20071015 News Clips

News Clips

Oct. 15, 2007

STATE NEWS

O'Malley to call special session over deficithttp://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071013/METRO/110130028/1004
Gov. Martin O'Malley will announce Monday that he's calling lawmakers back to the capital to grapple with Maryland's projected budget deficit. Mr. O'Malley will make the formal call - a maneuver required before governors bring lawmakers to work out of regular session - on Monday afternoon. Spokesman Rick Abbruzzese would not say yesterday when exactly the special session would begin. In remarks across the state, Mr. O'Malley has argued that it would be wrong to wait until January to deal with the budget problem. That's because the state would lose a few months to collect new revenues if the higher taxes a ren't enacted by the start of next year. Republicans reacted to news of a special session by repeating their objections to higher taxes without a full budget under consideration.
"The Republican caucus certainly thinks it's a bad idea without a road map in terms of how it's going to be spent," House Republican Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell, Southern Maryland Republican, said of the new taxes.

O'Malley to Offer Revenue Proposal In Special Session
Md. Tax Increases, Slot Gambling On Table in Risky Hurry-Up Play
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/12/AR2007101201609.html
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) on Monday plans to call a special session of the General Assembly with the hope of securing quick action on his plan to close a $1.7 billion budget shortf all by raising several taxes and legalizing slot-machine gambling, his office said yesterday.
Administration officials acknowledged that there is no guarantee that the session, scheduled to start as early as Oct. 29, will be a success. The governor has not secured consensus on several aspects of his plan, including a slots proposal projected to yield $550 million a year for the state.
But administration officials suggested the attention generated by a special session could spur lawmakers to reach deals on several issues that have divided them for years.
There will be no time limit on the special session, but administration officials said they hope Thanksgiving will serve as a deadline for action. To balance the budget in coming years, O'Malley is counting on increased collections from income, sales, corporate and tobacco taxes starting in January. If the legislature waits until next year to raise those taxes, O'Malley will be forced to propose more than $500 m illion in additional spending cuts or tax increases.

Slots a budget hurdle
Proposed referendum on machines may end stalemate
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.slots14oct14,0,4359021.story
As Gov. Martin O'Malley struggles to win support for his plan to erase a projected $1.7 billion shortfall in the state budget next year, the stalemate over legalizing slot machine gambling remains one of the biggest obstacles. Legislators who favor slots face off against various factions that don't.
"You've got one contingent that believes that no tax increases are needed, and they have put through spending cuts," said Sen. E.J. Pipkin, an Eastern Shore Republican. "Then you have another contingent that says it should be done with tax increases, no budget cuts and no slots. And it's tough to build a consensus when you have those two extremes tugging at you every day."
"The General Assembly has not been able to move forward on this issue for the last five years. Maybe the best way to put it behind us is to let the people decide," said O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese.
O'Malley has scheduled a news conference tomorrow in Annapolis to announce the start date of a special session.

Tax cuts or hike coming? It depends
http://www.examiner.com/a-989701~Tax_cuts_or_hike_coming___It_depends.html
Gov. Martin O'Malley continues to insist that the vast majority of Marylanders will see their taxes cut in the revenue "reforms" he will ask the legislature to embrace in the special session being announced today. Skeptical conservatives and business lobbyists scoff that most residents will actually get wha t real estate people like to call a "haircut" - a slice of your money off the top, leaving a little less in your wallet.
It's hard to say which is correct. We are still relying on the governor's PowerPoint slides for the details, using budget department estimates; we're not relying on legislation printed in black and white. But somehow the governor raises $1.5 billion in new revenue - $2 billion four years from now - yet he promised four out of five people will pay less.
Whether that's true depends on your age, income, marital status, housing choices, lifestyle, spending habits and transportation options.
So if Marylanders want to be sure to pay lower taxes, they should stop smoking, stop driving, stop spending so much on luxuries, cancel their fitness club membership, walk to work and stop making so much money.

Same-sex marriage on state's agenda
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_14-41/TOP
When the Court of Appeals overturned a gay marriage ruling last month, it made sure to say the General Assembly could still take up the issue. And two Anne Arundel County legislators will be seizing that chance for different sides of the debate.
Del. Ben Barnes, D-College Park, will sponsor a bill to allow gay couples to have civil marriages. But on the other side, Del. Don Dwyer, R-Glen Burnie, plans to file a bill to create a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriages and civil unions. Such legislation, if passed, would have to be approved by voters. But on the other side, Del. Don Dwyer, R-Glen Burnie, plans to file a bill to create a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriages and civil unions.
Such legislation, if passed, would have to be approved by voters. "This issue is so important, the people of the state ha ve to be able to vote on it," said Mr. Dwyer, a vociferous opponent of same-sex marriage.Mr. Dwyer put a similar bill in during the last General Assembly session. Although it received an unfavorable report from the House Judiciary Committee, it was supported by every other Republican delegate in Anne Arundel County: Bob Costa, Ron George, James King, Nic Kipke, Tony McConkey and Steve Schuh. But the delegate doubts any marriage bill on either side of the debate will come out of committee because many politicians do not want to deal with such a controversial issue. "As long as we don't act one way or the other, politicians aren't put at risk," he said. "I'm willing to lay my service on the line."

