November 30, 2005. Smart, or stupid? asks Larry Kudlow on townhall.com. "Will someone please explain why the Bush White House and the Republican Congress are not trumpeting this economic boom on a daily basis? Their polls are sagging, but the economy is soaring. This simply shouldn’t be."

November 28, 2005. GOP retreating on taxes, reports Robert Novak in Insight. "A goodly number of GOP House members have bought into the Democratic mantra that investment tax cuts, the backbone of economic recovery, are unfair to ordinary Americans."

November 26, 2005. Politicians who like multicultulturism and the teachers union-- Matthew Mosk reports on policy differences between Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele in the Washington Post. "For instance, the two are pursuing different approaches to improving pensions for the state's teachers, with Steele reaching out in recent weeks to a powerful union that has had rocky relations with Ehrlich. Also, Steele has distanced himself from administration actions that could annoy black voters -- a crucial constituency for him in the 2006 election. Those actions include Ehrlich's public denunciations of multiculturalism and a recent decision affecting Morgan State University, one of Maryland's historically black universities."

November 26, 2005. Marytland driver's license lawsuit sparks terrorism debate, reports Keyonna Summers in the Washington Times. "Maryland, which does not require legal presence for license applicants, was among six states with the most lax licensing standards, according to a report last year by the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License, another post-September 11 group."

November 25, 2005. Light poles vanishing -- believed sold for scrap by thieves; 130 street fixtures in Baltimore have been cut down reports Gary Gatley, New York Times, printed in the San Francisco Chronicle. "The missing poles have become yet another measure of the desperation in one of the country's most violent cities. Last year, Baltimore, with a population about one-twelfth that of New York City's, had a homicide rate more than five times as high."

November 25, 2005. Pipkin aims at health care crisis--Proposal would allow insurance carrier choice, reports Douglas Tallman in the Gazette. TBN wonders where the governor has been grappling with Maryland health care? Too many slots, too few consumer-directed solutions?

November 24, 2005. Germantown: Local bureaurats and activists who love taxes-- Nancy Trejos reports in the Washington Post. "The idea is to levy a tax on residents and businesses to generate money to enhance services and amenities, borrowing a concept that has been used in Montgomery towns such as Bethesda and Wheaton. The improvement district, as it would be known in Germantown, would be the first of its kind in the county's northern tier."

November 24, 2005. Cloning pioneer quits over ethics scandal, report Song Jung-a and Anna Fifield in Seoul, in the Financial Times. "Hwang Woo-suk, the South Korean scientist who has pioneered human embryo cloning for medical research, resigned on Thursday from all his official positions after admitting that two of his laboratory staff donated their eggs for his work. Faithful TBN readers should revisit Nancy Fortier's post to understand how Maryland taxpayer's money might be used for ethically questionable research.

November 23, 2005. In an interview with Free Congress Foundation Chairman Paul M. Weyrich, Political Editor of Human Events, John Gizzi, a 26-year veteran of that weekly publication, said that Americans should not expect any leadership from the Bush Administration on out-of-control federal spending. “This is an Administration which increased the size of the Department of Education more than Bill Clinton ever did, a President who signed the largest entitlement, the prescription drug bill, since Medicare was created, and, who just a week ago Thursday, held a black tie dinner at the White House to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts…”

November 22, 2005. Baltimore ranked 6th most dangerous city, reports John Fritze in the Baltimore Sun. "When compared to cities with a population of 500,000 or more, Baltimore ranked second, behind only Detroit."

November 21, 2005. Matt Rosenberg offers lessons for Seattle ... and possibly Baltimore. "If Seattle's mayor is held accountable for public schools, all manner of liberal claptrap related to public education here would necessarily be under the microscope. The city's political culture could gradually undergo a serious shift, as the defacto emphasis turns away from empty-nesters, the childless and Nanny State apologists to.....families, common sense and taxpayer bang-for-buck. Think about it." [Thanks to SoundPolitics.com]

November 20, 2005. Alan Reynolds in the Washington Times: Many "totally befuddled" seniors may take a pass on Medicare signup, but the problem is deeper than that. "Medicare is projected to rise from 12 percent of the federal budget to 25 percent by 2025, which is literally unsustainable because young taxpayers will not sustain it. We got into this mess as a result of 40 years of political hubris. Despite ample evidence to the contrary, legislators and bureaucrats continue believing they should dictate what sort of insurance coverage seniors should be allowed to buy. This arrogance persisted even after the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 was given a decent burial by the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Repeal Act of 1989. It continued even after the "Medicare C" plans of 1997 (mostly HMOs) faced declining enrollment since 2000."

Washington Times editorial: CONFIRM ELLEN SAUERBREY as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration."We hardly expect Mrs. Sauerbrey's critics to come clean and admit that her views on abortion or the fact that she's an outsider are the reasons they oppose her." Baltimore Sun: Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski "joined other Democrats this week in questioning the qualifications of Ellen R. Sauerbrey to be the State Department's top refugee official... Unless at least one Republican defects, unified Democratic opposition would not stop the nomination from advancing. One Republican on the committee, Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, said he was still considering whether he would support Sauerbrey."

