April 19, 2015 – Elephants in Ocean City

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Sunday, April 19, 2015
Chairman's Message
2015 Membership
By Michael Higgs
Join/Renew your 2015
Republican Party Membership
online.
Elephants in Ocean City
This weekend the Maryland Republican Party
held its Spring Convention in Ocean City, and
what an event it was! Our beloved Governor
Hogan delivered a terrific keynote address
outlining our accomplishments during the just
completed legislative session. Governor
Hogan reminded us all about how our hard
work led to his resounding victory, and how
more hard work on our parts will lead to more
victories down the road. As always, Montgomery County threw the
best party of the weekend, and a special thank you goes out to
Dwight Patel for leading that effort.
Dan Bongino was passionate about how Maryland is worth fighting
for, and set the stage for the upcoming 2016 federal elections. One
theme that was repeated often thoughout the speeches was that there
are stark differences between the Republicans and Democrats, and
we should be loud and proud in discussing them. Author Michael
Zak and radio host Wayne Dupree discussed how the Republican
Party was founded on the concept of freedom: freedom from
slavery, freedom from government oppression, freedom of self
determination. Republicans sponsored the Civil Rights Acts of 1957
and 1960 over the objections of Democrats, for instance. Be proud
of our Republican heritage and share it with your friends and
family!
I am extremely pleased to announce that one of our own
Montgomery County residents was honored as the Maryland
Republican Youth of the Year. Matthew Foldi is an incredibly
impressive young man with a very bright future ahead of him. He
brings tremendous passion and dedication to his many efforts in
support of the Republican Party. His tireless work in helping to
elect Governor Hogan, and his support for so many of our local
candidates was truly inspirational. Matthew was just elected
President of the University of Chicago College Republicans as a
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DETAILS SEE:
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MONDAY APRIL 20 7:00pm
Republican Club of Leisure
World Meeting w/ Joe Gillin @
Clubhouse I, Leisure World on
April 20, 2015 7:00 pm
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4/20/2015
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freshman; it clearly didn't take them long to realize what a treasure
they have there.
In closing, I would like to thank those of you who answered the call
in our recent fundraising drive. Your generous support allows us to
continue delivering timely and relevant news to you, to have a
presence at community events where we spread the good news
about our Party, and most importantly to help our candidates win
elections. If you have not renewed your membership, please
consider sending a check today so that we can get more of our
outreach initiatives off the ground and END ONE PARTY RULE in
Montgomery County!
THURSDAY APRIL 30 7:00pm
**** DISTRICT 19 and
DISTRICT 17 **** ****
COMBINED MONTHLY
MEETING **** Speaker: Henry
Marraffa @ Red, Hot & Blue
Restaurant, Shady Grove on
April 30, 2015 7:00 pm
SATURDAY MAY 2 10am GOP
PRECINCT VOLUNTEER
TRAINING @ MCGOP
Headquarters, Derwood on May
2, 2015 10:00 am
SATURDAY MAY 2 10am-3pm
KENTLANDS DAY - MCGOP
Tent/Booth - PARADE @
Kentlands Shopping Center on
May 2, 2015 10:00 am
Larry Hogan Delivers on
No New Taxes Promise
In the final days that surround the end of the
Maryland legislative session, the rhetoric gets
heated. Reporters especially thrive on the
conflict and drama of the run-up to the session's end. To read some
news accounts, one would think the end of the world might be at
hand just before the clock strikes midnight on the session's last day.
Few media outlets can match the fevered pitch of political
columnist Barry Rascovar, who wrote on Wednesday "In his
stubbornly conservative and highly politicized approach to
governing Annapolis over the past week, Republican Larry Hogan
Jr. took a step that may seal his fate as a one-term governor."
According to Rascovar, by alienating state workers, public school
teachers, disability workers and Medicaid providers, Hogan is now
"doomed" politically.
Excuse me Barry, but where do Maryland taxpayers figure in your
analysis?
Laslo Boyd, writing for the badly misnamed media outlet Center
Maryland, claimed that that because Governor Hogan was unwilling
to compromise with the General Assembly, "it's going to be a long
four years, and definitely not eight years."
