The 53

CA Salary badness?

So today, it's a morning and an afternoon edition of the 53!  Just like back in the day with the Morning and Evening Sun, as well as the morning and evening News-American.  Ahhh, the Baltimore News-American....

Anyway, da Patch brings us this article about the Alliance for a Better Columbia having their way, and CA preparing a list of ALL of its' employees' salaries, which will be made public, by the end of this month.

OK, it looks like that after several years and more than a little wrangling and hand-wringing, that this is going to happen.  But what's the point?

I get that homeowners associations, by State law, are supposed to publish all their employees' salaries.  But I'm trying to get around how that information will help me as a Columbian?  I mean, OK-- I know what Phil Nelson makes because he's the freaking CA President.  But do I need to know what the attendant at Supreme Sports Club makes?

I am for openness, but also, I am suspicious when I see/hear the name of the Alliance for a Better Columbia mentioned anywhere.  Simply, because the Alliance for a Better Columbia isn't.  Never in my experience.

So, make me feel good about this, people.  Or validate my skepticism.  You choose.  Comment away!

The Best Non-Endorsement in Maryland Political History

So, I received the following e-mail from Governor O'Malley the other day:

"I consider myself fortunate for a number of reasons: the privilege to serve the people of Maryland, the ability to make a real difference in the lives of families, and the opportunity to move our great State forward through difficult economic times.

I am also fortunate that I have had a true partner in governing from the day I took office – your Lieutenant Governor, and my friend, Anthony Brown. Anthony is an outstanding public servant, and I have seen first-hand the results we’ve achieved becaused of Anthony’s leadership on efforts to create jobs, improve healthcare, and make college more affordable for more families.

No matter what lies ahead for Anthony in public service, I know that I will be with him 100 percent, because I believe that our State, our communities, and all Marylanders will benefit greatly with Anthony bringing people together to work for our shared priorities.

As Lieutenant Governor, Anthony has pushed hard to get our economic initiatives passed to protect our investments in education and job creation. He is nationally recognized for his leadership on behalf of our veterans, and he has developed groundbreaking new laws to protect victims of domestic violence.

The challenges facing Maryland have not been easy, and our progress would not have been possible without Anthony’s leadership and determination. Together, we’ve made the largest investment in our State’s history in public education, and Maryland’s public schools have been ranked number one in the nation four years in a row. Together, we have been able to maintain Maryland’s Triple A bond rating. And together, we’ve been able to recover 65 percent of jobs lost during the Great Recession and keep our unemployment rate more than 15 percent below the national average.

Throughout all of these challenges, Anthony has been by my side every step of the way. He has taken the lead on some of the most difficult measures our administration has pursued, from expanding and improving the delivery of health care and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, to strengthening Maryland laws protecting neglected children, to taking guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. He has leveraged legislative experience, consensus-building skills, and intelligence to pass many of our most critical priorities.

We have to work hard to make sure this progress continues well into the future, and that our State continues to move forward. For these reasons and more, I urge Anthony to continue his public service and pursue the greatest possible level of public responsibility. He has been my partner day in and day out, and he understands what needs to be done to make sure our state moves forward, not back.

After nearly six years of working together, I know that Anthony understands better than anyone how our government works, and more importantly, how to ensure it works best to improve the lives of our citizens. More than any other public official, Anthony Brown has my complete trust in his ability to serve the best interests of Maryland.

Over the coming months, I will be working hard to make sure Maryland benefits from Anthony’s continued leadership and that the progress we have made together continues well into the future. I hope you will join me in supporting Anthony in his commitment to build on the progress we’ve made in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Martin O’Malley

P.S. Please take the time to visit www.AnthonyBrown.com to learn more about Anthony’s story, his family, his military service, and the hard work he’s doing every day to move Maryland forward."

 

Wowza.

So, OK, what exactly is the harm in coming out and saying something in her like, "Oh, and Anthony Brown is running for Governor, and I endorse him."  Because that was what this just was, without coming out and saying the G-word.

I'll answer my own question and next call it a crock.  (hee hee, I love acting all like Bane in "Dark Knight Rises".)  So the reason why there exists this two-year early non-endorsement is to discourage the other non-candidates from attempting to seek the Governor's endorsement, and also, the non-endorsement exists as a preventative measure, lest anything the Governor may do over the next two years that, oh, I don't know, say, favors his Lieutenant Governor and screws over his Comptroller, be deemed politically motivated.

So here's why it's a crock.  Because it's so damn obviously.  And anyone so aggrieved (as in the highly theoretical case I describe above) will accuse the Governor of playing politics anyway.  Because that's what politicians simply do.

As a result this e-mail is a humongous waste of electrons and time.  And I will consider these matters carefully when deciding who to cast my vote for in the 2016 Presidential Primary!