ENDORSEMENT: Tammy Larkin for Maryland State Delegate

Tammy Larkin for Maryland State Delegate

Tammy Larkin is no novice to the realm of politics & public representation. I’ve been following her since she announced her candidacy at a meeting of Club Conservative, but I’ve learned that she has been an integral part of Women for Ehrlich, that she founded Conservative Women for Maryland, was a founding member of Club Conservative, was District Director for State Senator JB Jennings, and worked on the Change Maryland campaign leading to Larry Hogan’s election as Governor of Maryland – so she’s been a staple for many years on the scene.

What has stood out to me most, however, are her postings online about the importance of taking a hands-on approach to politics and public representation at the very local level, and I see her instilling that in her children as well. To me, that speaks volumes about her commitment to public representation.

It seems to me that you’ll be hard-pressed to NOT run into her in the White Marsh area given how busy she’s been this campaign season all over the area. Take one look at her strong social media presence and everywhere she’s been, notice the relentless, continuous door-knocking in her district (which is a critical key to running local and state-level races), and you can bet people will be turning out to the voting booths to elect Tammy to representative office.

Vote Tammy Larkin for Maryland State Delegate in the Republican Primary on June 26, 2018. https://www.facebook.com/pg/TammyLarkinForDelegate/

Thank you in advance.
God bless you, my friends.
And as always,
God Bless our United States of America.

In Liberty,
Joseph D. Sandy

ENDORSEMENT: Deb Sullivan for Baltimore County Council

Deb Sullivan for Baltimore County Council

If you’ve lived in Baltimore County and raised kids here, there’s a good chance you know Deb Sullivan, a current candidate for Baltimore County Council, this election season. If you’ve been up and down Martin Blvd., you’ve undoubtedly seen her campaign signs on nearly every local business in the area.

You may know her and her husband Wayne from their third-generation family-owned business based in Essex, or you know Deb through years of volunteer service in the community – from her years as PTA president in her children’s schools, to her work at a plethora of community events over the years where she has advocated for a safer Baltimore County.

Being an advocate & proponent of the recovery community myself, I am impressed that she’s been involved in multiple community efforts against substance abuse, which speaks loudly to her dedication to the problems Maryland is facing today concerning our overwhelming opioid epidemic.

She has lobbied and testified in Annapolis over other many other concerns in the community over the years, proving she has significant experience in local representation on behalf of our Baltimore County community. She is no stranger to public representation.

If elected, I feel that Deb Sullivan would be a tremendous asset to the people of Baltimore County.

Check out Deb Sullivan’s campaign for County Council: https://www.facebook.com/debsullivanforbc/

Thank you in advance.
God bless you, my friends.
And as always,
God Bless our United States of America.

In Liberty,
Joseph D. Sandy

April 2017: Endorsements for Local & State Races Upcoming

April 28 at 10:31pm · 
via facebook.com/ElectJoeSandy

Friends,

When I halted my political campaign for State Delegate back in February, I took a big step back from 'the scene' in the interim. I did so in lieu of a number of personal matters - regarding friends, a family member, and myself. I don't regret that decision. But it's important to me that you understand I have not pulled away from politics, nor do I plan to pull away from the world of local public representation.

The fact is that I needed to get some matters in order, and that I am ever mindful of the next few years. I am blessed and SO INCREDIBLY fortunate, sitting here this Saturday night with my little family, knowing that BIG things are in store! More to follow, of course.

For now, I am endorsing MY personal favorites for public representation, those who I know are right for the job, and who I support wholeheartedly.

 I hope that, come 2022, when I am seeking a position in the Maryland State Legislature, that they'll give me consideration.

I believe that I am a prime example of what a concerned citizen, a man of the people, and a well-rounded, open-minded, and liberty-first citizen of our great United States looks like - and that I have the honesty, fortitude, and best interests of the constituency in whole at heart.

