By: Alexander Pyles

Just a week away from Christmas Eve, Maryland’s immediate fiscal future remains tied to negotiations in Washington, D.C.

But forgetting the “cliff” for a moment, here’s a few government and politics headlines for Monday morning.

• The Daily Record reports on a study that indicates Maryland needs to do a better job of designing and monitoring its tax incentives.
• The Washington Post reports Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert and Prince George’s, thinks hiring a new transportation secretary would help Gov. Martin O’Malley push some sort of transportation revenue bill.
• The Baltimore Sun reports on a candidate for Anne Arundel County Executive.