When most people think about Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay, Blue Crabs and the best public schools in the nation come to mind. Governor Martin O'Malley is committed to adding cyber security to that list.
In an opinion piece in Monday's Baltimore Sun, Governor O'Malley pledged to continue and strengthen Maryland's cyber security industry, thereby better securing networks, protecting crucial information, and creating thousands of new jobs.
O'Malley used the recent cyber attack on Google to highlight the seriousness of the issue - how consumer information, business records, and classified documents can be vulnerable if proper safeguards are not in place:
"In an era where our economy, our infrastructure and the well-being of our families are so interconnected and dependent upon computers and cyberspace, one of our top priorities must be cyber security. In Maryland, we are addressing this challenge head-on."
Our state certainly has a lot to protect: the tech industry is one of Maryland's greatest economic assets, with more than 250,000 Marylanders working in the technology field. In the midst of a recession, the Maryland tech sector saw 7.2 percent job growth in one year - the fastest in the nation. In addition, thanks to the Governor's leadership, the military's U.S. Cyber Command will be established in Maryland - creating 10,000 to 15,000 new jobs.
That makes this renewed commitment to cyber security evermore crucial. "We - government, the private sector and industry -- must work together at every level to ensure the security of our digital infrastructure now and in the future," wrote O'Malley.
However, it's not all about the technology itself - education is an essential component of the Governor's cyber security policy. "We must ensure that our citizens - the college student doing homework on a laptop computer in a dorm, the online shopper, the small business owner managing inventory online, or the CEO overseeing a multibillion-dollar corporation - are aware, informed and educated about the risks inherent in a global online community."
Says O'Malley: "Maryland is answering President Obama's call to action to not only ensure the security of our digital infrastructure now, and in the future, but to also ensure economic prosperity with thousands of new cyber security posts."
14,000 more Marylanders are earning a paycheck, thanks, in part, to numbers.
After President Obama passed the economic stimulus package, Maryland went to work figuring out the best way to allocate the funds and track how they were being used.
During difficult times, wasting money isn’t an option.
That’s why Governor O’Malley launched StateStat to ensure that every penny is maximized.
After eight and a half months, it looks like the hard work is paying off.
But Governor O’Malley and the rest of his administration realize that the work is far from finished.
“Over the next several months, we’ll continue to move forward to put Recovery Act funds to work, reporting every penny spent and every job saved or created providing unprecedented transparency for the people of Maryland,” said Governor O’Malley.
Yesterday, Governor O'Malley sent out an email about Maryland's budget and the difficult economic times:
How do we cut another $400 million from the state budget by Labor Day -- without rolling back the progress we've made these past few years in our schools, businesses, and communities?
That's the challenge we're facing as a state, as we work to restore fiscal responsibility while making sure we continue building a better future for all Marylanders.
But our common challenge is also our common opportunity. It's a chance for us to make our government work better by finding ways to do more with less.
As we make more difficult decisions together these next few months, I want to hear from you. What tough choices are you making in your own home or business? How have you found ways to use resources more effectively?
Share your thoughts and we'll post them on MartinOMalley.com so that others can benefit from your experience and advice:
Doing more with less is never easy. This is the first time in the last three decades that our state budget has come in lower than where it was three years before.
But by rooting out inefficiencies and embracing new technologies, we're finding ways to make government work again. Our state agencies are collaborating in unprecedented ways to serve citizens better; we're putting information to work like never before; and new programs like StateStat are helping us both to set goals and measure how well we meet them.
From talking to Marylanders all over the state, I know it's not just our government that's finding ways to be more resourceful. Marylanders are innovating and adapting too.
How are you doing more with less? Share your ideas here:
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.
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.
Today, Governor O'Malley testified before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to showcase Maryland's interactive website that tracks the state's funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Alongside Governors Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania, O'Malley discussed the states' efforts to maximize transparency and accountability.
"Since taking office, we have operated under the very simple notion that a government that is paid for by the people of Maryland ought to work for the people of Maryland," O'Malley said. "Whether responding to a national pandemic or a national recession, the basic principles of smart, efficient governing remain the same. It is the rational application of human efforts to human problems that commands true accountability on all levels of government."
The site launched an improved interactive map that provides more detailed information and improves accessibility. With the new map, Marylanders can view funding tracks by department and by county. Additionally, users can send comments and questions directly to StateStat, Maryland's performance-measurement and management program that runs the site.
The site reports that the state has spent $3.9 billion in stimulus funding. Health and human services, education, and transportation have received the lion's share of the funding. Nevertheless, O'Malley views all of the economic stimulus funding as vital, calling it "a true lifeline."
"Were it not for these funds, we would have been forced to lay off 700 state employees, erode health care benefits, and forgo investments in public education which have produced record test scores and earned our state's schools a number on in the nation ranking for our public schools. This critical legislation is helping us create and save jobs, and position our State's economy to bounce back from recession. In Maryland, we share the President's commitment to investing these funds with maximum efficiency, openness, and transparency," the Governor said.
Working together with the federal government, Gov. Martin O'Malley and MARC unveiled 26 "green" locomotives this afternoon. The first train was named "The Senator Barb Go 'Green' Express" after four-term Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski.
"I've got a lot in common with Maryland's new green locomotives. The Senator Barb 'Go-Green' Express will put 3,600 green horsepower on the track for Maryland every day. It's got plenty of horsepower and so do I," said Senator Mikulski."
Governor O'Malley and others partook in the inaugural trip of "The Senator Barb Go 'Green' Express" from the CSX Riverside Facility to the Camden MARC Train Station.
"This new fleet of 'green' locomotives will reduce our impact on the environment while at the same time improve the reliability of our MARC service for the 32,000 riders a day that use the system," said Gov. O'Malley at the event. "I want to thank Senator Barbara Mikulski and the entire Maryland Congressional Delegation for their work securing the funding for such a vital project to our transportation infrastructure and our environmental future."
The new locomotives are more powerful, fuel efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly. They will be replacing diesel-powered locomotives that have been in service for almost forty years.
All of the locomotives will be in service in the next four to six weeks.
Along with the locomotives, MARC unveiled thirteen newly purchased bi-level passenger cars.
Maryland has committed to converting its entire MTA bus fleet to hybrids within the next ten years, in a continued effort to create a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for One Maryland.
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.
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In an interview with Government Technology magazine 
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.
