Well Well Well. I just had a few calls first one was Brian you know him - the DOA GUY. He called almost the minute I posted the Jackson Poster. Within seconds I received a call that I had been waiting for – I had to go. He asked me to call him back which I told him I would as soon as I got time. When on my call, Carl Jackson rang. Couldn’t take the call at that time, but I knew I would call him back as well.
Called DOA guy who tried to ensure me that Delegate Jackson was fighting for us. I said How can that be? He pulled HB 1335 not giving all the delegates who said they supported the bill a chance to vote on it. He said that Delegate Jackson supported the State retirees and it was Delegate Jackson’s belief that it would be voted down. He wanted to remind me that Delegate Carl Jackson was the only one who submitted a bill on State Retirees behalf. And I said, and then he pulled it. How much support can that be? We went round and around, him saying that submitting the bill should have been enough to make us happy and me saying that happiness was the bill going up for a vote. Frankly we got nowhere. Which is exactly what happened to our bill. It went nowhere.
Got off the phone with him and later got a call from Carl Jackson himself. He was pissed. Didn't like my poster pissed. He said I was lying! He said I misrepresented him. How can that be? He pulled the bill. He agreed he pulled the bill but what was on the poster is a lie. He said he contacted the law enforcement and I should be hearing from them soon. Wow. I guess he didn't like me exercising my freedom of speech under the Maryland and United States Constitution! It seems I was lying because he didn’t like what I was saying, not because what I was saying wasn't true. If our benefit is not reinstated, I will not be able to afford to pay for my medications. These medications keep me alive. What about you? How do you feel about this?
Ken Fitch