Jobs? What jobs?

I haven’t heard a lot from new GOP state Chair Audrey Scott compared to her predecessor, but the party weighed in on the loss of jobs in Maryland. As Scott notes:

Over the past three years the O’Malley Administration has implemented policies that have killed jobs in Maryland. Rather than working to improve and grow the economy in Maryland , Governor O’Malley and the Democrat leadership in the General Assembly have pursued measures that have made Maryland hostile to business and alienated those who create economic opportunity.

Now, in an election year amid the highest unemployment in decades, the Governor is claiming to be all about ‘Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.’ The people of Maryland can see through this pandering. They deserve better and in November the voters will have the opportunity to elect fiscally responsible leaders who will put Maryland back on track.”

Trying to overcome sagging poll numbers and a drove of broken promises Governor Martin O’Malley is attempting to reinvent himself as the jobs governor to get through the election year.  He seems to believe that if he keeps chanting “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” the voters of Maryland will forget that under his leadership Maryland has become one of the most hostile environments in the nation to do business.

While it’s true that Maryland’s unemployment rate remains lower than the national average and comes nowhere close to the rate for economic basket cases like Michigan and California, there are parts of our state which are hurting more than others. It belies the “One Maryland” message the current administration tries to play up, and makes the case that the “one-size-fits-all” solutions generally proposed by Annapolis don’t work for many parts of the state.

Martin O’Malley ratcheted up the tax burden on businesses and producers over his three years in office, and those chickens are coming home to roost. (They’re just not roosting in any new chicken houses because of oppressive environmental regulations.) We’ve tried things his way since 2007, and while O’Malley can blame the national economy and certainly tries to blame his predecessor as much as he can, the hard truth is that Maryland has lost ground in the aspect of being a good place to start a business or be a producer.

Just putting things back the way they were before the 2007 Special Session would send a signal that Annapolis can learn from its mistakes. Would that be difficult on the state budget? Not necessarily. Bringing back business and employment would lift the tide and bring fresh revenue to state coffers – we might be all surprised that we didn’t have to cut spending nearly as much as we thought we would. Then again, the state budget could use some trimming anyway, so perhaps we don’t want to root for too much success unless the money goes directly to the rainy day fund, or better yet right back to taxpayers. (Ohio did this in the 1990’s – I was always pleasantly surprised to find the tax tables adjusted downward to return surpluses to the taxpayers.)

It’s safe to say that the job creation record of the O’Malley adminstration leaves a lot to be desired, particularly if you’re counting on re-election.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.

2 thoughts on “Jobs? What jobs?”

  1. O’Malley is just as clueless as Obama. To think that a puny $3000.00 tax credit for each new hire will stimulate the economy is pure folly. Do either of those men know what it cost for a new hire?
    It is not rocket science! Cut the sales tax and folks will buy in Maryland. Cut the oppressive taxes on business and individuals and the jobs will come! And please, don’t give me the line that “in order to cut taxes, teachers, police and firemen will have to be let go”. Cut taxes and revenue to the state treasury will increase. It works every time that it is done.

  2. I know this complaint is only slightly related, but it’s about the Maryland situation, so I shall complain here!

    I DO have a job but due to the high taxes in this state(both income and sales), I’ve gotten to the point where as much as my sensibilities cringe at the thought, I’m turning in an application for some kind of “assistance” from the Maryland Department of Human Resources.

    If O’Malley (+ co.) wants to raise our taxes for all these programs and turn us all into paupers, then I shall respond by joining the percentages of the paupers!

Comments are closed.