Revenews
Revenews is produced by the Office of Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot to bring you the latest tax and financial news, as well as a closer look at the people, places and organizations that make Maryland special.
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SECU's Kindness Campaign
10/28/2022
SECU's Kindness Campaign
Public Relations Manager Maureen O'Prey finds out more about SECU's Kindness Campaign from Executive Vice President Becky Smith. They talk about the origin of the program, how it's grown beyond just the credit union and how anyone can participate.
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Rock Hall Fall Fest - Oysters, Music and More
10/05/2022
Rock Hall Fall Fest - Oysters, Music and More
This Saturday, October 8th is the 25th year of the Rock Hall Fall Fest, where oysters, music and artisans take over Main Street. We chat with Bob Ford, who handles publicity for the annual event, about what brings thousands to this small Eastern Shore town every autumn (including the Catonsville High School Steel Drum Band) and the slower pace of life that draws residents and visitors to this quaint corner of Kent County.
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44. The Craig Willinger Fund: Making Soccer Dreams Come True
09/23/2022
44. The Craig Willinger Fund: Making Soccer Dreams Come True
After being diagnosed with stage 4 chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2007, Baltimore native Craig Willinger got to see his beloved Bayern Munich play in Germany thanks to the generosity of local soccer fans. He was determined to bring that same joy to others facing serious medical conditions. Although Craig passed away in 2012, his quest lives on through the Baltimore-based nonprofit named for him. We chatted with board member Simon Torres to learn more about the organization and its signature fundraiser this weekend, the Craig Willinger Footgolf Classic.
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43. Closing Out FY 2022 with GAD
09/22/2022
43. Closing Out FY 2022 with GAD
The books are officially closed on Fiscal Year 2022 and Maryland has $2 billion more than expected. How did we get here, where does that money go and what happens next? Tune in for an in-depth discussion with Christopher Kratzen and Luther Dolcar from the General Accounting Division to learn everything you ever wanted to know -- and probably more -- about state accounting practices.
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Paul Tue III - Kent County Schaefer Award Recipient
09/16/2022
Paul Tue III - Kent County Schaefer Award Recipient
On the surface, there's not many similarities between Washington, D.C., where Paul Tue III grew up, and Kent County, where he's lived for 15 years. But Tue saw the largely rural community provided few opportunities for young men to develop character and leadership -- so he's made it a mission to do just that, which is why he received the 2021 William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award for Kent County.
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Humane Kind
09/08/2022
Humane Kind
Talbot Humane is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. We chatted with executive director Patty Crankshaw-Quimby and Board President Bridget Horner about the challenges of working with animals in need (and their owners) during a global pandemic, trends in pet adoptions and exciting expansion plans in the future.
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MACo Podcast Row Part 5 – Kevin Kinnally
09/01/2022
MACo Podcast Row Part 5 – Kevin Kinnally
We’re back from the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City for a wrap-up conversation with Kevin Kinnally, MACO’s legislative director and co-host of the Conduit Street Podcast. He walks us through highlights of the conference and some of the major themes that county leaders will be facing in the months to come.
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MACo Podcast Row Part 4 – Delegates Eric Ebersole and Pat Young
08/31/2022
MACo Podcast Row Part 4 – Delegates Eric Ebersole and Pat Young
It’s double trouble from the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City as Baltimore County Delegates Eric Ebersole and Pat Young take part in a freewheeling discussion about policy, politics, personalities and those infamous fireside chats.
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MACo Podcast Row Part 3 – Santo Grande
08/30/2022
MACo Podcast Row Part 3 – Santo Grande
Next in the hot seat from the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City is Santo “Sandy” Grande, president and CEO of Delmarva Community Services, one of the most comprehensive social service organizations in the state offering a slew of programs to residents needing assistance. Hear how the nonprofit started in 1974 with just three staff serving 15 clients and now has roughly 300 employees serving thousands of residents.
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MACo Podcast Row Part 2 – Pamela Wood
08/29/2022
MACo Podcast Row Part 2 – Pamela Wood
Our interviews from the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City continues with Pamela Wood of the Baltimore Banner. We chat current events and ask her to dissect the state of the media locally and beyond, as well as what it’s like being part of the state’s emerging news outlet.
