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From the Presser: (Italicized Comments Mine)

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS BEFORE THE MARYLAND MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

O’Malley highlights Maryland’s progress as product of choice, not chance

Ocean City, MD June 30, 2009 - Governor Martin O’Malley delivered the keynote address tonight before the Maryland Municipal League, a membership association of city and town governments through the State.  During his address, the Governor highlighted Maryland’s progress, even during difficult economic times, and the choices that produced such progress.

“Maryland is once again that center State, leading the way in times of great adversity, better positioned than other states to pick ourselves up from off the mat, and power through this recession,” said Governor O’Malley. “I would submit to you that this is no accident.  Our progress together is a product not of chance, but of choice.  We’ve made tough choices to protect the hardworking families of our State – choices that are allowing us to make our government work again for every family in Maryland.”

 (Excuse Me, but if we are picking ourselves off the mat, why do we need so many Federal dollars to survive?)

Noting the challenging economic times that all local leaders must navigate their respective jurisdictions through, the Governor acknowledged that “the hardworking families of our State need and deserve a government that works for them.  I would arguer that never have they needed us more.  In these times, when we face both great challenges and great opportunities, the stakes are too high to leave our future up to chance.”

(Do they need a government that works for them, or do they need to work for the government?  It seems only the latter will have any jobs.  More self-importance of big-government being needed.  Instead of leaving recovery up to chance, how about leaving it up to the free market, bud?!)

Governor O’Malley asked the audience to imagine Maryland five years from now, asking “What kind of State do we want to be in five years?  What sort of future will we choose for Maryland?”

 (Hmmm... I hope it will see you and your new B.F.F. at 1600 Pa Avenue out in the unemployment line, and true leaders running the place who know what "Freedom", "Liberty", and "Security" really mean!)

“We can admit to each other tonight that we don’t have all the answers about how that future will look,” said Governor O’Malley.  “But there are some things that we do know.  We know that the choices we make today will have a direct effect on the kind of State we will be tomorrow.  And we know the costs of inaction.”

 (So, you admit you don't have the answers, but want to be in control of every aspect of our lives anyway?  Riiiight.... that seems so wise of us to let you do that... in a pig's eye!)

The Governor highlighted extraordinary signs of progress that set Maryland apart from many other states, including Education Magazine’s ranking of Maryland’s public schools as number one in the nation, saying, “It’s not by chance, but by choice that today our students’ test scores are on the rise in every county, in every grade, in every subject and across every single demographic line.”  The Governor noted that our choices today can elevate our public schools to a position of global leadership.

 (Again, no mention of the work of Nancy Grasmick, what a class act to take credit for someone else's achievements!)

Maryland’s economy has weathered the national recession better than many other States.  Governor O’Malley outlined the choices that have allowed Maryland’s high-tech and high-potential sectors such as life sciences to thrive even in difficult economic times.  “We know that we can create jobs and grow our economy if we choose to support and invest in bio and aero and green technology; if we have the courage to set and defend our goals for creating and protecting hundreds of thousands of Maryland jobs in growth sectors, and we choose to reawaken a newfound commitment to science, technology, engineering and math education.”

(Yeah, right... create Green jobs for your cronies (cough... windpower) while killing many more jobs for those "hardworking families of our State" you falsely profess to care about!)

The Governor also highlighted ways the State has strengthened the safety net for Maryland’s working families, passing sweeping foreclosure reforms, expanding health care coverage, and standing up for Maryland’s energy ratepayers.  “We know that we can continue to protect our hardworking families if we choose to put our families first in these difficult times,” said Governor O’Malley.

(Let's take these one at a time. Foreclosure Reforms: So, you are hurting the hardworking families who work for mortgage companies by not letting them collect on bad debt.  You hurt private people from helping those in arrears save some equity in their homes buy buying them before foreclosure, giving the family time to find a place they can afford... a win for the bank, the mortgage rescuer, and the family that would be out on the street... now that is all gone! Expanding Health Care Coverage: You either force those small businesses who can't afford it to offer it anyway, or you force the taxpayer to pay for it... while expanding the definition of dependents of state employees to include same-sex-couples, at a great cost to the taxpayer once again!  Standing up for Maryland's Energy Ratepayers: You gotta be frickin kidding me!!  You can say that with a straight face?  You have done little to reduce energy costs, and thanks to your efforts, and those of that B.F.F. of yours again, they will... what is the term he used.... "Skyrocket"!!)

