Shame on you, Gov. O’Malley

On Monday, Oct. 29th, I was very disappointed to read the article by former Gov. Martin O’Malley (“Martin O’Malley: Larry Hogan’s real estate racket”). I was also insulted that he assumes readers of The Baltimore Sun don’t have the intelligence to see through his Trumpian assault.

I looked throughout the article for facts, and as far as I can tell, Mr. O’Malley got three correct. Yes, Larry Hogan is the governor of Maryland. Yes, before Mr. Hogan became governor, he was a real estate developer. And yes, I recall seeing in The Sun not long ago that Mr. Hogan reported earnings of $2.4 million. The rest of the article is a very cynical, twisted combination of innuendos and unfounded assumptions.

Instead of presenting facts (more than the three I’ve listed), Mr. O’Malley makes claims like “…as governor he has the power to hire and fire the people whose responsibility it is to grant or deny permits to his private real estate company and its clients.” Does Mr. O’Malley give proof that Gov. Hogan has hired or fired anyone for these reasons? Or in another passage “…he has the ability to move capital dollars around to make any development projects more attractive, more valuable, and more profitable.” Does Mr. O’Malley give proof that Governor Hogan has moved capital funds around for his own benefit? Perhaps the most egregious passage was “Hire the Hogan Companies and you get whatever state permits you need, the implication goes…” Does Mr. O’Malley give proof that Governor Hogan has gotten permits for people who hire his company; or is it just and implication?

The whole article is a Trumpian work of unproven accusations, devoid of facts, and beneath the dignity of a man who was once governor of this great state. I am a 66-year old retiree who grew up an avowed Democrat in the Kennedy-Johnson-Carter mold. I voted for Martin O’Malley twice because he is a Democrat. I’m voting for Larry Hogan next week because he’s honest, and I believe in him.