20071119 Special Report Annapolis

Special Session Report – Annapolis

Senate Republican Caucus

Senator David Brinkley Minority Leader

Senator Allan Kittleman Minority Whip

November 19, 2007 (2:41 a.m.)

50 days until the 2008 Session

Massive Regressive Tax Increase Passed in Dead of Night

Over Next Four Years, Tax Package Nets Almost $7 Billion More From Taxpayers

Average Increase of $1,222 Per Every Man, Woman and Child in Maryland

DLS Projects That Structural Deficit Still Exists Over Next 3 Years

• Special Session Called for Deficit Reduction Fails to Meet Goals: Fiscal projections prepared by the Department of Legislative Services indicate that even with the massive tax increases mandated by the O’Malley Administration, structural deficits will continue over the next three years. Year-end balances projected for FY 2009 and FY 2010 will require rainy day fund balance transfers to eliminate the deficit. In FY 2011, a structural deficit of $49 million exists in spite of the fact that Maryland taxpayers will pay an additional $4 billion over that time period.

• Overall Effect of Tax and Fee Increases Are Gargantuan: Total impact of the O’Malley tax package will be $6.9 billion of net new taxpayer funds over the next four years. Structural deficits will also exist in out-years if voters reject the slots referendum or if revenues from video lottery terminals fail to materialize at the level of DJS projections (anticipated to be $422 million in FY 2012). The tax increase amounts to $1,222 per every man, woman and child in Maryland – or almost $5000 per family of four.

• The Grand Illusion of Budget Cuts: While the media has reported that “budget cuts” have been part of the equation in Annapolis, the final product primarily contains only “language of intent” since the Governor has not presented a budget bill before the legislature. Many of the cuts were offset or backfilled by new program spending, including an additional $1 billion in spending for the Chesapeake Bay Fund, Higher Education Investment Fund and expansion of health care programs.

• SURPRISE! New MVA Fee Appears in Final Bill: Without any public notice, House Bill 5 emerged from an “informal” conference committee with a new MVA fee increase. The fee for a title certificate will be raised 120% (from $23 to $50) under amendments adopted by both chambers. While Governor O’Malley protested against such fee increases last summer as being too onerous for working-class families, his tax package as enacted will raise $32 million per year from this fee increase.

• And the Winner of the Sales Tax Expansion Sweepstakes Is - Computer Services: Apparently, the presiding officers rejected the advice of Comptroller Peter Franchot, who lobbied against the computer services proposal because “computer firms form the nucleus of the state's new economy” and that the sales tax “plays into the hands of those who would unfairly question Maryland's business climate.” Franchot also questioned the long-term ramifications of this tax that would cripple our computer industry and “undermine our ability to compete effectively in the global technology marketplace.”

20071113 House vote on SB2 Tax Reform and Transportation Act of 2007

20071113 House vote on SB2 Tax Reform and Transportation Act of 2007

Seq No. 0098	November 18, 2007	10:12 PM
Presiding: Speaker Busch	Legislative Date: November 13, 2007
General Assembly Of Maryland
House of Delegates
2007 Special Session
Floor Amendment (Haddaway) Rejected (46-74)

SB 2 Ways and Means Report No. 6 The President Tax Reform and Transportation Investment Act of 2007 Favorable with amendments adp - ON 2ND RDG FLOOR AMD Del. Haddaway /263225/1

46 Yeas

74 Nays

1 Excused

13 Not Voting

7 Excused (Absent)

Voting Yea - 46
Aumann	Frank	Kipke	Mizeur	Sossi
Bartlett	George	Krebs	Myers	Stein
Beitzel	Glassman	Lafferty	O'Donnell	Stifler
Bobo	Gutierrez	*Malone	Pendergrass	Stull
Boteler	Haddaway	McComas	Rice	Walkup
Costa	Impallaria	McConkey	Riley	Weldon
Dwyer	Jennings	McDonough	Schuh
Eckardt	Kach	McKee	Shank
Elliott	Kelly	Miller	Shewell
Elmore	King	Minnick	Smigiel
Voting Nay - 74
Speaker Busch	DeBoy	Hecht	Levi	Ross
Ali	Donoghue	Heller	Levy	Rudolph
Barkley	Doory	Hixson	Love	Schuler
Barnes	Dumais	Holmes	Manno	Simmons
Barve	Feldman	Hubbard	McHale	Sophocleus
Benson	Frick	Hucker	McIntosh	Stukes
Bohanan	Frush	Ivey	Morhaim	Taylor
Branch	Gaines	Jones	Niemann	Turner_V
Braveboy	Gilchrist	Kaiser	Oaks	Valderrama
Bromwell	Glenn	Kirk	Pena-Melnyk	Vallario
Bronrott	Griffith	Kramer	Proctor	Vaughn
Clagett_G	Hammen	Krysiak	Ramirez	Waldstreicher
Conaway	Harrison	Kullen	Reznik	Walker
Conway	Haynes	Lawton	Robinson	Wood
Davis	Healey	Lee	Rosenberg
Not Voting - 13
Beidle	Clagett_V	Jameson	Olszewski	Weir
Cardin	Guzzone	Mathias	Tarrant
Carter	James	Murphy	Turner_F
Excused From Voting - 1
Anderson
Excused (Absent) - 7
Bates	Cane	Montgomery	Stocksdale
Burns	Howard	Nathan-Pulliam

* indicates vote change

20071118 Bush to Highlight Virginia Thanksgiving Site by Sonja Barisic

Bush to Highlight Va. Thanksgiving Site

By SONJA BARISIC Sunday, November 18, 2007

The Pilgrims' feast in Massachusetts has always overshadowed Berkeley Plantation's place in history. Now, a planned visit from President Bush has some Virginians giving thanks for the recognition.