I hope you'll get to know me. I hope we'll see one another at benefits and events for our mutually-supported candidates for public office. I hope that you'll stand beside me when I launch my campaign for public office in a few years. I hope that you will hold me accountable and ask the questions that you want to ask, because more than one of you are going to have some curiosity, and I am an open book, and always have been, so I hope you'll be willing to 'go there' and talk to me.

Most importantly, I hope you'll call me your friend.

Be blessed - I know, beyond all, that I certainly am.

In Liberty, always,
Joseph Sandy

01 March 2018: The End of the Campaign, and Moving Forward

A PUBLIC ADDRESS:
STATE OF THE CAMPAIGN & MOVING FORWARD 
Authored 01 March 2018

To my friends, colleagues, supporters, citizens of Legislative District 42B, all citizens of Baltimore County, and all citizens of the great State of Maryland:

As I indicated in a social media post yesterday, I've been on radio silence for several days due to a very serious recent emergency: a very near and very dear friend to me has been in extremely poor health, and for a number of days it was looking like this would be, as they say, ‘the end.’ Out of respect for privacy, I have refrained from further detail, other than to say that it brought my life to a screeching halt since the end of last week. Over the course of the last decade of my life I've lost too many friends & acquaintances before their time. That being said, the recent situation really, for lack of better words at the moment, ‘hit me hard’ for fear that I'd lose another - but thankfully, things are looking up.

I am also faced with my own handful of personal life changes that have come to fruition in the last several weeks which have cumulatively made a significant impact upon the routine of my life and my responsibilities - one is that a personal partnership of a number of years has come to an end, and that has necessitated a number of changes for me personally.

As my life is changing – some priorities and endeavors both public and personal having been neglected over the course of the last year, and still others coming into the forefront of my immediate focus, combined with a number of unavoidable unknowns in both the immediate and distant future – I have come to the conclusion over a number of days, and after consulting with a plethora of confidants and resources, that while I COULD continue my campaign for Maryland State Delegate, the absolute truth is that, at the present time, I lack the resources, time, and ultimately, the cumulative ability, to continue to be at the forefront of a significant political campaign – one that I have grown and fostered passionately with zest and vigor – one that deserves one hundred percent of what I might otherwise be able to give were I not faced with a number of recent circumstances and changes that inhibit my ability to give it my ALL. While I COULD, the question has become one of whether I SHOULD. I chose to become a candidate for representative public office because I want to do the best by the community in which I am so incredibly proud to have known virtually my entire life. And if I can’t give my ALL to this campaign, and thereby to the community I have aimed to intend to serve, then the campaign is not worth pushing forward. It is not an easy choice – believe me, it has been nearly my sole focus for over a year, since before its official formation – but I am an honest man, with myself and with my community, and with all of you reading this address. So I know the honest choice that must be made.

Today, 01 March 2018, I have officially withdrawn my candidacy for Maryland State Delegate in this upcoming 2018 election primary in June.

Throughout the course of this campaign, before its actual formation, when I was still just conceiving the possibility of running for an office of public representation, I came to the table with a set of values that paired fiscal responsibility with individual liberty, first and foremost. I stand by my convictions today, and will continue as such. I have throughout my life been a registered Democrat, and then a Libertarian, and today, a Republican. I have ALWAYS strived to put principle before Party, and to put people before Party – but never have my values changed, regardless of Party affiliation. I have enjoyed an amazing opportunity to open myself up, to make public my personal convictions, and MOST importantly, to have been blessed with the opportunity to be receptive to my fellow members of the community, and to hear what so many of them want for their (OUR) community. I built a campaign that aligned with my personal convictions – because I became keenly aware that so many in the community, regardless of political Party or affiliation (or lack thereof), shared the very same values. I am so thankful to have been blessed with the opportunity to see that reality in a very hands-on fashion over the past year. From the start, I knew that my campaign would bear the slogan, “For Liberty; For Our Community.” I know those very words I selected resonate with my neighbors and my peers and so many of you in the community. I hope that such an idea will continue to resonate. I have great personal faith that it will. I have great personal faith in YOUR ability to elect the best leaders for our community in the state legislature.

