TAXPAYER BREAKING NEWS, February 2004, continued from Home Page . . .

February 27, 2004. Dems advocate series of income-driven tax hikes, reports the Gazette. "'Because many of those targeted by the bills are also the state's most successful entrepreneurs and job creators, the tax hikes would make it harder to attract new businesses,' said Karen Syrylo, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. '[The bills] would put Maryland's individual [income tax] rates higher than those in almost every other state,' she said."

February 27, 2004. Ehrlich to introduce plans for state minority business program, reports the Baltimore Sun. "Among the proposals by the lawmakers is raising the maximum personal net worth of a minority business owner from $750,000 to $1.5 million."

February 27, 2004. Good intent not enough to save city schools, writes Michael Olesker in the Baltimore Sun. "Question: If they're working together now -- what, exactly, were they doing before this? We know what they have not done: provide a first-rate public education. Sometimes their intentions were noble, and sometimes not. But we are past the time of excuses now. Continued failure, and nobody gets cover from this one."

February 27, 2004. It's "splitsville"--Virginia Republican party torn asunder on taxes, social issues, reports the Augusta Free Press. "Ferrara said the split in the GOP on the tax issue is 'going to be a civil war in the Republican Party for many years to come.' Saxman, for his part, stopped short of using the word years - but he did say that he thinks the issues will not be resolved among GOP legislators anytime soon.'We're perfectly willing to work through the issues as much as anybody else. But we're not going to be forced into a tax increase.'"

February 26, 2004. Virginia Republicans: The Right party has turned Left, reports Peter Ferrara in virginianewssource.com. "That is what the proposed record tax increases are really all about. They are not needed to close any budget deficits. The current budget, with the highest level of spending in state history, is in surplus. The tax increase is to satisfy the special interests who just want to increase state spending even faster."

February 26, 2004. Ehrlich shoring up slots support, reports the Baltimore Sun. "The governor expects the Senate Republicans to support his bill and is making that clear to all 14 senators," said Ehrlich adviser Paul Schurick. The possibility that a majority of the caucus would vote against the measure "would be completely unacceptable to the governor, and we're making that clear, as well."

February 25, 2004. It's time to fire the one behind the wheel -- the city school board, writs Gregory Kane in the Baltimore Sun. "The gist of DiPaula's letter seemed to be that the school board is an obstacle to fiscal accountability. So what's the governor waiting on? Six members of this board were around when departed school chief executive officer Carmen Russo was paying a guy $100,000 - including overtime - to drive her around while teachers fighting the education battles in the trenches weren't making half that and driving themselves.Does the governor think he's going to get fiscal accountability from the folks who couldn't tell Russo to drive her own car?"

February 24, 2004. Richmond, Poor Man: Virginia Republicans miss a chance to make the case against high taxes, reports the Wall Street Journal. "It's hard to think of a better chance Republicans have had to connect cutting spending to helping the poor than what's been happening in Virginia. But now with the state's House of Delegates joining the Senate--the GOP controls both bodies--in endorsing a tax increase, it seems that that opportunity will be lost until at least the next recession."

February 22, 2004. In Memoriam John O'Neill, Chairman Emeritus, Maryland Taxpayers Association. A Founding Father of the Maryland Taxpayers Movement. (Read Baltimore Sun obituary)

February 21, 2004. A teacher’s job is to educate. To enlighten. To inform. But that can’t happen if students—and their parents—don’t understand what the teacher is talking about, writes Edwin Feulner on townhall.com. "'All this jargon is specifically designed to be confusing. It reinforces the divide between schools and families,' education consultant Anne Henderson told The Washington Post. Parents are like, ‘What in the world does all this mean?’”

February 20, 2004. ANNAPOLIS - Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., today submitted 200 appointment nominations, known as “Green Bag” appointments, to the Maryland State Senate. The Governor’s Appointments Secretary, Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr., presented Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. with a green bag with names of nominees, including representatives from all 23 counties and Baltimore City and several former elected officials" See PDF of complete list.

February 20, 2004. Malpractice hearing has a fierce prelude, reports The Gazette. "What this bill basically says is that you're going to spread the cost of the high-risk physicians to low-risk physicians," said Harris (R-Dist. 7) of Cockeysville. "I hope people wouldn't want the same thing to happen with their car insurance. It's like saying, 'You're a very risky driver, but we should allow the good driver with the 30-year good record to bear the burden.'"

February 20, 2004. Giannetti the key vote on assault weapons ban as Ehrlich and Miller clash, reports The Gazette. "Any assault weapons ban would represent a dilemma for Ehrlich if it reaches his desk. He would be faced with vetoing a popular bill or infuriating an important and vocal part of his base."

February 19, 2004. National Taxpayers Union letter to Governor Ehrlich. ". . .Your plan to increase a broad array of user fees in the name of raising money for the state could fuel taxpayers’ cynical (and largely correct) suspicions that these levies are nothing more than taxes and that public safety is a secondary concern. Raising car registration fees by more than 50 percent and truck registration fees by more than 65 percent – with no requisite increase in processing costs or other extenuating circumstance – is clearly a tax. Maryland drivers are being gouged to subsidize inefficient and underutilized mass transit systems. Instead of raising registration fees to spend more money on these gas-tax financed boondoggles, Maryland needs innovative transportation solutions."

February 19, 2003. Evangelicals frustrated by Bush, reports the Washington Times. "'It's not just economic conservatives upset by runaway federal spending that he's having trouble with. I think his biggest problem will be social conservatives who are not motivated to work for the ticket and to ensure their fellow Christians get to the polling booth,' said Robert H. Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute."

