Creating Jobs is Our #1 Priority

Dear Friend,

No single issue touches the lives of everyday Marylanders like our economy does. Since the beginning of the Great Recession in 2008, your District 18 Democratic Team of Delegates Al Carr, Ana Sol Gutiérrez, Jeff Waldstreicher and I have taken action to make sure Maryland families can get through these difficult economic times.

We started by passing tax credits to help small businesses hire unemployed workers and regulations to protect families from foreclosure. We fought to ease the tax burden on our seniors and help employers pay for their workers' health insurance. Because of our state's quick action, Maryland's unemployment rate is 25% below the national average and more than 40,000 jobs have been created since January.

The most important issue for us is creating economic opportunity. Making sure every Marylander looking for a job can find one starts with fiscal responsibility in Annapolis. That's why we have led the effort to balance the budget every year under Governor Martin O'Malley. Working together, we have decreased the budget by 3% over the past four years.

We will continue to work for you to ensure a more prosperous future for our communities and families.

To celebrate the contributions of local businesses in Montgomery County, please join us on Tuesday, August 10th at the newly reopened Hollywood East Cafe in Wheaton Plaza. We are hosting a reception honoring the businesses that create jobs and make our communities strong. Find more information about this special event at www.district18democrats.com/hollywoodeast.

Thank you,

Senator Rich Madaleno

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Sen. Rich Madaleno & District 18 Democrats: Holding Pepco Accountable

Like many of you, my family was impacted by the loss of power after the storm last week. I received a call that my 88-year-old grandmother’s nursing home had no electricity and no one knew when Pepco would restore it. Like you, we called and checked the website, but found few answers.

Five days later, thousands of homes and businesses in Montgomery County are still dark. This is the second major failure of Pepco’s network this year.

Many of you might remember Pepco’s slow response after the ice storm in 1999 and Tropical Storm Isabel in 2003. My neighbors have told me stories about their power going out several times a year after a heavy rain or strong gust of wind. Delegates Al Carr, Ana Sol Gutiérrez, Jeff Waldstreicher and I will get the answers we all deserve.

As chair of our county’s Senate Delegation, I have invited Pepco representatives to testify before the Montgomery County Delegation to explain this pattern of inadequate service and lack of communication with customers. I’ve already asked the Public Service Commission, the agency responsible for regulating utilities, to investigate these frequent outages.

The District 18 Democratic Team is here to help you. If you are still without power and need assistance, please call us at (240) 389-3367 or e-mail me at rich@district18democrats.com.

Thank you,

Rich Madaleno

Attorney General Doug Gansler Endorses the District 18 Democrats

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler has released the following statement in support of District 18 Senator Rich Madaleno and Delegates Ana Sol Gutierrez, Jeff Waldstreicher and Al Carr.



As Attorney General and a longtime resident of District 18, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with the District 18 Democratic Team. This election year, it is essential that Democrats remain united to fight for progressive priorities. I’ve seen first-hand as Senator Madaleno and Delegates Carr, Gutiérrez and Waldstreicher joined forces to fight for safer streets, a cleaner environment, and marriage equality. I unequivocally endorse the District 18 Democratic Team because I need them in Annapolis to continue fighting for our progressive values.

Fighting for Civil Rights & Social Justice

Dear Friend,

Over the past 48 hours since the storm, the District 18 Democrats have been working diligently to help vulnerable constituents who lost power. If you or a member of your family is a senior, has a disability, or otherwise needs assistance, please call us at (240) 389-DEMS for support. We're here to help.

Of course, protecting vulnerable Marylanders and standing up for social justice is our full time job. As your representatives, Senator Madaleno and Delegates Al Carr, Ana Sol Gutiérrez and I fight every day for the progress that moves Maryland forward.

Being a Democrat is more than just a label. The Democratic Party represents common values that we have proudly put into action in Annapolis:

• A Voice for the Voiceless: Led the fight to protect seniors and stood up for the rights of the developmentally disabled
• Equality for All: Co-sponsored marriage equality, religious freedom, and anti-discrimination legislation
• Defending Choice: Defeated all attempts to restrict a woman's right to choose
• Open Government: Supported legislation to increase state government transparency

While we work to advance our Democratic agenda, agents of the status quo continue to push back against progress. That's why we need your support now. Please sign up at www.district18democrats.com or call our campaign at (240) 389-DEMS to join our fight.

