The Battle of Little Orleans and House Bill 335

[John Michael Davis]

How?

Read the latest census at census.gov where the county is getter older and the population of children shrunk. Put them together and you'll get what I mean on your How question.

[JB]

Mr Valentine,

I am very surprised that you are posting in this thread. I spoke my piece earlier in this thread and now feel compelled to expand.  It boggles my mind that you are in favor of HB335 since you are an ALLEGANY County Commissioner.  Without getting into specifics you cannot escape the fact that you testified in support of a bill that sends Allegany County Taxpayer dollars to Washington Co.  Make no mistake about it, Allegany County will lose money! This bill will not pass because Senator Edwards and Delegate Beitzell will not allow it, hence the 1447 bill but more on that later.  I would very much like for you to explain why the County Commissioners are in support of this bill.  Number one issue I described above. Number 2; this is a BOE decision and nobody else.  If the Allegany County Electorate thinks they made a mistake they then they will be voted out of office. Reference the County Commissioners/Sheriff debacle that is pretty much why you are in office.  Please explain why you can attempt to dictate policy to the BOE but it is an Electoral sin to dictate to the Sheriff.  If I had a child in the Allegany County system I would feel even stronger on this issue.  Let me put it this way: continuing to pay tuition to Washington Co will eliminate something from the Allegany Co system. If my child missed out on an afterschool program, outdoor program, couldn't learn from the latest technology, or couldn't participate in the arts I would be extremely unhappy.  This issue hits directly at home for me because I lived consolidation for the reasons that I just stated.

Onto HB 1447:

You are very confused over what this bill means and how it works as was I when I first read it.  The wording is very confusing.  This bill is most definitely the Garrett exemption that has been talked about on here.  The wording is the exact same that Garrett County used to phase in the students they had attending AlCo schools.  The word 'certain' is used in place of Garrett or Allegany.  My guess is that Beitzell was forced into this bill because of 335.  Had that bill passed as it was Garrett county would have lost many students to AlCo schools.  This would have devastated them financially.  1447 eliminates that possibility and thus is the Garrett exemption.  We are now left with a statewide bill that only impacts Allegany County negatively.  To twist the knife even further this whole mess was at least perpetuated and at most caused by our own Commissioners.  Yet again, Allegany County looks like morons!

I will be anxiously waiting your explanation of why this is in Allegany County's best interest to support either of these bills.

[Candidate]

It boils down to one elected body telling another elected body what to do, or at least trying too. If parents in Allegany County can send their kids to Washington County, and parents in Garrett County can send their kids to Allegany County, then it will balance things a little. However, what adjoining county is going to send their kids to Garrett County? When Delegate Beitzel was talked in to supporting the bill, I bet he didn't think about that, because Garrett County will lose students to Allegany County. Commissioner Valentine told me, under this bill, parents will have a choice, they can send their kids to schools within their county/district, or send them across county lines, and the receiving county will pay transportation cost.

[JB]

Tim, are you referring to HB 1447?  That bill does not give residents a choice. It is a 'grandfather' clause bill.  It simply grandfathers in the current students(which has already happened for the high school kids) as we'll as their siblings if they happen to be the same school system.  The only 'choice' in 1447 iss that of the BoE to decide that they do not want to transport students to their home county.

Once the siblings have graduated this bill will have run it's course.  I don't think Beitzell had to be talked into this bill.  My guess is He told Myers he would not support 335 due to the Garrett County ramifications but then he presented Myers with this language.  Again, 1447 is the language used by the Garrett Count BOE to bring their kids back several years ago.  Delegate Beitzell happened to be a Garrett County Commissioner at that time...

[Dynamo]

Is the Allegany County BOE paying to provide transportation of LO students to Hancock? If so, maybe it's time to reconsider that.

Students get out of district permits within Allegany County, but they have to provide their own transportation.

[illuminati]

Yes

Breaking news this county will still lose money in funding regardless because student enrollment is still going down the toliet. Now back to your regular programming

Back to your regular programming?

