Rose Li: Why You Should Vote For Me

Rose Li, candidate for House of Delegates in District 16We asked Republican candidates vying to represent District 16 in the House of Delegates to write a sub-750 word essay describing why residents should vote for them on Nov. 4.

First is Rose Li. Below is Li’s unedited response:

Montgomery County receives only 20 cents back for every dollar we send to Annapolis while richer Howard County gets back 30 cents. The average county gets 55 cents.

What does this inequity mean? The simple answer: a growing burden on Montgomery County residents.

Montgomery County has legitimate claim to its fair share of state funding.  Currently our residents contribute 27 percent of the total tax revenue to the state coffers. No wonder we’re known as Maryland’s ATM. At the same time, we are faced with the need to support the increasing diversity and resource deficiencies in our schools, a transit network strained at the seams, county services that are under-funded, residents who are over-taxed and moving to neighboring states, and many other challenges.

I am running for Delegate in this election as a referendum to determine if we will continue with the status quo or begin to effect real change at the State level. My PUT MONTGOMERY COUNTY FIRST is a pledge to fight to apportion the resources to meet our needs.

I will deliver the strong representation needed in Annapolis for us to get our fair share of funding to meet Montgomery County’s growing demands. And stronger representation is indeed what we need.

The record of the Montgomery County delegation is clear: it shows that they have grown beholden to the Democratic Party’s leadership, instead of to the interests of Montgomery County residents. The reason: they assume re-election.

Even prominent Democrats have made this observation. As we all know, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Washington Post Editorial Board summed it up nicely when it proclaimed: “One-party rule by the Democrats is not healthy.”

In District 16, there has not been a Republican delegate for 28 years. I am running on a solid platform of fiscal discipline at the state level and the effective promotion of the interests of my constituents, if they honor me by electing me to the office.

I am running a truly grassroots campaign — because I believe power truly resides with the people. I talk daily to voters and hear their concerns. I address those worries with real solutions that resonate with people of all political stripes. They embrace my PUT MONTGOMERY COUNTY FIRST platform for what it is: my promise of strong representation, good governance, and accountability. This is what the people demand, and certainly what we deserve. It transcends party affiliation.

I have been endorsed by the Washington Post (October 22). The Washington Post pointed to me as a credible Republican candidate running in a competitive race. I am not a professional politician, but rather a concerned citizen who cares deeply about my community and the state of Maryland. I believe that we must employ metrics to judge the effectiveness of programs and make decisions based on evidence.

I have successfully run my science management and research administration business for over 11 years. Before founding my business, I served as a branch chief at the National Institute on Aging and as a project officer at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, both at the National Institutes of Health. I am also past president of the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni. I regularly work with colleagues from diverse disciplines to define the challenges, evaluate the available evidence, and develop sensible solutions. These skills are transferable to serving as an effective legislator.

I’m a longtime resident of Bethesda, married for 24 years, with two children who have benefited from our public school system. I earned by BA and MBA from the University of Chicago, and my PhD from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School. My past experiences, training, and education have all contributed to preparing me to be an effective and committed legislator.

I am running to give Montgomery County what it needs — strong representation in Annapolis. I am also running to give Maryland what it needs: a real competition of ideas at the state level that can generate a better way forward.

Please see my website to learn more: www.voteRoseLi.com

Thanks for your consideration and your vote!

Follow the link for the essay from District 16 candidate Marc Korman, submitted before the Democratic primary in June. Democrats Bill Frick and Ariana Kelly are also running for District 16′s three seats in the House of Delegates.

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