George Wenschhof
It was an
enjoyable one hour casual meeting with Maryland Comproller Peter Franchot (D)
and his communications director Andrew Friedson. Franchot was on his way to the Washington
County Democratic picnic and took time to share some thoughts over a beer at
Brewers Alley in historic downtown Frederick.
I asked
what brought them to The City of Frederick and Friedson answered
"Comptroller Franchot makes it a point to get out of Annapolis and travel
all across the State of Maryland -- including frequent trips to Western
Maryland -- to meet with the families and small businesses who are on the front
lines of the Maryland economy and whose talent, ingenuity and sheer
determination make the region, along with the entire state, such a great place
to live, work and raise a family."
Recognizing,
the Board of Public Works had received my column published in The Frederick
News Post, where I spoke in opposition to the Frederick county government
proposed sale of the Citizens Care and Rehabilitation Center and Montevue
Assisted Care facilities, I shared with him the thanks many in Frederick County
have in their decision to table a vote on the sale.
We spoke
briefly about the state Board of Public Works meeting the day before where
Governor Martin O’Malley and Treaurer Nancy Kopp joined Franchot to table a
vote on the sale of the Citizens Care and Rehabilitation Center and Montevue
Assisted Care facilities.
Franchot
shared with me he was impressed with the number of people from Frederick County
who had attended the meeting to speak in opposition to the sale. He added Frederick attorney Leslie Powell was
also present to state she has active litigation against the sale. Franchot told
me “for the board of public works to vote on contracts that are the subject of
active litigation is something that has always concerned him.”
When I
asked what he thought of Frederick County Commissioner Blaine Young's assertion
that the county would go through with the sale regardless of BPW's decision,
Franchot said "that would be unwise for him to do so."
When I
followed up with a question asking him what did he mean by that, Andrew
Friedson said "The Comptroller believes that proceeding with the sale
while it remains the subject of active litigation would be highly premature and
carry considerable risk. It would be far more prudent to allow the legal
process to run its course before taking further action -- as the Board of
Public Works did on Wednesday -- and he would encourage the Frederick County
Board of Commissioners to do the same."
During,
our conversation, I asked Franchot about his decision to run for re-election as
Comptroller, when it was widely known he also considered running for Governor
in the 2014 state election.
Franchot
said "While the encouragement I received to run for governor was humbling,
being Comptroller is the greatest thrill and most profound honor of my
professional life. Some people go a lifetime and never find their dream job,
but I already have mine. So I look forward to continuing to serve as an
independent, fiscal watchdog for Maryland taxpayers and to help lead a candid
conversation about the fiscal and economic challenges that still lie ahead."
Franchot
spoke enthusiastically in regard to his proposal to start schools after Labor
Day, saying, in part "Starting schools after Labor Day isn't just
necessary because of the$7.7 million in state and local tax revenue it would create
for the priorities we care about, or the $74.3 million in direct economic
activity it would generate in the midst of a sluggish recovery. It would mean
jobs and supplemental income for so many people who desperately need it in
Maryland, bringing nearly $4 million in additional wages to a state that's near
the bottom in the country in private sector wage growth. And beyond the money
or economic impact, it's ultimately about Maryland families -- particularly the
folks who save up a little bit every paycheck just so they can spend a week to
get away once a year with their family."
With time
running short and understanding he was due at a picnic, I thanked the
Comptroller for stopping by to say hello.
As he was leaving, Franchot made a point to share he is also
pleased with the success of “Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week” which recently
ended. The exemption of the six percent
sales tax helps at a time when many working families are purchasing back to
school items for their children.
The Maryland
state and Frederick County elections will be held in 2014.
Stay
tuned.
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