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.

End Red Light & Speed Light Cameras & Other Mass Surveillance: Joseph Sandy for Maryland Delegate

ENDING MANY USES OF MASS SURVEILLANCE

When elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, I vow to present and support legislation eliminating and prohibiting the use of many forms of surveillance equipment, including red light & speed cameras on our roadways, without individualized warrants or probable documented suspicion of individualized wrongdoing.

In our innovative, ever-growing technological world, American citizens grow increasingly wary of unwarranted bulk data collection, domestic spying by our government, and the ever-growing prospect of loss of privacy. Sometimes you might as well say it seems there’s a camera on every corner of America. And it’s got its eye on YOU, all the time. Every phone call, every internet search, every keystroke, every text message, every social media post.

There are shockingly few laws in place regarding the state’s use of surveillance equipment and bulk data collection. Your every move can easily be tracked today – all without any individual warrant, or even any legitimate suspicion that you have done anything wrong. It’s as though the government is waiting for you to ‘slip up’ so that you can pay-up to the state.

Government use of drones, red light cameras, speed cameras, and all kinds of surveillance equipment leads to HUGE CORPORATE PROFITS for Big Business - and it comes right out of your pocket whether you like it or not. They make a FORTUNE from YOUR tax dollars when the state invests in this equipment – often without your knowledge, and most assuredly against most citizens’ consent.

Red light cameras and speed cameras lead to BREACHES IN CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. Citizens are being falsely ticketed for vehicles that don’t even belong to them, or for vehicles in which the ticketed citizen was not the driver. Speed and red light cameras are well-documented as being error-prone. And yet this FRAUD is allowed to continue because the vendors of these devices make HUGE profits, and Maryland collects HUGE profits from citations that are EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to fight when a citizen is falsely cited. The devices aren’t even owned by the state government – in fact, they are owned by the vendors. It is the vendors who charge citizens a fine – one that is all too often in error, and then the state simply gets a cut of the profits. This is a FAILURE OF DUE PROCESS UNDER THE LAW, and that is a BREACH OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT.

It is up to Marylanders to demand that it come to an end.

We the people have a choice – and it’s just not in Big Government’s interests to remind you of that. We have a choice, we have a right to be informed, and we have a right to individual privacy. It’s a human right and our own Supreme Court has upheld it in countless cases throughout time. Not to mention our right to DUE PROCESS UNDER THE LAW!

When elected, I vow to present and support legislation eliminating and prohibiting use of many forms of surveillance equipment, including red light & speed cameras on our roadways, without individualized warrants or probable documented suspicion of individualized wrongdoing.

We absolutely must choose the correct representative individuals who will bear our most basic human rights in mind – and remain ever-vigilant when our liberties are threatened. Joseph Sandy is committed to the cause.

Open Letter to Citizens of Baltimore County

AN OPEN LETTER 

TO THE

CITIZENS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY

It is foremost in the spirit of public service that I seek a representative position in the 42nd District Maryland House of Delegates where I may be of service to my neighbors in this district, this country and this State of Maryland. At the end of the day, my decision to run for office is all about ALL of YOU.

I’m not a “career politician,” a doctor (though I've worked with many), a lawyer, or an affluent businessman – after all, not everyone brings home a six-figure income annually. I’m a working-class Marylander making a fair living and I have no stakes in any representative position other than a sincere desire to bring principle, conscience, and the preservation of liberty to politics and public representation.

What sets me apart from the rest? For starters, I'm NOT a current or former politician, because we sure have enough of those. But more importantly, I'm NOT bought-and-sold, and am NOT obliged to "PARTY INSIDERS" - though I welcome their support if they truly believe in my message. What sets me apart from the rest, ultimately, is that by refusing the "red tape" that you find in politics that often keeps new faces from running for office, I can guarantee you that my ONLY allegiance is to YOU, and to the conservative values that matter to you. I don't subscribe to "politics as usual," I don't run local political clubs with access to high-profile "party favorites" and "party insiders." I'm a free agent who wants the same common-sense values and conservative approaches to legislation concerning OUR community.

I am a lifelong resident of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of Loch Raven High School, the Community College of Baltimore County, and Towson University. I have come to fulfill many roles of service over the years. 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 8. 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 assist in providing hospice services to the regional community in need of ongoing palliative care via home & assisted-living community visitation. I assist at a local nonprofit animal rescue helping to house & care 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 the most important part of my life, and an informed public is close to my heart.

My interest in the state of our communities, and my concern about our ever-growing authoritarian government, does NOT stem from some personal desire to find my way into a representative position with no term limit – in fact, actually, one of my main priorities is to dissolve limitless-term arrangements in public representation. The fact is that YOU deserve representation that HEARS YOU, which will propose & support legislation that directly BENEFITS YOU.

