Entitlement.
It’s a word that keeps surfacing this year in political conversations.
The name it is associated with is attorney general hopeful Jon Cardin.
He is the delegate from Baltimore County’s 11th legislative district who failed to show for 75 percent of his House Ways and Means Committee votes this last 90-day session in Annapolis.
Would you hire a job applicant for your company who missed three-quarters of scheduled management meetings in a past job?
Cardin’s defense was that he, like many young fathers, had to be home during those times to help take care of his pregnant wife and young child.
I’m a grandfather now. But I can remember times when my wife and I would split the day if a child had an ear infection or some other malady. We were taking care of my terminally ill father at one time. It meant creative scheduling, sometimes asking for favors from friends or paying for outside help until the day he died.
We weren’t entitled to miss out on our jobs or at the same time prepare for our weekly Sabbath observance.
On May 14, Worcester County’s Democratic Central Committee held a political forum at the Germantown School.
I was particularly interested to see if Del. Cardin had at least sent a representative. Turned out, neither he nor candidate Aisha Braveboy sent representation. Only State Sen. Brian Frosch had representation in William Jones, Dorchester County’s State’s Attorney.
I have known Del. Cardin from his 12 years as a Baltimore County delegate to the state legislature. I have known his uncle U.S. Senator Ben Cardin since Sen. Cardin was the speaker of the state House of Delegates and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He has always been a calm voice in the political storm, a leader on the issue of human rights all over the world. His wife, Myrna, is also a community activist. I also have been blessed with being the friend of Shoshana Cardin, Jon Cardin’s aunt. Mrs. Cardin is known on the worldwide stage as a Jewish philanthropist and activist. She is one of my heroes.
Flash forward.
Last December, Del. Cardin was here in Ocean City to raise funds for his early attorney general campaign. We arranged to meet and interview prior to his scheduled activities. That evening, Seacrets was having a fundraising party for Diakonia, the region’s most active food bank and shelter. When meeting with Cardin I suggested that he venture over to Seacrets and take part in the Diakonia festivities. He’d meet many great area people that way.
When I made the suggestion, there was no affect in his facial demeanor.
Here’s what really gave me pause.
When I drove up to Diakonia there on its marquee were the words “Welcome Jon Cardin.”
He gave me no hint just minutes prior that he was on his way to Seacrets. Only the Diakonia event was secondary. It was instead to meet behind close doors with possible contributors to his campaign.
I felt that there was just something wrong about this. Acknowledge me. Tell me “that’s funny, I’m headed over to Seacrets also.” Instead, nothing.
Immediately, I shot back to the 2009 incident when Del. Cardin staged an elaborate marriage proposal to his wife that involved city police faking a raid on a boat he was on. He ended up paying the city $300 for the embarrassing act. Does an attorney general candidate act this way?
So a week or so ago, the Baltimore Sun broke a news story that Cardin had not voted on some 75 percent of last session’s votes on his Ways and Means Committee. Cardin defended himself by saying his voting record was over 90 percent on the House floor over his 12 years. This year, he said that he had to be at home to help his pregnant wife with their young daughter.
If you or I were to miss 75 percent of work because we had to stay at home with our children, I’m sure our employers would feel badly for us, but they sure couldn’t get the collective job done with that kind of employee attendance record.
The Inner Harbor incident, the voting record, and even something small like withholding the simple news that he was going to Seacrets after I suggested he go is puzzling.
An attorney general has to be on duty all of the time. It is a 24/7 statewide position.
If Cardin couldn’t handle being in Annapolis for three quarters of his votes, how can he possibly handle the difficult job of attorney general?
So I asked two general assembly members what he was thinking going back to the Baltimore Inner Harbor engagement proposal. “Entitlement.” That was the word the two very different legislators from different districts said in common.
The Cardin name.
Cardin’s name, many claim, will be the deal winner in almost any Maryland election. Del. Cardin even sent a letter to his supporters writing, “The value of my last name isn’t just about statewide name recognition or a famous uncle. Rather it’s about what it means to be a Cardin, and in the values which I was raised.”
He mentioned the achievements among others of his uncle the senator, and also wrote that his values come from “my aunt, Shoshana, an international leader on human rights and equality.”
As Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen said to Sen. Dan Quayle in a 1988 vice presidential debate when the GOP candidate compared his inexperience to that of a John F. Kennedy, “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. Senator you are no Jack Kennedy.”
To Jon Cardin, I write, I know your Uncle Ben and your Aunt Shoshana. And delegate you are no Ben Cardin, nor are you a Shoshana Cardin.”
More years in the House, perhaps a few lessons on what humility really means. How about paying attention to the small stuff. And to being really committed to be there for your district.
How committed? 100 percent committed.
There’s more debating to do and all of the candidates have strengths and weaknesses.
In December, 2013 Jon Cardin wasn’t at home taking care of his wife and small child.
He was here in Ocean City, taking care of his campaign.
