Public Testimony by Chris Kelly: Richard Montgomery Cluster On Growth

This testimony was given at the Mayor and Council Public Hearing on the Municipal Growth Element on September 13, 2010 by Chris Kelly.

My name is Chris Kelly, a West End resident, Richard Montgomery parent and RMPTSA officer. I also serve as a Richard Montgomery Cluster Coordinator for the Montgomery County Council of PTAs and am commenting today on behalf of that cluster, which includes Julius West Middle School, Beall, College Gardens, Ritchie Park and Twinbrook Elementary Schools, in addition to RMHS.

The RM cluster is the only cluster in the County with all six schools within Rockville City Limits, offering a tri-level IB program that attracts families to our cluster and to our City for opportunity. While we welcome these students, we also know that they are contributing to an expanding student population that must be accommodated within our schools and our community.

On June 9, 2010, our Cluster provided testimony to the Rockville Planning Commission on its April 2010 draft of the “Municipal Growth Element” or “MGE”. At that time, we noted that according to the Montgomery County Public Schools FY 2011-2016 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Cluster planning statement, “Student enrollment at elementary schools in the RM cluster has increased dramatically over the past two school years and will cause the cluster to be placed in a housing moratorium in FY 2011 according to the MCGP. Most of the RM cluster is within the City of Rockville. The city’s adequate public facilities school test also will result in all of the RM cluster elementary schools within the city being placed in a residential moratorium in FY 11.”

Our June testimony noted that school growth projections in the April 2010 draft of the MGE did not reflect the reality at our schools and were not adequately taking into account the following:

1) Older citizens turning over their property to young families;
2) Extended families and multiple families crowding into single-family houses; and,
3) The number of children living in apartments and condominiums.

We suggested that the City re-examine how to better determine neighborhood turnover rates and the number of multiple families living in single family dwellings. We noted that housing moratoriums do not impact these sources of additional students.

In addition, we stated that Rockville needs better predictions for numbers of students living in apartments and condominiums that feed to its schools. In the past, we’ve been told that apartments and condominiums don’t usually house that many students, but that was before the housing downturn and mortgage crisis. We believe that the assumptions behind enrollment of students from these housing types need to be revisited.

Our June testimony highlighted the significant growth at all four elementary schools within our Cluster, all of which are in an overcapacity situation and are projected to remain that way until permanent classroom capacity can be added. We are also concerned about the status of Julius West.

We are pleased to see that the Planning Commission draft of the MGE includes a more thorough discussion of the current school enrollment situation and the expected growth in our cluster than the earlier draft.

We commend the City Planning staff and the Planning Commission for revising significantly the public schools discussion in the draft MGE to reflect the serious overcapacity situation at our schools and for suggesting that planning and investment reflect both current and future needs.

Moreover, we agree with the statement in the draft MGE that “MCPS must make addressing capacity issues in Rockville a very high priority.”

We concluded, and we are glad to see that August draft now reflects, that the Montgomery County Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for schools is not keeping up with the County’s or the City’s needs.

We support the request in the Planning Commission draft MGE that MCPS develop a methodology that will more accurately predict future MCPS enrollment, so that schools will not continue to be over their program capacities. We agree that not doing so will result in situations like that which has occurred at College Gardens ES, where newly modernized schools are soon over capacity.

As we testified before the Planning Commission in June, we ask you – the Mayor and Council — to use this MGE effort as a catalyst to begin a formal dialogue with the County, other governing bodies within the County, and its citizens on long-range growth and the impact on schools.

We urge the Mayor and Council to maintain school enrollment issues as a priority and take proactive steps, including communication in the near-term with the Board of Education and the County Council, to ensure that needed school construction within the Richard Montgomery Cluster will be undertaken as soon as possible.

For the longer-term, we note that staff has suggested that the Mayor and Council engage with the School Board to discuss how their capital programs and planning can be better coordinated with the “the City’s policies, future population projections and desired growth patterns.” We ask for RM PTA cluster representatives to be included in those discussions.

