But what about the independence of scientists?

What about it? You see, William Gray (as I have noted before) is the world renowned meteorologist from Colorado State University, famous for his hurricane season predictions. He's also a global warming skeptic. And one for whom the university tried to curtail funding for recently:

By pioneering the science of seasonal hurricane forecasting, William Gray turned a university far from the stormy seas into a hurricane research mecca.

But last year, the long-term relationship between Gray and Colorado State University, where he has worked for nearly half a century, nearly unraveled in an episode that highlights the politically charged atmosphere that surrounds the global warming debate.

University officials told Gray that handling media inquiries related to his forecasting required too much time and detracted from efforts to promote other professors' work.

Gray, who has emerged as a leading voice of skepticism about global warming, reacted hotly, firing off a memo to Dick Johnson, head of CSU's Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and others. He didn't buy the too-much-media reasoning.

"This is obviously a flimsy excuse and seems to me to be a cover for the Department's capitulation to the desires of some (in their own interest) who want to reign (sic) in my global warming and global warming-hurricane criticisms," Gray wrote in the memo obtained by the Chronicle.

Gray initially declined to speak about the issue. But on Tuesday, Gray acknowledged the dispute.

"You see, so many people in our department make a living off the global warming threat," he said. "So I think that's part of why they came to me."

Since last year, he said, the university has "backtracked" on its position.

CSU officials said late last week that they intend to support the release of Gray's forecasts as long as they continue to be co-authored by Phil Klotzbach, a former student of Gray's who earned his doctorate last summer, and as long as Klotzbach remains at CSU.

Gray, an emeritus professor at CSU who has taught dozens of graduate students who populate the National Hurricane Center and other research institutions, has become increasingly vocal in his skepticism about climate change, saying the planet is warming due to natural causes.

Other than once again noting the fact that the concept of scientific "consensus" on global warming is pure crap, I have to ask this question; is the row over funding at Colorado State related to his skepticism of global warming. And if it is, would not the global warming believers be crying foul if, say, a scientist who believed in global warming had his fundingcurtailed by a Republican administration?

An Inspired Choice

Justin Ready has been tapped to be the New Executive Director of the Maryland Republican Party. And if you are expecting to come here waiting for me to read me blasting the choice....then you'll be disappointed.

The selection of Justin is an inspired choice. Justin actually brings together a lot of the practical perspectives that one needs in order to be a successful Director in the modern age. He has strategic, grassroots, legislative and organization experience. Most importantly, and this is something that I have been harping on for a while, he is a blogger who has some understanding of the importance of the new medium.

Jim Pelura went out on a limb in naming Justin and interviewing a lot of nontraditional candidates. I thank him for that, as well as giving me the opportunity as well. And I am glad that he went against the grain. Rumors swirled all weekend that the choice was going to be Harris Campaign Manager Chris Meekins, and had Meekins been selected we would have looked back at the age of John Flynn as the halcyon days of good management, and we all know how poor of a job Flynn did during his tenure.

I wish Justin well and look forward to working with him.

Baby it's gonna get cold outside!

Once again, more scary scientifically-based reasons to think that the Ice Age is on it's way:

THE scariest photo I have seen on the internet is www.spaceweather.com, where you will find a real-time image of the sun from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, located in deep space at the equilibrium point between solar and terrestrial gravity.

What is scary about the picture is that there is only one tiny sunspot.

Disconcerting as it may be to true believers in global warming, the average temperature on Earth has remained steady or slowly declined during the past decade, despite the continued increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, and now the global temperature is falling precipitously.

All four agencies that track Earth's temperature (the Hadley Climate Research Unit in Britain, the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, the Christy group at the University of Alabama, and Remote Sensing Systems Inc in California) report that it cooled by about 0.7C in 2007. This is the fastest temperature change in the instrumental record and it puts us back where we were in 1930. If the temperature does not soon recover, we will have to conclude that global warming is over.

There is also plenty of anecdotal evidence that 2007 was exceptionally cold. It snowed in Baghdad for the first time in centuries, the winter in China was simply terrible and the extent of Antarctic sea ice in the austral winter was the greatest on record since James Cook discovered the place in 1770.

As always, read the whole thing. And remember this; the evidence that we are entering a period of natural, solar-related global cooling is just as strong, if not stronger, than the evidence that we are suffering from anthropomorphic global warming. And it's all the more reason why states and countries should not trip over themselves trying to pass far reaching legislation (i.e. O'Malley's Global Warming Solutions Act) without seriously considering the scientific and economic ramifications of such legislation.....

Wow! What a Comeback

Paul Foer, who gave us this ridiculous screed, had.....this for a comeback:

It's no secret that the blogosphere is open to anyone with access to a computer. That is its beauty and its downfall. Here in Maryland we see some of the worst examples of angry, hateful rhetoricians who spend their days and their energy attacking and condemning just about anyone who does not agree with their extremist views. I must admit that it appears to me that they tend to hold what I think most fair-minded people would call hyper-conservative viewpoints. Whether it is gun control, global warming, immigration, abortion or you-name-it, you'll find these angry, mean spirited people spouting off, ranting and raving, name calling and spewing vicious and venomous vitriol at anyone, but especially other bloggers, with whom they disagree.