On Monday, the president plans to stop by the plantation on the banks of the James River, where English settlers held a thanksgiving service almost two years before what is traditionally known as the nation's first Thanksgiving in New England.

[…]

When Capt. John Woodlief and his crew of 37 men came upon the site on Dec. 4, 1619, they fell to their knees and read a proclamation stating that the day of their ship's arrival should be "yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."

The country's first 10 presidents all spent time at the plantation. The ninth president, William Henry Harrison, was born at Berkeley and wrote his inaugural address in an upstairs bedroom there. He gave the nearly two-hour speech on a cold, wet day, caught a cold that developed into pneumonia and died a month later.

Lincoln also visited Berkeley, while Union troops were encamped there during the Civil War.

A drummer with those troops, John Jamieson, bought Berkeley in 1907. His son and daughter-in-law restored the mansion and his grandson, Malcolm E. "Jamie" Jamieson, now owns it.

[…]

Read the entire piece here: Bush to Highlight Va. Thanksgiving Site

On the Net:

Berkeley Plantation: http://www.berkeleyplantation.com/

Pig Pardon petition: http://www.pigpardon.com

http://www.townhall.com/news/us/2007/11/18/bush_to_highlight_va_thanksgiving_site?page=full&comments=true

20071116 Display Features Work of Retired State police photographer

DISPLAY FEATURES WORK OF RETIRED STATE POLICE PHOTOGRAPHER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 16, 2007

WHAT: “AN OFFICER’S EYE”

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBIT OF THE LATE

TROOPER FIRST CLASS (RET) HOYT JONES

WHEN: NOW THROUGH THE END OF NOVEMBER

Tues., Thurs., Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: EUBIE BLAKE NATIONAL JAZZ AND CULTURAL CENTER

GALLERY

847 NORTH HOWARD STREET

BALTIMORE, MD 21201

410-225-3130

The photography work of the late Trooper First Class (Ret) Hoyt Jones is on display in the gallery of the Eubie Blake National Jazz and Cultural Center. The display features scenes from Baltimore City and from the Baltimore Police Department and the Maryland State Police.

TFC Jones was a member of the Maryland State Police from 1967 through 1989. He was an official State Police photographer for many years, as a member of what is now the Office of Media Communications.

Prior to his service with the Maryland State Police, TFC Jones was a U.S. Marine Corps photographer. After his retirement from the State Police, he was a photographer for the City of Baltimore.

This display resulted from the efforts of Mr. Charles Smith who was a protégé of TFC Jones. Mr. Smith is now a field photographer for the FBI.

TFC Jones passed away in 2005.

###

CONTACT: Mr. Gregory Shipley

Office of Media Communications & Marketing

410-653-4236 (Office) 410-653-4200 (through Headquarters Duty Officer)

20071114 Winterthur exhibit looks at Americans' love affair with pets

Winterthur exhibit looks at Americans' love affair with pets

Wednesday November 14, 2007

By RANDALL CHASE Associated Press Writer

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- Visitors to Winterthur sometimes experience a "Wow!" moment when touring the museum's permanent and traveling collections, but the newest exhibit offers a bit of a twist.

"Bow-wow!" might be the more appropriate response to "Pets in America," which traces Americans' love affair with their animals from the 18th century to the present.

In what may be a first for Winterthur, visitors can bring their own pet photos or portraits, which will be displayed and archived as part of the museum's record of the exhibit.

The family friendly exhibit, on view through Jan. 20, is the brainchild of Katherine Grier, a professor in Winterthur's American material culture program. The show grew from her research into human-animal relationships in the United States while she was at the University of South Carolina, where the exhibit debuted two years ago.

Winterthur is the fifth stop for the show, which is next scheduled to travel to Florida. At Winterthur, it is being supplemented with about 40 items from the museum's collection.

The exhibit, based on Grier's acclaimed 2006 book of the same name, begins by linking pet keeping in America to its earlier roots, amusingly illustrated with ornate cages used in the Far East to house pet crickets - prized both for their chirping songs and competitive fighting.

Read the rest of the article here: Winterthur exhibit looks at Americans' love affair with pets

20071115 Westminster Eagle columns Aug 1 through Nov 15 2007

Westminster Eagle columns Aug 1 through Nov 15 2007

November 15^th, 2007

Kevin E. Dayhoff Wednesday, November 14 One more helping of grits, with a Dr. Pepper and a side of fruitcake

Most people who know me know that I like to eat.

And regular readers of this column know that one of my favorite foods is grits.

After the Aug. 1 column in The Eagle, "Song of the South: No grits, no glory," I heard from many folks who also like grits.

