O’Malley promises roads money to locals
Gov. Martin O’Malley took his pitch for higher taxes on the road Tuesday evening and told local leaders at an annual gathering in Cambridge that “to create new jobs … we must be open to new revenues.”
It was the latest attempt by the governor to build a case for increasing taxes in the 2012 legislative session as a means to fund a massive public works program that he hopes will stimulate the state’s sagging economy. The most recent jobs numbers show that Maryland’s unemployment rate inched up in September for the fourth straight month in a row.
House Speaker Michael E. Busch has said that county level leaders will need to help push for tax increases. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has said he will push some type of revenue package in his chamber.
Much of O’Malley’s rhetoric was familiar. As he has frequently in the past, he noted that the cost of painting the Bay Bridge now more than the original cost of building it.
But he did offer leaders a carrot: He said additional state revenues would allow him to give them more money to repair roads. In recent years the governor has raided local “highway user revenues” in order to balance Maryland’s budget.
It was the latest attempt by the governor to build a case for increasing taxes in the 2012 legislative session as a means to fund a massive public works program that he hopes will stimulate the state’s sagging economy. The most recent jobs numbers show that Maryland’s unemployment rate inched up in September for the fourth straight month in a row.
House Speaker Michael E. Busch has said that county level leaders will need to help push for tax increases. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has said he will push some type of revenue package in his chamber.
Much of O’Malley’s rhetoric was familiar. As he has frequently in the past, he noted that the cost of painting the Bay Bridge now more than the original cost of building it.
But he did offer leaders a carrot: He said additional state revenues would allow him to give them more money to repair roads. In recent years the governor has raided local “highway user revenues” in order to balance Maryland’s budget.
“If we’re willing to make some tough choices on the revenue side, we’ll be able to do significantly better than $10 million for HUR [Highway User Revenues],” O’Malley said according to his prepared remarks.
“Whether we pay for our infrastructure or whether we pay in so many other ways is up to us,” O’Malley said.
The governor did not spell out any specific taxes he would raise. Last month he said that he’d consider making a change to the state’s gas tax. In Tuesday’s speech, though, he made a case against a straight increase to the levy.
“A traditional flat tax on gasoline, by itself, actually becomes a declining revenue source,” O’Malley said according to his prepared remarks. “When the new generation of cars and trucks that are being designed are built to use less and less gasoline. What worked well for us for the last 40, 50, 70 years isn’t going to work in an era when we’re pushing electric drive cars, hybrid cars or vehicles that are powered by other fuels.”
O’Malley didn’t offer any other suggestions, though in the past the governor has suggested indexing the gas tax rate.
“Whether we pay for our infrastructure or whether we pay in so many other ways is up to us,” O’Malley said.
The governor did not spell out any specific taxes he would raise. Last month he said that he’d consider making a change to the state’s gas tax. In Tuesday’s speech, though, he made a case against a straight increase to the levy.
“A traditional flat tax on gasoline, by itself, actually becomes a declining revenue source,” O’Malley said according to his prepared remarks. “When the new generation of cars and trucks that are being designed are built to use less and less gasoline. What worked well for us for the last 40, 50, 70 years isn’t going to work in an era when we’re pushing electric drive cars, hybrid cars or vehicles that are powered by other fuels.”
O’Malley didn’t offer any other suggestions, though in the past the governor has suggested indexing the gas tax rate.
Comments
Wait...I thought that slots were supposed to fix all this.
Posted by: Enforcer | November 2, 2011 7:19 AM
Wow. 15 cents per gallon tax. Gotta love the Democrats!
Posted by: Vince | November 2, 2011 8:17 AM
This is why as a Democrat I voted for Ehrlich. O'Malley's vision for EVERYTHING is to raise taxes. We need sensible leadership in bad economic times. Raising taxes will only hurt middle class workers like myself.
Posted by: Mike G. | November 2, 2011 8:41 AM
"O'Malley building case for higher taxes". What a complete and utter joke. Nobody in their right mind would propose raising any taxes in the Obama economy! Oh wait, this "empty suite pretty boy" would, along with the other two blind mice, Miller & Busch. For hard working tax payers there is only one answer and that is to leave the State if you can. There isn't, nor will there ever be an end to this, Your money as a hard working tax payer really isn't yours, it belongs to the likes of this "pretty boy hack" and company. Leave or make your purchases across State lines.
Posted by: David | November 2, 2011 9:55 AM
Martin only cares about one thing his own political platform in the future! He cares nothing about the people of MD. He passes Bills that he knows will get him Votes when he runs for President "See I'm the only Gov. that signed the Bill for illegal immigrant to Pay in State Tuition" That's just not right. He cares not who's toes he steps on as long as he makes it to the top. Who goes against their own moral compass for political gain "Martin O'Malley" Ladies & Gentleman.
Posted by: Angel | November 2, 2011 10:10 AM
MARTIN O"MALLEY CAN NOT BE TRUSTED!!!! He has nerve to actually ask the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland to support his new taxes after he hasdone nothing but steal dollars away from these areas for Balto. City and surrounding counties. Mr. O'Malley should NEVER consider living in either the Eastern Short or Western Maryland.
Posted by: JoeB | November 2, 2011 11:24 AM
Stop spending so much MOM.
Pretty simple Gov.
You slammed Ehrlich in 2006 for draining both the Bay fund/Transportation fund.
In 2011 you want Marylanders to pay more for your own fiscal incompetence.
HYPOCRITE.
Maryland's middle class is an endangered species thanks to Annapolis.
Posted by: john | November 2, 2011 11:51 AM
I agree that the middle to lower class citizens cannot take much more. Everything has gone up but salaries. Families with household income under $50,000 just cannnot make it. Why is our society in trouble because both the husband and wife have to work to make ends meet and noone is home watching the teenagers/kids. Do I need to say more? I don't think it was intended for both parents to work - it is not the Godly way.
Posted by: Jay Cook | November 2, 2011 12:47 PM
You go Martin, run all the people who pay taxes out of the state!
Posted by: nofriendofmom | November 2, 2011 1:03 PM
Even though I am about to sound like one, I am no Tea Partier. I vote Democrat and I believe government can do a lot of good for people.
That said, I've lived a lot of places. Some had high taxes and some had low taxes. Some were red states and some blue. I even lived in Illinois during the Blagojevich years so I've pretty much seen it all.
After a four year stint in Baltimore I can say with certainty Maryland's problem is poor prioritization and lazy leadership, not that taxes are too low.
This was confirmed by the fact I just left Maryland for a job in the northwest. While my new state is run by Democrats there is enough balance to have some oversight. So, almost all the taxes here are lower than in Maryland but the roads, schools, and services are equal or better. I checked and statistics bear this out. How do they do this? It's called prioritization.
People have said a lot of bad things about him but I think O'Malley is simply lazy. He proved this time and time again through the recession. While other governors from both parties were sticking their necks out making tough decisions he played games with the budget to get himself re-elected. I don't know why the Republican party in Maryland is such a joke but it would do a lot of good for ALL voters to question whether there is a better way to do things. Seriously people, Maryland cannot go on like this forever.
Posted by: Daniel Plainview | November 2, 2011 1:20 PM