Read the Broadneck Patch to get a very detailed description of last night's so-called County Council meeting.

I've heard from several people who attended this meeting. They all agree the behavior is without dignity and respect. It boggles my mind how one can not pay taxes for years until he gets caught then loses his job and goes to jail. BUT, someone with repeated display of prejudice has no accountability. An apology after such a thoughtless ramble is worthless. It is one's basic character where the outbursts are rooted. If there were there a respect for the worth and dignity of others, the outbursts would not occur.
How could a person dispersing campaign funds come close to being appointed for a council position. Even a sniff of conflict should not be considered whether legal or not. The bar must be set higher.

Well said, Rusty. And is this correct? Mr. Ladd's apology came only after he was made aware of his slur thru his cell phone? Am I getting that right? The above also reads that much of the "talk was over race and diversity." Perhaps these councilmen should get some training in diversity, civility and most of all leadership, for they are sorely lacking on all fronts. When you visit the Anne Arndel County web-site, people are invited to share in "our rich heritage":.....According to these County Council members, perhaps it should include, Caucasian and English only.

Not to mention that Ladd doesn't even make any sense when he's talking about the Vietnam War and then North Koreans. Is he getting his wars mixed up?

I was at the meeting, all night! He was simply recounting a HISTORICAL event. This happened, that was the language of the day. You don't hear folks talk like that today, but you can't change history. Get over yourselves people, history is bigger than you!

In recalling a time in his life when he was getting shot at routinely by an enemy that we called a lot of things that are socially not appropriate today. I spent two tours as an infantryman and I can assure you that we did not refer to the North Vietnamese or VC with nice names. I'm also quite sure that troops in the "Sand Box" use equally harsh and derogatory names for the Taliban. Get over it, when you are in a life and death situation, you aren't nice and polite. Once it was pointed out what he said, he apologized, Nuff said, End of discussion.

I think of "he without fault cast the first stone". Have any of you who are damning the councilmen for this unfortunate choice of words ever fought in a war? Obviously if Mr Ladd were thinking that any American would identify with this bad word from the war he would have been speaking in a more guarded manner. It was a mistake, nothing more.

Racism is never acceptable. Asian Americans work hard to fight discrimination. My son once got made fun of for winning a math competition. Math is more important then football, but some stupid 7th generation Americans think otherwise and resort to racism to explain their inadequacy.

Jim, you can't be serious that serving oveseas justifies racism. I am laughing.

I spent a day or two in Somalia and I never tolerated my men using garbage terms like "raghead" "skinnys" or anything like that. The bigots and racists in my unit might have. Most didn't. I for one believe that our brave men and women can hunt and kill a combat enemy without resorting to racist trash. Ladd and John Grasso are a disgrace to elected office. Walker, Benoit (gasp) and Trumbauer (double gasp) are right this time. Join them Mr. Ladd and bury the hateful tone in AA County.

Oh, ok. I'm just glad it's not Cheryl Ladd !

I served in S. Korea, and many of my fellow soldiers thought it was OK to call the locals many derogatory terms, but they got incredibly insulted and outraged when the South Koreans countered back with that Americans all looked alike and had overly large noses and feet. What goes around, comes around. Payback. I used to laugh at my fellow soldier's hypocrisy.

http://www.change.org/petitions/fund-arnold-elementary-school-now
Sing this to show Ladd that we need real hep here!

This combined with the English language bill illustrate that this council is hostile to diversity and wants to return to the good ol boys network. We need to send them a message. These guys do not represent an increasingly diverse and modern county.

Under the circumstances its not too surprising. The reality for folks who served in the boonies of Vietnam was that you were either fighting Luke (the gook) or Chas (as in victor charlie, VC). Was it appropriate? no, but then most language used when I was in the Army is not appropriate for civilian life

I am sure that Ladd regrets his slurr. BUT, for what reason? Simply, a council of older, white males cannot understand the challenges of other cultures and races and younger age groups that make up our county. Ladd is only an example of the symptom.
I like Smith's business credentials. I like that Smith has a degree in Technology Systems and experience in technology. I like that he is younger. I like that he has management and leadership experience. I like that having been recently a Marine, he likely has an understanding of various cultures and that the needs/perceptions are different.

Frankly, I am a little put off by the Wagner experience albeit impressive. No doubt he can run a business but his track record is the good-ole-boy politics of yesterday that I would like to move away from. I submit that we invest in Smith, learn from him. We might also use help in getting diversity training for the council. It is less what you say to be PC but more what you feel and understand about having had doors opened and opportunities presented just because you inherited white male privilege. I am from the lunch counter era. I did not stand beside those at the counter. It took major change for me to understand the real message. Darn few of us tall white males know that.
We have the opportunity to get a man with Smith's breadth of credentials. We would be negligent to do otherwise.

I agree with you Rusty Vaughan that we need someone on the County Council who comes from a fresh non-political background. I believe Mike Wagner, being from Glen Burnie and a restaurant owner is the preferred one for the other two Glen Burnie/Pasadena restaurant owners (or workers). Even though he's a Democrat and the other two are Republican I see some of the 'good old boy' system at work here. Allow someone to take a shot at that position who really has a vested interest in doing public service…not just a place holder that the others feel comfortable with.

You realize, of course, Rusty that people are flawed. That makes someone like Dick Ladd, who has never served the public not very savvy when it comes to making remarks in public. His temper-o-meter is not well honed yet. By the same token, someone like Eugene Peterson of the county school board can say whatever he likes because of the color of his skin and no one reins him in. There may be comments here and there but he is NOT elected…he's appointed and therefore answerable to no one. Additionally, someone like Eugene tends to make people more divisive because of his public chastising. I feel like that quote from Pirates "The beatings will continue until morale improves!"

Does that mean when NASH chastises the parents from Edgewater Elementary that she is just as dismissive and bigoted? For her to say, that she would send her kid to EDGEWATER after hearing about the illnesses that have been occurring is just as prejudicial. These people in non-elected positions, are still SERVANTS OF THE PUBLIC and protectors of the common good. And when they fail to serve and protect, they do a great disservice to the entire community. Children at Edgewater Elementary are more sick, more often because of the bad air and mold. The idea that parents know more than the experts has been time proven to be more often true and dependable than "the expert opinions." When I served on the BD of Appeals, it was a common thought, you could 10 experts in a room and not one of them would agree on the RIGHT solution, solitary solution to a problem or the magnitude of the problem. Nash needs to go.

The School board may be "SERVANTS OF THE PUBLIC", but they are like politicians accountable only to their source of appointment. For politicians it is the electorate, who can get rid of them the next time around. Beats me how the public can get rid of someone appointed by a politician or bureaucrat. Perhaps the School Board need to become elected to their positionns.

I am extremely impressed with the level of intelligence and the thought given by the readers regardless of their particular stance. This is a good read and I look forward to future reading here for a grassroots understanding of the pulse of our communities.