Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You would be correct in that assumption, but there's nothing to "fear."I don't want to turn this thread into a political war, but I think the Dem-bashing on this thread is a little unwarranted. Ehrlich virtually screwed over Maryland in his single term, and fiscally responsible doesn't exactly describe the deficit he left for O'Malley. The GOP had it's shot at governing MD, and they blew it. Ehrlich had more skeletons in his closest, than they are in the cemetery, even more so than previous (40 years previous) Republican governor Spiro Agnew.
Would you mind providing some cites for your statements. Just curious about the "skeletons" and the "deficit". Which actually was a surplus and an expanding rainy day fund which O'Malley and the Legislature spent in the first session after the election. Not to mention the "special session" called last year to cut $500M in spending and ended up initiating $2B in new spending. Or the Thornton Plan passed under Glenndening which committed the State to several billion in education funding with no funding source. Which has contributed to the structural deficit for the last three administrations. And which brought us slots, maybe.
O'Malley didn't run against Ehrlich, he ran against Bush. The same way Cardin didn't run against Steele.
The political situation in MD is potentially explosive, which is to say, the Democrats are between a rock and a hard place. They are going to be forced to cut programs their constituents favor or rely upon very heavily (school aid, daycare aid, housing aid, food aid, healtchare aid, etc, eliminating state jobs held by the lower and middle classes). They may even need to do this in parallel to enacting taxes, but not through property or income taxes, but through fees (like on gasoline sales), sales tax, tolls, and the other costs which would be borne primarily by the low and middle classes.
O'Malley, as much as I dislike him, seems to recognize he is in a lose-lose situation, and appears ready to take the high road and make all the fiscally responsible decisions for Maryland so he can say he did the right thing should he ever wish to seek some form of public office again.
All the Repubs need to do is sit back and let the frustration boil over into anger, and it should be easy to ride the wave of discontent to the state house.
Why are folks who are upset about what they value being cut by a governor who hates having to do it going to vote for a candidate who wants to do it regardless of the economic climate? My guess is that the folks you are referring to are going to become hardened against candidates who want to cut as a matter of philosophy when they experience the consequences of those cuts.
Would you mind providing some cites for your statements. Just curious about the "skeletons" and the "deficit". Which actually was a surplus and an expanding rainy day fund which O'Malley and the Legislature spent in the first session after the election. Not to mention the "special session" called last year to cut $500M in spending and ended up initiating $2B in new spending. Or the Thornton Plan passed under Glenndening which committed the State to several billion in education funding with no funding source. Which has contributed to the structural deficit for the last three administrations. And which brought us slots, maybe.
O'Malley didn't run against Ehrlich, he ran against Bush. The same way Cardin didn't run against Steele.
"...six chartered buses carried mostly poor, black men from as far as Philadelphia to hand out inaccurate voter guides in Baltimore and Prince George's County yesterday as part of an effort by backers of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and U.S. Senate candidate Michael S. Steele to woo black voters"
"Undercover Maryland State Police officers conducted surveillance on war protesters and death penalty opponents, including some in Takoma Park, for more than a year while Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. was governor"
Now even if I was a Republican (which I'm not), after hearing about these extremely unethical and jaw-dropping controversies I can't see how I could check off Ehrlich's name on a ballot. I can't tell you how pissed off and shocked I was when I heard about these scandals. And the GOP wonders why it can't attract the minority vote, even with tokens such as Steele, Jindal, or Palin. Too me Ehrlich is on the same level as Bush or Agnew if not much worse. If Maryland has to have a Republican governor I definitely hope it won't be Ehrlich...
An unsanctioned campaign pamphlet causes your jaw to drop. No issue with the DNC hacking into Steele's financial records, though?
As for "Ehrlich's structural deficit" I imagine you mean the one inherited from Glenndening, that pesky Thornton Plan again.
If you think the groups you mentioned being monitored aren't now, think again. You can't be that naive.
Some of O'Malley's legacy:
1. the structural deficit you mentioned is now $3B.
2. a broken slots license plan (I oppose slots by the way) that has the locals paying for infrastructure.
3. the gutting of the Natural Resources Police, you know, the guys that catch poachers and drunk boaters.
4. Project Open Space funding cut from $42M under Ehrlich to $6M under O'Malley.
5. State Aid to Local Police cut by a similar percentage as Open Space.
6. the change of Ehrlich's Flush Tax from a grant program to loans after construction on ENR upgrades started. Some numbers on that: Ellicott City at $100M, Chesapeake Beach at $14M, North Beach at $5M. All projects begun under Ehrlich with grant promises that now have to be paid back.
