It’s widely recognized that the last few weeks of an election bring out the true colors of those involved – the good, the bad, the questionable – and Harford County’s 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election has been no exception.
In the last two weeks, we’ve seen candidates call for police back-up during heated political meetings, heard back and forth cries over allegedly phony endorsements, and witnessed more vandalism and improper placement of signs than is possible to track.
Election Day – Tuesday, September 14 – is now just hours away and the political shenanigans are flying fast and furious. If we’ve learned anything from past experiences, hold onto your hat and be prepared for a few more twists and turns, because this ride isn’t over yet.
Ladies and gentlemen of Harford County, we proudly present your would-be representatives:
Route 40 GOP Meltdown
Just when you think the Route 40 Republican Club implosion has reached its nadir, the group reliably comes back by setting a new low.
The latest incident occurred Thursday night during a meeting of the Club’s membership.
Once again, Del. Rick Impallaria was at the center of things, starting the meeting on his own before being called out by another member of the Club. The discussion turned to debate, became a heated argument, led to some implied threats, and prompted Impallaria to allegedly calling 911 for assistance.
Impallaria has not responded to requests for his recollection of the events of Thursday night.
Here is Route 40 Republican Club member Fred Mullis’ side of the story:
2010-09-10 @ 1905 Hours; the Route 40 Republican Club was called to order. The Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance was said. Once this was done I asked Rick Impallaria to address the point of order he had quashed at the last meeting. He said he was not going to allow me to bring the subject up. I told him that according to the by-laws that Roberts Rules of Order were to be used in running the meeting and he could not continue until the subject was resolved. He said he was not going to allow this to happen. I asked him to allow the President of the club, Carol MacCubbin to control the meeting. I said he was not an elected officer and could not take over the club. He then said if I did not stop talking he would remove me from the meeting. I asked if he were personally going to do that and he said no. I said I did not think so. Then he said he would have someone else to remove me. (I thought that our elected officials took and oath to uphold the “Constitution” of which Freedom of speech and assembly was part of the document.)
Out of respect for the speaker I did not press the issue and the program continued. Another member of the club asked Rick when would be a good time to discuss the by-laws and resolve the issues on the table. Rick said he was not going to allow the issues to be discussed until after the elections. Again I asked for point of order. At this time Rick Impallaria called the MD State Police to come and remove me from the meeting.
All the scheduled speakers were allowed to finish their presentations and the regular meeting was resumed. One of the members asked about the endorsements and how this was done in violation of the by-laws of the club. Rick said that this to was not open for discussion. He also said if the member did not like what was done that person did not have to remain a member of the club and maybe there should be another club started.
I then asked for an accounting of the clubs treasury and was given a dollar figure balance of the checkbook. When I asked for a breakdown of how the clubs finances were put together I was told it was being addressed but at this time no one knew how the report was made up. I asked for a paid membership list; I was advised it was in flux. It too was being worked on at the time. They do not have that information available.
The meeting was not going to Rick’s liking so he adjourned without a motion to adjournment.
During the meeting the MD State Police did arrive at the location but was told by someone in the lobby there was not a problem and they left.
The Route 40 Republican Club, Inc. is very important to the Republican Party of Harford County; we the members just need to get it back to the core Republican values. I believe we can grow the club and it will thrive. There are conservatives who need to be able to express themselves and enjoy the fellowship of like minded people. We just need to take back that which has been high jacked.
God Bless Our Troops and First Responders on this day of remembrance of 9-11.
God Bless America.
Respectfully;
Fred A. Mullis
Dion and the Democrats
The following letter was sent to Councilman Dion Guthrie (Democrat/District A) by Wendy Sawyer, chair of the Democratic Central Committee. A copy was provided to The Dagger:
Councilman Guthrie:
I was extremely disappointed in your unprofessional behavior toward me at the Edgewood Community Council meeting last night. I came to the meeting because I am a 35-year resident of Edgewood and have the same concerns you and others do. I have known you for many years and have spoken with you many times about Edgewood issues. For many reasons which I will not list in this letter, I chose to support John Henkel for District A in this election. That is my right as a citizen and I expected to be treated with respect by you as my current Councilman any event. I overestimated you.
When I got to the meeting I said hello and tried to ask you a question. After getting 3 words out of my mouth you turned and said “I only speak to my supporters”. I have supported you in the past and I even opened my home to you for a fundraiser during the last election. I believe I deserved the courtesy to finish my question. After the meeting I approached you again and reminded you that you are still my councilman as of this minute and that you have a responsibility to talk to constituents when approached. At that point you became quite abusive toward me, yelling (a little too close to my face for comfort) “What do you want?” You screamed it at least 3 or 4 times, each time more hateful and out of control. I question whether you would have done that to a man. You were abusive and completely out of line. Several people came up to me after the meeting – they were shocked at your unprofessional behavior.