Mike Shaw of Shaw Farms wrote that he "j... [Read full story]

Jerry Barnes: county state's attorney and veteran

Westminster Eagle: November 7, 2007

As Veterans Day fast approaches -- it's this Sunday, Nov. 11 -- it's appropriate to remember that service to our country is a cherished tradition in Carroll County.

And so it was that in May 1968, Jerry F. Barnes joined the U.S. Army.

Today, we know Mr. Barnes as Carroll County State's Attorney.... [Read full story]

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Billy Bob threw something off the Route 140 bridge

Westminster Eagle: October 31, 2007

It was 40 years ago, the late summer of 1967 that we first learned from "Mama" that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor "said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge."

I first heard that song, "Ode t... [Read full story]

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OK, so who was Herb Ruby?

Westminster Eagle: September 26, 2007

That's the question we posed last week when we talked about the placement of the Ruby Field sign at Westminster High's football field.

Let's begin this way -- when was the last time you attended a Friday night local high school football game?

We all know that local sports teams are one of the st...

[Read full story]

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Resetting a local gem to mark Ruby Field

Westminster Eagle: September 19, 2007

I had the pleasure of attending the "rededication" of the Ruby Field sign under the scoreboard at the Westminster High School football field right before the Westminster v. Francis Scott Key football game on Friday evening, Sept. 7.

A gathering of friends and family of the late Coach Herb Ruby was... [Read full story]

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Thursday, October 25 2007 Wm. Jennings Bryan stirred the pot in 1900 visit By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, October 17 2007 Celebrating a Westminster 'citizen soldier' By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, October 10 2007 We can honor county's firefighting history by preventing disaster By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, October 03 2007 Early television in Carroll got a great reception By Kevin E. Dayhoff,

Special to the Eagle 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

Links: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=978&show=archivelist&searchsel=archives&om=1&requesttimeout=100

If any of the links have expired for a piece of which you would like to read, e-mail me at kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com. Thanks.

20071113 Newsday.com: Ex-Walter Reed Chief to Run Fort Detrick By David Dishneau

Newsday.com: Ex-Walter Reed Chief to Run Fort Detrick

By DAVID DISHNEAU, Associated Press Writer

November 13, 2007 HAGERSTOWN, Md.

A two-star general who was fired as the head of Walter Reed Army Medical Center amid reports of shoddy treatment of wounded soldiers will oversee U.S. biological weapons defense research as commander of Fort Detrick, the Army said Tuesday.

Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, a physician who works in the Army surgeon general's office in Falls Church, Va., will command both Fort Detrick in Frederick and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command there, Army spokesman Paul Boyce said.

Weightman had been at Walter Reed for six months when The Washington Post began publishing stories in February about recovering soldiers languishing in dilapidated housing and their families complaining of inattentive administrators.

The disclosures forced the resignations of then-Army Secretary Francis Harvey and then-Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley.

When Weightman was fired from the Army's flagship hospital March 1, the Army said senior officials "had lost trust and confidence" in his leadership abilities to solve the problems at Walter Reed. In September, the top Pentagon health officer, Dr. S. Ward Casscells, said the military's medical community "got a black eye that we didn't completely deserve."

Read the entire article here: Newsday.com: Ex-Walter Reed Chief to Run Fort Detrick

20071115 Bartel watch

Bartel Watch

November 15^th, 2007

You searched for: Bartel

Displaying 1-20 of 113 result(s) found. For the rest of the results go here: Bartel

Just click on any of the articles below, they are all good…

The unexpected peril of using Wikipedia

Ever try Googling yourself? Try Wikipeding yourself. It may not sound as catchy as Googling, but it can sure lead to some surprising results. I admit it: I'm a Googling myself fan. I do it almost every day. Hello, I'm Jordan and I'm a Googlingmyselfa... Nov. 2, 2007

Holiday flicks: Old English, sci-fi, indies, hooray!

The year in film has been kind of a let down for me. Granted, I haven't seen much. But not much has interested me enough to warrant a trip to theaters. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was one of the highlights this summer. As was "The Bou... Nov. 15, 2007

Time to lighten up: With the holidays right around the corner, Maryland wastes no time kicking off festivals

During the holidays, nights just aren't the same without lights. Thankfully, venues across the state offer light festivals this year. So don those winter sweaters, bring some hot cocoa and prepare for a Santa cameo or two. Here are some highlights (g... Nov. 15, 2007

TV characters taking their personalities online

Nowadays, everyone seems to have a blog, from 11-year-olds spilling video game secrets to 81-year-old Grandma Jenny, who must tell the world about her bridge club. So it's easy to dismiss most blogs. Mostly, they are either: a) boring, b) interesting... Nov. 2, 2007

Out & About

ON STAGE: FIVE HOT REGIONAL THEATER PRODUCTIONS "Cinderella," now through Dec. 2, Cumberland Get thee to the ball and don't forget that glass slipper. Cumberland Theatre, 101 N. Johnson St. 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays, 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sat... Nov. 15, 2007

Best Bets for Nov. 15-21

Music for a cause There's a full slate of performers on tap for the annual concert "With One Voice," benefiting the Carroll County Domestic Violence Safe House and held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at St. John Catholic Church in Westminster. Among the musici... Nov. 15, 2007

