ShareThisFiscal Responsibility
GOVERNOR O'MALLEY
Protecting Our Priorities
CLOSED THE STATE’S $1.7 BILLION DEFICIT LEFT BY BOB EHRLICH
Governor O’Malley passed slots legislation to provide funding for our public schools, raised the state’s sales tax by 1 penny to keep Maryland competitive with surrounding states, and developed a long-term plan to fund higher education and transportation projects.
CUT THE INCOME TAX RATE FOR 85% OF MARYLANDERS
Under Governor O’Malley’s income tax restructuring, 85% of Marylanders are paying less income tax than they paid under the Ehrlich administration.
CUT TAXES FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES
Governor O’Malley signed into law The Job Creation and Recovery Tax Credit which gives any business that hires an unemployed Marylander a tax credit of $5,000.
STABILIZED THE UNEMPLOYMENT TRUST FUND
Working together with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and the Labor community, Governor O'Malley signed legislation to stabilize the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and help relieve pressure on small businesses facing higher premiums due to a law signed by former Governor Ehrlich in 2005.
EXPANDED THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT
Governor O’Malley led the fight to expand the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit by 25% so more of our hard working families have the resources they need to weather this tough economy. For the 2008 tax year, 363,791 Maryland taxpayers received more than $190 million in Earned Income Tax Credits.
DECREASED STATE SPENDING MORE THAN ANY OTHER MODERN GOVERNOR
Governor O’Malley exemplified fiscal responsibility by decreasing state General Fund spending by 3% over his four years. This year, spending across all funds declined—the first time in at least 39 years that an operating budget declined as compared to the previous year.
REDUCED THE SIZE OF THE GOVERNMENT
Governor O’Malley cut $5.6 billion in spending, reduced the size of the executive branch by 4.6%, and eliminated over 4,200 government positions.
PROTECTED OUR TRIPLE A BOND RATING
Under Governor O’Malley, Maryland is one of only eight states to maintain a AAA bond rating certified by all three major bond rating agencies – saving taxpayers millions. This rating reflects investor confidence in our state’s financial stability and is indicative of Governor O’Malley’s fiscal responsibility.
PRODUCED FOUR BUDGETS IN A ROW BELOW THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY LIMIT
He was the first Governor ever to follow the guidelines and propose a negative growth rate of negative 2.9%.
Governor O'Malley: Moving Maryland Forward
BOB EHRLICH:
Increased Taxes and Fees
INCREASED TAXES AND FEES BY $3.3 BILLION DOLLARS
Ehrlich increased 31 taxes and fees including $519 million increase in the car tax, $300 million increase in highway tolls. Bob Ehrlich created a new flush tax for every Marylander and jacked up college tuition by 40%. And even with these taxes, he still left Maryland with a $1.7 billion deficit
RAISED THE STATE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX COSTING MARYLANDERS $690 MILLION
Impacting every Maryland family and business, Bob Ehrlich increased the state portion of the property tax--the only increase in the state in 30 years.
RAISED TAXES ON OUR SMALL BUSINESSES
Bob Ehrlich raised corporate filing fees by $188 million making it harder for entrepreneurs to start their own businesses.
JACKED UP COLLEGE TUITION BY 40%
Bob Ehrlich repeatedly cut funding for higher education that resulted in skyrocketing tuition increases that exceeded 40% at the University of Maryland at College Park and other campuses across Maryland.
RECORD INCREASES IN STATE SPENDING
In his four year term, Bob Ehrlich increased General Fund spending by over 33% and proposed the largest-ever increase in state spending in Maryland’s history.
INCREASED STATE SPENDING MORE THAN ANY GOVERNOR IN MARYLAND HISTORY
Bob Ehrlich increased state General Fund spending by over $3 billion, dwarfing the increases of other governors, including Glendenning and Schaefer. In his four year term, he increased General Fund spending by over 33% and proposed the largest-ever increase in state spending.
CREATED A $1.7 BILLION DEFICIT
Even after Bob Ehrlich increased taxes and fees by $3.3 billion, his record spending increases left Maryland with a $1.7 deficit.
JEOPARDIZED OUR STATE’S FINANCES
Ehrlich’s reckless spending increases left the state in a lurch because they didn’t anticipate the recession. A January 2006 Baltimore Sun editorial said of Ehrlich’s spending, “it's hard to endorse a management philosophy that doesn't look beyond 2006 - or take into account the possibility that the economy might eventually sour.”
