(October 2005) The Handgun Permit Review Board is not the only body to which the administration still makes appointments based on politics and chronyism. (See related article about Ehrlich re-appointing Rolinda Collinson – someone who neither owns a handgun nor is eligible to purchase one – to head the body which reviews carry permits.) In September, P. Michael Errico attended his first meeting of the Handgun Roster Board as a freshly minted appointee.
Errico has no known ties to any firearm organization, nor any known handgun expertise (though some know him as a shotgun enthusist.) The key benefit Errico brings to the table is political, namely, his tie to Wayne Curry. As deputy chief of administration for the former County Executive in Prince George’s County, Errico served as a key operative in the county’s Democratic machine. Most recently he served machine interests as an employee at Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), where he made news by being ousted during a power play with the legislature. (Of course WSSC paid him $250,000 to leave. The Machine takes care of its own.)
Unlike other selections, the administration did solicit major gun organizations for input on this choice, asking for names of African American firearms experts having engineering degrees and living on Eastern Shore. Unfortunately staff made the request only after making the decision to appoint Errico, an important detail they didn’t think would become public. Apparently they figured no association could satisfy this “impossible” request, so they could get their own pick (a non-expert Caucasion tied with PG politics) and still tell gun groups ‘hey, we tried to involve you, even if you didn’t produce for us – you owe us.’ Word on the street is these gun groups feel they owe the administration something on this one, even if not quite what administration staffers originally intended.
Wait a minute – why do Errico’s ties with Wayne Curry appeal to Ehrlich staffers? Now that Mike Steele is waging his own campaign for US Senate, Curry is widely discussed as one of Ehrlich’s possible lieutenant governor picks in the next election, on the theory that Bob did well with an African American from Prince George’s county before, so maybe he can do it again. We have expressed surprise to administration insiders that some there think the supply of qualified Republicans had been exhausted, and their response is always “to win we must give liberals something.” They’ve obviously been willing to give away issues so why not a lieutenant governor slot too? We hope Errico’s appointment isn’t intended to be a gesture to Curry, giving him the gun issue as a recruiting bonus. Curry is a strong anti-gunner. (Another name widely discussed as a possible running mate, Nancy Grasmick, is also a life-long Democrat who has received awards from anti-gun groups for her promotion of gun avoidance programs.)
There’s still time for staffers to make more ‘diversity’ appointments. The Handgun Roster Board still has three anti-gun Glendening appointees in slots that could have been replaced last year. Ginni Wolf – former head of the state Brady organization Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse – still serves on the Ceasefire Council (responsible for advising the state on anti-gun initiatives) four years after her appointment expired. MSP firearms units are still populated by staff having stronger ties (and loyalty) to former superintendent (Brady employee) David Mitchell than to present operations. We’re not sure when the administration plans to get around to vetting gun grabbers.