Final Results

Nicholaus R. Kipke Republican 24,143 21.96%

Steve Schuh Republican 22,805 20.74%

Don Dwyer, Jr. Republican 22,452 20.42%

Jeremiah Chiappelli Democratic 12,943 11.77%

Justin M. Towles Democratic 11,968 10.89%

Robert L. Eckert Democratic 11,856 10.78%

Joshua Matthew Crandall Libertarian 2,015 1.83%

Cory Faust, Sr. Constitution 1,660 1.51%

Other Write-Ins 105 0.1%


To the 12,943 of you who voted for me, thank you!

Win, lose or draw

Early voting has already begun. It is a week until the general election on November 2nd. And then the signs will come down and the robocalls and mailings will stop for another two years.

This will be my last posting until after the election so I wanted to share a few thoughts from my win, lose or draw speech.

First, thank you to everyone who voted for me in the primary and made me your nominee. I hope that I have run a campaign worthy of the honor. Thank you to everyone who voted for me in the general election. I hope that I have earned it. Thank you to my outstanding volunteers and long-suffering family who have gone that extra mile for me. Thank you to my wife and daughters who have hardly seen me since July.

I don’t think I’ve met any candidates who are running for the wrong reason. They all have the purest of intentions. I disagree with some of their philosophies and policies. It is interesting just how much we all have in common. We all want a better future for our
children. We all want a cleaner environment. We all want to feel safe.

I’ve met a lot of people and learned about a lot of interesting groups while on the campaign trail. I hope that those relationships will continue in the future. There are a lot of civic-minded people out there doing great things for their communities.

Has the campaign changed me as a person? Yes and no. I’m still the book-worm with all sorts of ideas for new laws and repealing old laws. But I’ve increasingly come to realize that the government is not going to solve all the problems facing us. You are.

My faith in the American people has grown. The people are angry but they don’t know what they are angry at. The people have lost faith in themselves. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, we’ve had the answers all along. The people will create the jobs and get the economy moving again through small businesses. The people will clean the environment through their individual actions. The people will make themselves safer by locking their doors, reporting crimes and not being afraid of their own neighborhoods anymore. Government has a role to play, but it’s a supporting role to the people.

Win, lose or draw, I am excited about the future and plan to do my part to protect it.

Keep an eye on the papers and the internet to find out the results and DON’T FORGET TO VOTE CHIAPPELLI!

Teachers Endorsement

Thank you Teachers for endorsing me. I am proud that Maryland's schools have been ranked number one in the nation for two years in a row. I hope we can extend that record for the next four years.

On a personal note, I am a product of public education. I went to the Public Honors College (St. Mary's College of Maryland) and then to the University of Maryland School of Law. We have a good system.

I would not have progressed as far as I have without the help of public education, in-state tuition which has remained affordable and student loan financing. Thank you teachers and thank you Democrats for creating this ladder of opportunity to for me to climb up.

Only a few more days to go until early voting! Vote Chiappelli.

Cul-de-Sac King

Yard signs. Whether you like them or not, they're a sign of the season. We've been very active getting them out to our supporters in the area and I've learned a few things.

-Businesses don't like to put up campaign signs. And I don't blame them. You want customers no matter who they vote for. Why antagonize half of your potential customers? So for that reason, I appreciate my business supporters all the more. Thank you!

-Apparently most of my supporters live at the ends of cul-de-sac's. They have my sign in their yards, but only their neighbors can see them. I'm not sure what this means. Are my supporters very private people who like to live off the beaten path? Possibly. Do they live away from the main roads because they have young children who roam around? Probably. Thank you for your support!

-I like small yard signs because it seems more grassroots. I've tried to only place my signs on private property with the owners permission. It's an intrusion and I don't want to be rude with a billboard.

-The weather does not like small signs. Between the winds and the deluges, it's amazing any signs at all are still standing.

-The yard-sign fairies are alive and well. Who takes the signs? When do they take them? What do they do with them once they take them? Nobody knows.

What do you think of yard-signs?

Remember to order your absentee ballots now if you'll be away on Election day!

Sierra Club Endorsement

I am proud to have received the Sierra Club endorsement! They are a group with a serious mission and they only endorse a few candidates. I am very honored to be included in that select group. I hope that I am able to live up to our shared ideals.

Helmets and Freedom

While I was standing outside of the polls on election day, a fellow rode up and wanted to know if I stood for freedom or not. Of course I said yes because I can't think of a single candidate who opposes freedom. (Actually I just thought of a couple, some of whom I am running against.)

As it turns out, his biggest issue was the helmet law in Maryland which mandates that a biker must wear a helmet or face fines and possible criminal conviction.

I have to confess that I do not own a motorcycle and I have never actually ridden a motorcycle. My wife has. Her whole family, my in-laws, are big motorcycle people. Once you turn three in her family, you learn to ride a bike. She's not kidding, I've seen the photos. My father-in-law owns Deer Park Cycle in Westminster doing repairs and restorations. His brand of choice is the Triumph. (Trying to get you some business, Jack!)



I think it's absurd to have a law that forces people to wear helmets. To me, it seems like a good idea to wear a helmet, but that's just my opinion. And that's my point. It's your skull. It's not the government's business what you choose to do with it. It is if you are interfering with the life, liberty or property of another person. But wearing a helmet is a personal decision. I don't see how the government can justify this law.

I would proudly sponsor the legislation to repeal the helmet law in Maryland. To answer that voters question again, yes I stand for freedom.

Vote for freedom, Vote Chiappelli.

Thanks!

Thank you Democrats from the Fighting 31st for picking me as your nominee for the House of Delegates!

