Forehand, Kagan Respond To Audience Questions (Part Two)
Sep 6, 2010 11:00 - 1 Comment
Last Tuesday night, the District 17 Democratic Club held the final debate of the primary campaign between incumbent Sen. Jennie Forehand and challenger, former Del. Cheryl Kagan, at Rockville Memorial Library.
The primary election is September 14.
Rockville Central was there at the debate capturing video, and we are releasing it in sections over the next few days.
The second four audience questions:
- What’s left to do to improve the Chesapeake Bay? Should we have fewer chicken farms?
- What changes are needed in education?
- What legislation did not pass in 2010 that should be brought up and passed in 2011?
- Can you tell us the sources of your campaign funds?
Here’s the video:
OK, back catching up….well on two of the issues addressed in this video, it seems Cheryl Kagan gave answers that make a lot more sense to me….
No offense to any of the good youth who serve as pages in Annapolis, but did Jennie really admit that she consults with these kids on legislation? I’m not sure that makes a lot of sense, other than as anecdotal evidence. To suggest that a page’s job (summer job or otherwise) might go away because of tighter inspections or other legislative changes that would help prevent pollution from getting into the Chesapeake Bay strikes me as a bit naive. I am sure that Sen. Forehand receives a lot more serious deliberation about bills and their total impacts from legislative aides, reseearchers, and perhaps interest groups that may be affected, but I found it odd to suggest pages as “testimony” providers on any such bills. As someone who calls PA home, as well, I took slight (very slight, mind you) offense to the notion that the pollution problem in the Bay is largely PA’s fault. Of course the farming in PA is a big non-point pollution source, but to suggest it’s somehow far worse there than in MD, WV, or VA is not helpful. As a Lancaster County, PA native, and a former Virginia resident, this issue is very big on the minds of people in those states and places as well. I know from having worked in a land conservation organization in PA in the early 90′s that PA has made huge strides in better protecting streams and wetlands in farming areas, particularly among Amish farmers whose isolation and very unchanged old cultural farming practices were quite destructive to water quality, yet were often difficult to reach and to explain the impact of their practices a few hundred miles away….
Was Jennie’s response to the education question cut off? It seemed like it might have been. But again, it seemed like Ms. Kagan is more atuned to fighting to protect Montgomery County from the teacher pension burden….even though Jennie indicated that she agreed with Cheryl, she sort of justified why the state wants to move that burden to counties….something that I think wiould be a big mistake fiscally.
Maybe I don’t need to spout my opinions anymore….
Thanks for the video, again!