By Jura Konciusand Liz Seymour
Recently, the Board of Elections pulled out of its file drawer an unpublished private letter ruling issued by an assistant attorney general in 1992, which stated that a "professional" who provides voluntary professional services to a political candidate will be deemed to have made an in-kind contribution to that candidate. In such a situation, the value of the in-kind contribution will be computed by multiplying the number of hours spent by the professional times the professional's hourly rate.Reader: Why not have the preschoolers make the artwork themselves? Buy some sturdy paper or pulled canvas and a few different paint colors that match the color scheme of the room. Then have the kids go at it! Frame the pictures and update them every few months.Maryland's campaign laws prevent anyone from contributing more than $4,000 to any single candidate or more than $10,000 to all candidates over the course of the four-year gubernatorial election cycle. Thus, the 1992 ruling would mean that any attorney who volunteers his or her services on behalf of a candidate for more than a couple of hours each year has, over a four-year period, violated the state's election laws and is subject to being sent to jail for up to six months.To balance and enhance the visual depth with the wooden, walls are sometimes treated with a textured paint or plastered. (The previous bungalows have original plaster.) A good wager is the riv rock end that Ralph Lauren paint provides. Paint schemes bear an affect from dynamics with goldenrod yellows, burnt sienna browns, cimmaron and Indian reds, sage and moss greens, and a neutral palette of earthy tans, toasts, and beiges. The general feeling includes a harmony, continuity, with all components working together, none upstaging the other. It's about making an organic home, one that functions within its atmosphere and tends to make probably the most of its environment each outdoors and inside.The 1992 private letter ruling relied upon a statute currently located at Section 13-233 of the Maryland Code's Election Law Article, which states: "This Part V of this subtitle ("Contributions - Limits") does not affect the right of an individual to: (1) volunteer the individual's time...." Thus, the Election Law on its face applies to everyone. In Maryland, anyone can volunteer his or her time to support chosen candidates. Despite the clear language of the statute, the 1992 private letter ruling announced that a different rule applies to "professionals." The 1992 letter cited no support for this purported exception, and in fact there is none.Who else would qualify as a professional? No one knows because the only source authority is the 1992 private letter ruling, and it only discussed graphic designers. Certainly attorneys and CPAs are professionals. This is significant because, in many political campaigns, CPAs volunteer as campaign treasurers. Other people serve as volunteer fundraisers, volunteer strategic advisers, volunteer finance committee chairpersons and volunteer office managers. Are these people also considered "professionals"? The question is important, for a violation of the election laws by a "professional" could earn the unfortunate volunteer up to six months in jail. And, as more and more volunteers are characterized as "professionals," the greater is the likelihood that the "professional exception" announced in the 1992 private letter ruling will overwhelm and entirely swallow up the clear statement of the law in Section 13- 233.The Maryland State Board of Elections has recently sought the advice of Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler on this issue. In light of the fact that the 2010 campaign is already well under way, we urge Mr. Gansler to complete his analysis quickly. The 1992 private letter ruling was incorrect and unconstitutional when issued and remains so. The attorney general should promptly acknowledge this fact and thus relieve attorneys as well as all other "professionals" in Maryland from any anxiety that they might face imprisonment if they volunteer their time this year in support of their preferred candidates for public office.End the anxietyAnswer: Buy nice planters and get small trees or bushes to put in them. Boxwood, camellia, hibiscus or oleander make a nice tall statement. An outdoor rug is also fun. What about a fire pit?
Answer: Start with something like one fun pillow in a shade you would never have chosen. Go to a place like West Elm or Pier 1 Imports or Marshalls or Target. With brown and green, you might add touches of sky blue, red or even lavender.
Author: Jura Koncius
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