Delegate Bobo's Voting Advice

During my interview with Elizabeth Bobo, she pointed out that prior to 2008, only stationary with a delegate's printed name was restricted from personal use. After 2008, the restriction was amended to include e-mail addresses.

Click HERE to listen to Bobo's response to the complaint filed by Jud Malone. The e-mails in question

Bobo says its up to the ethics board to decide whether or not she has done anything wrong. In my opinion when anyone asks you who they should vote for, your answer should be "research the candidates and make your own decision!" When a party affiliated politician offers advice about candidates, that candidate will most likely recommend the candidate who is either affiliated with their party or shares a similar view on the issues.

Jud Malone, who filed the complaint against Elizabeth Bobo, provided me with copies of the 2007 & 2008 e-mails, Ethics Committee letter and PIA request. Click HERE to view these documents.

When I walk into the polls at the Owen Brown interfaith center, I don't want people coming up to me and telling me who I should vote for. Only Bobo knows if people e-mailed her or if she e-mailed them but as Bobo said "there are opinions and there are facts," and the fact remains that she influenced the decisions of others using a state appointed email address.

I'm a journalist, not a politician so I don't know what is common practice in Annapolis but I don't agree with Bobo's actions. Is it right for any incumbent to use resources paid by the tax payer to influence elections of any kind?

Jud Malone On Bobograms

I just finished interviewing Columbia resident Jud Malone. Part of our discussion concerned Elizabeth Bobo & her (un)ethical e-mail controversy. From a journalist's perspective, one of the greatest benefits to reporting through a blog is being able to skip the editorial process. With that in mind, HERE is my conversation with Malone concerning Bobo. Tune in tomorrow for Bobo's response.

Gist of GGP Public Hearing

Last week, I learned about the last public hearing over ZRA-113. Last Wednesday, I rented a top of the line GL-2 video camera complete with tripod. In preparation for the shoot, I took no chances, making sure both batteries and both backup batteries were completely charged. I even bought a used, wiped mini DV tape from the EMF rental office. I was set.

Thursday evening, I arrived at the Tyson 2 room after the public hearing had started. The last public hearing I had attended took place in the cafeteria of Wilde Lake High School. "This should be a smooth one." I said to myself upon entering the building. But when I finally made my way to the room where the meeting was underway, "f--k" I muttered to myself.

The actual meeting room was a 30 x 30 hot box. Waves of heat permeate the audience while waves of flourescent light made my attempts at a white balance futile. Not that there were many places to actually film a good sequence. Everywhere I looked, legs were shaking, pages were fanning and no one in the room looked a day under 35.

So after dropping the GL-2 idea, I did what any good reporter would do. I snatched out my Digital recorder, plugged in the microphone, and squeezed the two between my knees. With a chair in the second row as my news desk, I scribbled notes on the orange note pad I had originally sat on. What follows are the clearest recordings I could capture and present to you, my readers.

Toby Orenstein's Testimony
David Barrett's Testimony
Cynthia Coyle's Testimony
Barbara Russell's Testimony

Bill Santos on Blogging

Bill Santos, 42, is the engineering manager of the national archives and a Columbia native. He moved away from the people tree for college and replanted in Wilde Lake in 2000, with his wife.
Santos keeps his ear to the ground and his finger on the pulse of Columbia issues.

In the fall of 2006, Santos started Columbia Compass.

"As stated in the [Columbia] Compass tag line, the blog is intended to navigate the social, political and cultural world of Columbia, Maryland. Admittedly, the blog has been more about politics than the social and cultural aspects of Columbia. That has been more of an evolution than a conscious decision."

Santos says he hopes his blog will reach out to both natives and ex-patriots of Columbia.

"For those that live locally, I hope to provide perspective on the goings-on in the community. For those living farther away, I hope to provide a connection back to Columbia."

Santos doesn't tailor his content. Sometimes he hears a quote from a local official or reads one in the paper and gets a 'spider sense' feeling to write about it in his blog. Other times he reads something that evokes nostalgia, passion or joy and writes about that instead.

"With respect to information, I do a lot of research. I would say about half is web-based. The other half is reading books (I have a crazy collection), attending meetings and talking with people."

Santos follows Tales of Two Cities, a hyper-local blog similar to Columbia Compass. The difference he says, is that the author Wordbones writes from a business perspective. He also follows Dinosaur Mom, 53 Beers on Tap, Columbia 2.0 and Hometown Columbia.

"All of them are very good bloggers," he says. "The Howard County Maryland Blog and Hedgehog Report are also well done."

Santos offers some advice to new bloggers and his top 5 tips.

"My advice to beginning bloggers is to find something you are passionate about and keep it narrow. If you like what you're writing about you are more likely to stick with it."

1. You will never have enough time to write everything you want to write.
   
2. Be honest.
3. People who post anonymously are wonderful people, except when they are posting anonymously.
4. Give credit often.
5. Attend the Blogtail happy hours.