SPORTS
By Jeff Barker, The Baltimore Sun | May 15, 2012
The Orioles and Nationals are awaiting a decision on how much more money Washington will receive in annual rights fees from the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which televises both teams' games. The decision from a Major League Baseball committee could come as soon as the next few weeks, according to an official familiar with the process. The Nationals receive at least $29 million per year from MASN, said the official, who declined to be identified while the decision is pending.
BUSINESS
By Eileen Ambrose, The Baltimore Sun | May 13, 2012
Prepaid debit cards are everywhere these days — and so are their fees. The cards allow you to load cash onto them and are accepted by businesses just like other types of plastic. But you might have to pay a fee to activate the card, make ATM withdrawals, check your balance, talk to customer service or reload money onto the card. Monthly fees can be as high as $14.95, and you could be dinged up to $5.95 if you haven't used the card in a while. "This is sort of a gift card with lots of fees," says Ruth Susswein, a spokeswoman with Consumer Action, which recently published a survey on prepaid card fees.
EXPLORE
April 20, 2012
Thank you for your reporting and keeping the citizens aware of the General Assembly's activity in regards to taxes, fees and revenues, and subsequent speculation on how tax and fee revenues will be managed. The eyes of the nation's finance reporting were on the behavior of the Maryland governor and his proposed tax increases. While other states are developing processes to reduce citizen and business tax burdens, Maryland is the subject of reporting in financial publications. As a state, we're fortunate the General Assembly was able to hold the tax increase line and not increase taxes and fees.
FEATURES
Tim Wheeler | April 10, 2012
In a legislative session marked by discord over taxes and gambling, lawmakers came together to pass three major bills aimed at boosting Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. They failed to agree, however, on other environmental priorities - a bill to subsidize building wind turbines off Ocean City, and a measure requiring natural gas companies to pay for studying the impacts of drilling for energy in western Maryland. The General Assembly approved two bay billls that were priorities of the O'Malley administration bills, one doubling the 'flush fee' to pay for upgrading sewage treatment plants and another limiting rural development on septic systems. A third late-moving bill pushed by environmentalists would require Baltimore city and nine suburban counties to levy local fees to pay for curbing polluted runoff from their streets and parking lots.
FEATURES
April 10, 2012
In a move aimed at helping Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, the General Assembly adopted a bill late last night mandating that Maryland's largest localities, including Baltimore city and its suburbs, levy fees on their residents to pay for controlling polluted runoff from streets, parking lots and buildings. HB987 cleared the Senate after a protracted debate and repeated efforts by opponents to limit the requirement. All failed, though senators did exempt state, county and municipal governments and volunteer fire companies from having to pay any fees.
FEATURES
By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun | April 10, 2012
While others found much to criticize about this year's General Assembly, environmental activists hailed it Tuesday as the most significant in decades for advancing long-running efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay. In a year when lawmakers balked at raising taxes or fees for other purposes, they approved the doubling of a "flush fee" for fixing up Maryland's sewage treatment plants and ordered the state's largest communities to levy fees on...