While the Maryland House Republican Caucus has their idea of the winners and losers from the 2011 General Assembly session, I’d like to add a couple more ‘losers.’
One pair of losers is the distilled spirits distribution and tourism industry. Now they are saddled with a separate additional 3% sales tax, which will have to be accounted for because you can be sure the state will be breathing down their neck at this one to make sure it’s collected. The wineries also have to collect this tax but they also got a long-standing prohibition on shipments erased so for them it’s more of a wash this session.
The other collective losers are the voters of Wicomico County. One of two things happened this session, and I’m not sure which is true: either the elected school board passed as two questions like I discussed on Sunday, or the Senate didn’t get back to passing the changes made by the Ways and Means Committee in the House, which means we have to try all over again next year. Hopefully it won’t be a last-minute introduction, as our local delegation now knows we want this bill to be introduced.
So I thought I’d add these to the list thoughtfully created by the House Republican Caucus. We sure weren’t among the winners.
All goods things will come to an end. The sooner we realize that, the sooner we will be on the road to recovery.