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Opinion and commentary
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Taxes, Taxes, and More Taxes
For the second year in a row, the Maryland Republican Party has compiled a listing of all of the tax increases proposed during Session. You can find the Taxes, Taxes, and More Taxes report attached here.
From the House Republican Caucus
March 19, 2008
House Republicans Fight to Return Fiscal Sanity to Maryland
Annapolis – House Republicans today offered a series of budget amendments that would further reduce state spending, allow for a repeal of the computer service tax, and cushion the state against further economic downturn and additional revenue write-downs.
“Over the last year, the House Republican Caucus has brought forth three individual budget plans that would have preserved state services and controlled spending without increasing taxes”, said Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell. “Our pleas and the pleas from the taxpayers for fiscal restraint have all fallen on deaf ears. Each plan we have presented has been soundly dismissed with little consideration. Now, on the tails of the largest tax increase in Maryland’s history, in the face of a grim economic forecast with $333 million in revenue write-downs, we offer yet another plan. We are hopeful that finally, our colleagues across the aisle will agree that it is time to restore some fiscal sanity to the State of Maryland.”
Part of the Republican Plan included an amendment from the Minority Leader that would reduce the overall budget growth from the Governor’s original proposal of 6% growth ($1.8 billion) to a growth of 2.5% ($733 million). O’Donnell’s amendment would allow for a repeal of the Computer Services Tax without backfilling with new taxes. It also created a fund balance to cushion the state against future revenue write-downs.
“Trimming a few hundred million off the budget is a good first step, but it does not go far enough to meaningfully address Maryland’s fiscal health”, said Delegate Gail Bates, the ranking Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Spending has not been restrained and the Administration and the General Assembly continue to create new programs. Even with the reductions taken by the House Appropriations Committee, the budget grows by $1.3 billion, a 4.3% increase over last year”.
“Truth in budgeting does not exist in Maryland”, said Minority Whip Christopher Shank. “There are slush funds masked as hundreds of vacant but funded positions and there is no will in the majority party to truly eliminate them. Enough is enough. The chronic overspending must end. It is not sustainable and will have catastrophic effects on the citizens of Maryland. With all indications pointing to another revenue write down in September, if we do not get a tight grip on spending the Democrats will be responsible for additional taxes, actual cuts in services people are receiving and actual layoffs of the State’s workforce.”
This information supplied by the Maryland Republican Party.
Several important bills dealing with voting ID will be heard by the House Ways and Means Committee March 18. HB 1288 requires a voter to show a government-issued ID and the Voting official to check that ID against the voter registration information. If we want this safeguard for our elections we need to vocally let the W&M Commitee and legislators know we support this legislation. Please check the section on "Taxes" as there are several bills dealing with extending the sales tax to additonal services beyond the computer services tax. We need calls and e-mails to oppose these increased taxes. Click here for a listing of all pending bills.
This information supplied by the Maryland Federation of Republican Women (MFRW). The MFRW invites all Republican women to join us. Please visit our website at www.mfrw.org.
Maryland Republican Party
James Pelura, DVM, MS, Chairman
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2008
Reckless O’Malley Approves Major Pay Raises For Top Aides
Maryland GOP Calls For Pay Raises To Be Revoked Immediately
ANNAPOLIS— Over the weekend, The Washington Times reported that Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley gave over $600,000 in pay raises to 47 of his top aides at a time when government officials are considering postponing raises for state employees to close a budget shortfall. The Times reports that the pay raises that O’Malley handed out range between $2,167 and $33,265, or between 2.3% and 37.5% of the employee’s salary.
Martin O’Malley has a pattern of providing major pay raises, even to himself, during budget shortfalls. The Washington Times reports that in 2000, when he was mayor of Baltimore, O’Malley took a raise in salary from $95,000 to $125,000 that the preceding mayor declined due to the city’s financial woes. He also increased the salary scale for his top aides from a maximum of $108,700 to $140,000. All of this was done while Baltimore City faced a $158 million shortfall.
After Martin O’Malley was elected governor in 2006, he gave Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia Jessamy, a frequent critic while he was mayor, an $85,000 raise, an astronomical jump from the $10,000 pay raise Jessamy asked for. Patricia Jessamy requested a pay raise from $140,000 to $150,000, and Martin O’Malley, who was looking for allies while transitioning to Annapolis, instead offered her a raise from $140,000 to $225,000.