O'Malley's gay-union view set by audience
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007 1015/METRO/110150096/1004
Gov. Martin O"Malley has struggled to find a consistent position on homosexual "marriage" in the weeks since Maryland"s highest court upheld a ban on the unions and left further action on the issue to the General Assembly.
Mr. O"Malley, a Democrat, seemed to support civil unions last week, although his stance has shifted depending on who he is talking to.
A spokesman for Mr. O"Malley on Friday said the governor"s comments have not been conflicting, but activists on both sides of the issue have been frustrated with what they see as a lack of consistency.
"He's clearly conflicted because now he recognizes that his previous position that same-sex marriage was suitable for the state may in fact turn out to be a detriment to his re-election bid," said Delegate Donald H. Dwyer Jr., Anne Arundel Republican, who for three years has introduced bills that would amend the state's constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. "Even O'Malley, as left-leaning as he is, recognizes that the issue is not going to sell with the public," he said. And even if the subject does come up, disagreement among leaders in the House and Senate means a bill would likely not make it to Mr. O'Malley's desk next session

MARYLAND: O'Malley proposals for school funding criticized
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/NEWS01/71015002
Educators are criticizing a proposal by Gov. Martin O'Malley to make changes in funding required by the Thornton education reform plan. The Thornton plan calls for increasing state spending by $2 billion over five years with inflation increases each year after this current school year. Officials with the Maryland State Teachers Association and the Maryland Assoc iation of Boards of Education said they understand the state's budget problems but note schools are facing pressure to raise standards.

Schools revamp ahead of BRAC
Two area community colleges modernize cramped facilities
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/brac/bal-md.ha.college15oct15,0,2852767.story
A task as routine as scheduling lab time for science classes is not so simple as it used to be at Harford Community College.
As part of an effort to beef up the math and science curriculum to meet the demands of the influx coming to Aberdeen Proving Ground because of the base realignment and closure process, the college is undertaking a renovation that will double the size of Aberdeen Hall and modernize the laboratories and classrooms. The changes come in anticipation of about 5,100 high-tec h jobs relocating from Fort Monmouth, N.J. About one-third of the workers coming to APG are scientists and engineers who build radar, battlefield radios and equipment to jam roadside bombs.Another BRAC-affected jurisdiction, Anne Arundel County, also is taking steps to prepare its community college for the changes that the military influx will bring.

Candidates stick to the issues
Personal attacks rare during Aberdeen forum; hopefuls address water shortages, budget, taxes
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-ha.forum14oct14,0,5684630.story
A little more than three weeks before Election Day, candidates for Aberdeen mayor and the four council seats are campaigning on the city's water shortage, budgetary woes and property taxes.

Gilchrest, Harris are close in battle for fundr aising
http://www.examiner.com/a-989709~Gilchrest__Harris_are_close_in_battle_for_fundraising.html
In the heated Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District seat, U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest holds a narrow edge in his campaign chest over his challenger, State Sen. Andy Harris, R-Harford-Baltimore counties. But since entering the race in May, Harris has raised nearly twice as much as the nine-term incumbent, according to figures released by the campaigns.

First Lady Raising Her Profile Without Changing Her Image
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/washington/15bush.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
T his Saturday, a military jet with the code name "Bright Star" will take off from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, bound for a diplomatic mission in the Middle East. It will carry an increasingly outspoken and quietly powerful White House emissary: Laura Bush, the first lady of the United States.The official purpose of the trip is to promote breast cancer awareness; nobody expects the president's wife to engage in bare-knuckle negotiations over war and peace. Yet in the twilight of her husband's presidency, the woman who once made George W. Bush promise she would never have to give a speech is stepping out in a new and unusually substantive way.
At home, she is inserting herself more forcefully into the issues she cares about. Most people know Mrs. Bush as a vocal supporter of her husband's signature education bill, No Child Left Behind. What they do not know is that she has been waging a quiet lobbying campaign to persuade Congress to reauthorize the b ill by inviting key lawmakers to the White House for coffee - with her, not the president.
At home, Mrs. Bush's approval ratings have consistently been double that of her husband; during last year's midterm elections, Republicans who did not want to be seen with their unpopular president asked his wife to campaign for them instead. That same dynamic is at work overseas; Stephen J. Hadley, Mr. Bush's national security adviser, calls the first lady "a foreign policy asset to the president."


EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

Thornton sleight of hand
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.thornton15oct15,0,5001791.story
It's easy to sympathize with Gov. Martin O'Malley's dilemma. He has to close a $1.7 billion budget gap and is looking for savings in a sector - education - that accounts for a hefty share of state spending. He also promised during last year's gubernatorial campaign to help school districts with higher costs of living by adding funding called for as a supplement to the Thornton law.
But he's adding with one hand while taking away with another.
Now Mr. O'Malley wants to phase in the high-cost index over three years, adding $38 million in fiscal year 2009 and topping out at $129 million by 2011. That money would be shared by about half of the state's 24 school districts, but some needy districts that don't qualify on the basis of costs, such as Allegany, Somerset and Worcester counties, would be left out.
Granted, that's the way the high-cost index is designed to work, but the harmful effects on less-affluent, rural districts at a time of painful belt-tightening might argue for deferring this phase-in even longer.
Be that as it may, the governor's proposal to cut across-the-board inflationary increases would hurt more districts than the special adjustment would help. It's a trade-off that needs to be reconsidered.

Leopold's approach to stormwater fee is too narrow
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_14-09/OPN
Recent polls have shown public support for fees and taxes that go toward cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. So, it is not surprising that both county and state government have proposed ways to tap that generosity. The county executive wants to assess a fee on new construction, arguing that current landowners already pay for environmental cleanup through taxes. He wants to replace the present stormwater drainage fee with a Stormwater Management and Restoration of Tributaries fund generated from excise fees for grading and building permits. Only construction adding to existing impervious s urface would be taxed. This fund is expected to raise $5.1 million a year in the county.
We give credit to the county executive for tackling this huge issue, but it would be unwise for the County Council to support his approach. And Mr. Leopold's approach would produce only $5.1 million a year - a drop in the stormwater bucket. At that rate, it would take a thousand years to raise the estimated $5 billion needed to fix this county's stormwater management problem.As the legislature will already be considering a dizzying array of proposed taxes and fees, it will not be easy for it to enact an environmental fee as well. But taxpayers would accept a green-fund fee - about $15 a year for a 3,000-square-foot home - if there were written guarantees that the revenue would go exclusively to clean up the bay. Legislators, as they have done with open space and transportation funds, would have to include language barring governors from raiding the fund to balance budgets.

