Not being a native, I have had to learn some nuances of the region’s political history. I remember reading a post submitted by Ron Fithian, President of the Kent County Commissioners. He talked about the high regard in which Clayton Mitchell, and by extension, our seat in the General Assembly, was held. Whether the motive for that comment was a lament of our situation or a challenge for his town compatriot, the message was clear: the time has come to reclaim a seat at the big person’s table.
Troup’s Corner shares that sentiment. At the risk of sounding like the Israeli Prime Minister, the situation on the ground has changed. Our region has an opportunity to be part of the discussion, if it wants to be. For example, last week’s inquiry into the State’s maintenance of effort education mandate was picked up by Montgomery County circles. Mandates that have affected smaller counties are now starting to become cumbersome for larger jurisdictions, as the fine political line must be walked between pulling the trigger on the constant yield rate and cutting funding for various programs.
While Kent County is on a smaller scale compared to Montgomery, all of these decisions are relative. Eastern Shore counties have made these tough decisions in recent years. Now they must be made on the I-95 corridor.
Montgomery County BOE President Barclay (see last week’s edition) recently submitted a letter to the county’s Annapolis delegation. Mr. Barclay also wants a change to the maintenance of effort standard. The difference is he would like to double down on it, by keeping the annual standard, extending the taxing authority of the counties, and penalizing the county government if the mandate is not met.
While we agree that not meeting the MOE standard for the purposes of “rebasing” education funding is spiteful and violates the spirit of the mandate, yours truly advocates a four-year approach so that counties can handle year-to-year economic hardships. By sharpening the teeth of MOE, Mr. Barclay’s ideas could be counter-productive. If MOE is institutionalized as an absolute minimum and taxpayers wind up footing the bill for the penalty, then counties may only use the mandate as a magnet. Significant increases would set the bar artificially high for the following year (as I noted last week, this “rebasing” seemed okay at the time).
So Montgomery County’s BOE appears to want the attention of the State. Hopefully our 36th district delegation will do the same. Now that it has been agreed upon that MOE as currently constructed no longer works, the conversation should begin on how to fix it. Will Annapolis welcome everyone to the table?
Earning a seat, part deux
The degree to which Eastern Shore counties can best the beltways in a funding battle is TBD at best. It may take a baby steps approach. Is there somewhere that the 36th can impact the discussion, and have a positive impact on the overall budget situation?
One such situation may come in the form of affecting a change to the State’s Abandoned Property Act. In an ironic twist of fate, the state ranked 31st in business friendliness by a study documented in the April 20, 2011 edition of the Baltimore Business Journal, has exclusions for business to business transactions (B2B) in its unclaimed property law.
Backing up a little bit, after an elapsed period of time established by the various states, the states afford themselves the right to take “custodianship” of money unclaimed by owners domiciled in their state. An “owner” is usually the payee on a check. The state takes responsibility for distributing the funds to the rightful owner, if they make a claim. Short of a claim, funds go to the general fund as miscellaneous revenue.
If one were so inclined, they could take a peek at the fund by going here . A $50 million reduction was forecasted between 2010 and 2012. If excluded B2B transactions were only a tenth of the value of the 2010 figure, the State of Maryland could realize $330 million in revenue over a decade.
There’s more to the story. Abandoned property laws are owner driven, which is to say that holders (payors) are compelled to act in the interest of owners (payee). Maryland is actually declining to take custodianship of funds owed to Maryland businesses; consequently, allowing other states without a B2B clause to realize this revenue (just about every state has this “if you won’t then we will” clause in their law).
Rest assured, readers, that nobody has kidnapped the author of Troup’s Corner and replaced him with Peter Franchot. I get the irony that I am telling you all that the State isn’t taking enough from businesses. Let’s not cry too many tears for them. In accrual accounting, the funds were kissed goodbye when the check was written. So this would really be a matter of taking funds out of one liability account and placing it in another.