I know. I get attacked by them all the time.

Of course, I'm not really quite sure what the point of Foer's rant was all about. Let's face it, we are trying to engage in an exchange of ideas. Something that we do with other liberals in the blogosphere all the time. Problem for Foer is the fact he thinks its mean that somebody thinks he's wrong. Which is sad, because I gave him an opportunity to engage and even posited to him a question that I suppose he has no answer for.

Paul, all I'm asking you is to "communicate more effectively through written or spoken words" (your words, not mine) in an effort to tell me why I'm wrong. And pointing fingers and telling me I'm mean isn't what I'm looking for, either....

Radio Update

For those of you keeping track, I will now be on WAMD AM 970 Aberdeen from 6:30-8-ish tonight, with Kenny Burns joining Warren and I at 6:30, and the previously scheduled Mark Newgent at 7.

This deserves an answer

In my critique Saturday of Paul Foer's somewhat bizarre rant on in-school war protesting, Streiff made an interesting comment:

Does your view hold true for students supporting the war, or those who want to miss school to attend the annual March for Life?

I think it's a question that deserves an answer: does Paul Foer or other liberals who support students missing school or disrupting the school day to protest the war also support the right of conservatives protesting abortion or supporting our troops to do the same?

It's a fair question, and I think I know what the answer is going to be...

Radio Redux

Mark Newgent and I will again be appearing on Warren Monk's Word on the Street program Tuesday night from 7 pm to 8-ish pm on WAMD, AM 970 Aberdeen.

We will have a number of things to discuss, so check below to see if you can hear us tomorrow night: (H/T Radio Locator).

Lacking Speculation

There has been a lack of speculation out there regarding the possible names who are being considered to fill the vacancy as the Executive Director of the Maryland Republican Party. In fact, I have heard of no names being seriously considered, at least names that have made their way to me.

The quick turnaround of the deadline for resumes to be sent to Jim Pelura seems like it may limit the ability of the party to conduct a national search for a replacement. It will be interesting to see if that in anyway impacts the final selection.

So at this time, I can only speculate as to how many resumes have been submitted for the position. But I can confirm this: that after receiving encouragement from several individuals, I have in fact submitted my resume for consideration. I am extremely grateful for those individuals who have confidence in my abilities and asking me to consider serving. And while I do not expect to be selected to fill the vacancy, I feel like I have a duty given my critique of John Flynn's job performance to seek the opportunity to replace him.

We'll see where we go from here...

Shorter Paul Foer: "Kids don't need to learn, they need to recreate the '60's!"

Paul Foer over on his blog and at FSP is horrified that students who disrupted the school day at Annapolis High School were suspended.

Here is what the Capital story tells us:

Three students were arrested at Annapolis High Thursday afternoon for staging a sit-in to protest the Iraq war, according to county police.

Kit Whitacre, 17, was among the students arrested. He said they had only been sitting on the floor for about 10 or 15 minutes when administrators began threatening them, and the police officer stationed in the school called for backup, flashing sets of plastic handcuffs.

"We just sat down in front of the main office," Kit said. "We didn't want to go to class, because we felt it's unfair other people our age are in Iraq."

County police said yesterday they charged the three students with disorderly and disruption of school activity. They would not give names of those arrested because the report has not yet been filed, and because those arrested are juveniles.

Bob Mosier, a spokesman for the school system, said "appropriate disciplinary action" was taken against the protesting students. He would not specify what disciplinary action was taken.

"You can't disturb the instructional day," Mr. Mosier said. "That's in the code of student conduct."

Now, I will say that arresting the students was probably a little over the top. But I don't see a real big problem with suspending the students for their actions. Their actions are no different than any other stunt pulled to intentionally disrupt learning in their school. The students made a choice to make a spectacle of themselves and they got suspended for it. It's not like they were suspended specifically for protesting the war.

Paul Foer then takes it completely off the tracks:

Contrast this to the Vietnam era when we had a draft and for most purposes, had to pay for the war. The young people went nuts, and their protests eventually brought about an end to the war. And our country seems to have collective amnesia about every lesson we should have learned from that folly. So, after all these years in Iraq, trillions squandered and many thousands dead,we seem to forget all the lies foisted upon us by Bush and Cheney Incorporated. Instead, we take a few students who sat down peacefully and suspend them for ten days.

If Foer wants to argue the war, he can go ahead and do so and spill his offbeat, fringe opinions about the war to his hearts content. But to say that the kids should not be suspended because the war is still going and that's what we are doing "instead" of "learning the lessons" so to speak about the war is foolhardy.

Then, Foer seemingly encourages students to shut down the school day:

Perhaps, yes perhaps, if cooler heads prevail, we'll get a massive student protest going and maybe we'll shut the whole school down for ten days. That might make a point. As the parent of an Annapolis HS student, I'm all for it. It might make the lessons my son is learning about US government and history all the more meaningful. And if he gets suspended for ten days, we'll go visit all the war memorials in Washington, stroll among the gardens of stones at Arlington, visit our Senators and Congressman to protest. He might learn more than he does in school.

