The citizens of Maryland are the losers as always! Thanks to Annapolis we are the 4th highest taxed state in the country.
Speed cameras equals new taxes.
Only in the People's Republic of Maryland.

Winners:

Michael Steele--not in Maryland politics, but he gets RNC Chairmanship.

John Porcari/Tom Perez--got to abandon the sinking ship of the O'Malley Administration for key posts in the Obama Administration.

Ulysses Currie--Didn't get indicted like Sheila Dixon and has managed to do a lot of heavy budget lifting while Martin O'Malley literally shirked his duties and sent the MGA a real joke of a budget.

Minority Leadership/Online Media--The House Republicand and Senate Republicans both launched websites (http://marylandhousegop.wordpress.com/ and http://mdsenategop.com) joining nearly the rest of the free world; their Democrat counterparts are no where close.

Losers:

2010 Gubernatorial Candidates-- Public financing is all but dead...and in the name of effective voting machines (going back on their previous declarations of effective voting machines).

Print Media--downturned economy, increased web usage, and unconcerned citizens have led to the near-total downfall of print media. Regardless of political slants, it is a sad day to see huge reductions in the press pit.

Gov. O'Malley--More interested in serenading Obama, making new cds and political conference calls than he was about passing his legislative priorities. So what does he claim success on? Speed cameras and protective order legislation (the latter that his Lt. Governor did all the work on). Sets himself up for huge cuts in an election year and the blame Ehrlich card ran out of steam in 2007.

It's pretty obvious that Governor O'Malley comes-up short this session. All his signature initiatives have gone unfulfilled.

Death Penalty, environment, slots, drivers' licenses, marriage all ended in compromise. Having exhausted all his political capital last year in getting slots, we are still no closer to a video lottery terminal than we were 18 months ago.

Unable to close the deal, one has to wonder who will step-up next year to offer a primary challenge to O'Malley.

Honorable Mention: Loser - the Republican Party. With such a weak governor, the Party offers no viable alternative to Governor Ehrlich (no, I mean O'Malley.) The Republican buffoons in the House of Delegates offer mindless amendments to delay legislation and present no real leadership or vision to take advantage of O'Malley's weaknesses.

The big Losers are utility ratepayers. Forget the red herring of re-regulation the GHG Reduciton Act will significanlty increase our electric and energy rates. Despite its failure in Europe cap and trade is on its way to Maryland. Expect higher rates and energy rationing all for no impact on the climate.

One would figure one of the wonks who write for this blog would have touched on that.

Yea, how stupid of O'Malley for wanting to tax coal fired power plants when Marylander's get 80% of their electric from those same plants.

Where did all the money go from the auctions of carbon?

Baltimore area residents were among the biggest losers.

O'Malley's plowing forward with the $4 billion Intercounty Connector, your tolls are being raised to help pay for it, and your transit, road maintenance and congestion relief priorities are stalled because the ICC is consuming so much money.

Some of your schools might not be rehabbed because O'Malley chose to issue general obligaiton bonds for the ICC.

The air you and your kids breathe will continue to be badly polluted because the ICC will send more pollution your way and because your transit projects are stalled.

The State plans to double toll rates by 2013, partly to pay for the ICC. And even then, it will have very little money left to maintain the aged tolled tunnels and bridges in your region.

Thanks a billion, Balmer!