Because the truth is, this isn’t about me – this is about YOU, the Maryland citizen. We have a LOT TO GAIN from enacting the BEST CHANGES in our great state – clear, understandable, transparent changes. Specific action!

I am committed to proposing and supporting legislation that protects & preserves our Baltimore County communities by fighting forced Section 8 expansion into our neighborhoods and by combating illegal immigration in our communities. Property owners have worked their entire lives making homes and creating livelihoods in our communities, and the increase in crime levels threatens our safety, the safety of our most vulnerable neighbors & family members, and diminishes property values. We must work to reclaim our right to privacy and fight warrant-less surveillance in Maryland, too – including fighting the many-times failed red light & speed camera gimmicks, as studies have shown increases in accidents (including dangerous intersection collisions that occur following the installation of speed & red-light cameras), while they have a proven track record of being faulty and often unjustly drain taxpayers of millions of dollars of hard-earned income across the nation annually when citations are issued in error. Like forced Section 8 expansion in our community, the red light & speed light camera program is a prime example of underhanded "backroom deals" at the expense of liberty.

My friends and neighbors, this is not what the American Dream is supposed to be. We must act, and we require strong, like-minded leadership at the forefront of our efforts to preserve our communities.

And let's be honest: all too often, politicians have LET US DOWN for YEARS. Each time they’re elected for representative positions, they claim that they’ll enact “real change,” so much that it’s become cliché – but the truth is, they’re all too often only interested in GROWING BIG GOVERNMENT, REGULATING YOUR INDIVIDUAL CHOICES, and ultimately SPENDING MORE OF YOUR TAX MONEY. The only real difference between too many politicians is WHERE they want to spend YOUR money.

Perhaps one reason “career politicians” tend to be so unpopular is that they’re so easily bought-and-sold. Corporate lobbyists, crony capitalism, and the like – we hear about this all the time.

But I'm NOT bought-and-sold, as are too many of our career politicians. This campaign relies upon YOUR VOICES and MY PRESENCE. My campaign is as transparent and as clean as they come.

The fact is, a vote for Joseph Sandy is a vote for SMALLER GOVERNMENT and GREATER INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY, period!

Let's RESTORE AND PRESERVE LIBERTY together, and keep the right principles and conscience at the forefront of our Baltimore communities.

Marylanders deserve the best.

We CAN and MUST enact change.

I am a REAL PROSPECT for REAL REPRESENTATION and REAL CHANGE for Maryland.

Yours in Liberty, 

Joseph D. Sandy
www.ElectJoeSandy.com

By Authority of Friends of Joseph Sandy – Maurice Grace, Treasurer

Announcement of Official Candidacy for Maryland State Delegate District 42B

Joseph D. Sandy for State Delegate 42B

Announcement of Candidacy

October 25, 2017

Today I officially enter the race and become a candidate on the books for a seat in the 42nd District Maryland House of Delegates.

I’m running 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 & wellbeing of our community. For far too long, politicians far too often have a reputation of letting us down.

So how do you know I am dedicated to the people and wellbeing of our community? Public service is perhaps the most notable and important part of my life, and as such, I have come to fulfill many roles of service to the community. 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.

Likewise, an informed public is close to my heart – so let me tell you what sets me apart from the rest. To state the obvious, 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 welcome 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 can guarantee you that my only allegiance is to you, and to the conservative values and fiscal responsibility that matter to so many in our communities. I don’t 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 conservative approaches to legislation concerning our community – just like so many of you.

Some folks will inevitably question my experience and ask me what qualifies me for the job, since they’re so used to predominantly seeing attorneys, businessmen, and “well-to-do” people in positions of public representation. Political parties, officials seeking re-election, and big-wheels often count on voters believing that elected representatives must be individuals of notable affluence in the community. As for me, I’m a working-class Marylander making a fair living and I have no stakes in any representative position other than a sincere desire to bring principle, conscience, and the preservation of liberty to politics and public representation. So what business do I have in the race?

I hope that my aforementioned resume of public service in the community today lends itself to my investment in the community, for starters. All you really need is that very desire to enact change that reflects principle, conscience, and liberty; you don’t have to be an attorney, a businessman, a doctor, or a big-wheel to represent the people. We don’t need another wealthy “party favorite” getting their palms greased by big name donors, upheld by a significant campaign team making them look polished & pristine while being endorsed by current and former favorable politicians. What do we need instead? Individuals of honesty and humility – candidates who are genuinely willing to listen to people and learn from them. There isn’t much room for ego. One must compromise, but also stand their ground on behalf of the constituency. As such, I’m a “straight-shooter” because I’m not obliged to party insiders and established politicians – I welcome their support, but I’m not obliged to them. Instead, I’m obliged to the community I intend to serve. One must be humble, give credit where it is due, and respect liberty first and foremost. And one who succeeds at being elected to office shouldn’t plan to do it forever as a career. The founding fathers knew better, and I respect that tremendously. That’s why one of my main platform issues is the importance of term limits, and supporting legislation that calls for them.

