Delegates send $14.6 billion budget to Senate
Annie Linskey reports:
The House of Delegates voted Thursday to approve a $14.6 billion plan to fund day-to-day state government operations, over the vehement objections from Republicans who had pushed for deeper cuts and opposed new fees.
Delegates voted 97 to 42 to approve the budget, with one Republican joining the Democrats to support the plan.
The budget calls for Marylanders to pay higher fees at the Motor Vehicle Administration to register new vehicle titles or use vanity license plates. Fees for recording land transactions would also go up.
The budget doesn’t contain any new taxes — yet. The plan now goes to the Senate, where a key committee voted yesterday to raise the sales tax on alcohol from 6 percent to 9 percent, an increase that would be phased in over three years.
House Democratic leaders touted extensive behind-the-scenes work during the first ten weeks of the legislative session to rejigger spending within Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley’s plan and restore $60 million in cuts to education. Their reworked plan would also give counties and cities some more money to fix roads.
“Good budgets are flexible,” said Del. Galen R. Clagett. The Western Maryland Democrat said the House proposal responded to concerns from constituents who worried the O’Malley proposed plan would “hurt” them.
“The message I got was we should be helping people,” he said.
But Republicans said the Democratic majority didn’t do enough: The House plan would only cut $6.5 million from the budget O’Malley’s proposed in January. House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell used a chart to show how state spending has increased in recent years.
Del. Michael D. Smigiel Sr., the leader of the House’s new tea party caucus, said the budget would “burden the taxpayers with all kinds of new fees” — just the type of plan that his supporters at home “went to the streets” to oppose.
The Eastern Shore Republican predicted that when lawmakers go home at the end of the session next month, they will see angry constituents “marching again”
Del. Wendell Beitzelwas the sole Republican to support the plan. A longtime member of the House Appropriations Committee, he said that he felt the majority had listened to many of his concerns.
Beitzel touted the restoration of a 3 percent tax credit for those who purchase coal produced in Maryland and the return user fees that Garrett County officials negotiated when they sold Deep Creek Lake to the state.
Comments
After getting a windfall from the federal govt, in the form of stimulus to promote private sector growth which they used for their employees pensions and raises,they still,they still can't balance the budget without stealing more of the citizens money! I feel what needs to be changed is the gross mismanagement that this governor and legislative body continue to perpetrate on the citizens of md!
Posted by: TrueAmerican | March 24, 2011 9:04 PM
Our legislatures are two-bit businesspeople who only know how to sue for more money, or sell intangible assets for money that doesn't exist.
They are not creators, only takers. Just remember, these people only know how to take, they do not know how to create. So their only solutions are to take more, take more, and take more from the true working people who pay taxes.s
Posted by: JimA | March 24, 2011 9:46 PM
Annie, after last November 2010's election you should know by now that a fee is a tax.
Posted by: John | March 25, 2011 12:53 AM
These very modest user fees are going to provide some modest help for those who most heavily rely on the help of others--children and those with disabilities. Surely, increasing the alcohol tax comes at a time when the enjoyment of drinking can be balanced with a bit more commitment to covering some of the costs that come from excessive alcohol use including family violence, motor vehicle accidents, and diabetes. It's long past time that this public health wise increase was approved.
Posted by: RIchard Barth | March 25, 2011 4:08 AM
Richard, I LOVE how all fees are refered to as MODEST when you're trying to spin it in a way so it doesn't seems so bad. What about all the new proposed taxes? When are our politicans goin to finally step up and realize the taxpayers are not an endless source of revenue? When are we, as taxpayers, finally going to say STOP!? I'm sorry but I am working harder and longer and having less and less to show for it. I give to my church, I give to Goodwill, Purple Heart, donate time to helping stock the local church pantry, as well as doing things with my family. If I chose to go out on occasion, to get some fun time,I really don't want to pay MORE to do it. The thing is if I keep getting taxed more and more, the things that I volunteer at and give monetarily, will start being less and less. I know my time and money are going to what I give it to not some general fund that could be raided at any time to pay for whatever else is on the agenda at that time. Most of you calling for MODEST increases don't do half of what I do to help others. I just want to keep MY money so I can decide who I want to give it to, not some state or federal bureaucracy.
Posted by: RIGHTOFCENTER | March 25, 2011 11:42 AM
You true Americans who don't like taxes, try this:
Stay off every highway and roadway.
Don't call a cop when you need one.
Fight your own fire when the house burns.
Don't send your kid to school.
Stay out of the library.
Don't have that diseased meat inspected.
Don't worry about the feds occasionally checking that Nuke plant, everything's fine
Turn back your Social Security check.
Refuse to accept Medicare
If you don't like it, leave the country -- oops, there's noone to help you get a passport, sorry.
In short, get a life.
Posted by: David | March 25, 2011 12:49 PM
The level of taxes inflicted on me as aBaltimore city resident just does not match the level of services being offered David.
Thus my own discontent with our elected officials in Baltimre/DC.
Posted by: john | March 25, 2011 5:14 PM
Hey David,
Taxes are collected at gun point. Refuse to pay a sales tax and see if the police aren't called. Resist with equal force and eventually you will be shot.
I should not be FORCED to take part in any insurance or protection plan.
If I want security for my home I can subscribe to a Rollins Protective Service or one of the others. Why shouldn't I be able to do the same with Fire or Police protection?
I subscribe to a retirement plan. Why should I be FORCED to participate in Big Government's retirement plan?
We have private inspectors such as Underwriters Labs that do a better job of inspecting our electrical products than government.
If it weren't for government's over regulation we'd have dirt cheap oil and wouldn't need nuke plants.
Private schools do a better job than government schools and cost way less too.
Posted by: Pudentain | March 25, 2011 6:31 PM