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I do think that home rule should be broad with respect to

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any local government and I would like to say again that I

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am most grateful to you and to your Committee for per-

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mitting me to be with you today and I certainly would be

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willing to assist in any way possible at any time in the

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future.

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THE CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much. Dr. Loevy?

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DR. LOEVY: Could I just ask you one question

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before you go, for a point of information?

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MR. THOMPSON: Yes, sir.

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DR. LOEVY: There has been some talk in the

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Committee of eliminating all cities and making Baltimore

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County a home rule county; in other words, having just

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twenty-four units of local government, twenty-three

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counties and Baltimore city as a county. As a principal

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spokesman for the municipalities in Maryland, what do you

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think of this idea?

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MR. THOMPSON: I would think that it would be~

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quite unlikely that a satisfactory solution to the prob-

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lems of local government in the State of Maryland would

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be found in any such highly simplified proposal. I think