20071029 Len Lazarick watch

Len Lazarick Baltimore Examiner

October 29, 2007

Voters say 'No new taxes'

6 hrs ago - Their cry was loud and unified: “No new taxes.” A series of demonstrations by taxpayer, conservative and Republican groups around the State House on Monday lead the way for Gov. Martin O'Malley's call for a special session of the General Assembly where he was to give a short pep talk before legislators are to act on a series of taxes hikes.

Spotlight’s on governor tonight

22 hrs ago - It’s showtime for Martin O’Malley. When the governor comes to the podium tonight to address the 188 members of the General Assembly, his soliloquy raises the curtain on the second act of the make-or-break performance of his first term.

O’Malley proposes more to be spent on uninsured

3 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley is proposing the state spend as much as $250 million more each year to offer health insurance to 100,000 uninsured people by adding them to the Medicaid rolls and subsidizing very small businesses that begin offering health insurance to workers.

County officials back tax package

3 days ago - Elected county officials from across Maryland came to the State House on Thursday to support the governor’s entire revenue-raising package, including slots machines, but none of them would say whether they would accept slots in their own jurisdictions.

Poll: Support up for slots, but down for O’Malley

4 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley’s approval rating has declined among Maryland voters, but those voters overwhelmingly support the governor’s plan to bring slot machines to the state, according to a new statewide poll released Wednesday.

O’Malley starts outreach program

4 days ago - “No Americano extra” is what Gov. Martin O’Malley told a group of Hispanic business people when they taught him the Spanish version of one of his signature lines — “There is no such thing as a spare American.”

O’Malley unveils big budget cuts

5 days ago - Big cuts in aid to counties, libraries, schools, universities, health care, state police and dozens of other programs will be needed if the legislature doesn’t pass tax increases next month, Gov. Martin O’Malley said Tuesday as he unveiled his own version of a “doomsday” budget.

Poll: Support for slots is up, down for O’Malley

6 days ago - Support for slots among Maryland voters is up, but it's down for Gov. Martin O’Malley, according to a new statewide poll. The poll also found overwhelming backing for a referendum on slot machine gambling.

The 3-minute interview: Warren Deschenaux

6 days ago - Warren Deschenaux is the director of the Office of Policy Analysis for the Department of Legislative Service in Annapolis. He and his staff will play a key role in analyzing the governor’s deficit-cutting tax changes.

Plucky O’Malley needs luck of the Irish

7 days ago - In Martin O’Malley’s visit to Dublin this weekend, he was perhaps able to pick up an extra portion of the luck of the Irish. That’s what many legislators think he needs to get what he wants out of the special session he’s ordered next week, a call seen as a risky roll of the dice.

Ehrlich dishes it out to Gilchrest

10 days ago - Karen and Art Oertel used to organize crab feasts for Republican U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest from their family's Harris Crab House and seafood plant on the waterfront at Kent Narrows six miles east of the Bay Bridge. But no more.

State officials say children’s health improving

10 days ago - Maryland children are getting better immunized, suffering fewer suicides, deaths and injuries, and using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes less in the last five to 10 years, Cabinet secretaries told lawmakers this week.

Speaker: Senate must take initiative

10 days ago - When lawmakers return to Annapolis for a special session in 10 days, House Speaker Michael Busch said the onus would be on the Senate to take the initiative in passing Gov. Martin O’Malley’s deficit-busting tax plan.

Orioles Park hits big screen with high-definition replays

11 days ago - High-definition replays will be coming to Orioles Park at Camden Yards next season under a settlement between the baseball team and the Maryland Stadium Authority approved Wednesday by the state Board of Public Works in Annapolis.

Governor turns professor to explain his tax plan

11 days ago - “A C student can get this,” professor Martin O’Malley, freshman governor, assured a class of several dozen political science majors, faculty and university bigwigs as he rolled through a 50-minute lecture on his deficit-cutting tax package.

New version of Green Fund under attack as a hidden tax

12 days ago - It’s not easy trying to improve the Green Fund to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, especially when the governor is already pushing for eight or nine different tax hikes to plug a deficit hole.

Republicans fire back at O’Malley

12 days ago - Republican legislators came out swinging at Gov. Martin O’Malley’s tax plan and the “liberal leadership” of the Maryland Senate and House on Tuesday, throwing digs at O’Malley’s three-day trip to Ireland that begins tonight.

Banks joins race against Gilchrest

12 days ago - Robert Banks, a former Ehrlich administration aide and Baltimore County Orphans Court judge, on Monday became the fourth Republican to challenge U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest in the 1st Congressional District.

O’Malley off to Ireland, again

13 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley heads to Ireland again on Wednesday night, on a trip paid for by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

O'Malley calls for Oct. 29 special session

14 days ago - The Maryland General Assembly will be back at the State House for Halloween, and it’s not certain if it will be a trick or treat for constituents.

Gilchrest, Harris are close in battle for fundraising

14 days ago - 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.

Tax cuts or hike coming? It depends

14 days ago - 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.

