THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010


A chance to build on experience


ehrlich from B1


that sought to hold down univer- sity tuition by raising corporate taxes and to force Wal-Mart to provide better health benefits. About a quarter of those vetoes were overridden, including ini- tiatives to raise the state’s mini- mum wage and to allow early voting in state elections. “On issues where it was possi-


ble to compromise, we did,” Ehr- lich said in an interview. “But on other things, we saw it as our job to stop things. You have to have a foundation. . . . They weren’t ac- climated in Annapolis to having a Republican governor.” Democratic leaders have sig-


naled that Ehrlich would face resistance on a key campaign promise if elected Nov. 2: rolling back the state sales tax from6 to 5 percent. Ehrlich has not said how he would pay for it, and lawmakers say they are wary of adding to a projected budget shortfall next year of more than $1 billion.


Taking stock Looking back at his tenure as


governor, Ehrlich expressed few regrets and said he was able to get “most of the things that really mattered tome.” He has repeatedly pointed to a


survey from the University of Baltimore in which 74 percent of Maryland companies said the state was “business friendly” in 2006, his final year in office. Four years later, that figure is 31 percent. Ehrlich has pledged a return to the days when state agencies that regulate businesses saw their role “as a partner, not a sheriff.” He said the most enjoyable


part of the job was recruiting businesses to Maryland and pro- moting the state as a tourism destination — which he did through a series of off-beat TV ads, derided by Democrats, in which he played a starring role. Ehrlich’s central accomplish-


ment on transportation, the In- tercounty Connector, also lever- aged the power of the executive branch. After he used his Repub- lican connections to lobby then- President Bush, a federal envi- ronmental review of the long- stalled project was fast-tracked, clearing the way for a ground- breaking before Ehrlich left of- fice. The first segment of the 18.8-


mile road connecting points in Montgomery and PrinceGeorge’s counties could open to traffic by the end of the year. The other two large segments of the road, a project that O’Malley has em- braced, are scheduled for com- pletion by early 2012. Democratic lawmakers say the


Republican governor could have accomplished a good deal more had he shown more interest in working with them. Ehrlich, who grew up in work-


ing-class Arbutus, spent eight years as a state delegate before he was elected to Congress in 1994. Democrats who served with


him in Annapolis still call him Bobby and remember his tenure fondly. They say he returned from Capitol Hill with a more rigid ideology and rarely sought their counsel. “His attitude was, ‘Either you


cave in to doing thingsmyway, or Iwill blame you in the election,’ ” said House Majority Leader Ku- mar P. Barve (D-Montgomery). “In Maryland, when governors get involved in solving problems, they get most of what they want, and they get most of the credit. I don’t think he ever understood that.” Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-


Someret), his chamber’sminority leader during Ehrlich’s tenure, offered a different view, saying that “the Democratic leadership was the real culprit. That was their goal right fromthe start, to make sure he was a failed, one- termgovernor.” Barve and Stoltzfus cited ex-


amples to make their points, including annual battles over slot-machine gambling legisla- tion and a 2004 special session called to provide relief to doctors facing escalating medical mal- practice insurance bills. Ehrlich tried repeatedly to le-


galize slots, an issue that did not break along party lines. Some conservative Republicans op- posed the move, citing moral objections to gambling, and some Democrats argued that ca- sinos would breed more social ills and prey on the poor. The Democratic-led Senate


passed Ehrlich-backed slots bills in each of his first three years. But the governor ran into resis- tance in the House, and he took to publicly berating Speaker Mi- chael E. Busch (D-Anne Arun- del). The year after Ehrlich left


office, Busch muscled through his chamber a compromise on the issue brokered by O’Malley: letting voters decide whether to allow slots casinos.