I made the decision to run for office because I believe that public representation is in desperate need of an influx of “everyday Joe’s” who aren’t wrapped-up in allegiance to political parties, who haven’t been ushered into politics and public representation by “party insiders,” and who, rather than subscribing to “politics as usual,” are legitimately devoted to the people & well-being of our community. An informed public is close to my heart – and the factors that have set me apart from other candidates in so many of these races are significant. I’m not a current or former politician, because we sure have enough of those; I’m not bought and sold, and will not be obliged to “party insiders” - though I welcomed their support if they truly believe in my message; I’ve refused the “red tape” and conditions we sometimes find in political circles that can present as deterrents from new faces entering races. I’ve honestly and earnestly guaranteed you that my only allegiance has been to YOU in this campaign, and to the conservative values and fiscal responsibility that matter to so many in our communities. I’ve never been one to subscribe to “politics as usual.” I don’t run local political clubs with access to high-profile favorites & insiders. I’m a “free agent” who wants the same common-sense values and fiscally-conservative approaches to legislation concerning our community – just like so many of you. And I chose to jump in. I am proud of that. I always will be.

But more than anything else, I am SO INCREDIBLY PROUD of the support you’ve all shown me, and even MORE than that (if that’s even possible!), I’m so PROUD that folks have taken the time to share their ideas, their own convictions, to have the conversation (we must ALWAYS remain willing to have the conversation, as a community) – it’s been a mind-blowing experience, one of the very greatest of my life, sincerely. To connect with so many people of differing ideas, convictions, proposals, and viewpoints. I’ve garnered support not only from fellow Republicans, but from many Libertarians, Constitutionalists, Democrats, a Green Party member or two, Independents, and unaffiliated citizens. How many other folks can say the same?

I am so, SO incredibly grateful to all of you. Beyond my ability to find the words to express it. It has been an honor.

So, as for moving forward: I want to direct your attention to two of the other candidates in the race from which I have withdrawn. These two gentlemen deserve your attention and I hope that you will lend them the consideration of taking the opportunity to let them know what YOU want from your legislative representatives – because I know them personally, I know that they care, and I know that they both have distinguished records of public service to the community. They are “in this” for the right reasons. They’re not mere “agents of the political machine” with mile-long list of endorsements from former and current politicians, riding on the “politics as usual” notion that “Big Money” and endorsements by the “political machine” will get them elected. There ARE candidates out there who would seem to (definitely) operate that way, unfortunately, and they aren’t worth your consideration – but the two gentlemen in this particular race for District 42B (much of Baltimore County) who are putting in the REAL grunt work, who I hope that you will take the time to give consideration, the two VERY good men who I will ABSOLUTELY support, endorse, and for whom I will vote on June 26th because their convictions and my own are so closely aligned, are THESE two gentlemen:

Justin Kinsey for State Delegate: https://www.facebook.com/mjustinkinsey/

Ray Boccelli for Delegate: https://www.facebook.com/BoccelliforDelegate/

Certainly, my friends, this is not a goodbye – rather, this is a show of my utmost appreciation, my respect for each and every one of you, and my sincere hope that you will stand by your convictions, uphold the principles of fiscal responsibility and individual liberty that make our nation the greatest on earth.

I hope that, if you aren’t already curious about politics at a local and state level, you start. Because the fact is, you can turn on the news any night of the week and hear about national politics and the happenings in the White House, sure. But the changes that really impact YOU are the happenings at the local and state level. And YOU have the power to choose WHO makes those decisions legislatively – such is the nature of the democratic republic that is the United States of America.

At the local level, my friends: whatever your political identity, and whatever your convictions, I hope that we, as a community, can agree that Marylanders deserve the best. Let’s all do our part to work to preserve liberty together, and keep the right principles and conscience at the forefront of our Maryland communities.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything. It has been an honor, and most certainly, a most-distinguished privilege.