O’Malley promises word on special session soon

17 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley said Thursday that “early next week” he’ll have an announcement about calling a special session of the General 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.

Disability activists demand officials shut down Rosewood

17 days ago - A dozen disability activists in motorized wheelchairs demanding to meet with Gov. Martin O’Malley and tell him to close the Rosewood Center were turned away from the front gate of the governor’s residence Wednesday night because they didn’t have a march permit from the city of Annapolis.

Harris raises $526,000 against Gilchrest

18 days ago - State Sen. Andy Harris, R-Baltimore-Harford, on Thursday said his campaign to defeat 1st District U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest in the Republican primary has raised $526,000 since it began in May, $352,000 in the past three months.

The 3-minute interview: David Blumberg

‘Simpler’ Greenfund presented in order to stave runoff into Bay

O’Malley invokes ‘Star Trek’ to describe hurdles of tax plan

Official: Parole hearings denied; some blame bad communication

Judge orders O’Malley administration to reinstate fired services official

GOP senators fight ‘nonfactor’ label by standing firm against slots

Judge orders testimony from Ehrlich administration aides

Liberal group attacks chamber study linking tax increases to job losses

Republicans say no to slots

Catonsville hospital overhaul to slash energy costs, saving millions

Democrats raise big bucks to fund state party

GOP: O’Malley plan ‘deceitful’

Md. suing to halt SCHIP veto

20071030 Instructions for Public Testimony on MD General Assembly Special Session Administration Bills

Instructions for Public Testimony on the Administration Bills Being Heard October 30 through November 2 in the Joint Hearing Room

Oral Testimony

Anyone wishing to testify on any bill must sign the witness register at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the hearing. The witness register will be available at least one hour before the scheduled start time of each hearing. For any 9:00 a.m. start times, the witness register will be available by 3:00 p.m. the prior day. All witness registers will be available for sign up outside of the Joint Hearing Room located in the Legislative Services Building.

Time allotments for oral testimony will be at the discretion of the Chairs.

Written Testimony

If you are providing written testimony, you are strongly encouraged to provide 100 copies by 3:00 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled hearing – Advance testimony may be brought to Room 214 of the Legislative Services Building.

If you are unable to provide testimony on the prior day, please submit 100 copies no later than 90 minutes before the hearing start time. For any 9:00 a.m. hearings, please submit testimony no later than one hour before the hearing start time – In order for testimony to be distributed by staff, it must be brought to the Joint Hearing Room of the Legislative Services Building and placed at the designated table.

PLEASE DO NOT DELIVER TO THE COMMITTEES ANY WRITTEN TESTIMONY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION BILLS BEING HEARD IN THE JOINT HEARING ROOM

At the discretion of the Chairs, any late testimony will not be distributed during the hearing but may be delivered to the members’ offices if time permits.

Please clearly mark on each copy of your written testimony the subject matter (in lieu of a bill number) as listed in the hearing schedule.

Page 1 of 1 October 26, 2007

20070912 20070101 Westminster Eagle Dayhoff Column Archives

My Westminster Eagle Column Archives from January 1^st, 2007 through September 12, 2007

Posted October 30, 2007

Related: 20070110 Westminster Eagle Dayhoff Archives

20070606 through 20070101 Westminster Eagle Column Archives

Wednesday, September 12 2007 'An extraordinary guy who did extraordinary things'

Wednesday, September 05 2007 Day at State Fair fills us with Carroll County pride By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 29 2007 Coffee, doughnuts and ice cream in Boston By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 22 2007 County fair emerged with Carroll's agricultural awareness By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 15 2007 Bergman: Closing credit for a master of cinema By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 08 2007 Agriculture in Carroll has always been 'fair' game By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 01 2007 Song of the South: No grits, no glory By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, July 25 2007 Mrs. Johnson was one fine Lady Bird By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, July 18 2007 Barnes keeps adapting to meet changing needs of law enforcement By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, July 11 2007 Continuing saga of Westminster's Library By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Tuesday, July 03 2007 How fortunate we are to celebrate the 4th of July Kevin Dayhoff

