DATE CHANGED! Panel Discussion on County and State Budgets

by: Mike Hersh

Fri Jan 22, 2010 at 01:11 PM EST

Delegates Brian Feldman, Sheila Hixson, and Roger Manno; County Council President Nancy Floreen. Speakers are checking their schedules to see if they can make it for the new date. Others invited.

Saturday February 13th 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Wheaton Library (first floor large meeting room)
11701 Georgia Ave. Wheaton MD 20902

Map/directions: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11701+Georgia+Ave+Wheaton+MD+20902
Public transportation: from Wheaton Metro take Y9 Bus (toward Montgomery Hospital)

More information and RSVP: Mark Woodard markdwoodard@comcast.net
Mike Hersh mikehersh@mikehersh.com

Manno's Proposal Addresses Budget and Pension Challenges

by: Mike Hersh

Fri Jan 22, 2010 at 01:04 PM EST

Here's the synopsis of HB 10: "Imposing a tax at a specified rate on income in excess of $1,000,000; requiring specified corporations to compute Maryland taxable income using a specified method; requiring that, subject to specified regulations, specified groups of corporations file a combined income tax return; establishing the Teacher Pension Sustainability and Solvency Trust Fund; altering the determination of the State's contribution for specified plans in the State Retirement and Pension System; applying the Act to tax years beginning after 2010; etc."

Play the Budget Game

by: Jana Avtor

Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 05:59 PM EST

Today's Washington Post reported that Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is set to slash spending across most categories.  But he's missing the boat when it comes to solving our state budget crisis while looking out for the state's best interests.  Maryland's first step shouldn't be so short-sighted.  Our first step should be fixing the tax system -- that would raise funds and make our state more just, while protecting our priorities.

Not unlike the options in the new budget game created by the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute and the University of Baltimore, Governor O'Malley has suggested generally only the obvious steps and misses the most important one: progressive taxation. 

In America we believe that the rich should pay more than the poor for the vital public services we rely on, things like defense, roads, education, police, etc.  That's why our national income tax is progressive -- the rich pay more than the middle class and the poor pay even less.  While there are too many loopholes and exceptions, anyone who has filed a federal tax return understands that you pay different amounts depending on how much you earn.

Not in Maryland.  In Maryland, everyone who makes over $3,000 pays the same tax rate.  That's regressive and it's wrong.  Instead of cutting state priorities in ways that will hurt all of us, Maryland should take the one step that would alleviate the problem and improve our state.  Maryland should have a progressive tax, so that the rich pay their fair share.

Of course, we also need to end loopholes that allow multistate corporations to effectively steal tax dollars from Maryland priorities like education and transportation, to extend the millionaires tax, and end special giveaways as argued by Progressive Maryland.  It's time for everyone to pay their fair share to make Maryland the greatest state in the union.   

Anti-immigrant "Forces" in Maryland Hold Major Rally… Of One

by: casa_de_maryland

Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 12:48 PM EST

Written by Tania Del Angel, Communications Specialist at Casa de Maryland.

Last week, a conglomeration of anti-immigrant groups, led by “Help Save Maryland” and FAIR (recognized a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center), organized a rally against my organization, CASA de Maryland.

The heavily promoted rally, which was announced in CAPITAL LETTERS on the website of Help Save Maryland, was supposed to draw the anti-immigrant forces from around the state. Their website implored:

JOIN HELP SAVE MARYLAND, PEOPLE FOR CHANGE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM (FAIR) AND OTHER CITIZEN GROUPS!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 12-1 PM, AT CASA OF MARYLAND'S LAWLESS DAY LABORER CENTER, 734 UNIVERSITY BLVD E (NEAR PINEY BRANCH RD), SILVER SPRING 20903. 

LIVE COVERAGE OF OUR EVENT BY WFMD 930AM FREDERICK RADIO! 

Don't let the threat of a few raindrops and snowflakes scare you off. 

The Rally Against CASA of Maryland and Illegal Immigration in ON!

HSM Members are driving in from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, and Washington Counties. 

Now, before I go on, it’s important to note that many political-types in Washington actually believe that the anti-immigrant forces are vast and numerous— not just noisy. Because of this, conventional wisdom on how immigration is hard to change. Well, for anyone in DC who missed how badly anti-immigrant candidates lost in 2008, please turn your attention to Maryland.

