Man, I should have gotten on the ball sooner, I had this intel a while ago, but was too busy playing with my kid’s PS8 they got for Christmas. So here’s the deal, the Washington Post is reporting that David Craig is going to be named Secretary of the Department of Planning and out-of-stater Pete Rahn to be Secretary of the Department of Transportation (in full disclosure, I knew he was going out of state, I did not have a name).
Here’s the juice though. Craig had interviewed for Secretary of Transportation, it’s what he wanted and it’s what everyone in Annapolis assumed to be the case. But he bombed the interview. The Hogan folks didn’t trust him to be a team player and thought he would be too likely to go out on his own like a cantankerous John McCain. So they offered him Planning. He turned down Planning and suddenly, over the Christmas holiday time frame, his associates started spreading word that he turned down MDoT (or maybe he left it vague and everybody filled in the blanks for it being MDoT). Planning is such a big step down that the Annapolis insiders had all written the planning job as something that would be offered to Aaron Tomarchio, Craig’s former number 2. In the end, Craig came back around to accepting the Planning post – realizing that he had no other option to continue in government.
It was already written that Craig would lead MDoT, to the point where insiders were looking at hiring Craig’s children to get an inside edge: Transportation is that big of a deal. Planning, he’ll probably have trouble getting people to return his call. And the reason the assumption was there is because looking around the state there wasn’t much to choose from. When Ehrlich tried to go out of state with a pick for a Cabinet Secretary, the Democrats destroyed her and sent her into a limbo. The risk for Hogan is that the Democrats will choose this position to target as well to make their point, and they’re going to do it just once.
But Pete Rahn is a huge pick. He has led the Transportation Departments for Missouri and New Mexico. He did an absolutely crazy thing in Missouri where in order to reduce the cost of a highway project, he actually shut down the existing highway in 5 mile stretches. Think of it as someone shutting down I-83. It cut 4 years and $200 million off the project at a time when most projects come in over budget and over time. This isn’t a guy the Democrats will be able to make an example of, especially when they all lauded former Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith’s selection, someone who before serving as CE was a Judge.
Speaking of Baltimore County, another person experiencing some hurt over the selection of Pete Rahn is Baltimore County Councilman David Marks. He’s widely viewed as the Republican Subject Matter Expert when it comes to Transportation. He was formerly the number 3 person at MDoT and then went on to serve in USDoT and is currently working as a Transportation consultant. He apparently really wanted the position. The former number 2 person at MDoT, Jim Ports (formerly of Harford County as well), is also doing a lot of the heavy lifting during the transition and will most likely serve in the same capacity under Rahn.
Karma is a b-i-t-c-h
The citizens have spoken. They didn’t want Craig as Governor nor any other position in the State. He put Harford County in debt with his friends and family plan. Wake up Mr. Hogan, send Craig off to retirement along with all his family we will have to support in their new State jobs.
Good. Screw him. I’d rather he not have any position, but Hogan is right not to trust that slime ball and stick him in a crappy position.
Wow. I read this article and couldn’t stop laughing. Not at what you all seem to think is so newsworthy and funny, which is Craig getting a position with Hogan – I don’t really care about his next job or any current or previous politician and I fail to comprehend why you are all obsessed with them and keep putting their names out there. It’s truly fascinating. I was shocked (maybe not so shocked) about the article content itself. Does this really meet the standards of this website/blog newspaper? If this article meets the standards of the Dagger then we are all in trouble. Pulitzer Prize material, I say not. Man, apparently you can just write anything, post anything and call it free speech – call it first amendment – I say, get some manners people. And for what it’s worth, no position within a Governor’s cabinet is crappy. Just an FYI.
This article, if one would call it that, is just pure trash. Its very clear from an outside perspective that the writer, whomever he or she is clearly has some vendetta with Craig, as I can also see many posters on here do. While I don’t know the man personally, I can say that for any politician to be in office as long as Mr. Craig has, you are bound to have your fair share of detractors. That comes with making tough decisions, and not being afraid to take a stand. I think having detractors speaks volumes of an elected official’s ability to get things done. Harford County is actually a very well run county and has been for some time, I also happen to believe that Mr. Craig did a good job, and that our new County Executive, while having his own style, will also do a good job. I also bet most of these folks on here are just pissed off teachers who need a punching bag to hit because of they are told that somehow the County Executive is to blame for all their woes. If you believe this, then you need to go back to school. Cost of education is shared between the county and the state. If those teachers are unhappy, there’s lots of blame to go around. Also, being in the Governor’s cabinet is an honor no matter what agency. I’m glad Harford County will be represented on several fronts.
