how quickly maryland will forget how corrupt and sneaky ehrlich was

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=30&sid=341089

acta non verba

You call O'Malley's demagoguing about the 72% increase a "shrewd political move?" It was a prime example of O'Malley doing what he does best - lying about the facts. You also gloss over the following facts - O'Malley's PSC admitted there was nothing anyone could do to stop the hikes; O'Malley negotiated for rebates which took money out of consumers pockets but made him look good; that he suppressed an expert's independent report which stated the Constellation/EDF merger would lower prices for consumers.

Martin O'Malley got every BGE customer $200 in rebates while Bob Ehrlich just threw his hands up and made no effort on behalf of Marylanders.

I'm just wondering if you disect and check every O'Malley ad. I highly doubt it.

Finally, some honesty in this election cycle. O'Malley has been dishonest about every campaign promise, including taxes hikes and BG&E rates. He cannot be trusted!

THIS liberal is voting Ehrlich!

Ehrlich had his chance. I'll stick with O'Malley. I still can't forgive Ehrlich for selling off pieces of state land to developers and now I have a Mac mansion in my back yard that is practically on the highway-but some one bought it and four more are going up. The tress were were bulldozer and now there is highway noise and we the tax payers will have to build one of those big walls for the developer.

I followed this fiasco from day one.
All I know is right now, under the O'Malley administration is this fact; My BGE bill went up 82%. I suggest everyone out there to turn over their BGE bill and you will see a $7.50 customer service charge each and every month. $7.50 for NOT ONCE OUNCE OF ENERGY DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME.
O'Malley promised to fix the BGE hikes.
Ehrlich knew there was nothing that could be done to stop it.
People fell for O'Malley's lies. 2 big lies.
I'll fix the BGE rates and George Bush's War.
Gov. Martin O'Malley is not a good man.

In other words, perhaps less polite than a reporter is allowed to venture, it is Ehrlich who is "making stuff up." In fact, he doesn't really give any examples of stuff O'Malley supposedly made up. While O'Malley may not have been able to forestall the BGE rate increase, he WAS able to get 1.5 Bil in costs recovered for de-commissioning Calvert Cliffs. Ehrlich didn't even hint that he'd try to save people some money in their BGE bills. The de-commissioning agreement has the added benefit of going to ALL Marylanders and not just BGE customers, as well.

OK...what's with all the double posts?
My goodness.
The world is going crazy right before our eyes.

I don't like either candidate, so I think people need to really start pushing for political reform in this country.

It's time to abolish all parties and make everyone an independent. Make them put their agendas on the table in advance of the election, with real solutions proposed and the methodology used to accomplish it.

I'm tired of the negative adds we get every campaign.

And for those who point fingers on either side of the isle, it was the General Assembly that allowed the electric tarriffs to expire and then tried to blame others for their lack of action.

It was talked about for more than two years in advance that they were going to expire and those in Annapolis ignored them and so did the taxpayers of this state.

It is real easy to point finger after the fact but everyone had an opportunity to stop the increase in the electric rates and chose to sit on the sidelines until it hit them in the wallet, so we get what we deserve again.

If you want real change and not just another changing of the guard, then start pushing for political reform and start holding these representatives accountable.

If not then it's nothing more than change for the sake of change and nothing will be accomplished except to waste more time and money needlessly. The choice is ours.

Who was governor when the 72% was approved. I'm sure O'malley will remind everyone right Bob

Who approved the increase. BGEhrlich

You really know how to twist the facts.

$7.50 dollar a month customer service charge on the BGE bill for NOT ONE OUNCE OF ENERGY DELIVERED TO MY HOME.

Anonymous asks Who? These are talking points but by law no governor, past or present could stop the BGE rate increase because who? pushed the can down the road? Can anyone give me a P or a G? as in Parris Glendening.

Oh, and did you know O'Malley fudge the unemployment figures in July?

Yes he did and there is proof. Research it then go ahead and tell me this guy you call savior is the real deal.

My savior doesn't lie.

O' Malley held Constellation Energy hostage in their merger with EDF until they gave the 200 dollars so he could he look good in the public eye. The sooner you get rid of these crooks in Maryland politics the sooner you stop having taxpayers like myself moving out of state.
Earl from Simpsonville South Carolina formally of Pasadena.

King Martin will continue to spread his version of the truth. How can he be believed when slots were proposed by Ehrlich they was "morally reprehensible" according to Mayor O'Malley, However enter King Martin the 1st and slots are the savior of our state! While he explains that sudden change maybe he can also explain where the 30 plus million dollars from the City school budget went? Just wondering

Warren Buffet took a heap of money out of Maryland. Where was O'Malley on that? If memory servers me right, he gave Mr. Buffet his blessings.

And it is the STUPID 20 percent sales tax increase hysteria that all conservatives wrap themselves around. Actually it is ONE CENT -- from 5 to 6 cents. So for a dollar you spend 1.06 instead of 1.05; for $100 you spend $106 instead of $105. Even at $1,000 you spend $1060 instead of $1050. Is that a really BIG DEAL? Only for Republican morons.

