Leading us off a cliff
After reading Mr. Guzman’s letter praising Governor O’Malley’s leadership, I wondered if we were living in the same state. As a person blessed to have been a manager and leader in our armed forces and the public, private and non-profit sectors, I differ with his assessment of Governor O’Malley’s leadership skills. When it comes to good stewardship, his actions are nothing less than fiscal malpractice.
This fiscal year alone, he increased the overall budget by $1.1 billion, 3.5% higher than last year. The only way he was able to balance the budget was to take $1.8 billion over two years from funds set aside for specific purposes. Many of his “reductions” are actually fund transfers. He was also fortunate to waddle away from the federal trough with $2.5 billion over two years from Uncle Sam who’s printing counterfeit money down in the basement of the Capitol.
He also cut aid to local governments by $113 million, passing the buck to the counties who now have to deal with the loss of revenue.
Unfortunately for the Maryland taxpayer, the “Three Amigos” – O’Malley, Senate President Mike Miller, and Speaker Mike Busch – are doing exactly what O’Malley accused his Republican predecessor, Governor Bob Ehrlich, of doing when it comes to the state’s fiscal well-being. They are avoiding the hard decisions and transformation needed to solve the state’s fiscal crisis for the long term.
Every year he’s been in office, O’Malley has found a way to wriggle out from under making tough but responsible budgetary decisions. In 2007, he raided the $1 billion-plus rainy day fund left to him by Governor Ehrlich. In late 2007, he called a special session and enacted the largest tax increase in Maryland history. In 2008, he frightened the voters with threats of deep cuts in essential government services and conned voters into enshrining slot machine gambling in the Maryland constitution. To date, the slots licensing has been a colossal failure. This year, it was the federal government to the rescue.
Budget analysts are predicting annual deficits of $1 billion or more because the state’s projected spending is consistently higher than expected revenue. O’Malley is putting a shiny coat of paint over rotten timbers in the hope no one will notice until he’s out of office.
Don’t expect the “Two Mikes” to be responsible stewards of our family funds, either. They only care about keeping the Democrats in power and if that means throwing around money they don’t have and begging Washington for help to offset their vote-buying, so be it.
We need taxpayer protection, zero-based budgeting, performance plans, sunset provisions and fundamental tax reform to get our fiscal house in order. The current regime has had their chance. Every Maryland voter in 2010 ought to remember that elections have consequences – and vote accordingly.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
You tell them, Ron. But what are you going to do about it? Many observers are amazed by the amount voters are asleep right now, but those nappers will waken quickly if the economy truly does step over the cliff.
Sorry to be demographic here, but you would certainly have the caucasian and other vote. What about the large black vote near D.C. in your running district? Even an economic slide will have limited effect initially, so to bring more effect methods, I would suggest contacting Niger Innis, the CORE spokesperson. Having an opportunity to meet and hear him a few weeks ago, he certainly is on the ball on how liberalism and environmentalism hurts the middle lower and lower income black hardest. He is most emphatic about the latter issue.
Assuredly he would be overjoyed to talk with you and possibly speak with together in public as well. I didn’t get his card, but did of his keynote speaking partner’s.