- Local every day in
Commissioners Designate English as the Official Language of Carroll County Government
"This ordinance puts into law what the county has been doing by policy for years." -- Commissioner Robin Frazier
The board of Carroll County commissioners unanimously voted in open session Thursday to pass the English language ordinance.
Commissioner Doug Howard said that although he would not have chosen to bring this ordinance forward, that he was voting in favor of the ordinance because essentially county government is already conducting its business in English anyway.
"It would be silly to suggest that what is being proposed is not already policy," Howard said.
Commissioner Haven Shoemaker, who proposed the ordinance in September, said that the ordinance is a "no brainer".
"There’s nothing unusual, despite the characterizations, there’s nothing radical about having English designated as our official language," Shoemaker said. "Thirty-one states have already taken that action, two counties in Maryland have done it and you know world-wide, 92 percent of nations have designated an official language."
Additionally, Shoemaker said, he believes it will offer savings to the taxpayers. He used the example of the school system providing interpreters at parent teacher conferences to show costs that are associated with providing services in multiple languages.
"This is one example of where we've gone as a society," Shoemaker said. "We're at a point where we ought to be encouraging people to assimilate."
A public hearing was held in December at which dozens of citizens shared their position on the ordinance. Some who spoke out against the ordinance said they were concerned that the ordinance seemed discriminatory and anti-multicultural.
“This is the opposite of global citizenship,” Roxanna Harlow, an education professional, testified at the public hearing. “It makes it more difficult to create a more harmonious school environment … [more difficult] to be competitive and comfortable in a competitive marketplace.”
Some of those in favor of the ordinance said it is a preventative move so costs don't become an issue in the future.
Commissioner Robin Frazier said that passing the ordinance is a matter of saving tax dollars and the economy.
"This ordinance puts into law what the county has been doing by policy for years," Frazier said. "This has nothing to do with discrimination and everything to do with what’s best for our citizens and economy."
Related Articles:
Thanks. We'll email you the next time we update this story.
Native
5:45 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Good decision commissioners, kudos!
newsjunkie
8:58 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
I have never seen such an ignorant, narrow minded "christian" as Robin Frazier. She is an absolute embarassment to the christian faith.
Native
11:28 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Thou shouldn't judge, right newsjunkie?
Jill
3:14 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Do you know her? She is very kind and a strong christian. What does that have to do with English only?
Buck Harmon
3:33 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
A sound Christian would NEVER participate in such divisive and bigoted behavior...
Pretty sure that they all make the perceived Christian claim as well...absolute embarrassment puts it mildly..
Native
3:37 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
So that whole "separation of church & state" thing is pick & choose, huh Buck?
Buck Harmon
3:53 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Would seem that the commissioners are behaving that way Native...
RJ Teich
9:23 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
WAY TO GO! Let the non English speaking people go to HOWARD County!
Buck Harmon
11:40 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Bigotry at it's best...Shoemaker is a boob..
Buck Harmon
11:40 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
No brainer boob..
Kathy
6:49 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
This bill has one purpose, to pander to a small constituency of frightened and/or bigoted supporters. Any talk about "encouraging assimilation" and "preventing future costs" is just window dressing for a foolish bill that will do neither. What a waste of taxpayer time and money.
drdinkthecat
6:53 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Shoemaker got the "no-brainer" part correct. Perfectly demonstrated by the unanimous decision of a board of commissioners who apparently feel that the county would be overrun by non-English speaking welfare leeches without this bold legislative act. Rothschild's lengthy rant against multiculturalism is downright scary. I'm glad I don't live in his world.
JoAnn Nicholls
7:57 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
the only bigotry I see here is against people who don't think like you drdinkthecat, Kathy, newsjunkie, and Buck Harmon.....you can always show your disdain by voting with your feet, as the Constitution graciously provides, and get the heck out of Carroll County....there's Montgomery, Prince Georges and some others that will gladly spend your tax dollars (because they do now) to translate documents and provide translators from various languages to English....and BTW, Kathy....we're not a small constituency, but even if we were, our republic is designed to hear the cries of a small constituency when the cries are Constitutional.....sadly for you liberals, we are not a democracy....