Wednesday, June 27 2007 Library has been at the center of the bookshelf in Westminster history By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, June 20 2007 Carroll working to save and share 'Our Barn' By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, June 13 2007 Commissioners should start 'coffin' up cash on 144-year-old debt By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, June 06 2007 Dwight Dingle, 'Sgt. Pepper' and a bathtub band By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, May 30 2007 A 'thank you' for those who serve in public service By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, May 23 2007 The silence and service of Joseph W. Blickenstaff Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, May 16 2007 Hallowed ground of Union Meeting House By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, May 09 2007 The legacy of Westminster's 'Singing Barber' By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, May 02 2007 Recalling Westminster's Disney World: Bobby's Hobby Lobby By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Tuesday, May 01 2007 Who was Kate Wagner, and why did she rule the road? By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, April 11 2007 This 'Candy drive' benefits the East Middle School Bulldogs ... and the three Rs By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Thursday, April 05 2007 In the storied history of Carroll Hospital Center, Steve Bohn poised to take a 'SPIRIT'-ed place By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, March 28 2007 If you think school overcrowding is bad now, consider Westminster High School, circa 1920 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Friday, March 23 2007 History of education, minus beheadings, in our state By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, March 14 2007 The high cost of twin tragedies at Bowling Brook By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, March 07 2007 History of slavery leaves many rivers yet to cross By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, February 28 2007 Recalling when B's Coffee Shoppe was all abuzz By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, February 21 2007 Frozen in time: The Great Sleet Storm of 1902 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Thursday, February 15 2007 As we all know, winter is a four-letter word By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, February 07 2007 Westminster is great, even if it does get your goat By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, January 31 2007 Westminster was built on the blessing of water By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, January 24 2007 Phil Wampler and our own 'Greatest Generation' By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Friday, January 19 2007 Water issues in Carroll have always been ... fluid By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, January 10 2007 Monk Campbell: a man of law and order for Carroll By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, January 03 2007 You can bank on it: More change coming in 2007 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

20071029 News Clips

News Clips

Oct. 29, 2007

STATE NEWS

Raising money raises doubts
Propriety of events prompts questions as lawmakers meet
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.fundraisers29oct29,0,2750588.story
If the General Assembly's special session beginning today were to last 30 days, it would coincide with at least 10 lawmakers' fundraisers -- events that are forbidden during regular sessions. For a decade, Maryland has banned state officials from holding fundraisers during the 90-day sessions that begin in January. The goal, backers say, is to curb the appearance of impropriety by stopping lawmakers from soliciting campaign contributions while voting on legislation that could affect their donors. But holding fundraisers during specia l sessions is legal.
Mary Boyle, spokeswoman for Common Cause, a watchdog group, said the different rules for fundraising are another reason why Maryland should adopt public financing of elections. "What should be prohibited is people raising money from lobbyists or interests that have direct business before the General Assembly during the special session; anyone who has their hand out on the budget, which I am sure is a lot of interests. We would hope legislators would show some self-control and not try to take advantage of this. It may be legal, but is it in the best interests of Marylanders?" Boyle said.

Sales tax lightning rod of session : Adding services to mix sets up a lively debate
http://www.capitalonline.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_28-08/TOP
The sales tax has been around in Maryland for abo u t 60 years and typically only pops up when a resident buys a new shirt or blender. As the state's economy shifts from one based on goods to one centered on specialties, however, lawmakers are starting to eye the selective world of service taxation.One of the special session lightning rods will be Gov. Martin O'Malley's attempt to raise the sales tax from 5 cents on the dollar to 6 cents, which would be the first sales tax hike in 30 years. Another piece of that proposal, however, is the governor's wish to expand the sales tax to services it does not presently cover, such as tanning salons and health club memberships.There is no shortage of opposition to both of those measures, particularly with Republicans. Critics blast the sales tax as the most "regressive" form of taxation because it hits everyone evenly and therefore, proportionally, will have the biggest impact on people who earn the least amount of money.

General Assembly: Lawmakers ad d ress budget deficit
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=66952
Gov. Martin O'Malley will address both houses of the Maryland General Assembly tonight as state lawmakers begin a special session intended to address the state's operating budget deficit.
Legislators will spend the rest of the week, and possibly the next, in committee hearings.
Four members of Frederick County's delegation serve on committees scheduled to meet next week: Delegate Galen Clagett on the House Appropriations Committee, Delegate Joseph Bartlett on the House Ways and Means Committee, Delegate Paul Stull on the Environmental Matters Committee and Senator David Brinkley on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and on the Spending Affordability Committee.
Republican Delegate Patrick McDonough, who represents Baltimore and Harf o rd counties, put a notice on his website asking people to contact Democratic legislators in conservative or moderate districts.
He calls those legislators the "tax target 39," and Frederick County's two Democratic representatives are among them.

Lawmakers set to tackle taxes, slot machines
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071029/METRO/110290066/1004
The General Assembly"s special session begins tonight with lawmakers from across the state returning to consider Gov. Martin O"Malley"s plan to increase taxes and legalize slot-machine gambling to close Maryland"s budget shortfall. Though Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and House Speaker Michael E. Busch ultimately will decide how and which of Mr. O"Malley"s six bills pass, lawmakers in key committees and from such important voting blocs as Prince George"s County plan on tying their support to local aid.
The O'Malley administration can expect that lawmakers will bring such concerns back to Annapolis and that the governor will have to make some deals if he wants to pass his tax-and-slots plans to close Maryland's $1.7 billion shortfall and increase transportation and health care spending. The session is expected to last several weeks.
Montgomery County lawmakers have been hesitant to support the O'Malley plan to overhaul the personal-income-tax structure because of a report from Comptroller Peter Franchot that showed that the county would bear more than 80 percent of the increased tax burden on high-wage earners. Still, most lawmakers say legalizing slot machines remains the hardest call.
Republican leaders say slots always have been needed to have a successful budget plan because of how much Mr. Miller has tied himself to the issue. "The slots bill right now is Miller's price for passage," said House Minority Whip Christopher B. Shank, Western Maryland Republican. "That's his political price."

Session Has High Stakes for O'Malley
Potential Fates: Gaining in Polls Or Losing Face
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/28/AR2007102801525.html
In meetings with Democratic legislative leaders, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has invoked the final scene from the 1990s movie "Thelma and Louise" to suggest their shared fate if they fail to close the state's estimated $1.7 billion shortfall.
The film ends with the two friends-turned-outlaws kissing and then plunging off a cliff to their certain deaths rather than taking responsibility for their actions. It is a powerful image, and lawmakers certainly have much at stake in the s p ecial legislative session that O'Malley (D) has called starting today to fix the budget. But no one has more riding on the outcome than the governor.
If the General Assembly passes his plan to close the shortfall by raising taxes and legalizing slot-machine gambling, O'Malley undoubtedly will be given most of the credit for tackling a long-festering problem that his predecessors largely avoided, analysts and lawmakers said. That, in time, could bolster his lackluster job-approval rating, if experiences of governors elsewhere are any guide. But if the session ends in stalemate, it will be a major embarrassment for the governor, who is summoning lawmakers to Annapolis against the advice of their leaders.

If O'Malley is unable to orchestrate a successful session, "it could really hurt his future dealings with legislators," said Republican consultant Kevin Igoe.

"They would question his understanding of Annapolis." Igoe and other Republicans hope that O'Malley's championing of tax increases will result in lasting political damage, regardless of the session's outcome. "If the taxes are passed and people are paying them, I think it becomes more of a burden to him," Igoe said. "Having pushed for the special session, it's going to be very clearly viewed as a test of his leadership," said Mike Morrill, a longtime Democratic operative. "This will redefine the governor's relationship, for better or for worse, with the General Assembly."

Stakes high at session eve
O'Malley says consensus near on $1.7 billion deficit plan
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.session29oct29,0,5372017.story
Legislators are taking hiatus from their regular jobs and heading to A n napolis. Lobbyists are readying PowerPoint presentations and making the rounds with legislative leaders and top aides. Special-interest groups are planning a series of rallies on Lawyers Mall. Everyone, it seems, has a stake in the special session of the Maryland General Assembly that begins today. We're on the verge of a consensus for all of the major components of this package," O'Malley said in an interview.
"The reason I'm opposed is we should have done this some time ago," House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell said on WBAL Radio's Robert and Kendel Ehrlich Show. "It's wrongheaded and it's a way for people to dodge the issues." He said he favors a yes-or-no vote by the legislature on the issue.
Among the bills to be introduced is the "Tax Me More" legislation from Sen. E.J. Pipkin, an Eastern Shore Republican and outspoken foe of tax increases. It would give M aryland taxpayers the option of contributing more during tax return time. "These Marylanders that want to invest more in their state government will have that option," Pipkin said."We don't want these closed-door meetings that have typified past special sessions where they cut deals and then ram it down our throats," said Del. Christopher B. Shank, the House minority whip from western Maryland.
With such a broad range of proposals, interest groups are lining up to give testimony and planning rallies. The Republican Party, for instance, is planning an anti-tax rally today.

In gritty area, slots draw mixed review
Discussion swirls over aspects of O'Malley plan
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.slots28oct28001524,0,6454863.story
Serving midday beers at Colleen's Corner Tavern in Baltimore's blighted Westport neighborhood, Mike Eanes wasn't so sure that slot machines were the answer to the area's woes. "There comes a lot of grief with that kind of stuff," Eanes said yesterday when told that Gov. Martin O'Malley had proposed a referendum to approve slot machine gambling in five places, including along the Patapsco River's Middle Branch, which Westport overlooks. "You get high crime and riffraff, so I don't know how that would play out in the neighborhood."
Eanes, whose aunt, Colleen Van Skiver, has owned the tavern that bears her name for 26 years, said that the neighborhood "has been neglected for a while," and that if it takes slots to help it improve, so be it.
"I'm not going anywhere any time soon, because I want to see what all this brings," Eanes said.

Slots referendum call renews debate
Leaders, residents tr y to assess the effects gambling parlors might have in their areas
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.politics28oct28,0,7219690.story
A day after Gov. Martin O'Malley proposed a referendum letting voters decide whether slots should be legalized, state and local leaders considered the impact that slots would have on their communities. Some vowed to fight against slots, while others said yesterday that the expected financial benefits trumped their reservations about gambling parlors.The plan, to be debated at a special legislative session that begins tomorrow, would allow up to 15,000 slot machines at five locations -- one each in Allegany, Anne Arundel, Cecil and Worcester counties, and Baltimore City. The proposed sites include two horse racing parks, Laurel Park and Ocean Downs, and areas strategically located to divert p e ople from driving to out-of-state gambling parlors.
The mayor of Ocean City, an area with a long history of opposition to slots, said that his community was prepared to fight against any bill to allow them, particularly at a proposed location at the Ocean Downs racetrack in Worcester County.
"We realize that the governor and the legislature have some very tough decisions to make, but we don't believe gambling is the answer," Mayor Rick Meehan said.
State Sen. George C. Edwards, a Republican representing Allegany, Garrett and parts of Washington counties, said that he supports slots, but with caveats. Edwards said that he would support slots only if the counties hosting them -- and perhaps surrounding counties that would be forced to accommodate increased traffic -- reaped a direct benefit from the revenue.

