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O'Malley communications chief Rick Abbruzzese writes in to let us know the governor is planning to seek more than $300 million in cuts at Wednesday's Board of Public Works meeting. That's up from the figures that were being tossed around last week and more than he absolutely needs to do to get through this fiscal year. (Of course, given that next year looks worse, this round of cuts may not be the last of it.)
Andrew A. Green
Laura Smitherman has been ensconced in the State House basement, writing about the governor, General Assembly and vagaries of Maryland politics for several years. An erstwhile business reporter, her interest in politics dates to her days in Washington when she covered Congress and national campaigns for another media outlet. She now follows a range of policy debates from slot-machine gambling to universal health care and energy regulation, while keeping an eye on the next election.
Paul West covers Washington for The Baltimore Sun, continuing a tradition that began the month the paper was born, in 1837. He hasn't been in the DC bureau that long--only since Ronald Reagan was president. He's covered Congress, the White House and presidential campaigns as the paper's national political correspondent and Washington bureau chief. He's on the lookout for news of significance to Sun readers at the other end of the B/W Parkway. That includes the activities of the state's congressional delegation and anything else that might shed some light on the inner workings of the nation's capital. 
Julie Bykowicz's first days as a political reporter, in January 2009, coincided with Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's indictment and the start of the Maryland General Assembly's 426th legislative session. She focuses on coverage of state agencies, such as social services, juvenile justice and prisons. During the session, she wrote about the death penalty, slots parlors and speed cameras, among other hot topics. Julie began political reporting after more than seven years on The Baltimore Sun's crime desk. She lives in Baltimore and works primarily in Annapolis.
Comments
Let's see: Gov. raises taxes eff. July 1, 2008 - increases spending equal to revenue created by increases - looks like smoke and mirrors to me. Nurses (at all levels from Dir. of Nsgs,(DON) ,Asst. DOn, Managers, Supervisors & entry Nurses still get $3000 bonuses if they are Absent Without Leave 5x's or less in a Fiscal Year. Yes we pay the highest paid employees in our State Hospitals and extra $3000 for coming to work when they are scheduled or they can just not come to work when scheduled (that is not calling in to report off). How many taxpayers can just not show up for work 5 times a year and get an extra $3000. ? Get real Gov. and cut ALL UNnecessary SPending.
Posted by: JoeB | October 14, 2008 7:57 AM