maryland – Page 9

It’s official: Charles Lollar is running for MD-05.

Steny Hoyer’s* seat. I talked with Charles back in August, back when it was merely very, very likely that Lollar was running; I liked what I heard. He’s running as a strong conservative, with an emphasis on fiscal responsibility – but without ignoring the social issues, either. Below is video from his speech to the Cecil County Tea Party on the Fourth of July:

Charles Lollar for Congress. Donate here.

Moe Lane

*Interestingly, Hoyer was the last Democrat that I ever voted for, which is a mistake that I wouldn’t make again even if I still lived in the district. We don’t really have time for quote-unquote ‘conservative’ Democrats whose only difference between them and their liberal compatriots is in how much the rubble bounces.

Crossposted to RedState.

Steny Hoyer goes off-message on health care rationing.

Assuming that there’s any sort of on-message at this point. Via Hot Air, here’s the latest cloud of ink from a Democrat perhaps worried about the way things are going:

Hoyer (D-Md.) emphasized his support for a public option in a teleconference call with reporters, but also said he wants to ensure Congress sends a bill to the president.

“I’m for a public option, but I’m also for passing a bill,” he said. Democrats believe the public option is necessary, useful and important, he added, “be we’ll have to see.”

No doubt we’ll soon enough get a clarification of the explanation of the correction of the restatement of whatever the heck it is that the Democrats want to do this week. Although what are progressives going to do with Steny, anyway? Give money to Charles Lollar?

Well, they should. But that’s just the Marylander Republican talking.

Moe Lane

PS: In other words, it is not yet time for me to publicly join in the Crowder Victory Dance. And I am sure that the world finds this delay much to its liking.

That being said, drop some money in the tip jar and I’ll think about doing it and taping the results.

Heck, drop some money in the tip jar with the message “Don’t. Please, Moe: DON’T!” and I’ll think about not. I’ll be happy to start a bidding war; it’s all going to go towards assemblingmy blogging wish list, anyway.

Crossposted to RedState.

Proposing to your fiancee: Yes/No.

Working with Disneyland to create a music/dance number with a theme, rehearsals, and advance planning:

Using your position as a state legislator to acquire scarce city resources for your proposal – which includes the police threatening to make a false arrest of your fiancee:

Del. Jon S. Cardin found the woman of his dreams, and suddenly those three little words were on his lips: police-involved proposal.

The Baltimore County Democrat and girlfriend Megan Homer were aboard a friend’s boat in the Inner Harbor on Aug. 7 when on-duty city marine officers boarded the vessel. Pretending to search for contraband as a city police helicopter whirred overhead, the officers reportedly told Homer to turn around so they could handcuff her. When she did, there was Cardin down on one knee.

More here. Jon Cardin is the nephew of Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), who is known for… well, he beat Michael Steele in 2006. Up to this point, Cardin seemed poised to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, but I think that he’s shown a certain flair here at using public facilities for his own personal gratification that should serve him well in the Maryland Democratic party.

It’s only funny if you don’t have to actually pay for antics like this. Or the police investigation which will undoubtedly find a convenient scapegoat for Jon Cardin’s aristocratic pretensions. Speaking as somebody who will get saddled with a portion of the bill for both, well…

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

My talk with Charles Lollar (R-Cand, MD-05?).

[UPDATE] Welcome, Instapundit readers. Excuse me while I shamelessly put up a link to this.

I had the opportunity to speak with Charles Lollar, Charles County (Maryland) Republican Central Committee Chairman, in a phone interview last week. Below are some of the things that we discussed.

First off, a bit of background: Charles Lollar is a business owner and member of the Marine Corps Reserve who has been spending the last few years promoting things like the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights. Lollar credits his family upbringing to his fiscal attitudes, particularly when it comes to the importance and value of hard work. His name has been floated as a possible gubernatorial candidate for Maryland 2010 election; however, he has recently started an exploratory committee involving running as a challenger to Steny Hoyer’s Congressional seat. Continue reading My talk with Charles Lollar (R-Cand, MD-05?).

So, I went to the Howard County Republican Club* meeting…

…to hear this Charles Lollar fellow talk.

He’s good. Solidly conservative and he gives a good, impassioned speech. If he does decide to run for Maryland Governor, right now I’d vote for him in the primary. We spoke briefly after the speech; we couldn’t quite make the time for a video interview on the spot, but hopefully we’ll be able to conduct a telephone interview in the near future.

Moe Lane

PS: Folks: join your county’s Republican party organization. They won’t know what you want to do, or what you want them to do, if you’re not there to tell them.

*http://www.howardcountygopclub.com

Crossposted to RedState.

Maryland millionaires’ massive migration.

There is a glaring inaccuracy in the linked WSJ article on vanishing Maryland millionaires. Essentially, It is not “a two-minute drill in soak-the-rich economics:”

Maryland couldn’t balance its budget last year, so the state tried to close the shortfall by fleecing the wealthy. Politicians in Annapolis created a millionaire tax bracket, raising the top marginal income-tax rate to 6.25%. And because cities such as Baltimore and Bethesda also impose income taxes, the state-local tax rate can go as high as 9.45%. Governor Martin O’Malley, a dedicated class warrior, declared that these richest 0.3% of filers were “willing and able to pay their fair share.” The Baltimore Sun predicted the rich would “grin and bear it.”

One year later, nobody’s grinning. One-third of the millionaires have disappeared from Maryland tax rolls. In 2008 roughly 3,000 million-dollar income tax returns were filed by the end of April. This year there were 2,000, which the state comptroller’s office concedes is a “substantial decline.” On those missing returns, the government collects 6.25% of nothing. Instead of the state coffers gaining the extra $106 million the politicians predicted, millionaires paid $100 million less in taxes than they did last year — even at higher rates.

It is a one-minute, fifty-second drill in soak-the-rich economics. I was curious, and timed myself reading it aloud. Admittedly, I talk quickly sometimes, but I made it a point to try to pace myself for this one.
Continue reading Maryland millionaires’ massive migration.

Buzz about Charles Lollar for MD Governor?

Charles Lollar is the chairman of the Republican Party’s Charles County Central Committee in Maryland. Businessman, major in the Marine Reserve (served in Kosovo), involved in the Tea Party movement: he’s not yet declared for next year’s gubernatorial race, but his name keeps coming up in local discussions. There’s also now a Draft Charles Lollar site. Generally, this guy sounds like he’d be at least a candidate for consideration. Embarrassingly, while I live in Maryland myself I am not as checked out on local politics as I should be (an error that I’m in the middle of rectifying), so that’s about all I know on the subject. Local readers are welcome to fill in the gaps of my ignorance.

On this, at least.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Rep. Eliot Engel (D, NY-17) gets away with tax evasion.

He won’t even have to pay the money back.

I’ll need to remember this one if I ever have issues with my own state taxes:

Bronx Rep. Eliot Engel calls Maryland home for tax break

Bronx Rep. Eliot Engel may call himself a life-long Bronx resident, but he has also called Maryland his primary residence for years to get a local tax break that state officials have just squashed.

Engel, who rents an apartment back in his district, also owns a $1 million house with his wife in the well-off Washington suburb of Potomac, Md. – a property that has been afforded $7,000 in tax breaks since he bought it in 1993, The Associated Press reported.

The NYDN article goes on to give Engel’s claim that he wasn’t trying to defraud anyone – which is interesting, given this New York Times article on the subject:
Continue reading Rep. Eliot Engel (D, NY-17) gets away with tax evasion.