NAACP to state: No slots
http://www.examiner.com/a-1015806~NAACP_to_state__No_slots.html
A proposal to allow up to 15,000 slot machines in Maryland drew criticism Sunday from the NAACP and the state comptroller.
Emerging from its annual convention in Ocean City, the NAACP asserted that slots would prey on the poor and never bring economic development to inner-city neighborhoods. "It will be devastating for the low-income people," said Jenkins Odoms, president of the state conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "It will bring crime and it is addictive. It does nothing for the community." The comptroller, Peter Franchot, warned slots could be just the beginning of a push to bring more legalized gambling to the city."Its not just a debate about putting a few slot machines in Baltimore; it's a debate about whether t h e city is going to become a gambling destination," Franchot said."It is a predatory industry. There is no such thing as limited slots. In state after state where slots have been legalized, the effort to expand them begins before the first machine is turned on.

Spotlight's on governor tonight
http://www.examiner.com/a-1015807~Spotlight_s_on_governor_tonight.html
It's showtime for Martin O'Malley. When the governor comes to the podium tonight to address the 188 members of the General Assembly, his soliloquy raises the curtain on the second act of the make-or-break performance of his first term. For O'Malley to be even partially successful with so many possible roadblocks to victory will be an achievement. He needs at least $1 billion in new revenues to make his budget plan come close to working.
U nbidden by the governor, the second act of this improvisational theater will include crowd scenes of sometimes unfriendly extras such as the Republican anti-tax rally called this afternoon for Lawyer's Mall between the governor's residence and the State House. Lawyer's Mall will be the staging ground for other rallies, pro and con, throughout this week of long, intensive hearings.
On slot machine gambling, he has had to compromise not just with House and Senate leaders, but with his own past positions. In 2003 in a WBAL radio interview, he said: "It's embarrassing to me that one of the wealthiest states in America would seek to solve its fiscal problems with a gambling gimmick that disproportionately targets poor people. That's the very definition of regressive." But in the same interview, he said: "I'm not opposed to some slots at the tracks so that we don't lose the racing industry." "A limited number of slots at racetracks" was his regular position, until September.

Teachers fighting freeze on state aid for retirement
http://www.examiner.com/a-1015802~Teachers_fighting_freeze_on_state_aid_for_retirement.html
Teachers across the state are fretting over the governor's threat to freeze $63 million in state aid for retirement benefits.
Reducing retirement benefits will hurt efforts to improve teacher retention because many educators are eventually lured away to neighboring states, such as Pennsylvania, which have better pension packages, teachers say.
The Baltimore Teachers Union plans to travel to Annapolis today to lobby lawmakers to preserve state aid for retirement benefits, said Marietta English, union president.
Teachers have already successfully lobbied a change in education funding - even before the special session begins.

State Tax Imbalance Could Sway Debate
Low Sales Tax Revenue May Draw Scrutiny During Drive to Close Budget Gap
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/27/AR2007102701254.html
When Maryland lawmakers convene for a special session tomorrow to close a potential $1.7 billion budget shortfall, they will consider overhauling a state tax system that is currently weighted more toward the personal income tax and away from sales and property taxes than most states'.
Maryland relies more heavily than almost any state on personal income taxes for revenue, according to a national analysis. It generates $1,638 per capita in personal income tax, well above the national average of $813 and ranking Maryland third in the nation. Fiscal analysts said Maryland, which this year was named the nation's wealthiest state by the U.S. Census Bureau, relies so heavily on the personal income tax to generate revenue because it is one of the only states to allow local jurisdictions to levy additional personal income taxes.
But Maryland has one of the most outdated personal income tax structures in the country, analysts said.
Marylanders appear divided over whether the tax structure is fair, according to The Post's poll. When asked about the overall state tax system, 55 percent said it was "very fair" or "moderately fair" and 44 percent said it was "not too fair" or "not fair at all."


EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

Opportunity in Annapolis
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.session28oct28,0,1271963.story
Tomorrow, as state lawmakers convene for a special session to addres s Maryland's fiscal woes, they will face the complex and controversial multibillion-dollar plan proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley. In the days that follow, Mr. O'Malley's $2 billion budget-balancing blueprint - as well as a handful of related bills likely to be offered by legislators - will be scrutinized, debated and voted upon. In the end, their success can be measured by only one result: the adoption of a real and long-term solution to the state's growing structural deficit.
But that's not to suggest state senators and delegates ought to be readying their rubber stamps. There's much in Mr. O'Malley's proposal with which to disagree. To name a few: We'd prefer linking state property taxes to capital spending and not cutting them slightly to earn political points, spending more on transportation projects, and applying a sales tax more broadly to services (and not just tanning salons) before raising it.

