Doing the "tough things "- MD style

“

Maryland My Christmas Tree    The Maryland General Assembly passed a $260 million tax increase Wednesday as it adjourned from a three-day special session that ended with Gov. Martin O'Malley saying he will bring lawmakers back for another session this summer. “We’ve not only been able to do the tough things on revenues to balance the budget, but we’ve also been able to protect our priorities,” said Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat. [Wa Times] I cannot begin to describe the mounting animus I have for this state's smarmy government.  The creation of which is our collective fault.  El Jefe has pulled stakes and gone to Virginia. My preference would be a cabin in Idaho or Waco.  * "Maryland My Christmas Tree" is the creation of the UVA  Pep Band, infamously presented at  half-time  of  a  1974 MD drubbing of their football team.  Missing from this transcript are verses about crooked  MD politicians, most notably convicted Gov (D) Marvin Mandel  ( " Road to Mandel's Lay").  So outraged were the MD Assembly that they threatened to scuttle further participation of any UVA band at any MD athletic event.  I assume part of UVA's mea culpas included excising the crooked politician parts.  Too bad.

”