IGNORED THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY GUIDELINES
Claiming that spending affordability no longer matters, Ehrlich exceeded the Spending Affordability limit 3 out of his 4 years in office.
Bob Ehrlich: To Take Maryland Back
Education
GOVERNOR O'MALLEY
# 1 Public Schools
PROVIDED RECORD FUNDING FOR EDUCATION
Governor O'Malley secured record funding for K-12 public education for the fourth consecutive year fighting for more than $5.7 billion this year for our schools—an increase of $1.2 billion since taking office—and fully funding the Geographic Cost of Education Index for the second consecutive year.
BUILDING NEW CLASSROOMS
Since taking office, Governor O'Malley has invested almost $1.3 billion in school construction and renovation projects—the largest investment in Maryland's history and a 53% increase over the previous administration. And he recently committed to another $1 billion over the next four years for school construction projects.
Expanding Opportunity
MAKING COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE
With a four year freeze in college tuition, Governor O’Malley helped make college more affordable for more Marylanders moving Maryland’s University System from the 6th most expensive in the nation to the 21st – below the national average.
INVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Governor O’Malley has made the largest capital investment in Maryland history in our community colleges. Over the past four years, Governor O’Malley invested $1 billion in our community colleges for new state-of-the-art science labs, libraries, and public health facilities.
BOB EHRLICH
A Crisis in Our Schools
FAILED TO FUND EDUCATION
Bob Ehrlich ignored the Thornton plan and failed to fund the Geographic Cost of Education Index. According to the Baltimore Sun, “During Mr. Ehrlich’s tenure in Annapolis, he borrowed heavily for capital construction projects and actually cut spending on schools to help pay for road projects.”
CREATED A SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION CRISIS
Bob Ehrlich consistently underfunded school construction leading State Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp to declare a, “crisis in school construction.” After four years under Bob Ehrlich, the State’s school facilities would have been in much worse shape had not the General Assembly added a total of $190.8 million to initially proposed budgets.
Putting College Out of Reach
JACKED UP TUITION BY 40%
Bob Ehrlich repeatedly cut funding for higher education that resulted in skyrocketing tuition increases that exceeded 40% at the University of Maryland at College Park and other campuses across Maryland.
CUT FUNDING TO HIGHER EDUCATION
Bob Ehrlich cut millions from higher education, prompting The Diamondback to comment, “Ehrlich hit higher education like a wrecking ball.” Bob Ehrlich recently suggested on WYPR radio that would significantly raise tuition rates again if he is elected.
Public Safety
GOVERNOR O'MALLEY
Lowest Crime Rate Since 1975
LOWEST CRIME RATE SINCE 1975
Under Governor O’Malley, Maryland’s violent crime rate is at its lowest level since modern crime-tracking began in 1975. Since 2007, Maryland has seen the steepest three year reduction in homicides since the 1970s.
NEW DNA LAWS AND EFFECTIVE CRIME FIGHTING STRATEGIES
Governor O’Malley has eliminated the DNA sample backlog left by Bob Ehrlich’s administration, transitioned the State to digital fingerprinting, and enhanced information sharing – tactics that have led to the arrest of over 100 criminals since 2009 alone.
Under Governor O’Malley, Maryland has formed partnerships with local governments and is utilizing new technology to share information and fight crime.
CRACKING DOWN ON SEX OFFENDERS
Governor O’Malley signed tough new legislation to protect our children from sexual predators, increasing mandatory minimum sentences for sex offenders and requiring mandatory lifetime supervision of sexual predators.
LEADING ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Under Governor O’Malley, Maryland has earned a near-perfect score for the second year in a row from the U.S. Coast Guard for port security
BOB EHRLICH
No Strategy to Reduce Crime
MISMANAGED THE STATE DNA DATABASE, ENABLING CRIMINALS TO GO FREE
Under Bob Ehrlich, 24,000 DNA samples went uncollected, and the DNA database analyzed only 20% of the samples that went to the laboratory. As a result, criminals that could have been matched to crimes by their DNA samples went free.
BROKE HIS PROMISE TO END PAROLE FOR VIOLENT OFFENDERS
Bob Ehrlich broke his campaign promise to end parole for violent criminals and allowed the release of violent criminals who then went on to commit more violent crimes.
