Gunpowder Chronicle posted on November 5, 2008 8:38 PM | Rating:
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Martin Watcher details the inside baseball over Baltimore County's rejection of question of Question A, a Charter Amendment that would have removed the prohibition on council members holding state jobs while serving on the County Council. I think my fellow citizens of Baltimore County should be applauded for their clear decision making on this Amendment.
Never should public employees be able "double dip". I've been against this for years -- calling out legislators like Norm Conway (D-Wicomico) who collect both a pension from the school board, a salary from the State (as a legislator), and reimbursement for using his own living room as a "district office". I personally don't think that any legislator at any level should be able to hold a public service job -- teacher, county employee, etc.
What's my issue? I don't believe that a permanent political class is in the best interest of any citizen, and I believe that county councilmen and state legislators should be citizen legislators -- not career legislators. Just to be fair, I think the reason that Congress is such a walking, talking clusterfuck is that your average representative is so removed from the civitas that they have no concept of the impact of the laws they pass.
This is a good move. And Baltimore County citizens should be vigilant against future efforts of the council to entrench themselves and take care of their own futures at the expense of the county.