Maryland Senate Republican Slate
O'Malley Rally Proclaims State House "Owned" by Special Labor Interests
The Baltimore Sun reported labor union leaders believe with Martin O'Malley as Governor that their unions OWN the State House property:
"Joslyn "Josh" Williams, president of the Metropolitan Washington Council of AFL-CIO..."Are we going to let our piece of property be taken over?" he asked. "No!" enthusiastic O'Malley supporters replied."
Think that they were speaking rhetorically? Think again. Last May we reported how the President of AFSCME parked in a spot reserved solely for the Governor of Maryland at the bottom of the steps of the State House. If a regular Marylander parked here, they would be ticketed and towed almost immediately.
Read more: O'Malley Rally Proclaims State House "Owned" by Special Labor Interests
Maryland Governor's Race Leaning...Republican?
Today's Wall Street Journal reports:
"RealClearPolitics.com today said that if forced to make a call “we now put a thumb on the scale for the Republican.”
RCP cites two recent polls by Rasmussen and PPP that now gives Republican and former Gov. Bob Ehrlich a .3% polling average lead over Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley."
Over the last week three separate polls have confirmed statistical ties and/or a slight lead for Ehrlich in the race between Governor Bob Ehrlich and Governor Martin O'Malley:
No Taxpayer-Paid Advertising for Statewide Incumbents
During the almost five-hour long floor session Tuesday evening, the State Senate adopted a budget amendment that would restrict state funds from being used to produce and/or purchase advertising, such as “public service announcements” and similar promotions for incumbents of statewide offices.
The amendment was offered by Minority Leader Allan Kittleman. The adopted language states, “No state funds, including any State funds appropriated to any local jurisdiction or municipality, may be expended for development, production or distribution to the public of promotional or informational materials on behalf of State programs through billboard, magazine, newspaper, electronic, radio, or television media which bear the likeness or voice, or include the name, of a person who has filed a certificate of candidacy for statewide office with the State Board of Elections for an election to occur in calendar year 2010.”
Noting that similar budget language was adopted in 2006, Majority Leader Edward J. Kasemeyer (Democrat, District 12) accepted the amendment on behalf of the Budget and Taxation Committee. Kasemeyer stated, “The obvious tendency for those in the majority would be to vote against this amendment - but we are very comfortable that no one running for state office would use these opportunities as an unfair way to disadvantage anyone else, so in the spirit of impartiality we support this amendment.”
The full Senate budget plan was passed as a third reader bill on Wednesday morning. If the restrictive language is also adopted by the House of Delegates, it will apply to the Governor, Lt. Governor, Comptroller and Attorney General during the 2010 election campaign.
To TAX or Not to TAX, that is the question
When confronted with a budget deficit, Gov. O'Malley's first solution was to increase taxes. In 2007, Gov. O'Malley asked legislative Democrats to pass the largest tax hike in Maryland's history.
In nearby New Jersey, newly-elected Gov. Christie has chosen a different path: budget freezes.
"We're very confident we've been able to close the additional budget gap in (fiscal year) 2010 and in (fiscal year) 2011 we're going to be able to solve that problem without any new taxes at all and without any real significant cuts," Christie said." http://wcbstv.com/politics/chris.christie.new.2.1714647.html
Stormwater Regs & Construction Jobs Unravel In Annapolis
A short-lived compromise on Governor Martin O’Malley’s controversial stormwater management program has unravelled and one House committee chair predicts a “bloodbath” over this issue prior to the end of the 2010 legislative session on April 12.
Earlier this session, contractors, home builders and related industries descended upon Annapolis to oppose implementation of stormwater regulations proposed by the Department of the Environment that would devastate Maryland's construction industry. The construction industry has been hit especially hard by job losses in Maryland.
In his State of the State address, O’Malley promised that 2010 would be a legislative session of “jobs, jobs, jobs.” To be successful, however, a jobs strategy for Maryland must focus on measures to stimulate private sector growth in the construction industry. Instead, the O'Malley administration is proceeding in exactly the opposite direction.
Overzealous bureaucrats have devised stringent new regulations that have infuriated legislators who voted unanimously for the 2007 bills (SB 784 and HB 786 - Stormwater Management Act of 2007). The proposed regulations far exceed anything imagined by the legislators that supported the legislation.
A compromise had been brokered with Secretary of the Environment Shari Wilson to change these regulations. The compromise allowed some existing projects that had already applied for environmental permitting need to be grandfathered under the old rules.
However, conflicts have now arisen between the House and Senate over the proposed revisions. According to the Baltimore Sun, House Environmental Matters Chair Maggie McIntosh anticipates a “bloodbath” over new legislation to revise the stormwater program. To read the full story, click here.
Look for the battle over the stormwater regulations to be the most controversial issue as the session sputters to an end over the next two weeks.
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