No Kidding

I'm pretty sure that bloggers, Republicans, and those with an ounce of common sense saw this coming:

It wasn't supposed to be this way after last year's special session of the General Assembly.

About $1.5 billion worth of hard choices were made and many government leaders were confident the deficit demons had been vanquished.

But between $800 million and $900 million of expected new tax revenue never materialized because of faltering collections in a spiraling economy, according to the state's nonpartisan Department of Legislative Services, leaving Maryland again in a perilous budget situation.

Most people understood that raising taxes and increasing discretionary spending in a bad economic climate was morally and fiscally irresponsible. Unfortunately as we all know, Governor O'Malley decided to take the irresponsible and immoral course of action. And that is what has brought us to the situation today, and economic problem that O'Malley called a model for the nation.

I think the most troubling aspect so far of the current budget crisis is that Governor O'Malley refuses to concede that he made a mistake, and refuses to take corrective steps to fix what he has done. I don't know if it's ego, or just a general lack of understanding of economics, or both, but Governor O'Malley wrecked our fiscal posture here in Maryland and doesn't seem all that concerned with fixing what he has broken. Sure, we have seen piecemeal budget cuts here and there, but no broad based fiscal plan that will serve as a solution to our current economic problems and one that will lighten the load that O'Malley and General Assembly Democrats dumped on the taxpayers.

Maybe for Christmas, Governor O'Malley can gives us the gift of responsible leadership, responsible leadership that he seems incapable of giving himself.

Happy Thanksgiving

I ran these last year....but hey, they are classics. Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

Off Track

Think about how it must feel to be one of the thousands of regular Light Rail users who are being inconvenienced by the MTA, and then find out the situation was avoidable almost a decade ago:

The current shutdown of half of Baltimore's light rail line likely could have been prevented had Maryland Transit Administration engineers decided in 2000 to spend about $4 million on an electronic system designed to prevent trains from sliding on slippery tracks, according to a top MTA official.

Henry Kay, the MTA's deputy administrator for planning and engineering, said that as a result of the decision, Maryland's light rail is one of the few in the country without the so-called "slip-slide protection" to protect the wheels of its cars....

....Kay said there is no way now to quantify the cost of the decision in terms of lost service, additional maintenance, overtime and other expense. But he said there's little question the MTA would have been better off had it invested in the technology, which would have roughly doubled the cost of a crash-avoidance system it did adopt.

"That would have been $4 million well spent," Kay said.

You bet it would have been money well spent. Between the cost to fix the cracked wheels, the diminished revenue from diminished light rail service availability, and the cost in both time and money to commuters who are having to deal in a variety of ways with the disruption of service, this snafu has cost the taxpayers of Maryland a hell of a lot more than $4 million would have.

The problem is that, more than likely, the same decision makers who made this decision back in 2000 are probably still on the job here in 2008. But that's not even as big of a problem as the piecemeal way of addressing the problem that MTA Senior Leadership has demonstrated. Like all other aspects of transit planning in Baltimore, Paul Wiedefield and company have shown that they are not up to the task of running a safe, basic, and functioning mass transit operation.

While it is easy to see in hindsight that the failure to buy this system in 2000, we need to note this as a lesson learned and make sure that steps are taken to adequately plan for risk avoidance such as this for future projects. Unfortunately, I have no confidence in the O'Malley Administration and current MTA Senior Leadership to learn those lessons make such decisions with any competence.....

Delegate Kipke to Fight Voter Fraud

Given the fact that Maryland voters just approved the silly concept of early voting, I am proud to say that my Delegate and my friend Nic Kipke is going to fight the issue here in Anne Arundel County, with this information that we're breaking here and at RedMaryland:

Today, with just over one month until Maryland’s next legislative session, Delegate Nic Kipke (R-Pasadena, Md.) officially requested a bill that will require a major election law change in Anne Arundel County. The legislation will require all Anne Arundel County voters to present photo identification to be eligible to vote. “I personally have always had an issue with the fact that photo identification is not required to vote in Maryland. After this last election, I heard from many county residents that they share the same concern. It seems to me that no matter where you stand politically, everyone wants to ensure that the integrity of our elections are not undermined by fraudulent activity,” said Delegate Nic Kipke.

While this policy would break new ground in Maryland, the concept is not new to most of the United States. In fact, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, seven states require photo identification to vote and twenty-four states require other forms of identification.

Read the whole thing here.

I am glad that Nic is taking this step forward and trying to bring some rational common sense to the issue of voter verification and identification. It is ridiculous that it takes more identification and more effort to buy groceries with a credit card than it does to vote! And I hope that we are able to put some of our local Democrats on the spot on this issue. Since this is a local bill, our Anne Arundel County Delegation is going to have to take a stand on this; it puts some of our local "conservative" Democrats on the spot. It is going to make them have to choose between their constituents and their party.

We'll be watching.

The Mess Continues

The Maryland Transit Administration continues to show day in and day out that failure is an option in Maryland State Government:

Thousands of Baltimore-area commuters were forced to abandon trains and board buses yesterday, the first workday disrupted by a light rail shutdown that closed the northern half of the system. State officials were unable to say how long service would be curtailed by a problem caused in part by the fall of autumn leaves.

Commuters attempting to take light rail between North Avenue and Hunt Valley were diverted to shuttle buses, which passengers said added as much as 90 minutes to the trip.

Light rail typically serves 30,000 riders a day - about half of whom use the northern stations.

So that's fantastic. Half of the ridership of the Light Rail system disrupted because the MTA couldn't adequately plan for Fall.

What's infuriating about this shutdown is the fact that it has been inherent in the design and operation of the system from the get go, according to the Sun story:

Problems with light rail go back to the original design and route of the system, which opened in 1992 under pressure from then-Gov. William Donald Schaefer to get it running in time for the debut of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The northern section of the line follows a narrow, old railroad right of way along the Jones Falls Expressway through forested parkland before emerging from the woods north of Ruxton.

The problem, Porcari said yesterday, is that trains run over fallen leaves and can grind the wet plant matter into what he described as a "gelatinous substance."

Some somehow after 16 years, the MTA leadership still doesn't realize that this is a year in, year out problem? Or the fact that the computer system in place on the Light Rail trains has been in place for four years and they still do not have an adequate solution?

This afternoon, the MTA Follies just got worse:

The Maryland Transit Administration has referred a case to criminal investigators at the Attorney General's Office involving an employee who used keys to bus fare boxes to gain access to the collected money, according to a legislative audit released today....

.... Among its findings:

—During an 18-month period in 2006 and 2007, the MTA failed to perform maintenance inspections as frequently as required by federal rules on 66 percent of its bus fleet.

—As of January, the MTA had not performed a complete physical inventory of its equipment since July 1998.

—Of its 140 state-owned, non-transit vehicles, 39 were not driven the minimum of 10,000 miles of use on state business in 2007 needed to justify keeping them in the MTA's fleet.

The only finding to result in a criminal referral was the matter involving access to fare box keys.

According to the audit, the MTA did not maintain a proper inventory of which of the 34 employees responsible for collecting revenues had access to which specific keys. Nor did it record which supervisors issued which keys to each worker.

So, to recap:

• MTA can't keep it's system operating;
• MTA can't perform basic maintenance on its trains and buses;
• MTA can't keep it's passengers safe; and.
• MTA can't adequately retain its fares

I have spoken time and again about the MTA's incompetence. And I have to ask again why Governor O'Malley will take no steps to rectify systemic failures at MTA? Why does Paul Wiedefeld and the rest of MTA Senior Manager still have jobs? And why will Martin O'Malley take no responsibility for Baltimore's public transit crisis?

Run Michael Run

This is good news:

Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele has decided to run for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, a move sure to shake up the evolving race for control of a party demoralized by broad losses at the ballot box earlier this month.

Steele confirmed his candidacy in an interview today with The Fix and announced it formally during an interview on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" show this evening.