The value of saying no
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_14-08/COL
The rap against guys like Herb McMillan - the kind of politicians who seem to always be on the short end of votes that go something like 136-5 - is that they don't get anything done. But even after his loss in a state Senate race last year, Mr. McMillan, a 49-year-old Annapolis Republican, doesn't regret a thing. He's proud of the stands he took in his single terms as city alderman and delegate. And he's itching to get back in the game, as evidenced by his recent newspaper opinion pieces blasting Gov. Martin O'Malley's budget as a fraud. It seems inevitable he'll run for something again, perhaps mayor in 2009, though he said he's in no rush to decide.
"I obviously miss it," he said last week over lunch, adding later with a smile, "I'm not very patient. But I have to be right now, so I'm being patient."Mr. McMillan has conservative views on topics like gay marriage and immigration, but said he's more concerned about the plight of the middle class and small businesses. Mayor of Annapolis still seems to be the job that intrigues him most. "It's tempting," he said of being an executive. "When you're just one member of the legislature, especially when you're in the minority, it can be frustrating."

20071010 Eldersburg Eagle: We can honor firefighting heritage by preventing disaster by Kevin Dayhoff

We can honor firefighting heritage by preventing disaster

by Kevin E. Dayhoff Wednesday, October 10, 2007

This week, Oct. 7-13, is Fire Prevention Week.

That's serious business. Don't kid yourself that it can't happen to you. The basics of fire safety are something that every family needs to practice every day.

Recently in Carroll County there have been a number of fires that garnered public attenti... [Read full story]

We can honor firefighting heritage by preventing disaster

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=977&NewsID=844679&CategoryID=18312&show=localnews&om=1

10/10/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Email this story to a friend

This week, Oct. 7-13, is Fire Prevention Week.

That's serious business. Don't kid yourself that it can't happen to you. The basics of fire safety are something that every family needs to practice every day.

Recently in Carroll County there have been a number of fires that garnered public attention. Fortunately, most of the incidents of late have not involved serious injury or death, but the resulting property damage still takes a toll on a community.

One thing you can do right away is put fresh batteries in your smoke alarm(s) and make sure these basic safety devices are working properly.

The next thing you can do is talk with your family about a fire escape plan. In fact, "Practice Your Escape Plan" is this year's National Fire Protection Association theme for Fire Prevention Week 2007. For more information and a worksheet for developing a home fire escape plan, visit firepreventionweek.org.

You can also take the opportunity to learn more about fire protection services in Carroll County.

There's a rich history and tradition of citizens volunteering their time and talent to the 14 fire companies in Carroll.

In the Sykesville-Eldersburg area, there are several references to a "Sykesville Fire Company" in various old newspaper articles after Sykesville incorporated in 1904, but it appears it wasn't until summer 1933 that the predecessor to what we now know as the Sykesville-Freedom District Fire Department was formerly organized.

The Dec. 10, 1920 edition of the Union Bridge Pilot has an article in it about the "large flour mill of the Maryland Milling and Supply Company, at Sykesville É was totally destroyed by fire Wednesday night É causing a loss of about $20,000 É

"A chemical engine, the only fire apparatus in the town, could render but little service, and the flames gained headway with alarming rapidity. A large crowd assembled, but could do nothing more than to stand and look on."

The April 13, 1923, edition of the long-defunct Democratic Advocate carried a headline: "Mr. and Mrs. John Harris, With Baby Ill From Pneumonia, Flee In Night-Clothes."

The article declares that a fire was "believed to have been caused by a defective flue in the home of John Harris, threatened to destroy the town of Sykesville, Monday morning about 3:30 o'clock. É At one time the Harris house, the town hall, the jail and the 'old volunteer house,' occupied by the fire company, were in flames É"

"Hardly more than a bucket brigade the Sykesville Volunteer Fire Company is said to have done excellent work in fighting the flames until the arrival of the Westminster company."

According to a history posted on the Sykesville-Freedom District Fire Department's Web site, on September 18, 1933, the first members of the Sykesville Fire Department were elected. They included: J. Marion Harris, President; H. Lester Phelps, Vice President; Celius L. Brown, Secretary; J. Nevin Ports, Treasurer and Leo F. Chrobot, Chief.

On Dec. 14, 1933, the department purchased the "old store on lower S. Main Street and a 1933 American LaFrance fire engine was purchased to serve the community," according to the department Web site.

"In 1939, plans were made to acquire new apparatus. The current fire station was too small so the station moved to across the street to the 'old stone store.' This building was used until 1949 when it was sold to St. Barnabas Church."

During the dedication ceremony for the new Main Street station on May 14, 1949, the fire alarm rang, and as the Eldersburg-Sykesville area has grown, the increasing number of calls has continued.

In 1972, a second station was built on Sykesville Road, and the company operated two station houses until November 1981.

It was also in 1972 that Libby Luebberman became the first female to qualify to ride the emergency apparatus in Sykesville. She was one of the first in the county and one of the first in the state.

Carroll County volunteer firefighters are among our greatest heroes.

They take time away from their families and risk their lives daily to protect us and our homes.

We can help thank them by working to prevent disasters ... and by being prepared.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org.

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20071009 Steve Breem political cartoon on SCHIP

Steve Breem political cartoon on SCHIP

Posted October 14, 2007


My next Tentacle column is on the shipwreck we know as SCHIP.

In reviewing my research on the issues last night, I came across the cartoon pasted above by Steve Breem in the San Diego Union-Tribune, which wonderfully illustrated one particular dynamic of the discussion and dialogue.

