We Yokel gals are very focused on the school board race and haven’t allowed much time to look at our other local races, but we must shine some light on the only Republican candidate for County Executive: Michael Hough.

There’s so much history here and so much to say, so it’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s begin with some recent events.

Maryland passed a Family Leave Law that allows people who have had or adopted a baby 12 weeks paid leave. It’s a start, not enough, but a start. Well, what did State Senator Hough have to say about this bill? You’ll be sorry we asked. The Daily Record tells us:

Sen. Michael Hough, R-Frederick, called the bill “a very European, French model” and labeled the proposal “ridiculous.”

“To me, what this does is take a bill that is 12 weeks, which I already have a problem with,” said Hough. “You go to downtown Annapolis here, has anyone noticed like half the places are closed because they can’t find anybody to work?”

Wow, wow, wow! So it’s ridiculous that parents can stay home for 3 measly months to care for their newborn child because downtown Annapolis can’t find enough people to wait tables? Do we want that kind of logic in Frederick County? We think not.

Strike two is that he is a member of ALEC.

Michael Hough

What is ALEC and why is it bad? Here’s a good website to look at, but we’ll also let ya see a good definition of what this organization does:

ALEC is not a lobby; it is not a front group. It is much more powerful than that. Through the secretive meetings of the American Legislative Exchange Council, corporate lobbyists and state legislators vote as equals on ‘model bills’ to change our rights that often benefit the corporations’ bottom line at public expense. ALEC is a pay-to-play operation where corporations buy a seat and a vote on ‘task forces’ to advance their legislative wish lists and can get a tax break for donations, effectively passing these lobbying costs on to taxpayers.

Hard, HARD pass. We’ll also link the documentary 13th, in which he makes an appearance to defend the for-profit prison system!

Going back to some more recent news, Maryland was successful in raising the marriage age from 15 to 17 (what year is this?), Hough and a fellow Republican have some interesting thoughts about that as well. The Daily Record reports:

Several senators, while sympathetic to Washington’s concerns, called 17 a good compromise.

Sen. Robert Cassilly, R-Harford, called himself “a traditionalist” who believes teenagers “ought to get married” if they are expecting a child but said the proposed minimum age of 17 for marriage is a valid middle ground.

“We all know that that stigma (of unwed teenage parents) is long gone in our society,” Cassilly said. “It’s really a practical matter here; that’s how I look at it now.”

Bristol Palin was seventeen when she was expecting her first, and if you Google how that worked out Levi Johnston is referred to as the “twice-former fiance of Bristol Palin,” and has four children with a lady by the name of Sunny Oglesby. Perhaps grudgingly bumping the appropriate matrimonial age up to the wise old age of seventeen is not exactly the kind of sensible lawmaking everyone wants to see. And existing in an era of hypervigilant-to-the-point-of-paranoia concerns about grooming, why isn’t the chief concern here that some weirdo old groomer will impregnate a young lady and then get a child bride out of the deal? He favors setting up this condition for sixteen year-olds? Yes he does:

Sen. Michael J. Hough, R- Frederick and Carroll, said he has favored permitting 16-year-old expectant parents to marry but that 17 “does put in place a good balance.”

The Senate rejected Washington’s amendment on a 16-28 vote before passing SB 29 by a vote of 45-0.

We really do. There’s much more to say. But we also need to make you aware that his other job is assistant to WV Carpetbagger Congressman Alex Mooney. Who is endorsed by the Orange Menace.

Whomever wins the Democratic primary for CE needs to win the seat. Michael Hough would not be good for our Frederick County government.