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

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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)

Check Out the MRC's Blog

The MRC's blog site, NewsBusters, "Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias," provides examples of bias 24/7. With your participation NewsBusters will continue to be THE blog site for tracking and correcting liberal media bias. Come post your comments and get fresh proof of media misdeeds at: http://www.newsbusters.org

20071029 Carroll County News Briefs from the Westminster Eagle

Carroll County News Briefs from the Westminster Eagle

News Briefs: Parade, trick-or-treating set in Westminster and other local events from the Westminster Eagle

10/25/07

Parade, trick-or-treating set in Westminster

The annual Halloween Parade in Westminster, hosted by American Legion Post 31, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 30, along Main Street.

The parade begins at 6 p.m. at Dutterer Family Park on Monroe Street, continues to Pennsylvania Avenue and then down Main Street to Longwell Avenue.

For more details, call Junior Fisher at 410-848-1180.

Meanwhile, the Mayor and Common Council have designated the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 31 to be Halloween trick-or-treating night.

Trick-or-treating should be conducted between the hours of dusk and 8 p.m. and restricted to children age 12 and under. Children should be accompanied by parents or adult guardians.

Residents who wish to participate should turn on their outside lights. Children should wear light-colored clothing so as to be more visible, and only visit houses in their neighborhood that have outside lights on.

Motorists are asked to pay special care on the evening of Oct. 31.

For a comprehensive list of other local events in Carroll County go here: Carroll County News Briefs from the Westminster Eagle

20071028 NPR: Backlash Against Slot Machines in W.Va. and other news from Appalachia

NPR: Backlash Against Slot Machines in W.Va. – and other news items from Appalachia…

http://www.npr.org/search.php?text=slots

Oct-28-2007, All Things Considered

...at race tracks and other locations. Tomorrow, Maryland state legislature takes up the governor's proposal to legalize slots. It's also a big issue in the current governor's race in Kentucky....

Backlash Against Slot Machines in W.Va.

by Scott Finn

All Things Considered, October 28, 2007

West Virginia is one of a handful of states that allows slot machines and other forms of video gambling in neighborhood bars, as well as at racetracks. But while other states, such as Maryland and Kentucky, are considering expanding their gambling options, many West Virginians are now having second thoughts. Some find themselves torn between their socially conservative beliefs and the state's need for jobs.

Finn reports for West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Inside Appalachia – Listen hear.

Host: Beth Vorhees

Saturdays at 6 am - Sundays at 6 pm on radio

This hour-long weekly radio news magazine is devoted to topics of interest in the southern Appalachian region - shared issues, shared culture and shared history - with a new perspective.

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WV: Table Games by Keri Brown

In West Virginia, gamblers at three of the state's four racetracks will be able to play poker 24 hours a day. The state Lottery Commission approved all day gambling this week. Also, this week, the tracks that can offer casino style table games were given the go-ahead to open their poker rooms after a test of dealers and the regulatory processes. Players used play money and played for charity.

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KY NewsBeshear Profile by Tony McVeigh, KPR

The governor’s race pits a republican incumbent against a democrat with a long political history.

Gov. Debate by Stu Johnson, WEKU

The two candidates for governor got their first shot before a statewide television audience this week on KY Educational Television.

Casino Gambling by Charles Compton, WEKU

Both the governor and the state horse industry say next week's election is a referendum of expanded gaming.

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PA: Wind Farms

By Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Allegheny Front

By the end of 2008, PA will have 10 wind farms generating electricity. These farms are built without any state regulations. Instead, wind companies and the state work together to find what they consider to be appropriate sites. PA officials say this voluntary agreement, as it’s called, is a flexible set of rules that can change as the state's knowledge of wind farms grows. But critics say the agreement does more to protect companies than the environment.

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WV: Bridge Day By Anna Sale

This weekend in October means its Bridge Day in Fayette County, WV. It’s the day each year when for six hours, it’s legal to parachute off the New River Gorge Bridge. As many as 200,000 spectators will watch. And organizers say despite a jumper fatality last year, participation this year was expected to be about the same.