I believe I am due an apology from you – your constituents deserve your respect. My right to vote my conscience is not something that should be threatened by you or anyone else. We have a lot of people fighting real wars for my right to do just that. Please respect their efforts as well and stop acting like the Council seat for District A is your entitlement. You have to earn it like everyone else, and this time around your behavior has indicated to me that you have forgotten that.
Wendy Sawyer
Edgewood resident
Ehrlich/Woods Endorsement Flap
Did former governor Bob Ehrlich endorse County Councilman Joe Woods (Republican/District B)?
It seems like a pretty straight-forward question, but looks can be deceiving.
I was alerted to this situation two weeks ago with a phone call from someone who claimed Woods was using the Ehrlich endorsement on his website, signs, and campaign literature when, in fact, Ehrlich had never endorsed him.
Woods says he has the endorsement, pointing to photos of Ehrlich wearing a Woods button and indicating he and Councilman Jim McMahan were the only incumbents on the council to receive Ehrlich’s endorsement. Woods sent out a flyer this week flaunting the endorsement.
Republican challenger Derek Howell’s team says no such endorsement was made and they have conversations with Ehrlich staffers to back it up.
Deeply embedded insiders (yes, they exist and I’ve spoken with them) seem to split the difference. One says he was there when Ehrlich made the endorsement and asserts the confusion stemmed from the mixed up date associated with the Ehrlich photo on Woods’ website (listing the September 1 date of the appearance as 1-9-10 rather than 9-1-10). Another says Woods may have garnered Ehrlich’s SUPPORT, but may not have received an official ENDORSEMENT (as the former governor would have more to lose than gain by making an endorsement during a Republican Primary Election).
Perhaps wisely, no one from the Ehrlich team has responded to inquiries or stepped forward to clear up this issue.
And when those who claimed they have spoken with the Ehrlich camp directly on the issue and got a definitive answer were contacted and pressed for details, I got threatened with legal action. Go figure.
Sign Language: Guthrie vs Henkel
The following email exchange took place this week between councilman Dion Guthrie and his Democratic Primary Election challenger John Henkel. It’s fairly self-explanatory. A copy was provided to The Dagger:
HENKEL:
Dion – this will now be the second notice that, once again, you or your ‘committee of 40 people’ have placed your campaign signs on my personal private property without permission. Forgetting the fact that we’re opponents, this practice of placing signs without homeowner permission is particularly troubling. While I would certainly hope that you did not have a hand in this decision, I’m starting to second guess.
As your constituent, I would appreciate your prompt attention in dealing with this matter.
John Henkel
Candidate
Harford County Council – District A
Serving Joppa, Joppatowne and Edgewood
GUTHRIE:
Do not know who is doing that, I guess it is somebody to get to both of us. Beleave me, it is the very last place I want a sign.
HENKEL:
I’m not sure I follow your ‘someone trying to get to both of us’ theory. I mean, no one has placed my campaign signs in your front yard, have they? Regardless, I hope we don’t have to have this conversation again.
John Henkel
Candidate
Harford County Council – District A
Serving Joppa, Joppatowne and Edgewood
It Was in The Dagger, So It Must Be True
District 34 Democratic senate candidate Art Helton released a new campaign mailer last week. On one side, incumbent Republican District 34 Sen. Nancy Jacobs is bashed via a fake newspaper Letters to the Editor section. On the reverse side, Helton takes on his Primary Election opponent Rovall Washington by printing a series of “truths” about his Edgewood challenger.
Truth Three is of particular interest to us, as it’s comment posted on The Dagger by Tina Wells, CEO Buzz Marketing Group, on June 15.
Politicians Against Bullying
The following email about District 34 Democratic senate candidate Rovall Washington was provided to The Dagger by Jansen Robinson, a candidate in the District A Board of Education race:
While campaigning in Edgewood today, we spoke with a parent of a Havre de Grace Middle School School who told us that even though school has just started, her daughter has been the victim of bullying by students at the school. The parent asked what could she do because her daughter did not want to go to school. Rovall, who will be campaigning in Havre de Grace on tomorrow offered to walk her daughter to class on tomorrow and the parent gladly accepted. So tomorrow morning at 8:00 Am Rovall Washington (who just happens to be a State Senate candidate) will be escorting this Middle School Student to class.
When the parent informed her daughter, she was absolutely delighted. This is just one of many concerns that we have heard while campaigning. It appears that the public is looking for more from their elected officials than what they have been receiving.
Time’s Running Out
Have any late political shenanigans to report?
Do so here and let Harford County voters know before they head to the polls.
I can’t believe the members of the Route 40 Republican Club haven’t removed the fleece from their eyes.
Rick “I” = “Idiot”. He’s an embarassment to our party. Wake Up!!!!
P.S. Calling the M.S.P. is an abuse of his “power” and a huge waste of tax dollar$!
