Inside State Circle

Immigrants should be allowed to live the Dream

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:16:00 +0000

A recent article in the Annapolis Capital newspaper, Tactics questioned in immigrant raids - Top Stories - (HometownAnnapolis.com) highlights the absurdity of our Country's current immigration laws.

But even more disturbing then the accounts of the brutality in how the immigration raids were conducted are the comments of "citizens" attached to the article. The level of vitriol on this topic seems to exceed all others. Why the rage and anger on this issue on the part of American citizens? What happened to "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"?

Too make this even more interesting the Eduardo mentioned in the article (one of those arrested and awaiting deportation) painted our house last year. From our personal experience and interaction we found him and his painting partner to be considerate, responsive, trustworthy and friendly. Why is there no recourse for Eduardo to stay in this country, work at a job no American wants and try to live the American Dream. The whole point of the American Dream is to improve your status in life. Is there a dream shortage? Don't all immigrants have something positive to offer our society? I'd say yes.

However the lack of action by Congress on immigration law leaves law enforcement with little choice other than to arrest and deport. How they conduct the arrest is another matter. Had ICE done a little homework with the Anne Arundel and State Police I'm sure they would have determined that none of those arrested had a criminal record. Therefore their approach could have been much more respectful on the immigrants human dignity and human rights. But frankly it's a lot easier just to smash the door down and point weapons.

And how about the US Citizens who according to the article were handcuffed for no reason? If that happened to any Caucasian US citizen there would be uproar, investigations, and lawsuits so there does seem to be an underlying element of racism at work.

This issue is one of great importance to our culture and country. In the absence of action by the Congress maybe Martin O'Malley and the Democratic Legislature should show some leadership on this issue in the upcoming legislative session.

Maryland Slots debate heats up, baby.

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:07:00 +0000

So what do you do when your employer (candidate) drops out of a race he probably could have won? You start consulting on various causes since you have to make a living. Scott Arceneaux, the former Doug Duncan campaign manager and darling of James Carville who came North to take on Martin O'Malley is senior advisor to the anti-slots group, Marylanders United to Stop Slots. A number of other former Duncan aides are also working for the group.

In two emails I've received from MUSS (I suppose because I was on Duncan's email list) there has been a grassroots theme to resists slots and some spurious arguments that gambling increases crime rates. While casino gambling does seem to increase crime in nearby areas, a few slot machines at race tracks (uh, don't they have gambling there already) are not going to turn Laurel into a sleazy, crime infested den of gambling addicts.

The simple answer to the Maryland slots debate is the Democratic administration wants dollars so let them have slots and the revenue. They are going to get their revenue to expand government one way or another, either from slots or from additional tax increases. I think we've had enough tax hikes so let in the "one armed bandits"!

Bay Oyster population demise continues despite millions spent

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:32:00 +0000

A new article on the Washington Post chronicles the "missteps" of the restoration programs of State and Federal agencies. It reads like a classic story of government blunders. Creating unattainable goals, not listening to citizen experts (in this case watermen), and a lack of collaboration/cooperation with other government agencies that have had success (Corps of Engineers).

With tax dollars being spent at an ever increasing rate on Bay restoration and cleanup and more and more legislation being passed during every General Assembly session some results should be forthcoming. Patience is wearing thin with the lack of progress with the Bay cleanup. More drastic measures may have to be implemented or at least discussed. It's difficult to imagine positive results with some many competing goals such as maintaining fisheries, accommodating more population growth, allowing further development in critical areas, lack of enforcement of existing environmental regulations and reduction of promised cleanup funds to name a few.

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak on the Bay cleanup issue. Is there a politician out there with the courage, will and foresight to present the hard choices required to restore the Bay after centuries of abuse and neglect?

No veto for O'Brien from O'Malley

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:56:00 +0000

In his last slate of bill signings (PDF), Governor Martin O'Malley ignored a request by Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore, Edwin O'Brien to veto bills giving additional rights to non-married couples or domestic partners. The non veto got little play in the mainstream press such as the Baltimore Sun but was mentioned in an article in the Archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Review.

It is interesting to note that O'Malley could have allowed both bills to become law without the very public and definitive act of signing them. In Maryland law, all bills become effective within 30 days unless specifically vetoed by the Governor. A non signing and non veto could have at least placated Archbishop O'Brien somewhat but would likely have resulted in increased media attention, something O'Malley most likely wanted to avoid.

How to lower your approval ratings in two easy steps

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:14:00 +0000

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine must be a masochist. He currently enjoys fairly high approval ratings (51% positive) according to Rasmussen Reports. He must have gazed across the river and decided his ratings were too high or felt pity for his neighbor and fellow Democrat, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley whose positive ratings are in the 30% range. By calling a special session (Step 1) to decide on a tax increase (Big Step 2), Governor Kaine is sure to see his numbers slip.

What he is doing that Governor O'Malley failed to do, is discuss the plan at Town Hall meetings across the State of Virginia and target the tax increase to specific areas with a specific purpose. Kaine is looking for a "Win-Win" according to the Washington Post but most likely Virginia voters will see the special session as a sham politically motivated stunt and certainly not be happy about a sizable tax increase.