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WV: Banned Books By Scott Finn

Two critically-acclaimed novels by southern writer Pat Conroy were suspended from a Nitro High School Advanced Placement Literature Class. The parents of two students complained about graphic scenes of sex and violence in the novels "Beach Music" and "The Prince of Tides." The Kanawha Co. school board is trying to decide whether to ban the books, or allow them to remain as part of the curriculum.

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WV: The Confederate Battle Flag By Beth Vorhees

Historic tradition or an emblem of racism? John Coski says the confederate flag means different things to different people. This week, Dr. Coski presented a lecture in WV on his book “The Confederate Battle Flag: America’s Most Embattled Emblem" as part of the 2007 Civil War Scholars Lecture Series at WV State University. We spoke to Dr. Coski earlier this week about his book and the controversial symbol of the American south.

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PLUS: KY: Stereotypes ... WV: Mine safety & apple crop ... NPR news ... more

20071025 Counties association favors slots by James Drew Baltimore Sun

Counties association favors slots

Qualified support based on program of compensation

From Friday's Sun - baltimoresun.com

By James Drew, Sun reporter, October 25, 2007

The Maryland Association of Counties offered qualified backing Thursday for Gov. Martin O'Malley's call to legalize slot machine gambling, saying it "could be an acceptable long-term state revenue source, were such a program responsibly crafted."

"A responsible slots program must provide continuing fair and full compensation to the host subdivisions for impact expenses and respect local land use authority," according to a statement distributed at a news conference at the State House.

[…]

The Democratic governor's package includes an increase in the state sales tax from 5 cents to 6 cents, extending the tax to cover more services, changing the income tax structure so that high earners pay more and low- and middle-income filers pay less, an increase in the corporate income tax rate from 7 percent to 8 percent, closing corporate loop holes and a property tax reduction.

The governor also backs legalizing slot machine gambling, but he has signaled he might back a referendum on that proposal.

… two days after O'Malley released a 20-page report, called the "Cost of Delay" budget, that outlines cuts of $850 million to local jurisdictions and $800 million to state agencies and programs.

Republicans referred to the governor's move as a scare tactic and noted that Democratic legislative leaders released a similar list of doomsday cuts over the summer in arguing for new revenue measures.

MACo officials said that if the state chooses spending cuts over tax increases, the burden of balancing the budget would be shifted to local governments, which would be forced to consider their own cuts and property tax increases.

[…]

Writing for the Baltimore Sun, Mr. Drew has written a quick and easy snapshot of the issues swirling much of the Maryland General Assembly Special Session which has begun today, October 29th, 2007. It is well worth the time it takes to give it a quick read. Find it here: Counties association favors slots.

20071026 News Clips

News Clips

Oct. 26, 2007

STATE NEWS

What's at stake? (We're just asking)
Political futures of lawmakers, O'Malley could depend on success or failure of the special session
http://gazette.net/stories/102607/polinew65912_32356.shtml
The hype has been like the lead-up to a Super Bowl.
Now, with kickoff to the third special legislative session in four years only days away, the eyes of the state will be on how Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and lawmakers resolve the $1.7 billion budget deficit. The stakes, personal and political, are has high as they have ever been. O'Malley has said that building the consensus needed to call the special session is the most difficult thing he has done in his political life.
Still, Republicans are lining up to decry the tax proposals, with a GOP-sp onsored anti-tax rally on Lawyers Mall before the General Assembly convenes Monday. Democrats are set to follow with their own rally in support of education and health care on the State House steps two hours later.
Republicans said they will not use the hole the state finds itself in for political gain, but are determined to influence the process of finding a solution. ''We're not in this to play a cynical game of 'gotcha' politics," said Christopher B. Shank (R-Dist. 2B) of Hagerstown, the House minority whip. ''We're in this to try to solve a problem."
Despite being heavily outnumbered, Republicans say they can influence the proceedings if enough people express their distaste for O'Malley's plan. ''It's not predestined at this point," said House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) of Lusby.
Republicans are not focused on any electoral gains in 2010 that might result from passage of O'Malley's tax package , O'Donnell said. ''This should not be about partisan advantage. This should be about what's good for Maryland's economy, Maryland's competitiveness with other states, Maryland's working families and Maryland's small businesses," he said. ''Elections come and go, but let's put that stuff aside."