4,059 of you voted for me during the Primary and I appreciate each and every one. Now here's the tricky part, I need you to do it again and bring three friends with you for the General election on November 2nd.

Vote Chiappelli!

Political Forum

Last night was the first political forum where all the candidates were invited and given the opportunity to speak. It was interesting to hear everyone's stump speeches. There were about 14 candidates there so we were limited to about 3 minutes to talk. I stayed within the limits, the other candidates did not.

So, of course, afterwards I thought about what I should have said if I had taken more time like the other folks. I know, you always know what to say ten minutes after the moment passes. Luckily, with the power of blogging, I can give myself a do-over.

What I said, more or less:

"I'm Jeremiah Chiappelli and I'm running for the house of delegates. I'm from Pasadena. I was raised here. I left for a few years for school but then I came back because Pasadena is a great place to live. I have a law firm on Mountain Road, so look me up if you get into trouble.

"I have a wife and two young daughters ages 2 and 4. I'm running for the house of delegates to protect the future. I'm an optimist and I still believe that things are going to get better. When you have kids, you are saying that you have a stake in the future and you want things to be better. 'For ourselves and our posterity.' I think the future is going to be awesome. And we need to protect it.

"People ask me why I'm running, what are my important issues. The answer is all of them. Right now the economy is huge, we need to put people back to work. And the environment, we can put people back to work cleaning our environment. But I'm interested in all the issues. I'm not running on any one issue. I want to work on hundreds of small problems so that we can do better in the future.

"Thank you."

What I should have said, if I had taken the time:

(Same introduction)

"You'll hear all the other candidates and elected officials bang the table and complain about all the terrible things happening and all the problems facing us (they did). Doom and gloom. But that ignores our history. We've had almost 400 years of experience in overcoming problems. These problems shall pass. I have faith in the people. You have overcome problems in the past, you will overcome obstacles in the future. The goal is for government to assist you and not get in the way.

"Small businesses are the engines of the economy and the creators of jobs. We need to make it easy for people to start their own businesses. We need to shift taxes away from the incomes of the middle class and working poor. I'm a big fan of the green collar jobs. Helping the environment is a growth industry and there is no reason why Maryland can't be a leader in this field.

"You'll only hear problems and doom and gloom from the other candidates because they want to scare you into voting for them. I live in Maryland, one of the greatest states in the nation. We have a highly educated workforce, a nationally ranked public education system, and a great court system. Of course we can do better. But let's not ignore what we've already accomplished!

"I want your vote not because you're scared, but because you share my belief that the future is going to be awesome."

Early voting starts tomorrow! (September 3rd)

Get out there and Vote Chiappelli!

Labor Day

I'm jumping the gun a little bit but I wanted to say thank you to Labor for all that you have provided us over the years.

Thank you for the weekend.

Thank you for eight hour work days.

Thank you for jobs that let working-class folks climb up into the middle class.

Thank you for doing the jobs that make civilized life comfortable.

I'm proud to be endorsed by the Maryland State & D.C. AFL-CIO and United Transportation Union, Maryland State Legislative Board and I look forward to working for Maryland's working families.

Definition of Success

I'm running for the House of Delegates to Protect the Future.



What the heck does that mean? How will the voters be able to tell if I've protected the future in four years? How am I going to define success as a Delegate?

Ask any politician ever if they have been successful during their term and they will say "Yes." Because nobody wants to admit that they've been a failure. Even if they campaigned on position A and position B gets passed, they will define that as a success. That's why politicians get such a lousy reputation.

I'm not naive enough to think that I can go down to Annapolis and pass my specific wish list of legislation. I do hope that I can be more successful than our current delegate who has a perfect .000 batting average for getting legislation passed.

First Goal: Pass a bill.

Many of the items on my legislative wish list involve expanding freedoms to the good people of Maryland. We all do better, the economy does better, when more people have more freedom. The reverse of this position is that a lot of bad legislation gets proposed and passed which limits freedom. I hope to help defeat those bills.

Second Goal: That you have more freedoms available to you in four years than you do now.

A good economy depends on good government. Wise tax policy can help boost the economy. The hard choices we will have to make in the next couple years will have an impact on the economy. Everyone is talking about job creation, including me. We need smart government to help create jobs.

Third Goal: That you have a job and more money in your pocket in four years than you do now.

I want to empower the people of Maryland. Electricity provider competition has given the average family the power to vote against BGE. Alternate energy sources, like solar and wind, give people the power to control their own, well, power. Wise farming policies give people the power to control their own food supplies. We are all stewards of our environment. We all have the power to protect ourselves from crime.

Fourth Goal: That you, the people, have the power to control your fate instead of being left to the whims of the government or big business.

I hope you give me the chance to be your delegate this fall. And I hope you measure me against these four goal. And I hope that I pass!

Protect the Future: Vote Chiappelli.

Local Creeks

I'm a big fan of clean water. I look forward to the day when I can go swim in my local creek and not have to worry about toxins or diseases. I want to be able to stand in the water up to my waist and see my feet in clear water. I want to catch the large fish and large oysters (the size of dinner plates!) that Captain Smith bragged about when he first visited the Chesapeake Bay in the 1600’s.

Take a look at the map of the fighting 31st. Clean water is the environmental issue locally.

Delegate Kipke raised awareness about a year ago about the poor conditions of Marley and Furnace Creeks. Recently Redmond and Dwyer held a public meeting about the poor conditions of Rock Creek.

What concerns me about these awareness campaigns is that everyone is still playing the blame game. Whose fault is it that the local waterways are still dirty?

Some blame private landowners with leaky septic tanks, others blame government for letting the pumping station infrastructure decline. The unpleasant truth is that we’re all to blame. Every one of us contributes a little bit to the run-off and pollution going into the waterways. And every one of us needs to accept responsibility to clean it up.

True, the single biggest thing that the government can do is to upgrade the pumping stations to prevent untreated sewage from flowing into the creeks. That's been a huge problem. Some money has been allocated. The notorious Cox Creek Wastewater Treatment plant is finally scheduled to get some much needed (and expensive) upgrades.

The next crusade will be in dealing with stormwater runoff. A major storm, like we’ve seen frequently this summer, can undo years worth of progress on cleaning the waterways.

When the environmental movement first took off in the 1970’s, rivers were literally catching on fire, fish were choking on trash and industry pumped raw untreated wastes into the creeks through big pipes. Things have changed for the better. Nobody is afraid that Rock Creek is going to catch fire. Not only is it illegal to throw your trash into the water, but it’s unseemly and rude as well. Major industries have to comply with the Clean Water Act.

But the population of the watersheds keep growing. As we solve one problem, a new problem comes along to replace it. As we removed lead from gasoline and increased fuel economy, more people started to drive farther. We have to keep running just to stay in place.

Clean water should not be a political issue. President Richard Nixon recognized as much when he signed the Clean Water Act. We need to stop playing the blame game. There is plenty of blame to go around. We need to work towards solutions.

Mandatory Foreclosure Mediation

This past week I completed advanced training in foreclosure defense. The recent statistics are ridiculous. Since April 2008, there have been approximately 250,000 foreclosure filings in the State of Maryland. Odds are that you know somebody who has gone through a foreclosure or is about to go through a foreclosure.

It’s going to get worse. The foreclosures are affecting the middle class and “good” loans. Commercial real estate is about to take a hit. And, if you remember two years ago, the foreclosure crisis managed to bring the entire global economy into a recession.

Some homes can be saved. Others cannot. The wisdom is determining which is which.

It seems like a no-brainer. The banks want their money back and the homeowners want to stay in the house. If the homeowners can afford anything reasonable, the banks are better off reducing their profits by modifying the loan and getting some income rather than spending huge sums on the foreclosure process and ending up with a damaged property when the angry homeowner rips the sink off the wall before they are evicted.

From my experiences, the most frustrating part about foreclosure defense is trying to get someone from the bank on the phone who can talk about a loan modification or even negotiate a deal. That’s why I’m very pleased with the new mandatory foreclosure mediation passed by this year’s General Assembly. It forces the banks to come to the same table as the homeowner to discuss options. It doesn’t violate anyone’s right to contract or their right to private property. It simply forces them to talk for two hours, even if no agreement is reached.

That’s all my clients and I want!

A large Democratic majority voted for the bill. Delegates Kipke and Schuh also voted for it and I thank them for it. The third member of our delegation voted against it.

The good news from the recent training was the large number of attorneys who have stepped forward in this crisis to take on pro bono clients and go to bat for the little guys. It’s stuff like this that makes me proud to be a lawyer.

Do I have any solutions at the governmental level to the foreclosure crisis? I have a few suggestions, mostly procedural tweaks to the current system.

Do I have any solutions at the individual level? Yes. Deal with the situation as early as possible. Take a realistic look at your finances. Is your mortgage payment 35% or less of your gross monthly income? If yes, you’re probably okay. If not, look into getting a cheaper house. Squirrel away at least two months worth of mortgage payments for a rainy day. And banks, I’m embarrassed even to have to tell you this: a positive cash-flow is better than a negative cash-flow. Talk to the people, they want to pay you.

Protect your future. Vote Chiappelli.

Wind Power in Anne Arundel County

On Monday, July 19, 2010, the County Council voted to allow residential wind power in Anne Arundel County. Although the bill is modest in scope and contains a number of restrictions on size, location and energy output, it is a big step forward.



I was honored to testify in favor of the bill on July 6th. Windpower is good. It’s good for the economy. The installation and maintenance of windmills creates jobs. Those jobs by necessity have to be local. You can’t outsource those jobs. It’s good for the environment and the Chesapeake Bay because it produces electricity without any waste. If the windpower replaces coal or oil power, it will reduce the amount of mercury, nitrogen and particulate matter entering our ecosystems. It’s good because windpower is local power and it reduces our dependence on foreign regimes or the whims of the marketplace.

One of the issues that came up was the appearance of windmills. The new bill contains height restrictions and other restrictions to minimize the negative visual impact of windmills. I’m of the opinion that windmills represent the future. When I visit my family in Pennsylvania and see windmills on the sides of the Appalachian mountains, it looks like progress. It looks like hope.

In short: wind power is good.

Protect the Future: Vote Chiappelli.

Team Chiappelli

As the campaign season really takes off, I'd like to introduce my right and left hand people, Rose and Matt!

Running for office is a team sport and I'm proud to have such outstanding people standing beside me.



And, of course, everyone's favorite Segway riding hero: Captain Awesome!

July 6th: Deadline day

It's official. The deadline for filing to run for office in 2010 has passed.

A number of people have jumped into the House of Delegates race in District 31 and as the first person in that race, I'd like to welcome them. Stan Janor has been in the race since 2009. Justin Towles jumped in in April. All three incumbents decided at the last minute that they would like to keep their jobs. Two other fellows, one Democrat and one Republican also decided, literally at the last minute, to jump into the race as well.

I don't understand the need to wait until the last minute. I mean, I understand that they are trying to avoid some of the paperwork of running for office and they hope to get noticed by the media. To me, running for office is serious business. It's important to get out there, put your cards on the table and say "here I am and this is the job that I want." This last minute shuffling feels artificial as if the incumbents and latecomers aren't sure if they want the job or they had more important things to do first.

