The Real "Doomsday" For Marylanders

by Delegate Mike McDermott

Historically, there is no frame of reference for what happened in the Maryland General Assembly’s final day of the 2012 session. The budget that was passed is referred to by democratic leaders as the “Doomsday Budget”, but only a big spender equates increases of over a half a billion dollars to be the end of the world.

Fortunately, when democrats fail at their agenda, Marylander’s keep more money in their own wallets. As it sits, our taxpayers are $700 million to the good if we do not go back for a Special Session. They will lose all of that and more if we get the phone call to return. The real “Doomsday” is what the democratic budget proposals and new regulations will bring to all Marylanders in the coming year.

This year, local governments lost more of their autonomy through centralized building codes and the O’Malley-Brown septic provisions. These actions will have a chilling effect on future rural development as private property rights fall under the heel of Annapolis bureaucrats. Thanks to a bill sponsored by democrats, counties like Wicomico which have citizen sponsored Revenue/Tax Caps in place will be forced to ignore statutory limits when it comes to education spending or face mandated confiscation of tax revenues subsequently diverted to the local school board. Talk about a “Doomsday” scenario for local government!

Democratic legislators robbed the Bay Trust Fund of millions and then double the Flush Tax to make up the difference. They double tolls and demand tax increases so we can “maintain our infrastructure” while at the same time siphoning millions from the trust fund to cover other wants. They swap today’s dollars for tomorrow’s debt.

The folly of not drilling for natural gas (4cents per kilowatt hour) coupled with the governor’s demand for wind energy (24 cents per kilowatt hour) is tantamount to shooting ourselves in the foot. Our energy policy makes no sense as we continue our reputation of being an unfriendly state in which to conduct business. Cheap energy drives our economy and Maryland is the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. The failure to move forward with production has cost us tens of thousands of jobs.

New laws will burden farmers with additional regulations all done in the name of “preservation”. I find it disingenuous to say we want to “preserve” something when our very actions will result in its demise. It appears they will not be satisfied until rural Maryland is a distant memory and farming is what grandpa did, “back in the day”. When farmers have an attorney on speed dial, we must ask ourselves, “Why”?

Current policy and budgeting practices are what is leading us to “Doomsday”. Marylander’s, take back your state.