WBAL News- David Collins- ‘Maryland Senators Say Yes to Tax Hikes, Teacher Pensions’

“Senators approve a package of budget measures to increase income taxes and split teacher pension costs with local governments over four years.” 

From WBAL News 

Maryland had an opportunity, to not only jump-start its economy, but to help pay down its budget deficit by expanding organize gambling in Maryland, by expanding Maryland casinos. But despite having a Democratic Governor and Legislature, they failed to be able to do that back in April. They have a large budget deficit and debt, something Maryland up until the Great Recession hasn’t had to deal with much in recent history.

Maryland had a great opportunity to expand its economy and bring in more business and customers by expanding Maryland casinos, but failed to do that, so what they did instead, was to pass tax hikes. Even though Maryland is already one of the highest taxed states in the union. They decided to try to take more out of an already existing pot, instead of trying to expand that pot, by bringing in more revenue, that they would be able to tax. And use some of that revenue to pay for things like, schools, roads, bridges, law enforcement. Things that most if not all Marylanders care about.

What the State Legislature has decided to do, is to take more out of Marylanders that are already working very hard and who are very productive and expanding their tax burden, while other States are cutting taxes. When what they should be doing is looking to cut costs in an already very large state budget, one of the reasons why our taxes are high.

Maryland should be looking to generate more economic growth, as well as reforming the State Government to make to more efficient. Giving counties more responsibility in running some of the public services. As well as involving the private sector in running some of the public services and making them private, but non-profit community services. Moving more people off of public assistance and into the workforce, through things like job training and job placement.

If you still have to raise taxes, increase taxes on things that people don’t need, like alcohol and tobacco. Not taking more money from people, that they need just to pay for their mortgage to use as an example. Or raising gas taxes to pay for more infrastructure investment, when gas prices are already very high. And when Marylanders who live outside of the Washington-Baltimore region, have to be able to drive to get around. 

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