Cecil Democrats

Changing Parties to Vote in Local Elections?

cecildemocrats — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:30:09 +0000

A lot has been written lately about changing parties to vote in the Republican Primary, due to the dysfunctional government that exists in Cecil County. Since the county government is controlled by Republicans and their dysfunctional party, common sense and logic should dictate that voting for the same people will not change the direction of your local government. If you want real change you should be registering as Democrats and voting for the Democratic Party. The Republicans cannot run their own party, how can you expect them to run your government. The local Democratic Party is unified and eager for our candidates to change the direction of our county government and serve the people of Cecil Couty, not Political Actions Committees or friends of elected officials or narrow interest groups. Remember elections have consequences and the last 3 republicans elected as County Commssioners have done nothing but move us backward, better government means electing Democrats.
To change to Democrat go online to the Maryland State Board of Elections website (elections.state.md.us) and print a Voter Registration Application. Complete the application per the instructions, checking off the box for “Party Affiliation Change” and then for party check the box for “Democratic Party.” This form must be mailed to, or dropped off at: Cecil County Board of Elections, 200 Chesapeake Blvd, County Administration Building, Elkton, Md 21921.

Cecil Business Leaders – fraud or honest broker

cecildemocrats — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:24:25 +0000

We were at the organizational meeting for Cecil Business Leaders for Better Government, a local PAC. We had high hopes that it would be broadly focused and truly non-partisan. It was billed as a non-partisan group who would vet all candidates. However, at the organizational meeting, …before the vetting process has been decided upon, they had already indicated that Robert Hodge was their pick. Since then they have refused to vet any democratic candidates for council and did not vet all the candidates for county executive. Their actions indicate that they are just another front organization for a faction of the republican party. They have decided not to pick someone in the executive race since there are so many candidates, they don’t want to pick a loser that doesn’t make it to the general election, they would then be on the wrong side of the potential county executive. Their process should indicate to all voters that their recommendations should carry as much weight as their one-sided vetting process does. The agenda of this group appears to be very narrow, what can they get from local government, not what makes government better for the county as a whole.

One other thought, Alan McCarthy was on the original board of the group, and they picked him to run. How is this any different from the republican central committee picking one of their own for the charter commission. For any of this to have any fairness and integrity there needs to be degree of separation in the choices and there must be a fair, open and honest process that is transparent to the public, otherwise there is no integrity and the final choices must be suspect.

The real problem with local government is the fact that it is controlled by the Republican Party, so why on earth would you vote for more republicans to continue this mess, the democrats have many very good and exceptional candidates for local office and one should consider changing their party to democrat to get one of these better candidates elected.

Teapublican Hypocrisy

cecildemocrats — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:30:52 +0000

Just a few weeks ago with the help of our Representative in Washington, Andy Harris, Republicans successfully fought off an attempt by the Democrats to help keep the US government solvent and pay down the federal debt by raising the tax rate on the richest 2% of Americans. Those who typically pay 15% on their earnings were protected while wage earners in the 25 to 33% tax bracket were set up. Well done A.H.!

Now Congressman Harris and his Teapublican brethren are facing another challenge. Back in 2010 President Obama signed into law a tax cut on payroll taxes saving the average American who earns $50,000 per year $1,000. If you make $100, 000 it saved you $2,000. It expires December 31st. The President wants it renewed.

This one does not benefit the rich. President Obama’s tax cut is for lower and middle class wage earners. Roughly 160 million families.

“I don’t think extending it is a good idea” said chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Dave Camp (R-Michigan). Paul Ryan, (Republican/Tea Party), concurs. Because “it would push the deficit higher.”

There’s a pattern here. These Republicans have no problem raising the deficit so as long as they’re the ones doing it, and it benefits the uber rich. They have no problem paying down the deficit as long as it’s workers and small businesses doing it for them. Remember that when your pay check takes a hit in January. Like your investments did a couple of weeks ago.