Dr. Jim Pelura, Chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, released the following statement:
“This is more of the same with Martin O’Malley. He treats Marylanders as his personal ATM machine and does not care about the increased burdens being placed on working families, senior citizens, and small businesses.
“Martin O’Malley and the Democrats pushed through the largest tax increase in Maryland history, are now anticipating a budget shortfall due to lower tax revenue, and have discussed postponing raises for state employees. Yet O’Malley is up to his old tricks, rewarding his political cronies with major pay raises while Marylanders are asked to take the financial hit. This is wrong, and Governor O’Malley should immediately revoke these pay raises.
“O’Malley and his top aides, who are clearly out of touch with the struggles of working families, seniors, and small businesses, should be expected to get by with less, just like everybody else. Maybe then they will think twice about recklessly raising taxes and growing government when the economy cannot take it.”
For Immediate Release
March 4, 2008
Contact: Carrie Simons-Sparrow, 410-841-3401
House Republicans Present FY 2009 Budget Plan
Annapolis – The House Republican Caucus today rolled out their FY 2009 Budget Plan. The Republican proposal slows the rate of growth of State spending, resolves the structural deficit, eliminates computer services tax, and positions the state to withstand a significant economic downturn.
“The current budget course is not sustainable”, said Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell. “The Governor’s budget as proposed leaves the structural deficit unresolved and the Rainy Day Fund depleted. The economic outlook is precarious and further inaction could have catastrophic consequences for the State of Maryland.”
The Republican plan reduces the total budget spending increase from 5.9% to 3.7%. It reduces the ongoing General Fund Budget spending increase from 5.6% to 2.6%. The reductions in spending eliminate the $308 million structural deficit.
“The 2007 Special Session did not resolve the long term structural deficit”, said Delegate Gail Bates, the ranking Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee. “There were no cuts in overall planned spending and the General Assembly actually created an additional $128 million in net new spending. At the same time, they passed a historic amount of tax increases which enabled state spending to continue to grow excessively.”
“This Administration has ransacked the state’s Rainy Day Fund”, said Minority Whip Christopher Shank. “It is funded only at the statutory minimum and is not well positioned to protect State finances from a significant financial downturn. There will be no place to turn for revenue to fund critical services. November’s Special Session spending spree has emptied the taxpayer’s pockets.”
The Republican’s proposal adds $400 million to the Rainy Day Fund above the statutory minimum.
“There is still time to exercise fiscal restraint and build reserves”, said Delegate Steve Schuh, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “All of the major indicators point to a slowing economy. If we experience a significant economic downturn and spending has not been reined in, the only choice will be major cuts to services. This plan is fiscally responsible and it protects the citizens of Maryland against the possible economic storm on the horizon.”
Calvert Republican Club Hosts BOE Forum
Today's (Friday, February 1) edition of the Calvert Recorder newspaper gave the Calvert County Republican Club's January 29 Board of Education dinner and candidate forum front page coverage, including a photo of the 8 BOE candidates present, and a full rear page complete with head shots of all the candidates and a lot of written coverage of their comments during the forum.
Under the title "Candidates hash out issues", the article by
Staff writer Gretchen Phillips said "The Calvert County Republican Club held a board of education candidate dinner and forum Tuesday at the Mamma Lucia restaurant in Prince Frederick in preparation for the Feb. 12 primary election. Eight of the nine declared candidates turned out."
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 Calvert Recorder staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
From left are Patrick Flaherty, Matt Swanson, Culver Ladd, John Eckstine, Rané Franklin, Tracy McGuire, Bill Chambers and Freeman Dodsworth.
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| View the complete article, with quotes and photos of all the candidates.
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A Party Honoring Those Who Serve
New Item, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007
Navy reservist and Iraq war veteran Moises Velasquez and his wife Angel, left, of Lusby and Marine reservist and Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Dfc. Ricky Cox and his wife Susie of Chesapeake Beach talk at the party. Velasquez has completed one tour of duty in Iraq and is getting ready for a second and Cox did a tour during the invasion in 2003 and another tour in 2004 as a full duty Marine. |
Calvert County Republicans Shawn Tallant, left, and Bob Wood, right, talk with Navy reservist and Iraq war veteran Chris Schumacher and his wife Christy at the Calvert County Republican Central Committee Christmas party for area troops Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Holiday Inn Express in Prince Frederick. The Great Mills soldier recently received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation with Valor for saving a fellow soldier while under attack in the Iraq war for which he has completed two tours as a Navy hospital corpsman.