Counties association favors slots
Qualified support based on program of compensation
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.maco26oct26,0,1336255.story
The Maryland Association of Counties offered qualified backing yesterday for Gov. Martin O'Malley's call to legalize slot machine gambling, saying it "could be an acceptable long-term state revenue source, were such a program responsibly crafted."
"A responsible slots program must provide continuing fair and full compensation to the host subdivisions for impact expenses and respect local land use authority," according to a statement distributed at a news conference at the State House.
When asked whether local elected officials there would support slots within their boundaries, Baltimore County Executive James T . Smith, a Democrat, replied: "It's too early to get into where they may be located. We don't know enough about the governor's proposal or the discussions with the speaker and the president of the Senate." Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and the executives of Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and Wicomico counties warned of the consequences if the General Assembly were to cut spending instead of raising taxes.
Yesterday, the Maryland Republican Party noted one of those polls, conducted by Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies, that showed O'Malley's disapproval rating rose to 31 percent from 21 percent in March. The change was attributed to a shift among Republican voters. The poll also found that nearly two-thirds of voters opposed the proposed increase in the state sales tax to help reduce the budget deficit. Jim Pelura, chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, said in a statement: "Martin O'Malley owns this tax increase plan. As Ma r ylanders learn more about his tax-and-spend scheme, it comes as no surprise that O'Malley's disapproval ratings will soar. Nobody likes tax increases, and O'Malley has compounded the problem by telling folks that they will be better off after the largest tax hike in Maryland history. He has lost all credibility with Marylanders."

Governor announces details of his health care proposal
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.health26oct26,0,7780414.story
Gov. Martin O'Malley rolled out a health care plan yesterday that would expand medical coverage for uninsured residents and commit funding for data exchanges that connect the state's hospitals and allow them to share records.Addressing critics who question the wisdom of expanding programs in the face of the looming deficit, O'Malley stressed the plan's "pay-as-you-go" f e ature and said that residents who have private insurance would save money because the cost of treating the uninsured in Maryland is added to their premiums.
A similar proposal passed the House in the last session but died in the Senate, where President Thomas V. Mike Miller argued that implementing it without a solution to the state's fiscal woes would be irresponsible. Miller says he would support health care legislation during the special session if it doesn't add to the deficit.
But Republican lawmakers said they are still worried about the cost of the proposal and would prefer private-sector solutions. "Our primary concern right now needs to be reducing the structural deficit and chronic overspending, and several hundred million dollars for a new social program is only going to exacerbate the problem," said Del. Christopher B. Shank, House minority whip from Western Maryland. "These are worthwhile goals, but we have to set priorities."

Md. officials violated provision of election law
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.campaign26oct26,0,664903.story
Several state elected officials - including two statewide officeholders - violated an obscure provision of election law that required them to file campaign finance reports more frequently this year because they gave money to Baltimore City candidates.
The review of state records by The Sun found that Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and Comptroller Peter Franchot, along with a half-dozen members of the General Assembly, did not fulfil the filing requirement. But several of the officials vowed to do so after being contacted yesterday by the newspaper.Campaign finance reporting regulations are in place to ensure the public can keep track of who is funding which candi d ates. The donations were reported as receipts by the candidates who received them, but not as expenditures by those who made them.

EPA orders Arundel cleanup
Pharmaceutical plant told to comply or face fines of $32,500 a day
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-te.md.ar.hazardous26oct26,0,6388390.story
The owner of a dormant Brooklyn Park pharmaceutical plant, which was found to have open chemicals and 50,000 gallons of hazardous waste on its property, has been ordered to clean up the site by year's end or face federal fines of up to $32,500 a day. Environmental regulators and Anne Arundel County officials say those pollutants pose a fire hazard and an imminent threat to public health. The warehouse and tank-storage area are within a mile of three schools and a short walk from homes and a neighborhood playground. The fear of a "potentially catastrophic fire" spurred Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold to call this month for swift action by federal regulators, citing numerous violations of the county fire code.
"I am pleased with their recognition of the seriousness of this matter and their willingness to act promptly," Leopold said of the federal order.

