1. I saw you were a proponent of term limits. Would you pledge yourself to a term limit. If so, what would that limit be?

- I would like to see legislation passed by the General Assembly instituting term limits.  I don’t know how long of a term limit I would advocate, but I think three terms would be as far as I would go.  If after 12 years if you have not been able to accomplish what the voters sent you to Annapolis to accomplish then you probably won’t be able to.  I am against life-long politicians, it goes against the basic set-up of our country were we had citizen legislators, not career politicians.

2. What are your thoughts regarding the health care bill passed by the United States Congress this past March?

- I am not entirely in favor of the health care bill that was passed in the spring.  I do believe that something needs to be done to provide quality health care for all citizens.  That quality health care should not mean going to the emergency room whenever you have a headache or need to see a doctor.  I am a little leery of the government running a national health care system.  While the government does many things very well, it is also pretty evident that they get bogged down in bureaucracy and sometimes get in their own way when trying to accomplish goals.  To many agencies all vying to be in control and at times little gets done.  I also don’t think that the government should be determining treatment option for patients.  This is something that is done much better on a local patient/doctor level.  I would advocate more of a health system that provides options and is run by health professionals.  Everyone needs to be covered.  My brother a few years ago lost his job.  He was out of work for close to a year.  He was one accident away from having serious medical bills and drastically hurting his credit.  This should not be the case.

3. Where has Liz Bobo failed the citizens of our district? Why are you better suited to address the problems facing Howard County and the state?

-  I believe that Liz Bobo’s biggest failures have been in her focusing on issues that are not her responsibility.  She was a leading opponent of the downtown Columbia plan.  While she has a right to voice her opinion as a private citizen, she should not be holding private meetings and organizing opposition to a plan that is the jurisdiction of the County government.  She should also not be sending endorsement emails over her government email address to support candidates running in Columbia Association elections.  That is just not appropriate.  As far as her role in Annapolis goes, to be honest she is not very effective in getting legislation passed.  During the past three-four terms that she has served we can count on probably one hand the amount of legislation that was passed that she was the primary author of.  She claims to be an independent voice in Annapolis, and this can be a good thing, the problems arises when she is too out of step with her own party and is not able to be an effective legislator within the party that is in power.  She has been a State Delegate since 1994, yet she does not hold a leadership role.  Guy Guzzone on the other hand is a one term Delegate and has already moved up and holds a great deal of influence in the Democratic leadership of the House of Delegates.  It seems to me that she is out of step with her own party.  While this can be a good thing and we need different opinions, at the end of the day you should still be able to get things done and hold the respect of your own party leaders, especially if you have been a political insider for as long as she has.

I believe that I am better suited because my view point match-up well with the average citizen.  I am a moderate thinker who can work well with both parties and will work with leadership to advance the causes of Howard County.  I will look for ways to attract new business to Howard County and Maryland and will look for ways to make Maryland a more business friendly state.  Private business creates job and opportunity.  While we need to keep an eye on business and make sure that are doing what is best for the community, we should not suffocate them with regulations and fees.  I also bring a fresh perspective to the job.  I have not been engulfed by the political machines and “we have always done it this way” mentality.  I believe that sometimes you need change.  You need to go in a new direction and you need new leadership to take you there.  It is just common sense that if you have been around for so long and have done things a certain way for many years that change and a new direction are not on the top of your list.

4. If elected, would you vote against proposed tax increases and massive government spending in times of economic contraction?

-  My simple answer is yes.  You cannot expect to successfully spend yourself out of a recession.  That is the wrong approach.  We have seen that since the sales tax increase in 2007 tax receipts and spending in Maryland has decreased.  It does not make sense to expect people to send more money during a time when money has less value.  The government should have looked for ways to stimulate business growth and encourage private organizations to expand and create new jobs.  Sometimes you need to increase taxes, however those times are not when the economy is contracting and the house market is collapsing.  We know that all of this is cyclical, but I would have thought that the problem would have fixed itself by now.  I think that the increased taxes and spending have actually slowed down the long term recovery effort.  There have been short term gains, but that is a result of the influx of federal stimulus money.  What happens when the stimulus money runs out?  If the fundamental problem of why the economy collapsed in the first place has not been solved then all you did was put a Band-Aid over a wound that needed stitches.  The bleeding may be stopped, but eventually you are going to have to take the Band-Aid off, and at that point you are going to realize that you still need stitches because the problem has not been fixed.

The weather outside is heating up.  Last week was as hot as I can remember, but luckily the cool breezes and light rain helped bring the temperature down just in time for the weekend.

I wanted to take a moment to let you know what I am doing in order to win the Democratic Primary on September 14th.  Hopefully some of you have seen me waving on the side of the road on your way to work.  While I hope people don’t vote for someone just because they waved at them, this hopefully will increase my name recognition and introduce me to people who otherwise had not heard of me before.

So far I have also knocked on over 1,000 doors in the district.  It is my goal to make it to every neighborhood before September 14th. So if you live in District 12B and I have not been to your house yet, I will be stopping by soon.

