Miller: College Park stiffed in capital budget

Friday, Feb. 10, 2006

The ongoing brawl that has defined the 2006 session is now being waged on a new front, as Democratic legislators and activists are decrying Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s proposed capital budget for higher education.

Democratic supporters of the University of Maryland, College Park — most notably Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. — accuse Ehrlich (R) of shortchanging the flagship university, which has traditionally been the powerhouse when it comes to state funding and political support.

Ehrlich’s $1.4 billion capital budget, however, directs more resources to Towson, Coppin State and Salisbury universities — a priority shift that Ehrlich said is long overdue.

‘‘College Park is the flagship, and it’s appropriately funded,” Ehrlich said in an interview, stressing that College Park President C.D. ‘‘Dan” Mote approves of the budget allocation. ‘‘There are other important campuses in the state that have been overlooked in the past. We believe we have a more balanced approach than the last administration.”

Miller and other College Park advocates accuse Ehrlich of having misplaced priorities and basing his funding decisions on election-year politics. Left out of the capital budget was a $5.9 million request for an addition to Van Munching Hall and commitments for a new journalism building and for the Chemistry Building at College Park. The budget also excludes a commitment for a new Physical Sciences Complex among other projects.

‘‘This governor has turned the higher education budget on its head for political reasons,” Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach fumed.

He took particular exception to Ehrlich committing $1.5 million in capital funding for improvements to the university golf course.

Miller’s complaints have been echoed by Democrats James C. Rosapepe, a member of the university system’s Board of Regents and a state Senate candidate, and Del. Peter V.R. Franchot (Dist. 20) of Takoma Park who is running for comptroller.

‘‘Governor Ehrlich should be embarrassed to sit in the front row of the Terps game looking at his capital budget,” Franchot said.

Rosapepe, who is running against Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. (D-Dist. 21) of Laurel and was appointed to the Board of Regents by Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D), has also strongly objected to the capital budget.

Ehrlich made sure to tweak Miller in the interview by asking, ‘‘Since when did Jim Rosapepe become the spokesman for College Park?” (knowing full well that Miller and Rosapepe are not friends).

Sen. Edward J. Kasemeyer (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia, who chairs the Senate’s capital budget subcommittee, is holding hearings next week on higher education funding. He has invited members of the Board of Regents to testify and ‘‘discuss what did occur and what did not occur.”