NEWS CONFERENCE 603

Q. Doesn't this violate the separation of powers?

A. I suppose there are those who would argue that there is some-
what an intrusion on the executive appointment authority, but I
think the way the sections are presently worded makes them fairly
workable.

(Pomerleau Need for More Money)

Q. Governor, Commissioner Pomerleau is going to need another
$10 million to effect the reorganization of the Baltimore City Police
Department. What do you think his chances will be for getting that
this year?

A. We gave the City in the area of crime — enforcement against
crime — as much as we could get for them last year; and of course
this is a continuing year to year thing for the most part, aside from
the small grant for equipment that was a onetime grant. It now be
comes necessary for the City to continue its own efforts for the up-
grading of law enforcement. While I have every sympathy for Mayor
D'Alesandro — he is facing some very formidable financial problems —
I can't help but remember back in last year's budget that the figure
of reduction in the City property tax was 31 cents, as I remember. In
short, in an election year the City government reduced taxes on prop-
erty 31 cents. Such reductions, of course, are temptations in an elec-
tion year. But I felt at the time and I feel now that a hold-the-line
on the property tax and the utilization of that money was indicated.
I think this year they are going to have to restore that and probably
more. What I am saying is the City has to make its own effort too.
The State can't do the whole job.

(Budget and Its Effect on Programs)

Q. Governor, going back to the budget, do I understand there will
be no significant or no cutbacks in existing programs? There have
been some reports that the fiscal squeeze might cause an actual cut-
back for some programs that are now underway.

A. That's a very broad general question. I don't want to hang my-
self if some small program turns out to be — through examination
by the Task Force on Modern Management — curtailed or combined
with another program. But for the most part I say, in a very general
sense, there haven't been cutbacks unless those cutbacks were moti-
vated by some ability to administer the program at an increased
efficiency. There haven't been cutbacks of the type that would set
programs back.