The House GOP Caucus presented it’s ideas to a joint committee between the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. The presentation was 45 minutes and proposed a number of ideas on how to save over $800 million dollars.
The House Appropriations Committee with join the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on Tuesday as they listen to ideas on how to cut the budget.
While the House GOP Caucus said that they welcome the opportunity to participate; the Senate GOP Caucus said they would not.
Also in my radio report for WNAV (1430AM) and WTTR (1470AM), House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) gives an example of what’s on the GOP’s idea list.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Anne Arundel/Prince George’s Delegate Barbara Frush (D-Dist. 21) called the budget present by Governor Martin O’Malley (D) fair but equitable, while House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29c) says that the budget does not fix the structural problems with the budget. O’Malley (D) is using a mix of transfers, cuts and hoping on more stimulus money to come from Washington to plug a hole in the budget that is $2 billion big. Frush said that the governor is doing a good job keeping the state on track, citing the top median country and public school system in the country adding that Maryland is doing much better when compared with other states.
O’Donnell had called on O’Malley to not request more stimulus money for the budget on the first day of the session. Speaking to him in his office, he said he did it on principle based on the fact that “our kids and our grandkids are going to have to pay that money back” adding that the federal government could not sustain the current amount of spending. “Clearly, now he had predicated his budget on [stimulus money] and it’s not going to materialize in my opinion.”
As long as other states are asking for stimulus money, Frush said that Maryland should ask for its fair share. “We can’t stand back and say give it to the other states and we’ll just sit here and do without,” she said, “I think if the money is there [and] if every state is applying for it, Maryland needs to apply for it too.”
Here is the report that I foled for WNAV (1430AM) and WTTR (1470AM)
Governor Martin O’Malley (D) unveiled the last budget of his current term in office, one that needs to plug hole that is $2 billion deep.
While there is a $200 million increase for public education included, there are some reductions which includes medicaid payments, bonds for the ICC and a cut to aid for private colleges. (source: WTOP 103.5FM)
The budget is also calling for job cuts and furloughs as well. AFSCME President Patrick Moran tells WJZ-TV (Channel 13) that he is happy that there will not be a whole lot of bleeding as far as the job cuts.
As far as the ‘Hail Mary’ part, the governor is hoping on $389 million of stimulus money through medicaid that is included in the health care overhaul
O’Malley will be presenting the budget to the general assembly tomorrow.
Make no bones about it. Despite the sluggish economy which every other state had to deal with, this budget is solely on the shoulders of one Governor Martin J. O’Malley. The democratic governor who said that our problems would be solved if the General Assembly raised taxes in addition to selling a bad slots plan which is turning out to cost more than planned. He has just trimmed the budget for the third time this year…this is called a sign that maybe the state government is just too big for its britches.
For the third time since the spending plan took effect this past July, Governor Martin O’Malley had to make budget cuts. This time to the tune of $362 million. As a result, 112 state jobs were cut and the Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center in Chestertown will be shuttered with no reconsideration, despite the fact that the state health department said that it would take a second look.
More from The Baltimore Sun.
Governor Martin O’Malley (D), House Speaker Michael Busch (D-Dist. 30) and Senate President Thomas Mike Miller (D-Dist. 27) have agreed on something…they agree to fork over 10 days of pay to show solidarity with the state workers who have no choice but to accept not getting paid the same amount of days because they have been furloughed.
A couple of days ago, the Board of Public Works, for the third time since Governor O’Malley’s term has started, approved mid year budget cuts to balance the budget. The most recent go round include furloughs and 200 state workers being laid off. But for the purposes of this post, we are concentrating on the furloughs. The state constitution does not allow for elected officials to have their pay reduced, however, they can give back the pay.
The Capital reported this afternoon that Busch and Miller are encouraging their colleagues to follow their lead. The furloughs are set around the upcoming holidays with more unpaid days off being based on salary.
The leader of the largest state worker’s union says that the furloughs being proposed by Governor Martin O’Malley (D) is more preferable than layoffs, which will probably happen to 200 state workers regardless (more on that in a moment.) As far as how many days without pay state emplyees, is based on income. If you make less than $40,000, that will cost you three days. If you make more than $100,000, you will have to give up 10 days.
The Baltimore Sun says that it is part of a two part furlough plan which includes state offices being shuttered for five days in all mostly around holidays. Elected officials will not be able to “participate” because the state constitution does not allow them to take a mid year salary hike. O’Malley along with Lt. Governor Anthony Brown plan to pay out of pocket, ten days worth of salary.
