|
Bailey asks Board of Elections to
Remove “Friends of Jim Smith” from Slate
|
|
Steve Bailey’s campaign for Baltimore County
State’s Attorney has filed a request with the Campaign Finance Division
of the State Board of Elections that would prevent Baltimore County
Executive, Jim Smith, from participating in this year’s election as a
member of a campaign “slate.” Members of a slate are allowed to
transfer an unlimited amount of money through the slate from one
campaign to another if both campaigns are members of the same slate.
Friends of Jim Smith, the County Executive’s
campaign finance account, last reported nearly $1,000,000 cash on hand.
Smith is widely expected to transfer money, through the use of the
Baltimore County Victory slate, to candidates of his choosing. County
Council candidates, Cathy Bevins and Gordon Harden, were recently added
to the Baltimore County Victory slate, and it is anticipated that Tom
Quirk will also join. All three candidates also received significant
financial backing from a pair of development attorneys, Michael Paul
Smith, the County Executive’s son, and David Gildea, a former law clerk
to then Judge Smith. In 2006, County Executive Smith, a candidate for
reelection, used the Baltimore County Victory slate to transfer
$435,000 to State’s Attorney candidate, Scott Shellenberger who went on
to defeat Bailey.
“Elections should not be decided by well connected politicians who
raise vast sums of money from developers doing business with the
county, and then circumvent the rules governing campaign
contributions”, said Bailey. “This is just another example of a
Baltimore County politician who believes that the laws apply to
everyone but him.”
According to Jonathon Shurberg, an attorney who has successfully
litigated several election law cases, “the Board of Elections position
to allow Jim Smith to participate in a slate, without filing a
certificate of candidacy for public office, flies in the face of the
plain language of the law. The Board of Elections interpretation
creates a loophole that allows any individual, not just candidates, to
circumvent the limits on campaign contributions.”
The State Board of Elections has not replied to a September 13, 2010
letter from Bailey asking to reconsider its position. Bailey will ask
the Attorney General’s Office, which represents the Election Board, to
intervene and provide legal advice to properly interpret the law in
question.
|
| Candidate Pledges to Cut Salary |
Steve Bailey,
Republican, is running for Baltimore
CountyState’s Attorney against incumbent Scott
Shellenberger.
“Shellenberger is a competent attorney, but his office is grossly
overpaid with an annual salary of $214,000. The office has the second
highest pay of elected officials in the state, more than Senator
Mikulski’s $174,000 and more than county executive Jim Smith’s
$150,000. Only Baltimore State’s Attorney Patricia Jessamy has a higher
salary, $225, 000,” Bailey said.
In addition to chopping $39,000 from his salary every year, Bailey is
willing to forego the county car that comes with the territory, do away
with the pension and limit his time in office to two terms.
He would like to return what he considers a lack of fiscal discipline
to the office which, he noted, has grown by 21 percent during the worst
recession of his lifetime. “Prosecutions are expensive. We can expect
leaders to do more with less, but others are not willing to execute
fiscal discipline,” Bailey contends.
“I will live like my constituents. Private business can’t offer defined
benefit pension plans by which you collect a percentage of your salary
in retirement. I don’t think elected officials should have one. This
plan should be moved to a contribution plan like a 401K for which the
county makes a match. If a public official can’t decide how to plan for
retirement....” Bailey left the sentence unfinished.
He continued, “I will not participate in the defined pension plan, so
taxpayers will not have to pay a million dollars for me in my
retirement. I will live without the culture of entitlement in these
difficult times.”
Bailey has been a prosecutor for 19 years in the Baltimore County
State’s Attorney’s office, the most recent five of these as a deputy.
Speaking of his opponent’s job performance, he opined, “Shellenberger
took over a very well run office and was wise enough to retain the
people. He carried out his prosecution responsibilities but totally
failed to restrain the growth and cost of office. Voters should
be looking for officials to make sacrifices, especially in these very
difficult economic times. They should expect an elected
official to
live like private family members.”
Bailey has experience with all types of cases. He graduated from
University of Baltimore Law School. He and his wife live in Towson and
have been married 20 years. They have three children. To contact him,
phone 410-830-9415 or visit www.votestevebailey.com.
Another option is Steve Bailey for State’s Attorney on Facebook. |
|
|
|
