O’MALLEY WINS DEBATE

NEW IDEAS FOR MARYLAND FAMILIES IN STARK CONTRAST TO EHRLCIH’S DESPERATE ATTACKS

Two Bob Ehrlichs Make Appearance:

“… I Pay for You. Without Us, You Are Done.�

BALTIMORE, MD (October 14, 2006) – Martin O’Malley convincingly won today’s first gubernatorial debate, showcasing new ideas for progress for Maryland’s hardworking families. In stark contrast, Bob Ehrlich resorted to his pattern of desperate attacks on progress.

Marylanders also got a glimpse of the election-year version of the “Two Bob Ehrlichsâ€? – the one that touts increased funding for programs that he himself cut in non-election years. They also got a glimpse of the politics of division that Bob Ehrlich has practiced over the last four years, when Ehrlich tried to remove Baltimore from Maryland:

“… I pay for you. Without us, you are done.�

During the hour-long taped debate at WJZ, Martin O’Malley discussed his detailed plans to strengthen education and make college education more affordable, improve public safety in every jurisdiction of our state, reduce energy costs and utility bills, improve the health of the Bay, improve public transportation, and successfully manage the growth and development in Maryland, while preserving our parks and open space.

“While Bob Ehrlich offered more tired attacks that do nothing to help families pay for soaring utility, health care and college tuition bills, Martin O’Malley offered new ideas to get Maryland moving again,� said Hari Sevugan, O’Malley/Brown communications director. “The choice in this election is clear. Today, Martin O’Malley pulled back the curtain on the “two Bob Ehrlichs� – the one who talks about lowering taxes and preserving park land during election years, and the one who raises taxes, tolls and fees on Maryland families by $3 billion dollars, and seeks to sell off public lands to well connected developers.�

In his closing, O’Malley shared his detailed Action Plan for Maryland Families. The Action Plan is a bold and innovative plan based on performance measurement – not patronage politics – to improve Maryland’s mismanaged agencies, including the Department of Juvenile Services, Parole and Probation and Corrections, improve our environment and the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and improve the quality of life for all Maryland families.

Over the last year, Martin O’Malley and Anthony Brown have released a number of detailed plans to address some of the most pressing issues facing our state. O’Malley and Brown have released plans, among others, to improve the quality, access and affordability of health care, improve our public schools and fund school construction, and improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay through programs like BayStat.

In contrast, Bob Ehrlich has not released one issue paper or plan to improve the quality of life for Maryland families over the next four years. In fact, there is no policy proposal on any issue posted on his campaign website. Instead, Ehrlich has relied on more of the same tired attack ads that newspapers have reported as “not true.�

The O’Malley/Brown Action Plan for Maryland Families includes 10-Principles and measurable goals that will guide an O’Malley/Brown Administration over the next four years. The principles are:

We will make government work.

We will make government work more effectively.

We will make government work more effectively so it is more efficient.

We will fight to make college education more affordable for all Marylanders, so we can expand economic opportunity and build a more just society. We will invest in school construction – to get our children out of trailers. And we will invest in K-12 education – including fully funding Thornton to reduce class sizes and improve public schools.

We will roll-up our sleeves to find the missing pieces of the health care puzzle in Maryland, so that responsible businesses that choose to cover their employees’ healthcare can afford to do so.

We must choose to make Maryland a leader in improving public safety and homeland security at the same time, reforming Maryland’s failed criminal justice system, including the Departments of Juvenile Service, Parole and Probations, and Corrections.

We will invest Open Space dollars to purchase available land for conservation and public parks. We will make public decisions working with world class scientists, as well as our watermen and farmers, so that we begin to restore the health of the rivers and streams that determine the health of our Bay.

We choose to harness the tremendous power of Maryland’s diverse economy, brain-power and talent pool for continued prosperity for all of our citizens, including expanded opportunities for minority and women-owned business.

We choose to advance a statewide vision for transportation, including mass transit, so that Maryland’s character determines the future of growth instead of allowing future growth to determine Maryland’s character.

We will put the public interest ahead of the special interests, standing up to powerful interests when they seek to make excessive profits at the expense of consumers and the working people of our State.

For more information please visit www.martinomalley.com.

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Friends of Martin O’Malley – 2400 Boston St., Suite 203 – Baltimore, MD 21202 – 410-814-4206 – fax: 410-468-2552

Authority: Friends of Martin O’Malley, Martin F. Cadogan, Treasurer