Thursday, June 29, 2006
Jan Gardner: "Back by popular demand!"
Yesterday, along with a few dozen other supporters, I went to hear Commissioner Gardner speak on the steps of Winchester Hall.
Like everyone else there, other than Jan and John Gardner, I came not knowing if she was going to announce that she was going to run for a third consecutive term on the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners, or if she was going to tell us that eight years of very hard work on the board was enough for her.
I was very glad for the county, and grateful to Jan, when, a few minutes into her speech, she shared her decision to run!
Below, I have posted:
• The text of Jan's announcement speech.
• A slightly edited version of something I posted on the Frederick News Post online forums back in April, right after Cliff Cumber mentioned (in the News Post) it was likely that Jan wouldn't be running again.
• The eloquent words of another participant in the online forums, a woman (anonymous here) who has observed the Board of County Commissioners closely for a number of years (a Republican, by the way).
• The articles about Jan's announcement from the Frederick News Post and the Gazette.
Text of Jan's announcement speech on Wednesday, June 28, 2006:
I have spent considerable time debating my decision to run for re-election. I have focused on two key questions.
1. What am I meant to do?
2. What do I want to do?
I believe I am "called" to public service. I feel very privileged to be able to help others and can think of no more meaningful work than making the community a better place to live. The job is incredibly interesting and diverse. I have been able to observe the best human beings have to offer each other and also the worst. Many of the decisions and accomplishments of the last 8 years that have been most important are those that the public does not even see or discuss to any great extent. Helping solve a pressing problem for an individual person or family can be very gratifying. We do have individual people in our community that need the arms of the larger community to wrap around them and help them to move forward. Broader accomplishments such as the NACO prescription discount card program, the IPP ag preservation program, MPDUs (Moderately Priced Dwelling Units) and individual projects like the decision to re-invest in the Emmitsburg Community Center, the decision to build a new CNH (Citizen's nursing home), the reinvestment and expansion of our library system, stand as real positives for the community with long term impacts that will stand the test of time and make a substantive difference in the quality of life of Frederick County residents. These are the good things accomplished by government.
I ran for office initially out of a passion for education and education will always be my passion. I believe the future of our country and our economy will rest on our ability to focus and prepare our youth to compete in the global workforce. I have been proud to play a significant role in the acceleration of school construction, the purchase and replacement of school technology, and my support for teachers who do the heavy lifting in our schools to shape the next generation and prepare them for the challenges of adult life.
In April of this year, I was absolutely totally consumed with grief and emotion at the majority decision to eviscerate the county's school provisions to the schools test under the APFO by allowing Land Stewards a special exception. I pray every day that the BOE will have the strength and fortitude to not compromise the county's 100 % standard of adequacy. Lowering standards and expectations is never the right thing to do. It will not serve us well over time and will undo our progress in school construction. We need to embrace developer offers to construct schools but we need to define the terms and conditions - rather than allow people from out of state who do not necessarily share our community's priorities to set the rules. This decision reflects a void of leadership. We have ceded a role and responsibility that was ours to others.
At the point of this vote, I felt a strong personal need to step away and wash my hands of this decision. I cannot own it or be part of it. My emotional anguish was surprising, even to me, because I am used to not winning every vote or every decision.
I am happy to say I have recovered and will press on to make sure this deal and all future school construction deals are in the best interest of the citizens of the county.
2. Is this the job I want to do?
Life is short. God has granted us a short time on earth. We all have to decide how to best use that time and how to strike a balance among all our interests, our life's work, our families, children, parents and the things we enjoy. We are fortunate to have lots of choices. I am turning 50 this year and have given a lot of thought to what I want to do next.
I have spent a disproportionate amount of time over the past 8 years working as a county commissioner. While some people may not agree with my decisions, there are few who question my work ethic. The job of county commissioner is not part time - it is not even full time - it is all the time. The job becomes consuming and it can take over your life. My husband can attest t the fact that I have often sat up at night worrying about a decision before the commissioners and contemplating all the ramifications of the outcome of the decision. I worry about my kids like most moms and I also worry about the county. I care about what happens in Frederick County and I care about the future.
I am very committed to the work. I always want to do work that matters, is meaningful, and makes a difference.
I believe that Frederick County has been blessed and that most of what is happening in our community is positive - we have an excellent educational system, downtown Frederick is booming and vibrant, and we have a good quality of life. We do have some challenges.
The topic of interest in this election seems focused on residential growth. The county will grow - the focus should be on doing it well, pacing the growth with the county's ability to provide infrastructure and services and not shifting the cost of development to the taxpayers but making sure growth pays its way. We cannot have a "free for all". We need to revisit the New Market Region Plan and make it sensible. We need to eliminate any exceptions to the APFO and make it fair. The County Commissioners need to provide leadership to make sure that growth happens on the terms of county leadership rather than on the terms of those proposing projects. We have unfortunately allowed the developers to provide the leadership on how and when growth happens and this is not in the best interest of the community.
Since Joe Volz wrote his column about my anguished decision to not run for re-election, I have heard from literally hundreds of citizens thanking me for my service and encouraging me to run for office. I have had anonymous gifts of flowers, voice mails and cards. Needless to say, I feel the love and support of the community.
It takes three to make county government work for the good of the community and use its power for progress. I am hopeful that the electorate will choose a board of commissioners that will be kinder and gentler and a board that will be more responsive to citizen input and he desires of the community. I believe the community needs experienced leadership, caring leadership, a voice of reason and balance, and progressive thinking with a focus on using the power of local government to empower people and make good things happen.