Easier to take money from hard-working Marylanders
http://www.times-news.com/opinion/local_story_300212833.html
As legislators from all over the state once again converge on Annapolis to fix the $1.7 billion structural deficit, I believe that it's worth asking the age old question: "What's in it for us?" Unfortunately, from everything that is being presented, Marylanders are truly getting the short end in this proposition.
President Reagan once said that we all sometimes have to gather around the kitchen table and talk about household budgets. There's always room to cut out the frivolous spending in order to stretch every dollar even further.
In this case, I am afraid that Gov. O'Malley and the Democratic leadership are skipping the kitchen table and have decided it is far more profitable to talk the neighbors into giving up their wallets. For the people of the state, Gov. O'Malley, please come ba c k to the table.
Brandon Butler, chairman
Garrett County
Republican Central Committee

Challenges await state reps
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/10/29/news/opinion/opinion/opinion849.txt
I was surprised to see a pushback on the idea of a special session from a number of representatives, including some of our own. To me, it's obvious that a $1.7 million deficit isn't going to be an easy thing to fix, and there's much work that should be done sooner rather than later.
Even though the deficit won't kick in until next fiscal year, if anything the special session comes too late. Initial steps to help solve a recognized fiscal crisis should have been taken during the last regular session of the General Assembly to allow more time to fix a very difficult problem.As unpalat a ble as tax increases are, they have to be on the table as an option to consider. You really can't have a serious discussion about deficit reduction without including the tax burden in its many forms, unless of course you can spend money you don't have like the federal government does.O'Malley has also made revenues from slot machines a centerpiece of his proposal to avert the deficit. Sadly, the legalization of slots is starting to look like an inevitable outcome for the state. I just can't bring myself to support this proposal, although that apparently puts me in the minority according to statewide polls on the issue.Still, spending cuts and deferrals must be on the table right alongside revenue increases. It's the only responsible way for lawmakers to address the issues at hand.

O'Malley tax hike an unnecessary rip-off
http://www.examiner.com/a-1015788~Pat_McDonough__O_Malley_tax_hike_an_unnecessary_rip_off.html
Recently, a Wall Street Journal editorial described Gov. Martin O'Malley's statewide visits as a tax increase a day tour. The newspaper expressed sympathy for Maryland's taxpayers. After the O'Malley tour was completed, the final wreckage included 10 new tax hikes, costing a minimum of $2.5 billion the first year.
None of these proposed increases - to be debated in the special session starting today - are necessary. The real solution is reducing spending. Increasing spending by only 2 percent would eliminate about $1 billion from the deficit. Gov. O'Malley has used shameful class warfare rhetoric to promote the tax hikes, claiming only "the rich" will bear the burden of the increases. The reality is the so-called rich (people earning more than $150,000) will guarantee only $170 million in new funds. The other $1.5 billion in tax revenue that O'Malley claims he needs will come from the wallets of everyone else.
The O'Malley tax hikes create a minimum of 10 new tax increases and are the largest in the history of our state. Maryland will jump from the third-highest income tax in America to No. 1.Our most productive citizens, retirees and small-business owners will continue to vote with their feet and flee Maryland.
Del. Pat McDonough, a Republican, represents Baltimore and Harford counties.

20071029 Maryland General Assembly Special Session Public Hearing Schedule beginning October 30th, 2007

Maryland General Assembly Special Session Public Hearing Schedule beginning October 30^th, 2007

Maryland General Assembly

Special Session Public Hearing Schedule

Tuesday, October 30

10:00 a.m., Joint Hearing Room

House Appropriations Committee, House Ways and Means Committee, Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, and the Spending Affordability Committee

(1) Spending Affordability Presentation – State Budget Overview

(2) Briefing on Governor’s Cost of Delay Budget Reductions

(3) Governor’s Proposed Budget Solution – Overview

1:00 p.m., Joint Hearing Room

House Appropriations Committee, House Ways and Means Committee, Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

(1) Hearing on the Governor’s Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act

a. Freeze on Education Implicit Price Deflator for State and Local Governments

b. Elimination of Electric Utility Property Tax Grant and Repeal of Electric Utility Company Property Tax Exemption

Wednesday, October 31

9:00 a.m., Joint Hearing Room

House Ways and Means Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

(1) Hearing on Governor’s Transportation Funding legislation

a. Vehicle Excise Tax

b. Motor Fuel Tax Indexing

c. General Fund Transfers

1:00 p.m., Joint Hearing Room

House Ways and Means Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

(1) Hearing on Governor’s Corporate Tax legislation

a. Controlling Interest

b. Corporate Income Tax Rate – dedication to Higher Education and Transportation

c. Combined Reporting

Thursday, November 1

10:00 a.m., Joint Hearing Room

House Ways and Means Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

(1) Hearing on Governor’s Property Tax Reduction legislation

House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

(2) Hearing on Governor’s Tobacco Tax legislation

1:00 p.m., Joint Hearing Room

House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

(1) Hearing on Governor’s Income Tax Restructuring legislation

a. Increase of Refundable Earned Income Tax Credit

b. Restructuring of Income Tax Rates

c. Refundable Sales Tax Credit

d. Senior Income Tax Exemption

(2) Hearing on Governor’s Sales Tax legislation

a. Sales Tax Rate

b. Expansion of Sales Tax to Certain Services

c. Sales Tax Holidays

1:00 p.m., 3 East, Miller Senate Building

House Health and Government Operations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee

