O'Malley 'moving Maryland backward,' RGA claims
The Republican Governors Association has put its own spin on Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley's campaign theme of "moving Maryland forward." In a television advertisement out today, the RGA proclaims O'Malley is "moving Maryland backward."
The well-off organization is lending a hand to former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican trying to win back the governor's office this fall. In addition to the 30-second spot, the RGA has created a web site titled "Martin's Mess." As we reported this morning on this blog, the spot is a sign that the RGA believes Ehrlich can win the race.
As of late August campaign finance reports, O'Malley had about three times as much money in the bank as Ehrlich. The RGA ad comes as O'Malley launches one in the pricey Washington TV market. O'Malley's spot focuses on education -- a striking change from two attack ads he recently aired in the Baltimore market.
We "truth squad" the RGA ad below the virtual fold, where you can also view the spot itself.
Ad claim: "Unemployment has doubled."
Fact: Maryland's unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in January 2007, when O'Malley took office. Last month, according to numbers out today, it was 7.3 percent. Both numbers are seasonally adjusted.
Ad claim: "More than 3,000 Maryland businesses have closed or moved to other states."
Fact: Each year, thousands of businesses register for unemployment insurance, and thousands more close their accounts. Maryland ended 2009 with a net of 2,900 fewer such accounts than it had at the end of 2008, according to the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
The Sun reported this number as a net loss of businesses in front-page articles in January and July. Today, for the first time, the agency is disputing the number as "not a valid way of looking at businesses starting up or closing down," DLLR spokesman Bernie Kohn said.
Kohn explains that very small businesses, such as mom-and-pop shops with no other employees, don't have to open unemployment insurance accounts. However, families who employ nannies or other household help do have to register. So when a family no longer employs a nanny, it closes the unemployment insurance account -- not exactly a "business closing," Kohn said. Also, Kohn said, DLLR purged more inactive accounts from its unemployment rolls last year than it had in the past, perhaps explaining away part of the 2,900 number.
Ad claim: "O’Malley passed the largest tax increase in history .. A 20 percent sales tax hike ... Job-killing taxes on business."
Fact: The Sun has examined in detail the taxing records of O'Malley and Ehrlich. Both raised taxes. You can read that story here.
O'Malley has not disputed the "largest tax increase claim," a refrain repeated nearly daily by Ehrlich on the campaign trail. O'Malley signed into law a penny-per-dollar sales tax increase, raising it to 6 cents on the dollar -- a 20 percent hike. The "job-killing" bit is subjective. Supporters of the governor, as well as some economists, like to point out that businesses consider many things apart from taxes -- education, work force, quality of life -- when deciding to locate or expand in Maryland.
Ad claim: "And now O’Malley says he’s open to raising taxes again."
Fact: O'Malley has said that he does not intend to raise taxes if elected to a second term.
Comments
And the REPUBLICAN Governor's Council has a load of credibility? Maybe they should use the slogan, let us do for Maryland what we have done for Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. They will promise to make all of Maryland poorer, dumber, and unhealthier. The perfect tri-fecta.
Posted by: afmcalax | September 21, 2010 3:06 PM
This ad states what Marylanders already know. Martin O'Malley is an absolute failure as a Governor. Given his record as Mayor, no one should be surprised.
Posted by: Former Democrat | September 21, 2010 3:16 PM
We already know Gov. O'Malley raised taxes. Bob Ehrlich hasn't been able to finish a sentence in three years without mentioning it.
The difference is Gov. O'Malley stands by his record while Bob Ehrlich lies about his own record. Twice recently he said he didn't raise taxes--with no shame.
Bob Ehrlich raised $3 billion in taxes when he was governor, including a 57 percent property tax hike and $180 million in income tax hikes. Mr. Ehrlich also exceeded spending affordabilty guidelines in three of his four years and submitted the largest annual spending increase in Maryland history.