I have decided to run for re-election and basically come "back by popular demand".
I want to work to build consensus on the "growth" issue and shift the rhetoric to reality so we can have a reasonable pace of growth linked with our financial ability to support it. If we do not control our growth, we will be unable to control our budget. The two are linked.
I want to strengthen the APFO - eliminate the special exemption for particular applicants and I want to add public safety provisions.
I want to engage the public and empower them to participate in the process. As a citizen activist, I am very aware of community concern that the average citizen is being ignored. I want to represent the interest of the average citizen rather than special interests.
I want to make sure the complicated developer funded school construction offers and process is done well with clear benefit to the community.
I want the elected leadership fo the county to be in charge of what happens here and to write the laws rather than ceding that responsibility to others.
I want to finish the progress that has begun on affordable housing issues.
I want to discuss the possibility of science and technology high schools or middles schools in the County.
I want to have a positive future for the community. It will take three votes. There are 5 people I know running for responsible, sensible growth management. There are at least 4 people running who will support education - Dick, Kai, David G., and me. There are people in the queue running who will represent the average person. I trust the electorate to make the right choices and create a positive change I am depending upon it and I want to be part of it.
I am running for office to assure a progressive and positive future. I want to be the voice of reason and represent the perspective of average citizens, represent the perspective of women, and make a meaningful difference in the community.
Thank you for attending. I look forward to your support and will look to those who told me they wanted me to run to support my effort to be re-elected.
1. What am I meant to do?
2. What do I want to do?
I believe I am "called" to public service. I feel very privileged to be able to help others and can think of no more meaningful work than making the community a better place to live. The job is incredibly interesting and diverse. I have been able to observe the best human beings have to offer each other and also the worst. Many of the decisions and accomplishments of the last 8 years that have been most important are those that the public does not even see or discuss to any great extent. Helping solve a pressing problem for an individual person or family can be very gratifying. We do have individual people in our community that need the arms of the larger community to wrap around them and help them to move forward. Broader accomplishments such as the NACO prescription discount card program, the IPP ag preservation program, MPDUs (Moderately Priced Dwelling Units) and individual projects like the decision to re-invest in the Emmitsburg Community Center, the decision to build a new CNH (Citizen's nursing home), the reinvestment and expansion of our library system, stand as real positives for the community with long term impacts that will stand the test of time and make a substantive difference in the quality of life of Frederick County residents. These are the good things accomplished by government.
I ran for office initially out of a passion for education and education will always be my passion. I believe the future of our country and our economy will rest on our ability to focus and prepare our youth to compete in the global workforce. I have been proud to play a significant role in the acceleration of school construction, the purchase and replacement of school technology, and my support for teachers who do the heavy lifting in our schools to shape the next generation and prepare them for the challenges of adult life.
In April of this year, I was absolutely totally consumed with grief and emotion at the majority decision to eviscerate the county's school provisions to the schools test under the APFO by allowing Land Stewards a special exception. I pray every day that the BOE will have the strength and fortitude to not compromise the county's 100 % standard of adequacy. Lowering standards and expectations is never the right thing to do. It will not serve us well over time and will undo our progress in school construction. We need to embrace developer offers to construct schools but we need to define the terms and conditions - rather than allow people from out of state who do not necessarily share our community's priorities to set the rules. This decision reflects a void of leadership. We have ceded a role and responsibility that was ours to others.
At the point of this vote, I felt a strong personal need to step away and wash my hands of this decision. I cannot own it or be part of it. My emotional anguish was surprising, even to me, because I am used to not winning every vote or every decision.
I am happy to say I have recovered and will press on to make sure this deal and all future school construction deals are in the best interest of the citizens of the county.
2. Is this the job I want to do?
Life is short. God has granted us a short time on earth. We all have to decide how to best use that time and how to strike a balance among all our interests, our life's work, our families, children, parents and the things we enjoy. We are fortunate to have lots of choices. I am turning 50 this year and have given a lot of thought to what I want to do next.
I have spent a disproportionate amount of time over the past 8 years working as a county commissioner. While some people may not agree with my decisions, there are few who question my work ethic. The job of county commissioner is not part time - it is not even full time - it is all the time. The job becomes consuming and it can take over your life. My husband can attest t the fact that I have often sat up at night worrying about a decision before the commissioners and contemplating all the ramifications of the outcome of the decision. I worry about my kids like most moms and I also worry about the county. I care about what happens in Frederick County and I care about the future.
I am very committed to the work. I always want to do work that matters, is meaningful, and makes a difference.
I believe that Frederick County has been blessed and that most of what is happening in our community is positive - we have an excellent educational system, downtown Frederick is booming and vibrant, and we have a good quality of life. We do have some challenges.
The topic of interest in this election seems focused on residential growth. The county will grow - the focus should be on doing it well, pacing the growth with the county's ability to provide infrastructure and services and not shifting the cost of development to the taxpayers but making sure growth pays its way. We cannot have a "free for all". We need to revisit the New Market Region Plan and make it sensible. We need to eliminate any exceptions to the APFO and make it fair. The County Commissioners need to provide leadership to make sure that growth happens on the terms of county leadership rather than on the terms of those proposing projects. We have unfortunately allowed the developers to provide the leadership on how and when growth happens and this is not in the best interest of the community.
