Frederick's Up and Coming Democrats

Americans are up to the Challenge

Kristin Hillers Bio

In times of great adversity we find ourselves facing the test of proving the strength of our nation and our character. Once again, our country is faced with proving the ability of the American people to be great when greatness is needed. The Roman poet Horace once said, "Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant."

In this time of great domestic and international uncertainty, we need to harvest talent by encouraging citizens to be a part of something greater than they are. We need to prove that there was not just one "Greatest Generation." But rather several, that this moniker does not just apply to the many who lived through the Great Depression and World War Two. Instead, the "Greatest Generation" can apply to any generation who readily take the challenge of fixing what is broken and answered their country's call for help.

Approximately 67 million people believed that "yes we can" change politics, that "yes we can" make a difference after years of political antipathy and that "yes we can" change the world. While it is the right and the duty of citizens to vote, the potential to change and to make the country greater, is still unrealized if voting is the limit of participation.

We need to follow our elected officials as they take office, remind them of their promises to the American people and demand that they act as representatives of the people. We need to demand that the government act as an agent of the people rather than an agent of bureaucracy and special interests.

While there is the responsibility of the government, there is also the responsibility of the people, to ask what they can do for their country, in the words of President John F. Kennedy.

America needs people willing to think outside the box, to think with innovation, to explore not only energy policy but environmental, domestic and foreign policy. America needs to applaud and support the best people with the best ideas, to encourage thought and discourse, to accept challenge to the status quo. America needs attention, participation, and people to stand up and fight.

We deserve and need to work together as a country to make us greater than we ever have been. By working together, Americans will show once again they are up to the challenge to lead our nation out of a storm, proving to ourselves and the world we stronger than we were before.

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Editor's Note - we are pleased to publish a column every Wednesday from a member of the Frederick Young Democrats. This week, due to some technical issues, we were delayed in publishing until today.

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City of Frederick, MD Officials Express Support for Election Date Change

George Wenschhof Bio

During a Mayor and Board workshop meeting yesterday afternoon, Mayor Jeff Holtzinger and four of the five aldermen expressed support for moving the City of Frederick Election Date to coincide with the Presidential election. Only Alderman Paul Smith indicated he would not support the change. His reason, as we reported earlier, was he felt city issues would get lost in the national election.

Bill Ashton, a long-time city government watchdog, pointed out the candidates for the many Frederick County elected offices had never complained that the Governor's race and state issues had received all of the attention in their election. The Frederick County and Maryland state elections are combined and will be held next year.

This change of the city election date to coincide with the Presidential election year would more than double the current anemic 32% voter turnout and also most likely result in some cost savings to city taxpayers.

Public comments in support of the change included many of the Frederick Young Democrats who had earlier issued a press release stating their support for this change. Guy Djoken, President of the Frederick County Chapter of the NAACP also testified in favor of moving the date.

I mentioned Alderman Alan Imhoff and I had long been supporters of this change. I pointed out that when I ran for Alderman in 1997, the population of the city had doubled in the 25 years since I had graduated from Governor Thomas Johnson High School in 1971 - yet the voter turnout was only in 30% range. In the 2005 election, when the current Mayor and Board were elected, the turnout was only 31.75%.

One dissenting comment came from a member of the Green Party who felt city issues would be lost if the elections were combined.

If passed, the charter amendment would result in the city officials elected in November serving a three year term to 2012, at which time the city election would coincide with the presidential elections.

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