Another Paul Person

Yes, PolitickerMD.com reports that another Ron Paul flunky has filed for Congress, this time in the 2nd District.

This just further reemphasizes the complete failure of John Flynn to recruit credible candidates to run for office, in both the 2nd and 3rd Congressional districts.

We must destroy this village in order to save it

"Jim Pelura meets the qualifications of the Chairman that we need, and I am extremely enthusiastic about his prospects as Chairman."

I wrote that one year ago today. Man, have things changed.

In the last year, the party has plunged deeper and deeper into debt. The party has become less and less relevant in Maryland's political landscape. We have completely inappropriate involvement of key GOP staffers in the removal of a duly elected County GOP Chairman. We have a party that was virtually absent during the most recent special session. And we have budget issues that seem to be only the tip of the iceberg.

And things seem like they are only about to get worse. Sources tell me that Jim Pelura has virtually cut off the entire Executive Committee from the day-to-day operations of the party. They also tell me that Pelura is backed only by a small fraction of Central Committee leaders.

And then there is the John Flynn problem. I have never been enamored with the idea of Flynn as Executive Director, given his record of working as a member of the Maryland Accountability Project and covering up attendance records for certain favored members of the General Assembly. But Flynn's performance as Executive Director has been completely abysmal...assuming you can find the record at all. The only thing that most party activists and leaders ever hear from their Executive Director is when he forwards useless, uninteresting emails.

What is Flynn's real record? Well, a lot of people seem to only hear from Flynn when he is complaining about the reduction of his salary and celebrating with those who ousted Mike Collins as Chairman of the Anne Arundel GOP. What has Flynn accomplished as the Executive Direcotr? Do we have credible candidates in all Congressional Districts? Did we have a cohesive, organized message during the Special Session? Have we raised money? Are there more registered Republicans than there were one year ago? Did the party have a financially successful Red, White, and Blue dinner? Did the party host a financially successful golf tournament? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding no.

It has become quite apparent that during the current regime long-time Republican donors are voting with their pocketbooks and choosing not to donate to a party that appears to be in disarray. And given the things that we hear and the actions that we see, it's hard to argue that particular point.

Unfortunately, it has come to the point where we must destroy this village in order to save it. In order for the Republican Party to be a viable political entity in Maryland in 2008, 2010 and beyond, Jim Pelura needs to be removed as Chairman of the Party, and John Flynn needs to be fired as Executive Director. Now.

We have seen the record over the last year, and the record is not good. In order to ensure that there is no further damage to both the Republican Party apparatus, as well as the Republican brand here in the state of Maryland, we need change. And we need it now.

Yes, it's true....

....PolitickerMD.com did a write-up on me this morning.

Consensus Reached on Pelura Successor

We reported yesterday about the desire for many to remove Chairman Jim Pelura, but that there was no consensus replacement candidate. Sources now tell me that a consensus has built around former House Minority Leader and Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer to succeed Pelura.

The biggest issue at the moment seems to be actually ousting Pelura as Chairman.

"You can't do it at a convention," one source tells me. "You can't get two-thirds of the Central Committee members to agree that the sky is blue, much less agree to oust the state chairman."

This is what I'm talking about...

....eating world class barbecue at Gates Bar-B-Q in Kansas City.

Things in CD-3

So a Christopher Panasuk is a candidate for Congress in the 3rd Congressional District, as well as a candidate for Republican National Convention Delegate as well.

As recently as three-years ago, he was a delegate to the Libertarian National Convention, a Libertarian Party-elector for Michael Badnarik, and a muckity-muck in the Anne Arundel LP organization.

Now, generally Republicans and Libertarians are generally copasetic on a lot of issues, but I have to wonder if this sudden switcharoo has something to do with Ron Paul's quixotic campaign.

And furthermore, this actually brings into focus further issues regarding the Republican Party. While the state party apparatus fiddles with bylaws changes, and spends little on party development while paying 64% of its budget on rent and salaries, we are left with a situation in the 2nd and 3rd Congressional districts while having either no Republican candidate (2nd) or no credible Republican candidate (3rd). Why has the party done nothing to take steps to ensure that credible Republicans are on the ballot in these two districts?

And just so we all understand where we are....