Regardless, we're all in the race now. Voters start checking your mail and answering your doors, the candidates are coming for you. Ask us the tough questions. Check out our backgrounds. Make us earn your vote. And we won't stop trying until November 2nd when you pick me and two others!

Books

I love books. I'm a big reader.

When people ask me why I'm running for office, I tell them the truth: I read a lot. I read a lot of books about the various problems facing the world and then I read a lot of books about various solutions to those problems. I like to solve problems. I don't see other candidates or existing office-holders tackling some problems or approaching them with the right solutions. I would like a chance to try.

I mention that because I would like to hear from you, good citizens of the Fighting 31st, what books do you want your elected officials to have read? Let me know in the comments.

I just finished a book "From the Bottom Up" by Chad Pregracke. It's the true story of Chad and how he decided to clean up the Mississippi River. There was trash, so he went out on his boat and picked it up. The rest is just elaboration. It was very inspirational and it reminded me why I'm running for office. Sometimes there are simple solutions that we just haven't tried for some reason.

While I'm on the subject of books, let me heartily endorse the Book Thing of Baltimore (www.bookthing.org). Free books! Stop by on weekends and drop off your old books and pick up as many free books as you can handle. It's awesome!

BP Madness

I try not to repeat myself on this blog and I try not to fire off tirades against the Republican party. I'm about to break both of my informal rules.



BP executives were hauled in front of Congress today. Predictably, the politicians loudly stated their disgust with the whole mess.

The good thing is that we at least know who to blame: BP. And the other good thing is that they have been forced to put $20 Billion dollars into a fund to help the many, many victims of the accident.

And in the midst of the largest environmental disaster in American history, members of the Republican party want to apologize to BP for taking their money!! Are you kidding me?! This is not some kind of tax to go for pork barrel projects in the local Congressional districts. This is compensation for people who are directly victimized!

The Republican congressman apologized for his apology later (or flip-flopped as they say). But the scary thing is that it wasn't an accident, it was a talking point. This is a party that truly believes it is wrong for a big corporation to have to pay the victims of their crimes. This is a party which tried to take a political shot at the President and the Democrats for doing the right thing.

This is why I am a Democrat. If you commit a crime, you need to compensate the victim. I don't care if you are a common street thug or BP. Protect the Future. Vote Chiappelli.

The Constitution of the United States

I’m a big fan of the Constitution. It is the bedrock upon which my profession is built. It is such an Enlightened document that I can understand people’s confusion about whether it was divinely inspired or not.



The Constitution was written by a great group of people.

It was also written by suspicious people who had the challenge of figuring out a way to live together peacfully. Our Founders did a great job. They created a government of limited powers. Any powers that the Federal Government has is specifically spelled out. They even left in wiggle room, like the "Necessary and Proper" clause, for future unforeseen circumstances.

The Constitution does not deal with beliefs or with morals or with religion because the Founders came from very different backgrounds. Slavery being the largest elephant in the room. Some of the Founders believed that slaves were property. Other Founders beleived that slaves were people. That's a pretty big difference of opinion.

Yet they managed to create such an enduring Constitution because they did not try to decide which belief was better or who had the better religion.

The safest Constitution is the one which protects your freedoms from me. Because I know that my freedoms are safe from you.

Which leads me to the biggest difference between myself and my opponents: They are Constitutional hypocrites.

I've had the opportunity to hear my opponents speak several times and one element which keeps reoccuring is the belief that by expanding civil rights and constitutional freedoms, those rights are weakened somehow. Delegate Dwyer has been the most vocal with this ridiculous position but the others are careful to toe the line.

This is a direct affront to the Constitution. Our freedoms should be spread as widely as possible because that truly provides each of us with the greatest protections. Freedom is not like gold. You don't hoard it and become rich. It's not something that there is a limited supply of and if we share it with our neighbors our supply of freedom is lessened.

Protect the Future of our Constitution. Protect the Future of our Freedoms. Vote Chiappelli.

BP Oil Spill

The oil spill in the Gulf is a tragedy. What makes it worse is that it is a tragedy that is still occurring and a tragedy that should never have occurred.

I understand that when you run an oil company, you want your oil rigs to pump out lots of oil. But did they really never think that, hey, we might want an "off" switch? I suspect when all is said and done there will be plenty of blame to go around.

I think it's astounding that politicians from both parties have been preaching the same message of energy independence and reducing the need for foriegn oil for THIRTY years now. The problems are so self-evident and the solutions likewise obvious. Why can I still give the same energy speech that President Carter could have given? More importantly, why hasn't anything been done?

I don't know. But I would like a chance to go to Annapolis and see what I can do about it.

If we had taken the hard steps to reduce our need for oil and begun the transition to clean power in the 1970's, then we would not have the need for offshore rigs like the one currently pumping oil into our waters.

I also heard something amazing this week. President Obama took responsibility for the oil spill clean-up. He said "I am the President and the buck stops with me." Whatever you think of the President, can you even imagine any of our recent presidents taking responsibility for a disaster of this magnitude? That's such a mature, responsible response that I don't usually expect from the government. Politicians like to take credit for things when they go well, but they rarely take the blame, especially not when the crisis is still unfolding.

Mr. President, I salute you and I wish you the best of luck in stopping this disaster.

Personal Clean Energy

I've made the point in other posts how important it is to switch to alternative energy, promote clean power, promote energy efficiency, etc., etc.

I think it's important to practice what you preach. So I wanted to share a little about my families attempts to green up our energy.



The most recent step we've taken is to take advantage of the Maryland law allowing consumers to choose who produces their electricity. We've gone with Clean Currents which will allow us to have 100% wind power generated electricity for 10.8 cents/Kwh. It's a two year contract with the rate locked in. If BGE gets more expensive, it makes us look like geniuses. If BGE rates drop, then we get stuck with the higher bill. The important thing is that we made the choice.

