Thursday, June 5

District 20 Democratic Candidates Forum

Sponsored by the Greater Silver Spring Democratic Club

7:30 p.m.

Takoma Park Middle School
7311 Piney Branch Road
Takoma Park, MD

Proudly Co-Sponsored by the following Democratic Clubs:  Woman's Democratic Club of Montgomery County, Montgomery County Young Democrats, and District 20 Democratic Breakfast Club

"Put it in every cell of your brain: Only in America can the son of two sharecroppers rise to become a Congressman." So said 7^th District Congressman Elijah Cummings, (D-MD) who himself made this journey, when he spoke at the Woman's Democratic Club's (WDC's) May dinner.

Congressman Cummings believes that we need to wake up to the fact that we are now in a revolutionary period in our country-one in which we will need to fight to ensure that our values succeed. In Congress, our values are expressed by our representatives; yet many are being denied that representation through voter suppression.

And suppression of voters' voices has even happened in the hearing rooms of Congress. Referencing Representative Issa's attempt to silence him at a recent hearing, Congressman Cummings had these words: "After all people have to go through to vote (long lines, etc.), they even turn off the mike. We've got to do something about it!" According to the Congressman, friends from all over the world contacted him questioning what this incident says about our democracy. What he told Issa in private after the incident was this: "I will rise up from the casket, but you will not silence me!"

The Congressman considers Citizens United an attack on our democracy because it allows someone to buy an election. He believes we have much work to do to make sure our grandchildren have the same democracy we have enjoyed. 

In Congress, he says, we are not addressing real problems like the need to invest in our fragile infrastructure-something re-emphasized for him in real terms by the recent road collapse in Baltimore. Instead, we are re-investigating Benghazi, on which many reports from respected sources have already been written. "We," says the Congressman, "are better than that!" Sadly, Congressman Cummings does not see this situation changing anytime soon. After the exciting election of President Obama, we had to face the disrespect of people in Congress who were not afraid to call him a liar or a scumbag publicly.

The Congressman thinks that efforts to stop people from voting backfire because they make people even more determined to make their voices heard. That is why the President won in spite of these efforts. It also made a difference in the last election when we had people going into Virginia and Pennsylvania to remind potential voters that they have power. These voters must keep pounding on the legislature with calls and messages.

Congressman Cummings quoted a voter who said we must tell people to "be a witness" to the impact of what is happening, how policies and acrimony in Washington are hurting real people. He encouraged activists, who of course include WDC members, to spread their knowledge of the issues and candidates to friends and relatives who may not be as informed. This knowledge is power.

Congressman Cummings chose to speak primarily to values rather than about what is going on in DC. "It's not," as he says, "whom you're against. It's what you're fighting for."

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Would a Constitutional Amendment address the anti-voting movement? No. We already have the right to vote. The issue of voter fraud is a false one. The problem is narrow Congressional Districts favoring one party. We need to fix this problem while redoubling our efforts to get people to the polls.

Key Tactical Issues

A)   Immigration-"11 million people? You can't just send them back."

B)   Minimum wage-The Congressman spoke of workers who depend on tips, the disappearance of the safety net, and the high cost of daycare.

C)   Healthcare-We have done well but need to fix the problems often caused by compromises with the Republicans.

D)   Post office-We need reforms that do not affect the jobs of postal workers.

Other questions related to an overabundance of planned parking spaces at NIH (where he bemoaned the cutback of medical research) and jobs at the Port of Baltimore. Congressman Cummings ended by expressing gratitude for his opportunities and reminding us of how proud we should be to live in a "can-do nation."

Gansler: 

Maryland has a structural deficit, he said, because we are spending more than we take in revenue, due to a falling tax base.  Compared to eight years ago, Maryland now has 7,000 fewer small businesses, only four Fortune 500 companies left, and 76% more people unemployed.  We can increase the tax base and bring jobs back to Maryland by capitalizing on our assets such as NIH, NSA and Johns Hopkins, in life sciences and cyber security.  He advocated using tax incentives to bring back manufacturing to Maryland.  From his 22 years' experience as a prosecutor, the Attorney General is convinced that we can reduce recidivism if we can help convicts find a job upon release. Opportunities for online study and job training would serve this end. Gansler also would like to see a high school apprenticeship program that would allow some students to graduate workforce-ready with a "certificate of mastery" in a vocation of choice, like plumbing or construction.

Question 2

During the 2013 legislative session, Baltimore City won a $600 million, 30-year school construction state guarantee enjoyed by no other Maryland local government.  How can Montgomery County and other fast-growing school systems get the same deal?