Since Joe Volz wrote his column about my anguished decision to not run for re-election, I have heard from literally hundreds of citizens thanking me for my service and encouraging me to run for office. I have had anonymous gifts of flowers, voice mails and cards. Needless to say, I feel the love and support of the community.
It takes three to make county government work for the good of the community and use its power for progress. I am hopeful that the electorate will choose a board of commissioners that will be kinder and gentler and a board that will be more responsive to citizen input and he desires of the community. I believe the community needs experienced leadership, caring leadership, a voice of reason and balance, and progressive thinking with a focus on using the power of local government to empower people and make good things happen.
I have decided to run for re-election and basically come "back by popular demand".
I want to work to build consensus on the "growth" issue and shift the rhetoric to reality so we can have a reasonable pace of growth linked with our financial ability to support it. If we do not control our growth, we will be unable to control our budget. The two are linked.
I want to strengthen the APFO - eliminate the special exemption for particular applicants and I want to add public safety provisions.
I want to engage the public and empower them to participate in the process. As a citizen activist, I am very aware of community concern that the average citizen is being ignored. I want to represent the interest of the average citizen rather than special interests.
I want to make sure the complicated developer funded school construction offers and process is done well with clear benefit to the community.
I want the elected leadership fo the county to be in charge of what happens here and to write the laws rather than ceding that responsibility to others.
I want to finish the progress that has begun on affordable housing issues.
I want to discuss the possibility of science and technology high schools or middles schools in the County.
I want to have a positive future for the community. It will take three votes. There are 5 people I know running for responsible, sensible growth management. There are at least 4 people running who will support education - Dick, Kai, David G., and me. There are people in the queue running who will represent the average person. I trust the electorate to make the right choices and create a positive change I am depending upon it and I want to be part of it.
I am running for office to assure a progressive and positive future. I want to be the voice of reason and represent the perspective of average citizens, represent the perspective of women, and make a meaningful difference in the community.
Thank you for attending. I look forward to your support and will look to those who told me they wanted me to run to support my effort to be re-elected.
Posted by Kai on April 21, 2006:
I've been wondering and worrying about whether Jan would run again since forever ago - hoping against occasional signs to the contrary that she would believe there is a real chance for a very different board and that she'd want to be a part of it.
I don't know how correct Cliff's second hand impression is, but it's not good news.
I still hope she'll run. And I still encourage everyone possible to let her know that!
Having said that, I've never had a hard time understanding her reluctance to run again.
For one thing, nobody works any harder. The hours she puts in are long, but no less significant are all the evenings and weekends that she loses, as well as the frequent trips to Annapolis, etc.
Add to that the frustration and stress of being outnumbered on a board that includes members that are often rude to her, often dismissive of her concerns, and more often than not unwilling to take the more thoughtful and detail-oriented approach she prefers and embodies.
Then include the long list of things she has advocated for fruitlessly (including improvements to the ethics ordinance, lobbying reform, and so many other things that most county residents would support, imo) or that she has fought against fruitlessly.
Top it off with the constant and often nasty personal attacks in various forms, including those from some prominent local officials, columnists, etc.
And...well...jeez. It's a lot to expect anyone to do endlessly on our behalf.
Having said all that, I believe she has been bolstered a bit by the increase in the level of active support from the community in the last year or two. And I can't help but think she has been intrigued by the thought of four years on a much different and better BOCC.
But those things, significant as they may be, don't change the "cons" that relate to the basic impact on her personal life, and, regarding the prospect of a better board, don't come with any guarantees.
Even if she believes there's an excellent chance we will elect a much different and better board, to make a decision on that basis (or, more accurately,to simply to have it be a major factor in choosing to run again) is still a gamble. If she runs, and wins (and I'm virtually certain she would), and ends up without a couple of other commissioners she could work well with, toward some important common goals, then she's committed to four more years like the last four.
Not a good prospect for her.
Not a good prospect for the rest of us, either.
Nobody could ever doubt or question Jan's commitment to the community. But, in the end, it can't be about one person...or three. We place a great additional burden on her - which I'm sure she feels - because we don't seem to have enough good, viable options.
There aren't words to fully express how much I wish she would run again.
But I hope she never is made to feel as though she has let us down if she does not.
Posted by "Joy" on April 21, 2006:I don't know how correct Cliff's second hand impression is, but it's not good news.
I still hope she'll run. And I still encourage everyone possible to let her know that!
Having said that, I've never had a hard time understanding her reluctance to run again.
For one thing, nobody works any harder. The hours she puts in are long, but no less significant are all the evenings and weekends that she loses, as well as the frequent trips to Annapolis, etc.
Add to that the frustration and stress of being outnumbered on a board that includes members that are often rude to her, often dismissive of her concerns, and more often than not unwilling to take the more thoughtful and detail-oriented approach she prefers and embodies.
Then include the long list of things she has advocated for fruitlessly (including improvements to the ethics ordinance, lobbying reform, and so many other things that most county residents would support, imo) or that she has fought against fruitlessly.
Top it off with the constant and often nasty personal attacks in various forms, including those from some prominent local officials, columnists, etc.
And...well...jeez. It's a lot to expect anyone to do endlessly on our behalf.
Having said all that, I believe she has been bolstered a bit by the increase in the level of active support from the community in the last year or two. And I can't help but think she has been intrigued by the thought of four years on a much different and better BOCC.
But those things, significant as they may be, don't change the "cons" that relate to the basic impact on her personal life, and, regarding the prospect of a better board, don't come with any guarantees.
