BLOG: Maryland Fifth Worst State for Taxes
Just an interesting little thought to have you start pondering. Did you know that as Maryland residents we have to work until April 23, 2012, just to earn enough money to pay our local, state and federal tax obligations? Talk about working for too many employers. The sad part, is we don't earn any income from any of the three, only pay to them.
While most people associate tax day with April 15, the day your federal and state returns are due for the prior year, many are now looking towards Tax Freedom Day, the day when our pay checks have reached the necessary amount that we actually keep more then we pay.
Tax burdens are different for each state depending on the level of taxes imposed on its citizens. Maryland is one of the worst. It is the 5th worst state when it comes to taxes.
As the Legislature wrestles with requests for increased taxes and fees, one has to ponder: "Will we be number 1 in the worst state for taxes after this session"?
Amy Leahy
12:01 pm on Monday, April 9, 2012
I thought we had already moved up to 3rd! When are people going to wake up and quit voting these Democrats into office?
Patrick Mondor
3:53 pm on Monday, April 9, 2012
Well congratulations! At least Maryland is doing something right! Standing by for the liberal/progressives to tell us that the job isn't done until Maryland is No. 1. Amy....the state is lost. You have seen the redistricting this past year. The DEMS control over 70% of the General Assembly...and yet that isn't good enough. I'm not for any party, I think all are corrupt and self serving. However, I do know that one party rule in a state is a very bad thing as demonstrated by Maryland and its unchecked consumption of taxpayers wealth.
Cathy Vitale, Maryland House of Delegates, District 33
11:24 pm on Monday, April 9, 2012
I would hope that you would not think ALL are corrupt and self-serving. I have only been here for two years and I have found some to be very hardworking and diligent to their duties, only to be crashed down on the floor when people try to amend or make bills better
Amy Leahy
7:04 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Sadly, the state government has pretty much taken control of local elections with the gerrymandering and taking over of school boards.
Patrick Mondor
9:38 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Cathy, meant no disrespect. Indeed there are a select few, you included, that work tirelessly for the people. Many thanks for your service!
steve anstett
9:56 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Couldn't agree more, Patrick...we are fortunate to have the leadership of Cathy Vitale representing us, we just need to get more folks like her in Annapolis!
DioDingo
2:06 pm on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
What rank are we in education? Quality of roads? Quality of life? Legislative pay? Protection and so on...Do we get nothing for the taxes we pay? You don't have to pay them I hear. However by paying them we get something in return unlike you mentioned in the blurb. Saying Maryland is 5th worst put it in a negative light. I know your on that side of the line but is there nothing positive we get? Are we first in government corruption? Or even 5th? (Leopold doesn't count yet since the court hasn't ruled)
Richard Hertz
8:46 pm on Friday, April 13, 2012
You need a court to rule on Leopold before you can form an opinion that he's exactly what's wrong with politics today? The guy clearly thought he was above the law. And he wasn't even smart enough to get a kid to pull his competitor's signs out of the ground...he did it himself! If he's willing to do that kind of thing himself in the open, who knows what's been going on behind the scenes with our money.
Cathy Vitale, Maryland House of Delegates, District 33
9:56 pm on Sunday, April 15, 2012
I am not sure of the comment that "you don't hvae to pay them I hear". I most certainly do. On my legislative salary as well as my private employment outside the legislature. I don't get a "pass" anymore then the next person. I intended to put Maryland in a negative light, on this issue. The amount of taxes paid by hardworking citizens of this State are simply not reflected in the level of services for core support, which, is the government's function. We cannot be all things to all people, so raising taxes and fees simply to cover shortfalls we should not have, is not acceptable. The reward? We earned 5th highest in the land on taxing our residents.
Amy Leahy
7:42 pm on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
DioDingo, you don't seem to realize that we do have those things but a what cost? Many other states also have good roads, schools, protection and don't have to pay the astronomical taxes that we pay in this state. Pennsylvania for example is much larger than MD, with more citizens and a fabulous infrastructure and has a smaller budget than Maryland. In fact, teachers in Pennsylvania are paid so well that new teachers come to MD and VA to start their careers since they cannot usually get jobs in their home state.
I'm sorry but who cares about legislative pay? People don't usually run for office because of the pay…it's the power and influence that attracts them.
And what do you mean "You don't have to pay them, I hear"? Who is YOU? We ALL pay these taxes unless you are on the public dole, which in Maryland is probably a lot of inner city people.
The fact that Maryland is 5th worst for taxes IS a negative….shame on the citizens for allowing the governor and legislature to rape us. They are taking advantage of our beautiful state to further their own careers and line their pockets with our money.
Amy Leahy
7:46 pm on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
My apologies, Cathy. I was not referring to you…I'm talking about the career Democrat politicians who have so much power that our hard working Republicans can hardly make a dent. Thank God we still have hopeful people who fight the good fight for us.
