20070718 News Clips

News Clips

July 18, 2007

STATE NEWS

Income taxes a likely focus in Md. budget debate
http://www.examiner.com/a-834082~Income_taxes_a_likely_focus_in_Md__budget_debate.html
Higher income taxes for the wealthy - and possible income tax cuts for the poor - are being considered by Gov. Martin O'Malley as he plans to fix a looming budget deficit. "I'm in favor of progressive taxation, where people who make a lot more pay more," O'Malley told reporters. House Republican Leader Anthony O'Donnell said the GOP does not think Maryland needs to raise any taxes to fix the deficit. "Marylanders are not undertaxed. ... What we have is a spending problem," O'Donnell said.

O'Malley endorses Rawlings-Blake
Governor backs longt ime ally for City Council president in tight race with Sarbanes
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.endorse18jul18,0,7823292.story
Taking a brief foray back into Baltimore politics yesterday, Gov. Martin O'Malley endorsed longtime ally Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake's bid to become City Council president in what is shaping up to be one of the closest races of this year's election. While O'Malley has been involved in the council president's race, he has steered clear of the mayor's campaign. Asked yesterday whether he intended to endorse a candidate in that race, he said: "We'll answer those questions on another day."

Schools average a grade of D-plus
49% say education is among the city's top two challenges
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-te.md.ci.schools18jul18,0,551088.story
The Baltimore school system earned poor marks from Democratic voters in the city, according to a new Sun poll, which shows education second only to crime as the most important issue in this year's mayoral election. Asked to grade the city schools, respondents gave the system an average mark of D-plus. Forty-two percent selected grades of D or Fail. "It's only because crime is such a big issue that schools are not jumping off the charts," said Steve Raabe, president of OpinionWorks, a nonpartisan Annapolis firm that conducted the poll for The Sun.

Council, schools clash on funding
County demands explanation for budget transfers of $13.9 million
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.showdown18jul18,0,4125681.story
Suspicious that school leaders are quietly expanding their bureaucracy, the Anne Arundel County Council has given them two weeks to explain how they scraped together $13.9 million to fund programs that county officials had previously rejected.
The school district also asked the council to increase the system's $869 million budget by $2.3 million to pay for climbing utility costs and the redesign of Annapolis High School. County Executive John R. Leopold yesterday sent a letter urging the county council to deny the school's request for $2.3 million to cover higher utility costs, saying, "I believe the Board of Education has failed to take advantage of opportunities to reduce these expenses."

Mama, who was that masked man?
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.vozzella18jul18,0,502590.column
Maybe Maryland Dems should put MD4BUSH back to work. The state party seems to have lost the art of political cyber-sleuthing.
Last week, the party sent out a long news release that opened with this claim: "Evidence is mounting that former Governor Bob Ehrlich and his new North Carolina law firm's Maryland-based staff are the driving forces behind a totally anonymous and controversial smear website." The party attached an e-mail that Ehrlich's once-and-current spokesman, Henry Fawell, sent during work hours to a reporter. It outlines "a very odd land deal" that the O'Malley administration had proposed, involving 74 acres of industrially zoned land in Queen Anne's County.Sorry, but all that proves is that Fawell isn't the only one who thinks the deal is fishy. By that reasoning, Compt roller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp could be omalleywatch, too.

Of the GOP, by the GOP, for the GOP
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.vozzella18jul18,0,502590.column
A video on a new Web site called mdforfred purports to show the average "man on the street" in Bel Air singing the praises of presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, The Sun's Justin Fenton reports. One is Mike Geppi, chairman of the Harford County Republican Central Committee. Another is Scott Gibson, the county director of human resources, who was appointed to the $100,000-a-year position at the age of 24, after working hard on County Executive David Craig's campaign last fall. The only one whose GOP credentials are made clear is state Sen. J. Robert Hooper.