The wind power is not necessarily generated in Maryland. In the small print the wind power may be generated in Texas and we're 'offsetting' coal power in Maryland.

Maryland is an energy deficient state. We use more electricity than we produce. I'd like to see Maryland change that. If government creates the right conditions, I believe that the private markets will take care of the rest.



We also recently had a solar hot water system installed at a total cost of $9,462. We used Solar Energy Services (www.solarsaves.net) based in Millersville. They did good work and they were very helpful with our follow-up questions. We were able to take advantage of tax incentives at all levels of government.
-The federal government gave us a tax credit of about $1,500.
-The Maryland government gave us a solar energy grant of $2,000.
-The Anne Arundel County government gave us a one-time property tax break of about $500.

That's almost 50% of the cost of the system. The rest of the savings comes from our decreased energy bills.

Had it not been for the government creating the right conditions for our family, we would not have been able to switch to wind power or install our solar hot water heater.

Incentives matter. Vote Chiappelli: He practices what he preaches.

Notes from the Campaign Trail

It's been awhile since my last post. I've been busy.

In preparing for this campaign, I spoke with a lot of very smart people and consulted a lot of books. Money is important because money allows you to get your message out to the people.

That's true.

But I've been taking a more personal approach. I'm going to community meetings (send me an email if you know of any that you think I should visit!) and other events. I'm knocking on doors and talking to people one-on-one. People can always look up your record or your position on issues, but I think most people just want to size up the candidate.

I think it was an interesting contrast between the different candidates this weekend at the Riviera Beach parade. The Chiappelli contingent was small. We took our time walking the parade route and handed out our cards to everyone along the way.

Hope to see you soon.

Happy Mother's Day!

I spent today with my wife and my mother trying to thank them for the great job they do every day of the year. My mother's day present to the community was not to be knocking on their doors today.

Mother's have one of the hardest jobs out there. And they don't even get paid.

Our government has a responsibility to support parents. As they say, the children are our future. We already do a lot through our schools, our libraries and our parks. I, for one, enjoy taking my kids to the local parks and libraries.

And if the government can't be helpful to parents, it has the job of getting out of the way and letting parents parent. One area of legislation that I'd like to revisit are the regulations concerning child-care. I support the movement to professionalize daycare providers. Background checks, safety inspections, certifications, etc. But that costs money. We are creating a situation where the people that need childcare the most, the working poor and the middle class, can't afford it. We need to review our laws to make sure that we aren't increasing daycare costs above the level where most people can afford them.

There have been reports of neighbors watching neighbors children and then getting hit with fines from the state. That's not right.

Protect the mothers, protect the children, Vote Chiappelli.

Jefferson-Jackson dinner

Tonight was the night of the Jefferson Jackson Dinner which is the biggest event of the year for the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee. It was a good time.

The keynote speaker was Governor Martin O'Malley. He raised a lot of good points. Even though the nation is in the midst of the Great Recession, Maryland has the highest rated public school system in the nation. Maryland has the largest increase in jobs of all the states and, consequently, the lowest unemployment rate. The Chesapeake bay is even getting cleaner, although very slowly.



The message of the Democratic party has been, and will be, Hope. Even when things are bad, we can make them better. That's a message I can believe in. That's a banner that I will get behind.

My opponents, one in particular, are running on a fear message. If you fail to support them, evil things will happen. That's not really a message, it's more of a threat.

Delegate Dwyer has challenged me to a debate, which I have accepted. I hope that we can set a date in June. I would like to give the people the opportunity to hear the difference between hope and fear. I already know what the winner will be.

Vote Chiappelli.

Earth Day Wish list

Happy Earth Day!

This time of year is always busy for my family and myself. My wife is an environmental educator and Earth week is like the Super Bowl for Environmental educators. We always attend trash pick-ups, tree plantings, festivals, garden-plantings, etc.

I want to highlight three environmental goals which I hope to achieve in the General Assembly. They may seem a little eccentric, but bear with me. In NASCAR when they want to lighten a car by a pound, they do it by shaving 1/100th of a pound from a hundred places. In order to clean the environment, we'll have to do it by shaving pollution and waster from a hundred places.

-Pass the legislation necessary to allow residents to install clean power on their properties and sell the excess power back to the grid. I know that we are in the process of doing this and that many parts of the legislation are already in place. I also know that when we get it right, green power will boom in Maryland. Because if there is money to be made, people will get on board, regardless of ideology.

-Kill sytrofoam. Either by passing a tax on the use, an outright ban, or mandating that it be recyclable. I recognize that styrofoam has value but using it to transport greasy fries from point A to point B and then placing it in a landfill for the next millenium strikes me as a poor use of resources.

-Deregulate the cemetery business to allow green funerals and create an industry that would profit by preserving open spaces. Tax embalming as it essentially pumps the deceased full of toxic chemicals which are then placed into the ground.

And for the Earth Day humbugs out there, go insulate your attic anyway, you'll get a federal tax credit.

Micromanage

Bob McWilliams' column in the April 2nd issue of the Capital highlights the type of delegate that I do not want to become.

Bad things happen. If a person causes a bad thing to happen to another person, generally you can sue. Most of the time there is already a law against it. The crime of assault includes unwanted touching of all varieties. The crime of Harassment includes non-physical conduct which is harassing all the same. Stealing is wrong.

By and large, we have our bases covered.

Bad things will still happen.

And when they do, legislators leap to the rescue to create a new law or regulation that re-states the existing law. Mr. McWilliams column mentions a few laws which were proposed this session: Not hitting bicyclists with your car doors or throwing things at them or eating, drinking or smoking while driving a car.

