Maryland Governor To Furlough Employees
Dec 5, 2008 Political
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has proposed a plan that would require nearly 70,000 state employees to take up to 5 days off without pay in order to help with budget problems. The furloughs would be graduated with those in the lower salary ranges receiving 2 unpaid days and those in the upper ranges receiving 5. The magnanimous governor will also take 5 days. Those providing emergency and essential services will not be affected.
Last year this governor called a special session to increase taxes in order to cover a budget shortfall. He had already squandered the excess money left by his predecessor and needed more to feed the insatiable appetite the state has for spending. His Democratic super majority passed the largest tax increases in history despite warnings that it was not wise to raise taxes in a tough economy. But Democrats know better.
The result was that revenue (what they call the tax money they confiscate from us) went down. People stopped spending money on unnecessary things and cut way back on the basics. They also took advantage of nearby states with either lower or no taxes. Delaware and Virgina received more business from Marylanders who wanted to pay fewer taxes.
Now they have an even worse problem and the short term fix is to furlough state employees. I imagine that the near future will call for more tax increases which will only make the problem worse. Democrats never learn so they will try to raise fees and taxes on all kinds of things which will result in even further belt tightening. Maryland is a wealthy state but the legislature refuses to cut spending or eliminate unnecessary services and to top it off they always legislate new requirements without a funding source. They require some new program but they have no way to pay for it.
The state’s union employees are not happy and are trying to block the furloughs. The union always backs the Democrat running for governor (and for many of the legislative seats) and it strong arms its members to support the candidates as well. The union backed O’Malley and now their members are getting what they so richly deserve. They backed all the Democrats who tax and spend and now they are suffering the blowback from their choices.
I don’t feel one bit sorry for them and any of their members who voted for Martin O’Malley. He told everyone he was going to raise taxes and now that he has been an ineffective leader and has led us into financial hard times they will have to suffer.
To the state’s union employees I can only say, you backed him and you voted for him. You said he was the best to lead us so you need to quit your whining and do what your leader has decided is best. Besides, you work for the taxpayer who pays your salary and if times are tough for us they need to be tough for you as well.
The only good to come from this is that if it lasts long enough O’Malley might be a one term wonder though I would not hold my breath. The people of Maryland have short memories and they always vote for Democrats who promise them something for nothing (nothing meaning paid for with other people’s money).
There is no doubt the union will back him when he runs for reelection.
Yep, people get the government they deserve.
Source:
Baltimore Sun
Tags: Democrats, furloughs, governor, martin o'malley, Maryland, tax increases, union
Governor O’Malley will Reward Lawbreakers
Jan 13, 2008 Political
The Governor of Maryland is looking to use a two tiered driver’s license system. One would give licenses to those who are here legally and could be used to board aircraft. The other would issue licenses to ILLEGAL aliens and allow them to drive only.
Governor O’Malley is developing a two-tiered driver’s license system that would provided undocumented immigrants with a separate license. WBAL
It isn’t bad enough this twit has passed a tax bill that raised the taxes in Maryland higher than they have ever been raised in history but now this bottom feeding Governor is pandering to ILLEGALS by rewarding their unlawful behavior. We have to know that they are ILLEGAL or we would not be able to issue them the special license. If we know they are ILLEGAL we should report them to ICE so they can be deported from this country.
I do not want ILLEGALS to get licenses and I really do not care how it affects their families or their lives if they are caught and deported. This Governor is an idiot and the people who voted for him should have their right to vote taken away. I can only hope that the ones affected greatly by his tax increases are eating cat food to survive.
Possession of a second tier license means that the state knew the person was ILLEGAL when it was issued. Therefore, if one of those ILLEGAL jackasses hits someone and causes injury the state should be held accountable and the victims should sue for all they can get. Then we should take the Governor out and cane him.
How is it that the people voted for this idiot and how is it he feels it is OK to reward ILLEGAL behavior? Governor Martin O’Malley is about as stupid as they get and those who voted for him are not any brighter.
Tags: driver's licenses, illegals, liberal idiot, martin o'malley
Maryland Democrats Play Politics with Education
Dec 12, 2007 Political
The state of Maryland has a Superintendent of Schools who is appointed by the school board and has a term that is deliberately offset from the regular terms of political appointees. This was done to keep the position from being used as a political tool and to try, to some degree, to keep politics out of the process. Nancy Grasmick has served in the position since 1991 being reappointed by school boards put in place by Democrats (and one Republican). Several years ago Ms. Grasmick tried to take over 11 Baltimore City schools that were failing miserably and as she was required under NCLB. The City Mayor was Martin O’Malley and now, unfortunately for Maryland, he is the Governor of the state.
O’Malley fought the takeover and was successful. He only fought it because it made him look bad (he still claimed education improved while he was Mayor) and his actions were taken with little regard for the children (the very people he claims to be in support of) and those schools are still in trouble to this day. O’Malley has a long memory and he wants Grasmick out of her position. He has made that clear on a number of occasions but it is not up to him. The decision rests with the school board and this one, a lame duck one, was appointed by a Republican Governor and they have a say until July of next year. The Democrats in Maryland tried to halt the board’s action and circumvent the process to appease the Governor:
Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch had sent a letter to the board Monday asking that it defer a decision on a superintendent until July, after Gov. Martin O’Malley’s appointees constitute a majority on the board. WBAL
The board appointed Ms. Grasmick to another four year term despite the efforts of the Democrats to play political games with the position. The board recognized the ploy and decided that it is not the Governor’s job to appoint the Superintendent so they were not going to let him. Of course, this did not sit well with the governor, who hates Grasmick, and it did not sit well with the leaders of the Maryland Legislature. They are now going to do what Democrats always do when they do not get their way, they are going to change the rules.
Miller and Busch (two first class jackasses) will try to make it so that the Superintendent will serve at the pleasure of the board so that she may be more easily dismissed from her position. As it stands right now, the law only allows for removal in cases of misconduct. If they succeed in changing this then the O’Malley appointed school board (which will take office in July) may dismiss her for any reason it wants and allow the Governor to appoint (through his school board) someone else. This whole process is designed to affect ONLY one person with whom the Governor has a problem. It is designed to allow him to exercise control that was deliberately left out of the process. It is a gross misuse of power and should not be tolerated by any citizen of this state. The Democrats have a super majority in Maryland so they can push through whatever they want (which is how we got the largest tax increase in Maryland history). If they succeed in doing this they should be chased down and beaten with sticks to knock some sense into them.
The Legislature of Maryland has been abusing its power for a long time. They are accountable to no one and now that they have a spoiled, whiny, crybaby, Democrat as Governor they will continue to abuse power so long as the citizens refuse to hold them accountable. If they succeed with this I think they might have hell to pay because Ms. Grasmick’s husband is well connected and he might be able to make life tough for them.
People of Maryland, remember the tax increases and this episode when you vote in the next election. I am sure there will be others before the horror that is O’Malley and the abomination that make up the Legislature are up for reelection.
Get rid of all of them.
Tags: corruption, Democrats, grasmick, martin o'malley, Maryland, wbal