The cartoon depicts a donkey caricature talking to wide-eyed children gathered around the campfire: “Then the evil president who hated kids (and probably enjoyed drowning puppies) took his red veto stamp to the SCHIP bill and…”

####

20071013 Nags Head Dune Fence

20071013 Nags Head Dune Fence

Daily Photoblog

Saturday, October 13, 2007

20071012 News Clips

News Clips

Oct. 12, 2007

STATE NEWS

O'Malley says he'll call next week for session
Republican Brinkley says he is willing to debate the governor on his budget proposals
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-md.governor12oct12,0,2023573.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday that he expects to call a special session of the General Assembly and to introduce bills outlining his budget proposals early next week. During an interview on WAMU's The Kojo Nnamdi Show, the governor also criticized Republican lawmakers for obstructing his efforts to solve the state's $1.7 billion budget shortfall. Senate GOP leaders have said they would not support O'Malley's slot machine gambling proposal, expected to raise $550 mill ion annually, during a special session.
Senate Minority Leader David R. Brinkley, a Frederick County Republican, said the governor "is being intellectually dishonest when he makes accusations of that type, and he knows it." Brinkley offered to debate O'Malley on the budget.
"He wants a special session so he can ramrod a massive tax increase. He knows he is delinquent in sharing details with anybody. If anything, we are certainly exercising our responsibility and diligence to the taxpayers of the state," Brinkley said.
Given the GOP's unwillingness to cooperate during a special session, O'Malley said he would consider putting the issue to a statewide referendum in 2008.

Waterways fee is shaky
Leopold restoration proposal facing opposition from council
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.smartfund12oct12,0,61288.story
A proposal by Anne Arundel's chief executive to create a fee to repair damaged waterways might be headed for legislative purgatory, with Republicans and Democrats alike arguing that it would overburden taxpayers, curb affordable housing and put new retail centers at a competitive disadvantage. An alternative has emerged, from Republican council Chairman Ronald C. Dillon Jr., who during election season last year opposed a broad-based storm-water restoration fee on all property owners.
At Tuesday's work session on the topic, however, he said that Leopold's plan to levy a fee only on future development doesn't go far enough because it fails to address the disparate environmental impact of older development.
Anne Arundel officials said this week that the county faces a $5 billion price tag to restore waterways and install controls to curb runo ff - a figure several times higher than previously estimated. They called County Executive John R. Leopold's plan to create a $5.3 million fund "a good start." Leopold said he would "entertain" placing charges on existing development if there's enough council support.

Wind farm idea is floated
Offshore turbines would be visible from Ocean City
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-te.md.wind12oct12,0,1599641.story
A New Jersey-based company wants to build about 150 wind turbines, each more than 40 stories tall, in the Atlantic Ocean 12 miles from the tourist-packed beaches of Ocean City. The developers presented the broad outlines of their concept for Maryland's coast yesterday during a closed-door meeting with members of the state Public Service Commission. No written proposal has been submitted, but company officials said a wind farm would cost about $1.6 billion. The firm has also met with Gov. Martin O'Malley's office and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which has started studying the potential impact on birds and fish.
The project would be subject to approval by the U.S. Department of the Interior because the turbines would be in federal waters. And approval would be needed from Maryland agencies to bring power cables ashore.

O'Malley promises word on special session soon
http://www.examiner.com/a-985189~O_Malley_promises_word_on_special_session_soon.html
Gov. Martin O'Malley said Thursday that "early next week" he'll have an announcement about calling a special session of the Gener al Assembly to deal with his deficit-reducing package, and that "early next week you'll see the legislation rolling out" with details on his slot machines proposal. Rumors were thick in Annapolis on Wednesday that the governor would announce the next day that he was calling the legislature back on Oct. 29. But O'Malley's staffers insisted they did not know the date, and the governor did not give a date at a closed Cabinet meeting Thursday morning. Staff of the House speaker and Senate president also said they hadn't been given a date. All he would say about the slots proposal is that it would be "a combination of locations at racetracks and some other destination locations." O'Malley also slammed Republicans for not supporting "any tax reform measures" and for pulling back their support on slots, "and they won't be advancing any cuts that they would be willing to vote for."
House Republican Leader Anthony O'Donnell repeated his willingness to share his party's pro posed cuts with O'Malley privately, but "clearly this governor has no desire to rein in spending in state government."
"We have a solid plan," O'Donnell said. It includes slots but no tax increases.

GOP primary challenger reporting cash surge
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/displayUpdate.htm?StoryID=66267
The challenger in the upcoming Republican primary in the 1st Congressional District is reporting a surge in contributions.
State Sen. Andy Harris' campaign is reporting $352,000 in third quarter contributions - a total that could be a record for the district.
Incumbent Congressman Wayne Gilchrest's campaign has until midnight Monday to report its numbers. Gilchrest raised $82,000 in the second quarter.
Harris told The (Salisbury) Daily Times he couldn't have raised th at amount if people weren't confident in his record and disappointed in incumbent Wayne Gilchrest.


EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

Settling accounts
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.franchot12oct12,0,3316214.story
Cracking down on state tax evaders ought to be a top priority, particularly when Maryland is facing a $1.7 billion budget deficit. After all, every dollar collected from an unpaid tax bill is a dollar less in new taxes or budget cuts. So Comptroller Peter Franchot's recent announcement that his office could clear as much as $200 million within the next four years - if he can expand his staff, pay them a bit more, and upgrade technology - deserves serious consideration.
So why is the O'Malley administration acting so cool to the idea ?
In recent weeks, Maryland has been collecting about $2 million more each month from businesses thanks to a pilot program with the IRS that allows the state to attach payments to federal vendors. Improved technology could allow many more such programs. The agency could tap a veritable warehouse of data to check and crosscheck financial transactions against tax returns.
Mr. Franchot's job is chiefly to collect taxes. Mr. O'Malley's is to run state government. They don't have to be best friends, but voters expect them to do their jobs and not use public policy to settle accounts - other than unpaid tax bills.

