TAXPAYER BREAKING NEWS, July, 2004 continued from Home Page

July 31, 2004. Montgomery limits fliers in backpacks--religious, Boy Scout literature banned, writes Amit R. Paley in the Washington Post. "The new policy, approved by a 7 to 1 vote, is the latest attempt by the school system to prevent the Good News Club, an after-school Bible group, from having its recruitment fliers placed in backpacks along with other informational material for students and their parents."

July 31, 2004. North Avenue also failed Walbrook students, reports columnist Gregory Kane in the Baltimore Sun. "On Thursday evening, during reports about Walbrook's woes, WBAL television education reporter Tim Tooten did another story about Thurgood Marshall Middle School promoting a girl to the seventh grade. The problem was the girl wasn't enrolled in the school and had received failing grades in every class."

July 30, 2004. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger commission proposes top-to-bottom overhaul of California state government, report Peter Nicholas and Robert Salladay in the Los Angeles Times. "Many of the thousands of proposed changes aim to make government more manageable — to logically organize a state bureaucracy that now relies on hundreds of agencies, departments, divisions, boards and commissions, many with duplicative or overlapping jurisdictions."

July 27, 2004. Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley -- a rising star in Democratic politics? asks Rachel DiCarlo in the Weekly Standard. "O'Malley also ticked off Maryland comptroller William Donald Schaefer, a colorful curmudgeon in Maryland politics and a popular former Baltimore mayor and governor of Maryland, when O'Malley said at a Kerry fundraiser earlier this month that he was more worried about the Bush administration staying in power than he is about al Qaeda. 'I remember after the attacks of September 11, as mayor of [Baltimore] I was very, very worried about al Qaeda and still am. But I am even more worried about the actions and inactions of the Bush administration.'"

July 26, 2004. Doctors wooed in malpractice insurance fight, reports John Wagner in the Washington Post. "'I think the governor is acutely aware of the problem,' said Beth L. Aronson, an obstetrician who saw Ehrlich at the hospital. 'I think the governor is asking us to do the only thing he can ask us to do. . . . The legislators just don't get it. They obviously don't care about the general public.' Aronson, who said she pays $75,000 a year in malpractice insurance, said 'the trial lawyers have a death grip on this industry."

July 23, 2004. Delegates' plan ties malpractice awards to vehicle fees, reports Catherine Dolinski in the Gazette. "Brochin, a medical insurance broker, said the General Assembly has a history of using a car tax to offset health costs."

July 23, 2004. Frederick County approves hotel-motel tax, reports Sherry Greenfield of the Gazette. "After the tax was approved last week, Thompson said he would have supported the measure if the money would be used to cut property taxes. 'I would have used it for tax relief elsewhere,' he said. 'It should have all gone to tax relief for the overburdened taxpayer.'"

July 23, 2004. 'Decency' pledge is latest front in war of epithets over illegal immigration, reports Catherine Dolinksi in the Gazette. "The debate over illegal immigration is only beginning, added McDonough, who plans to reprise his campaign against illegal immigration during next year's legislative session. He and Impallaria recently formed Rally For America, which they said has 500 members."

July 23, 2004. Miller-Ehrlich relationship on the rocks, reports Thomas Dennison in the Gazette. "Miller has been at odds with Ehrlich over medical malpractice because the Senate president is viewed as aligned with trial lawyers and the governor is viewed as aligned with the doctors. 'We should be trying to keep doctors in business and not worrying about renovations to the State House,' Massoni said."

July 23, 2004. Political snitches monitor sermons, groups threaten churches with loss of tax-exempt status over activism, reports Joseph Farah in WorldNetDaily. "Last month, the Mainstream Coalition announced it would send volunteers into area churches to see whether pastors were abiding by federal laws governing political activity by non-profit institutions." [NOTE: What the IRS rules DO permit for religions organizations and their leaders concerning political activity -- see guidelines presented by Americans for Tax Reform.]