How about JMD's  "Same .Bat.crap. Time ... Same .Bat.crap. Channel?

[Maeve]

 What is this, the political section now?

[Rob]

What is this, the political section now?

Yes. Local Politics.

[avatar]

Mr. Valentine - perhaps Mac needs someone to read the Bill to her? Come on - as an elected official try to show a little class and some dignity. Personal rancor will advance nothing. If you lived anywhere in the county outside of the Little Orleans area you would never advocate such legislative nonsense. This is not the sort of program you presented when I voted for you in the last election. Your focus was on the economy - not on causing more divisions between governmental bodies and also between communities. As others have stated here - it is ironic that micromanaging of the Sheriff's office by the preceding group of County Commissioners paved your way to your election victory. Now in office you attempt the same type of overreaching actions by working to control the separately elected Board of Education. If your home were in Westernport and you were a County Commissioner at the time of earlier school consolidations - would you have worked to prevent them from happening? Would Bruce High School be here in 2012 thanks to you? Since you want to be both Commissioner and School Board member - do you support the past decisions of the Board of Education to consolidate schools? Can we expect a return of Flintstone and Oldtown High Schools if you are reelected to your present - as you see it - post of Commissioner/School Board Member?

[Beefcake]

Mr. Valentine - perhaps Mac needs someone to read the Bill to her? Come on - as an elected official try to show a little class and some dignity. Personal rancor will advance nothing. If you lived anywhere in the county outside of the Little Orleans area you would never advocate such legislative nonsense. This is not the sort of program you presented when I voted for you in the last election. Your focus was on the economy - not on causing more divisions between governmental bodies and also between communities. As others have stated here - it is ironic that micromanaging of the Sheriff's office by the preceding group of County Commissioners paved your way to your election victory. Now in office you attempt the same type of overreaching actions by working to control the separately elected Board of Education. If your home were in Westernport and you were a County Commissioner at the time of earlier school consolidations - would you have worked to prevent them from happening? Would Bruce High School be here in 2012 thanks to you? Since you want to be both Commissioner and School Board member - do you support the past decisions of the Board of Education to consolidate schools? Can we expect a return of Flintstone and Oldtown High Schools if you are reelected to your present - as you see it - post of Commissioner/School Board Member?

Avatar...good post

[Dynamo]

Didn't Commissioner Valentine, along with the other Commissioners, support Tom Marsh's position on school consolidation/deconsolidation with the members of the western Maryland delegation?

[cici.chick]

<<<< agrees with avatar

[U2]

God forbid anything ever changes in this county. 

[avatar]

There is change in our county. Change can be for the better or for the worse. Unfortunately most of the change we experience here is not good. Speaking as a voter who supported Mr. Valentine in the last election and who is  very disappointed - I hope we can pin down future candidates to specific positions on the truly important issues and problems that confront us. What perplexes me is that Mr. Valentine seemed to be focused on economic development. He was very open to interacting with people on cumberland chat. There was no sign that he and the other new commissioner candidates would try to return to past school consolidation issues - seek to overturn Board of Ed decisions concerning sending county students to other counties - introduce religious controversy into commission meetings. All of these actions have opened or reopened community wounds and have further divided us. This "bait and switch" practice almost causes one to lose faith in democracy. Could it be that once candidates are elected they appreciate the magnitude of our economic development problems and so misdirect attentions to other issues because of lack of ideas and solutions for our central challenges?

[U2]

Everybody got all caught up in the hype regarding Sheriff Goad. We obviously have and had other issues. We are now stuck with three unqualified commissioners. Two of whom seem to be fighting for attention to see who can make a bigger nincompoop out if themselves. It's a close contest.

[Dynamo]

I can't agree with your "bait and switch" allegation, Avatar. All 3 Commissioners have been pretty consistent.

[John Michael Davis]

I can't agree with your "bait and switch" allegation, Avatar. All 3 Commissioners have been pretty consistent.

So far as I recall the voters did bait and switch from One President to another. I also read it isn't turning out so great.