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MACo Podcast Row Part 1 – Marc Elrich
08/25/2022
MACo Podcast Row Part 1 – Marc Elrich
The first in a series of conversations from the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City features Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. We discuss leading the state’s most populous jurisdiction through the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic outlook for local governments in a post-COVID era and other big topics facing jurisdictions in the coming months.
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The World Cup in Baltimore?
04/08/2022
The World Cup in Baltimore?
Baltimore is one of 17 U.S. cities in the running to host games in the 2026 World Cup. With sites likely to be selected in May, resident agency soccer fans Alan Brody and Alex Butler talk with Terry Hasseltine, President of the Baltimore Maryland 2026 Bid, about the chances of being chosen, what it would mean for Maryland and talk of a joint Baltimore-Washington, D.C-bid that could improve the prospects of being picked.
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I Scream, You Scream
03/25/2022
I Scream, You Scream
In this episode we are joined by Sean Smeeton and Detric Mccoy, respectively the founder and owner of Taharka Brothers Ice Cream. They discuss the origins of this Baltimore-based business, the innovations they've made before and during COVID-19, and the social change efforts their business supports in and around the Baltimore area.
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Tax Season 101
01/27/2022
Tax Season 101
The 2022 tax season is underway and two top agency gurus, Debora Gorman and Pat Guiles, give us a crash course on some of the big news for this year, including extended deadlines for state individual income taxes, changes to look out for and how to get help preparing and filing taxes from the Comptroller’s Office.
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2022 General Assembly Preview
01/10/2022
2022 General Assembly Preview
We’re joined once again by State Senator Craig Zucker for an overview of the upcoming 90-day Maryland General Assembly session, which begins January 12th. We talk about another legislative session impacted by COVID-19, the big issues likely to dominate discussion and balancing family life and legislative responsibilities as an elected official. Stick around at the end as Craig shares a few lighter moments from his Senate tenure.
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Maryland’s (Ex) Treasurer: A Treasure
12/21/2021
Maryland’s (Ex) Treasurer: A Treasure
In this year-end episode, we chat with now-retired Treasurer Nancy Kopp about her incredible 50-year public service career, the changes she’s seen, her relationship with Comptroller Franchot and advice for her successor, Dereck Davis. Listen closely as we “dig up” something you may not know about this legendary Marylander and her plans for post-political life.
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Shop Local and Save for the Holidays
11/24/2021
Shop Local and Save for the Holidays
It’s the most wonderful time of year! Holiday shopping season is upon us and that means the Comptroller’s annual push to support small, local businesses. Once again, several Maryland-based credit unions are offering special rewards and incentives to its members who buy local and we’re joined by Becky Smith of SECU to tell us more about the initiative, how credit unions differ from banks and how the pandemic has changed their approach.
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Revenue Recap, Fiscal Forecast
10/08/2021
Revenue Recap, Fiscal Forecast
Thanks largely to the success of federal relief, Maryland has an extra $5 billion in the bank. Bureau of Revenue Estimates Director Andy Schaufele joins us to break down the recent Fiscal Year 2021 Closeout Report and updated revenue projections for FY 2022 and 2023. Then we chat with Janice Shih, director of the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic at Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service about their work and how a new law allows them to help more taxpayers.
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Alongside President Bush on 9/11
09/10/2021
Alongside President Bush on 9/11
Community Affairs and Outreach Manager Kia Baskerville, then a CBS News producer covering the White House, shares her recollections of travelling in Florida on September 11, 2001 with President George W. Bush when news broke of the terrorist attacks in New York and the Pentagon. Kia takes us behind the scenes of what it was like on Air Force One and back in the Oval Office on such a tumultuous day and the bond she developed with the First Family.
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Back to School
08/31/2021
Back to School
Summer is nearly over and many schools are back in session. We discuss youth activism, political involvement and college in the age of COVID with two of our summer interns, Megan Moulsdale and Tim Jones (05:29). Afterwards, a riveting conversation with Dr. Steven Thomas, founder of the HAIR Campaign, which has achieved national attention for its work enlisting black barbershops and beauty salons in the fight to achieve health equity (40:29).
