Del. Cluster Honored for Pro-Jobs Record
By Nick Gestido
The Patch February 21, 2012
Del. John W.E. Cluster of legislative district 8 was recently honored by a small business publication for his pro-jobs voting record and support for a positive economic climate in Maryland.
Cluster was honored as one of the top three Republicans in the House of Delegates with four or more years of service, according to a press release from the independent review Roll Call.
Maryland Business for Responsive Government's Roll Call reviews legislators' support for jobs and small business. Cluster's cumulative score is 93 percent since he started in the General Assembly in 2003, the release stated.
Del. Cluster: Is Maryland's Budget Really Balanced?
By John Cluster
The Patch January 30, 2012
On Wednesday, Governor Martin O'Malley introduced his state budget that targets Maryland's small businesses and its middle class. This year's budget comes in at $35.8 billion compared to last year's $34.8 billion. The governor claims to have cut over $7 billion from his budget, but any person with an elementary education would see that he has added a billion dollars to the budget. With the state already $1.2 billion in the red, one would think the governor would actually cut spending instead of increasing the budget by 2.87 percent.
Cluster Files Revenue Authority Legislation
By Bryan Sears
The Patch January 20, 2012
Del. John Cluster says he's optimistic about the chances of passing three bills that would change how the Baltimore County Revenue Authority operates.
The Parkville Republican's comments come as William "Lynnie" Cook, chief executive of the quasi-public agency, is scheduled to appear before members of the county House of Delegates delegation.
Cluster said the trio of bills is aimed at shortening the leash on the agency that manages county golf courses and parking facilities.
8th District delegates warn public of tax, fee increases
By Ben Boehl
The Avenue January 10, 2012
The beginning of the New Year also means the beginning of the new legislative session for the Maryland General Assembly. The session started on Wednesday, Jan. 11 and Republican Delegates Joe Boteler and John Cluster aren’t looking forward to this session, as they fear tax and fee increases will be passed.
The two 8th District delegates held a town meeting at the Perry Hall Rosedale Federal Savings and Loan building last week to answer questions and warn citizens about those increases.
LIVE BLOG: Boteler, Cluster hold Anti Tax Meeting in Perry Hall
By Emily Kimball
The Patch January 5, 2012
State Del. Joseph C. Boteler III and Del. John Cluster Jr. of Legislative District 8 held a meeting at the Rosedale Federal Savings and Loan Association at 7 p.m. on Jan. 5.
Delegates Plan Anti-Tax Meeting in Perry Hall
By Emily Kimball
The Patch January 3, 2012
Two state legislators have planned a public meeting to discuss their opposition to new taxes and fees they expect to be introduced during the 2012 legislative session.
Republicans Del. Joseph C. Boteler III and Del. John Cluster Jr. of Legislative District 8 plan to hold the meeting at Rosedale Federal Savings and Loan Association in Perry Hall at 7 p.m. on Jan. 5.
The meeting will focus on a proposed gas tax increase, as well as increases in automobile registration fees, emissions testing fees and the flush fee, according to a press release by Boteler's office.
OPINION: New Legislative Maps Would Unseat Del. Boteler
By John Cluster
The Patch December 30, 2011
Last week, Gov. Martin O’Malley released his proposed legislative map for 2012 through 2022 and made a few changes to the current 8th district of Maryland.
The biggest change to the map was the political exclusion of my seatmate Del. Joe Boteler’s home precinct. This means that Del. Boteler will no longer live in the 8th district. This was done for one reason and one reason only, and that was to take the top vote recipient out of the district in an effort to win one more seat for the Democrats in the 8th. This is political gerrymandering at its worst and is repeated across the state of Maryland on numerous occasions.
Mums the word on Revenue Authority Ethics Bill
By Bryan Sears
The Patch November 22, 2011
County officials say there has been no discussion on whether to support or oppose an effort to place the Baltimore County Revenue Authority under county ethics laws.
Don Mohler, a county spokesman and chief of staff to County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, said there has been no discussion on a proposal by state Del. John Cluster that would authorize Baltimore County to include the authority under county ethics rules.
"We honestly haven't had time to discuss the issue," Mohler said. "We've been involved in other things."
Cluster, a Parkville Republican, said last week that he plans to file the bill after a report by Patch revealed that neither state nor county ethics laws apply to the authority.
State lawmakers urge changes for Balto. Co. Revenue Authority
By Allison Knezevich
The Baltimore Sun November 18, 2011
Republican Del. John Cluster said he started looking into the way the Revenue Authority works after the organization went against the community's wishes and sold the Parkville lot.
"It's a county division that really I think nobody has any control over," Cluster said.
Cluster's proposals include making the authority bid out contracts over $25,000, as county agencies must. He also wants to require the authority to seek the approval of County Council members and state lawmakers when selling land.
Golf Trip Highlights Ethical Gray Area
By Bryan Sears
The Patch November 16, 2011
Those rules do not apply to the Revenue Authority, officials say. Cook’s trip did not violate any rules, but it has led some to question whether the authority should be governed like other county government agencies.
"It appears that (Cook) used his position to gain access," said Del. John Cluster, a Parkville Republican. "If an employee of a state agency did this, I'd be calling for an investigation."
Cook told Patch he solicited and took the trip to Pine Valley in early 2008 with the president and a salesman from Golf Car Specialties a Pottstown, PA, company that the authority had paid $1.5 million for a fleet of golf carts a few months before the outing.