I’ve voted for Rick Impallaria in the past; he helped us keep the homeless shelter out of Joppa and I felt I owed him. These recent reports of his conduct at the Route 40 Republican Club have changed my mind; he’s forgetting that he’s a representative of the people and getting delusions of personal power. He needs to be taken down a peg or two for his own good. Rick, if you want to ignore the rules and impose your own will on the rest of us poor peons, please join the Democrats, that’s more their style. I hope you come around to what you once were.
Let me get this straight; a Senate candidate is going to go the house of a 11-13 year old girl that he does not know and is not related to, and walk her to school!!!??? Is this a smart thing??? I know that bullying is a problem, but for crying out the there are some things an adult male just should no do!
Nice to see Dion at the center of a couple of these. Glad I changed party affiliations to Democrat for the sole purpose of voting against Guthrie in the primary.
Didn’t Dion’s mailer say he had over 204 college credits? He spelled “believe” wrong. 204 college credits my ass.
Obie…ever had a “typo” yourself Mr. Perfect?
Have I had a typo, sure. However, if I was an elected official and I was addressing a constituent, I would be sure to proofread prior to sending.
Spelling?? 204 Credits?? You should see some of the memoes I have from Mr. Guthrie that have misspellings. These are official letters out of his office. He needs a better proof reader for his memoes!
He can’t spell Joppatowne either. He says he has lived there for 40 years – right? So, do you really think he can (or even does) read and understand the legislative bills that come before him to approve? Do any of the council members? They are mostly all backscratchers and we are stuck with what they vote on. It’s not all about Republicans (the majority of the County Council and administration by the way) or Democrats. It’s about who gets in there and who is lining their pockets. It’s about who’s agenda is getting taken care of. It sure is not about us taxpayers. It doesn’t matter what party you belong to, the taxes (or fees) go up regardless. You wouldn’t mind paying them if they were being used wisely – but they are not at ANY level.
When we got our property tax bills, a letter signed by Craig was slipped in saying how our taxes were reduced. Well, you could have fooled me because mine went UP! Other MD counties reduced theirs or held them steady.
Also, how can any local candidate justify receiving or spending gimme funds running 6 to 7-digits legimately anyway? Why so many out-of-county contributors? It has to be all about catering to special interests.
The obvious answer would be term limits for all candidates and either eliminating or severely limiting campaign contributions.
good to see the truth from the
losers in Edgewood/joppa are being revealed.
the typos in mr. guthrie’s email to a constituent are atrocious
Is it Ripken, Ripkin, or Ripkan, I forget… better ask Dion!
Fred Mullis, what a hero and gentlemen. If I’m correct you stood up after Mr. Woods was introduced to speak and would not sit down for 10 – 15 minutes. No threats were ever made to you and you were the only person that was looking to cause a scene. Impallaria can offend but on this night it was you Fred. I for one have grown tired of you playing the same old song. I think the answer they gave about membership was fair. I seem to miss in your letter above that you were told that you are not a current paid member. It wasn’t until the people next to you told you to sit down that you returned civility.
Fred Mullis
I understand your discontent with your wife not getting an endorsement from the 40 club for her campaign. What I don’t understand is how you expect to demand things of a private club that you are not a member of?
I hope that the spirit of Stephen Wright haunts you the rest of your sorry days on earth for your disloyalty and deceitfulness.
Fredric
The endorsement is a smoke screen you would like to use. It is about the By-laws and Robert’s Rules of Order.
The Route 40 Republican Club belongs to the Members. It has become less than that. If and when you can discuss this at a meeting where the By-laws and Rules of order are used I will be more than happy to debate you. What the club has become is and was not what Stephem Wright was tyring to accomplish. I was with Stephen since it inception. Stephen will never haunt me because he has a special place in my heart.
Fred Mullis
It interesting that you invoke Stephen as though you were brothers when in fact you disavowed and slighted him when he announced his run for county executive, you ceased attending 40 club meetings and discontinued paying dues. When you get Krista Wright to affirm your statements of fidelity to Stephen and the 40 club I will kiss your ass.
Fredric
Fredric….is appears as though YOU are the ass.
1. If you are going toattack me be atleast man enough to use your name.If you wont I feel sorry for you. A coward always lurks in the shadows.
2. If you knew Steve as well as you try to put on; you would know; he and I spoke almost daily. He also was in my home numerous times. We often had lunch to discuss his campaign.
3. I would never put Krista in the middle of your nasty, sick, cowardly attack on me.
4. Steve himself would never condone the way you are using his name to hide behind.
5. Steve was a true friend and we could disagree and argue about campaign plans but at the end of the day we were friends. You are no friend of Steve or you would not continue to use him to hide behind.
6. Be big enough to bring it on and have enough respect for Stephen Wright not to continue invoking his name in something he would be part of. He was more of a man in his pinky finger than you will ever be in the balance of your meager existance.
