Yesterday: Charles County Commissioner President Wayne Cooper announced that he would not be seeking reelection in November.

When I heard this news, I called a prominent conservative in our community to make sure he was aware. He wasn’t and he shouted with joy.

This is a great day for Charles County.

Why is it great? Not because Mr. Cooper is leaving office, but because once again, the voting public has voiced their opinion strongly enough that liberal spending elected officials are fleeing. They also know that a dark cloud looms over the state of Maryland and the Counties (including Charles County) due to the liberal stronghold and habitual acceptance of Federal Dollars which will create a major deficit for our state next year. A Deficit that the State wants to push down to the Counties and the Counties will push onto their constituents via Property Tax Increases.

TODAY: Edith Patterson (Dist 2 Commissioner) filed to run against Candice Quinn Kelly as Commissioner President. We knew certain Democrats were not fond of CQK, however, who knew it was so bad that they would create a primary against her that she was not expecting. Why wouldn’t they pull the same campaign stunts they pulled before and appoint Candice to replace President Cooper. Could it be, that our Commissioner’s still do not “GET IT?” Maybe those Democrats behind the scenes that are pulling the strings simply do not understand these Commissioner’s are not right for Charles County. After all of the uproar they have endured these past four years – certainly this past year – from the public, after all of the rally’s, after ABC 7 news made them look bad for the furlough decisions, after the public forcing them to swallow their raises. The underlying message here is, they simply do not understand that they are not right for Charles County.

NEXT MONTH: While Wayne Cooper is still in office and Edith Patterson and Gary Hodge are still in their District seats – our Commissioner’s will vote to raise your property taxes as they have done for the past 11 years that Mr. Cooper has been in office. When Mr. Cooper leaves Charles County Government, he leaves behind a legacy of over 100% in property tax increases during his tenure. As he glad hands and rub’s shoulders with all the right people in St. Mary’s County, I caution my friends to the South East, he’s appearing interested in bringing his legacy to your front door step.

Over the past year: Charles County Residents have had to force these commissioner’s to reject their own salary raises. Charles County Residents forced these commissioner’s to re-think the Well Tax they wanted to pass. Charles County Residents have shown Gary Hodge that he cannot win another election for a Commissioner seat. Charles County Residents have shown that Wayne Cooper cannot win another election, so they both leave the arena.

What are they leaving their successors?

They will be leaving the new commissioner’s with a poorly written Science-Tech park Contract (that most of them likely hadn’t even read) that will cost this county millions if we cannot make good on the Contract and entice companies to move into the building. If the new Commissioner’s have to make good on that contract, the new set of Commissioners will have to make sure that they let the public know they inherited that burden.  These outgoing Commissioners will be leaving us with an ice rink business (Capital Clubhouse) that is a monetary sink hole. They will be leaving us with higher property taxes (after their May decision to maintain “last-year’s Constant Yield Rate” rather than accepting the rate that the State says will generate the same amount of revenue we currently receive).

I personally will be watching with interest to see what they leave behind in terms of the Blue Crab’s stadium, once the books are audited and trustworthy by truth-telling, conservative commissioners we elect in November and report to us as constituents. As my 14 year old daughter says to me: “I’m just saying….”

Republicans are in agreement – according to recent discussions – that our task – when elected – is going to be challenging. We will have to do the work that current elected officials are afraid to do and have placed us in economic difficulties. We are going to have to make the hard choices in budget cuts. We are going to have to use the strong arm of the county budget to force top heavy organizations to operate as we all do during economically difficult times: tighten the belt, live without certain amenities, and make responsible choices based on need and not want where purchases are concerned.

I am working in partnership with American’s For Prosperity (Southern Maryland Chapter) of which I’m a founding member to organize a Tea Party in May. We are still working on a date. When that is settled and speakers are lined up and ready to go – please prepare yourselves now to attend that event. Whether you are Democrat, Republican, or Independent – this will be your opportunity to make a statement loud and clear just before we get bilked with another property tax increase and enter into the height of campaign season. We need to keep the pressure on. We are making a difference. I want to see Maryland and Charles County follow suit after Massachusetts (Scott Brown’s election), Virginia, and New Jersey. Let’s eliminate the Liberal strong-hold in the county. Let’s remove the liberal strong-hold in Annapolis. Let’s retire the 30 year Congressional hackneyed trite that has failed to represent us. Let’s promote fresh ideas, freedoms, and liberty. Let’s be sure not to reward bad behavior by sending our poorly performing commissioner’s to a state level position where more damage can be done to our fragile economy.

