Drunk driving deaths up; O'Malley's drunk budget director gets off easy

(Posted 24 Dec 2007)

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Comment: With drunk driving fatalities increasing, one would hope that our state government officials would act responsibly and set a good example for the rest of us. Unfortunately, that is not the case. They seem to be breaking the law, setting bad examples, and getting off with little more than a slap on the wrist.

Region's Drunk Driving Report Card Gets an 'F'
wtopnews.com, 24 Dec 2007 (Haning)

After several years of progress, drunk driving in our region is once again on the rise.

In order to rate a city's danger from drunk drivers, experts track drunk-driving deaths, arrests, and cases of liver-disease, and the Washington area has a "F" on its report card.

For the first time in four years drunk driving deaths rose -- up 31 percent from last year, 117 deaths in total. Crashes also rose 18 percent, and injuries rose by 50 percent.
[More]

Md. Budget Director Gets Probation for Drunken Driving.
wtopnews.com, 22 Dec 2007 (AP).

Maryland's secretary of budget and management has been sentenced to probation in a drunken driving case.

A Howard County judge found Eloise Foster of Silver Spring guilty Friday of driving while impaired. In addition to probation, she must work 10 hours of community service, take alcohol counseling, pay a $200 fine and not drink alcohol for a year.

Foster was pulled over in June on Interstate 95 after a state trooper saw her fail to stay in her lane.

The secretary of budget and management is a member of the governor's cabinet. She's responsible for developing the state's budget and estimating revenues.

The 61-year-old Foster also served as Maryland's budget secretary under former governor Parris Glendening.

Maryland Budget Director Guilty of Driving While Impaired.
wjla.com, 21 Dec 2007 (AP).

Budget Official Guilty in DWI Case.
Post, 23 Dec 2007 (AP).

Earlier: Drunk driving headlines, 1 Dec 2007

The majority leader of the Maryland House has been arrested and charged with driving while impaired by alcohol. Police say Kumar Barve, a Montgomery County Democrat, was arrested Thursday night in Gaithersburg.