Posted on 10/20/2008 11:04:33 AM PDT by JZelle
ANNAPOLIS Before Maryland officials cut hundreds of millions last week from the state budget, they were already talking about future reductions.
"How do you get out of a hole of that magnitude, given the downturn which everyone ... is saying is going to be relatively severe and long term," Comptroller Peter Franchot asked at meeting Wednesday before the cuts were approved.
Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, estimates his administration has reduced spending plans by roughly $2.2 billion since taking office last year, but the national economic meltdown has slowed state revenues, forcing more cuts just to balance this year's books.
Maryland also is facing a budget shortfall of hundreds of millions in fiscal 2010, and shortfalls in the neighborhood of $1 billion appear to be on the horizon for coming years.
Maryland Budget and Management Secretary T. Eloise Foster said the governor will have to take a comprehensive look at "everything in every agency" and that agency officials must "come up to the plate to make additional reductions to their budgets."
When revenue estimates last month showed $432 million less than expected, state agencies were asked to submit a plan for 5 percent in budget reductions and a second plan for an additional round of cuts.
Mr. O'Malley said imposing tax increases would be difficult after the $1.4 billion in increases last year.
"I don't think I could get three members of the General Assembly to vote for a tax on anything," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Blue State Blues continue.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Hmmm, you mean Government can still operate in MD by spending 2.2 billion less than planned?
What cheeses me off is that when the economy was on fire in the late 90’s and tax revenues were through the roof states had two sensible options:
1) Pay down debt or save up for bad times
2) Use the excess only for capital improvements not for reoccurring budget items. You can build a bridge or fix a road on a good year and create little spending burden for future bad years.
Instead they went ahead and increased funding on non capital projects.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
It is going to get worse for the counties...one of the “cuts” is no funding to the Public Defender’s Office for panel attorneys. The Public Defender is pushing back by saying to people “you are entitled to our representation, but we have an internal conflict with your case and will not represent you.”
(normally a private attorney is then assigned as a PD panel attorney and paid by the PD’s office)
They put that in a letter and tell the person to give a copy to the judge at their initial appearance.
There is a divided opinion as to what happens next...
There is no question that the criminal case cannot proceed against the defendant if they tell the Court they want an attorney, cannot afford one, have applied to the PD’s office and been told they meet the requirements for representation (below a certain income level) but the PD’s office can’t represent them due to a conflict.
There is no question that the Court can order any private attorney to represent the defendant and the attorney cannot refuse. (I have a problem with that Constitutionally)
However there is a difference of opinion of who pays the attorney once ordered by the Court to represent the defendant.
The State’s (via the Public Defender’s Office) position is that the local county government must fork over the $ to the attorney.
There also appears to be an AG’s opinion the county doesn’t have to pay the attorney.
Seems to me this is an unfunded mandate, that the State government is obligated to undertake, that is now being passed on to the local governments. And make no mistake, the attorneys will be appointed and they will get paid, it is just a question of by which level of government.
So part of O’Malley’s “cuts” aren’t really cuts at all - he just keeps his State taxes high, and shifts some of the line item expenses down to the counties...which actually is a tax increase since your State taxes are supposed to be paying this particular expense.
God I hate Maryland and the socialists running this State.
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