Even if she believes there's an excellent chance we will elect a much different and better board, to make a decision on that basis (or, more accurately,to simply to have it be a major factor in choosing to run again) is still a gamble. If she runs, and wins (and I'm virtually certain she would), and ends up without a couple of other commissioners she could work well with, toward some important common goals, then she's committed to four more years like the last four.
Not a good prospect for her.
Not a good prospect for the rest of us, either.
Nobody could ever doubt or question Jan's commitment to the community. But, in the end, it can't be about one person...or three. We place a great additional burden on her - which I'm sure she feels - because we don't seem to have enough good, viable options.
There aren't words to fully express how much I wish she would run again.
But I hope she never is made to feel as though she has let us down if she does not.
Kai and RLTW, your posts were very good and very true.
I think Commissioner Gardner has gone unappreciated for too long and the stress of the uphill battles she's been fighting the past year (or two or three) is finally catching up with her.
I think the past few months have probably been the most stressful time of Commissioner Gardner's two terms. Maybe she is considering not running at this moment because of all the crap she's had to put up with lately. Can anyone blame her?
RLTW, I think you are correct... the fact is that Jan has NOT officially announced that she will not run. There has been talk circulating about her not running for months. Others who are supposedly "in the know" say that she is going to run. (The other night on Pressing Issues, one panelist confidently asserted that he was sure she would run.) All of this talk has been unofficial.
It is obvious to me that Jan Gardner has her finger on the pulse of the "wants and needs" of a super-majority of citizens in this county, Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated voters alike. We all (okay, except maybe Winston Smith) appreciate her and think she's done an outstanding job. But along the lines of what Kai just said, look at what happened with the electorate in the last election. Most ordinary citizens say they don't want growth, yet they voted a pro-growth majority into office?
Scores of people I spoke with at election time were clueless that candidates like Lovell and Cady were so pro-growth. Why? Because they used words like "managed" growth or "measured" growth, and ya have to read between the lines.
I hope to heck this will be a lesson learned for people who plan to cast their votes in the next election. I think that Jan is now severely suffering the consequences of too many people's uninformed decisions at the polls four years ago.
The simple fact of the matter is that the powerful builder/developer machine helped get Cady and Lovell into office with their money, and they're rallying the troops to do it again.
It's great that a growing number of citizens want to urge Jan to run again, but it's important to note that over the last 3 years, with the exception of a handful of citizens (like some on this forum, as well as the same few who show up at public meetings, those who email the commissioners about issues, and those who write LTEs), Jan Gardner has largely been carrying this load on her own. Every single day, she's out there fighting the good fight. She's trudging into Winchester Hall and spending 50, 60, and even 70 hours some weeks to serve the public. And for what? So she can be shot down at every turn she makes? So she can criticized and belittled by the bully who sits next to her at the table at Winchester Hall and by the powerful builder/developer machine?
Is it fair for us to beg her to run again? Four more years of spinning her wheels or even backsliding because she's in the minority? (Even though the decisions the majority is making ISN'T what the majority of citizens want?) I just think that's an awful heavy load to expect someone to be asked to carry for another 4 years. Can anyone blame Commissioner Gardner for wanting to let someone else have a turn?
I really do think it's UNfair for columnists to be making this kind of speculation about her "being adamant" about not running right now, since she hasn't officially decided what she's going to do. How many times do we get frustrated with our jobs and just want to throw our hands up in the air? Maybe she'll feel differently after a couple of weeks pass, the storm subsides, and she re-thinks her position.
I believe the filing deadline to run in this election is around July 1 or so, isn't it? There is plenty of time for her Commissioner Gardner to decide whether she wants to run again or now. How do we know that she wasn't just "venting" at the party Cliff referenced?
It's been a helluva last two weeks for her... Geez. She was among friends, not infront of a microphone!
I think people (ahem, media) need to use more care about her "decision" and not go speculating and running off at the mouth because they want to scoop another reporter or columnist.
I'm sure that the Land Stewards' APFO amendment played a big part in Commissioner Gardner's frustration this week. (For those who haven't been keeping up, that amendment basically lets Land Stewards, who is a developer from Virginia, skirt around this county's school adequacy component of the APFO by contributing what will amount to $43 million dollars over the course of many years. This "payment" allows them to build 4000 new homes in Lake Linganore over the course of the next few years.) As much as she's advocated for schools and teachers, I think the Board of Education really dropped the ball on this one. As I said in another thread, the BoE was not elected to make land use decisions. (And another thing while I'm ranting... Mike Cady is liaison to both the Planning Commission AND the Board of Education. Being the bully that he's proven himself to be many times in the past, one doesn't have to wonder too hard as to why the planning commission and BoE have made some of their decisions on these issues, does one? Mr. Cady has a reputation of making promises that go unfulfilled, and of saying that he voted for against things when, if you check the record, he's actually done the opposite. Why isn't the media digging into that?!)
Anyway, oftentimes, I believe that Commissioner Gardner has been a lone voice of reason when it comes to growth, the budget, roads, schools, libraries, as well as on a plethora of other issues. As I have mentioned time and time again here on this forum, over the years, the media, this newspaper in particular, chooses largely to ignore the all the good things Jan has done for our county. As many of you know, over the last 7 years, I've watched hundreds and hundreds of public hearings, worksessions, planning commission meetings, etc. Time and time again, I have seen that the media chosen to focus on hyperbole from her fellow board members and the big builder/developer machine.
