As of today, there are seven weeks until election day. If this past weekend is any indication, it is going to be a very long seven weeks. It isn't that we haven't already been inundated with political ads on television and radio, but this weekend was particularly brutal.
Saturday morning, I was fixing myself some breakfast and had the weekend version of The Today show on in the background. It was the time of the show where they have a few commercials, throw to the local affiliate for local news, and then more commercials.
During this particular break, there were two Mitt Romney ads, one Barack Obama ad, and one ad for and one ad against Question 7 that will appear on the Maryland ballot. For those outside of the Maryland area, Question 7 is a ballot initiative to ad one more casino and table games to existing casinos. Currently, Maryland casinos only have slot machines. Oh, and I almost forgot, there was one commercial from independent Senate candidate Rob Sobhani.
speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 11, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In addition to the multiple television commercials, the robocalls have started in full swing. I received a call from an organization encouraging voters to vote against Question 7. Personally, I support gambling in Maryland. I supported it when Robert Ehrlich proposed it, and supported it when Martin O'Malley proposed it. Funny though, when Republican governor Ehrlich proposed it, the Democrats killed it, but when Democrat governor O'Malley proposed it, the movement passed.
In the past few weeks, these sorts of things had been heating up, but not quite up to the level of this past weekend. I suspect that things are only going to get crazier over the next seven weeks. I hope that I can manage to keep from throwing the phone through the television from the expected barrage of robocalls and television ads. Though, now that I think about it, I could use a new television in the living room.
I live in Bowie, Maryland which is part of Prince George's County. PG County, like a large portion of the state, is heavily controlled by the Democrats. Like all good Democrats, county officials never met a tax they didn't like. Locally, they have been pushing a 5-cent per bag on any plastic bags consumers get from the store when they do their shopping. Their reasoning for pushing for a bag tax was to help curb litter, encourage the use or reusable bags, and to raise money for environmental projects.
Needless to say, I am against any new taxes being imposed on me. Most of the time, I do try to use reusable bags when I do my weekly grocery shopping. One of the reasons that I use them is that my local grocery store gives me a discount of 5-cents for every reusable bag that I use. To me, that sort of reward is more apt to get the type of desired behavior than the punishment of paying a tax. It also makes sense for the grocery store because it helps reduce their expense of providing bags.
In the past, I have forgotten my bags at home, or left them in the car. The one thing I have found is that I usually end up with a lot more plastic bags on those occasions than the number of reusable bags that I would use. I will use about 4 or 5 reusable bags on a shopping trip, whereas I would use at least 10 plastic bags for that same trip. The plastic bags just do not hold as much product as the reusable bags do. Sure an extra 50 cents or so per shopping trip doesn't sound like much, but it adds up, especially if you are a lower income person living paycheck to paycheck.
The bag tax measured did manage to pass through the county council. Something that I was not aware of, is that any new law for the county has to be approved by the state general assembly. Since the state assembly is heavily Democratic, and a similar measure has been in place in neighboring Montgomery County, I figured it was a done deal. Surprisingly, the measure was defeated in the state Senate by one vote as the county did not show with enough specifics how the measure would improve the environment. I fully expect it to come back like the proverbial bad penny next year.
While us PG County resident have dodged that particular tax burden this year, that is not to say our tax worries are behind us. Governor Martin O'Malley has been pushing for more and more tax increases. He has been pushing for an increase in the state income tax with a surtax for higher earners. He continues to push for an increase in the gasoline tax. At one point, he was asking to have the state sales tax apply to gasoline on top of the current flat gas tax. Now he says he would consider raising the sales tax from 6% to 7% in lieu of the gasoline tax. He says he is flexible. Yeah, as long as he can raise taxes, he is flexible as to the form of the tax.
Today, the governor of my home state of Maryland signed a bill into law that would legalize same sex marriage. I hesitate to call him "my governor" as my loathing for Governor O'Malley may actually exceed my disdain for the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The two of them are virtual clones of one another in terms of leftist policy. If you saw where O'Malley and Obama stand on issues listed on a piece of paper, you would be hard pressed to tell which was which.