We must take action now to ensure our City and our schools retain the high standards of excellence they currently enjoy. The proposed MGE concludes, “Rockville children should not be forced to continually attend schools whose enrollment exceeds capacity.” We agree.

Chris Kelly

We invite anyone who testifies during a Public Hearing to send us your remarks, which we will consider for publication at Rockville Central, as a public service. Like all opinion pieces, our publishing an article does not mean we endorse the author’s opinion.

Contributor Opinion by Art Stigile: Golf Subsidies 10 Times Greater Than Swim Center Subsidy

This Contributor Opinion is by Art Stigile.

For the past two years, I’ve been challenging golfers to answer a simple question — why should Rockville taxpayers provide a $24 subsidy for each round of golf played at RedGate, when golfers are supposed to be paying the full costs?

A common answer from golfers’ is that we subsidize swimming, but we can’t see the amount because the Swim Center subsidy is hidden away in the General Fund. In contrast, the Golf Course stands alone in a separate enterprise fund where the costs are transparent. If you pull the Swim Center out of the General Fund and compared apples to apples, the argument goes, you would see the Swim Center subsidy.

Well, I like apples, so let’s do the math.

For RedGate, the total subsidy for the current fiscal year is the sum of the projected deficit ($673,990) and the 50 percent reduction in the charge for central administrative expenses ($165,750), for a total cost to taxpayers of $893,740. Divide this amount by the projected number of rounds played (roughly 35,000) to get the estimated subsidy of $24 per round.

The calculation of the Swim Center subsidy is a bit more complicated because of how the City accounts for it, but the formula is the same. According to page 14-44 of the FY 2011 Adopted Budget, the Swim Center will have $1.694 million of operating revenue in FY 2011 and $1.730 million of operating expenditures, for a net operating deficit of $36,430.

To be comparable to RedGate’s bottom line, you have to add debt service ($169,762), depreciation ($70,745), and administrative overhead expenses ($398,386) to the Swim Center’s operating deficit. These amounts do not appear in the regular budget document, but they are provided in a March 26, 2010 memo from Gavin Cohen to Mayor and Council. The memo appears as attachment G to agenda item #10, “RedGate Business Plan (Plan) Financial Update”, June 21, 2010 meeting of Mayor and Council, page G-2. The amounts are for FY 2009, but they are not likely to be much different for FY 2011. Together, they sum to $638,893, increasing the Swim Center’s total cost to taxpayers to $675,323.

This is the total taxpayer subsidy for the Swim Center. To calculate the subsidy per visit, you have to know the number of visits. In response to my request, the City Manager provided me by email with an estimate of the number of visits in FY 2010. ( Mayor and Council and Joe Jordan, Chair of the RedGate Advisory Committee, were copied.) The number includes 113,378 visits by people using membership cards, 53,206 paid visits, 57,002 for classes, 58,792 for the RMSC Swim Team and the Rockville Rays Swim Team, and some other odds and ends. Together they add to 296,251 visits. I’ll assume the same number for FY 2011.

When you divide the Swim Center deficit by the number of visits, you get a subsidy of $2.28. (For reference, the subsidy per visit in FY 2010 was approximately $2.50.)

To summarize, that’s $24 per visit to the Golf Course, $2.28 per visit to the Swim Center. That’s one-tenth the taxpayer subsidy per round of Golf Course.

Any way you look at it, that’s a lot of apples!

The next time someone uses the Swim Center to justify taxpayer subsidies for the Golf Course, remember these two numbers — $24 taxpayer subsidy per round of golf, which is 10 times greater than the Swim Center subsidy.

Art Stigile

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion By John Britton: My Preference For Cheryl Kagan

This Contributor Opinion is by John Britton.

Just a brief note to express my preference for candidate Cheryl Kagan in next Tuesday’s primary election. Consistent with many of the pro-Kagan comments that appear on these pages, I look for a more proactive, dynamic and even aggressive representation for our District. I do believe Jennie Forehand has ably and competently served the District throughout her many years in both the House and the Senate. I respect her immensely for her work and commitment. With such long-term tenure, however, the District and the municipalities therein (a major focus for me) should have significant clout and power in Annapolis. We do not.

