Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, throughout his tenure has spoken of “One Maryland,” in which lawmakers and residents work across party and jurisdictional lines to accomplish common goals.
Yet the concept is proving easier said than done, as rural legislators frequently accuse the governor and legislators from larger districts of imposing their will on the entire state.
The state’s rural-urban divide was on display many times throughout this year’s 90-day legislative session, but was especially evident in the session’s final days as the House debated a proposed increase in the state’s alcohol sales tax.
Many rural Republicans saw the bill as a two-pronged assault on their districts: It would hurt businesses that have long relied on customers from bordering states such as Delaware and West Virginia, while returning most of the generated revenue to larger, more urban districts, including the city of Baltimore and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Maryland’s six largest jurisdictions — Baltimore city and Baltimore, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Howard counties — stood to receive $64 million of the tax’s first-year revenue for schools and school construction, while the remaining 18 counties — in more rural, conservative regions such as the Eastern Shore and Western and Southern Maryland — would split about $6.1 million, even though they make up 30 percent of the state’s population.
“It is a tyranny of the majority. They have the votes, and they couldn’t care less,” said Delegate Michael D. Smigiel Sr., who, along with Sen. E.J. Pipkin, a fellow Cecil Republican, runs the blog War on Rural Maryland.
More here
Yet the concept is proving easier said than done, as rural legislators frequently accuse the governor and legislators from larger districts of imposing their will on the entire state.
The state’s rural-urban divide was on display many times throughout this year’s 90-day legislative session, but was especially evident in the session’s final days as the House debated a proposed increase in the state’s alcohol sales tax.
Many rural Republicans saw the bill as a two-pronged assault on their districts: It would hurt businesses that have long relied on customers from bordering states such as Delaware and West Virginia, while returning most of the generated revenue to larger, more urban districts, including the city of Baltimore and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Maryland’s six largest jurisdictions — Baltimore city and Baltimore, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Howard counties — stood to receive $64 million of the tax’s first-year revenue for schools and school construction, while the remaining 18 counties — in more rural, conservative regions such as the Eastern Shore and Western and Southern Maryland — would split about $6.1 million, even though they make up 30 percent of the state’s population.
“It is a tyranny of the majority. They have the votes, and they couldn’t care less,” said Delegate Michael D. Smigiel Sr., who, along with Sen. E.J. Pipkin, a fellow Cecil Republican, runs the blog War on Rural Maryland.
More here
1 comment:
It simply is not fair to businesses on the Eastern Shore who are located near Delaware. They will lose even more business to the Delaware stores and many Maryland customers will go there.
The tax revenue could very well be a negative trend as a result of this law.
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