Here's an interesting little factoid: The current board often turns to Commissioner Gardner to help them understand the very issues they're being asked to vote on! She'll often makes suggestions to her fellow board members about an issue they're discussing, but some of her colleagues appear to be either too dense, too hard of hearing, or too pig-headed to listen to her. Unbelieveably, these guys will dismiss what she's saying, but then they'll turn around a few minutes later and make a motion to do the exact thing that Jan was suggesting before all the discussion took place. And the worst part of it is that they'll act like it's some kind of flash of genius THEY have had. It's absolutely MADDENING, but it happens all the time!!
When Jan ran her first campaign 7 1/2 years ago, she ran because she was a citizen who had been working on school overcrowding issues. She understood them, and she knew she could make a difference if she were elected. She was making good headway during her time on the last board, but not with this board.
All of the hard work and effort she's made over the last two terms is quickly proving to be an exercise in futility!
I think that we need to be careful that we don't throw a major guilt trip on her. The decisions the majority of the current board has made in the last year are going to prove to be problematic for the citizens of this county in sooooo many ways over the next few years. She wasn't a contributor to that mess, so why should she want to stick around and put herself through this crap for another 4 years to clean it up? Is that fair to expect her to do that when she's dedicated almost 8 years of her life and sacrificed some of the most precious parts of her family life to do so?
Let's look at her last 8 years...
In 1998, Jan knew from her dealings with school issues that the APFO needed to be tightened up so that infrastructure could keep pace with the growth that this county was (and still is) faced with. She was elected and her efforts were largely successful until recently, when the builder/developer machine started really throwing their money around to get what they wanted. (And if any builder or developer tells you that the APFO has caused growth has come to a grinding halt in this county, tell them that that's BS! If you go to the county's website, planning and zoning has a month to month report of building permits issued over the last several years, you will see that the county has consistently issued 1500-2000 building permits since 1991. The lower number on the 1500 side is because of the drought and subsequent building moratorium in Frederick City and Middletown. In some years, the number of permits issued was higher than 2000.)
Jan served on the planning commission until Mike Cady took office. Then, he pretty much demanded that he be liason to that board, as well as to the Board of Education.
In terms of school adequacy, facilities, and school construction funding, I believe that Commissioner Gardner to be one of the most knowledgeable elected officials that we have. She was appointed by the Governor Glendening to The Task Force to Study Public Schools Facilities late in 2002, and she participated on that board for a year and a half, along with other high ranking State officials. So, if she thinks there's a problem with adequacy of funding, she isn't just talking off the top of her head. She knows what she's talking about.
In terms of fiscal responsibility, Jan is what I would call a conservative Democrat. When she ran for commissioner the first term, she knew that she wanted the county commissioners to make fiscally responsible decisions about the taxpayer's money. With her experience and degree in finance, she knew that she could help implement better methods for the county to be good stewards of the taxpayer's money. And she was successful in that regard.
Considering some of her previous efforts, let's now look at the areas where those efforts have been undermined:
Last fall, there were two out of sequence rezonings which were approved by the pro-growth majority of the BoCC. These rezonings occured in the Ballenger Creek area, paving the way for TWO Planned Unit Developments, which means that an additional 850 more homes will be built in the area of Ballenger Creek Pike and Elmer Derr Road.
About two weeks ago, a developer called Land Stewards, from Virginia, was successful able to obtain a special ordinance to the APFO from the pro-growth majority of the BoCC. In other words, they are now permitted to buy their way out of the APFO school adequacy component (see a copy of her recent LTE to the Gazette, here.
Last week, a majority of the BoCC spontaneously decides one day to set the rate to the constant yield, setting the county up for major fiscal deficits in the coming years. Why did they set the tax amount at .936 cents instead of .95 that Commissioner suggested was more reasonable? Perhaps because the Republicans want to make it look like they made tax cuts in an election year? I dunno, but damn the repercussions; damn the damage that might have to the county's currently excellent bond rating. (For years, she has gone to New York to represent the county, and she is the one who's had to answer the questions and explain the board's decisions to obtain this great bond-rating. Why? Because she's the ONLY one qualified enough on the board to be able to do so!) Anyway, I guess the majority thinks they can "worry about that stuff later." Some of them apparently felt that they needed to do this in order to help their reelection bids. I think it'll be quite interesting to see what program/budget cuts the majority is going to make in order to make up for the budget revenue loss!
These are just a couple of things to illustrate the forces that have been working against her in the last few months. Almost on a weekly basis, all of the work she'd done to this point has been undermined by a couple of guys who (admittedly) had absolutely no idea of what the job of commissioner was going to entail. (Cady and Lovell.) Those who are in the majority right now are well-financed by the big builder/developer machine. And right now, that machine is working diligently to rally the troops again in the upcoming election. They're working hard enough to even try to kick Commissioner Gardner while she's down... To grind her into the ground, so they can build more and houses, take over more land where adequate infrastructure doesn't exist, to make schools more overcrowded and roads more congested.
While it's understandable for folks to want her to run again, I think we should consider whether or not it's a bit selfish for us to expect her to put up with this crap for another four years. RLTW is right. If Cady and Lovell aren't replaced, that's exactly what's going to happen. And this time, it'll be even worse because of the appalling growth and financial decisions that have been made by a majority of the current board.