Between now and November every voter will know that Bob Ehrlich lies about his tax and spend record and broke his promise not to raise income taxes.
- Steve Lebowitz
Posted by: justdafacfs | September 21, 2010 4:28 PM
Hey Steve L. of fake Bob Ehrlich twit fame, how about MOM's broken campaign promises aka lie about stopping the BGE rate increase of 2006.
Thanks Marty.
How about this MOM gem of 2007 during the special session tax increases-"83 percent of you will see your taxes go down." Another MOM gem.
Thanks Marty.
Yet another lie. Plus, how many new taxes did MOM invent on the overtaxed citizens of Baltimore city. Let's see-cell phone tax, the energy tax just to mention two of them. No mention of those Steve?
Thanks to MOM Busch and Miller Maryland is rated the 5th worse state to retire in due to its violent crime and its sky high taxes.
That's progress.
That's moving Maryland forward.
More like driving retirees out of the state sir.
Maryland takes more out of my check than Social Security. Steve Marylanders cannot afford another 4 years of MOM's tax and spend ways. Maryland's middle class is dying breed because of it!
Posted by: john | September 21, 2010 5:10 PM
Just so people know, Steve Lebowitz, aka Justdafacts, who runs the website www.justdafacts.com is an opposition research guy paid by either O'Malley or the Democratic party to slam Ehrlich with the same talking points daily on BaltimoreSun.com, WJLA TV's website in DC and various others.
I already busted him on another Sun article's comments where he said Bob Ehrlich raised income taxes. I checked the Baltimore Sun's archives and found that to be TOTALLY FALSE.
He's obviously O'Malley's website/blogging dirty tricks campaign guy.
Who else would be advertising his specialty is opposition research/dirty tricks, and then NOT be getting paid by the candidate he's defending all over the state of Maryland pretending to be a normal citizen.
The O'Malley sleaze campaign continues on. When this gets ratted out, O'Malley will say one of 2 things, the the Democratic Party did it without his knowledge or it was just simply a campaign "tactical error."
What a dirty campaign O'Malley is running, clear proof he's desperate.
Posted by: ComicsHero | September 21, 2010 6:02 PM
John . . . you have made the best point here and the people of Maryland need to understand, if you are middle class you are being pushed out. Maryland has turned into a rich or poor state. Dems continue to keep the poor down and continue to pad the pockets of the rich. Vote out Martin
Posted by: Jack | September 21, 2010 7:09 PM
Remember:
The Flush Tax
Ooooooooooooooooooooops, since "fees are not taxes" (according to Boobie), I guess we have to come up with a new name.
Can you help us out here, GOOPers?
Posted by: Mike Inlow | September 21, 2010 7:39 PM
Fox News Dollars at work...courtesy of your corporate Supreme Court.
Posted by: unrest | September 21, 2010 8:54 PM
How is job-killing subjective?
"The study was conducted by Ernst & Young's Quantitative Economics and Statistics Practice....The second component then calculates, using a detailed state economic model, the long-term impacts on Maryland’s economy in terms of decreases in jobs,
personal income, business investment and state and local taxes due to the weaker economy."
http://www.mdchamber.org/news/07taxstudy.asp
Posted by: Brad | September 21, 2010 10:32 PM
@justthefacts / Steve Lebowitz
Go Away you poor man's Rush Limbaugh. You are not a credible source.
@Julie - "O'Malley has said that he does not intend to raise taxes if elected to a second term" Please tell us when MOM made this statement. I read these pages everyday and i never seen the Sun quote MOM. In fact, I have read several times in the Sun that MOM has not said that he wouldn't raise taxes. Please explain?
Posted by: Go sell a yacht Steve L. | September 22, 2010 2:21 AM
Hey john who posted "how about MOM's broken campaign promises aka lie about stopping the BGE rate increase of 2006."