Q&A with Howard Hemler: World's fastest omelet maker

Forgot about breakfast on the run: Howard Helmer's breakfast is made with lightning speed. Just how fast? Helmer can turn out 427 omelets in 30 minutes. That's roughly 14 omelets a minute. No wonder he's a two-time Guinness world record holder. Yup, ... Nov. 15, 2007

Novel gift ideas

McDaniel College librarian offers list of books suitable to be holiday presents When it comes to gift-giving, a good book never goes out of style. That’s why Jane Sharpe, McDaniel College’s associate librarian, wants to keep people in fas... Nov. 13, 2007

Best Bets for Nov. 8-14

Daughtry set to rock Annapolis Everyone's favorite chrome-domed "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry and his band will perform at the United States Naval Academy at 8 p.m. Nov. 10. Daughtry's debut album has been one of the top sellers of the year... Nov. 14, 2007

Timely exhibit sheds light on the Black Panther Party

BALTIMORE - It's an image of the Black Panther Party ingrained in historical memory: dark clothing, darker stares, raised fists. But, as a new exhibit at the Maryland Institute College of Art demonstrates, underneath the black attire and the percepti... Nov. 14, 2007

Too-soon celebrity memoirs lining shelves

The recent slew of celebrity memoirs reminds me of that odd middle school English assignment: writing your autobiography. I understood the purpose of honing your language skills at a young age, but when you're 12, what are you supposed to write about... Nov. 14, 2007

Bounty of books: Featuring author Katy Kelly, the Random House fair kicks off at Carroll college

If you want to know about author Katy Kelly, peer into the life of her endearing protagonist, fourth-grader Lucy Rose. Lucy is growing up on Capitol Hill with a dog named Gumbo. So did Kelly, whose parents are similar to Lucy's grandparents, Madam an... Nov. 14, 2007

Fearless Discoveries

Despite its rather bookish name, the Discovery Channel isn't your father's - or grandfather's - science programming. In fact, the popular cable outlet has created a new identity for the television it produces: natural history for the 21st century. An... Nov. 14, 2007

Tackling difficult topics

In “Playing Gender,” McDaniel College’s advanced theater lab production that opens tonight, society is the star and gender is a prop. Man, woman, gay, straight, somewhere in between there is something you recognize on the stage. A... Nov. 14, 2007

Political figures linked by Mormonism

It was his 1844 campaign for United States president that probably got Mormon leader Joseph Smith killed. And now, more than 160 years later, while another Mormon, Mitt Romney, heads a strong campaign for the Republican presdiential nomination, filmm... Nov. 5, 2007

The Illusionist

Designer Lee Snijders has built his career on transforming both large and small spaces. Now he wants to show you how it's done this weekend at the Maryland Home & Garden Show. When he was a Walt Disney Imagineer, it was Lee Snijders' job to create il... Nov. 2, 2007

Best Bets for November 1-7

Carroll author makes the rounds If you haven't read Laura Bowers' young adult novel "Beauty Shop for Rent," take note. Bowers, who lives in New Windsor, will make multiple appearances at Carroll County library branches this week. Bowers will talk abo... Nov. 2, 2007

Out & About
On stage: Five hot regional theater productions "The Pillowman," Nov. 1-3, Towson The award-winning play centers on Katurian, a writer living in a police state who is interrogated about the content of his gruesome short stories. So bring the entire f... Nov. 2, 2007

Recalling when Halloween was a holiday just for kids
Remember that Halloween? You know the one, when your costume was perfect, you got the best candy, you trick-or-treated with your best friends. Yeah, that one. Everyone seems to have one particularly fond Halloween memory. Mine was when I was 2 or 3 a... Nov. 2, 2007

Media focusing too much on sensationalism
Lately, the media has been partying like it's 1994. And why not? The latest O.J. Simpson drama is making it easy to slap together live reports and call the whole thing "news." Yes, Simpson's arrest is news. But it's not nearly as important as the med... Nov. 2, 2007

20071115 “Half Japanese” from Uniontown named Number 94 on “Blender’s” best 100 indie albums

Half Japanese from Uniontown named Number 94 on Blender’s best 100 indie albums

Half Japanese, Jad and David Fair, are from Uniontown Carroll County Maryland is Number 94 – “Half Japanese - Greatest Hits” on “Blender picks the best 100 indie rock albums ever” posted November 14th, 2007 1:56 am by Jeff Skruck

Hat Tip: “Nov. 15: Top TV icons” By Jordan Bartel, Times Staff Writer Thursday, November 15, 2007 [And please report dead links…]

Although, for the uninitiated, “Half Japanese – Greatest Hits” is a great album, for really enjoying “Half Japanese,” the “Greatest Hits” 1995 album is like kissing your sister.

My two favorite “Half Japanese” albums are “Charmed Life” from 1988 and “the Band That Would Be King,” (with tracks like, “Daytona Beach,” “Africans Built the Pyramids,” and “Horseshoes,” from 1989.

More “About Half Japanese” – (Content by Craig Randall | Designed and Hosted by WebGrafix) from Article taken from MP3.com:

Few of punk rock's founding fathers could have anticipated the extreme to which Half Japanese took the music's do-it-yourself ethos.

