PRINCE
FREDERICK,
MD (Jan. 6,
2010) ---
With a group
of nearly
200
supporters
on hand,
George
Owings
announced
his
candidacy
for Governor
of Maryland
as he stood
in the
frigid
winter cold
at the
Veterans
Memorials in
front of the
historic
Calvert
County
Circuit
Courthouse.
Owings
called upon
Marylanders
to assist
him in
bringing
about
leadership
that
actually
works
instead of
simply being
a failed
promise.
Text of Del.
Owings
Speech:
“It is time
to return to
a day of
good
government
in Maryland
in a
perilous
time that
needs strong
leadership,
courage,
common sense
and
bi-partisanship
to bring
together our
citizens to
solve our
problems,”
said Owings.
“We need
effective
leadership
to meet the
challenges
of the
future with
boldness,
civility and
dedication.”
“It is
therefore
incumbent
upon us to
involve
ourselves in
the conduct
of
government
at the
local, state
and federal
levels,”
said Owings.
“ You need
look no
farther than
at the
Veterans
Memorial
behind me
and at the
other
Memorials on
the
courthouse
green for
inspiration,
motivation
and reasons
why it is so
important
that we
dedicate
ourselves to
the cause of
responsible
and
accountable
government.
The names of
Maryland
soldiers,
sailors and
Marines
inscribed
thereon are
of those who
gave their
all so that
we could
assemble
here today,
peacefully,
to pursue
liberty and
to enjoy the
freedoms
they fought
for and died
protecting.”
Their
selfless
dedication
to our
future means
that we must
not be
callous or
careless in
our time at
the helm.
With that in
mind, I am
here to
announce my
candidacy
for Governor
of the State
of Maryland
and I humbly
ask for your
help.
Since
leaving the
post of
Secretary of
Veterans
Affairs in
2007 we all
have waited
to see
effective
leadership
that works
to solve our
problems.
We have all
been waiting
to see my
opponent
provide his
promised
‘Leadership
that Works’.
It has been
an empty
promise.
When the
legislature
reconvenes
one week
from today,
a $2 billion
shortfall
for fiscal
year 2011
awaits their
return.
The $1.3
billion tax
increase of
’07?
Spent!
The millions
in American
Recovery and
Reinvestment
Act from the
feds?
Spent!
Three rounds
of budget
cuts with
devastating
consequences
to hundreds
of
individual
lives?
Done!
The $77M
still
unresolved
in FY 2010?
Action
Pending!
After all of
this, the
governor
from the
wealthiest
state per
capita in
the nation
turns to the
people
looking for
suggestions.
But he has
proven he
doesn’t
listen.
From the
very
beginning we
were offered
a glimpse of
things to
come.
With but a
few short
months in
office under
his belt, we
were
subjected to
the largest
tax increase
in our
state’s
history.
That tax
increase did
what? It
killed
business,
which killed
the flow of
revenue into
the state
coffers and
further
worsened the
revenue
picture.
Comptroller
Franchot
warned
against this
tax hike and
he was
ignored.
But,
unfortunately,
he was
right.
However,
budget
concerns
were quickly
set aside as
my opponent
increased
many cabinet
and high
level
administrative
position
salaries by
$600,000.”
After all
the mayhem
over passing
slots ---
the deals,
the
recriminations,
the threats,
--- nothing
has
happened,
there are no
slot parlors
pumping
money into
the state
treasury,
slots they
are on life
support at
best.
Even Senate
President
Miller has
been quoted
as saying
what
currently
exists needs
to be
scrapped and
the whole
issue needs
to begin
anew.
So much for
the
“Leadership
that Works”
which was
the campaign
slogan of my
opponent
when he ran
for
Governor.
Two recent
horrific
incidents of
murder, one
in Salisbury
and one in
Pikesville
validate the
very reason
I am a
supporter of
the death
penalty.
This stands
in stark
contrast to
my
opponent’s
position.
One would
hope it
would not be
called into
use, but in
those cases,
that demand
it, the law
would be
followed and
any sentence
would be
carried out
by my
Administration.
Personal
involvement
and undue
pressure
applied by
this
governor in
his attempt
to repeal
the death
penalty
statute
resulted in
nothing more
than an
absolute
mess.
The
regulations
finally
offered, as
required by
law, are now
considered
so confusing
that my
opponent’s
de facto
moratorium
remains
firmly in
place.
If my
opponent’s
moral
conviction
is so
strong, he
has the
power and
the
authority to
commute the
sentences of
those
currently on
death row to
life
without
parole. He
can do that
today.
For now, we
have another
example of
‘Leadership
that is not
working’.
Again, the
Senate
President
will be
introducing
legislation
next week in
an attempt
to clean up
what the
revised law
did last
session.
Because of
all I have
seen over
the past
three years,
I am left
with the
firm belief
that there
are better
ways to run
this state.
We know from
the $2
billion
budget
deficit,
declining
revenues,
and families
battered and
beaten by
the
realities of
the
recession
that we have
‘Leadership
that is Not
Working’.
I will
appear
on the
September
ballot as a
candidate
for the
Democratic
nomination
for Governor
of Maryland
as an
alternative
to what the
Democratic
Party has to
offer.
The outcome
of this
decision
rests with
you and I
ask for and
need your
vote on
September 14th.
Navigating
the ship of
state to
deeper,
safer waters
cannot be
done without
a
hard-working
and
dedicated
crew –
boarding
begins
today.”
