From the House Republican Caucus:
The House Republican Caucus today presented a budget alternative that maintains state services while rejecting the shift of the pension burden to counties and rejecting any tax increases.
“I’m proud of the work the minority party has done this year to produce a balanced budget that freezes spending at current levels, does not include tax increases, and does not shift the state’s expense of pensions down to the counties,” said Delegate Tony McConkey (Anne Arundel County) the ranking Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee.
The Republican budget proposal comes just days after a Doomsday proposal was presented in the House that threatens major cuts to programs and lay-offs of state employees if the General Assembly rejects taxes. The Republican proposal illustrates that with fiscal discipline, tax hikes are not necessary.
“The FY 2008 budget was $29.6 billion; the Governor’s budget proposal for this year is $35.9 billion. This is a whopping 21% increase in spending since Governor O’Malley took office,” said Delegate Kathy Szeliga (Baltimore & Harford Counties). “Although there is a tremendous amount of rhetoric coming from the Governor’s office about $7.5 billion in spending cuts, the overall picture tells a very different story.”
“Maryland’s families are struggling today, many making less than they did a few years ago,” said Delegate Sue Aumann (Baltimore Co). Citing a report produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Delegate Aumann continued, “Personal income in Maryland is not growing, our citizens are worried about how to put gas in their cars and food on the table. How can we ask them to pay more? Our plan will protect families and taxpayers by fundamentally freezing spending at 2012 levels.”
Delegate McConkey went on to explain the plan in more detail. “We have protected education, fire, safety and health programs and rejected lay-offs. State agencies will have to operate with the same amount of funds they received last year. Family and small business budgets are flat or declining. Government can and should live within its means just like our citizens do,” said McConkey.
Delegate Gail Bates (Howard County) pointed out, “The 21% increase in state spending has been supported on the backs of taxpayers and by relying on federal stimulus money. Now that the federal subsidies are being cut back, taxpayers paying for the widespread increases.”
With a flood of tax proposal on the table this year, Delegate Addie Eckardt (Mid-Shore) said Republicans have rejected any new taxes. “With gas prices nearing $4 a gallon and food prices soaring, I’m not sure how our constituents will pay new taxes and fees,” said Delegate Eckardt as she discussed some of the specific taxes under consideration including the quarter percent income tax increase, an enormous expansion of the sales tax into many service industries, the gas tax and other proposals.
“During these austere times, we find it hard to believe that new programs and projects would even be considered,” said Delegate Nancy Stocksdale (Carroll County). “There are 3 new transit lines, a new sports arena, along with an unaffordable off-shore wind energy project being wished-for today. I’m a senior on a fixed income and I’m telling you that government shouldn’t be spending money that seniors can’t afford to pay.”
Earlier this year members of the Republican Caucus commissioned a poll by a leading Maryland pollster that showed 96% of Marylanders think they pay enough or too much in taxes. “We are standing up for the 96%,” said Delegate Szeliga. “People across our state are telling Annapolis it is time to put the brakes on the tax and spend mentality that’s gotten us into this mess.”
Delegate McConkey summarized the Republican plan by saying, “Our budget plan works. We urge our colleagues in Annapolis to join us in holding the line on government spending to protect our families, taxpayers, and small businesses from unaffordable higher taxes and fees. Less spending equals a brighter future for Maryland.”
This is what we need in this Country. The Republicans coming up with a plan(s) that keep the budget down and saving the citizens from undue hardships by increasing taxes. The only thing that the Democrats seem to do is threaten layoffs and Obama is good for this.
Hats off to the REPUBLICANS
The proposed budget referenced above saves money and does it WITHOUT a shift of the teacher pensions. That fact alone is huge. No reasonable person could ever expect the majority to adopt such a conservative budget as we have proposed but the hope is some of these items may be incorporated via amendment.
Finally, we have a delegation working for the people. Great Budget proposal.
Two things:
1) I’d like to know how this proposal would affect the average Marylander on a day-to-day basis. Would the impact be minimal, felt yet not hurtful, or sacrificial?
2) Why the Doomsday proposal? Are the Democrats trying to scare people into taxes? Do they not get it that we’re sufficiently taxed but are led by a party that has serious issues with fiscal responsiblity?
This entire situation reveals yet again that anyone who voted for Owe’Malley owes the rest of us an apology! It’s a disgrace.
@LocalGuy – i cannot answer your first question, as I have not fully reviewed the proposal from the GOP. as for your second question, your assumption as to why is most likely correct. That’s what leftists do. they love thier false choices, strawmen, and non sequitors. why? because facts and logic are hard.
Excellent proposal. I hope the legislature can put politics aside in the best interests of education and taxpayers!
While I’m not particularly thrilled about some of the political footballs thrown in the budget game here (ahem, stem cell research, ahem), I do think this is a useful, reasonable, and hopefully informative approach to passing the State budget this year.
Good work. I’m almost impressed. Fight for this.
On the other hand, they didn’t do it by magic. I would like the caucus to be honest and detailed about the sacrifices being made in this proposal.
How sad that all we can afford to do is hang onto low tax rates. Investment in our transportation infrastructure and the development of offshore wind power generation would create jobs and move us into the future, making us a more attractive destination for both business and pleasure.
Instead, we seem most intent upon keeping our lowest overall tax rates since the Great Depression, and our race to the bottom. Investing is a time-honored business practice, in case we’ve forgotten what it takes to get ahead. Cutting funding for education again, too. What a shame.
I don’t know where CarolK gets her info but the taxes I pay are not comparable to the Great Depression. We ALL know Md is one of the highest taxed states in the country. Also how many thousand jobs does she think wind mills are going to create? Maybe some construction jobs temporarily. How does that equate to making us more attractive as a pleasure destination? It’s always the same answer for the liberals, we need to spend more money.
It’s well documented that the federal tax burdern on Americans is currently at one of the lowest points it has ever been. It is confusing to insert that into a discussion about State tax burdens. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an analysis of the Maryland tax burden over time, though I suspect it has increased greatly.
And I have to ask, if always spending more is never the right answer, then what makes anyone think always spending less is the right one?