Budget Talking Points to Remember
Governor O’Malley introduced his budget proposal this week, and your response has been overwhelming. Overwhelmingly negative, that is.
I am right there with you. This budget is terrible news for Maryland.
When you and your fellow constituents contact my office to share your opinion about the proposed budget, you often ask what we can do to stop it.
The answer is threefold:
1) know what’s wrong with the budget,
2) tell everyone you know,
3) and encourage them to call their own Delegates and Senator to demand a vote against the Governor’s budget.
Here are some talking points to help you explain how bad it is:
– Gov. O’Malley’s proposed budget increases from $34.2 billion in 2012 to $35.9 billion 2013. That’s an increase of $1.7 billion!
– You will hear the Governor touting $610 million in reductions to the General Fund, but his budget is still set to grow by 1.7 percent in 2013. It’s just a shell game, moving money around, taking some from here but adding more- always more- elsewhere.
– The Governor’s claim of $7.5 billion in cuts is a myth. In fact, Maryland’s budget has grown by $1 billion or more every year he’s been in office.
– This budget raises taxes. The Governor’s budget includes $311 million in “new revenue,” which is politician-talk for higher taxes.
A few lowlights include:
– Eliminating the mortgage interest deduction for many homeowning, hard-working Marylanders to help subsidize entitlement programs for non-taxpayers
– Requiring the collection of sales tax for online shopping
– Applying the cigarette tax to other tobacco products
– Doubling the Flush Tax
And, this does not even include the Governor’s other tax proposals. His crowning achievement would be to increase the gas tax by 15 cents a gallon, which would make Maryland’s gas tax the highest in the mid-Atlantic!
As you may have heard, he is also testing the waters to raise the sales tax by another penny, which would mean a 40% sales tax increase since he took office.
We can’t accept this for our Maryland. Please be aware of these facts and help educate your friends, neighbors and colleagues so that they can help turn the tide against this Governor’s bloated budget. And please keep your comments, ideas and concerns coming to my office.
As always, I am proud to represent you.
Sincerely,
Senator J.B. Jennings
P.S. I will resume outlining my own proposed bills next week, but wanted to give you a special budget update this week since that is the most important topic at hand.
Thank you Senator Jennings. At least there are still a few people in Annapolis with some common sense. I think we should cut 5% across the board until we have a zero budget deficit. Won’t happen though, will it?
He is spanking us all for getting the signatures required to take the in state tuition for illegals to referendum and not supporting gay marriage.