saves those Megawatts for someone else’s use. He did spend $23,000 for the windmill and installation, however, as I said, he paid a large portion of that through grants. I’ve since found the old article that stated that he received a $6,000 grant from the State and a $6,000 federal tax credit. Paying for a little over half of such a project through unconventional means is noteworthy. But as I mentioned, the windmill is but only an issue of not sitting on the sidelines, the reasons for voting for Ken go well beyond putting a wind mill in your backyard.

It DOES sound like a lot because it IS. From my POV, he’s spent $12k of OUR money for project that still doesn’t take him off the powergrid. So you’re right, the reason goes well beyond a wind mill. For me, it isn’t about how innovative he was in finding funds, it is about being fiscally prudent. His $23k windmill hasn’t made a dent in the county’s energy consumption and it can’t be responsibly replicated throughout the county. Germany dropped its wind power plans, T Boone Pickens dropped his plans and turned to natural gas. To me, Ken spent his money, my money and your money on little more than a gimmick. The pay off for him is name recognition in the area.  I just worry how he’ll be apt to spend the county’s money - will he be distracted by the spiffy things or can he deal with the mundane necessities.

In my five years as President of the Swan Point Property Owners Association, we maintained a surplus of over $100K with low assessments and constant community improvement projects.  I know how to manage budgets affectively.

For me, it isn’t about how innovative he was in finding funds, it is about being fiscally prudent.

Flotsam, if Ken lives in his house for years to come, he will reap a savings in power consumption AND he’s somewhat off the coal-burning, polluting grid.  Don’t kill the messenger; just because he’s ahead of his times doesn’t mean he’s not fiscally conservative.  Heck, I just bought a new refrigerator and got money back for an energy saver.  Should I have ignored the rebate?