Link here. Short version: big hotels versus travel agencies. And the governor of Maryland stuck in the middle.
Tag: maryland
My Watchdog.org post on the rain tax repeal is up.
Found here. Short version: Maryland repealed that odious rain tax. And good riddance to bad rubbish, too.
My Watchdog.org post on Maryland SNAP oversight is up.
Link here. Short version: it’s not very oversight-y. Yes, I know, shocking.
Tweet of the Day, Larry Hogan Needs To Step Up edition.
Although I will concede that what Gov. Larry Hogan needs to do here is open for debate.
Early, possibly career-defining tests for MD Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and newly-sworn-in AG Loretta Lynch
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) April 27, 2015
I don’t expect anything out of new-minted Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and I expect that I will get precisely that (yes, a tautology, but you know what I mean). But Gov. Hogan currently has to deal with the largest city in his state sliding out of control. As a Marylander myself, I’m quite interested to hear what he plans to do about it.
My Watchdog.org piece on Maryland wind farms is up!
Found here. Short version: now that the subsidies are drying up they’re killing those wind farms with fire. Also, Watchdog.org will in fact edit out my hysterical laughter on this topic. Good to know.
My Watchdog.org post on the Maryland tax battles is up.
Found here. Short version: Democrats really hate to cut taxes. I mean, it’s like it causes them physical pain.
My Watchdog.org Maryland Fracking Update post is up.
Found, as usual, here. Short version: the Maryland legislature is going to not sign off on fracking, and the governor is probably going to let them because, honestly, the state is generally (if only vaguely) against it. …Sorry?
Donna Edwards (D CAND, MD-SEN PRI) plots the conquest of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
As Virginia Virtucon notes: “Whoops.” Although, ironically? …It makes a certain amount of strategic sense, when you look at the map.
Continue reading Donna Edwards (D CAND, MD-SEN PRI) plots the conquest of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Martin O’Malley not running for MD-SEN seat, surprisingly.
You’d think that he’d be all over this, but no: “Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said Tuesday he will not run for Senate in 2016, taking himself out of what could be a messy Democratic primary race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski.” That is… very interesting. Maybe there really is an internal Democratic movement afoot to give Hillary the old heave-ho convince the Distinguished former Secretary of State that she should relax a little, and enjoy her twilight years. Certainly O’Malley would have much more of a shot in a completely open Presidential field…
Or maybe O’Malley just wants to spend the rest of his life cashing fat lobbying checks. I could see that, too.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D, Maryland) to cut and run?
Normally I’d bow to the realities on the ground and write that as “Sen. Barbara Mikulski to retire?” – but what the heck. We got lucky in Maryland last year; I’m willing to spend a little of that on optimism gone mad. Anyway: “U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski will announce her retirement this morning in Baltimore, according to multiple sources… The Democrat will address the media at 11 a.m. in Fells Point, promising an “important announcement about her future plans.” No further details were available.”
This has been expected: Sen. Miklulski was either going to retire this term, or next one. I’m not going to lie: flipping this seat would be an uphill battle. On the bright side, nobody’s going to take the Republican candidate seriously until it’s too late… and, as Governor Larry Hogan can tell you, that can be a precious thing to have going for you. Guess we will, as they say, see. Continue reading Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D, Maryland) to cut and run?