SCHIP on the merits
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.schip11oct11,0,380908.story
From a Maryland perspective, the campaign to override President Bush's veto of legislation expand ing access to health insurance for working-class children isn't going well. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid started out by leveling a thinly veiled threat at Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, the only Marylander to vote against the measure. But Mr. Bartlett has reveled in the attention, saying he was pleased to be identified as the only one who got it right.
No one likes being bullied. But we urge Mr. Bartlett to reconsider the various options for SCHIP on the merits. This is a program designed primarily by Senate Republicans to help the growing ranks of working people who can't get insurance through employers and can't afford the full cost of buying it on their own. It's been a great success.
Mr. Bartlett is rooting for a compromise that would help less-needy folks buy insurance with refundable tax credits. He says he wants to maintain their control over health care choices.

We don't need a referendum on slots
http://www.examiner.com/a-985192~Editorial__We_don_t_need_a_referendum_on_slots.html
If fixing the $1.7 billion structural deficit is O'Malley's top priority, sending slots to the people won't help the process. He suggested that idea earlier this week because: "We would finally let the people decide, in a way, what their representatives have been incapable of deciding for the last four years."
We agree with his sentiment. But this is from a man who wants to call a special session this fall to speed the passage of a host of new taxes. Any referendum would have to wait until next fall, assuming three-fifths of state legislators in both chambers agree to send it to the voters.
The state cannot afford to wait another year while surrounding states bank the hundreds of millions of dollars Marylanders spend playing slots across the bo rder.We've chronicled hundreds of millions of dollars the state spent on public schools, golf courses and other projects that achieved no measurable - and sometimes a negative - return on investment for Maryland taxpayers. Cutting that waste could cancel a large chunk of the state's debt and eliminate the need to raise taxes.
Debating how to do so is our legislators' duty. They should take those issues up - and slots - on return to Annapolis in January.

By O'Malley's own hand
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071012/EDITORIAL/110120001
Call it Martin O'Malley's $1.7 billion problem.Eleven months ago, Marylanders voted a Republican governor out of office and gave General Assembly Democrats majorities of more than 2-1 in the House of Delegates and the state Senate. So, who would be to b lame if Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, fails to get legislation authorizing tax increases and slot machines through the legislature at a special session next month?
The fact is that Mr. O'Malley's plan is in trouble in part because: 1) He has failed to convince many of his liberal Democratic political allies that slots are a good idea; and 2) the tax increases that the governor is pushing have also alienated some of his prominent liberal supporters, including House Speaker Mike Busch, Anne Arundel Democrat, who is no fan of slots. So partisan politics is not the problem.
Mr. O'Malley's political problems are self-made - the result of a combination of extremely liberal politics and a heavyhanded personal style that grates on people. If he continues to insist on a special session, then it is his job to pull a bipartisan coalition together. After that heavylifting is done, Mr. O'Malley will have to reveal to Marylanders his plan to get the state out of its $1.7 billion fiscal hole. They want to know whether his plan goes beyond reaching into their wallets.

Political Notes - Debate on debates
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/reporters_notebooks_display.htm?StoryID=66252
Fans of politics love a good debate, but is it too early for one about the 2008 Congressional race?
Democratic Congressional candidate Andrew Duck challenged Republican Roscoe Bartlett to a debate this week, but the incumbent said the request was premature.
"I look forward to debates with the Democratic nominee after Democratic voters make their choice from a field of candidates," Bartlett said in a statement.
Duck challenged Bartlett through a press release calling for a public debate where Bartlett would be asked to defend his votes against extending the State Child Health Insurance Program. Duck asked for it to take place before Oct. 18, the date Congress is scheduled to vote on an override of President Bush's veto of the bill.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Four years ago, slots would have fixed everything
http://www.examiner.com/a-985191~Letters__October_12__2007.html
The Democratic party has a lot of guts putting blame on the GOP for stopping slots during a special session, (GOP senators fight 'nonfactor' label by standing firm against slots plan, Oct. 8). They had four regular sessions with Republicans to form a consensus about bringing slots to Maryland during the Ehrlich administration. In the final year of Ehrlich's administration, House Speaker Michael Busch failed to have a meeting of the minds between the House and Senate to work out the slots issue with Senate President Thomas V. "M ike" Miller.
Michael Busch and then Baltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley stood in the way of Marylanders making their own choice about how to spend their hard-earned money. Now Gov. O'Malley and the Democrats want to blame Republicans for what Republicans have been telling them for the past four years. Slots generate revenue and if we had slots four years ago we wouldn't need any special session or tax increases.
J. Michael Collins
Reisterstown

NATIONAL NEWS

Md. delegation backs BRAC costs
http://www.capitalonline.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_11-49/TOP
Maryland's congressional delegation yesterday defended the process that will move thousands of military jobs to the state as cost effective and good for the country, after criticism from other states that spawned an ove rsight hearing.
The federal base realignment and closure plan will ultimately save the military millions of dollars, eliminating duplication of services, improving national defense and improving efficiency, said Heather Moeder Molino, deputy chief of staff for Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Cockeysville. Spokeswomen for Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, and Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., said they are confident the hearing won't change anything.
"At the end of the day, it's going to make sense for these facilities to be at Aberdeen," said Stephanie Lundgren, a Hoyer spokeswoman. Melissa Schwartz, Ms. Mikulski's spokeswoman, said the New Jersey delegation is doing "exactly what the Maryland delegation would be doing if we lost one of our most valuable bases," but that the BRAC Commission's recommendations have already been signed into law.

