| Message from the Chairman:
Illegal Immigration in Maryland  Illegal Immigration in Maryland Today, Saturday June 19th Casa de Maryland is opening its new Multicultural Centre in Langley Park. Speakers will include Senators Mikulski and Cardin, Representatives Van Hollen and Hoyer and County Executives Johnson and Leggett. On the outside will be protestors led by the anti-illegal immigration group, Help Save Maryland.
Inside many of the speakers will repeat the charge that illegal immigration opponents are also opponents of all immigration or even worse, that they are racists. This is unfair and wrong. I consider myself a Reagan Republican on the immigration issue. In his 1989 Farewell Address, Reagan said of the 'Shining City on the Hill' "if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here." Support of immigration, though, hardly needs to extend to a disregard for existing law. It is on the issue of illegality, and not legal immigration, that critics of Casa de Maryland find fault with the group. In my own opinion our existing immigration laws are far too restrictive in admitting skilled workers. We do not provide enough opportunities to many talented people who could make a real contribution to our country. I think Canada, for example, uses a superior system for screening potential immigrants. They use a skill based process that takes into account age, health and labor-market skills. Under this system Canada admits several times the number of legal immigrants relative to their population than the US does. Over forty percent of Canadians are first or second generation immigrants. However in part because of their effective screening, Canada has a dramatically smaller number of illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants make up only one-tenth of 1 percent to three-tenths of one per-cent of Canada's population, compared with 4 percent in the US. A broad consensus exists in the US that our current immigration system is broken. Because of the prevalence of illegal immigration, many people fail to appreciate the difficulties of legal immigration. For example recently graduated foreign students in high demand fields can become illegal because of a lapsed student visa until they can requalify under another immigration category. In 2007 when the Bush Administration and Congress took up the issue, they quickly learned that the public had no appetite for any reform unless it was convincingly coupled with meaningful, effective enforcement of the law. Many advocates for illegals, such as Casa de Maryland Executive Director Gustavo Torres, apparently thought they could avoid more immigration enforcement by supporting Barrack Obama. They expected that he could produce on their version of immigration "reform" that meant broad amnesty. Whatever their expectations were in 2008, they are now bitterly disappointed. Just a few weeks ago Torres led a protest rally at the White House against Homeland Security enforcement and the failure of the White House to push reform legislation. The recently passed Arizona enforcement law has returned the issue to the public center stage. Here in Maryland, Delegate Pat McDonough has promised that he will introduce Arizona-style legislation. However I am sure that given the legislature's composition, Pat would agree that such a law is unlikely to pass here anytime soon. Arizona law opponents, such as President Obama, claim that while the legislation may expressly prohibit ethnic profiling in its enforcement, that in actual practice law enforcement is simply incapable of not profiling. This is a very sweeping criticism of police officers that has generated its own considerable debate. The debate over Arizona's law should not obscure the fact that many of the most effective existing tools for improving illegal immigration enforcement do not require any "ethnic profiling" or "discretionary targeting." Secured Communities
Under the federal Secured Communities program, the fingerprints of everyone arrested are processed through FBI criminal records and biometric immigration records maintained by the Department of Homeland Security. When fingerprints match Homeland Security records, immigration authorities are automatically notified. A determination is made promptly whether enforcement action is required. This screening process applies to all individuals arrested and booked into custody, not just those suspected of being foreign nationals. Some jurisdictions have signed up, many have not. When Fairfax County began using the program, nearly 300 aliens were identified and charged with or convicted of the most serious types of crimes, including homicide, rape and kidnapping. For example, after Fairfax arrested and booked a man for soliciting a prostitute, his fingerprints were checked through the Secured Communities process, identifying him as a non-U.S. citizen and aggravated felon who had been arrested or encountered by law enforcement 13 times using multiple aliases for more than 10 years. Unfortunately Montgomery County currently only checks the records of those arrested for violent felonies. As a result many of those arrested escape the detection that they are being sought by Federal authorities. E-Verify
