O'Malley Skunks the Press On Budget Figures 4/09

A small upside to exists to Governor Martin O'Malley by having abdicated his budget responsiblities to the legislature.  By not balancing the budget and by offering a supplemental budget that was $488 million out of balance, he can attempt to avert the blame for specific spending reductions.

For example, Andy Rosen of the Daily Record wrote an article about the clash over the funding levels for stem cell research in the Maryland budget.  (click here)  One would assume from the story that O'Malley is standing up for the medical and biotech industry for a $13.5 million appropriation this year in contrast to the Senate position of $5 million.  But Rosen never points out that the original budget figures from the Governor are ephemeral - his budget needs to be reduced by $488 million (to see our earlier post click here).

The problem, of course, is that we really don't know where O'Malley stands.  After the revenue reductions on March 11th, O'Malley never presented a plan to balance the budget. 

By not establishing his own budget priorities for spending reductions, the column on the Department of Legislative Services spreadsheet of the Governor's budget position appears to be very generous while the legislature's figures appears awfully stingy.

Whether the Governor can continue to avert the blame for spending reductions is yet to be seen.  Many programs that he put in a campaign promise lock-box are being hit hard this session.

What will he say in his next speech to the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) after having promised to "hold harmless" county budgets from state reductions?  It was always a great applause line to say I commit to "using every dollar of Program Open Space for open space" (to see August 16, 2008 MACo speech click here).  Today, the locals are confronting not only a diversion of Program Open Space funds but also a hijacking of existing fund balances already being held in county coffers.

O'Malley can always say "those pesky legislators made me do it."  But the blaming someone else gambit is wearing thin - not only with legislators, but also with the general public.