Apparently, Foer thinks that nonviolent protest of a war is more important for his son than actually receiving instruction that will prepare him for the rest of his life. And as a parent, Foer has that right. However, he does not have the right to take opportunities for learning away from the other students at Annapolis High School. He doesn't have the right to encourage protest of a war in lieu of learning about science, about history, and about math. For some of these students who go to Annapolis High, education is the only way out of their socioeconomic situation. They may only have the opportunity to go to college through what they learn during the school day. Why should they be denied that right when some of the uppity Annapolis-area bourgeoisie want to relive the Sixties vicariously through their children.

Ironically, Foer's idea to shut down Annapolis High will take educational opportunities away from the lower and middle classes who attend Annapolis. It may also keep kids out of college who then, ironically, may feel like they need to enlist and wind up fighting in the war that Foer so passionately opposes. Funny, I thought liberals were for education and against sending our kids to war.

Foer's assertions that this kind of nonviolent protest should be encouraged are disturbing. We should be encouraging students to go to school to get an education, not do the bidding of their parents by protesting a war. Education is everything, and nobody on the right or the left should be encouraging its disruption for any reason.

Two Days Late

Two days after reading it here, the Sun finally gets around to reporting John Flynn's departure (without crediting me, of course):

Party seeking new director

The Maryland Republican Party is looking for a new executive director after John Flynn resigned this week to take a job as general counsel for Americans for Prosperity, a public interest group in Washington.

Flynn became the party's executive director in January 2007 as Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley took office after defeating former Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Later that year, the party reported that it was nearly broke. State GOP Chairman James Pelura said yesterday that Flynn helped rebuild the party and draw more small donations that allowed it to pay off debts.

"I was left with a lot of debt and very little fundraising ability in the way of large donors," Pelura said. "The Republican base is excited and energized again, and John was instrumental in helping me see that through."

I'll let you interpret the comments that you just read regarding the state of the party for yourselves...

Problems Solved

Once again, all of our problems seem to be solved at the national level:

Forget government corruption or corporate fraud. Three members of Congress want the Justice Department to investigate whether college football's Bowl Championship Series is an illegal enterprise.

Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) are introducing a resolution rejecting the oft-criticized bowl system as an illegal restriction on trade because only the largest universities compete in most of the major bowl games. The resolution would require Justice's antitrust division to investigate whether the system violates federal law.

Again, I am glad to see that members of Congress solved the current financial crisis, won the war, and cut the size of government enough to deal with this pressing issue...

What kind of day has it been?

A pretty big one:

• John Flynn (finally) gone;
• A possibly credible Senate candidate in Ellen Sauerbrey;
• The arrest of Joe Albero and its political implications.

All in all, a fairly big day for state politics and the Maryland blogosphere...

Cut Bait NOW

I was always kinda confused as to why Andy Harris would hitch his wagon to factually challenged third-rate Delaware blogger Joe Albero in the primary season. It seemed odd that Harris would put himself in league with someone so controversial and disliked in the Eastern Shore precincts that will be so crucial to victory in this November's General Election.

Today, Albero added to his extensive history with Maryland's judiciary today now that he is facing charges related to an investigation by the Comptroller's Office.

Now, I'm not here to bury Albero; he has enough problems and I don't want the kinda karma slapping me in the face that slapped him in the face (though certain sections of the blogosphere think this is like manna from heaven)....

...but the Harris Campaign needs to extricate themselves from Albero now. The fact of the matter is that Harris cannot have this kind of albatross hanging around his neck for six-plus months. True, Albero has no official role in the campaign, but Harris does associate his campaign with Albero and makes extensive use of Albero's blog to propagate information about his campaign. And given Senator Harris' position on taxes, having someone associated so closely with the campaign involved in an investigation stemming from the Comptroller's Office probably doesn't send the kind of message the Harris Campaign wants voters to get.

Time will tell what the campaign will do, but the Harris team needs to cut bait right now.

More Rumors: Sauerbrey 2010?

There is another rumor I got hold of this evening, and that one is that 1994 and 1998 GOP Gubernatorial nominee and current Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration Ellen Sauerbrey is considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2010.

This is certainly exciting news, and may help explain her presence as a speaker at numerous Lincoln Day dinners across Maryland. Secretary Sauerbrey defeated....er, almost defeated Parris Glendenning in the 1994 gubernatorial election and can probably launch the most credible challenge at Barbara Mikulski.

It's time that Maryland had a Senator who actually represented the people's interests and not the left's special interests, so I enthusiastically hope Secretary Sauerbrey runs.

This is not what my tax dollars are for

The Kratovil for Congress campaign sent around an e-newsletter today, conveniently located at this site, that has an interesting tidbit:

Wednesday, May 7
Hampton Improvement Association
5:00 -6:00 p.m. at Notre Dame Prep, 815 Hampton Lane, Towson. Sen. James Brochin will introduce Frank Kratovil. Call 410.841.3648 for details.

In case you don't know, the 841 exchange is a State Government exchange for legislator's offices. The kind of office for, say, Sen. James Brochin.

I'm pretty sure I don't pay taxes so that legislators can run blatantly political activities out of their offices, so I'd sure like an explanation as to why this is the case in this situation.