The longevity factor in this race is overplayed. In today’s Post, Jennie Forehand is quoted on her seniority invoking for comparison the late Sen. Byrd of West Virginia who as we all know was quite adept at steering funds and projects to his little state. The comparison is woefully misplaced. I recall vividly a past election in which this same reason was given in opposition to another young, articulate and dynamic contender whom I was promoting – Chris VanHollen – over a seemingly entrenched encumbent. Without apology, I rejected the longevity argument then and, in casting my vote for Cheryl Kagan, I intend to reject it again. Cheryl Kagan has the smarts, experience, contacts and requisite energy to hit the ground running.

Councilmember John Britton

Rockville City Council

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Reader’s Note By Dick Strombotne: Why I Support Cheryl Kagan

This Reader Note was submitted by Dick Strombotne.

As a former federal employee and an advocate for seniors in Maryland, I strongly support Cheryl Kagan for State Senator. I believe she has what we need as an advocate for Maryland seniors.

I met Cheryl almost 10 years ago when she was a delegate representing this same district. I found her to be intelligent and engaged on the issues that were important to our community, and was always willing to listen and learn. I know she will bring the same fine attributes to the State Senate.

I urge Democrats in District 17 to vote for Cheryl Kagan on Tuesday, September 14.

Dick Strombotne

This is a Reader’s Note. If you would like to contribute a Reader Note or other piece of writing, please send submissons to Rockville Central using our contact form. The more community voices, the better Rockville Central will be. Please remember that the views of contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors.

Note: Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. We are encouraging towards all people who choose to run for office the city and try our best to make ourselves open to all. We actively encourage candidates to submit opinion pieces and other news. We don’t include every last bit, but we try to be fair to all and give useful information about what is happening.

Reader Note By Jim Coyle: Support For Kagan

This Reader Note was submitted by Jim Coyle about the District 17 race for State Senate between Jennie Forehand and Cheryl Kagan.

I am supporting Cheryl Kagan in the election because I want to see new ideas and leadership for Rockville in Annapolis. Cheryl had demonstrated her abilities in her previous term in Annapolis and through her community leadership activities.

It has been too long since Rockville voters have had the opportunity to vote for a credible alternative.. Now is the opportunity for change and more aggressive representation for Rockville.

Please vote on Tuesday!

This is a Reader’s Note. If you would like to contribute a Reader Note or other piece of writing, please send submissons to Rockville Central using our contact form. The more community voices, the better Rockville Central will be. Please remember that the views of contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors.

Note: Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. We are encouraging towards all people who choose to run for office the city and try our best to make ourselves open to all. We actively encourage candidates to submit opinion pieces and other news. We don’t include every last bit, but we try to be fair to all and give useful information about what is happening.

Contributor Opinion By Laura Berthiaume: What I Know

This Contributor Opinion is by Laura Berthiaume.

I know the womens’ movement has reached maturity (or maybe immaturity) in Montgomery County. That is because, with all the lip service we often give to the notion of women helping women, Montgomery County’s fiercest rivalries often seem to be between female Democratic politicians. Unfortunately, in the D17 race, we are now way, way down into the mud. After three consecutive negative mailers from Cheryl Kagan, Jennie Forehand finally fired back. I do not blame her – if there is one thing we have learned on the national level it is that when someone levels a Swift Boat style charge, then you fail to respond at your political peril. Jennie did not fire the first shot or even sling the second mud ball. She did finally respond forcefully, and that seems to have triggered even worse behavior. I really was horrified at the mailer I received from Cheryl Kagan basically accusing Jennie of helping corporate interests poison children.

This between two candidates who admit they have no serious policy disagreements.