"After two devastating election cycles, the party has reached a crossroads," said Steele comparing the Republican party to someone who has "hunkered down" in a corner with no idea what to do next. "I think I may have some keys to open the door, some juice to turn on the lights," Steele explained.

This is, of course, fantastic news. And not just because it would be great to have the next RNC Chairman be a fellow Marylander. Michael Steele has two important qualities: being a conservative who can successfully articulate the conservative message, and having been somebody who has previously been a Party Chairman at the County and State levels. He understands the need for grassroots development and in connecting the party leadership with both our base and with the undecideds who determine elections. It's exactly the kind of leadership that we need right now, and I wholeheartedly support his candidacy.

Prescience

Not that we all couldn't see it coming....

Of course, we already know that Governor O'Malley opposes the death penalty, but lacks the political guts to take steps in order to support its eradication. Instead, he is going to appoint a commission to "study" the issue, coming to the conclusion naturally that the death penalty should be abolished, to give O'Malley the political cover he needs to do what he wants to do.
- Me, 7/10/08

A commission appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley to review state executions recommended tonight abolishing capital punishment in Maryland, prompting hope among death penalty opponents that the General Assembly could end the 30-year practice when it convenes in January.
- Baltimore Sun, 11/12/08

So glad that in this economy we spent all of that money to tell Governor O'Malley what he already knew.

Now....will O'Malley figure out where he put his spine and actually try to go against the will of the people of Maryland who wish to retain the death penalty as the appropriate measure of punishment of our most vile and heinous criminals?

Resurrecting the Myth

A column in the Sun by Atwood "Woody" Collins III, Chairman of the Greater Baltimore Committee, this morning once again resurrects the myth of the recession-proof economy. Sadly, the same points as always are trotted out to make this point: the federal workforce and federal spending, a stronger housing market, our medical facilities, and a diversified economy.

Of course, as I said back in April, these points can merely give on the impression that an economy is "recession-proof." Just because Maryland enjoys lower unemployment than most states given its location near Washington and the number of federal and federal contracting jobs does not mean that the economy is strong. One need only look at local business, local restaurants, local shopping facilities, to notice that they aren't as crowded anymore. Regardless of unemployment and the job market and regardless of the housing market, we are in a recession, one that started with O'Malley's tax increases and reckless spending hikes, and has continued with the more recent sharp decline in the global economy. We are in a recession just like everybody else, only exacerbated by irresponsible leadership in our state government.

Collins also concludes with this silly piece:

In these extremely challenging times, it's clear that our region is in a better position than many to weather the worst effects of this storm. And our remarkably resilient nation, as it always has in difficult times, will recover from this period and emerge stronger and wiser.

While we always come out stronger, I have a funny feeling given who sits in positions of power in our state and federal governments, we sure won't come out any wiser. If economic downturns made leaders wiser, we certainly would not have seen O'Malleynomics unleashed on the citizenry of Maryland, and the corresponding irresponsible tax hikes and spending increases that have gone with it. I am under no presumption that the Democratic Congress and the Obama Administration are going to learn anything either, particularly in light of Obama's promised tax increases that are going to impact the economic plight of every individual American citizen for the worse.

While Maryland is better position than most, the perpetuation of this myth of a recession-proof economy is doing little but attempting to give political cover to liberal politicians who misguidedly think that we can tax and spend our way out of this climate. And not only is that turning out to be politically unpopular, but it's also bad leadership. You cannot continue to do what got you into this mess and think that it is going to magically get you out of it.

Maryland and Marylanders need tax cuts across the board, and Maryland government needs a drastic reduction in spending. Now.

Advice Not Heeded

"Everybody needs to get prepared. Because anybody who thinks that Frank Kratovil is going to be a pushover in the General Election is deluding themselves..."
- Me, 2/14/08

While there was much to learn from John McCain's defeat, there is nothing useful that we can really learn from Andy Harris' defeat. Harris and Chris Meekins managed to find a way to grasp defeat from the jaws of what should have been an easy victory.

Other than an example of how not to run a campaign, nothing much can be gleaned from here...