Both writers dismiss the Hogan campaign's focused opposition to
tax increases. In Boyd's words, it reflected a campaign "stunningly
devoid of content."
SATURDAY MAY 2 1pm-4pm
North PG Republican Club
Luncheon w/ Del. Pat
McDonough @ Sir Walter
Raleigh Inn, Berwyn Heights on
May 2, 2015 1:00 pm
MONDAY MAY 4 6:30pm
Conservative Authors Series @
The Cuban Corner, Rockville History of Cuba by Joaquin
Cabrejas Urtiaga - on May 4,
2015 6:30 pm
THURSDAY MAY 14 7:00pm
*** DISTRICT 18 - MONTHLY
MEETING *** @ Savannah's,
Kensington on May 14, 2015
7:00 pm
WEDNESDAY MAY 20 6:00pm
*** DISTRICT 20 - MONTHLY
MEETING *** @ Mi Rancho,
Silver Spring on May 20, 2015
6:00 pm
SATURDAY MAY 23 2pm-8pm
ROCKVILLE HOMETOWN
HOLIDAYS - MCGOP
Tent/Booth @ Rockville Town
Center on May 23, 2015 2:00 pm
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By failing to appreciate the basic reason that Maryland voters
elected Larry Hogan, both are at a complete loss for a meaningful
yardstick to measure his performance now that he is in office.
As Gov. Hogan observed, "We broke the streak after eight years of
40 consecutive tax hikes that took an additional $10 billion out of
the pockets of struggling Maryland families and small businesses.
There will be no tax increases in Maryland this year."
Gov. Hogan has delivered on his campaign's central promise by
reaching his 'no new taxes' milestone. It was never easy, or a
foregone conclusion. In preparing the FY 2016 budget, the Hogan
Administration faced a budget gap of $1.25 billion over two years -$423 million in FY 2015 and $802 million in FY 2016.
Key sources of the budget gap were weaker than anticipated
revenue growth in the current year, resulting in revenue revisions of
$300 million and faster than anticipated growth in Medicaid
enrollment requiring $200 million in additional funding. The
Maryland economy has weakened as Federal government spending
growth has tapered.
Hogan's budget kept general funding spending growth to just 1.5%,
well under the revenue growth rate of 3.5% in revenues. Governor
Hogan's budget reduced the projected baseline budget that had been
expected to grow at 5%.
Even The Washington Post has taken notice, commenting that: "It's
clear that his arrival in Annapolis has re-framed the debate over
spending and taxes. In less than three months - touting a mandate
from the voters who powered his underdog victory - Hogan has
forced the long-dominant Democrats to swallow a dose of budget
frugality The focus has shifted from potentially raising taxes to
trying to trim them."
The Post's point is worth underscoring. Historically Maryland
Democrats have been the most likely to raise taxes during the first
year of a governor's term. It did not happen this year.
In fact, by the end of the legislative session, about 98% of the
budget approved by the legislature is what Hogan submitted on
January 22. At the margins, the Democratic alternative was to delay
making $75 million in pension payments to enable more spending.
In 2014, Maryland Republicans promised that ending "One Party
Rule" would make a difference in the state. Although Governor
Hogan was sworn in less than 3 months ago, based on the results of
his first legislative session, he can point to a solid achievements and
the fulfillment of a core promise to hold the line on taxes.
Montgomery County Executive Should
Look Toward Reforms, Not Tax
Increases
SUNDAY MAY 24 1:30pm
MCGOP IS SPONSORING A
GAME DAY GOP FAMILY
EVENT Nat's Vs Phillies @
National's Park on May 24, 2015
1:35 pm
SUNDAY MAY 24 2pm-8pm
ROCKVILLE HOMETOWN
HOLIDAYS - MCGOP
Tent/Booth @ Rockville Town
Center on May 24, 2015 2:00 pm
Full Calendar
MCGOP Central
Committee
Chairman
Michael Higgs
mhiggsgop@gmail.com
1st Vice Chair
Katja Bullock
katja.bullock@gmail.com
2nd Vice Chair
Dwight Patel
Dwight@mcgop.com
Treasurer
Mark Uncapher
Mark@uncapher.net
Secretary
Joseph Gillin
joegillin@verizon.net
General Counsel &
Parliamentarian
Vince DeCain
decainvf@aol.com
Organization Chair
Greg Decker
g2decker@comcast.net
Communications Chair
Kat O'Connor
kat@mcgop.com
District 14 Members
Sam Fenati
fenati@verizon.net
Rick Hansen
rick.hansen@apsglobal.com
Anne Koutsoutis
koutsa1@verizon.net
Joe Gillin
joegillin@verizon.net
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By Sigurd Neubauer
Facing a $237 million shortfall for the 2016 budget, Montgomery
County Chief Executive Isiah Leggett announced in January that he
is considering raising property taxes to close the gap.
