A little bit of everything
The O’Malley administration on Wednesday successfully pushed to raise next year’s bond authorization to $1.16 billion, $75 million more than this year, rejecting objections by state Comptroller Peter Franchot that “we’re adding another Christmas tree ornament.”
“We can’t afford it,” Franchot told the Capital Debt Affordability Committee, saying it should stick to this year’s bond authorization of $1,085,000,000.
Read moreAt the hot high-tech end of the Maryland economy Thursday, Gov. Martin O’Malley was cutting a ribbon to open a spiffy renovated building for cybersecurity firm Accuvant in Elkridge and hoping that Friday’s employment figures would show Maryland had regained all the jobs it lost since 2008.
Seven miles away at Paul’s Restaurant in Arbutus, Comptroller Peter Franchot was addressing representatives of not-so-hot legacy businesses and talking about “a sluggish economy” with “very poor wage growth” that led to Tuesday’s write-down of state revenue estimates for next year.
Read moreGov. Martin O’Malley has appointed first-term Del. Stephen Hershey to fill the seat vacated by Sen. E.J. Pipkin in District 36 – breaking a tie among the GOP central committees of Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. They were split between Hershey and his colleague in the House of Delegates, Del. Mike Smigiel. O’Malley said his decision was based on recognition of broader support for Hershey in District 36. He also said the choice should not have been his to make.
Read moreTexas Gov. Rick Perry is poaching in Maryland. He’s camouflaged his Wednesday visit as an economic development pitch — including a $500,000 TV and radio ad blitz — to get companies to move from Maryland to low-tax, pro-business Texas. He’s not fooling anyone. It’s all part of Perry’s nascent presidential campaign for 2016.
Read moreMaryland is the latest target of Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a new radio spot that criticizes Gov. Martin O’Malley and the state’s high taxes. Perry knocks Maryland for high taxes on businesses and families, comparing it to his state’s low taxes, “fair” legal system and limited government, in a commercial from Texas Wide Open for Business, part of the Texas Economic Development Division within the Office of the Governor.
Read moreThroughout his two terms as governor, Martin O’Malley has portrayed himself in words and deeds as a champion of Maryland’s working class. He’s a neo-New Dealer who sees his political future through the lens of becoming known as “the working family’s governor.”
Now O’Malley has joined the Democratic stampede to support a major jump in the state’s minimum wage. He has also made it clear he won’t be sponsoring any bills to lower Maryland’s corporate income tax as a sop to the business community.
Read moreLou Panos, who covered 40 sessions of the Maryland General Assembly during his 60 years as a working journalist, passed away on Sunday.
Read moreTodd Eberly describes what he thinks the Maryland Republican Party needs to establish as a “strong bench” of potential statewide candidates for offices like attorney general in order to break the state’s one-party monopoly.
Read moreBusinessman and Tea Party favorite Charles Lollar has officially launched his bid for the Maryland Republican gubernatorial nomination. In announcing his bid, Lollar described himself as a fiscal conservative and social libertarian, insisting he was running for governor and not priest. He promised to reach out to Democrats as well as Republicans – a necessity and not a choice in Maryland.
Read moreDel. Steve Hershey has lobbied county commissioners in Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, and Cecil for letters of support to the governor in his bid to fill the seat vacated by Sen. E.J. Pipkin in District 36. But he has done so using his official legislative letterhead — prohibited under ethics rules established by the legislature.
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