Newsletter
Chairman's Message: What We Can Learn from the Covington Controversy
By Alexander Bush
This is not a typical Chairman’s article, which is usually the literary equivalent of a warm glass of milk. Instead, I want to share with you my thoughts on a story that upset me deeply, and to discuss what we might be able to learn from it. Oh, and it’s a long one, so grab a snack. Of course, I am talking about the Covington Catholic high-school kids at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18th.
Maryland Opportunity Leadership Task Force Opens Door for Business
By Jimmy Kemp
Maryland is “open for business.” How is that possible in our age of political division? Let’s start with some general statements. Republicans stand for free enterprise that enables upward mobility. Democrats stand for class warfare to implement more democratic socialist policies. Conservatives believe that the creative and dynamic nature of humanity is what drives a strong economy. Liberals believe in penalizing the success of that very creativity and dynamism. You would think we are not talking about the same economy and that we couldn’t possibly come together on any economic policy.
How to Get Involved and Encourage the Next Generation of Active Leaders
By Tony Celin LD 17 Chairman
Where does the next generation of leaders come from? How can they get involved and make a difference?
I believe leadership can be fostered through experience by putting yourself in difficult positions to grow and gain an understanding of issues that previously may not have been of much concern. Therefore, I feel it is very important for the next generation of leaders to get involved now with their local communities and learn to care about the future of those communities. One of the best ways to do that is to be active in your local government and political party. Seeing the effects of a mismanaged county budget and extremely high property taxes is what inspired me to get more involved. While I would often bemoan these, and many other issues, I never did anything about it until some wise people told me to “stop using your words that accomplish little and get involved.”
Nominations for the 2019 Convention Volunteer Awards!
Every year at Convention, the MCGOP honors three volunteers with awards, recognizing them for their selflessness and hard work in advancing the cause of liberty and limited government in Montgomery County. Submissions Due February 13 !
Maryland House Republican Caucus Unveils Its Top Four Priorities
By Mark Uncapher
Members of the Maryland House Republican Caucus have announced a four-point list of their legislative priorities for the 2019 General Assembly. This initiative reflects the caucus’s determination to not just react to the proposals of others but advance its own agenda.
House Minority Leader Nik Kipke (R-Anne Arundel) explained that his caucus wants to ensure that the issues of concern to the nearly 2 million Maryland residents it represents are heard in the Democratic-controlled legislature.
Congratulate Governor Hogan
Josephine Wang and I went to the Governor’s Lunar New Year party last week and we were able to give our congratulations to him and his lovely wife Yumi on being chosen by the voters to spend four more years in Annapolis. I’m quite proud of him. I hope you have a chance to send him your congratulations on our attached ‘Congratulate the Governor’ page Click Here. He loves getting notes and encouragement.
Garage Apartments No Answer to Montgomery County’s Affordable Housing Crunch
By Mark Uncapher
Abraham Lincoln famously defined a hypocrite as the man “who murdered his parents, and then pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.” What then are Montgomery County residents to make of their County Council’s latest lamentations over the affordable housing shortage?
The Future of Schools and Roads Dominate Political Discussion at the Committee for Montgomery’s Annual Legislative Breakfast
By Linda Willard
Dennis Melby, Alex Bush and I attended the Committee for Montgomery’s Annual Legislative Breakfast on December 13, 2018. Key speakers included Senator Chris Van Hollen, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro, State Senator Craig Zucker and Delegate Mark Korman (LD-16).
Governor Larry Hogan’s 2nd Inaugural Events Will Take Place on January 16th in Annapolis
On January 16, 2019, Governor Lawrence J. Hogan will preside over the inaugural events that mark the beginning of his second four-year term as governor of Maryland. He was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second four-year term on November 6, 2018, receiving the most votes of any Maryland gubernatorial candidate, and becoming only the second Republican governor to be re-elected in the 242-year history of the state.