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Ehrlich Says He's Fed Up With Rude Democrats
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But some in the crowd cheered Ehrlich's comments.
"There is horrific public policy being made in Annapolis," said Christopher B. Summers, president of the Maryland Public Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. "Today, Ehrlich fired a shot across the business community's bow."
Ehrlich has made a concerted effort over the years to enlist business leaders and other traditional Republican allies in his quest to break Democrats' grip on the General Assembly.
Besides Ehrlich's own reelection bid, he and state GOP leaders are focused on trying to pick up as many as 14 seats in the House of Delegates and seven in the Senate in order to make it more difficult for Democrats to override vetoes. Democrats hold a 19-seat advantage in the Senate and a 55-seat edge in the House of Delegates.
In 2004, Ehrlich challenged the Maryland Chamber of Commerce to "get dangerous" by becoming more involved in state politics -- a theme he has repeated to home builders and conservative interest groups.
The governor's frustration with the General Assembly appears to be growing.
In the past month, the legislature overrode 17 of Ehrlich's vetoes, including his opposition to a $1 increase in the minimum wage (to $6.15 an hour) and a controversial proposal to require Wal-Mart and similarly sized companies to spend more on employee health care.
"I cannot and do not measure the damage done to our state," he said. "It's immeasurable."
In yesterday's speech, Ehrlich stressed the state's low unemployment rate and said Maryland had created 100,000 jobs since he took office. He also promised that construction will begin this year on the proposed intercounty connector highway and took credit for blocking plans for $7.5 billion in new taxes.
