January 28, 2010 – monoblogue

Looking glass government

Once in awhile Democrats can come up with a good idea, although I’m not so sure they didn’t steal a GOP one as their own.

Anyway, on Wednesday a bill was introduced in the Maryland General Assembly to open up the process of government. HB344 would, among other things, make committee votes easier to access and allow people to sign up online to testify on pending legislation. Those hearings would also be broadcast over the General Assembly’s website.

HB344 would also make the subscription “Up-to-the-minute” service free, with the shortfall made up for by increasing the fee for registering lobbyists from $100 to $145. Finally, a tax increase I can live with.

Maryland’s Americans for Prosperity leadership was also pleased. AFP Maryland director Dave Schwartz stated:

“HB344 is not about left, right, Republican or Democrat. This bill is about good government and making it easier for Marylanders to hold their elected officials accountable. We thank Delegate Mizeur for her introduction of this proposal, and will be encouraging our members to support HB344.”

Americans for Prosperity-Maryland is a free market, grassroots organization that also encourages good government policies. With the exploding popularity of social networking websites, we believe the internet is a cost effective tool to encourage transparency and accountability within state government. HB344 uses that technology in a way that promotes those virtues.

The bill already has 76 co-sponsors, with 7 of them being Republican. Why that number is so low I don’t know, but perhaps more will come on board as often happens once a bill moves farther along in the process. Its only drawback is that the law wouldn’t take effect until October 1st, meaning the remainder of this year’s pivotal session won’t be broadcast under these rules.

No hearing has yet been scheduled for the bill, which lies under the jurisdiction of the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. That committee (see page 28) is chaired by Delegate Hattie Harrison of Baltimore City, with her vice-Chair being a local Delegate, Rudy Cane (District 37A, Dorchester/Wicomico). Delegate Norm Conway (one of my Delegates here in District 38B, Wicomico/Worcester) is also on the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. Obviously local AFP members are familiar with Conway, so he should get a little encouragement on helping this along.

Senate puts grandkids farther into debt

Breaking: in another Senate vote, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was confirmed for another term by a 70-30 vote. Both Maryland Senators supported Bernanke, but Delaware’s Senators split as Ted Kaufman voted against reconfirmation while Tom Carper voted in favor. No nominee for Federal Reserve Chairman has ever received that many negative votes.

It’s not surprising or even shocking anymore, but on a strict party-line 60-39 vote the Senate today increased the nation’s debt limit for the second time in two months. The new debt limit is $14.29 trillion.

Bill Wilson and Americans for Limited Government were understandably angry over this. I, on the other hand was resigned to it.

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned the U.S. Senate for voting to increase the national debt ceiling by $1.9 trillion which would bring the national debt limit to $14.294 trillion if passed by the House.

“Not even 24 hours after Barack Obama called for a ‘freeze’ to bring spending under control, the Senate has voted to increase the national debt by almost $2 trillion,” Wilson said. “Is this some kind of sick joke on the American people?”

“By increasing the national debt to $14.29 trillion, the Senate has voted to set the debt ceiling to be greater than the nation’s entire Gross Domestic Product,” Wilson added. The current GDP is $14.242 trillion, based on third-quarter data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The vote in the Senate was 60-39. Not a single Senate Republican voted for it. In December, Congress voted to increase the debt ceiling by $290 billion to $12.394 trillion.

“The national debt is increasing so fast that it is going to bury the U.S. dollar and wreck the economy, leaving nothing but a trail of inflation, unemployment, and a pile of worthless paper,” Wilson said, adding, “We’re going to default.”

There’s more to the release, but the part I quoted is pretty much depressing enough. Wilson and ALG did point out that the current $202 billion required simply to service the debt would balloon up to $700 billion by 2019. By way of comparison, the final number for the Department of Defense in the FY2010 budget was $680 billion – which includes “overseas contingency operations.” (Those operations could easily be paid for with the interest we’re paying on the debt now, as that total for the War on Terror is presumably about $130 billion over the original appropriation.)

I would guess that statements on this will be upcoming from the men running to unseat Senator Barbara Mikulski, who was one of the Democrat puppets who reflexively voted to place our nation even farther into debt.

And President Obama is already working on spending his newly authorized debt. The National Taxpayers Union estimated that the promises made in Obama’s State of the Union address will cost taxpayers an additional $70 billion. But that’s chump change anymore in this day and age.

Colburn draws second challenger

The Uptown Cafe opened up a little early to host this morning's event. Owner Molly Taylor noted it was the first political event she'd recalled having in her restaurant.

This morning, Chris Jakubiak began a four-city announcement tour in Salisbury as he seeks to unseat incumbent State Senator Richard Colburn of District 37.

Wye Mills resident Chris Jakubiak kicked off his four-stop announcement tour in Salisbury this morning, as the Democrat makes his initial run for office attempting to unseat a longtime State Senator.

Speaking from prepared remarks in front of a small group of supporters and press, Chris laid out his agenda and detailed his background as business owner and practicioner in the field of urban planning, including work here in Salisbury. Jakubiak revealed he was running because “it’s time for a new direction, a new energy, a new commitment, and a new matter-of-fact way of solving problems.”

Included in this group were a writer and photographer from the Daily Times along with former Salisbury City Councilman Mike Dunn.

Among his priorities if elected will be advancing economic development, restoring local waterways and Chesapeake Bay, and education. He noted that, “I seek a state government that is lean and effective, pragmatic and affordable.”

Saying that 135,000 Marylanders lost jobs last year and the state has a budget deficit of $2 billion, Jakubiak blamed Republican incumbent Senator Richard Colburn for being “as much a part of the institution as anyone else in Annapolis,” but will choose to unveil his legislative priorites over the next several months.

Chris Jakubiak was kind enough to answer the question I had after making his remarks. It'll be interesting to see the coverage provided in the Daily Times.

Yet in looking at Colburn’s voting record, he’s one of the more moderate GOP Senators. In the past, he’s voted with Democrats on several environmental issues (like the so-called Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act of 2009, 2008 legislation restricting growth in critical areas, and the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007, which banned smoking in restaurants) and has voted for each of Governor O’Malley’s three budgets (while he also voted for amendments to reduce the budget, his opposition didn’t carry through.)

Afterward, I asked Chris, “You say that Senator Colburn is ‘part of the institution’ yet he has generally voted against many of the policies you decry. Would there be reason to believe you’d make the ‘tough decisions’ when the majority hasn’t been able to do so?”

Chris thought there was a “disconnect” in state government and that he could “bring a realistic point of view to problem solving.” The issues before Annapolis were not simple, but complicated and he would work to be a “consensus builder.”

His four-city rounds continue today through Cambridge, Preston, and Easton, including a Cambridge stop at a local high school to speak to a group of young Democrats there.

Jakubiak, of Wye Mills, will square off with 2006 candidate Tim Quinn in the Democratic primary on September 14.