Carroll's del egates fare better on environment
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/07/18/features/in_focus/focus995.txt
For those who don't remember middle school grammar, oxymoron means combining two words with opposite meanings, like "awfully good" or "deafening silence." Many people would say "Republican environmentalist" is an oxymoron. But some Carroll County Republicans have helped improve the party's environmental reputation. Just as national environmental groups score our federal elected officials, Environment Maryland, in conjunction with the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, has scored our state elected officials for the 2007 legislative session. According to its Web site, "Environment Maryland is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization." All four of Carroll's delegates scored 50 percent or higher. Although all three senators scored below 50 percent, David Brinkley and Larry Haines scored significantly higher than their lifetime scores.

Senator picks up endorsements from Anne Arundel County delegates in his House bid
http://www.examiner.com/a-833726~Senator_picks_up_endorsements_from_Anne_Arundel_County_delegates_in_his_House_bid.html
Two Anne Arundel County Republican delegates announced Tuesday their support for Sen. Andy Harris in his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest. But these same two delegates, Steve Schuh and James King, were also listed as "hosts" of a "fundraising picnic" in Severna Park last Friday for Gilchrest, the nine-term Republican congressman. "I was honored to do so," said King, a local restaurant owner. "It was not looked on as an endorsement."

Bay Bridge repairs to take longer than planned
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/NEWS01/70718028
Repairs to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge will take about six months longer than planned, leading to nighttime lane closings through fall of 2009, the Maryland Transit Authority reports. The delay comes because of changes to the authority's plan for replacing the deck on the westbound span. Authority spokeswoman Cheryl Sparks said officials haven't yet decided whether to suspend work in the summer months, when traffic on the bridge is heaviest.


NATIONAL NEWS

Ruppersberger wants company to with draw LNG plant application
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.digest18jul18,0,3436995.story
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger is calling upon federal regulators to direct AES Corp. to withdraw its application to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on Sparrows Point.
Last month, a federal judge upheld a Baltimore County law that bans LNG plants from sensitive coastal areas such as Sparrows Point. Because of the federal court ruling, Ruppersberger wrote, "It seems the wisest course of action is for the applicant to cancel this proposal and begin the search for a better, safer, and more environmentally appropriate alternative elsewhere."

Congressman wants kids out of classroom, into nature
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/07_17-29/TOP
When President Bush and Congress touted the landmark No Child Left Behind education law, some said they left something out: learning about the great outdoors. Last week, Rep. John P. Sarbanes, D-Towson, introduced the "No Child Left Inside" bill, which would require states to develop goals for "environmental literacy" of graduates. It also would provide grant money for environmental education and teacher training. At a news conference yesterday at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation headquarters in Bay Ridge, Mr. Sarbanes said students need solid environmental footing to make important decisions about global warming, air pollution and water pollution.

On Iraq vote, Senate goes to the mattresses
GOP decries tactic as Democrats arrange overnight session in pullout bid
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/world/iraq/bal-te.warvote18jul18,0,3388594.story
By mid-afternoon yesterday, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski -- an experienced hand at Senate all-nighters -- had picked out her cot in the Capitol's ornate LBJ Room yesterday. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, a rookie preparing for his first overnight session in the upper chamber, broke out the bedding that his staff had given him for just such an occasion. Both were preparing for a long night ahead, a marathon floor debate between Democrats demanding a vote to pull U.S. soldiers out of Iraq and Republicans who have been using Senate rules to block the move. Republicans denounced the whole thing as a publicity stunt.

Officials seek U.S. funds to protect witnesses
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.witness18jul18,0,6760942.story
Baltimore prosecutors can produce a long list of witnesses who have been intimidated, injured or killed. Yesterday, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings and Baltimore State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy announced that they are seeking federal help to protect witnesses. "People are tired," Cummings said. "They are tired of seeing their loved ones harmed. And when it comes time to gather the evidence, nobody saw it because everybody's scared."He said he is proposing a bill called the Witness Security and Protection Act, which would provide $90 million in federal money to local jurisdictions over three years.

New Hotline Offers Parenting Advice On Drug Abuse
http://wjz .com/local/local_story_198181554.html
A new hotline was recently unveiled, which was designed to give Maryland parents help with keeping their children drug-free.
"So often we see [and] hear from parents who simply want some answers. They really don't know what to do," said Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings. Cummings was at a press conference Tuesday promoting the services and hotlines offered to adults who want advice on discussing drug issues with their children.