O'Malley tax ideas appear realistic -

I still feel that more cuts should have been looked at and acted upon first.

So if he raises the sales tax how will 83 percent of us be paying less taxes? More like 100 percent will be paying more taxes. I guess thats some of that tax and spend liberal math I didn't have in school. I didn't vote for him, you that did enjoy your "tax break".

I work hard. Every year I get a modest increase in my salary. And every year that extra money is sucked away from me and my family. It's just not fair! I'm tired of being the cash cow for the state. O'Malley - don't you DARE take any more money from my family. Cut services and social programs to get the money you claim you need, and for God's sake STOP adding more services and social programs. Not a single one benefits my family. BGE increase, gasoline prices, phony increased assessment of my home's value, sewer tax, ungodly increase in vehicle registration fees, and now all this that O'Malley proposes? This is robbery. Time for a violent backlash!!

Ehrlich ran on cutting the budget, then turned around and raised fees and tolls to balance the budget. So, it seems there might not be as much waste as you think? OR, maybe we should cut funding to pregnant mothers again...that worked well for Ehrlich. Maybe we should cut healthcare funding to kids and seniors, that way you won't have to pay a penny more for a cheeseburger from McDonalds. Marykland is a great State because fo the taxes we pay. If you don't like it, move to San Fransisco.

At The Breaking Point - You hit the nail right on the head.

I just received the largest BGE bill in my life. The brain dead democratic general assembly screwed the taxpayers back in 1999 and when we start to pay for their idiocy, the boy mayor wants to increase taxes.

Oh yea, 83% of Marylanders will not be affected! A number brought to us by the guy who believes there was a 40% decrease in crime in Baltimore. The one, on his watch, where $50 million + from the city school system just disappeared. He must believe that all Marylanders "graduated" from Baltimore city schools to believe the 83% lie.

Oh well, the citizens of this state are getting what the wanted...

Disgusting

I am canceling my subscription to the SUN to pay my taxes.

Cuts Cuts Cuts wrote:

Ehrlich ran on cutting the budget, then turned around and raised fees and tolls to balance the budget. So, it seems there might not be as much waste as you think? OR, maybe we should cut funding to pregnant mothers again...that worked well for Ehrlich. Maybe we should cut healthcare funding to kids and seniors, that way you won't have to pay a penny more for a cheeseburger from McDonalds. Marykland is a great State because fo the taxes we pay. If you don't like it, move to San Fransisco.

Ehrlich inherited a huge deficit thanks to his tax and spend liberal predecessor, who also left PG County with a huge deficit when he left there to become governor.

Is this funding for pregnant mothers retroactive? When my wife had our 3 kids we didn't get our bonus.

I don't waste money at McDonald's. Trying to save for college don'tcha know. Ooops I shouldn't have said that - O'Malley will want to get his hands on my meager savings so he can fund his "Illegal Immigrants get In-State Tuition Program." Grrrrrrr!!!!!

I noticed that delaware's sales tax was not posted.. And that " an extra penny" that nobody will notice will come as a complete surprise when buying that new car.
Please let us know how much of these increases are to pay for (new) programs.

of course it's "realistic." any tax is "realistic" when people have to pay it or they get thrown in jail.
politicians are the worst of humankind... at least a common thief runs away after he's stolen from me... he doesn't come back over and over again, stealing more and more each time, and constantly trying to convince me that it's for my own good and that i should actually be thankful because he takes more from people in other neighborhoods.
if king o'malley wants more tribute, then he should go around the state begging his 'employers.' at the very least he would get his first honest work experience.

Help the needy. Lower Taxes! The more the take the more they pocket. It's pretty much a lie that it goes to those in need. If you believe that you must have been ‘educated’ in same school system where the $50 million disappeared.

here we go! Next this idiot will tax golf balls! Hold on to your wallets - The Sun endorsed this charlatan -

Here is a unique idea for the Sun and idiots like O'Malley -

CUT SPENDING!

Sounds like Robin Hood is in Maryland!

Jay you sure are willig to pay more taxes. I'm not and PA is looking closer and closer to work. Cut spending further, user fees are fine, cigarette tax fine, gasoline tax fine, but increasing aregressive sales tax and an income tax increase is a bit much.

Be prepared for some kind of shenanigan. Governor O'Malley is above all else a politician. He always has his sights on the next higher office. He knows if this plan is implemented as is, he will always be associated with tax increases and would thereby be unelectable as President or Vice President. My guess is that he will feign a compromise and drop the sales tax increase, but still increase income tax and fees. Slots will be his bargaining chip.

Gee another democrat raising taxes, what a suprise, NOT.

Anyone who didn't think O'Malley would raise taxes must have just crawled out from under a rock. But raising taxes will hurt MD's economy in more ways than not. Most unfair is the wage earners over $150M or even $200M that will pay higher taxes. Why are these people being penalized for being successful?

when people talk about income tax increases, they are usually talking in the neighborhood of a pizza a month. sales taxes are more of a pain than income paxes b/c they get paid out more frequently and charge the poor but they are also a low percentage of what someone pays for a product. the real problem is flat wages/ salaries for working people. republican congress voted itself multiple pay raises when an entry level job in my field stayed the same and i only got raises w. substantial training that i paid for myself.

Low income workers who smoke will pay about $80-90 more per month. Slots will also effect a vunerable population.

Please remember there are people whose only hope and enjoyment in life life is hitting the "numbers," getting a good buzz and a smoke.

I believe the taxes and ideas he is presenting will hurt some of the most vunerable, poorest and weakest in the State. Those who the extra $70+ per month will impoverish further.

As a smoker who is continually try to quit I am aware of just how addictive it is. O'M is betting on that addiction to solve some of the deficit.

Last night I was in a liquor store the woman in front of me just got paid. She bought 50 lottery tickets, liquor, 2 packs of cigerettes and junk food. Then excliamed, that her paycheck was almost gone. The higher taxes and greater access to gambeling will most likely hurt this person.

O'M is showing his liberal side. Often Liberals think they are on the side of working poor and the weakest, but his proposal will increase the gap further. I think this is a total disaster. He should know better, as he was the Mayor of Baltimore.

Also, I am against people who make $150k being taxed more. Often these are people who worked hard, acquired an education and are postive to society. They should not be penalized just because they are making it, in Maryland this is just middle class - they are not rich. Households that earn $500k or more a year, that is a different story.

I wonder if as a result. This will lead to more crime and drug slinging, to make up for the difference. I guess we will see. Shame on you O'M!

when we refer to the"liberal math" remember that Ehrlich raised all of those fees that you now pay double . Personally, if we had to pay more, I would have prefered to raise the income tax so at least I could deduct it from my federal tax

if this woman chooses to spend her hard earned moneyas stated in response #19' sblog who's fault is that?