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From The Chair’s Desk: California Moving Forward

February 17th, 2012 by bittner@dga.net

I was thrilled to see this week that things are headed in the right direction again in California under the leadership of Governor Jerry Brown. S&P just upgraded its bond outlook for California to positive for the first time in almost five years, and GDP growth is expected to pass 3% this year – almost double the current 1.8% rate. California still faces considerable challenges, but this is all very positive news.

Governor Brown is showing the nation what can be accomplished with a strong Democratic governor who isn’t afraid to make the tough choices necessary to create jobs and expand opportunity.

 

Jobs.Opportunity. Now.,

 

 

Martin O’Malley

 

Read the full article from the Bellingham Herald here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/02/14/2394045/sp-improves-california-bond-outlook.html


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Red Gov Watch: Kasich’s “Bizarre” State of the State Address

February 8th, 2012 by bittner@dga.net

Ohio Governor John Kasich delivered his State of the State address yesterday, and it was an odd one—even by Kasich’s own high standards of strangeness. In the absence of an actual forward-looking agenda for Ohio, Kasich’s personal idiosyncrasies stole the show.

Here’s the lede from The Enquirer:

“Non-bluetongue cows going to Turkey. A dream about Jerry Seinfeld in the back seat of a car. Californians are ‘a bunch of wackadoodles.’

John Kasich’s second State of the State speech Tuesday was rambling and at times bizarre. Among his head-jerking references, Kasich told the first three winners of a newly-created state courage award not to sell the medals on eBay; pointed out his ‘hot wife;’ and imitated someone with Parkinson’s disease when he talked about ‘deep brain massage.’

In other words, typical Kasich.”

 

 The Associated Press reported that the speech was “mostly devoid of big initiatives “and “was peppered with Kasich’s usual array of off-the-cuff, sometimes puzzling remarks.”

 

And according to The Toledo-Blade, “The speech was heavier on looking back at 2011 than it was on proposals looking forward.”

 

 

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From the Chair’s Desk: The GOP’s Troubling Silence on Foreclosures

February 7th, 2012 by bittner@dga.net

I was a guest on CNN’s “State of the Union” this past Sunday with Candy Crowley and one of the topics that came up was the problem of foreclosures. As a governor, I know there is no more powerful place than a family’s home and nothing more important for protecting that home than a job.

Yet even as we emerge from this Bush recession with 23 consecutive months of positive job growth, too many people in my state and across the country have lost or are in the process of losing their homes right now. It’s one of the troubling legacies of the financial crisis that President Obama inherited. Thanks in no small part to President Obama, foreclosures are at their lowest rate in 49 months. But we still have work to do.

That’s why I was glad to hear the President lay out a plan for helping homeowners in his State of the Union address last month. The President’s plan is simple: it would give responsible homeowners the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage by refinancing at historically low rates. The President’s plan also includes a Homeowner Bill of Rights to protect homeowners from exorbitant fees and inappropriate foreclosures.

One would think such a commonsense proposal would immediately attract bipartisan support. Yet House Majority Leader John Boehner scoffed at the idea and then suggested we should do nothing to stop rising foreclosures and falling home values. Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney has said his solution is to “let the market bottom out,” leaving homeowners out to dry.

This sit-on-our-hands-approach of Republicans is unacceptable and irresponsible. It puts politics and ideology above common sense. And—most importantly—it does nothing to help people stay in their homes.

I hope you will join me in calling on Republicans to wake up and support the President’s plan.

Jobs. Opportunity. Now.,

Martin O’Malley

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From the Chair’s Desk: Putting Jobs Above Tea Party Extremism

January 13th, 2012 by bittner@dga.net

Democrats and Republicans once agreed that building rail would create jobs in our construction industry and lead our nation into the 21st century. As a recent article in The New York Times points out, Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich once spoke out in favor of building a national rail network, admiring the work done by China and France in this regard. Even Congressman Ron Paul, and Governor Rick Perryonce advocated for rail—or at least paid lip service to the concept.

This brings us to the point: all of the current Presidential candidates talk about creating jobs, but none have committed to making the investments needed to create them. Why have none of the candidates so much as mentioned infrastructure investments, even though many have supported the idea in the past?  The only answer is that they have become captive to the far right extreme of their party. This is no longer the party of Lincoln or Eisenhower—it’s the party of Alice’s Wonderland, where down is up and up is down.

Now is the time to get to work rebuilding America so that we can compete with Europe and Asia and lead the world into the 21st century. That’s why Democratic governors have made these investments—whether it’s Illinois Governor Quinn building high-speed rail from St. Louis to Chicago or California Governor Jerry Brown continuing his state’s commitment to infrastructure investments.

Now is the time for the Republican field to start putting jobs and opportunity first. The future of our nation depends on it.

Jobs. Opportunity. Now.,

Martin O’Malley

Read the full article from the New York Times here: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/michael_cooper/index.html?inline=nyt-per

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From the Chair’s Desk: Extend Middle Class Tax Cuts

December 21st, 2011 by bittner@dga.net

The Republican wing of our House of Representatives is now so crippled by animosity for the President and a desire to slow the economy for electoral gain that they cannot even bring themselves to cooperate for the sake of a payroll tax cut for 160 million hard-working Americans – a measure which they claim to support. So dysfunctional has this Republican Tea Party Congress become that any cooperation on creating or saving jobs no longer seems possible.

A governing majority that is incapable of legislative agreement on anything is not governing and it is no long a majority – it is a broken wing: incapable of flight, incapable giving any lift to our country’s job’s recovery.

Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans and the White House worked across party lines to reach an agreement that will keep more money in the pocket of working families and keep our jobs recovery moving forward. By blocking this bipartisan agreement, House Republicans are weakening our economy. Democratic Governors believe they should get back to work and pass the compromise agreement.

Jobs. Opportunity. Now.,

Martin O’Malley

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From the Chair’s Desk: An Open Letter to President Obama

December 20th, 2011 by bittner@dga.net

I recently wrote this letter to President Obama following the end to the War in Iraq.

An Open Letter to President Obama

December 16th, 2011

Dear President Obama,

Thank you for doing what you said you would do in bringing our troops home from Iraq. Thank you for valuing the lives of our brave young men and women over the politically expedient course. Thank you for standing your ground against those who criticized and mocked you. Thank you for doing what only a few presidents have had the courage to do – end war.

Sincerely,

Martin O’Malley

Governor, State of Maryland

Jobs. Opportunity. Now.,

Martin O’Malley

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RedGovWatch: Kinder Exits Stage Left As Montana Rs Scramble to the Far Right

November 30th, 2011 by bittner@dga.net

What a sad outlook for the Montana Republican primary race as the 9 gubernatorial candidates are pandering to tea party extremists to win the nomination. Because of the absurdly large (and possible expanding) field of candidates, the crowd of contenders is scrambling to the far right. Beyond demonstrating that their extreme agendas are far outside the mainstream of Montana, these candidates are ensuring a difficult general election matchup for the GOP. By running so far to the right, they are making themselves increasingly unelectable in the general election.

With extremist GOP state legislators proposing, as Gov. Brian Schwietzer described, “bat-crap crazy” legislation, it is frightening to imagine the shambles Montana would be in without the wise vetoes and Democratic leadership of Governor Schweitzer.

Undoubtedly, the Democratic candidate Steve Bullock will face a tea party extremist in the general election. Montana’s choice in this election is clear. In Bullock, we have a great candidate who can continue Schweitzer’s legacy of job creation and standing up to the crazies.

Meanwhile in Missouri, pantless-partier Peter Kinder has dropped out of the gubernatorial race leaving a man with even more questionable ethics (if that’s possible) as the front-runner. Republican businessman Dave Spence, who claims to be adamantly opposed to government intrusion, received a $42 million bank bailout and refuses to repay it. It’s no wonder the Republicans are scrambling for a decent candidate to challenge Governor Jay Nixon in Missouri.

These two races clearly show the importance of electing strong Democratic governors across the nation.

