GOVERNMENT WASTE

- MARYLAND -

Date	Individual / State Agency	Who, What, Where?
02/07/05	State Senate	State Scholarship Disgrace State senators regularly dole out 4-year scholarships valued at $552,000 ($138,000 per year) to college-bound children of their constituents in a prime example of pork barrel spending. Horror stories abound about senators handing out scholarships to cousins and sons of campaign workers. Not to be overlooked, members of f the House of Delegates also share in the booty doling out scholarships to the tune of $31,000.
03/16/05	House Appropriations Committee	Democrats Attempt to Cut Jobs Under Fire The House Appropriations Committee has recommended that dozens of jobs be cut from the state budget. The Republican administration headed by Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., have accused the Democrats of eliminating 40 political appointees. The rumor mill has it that the Democrats are responding to allegations by former state workers that an organized effort is underway to purge the state workforce of Democratic loyalists.
04/18/05	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Giving Away the Store Montgomery County, Maryland politicians have proposed to renew the contract for firefighters with hefty pay raises and eligibility for retirement after 20 years instead of 25 years. A firefighter with 20 years experience would retire on between $67,000 and $74,000. The politicians argue that firefighters in Prince George’s County have long had a 20-year retirement option. On the flip side, these same politicians argue that the spiraling costs of government are mostly out of their control due to salaries and benefits given to teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public workers. Duh! If you didn’t give away the store, maybe the problem could be controlled. Firefighters can retire at half pay with FULL benefits (of course, they need not make partial payments to support their healthcare as is occurring frequently in the private sector). Assuming that the majority of workers started working for the county/state at the age of 20, these people can retire at the age of 40, hardly past their prime, removing highly skilled people sorely needed by the community. These same employees can then go work somewhere else for 25 years (like the rest of us poor slobs) retiring again on another full pension. The worst part of this rip-off of the taxpayers is that henceforth, every public employees’ union around the country will enter negotiations with the state or county and scream, “Look what they did for their public servants in Maryland,” driving up costs for all municipalities.