Legislative Forum in Silver Spring this Sunday January 23rd

Progressive Neighbors/Progressive Working Group Legislative Forum at IMPACT Silver Spring this Sunday January 23rd.

WHEN: Sunday afternoon Jan. 23rd, 2 p.m.
WHERE: IMPACT Silver Spring – 825 Wayne Ave., Silver Spring
WHY: Maryland faces a significant budget deficit. Will it be balanced on the backs of working Marylanders or will more progressive solutions be offered?
WHO: Sponsored by Progressive Neighbors and Progressive Working Group. Hosted by Impact Silver Spring.
For more information: Email malakoff@starpower.net or 301-587-5559

The forum will begin at 2:00 PM. If you are able to come at 1:45, we will be inviting people to come at that time to personally meet and speak with their legislators. To date, 10 senators and delegates have confirmed that they will be participating: Senators Raskin, Manno, and Madaleno; Delegates Hixson, Mizeur, Hucker, Luedtke, Gutierrez, Cullison, Robinson, and Carr.

Progressive Working Group's 6 Priority Issues: Transparency and Equal Access in Government, Combined Reporting, Offshore Wind Power, Public Financing of Campaigns, Health Security Act (Single-payer), Costs of War / "Fund our Communities--Bring the War Dollars Home"

Background On Priority Issues

Transparency and Equal Access in Government: This includes measures to make the Maryland General Assembly (GA) and other MD government deliberative bodies more transparent and promote equal access of petition for all individuals and organizations. After impressive successes last year (TEAG’s first year in existence), this year TEAG is pushing for (among other things): 1) all votes taken in all General Assembly subcommittees should be roll-call votes, recorded and posted on the GA website in a timely manner along with a brief description of the subject being considered; 2) a tracking of each bill that does not get reported out of committee, should be posted on the web along with a listing of the Committee where it stopped, and who was chairing that committee; 3) the Bill Hearing process should be overhauled so that the order in which bills are scheduled to be heard is posted on the website 24 hours in advance, and testifiers can sign up online the day of the hearing; and 4) all motions made in ALL committee proceedings should be recorded and summarized, and posted on the web along with the submitter's name. (For this designation of "committee" we include all Committees, Workgroups, Councils, Panels, Commissions, Boards, and Task Forces that are authorized and/or adjuncts to the General Assembly).

Combined Reporting: With the pressing budget crisis in Maryland, combined corporate reporting will generate needed income (potentially $100 million or more per year) from large multi-state corporations that are not paying their fair share in taxes – in many cases these corporations are actually not paying corporate income taxes to Maryland at all. They are able to manipulate the tax code to shift income reporting to states with low or no corporate income taxes.  Besides hurting Maryland's Treasury and important government programs, the current situation also gives these multinational corporations an unfair competitive advantage compared to in-state businesses that cannot take advantage of these loopholes.

Offshore Wind Power: The current proposal for a moderate-sized wind farm (about 600 MW) would create thousands of Maryland jobs in construction, operations, and maintenance. A recent study by the Abell Foundation stated that offshore wind power could produce the equivalent of two thirds of Maryland’s current electricity demand. >From 2002 to 2009, electricity prices rose 75 percent in Maryland. Wind energy prices are typically locked in for 25-year contracts, offering an alternative to current and future price hikes for fossil fuels. Currently, significant regulatory and market barriers exist at the state and national level that stand in the way of developing Maryland’s offshore wind potential. CCAN, the United Steelworkers, Environment Maryland, Maryland League of Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation, and the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter are working together leading an effort to bring offshore wind power to Maryland. Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to introduce legislation this year that would require utilities to enter into long-term contracts for offshore wind power. For more information, see: http://www.marylandoffshorewind.org

Public Financing of Campaigns: Introduced in the 2010 legislative session as “The Clean Money Bill (SB 681), this measure would reduce the undue influence of special interest campaign contributors in the Maryland General Assembly by creating a voluntary, publicly-funded way to run for legislative office. How it works: To participate in the public funding of campaigns system, a candidate must demonstrate board community support by collecting a large number of small contributions in the district she or he wishes to represent within a specified amount of time. If successful, the candidate receives enough public funds to wage a competitive primary and, if she or he wins, general election campaign. If a privately financed opponent outspends her or him, the candidate receives offsetting funds up to a certain point.

Health Security Act: Single-payer (Medicare-like) health care financing for Maryland. Federal health care legislation, the Affordable Care Act, will not provide all Marylanders with health care, nor will it control costs to individuals or the state.  Based on previous studies an upcoming economic impact study by the Lewin Group is expected to demonstrate that a single-payer, tax-financed, privately delivered system will save money, help businesses and provide comprehensive health care for all Marylanders.  Maryland’s Medicaid bill accounts for over half of the budget shortfall, but the Health Security Act would cover everyone for less money.  In 2010 fifty legislators supported the legislation.

Costs of War / "Fund our Communities--Bring the War Dollars Home": Maryland’s contribution to the FY 2010 Pentagon budget was $13.65 billion. Meanwhile, the entire Maryland State budget was $13.9 billion. We need to redirect spending from the Pentagon to local communities. That way, we can fund veterans’ services, jobs, education, the environment, infrastructure, and housing. PWG will work with members of the Maryland General Assembly to draft and sign a letter to Maryland's representatives and senators in the U.S. Congress.  The letter will advocate national legislation to reduce the annual military budget by 25%, with savings to support state, local and community needs. For more information, see: http://ourfunds.org