Health care, schools The 2004 special session was


one of the more surreal episodes of Ehrlich’s tenure. The governor spent much of


that summer and fall appearing at hospitals around the state, where doctors complained of in- surance bills that were threaten- ing to put themout of business. Infront ofTVcameras,Ehrlich


said that the long-term solution would be to limit damages avail- able in medical malpractice law- suits — a hard sell in the state Senate, where trial lawyers hold several key leadership positions. Without a deal in hand, Ehr-


lich summoned the legislature to Annapolis the week after Christ- mas. The bill that emerged in the predawn hours two days later included some legal reforms and called for temporary subsidies to help doctorswith their insurance bills. Ehrlich vetoed the legislation,


citing a decision byDemocrats to pay for the rate relief by impos- ing a tax on HMOs. Groups representing doctors and hospi- tals said the bill was a step forward, and lawmakers over- rode Ehrlich’s veto. Even some of the bills depicted


in Ehrlich’s portrait were not passed without drama. Ehrlich has referred to himself


as “the father of charter schools in Maryland,” a characterization that makes the Democrat who sponsored the bill bristle. In 2003, Ehrlich’s first year in office, he and Sen. Roy P. Dyson


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Suburban Hospital expansion approved


hospital from B1 The board rejected a hearing


examiner’s June recommenda- tion, made after 34 days of hear- ings spanning a year and a half, that thehospital shouldfindmore ways to minimize neighborhood effects tocomplywiththe county’s master plan. Among other find- ings, Francoise M. Carrier deter- mined that the hospital should spare 15of the23houses itwanted todemolishtohelpthe area retain its residential feel.Carrier ischair- man of the Montgomery County PlanningBoard. The panel, which is appointed


by the County Council, was most dividedover thehospital’splans to teardownthehousesithasbought andrentedout since1953toinstall gardens as a buffer between the hospital and remaining houses. Residents said they preferred the houses andmature trees as a buf- fer. The board permitted two houses on Southwick to be torn down for the parking garage but said sparing eight houses on Grant, three onMcKinley and one on Southwick was needed to re- tainthe community’s feel. “If you live next to a hospital,


RICKY CARIOTI/THE WASHINGTON POST


FormerMaryland governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), left, andGov. Martin O’Malley (D) debated last week at TheWashington Post. Ehrlich is seeking his second term in the state’s top office.


“On issues where it was possible to compromise, we did. But on other things, we saw it as our job to stop


(D-St. Mary’s) submitted legisla- tion calling for Maryland to au- thorize charter schools, which receive public funding but have freedom to experiment with cur- ricula. Ehrlich’s bill was more sweep-


ing, making it easier for new schools to win approval. But it was Dyson’s bill that lawmakers passed in thewaning hours of the session after a closed-door meet- ing off the Senate floor. Ehrlich said he accepted the


legislation because it was “better than nothing,” and he has pledged to continue expanding charters if he wins another term. Dyson said Ehrlich had “very little to do” with his bill’s pas- sage. Maryland has 44 charter


schools, 34 of which are in Balti- more. The jurisdiction with the second-highest number is Prince George’s, with five. Collectively, 12,322 students are enrolled in Maryland charters — about 1.4 percent of the roughly 860,000 K-12 students in the state.


The bay fund Ehrlich’s signature environ-


mental initiative, the Chesa- peake Bay Restoration Fund, stalled in 2004 after Democrats insisted on imposing fees amounting to $30 a year on septic users as well as homeown- ers served by wastewater treat- ment plants. Ehrlich eventually accepted a compromise, allowing the legis-


you expect to hear sirens or have a certain amount of traffic,” board memberWalter S. Booth said dur- ing the three-hour public work session in Rockville. “What you don’t expect is all of your neigh- bors’ houses are going to disap- pear.” David K. Perdue, the board’s


vice chairman, initially proposed to allow Suburban to raze all 23 homes. He said that house dis- placementwas an“inevitable con-


things.” —Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., describing his term as Maryland’s governor from 2003 to 2007.


