Dwyer Wins After Recount

Anne Arundel County will be saddled with an embarassing Don Dwyer for at least 4 more years. Joan Cadden lost by 25 votes after the absentee and provisional ballots were recounted.

Quote of the Week

"If you think I was ineffective before, Katie bar the door." Delegate (for the time being) Don Dwyer, on his potential to be even less effective over the next 4 years should he be re-elected. He currently trails Joan Cadden by 30 votes.

Wrathful Gun Nut Alleges Stalking by Wrathful Gun Nut

Today's Capital reports that Delegate Don Dwyer is claiming someone pointed a gun at him while he was campaigning on a Glen Burnie overpass. According to Dwyer, this is the second time someone has "pulled a gun" on him this month. Dwyer was unable to provide any identifying information about the driver but he identified the gun as a "silver handgun in the windshield of the car."

The whole episode is a bit curious, given the fact that Dwyer, perhaps more than anyone else in the legislature never saw an expansion of gun rights he couldn't co-sponsor, only to have it die in committee. Surely, Dwyer supports the right of drivers to carry loaded firearms on their dashboards, safety's off, and fully loaded?

Nonetheless, so concerned is Dwyer that he has proclaimed he may start wearing the bulletproof vest that he bought 2 years ago. Why he bought the vest in the first place is not elaborated on in the article.

Dwyer's response to the impetus behind the threat, "It's all about the same-sex marriage. This is business as usual."

Could we have a case of the infamous "gay mafia" sending a message in northern Anne Arundel County? Or, perhaps it's just one of Dwyer's jilted gun buddies using a little snub-nosed semaphore. Or, perhaps the 4th least effective Delegate in the House realizes the campaign isn't getting much traction, and figured this coverage was better than no coverage.

Anne Arundel Pols Most in Need of a Primary Challenge

1. Don Dwyer, Delegate (D31, R - Glen Burnie) - It's difficult to put into words all the reasons Dwyer should never see a second term. Suffice it to say, while the Pat Robertson wing of the Republican Party may deserve some representation in the State House, does it have to be from Anne Arundel County?

2. Janet Greenip, Senator (D33, R - Crofton) - She was in over her head as a Delegate and she's been in even deeper as a Senator. Let's get a Senator for District 33 who can keep her campaign promises and earn the respect of the rest of the County Delegation.

3. John Astle, Senator (D30, D - Annapolis) - Whether it's his "great, white hunter" routine, where he sends photos to the Capital, foot astride some prostrate gazelle or musk ox, or his tendency to vote with the Republicans when it matters most, here's one seat the Democrats may want to try to take back.

4. Ed Middlebrooks, County Council (D2, R - Glen Burnie) - If this guy put as much time into working in the best interests of his constituents as he does cracking one-liners at the County Council meetings, District 2 residents might get a Bill Burlison level of public service out of him, which, frighteningly, would be a considerable improvement.

February Follies

Wednesday's Capital leads off with a piece on Delegate Dwyer's erstwhile effort to get enough signatures on a petition to force his anti-gay marriage bill before the House. Thankfully, he's failed at that task thus far. The article reveals a potential side benefit of the recent judicial ruling which concluded, preventing gay marriage violates the State constitution: Bigoted Anne Arundel County Clerk of the Court Robert P. Duckworth would refuse to officiate same-sex ceremonies, hopefully leading to his being frog-marched from office, and allowing him to join the horde of countless unknown individuals who allowed their principled prejudices to drive them into the ranks of the unemployed. [Post profile on the man some are calling the "Anne Arundel Ayatollah"]

In more pleasant news, increasing tax assessments seem to be the talk of the town. On Tuesday evening, Eastport hosted a meeting to inform local residents about the process to appeal increasing property tax assessments. For instance, one resident who purchased her waterfront home in Eastport in 1996 for $367,000 had her property assessed at $1.7 million earlier this year. While, on the one hand, it's difficult to muster pity for people whose homes quadrupled in value over the past decade, it's easy to see how such a valuation could certainly squeeze people's pocketbooks. I've been thinking about this a fair amount, and trying to come up with an equitable solution. Certainly, appealing the assessment is one tactic, but really it's only temporary measure. Property values will keep climbing, and it's not hard at all to believe that waterfront property in Annapolis would have a low end of $1 million. How about this as a compromise:

The homeowner's assessment is locked in at the purchase price of the home, and that assessment can only climb by a fixed percentage (say 5%) per year, even though the potential sales price of the home may go up by 15-20% per year.