It's not “experience” that counts the most. It’s drive that counts. It’s investment that counts.

Today we remember Ronald Reagan as one of the greatest leaders of our nation – we often draw reference to the Reagan years and to his legacy on the American landscape. Remember that Reagan was mocked and criticized by his opponents for a supposed “lack of experience” – as were countless others who have since left their respective marks on history.

Yes, my sole allegiance is to preservation of fiscal conservatism and individual liberty of the members of this community – and part of that is my willingness to be that “straight shooter,” unencumbered by whether my observations and plans are held in high regard, or frowned-upon, by big-name donors, and whether or not I am “doing right” by party insiders. Because the time has come that it isn’t about them anymore – it’s about us, and it’s about you. I’m smart, I’m articulate, I’m driven, I work hard, and I apply myself by listening to the members of the community and embracing this opportunity as a way to remain ever-vigilant of what matters most to the people of our community – and to be frank, we deserve such leadership in positions of elected office. Many times, I have said I am here for you, I am available to you, and I always have been – that will not change.

I’m running to emphasize community preservation: I am committed to proposing and supporting legislation that protects & preserves our communities by fighting forced Section Eight expansion into our neighborhoods and by combatting illegal immigration in our communities. Property owners have worked their entire lives making homes and creating livelihoods in our communities, and the increase in crime levels threatens our safety, the safety of our most vulnerable neighbors & family members, and diminishes property values.

I’m running to combat unnecessary government surveillance in Maryland: for starters, on our very roadways, where we have recently re-instituted & expanded the grossly error-prone red light & speed light camera program that previously failed on multiple occasions in Maryland and in many other states. I don’t think that you and I should be subject to warrant-less surveillance technology that only definitively serves to bleed citizens of their hard-earned money, thereby yielding huge profits for the state – as well as the third-party manufacturers who keep a cut of your money. While proponents of the program will wave alleged proof that there is a benefit to public safety, studies have conversely shown increases in accidents, including dangerous intersection collisions, that occur following the installation of speed & red-light cameras. Speed limits & signal timing have been manipulated dangerously in states that employ their use. Top employees of some of the device manufacturing corporations have been convicted of bribery and fraud. The use of these devices in Maryland is a prime example of underhanded "backroom deals" at the expense of liberty.

I’m running because we have career politicians with decades of time in public office, while I believe in the efficacy of term limits for optimal public representation in seats of elective office.

I’m running because I am an ally of peer support recovery in the community of individuals that seeks to take personal accountability in overcoming addiction and substance abuse – and we have a dire, crippling, tragic opiate epidemic on our hands in this state. I know firsthand that one can turn the path of their life around, and I know that no single treatment modality works universally for everyone struggling with substance abuse. Recovery doesn’t look exactly the same for everyone – but it is very much within reach for all who suffer. I’d like to see additional diverse approaches to improvements in public health & safety, especially in substance abuse recovery & rehabilitation.

And I hope to have the opportunity to continue to share with you the ongoing list of reasons that I’m running, in coming days, weeks, and months. More importantly, I hope you’ll be vocal in sharing your concerns, hopes, goals, and ideas for how we may strive to preserve & improve the community we share.

Whatever your convictions and priorities, and however you identify politically, I hope that we as a community can agree that Marylanders deserve the best.

Let’s work to restore and preserve liberty together, and keep the right principles and conscience at the forefront of our Maryland communities. That is my wish for our state and our society.

It is an honor to announce my official candidacy today, and it will be an ongoing honor and pleasure to work over the course of the next twelve months to earn your faith in my potential to be an elected leader in our Maryland community within the 42nd District House of Delegates.

