Vote Early, Vote Often

The Maryland General Assembly is once again considering legislation that encourages illegal activity. Democratic legislators from Baltimore County have introduced several bills that encourage voter fraud.

Earlier today the Maryland Senate passed legislation on a party-line vote to roll back the one and three-year ban on voting for convicted felons. Under current law, first-time offenders can vote one year after they have completed their jail time and any probation. Felons convicted more than once and convicted of more serious crimes must wait three years after jail time and any probation. Prior to these waiting periods enacted in 2002, felons could not vote at all, so to argue as the Democrats do, that felons have been disenfranchised or do not have the right to vote is absurd - they can vote once their waiting period expires.

Democrats want to go even further and allow early voting without and identification provisions. This legislation would create an environment ripe for "vote early, vote often" abuse. Voters could vote in the days leading up to election day, and again on election day without providing any identification and the pollworkers without any indication the voter has already cast his/her ballot.

What Democrats neglect to mention is that early voting already exists. It's called an Absentee Ballot. Voters may simply request via USPS, email or telephone an absentee ballot and it will arrive with their regular mail in a few days, eliminating the need for a special trip.

Stay tuned for developments on these issues and other tricks Democrats will employ to ensure the results of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections don't happen again. By any means necessary will they work to ensure they have votes for victory.

Smoking Ban

I am incredibly outraged at our leaders in the county and Annapolis City government who continue to support such horrid legislation to ban smoking in restaurants. While I do not encourage the habit of smoking, it is most certainly not the place of government to involve themselves in such matters.

For a collection of conservative-minded people that support the ban, they must have bumped their heads to even acknowledge the government has a role to play in the matter. It is terrible to think what the government will next try to legislate, perhaps our choice of clothing will be a matter of public health, which requires immediate and extreme intervention by the government.

This is legislation is deplorable and counter-productive to attracting businesses - the economic engines of communities - to Maryland. I hope these legislators realize the mistake they are making with their support of legislation to ban smoking. This is a business decision best left to the business owner, not a bureaucrat.

Annapolis High School

It has been widely covered in the print media that AA Co. Superintendent Kevin Maxwell has required Annapolis High teachers and staff to reapply for their positions July 1, 2007.

This decision, made in hopes of improving test scores to at or above federally mandated levels, widely misses the mark. Maxwell has in fact blamed the teachers for the failure of a minority of students at AHS to pass federal standards. Students and parents must also bear responsibility too.

Though doubtful, I hope Maxwell will reconsider this failed policy. Otherwise many good students will miss out on many great teachers.