Another Test for O'Malley

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:24:00 +0000

This weekend in every Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien had a letter read during Mass. It encouraged Catholics to contact Governor O'Malley (D), himself a practicing Roman Catholic to veto (not sign) two bills scheduled to be signed in one of the remaining bill signings scheduled. Senate Bill 566 and 597 "establish domestic partnerships between same-sex and unmarried opposite-sex couples" according to the letter from O'Brien. To be more specific SB566 allows for visitation and medical decision rights for a domestic parter while SB597 exempts domestic partners from property transfer taxes, thereby making their rights the same as married couples. The bills hardly establish domestic partnerships fully, but one could argue they begin a "slippery slope" toward full recognition.

It is relatively rare for a Bishop to make a request of "the faithful" to contact an elected official directly regarding specific legislation. Let's see if the Catholic O'Malley will assent to the lobbying and the Bishop's request or proceed with signing the legislation as he has publicly said he would prior to passage in the House and Senate.

It's an admittedly tough position for O'Malley. If he fails to sign the bills he will be reniging on a previous made pledge and look like a Catholic stooge. The risk for signing the bill will result in possible further alienation of the significant Catholic electorate in the State many of whom are most likely some of his remaining ardent supporters. Though with a 33% approval rating, there aren't many of those left at this point...

Keep those Constituent Letters Comin'

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:41:00 +0000

I received an email letter from House Speaker Michael Busch (who happens to be a delegate for my District) today. It was a Word document attached to an email that had no body text so Speaker Busch gets an "F" for standard business email communications but an "A" for sending a letter at all.

Now for the contents. I'd judge Speaker Busch's letter as more measured and professional than Delegate Clagett's (see previous post) but you can read both if you like and decide for yourself. Speaker Busch shrewdly touted local project he had secured funding for (pork if you will) and also dedicated a good part of the introduction touting the "CAPITAL CITY SAFE STREETS COALITION". Upon reading the memorandum of understanding signed by the participating State and Local authorities you may be a bit skeptical
that anything will happen other than meetings and an annual report. But in his letter Speaker Busch claims success has already been had.

Other notable mentions in the letter include in a section labeled "Investing in K-12 Education" ( I should note every time tax dollars are spent these days its
considered an "investment"). The letter states that, "Education Week ranked Maryland’s public schools as the nation’s third best." The report which only uses a single factor, graduation rates is located online where I never found a ranking list. I did however locate a ranking based on 21 factors (not just 1). It placed Maryland at 18th in the nation for 2006-2007, not bad but not 3rd either.

There's also mention of repealing that nasty "Tech tax", you know the one the Legislature (including Speaker Busch) passed in the Fall Special Session as an accomplishment. It seems strange to be touting a repeal of a ill conceived and hastily passed law that never went into effect because of an incredible amount of opposition as an accomplishment, but it seems the Governor and Democratic delegates have no shame on this issue.

Feel free to read the entire letter posted below and we welcome your comments...

-------------------

April 2008

Dear Constituent:

With the 2008 legislative session behind us, I appreciate the opportunity to report to you on the legislature’s work to solve the challenges confronting our state. In difficult economic times, we produced a balanced budget that protects K – 12 education, Chesapeake Bay restoration programs, health care for children and seniors, public safety, and freezes undergraduate tuition at the University System of Maryland for a third consecutive year.

I am pleased to be able to report success on several local initiatives. This spring, I worked to forge a new partnership between federal, state and local officials to implement a new crime-fighting initiative and keep Annapolis-area neighborhoods safe. Known as “Capital City Safe Streets” program, the initiative promotes cooperation between federal, state and local prosecutors and police agencies – and we are already seeing results which will have a chilling effect on law breakers.

At the end of February, federal authorities took their first Capital City Safe Streets case. It involved a twice-convicted felon arrested with a handgun near Clay Street. Under state law, he faced five years in prison. Under federal law, he faces a longer sentence in a facility farther from home. In March, county and local police officers conducted a city-wide warrant fugitive sweep, arresting nine fugitives and serving thirteen warrants in Annapolis. This type of aggressive, pro-active enforcement, coupled with longer prison sentences for violent offenders, not only sends a strong message – it makes our streets safer by taking dangerous repeat offenders out of our community altogether.

Working with my District 30 colleagues, Senator Astle and Delegates Clagett and George, I helped secure over $22 million for local projects, including support for the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre, Children’s Theatre of Annapolis, Galesville Rosenwald School, Goshen House, Hammond-Harwood House, Light House Shelter, Maryland Fire-Rescue Services Memorial, and Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. We secured $600,000 to assist the City of Annapolis with underground wiring projects, as well as funds for renovations at Tyler Heights Elementary School.

A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET THAT PROTECTS MARYLAND’S PRIORITIES
Facing a downturn in the national economy which has slowed state revenue forecasts, we passed a budget which makes necessary cuts while preserving core services in education, the environment, health care, and public safety. We cut $532 million from the budget this session, and we have cut nearly $1.5 billion from the budget since the beginning of the current term. We left a $235 million fund balance above the Rainy Day Fund – leaving nearly $1 billion in cash reserves to weather any further slowing in the economy.

REPEALING THE TECH TAX
In crafting the budget, we successfully repealed the tech tax. Maryland’s tech sector is made up of 7,549 businesses that provide 56,210 jobs. Our district is home to 222 companies that employ 4,539 people. I met with dozens of tech entrepreneurs who emphasized that the tech tax had the potential to undermine our robust tech sector and jeopardize jobs in our community. By repealing the tax, the legislature ensured one of the industries that forms the core of our knowledge-based economy will continue to flourish in the state.

