Opening Day In Annapolis 1-14-09

The media accurately covered the opening day of the Maryland General Assembly.  The hardships facing the state budget moved backstage to the anticipation of next week’s inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

In the midst of the usual pomp and circumstance at the beginning of another legislative session, the historic event that will occur on Tuesday was the biggest topic of discussion.  In fact, the Democrat legislative leaders are counting on a major infusion of federal funds to be directed to Maryland as a means to resolve our own budget deficiencies.

While the initial concept of a federal economic stimulus was focused on “bricks-and-mortar” programs similar to the depression-era WPA, the debate has changed at the urging of the National Governor’s Association to emphasize “block-grants” to the states that can be used flexibly to address each state’s unique budget problems.

If you are wondering what a federal bail-out package might look like, here is a summary of the Annapolis Democrats’ “wish list” to the incoming Administration:

• A flexible block grant with no strings so that states can address operating budget shortfalls;
  
• Medicaid funding (in the form of increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentage) to underwrite burgeoning state health care costs;
  
• An expansion of unemployment insurance because of the dramatic increase in the state’s unemployed; and
  
• Bricks-and-mortar funding for “ready-to-go” infrastructure improvement projects - construction and/or repair of schools, roads, bridges, tunnels, transit systems, parks, sewers, energy efficiency upgrades and information technology systems. 

Nancy Jacobs