53 beers on tap

Baby Ruth dropped in the bottom of the pool club bill

Everyone, I'm sure, remembers this epic scene from the movie "Caddyshack"!

As is reported in Sun FISHWRAP (and I do mean FISHWRAP!!!), specifically this article, the tax credit bill to benefit local private pool clubs has been struck down, in order for the Council to enter into further study on this topic.

As I have written previously, I think all pools in the county need top operate on the same economic footing, so whatever way can be created for the outside of CA clubs to be able to compete ably with the CA pools, I'm in favor of it!

Of course, given my druthers, I'd rather see these private clubs be given tax incentives for improving their physical plants, upgrading their amenities, rather than tax breaks just for being there and for the sake of leveling the playing field.

Not sure how long it'll be before new legislation is considered on this topic; my guess is that it won't be considered again until the new legislative year begins in January.  My hope is for a bill that paints an economic reality for the private swim clubs along the lines of what I describe above.

School's in!

For any of you (andwere there any?) who thought that the HoCo could be the site of a teacher's strike that delays the start of the school year... think again!  This article discusses the accord that the county has reached with the teacher's union.

I don't understand why there was an impasse.  From the article it doesn't exactly seem like tough issues were addressed.  Or at least issues I consider tough.  Like, I don't know, performance?

Instead, the usual suspects were the topics of negotiations-- compensation, hours, working conditions.  I guess evaluations were addressed, but evaluationsand performance are different things.

I think I'm going to try to attend the School Board meetring on August 18 for the ratification of this agreement.  Been meaning to hit a board meeting forawhile anyway.  This could be fun.

That was fast! Welcome Corner Stable!

How long has Michael's been closed, like three months?  This article says Michael's closed in March but I thought it was April or maybe even May.

Anyway, the owners of The Corner Stable, a Cockeysville bar and restaurant, have had a liquor license approved for the Michael's site, for the purposes of establishing a second Corner Stable location.

My response:  Hoooray!!!

For those who say that they're "disappointed" that it's "only" another bar and not something "unique", my advice: go get a small business loan and go start your House of Goulash and Biscotti.  Otherwise, do try to give a new local business a chance-- in fact more than one chance-- to be successful.  The village centers are important and these restaurants are siginificant anchors.

Policing the Council

I don't like that this is happening, but it's necessary.

So an armed member of HoCo's finest is attending County Council public meetings now, as reported in this article.  It's an appropriate move given the times.

I don't buy the argument that having a police officer there is going to intimidate someone to the extent that they don't attend a Council hearing about something they care passionately about.  Uniformed, armed police have been known to attend many a Council hearing as observers or if I recall correctly, participants.  (Of course they're off duty.) So what's the big deal about having an on-duty cop around?

Unfortunately there are way too many nutballs out there who are ill-tempered and just goofy enough to do something foolish.  If that, God forbid, were ever to happen at a Council meeting at least there would be help nearby.  And yes, I know the police station is right next door.  I mean immediate help.

No one's saying that Howard County's going to become the next site of some freak taking shots at public servants.  But it's a possibility to be aware of and to take steps towards preventing.

School board diversity

So this article discusses County Executive Ulman's plan to appoint an advisory board to study the reasons why there is a lack of racial diversity on the Howard County School Board, and to issue recommendations to improve diversity.

Some months back there was a lively discussion about the lack of diversity on Columbia's village boards.  One of the points made was that minority candidates don't run for the village boards.  Such can't be said for the School Board.  And it wasn't that long ago that the School Board lost its only minority member when Pat Gordon retired.

Larry Walker was a fine candidate who ran and lost last election, who happened to be a minority candidate.  But it's hard for a School Board candidate to win the first time they run.  Several of the current board members-- if memory serves, Giles, Aquino, Vaillaincourt, Dyer, and Siddiqui-- lost the first time they ran for the board.  It's tough, especially since it's a countywide race.

Incidentally, in order to increase diversity on the board, electing members by district would be the way to go.  Recall that I've espoused electing School Board members by district in an earlier post.  The HoCo isn't brimming with minority office holders who have been elected countywide, save for a Judge of the Orphan's Court.

I hope also that this commission will also not read "minority" as "African American".  The county needs to look at other ethnic groups as well, also geographic and age diversity.

Ultimately, though, I'm not sure this issue of School Board diversity is "solvable".  It can be addressed, but if a solution involves some sort of mandate, then I have a problem with that.  The voters of Howard County-- be they by district or countywide-- must elect the best candidates.  Period.

Baltimore one step closer to being totally slotty???

Interesting article about the clusterbuck that has become bringing a slots parlor to Baltimore City.  Looks like now a developer is working with none other than MGM in order to win the license to build the Baltimore slots parlor on a currently undeveloped lot south of M&T Bank Stadium.

I will say that at least bringing in gaming professionals, like a MGM, Caesar's, etc. helps ensure that the project will be done right.  On the other hand, I still hate the entire idea of the locations of the slots being so narrowly defined.  Still seems to me like the logical place for slots in Baltimore remains Pimlico Race Course.  Then again, there's the Paterakis shrine to casino gambling also called the Marriott Waterfront Hotel.  Both of these locations would be far more suitable locations for a slots parlor.