America can still do big things

cecildemocrats — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:10:24 +0000

The Republican (Tea Party) has indicated by their recent actions and assertions that the United States is no longer a great country and we can no longer dream and do big things. Their assertion that spending needs to be reigned in will assure that great and big things will not be accomplished in the near future.
This party states that we have a spending problem. That is completely wrong. This country has a jobs problem and an economic growth problem. If we as a country decide to be a great nation and set our minds to do big things, this will create jobs and economic growth, that will wipe out the budget deficit, just ask Bill Clinton how economic growth works on budget deficits.
Why would the Republican (Tea Party) want this country to come up small? Because they see poor jobs and economic growth as their only path to victory. They have overtly decided that the destruction of middle and working class incomes and homes is in their interest and they have charted a course in that direction.
I don’t know about you, but as Democrats we still believe this is a great county and that We Can Do Big Things. Call out our local Republican (Tea Party) congressman for thinking and being small.

Republican (Tea Party) Terrorists

cecildemocrats — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:39:26 +0000

Last March we posted an article asking who the real terrorists in this country were. Today that article seems to be very prescient. In light of the recent debt ceiling debacle, the Republican (Tea Party) has moved from just using terror to get its way into hostage taking. In addition, their actions actually killed the hostage after they got their ransom. The Republican (Tea Party) cannot exist without the use of fear, making them terrorists. However, the Tea Party has upped the ante. Their stated goals of reigning in budget deficit spending (while laudable) actually backfired. The decline in spending will probably cause 1.2 million jobs to be lost, along with the tax revenue. In addition, since S and P knows that the budget cannot be balanced without tax increases, the recent Tea Party credit downgrade will result in higher Treasury borrowing costs. This will also add to the budget deficit. The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is the Tea Party and the Republican Party has as their only goal, the destruction of the federal government. This point is actually supported by their patron saint Grover Norquist, who famously said “my goal is to shrink the government to a size where I can drown it in a bathtub”.

Why would the Republican (Tea Party) want to do this? Because it is very difficult to steal, pollute, transfer wealth to the rich, rape and plunder the environmental riches of this country, on a national basis, however, state by state they can plunder and steal all they want.

People who hate government this much, should never be allowed to govern.

Thank You County Commissioners

cecildemocrats — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:37:07 +0000

Thank you Commissioners Mullins, Dunn and Broomell. The property tax cut that you approved is greatly appreciated. I just thought I would let you know that with the $10 tax cut you gave me I am going to help the local economy. I am going to go to a local pawn shop and see if a can buy a gun for the $10. I figure I will need to protect myself as the Sherrif’s Department will probably respond more slowly and several more Children will probably drop out of school and turn to a life of crime, due to the cuts to those budget’s that were necessary for this tax cut. However, the $10 is greatly appreciated, you guys are brilliant.

Where is the Republican Party?

cecildemocrats — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:55:48 +0000

The current budget impasse appears to be drawn along ideological lines. The Democrats, while acceding to cuts in spending, are working to preserve women’s health, clean air and water, and independent news and entertainment organization, among others. However, conservative elements in the Republican Caucus have indicated that the budget cuts are not really what they are after. They are after a complete dismantling of the Federal Government. Like Grover Norquist indicated in the past, they want to shrink government till it is so small that they can drown it in a bath tub.
The problem with this, as we saw in 2008, is that if the government does not function, the rich and corporate powers will step into the void and cause all kinds of damage. After all, based on current business theology, private industry’s only purpose is to generate profits at any cost.
It is evident that responsible Republican politicians want to compromise and do not want a scorched earth policy. The tea party, however, is begging for a government shutdown. The question then becomes what has happened to the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. The party that believed in equality and was progressive in saving the environment, looking to a future for all citizens. The answer is that the party of Lincoln and Roosevelt no longer exists, it has been replaced by the tea party, a right wing reactionary group funded and owned by the Koch Brothers, Dick Armey, et al. From here on out we should refer to the two major parties as the Democratic Party and the tea party, or the responsible party and the bully party.

Who are the Terrorists?

cecildemocrats — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:46:26 +0000

