Is Wayne Curry Running To Be Maryland's Next Governor?

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

I went to former Prince George's County Executive Wayne Curry's birthday party last night at Camelot, which is located behind one of the county's largest megachurches. The roughly 2,000 attendees were clearly in 'Wayne's World.' It was a very impressive showing. Plenty of shrimp and beef, wine and beer, and a live band. Everybody was there (that Wayne wanted to be there--and even some that he probably did not want to be there. But it was clearly the place to be. The massive parking lot was completely packed. I had to squeeze in between two cars in a grassy area just to park. The question on everybody's minds though: Is Wayne planning a run for the Maryland governor's office?

The program included a Who's Whom of Maryland politics: C. Anthony Muse, current P.G. County Executive Jack B. Johnson, former Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens, former Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan, former Congressman Albert R. Wynn, former Mayor of Baltimore Kurt L. Schmoke, former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder and local power attorney Arthur J. Horne, Jr. of Shipley, Horne & Hewlett. There were numerous sponsors and committee members. Proceeds from the birthday event are to benefit Haiti. And the handout tribute pamphlet had plenty of pictures of Wayne and a comprehensive description of his life accomplishments.

Okay. Fine. My interest is in what kind of environmental governor Wayne would be. Would he protect the Chesapeake Bay? What about climate change? Does he support cap and trade and would he support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)? What about nuclear power? Would he support Constellation's plans to build a third reactor at Calvert Cliffs? What about an outer beltway? Subway service across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge? Appropriate economic development projects? Increased Transit Oriented Development (TOD)? What about groundwater protection? Wind power? Protection of our water resources and drinking water? Smog reduction? Well you get the idea. Well Wayne? What kind of environmental governor would you be?