Is it Maryland’s responsibility to regulate emissions?
December 27, 2007
Maryland’s “clean cars” plan to cut vehicle emissions might have some obstacles to overcome if a decision from the U.S. Environmental protection agency holds up. The EPA has decided that state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars prevent a consistent national standard for automakers to follow.
But some state officials, including many here in Maryland, say the government has been too slow to act, so it’s up to states. This argument is quite popular on the Web.
So what do you say?
Is this an arena that can be effectively regulated by states? After all, the gases that enter the atmosphere can’t be trapped by political borders.
Or do you think a state can play an effective, if symbolic, role in setting an example for the wider population?
—ANDY ROSEN, Business Writer
Sphere: Related Content‘Tis the season… for passing time
December 26, 2007
More than a few desks are empty in The Daily Record’s editorial room today. I guess that short week between Christmas and New Year’s is just too perfect of a time to take vacation days.
I’m going to take a wild guess and say we’re not the only office in this state.
We’re interested in what’s going on in your office this week. Is work getting done, or are people just trying to fill the hours between the holidays? Do you have any interesting stories of office productivity – or lack thereof?
Email us at response@mddailyrecord.com and we’ll have a reporter get back to you.
JOE BACCHUS, Web Specialist
Sphere: Related ContentHelping Others
December 26, 2007
To those back at work — welcome back to work! To those still on holiday — I am insanely jealous! Just wanted to take a moment this morning to direct you to the first installment of our “Helping others at the holidays.”
“The holiday season is an especially appropriate time to recognize outstanding work on behalf of those in need. Starting today, The Daily Record is doing just that. This year we asked Maryland businesses and law firms that have contributed significant amounts of money, time or other support to tell us about it.”
Read and enjoy.
JOE BACCHUS, Web Specialist
Sphere: Related ContentNoVa-based business class airline abruptly grounded
December 24, 2007
MAXjet Airways, an all-business class airline based in Dulles, Va., said today it would file for bankruptcy - leaving jets on the tarmac and stranding passengers on Christmas Eve.
In October, the airline halted flights from London to Washington, D.C., according to the BBJ. Earlier this month, it asked for trading of its stock on the London Alternative Investment Market to be stopped. And today, it cited high fuel prices and the deteriorating credit market for its “drastic measure.”
An airline consultant told the AP that “while business class service can be very profitable to airlines, it’s also a very “thin” market,” [Robert] Mann said. Serving, typically, “40 to 70 seats per flight, depending on the route and aircraft.” Any loss of market share to a competitor can be devastating, particularly to an all business-class carrier like MAXjet that didn’t have revenue from economy passengers — or a robust route system — to fall back on.
Rival business class airlines Eos and Silverjet claimed Monday to be enjoying continued success in the business travel market.
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentMissing your commute over the weekend?
December 23, 2007
There’s been a lot of talk about the pros and cons of BRAC on Maryland’s roadways lately.
While BRAC will recapture some Maryland workers who have been lost to jobs in Washington and Virginia, many commuters are hoping the state’s real BRAC gain could come in the form of speedier commutes — that is, if mass-transit projects result.
The number of workers commuting from the Baltimore region to Washington grew by 26 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to a recent story in the Baltimore Examiner. And Virginia gets about 116,000 Maryland workers every day (most of them from PG and MoCo, but about 13,000 come from Baltimore).
From the story:
More and more, Baltimore-area commuters are taking long commutes toward Washington’s suburbs in southern Maryland and Northern Virginia. But planners are hoping that growth tied to military bases near Baltimore and suburban Virginia will reverse some of those trends.
Some suggestions on the table: Anne Arundel County would like an extension of the Metro’s Green Line to BWI airport. Harford County has gotten funds for a new MARC station in Edgewood and has proposed a new transit center in Aberdeen.
Do you employ public transit in your daily commute, or is it too time-consuming or inefficient for you? Do you think Maryland needs to shape up its transit systems - and is BRAC its only chance to do it?
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentHappy holidays to On the Record visitors
December 21, 2007
We’ll be posting a bit less frequently over the next few days, as you might imagine, and want to wish you a happy and safe holiday.
If you’re in a reflective mood - or haven’t had a chance to read some of our latest posts - check out our audio slideshow from earlier in the week or comment on who should be named Maryland’s Legal Newsmaker of the Year.
Talk with you all next week!
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentBlaming the lawyer
December 21, 2007
Click here for a story about the alleged ultimate in witness intimidation (and an eleventh-hour entry for Legal Newsmaker of the Year), courtesy of the New York Times.
CARYN TAMBER, Legal Affairs Writer
Sphere: Related ContentBaltimore getting pricey?
December 21, 2007
The Greater Baltimore State of the Region Report (PDF), released yesterday, found general improvement in Baltimore’s economy. The good news about the expansion of high-tech jobs and academic research was tempered by nagging transportation and crime issues, but there was another shift that may be foreboding for things to come.
“The cost of living within the Greater Baltimore region has increased dramatically from 2003 to 2007,” the report reads. It notes that Baltimore has risen to 13th least expensive in a group of 20 peer cities, when it ranked as the cheapest four years ago.
The relatively low cost of living here was an important consideration for me in choosing to move here from Vermont in 2006, and I still find it affordable here. The report cites housing costs as one of the key drivers, but I see rises in other, smaller expenses — like, say, a delicious sandwich or a glass of beer.
Have you noticed prices going up in the area? Do you think it is keeping pace with economic growth here?
ANDY ROSEN, Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentLawyers in trouble
December 21, 2007
The University of Maryland’s Capital News Service has a couple of interesting stories on what we here like to call “Lawyers Behaving Badly,” a.k.a. Attorney Grievance Commission actions. (Come on, you know you like this stuff. Attorney malfeasance stories are consistently among the most read on our Web site.)
Writer Anju Kaur looked at discipline records and found that the number of attorney reprimands issued since private sanctions were banned does not equal the number issued back when they could be kept private. Kaur also looked at what sorts of behavior can get you disbarred in Maryland. (Hint: microwaving your divorce client’s estranged wife’s cat won’t do it.)
Ever see an AGC case where you think the Court of Appeals made a mistake in determining the sanction? Do you think more lawyers ought to be disciplined? Or is the AGC already bringing charges against too many?
CARYN TAMBER, Legal Affairs Writer
Sphere: Related ContentHotelier Stephen Marx of Lifestyle HG
December 21, 2007
Hotelier Stephen Marx says he likes to take some time at the start of each day to gaze at the trees swaying outside of his Greenwich, Conn. home, to take in the expansive blue sky, and to meditate.
“I get up in the morning, I go out on my deck and I sit for 15 minutes and I just try to clear my mind, try to put my troubles away, get myself squared away emotionally, mentally for the day,” he said.
He doesn’t follow any particular spiritual tradition, doesn’t have a mantra or a guru, but Marx says his meditation contributes to his overall happiness and sense of balance.
In addition, Marx works out four times a week, tries to eat healthy foods and is a member of a men’s group that meets periodically to discuss spiritual and emotional matters.
“Sometimes it’s difficult for men to communicate their feelings,” he explained.
All of this is part and parcel of the ideas about wellness and balance espoused by Marx’s brand-new boutique hotel brand, Lifestyle HG, which has announced that it will open its newest franchise at 301 N. Charles St. in Baltimore some time in the next 16-17 months.
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