By Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 27, 2006; GZ02

Congressional earmarks have gotten a bad reputation. But not all earmarks -- pet projects for a lawmaker's home district -- are created equal, according to District 20 House of Delegates candidate Aaron Klein .

The former chief economist to Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (D) is touting his role in trying to secure $500,000 in federal money to open the south side entrance of the Silver Spring Metro station.

"An absolute no-brainer" was how Klein described it this week. "Some projects are simply common sense."

The money was included in the fiscal 2007 spending bill passed by the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, treasury, the judiciary, housing and urban development and related agencies. The bill must be approved by the full Senate and clear a House-Senate conference committee.

The opening is meant to make it easier for Metro commuters before construction of the Silver Spring Transit Center begins.

"For too long, we have had a plexiglass wall where we should have an accessible entrance. Today, we are one step closer to enhancing the walkability and livability of Silver Spring," said Klein, who made the case for the entrance before the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and worked on the issue as part of Sarbanes's team.

The project is expected to cost $600,000. The transit authority would cover $100,000, and the federal government would pick up the remaining $500,000.

District 20 includes Takoma Park and parts of Silver Spring.

The endorsement of District 20 Senate candidate Jamie Raskin by the Montgomery College Democrats has sparked something of a repeat of the controversy surrounding his support from another student group.

Brad J. Stewart , vice president and provost of the college's Takoma Park-Silver Spring campus, e-mailed Raskin last week to ask him to remove the club's endorsement from his Web site.

"The presentation on your website implies that this is an official endorsement by the college, something we do not allow," Stewart wrote.

In his reply, Raskin called the request "ridiculous" and asked Stewart why no other candidates with similar Web site displays were asked to remove the Democrats' logo. He also questioned why Stewart would copy the message to an e-mail address that belongs to Lorraine Pearsall , a supporter of his opponent, state Sen. Ida G. Ruben (D).

Steve Simon , a spokesman for the college, said that until Stewart received Raskin's response, "he didn't know about all of the other candidates."

Stewart was concerned, Simon said, about protecting the college's name because it does not endorse candidates. Moreover, the club is not officially registered as an on-campus organization, but is affiliated through College Democrats of America.

Stewart's initial message to Raskin was a response to a call from Pearsall, who said that she thought the Web notice looked like an endorsement from the college and that "Sen. Ruben has done so much for education."

"It's amazing to me how things are getting blown up," Pearsall said. "If Jamie had a question about any of this, all he had to do was pick up the phone. I'm his neighbor."

To Raskin, the interference was "one more brazen effort by Senator Ruben to use official and academic power to stifle student free speech."

Last month, Ruben contacted the principal of Montgomery Blair High School after learning that the student newspaper had endorsed Raskin. Ruben said the paper's staff members had not given her a chance to talk. Students said the senator did not respond to their interview requests.

Ruben's campaign manager, Philip L. Olivetti , said the campaign did not learn about the kerfuffle with the college Democrats until after the fact. After reading Raskin's response to Stewart, Olivetti said, "There he goes again. It's another case of the Raskin campaign overreacting."

After checking out the logo posted on Raskin's Web site, Simon, the college spokesman, said this week, "It looks fine."

Conflict resolved.

Calling it a "Doctor's Prescription for Maryland," the Montgomery County Medical Society has made its first endorsements in the group's 103-year history. John Young , chairman of the legislative committee, said, "Out of frustration and necessity, we need to become more active and involved."

Reimbursement rates and medical malpractice awards, he said, are among the issues critical to the profession. The group's ballot will be passed around at polling sites.

The following candidates made the list in District 14: Sen. Rona E. Kramer (D) and Dels. Anne R. Kaiser (D), Karen S. Montgomery (D) and Herman L. Taylor II (D). In District 15: Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D) and Dels. Kathleen M. Dumais (D), Brian J. Feldman (D) and Jean B. Cryor (R). In District 16: Del. Marilyn R. Goldwater (D). In District 17: Del. Kumar P. Barve (D) and newcomer Cory Siansky (D). In District 18: Del. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D) for the Senate seat being vacated by Sharon M. Grosfeld .

In District 19: Del. Carol S. Petzold (D) for the Senate seat being vacated by Leonard H. Teitelbaum (D) and Del. Henry B. Heller (D), plus newcomers Alec Stone (D) and John R. Joaquin (R). In District 20: Sen. Ida G. Ruben (D) and Dels. Sheila E. Hixson (D) and Gareth E. M urray (D) and newcomer Lucinda Lessley (D). In District 39, Sen. P.J. Hogan (D) and Dels. Charles E. Barkley (D), Nancy J. King (D) and Joan F. Stern (D).

For those who'd like their school board meetings to be short and to the point, the Montgomery County public schools' Web site has a new feature for you.

No longer will you have to wade through the video of the entire meeting to get to the topic you're interested in. The school system's very wise webmasters have come up with a way for you to click on a link that will take you straight to the discussion you want to hear.

Now, whether it's Superintendent Jerry D. Weast discussing the achievement gap or Stephen N. Abrams (Rockville-Potomac) on the inspector general, it'll be right there at your fingertips.

Ahh, the power of technology.

The site is at http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/boe .

Staff writer Lori Aratani contributed to this report.