TRIED TO PAY PAROLEES NOT TO COMMIT CRIMES
Bob Ehrlich proposed paying paroled prisoners $25 a month to stay crime-free and report on time to probation and parole officers.
Environment
GOVERNOR O'MALLEY
Restoring the Bay; Protecting Our Environment
EARNED AN A- FOR HIS ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Due to his exceptional leadership in implementing effective policies for our environment, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters awarded Governor O’Malley an A- the highest grade ever for a sitting governor.
RESTORING THE HEALTH OF THE BAY
Governor O’Malley led the effort to help restore the Chesapeake Bay. He created the acclaimed BayStat program and more than doubled funding for the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund.
Because of these efforts, Maryland’s blue crab population has more than doubled under Governor O’Malley and the bay’s health is improving – a recent report gave the Bay’s health its highest grade since 2002.
PRESERVED 28,000 ACRES OF LAND
Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, Maryland protected 28,000 acres of land through Program Open Space—four times the amount of Ehrlich’s administration in much easier times.
BOB EHRLICH
No Friend of the Environment
EARNED A D FOR HIS FAILED ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
Bob Ehrlich earned a D from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters for his failed environmental policies, including cutting critical programs, like Program Open Space, to restore the Bay and his opposition to improving transit options. Bob Ehrlich also opposed multi-efforts to force tougher restrictions on power plant and vehicle emissions.
FAILED TO LEAD IN PROTECTING THE BAY
While in office, Bob Ehrlich did little, if anything, to protect our environment. As Rena Steinzor of the Center for Progressive Regulation said of Bob Ehrlich’s administration, “In large measure because of Maryland's extraordinary foot-dragging, pollution in the Chesapeake Bay grows worse, killing aquatic life, and jeopardizing the state's economy.”
CAUGHT IN AN OPEN SPACE SALE SCANDAL
Bob Ehrlich raided Program Open Space money and even tried to secretly sell more than 800 acres of pristine forests in St. Mary’s County to a politically connected campaign contributor for below-market prices.
Healthcare
GOVERNOR O'MALLEY
Improving Healthcare
EXPANDED HEALTHCARE TO 204,000 MORE MARYLANDERS
Governor O’Malley enacted effective polices which expanded health coverage to over 204,000 Marylanders including 100,000 children
ENHANCED CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE
Governor O'Malley helped to establish the Deamonte Driver Project to expand access to dental care for more Maryland children than ever before.
SMALL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS
Governor O'Malley worked with members of the General Assembly and key stakeholders to pass the Working Families and Small Business Health Coverage Act. In 2008, Governor O'Malley launched a highly successful program to partner with State agencies, health insurers and small businesses to expand health insurance benefits to more Maryland families.
BOB EHRLICH
Weakening Healthcare
CUT HEALTHCARE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Bob Ehrlich attempted to cut 4,000 children and pregnant women from receiving health care and cut payments to nursing homes by $42 million.
VETOED LEGISLATION EXPANDING HEALTH INSURANCE
Bob Ehrlich vetoed legislation requiring companies like Wal-Mart to provide healthcare to their employees. The legislation required that companies spend eight percent of their payroll providing health insurance to their employees or send the difference between eight percent and what they were paying to the state to help cover Medicaid costs.
Transportation
GOVERNOR O'MALLEY
Moving Forward
FULLY SUPPORTS THE PURPLE & RED LINES
Governor O’Malley has put together a plan to move forward with the Purple and Red lines—projects that will create thousands of jobs, spur economic development and connect our communities.
INVESTMENTS IN MARC COMMUTER RAIL
Governor O’Malley has made strategic investments in the MARC commuter rail system. Under his direction, the state has purchased 26 new high-power, low-emission diesel locomotives and 13 additional high-capacity, bi-level passenger cars.
NEW JOBS AT THE PORT OF BALTIMORE
Under Governor O’Malley, 5,700 new jobs are coming to the Port of Baltimore due to a successful public-private partnership to construct a 50-foot berth at Seagirt Marine Terminal.
BOB EHRLICH
Moving Backwards
OPPOSES MASS TRANSIT
Bob Ehrlich recently confessed that if given a second chance, he will abandon plans for the Purple and Red lines setting transit and economic development back decades.
CUTS TO MARC
If it weren’t for the intervention of the General Assembly and local governments, Bob Ehrlich would have cut bus service to transit-dependent populations in Baltimore and closed MARC stations in Central Maryland.
25%
Under Governor O'Malley, the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit was increased by 25%
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