Last year, the state legislature attempted to pass a similar bill but it failed to get out of the legislature. Since that failure, O'Malley has been actively pushing for a bill to be passed this year, vowing to sign the legislation into law. One of the provisions that was added to the bill that I think allowed it to pass this time was a provision that the law would not go into effect until January 1st, 2013, rather than October 1st, which would allow the opportunity for opponents to get the initiative on a referendum in November.
I have stated here in the past that I do not have strong feelings one way or the other on the issue of gay marriage. I do not feel that it would impact me that much. I can be empathetic and can see the merits on both sides of the discussion. On the one hand, I understand the religious and social arguments against same sex marriage. Still, there are certain rights that married couples have that I think could be extended to same sex couples.
I fully expect that opponents of the law will gather enough signatures on petitions to have the measure brought to referendum. As of right now, I have not made up my mind how I would vote on this legislation. Thus far, when these matters have been brought to a vote of the people, they have failed to pass. There is another measure that will be on the ballot that I feel more strongly about, and that is Maryland's version of the Dream Act giving in state tuition to the children of illegal immigrants. I will most definitely vote against that one.
While I have not fully made up my mind regarding how I will vote if it makes the ballot, there are things that could sway me one way or the other. One such thing that could have an impact on my decision is the video below of State Attorney General Douglas Ganzler. In the video, Ganzler talks of the steps the governor has taken to ensure that the measure passes, even if it is voted down by the citizens. Particularly disturbing are his comments about "voting machines not working." Sounds kinda fishy to me.
Hat tip to the Maryland Republican Party who posted it to their Facebook timeline which is how I learned of this video.
Image via WikipediaThere have been two separate news stories here in the DC area in the past couple weeks that I think is a microcosm of the differences between Republican philosophy and Democrat philosophy. The two stories involve the governments of local neighbors, Virginia and Maryland. Virginia is led by Republican Governor Bob McDonnell, while Maryland, which is about as blue a state as can be, is led by Democrat Martin O'Malley.
In these tough economic times, like most states, the two governors have been faced with difficult budgetary decisions. The approach of the two men couldn't be more drastically different. McDonnell was adamant when he took office that he would not increase taxes as a way to make up for any budgetary shortfall. He made the decision to go through the budget and make tough, but necessary, spending cuts. He has also worked to make Virginia a business friendly locale. The result was released this week that Virginia expects to have a $311 million surplus.
O'Malley, on the other hand has taken the opposite track. Currently, Maryland is facing a structural deficit of over $1 billion dollars. At a time when most states are trying to curb spending, O'Malley keeps spending. The state recently passed it's version of the Dream Act to give illegal immigrants in state tuition rates, which is expected to cost the state millions. The Baltimore Sun reported that Maryland has the 4th highest tax burden among the 50 states and had the 4th highest increase in spending among the states. It also stated that Maryland ranked 50th of the 50 states in job creation according to the Department of Labor.
The Washington Examiner reported last week that the Maryland State assembly will be holding a special session aimed at looking at how to close the budget gap. The article basically states they are looking at anything and everything that they can tax that isn't already being taxed. They will be looking at taxes on snacks, medicines, on line sales, and increasing the gasoline tax. This after the regular general session resulted in increases in the alcohol sales tax and increases in several fees, which really are nothing more than taxes.
The results in the two states couldn't be more different. Virginia, while not raising taxes, has actually increased tax revenue by creating an atmosphere conducive to business. By growing jobs, there are more people paying taxes, thus increasing revenue. That is the essence of Republican philosophy of job creation. A case in point being Northrup Grumman's decision to locate new offices in Virginia rather than Maryland.
While Maryland is always near the top 10 in state tax burdens, Virginia is usually in the mid-30's. Texas, by the way, has the 45th ranked tax burden and has one of the best state economies in the nation. The reality is that if you want to increase tax revenues, the answer is not new taxes. The answer is to have more taxpayers.
Image via WikipediaThe state of Maryland has taken the first steps towards becoming the sixth state to allow gay marriages. The bill has passed through the Judicial Proceedings Committee and is headed towards the Senate. The Washington Post reports that the vote in the Senate is expected to be close, but most think it will pass. Then it would go to the House of Delegates where it is expected to pass more easily. Governor Martin O'Malley has said he would sign the bill.
I do not have real strong feelings either way on the issue. It is an issue in which I have empathy for sides of the argument. It really does not impact me or my marriage. Over the years, I have worked with and been friendly with homosexuals who have been involved in monogamous relationships. One coworker recently took advantage of DC's gay marriage laws and married his partner of several years. Having spent several years in evangelical churches, I also understand the religious argument against gay marriage.
The one thing that I will say in regards to the path that Maryland is taking, is that I feel the state is going about this in the right way. I am a big supported of the 10th Amendment of the Constitution and of state's rights. The issue of marriage is one that I feel should be decided individually by the state. I also like the fact that Maryland is passing it through legislation, and not the courts. Some of the states that currently allow gay marriage have done so by judicial fiat. Lastly, the bill includes a strong conscious clause that allows religious institutions to be exempt from having to perform same sex marriages.
Like I said, I have no strong feeling either way. Given the circumstances, Maryland is doing it the right way, with features that I think are necessary for religious institutions. If the populace of Maryland decides that the law is something that they can not support they can petition to have the issue brought to a referendum or they can vote in legislators that would be supportive of repealing the law.
Image via WikipediaI hate my neighbors! No, this is not another rant about the group of single guys that live next door to me and their propensity for playing their music so loud that my walls vibrate and I can't hear my own TV. Instead this is about my fellow citizenry in Prince Georges County Maryland, or as I like to call it, DC East.
The wave of common sense that swept through the country in yesterday's election that saw one of the greatest shifts in political power in the country's history didn't extend to my state of Maryland. Prince George's County is largely to blame for that. The Democrats have such a stronghold in PG County that I don't even bother to vote in most of the county elections. The reason is that in the vast majority of those races, there is no race. There is usually a Democrat running unopposed.
There were two races that I was actively involved in some small way, shape or form; the Governor's race between Bob Ehrlich and Martin O'Malley, and the 5th Congressional race between Charles Lollar and Steny Hoyer. I was so impressed with Lollar that for the first time in my life, I had a campaign sign in my front yard. It will not be the last. There was also a Senate race between Eric Wargotz and Barbara Mikulski, but I heard practically nothing from Wargotz until just a couple weeks prior to the election.
The 5th Congressional District consists of Charles County, St. Mary's County, Calvert County, and parts of PG and Anne Arundel Counties. Last night, while watching the election returns coming in, Lollar was holding an early lead over Hoyer. At one point, with about 14% of the precincts in, Lollar still held 54% of the votes counted. Then they started counting PG County and all of a sudden Hoyer jumped out to a 65-34 lead over Lollar. In the end, Hoyer ended up with 64% of the vote and defeated Lollar by 64,000 votes. Coincidently, Hoyer received 82% of the vote in PG County, and defeated Lollar in the county by, yes, 64,000 votes.
The Governor's race wasn't much different. Out of 23 counties in the state of Maryland, Ehrlich won 19 of them. The only counties he lost were Montgomery County, Howard County, Charles County, and of course PG County. O'Malley's largest margin of victory in those counties, was in PG County where he received 88% of the vote. If it weren't for having a special needs child and needing to stay in the county to maintain his educational funding, I would be so out of here. Leaving the county for another would require starting the whole process over again in a new county.
