20070928 News Clips

News Clips

Sept. 28, 2007

STATE NEWS

Republican long shots get moment in spotlight
Candidate debate on issues of importance to minorities is notable as much for who's not there as for what's said
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.debate28sep28,0,7413692.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
The lesser-known Republican presidential candidates had the stage to themselves last night at Morgan State University, taking advantage of high-profile absences to pitch themselves to a national audience. The no-shows meant a larger share of the spotlight for contenders all polling in single digits. But it came with challenges: The event's hosts and some questioners voiced skepticism that the Republican Party offered any opportunities for people of color.Even if the Republican s won converts, it was unlikely they would benefit anytime soon, given the relatively few blacks and Hispanics expected to vote in the GOP primaries.
The debate was perhaps most noteworthy for who wasn't there.

Leading GOP Candidates Skip Debate on Black Issues

4 Contenders Attend Fundraisers Instead

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/27/AR2007092702264.htmlFred D. Thompson was at a fundraiser in Franklin, Tenn. Mitt Romney was gathering checks in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Rudolph W. Giuliani was in California raking in some last-minute cash just north of Napa. John McCain spent the day in New York City, giving a speech and raising money.

Such were the scheduling conflicts that left the lecterns for the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination empty at what was billed as the first GOP debate tailored to the concerns of black voters, held last night at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

Right cheek or left, it still feels like a slap
At GOP debate on minority issues, absent candidates incur resentment
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.scene28sep28,0,2898579.story?coll=bal-business
Outside the debate hall at Morgan State University, African-Americans across the political spectrum used the phrase "slap in the face" when expressing their frustration at the decision of four leading Republican presidential candidates to skip last night's debate. About two-thirds of the 2,000-plus-seat Murphy Fine Arts Center was filled for the debate. "I heard there was really bad traffic," said Public Broadcasting Service representative Carrie Johnson. "But I think we're overall proud and pleased." The chairman of Morgan's political science department called the debate "a major event" for the university. "It will give us some national showcasing," said Max Hilaire.

Maryland might take tip from Del.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.slots28sep28,0,7832441.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
Gov. Martin O'Malley's announcement that he will push for legalized slot machine gambling to help solve Maryland's budget woes was short on specifics, but he gave clues to his thinking that suggest he is exploring a slots program that would be similar to Delaware's. While O'Malley said he favors "state ownership" of slot machines, that doesn't mean the state would build facilities and hire contractors.
Maryland could, like Delaware, lease slot machines from vendors, link them to a central computer through the state's lottery and place the devices in privately run racetracks or other facilities.

O'Malley has given few details of what kind of slots program he envisions for Maryland, including where machines would go and how revenues would be divided.

"We're going to introduce something very close to what the House did," O'Malley said, referring to a slots bill that passed in the House of Delegates in 2005 but died in the Senate. "In the House plan, the machines were going to be state-owned," he said. "We'll have something in bill form in the not-too-distant future."

School fund plans emerge
O'Malley renews push to boost city, D.C. suburbs
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.omalley28sep28,0,1648983.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
Gov. Martin O'Malley is renewing his push to funnel tens of millions more in state dollars a year to schools in Baltimore City and suburban districts, a move aimed at helping counties with higher costs of living bear the price of providing a more expensive education. Under the plan, 12 high-cost districts would share $38 million in the fiscal year that starts in July 2008, $76 million in the following year and $129 million by 2011. The biggest beneficiaries would be Baltimore City and the Washington suburbs. His plan requires the General Assembly's approval.
According to the formula in the landmark Thornton legislation that recommended initiatives such as statewide full-day kindergarten, Montgomery and Prince George's counties and Baltimore City would receive the most, with Montgomery receiving as much as $12 million and Baltimore City receiving between $7 million and $9 million in the first year. It's O'Malley's second shot at providing this cost adjustment. A measure stalled in the Maryland General Assembly during the past legislative session amid concerns over budget deficits.

Though the study found test scores rose in every county and the city over the three-year period, particularly in the elementary grades, fiscal conservatives on local school boards and at the state level have criticized schools for using the money to boost salaries. They say this is a move away from Thornton's intent to put in place programs that closed achievement gaps among minority and poor students and their peers.