...E.J. Pipkin filed for Congress today.

CNN fails Googling

So apparently, CNN was unaware that a retired Brigadier General who came out as a homosexual after his career was over, and was flown to St. Petersburg, FL for tonight's YouTube debate to ask a question of the Republican candidates was a member of a Hillary Clinton steering committee.

Emailers and bloggers picked this up in less than an hour and Anderson Cooper offered somewhat of a half-assed admission of this one hour after the debate.

Is it any wonder that CNN is rapidly losing credibility as an unbiased news source? If they couldn't Google the questioners names before allowing these questions to be selected and use, doesn't it make you question whether or not CNN is doing adequate story and fact-checking research in other areas?

The MD GOP's proposed 2008 budget

I've got a copy of it and posted it here.

Some thoughts:

• Why does this party project to spend $50,000 on the Red, White, and Blue dinner when projecting to raise only $100,000? Particularly in light of the financial boondoggle that this year's dinner was?
  
  
• Total projected revenue of just north of $300,000 for a major party trying to compete in a state like Maryland is, to put it lightly, meek.
  
  
• Raising only just north of $300,000 for a major party that is spending $124,400 on two full-time equivalent employees is insane. Particularly when you consider that the party used to employee six people and those positions are no longer filled.
  
  
• $1,600 on party development. $1,600. Contemplate that.
  
  
• $65,202 on rent. Over twenty-percent of the money is spent on rent for the headquarters!

This budget is completely and utterly fiscally irresponsible given projected revenues and the sheer insanity of some of these expenses. Think about this: $189,602 is spent just on salaries and rent; that is 63.7 percent of the entire budget! And when you consider that only $18,100 is being spent on "political expenses" is it any wonder that the Maryland Republican Party is in the financial dire straits that we currently find ourselves in?

More MD GOP inside baseball

Still more from the rumor mill:

I was told that Flynn and Pelura are trying to take the Treasurer and Secretary's votes away on Executive Committee.

I was also told they have lost their last supporters on the executive committee. The problem now is that there is no new candidate that everyone will jump behind.

One opinion on the Bylaws Changes

This was forwarded to me anonymously. As always, anybody who wishes to send me a response is more than welcome to, and I will post unadultered as I have this:

Here’s one persons opinions of the proposed Changes to State GOP Constitution and By-Laws:

Summary:
This is a naked power grab by Pelura and John Flynn. This gives them absolute power over the State GOP and the County Central Committees and significant power over Elected Officials and Candidates (via a new State GOP primary endorsement mechanism). Furthermore, the ability to disagree or to speak up has been severely curtailed. Finally, if you cause too much trouble, you can be easily removed.

Other key points are that there is no place for Clubs or Activists to speak or to be heard. There is no mechanism to curtail spending, even though the State GOP is thousands and thousands of dollars in debt. There are two very personal proposals, one to give John Flynn a significant salary increase and the other to ensure that Brian Harlin can never be the Chairman of a County Central Committee or on the Executive Committee.

More Specifically:

1. Currenlty, there is no method in the State GOP Constitution or By-Laws by which the State GOP may involve itself in a contested Republican State legislative, County or City primary election. The proposed change would allow the State GOP to pick sides in a primary by a simply 2/3's vote in the State Executive Committee. It should be noted that for Federal Candidates, the RNC (and ergo the State GOP) have a mechanism that allows pre-primary support.

It should be noted that many believe that Jim Pelura and his staff (vis-a-vis John Flynn) have spent the Summer and the Fall stacking the Executive Committee to ensure a 2/3's majority. Dirk Haire removed, Mike Collins removed, etc.

2. The Brian Harlin Rule (as allegedly named by John Flynn). A proposed resolution would ensure that people like Brian Harlin (staunch GOP supporter and former Central Committee Chair from Howard County) could never be elected to the State GOP since they have a business that serves Republican candidates.

3. Proposal to change the Convention Rules. This change requires convention attendees to propose any changes to the rules prior to the convention. What is not said, however, is that no convention rule changes will be allowed once the convention starts. Furthermore, the Proposed Convention Rules are extremely restrictive and preserve almost complete control and power to the Chairman (i.e., Pelura). In addition, the Convention Rules do not allow anyone other than elected officials and executive and central committee members from talking. Furthermore, if you are not a member or an elected official, Pelura has the right to have the Sergeant at Arms (i.e. Bouncer) remove you from the room. Finally, Pelura has the right to cut off discussion by any person if he believes it to be a personal attack or innuendo.