INVESTING IN K – 12 EDUCATION
Education Week ranked Maryland’s public schools as the nation’s third best, and the state boasts the second highest percentage of high school students in the nation who scored at or above the mastery level on Advanced Placement exams. Our public schools are making measurable progress, and the budget gives teachers, students, administrators and parents the tools they need to continue their progress. Public schools are slated to receive over $5.3 billion in state aid, an increase of $182 million over last year.

BUILDING AND RENOVATING SCHOOLS
With our investment in public education, we must continue to invest in the infrastructure of aging schools and prepare for growth in our region. This year, we will spend $333 million on school construction and renovation. Since 2006, we have committed over $1.3 billion to public school construction. I helped secure over $27 million for Anne Arundel County schools this year, including funds for projects at Tyler Heights Elementary School in our district.

ENHANCING HIGHER EDUCATION
Coupled with our public schools, Maryland’s community colleges and universities form a strong foundation for our state’s knowledge-based economy. We are home to one of the nation’s best educated workforces, which is one reason salaries are higher and our economy remains stronger than the nation’s as a whole. To ensure higher education remains affordable for all Maryland families, we froze in-state undergraduate tuition for a third consecutive year. We dedicated resources to a Higher Education Investment Fund to provide additional seats for students within the University System, and we invested a record sum in community colleges around the state. I helped secure over $1.4 million for renovations to the Careers Building at Anne Arundel Community College, so that students in our community are learning in modern facilities.

HELPING SENIORS CAUGHT IN THE MEDICARE “DONUT HOLE”
Billed as a way to help seniors cope with rising prices of prescription medicine, the federal government’s Medicare Part D program has become an unexpected burden for many beneficiaries because of a problem commonly referred to as “the donut hole.” Medicare allows enrollees to choose from private prescription plans which are required to cover the first $2,510 of prescriptions. Enrollees must cover the next $3,215 in expenses out of their own pocket before Medicare coverage resumes. For many seniors, this gap in coverage means delaying treatment or choosing which ailments to treat. We helped seniors facing this choice by entering into an innovative public-private partnership with Carefirst that will expand prescription drug coverage to 30,000 Maryland seniors caught in the donut hole.

PROMOTING HEALTHCARE ACCESS FOR MARYLAND’S KIDS
There are 137,000 uninsured children in Maryland, and 90,000 of them qualify for existing public health insurance programs. We enacted legislation to begin targeted outreach to families with children that are eligible for help. The state will gather data to catalogue our uninsured population accurately, in order to identify uninsured kids. State agencies will use that information to notify the parents of those children that they are eligible to enroll their kids in Medicaid or the Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program. This common sense step will help thousands of children who already qualify for assistance get the healthcare they need.

PROTECTING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND ITS WATERSHED
The state’s Critical Areas law has not been updated in nearly 25 years. As a result, the law no longer effectively serves its intended purpose – namely, protecting against development in sensitive areas along the Chesapeake Bay. This session, we gave the Critical Area Commission better authority to enforce the law. We tightened the procedures for zoning variances, enacted a 200-foot setback for new subdivisions in sensitive areas, and enhanced penalties for developers who violate the law. These steps will stem development along the Bay. Through the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund, we will spend $149 million on nutrient removal to reduce the amount of nitrogen pollution entering the Bay, including more than $13 million to upgrade the wastewater treatment plants on the Broadneck and Annapolis peninsulas. The budget includes $25 million for the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund to expedite pollution reduction in the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays and Patuxent River, promoting a cleaner and healthier environment for all Marylanders.

GIVING LAW ENFORCEMENT HIGH TECH TOOLS TO SOLVE CRIMES
This week, The Baltimore Sun reported that the same DNA evidence that cleared one man of a violent crime was used to charge another suspect in the attack. We know from stories like this that the collection of DNA samples from people charged with violent crimes can help solve open cases and exonerate the wrongly accused. That’s why we passed legislation to require the collection of DNA samples from people who are charged with crimes of violence, such as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, or felony burglary. The bill gives police officers and prosecutors the tools they need to solve crimes while protecting the privacy of citizens not charged with a crime.

REFORMING THE MORTGAGE MARKET IN MARYLAND
As a slowing real estate market creates a drag on the national economy, foreclosures have become a threat to economic stability in every county in the state. The rate of foreclosures grew 38.9% from the third to the fourth quarter of 2007, as 9,722 Maryland households entered the foreclosure process. We passed reforms to stabilize the mortgage market, including an emergency bill to lengthen Maryland’s foreclosure process – which had been one of the shortest in the nation. Described by The Washington Post as “among the most sweeping in the country,” the reforms we enacted protect consumers by banning pre-payment penalties for sub prime loans and the transfer of real estate in foreclosure rescue scams. We created a mortgage fraud law that criminalizes fraud by lenders and borrowers. Taken together, these reforms will help stabilize the housing market in Maryland, without bailing out investors.

