Ehrlich Vetoes 'Wal-Mart' Bill (Maryland)

[bertha katzenengel]

Washington Post, Thursday, May 19, 2005; 2:21 PM

PRINCESS ANNE, Md., May 19 -- Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. this afternoon vetoed legislation that would effectively have required retailing giant Wal-Mart to spend more money on employee health benefits or pay into a state insurance program for the poor.

Ehrlich's action came during a tightly choreographed ceremony in which he was flanked by a top executive from the Arkansas-based company and greeted by a high school band playing on a blocked-off downtown street lined with American flags.

"We are here to enthusiastically veto a bad piece of public policy," Ehrlich (R) said, arguing the bill would have a chilling effect on businesses considering locating or expanding in Maryland.

Ehrlich chose Somerset County as his venue because it has one of the state's highest unemployment rates, and the fate of a planned Wal-Mart distribution center here has become entangled in the controversy surrounding the bill.

~snip~

more at link

[tk2kewl]

1. Douchbag!

[Shallah Kali]

23. Isn't this the guy who's wife said she wanted to kill Britney Spears?

What a pair of winners :eyes:

[OldLeftieLawyer]

25. Governor and Mrs. Prick

Owned by the business interests.

And his hair dye job is so bad, I wince............

[shawn703]

2. A Republican sided with Walmart?

Especially to come out against a bill that would have helped the poor and working class? No way!
:sarcasm:

[coloradodem2005]

3. How is it that these blue states...

...Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, California elect these douchebag Republicans for governor? Jesus.

[Frances]

7. I worked to elect Ehrlich's opponent

But young white males were enamored of this "nice guy." Former Dem Governor Marvin Mandel (yes the one who divorced his wife while governor & later went to prison) worked to elect Ehrlich. The Washington Post wrote glowing articles about the guy.

I couldn't see why other people didn't see the man for the Bush clone he is.

[bertha katzenengel]

9. Ehrlich is MD's first GOP governor since Spiro Agnew.

His opponent was Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend, whose campaign went over like a lead baloon. I don't know why but she seemed enormously unpopular. I barely remember the campaign. All I remember is hearing the result the next day. I felt doomed.

[Green Mountain Dem]

17. whoa there.....

The only reason we have a repuke is because a very popular independent took a lot of votes from the Dem candidate. The gov we have now is a moderate and knows that Dems control the statehouse, so it is not so bad.

[KamaAina]

21. You forgot Hawai'i

although Lingle is a pussycat compared to Ehrlich, Romney, Ahh-nuld, etc.

[napi21]

4. I actually disagree with that bill.

WM will strangle itself, all alone, and without any help from laws. Last weekk, I heard WM has to hire 55,000 people each month!!! And almost all are to fill positions of people who left, not new store positions. Almost every week, another city or town is turning them down for permission to build a store. Their image is absolutely rotten!

This consumer advocate talkshow host (Clark Howard) said WM made a decision to pay low wages and low to no benefits because they thin it's better for them. It's causing them some very major problems. (Don't try to ask a clerk a question, if you can even find one, that is. No one's been there long enough to know anything!)

I don't believe in having gov't force any company to pay for health care, or specific wages. The company that doesn't is either going to change their thinking, or they're going to fail.

[LostinVA]

5. So you disagree with a minimum wage? Not flaming

Just trying to make sure I understand you!

[davidinalameda]

6. as long as they have customers

it doesn't matter what their sales staff is like

the people shopping there don't expect anything and that's what they're getting

And that doesn't excuse Wal-Mart from not doing the right thing by their employees

[Frances]

8. Why should my tax dollars go to subsidize the

owners of WalMart who are some of the richest people in the world?

My tax dollars are being used to pay health care for WalMart's poorly paid workers so that WalMart can make more profit. And give money to Erhlich & Bush & other Repubs.

[bertha katzenengel]

10. The bill wasn't about Wal-Mart. eom

[seemunkee]

16. It didn't say WALMART in the bill but

The only other two companies that fell into the category that the bill was targeted at already give their employees medical benefits.

[Orsino]

18. Maybe.

"WM will strangle itself, all alone, and without any help from laws...."

But how much misery should we let them cause for the twenty years it would take for such a reversal of fortune as you imagine?

I believe in workers getting living wages, and benefits. Wal-Mart doesn't. I'd be delighted to see them forced to comply.

But they got to the governor, and have the veto they no douvt paid for.

[Fire Walk With Me]

11. This will have a "chilling effect" upon employee health benefits/insurance

"vetoed legislation that would effectively have required retailing giant Wal-Mart to spend more money on employee health benefits or pay into a state insurance program for the poor."

Union-busters... Creating more cheap labor.

Eventually people will be happy to work for minimum wage, with no benefits at all. The American dream.

[Spazito]

12. Do the proponents of the bill have enough votes in the General

Assembly to override the veto?

I see from the article that it is an option:

"Proponents of the legislation said they will urge the General Assembly to override Ehrlich's veto. Lawmakers are next scheduled to convene in January."

[GOPFighter]

13. Yes, there's a good chance this will get overridden

Maryland's General Assembly is still strongly Democratic.

[Spazito]

15. Thanks for you response!

I hope they are able to.

[tabasco]

19. Time for us Marylanders to get hot emailing and writing letters.

This should be overridden.

Ehrlich is a one-term asswipe and will be soon replaced with a Dem.

[cap]

14. there should be a counter demonstration with a

band playing the chinese national anthem on a street lines with Walmart and Chinese flags.

[struggle4progress]

20. Md. governor vetoes Wal-Mart benefits bill

GRETCHEN PARKER

Associated Press


PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Gov. Robert Ehrlich on Thursday vetoed a bill that would force Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to spend at least 8 percent of its payroll on health benefits or pay the difference to a Maryland fund. <snip>

Four blocks of downtown Princess Anne, decorated with American flags, were closed to traffic and police officers patrolled the perimeter. A high school band played "God Bless America" and the Maryland state song.

About 200 people gathered for the ceremony, including about a dozen protesters who had rallied in support of the bill during the General Assembly's 2005 session. Protesters said police told them they weren't allowed to carry signs or raise their voices under instructions from the governor's staff - although a police spokesman said they had issued no such restrictions. Protestors stood at the back of the crowd with their backs turned to the governor. <snip>

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/business/11688031.htm

[KamaAina]

22. "God Bless America" and the Md. state song?

As you will hear before the Preakness on Sat., "Maryland, My Maryland" is sung to the tune of -- "O Tannenbaum!", an ode to that holdover of pagan symbolism, the Christmas tree. Interesting combo, to say the least.

In a weird way, this all makes sense:

Ehrlich appears in Princess Anne.

Princess Anne (of England) is an accomplished horsewoman.

Ehrlich is a horse's ass.

See? It all makes sense.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. The despot's heel is on thy shore,

Maryland! My Maryland!
His torch is at thy temple door,
Maryland! My Maryland!
Avenge the patriotic gore
That flecked the streets of Baltimore,
And be the battle queen of yore,
Maryland! My Maryland!

[DeepModem Mom]

26. WHY do blue states elect these Republican governors???

Maryland, Massachusetts, California, New York -- even Vermont!

[Roland99]

27. Looks like Ehrlich is planted deep in WalMart's pocket

"We are here to enthusiastically veto a bad piece of public policy," Ehrlich (R) said, arguing that the measure would have a chilling effect on businesses considering locating or expanding in Maryland. He was greeted by a high school band playing on a blocked-off downtown street lined with American flags. About two dozen protesters turned out, but were forbidden from displaying signs.





Now that pisses me off! :evilfrown:

[MADem]

28. Y'all DO know how that evil jerk got around from campaign stop to

...campaign stop, doncha?

In the SINCLAIR BROADCASTING helicopter. I shit you not. Read all about it: http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=9475&fcategory_desc=Media%20Lies%20and%20Right%20Wing%20Bias

Two years ago, Duncan Smith, vice president of Sinclair, gave then Maryland GOP gubernatorial candidate Robert Ehrlich extensive use of a luxury helicopter Smith owned and billed Ehrlich's campaign-at a discounted rate of $1,000 an hour-only after an inquiry by the Baltimore Sun. Smith's company, Whirlwind Aviation, Inc., rents out the aircraft for $2,500 an hour. "Ehrlich used the helicopter at least six times during and after the gubernatorial campaign," according to a Nov. 20, 2002 Baltimore Sun story. Smith said at the time that the remaining fee of more than $13,750 would be picked up by Whirlwind and listed by the company as an "in-kind" contribution to Ehrlich's campaign.

The campaign donation appeared to violate campaign finance laws because it wasn't reported in a timely fashion. Moreover, the donation raised ethical issues for Sinclair. The media company owns two television stations in Maryland and was providing Ehrlich's campaign with favorable news coverage, while attacking Democratic incumbent, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

"If you're an entity that owns a news outlet that is supposed to provide fair and balanced coverage of the campaign, and yet at the same time are providing aid to one of the candidates in the campaign, that puts them in a severe position of conflict," Christopher Hanson, who teaches journalism ethics at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism, told the Sun. "I don't see any way around that."

Sinclair never told its television viewers that it gave Ehrlich use of Smith's helicopter during its coverage of the campaign. Furthermore, none of the trips Ehrlich took in the helicopter were reported in campaign finance documents his committee filed months after Ehrlich first started using the helicopter, a violation of state law requiring donations to be listed when they are received. Sinclair's Smith refused to comment about the two-year old scandal.

You remember Sinclair, of course. Sinclair, the "let's not air Ted Koppel's memorial to the dead soldiers in Iraq" bunch. Sinclair, of Swiftshit Veteran's for Falsehoods fame.

By their friends we shall know them!

[viva la resistance]

29. Screw Sinclair, Ehrlich, Wal-Mart and the helicopter they flew in on. n/t

[Robworld]

30. He knows where his bread is buttered

http://www.dumdumgoestothecircus.com /

[Shallah Kali]

31. Ehrlich vetoed gay rights law but kissing wal-mart's coporate butt is OK?

Ehrlich Vetoes Gay Rights, Minimum Wage Bills
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/20/AR2005052000862.html

GOP Logic:
Selling out to corporations GOOD. Making love to your beloved BAD.

[Catshrink]

32. You changed your name!

No wonder I haven't seen you around! How ya' been?

[realFedUp]

33. Sirota on this

Wal-Mart Shows Who Owns Our Government
David Sirota

Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) yesterday vetoed legislation aimed at forcing Wal-Mart to provide its workers with more adequate benefits. That wasn't a surprise - Ehrlich is the standard "corporate whore in politicians clothing" that now occupies many of our nation's highest public offices. What is shocking, however, is how open he was about acknowledging that Big Business pulls all of the strings when it comes to public policy.

As the Los Angeles Times notes, "Eduardo Castro-Wright, chief operating officer of Wal-Mart stores USA division, stood at the Republican governor's side as he signed the official veto." The photo at right captures it on film - Ehrlich is waving after the veto, as Wal-Mart's CEO prowls behind him.

This is, in no uncertain terms, an admission that we no longer have a government that could be called "of the people." Our democracy has been degraded so forcefully by Corporate America, that it's become standard operating procedure for CEOs to be physically looming/lurking as one of their lackeys in high office spits on ordinary workers and does Big Business's bidding.