All of you honor his memory. Make the Rt 40 Club the power base of the Party he fought so hard for. No one can take the friendship of a true man he was from me nor will you ever be as much of a giant in life as Steve was.
Mollusk fit, a creature that hides at the bottom of the sea.
Fred
How does it feel to assault the memory of a dead man?
Have you been able to steal the money from the Stephen Wright Scholarship Fund yet? Have you made good on your threat to go after the former board members of the real and now defunct Route 40 Republican Club? Good luck with that plan since Carol MacCubbin was on that board, attended every meeting and voted on every matter. Sounds like you have your evildoer already?
Fredric
You are not correct. I tried to resolve the issue of the by-laws before Mr. Woods came to the floor. When some tells me they are going to remove from a place where I am trying to bring the President to the floor to run the meeting and then says they will have some one else do their bidding I take that as a threat.
I have been a paid member since the club was formed. I have also supported the club with funds for a robo-call session, paid for the meeting room twice, And donated proceeds form shirts I had made to the club. By the way Jean has several shirts availabe to anyone who would like to buy.
I believe Jean also admited she has no Idea of who has or has not paid their dues. Nor does she have a list of the members. As a Member I find the lack of contorl of the clubs funds unacceptable. I am sure I am not alone.
Your name is well choosen. Have a great evening.
Fred Mullis
First, there is no President of the 40 club since the position is vacant due to Stephen Wright’s death and the board can designate anyone, even a trained chimp, to run the meeting, and they chose Impallaria whom you dislike.
Regarding your membership…from Jean’s lips to my ears you are not a member since you did not pay your dues.
In reference to club finances the board is wholly responsible and is only nominally required to give a summary report at general meetings.
Finally, you should be honest that you are upset that the 40 club would not endorse your wife. It’s sour grapes for you, get over it!
Fredric
The fact that the Route40 club chose some one who tried to run over family members and was charged with attempting to bribe public officials speaks volumes about where they want to go.
And of course Paula isn’t going to be endorsed since she wont submit to the “Supreme Leader” of the club.
Well stated !! Has anyone ever met Carol Maccubbin, the supposed president of the Rt 40 club? If not please do so and be prepared. Also ask ANY member of Harford’s delegation to Annapolis for their opinion of Impy and you will walk away quite educated. It’s no wonder the Rt40 club is in meltdown.
Not worth it
What charges of bribery and assault are you specifically referring? Please provide the date, case number and disposition.
The Mullis’ quit attending club meetings in 2009, did not return until after Stephen Wright’s death in 2010 and never paid 2009 and 2010 dues.
Paula didn’t get an endorsement because Fred is a self-centered slobbering schmuck.
Supreme
Supreme Leader – here you go.
http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inquiry/inquiryDetail.jis?caseId=0000015557&loc=35&detailLoc=DSCR
http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inquiry/inquiryDetail.jis?caseId=0000120081&loc=34&detailLoc=DSCR
http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inquiry/inquiryDetail.jis?caseId=00602680R1&loc=34&detailLoc=DSCR
And that is just the stuff I found without digging very deep. I’m sure there’s more.
Supreme Leader –
According to the Baltimore Sun, Impallaria was charged with attempted murder for trying to run over his mother and brother with his car. Here is the article:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2009/02/harford_county_delegation_coup.html
Also, Delegate Mike Smigiel (a Republican) has alleged that Impallaria attempted to convince Smigiel to falsely testify in a court case. Here is the article:
http://explorebaltimorecounty.com/blogs/politics/2009/12/30/talk-about-uncomfortable/
Let’s just say that Impallaria is not a model citizen and clearly not someone who should be elected to any office in Maryland, even “Supreme Politburo Chairman” of the Rt 40 Club. I urge everyone to look at Impallaria’s background and determine for yourself whether he is someone who should be representing you in any capacity.
Village Idiot
Wow Impallaria had minor charges from over 25 years ago that didn’t result in a conviction. Obviously his constituents didn’t care about these items last election and they likely won’t tomorrow either.
Supreme
Supreme – I love how ‘assault with intent to rob’ and ‘battery’ are minor charges in your view. And sadly, most people don’t educate themselves about their candidates and thus, clowns like Impallaria keep getting elected. Is he really the best we can do?
Village Idiot
Impallaria reliably votes conservatively and faithfully advocates for his constituents which are why he gets elected.
Supreme
supreme leader…..The Mullis’ have been at every meeting this year! your facts are wrong! The treasurer admitted she has not kept a record of who has and hasn’t paid dues since being treasurer, so you can not say for sure whether the Mullis’ are paying members or not!
Member
Mullis’ stopped attending in 2009, they did not return until after Stephen Wright’s death and they have not paid dues in 2009 and 2010.
Supreme
Some one beat me to the case lists. But did you really call those charges “minor”? And the attempted bribing of a public official is very serious.
