MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                        2791

dredged material by all appropriate State Agencies.

The State of Maryland has, for many years, enjoyed
the highest credit rating on its bonded indebtedness,
which has inured to the benefit of its citizens by
producing not only a greater than average marketability
for the bonds but also a lower than average interest
cost. With the assumption of most school construction
costs by the State, and the general growth in other areas
of needed capital development, however, the size of the
State debt has now grown to the point that hard and
critical choices must be made in the addition of new debt
if our excellent credit rating is to be maintained.
Projects which themselves may be worthy must be viewed in
comparison with other capital requirements, and
priorities must be set.

With respect to Senate Bill 892, and in particular
its appropriation of $260,000 for the dredging of Bird
River, studies by the United States Army Corps of
Engineers and the State Department of Natural Resources
indicate that this particular channel is not economically
feasible, as the river bottom would shift continually and
would not remain dredged. Apparently, a great deal of
the sedimentation of the river is due to the operation of
an adjacent commercial quarry; and unless that problem is
corrected and properly regulated, constant and costly
maintenance of the channel, once dredged, would be
required.

Thus, the State is asked to add to its general
obligation debt to fund a project that, absent other and
independent measures not provided for in the bill, would
either be temporary in its benefit or require further
expenditures to maintain.

The proposal should be submitted for review by the
Water Resources Administration. If it can be made
feasible, funding for it can be included under the
matching grant program of the Waterway Improvement Fund,
rather than through general obligation bonds.

Finally, although expenditure of the appropriation
is contingent upon an acceptable site being found to
deposit the dredged material, with the constant: delays in
the approval of Hart and Miller Islands as such a site, I
know of no other feasible place to put the material.
There is no reason to increase the authorized State debt
until there is some assurance that the project, if
feasible, could proceed.

For these reasons, I have vetoed Senate Bill 892.

Sincerely,