Howard County offers free flu shots
Clinic at Gateway Business Park will double as emergency-preparedness exercise
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-md.ho.flu26oct26,0,3474762.story
Howard County health officials are offering up to 4,000 free flu inoculations next month at a drive-through clinic designed to reach twice as many people as a similar exercise last year. "We want to bring attention to the fact that flu is a serious issue," Beilenson said, noting that twice as many people die of influenza each year as die from antibiotic-resistant staph infections, which have received extensive publicity lately.
Police Chief William McMahon and Fire Chief Joseph Herr said the vaccination event will help first responders practice for a possible avian flu outbreak or an act of biological terrorism.

'Doomsday' budget would slash state aid to convention centers http://www.examiner.com/a-1011225~_Doomsday__budget_would_slash_state_aid_to_convention_centers.html
Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed budget cuts would drop all state aid to Maryland's two major convention centers, funding that comprises two-t h irds of the Baltimore center's annual payments and half of those for the Ocean City center. Local convention officials and national analysts said the cuts could end up costing the state and city far more than they'd ever save. O'Malley on Tuesday unveiled the budget cuts he'd have to make unless the General Assembly passes his proposed tax increases and revenues measures in a special session beginning Monday. The governor's plan would end $4.2 million in state funding toward the Baltimore Convention Center's deficit, and $1.5 million for the Ocean City Convention Center, according to a breakdown of cuts released earlier this week.

O'Malley proposes more to be spent on uninsured
http://www.examiner.com/a-1011260~O_Malley_proposes_more_to_be_spent_on_uninsured.html
Gov. Martin O'Malley is proposing the s tate 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. The proposal hinges on passing new taxes and slot machine gambling in a special session of the General Assembly that begins Monday, O'Malley said Thursday. The plan comes two days after he disclosed $1.7 billion in budget cuts he would have to make if the legislature does not raise taxes, including doubling the cigarette tax.
"They are really part of the same mission to make our state a better place," O'Malley said. "There is broad consensus in the General Assembly" for health care improvement. "If we're unable to make progress, we will continue to backslide" on this issue.

Gilchrest accused of 'dirty tricks'
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/METRO/110260075/1004 Supporters of state Sen. Andrew P. Harris' campaign to unseat Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest say the incumbent's top aide pushed another candidate into the Republican primary to dilute support for Mr. Harris. "This is [Mr. Gilchrest's] insurance card that he doesn't lose the race," said state Sen. Nancy Jacobs, Harford County Republican. "It's dirty tricks. It's what goes on behind the scenes. But to get caught with your hand in the cookie jar."
Mrs. Jacobs said one of her former staffers now working for the Gilchrest campaign told her about the plan to enlist Mr. Banks, a technology executive. Mr. Banks yesterday denied the accusations. "Absolutely not," he said. "It sounds like a vast right-wing conspiracy."
"This is the worst form of dirty tricks camp a igning," said Chris Meekins, Mr. Harris' campaign manager. "Sadly, that is what we have come to expect from Wayne Gilchrest. This is exactly why Republican voters are looking for new leadership."
Whether Mr. Banks was asked to enter the race remains in dispute, but he clearly opposed Mr. Harris' bid this summer.
He said Mr. Gilchrest was the Republicans' best chance to hold the seat.

Counties Protest Possible Cuts
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/
A dozen county leaders from across Maryland convened in Annapolis yesterday to warn against the consequences of cutting education funding and other local aid as a solution to the state's projected $1.7 billion budget shortfall.
Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) said this week that counties could take a big hit if lawmakers do not pass his revenue package in a special session that starts Monday. So m e legislators have argued that counties should be part of the solution, given state aid to local government has swelled in recent years to about 40 percent of Maryland's general fund.
Raises for most county employees have outpaced those of state workers in recent years, and most counties have healthier reserves than the state, making them an attractive target for legislators.