4. Proposal to state that Central Committee Members may not endorse Democrats or Independents in any race that includes a Republican. What is missing is the same requirement for the Executive Committee and the State GOP Staff.

5. Proposal to ensure that members of the Executive Committee not be elected officials nor a candidate. What is missing is the same requirement for Central Committee Members.

6. Proposal to give Pelura unfettered authority to reinstate John Flynn's previous salary - even though State GOP is between $100k and $150k in debt and even though previous Executive Committee cut John Flynn's salary.

7. Proposal to increase the number of Executive Committee members by two (move from 3 Vice Chairs to 5 Regional Chairs). This idea is not being supported by Flynn and Pelura. Such an increase would make it harder for them to get a 2/3's majority (see above).

8. Proposal to require an Oath of Office for Central Committee Members. Key is that you must swear true allegiance to the State GOP Constitution and By-Laws. So, if a Central Committee Member disagrees with something Pelura or the Executive Committee or John Flynn does, they have violated the Oath and can therefore be removed from Central Committee.

Make of it what you will.

BREAKING: 10 am GOP insiders meeting Tuesday morning

Just passed on to me....GOP Chairman Jim Pelura is having a meeting of select party insiders tomorrow morning to discuss strategy dealing with this weekend's State GOP convention in Westminster.

Information indicates that the Chairman is trying to head off a potential coup attempt at the pass, as well as to make sure that the oft discussed bylaw get pushed through the full State Central Committee apparatus.

Apparently, the opposition has printed and will be distributing this weekend "Don't Blame me, I voted for John White" bumper stickers.

More info as it becomes available...

An Abscess on the Peace Process

It's going to be difficult enough to conduct Middle East Peace talks in any setting, given the individuals, the personalities, and the interests on all sides when they come to the table.

So why in the world does it make sense that a Governor who can't even keep his own house in order wants to stick his nose where it does not belong?

Governor O'Malley has been a catastrophic failure in his scant ten months governing this state. His record on domestic issues has been a record of setback after setback, lessening the standard of living here in Maryland. His presence in the middle of the peace process is nothing more than that of an abscess, an unwanted growth that does harm and not good. The State Department should take steps to make sure that O'Malley's record of failure, and his record as someone who goes out of his way to avoid building consensus does not taint an already fragile peace process.

Descriptive Reasoning

I post this for no other reason than to wonder if we can nail O'Malley with such a penalty too, considering what he and the legislative leadership are doing to the taxpayers of Maryland:

More of the Same

Yeah, this is a good sign:

Garry Kasparov, the former chess champion and opposition leader, was arrested Saturday and sentenced to five days in jail after trying to lead a march to the offices of the federal election authorities.

Mr. Kasparov was taken into custody during a scuffle between protesters and security officers on the route to the offices, where he had intended to present a letter asserting that the parliamentary election on Dec. 2 was biased toward President Vladimir V. Putin's party.

Taken into a small bus, he gave a victory sign through the back window as he was being driven away.

On Saturday night, a Moscow judge ordered him to serve five days in jail for holding an unauthorized march. City officials had given his loose opposition coalition, Other Russia, permission to conduct a rally on Saturday, but not a march.

In a statement, Mr. Kasparov said the court proceedings had been “a choreographed farce from beginning to end.” He added, “It was a symbol of what has happened to justice and the rule of law under Putin.”

I think we can all agree that President Bush misfired just a touch when he looked into Putin's soul. I mean, they've threatened missile attacks, they have opened reeducation camps, and now have moved on to arresting protesters.

Putin's ploys a power are pretty transparent. And he's trying to move towards tin-pot dictator status like Castro, Chavez, and Kim Jong-il....

Great Moments in Academic Fundraising

I'm sure this is a proud moment for my alma mater:

In case you are wondering, the handwritten note says "Please don't support McDaniel College" and was written on the back of a fundraising letter raising money for....well, the college.

I guess even students going there now realize the five-year old problems surrounding the name change...

