State of the State 2010
Earlier today, Governor O'Malley delivered the 2010 State of the State Address to the Maryland General Assembly.
The O'Malley Blog
Category » Smart Growth
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:
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.
Governors O’Malley and Schwarzenegger talk to White House reporters about recovery funds
Governor O'Malley and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke to reporters outside the White House Friday about the impact the federal stimulus funding has had on the state of Maryland. The Governors had just left a meeting with Vice President Biden. Watch the video of their remarks below:
Chesapeake Bay Foundation honors Gov. O’Malley
Last Friday, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) recognized Governor O'Malley for his leadership on environmental issues.
CBF President William Baker said: "I believe that a new day may be dawning for the Chesapeake Bay, and Governor O'Malley's hard work and leadership have helped us get there."
Governor O'Malley was honored not only for his leadership, but also:
- Pushing for science-based crab fishing;
- Prohibiting the introduction of Asian oysters into Maryland waters;
- Sponsoring Maryland's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act;
- Founding BayStat to rigorously track all aspects of the Bay clean up; and
- Positioning Maryland as the nations' leader on environmental education.
Governor O'Malley has been a strong advocate for environmental issues since he was a child, often talking about his family visits to the Blackwater Refuge and Peachblossom Creek on the Eastern Shore.
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!
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.
Video: Gov. O’Malley talks jobs and biotech
While participating in the 2009 BIO International Convention in Atlanta in May, Governor O'Malley sat for an interview with IamBioTech.org to discuss who important biotech has been to Maryland's economy and job market. The governor is featured for the first two minutes or so of the video.
Interview with GovTech about Maryland’s innovative use of technology
In an interview with Government Technology magazine published this week, Governor O'Malley discussed the role StateStat is playing in the way he and his cabinet lead Maryland.
To develop StateStat into an effective resource for both state government and state residents, O'Malley is diligent about performance management. Every two to three weeks, O'Malley and his staff meet with participating agencies and crunch the numbers. Are things better than they were two weeks ago? What does the data reveal?
GovTech produced three videos to accompany the article. Check out the first below and let us know what you think! Click here for the second and third videos from the GovTech interview.
Purple Line will connect Montgomery and Prince George’s counties
Governor O'Malley announced this morning that the locally preferred alternative for the Purple Line will consist of a light-rail line operating along a 16-mile east-west corridor from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George's County.
Maryland will seek approval through the FTA's "New Starts" program to begin preliminary engineering and compete for federal funding for the $1.5 billion project.
Said Gov. O'Malley: "The east-west light rail line will connect with Maetro and MARC in a way that will help reduce our dependence on cars by providing a reliable and environmentally friendly transit option to connect people with their places of employment, places of worship, and centers of economic development throughout the region. This is the basis for our Smart, Green, and Growing initiative."
The line will connect major employment and activity centers in Bethesda/Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, University of Maryland College Park, and New Carrollton with residential and commercial areas located in between, including the Takoma Park/Langley Park community.
It will link both branches of the Red Line at Bethesda and Silver Spring, the Green Line at College Park, and the Orange Line at New Carrollton. The project will also connect all three MARC commuter rail lines, Amtrak, and local bus services. Click to view a map of the planned route.
With appropriate approvals and funding, construction could start in 2014 and service on the Purple Line could begin in 2018.
The effects of the nation's economic hardship are hitting Maryland hard. We're fighting every day to protect Maryland’s families during these tough economic times. We’re also working every day to make sure that government and its programs work for people.
