July 31st, 2012 by WCBC Radio
In the summer of 2003, then Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich appointed former Governor Marvin Mandel to head a commission to retool Maryland government- charged with making recommendations to make state government leaner and more efficient. It did not prove a success and most believe Mandel rushed through the work in four months and in secrecy, with commission members complaining they didn't have enough time for a thorough analysis. Meetings weren't advertised; documents were hard to come by. The report – devoid of dollar figures or estimated savings – was completed in December of that year, however none of the proposals were implemented. Almost a decade later, with the state’s fiscal picture still somewhat bleak, Delegate Kevin Kelly says it might be time to see a similar commission created, with a more thorough approach taken this time…