Is it any wonder Commissioner Gardner might be considering about not running again? Unlike a couple of the commissioners that presently sit on the board, this isn't an ego trip for Commissioner Gardner. She genuinely has the best interest of the citizens and of this county at heart. Right now, because of the combined decisions of the majority of this board, can anyone blame her for wanting to step away from it all? If it were me, I know I'd be running the other way. Although she has been functioning as one who is superhuman, she IS really only human. How much can she be expected to endure?
I think Commissioner Gardner has gone unappreciated for too long and the stress of the uphill battles she's been fighting the past year (or two or three) is finally catching up with her.
I think the past few months have probably been the most stressful time of Commissioner Gardner's two terms. Maybe she is considering not running at this moment because of all the crap she's had to put up with lately. Can anyone blame her?
RLTW, I think you are correct... the fact is that Jan has NOT officially announced that she will not run. There has been talk circulating about her not running for months. Others who are supposedly "in the know" say that she is going to run. (The other night on Pressing Issues, one panelist confidently asserted that he was sure she would run.) All of this talk has been unofficial.
It is obvious to me that Jan Gardner has her finger on the pulse of the "wants and needs" of a super-majority of citizens in this county, Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated voters alike. We all (okay, except maybe Winston Smith) appreciate her and think she's done an outstanding job. But along the lines of what Kai just said, look at what happened with the electorate in the last election. Most ordinary citizens say they don't want growth, yet they voted a pro-growth majority into office?
Scores of people I spoke with at election time were clueless that candidates like Lovell and Cady were so pro-growth. Why? Because they used words like "managed" growth or "measured" growth, and ya have to read between the lines.
I hope to heck this will be a lesson learned for people who plan to cast their votes in the next election. I think that Jan is now severely suffering the consequences of too many people's uninformed decisions at the polls four years ago.
The simple fact of the matter is that the powerful builder/developer machine helped get Cady and Lovell into office with their money, and they're rallying the troops to do it again.
It's great that a growing number of citizens want to urge Jan to run again, but it's important to note that over the last 3 years, with the exception of a handful of citizens (like some on this forum, as well as the same few who show up at public meetings, those who email the commissioners about issues, and those who write LTEs), Jan Gardner has largely been carrying this load on her own. Every single day, she's out there fighting the good fight. She's trudging into Winchester Hall and spending 50, 60, and even 70 hours some weeks to serve the public. And for what? So she can be shot down at every turn she makes? So she can criticized and belittled by the bully who sits next to her at the table at Winchester Hall and by the powerful builder/developer machine?
Is it fair for us to beg her to run again? Four more years of spinning her wheels or even backsliding because she's in the minority? (Even though the decisions the majority is making ISN'T what the majority of citizens want?) I just think that's an awful heavy load to expect someone to be asked to carry for another 4 years. Can anyone blame Commissioner Gardner for wanting to let someone else have a turn?
I really do think it's UNfair for columnists to be making this kind of speculation about her "being adamant" about not running right now, since she hasn't officially decided what she's going to do. How many times do we get frustrated with our jobs and just want to throw our hands up in the air? Maybe she'll feel differently after a couple of weeks pass, the storm subsides, and she re-thinks her position.
I believe the filing deadline to run in this election is around July 1 or so, isn't it? There is plenty of time for her Commissioner Gardner to decide whether she wants to run again or now. How do we know that she wasn't just "venting" at the party Cliff referenced?
It's been a helluva last two weeks for her... Geez. She was among friends, not infront of a microphone!
I think people (ahem, media) need to use more care about her "decision" and not go speculating and running off at the mouth because they want to scoop another reporter or columnist.
I'm sure that the Land Stewards' APFO amendment played a big part in Commissioner Gardner's frustration this week. (For those who haven't been keeping up, that amendment basically lets Land Stewards, who is a developer from Virginia, skirt around this county's school adequacy component of the APFO by contributing what will amount to $43 million dollars over the course of many years. This "payment" allows them to build 4000 new homes in Lake Linganore over the course of the next few years.) As much as she's advocated for schools and teachers, I think the Board of Education really dropped the ball on this one. As I said in another thread, the BoE was not elected to make land use decisions. (And another thing while I'm ranting... Mike Cady is liaison to both the Planning Commission AND the Board of Education. Being the bully that he's proven himself to be many times in the past, one doesn't have to wonder too hard as to why the planning commission and BoE have made some of their decisions on these issues, does one? Mr. Cady has a reputation of making promises that go unfulfilled, and of saying that he voted for against things when, if you check the record, he's actually done the opposite. Why isn't the media digging into that?!)
Anyway, oftentimes, I believe that Commissioner Gardner has been a lone voice of reason when it comes to growth, the budget, roads, schools, libraries, as well as on a plethora of other issues. As I have mentioned time and time again here on this forum, over the years, the media, this newspaper in particular, chooses largely to ignore the all the good things Jan has done for our county. As many of you know, over the last 7 years, I've watched hundreds and hundreds of public hearings, worksessions, planning commission meetings, etc. Time and time again, I have seen that the media chosen to focus on hyperbole from her fellow board members and the big builder/developer machine.
Here's an interesting little factoid: The current board often turns to Commissioner Gardner to help them understand the very issues they're being asked to vote on! She'll often makes suggestions to her fellow board members about an issue they're discussing, but some of her colleagues appear to be either too dense, too hard of hearing, or too pig-headed to listen to her. Unbelieveably, these guys will dismiss what she's saying, but then they'll turn around a few minutes later and make a motion to do the exact thing that Jan was suggesting before all the discussion took place. And the worst part of it is that they'll act like it's some kind of flash of genius THEY have had. It's absolutely MADDENING, but it happens all the time!!
