Per orders from Annapolis, the top most populated counties in Maryland are required to execute a storm water utility fee by July 1st of this year. These counties, which include the usual suspects such as Montgomery, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, and Howard Counties, are all reporting their fees via respective county governances.

Frederick County is also included in this category and is required to implement such a fee. And they have done so with shining colors. In compliance with the law, they have required both residences and businesses to pay a whole penny ($0.01) to the fee. Calculations suggest that the totals would add up to just under $500 ($482.50) from over Frederick county resident.

Talk about an excellent “ha ha” gesture to our elected officials in Annapolis. Not only are they following the law, but they are doing it in the most sarcastic and minimalistic way possible. Guess we will have to wait and see how Annapolis responds to this in the 2014 session…

Kristin Shields, kristin@strategicvictoryconsulting.com.

“Wanted: Political staff for legislature race. Long hours, thankless work, moody volunteers. Paid position. For Eric Knowles.  Send resume to Tom Coleman. He or she will be running the day to day operations of Eric’s campaign. Thanks”

Our good friends at Conservative Victory PAC are hosting a very important event today, and we hope you’ll join in.

The Maryland State Legislature has done it again, only this time instead of the same old same old tax increases, they’ve attacked and stolen something far more valuable…our constitutional rights.

We can not sit back and let this continue. We can not be silent. Conservative Victory PAC is committed to the fight for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, to protecting, at whatever cost, our Second Amendment Right.

Contribute $22 today to help us save the 2nd. CVPAC will not only assist with the petition efforts in the fight to repeal this flat out attack on the 2nd amendment, we’ll also help support pro-gun candidates in 2014.

Do not give up. Do not stop fighting. Give $22 today and tell the liberal monopoly in Annapolis that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Remember, the Path to Victory Starts with You.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of this team?

Calling all college students:

(Okay, maybe not all college students, as we’re really only interested in those that desire to further the conservative cause in Maryland.)

As we continue to gear up for the 2014 election cycle, we’re looking to take on 2, count them, 2 more interns.

As you can tell, we have a pretty amazing team.  Really, who wouldn’t want to be part of this family?

Our interns reap rewards far beyond any stipend you might receive from a paid internship (yes, our internships are unpaid…monetarily at least)  At SVC, we invest in our interns.  We’ll teach you everything you never wanted to know about the ins and outs of political fundraising.  We even give you a nifty title and a super cool name tag, among other things.

Check out our interns, Travis and Will

So what do interns at SVC do exactly?  The short answer is a little bit or everything.  Roam around our site to get a feel for what we do.  If you’d still like to learn more,  email us a résumé.

Check out the following list of reasons why you should start fundraising now.

1. Build Your Own Base (BYOB) . You can begin to generate a strong base of supporters and volunteers who will respond to your message – both with their time and their wallets. These are invaluable to a successful campaign.

2. Create Your Name ID. Generating a strong and favorable name identification is crucial! Starting early will help your name become a household one – and fast. People are more willing to give to you if they know you.

3. More Money, More Opportunity. This may seem obvious, but the more money you have, the more opportunities you can accept. If you start early in your fundraising endeavors, you will be able to buy more campaign materials, give aways, and event tickets.

4. In with the Good, Out with the Bad. Having a smooth-running fundraising machine is necessary. Starting early will allow you to implement what works and cut what doesn’t. You do not want to be wasting crucial weeks right before the election on something that does not work.

5. Feel At Ease. Finally, you will be confident and motivated to continue with your goals when you have arguably the most difficult part of campaigning – fundraising – under control. It will be worth it to have that under control when it seems like everything else in the campaign is chaotic (as all campaigns are).

Feeling daunted? Don’t. This is where we come in. We can help you start early and raise the money you need for victory. Give us a call today.

Romney announced his V.P. selection this morning.  Congressman Paul Ryan will be joining Governor Romney on the Republican ticket in November.  May the speculation begin.

Facebook and Twitter were a flitter this morning after the announcement.  Many, I believe were pleasantly surprised, seeing Ryan as an anti-establishment pick.  Are the powers that be finally realizing that the base of the Republican party wants a new voice?

Paul Ryan, a congressman from Wisconsin, was first elected in 1999.  Over the last couple of years, he’s become a force to be reckoned with and a thorn in Obama’s side.

In his speech this morning, Ryan said, “No one disputes President Obama inherited a difficult situation — and, in his first two years, with his party in complete control of Washington, he passed nearly every item on his agenda,” Ryan said. “But that didn’t make things better. In fact, we find ourselves in a nation facing debt, doubt and despair.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.  Personally, I’m glad Romney chose Ryan.  His youth and vigor bring a whole other face to the campaign that will invigorate the base and, I believe, attract new voters to the Republican ticket.

In recent months, Obama came under fire for a ridiculous and quite stupid declaration that small business owner’s weren’t responsible for their own success, a statement that I personally take issue with.  In 2010, Betsy and I started Strategic Victory Consulting.  Starting a small business in Maryland is no easy feat.  The costly, complicated web of regulations and tax codes could leave anyone confused.  But we did it, on our own, and today, we’re quickly becoming one of the most widely known political fundraising firms in the state of Maryland.  Believe me, the government did nothing to help.  In fact, I’m pretty sure they wish we’d go away.

