http://www.gazette.net/stories/062008/polilee201353_32363.shtml

Politicians say the darndest things

My Maryland | Blair Lee

Gazette; June 20, 2008

The things politicians say sometime make you wonder whether they think we're stupid or that we're just not paying attention. For instance:

Hear no evil, see no evil

Maryland law limits political donors from giving more than $4,000 to a candidate in a four-year election cycle. To circumvent this ceiling donors make multiple $4,000 contributions through their spouses and other friends and employees.

Yes, this violates the spirit of the law but not the letter of the law. However, it's illegal to ask people to donate $4,000 to your favorite candidate and then reimburse them under the table.

And that's what Anne Arundel County developer Edward St. John got caught doing during the 2006 gubernatorial election. He arranged for his company's vice presidents to give Martin O'Malley a total of $18,000 and then he reimbursed them under the guise of year-end bonuses. Now St. John is paying $110,000 in fines and penalties. But how about O'Malley? Is he returning the illegal $18,000 contribution?

No, says an O'Malley spokesman, because O'Malley had ‘‘no knowledge" of the illegal scheme. ‘‘There was no wrongdoing on the part of the campaign," says a spokesman.

Huh? Political candidates, including O'Malley, spend hours and hours on the phone begging for money. Does anyone believe that Ed St. John didn't tell the O'Malley campaign exactly how much each of his employees was giving so he could take credit for it? And does anyone believe that the O'Malley campaign didn't count each of those employee contributions to make sure St. John lived up to his pledge?

Big contributors give to politicians in order to curry favor and gain leverage. The more they give, the greater the leverage. It's impossible that Ed St. John went to all the trouble of funneling third-party contributions to O'Malley but didn't want O'Malley to know and appreciate his effort.

And did O'Malley's campaign know or suspect that St. John's employees were getting reimbursed for their contributions? If you think not, there are a pair of bridges across the Chesapeake Bay I'd like to sell you.

It's no big deal

When State Police raided the home of Baltimore Mayor Shelia Dixon this week, fellow Democrats and the Baltimore Sun rallied around the mayor. Dixon has been in trouble for putting relatives on the city payroll and for approving city contracts that benefited her family and political supporters.

Here's how Del. Curt Anderson (D-Dist. 43) of Baltimore explained it: ‘‘The investigation they have alleged amounts to nothing more than what mayors in the past have done with regard to getting people hired. Baltimore city has been a patronage capital for many, many years. All of a sudden this is a major story, this is something you want to indict someone for?"

Political patronage and politicizing government employment are no big deal. OK, hold that thought. Now rewind to 2005 when the Democratic state legislature launched an 18-month, $1 million investigation into allegations that the Ehrlich administration was engage in political patronage. No wrongdoing was uncovered but the investigation served its purpose as an election-season smear campaign.

But now that we're safely back to one-party rule, politicizing government employment is no big deal.

Warning ignored

Back in February, WSSC's commissioners deadlocked on increasing water and sewer rates to fund long-overdue repair and replacement of deteriorating water pipes. Montgomery's three commissioners wanted a 9.5 percent increase but Prince George's three commissioners wanted rates based on home values (passing a greater cost to Montgomery).

WSSC General Manager Andrew Brunhart offered the following warning: ‘‘The reliability of the system to deliver water to our customers is in jeopardy ... I feel this whole dialogue amounts to horse trading on the percent of water and sewer rates to reach a politically acceptable number that has nothing to do with providing reliable and clean water to our 1.8 million customers."

This week his warning came true but Brunhart is gone. The WSSC commissioners refused to extend his contract.

Tax 'n' steal

‘‘What better time when we're about to nominate a new president and they come riding down Pennsylvania Avenue. All the visitors and tourists we have coming to the city will see it," said D.C. Councilman Kwame Brown during debate over erecting signs showing the amount paid by District taxpayers without congressional representation.

The two LED screen signs cost $60,000 and would be located at the Nationals' stadium and at the Wilson Building. Great idea. But after flashing the daily amount of taxes every 10 seconds the signs also should flash the daily amount of money missing from D.C. government agencies starting with the $40 million stolen from the property tax refund department.