Political courage unites those who have it; divides those who don’t

It is easy to whine, gripe, attack and predict disaster is at the doorstep. Having the courage to solve real problems is hard and sometimes costly. After all, there is always someone or some group ready, willing and able to do what's easy.

Governor Martin O'Malley and the Democratic leaders of the General Assembly had the courage to build a strong fiscal wall against the $1.7 billion structural deficit they inherited. They built that wall in the open; publicly announcing solutions and the reasons for them in a series of news conferences held across the state. Then, they made difficult decisions in a widely reported, praised and criticized Special Session.

Had that structural deficit been solved by the previous governor, no Special Session would have been required. But Bob Ehrlich, with his record-breaking tax hikes, financial band-aides, borrowing and boisterous pronouncements of fiscal efficiency, failed to solve a problem he inherited only to make it worse.

Do you recall in 2002 how Ehrlich loudly denounced the $4 billion deficit he would solve? That figure was largely structural - spread out over the years to come. It existed in 2002 and it got bigger under Ehrlich by 2006.

Forget the so-called "surplus" left by Ehrlich. There wasn't one. The extra cash on hand that balanced last year's budget was already spent - set aside in a "special purposes account" - by Ehrlich. The "special purpose" was to balance the General Fund Budget in 2007. On that issue, there can be no dispute. I have the audio recordings.

The raging waters of inflation, progress or just plain need may attempt to slop future budgets over that new "fiscal wall" in the years ahead. But Democrats have shown they can cut budgets, too. Since 2006, Democrats imposed cuts of over $1.8 billion on budgets past, present and future.

So in response, where do we find the once united Annapolis Republicans who screamed in defiance at all of it? In the end, their House leadership got caught proposing an alternative budget that actually spent 85 percent of the Special Session revenue they had voted against. Half of the Republican Senators - and a few Republican Delegates - voted to approve the state budget based in part on that revenue. Of course, the other Republicans didn't.

So, despite their small size, they split and splintered. In the end they couldn't even agree with each other on the Smith Island Cake. Some belittled our new "state cake" as a complete waste of time for a General Assembly facing serious issues. They must have forgotten it was a Republican sponsored bill in the first place.

Building that fiscal wall in full public view took courage. Making those cuts took courage. Still, all those difficult decisions renewed the unity and direction of the Democratic leaders in Annapolis. They have ensured progress on mutltiple fronts for all Marylanders. Education, clean air, clean water, a cleaner Chesapeake Bay, health care, energy conservation, public safety, transportation and more have all been improved and advanced by courageous Democrats in tough times.

Democrats even made sure one Republican had a victory for an odd little bill with a good purpose behind it. The isolated residents of historic Smith Island - dependent on the fruits of a struggling seafood industry - got a much needed boost in tourism and cake commerce and therefore, economic survival.

Political courage not only unites, it attracts converts by doing what's right when everyone is watching. Who knew some Republicans would come around and work cooperatively where they can. Of course there are those who haven't, yet.