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Laura Martin Sworn In as State's Attorney
On Jan. 2, 2007, Laura Martin (R) was sworn in by Clerk of the Circuit Court Kathy Smith in front of family, friends and voters of Calvert County. Martin is the first female state’s attorney to be elected in Calvert County.
Calvert County Republicans Honored at Local, State Level
press release
The Maryland Republican Party honored Judy MacWilliams of Owings as the Republican Woman of the Year during its annual awards luncheon at the Spring Convention held in Annapolis on May 19, 2007. Former Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele keynoted the luncheon. |
Barbara Burton and Ron Miller were named Republican Woman of the Year and Republican Man of the Year respectively at the Calvert County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner on April 20, 2007. Former Governor Robert Ehrlich, Jr. was the guest speaker.
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Opinion and Commentary
The Arizona Republic, online print edition
Len Munsil, McCain supporter
Mar. 30, 2008 12:00 AM
Although Sen. John McCain has locked up the Republican nomination for president, some conservative leaders continue to snipe at him. Although I agree with elements of the most conservative critiques of McCain, I could not possibly disagree more with their conclusions - especially if they cause conservatives to sit this election out.
McCain is not the lesser of two evils. In fact, he is worthy of the enthusiastic support of every thinking conservative. I join many citizens in gratitude that a genuine American hero with core conservative beliefs, who has already given so much for our nation, is willing to spend his eighth decade on Earth serving a cause greater than himself.
Read the complete editorial here
The Wall Street Journal
By MARK SANFORD
March 15, 2008; Page A10
Last week, I asked David Walker, the U.S. comptroller general, why he is quitting his job to travel the country on a "fiscal wake-up tour." His answer: Because we have only five to 10 years to address the federal government's looming shortfalls before we're faced with a fiscal crisis.
In about a decade, the twin forces of demographics and compound interest will leave few options for solving the fiscal mess Washington has created. By then, our options will all be ugly. We could make draconian spending cuts, or impose large tax increases that will undermine our economy in the competitive global marketplace. Or we could debase the value of the dollar by printing a large amount of money. This would shrink the overall value of the federal government's debt. It would also wipe out the value of most Americans' savings.
Read the complete editorial here
The Wall Street Journal
March 15, 2008; Page A10
In the cinematic classic, "Revenge of the Nerds," a group of college outcasts fights back against the local campus bigshots to regain their place in the world. A real-life sequel is playing out in Maryland, where a new tax on computer services has business groups, techies and legislators rallying around the pocket-protector set.
Under a bill passed in November, such tech services as Web design, computer repair and programming would all get hit with a 6% tax statewide. If the tax isn't repealed before it takes effect in July, it would be one of the most burdensome regimes in the nation on the growing industry. On Thursday, Governor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat who originally balked at repealing the tax, joined the chorus against it. The state's technology sector is critical, he said, and "not an advantage we want to weigh down."
Read the complete editorial here
The Gazette Newspapers
Friday, Feb. 22, 2008
Rascovar on Politics | Barry Rascovar
Killing the golden goose
Here’s a quick quiz: What Maryland industry employs 60,000 people, has a payroll exceeding $5 billion and whose vast potential is about to be sabotaged by shortsighted state legislators?
If you guessed the information technology industry, you’ve been following developments in Annapolis quite closely.
An unforgivable breakdown in the checks and balances embedded in the Maryland General Assembly’s way of doing business led to a counter-productive expansion of the state’s new 6 percent sales tax to computer services.
It is supposed to raise $200 million — a fairy-tale number that won’t prove anywhere near accurate. This was the final piece in the tax-increase/budget-balancing puzzle Gov. Martin O’Malley and lawmakers needed to complete their work last November...Read the complete editorial here.
Southern Maryland Newspapers
Friday, Dec. 21, 2007
Special session put burden of keeping Maryland going on the middle-class
Well, the governor’s special session is over.
Once again the Democrat leaders representing only themselves won and all the citizens and businesses they represent lost... Read the complete letter to the editor.
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