July 23, 2004. Tax vote poses threat for Virginia legislators, reports Hugh Lessig in the Daily Press. "The tax-raising Republicans have received larger-than-normal donations from a health care group that is grateful for their vote. Some members of the group have received contributions from each other and from sympathetic members of the Senate who also supported tax hikes. Then again, two conservatives who opposed the tax hikes did well, too."

July 22, 2004. Tax Exemption Is Nearing an End in Calvert County, reports Jessica Valdez in the Washington Post. "County commissioners raised the excise tax sharply last year, from $3,950 to $12,950 for each new single-family detached home. The goal of the tax was to pay for new county services and infrastructure needed by residents moving into the fast-growing county."

July 22, 2004. Additional budget cuts expected, reports Robert Redding Jr. in the Washington Times. The governor's budget team is gathering input from department heads, who have been told to have their scaled-down spending plans ready by Oct. 1. Once the spending proposals are delivered, Mr. DiPaula said, Mr. Ehrlich and his office can begin to craft the final budget, now estimated to be $24 billion. That would be up from $23.6 billion, the current fiscal budget.

July 21, 2004. City schools leadership faulted in report, writes Laura Loh of the Baltimore Sun. "The school system lacked 'even the most basic budgetary protocols and procedures,' and could not determine how many employees it had because the payroll and human resources departments did not communicate, the panel said. This shaky structure was rife with potential for wrongdoing, the panel said, adding that it received reports of maintenance and construction contracts awarded without fair bidding."

July 21, 2004. Ron Nehring reviews Linda Chavez's Betrayal in the Wall Street Journal. "As far back as the 1970s, the NEA's executive director, Terry Herndon, said that 'the ultimate goal of the NEA is to tap the legal, political and economic power of the U.S. Congress. We want leaders and staff with sufficient clout that they may roam the halls of Congress and collect votes to reorder the priorities of the United States of America.'"

July 20, 2004. Lawmakers in Annapolis head to Utah reports David Nitkin in the Baltimore Sun. "House Speaker Michael E. Busch is heading a contingent of 47 House members, all but four of them Democrats. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller will also attend, as will 10 other state senators. The General Assembly has $260,000 in this year's budget to spend on travel to the legislative conference and similar events."

July 18, 2004. Frederick County's job growth is 10th fastest in nation, writes Elizabeth Williamson in the Washington Post. "Bechtel opened its Frederick operation in 1999. Today, the company's sleek building along I-270 houses its power, industrial and telecommunications units. Last year, Bechtel began moving its government business -- whose clients include the departments of Energy and Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development -- to Frederick from San Francisco."

July 15, 2004. Takoma Park council backs same-sex unions, reports Amit R. Paley in the Washington Post. "'Takoma Park this week reminded me that it's a refuge,' she said. 'It's almost a protective bubble from the ugliness that surrounds us sometimes.'"

July 15, 2004. Whistleblower threat led to banker probe, reports Brian Witte in the Washington Times. "Humphries said that in spring 2000, after her affair with Mr. Chapman had ended, she received calls from Mr. Glendening's chief of staff, Major Riddick, and fellow board member Frederick W. Puddester, asking her to support giving Mr. Chapman additional state pension funds to invest."

July 15, 2004. State officials might penalize the city school system millions of dollars after auditors found that officials misused $18.3 million in federal Title I funds between 2001 and this year, reports the Washington Times. "The audit, completed in the past few weeks, found that Baltimore schools had spent Title I funds on schools that were not considered needy. The federal money is supposed to be allocated to give poor children a boost. Ninety-seven of Baltimore's 184 schools are designated Title I schools."

July 13, 2003. Salaries of White House office staff, as reported by Dan Froomkin of the Washington Post.

July 13, 2004. Two Maryland Republican delegates who were exonerated of assaulting pro-immigration lobbyists are seeking pledges from them to refrain from using disparaging remarks in debates about illegal immigratio, reports Robert Redding, Jr., of the Washington Times. "'We know that it is part of their tactics to demonize and marginalize their opponents,' Mr. McDonough said yesterday. 'So more than anything else, we want to make that public knowledge.'"

