FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2013
Contact: Steve Crim
Late last week the blog Politics Maryland reported
that State Budget secretary Eloise Foster of the Department of Budget
and Management indicated Governor O'Malley directed government agencies
to prepare "cost containment plans" to cut spending instead of raising
taxes. Change Maryland, the state's leading voice of opposition to a
one-party political monopoly in Annapolis, scoffed at the claim that
O'Malley would not seek higher taxes or fees in the face of Maryland’s
looming $510 million structural deficit.
"Every election year, Governor O’Malley promises not
to raise taxes, but he has broken this promise every year he has been
governor. Under this administration, Marylanders have been slammed with
40 consecutive tax, toll and fee hikes. Now, as he attempts to cement
his legacy and further his presidential aspirations, he is back to
singing the 'no new tax' tune once again," said Larry Hogan, founder and
Chairman of Change Maryland.
During his re-election campaign, O'Malley ran
commercials railing against fee and tax increases; after he claimed he
was looking for a "diet of cuts" until
the state’s economy and revenue were stronger. Yet in his second term,
he pushed for some of the most regressive taxes and fees we've seen in
this administration: increases in the state’s gas tax and tolls, a rain
tax, and more that disproportionately affect the families that can least
afford them.
"In 2012, O'Malley infamously tweeted ‘You
have to have the guts to make the cuts.' But after seven years, where
are the cuts, governor?" asked Hogan. "The facts show that Martin
O'Malley has actually increased state spending by over $8 billion — with
zero cuts. By the standards of his own rhetoric, Governor O'Malley is
gutless," Hogan said.
"The massive tax increases in 2007 were supposed to
solve the structural deficit. Then it was the 2012 tax hikes. Here we
are again with a shortfall, even after forty consecutive tax increases
under this administration," charged Hogan. "Even these outrageous tax
increases have not kept up with spending addiction of the O'Malley-Brown
administration. This is further proof that this administration simply
lacks the courage to say, 'no' to spending."
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Links:
Politics Maryland: O’Malley rejects taxes to fix projected $510M deficit, orders spending cuts
The Daily Record: O’Malley to propose budget with more cuts, no new taxes
Twitter: @GovernorOMalley 11:43 AM - 12 Jan 2012
https://twitter.com/
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