State Capital

My daughter was studying for a test on states and their capitals, so I was trying to help her. As we drove along, I would say a state name, expecting her to say the capital. She remembered many of the capitals because she had learned them in previous years, but there were a few elusive ones. Kentucky always was a hard one for us to remember, but the events of the last two weeks just seem to point to Louisville as capital potential ... on the basketball court, anyway. But, alas, Louisville is not the state capital.

With newly-elected Gov. Cecil Underwood moving deliberately (some would say slowly) to take the reins of state government, the agenda for West Virginia's upcoming legislative session appears light, with one exception. Making the state conform to federal welfare reform laws may be the challenge of the decade. Under the federal law, after Jan. 1 West Virginia citizens are limited to five years' worth of benefits in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program. Beginning this year, 25 percent of those currently receiving aid must participate in some sort of job-related activity.

Should Pennsylvania's share of a $246 billion tobacco settlement be used only for anti-smoking and other health-related causes, or can some of it be spent for other purposes? That's the debate facing Pennsylvania state lawmakers now. Considering some of the oddball proposals now surfacing, citizens ought to pay close attention. For example, one proposal would use $1 million of the cash to clean grime off the ornate marble of the 93-year-old state capital building, on the premise that decades of heavy smoking deposited at least some of the dirt there.

On March 21, Pennsylvania Rep. William Rieger was at his home in Philadelphia, yet he cast a vote that day in the state capital. How did he do it? According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Rieger admitted rigging his machine to vote "yes" by jamming a paper wad into it. We agree with Common Cause of Pennsylvania that such conduct, known as "ghost voting," should not be tolerated. Lawmakers are paid to cast those votes, not to figure out ways to avoid their sworn duty and still get paid.

Time to earn that pay raise Perhaps in an effort to reward themselves for passing the state's budget only a week late this year, Pennsylvania lawmakers gave themselves a pay raise Thursday. Pennsylvania's lawmakers will now be paid more than $81,000. Taxpayers should demand that they earn every penny. The Associated Press reported that the pay increase passed without debate, by a margin of 119-79 in the House and in the Senate by 27-23. The increase, the first raise in base pay in 10 years, is a 16 percent pay boost and means that Pennsylvania's state lawmakers will earn the fourth-highest salaries in the 50 states.

The three members of Washington County's Maryland General Assembly delegation who attended Wednesday's post-session breakfast took a stab at answering the question we posed earlier this week: If things in the state capital remain as they are now - a governor who is a Republican and a legislature dominated by Democrats - how can the partisanship that marred the 2006 session be prevented in 2007? State Sen. Don Munson, R-Washington, Del. Chris Shank, R-Washington and Del. Bob McKee, R-Washington, all agreed that the partisanship got out of hand in 2006 because this is an election year.

An Associated Press report from Pennsylvania's state capital this week suggests that even as the governor proposes cutting the state's budget reserve and cash for higher education, there'll be no reduction in the taxpayer money lawmakers spend for partisan political purposes. It's time to look at changing the law on how such money is raised. Writing from Harrisburg, AP's George Strawley reports that the four "special leadership accounts" divided between Democratic and Republican caucuses will be set at $42 million for next year.

It will be tough to sell West Virginia's state lawmakers on the idea of "locality pay" for teachers if the groups representing educators oppose the idea. State Sen. John Yoder says that while Eastern Panhandle lawmakers back the idea, the West Virginia Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers oppose it. Yoder said he believes that the opposition comes because those groups feel that if there is money for raises, it should be spread among all teachers in the state.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Franklin County Treasurer Chris Bender is the fourth Republican to throw his hat in the ring for the GOP nomination in the 89th District of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Bender, 42, of Fayetteville, Pa., joins 2002 GOP nominee and attorney Chris Sheffield of Shippensburg, Pa., Greene Township Supervisor Rob Kauffman and Chambersburg businessman Fred Stenger in the race to succeed Democratic state Rep. Jeff Coy, who is retiring at the end of the year after 11 terms in office.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - When the state Legislature holds its interim meetings in Shepherdstown, W.Va., in October, lawmakers from other parts of the state will be able to see firsthand exactly what kind of problems are present here, two local legislators said Tuesday. The meetings will be held from Oct. 10 to Oct.12, with most meetings likely to be held at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center. Others could be held on the Shepherd College campus or at the National Conservation Training Center outside of town, said Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley.