Rep. Donna Edwards Gets Challengers?

by: Jana Avtor

Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 04:02 PM EST

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey was reported recently to have given up the idea of running for County Executive.  He is instead said to be considering a challenge to Representative Donna Edwards in the district that includes parts of Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.  

Ivey has twice won election as State's Attorney in Prince George’s, but is that enough to help him beat a popular and energetic incumbent who trounced the machine of Al Wynn very recently with grassroots energy?  Let's explore that.

First up is the vote total for the 2008 primary.  Edwards beat the Wynn 59% to 37% (four other Democrats split the remaining four percent), for a very convincing victory against a long-time incumbent with no money problems and strong name recognition.  Now while most are aware that Edwards trounced Wynn in Montgomery County where roughly 1/3 of primary voters lived by more than 2 to 1, many seem to forget that she also won over a convincing 57% of primary voters in Prince George’s.  

                         Montgomery    Prince George's    Totals
Albert R. Wynn       11,731                37,154         78,008 (58.9%)
Donna Edwards      28,781                49,227         48,885 (36.9%)
From: Maryland Board of Elections
 
Since the election Edwards seems to have gotten off to at least a decent start cultivating communities that she might not have been familiar with during and before the campaign and not a lot of discontent has been voiced about her work (* see below for the one exception).  While there is always room to improve on her outreach and media work, she has been seen in the community more than Wynn was and at least as much as most Members of Congress who don't expect a serious challenge.

Second, it’s incredibly hard to garner endorsements or donations from PACs, prominent officials and other organizations when running against an incumbent.  As now-Representative Donna Edwards learned when she challenged the incumbent Al Wynn, just like now State Senator Jamie Raskin learned when he went up against the Senate Presient Pro-tem Ida Ruben, and others have learned the hard way, even when the incumbent is not popular, doesn’t respond to their interests, or vote their way, few groups are willing to take a risk on a challenger.   

While Edwards did manage to break Wynn’s hold on the seat, she did so with an intense, long-term effort that included a close loss in 2006 that demonstrated to would-be-2008 supporters that she could beat the incumbent.  Since then she has locked down the support of corporations, associations, unions, advocacy groups and community organizations, as illustrated not just by the endorsing organizations listed on her home page, but by numerous groups that donate substantial sums of money for her reelection, including many who signed up since her powerful victory over Wynn.  

Now any challenger knows that there are lots of sources of money.  Some have suggested that Ivey may find the cash among a few strongly pro-Israel organizations and individuals who might not like her “present” vote one time, she has hardly raised the ire of even that block.  After all, she was swept to office with strong support from Jews in Montgomery County and elsewhere impressed with her strong progressive credentials and work.  This reader will be very interested to see where Ivey thinks he can get the money he’ll need to make his name known to the 1/3 of primary voters who live in Montgomery County, win over Prince George’s residents who just finished voting for Edwards, and run a competitive race in less than nine months before the primary with so many already firmly committed to Edwards. She has voted and acted well in line with what her constituents wanted when they elected her, so unless Ivey can demonstrate real differences or an incredible but hitherto unknown fundraising base, this may be a very tough race.

Questions have also arisen in publications, from the Washington Post to local blogs about how Ivey has served as prosecutor.  While these questions may not be of any prominence or concern to many, they are surely as interesting to as large an audience as the few concerns Marylanders have about Edwards.

Finally, it seems that Ivey may have to compete with Montgomery County Del. Herman Taylor for whatever money there may be in the business community, moderate voters and whatever anti-Edwards sentiment there is.  Taylor has been stirring rumors that he's interested in running for Congress, too, but while it's always possible that the double-team challenge will whittle down Edwards' support, it's more likely that the presence of Ivey and Taylor will assure Edwards of victory as they scramble to unseat her.  And since Taylor has hardly set even Montgomery on fire with his performance as a delegate and is presumably far less well known in Prince George's, he is unlikely to stand a real chance himself.

Donna Edwards was a welcome change when she offered residents of Maryland's 4th congressional district progressive leadership that listens and responds to their needs.  She ran a strong, grassroots campaign that succeeded in convincingly beating a long-time incumbent.  Since winning election she seems to have served her constituents well, hasn't made any significant mistakes or powerful enemies, and continues to work to build her strength.  While Glenn Ivey is widely thought to be a popular official and a capable candidate, it is not clear that there is any real room for him to beat Edwards in 2010 if she keeps working hard.
 

