As you may have noticed the Hillcrest Center has recently undergone a facelift and a new grocery store has moved in. In my opinion, this is the way free enterprise should work and how local government should be involved.

I believe that we need to expand our efforts in getting more people to ride the train. While I do have a few issues with adding more trains to the schedule at this time due to lack of ridership. I believe that for special occasions and with a bit of work we could improve ridership and add on more trains in no time.

I am totally for expanding visitors and tourism. We have a great diverse city and I am all for sharing it with people from all over.

I fully support the Neighborhood Advisory Councils (NACs). Can the NACs be improved? Perhaps, but I would listen very carefully to residents before considering any substantial change. An important function of the NAC is as a key component of the “community-policing concept”. Assigning a police officer to each NAC helps build trust, empowers residents to report problems and provides an essential feed back loop. The NAC also serves as a tool that engages residents in community projects, such as parks and recreation. Finally, I would be very interested in hearing what your experience has been with your NAC. Please email me at votedaniels.com to continue this conversation.

I support increasing the Pell Grant to 1O,OOO, improving the grant apication process, and adjusting the income requirements. Many college students work, so it makes sense to avoid penalizing them for working when considering college grants. I also think it is important to control the interest rates on student loans.

People who go to school, get college loans, and then go into public service - teachers, police, firefighters-should get credits on their loans for each year of service.

Other federal support is possible for our community colleges, colleges and universities, but I cannot control tuition costs at UMd.

Securing our borders and ports is a start, but we must require employers to verify legal status of workers through an effective e-verify system. Additionally, we must increase the penalties on employers who ignore the process.

In order to improve the process, I propose a payroll deduction for immigrants who cannot afford the lump sum cost of processing.

In order to encourage legal immigration, our sytem must do more to track visa holders to ensure compliance with the law.

If a person is arrested for a serious crime and is here without proper paperwork, I support immediate deportation.

In practical terms, the D.C. gun ban only prevented law-abiding citizens from having legal guns.

In Maryland, we may see challenges to our laws pertaining to "carry permits". Given the language in the ruling, the current language may be too restrictive.

I also agree that States have a right to impose restrictions on gun ownership. There are some in the world that should not be able to own weapons for their safety and the safety of others, those the State must be able to restrict. I would also agree with instant background check, which today can be done within minutes. I would further agree that if someone appears in an unstable mental state that gun stores have a right to not sale a weapon without a waiting period. I would like to point out that Republican party has always been viewed as the protectors of the second amendment However when they had the chance to defend the second amendment in the Supreme Court it was only the Libertarian Party that filed a brief in support of Heller. The libertarian Party is the true party of the constitution.

I think it is vital to attend Candidates' Forums and proposed that we conduct a series of debates - one per county (at least!). The chance for voters to see us "on our feet" and answer unscripted questions helps people decide who is really prepared to focus on today's problems. While we did not get a debate in each county in the district, we had a chance to present our cases to the voters.

I have attended every forum. You can see clips or link to the entire forum on my website - www.jennifer08.com.

Interesting comparisons are obvious. The 16-year incumbent said he "never said he would serve just two terms" even though his own campaign materials promised he would "do away with career politicians."

The incumbent accused me of promoting "socialized medicine" when I support a plan that allows consumer choice of plans and doctors. As a small business owner, I know the cost of monthly premiums and that my premiums pay to cover the cost of the uninsured. What I don't know after the debates, is the incumbent's plan to improve our health care system. He wants a "no fault" system and wants to reduce medical malpractice lawsuits. But, his votes in Congress protect the system that allows insurance companies to make the major medical decisions not the doctors and patients.

When addressing concerns about the economic meltdown of the past month, the incumbent said at Buckingham's Choice that he "lived through the Depression and it wasn't that bad."

And, when addressing the need for action in the time of near crisis, the long-serving Congressman said it "was too much regulation that brought this about, not too little." Laying the blame for the mortgage mess on President Carter's signing of the Community Reinvestment Act, not the 2000 law that allow the packaging of these mortgages without adequate transparency or assets. I was in high school when the CRA was passed - and the incumbent was not in Congress -- but it was not until the regulations were erased in 2000 that this house of cards began to be erected. It's a stretch to put this on Carter's legacy.

I hope you have a chance to see these videos before you make your decision on November 4th.

The League of Women Voters sponsored forums in Carroll and Harford Counties. The National Association of Retired and Active Federal Employees and the Frederick County Commission for Women sponsored luncheon forums. The Hagerstown Washington County Chamber of Commerce had us answer questions at their October breakfast meeting. The Frederick Community College debate was coordinated by the College Democrats and College Republicans. The Jarrettsville-Norrisville Community Association and the the Professional Masonry Association conducted Town Hall style forums. Buckingham's Choice also invited us to speak to the residents.

Still on the calendar: The Frederick County Muslim Council has invited us for an Oct. 21st meeting and the Hagerstown Herald Mail and Hagerstown Community College are sponsoring a forum on Oct 23rd, I plan to attend both.

Can you name one significant thing that the incumbent has done for the district in the past 16 years? Can you name one piece of his legislation that has shaped national policy? In fact, he was elected on promises of term limits and a balanced budget, but that was 16 years and $ 10 trillion ago! He talks about peak oil, but we have no national energy policy.