CONFIRMED: Flynn Out

This note from Jim Pelura is being sent around, sent yesterday:

From: "James Pelura"
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:21:44
Subject: Bittersweet news


Dear Republican Leaders,

It is with mixed emotions that I contact you tonight.

John Flynn, our Executive Director, has given notice that he will be
embarking on a new and exciting adventure in 2 weeks.

As you all know, John has been instrumental in carrying out my plan to
return the State Party to the county Central Committees and the grassroots
Republicans of our beloved Maryland.

I am dismayed in his leaving but extremely happy for him and wish him every
success and happiness in his new position. He will be missed!!

Due to time constraints, I will be interviewing for this position on
Tuesday, April 22 at MDGOP headquarters. Please spread the word and have
the applicants e-mail their resumes to me at jpelura@mdgop.org
by Monday, April 21, 2008.


Dr. Jim Pelura
Chairman
Maryland Republican Party

BREAKING: John Flynn out?

GOP Insiders are telling me that Maryland State GOP Executive Director John Flynn has resigned from his post to take a job with the Harris for Congress campaign.

More news and comment to follow...

Another Day, More Reasons

One of the best reasons for an elected school board in Anne Arundel County are encapsulated in this article regarding school budgeting:

Angry County Council members yesterday accused the Anne Arundel County school system of vilifying the county government for the superintendent's proposal to leave 200 teaching positions unfilled, with the council chairwoman blasting school officials for running "one hell of a PR [public relations] scam."

"Whoever's doing your PR over there is doing one heck of a job, not a fair one, but a good job," Council Chairwoman Cathleen M. Vitale scolded the district's top business and human resources officials. "I'm wondering when I will see the press release that says the superintendent cut 200 positions ... so [he] can move forward with other non-core programs and initiatives."

Kudos to Councilwoman Vitale for calling a spade a spade on this one. Something Councilman Ed Reilly also echoed:

Council members insisted they funded 294 new teaching positions last year, and it was the school district's decision to use the money in other ways and pull the funding from such a controversial area as classroom teachers.

"So, even though we told you we want you to use [funding] for teachers, you used it for other things?" Councilman Edward R. Reilly asked the school system's assistant superintendent Gregory V. Nourse, budget director Susan Bowen and human resources director Florie Bozzella.

"We have gotten very little from the school board, which I'm not very happy about," continued Reilly, who called the meeting. "Wish we would've gotten some of the numbers before the news outlets."

The budget battle has everything to do with the call for an elected school board. Let's face it, a School Board appointed by the O'Malley/Leopold Commission is not going to be any more proactive that the current Board in adopting responsible spending that focuses on educating students first and foremost. I have argued for some time that Kevin Maxwell's spending priorities are out of whack with what is necessary in order to properly educate students in core classes and subject matters. The County Council understands this, and is taking steps to address these concerns with the budget. The Board appointed by the O'Malley/Leopold Commission is merely going to gives us more of the same, particularly when one considers that it has been suggested by the Commission that Board members should give the Superintendent carte blanche when it comes to School System Operations.

Kevin Maxwell's fiscal irresponsibility has been tolerated by a majority of the current members of the school Board, and more than likely will also be tolerated by the appointees coming from O'Malley and Leopold's liberal commission. Until we make sure that this Board is elected by the voters of Anne Arundel County, taxpayers will not have their interests represented in School System policymaking and we will see a continuation of recklessly misguided spending from the Board and the Superintendent.

Flying the Merging Skies

There seems to be a lot of consternation regarding the merge of Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines. Frankly, I'm not exactly sure why.

Would it not make more sense for all parties involved to support this merger? Is Consumer Choice going to be severely degraded? Not really. Are jobs going to be lost? Probably none that weren't already in danger. Will prices go up? Highly unlikely, at least in terms that are directly related to the merger. And those seem to be the biggest concerns when it comes to this proposed merger.

But I ask this question: if Delta and Northwest did not merge, wouldn't it be more likely that one of the two would go out of business? Would that no guarantee greater job losses? Would that not guarantee even fewer consumer choice? Would that not lead to higher prices as the demand shifts to the remaining carriers?

The Delta-Northwest Merger is going to be a long and arduous process for all who are concerned. But to say that this the merger should be rejected are completely wrong in their assertions. The merged airline will provide American consumers with a stronger, more financial stable airline that will have a larger fleet with reduced operating costs due to the new economy of scale. Sure it may be a headache for passengers and employees for the time being, but more than likely consumers get a stronger airline over the long-term. And given the state of the economy, this cannot be anything but a good for passengers, employees and consumers.

Who needs to show up anyway?

Who needs to serve on the School Board Nominating Commission when you can just blow it off for a few months:

One of the 11 members on the School Board Nominating Commission will give his vote to a colleague this spring when the commission selects two new members for the county Board of Education.

Richard Kovelant, who was appointed to the commission by the Association of Education Leaders, will give his vote to Robert Ferguson.

Mr. Kovelant is executive director of the association, which is the local school-based administrators' union. He said he is going out of town to attend the birth of his grandchild at the end of April and will not be able to hear all the school board testimony. He said he'd return to the commission this summer.

Candidate hearings are set for 7 p.m. tonight and April 28 in County Council chambers, and 7 p.m. May 5 and May 12 at sites to be determined.

