QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “[Travel] helps us see the needs and helps us review our programs. It sends a wonderful message to the communities that we visit that we care.”
- Ellen Heller, incoming President of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee

Friday Footnote #6 … December 10, 2004

A publication of The Baltimore Jewish Council.

Contents
1. Legislative update
2. State spending
3. Worth a read
4. The Lighter Side

elcome, friends, to another edition of the Friday Footnote, a weekly letter about Maryland politics and the Jewish community. (As always, if you would like to be removed from this list, let me know – I harbor no ill will, and bear no grudges.)

Congratulations and mazel tov to recently retired Baltimore Circuit Judge Ellen Heller for her pending elevation to President of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (or so the Jewish Times reports).

Thanks to Jeff Gould and Wendy Merrill for co-chairing, and congratulations to the Council’s Government Relations Associate Laura Beasley, for the successful launch of the Young Adults Political Forum last night. On a rainy weeknight, they drew 25 or so under-40 Jews to Center Stage for an evening of political talk. They heard from U.S. Congressman Ben Cardin (D-3^rd); state Senator Lisa Gladden (D-41^st); state Delegate Bill Frank (R-42^nd); and Melody McEntee, aide de camp to U.S. Congressman Dutch Ruppersburger (D-2^nd). The common theme among these very different politicians? “Get involved in politics – one person can make a difference!” (a very Jewish sentiment, I might add). For information about the next Political Forum, email Laura or call her at the Council, 410-542-4850.

In the meantime, you should definitely try to join Mayor Martin O’Malley and many others at the “Chanukah House” community candle-lighting this Monday evening, December 13 (I got it right this time!) at 7:00 p.m., at 6211 Park Heights Avenue. (Here’s a Jewish Times article with the inside story of the famous Chanukah House.)

I hope you and your family enjoy a warm 4^th night of Chanukah tonight (remember: place the candles right to left, but light them left to right!), and a pleasant and peaceful Shabbat.

- David

*** Save the Date: Maryland Jewish Alliance Advocacy Day in Annapolis: March 7, 2005, 5-8 p.m.***

Legislative update

The 108^th Congress adjourned sine die this week (only to return on January 4^th as the 109th). One of the signature achievements of the Jewish community was the creation of a $25 million program to pay for security enhancements at high-risk nonprofit institutions in 18 urban areas, including Baltimore. Credit goes to U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, among others, and to the Washington office of United Jewish Communities.

Closer to home, prospects for a special session next week of the Maryland General Assembly to address medical malpractice reform continued to evaporate, as Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Mike Busch support an HMO premium tax to help pay for doctors’ liability premiums, while Governor Robert Ehrlich is now suggesting tapping the surplus in a little-known fund for those who are too ill to qualify for insurance (the fund is known as the Maryland Health Insurance Program).

On slot machines, Sen. Miller has suggested a deal whereby the proposed National Harbor complex and the Rosecroft Raceway harness track (soon to be owned by relatives of Peter Angelos) – both in Prince George’s County – would divide up a certain number of slot machines. As the Montgomery Gazette reports, there will be no small amount of opposition to that plan.

The Legislature is gearing up to convene for its regular session on January 12^th. One personnel change: former Baltimore County schools lobbyist George P. Poff Jr. has joined the Governor’s legislative office. Poff will handle education matters, replacing Dilip Paliath, who was transferred to the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention where he is general counsel. We’ll be back for our seventh session representing the Council, voicing the Jewish agenda … and we sure could use your help.

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State spending

One of the Baltimore Jewish Council and Maryland Jewish Alliance’s legislative priorities this session will be K-12 school construction funding. Last year’s capital budget provided just over $114 million. But local requests this year exceed $600 million, and school populations are growing as aging buildings deteriorate. Maryland’s capacity to borrow for this vital investment, at today’s low interest rates – and not risk our coveted AAA bond rating – exceeds $250 million.

At a lunch in Salisbury this week with local attorney Bob Fine (many of you know his brother, Stan) and your humble correspondent, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Norman Conway verified the strong legislative interest in investing substantially more money into school construction this year than last year, although he suggested it would likely not be as much as the full $250 million that State Treasurer Nancy Kopp said is affordable.

And at a small reception the BJC held Wednesday evening, graciously hosted by Fred and Peggy Wolf, Sen. Ulysses Currie, the Chairman of the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee, confirmed Del. Conway’s information, adding that the Senate may in fact be interested in going as high as $250 million.

Sen. Currie also predicted that the Legislature’s Spending Affordability Committee, which met Thursday afternoon, would approve a 5.7 percent increase in state spending next year (sure enough … see The Sun’s story: “Growth allows rise in spending”, or the Montgomery Gazette’s version: “Panel OKs highest increase since ’01.” That story also quotes top budget analyst Warren Deschenaux as saying the state’s general fund will need to be cut by an additional $311 million, a prospect we don’t relish.)

As to school construction funding, the momentum is building for a substantial increase. Here is an action alert that gives you an opportunity to weigh in with state decision-makers at this critical time.

Education Advocate

* Urgent: Your help is needed today to advocate for better public school buildings

There is a crisis in Maryland - Maryland's public schools need nearly $4 bbillion in renovation and construction to provide minimally adequate school buildings according to the Maryland State Task Force to Study Public School Facilities who issued its report in December 2003. For Baltimore City Public Schools the cost is nearly $600 million.