Founded by brothers Jad and David Fair, Half Japanese was quite probably the most amateurish rock band to make a record since the Shaggs, all but ignoring musical basics like chords, rhythms, and melody.

However, the brothers made that approach into a guiding aesthetic, steadfastly refusing to progress in their primitive musicianship over a career that lasted decades.

David Fair's article "How to Play Guitar" outlined the Half Japanese philosophy: if you rejected conventional ideas about fingering, tuning, and even stringing a guitar, there were no limits on how you could express yourself on what was, after all, your instrument.

The band's proponents (who included Kurt Cobain) saw them as the epitome of a pure, unbridled enthusiasm for rock & roll, the ultimate expression of punk's dictum that rock should be accessible to anyone who wanted to pick up an instrument and play.

Detractors found them gratingly noisy, borderline unlistenable, and too self-conscious and willful about their naïveté. That naïveté extended to their lyrical outlook too, not just their technical abilities; when they weren't singing about horror movies or tabloid headlines, most of their songs were about girls…

Early on, with less outside influence, their work was more chaotic and cathartic; as time passed, David Fair became a sporadic contributor, and the prolific Jad built a core of semi-regular backing musicians who brought a rudimentary sense of songcraft to the proceedings.

Jad and David Fair formed Half Japanese in their bedroom in the mid-'70s. Accounts differ as to exactly when (somewhere around 1975-77) and where (either Michigan or their eventual base of Maryland; the family apparently moved around a lot). It is known that the brothers made their first home recordings in 1977, issuing their debut EP that year, Calling All Girls, on their own 50 Skidillion Watts label.

[…]

Read the entire piece here: About Half Japanese

For a great interview please go to: http://youtube.com/watch?v=kcu2ONECf_8

About This Video: Some say Half Japanese were the world's greates... (more) Added: July 20, 2006 Some say Half Japanese were the world's greatest underground band. Jad and David Fair started the band HALF JAPANESE in their bedroom in Uniontown, Maryland in 1975. Though neither could play a single note on any instrument, they went on to record one of the greatest albums of all time.

HALF JAPANESE - The Band That Would Be King

####

20071114 This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Frederick and The Geography of Nowhere

Kevin E. Dayhoff

The alarm has been sounded, “Starbucks is coming. Starbucks is coming.” No word yet as to whether or not a “coffee party” has been organized to dump coffee grounds into Carroll Creek.

The Nobel Economics Prize

Tom McLaughlin

Setting my brain from its usual position of reverse to forward, I elected to try to unravel the Nobel Prize in Economics. This was awarded to three Americans “for having laid the foundation of mechanism design theory.”

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Don't Rest in Peace, Norman Mailer Part 1

Roy Meachum

Serious literary authors and small-town journalists, we take care of our own. The death last week of Pulitzer Prize winning Norman Mailer earned lots of space, in national media as well as the local press.

10 Dumb Questions I Get

Nick Diaz

I am a motorcyclist. For 37 of my 60 years I’ve been riding motorcycles. It all goes back to my youth in my native Cuba, where I spent summers riding horses at my godfather’s cattle ranch.

Falling into One’s Lap

Katie Nash

The past two weeks have involved a series of tax-raising schemes put forth by the O’Malley Administration and his minions. Unfortunately for taxpayers, there seems to be little resistance from moderate Democrats.

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Monday, November 12, 2007

General Assembly Journal Special Session 2007 Part – 2

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

First, it was hailed as the most progressive re-write of a tax code in the nation. Liberal and progressive advocacy groups celebrated Gov. Martin O’Malley’s planned income tax revision as a just and responsible shift of the tax burden away from the working poor and onto the backs of the wealthy.

Worcester County and Slots

Tom McLaughlin

When it was announced that Ocean Downs raceway had been selected as a location for a slots parlor, local rich hotel-condo and real estate owners had an angina attack.

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Sunday, November 11, 2007

Veterans Day: “The Wall” at 25

Kevin E. Dayhoff

This year Veterans Day is also the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in Constitution Gardens adjacent to the National Mall in Washington. The Memorial, well known as “The Wall,” was dedicated November 13, 1982.

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Friday, November 9, 2007

"Fair Lady" and "The Scourge of God"

Roy Meachum

Lisa O’Hare stars as Eliza Doolittle with Christopher Cazenove as Professor Henry Higgins in the Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theater presentation of “My Fair Lady.” (Photo by Joan Marcus)

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Thursday, November 8, 2007

An Open Letter…

Chris Cavey

Dear Governor O’Malley, The Guinness Book of World Records lists Teflon as the slipperiest substance on Earth. In a few short months Maryland’s citizens will witness that you are the slipperiest governor in the United States; because nothing will stick.

Russian Glimpses – Part 3 – St. Petersburg

Patricia A. Kelly

(Editor's Note: Columnist Kelly recently toured Russia. This is her third of three parts recounting her adventure.) Our senior guide in St. Petersburg, Masha, was the daughter of intellectuals. During Soviet times, her parents traded their historic, central apartment for a Khrushchev apartment farther out, so that they could send Masha to kindergarten without a 6-year wait. Apartment developments are named after the leader of the time they were built. Stalin’s were the best.