This is just a thought

Why do I have a feeling that some of the people who stand in line for four, six, eight hours to try to get a cheap HDTV are the same people who think that waiting in line for thirty minutes, sixty minutes, ninety minutes to vote is a civil rights violation of the highest degree?

I'm not going to reinvent the wheel

I have already waxed poetic about Black Friday and political correctness two years ago, and nothing has really changed. So please feel free to read those linked articles in lieu of any new content on the subject. Because they really haven't changed all that much...

And a Happy Thanksgiving to all...

Misfiring on all cylinders

University of Baltimore Law Professor Kenneth Lasson goes on a predictably leftist, completely unscholarly tirade about the 2nd Amendment in the Sun this morning. And after this complete reinterpretation of the concept of precedent, he drops this gem:

The justices should recognize that law professors are not always straight shooters.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Because Lasson drapes his warped views on the subject around nothing but his own background as a hack masquerading as a law professor.

The main problem I have with Lasson's arguments is the fact that he only gives one side of the story. He wishes to talk about the financial backing of the NRA without adequately exploring the financial backing of gun grabber groups like the Brady Campaign. What about Michael Bloomberg's illegal campaign to fight firearms? Yeah, no mention of that.

Nor did Lasson mention his work as an "Expert" for the Second Amendment Research Center. That outfit is supported by The Joyce Foundation, an outfit with a notorious anti-gun bias, and whose grant list includes grants to both the Bloombergers, Handgun-Free America, and the Violence Policy Center, which of course supports the outright ban on handgun ownership amongst other out there policies. Lasson's cover-up of his affiliations (and the Sun letting him get away with it) is appalling.

Lasson also completely whiffs on the concept or precedence. Under Lasson's worldview, the Supreme Court's decision in 1939's United States v. Miller is sacrosanct on the issue and cannot be challenged. Of course, there are a number of fallacies with the concept of precedence. Why should a decision be continued to upheld when it is wrong? Under Lasson's warped logic that means that Brown vs. Board should never have been issued as it stood due to the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. And under the same logic, Tileston v. Ullman and Poe v. Ullman would have precluded the decision in 1965's Griswold v. Connecticut...and that case paved the way for Roe v. Wade . I don't hear Lasson arguing the concept of precedence in those cases because the decisions do not match with his leftist worldviews.

I am thankful only that Lasson's concluding statement lets me know that Lasson himself realizes he is a hack and should not be taken seriously. My concern is that my taxpayer dollars pay for a a professor to be this intellectually dishonest...

To read something educational about the Second Amendment, check out the source list put out by überblogger, UCLA law professor (and good lord willing future Supreme Court Justice) Eugene Volokh.

Irony Alert

"As a member of the General Assembly, I voted against slots, and my position has remained unchanged,....However, like all other interested parties in the state, I want to know what Anne Arundel County voters think of this issue."
- John Leopold

Again, this is the same guy who did not want a referendum on the school board selection process, nor does he want the people to see the voters select members of their school board, either.

I can never cease to be amazed at Leopold's hypocrisy on basic issues such as this.

More Flaws from the Constitutional Amendment

noted before that one of my biggest issues with a Constitutional Amendment calling for slots was the fact that this particular amendment specifies where slot machines can be, without allowing the state the flexibility to change the locations later without another referendum on a new Constitutional Amendment. And now we are starting to see the error of those ways:

Local government officials could block the legalization of slot machine gambling in their communities even if voters in 2008 approve a ballot initiative passed this week in the General Assembly, a lawyer with the Maryland attorney general's office said yesterday.

A little-noticed provision in the referendum legislation that orders state slots operators to comply with local zoning regulations essentially allows local authorities to exercise final say, said Kathryn M. Rowe, an assistant state attorney general who deals with bills passed by the legislature.

The threat of local opposition sets up yet another battleground in what many believe will be a fierce referendum campaign on slot machines leading up to the November 2008 election....

...Should slots not go forward in Anne Arundel and Worcester, the number of machines proposed by the governor would be cut almost in half - taking away a large amount of the $650 million in state revenues expected annually from slot machines for public education and health care. The state's horse industry would also be affected, as the Anne Arundel and Worcester slots sites are expected to be at two racetracks, Laurel Park and Ocean Downs.

