The O'Malley Blog

First look at our 2011 budget

Later today, I'll formally introduce our administration's fiscal year 2011 budget – but I wanted to share some important details about it with you before I do.

As with previous budgets, we kept two fundamental goals in mind when formulating this year's proposal.

First, we knew we had to maintain our commitment to fiscal responsibility, which has put Maryland in a position to emerge from the recession faster than most other states. By restoring fiscal responsibility, we are creating an environment to generate jobs and foster economic growth in our state. Our unemployment rate remains 25% lower than the national average, and we beat out all but two other states in job growth last year.

Balanced books have put us on the path back to economic recovery, and I'm proposing $1 billion in additional cuts today that are a tough – but critical – part of continuing to grow Maryland's economy.

Second, it's crucial that we continue to protect our core priorities amid these necessary cuts.

Despite the challenges our state has faced during this recession, we've managed to make important progress in job creation, public education, public safety, and environmental protection.

We can and must continue that progress. It's important for the quality of life of all Marylanders today, and for ensuring our state's prosperity in the years to come.

Our budget proposal will:

• Continue to invest in our public schools, which Education Week recently ranked the best in the nation for the second year running.
• Dedicate $20 million to the Job Creation and Recovery Tax Credit, encouraging businesses to hire Marylanders this year.
• Support more than 20,000 construction jobs over the next fiscal year through capital budget funding.
• Build on the progress we have made rebuilding our communities with the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit and support an additional 15,000 Maryland jobs.
• Double our investment in the 2010 Bay Trust Fund over fiscal year 2010 to continue restoring our Bay.
• Continue funding health care coverage for low-income children and adults. Since Lt. Gov. Brown and I took office, our administration has expanded health care coverage to include 200,000 more Marylanders.

To read more about our budget proposal, click here:

http://www.martinomalley.com/budgetproposal

Join Gov. O’Malley for an Online Town Hall Meeting next Wednesday

On Wednesday, December 9, at 8 PM Governor Martin O’Malley will hold an online Town Hall Meeting to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Maryland in the coming year.

RSVP for the event and submit your questions for the Governor now:

http://www.martinomalley.com/onlinetownhall

The event will be broadcast live here on MartinOMalley.com and will encourage viewers to participate in the discussion in real time.

First on the agenda? Jobs. Job creation. And Maryland's efforts to create good jobs, retain good jobs and make sure Maryland is prepared to lead in this global economy.

Five Marylanders who submit questions will be invited to attend the filming of the meeting so they can ask their question in person! Submit your question here by Friday, December 4 at 4 PM to be eligible to attend the event in person.

Governor O’Malley renews commitment to fight hunger

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Partnership to End Hunger in Maryland, Governor Martin O'Malley renewed his commitment to the project by declaring this week- November 16 through 20 - "Maryland Hunger Awareness Week."

Governor O'Malley made the announcement at a lunch with children at Annapolis Child Care on Friday.

"Especially during these tough times, together, we must ensure that no child goes without the basic nourishment needed to thrive. Ending childhood hunger is an issue which transcends politics," the Governor said. "It's an issue that speaks to who we are as a people, to what kind of society we choose to be in the tough times when our shared efforts matter most, to what kind of society we choose to leave for future generations. When a child goes hungry anywhere in Maryland - it impacts us all. It's all connected."

Governor O'Malley launched the Partnership to End Hunger in Maryland last year with nonprofit organization Share our Strength.

Funding and participation in school lunch, summer meals and food supplement programs has increased substantially since the public-private partnership was founded.

Maryland teachers vote for early endorsement of Governor O’Malley

Governor Martin O'Malley received an overwhelming endorsement from the Maryland State Education Association earlier today. In their statement, MSEA said:

Citing his commitment to keeping Maryland's schools first in the nation with record funding, the 71,000-member Maryland State Education Association (formerly the Maryland State Teachers Association) today voted overwhelmingly to endorse Martin O'Malley for re-election as governor at its annual meeting. MSEA's Endorsement Council, comprised of state association leaders, local association presidents and other leaders of its 40 local affiliates, had unanimously recommended early endorsement to the more than 700 delegates from across the state.

"Over the past three years, we have been very fortunate to have a governor who has made a huge investment in Maryland's public school children, despite the tough economic climate," said MSEA President Clara Floyd. "He has listened carefully to educators' views on what we need to create great public schools for every child in our state, and he has shown tremendous leadership in backing his words with actions."

O'Malley's accomplishments so far in the area of education include: historic funding of school construction and renovation totaling over $1 billion; investment of over $5.5 billion in preK-12 education, including funding the Geographic Cost of Education Index (GCEI) for the first time; and implementation of the TELL Maryland survey, an instrument for teachers and other educators to express their views about the opportunities and challenges in their schools.