I will disclose my bias up front before getting into the pros or cons of who to vote for. I first remember meeting Jennie when I was a child: Jennie and my mother are life-long friends. By the time I was in college, Jennie had me at the polls wearing a straw hat and handing out campaign literature for a candidate she was mentoring. It was my first introduction to retail politics, and I discovered I liked it. When I decided to run for Delegate back in 2006, Jennie welcomed my desire to engage in civic life with true warmth and delight. In contract to the quick dismissal I received from so many other women (albeit some of them rivals with Jennie who just did not want her to have any allies holding office), Jennie truly seemed to embrace the notion that women should be encouraged to run and mentored when they do. Perhaps she is a little naive that way, since she tells me she once did exactly that for Cheryl Kagan, and look what she is facing now.

When I ran for Delegate, I was admittedly naive myself. Now, with some small political experience under my belt, I think I know just a few things, though perhaps only a few:

I know that Jennie knows this District inside and out. She is in touch with her constituency. She also has a mind and values of her own and when she disagrees, she does so for a reason. I personally opposed the current location of the District courthouse. In fact, I facilitated a meeting between TCAT and the leadership of the Montgomery County Bar Association to see if we could not come to an agreement to move the courthouse to the other end of Maryland Avenue. I had numerous conversations on the matter, including with Jennie. She listened to me, and then she told me her reasons for supporting the current location. She knew very well what all of the arguments were. We simply had to agree to disagree on that one. The interesting thing is, to the best of my recollection, I saw Cheryl Kagan once that entire time, at a meeting around the same time Mayor Hoffman came in and told us it was basically a lost cause. Perhaps Cheryl was very active elsewhere on getting the location moved, but if so, I never saw it or heard about it.

I know that Annapolis does not work the way we think it probably should. Good ideas fail all the time. Bad ideas sometimes pass. That is because nothing there happens in a vacuum – everything happens in relationship, both to other issues and to other representatives. I have learned it is one thing to get elected, quite another to figure out how to work with a diverse group of people in a way in which it is possible to have some positive impact on the direction things are going. You enter thinking you are going to do X, Y, and Z, and pretty soon you realize that if you can just get X on the agenda, you have worked miracles. From my conversations with various people, I get the distinct impression that Cheryl Kagan mostly never even got X on the agenda during her time in Annapolis,and when she did she somehow managed to tick people off. Jennie gets X on the agenda all the time – maybe not on the flashy issues, but on those issues she can advance given the current political leadership. And let’s not kid ourselves that Mike Miller is going anywhere, by the way, whoever wins this particular State Senate race. Now, it is OK not to get X on the agenda if you have a good reason for doing something else – say, building a rationale for systemic change. If Cheryl were running on the idea that eight years in Annapolis taught her it needs to be reformed from inside out, that is an argument I could buy. She is not running on that – she is running on the notion that she can bring people together to bring home the bacon for Montgomery County. If that is the test, then I’ll take Jennie Forehand every time because if there is one thing she has dedicated herself to, it is bringing home the bacon for Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park. While it is true that our state delegation has failed time and time again to get our share of school construction money, but I think we have to lay that at the feet of the entire delegation as a whole and at the feet of Mike Miller, who is politically savvy enough to know how to play Montgomery County and Prince George’s County off against each other. I do not see how having Cheryl Kagan in office instead of Jennie Forehand is going to change that equation. I could probably name two or three other key County races where who wins really could make a difference, but not this one.

I know that Jennie must be terribly hurt that anyone would accuse her, a mother and grandmother herself, of betraying the health of poor children in return for campaign contributions. I hope she has the opportunity to respond to this very late, very nasty charge, made less than a week out from election day, just as early voting has really gotten under way.

I know that later today, I am going to go vote early so I that can work the polls on election day, just as I did twenty plus years ago, but this time on behalf of Jennie herself, as well as for couple of other candidates I support.

One last thing I know: I know that I am going to vote for Jennie Forehand for State Senator.

Laura Berthiaume

Laura Berthiaume is a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education.

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion By Eileen McGuckian: Why I Support Cheryl Kagan

This Contributor Opinion is by Eileen McGuckian.

Although I do not live there now, my heart has lived in Rockville and District 17 for almost half a century. Through that time, I have worked closely with both Jennie Forehand and Cheryl Kagan and consider them both to be friends. Both have served and would serve their constituents well.