July 10, 2004. Maryland horse breeders and racetrack owners say they will not quit their lobbying efforts for establishing slot machines to help save the state's dying horse racing industry, reports Robert Redding, Jr., of the Washington Times. "Mr. Busch has called for a referendum on slots, but the Republican governor has rejected the suggestion, saying it shows a lack of legislative leadership. There are also questions about whether the Democratic-controlled Legislature would write a referendum that would appeal to voters."

July 9, 2004. Election board pick a shock to Democrats, reports David Nitkin in the Baltimore Sun. "In an interview last year, Raynor told The Sun that Lamone should be ousted. 'Linda Lamone is as political an animal as you can get,' he said. 'Ehrlich should throw her out on her ear.'"

July 9, 2004. Congressman plan measures to rev up telecommuting, reports Stephen Barr of the Washington Post. "[Rep. Frank R.] Wolf said telecommuting -- which allows employees to work from home or from telework centers -- would help reduce traffic congestion and pollution while giving employees a chance to spend an extra hour or two with their families. He attributed the slow progress on telecommuting to a reluctance by agency leaders to manage their workforces in a new way. 'I know the problem isn't with the workers,' Wolf said."

July 8, 2004. Ehrlich calls for vote on slots, Busch for referendum, reports Robert Redding Jr. of the Washington Times. "Mr. Busch, who last session touted the need for a $670 million increase in income and sales taxes, said he is not in favor of a special session for slots until the governor agrees to a referendum on the issue."

July 8, 2004. ACLU sues to allow gay 'marriage' in Maryland. "Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican, said yesterday he would sign a defense-of-marriage act, but that he would rather focus on more important issues." [Christina Bellantoni, Washington Times]

July 8, 2004. Colorado Democrats "'will have a hard time getting themselves re-elected unless they make election time commitments to get a voucher bill passed,'" the Wall Street Journal quotes candidate Bob Schaffer. "'Black pastors and Latino inner-city community leaders who are fed up with 70% minority drop-out rates in Denver public schools will make certain of it,'" commented Schaffer.

July 5, 2004. Pennsylvania bill revives Maryland call for slots, reports Greg Garland of the Baltimore Sun. "But the prospect seemed remote, as another key player in the Maryland slots debate, House Speaker Michael E. Busch, rejected that idea. The Anne Arundel County Democrat noted that an improving state economy has generated higher than expected revenues, easing budget pressures.Busch said he would consider agreeing to call a special session only if it were done for the limited purpose of authorizing a referendum for November on amending Maryland's Constitution to allow slot machine gambling."

July 3, 2004. Gambling initiatives raise states for Maryland, writes Robert Redding Jr. in the Washington Times. "Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has argued that slots revenue is needed to save the state's horse-racing industry and help pay for a $1.3 billion education reform act. He stepped up the pressure last week."

July 2, 2004. Ehrlich names 5 new members to state school board, reports Sean R. Sedam of the Gazette. The members include: David F. Tufaro, a real estate developer from Baltimore, J. Henry Butta, a retired president and CEO of Bell Atlantic-Maryland, Beverly A. Cooper, vice president of the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation Inc., Lelia T. Allen, a professor at the College of Southern Maryland in La Plata (who will serve out the unexpired term of former board President Marilyn D. Maultsby of Columbia), and Brian A. Williamson, of North Hagerstown High School, who serves as a student member.

July 2, 2004. Owings' replacement delights GOP, writes Thomas Dennison in the Gazette. "'We're still waiting to talk to Ms. Kullen, but we're pretty confident that anyone in that seat who believes in 'sensible' gun control won't be in that seat for too long,'" Purtilo said.

July 2, 2004. Reforming TABOR in Colorado: Cato Institute analysis by Michael J. New: "In 2000, all of this changed when the education lobby succeeded in passing Amendment 23. This law established a constitutional mandate for education spending: It required that education spending increase faster than TABOR's expenditure limit. This means that, over time, a progressively larger share of Colorado's budget would have to be devoted to education."

July 1, 2004. Higher vehicle fees in effect, notes David Nitkin of the Baltimore Sun. "Today also marks the start of the state's fiscal year, and a variety of new taxes are taking shape."