Annapolis Skunks at the Garden Party

One Party Politics is Destroying Maryland

By Delegate Kathy Szeliga
 
In an April 13 editorial, Maryland Matters founding editor Josh Kurtz compares himself to a skunk in a garden party. We completely agree and would like to praise his self-reflection! He felt compelled to tell Republicans they take up too much floor time in a state where we ironically spend 92% of our time passing Democrat-sponsored legislation. Protecting parental rights and combating child genital mutilation or castration are crucial causes, not just "feel-good rants." We invite Mr. Kurtz and other confused progressives to venture outside their echo chambers and join the rest of us in the purple and red parts of Maryland. 
 
It is not in the best interest of taxpayers and citizens if we sit down and shut up, and we, therefore, have no intention of complying with Mr. Kurtz's request. We were not elected to remain silent.
 
In Montgomery County, an area considered progressive and open-minded, parents are disturbed by the unfitting instruction taught in Pre-K. It is utterly outrageous that four- and five-year-olds must learn gender-fluid theories in their curriculum. Similarly, Baltimore County residents express intense anger about introducing elementary school children to explicit sexual acts! Parents and teachers have pleaded for us to stand against this questionable teaching method. We cannot let this madness continue! 
 
It would be remarkable if Annapolis journalists acknowledged the sharp rise in homicides across Maryland's inner cities and why there is an apparent lack of consideration for crime bills. Additionally, wouldn't it be refreshing to have honest coverage about all the legislators recently accused of misconduct or felonies?
 
Are you concerned about the quality of education? We have heavily funded schools yet still can't get out of their slump - with Fox 45 being one exception to this prevailing silence among Democrats and the traditional press. Governor Wes Moore himself benefited from prestigious private schools while denying the same to the children in the 23 failed Baltimore City schools! Who speaks for students' civil rights in chronically failing and often violent schools? Indeed not the "Press," as they ignore his chummy relationship with the Teachers Union. The Teachers Union and Wes Moore almost killed the BOOST program, the one successful school choice program for disadvantaged kids.
 
Only Republicans were advocating for the civil rights of these students stuck in drastically inadequate schools. 
 
We certainly enjoyed the speech by a Democrat Delegate defending Democrat legislators being unruly on the House Floor in Tennessee, where they are the minority party. Days later, it was followed by those trying to silence the minority party in Maryland. Republicans rightly pushed back in the final minutes of the 2023 legislative session as Democrats refused to tell lawmakers and the public what changes were made to a bill that removes probable cause for motorists smoking pot while driving. 
 
In the closing moments of Sine Die, Republicans stopped the "Drug King Pin" Bill. Astonishingly, Democrats were attempting to reduce criminal punishments for traffickers distributing heroin, fentanyl, and other deadly narcotics that are leading Marylanders to their untimely deaths by the thousands- not to mention how these substances have also resulted in an increase in violent crime and homelessness across communities. You're welcome!
 
If you prefer single-party rule, then Cuba, China, and California might be the right fit. However, if Maryland is to retain its democratic republic form of government where meaningful dialogue takes place and Republican voices are respected in Annapolis - mutual respect must reign supreme.

Ax Throwing in Allegany

Montgomery in Allegany County

Saturday was the Allegany Co GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner at the historic Ali Ghan Shriner’s Temple. County GOP Chair Todd Logsdon and his Central Committee did a great job hosting some 200 attendees with a fantastic dinner and raffle.

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Where's The Money?

Do You Know Where Your Tax Dollars are Going?

By Reardon Sullivan

Many of you are aware that the County Executive has proposed a 10%+ increase in our property taxes. This increase is being framed as solely to support our schools.  This is patently wrong.

I believe the County must carefully review each dollar in the budget to make sure we are maximizing the return on our investment. Let’s get rid of the “pork” and “ideological” spending and concentrate on funding for many of the critical needs that we have including basic STEAM education, support of the arts, and special-needs citizens before raising taxes in the $6.8 billion operating budget and/or the $17 billion capital budget.

