Miller to Franchot: 'Your bad habits have diminished your standing'

Comptroller Peter Franchot is stumbling through his second year in statewide office, according to state Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller.

"Your bad habits have diminished your standing and reduced your effectiveness as Comptroller," wrote Miller (D-Chesapeake Beach) in a letter to Franchot (D-Takoma Park) on Thursday.

Miller's comments were in response to a note sent by Franchot earlier this week.

"The purpose of this letter is to suggest a fresh strategy for what has, unfortunately, become a recurring problem," Franchot wrote in a Sept. 8 letter to Miller, state House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Annapolis) and Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Baltimore). "As Maryland's Chief Fiscal Of­ficer, I would encourage you to reject the hurried and piecemeal approach of the past and use this opportunity to undertake a comprehensive review of both revenues and state government spending."

In his letter, Franchot proposed a blue-ribbon commission to make a comprehensive review of state revenues and spending. Miller responded by charging Franchot of "clinging to the worst habits of a novice elected official."

Miller claimed he received calls about Franchot's Sept 8 letter from reporters before he actually received it and criticized Franchot of "preening for the press, repackaging old ideas and calling them new, expanding your budget while criticizing others for bloat in theirs, offering policy alternatives one day that are incongruous with your positions from the day before, and criticizing others for leading while offering nothing to the debate."

Franchot, who has been widely mentioned as a potential future gubernatorial candidate but said last month he's not interested in running, called the length of Miller's letter impressive, but said he was disappointed by its tone.

"In light of your correspondence, in which you questioned my motives, credibility, integrity, seriousness and effectiveness as a public servant, I'll confess that I was tempted to respond in kind," wrote Franchot. "I was tempted to compare my 22-year record of public service with yours as Senate President, one in which your formidable legislative prowess has often been overshadowed by intemperate public remarks, acrimonious personal feuds, unconditional fealty to the interests of the national gambling industry, and stories of brass-knuckle political tactics that would cause the hardest-bitten of Tammany Hall ward-heelers to blush. However, in the interest of restoring civility and purpose to the public debate, I won't go there."