Ehrlich denies wholesale firings of Democrats

[Rose Siding]

snip>
In a brief State House appearance before reporters and earlier in a radio interview, Ehrlich defended his hiring practices, saying he has sought only to replace high-ranking employees with policy-makers who share his ideology.
...
The governor's defense came as Democratic lawmakers consider an investigation into personnel decisions and agency operations in the aftermath of Tuesday's forced resignation of a state employee and longtime Ehrlich associate, Joseph F. Steffen Jr.
...
During the past two years, Steffen had worked at several state agencies, where former employees said he generated fear as he gained access to personnel data and created lists of workers who would be fired.

Some lawmakers say the Ehrlich administration is reaching deeper into state agencies than is typical during a turnover of party control, firing relatively low-level workers to make room for replacements who would be more loyal to the governor.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.firings12feb12,1,652165.story?coll=bal-home-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

[Burma Jones]

1. I just don't see Ehrlich geting re-elected

He's just a VERY sleazy Republican in a very Blue state.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Maryland may well *not* be "very" blue

Look at the Eastern Shore, Southern Maryland, and Western Maryland. They look more like Georgia than Massachusetts. Thankfully our densely populated areas are Democrat. But this state elected Herr Ehrlich over the oldest child of Robert Kennedy. Admittedly she ran a crappy campaign, but the fact remains .... we're very purple here.

O'Malley06!!!!

[Griffy]

4. almost ALL dense areas are Dem, and we all gotta watch MD cause..

they got paperless voting machines in some areas... and more planned! Its the baltimore and DC metro region (DC was 90% kerry!) that makes MD blue!

[MissWaverly]

8. posted elsewhere on DU worth a look here

Here's the official turnout for Maryland, you will see that registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans. I am the
lady that voted in Baltimore City for the machine that kept voting for Bush. I have seen on Fox where they are bragging that Baltimore
City will vote Republican, it will if the reign of unverified voting continues. Look at the vote count in Baltimore County, it looks totally bogus!

Here's the scoop!
Kerry won with 1,334,493 which is a lead of only 309,790 in Maryland
Bush had 1,024,703
Here's why it is BS, these are registered voters who voted in the entire STATE of MARYLAND
1,340,778 78.89% of registered Dems voted
733,643 81.37% of registered Republicans voted
5,415 72.36% of registered Greens voted
16,182 67.39% of registered Libs voted
236 79.73% of registered Constitution party voted???
8 72.73% of registered Populists voted
299,529 68.52% of registered Independents voted

http://www.elections.state.md.us/SBE_Election/turnout/t...

[cpa]

9. Ehrlich Battle

All of you can contribute to the effort to make sure that Ehrlich is a one time governor. You can e-mail [e-mail] and ask to be included on the e-mail list. You will receive information periodically from Stephanie Dray together with information about issues of the day along with recommendations about writing letters to local papers, etc. You can participate. If enough information is shared with people, this do nothing governor will only be able to live off of the public's dollars for one term. Stand up for your families! Stand up for your State! Most important, stand up for yourselve! Rid the Free State of this abomination!

[hootinholler]

5. But we use Diebold DREs N/T

-Hoot

[dave123williams]

7. Sure; slot machines are the way to solve our problems...

Gambling solves EVERYTHING...this from the 'moral values' gang....Erlich is a joke.

[cpa]

10. Gideon Welles

In the immortal words of Gideon Welles: "He proposes nothing, stands for nothing, creates nothing, does nothing and is good for nothing."

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Back to the spoils system, are we...

and damn the civil service reforms.

It is only fitting, of course, that the states follow Washington's lead on this.

[hector459]

6. All an investigative reporter has to do is examine the firing records

as well as the hiring records. It's all there for public viewing.

[hector459]

11. Anyone in Baltimore working on the hiring/firing records?

eom

[struggle4progress]

12. Personnel System Abuse Alleged

Md. Official Fired in '04 Cites 'Corrosive' Practices Under Ehrlich

By Amit R. Paley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 13, 2005; Page A13

A key human resources director fired last year by Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s administration is urging a legislative committee to review pay raises, promotions and firings that he alleges reflect a "shadow government" operating outside of the state personnel system.

George W. Casey, a registered Republican who was dismissed in September from the Maryland Department of Transportation, acknowledges that it is common for new governors to appoint allies to top state jobs. But, he says, the Ehrlich administration has targeted some lower-level career employees, according to both a letter and statement released yesterday by state Democratic lawmakers.

"What I observed in the state workplace under the current administration has been the most harmful and corrosive personnel practices I have observed in 20 years in the field," Casey wrote in the letter released by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert). <snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19813-2005Feb12.html