The voter’s in Charles County have been heard. Let’s not simply keep pace, let’s turn up the heat. There are still three Commissioner’s left that haven’t gotten the message. We want Representative Government, Responsible Government, and Relational Government. Represent us, not Lord over us. Be Responsible by cutting taxes (not raising them in May) and stop irresponsible spending of my hard earned paycheck. Be Relational (i.e., accountable) listen to your constituents, respond to us when we write, return our phone calls, don’t shout us down in the town-hall meetings as Gary Hodge did with environmental activist Bonnie Bick over environmental issues that these Commissioner’s pretend they have – just make yourselves accountable, and if you can’t – follow your “leader” out the door. Better yet, we’ll show you the door in November. Believe us when we say “We Will Remember In November.”

As for the Delegate’s race:
Has anyone heard of David Williams? An attorney in Prince George’s County who resides in Waldorf. The scuttlebutt is that another slate is shaping up from the Democrat Central Committee. This time Gary Hodge will be on the outside looking in, not Peter Murphy. Hopefully David doesn’t allow himself to be played as a scapegoat. At the same time, do we need another lawyer in Annapolis? Sally Jameson, according to rumor, is once again on the fence as to whether or not she will run, legitimate personal reasons being her pause. We wish her the best as she makes a decision. If she chooses not to run, that realigns the Democrat slate to include our tax and spend-thrift Commissioner Gary Hodge.What a Privalege it will be to show him how we will Remember in November.

It is a Great Day to be in Charles County and a great Day to be An American.

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I recently received the following letter and would like to address this issue not only personally with the gentleman that sent it, but also address it as an issue. My official response follows the letter:

Good luck in your campaign. Please keep low taxes and the Constitution front and center.
I also request that you consider that gays and lesbians have families too. Their children deserve the same protections under marriage as children of straight people.
Families today are not the families of 1950, and the Protection of Marriage law creates collateral damage on various fronts for living, breathing American people. Repeal the Protection of Marriage Act, if not for the difficulties it imposes on some families, then for the fact that this law encroaches on State's rights and undermines interstate marriage reciprocity.
This law causes cherry-picking of marriage contracts. This one's valid, this one's not.
I am currently married and not married depending on where I stand. This duality of status creates hardship.
My spouse's income is taken into consideration when it is a disadvantage (ie disqualifies eligibility for educational grants based on too much "family" income). But at tax time, my spouse can't count my educational expenses in his deductions. This is unfair.
From a Spiritual point of view, do you think Christ will commend such a law?
Will He not judge that this law, which is intended to protect marriage, has essentially ignored the greatest threat to marriage, divorce? Is this not a case of straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel? The nobleness of this law's intention crumbles under the weight of divorce, which Jesus specifically condemned at the Sermon on the Mount. He never mentioned gays. What is the point of preserving a pearl if it is to be trodden under foot by the very ones who want to deny it from others?

This comment is not meant to be divisive, as I strongly welcome conservative values, like liberty, small government, low taxes, free market capitalism, and the Fair tax.
I just don't think the Federal government has the legitimate authority to negate marriage contracts of individual States based upon sex. Let States make their own laws on marriage. I don't think I should have to join radical Progressives to secure equality. The thought of their Socialistic brand of Democracy turns my stomach, so please take this to heart.

Thanks for listening and good luck once again.

Sincerely,
D

D,

Thank you for taking time to express your concerns for the Protection of Marriage Act. I appreciate the tone of your letter in that it doesn’t come across as divisive or argumentative.  It is certainly at the forefront of my campaign to be able to agree with you on issues of fiscal responsibilities (i.e., keeping taxes low, small government, capitalism and fair tax).  You and I certainly are able to find common ground in supporting the fiscal issues facing Maryland and the U.S.

The issue of Gay Marriage and/or its supporting laws is definitely a state issue and should not be a Federal one. Our nation’s founders set up our Federal Government to have very little control over state’s rights and have very limiting responsibilities in defining the laws of the land outside of citizen protection.  While your position on Gay marriage differs greatly from mine, I certainly support your freedom to choose the lifestyle in which you live. That is what makes our Nation great in terms of “Freedom” and the rights that the U.S. Constitution provides us both. It is this liberty that makes America the greatest nation in the world and drives people into our boarders to make America their homes to enjoy the “pursuit of happiness” that our Declaration of Independence states as an inalienable right. 

