I had been hearing good things about Beth Daly for a while. Last week, I got to see her in action at a “meet ‘n’ greet” in Silver Spring. I haven’t felt this excited about a campaign and candidate since Jamie Raskin and Marc Elrich ushered in a new era of progressive politics.
Daly is a picture of courageous activism, from her fight to protect Ten Mile Creek against outlet malls, to her commitment to affordable housing and tenants’ rights. It’s especially refreshing to hear her promise that her final votes on bills before the council will match her votes in committee. Why is this important, you ask? Well, committee votes are well buried. Current council members often behave one way when they’re not being watched and then quite differently with the spotlight shining on them. (Most council members are devious enough to hide this stuff well. Han Riemer was a special case in openly fighting a minimum wage increase and then telling the world that he led the effort to pass it. That’s not devious. It’s just plain stupid.)
And here’s the thing: Daly is the whole package, the real deal. She has energy, warmth, an ability to connect with voters, and public speaking skills. She knows the issues, is comfortable with statistics, and has managed budgets. One senses in Beth Daly a great progressive leader in the making. That is, if we put her on county council now, we’ll be admiring her work for years to come.
Daly promises to be a partner to Local Hero Marc Elrich on council. Where Elrich often can’t get a second to discuss sensible land-use policy or real traffic and school-population tests for planned development, Daly will force these issues onto the table. If we elect a progressive in D5, there will be three solid votes for doing the right thing.
I’ll write more on the council at-large race soon, but for now, I heartily endorse Beth Daly and Marc Elrich as the only two candidates to vote for (out of four available seats).
PS. Meet Beth Daly in person at my house on June 1, 5-7pm. For details, drop me a line.
©2014 Keith Berner
