No Relief for Working Families in 2009 Session 4/09

Maryland’s working families are taking it on the chin for the third straight year under Governor Martin O’Malley.

“Governor O’Malley’s  budget that passed this year is not sustainable,” stated Senate Minority Leader Allan Kittleman, R-Howard and Carroll.  “We have again mortgaged the future of Maryland’s families because they will be called upon to pay the piper within two years when federal stimulus funds expire.”

“The Comptroller just reported that state revenues continued to decline at a -1.5% rate this March, but the O’Malley budget contains a 3.5% spending increase fueled by temporary federal stimulus funds.”

“Maryland’s families have been pleading  for the promised electricity rate relief from Governor O’Malley, but his only energy-related Administration bill to pass will guarantee higher electricity rates dues to the cost for greenhouse gas reductions” added Senate Minority Whip, Nancy Jacobs, R-Harford and Cecil Counties.

Senator Kittleman listed other ways that Maryland’s working families are hurt by legislation this session:

1.      The costs of higher education at public universities and colleges will increase – technically, tuition rates were frozen in the budget but, in reality, university officials stated that student fees and housing costs will rise to maintain existing budgets.

2.      Fees for state services increased – the highest profile increase being the monthly administrative fee for the EZ-pass system.

3.      Families of state employees will be required to pay union dues (mandatory service fees) whether or not they want to be part of a union.

4.      Ironically, Democrats were proud of a tax credit for the purchase of new automobiles – but the $96 credit on a $20,000 new car purchase is less than one-half of the increase on car purchases required by Governor O’Malley’s legislation that increased the car tax to 6% in the 2007 special session.

“Governor O’Malley already asked Maryland’s working families to shoulder the largest tax increase in state history – they can no longer afford his spending sprees that outpace state revenues by billion of dollars” concluded Senator Jacobs.