In the meantime, The Sun also reporting that 200 state workers will find out whether they will have a job this morning. AFSCME is shocked about the layoffs. It’s director, Patrick Moran, says that layoffs “[take] away from our priorities in Maryland. It affects people in all sorts of departments, and it also affects the people who rely on the services that these employees provide.”
Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun
Holy Crap!!! How many State workers are there? It seems like we should be able to run the State with way less than 70,000 workers!
chuck222 (08/25/2009, 8:39 PM )
To the probation agent who was complaining – get over it. There is no threat to public safety. The governor is only asking you to give a take a few days of unpaid vacation. You are just pissed because you are losing pay. Join the club. And I’ve seen plenty of probation agents in action to know that the public safety might be better served by furloughing them longer.
dogofthecourt (08/25/2009, 6:34 PM )
I feel that the Governor is doing the very best that he can with what he has to work with. As, a state employee even though the furloughs represent a loss in salary for all of us, I am moved to echo the words of my father who said ” A little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing”. Therefore I am very happy to still have a job. -pat
Psmiley521@verizon.net (08/25/2009, 3:23 PM )
For once, I will not give Governor Martin O’Malley (D) the hard time that I have in the past, at least not in the conventional way. As a matter of fact, I am going to take this opportunity to give him some advice. Governor, you have $700 million that will need to be cut and going into an election year to boot…wow. You have been doing budget cuts through the Board of Public Works, similar to what you have been doing for the past two years. I know myself and fellow conservatives have been pounding on you for not doing any real budget cuts.
Now we are at a crossroads situation when it comes to the budget. From the looks of things, the stimulus money which the Federal Government pushed onto everyone will not get anyone through the midterm elections, not even Republican Governor’s who did not want any part of it. The slots bill which you convinced most people to vote for is in a situation equivalent to couples and creepers on the Jerry Springer Show, dysfunctional. The main benefactor of the constitutional amendment could not even follow the rules and everything is now in the hands of a judge. However, do not take away the fact that most Marylanders showed that they wanted slots despite your earlier frustration in dealing with the issue.
Governor, it’s time to cut the budget and put the false piety’s aside. Now for the advice, just do it. Just go ahead and cut the budget because someone is not going to be happy about what is cut. As you learned recently in West Baltimore, not many people in the neighborhood were not happy with your decision to endorse and submit plans to build a light rail through their neighborhood. You were convinced that it is the right way to go and you tried to sell them on it. Just between you and I (and the people reading this,) you probably did not sell them on the fact that this light rail plan you are proposing is not shiny, new or faster than Light Rail 92. However, you made a tough decision on a transportation issue, which you are to be commended for. Now is high time for you to do the same when it comes to the budget.
Whether you cut a useless bureaucratic department or a vital function of either education or public safety, some people will not be happy about the decision you make. If you did not learn that with your light rail announcements, well, I guess that I should look for something to go up in the future. Just keep in mind the last Governor who decided to raise taxes.
P. Kenneth Burns is the editor of Maryland Politics Today. His email is kennyburns@marylandpolitics.us.
Governor Martin O’Malley (D) is out of ideas on how to save money, so he recently turned to us citizens on Maryland. He is taking suggestions through this Monday, August 10.
WJZ-TV (Channel 13) is reporting among the suggestions Annapolis has received include encouraging state employees to telecommute from home and to “go paperless where possible.”
This years magic number that MUST be closed is $700 million.
Governor Martin O’Malley is looking for ideas on how to save money. The Capital says that the governor is asking citizens to submit ideas online on the best ways to save money, without cutting education, releasing inmates early or laying off large groups of state employees.
I can use two words to describe the fiscal health of the state of Maryland…roller coaster.
When Governor Martin O’Malley (D) decided to ram jam through the legislature the highest tax hike in Maryland history, he said that this will fix what is ailing the state’s fiscal woes. Not to long after that, the eocnomy was shrinking and the possibility of cutting 700 state jobs was growing. Shortly thereafter people voted for style over subtance (you know who I am talking about.) While people were hypnotized by the spector of hope and change, O’Malley announced that he would have to cut education funding from Baltimore City and Prince George’s County. After that taste of doom and gloom, President Barack Obama (D) saved O’Malley’s budget for funding everything under the sun (along with his contuned resume building for higher political aspirations.)
So here we are heading towards the middle of March and like clockwork, another doom and gloom financial forecast from Comptroller Peter Franchot (D). As tax revenues fall, the state must now deal with another budget shortfall for next year. The good news is that the amount is a little bit lower than what I was expecting. Annapolis now has to close a $515 million budget gap.
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