Two top Maryland Democrats rebuked Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan Thursday for including $450 million in school construction spending in his tally of waste, fraud and abuse in state government.
"When asked about it, he said he stood by [the] comments," Busch said. The other alternative, he said, was a "lack of research" that should give voters pause about Hogan's candidacy.
The speaker said the plan suggests that Hogan doesn't see school construction as a priority.
"This is the first . . . sign that in a Hogan administration there won't be the amount of school construction money we need in Maryland or Anne Arundel County," Busch said. "It also reflects, in my estimation, where they're looking to make cuts in government."
Busch, an Annapolis Democrat, put the matter in local terms by saying $450 million statewide would translate into roughly $45 million less in funding for Anne Arundel. The speaker noted that the county had not built a new high school since 1981.
He was backed by Betty Weller, president of the Maryland State Education Association, who said that under Hogan's plan as released, "many of our students will be stuck in trailers rather than safe, modern buildings."
Baker would cut Hogan no slack, stating that when a candidate makes charges of fraud, waste and abuse, it's up to the campaign to back up the charges with specifics.
"At the county level, we need a partner in the Governor's Office who will work with us to modernize our schools and expand opportunity, that's why we're so excited to elect Anthony Brown.," Baker said. "We can't allow Larry Hogan's school deconstruction plan to take our students backward."