November 19, 2005. Writing in the Washington Times, Peter Ferrara finds a$1.2 trillion tax increase in the President's Tax Reform Commission plan. "Republicans and conservatives must not accept $1.2 trillion in middle-class tax increases as the price for abolishing the ATM. When Congress enacted the ATM more than 30 years ago, it did not vote for a whopping middle-class tax increase. But the commission's revenue offsets would make it precisely that. This suggests a solution that could save the now politically stillborn commission reforms: Remove ATM repeal from the tax reform package altogether. Force liberals from California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, etc. to support outright repeal of the ATM in a separate vote, with no revenue offsets. With the $1.2 trillion 'revenue loss' from the ATM abolition out of the tax reform package, tax rates in the package could be cut substantially. Moreover, tax rates could be cut much more if the revenue effects of the reform were estimated on a dynamic rather than static basis."

November 19, 2005. When Would the President's Tax Cuts Expire? Andrew M. Grossman of the Heritage Foundation details expiration dates if Congress does not act to renew.

November 16, 2005. Scott Wallsten, American Enterprise Institute: When the Saints Go Marching Out. "First, they complain about existing facilities and demand that taxpayers build a new stadium. Second, they court other cities and threaten to leave if their current hometown refuses to bend. They complement these demands and threats with promises of economic revitalization, studiously ignoring solid research that finds no net positive economic benefits from public investments in stadiums. Finally, they pretend to be good citizens by offering a few free tickets for poor kids and creating a community fund. Those giveaways are dirt cheap: A few million dollars for parks and playgrounds sounds great but is barely a rounding error compared with the hundreds of millions handed out in government subsidies.The city typically caves in and builds the stadium, complete with massive cost overruns. Then the team plays in its new digs for a few years and starts the process over again."

November 19, 2005. House GOP whittles budget by $50 billion, reports Amy Fagan in the Washington Times. "The House bill's passage -- a particular relief for Mr. Blunt, who took over the post when Tom DeLay, Texas Republican, was indicted in September -- almost didn't happen because of Republican tensions. Conservatives demanded action, but up until late Thursday night, leaders were making concessions with the liberal wing of their party, who objected to some of the program reductions."

November 18, 2005. Regional leaders mull day labor issues, reports Caroline Zaayer, Capital News Service, in the Gazette. "Opponents of such centers argue that taxpayer money — the primary source of funding — should not be used to support centers that help undocumented immigrants find work. The day labor pool contains both legal and illegal immigrants."

November 18, 2005. Higher fee has homeowners feeling flushed, reports Mary Ellen Slayter, Capital News Service, in the Gazette. "Some Maryland homeowners may be jolted by an unpleasant surprise when they open their property tax bills next year. Instead of being billed for one year’s worth of the state’s new ‘‘flush tax,” homeowners with septic tanks — including about 30,000 in Anne Arundel County — will be billed $52.50, instead of the $30 a year they might have anticipated."

November 18, 2005. Wal-Mart hires more lobbyists to help topple benefits bill, reports Andrew A. Green in the Baltimore Sun. "'There are a lot of people watching the Maryland situation,'said company spokesman Nate Hurst. 'It started in Maryland. It was a concerted effort by organized labor there and, you know, a lot of what is driving this [nationwide] is an attack on our company there.'"

November 17, 2005. Wal-Mart Girds for Battle on Md. Bill; Benefits Measure Spurs a Buildup Of Lobbying Force, reports John Wagner. "They've hired the largest cadre of lobbyists in recent history in Annapolis to try to influence this legislation," said House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel). "It really comes down to whether the legislature is going to succumb to the money and the special interests."

November 17, 2005. Wal-Mart Pushes to Soften Its Image; Social, Environmental Initiatives Seen as Part of Larger Effort to Counter Critics, report Amy Joyce and Ben White in the Washington Post. "Wal-Mart chief executive H. Lee Scott Jr. announced in a speech Monday that Wal-Mart would add a new health care plan. He introduced a program that would reward environment-friendly suppliers and pledged that Wal-Mart would curb its energy use. Scott also called on Congress to raise the minimum wage."

November 15, 2005. The Bubble Bursts, only it's not the bubble you think . . . reports Irwin M. Stelzer in the Weekly Standard. Seltzer examines the probable effect on the economy of the declining prices of gas and houses.

November 11, 2005. Curtains for Tax Cuts? If so, the Republicans have no one to blame but themselves, writes Michael T. Darda in the National Review. "...I’m not sure why the Senate majority would hold tax cuts on dividends and capital gains (which have brought in more, not less, revenue) hostage to Medicaid spending. This approach is all stick and no carrot. It is akin to placing a loaded gun in the hands of the minority who will have no problem telling the electorate that the choice is between widows and orphans or 'tax cuts for the rich.' If the debate is framed this way, it likely will be curtains for the tax cuts, and potentially the Republican majority in November 2006 as well."