Cummings urges halt to razing of homes
Congressman says rebuilding plans must be done first
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-te.ci.housing28sep28,0,6433253.story
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings called yesterday for a moratorium on the demolition of public housing in Baltimore until "demonstrable progress" is made in constructing homes for low-income residents.
In a letter to city Housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano, the Democratic congressman said he is "gravely concerned" about plans to demolish housing at 15 sites in Baltimore before redevelopment plans are complete. The demolition is being paid for with money from the city's affordable housing fund. "I think Mr. Graziano needs to stop and pause," Cummings told The Sun yesterday. "I don't want this to be a bulldozer going through the city, leaving a trail of dust with the people standing on the sidelines with no place to go."

Panel seeks fly-ash rules
MDE developing standards tougher than those of U.S.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearunde l/bal-ar.ash28sep28,0,2297501.story
As Maryland's environmental agency tries to broker a deal over the disposal of billions of pounds of coal ash in Gambrills, an internal panel is quietly working to create standards that would surpass those of the federal government and many states.

Stephen L. Pattison, assistant secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, said a panel of regulators was assembled last month to begin considering new rules, fueled by the discovery of cancer-causing metals in 23 private drinking wells near the fly-ash disposal site operated by BBSS Inc. The state does not intend to pursue an outright ban on fly-ash disposal in Maryland, though Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has called for such a ban. "There's a strong interest in what's going on in Gambrills," Pattison said Wednesday. "The lesson learned is: We need to have a much stronger regulatory program." Leopold, a Republican who has intr oduced a bill to ban dumping of fly ash in Anne Arundel, called the effort to create more stringent regulation of fly ash "welcome." But he again criticized the O'Malley administration for not involving the county in the discussions. "Just as the state has precluded county involvement in the negotiations, the state has precluded the county's involvement in drafting new regulations," Leopold said Wednesday. "That is unfortunate and not helpful." Leopold said he will seek to eliminate a loophole in his fly-ash ban legislation, offering an amendment to prohibit dumping such ash at rubble landfills.

Harford officials propose land tax credit
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-md.ha.credits28sep28,0,813208.story
Harford County officials proposed an agricultural land tax credit yesterday intended to spur interest in saving farmland and help those who already have acreage in the preservation program. "This is all about making Harford affordable for people who already live here," County Executive David R. Craig said yesterday, when he announced the proposal in Churchville. County Council President Billy Boniface, a lifelong farmer, said the credit, which has not changed since Harford began its land preservation efforts in 1994, would help increase farm profit and attract other landowners to the program that permanently safeguards land from development.

Local leaders meet with lawmakers
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=65662
Local leaders are hopeful a Thursday afternoon meeting with state lawmakers will help their message get to Annapolis, but still fear major budget cuts could wreak havoc on county and municipal budgets.
The Frederick County Commissioners initiated the meeting after the state's Department of Legislative Services released the so-called "doomsday budget" in June. The budget calls for almost $21 million in funding cuts to Frederick County.
Sen. David Brinkley, the Senate minority leader, said the doomsday budget was designed by Democrats in favor of new taxes to spur meetings exactly like the one Thursday. "(The purpose) was to initiate people to have activity back in the hinterlands and frankly to scare the local governments and scare the county governments into saying this is what's going to happen to us," Brinkley said.

Students dismiss, praise GOP contenders
http://www.examiner.com/a-960351~Students_dismiss__praise _GOP_contenders.html
Morgan State freshman Malcolm Mays walked into the Republican debate at his school not knowing which presidential candidate for whom to vote. He walked out with at least one name in mind. A few carloads of students who belong to the College Republicans at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, also attended. Another UMBC College Republican, Devon Chamberlain, came to learn more about the candidates' platforms. "I didn't know much about the candidates before this," said Chamberlain, a UMBC freshman political science major. "I was impressed with the way they thought on their feet."

O'Malley plans to freeze Thornton funding
http://www.examiner.com/a-960058~O_Malley_plans_to_freeze_Thornton_funding.html
After a week rolling out a series of tax increases and cuts, Gov. Martin O'Malley told a roomful of officials late Thursday that he would close a $1.7 billion budget deficit next year and beyond by freezing Thornton school aid funding, saving $400 million over the next two years. The freeze on the indexing of Thornton spending reverses a repeated campaign promise that "we will fully fund the entire Thornton Commission plan to improve K-12 education across Maryland."
Local education officials had not been given advance warning of the governor's school funding lid. But Kevin Maxwell, superintendent of Anne Arundel County schools, said, th"I don't think he should freeze Thornton for two years." Maxwell noted that the governor was "proposing" the change in formula that was mandated in law by the General Assembly. "There is a legislature," Maxwell said.