7. new rules on stormwater management whose costs will rival the ENR costs.
8. long planned roads funding being cancelled so the ICC can be built.
9. MD becoming a de facto sanctuary state for illegals.
An unsanctioned campaign pamphlet causes your jaw to drop. No issue with the DNC hacking into Steele's financial records, though?
As for "Ehrlich's structural deficit" I imagine you mean the one inherited from Glenndening, that pesky Thornton Plan again.
If you think the groups you mentioned being monitored aren't now, think again. You can't be that naive.
Some of O'Malley's legacy:
1. the structural deficit you mentioned is now $3B.
2. a broken slots license plan (I oppose slots by the way) that has the locals paying for infrastructure.
3. the gutting of the Natural Resources Police, you know, the guys that catch poachers and drunk boaters.
4. Project Open Space funding cut from $42M under Ehrlich to $6M under O'Malley.
5. State Aid to Local Police cut by a similar percentage as Open Space.
6. the change of Ehrlich's Flush Tax from a grant program to loans after construction on ENR upgrades started. Some numbers on that: Ellicott City at $100M, Chesapeake Beach at $14M, North Beach at $5M. All projects begun under Ehrlich with grant promises that now have to be paid back.
7. new rules on stormwater management whose costs will rival the ENR costs.
8. long planned roads funding being cancelled so the ICC can be built.
9. MD becoming a de facto sanctuary state for illegals.
Yeah, O'Malley's a good governor.
In light of the economic situation many programs had to be cut, and I think O'Malley did an admirable job. None of those cuts seem that terrible. Instead of cutting education and raising tuition, which many other states have done (particularly the one across the river). Yeah, I admit O'malley is weak on illegal immigration (as many Democrats are) but they didn't come here overnight. There were plenty coming to MD during the Ehrlich administration, and O'Malley virtually made it impossible for them to receive driver's licenses earlier this year. Even if the DNC didn't hacked into Steele's records, what was he hiding?
I seem to recall slots being Ehrlich's idea and I still don't really oppose or support slots. I think it may be a good idea on the Eastern Shore and Western MD and at tracks such as Pimlico and Laurel, but definitely not at family-oriented malls such as Arundel Mills. Regarding the ICC, it was another Ehrlich pet project and the road projects that funding was cut from was non-urgent and wouldn't have been built for another 20 years anyway. There was very little disagreement on this at the time.
In light of the economic situation many programs had to be cut, and I think O'Malley did an admirable job. None of those cuts seem that terrible. Instead of cutting education and raising tuition, which many other states have done (particularly the one across the river). Yeah, I admit O'malley is weak on illegal immigration (as many Democrats are) but they didn't come here overnight. There were plenty coming to MD during the Ehrlich administration, and O'Malley virtually made it impossible for them to receive driver's licenses earlier this year. Even if the DNC didn't hacked into Steele's records, what was he hiding?
I seem to recall slots being Ehrlich's idea and I still don't really oppose or support slots. I think it may be a good idea on the Eastern Shore and Western MD and at tracks such as Pimlico and Laurel, but definitely not at family-oriented malls such as Arundel Mills. Regarding the ICC, it was another Ehrlich pet project and the road projects that funding was cut from was non-urgent and wouldn't have been built for another 20 years anyway. There was very little disagreement on this at the time.
Personal bank records are ok to be stolen for you I guess.
Actually slots are Mike Miller's (D-Calvert, Prince George's) pet project. Ehrlich tried to get them, Mike Busch (D-Anne Arundel) blocked them until SHAZAAM, O'Malley gets elected.
Non-urgent? Been to Charles or Calvert Counties lately?
I have to sit down, I'm dizzy from your spinning.
Oh, by the way, the largest increases in tuition came during Glenndening, not Ehrlich.
O'Malley will be remembered most for his heavy-handed approach to policy that ignores Maryland's regional diversity and instead pushed for a one-size-fits-all agenda for the whole state. The governor's stale rhetoric includes a bastardization of the "One Maryland" idea. As proposed by former speaker Cas Taylor (D-Allegany,) "One Maryland" was a law that recognized the different resources and economic realities in the different regions of the state and attempted to boast the standard of living for those people. The tax incentives in the law encouraged businesses to locate in the poorer regions of the state in attempt to raise the standards of living there.
O'Malley has recycled the term to promote his centralized, government-heavy scheme for Maryland's future. Since we are "One Maryland," O'Malley postulates, what Annapolis proposes applies to all. No matter to O'Malley that his vision of the future would direct growth and development to the metro regions while the rural parts of the state would be roped off as "conservation" areas. The minority of our state that live in rural areas of the state would be denied the opportunity to grow and prosper in a manner of our choosing. Hey, most of us vote Republican anyway, what does it matter to the governor? It is more important to relieve suburban liberal guilt by preserving nature somewhere else.