Buck Harmon
8:48 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Which native American language did your distant relatives speak JoAnn...?
Buck Harmon
9:00 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
O..and by the way JoAnn, when you start the liberal label silliness the argument is lost, I accept your surrender to this topic..
Maria Warburton
9:16 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
In my experience, regulations beget more regulations. Now that this is a codified policy - will there need to be definitions of what is "official" business and what isn't? It's my understanding that this law applies to employees conducting official business but not unofficial business. What unofficial business do our elected official and county employess conduct? In this age of litigation and the potential recording of one's every action, I have come to know that all business can be considered official business.
And for Mr. Shoemaker to remark about a school providing an interpreter at a parent teacher conference as "This is one example of where we've gone as a society," Ishows just how mean-spirited this law appears. Seems to me providing an intrepreter can be a huge cost-savings if it means the student will remain in school, actually be able to learn English, get a good job and pay taxes. Rather than perhaps drop out or do poorly in school and never assimilate and/or be a "beneficial" member of society.
It's all just so short sighted. It seems they have broken something that didn't need fixing....
Laura Russell
9:31 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
I am sorry to hear that this was passed, although not surprised given the make up of the Commissioners. I hope this is a wake up call to the voters of Carroll County to work at changing the leadership of our county and bring it into the 21st century.
Buck Harmon
9:40 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Five Humpty Dumpty's sitting on the wall..( Shoemaker being the roundest of them all),
It is in fact time for them to take a great fall...
Enid Levy
1:52 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Buck, before you attack someone's personal appearance, make sure you have your "facts" correct. Have you seen Haven Shoemaker in person recently, or are you just going by an old, old photo in a newspaper? Do you need to "open mouth - insert foot"?
Buck Harmon
2:58 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
So then, are you saying that perhaps Howard would run a close match for the roundest Humpty Dumpty..?...Or are you a scorned personal trainer?
Enid Levy
6:40 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Buck, I don't even know who Howard is. And as for a "scorned personal trainer", I am a former Courtroom Clerk for Carroll County District Court. I worked beside Her Honor Judge Ellinghaus-Jones and also His Honor Marc Rasinsky for 10 years. ATTORNEY Haven Shoemaker would appear with his clients before both Judges at various times. One day, I had to do a double-take because he had lost so much weight and I hadn't seen him in quite some time. So, as far as I know, Mr. Shoemaker is no longer "round". I really didn't need to explain myself, but I felt your remark about Humpty Dumpty was quite inappropriate.
Buck Harmon
7:54 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Thank you for your comments about my comments Enid...Shoemaker gets what he deserves from my perspective. The stigma and message that this law he proposed is insulting and very discriminating...he doesn't seem to care about the effect of his words related to non English speaking citizens of Carroll or how it might make them feel. He's a big boy, and a bully in my opinion as well, so the Humpty Dumpty reference was rather mild considering what I believe that he deserves...
Perhaps you could share your opinion to the actual topic of this thread rather than the focus of being his savior...What are your thoughts about this law Enid Levy?
Working for a corrupt court system must be burdensome.
Native
8:06 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
"Perhaps you could share your opinion to the actual topic of this thread rather than the focus of being his savior..."
Interesting choice of words there, Buck! Perhaps you yourself could stick to the issue at hand instead of the personal attacks you are so fond of resorting to.
Buck Harmon
10:48 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Native, Any grief that the commissioners get from me or anyone else is earned by their bigoted and very un caring behavior...if you have a problem with that~ it's your problem...you might try a sit on a tack..
