Calvert - County Times - Southern Maryland Online

5 Thursday, March 15, 2012The Calvert GazettePower Project On HoldBy Sarah MillerStaff WriterPEPCO’s Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) projecthas been pushed back to a 2019-2021 timeframe.MAPP Project Manager Bob Jubic said PJM InterconnectionLLC, a major power transmitter in the area, is incharge of scheduling for the project. Early on, projectionsshowed there would be a need for additional transmission reliabilityin the 2012-2014 time frame to handle the additionalload demands.“It’s really PJM that sets the date for the project,”Jubic said.When the economy hit a downturn, so did the projecteddemands for power, and the MAPP project got pushed back,he said.MAPP is a planned 152 mile transmission line that willstretch from the Possum Point Power Station in Virginia toIndian River, Md. Completing the project requires line belaid under the Chesapeake Bay.Once PJM green lights the project, Jubic said it willtake a minimum of three years to start. There are still permitsPEPCO has to obtain, and the studies that have alreadybeen completed will need updating. In addition, to get theline that needs to go under the bay, an order has to be placedtwo years out from the start date. PEPCO also has to makea reservation for the specialized equipment that will lay theunderwater line. Jubic said a rig like that goes from place toplace working on similar projects, and can’t be brought in ona whim.“It wouldn’t happen over night,” Jubic said.He said an update on the project, whether it will be postponedanother couple of years or moved up, will be released byPJM in the August to September timeframe. He said some oldergenerators will be retired due to the Clean Air Act, but it isunknown right now how many generators will be shut down.Jubic said that number could directly affect the timeframefor the MAPP project.sarahmiller@countytimes.netCommissioner’s CornerCOUNTYNEWSMore Shell Games in AnnapolisBy Susan ShawCalvert County Commissioner, District 2Spring is coming after the mildest winterI can remember. I know that I will be relievedif we don’t get a late snow or two that wipesout some of the savings on heating bills, especiallyat this time of rising gasoline prices. I amhearing rumors that the MD General Assembly(Legislature) in Annapolis may be backingaway from their ill-advised plan to raise gasolinetaxes. Perhaps they did not think we wouldnotice when our budgets became impossible tobalance due to their unwise plans. Perhapsthey do not realize that those of us who live inthe real world know that with rising gasolineprices, the price of all commodities goes up, and the overallcost of living and doing business becomes untenable.If I sound annoyed, it is because I am. Who on earth dothey think they are fooling?Either seven or nine (depending on who’s counting andhow they are counting) counties in MD were not able to makeMaintenance of Effort (MOE), which is to say that they wereunable to fund their schools at the same level as the previousyear. Of course not!! Counties get their income primarilyfrom real estate taxes, and secondarily, from the piggy backtax (a portion of the income tax). The Legislature must nothave noticed that we have been in a deep recession and thathouse prices have fallen (nationwide) more than they did inthe Great Depression, greatly reducing the real estate taxesto Counties. So what kinds of help is the Legislature proposingto provide? Their proposal is to penalize the Countieswho couldn’t make MOE and make ALL the Countiespay more with the threat of siphoning off the income taxrevenues if the Counties fail to magically conjure this extramoney out of thin air. (This proposal was authored by Del.John Bohanan of St. Mary’s County.) Better yet, why notreduce the exemption on interest paid on real estate for thoseindividuals and businesses still getting by?I did not make this up!Or even better yet, in addition to making theCounties commit to additional education spendingthat they do not have, why not also make thempay for Teacher’s Pensions? Especially since theLegislature has refused to move to a modern pensionplan, and instead, has gouged the teachers,who must pay an additional 2% of their incometoward a decreased pension benefit. Oh, but youhaven’t heard the best part yet. The 2% extra wentinto the General Fund, not the Teachers’ Pensionfund, which is short by $19 Billion dollars! That’sthe beauty of shifting the Teachers’ Pensions tothe Counties: the Counties will also get the underfundingon their books, which they will then get to explain toWall Street when they go for bond ratings. AND, in caseyour head is not spinning yet, this brilliant plan will forcethe Counties to pay more in interest on all their borrowing,making the Counties even more desperate for income. Thefinal blow is that the Counties won’t be able to “fix” thesecooked books from the state, because the pension liability isrising so fast, at just under 8% per year, that they will neverbe able to catch up. Just as the state wasn’t, which is whythe Legislature wanted to shift the Teacher’s Pensions in thefirst place. (More info. is available at www.StopTheShift-MD.com)Oh, dear, I don’t have enough space to share the goodnews about tax increases on internet purchases, internetdownloads, automobile repairs, tobacco products, boat registrations,hunting licenses, death certificates, and more!Stay tuned for next time for all the amazing details …Indulge in yourself...& your good health.TUESDAYMarch 20Join us for a fabulous,fun, informative evening.Speaker: Dr. Theodore TsangarisChief of Breast SurgeryJohns Hopkins MedicineTopic: Dispelling the Myths about Breast CancerFree health screeningsHealth risk assessments, clinical breast exams,bone density testing, blood pressure,vascular and skin cancer screeningsMini spa servicesSeated massage, Reflexology,Makeovers, Eyebrow Waxing, Bra FittingsCalvert Medical ArtsCenter from 6-9 p.m.Cost: $10410-535-8233Registration requiredwww.calverthospital.orgIn Callaway:20865 Callaway Village WayMonday - SaturdayClosed Sundays301.994.14602 Locations Serving Southern MarylandIn Solomons:13372 HG Trueman Rd • Open 7 Days a WeekNow With Self-Serve Dog Wash410.326.4006We Carry Wholesome Foods and Treats, FunToys, Leashes and Collars and so Much More!www.pepperspetpantry.com