Newsflash: It's already a crime to hit bicyclists with your car door. And if you are eating while driving and it causes and accident, you can be found guilty of reckless driving.

I'd like to quote Mr. McWilliams, "[O]ur legislators are much too quick to repeal "everyone's" freedom in response to isolated cases of individual irresponsibility. Increasingly, we all lose a bit of our liberty as we allow the passage of endless laws in a futile effort to control people who don't really care about the law to begin with."

I would like to go to Annapolis to help prune the Maryland Code. Why have three laws when we can condense them into one? Why have one law when none is required?

It's not a sexy issue, but it is important. Legislating is not a matter of picking up the paper and picking the issue of the day. Legislating is about taking a long-term look at the State and the government and determining the best course of action for the future.

Protect the Future. Vote Chiappelli.

My Opponent

The Maryland Gazette published a piece about my opponent Delegate Dwyer on March 27th. I think the headline, which is a quote from my opponent, summarizes things nicely:

"I didn't come down here to pass bills."

Then what did you go down there for? His answer, "I came down here to do the people's work."

Which people exactly? All the people I know would like their representatives to do something. You don't pay plumbers to have positions about the leaky pipes, you pay them to fix the leak. You don't pay your mechanic to make angry speeches to your engine, you pay them to fix the problem. You don't pay your doctor to send a message to your liver, you pay them to heal the wounds. Why would you want to pay your representative to do nothing?

The paper was nice enough to interview me for the article. They did spell my name wrong (It's Chiappelli with two P's!). But they quoted me correctly:

"It's not gay marriage that is causing people to lose their homes."

When you want something done right, hire a professional.

Vote Chiappelli for Delegate.

Great Groups

Dear Citizens,

Do you have cable tv with hundreds of channels? Probably.

Do you sit down and watch every channel, every day? No.

I'm beginning to feel that way with local non-profits, community groups and local businesses. So many things are going on and there's no way that I can take part in everything.

A short list of groups that have crossed my path which I would like to honor by briefly mentioning them:
Treemendous, MD for planting trees (www.trees.maryland.gov)
Myrl Hartman with Citizenre, a local business who rents solar panels (www.jointhesolution.com/myrl)
Magothy River Association for taking care of our local waterway (www.Magothyriver.org)
Friends of Downs Park for taking care of our local park
All of the neighborhood associations that I've run across for taking care of our neighborhoods. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.
H.O.P.E., a local non-profit that provides much needed items to the needy (www.hopeforall.us)
The local police-community relations councils for getting bad guys off the streets.

There are many strands that go into the fabric of our community. One of the perks of campaigning is the opportunity it has given me to see so many of those strands up close.

Climate Change

I recently finished Tom Friedman's book "Hot, Flat and Crowded" which is about the pressing need for a clean energy revolution.

I also recently read a letter to the editor questioning climate change.

Folks, the science is over a hundred years old. Something like 98% of scientists agree that global climate change is taking place and that humans have caused it. The differences are how fast the changes are going to come and what they are going to look like.

Clean energy and energy efficiency make sense from an economic point of view. For example, my factory and my neighbors factory both make the identical widget and we both get the same amount of money for our widgets. If I can reduce my overhead by reducing my energy costs, suddenly I make a greater profit than my neighbor. Once my renewable energy supply is online, my price for energy is fixed and not dependent on global commodity prices. Oil prices rise and oil prices drop, but the sun is forever.

In other words, you can believe that global warming is a complete myth and it still makes sense to promote clean energy and energy efficiency.

All of my posts up until now have been just words and no pictures. So for a change of pace, please enjoy



...me, wearing a sweater. Enjoy the good weather!

Clean Energy Town Hall

It seems like a lot has happened since my last post. Lot's of meetings, door-knockings, family parties, the Oscars, etc.

One of the meetings which I attended was a Clean Energy Town Hall held at North County High School. It was energizing (pun intended) to be with so many dedicated environmentalists. These were people who knew what the problem was and were working on fixing it.

For instance Dave Wooley-Wilson runs the Green Building Institute in Jessup, Maryland. This institute trains people to conduct energy audits and how to increase household energy efficiency. Energy efficiency may sound boring, but it can eliminate the need for any new power plants.

Several speakers discussed the recent initiatives to increase green power with solar credits, rebates on energy efficient appliances and the ability to choose green power. I have to confess that I just learned about my ability to choose a power provider other than BGE and I'm looking into it. My family has also been able to take advantage of the solar tax credit in 2009 with our new solar water heating system.

The current legislative focus is on passing HB522. Essentially we have different parts of the Maryland government pulling in different directions. One agency is pushing for cheap, reliable power and another agency is pushing for reducing emissions. This bill is an attempt to get all the agencies to push in the same direction.

Protect the future of clean air. Vote Chiappelli.

Right to Bear Arms

I've started knocking on doors and so far the most common issue that people have asked me about is gun control. Or more accurately, that they do not want gun control.

We have the right to bear arms. If you want to own a gun, that's your right.

People seem surprised that a Democrat would be pro-guns. To me it's an issue of freedom. Freedom from government intrusion. Some people want the right to own a gun without the government hassling them, other people want the right to free speech without the government hassling them.

As long as whatever you're doing is not harming the person or property of anyone else, then I don't see how it's the governments business.

Protect the Future, Vote Chiappelli.

Complete Waste of Time

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler issued an opinion today that Maryland should recognize same-sex marriages that are validly entered into in other states. Mind you this is a non-binding opinion.