STABILIZING THE UTILITY MARKET WITH A LONG TERM ENERGY PLAN
Maryland is at a critical juncture in energy policy, as the state faces the prospect of an electricity shortage and rolling blackouts as early as 2011. Electricity consumption increased 15.7% from 1999 to 2005 in Maryland, while generation increased by 1.9%. Maryland consumers used 63 million megawatts in 2006, while the state generated only 49 million. This imbalance resulted in the state importing 30% of its electricity. Our dependency on out-of-state energy is straining our transmission system and driving up costs for everyone. Recognizing these challenges, we enacted a comprehensive energy plan to stabilize rates while ensuring reliability for consumers. We created a Strategic Energy Investment Fund to stimulate investment in energy efficient technology and provide short term consumer rate relief, doubled the standard for the use of renewable energy over the next fourteen years, established green building standards to improve energy efficiency in public construction projects, and eliminated tax barriers facing residents who want to invest in clean energy systems. These steps will begin the process of reducing consumption, stabilizing rates, and ensuring a safe and reliable energy supply.

PROVIDING RATE RELIEF FOR BGE CONSUMERS
Earlier this year, Constellation Energy filed a lawsuit asking the court for the right to rescind $380 million in rate relief, which would further destabilize the residential electricity market in Maryland. The state filed its own lawsuit, and the company reached a settlement with the state in March. That settlement, which we ratified this session, provides BGE customers with nearly $2 billion in rate relief. As a result, each household will receive a one-time $170 refund by December 2008, which equates to more than a 10% rate reduction for more than half of BGE customers. The settlement also eliminates the $1.5 billion consumer obligation for the cost of decommissioning Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, and protects $346 million in credits to ratepayers the legislature secured during the 2006 special session.
It is both a privilege and a pleasure to represent our community in the House of Delegates for the past 22 years. I hope you will e-mail me at michael.busch@house.state.md.us or call me at 410-841-3800 if I can be of assistance. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to serve our community and our State.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Busch

"Cafeteria" Catholic politicos

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:36:00 +0000

The recent papal visit and Mass in Washington, DC brought media attention to National and Local Catholic politicians, including Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who would be attending the Mass and receiving communion despite previous requests from Pope Benedict himself that they should refrain from receiving.

To Catholics communion is more than a symbol, it is a reality of unity with Christ, the Catholic community/Church and its teachings. All Catholics share in the responsibility to receive Communion "worthily" understanding it is a gift, not a right. For Catholic political leaders, there is even a greater burden to allow Church teachings to "inform" their political views, as Governor O'Malley claims in this Baltimore Sun article. Its more than disingenuous to use your "faith" for political gain and popularity and then pick and choose (cafeteria style) the teachings you want to follow. You can't have it both ways.

Many Catholic politicians claimed to have a "clear conscience" and experienced "great sense of excitement" (AP story) over the pope's visit and Mass in Nationals Park. The problem is, the Church is not just about individuals consciences nor is the Mass an emotional event only. It is a community where my choices impact others and where my one must balance faith and reason.

Pope Benedict was quoted numerous times during his visit noting the lack of unity between daily life and faith and noted in his departure speech from New York's JFK airport that "Living religiously "means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness. It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and public life". I'm not sure how much more directly the Pope could be in summarizing the serious and troubling problem of holding public policy views that are opposed to Church teaching while at the same time claiming to be "one" with the Church.

Maryland is for Crabs

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:50:00 +0000

The inevitable harvest limit on blue crabs has finally happened. How did we get here? It took years of neglect, lack of political will and little or no pubic outcry. We'd have to agree with both of the parties on this issue; the watermen who say that the Bay's health is the problem and the Governor's who felt compelled to take action. It's also encouraging that DNR officials have $3 million available to assist watermen who will certainly be feel the 25% decrease in the harvest this season.

The blue crab population has been declining steadily due to woeful action in the Bay cleanup. While it's commendable to see Maryland and Virginia agreeing on something regarding the Bay certainly agreement on a long term plan to clean up the Bay would be more welcome than a short term "fix" for a single though very important species.

Alas gone are the days when you could catch 25 soft crabs in one morning as I did 25 years ago as a kid in St. Mary's County, but let's hope the Bay cleanup truly gets more attention and action as a result of this short term crab crisis.

Governors act to cut harvest of crabs -- baltimoresun.com

Go green, but not in our backyard

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:52:00 +0000

There was much talk by the administration about energy during the past legislative session and most of their legislative proposals became law last week. However the Governor missed a golden opportunity to "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk" by issuing a ban on a wind turbine farms in State Forests in Western Maryland.

Granted the 40 story high turbines are an eyesore but one proposed site would not have been visible from Deep Creek Lake or other tourist areas. See location details.

The generation from the turbines would not have been enormous either but it would have been a step in the right direction since Maryland is facing a electricity generation crisis. Coal burning plants which make up the majority of generation in Maryland are "under a cloud" so no new coal plants will likely be built. Natural gas fired plants have been the industry's latest solution but fossil fuel plants are now very expensive to run, adding pressure to electricity prices. So any capacity we can add using wind, solar or other renewables should be carefully considered at this point.

Yes Virginia, Maryland is a high tax state

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:48:00 +0000

Someone must have read my previous post about legislators sending session summary letters or emails since I received the below from my Delegate, Virginia Clagett. Kudos to Delegate Clagett for being proactive and responsive to her constituents. Alas this is likely all to rare but it should be commonplace.