Also noting Maryland’s progress on the environment, Governor O’Malley said “We know that if we have the courage to set tangible, achievable goals and to hold our efforts open and accountable, we can save our waterways.  We can grow smarter.  We can create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.  We can reduce our energy consumption and increase our use of renewable energy.”

 (These goals are not goals, but requirements.  They are neither tangible nor achievable, and you wouldn't know what "open and accountable" was if it bit you where the sun don't shine!   There's that allusion to the imaginary "hundreds of thousands of new jobs", while you are killing existing, real jobs that existing, real people work at!  While encouraging renewable energy is commendable, requiring it, even though it is expensive, is not.  The real goal is not replacing existing energy with renewables, but you admit it is reducing energy consumption.  You'll do that, all right, if it means cap and taxing us into the stone age!)

Noting the importance of state and local partnerships to maintain and build upon this progress, Governor O’Malley concluded his remarks: “Throughout the 375 year history of Maryland, as a people we’ve been confronted with a timeless question: Will we allow our circumstances to change us, or will we work together to change our circumstances?  What type of State will we be in 5 years?  The choice is ours.”

(The choice is only "ours" if by that you mean your audience at the time, government workers.  Their bosses, the Citizens, will be left with little choice, and little freedom!)

A voluntary, nonprofit, nonpartisan association controlled and maintained by city and town governments, the Maryland Municipal League (MML) works to strengthen the role and capacity of municipal government through research, legislation, technical assistance, training and the dissemination of information for its members. Through its membership in the National League of Cities MML offers legislative representation in Washington, urban research programs, and a national municipal government information exchange.  MML is the only statewide organization in Maryland composed solely of municipal officials and devoted to the promotion of all branches of municipal administration.

(Wow! There's the admission that the organization is tasked with promoting big government!  See terms like "strengthen the role and capacity of municipal government", or  "devoted to the promotion of all branches of municipal administration"...  Where is the organization charged with limiting the role of Government intrusion in our lives?)

The Anne Arundel Republican Central Committee has been tasked with a tough job, picking Senator Janet Greenip's successor. Depending on what they do, they could also have a hand in reshaping the House of Delegates, and the County Council as well. The following is not to be considered an official endorsement, just my own opinion.

Let's see who have been mentioned as contenders, commenting on each.

Cathy Vitale and "Big Ed' Reilly have been mentioned from the County Council. Unlike the Capital newspaper, I do not see these as the "most promising" for the position. Both are hard workers on the Council, but that is an entirely different position than the state legislature. Council members deal with zoning, school budgets, potholes and traffic, the nitty-gritty of local life. State legislators deal more with the "big ideas" of abortion, illegals, the environment, and other state-wide issues. Success in one does not mean success in the other. What record on these big issues do Cathy and Ed have? We have little to base a decision on in these areas. I would hope the Committee would chose from other worthy candidates, and leave the Council alone. There is, however, still a way for one of these, or another, council member to "move up" (in quotes because I see it as a different, not superior, position). More on that later.

Dave Boshert is a great guy, with state experience, but he lost out to John Leopold for the County Executive position and hasn't been in the legislature (except as a lobbyist) for a while. If he were to get back in the game, I would hope it would be as a Delegate, not leap-frogging over existing delegates for the Senate job.

I agree with the Crab-Wrapper (Capital Newspaper) that Delegate Bob Costa's strength may be more in South County than the rest of the Senator's district.

If it comes down to Delegates King and McConkey, I choose the latter, since Tony McConkey is the senior delegate from the region. He also has not only the state experience, but the state record, as a socially-conservative, pro-life legislator, much like Janet Greenip herself. It would be foolish to risk losing the support of the conservatives who put Janet in office by picking someone with a less-than stellar conservative record. Tony has this record, other potential suitors may not.