This past year alone, Maryland's public schools were ranked number one in the country for the first time by Education Week, Newsweek, and the College Board. "The governor, with his unflagging commitment to Maryland's schoolchildren, certainly played a major role in this accomplishment," added Floyd. "He is helping us get closer to our goal of teaching all students 21st century skills for a 21st century global economy."

What matters to you?

Wednesday we asked Marylanders like you to fill out the Annual Maryland Issues Survey - and the response has been overwhelming.

Hundreds of concerned citizens have told us which issues matter most to them in these difficult times.

Gov. O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Brown want your help to preserve the progress Maryland has made in the last couple years.

If you haven't already completed yours yet, please do so today so we can continue moving Maryland forward!

Maryland is committed to stem cell research

Check out Governor O'Malley's Huffington Post article about Maryland's commitment to advancing stem cell research.

"Stem cell research carries with it some of the greatest potential in humanity's salvation arsenal," O'Malley wrote.

Read the full post here.

We work for you. Help us do it better.

In the coming months, Maryland is set to make some major decisions – and Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown want your input.

Do you have strong opinions on the future of the Maryland? What should our priorities as a state be? How can the government do better by you?

Please take a moment to take the Annual Maryland Issues Survey and help us make Maryland the best state in the nation.

Join President Obama and Gov. O’Malley tomorrow in College Park

Governor Martin O'Malley and President Barack Obama will host a health care rally tomorrow at the Comcast Center in College Park.

Come out to the event and hear the President discuss why our health care system is in such urgent need of reform.

Doors will open at 9am to the free event and the rally will begin at 11am. All attendees will be required to go thorough airport-style security.

The health care debate isn't just important for our country as a whole. It's got major consequences for Maryland - our families, businesses and communities.

Governor O’Malley thinking big on health care

These days, its hard to go long without hearing or thinking about health care.

As Congress debates a federal health care overhaul, Governor O'Malley is making it clear how urgent the need for reform is - as well as how Maryland is ready to lead by example in finding new health care solutions for its citizens.

In his keynote speech at the Kaiser Permanente Health Care Institute Forum this week, the Governor talked about the state of health care in Maryland:

I think we'd all agree that we can't have a society that respects and honors the dignity of every individual if 47 million of our fellow citizens don't have health care, or if we're willing to allow a child pass away because his parents couldn't afford to treat a toothache," said Governor O'Malley. "Speaking as Governor of a state where roughly 22 percent of our budget is dedicated to health care expenses, and where our citizens, their employers and their government spend $36 billion on health care each year, I can personally attest to the urgent need for reform"

The forum- held at the National Labor College in Silver Spring - involved both the nation's largest managed care provider and the country's labor movement in order to examine health care best practices.

But the Governor wasn't just talking about the future - he outlined a some accomplishments of the O'Malley-Brown Administration that have already made quality health care available to more Marylanders:

• Launched a partnership program among state agencies, small businesses, and health insurers to ensure that small business employees and their families can access top-level health insurance.
• Expanded the eligibility for Medicaid programs to provide aide to the Maryland families hit the hardest by the economic downturn.
• Focused efforts and resources on Health IT and bio-surveillance to optimize new technologies for a more efficient health care system.

With your support, Maryland - and all of the United States - can keep working to get the health care system it deserves.

Whatever you think health care reform should look like, most of us can undoubtedly agree with the Governor: "We can't afford to wait another decade to combat rising costs, poor access and mediocre quality."

Gov. O’Malley speaks at the Maryland Autism Summit

Governor O'Malley Friday addressed the Maryland Autism Summit -- a conference aimed at kicking off a statewide movement toward new approaches for education, job services, and health care for Marylanders with autism, and their families.

On May 7th, Gov. O'Malley signed a bill into law that established the Maryland Commission on Autism. The summit marked the group's first step.

"Today we take the first giant step to better address the growing needs of far too many Maryland families dealing with autism disorders," said Governor Martin O'Malley.

The cause of autism is still unknown. Its symptoms -- little to no eye contact, extreme attachment to objects, and not responding to verbal cues -- can cause considerable emotional and financial stress. Statewide, the incidence of autism has grown steadily. In the past decade, the number of autistic children in Maryland's education system has risen from 1,600 to 7,500.

In a show of interdepartmental support, Michael Busch, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools, and John M. Colmers, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene also participated in the summit.

"In our One Maryland, where we are united in our belief in the dignity of every individual, and our conviction that there is no such thing as a spare Marylander, we will continue working together to put our children and families first in these difficult times," O'Malley said.