Trout Working Hard to Earn Your Vote

Ryan Trout

George Wenschhof

I sat down recently and interviewed Democratic candidate Ryan Trout who is running for Maryland state delegate in district 3-a. I began by asking Ryan, how do you intend to win against the two incumbent Democratic delegates, Carol Krimm and Karen Lewis Young? (Voters elect two delegates in District 3-a)

He responding by saying “I plan to out hustle and out work the competition”. Ryan added “I have been knocking on doors, talking to people and learning from them. I hope they see my energy and realize I am willing to work hard for them”.

I met Ryan Trout when he ran for Maryland state delegate in district 4-a, in 2010.  He would lose that race in a heavily Republican voter registered district, but impressed many in that campaign.

Four years later, I would interview him after his move to The City of Frederick led to speculation he would run for delegate in district 3-a, a heavy Democratic voter registered district.

Ryan informed me during that interview “His job as the Family Self Sufficiency coordinator with Public Housing in Frederick falls under the Hatch Act which prohibits him from running for delegate. Ryan went on to tell me he also “loves his job and his sincere passion is to make the lives of low and moderate income families better”. He added “one reason why I love my current position so much is I am able to have a direct impact and work with wonderful people every day”.”

First time Democratic delegate candidates Karen Lewis Young and Carol Krimm would win that 2014 election.

Today, the former chair of the Frederick County Affordable Housing Council is working as the legislative liaison and public information officer for Baltimore city’s Department of General Services.

In talking with Ryan, it is obvious he is still dedicated to helping working families with the issues they face. Trout told me “I want to represent values not being represented in Annapolis”.  He was concerned funding for education was down and that he wants to focus on policies that will pay dividends to residents in the future.

He believes strongly that education is the lynch pin to everything else and believes in a “cradle to career” approach that includes universal Pre-K to career and technology programs.  Trout supports the state funding two additional years of education and would like to see this expanded to four years.

I followed up with Trout on his position on nonpartisan redistricting and the ban of the sale of assault weapons as well as high capacity ammunition clips.

Trout responded with “Yes, I support the creation of a non-partisan, independent body to draw legislative and congressional district maps after each census. It is imperative to our democracy that we ensure that all Marylanders are being properly represented in Washington and Annapolis. We should also lead by example and show states like Pennsylvania and Virginia how to go from a partisan model to a non-partisan one”.

He added “I support the ban on assault-style weapons, the sale of high capacity ammo clips, and the closing of background check loopholes. Additionally, I have been named a candidate of distinction by Moms Demand Action regarding sensible gun legislation".

I would also ask Trout, in light of the recent Supreme Court decision, would you support the state allowing sports gambling.   He stated “I am reluctant to support additional gambling due to the impact it has on individuals and their families. I would prefer to learn more about any proposals, locations, etc., before taking a formal stance on the issue”.

I also asked if he supported the $16 million is state funding for the downtown hotel/conference center in The City of Frederick.  Ryan said “I will support it, with conditions”.  He felt there were benefits to having a conference center, but bristled with providing $16 million in state funds that allow an employer to pay employees minimum wage.  He felt the employer should have to pay a living wage and benefits.  Otherwise, Ryan said taxpayers end up subsidizing their employees.

Ryan Trout also wanted me to know his concern with the opioid epidemic and that he was closely following efforts to combat this problem nationwide. One encouraging effort is called Project - Lazarus that began in North Carolina and is being considered in Pennsylvania.  He would like the state of Maryland to examine implementing a similar program.

You can find out more about Ryan Trout on his campaign website: www.troutfordelegate.com.

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Editor’s Note:  The Maryland primary election will be held on June 26, 2018 and the general election will take place on November 6, 2018.

Susan Reeder Jessee, a Refreshing Choice

Susan Reeder Jessee

George Wenschhof

In an era of attack dog style politics that has resulted in polarizing friends and communities, it was refreshing to spend ninety minutes interviewing Susan Reeder Jessee.  She is a Democratic candidate for one of the two at-large seats on the seven member Frederick County council.  Not once did she criticize another candidate or their position on an issue. 

The daughter of former county commissioner Bruce Reeder (D) and Democratic state central committee member Odette "Dottie" Reeder, Susan told me “I am running because I feel this is what I was meant to do. This is an opportunity to give back and I want to continue Mom and Dad’s work”.

Growing up in Frederick County and receiving her MBA from Hood College, she has seen firsthand the challenges brought about by growth.  Perhaps being a daughter, wife and mother in addition to being “around” politics throughout her life helped her in how she approaches issues.  Susan added “I have lived in four of the five districts so I know the county well.