It’s a word that keeps surfacing this year in political conversations.
The name it is associated with is attorney general hopeful Jon Cardin.
He is the delegate from Baltimore County’s 11th legislative district who failed to show for 75 percent of his House Ways and Means Committee votes this last 90-day session in Annapolis.
Would you hire a job applicant for your company who missed three-quarters of scheduled management meetings in a past job?
Cardin’s defense was that he, like many young fathers, had to be home during those times to help take care of his pregnant wife and young child.
I’m a grandfather now. But I can remember times when my wife and I would split the day if a child had an ear infection or some other malady. We were taking care of my terminally ill father at one time. It meant creative scheduling, sometimes asking for favors from friends or paying for outside help until the day he died.
We weren’t entitled to miss out on our jobs or at the same time prepare for our weekly Sabbath observance.
On May 14, Worcester County’s Democratic Central Committee held a political forum at the Germantown School.
I was particularly interested to see if Del. Cardin had at least sent a representative. Turned out, neither he nor candidate Aisha Braveboy sent representation. Only State Sen. Brian Frosch had representation in William Jones, Dorchester County’s State’s Attorney.
I have known Del. Cardin from his 12 years as a Baltimore County delegate to the state legislature. I have known his uncle U.S. Senator Ben Cardin since Sen. Cardin was the speaker of the state House of Delegates and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He has always been a calm voice in the political storm, a leader on the issue of human rights all over the world. His wife, Myrna, is also a community activist. I also have been blessed with being the friend of Shoshana Cardin, Jon Cardin’s aunt. Mrs. Cardin is known on the worldwide stage as a Jewish philanthropist and activist. She is one of my heroes.
Flash forward.
Last December, Del. Cardin was here in Ocean City to raise funds for his early attorney general campaign. We arranged to meet and interview prior to his scheduled activities. That evening, Seacrets was having a fundraising party for Diakonia, the region’s most active food bank and shelter. When meeting with Cardin I suggested that he venture over to Seacrets and take part in the Diakonia festivities. He’d meet many great area people that way.
When I made the suggestion, there was no affect in his facial demeanor.
Here’s what really gave me pause.
When I drove up to Diakonia there on its marquee were the words “Welcome Jon Cardin.”
He gave me no hint just minutes prior that he was on his way to Seacrets. Only the Diakonia event was secondary. It was instead to meet behind close doors with possible contributors to his campaign.
I felt that there was just something wrong about this. Acknowledge me. Tell me “that’s funny, I’m headed over to Seacrets also.” Instead, nothing.
Immediately, I shot back to the 2009 incident when Del. Cardin staged an elaborate marriage proposal to his wife that involved city police faking a raid on a boat he was on. He ended up paying the city $300 for the embarrassing act. Does an attorney general candidate act this way?
So a week or so ago, the Baltimore Sun broke a news story that Cardin had not voted on some 75 percent of last session’s votes on his Ways and Means Committee. Cardin defended himself by saying his voting record was over 90 percent on the House floor over his 12 years. This year, he said that he had to be at home to help his pregnant wife with their young daughter.
If you or I were to miss 75 percent of work because we had to stay at home with our children, I’m sure our employers would feel badly for us, but they sure couldn’t get the collective job done with that kind of employee attendance record.
The Inner Harbor incident, the voting record, and even something small like withholding the simple news that he was going to Seacrets after I suggested he go is puzzling.
An attorney general has to be on duty all of the time. It is a 24/7 statewide position.
If Cardin couldn’t handle being in Annapolis for three quarters of his votes, how can he possibly handle the difficult job of attorney general?
So I asked two general assembly members what he was thinking going back to the Baltimore Inner Harbor engagement proposal. “Entitlement.” That was the word the two very different legislators from different districts said in common.
The Cardin name.
Cardin’s name, many claim, will be the deal winner in almost any Maryland election. Del. Cardin even sent a letter to his supporters writing, “The value of my last name isn’t just about statewide name recognition or a famous uncle. Rather it’s about what it means to be a Cardin, and in the values which I was raised.”
He mentioned the achievements among others of his uncle the senator, and also wrote that his values come from “my aunt, Shoshana, an international leader on human rights and equality.”
As Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen said to Sen. Dan Quayle in a 1988 vice presidential debate when the GOP candidate compared his inexperience to that of a John F. Kennedy, “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. Senator you are no Jack Kennedy.”
To Jon Cardin, I write, I know your Uncle Ben and your Aunt Shoshana. And delegate you are no Ben Cardin, nor are you a Shoshana Cardin.”
More years in the House, perhaps a few lessons on what humility really means. How about paying attention to the small stuff. And to being really committed to be there for your district.
How committed? 100 percent committed.
There’s more debating to do and all of the candidates have strengths and weaknesses.
In December, 2013 Jon Cardin wasn’t at home taking care of his wife and small child.
He was here in Ocean City, taking care of his campaign.