Mizeur:

Mizeur defended her role as a legislator in the decision to fund Baltimore school construction because of the "prison-like conditions" she saw when she toured some of the existing schools there.  She asked voters to look at her website to investigate her plan to fund school construction throughout the state.

Gansler:

"Elect a governor from Montgomery County!" Gansler said.  He went on to tell a story about how Montgomery County is regarded as an ATM machine for the rest of the state, an attitude which he said is all too prevalent in Baltimore and Annapolis.  While our county is wealthy, he pointed out that we have a very diverse population with 166 foreign languages spoken by our students.  In addition, we have a stark achievement gap and overcrowded schools, so we need a strong advocate in the governor's office.

Question 3

All three candidates for the Democratic nomination are progressives.  Given the fiscal and political constraints of office, how much will your administration really differ from your opponents'?  In other words, what will you do, or not do, differently from them?

Mizeur:

"I have a very different vision from the other two candidates," Mizeur proclaimed, saying  that she is not the "status quo, next-in-line" candidate; that she is the only candidate who wants a living wage, not just a minimum wage, and the only one who has come out against the liquefied natural gas plant at Cove Point.  Mizeur said that she would legalize and tax marijuana to pay for universal pre -K. 

Gansler:

Calling the economic situation unsustainable, Gansler vowed to focus on improving the job situation, the area where he sees the greatest contrast with the O'Malley Administration and candidate Brown, who would continue the same policies. Gansler also stressed that in areas of agreement-social issues-over 22 years he had himself been a leader in trying to rectify what he saw as injustices. For example, he testified in Annapolis in favor of marriage equality years before it was politically acceptable--"and they literally tried to impeach me"--and in favor of the Dream Act. Under his leadership as state Attorney General, Maryland was the lead state in testifying in favor of the Affordable Care Act at the Supreme Court. 

Gansler went on to condemn Lt. Governor Brown's mishandling of the ACA in Maryland, which he said hurt the Democratic Party, Maryland taxpayers, and ordinary people trying to get health care.  The entrenched establishment "rallied the wagons" in covering up what happened, Gansler charged.  Finally, he said that as the elected Chairman of the National Association of State Attorneys General, he went after the five largest banks in the country that were responsible for the financial crisis. Maryland was the 6th worst hit state in mortgage foreclosures, and Gansler said he was able to help many Marylanders stay in their homes.

Question 4

So far, what's been the single biggest unexpected surprise you've experienced running statewide for governor?

Mizeur:

The biggest surprise is that "not everyone naturally thought I would win!"  She went on to say that her candidacy is pushing against an entrenched Democratic political machine and that she sees a more progressive Maryland than the elected leadership.  She pointed out that she is the first candidate in twenty years to opt in to the public financing system.

As a follow-on to this question for Mizeur, Blair Lee noted that last week a noted Republican pundit had said that Heather Mizeur might well be "in the driver's seat,"  and that the conventional wisdom that one of the two front runners--Brown or Gansler--would win is "all wrong." 

Voters want a transformational candidate, Mizeur responded, someone who is fearless in trying new policies and solutions even if they are not popular. They want a governor who is responsive to their concerns, not just those of special interests.  She also stressed her core values as a Democrat, but said she would not let the party label prevent her from working with others to get things done.  Regarding when her candidacy would begin running ads on air and television, as the other two candidates are already doing, Mizeur again noted that she is using public financing and that she is not taking corporate money.

Gansler: 

He said that the biggest surprise was the "strength and urgency of the political machine and special interests" in the state.  He went on to say that campaign financing in our state is a serious problem and that he had started a bipartisan commission to fix it. Many of the recommendations were in fact passed.

Question 5

What is your plan to diversify Maryland's economy since Federal spending is flat and trending downward?

Mizeur:

Economic diversification is very important, she said, and her vision doesn't pit workers against business, but seeks to provide tax relief for small business and to reduce the regulatory burden on large corporations.  She cited changes in regulations on composting that she achieved as an example, which enabled composting companies to begin operating in Maryland.

Gansler:

He was among the first to call for an increase in the minimum wage, he said, but he is also pro-business.  Like President Obama and Congressmen Chris Van Hollen and Steny Hoyer, Gansler said he favors reducing the corporate tax, incrementally.  Because Maryland's rate is now 8.25%, in contrast to Virginia's, 6%, and West Virginia's, 6.5%, corporations are leaving Maryland, taking jobs with them.  He again cited cyber security and life sciences entities as assets, and he mentioned the Port of Baltimore--one of the two deep sea ports on the East Coast which will be able to accommodate large ships coming through the Panama Canal--as a natural asset that we don't take full advantage of.