Washington County lawmaker Christopher Shank moved to the Maryland Senate from the House of Delegates, where he had a well-earned reputation as a partisan bomb thrower. Shank maintained that he was just doing his job in his role with the minority leadership. But whatever the reason, this act didn't play well among the Annapolis majority leaders who, like them or not, decide who wins and who loses in the state capital. The results were self-evident. Shank struggled to pass bills and his grandstanding against state budgets - and his loud votes against them - gave the state leadership no reason to grant many Washington County funding requests.

My daughter was studying for a test on states and their capitals, so I was trying to help her. As we drove along, I would say a state name, expecting her to say the capital. She remembered many of the capitals because she had learned them in previous years, but there were a few elusive ones. Kentucky always was a hard one for us to remember, but the events of the last two weeks just seem to point to Louisville as capital potential ... on the basketball court, anyway. But, alas, Louisville is not the state capital.

Stand-up comedian Sam Levenson said his father taught him to laugh at his own jokes, because “you should never depend on strangers.” Nor can we depend on strangers in Annapolis to, on their own, discover what Washington County is about. That's why the trade fair named “Washington County: We Mean Business!” held in the state capital earlier this month was so important for our development and for our future. A dozen businesses from across the county, from manufacturing to technology to agriculture, were introduced to lawmakers and state decision-makers at a reception sponsored by a local lobbying coalition, showing us in a strong light and putting us on the radar of those who otherwise might not pay us any mind.

Franklin County, Pa., lawmakers expect grim news when Gov. Tom Corbett delivers his annual budget address Feb. 7. Poor tax collections are resulting in an unexpected budgetary shortfall that some estimates place at $1.5 billion, according to state Sen. Richard Alloway, R-Franklin/Adams/York. “We have an idea it's not going to be good. We have our work cut out for us,” Alloway said. Some legislative leaders are pushing for public education to be funded at the same levels as 2011-12, state Rep. Todd Rock, R-Franklin, said.

 “About Gov. Perry and those fires that are outside his state capital, about, maybe, to enter the state capital, I really think it behooves Gov. Perry to be down in the state of Texas leading his prayer sessions, instead of running all over the nation, from California to Maine, doing his prayer sessions, which are most inappropriate in a straight-up-and-down democracy. In any case, Gov. Perry doesn't seem to get it, that his people are in trouble.” - Hagerstown “I also agree and think it's contradictory to use bonanzas and wine benefits and things like that, for nonprofit groups such as Girls Inc. and CASA.

Municipal and county leaders from Franklin County, Pa., called on state representatives Wednesday to address a half-dozen priorities in 2011. The Franklin County Council of Governments (COG) provided five legislators with information about transportation funding, prevailing wage, bid limits, electronic advertising, police radar and storm water management. COG members also shared a few of their other concerns during a relaxed conversation with state Reps. Dan Moul, Rob Kauffman, Mark Keller and Todd Rock and state Sen. Richard Alloway.

Recently, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and I were proud to bring the cabinet to Washington County to declare Hagerstown "Capital for a Day. " Since our capacity for progress is not confined to the walls of the State House, neither should our state capital. But I wanted to take a moment to thank Mayor Robert Bruchey and the people of Hagerstown for the hospitality that they showed to me and all the members of our cabinet. There are wonderful things happening in Hagerstown and Washington County that we all should be proud of in our One Maryland.

· To see more photos of Thursday's 'Capital for a Day' activities, click here As Capital for a Day, Hagerstown rolled out the red carpet for Gov. Martin O'Malley - and had his attention - on Thursday during a day filled with meetings, events, lobbying and hoopla. After a morning meeting downtown with O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, about two dozen cabinet members spread through the city and county for tours and talks with local officials. O'Malley, a Democrat, chatted with veterans at a downtown VFW post, shook hands with Maymart craft vendors in Public Square and visited a state job center.

Comedian and filmmaker Woody Allen once said that "80 percent of success is showing up. " By that standard, Del. John Donoghue, D-Washington, has guaranteed that he will fail, because he's announced he isn't going to show up anywhere. Not only has Donoghue decided to skip meetings between Washington County's General Assembly delegation and local elected officials, but he has also said he won't come to any of the delegation's official meetings. His no-show attitude is the result of a falling-out with his former protégé, Del. Christopher Shank, the Republican minority whip, who is not blameless in this dispute.

It will be tough to sell West Virginia's state lawmakers on the idea of "locality pay" for teachers if the groups representing educators oppose the idea. State Sen. John Yoder says that while Eastern Panhandle lawmakers back the idea, the West Virginia Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers oppose it. Yoder said he believes that the opposition comes because those groups feel that if there is money for raises, it should be spread among all teachers in the state.