To help us continue promoting progressive reform, I hope you'll join us on Tuesday, August 10th at the newly reopened Hollywood East Cafe in Wheaton as we celebrate the contributions of local businesses in our community. Visit www.district18democrats.com/hollywoodeast for more details.

Thank you,

Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher

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Fighting for Our Environment & Quality of Life

Dear Friend,

For nearly 100 days, our nation has been horrified by the tragic BP oil spill. While many people are just starting to think about our dependence of fossil fuels, Rich Madaleno, Ana Sol Gutiérrez, Jeff Waldstreicher, and I have been fighting for clean energy and our environment for years.

We will never stop fighting to ensure a clean energy future for our children.

The District 18 Democratic Team has worked together to protect our environment and maintain our high quality of life. Working together, we have co-sponsored and supported:

• RENEWABLE ENERGY: The Maryland Clean Energy Incentive Act
• THE CHESAPEAKE BAY: The Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund
• OPEN SPACE: Full funding for Program Open Space to invest in our communities' green space
• GREEN BUILDINGS: Stricter building standards that meet LEED certification

While we have taken many important steps to protect our environment, our work is not yet done. Together, Sen. Madaleno and Dels. Gutiérrez, Waldstreicher, and I will continue fighting to reduce plastic grocery bag litter that clogs our waterways, provide incentives for solar energy and give tax breaks to businesses that create green jobs.

To help us continue these efforts, I hope you'll join us on Tuesday, August 10th at the newly reopened Hollywood East Cafe in Wheaton as we celebrate the contributions of local businesses in our community. Visit www.district18democrats.com/hollywoodeast for more details.

Thank you,

Delegate Al Carr

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Fighting for Our Schools & Our Future

Dear Friend,

I hope you enjoyed our video series. Now that you know a bit more about the District 18 Democratic Team, we want to share our thoughts with you on some of the most important issues facing Montgomery County.

I've been involved with Montgomery County Public Schools my entire life. I started kindergarten in Silver Spring and graduated from B-CC High School--as did my three sons. Later, I was elected to serve on the Board of Education for eight years.

One of our District 18 Team's top priorities is maintaining the high quality education that our children receive in our public schools.

Throughout our term, Senator Rich Madaleno, Delegate Al Carr, Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher, and I have fought for our schools, our teachers and--most importantly--our students. Working together, we have:

• Helped close the achievement gap by making sure all students are taught by the highest quality teachers (1);
• Led the fight against giving taxpayer dollars to religious private schools by actively opposing the BOAST Bill (2);
• Provided record funding for K-12 public education every year for the past four years, including the much-needed Geographic Cost of Education Index (GCEI) in additional state funding (3).

Although ours are among the best schools in the country, we cannot rest until every student receives a world-class education. We are working together to continue investing in our future by building new classrooms, expanding programs for at-risk students, and recruiting the best teachers.

With your support, the District 18 Democratic Team will continue fighting for Montgomery County Public Schools. We are committed to our teachers, our public schools, and our future. Please join us at http://www.district18democrats.com.

Thank you,
Ana Sol Gutiérrez

P.S. RSVP for our event THIS SUNDAY at Sub-Urban Trading Co. Click the link below the video for details.

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Education Advocate Bonnie Cullison on the
District 18 Democratic Team's Education Record

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(1) See "Major Issues Review 2007-10" Part L: Education, "Education Reforms & Race to the Top."
(2) See http://mlis.state.md.us/2008rs/billfile/sb0373.htm
(3) See "Major Issues Review 2007-10" Part L: Education, "State Education Aid."

Meet Senator Rich Madaleno

Dear Friends,

I can't tell you how proud I am to serve on the District 18 Democratic Team with my friend and colleague, Senator Rich Madaleno.

Rich is a lifelong resident of Montgomery County. As a recognized budget expert, Rich has championed bills to cut taxes for seniors and the disabled. He is the lead sponsor of Marriage Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act.

He lives in Kensington with his partner, Mark, and their two children, Katie and Jackson.

Rich Madaleno is fighting for Montgomery County by promoting economic opportunity and defending equal rights for all. Ana Sol Gutiérrez, Al Carr and I are humbled to join him on your Democratic Team.

Check out the new video about Rich and learn more at www.richmadaleno.com!

Thanks,


Jeff Waldstreicher

P.S. RSVP for our July 18th Event at Sub-Urban Trading Co. Click the link below the video for more details.

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Meet Rich Madaleno: District 18 Film Series - Vol. 4

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