State Roundup, November 18, 2014

HOGAN TACKLES BLEAK BUDGET FORECAST: Gov.-elect Larry Hogan said Monday that new budget figures show Maryland’s economic picture is even bleaker than he had warned during his campaign, and will make it tougher to devise a plan to cut taxes, reports Michael Dresser in the Sun.  “Even I am surprised by the magnitude of the problem and the task ahead of us,” he said.

TRANSITION TEAM APPOINTMENTS: Gov.-elect Larry Hogan (R) named another half-dozen members of his transition team on Monday, including some well-known figures who’ve served previous tours of duty in state politics, including former state school Superintendent Nancy Grasmick, state Sen. Joe Getty and Gazette columnist Blair Lee.

LOSING, IN HAIKU: Josh Kurtz of Center Maryland goes crazy for haiku as he assesses the governor’s race to discern why Anthony Brown lost.

AGNEW’S AFFORDABLE BALL: From Retro Baltimore, in the Sun, a look back at Spiro Agnew’s affordable inaugural ball.

TOP DEMS ASSESS LOSSES: John Wagner of the Post reports that Maryland’s top Democratic elected officials huddled behind closed doors in Annapolis on Monday to lick their wounds and begin an assessment of how the party blew the governor’s race. “We’re going through a period of self-examination,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who called the meeting.

COLLATERAL WINNERS & LOSERS: Gazette columnist Blair Lee enumerates his long list of winners and loser from the aftermath of election day.

Montgomery College election leaderboard 728 x90 px

O’MALLEY URGES PIPELINE REJECTION: Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) took to social media on Monday to urge the U.S. Senate to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline, saying the country needs to look beyond “smallball choices facing us on energy,” John Wagner writes in the Post.

PHOSPHORUS RULES: New regulations to limit farmers from polluting phosphorus into the Chesapeake Bay could be implemented before Gov. Martin O’Malley leaves office in January, reports Phil Davis for the Salisbury Daily Times.

  • O’Malley moved forward with Phosphorus Management Tool plans on Friday, submitting the plan to a state legislative committee for review and comment, Josh Bollinger reports in the Easton Star Democrat. The executive move came a week after a cost analysis was released that estimated the environmental tool could cost Eastern Shore farmers about $22.5 million, after government subsidies for issues like manure transportation and alternative fertilizers are factored in.

CASSILLY BROTHERS: When long-serving Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly travels to Annapolis to seek support for his office during the next four years, he will potentially have two close supporters in the Maryland General Assembly – his younger brothers, Bob and Andrew, reports David Anderson of the Aegis.

SCHUH NAMES CHIEF OF STAFF: Anne Arundel County Executive-elect Steve Schuh on Monday announced that his campaign manager and former county employee, Diane Croghan, will serve as his chief of staff. She will be the first female chief of staff for an Anne Arundel County executive in 25 years, according to the Annapolis Capital.

3 DEMS ON NEW FREDERICK COUNCIL: Bethany Rodgers of the Frederick News Post reports that Republican Ellen Bartlett has opted against calling for a recount in her race against Jerry Donald, who by 25 votes has claimed a seat on the new Frederick County Council. Her decision clears the way for Donald to become the third Democrat on the seven-member council.

CHANGES IN WICOMICO? In less than a month, Republican Bob Culver will become only the second Wicomico County Executive since the position’s creation. Culver’s upset of eight-year Democratic incumbent Rick Pollitt on Nov. 4 brought rumors of major changes for the departments Pollitt has presided over for nearly a decade, reports Phil Davis for the Salisbury Daily Times.

About The Author

Cynthia Prairie

[email protected]
https://www.chestertelegraph.org/

Contributing Editor Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor since 1979, when she began working at The Raleigh Times. Since then, she has worked for The Baltimore News American, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Prince George’s Journal and Baltimore County newspapers in the Patuxent Publishing chain, including overseeing The Jeffersonian when it was a two-day a week business publication. Cynthia has won numerous state awards, including the Maryland State Bar Association’s Gavel Award. Besides compiling and editing the daily State Roundup, she runs her own online newspaper, The Chester Telegraph. If you have additional questions or comments contact Cynthia at: [email protected]

1 Comment

  1. Fuster Cluck

    for over 30 years, the way our state and county government handles budget shortages is to raise taxes. take more from the people. they could care less that the Maryland taxpayer is already broke and struggling and cant even pay their bills, or find decent paying full time work.

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