But (and you knew there was a but) a fact check of the Del. Clagett's claim in the first paragraph that "Maryland remains a low-spending State on a per-capita basis" reveals otherwise. Namely, Maryland was not a low-spending State per-capita according to any source I found via Google search ranks Maryland anywhere from 3rd to 20th in per-capita spending. And these rankings don't include the tax increases that have already taken effect! I emailed Del. Clagett to provide a source for her statement but haven't heard back as yet.

The only solace... one of the rankings also included a ranking of "Return on Tax Dollar" and Maryland ranked 18th. Not great but at least it seems we are getting a fair return on our investment.

Dear Constituent:

Thank you for letting me know your views on so many and various subjects during this year’s Legislative Session. Of course the Budget is the main duty of the Legislature each year. As a result of the 2007 and 2008 sessions, we passed a balanced budget with over $1.1 billion in cuts from the general fund and nearly $1.5 million in cuts from the budget overall. With these cuts, Maryland remains a low-spending State on a per capita basis.

After enormous input from the business community, the Legislature repealed the new tax on computer services that would have come into effect July 1, 2008. That sector of our economy can continue to thrive.

In the Capital Budget our votes provided for $333 million for public school construction, $262 million for higher education facilities, $40 million for environmental programs, as well as, $107.4 million for hospitals, state health facilities, senior centers and juvenile detention facilities.

All of us have been following the drastic foreclosure and housing crisis in our state as well as the nation. We passed legislation to enhance protection for home buyers and those facing foreclosures. Maryland is widely expected to become a national model in solving this mortgage crisis.

One problem that became apparent after the session started was the inability of animal shelters to keep appropriate sedatives for animals in the euthanasia process. Several of us took the lead in restoring animal facilities’ access to those necessary, humane drugs.

As you know, I am on the Environmental Matters Committee and have devoted most of my career to addressing environmental issues. This year was no exception, and the environment faired quite well. The 20 year old Critical Areas legislation got a strong boost and very much needed regulatory enhancement with HB 1253. The buffer zone was increased from 100’ to 200’ and criminal and civil penalties were appropriately increased among other measures.

The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund (HB 369/SB 213) provided the framework for allocating $25 million to control non-point source pollution including projects to 1. enhance agricultural best management practices, 2. address urban and suburban stormwater methods, 3. achieve sustainable forest management and 4. help wetland and stream restoration.

Many energy bills passed that set a goal to reduce statewide energy use 15% by 2012 and to increase the amount of renewable energy sold in Maryland. The settlement between the State and Constellation energy will provide nearly $2 billion in rate relief to customers l. by providing $187 million in rate relief in a one-time $170 refund to 1.1 million ratepayers. Based on projected rates for the coming year, this equates to over a 10% reduction on the total annual bill for more than 50% of all BGE customers. 2. by eliminating a $1.5 billion consumer obligation for the cost of de-commissioning Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and 3. by protecting $346 million in credits to ratepayers the Legislature secured during the 2006 Special Session.

With regard to social issues, HB 40, providing for flexible leave for working families, passed. Domestic partners will be able to make medical and burial decisions for each other, and they will also have the same tax benefits as married people when transferring property.

The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008 which aimed to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 and by 90% by 2050 was killed in the Economic Matters Committee. The push to reduce emissions will be back next year. This is a critical issue, and these goals are realistic and attainable.

Again thank you for your input. You do have an impact on your government, and we need your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Virginia P. Clagett

Session Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:27:00 +0000

Here's a summary of legislation passed this session...

The Senate passed 295 bills and the House passed 452 bills. The governor has signed 117 bills. His other bill signing dates are April 24, May 13 and May 22.

I'm currently reviewing the first set of signed bills for anything of interest and an upcoming post will describe the first wave of enacted legislation.

For a listing of all bills signed see the Governor's press release.

Kegger!

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:30:00 +0000

What do you do as a State Delegate or Senator after a decidedly lackluster session? Celebrate!

We raised taxes. Drink some beer!

We didn't do much to help the Bay. Drink some beer, in your office!

We didn't significantly reduce spending. And have some snacks.

We did more work undoing what we did last Fall (special session computer tax repeal and replacement with "millionaire tax") And start drinking early, don't wait till the session is actually over!

I asked the wisest person I know to comment on this story (my spouse) and she said, "Juvenile" then "Ridiculous". In that order. Of course she did work with college students most of her professional career so she expected this from them, but not from our elected representatives.

This really isn't the (pardon the pun) sober type of representation and addressing of our State's problems we are looking for is it?

Well now I'm depressed, so hand me a beer.

Link for all the gory details:
In Annapolis, a feeling like last day of exams -- baltimoresun.com

Procrastinating and Legislating

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:10:00 +0000

Well much like we expected after a Special Session last Fall that took care of the General Assembly's main job, passing a budget, this session has been relatively anemic. The hangover from the Special Session took its toll during the first couple of months of this years session as Legislators in general seemed to be recovering from the Special Session. So, the situation now is lots of work to do in a little bit of time which naturally reduces the quality of the final output. Who is to blame? The Democratic Leadership, for not leading, and of course committee chairs and finally down to each non motivated member. See this Sun article for more details on exactly what has to be done Session set for hectic ending.

