Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

An Economic Border War Right Under Washington's Nose (Maryland vs Virginia)
Wall Street Journal ^ | 08/27/2012 | Stephen Moore

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-McDonnell—neighboring 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 Catholics—Mr. 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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Maryland; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: bluestates; martinomalley; maryland; mcdonnell; omalley; redstates; virginia
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

1 posted on 08/28/2012 7:51:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Bob Beauprez of Townhall summarizes what was in the Wall Street Journal Article here:

http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/bobbeauprez/2012/08/28/a_tale_of_two_states__and_lesson_for_america

_____________________________________

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:

____________________________________

The most devastating recent assessment of Maryland’s fiscal condition came last month from Peter Franchot, the state’s comptroller—and a Democrat. ‘The Maryland economy is in trouble. . . . Our current strategy—one that depends excessively on public sector jobs and government spending—is 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 Virginia—and the one promoted nationwide by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.”


2 posted on 08/28/2012 7:53:32 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (bOTRT)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

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.


3 posted on 08/28/2012 7:56:30 AM PDT by ottbmare (The OTTB Mare)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

If the Peoples’ Republic of Maryland is so great, then why do so many Marylanders move to NOVA?


4 posted on 08/28/2012 8:00:52 AM PDT by Hoodat ("As for God, His way is perfect" - Psalm 18:30)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ottbmare

“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


5 posted on 08/28/2012 8:04:12 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age Takes a Toll: Please Have Exact Change)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Hoodat

Because if we all moved to Delaware, it would tip over


6 posted on 08/28/2012 8:06:04 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age Takes a Toll: Please Have Exact Change)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf

BWAHAHAHAHA!! Thanks for making me laugh!!


7 posted on 08/28/2012 8:08:09 AM PDT by momtothree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf
One of the Church’s moral failings is to continue to extend grace to opportunistic amoral politicans like Lil Marty

One the the Church's greatest moral failings is not to use church discipline with members who clearly oppose church teachings and doctrine.

8 posted on 08/28/2012 8:10:19 AM PDT by sr4402
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind; All

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.


9 posted on 08/28/2012 8:17:33 AM PDT by marktwain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
Not to denigrate McDonnell's efforts ~ which I will ultimately do elsewhere and at length ~ but except for Kaine and current Senator Warner, ALL Republican governors have been very abstenious when it comes to taxes, taskes and state expenditures ~ including roads.

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.

10 posted on 08/28/2012 8:22:16 AM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf
Agreed! But that is partly because the Church is on the same page with that womanizing conniver conniving womanizer on so many issues. Remember that it was within the Archdiocese of Baltimore that there were so many abuses in St Mary's seminary by gay clergy and seminarians, while only Emmitsburg stood firm in the faith. And the ADW is little better.
11 posted on 08/28/2012 8:23:35 AM PDT by ottbmare (The OTTB Mare)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
Regarding my expression "Republican Governors", the laws in Virginia hedge in the power of the governors sufficiently so that virtually all of them would pass for Republicans almost everywhere else ~ Kaine and Warner tried to increase sales taxes. We had an income tax increase a couple of decades back to finance a 'rainy day fund" and that's actually come in handy during periods of financial stress.

McDonnell is back at the trick of raising the costs of government

12 posted on 08/28/2012 8:26:16 AM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: muawiyah
I closed my business in Maryland ( THE Freak State) a few months ago and moved to Utah. This was the smartest move I ever made. Maryland is hell for business and for productive people. Subhumans like owe-mally can't stop spending other people's money. Fools...let them rot in their liberal asshat state of insanity.
13 posted on 08/28/2012 8:55:32 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

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.


14 posted on 08/28/2012 9:00:13 AM PDT by Stalwart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: muawiyah
We actually need some NEW HIGHWAYS ~ for general use, not just the dudes who pay tolls.

Yeah!!!!

Gimme a new road!!! Gimme!!! Gimme!!!

Just make that other guy pay for it.

15 posted on 08/28/2012 9:07:41 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: ArrogantBustard

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?


16 posted on 08/28/2012 9:14:58 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (bOTRT)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Hoodat

“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.


17 posted on 08/28/2012 9:16:16 AM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Stalwart

“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.....”
****************************************************************
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.


18 posted on 08/28/2012 9:24:12 AM PDT by House Atreides
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
I'm saying that I don't object to toll roads/tunnels/bridges/ferrys ...

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.

19 posted on 08/28/2012 9:35:40 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: mrsmith

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.


20 posted on 08/28/2012 9:58:29 AM PDT by Hoodat ("As for God, His way is perfect" - Psalm 18:30)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson