20080415 News Clips

20080415 News Clips

News Clips 04-15-2008

STATE NEWS

Harris leads in fundraising in 1st

Republican takes in twice rival's total

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.campaign15apr15,0,2453916.story

Republican state Sen. Andy Harris raised nearly twice as much as Democratic Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Frank Kratovil Jr. during the past two months in the race for Maryland's 1st Congressional District, according to figures released yesterday by the campaigns and the Federal Election Commission. Harris brought in more than $400,000 in contributions, compared with about $190,000 for Kratovil, during the final three weeks leading up to the Feb. 12 primary and the period through March 31 Doubling our opponent's fundraising totals clearly shows the Andy Harris campaign is gaining momentum heading into the general election," said Chris Meekins, Harris' campaign manager. "Andy's message of lowering taxes and decreasing wasteful government spending to stimulate economic growth is resonating with voters and donors."

City schools seeking helpers

Alonso makes appeal for 500 volunteers after student attack drew wide attention

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/k12/bal-te.md.volunteers15apr15,0,4861445.story?track=rss

Responding to a teacher assault that made national headlines, Baltimore schools chief Andres Alonso is launching a campaign to recruit 500 volunteers for the city schools in the next two weeks.
In a letter e-mailed to 2,500 community members over the weekend, Alonso wrote that "this essential work of making safe schools cannot be done by the administrators, teachers, staff or students at each school alone. I cannot say strongly enough how important it is for families and community members to rally around our schools, our teachers, and our students." Officials are in the process of identifying about 10 schools where dozens of volunteers will be directed. Michael Carter, a past chair of the Parent and Community Advisory Board, said he believes parents will step up to the plate now that safety is involved, "as long as we have things for parents to do."
"The overall need of addressing behavior still rests with parents who send their kids to school," said Carter, who is helping the system coordinate the volunteer recruitment. "You can't expect the Baltimore school system to be the social services department, but that's the work they have to do on a daily basis." At a City Council meeting yesterday, Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke questioned whether small offenses are going unpunished, potentially sending a message to students that misbehavior goes unnoticed. Calling on the community to volunteer, Clarke said, "Our children in our schools need to know that we are imposing discipline."

Md.'s new 'green' watchdog

Attorney general launches public meetings seeking tips on curbing bay, river pollution

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-md.gansler15apr15,0,3940587.story

Taking on a new role as environmental watchdog, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler says he plans to hold town hall-style meetings across Maryland to find strategies to cut pollution into the Chesapeake Bay. One goal of the meetings - which start tomorrow in Chestertown - is to get tips from residents about polluters the state could prosecute, Gansler said. While environmentalists praised more involvement from the state's top lawyer, some Republicans accused Gansler of overreaching. Del. Michael D. Smigiel Sr., a Republican from the Eastern Shore, said Gansler is trying to usurp the role of the Maryland Department of the Environment, which traditionally has policed pollution. "I think it's political grandstanding," said Smigiel. "I would hope he'd help Baltimore City curb its violent crime, maybe hold some meetings there instead of having an environmental attack on waterfront homeowners and farmers." Del. Richard A. Sossi, a Republican who represents the Chestertown area, said both Gansler and state Comptroller Peter Franchot came out of the box "wanting to be more activist, more involved" than past state officials in their roles. "My only concern is that sometimes they can get a little off the mark in their zeal to make a statement," Sossi said. "The environment is my priority," Gansler said. "I'm the head lawyer in the state, and my job is to promote and advocate for good public policy."

Smith offering 'very lean' budget to County Council

No property tax increase expected; cost-of-living raises not included

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.budget15apr15,0,5604265.story

Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. is expected to present a budget today to county lawmakers that leaves them little to trim. Cost-of-living pay raises for county workers and anything else considered not essential to the daily functions of local government have already been left out of the spending plan, according to officials familiar with the final draft. While declining to elaborate on specifics, Smith said yesterday, "This is a very lean budget. We're not funding new initiatives."

'Capitals for a Day' for rest of '08 named

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-day0415,0,590999.story

Gov. Martin O'Malley and the mayors of eight municipalities announced yesterday the locations of nearly a dozen cities around the state that will become "Capitals for a Day" during each month of the rest of the year. The program, in which the governor and his Cabinet members visit a city and "run state government," brought the Annapolis crowd to Salisbury, La Plata and Bel Air last year. This year, they will visit Hagerstown, Chestertown, Leonardtown, Pocomoke City, the Prince George's County "Port Towns," Cumberland, Gaithersburg and Ellicott City.