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Bike Lanes and Road Diets

Bike Lanes and Road Diets Are Not the Way to Go

By Amy Waychoff

Most of us have probably experienced — or at least heard about — the dramatically increased traffic along a .6 mile stretch of Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda and North Bethesda. This busy six-lane state highway (route 187) was reduced by one lane in each direction in the fall of 2022. The remaining lanes were narrowed, and a bike lane separated by flex posts was installed.

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Crime Near the Capitol

By Arthur Didinsky

On February 9, 2023, Congresswoman Angie Craig, a Democrat from Minnesota, was brutally attacked in her apartment elevator. Just two months later, a Senator Rand Paul staffer was also stabbed in broad daylight. These incidents have sparked concern among other congressional offices, some of which have reportedly instructed their staff to remove their badges when out of the building. It is disheartening to see that the nation's capital, which should be an example of order and beauty, now seems to represent disorder.

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Maryland YRs

County Leader now Maryland YR Chair

Jackie Sackstein, Chair of the Montgomery County Young Republicans was elected Chair of the State of Maryland YRs.

Congratulations Jackie. She and the executive board were sworn in Saturday at the State Meeting right here in Montgomery County.

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Book Review

“The Myth of American Inequality”

 by Phil Gramm, Robert Ekelund and John Early

Rowman & Littlefield 2022

In the best Andy Rooney skeptical style of observation of “Have you ever noticed,” the book’s cover sheet introduction page begins with “Everything you know about income inequality, poverty and other measures of economic well-being in America is wrong…..”

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April's Great Republican

By Ann Guthrie Hingston

Jeanne Allen

Founder & CEO, Center for Education Reform

Education choice is sweeping the nation. State legislatures in West Virginia, Arizona, Iowa, and Utah have passed universal education choice scholarships in recent years.  Similar legislation is in motion in other states.  Forty-seven states have charter schools.

This month we recognize Bethesda Republican, Jeanne Allen, for her tireless advocacy for school choice and we celebrate, with her, the success of her efforts -- tuition vouchers, private scholarships, and charter schools throughout the country.

In 1993, as a former US Department of Education official and young mother, Jeanne Allen founded the Center for Education Reform (CER) to promote education excellence and accountability for outcomes for all students regardless of zip code. 

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Help Us Fight Back

There seems to be no end to the “historic” times we are living in--- record illegal immigration, rising food and energy prices, nationwide crime coupled with police force reductions, failing schools and the weaponization of our government agencies and the judicial system against citizens.

Here in Montgomery County, our population has decreased two years in a row and we face big problems with out-of-control spending, rising crime, underperforming schools, failing major highways and bridges, banning of natural gas usage in our homes, the dissolvement of single family home neighborhoods and much, much more.

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Defending Freedom Spring 2023

Join Our Team to DEFEND FREEDOM

Montgomery County Republican Convention

MARCH 25, 2023

We're standing up to the Far Left WOKE culture - with Montgomery County the epicenter!

Join Us More Info & buy tickets here> 

Please put this on your calendar -- to join fellow Republicans at the county party's annual convention on Saturday, March 25 at the Rockville Hilton.

The convention will be from 8:30 am to 3 pm with a VIP lunch at 12:15 pm. Our VIP Luncheon speaker is Congressman Bill Posey of Florida who was instrumental in reforming Florida's election laws that made the recent Red Wave there possible.

Admission is $25 for both the morning and afternoon sessions and $100 for the VIP lunch, a major fundraising effort for the party. Admission for sessions and lunch together is $125. We strongly advise everyone to sign up for both in advance at mcgop.com.

What to expect at the morning session: After you arrive and check in, make your way to the hall and look for the sign for your Legislative District. That is where you should sit. Your convention badge should show the number of your LD.  