lation tomove forward. More than $322 million in


grants from the fund has been awarded, helping to upgrade 16 treatment plants that discharge into the bay. Almost an addition- al $37 million has gone toward septic upgrades. Although Ehrlich’s measure


was hailed by environmentalists, it was not universally popular among fellow Republicans be- cause of the fee it created, the “flush tax.” Ehrlichmade good on a pledge


not to raise income or sales taxes. But he raisedmore fees than any governor in the past 25 years, including those on sewer use and auto registrations. Early in his term, he also allowed an increase in the state property tax to help close a budget shortfall. If re- turned to office, he has pledged not to raise taxes or fees. Some Annapolis observers say


there is reason to think Ehrlich could get more done in tandem with the legislature in the next four years than he did in his previous term, even if the same Democrats are in charge. “I think anyone in office learns


and improves from the experi- ences they’ve had initially,” said Bruce Bereano, a lobbyist sympa- thetic to Ehrlich. “I strongly believe a second Ehrlich admin- istration will benefit from the experiences it had, in terms of relationshipswith the legislature and approaches tomatters.” wagnerj@washpost.com


Pentagon plans leave a big footprint in Va.’s 2nd Congressional District race nye from B1 “I won’t stand by while Wash-


ington tries to take away our carrier and Joint Forces Com- mand,” Nye said in a September campaign ad, and a spot released last week said he had “stood up to Washington” on JFCOM and “is winning the effort to save our carrier.” Nye, 36, and other Virginia


lawmakers from both parties have accused the Pentagon of providing insufficient evidence to justify the JFCOM closure. Last week,Nye touted a letter to Gates from Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, stating that the com- mittee “will be unable to support any request for legislation or funding” to close the facility until the military explains why the move makes sense. “What we’ve said is, Congress


has a role in this decision,” Nye said. “If we write legislation that blocks the move, it can’t go for- ward.” Rigell says Nye’s record on


these issues is nothing to boast about. “There’s the basic military principle [that] you’re responsi- ble for what happens on your watch,” Rigell said. “This has es- caped CongressmanNye.” Rigell, 50, said that Nye was


taken by surprisewhenthePenta- gon made its JFCOM announce- ment this past summer and that he should have been better pre- pared for it. “There is this pattern of the congressman being reactionary rather than proactive,” Rigell said.


Rigell suggests that Nye bears


particular responsibility, given that JFCOM is in Nye’s district. But some Republicans, including Rep. J. Randy Forbes (Va.), have accused the Pentagon of spring- ing the closure on Congress, and Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDon- nell (R) and Sens. Mark Warner (D) and James Webb (D) have all complained of being blindsided by the move. “What’s sad is, Scott Rigell de-


clareddefeatonthis issue to try to score political points, while I’m trying to solve the problem,” Nye said. Nye and other Democrats


point out that Rigell has not artic- ulated what he would do differ- ently if elected. There are about 110,000 active-


duty military personnel in the Hampton Roads area, according to the Pentagon, and the presence grows to 300,000 when family members, retired veterans and reservists are included. The 2nd District – which in- cludes all of Virginia Beach and


Virginia’s Eastern Shore and parts of Hampton and Norfolk— has multiple military installa- tions, including JFCOM and Na- val Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval base. JFCOM was created in 1999 to help the mili- tary services work and fight to- gether more effectively. The proposed closure of JF-


COM is part of a larger efficiency initiative by Gates to streamline thePentagon’sbudget in anticipa- tion of spending cuts. At a House Armed Services


hearing inSeptember,DeputyDe- fense Secretary William J. Lynn III said JFCOM should be closed because its mission “can be ac- complished effectively and more efficiently elsewhere within” the Pentagon. He also said the com- mand’s staff and budget have bal- looned in the past decade “with- out any significant expansion of mission or responsibilities.” Virginia officials say they’re


still waiting for evidence to back up those assertions. “What we have right now is a pronouncement made by [Gates] with nothing to back it up,” Nye said. On the carrier move, slated to


occur in 2019, the Navy says that having the country’s nuclear car- rier fleet based at one port makes it vulnerable to an attack or a natural disaster. Nye and his col-


leagues counter that the cost of preparing the Florida base for a carrier would be prohibitive. At a festival for military fami-


lies Saturday at theMilitary Avia- tion Museum in Virginia Beach, people said they were paying close attention to both potential losses for the region. “This does notbodewell for the


