Mike Smigiel's thoughts on Hogan

gprimr1 said:

We need to get 5 more Senators elected, then he can force them to compromise.


Right now, he can ask them to compromise, but if they don't want to, they can just pass the bill and override his veto. The only power he has is some power of the purse strings.

With 5 Senate seats flipped, the Democrats would lose guaranteed veto override.

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Or 8 more Delegates.

Jim12 said:

The simple fact of not having one of their own - not having a totalitarian, monopolistic grip on power was, and is a daily reminder that they sometimes can and do go too far and that they need to exercise restraint. That's a good thing.

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So when this session did he hold their power in check? Or are you saying they didnt pass legislation they knew he'd try and veto?

East2West said:

So when this session did he hold their power in check? Or are you saying they didnt pass legislation they knew he'd try and veto?

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The MGA considered or had submitted to it over 3,000 bills and resolutions this past session. Odds are good that some were dropped due to opposition from the Governor and/or the need for too much time and political capital. Do you have an analysis and outcome of each one of them, along with the reasons why each one passed, failed, or passed with amendments? I don't.

dblas said:

Those of us that busted our asses in Annapolis during the legislative session, to keep bills from making it to the Governor's desk. And if more people would show up and do that, we might have more success.

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Amen Brother. Image if 10% of our 22K members were on the bricks ever Monday during session.

Muleskinner said:

Something many here do not have..

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What are one's principles when it comes to politics? I have a lot of ideals I would like to see in a candidate. Thing is, I have yet to meet a candidate that aligns with each and every one of my ideals/principles.

Personally, I think Hogan has done a great job overall. He went to bat for Marylanders when Trump changed the tax code. Federal tax reform did away with personal exemptions, but Hogan made sure they remained in the Maryland code. Then, the federal tax reform will have most Americans take the standard deduction in lieu of itemizing. Well, that is going to cause a lot of Marylanders to pay more in Maryland income tax because Maryland law requires a taxpayer to itemize of take the standard deduction in the same manner they did on the federal income tax return. The standard deduction in Maryland is somewhat pitiful compared to what the new federal standard deduction is going to be. Hogan tried to have the tax code changed here too, to allow taxpayers the option of taking the standard deduction or itemizing, instead of requiring taxpayers to utilize the same method that was utilized on the federal return.

Heck, I am still waiting for Trump to repeal EO 41f/p that Obama signed, or at least repeal the part that sucks pertaining to trusts. I mean, as part of his campaign promises, he said he was going to do this. Has that happened yet? What has Trump done for the 2nd Amendment? Nothing is jumping out at me at the moment, and please do not tell me he appointed two SCOTUS justices.

If a person happens to be a one issue voter, and that one issue is the 2nd Amendment, then I can see how they will vote against Hogan. As was mentioned at a MSI meeting in 2013 by a liberal voter that had attended and was pro 2A, and as I have said many times on here, most people are not single issue voters.

Don't tell me that you are pro 2A, pro increased taxes, pro-Life, pro wealth redistribution, pro military down sizing, pro big government, etc. and expect me to vote for you just because you are pro 2A and against every other principle of mine.

So, what benefits do I get if I vote for Jealous? Is he better for 2A than Hogan? Is he for smaller government? Less government intrusion in my life? Lower taxes? Is he better for business?

Even if one is a single issue voter and that single issue is 2A, I still do not understand how that person could vote for Jealous because Jealous is going to be worse for 2A anyway.

gprimr1 said:

We need to get 5 more Senators elected, then he can force them to compromise.


Right now, he can ask them to compromise, but if they don't want to, they can just pass the bill and override his veto. The only power he has is some power of the purse strings.

With 5 Senate seats flipped, the Democrats would lose guaranteed veto override.

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This at least makes it seem possible.... THANKS!

Jim12 said:

The MGA considered or had submitted to it over 3,000 bills and resolutions this past session. Odds are good that some were dropped due to opposition from the Governor and/or the need for too much time and political capital. Do you have an analysis and outcome of each one of them, along with the reasons why each one passed, failed, or passed with amendments? I don't.

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You, and others, seem to think this is unusual, when in point of fact it is not. The MGA in Annapolis routinely has well over 2800 bills submitted each session. well over 85% never make it out of committee every year, and not because of who resides in Government House. The same number were posted during the eight years of O'Malley.

Not_an_outlaw said:

Amen Brother. Image if 10% of our 22K members were on the bricks ever Monday during session.

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Imagine if 5% of the 22K members here, showed of gun bill days in the House and the Senate?

But most people talk a good game about fighting for their rights, and very rarely do anything to actually fight for their rights.

dblas said:

You, and others, seem to think this is unusual, when in point of fact it is not. The MGA in Annapolis routinely has well over 2800 bills submitted each session. well over 85% never make it out of committee every year, and not because of who resides in Government House. The same number were posted during the eight years of O'Malley.

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No, I don't think it's unusual for a large number of bills to be submitted, and it's obvious that committees filter out many if not most of them. But are you suggesting that committees and the leadership don't receive any input or feedback from the Governor's office on any of those 3,000 bills, or temper their actions at all depending on whether there's support or opposition from the Governor? Do they work totally in a vacuum and don't cross paths, negotiate or even discuss it with the governor's office until the governor either signs or vetoes a bill that's been passed by both houses? I doubt it.

Also, a minor point, but I heard on the news that the number of bills submitted last year was a record. Maybe fake news.

This is his last election, so he'll have more flexibility.

Well, I heard that somewhere.

Racer Doug14 said:

This is his last election, so he'll have more flexibility.

Well, I heard that somewhere.

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Yes you did, only in this case it is Lawn Chair Larry talking to Frosh....

Bigfoot21075 said:

Yes you did, only in this case it is Lawn Chair Larry talking to Frosh....

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Obozo was passing on that he would be more bendable and stretchy.

Bigfoot21075 said:

Yes you did, only in this case it is Lawn Chair Larry talking to Frosh....

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Lawn Chair Larry.

Jim12 said:

No, I don't think it's unusual for a large number of bills to be submitted, and it's obvious that committees filter out many if not most of them. But are you suggesting that committees and the leadership don't receive any input or feedback from the Governor's office on any of those 3,000 bills,

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Yes, the Governor's office provides input, much the same way we do, by written and sometimes formal testimony. On occasion there is a discussion about a bill.

Jim12 said:

or temper their actions at all depending on whether there's support or opposition from the Governor?

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The current MGA could care less whether or not the Governor supports or opposes a bill. There have been several bills that the Governor has requested, that have been submitted on his behalf, only to be defeated in committee, but then a similar bill, with slightly different language (not supported by the Governor) gets submitted, passes out of committee and gets approved by both sides of the MGA.

Jim12 said:

Do they work totally in a vacuum and don't cross paths, negotiate or even discuss it with the governor's office until the governor either signs or vetoes a bill that's been passed by both houses? I doubt it.

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As a general rule, for anything other than funding and budget bills, that would a big fat NO.

Jim12 said:

Also, a minor point, but I heard on the news that the number of bills submitted last year was a record. Maybe fake news.

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For an election year session, it was a record, but as a rule, nope.

Perhaps you should come on out to Annapolis to see how the sausage is made? Perhaps visit you legiscritters in their environment, take in a floor session of the House and the Senate, and maybe even sit for part of a bill hearing in committee?