On the other hand, news from around the country on election day was mostly positive. I was particularly pleased to see the loathsome Alan Grayson get his ass handed to him by Daniel Webster in Florida's 8th Congressional district. Also in the Sunshine state, up and coming GOP Superstar Marco Rubio clobbered the flip flopping turncoat Charlie Crist. Too bad Lisa Murkowski didn't suffer the same fate in Alaska, though that hasn't been fully decided yet.
Sure, there were some disappointments in other races around the country. Mealy mouthed Harry Reid managed to win re-election in Nevada. We still have to deal with him, but at least we can tell Nancy Pelosi what she can do with her gavel. I will close this post with a tweet that Charles Lollar sent to his followers on Twitter: "Marines don't retreat - they establish a rally point. Rest now, but prepare to regroup. This is not victory denied, but victory delayed." I am hoping that we will see and hear a lot more from Major Lollar in the years to come.
Sarah Palin's support for Brian Murphy over Bob Ehrlich in the GOP gubernatorial primary had little to no impact on the final results. Ehrlich easily defeated Murphy to face Martin O'Malley in November for a rematch of their first face off from four years ago. Let's hope Ehrlich can achieve a better result than last time.
In the other result that I am particularly interested in, it is looking pretty good right now for Charles Lollar. With 38% of the precincts counted, Lollar holds a 63%-29% lead over Collins Bailey. Some sites have already declare Lollar the victor. Bailey is a decent fellow, but I think Lollar would have a better chance of beating Steny Hoyer in November. Let's send this Marine to the Hill because when you send a Marine to take a Hill, that Marine WILL take that Hill!
We are a little more than 4 months away from Election Day 2010. Locally here in Maryland things are heating up. According to a recent Rasmussen poll, former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich has pulled into a dead heat with current governor Martin "I never met a tax I didn't like" O'Malley. In February, O'Malley had a six point lead over Ehrlich, so this is encouraging news.
As we get closer and closer to election day, we are going to be bombarded with campaign ads. Living in the DC suburbs, not only will we get bombarded with the Maryland campaigns, we will also get to hear about the elections in DC and VA. In addition to the Maryland gubernatorial race, there will be a lot of hotly contested campaigns. At times, some of these campaign ads will be just plain annoying.
In DC, whoever wins the Democrat primary is virtually assured of winning the DC mayoral race. Current Mayor Adrian Fenty is facing a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Vince Gray. The other day, I was driving on the beltway when I ended up behind a DC school bus. In the back of the bus was a Vince Gray for Mayor campaign sign. I think that a public school bus is a highly inappropriate placement for a campaign ad.
Then there are all of the local races for county council seats. Those are the one that really annoy me. Last night we were headed to a Bowie Baysox game. There were a couple of groups of campaigners holding up campaign signs and waving as the cars drove by. Harmless enough, but annoying, at least to me.
The most annoying local candidate that I have come across lately is another one that occurred on the beltway. It was time for the evening rush hour after a long day in the office. As is usually the case, the beltway in Montgomery County at that time was bumper to bumper. There was a guy driving in the lane next to me that had his picture and campaign website on a magnetic sign on his car. As everyone is crawling along, he is honking his horn and waving to the frustrated motorists. I wanted to flip him the bird, but decided against it.
As excited as I am about some of the upcoming elections, there is also the dread. We are early into the campaigning and some of it has already annoyed me, but then again I am easily annoyed. Just wait until it gets going full bore.
When Bob Ehrlich lost his reelection campaign as Governor of the state of Maryland in 2006, Maryland was rated in the middle of the pack (#25) in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate report of 2006. After four years of Martin O'Malley's alleged leadership, Maryland has fallen to #45 in the 2010 report. I supported Ehrlich in 2006, and am doing so again in 2010. In fact, I plan to be an even more active supported of Ehrlich this time around. Below, is an email newsletter I received from the Ehrlich campaign outlining his agenda to help Maryland improve it's climate towards business. Let's face it, it is business that creates jobs, not government, and Ehrlich wants to get the government out of the way to let entrepreneurs create jobs.