We are a little over two months away from the primary.  While many are counting me out, I look forward to shocking the establishment by winning on the 14th.  People are ready for a change.  They are ready for leadership that values job creation and understands that standing in the way of progress is no way to lead us forward; rather it is leading us down the pathway to empty storefronts, increased crime, and decreasing opportunities for our youth and future.

I do need your help.  If you live in West Columbia (Hickory Ridge, Harper’s Choice, Wilde Lake, Town Center, and Dorsey Search) tell your neighbors about me. If you have friends or family that lives in West Columbia point them in my direction.  I want to meet every member of the district.  I want to hear what is important to you and your family.  This election is not about me, it is not about the past, or who has the most connections and establishment support; this election is about the possibility of a brighter future and who is best prepared and willing to lead us in that direction.

I hope that you are enjoying the summer heat and are taking time to cool off at the local pool or ice cream stand.

John Bailey

Yard signs and magnet bumper stickers are now available.  If you would like one send me an email letting me know how many and where you would like them delivered.

john@votejohnbailey.com

www.votejohnbailey.com

Political cycles like this happen every few years.  The party in power loses touch with the everyday American and they are replaced.  It happened in 1994 when the Republicans took control of Congress, and it happened again in 2006 when the Democrats reclaimed control.  In both instances the party that lost control admitted that they lost touch with the will of the people.  So, what does this mean for Maryland, will the Democrats lose control of the Maryland General Assembly, not at all; they have held the majority since the 1800’s.  What it does mean is that some entrenched political insiders will lose and there will be a change in representation.  As we see from across the country, this is happening in both parties.  In Maryland some Republicans will win in a district currently being represented by a Democrat, and the opposite will also be true.  This is the nature of political change and the changing will of the people.  With all the candidates running right now in Howard County there is a chance this happens to members of both parties. 

So, how does this impact my campaign, it is pretty simple.  I am running against a textbook political insider.  I am running against an individual who was first elected to public office on November 2, 1976, coincidently, that is five days after I was born.  It is time for a change.  It is time to go in a new direction.  What I bring is a fresh perspective on legislating.  I have not been indoctrinated in the political trappings of Annapolis.  I am not on a first name basis with the lobbyists and special interest that are interwoven into the fabric of Annapolis culture.  This election is about what is best for the future of Howard County, not what has happened in the past.

Past track records are great for reminiscing about the good ole days and reflecting on events from the past.  Looking back to the past is ideal in understanding where we have come from, but it is not the best approach when trying to figure out where to go next.  While we need to learn from the past, something I am very familiar with as a public school history teacher, we more importantly need to be looking towards the future and planning for days to come, not days gone by.  This is what my campaign is about.  I am looking toward the future for Howard County.  As our county changes with jobs from BRAC and the Cyber Command Center entering in the next few years, we need to position ourselves to be able to best accommodate the changing workforce and dynamics of our economy.  This is an exciting opportunity for Howard County, but in order to fully take advantage of all that this has to offer we need to be looking forward to what we can become and not dwelling on the past.

This is what I will bring with me if elected:  A new perspective, a forward looking approach, and an understanding of where we have come from and who we can become in the future.

Unlike others, it does not matter to me who you vote for, it is far more important that you actually vote and allow your voice to be heard.  I know that in Wilde Lake there is a contested Columbia Association race between Phil Kirsch and Linda Odum.  Regardless of who you support, make sure you vote.  Make sure that your community is moving in the right direction by helping to choose the leader you feel comfortable representing your views.

I live in Hickory Ridge and I know that during the village election we host a yard sale, just another great reason to come out and vote on Election Day.  This is our home and we should all take pride in electing those who represent our views and are working to make this a better place for us all to live.

Shifting teacher pensions to the counties is not the answer, especially during these tough economic times. It is not Howard County’s fault that they have done a better job managing their budget and making tough choices. By doing this, what are we teaching our children? Is the lesson we are imparting on them: “When times get tough try and find someone a little better off than you and dump your problems on them.”

How is this going to make the situation better? It is just shifting the requirement to pay from one group to another. The requirement still exists. The county government is already running on bare bones. Requiring them to spend an extra $4.4 million they don’t have in 2011 and $24 million by 2015 is going to end up hurting classroom instruction.

Howard County has one of the best school systems in the nation. This is due to the excellent teachers and the large investment made by the county. Can we really afford to spend less on our children’s future just because the state has not been able to manage our resources?

I was taught as a child that if you have a problem it is your responsibility to deal with it, not pass it along to others. It is unfortunate that this lesson was not learned by some of our leaders in Annapolis.

Please help me send a message loud and clear that Howard County is tired of sending a legislator to Annapolis that does not represent the views of the community.  You can help send this message by attending my April 15^th fundraiser with special guest former County Executive and School Superintendent Dr. Chuck Ecker.  Now is the time to take a step in the direction of creating the community we all know Columbia can be.  Please help me bring a common sense reasonable approach to Annapolis.  To RSVP to the April 15^th event, please follow this link.  It is time to send Liz Bobo a clear message that her time is over and it is time for real leadership in Annapolis.