Month: September 2012

New president of Md. Nonprofits group takes over in challenging time

Greg Cantori takes over as president of Maryland Nonprofits next Monday at a time when nonprofit organizations and their clients – like many businesses in Maryland small and large – have been battered by the economy.

“Not only did they have to weather this great recession, they have had to take up the slack” from the impact of the economy’s increasing demand for social services, Cantori said in an interview. “It’s been such an incredibly challenging time in the last five years.”

State Roundup, September 24, 2012

The Capital-Gazette takes a look at what happens in Maryland if Obamacare is repealed; meanwhile the young and insured rises in the state; state senators get lessons in farming; a Canadian firm wins contract to operate two MARC lines; referendums will dominate Nov. 6 elections; the Rev. Al Sharpton among black clergy taking a stand for gay marriage; jobless rate drops, but not enough to move the needle; Montgomery County businessman hopes to unseat U.S. Sen. Cardin as an independent; GOP ad attacks O’Malley in N.C.; Howard Exec Ulman in campaign mode on Eastern Shore; and Pepco strike possible.

Cleaning up Maryland voter rolls with new national system won’t happen till after the election

A new, national voter registration data exchange Maryland joined earlier this year to help clean up its voter rolls will not deliver necessary data to the State Board of Elections in time to scrub the lists before the Nov. 6 elections.

The group – Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), did however provide timely data to the state board of elections that would help increase the number of registered voters, according to David Becker of The Pew Center on the States, the group that created the program.

State Roundup, September 21, 2012

Sides on same-sex marriage buy TV time; County Execs Baker and Ulman push for expanded gambling; Alex Mooney finally withdraws from run for seat held by his boss, U.S. Rep. Bartlett; large state job loss predicted if Medicare cuts take place; is Jim Smith running for governor? and O’Malley hits the campaign trail for out-of-state Dems.

Clean energy gathers momentum as big business

Judging from the number of financiers, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and corporate managers at this week’s Maryland Clean Energy Summit, the renewable energy business and companies that reduce use of carbon fuels are becoming larger and more profitable. Bill Van Hoene, senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Exelon Corp., which recently purchased Constellation Energy, told an awards lunch that Exelon had proved that a commitment to clean energy is “not just good environmental policy, but good business.”

State Roundup, September 20, 2012

State officials say they are stepping up efforts to collect $6 million in unpaid tolls; Comptroller Franchot denounces Rocky Gap’s decision to scale back on slots; UM officials say if DREAM Act passes, deluge of immigrant students won’t happen; Sen. Pres Mike Miller unhappy with anti-slots campaigner; challenger Dan Bongino confident he’ll beat U.S. Sen. Cardin; and big OOPS: in Arundel County, four part-time workers collect $200,000-plus in full pensions, but shouldn’t have.

$390 million rise in state employee health insurance raises concerns about costs and quality

Maryland’s Board of Public Works voted Wednesday to increase spending authority on health care benefits for state employees by nearly $390 million. Budget Secretary Eloise Foster said the increase would pay for more people joining the state’s plan since the original health care authorization in 2008. Comptroller Peter Franchot raised concerns about the quality of care the added costs would pay for.

State Roundup, September 19, 2012

Comptroller Franchot urges immeditate, online financial disclosure for politicians, then blasts General Assembly for “secretive” gambling special session; campaign finance commission finds some consensus; gambling referendum campaign out-raises what was spent on last governor’s election; Prince George’s NAACP chief supports same-sex marriage; campaign for U.S. Rep. Harris says he won’t debate a write-in candidate.

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