Education, Environment, Economic Development:
I know first-hand how important education is: I returned to undergraduate studies as an adult and graduated from Hood College at the age of 30. I earned my MBA with at 44 with two kids and a very challenging full-time job.
Yet, I’m worried that our children are not being served well by overcrowded schools. It just seems wrong that in a county where the median home price is $310,000, so many children sit in portable classrooms. Moreover, too many schools are falling apart for lack of funds.
Throughout my tenure in Annapolis, I worked collaboratively with other Appropriations Committee members to achieve an historic 75% increase in K-12 public school operating funds for the state.
I fought to double higher education funding for state financial aid and scholarship programs.
I brought historic amounts of school construction funds back to Frederick County. In 2002, I worked hard to acquire nearly $25 million for capital school improvements.
In the eight years I served in Annapolis, I helped bring back a record $91 million state funds to Frederick County for school construction.
But clearly, that was not enough. We need to fully fund our schools to adequately serve our students’ needs. Return me to Annapolis so I can start working hard again to return our tax dollars to our schools.
Our environment is fragile and more threatened by the day. I pledge to fight as hard as I can to protect our open spaces, parks and natural resources.
As Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee’s Transportation and Environment Subcommittee, I fought to protect the budgets for the Departments of the Environment, Natural Resources, Energy, and Agriculture.
Joining other concerned legislators, I urged the Governor to establish a study on Maryland’s ground water contamination, which he did in April 2002.
Using the Rural Legacy program that I supported, Frederick County purchased easements on 23 farms and preserved 2871 acres through 2002.
I sponsored a bill that would tighten zoning laws to stop Duke Energy from building on our beautiful farmland.
As Delegate, I fought to repeal the law that allows the state to preempt local zoning laws in determining site certification for power plants.
I actively promoted the development and use of alternative renewable energy sources and energy efficiency and conservation programs.
Attracting Businesses to Frederick
Growth is a central issue for Frederick County. We cannot stop growth but we can manage the impact of growth on our community. Growth is not merely about deciding how many homes can be built in Frederick. Growth also means economic development: it is my firm belief that we must attract more jobs to Frederick County.
In 2002, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan and I co-sponsored two symposiums that brought together representatives from industry, education, and government to continue expansion of Maryland’s sophisticated biotechnology industry to Frederick County.
In cooperation with the High Technology Council of Maryland, Mr. Duncan and I created the Potomac Technology Territory that encouraged local economic development offices, bioscience companies, and academics to join forces to make this region a national leader in the bioscience industry. I pledge to use the every resource available to me to continue to attract jobs to Frederick County.
We can also encourage economic development through more support for the tourism industry. I plan to work once again with Tourism Council members and others to promote our historic region. In fact, I obtained $675,000 for the nationally-recognized Civil War Medicine Museum in the 2000 supplemental budget.
My vision is to expand the Tourism Council’s visitor center and its services, to keep downtown Frederick vital, and to increase appreciation of the other jewels in the district such as the state parks, national battlefields and incredibly beautiful vistas around every bend. Given the region’s attractions, including the wide variety of shopping opportunities, fine restaurants, antique shops, farmers’ markets, and special events, there is no reason we cannot improve promotion of Frederick and the surrounding areas as a favorite tourist destination.
Agriculture & Open Space
Frederick County cannot afford to sacrifice its agricultural heritage and if you return me to Annapolis, I will work tirelessly to maintain farming as a viable industry.
When I was in Annapolis, I helped gain urban support for the 1998 Dairy Compact Bill and strongly supported Right to Farm and other agriculture industry efforts.
I supported the Rural Legacy program which resulted in $8.3 million coming to Frederick County between 1998 when the program began and 2003 when I left office.
I sponsored legislation to create the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a program of financial incentives to encourage establishment of permanent forest retention banks. The two-fold benefits provide for permanent protection of highly sensitive buffers on working farmlands and enable farmers to leverage CREP funds.
I served as the House of Delegates’ representative on the Commission on the Future of the State Parks, where we looked at our under-funded and over-utilized state parks. As a result of our recommendations, the Governor appointed an ongoing Commission on the State Parks.
As a Program Open Space Committee member, I increased park operations and helped craft the Rural Legacy program protecting land for future generations. I fought to stop state subsidized sprawl and to increase the number of Maryland acres protected for agriculture and open space use.
It is not enough that we maintain farming as a tradition: we must also help make farming profitable. I worked hard to that end in Annapolis before and I am fully committed to picking up where I left off for our farmers.