While I don’t get to touch the District 17 voting screen, I gave considerable thought to how I would vote for State Senate if I could. My husband and I have decided to support Cheryl Kagan.

After 32 years, Jennie should be recognized for a number of accomplishments, even though she has never taken a true leadership role in either the House or the Senate.

The time comes, however, when any individual should make way for new ideas, different approaches, new relationships, and different issues. With her bank of knowledge, experience in Annapolis, boundless energy, and ability to work with people and groups, Cheryl is poised to enter office in January without District 17 missing a beat. The endorsements she has received reflect the breadth of her interests and how effectively she will serve our communities and our State.

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion By Richard Arkin: Forehand The More Successful Legislator

This Contributor Opinion is by Richard Arkin.

Both incumbent District 17 State Senator Jennie Forehand and challenger Cheryl Kagan are known quantities. They both have records that can be examined. To see who has the better record, all we have to do is look at the record. It’s all on the web and is easily accessible to anybody who is interested.

Research demonstrates that Jennie Forehand has been the more successful legislator than Cheryl Kagan by a very significant margin.

The clearest indicator of legislative success is the number of bills each legislator sponsors that are passed by both houses of the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor (i.e., legislative enactments).

The total of career legislative enactments for Sen. Forehand is, of course, considerably higher than the career total for Del. Kagan. But it’s not just the totals — in each year in which both were in office, Jennie outscored Cheryl.

Check it out and find out for yourself.

To examine and compare legislative records, point your mouse to the Maryland Legislative Information Service website at LINK. That URL brings up the MLIS bill index page, where the reader can click on Bill Indexes and Sponsors to see the bills for which the legislator was the primary sponsor or a co-sponsor, a description of each bill, and the bill’s disposition (pass or fail). If the bill failed, the entry points the exact stage of the enactment process at which the bill failed. If the bill passed, the entry shows the chapter number at which the bill was entered into the Laws of Maryland.

A simple click of the mouse shows a complete history for each bill and all votes (including the ayes, nays, and abstentions). Further mouse-clicks will bring up the exact text of a bill when it was filed, the text of each amendment, interim texts, the final text of each adopted bill, and more.

A symbol at the right side of the entry shows if a bill passed or failed, and if passed, if it became law. Be careful here — a bill veto does NOT necessarily mean that the vetoed bill did not become law. If the heading states that a bill was vetoed because a “cross-filed bill was signed,” it means that the other house of the General Assembly passed a bill whose final text was identical to the bill you’re looking at, but the Governor signed the other house’s bill and therefore had to veto the bill before you to avoid having two identical or duplicate enacted bills on the books. Thus, a count of successful bills is both the number of bills signed into law by the Governor and the number of bills shown as vetoed by the Governor because he signed an identical cross-filed bill which originated in the other house.

If you look at Sen. Forehand’s record for 2010 at LINK, you will find that she sponsored or co-sponsored 171 bills, of which 85 passed both houses of the General Assembly and were signed into law. That’s a pretty impressive score in just about anybody’s book.

But to compare the relative effectiveness of Sen. Forehand and former Del. Kagan (or any two legislators, for that matter), go to the index page and click on Prior Session Information, then pick out a year in which both legislators were in office, and then do the counts.

The last year that both Jennie and Cheryl were in the General Assembly was 2002. In the 2002 session, Sen. Forehand sponsored or co-sponsored 92 bills, of which 39 were successful (either signed or the cross-filed bill was signed. In the same session, Del. Kagan sponsored or co-sponsored only 62 bills, of which only 25 were successful.

The results are similar for the eight years in which both were in office.

Whatever else can be said about the candidates, researching the legislative records shows a real difference. Jennie Forehand’s record of success as a legislator is better than the legislative record of Cheryl Kagan by a significant margin, both in the total of bills sponsored and enacted and in the year-by-year comparisons.

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion by John Moser: I Support Sen. Jennie Forehand

This Contributor Opinion is by John Moser.