The immaturity of the responders and their responses is just laughable. Well, your response really stuck it to Mr. Craig!!!! Lol. I am sure he cares. Your responses are like listening to my teenage daughter whine about her ex boyfriend. Everyday, she continues to stalk and talk about what he is doing and who he is doing it with. Move on already. Hey, isn’t it time to start picking on the new CE, the new administration, county council, state senators, delegates and sheriff and picking apart everything they do and say?? Keep whining morons. Or run for office. You wouldn’t make it five minutes. I voted for Harkins, Craig and Glassman and Harco will be just fine. Always has been and always will.
sniff, sniff, you hurt our feelings Lucy…..
You’re right, I’m sure the former county executive doesn’t give a flying f%*k what we think in Harford County…and, that’s probably pretty much the reason a healthy portion of county residents can’t stand him or his policies. Craig did what HE wanted to do, with little input, because he thought he knew what was best and wasn’t apologetic in the least
I’m am also sure that Harford County will be fine as well, Craig wasn’t a moron, just a self righteous worm. If the folks who work for the county that I would be worried about. You must not be one of them I’m guessin’.
Actually I do work for the County and have for alot of years. On my 4th CE. I think everything the CE has to do has to be approved by the council. I may be wrong about the process but I don’t think as an elected official you can do whatever you want. I mean in that case, they would have already built Havre de Grace high and he would have given himself that close to 40k raise that the council approved for Barry.
He most definitely would have built HdG High if we would have given him 2 more years. He simply ran out of time. Against the wishes of the county council and others he tried to start the ball rolling and push it down our throats. There are many things he could do as executive without council approval – See the unwanted multi-million Emergency Operations Center just built. See the 500% increase in debt obligations. He’s kinda like Obama and executive actions. He even recently wrote a letter to the Aegis a month ago imploring Glassman to continue to build it. He can’t let go.
About the raise, the man definitely stuck to his beliefs -can’t fault that, and how could he have voted for a raise after he has denied everyone else for so long. Folks may have burned him at the stake.
Interesting that your a county employee, many that I know are suffering BIG time. Especially ones in the prime money spending ages of life where they have children, college expenses, houses to buy, and retirement to fund. Some will never be able to catch up as that money is gone forever, their lives will be permanently altered. Those debt increases were funded by the credit rating he obtained from clamping down on salaries for 6 years. Anything to get Dave’s way. Dave always knew best.
Don’t be naive Lucy
Is the Dagger not responsible for fact checking? I understand this is a blog, but I would have expected a more responsible approach from a site operated by Cahall and Goodman. I respected them as traditional media journalists, and thought until now they held the same standards for this blog.
I voted for Hogan because I thought he stood for change. I am disgusted by his choice in appointing Craig. What does Craig know about planning? If Harford County is any measure, God help the State. Hogan will never get my vote again.
He did change……If anyone else was governor Craig would never have gotten a state job like this. Hogan has changed Maryland like he promised and appointed an unqualified idiot to a job like this.
God help the state and god save the queen. David Craig is Planning Secretary. The world has officially come to an end. We are in such major trouble as a state now I can barely think straight. What are we gonna do??
All kidding aside, I like Mr. Craig and I am happy for him. Met him during a charity event and got a letter from him in the mail a week later. He donated personally to my mother’s cause and I am forever grateful for that.
You are just like everyone else that has gotten favors from that person. Kissing up someone’s but to get favors. You should be ashamed of yourself. The truth is that this is how he ran HC as the CE: whoever kisses my b….t will get my favors and jobs. You are all a disgusting bunch (by you I mean all the people that fall into that category… you have no backbone, no honor, no morals and no decency – ALL of you)