Maryland tax hikes could push business to Delaware
Special session to decide on proposals to increase corporate burden
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS01/710260303
As legislators prepare to negotiate more than a dozen tax changes during a General Assembly Special Session on Monday, Lower Shore business owners anxiously wait to learn if they're going to be impacted and how much. Increasing ta x rates are never a popular topic, but parts of O'Malley's plan could make doing business in Maryland much harder, said Brad Bellacicco, executive director of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce.
"Because we're located this close to Delaware with no sales tax, a sales tax increase is especially scary to our members," Bellacicco said. "Several of the proposals do end up shifting a lot of the tax load onto the businesses and a study indicated that businesses statewide could lose jobs." What could alter the local economy the most in Ed Rommel's eyes is not only a bump in the sales tax rate, but the expansion of sales taxes into the service industry such as accounting firms like Twilley, Rommel & Stephens P.A., where he serves as a managing partner. The proximity to Delaware makes him curious about moving operations six miles north on Route 13 to just over the state line in Delmar.
"It appears as if the services which h a ve the least amount of representation in the legislature have been targeted for this tax, as opposed to a more broad based tax that would include all professional services, medical, legal or what have you," Rommel said, adding that Maryland is developing a bad corporate reputation. "I was at a national seminar last week and I heard that Maryland has a reputation for being anti-business. The state of Maryland doesn't perceive it that way, but that's what the business community perceives."These taxes could also make a large dent into the bottom lines of small businesses, and since that's the heart of the Wicomico County economy, the long-term effects could be suffocating.

Md. Jockey Club plans rally for slots
Live racing canceled on Nov. 2 to allow supporters of industry to rally in Annapolis
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-racing1026,0,136.storyThe Maryland Jockey Club has canceled live racing on Nov. 2 to allow employees, horsemen and racing fans to rally in Annapolis in support of bringing slot machines to Maryland, the club announced today.
The General Assembly is scheduled to hold hearings at 11 a.m. that day on various proposals to bring slot machines to the state as part of a special session that begins Monday. The rally is scheduled for 9 a.m. in front of the State House.

EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

Rally for no new taxes
http://www.examiner.com/a-1011220~Rally_for_no_new_taxes.html
Go. Just do it. Head to the anti-tax rally in Annapolis on Monday and let our legislators know raising taxes is not the answer to fixing the state's projected $1.7 billion budget deficit. Gov. Martin O'Malley's doom-and-gloom projections for how cutting the state budget will affect government services are a scare tactic, not reality.
Go to SmartGov.net to download the schedule of events, which start at noon at Lawyers Mall and end at the State House Gallery following the opening ceremony of the special session.
As Mark Twain said, "No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session." Tell legislators to spend the special session cutting waste. It's premature to even contemplate taxes without first eliminating fat from current operations - and having a budget to analyze.

Governor should stop scare tactics
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/10/26/news/opinion/editorial/editorial843.txt
Gov. Martin O'Malley should listen to his own Comptroller instead of trying to scare people into going along with his budget proposals. The Governor on Tuesday ran through a laundry list of ways that residents would suffer if they didn't get behind his proposals. The list included everything from closing two police barracks to cuts in health care for the poor. The doomsday ploy isn't a new tactic.
Even here in Carroll under past administrations we have seen similar tactics. O'Malley needs to listen to his own Comptroller, Peter Franchot, who criticized O'Malley's proposals and the way the Governor was rolling them out. The picture isn't as bleak as the Governor is painting, and Franchot says a more deliberative process of moving addressing issues and resolving the budget problems would be better.We need to take a long hard look at state spending, which is usually done during the legislative session, and we need to look at revenues and expenses together in order to find the best ways to move forward.
O'Malley shouldn't try to bypass the process to push through tax increases, and he shouldn't use scare tactics to try and gain support for his plan.

Odd man out
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.heritage26oct26,0,1415668.story
At first, Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett loved the idea of a collective marketing campaign to promote the scores of sites along a four-state corridor from Gettysburg, Pa., to Charlottesville, Va., that bear witness to some of American history's most momentous events.
But when the $15 million proposal got wrapped into a larger measure creating such heritage areas around the nation - and Mr. Bartlett learned that "Virginia-based" environmentalists and wealthy landowners were a driving f orce behind the one for this region - the Western Maryland Republican cried foul. He railed to his House colleagues Wednesday about a "big-government, big-spending philosophy" that threatened local property rights.
Mr. Bartlett should have trusted his initial instincts instead of playing to the inside-the-beltway anti-government crowd.

