Annapolis

Legislation introduced this week in the Maryland General Assembly seeks to overturn a precedent set by a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling last year that concluded pit bulls were dangerous dogs. The court ruling, which also held pit bull owners responsible for any attacks caused by their dogs, dismayed many dog owners because those with pit bulls were now liable for any attacks while landlords, too, were held liable for an attack caused by a renter's dog, said the legislators who introduced the bill.

I was in Hagerstown last month meeting with Sens. Christopher Shank and David Brinkley, Dels. LeRoy Myers and Neil Parrott, and business leaders in Washington County. The general consensus is that we are all disgusted with the utter and complete disconnect between Annapolis and Washington, D.C., and the rest of Maryland. Let's start with Annapolis. According to recent press accounts, Senate President Mike Miller and others are gushing about narrowing the state's structural budget deficit as if it's some kind of miracle they accomplished.

A nuisance abatement bill on blighted properties. Another bill that requires contractors and subcontractors working for the government to use or supply American manufactured goods. And yet another on organ donation and drivers licenses. These are just three among nearly a dozen bills that were filed by Sen. Ron Young, D-Frederick/Washington, before the 2013 Maryland General Assembly session began this week, an action known as pre-filing. None of the other legislators from the Washington County delegation had pre-filed any other bills but several said Thursday they have a bunch of bills ready to go. So why does Young like to file bills early?

The Maryland Department of Agriculture will hold a buy-local expo  Tuesday, Jan. 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. The event will provide Maryland growers, producers and processors with an opportunity to connect with buyers from grocery retailers, restaurants, schools, institutions and other venues. Registration costs $40 for growers, producers, and processors. There is no fee for buyers to attend. To register or for more information, go to www.marylandsbest.net.

Concerns over Maryland's new gay marriage law, money for a proposed public safety training center in Washington County and an “assault” on Maryland's farmers through new environmental regulations were among the issues discussed in a public forum with the Washington County delegation at the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown on Tuesday night. The meeting was held to allow the public and others a chance to meet with county legislators before they start their session in Annapolis.

When Hagerstown's mayor requested state funding for a proposed multiuse stadium earlier this year, the reply wasn't rosy. In August, T. Eloise Foster, the state's budget secretary, wrote back to then-Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II, saying the request will be considered. But she also cautioned that money is tight and it will be “extremely difficult” in the current fiscal climate to guarantee funding for many worthwhile projects. Foster didn't specifically address the likelihood of the stadium project getting money, but her letter illustrates one of the uncertainties attached to a transformative plan for part of Hagerstown's core.

Bernard Frank Bargiel, 87, of 13937 Distant View Ave., Maugansville, Md., passed away Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012, at home. Born Sunday, Jan. 25, 1925, in Wheeling, W.Va., he was the son of the late Joseph Bargiel and the late Nellie Dudek Bargiel. Bernie was a 1943 graduate of Central Catholic High School in Wheeling. He was employed with the State of Maryland Comptroller's Office in Annapolis for 12 years. He was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church, where he was an usher. He was a life member of the Morris Frock American Legion Post 42 and the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 14. He was a 4th Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus Pangborn Council and Knights of Columbus Assembly.

The just-finished debate over whether Maryland should legalize table games and add a sixth casino cut through political parties and county delegations. Of the six Republicans representing Washington County in Annapolis, three voted in favor of the final bill crafted during the recent Maryland General Assembly special session and three voted against. Both Democrats in Washington County's delegation voted yes. For Del. LeRoy E. Myers Jr., R-Washington/Allegany, who voted for the bill, the question was what would benefit his constituents the most.

Michael V. Johansen, an Annapolis lobbyist who represents a Washington County coalition, recapped the 2012 Maryland General Assembly session Wednesday, going from zero to 90 days in about an hour. He quipped that his talk at a Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce breakfast actually covered “2012 1/2,” noting the three-day special session last month in addition to the 90-day regular session. Johansen touched on some of the most significant measures that passed, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage, and those that failed, including an attempt to expand gambling in Maryland.

Politics, some say, is the art of compromise, with all of its “give and take.” We are told that you can't always get the whole loaf but must learn how to get at least half a loaf. Local pundits often criticize our county legislators for being too doctrinaire and too ideological, all the while scolding them for not “bringing home the bacon.”  Does this apply in all cases? Is this how the O'Malley administration operated during the special session in Annapolis this week?