THE 79th MARYLAND THURSDAY MEETING
March 13, 2008

Thursday Meeting Chair (and blueridgeforum publisher) Richard Falknor welcomes participants to the gathering's 79th meeting in Annapolis. Red Maryland blogger Mark Newgent deconstructs the "consensus" on man-made global warming. Newgent has written on the economic consequences of the O'Malley climate-change package.

Association of Maryland Families chief Doug Stiegler presented the coalition with a comprehensive picture of pending legislation affecting traditional values in Maryland as well as the slots constitutional amendment.

Delegate Don Dwyer gave the participants a rare, in-depth look at the political dynamics of the Maryland General Assembly. Dwyer also related to a rapt audience his extensive efforts to protect the high-performing Chesapeake Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School from the Anne Arundel government education cartel.

Collins Bailey, reform-minded Charles County school board member and candidate for the US House in Maryland's Fifth District, introduced himself. Joe Gagliardi, officer of Marines with two tours in Iraq and now returning to civilian life, summmarized his thoughts and answered questions on military operations there.

Susan Payne (left) of Maryland Coalition for Immigration Reform related her struggle to get the whole of her testimony on HB885 and related bills before the House of Delegates Judiciary Committee last March 11. Payne held up her controversial poster depicting Judiciary panel chairman delegate Joe Vallario. Click here for the YouTube video of delegate Vallario at the CASA rally.

Wrote the Baltimore Sun blog: "The flyer . . . accuses [Vallario] of "aiding and abetting" illegal immigration, largely based on praise directed at him at a rally for CASA of Maryland, a Latino and immigrant rights advocacy group. It was made by the Maryland Coalition for Immigration Reform, a newly formed organization whose leader has spoken on behalf of many of the bills proposed by Republicans dealing with illegal immigration."