Marla Posey-Moss for State Delegate

Background:

The youngest of three children, I grew up in Sacramento, CA while attending public school. As an early learner of Spanish, President of Future Teachers Club and student senate representative, I was destined for a career revolving around the Latino heritage, teaching and governance. I earned a B.A. degree in economics from Spelman College and a Masters in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. I have always had a very strong interest in labor economics and labor policy, ergo my undergraduate senior thesis on How Prison Labor Impacts the Private Sector and my internship for Students for Responsible Business as a Labor Specialist for a Community Development Corporation in the greater Philadelphia Region. I am a 31 year-old married mother of a toddler. My spouse is a trial attorney and I am an avid fan of scrabble, ballroom dancing and tennis. Currently, I manage my own home-based business, teach Spanish in Baltimore City twice a week and substitute in my district's high schools. I believes that legislators have the dual responsibility of empowering their constituents and serving as leaders in the community.

Goals:

I am running for State Delegate in Maryland because I know how to stay in touch with the issues of everyday people and I can develop a framework for empowering them through leadership. Unlike the local trend of phantom elected officials who only show up during election season, I will constantly be seen because I am accessible, involved, and always within reach to stand up for what is right, just and for what really matters to the average person. In recognition of my answering to thousands of constituents, THEY ARE MY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP.

My goal is to strengthen the integrity of the political process and the Democratic Party while in office. I will work hard to continuously register people to vote and teach our youth about their civic responsibility to vote. As State Delegate I will empower constituents by educating them on the issues that affect their lives, include them in the decision making process by making myself continuously accessible and visible and protect as well as uphold our constitutional and legal rights. In my proud service as an advocate, my mission is allow my constituents to sleep at night without worrying if the policies they generally support are being compromised, weakened or all out assaulted. It is incumbent upon me to legislate in a manner that is equitable, reasonable, and progressive. With me as a delegate, progressive democrats and my constituency will have someone in whom they can trust.

Issues:

One of my biggest platform issues affecting all Marylanders and American citizens in general is the Universal Default clause that many creditors have in their terms of agreements. Universal Default allows credit card companies to increase their interest rates based on the payment performance with another creditor no matter if the credit card status with that individual creditor is perfect.

There are a variety of problems with this because:
1. The increase in interest rates are not exclusively related to the payment history to the individual creditor increasing the interest rate;
2. There is no cap on interest rates;
3. It automatically labels consumers as a high credit risk regardless of the reason of either a late or missed payment; and
4. It is inherently flawed to believe that increased interest rates encourage a greater likelihood to pay bills on time.

Such policies promote predatory practices among those who are vulnerable to a job or family member loss, an occasion of forgetting, or some temporary issue that has yet to be resolved. In other words, all people at all times are suspect simply based on everyday life altering situations. Approximately 45% of credit card issuers have universal default provisions contained within their card member agreements.

In essence, a young couple realizing their piece of the American dream from purchasing a new home and thus gaining a new, high-debt, mortgage can be considered just as high as a credit risk as someone who never pays their bills on time. This is clearly unreasonable and unjust and if our U.S. Congress doesn't want to address the issue then you need to elect and financially support a state delegate such as myself who is a consumer advocate who will fight to protect your finances, reputation and credit worthiness.

Second issues is with regards to Sustainable Economic Development
Sustainable economic development is the practice of using and promoting environmentally friendly materials and processes while developing in communities.

Third issue is with regard to Enforcing State Employee Benefits. This is very important to me as a former state employee. The state has failed to honor paying people for their service credit when it overlaps with the use of the sick leave bank. Additionally, the state has failed to define part-time work for unemployment insurance claims. This allows penalties and fraudulent charges against former state employees to incur for part-time employment when the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation fail to do their due diligence to define part-time work. Furthermore, I advocate that certain appointed positions ought to be protected from political shifts in government.

Grassroots Support:

I have already begun door knocking in one of my biggest precincts in Abingdon last December and I will continue that effort of door-knocking with volunteers. I visit the churches within and outside of my district, especially when they have a particular event that attracts a mass congregation. I am organizing simple efforts to respond to editorials of my Democratic constituents, I substitute in the high schools in my legislative districts and without campaigning per se, I encourage my 17 and 18 year olds to register to vote. I drive around neighborhoods learning the district and meeting voters. My volunteers, toddler and I wear my campaign T-shirt on a regular basis to promote my name. I attend events that are often free but are also crowd getters of people in my legislative district.

Endorsements include: The Fourth District United Democratic Women's Club, Progressive Maryland, Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, Greater Baltimore Sierra Club, MD League of Conservation Voters, The Harford County Aegis Newspaper and The Record Newspaper.

DFA Values:

I am socially progressive because of my philosophy on governance. I believe in governing via empowerment. The more informed my constituents are the more we can work together to initiate, support and lobby for legislation that is critical in our lives. My democratic principles are simple - Advocate, Educate and Lead. My social progressiveness is exemplified by how I campaign - I am constantly informative, accessible and I participate in a variety of community events. I want my voters to know how to get a bill introduced and to seek me for help. In fact, to assist in my outreach to Asian-Americans and Latinos I have been patronizing and soliciting their places of worship and shopping venues. More specifically, I have recruited an absolutely talented and fabulously media specialist and legislative liaison to two governors of Puerto Rico.
My social progressiveness is also forwarded with my desire to use my legislative status to support future municipal and county Democratic candidates. I am the kind of progressive candidate that considers those primarily affected by Hurricane Katrina as Survivors and not victims.

My fiscal responsibility is exhibited in the budget and expenses of my campaign. Ever since I filed on Aug. 12th of last year, I have managed a low-cost method of promoting my campaign by creating simple, attractive and informative materials. Image is extremely important. Hence, the first thing I did to start my campaign off right was to use a coupon to at the Picture People at the mall to take two professional photos while wearing a previously purchased and owned "Maryland" flag-designed scarf and State lapel pin. Additionally, I shared the expenses with my own business to purchase an 3.5' x 2' A-frame sign to display my picture, jurisdictions covered and overall candidacy on a two-sided display - the other sided was a business related display - ergo the shared expense. Cost saving measures also included designing campaign envelops and a campaign letterhead and using my own printer for mass printing.

Last fall I received $800 worth of in-kind donations purchased for me to provide the public with a convincing and worthwhile message regarding my campaign and the Maryland General Assembly. Promotional pieces included pens, an elongated calendar that goes across the top of a computer and a 3" x 5" legislative guide in the form of a refrigerator magnet. In color, I make and subsequently print from my printer the following items on my computer: campaign brochures in the shape of a book fold, birthday postcards that I send out to voters daily, and palm cards made on stock paper that solicits volunteers, contributions and issues of concern. Lastly, I make appealing thank you notes for in-kind and as well as financial contributions and invitations to meet and greets events. I am using a student from Towson State University to design and maintain my website.

The only significant costs that I have had to incur are for ink-cartridges, stock paper, and postage stamps every few months. Copies that are not in color are generated at work. Light food has been purchased for one fundraiser. I have 10 solid volunteers who can now make phone calls for events. My budget is trim and I have used very critical marketing opportunities to inform people about my candidacy and from what I have been told all that I am doing to promote my candidacy is quite effective. Again, with regards to attending events, I go where there are a significant number of my voters and I take every opportunity to have a table at an event located in my district. I invest my money wisely and beginning this month, I will be setting aside 50% of what I fundraise for mailers closer to the campaign. No consultant or any member of my team is hired.