Life imitates art in Annapolis

This editorial was originally published in The Montgomery County Gazette on March 24, 2004.

How is the Maryland General Assembly like a Kabuki theater? Actually, rather a lot.

Kabuki is the highly stylized traditional theater of Japan in which all the players follow carefully scripted movements to create a bizarre re-interpretation of real life.

The General Assembly is the traditional political theater of Maryland in which the major players are supposed to carefully follow a script while appearing to be conducting real-life debates and votes.

On taxes, on slots and on many other issues, it can be difficult to ascertain what lawmakers really support and what they are voting for or against at the insistence of party leaders.

The vote last week on the transportation package proposed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. provides an illuminating look at the form.

The administration and House Speaker Michael Busch had worked out a deal to pass the collection of auto registration fee increases and fund transfers to support Ehrlich's road-building plan.

The essential part of the deal, to Busch's mind, was to have the maximum number of Republicans vote for the package, and the minimum number of Democrats.

Busch was not about to hand a major legislative victory to the Republican governor, and then have conservative Republicans campaign in two years ripping the tax-and-spend Democrats for gouging the people.

When the vote came on Friday, Busch made certain he had the minimum number of Democrats lined up to pass it. Then he waited for the Republicans to come in.

The speaker can watch the votes being tallied in the House of Delegates. With about one minute left in the polling time, he signaled to the GOP leaders that they needed one more vote.

The GOP leaders began berating reluctant Republicans, two more vote were found and the bill passed, 72-69, with more Republican votes than Democrats.

Mike Busch is becoming increasingly skilled in this play, carefully marshalling his troops to yield the precise outcome he wants. Speculation is rampant that he will use the same tactics if he decides to allow a vote on a slots bill.

If Ehrlich wants his top initiatives passed, he is going to have to force Republicans who are philosophically opposed to taxes, fees and slots to back him. Mike Busch will allow no Republican a free ride.

The General Assembly is moving forward with an important bill that would require creation of a "paper trail" for the state's new touch-screen voting machines.

This bill deserves quick passage this year, to ensure public confidence will be maintained in the presidential election this fall.

Under the bill, the state's controversial $74 million Diebold voting system would be required to provide paper receipts. The paper receipts would be used as a check against possible fraud or glitches in the machines and would be the official ballots for recounts.

The Diebold system has been under fire since July when computer scientist Aviel D. Rubin of Johns Hopkins University reported it was riddled with security holes that could result in fraud or errors.

The company also faced criticism after The Gazette reported last year on internal Diebold e-mails that recommend charging Maryland "out the yin-yang" should lawmakers mandate voter receipts.

Del. Karen S. Montgomery (D-Dist. 14) of Brookeville has been working hard for passage of this measure, and last week picked up the important support of Sen. Paula C. Hollinger, chairwoman of the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee.

Hollinger (D-Dist. 11) of Pikesville said Ehrlich must find money in the budget for the paper ballots. The state's legislative analysts have warned the upgrade could cost tens of millions.

"There is no question that the people want to feel that their vote is secure," Hollinger said.

We call on the legislators to complete action on the bill and the governor to sign it. Then, the administration should hold Diebold's feet to the fire to rectify a problem that the company created, at a minimal cost to state taxpayers.

© 2004 The Gazette