When I asked about the issues most important to her, Susan said “I am not a single issue candidate”.  However, she told me economic development was important for the residents of Frederick County.  She believes we need to go outside of the county to target businesses for recruitment to bring jobs here.

Her background includes years spent as a Business Development Specialist for The City of Frederick and a member of the founding board of the first business incubator, The Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI).  Susan also served on the FITCI Client Selection committee.  She presently works as a project manager with IDT-Biologika.

Nearly 50% of the county budget goes toward education and Susan is proud to have received the endorsement of the Frederick County Teacher’s Association.  She remembers her tenth grade Biology teacher who inspired her to enter this field as a professional and wants Frederick County schools to be the best in the state.

Being aware of the needs of seniors is another area Susan is passionate about.  She spoke about the county Meals on Wheels program and tax initiatives to help seniors.

Affordable Housing is also important to Susan who feels the county has fallen way behind in providing affordable housing for the youth and seniors who live in the county.

When it comes to overall growth, Ms. Reeder Jessee wants to work and brainstorm with all community stakeholders to develop policies to get Frederick County in front of needed infrastructure and services.

Keeping neighborhoods safe and making sure first responders had what they needed was also important to Susan.

In regard to waste disposal, she wants to look at providing incentives to encourage recycling and composting, saying “you can’t force people to do this”.

Overall, Susan Reeder Jessee says “Let’s work together to move Frederick County forward”.

You can read more about Susan Reeder Jessee on her campaign website:  www.susanreederjessee.com.

Editor’s Note: The primary will be held on June 26, 2018. In the Frederick County council race, voters will determine the two at-large candidates and the candidate for each of the five districts from the Democratic and Republican parties who will go on to appear on the November 6, 2018 general election ballot. 

Shackelford Considers Run for City Alderman

George Wenschhof

Derek Shackelford

Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Derek Shackelford and discuss The City of Frederick 2017 election.  He had run a strong race for alderman in the 2013 Democratic primary and fallen short.  I wanted to see if he had kept his enthusiasm for politics and his desire to serve he had exhibited four years ago.

Derek told me he was definitely considering another run for alderman and over the next two hour interview would share some of his views with me as we caught up.

He was proud of the doctorate degree in Theology and Public Policy he had earned from Wesley Theology Seminary located in the District of Columbia.  He is now affiliated with the nondenominational church Shiloh CC located in Baltimore, Maryland where he spends a few days a week.  Derek said he hopes to affiliate with a local church soon.

His full time job for the last ten years is with The Jefferson School, a Sheppard Pratt institution located in Frederick County, Maryland.  He shared with me he has enjoyed his time there working as an Alternative Learning Program (ALP) teacher with adolescent boys.

I asked how his family is doing and he shared his son and daughter are both growing up so fast. Derek said his wife is still working as an Analyst and their daughter is attending Morgan State University.

When we began to discuss the city, Derek said he would like to work on better communication between city government and the diverse population who often don’t feel they are being heard.  He would like to work at bringing what he called a fractured city together.

I asked Derek about the recent disclosure Wal-Mart had pulled out of their deal with the old Fredericktown Mall property and Derek said “I would like the city to work on where we go from here in regard to the Golden Mile”. 

He added “there are more businesses closing than opening out there and there also is a huge transient population in the area that needs to be addressed.” This led Derek to discuss the need for more affordable housing in Frederick. 

In regard to public safety, Derek said he had developed a good relationship with Ed Hartgis, the new Chief of Police, and supported his community policing approach to crime.

I sent Derek a follow up email with a question asking him about his position on the proposed downtown hotel/conference center.  He responded in an email saying “The question should be is how much is it going to cost the taxpayers, how much benefit will the city receive in return and will we get our return on investment. Some of this has been covered. How does this benefit our citizens of the city who have been or feel they have been neglected?”

When we talked about the upcoming city election, Derek shared with me he is pragmatic and understood the legislative role of the board of aldermen in city government.

He intends to make his decision prior to the end of the year on whether he is running because he realizes he needs to raise money. He added he would then begin reaching out and going to where the people are.

Dr. Derek Shackelford certainly has the attributes to be a credible and effective alderman.  His experience and strong knowledge of The City of Frederick will make him a competitive candidate.

Look to see him enter the race.

Stay tuned.

Editor’s note; City voters will elect a mayor and 5 aldermen who serve 4 year terms in 2017. The primary election will be held on September 12 and the General Election will fall on November 7, 2017.