In Liberty now and always,

Joseph D. Sandy

ElectJoeSandy.com
facebook.com/ElectJoeSandy
By Authority of Friends of Joseph Sandy - Maurice Grace, Treasurer

An Open Letter to my Friends & Colleagues in the Libertarian Political Party

To my Friends & Colleagues in the Libertarian Political Party in Maryland and Abroad:

The Chair of the Libertarian Party of Maryland recently dedicated his July report for state party members to addressing the ‘ongoing battle’ about winning elections, following the state convention back in April when I made statements to the attendees suggesting a ‘bottom-up’ approach to winning seats in public office (start local, grow from there) and actually getting libertarian candidates in seats of public office. I subsequently received the nomination & endorsement of the state party for a candidacy for State Delegate by unanimous vote that day. It was a great day – it was a proud day for me, to secure the endorsement of a political party that is now over twenty thousand voters strong in Maryland. In Bob’s July report in the newsletter, he states, “Winning elections for LP candidates would be great. It would give us more attention, more legitimacy … But it isn’t necessary for Libertarians to bring about a libertarian state or country.”

He went on to discuss the difficulties that minor parties have getting candidates elected to public office. He states that no minor party candidate has been elected to office in Maryland since 1916. He draws on “significant ballot access hurdles and restrictions.” And after citing the incredible amounts of money it takes to get candidates elected to public office, and how that is far beyond the reach of the Libertarian Party in the United States today, Bob made some important, significant, and truthful points. Bob reminds us that state leadership is not committed to getting candidates elected, because they CAN’T BE – the party simply isn’t large enough, well-enough funded, and the odds are stacked against third-party candidates in so many ways today.

He summates that “Libertarians don’t need to get elected to get our policies enacted,” that “when candidates insist they have to win, they are setting themselves up for failure,” and lastly, “it would be nice for LP candidates to get elected to office, but I don’t need for them to do so.”

After several months of hundreds of conversations with liberty-minded citizens here in Maryland and all around the nation of all different political affiliations, and months of scouring social media posts, it has become increasingly more and more obvious that all of the above statements are absolutely true. The aim of the state Libertarian Party CANNOT be to get candidates elected into public office - because at THIS point in time, in 2017, it simply can’t beat the obstacles & hurdles, or garner enough support from the citizens of the nation, to get its candidates elected at the polls. The party nominates candidates purely for the sake of challenging the establishment in order to strongarm the establishment to consider pro-liberty policies. I get it. I’m not challenging that it works, either – as Bob points out, the Socialist Party that never got more than 6% of a presidential vote continued throughout the first half of the 20th century to run candidates that took 10-15% of the votes in three-way races and forced Democrats and Republicans to enact their policies over time.

Five other people at that state convention this year were nominated for candidacy in 2018. I’ve come to know each of them personally - these candidates and I have been all over the state of Maryland together, we’ve spent countless hours in conversation, and we’ve done a lot of work together, reaching out to everyday working Americans like ourselves all over the state. I have the utmost faith that they will run clean, transparent, and respectable campaigns. I support them in their pro-liberty convictions, and that will not change. I’ve come to consider these fine folks to be friends.

Something I’ve learned along the way is that people care about their livelihoods, and they care about their communities. They want real, practical, solutions to the problems that threaten our liberty and our livelihoods in our communities. They want practical leadership. And so do I.

One of the problems the State Chair failed to mention is the public perception of Libertarians today. Here’s a prime example: we have a Vice Chair of the National Party who has denigrated citizens who serve our armed forces and our freedom with honor, and who teach our children in schools, and who work federal government jobs to put food on the tables of their families. I cannot, in good conscience, support leadership who isolate and exclude members of our own communities, including civil servants, active duty military, and veterans, all for the sake of exposure, for shock value, for publicity stunts, for their own candidacies and this notion of 'abolish it all overnight,' 'dismantle everything in the government,' 'do away with all taxation immediately,' etc. The fact is, the ‘rebel yell’ of the more ‘extreme’ members of the Libertarian Political Party isn't winning its way into representation in our communities, partly because in order to enact the best changes for our communities, we must embrace actual practical solutions that make sense to the people in our communities. Being taken seriously-enough to be embraced, or even just recognized as legitimate, by the majority of America involves a degree of organization and cohesion that might be achievable in another twenty or thirty years for the Libertarian Political Party, but simply isn’t adequate to the everyday American citizen today to garner support.

Reduction in government requires pragmatic cuts over time, rather than immediate elimination of whole agencies, entities, and structures that have stood in place for a very long time. Most everyday people know this, as do I. Many of the candidates who have sought the nomination by the party know this. Many members of the Party know this. In fact, there's no rule that demands an 'overnight' strategy for the Libertarian Party's vision of minimizing government. Viewpoints and strategies within the Party vary far and wide. Still, it is my belief that the more 'extreme' variations of dismantling government and radically altering the status-quo is generally offputting to citizens today and stands in the way of garnering more support from everyday people - especially when you have folks in leadership positions who would seem to sometimes advocate such extremes.

Of course, it makes absolutely no difference to Party leadership that Libertarians won't be getting elected to represent the citizens of our great nation on any sort of sizeable scale, because as leadership has stated, that doesn’t seem to be their mission anyhow.