JoAnn Nicholls
10:15 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Why don't you run Buck? You have so much to say....Throw that hat in the ring and challenge those you chant your nursery rhimes to...common on and "buck up".,,,
Buck Harmon
10:42 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
I don't live in Carroll County JoAnn...why wouldn't you run..?
romeo valianti
11:09 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Per tutti cpmmissioners. per me e tutti valianti famiglia, fangulo
David A. Grand
11:16 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Disappointing, that Shoemaker, who up to now has been the voice of reason and moderationon on such controversial issues as residentual development, would-in this instance-allow his emotions to guide his thinking, and in leading the pack in making a policy decision that's as unwarrented as it is shameful.
romeo valianti
11:30 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Mr. Grand, when are thesecommissioners foing to grow up, Commssioner howard is still paying the role of Spanky, Ms Prayers Rob em Fraizer is still trying to learn how to be only a Taneytown Commissioner, Commissioner Rothschild Constitution is always in battle with someone, Leigh Commissioner Raush is still stuck in cement and Commissioner Shoemaker just pissed off every nationality in Carroll County, Can someone advise me when the next election for County Executive , I be most happy to give up these five Commissioners for just one intelligent Executive.
Edmund Klebe
11:57 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Romeo -- if you don't even know when the next commissioner election is going to be, why would anyone trust your views of county government?
romeo valianti
12:13 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Hey dummy < I am not asking people to vote for the same person that I would like to se run for commissioner. I would just like to know if Carroll Countians will ever have the chance to vote for a County Executive , Do you trust those views Edmund Klebe? Maybe you will be so kind by leading a petition drive to put this question on the ballot in the next Carroll County General Election.
Jill
3:23 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
How can anyone be against English only? We live in America and English is what we speak! Nothing makes me madder than calling a business and a recording ask me to press 1 for English! Hurray for our commissioners!!!
Buck Harmon
3:35 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Please explain the usefulness of English only Jill..
romeo valianti
3:33 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
anyone caught speaking any language other than Enlish will be given a jail sentence in the state prison not less than 10 years.
Jill
3:46 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
The reason the experiment of the United States has worked is because when people have immigrated to our country they assimulated into our society by speaking a common language, English. Having a common language is what has made us a melting pot.
Buck Harmon
3:58 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Could you offer some proof of that very broad statement Jill...I don't agree with you...in fact, the reasons given by the commissioners for this dumb law can not be justified as being needed at all....share some documented fact to support this bigoted ordinance.
Buck Harmon
4:00 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
A very discriminating law indeed...law suits to follow at taxpayer expense..
Sandy Mancha-Wright
8:41 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
I'm disappointed and embarrassed that this ordinance was passed. In my opinion, it is not necessary and it's offensive. When I visit other countries - it's COMFORTING when I see English as one of many languages in use. I feel welcome. Seeing my own language of English in use in other countries where English is NOT the native language is consolatory and reassuring. I find it discriminating, racist and simply unnecessary.
Buck Harmon
9:52 am on Saturday, January 26, 2013
Perhaps Richard Rothschild could offer some productive insight to this thread...he seems to be the only Commissioner sound enough to stand by his convictions...
Or how about you shoemaker...cat got your tongue?
JoeEldersburg
1:03 pm on Monday, February 4, 2013
Look, it's pretty obvious why these dopes enacted this measure...and it has absolutely nothing to do with what's been advertised. The action is consistent with Tea Party ultraconservatives and other xenophobes and the ProEnglish organization was at the forefront of this legislation. ProEnglish was founded by a known white supremacist named John Tanton. There's much publicly available on this organization that brings a chill, not that our Commissioners have ever shied away from giving a platform to any right-wing nut who might otherwise be dismissed by a more discerning and educated populace. Fake Lord "Climate change is bunk!" Monckton and Jim "All liberals are
scum!" Simpson are others that come to mind. We are indeed being manipulated by small, like-minded individuals, who are incapable of rational thought. Here's a link covering how our Commissioners were duped into supporting an obvious white supremacist movement.
http://imagine2050.newcomm.org/2012/10/08/local_english_only_measures/
Buck Harmon
5:32 pm on Monday, February 4, 2013
The term "melting pot" is really a "crock of crap".....has no legal meaning what so ever...part of the Shoemaker illusion..