Tax Increases Would Be Legal, Attorneys Say

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/14/AR2008041402811.html

Lawyers for both the Prince George's County Council and County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) have concluded that county leaders can raise the local income tax rate and the tax imposed on the recordation of home sales without asking voters for their approval at the ballot box. The Prince George's charter establishes some of the nation's toughest restrictions on raising taxes, stating that county leaders must send to a referendum any proposal to increase local taxes or fees. However, at a committee hearing of the council yesterday, county attorney Joseph R. Hamlin and council lawyer Ralph Grutzmacher both said the county's stringent charter language does not apply to the income tax or recordation tax because they were established by state law, which gives local governments guidelines for raising their rates. The Prince George's charter establishes some of the nation's toughest restrictions on raising taxes, stating that county leaders must send to a referendum any proposal to increase local taxes or fees. However, at a committee hearing of the council yesterday, county attorney Joseph R. Hamlin and council lawyer Ralph Grutzmacher both said the county's stringent charter language does not apply to the income tax or recordation tax because they were established by state law, which gives local governments guidelines for raising their rates.

EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

Harford in Joisey eyes

Our view: Newcomers shouldn't fall for such drivel

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-ed.jersey15apr15001519,0,5302711.story

Harford County officials report that an e-mail circulated by unions representing workers at New Jersey's Fort Monmouth warns of an "active" Ku Klux Klan presence in Aberdeen and suggests local organic milk has a "high concentration" of a chemical found in rocket fuel. The e-mail is directed at workers soon to be transferred to Aberdeen Proving Ground under the federal base realignment and closure process. Neither of the allegations is true, of course. While some in New Jersey may be unhappy with the pending BRAC transfers, such slanderous disinformation does its authors no great honor.

Equal-access bill went too far

Competition between disabled, able-bodied bad possibility

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-va.kent15apr15,0,6705623.column

It's a long-held political truism that a legislative body can inflict its worst damage on its citizenry near the close of a session, when passions are high and legislators' attention is scattered toward the twin goals of getting bills passed and getting the heck out of town. In keeping with that time-honored tradition, the Maryland General Assembly waited until the end of its session last week to pass a bill that has the potential to wreak havoc on high school athletics. Left unclear from the bill's passage, however, are the twin questions of how compliance would be effectively measured and whether the bill, if signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley, could force competition between able and disabled athletes, an arrangement that would serve neither party well. The bill, however, says the state Board of Education and county boards must "ensure" that students with disabilities must be given opportunity to "try out for and, if selected, participate in mainstream athletic programs," opening up a potentially massive can of worms for local coaches and athletic administrators. To their credit, the bill's sponsors did provide an exception for when the inclusion of a student "presents an objective safety risk to the student or to others or fundamentally alters the nature of the school's mainstream physical education or mainstream athletic program."

Mandatory madness

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.sentencing15apr15001519,0,2524968.story

During the recent session of the Maryland General Assembly, the House of Delegates rejected a bill that would have given courtroom judges greater sentencing leeway for first-time, nonviolent drug law offenders - including drug treatment programs rather than prison. The bill, sponsored by Del. Curtis S. Anderson of Baltimore, would have been a step in the right direction, but it was defeated for the usual reason: politicians' fear of being labeled "soft on crime." Mr. Anderson says his sentencing reform proposal is based on reports from Maryland judges and drug treatment providers - most of whom favor treatment programs, not prison terms, for small-time, nonviolent drug offenders. America needs enlightened sentencing, not blind uniformity. That's why it is time to get our "sentence-first, verdict-later" lawmakers in Annapolis (and around the nation) out of the courtroom - and let judges do their jobs.

NATIONAL NEWS

Bartlett set to face off against McHugh for top GOP position on Armed Services Committee

http://www.politickermd.com/tags/maryland039ssixthcongressionaldistrict

U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Frederick) believes that he should become the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, but he is facing competition from a senior committee member. Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) recently denied heavy speculation that he planned to resign his seat to run for a position in the New York state Senate. He also drafted a letter to colleagues expressing his interest in becoming the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee. Among those who may seek the position, McHugh is the only one who outranks Bartlett.