Tackling the mortgage crisis
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.subprime26oct26,0,2122791.story
A state task force reviewing the impact of the subprime mortgage crisis in Maryland has come up with reasonable proposals that would tighten lending practices and help deter the loss of homes to foreclosure here. But relief won't be swift.
Their recommendations require action by the General Assembly, which won't take up the proposals until it next meets in regular session in January. Foreclosures related to subprime mortgages have an impact on more than lenders and homeowners. They result in lost revenue for governments and diminished property values for communities. It's in Maryland's interest to try to soften the blow.

Gilchrest menhaden proposal worth consideration
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_25-21/OPN
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest is second to none in the state congressional delegation when it comes to putting thought into environmental issues - particularly the health of the Chesapeake Bay. And his proposal for a five-year ban on the harvesting of menhaden deserves serious attention. The ban could easily do much more for the bay's rockfish population than President Bush's suggestion, on a visit to St. Michael's last week, that rockfish - or st r iped bass - be designated a gamefish, and that commercial harvesting cease. Mr. Gilchrest was there, and we hope he got a chance to talk to the president about menhaden. They are not a glamorous fish, being small, bony, oily and inedible to humans. But they are phytoplankton eaters, nourishing themselves by cleaning up the excess algae and plant material clouding the bay. And they are themselves a favorite food of rockfish and bluefish.
Of course, the jobs that would be lost if Omega's Chesapeake Bay operation shuts down are mostly in Virginia, not Mr. Gilchrest's district in Maryland. But saving the menhaden population is not a high-profile issue - just an important one. Mr. Gilchrest deserves credit for paying attention to it, and his legislation deserves consideration.

20071028 Tribune, Patuxent Publishing Group, Baltimore Sun disclosure

20071028 Tribune, Patuxent Publishing Group, Baltimore Sun, and The Tentacle disclosure

Kevin Dayhoff writes for three of the newspapers in the Patuxent Publishing Group, the Sunday Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle and Eldersburg Eagle.

The Patuxent Publishing Group is owned by “Tribune.” Tribune also owns the Baltimore Sun – and as a matter of fact, the Sunday Carroll Eagle is distributed in the Sunday edition of the Baltimore Sun – see: 20071021 Baltimore Sun: “To our readers.”)

Additionally he writes for an online magazine, “The Tentacle.”

“When I stop working the rest of the day is posthumous. I'm only really alive when I'm writing.” Tennessee Williams

http://www.kevindayhoff.net/

http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff

http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

http://gizmosart.com/dayhoff.html

Kevin Dayhoff’s Facebook photo album

Kevin Dayhoff’s Facebook page

Blog Net News Maryland: http://www.blognetnews.com/Maryland/feed.php?channel=33

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

20071028 The Sunday Carroll Eagle introduction

The Sunday Carroll Eagle introduction

October 28, 2007

On October 28^th, 2007 the publication for which I write, The Westminster Eagle and The Eldersburg Eagle, (which is published by Patuxent Newspapers and owned by Baltimore Sun); took over the Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun.

“The Sunday Carroll Eagle ” is inserted into the newspaper for distribution in Carroll County. For more information, please contact:

Mr. Jim Joyner, Editor, The Westminster Eagle

121 East Main Street

Westminster, MD 21157

(410) 386-0334 ext. 5004

Jjoyner AT Patuxent DOT com

For more – on “Soundtrack” click on: Sunday Carroll Eagle

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Sunday%20Carroll%20Eagle

Also see: Monday, October 22, 2007: 20071021 Baltimore Sun: “To our readers”

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/10/20071021-baltimore-sun-to-our-readers.html

Baltimore Sun: To our readers

baltimoresun.com: October 21, 2007

Beginning with next Sunday's editions, our Carroll County readers will be getting a new publication with expanded coverage of the news, people and events in one of Maryland's fastest-growing counties.