Subject: FROSTBURG STATE ON SATURDAY "Protest O'Malley Tax Hikes on October 13 at FSU"
"Press Release - October 10, 2007

Protest O'Malley Tax Hikes on October 13 at FSU

This Saturday, October 13, Governor Martin O'Malley will be stopping by Frostburg State University in an attempt to sell his proposal to increase Maryland taxes. The stop will be apart of what Wall Street Journal editors have labeled, O'Malley's "tax-increase-a-day tour". The Governor has been introducing tax increases at several events across the state. At some of the Governor's recent stops he has revealed his plans to increase the sales tax 20% from 5 cents to six cents on the dollar, to double the cigarette tax to $2 per pack, and to increase the gas tax 12 cents per gallon. All these taxes add up from hundreds to thousands of dollars of new taxes on Maryland families and small businesses.

Wall Street Jour nal editors also noted that almost two-thirds of the people targeted by the Governor's burdensome tax increases are small business owners, and that they are Maryland's major employers.

The Frostburg State University chapter of College Republicans will be leading a protest of the Governor when he visits the university in order to raise awareness of his these heavy increases. The FSU College Republicans invite all other concerned citizens, Republicans, Independents, and Democrats alike, to join them as Governor O'Malley tries to 'sell' his taxes.

Only citizens' opposition and action will stop the Governor's oppressive taxes.

These are the facts and if you are interested in stopping these tax hikes please join us. Everyone is instructed to meet at the Clock Tower in front of the FSU Lane Center at 10:30 am on Saturday, October 13.

For more information please contact Mike Martel at (443) 474-6384. Participants' respectful protest is appreciated. Thank you.

Jeff Bailey
Maryland Federation of College Republicans
Western Maryland Vice-Chair"

20071010 TGIF: “Let me explain” October 12, 2007 Caption Contest

20071010 TGIF: “Let me explain” October 12, 2007 Caption Contest

“Let me explain” October 12, 2007 Caption Contest

Thank Goodness It’s Friday

Please caption this picture.

“Thank Goodness It’s Friday” will be arriving a day early this week as I am on the road much of Friday this week…

This is something right up the alley of Attila over at the Pillage Idiot, but then again considering the amount of talent in the Maryland Blogosphere, I can only imagine – worry – what many of ya will come up with as for suitable caption for the photo above.

The photo was e-mailed to me by “King Harold II” of Westminster. This gentleman, who is otherwise a pillar of the community, great husband, and family man, is otherwise a rather sick and depraved individual. But that is the fodder for another column – at another time. I do not know whom owns the photo – or the circumstances.

How would you caption the photo?

20071011 News Clips

News Clips

Oct. 11, 2007

STATE NEWS

O'Malley crusades for session
'We have to,' governor tells reporters at budget presentation in Salisbury
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.omalley11oct11,0,2890816.story
Despite pushback against a special session from members of his own party, Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday that he intends to move forward with plans to call one for early November. O'Malley also said he could support a referendum on slot machine gambling, an idea that some lawmakers have started to discuss privately as an alternative to including slots in the governor's proposal to address the state's $1.7 billion budget shortfall.
Sen. Richard F. Colburn, an Eastern Shore Republican who was on hand for O'Malley's presentation, said he thinks the referendum is a fine idea. He said it would put an end to the feuding between Busch and Miller, a slots supporter.
"I'm certainly in favor of letting the ... people decide because it's an issue the Maryland General Assembly has been unable to decide five years in a row," Colburn said.
But Senate Minority Leader David R. Brinkley, a Frederick County Republican who has voted for slots previously but said last week that his caucus would not back a slots bill during a special session, referred yesterday to a referendum as a "bad idea." "People were elected to go down there and make some decisions and cast some votes," he said. "There is no way that a referendum question will have the minutiae that a slots bill entails." Brinkley said slots opponents generally are in favor of a referendum because "they want to delay it and pervert the message."

O'Malley invokes 'Star Trek' to describe hurdles of tax plan
http://www.examiner.com/a-983071~O_Malley_invokes__Star_Trek__to_describe_hurdles_of_tax_plan.html
Gov. Martin O'Malley is often given to soaring rhetoric about his proposals, but he went to a place where no governor had gone before: a classic "Star Trek" episode. "You remember that episode with the two guys, and one of them, the right side of his face was black and the left side of his face was white? Remember that one? And he was always babbling and chasing through a burning planet, the last reaches of hell. Another guy had the opposite side of his face black and the other side of his face was white. "And to look at them, you think, you guys have so much in common, why are you guys chasing each other to hell and back, when you have so much to agree on? I felt like I was trapped in that episode all week."
O'Malley had spent much of Monday and Tuesday trying to persuade legislators to support his deficit-cutting tax increases and slots proposal, along with a special session to pass them. Fiscally conservative Democrats don't like some of the taxes, Montgomery County delegates are not thrilled with raising income tax rates, liberals don't want to see more gambling and Republicans hate most of it.
The governor was clearly frustrated.

New police retirement plan approved by commissioners
http://www.examiner.com/a-983083~New_police_retirement_plan_approved_by_commissioners.html
Better retirement packages at nearby police agencies lure deputies away from the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, but the sheriff hopes an improved pension plan pro posed this week will stop the drain.
"We're encouraged by the commissioners' decision and are looking forward to learning more details of the plan," said Lt. Phil Kasten, spokesman for Sheriff Kenneth Tregoning. Since 2004, better pay and retirement benefits at nearby police agencies have lured 15 deputies away from Carroll. A public hearing will take place before the commissioners take a final vote on the improved retirement packages, which could go into effect early next year.

