CALIFORNIA, Md. – Bill Bates[D], is a 65-year-old Police Services Coordinator for the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, who is seeking to become the Maryland State Delegate in District 29C.
Bates discussed with TheBayNet.com why he decided to run for State Delegate, “I worked with the General Assembly for most of my 35-year career with the Natural Resources Police. I volunteered my time on behalf of Natural Resources Police Officers and all Maryland Law Enforcement Officers to achieve enhanced pay, benefits, and employment rights. During this experience, I learned how the General Assembly works and developed an interest in the process. I have been successful in passing legislation, I know the process, and I am confident that I can do the same for the residents of Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties, Delegate District 29C.”
Bates went into detail about some of his personal achievements:
“The raising of my son and daughter by my first wife and I is my greatest achievement. They both attended the Calvert County Public School System and graduated from Patuxent High School. I engaged in two careers: first as a Natural Resources Police officer (NRP) and second as a soldier in the Maryland Army National Guard. As an officer, I joined the Fraternal Order of Police and served as President of the Maryland State Lodge. I also served as the 2nd Vice President of the State Lodge and was responsible for the oversite of the Legislative Committee. In the early days of my NRP career while volunteering for the FOP I, along with others, successfully lobbied the Maryland General Assembly. Retired from NRP after 35 years at the rank of Captain. I served in the Maryland Army National Guard, retiring as a Master Sergeant after 31 years.“
Bates believes the two most important issues District 29C faces are infrastructure and housing.
“[The]Solomons Bridge replacement construction [needs] to begin now. The replacement bridge must be designed to allow for pedestrian use, emergency pull-off lanes, and barriers to prevent suicide. Continue the installation of the internet,” he said. “[It is also important to] develop programs to incentivize the building of homes that are affordable for entry-level: teachers, nurses, law enforcement officers, engineers, and other young people that want to work and raise families here.”
Bates outlined some changes he would like to make if elected:
“I would work to change the formula that is used to determine the amount of State funds that are allocated to Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties for education so that a greater amount will be allocated.”
“I would change the accessibility, in both counties, to the 29C Delegate by establishing local offices that are available to the public.”
“I would change my employment status. I would not have any other job, other than Delegate 29C. “
Bates discussed the “easiest” and “hardest” parts of a State Delegate’s job:
“The easiest part of any job for me is the interaction with people. Developing a cooperative attitude among fellow legislators, representatives of government, and our communities to accomplish common goals,” he said. “I would not describe anything that I have experienced with the General Assembly as being hard. Some things might involve more effort than others, but that doesn’t make them hard.”
A phrase Bates told us he likes to live by is, “Consideration of others”.
“I know that everyone is not the same and has different life experiences than I have,” he explained. “I want to be able to live my life in a way that works for me. I don’t appreciate others telling me that my viewpoint is wrong and insist that I must conform to theirs. As long as someone’s activities, lifestyle or viewpoint isn’t harmful to others, then they have a right and the freedom to live as they please.”
Bates concluded with some final thoughts on why people should vote for him:
“In the 35 years that I have worked with the General Assembly, I have been successful in providing results for the people I represented,” he explained. “I am not a career politician; I don’t have a personal agenda and I don’t owe my loyalty to any special interest group. I have held positions that involved the highest level of competence and integrity. The State of Maryland and the U.S. Army trusted me to get the job done. You can trust me to get the job done for Calvert and St. Mary’s Delegate District 29C.”
For more on Bill Bate’s campaign, visit www.billbatesfore29c.com
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
Vote RED
Nothing personal but we don’t need anymore YES Men in political office .
Not to mention the D on his ticket is a major fail for any common sense voter .
That’s some profile. Of course, the D after his name leads me to believe he’ll do nothing that will be in our best interest.