GOP cries foul over Dems’ budget chats

Friday, Feb. 24, 2006

by Alan Brody

Staff Writer

ANNAPOLIS — In a year when Democrats are complaining that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s $29.6 billion budget is stocked with election-year goodies the state cannot afford, the majority party is on a communications mission.

Five Democrats who sit on the House Appropriations Committee are holding weekly informal discussions with reporters on the budget. And Republicans are crying foul.

‘‘We believe talking to the media is good, but these guys are in full spin mode,” said House Minority Whip Anthony J. O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) of Lusby. ‘‘... Their whole intent is to bury the governor.”

The Democrats dismissed the accusation, saying their objective is to educate the media on intricate budget issues.

‘‘This is not a spin operation. This is a knowledge operation,” said Del. Murray D. Levy (D-Dist. 28) of La Plata.

But last week the panel challenged the Ehrlich administration’s commitment to child welfare initiatives, questioned the feasibility of cutting property taxes while boosting capital spending and accused Ehrlich (R) of shortchanging the University of Maryland.

There is a ‘‘war on College Park,” said Del. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington, who has floated several alternatives to make college tuition more affordable.

GOP complaints about the group are confusing, said Del. John L. Bohanan Jr.

‘‘The people who used to bang about reckless spending are suddenly quiet when they should be screaming,” said Bohanan (D-Dist. 29B) of California. ‘‘Any card-carrying fiscal conservative should be apoplectic about it.”

Despite the state’s improved revenue picture, Ehrlich’s proposed budget is unsustainable, ‘‘filled with little Christmas tree ornaments,” said Levy, who is known as a fiscal expert.

‘‘This house of cards will come tumbling down in two years,” he said. ‘‘... We cannot control our [spending] appetites.”

The governor’s budget leaves the Democrat-controlled legislature, which can only cut spending, not add to it, with the unenviable task of cutting some popular programs, Levy said.

Republicans said the weekly discussions are evidence that Democrats are more interested in divisive politics than working with the administration, especially in an election year.

O’Donnell called formation of the panel a ‘‘desperate measure” and a sign that Democrats are ‘‘bereft of new ideas.”

The GOP has no plans to form its own budget discussion group, he said.

If educating reporters is the panel’s objective, administration officials questioned why it is politically one-sided.

‘‘If your approach to the budget is truly bipartisan, then why do you need to have an all-Democratic group spin your side of the story?” asked Alan Friedman, Ehrlich’s legislative liaison.

Democrats retorted that Ehrlich has the benefit of a professional communications staff to sell his agenda, and reporters flock to his briefings. Nor, they say, has he reached out to the Democrats.

The forum cuts out the politics that can complicate budget hearings, said Del. Tawanna P. Gaines (D-Dist. 22) of College Park.

‘‘You’re not supposed to have to defend your position,” she said. ‘‘You’re supposed to explain your position.”

Del. Melony G. Griffith (D-Dist. 25) of Upper Marlboro said the five delegates share a keen grasp of complex budget issues and wanted to ‘‘go beyond the press release.” The panel was not a brainchild of the leadership, she said.

The GOP should not be grousing, Bohanan said.

‘‘There’s no law that says the Republicans can’t do the same thing.”