O'Malley fleshes out budget plan on tax tour
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070928/METRO/109280094/1004
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley ended his statewide tax tour yesterday with a more definitive outline of how he plans to close the state's $1.7 billion budget shortfall, including plans to cut education funding. Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, said he would cut $207 million in mandated education spending while phasing in an optional $38 million for teachers based on where they work.
Many of the new taxes, including increasing corporate income tax and car-titling fees, will go toward increased spending, after the shortfall is erased. The sprawling plan left some Marylanders wondering what the net effect would be for them.

Democrats often attacked former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican, for not completely funding the mandated education initiative known as the Thornton Plan, even giving students a day off from school to protest Mr. Ehrlich's plan. But Mr. O'Malley's plan to do the same with education spending had a roomful of people applauding him yesterday.

Mr. O'Malley hopes to move his plan through the assembly during a special session before November. He expect the entire plan, including slots, to generate $2.2 billion by the end of July 2009. "We don't really have a good backup plan if we don't come back for a special session," he said.

Builders Might See Big Jump In Taxes
Leggett Hoping Council Curtails Planners' Advice
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/27/AR2007092701226.html
Montgomery County's planning board yesterday agreed to recommend making it more costly for developers to build in traffic-clogge d areas and stuck to a proposal to nearly triple taxes for some new development. The planners' decision on those issues brushed aside opposition from County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and several county council members. But the board did back off its proposal to increase the recordation tax paid by buyers and sellers when they close a real estate deal, another measure opposed by Leggett. Developers are expected to vigorously oppose the higher taxes, which they say would unfairly target new construction for problems they believe were created long ago.Jim Humphrey, who heads the land use committee for the Montgomery County Civic Federation, said he worries that the proposals rely too heavily on payments through impact taxes to offset the effect of new development. "It seems like the plan is to tell developers you can just throw money at the county and you'll get your project approved," he said.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Midterm Retirement A 'Democratic Trick'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/26/AR2007092601135.html?referrer=emailarticle
Having followed Del. Marilyn R. Goldwater's multiple absences in her prior term, I was compelled to do better and ran against her unsuccessfully last year for the District 16 seat. This retirement from her continued absences and health issues should have come at the end of her last term.
Although she can be thanked for her contributions, Goldwater's retirement one year into her new term should be exposed for what it is -- a partisan Democratic trick to maintain the lopsided majority and prevent the Republican Party from being able to participate in a fair and open election for a "vacant" seat. Once again, the majority has abused the system.
Michael Monroe
2006 Republican candidate
Maryland State House
District 16

EDITORIALS/OPEDS

Political Notes - O'Malley 'drops the puck'
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/reporters_notebooks_display.htm?StoryID=65660
TO EXPLAIN the governor's recent budget proposals, state Sen. Minority Leader David Brinkley describes Martin O'Malley as the referee in a hockey game. He dropped the puck, is getting off the ice, and now it's up to legislative leaders to duke out the details, said Brinkley, a Republican who represents Frederick and Carroll counties. O'Malley presented the overview of his budget Thursday, but he's been going over specific components at media events throughout the state during the week. Frederick's delegation members have been following the developments carefully, but note the details are still vague, perhaps deliberately so.
Brinkley said the Senate's budget and taxation committee is just learning about the proposal and history. Nothing appears to have been decided. "The fact is no decisions have been made, no one has come to any type of a resolution on what should happen because there are so many different competing factions," Brinkley said.

Between the Democrats in D.C. and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's new tax plans, I'm not sure who to be mad at the most.
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/09/28/news/opinion/opinion/opinion880.txt
Anyone who believes the words of career politicians of either party ought to have their voter card revoked. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to put a 100 percent tax on the obscene profits from the stock market and other investments so she can equalize the incomes of welfare recipients, the unemployed and minorities. O'Malley is in the process of touring specific areas of the state to sell his plan to increase just about ever tax there is and possibly create new ones if he can get away with it.
Redistribution of wealth is a buzzword that brings us closer to socialism. I have no problem taking responsibility for my own actions, inactions and decisions. I really wish the rest of the country would start taking responsibility again, but it is so much easier to stand there with a hand turned up and have it filled by Big Brother, isn't it? For me, socialism is too high a price to pay.