Of course, If McConkey gets the nod, there will be an opening in the House. Here's where it can get interesting. Should that opening go to Vitale? While she is also from Severna Park, and I'm sure her constituent services will shine as always, I just do not see the logic in assuming Council members would make state good legislators. My concerns over a lack of a state/big-issue record is still valid. If we are going to go with that, what about fellow blogger Greg Kline? He at least ran for the Delegate job, does he still want it? My understanding is that he is a social conservative as well, which bodes well for retaining McConkey's supporters.

So, in conclusion: McConkey keeps the conservative Janet supporters, and Kline keeps Tony's conservative supporters as well. The County Council is left intact to do what it does best, dealing with the nitty-gritty of local life, while the State Legislature retains its conservative voices, sorely needed when confronting O'Malley, Miller, & Busch.

One Post-Script: As the County Council debates the slots zoning issue, will they decide it before the Cent.Com. makes it's own decision? I can see either or both sides of the slots debate wanting their least-favorite council member to move on to the House or Senate, hoping someone more favorable to their cause gets picked to fill the Council vacancy that would result. We don't need lobbying of the Central Committee by either pro (or anti) slots interests to muddy the waters even more.

Prez Should Heed Andrew Lloyd Weber's Warning from Across the Pond

The brit has some serious concerns about the UK chasing all of it's wealth-creators out of the country.  Martin O'Malley could learn a thing or two from him as well.

Here's the link.

Do you get all Kum-ba-ya and filled with the warm glow of "Bipartisanship"?

More likely, (like last night at Sine Die) you get a bill so screwed up that neither side likes it. Many on both sides voted against it, those who are in favor of coddling illegals, or those who want to ship them south. Unfortunately, even the rightys and the wrongys/leftys were outnumbered (barely) by those who actually passed this steaming pile of stuff. The drivers-licenses-for-illegals debate we were led to believe would be one of either strict adherence to the letter (if not the spirit) of the law, or a two-tiered contraption.

What we got, thanks to a conference committee, was a monstrosity that gets tough on those illegals... in 2015?! What the hey? That is touted as dealing with this situation on a "date certain", a date that is way overdue. That will be 14 years after 9-11! Yeah, that's gettin' tough alright! My foot it is! The illegal sympathizers are not happy either, I guess they feel 2015 is being too tough. It stops future "undocumented" immigrants from getting new licenses, how very mean of us!?

It passed, but with not enough votes to be considered an "emergency" piece of legislation. So it will take place June 1st. What a laugh if it had been considered an "emergency" that doesn't kick in 'til 2015. Talk about oxy-moronic!

Please people, come out to the Tea Parties. Predicted rain is no excuse! Even if you have to wear 2 raincoats and carry 3 umbrellas, we gotta stop this insanity!

ADDENDUM: Martin Watcher commented over at Red Maryland, and it is important those comments be reproduced here to get more of the story...

Martin Watcher said...

Chester,

The talking point that this is a bill that was altered so much that both sides of the issue didn't like it is a talking point pushed by the Baltimore Sun and rest of the main stream media to make it look like real compromise took place. The reality is, the vote between the bill last night and the original 2-tier system wanted by the House was 2 votes. Yeah, 2 whole votes changed in the House. On the Senate side, ALL of the liberal Dems that voted against the No Illegal Immigrant license bill gladly voted for this bill, and only 2 conservative Dems stood their ground.

The reality of the whole thing was, they changed the bill just enough to provide coverage for the Senate to completely switch.

April 14, 2009 4:44 PM

Chester Peake said...

Oh, I see...

While I agree that the bill is junk, I am not persuaded that it is a real compromise. I see it as a mess-by-committee. I did not understand that they were sneaky enough to have so many (otherwise liberal) legislators vote against it on purpose so they could "claim" it is a real compromise.

Man these politicians tick me off. I wasn't privy to the Senate stuff, but was just was amazed by the wide range of people voting against it in the House.

I think the talking point is valid, neither side did like it, but the lefts disappointment as a political tool, that I was oblivious to. Thanks to your insight.

I now have to update my post on my blog to reflect this.

Congrats to the Baltimore Blast for their win of the 2009 Championship against the Rockford Rampage.

Delegate Tony McConkey's brother (Bowie native Scott Buete) is on the team. Congrats to him and his teammates for another great win! This marks the 6th championship the Blast has won since 1984. It is also the new National Indoor Soccer League's debut championship contest.