E-Verify is a Federal program that compares information from a newly hired employee's Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 to data from U.S. government records. If the information matches, that employee is eligible to work in the United States. If there's a mismatch, E-Verify alerts the employer and the employee is allowed to work while he or she resolves the problem. The program is currently mostly voluntary for employers. E-Verify is now reliable enough that the Obama Administration began last September requiring every Federal government contractor to check every newly hired employee. Several states have followed the Federal government's lead and require their own government contractors to use E-Verify. Arizona also requires every employer in the state to participate in E-Verify. Their state law has so far survived a number of constitutional challenges in the courts. At the very least, both Montgomery County and Maryland could also follow the Federal Government's example and require all state and county contractors and grant recipients to also use the E-Verify system to screen new employees. The speakers at today's Casa de Maryland event need to accept the reality that more effective enforcement of our immigration laws is an essential precondition if they ever want to reach their objective of immigration reform. Whether they appreciate it or not, broader adoption of the E-Verify and Secured Communities programs will help them reach that goal. Mark Uncapher
Montgomery County Republican Chairman
 Volunteer Spotlight
Lorri Simmons
 Participants in Memorial Day Observance, Ernest Memorial Park, Town of Kensington, May 31, 2010
In the left foreground stands Lorri Simmons, a long-time volunteer in state legislative district 18 and Montgomery County political campaigns including those of former Congresswoman Connie Morella. The picture was taken at the 2010 Memorial Day observance which Lorri has organized for the past several years in Ernest Memorial Park. At the observance this year, several veterans (pictured above) including retired Marine Lt. Colonel, Kurt Osuch, candidate for State Senate in District 18, and octogenerian Harley Higgins, U.S. Navy World War II veteran shared their thoughts on military service with the ceremony attendees.
At the conclusion of this year's observance, Lorri Simmons sang The Lord's Prayer and led the assembled in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Lorri has been a candidate several times for the Kensington Town Council and also ran for District 18 delegate in 2006. A Kensington town resident for 17 years, where she moved from Bethesda, Lorri believes in increasing outreach to citizens at the local level as well as more inclusion into the political process.
The photo below shows Lorri Simmons with Gov. Bob Ehrlich, as she sings "God Bless America" at the 2010 Montgomery County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner. Many may not know that in her 20's Lorri was the winner of the Ted Mack Amateur Hour, the 1950's equivalent of today's American Idol. 
At Lincoln Day Dinner 2010, Lorri Simmons sings "God Bless America" with Gov. Bob Ehrlich and MCGOP Chairman Mark Uncapher looking on - photo by S. Green - M. Ciliberti Ernest Memorial Park
It's hard to miss Ernest Memorial Park located at the junction of Connecticut Ave and Baltimore & Armory Avenues because of its distinctive sculpture of an American Bald Eagle, carved from a single 5,000 pound log of red oak. For the story of how the sculpture was created, see: Ernest Park Eagle Scupture story
Bob Ehrlich's The Entrepreneur Agenda
"Job creation is not an election year talking point. It's a governing philosophy, one that has been missing in state government for too long." - Bob Ehrlich
Bob Ehrlich envisions Maryland as the job creation capital of the United States, where any entrepreneur with passion and a plan can freely innovate, grow, and prosper. Achieving this vision requires creating a business climate that empowers small business owners - who comprise 98 percent of all employers in Maryland - to create jobs, make a profit, and lift our overall quality of life.
But with Maryland unemployment doubling since 2006 and nearly 3,000 small business owners, who currently employ 1.2 million Marylanders. Since announcing his candidacy for Governor, Bob Ehrlich has met with more than 100 local entrepreneurs to discuss the hardships they face in Maryland. Nearly all of them believe they are an afterthought in the eyes of state government, and relay tales of being ignored, harassed, or given conflicting guidance from their state government.
The result is a stagnant economic environment, a government mired in an anti-jobs philosophy, and little to no incentive for job creators to grow or even remain in Maryland. Not surprisingly, nearly one quarter of a million Marylanders are currently unable to find a job and Maryland consistently ranks among the worst states in the nation for business competitiveness.
The Agenda:
Bob Ehrlich will fundamentally alter government's approach to small businesses by transforming the current culture of discouragement into a culture of encouragement. To turn the economic tide, Bob Ehrlich proposes the following Entrepreneur Agenda:
Fundamental shift in attitude: As Governor, Bob Ehrlich will lead a fundamental shift in mindset within state government.
He will: - Propose a "Small Business Bill of Rights" requiring regulatory agencies to be fair, timely, and predictable in their disposition of small business matters;
- Create a tax system that views entrepreneurs as a source of new jobs - not a source of new tax revenue;
- Appoint regulators who work with small businesses to identify and solve potential problems before they emerge rather waiting to punish small businesses.
