At a stone ranch house on a quiet street in eastern Baltimore County, Gov. Robert Ehrlich sought to revive the debate on eminent domain, the government condemnation powers that were one of the most controversial issues in recent years in the county he needs to carry heavily to win re-election.
Ehrlich accused General Assembly leaders of blocking legislation this year that would protect Maryland property owners from having their homes and businesses taken for economic development. He also accused Mayor Martin O?Malley, his Democratic rival in Tuesday?s gubernatorial election, of using these same powers in Baltimore to allow the building of luxury apartments and restaurants.
The leadership of the House and Senate “would not step up,” Ehrlich said, but “this is an issue that will not go away.”
Dozens of bills tried to restrict the use of condemnation powers for economic reasons rather than for roads and schools. But Democratic leaders said they could not work out an acceptable compromise between interests of property owners and local officials.
In 2000, Baltimore County voters overwhelmingly defeated by referendum legislation to allow the taking of homes and businesses to create larger parcels for redevelopment of waterfront properties. “The people stood up and the people won,” Ehrlich said.
“The lesson we took away from that is that you can?t really trust your government,” said Georgeann Lynch, whose house was threatened by the law. Her home was the setting for the governor?s news conference.
Two business owners also supported the need for new legislation, including a Baltimore liquor store owner who said he was forced to move by the Baltimore Development Corp.
In other developments, the Ehrlich campaign has returned $500,000 in campaign contributions that had been given by the state Republican Party out of its federal account. The state Board of Elections found that this transfer from the party was not legal under Maryland law. While the Ehrlich camp did not agree with the decision, it decided not to dispute it, a campaign spokesman said.
Even without the $500,000, which was largely raised at $10,000-a-ticket fundraiser in May headlined by President Bush -? the governor?s re-election bid went into the final two weeks of the campaign with more than $2 million to spend, compared to $600,000 for the mayor. But other groups, including unions, business organizations and committees affiliated with both parties, are also spending money on the governor?s race.
Part of the Baltimore Examiner’s 2006 Election Coverage