I happened to be having lunch with the current delegation from the fighting 31st so I was able to hear Delegate Dwyer's reaction. He is going to seek the impeachment of Doug Gansler.

I didn't say anything at the time because, well, it seems rude to insult a man who's paying for your lunch.

But this is exactly the kind of nonsense that motivated me to run for delegate.

There is a serious budget crisis going on. People are losing their homes to foreclosures. People are losing their jobs. People are still losing their lives fighting overseas and Dwyer wants to waste the General Assembly's time on this?! A non-binding opinion?

The recognition of same-sex marriages from other states is a non-issue. It does not cost the state a dime. It does not require Maryland to do anything. It does not harm anyone.

Dwyer stated that it wasn't the opinion itself so much as the unconstitutionality of the opinion that really upsets him. This bothers me for a couple reasons.
-One: I went to law school for three years to study the constitution. Gansler's opinion is constitutional.
-Two: This is exactly the partisan fighting that does nothing productive but sucks energy and resources away from real issues. Clean air, clean water, better schools, the economy, etc.
-Three: Dwyer is pushing an extremist agenda. The good people of the fighting 31st are not extremist. Who is Dwyer really representing?

This attack is just another way to try to wedge the bedroom door open to government intrustion. I said it before and I'll say it again, the government and Dwyer have no place in my bedroom.

Protect the future: Vote Chiappelli.

Liquor Law

An issue that someone raised to me recently was about the proposed change to the liquor laws which would allow someone in Maryland to order wine from out of state and have it shipped to them. I figured that there had to be more to the controversy than that. There must be some complex reason for the current law. I told the constituent that I would look into it.

I did. There is no complex reason or deeper matter. People should be allowed to order wine through the mail.

It's a matter that is supported by the majority of the people. The Baltimore Sun, Capital and Gazette have all supported it. It's a step toward a more free market. It's a matter that only concerns consenting adults. One who is selling the wine and the other who is buying the wine. Where is the government's interest? There is none.

So let it be known throughout the land, Jeremiah Chiappelli supports repealing the current law and allowing the good folk of Maryland to order wine through the mail.

One Enchanted Evening

We had our first campaign fundraiser this weekend! "One Enchanted Evening- A Black Tie Gala" at Celebrations At the Bay in Pasadena. Excellent turnout, considering the snowy conditions. I think everyone had fun. I know that I did!

Thank you to everyone who attended. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Thank you to the local businesses who contributed items to our silent auction. Thank you to the staff at Celebrations. And especially thank you to Jenny Harding for coordinating the entire evening. And while I'm thanking people, thank you to everyone who helped clear the snow from the roads and kept the power on this past week!

The evening started with the usual mingling and chatting. I was pleased to discover that there were Democrats and Republicans in the crowd. I prefer to focus on what unites us and not on what divides us. People respond to that.

Celebrations At the Bay had outstanding food. As the evening went on, the staff brought out chocolate covered strawberries which made more than one person turn their head!

After dinner, Erin Callen, ballroom dance instructor from "Just Dance" got everyone in the room on their feet and onto the dance floor for a short lesson on ballroom dancing. Yes, even Stan Janor and his wife danced. The DJ was taking requests all night and the open bar ensured that the dance floor stayed occupied until the end!

Oh yeah, and I was able to say a few words.

To boil it down to a few sentences: I am running for delegate in order to protect the future because the future will be awesome. When people go to a lawyer, they have a problem that needs solved. They don't want to hear legal theory or spend all their money. They just want the problem solved. And that's my philosophy on serving as a delegate: the people don't want to hear political bickering or spend all their tax dollars. They just want the problem solved. That's what I want to do and that's why I need your help.

Protect the Future: Vote Chiappelli.

Graffiti-free neighborhoods

Graffiti and vandalism drive me crazy. I hate them.

There is the tipping point theory which states that if you let the little problems go, then the big problems come. If you don't clean up the graffiti, then the gangs and drugs follow.

I'm not sure if I believe the theory whole-heartedly, but I really don't want to live in a neighborhood with graffiti.

Interestingly, the three Republican incumbents sponsored a bill in 2008 to take the drivers licenses away from juveniles convicted of vandalism. As much as I hate to agree with the guys I'm running against, I do like the spirit of this bill. But increased punishment only works if you catch them.

I will say that if you catch someone vandalizing your property, you can always sue them in civil court. Give me a call at 410-689-9894 and we'll talk.

In Baltimore City, you can call the city and they will send a crew out to clean up the graffiti. I've always wondered why Anne Arundel County doesn't offer a similar service. My guess is the cost.

It seems like the kind of service that people want and would be willing to pay a graffiti-insurance for. Why hasn't the free market fixed this problem?

What are your suggestions for reducing graffiti?

RIP Rep. John Murtha

Representative John Murtha (D-PA) died yesterday. I mention this because he is the congressman from the area of Western Pennsylvania where my family is from. He has represented that corner of PA for as long as I've been alive. He did a pretty good job of it too.

I learned tonight that my father was standing right beside Rep. Murtha when he first learned that he won his first election. My father was a reporter with the local paper at the time.

Keep the Government out of the Bedroom

I've had several people ask me what I mean when I say I want to keep the government out of the bedroom. And I mean pretty much what I say. In the not-too distant past, the government determined what contraceptives were available and who could purchase them. The government determined that certain consensual relationships were forbidden.

The government then had the ability to barge into your bedroom and tell you what you could or couldn't do with your spouse. (I'm talking consensual stuff.)

That's the worst kind of government intrusion!

As a society, we've been moving away from that.

But there is a dangerous strain of extremists taking over the Republican party. Those extremists are trying to promote social conservative positions by putting the government back in your bedroom. Their wedge issue is gay marriage. Mayland law states marriage is between a man and a woman. These extremists want to go even further by essentially outlawing gay couples.

Think about that for a minute. They want to give the government the authority to regulate your bedroom. This is what they are spending their time on while the economy crashes down around us.

I don't like that one bit! If anything, we should be pushing the government out the front door of our homes, not inviting them back into our bedrooms.

Protect the future, Vote Chiappelli.

The Environment

I like the environment. I'm a big fan. I don't think that there is a serious candidate or politician out there who doesn't at least make pro-environmental noises.

The environment has been a huge issue for me as long as I can remember. Pro-environmental positions come so naturally to me that I don't really think of them as political issues, I think of them as common sense. We all live in the environment. All of our essentials come from the environment: Food, oxygen, water, shelter.

Politicians try to paint the picture of the economy versus the environment. I beleive that is completely wrong. The economy needs a clean environment to thrive and the environment does better when the economy is healthy. The real battle is the economy/environment vs. ignorance and short-sighted thinking. Come to think of it, that is my core platform.

Common sense is not common as I'm sure many of you can attest.

Protect the Future from short-sighted thinking, Vote Chiappelli.

Lower Taxes

On my campaign card, I have a list of issues which I believe are a priority to myself and the good people of the fighting 31st. I recently moved "Lower Taxes" to the top of the list.

I like the things that taxes pay for. I enjoy our public parks, our libraries. I use the roads everyday. I hope I never have to call them, but I'm glad that the police, fire and EMS crews are available. I'm proud of our court system. When I buy a gallon of gas, I know I'm getting a gallon of gas because a government inspector is there to enforce it. I'm not thrilled about getting building permits for remodeling my house, but I'm glad that my neighbors can't build skyscrapers next door. I'm a proud graduate of public schools and the University of Maryland system.

Taxes do two things: they increase the revenue of the government and they destroy. It's a delicate balance between the two. Right now the tax burden is falling increasingly on the middle class and the small businesses and it has crossed the line into destruction. The tax burden is crushing the heart of our community and the primary creator of jobs. That's a problem.

Instead of taxing the middle class and small businesses more, why don't we cut them a break and tax things that we want less of (or that we want more of but that we know are bad for us): pollution, crime, junk food, cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, etc. And the beautiful part is that if you don't want to pay the cigarette tax, you don't have to. Just don't buy cigarettes! It's saved me thousands over the years.

War in Iraq

As you might imagine, people want to know my position on various issues. I'll try to address a few in this blog. Please drop me a line about specific issues you would like me to address.

One person recently asked where I stood on some national issues, which is a pretty big topic. So I figured I'd focus on one national issue: the War in Iraq.

First of all, I have the greatest respect for our uniformed services. These are people who are willing to place their lives on the line in order to protect us. At a minimum, they make huge sacrifices to their families and social lives. Those in power have a sacred duty to not waste that sacrifice.

And that is what upsets me over the War in Iraq. We, the American people, were lied to in order to get us involved in that war. In 2002-2003 when Bush was touting the Weapons of Mass Destruction, I knew we would not find any. Because we had the receipts for all the weapons we had sold to Saddam in the 1980's. He used them on the Kurds. Then we defeated him in the Gulf War and neutered his army. If there was one place on the planet where we could be secure of that there were no weapons of mass destruction, it was Iraq.

I'm not a pacifist. I believe that war is sometimes necessary. But is must be entered into as a last resort and with a clear goal. Frankly I think we invaded the wrong country in 2003. Ask me in person and I'll be happy to share my thoughts on THAT subject.

Haiti

My heart goes out to the victims of the recent Haiti disaster. You can feel the focus of the world shifting to Haiti and the groundswell of support for relief efforts. That is how it should be.

The secondary tragedy is how swiftly people politicize disaster like Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, and others who haven't made headlines. People lost their lives, their loved ones and most of their material possessions. They face a complete breakdown of the infrastructure which delivers food and water to them. The human response is compassion.

There but for the grace of God go we.

No pay raises

By now I am probably the last elected official and candidate to publically state that now is not the time to pass or even propose pay raises for members of the General Assembly. And the matter has formally been put to rest. Nonetheless, I would like to go on the record opposing them. (That's real leadership, jumping on an issue that's already resolved!)

The challenge of the 2010 General Assembly session is going to be figuring out how to shrink the budget by approximately $1 billion without losing vital governmental functions and without putting more people out of work. Any legislation that hopes to get passed this year had better not cost anything.

As a family lawyer, I see first-hand the effects that this Recession has had on the hard-working folk of the fighting 31st. It's ugly.

Things will get better. It's a question of making the right choices.

Protect the Future. Vote Chiappelli.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! And belated Happy Holidays!

The campaign website has undergone a significant upgrade courtesy of the tireless efforts of Julie and Spencer. Julie spent her holiday break programming html and getting all of the pieces of the website to work together. I would like to publically say thank you.

Consequently I have not posted an update for several months. On the other hand, the holidays were about family and taking it easy. Not a whole lot to report.

I would like to share two things that made me happy.

One: I received a gadget to recharge Wii controller batteries by induction. It blows my mind. Usually I have some idea of how things work, but this baffles me. Power just magically goes from the pad into the battery. No wires. The future is pretty cool.

Two: While I am outraged by the recent attempted-bombing on Flight 253, I am thrilled by the response of the passengers. They saw that something wasn't right and they acted upon it. And by acted upon it, they physically restrained the bomber, put out the fuse on the bombers body, and then they proceeded to beat up the bomber. Even though the passenger who took the lead was Dutch, it still makes me proud to be an American.

2010 is upon us. The election is a mere eleven months away. The primary is only nine months away! Vote Chiappelli.