Everyone in the state knows it was BOB EHRLICH who gave BGE free reign to raise rates. IT was the BGEhrlich increase. O'Malley got tough with BGE after that.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 23, 2010 9:10 AM
Anonymous you have your facts wrong.
Deregulation was brought to us by Annapolis in 1999/2000 by the General Assembly and signed into law by then Governor Glendenning.
Please explain how this is Ehrlich's fault.
Posted by: john | September 23, 2010 12:37 PM
where did the O'Malley 'moving Maryland backward; RGA claims take place? please help me
Posted by: rachel snarski | September 27, 2010 8:27 PM
Tax boost in revised Ehrlich budget
Higher property rate, corporate fees proposed to help stem fiscal crisis
March 15, 2003|By David Nitkin | David Nitkin,SUN STAFF
Acknowledging that worsening state finances mean campaign promises must be bent, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. released a new budget-balancing plan yesterday that relies on an increase in the state property tax and higher fees from corporations.
The governor's $453 million package, which also includes tapping into a previously untouched reserve account and cutting more deeply into the budget, was embraced by Democratic General Assembly leaders trying to extract themselves from a growing fiscal hole.
"It's a tremendous step forward for us in solving our budget problem," said House Speaker Michael E. Busch. "It's what the citizens need to see from their leaders.
After learning of the proposal, Republican senators immediately gathered in private to talk about alternatives to a property tax hike. "It's a huge pill to swallow," said Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus, the Senate minority leader.
Cutting Thornton funds
One option discussed by GOP senators would be halving the $148 million in new school aid required for next year by a landmark education funding formula recommended by a panel known as the Thornton Commission. Within six years, the formula calls for $1.3 billion yearly in additional public education money. "I will go on record as saying we need to cut Thornton," Stoltzfus said. "It's too much, too fast."
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2003-03-15/news/0303150330_1_property-taxes-tax-increase-tax-bills
Maryland Taxpayers Association
ENACTED 2004 MARYLAND TAX HIKES
Decoupling estate tax fy 2005-2009 $127,425.959.
SB 508 BRFA
Decoupling SUV depreciation fy 2005-2009 $ 74,786,543.
SB 508 BRFA
Decoupling expensing of Sec 179 property fy2004-fy2006 $ 30,998,620.
SB 508 BRFA
Impose minimum county income tax rate on
non-resident taxpayers fy 2005-2009 $160,242,000.
SB 508 BRFA
“Increased existing and new fees” fy 2005-2009 $ 30,597,246.
SB 508 BRFA
For all the foregoing in BRFA, see fiscal note tax provisions throughout and at 37-38.
State authorizations for local** tax hikes (several fy) $ 55,564,800.
up to $ 64,064,800 if HB1295 is later included.
HB 1162, 1161, 1547, 897, 380, 1445; SB 606, 441.
HB 1295 becomes a tax hike if St. Mary’s County fails to offset other taxes by the additional “emergency
services” revenue.
Flush Tax fy2005-2009 $ 324,270,000
SB 320, see fiscal note at 7.
“Holding company” corporate tax fy 2005-2009 $ 249,000,000.
HB 297, see fiscal note at 5.
Car Tax and Fee Hikes fy 2005-2009 $ 913,131,900.
HB 1467, see fiscal note at 1, 5.
HMO Tax fy 2005-2010 $ 405,823,723.
HB 2 in special session, see fiscal note at 1.
Governor’s veto overridden 2005.
_________________________________________________________________
TOTAL NEW MARYLAND STATE OR STATE-AUTHORIZED TAXES
ENACTED IN 2004
$ 2,371,840,791.
http://www.mdtaxes.org/NEWS-STORIES-2006/Md.tax.hikes.2004.pdf
Posted by: Thack | October 9, 2010 10:56 PM
All of this lacks perspective. If, for example, unemplyment has risen, does that have anything to do with O'Malley, or is it more a consequence of failed Bush policies?
Posted by: Greg | November 3, 2010 12:26 PM