Nancy Kopp

Comptroller Peter Franchot's (D-Takoma Park) attempt to move a Board of Public Works meeting, which is scheduled for the same day as the annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake has officially failed. But the attempt leaves open the possibility of holding future BPW meetings in locations other than Annapolis.

On June 26, Franchot sent a letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Baltimore) and state Treasurer Nancy Kopp (D-Bethesda), requesting that the BPW meeting be rescheduled, seeing as it interfered with the Tawes Crab and Clam Bake.

"Given the typical starting time and length of BPW meetings, and assuming a realistic travel time of at least 2.5 hours from Annapolis to Crisfield, it is likely that those of us who are participating in the July 16 meeting would miss most - if not all - of this year's gathering," Franchot wrote in a letter to O'Malley and Kopp.

Franchot suggested the consideration of an alternative location in order to allow attendees of the BPW meeting to arrive at the Tawes festival at a more suitable time. One suggestion was Salisbury University, which the comptroller argued would provide the necessary infrastructure to conduct the meeting. But his reasoning went further, suggesting a different location would give residents of the lower shore "a rare opportunity to observe this unique Maryland institution in action, and to gain a better appreciation of its extraordinary range of responsibilities."

Anthony Brown and Nancy Kopp spoiling your clambake fun? But you rock on just the same, Peter.

It's Maryland's Winners and Losers for July 4, 2008. CLICK HERE.

J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake: A political traditionThe Daily Record's Andy Rosen has a must read item on Peter Franchot trying to move the Board of Public Work's July meeting to the Eastern Shore in order for him to make the annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield.

The annual event takes place on the afternoon of July 16, at almost exactly the time the BPW will meet. At ther public session this week, Franchot was unable to convince Gov. Martin O'Malley and state Treasurer Nancy Kopp to agree to move the next meeting to Salisbury in order to be closer to the event.

But, as anyone who knows Franchot will tell you, he didn't stop there. Read Rosen's piece here.