What Andy Harris didn’t tell The Baltimore Sun about Szeliga

On February 18, 2010, In Democrats, MD GOP, MD Senate, By Travis Tazelaar

Yesterday, The Baltimore Sun reported on their Maryland Politics blog that Andy Harris feels bullied by Senate President Mike Miller because he was asked to fire Kathy Szeliga, his Chief of Staff. The request was made on February 4th, well before the start of the pension debate, for no other reason than because Szeliga is for all intents and purposes a candidate for office in the 7th Legislative district. However, Andy Harris didn’t give the original complaint letter to The Baltimore Sun because it is he who is trying to use a “political power play.”

The Chairs of the Baltimore and Harford County Democratic Central Committees sent this letter to MD Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Mike Busch requesting that they look into the matter because MD General Assembly personnel policy prohibits its employees from running for the Maryland Senate or House of Delegates while they are on the legislature’s payroll.

The Sun reported that she has only raised $13,000, but the Maryland Campaign Finance database shows that she has raised $43,265. She continues to raise money during the 2010 Legislative Session, which should give anyone pause since she presumably will simultaneously be working with lobbyists on legislation. The General Assembly’s rules are designed to prevent shady business deals from happening.

Harris contends that ethics and human resource officials informed him and Szeliga that she may continue as his Chief of Staff. While that may be the case, her continued employment flies in the face of the intent of the personnel policy and they both know it. Moreover, the first and second pages of Mrs. Szeliga’s campaign finance report show 3 lobbyists that have given to her campaign.  Meanwhile, Szeliga continues to raise money during session. I find it hard to believe that there wouldn’t be lobbyists attending her March 4th fundraiser, headlined by Bob Ehrlich.

While Andy Harris scoffs at the Attorney General’s opinion, he should not scoff at the clear intent of the personnel policy and should ask Mrs. Szeliga to step down from her job.

Szeliga Ehrlich 030310 Fundraiser Flyer

Letter to Busch/Miller Letter re Harris 020410

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Ehrlich’s False IdentiTEA

On January 12, 2010, In Bob Ehrlich, Ehrlich Radio: We Listen So You Don't Have To, MD GOP, Republicans, By MD Dems

Ehrlich Radio: We listen so you don't have to.

Last weekend, Bob Ehrlich urged listeners of his talk radio show to attend a TEA Party rally in Annapolis sponsored by Americans for Prosperity and other TEA Party organizations. It’s not the first time MD Republicans have tried to latch on to the TEA Parties. However, it looks like Ehrlich is trying to curry favor with the TEA Partiers before they find out he’s not actually a fiscal conservative and they Scozzafava him. It makes sense that Ehrlich would want to distract everyone from his own spending record. In case folks have forgotten, we thought it would be a good idea to remind them of a few facts about Ehrlich’s spending record while in office.

Ehrlich proposed the largest-ever increase in state spending. Ehrlich’s FY 2007 budget proposal contained the largest-ever increase in state spending. It spent nearly $700 million more than revenues and included nearly 300 more positions than recommended by the Spending Affordability Committee.  (Department of Legislative Services, Budget Analysis, January 23, 2006)

Ehrlich exceeded the spending affordability guidelines. Ehrlich’s FY 2005, FY 2006 and FY 2007 budget proposals each exceeded spending limits recommended by the Spending Affordability Committee.

Ehrlich was criticized for reckless spending that didn’t “take into account the possibility that the economy might eventually sour.” A January 2006 Baltimore Sun editorial criticized Ehrlich for his spending increases, arguing they were reckless because they would cause budget pain in future years if the economy declined: “But it’s hard to endorse a management philosophy that doesn’t look beyond 2006 – or take into account the possibility that the economy might eventually sour.”

Something tells me that Ehrlich won’t be joining his listeners at this rally, but if he does, he’d probably be a little worried if the TEA Partiers found out that he’s not really one of them.

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