There’s an old saying in politics, “if you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation,” that’s exactly what Steuart Pittman seems to be doing.
On the heels of a multiple polls showing that he is losing and that a plurality of Anne Arundel County residents disapproves of him and his actions in office, Pittman is trying his best to change the conversation and shift away from his abysmal record–higher taxes, increased violence, and a failure to deliver services to county residents.
Pittman is resorting to hurling attacks and lies about Jessica Haire, while attempting to re-write some of the actions he took while in office. He wants to talk about anything else other than the issues that matter most to Anne Arundel County residents.
We’re taking a look at some of Pittman’s false claims and providing you with the facts, because you deserve to know the truth.
Unlike Steuart Pittman, Jessica Haire is solely focused on the issues you care about—improving your quality of life, making your life more affordable, keeping our communities safe, and ensuring that our kids have safe and reliable transportation to and from school.
Jessica Haire never changes the conversation because local leadership matters and you deserve a county executive who is focused on solutions.
⬇️ Get the facts ⬇️
| PITTMAN'S CLAIMS | THE FACTS |
|---|---|
| Pittman has been running TV ads and sending text messages and mailers calling Jessica Haire an “extremist.” | FACT: As a member of the Anne Arundel County Council, Jessica Haire has been the lead sponsor on more bipartisan pieces of legislation that have become law than any other member of the Council. No other member of the council has a stronger record of bipartisan success. |
| Pittman refers to himself as “the only” pro-business, pro-public safety, fiscally responsible candidate in the race. | FACT: Pittman shut down businesses forcing workers out of their jobs and then tried giving out $500 gift cards to make up for it. He's taken to his official County Facebook page to prejudge County police officers' before all the facts have been released, and circumvented county law and the voter-imposed property tax cap in order raise taxes, and increased the county budget by $300 million. |
| Pittman says that Jessica Haire voted against abortion rights. | FACT: Jessica Haire never voted against protecting abortion rights, she voted against a non-binding resolution which focused on legislative matters intended for members of the Maryland General Assembly, not the County Council. |
| Pittman states that Jessica Haire is pushing for the Chesapeake Terrace landfill project. | FACT: On numerous occasions Jessica Haire has publicly stated that she is opposed to the landfill. Those who say otherwise are spreading lies and playing partisan politics. Steuart Pittman has previously stated that the landfill was stopped because the County purchased the land to build West County Elementary Schools. Jessica Haire was proud to vote in favor of the county’s purchase of the land, which according to Pittman put an end to the possible landfill. |
| Pittman says that violent crime is down in Anne Arundel County. | FACT: According to recent data from the Anne Arundel County Police Department 2021 Annual Report, violent crime was up 5.1% in 2021, due to a large increase in aggravated assaults. |
| Pittman says that as County Executive he’s added 100 police officers. | FACT: According to county budget documents Pittman has only added 18 sworn police officers. |
| Pittman claims that he cut taxes while in office. | FACT: Pittman raised income and property taxes in his first budget, immediately after taking office. He raised income taxes by 12% and circumvented the property tax cap. Then in an election year political move, Pittman proposed a small give-back amounting to about $50 per family in taxes; cumulatively, his tax and fee increases have cost families an average of more than $1,700 even accounting for the give-back. Bottom line, your income tax rate AND property tax rate are both higher now than when Pittman took office. Jessica a proven record of supporting tax relief for hardworking families and small businesses. |
| Pittman claims that Jessica Haire has made “political hay” over the school bus driver shortage. | FACT: Because of Pittman’s passive leadership, allowing this crisis to exacerbate for two years, students have cumulatively missed over 3,100 days of school. Leadership involves more than just throwing money at a problem, especially when dealing with issues as important as our children’s education. |
| Pittman claims that Jessica Haire opposes mental health and addiction treatment programs. | FACT: Jessica Haire was proud to co-sponsor a resolution to increase the number of crisis beds in the County, and as County Executive she has pledged to continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure resources are available to those in need. |