Debates rankle, not the no-shows
http://www.examiner.com/a-960029~Editorial__Debates_rankle__not_the_no_shows.html
Four leading Republican presidential candidates did not show at Morgan State University's debate last night. Big deal.
More importantly, the format of what passes for debates is so ploddingly fair and balanced and the responses so carefully scripted and focus-group approved that they serve as broadcast NyQuil.

If it were up to us, we would have moved the debate to a more crowd-friendly day and time. And we would require candidates to sign a pledge that their words are theirs alone, with no focus-group or public relations' approval. Maybe we're crazy. But if the popularity of reality shows is any indication, real sells. We just haven't seen it on the campaign trail yet.

Governor's road to slots shouldn't be traveled hastily
http://www. hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/09_27-58/OPN
Gov. Martin O'Malley's attempt to chart the state's fiscal path - via a budget plan he has been gradually rolling out - took a detour on Tuesday. The governor steered toward the future and arrived back in 2005.
The governor's own plan, still short on specifics, would involve 9,500 to 15,000 slot machines, which he expects would eventually generate $650 million annually for the state. But even in the plan's early, sketchy form, there's no evidence that slots have to be approved immediately to get the state past next year's budget shortfall. Taxes and fees can be raised quickly. But slot machine gambling - which will require contracts and a complex regulatory system - will take years to set up.
That means there's no hurry for the state to pass this part of the governor's plan. And there's even less reason to try to hustle it through, with minimal public comment, during a legislative special session this au tumn - except, perhaps, as a matter of political expediency.

Political courage and the gasoline tax
http://www.gazette.net/stories/092807/policol43706_32364.shtml
Each campaign year, candidates for office flood Maryland voters with a litany of familiar-sounding promises: Vote for me, and I'll cut your health care costs. I'll reduce your children's class sizes. I'll get rid of traffic. The real test for our officials in Annapolis, however, ought not to be their passion on the issues we all agree on. Nobody opposes smaller class sizes. It ought to be their courage on issues that may not be politically convenient, but are nonetheless vital to our quality of life.

An issue like that surfaced last session in Senate Bill 949, the Transportation Funding Act of 2007. In that bill, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller proposed raising the state's gasoline tax from 23.5 to 35.5 cents per gallon. Neither chamber of the legislature found the courage to pass it.

It has been a decade and a half since Maryland last increased its gasoline tax. It's past time for the state to react to the inflation that has occurred over that time and lead the nation in taking our global warming and national security challenges seriously. And you need not be a liberal to agree.

What's more, maybe the legislature can find the funds to pay for all the usual campaign promises by passing the 12-cent increase. You can't reduce health care costs, class sizes and traffic for free.

NATIONAL NEWS

Gilchrest urges Gingrich to run for president
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MD_GILCHREST_GINGRICH_MDOL-?SITE=MDSAL&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=D EFAULT
U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest says he wants former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich to run for president. Gilchrest sent out a news release this week announcing that he had sent a letter to Gingrich, urging him to seek the Republican nomination.
Gilchrest says Gingrich, who represented a district in Georgia, was controversial but he's also a visionary.
The Eastern Shore Republican stopped short of saying he would support Gingrich if he sought the Republican nomination for president. But he did stress that he hasn't yet endorsed any candidate in the Republican presidential field, and is unlikely to do so until Gingrich makes his plans clear.

Brothers to launch biodiesel plant in Baltimore
Buckeystown company plans to start production in next year
http://www.gazette.net/stories/092807/businew50337_32360.shtml
For years, the Butz brothers - Edward, Thomas, Robert and Jeremy - have been tinkering like mad scientists with the biodiesel production process. They are now on the verge of launching what they hope will be their successful entry into the growing market for the alternative fuel. Butz said he hopes widespread use of biodiesel will relieve the United States of its dependence on foreign oil, while creating a fuel with multiple benefits for the environment. Del. Paul S. Stull, who toured the Buckeystown operation Tuesday with several other members of the state's Environmental Matters Committee, said he thinks government could have a role in boosting the use of the alternative fuel. ''It's a good renewable fuel," said Stull (R-Dist. 4A) of Walkersville. ''If we can keep that going, it's going to hopefully help with the price of gasoline."
Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-Dist. 6) of Buckeystown supports tax credits for biodiesel, which for producers are $1 per gallon for biodiesel derived from agricultural products and 50 cents per gallon for fat-based products, said his spokeswoman Lisa Wright.