But I’m not a guy who is here to offer impractical or hypothetical-at-best solutions to the citizens of my intended constituency.

And ultimately, my loyalty is to the people of Baltimore County and the great state of Maryland, rather than to a political party. We must ALWAYS put PEOPLE before PARTY affiliation.

Bearing that in mind, and having spent months and countless hours reviewing citizens’ responses to the pressing issues in local communities, having given tremendous consideration to viewpoints of how to best advance liberty and the betterment of the lives of those in my own community where I was born, raised, and have made a life for myself – I have come to a necessary decision regarding my pending political campaign here in Baltimore County. I have made this decision for you as citizens yourselves, for our communities, and for the sake of liberty.

With humility, gratitude, and unwavering loyalty to the people of Maryland, I have proudly made the decision to run with the Republican Party in my pending candidacy for State Delegate in the 42nd District of the Maryland House, encompassing most of Baltimore County, Maryland.

We need folks in public representation who believe in lessening taxation, lessening regulation, and maximizing individual liberty. My views and platforms are embraced by liberty-minded citizens of Maryland every single day. A third platform I advocate, of enacting term limits for representative officials across the board, is not so much a partisan issue as it is an issue of integrity in our leadership.

We MUST address the most important issues concerning everyday folks here in Baltimore County, and in the great State of Maryland – and the Libertarian Party just isn’t enough-supported by everyday working citizens of our great State of Maryland, or enough-dedicated to getting candidates they nominate actually elected, for me to push forward a campaign exclusively representing the Libertarian Party today. I intend to work for the People, and it has become clear to me that the People have spoken – this is the best way to enact real change in our communities.

Marylanders know the importance of less taxation, less government interference & regulation, and the greatest individual freedom – my hope is that, as I continue to support your efforts to advance liberty throughout Baltimore County, Maryland, and our great nation, that you will support my efforts to advance liberty alongside strong Republican leadership who work diligently for the betterment of our local communities.

You see a lot of “debate club” atmospheres within the Libertarian Political Party, which is great for exploring the fundamentals of the liberty movement.

That being said, practical, applied leadership requires something more.

And that’s what I intend to offer.

Regardless of political affiliation, we need folks who aren't hung-up on fringe issues that all-too-often separate liberty-minded citizens from one another – and most importantly, we need leaders who aren't getting their palms greased by wealthy, big-name donors and dollar signs. I believe to the core that I am the man for the job, and that I will serve our best interests – those of liberty, property, and our livelihoods – with due integrity, respect, and vigor.

We need folks from humble, middle-class backgrounds, who actively participate in community events, who volunteer locally, who work in human services, who know and understand what is at stake, who wish to preserve our communities and our property values, folks who want a return to a way of conscience and responsibility in the way we treat our neighbors and conduct business with one another in our communities. And we need representation that sets the example by respecting our civil servants (who are so often our very own neighbors). I think you will find that I fit such a description in my plethora of duties in which I serve our community in my everyday life.

We do need folks who believe in lessening taxation, lessening regulation, and maximizing individual liberty.

We need representatives who, unlike the Baltimore County Council and County Executive have recently demonstrated, will actually take a stand for legislation against the expansion of Section 8 Housing Vouchers being mandated into our communities, which have the potential to negatively impact our property values significantly, and thereby, our hard work and our livelihoods.

We need representatives who will fight the ‘surveillance state,’ the recent reinstatement of red light & speed cameras on our roadways, which do little more than garner tremendous profits for the government and for the manufacturers and owners of those devices. They’re error-prone, there’s no actual proof that they provide any sort of public benefit, and the implementation of them has failed the people on multiple occasions, in multiple locations, throughout our nation – including right here in the State of Maryland.

We need to look at our actual terms of public representation, and we need to look at how term limits for those in seats of public office benefit the citizens of our communities. The Founding Fathers warned against unlimited terms of representation. Congress is a great example of how ‘career politicians’ tend to disappoint those they are appointed to represent.

These are all platforms with which you are undoubtedly quite familiar in your respective constituencies (for those of you who are also seeking a position of public office) and in your own communities.

I look forward to continuing to be in touch as we move into the election year 2018 and I have many opportunities to give my community a firsthand look at who I am, what I offer, and of my intended contribution to my community as I work alongside liberty-minded leadership for the community we share.

I hope to be of service to you as I continue to see so many of you in the community over the next year. I am here for you, I am available to you, and I always have been.

In Liberty, now and always,
Joseph D. Sandy
ElectJoeSandy.com
Facebook.com/ElectJoeSandy