20070824 News Clips

News Clips

August 24, 2007

STATE NEWS

Ehrlich To Be On Display At State Fair
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/08/ehrlich_to_be_on_display_at_st.html?nav=rss_blog
Nine months after his re-election defeat, former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. remains the Maryland Republican Party's biggest star. The latest evidence: Ehrlich is booked to appear next week at the state GOP's booth at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium. "Governor Ehrlich would love to see you at the Maryland Republican Party's booth at the State Fair," says an item advertising the "special occasion" on the state GOP Web site. "He will be on hand to sign copies of his legacy book or other keepsakes that supporters have collected over the years."

Office Building Workers Reassured About Illness
O'Malley Reacts to Case of Legionnaires' Disease
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/23/AR2007082301327.html
Gov. Martin O'Malley and other senior Maryland officials sought Thursday to allay the concerns of state workers and others about a case of Legionnaires' disease contracted by someone who works in a state office tower where about 1,000 people are employed. At an afternoon news conference, O'Malley (D) said state officials have no reason to believe the building was the source of the disease, a potentially deadly bacterial pneumonia that is caught by inhaling contaminated water droplets. O'Malley also stressed that Legionnaires' -- which can be treated with antibiotics and affects about 100 Marylanders a year -- is not passe d from person to person.

School revises cell phone warning
City principal who threatened arrest sends new letter to parents
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.phones24aug24,0,498179.story
A Baltimore principal is sending a second back-to-school letter to parents after threatening in the first version to have students found with cell phones arrested and to confiscate the phones for a semester or more. Most school systems in the metropolitan area -- including Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard and Carroll counties -- permit students to possess cell phones as long as they are turned off and stored during the academic day, either in a locker or a backpack. In Harford County, only high school students may carry them.

Boost for Smart Growth soug ht
O'Malley, Cabinet, others meet on ways to reinvigorate anti-sprawl effort
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.growth24aug24,0,640733.story
Gov. Martin O'Malley and his Cabinet closeted themselves with former Gov. Parris N. Glendening and out-of-state planning experts yesterday to hash over ways to reinvigorate Smart Growth, the state's decade-old sprawl-fighting effort that some say has failed to live up to its promise. Though welcoming up to 60,000 new jobs to the state from military base realignment, the governor said Maryland needs to figure out how to accommodate the new people while still preserving its environment and quality of life.

Illegal parking targeted
Those who take spaces reserved for disabled will pay $500
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.parking24aug24,0,4603911.story
Ronald Howard thinks he knows why many of his neighbors who use a wheelchair spend so much time at home: Since a 1999 accident paralyzed him, he has spent countless hours cruising parking lots where handicapped spaces were filled by cars with no handicapped parking permit.
When Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold suggested in June that the county double the $100 fine for illegally parking in spots reserved for the disabled, Howard told the County Council that violators need a bigger hit in the wallet.
This week, the $500 fine, passed by the County Council and signed by Leopold, took effect. And this weekend, parking lot scofflaws will feel the pinch.Leopold, a longtime advocate for the disabled, said he hasn't heard objections or complaints about the $500 fine, "but I have heard many complaints about disabled parking space abuse and I have seen angry confrontations."

Feds declare Md. a drought disaster state
http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=173227&format=html
A drought disaster has been declared in Maryland, and the federal government has stepped in to help local growers whose crops were affected by the lack of rain. Officials said Maryland's drought disaster designation makes it possible for farm operators to apply for low-interest emergency loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. Affected farmers may contact their local Farm Service Agency for details.

County patrol 'quota' ties days off to tickets
http://www.examiner.com/a-897623~County_patrol__quota__ties_days_off_to_tickets.html
An apparent quota system that tied days off for some Baltimore County patrol officers to the number of traffic tickets they issued is drawing outrage from the county police union, which says the order is illegal.
"Police management is tying an officer's time off to traffic enforcement," union President Cole Weston said Thursday. "I think it's highly inappropriate. I think it violates the house bill as it relates to quotas."
Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson immediately condemned the order upon learning about it.
A Maryland law that took effect on Oct. 1, 2006, made it illegal for police departments to enact formal or informal quotas for arrests or traffic tickets.

Howard could vie for state horse park
http://www.examiner.com/a-897614~Howard_could_vie_for_state_horse_park.html
Howard County could vie for the Maryland Horse Park in an effort to boost tourism and preserve land.
"I don't want to be in the position that in a couple years from now, we look back and say we missed a golden opportunity," said County Councilman Greg Fox, R-District 5.Fox plans to file legislation to create a task force to examine the possibility of bringing the Maryland Horse Park to Howard. The group would examine costs to the county and locations for the park.
A horse farm would bring tourism dollars into the county and preserve agricultural land, Fox said.

Commissioner: Keep city buses out of Carroll
http://www.examiner.com/a-897619~Commissioner__Keep_city_buses_out_of_Carroll.h tml
Carroll residents would vehemently oppose transit buses between Baltimore City and the county, a county commissioner says.
"The average person here in Carroll County doesn't want to see something coming from Baltimore City," Julia Gouge said. "People would have a fit." She said opposition stems from residents' desire to preserve the county's rural character.
While residents have spoken in favor of more public transportation, Commissioner Michael Zimmer worried about outside influences changing the county. He favors a commuter system that would take workers only in the morning and evening to and from work, as opposed to a mass-transit system that makes multiple stops.

