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

February 28, 2005. Slot machine vote could open door to rest of state, writes Tamara Lush in the St. Petersburg Times. "But Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, who opposes expanded gambling, doubts the education benefits will be that great and worries about a 'snowball effect' in the rest of the state.'Florida stands at the cusp,' Bush wrote in a recent letter to the Christian Coalition. 'As a state we have limited gambling in our communities. The true costs are significant and real: long-term decay of our traditional industries and the social fabric of our communities.'"

February 28, 2005. The Wall Street Journal reports on a Rocky Mountain revenue grab. "Not that we think Tabor needs tinkering; the dread ratchet effect is its most important feature and one of the reasons that states like California, Maine, Kansas and Ohio are considering their own version of Tabor. By forcing lawmakers to put the brakes on spending, even after a downturn in the economy, Tabor gives government an incentive to take on self-correcting tasks that aren't in its nature. Selling off excess assets and reforming procedures for procurement and competitive contracting aren't high on a state's list of priorities unless there's a fiscal squeeze. Tabor helps state governments find these efficiencies. Bill Owens used to know that."

February 27, 2005. Fight brewing over pensions; Arnold's plan stirs opposition among firefighters, teachers, reports Jim Wasserman, Associated Press. "Unions, pension fund managers and their allies nationwide are fighting the idea, calling it a power grab designed to stifle the growing influence of the nation's public pension funds, which collectively manage about $2 trillion in assets."

February 25, 2005. Cell providers fight Montgomery tax, writes Douglas Tallman in the Gazette. "If the companies win their tax court cases, the refund would be returned to customers, he said."

February 25, 2005. Maryland's G.O.P. Governor Draws Democrats' Fire, reports James Dao in the New York Times. "Even some staunch supporters say Mr. Ehrlich's steadfastness can be infuriating. Richard Falknor, executive vice president of the conservative Maryland Taxpayers Association, said many members of his group were upset by Mr. Ehrlich's push for slot machines, which they oppose on moral grounds.'We find his propensity to increase revenues rather than restructure government disturbing,' Mr. Falknor said."

February 22, 2005. Delegates seek cost of illegals, reports Robert Redding Jr. in the Washington Times. "'See, the problem is, when you create a lawless society, where the immigration act is ignored, you then create problems for the people already in that society, 'Mr. McDonough said. 'The CASA report makes it clear that people are being exploited, but these are people that shouldn't be here to start with.'"

February 22, 2005. Talk-radio host also works for state, reports Andrew A. Green in the Baltimore Sun. "WBAL-AM talk-radio host Chip Franklin, who frequently comments on state government - and whose show often provides a friendly forum for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. - has been paid more than $30,000 in the past three years to appear in commercials for the Maryland Lottery. Franklin, who hosts a morning show with about 130,000 listeners a week, receives a $1,500 payment each time he tapes a television commercial for scratch-off lottery tickets in an arrangement that predates Ehrlich's election. He is paid by Eisner Communications, a Baltimore advertising agency hired by the lottery."

February 20, 2005. House to take its turn at slots, reports Andrew A. Green in the Baltimore Sun. "Ehrlich, who vowed this year not to waste any more political capital on slots, has not been deeply involved in lobbying in the House so far this year. His point man on slots, Budget Secretary James C. 'Chip' DiPaula Jr., told the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday that the governor was willing to negotiate just about anything if the legislature could pass a bill."

February 18, 2005. The Wall Street Journal worries Bush may be open to raising Social Security payroll tax cap. "We supported personal Social Security accounts before most Republicans now in Washington were elected, but the early direction of reform is looking more and more worrisome. First, House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas proposes to finance private accounts with a huge new VAT levy, and now Mr. Bush puts his own tax hike on the table. What an unhappy irony it would be if Republicans finally gained control of the levers of power in Washington only to pass the largest entitlement expansion since 1965 (the Medicare drug bill) in Mr. Bush's first term, and effectively repeal his income tax cuts in the second."

February 16, 2005. SEIGEL REPORT. If at first you don’t succeed -- Queen Anne's gets 5% property tax cap, by Lyle Seigel. “'It’s all about accountability,' an elated Michael Hoffman summarized Tuesday night after a hard-fought victory in the battle to lower taxes and property assessments in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. Hoffman is president of the Queen Anne’s County Taxpayers Association. After several attempts at passing a lower Homestead Property Tax Cap, the Queen Anne’s County Taxpayers Association and citizenry suceeded last night. At a February 15, 2005, 7:00 pm hearing in Centerville, Queen Anne's County Commissioners unanimously passed County Ordinance No. 05-01 to cut the current 10% annual property tax increase cap in half--to 5%."

February 12, 2005. Show support for HB349, a bill that will require teacher development colleges to teach teachers how to teach phonics, asks Zalee Harris of Education Doctors. "Although schools are required to teach phonics, local schools are forced to send teachers to be trained on teaching phonics, which consumes the school's local budget (staff development). If teachers were properly taught to teach phonics from the college level that taught them to BE TEACHERS, schools could use the money for school repairs or more important things."

February 10, 2005. Sex-ed battles raging in region, reports Jon Ward in the Washington Times. "'You've got two very influential counties that are affluent and large and seen as education leaders grappling with this issue. It's going to reverberate across the country,' said Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute, an affiliate of the national conservative women's group Concerned Women for America."

February 10, 2005. Stop the proposed toll increases, says Arthur Purvis, president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance. "After raising our real estate taxes $1600 in five years and our state taxes by $1.4 billion last year, and despite a $1.2 billion surplus in state tax revenues, our politicians want to raise tolls on the Dulles Toll Road from a minimum of 75 cents to $1.25, one-way."

February 2, 2005. Carroll County legislators oppose transfer tax, reports Justin Palk in the Carroll County Times. "Debate on the transfer tax, which is a 1 percent tax on a house paid by the buyer or seller, lasted the better part of an hour Tuesday. Opponents argued that the county has plenty of money - and plenty of fat to trim -- while supporters said the government is lean and needs to diversify its tax base.