Wednesday, March 27, 2013

MCEA Teacher Legislator Profiled by NEA

Congratulations to MCEA member Eric Luedtke on the recent profile posted by the National Education Association about his work on behalf of the Maryland DREAM Act.

Eric, a social studies teacher at Loiederman Middle School in Silver Spring, is an elected State Delegate to the Maryland General Assembly from District 14 (Burtonsville/Olney area). Luedtke's experience as a classroom teacher lends important credibility to his voice on behalf of the needs of our students, our educators and our schools - at a time when politicians with no education experience are increasingly called upon to set education policy.

Keep up the good work!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Fund Corporate Tax Breaks, Not Schools?

In a bizarre twist of public policy making, the Maryland General Assembly is considering giving Lockheed Martin a multi-million dollar break from county taxes, at a time when the county government is struggling to provide essential funding for schools and other essential social services.

For several years, Lockheed Martin has attempted to get the Montgomery County Council to exempt it from paying the County's hotel tax. The County Council has (wisely) refused to do so. Now a bill is moving through the state legislature to over-ride the Council's control over it's own hotel tax, and grant an exemption to Lockheed Martin. No other company in Maryland would benefit from this bill. Not only that, it would apply retro-actively, requiring Montgomery County to issue a refund check to Lockheed Martin for $1.8 million in hotel taxes they have paid in recent years.

MCEA has signed on to a broad coalition of local organizations opposed to this corporate tax break, and end run around local control.

To let your elected state senators and delegates know how you feel about this issue, go to our Contact Your Elected Representatives page.

To learn more, read the following news coverage:

OUTRAGE: MD Politicians Urge Millions In Corporate Welfare for Lockheed Martin (Maryland Juice)


Afternoon Poll: Lockheed Martin Tax Break (Bethesda Now) [Take the Poll!]