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Why We Won

November 21st, 2011 by bittner@dga.net

Earlier this month, Democratic Governor Steve Beshear won re-election by a resounding 21-point margin in Kentucky. That same night, voters in Ohio rejected the union-busting Issue 2 ballot measure, dealing a major blow to Governor John Kasich. All in all, it was a good night for Democrats. Beshear’s decisive victory, coming just one month after Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s in West Virginia, provided the DGA with key wins in a tough electoral environment in our two top-targeted governors races this year—this despite being outspent by the RGA by a margin of two-to-one.

The races in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio were very different, but they had a common thread running throughout: voters rewarded serious and hardworking leaders like Steve Beshear and Earl Ray Tomblin who maintained a laser focus on job creation and improving the economy. And they punished electeds like John Kasich, who used his first few months in office to demonize police officers, firefighters, and teachers and enact an overreaching partisan agenda.

The debates we saw in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio offer parallels to the one we are seeing playing out nationally between President Obama and Democrats—who are focused on creating jobs, upgrading infrastructure, and improving education—and the do-nothing Republican leadership in Congress that is bending over backwards to cater to the Tea Party and obstruct any and all economic progress.

In every instance, voters sent a clear message that they want job creation to be job one for their elected officials. We’ll see if Republicans get the message.

Jobs. Opportunity. Now.,

Martin O’Malley

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From the Chair’s Desk: Malloy’s Jobs Success

November 1st, 2011 by bittner@dga.net

Last Thursday the Connecticut legislature approved Governor Dannel Malloy’s sweeping jobs plan with bipartisan support. The new law loosens business regulations, expands job-training efforts, creates new tax credits for small businesses, and invests in public-works projects. It will help put people back to work in Connecticut and speed the jobs recovery, and it is based on the irrefutable principle that a modern economy requires modern investments. I would like to congratulate Governor Malloy and the Connecticut legislature for taking this significant step forward.

In Connecticut and in other states across the country, job creation is at the top of Democratic governors’ agendas. Democratic governors are working to pass meaningful legislation that tackles the most important issues affecting our country today. The contrast could not be sharper with Republican governors like Ohio’s John Kasich and Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, who have chosen to settle old political scores instead of focusing on job creation. Next week the people of Ohio will decide whether Kasich’s union-busting agenda is the right path for Ohio or whether they want a governor who will focus on results.

Democratic governors continue to work hard to develop meaningful solutions to the issues that affect our states. We understand that Americans need jobs, and the most important job we help to create is the next one.

Thank you for your support.

Jobs. Opportunity. Now.,

Martin O’Malley

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From the Chair’s Desk: Modern Investments: A Historic Truth

October 20th, 2011 by bittner@dga.net

208 years ago today, the United States of America chose to make a modern investment that would literally shape our country.

On October 20, 1803, the United States Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase, just days before President Jefferson’s treaty was set to expire. 24 Senators voted in favor.

7 opposed.

That’s right – even in Jefferson’s day, there were those opposed to making the modern investments to move our economy forward.

To create jobs, modern economies require modern investments. That isn’t a Democratic or Republican idea; it’s a historic and economic truth that we have proved out time and again as a people.

Today and always, job creation must be our nation’s top priority. American progress, by any measure, is only possible with greater employment. In fact, we can only retire our deficit if we can employ more of our people.

That is why President Obama’s job creation proposals are so important, and why those filibustering are so irresponsible. When President Obama introduced these bipartisan ideas in September, he said jobless Americans can’t wait 14 months until the next election. Six weeks later, they still can’t.

Many of the proposals in the American Jobs Act are being put into action by governors – both Democratic and Republican – in statehouses across our country. But federal action to help Americans find work is still critically important.

The historic truth remains: there are some challenges so large that we can only hope to tackle them together. Creating jobs, expanding opportunity, improving public education and public safety, and rebuilding a 21st century transportation and cyber infrastructure won’t happen by themselves.

Modern economies require modern investments. Americans have done it better than any people in the recorded history of the world, identifying and investing in the innovations for a stronger country.

One such example is Robert Livingston. One of the men Jefferson selected to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase, Livingston partnered with an inventor working on the seemingly preposterous idea of using hot air to propel a boat. Two centuries later, our schoolchildren still learn about Robert Fulton and his steamboat.

Jobs. Opportunity. Now.,

Martin O’Malley

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