News Corner
Single Family Home Zoning Under Siege in Montgomery County
By Gail Weiss
Predictably, but disappointingly, the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed ZTA 19-01, regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on July 23rd, 2019. This will be remembered as the day single family home (SFH) zoning died in Montgomery County.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO LIE, GET THE STORY STRAIGHT !!
By Hessie L. Harris
In the end, corporate America always follows the almighty dollar, which is the reason it casts its lot with progressives and political correctness.
That viewpoint has cost the NFL and its affiliates huge sums of money and prestige that they will never recover. After the “knee campaign” fizzled, Colin Kaepernick decided that he would show disrespect for the Betsy Ross flag by claiming that as a shoe emblem, it was objectionable because it was created during the period that slavery existed in America.
The whole situation is an example of cultural, racial and historical ignorance.
GOP-AAA (Asian American Association) Hosts Trump Victory Training Event
By Eva Guo and Yin Zheng
The GOP-AAA (Asian American Association) was proud to host a Trump Victory Voter Registration and Social Media Use training session on July 24, 2019 at the MCGOP headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD. The information at this event was presented by Ms. Ester Lu, the National Director of Asian Pacific American Engagement for the Republican National Committee (RNC).
The High Cost of Political Theatre
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date: August 28, 2019
Media Contact: Rebecca Altendorf
Email: press@mcgop.com
The High Cost of Political Theatre
Statement by Montgomery County Republican Party
Chairman, Alexander A. Bush
Rockville, MD -- This July, County Executive Mark Elrich proudly announced the most restrictive policy on non-cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the D.C. metro area. At the time, I said that this was a “political stunt all about opposing a President he hates, even at the risk of the safety of Montgomery County residents." Sadly, Mr. Elrich has taken every opportunity since to prove me right.
As you might have expected of a policy created to justify political theatre, it was ill-defined and left our county’s law enforcement with no clear rules. At the time, Montgomery County’s Director of Public Information, Barry Hudson, was unable to define what if any exceptions there were to this policy of strict non-cooperation, as reported by ABC7. When asked, Mr. Hudson replied that his office was “working on answers”.
Only two days later, county law enforcement officials arrested two illegal immigrants for five counts of 2nd degree rape on an 11-year-old child. One of the Defendants, Mauricio Barrera-Navidad, was granted a $100,000 (post 10 percent) bond. Thus, despite ICE having lodged a detainer for him, he would have been released from custody if he had been able to pay 10% of the bond.
When asked to comment on these arrests, Mr. Hudson (whose salary costs county taxpayers $175,000 per year) shockingly placed the blame on United States Customs and Border Protection, saying that “if the system failed, it would have failed on the federal level. This is not the responsibility of the local government.”
Sadly, this tragedy of errors was just beginning. On July 14th, Mr. Elrich lied to the public, stating that the “Promoting Community Trust Executive Order has not changed the County's policy on cooperating with ICE requests for notification of the release of individuals charged with serious crimes.” Mr. Elrich’s clumsy lie was revealed when the County Council issued its own statement on August 16th, admitting that there was an even more recent “new Executive Order for notification of the release of individuals charged with serious crimes”.
Clearly, this new modification to the executive order has not solved anything, since on August 13th, Rodrigo Castro-Montejo, another defendant charged with a 2nd degree rape, and in the country illegally, was released from county custody after paying a $1,000 surety bond. Jail officials made all of one phone call to the wrong number before releasing Mr. Castro-Montejo back into our community.
Is this a sign of Mr. Elrich’s new policy? To continue to make every effort to obstruct ICE while still leaving him the fig leaf, a pathetic pretense of cooperation? These are not hypothetical political debates. In the thirty days since the announcement of Mr. Elrich’s executive order, county law enforcement has commenced at least five rape prosecutions against defendants who are in this country illegally, with child victims in at least two cases.
In reference to the child victimized by Mr. Barrera-Navidad, the County Council stated, “we will ensure that the victim and her family receive the assistance and necessary support to overcome this tragic event in their lives”. Perhaps if they had not joined Mr. Elrich in proudly and publicly declaring Montgomery County a sanctuary for her attackers, this would never have been necessary.