God Bless You, my friends.
And God Bless America.

In Liberty, Now and Always,
Joseph D. Sandy

[By Authority of FRIENDS OF JOSEPH SANDY – Maurice Grace, Treasurer]


UPDATE: 03 March 2018

I want to thank all of you for the kind words and the tremendous outpouring of support, in response to my announcement that I have elected to suspend my campaign in lieu of a lot of other responsibilities to family, projects, endeavors, volunteerism in the community, and even life changes that are moving me in a better direction looking toward the future. My friends, I am not out of the "scene," but a campaign with me at the head of it deserves 100% of my attention, and that's something I intend to pursue in the next election cycle locally. Thank you all SO much for all of your consideration and support!

Campaign Finance, My Mission, & Representing the Community

January 17, 2018
CAMPAIGN FINANCE, MY MISSION, AND REPRESENTING THE ENTIRETY OF THE COMMUNITY

News sources & people wrapped-up in political campaigning will insist that the public reporting of the amounts of money raised and spent to date will indicate a candidate's strength in the upcoming primary election, June 26th, here in Maryland. They will say that the more money one has raised this far in advance, the greater their "strength.”

I am proud to announce to you that, to date, I have not asked for a dime from any one of you watching. I have deliberately avoided literally SELLING my campaign, to date: my ideas about individual liberty, my ideas for how the community may prosper, pledges that I will work against the expansion of Section 8 housing and illegal immigration throughout our communities, a pledge that I will work to reduce unnecessary surveillance devices in Maryland that serve only to generate income for the state by taking it out of your pocket, and that I will support legislation calling for term limits.

I've done so because I want to reiterate to the voters in Baltimore County that I am perhaps the ONE candidate, or one of the FEW, in this race who is NOT bought & sold, who does NOT play "politics as usual," and who is NOT endorsed by a mile-long list of current and/or former politicians. I don't run political clubs or special interest groups. I am proud to say that my life today is very much about public service, rather than about cozying-up to politicians past and present, or lamenting to a radio audience of similar or perhaps identical political conviction as my own. I do not "tow the party line" just for the sake of doing so. I frequently discuss, and often debate, with others in the community, publicly via social media, about REAL issues impacting members of our community; this is an almost DAILY reality for me. And I love it. It's very possible that it may very well set me apart from other candidates in my race. You'll never have to wonder whether I'm just PANDERING to you. I like to have a real conversation.

I am a member of the Republican Party because my personal values and convictions of fiscal responsibility and individual freedom for ALL AMERICANS, regardless of conviction, align most closely with true Republican ideals as they are intended. That being said, my choice of political party does NOT turn me off to ideas proposed by Democrats, or Libertarians, or Green Party members, or anyone else anywhere on the spectrum of personal beliefs, convictions, or political party. We are PEOPLE, you and I, not just RED AND BLUE DOTS on a map, or numbers on a piece of paper. I pledge to give honest consideration and remain willing to work ACROSS THE AISLE, should I be elected, when it comes to solutions and legislation that BEST BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY for whom I will work. And that's what I want everyone in the community to understand first and foremost about my campaign. And that is why I have avoided coming at you all for donations this early in the game.

Of course, the reality is that I will need funding and support to keep going. But the most important thing, in THIS RACE, for a newcomer like me, is that I will be knocking doors throughout Baltimore County over the course of the next several months, leaving flyers and pamphlets and cards, and encouraging YOU to join me in having these conversations. Because that is how I learn - and that is how I hope to have the opportunity to be the best public servant I possibly can be, for the ENTIRE community. And I ask for you to fill-in the bubble next to my name on the ballots in June and November this year.