What's a constituent to do? How about calling or emailing your Delegate(s) and Senator and ask for a written summary of the session with specifics as to what legislation they sponsored and how the voted on every bill passed? When is the last time you saw that info come voluntarily from your elected official? I can safely say, never. And we all want accountability but don't take the time to demand it. So call or email your representative today. Here's a link to find your officials and their contact info. And post a comment to Inside State Circle when you do!

Maverick misnomer

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:04:00 +0000

State Sen. James Brochin is the type of legislator we should all want representing us, especially independent minded and progressive Marylanders.

According to this Baltimore Sun article, Sen. Brochin has run into some
trouble with the Democratic majority for "giving them no votes' according to
Senate President "Mike" Miller. Miller, not surprisingly got petty over
Sen. Brochin's perceived lack of support for the Democratic agenda by
moving his seat to the back of the Senate Chamber.

I'm not sure why the Sun labels a legislator who listens to constituents, has principles and acts on them and is not afraid to confront his party's agenda is a "maverick". Frankly we need more such mavericks and fewer lemmings who tow the party line with every single vote whether Democratic or Republican. Realistically, no single party has the best solution/policy for each and every issue. Whether you lean toward one agenda or another is understandable, but blindly following party leadership as Miller seems to be promoting is nonsense.

So let's hope more independent thinking politicians such as James Brochin and Wayne Gilchrist (we should mourn his loss in the primary) are re-elected and stay in office.

This Session's best idea (and bill) yet

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:22:00 +0000

It's amazing but there is finally a bill that is useful to Maryland Citizens that looks like it may actually pass during this lightweight Session. The bill would create a database linked website that would allow Marylanders to discover what the State government is spending our money on. The bill has gathered support from both sides and is very likely to pass. Full Sun article at this link Click, browse, follow the money

I can personally attest to the inability to find budget documents in a format that would allow analysis and accountability. Let's say you wanted to (as I did for a blog post) determine how State revenue has grown over the past ten years and plot that along with population growth to discover if government growth is outpacing population growth? Right now you would have to download a series of PDF documents , enter all the numbers manually in a spreadsheet program and generate the charts.

Not to mention that State government websites, including the General Assembly's are dreadfully designed, poorly implemented and totally divergent in functionality across agencies/departments. Communicating with citizens has never been easier nor as inexpensive (using the web) yet this bill is the first attempt to create a user friendly interface on a State Government website. Case in point, try to find the aforementioned bill at the General Assembly website! Please let me know if you do.

Yes, you can legislate morality

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:10:00 +0000

The cell phone use while driving fracas in the General Assembly just won't go away. We knew this would be a session light on substance and the attention focused on such legislation seems to confirm that. These laws are hanging on despite research that shows other distractions are equally or more likely to cause accidents according to AAA. But there are some interesting aspects to the argument not simply related to cell phone use in vehicles...

In the Sun article (link above) Senator Nancy Jacobs, a Republican who represents Cecil and Harford counties is quoted as saying "It's legislating common sense," "People should be responsible adults and know how to behave and act reasonably. Next we're going to be telling people what radio station they can listen to and how loud they can listen to it."

I think we can all anecdotally agree that "common sense isn't so common". For instance, all I had to do during my morning commute was take a look at the number of cars weaving, not staying in lanes and cutting me off. These drivers were using cell phones. On any given trip in a car this happens repeatedly.

So from this little example (not to mention what we see in the news headlines everyday) it appears that we are not responsible or reasonable on our own. In our selfish culture we lack the morality and/or ethics to determine that using a cell phone while driving is unsafe and endangers others. The reasons for the moral decline are numerous but for one we are less religious. Religion has always been and will be a source of moral guidance for some. But without such guidance, we need paternalistic laws to tell us how to behave. The fact that there is a law forces us to comply with what otherwise should be determined by reason or common sense mainly because we fear a financial penalty/fine. Read more on a good discussion on the distinction between ethics, morals and laws.

As our culture's moral and ethical foundation crumbles and individuals are unwilling and unable to consider their obligations to others, more and more laws that regulate behavior will continue to be brought up in the State House. I don't see much of an end in sight... we'll continue to use the Legislative Session to create laws regulating behavior unless the majority of people in our State and culture begin to consider other's interests and not just their own. So yes, you can legislate morality and unfortunately, we need to.

Bad News for GOP

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:37:00 +0000

Moderate Republicans who supported Wayne Gilchrest in the 1st Congressional District have indicated they may support the Democratic challenger Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Frank Kratovil according to this article in the The Daily Times (Salisbury). A group called Republicans for Kratovil is sponsoring a Breakfast event next week (details).

The backlash against Andy Harris' highly negative campaign and conservative policy positions should have been something the Maryland GOP saw coming. Harris' support from Dr. James Dobson probably hurts more than it helps in the General Election. Gilchrist had broad appeal while still holding fairly conservative to moderate policy positions. He was certainly not a "liberal". To refute that Harris charge, all you'd have to do is check his voting record. Harris comes across as a conservative demogouge to many Republicans which will likely make this a very close race.

We'll keep an eye on this interesting story and post more info as it develops over the summer.

The Tech Tax faces (bipartisan) opposition

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:46:00 +0000

In this opinion piece in the Gazette, a Maryland Republican Party operative and a Montgomery County Democrat in the House of Delegates advocate for a repeal of the new sales tax on computer services that was enacted literally in the "dead of night" during last Fall's tax hiking special session. While I support the content of the article, I do object to their use of the term "structural deficit" at the beginning of this article since that is a made up term politicians use when they want to raise taxes. We'll cover this in a future posting.