Supreme,
are you Jean Hruz? I personally have seen at least 1 Mullis at every meeting this year!
So Fred you’ve succeeded in destroying the Rte 40 Republican Club congratulations.
Fredric
I’d rather pick myself from my poo than be represented by Guthrie or his crew of hacks
well now Master Brian of Dagger Land, you have been busy at work fencing with the windmills of our county, pricking the hot air out of the buffoons why ply their wares in hopes of snowballing to elected office.
why is it that candidates for high sheriff are illegally placing signs touting their campaigns?
why is it folks will say just about anything to get elected?
It’s one thing if a fella makes a mistake and corrects it, but hell, some of these candidates make used car salesmen look good. Matter of fact, if most of us just think about it, who are the folks we really trust today?
and there’s a car salesman or two i trust more than some of these politicians.
Why is it that bird and wildlife lovers would have anything to do with the Republican Party? I guess the bird life you so claim to love is just not important enough for you to vote for candidates who really are willing to use federal, state, and local power to protect and preserve vital habitat? Sad.
It sounds like the Birdman is not a single issue guy but someone who has to balance his love for wildlife and what’s best for all of us.
What an absolute farce Guthrie is making of the races affecting his district. He supports Rovall Washington with his checkered past, Jansen Robinson and the recent revelation about his mismanagement of the Balt. City Schools Police Dept. (that led to his forced resignation from that position), Guthrie’s and Robinson’s intentional violation of Board of Education policy restricting improper campaigning on school property, Guthrie’s abuse of a constituent at a recent Edgewood Community Council meeting, Robinson’s and Washington’s recent boorish and dishonorable campaign tactics, and I could go on and on.
Guthrie has placed himself squarely in the middle of his bookend candidates Washington and Robinson. Everyone can see that he is a poor judge of character, or actually he prefers their company because he has none himself. Guthrie has tied these two anchors (of his own choice) around his neck and they will drag him to the bottom where they all belong. Even the African-Americans I speak with in Edgewood say they are onto Guthrie using these two to pander to the minority vote.
Guthrie is a blowhard bully who rules with a sense of entitlement. He is the perfect example of why we need term limits, which ironically Robinson has publicly supported. Guess he didn’t think before he spoke considering his benefactor is a two term incumbent. Guthrie’s grand plan of being the king maker has backfired. Soon we can all breath a sigh of relief because the king will be politically dead after this election season.
Dig Deeper could not be more on the mark! So, we’ll see what happens assuming others are paying attention. That slug has a whole bunch of “Champion of the People” signs everywhere. I know of all the things he may be, he is surely not that!
I’m surprised Jansen Robinson is still hanging around him since he is using him like a pair of socks.
Yo Dion… Your time is up. You totally screwed yourself this go around, what with your flirtation with running for State Senate and taking campaign contributions under those false pretenses, your Rovall and his merry band of ne’er-do-well endorsements, the BS with putting yard signs on your challenger’s yard, and you getting into a screaming match with the chair of the Dem Central Committee.
Maybe you should do what most old folks do at 72 (or some, like your good friend Nancy Jacobs have already done) – go buy yourself some Florida real estate and retire. That would be the best way to serve your district.
Sadly, most of the voting public is too damn aloof to recognize the BS that has been associated with this election, and Dion may win on name recognition alone. How sad is it that so many of us follow presidential elections that marginally impact our lives; but when it comes to local politics (where the decisions made by our representatives may impact us daily) many people cannot even name their delegate/state senator/council person? I wonder how many people even recognize that there is a county council; or the difference between a candidate for CC, House of Delegates, or State Senate?
BSmeter – I totally agree. In fact I’ve made the same point in several earlier Facebook posts and on exploreharford.com.
What’s worse is there are several candidates (Republican & Democrat) for Central Committees who have never been to a Central Committee meeting or even know what the Central Committees do (I’ve been to a dozen CC meetings in the last three years). What’s more, my opponent seems to think she is running for Joppatowne Homeowners Association, not sitting on a countywide Council that makes decisions for a quarter-million Harford County Residents. She readily admits to having NO EXPERIENCE, a failed marriage and being niave. She has failed to propose a single concrete solution to the problems faced in District A much less countywide.
I’ve attended numerous County Council meetings, even publically spoken there and – this is important – I’ve spent the last 18-20 months working on a strategy to defeat Dion Guthrie in November. With all due respect, she simply doesn’t have a clue.
You did leave out one thing though – as everybody surely knows (in Harford County at least) whoever has the most signs/biggest signs wins. Maybe if I had parents with deep pockets I could have had a couple billion signs too. Sad – so sad!
Don’t be so sure Dion will be your opponent. John Henkel is a formidable candidate and you will have your hands full if he wins, which is a good possibility.
Very good point. I met Mr. Henkel a couple weeks ago and you may be right!
