Hogan diverts funds from arts center to MD. state police (Baltimore: 2015, crime)

[Infinite_heights77]

*The current environment of ? LOL!
Gov. Hogan says he will divert funds from arts center to Md. state police

Gov. Hogan says he will divert funds from arts center to Md. state police - The Washington Post


Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (John Taggart/EPA)
By Josh Hicks May 15
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced Friday that he would reopen a state police barrack in Annapolis and add 100 troopers to the law-enforcement agency despite the legislature refusing to fund those moves as part of a budget amendment.
Hogan said he would pay for the actions by vetoing $2 million from the capital budget that is dedicated to renovating the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis.
“I am a huge proponent of the arts, and the first lady is a former member of the Anne Arundel County Arts Council,” Hogan said. “But in the current environment, a State Police barrack in our state capital and adequate funding for public safety in Annapolis must be the priority.”
Aides to Democratic lawmakers said the governor’s plan is impossible, because capital funds cannot be shifted for operational expenses. David Juppe, a senior budget official with the Department of Legislative Services agreed.
“It’s not like that money can be used for any purpose – it’s gone,” he said. “Maybe it’s an aspirational statement, but the parameters of the budget are such that you can’t do it.”
The Maryland State Police facility in Annapolis, known as Barrack J, was closed during in 2008, during the tenure of then-Gov. Martin O’Malley. Hogan said the facility is scheduled to reopen in the fall.
To do that, Juppe said, the governor must find money for the barracks within the State Police budget. Noting that the budget passed by the legislature earlier this year requires the agency to trim $5 million in spending, he added: “It would be a tall order.”
With the planned expansion of troopers, the number of uniformed personnel for the state police would grow to 1,656, reaching the highest level in more than a dozen years, according to the governor’s office.
Hogan’s veto would not affect other parts of the capital budget, which will pass into law without the governor’s signature.

[picardlx]

Who thought "line item veto" was a good idea? This needs to be revisited.

My rant isn't in response to this particular offence but in general.

[dogpark]

There is more going on in this issue than a sensationalist headline would lead you to believe.

Hogan wants to reopen the Annapolis MSP barracks, this was known before during the legislative session. The $2M in arts funding of for renovation of Maryland Hall, not an arts program, but a venue, a building currently in use. Hogan considers the MSP barracks more important than renovating MD Hall. Hogan may be able to veto the funding for MD Hall renovations, but cannot move that money to use for the barracks. Seems to me that Hogan is fiscally conservative and is trying to act in accord with his campaign pledge.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by dogpark

There is more going on in this issue than a sensationalist headline would lead you to believe.

Hogan wants to reopen the Annapolis MSP barracks, this was known before during the legislative session. The $2M in arts funding of for renovation of Maryland Hall, not an arts program, but a venue, a building currently in use. Hogan considers the MSP barracks more important than renovating MD Hall. Hogan may be able to veto the funding for MD Hall renovations, but cannot move that money to use for the barracks. Seems to me that Hogan is fiscally conservative and is trying to act in accord with his campaign pledge.

This is pretty much it.

Someone on another thread declared that Hogan needs to negotiate with the Legislature (specifically the House, Miller is pretty much going along with him in the Senate). This is what happens when Hogan negotiates-the House removes his priorities and inserts their own, the Governor be damned.

You saw the same thing with the Retirement System. About 3 or 4 years ago O'Malley and the Legislature (both Houses) decided that borrowing from the pension fund to balance the General Fund and taking it down from 100% of projected expenses to 60% was actually a bad idea.

So they all agreed that there would be $300M a year sent back to the Retirement System so it would be fully funded by 2023 (do the math on how much was taken out). That has not happened in any year since.

This year Hogan wanted to sent $150M back and the Legislature (specifically the House) cut it to $75M.

And y'all wonder why things are shaking out the way they are.

This is all beside the point that Maryland Hall is a giant hole that does nothing but suck money. I have to deal with a couple of its people in another area and all they do is stick their hands out and demand funding whether it's there or not.

[steppinthrax]

What's more important some art or the ability for that state trooper to get at a active ongoing crime scene in time??? If it involves closing one to feed another, do it!!!

[james777]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

What's more important some art or the ability for that state trooper to get at a active ongoing crime scene in time??? If it involves closing one to feed another, do it!!!

^^ True words of wisdom.

The people of Baltimore recently demonstrated that we need more police; I am glad to see the governor providing the resources. So far he is doing a great job.

[Infinite_heights77]

Oh! That's an easy one...the arts center is more important! I can protect myself! I'm a descendant
of 2 WWII and a Vietnam veteran. These men of honor taught me how to be combat ready, in the streets and in the suites.

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

What's more important some art or the ability for that state trooper to get at a active ongoing crime scene in time??? If it involves closing one to feed another, do it!!!

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by james777

^^ True words of wisdom.

The people of Baltimore recently demonstrated that we need more police; I am glad to see the governor providing the resources. So far he is doing a great job.

I'm a reg democrat and have been for a few years.

I will say we need a republican governor, mayor, and council in Maryland for at least 50 years. As a matter of fact if all the state administrators were replaced with republicans there would be so much trash for them to clean up that they would have to hang debris troughs from every window of every single state building. Throwing out all the dead, decrepit, lazy and do-nothing state employees.

The welfare and unemployment office waiting rooms would be so empty they would turn them into storage rooms.

We need something like a Mitt Romney in Maryland for 100 years.

[dogpark]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

This is pretty much it.

Someone on another thread declared that Hogan needs to negotiate with the Legislature (specifically the House, Miller is pretty much going along with him in the Senate). This is what happens when Hogan negotiates-the House removes his priorities and inserts their own, the Governor be damned.

You saw the same thing with the Retirement System. About 3 or 4 years ago O'Malley and the Legislature (both Houses) decided that borrowing from the pension fund to balance the General Fund and taking it down from 100% of projected expenses to 60% was actually a bad idea.

So they all agreed that there would be $300M a year sent back to the Retirement System so it would be fully funded by 2023 (do the math on how much was taken out). That has not happened in any year since.

This year Hogan wanted to sent $150M back and the Legislature (specifically the House) cut it to $75M.

And y'all wonder why things are shaking out the way they are.

This is all beside the point that Maryland Hall is a giant hole that does nothing but suck money. I have to deal with a couple of its people in another area and all they do is stick their hands out and demand funding whether it's there or not.

Yep, MD Hall is a non-essential hole and Busch et al in the House are determined to do whatever they want.

Sure, its great to have arts programs etc - if you can afford them. When essentials and obligations are unmet, its time to reevaluate. How about an audit to straighten up things? Fins out where money is going, how its spent and then if those allocations are the best value for the greater good.

[redd1skng]

Originally Posted by dogpark

Yep, MD Hall is a non-essential hole and Busch et al in the House are determined to do whatever they want.

Sure, its great to have arts programs etc - if you can afford them. When essentials and obligations are unmet, its time to reevaluate. How about an audit to straighten up things? Fins out where money is going, how its spent and then if those allocations are the best value for the greater good.

Nope. Art programs should never be pushed aside or treated as a second thought. The citizens of this over-taxed state pay enough money to appease all sides. Where it is or goes we'll never know because of politics.

Audits you say? Expose themselves? Hold themselves accountable? Dream on.