DioDingo
9:28 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Unless things have changed in PA in the last year or so, not many would find the infrastructure to be that great. We go around that about for ever so lets move past. Teachers get paid by the townships that they teach not by the state or county. So yes teaching in someplace in PA is great. I don't really care too much about legislative pay but I remember in a number of these conversation across Patch people complaining about the pay for our politicians as well as all the perks they get. That adds up to a huge amount of money when you think of State/County/Local. The point was about MD being the "5th worst", are we getting value for our money. If we have top 5 roads, top schools, top quality of life, with low administrative cost then being the "5th worst" is just pandering. However, if we are 5th worst in infrastructure, failing schools, and so on then we need to over haul the administration. Her comment was missing the facts that would have given it weight. Just saying we are 5th worst in taxes doesn't say anything. When do we rank in taxes for those making more the 250k, for business, for investments. Its a throw away statement meant to incite not to educate. As an elected official I would think more of her if there was meat to post not just slop.
DioDingo
9:38 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I don't think it says in the constitution that you have to pay taxes, I could be wrong. Those "inner city people" on the public dole....we have poor across the state so lets tread lightly. That term has come to mean a number of things and it almost sounded a bit racist. Those "people" do pay consumption taxes on the the free money they are given that they spend in business. So the money comes from the people to the poor- then a little come back to the people while the bulk goes to private business. That public dole is a redistribution of wealth from the public to business.
Did this "rape" just happen? When Ehrlich was in office was MD 5th best for taxes? (whatever that would mean) I think we need a better government and more accountability but all we can do is vote and call out our perceived injustices. What services do we cut? The new budget would cut funding to schools. Education we hear time and again is way to increase future revenues. An educated populace leads to a stronger country! You said that no one gets into politics for the pay, then at the end say its to further their own careers and line their pockets with our money. So all politicians are corrupt or they get into politics for money and power?
Tina by the Bay
10:45 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Cathy,
First, I want to thank you for your awesome service.
Is there a way to make the Maryland budget more "user friendly" to us ordinary citizens so that we can easily see where the money is going? One shouldn't have an MBA to read the budget. In any trouble shooting situation, identifying what is causing the problem is the first thing to do. When I go to the DBM(Maryland Department of Budget:http://dbm.maryland.gov/Pages/home.aspx), the budget and expenditure reports are in a downloadable pdf form. The expenditure report for 2012 is 107 pages. Anyone who is interested in really reading and understanding the budget and expenditure reports needs to print them out and lay them out to connect the pieces. I believe that if shown in an interactive drill down view, it will be easier for us to read it. The money figures are in billions and millions of dollars, interactive charts will make it less intimidating to read it. It will be easier to understand why the need for more taxes.
DioDingo
11:20 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I agree, If the money is there and we are being taxed too much then where is the money going? We want all the nice things but where is the fat we can cut. Open government is needed to see where the waste is and what we can cut.
Cathy Vitale, Maryland House of Delegates, District 33
9:58 pm on Sunday, April 15, 2012
Tina, there are several shortcuts that I can send to you to help. Send me an email at cathy.vitale@house.state.md.us. I am happy to send you the "down and dirty" on the final budget.
Judith Moylan-Forman
2:20 pm on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Amy....about PA....and infrastructure, teachers, etc.....a lot of my family hails from this state and this is a topic familiar to me... PA's roads, bridges, transit, etc. received near failing gades according to the American Society of Engineers. "It has the largest inventory in the nation of failing bridges" and their Gov. Corbett (R) is still making more drastic cuts in their state spending regarding roads, etc.
Their teachers can't find jobs in the state because their legislature and Gov. Corbett have defunded the public schools in every district of the commonwealth. Last year he cut $960 million. 14,000 school positions were eliminated! He promises more cuts for the coming year. Their great Governor also eliminated the Accountability Block Grant that once paid for full-day kindergarten. But, Gov.Corbett did manage to give a $1 billion in tax cuts to large corporations and of course because of a 'loophole' they didn't pay any taxes.
Richard Hertz
8:38 pm on Friday, April 13, 2012
The liberal politicians of MD are destroying the state. Can anyone name a tax or fee that hasn't been increased (or attempted to be increased) in the past few years? The only solution they know, no matter the problem, is to spend more money (raise taxes). The only reason they've been able to get away with it up until now is the large number of federal workers that live in MD because of our proximity to many federal agencies. That federal teat is going to run dry soon because the federal gov't is in worse shape financially than MDs (as hard as that is to believe).
I also don't understand those that thing we get some kind of grand bargain by sending tax dollars to politicians. Money can be spent two ways: you can earn and spend it or save it however you see fit, or you can send it to a bunch of elected officials to spend (or save...just kidding) as they see fit. By which method do you think money is most wisely spent?
I'm 46 years old and though I've tried for years, I can't find a single example of something a government does well (never mind doing it better than a private provider could, I can't even find something they do well).
For more information on just how Marylanders fare compared to residents of other states, take a look at the tables here:
http://cfo.dc.gov/cfo/cwp/view,a,1324,q,612643.asp
Those states at the bottom of the lists (in other words, those with the lowest overall tax burden) seem to be doing OK.
Amy Leahy
9:53 pm on Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Look forward to the special session that I hear is coming in May just to raise the taxes OweMalley couldn't get passed during the regular legislative session.