Heavy Hand of IG Chills County Council

by: Mike Hersh

Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 05:59 PM EST

The Washington Post, The Business Gazette, and The Washington Examiner are reporting on what County Council Member Duchy Trachtenberg called "KGB tactics" by county investigators. Ms. Trachtenberg and her aide, Dr. Dana Beyer, M.D. filed an official complaint against Inspector General Thomas J. Dagley with the Ethics Commission.

What's This All About Anyway?

Simply put, right wing radicals failed to block a law offering basic protections for Montgomery County's transgendered persons. Now, they're claiming Dr. Beyer--an author of the law--intimidated them. In what appears to be an extreme overreaction, if not a political hatchet job, county employees invaded Dr. Beyer's privacy searching for...who knows what? The chronology of events doesn't seem to support any searches, making them look purely vindictive. The alleged "intimidation" / "ethics violation" took place before Dr. Beyer began working for the Council, so why the "KGB tactics?"

Ehrlich Is Right.

by: Susan Turnbull

Tue Nov 17, 2009 at 12:51 PM EST

This past weekend, radio talk show host Bob Ehrlich said, "The Republican brand is still in my view tarnished.  People have not forgotten that Republicans have screwed up when it comes to spending, scandals and all of that."

Ehrlich is right without a doubt -- period, exclamation mark -- and his failed record as governor, including spending abuses and other unforgettable scandals, is why the Republican "brand" in Maryland remains problematic for him and all Republicans who served in his administration.

However, he seems to have forgotten that in Maryland it was HIS spending that earned his party a tarnished brand. As a result, Ehrlich was the only governor to lose in the 2006 general election. To remind him, I sent him a letter last week outlining a few of those spending habits and the tax increases that supported his spending habit, such as:

•    Increasing spending by almost 22% in his last two years in office - exceeding the Spending Affordability guidelines;
•    Raiding Program Open Space dollars instead of making difficult decisions to balance the budget;
•    Raising more than $3 billion in hidden taxes, tolls and fees on Maryland families;
•    Raising taxes on income from manufacturing;
•    Raising state property taxes 57%;
•    Raising the corporate filing fees by $188 million during his first three years in office; and 
•    Raised college tuition by over 40% during his term in office.

In contrast to Ehrlich’s term, spending levels in the State of Maryland are lower today than they were during his last year in office.

What's Next on Healthcare?

by: Mike Hersh

Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 02:30 PM EDT

O'Malley and Workers: Which Way Is He Going?

by: Jana Avtor

Fri Oct 16, 2009 at 01:10 PM EDT

Maryland's most powerful public employee union yesterday stood up with advocates of health care and other key public services to urge the Governor and the legislature find alternative funding sources and use "the state's untouched rainy-day reserve fund," according to the Washington Post. 

"It is time to dip into the rainy-day fund because it's raining out there and we need shelter from the storm," said Patrick Moran, Maryland director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). "Mr. Governor, please, please consider your rainy day funds," added Mary Townes, an employee at the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, who said workers there are staying late into the night, and struggling each day to find enough resources to identify and protect the city's most vulnerable children. "It's unfair to say we care about the children and then not invest in enough people to protect them," Townes said.

Governor O'Malley continues to resist suggestions that he dip into the state's rainy day fund and has not moved aggressively to close corporate tax loopholes or otherwise find sources of funds.  He has instead cut public services that many people across Maryland rely on.

The rumble between O'Malley and Maryland's working people heated up early this week when it was revealed that the governor's nominee to lead the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation had worked for a union-busting law firm.  The blog Maryland Politics Watch pointed out that the governor had chosen Virginian Alex Sanchez to lead DLLR over at least two well-qualified, labor-friendly Marylanders.  

While O'Malley received strong union backing and support from working Marylanders in his 2006 race for governor, his administration hasn't been as pro-active in addressing the needs of working families as had been hoped.  Readers of Free State Politics will remember how in early 2008 it was revealed that one of O'Malley's departments was bragging to businesses about a supposedly "anti-union climate" in Maryland.

In the same week, O'Malley signed the first ever family child care providers contract with SEIU 500, according the the DC Labor Council's web site.

Let's hope that O'Malley's relations with working families in Maryland trend more toward the last case than the others.

20 Years of Defending Clinics and Keeping the Doors Open

by: Rusty5329

Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 09:16 PM EDT