Representative Peter King Held a hearing today, or a dog and pony show, to gin up fear of Muslims in America. Ultimately he failed and appeared very foolish. However, Peter King is not the only one using fear to drive a political point. You have the birthers, those who call the President unamerican, he lived in a Madrassa, he is of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya, liberals are evil trying to indoctrinate your children, the NEA is an unamerican organization trying to indoctrinate your children. What do all of these have in common? They are tactics used by right wing extremists in this country, tactics of fear, to move a political discussion. Of course right wing extremists in other countries are called dictators and their people are said to live under a tyranny.
A further look at the terror discussion is warranted in light of the republican and right wing extremists in this country. Terror defined is intense fear, one that causes intense fear, and the quality of causing such fear. This is from the Websters New World Dictionary. When one looks at this definition and looks at the modern day republican party, and the right wing extremists that are currently running that party, the only conclusion one can draw is that they are a bunch of terrorists. Now one will say, wait a minute they don’t kill anybody. We say wait a minute, Terry McVeigh, Abortion doctor assasins, Jared Loughner(he had a decided antipathy to the left). These are just a few of the right wing American Terrorists that can be traced directly to the rhetoric coming from the right wing. Is the republican party and right wing extremists as bad as Al Qaeda? No, but a terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist.
The American people have a lot to be rightly afraid of in this modern world. For many varied reasons different groups hate us and want to damage us, however, Al Qaeda will never be able to do what the republican party has done since 2001, nor what it is trying to do today, by restricting Civil Rights.
As Democrats we do not believe in fear as an organizing tool, logic, facts and a desire to do what is right for people in general are our guiding principles. However, with Peter King, Newt Gingrich, the Koch Brothers, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, the American people have a lot to be rightly afraid of perpetrated by that home grown terrorist organization the republican party.

Elections have consequences or when the people vote republican the people lose

cecildemocrats — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 01:44:23 +0000

If anyone had any doubts about where the republican party stands on Civil Rights or their attitude to the middle class, the vote in Wisconsin just minutes ago should leave no doubt – the republican party is a party of liars and elitists. They couched their union busting bill as a necessary requirement for balancing the budget, but when their backs were against the wall, they went to bat for the rich and multi-national corporations. The republican party, with the help of Karl Rove, just said that civil rights only apply to the well connected and rich, the average person does not have any rights. The right of workers to organise is a civil right, just like the right to vote (remember the republicans constantly disenfranchise African Americans and are currently working on disenfranchising young people). It is as much a civil right as the right to health care, the right to marry the person of your choice, the right of a person of color to eat at any establishment of their choice. The republicans are opposed to all of these, and some (Paul of Kentucky) are musing that the hard won Civil Rights of the 1960′s should be repealed.
However, Democrats and Independents ultimately have themselves to blame. Across the country in the last election Democrats and Independents stayed home and did not vote. They ceded the field to the more baser elements of this country, those who seek to divide by using fear and intimidation to maintain the status quo for those who are well connected and are able to buy their own congressman or senator.
What has happened in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and other states should be a wake up call for all people who have to work for their money, elections matter, local, state and national. It is time to organise, to rally and demand action by our elected officials, action for the people, not the few. The republican party will never stand with the people, they will only use them. You can start by going to local Democrat Club events, working to organise your communities to get people to vote and throw the bums out in 2012. We the local members of the Democratic Party stand ready to work with you and elect those who will respond to you and not to lobbyists and money. Get involved and make this a country of, by and for the people, not for the well connected.

A Silent Coup in Cecil County?

cecildemocrats — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:02:46 +0000

The last time we checked the election results from November 2010 Mr Dunn and Mrs Moore and Broomell had won the election. However, recent events and news reports have to leave one with the conclusion that Mr Smigiel and Pipken are actually running county government now in what amounts to a silent coup.
The first part of the clue was this last week when the County Commissioners decided to appoint a Budget Advisory Board and then made their appointments. Within 48 hours of making these appointments Mr Dunn and Mr Mullins made their budget announcements cutting funds across the board and eliminating programs known to be targets of Mr Smigiel. This indicates that the advisory board is a sham and a front for the individuals that are over throwing the local government.
The second piece of the puzzle came in an article in the Cecil Whig, where Mr Dunn says he was working on this budget for over a year. He was not a commissioner so who was he working on the budget with? Since Mr Dunn was an Aide to Mr Smigiel, all indications are that the budget proposals made by Mullins and Dunn were all put in place by Pipken and Smigiel.
And finally, to cover their tracks the appointmnents made by Dunn and Mullins are known party hacks and to have donated money to the Pipken/Smigiel Pac.
Pipken and Smigiel were not elected to run County Government, they were elected to do the business of all the people of their districts in Annapolis, State Business. This is the strongest indication yet that these two individuals are power hungry and need to be removed from office in their next election. The people of Cecil County need to take note and put this sorry chapter in county history behind us.