This morning, Ryan said in his speech, “If you own a small business, you did build that.”  This is the type of leadership we need in America, people that understand that this country is built on the sweat of the brow and not the ill-managed charity of a dysfunctional government.

While it is true that there may be an increase – very much to my chagrin – it is not the result of an alleged “doomsday” budget. The rumor being spread is that the General Assembly was unable to pass a responsible fiscal package by sine die – the end of session – so they will have to reconvene for a special session in order to pass such a budget.

This is simply not true.

A budget was passed this session, but it was not what the majority in leadership in Annapolis wanted, and that would be the only reason for going back to special session. At this point no such session has officially been scheduled.  Because they were unable to pass their enormous tax increases to further economically burden taxpayers in Maryland and further stifle our economy, they want to call all legislators back in to skirt around this technicality and make sure they can continue in their rampage of wasteful spending.

The truth of the matter is that, as it stands now – with the current “doomsday” budget in effect – there are no spending cuts, as is the word around town. In contrast, there are cuts from irrational planned spending increases, which is enormously different than cuts in spending itself. Consider this example: you are working for a company making a decent salary plus an end-of-the-year bonus. Unfortunately, you did not receive the bonus this year, so you may have to pinch a few pennies here and there. This is the “cost” of actually living within our means. We all do it; it is about time Maryland tried it, too.

Leaders in Annapolis are unfamiliar with the concept of living within their means. If they want something, they simply raise a tax here and a fee there and they can basically achieve their goal while plummeting the state as well as its citizens into further economic stifling under restrictions fiscal burdens. If tuition is, in fact, raised at school, it is not because spending was cut; instead, it is because spending increases were not granted and the school system has chosen not to handle the idea of living within its means, while the State and the rest of the nation attempts to recuperate.

I just wanted to clear the air on this one, because every one is mostly familiar with the one-party-dominated State Legislature that tends to get everything they want. Not surprisingly, this rare inability to raise taxes by X amount left them scrambling to be able to rob Marylanders of their money. Needless to say, I am weary of hearing my peers harping over the “need for a special session” to save their tuition.

Folks, this is not the solution. It may be true that tuition will be raised, and trust me, I am not at all looking forward to this possibility. But the fact of the matter is that the root of this increase lies not in this “doomsday budget” but rather in the incredible and forced reliance of the state government and its myriad of agencies and institutions to lay unfettered claim to more and more of the citizens’ hard-earned money.

In the case of our beloved institutions of higher learning, they turn to the students to directly feed their insatiable appetites when they don’t get what they want from the legislature. Never do they even fleetingly consider that they should look to cut their own spending. They can almost be excused for this attitude, however, it has been learned well from their masters/benefactors in the State House in Annapolis.

Nicolee Ambrose for National Committee Woman

This weekend in Solomon’s Island, the Maryland Republican Party (MDGOP) will host it’s annual Spring Convention.  More than 300 central committee members, party officials, and political junkies will descend on the Holiday Inn Convention Center for what’s sure to be a convention that will not soon be forgotten.

Why? Besides the fact that there are many things to discuss from pertinent changes to the bylaws to the election of delegates to the RNC convention, there is what has become a very contentious race for RNC National Committeewoman.

Late last year, the current National Committeewoman, Joyce Tehres, announced that she was resigning her longtime post leaving an open seat.  Many just assumed that whoever Joyce and Louise Pope, the current National Committeeman, chose to succeed her would be a shoe in for election.

However, that was not the case.  One woman decided to step up to the plate, making waves throughout the state.  When Nicolee Ambrose, the impetus for Young Republicans in Maryland, announced she was running, I was immediately on board, even before her contender, Audrey Scott, announced that she had been annointed by Joyce herself to fill the open seat.

I think it’s important to understand why I support Nicolee.  It’s not just because she’s a friend, which she is.  Or because she puts forth a vibrant, fresh platform that challenges the establishment, which she does.  Or because she has the ability to raise money and bring in national connections. No, it goes deeper than that for me.

When I got involved in local politics three years ago, it became clear to me that there was a growing divide in the party between what we’ll call the establishment and those that were more focused on a ground swell of grassroots activism.

We all know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting the same results.  The view from the top of the party seems to lay more in the ideology of “wait your turn.”  They desperately want to draw in a younger crowd, while keeping them out of key positions in party leadership.

Honestly, this is why Purple Elephant Poltics exists, and I believe will continue to grow amongst younger conservatives over the next couple of election cycles.

Nicolee is a role model to me, a strong woman with even stronger convictions, a clear vision, and an overwhelming desire to see our state party rise from the ashes and move forward. She’s optimistic when the rest of the establishment seems to posess more of a doomsday mentality, not exactly the impression you wat to exude nationally.

If you’re a Central Committee member in Maryland, I urge you to at least consider a vote for Nicolee.  And if you’ll be in Solomon’s Island this weekend, well, I look forward to seeing you there.