Separately, Leggett outlined during his inaugural address in
December that he intends to establish an independent transit
authority for Montgomery as part of an ambitious effort to tackle
countywide traffic congestion while arguing that the proposed
agency would help boost the local economy.
Unfortunately, between the existing budget shortfall and the fact
that the agency would be funded by a new transit tax that would not
be counted against the charter cap, which limits the amount of
revenue the county can collect, Montgomery's hardworking families
and businesses would be left picking up the tab.
Although Leggett formally withdrew his transit authority proposal
in late January, his staff continues to actively solicit feedback from
residents and community stakeholders about his proposed initiative,
suggesting that the transit authority remains a top priority for the
three-term chief executive.
Meanwhile, between Gov. Larry Hogan's pro-business agenda and
the Augustine Report commissioned by Maryland Senate President
Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch, a bipartisan
consensus is emerging in Annapolis that serious efforts must be
made to improve Maryland's private-sector economy and that it
cannot principally rely on federal spending. Leggett, for his part,
has also outlined his own six-point economic plan for Montgomery,
which include "to better nurture our entrepreneurial culture" while
ushering in an environment that says "yes to business," among other
things.
Unfortunately, despite Leggett's positive assurances on his
intentions to improve the county's business climate as outlined in
his inaugural remarks, the County Council's top-down approach to
business suggests otherwise. Between having passed legislation
requiring businesses to pay some of the highest energy taxes in the
country to supporting increased minimum wage legislation to the
so-called "ban the box" law, it has the business community fearing
that once the pending mandatory paid sick-leave legislation is
passed, rent control could be the next item on the County Council's
progressive agenda.
While Leggett deserves praise for having successfully closed nearly
$3 billion dollars in budget gaps and maintained the county's AAA
bond rating, he has not vetoed anti-business legislation, raising fears
in the business community that a compromise on rent control could
be next.There are a number of progressive lawmakers on the County
Council who actively champion rent control; should it pass, it would
place the economic burden on the business community, with small
businesses expected to take a particularly hard hit.
Kat O'Connor
kat@mcgop.com
District 15 Members
Dan Cuda
dancuda76@gmail.com
Ed Edmundson
edformd@gmail.com
Nathan Hauser
brickhouse12@gmail.com
Dick Jurgena
rjurgena@mailad.com
Bill Richbourg
brichbourg@verizon.net
District 16 Members
Marcus Alzona
marcus@alzona.com
Larry Lesser
lmlesser@gmail.com
Ann Guthrie Hingston
annhingston@gmail.com
Bob Carter
bcartermd1@yahoo.com
Allyson McMahon
allymcmahon@verizon.net
District 17 Members
Michael Higgs
mhiggsgop@gmail.com
Deborah Lambert
Deborah.Lambert@aim.org
Liga Michailovs
lrmgop@gmail.com
David Roseman
dave.roseman@comcast.net
Adol Owen-Williams
the1andonlyadol@hotmail.com
District 18 Members
Katja Bullock
katja.bullock@gmail.com
Vincent F. DeCain
decainvf@aol.com
Q.T. McCord
wstalum@yahoo.com
John Midlen
midlen@starpower.net
Jean Alexandra Tuttle
s.alexandratuttle@gmail.com
District 19 Members
Don Irvine
donaldirvine@gmail.com
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Despite Montgomery's highly educated and talented population, the
council's top-down approach to business has often led corporations
to establish themselves in neighboring counties, with a particular
preference for Fairfax County. It is also worrisome that a number of
businesses located here have left, with Marriott being the latest to
threaten to do so.