O'Malley Appoints King to Senate
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/08/omall ey_appoints_king_to_senat.html?nav=rss_blog
Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) today named Del. Nancy J. King (D-Montgomery) to fill out the remainder of state Sen. Patrick J. Hogan's term in the General Assembly, ratifying her selection by local Democrats.

Companies finalize plans for PATH power line
Exact locationof line placement still unknown
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=64181
Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power have finalized a joint-venture agreement for a 290-mile, $1.8 billion transmission line that will go through southern Frederick County.The line, known as the Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline, will bring power to the area, which Allegheny Energy says needs more utility support because of growth.
The line will run through U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's 6th District. Draw a straight line between the points to be connected, and it would run straight through the congressman's Buckeystown farmhouse, spokeswoman Lisa Wright said. Although Bartlett is unable to involve himself deeply in what is a state regulatory issue, he will be closely following the proceedings, as will Congress as a whole, Wright said, especially given Western Maryland's power transmission problems.

"He's a big proponent of increased reliability and efficiency," Wright said. "His view is that you have to balance, and that it's possible to balance, concerns about environmental protection with everyone's expectations, and it's just an expectation that you'll have heat when you need it, air conditioning when you need it, and lights when you need them."

EDITORIALS/OPEDS

Budget rebuttal
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.gopbudget24aug24,0,356762.story
Last week in Annapolis, House Republicans gave a classic something-for-nothing pitch to mend Maryland's $1.5 billion deficit. On the surface, it sounded pretty reasonable - restrain the growth of state government and taxes won't have to be raised. But as with most anything of consequence, the devil is in the details, and the GOP plan is short on specifics. Gov. Martin O'Malley has only hinted at what his tax package will include. It would be nice to know more. But at least he acknowledges the reality of the state's woeful fiscal situation. It's easy to oppose all forms of taxes - until you have to craft a real-world budget.

Changes may impact preservation
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/08/24/news/opinion/editorial/editorial915.txt
Some of the changes proposed Wednesday on how the state will determine spending Program Open Space money are long overdue, but county and municipal officials, as well as members of our state delegation, will have to keep a close watch to see if the changes also result in less money for projects in their communities. Under the new formula, the state will prioritize projects that are the most environmentally critical. That could mean a redistribution of money away from some areas and more money for others and could mean that some smaller projects have to wait longer or don't getting funding at all.

What should 'proficient' mean?
http://www.examiner.com/a-897592~Editorial__What_sho uld__proficient__mean_.html
State public school test scores keep rising, but students' basic proficiency in core subjects does not.
As William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, said in a recent interview, "exit requirements are not at all aligned with entrance requirements of college."Chancellor Kirwan said one of the ways to remedy the situation is to look to charter schools, public schools with more autonomy over their budgets and how they teach students - things that have achieved dramatic academic success for many students. That certainly should be part of the answer. But the best way to ensure academic success would be to let parents choose the school - public or private - that best meets their child's learning needs during the K-12 years.

Illegal immigration order more about politics than policy
http://www.capitalonline.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/08_23-23/OPN
You don't need County Executive John Leopold's shrewdness in order to know that Americans are furious about illegal immigration - and that some are just furious about immigration, period. Congress talked endlessly about the issue but did nothing. This exasperated voters and invited state and local governments to try their hand. But controlling immigration is a federal responsibility, and the courts won't let other levels of government interfere. So you can expect to see lots of exercises in crowd-pleasing symbolism. And the executive order Mr. Leopold issued last week is surely a crowd-pleaser.

Miller's hand stirs Montgomery's political pot
http://www.gazette.net/stories/082407/policol230438_32363.shtml
It may be the dog days of summer in Washington, D.C. - even top dog Karl Rove is high-tailing it out of town - but up the road in Montgomery County, politics are moving at a furious pace. It feels as if the next statewide primaries are just around the corner, instead of three whole years away. Item: Is Mike Miller dictating to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee? Nancy King's ascension to the state Senate is undeniably a victory for the slots industry.
Only after Senate President Miller guaranteed her a slot on the Budget & Taxation Committee did King stay in the race for good. Miller's motives were hardly pure, and he made no secret of the fact that his preference for King over the other contenders was based largely on her support for slots.

What's being talked about?
Proposals include a higher gasoline tax to help pay for needed transportation improvements, slots to boost revenues, cut s in aid to counties, closing some tax loopholes and a progressive income tax - but still no plans for a special session
http://www.gazette.net/stories/082407/polinew14633_32355.shtml
Lawmakers are expressing frustration at the lack of specifics coming out of the governor's office on how to solve Maryland's budget deficit. ''You can only keep your finger in the wind for so long. Then you need to say what direction you're heading," Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said Wednesday. ''I know the governor likes to govern by consensus. That's not the definition of executive branch politics," said Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach. ''I don't know his staff understands the gravity of the situation."In a speech before the Maryland Association of Counties in Ocean City on Saturday, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) pledged more transportation funding without revealing whether the money would come from a gasoline tax hike or increases in automobile fees.
''I think the governor missed a real opportunity to give the counties some specifics on what he's thinking," said Senate Minority Whip Allan H. Kittleman, a former Howard County Council member. ''It [the speech] seemed a little light on specifics to me. I think the governor needs to give us some specifics on what he plans on doing. He didn't say where or how," said House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell.