January 31, 2007. Regulatory costs as a percentage of market capitalization doubled from 5 percent in 1999 to 10 percent in 2002, reports Dan Clifton of the American Shareholders Association. "The imposition of Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC corporate regulations, new terrorism financing regulations, and the creation of the Transportation Safety Administration has led to explosive growth in regulations."

January 2007. Andrew P. Napolitano, Senior Judicial Analyst, FOX News Channel, talks on Property Rights After the Kelo Decision. "Like a nation of sheep, we continue to allow government to violate our natural rights, of which the right to own property is an essential one. Thinking about the Kelo decision, I am reminded of one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite quotes from William Pitt the Elder: The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the crown. It may be frail, its roof may shake, the wind may blow through it, the storm may enter, the rain may enter, but the King of England cannot enter. All of his forces dare not cross the threshold of the ruined cottage."

January 29. A special '08 session forecast in Maryland, reports the Washington Times. "'We're coming up with ideas,' she [Sheila Hixon] said, adding that lawmakers would be ready to consider new taxes if needed this term."

Housing Affordability: Smart Growth Abuses Are Creating a “Rent Belt” of High-Cost Areas, report Wendell Cox and Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D. of the Heritage Foundation. "The overly regulated metropolitan areas seem likely to experience considerably less population and economic growth in the future than would have occurred if their land-use policies had not broken the historic relationship between house values and household incomes. To restore higher levels of economic growth, such areas will need to liberalize their land-use policies. "

January 28, 2007. 'Clean car' law gathers steam, reports Tom Pelton in the Baltimore Sun. "Since Maryland considered adopting the clean cars law two years ago, the debate has changed. California updated its standards to include a hotly debated requirement that greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles be cut 30 percent by 2016. The additional step is meant to curb global warming - and could add an average of $1,000 to the cost of a vehicle by requiring more efficient engines or hybrid technology on some."

January 28, 2007. Washington Times editorial on illegals and the minumum wage. "'We cannot have a discussion on the minimum wage without recognizing the negative impact of illegal immigration on the salaries of American workers,' Mr. Sessions said. Very true."

January 28, 2007. The best policy on energy subsidies is simply to ditch them, writes Kenneth P. Green of the American Enterprise Institute in the London Financial Times. "Both the Democrats and Republicans are pushing energy subsidy plans that, by further distorting markets and degrading the price signal with hidden subsidies for fuels such as ethanol, are likely to weaken our energy-intensive economy further. By adding more mandates to fuel production and use, these plans also make our energy production and distribution system more fragile and subject to disruption."

January 27, 2007. Maryland GOP officials target aliens' licenses, reports Tom LoBianco in the Washington Times. "Delegate Ronald A. George and Sen. Janet Greenip, both Anne Arundel County Republicans, filed measures in the House and Senate, respectively. Each measure would require anyone applying for a driver's license to show legal proof of residence in the state. 'We have to be in compliance' with the federal Real ID Act, Mrs. Greenip said. 'It's imperative that we move on this.'"

January 27, 2007. "Very, Very Big Corn": Editors of the Wall Street Journal deconstruct ethanol policies. "Not that any of these facts are likely to make much difference in the current Washington debate. The corn and sugar lobbies have their roots deep in both parties, and now they have the mantra of 'energy independence' to invoke, however illusory it is. If anything, Congress may add to Mr. Bush's ethanol mandate requests. So here comes Big Corn. Make that Very, Very Big Corn. Sooner or later, our experience with this huge public gamble may make us yearn for the efficiency, capacity, lower cost and--yes--superior environmental record of 'Big Oil.'"

January 26, 2007. Lobbyists ask for delay on emissions bill; Senate panel weighs adoption of California standards, reports Justin Fenton in the Baltimore Sun. "'We would be more than willing to go along with [the initiative] if somebody independently looks at the science of it,' said Peter Kitzmiller, president of the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association. '[And] if cars cost more, we'll know where to point customers when they get upset.'"

January 26, 2007. America Needs a Stable, Diverse and Affordable Energy Supply, writes Sen. James Inhofe in Human Events. "The fact of the matter is that the country is over 70% self-sufficient when we consider total energy (coal, nuclear, hydro, renewables, gas, etc). Although much of that dependence relates to oil, the U.S. does not import nearly as much from the Middle East as some suggest. As energy expert Daniel Yergin recently pointed out in the Wall Street Journal, '[s]ome 81% of oil imports do not come from that region. Thus, only 19% of imports -- and 12% of total petroleum consumption -- originates in the Middle East.' It may surprise many readers that the U.S. imports most of its oil not from Arab Sheiks but from our friends in Canada."

January 26, 2007. Leopold signs 2005 climate agreement reports Laura Greenback, in The Examiner. "The agreement was created in 2005 by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to encourage towns and cities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. A total of 375 mayors from 50 states have signed the measure, representing more than 56 million people, says Nickel’s Web site. In Maryland, Annapolis, Chevy Chase, Baltimore City, Sykesville, Gaithersburg, Kensington and Rockville have signed on so far." See also Full Kyoto: Mayor of Seattle Greg Nickels' city car uses 5 gallons of gasoline a day. "But while he's calling on other people to get out of their cars, Nickels' gluttonous dependence on his own official automobile should raise eyebrows. Seattle taxpayers provide the Mayor with a 2006 Cadillac DTS Luxury III for his exclusive official use. And use it he does. City expense records reveal that the Mayor has burned an average of 152.1 gallons of gasoline a month since Jan. 2005, the equivalent of 5 gallons of gasoline every single day of the year. And it's not just the gasoline consumption that's profligate -- in the last 12 months alone, Hizzoner has spent roughly $36,000 in public funds on leasing, maintenance, fuel and other operating costs for his various luxury cars, and that doesn't even include salary and benefits for his chauffeur. May we all reduce our dependence on cars to $36,000 a year --

January 25, 2007. O'Malley OKs millions for school construction, reports Tom LoBianco in the Washington Times. "'It is the dawn of a new day,' said Mr. Franchot, who gave a short speech that included a pledge to look for energy efficiencies to make Maryland 'the greenest' state."

January 24, 2007. ATR: Taxpayer Group Applauds President Bush’s Bold Healthcare Proposal. "The new initiative seeks to equalize the tax treatment for individuals who purchase healthcare individually with those who receive healthcare through their employer. Currently individuals who purchase healthcare without their employers must pay payroll taxes on their healthcare purchases while employees face no tax on employer-based healthcare."
xxxxSee also Heritage Foundation Analysis: Making Health Care Affordable: Bush's Bold Health Tax Reform Plan by Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D. and Nina Owcharenko, WebMemo #1316.

January 23, 2007. Comptroller Franchot sworn in; Speech outlines expansion of office agenda, reports Jennifer Skalka in the Baltimore Sun. "'I will continue to argue, and use the power of my office, to oppose any solution that includes the reintroduction of slot machines into our great state,' Franchot said during a ceremony in the House of Delegates, of which he was a member for two decades. 'We have been down that road before and, frankly, it was a disaster. Crime, corruption, bankruptcy and addiction, these are the unintended consequences of slots, and, ladies and gentlemen, I am not willing to gamble on Maryland's future.'"

January 22, 2007. Few Surprises in O'Malley's first legislative agend, reports Kristen Wyatt of the Associated Press. "Some Republicans, though, wondered whether O'Malley's bill requiring the school funding was a good idea. Republican Sen. Allan Kittleman said that O'Malley often criticized former Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich for not paying the geographic index - but now sees how expensive it is. 'It's not a good idea to tie the governor's hands or even the legislature's hands in the future,' Kittleman said. 'We're facing some difficult financial times. Clearly Ehrlich knew at the time we didn't have the money'."

January 22, 2007. The editors of NRO tell how to be "healthy and wise." "The new tax break will encourage some people to buy health insurance, reducing the number of uninsured Americans. Most people who get employer-provided insurance would gain, too, although a few, with 'gold-plated' plans, would pay higher taxes. "

January 20, 2007. RNC elects Martinez as head, reports Ralph Z. Hallow in the Washington Times. "Mr. Duncan said his job as chairman 'is not to make policy or headlines but to win elections,' while Mr. Martinez 'will be the voice of the party.'"

January 19, 2007. RNC to Accept Martinez, reports John Gizzi in Human Events. "Virginia Republican National Committeeman Morton Blackwell and [Michigan State Party Chairman Saul] Anuzis said after a luncheon Wednesday that they were pleased that the RNC had moved the 'members only' meeting to before the general session so that members could have some input in the meeting. 'There are a lot of feelings that we can get out in the open, and we will,' Blackwell told me."

WWW.STOPMARTINEZ.COM/INDEX.HTML

Joyce Thomann's letter to Maryland Republican party leadership: Michael Steele, not Martinez!

Maryland center-right letter urges choice of uniter, not divider.

January 19, 2006. GOP expects secret ballot, reports Ralph Z. Hallow in the Washington Times. "'If we get the secret ballot as promised, then every member will feel free to express his or her view without the fear of coercion or intimidation,' said RNC member Curly Haugland of North Dakota."

January 19, 2007. O'Mally's budget notable for what it does not include, reports Douglas Tallman in the Gazette. "O’Malley’s first budget, released just a day after he took office, grows by 2.5 percent, one of the smallest increases in a decade. O’Malley’s predecessor, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), faced with pent-up demand for new spending, jacked up spending by about 12 percent for fiscal 2007, the current financial year."

January 18, 2007. Maryland State High Court Protects Parents Against In-law Intrusion, reports the Home School Legal Defense Fund. "On appeal, however, the Maryland high court ruled that it is unconstitutional for a judge to usurp parental discretion unless “exceptional circumstances” are present, or the parents have been determined to be unfit, and there would be detriment to the grandchildren. The high court sent the case back down to the trial court to determine this."

January 18, 2007. Bennett victorious in preserving free speech, reports Amanda B. Carpenter in Human Events. "Of Section 220 Bennett said, 'Well, we don’t like these groups that stir up grassroots activity so we’ll put reporting requirements on them and some financial burden on them, and that has the effect of dampening the activity and discouraging the activity even if they say ‘We’re not banning it, we’re providing transparency.’ But in providing transparency we are creating so many burdens that ultimately people are going to say we’re not going to go through this'.”

January 18, 2007. Republican National Committee braces for Martinez fight, reports Ralph Z. Hallow in the Washington Times. "Choosing an RNC chairman who supports amnesty [for illegal aliens] is tantamount to telling the conservative majority of Americans that they do not matter."

January 20, 2006. O'Malley seeks $10 million more for stem-cell research, reports Tom LoBianco in the Washington Times. "Nancy Paltell, associate director of Respect for Life at the Maryland Catholic Conference, questioned the research value of embryonic stem cells. She also questioned whether Mr. Lenett's bill was true to Mr. Ehrlich's request that science be used to determine the best stem-cell research to fund."

Club for Growth: First Tax Hike in 13 Years The House is voting on the first tax hike in 13 years. Since the Contract with America was born, the House GOP majority had opposed all tax increases. But within a month of officially being in the majority, the Democrats are now voting for one. Didn't take long, did it? You better believe that this is a sign of things to come. And the worst part is that dozens of Republicans are expected to vote with the Democrats on this. Where have all the fiscal conservatives gone? Stay tuned for updates. UPDATE (6:09pm): The bill just passed 264-163 to thunderous applause, with 36 Republicans joining the Democrats. I feel like we're in a New Deal Congress. It's almost surreal. --Posted by Andrew Roth on January 18, 2007 5:52 P From Americans for Tax Reform: --List of Pledge-Breakers (pdf) --1/17/07 First Tax Increase in Thirteen Years? H.R. 6 Violates the Taxpayer Protection Pledge

January 17, 2007. Washington Times editorial: O'Mally and license fraud. "Yesterday's guilty plea by a Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) employee to conspiracy to produce and sell fraudulent driver's licenses should serve as warning to Martin O'Malley, the illegal-alien friendly mayor of Baltimore who will be sworn in as governor today."

January 17, 2007. The Heritage Foundation's Ben Lieberman: Memo to Speaker Pelosi: H.R. 6 Risks Making Energy More Expensive. "The real answer to high energy prices is not to tinker with tax and royalty rates on existing domestic energy supplies, but to expand those supplies so that more oil and gas become available. Recent Department of the Interior studies, conducted pursuant to the 2005 energy bill, confirm that the United States has substantial oil and natural gas deposits. But these studies also show that much of these onshore and offshore resources are off-limits due to legal and regulatory constraints. In fact, America remains the only nation on earth that has restricted access to a substantial portion of its domestic energy potential."

January 16, 2007. Choice of Martinez sparks GOP rebellion, reports Ralph Z. Hallow in the Washington Times. "'Martinez's support of [Arizona Sen. John] McCain's immigration bill on amnesty for illegal aliens is causing a lot of concern among our base,' said Mr. Pullen. 'I happen to know that people -- our $25 and $35 donors -- are writing on the back of our RNC solicitations for donations: 'When you close the border to illegal aliens, we'll open our checkbooks.' The Central Committee of the Republican Party in the president's own state of Texas has passed a resolution strongly urging the Texas Republican Party chairman, Mrs. Benkiser, and the two other Texas RNC members to vote against Mr. Martinez.'"

January 19, 2007. House passes ethics reform by 96-2 margin, reports S.A. Miller in the Washington Times. "The Senate last night also voted 55-43 to adopt a Republican amendment that deleted a provision of the ethics bill that would have expanded the definition of lobbyist to include grass-roots organizers, possibly including ministers and neighborhood groups.Under the legislation, grass-roots organizations that attempt to "influence the general public" to contact members of Congress would have to register as lobbyists and file financial reports -- or face a $200,000 fine.
Democrats had fought unsuccessfully to keep the provision in the bill. [See roll call vote here. Both Maryland senators voted to restrict grass-roots lobbying. -ed]

Reason Foundation Mobility Project Building Roads to Reduce Traffic Congestion in America's Cities: How Much and at What Cost?By David T. Hartgen, Ph.D., P.E. and M. Gregory Fields, Project Director: Robert W. Poole, Jr. Cutting the Congestion Tax The Reason Foundation has a new study out on combating traffic congestion that is making headlines across the country today. Going beyond the familiar critique of wasteful government spending and foolhardy transit fixations, the report puts compelling new facts and figures on the table. For example, only four American metros - Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, and Chicago - currently have congestion delays that prolong average rush-hour commute times by more than 50 percent. But if current trends continue, that dubious distinction will belong to 30 more cities by 2030. Congestion already costs us about $63 billion a year, and in the future this cost - really a tax, caused by bad governmental decisions and imposed in time and money - will skyrocket. The solution, say the Reason authors, is to do what so many so-called experts say we shouldn't do: build a lot more major highways. Fund some of this capacity with electronic toll collection, the remainder by redirecting tax dollars currently squandered. Most of all, stop humoring extremists who claim that America is being paved over (more than 90 percent of the country remains open space) and that building new highway lanes is pointless because they will just fill up with cars. Uh, that's a goal, not a problem. You want cars and trucks shifted off of narrower, secondary roads. The real problem would be if we built a road and it didn't fill up. That would be like, you know, building a road or bridge to nowhere. -- John Hood -- jhood@johnlocke.org

January 18, 2007. No Social Security for illegal aliens, urges Rep. Tom Feeney in Human Events. "The U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement currently being drafted by the Social Security Administration is not far from implementation. After the current agreement is finalized, approved by the State Department, and signed by the President, Congress will have 60 days to pass a resolution of disapproval of the agreement. If Congress does not disapprove, it will automatically go into effect. Though the stated aim of the totalization agreement is to coordinate the Social Security programs of both countries to our mutual benefit, the actual advantages clearly lie in Mexico's favor."

January 17, 2007. O'Malley poised to start on his statewide agenda; Administration yet to take shape as Ehrlich's aides move out, reports Andrew A. Green in the Baltimore Sun. "O'Malley has pledged not to raise taxes or create any other major revenue sources this year. The idea of a comprehensive overhaul of Maryland's tax structure - raising some levies and lowering others to increase the state's overall tax revenue - has been gaining support among legislative leaders since the election. Some, particularly Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, are pushing for a permanent budget fix this year."

January 17, 2007. Wal-Mart law dealt second defeat; U.S. appeals court upholds earlier ruling; Assembly seeks new health care solutions, report Matthew Dolan, Melissa Harris and Laura Smitherman in the Baltimore Sun. "Wal-Mart has 53 stores and two distribution centers in Maryland and employs nearly 16,000 people in the state."

January 16, 2007. Republicans Target Grassroots Lobbying Provision in Senate Ethics Bill, reports Amanda B. Carpenter in Human Events. "The Senate version of the bill, S. 1, contains a measure that would require grassroots organizations to report communications made to 500 or more people if that message encourages them to contact their elected representatives on a specific policy issue on a quarterly basis."
See constitutional analysis by Free Speech Coalition...

January 16, 2007. Feds Defend Partnership With Islamic Group Under Scrutiny
reports Fred Lucas, CNSNews.com Staff Writer. "Other congressional critics include Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) who has been quoted describing CAIR as a group 'which we know has ties to terrorism,' and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who reportedly said CAIR is 'unusual in its extreme rhetoric and its associations with groups that are suspect.'"

