One candidate in the race for governor wants to ease traffic gridlock, create jobs, and attract more businesses to Maryland, while the other wants to turn back the clock. That’s the contrast that will be on display this week, as Governor O’Malley promotes the Purple Line and talks to business owners in Montgomery County who would benefit from a new light rail line through the region.

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Purple and Red Lines-Full Speed Ahead

This morning, Governor O’Malley greeted commuters at the entrance to the Bethesda Metro, the beginning of the future Purple Line light rail from Bethesda to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County. Afterwards, O’Malley traveled from Bethesda to Silver Spring, where he met with business owners who are excited about the economic development opportunities associated with the Purple Line. Tomorrow, O’Malley will return to Silver Spring for another transit-related event.

Along with the proposed Red Line east-west transit line across areas of Baltimore–also moving forward under O’Malley’s leadership–the Purple Line light rail project will create thousands of construction jobs in Maryland, relieve gridlock on our roads, and attract new businesses to the region.

Ehrlich Out of Touch on Transit

Despite the enormous economic development potential of these projects, Bob Ehrlich wants to stop them dead in their tracks, hurting local businesses and commuters.

Earlier this year, Ehrlich told the Baltimore Sun that he would kill the Purple Line light rail line if elected. Pressed on what alternative he would offer to residents of the community, Ehrlich’s spokesman said, “while Ehrlich prefers bus rapid transit to light rail, he is not promising to build either one.” Ehrlich is also on record opposing the Red Line.

Ehrlich’s running mate, Mary Kane, also opposes the Purple Line, reasoning that residents of Bethesda would not want to travel to Silver Spring.

Business groups throughout Maryland are blasting Bob Ehrlich’s non-plan as an economic development killer. Jim Dinegar, the head of the Greater Washington Board of Trade told the Baltimore Sun that he was “scratching my head” over whether the former governor had come to Montgomery to win votes or lose them.

Ehrlich Opposes Important Crime-Fighting Tool

Last week, Governor O’Malley announced plans to double the state’s investment in license-plate recognition technology that has been credited with cracking down on car thefts, while also serving as a key anti-terrorism Homeland Security tool.

Despite the demonstrated success of this program and its importance to the law enforcement community, Bob Ehrlich’s campaign announced that Ehrlich is opposed to the new crime-fighting technology.

This is not the first time Ehrlich has failed to make use of technology that would protect Marylanders. Ehrlich left the state of Maryland a shameful backlog of 24,000 unprocessed DNA samples when he left office, meaning hundreds of criminals were walking around Maryland free.

No wonder the Baltimore Sun said that Ehrlich was trying to “redefine reality” when it comes to his public safety record.