Written by: Reform Baltimore County
Political reporter Bryan Sears delivered a doozy of a story late Friday afternoon, exposing the “slate” of candidates that Jim Smith’s allies are trying to install on the Baltimore County Council in 2010. The story can be read here:
http://www.explorebaltimorecounty.com/news/103476/councilhopefuls/
“Two Baltimore County development attorneys — one the son of County Executive Jim Smith — have picked a trio of County Council candidates for 2010 and are working to create large campaign war chests for the three,” Sears writes. “Michael Paul Smith, the executive’s son, and David Gildea, a former law clerk for Jim Smith when he was a Circuit Court judge, are raising money for candidates in three council districts where there will likely be open seats in the 2010 election.”
“The attorneys have hosted fundraisers for hopefuls Tom Quirk in the 1st District, which includes Catonsville and Arbutus; Gordon Harden in the 5th District, which includes Perry Hall and Towson, and Cathy Bevins in the 6th District, which includes Middle River, Fullerton and Parkville. The suggested donation to attend each fundraiser was $1,000.”
The story details how Smith and Gildea have apparently handpicked candidates to win three open County Council seats.
The reactions from the candidates are quite illuminating. “I know it’s unprecedented,” Quirk says of the $1,000 per ticket price tag. “It’s never been done before. But this is an important election, and there will be a lot of change in the council, and it’s more important than ever to elect the right people.” Apparently, the “right people” are puppets of the development industry and other special interests.
Harden is the longtime Owings Mills businessman running for County Council in a district where he has virtually no community ties. “Harden said concerns that he would favor those who raise large sums of money for him are without merit,” the story says. But Mr. Harden, if you’re totally unknown by the community you hope to represent, why should the public think otherwise?
Then there is Bevins. “I know what it costs to run for County Council,” Bevins says. “I’m going to need $100,000 to $125,000. I’m not going to raise that having $25 (per person) fundraisers. I’m trying to raise as much money as I can, as fast as I can by January so I can knock my opponents out of the box.”
Wow…for half a century, Democrats and Republicans have gotten elected in Baltimore County by pressing the flesh, by doing work in the community, and yes–by holding bull roasts and selling raffle tickets. But Kathy Bevins wants to take the easy route to the County Council, by harvesting tens of thousands of dollars from special interests and by, essentially, decapitating her political opponents.
In one article, Bryan Sears has laid out the consequences of the 2010 election. It’s a choice between the Democrat fat cats, the well-heeled special interests that have governed the county for 16 years, or the forces of reform and change that put communities first and restore balance to county government.
Jim Smith’s legacy is a polluted political culture in Baltimore County. It’s time to drain this cesspool.
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