Dear Friend,
I was surprised
to read Governor Ehrlich's op-ed piece in the April 29th edition of
The Gazette touting the administration's record on environmental issues.
I thought you might be interested in my response.
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Gubernatorial
'greenstanding'
by Brian E.
Frosh
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May 6, 2005
Gov. Robert Ehrlich's "green rhetoric" ("Ehrlich recounts
conservation successes," April 29 Issues for our times) warrants
close scrutiny, particularly his assertion that "the Ehrlich
administration's guiding principle" is "environmental conservation
is a year-round endeavor."
Ironically,
except for his efforts to pass the "flush tax" during the
2004 legislative session, Governor Ehrlich's record on the environment
has been abysmal.
As the calendar
turned to 2005, Governor Ehrlich was handed a lackluster mid-term
report card from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. The environmental
watchdog group, which has been evaluating environmental leadership
by Maryland governors and legislators since 1979, gave the governor
a D+ grade, noting especially "the lack of progress on air pollution
and failures in transportation planning, budget priorities, smart
growth and land preservation."
Since the
report card came out, the Ehrlich administration seems to be working
hard to make sure its grade doesn't improve, and in fact now even
the Governor's D+ average is in jeopardy.
The Department
of Natural Resources entered 2005 peddling a reckless plan to introduce
non-native oysters into the Chesapeake Bay . The agency's proposal
lacked support from the scientific community, drew concerned responses
from our neighboring states, and lacked adequate research into potential
adverse effects. In response to this risky plan, the General Assembly
passed responsible legislation sponsored by Sen. Joan Carter Conway
that will keep non-native oysters out of the Bay until the department
can demonstrate it has met scientific criteria established by the
Chesapeake Bay Program and the National Research Council.
Maryland 's
air quality will suffer dramatically due in part to the Ehrlich administration's
vigorous lobbying campaign during the 2005 General Assembly session
to kill legislation that would have reduced pollution from automobiles
and from coal-fired power plants. The emissions from these sources
can contribute to an increased risk of asthma and other respiratory
conditions, particularly among children and the elderly.
The American
Lung Association's new report, "State of the Air 2005,"
documents some of the air quality challenges facing our region. The
report gives 12 jurisdictions in Maryland , including Montgomery and
Prince George 's counties, "F" grades due to the alarming
number of high ozone days. In Baltimore city, which scored an "F"
for high ozone days and for elevated levels of particle pollution,
the state's air monitoring stations are not even working.
The Ehrlich
administration's record on land preservation is worse. The governor
has undermined Program Open Space, Maryland 's nationally recognized
land conservation program that has been in place since 1969 and serves
as a model for other states. Program Open Space seeks to balance Maryland
's preservation and recreation needs with development, ensuring that
forests, parks, streams, farmlands and wildlife habitats are safeguarded
even as our state grows and prospers economically.
Governor Ehrlich's
first three state budgets raided hundreds of millions of dollars from
Program Open Space, crippling state and local land preservation efforts
and potentially putting federal matching grants at risk.
While slamming
the brakes on land preservation through Program Open Space, Ehrlich
has shown other blatant signs of disregard for our public lands. Last
year, the administration hatched a plan to sell 836 acres of forests
in St. Mary's County to a developer. It subsequently became apparent
that the governor was considering the sale of additional public lands,
including many with ecological, historical or aesthetic value, on
the premise that it might help balance the budget. In response to
this misguided policy, I sponsored and the General Assembly passed
a constitutional amendment requiring legislative approval before the
governor can sell environmentally sensitive state land. Voters will
have the opportunity to register their support for land preservation
by ratifying the amendment in the General Election next November.
Maryland 's
bountiful and beautiful natural resources have made our state a popular
tourist destination and a terrific place to live. Our public policy
has traditionally reflected a strong ethic of conservation and a commitment
to environmental protection. Marylanders should expect and demand
steadfast, trustworthy political leadership on environmental issues.
Regrettably, our citizens are not getting that leadership from Governor
Robert Ehrlich.
Brian E. Frosh,
a Democrat from Bethesda, represents District 16 in the state Senate
where he also is chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