Yes, I'm going to raise money during this campaign, that’s a reality, because promotional materials aren't cheap. You know this. And I hope you do choose to give a little something. Twenty bucks from a couple hundred people, let’s say, would send me a LONG way. But the BEST INDICATOR, in my opinion, of a TRULY STRONG CANDIDATE, is one who is willing to actually HAVE THE CONVERSATION with you. The one who is willing to ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS publicly on social media or in person. The one who is willing to come to you, come to your door for a couple of minutes and talk about the issues that concern you and your family in our community. Because I believe that it doesn't matter how many television ads you run, or how many wealthy friends you have, or how big your average campaign contribution is ... I believe what matters most to you when you go to that voting booth and elect LOCAL public officials is, "Hey, I remember that guy, he came to my door." Or, "Hey, I know that guy, we talk online all the time." And PRESENCE in the COMMUNITY - not just in political circles or by way of fat paychecks or donations - PRESENCE is what SELLS to hardworking people like you and me. And no amount of money is going to get in the way of that between now and June.

If you’re in the Baltimore County area and would like to make an appointment to talk, or if you have a community event, or maybe a community association meeting you’d like for me to attend, anything like that, I’m happy to oblige. I’m available in Parkville, Carney, Towson, Hampton, Lutherville, Timonium, Cockeysville, Hunt Valley, Sparks Glencoe, Parkton, & Freeland. So get in touch! Hopefully I’ll be seeing you soon. AND, if you’re interested in making a donation, I’d certainly appreciate it – links will be available online soon, but for now you can send a check to Friends of Joseph Sandy, PO Box 42160, Baltimore MD 21284.

Thank you in advance.

God bless you, my friends.

And as always,

God Bless our GREAT United States of America.

In Liberty,
Joseph D. Sandy

TERM LIMITS FOR ALL REPRESENTATIVE OFFICIALS: Joseph Sandy for Maryland State Delegate

TERM LIMITS FOR ALL REPRESENTATIVE OFFICIALS

When elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, I vow to present and support legislation to require term limits for all elected officials who represent the people of Maryland.

A term limit is a limit on the amount of time a representative may hold an elected office. Term limits are often thought to prevent long-term corruption and increase performance of representatives holding elected or appointed seats – making them work for you and me.

Members of Congress, for example, have no term limits – and that’s a HUGE problem. They have all the time in the world to build relationships with lobbyists for big-time corporations who will influence their legislation – instead of you and I being the primarily influences behind legislation proposed by our representatives. And with all the time in the world once occupying that seat, it doesn’t offer much incentive to get anything done.

Our founding fathers knew that people given power will eventually be corrupted by it if you give them unlimited time in a position of power.

If you put limits on the amount of time reserved for any one person to hold a position representing the people, they will more likely run for a position for the purpose of actually serving the people.

And with term limits in place, legislation proposed and enacted by our representatives will affect those very same representatives once they become constituents themselves.

It’s no secret and no surprise that career politicians aren’t very popular among the people. Often they’re too bent on re-election and holding onto party seats within a governing body to be open to compromising (“reaching across the aisle”) to work toward legislation that actually benefits the whole of the public.

So maybe we shouldn’t aspire to have CAREER politicians. There is all too often a significant disconnect between long-time public representatives and the community they are supposed to serve.

In limitless terms of public representation when long-time politicians have spent years amassing funds from lobbyists and big-name corporations & special interest groups, they often use those profits made while in power to get re-elected. It puts middle-class citizens, who are likely to be far less removed from the daily realities of the American workforce, at a major disadvantage when running against an incumbent long-term politician – even if, though considerably less-funded, they may actually a better fit for the job.

The fact is, the will of the people must be heard and will be heard – and this is my priority.

When elected, I vow to present and support legislation to require term limits for all elected officials who represent the people of Maryland.

