[RP TownTalk] ACTION ALERT: PG Delegates Propose Taking Citizen Rights away to help Developers

[Alan Thompson and Sarah Wayland]

We just got this message. Don't like the liquor store idea? You'd  
better contact your state delegates and make sure you can have a  
voice on things like this in the future!

-Sarah


-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Boone [mailto:robert at anacostiaws.org]
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 6:04 PM
Subject: FW: PG Delegates Propose Taking Citizen Rights away to help
Developers - Alert your civic Associations -


WEB DEMOCRACY:  Protect your rights to have a say in how developers
alter the landscape in your community:  THIS IS HOT!!  Call your
Delegates in Montgomery and Prince Georges and ask them to vote NO on HB
927.

Pass this on > >  >

Robert E. Boone
Anacostia Watershed Society
301-699-6204
robert at anacostiaws.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Eri Maren [mailto:eri.maren at hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 11:25 AM
To: jascourt at umich.edu
Subject: PG Delegates Propose Taking Citizen Rights away to help
Developers - Alert your civic Associations -
Importance: High


PG Delegates Propose Taking Citizen Rights away to help Developers -
Alert your civic Associations - Demand your Delegates Vote NO!

The PG Delegation has a new bill - HB 927 (PG/MC 119-08) - that will
take away citizens rights to appeal zoning decisions of the County
Council. The bill will put back into law a requirement that citizens
appealing zoning cases be "aggrieved" in order to have "standing". This
requirement was removed years ago because it kept citizens from being
able to appeal zoning cases. Aggrievement means that to appeal, you have
to be able to literally SEE the property being developed or rezoned from
your property. Courts have been very tough on citizens about being
aggrieved.

The PG law was changed years ago so that the political deals between the
developers and the County Council would have to stand up in court. HB
927 will mean that bad deals can be kept from judicial scrutiny.

HB 927 was slipped in quietly at the last minute without public input!
"Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2008"

Find it: http://mlis.state.md.us/2008RS/bills/hb/hb0927f.pdf


Developers are mad because citizens keep filing lawsuit against their
dirty deals that change the rules in the zoning ordinance to allow them
to avoid the existing zoning laws. Developers and the County Council
keep succeeding in getting citizen suits thrown out of court because the
courts cannot agree on the correct means of filing an appeal of a "text
amendment".

Delegate Proctor has a bill - HB 935 (PG/MC 117-08) - that makes clear
that text amendments are illegal and provides a clear rule on filing a
lawsuit. Developers are afraid of this bill because it will stop their
dirty deals. When the PG Delegation held its hearing last November, more
citizens testified in favor of this bill than any other!

HOWEVER, HB 935 locked up in the PG County "Bi-County" Committee because
the Chair is protecting the developers.

A pro-citizen bill with a lot of support at a PUBLIC hearing is bottled
up, but a secret bill for developers slides in without a public hearing!

Find it: http://mlis.state.md.us/2008RS/billfile/hb0935.htm

Write your delegates and demand honest government. Write your County
Council member and demand that they oppose HB 927.

Stand up for STANDING and tell your Delegates HB 927 Aggrieves your
community!

If HB 927 passes, YOU LOSE!


Contacts (I've put stars next to representatives for Riverdale Park):

Ben.Barnes at house.state.md.us
Joanne.Benson at house.state.md.us
aisha.braveboy at house.state.md.us
Dereck.Davis at house.state.md.us
Barbara.Frush at house.state.md.us
* Tawanna.Gaines at house.state.md.us
Melony.Griffith at house.state.md.us
* Anne.Healey at house.state.md.us
Marvin.Holmes at house.state.md.us
Carolyn.Howard at house.state.md.us
James.Hubbard at house.state.md.us
Jolene.Ivey at house.state.md.us
Gerron.Levi at house.state.md.us
Doyle.Niemann at house.state.md.us
Joseline.Pena.Melnyk at house.state.md.us
James.Proctor at house.state.md.us
Victor.Ramirez at house.state.md.us
* Justin.Ross at house.state.md.us
Veronica.Turner at house.state.md.us
kris.valderrama at house.state.md.us
Joseph.Vallario at house.state.md.us
Michael.Vaughn at house.state.md.us
Jay.Walker at house.state.md.us

David.Harrington at senate.state.md.us
Ulysses.Currie at senate.state.md.us
Nathaniel.Exum at senate.state.md.us
Thomas.V.Mike.Miller at senate.state.md.us
Anthony.Muse at senate.state.md.us
Douglas.Peters at senate.state.md.us
* Paul.Pinsky at senate.state.md.us
james.rosapepe at senate.state.md.us

mmbland at co.pg.md.us
WACampos at co.pg.md.us
SHDean at co.pg.md.us
TEDernoga at co.pg.md.us
CAExum at co.pg.md.us
TKnotts at co.pg.md.us
* EOlson at co.pg.md.us
IMTurner at co.pg.md.us