- Streamline Unemployment Insurance: Bob Ehrlich will level the playing field in the Unemployment Insurance (UI) system to ensure that employers and the unemployed are treated equally. Bob Ehrlich will:
- Streamline the system by requiring that all lower court appeals be completed within 30 days and reduce the wait time for higher court appeals. Employers currently report having to wait 4 to 6 months for a judgment on appeals, during which time they are paying taxes on the matter in dispute;
- Mandate uniform guidance on the payment schedule for UI payments. Employers regularly report receiving conflicting guidance from the State on whether UI payments can be made in installments or in lump sums;
- Explore repealing the extension of unemployment insurance to part-time employees, which dramatically increased UI payments for small business owners, and;
- Order an audit of the UI system to identify and eliminate costly fraud and abuse.
- Lower taxes to grow the economy: To level the playing field with states like Virginia and Delaware. Bob Ehrlich will:
- Fight to repeal the 20% increase in Maryland's salestax that hurts retailers, stifles economic activity, and disproportionately hurts low and middle-income families;
- Establish a bipartisan Corporate Income Tax Task Force to begin making Maryland's corporate tax rate more competitive with neighboring states, and;
- Explore sales tax holidays to boost small businesses struggling to make ends meet.
- Appoint agency "expediters": Bob Ehrlich will appoint high-level small business "expediters" in the Department of Business & Economic Development (DBED) and Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation (DLLR) responsible for each region of Maryland. The expeditors will work with companies seeking permits from DLLR, the Department of the Environment (MDE) and other agencies to ensure that small businesses receive timely, fair, and consistent guidance from government
- Lead complete regulatory review: Bob Ehrlich will launch a Red Tape Task Force to review the State's regulatory structure and submit recommendations to lower regulatory barriers that impede job creation. The task force will focus on DLLR, MDE, and the Department of Natural Resources, and other agencies with significant permitting authority.
- Establish quarterly roundtables: To ensure that Maryland's entrepreneurs have a voice at the highest levels of state government, Bob Ehrlich will convene quarterly Roundtable Summits - open to the public - between small business owners, the governor and legislators to hear first hand whether government is empowering job-creators.
- Reward success: Bob Ehrlich will explore establishing a commission-based compensation structure for the State's economic development officers to reward those responsible for attracting employers to Maryland.
- Create micro-business knowledge desk: To help the smallest companies in Maryland, Bob Ehrlich will create a "Knowledge Desk" at the Department of Business & Economic Development staffed by MBA candidates at local universities. They will assist certain small businesses with basic market analysis, research on regulatory requirements, and other critical services not always avvailable to small, micro-businesses.
- Review health care mandates: It is estimated that Maryland small businesses are required to pay up to 66 separate health care mandates in Maryland. Bob Ehrlich will launch an immediate review of all health care mandates in Maryland statute to be ranked according to overall cost-benefit to Maryland's businesses.
Potomac Park to be dedicated to Jean Cryor The late Jean Cryor, member of the Montgomery County Planning Board and Republican state delegate in District 15 will be remembered and honored when Glen Hills Park - a favorite spot of hers in hometown of Potomac - is dedicated in her name on July 12.  When Jean died of cancer in November 2009 hundreds in Montgomery County and beyond came to the funeral to mourn a dear friend who was dedicated to improving life for the county's residents and businesses. She was also remembered as a very dedicated and skilled Republican legislator who was respected and admired on both sides of the aisle in Annapolis while serving there during 1993-2007.
According to the Montgomery Gazette, Jean often sat at Glen Hills Local Park to watch her grandchildren play. Cryor's daughter Deirdre recalled how her mother "really worked hard to protect and maintain the beauty that is Montgomery County. The dedication ceremony will take place on July 12 (time to be determined) at Glen Hills Local Park at 12511 Circle Drive in Potomac. The Gazette story can be read here:
http://www.gazette.net/stories/06022010/damanew224556_32558.php 
Tennis courts at Glen Hills Park.
- S. Green
Wreath-laying at Victims of Communism Memorial 
On a breezy beautiful day in Washington DC, representatives of embassies representing countries that had been part of the Soviet Empire: Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Croatia,Estonia, Georgia, hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine joined by a number of ethnic organizations, walked in a silent and solemn procession to place their wreaths at the Victims of Communism memorial. 
