Posted on 09/22/2008 11:19:16 AM PDT by JZelle
Gov. Martin O'Malley, trying to burnish his fiscal credentials amid new budget troubles, claims he has made $1.8 billion in budget cuts since taking office in January last year.
But figures provided by his administration to The Washington Times show the governor was responsible for less than two-thirds of the cuts, and that sizable increases in spending and a $1 billion withdrawal from the state's rainy-day fund are not reflected in Mr. O'Malley's accounts.
"That $1.8 billion is nonsense," said Delegate Steven R. Schuh, Anne Arundel Republican.
Mr. Schuh, a personal financial adviser and budget expert, said that while Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, trumpets that figure, the governor rarely talks about how it was offset by increased spending on transportation, health care and education.
"It's quite misleading and incomplete, in light of the equally large and almost offsetting increases in spending," he said.
Mr. O'Malley's $1.8 billion figure, which has become commonplace in his speeches and public comments over the past few months, combines cuts made by the General Assembly.
The figure does not include the $1 billion he took out of the state's rainy-day account to balance his first budget as governor, or the $563 million in new spending approved during the special session of the General Assembly last year, which more than offset the $550 million in budget cuts passed during the same session.
The debate has highlighted a larger truth in state budgeting: Numbers are ephemeral, highly political - and sometimes hotly disputed.
Mr. O'Malley's budget officers, as well as budget analysts with the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) who report to the General Assembly, routinely differ on the level of growth in Mr. O'Malley's spending increases, and what counts as a cut.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I started reading this..not once did they mention what State O’Malley is governor of, nor even city to attach it to. Am I wrong to think this was a very poorly written article? I had never heard of this Governor and it’s from the Washington Times.
RE “Must be nice to be a liberal Dem in Maryland”
It’s an empire. o’Malley raised taxes on the poor, cigarette and sales taxes as well as electricity which he promised to make cheaper. But polls show his base, the Obama worshipers in Baltimore, are happy (after much complaining ) because ‘he did the right thing ‘ on spending and taxing and they blame the states financial problems on Bush, the economy. Liberal socialism works as long as you can find someone else to blame.
Whatever happened to the tax on computer services, did that ever take effect?
Keep posting and don’t worry about the budget.
The Times must take it for granted that everyone knows O’Malley in the area.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
To paraphase former US Secretary of State Madeline NotBright, "What's the use of having a surplus if you can't spend it!"
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