Tonight on PEP Talk, we’ll be talking about some of these very issues within the Republican Party.  I urge you to listen in, follow us on Facebook & Twitter, and join the conversation.

Well, Maryland, the legislative session for 2012 has come to a close, and for the moment at least, your wallets are safe.  In fact, Maryland looks more like a red state then a blue.  They passed the budget, complete with cuts and barely any tax increases.

Don’t get too excited though.  It was all a product of a political power play gone awry, and it all went down in the final hours of Sine Die.

Allow me to set the stage.

First you have Governor O’Malley, who set out this session with one of the most liberal agendas in the country.  Two of his top priorities: gas tax and mandated wind power subsidies, both of which would cost Maryland tax payers a butt load of money.

Then you have Senate President Mike Miller.  His main agenda: the addition of a sixth casino at National Harbor and the expansion of gambling to include table games.

Lastly, there is Speaker of the House Michael Busch, who I believe just got caught in the middle and refused to be pushed around.

Those are the players; the taxpayers of Maryland were the pawns. Who got to claim checkmate at the end? I’ll let you decide.

So here’s how it all went down.  Keep in mind that Session is 90 days long.  The original budget bills, along with gaming, gas tax, and wind power were all introduced at the beginning. There was plenty of time to make everyone happy. Well, at least the Democrats.

In the last couple of weeks leading up to Sine Die, each House passed their own version of the budget. Their job then was the come together and compromise.  By midday Sine Die, they were at a stalemate.  Neither Miller nor Busch would budge.

The gaming and wind power bills were still held up in committees.  Basically Miller wanted Gaming to pass, and Busch wanted the Senate to concede to their budget compromise.  O’Malley, like my three year old daughter, was standing in the middle of it all throwing a temper tantrum over his precious agenda.

By 11 p.m., all hell had broken loose.  Miller even allowed the Republicans to filibuster the stormwater bill (which eventually passed by the way) while he was waiting to see if the House would sed over his precious gaming bill.  At this point, however, the House had dug in their heels, sending Miller into DEFCON 5 mode.

See, earlier in session, Miller set up the budget as a bargaining chip, a form of blackmail if you will.  If the General Assembly failed to pass the revenue package (AKA a heck of a lot of tax increases) then the budget would go through complete with $6 million or so in cuts.

In the final minutes of Session, he pulled the trigger, passing what the Dems call the “Doomsday” budget, killing wind power, tax increases, and bringing an end to Session 2012 at midnight on April 9 (technically April 10).

In the hours following, Annapolis looked more like a circus.  Republicans partying.  Dems fighting amongst themselves, and the top three leaders in Maryland pointing fingers at one another.

This is not the end though. They will call for a Special Session where they will raise our taxes, and the Governor will have a second chance to shove his hyper liberal, wallet grabbing agenda down our throats.

But for the moment, we can celebrate a Maryland who tightned their own belts and decided to live within their means.  It’s almost like a dream.

Okay, maybe they aren’t that excited, and maybe its not that big of a deal to a lot of people, but I think it should be. This year, we are voting for our presidential candidates as well as our state and local officials, both republicans and democrats alike. All too often, people go to the polls and recognize their favorite presidential candidates immediately; however, by the time they make their way through the ballot to the county council and school board, they have no idea who anyone is. The lack of information surrounding elections and candidates on the local level initiates a cycle that often results in unqualified candidates holding the positions that most closely impact our day-to-day lives.

You will not find me judging, I am guilty of the same thing sometimes. Whereas races on the national level are constantly shoved in your face—how many times did you hear about the Romney v. Santorum bickering and the Rick Perry v. Newt Gingrich gaffés?—local level races are far more discreet to the point that no one knows who is running unless you happen to know the person from your church or gym. People do not want to take the time to search for information or go out of their way to attend the not-so-publicized local political gatherings when they could be spending their well-earned time off with family and friends.

As a purple elephant, I really hope that this can change. Local politics have an incredibly strong impact on your daily life, a fact that most people do not realize. Your State Senators and Delegates are the ones that draft and sponsor legislation that result in higher or lower taxes, licensing and regulations, and so much more. County Council members decide local legislation, such as land use and zoning (which sounds boring but this impacts traffic patterns, living conditions, and much more). School board members impact the quality of schools in your district, which directly impacts your childrens’ education.

I urge you, before you vote, to look into the candidates on your ballot. Whether you are a democrat or a republican, take the time to look into these candidates and make sure you know who you are voting for today.

This was my first year voting in person. Call me a political nerd, but I was smiling from ear to ear when I walked into my polling place. I think they could tell I was a newbie, because they asked me if it was my first time voting. I said yes, in person (I am in college so I voted absentee in my first election), and I was given a round of applause. Needless to say, I was thrilled. It made me feel excited to be able to exercise my right to vote. I hope you are just as excited when you go to vote today. Your vote counts; use it!

For more news and updates on local politics, find Purple Elephant Politics on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, @ElephantConsult. Check out our radio show, PEP Talk Radio, for your weekly political entertainment. Also, visit our website for information about membership. Thanks for reading!