Question 6

Maryland has received national recognition for having some of the most disgraceful, gerrymandered districts in the country. The governor constitutionally controls re-districting.  If you become governor, are you going to go along with the current process, or try to change it?

Mizeur:

She said she already proposed legislation in the last session for a non-partisan commission to handle redistricting in a way that makes sense for our communities..

Gansler:

"I defended [the redistricting] because as attorney general it was my constitutional duty to do so, but I voted against it [the referendum], because I thought it was wrong; it deprives people of true democracy," Gansler said.

Question 7, for Mizeur

Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney recently wrote that the Washington, DC suburbs' political clout (the next Democratic nominee will be from either Montgomery County or Prince George's) could lead to more state aid for our region from Annapolis.  However, in the same column your spokesperson said that you "don't subscribe to geographic politics."  What does that mean for Montgomery County?

"It means that I'm not a candidate who says one thing in Montgomery County and another thing in Baltimore," Mizeur said.  Being governor should not be playing one region against another, she added, and as governor she would bring resources to areas of the state that need it.  She said she believes in speaking the truth to voters, and she thinks voters can handle that.

Question 8, for Gansler

You support Maglev high-speed rail between Washington, DC and Baltimore.  But one reason that Baltimore also supports it is their expectation that it will permit federal agencies to relocate to Baltimore's lower-rent offices and space.  Montgomery County depends on agencies like NIH, FDA, NOAA, NIST and Walter Reed while Prince George's County is fighting to attract the FBI headquarters.  Baltimore City already has the lion's share of state agencies.  Isn't helping federal agencies relocate there, too, a disservice to our region?

While most federal agencies are in DC, Gansler answered that he hopes Prince George's County does get the FBI headquarters, but that it will retain affordable housing nearby for local workers. Regarding the Maglev, Gansler said that the motive is not to move federal agencies, but to give Baltimore an economic boost and to alleviate traffic with a 12-minute train ride from DC. Baltimore needs help:  the population has declined from 1 million to 630,000; 46% of adult males are unemployed; and a majority of its high school students do not graduate from college.  The question about the Maglev is, of course, whether it's affordable.

Question 9, for Gansler

Maryland's four-year study moratorium on natural gas fracking expires this year.  What's your position on fracking and on exporting liquid natural gas from Cove Point in Calvert County? 

Concluding Statements

Mizeur:

She said voters have the choice among three qualified candidates, but only one is ready to be governor.  In speaking to groups across the state, she said voters want a candidate who is overwhelmingly positive and stays focused on the issues.  She reiterated some of the specific issues she mentioned in answering other questions, proclaiming that she has the best vision for Maryland.  "I lead from my heart," she said, and "I have the courage of my convictions, and I will never let us settle for less than what we deserve."  When some people have told her that it would be so exciting to elect her as the first woman governor and the first openly gay governor, she reminds them that she is not running to make history, but to be the best governor for all the people of Maryland.

Gansler:

He stressed, as qualifications, his 22 years in government service and his eight years running a department as attorney general and said he wants to bring the values of Montgomery County to running the Maryland government.  "The budget is a moral document," he went on, and how we set our priorities in the budget is very important.  "Are we going to let the Chesapeake die?"   He added that he is the only candidate who grew up in Maryland, that he loves Maryland.  He believes in giving a "voice to the voiceless."  As an example, he cited his passionate coaching of Baltimore kids in lacrosse, as a way out, to broaden their horizons.  He concluded with thoughts about the election itself-the large number of people who have not made up their minds or even focused on a June primary, fear of a low turnout, and, finally, praise for campaign workers who care.

Audience at Forum

Volunteers are needed for the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) Ballot Questions Advisory Committee (BQAC).   The role of the BQAC is to study the 2014 ballot questions and judicial candidates and to prepare a report on them.  That report is presented to precinct officials in advance of a Precinct Organization meeting in the early fall (date, time and location to be announced).  Precinct organization members will vote on what they feel should be the position of the Montgomery County Democratic Party on the ballot questions and judicial candidates.  These positions are included in the Sample Ballot that goes out to all registered Democrats in Montgomery County.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to the MCDCC at Montgomerydems@msn.com ,

MCDCC must receive resumes and cover letters no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, June 6, 2014.

The resume should include the applicant's involvement in campaigns, their community, and the Democratic Party.  The cover letter should explain why the applicant wants to be on the BQAC.

MCDCC rules require that at least half of the BQAC members be precinct officials (precinct chairs, vice chairs, and area coordinators).  In addition, the rules instruct MCDCC to "strive for ethnic, geographic and ideological balance within the members of the Advisory Committee."

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