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Shopping, Savings, Scholarships
08/06/2021
Shopping, Savings, Scholarships
Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week runs August 8-14 and we’re joined by Sarah Price of the Maryland Retailers Association to talk about how businesses have managed to survive during the pandemic and the scholarship contest that has become an annual highlight of the tax-free week. Afterwards, Fells Point Surf Co. owner Ali Schuch gives us a firsthand perspective of running a business in challenging times.
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Maryland’s Media, Three Years Since The Capital Tragedy
06/28/2021
Maryland’s Media, Three Years Since The Capital Tragedy
In this special episode, Alan and Callie remember the June 28, 2018, Annapolis Capital shooting with Communications Director Susan O’Brien, who worked for Mayor Gavin Buckley at the time and shares what that tragic day and the days that followed were like. Then, we talk about the broader state of the media, both locally and nationally with Lucy Dalglish, dean of the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.
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PROTECT Week and Juneteenth
06/10/2021
PROTECT Week and Juneteenth
June 13-19 is PROTECT Week, highlighting elder financial abuse. The Comptroller’s Office is a lead partner in the campaign and guest host Maureen O’Prey joins Alan to talk about it with Sydney Palinkas from ElderSAFE. Then, Chris Haley, who heads the Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland at the State Archives talks about Juneteenth and the quest for racial justice in America.
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Fueling Up For Summer
05/28/2021
Fueling Up For Summer
New co-host Callie Pfeiffer joins Alan to talk with Chuck Ulm, deputy director of the agency’s Field Enforcement Bureau, to find out why the Comptroller is in charge of motor fuel regulation and what role the office had to keep gas flowing in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline hack. Then, we look forward to summer with Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, who’s preparing for the unofficial start of tourist season this Memorial Day Weekend.
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One Year – We Made It!
05/17/2021
One Year – We Made It!
It’s a bittersweet episode as we celebrate the first anniversary of Revenews while saying goodbye to Sam, who is taking her talents to Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center. Alan and Sam reflect on highlights from the past year, then chat with Julie Verratti, Associate Administrator for the SBA’s Office of Field Operations, about the federal programs available to small business owners. Finally, a few colleagues say farewell to Sam.
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College Savings & Summer Shopping
05/03/2021
College Savings & Summer Shopping
This week, Alan and Sam break down college savings plans with Maryland 529 Executive Director Erin Layton to help you prepare for the future (07:50). Then they catch up with Amie McCaslin, a resilient business owner who faced both floods in Ellicott City and is opening a new storefront in Ocean City called Salt & Co (36:20).
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The COVID session and (Merri)weathering a Pandemic
04/15/2021
The COVID session and (Merri)weathering a Pandemic
The 2021 General Assembly wrapped up an unprecedented 90-day session with pandemic relief and police reform taking top billing. We’re joined by Legislative Director Justin Hayes and Deputy Director Sean Ford to break it down. Then, Ian Kennedy, head of the Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission, which owns Merriweather Post Pavilion, talks about how the music died at entertainment venues during the last year and when concerts may return.
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The Agency’s Leading Women
04/01/2021
The Agency’s Leading Women
In this special episode, Deputy Comptroller Sharonne Bonardi chats with her predecessor and mentor Linda Tanton about being the first female Deputy Comptroller, the challenges she faced in breaking that barrier and the changed roles of women in leadership over the years.
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Celebrating Women’s History Month
03/18/2021
Celebrating Women’s History Month
It’s Women’s History Month and St. Patrick’s Day! Accordingly, Alan and Sam chat with Maureen O’Prey about her role in the office and her other passions: history, beer, and the history of beer (10:53). Next up is Karlys Kline, founder of the Women’s Giving Circle and beloved in Frederick and far beyond (40:54). It’s an episode you won’t want to miss!
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The RELIEF Act
02/25/2021
The RELIEF Act
In four days, the Comptroller’s Office processed roughly 415,000 electronic payments and paper checks to Marylanders who qualified for state stimulus relief, representing 98% of all recipients. How did it happen and what are some of the most frequently asked questions. We go behind the scenes with Ombudsman Dana Buker, who deals directly with taxpayers trying to navigate the sometimes-thorny bureaucratic channels in search of help.
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