Does anyone else see the sad, cruel irony in the fact that the Obama girls new dog is a "water dog" given to them by Ted Kennedy??

It's almost as ironic as Martin O'Malley quoting (during his State-of-the-State speech) from a lady who was afraid of not being able to pay her electric bill. Now I'm sure he'll spin a defeat of his re-regulation legislation as an excuse not to really reign in such electric bills.

What other irony will Sine Die bring us?

FYI...

Contact: Dave Schwartz, (443) 797-5144

ANNAPOLIS- Grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) will kick off its newest state chapter in Maryland with a press conference at the State House on Thursday, April 2nd. AFP National President Tim Phillips will join AFP-Maryland State Director Dave Schwartz in laying out the organization’s vision for the Free State.

“A Catonsville native and seasoned veteran in campaign politics, Dave is well equipped to lead the charge for free market issues in Maryland,” said Tim Phillips President of Americans for Prosperity. “We’re proud to welcome him as the leader of AFP’s 24th state chapter."

AFP is a national organization with state-based chapters committed to educating citizens about the benefits of living in a society with a limited government and a free market and mobilizing those citizens to become advocates in the public policy process.

“Maryland taxpayers are ready to hold their legislators accountable,” said Schwartz. “AFP-Maryland will urge Governor O’Malley to reign in wasteful spending and get a hold of the state’s budget. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but the principles AFP fights for are more important now than ever before.”

AFP Maryland just launched NoStringsMaryland.com, a website with an online petition urging the state to reject any stimulus money with strings attached from the federal government. AFP received national attention when nearly 500,000 Americans signed its online petition, NoStimulus.com, against the stimulus package proposed by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Over 4,500 of those signers were residents of Maryland.

On Thursday, April 2nd the over 1,500 members of AFP-Maryland will join a grassroots network of over 200,000 AFP activists from 23 states.

What: AFP-Maryland “Chapter Kickoff” News Conference
When: Thursday, April 2nd
Time: 1:00pm
Where: Lawyer’s Mall

A Video You Can Believe In... by Mike Church.

Even a depressed sourpus like me needs some LOL...

Check out this cool video over at Big Hollywood.

It's funny, and sad, at the same time.

March 9^th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised Congressman Frank Kratovil for voting against H.R. 1106, a bill that gives bankruptcy judges the power to reduce mortgage principals and rates, "and that forces responsible U.S. taxpayers and homeowners to compensate delinquent borrowers and irresponsible lenders that took out and made the bad loans in the first place."

In a statement, Wilson said, “Congressman Kratovil deserves his constituents’ thanks for voting against forcing them—who pay their bills—to also pay for those who won’t."

The legislation passed the House of Representatives 234-191.

“The American people do not support this out-and-out robbery,” he added.  “And Congressman Kratovil’s opposition to it is praiseworthy.”

Wilson, in a letter to Congress last week, warned that the legislation would further weaken and distort the housing market.

“Congressman Kratovil understands that it is his constituents who will ultimately pay for the mortgage cram-downs,” Wilson said.

“It forces banks to eat the costs when the principal owed on the mortgage is reduced, and then the banks that face insolvency then turn to the government for more bailout funds,” Wilson explained.

“The taxpayers then wind up paying twice: first to bail out the borrower who can’t afford their house, and then the bank that was forced by government to make the bad loans in the first place,” Wilson added.

Wilson also warned in detail that the bankruptcy courts would become overwhelmed, “There were about 2.3 million foreclosures in 2008, and Congressman Kratovil knows 368 bankruptcy judges nationwide cannot handle that sort of caseload.”

“This is going to be a disaster,” Wilson predicted.

Wilson believes that most Americans do not support President Obama’s plans for mortgages. 

“It’s very simple: the American people do not want to reward those who made bad decisions in the first place.  And Congressman Kratovil thankfully stood in the way of paying off those who took out loans they could not afford and subsidizing banks that were forced by government to make loans that could not be paid back,” said Wilson.

“Now Congressman Kratovil must go a step further and persuade his colleagues to do likewise and stop the bailouts once and for all,” Wilson concluded.

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Americans for Limited Government is a non- partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free market reforms,private property rights and core American liberties. For more information on ALG please call us at 703-383-0880 or visit our website at www.GetLiberty.org.