5 things you should know

On January 23, 2012, in Blog, by Matt Verghese

Last week, Governor O’Malley proposed a balanced budget that takes a balanced approach to ensure that our government operates within its means but still makes the investments to prepare Maryland for the future.

The Governor’s proposal makes the difficult decisions to address our deficits, but maintains critical investments that will put Maryland in a position to out-build, out-innovate and out-compete other states and nations.

Here are 5 things you should know about the Governor’s budget:

1. Jobs

This budget places a priority on jobs. 52,000 of them to be specific. In addition, $4 billion is specifically directed towards programs that will spur job creation.

2. Education

Education is a critical investment and the Governor is committed to taking the necessary action to guarantee every child gets the skills they need. Funding for our #1 ranked public schools has increased 22% under Governor O’Malley to $5 billion.

3. Healthcare 

Governor O’Malley has worked to ensure every Marylander has access to affordable and quality healthcare. This is particularly true for vulnerable citizens and children. This year we’re protecting healthcare coverage for more than 1 million people, included 400,000 previously uninsured.

4. Public Safety

Violent crime has gone down every year during the O’Malley-Brown Administration and this budget will continue that trend by improving law enforcement communications systems, targeting substance abuse and gun trafficking, and funding 2 new trooper classes.

5. Fiscal Responsibility

The budget uses a balanced approach which not only protects our AAA bond rating and stays within spending affordability guidelines, but also makes significant progress in closing Maryland’s structural deficit. The budget contains $800 million in total funds reductions, and shrinks the size of government per Marylander to the lowest level since 1973.

Budgets are about priorities and values, and Governor O’Malley’s budget makes the right choices to grow our economy, create jobs and strengthen our competitiveness.

Posted by: Matt Verghese on January 23, 2012.
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  • LOVELESS

    THEN WHY DID HIS BUGET INCREASE BY 1 BILLION DOLLARS, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR?

  • DisenfrancisedSPdemocrat

    I am a moderate to liberal Democrat from Severna Park but I
    disagree with Martin O’Malley plans to permanently raise the tax burden with
    respect to income for most Marylanders.  The
    overriding problem is that state and local government failed to reduce its debt
    to GDP ratio when economic growth and property value growth were unsustainably strong in
    the 2002 to 2007 period.  While Maryland GDP grew at an annual rate 5.8
    percent, state and local public debt grew at a rate of 6.1 percent over that
    period, raising the debt to GDP ratio to 12.8 percent from 12.4 percent.  When
    economic times are good, a large healthy state rainy day fund should be
    accumulated for funding state spending in difficult times.  It is not
    the time to increase long-term state spending that is not supportable over the
    long-term.

     

    Governor O’Malley proposes permanent tax hikes to
    fund excessive past and new spending programs that will permanently
    increase in the tax burden. Counties that gain the most from public
    transportation spending should bear a higher share of the taxes supporting improvement
    spending.  The state should not in
    general choose winners and losers among counties from general state tax
    revenues; however, that is what his public transportation spending plans and
    PlanMaryland would do.  Such policy encourages rapent political
    favoritism.  Higher sales tax hurt
    Maryland merchants of large ticket items. 
    Public funding of wind power with all its uncertainties and likely higher
    energy costs makes no sense during a state and county financial
    crisis. O’Malley wants to shift a part of teacher pension funding to counties
    to fund his new spending plans, further increasing the citizen’s overall tax
    burden. Higher noncommercial vehicle licensing and registration fees per
    vehicle are unfair since household car registration and total mileage driven don’t
    increase one for one.  A moderate increase in the gasoline tax is
    justified but the misappropriation of state highway trust fund money cannot
    continue. 

     

    Paul A. Sundell

     

    606 Old County Road

    Severna Park

     



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