Felton and NeighborsPAC

I and a fair number of my neighbors got a postcard over the weekend from Reggie Felton, a candidate for Montgomery County Council. Most of the card is pretty generic, not giving the reader much idea of what Felton will stand for. On one side is a list of goals the candidate has. You know, pretty generic things like good schools, better transportation, etc. The one that caught me is "Safer Neigbors." Since his web site says "Safer Neighborhoods," let's assume the postcard version is just a mistake and not a suggestion that we start screening our neighbors.

If you haven't yet already, take a look at a funny and pointed animated issue ad from NeigborsPAC online -- it makes some good points about how special interest contributions can skew the policy agenda. Getting most people to pay attention to the elections and getting them more than just the pap the candidates want them to know is a challenge. NeighborsPAC might make us pay attention with this.

And if you haven't checked out the current edition of Street Sense, you might want to for both the article about the rise in homelessness (including double-digit percentage increases in Montgomery and Prince George's County) and for an even more painful one. The more touching article is about how the shortage of homeless shelters in the DC area can force women and children fleeing domestic violence back to their abusers.