I would rather talk about the thousands of dollars increased for university tuition, the hundreds on property taxes, or the doubling of registrations fees that old Bobby raised.

Do the math ... to equal the amount of money leaving your wallet from Ehrlich fee increases, you would have to spend thousands on taxable items. I go with O'Malleys PENNY increase any time!

What a pathetically contrived and slanted re-imagining of the events Ms. Linskey. The story even defies previous Sun stories about the events and appears to have been written by the O'Malley camp.

EVEN THE BALTIMORE SUN CONCLUDED THAT THE EHRLICH DEAL WITH BGE WAS BETTER FOR CONSUMERS BECAUSE IT GAVE CONSUMERS MORE CHOICE.

In that story The Sun correctly pointed out that ultimately there was NOTHING EITHER CANDIDATE COULD DO to stop the rate hikes due to the scenario that O'Malley's Democrat cronies in the State House had set up.

TO BLAME THIS BGE MESS ON A REPUBLICAN IS INSANE!

I remember reading The Sun stories. Now, The Sun editorial staff prepares its O'Malley endorsement with this contrived re-imagining of the events with the help of O'Malley's campaign staff.

Missing is that O'Malley's PSC also pulled a secret slimy stunt regarding how Energy Assistance dollars are allocated that essentially kept more people from being turned off before this November election, but ultimately will cost them more in energy costs AFTER the election, something The Sun has NEVER REPORTED! Normally a small amount of Energy assistance would go towards a past-due bill, and the rest would be allocated towards rate reduction for the following year to help consumers keep up with their bills through a monthly rate reduction. O'Malley's PSC changed that policy in a slimy campaign strategy way and started dumping ALL ENERGY ASSISTANCE DOLLARS into getting everyones electricity turned back on BEFORE THE ELECTION. After the election, these people will all not be able to afford their bills and ultimately get turned off again because they'll no longer have any assistance until the following year. Doesn't that sound like an election year sleazy campaign stunt and total misuse of the PSC? It does to me. Since I know someone who works for BGE, I know this took place, but BGE will never comment on it because they know they'll have to deal with WHOEVER wins the election.

WHERE IS THE BALTIMORE SUN'S STORY ON THIS?

Here are the essential facts...

The Democrats and O'Malley cronies created the BGE mess in the first place.

Bob Ehrlich was left with that mess as governor and had nothing to do with its creation.
Bob Ehrlich came up with a deal with BGE that The Sun concluded was essentially the same as O'Malley's plan except it offered more consumer choice.

O'Malley ran on a campaign of fighting businesses like BGE and promising to lower energy rates.
He succeeded at fighting businesses and running jobs out of Maryland but in a Sun story last year, it was reported that O'MALLEY GAVE UP FIGHTING BGE and rates went up at record levels.

The difference between the two though is that O'Malley grandstanded on the campaign trail, promised to give out candy to every child just to get elected, then gave up on that promise. Ehrlich never promised candy for all.

O'MALLEY WAS A LIAR ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND A GOOD NEWSPAPER WOULD CALL HIM OUT ON THAT CAMPAIGN LIE.

In the process of fighting BGE, O'Malley also nearly almost cost Maryland another Fortune 500 company, Constellation Energy, and has probably cost Maryland the jobs from a new nuclear plant.

And let's not forget, O'Malley & his Democrat cronies turned down 3 different merger proposals for BGE/Constellation that would have potentially cut costs, saved jobs, and lowered rates, the best of which would have been the PEPCO merger years back which was turned down because of union influence, another example of unions and Democrats costing Maryland jobs.

After reading the above facts, how could anyone, even a Sun reporter, take O'Malley's side in this debate on this story, which even conflicts with previous Sun stories on these events?

Finally, the reporter argues early in the story about the # 5700 vs. 7000 job losses and thinks that's important while not researching 2 previous Sun stories that dispute the tone and slant of this story.

This is why less and less people read The Baltimore Sun. :-(
I'll be surprised if this gets posted, but it's true.

-- Joe Fab

if politicians don't cave to big business, they won't be in office for long

Looks like Li'l Bobby Grudgematch is running scared . I guess he is just starting to realize that the candidate with the most "friends" on Facebook isn't necessarily the one who is going to win.

doesn't matter who is in office...all them all just liars and cheats

Ehrlich is nothing but GOP white trash trying to bring up an issue because he realizes if he runs a positive campaign he won't win. He knows he needs to alientate more people in order to have a chance.

afmcalax, you need remedial math.

What is 20% of 5? There is the increase in sales tax. ONE cent.

How do you people live in the world without such basic math knowledge?

Wonderful post Joe Fab. Kudos. The Sunpaper should give you a job.

It was a 20% sales tax increase, not a penny. I also learned that in the 6th grade.

Ms. Llinskey- I lost all repscet for your reporting ablities with this article. you need to be non-biased and report all the facts and stop trying to persuade voters by giving them 1/2 facts you are a discredit to the paper and journalism

I think Joe Fab stands for Joe Fabricator. The Ehrlich plan added MORE money to BGE's pockets. The increases were phased in under his approach, but the money saved during this phase-in was really a loan. A loan with a hefty service charge. The $2 Bil in recovered de-commissioning costs isn't chump change. That's an extra $1,000 in everyone's pocket.

By the way you have zero evidence of fewer people reading the Sun. Paid circulation of the dead tree edition is down, but you don't account for the massive increase in online readership. Only 25% of the US population reads an actual newspaper now.

Also, it's ironic that you boast that Ehrlich isn't promising "candy for all" when that's EXACTLY what he's promising with his tax cut proposal. He won't give any details about how this will be paid for. What cuts will be made to adjust for the revenue loss or what taxe... oops, I mean "fees", will be raised to compensate? You CAN'T say, because he WON'T say.

Never forget the culture of cronyism that Ehrlich brought with him. His Republican cronies were so happy to be in the State House that they failed at doing their job.

Perfect example is Ehrlich's hand-picked PSC Chair Ken Schisler who was in the pocket of the very utility companies that he was supposed to regulate!

Big business Ehrlich. Can you blame him?

To me it's a truth ad, not an attack ad. Democrats whine when their own tactics are used against them. O'Malley lied about the crime statistics in Baltimore, Baltimore Sun, lied about BG&E price increases, campaign promise and now there's a leaked memo showing he lied about unemployment statistics. He's a liar through and through, even more so than the usual politician. Is Ehrlich exactly what I want in a governor; NO, but by a long shot better than Martin Owe Malley.

At the very end the when the female narrator says "He's just makin' stuff up", it sounds just like Sarah Palin or maybe Christine O'Donnell. It's one of those two or they are just making stuff up themselves.

Carole must of attended Gilman.

The sales tax is a percent of $1 spent on eligible items. 1% of sales tax equals one cent. The sales tax increased by one cent. and your BGE bill was the result of Bob Ehrlich and his handpicked PSC chairman.

Truth is not very popular IPFrehley.
What is it about the truth IPFrehley that you cannot accept?
The BGE debacle was created and passed by the Democratic majority in Annapolis in 1999/2000, signed into law by the then Democratic governor. Your boy MOM made campaign promises in 2006 to roll back the rate increase and failed to keep his campaign promises. He lied IPFrehley.
Accept it IPFrehley.
MOM is a fracking liar.
Perhaps you should head over to YOUTUBE and check out MOM spewing his lis from 2006 clips.

BGE rate increase was done under Bob Ehrlich’s leadership. As O’Malley’s campaign manager stated, “Ehrlich refused to stand up to big energy companies on behalf of consumers, plotted with energy lobbyists to give the public rate-setting commission a 'lobotomy,' and replaced competent professionals with his own political cronies, all leading to a 72% rate increase for Maryland families.” Bob Ehrlich refused to stand up to BGE on behalf of the people of Maryland. Also, under Governor Martin O’Malley’s leadership, BGE customers are expected to save as on their BGE rates, which is the lowest the rates have been since 2006.

Perhaps one reason Ehrlich waited until now to start with negative campaign ads is that he had to wait for a month with mediocre economic news. Under O'Malley, Maryland has done much better than most states. O'Malley has also greatly strengthened education at the K-12 and college levels, which is the best long-term driver of a strong economy. Regarding the discussion of sales tax (20% vs 1 cent per dollar), both are correct, of course. 20% of a small number (.05) is a small number (.01), so afmcalax above is correct that the impact will be minor compared to the fee hikes that Maryland saw under Ehrlich.

Our proximity to DC saves Maryland Eric.
It has to do with who is governor Democrat or Republican.

How exactly can you credit MOM with lower energy costs?
Thats funny.
In a world economy the actions of one insignificant Governor of Maryland has nothing to do with that.
Are you really that naive?

Also, The Thornton mandate forces the state of Maryland to spend at high levels on education. Again, nothing to do with who is governor. The only constant in education has been Nancy Grasnick, you know the pawn of the Republicans who KING EGO tried to replace.
As for tuition, well after MOM's historic tax increases of 2007 it was a breeze for KING EGO to freeze tuition.
Now I live in Baltimore and every month a pay a phone taxKING EGO-and an energy tax-KING EGO. No doubts there is enough blame to go around on who did what fee and tax increase. However, Ehrlich does understand far better than KING EGO on how Maryland's high taxes/high crime are driving out business owners and retirees.
Maryland taxes the crap out of its residents period. And please no quality of life statements. That certainly does not apply to the citizens of Harm City-baltimore.

The title that Ehrlich runs his first ad attack is BS.
Ehrlich has been attacking O'Malley every since he lost the election.
Radio station Wbal runs a 24/7 radio republican talk show which has been attacking O'Malley for over 8 years.
On top of that Ehrlich was paid to have a radio talk spot to condemn and attack O'Malley also..