Because they tax. And they spend. So they tax some more, so they can spend some more. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, having failed up from the job of Baltimore mayor, wants to impose a massive new tax on gasoline.
On Monday, the governor announced a proposal to apply the state’s 6 percent sales tax to gasoline.
The state already levies a 23.5-cent gas tax, and the sales tax proposal would be on top of that to generate new revenue for transportation infrastructure needs. The O’Malley administration said the proposal would raise the price of gas by about 6 cents a gallon in the first year, 12 cents in the second year and about 18 cents in the third year.
This, from the same fellow who imposed a tax on millionaires and saw them flee the state in droves. The boy governor evidently hasn’t learned much from that experience.
Here’s what happened, looking back a few years. When times were good and the state’s coffers were full, the Democrats ramped up state spending on all sorts of new social programs. I lived in Maryland at the time, and remember thinking that eventually all this spending would catch up with the state. Now that the economy has turned sour the spending has caught up. Rather than cut back, though, the governor is proposing a new tax that, among other things, will strangle the non-government economy in the ironically nicknamed Free State. Maryland already has a high state income tax, and a high tax burden overall. But it’s lucky in one respect: Its proximity to Washington ensures that it will have an abundant supply of overpaid federal workers to inflate its economy.
Not for the first time, I am so glad I left Maryland when I could. Love the people, the history, the coast and food. The politics leave a whole lot to be desired.
You’ve spotlighted a key problem: “…proximity to Washington ensures … an abundant supply of overpaid federal workers to inflate its economy.”
Government decision-makers and their ilk are delightfully insulated from the very real effects of their spenderific policies and actions.
Maryland has a semi-captive population. It knows it and intends to take full advantage of that fact.
While Virginia has problems of its own, all you need to know about Maryland can be found at the state line on the eastern shore. On the Virginia side the gas stations are booming, selling gasoline and cigarettes to Marylanders. On the Maryland side, the gas stations are boarded up and weeds are growing through the pavement.
This latest move means that more Marylanders from an even greater radius will be travelling to VA for their gas.
And we appreciate it very much. Just leave your politics on your side of the border.
I’ve been to Maryland many times, but it gives me the creeps, at least the part away from the shore in the far east and the mountains in the far west. Sorry, but there’s no other way to say it. Feels like oppression at many levels.
vs Virginia which has:
Gov. Bob McDonnell (R)
House of Delegates (R)
State Senate (R)
Right to Work Law
Producing:
Low unemployment
Balanced budget
No tax increases
Booming economy
Conservative, because it works.
Texas residents are SO FORTUNATE!
Can’t begin to say how much I would love to have my Governor to be a Governor Perry and the state I live in have his Texas philosophy of Governance! Am too broke to move … but be forewarned …. Maryland’s Governor O’Malley wants to share his vision of State governance with the Nation as one of its next Presidents.
A recent article stated “O’Malley presents Maryland as an example of progressive politics’ success in producing jobs, growth, and environmental nirvana, don’t believe him. Marylanders did, and they will be paying for his folly for decades after he leaves the governor’s mansion.” Local rumors include the Governor O’Malley’s having aspirations for a Senate appointment, a role in the current Administration’s second term and/or an election to the Presidency.
One needs to reflect on the outlook for the nation and the state as one reflects on the desirability of his aspirations:
Lets start with the federal level:
Obama runs up another trillion-dollar deficit…
CBO says real unemployment at 10%…
CBO: Taxes Will ‘Shoot Up by More Than 30 Percent’ Over Next 2 Years
Add for Maryland:
How Gov. Martin O’Malley proposes to make up a $1.1 billion shortfall in the Maryland budget and fund increased capital spending financed by tax increases.
Maryland has been the recipient of extremely substantial federal largess – grants, Senate pork, appropriations for implementation of Obamacare, et al. to date. With the Republican House this has decreased somewhat.)
A state debt committee voted to increase Maryland’s borrowing by $150 million next year to almost $1.1 billion
Comptroller Franchot predicted, “We’re going to be raising property taxes to pay for this new spending.”
O’Malley’s proposal also includes general fund savings, by splitting teacher pension costs with counties, a change that has been debated for years.
O’Malley proposes closing tax loopholes for Maryland-mined coal. [He has fracking on an indefinite hold & and aspirations of off-shore wind for cronys)
O’Malley suggested capping income tax deductions and phasing out exemptions for high-income earners, defined as individuals earning $100,000 and couples earning $150,000.
O’Malley initially proposed a tripling of the state’s “flush tax” to $30-a-year, however more recently he opined he wants to adjust the current fee to raise more money by taking consumption into account.
O’Malley want to require online retailers to pay a Maryland sales tax for items sold to Maryland customers
O’Malley suggested increasing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent!
O’Malley suggested expansion of the sales tax to cover services
O’Malley suggested changes to corporate income tax brackets.
O’Malley suggested an increase in the state cigarette tax to help pay for health programs.
Gas Tax Increase:
Initially the General Assembly was expected to consider raising the tax by 15 cents a gallon, using 5-cent increases in three consecutive years, to help fund road and transit projects. (O’Malley plans to raise transportation-related taxes and fees to fill an $800 million hole in the state’s Transportation Trust Fund that the Democrat governor raided in the past to fill holes in other areas of the budget.) O’Malley now prefers a proposal to apply the state’s 6 percent sales tax to gasoline on top of the existing 23.5-cent per-gallon tax on gas, to generate new revenue for “transportation infrastructure” needs. The O’Malley administration said the proposal would raise the price of gas by about 6 cents a gallon in the first year, 12 cents in the second year and about 18 cents in the third year.(One needs to note here that we are speaking of a 6 to 7 percent SALES tax on a gasoline purchase. As the price of gasoline increases, the amount of taxation will increase). With the current Administration’s throttle-hold restrictions on drilling and refining, the St. Croix refinery closing, and the Middle East a tinderbox … the likelihood of gas prices doing anything than further increasing is dim. A politicians dream – “revenue” from the gas sales tax will mushroom as well.
Celebrate life in any and all “Red States,” and most particularly Texas. Can’t say how sorry I am that today’s voters cast aside their opportunity to replicate the Texas success at a national level. Maryland seriously needs adults in the room to stop its spending hemorrhaging.
To paraphrase the theme song for the fictional “Itchy & Scratchy Show”…
“They tax
and spend
and tax and tax
and spend!
Tax, tax, tax!
Spend, spend, spend!
The Demy & RION show!”
Correct that to RINO, of course.
The other big item on O’Malley’s agenda is gay marriage.
Quite right!
He seems to be committed (as are all our (D) Senators and Representatives)to following the current administrations leads, first in the nation to implement if possible. He has to have a grand record of “Goody Points” by now.
He’s already put a three year program of substantially raising tolls in place.
He’s working out an Exelon acquisition of Maryland’s Constellation Energy Group with major upfront goodies for the Governor’s “environmental” goals. The agreement’s BGE subsidiary rate payers will not have to pay dividends to Exelon until 2015 (after O’Malley’s term has ended).
In the meantime no fee, service charge will escape increases.