RSS
Home
Can we continue to nickel and dime our way out of this recession?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Matthew Gallagher, Chief of Staff
A balanced budget off the backs of whom?
Are State/City furloughs going to balance the budget or are we just robbing Peter to pay Paul?
As Matthew Gallagher, the Chief of Staff for Governor Martin O’Malley, so skillfully tried to explain the administrations attempt at balancing this year’s budget, on the Marc Steiner show (WEAA 88.9) yesterday, one had to really question is this guy serious?
As caller after caller remained leery of questionable economic policy decisions derived from this administration, Mr. Gallagher remained upbeat and positive as to our Governor and his boss, steering his way out of this fiscal mess. Yet as he consistently referred to the national mood and recession, how much weight should our State Executive take for being fiscally irresponsible?
While the State has implemented some form of furloughs and/or layoffs for the past two years, while also restricting funding to the local level, exactly what impact will that mean for the hard working citizens of this state?
Well now in Baltimore City we see Mayor Dixon set to implement a round of city worker furloughs, to stave costs in order to trim $60-million from an already lean budget. This means that staff members, DPW (Department of Public Works), Recreation and Parks and other important agencies, police and firefighters not included, will be mandated certain days off, while the general public loses out on the benefits of such protections that these agencies may provide.
However, elected officials are covered by the Maryland State Constitution, and probably City Charter, to remain immune from such cuts. Therefore, the ones we elected to represent our interests are making decisions that in one way, shape or form, are becoming detrimental to our living standards, yet they remain unscathed from such cut backs. Does that seem plausible to you? Are you, the voter, okay with that?
Even though Mr. Gallagher assured the listeners that the State’s 188 members of the General Assembly (Delegates and Senators) have in fact voluntary taken cuts to their salaries, I’d like to know who, when and how much?
In a time of economic depression, we have a President and Congress, supported by our Governor, touting an expensive HealthCare overhaul, when this State alone already spends 22 cents of each taxed dollar on health coverage. We are consistently laying people off; who in turn lose employer covered medical coverage, then turns around and asks them to support a costly government-run health care plan? I may not be a Harvard or Yale economic professor; however this seems less than sensible when we can barely keep the lights on in the Governor’s mansion. The hell with the merits and line items of each House and Senate plan, how are we going to pay for it, when it seems as a billion dollar stimulus effort is only currently allowing us to tread water?
While Mr. Gallagher never gave any definitive answers as to what Session 2010 will look like, with tax increases, education cuts or the like, one can only speculate that with the State facing a projected $2-billion dollar deficit for FY11, furloughs and layoffs cannot be the means to an end of a fiscal nightmare.
What do you think should or could be the answer to get us out of this mess? Sound off below…
For more info: On this article and more please email me at brothahassan@yahoo.com, visit the Reporters' Roundtable, follow me on Twitter or Friend me on Facebook.
Related Articles:
Comments