January 15, 2007. Bush's totalization plan threatens Social Security, writes Phyllis Schlafly in townhall.com. "If and when Bush personally signs this agreement, it will automatically become law without any congressional action. The law that would have allowed one House of Congress to reject it by a vote within 60 days is generally thought to violate the Supreme Court's 1983 decision in Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha, which declared unconstitutional a one-House veto of a president's action."
To get a good handle on this complex matter, faithful readers should read this report from NumbersUSA.

January 10, 2007. Montgomery County school board approves revised sex-ed course, reports Arlo Wagner in the Washington Times. "Board member Stephen Abrams approved the new curriculum that describes homosexual origins and sexual relations, saying, 'It's not the parents' responsibility alone. 'Mrs. Turner vehemently disagreed. 'It is the parents' responsibility,'she said."

January 8, 2006. O'Malley to revive smart growth, reports Kristen Wyatt of the Associated Press in the Baltimore Sun. "With O'Malley taking office, Marylanders could see a push for mass transit and state control over where new houses go for the thousands expected to move here because of a hot job market and military realignment. And state residents should expect the revival of the concept of Smart Growth, popularized by former Democratic Gov. Parris Glendening. The idea -- that government should use resources to steer growth to urban areas and away from rural vistas -- was a favorite of Glendening's, but it fell out of favor when Ehrlich took office four years ago."

January 5, 2007. Romney, Brownback sign no-new-taxes pledge, Americans for Tax Reform reports. “'America needs leaders who are committed to protecting taxpayers, and signing our Pledge demonstrates that kind of leadership,' said Grover Norquist, president of ATR. 'By signing the Pledge, Sam Brownback and Mitt Romney demonstrate allegiance to hard-working taxpayers nationwide. It is now up to the other candidates in the race to stand up to the challenge.'"

January 5, 2007. Legislative leaders talk taxes with business groups, reports Len Lazarick, in The Examiner. "Heads of some of the region’s largest business advocacy groups attending the meeting of the Maryland Economic Development Association in Annapolis agreed that new funding sources for road and transits was needed and the time was right to take a comprehensive look at state revenue sources. 'I think everything will be on the table' about revenues, said Kathleen Snyder, president of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. 'It makes good sense to have a study;of the overall tax structure so that it is 'fair and competitive in the global marketplace

January 4, 2007. The 100 Hour Rush: Speaker Pelosi Learned a few things from Tom DeLay, writes the Wall Street Journal. "House Democrats plan to pass a pile of legislation in their first 100 hours, bringing the measures quickly to the floor without committee hearings. These are issues they campaigned on last year and that do well in polls at first blush, such as a higher minimum wage, price controls on prescription drugs and 'ethics reform.' The rush is supposed to show Democratic resolve to get things done, but it's enough to make us wonder if they're afraid that some of their ideas won't hold up under scrutiny."

January 3, 2007. Peter Ferrara urges Entitlement Reform Without a Tax Hike in Human Events online. "After Watergate destroyed Nixon, President Ford’s Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, concluded that we couldn’t beat the Soviets. He set about to negotiate an accommodation with them on the best terms he thought we could get. But Reagan challenged this view, arguing there was no substitute for victory. We all know what happened. What we don’t remember now is how daunting and impossible Reagan’s challenge seemed in the mid-1970s. Similarly, in regard to federal spending, are we going to try to just negotiate the best surrender to the coming crisis of big government? Are we going to just settle for 30% or 40% of GDP in federal spending, and be happy we didn’t go to 50% or 60%? Or are we going to fight for what we believe in and win?"

January 2, 2007. Looming deficit confronts Governor-elect Martin O'Malley, reports Kristen Wyatt of the Associated Press. "Though Maryland is banned by law from having an unbalanced budget, a structural deficit exists, meaning that the state's pocketbook will be empty in future years unless spending slows or taxes increase. The projected gap over the next four years is about $5.8 billion, a sum greater than the so-called deficit Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican, inherited when he took office four years ago. Despite the gloomy prediction, lawmakers and Mr. O'Malley say they will stall any major fiscal changes for at least the next few months. That means no deep spending cuts and no tax increases during Mr. O'Malley's first legislative session, which begins Jan. 10."