Earlier today, Governor O'Malley sent an email about the national foreclosure crisis and what we're doing in Maryland to end it.
Take a minute to read the email and then send a letter to your state legislator asking them to support Governor O'Malley's emergency bill to protect our families and communities from foreclosures:
Imagine having to look your children in the eyes and tell them you'll have to leave your home, maybe your whole community, for good.
Over the course of the national foreclosure crisis, thousands of Marylanders haven't had to imagine this ordeal. They've lived it. And every uprooted family, every boarded-up house, affects all of us -- our neighborhoods, our towns and cities, our state.
We can help more families stay in their homes -- by forcing mortgage companies to give homeowners facing foreclosure a chance to negotiate better terms on their loans. Yesterday, Rep. Elijah Cummings and I urged the General Assembly to pass an emergency bill to do just that.
Join us in taking action today. Urge your state legislators to support the bill, and help protect our families and communities from foreclosures:
Since 2007, we've helped thousands of families hold onto their homes through programs like the Homeowners Preserving Equity (HOPE) initiative.
But thousands more could be saved if we act together to stop huge, faceless mortgage companies from crushing homeowners under their heel because they're more concerned with profits than with helping families stay in their homes.
Writing your legislators will only take a few minutes, and your support of this emergency bill could have an immediate impact.
The emergency bill just needs three-fifths of the votes in the General Assembly to pass and be enacted immediately.
Help make today the beginning of the end of the foreclosure crisis in Maryland. Write your state legislators now:
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:
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.
Today, Governor O'Malley announced a public-private partnership with Ports America that will bring 5,700 new jobs to the state of Maryland.
This public-private partnership is about three things: jobs, jobs, and more jobs," said Governor O'Malley. "These challenging economic times call for new ways of doing business."
3,000 of the jobs will be in construction - both improving the highway and the port - and the other 2,700 jobs will handle the increased container business. Because of the nature of the jobs, this project will net more jobs per $1 million spent than the jobs that are created by economic stimulus funds.
In addition to new jobs, the partnership will net Maryland $1.3 billion over the next fifty years.
The agreement leases control of the Port of Baltimore to Ports America for fifty years. As part of the agreement, the company will build a new fifty-foot berth and make other improvements to the port.
As the Panama Canal is being expanded, more large ships will be porting on the East Coast of the United States. With the capacity to handle larger ships, Baltimore will become one of the primary destinations for the increased traffic - bringing even more revenue to the state.
Yesterday, Governor O'Malley sent an email to his supporters in Maryland explaining his plan to close a hole in the state budget:
Yesterday, I announced our administration's plan for closing a $363 million hole in our state budget.
These decisions are the result of our making some very difficult choices. But yesterday's actions are a necessary part of our ongoing work to keep Maryland fiscally responsible and prepare us to recover from the global economic recession as quickly as possible.
Despite the many cuts we've had to make — and with a state general fund that is smaller today than it was four years ago — we have still managed to protect our core priorities: public education, public safety and job creation. And our tough fiscal policy has allowed Maryland to maintain its Triple A Bond rating — making us one of only seven states to still hold that distinction.
To learn more about yesterday's budget cuts, click here:
None of this is easy, but I hope all of us can take heart that the sacrifices we make today will ensure we're better off tomorrow. Our state will come out of the recession stronger and more quickly than other states because of the steps we've taken together to be fiscally responsible.
Thanks so much for everything you're doing to see Maryland through these tough times, as well as for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Gov. Martin O'Malley
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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.
Governing magazine has named Gov. O'Malley its 2009 governor of the year.
The magazine singled out Gov. O'Malley for "bringing no-nonsense, statistics-based performance measurement to his state, producing a better-informed, better-managed government."
Governing pointed out that as states throughout the country are struggling through difficult economic circumstances - Gov. O'Malley is helping to prove that "strong, smart leadership is possible in the most difficult of circumstances."
Governor O'Malley was praised for his use of programs like StateStat and BayStat, which ensure that taxpayers' dollars are put to the best use.
Will you show your support for Governor O'Malley by making a donation now? He needs our support so that he can continue to put his unique vision to work for Maryland in the years to come.
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:
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.
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."
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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Congratulations to Coach Gary Williams and Greivis Vasquez for their ACC honors. Go Terps!
1 hour, 44 minutes ago from GovernorOMalley
I am honored to have just received the endorsement of the Maryland Professional Firefighters.
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Along with Twitter, become a Facebook Fan of Governor O’Malley for campaign updates. http://www.facebook.com/MartinOMalley
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Today the Gov officially released results of the 1st ever statewide survey of MD educators called TELL MARYLAND: http://tellmaryland.org/
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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.
