Representation: FAIL

I almost wrote Senator Kasemeyer one of my impassioned advocacy letters. I had already written to the delegation as a whole, and additionally signed on to the HCEA letter campaign to make a better board of education, but I thought maybe, if I laid out the case well enough, I could make a difference. But then time got away from me.

I guess I'm glad I didn't. Word on the street is that he doesn't read his emails.

Yesterday Senator Kasemeyer used his vote to block Delegate Atterbeary's bill to improve how we elect members of the Board of Education. Not, I am told, because he was philosophically opposed to it, but because he had given his word to someone that he would vote against it.

I'd love to know who or what was more important than supporting the needs of constituents he was elected to serve.

I found this tweet posted awhile back by my friend Abby Hendrix:

Ed Kasemeyer asks Dems to get involved. @mddems @HoCoDemParty

Well, Senator, I am a Democrat and I am involved. And if you took a moment to listen, really listen, to the people who reached out to you asking for help, you'd find similar stories. While not all of us are Democrats, we all share a passion for our children's education. You'd find people who have volunteered, donated time, goods, and money. You'd find people who have served on committees, given testimony, advocated for causes, worked to find common ground, campaigned for better candidates--all in the service of improving our schools.

We are not lazy whiners looking for a quick fix. We reached out to members of the Howard County Delegation only after exhausting all other avenues of redress. Don't tell me to get involved, Senator Kasemeyer. I have been there.

Yesterday was your turn to get involved, and to put your money where your mouth is. But you didn't.

I don't know if we will ever know why you did what you did yesterday. But we know what you did: you turned your back on the citizens of Howard County.