Fiscal Responsibility in Tough Times
In Maryland, we are in a better position than other states to climb out of this national recession, but until that day comes, as every family in our State is forced to do more with less, so too must we.
In difficult economic times, fiscal responsibility becomes essential to preserving quality of life and bouncing back to prosperity.
Making Tough Decisions to Make Progress: In response to the economic downturn, the O’Malley Brown Administration proposed a lean budget that will put Maryland on the path to progress despite some unavoidable cuts. Notably, these program areas were preserved:
- Quality Education
- Social Safety Nets (AAA, Healthcare, Energy Assistance, and Ending Childhood Hunger)
- Environmentally Smart Technologies
Cutting Reckless Spending: The O’Malley Brown budget reduced planned expenditures by $470 million and is the only budget in Maryland history with a negative spending affordability growth rate of -1.57%. Since taking office, Gov. O’Malley and Lt. Gov Brown have reduced state spending by over $3.5 billion.
Investing in Stem Cell Research and Life Sciences: Despite the reduction of spending in some areas, Gov. O’Malley and Lt. Gov Brown do not hesitate to invest in what they believe is essential to progress. The Administration has contributed $15.4 million to the 3-year, $56 million investment in Maryland’s Stem Cell Research Fund. Additionally, Gov. O’Malley and Lt. Gov Brown launched a 10-year, $1.3 billion investment in life sciences, and shielded the project from cuts while making a nearly $80 million investment this year.
Developing Interoperable Communications for Public Safety: Gov. O’Malley has built in nearly $110 million over the next five years in the capital budget to build out an interoperable communications system that connects every public service agency and first responder across the state.
Making Way for Federal Aid: The O’Malley Brown budget will be bolstered by over $4 billion in federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will be used to strengthen the shared priorities of all Marylanders: healthcare, education, infrastructure redevelopment, and public safety.
Taking Swift Action on Behalf of Maryland Families: In the first 24 hours after President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Governor O’Malley announced the first phase of ‘shovel-ready’ transportation projects. Within 20 days, these projects were approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation, creating jobs to support Maryland families all over the state.
The effects of the nation's economic hardship are hitting Maryland hard. We're fighting every day to protect Maryland’s families during these tough economic times. We’re also working every day to make sure that government and its programs work for people.
