A Maryland bill that would require all future presidential candidates to release their tax returns passsed the Maryland Senate last week, taking aim at President Trump. 

The Presidential Candidate Tax Transparency Act – which passed the state Senate last week 28-17 – would make Maryland the first state to require future presidential candidates to release their tax returns as a condition of appearing on the ballot, so as to let voters evaluate any potential conflicts of interest.

Susie Turnbull - Courtesy PhotoAs the number of candidates for governor of Maryland keeps growing, so far, only one person has declared for the lieutenant governor position, and that is Susie Turnbull of Bethesda, who will be running with gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous, a former national president and CEO of the NAACP.

“My campaign is about building a movement of working families to get Maryland back to doing big things again, and I can't think of a more dedicated and proven partner in this effort than Susie Turnbull,” Jealous said. “She has devoted her life to elevating the voices of working families and fighting for progressive policies and candidates with the courage to move our state and country forward.”

Turnbull has been active in the Democratic Party on the County, state and national level for 40 years.

GAITHERSBURG – Sept. 22 marked the deadline for candidates to file in this fall’s election in Gaithersburg. On Sept. 26, the Board of Supervisors of Elections certified the candidacies of those who filed to run for Mayor and City Council. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Incumbent Mayor Jud Ashman is unopposed on the ballot. Ashman was originally appointed mayor following the election of longtime mayor Sidney Katz to District 3 of the Montgomery County Council; he won a special election to serve the remaining two years of Katz’ term in 2015. This fall, he is seeking his first full four-year term.

TAKOMA PARK— The City mayor and Council changed the voting rules in the city charter May 10, bringing a slew of changes to the election process.

“It passed, we just changed our elections…it was harder than giving birth,” said Mayor Kate Stewart.

With the adoption of the charter amendment, the date of City elections will change from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, synchronizing it with State and County elections.

It will also change the date of the nominating meeting, the day which the mayor and Council take office, and will extend the time for certification of election results. The length of the 2017 term will change, too.

Oh, promises, their kind of promises, can just destroy a life
Oh, promises, those kind of promises, take all the joy from life
– by Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Elections, as we have all recently learned, have consequences. No one should be surprised that promises made by the elected candidate during the campaign run the risk of being implemented after the winner takes office.

This past election cycle saw many attempts at legal challenges related to voting, including claims that persons who should be allowed to vote were being disenfranchised. While the Courts have to grapple with these issues, sometimes the timing of the legal challenge as a practical matter makes the merits of the claim moot because the Court does not have time to do anything about it. This is illustrated by an opinion this week from Maryland’s highest Court in a case called Voters Organized for the Integrity of City Elections (VOICE) v. Baltimore City Elections Board.

Turn, Turn, Turn

To the editor;

Once again the liberal Kapiloff dogma rules the Montgomery County Sentinel. Your editorial about term limits is something I heard Dr. Kapiloff speak about often when he was around.

He is dictating to the paper still.

It is time to limit terms in office and drive out those who would otherwise be in office until they died there.

We can’t do it through elections. We can’t do it by voting.

J. Spruell

Silver Spring

editor’s note: How do you know it can’t be done? Do you vote? Have you ever put your money where your mouth is and run for office? Or are you merely angry your favorite politician didn’t get elected?

Eight Miles High

To the editor;

For once be open about your bias. Your story about road signs in Montgomery County claims it would be bad for business.

You just don’t like the proposal by George Leventhal and are trying to kill it.

D. Spaulding

Rockville

editor’s note: Actually you are referring to a front page news story in which some small businesses claim the sign legislation as proposed would be bad for business. We are actually in favor of the measure and have gone on record saying as much.

All I Really Want To Do

To the editor;

I have given up hope of ever riding the Metro again. After 20 years on this horrible monstrosity which gets worse each week, I am now driving to work in the district.

It actually took me less time to drive from my home near the Pooks Hill Marriot to my offices on K Street than riding from the Grosvenor/Strathmore stop on The Metro to my stop at Farragut North and walking to my office.

And during rush hour!

How pitiful is my commuting experience?

I’m now driving to work.

Thanks Metro for destroying my mornings.

R. Danninfield

Rockville

TAKOMA PARK — The city clerk said changes that could come as soon as 2018 could allow residents to vote for the mayor and City Council members at the same time as they vote for members of state and federal office in general elections.

A "laboratory for democracy"! That is the phrase used by Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes to describe New York City's public election funding program during his address to the "American Elections at the Crossroads" forum at the Brennan Center for Justice in New York City on July 22nd.   Since Montgomery County established a very similar small-donor matching fund program for candidates with the passage of Bill 16-14 on September 30, 2014, it is hoped that that same description can someday be applied to Montgomery County.

ROCKVILLE -- Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton plans to run for re-election this year, she said Tuesday.