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Democratic Senators Offer Their 2 Cents on Filling the Budget Hole
To welcome a replica of Capt. John Smith's shallop to Annapolis yesterday morning, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) helps the crew row into the city docks. The replica shallop is tracing Smith's 1608 expedition, spending 121 days exploring almost ever tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. It is spending the weekend, days 64 and 65, in the capital.
(By Mark Gail -- The Washington Post)
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The source of Pipkin's ire was an e-mail sent by the association's David Bliden to county leaders asking them to share with the governor's office examples of pain that will be felt if the state pushes off costs on the counties. Some leading lawmakers are advocating cutting state aid to localities -- which accounts for about 40 percent of the state budget -- as a way to close a looming shortfall of nearly $1.5 billion.
In his e-mail, Bliden asks that examples be sent to Josh White, the intergovernmental affairs director for Gov. Martin O'Malley (D).
"Josh is interested in coordinating a message for the Governor as he goes on road trips to the counties," Bliden wrote. "He is looking for . . . real vignettes of the county 'doomsday' budgets . . . like closing libraries, reductions in deputies, larger class size, no support for volunteers firefighters. . . . The Gov could be visiting the counties during the next weeks, which presents an opportunity to deliver."
Pipkin said the e-mail "lays out an arrogant and shameless blueprint for getting locals to back tax increases" at the state level as an alternative to cutting county aid.
Bliden said he was "perplexed" both by Pipkin's comments and by his reference to the fictional mobsters and said he has nothing for which to apologize.
"Even Tony Soprano couldn't arm twist his cronies to believe the right solution to the state's fiscal challenge is to simply shift the problem to the counties, as some propose," Bliden said. "Senator Pipkin would be better served in getting governance perspectives from 'Simpsons' reruns than 'The Sopranos.' "
-- John Wagner
Here She Is . . .
The new spokeswoman for Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold (R) is . . . drum roll, please . . . Marina Harrison, former Miss Maryland 2003 and third runner-up to Miss America.
Harrison last week was given the official title of special assistant to Leopold and will handle media relations and produce the county's weekly public access show.
Among other accomplishments, a news release noted, she is the only Maryland woman to have competed in both Miss America and Miss USA.
"I don't apologize for it. I'm proud if it," Harrison said of her pageant career, noting her other qualifications. Since graduating from college, she has worked in the Maryland education department's communications office and been a spokeswoman and a director of international affairs for the office of the Maryland secretary of state.
Her ultimate goal, she said, is one day to serve as White House press secretary.
-- William Wan
