Republican Governor Equals Fiscal Responsibility

The people’s republic of Maryland has been under the iron rule of the Democratic party for decades. During that time there have been problems with the budget. While there were years with a budget surplus there were quite a bit with a deficit. This of course was always offset by a hike in taxes. In Maryland, Democratic Governors never met a tax they did not hike.

The last administration featured Parris Glendening and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. The state was in a shambles after eight years of their rule. They had one boondoggle after another and they left office with a lot of red ink in the books. Robert Ehrlich ran against Townsend and won the state’s highest seat. He ran on a platform that included getting slot machines in the state. The plan was to use the revenue for many programs. The Democrats in the state legislature opposed that plan. They are opposed to gambling yet the state runs the biggest gambling racket in its lottery. There are thousands of scratch off tickets and quite a number of drawing games including a pick three and pick four two times a day with a mega millions and lotto thrown in. I guess the Democrats only like gambling when the state controls it.

Governor Ehrlich has had his slots initiative shot down three or four times yet he has managed to put the state back in the black. This is from the Comptroller:

State Comptroller William Donald Schaefer pegs the cumulative, available surplus next January at $1.7 billion. That was before the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Maryland’s economy (higher gasoline and heating fuel prices could cut into that surplus but lower than expected mortgage rates will boost state revenues). It also came before Schaefer announced a $27 million windfall from a tax settlement with MCI.

The state is now $1.7 Billion ahead. Considering what Ehrlich inherited this is nothing short of a miracle. It was sound fiscal policy that allowed the state to come out ahead. While I have not agreed with all of the Governor’s ideas, the proof is in the pudding. Now, the Mayor of Baltimore is running for the Governor’s seat. Martin O’Malley wants to do for Maryland what he has done for Baltimore.

This idea should scare anyone who lives in this state. O’Malley and his school system lost millions of dollars. People leave the city in droves and he goes through police commissioners as fast as he goes through money. This will be a strange election because O’Malley has family throughout state government. One of whom is the Attorney General. The AG assures Governor Ehrlich that he can exercise his duties without bias.

But like I have said before, never, ever, trust a Democrat.

Read it here.

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