I think you need to check yourself Jim. Those are some pretty personal comments to be dropping for a primary elections.
You may want to do some checking of your own. Most everything in my post was said about Ms. Baldwin in the Aegis interview on Sept 3 – by Ms. Baldwin herself!
While Ms. Baldwin has ‘failed to propose a single concrete solution’ as you point out, your crown jewel was….wait for it….a water park in Edgewood along Route 40! I laugh out loud every time I think about it.
Instead of laughing, why don’t you propose something to attract the 40,000,000 people who live within a two hour drive of the Harford County portion of Rt 40. A water park was just an example of something to attract those tourist $$$ instead of all those people simply driving around us or through us to get somewhere else. It’s all about creating jobs and building a thriving economy here.
Mr. Thompson-
I sense your frustration toward the “laughter” but I think there is an element of truth to be considered. While you do present ideas, you ideas simply lacked any element of practicality. Our community, Edgewood/ Joppatowne, is in crisis- we need real practical solutions- not pie in the sky idealism. Your opponents, Mr. Henkel and Ms. Baldwin, said it best at the political candidates forum- this is a time for action and we are going to have to sort out the “nice to dos” from the “must dos” (Mr. Guthrie spent his time congratulating himself for a lot of things that may or may not be credited to him- but that is the subject for a different post). Open discussions with the Cordish Group to resolve the eye sore that is the Edgewater Shopping Plaza as proposed by your opponents is a MUST DO- a real and practical solution. Renaming Pulaski Highway is not action. Our current situation does not allow for a water park, even on the “Nice To Do” list.
Lady Mariner,
It is interesting to see Guthrie signs all over Cordish property,and don’t forget Dion’s little band of merry men Washington and Robinson.. Guthrie talks a good game about how tough he is with Cordish concerning the eyesores he owns along Rt 40, but the reality is that Guthrie is in his pocket. Otherwise he wouldn’t ask permission of Cordish to put signs on the property of someone that does nothing for our community. Then again maybe Guthrie didn’t ask permission of him either, just decided to do it illegally like so many of his other signs. Tell us Dion, which is it? Kissing the Cordish ring or making your own rules again?
Also, why don’t you go back to work for the Federal Government. Your lack of real focus and hard work is clearly evident, and would fit in with the government. Yvonne Baldwin has worked harder than you for 4 months to win this primary and she deserves every vote she wins over you.
Elections don’t cost that much. A candidate must surely be expected to throw some cash into their own race. Your big federal money spends just as well as restaurant money.
These comments make you sound pretty bitter. Good thing nobody reads this blog.
Just for the record, I worked in the private sector for over 40 years in some pretty responsible executive and managerial positions with some pretty large companies like Ford and GM. I also started and ran my own company before retiring.
I worked for the Federal Government for 7 months this year because they needed someone with my kind of leadership skills at the Census Bureau. Hiring, training and managing the day-to-day activities of 1,200 employees is one of the hardest things you could ever imagine doing – I know because I did it.
It would appear that Jim has finally decided to start campaigning. Too bad the election is tomorrow. Maybe he didn’t know?
I knew. Unfortunately, from January ’til August 2010 I was an employee of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and subject to the Hatch Act which severely limits political activities by federal employees.
As a law-abiding citizen I chose not to do anything illegal. Sorry, that’s just me.
I just looked over Jim’s resume/bio. With qualifications like THESE, how could you not vote for him? (any and all sarcasm is purely intentional).
Straight “A” student all through Grade School
Won local PTA Academic Scholarship (only 1 scholarship was awarded annually)
Feature article about me in the January 2000 issue of Small Business Computing magazine
Played Freshman Basketball at Syracuse University (the 64-65 team had the best freshman record in Syracuse University history)
Thanks for taking the time to view my bio. Unfortunately you left out a couple things like leading the entire country in sales, having been awarded a United States Patent based on principles first written about by Sir Isaac Newton over 300 years ago and having a soon-to-be 44 year marriage anniversary.
“Hey kids – where do you want to go on vacation this year? Disney World or Edgewood?” Jim – you cannot possibly be serious. Tourist dollars?
JoppaDude
I think Jim is talking about an ADULT Water Park to which you would never bring children.
Supreme
A Disney-style world-class water park would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues anually and thousands of new jobs, so, yes, I’d say I am very serious (unless, of course you would rather have slots).
Yup, hundreds of millions of dollars for a facility used maybe 3-4 months per year.
Let’s do the math.
Let’s assume 108 operating days a year – 92 for June, July and August, and 16 weekend days in May and September) which is being overly generous.
First, here’s a list of the 2009 attendance for the top 20 water parks in the U.S.
1. Typhoon Lagoon (2,059,000), Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla.
2. Blizzard Beach (1,891,000), Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla.
3. Aquatica (1,600,000), Orlando, Fla.
4. Wet’n Wild (1,235,000), Orlando, Fla.
5. Schlitterbahn (900,000), New Braunfels, Texas
6. Water Country USA (700,000), Williamsburg, Va.
7. Adventure Island (600,000), Tampa, Fla.
8. Schlitterbahn (530,000), Galveston, Texas
9. Hyland Hills Water World (515,000), Denver, Colo.
10. Splish-Splash (495,000), Riverhead, N.Y.
11. Noah’s Ark (490,000), Wisconsin Dells, Wis
12. Raging Waters (466,000), San Dimas, Calif.
13. Six Flags-White Water** (450,000), Marietta, Ga.
13. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor** (450,000), Arlington, Texas
15. Dollywood’s Splash Country (446,000), Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
16. Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Point (390,000), Greensboro, N. C.
17. Soak City Cedar Point (375,000), Sandusky, Ohio
18. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (360,000), Jackson, N.J.
19. Camelbeach (350,000), Tannersville, Penn.
20. Zoombezi Bay (325,000), Powell, Ohio
Almost all of them have an affiliation with a larger amusement theme park, but I guess we should build one of those also, since Hershey Park and the Six Flags outside of DC and the Six Flags at exit 7A of the NJ Turnpike are far enough away that an investment of $100 million here would make sense.
Disneyland in California averages 40,000 people per day. So let’s say Jimmy’s Water World gets 2,500 people per day at $40 a throw, plus another $25 for purchases inside the park.
In a perfect world you’d have $162,500 a day in revenues, or $17.5 million for the operating season. But face it, this world ain’t perfect. There won’t be 108 water park worthy days.
That’s my quick and dirty breakdown. Max, $17 million of revenue, before expenses and debt service. We won’t need to worry about paying taxes because this thing won’t be making money anytime soon. Please show us how you expect hundreds of millions a year. Sharpen that pencil, there James, it’s gonna be a long night. When you find the investors to build this thing, let me know. I’ve got a dam in Conowingo I’d like to sell them.
Oh, and slots makes no sense. We would be better off with a full casino with table games.
Jim,
How are you going to pay for your water park? Edgewood can’t even get a private company to build a grocery store there, let alone a water park.
Wow. So, this sorry lot of Dems and Reps is the best we have to offer in this county?!? Unreal. It’s time to take out the TRASH this election season.
The trash is the treasure of harford county.
Crazy man dion is at it again, and may become a victor again tomorrow.
Who will stop the mad man’s march?
Henkel is a darn good candidate, one that the Democrats can be proud of, and a real person (not a perennial candidate that runs just to see his name on the ballot).
ProudDemocrat,
You are spot on. John is a great guy and would make an equally great councilman. I wish him and you good luck tomorrow. I will be watching the poll results with much interest.
Thanks to both of you. I’m very proud of the campaign I have run (with the support and help of my family) and look forward, win or lose, to continuing to work in this community.
Only telling the truth my friend.
As a long-time resident of Harford, the politics (and some politicians) only get nastier. It has been long noted that the current District A County Council representative has been more geared to the special interest parties who line his pockets than to the needs and concerns of the District A citizens. He is certainly not the only polical incumbent in Harford who holds nothing but distain for the citizens and public opinion. It is more than obvious that he is using others running for local office in an attempt to garner more votes from Edgewood. The bottom line is, in the past 8 years, he has done nothing for the citizens of District A. Unforunately, because people do not research records or become actively involved in their communities or with County issues, he could well be reelected just because of name recognition. How sad that would be for all of us!
Not only do we need a change in how we elect our representatives, we need term limits to keep the special interests from buying influence and votes from our elected politicians.
re: BSmeter 9/13 12:05 a/m
you know nothing of what and where wildlife and birdlife proponents come from. you know nothing period. remarks that you made in that comment erode any credence. Peronally I vote for whomever i feel is the best qualified for the job, that’s about as simple as it gets. I’m sure others feel the same.
You have no clue what you are talking about. How do you know that I do not have a degree in wildlife management and work with birds for a living??? And for the record, I bet my life list is bigger than yours, AND that I can identify more birds than you can Bird-Man! PLUS, I put my vote where my mouth is, and vote for candidates that actually support environmental protection (and not just when the Republican leadership lets them).
This is so predictable. How is an elected official in a leadership position in a club? Especially this guy! Way to make the party shine, right before our time in November! You embarrass every good republican in our county. Shame, shame shame.
The Impster is a bully, plain and simple. It is up to the GOP primary voters to send a signal that they are through with this guy and his tactics, once and for all. I hope the voters get wise to the fact that the people they have been sending to Annapolis are getting nothing done for the citizens of Harford County – this includes Jacobs, Paddy, and “In the House” (WTF is that supposed to mean, anyway?)McCommas. Even the Aegis, which rarely meets a Republican they won’t genuflect for, recognizes that these folks are a disaster.