This new tabloid publication will be called the Sunday Carroll Eagle. It will be delivered with your Sunday Sun, and it also will be included in editions purchased at retail locations throughout Carroll County.

The Sunday Carroll Eagle will provide our readers with new and deeper local coverage than is currently contained in The Sun's Carroll section. It will be produced by Patuxent Publishing, part of The Baltimore Sun Media Group, which already publishes the weekly Westminster Eagle and Eldersburg Eagle newspapers.

With the arrival of this new publication, we will no longer publish the current Carroll section in the Sunday Sun.

Of course, our readers can continue to follow news about Carroll County in the pages of The Sun and on baltimoresun.com. We value your readership of The Sun, and we hope you enjoy this new publication.

20071024 Angry O'Malley takes on doubters by Liam Farrell Maryland Gazette

Angry O'Malley takes on doubters

By LIAM FARRELL Staff Writer
Published 10/24/07

---

Visibly angry and frustrated, Gov. Martin O'Malley yesterday unveiled what his fiscal 2009 budget would look like if no new revenue is raised in a special session.

Higher education, health care, and public safety programs would all take tremendous hits, and local governments would face cuts of more than $866 million.

[…]

"There is a price for doing nothing," Mr. O'Malley said. "I do not believe that this is what the people of Maryland … will choose."

Mr. O'Malley's frustration at the news conference in Annapolis came as state Comptroller Peter Franchot publicly disputes the need for a special session.

[…]

Mr. O'Malley has proposed an ambitious plan to address the state's deficit, including raising the sales tax, corporate tax, reforming the income tax and legalizing slot machines.

The total package would raise $6.5 billion of new tax revenue over the next five years. That number doesn't include other parts of the plan, such as increasing the gas tax and titling tax, that would not go toward the deficit and would instead augment transportation funding.

Read Mr. Farrell’s entire article here: Angry O'Malley takes on doubters

20071023 Maryland State Comptroller Special Session Letter

Maryland State Comptroller Special Session Letter

http://www.franchot.com/content/view/163/61/

October 23, 2007

As you know, Governor O'Malley has signed an Executive Order convening the Maryland General Assembly to consider his proposed remedies for the State of Maryland's $1.7 billion structural budget deficit. The Governor's proposal includes, but is not limited to, an increase in the State's sales tax, cigarette tax and corporate income tax rates, an extension of the sales tax levy to service transactions that are currently exempt, a fundamental realignment of our State's personal income tax structure, and a plan to legalize slot machines in Maryland.

Having served two decades in the General Assembly, including several years as Chairman of a House budget subcommittee, I have been through similar fiscal challenges and appreciate the Governor's desire to address our State's looming budget shortfall in an aggressive manner. As Maryland's chief fiscal officer, however, I must question the timing and necessity of this approach. Mindful of the reservations each of you has expressed about a special session, I must underscore the profound - and perhaps unintended - consequences of this undertaking on Maryland's economy, business climate and quality of life, and to caution against acting in haste.

THE TIMING

The special session that will convene on October 29 will take place against a backdrop of exceptional economic instability. The collapse of the subprime mortgage industry has effectively ended the most sustained housing boom of this generation. The recent, dramatic spike in foreclosures has created a national surge in housing inventory just as stricter lending standards have compressed the pool of potential buyers. These well-documented national trends have also been experienced in Maryland. For example,

• The foreclosure rate has increased by 57 percent in Maryland from the first quarter of 2006 through the second quarter of 2007, compared to 41 percent nationally;
• The foreclosure rate for subprime Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) has increased 200 percent in Maryland, compared to 115 percent nationally;
• The median price of existing homes sold in Maryland declined by 0.6% in August, compared to August 2006. This was the second decline in just four months, coming not long after 54 consecutive months of double-digit growth;
• Existing home sales in August dropped by 25 percent compared to August 2006, and were 44 percent lower than 2004 and 2005 levels;
• Today, Maryland's housing inventory is at the highest levels of this decade, and has increased threefold in just three years.