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Wednesday, November 7, 2007

The Ever Green Fund

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Last Friday, the House Environmental Matters Committee in the Maryland General Assembly held a hearing on House Bill 23, the “Maryland Green Fund.”

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Tuesday, November 6, 2007

“I’m mad as Hell….”

Farrell Keough

Of late, I have gotten responses to my columns that fall into two camps; some have told me they were a nice, condensed view of facts surrounding issues and others have said I need to lighten up and write to a lower level of education. While I appreciate receiving input, (good or bad) it is this latter perspective I would like to tackle.

War without heroes and villains

Roy Meachum

Most Americans prefer personalized war. They need heroes to admire; but most of all they want villains to hate. Hitler was a perfect example. He was a demon long before the United States entered World War II.

20071114 News Clips

News Clips

Nov 14, 2007

STATE NEWS

Slots referendum would go to voters next November
Factions measure progress 1 vote at a time
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.slots14nov14001518,0,1512004.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
When Gov. Martin O'Malley proposed a voter referendum on legalizing slot machine gambling, freshman Del. Craig L. Rice opposed it because he thought the General Assembly should decide major policy decisions and not send them to the ballot box.
But Rice changed his mind when fellow legislators who represent the proposed sites for slots parlors asked him to vote for the referendum. "Slots are not proposed for my district, so I deferred to them, " said Rice, a Democrat who represents Montgomery County.
Not only are legislators lobbying one another, but the Democratic governor is talking to legislators to garner support for the historic referendum. House leaders have taken preliminary whip counts, and Del. Kumar P. Barve, the majority leader, said yesterday that they are probably close to lining up the needed 85 votes.
After years of debate, most legislators' positions on slots are firmly established. But the referendum and O'Malley's proposed structure for a slots program have thrown the dynamics into flux.
Republicans said yesterday that as many as 10 of them could defect from their party's stance against the slots referendum, and others might follow. One GOP legislator on the fence is Del. James King of Anne Arundel County, who said he anticipates making a "game-time decision" right before the legislation hits the floor. "The heat will get turned up and we'll see how hard the push gets," he said. "The Democrats are whipping their guys and as soon as they get the votes, they'll bring it to the floor. I think they'd like to do it without Republicans, but I'm not so sure they can."
Many legislators said the slots debate has distracted them for years and that they favor a referendum to allow them to move beyond the heavily lobbied issue.

House offers specific budget cuts for O'Malley
Negotiations to begin in Senate over $500 million in reductions
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.cuts14nov14,0,5062643.story
The House of Delegates recommended yesterday $500 million in specific spending cuts for Gov. Martin O'Malley's next budget, paving the way for negotiations later this week with the state Senate, which recommend e d the same amount of cuts but left the details to the governor. O'Malley will release his budget in January, and lawmakers can then make spending cuts.
But Del. Anthony J. O'Donnell, the minority leader from Southern Maryland, noted that O'Malley could completely ignore the House's current suggestions for cutting spending growth. "We can't do anything to his budget," O'Donnell said. "He hasn't presented it to us yet." The vote went largely along party lines, with Democrats voting for the package of spending cuts and Republicans against, although five delegates crossed party lines. Republicans Ron George and Steve Schuh of Anne Arundel County and Susan L.M. Aumann of Baltimore County supported it, while Democrats Frank M. Conaway Jr. of Baltimore City and Kevin Kelly of Allegany County opposed the measure.
"There's a lot that's in here that's just moving expenses from one year to the next," said Del. Gail H. Ba t es, a Howard County Republican who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, adding that she believed they were just "kicking the can down the road. We're not solving the long-term structural deficit; we are closing a current gap."

Slots referendum may be in trouble
http://www.examiner.com/a-1047239~Slots_referendum_may_be_in_trouble.html
Slots opponents in the House of Delegates said they might have enough votes to block Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan for a referendum to allow the machines at five locations in Maryland. But they cautioned not to underestimate the governor's ability to sway votes and pull off a key element of his revenue measures during the special session. Republicans in the House said they support their own version of a slots plan and they want lawmakers, not the citizens, to decide the issue. "We really believe that the slots referendum does nothing more than enable the largest tax increase in Maryland history and enrich five slots operators," said House Minority Whip Christopher Shank, R-Washington County.
The Senate passed its slots legislation last week before the tax increases and spending cuts, and has delayed coming back to Annapolis until Thursday.
House GOP leader Anthony O'Donnell said the delay was a message Senate President Thomas Mike Miller was sending to O'Malley that the governor needed to round up slots votes in the House. For Miller, who has been pushing slots for five years, slots are an essential part of fixing the state's deficit next year, along with taxes and budget cuts.

Top Lawmakers Breakfast With Governor; Busch: "Still Trying To Get Slots Votes"
http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=65648
Both <>House Speaker Michael Busch, and Senate President Mike Miller emerged from the 45 minute meeting optimistic that lawmakers will come to an agreement over a constitutional amendment to legalize slots, which has yet to pass the House of Delegates. "All I ask is that the governor and the speaker work together to get a final bill passed," Miller told reporters after the meeting.Busch thinks a slots bill will be ready for a vote in the House by tomorrow.
Both Busch and Miller think the final bills will be ready for votes by Friday night, and the special session could wrap up on Saturday.
Aides to Governor O'Malley said they have not come up with an alternative if slots is not approved by the House of Delegates.

Md. House likely to add Frederick site for slots
http://www.hometownannapolis.com / cgi-bin/read/2007/11_14-02/OUD
As the Maryland House prepares for a long-awaited showdown on slot machine gambling, the chamber is likely to add a Frederick gaming site in an attempt to sap business from West Virginia, leaders say. The House started work Tuesday on a slots proposal passed by the Senate last week. House leaders said they are likely to add a sixth slots site to the five already proposed.
"Frederick is a prime location," said Delegate Frank Turner, a Howard County Democrat who leads a subcommittee that is weighing slots. "One of the biggest areas where revenue is leaving Maryland is to Charlestown (W.Va.)" Turner and another lawmaker on the committee said a Frederick location is more likely to be added than a location in the White Marsh area of Baltimore County.

Legislature overrides veto of gun bill
Law enforcement agencies will soon be able to sell or trade in their firear m s to gun manufacturers after an override of a governor's veto by the state legislature.
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/11/14/news/maryland/newsstory85.txt
The House of Delegates voted 135-4 Tuesday to override Gov. Martin O'Malley's veto. The Senate had unanimously voted in support of the override on Friday. Under Maryland law, law enforcement agencies are to destroy the firearm, sell or exchange it to another law enforcement agency, or sell the handgun to a retired officer or the current officer assigned to the firearm, according to a press release. The measure gives law enforcement another option, said Mike Canning, executive director of the Maryland Sheriffs' Association. "It's an economic benefit for the localities because they can save money when they decide to trade in weapons," he said.
Sen. Larry H aines, R-District 5, who introduced the legislation, said he was grateful for his colleagues' support of the bill. "It's about public safety and saving tax dollars," Haines said. With the action by the legislature, Haines said the bill goes into effect immediately.

State Green Fund failure puts county on spot
With no state match, stormwater fund in jeopardy
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/11_13-16/TOP
As state lawmakers march into the third week of mending Maryland's budget shortfall with new taxes, they've abandoned the idea of taxing property owners to help the Chesapeake Bay. And though plans are evolving to secure more money for the bay, the decision's effects have trickled down to the county debate over how to restore damaged streams and rivers. County Executive J o hn R. Leopold's Stormwater Management and Restoration of Tributaries Fund - or SMART Fund - would tax newly built impervious surfaces, such as rooftops and driveways. Impervious surfaces don't allow rainwater to naturally soak into the ground, instead they send the water and pollution to streams.
The state legislation that's being worked out likely will send some money to local governments, though there's no guarantee of how much they'll get.
The House of Delegates is working on a bill that lays out how to spend more money on the bay, but doesn't say where the money would come from.

Special session requires creative ways to twiddle
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071114/METRO/111140070/1004
As the Maryland legislature wades through a third week of slow-going budget nego t iations, with lawmakers attempting sweeping reforms to the state's tax structure and billions in new taxes, progress is slow. Some committees are delayed by hours.
Taking a break after three hours of floor debate on budget cuts - with hours more to go - House Republican Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell said yesterday that lawmakers are at wits' end after marathon sessions. "We're doing four years of fiscal work in a couple weeks," said Mr. O'Donnell, Southern Maryland Republican, who joined other Republicans in opposing the special session. "We're trying to do this work without a budget in front of us, and we're flying blind." But many predicted the pace would pick up by week's end. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., Southern Maryland Democrat, told senators the session would conclude soon, even as he told them to take a few days off.

Stricter Policy On Growth Approved in Montgomeryhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111301079.html
The Montgomery County Council approved a growth policy yesterday that increases taxes on builders to help pay for roads and schools and encourages denser development near public transit to try to absorb an expected influx of newcomers. The policy also requires developers to do more to limit the impact their projects will have on county services and promotes the use of more environmentally friendly design. Officials predict a rush for building permits in the next two weeks from builders trying to beat the deadline and avoid paying the higher taxes. A similar rush occurred four years ago when the council last increased the impact taxes, but that time, lawmakers gave builders six months before the increases took effect.
The growth policy does not need the appro v al of the county executive. The tax increases also can become law with or without his signature. He could veto the tax increases, but the seven-member council majority indicates that the proposals might be veto-proof.

City, Coast Guard break ground on energy plant
http://www.examiner.com/a-1047223~City__Coast_Guard_break_ground_on_energy_plant.html
City and state officials joined with top Coast Guard brass to break ground Tuesday on a new landfill gas co-generation plant at the Coast Guard's Baltimore yard, which they said would meet all of the facility's power needs with a renewable energy source. The project will capture methane gas, a natural byproduct of waste decomposition, at the nearby Quarantine Road landfill and convert it into bioenergy. The plant is the largest renewable energy project in Coast Gu a rd history and the first of its kind in Maryland.
Also present at the groundbreaking were Reps. Wayne Gilchrest, John Sarbanes and Elijah Cummings.
"You will not find this kind of deal anywhere in the country, if not the world," Cummings, chair of the House Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, said of the unique deal between private and public partners to make the plant a reality. "What it says is we don't just do it right in Maryland, we create a model for others to follow."