February 18, 2004. Bailout for Baltimore schools. Maryland taxpayers are next to help bail out Baltimore's mismanaged school system under a $42 million proposal yesterday by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., reports the Washington Times. FLASHBACK: Gregory Kane calls for resignation of Baltimore school officials over their anti-social promotion policy snafu, August 2003.

February 18, 2004. Maryland offers advance of $42 million to Baltimore's struggling school system, reports the Baltimore Sun. "But yesterday, Ehrlich said he would wait to review the structural accountability plan being submitted by the school system and a report from an investigative panel set up by Grasmick before deciding whether anything ought to be done about the school board. For that, school board Chairwoman Patricia L. Welch was grateful. 'I don't think we were negligent,'she said. 'In hindsight, should more accountability have taken place? Absolutely. Knowingly sleeping at the wheel? That did not occur.'"

February 16, 2004. Montgomery Construction Overruns Top $43 Million; County Tapped Reserves Over Two-Year Period, reports the Washington Post.

February 15, 2004. Maryland's Charter school law gets a "D." See the Center for Educational Excellence's state-by-state ranking.

February 14, 2004. Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. proposed raising nearly $250 million for transportation projects throughout the state yesterday by increasing fees and fines on speeders, drunk drivers and anyone who owns a car, reports the Washington Post. "Kathleen T. Snyder, president of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, said she was on hand at yesterday's news conference to 'salute'the governor's proposal. But Snyder said the chamber will not abandon its two-year lobbying campaign for higher gas taxes.'The gas tax hasn't been raised in 12 years. At some point, we need to address that,'" she said.

February 13, 2004. Montgomery homeowners resist rise in property values after state assessments, reports the Gazette. "Statewide, residential property values increased an average of nearly 40 percent. The [55.5%] increase in Montgomery County was second only to Worcester County, which recorded an average assessment increase of 58 percent."

February 10, 2004. Zalee Harris releases Education Doctors' Email Workshop: Summary of 2004 Maryland General Assembly bills supported and opposed by the Education Doctors (first of two parts). "If you have been receiving emails from me for more than five years, then you have been waiting for this report. It's my annual part one of a two part report that's shares with you the bills we support and oppose, that our legislators will soon vote on to either kill or pass," writes Harris. "As with all my email workshops and legislative alerts, you do not have to agree with me, however, to do nothing is not an option." To receive report, email Education Doctors.

February 10, 2004. "With state lawmakers deadlocked on how to fund the Thornton education plan, a Montgomery County delegate says an increase to the state sales and use tax is 'the most palatable political alternative.'” reports the Daily Record. MTA blasts the sales tax plan. 'Throwing more money at a Maryland education establishment, which has failed to stand and deliver, not only makes no fiscal sense but discourages consideration of legislative and administrative plans for immediate relief of families with children now in school …,' said Richard Falknor, the group’s executive vice president."

February 8, 2004. Bad choice: Killing voucher bill killed hope, editorializes the Union Leader. "BY ONE VOTE, the New Hampshire House on Thursday condemned the state's poor and middle-income school children to an educational future no different from, and hence no better than, the present."

February 8, 2004. Teachers' Pets? Editorializes the Baltimore Sun: "They're protesting on behalf of the Thornton Plan, the $1.3 billion effort to boost public school funding. In the language of education, this might be a "teachable" moment, but it sounds like the lesson needed is in ethics."

February 6, 2004. MTA cautions against misuse of school funds for lobbying on Thornton Plan.

February 6, 2004. Ehrlich ally hitting up racing industry, reports the Washington Post. "I don't know the genesis of it, but we're delighted that a pro-slots coalition has come together to meet the anti-slots coalition," Schurick said. "What a great country. That's what makes Annapolis such a great spot, that these kinds of coalitions break out all the time."

February 5, 2004. Md. schools to give students credit for rallying for Thornton funding, reports Fox News."Students are being used to support the demands of teachers unions," said Richard Falknor, executive vice president of the Maryland Taxpayers Association. "Even if they use those students to support something we agree with, it is the wrong message to send," Falknor said. "They haven't heard a reasonable discussion. They haven't heard people from the Heritage (Foundation) or even Maryland experts."

February 5, 2004. Students offered credit, free transportation to attend pro-Thornton rally in Annapolis next week. Montgomery County,Carroll County, Prince Greorge's County, Baltimore County, other Baltimore regions--are all offering inducements, reports the Baltimore Sun. "Maryland education leaders are encouraging students to attend a school-funding rally in Annapolis next week by dangling the prospect of graduation credits and free transportation, enticements that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and other critics are calling improper."

February 5, 2004. Eric A. Hanushek: The economist of public schooling receives the 2004 Fordham Prize for Distinguished Scholarship."Hanushek has now reviewed some 400 studies of student performance and school resources and more than 275 analyses examining the impact of class size reduction on achievement. Under both headings, the vast majority of studies fail to find any link between resource levels and student performance. And in the small number of instances where a link is detectable, there is no strong or consistent pattern as to whether more resources help or hurt."

February 4, 2004. Ehrlich wants to end the Glendening-era Office of Smart Growth, reports the Baltimore Sun." In legislation introduced this week, the Department of Planning proposed eliminating what was once a 15-person office, created in 2001 as then-Gov. Parris N. Glendening was pushing Maryland to the forefront of the national anti-sprawl movement. Planning department officials say they can accomplish those tasks at lower cost."