The collapse of the housing market, in turn, has inspired a ripple effect throughout the entire U.S. economy. Just last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that the troubles in the housing market could be a "significant drag" on the economy.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and other U.S. financial markets are in the midst of a period of high volatility. Consumer confidence has plunged, as evidenced locally by the sluggish growth in state sales tax receipts that led to last month's $130 million writedown of FY 2008 revenues. The dollar has dropped to an all-time low against the Euro, compounding concerns of higher oil prices and inflation. The Labor Department reported last week that applications for unemployment benefits are far exceeding expectations, raising concerns that the housing collapse will finally destabilize the nation's job market. As a result of these and other, similar developments, many national economists have elevated the odds that we will enter a period of recession.

It is in a spirit of concern over the general direction of our economy that I have recommended a more cautious and deliberative approach to addressing Maryland's structural budget deficit. In recent weeks, I have suggested that our December presentation of revenue estimates would offer a much clearer sense of Maryland's long-term economic outlook, as well as the dependability of the funding streams that the Governor is counting on in his package. The availability of this crucial data, coupled with traditional economic indicators that are duly reported by the media, argues in favor of taking up the Governor's proposal during the regular 90-day session. The politics of the day might argue in favor of a more dramatic gesture. From a budgetary and fiscal standpoint, however, the current state of affairs makes this special session - and its purpose - a high-risk proposition.

THE NECESSITY

In recent weeks, the media has reported warnings from senior O'Malley Administration officials that, without a special session, the State's structural budget deficit will mushroom. Please allow me to take this opportunity to set the record straight. There is no relationship whatsoever between the timing of the next General Assembly session and the magnitude of Maryland's structural budget deficit. As you know, the structural deficit is loosely defined as the negative balance between the sum of the State's ongoing spending obligations and its ongoing revenues. Unless we are required to revise State revenue estimates downward, or unless the State makes any unfunded spending commitments between now and January (which is highly unlikely), the structural budget deficit will remain at $1.7 billion.

At the risk of restating the obvious, it is also worth noting that through June 30, 2008, the State of Maryland has a balanced budget. That, too, is irrespective of the timing or outcome of the next General Assembly session. It has been suggested, by key lawmakers from both parties, that it would be more appropriate to take up the Governor's package during the regular legislative session, where it can be considered within the context of his FY 2009 budget proposal. Aside from affirming the basic logic of considering new revenues, spending commitments and budget cuts at the same time, I will further substantiate this approach by restating that there are no permanent costs associated with proceeding in that manner.

THE CONSEQUENCES

The Governor's revenue package includes the most dramatic reform of Maryland's tax structure in well over a generation and, in slot machines, a proven catalyst for a broad range of social and economic ills. It would directly affect all Maryland residents, workers and tourists, as well as every small business and corporation that has chosen to invest in our state. Mindful of its enormous ramifications, I must note that Governor O'Malley's plan was constructed in private, introduced gradually by press release, and the details have yet to be made available. This makes review and evaluation of the plan next to impossible, and further risks actions being taken that may have unintended consequences.

For example, according to press releases that have been made available by the Governor's office, the plan includes a proposal to extend the sales tax levy to property management services. Although the details on this particular provision are unclear, concerns about its impact on the State's affordable housing stock have already been raised. In meeting with citizens and business leaders throughout Maryland, I have heard numerous complaints that the costs of this tax will simply be "passed through" to renters, many of whom are families with low and moderate incomes who cannot afford further strain on their fixed budgets. My intent is not to render a personal opinion on this specific piece of the plan, or any others. Rather, it is to underscore the importance of sharing this plan with the public in open, inclusive and unscripted public forums. I am afraid that the current timetable allows virtually no opportunity for such stakeholder input, which could ultimately diminish public confidence in the process and result in a product that negatively impacts the Maryland economy and the taxpayers we represent.

In my view, the volatility of the U.S. and Maryland economies, the absence of an immediate fiscal "crisis" and the lack of detail about the plan could all combine to create a perfect storm of unintended consequences. Rather than act in haste, the fiscally prudent and practically wise thing to do would be to move cautiously and deliberatively throughout this process.