Tidewater area,” said Bob Sage, a retired Navy captain who de- clined to sayhowhewouldvote in the 2nd District election. “How- ever, that’s qualified by my per- sonal opinion of the resilience of this area, because I’ve seen it over 30 years.” Joe Geib, a retired construc-


tion worker who has cast an ab- sentee ballot for Rigell, was less optimistic. “If it weren’t for the military, I


don’t know where we would be,” Geib said. “Thetouristswouldnot hold us together. It’s the military that keeps us together.” Nye has used his membership


on the Armed Services Commit- tee to agitate on the region’s be- half, and Democratic leaders – recognizing that he occupies a swing seat – have been eager to help. Nye supporters contend that the district would be ill- served by booting him from of- fice. “We need him to build his seniority so that when we get to


the tough times, we know we can turn to . . . Glenn,” said former Virginia Beach mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf (D). She said Nye has done “a fabulous job” on JFCOM and the carrier issue. Nye trailed Rigell by six points


in the most recent independent poll, a September survey taken for the Hill newspaper. (An inde- pendent candidate, Kenny Gold- en, is also running, but he was not included in the poll.) Nye’s advocacy for the district’s


military presence is one part of his case for reelection. He also touts hishaving defied party lead- ers on such issues as the “cap and trade” energy bill and the health- care bill. Nye notes that he has “a very


broad range of support,” with endorsements from such groups as theU.S.ChamberofCommerce and the National Federation of Independent Business on the right and teachers unions on the left.


Republicans point out thatNye


did not announce his opposition to the health-care overhaul bill until the night before it passed, when Democratic leaders were near having the 218 votes they needed for passage. “I thinkmany voters trulydon’t


need to be reminded that Con- gressman Nye has essentially waited until the last minute on


these key votes,” Rigell said. “Theyknowinstinctively that he’s not leading. . . . They’re looking for strong leadership.” For their part, Democrats have


branded Rigell a hypocrite for saying that he opposed the Obama administration’s econom- ic stimulus efforts even as his auto dealerships made money off the “Cash for Clunkers” program. When it comes to JFCOM and


the carrier, Rigell has not said what he would do specifically to improve on Nye’s performance, beyond meeting with military of- ficials, “picking up the pieces and making the best of a difficult situation.” Beth Toone, who was manning


a booth Saturday at the aviation museum for the Tidewater Mili- tary Family Services Council, said she planned to back Rigell in November after having voted for Nye in 2008. A conservative-lean- ing independent, she said that she disliked the health-care re- form bill and that Nye waited far too long to announce his opposi- tion to it. But Toone didn’t blame the


incumbent for the threat to JF- COM. “That,” she said, “is something


that I think is outside of thehands of an individual representative.” ben.pershing@wpost.com


sequence” of having institutions inresidential areas—such as hos- pitals, private schools or country clubs — that might need to grow. Therefore, he said, Suburban’s plans to demolish its own houses didn’t go beyond its “inherent” impacts as an institution in a resi- dential area. Weber said the hospital will


need to seek a variance to exceed restrictions on buildings covering nomore than35percentofaprop- erty. She said the addition would cause Suburban to exceed that percentagebecausethenewbuild- ingswere designed assuming that the 12 houses spared by the board would be torn down and replaced withopenspace. The board also approved the


project on the condition that Sub- urban not buy any more homes beyond Southwick, Grant or McKinley streets to allay commu- nityconcerns that itwouldcontin- ue to expand into the neighbor- hood. TheCountyCouncilwilldecide


whether to grant the hospital’s request to permanently close Lin- coln Street between Old George- town Road and Grant Street, which Suburban officials say they need to unify their 15 acres into a contiguous campus. Residents said theywill contin-


ue tooppose the closurebecause it would reduce their access to Old Georgetown Road and lead to more traffic on other neighbor- hoodstreets. A different hearing examiner


heard arguments in the street clo- sure case in August 2008 but has not issueda recommendation. shaverk@washpost.com


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