While your chosen lifestyle is your pursuit for happiness, I have chosen traditional marriage to pursue that same life fulfillment; I do not believe that Government at any level (State or Federal) should involve itself in the details of personal lifestyles. Your point for children is a subject matter that is separate from Gay marriage, in my opinion, and I do believe that children should have protections under the law where they are too young to protect themselves by decisions they are too young to make. Your right, we are no longer in the 1950’s, however, I do believe strongly in a sense of “right and wrong” which I understand is a fading position in our postmodern society, but it is a position I hold strongly to as did our nation’s founding fathers.

The forefathers of our nation declared that marriage is defined as between a man and woman, they also founded our nation upon Judeo Christian values and many of them as much stated that our nation would fail when we fail to maintain that system of belief or ideals. It was never intended to usurp the individual’s freedom to live according to his/her definition of happiness, while it was the mindset that morality was based on Judeo-Christian principals and for two hundred and thirty three years that has worked for this country, even though our culture and society has changed and even fought against it as a foundational principal.

Our constitution protects both of our freedoms and protects our lives and personal property. However, given the reasoning I have come to as mentioned above, I find it difficult to conclude that it is appropriate to use tax payers dollars to “fund” anyone’s freedoms regardless of their lifestyle when it is in direct conflict of what our founding fathers intended when this country was developed. Last week I heard more than once that our laws were “archaic.” Law’s are intended to be set in “stone.” Good laws withstand the test of time. I personally believe that Marriage between a man and a woman is a good law and not only falls into order with how our nation was built, but how I believe God intended man to live.

I will help you in any way that I can, as we agree on so many issues - we truly do - but on this one we simply do not and I cannot in good conscious protect with tax dollars the union of non-traditional lifestyles.  I am certainly not going to infringe on your liberties and always stand for your freedoms, you can count on that but I cannot use tax dollars to support that particular freedom.

Sincerely,

Mike Phillips

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Maryland Sovereignty

Under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Senate Bill - SJ0001

In May 2009 I drafted and submitted to several House Delegates a resolution to reaffirm the 10^th Amendment by our Maryland state delegation. The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives States Rights over Federal rights and legislative mandates, an amendment that is violated regularly by the Federal Government. The resolution has now become a bill and is in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee for consideration to go to the Senate floor for a vote.

The resolution  calls for a “demand” of the federal government to recognize state’s rights and cease and desist its practice of assuming powers and of imposing mandates upon the states for purposes not enumerated by the Constitution of the United States.  The resolution addresses not only violations from former Presidential Administrations, but the current Administration’s pending proposals that violate the Constitution’s Tenth Amendment.

State Senator Alex X. Mooney (R – Dist. 3) is the primary sponsor of the bill. I want to thank Senator Mooney for taking on this challenge as well as thank the other sponsor’s:  Sen. Andy Harris (R – Dist.7), Sen. Donald Munson (R - Dist. 2), Sen. Bryan Simonaire (R - Dist 31).  Also, Delegate Michael Smigiel (R – Dist. 36) has assisted this resolution to gain steam in Maryland’s General Assembly, if not actually initiated the bills introduction to the Senate – the exact path of the resolution, I have not been made privy to.

While the resolution has been enrolled for its third reading, it has been edited from my original submission. I found it interesting that it was “toned down” in some respects, while in others it was “toned UP” to a stronger language. Where I used verbiage like “halt” the resolution now reads “cease and desist” which presents a stronger tonality to the bill. My opinion of that change is: I LIKE IT. The current form of the bill specifically designates copies of the legislation – if passed – to be sent to specific and mentioned individuals in Washington, DC, where mine targeted offices. To me that is another “tone-up” edit and strengthens the fervency of demand and message the bill is sending to Washington and specifically President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Steny Hoyer, and our Maryland Congressional delegation.

This resolution has passed in many other states around the country. Tennessee, Florida, and Texas supported this bill in their states with a resounding support on both sides of the aisle. In those states as well as others, it has been a very “uniting” and bi-partisan piece of legislation for their respective assemblies. We can only hope that Maryland will follow suit as our legislator’s have recently been rhetorically implored by Congressman Steny Hoyer to maintain.

I would encourage everyone to contact the office of their Maryland Senator and Delegate and ask their representative to support this Resolution should it make it outside of Committee.

Budget and Taxation Committee Members to contact to help move the bill along to the next level are:

Ulysses Curie (Chair) This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Edward J. Kasemeyer (Vice Chair) This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

David R. Brinkley This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

James E. DeGrange, Sr. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

George C. Edwards  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Verna L. Jones  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Nancy J. King   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Rona E. Kramer  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Nathaniel J. McFadden  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Donald F. Munson  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

James N. Robey  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

J. Lowell Stoltzfus  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bobby A. Zirkin  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Richard S. Madaleno, Jr.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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