Mr. Ferguson is an assistant principal at Old Mill High School in Millersville and president of the association.

Joshua Greene, chairman of the nominating commission, said since the association holds the seat, its members can appoint another person to fill it in Mr. Kovelant's absence.

Why on Earth would somebody be appointed to the seat who knows they will be unable to attend the process? Why does this outfit get a seat at the table, but average parents and taxpayers get no voice in the process?

Can we for the love of God please replace this convoluted, undemocratic system with something that gives a voice to the people of Anne Arundel County? Stories like the one above makes a mockery of the entire process.

And speaking of a mockery of the process, I can't wait to hear the news coming out of the first hearing that is going on right now...

As if I needed another reason to hate the Steelers...

.....team owner Dan Rooney endorsed Barack Obama today.

"Our country needs a new direction and a new kind of leadership – the kind of leadership, judgment and experience that Senator Obama has demonstrated in more than 20 years of public service, and in a particularly impressive way in this campaign."

Well, there is no accounting for judgment or taste, I suppose.

The Recession Proof Economy and other Liberal Economic Myths

Isaac Smith tries to climb his way out of his remarks about the "conservative" General Assembly by making some more odd points, the first of which is by again talking about the myth of a recession proof economy:

Of course, Brian's point (I think) is that the tax increases are exacerbating the recession's effects in Maryland, which is debatable; certainly the Washington suburbs have been doing better than the national average in terms of employment, and Maryland's unique economic features make it more resilient to downturns generally. Things could get worse, however, if the state made the draconian kind of budget cuts that Brian and other Republicans have been clamoring for. As I've noted before, budget cuts during a recession are actually more harmful to the economy than tax increases, since it exacerbates the problem of falling consumption by reducing consumption even further.

And yes, that was the point I was trying to make; that an already bad economic climate is being made worse by Annapolis Democrats. Of course, liberals in Annapolis always try to fall back on the idea that Maryland's economy is recession proof due to the shear number of federal jobs and federal spending that is tied into the Montgomery and Prince George's County suburbs. The fact of the matter remains that despite this "unique economic feature" as Isaac likes to call federal spending, federal workers can also be disproportionately harmed by higher taxes and higher spending at the state level. Just because their jobs are "recession-proof" doesn't mean that the diminution of their purchasing power thanks to higher taxes and the higher price of goods and services is going to be stopped, too.

As far as budget cuts during a reccession harming the economy, that just make little sense. The preponderance of the additional spending proposed an enacted by the O'Malley Administration deals with increasing the size and largesses of government, not the reduction of capital projects that are already budgeted and under contract. This is further exacerbated by the fact that much of the spending cuts and the diminution of purchasing power could have been avoided if spending were cut in the first place since the spending cuts could have provided relief from the "need" for higher and higher taxes. And besides, remember what happened when Roosevelt tried to spend his way out of a massive economic downturn. The type of spending that Isaac suggests is the type of spending that bankrupted the Soviet Union.

I am heartened by the fact that Isaac realizes that the elimination of balanced budget requirements in Maryland is foolhardy, but I could not disagree more with this reasoning:

Ideally, what you would want is for the state to build up its rainy-day fund during boom times and spend it down during bust times (what's known in economic jargon as countercyclical fiscal capacity), so that there's some stability in the functioning of government programs. Unfortunately, Maryland's rainy-day fund went dry in 2007, so that option is closed off.

No, ideally what you want to do is have a government that only takes as much money from its citizenery as it needs to provide the most basic of services; schools, fire, police, etc. I'm pretty sure I didn't volunteer to make an interest free loan to the State Government in order to stash away money for pet projects when times are rough. Should there be a rainy-day fund? Yes, but only for actually fiscal emergencies to meet the most basic of collective services, not just for the sake of out-of-control spenders trying to balance the budget when tax revenues fail to meet expectations.

And finally, we get this:

I'm hoping, then, that if the recession persists, as seems likely, Congress will push for greater federal aid to the states, which would allow programs like Medicaid and unemployment assistance -- which are high in demand during a recession -- to get to more people who need it.

Actually, the last thing we need to do is for Congress to start doling out more money to the states. States should be able to find ways to fund these programs out of their own fiscal houses and not really on additional federal assistance above and beyond what is already in place. The state budget should have adequately prepared for increases in Medicaid and unemployment claims when the General Assembly adopted it last week, but I'm sure that pet projects were more important to legislative leadership than this already existent spending.

The argument that Maryland does not spend enough and that we should continue to maintain current spending levels during the O'Malley Recession flies in the face of responsible government, and I find it hard for Smith and others to continue making spurious arguments for the continuation of this reckless fiscal posture.

The Liberal Kool-Aid Acid Test

Whatever Isaac Smith is drinking don't follow suit, because this is the kind of thinking that is destroying Maryland:

One more thing I should add is that I think we can explain the right-ward lurch, as Paul puts it, in the General Assembly this session as a reaction to the economy taking a nosedive and the aftermath of the special session.

There are a number of just completely ridiculous things in that brief sentence. First is the accusation that the General Assembly took a "right-ward lurch." Only somebody to the left of Mao could think that this General Assembly lurched in any direction but towards a Maryland that taxes its citizens to the hilt, spends more than it can afford, and looks to find ways to interfere with the lives and the civil liberties of its citizenry. This is the Maryland that Isaac Smith claims he wants, but this is a Maryland that isn't far to the left enough for Smith and the fringe left.

