GOP candidates meet voters at forum

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006

‘‘I want to know who to vote for. ... I really need to hear what they have to say,” Judith Randall said.

Steve Anadale of Owings came to ‘‘find out about all the Republican candidates. Find out who’s pro-development, pro-growth, how they stand on that issue.”

Somewhat incongruously, Anadale works in development himself.

‘‘I’m a builder, but I’m an anti-growth builder. I build in other counties,” he said.

Partisanship was remarkably low among attendees. While Midgie Haerer of Dunkirk laughed and said, ‘‘Not in this lifetime,” when asked if she’d consider voting for a Democrat, others were more open to the idea.

‘‘I’m open to who will do the best job, who will do best for us,” said Chris Gadway of Huntingtown, a volunteer firefighter.

The forum was moderated by Audrey Scott, Maryland secretary of planning, standing in for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich.

Scott urged the crowd to help ‘‘break the tradition of Democratic domination in Maryland,” and was answered by enthusiastic cheers.

Lt. Gov. Michael Steele was clearly the organizers’ favored candidate for U.S. Senate. In the forum’s program he was printed a line above the other candidates, who were simply listed in alphabetical order.

Steele did not speak at the event though he did send a representative.

Senate candidate Thomas Hampton said he decided to run in order to help protect the bay. The other candidate in attendance, Richard Shawyer, delivered a rambling statement opposing income tax.

Ron Miller, running for Maryland Senate against the powerful Democrat, Thomas V. ‘‘Mike” Miller Jr., president of the Senate, billed himself as ‘‘the right Miller, Ron Miller.”

Rodney Bartlett, candidate for sheriff, touted his 20 years of experience in law enforcement in Prince George’s County. Bartlett was sheriff of Calvert County for 18 months as a Democrat after being appointed in the spring of 2001 by then-governor Parris Glendening to replace Vonzell Ward (D), who resigned. Bartlett lost the 2002 election in a landslide to Mike Evans, the current sheriff.

‘‘That was the kiss of death, I will tell you,” Bartlett said of his appointment.

Sheriff Mike Evans was met with applause as he walked to the microphone. He touted his creation of the Criminal Investigative Team and DUI saturation checkpoints as some of his accomplishments as sheriff.

Nine out of 10 Republican candidates for the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners attended; only Ben Ridgely didn’t show up.

Taxes were a popular topic for commissioner candidates. Bill Chambers promoted property tax relief. Similarly, Pat Flaherty urged voters, ‘‘don’t vote for me” if you don’t want tax relief. Incumbent Susan Shaw urged fiscal conservatism and promised to ‘‘hold the line on taxes.”

Cal Steuart, who has campaigned on a tax reduction platform, said, ‘‘I am an advocate of reducing the tax burden on the properties of Calvert County. ... We cannot continue to bear this burden year after year after year which is driven by our increasing assessments, our wildly increasing assessments,” a comment which drew applause.

Feeling that Steuart had ducked a question about growth asked by a member of the Dunkirk Area Concerned Citizens Association, Evan Slaughenhoupt, president of DACCA, called out, ‘‘answer the question.”

‘‘Residential growth under the current buildout [plans], ... I support it,” Steuart answered.

‘‘I’m here to run on my records,” said incumbent Jerry Clark. ‘‘Fine schools, the finest teachers, growth under control at less than 2 percent,” as well as infrastructure improvements and a balanced budget.

Jan Horton boldly said, ‘‘Unlike the other candidates, I have a proven track record of active participation in local government,” adding that she has even ‘‘read the county budget.”

Three-term incumbent Linda Kelley used her time to promote her record on growth control and to lambaste the Calvert Alliance for Responsible Leadership, a political organization heavily funded by developers.

Asked during the question and answer period if she would like to stop growth, Kelley said, ‘‘First of all that would be unrealistic and secondly that would be stupid. ... but the ‘Waldorfization’ of Calvert County, I won’t support that.”

Becky Tice promoted her record as a citizen activist on arsenic levels in water, traffic and the installation of a stoplight outside Appeal Elementary School in Lusby.

‘‘I’m the only candidate with a working knowledge of the infrastructure needs of private communities,” Tice said, referring to communities, like her own Chesapeake Ranch Estates, which own facilities in common.

‘‘The main reason I’m running is because I love Calvert County. I want to give back to the place that’s given me so much. ... I fully want to fund the volunteer fire departments, the EMS and the sheriff’s department, and I have to go,” Mike Benton said as he exhausted his three-minute time allotment.

E-mail Erica Mitrano at emitrano@somdnews.com.