(1) Hearing on Governor’s Health Care Reform legislation

1:00 p.m., Room 120 House Office Building

House Appropriations Committee

(1) Briefing and hearing on further budget reduction options

Friday, November 2

11:00 a.m., Joint Hearing Room

House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

(1) Hearing on Governor’s Video Lottery Terminal legislation

11:00 a.m., Room 250, House Office Building

House Environmental Matters Committee

(1) Hearing on Green Fund legislation

11:00 a.m., Room 120, House Office Building

House Appropriations Committee

(1) Briefing on Mandated Budget Appropriations

Saturday, November 3

10:00 a.m., 3 West, Miller Senate Building

Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

Work Session

10:00 a.m., Room 130, House Office Building

House Ways and Means Committee

Bill hearings to be announced

10:00 a.m., Room 120, House Office Building

House Appropriations Committee

Bill hearings to be announced

####

20071026 Len Lazarick: County officials back tax package

County officials back tax package

Len Lazarick, The Examiner, 2007-10-26 07

BALTIMORE –

Elected county officials from across Maryland came to the State House on Thursday to support the governor’s entire revenue-raising package, including slots machines, but none of them would say whether they would accept slots in their own jurisdictions.

They were adamant in their opposition to anything like the $866 million in local funding cuts Gov. Martin O’Malley said he would make if his tax increases fail to pass.

“Those cuts will have serious consequences,” said Frederick County Commissioner Jan Gardner, president of the Maryland Association of Counties. “That pain will be very real. ... Families will suffer, the elderly will suffer, the children will suffer, the future will suffer. It will not be a pretty picture.”

[…]

Carroll County Commissioner Julia Gouge, one of two Republicans at the event, worried about the effect on senior citizens if counties had to raise property taxes to make up for aid county. “We cannot continually afford not to be getting our fair share.”

Read the entire article here: County officials back tax package

Related: Len Lazarick - The Examiner watch

October 29, 2007

Voters say 'No new taxes' - 10/29/2007
Their cry was loud and unified: “No new taxes.” A series of demonstrations by taxpayer, conservative and Republican groups around the State House on Monday lead the way for Gov. Martin O'Malley's call for a special session of the General Assembly where he was to give a short pep talk before legislators are to act on a series of taxes hikes.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1017112~Voters_say__No_new_taxes_.html

Spotlight’s on governor tonight - 10/29/2007
It’s showtime for Martin O’Malley. When the governor comes to the podium tonight to address the 188 members of the General Assembly, his soliloquy raises the curtain on the second act of the make-or-break performance of his first term.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1015807~Spotlight_s_on_governor_tonight.html

County officials back tax package - 10/26/2007
Elected county officials from across Maryland came to the State House on Thursday to support the governor’s entire revenue-raising package, including slots machines, but none of them would say whether they would accept slots in their own jurisdictions.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1011259~County_officials_back_tax_package.html

O’Malley proposes more to be spent on uninsured - 10/26/2007
Gov. Martin O’Malley is proposing the state spend as much as $250 million more each year to offer health insurance to 100,000 uninsured people by adding them to the Medicaid rolls and subsidizing very small businesses that begin offering health insurance to workers.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1011260~O_Malley_proposes_more_to_be_spent_on_uninsured.html

O’Malley starts outreach program - 10/25/2007
“No Americano extra” is what Gov. Martin O’Malley told a group of Hispanic business people when they taught him the Spanish version of one of his signature lines — “There is no such thing as a spare American.”
http://www.examiner.com/a-1008909~O_Malley_starts_outreach_program.html

Poll: Support up for slots, but down for O’Malley - 10/25/2007
Gov. Martin O’Malley’s approval rating has declined among Maryland voters, but those voters overwhelmingly support the governor’s plan to bring slot machines to the state, according to a new statewide poll released Wednesday.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1008938~Poll__Support_up_for_slots__but_down_for_O_Malley.html

O’Malley unveils big budget cuts - 10/24/2007
Big cuts in aid to counties, libraries, schools, universities, health care, state police and dozens of other programs will be needed if the legislature doesn’t pass tax increases next month, Gov. Martin O’Malley said Tuesday as he unveiled his own version of a “doomsday” budget.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1006600~O_Malley_unveils_big_budget_cuts.html

Poll: Support for slots is up, down for O’Malley - 10/24/2007
Support for slots among Maryland voters is up, but it's down for Gov. Martin O’Malley, according to a new statewide poll. The poll also found overwhelming backing for a referendum on slot machine gambling.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1006485~Poll__Support_for_slots_is_up__down_for_O_Malley.html