The catch is the State's "real assessment" stays in place, and for each year their is a discrepancy between the amount the homeowner pays, and the amount they would pay under the State assessment, a running balance is kept.

At the date of sale, that running balance comes due, and is paid out of the profits from the home sale.

So, as an example, Jane Homeowner buys her home in 2006. Property values climb 17% per year, and her property tax payment is $1 for every $100 dollars of assessed value:

Year	Home Value	Homeowner's Assessed Value	Actual Payment	Potential Payment	Difference
2006	$100,000	$100,000	$1,000	$1,000	$0
2007	$117,000	$105,000	$1,050	$1,170	$120
2008	$136,890	$110,250	$1,102	$1,368	$266
2009	$160,016	$115,762	$1,157	$1,600	$443
2010	$187,388	$121,550	$1,215	$1,873	$658

In 2011, Jane decides to sell for the market value. She receives about $87,388 in profit, but her running tax balance is $1,487. After the balance is paid, she takes away $85,501 from the deal. She's happy, the State is happy, and the taxes get paid, albeit a bit later. I'd welcome any constructive feedback.

Mauling Marylanders with Matrimony

Delegate Don Dwyer (R - Glen Burnie) seems to have gay marriage on-the-brain more frequently than even Elton John these days. The disgruntled delegate, who has spent most of his time in the legislature railing against some minority group, whether it be immigrants or homosexuals, is now stomping his feet, trying hard to get a constitutional amendment preventing gay marriage introduced in the State House.

Of course, while some true believers, like Dwyer feel this is a matter of foremost state concern, other Republicans are content to simply use it as an election year bludgeon against Democrats who would be put between a rock-and-a-hard-place. Not wanting to be accused of being "anti-family" by Republicans, many of our more cowardly Democratic Delegates and Senators, would see no choice but to support the amendment, even if it meant joining in league with the homophobic bigots, and betraying a traditional constituency, people who support civil rights. Not surprisingly, Democrats in the House are looking to make it difficult to introduce such an amendment.

Are things so grand in Glen Burnie that its delegates have time to piddle away on depriving Marylanders of their rights, rather than focusing on improving the quality of life for their constituents? Mr. Dwyer, why not put down your club and help with one of these issues?

Eastern District Needs New Police Station

Local High School Needs Walls


"Ain't no gays gittin' married here on mah watch. No suh."


[UPDATE: The ACLU just won its case, with a Baltimore Judge ruling that same-sex couples should be given the right to marry in Maryland. The opponents of civil rights are sure to appeal this one to Maryland's highest court.]

Tilting at the Scales of Justice

Local zealot and pious pol, Don Dwyer, has decided to throw in with non-local zealot, and former Alabama Judge, Roy Moore, in the fight to protect us from the Constitution. Mr. Dwyer, a member of the Maryland General Assembly, representing Glen Burnie, has drafted a resolution that “would call on Congress to pass a law preventing the federal judiciary from hearing cases involving the public display of the Ten Commandments and the pledge of allegiance,” called the "Maryland Religious Independence from Federal Courts Act." The bill, also derisively referred to as the “Maryland Independence from the First Amendment Act” by some of its opponents (me) would, if passed, bring embarrassment to the State, akin to that lavished upon Kansas after its School Board was infiltrated by anti-intellectual, religious fundamentalists. Taking it upon himself to speak for the guy and gal on the street, Dwyer sputtered, "The average citizen is outraged … Without God and moral law, there is nothing left to determine right from wrong other than the fallible decisions of man."¹ I don’t know about Dwyer, but this “average citizen” is able to navigate the modern world’s sometimes uneasy seas just fine with my own moral compass. I certainly don’t need bluenoses, like Dwyer, trying to abridge my rights and hamstring the courts on the public dime. But, should Delegate Dwyer feel the need for additional biblical instruction, let me direct him to the following passage:

Matthew 6:5-6: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men....when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret...."

¹ The Capital, December 8, 2003.