SELF PROMOTION AT THE TAXPAYER’S EXPENSE |
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In 1995 Candidate Parris Glendening promised "I’ll be judged on the quality of my work and not on how many places my name is plastered." In criticizing Governor Schaefer, Glendening stated that "no public purpose" was served by putting the governor’s name and image on state property and advertisements. Nevertheless, Glendening is now doing exactly what he said he would not do. For example, Parris Glendening has spent $68,000 for new "Welcome to Maryland" signs because the previous signs had a major flaw: they did not carry his name. There have been other similar abuses. The governor has had new official state maps printed at taxpayers’ expense. Not because Maryland has suddenly taken on a new shape but because the previous maps didn’t have the governor’s name and picture on them. He also spent $500,000 of our tax money on television ads intended to promote tourism, but in fact mainly promote him. Furthermore, in response to the Pfiesteria outbreak, the governor ran ads costing taxpayers $500,000. The ad promoted the safety of Maryland’s seafood. That’s legitimate. People both inside and outside Maryland should know that our Chesapeake Bay seafood is safe. What isn’t legitimate is ending the commercial with the tag line: "Brought to you by the Maryland seafood industry, Parris Glendening Governor." Did the Maryland seafood industry pay for the commercial? No. The citizens of Maryland did. Is Parris Glendening head of the Maryland seafood industry? No. He’s the governor of Maryland trying to get re-elected by using tax dollars to pay for what is a blatant political commercial. This election year, there are numerous variations on the theme. The most outrageous abuses are the television, radio, and print commercials about the Maryland Higher Education Investment Program. The commercials, which ran in prime time throughout January, all prominently feature Parris Glendening. Unfortunately there is no program. The program has no enrollment contract, no brochure, no fee structure, no master agreement, no prospectus explaining the risks. The program is still in the design stage. The commercials are ridiculously premature. One learns when calling the number on the screen 1-888-MD-GRAD, that the program is not yet operational. The program has not yet issued an enrollment contract. A visit to the web site is no more informative. The homepage, www.prepaid.usmd.usu - also paid for by the taxpayers, has a picture of the governor (of course), a "Dear Friends" letter, and the same 1-888 number at which the operator essentially says, "We will take your name and send you some information when the program starts." Adding insult to injury, Governor Glendening ignored the required procurement process, instead issuing an emergency sole source contract for the commercials. "There was no sole source emergency in this case except the emergency needs of your reelection campaign," Eileen Rehrmann charged in a letter to the Governor. "You used taxpayer money for a massive media campaign and advertised a program which doesn’t exist except on paper." Rehrmann demanded the governor "immediately withdraw the misleading ads form the marketplace and your campaign reimburse the taxpayers for the cost of these ads. You owe taxpayers nothing less. |
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Copyright�1998 |
Eileen Rehrmann for Governor |