Indeed there is a bill in the House that would repeal the tax with a hearing scheduled for March 12th at 1pm (Feel free to show up and make your position known or attend this Maryland Chamber Event tomorrow). The bill is backed by House Republicans but will likely have trouble even getting to the floor for a vote. The Democratic leadership including Speaker Busch and Gov. O'Malley have said that the expected $200 million in annual revenue from the Tech tax would need to be replaced with cuts and/or a different tax increase.

The Governor claims the Tech tax wasn't his idea, he had proposed taxes on real estate management, tanning, massage therapy and health club memberships. (From this claim one can surmise that the Governor mindlessly signs legislation that lands on his desk without reviewing it.) However these groups had time to lobby the Legislature strongly enough to avoid the extension of the sales tax to their areas. Meanwhile the House Republicans took the Democrats at their word and identified $203 million in budget cuts. I have requested further details on the proposed cuts from Delegates Anthony J. O‘Donnell, the House Minority Leader and Christopher B. Shank, the House Minority Whip.

And it gets more complicated... other states are actively recruiting Maryland tech companies to relocate and the Comptroller Peter Franchot's office hasn't even determined how the tax will work including what companies and services the tax will apply to. (Franchot has already called for a repeal of the tax.) And that clarification isn't expected until after this year's General Assembly session ends. Which means we have a bad law on the books, can't get it repealed due to stubbornness and indifference of the Democratic leadership and companies will not know the impact of the tax law until it is ready to be collected.

This is an unbelievably complete and utter public policy nightmare and the Governor and the Democratic General Assembly leadership are completely and utterly at fault. We can only hope the public remembers when elections come around again.

Disclosure: The author owns a web design business, 311 Media Group, leads a technology user group and holds a position with Z, Inc. a Maryland based IT and professional services firm. Ironically the author has been contacted for web design services from State Senator Jennie Forehand, who cast the deciding vote for the computer tax and sales tax increase during the special session last Fall, after a phone call from Governor O'Malley.

No "innocent" parties in Maryland forclosure "crisis"

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:27:00 +0000

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and Democratic allies in the Maryland House and Senate are proposing a number of changes to Maryland laws as a result of the increase in foreclosures in the State. Some seem to be valid consumer protection laws and are reasonable though somewhat burdensome to loan companies. Others, such as calling loan companies to an "emergency" meeting next week continue to add to the anti-business climate the O'Malley administration seems determined to create.

O'Malley's rhetoric continues to pit "working families" against large corporations. These are the same working families who had their taxes increased significantly by O'Malley and the General Assembly this year. Working families need tax relief as well as consumer protection and assistance from the State.

But let's be honest about the foreclosure crisis, borrowers are not "innocent" as claimed by State Sen. C. Anthony Muse, a Prince George's County Democrat in this Sun article. There is plenty of blame to go around for the subprime mortgage crisis which is resulting in the increase in foreclosures. Borrowers who overextended themselves are culpable for their participation in the lending spree of a few years ago in purchasing more house than they could afford. Why should they get State sponsored interest free loans and I shouldn't because I was wise enough to a. buy a home I could afford and b. get a boring 30 year fixed rate mortgage with a payment under $1000 per month? According to a recent Rasumssen survey, Americans fault borrowers twice as much as Wall Street and there is little consensus that the government should bail out borrowers.

The interest free loan money would be better spent on personal finance education courses and borrowers should be required to take such a course as a condition of getting the interest free loan. After all, those are our tax dollars going to bail out irresponsible borrowers.

Maryland Primary - Barack Obama keeps his eye on the ball

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:01:00 +0000

I had one of those all too rare experiences on the DC Metro today. I was rushing to catch the train when a kid, maybe 6, dropped a little bouncy ball on the platform. He reached for it, but knew the train was coming, so when he saw that he might not be able to get it and catch the train with mom he pulled back, ready to let it go.

I was able to reach down and snag it (left handed too) on about the fourth bounce and give it back to him. "Thanks". That was a smile I'll never forget. Don't we all enjoy the opportunity to help someone, especially a child?

As the ride home continued I thought about the joy on that kid's face and somehow I wound up connecting this very satisfying and moving little event, to Barack Obama's victory speech in Madision, Wisconsin last night. (Full text) He repeatedly mentions stories involving families, children, and interweaves those familial themes with hope in the American Dream. He believes all of America can be full of hope, joy and gratitude, like that kid.

As many Marylanders said in interviews heard on WYPR today, Obama is an "inspiration", a "once in a lifetime leader" and "won my heart" . It is indeed rare to come across a politician like Obama, seemingly comfortable in his own skin, redirecting the attention he garners back to the "Dream" and not to himself and is not only an excellent speaker, but a charismatic one.

Maryland Democrats obviously responded to the Obama led enthusiasm and overwhelmingly voted for Obama over Hillary Clinton. Will the passion crest at some point or are we all committed true believers? Will we rationally examine Senator Obama's voting record? Will we look at the facts (factcheck.org)? John McCain probably hopes so....because if the emotional momentum keeps rolling up nothing (including facts) will keep Obama from the White House.