These conditions help explain why it is going to be a formidable
challenge for Leggett to close the $237 million gap for the 2016
budget, since the county's tax base is not expanding, despite its
historic wealth and impressive workforce.
For Montgomery County to afford the high-quality services its
residents have and deserve, concrete steps must be taken to expand
the tax base. Instead of levying an additional tax increase for an
independent transit authority, even if one is merited, Leggett must
support a responsible budget that address shortfalls by tackling the
structural deficit, systemic pension reform and general spending
restraints. A first step must be to begin negotiations with the
county's powerful public sector unions; it is unacceptable for the
taxpayer alone to be expected to yet again pick up the tab for the
shortfall in question, let alone have to shoulder additional
expenditures.
While Leggett also deserves praise for his smart-growth initiatives,
he must also pay attention to the less economically developed areas
of the county, including the Takoma Park/Langley area,
Montgomery Hills and Silver Spring's Four Corners neighborhoods.
By offering tax incentives for large scale regional and national
corporations to establish themselves in such areas, Leggett could
help establish a corporate anchor, which in turn could rejuvenate
local economies, similar to the positive impact Discovery
Communications has had on downtown Silver Spring.
While Leggett has successfully shepherded the county out of the
last recession, he has a unique opportunity to preserve
Montgomery's wealth by beginning to address shortfalls, tackling
the structural deficit, undertaking systemic pension reform and
showing spending restraint. Between taking on these necessary
reforms coupled with offering tax incentives to businesses, he
would be able to expand the county's tax base and protect its wealth
while maintaining programs to help protect our most vulnerable
residents. Failure to implement public sector reform coupled with
additional tax increases would not only deter businesses from
coming to our region, but would over time deplete Montgomery's
historic wealth.
Between proposed tax increases and a shrinking tax base, failure to
carry out public sector reform will become an inevitable burden for
the Jewish community as it will become harder for families with
children at Jewish day schools to meet their daily expenses.
Frederick Seelman
fseelman@gmail.com
Sheldon Sacks
ssack21@verizon.net
Martha Schaerr
mschaerr@yahoo.com
Jeff Brown
jeffbrown12@verizon.net
District 20 Members
Deanna Stewart
takomapark@firehousemail.com
Corey Golladay
coreygolladay@gmail.com
Jennifer Pasenelli
pasenelli@comcast.net
VACANT
VACANT
District 39 Members
Gregory Decker
g2decker@comcast.net
Candice Clough
candiceclough@yahoo.com
Al Phillips
alphillips207@comcast.net
Alirio Martinez, Jr.
aliriomcgop@gmail.com
Nancy McMahan Farrar
nmfarrar@earthlink.net
At Large Members
Tommy Rodriguez
TomRodriguez@mcgop.com
Gus Alzona
gusalzona@gmail.com
Patricia Fenati
fenati@verizon.net
Dwight Patel
dwight@mcgop.org
Michael Belan
mgbelan@gmail.com
Tanzi Strafford
tanzistrafford@yahoo.com
Lorraine Kuchmy
lmk23@his.com
Mark Uncapher
uncapher@gmail.com
MCGOP District Chairs
District Chairman for LD-14
Sharon Begosh
shabaron@verizon.net
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Sigurd Neubauer lives in Silver Spring, is married to a smallbusiness owner and has children in a Jewish private school.
District Chairman for LD-15
David Drake
ddrake5@verizon.net
District Chairman for LD-16
Ann Guthrie Hingston
annhingston@gmail.com
District Chairman for LD-17
Kathy Ganley
kganley123@gmail.com
District Chairman for LD-18
Joan Pleiman
joanjoe4@aol.com
District Chairman for LD-19
Martha Schaerr,
martha.schaerr@gmail.com
District Chairman for LD-20
Deanna Stewart
takomapark@firehousemail.com
District Chairman for LD-39
Nancy Farrar
nmfarrar@earthlink.net
Montgomery County Republican Party
Tel.: (301) 417-9256
by authority Mark Uncapher, Treasurer
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