Keep the Faith

Adam Pagnucco makes some very interesting comments regarding Marylanders and their taxes in light of the support for the Ficker Amendment in Montgomery County:

Free State conservatives may have experienced a miserable election night with the victory of Barack Obama and Democratic pickups in the House and Senate. But they should take comfort from one development in Maryland: voters have made clear their intolerance for new taxes....

....The most overused line by politicians during this campaign has been, "I'm not a fan of slots." Of course not. Few people are. But few voters are fans of taxes either. And slots proponents won because voters believed their core argument: slots are preferable to taxes. The regressive nature of the 2007 special session tax package undoubtedly brought that point home to a very large number of Marylanders.

Anti-tax sentiment extended even into the state's bluest Democratic strongholds. Prince George's County is infamous for its underachieving schools. Yet, voters rejected a mere $17 million tax hike targeted for the schools by a 71-29% margin. And Montgomery County, perhaps the most liberal place in the state, is on the verge of approving Robin Ficker's anti-tax charter amendment....

....Given the above developments, there is no safe place for a tax-hiking politician to hide in the Free State right about now.

Amen to that. Which means that the sentiment that conservatives have been talking about for the past year is, in effect, true. It means that the work that we have done to bring attention to the hypocrisy of O'Malley and legislative Democrats is working. It means that the people of Maryland realize that we cannot tax our way into prosperity. It means that our fellow citizens understand the economic calamities caused by raising taxes in the middle of the recession.

It means we can win in 2010. If that's not a silver lining, I don't know what is.

For no good reason, here's a musical interlude to drive the point home.

Bon Jovi |MTV Music

What We Learned

Well, I'm not sure how much we can legitimately learn from yesterday's election results. We got our butts kicked, and good (and that's to say nothing of the 1st District, which I'll speak to once we have a result). Here are some of the lessons learned from the 2008 Presidential Election.

• Democrat Light is no way to go: Unfortunately, it looks like a lot of the calls of the Anybody but McCain camp from 2006 looked increasingly prescient. McCain was never a darling of conservatives due to his generalized support of larger government. Sure, McCain always stood up for lower tax cuts and an end to pork-barrel spending, but his comments and support of the Wall Street Bailout were consistent with many big government positions that he has taken over the years.
  
  What the American public told Republicans yesterday was that when Republicans race toward the center in an effort to look like Democrats...voters select the genuine article.
  
  
• The Republican Brand Sucks: We have talked extensively about the branding of the Republican party over the years, and I'm pretty sure that the value of the brand has reached its post-Watergate era nadir. I said back in July:
  

  the problem with Republican politics in the 21st century is not the ideology of conservatism, but leadership that itself is not conservative. Once we figure out how to fix that, Republicans will reassume the mantle of ascendancy that we lost when Congressional leadership went native a few years back.

  And it's pretty clear that we didn't do a very good job of that recently. Just take a look at the results and you'll see that. How else can you explain losses in North Carolina, a near loss in Georgia, a razor thin win in Missouri. These are Republican strongholds in Presidential Elections, and we couldn't hold on to them. It's not because these voters aren't naturally conservatives, it's just that they could no longer tell the differences between the Democratic Party and their own.
  
  
• Sarah Palin saved the day: Anybody who thinks that Sarah Palin lost this election is out of their mind. This election was realistically over not too long after the convention, we can see from hindsight. And let's face it, can you look me in the eye and tell me Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, or anybody else would have made a significant difference in the outcome, enough to tip the election? Of course not. People blaming this loss on Sarah Palin simply do not understand electoral politics.
  
  What Sarah Palin did do, however, is energize the conservative base. When conservatives are energized, they go to the polls, and take their friends and family to the polls with them. And what that did was get enough conservatives in the booth voting for downballot Republican candidates, particularly members of Congress. It seems pretty likely that the reason that we lost but 12 seats in the House of Representatives is squarely because of Sarah Palin.

Now, we put it all behind us, but we do not forget. It's our job to move forward, take what we have learned, and put the best foot forward for 2010 and beyond...