As we discuss millionaires’ taxes, increasing tolls, gasoline taxes that somehow morphed into grants, and delegation of liabilities to the locals, there are other tweaks that can be made. Perhaps this solution should be looked at during the next legislative session. Even though we’re all coming for the dinner, the folks at the table usually remember a well-prepared dip.
John Vail, Worton says
Heads up . . . Maryland’s legislature is predominately Democratic. Kent County and the rest of the 36th district will not have Mr. Troup’s longed-for “seat at the table” as long as it keeps electing Republican Delegates and a Republican Senator.
MBTroup says
@John – Nope! Being exclusionary solely on the basis of one’s political party is petty and vindictive. I perceive you fancy yourself an open minded person. You’re above that argument. Let’s think it through. Suddenly the intelligentsia from PG, Montgomery, and Howard counties will feel a gush of empathy for our region if we were to elect one of them? If not, then why does it matter? And if so, then that means the Democrat party held your needs hostage for political gain.
Nope, I choose to believe that principles can trump politics. Bring an idea to the table, and it will be rewarded appropriately. Whether the people are in place to make that happen is TBD. So let’s play some short sttention span theatre. I’ll play the GOP type (I’ve been typecast!). You play one of the Mikes from Annapolis. I just handed you an idea that would add tens of millions of dollars to the general fund at no cost to you or I. In the midst of a budget crunch, you think it’s valid to reject this idea on the notion that we are of different parties?
John Vail, Worton says
Mr. Troup — I apologize if I gave offense. My comment was directed principally to your thoughts about the Montgomery County School Board, not those about abandoned property.
I agree, of course, that good ideas should be the basis of good public policy. I think the truth, however, is that good ideas need good and strong advocates and that in our political system, numbers count. Should it be that way? I’m not sure that’s a relevant question.
Who would disagree that all Americans should have access to high-quality, affordable health care? or that we have a responsibility to bequeath financially stable governments to our children and grandchildren? or that taxes should be no higher than necessary to meet government’s basic obligations? Very few, I suspect.
But putting a finer point on those good ideas and turning them into public policy requires, well . . . politics. “Principles can trump politics” . . . I’m not sure I’ve seen it in my lifetime. That doesn’t make me cynical, though. I am ever hopeful (if often disappointed) that principled politicians can find their way to reasonably effective solutions to difficult issues.
By the way, we call it the Democratic Party; in the name of abandoning the “petty and vindictive,” you could do the same.
MBTroup says
“I think the truth, however, is that good ideas need good and strong advocates and that in our political system,”
I’ll concede that point. As I noted in my prior comment, whether we have that is TBD; however, the D or R is not the determining factor.
“numbers count. Should it be that way? I’m not sure that’s a relevant question.”
It is relevant. But you’re right, numbers do count. I return to my original question of you. If we join the numbers, are our needs met? What changes in the grand scheme of things regarding the structure of the relationship between Annapolis and the Counties? I’m still waiting for the answer from those who perpetuate this argument that giving in will do so many wonders. The majority that some folks are so adamant about joining, have created a structure that ran a major deficit which had to be plugged on the backs of people through various fees and cuts to local services. And the solution is to sign up for more of it?
It’s a variant of my liquid soap theory, I suppose.
“By the way, we call it the Democratic Party; in the name of abandoning the “petty and vindictive,” you could do the same.”
I never heard a news anchor say “Democratics are pressuring the Congressman to step down.” 🙂
By the way, whether I’m a pain the arse, a welcome addition, or a non-entitiy, it should be noted that you’re a significant part of why we’re here today!
Keith Thompson says
From my perspective, I think it makes sense to vote for candidates that represent my point of view regardless of whether or not they are effective (even if they have no chance to win when I go the third party route). The problem I see here is that from a representation standpoint, it’s irrelevant who the actual elected state representatives are here because the state government is too top heavy. The catch-22 is that you can’t be represented well because the state government is too powerful and the local reps can’t fight the state because the state is too top heavy with power. Eventually, the only rational solution is to break off from the top heavy state.
