Monthly Archives: July 2010

On Tuesday, July 13th, I attended a very informative Baltimore City Department of Transportation community meeting on a major roadway construction project scheduled to begin in 2011.  The meeting was very well attended by residents of the Charles Street corridor, who were afforded the opportunity to ask questions about the project.  The construction will affect Charles Street from 26th street to University Parkway for a two year period.  For those of you who missed the opportunity to attend the meeting, the powerpoint presentation and more information is available at:

http://www.charlesstreet.mdprojects.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&catid=4&Itemid=37

The project is at the 60% point in the planning process.  This is the time to voice any concerns.  Check it out.  Get involved.

The Red Canoe, 4337 Harford Road, will be hosting a meet and greet for my campaign at 6 pm tonight.  If you have never been to the coffee shop/book store, you’re in for a treat.  Nicole, the owner, has even agreed to provide ice cream for guests.

I would love the opportunity to talk one-on-one with you about the campaign and listen to issues important to you.  For those of you firmly in my camp, I’ll have bumper stickers and yard signs available.

I have it on good authority that a voter registration drive will take place at the farmer’s market which is opened from 4-8 pm today on the street adjacent to the Red Canoe.  If you’re not registered to vote and would like to do so, here is the perfect opportunity.  Its also a great time to buy you’re vegetables.

See you at 6 pm at the Red Canoe!!

I had the pleasure of attending the community party in Evesham Park yesterday.  What a great party -  burgers, beer, salads, good music.  Even the dancing was high energy.

And it was very obvious that the entire neighborhood was very proud of what their park had become.

As I talked with the neighbors, almost everyone told the story of how, through a community effort, they had cleaned what was once a neglected, drug infested park and created this wonderful gathering place.  As I walked around and watched the band play on the stage and the kids play in the slip and slide area, I couldn’t help but think how curious it is that some areas of the city seem to generate this type of collaboration, while others struggle to bring neighbors together.   One thing is certain.  Examples of these types of successes are sure to spur on other communities and, hopefully, create a tipping point for our city.  Keep up the good work.

Special thanks to David and Marlene and my new friends Frank, Matt, and the Towson Spanish teacher for the hospitality.

With the filing dateline behind us, it is now clear that the Democratic primary race for State Senate in the 43^rd legislative district will be between incumbent Senator Joan Carter Conway and me.  Many of the area newspapers carried stories about the number of challengers that have decided to run this election cycle and the reasons for the challenge.  Let me offer mine.

I believe there has been a lack of community engagement by Senator Joan Carter Conway.  As I travel the district, whether from its individual constituents or community associations, I hear of the dissatisfaction from this lack of attention.  What makes this particularly disappointing is the ease with which information can be conveyed in our information age and how easy it is to reach out to communities when there is a willingness to engage them.

I promise to be personally involved in community activities.  This means I will attend association meetings and convene town hall meetings to listen to concerns and discuss legislative matters on a regular basis.  I will utilize technologies such as facebook, twitter, the internet, etc., to keep you informed and to solicit your input.  I have addressed this issue in other postings and I will continue to expand on it in the future.

Another factor in my decision to run for this seat is a difference in political philosophy.  As an example, in 2010 we saw legislation on a very popular consumer rights issue (the right to purchase wine directly from a vineyard) killed almost entirely by Senator Conway.  I will address this further in future postings but I strongly feel that the manner and motivation for the Senator’s actions need to be closely examined.  Stay tuned for the story behind the ‘Wine Bill Issues”.  For now, let me just say that the democratic process is critical to good government.  Using committee rules to block the process is simply unacceptable.

Finally, I believe that my work in the community and in public service has prepared me well for the Senate seat.  I bring a very diverse background to the district.  Having served as a public safety official; having served on a variety of non-profit and public boards; having established and experienced small business concerns; and having intimately involved myself in community; I believe I am better prepared to meet the needs of our neighborhoods.  I hope you will agree.

In a Baltimore Sun article today, the lack of legislators who are small business owners was highlighted as being problematic for our State.  It seems that only seven legislators are part of the National Federation of Independent Businesses.   “There’s a restaurateur or two, a jeweler, and a handful of accountants and attorneys with employees on their payrolls. But those lawmakers are vastly outnumbered by corporate lawyers, government employees and those who have made a career of politics. One-fifth of the lawmakers count their elected office as their full-time job.”

As the owner of Prosaber Consulting, a small business specializing in Emergency Management issues, I can fully appreciate the concerns.  The experience of running a small business provides many insights into issues often discussed in Annapolis.  Examples abound.  The one used in the Sun article is a good one.   Small business interests “could have better explained the needs of business during a debate this legislative session over whether to ease rules on stormwater pollution that were costly to developers. In the end, lawmakers did exempt the regulations for development projects already in place”.

For me, the issue goes beyond small business.  It’s an issue of valuing political representatives that bring diverse experiences to the political arena.  For example, how many legislators have a public safety background?  How many understand the complexities of emergency operations or the management-labor issues that arise.

As politicians, we all bring our life experiences with us as we serve our citizens.  As constituents, we should examine these experiences and give them the value they deserve.  I hope you will take a moment to look at the summary of my life experiences as they are detailed in this website in the Meet Hector tab.  I hope you find some value there.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.

It’s the most significant sentence in the Declaration of Independence.  It was the beginning of what would lead to our great democracy.

With the Independence Day weekend as a backdrop, I am particularly honored to be able to vie for your vote for State Senate.  It is a great responsibility.  Moving forward, I will continue to make the case for your support.  Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.