Why I’m Running

05Jun

Over the last six months and the long fight against the WCD, I have seen how bad government can hurt citizens who own property and small business. Business owners operate under the assumption that the rules of the government are fixed and will not be changed to adversely affect them. When land can be downzoned at the whim of the county commissioners, there is too much uncertainty to invest in Charles County.

I have also watched as the Democrats in Annapolis march to one drum and constantly vote in unison to override Governor Hogan’s veto’s.

To my one of the saddest facts is that everywhere I go in Maryland I meet people who tell me as soon as they can retire they are out of Maryland. If I had a dime for everyone who told me that, I would be able to buy a mansion in Florida and retire myself!!! Kidding aside, as a lifelong Marylander, it saddens me that so many cannot wait to flee the State, our home.

The final fact is that 2018 is a pivotal election year for Maryland. Our Governor is up for re-election and we have redistricting coming up in the next four years. In the Senate, we need five more Republicans to withstand the veto override. In the House of delegates, we need seven more Republican Delegates to withstand the veto override. Our goal as conservatives must be to re-elect Governor Hogan and give him the support in Annapolis he needs to bring real change to Maryland.

I can no longer sit on the side line. On June the 8^th at 3:30 I will announce that I am running for State Delegate. I am going to announce at the Maryland Airport. For me, it’s significant to announce at this airport. This is where bad government meets business and business suffers greatly This airport, once hailed as the “ECONOMIC ENGINE” of Charles County is now in foreclosure. As many of you know, Gil Bauserman the owner for many years was very active in the WCD fight. To say the down zoning of all the land around the airport affected Gil would be an understatement. Sadly, Gil passed away several week ago. For us who knew him, we know the burden the WCD downzoning had on Gil. Government should never oppress Business and government should never change the rules in mid-stream leading business to be wrecked on the shoreline.

I will announce at 3:30 on Thursday the 8^th from the Maryland airport. Part of my platform will be to work with Governor Hogan and other Delegates to bring jobs to Maryland and to make Maryland “Open for Business”. Locally, jobs in Charles County will help to alleviate the mass exodus of cars every morning. We need good high paying jobs in the county.

I have a full campaign staff, a professional media company and we will take our platform to the citizens of Charles County. It will be an inclusive campaign, with a positive message. It’s time to get off the side lines and fight for Maryland and fight for Charles County. I have been here all my life, my children and family are here and I don’t want to leave. I am willing to be part of the solution, not part of the exodus!!!!

I will have a fundraiser / announcement party at my house on June the 11^th at 3:30 pm There will be food, drinks and music. Please feel free to come and tell your friends to come as well. The address is 7795 Lyndele Drive Port Tobacco.

Please try to come to one or both of the campaign events as both will be live fed on social media.

Thank you and I ask each of you for your support in this endeavor !!!!!

Bill Dotson

Presidential Elections 2016

22Jul

This year, in this election, we are called to reaffirm our values and our commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up, to the legacy of our forbearers, and the promise of future generations. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. But my personal story is not so unique. That is in Israel’s interest, Palestine’s interest, America’s interest, and the world’s interest. That commitment is at the core of the Treaty, and it must be kept for all who fully abide by it.

Again and again, we’ve seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available. But the truth is, that isn’t all that I know of the man. I get it.

But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America – to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality. Let us be our brother’s keeper, Scripture tells us. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al Qaeda and the Taliban with broad international support. The Internet and television can bring knowledge and information, but also offensive sexuality and mindless violence.

More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. The men and women who gathered there could’ve heard many things. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years, and much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq.

Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk.

We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth and carrying out His works. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. We see it in the history of Andalusia and Cordoba during the Inquisition.

Senate confirms judicial nominees

05Apr

The Senate unanimously confirmed four of 38 pending judicial nominations Thursday evening, the first of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees to be approved since September.

The nominees—Catherine Eagles, Kimberly Mueller, John Gibney, and James Bredar—are the longest delayed district court nominees, who were each reported out of the Judiciary Committee unanimously. The nominations for Eagles, Mueller and Gibney were sent to the full Senate in May and Bredar was reported out of the committee in June.

The White House hailed the confirmations but said the Senate must continue to act.

“We’re pleased that these four nominees have been confirmed, but urge the Senate to take action on the 34 nominees who remain on the calendar – particularly the 19 who would fill judicial emergencies,” said spokesman Josh Earnest.

Regan Lachapelle, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that the four confirmations Thursday are “just a start” to clearing the backlog during this session.

“We are still working through the list and are committed to confirming as many judges as we can,” said Lachapelle. “We’ll take them when we can get them.”

This week, Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have negotiated a deal that could potentially break the bottleneck of Obama’s “uncontroversial” federal court nominees during the dwindling lame duck legislative session. These included most of the nominees who had been reported out of the Judiciary Committee by unanimous votes before November elections.

Still, there are a handful of circuit court nominees — whose nominations are rarer and typically receive greater scrutiny — still waiting for votes on the Senate floor, though they had been nominated as far back as November 2009.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy praised the confirmations and called on more to be confirmed to address districts facing judicial emergencies, including vacancies and backlogged dockets, across the country.

“These confirmations are long overdue,” Leahy said. “For months, these nominations have languished before the Senate, without explanation and for no reason. I hope these are the first of many confirmations by the Senate before we adjourn.”

GOP lawmakers have flagged three other nominees, including California law professor Goodwin Liu, as too liberal and inexperienced to be parceled with the rest of the non-controversial judicial candidates set for Senate confirmation.

Cutting Risk by Disclosing Political Donations

22Mar

In politics, it often pays to be ahead of the curve. That holds true for corporate governance too, even more so when politics enter the equation.

That is why a small number of the nation’s largest corporations have voluntarily agreed to report their share of trade association outlays that go to fund political activities. Together, these firms encompass a virtual who’s who in the microcosm of corporate America. In doing so, this corporate vanguard has yielded to pressure from shareholder activist groups that targeted them as prime candidates for greater accountability and transparency.

But this trend also reflects the altered political climate in Washington — a climate personified by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the liberal chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and an advocate of what he calls “shareholder democracy.”

“Some companies get it, some don’t,” said Bruce Freed, co-director of the Washington-based Center for Political Accountability, a nonprofit and non-partisan shareholder advocacy group that is playing a key behind-the-scenes role in orchestrating the recent run of voluntary disclosures. “The ones that don’t get it,” he added, “are headed for a (shareholder) proxy vote.”

Veterans’ advocates hit the Hill

11Feb

A group advocating the rights of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are on the Hill this week to press lawmakers on issues ranging from disability care to high rates of unemployment.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the largest organization for veterans of the wars, will host a series of events as a part of their Storm the Hill campaign this week, culminating in Thursday’s release of their legislative agenda for 2010.

Top priorities include improving the claims processing system for disabled veterans, addressing the suicide epidemic among service members and improving the Veterans Affairs Department’s health care services for women.

This is the fifth annual trip for the group, which was founded in 2004. Starting Monday, the veterans will form teams named for the military alphabet — Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. — and will meet with more than 100 lawmakers to discuss their issues.

The veterans were originally scheduled to meet with Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, who died Monday.