Soccer Dad

Hire/fire

via Kevin Dayhoff's News Clips 06052007

O’Malley: Administration firings not political

Gov. Martin O’Malley said recent firings in his administration were not for political reasons, as some Republicans maintain, but to put “competent, professional” people in charge to help “make government work again.”

Former members of then-Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s administration are circulating lists of people who they say were fired because of their Republican ties. The Examiner reported Monday that some of those let go called it “hypocrisy” and “a double standard” for Democrats to do the same thing that Ehrlich was accused of doing.

The charge that ex-Gov. Ehrlich was somehow wrong in using his authority to fire roughly 4% of all at-will employees was bogus. But it made for good political theater that the media largely swallowed uncritically. And no doubt, the cynical hearings helped Gov O'Malley defeat Ehrlich. But please, Governor, no whining. It was cheap politics, but it helped you. Don't protest if others find your actions hypocritical.

But if you want to be above suspicion perhaps instead of firing folks you should be hiring employees where they're needed.

Officials worried about O'Malley's security ideas

Homeland security officials across the state say they have become concerned about emergency preparedness in since Gov. Martin O'Malley has taken office.

Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, has been slow to fill vacancies in the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, and local homeland security coordinators say the O'Malley administration has not contacted them since taking office.

"What's a little bit disturbing is we have put together strategic homeland security goals for , and I don't know whether they have seen them," said Donald McGuire, director of emergency preparedness.

Maryland Politics, Governor O'Malley.