November 11, 2005. In Maryland, 40% fail test in English, reports Liz Bowie in the Baltimore Sun. State Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick "pointed out that schools like Polytechnic Institute and City College, which have many students from poor neighborhoods, do well because of good teaching and curriculum. 'We have to do a better job with our poor kids and our special education kids,' Grasmick said. 'Those students deserve a quality education.'"

Help stop the use of state money to pay for human cloning, embryonic stem cell research that kills embryos, and other types of unethical research. Encourage friends and family who are medical and scientific professionals to join the Maryland Coalition for Ethical Research.

November 11, 2005. Have guns, won't travel, reports Laura Vozella in the Baltimore Sun. "Jim Purtilo, who publishes the Maryland gun-rights newsletter Tripwire, said gun owners who supported Ehrlich's election didn't expect him to change state firearms laws. But Purtilo said they did think the gov would do some 'administrative stuff' to loosen restrictions - such as making it easier for Marylanders to get permits to carry handguns. Does that kind of complaint actually hurt the re-election chances of a Republican governor in a heavily Democratic state? Purtilo thinks so. 'They've transformed gun owners who would have voted single-issue into free agents,' he says."

November 10, 2005. In the National Review, Stephen Spruiell revisits the Free Republic-Washington Post scandal. "For those of you who have been following the MD4Bush story here's a little breaking news: Free Republic is looking into whether the Washington Post violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act when Post reporter Matthew Mosk accessed the Free Republic account of MD4Bush."

Special to MTA! November 9. Maryland and Virginia to collaborate on Beltway study, reports Peter Samuel. "Where Virginia is getting it right and Maryland doesn't get it at all is on financing. The Ehrlich administration has given lipservice to the notion of getting investors involved, but continues on with the ICC and other toll projects under the mantle of the old debt-issuing state authority model with all the slow bureaucracy, inflexibility, high costs, and political patronage that that entails."

November 8, 2005. In the National Review, Stephen Spruiell investigates Washington Post reporter Mathew Mosk in a story called: MDforDirtyPolitics…and journalism. "Mosk knew MD4Bush was some kind of an operative with an axe to grind. He saw the leading questions. He knew it was a set-up. He didn’t stop and say, 'Hey, wait a minute. An operative trying to orchestrate a political fall for the governor — maybe this is the story.' Instead, he concealed that information from his readers and presented the story as an open-and-shut case of Republican dirty tricks."

November 8, 2005. Maryland voices Milloy and Hudgins hit "leftist political agenda" in counter-conference on "Corporate Social Responsibility," reports Ivy Sellers in Human Events. MTA board member "Ed Hudgins, executive director of The Objectivist Center, which supports entrepreneurship by promoting values of reason, freedom, individualism and achievement, said the idea that business 'owes' society something in the first place is a misnomer."

November 2, 2005. Robert Novak deplores Bush's tax non-reform in townhall.com. "Having named a commission to make recommendations instead of using his own administration to devise a plan, Bush faces this dilemma. He can either buy into a reform that is going nowhere or, alternatively, disregard his panel's work and start from scratch."

November 2, 2005. TABOR Lives." Micheal J.New details lessons from a taxpayer setback in Colorado in the National Review. "Fiscal conservatives need to go on the offensive and highlight all the good TABOR has done since 1992. Indeed, TABOR deserves a great legacy. For most of the past 13 years it has provided Colorado residents tax relief, economic prosperity, and a leaner government. However, it has given fiscal conservatives nationwide perhaps something even more significant: an effective model that can be used in other states."

November 2, 2005. Verdict out on Colorado governor's future; Some believe the victory puts a shine on his legacy, but others say he's finished politically, reports Chris Frates in the Denver Post. "There is no such thing, said national anti-tax activist Grover Norquist. 'There is no moderate Republican who wants higher taxes and spending. This does not exist in the world,' he said. Owens is finished politically, Norquist said."

November 2, 2005.Muscle puts C over top; Broad coalition gets voters to OK looser limits on spending, reports Stuart Steers, in the Rocky Mountain News. "'You wanna know what made the difference in this campaign? Bill Owens. Every place he went in the last three weeks, he lit a fire,' said Walt Klein, a conservative political consultant with the pro-C campaign."

November 1, 2005. Tax Foundation responds to the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform. "While simplifying the tax system is a worthy objective, the ultimate goal of fundamental tax reform is to improve the economy’s performance by ridding the tax system of policies and provisions that distort economic behavior and impair economic growth. Moreover, eliminating these preferences in the code—and, thus, broadening the tax base—should allow lawmakers to lower tax rates for all taxpayers. Measured on this basis, both plans contain some good reforms but fall short in other important areas."