News from Annapolis                                                         April 9, 2010 New Capital Budget Includes Earmarks that Had No Public Hearing and Did Not Follow the Rules • The Final Stretch to Sine Die Monday • Consumer Alert for Veterans Dear Friends,      I voted this week against the $3.2 billion capital budget after Democratic budget leaders improperly inserted projects at the last minute to benefit their districts. No public hearings were held and no paperwork was submitted on their $670,000 in earmarks.      At a time when Maryland's capital budget is pressing against our debt affordability ceiling, we cannot afford such unrestrained capital spending--let alone extra pork sneaked into the budget for certain legislators. Unfortunately, the capital budget passed 108-33 on a party-line vote.      Del. Adrienne Jones, chair of the Capital Budget Subcommittee, is the one who laid out the rules in a February letter to Delegates when she detailed how to submit local bond bills--Maryland's version of earmarks. However, she did not follow the rules herself when she awarded $670,000 to seven projects that skipped the public hearing and all paperwork.      Five of those projects went to Del. Jones' Baltimore County home district, and the other two projects went to two of her cronies, fellow Appropriations subcommittee chairs. Every one of the 126 other bond bill requests filed this session from around the state did follow the rules.      The seven projects that Del. Jones leapfrogged to the front of the bond bill line, even though they ignored the rules, are as follows: • $40,000, new sign for Milford Mill Academy, Baltimore County • $50,000, construction of the Cherry Hill African American Historical Research Center, Baltimore County • $100,000, development of North County Park, Baltimore County • $40,000, Randallstown High School dark room, Baltimore County • $40,000, Woodlawn High School construction and restoration, Baltimore County • $250,000, Prince George's Volunteer Fire Department, Prince George's County • $150,000, United States Colored Troops Memorial Monument, St. Mary's County      I tried to fix this unwise and inequitable spending through amendment, but the House rejected my amendment 35-102. The following projects also would have been stripped from the budget by my amendment: • $200,000 for a CASA Multi-Cultural Service Center in Prince George's County. CASA de Maryland is the largest immigrant organization in Maryland. A Prince George's County legislator sits on the CASA Board of Directors. The new 21,000-square-foot state-of-the-art service center will provide "know your rights" training, access to benefits services and citizenship services. • $150,000 for a National Labor College Academic Services Building in Montgomery County. Founded by the AFL-CIO in 1969 "to strengthen union member education and organizing skills," the college is "devoted exclusively to educating union members, leaders and staff," according to its website. Union members should be funding this college--not the taxpayers of Maryland. • $150,000 for a new Capital Area Food Bank to be built in Washington, D.C. State Sen. Ulysses Curry, chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee, sits on the Board of Directors. This facility will be built in Washington, D.C.--not in Maryland. Our bond bill eligibility guidelines discourage funding of projects outside the state. We already have our own Maryland Food Bank.      For more information on this week's legislative issues, you may want to read the Legislative Wrap-Up, prepared by the state Department of Legislative Services every Friday.   The 2010 General Assembly session ends Monday at midnight. We are on the floor of the house this weekend, and we will be happy to return to our districts next week. Pictures clockwise from top left: House Speaker Michael Busch; My seatmate, Delegate Don Dwyer and I, behind Delegates Page Elmore and Rudolph Cane; and Delegate Tony O'Donnell, House Republican Leader Consumer Alert for Veterans! (Received today from the Maryland Department of Veterans' Affairs)      The federal Veterans Administration is warning Veterans not to give credit card numbers, bank routing information or any personal and financial information over the phone to callers claiming to update, confirm, or verify VA-related information. VA simply does not call Veterans and ask them to disclose personal financial information over the phone.      A Veteran targeted by scammers alerted the VA, saying that someone called claiming to be with the VA pharmacy and asking a lot of questions. The caller ID indicated that the incoming call was from 1-888-555-1234. There are a number of scams associated with this number, and it's been reported that the callers will call repeatedly and become aggressive. They will claim to be a VA employee saying your medical card is expired and the Veterans must send a check for a certain dollar amount for a renewal. In other versions, the caller says that your bank account is listed on a public computer in an effort to get it removed, you need to verify your bank information. Be leery of any calls originating from this number.      The VA has not changed its process for dispensing prescriptions or for enrollment. Nor has the VA changed its long-standing commitment to protect personal information of this nation's Veterans. Veterans with questions about VA services should call 1-877-222-8387, or the nearest VA medical center.

 

Note from Susan:    I am dedicated to being your voice in Annapolis as we work toward better roads, schools and jobs, and also a reduced tax burden.    Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or ideas you may have. My legislative aide, Linda Schmuck, and I are always happy to help.