Dear friend,
I wanted you to be among the first to receive “The Entrepreneur Agenda,” a new plan I unveiled today to help Maryland small businesses create jobs and turn the economic tide in Maryland. With 3,000 small businesses closing last year and nearly a quarter million Marylanders unable to find a job, we must have higher expectations for Maryland’s economic future.
My Entrepreneur Agenda, which is product of conversations with more than 100 small business owners, is centered on three big ideas:
First, I will fundamentally change the mindset in government so that we are encouraging entrepreneurs to succeed rather than discouraging them. I will propose a Small Business Bill of Rights that guarantees small business owners a fair, timely, and predictable business environment so they can expand and create jobs.
Second, I will lower Maryland’s tax burden to jump start economic activity and put more money in the pockets of Maryland families. To achieve this goal, I will work to repeal Governor Martin O’Malley’s 20% increase in the sales tax and identify ways to make our corporate income tax more competitive so that Maryland employers stop moving across state lines.
Third, I will shake-up Maryland’s most inefficient programs, especially Maryland’s unemployment insurance system. By streamlining Maryland’s bureaucratic maze we can unleash entrepreneurs to do what they do best: innovate, hire new workers, and help improve our overall quality of life.
To read the entire “Entrepreneur Agenda,” just click here.
Thank you for sharing my interest in turning the economic tide in Maryland. I know you have higher expectations for Maryland’s economy. I do too. Together, we can create a brighter future for Maryland.
Sincerely,
Bob Ehrlich
Our mailing address is:
Bob Ehrlich for Maryland
P.O. Box 2
Timonium, MD 21094-0002
Copyright (C) 2010 Bob Ehrlich for Maryland All rights reserved.
Today, I received a call from Mrs. Dickster asking me if I had heard about any more snow on the horizon. Apparently, some woman she ran into told her they were forecasting another storm for next week that was going to drop another 14 inches of snow on the area. Needless to say, I started searching Al Gore's internet for a forecast. Fortunately, I did not see any impending doom on any of the news sites I frequent.
Instead, though, I did find an interesting article about what my state (Maryland) legislators are doing with their time. Maryland, like many states, has been hit hard by the economic difficulties of our time. In spite of Governor Martin O'Malley's tax increases, we are seeing revenues in the state drop. Revenues have dropped so much, that the state faces a $2 billion budget deficit. So our legislators have taken up the important debate on whether or not to recognize "Sassafras Sandy Loam" as the official state soil for the state of Maryland.
That's right folks. $2 billion in deficit and we must tackle the important issues like naming an official state soil. I also discovered that in addition to a state flag and state seal, Maryland has several other official state symbols. I knew a few of them, like the state bird and flower, but I was not aware of several of them. For your edification, I will list them below, followed by the year they were adopted.
State Bird-the Baltimore Oriole (1947)
State Crustacean-Maryland Blue Crab (1989)
State Dog-Chesapeake Bay Retriever (1964)
State Flower-Black Eyed Susan (1918)
State Insect-Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly (1973)
State Tree-White Oak
State Boat-Skipjack (1985)
State Folk Dance-Square Dancing (1994)
State Drink-Milk (1998)
State Fossil-Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae (1984) it is an extinct snail shell
State Reptile-Diamondback Terrapin (1994)
State Theater-Center Stage (1978)
State Summer Theater-Olney Theater (1978) I guess it wasn't enough to have just a state theater.
State Cat-Calico Cat (2001)
State Dinosaur-Astrodon Johnstoni (1998)
State Fish-Rockfish (1965)
State Horse-Thoroughbred Horse (2003)
State Sport-Jousting (1962)
State Team Sport-Lacrosse (2004)
State Gem-Patuxent River Stone (2004)
State Dessert-Smith Island Cake (2008)
State Exercise-Walking (2008)
So there you have it. All of the official state symbols for the state of Maryland. I am so glad to know our legislators have such important issues to tackle when we are facing a $2 billion budget deficit.
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