Of course, Smith fails to acknowledge that part of the reason for "the economy taking a nosedive" here in Maryland is precisely due to the Special Session and the O'Malley Recession that was born from it.

Then, as if Maryland didn't have enough spending problems:

I know I harp on this, but the inability of states to do deficit spending like the federal government severly constricts what states can do during a recession.

Yes. Smith came out and endorsed deficit spending as the solution to our problems. Fortunately, the State Constitution in Maryland requires us to have a balanced budget, or lord knows how much Martin O'Malley and his crew could have begged, borrowed, and stolen from this General Assembly and, ultimately, the taxpayers. The reason that we are not allowed in Maryland to have deficit spending is for the precise reason that Smith wants us to spend into deficit: so that irresponsible, financially dimwitted elected officials can't try and spend our way out of economic problems. We are already taxed to death and concerned with our bond rating: how does Smith think that deficit spending is going to magically solve those problems?

Finally, we get this:

Given that environment, it's easy to see how O'Malley and the General Assembly adopted a tempermentally, if not ideologically, conservative stance on fiscal matters.

I am stunned that somebody as financially to the left as O'Malley can be called a conservative on any financial issues when he continues to spend beyond the state's means and continues to try to tax Maryland's middle class and working families into poverty and brokering deals that will require families to spend more on electric rates.

Folks, Smith is part of the fringe element that we have to deal with. People of this kind of fringe mindset are the ones shaping policy in Annapolis. I talk a lot about how important the 2010 elections are, and this is why: we cannot let absurd, irresponsible, and reckless ideas such as this ever enter the mainstream or else Maryland will be doomed to financial devastation and widespread poverty for generations to come.

This is why we continue the fight....

Bad Planning

Just because Andy MacPhail is in charge doesn't mean mistakes don't get made:

For one day, Adam Jones will get to pay homage to a hero. Jones, Baltimore's 22-year-old center fielder, was chosen as his team's representative to wear No. 42 Tuesday on Jackie Robinson Day, a tribute to one of the game's greatest legends. Jones, who has read several books about Robinson, termed the opportunity "a tremendous honor."

Good for Jones. Why is this a mistake? It's not Jones' fault. It's just the fact that Tuesday is Adam Jones t-shirt night, so the player of honor will not even be wearing the number that he normally wears, the one that will be on the t-shirt being given out to fans.

Most years, the O's would get beat up for such a mistake, but having the best record in baseball helps...

The Morality of Taxes

Sun reporter Michael Dresser provides virtually glowing commentary in beginning his article about the new "Millionaire's bracket":

It's quite an exclusive club, Maryland's new millionaires' tax bracket. A little more than 6,000 households statewide qualify for the distinction - more than 40 percent of whom reside in Montgomery County....

...With the General Assembly's passage of the new 6.25 percent top tax rate on incomes above $1 million, and Gov. Martin O'Malley's signing of the bill yesterday, Maryland has apparently become the first state to create an actual millionaires' bracket.

Some other states have created high-income tax brackets - some paying rates that make Maryland's levy look like a bargain - but they kick in at lower thresholds. For instance, New Jersey residents in the top income bracket pay a rate of 8.97 percent but don't receive the cachet of being in a millionaires' club because it applies to all income above $500,000.

Democrats even found the opportunity to trot out cheerleaders to talk about how great it was that Annapolis was going to screw them tax them more:

"I've had numerous people come up to me in the course of these last few months and whisper to me that they are in that highest bracket of millionaires and they are willing and they are able to pay their fair share," he said.

By the end of the session, the idea of taxing the rich wasn't looking so bad to many of the Assembly's leaders. O'Malley jumped aboard the repeal bandwagon and re-endorsed the millionaires' tax.

Ed Hale, chief executive of First Mariner Bank in Baltimore, said he told O'Malley the computer tax had to go - even if he had to pay more in income tax.

"Any self-respecting person that was wealthy enough could pay more tax just because of the quality of life in the state of Maryland," he said. "It's much ado about nothing for a very few people."

Which is fantastic. Maybe Ed Hale can pay my taxes too if he thinks it's so awesome. And just to prove the point how awesome this all is in the eyes of the Sun and the eyes of Annapolis Democrats, let's go to an example:

The average income reported by those in the new bracket was $3.1 million. That translates to an extra $15,000 a year for three years until the surcharge sunsets - or just about the $45,000 that would put a mid-range BMW in the three-car garage - compared with the law at the beginning of the session. (In some cases, some of that extra cost could be offset by federal tax deductions.)

That argument is, of course, ridiculous. It is ridiculous to think that a millionaire is being hosed out of a BMW because of the new O'Malley taxes. The millionaire's are going to miss the money just like anybody else is. Of course, what cheerleaders for the O'Malley tax won't tell you is the fact that $45,000 out of the pocket of somebody who qualifies for this tax bracket may be reducing that individual's capability to send that money directly back to the community, whether it be in the form of charitable donations or continued reinvestment into the local economy. That $45,000 could be better spent on job creation in the private sector than it will certainly be spent in the black hole that is Annapolis.