Before anyone accuses me of a partisan attack, I have voted for Dems, Republicans, Libertarians, and Greens. I judge the sincerity of a candidate's words and their ability to effectively advocate for my part of the state. I find that O'Malley falls far short on both accounts.
Personal bank records are ok to be stolen for you I guess.
Actually slots are Mike Miller's (D-Calvert, Prince George's) pet project. Ehrlich tried to get them, Mike Busch (D-Anne Arundel) blocked them until SHAZAAM, O'Malley gets elected.
Non-urgent? Been to Charles or Calvert Counties lately?
I have to sit down, I'm dizzy from your spinning.
Oh, by the way, the largest increases in tuition came during Glenndening, not Ehrlich.
I'm gonna go ahead and give up. This back-and-forth will be never ending, just as it is in reality. I don't want to spark a hostile left/right debate on this thread. Dems and Republicans will just never agree; neither side will see eye to eye on any social or policy issues. It's human nature to disagree (politically). People coming from different backgrounds value things more so (or less so) than people from opposite backgrounds, and this will heavily influence their opinions.
westsideboy: Here in Mongtomery County the government is extremely preservationist. Much of upcounty is off-limits to developers, and the few remaining farmers (mistly equestrian and horticulturists) have very heavy sway. There's also some aranagement (I can't really remember the details) where I think for a devloper to add more units to his development he has to buy rights from a farmer (who doesn't have to be located in any close proximity to the development) or something. So, I don't think they're just shoving the "preservation" on you guys.
Anyway I think it would be great if Western Md. grew and flourished. It would be nice to see Cumberland experience the revival that Pittsburgh has recently been experiencing. Hagerstown seems to be growing and doing well though.
I'm gonna go ahead and give up. This back-and-forth will be never ending, just as it is in reality. I don't want to spark a hostile left/right debate on this thread. Dems and Republicans will just never agree; neither side will see eye to eye on any social or policy issues. It's human nature to disagree (politically). People coming from different backgrounds value things more so (or less so) than people from opposite backgrounds, and this will heavily influence their opinions.
westsideboy: Here in Mongtomery County the government is extremely preservationist. Much of upcounty is off-limits to developers, and the few remaining farmers (mistly equestrian and horticulturists) have very heavy sway. There's also some aranagement (I can't really remember the details) where I think for a devloper to add more units to his development he has to buy rights from a farmer (who doesn't have to be located in any close proximity to the development) or something. So, I don't think they're just shoving the "preservation" on you guys.
Anyway I think it would be great if Western Md. grew and flourished. It would be nice to see Cumberland experience the revival that Pittsburgh has recently been experiencing. Hagerstown seems to be growing and doing well though.
You start a thread that declares that the MD Republican Party is dead, talk about skeletons and condone illegality because "what was he hiding?" and now you're upset because the thread became "political"?
I should have looked at your profile earlier, Poli.Sci. 101 theory doesn't work as well in real life as it does in textbooks.
The arrangement you referenced is called Transferrable Development Rights. The theory behind them is that developers buy building rights from farmers, who then put their farms in permanent agricultural preservation. The developers then can increase density at their projects elsewhere in the affected County. Montgomery also requires a certain percentage of work force housing (read lower price than the rest of the development) while Calvert requires that the rights be used within one mile of a designated Town Center. Calvert actually was the first county to use these starting in the 1980s. Smart farmers had their land subdivided and recorded before the rights were required and so can sell the land to developers. That's why if you come to Calvert you see developments outside the Town Center boundaries.
Cpterp - The claim that a county whose population grew from 80,000 to nearly 1 million people in just 70 years is "extremely preservationist" is funny. That ship sailed long ago. O'Malley's (and formerly Glendening) smart growth plans are designed to facilitate continued growth and development around where it already exists (read: Montgomery County, et al.) while prohibiting, or at least discouraging growth, where it hasn't (read: nearly all of Western Maryland.) Such a plan makes sense in Montgomery County where preserving the remaining open land is important. In a place like Allegany County where 75% of the land is forest such draconian policy is ridiculous.
Believe me, I don't want to see Western Maryland become the next Montgomery County, but we can't afford to have Annapolis force us to stay in 1950 either. We need to have the freedom to figure out for ourselves how to preserve the mountains and small towns that define us while attracting the residents, jobs, and services that will improve our community.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
