Old Line Elephant Maryland Conservative Blog

Old Line Elephant News Roundup: 2/6/13

It's been a while since I put a news roundup together, so here's some news.

• Baltimore City is heading toward financial ruin. Seriously, an outside accounting agency proved it recently. Baltimore City better be ready to be facing days of lean and better be ready to make serious decisions about spending / taxes or it really will hit financial ruin.
• In Baltimore County, attempts to petition complex zoning changes onto the ballot were blocked by the courts. Baltimore County has a much higher burden to overcome in order to petition things onto the ballot than the state. The Courts said that in order to make the ballot signatures valid, they needed to attach all 70+ pages of maps to go with the zoning changes and have every signer review them...which at its face is preposterous.
• Red Maryland still has a new 2014 poll open until tomorrow. Vote.
• Race42016 has the most obvious headline ever - Rand Paul is thinking of running for President. It's also a video of Rand Paul saying just that.
• Two Delegates of opposing parties [Sheila Hixson (D) and Michael Smigiel (R)] have put together competing proposals to cut the sales tax for the purchase of text books. Smigiel wants it year round, Hixson only wants it for part of the year. I mean - it's a gimmick, but it's also an attempt to get students to buy their books locally instead of via Amazon or other online booksellers. The problem? The online booksellers may still end up being cheaper and with free shipping as some offer, it's hard not to buy books online. It's a nice idea, but I don't know if it'll actually help.
• I apparently missed this video around Christmas, but the filming of the new Bible mini-series the History Channel is putting together looks very good.
• In August, regular USPS deliveries on Saturday will end. It's one of many cost cutting measures the USPS needs to do if it wants to remain...well, solvent.
• Delegate Dereck Davis (D) has proposed a pretty big type of "reform" for the Comptroller's office in HB660. The bill would strip the Comptroller's office of a number of its duties, specifically with regard to alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel and put those responsibilities on an appointed member of the Governor's cabinet. In essence, the bill would strip the Comptroller of power and create a stronger Governor's office. This is a power grab plain and simple and needs to be opposed. Davis is trying to move powers away from Franchot, who has not been sympathetic to Davis' support of expanding gambling, etc - and put it into the hands of someone who supports said measures (O'Malley). I think Franchot is a liberal and I voted for Campbell for the position in 2010; that said, I do not think we need to entirely change the office because I disagree with the person serving in the position. This is a retaliatory move, plain and simple. Oppose HB660.
• Ben Howe of Red State has some reasonable comments on 2012 and Rove's new Super PAC entitled, "It's the Messaging Stupid." Yes, it's more reasonable than the title suggests.
• Dave Miller of SBC Voices wrote a thoughtful piece entitled, "I Disagree with the Baptist Faith & Message: Does it Matter?" I tend to agree with him, so check it out.
• Ron Paul made an awful comment about a recently murdered Navy SEAL veteran, Misfit Politics responds with "We've Had Enough Ron." I've had enough of him for years, but this needed to be said.
• Monopoly lovers - the newest piece has been revealed: it's a cat. The iron has been retired and the cat has replaced it. I voted for the mustachioed robot.

Any news I missed? Feel free to let me know. I'll end with Lecrae's "Death Story" - a hip hop track reminding us the simple truth - we all need Jesus: