Sid Kramer and Neal Potter, Former Executives, urge you to vote for Ike Leggett

IKE LEGGETT for Montgomery County Executive
4401 Dustin Road – Burtonsville, Maryland 20866
September 10, 2006

Dear Montgomery County Voter,

Please vote for Ike Leggett on September 12!

Ike has the independence to lead us decisively forward as he has led us in the past. Ike was the driving force behind many of the initiatives that have made our County the special place that it is today. Here are some examples of his special brand of leadership:

• Ike Leggett was the lead sponsor for the legislation that banned smoking in bars and restaurants, standing up to the well-funded and powerful tobacco and restaurant lobbyists. This legislation was passed at a time when very few local governments had the courage to take this step. The County’s law now stands as a model that many other jurisdictions regionally and nationally have embraced Ike Leggett created the Council’s Children’s First Initiative that made funding for children’s issues a top priority of the County. He knows that the best way to tackle an issue is to provide coherent and coordinated policies. Under the umbrella of this Initiative, the Council provided for the expansion of All-Day Kindergarten, the class-size reduction initiative, and improvements to health care for children Ike Leggett led the fight for a meaningful Living Wage bill that would ensure that employers doing business with the County would provide their employees with living wages Ike Leggett led the effort to reform the Council’s approach to budgeting. The system he helped institute sets realistic spending goals that guide the Council through their budget deliberations
• Ike Leggett introduced and shepherded through the Council a bill that provided for a system of financing the maintenance of stomacher management facilities – a step that is critically important to preserving the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. This bill was unique in that both the development community and the environmental community joined hands in its support

Ike has served our County for over twenty years, as a four-term Councilmember, as Council President for three terms, as Chair of the Human Relations Commission and as Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. Ike has been a public servant in nearly every way imaginable, from being a decorated captain in the Army, to a White House Fellow, to an aide to Congressman Parren Mitchell. He has also been a professor of law at Howard University Law School for 30 years. We know that Ike is the right choice for our County at this critical time. He is able to bring those with disparate interests together to find common ground and develop real and lasting solutions. Ike has been a valued friend and advisor to both of us and we hope you will vote for him on Tuesday, September 12th Please vote for Ike Leggett!

Sincerely,