I am running because I don't think he is effective and I want to bring practical solutions to our problems. As a business person and former mayor, I will work tirelessly to make things happen for our district and make smart votes in Washington.

I know that elected officials are judged on two levels - national policy and economic investment at home. Whether it is energy policy or pilot projects here at home, I have proposed specific projects. When is comes to health care, I have outlined criteria for a good plan, my opponent said we have a "sick care system."

Even with the hyper-partisan time in City Hall, I had unanimous votes on more than 80% of our legislation. I have learned from that time, that I can be more effective fighting for the issues and ignoring the personal jabs.

The tone must be set as soon as I arrive in Washington. While a Democrat, I am a person representing the 6th District of Maryland, not the Democratic party leadership. When I agree, they will have my support. When I think we need to do better, I will work to improve legislation.

The incumbent has 91% voting record with the Administration in the past term. The way things are going, you have to wonder why?

I have not looked at the statistics on the cost of prosecuting and incarcerating those who possess "pot" for personal uses. I will examine it and keep an open mind.

The national debt is growing and its growth is choking our economy and hurting average families and businesses - we all own a piece of the debt. After the past 8 years of lowering taxes and increasing the size and scope of government we are going to have a tough time regaining our balance. The mentality that allowed our country to go to war AND cut taxes is just plain silly. It's never been done before, because it should't be done.

I think we can regain our senses by adopting a 5 year plan to balance the budget and start paying down the debt. As Mayor, I had to balance the budget and I proposed a budget, in a tough year, that reduced the number of government employees. Not many people like to cut positions, but I have faced that challenge.

Unfortunately, since the national economy is so weak, we will need government spending to continue -- specifically directed at infrastructure, energy and even local governments which provide essential services. But, we have to fight for pay-go budgets and Americans will have to voice their support for spending cuts.

You are right that the Supreme Court has affirmed that we have the right to keep and bear arms. I hope that reduces the number of lawsuits over a basic right contained in the Constitution.

However, you and I know that lawsuits are not likely to go away. I think the U.S. Code already allows a prevailing party to recover attorney's fees in any civil rights cases brought under section 1983. So, if a law-abiding citizen is unlawfully deprived of the right to keep and bear arms, he could recover attorney's fees under existing law.

Congress should always proceed carefully before creating new rights to sue. In this case, it seems, no enhancement of existing law would be needed to recover attorney's fees.

My experience as a business owner will keep me focused on the impact and cost of new laws and regulations. And, my exerience as Mayor, will help me set priorities and actually craft policies that work.

When the problems are so immense, some experience helps, but I have the good fortune to not be tied to party leadership arm-twisting -- in fact, I have a reputation for standing up for the community that I serve and being an independent Democrat. I have learned from my experience as well, by knowing that I cannot make the argument about the other politicians, but only about the issues.

Now, the other part of my resume is that I like to be specific. Some people like that, some, not so much.

I would reduce one position in the field and dedicate that office for economic development initiatives in the district. Trying to assist local governments and businesses retain and expand existing businesses by improving the process to get federal contracts or other building other relationships. Some existing staffers worry that this effort will hurt constituent service. I think it will improve our responses by focusing our staff efforts to special areas. After all, it should be about creating private sector jobs, not government jobs.

I want to promote a bio-fuels refinery and a local pilot program to Get Off the Grid - working for marketable renewable energy solutions.

Given the immense burden on our Veterans Administration, I want to invest in a convalescence and rehab facility for our returning vets who will need additional services and treatment possibly at Ft. Ritchie.

Finally, since we don't know what problems are around the corner, I have the energy, ideas, enthusiasm and curiousity to get the job done well. I do my homework and will make sure that I show up ready to make the right vote.

The need to keep essential infrastructure will make sure our roads, bridges and public facilities are safe. They are also an important part of the economy -- creating jobs that cannot be outsourced. Historically, when business and private projects shrink, the government infrastructure projects keep the economy moving along.

During the economic downturn, we have to focus on making sure people have options including extending unemployment benefits and investment in our community colleges and universities. Making sure our community colleges and universities can offer re-training programs for workers will be an impoortant part of our economic recovery.

I would eliminate tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (earning over $250,000) and eliminate loopholes for businesses that move jobs oversees.

I will point out that the U.S. Budget originates with the President, not the House or Senate. It has been President Bush who turned a budget surplus into a $500 billion budget deficit and a national debt of $3.6 trillion to a national debt exceeding $10 trillion. President Bush had a loyal voting majority of his party for 6 of his 8 years in office. At a time when most Americans would have made sacrifices, President Bush proposed tax cuts which added to our debt. Speaker Pelosi may not have been able to do everything she hoped -- like adopt a pay-go system of spending -- she did not create this budget mess.

We will have to make choices and members of both political parties have to take responsibility for setting priorities. A recent example is the debate over the Alternative Minimum Tax. The Democrats proposed the closing of a tax loophole for offshore businesses to fund the cost of the AMT, but the Republicans would not support the closure of this loophole. While it passed (a good thing) in the Rescue Package, it was not funded, that's too bad.

Jim is like thousands of voters who are frustrated by Members of Congress saying one thing and doing another. At least, as Mayor, I have balanced a budget...it is not easy, but we made investment in Carroll Creek development and that is now paying huge dividends to the City coffers.