I have known Jennie Forehand since before she went into politics. She never “grandstands”; she is not a publicity seeker; she does not have a “hidden agenda”; she is there when needed;. Basically, what you see is what you get—she truly serves her constituency and, in the process, improves the quality of life for all.

Her constituency service is absolutlely outstanding—second to none—and, since she arrived in Annapolis, has been a strong advocate for schools, health and safety. Jennie does not seek the media spotlight and she always, always delivers on her promises. One of her outstanding qualities is that she is NOT afraid of change, if it is for the betterment of all. And she is always pleasant and smiling while doing the business of government; like President Ronald Reagan, she never raises the issue of age against a political opponent.

Jennie’ seniority is a huge PLUS. Having worked a a Senatorial Aide in Annapolis for much more than a decade, I can personally attest to the value of this type of access—bureaucrats respond much more readily to elected officials who understand the legislative process, who are a known quantity.and who use their seniority wisely. To ‘badmouth” the power of incumbency is truly counter-productive. Jennie knows: who to call , how to get issues resolved , and how to get an immediate response.

A change based solely on the issue of “younger leadership” is not in the interest of the electorate. Senator Jennie Forehand represents her District well, she is readily accessible and she certainly knows her way around Maryland government and politics. .

I support her fully and most certainly hope that she shall continue to serve us for many more years.

John Moser

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion By Anne Robbins: My Support For Cheryl Kagan

This Contributor Opinion is by Anne Robbins.

My support for Cheryl Kagan, the District 17 candidate for the State Senate, has become increasingly stronger as her campaign against 32 year General Assembly incumbent, Jennie Forehand has progressed. First of all, I think that 32 years is certainly long enough to represent our district and we need new perspectives on many issues especially campaign finance reform. After a lifetime in politics, (yes, I started as a little kid), very little shocks me, and yet, the findings of the research done last November by Maryland Politics Watch did, and I am talking big-time shock. I quote from their findings:

“Senator Forehand was the biggest user of “lump sums”, a finance reporting technique used to AVOID DISCLOSING DONORS. Forehand is the biggest user of this in the County and the third biggest in the state”.

No wonder that the Washington Post stated in an editorial endorsment, “The County would be better served by Cheryl Kagan”. (8-23-10).

I cannot believe in this day of openness and accountability, that Senator Forehand is engaging in a practice to hide the names of contributors. Perhaps, we are learning this because this is the first time in sixteen years in the senate that Senator Forehand has had an opponent, something extremely important for a healthy democracy to thrive. Former eight-year state delegate, Cheryl Kagan, has been pro-active in asking for more campaign finance disclosure, seeking to close the LLC loophole, and only accepting contributions of half the legal limit.

I believe that this should be enough to put Cheryl in the senate, but in addition, I have found Cheryl Kagan, to be smart, highly motivated, and open and accessible to all residents of Montgomery County. I strongly believe that a change is in order, and encourage other voters to support and vote for Cheryl Kagan.

Anne Mahoney Robbins (former Rockville City Councilmember)

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion By Arthur Katz: Forehand’s Mailer, Cover Their Eyes

This Contributor Opinion is by Arthur Katz.

A mailer I received about a week ago from the Forehand campaign tries to raise ethics issues using the technique of guilt by innuendo. But the mailer’s visual images raise something equally or even more disconcerting, though perhaps more subtly.

They resurrected the idea that as soon as men pay attention to women using the image of a gift box tied with a ribbon – women in general and Delegate Kagan in particular – would swoon and follow mindlessly the men’s directions. It is a demeaning image and quite revealing when it appears in a 2010 campaign.

Like many fathers of working daughters I would have expected we would have put this stereotype to rest.

But the most recent campaign mailer I just received today reinforces the Forehand campaign’s disturbing attitude toward women. It shows two men with cigars alongside Delegate Kagan. One of them seems to be zipping up his fly while grinning and holding a cigar in his mouth.

It takes no imagination to figure out what that is about. I would have to cover my daughters’ eyes, even at their age.

This last mailer is particularly offensive coming at the beginning of the Jewish High Holidays

Arthur Katz

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion By David Spitzer: A Response to Richard Arkin

This Contributor Opinion is by David Spitzer.

