‘No new taxes:’ Md. groups rally against O’Malley’s tax hike plan

The relatively modest turnouts of about 300 people came just hours before Gov. Martin O’Malley was set to give a short pep talk to a special session of the General Assembly he called to raise a series of taxes.

“I’m going to stand up and oppose every stinking tax,” said Del. Donna Stifler, R-Harford, typifying the comments of dozens of GOP lawmakers.

Stifler said she was getting 80 to 100 e-mails and phone calls a day opposing any tax increases.

The late afternoon rally had been organized by the party and promoted on conservative talk shows for several days.

The Republican message was consistent: Maryland doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.

“What we’re witnessing today is the flight of common sense from Maryland,” said Del. Warren Miller, of Howard County.

WHFS radio talk show host Ed Norris organized an impromptu anti-tax protest as he broadcast from Chick and Ruth’s deli on Main Street in Annapolis, while two dozen representatives of taxpayer and conservative groups had a press conference on Lawyer’s Mall.

“The big taxers say we’re really a rich state,” said Dee Hodges, president of the Maryland Taxpayers Association, urging legislators to sign a “no new taxes” pledge.

Tax opponents weren’t the only demonstrators in the capital.

Progressive Maryland, an organization of liberal social and labor groups, mounted its own quickly called rally to counter the Republican theme and support the governor’s tax package.

“We believe the governor’s package represents by far the best deal for working families,” said Sean Dobson, executive director of the Progressive Maryland.

He said the group “will continue to lobby lawmakers to make this package even better, especially by adding more progressive revenue-raisers” and protecting Thornton school funding.

Progressive Maryland plans to hold a bigger rally Nov. 6.

llazarick@baltimoreexaminer.com