Currently the State is proposing to allocate $100 million for school construction and renovation for the 2005-2006 school year. Clearly $100 million will barely make a dent in helping to provide Maryland's public school children safe, educationally appropriate buildings.

What you can do today!

Tell State fiscal leaders that you support an increase in the public school renovation and construction spending of at least $150 million. Fiscal leaders will be meeting this Thursday evening to make recommendations about the State's budget please make your calls before then.

Today call or e-mail the Governor, the legislators that represent your county on the Spending Affordability Committee, the Senate President, and the House Speaker and ask that they publicly support a $150 million increase for school renovation and construction for the 2005-2006 school year.

The State Comptroller, the Budget Secretary, the State Treasurer and the Transportation Secretary have recently issued a report detailing that the State can afford to increase its capital debt.

Please make your call today. Thank you for your advocacy on behalf of Maryland's public school children.

Please find the fiscal leaders' contact information below.

To read the Task Force to Study Public School Facilities report click here.

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Worth a read

I know many of you receive the Council’s regular e-newsletter about Israel, THE ISRAEL CONNECTION, but for those who don’t, the latest edition includes several must-read articles about the shifting landscape in a post-Arafat Middle East, including:

A NEW OPENING FOR MIDEAST PEACE
By Henry Kissinger – The Washington Post – 12/03/04
Three dramatic events have recast the seemingly moribund Middle East diplomacy and opened the way for a major American diplomatic initiative… read more

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN TOURS
By Martin Indyk - The New York Times - 12/06/04
Ramallah, West Bank — A TRICKLE of Palestinians pay their respects at Yasir Arafat's graveside, where mountains of rubble and trash serve as a reminder of the wasteland Mr. Arafat bequeathed them.... read more

DISENGAGEMENT FIRST
By Abraham D. Sofaer - The Wall Street Journal - 12/09/04
Yasser Arafat's death has generated widespread calls for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to resume negotiations aimed at a comprehensive settlement… read more

(To learn more about Israel-related activities and to receive THE ISRAEL CONNECTION please click on this link and subscribe today! http://www.associatednews.org/bjc/connection-for-email.htm)

In other news ……

Mayor Martin O'Malley’s legislative and budget agenda for the 2005 session includes millions of additional dollars to improve schools, fight crime and drug addiction, boost biotechnology and expand other programs.

Congratulations to Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. and his staff for the passage this week of Mr. Smith’s signature “Renaissance” community development proposal for the revitalization of the county's older neighborhoods.

And a quick (and belated) media note: we bid farewell to David Folkenflik, Baltimore Sun media reporter, who, like his former colleague Frank Langfitt, has moved on to the greener electronic pastures of National Public Radio. His beat at NPR continues to be the media. Folkenflik made national headlines recently by interviewing then-Sinclair Broadcasting Washington bureau chief Jon Lieberman about the network’s decision to air an anti-John Kerry documentary just before the election, the Baltimore Business Journal notes (scroll down a bit, past the story about Legg Mason’s Bill Miller).

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The Lighter Side

This short anecdote comes from my colleague, Len Lieberman of the Jewish federation in Illinois, dean of the Jewish federation lobbyists:

My wife Gail and I were in Rome as part of a 35th anniversary Mediterranean cruise in October. Our group visited the Arch of Titus, with its reliefs of the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem being sacked, and the phrase in Latin that by order of the Roman Empire, "no Jew may walk under this arch."

The arch now stands at the end of a cobblestone street called the Sacred Way, and on the other side of the arch is just an open grassy field. There are two small steps on the far side, and the Arch is roped off - perhaps to keep persons from stumbling on these shallow steps as they might walk through it.

I was disappointed to see the Arch roped off, but I said "screw it", and moved one of the rope holders aside. I then marched through the Arch of Titus, and back again. I took a photo of the relief of one of the Great Menorahs being carried away that could only be taken from under the Arch, and Gail took a picture of me under it.

By now, the tour guide came up to me to see why I was acting in this peculiar manner. She asked if what I was doing had religious significance. I explained that the Roman Empire under Titus had forbidden Jews from walking under that Arch, but now, almost 2000 years later, I was reinforcing the reality that while the Roman Empire is long gone, the Jewish People are still here.

She laughed - and said: "now I understand. In the year 2000, the Roman Jewish community wanted to participate in the yearlong festivities of the city for that significant date on the calendar. What they did was -- the entire Jewish community of Rome marched through the Arch of Titus."

Chanukah commemorates our victory - our survival as a religion and as the Jewish People - against the Greeks. My bit of fun was at tthe expense of the ancient Romans, but the theme is the same -- Om Yisrael Chai!!

Len
Leonard M. Lieberman
Associate Vice President
Government Affairs - Springfield Office

Finally …….

When Henry Kissinger was balking at sending an airlift to Israel in the '73 war, he said [to then-Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir], "First of all I am an American, secondly I am Secretary of State of the United States. Lastly, I am a Jew." Golda said, "That's fine, Henry – we read from right to left."
– from a speech by actress Tovah Feldshuh to the New York State Legislative Hearing Arts Day in Albany, N.Y., on March 9, 2004. Click here for the full text. (With thanks to alert reader Aron Raskas.)

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