But the conversation we need to be having here has nothing to do with how poorly government wastes money, or how much better the private sector can spend it. It actually deals with the moral questions of taxes. How can government retain the moral high ground, particularly a government that claims that it is for the working men and women of Maryland, when most of the impact of the O'Malley Recession is being felt by these same work class folks? To paraphrase George Bailey, the working class people who are most hurt by what O'Malley and company are doing, they are the ones who do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this state.

So how come a disproportionate burden is placed on the middle and working class families of Maryland to pay for programs that make rich urban liberals feel better?

What we have right now in Annapolis is a situation involving taxes and the question of morality. How can government remain moral when government is doing its part to make it impossible for Maryland's working class families to survive financially? Why should parents who want to raise their children in the same communities in which they grew up be forced to choose between making ends meet or moving to another state in order to relieve themselves of the financial burden of living in Maryland? Why should the middle and working classes be forced to pay for unnecessary programs to which they receive no benefit? And how can Government maintain maintain its own sense of morality when it continues to ask more and more of citizenry in the middle of an economic downturn when this same citizenry is already overburdened with oppressive taxation at all levels.

The moral question of taxes is whether or not taxes in and of themselves are moral. The question is whether or not those who make tax policy, those who think that the citizenry is nothing more than a checkbook, those who believe that by taking more and more money away from taxpayers government can make taxpayers more economically viable, have the moral compass to do the right thing and reduce the oppressive burden on Maryland's taxpayers. And given the position of O'Malley and the legislative leadership, by their actions to raise more taxes and spend more money when we can least afford it, I think we have the answer to those questions.

In the Bag

Once again, the Sun thinks you're stupid:

There's likely enough good news coming out of the recently completed legislative session to soften the blow of last fall's tax increases and return a bit of luster to the image of Gov. Martin O'Malley, who took a subsequent beating in opinion polls.

What good news? How can any objective individual see any good news coming out of the recent session? Taxes are going up. Spending is out of control. The General Assembly paved the way for electric ratepayers to pay even higher electric bills than ever before. The annual tradition of the transportation trust fund raid came once again.

There is but one line of obvious truth in this editorial:

Mr. O'Malley recently told The Sun's editorial board that his first 14 months in office have been "difficult and often miserable."

Yeah...even O'Malley knows how bad of a job he is doing as Governor.

Why School Board Elections are important

Two stories are quickly coalescing together in a way that was altogether too predictable.

First, let's hear about how much of an issue the school curricula are here in Anne Arundel County:

The recent decision by Anne Arundel County schools Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell to turn social studies and science into semester-long courses in middle schools has sparked fierce criticism among parents, students and some teachers who accuse the district of robbing students of a well-rounded curriculum.

The roiling debate in Anne Arundel County reflects a trend in which a fifth of middle schools surveyed in a recent national study say they have sharply cut science, social studies, art, music and physical education in order to double up on math and reading.

All of which is a very important policy discussion that has a tremendous impact on the life of students, and should engage all citizens, teachers, parents, and taxpayers as part of this discussion.

At the same time, the names and resumes for candidates who have applied for the two vacancies on the Anne Arundel County School Board have been put on the School Board Nomination Commission website which also got its own write-up in the Sun, which talks a little bit about this goofy process:

The commission will hold a public hearing Monday night, where the public can meet the candidates and the commissioners can formally question them. Two weeks later, the commission will hear public testimony on the qualifications of the candidates.

The fact that these stories come together like this is fortuitous because it once again highlights how ridiculous and absurd the new nominating process is. The School Board Nominating Commission is going to hold a meet the candidates night, yet the public has absolutely no real input on who is going to serve on the School Board. The Commission, made up of Martin O'Malley and John Leopold's liberal donors and friends, are going to nominate to the Governor whomever they damn well please, regardless of the public input. One the candidates go to a retention election in the fall, they will likely remain unchallenged on their records or their qualifications since the voters will not have a true voice in the process and cannot replace them with somebody who better represents their views on education and public spending.

The story about the curricula questions are even further damning of the new and convoluted process. The candidates will not have to defend or promulgate their stances on the curricula issue, or any other issue for that matter, to the public. Under the old process, despite its flaws, candidates still were questioned by the public before a vote was taking of Nominating Convention delegates. Candidates were questioned directly. Under the new process, parents, teachers, and taxpayers may not be able to know or understand the positions of these candidates or their implications for School Board policy until well after they are already serving on the Board of Ed. it is even more of a hopeless situation when you remember the fact that even if a candidate is nominated who is out of touch with their constituents (a likelihood given the O'Malley/Leopold team in place) and turned out by the voters, the liberal Nominating Commission will merely appoint another out of touch replacement.

Issues regarding school curricula are critically important for the future of Anne Arundel County and its children. Unfortunately, what this story really does is highlight merely the seriousness and gravity of our newfangled, highly undemocratic School Board selection process in Anne Arundel County.

Another night of Red Maryland Radio

Me, Mark Newgent and Greg Kline and maybe more will be appearing on Warren Monk's Word on the Street program Wednesday night from 7pm to 8pm on WAMD, AM 970 Aberdeen.