I still have yet to make my pilgrimage to the Hollywood Slots in Perryville, though I will be getting a baptism of sorts in casino gambling in the United States in a few weeks?  What may that be, you ask?  More on that later.

DREAM act petition signatures certified-- your thoughts?

Yesterday I spoke about a very possible referendum on a same-sex marriage bill that will likely pass and be enacted in 2012.  As I mentioned yesterday, the DREAM Act (aka the in-state tuition for illegal immigrants bill) will be going to referendum in 2012.  Here is the article in the Gazette about it, written by none other than Patuxent Publishing alumna Sarah Brietenbach.

I don't have a strong opinion on this one way or the other.  I would like to know instead, what do you, the 53 Beers reading public, think about this legislation and the coming referendum!

So have at it, everyone!  What do you think?

Coming January, 2012: same-sex marriage 2!!!

Since this is the time of year where the public's attention turns to sequels ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2") and prequels of a sort ("Captain America: the First Avenger" serves as a prequel to "The Avengers") then this article must be of interest.   Governor O'Malley is going to consider same-sex marriage as a legislative priority for the 2012 General Assembly Session, and will be using the power of his office to get the bill passed.

OK, so this is good.  But I have to say that my first reaction is, "well, what took you do damn long"?  If O'Malley had put his political heft behind the billlast year, I dare say it would've passed.  It almost did pass, except for a couple lily-livered Democratic delegates who flew the coop on supporting the bill at the last minute.

One could say that by not supporting the bill in 2011, but by supporting it in 2012, when it will almost certainly pass, O'Malley avoided a potential conservative hey-day in Maryland in the form of a double referendum.  Of course there will be the referendum on the illegal immigrant tuition bill in 2012.  Had same-sex marriage had passed in 2011, that issue would've almost certainly brought a referendum as well.  And the right wing would've had a lot of fun fighting both bills at the same time.  So much so that they may have taken a lot of Democratic rank and file voters, and possibly some elected officials, with them.

As it stands, by passing the same-sex marriage bill in 2012, should a referndum petition drive ensue (a near certainty), the referendum would not occur until 2014...hmm, a nice present for O'Malley to leave the next Democratic nominee for Governor, and he'll possibly be running to succeed a retiring US Senator Barbara Mikulski.  As if 2014 won't be an interesting enough election year in Maryland!

With various candidates already gladhanding and organizing across the state, the 2014 election season has already begun.  But with this development, Maryland politics over the next three years will become infinitely more fascinating.

Buh-bye, Borders

This development sucks, but I have to say, I thought it was going to happen when the company started closing stores late last year.

I like Barnes and Noble a lot, and I'm glad that there's one in the HoCo.  But I LOVE Borders.  Not sure exactly why.  For me, I guess the store's layout is more intuitive for me, making it easier for me to find what I want than at B&N.

Of course, you know what this means?  Bookstore monopoly in the HoCo!  Seriously, what's the next closest competitor to B&N in the local market?  Daedalus?  Doesn't seem to be exactly the same market.  Any ideas on this?

Although I don't mind the 10-minute schlep to B&N-- no real difference than my 10-minute schlep to Borders-- I'm going to miss Borders.  If for no other reason, my wife's no longer going to get those Borders rewards points.

Hey Allen! Thanks for all the fish! You're beautiful, babe!

I really wondered whether or not to even write this post.  Because I really have tired of all the attention this man has received.  He has moved far beyond usefulness; he has moved beyond being a subject of ridicule, even a caricature of his own self.  He has become pathetic and it's really become embarrassing.

In case you haven't seen it yet, I'm referring to this article in the poor excuse for Charmin called the Baltimore Sun.  Although I'm certain this story was submitted via scanned PDF from the original written in green crayon, it captures, unfortunately vividly, the actions of one Mr. Allen Dyer during a recent School Board meeting.

I'll allow the reader to read the article and get the details.  But safe to say Allen was more interested in finding friends in the audience, acting up so the other School Board members would get upset at him, and then pointing his fingers back at the other board members and telling the audience, "See, THEY'RE the nasty ones!  Aren't they mean to me???"  And there were people in the audience who I'm sure bought the hype.  Not everyone, though, not by a long shot.  And thank heavens for that.

I'm so happy to read in the article that the State board of education has turfed the Howard board's request to have Allen Dyer removed to some administrative law judge.  Thanks goodness for swift decision making here.  I guess it's the appropriate manner to dispatch with this case.  I hope it is.  Because otherwise I think a bureaucratic solution to get rid of this blight really does a disservice.

I will say this: the field of candidates for the 2012 School Board race should be top quality.  NOT!  With this nonsense taking the air out of the election I can't understand why anyone even remotely competent or capable would want to run for the position.  The campaign will be a circus (recall that Allen Dyer would have to stand for election in 2012) and real education issues will be marginalized.  So that will leave more of Allen's ilk to seek the office.  Dandy!

With a lot of people in county government supportive of Allen Dyer's being shown the door, maybe someone in Annapolis could be made to make the administrative law practice move faster.  Just saying.