Governor

Gov. Martin O'Malley's communications director and long-time aide Raquel Guillory will leave the governor's office at the end of the month for another job in state goverment. Guillory, who worked for O'Malley when he was mayor and in the State House, is the fourth high-level staffer to depart the governor's office since the November election.  Since November, O'Malley's chief of staff, his former political director and his former chief legislative officer have all resigned the ir posts for jobs in the private sector.

Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown will formally announce his candidacy for governor Friday at a cookout in his home county of Prince George's. Brown, a Democrat who has been expected to seek the governorship in 2014 since he was elected along with Gov. Martin O'Malley in 2006, will make his run official at a 4:30 p.m. event at Prince George's Community College. A former delegate and a veteran of the war in Iraq, the 51-year-old Brown will follow up the Friday announcement with events Saturday in Silver Spring and in the Waverly neighborhood in Baltimore.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has named a former Prince George's County lawmaker to take over the seat vacated by former Del. Tiffany Alston last year after a criminal conviction. The governor announced Friday that he has chosen former Del. Darren Swain, who represented Prince George's in the House from 1999 to 2003, to fill the 24th District seat. Like Alston, Swain is a Democrat. In choosing Swain, O'Malley passed over three candidates suggested by the local Democratic State Central Committee and chose a candidate backed by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

Some things I've been wondering about: When willRobert L. Ehrlich Jr.write a coherent column without offending even the widow of the late Ron Smith? What is the difference between asking a bunch of questions and writing a thoughtful column? Does Robert Ehrlich wonder why he was a one-term governor? Paul Douglas, Reisterstown

  Gov. Martin O'Malley has appointed Brian David Green to the district court for Carroll County. Green has served as attorney with the Office of the Public Defender in Carroll County for the past 23 years, according to a press release from the governor's office. An adjunct professor for the Criminal Practice Clinic at the University of Baltimore School of Law, Green has also worked for the Shemer Bar Review since 1999, according to the release. He began his legal career as an assistant state's attorney in Baltimore City from 1987-1990.

The Maryland attorney general's office advised Tuesday that Del. Tiffany Alston, convicted of misconduct in office, cannot return to the General Assembly even though a judge subsequently granted her probation before judgment. In a letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley, Attorney General Douglas M. Gansler stood behind his office's previous advice that Alston, a Prince George's County Democrat, had been automatically removed from office on Oct. 9 as a result of a plea agreement under which she waived her rights to an appeal.

Iowa steak fries, gay rights rallies. Your personal holy grail, a national prize awaits, you think, while your Maryland constituents wonder aloud, where is that fink? Whatever happened to making the land of pleasant living a place so desirous, and a governor whose so-called intent was to inspire us? A once-proud state is now very divisible, while your aspiration to higher office has made you quite invisible!

I agree with Dan Rodricks ("O'Malley shows more ambition than leadership," March 15) and this does not happen often. Our alabaster nanny Martin O'Malley or "MOM," is very ambitious, and he is also a good politician, but he is very weak in management and is a poor leader. By the way, these are all traits he shares with President Obama. Lyle Rescott, Marriottsville

Year after year this "Free State" becomes more and more excessive in what it takes from the working citizens. Each year the state legislature and governor conjure up new ways to wear away the patience of taxpayers. There is a point when our backs have been broken. Too bad for us that we do not consider throwing the rascals out of office. The school system in Maryland reeks of waste, and it begins with the school administrations. Too many administrators, and too much levied on students because of educators wanting more and more and working less and less.

Our governor and the legislative leadership have given new meaning to the word "dysfunctional" as a description of the state's legislative process. The ineptitude that was exhibited during the 90-day legislative session and the dishonest dialogue coming from our state leaders in the special session is astounding. The governor proposed $1.2 billion in increased spending, then called it a "doomsday budget" when that amount was reduced by $500 million. The result - $700 million in new, increased spending and a tax increase to pay for it. How in the devil is this a cut in spending?