Ex-Official's Role Prompts Speculation

"Our considered opinion is that the revenue decline that you now predict is neither new in its origin nor unexpected," AFSCME Council 67 Executive Director Glenard S. Middleton Sr. wrote in a letter to Johnson. "We will not 'reopen' or approve of concessions to those contracts. It is the County's obligation to pay its bills when and as they come due, just as we must pay ours for our households."

Shelton Martin noted that the county sets aside about 7 percent of revenue each year in a rainy day fund, although the county charter requires a savings rate of 5 percent.

"The rainy day funds can be used for operations," she said. "If you can't pay your workers running your county, I think it's raining."

She said workers also were upset because there has been no official announcement that the nine County Council members and Johnson will forgo their cost-of-living raises this year. According to county law, Johnson and the council receive a cost-of-living increase each Dec. 1 that is tied to the annual increase in the D.C. area Consumer Price Index.

Erzen said he thinks the council and Johnson intend to share the hit when the unions agree to a deal. But according to the county's charter, a vote by council members to increase or decrease pay for themselves or the executive cannot take effect until after an election-- in this case, until after 2010.

Other county unions, including the Fraternal Order of Police and the professional firefighters association, have not announced how they will respond to Johnson's request to reopen their contracts. Erzen said negotiations are ongoing.

"We are going to continue to talk to all of them in hopes of reaching a mutual agreement," he said.

Event Helps Iraqi Family

Del. Justin D. Ross (D) said that about 500 people showed up for his annual summer campaign fundraiser last week, including "four for four" among statewide elected leaders.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and Comptroller Peter Franchot-- all Democrats -- were in attendance at the American Legion Post 136 in Greenbelt. Ross said the event raised about $50,000 for his campaign coffers.

A silent auction at the event benefited an Iraqi refugee family living in his district, Ross said. Nazar Joodi lost his arm in 1994 in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. He received a prosthetic limb in 2004 under a program designed to help Iraqis who had suffered under Saddam. But upon returning to Iraq after being fitted with the arm, Joodi and his family faced threats and intimidation from those who saw the artificial limb as a sign that the Joodis were collaborating with the Americans. They settled in Hyattsville in the spring under refugee status and are trying to start a new life.

Ross said the auction raised about $1,000 for the family and gave the Joodis a chance to meet influential people.

"There were a lot of business people and community activists in the room who agreed to help them," he said.

2 Panels Eyed for Edwards

U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.) has received her probable committee assignments.

Edwards, who was sworn in to Congress on June 19 after winning a special election in Maryland's 4th Congressional District, was recommended to serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Science and Technology Committee. The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee made the recommendations.

In a statement, Edwards called the potential assignments "tremendous" and said she looked forward to working on the panels.