It is amazing to me that the utility rate hike issue still keeps getting raised. This was set in stone when the General Assembly (and Raymond's daddy Parris) deregulated energy in MD. The hikes kicked in years later when there just happened to be a Republican governor, who couldn't do anything about the laws that his predecessor had signed. It was dredged up as a major campaign issue last time, and O'Malley swore to fix it. He then got into office and did nothing, because there was nothing to be done.

There are enough real issues to be addressed; why do the Democrats keep dusting off this farce?

Yeah and all those O'Malley tax hikes helped middle class Marylanders.

All you had to do is mention "Glendening" and all credibility leaves the DGA commercial. Wow, the Dems really have their backs to the wall. They can't even take solace in their own orchestrated polls. How can there be a competitive political campaign for Governor in this overwhelmingly Democratic state? Perhaps the level of dissatisfaction with the current Governor?

Chesepioc: yeah, that one penny sales tax increase has really sunk the state's economy. It totally isn't the worldwide economic problems - its all because of that one penny.

Please.

too bad the dum-o-crats doesn't have anything positve to say about O'Malley.Dirt is a last effort when your party has FAILED !

So the Republican governors are for Ehrlich, and the Democratic governors are for O'Malley.

The crack Sun political staff are uncovering the most remarkable and interesting sides to this story, huh?

chesepioc,

IF (yes "IF") you were an educated voter (or human) and did not buy into partisan political propaganda you would quickly realize that the Maryland state budget is a function of the executive branch... meaning... YES, O'Malley is a crook and a lier by raising taxes BUT he did what he had to do because of the massive deficit Ehrlich left. The math is simple: Ole Bobby leaves the biggest mess financially in the state's history.... Marty has to lie and raise taxes to "fix" it (then takes massive amounts of YOUR MONEY [well maybe China's money=your grandkids money] to continue spending).

EIther way you cut it... they both hurt YOU and generations to come with their spending. Notice I did not say policies... spending through the system is the killer ... policy ideas are often sound and do-able... just not with our bloated government.... ANYWAY... Anyone who think... Oh, Reaganomics is sooo great needs a history lesson. I will wait here while you go read a history book (more advanced than your 12th grade literature which is dumbed down for people like you).

The MEANINGFUL differences between the two candidates is small. Thus, the average voter will allow propaganda and lies from both sides to widen the gap and trick the media-zombie public to believe there is a REAL choice to be made... when in reality... millions will be spent bickering and fight over the "differences."

Shame on everyone.

All the more reason to vote for Ehrlich!!

The sad part is he going to spend $50 Million and then turna around and raise taxes to run the Gov't.

We need to stop the madness. In todays world of technology you don't need to spend that kind of money to reach the people and those adds from all the candidates give me a headache after seeing them 400 times in an hour.

Bottom line: Maryland taxed me more and then spent even more under O'Malley. At least a divided government will slow down the tax, spend, and tax again mentality of the Maryland Legislature.

"Then, he let utilities jack up our rates 72%."
Wow, there's the pot calling the kettle black! That's the single biggest campaign promise that O'Malley lied about to get into office--that he'd not let the rate increases happen. They did anyway.

Whatever! In other words, each can spend money on talking points, but I research before I cast my honorable vote.

And O'Malley did exactly what to stop the utility rates from going up? I can't wait for him to be fired.

When will the people of Maryland wake up. the only reason the Democrats want Omalley to win is so that they can control us more. we need to send a clear message to both patries and not vote for any incumbents

How many times was Raymond picked up for alcohol related offenses? Stay classy DGA.

Throw all the bums out both democrats and republicans are ripping us off and are corrupt. Bring in a new independent Tea party who votes for the people’s interest and not special interests. Getting back to constitutional governance, small government = less taxes we have to pay. Cut government spending before/already is bankrupt.

If you were paying attention over the last 8 years, you know what happend , and you know who did what.
I'm voting for Bob Ehrlich!

Dems have to use smoke screen to hide O'Malley's short comings,

@hampdenjames

it's not one penny, it's 20%. How many items do you purchase for one dollar? However when you purchase a vehicle, electronics, clothing, food, etc., that 20% is HUGE and unecessary.

The Dems have diminished Maryland's middle class and turned it into a state of rich and poor. Check it out. We have one of the biggest gaps between rich and poor. You'll also see, with the exception of Alabama, they're all blue states. Wake up people the Dems are bad news
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=255

"Then,
 he
 let 
utilities 
jack 
up 
our 
rates 
72%.
"

Too funny! Lying has become the Dem way.

The 20% number always comes off as a bit disingenuous—using a percentage of a percentage.

It went up 1% from 5% to 6%. Yes, 1 is 20% of five but no one talks that way with anything else. Someone who gets a 95% on a test would not described someone who got a 94%as 20% further from a perfect score.

Jack: You imply that the one penny sales tax increase ia 20% increase. One penny is 20% of five pennies. But, something that costs $106, that used to cost $105 is NOT a 20% increase in the cost of goods. The Community Colleges are using our tax dollars to teach remedial math; go take a class.

Why does the Sun embed the anit-Erlich video, but NOT the anit-O' Malley video in the article they ran a few days ago?