When Jan ran her first campaign 7 1/2 years ago, she ran because she was a citizen who had been working on school overcrowding issues. She understood them, and she knew she could make a difference if she were elected. She was making good headway during her time on the last board, but not with this board.
All of the hard work and effort she's made over the last two terms is quickly proving to be an exercise in futility!
I think that we need to be careful that we don't throw a major guilt trip on her. The decisions the majority of the current board has made in the last year are going to prove to be problematic for the citizens of this county in sooooo many ways over the next few years. She wasn't a contributor to that mess, so why should she want to stick around and put herself through this crap for another 4 years to clean it up? Is that fair to expect her to do that when she's dedicated almost 8 years of her life and sacrificed some of the most precious parts of her family life to do so?
Let's look at her last 8 years...
In 1998, Jan knew from her dealings with school issues that the APFO needed to be tightened up so that infrastructure could keep pace with the growth that this county was (and still is) faced with. She was elected and her efforts were largely successful until recently, when the builder/developer machine started really throwing their money around to get what they wanted. (And if any builder or developer tells you that the APFO has caused growth has come to a grinding halt in this county, tell them that that's BS! If you go to the county's website, planning and zoning has a month to month report of building permits issued over the last several years, you will see that the county has consistently issued 1500-2000 building permits since 1991. The lower number on the 1500 side is because of the drought and subsequent building moratorium in Frederick City and Middletown. In some years, the number of permits issued was higher than 2000.)
Jan served on the planning commission until Mike Cady took office. Then, he pretty much demanded that he be liason to that board, as well as to the Board of Education.
In terms of school adequacy, facilities, and school construction funding, I believe that Commissioner Gardner to be one of the most knowledgeable elected officials that we have. She was appointed by the Governor Glendening to The Task Force to Study Public Schools Facilities late in 2002, and she participated on that board for a year and a half, along with other high ranking State officials. So, if she thinks there's a problem with adequacy of funding, she isn't just talking off the top of her head. She knows what she's talking about.
In terms of fiscal responsibility, Jan is what I would call a conservative Democrat. When she ran for commissioner the first term, she knew that she wanted the county commissioners to make fiscally responsible decisions about the taxpayer's money. With her experience and degree in finance, she knew that she could help implement better methods for the county to be good stewards of the taxpayer's money. And she was successful in that regard.
Considering some of her previous efforts, let's now look at the areas where those efforts have been undermined:
Last fall, there were two out of sequence rezonings which were approved by the pro-growth majority of the BoCC. These rezonings occured in the Ballenger Creek area, paving the way for TWO Planned Unit Developments, which means that an additional 850 more homes will be built in the area of Ballenger Creek Pike and Elmer Derr Road.
About two weeks ago, a developer called Land Stewards, from Virginia, was successful able to obtain a special ordinance to the APFO from the pro-growth majority of the BoCC. In other words, they are now permitted to buy their way out of the APFO school adequacy component (see a copy of her recent LTE to the Gazette, here.
Last week, a majority of the BoCC spontaneously decides one day to set the rate to the constant yield, setting the county up for major fiscal deficits in the coming years. Why did they set the tax amount at .936 cents instead of .95 that Commissioner suggested was more reasonable? Perhaps because the Republicans want to make it look like they made tax cuts in an election year? I dunno, but damn the repercussions; damn the damage that might have to the county's currently excellent bond rating. (For years, she has gone to New York to represent the county, and she is the one who's had to answer the questions and explain the board's decisions to obtain this great bond-rating. Why? Because she's the ONLY one qualified enough on the board to be able to do so!) Anyway, I guess the majority thinks they can "worry about that stuff later." Some of them apparently felt that they needed to do this in order to help their reelection bids. I think it'll be quite interesting to see what program/budget cuts the majority is going to make in order to make up for the budget revenue loss!
These are just a couple of things to illustrate the forces that have been working against her in the last few months. Almost on a weekly basis, all of the work she'd done to this point has been undermined by a couple of guys who (admittedly) had absolutely no idea of what the job of commissioner was going to entail. (Cady and Lovell.) Those who are in the majority right now are well-financed by the big builder/developer machine. And right now, that machine is working diligently to rally the troops again in the upcoming election. They're working hard enough to even try to kick Commissioner Gardner while she's down... To grind her into the ground, so they can build more and houses, take over more land where adequate infrastructure doesn't exist, to make schools more overcrowded and roads more congested.
While it's understandable for folks to want her to run again, I think we should consider whether or not it's a bit selfish for us to expect her to put up with this crap for another four years. RLTW is right. If Cady and Lovell aren't replaced, that's exactly what's going to happen. And this time, it'll be even worse because of the appalling growth and financial decisions that have been made by a majority of the current board.
Is it any wonder Commissioner Gardner might be considering about not running again? Unlike a couple of the commissioners that presently sit on the board, this isn't an ego trip for Commissioner Gardner. She genuinely has the best interest of the citizens and of this county at heart. Right now, because of the combined decisions of the majority of this board, can anyone blame her for wanting to step away from it all? If it were me, I know I'd be running the other way. Although she has been functioning as one who is superhuman, she IS really only human. How much can she be expected to endure?
Thank you for deciding to run for re-election, Jan!