On a more serious note, the most meaningful office for Eastern Shore voters is governor since there is a better numbers chance to gain that office and at least a politically compatible governor could at least gain a stalemate with the legislature.
MBTroup says
“Eventually, the only rational solution is to break off from the top heavy state.”
Rational? It’s fun to talk about whether the line of demarcation would be the Susquehanna or the C&D. But rational?
Keith Thompson says
The more the folks on the Eastern Shore are getting screwed by Annapolis and they have no recourse within the system to fight, the more rational the idea becomes. This is looking like the issue where the Eastern Shore has hit its Howard Beale moment.
Stephan Sonn says
The Eastern Shore stopped being an important Maryland power player almost three generations ago. If it were not for the top heavy government initiatives and benefits most of our front doors would have chresent moon cut-outs.
Stephan Sonn says
Needless to say secession is a Tea Party solution and not rational. Seems like the chickens have come home to roost.
MBTroup says
Anyone care to show me where the TP caucus has a platform plank that includes the secession of the Eastern Shore states from Maryland?
Stephan Sonn says
Don’t be so literal Mr.Troup….There isn’t a precise master plan:
Just chaos, let loose particularly by the Tea Party.
Secession as a solution to hot spot objection to regional government and national government.
Even Staten Island entertained the prospect of joining NJ as a city.
If you view historical trends and the history of anarchy and revolution they often react to the same self-justifying stimuli.
Even Tea Party favorite Rick Perry of Texas raised the splintering prospect in a state that has a history of secession.
Nobody edits the range blog-sphere anymore than you can measure the id or put panic in a lock box. One thing is sure, there is presently a general decay and rush to chaos. Tea party exists to fan the flames.
I would not presume to postulate that those preaching secession do so on the direct orders from the Tea Party but there is a common umbrella that. covers and protects a strain of naysayers.. Mr Thompson did nothing more then borrow the persona of a movie character.
I asked you in another post where the leadership was for a recovery plan. You did not answer.. .. Some of them that should be allies are sleeping with the enemy, would have been my answer
I watched this discussion group for some time before commenting on anything and then overdid it a bit with the posts. You struck me as one of the more intelligent readers posting. Perhaps you are.
You seem to take a geometric view as if deductive, box reasoning was the structure of reality. I believe in expanding circles. Pi.= 3.14 actually stretches to infinity, but 3.14 really is a good point to draw a border.
I doubt if this comment will be printed much less understood.
Stephan Sonn says
Since the previous was allowed to be posted let me add:
I start with the position that social democracy is an historical fluke subject to the tides of rage amplified. Mob rule is always the undertone. Ike knew that: He liberated Germany and should have the status of Lincoln.
Today the Tea party is a front group/mob paid for by a nasty billionaire agenda.For all the times that Liberals used the NAZI tag lightly this is all the result of crying wolf too often.
Here is a brain teaser for those who might want to be challenged that deeply. What is the relationship between History Professor Newt Gingritch and historical figure Gabrial D’ Annunzio?
Carla Massoni says
Whew!
Stephan Sonn says
Now that I have gotten such a resounding review in this forum maybe i can put my tactical words to actions in a counter-offense. I present a Titanic rationale so Tea Party is either an island or an iceberg take your pick.
Having been encouraged other people and events I will contact the Democratic Club to se if there is any interest in activism appropriate to this community since ther is a local Tea Party effort here that can submit a petition, however flawed, practically overnight. (Remember the exaserbated plastic bag issue)
In the Northeast I have mostly been a Republican but times have changed. Either way at 70, I can just back and watch the world go bye So announcing here can save a lot of time and trouble.
I dont’ do Sams. The one and only time I was there I met with Tom Timberman back in 2001. I am sure his review will be glowing.I didn’t claim to be a liberal then.