The 3-minute interview: Warren Deschenaux - 10/23/2007
Warren Deschenaux is the director of the Office of Policy Analysis for the Department of Legislative Service in Annapolis. He and his staff will play a key role in analyzing the governor’s deficit-cutting tax changes.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1004461~The_3_minute_interview__Warren_Deschenaux.html

Plucky O’Malley needs luck of the Irish - 10/22/2007
In Martin O’Malley’s visit to Dublin this weekend, he was perhaps able to pick up an extra portion of the luck of the Irish. That’s what many legislators think he needs to get what he wants out of the special session he’s ordered next week, a call seen as a risky roll of the dice.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1002528~Plucky_O_Malley_needs_luck_of_the_Irish.html

20071029 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

Monday October 29, 2007

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1. CBS Uses Fires to Remind Viewers Bush 'Never Stopped' for Katrina ABC and CBS on Sunday night pivoted from the success, of the aide efforts for fire evacuees at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, to make political points: ABC highlighted a protest about "immigrant rights" and CBS focused on how President Bush's visit to victims contrasted with how after Katrina Bush "flew home from vacation" in Air Force One "thousands of feet above the evacuees" and "never stopped." Reporter Seth Doane contended, over 2005 video on the CBS Evening News of the Superdome evacuees, Bush peering out the window of Air Force One and that plane flying over the stadium, that "for many it was a sharp contrast with another football stadium two years ago: The Superdome in New Orleans during Katrina -- overcrowded, miserable conditions, all under a leaking roof, while thousands of feet above the evacuees, President Bush flew home from vacation in Air Force One and never stopped." Doane suggested: "Contrast this past week when the President came to a burned-out area to press the flesh..."

2. Elevating Publicity Stunts: Lauer Asks Condi About Code Pink Matt Lauer's Friday morning interview with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ended badly. It wasn't that Rice brought bad answers to the interview. It wasn't that Lauer mocked or insulted Rice. It was that Lauer elevated a tired publicity stunt from the radical leftists at Code Pink to something approaching "newsworthy" status: "Let me end on just a different subject. On Wednesday you were set to appear before the House Foreign Relations Committee, and a protestor walked right up to your face, Madam Secretary, and said, with red paint on her hands and said, quote, 'the blood of millions of Iraqis is on your hands.' She was taken out of the room. Not on a policy level, on a personal level, what was your response to that moment? Were you angered? Were you upset? Were you frazzled? How did you respond to it?"

3. GMA Doubts U.S. 'Credibility' on Iran; Celebrates Hillary's 60th According to former Bill Clinton operative George Stephanopoulos one reason the United States wouldn't start a war with Iran is because the Bush administration doesn't possess the "troops or the allies or the credibility that it would take to launch a war right now." Stephanopoulos, who is now the host of ABC's This Week, slipped that take into a discussion on Friday's Good Morning America of new sanctions the White House is imposing on Iran. Would the network journalist ever casually assert that his old boss is lacking in credibility? Perhaps if the issue was inappropriate relationships in the workplace? It seems unlikely. A few minutes earlier, guest co-host Deborah Roberts could hardly refrain from gushing while she reported the details of Hillary Clinton's 60th birthday party on Thursday night. The ABC correspondent lauded: "And a lovely touch from former President Clinton who said at 60, his wife looks very beautiful. Isn't that nice?...Isn't that sweet?" Fellow guest co-host Elizabeth Vargas swooned over the "beautiful" birthday song with which rocker Elvis Costello serenaded the 2008 candidate. GMA regular Chris Cuomo enthused: "She definitely enjoyed it. I can guarantee you that."

4. Latest Postings on the MRC's TimesWatch Site: NY Times Bias Headlines from postings last week on the MRC's TimesWatch site dedicated to documenting and exposing the liberal political agenda of the New York Times.

5. Don't Miss 'NewsBusted' Comedy Videos Making Fun of Liberals Have you yet watched the MRC's "NewsBusted" comedy video show posted on our NewsBusters blog? If not, two fresh two-minute editions were posted last week. "NewsBusted" is a new, twice a week, comedy show with jokes about politics, Hollywood and media bias.

6. Worst 'Notable Quotables' of Past 20 Years: Potpourri of Idiocy

Now Online with 50 Flash Videos: 20th Anniversary Notable Quotables with more than 100 of the most outrageous quotes from our past two decades, many accompanied by audio and video clips. Last week, the MRC's Rich Noyes posted, on the MRC's NewsBusters blog, a daily installment of quotes from the anniversary issue. The one posted Friday: Potpourri of Idiocy. For sheer wackiness, it's hard to top then-CNBC anchor Geraldo Rivera, who sang his disdain for independent prosecutor Kenneth Starr during the height of the Lewinsky scandal, July 21, 1998, on his Rivera Live program, to the tune of "Twinkle, twinkle, little star."

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A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

The 2,518^th CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996

6:35am EDT, Monday October 29, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 191)

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