All of this means the knuckleheaded Democrats who included those mandated locations in the Amendment are realistically setting the entire enterprise up for failure. And frankly, this makes me even more infuriated at the Republicans who knifed the party by supporting this amendment. If slots fails, either at the ballot box or upon implementation, because of these particular zoning issues, it is going to lead to (what else) even higher taxes. And I don't think that fiscal conservatives are going to forget that the next time these five run for re-election...

Right and Wrong

Isaac Smith is both right and wrong at the same time:

It's good that the special session didn't collapse, but I frankly would not have been surprised if it had. There was an unbelievable amount of things the General Assembly had to deal with -- not just the budget, but also Medicaid, Chesapeake Bay cleanup, a transportation package, etc. It was simply a lot, even too much, for a legislature to handle in the space of three weeks. As a result, the process was ugly, even by saugage(sic)-making standards.

He is right that the process was ugly, and he is right that there was too much on the docket for a three week span.

But, and we have been over this before, there was nothing that the General Assembly had to deal with. The Democrats decided that this would be a good time to raise everyone's taxes. But this is not a Special Session that had to be called because of an actual emergency. It was called because Governor O'Malley does not have the political willpower introduce a fiscally mature and responsible budget. The Governor's lack of understanding of basic economic principles, mainly that you don't spend more money than you have, was the reason for the session. Had the Governor taken the time now to realize this, he could have saved us the time and the trouble by merely cutting back on the many wasteful and unnecessary government programs he and the interest groups who love him cherish. How hard is that?

But it's a sheer fallacy to say that something had to be done. Governor O'Malley decided to call a Special Session because he figured now was the time to try to impoverish Maryland's working and middle classes by taxing them back to the Stone Age, and the legislative Democrats let him get away with it.

Leave it to Leopold

John Leopold has to be the only Republican mad that the General Assembly passed a tax of his:

Leopold was upset, though, that the General Assembly stole an idea he has pushed as a local revenue source - a higher rental car tax.

"I proposed a car-rental tax on out-of-state residents," that could have raised $5 million a year for the county, he said, but the Arundel delegation of state legislators rejected the idea.

Instead, the state will now impose a tax on all renters, including Maryland residents, and keep the proceeds to help pay for a new Chesapeake Bay restoration fund.

Aw....let's throw a pity party for Tax Hike John.

Ass Kissing to the Extreme

I would be embarrassed to write something that was so genuflective of any individual. But, it's just standard operating procedure for the gang on Calvert Street:

For three weeks, the State House has operated as a crucible as Gov. Martin O'Malley put the heat on the General Assembly to shape a compromise over his deficit-reduction package. It wasn't always pretty. But in the end, lawmakers cast the tough votes to raise taxes and gave the governor much of what he wanted.

It was an impressive victory for Mr. O'Malley - with significant and lasting implications. At a minimum, it means the state's structural deficit has finally been brought under control beyond the piecemeal, "take from Peter to pay Paul" approach of the last administration.

While next year's projected $1.7 billion deficit has been largely resolved, it will still require significant spending cuts. But there's no reason to expect the problem to return within the next several years - if appropriate spending discipline is maintained.

What a bunch of ridiculous, brown-nosing, ass kissing, embarrassing, pathetic, juvenile drivel. It is sad that such garbage even gets printed in a "major" daily newspaper...

No.....Really?!?

Wow, the folks at the Sun are really perceptive:

Marylanders will feel a pinch in their pocketbooks every time they shop for clothes, buy a pack of cigarettes or get their computers fixed under the tax plan signed Monday by Gov. Martin O'Malley.

When the Democratic governor first unveiled his budget-balancing plan, he said 83 percent of residents would pay less taxes. But after the General Assembly made several changes and dropped a proposed property tax break, only about 45 percent would pay less or see no change, O'Malley said Monday.

And....how many of us again said that a majority of taxpayers would feel the burn on this?

Maybe this is the first step of the Sun's twelve-step program to join the reality based community...

BREAKING: Pipkin to run in CD-1

Sources are telling me that State Senator E.J. Pipkin is going to jump into the Republican primary for Congress in the 1st Congressional District.

