Strange Bedfellows

Sen. Larry Haines returned four days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. Haines, a five-term Republican who represents the 5th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 5th District includes parts of northern Baltimore County, including Parkton and Hunt Valley and Phoenix.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels.

By law, the salaries of state lawmakers cannot be increased or decreased during their term.

More than 150 legislators participated in the voluntary furlough days, including 25 of 29 legislators who represent Baltimore County, according to lists released by the House of Delegates and state Senate.

The lists did not contain the number of days each legislator voluntarily gave up. State officials said such information was protected by law as a personnel matter. Patuxent Publishing Co., publisher of this Web site, is asking each legislator who represents the county to voluntarily release information on the furlough days taken in late 2008 and early 2009.

Haines provided a copy of a form dated Dec. 22, 2008 showing that he authorized four days pay totaling $483.36 to be withheld.

Del. Todd Schuler returned five days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. Schuler, a first-term Democrat who represents the 8th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 8th District includes Perry Hall, Parkville and Overlea. (more…)

Del. Pat McDonough returned five days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. McDonough, a two-term Republican who represents the 7th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 7th District includes Cockeysville, Honeygo and Middle River.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels. (more…)

Sen. Norman Stone returned four days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. Stone, an 11-term Democrat who represents the 6th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 6th District includes Dundalk and Essex.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels. (more…)

Del. Todd Schuler announced Saturday that he will run for the County Council rather than seek a second term in the House of Delegates.

The announcement, made over the weekend at a campaign fundraising event, was not entirely unexpected. Schuler talked to me about running for the seat back in February 2008.

Schuler, a Democrat from Overlea, now represents the 8th District in the House of Delegates. He said he will run in 2010 for the 6th District council seat currently held by four-term Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder, who is running for county executive in 2010. (more…)

For Del. Adrienne Jones, co-chair of the technically defunct Special Committee on Employee Rights and Protections , the pursuit of Craig Chesek is about one thing: “closure.”

That’s what she told me last week when I asked her why the state is continuing to try to enforce a subpoena ordering Chesek to be deposed by lawyers representing the committee. After all, the committee issued a final report nearly three years ago on alleged political firings under then Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

Chesek, an Ehrlich appointee to the Public Service Commission, is the lone holdout. He testified in 2006 but Jones and others felt Chesek failed to sufficiently answer some questions and subpoenaed him to testify a second time. (more…)

Jim Smith’s planned move to Cockeysville and expected announcement that he will run for the open Senate seat that represents the 7th District has had a ripple effect.

Specifically, Councilman Vince Gardina, who was raising money for what many thought would be a run for the same senate seat, is rethinking things.

“I’m not running if the county executive runs,” said Gardina, who added that he “never really had the gumption to run for (senate), though.”

Gardina said he has spoken to Smith about running in the district but offered no insight on a possible decision by the county executive.

Smith has said publicly that he’ll wait until after the General Assembly session next year before making a  decision.

Gardina, a five-term Democrat who represents Perry Hall, Parkville and Towson, announced in September that he would not seek re-election.

He has continued to raise money and is thought to have between $250,000 to $300,000 in his campaign account.

Now, he said he’s looking at his options “politically and personally.”

“I’m looking at possibly not running for anything,” Gardina said, adding that he might consider running for House of Delegates in the  7th District.

Del. John Olszewski Jr. returned four days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year.

Olzsewski, a Democrat who represents the 6th District, released documents today showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 6th District includes Dundalk and Essex.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels. (more…)

Comptroller Peter Franchot came to Towson last week, preaching the gospel of penny-pinching in a place even he seemed to think was a bit odd — a Democratic club meeting.

Franchot spoke to about 50 attendees of the Central Baltimore County Democratic Club last Tuesday and compared the economy to a blizzard.

“The snow has stopped falling, but there’s 10 feet outside and it’s going to take a while to dig out,” Franchot said, adding that the possibility of new taxes to support state spending is slim to none until the economy rebounds.

“As Democrats, we have to reform state spending,” Franchot said. “A lot of Democrats look at me like, ‘What’s that?’ Like they took an oath to defend every last dime of spending in public programs.” (more…)

Del. Jon Cardin, a proponent of campaign finance reform, said he will continue to accept corporate donations leading up to the 2010 election even as he presses for approval of a bill that creates a publicly financed campaign option that would prohibit such contributions.

Cardin was one of two legislators who participated in the telephone news conference Wednesday morning touting the release of a poll that he said shows public support for campaign finance reform. Both Cardin and Sen. Jamie Raskin were asked during that news conference if they would promise not to accept campaign contributions from corporations beginning now. (You can read the full poll results here.) (more…)