Patronage

When Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. takes an oath today to become Maryland's 60th governor, the longest stretch of single-party executive rule in state history will end in an instant. The swearing-in ceremony, scheduled for noon inside the stately Senate chambers in the State House and repeated minutes later outside, will immediately confer upon the Timonium Republican more power than he has ever held. Historians and political scientists agree that Maryland's governor wields enormous authority - almost single-handedly crafting a $22 billion budget and handing out thousands of patronage jobs.

THE UNEXPECTED popularity of Harford County's new hospital is causing the facility to lose money rapidly, as it seeks further rate hikes and cuts back on staff. While hospitals aim to increase patient volume to efficiently manage costs, the overwhelming success of Upper Chesapeake Medical Center has necessitated adding expensive temporary staff. The Bel Air hospital, which opened Oct. 29, also claims to be caught in a time warp, with labor and other health care costs skyrocketing since it got state approval to build five years ago. State regulators just approved a 5.7 percent rate increase for the hospital, half of what it requested.

WHEN IT comes to personnel issues, county executives are very protective of their "flexibility." The Anne Arundel County Council's effort to require the listing of all county government personnel and their salaries in the budget seemed innocuous, but it provoked County Executive Janet S. Owens to veto the measure -- the first time an Anne Arundel executive has exercised that power in five years.Before 1996, the county budget included personnel summaries for all departments, including the number of people authorized for various positions and their pay grades.

WITH THE NEW term of the Maryland General Assembly beginning tomorrow, it seems appropriate to provide an updated lexicon of the political parlance of the state.To wit:Arm-breaking: Lining up "the votes" persuasively, the old-fashioned way. Used to ensure leadership gets what leadership wants.Bell-ringer: A bill or amendment proposed to the legislature to exact favors and money (as in ringing the cash register bell) from those whose interests are threatened by the legislation.B'hoys: Originally the Irish ward heelers of the large Eastern cities such as Baltimore.

State Sen. Barbara A. Hoffman, the powerful chairwoman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, testified yesterday that she dutifully endorsed all the job candidates of a political ally, finding patronage posts for them as liquor board employees in Baltimore.Hoffman, testifying in Baltimore City Circuit Court, said she never met the job candidates recommended by William J. Madonna Jr., a former state delegate. But, Hoffman said, she submitted their names anyway and they won the jobs.

PHILADELPHIA -- What if Pennsylvanians had been asked this question a decade ago:Should we tear down the tollbooths on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and let people drive free, or should we authorize new turnpike construction and raise the tolls?Is there any doubt what the outcome would have been?The Pennsylvania legislature did take up that question in 1985. To anyone familiar with the workings of the legislature and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the decision would be no surprise: Legislators voted to authorize construction and raise the tolls perpetuating a system that provides benefits for politicians and jobs for their friends.

THE SUPREME COURT has now agreed to decide with finality whether government may consider "general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public," when making grants to artists.To some, this is infringing the freedom of speech, which the First Amendment forbids Congress to do. But every member of Congress is held accountable by constituents for every penny appropriated, and must say what it should be for.In this debate, we must distinguish between the government as patron of the arts and the government as cop. Government need not be the first but must be the second.

CITY RESIDENTS are depending on House delegation chairman Frank D. Boston Jr. to accomplish what has in the past been unachievable -- successfully steer legislation that puts city liquor inspectors under the civil service system. The Senate, which in the past has always thwarted efforts to do that, has finally passed a liquor inspectors bill and sent it to the House. Under Delegate Boston's guidance, the measure should become law this session.It wasn't easy to get the Senate to agree to the measure sponsored by Sens.

Some members of the House of Delegates are trying once again to kill Maryland's $9 million legislative scholarship program because of criticism that it is more of a patronage tool than a means of providing student aid.But as usual, senators -- who dole out as much as $138,000 apiece, or more than 10 times what each delegate can award -- don't appear willing to give up the program, at least not this year."

Attendance at Howard County General Hospital's biggest annual fund-raiser -- the "Symphony of Lights" -- dropped last Christmas season for the second year in a row, but the light show raised more money than the previous year.The latest version of the holiday show suffered an almost 25 percent drop in patronage even after promoting new attractions, according to figures released by organizers.The hospital's final tally shows 25,164 vehicles visited the exhibit TTC this year, down from 33,635 vehicles last year and 43,410 vehicles the show's first year.