This takes an already muddy campaign picture and distorts it even further. It also makes Senator Harris's life more difficult since Harris would be just one of two State Senators in the race.

Every day, Congressman Gilchrest's re-election seems more likely, and this merely reinforces the fact.

The Brian Griffiths Minute: 11-19-07

Nothing to be proud of

Speaker Mike Busch seems to be happy with himself if you believe this quote:

"The governor took it all on his shoulders, and the legislature pretty much followed. . . . We've basically, in my estimate, taken a full legislative year of work and condensed it into 20 days."

I'm not sure what is more offensive to the process of representative government, that the Speaker is proud that the Legislative Branch took its marching orders from the Executive Branch, or that the Legislative Branch basically inflicted a number of financial calamities on the taxpayers of the state without due and thoughtful consideration.

Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley is much more accurate:

"Common sense and reason went out the window just to give the governor a victory...I think this whole thing has been a debacle, and taxpayers are stuck holding the bill."

I think that the Senator was being polite by merely calling it a debacle. It reality, what we have just been witness to is one of the more crass victories of special interests over taxpayers that we have seen in our state. To the legislative leadership, it was more important to make the Governor look good, to grow the size of government, and to make sure taxpayers have less money in their pockets than it was to do what was right and what was proper.

Maryland Democrats manufactured a crisis of their own failures. And as we warned repeatedly, we the taxpayers get shafted....

Drinking the Green Kool-Aid

This quote in this post completely defies logic:

One thing is clear. O'Malley emerges from the Special Session as a bold and decisive "can-do" leader. He knew what needed to be done. He put together a comprehensive and reasonable legislative package. He took a huge risk by calling a Special Session when the outcome was far from assured. He had the humility to treat the Assembly and its leaders as equal partners.

Where to begin? The Governor's legislative package was comprehensive only in the fact that he attempted to raise many taxes at once. At no point can any portion of the Governor's package be considered reasonable, however, when one takes into account that O'Malley's understanding of economics led him to the conclusion that in order to fix an alleged deficit that the state needed to spend more money. That's only reasonable if you are insane.

And, sorry, you cannot legitimately expect us to think that O'Malley tried to treat the legislators as equal partners when they attempted time and again to browbeat legislators into supporting their scheme and, failing that, just bought them outright.

Apparently, all of this makes sense if you drink the green Kool-Aid. Because only those who are true believers in O'Malleyism truly support taxing Maryland's working families back into poverty, which is what O'Malley and the Democratic leadership have just engineered.

Take the Hint

Apparently, environmentalists are a little irked that things like the war, the economy, and other issues that we can prove are happening are pushing environmental wackiness off the campaign trail:

Environmental activists are frustrated. They can't get the issue of global warming into the presidential campaign.

So a coalition of environmental groups, led by online magazine Grist.org and Public Radio International's "Living on Earth,'' held the first-ever presidential forum on global warming in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Good for them that they took the issue into their own hands. But at this stage national security, Iraq, and the economy half to take precedence over this.

Remember where you read it first

Insider sources are telling me that there is now, of all things, an alleged potential document forging scandal in the General Assembly that could completely derail some of the proceedings.
- Me, 11/15/07

Republicans in the Maryland House of Delegates are exploring whether to take legal action to challenge the constitutionality of the last crucial days of the legislature's special session after the House did not vote to allow the Senate to adjourn for six days last week.House GOP leaders had raised continuing objections on the floor throughout the week, but Speaker Michael Busch said he was relying on an attorney general's opinion saying the vote was not required.
- The Examiner, 11/19/07

* * * * * * *

I bet they are a bit surprised that former Frederick Mayor Jennifer Dougherty filed for the seat today....
- Me, 11/16/07

Interesting development over the weekend: former Mayor of Frederick, Jennifer Dougherty, is running for Congress in the Maryland 6th:
- Isaac Smith, Free State Politics, 11/19/07

Long Day's Journey into night

Yup, folks in Annapolis tell me that it looks like the Democratic leadership wants to conduct business under the cover of darkness in the middle of the night tonight....again.

I'm so glad that representative government has come so far that the Democrats have to pull lame tricks like this.

