Ehrlich purple in the face?
At a business round table last month in Montgomery County, former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said he wasn't so much a fan of the planned Purple Line there or Baltimore's Red Line -- saying those light rail projects cost more than the state can afford right now.
Ehrlich, a Republican vying for the seat Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley took from him four years ago, said rapid buses might be a better solution in Montgomery County. He said he'd be open to ideas about transportation in Baltimore.
The Sun's Michael Dresser examines this morning how Ehrlich's comments may have inflamed some of the very same people he is hoping will propel him to victory this fall -- Montgomery County business leaders.
After Ehrlich's remarks, the head of the Greater Washington Board of Trade said he was "scratching my head" over whether the former governor had come to Montgomery to win votes or lose them.Jim Dinegar, president of the business group, said his organization stands "foursquare" behind O'Malley's choice of light rail as the "locally preferred option" on the Purple Line. He said Ehrlich's rejection of light rail in favor of a bus project is "going to raise a lot of eyebrows in Montgomery County."
"The passion around the Purple Line is very strong and absolutely will have implications for voters," Dinegar said.
O'Malley's campaign this morning seized on Ehrlich's comments. "In case you missed it, Bob Ehrlich showed just how out of touch he is by announcing that he would kill the Red and Purple Line projects," O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said in a statement. "These projects moving forward under Governor O'Malley would create thousands of construction jobs in Maryland, relieve gridlock on our roads, and attract new businesses to the region."
Comments
Ehrlich is a true idiot.
Posted by: John | June 17, 2010 12:34 PM
Well there goes Erlich making sense again.. I realize the O'Malley gang won't understand but when your facing an 8 billion dollar deficite over the next three years you don't go spending that kind of money.
How dare Erlich make common sense. Secondly no matter what he said in Montgomery County he wasn't getting a large number of votes there anyway.
Just look at the last election they love them some O'Malley and his spend,spend and spend ways.
Posted by: Len | June 17, 2010 1:00 PM
Len,
You can lecture us about common sense once you learn the difference between using "your" and "you're" in a sentence and can spell the word "deficit" correctly.
Posted by: MCG | June 17, 2010 1:25 PM
Good questions though-
Can we afford this?
Hw do we pay for these?
Posted by: john | June 17, 2010 2:11 PM
Baltimore has waited too long for better public transit. I am not a fan of O'Malley, but would not vote against transit. You hurt yourself Bob...you just lost a vote.
Posted by: FirstTimeVoter | June 17, 2010 2:16 PM
This shouldn't even be a
issue, the real issue or question should be why hasn't it been contructed yet. Discuss that first before you start pointing fingers and picking sides.
Posted by: Joe | June 17, 2010 3:46 PM
The fact usually ignored in these debates is the average American's support of any mode of mass transit is almost totally influenced by the massive subsidies we provide to oil. It is estimated that if the federal government taxed oil to recoup the dollars it spends on the military in the Middle East, keeping shipping lanes open around the world, and other items like policing the oil companies that pollute our environment - then a gallon of gas would cost over $13. Today most of the subsidy is funded by deficit spending - so the public thinks driving is "cheap". A simple, fair and honest means of taxing folks based on the cost to provide them services would drastically change the levels of support for the best mode of laying out and expanding the mass transit infrastructure. And of course a lot of behavior (in other areas would be changed like efficient housing and better infrastructure in more densely populated areas) without the need for complicated tax incentives and political wrangling.
Posted by: barry | June 17, 2010 8:12 PM
Haha! Erlich just pandering to his buddies in the Columbia Country Club, trying to protect their golf course. What do you want to leve for your kids? A bunch of busses forced onto already crowded roads or a light transit system that uses ROW already paid for?
Posted by: Ed | June 18, 2010 5:52 AM
Once again O'Malley is spending massive amounts of State Tax dollars he doesn't have. Noting that the Maryland counties in the Balto. City D.C. area are some of the wealthiest in the U.S., maybe they should pay for this "Light Rail" themselves. O'Malley must think he is an O'Bama clone (he is always kissing O'Bama's as_) creating money where none exist. While O'Bama is bad for America, O'Malley's spend, spend, and spend without having the money is bad for Maryland. Besides, O'Malley has never had an original idea come out of his limited brain. He even took the Slots Idea from Ehrlich.
Posted by: JoeB | June 18, 2010 8:23 AM