"At the end of the day, what you will see is that collectively a majority of us will be treated more fairly."
Posted on 09/20/2007 11:14:30 AM PDT by JZelle
TOWSON, Md. — Gov. Martin O'Malley made public yesterday his plans to raise taxes on Maryland's top wage earners to help cut the state's $1.5 billion budget shortfall.
Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, expects that the increase — along with legalizing slot machines and increasing taxes on sales, gasoline, cigarettes and corporate income — will generate roughly $2 billion.
The public announcement in Baltimore County — which the O'Malley administration named a "kitchen table talk" — was the first of several scheduled into next week to discuss the proposed budget.
"On some things there will be tax relief, and on some things we will have to pay more," Mr. O'Malley said. "At the end of the day, what you will see is that collectively a majority of us will be treated more fairly."
The governor also officially said he will call for a special General Assembly session to close the budget deficit — likely to convene in early November.
Mr. O'Malley expects to raise $163 million from the income-tax increases, which range from 1.25 percent to 1.75 percent, starting with single residents whose taxable income is at least $150,000 and married couples whose taxable income is $200,000 or more — about 4 percent of Maryland residents.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I know a few of those 4% who voted for this liberal, and I hope they enjoy paying higher taxes.
You have to love Dem controlled states, they are never in balance and always have to raise taxes to meet some shortfall. Oh yea, that guy behind the tree is the one will make pay for it. Shoosh. I am so glad I live in VA. MD is beautiful but controlled by Baltimore/PG and Montgomery Cos. Sorry to all the other Marylanders. To think my people first settled there in 1699.
More money to hand out to friends.
But what about the “flush tax”?
Sadly, none of the high earners caused the 1.5 billion dollar shortfall.
Sales tax going up a full percent.
Classic Marxism
Maybe I shouldn’t try so hard to make money, honey...
Thanks, Marty...
Yeah, more "fairly" than the minority. Politicalspeak for "I want your lunch money. Give it to me."
Its nice living near Delaware. Except for automobiles, they can’t tax ya if you don’t buy in-state. They better spend some money on roads near the MD/DE line to facilitate traffic going north.
What will folks who earn more than $150K single and couples earning $200K. Easy, move out and take the corporations elsewhere.
DOH!
Couldn’t happen to a nicer LIBERAL state. Anyone living in a state THAT blue deserves higher taxes—the higher, the better.
How ‘bout this: Gov. O’Malley comes out Monday morning and says: “As of today, every department in this state has 10% less to spend than they did last Friday. If the managers of those departments cannot provide the same or improved services within that budget within one year, you will be replaced with someone who can. Thank you and have a nice day.”
Mimics what the WA RAT Gov and her RAT-controlled legislature did in January-March 2006. The RAT Gov is up for re-election in ‘08 and she’s and the rest of the RATS are remaining mum on all the taxes she & her legislature raised last year.
Just doing the job Republicans won”t do (raising taxes).
I guess O’Malley (1) expects people who will be taxed into the Stone Age to continue to live and work in Maryland (Note: Many of those whose taxes will increase are able to move their businesses out of Maryland.) and (2) would never consider cutting the bloated Maryland state budget.
What state do you trade those stocks in?
I don’t remember O’Malley mentioning this idea when he was running for governor against Michael Steele. $150-$200K is NOT rich for this area.
Well, Republicans had better stop spending like Democrats or higher taxes are inevitable. Neither party wants to stop the party they’re having at our expense.
Same thing here in Hagerstown. Less than 10 miles in either direction (north or south) and you’re in PA or WVA.
That’s going to stay.
The Boy Governor is going to leave all of Ehrlich’s fees in place while he raises taxes on the most productive.
I can’t believe this guy is making me pine for the days of Parris the First.
I knew there was a reason that I thought of him as Moron O’Malice. That reason has now made itself present (along with any other reasons the FReeper “Freak State” community can think of.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
....we escaped Howard County to the mountains of North Carolina 2 years ago....I just couldn’t take it any more....that hurt because my ancestors fought in the Maryland Line...I’m retired and remember the 1950s when Md was a wonderful state and Baltimore was a great city....if I had to pin point any one thing, I would say that when black Democrats legally siezed control of Baltimore city the decline began....it’s been in a death spiral ever since.
I'll accept O’Malley’s expansion of the sales tax into a consumption tax (effectively what he’s proposing) but only in conjunction with the following:
The consumption tax must apply to ALL goods and services, with the exception of products already taxed for transportation (a separate budget). Gasoline and, if I’m correct, tires would therefore not have the consumption tax.
The consumption tax must apply to legal services, which Maryland's lawyer-politician class has conveniently exempted.
The counties and incorporated towns can figure out some way to adjust their budgets due to the lack of the repealed local taxes.
If I’m correct about this, Maryland’s economy would boom, and Maryland would be a place productive people and companies would want to move to rather than flee.
Heh. I live closer to DE than you do!
"At the end of the day, what you will see is that collectively a majority of us will be treated more fairly."
I love how the media is describing the sales tax increase as "one penny"...err..that's a 20% increase.
“Public Servants” only look out for themselves. The incentives are all wrong for them to care about cost cutting. They are rewarding for expanding their personal empires within the bureaucracy — expanded mean higher costs, not lower. The best thing any level of government could do to cut costs would be to offer bonuses equal to the percentage of costs cut. Appeal to their venality.
If a bureaucrat can cut 10% from his department’s spending, then he personally gets a 10% bonus.
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