(September 1, 2002) See much news about Maryland's on-going economic woes? No? No surprise. Officials paint the best picture they can, yet evidence mounts that budget-busted agencies must maintain an illusion of normalcy until after the election. (The university system is one example. Parris boasts he protected education's budget, yet the Washington Times leaks that drastic cuts are under way.) Remember: PG County went from a $50M surplus to a $100M deficit over election night in 1994. Anyone think Parris wouldn't similarly conceal the state's budget debacle to elect KTK? The state's Enron-style accounting practices will come out sooner or later; the Kennedy campaign hopes for "later" so voters don't figure out what went down on her watch with Glendening.