O'Malley's New Budget

[Wizard777]

State budget has no tax increases, limited spending, leaders say

Gov. Martin O'Malley unveiled Wednesday a lean budget that is "on the verge" of closing a budget gap that once stood at $2 billion.

The governor emphasized the more than 40,000 jobs he expected his $37 billion operating and $3.7 billion capital budget to support or generate during a briefing with reporters.

"These have been challenging years to say the least," O'Malley said.

[Wizard777]

Apparently Annapolis has heard and heeded our cries and pleas.......moaning, groaning, beotching, whinning and complaining too.

Good work on preparing a reasonable budget Ladies and Gentlemen.

[bmore_ken]

I guarantee you some people here still won't be happy

[Wizard777]

I guarantee you some people here still won't be happy

Some people are never happy about anything. But over all I think It's a very good package. I might even go as far as calling it impressive. Especially the 6 billion in education. I think they've done an excellent job of placing spending in line with Marylands values. The only thing that I could take issue with is this one.

--No tax increases to balance the budget, though others could be proposed later for the Transportation Trust Fund

The only problem I have with that is they only require the MTA to raise 35% of their budget from passenger fares. So if the light rail fare is 1.00 and someone only has .35. They are aren't going to let that slide and let them ride any way. So when maryland tax payers tell the MTA it costs 1.00 to operate that light rail and the MTA says, we only have .35. Why should we let that slide and allow them to operate it any way? So right now I see the "Trust" in the Transportation Trust Fund being trusting them to become a lil more self sufficeint.

But other than that it's a great package. I like that they are taking steps to shield us from the coming meltdown in DC. That shows good foresight in trying to avoid the pit falls that lay ahead. I'm genuinely impressed.

[Saticon3]

Apparently Annapolis has heard and heeded our cries and pleas.......moaning, groaning, beotching, whinning and complaining too.

Good work on preparing a reasonable budget Ladies and Gentlemen.

It does appear to be a good budget and MD does seem to have fared much better than most states through the trying economic times.

[pcfixer]

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sec...StoryID=145445

Does this sound familiar??

A favorite motto of Gov. Martin O'Malley and leaders in the state Democratic Party is that the rich must pay their "fair share."
It was the philosophy behind hiking taxes last year on those making $100,000 or more and is the cornerstone of the progressive movement in the United States. Remember when then-candidate Barack Obama said in April 2008 that he was in favor of raising capital gains taxes "for purposes of fairness" even if it lowered revenue? Once elected, he has spent his presidency arguing for higher taxes on Americans making more than $250,000.