I’m not a career politician. But I sure fulfill many roles of service in my life. I’m a member of several local community councils here in Baltimore, including the Greater Parkville Community Council and the Police Community Relations Council Precinct Eight. I am a healthcare professional working for over eleven years with world-class physicians and practitioners in delivering mental health care services to the regional community in need; I also provide hospice services to the regional community in need of ongoing palliative care via home & assisted living visitation. I assist at a local nonprofit animal rescue, an adoption service for abused animals in crisis; I’m a designated storm spotter for the National Weather Service; I am an ally and proponent of peer support recovery services for the community that has struggled with substance abuse, trauma, & related circumstances.  Public service is important in my life, and an informed public is close to my heart. I am NOT bought-and-sold, as are too many of our career politicians. And should I find myself selected for a ‘seat at the table,’ I vow not to settle-in indefinitely, as have TOO MANY POLITICIANS done for decades.

It is time to END LIMITLESS TERMS in public office. Our DEMOCRACY demands it. ACCURATE REPRESENTATION demands it. The FREE MARKET demands it. Our LAND OF THE FREE demands it. And THE PEOPLE demand it.

Term limits preserve our liberty.

FIGHTING SECTION 8 EXPANSION & ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Joseph Sandy for Maryland State Delegate

FIGHTING SECTION 8 EXPANSION & ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

When elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, I vow to present and support legislation that emphasizes community preservation: we will protect and preserve our communities by fighting forced Section 8 expansion into our neighborhoods and by combatting illegal immigration in the state of Maryland.

Property owners have worked their entire lives making their homes and creating their livelihoods in this community, while property values plummet in neighborhoods with introduction & expansion of Section 8 residences. It’s no wonder that long-time residents of our communities are firmly against Section 8 expansion into, and within, our community.

It destabilizes the community and brings a hoard of social problems. The increase in crime threatens our safety daily, the safety of our most vulnerable neighbors, and of our own family members. Housing authorities throughout Maryland express ongoing concerns that many Section 8 households hold citizens with significant criminal records. Very often, these criminal records involve drug-related charges. Should we welcome Section 8 expansion into, and within, our community given these facts? I think not – and many long-time residents of Maryland agree with me.

An expansion of housing vouchers means an expansion of the false narrative that it is necessary to award publicly-funded homes to those who can demonstrate a need – and leaves nothing to be said about the efforts that many families make through struggle, sacrifice, and thrift to improve their residence prospects and avoid (or discontinue) dependence on this form of welfare.

Landlords often welcome Section 8 tenants into their properties because of the guarantee of direct deposit by the government for the majority of the rent due. The effect, sadly, upon the community is twofold: it takes opportunities away from working class families who would just as soon rent those properties, and it accelerates the decline in quality of living in the community. It accelerates the crime rate; it puts greater demand on public services (police & emergency services), which eventually leads to increases in taxation; it changes academic reputations of schools; an influx of low-income renters causes a lack of buying power in the community, and the economy further suffers. The entire community suffers.

 In latter 2017 Baltimore has announced that it will provide legal assistance, with taxpayer money, for immigrants facing deportation, as a part of the SAFE Cities Network. As an elected representative of the state of Maryland, specifically Baltimore County, I will vehemently oppose any initiative, directive, or legislation calling for publicly-funded assistance for individuals facing deportation, or illegal immigrants residing in our state. The fact is that the welfare state is tremendously expensive to taxpayers and I believe that only American citizens should reap the benefits of programs into which American citizens pay.

According to the Pew Research Center in 2017, there are likely over 11 million illegal immigrants in American today. As the ‘melting pot’ of the world, we have a rich history of welcoming immigrants from around the world to America – to become American citizens. The importance of becoming a citizen is complex, but it is worth noting that it officiates an individual to pay into, and reap the rewards of, a complex system of public services. Accordingly, we have a pathway for immigrants to attain United States citizenship. We must hold immigrants seeking to prosper and benefit by residence in America to the same standard – to be expected to apply for citizenship, or to otherwise conduct business in America entirely within the parameters of the law as applicable.

Granting ‘breaks’ to illegal immigrants – through public funding – is inherently wrong. As your elected representative, I will stand firmly against it.

When elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, I vow to present and support legislation that emphasizes community preservation: we will protect and preserve our communities by fighting forced Section 8 expansion into our neighborhoods and by combatting illegal immigration in the state of Maryland.