Posted on 04/11/2012 12:03:10 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Tuesday that the General Assembly’s failure to pass a set of tax increases and revenue enhancements considered a cornerstone of this year’s budget marked “the low point” of his five years in office.
Lawmakers ran out of time on the measures when the session expired at midnight Monday, causing a so-called “doomsday budget” to go into effect. The state is facing some $512 million in cuts starting July 1 unless the governor calls a special session before then to generate more revenue and reverse budget cuts, which he seems likely to do.
But a visibly agitated Mr. O'Malley declined during a bill-signing ceremony Tuesday morning to say whether he would call lawmakers back to Annapolis. He focused his comments instead on the failure to pass a budget, despite Democratic control of the governorship and both houses of the state legislature.
“It was pretty far away from the plan that I submitted to the legislature, which is really a damn shame,” Mr. O'Malley said as he sat alongside Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and House Speaker Michael E. Busch.
The three leaders have forged an effective working relationship, advancing Democratic social and economic policies without much resistance or infighting among party lawmakers. But the governor and members of the House pointed the blame of failure at the Senate, accusing its members of delaying budget negotiations in an attempt to coerce the House into passing a bill to expand gambling in the state to include table games and a casino in Prince George’s County.
The gambling bill and revenue bills died when the assembly closed Monday night.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
Maryland’s governor understands nothing...except spending other peoples’ money.
And I’m sure he’s wondering why folks are leaving Maryland.
Gee. What could it be?
Just another Democrap prettyboy Kennedy wannabe. Unfortunately, lots of people vote for a pretty face. Life is like high school. The good or smart kids get slammed into lockers, and the dumb football players and cheerleaders are the kings and queens of the school.
Gee, Gov, maybe the Dems in the state legislature realize the voters have had enough. Ya think?
Lil Marty wanted a tax increase on our $4.05+ gal gas, even his liberal buddies choked on that.
The high point of Lil Marty’s career besides slamming through gay marriage has been slamming through a big tax increase in his first term while also blowing through Ehrlich’s FY 2010 $344 million surplus and turning it into an O’Malley FY2011 $2 billion deficit
O the humanity. I guess MD’s roads and bridges will have to crumble, and the chilrun will walk to school barefoot an hungry
Prediction: Parks, libraries, public services close, road projects cancelled, yet lifetime benefits for politicians continue.
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