From the office of state Sen. J.B. Jennings:
And the Winners Are….
After reviewing many excellent entries, the winners of my First Annual Good Citizen Essay Contest are:
Kaitlyn Bookhultz, Chase Elementary
Grand Prize Winner!
Olivia Quaranta, Vincent Farm Elementary
Alyssa Hecht, Kingsville Elementary
Jaddah Lawson, Hawthorne Elementary
Michelle Shen, Chapel Hill Elementary
Jabrea Jones, Glenmar Elementary
Sydney Powell, Jacksonville Elementary
I look forward to visiting each of the children at their schools to present them with a Senatorial citation in recognition of their success.
Our Grand Prize Winner Kaitlyn Bookhultz, her family, and her teachers will join me in Annapolis next month so that she can receive special recognition in the Senate chamber.
I will share excerpts from the children’s essays in an upcoming issue of this newsletter. It warmed my heart and filled me with pride to read their words, wise beyond their years. Thank you to all of our participants.
Senatorial Scholarship Applications Now Available!
Merit- and need-based scholarships are available for college and graduate studies.
Each scholarship is a four-year award available to students who reside in the 7th District.
Please e-mail your request for an application to: JB.Jennings@senate.state.md.us.
The deadline to return completed applications for the 2012-2013 academic year is (postmarked) by Saturday, March 31st. Good luck to all of our bright students in District 7.
Remember, You Are Welcome in Annapolis!
I’d like to remind every constituent that I would be honored to have you as my guest in Annapolis any day during session. You can testify on a bill, or simply meet with me and receive a tour of the State Capitol, the House and Senate Office Buildings.
My staff and I are eager to hear your questions, comments, and complaints as well. We would love to see you here in Annapolis. The drive is about an hour from our district, and our state capital is beautiful even in the winter.
If you are interested in visiting, call my Annapolis office at (410) 841-3706 or email me at JB.Jennings@senate.state.md.us.
State of the State, By the Numbers
Increased hospital tax
Increase in licensing fees for home improvement contractors
50% increase on alcohol sales tax
Proposed reducing itemized mortgage deductions and charity deductions
Proposed taking away half or all of personal tax exemption
Proposed Sales tax for online purchases
Doubling/tripling the flush tax
Wind power pricetag $2 billion
70% increase on cigars, tobacco
Increase in car registration fee
Tax increase on coal
App tax on mobile downloads
Gas tax increase
Raised tolls:
By 2013, tolls on Key Bridge, Ft. Mc & Harbor will double
Bay Bridge will double, along with US 301 bridge over Potomac River
PlanMaryland shifts power to state on land use decisions, war on rural Maryland
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 pinion 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 inlcude:
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.
Sorry Senator, I appreciate you trying but Maryland is gone. We have one of the highest percentage of Folks who are dependant on Government to take care of them. They vote in the big tax and spenders time and again because they do not pay taxes and are the biggest recipients of big spending politicians. After all of the increases in taxes and cost of living, combined with the over regulation and high crime, MD is now the worst state to live in. I’m voting with my feet and never coming back. I wish you well, and I hope this state can turn it around, but Im not willing to gamble my childrens future on it. Time to set new roots.
Maryland and O’Malley made the Wall Street Journal editorial page this week, and it compared O’Malley to Obama and said O’Malley plans to run for president in 2016.
As a former Marylander who moved to PA, our governor has presented a budget that cuts spending and no new taxes. I suspect that we will be seeing many more Marylanders moving over that line to get away from the oppression that they will be enduring. This is what happens when the Democrats are in charge. They spend money like water and tax people to the hilt, but the chickens come home to roost eventually, and Maryland will find the high earners will leave. Maryland is very dependent on the government, but that stream of income is going to be cut, and things will be even worse. Move out Marylanders, you can go to VA, PA, and DE and still keep your jobs. If you’re retired, you can still be close to your families in those states. Vote with your feet!
I am with the 2 posters above! I just sold my home in Bel Air and am heading to Shrewsbury… A 30 minute commute to not deal with Owe Malley and his tax happy ways is well worth it! This state has lost 5 billion dollars in the last 5 years with people like me moving out of state but still close enough to not change our careers or be away from family. Anyone who can afford to go is a fool for staying behind.
I agree w/all above. But for all of us poor suckers who have to stay here I think Maryland is a lost cause. We’ve heard the same story over & over. First the lottery will save us from higher taxes, then it was the special session w/ massive tax increases, then it was slots.The Dems recipe for disaster: Increase spending,increase taxation to makeup the shortfall, repeat until everyone is dependent on the government.As for O’Malley, people must love him. He got voted back in by 14 points.
The only people that put him in office are the ones the rest of us are supporting. Amazing how 3 or 4 counties can elect a man that nobody else will isn’t it.
The poor and uneducated love socialism… Levels the playing field for lazy people.