Some people just don't know when to quit. According to this story by Larry Carson in The Sun, Russ Swatek and his merry band of ill-contents, Taxpayers Against Giveaways, refuse to concede defeat oin their failed effort to subject the Town Center redevelopment legislation to a county wide referendum in November. Since the Board of Elections, in compliance with state law, rejected 39% of the signatures they submitted, Russ “has asked for a review in Circuit Court, he said, and will seek federal court relief, too.”
I predict that this will end the same way the other challenges to the referendum law have, nowhere.
Give it up Russ, it’s over.
Daily
17 hours ago
10 comments:
Who is funding this folly?
And,really, why?
But, alas this action does not surprise me.
Russ couldn't succeed in hurting the taxpayers by killing the redevelopment so now he'll cost us money with his stupid lawsuits.
Until you embrace democracy and support the right of every citizen to avail themselves of their Constitutional right to vote and their County Charter guaranteed right to referendum, people will continue to fight for their rights. Whether the TAG or Turf Valley referendum passes or fails is irrelevant.
A key litmus test for all state and local candidates should be what they have done in the past year to restore the democratic ideals that are the foundation of our government.
Where are the bleeding heart Ds and goose stepping Rs when it comes to protecting our rights. I hope they're practicing their tap dances for the fall campaign.
If the Turf Valley Referendum can't make it, and they had many more signatures and a stronger case, Russ and Alan and Liz won't make it happen on the TAG thing. Especially since it's an election year and Liz needs her Dem buddies, she will abandon the anti-everything folks so she can seem more moderate and reasonable.
Exactly right Bob, and anon 1 31. We'll see how happy voters are come November.
"Anonymous said...
Exactly right Bob, and anon 1 31. We'll see how happy voters are come November.
May 09, 2010 6:55 AM"
I feel that sane voters in Ellicott City and Columbia and those in Elkridge, the Southwest, and West will influence the outcome of the fall elections more than the lunatic fringe of Columbia and Turf Valley.
What has Russ done to make Long Reach a better place over the last year? While he has been losing at TAG, Long Reach has had no representation at CA.
Take off your blinders. Russ was part of a TAG effort that produced (and submitted to the BoE) more than the 5,000 signatures required for referendum.
It's now up to the courts. We'll see how many times the MD justices want to go on record denying citizens the right to petition and vote.
Despite Ed Kasemeyer's best efforts, the Governor and legislative leaders of both parties (including Team 13 and Alan Kittleman) have proven their ineptitude and impotence to restore our rights.
Where have the County Executive, Councilmen and both County parties been in lobbying to protect their constituents? Absent and Clueless.
Ultimately, the Federal courts will restore democracy to MD when the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals issues it decision later this year.
@wb "merry band of ill-contents"
They seem more to be "contents", happy, like most of Columbia's residents with the way things are, the way Columbia was originally planned to be, and the way the Charette had called for Columbia to progress in far more moderate ways still true to Columbia's vision. My impression of who's on the "ill-content" side of this equation are those who stand to profit substantially by calling for Columbia's Village of Town Center to be illogically congested to the community's and taxpayers' detriment.
@Anon 8:38pm "hurting the taxpayers by killing the redevelopment so now he'll cost us money"
Oh, I think the taxpayers stand to lose far more from this giveaway that will place numerous and substantial ongoing burdens on the public at large to foot the bill for increased density's infrastructure demands and attempting to resolve unplanned impacts in a reactive, after-the-fact mode. And, yes, it is a giveaway when up-zoning increased density actions drastically increase land valuations but fail to require adherence to existing adequate public facility requirements. Russ et al's actions stand to save us huge sums and would reacquire for us the ability to pursue the good and moderate changes actually called for by the Charette consensuses.
@Anon 6:50am "will abandon the anti-everything folks"
I see the TAG folks, not as anti-everything, but as people who do want good, safe, and timely transportation, and sane school planning and capacity, do want us to keep our promise of preserving Columbia's open spaces, and to protect county taxpayers from increased tax burdens down the road.
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