Good luck in dumping this hillbilly goon tomorrow.
DaggerDan
Didn’t The Aegis endorse McDonough, Impallaria, Jacobs and McCommas last week?
Supreme
If they did, it was for the primary, not the general, thank god.
They sure did. In typical Aegis fashion, they pointed out how ineffective they are, but since the voters want them, we’ll endorse them. If you go back through old issues of this bottom-of-the-bird-cage rag, you’ll see other articles on how the infighting in the County delegation is a sad commentary and indicative of how they can’t accomplish anything for the County.
In terms of the endorsement, here is what they said —
“In the Republican Primary, this group constitutes the preferred ticket for the kind of representation the people of District 7 seem to like. McDonough, Impallaria and Jennings consistently manage to present their ideas on national Republican hot button issues such as immigration and federal spending, as well as make the perennial GOP cry that taxes need to be cut, to an audience much wider than their support base.
While talking about such issues, they accomplish relatively little. Though they talk about cutting taxes, state taxes have increased under their watch, both with a Democratic governor and under their Republican guru, former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who raised the state real estate tax and jacked up just about every state fee.
It appears their ability to participate in the debate, even while accomplishing very little and allowing state taxes from Harford County and District 7 to be spent elsewhere in the state, is exactly what the voters of the district want, so we encourage the district’s voters to cast ballots for McDonough, Impallaria and Szeliga for House and Jennings for Senate in the Republican Primary.”
Not exactly the type of endorsement a candidate would want the voters to know about. But they will massage it, leave out the real meat, and the sheep will go to the polls and return this ineffective bunch to Annapolis.
Sadly, Dan Dagger is right yet again! Being in the last cut to make up Dist 7 we are blessed with what, in essence, one could call a bunch of street thugs. Most are bereft of any finesse in dealing with the human race and as we know, barely a few can be trusted. Even as the words flow from their mouths, you can spot the deceit. Much like our Dist A rep.
On that happy note, I do like Dan Riley, a man who demonstrates he is for the people; and I thought James Morrow would be worth a shot. You know, some guys who just may actually believe their job is to represent the citizens who elected them.
Vote Impallaria, McDonough, Jennings.
Has anyone else noticed the complete disregard Dion has for the rules about campaign signs? Many are illegal according to the law, yet he continues to flaunt all regulations, which apparently thinks do not apply to him. I have met him a few times and listened to him speak. The best description I can come up with is he reminds me of a modern day snake oil salesman. Yuk!
Tell 10 friends and have them tell 10 friends and so on and so on….
Vote Trevor Leach for Central Committee!
Trevor Leach founded the Tea Party Movement!
Wikipedia Trevor Leach… He get’s my vote!
Hey HarCoResident –
That would be a ‘G’, not ‘g’ in God. Oh wait…you’re a lib, nevermind.
H. Corkins Sr.
HarCoResident kind of worships me as a god, however I’ve told him/her it is blasphemous and that they should stop. I think it stems from my omnipotence and omniscience?
Supreme
is that you? bullerocker/joesephcaruso?
Yep, a “lib”….I think I just pissed my pants you made me laugh so hard.
Go find somewhere else to spout off that nonsense you blowhard moron!
I am quite far from a “lib”, and attend church more than an average resident of Harford County, even though I really shouldn’t feel the need to defend my religiosity or lack thereof.
You love judging them books by their covers.
Go burn a Quran and leave the discussions to the adults, k?
Tomorrow is the Primary. Lets put aside the squables and get out and vote for the person you believe is the best, most qualified, etc. for the job.
I am running for Republican Central Committee. I was elected and served on the Committee from 2002 thru 2006. I am a fiscal conservative, BS Accounting, MS Taxation, and part of the Committee to Elect Wayne Norman. I would appreciate your vote.
Thanks,
Miles M. Kress
for Republican Central Committee of
Harford County
I’m not sure if this is political shenanigans but Martin Watcher of OmalleyWatch.com sent an email out with endorsements/recommendations. You can see the list with some commentary here:
http://harfordrepublican.com/omalleywatch-com-endorsements-with-commentary/
Did anyone go by Level Fire Hall yesterday? One minute Wayne Norman has a truck parked in the lost spot in the lot, the next a Gallion truck is parked on the grass blocking Norman’s truck.
it’s getting bad out there…parking, blocking, knocking, slamming…hell, it’s like the Hatfields and McCoys…
There were several things I saw that should not have have been done. The truck sign at Level was one. Another was the destruction of the Gallion/Tritt sign at Forest Lakes. I think the worst was the Wagner sign painted over with a slur.
Blow up edgewood and joppatowne. Problems solved.
Excellent solution, Ford. I volunteer you to strap yourself to the bomb first.
where’s the love?
Will someone tell Rovall Washington it is time to take out the trash. According to the rules he should have removed all his campaign signs by now.