Maryland - "Leningrad in Miniature"

Okay, but who saves us?

"The well-choreographed campaign against the (Republican) governor could begin as early as today, when Democrats will likely attempt to override two of Mr. Ehrlich's most important vetoes from last year's session: the bill, pushed by the political odd couple of the Service Employees International Union and Giant Food, requiring that Wal-Mart spend a state-dictated amount on health care for its employees or pay a special tax into Medicaid. Even though the governor has driven home the point that the Wal-Mart bill could kill the state's chances of getting the company to locate new facilities in two of the state's poorest regions: Somerset County on the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland, he will be hard-pressed to sustain his veto, which can be overridden by a three-fifths majority in both houses. Mr. Ehrlich also faces a difficult fight in sustaining his veto of a bill increasing the minimum wage. Look for the Democrats to attempt to override this veto today." -- Opening day in Annapolis

I'm sometimes hard pressed to understand how Massachussets fell so hard into socialism. The only reason I can think of is that there are so many drunken Micks running things?  Maryland is easier to understand - more than half our population get paychecks directly from gummint, or firms who exist because of gummint.  Any state where one party has controlled the legislature for two thousand years will always- no exceptions - be corrupt. Maryland has, and is. A few years ago the state's gas station owners used their own "Abramoff (ahem) technique" to buy the legislature's bill that outlawed BJ's (similar to Price Club) from undercutting their pump price. I'm not making that up.  Giant Food, which is a famous local price gouger, seeks similar protection now that Wal Mart sells groceries.  Ain't that the American way?  No, but it is the Maryland way.  People get the gummint they deserve, and my carbuncle liberal friends in Maryland  have it.