MoCo Smoking Ban Praised On Anniversary
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/10/andrews_leggett_laud_4th_birth.html?nav=rss_blog
Montgomery officials are celebrating the four-year anniversary of the county's smoking ban, saying the law hasn't harmed the restaurant business and has led to simil ar laws elsewhere. The District, and Charles, Howard and Prince George's counties in Maryland have banned smoking in restaurants since Montgomery enacted its law. In February, Maryland will ban smoking in restaurants across the state.
County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), a longtime supporter ofr the smoking ban, who is traveling in Israel, issued a statement saying he was "proud that Montgomery County has led the way in protecting the health of restaurant workers and patrons."


EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

State too dependent on federal largesse
http://www.examiner.com/a-983059~Editorial__State_too_dependent_on_federal_largesse.html
Many citizens in oil-rich countries rue the natural resource that brings them so much wealth. Oil trap s them in an economy with no alternatives in good times and bad. The government is that way for Maryland - except no one seems to think it's a problem. We should worry. It means that if government spending withers, so will the Maryland economy.
Our elected officials need to look beyond Maryland's prowess in raking in federal dollars and make the state friendly to business of all stripes. It is the best guarantee that Maryland will continue to thrive regardless of federal dollars.

No dice on slots again?
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_editorial.htm?StoryID=66188
Former Maryland governor Robert Ehrlich started talking about slots during his campaign for governor, and tried his level best to get the General Assembly to go along. He figured Maryland was losing money like water from a leaking pipe -- money that could be well-utilized by the state for a variety of important spending needs. Education, including the money needed to fund the state's ambitious Thornton initiative, was to reap the benefits of the hundreds of millions that legalized slot machine gambling supposedly would have generated. But when O'Malley unveiled his complete budget proposal last month, many state Republicans, including Frederick County delegation members Sen. David Brinkley and Delegate Rick Weldon, didn't buy it. In particular, they objected to the lack of spending cuts in O'Malley's plan and to his pushing for a special session to deal specifically with the budget shortfall. But what about slots? If O'Malley calls a special session, all bets are off, according to Senate Minority Leader Brinkley. Brinkley last week said his fellow Republicans will be naysayers on slots if O'Malley convenes the session. The Maryland Democratic Party didn't appreciate Brinkley's shot across O'Malley's bow.
What is this really about? Slots? The best way to fix the budget? Politics? All of the above?

O'Malley touts plan
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/OPINION01/710110448
Gov. Martin O'Malley visited Salisbury University on Wednesday to present his solution to the state's structural deficit, estimated at $1.7 billion next year. His proposals are controversial at best, and here on the Shore, he could have faced a downright hostile audience. He deserves credit for his willingness to face the music and make his pitch to Lower Shore residents. As it happened, the crowd was fairly friendly. The most controversial aspect of O'Malley's plan is a carryover from Gov. Robert Ehrlich's administration --slots. Ehrlich fa iled to get a slots bill past the House of Delegates. The issue polarized the Lower Shore throughout Ehrlich's administration.
Marylanders are right to question how the state can raise revenues while reducing the tax burden on as many as 83.5 percent of the state's residents. O'Malley's plan merits in-depth study and debate. Let's be open to the possibilities, but without rushing into any fast-track approval.

Commissioners voted wisely
http://www.gazette.net/stories/101107/frededi52513_32355.shtml
The Frederick Board of County Commissioners voted down a proposal Tuesday that would have cut off county funding from any program that helped illegal immigrants, including schools. Instead, the commissioners adopted two resolutions, one each for the federal and state governments, that encourage both to take their own responsibilities more seriously as they relate to illegal immigration. Even if someone could claim to put a dollar figure on what illegal immigration costs America, any such number would be hotly contested and serve only to divide our community further. Would that not run counter to the idea that the commissioners want to ''promote harmony in our community and mutual respect for all people"?
We acknowledge that illegal immigration is a problem.
In fact, we support Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins' desire to partner with the U.S. bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport illegal immigrants arrested for other crimes in our county.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Rep. Bartlett explains why he supports veto
http://www.times-news.com/opinion/local_story_283105513.html?keywor d=secondarystory
I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the Times-News Oct. 5, 2007 editorial and Oct. 4, 2007, news article about the SCHIP program. I'm proud that I voted to create the SCHIP program in 1997 because I want to provide health insurance for children of working poor families, but that is not what this debate is about.
Congressional Democrat leaders are demanding that SCHIP be expanded because it is a crucial step toward achieving their ultimate goal of "universal health care" that Americans soundly rejected. SCHIP is a bipartisan program for children of families earning up to 200 percent of the poverty level who don't have health insurance. SCHIP currently provides coverage to 6.6 million individuals.
There is time to make two changes I support to continue and improve SCHIP to make sure we provide health insurance to low-income kids first. SCHIP should continue to cover children in families with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal po verty level. I support better outreach programs to make sure eligible children without health insurance enroll in SCHIP.
I will vote to sustain the President's veto because having the government take more taxpayers' money to encourage families who already have insurance to expand a government-run healthcare program doesn't help children who don't have insurance.
Roscoe G. Bartlett
Member of Congress Sixth District, Maryland

NATIONAL NEWS

Md. delegation backs BRAC economics
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/brac/bal-md.sbriefs11oct11,0,1622498.story
Maryland's congressional delegation defended yesterday the process that will move thousands of military jobs to the state as cost-effective and good for the country, after criticism from other states that spawned an oversight hearing.
An investigation by the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey has found that the cost of closing the fort and transferring many of its jobs to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County has increased from $780 million to $1.5 billion, giving BRAC opponents there ammunition. Spokeswomen for Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, a Southern Maryland Democrat, and Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, a Baltimore Democrat, said they are confident the hearing won't change anything. "At the end of the day, it's going to make sense for these facilities to be at Aberdeen," said Stephanie Lundgren, a Hoyer spokeswoman.

