I am absolutely furious with our stupid Governor and our representatives in the House and Senate. Instead of cutting all the stupid crap that they spend our hard earned money on every year, they have decided to up our sales tax to 6% and tax computer services. So now not only has this state allowed our BGE bill to double in the last year, they're upping our sales tax too. We won't even mention that it costs me $45-50 to fill up the van at least once a week. Before I had 2 kids in daycare, we spent more on gas each month than on daycare! Where do they expect us to come up with this money? A few years ago, this might not have been such a problem. Sure it would have been irritating because nobody likes a tax hike but everything is going down the tubes now. The housing market is tanking and fuel and energy prices are skyrocketing. Its like the perfect storm for a recession. So all this extra money they're counting on from the sales tax isn't going to happen because all the money we'd have been spending on consumables is now being spent so that we can get to work and pay to heat our houses. They're going to let the people decide on slots. That's about the only thing they did right. If they had approved the slots plan a couple years ago when Governor Ehrlich wanted it, maybe we wouldn't be in the financial trouble we're in now. I can promise you right now Governor O'Malley, I didn't vote for you in the last election and I sure won't vote for you in the next one. Instead of raising the sales tax, why don't you try reforming some of the programs that people milk to no end like welfare? (In all honesty, I don't know all that much about welfare but this is the way I see it) Why not put a time limit on how long you can receive welfare? Give people 7 years to go through school, get some training and a job. Give them a hand up not a hand out. Right now there is no incentive to go off welfare except pride. Also, make it mandatory to practice birth control while on welfare. If you aren't currently pregnant when you apply for welfare benefits, any further children you have will not be covered. I know this isn't fair to the child, but why do we allow women to keep having babies when they can't even begin to care for the ones they already have? They have them for the sole purpose of getting more money from the system. I know, this is generalizing. I'm all for having lots of children, I love them and wish I could have a whole bunch more. My reality is that we don't make enough to afford 3 children in daycare but the government sure isn't going to give me any help with that. I work and make a decent honest living. If I was a crack momma, I could have as many kids as I want and they'd all have health care and food stamps. I just find the whole thing really frustrating. Why should we work so hard so that our kids can have every advantage we can give them when other people just get benefits handed to them? I don't want a hand out, I want the money I'm required to give the government spent better! I'm tired of all the pork barrel spending. Its time for the government to take a look at how they spend our money and start doing it efficiently.
While I'm on the topic of money and handouts I need to vent about work. Every year the office finds a "needy" family and collects money, which the doctors match, and then buys them presents. Last year I think they had $800 to spend on the family. These kids were asking for ridiculous stuff like ipods, video games and Ugg boots. I'm sorry but $800 is more than I spend on Christmas for my entire family and if you're so poor that you need to put you name on an angel tree, you need to be asking for clothing and shoes and educational stuff, not stuff you're going to hock for drugs. (OK, that was mean and unfair) I realize that some of the people in the family were really little and that was what they wanted from Santa and that's OK. Most of the family members were old enough to know better. This year, we made the suggestion of donating the money to the Maryland Food Bank. They could feed a huge number of people with $800! That suggestions was shot down because "the girls really like going shopping" Are you kidding me??? A few years ago, I was told that giving money for this cause was not exactly voluntary which is probably why I'm still so angry about the whole thing. We received a nasty memo in October letting us know that this was coming up and basically stating that we've been given time to save up to contribute. I can't decide if I'm going to or not just on principle. If we were giving money to a food bank I wouldn't have a problem. Even if it was presented in a nicer manner, I wouldn't really have a problem with it. I think its really nice to give to others when you have so much to be thankful for yourself, and I certainly have an abundance of things to be thankful for. I just object to the way its done and quite frankly I think the money can be better spent. I know I'm in no position to lecture anyone on how they spend money. I just wish people would quit asking me for money when they are going to waste it. I've got lots of things I could be wasting it on myself. I guess that makes me selfish but I worked hard for that money, why shouldn't I be the one to waste it if that's what's going to happen to it anyway.
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I am with you- I have emailed my tirade to all of my representatives, senators and the crappy governor. I hope you have, as well. What pisses me off is that the tax hike is in ANTICIPATION of what he wants to spend- not what we owe!? And what spending did they actually cut? EDUCATION! Wow- now we'll have a state full of dumb criminals! seriously what does the state have to offer now????
My email to the governor:
You should really be ashamed of yourself. I think you've earned a new state record for being the fastest to break campaign promises with your tax legislation. I now pay more in state taxes than in federal- and for what? Horrific crime, terrible schools, and substandard state services. I'm embarrassed to be a Marylander and look forward to the day when I can afford to leave the state after recouping the losses on my ever dropping property value. Don't you understand that with the current economic situation, especially with the volatility of the stock market and the housing industry, raising taxes actually reduces someone's expendable income- which actually forces a recession. That's basic Keynesian economics- it's no big revelation. With your tax hikes and the ever rising BGE bill, I need to choose between paying bills to heat my home or giving my child a good Christmas. And I am an executive for a publicly traded company! I worked hard in school to get a good job and once I got that job, I've worked hard to excel- I'm the type of tax payer you *want* to keep in the state- and you're forcing me out. As an employer, my company just increased starting salaries across the board to attract and retain talent- however those increases are now a wash with the tax increase. I am now faced with losing up to 45 employees (who report directly to me) because they need to find employment that pays enough to pay their housing, heating, food, day care, and tax requirements- again, leaving them NOTHING to actually put back into the economy. Here's a novel idea- hire an economist and leave the legislation to the professionals because you, sir, are not.
Don't blame me, I voted for Erhlich! O'Malley was a crappy mayor, leaving us with a ridiculous cell phone tax, and now he is a crappy governor, hiking our taxes and further stressing the so-called middle class. 'm beyond furious! Although I do have to say that Erhlich wasn't much better, his administration raised the tunnel tolls and licensing/registration fees and the flush tax too.
And you all wonder why I moved to Pennsylvania???? :)
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