Tomlinson: Krampus at work? Awful legislation, amendments passing across Maryland | COMMENTARY

This past weekend in Europe, Saint Nicholas visited homes and left presents for good little boys and girls. Tagging alongside St. Nick was his lesser-known sidekick, the half-goat, half-demon called Krampus. For centuries, folktales warning that Krampus punishes children who misbehave have been retold and passed down from generation to generation.

Over the last few months, local legislators and voters across Maryland have been naughty and passed legislation and approved charter amendments that were truly awful. One ponders if Krampus stopped at the homes of these folks last weekend and left a rod in their shoes instead of gifts, as he is known to do.

Last month, the Prince George’s County Council unanimously passed the “Healthy Kids’ Meal Bill,” which will require restaurants, including fast-food chains, to provide healthy beverages and side dishes as the default choice for kids’ meals, and to offer at least one healthy kids’ meal option that meets nutritional standards. The only thing more disgusting than eating Brussels sprouts is the thought of elected officials telling private businesses what to serve and trying to force feed children government-approved foods.

County council members in Prince George’s County were proud to pass this groundbreaking legislation, which is being hailed as the first of its kind in America. Council Member Sydney Harrison bragged that by passing the law, the county is promoting “a culture of health and wellness.” It sounds like PG County is more interested in promoting a nanny-state culture of government overreach. Krampus certainly should have paid Prince George’s Council members a visit for thinking that government knows what is best for children rather than their own parents.

Meanwhile in Baltimore County, voters foolishly voted in November in favor of the “Citizens’ Election Fund System” ballot question which will amend the county charter so that taxpayer money can be used to finance political campaigns. Advocates of this fund believe that it will decrease the influence mega donors have over candidates and encourage unrepresented members of the community to run for office because they will no longer need to raise the money needed to realistically compete.

I cannot imagine how anybody thinks it is appropriate to use public tax dollars, estimated to cost $4.3 million each election cycle, to fund campaigns for those who desire to seek public office. By taking taxpayer money to support candidates, Baltimore County’s government is forcing taxpayers to support viewpoints that taxpayers do not necessarily agree with, which violates the First Amendment, and dilutes the contributions of citizens who want to support candidates whose viewpoints they do agree with.

After the Baltimore County Council voted last year to put the issue on the ballot in the 2020 General Election, County Executive Johnny Olszewski was quick to celebrate the new fund, boasting, “With this fair election fund, we will help empower a more diverse field of candidates, create a more level playing field, and reduce the influence of special interests in elections for generations to come.”

For somebody who seems to hate the premise of candidates having to raise money, Johnny O had no problem holding a golf fundraiser with tickets selling at a minimum of $1,000 back in July, the very same week he was putting pressure on Gov. Hogan to close indoor dining across the state. While Johnny O was encouraging the idea that government should pick winners and losers in this pandemic, he was busy picking up checks from lobbyists working for the interests of unions and corporations.

In Croatia, Krampus is known to take gifts and leave a silver twig to remind children of their bad behavior throughout the year. The Baltimore City Council most likely has a large collection of silver twigs at this point for passing a bill that would rename the Christopher Columbus obelisk as the Police Violence Victim’s Monument.

The Columbus obelisk in Herring Run Park has honored the Italian navigator who sailed the Atlantic Ocean in the 15th century since 1792. Unfortunately, due to growing anti-Columbus hysteria and the nationwide push for police reform, Baltimore City legislators believed that it made sense to rededicate this historical monument to instead honor those who lost their lives at the hands of the police.

Thankfully, Mayor Jack Young vetoed the bill last month after expressing concern that the renamed monument was too close to another memorial that honors officers who died in the line of duty. Police Commissioner Michael Harrison had previously said that renaming the obelisk, located in close proximity to the Fallen Officers Memorial, “diminishes the sacrifices made by those officers and does a disservice to them and their families.”

While St. Nicholas usually gets all of the attention during the holiday season, do not forget that Krampus is always at his side, keeping a close eye on wicked children who enact and approve wretched rules.

Christopher Tomlinson, a member of the Carroll County Republican Central Committee, writes from Melrose. Find him on Facebook at ColumnistChrisTomlinson or email him at CCTtomlinson@gmail.com.