Posted on 08/28/2012 7:51:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
What's the fiercest rivalry in American politics today? There's Obama-Romney, of course, but try O'Malley-McDonnellneighboring governors battling across the Potomac River over how best to resuscitate a moribund economy.
Martin O'Malley, Maryland's liberal Democratic governor, is competing for jobs, businesses and tax dollars with Bob McDonnell, Virginia's conservative Republican chief executive. Both are rising stars considered potential presidential hopefuls in 2016. Both are Irish CatholicsMr. McDonnell playfully calls Mr. O'Malley "the big Irishman to our north"and each leads his party's association of governors. The two regularly spar on the Sunday talk shows, on the pages of Washington-area newspapers, and over ...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Bob Beauprez of Townhall summarizes what was in the Wall Street Journal Article here:
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Hats-off to Stephen Moore for his insightful analysis in the Wall Street Journal of the very different economic tracks of Maryland and Virginia. In addition to sharing a border, these two states uniquely are impacted by the “cash-dispenser” in Washington, D.C. Each state also has a powerful Governor that is the Chairman of their respective political party’s Governors Association.
But, that’s about where the similarities end. Virginia has taken a conservative approach lower taxes, encourage business investment, reduced government spending under the leadership of Republican Governor Bob McDonnell. Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley is an “unapologetic” tax-and-spend liberal who has followed the Obamanomics Keynesian model of more spending, higher taxes, and more debt.
Since I’m writing about it and highlighting Stephen Moore’s analysis you probably can guess there is a pretty dramatic tale to tell and a message about the question in front of the voters in 70 more days. Here’s a take away excerpt and a link to the entire article:
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The most devastating recent assessment of Maryland’s fiscal condition came last month from Peter Franchot, the state’s comptrollerand a Democrat. ‘The Maryland economy is in trouble. . . . Our current strategyone that depends excessively on public sector jobs and government spendingis no longer working. To maintain our commitment to better public schools, safer communities, a cleaner Chesapeake Bay and other essential priorities, Maryland needs a fundamentally new approach to job growth, one that is focused squarely on the private sector.’
That sounds a lot like the Bob McDonnell approach in Virginiaand the one promoted nationwide by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.”
Rivalry? That’s like calling a fight between a wolf and a kitten a “rivalry.” Virginia hammers Maryland economically because it’s damn-near impossible to conduct a business in Maryland, and most big businesses that contemplate moving to the East know it. For small businesses, taxes and compliance are horrendous in Maryland. Ask me how I know! It’s a nightmare. Citizens and business owners are leaving Maryland in droves and relocating to VA.
If the Peoples’ Republic of Maryland is so great, then why do so many Marylanders move to NOVA?
“Catholic” O Malley is an unprincipled smarmy Kennedy-wannabe who never met a tax increase, gay marriage law or abortion clinic he couldn’t love
One of the Church’s moral failings is to continue to extend grace to opportunistic amoral politicans like Lil Marty
Because if we all moved to Delaware, it would tip over
BWAHAHAHAHA!! Thanks for making me laugh!!
One the the Church's greatest moral failings is not to use church discipline with members who clearly oppose church teachings and doctrine.
They also have dramaticaly different approaches to the right to keep and bear arms. Maryland does all it can to denigrate and restrict the right. Virginia has shall issue CCW and open carry. They may be moving toward constitutional carry, as they just eliminated the stupid “one gun a month” law.
Jus' the way it is.
Still, once a tax gets increased around here NONE of them ever call for lowering it. You won't find this McDonnell guy asking for a cut of 1cent in the sales tax to get it back where it was before the Republican party was created in this state (yeah, it's a recent phenomenon BTW).
NOW, to trash McDonnell, he's been messing around with the Tidewater putting tolls on bridges for folks who live on islands and peninsulas. That's just like raising taxes. Now he's screwing with the HOV lanes on Shirley highway in Northern Virginia. He imagines adding a toll is going to improve general traffic flow and do something else ~ whatever it is he said is BS too!
We actually need some NEW HIGHWAYS ~ for general use, not just the dudes who pay tolls.
We also have this problem with the Dulles Tollroad where there's a Metro extension being run to the airport at the expense of highway users ~ none of whom will ever need to use that subway!
McDonnell is one of the trickiest big tax raisers to come along in a very long time.
I think of him in the same category as Bloomberg of NY.
McDonnell is back at the trick of raising the costs of government
Maryland has a broken window economy built with government jobs paying six-figure salaries. This group is is getting a bit uneasy, and pulling their horns a bit. Even they know this this type of economy is unsustainable.
O’Malley is a dangerous foe. He is an empty suit, with a squeaky clean background, being intensely groomed by the left for national office. He’s kind of like a Kennedy except with zero baggage.
Yeah!!!!
Gimme a new road!!! Gimme!!! Gimme!!!
Just make that other guy pay for it.
Isn’t state infrastructure a legitimate role for the government? Or are you saying that it can all be done with private money without government involvement?
“If the Peoples Republic of Maryland is so great, then why do so many Marylanders move to NOVA?”
To try to make Virginia into the same cesspool they made Maryland.
“Maryland has a broken window economy built with government jobs paying six-figure salaries. This group is is getting a bit uneasy, and pulling their horns a bit. Even they know this this type of economy is unsustainable.....”
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Yes, much of Maryland’s wealth comes from very highly paid federal employees. The freeze on these high salaries that has been in effect for a couple of years now is having a fiscal impact—indirectly (because of not having these salary increases to tax) “starving the beast”.
These pay freezes need to continue. Once the pay freezes are eventually lifted and VERY MODEST salary increases kick in again, the concept of “locality pay” needs to be phased out. Under locality pay, federal employees in “high cost” areas are paid VERY SUBSTANTIALLY MORE than federal employees in the rest of the US. It’s interesting that these so called high cost areas are always in areas where the Democrats rule. It needs to be gradually phased out and the pay system migrated back to the standard where federal employees who do the same work get the same pay regardless of where they hang their hat. This would further “starve the beast” that the Maryland state and local governments have become.
IFF the tolls are used to maintain the facilities on which the tolls are collected.
I'm also saying that folks in Charlottesville shouldn't be paying for roads in Fairfax ... and that folks who live in WV and regularly use roads in Fairfax should be paying for said roads.
You got that right. They look across the river and say, “My what good schools they have in Fairfax County. And what low taxes they have, too. And houses are much cheaper. Let’s move there!” And then as soon as they settle in, they begin to complain about all the things that local government should be doing. Before too long, Fairfax County looks just like Montgomery County.
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