Coming in at No. 9 on Huffington Post’s The Ten Best Public Policies of 2007: Maryland’s statewide living wage law, which took effect October 1 and applies only to gov’t contractors and subcontractors.

As Andrea Batista Schlesinger writes, “For raising the standard of living for thousands of low-income workers and ensuring that public dollars don’t subsidize poverty-level jobs, the Maryland living wage law earns a place among the ‘Best of 2007.’”

JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor

A NoVa blogger posted over the holidays about the “simmering animosity that has been developing between the Virginia blogosphere and the Washington Post.” According to Prince William Co. blogger bvbl, WaPo is pushing sources not to talk to Virginia bloggers, threatening to cut off coverage.

The Post did launch LoudounExtra.com recently, but the site links to other area blogs run by bloggers not affiliated with the Post. They also have a “sponsored blogroll” on the bottom of the main post.com home page that links to blogs that participate in the ad sales program.

Why would WaPo do that if it felt blogs were competition?

JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor

I’d like to share an unusual argument with our legally-inclined readers.

A post on the blog Red Maryland states that “laws not enforced and punishments not imposed” contribute to a disrespect for the law, and “for that reason alone, without a lengthy discourse into its merits and flaws, the death penalty in Maryland should be abolished.”

Thoughts?

JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor

Maryland’s “clean cars” plan to cut vehicle emissions might have some obstacles to overcome if a decision from the U.S. Environmental protection agency holds up. The EPA has decided that state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars prevent a consistent national standard for automakers to follow.

But some state officials, including many here in Maryland, say the government has been too slow to act, so it’s up to states. This argument is quite popular on the Web.

So what do you say?

Is this an arena that can be effectively regulated by states? After all, the gases that enter the atmosphere can’t be trapped by political borders.

Or do you think a state can play an effective, if symbolic, role in setting an example for the wider population?

—ANDY ROSEN, Business Writer