Issues

Education

As the son of a school teacher, education has always been at the forefront of my life. Education is not just a political talking point; it represents the future of our county. The answer has always been to spend more money on schools without looking at the issues that face our teachers and students. Unfortunately, that mentality acts like a band-aid more than a cure.

One of my major initiatives will be to make sure that good teachers remain in the classroom. Far too many educators leave the system because they lack the ability to maintain a proper learning environment. We need to reward our good teachers by giving them the tools and structure they need in order to educate students.

We also need to look at the classroom curriculum with a magnifying glass. More emphasis needs to be placed on core subjects such as Math, Reading, and Sciences. I would also propose a mandatory financial acumen class for all graduating seniors. This will teach seniors basic financial skills, like balancing a checkbook, and also teach them about the dangers of not living within their financial means in these tough fiscal times.

Government Accountability & Transparency

Government today lacks accountability. What is best for the people often takes a backseat to what is best for the next election. I am a fiscal conservative who feels that our tax dollars are often spent on wasteful projects and intrusive government. It will make it my personal priority to reduce wasteful spending, cut red tape and let our taxpayers know how their money his being spent.

I also promise that I will be active in the community. I want everybody in our community to be involved in making our neighborhoods better. You will know what I am doing and will always have my ear.

Public Safety

I am a strong proponent of supporting our local police officers, firefighters, and EMTs. Having several friends on the force, I have come to appreciate the daily hurdles that our public safety community faces.

One subject that worries me is the growing presence of gangs in our county. Unfortunately, we only have one officer on the county gang task force. We need to make sure adequate funding is in available to increase the task force. One of my priorities will be to cut off this growing problem before it becomes a major problem.

Environment and Smart Growth

We are fortunate to live on the Chesapeake Bay, one our nation's most treasured and cherished ecosystems. We owe it to ourselves and our children that we take necessary steps in order to protect the bogs, marshes, and wetlands of our communities in order to protect this treasure for our future.

At the same time, the Mountain Road Peninsula is outgrowing its infrastructure. We need to do what is necessary to balance these growing infrastructure needs, our environmental concerns, and the rights of property owners in these environmentally sensitive areas.

Permits and Zoning

Government is supposed to work for us, not against us. Lately, it seems that the bureaucracy of Anne Arundel County has failed property owners in its permit process. We need to reevaluate and streamline the permit process in our county. Simple steps such as fastracking permits on renovations and addition projects designed by licensed architects is one simple way that we can make government work better for the average citizen while still allowing for the thorough and vigorous review process for larger commercial construction.