Why We’re Changing Maryland
By any measure, Maryland is far worse off than ever before. People are suffering, families are struggling, jobs are evaporating and small businesses are leaving the state or shutting down all together. As Maryland families and small businesses struggle, the ruling elite in Annapolis seem completely disconnected from the harsh economic realities. For Maryland families and small businesses, this recession has meant belt tightening and tough choices. But for our elected leaders in Annapolis it just means tax-and-spend, business as usual.
As Marylanders were forced to reduce spending at home, Governor O’Malley and his fellow Democratic leaders who rule Annapolis, have increased state spending by more than a billion dollars every single year since he has been there. It’s more than $6 billion in total increases since O’Malley took power, with the largest ones, not surprisingly, coming just after the last election. Maryland increased spending by 11.6% just in FY2012, which according to the non-partisan National Governor’s Association is a larger increase than 46 other states.
How did they pay for all these massive spending increases? Well they didn’t. But, we sure did. While stuck in a recession, as Marylanders were already struggling with the 4th highest tax burden in the nation, the Governor and the leaders in Annapolis pushed through the largest tax increases in the history of the state, in an apparent attempt to ‘Move Maryland Forward’ to number one.
Although a recent Gonzales poll showed that 96% of Marylanders are opposed to tax increases, O’Malley and the ‘powers that be’ in Annapolis, couldn’t care less about what we think. They have never met a tax they didn’t like or one they didn’t hike.
They have increased the sales tax by 20% and want to raise it by 40%. They raised the alcohol tax by 50%. They want to increase the gas tax by 64%.They want to triple the ‘flush tax’, and triple the tolls, and they want to ‘soak it to the rich’ and make them pay ‘their fair share’ but they are not talking about ‘millionaires and billionaires’, they consider families earning $100,000 to be ‘the rich’ and they want to increase their income tax. The list goes on and on, we’d need another website just to list all the taxes and fees they want to increase or have already raised.
Wasteful spending and massive increases in taxes aren’t the only problem, those together with a hostile anti-business attitude and out of control regulations, have caused an even bigger problem. One recent report ranked Maryland 50th out of 50 states, dead last in the nation in job creation. How can they claim to be ‘pro-jobs when they are so anti-business? The Governor repeatedly says he’s concerned about jobs, but the sad fact is that no other governor in Maryland history has ever cost us as many jobs.
Our state is in very serious trouble and getting worse every day. We are way off track, headed in the wrong direction. Some folks are losing hope. They fear that we can never turn it around. They’re ready to just wave the white flag and surrender. But, we simply can’t give up this fight because our economic future is at stake. This is a fight worth fighting and we need you to join us in this important fight for Maryland’s future.
How We’re Going to Do It
Here’s how to Change Maryland and support the cause!
Educate
Too often, nobody knows when Annapolis makes important decisions that affect all of our lives. Change Maryland will educate constituents about what is happening in Annapolis and provide insight from independent subject specialists.
Engage
Through social networking and earned media, Change Maryland will engage citizens and give them the tools they need to find their voice on issues important to them.
Energize
By educating and engaging citizens on issues important to them, and then giving them a vehicle through which they can voice their concerns, we energize the majority and give them confidence that change will happen.