"Then,
 he
 let 
utilities 
jack 
up 
our 
rates 
72%."

This is a lie. The deregulation mess was created by the democratic legislature and Governor Glendening. That bill simply came due while Ehrlich was in office, but he had nothing to do with it and by then there was nothing that could be done to reverse it.

But the savior O'Malley campaigned on him taking office and changing that, and he failed as it didn't go up 72%, but instead 75% due to his efforts. He's now shaking down BGE to get us a few cents back each bill as if that's much, but the rates will remain high and eventually the few cents we get back each bill will expire.

Ehrlich and the repubs should use that and turn it around on the dems in this campaign.

Jay . . Nobody thinks it's a 20% increase in cost of goods. If you buy a 20k new car you are going to spend an additional $200 on the car due to the 20% increase O'Malley put in place. That's the bottom line. When you apply that 20% tax increase to the businesses it really effects their bottom line and they are forced to increase the price of goods, move out of state or, sadly, close down. Don't be a slave to your party, look at the facts and think with an objective mind.

@Tony

Actually, the real world does look in terms of percentages. When a stock with a price of $10 goes up 20% that may only be two dollars but when you multiply that over hundreds of shares that 20% is a big deal.
The percentage IS what matters

Yet another ad talks about "middle class" Marylanders and omits any mention of poor or working class Marylanders. We the poor and working class people are invisible as always. Maybe few of us vote now, but, as more and more of us slide farther down the socio-economic ladder, more of us will vote and send small donations to the candidates of our choice. Smart politicians will start paying attention to us now.

In the stock scenario you are dealing with a base profit of zero. With sales tax you are starting with a base of five. If the stock rose to 13 the next day no one one say “it went up another 50% from the extra dollar.

For example lets say Canidate A wins and raise the sales tax to 7% he would not be able to say that he raised it %16.67 --less than O’Malley.

Also lets say Canidate B wins and lowers it to 5% he would not say he lowered it 16.67% that would get confusing. The tax itself is based on a percent of a dollar. So a 5% to 6% would normally be expressed as a 1% increase. A big deal to be sure, but we would not describe each increase by using a percentage of the original percentage.

Look at how credit card companies work; it is always expressed as the percent of the principal, not the percentage of other percentages of the principle.

It’s just not how these things are expressed. If your APR goes from 20% to 10% people say it was cut in half. They do not say it was reduced 50%.

Tony,

Thank you for making my point and you're right maybe Maryland does need to spend more on education

The tax RATE went up 20%.
The TAX went up 1%.

Maybe we'd be better off with Andy Harris' 23% National Sales Tax.

Deregulation began with GLENDENING! The prices were jacked because of his stupidity! Ehrlich tried to stop the increase but the Dems said "Nah, let's make sure they go up, this way he's not re-elected, and make sure its totally his fault."

GLENDENING STARTED THE DEREGULATION OF THE POWER COMPANIES!

Jack,

I think we were making the same point, "the percentage is what matters"

But O'malley supporter are quick to cry "its just a penny", where the against him are just as quick to cry "he raised tha tax 20%"

Neither is really accuarate. it is a 1% sales tax increase. This makes the sales tax burden on someone 20% higher, assuming they bought the same amount of taxable goods.

This does put us higher than the national average (unless you remove those states with sales tax).
On another note,

De-regulation did not begin but it did succeed under him. (with the support of many democratic and all of the republican legislators)

It went up 1% from 5% to 6% Tony

You imply that the one penny sales tax increase ia 20% increase Jay

people people people!!!!!

The sales tax DID NOT GO UP 1%. It went up ONE PERCENTAGE POINT!

It went up 20%.

Maybe WE DO need remedial financial education in our schools.

If you paid $1 and 5 cents tax years ago and now you pay $1 and 6 cents tax, you pay TWENTY PERCENT MORE in sales tax.

jay says "The tax RATE went up 20%.
The TAX went up 1%."

NO NO NO!

The TAX went up ONE PERCENTAGE POINT! NOT one percent.

To increase a 5% tax 1% would make the tax 5.05%.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1999-04-01/news/9904010184_1_glendening-general-assembly-deregulation

It would also behoove those who blame Glendenning that he was agaisnt the idea, and the legislature made it clear they would override his veto if it happened.

Again the penny tax. Look, my property tax alone increased nearly $400 per year. To have the equivalent in sales tax, I would have to spend $40,000 EVERY year buying things for the two taxes to be equivalent. On top of that I pay an extra $35 for my spetic system and an extra $80 per year to register my two vehicles. Do you spend $50K buying stuff? I certainly don't.

This is one reason I am no longer a 37 year democrat because they always pick the liberal jerks and has destroyed this once beautiful state..

Everyone knows (except Ehrlich lovers) that Bob Ehrlich and his golfing buddy Ken Schisler rubber stamped BGE's 72% increase. Because O'Malley tried and failed to stop Ehrlich's 72% increase(Bob did a great job making sure the increase would stick) we should vote for Ehrlich again so he can rubber stamp another 72% increase. Wow.

We also know O'Malley has been playing hardball with BGE.Rates have gone down