Larry O'Connor

Our speakers will focus on "Defending Freedom" nationally and locally with Master of Ceremonies Larry O'Connor of WMAL invited; Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch; Yukong "Mike" Zhao of Asian American Coalition for Education; Maryland Republican Party Vice Chairwoman Nicole Bennet, and a special panel.

Our Defending Freedom panel of local leaders will speak about how they personally countered a county issue and the lessons they learned. They have valuable information about how to counter the woke policies of Elrich, MCPS and the county council. Panelists will include:

  • Stephen Austin of MoCo Neighbors for Local Schools (opposes MCPS school boundaries study and bussing students across county)
  • Kimblyn Persaud of EPIC of MOCO (chaired 9D; opposes Thrive 2050)
  • Jennifer Reesman, child psychologist and Margery Smelkinson, infectious disease scientist of Revive MoCo (opposed county's Covid lockdowns)
  • Dee Reuben of UARE (supports Parental rights; opposes CRT in MCPS)
  • Edward Bartlett, President of SAVE Title IX

After lunch with Congressman Posey presentations by:

  • Sheriff Chuck Jenkins of Frederick County
  • Harold Maldonado, former Republican candidate for the Montgomery County Council

Following that educational sessions and workshops on:

  • Voter Registration
  • Legal Ballot Harvesting
  • Precinct Building

Anti-Asian racism MUST NOT STAND! Yukong Mike Zhao - President, Asian American Coalition for Education & author of Critical Race Theory and WOKE Culture speaks out! Watch Mike Zhao HERE>

 

Republican US Congressman Bill Posey Tells the Truth!  Americans are fed up across the board.  More are moving to his state of Florida because Florida is choosing to NOT follow California's Woke policies.  Can it happen here in MoCo, in Maryland? Watch the Congressman HERE>

Buy lunch tickets here

Hear from an exceptional group of county residents who stepped up and organized to counter county elites enacting extreme policies in Montgomery County. They will speak about the lessons they learned and how you can help with:

  • Discrimination against Asian American students
  • Parents' Rights
  • The school boundary study and bussing
  • Being a candidate for School Board
  • Recovery from the COVID school and business lockdowns
  • Countering hypocrisy and implementation of the Thrive 2050 master plan
  • Saving Women's sports and Title IX

Hear Larry O'Connor discuss their stories with them

Dr. Jennifer Reesman spoke out on FOX News about the reluctance of Maryland and Montgomery County to reopen and staff our public schools to protect and educate our children. Watch Dr. Jennifer Reesman HERE>

Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch tells us how he and his group fought for freedom and to expose a Left-wing culture of victimhood and deceit.

Nicole Bennett, Vice Chair of the Maryland Republican Party

A special lunch with the RED WAVE Congressman from the Florida Space Coast Bill Posey

  • They cleaned up the voter roles
  • Made sure everyone could vote
  • Set the stage for Floridians to take back their government on the County, State and Federal level

WE CAN DO IT HERE TOO!

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins of Frederick County

Top Republican vote getter in MoCo for 2020 Harold Maldonado

Local Montgomery County sessions on

  • Legal ballot harvesting
  • Precinct building
  • Voter Registration

Sign up here to join hundreds of Republicans, Independents and even Democrats who want to improve Montgomery County Maryland.

Buy tickets here

RED WAVE SPONSOR

  • Martine Baker

DEFENDING FREEDOM SPONSORS

  • Darby & Monte Gingery
  • Patrick & Marguerite Sung

PATRIOT SPONSORS

  • Anita Mpambara Cox
  • Paul Foldi
  • Ingrid Fraley
  • Jeff Hooke
  • Lori Jaffe
  • Jonathan Jenkins
  • Richard Jurgena
  • Dennis Melby
  • Brigitta Mullican
  • Joan Pleiman
  • Reardon Sullivan

We're looking for more sponsors! Click here to sponsor>

Join Us, Stand with your neighbors at our Spring Convention.

Buy tickets here