Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Ralph Shewell: Why I can’t support two incumbents

Friday, September 03, 2010

Ralph Shewell: Why I can’t support two incumbents

Letter to the editor at Soundtrack

September 3, 2010

Ralph Shewell: Why I can’t support two incumbents

Editor:

Del. Stocksdale voted against the will of her constituents when she voted no to a referendum bill regarding the creation of a county police force.

A local paper’s poll showed that 80% of respondents wanted the right to vote on this issue; an even higher percentage expressed the same view in letters to the Delegation.

Senator Haines and Delegate Shewell share the same constituents with Del. Stocksdale and both voted for the referendum their constituents demanded.

Del. Stocksdale also worked against the majority Carroll County Delegation vote by sending a letter to the chairman of the hearing committee stating opposition to the bill and support of the Carroll Commissioners.

Carroll Delegation policy is that you vote your view, but you do not try to undermine the passage of a bill sanctioned by a majority vote of the Delegation.

In a letter dated February 8, 2008 addressed to the assigned committee chairman, Del. Stocksdale did just that, worked against the majority vote. When confronted, she denied it until a copy of her letter exposed her actions.

Complicit with Del. Stocksdale in this tactic was Del. Susan Krebs who wrote a letter to the same committee chairman dated March 3, 2008 to try to derail the referendum bill.

She too denied working against the bill’s passage until a copy of her letter was presented to the full Carroll Delegation. (Despite this tug-of -war, Del. Shewell achieved passage of the bill in her subcommittee, her committee, and on the House floor.)

Is it any wonder that Haines and Shewell have not endorsed Stocksdale or Krebs, but have done the opposite by endorsing their opponents? This police issue will surface again.

Delegate Stocksdale had no personally sponsored bills passed in the last 4 years. Her excuse at the League of Women Voters’ Forum was that it is difficult for a Republican to pass a bill in the House controlled by Democrats. Why then were the other three Delegates able to pass multiple bills under the same conditions?

In lieu of passing bills, Stocksdale touts her constituent service, but fails to say that all Delegates provide constituent service with the assistance of a legislative aide and legislative liaisons in all departments of state government. Giving good constituent service is just part of performing her job.

For these and other reasons, I will vote for new leadership in District 5A and recommend it in District 9B.

Ralph Shewell

Westminster, MD 21158

[20100903 b Shewell LTE why I cant support two incumbents.docx]

Editor’s note: If you have a letter to the editor that you would like to submit to Soundtrack, please e-mail it to kevindayhoff@gmail.com

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