As always, we are most appreciate that Warren gives us conservatives a chance to be on the radio and, in some small way, serve as the voice of the Silent Majority here in Maryland

You can bet that the General Assembly and Governor O'Malley will be on our agenda, so check below to see if you can hear us tomorrow night: (H/T Radio Locator).

Good Things to Come

See the future:

(Matt) Wieters, the fifth overall pick out of Georgia Tech last June, homered in each of his first two official professional at-bats after walking in the opening inning, leading the host Keys to a 7-3 win over Lynchburg in the Single-A Carolina League opener for both teams.

While his first homer, an opposite-field shot down the right-field line, barely cleared the fence, his second - a shot to left - sailed over a 28-foot fence behind the outfield wall.

Awesome...

Color me Unimpressed

The defense put up by some Anne Arundel County legislators as to why they need to stay in Annapolis during the General Assembly session is lame:

Del. Virginia P. Clagett lives a 16-mile drive from Annapolis, in the community of West River in southern Anne Arundel County. For the 90-day annual legislative session in the capital, the Democrat lodges a few yards from the State House, at the historic Governor Calvert House....

....Clagett spent $10,556 in public money on hotel costs last year, while Costa spent $110.88 according to a list of state travel expenses, part of the nearly $130,000 in reimbursement that Anne Arundel County lawmakers sought for mileage, food, lodging and conventions in 2007.

"I don't think I could function ... if I didn't have that ability to be here late at night, early in the morning, no matter the weather or the traffic," said Clagett, 64, a member of the House of Delegates leadership. "I don't think my family would want me to."

It's a 32-mile round trip for Clagett. My round-trip to and from work is three times longer. I don't see anybody volunteering to let me spend the night near work. Clagett's excuse is unconscionable: if you can't function after a 16-mile drive, get the hell out of the General Assembly, please.

What's even funnier to me is the fact that who comes to the legislators defense but.....Common Cause?:

Ryan O'Donnell, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, called the stipends and reimbursements provided to lawmakers "a legitimate use of money for doing their jobs."

"Annapolis is enough of a fraternity like it is," O'Donnell said. "We don't want lawmakers eating ramen noodles and living in dorm rooms."

Seriously? Does O'Donnell really think legislators who live twenty minutes away are going to eat ramen and live in dorms? Is this character that ignorant?

As I said before, it's perfectly legitimate to have legislators from the farthest reaches of our state be reimbursed for lodging, but to have the legislators from Anne Arundel County to exploit the taxpayers like this should be seen as nothing more than a violation of public trust and embarrassingly poor judgment.

Beerfest!

Glad to see that Attorney General Doug Gansler has solved all of Maryland's problems regarding crime, punishment, and ensuring that we prosecute criminals to the fullest extent of the law. Gives him plenty of time to deal with this:

Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and public health advocates launched a campaign Tuesday to make sure drinks like Mike's Hard Lemonade and Jack Daniel's Black Jack Cola are considered legally the same as liquor, not beer.

Yes, the Attorney General is concerning himself with the consumption of alcohol and how one defines said alcohol. Seriously. And, of all things, the entire controversy seems to revolve around two things: tax dollars and teenagers.

The legislature is considering a bill backed by alcohol manufacturers and distributors that would classify the beverages as beer, overruling an opinion that Gansler issued this month declaring such beverages -- loosely termed "alcopops" -- to be spirits under the law because of how they are made and because of evidence that they are popular among teenagers. The opinion effectively changes the way the drinks have been regulated in the state for decades.

Lobbyists for the liquor industry, who deny the drinks are marketed to teens and argue they should be classified like beer because of their alcohol content, have been pushing hard for the bill, which passed in the Senate with little fanfare.

Well, frankly I couldn't care less how the alcopops are classified, seeing as how I don't drink them. And frankly, I don't see the need to differentiate the level of taxation one alcohol is subjected to versus another.

The good news is that apparently Doug Gansler is applying his crack skills as a beer expert on this case:

"Beer is yellow with foam," Gansler told reporters at a news conference, holding up a bottle of Smirnoff Source, which is described this way on its label: "contains pure spring water + alcohol."

"This is not beer," he added.

Well, glad we cleared that up, though I assure you that connoisseurs of Guinness, Killians, and about 3,000 other different kinds of ales, lagers, and darker brews would beg to differ.

All kidding aside, I am disparately trying to figure out how Gansler's knee-deep involvement in this issue is doing anything to about the tough issues that Maryland faces. Regulating alcopops as liquor instead of beer isn't going to do a thing to curb underage drinking, and anybody that thinks it will is an idiot; it's not like the reclassification is going to stop the legal adults buying the stuff from giving it to those underaged kids. Nor is this argument really going to do that much to abate the state budget problem; it's not like the increased revenue from taxing the products as liquor instead of beer is going to do much to abate the O'Malley induced economic jumble.

So.....realistically I have no idea what the hell Gansler thinks he is doing and how this is going to benefit the people of Maryland. But I am glad to see that Gansler thinks that he has accomplished all he can do to stop crime, promote public safety, and put criminals behind bars. Because I suppose it shows that we really need an Attorney General who cares about real public safety issues instead of getting his name in the paper...