Last night, while watching the HBO miniseries “Show Me A Hero”, I was reminded of the Profiles in Courage Award. (Side note: If you haven’t watched this miniseries yet, you should. It makes our County Council seem tame by comparison). In this series, the main character was nominated for this prestigious award because he passed legislation to follow the federal mandate to build more public housing. Many citizens of Yonkers, NY were violently against having any type of public housing in their neighborhood. In this case, the nominee was doing the right thing because he had to. The weight of the U.S. Government was coming down on him.
I decided to go to the website and look up the criteria for this award and here’s what I found:
In Profiles in Courage, President Kennedy told the stories of eight United States senators who risked their careers by standing up for particular ideals or principles, even when constituents or powerful interest groups pressured them to bend.
Today, elected officials are too often captives to opinion polls, reluctant to act in the broader public interest when it means taking unpopular courses of action or offending powerful groups. The Profile in Courage Award honors modern-day elected officials who govern for the greater good, even when it is not in their own interest to do so. The award celebrates individuals who choose the public interest over partisanship – who do what is right, rather than what is expedient.
Award Criteria
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Ordinarily, the award will be made to living Americans who are or were elected officials.
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Individuals at all levels of government—federal, state and local—are eligible for the award.
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Emphasis will be placed on contemporary acts of political courage.
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On occasion, in rare and special circumstances, awards have been made to foreign officials.
Who do we know here in Frederick who might fit this bill? Who withstood a vicious attack from an outside lobbying group, and still endures, from what we hear, really ugly email attacks (someone want to submit a PIA on that?), and has remained calm in the face of opposition from his own party? That’s right, this guy:
After all Bud went through over the repeal of the English Language ordinance I think he at least deserves a nomination, don’t you? If you agree, please consider following this link to the online nomination form. It’s short I promise. So short, in fact, that you have to keep your reasons for nominating him down to 512 characters (that’s right characters, not words). You also have to submit publicity about the act of courage. That also must be kept down to 512 characters. Here’s a couple of news stories from the Frederick News Post to help you out:
There’s more out there, so use whatever you think is best. Let’s show our appreciation for all Bud has done for our community!
frederick local yokel 
This a parity site right. Bud Otis has courage. Bud Otis ran away from the people who he said he would represent and when face by them he turns them away. He told people he would hold taxes low and vowed to do so in a video on his Facebook and Web pages. The people who he asked for support him called him in droves to:
Not vote to raise their taxes: he Ignored them
They Asked him to keep the English bill in place: He ignored them
They asked him to support the Monrovia Town center to avoid a law suit: He ignored them
He did not trust of a seated Ethics committee because he was told too. He did not trust the people on the committee on which he served. Again as by his constituent not approve this.
He was asked by the people who supported to the sale to support the sale of Citizens/Montevue : He ignored them
He worked a back room deal to become president of the council and the turned on the people who voted him.
Standing principle would have taken courage!.
I guess it was to vote with the democrats to make his life easier.
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Thanks so much for getting the list started as to why Bud should receive this prestigious award! We pride ourselves on our parity!
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