As Cheryl Kagan’s husband and campaign treasurer, I obviously have an interest in Richard Arkin’s recent attack on my wife, which he presents as an objective report on the District 17 State Senate race. He criticizes another reader for not providing details on his inaccuracies, claiming “The piece was very carefully researched and I stand by what I wrote.” Unfortunately, his research either was not done carefully, or he is deliberately shading his results. Let me point out a few of his misleading statements (in detail).

He refers approvingly to Jennie’s mailings in which she claims credit for bringing projects to the district. If he had done research, he would have discovered the fallacies buried in those claims. One mailing stated that “Senator Forehand and the Team were able to fund over $100 million worth of projects in Montgomery County.” This makes it appear that the projects were the direct result of their efforts and assumes that the community approved of the results. But over half the amount ($55 million) is for the enormous and controversial District Courthouse looming over the South Washington St. historic district, much to the dismay of its neighbors.

How about funding of the Rockville Civic Center Park? That was a team effort, but guess who was on the team when the $300,000 was approved in 1997? Cheryl Kagan, when she represented our community as Delegate (LINK).

There are projects included in the same mailing that were not in fact sponsored by the District 17 team. For example, the bond bill for Katherine Thomas High School was sponsored by Senators Hogan and Garagiola and the lead sponsor in the House was then-Delegate Nancy King. (LINK).

As for the amount of financial support garnered by the two campaigns, Mr. Arkin states that, “Jennie has worked more quietly and has raised almost as much money as Cheryl, primarily from Maryland contributors.” But if you compare the Campaign Finance Reports for each candidate (available here), you will find a different story. (By the way, the information is available in simple spreadsheets; there are not, as Mr. Arkin complains, hundreds of pages of data to wade through.)

In the current election cycle (2007-2010), 38.87% of the $87,441.26 Jennie raised came from individuals, whereas for Cheryl, individuals accounted for 79.27% of the $142,429.82 raised, indicating much broader, grass-roots support (88%, if you remove in-kind donations). Jennie has made up for part of her lack of individual support with PAC and corporate money, raising $40,750 that way, compared to Cheryl’s $12,661. Also on fund raising, Jennie has reported over $35,000 in anonymous “lump sum” amounts over the years, hiding the sources (and agendas) of those contributing (LINK).

One more fund raising point needs to be considered. In the 8/31/10 debate at the Rockville Library, Jennie stated “… A lot of people have given me $5 or $10…” (LINK) If you examine Forehand’s finance reports for the 2007-2010 election cycle, there are only 5 donations by individuals of less than $20 listed compared to 53 donations in that same range for Cheryl. Which candidate has shown, again using Jennie’s words from the debate, “real grass roots support”?

So Jennie has not been forthright in her advertising and campaign reports, and Mr. Arkin has accepted her inaccuracies as fact. That doesn’t seem very careful to me. I prefer to back up my statements with data that can be verified.

David Spitzer

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Reader Note by Kevin Brooks: Forehand Kagan…Pretty Simple

This Reader Note was submitted by Kevin Brooks about the District 17 race for State Senate between Jennie Forehand and Cheryl Kagan.

Just a quick tid bit to think about.

Why would we, as a disitrict, want to go from a strong, senior State Senator, with plenty of clout, ….to a freshman senator with little or NO clout to represent us in Annapolis?

I say give Jennie your vote and let her leave on her own terms…….

Kevin Brooks

This is a Reader’s Note. If you would like to contribute a Reader Note or other piece of writing, please send submissons to Rockville Central using our contact form. The more community voices, the better Rockville Central will be. Please remember that the views of contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors.

Note: Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. We are encouraging towards all people who choose to run for office the city and try our best to make ourselves open to all. We actively encourage candidates to submit opinion pieces and other news. We don’t include every last bit, but we try to be fair to all and give useful information about what is happening.

Contributor Opinion by Frederick Beckner: Cheryl Kagan Helping to Keep Big Money Out of Politics

This Contributor Opinion is by Frederick S. Beckner.