Back from Iraq, students quiz Gilchrest on U.S. role
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/NEWS01/71011003
The students of Fallston High school looked at their computer screens intently.
They asked questions about the war in Iraq, and then listened, hoping Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, R-Md., would answer.
Gilchrest had just returned from almost a week in Iraq, which he visited to assess security, talk to U.S. troops and commanders and hear about progress in establishing a stable government. From his office on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, he took some tough questions in a Web chat with students at two Harford high schools, Fallston and Harford Tech.
Students said they found the congressman's responses candid and sincere and appreciated chatting via the Web with someone who had actually been to Iraq. "It is refreshing that there are people in Washington who listen to people back home," Fallston teacher Pat Whitehurst said. "Sometimes people in Congress tend to forget that."

SCHIP on the merits
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.schip11oct11,0,380908.story
From a Maryland perspective, the campaign to override President Bush's veto of legislation expanding access to health insurance for working-class children isn't going well. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid started out by leveling a thinly veiled threat at Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, the only Marylander to vote against the measure. But Mr. Bartlett has reveled in the attention, saying he was pleased to be identified as the only one who got it right.
Mr. Bartlett is rooting for a compromise that would help less-needy folks buy insurance with refundable tax credits. He says he wants to maintain their control over health care choices.

20071009 Dan Gainor: Gov. O'Malley can't get a handle on state's slots issue

Gov. O'Malley can't get a handle on state's slots issue

Oct 9, 2007 by Dan Gainor, The Examiner

http://www.examiner.com/a-978936~Dan_Gainor__Gov__O_Malley_can_t_get_a_handle_on_state_s_slots_issue.html

Gov. Martin O'Malley. He's using the state's $1.7 billion deficit to try and rework our entire tax structure - and spend a couple hundred million extra. Rather than push for true belt-tightening in government (Does anybody even know what that means?), O'Malley pulled together a hate-the-rich package that raises almost every tax you can imagine and encourages wealthy people to move out of state.

The "plan" is a classic smoke-filled-room result. Now O'Malley expects the legislature and the abused public to acquiesce. And he wants it done in a special session just prior to the regular session to minimize debate.

The GOP makes it clear it only approved slots because Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich asked nicely and didn't spend like a teen with her dad's credit card. GOP members say they especially oppose a special session because it's designed to raise taxes. Duh. Of course it is. Everything O'Malley does now is designed to raise taxes.

Read the entire commentary here: Gov. O'Malley can't get a handle on state's slots issue

20071010 Chili Cook-Off Sunday, October 21st Benefits Access Carroll

20071010 Chili Cook-Off Sunday, October 21^st Benefits Access Carroll

CHILI COOK-OFF BENEFITS ACCESS CARROLL

Posted October 11, 2007

Put your favorite chili recipe to the test or come and taste the best of the best!

The GFWC Junior Woman's Club of Westminster is pleased to announce the Third Annual Chili Cook-off to be held on Sunday, October 21^st at the Carroll County AG Center.

The event will be held indoors from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. RAIN or SHINE with live bands, kids activities, raffles and more.

All proceeds will benefit Access Carroll. For tickets, entry forms or other information, please call 410-876-7421.

Access Carroll is a non-profit provider of health care to uninsured or low-income Carroll County residents. Their office is located in downtown Westminster at 2 Locust Lane.

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20071007 Annapolis Alderman Joe Sacks has passed away

20071007 Annapolis Alderman Joe Sacks has passed away

Annapolis Alderman Joe Sacks has passed away

October 10^th, 2007

Hat Tip: Capital Punishment from Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Many thanks go out to Capital Punishment for calling to our attention the sad news that Annapolis Alderman Joe Sacks passed away – and thank you for your kind words about Joe:

“As an Alderman, he knew the issues and tried to be fair and reasonable. He was funny and smart; some might say a bit "curmudgeonly" but in a nice way.

“He served his city, his constituents and his community. He made a difference.”

I could not agree more.

When I was first elected to the Westminster Common Council in 1999 and became involved in the Maryland Municipal League, Alderman Sachs was one of the first elected officials I met. He was very kind, knowledgeable – and had a great sense of humor. He always went out of his way to answer my questions.

He was an elected official who got involved in government for all the correct reasons. That sort of elected official is unfortunately an anomaly these days. He will be greatly missed.

The capital Gazette carried the sad news on October 9^th, 2007: “Former Alderman Sachs dies,” by E. B. Furgurson III and Nicole Young.

Former Alderman Sachs dies

October 9^th, 2007

Remembered as champion of the arts who helped found Maryland Hall

Joseph Sachs, a former Annapolis alderman, protector of the city's heritage, champion of the arts and a founder of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, died Sunday of lung disease. He was 73.

He was remembered as a vigorous supporter of the city's cultural life and a taskmaster as chairman of the Finance Committee on the City Council, where he served twice, once as a short-term fill-in and one full term representing Ward 4 from 1997 to 2001.

[…]

Early in his career he moved from Baltimore to work for Gov. Spiro T. Agnew as an assistant appointments officer. Before that he was general manager of the old Baltimore Bullets, precursor to today's Washington Wizards.

Later he sold cars at Mercedes Benz of Annapolis in Eastport.

Mr. Sachs was born Feb. 26, 1934 in Baltimore, and received a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Maryland College Park in 1955.

He was on the board of Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold.

Surviving are his wife, Jacqueline Rubin Sachs, whom he married in 1979; one son, Rich Glabman of Dallas; two daughters, Deborah Love of Annapolis and Sheri Stracener of Austin, Texas; and seven grandchildren. He was the son of the late Bernard and Rose Lapides Sachs.

A celebration of his life will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Maryland Hall, 801 Chase St., Annapolis, MD 21401.

Read the entire article here: Former Alderman Sachs dies

And thanks again to the Capital Punishment. Paul Foer’s work with this blog ought to be on everyone’s must read list for all things about the Annapolis opera…

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