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County Ex Elrich's Decision Makes MoCo Less Safe
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date: August 14, 2019
Media Contact: Rebecca Altendorf
Email: press@mcgop.com
County Executive Elrich's Political Stunt Indeed Makes
Montgomery County Less Safe
Rockville, MD
Only two days later, county law enforcement officials arrested two undocumented immigrants for five counts of 2nd degree rape on an 11-year-old child, according to a report by ABC7 WJLA (click here for the Twitter report).
On July 25th and 26th, ICE lodged detainers for the defendants, Carlos Palacios-Amaya and Mauricio Barrera-Navidad, with the county detention center.
County Party Chairman, Alexander Bush, said, “Mr. Elrich believes that law enforcement can charge these repeat immigration violators with rape, that they can be convicted and serve time in prison, but that their deportation afterwards would somehow be an injustice. On Mr. Elrich's orders, county officials will intentionally impede attempts by ICE to deport these men, and once they are released, they will be free to again threaten the safety of the most vulnerable Montgomery County residents.”
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County Executive Elrich's Political Stunt Makes MoCo Less Safe
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date: July 23, 2019
Media Contact: Rebecca Altendorf
Email: press@mcgop.com
County Executive Elrich's Political Stunt Makes
Montgomery County Less Safe
Rockville, MD
The Montgomery County Republican Party believes County Executive Elrich has just made the County less safe by issuing an executive order yesterday preventing county agencies from cooperating with ICE.
County Party Chairman, Alexander Bush, said, "If you take politics out of the decision, it quickly becomes apparent that one government agency refusing to share relevant information about law enforcement activities with another government agency makes no sense." ICE has made clear that their enforcement operations are prioritized to focus on criminals, not peaceful undocumented individuals.
So long as enforcement does not include targeted courthouse arrests of crime victims, a policy of cooperation will only make Montgomery County safer. In fact, President Obama stated in a 2014 address on immigration that he had increased the deportation of criminal immigrants by 80%. Viewed in this light, Chairman Bush noted, "Elrich’s political stunt is all about opposing a President he hates, even at the risk of the safety of Montgomery County residents."
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New LD 20 Central Committee Members Elected from Silver Spring
Montgomery County Republican Central Committee
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date: July 17, 2019
Media Contact: Rebecca Altendorf
Email: press@mcgop.com
JOEL KERALIS AND MATTHEW JOHNSON ELECTED TO THE
MONTGOMERY COUNTY REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Rockville, MD
Last evening, the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee (MCRCC) elected Joel Keralis and Matthew Johnson to serve as party central committee members representing Maryland’s Legislative District 20 (Silver Spring). Following their unanimous election, MCRCC Chairman Alexander Bush welcomed them, “I am excited to have two talented and enthusiastic new members to add to the Committee. District 20 now has by far our youngest contingent, and I look forward to the innovation and energy that Joel and Matthew bring.”
We’re Just Getting Warmed Up
Sixteen survivors of a plane crash huddle together in the freezing Andes. One, who has just listened to their radio, says to the others, “I got something to tell you - good news - they called off the search.” Incredulous, the other survivors ask how this could possibly be good news. He replies, “because it means we're going to get out of here on our own.”
They did. And so shall we.
If you, like so many of us, hoped the Supreme Court would save us from the most blatantly gerrymandered congressional districts in the nation, then it is time to stop waiting to be rescued, and time to start taking action.
A Salute to Strong Republican Women
By Dennis Melby
Sarah Huckabee Sanders left her post at the White House last Friday. She’s a great example of the fair, intelligent and strong women we have in the Republican Party. Some press secretaries shine more than others. Dana Perino and Tony Snow come to mind, prescient and thoughtful. Sarah Sanders is in that league.
Marijuana Today – It’s Not the Drug of Your Youth!
By S. Alexandra Tuttle
To paraphrase the late Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, the states are the laboratories of democracy, meaning of course that states offer the opportunity to experiment with new or innovative ideas. With ten states and the District of Columbia now allowing for the recreational use of cannabis by an adult, the Maryland State Legislature has formed a workgroup this year, which includes Delegates Nic Kipke and Kathy Szeliga, to review issues related to the legalization of marijuana.