You know, Governor Martin O’Malley could really do himself a lot of good if he’d just get to work and give up on that musical gig. Oh wait – Larry Hogan didn’t mention the band this time? Dude, you’re slipping.
Larry does make the obvious point here:
Today, the Board of Revenue Estimates announced another $77 million shortfall in the state budget. In response, Governor Martin O’Malley asked for another federal bailout.
“In April, O’Malley counted on a $2.5 billion federal bailout to pay for his out of control spending,” said Hogan. “Less than a year later, he wants to go back to the federal trough.”
“Has this man no shame?” asked Hogan. “O’Malley’s recklessness and lack of frugality would make even the most wasteful Wall Street tycoon blush. At least Wall Street is paying the money back. In Maryland, our hard earned tax dollars are just falling into O’Malley’s black hole.”
To balance the FY 2010 budget, Martin O’Malley took advantage of $2.5 billion in one time payments from the Federal Stimulus package. Maryland’s FY 2010 budget was about $1.2 billion higher than the FY 2009 budget.
“The federal government should have never been in the business of bailing out Wall Street and it shouldn’t be in the business of bailing out reckless spending in the states either,” said Hogan. “Taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook to pay for Martin O’Malley’s bloated budgets and reckless spending.”
“Martin O’Malley’s spending addiction and lack of foresight has put Maryland in its current predicament,” Hogan charged. “And, it’s Martin O’Malley’s lack of leadership that will keep our state from clawing its way out of this recession.”
“Marylanders deserve better. It’s time for a change,” Hogan concluded.
Larry Hogan has emerged as the leading challenger to O’Malley. He is a small business owner in Anne Arundel County who served in the Ehrlich Cabinet.
Did anyone honestly think O’Malley was going to give up the federal government credit card that easily? Making actual cuts in the state budget might just anger one of his favored special interests and we can’t have that!
It’s truly a sad situation we find ourselves in when the federal government’s share of the state budget exceeds that which comes from state funding. Is it any wonder that O’Malley and our General Assembly have to dance to whatever tune the federal government decides to play?
A true reformer is needed in Annapolis, but we also need a true reformer about 30 miles west along U.S. Route 50 as well. President Obama and Congress are only too happy to shovel money back to the states in the name of “stimulus” and in order to have the hard choices become necessary that spigot needs to be turned off.
Larry Hogan can solidify the votes he needs if he lets the voters know in no uncertain terms he’ll tell Washington “thanks, but no thanks” when it comes to stimulus money. He’d be an even better hero if he told the inside-the-Beltway crowd where they could stick it.
