High-fives to the freshman delegate from Gaithersburg who thinks he and other members of the Maryland General Assembly should not have their hands out for campaign contributions while they're debating legislation. That's the law now for the Assembly's traditional 90-day session, and it ought to apply to any special session, too.
But while the legislature went into special session for three weeks last fall, its members, along with O'Governor, raked in a half-million dollars in contributions.
Now Del. Saqib Ali, a 33-year-old freshman Democrat from Montgomery County, wants to close the loophole, for any time the General Assembly holds a special session.
The response from Ali's colleagues?
Boo, hiss, and, "We can't do that! I plan my bull roast months in advance!"
Understand now, this is a serious condition. Going 90 days without taking donations is tough enough; many members of the legislature can't keep their hands in their pockets longer than that. Their palms start to sweat; they get nervous and twitchy. They have nightmares about lobbyists doling cash out of suitcases.
Most can go 90 days without asking for money. But 100 days? Or maybe 110? That's pushing it. We're talking relapse, benders, binges - unshaven, disheveled delegates and senators, male and female, wandering the streets asking for quarters. I think Ali should be applauded, but he's bucking the natural order.
The man has a point
Last week in the District Court of Maryland, District 1, Baltimore City, Wabash Avenue, with the Honorable Theodore B. Oshrine presiding, a male subject stood accused of smoking on the Light Rail. What's wrong with this guy? Didn't he know the law? Says right here in the Maryland Transit Administration guidelines: "Eating food, consuming beverages, and smoking tobacco products is strictly prohibited on all MTA commuter transit vehicles."
Turns out, the defendant knew the law quite well.
"Judge," he told Oshrine. "I was smoking, but it was marijuana."
And as every herbpert (that's an expert in herbs, and I just made it up) knows, marijuana - maryjane, cannabis, weed, reefer, Maui wowie - is not a tobacco product.
Oshrine conceded the point - the defendant had already pleaded guilty to possession of MJ - and found him not guilty of transit smoking.
Cellular courtesy
The host of a Baltimore restaurant writes from the front of the house to vent about the state of modern manners in the wireless age:
