Bay fund sails through, leaking $$
A plan to focus state efforts on reducing Chesapeake Bay pollution from development and farms won unanimous Senate approval yesterday, but funding likely will be slashed because of the state’s money woes.
After debating the issue earlier in the week, the Senate voted 46 to 0 to approve the O'Malley administration's plan for spending the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund. One reason for the lack of dissent at this point may have stemmed from the realization that less was at stake.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said lawmakers are now looking to halve the $50 million earmarked for curbing polluted runoff as they work to trim more than $300 million from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed budget.
“We’re not going to abandon the program,” Miller said, but phase it in over the next couple years.
Environmentalists protested the looming cut. “We’ve been compromising on the bay for years,” said Kim Coble, Maryland director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “It’s time for Maryland to step up and say we are not compromising on the Bay anymore.”
Comments
Consensus = Do it my way or suffer. Governor M. O'Malley
I stand with the environmentalists and former Governor Ehrlich when it comes to protecting the environment and our natural resources - there is no room for compromise.
Instead of constantly bending to the will of the Governor, the General Assembly should stand up for Maryland and the environment by adopting Governor Schafer's admonition, offered with no holds barred, do it now!
It's a fact, the environmental lobby opposed Governor Ehrlich's candidacy. His staff then offended them by hinting that the environmentalists would not have a seat at his policy making tables. They received fair hearing and received action from that governor. Then, they supported the Democrat out of habit.
Did they learn?
Will they truly look at the candidate and the record before supporting whoever opposes their knee-jerk-designated opponent?
I hope we all learn the lessons before we are back to the excesses of the me generation that sacrificed the environment for personal gain.
Posted by: Bruce Robinson | March 10, 2008 11:07 AM