For my part, I hope to be on the same board as Jan, and I'll be doing everything I possibly can to ensure that she spends the next four years working with a very different sort of board - a more thoughtful, responsible, citizen and community-centered board.
Below are two articles about Jan's announcement.
| From the FREDERICK NEWS POST: Gardner to seek another term as county commissioner Thursday, June 29, 2006 By Liam Farrell FREDERICK — Since April's controversial Land Stewards decision allowing construction of more than 4,000 homes in the Lake Linganore area in exchange for $65 million in school improvements, Commissioner Jan Gardner has received hundreds of e-mails encouraging her to run for re-election. She was even sent a bouquet of flowers anonymously. The grassroots campaign worked. On Wednesday, Ms. Gardner announced she will seek another term on the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners. "Basically, I think I'm back by popular demand," she said. Ms. Gardner said the weeks following the Land Stewards vote were very difficult, but the sadness has been replaced by a desire to keep government in service to county residents. "Lowering our standards and making exceptions is never the right thing to do ... We should not cede that right to others," she said. "I've recovered, and I'll press on." Ms. Gardner, 49, urged voters to elect a "kinder" and more "progressive" board in the coming election, mentioning candidates Kai Hagen, Dick Floyd, Commissioners President John L. Thompson Jr. and former Commissioner David Gray, who will formally announce his candidacy Monday. "I trust the electorate will make the right choices," Ms. Gardner said before heading off to register with the Board of Elections. In the coming campaign, Ms. Gardner said she will emphasize revisiting the New Market Region Plan, making sure new residential growth pays for itself, increasing affordable housing and furthering education, including the possibility of bringing a science and technology high school to the county. She also plans to bring her tireless work ethic. "If I could get paid for worrying, I would be very rich," Ms. Gardner said. "I am very committed to the work." She said that in all the rezoning decisions in the past four years, she was the only one on the board who voted both for and against some applications. "I was the only one in the middle," Ms. Gardner said. "I think we need that kind of balance." Beyond the big issues, she said, the most rewarding part of her job has been addressing the concerns of individual Frederick County residents. "I've been able to observe the best and occasionally the worst of what human beings have to offer each other," Ms. Gardner said. "We're happy when we make a difference." |
| From the GAZETTE: Gardner announces run for third term on board Former Commission President David Gray to announce his bid Monday http://www.gazette.net/stories/062906/frednew195624_31946.shtml Thursday, June 29, 2006 By Sherry Greenfield Staff Writer The questions, assumptions and predictions are over — Commissioner Jan H. Gardner (D) announced Wednesday she will run for re-election. Standing on the steps of Winchester Hall with her husband, Gardner, 49, thrilled the crowd when she announced her intentions. ‘‘...I am hopeful the electorate will create a bit of change, will choose a board of commissioners that will be kinder and gentler, a board that will be more responsive to citizen input and the desires of the community,” Gardner said. ‘‘I believe the community needs experienced leadership, caring leadership, a voice of reason, balance, progressive thinking. I think we need to empower people to do good things. So I have decided to run for re-election.” Gardner has wavered in the last few months on whether she would seek another term. The long hours, family obligations and frustration over being on the losing end of many board votes, played into her doubts. ‘‘As you know, life is short,” Gardner said in her speech. ‘‘I turn 50 this year and I’ve thought ‘do I want to spend another four years doing this job, or do something else?’” But Gardner told the crowd of county employees and elected and community leaders, including Democrats and Republicans, that she has plenty of unfinished business. ‘‘I think I’m back by popular demand,” Gardner announced to a round of cheers and applause. ‘‘I want to work to build consensus on the growth issue. [I want to] shift the rhetoric to the reality, so that we can have a responsible pace of growth linked with our financial ability to support it. If we do not control our growth, we cannot control our budget, the two things are clearly linked...” One of the loudest in the crowd to show her support for Gardner was former Del. Sue Hecht (D). ‘‘Wow,” said Hecht, who is running this year for state delegate in District 3A. ‘‘I’m thrilled and I’m really surprised. I really didn’t know which way she would go.” In 1999 Hecht teamed with Gardner to lobby then-Gov. Parris N. Glendening for improvements to Md. Route 85⁄Buckeystown Pike. She said Gardner is the right person to steer the county’s growth in a responsible manner. ‘‘She is the important person to do that,” Hecht said. ‘‘I’m just thrilled.” To better control growth, Gardner said she wants to strengthen the county’s growth management ordinance, by adding public safety. The ordinance uses a special formula to assure infrastructure such as schools, water, sewer and roads are adequate before new housing development can proceed. Gardner also pointed out several commissioner candidates in the audience that also believe in ‘‘sensible growth.” Gardner said she supported five candidates — Richard M. ‘‘Dick” Floyd (D), Kai J. Hagen (D), David Gray (R), John ‘‘Lennie” Thompson Jr. (R), and herself — who would bring balance to the board with a ‘‘sensible growth platform.” Gray, who served as president of the board during Gardner’s first term, confirmed he plans to announce his intentions to run for a commissioner seat at noon, Monday, in front of Winchester Hall. |
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WHY I'M VOTING FOR KAI!
Diana Halleman
Frederick
I haven't known Kai personally for long, but I often read his columns in the Gazette and his commentary in the FRAN news. I've been impressed with his knowledge, and his dedication and commitment to Frederick County and its citizens. I'm also impressed with his ability to listen and to ask questions of those around him and those he meets along the way. His knowledge of the issues and attention to detail are as notable as is his ability to...
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