The Supreme Court’s reversal of 100 years of campaign finance law in the Citizens United case not only set back the cause of reform, it has energized those of us who want to see big money out of politics. Bills are progressing in Congress to overturn the decision, and campaign finance is back on our political agenda in a big way.

On the local level, one candidate is not waiting for the law to change before changing the way she funds her campaign. Cheryl Kagan, candidate for the State Senate from District 17 (Rockville, Gaithersburg and Garrett Park), has voluntarily cut in half the maximum campaign donation she’ll accept. She unilaterally closed a loophole in campaign finance law that allows wealthy individuals with multiple bank accounts to avoid contribution caps altogether. This bold step is in keeping with her previous career representing District 17 in the House of Delegates, where she was a leader in campaign and ethics reform.

Democracy only works if people believe that a fat checkbook doesn’t amplify the importance of your speech. Cheryl Kagan understands this, and that’s why she deserves our support.

Frederick S. Beckner, Gaithersburg

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion by Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly: Redgate Golf Course Should Remain A Golf Course

Photo from Goodman and Farrelly of wildlife habitat which would be lost

This Contributor Opinion is by Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly

Several proposals are on the table for future development RedGate golf course. Among them is one to build a 10,000 seat arena hosting 160 events a year. That is approximately one event every other day. Another is to build a low density housing development. A third is to let the property go back to nature. In my opinion, none of these proposals is acceptable.

Both an arena and low density housing would have adverse effects on one of the last areas in Rockville containing green space. RedGate houses kingfishers, several species of woodpeckers, blue herons, snowy egrets, and the Baltimore oriole, to name a few. Bald eagles have been sighted there. There are several wooded areas where other wildlife resides. There are plants that support insect life necessary for human life. Development would eliminate habitat for both plants and animals. As habitat is decreased, species are lost. The loss of wildlife habitat and its effects on our environment are presented forcefully in the book, “Bringing Nature Home” by Douglas W. Tallamy, 2009, Timber Press, Portland, OR, a book which we highly recommend.

Development would also adversely impact our local watersheds and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. RedGate’s current impacts are significantly less than those of most golf clubs. We are informed that RedGate has adopted sound environmental practices, including the use of organic fertilizers and the collection and recycling of the City’s stormwater run-off. Not only does RedGate re-use the City’s stormwater runoff, it has in place processes to neutralize the effects of the contaminants contained in the runoff. The 140 acres of green space that RedGate occupies acts as a natural buffer between the City and Rock Creek Park. With the added imperviousness associated with development (construction of parking lots and sidewalks, reduction of many trees and understory plants), the run-off would enter surface waters more rapidly and contain more pollutants flowing into Rock Creek Park, the Potomac River, and, ultimately the Chesapeake.

While any development would impact habitat and water runoff, the arena would be a particular burden to the community. Just a few of the impacts would be increased traffic in an area already congested, noise, pollution, light, costs and extended responsibility for police and rescue, crime, and impervious surfaces that would increase stormwater runoff. Quality of life for residents near and far from the area would be reduced.

While the proposal to let RedGate “go back to nature” may sound good on the surface, it has its practical problems. Without some degree of maintenance, the course might be taken over by non-native invasive plants. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Bradford pears move in and take over.

In addition, although it has been argued that RedGate operates at a loss, it currently provides income for the City. A “back to nature” option would eliminate that revenue source, and the property would likely be sold for development, anyway.

In our view, the best option is to maintain the golf course and investigate ways by which income to the City can be increased.

The RedGate Advisory Commission is making a presentation to the Mayor and Council on Monday, Sept. 13. Please come and provide input to our City Council by participating in Citizens Forum. City Council will hold a work session on Sept. 20. It is possible that decisions will be made at that meeting.

The following are pictures of the golf course.

Site of the proposed arena. It is a wooded, hilly area that would have to be deforested and graded.

Photo from Goodman and Farrelly

Wildlife habitat. It would be lost.

Photo from Goodman and Farrelly

Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.