Wreaths laid at Victims of Communism Memorial, New Jersey
and Mass Aves., NW June 2010 - photo by Anna Yevropina There are no names on the memorial. To include them all would require a monument stretching all the way to Leesburg VA 40 miles away. Yet, the memories of the brutality and horror of communism still linger, in the words of Dr. Lee Edwards, Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation who chronicled the historical events of the 20th century: Stalin's reign of terror, the Holodomur famine in Ukraine, the massacre of 15000 Polish officers in the Katyn forest, the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, the Prague Spring, the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the boat people of Vietnam, the killing fields of Cambodia and the crackdown on students in Tiananmen Square. Following the remarks by Dr. Edwards, Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mi), Dr. Goran Lindblad. member of the Swedish Parliament, who authored the Council of Europe's resolution against the crimes of communist regimes and Karl Altau, director of the Joint Baltic-American Committee, there was a moment of silence to commemorate the more than 100 million victims who perished under communist regimes throughout the world. A soft breeze rustled the multi-colored flowers resting at the foot of the memorial, a replica of the statue depicting liberty erected by Chinese students in Tiananmen Square before the army tanks ruthlessly moved in and dispersed the demonstrators. As ceremony participants lingered to snap photos and reunite with friends, a yellow butterfly perched on a wreath and then fluttered away. - M. Ciliberti Please visit the interactive Global Museum on Communism by clicking here:
http://www.globalmuseumoncommunism.org/
'Medicaid meltdown' by Marta Hummel Mossburg, Maryland Public Policy Institute
(Originally published in the Frederick News-Post) Way back in January when Maryland's legislative session started and the stimulus cash was still flowing, optimism fueled by federal handouts ran high. Perhaps that's why Gov. Martin O'Malley submitted a budget that included $389 million in imaginary federal dollars for Medicaid. At the time he said, "We'll figure it out," if the money didn't come through.
Six months later, chastened by federal debt that is estimated to be 102 percent of GDP by 2015, members of Congress may no longer fulfill the hopes of profligate spending state legislators and executives around the nation.
Late last month the House dropped a $24 billion provision to extend Medicaid assistance to states in a bill to prolong benefits to jobless workers. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., wants to restore funding, but it's unclear if a final bill will include the Medicaid money.
Maryland is not alone in expecting federal dollars. Thirty states budgeted for it, most with no contingency plans.
Maryland is one of nine that has at least a partial plan to make up the difference, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. At least it is doing better than New York, which announced it would delay paying $2 billion in bills to avoid going broke before the withdrawal of Medicaid funds became likely.
Whether Maryland can pay for the portion of Medicaid costs thought to be picked up by federal taxpayers without cutting other programs or hiking taxes is anything but clear, however. Legislators allotted $200 million from a local income tax reserve account to the pay the bill, with the rest coming from a planned general fund balance of $200 million.
The state has already borrowed $350 million from the local income tax reserve account to balance the budget. Taking more will not jeopardize counties receiving timely payments for their share of the fund, according to the state's top budget analyst, Warren Deschenaux. But expecting an additional $189 million to be available at the end of next fiscal year in the general fund to make up the difference is yet another exercise in budgeting on hope. The state Board of Revenue Estimates anticipates a general fund revenue decline of more than 5 percent for the fiscal year ending this month from the previous year. As of March, general fund revenue next year is estimated to rise by 3.6 percent. But that report came out before the stock market tanked last month and before a jobs report showing new hires around the nation are mostly temporary Census workers. The board will release a new report in September, providing easy cover for O'Malley and state legislators to put off having to make tough budget decisions if revenue estimates decrease over the summer while campaigning for November's elections. Even if the money coming into the state treasury next year rises, resolving the Medicaid dilemma, the practice of raiding state funds dedicated to other costs is morally if not legally wrong and allows the government to delay making hard decisions about how to finance its operations. At the very least O'Malley should put up signs at the entrance to each county saying: "Thank you for funding Medicaid with your local income taxes. Thank your children for this road/bridge. We issued more debt to pay for it."
You can find this online at: http://www.mdpolicy.org/research/detail/medicaid-meltdown
| In this Issue Message from the Chairman Volunteer Spotlight - Lorri Simmons Bob Ehrlich's "Entrepreneur Agenda" Potomac Park to be dedicated to Jean Cryor Wreath laying at VOC Memorial From the Maryland Public Policy Institute Upcoming Events Next Precinct Training July 10 Help Wanted! Quote to Remember
Look for a Montgomery County Republican
Party Tent
at various festivals and events coming up in Montgomery County - or better yet, volunteer to help out!
