Hogan To O'Malley: No Guts, No Cuts

Late last week the blog Politics Maryland reported that State Budget secretary Eloise Foster of the Department of Budget and Management indicated Governor O'Malley directed government agencies to prepare "cost containment plans" to cut spending instead of raising taxes. Change Maryland, the state's leading voice of opposition to a one-party political monopoly in Annapolis, scoffed at the claim that O'Malley would not seek higher taxes or fees in the face of Maryland’s looming $510 million structural deficit.
"Every election year, Governor O’Malley promises not to raise taxes, but he has broken this promise every year he has been governor. Under this administration, Marylanders have been slammed with 40 consecutive tax, toll and fee hikes. Now, as he attempts to cement his legacy and further his presidential aspirations, he is back to singing the 'no new tax' tune once again," said Larry Hogan, founder and Chairman of Change Maryland.
During his re-election campaign, O'Malley ran commercials railing against fee and tax increases; after he claimed he was looking for a "diet of cuts" until the state’s economy and revenue were stronger. Yet in his second term, he pushed for some of the most regressive taxes and fees we've seen in this administration: increases in the state’s gas tax and tolls, a rain tax, and more that disproportionately affect the families that can least afford them.
"In 2012, O'Malley infamously tweeted ‘You have to have the guts to make the cuts.' But after seven years, where are the cuts, governor?" asked Hogan. "The facts show that Martin O'Malley has actually increased state spending by over $8 billion — with zero cuts. By the standards of his own rhetoric, Governor O'Malley is gutless," Hogan said.
"The massive tax increases in 2007 were supposed to solve the structural deficit. Then it was the 2012 tax hikes. Here we are again with a shortfall, even after forty consecutive tax increases under this administration," charged Hogan. "Even these outrageous tax increases have not kept up with spending addiction of the O'Malley-Brown administration. This is further proof that this administration simply lacks the courage to say, 'no' to spending."