Gov. Martin O'Malley drove a semantic stake through the school construction "beg-a-thon" yesterday, renaming the grueling ritual a "hope-a-thon."

Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, and the two other members of the state's Board of Public Works awarded $108 million of the $333 million in school construction funding programmed in the state's capital budget. The annual meeting was formerly packed with local school officials and lawmakers lobbying for additional school construction money.

The lengthy meetings — which frequently last all day — earned the title of beg-a-thon for the vast number of local leaders who would parade, hats-in-hand, before the board. Mr. O'Malley, however, pushed to trim back the number of attendees this year.

— Tom LoBianco, Maryland politics reporter, The Washington Times