To fill out a volunteer form for the Montgomery County Republican Party, click here:
http://mcgop.net/volunteer.aspx 
Someone will get in touch with you to
follow up!
Upcoming Events 
MCGOP First Monday
No First Monday this month
Happy 4th of July! Chevy Chase Women's
Republican Club
Political Lunch Bunch
Thursday, June 24th 1:30 pm
Le Madeleine Café on Rockville Pike
Mid-Shore Young Republicans
June Meeting
Thursday, June 24th, 7:00 PM
Location: Talbot County GOP Headquarters
7 Federal Street Easton, MD
Contact: Brian Griffiths
brian@briangriffiths.com Charles County Lincoln Day Dinner
Thursday, July 1st
Keynote Speaker: Gov. Bob Ehrlich
Tickets $75
www.CharlesCountyGOP.org
Contact: Bruce Wesbury 301-705-8702
Bwesbury@comcast.net Montgomery County Young Republicans
Happy Hour
Sunday, July 4th 5:30 - 7:30
Location varies
Contact: Michael Gibble
president@mcyr.org Volunteer Orientation & Precinct Training Session Saturday July 10th
10:00 a.m.- 12:00 Noon
MCGOP Headquarters
15833 Crabbs Branch Way Rockville, MD
More info in this newsletter
Contact: Dan Cuda
301-926-1095 Chevy Chase Women's
Republican Club
Let's Talk Politics
Tuesday, July 13th
The home of Nancy Griffin MDGOP Summer Celebration
July 15th, 7:00 PM
Hosted by Charlie Most
8251 Riverside Drive
Pasadena, MD
Cost: $75 to attend, $150 to join
The Celebration Host Committee
Featuring: Kendel Ehrlich, Susan Allen & Audrey Scott
RSVP: Kim Jorns - 410-263-2125
kjorns@mdgop.org Montgomery County Young Republicans Membership Meeting
Tuesday, July 20th 7:30 pm
Location: Growlers of Gaithersburg
Contact: Michael Gibble
president@mcyr.org MCGOP First Monday
August 2nd, 7:30 - 9:00
Montgomery County Republican HQ
15833 Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville, Md 20855
The first Monday evening of each month The Montgomery County GOP hosts an event in which Republicans can meet candidates and discuss concerns and ideas.
Mark Uncapher
mark@uncapher.net Montgomery County Young Republicans
Happy Hour
Thursday, August 5th 5:30 - 7:30
Location: varies
Contact: Michael Gibble
president@mcyr.org Montgomery County Young Republicans
Membership Meeting
Tuesday, August 17th 7:30 pm
Location: Growlers of Gaithersburg
Contact: Michael Gibble
president@mcyr.org Rural Women's Republican Club
Saturday Night in the Country
October 9th 5:00 pm (dinner at 7:00)
Location: Isaac Walton on West Willard Road in Poolesville.
Featuring singing auctioneer Anne Lynn to run the fun auction of neat stuff.
Precinct Training Session
Saturday, July 10 
MCGOP HQS
10:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon
15833 Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville Learn how to Organize Republicans in your Precinct (there are more than you realize!) and to elect Republicans in Montgomery County This training session is fun, free and informative For more information call Dan Cuda at
301-926-1095 or e-mail at dcuda54@juno.com
Consider being treasurer for a
GOP Candidate!
By offering to be a candidate's treasurer, you are doing a great service to both the GOP and our hardworking candidates. A candidate cannot even file to run until he or she has designated a treasurer. If this sounds like a volunteer position that suits you or if you would like to learn more, please contact our candidate recruitment chair, Jim Shalleck at jimshalleck@hotmail.com
Also: Our Organization Committee - which recruits for our precinct organization is looking to fill these volunteer positions: Volunteer Welcome Chair
Responsible for contacting new volunteer prospects, identify activities for them to get involved with, communicate with volunteer contacts, follow-up up to make sure the volunteer "hand-off" to committee chairs and other leaders has been completed. Organization Database Administrator Custodian of the county party's computer database of precinct chairs and volunteers. Requires strong computer skills, especially with databases. Voter Vault Administrator
provide walking lists, call lists and other information from the party's Voter Vault database to candidates and the precinct organization. Requires strong computer skills. Contact Mark Uncapher Mark@uncapher.net
Quote to Remember 
"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." Alexis de Tocqueville
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