Cell phones and driving controversy hits Md legislature, again

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:49:00 +0000

With the budget hastily determined in the two week special session last Fall, we are seeing bills in the legislature that seem to show up every year. For example take Senate bill 2 (full text and sponsors) which would ban use of cell phones in moving vehicles except while using a hands free device.

I think we've all seen instances of distracted drivers and some those are due to cell phone use as the sponsor, State Senator Mike Lenett, (Democrat, District 19, Montgomery County) notes in his quote to the Baltimore Sun. However, our day to day anecdotal information probably should no t be used as a basis for legislative initiatives. Personally I've seen everything from reading to writing to cell phone use to finding a kid's toy on Routes 50 and 97. Some more definitive research should be provided as part of the justification. The facts from recent studies support Lenett, however studies also say that using a hands free device is still a distraction.

It seems a more general law regarding distract driving is in order since apparently drivers do thing it's okay to read a magazine while driving in Maryland (from my purely anecdotal observations). A more general distracted driving law is more easily enforced and would immediately become part of driver's education courses.

Ironically AAA doesn't support Lenett's bill but is supporting a more limited bill (HB390) that bans text messaging while driving. I'm not sure how this could be enforced and the approach to reducing distracted driving should be broader, not more narrow to reduce all forms of distracted driving not just one particular type.

Same sex marriage bill

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:12:00 +0000

Well it's February and the General Session has awoken from its month long slumber of January with a number of news making and controversial bill introductions. The same sex marriage debate has kicked off yet again this year with the introduction of two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate.

The House bill (HB351 full text and list of sponsors) is actually a repeal of existing Maryland law that specifies that marriage is only between a man and a woman and replaces it with vague language about who can marry in the State. The bill is seemly confusingly and deliberately (mis)named the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act". It has nothing to do with religious freedom other than exempting churches from penalty that do not wish to recognize same sex marriages. On the face of it, from the misleading name one would wonder why anyone would be opposed to such a bill. Let's hope legislators are not deliberately attempting to mislead the public.

The Senate bill (SB169 full text and list of sponsors) takes the existing Family law legal code and adds it to the State Constitution. This likely has little hope of passage in the Democratic controlled General Assembly and probably won' t even be voted on this session. But we will perpetually see this bill coming from conservatives in the Senate. If it did in fact pass the bill would have to be approved by voters since it is amending the State Constitution.

For a rational explanation of why someone would oppose the same sex marriage bill see this page at the Maryland Catholic Conference website. The basic argument is that "the ability of the marriage between a man and woman to bring about new life. This unique capacity of the union of man and woman is why marriage must be protected in law."

More info on the bill at Gay-marriage lobby set -- baltimoresun.com.

Fact checked Maryland State of the State Address

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:26:00 +0000

For those of you who missed it Gov. O'Malley gave his State of the State address last week. The full text is available here. It's a quick read but I'll sum it up for you... Essentially O'Malley began with the economy, claiming Maryland has to once again overcome challenges and that he understands the plight of Maryland families in facing 1% wage increases while the price of day-to-day staples is increasing as much as 100%.

The Governor is comparing apples to (no, not oranges, more like) jellyfish. There aren't even in the same family of statistics One is a national level number the other a single local commodity. It ain't that simple, and it's misleading to say something like this in your most important speech of the year.

Why the glum outlook? Why the somber tone of the speech as reported by foes and allies alike?
Probably to correct for the over exuberance of completing last November's special session without gridlock. Or maybe to justify the tax increases of the special session by citing such "hard times".

Fact Check

However, he's overstating Maryland's economic problems by comparing national real wage increases of 1% over the past seven years (corresponding to the Bush presidency I suppose) to a single commodity such as bread, milk or gasoline (100%). That's because Maryland's real wages have increased more than 1% over the past seven years especially in the certain counties. And according to Federal Government annual retail gasoline price statistics, the increase in the price of gasoline for the Central Atlantic region since 2000 was 83%, not 100%. That's a lot of rounding (up)!

O'Malley also spent time mentioning budget cuts so as to re-emphasize that cuts in the budget did take place by stating to the legislature that they "restrain spending and restore fiscal responsibility". He failed to mention the many areas of spending increases (this Sun article puts the increase at the bottom so scroll down) however.

Quickly the speech moved on to important by politically less interesting topics such as improving transportation infrastructure, reducing crime (who would oppose that), and then touching on a variety of topics from workforce development to energy conservation.

Had the recent tax increases been tied to law enforcement, infrastructure improvements, environmental conservation and energy conservation I believe more Marylanders have accepted more modest tax increases. I wasn't so much what was done, but how it was done.

Fostering competition is part of the answer to rising energy costs

noreply@blogger.com (peter) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 04:28:00 +0000

If the legislature wants to do something about high energy prices then they should focus on increasing competition and reducing barriers (such as high corporate tax rates) to businesses. One concrete way to do this is repeal the divorcement laws (mentioned below).

How about some creative thinking like establishing a consumer energy web portal (as California did)with efficiency information, contact info for local energy companies,
state programs for alternative energy, all in one place and setup by
web professionals so the site is easy to use?

Helping consumers shop around is also a key component to reducing energy costs. Today, I reduced my fuel oil bill by 12% or $148 dollars for the rest of the winter by calling various Oil companies in the area
to compare prices. The cheapest I found ($2.88/gal for No. 2 Heating Oil) today was with Griffith Energy Services and tell them I sent you!