Democracy in Action 10/2 in the Cape

This weekend, Capers and our Broadneck Peninsula neighbors will have a rare and valuable opportunity to meet face to face with many of the major candidates for key office in the upcoming general election.  The Cape St. Claire Improvement Association, in cooperation with the Broadneck Council of Communities and the Arnold Preservation council, has organized a General Election Candidates Forum for this Saturday, October 2nd at 7 PM at the Cape St. Claire clubhouse.  Here is the notice that was posted on the CSC Public mailing group:

The Cape St. Claire Improvement Association, in cooperation with the
Broadneck Council of Communities and the Arnold Preservation Council, invite you to attend the General Election Candidates Forum to be held at the Cape St. Claire Clubhouse on Saturday, October 2, 2010. Doors will open at 6:45 PM and the forum will begin at 7:00 PM. The Clubhouse is located at 1223 River Bay Road, Annapolis, MD 21409. The Broadneck Council is an umbrella group representing the communities of Amberley, Pendennis Mount, Atlantis, and Homewood Landing and the Arnold Preservation Council, represents the growth and environmental concerns of communities at the western end of the Broadneck.

Confirmed attendees include: 

• US Representative Frank Kratovil - MD Congressional District 1 Candidate - incumbent
• Dr. Andy Harris - MD Congressional District 1 Candidate - challenger
• Dr. Ron Elfenbein - District 30 State Senate candidate
• State Senator John Astle - District 30 State Senate incumbent has sent his
  regrets.  He is chairing a fund raising dinner for a health-related charity that evening.
• The Honorable Michael E. Busch  - District 30 State House of Delegates - incumbent
• The Honorable Virginia P. Clagett - District 30 State House of Delegates - incumbent
• The Honorable Ron George - District 30 State House of Delegates -  incumbent
• Mr. Judd Legum - District 30 State House of Delegates candidate
• Mr. Seth Howard - District 30 State House of Delegates candidate
• Mr. Herb McMillan - District 30 State House of Delegates candidate
• The Honorable John R. Leopold - Anne Arundel County Executive
• Ms. Joanna L. Conti - Anne Arundel County Executive - candidate
• Mr. Paul Rudolph - District 5 Anne Arundel County Council -candidate
• Mr. Dick Ladd - District 5 Anne Arundel County Council -  candidate

The format will be to group candidates by office... County Executive,
House of Delegates, Senate, etc.  Each candidate will have five
minutes to make their presentation highlighting either past
accomplishments or their priorities for the coming term.  After the
presentations, there will be a question and answer session.  Questions
will be written and screened by the moderator.  There will be a time
limit on the Q and A session.  If a question is asked and it is directed
to both candidates, both will be given a chance to respond.  There
will be no rebuttal statements.

This event has been well attended in the past, and for good reason.  You will not find a better opportunity to learn about these candidates and size them up firsthand.  Whatever your political views, these candidates have all stepped forward to serve their counties, state and country and work for the people that they represent.  There are few things we as citizens can do more patriotic than to take the opportunity to hear what these men and women have to say and ask them questions about the issues we care most about.

If you are free this Saturday evening, come by the Clubhouse and show these candidates that Capers care about the decisions they make for us.  We owe them our time, attention and respect, but mostly, we owe ourselves the effort to participate in the democratic process.  I can assure you that you are not going to learn anything useful about the candidates or the issues from their lame and misleading TV ads.  You need to take advantage of this "face time" to get a true sense of what they're all about.

I have to say, I fear a bit for our system of government these days - that it has evolved in such a way that makes it incapable of addressing the problems that face our country in any meaningful way.  My gut response is often to turn away from it altogether - tune out the counterproductive dysfunction and anger - but I know that isn't the correct reaction.   We need to set aside our cynicism and anger and find constructive and mature ways to participate in the discussion.  And we then need to form our own thoughtful opinions based on facts and firsthand knowledge as opposed to basing them on the ratings-driven, sensationalist, and divisive coverage from the cable news outlets and their blowhard performers.  I think meetings like the General Election Candidates Forum are a great way to start and critical to the survival of our democracy.

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