Full Circle

Michael Swartz brought the Special Session and members of the Republican Caucus full circle when he made an excellent point about the pro-tax Republican legislators and the proposed State Central Committee bylaws.

You remember those don't you? Particularly the one that would give the party the opportunity to endorse candidates in a primary?

As Michael notes:

It's something to keep in the back of our minds for 2010, and another reason that any effort at "incumbent protection" should be rebuffed at our upcoming Fall Convention.

Because the last thing that the state party needs to be doing right now is to protect any Republican who led us down this road of tax increases. This is the time to avoid any Linc Chafee/NRSC moments and to make sure that the bylaws are not amended to give protection to any incumbent (or any challenger to an incumbent, for that matter, given the current environment in certain Congressional races).

In which I agree with something written on Free State Politics

I know, it is rare indeed, but I do agree with Eric Luedtke that legislative vacancies should be filled by special election instead of appointed by the Governor with suggestions by the party Central Committee. There is a better way to do it than there is now, and special elections are the way. Besides, for three-quarters of the year the General Assembly is not meeting, so generally speaking it's not like this is going to impact the business of the people any, and this will actually make those who fill vacancies face the people before running for re-election as an incumbent....

That didn't take long

Sure didn't take long for the House and the Senate to agree on how much to hose Maryland's taxpayers...

I'm sure glad Maryland Democrats on on the job looking out for.....looking out for.....wait second, who are they looking out for again? Because it certainly isn't the working people of Maryland.

Back to Back

That's two weekends in a row the House has been held late:

Voters are likely to get the final say on whether to welcome slot-machine gambling to Maryland, following passage early this morning of legislation by the House of Delegates that provides details of a plan to place 15,000 machines at five locations around the state.

The 71 to 44 vote, which came at 1:40 a.m., was the second action needed to execute a proposal by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) to hold a referendum next November on legalizing slots at venues in Baltimore and Allegany, Anne Arundel, Cecil and Worcester counties.

And even then the didn't adjourn until closer to 2.

Once again I ask, is there any reason to hold these votes in the middle of the night if the legislative leadership has nothing to hide?

Delegates, bought and sold wholesale

Multiple sources are telling me that Ana Sol Gutierrez, an anti-slots Delegate from Montgomery County, sold her vote on the slots referendum to the O'Malley Administration. In exchange, the Administration guaranteed Gutierrez passage of a two-tiered driver's license that will give licenses to illegal aliens.

And I bet this 'aint the only story we are gonna here about payoffs....

A Suggestion

It's just a thought...but we really should let the people decide this issue at the ballot box.

No, I'm not talking about slots. I'm talking about petitioning whatever tax bill is signed by the Governor to the ballot next fall. This is the time where all of those who are opposed to the tax increase can unite, collect signatures, and prepare to continue the fight against radical taxation.

And I am sure that legislative Democrats would support our efforts. I mean, they were so excited to give the people a voice on slots, I'm positive that they want people to cast a yes or no vote on these massive tax increases.

Well....can we the people of Maryland do it?

EDIT(2:42 PM): A Commenter at Red Maryland notes, accurately, that Revenue bills can't be petitioned to the ballot. But I leave the post up just to note that the bill can't be petitioned. Isn't it sad that the right of people to have their voice heard on taxes is nonexistent in our state?

Bailout

My good friend Nic Kipke had his breakfast fundraiser this morning, and originally the guest speaker was supposed to be Delegate James King.

King bailed out, and was replaced by my friend Delegate Bob Costa....

Get Ready: Here Comes Leopold

The residents of Anne Arundel County might as well get ready, because tax hiker-in-chief John Leopold is on the scene:

Officials say they hope to avoid increasing local taxes to make up for lost funding.

"I made a commitment in my campaign not to increase property or income taxes," said Anne Arundel Executive John R. Leopold, a Republican.

But that doesn't mean he won't try to raise fees. "I'm going to try to secure revenues outside of property and income taxes," and by cutting expenses, he said.

Once again noting that Leopold has never made a commitment he could keep, be prepared for a lot of Leopold's pet-tax projects to be repackaged as fees very soon...

'Tis the Season

It's close enough to Thanksgiving, and with the ramrodding of the slots and the taxes down our throats, I think we can all think of some turkeys we'd like to stuff....