Searching for the right environment
Future of agriculture is theme of 5th Annual Farm Forum
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/business/display.htm?StoryID=67615
The Future of Agriculture in Frederick County is the theme for Friday's 5th Annual Farm Forum at the Libertytown Fire Hall Activities Building. The daylong event, co-hosted by Delegate Paul Stull and the Frederick County Farm Bureau, will explore topics such as the Green Fund -- legislation to help clean the Chesapeake Bay; the dairy industry; value-added agriculture; organic farming; feed to fuel; and bio terrorism and foreign animals.
Participants will include Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson, who will speak on the standing of agriculture in the state, and U.S. Congressman Roscoe Bartlett who will give an update on the federal farm bill being discussed by the Senate.

EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

Dollars and sense
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-ed.annapolis14nov14,0,1644393.story
Thirty-five y e ars ago, Maryland voters were given an opportunity to decide whether the state should run a lottery. At the time, choosing to conduct a lottery was considered momentous. States were just beginning to organize them, and skeptics fretted that it wasn't an appropriate activity for government. The measure passed the General Assembly by the necessary margin and voters went along. Now lawmakers are moving to pass another amendment to the constitution, one that would permit slot machine gambling at various locations around the state, and it, too, would require voter approval.
The parallels are striking. Even those who have opposed the various slot machine proposals presented in recent years must acknowledge that requiring a slots bill to be endorsed by voters is a step in the right direction.
It's foolish to suggest that a referendum is somehow less democratic than a vote by elected officials, particularly when voters will have ample time to be informed. Such a co n troversial and divisive issue as slots is in a category (nearly) all by itself. The public deserves to have the final say.

Green fund reborn
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.greenfund14nov14,0,2847147.story
Anew fund dedicated to Chesapeake Bay cleanup that was written off just days ago as the General Assembly focused on slots and other issues has been renamed, redesigned, refinanced and resurrected for approval by the legislature before its special session ends.
Given the context of a state government working frantically to raise taxes and cut spending in order to fill a huge budget deficit, the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund 2010 - a name Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller prefers to Green Fund - puts the environment near the top of state priorities, where it belongs. The House sh o uld handily approve the bill today, and the Senate should swiftly follow. No matter what they call it or how they pay for it, though, the policy is good and long overdue.

Just don't rob us in the dark
http://www.examiner.com/a-1047208~Just_don_t_rob_us_in_the_dark.html
One thing our ruthless leaders can do to ease the pain of their imminent robbery is to at least show the courtesy of doing it to us in the open. The letter and spirit of state law requires members of the Maryland General Assembly to do their deeds out where citizens can watch unless there is a compelling public interest not to.
That's PUBLIC interest. Not their personal and political interests. Not their comfort level. Not their craven desire to flip taxpayers in secret, then pretend next election they didn't shake more money out of our pockets. <>O'Malley denied Marylanders the chance to debate his proposals by calling the special session before he even had a budget instead of waiting until January for the regular session. The least the legislative leadership can do is tell the names of those to whom we may direct our comments about the tax process. Let them know now. Tell them to let We The People into the people's chamber.

Mike Miller's poodles
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071114/EDITORIAL/111140008
The fix appears to be in, and Maryland taxpayers should get ready for another fleecing, courtesy of the "emergency" session of the General Assembly called by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Assuming the tax increases go through, everyone should remember the sorry performances of these five Maryland Democratic senators who tried to pre t end that they are anti-tax while helping Senate President Mike Miller ram through tax increases: Rona Kramer (Montgomery); Edward DeGrange (Anne Arundel); John Astle (Anne Arundel); Bobby Zirkin (Baltimore County); and Roy Dyson (St. Mary's).
These five lawmakers last week voted to help get Mr. Miller the the bare-minimum 29 votes he needed to end a filibuster against his tax increase. Then, once they carried Uncle Mike's water on what was arguably the most important vote of this special session, they had permission to vote against the tax-increase bill, which - miracle of miracles - passed with the bare-minimum 24 votes necessary.
In covering Thursday's Senate vote for the tax increases, virtually all media reported the fact that the Senate tax-increase package was approved 24-23 vote. Less well reported was the fact the outcome was never really in doubt. Mr. Miller said all along that he had the votes - a point he vividly demonstrate d earlier in the day on the most important vote of all: the 29-18 Senate mentioned above vote to end a filibuster against the legislation.
The Democrats who run this one-party state are betting that the senators' constituents are too dumb or too docile to understand what really happened.


NATIONAL NEWS

Cummings: National database needed to track staph cases
http://www.examiner.com/a-1047229~Cummings__National_database_needed_to_track_staph_cases.html
With thousands of cases of antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus each year, one U.S congressman wants to create a national database to follow the spread of the disease. "I think we need a national surveillance program to see where the drug-resistant strains are being found," said U . S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-District 7, adding that the public should have access to the information.
With a national database, Cummings said people could see which hospitals are performing best and worst.
"It will send a strong message to the medical profession for them to do better," he said.
Maryland is one of the states that does not require MRSA cases to be reported by doctors on a case-by-case basis.
U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, D-District 3, wrote in an e-mail to The Examiner that federal authorities should take more aggressive steps in educating the public about MRSA and other drug-resistant infections, and assist state and local agencies.