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Tattooed Ladies Of HollywoodBALTIMORE (WJZ) — If you think you’re paying too much in taxes now, things may be about to get worse. Two O’Malley-appointed commissions are recommending a list of tax increases ranging from gas to toilets.
Political reporter Pat Warren reports that’s not sitting too well with voters.
Just the mention of tax increases gets a voter’s blood up.
“I think that it’s wrong,” said one voter.
“It’s crazy,” said another.
They say there’s a limit to what people can pay and that there are other solutions.
“It’s bad enough as it is now,” said a voter.
“If they run the budget like my family does, like my friends do—cut the expenses,” said one.
Marylanders are already paying more in taxes but advisors to the governor say the state needs more.
Here’s the list: 15 cents a gallon more to gas your car, which will run $78 or more a year; a 50 percent bump in registration fees (from at least $128 to $182); a 100 percent increase in emissions inspections (doubles the cost from $14 to $28); a half-percent more for titling (from six to six and a half percent); MARC, Metro, buses and light rail fares (another $26 million in transit fares); septic system flush tax (up 300 percent from $30 to $90) and another 50 percent hike on smokers (from $2 to $3 a pack).
“That’s horrible,” said a voter.
SPG trend advisor Morris Segall advises lawmakers to take it slowly. Some of the hikes proposed would take place over three years.
“I think we have to balance the need of the state to raise revenue and be fiscally responsible and at the same time not necessarily send a shockwave through the population,” Segall said.
Given the economy, that would be quite a trick.
“I’m just a student and I work part-time and it’s harder when you don’t make that much money to pay more taxes,” said a voter.
“Especially with the state of the economy the way it is today, I definitely cannot afford any additional taxes,” said a voter.
The General Assembly may take that into consideration, but not everybody plans to wait around to find out.
“I’m working on [moving] right now,” said a voter. “Delaware, South Carolina, North Carolina—I am moving.”
Most of the revenue generated would be earmarked for transportation and sewage, with some calling for assurances that the state won’t take the money and use it to balance the budget, as it has in the past.
The cigarette tax increase is a separate proposal by the Maryland Health Care For All Coalition.
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39 Comments
TAX BEER, TAX GOLF, TAX FOOTBALL,BASEBALL, LEAVE FUEL ALONE
October 26, 2011 at 6:36 pm | | Report comment
I would hope they consider not raising the gas tax and the automobile registration fee. the emissions and everything else would be fine. They have already raised the toll fees and the gas tax and registration increase would be a triple wammy on drivers who commute to work.
October 26, 2011 at 6:49 pm | | Report comment
A lot of folks will be much harder pressed to even afford to get to work. Perhaps the ones on welfare, WIC, Section 8, ad nauseum have the right idea. The middle class is dying rapidly especially in Maryland so I have no clue who O’TaxMe thinks is going to pay for all of his binge spending.
October 26, 2011 at 9:25 pm | | Report comment
what is this middle class you speak of its been dead for a long time
October 26, 2011 at 10:28 pm
There is no middle class in an oligarchy. Just the aristocrats and us poor working folk. They will bleed us dry.
October 28, 2011 at 2:30 pm
you’re an ass!! no extra taxes or fees are FINE, none of these increases are going to go for what they say it will, and next thing they will claim is need to increase again for roadsetc, but let Riken want money or Ravens or Orioles, then bang money magicly appears for these damn sports teams, think about it , what has a sports team ever done for anyone , but the state keeps giving it away
October 27, 2011 at 6:47 am | | Report comment
sick of the tax and spend democrat party in this state. i can’t wait until you drive more people out of here and will have to tax your welfare slaves on breathing, urinating, and begging.
once i can sell my house i am out of this dump. new york prices with california taxes. maryland you can say good bye to my tax dollars.
October 26, 2011 at 6:51 pm | | Report comment
AMEN!!
October 26, 2011 at 6:52 pm | | Report comment
Me and mine as well are leaving. We can’t afford to live in Maryland anymore. The state will end up imploding but in OTaxMe’s eyes it will be after he has ruined the state and moved on to higher office that he has dreamed of since the Clinton days.
October 26, 2011 at 9:21 pm | | Report comment
Dittto. I am leaving too as soon as I sell my house.
November 2, 2011 at 3:53 pm
NoNONONONONONONONONNONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONOONONONONONNONONONONONONNONOONONONONONONONNONONNONONONONONONONON
October 26, 2011 at 7:14 pm | | Report comment
Don’t worry about the last person out of town turning off the lights. Nobody will be able to afford them anyway
October 26, 2011 at 7:15 pm | | Report comment
What a putz !
October 26, 2011 at 7:34 pm | | Report comment
Until the voters in this state wake up to the fact that they have caused this they deserve everything they get from these out of control progressive democrats. You keep voting these idiots in to office over and over again and what did you expect? You want to stop this? Leaving the state is not the answer and most people cannot leave. Vote these a@@holes out of office including Miller and Busch. It’s too late for O’Malley you already gave him his two terms to ruin the state just like he did that rat hole, Baltimore City.
October 26, 2011 at 7:42 pm | | Report comment
Baltimore is a dumpster with a zip code. Can’t wait til the government cuts jobs; all these subsidized lazy loons will have to get real jobs instead of being paid to move desk chairs all day at $30 an hour.
October 26, 2011 at 7:51 pm | | Report comment
It is useless to post this, but nothing will change on election day because Maryland idiots always vote DEMOCRAT. Hoyer, Miller, Baush, Cardin, Van Hollen, etc. will be reelected with very little effort.
October 26, 2011 at 8:19 pm | | Report comment
so damn true and still keep doing then they are the first to cry!!!!!!
October 27, 2011 at 6:50 am | | Report comment
Just a thought, What about a 25% surcharge on Democrats. God knows Maryland has too many of them. Let them pay for Casa de Maryland, freewalking felons and the rest.
October 26, 2011 at 8:58 pm | | Report comment
How many people can afford to pay more? I know that I can’t. Everything is going/has gone up. Food, utilities, gas, taxes and the only thing that hasn’t are my wages. Taxing the working poor is not the answer!
October 26, 2011 at 8:59 pm | | Report comment
Goodbye Maryland….!
October 26, 2011 at 9:17 pm | | Report comment
THey all voted for a democrat! You all voted him in twice to office. Glad I’m moving to Delaware-I get to keep my money. 62 years in this dump> crime will only increase like taxes in Maryland-not so mary any more. Maryland will go bankrupt just like PA
October 26, 2011 at 10:02 pm | | Report comment
Like the Beatles said…kind of,YOU ARE ASKING,NO BEGGING FOR A REVOLUTION.This state sucks,yet keeps in step with the rest of our STUPID,THEAVING POOR EXCUSE FOR…….U S A!!!!
October 27, 2011 at 12:39 am | | Report comment
NEVER,NEVER DID I EVER THINK THAT I WOULD THINK THESE THOUGHTS. BUT I DO.
October 27, 2011 at 12:42 am | | Report comment
As a “baby bomer: I am watching as one by one my friends and co-workers retire and leave Maryland for more “tax-friendly” locations. As the pockets they keep dipping into leave oh what will Tax and Spend O’Malley and his cohorts do for more money to SPEND? He has already driven businesses out of the state and now he is working on the tax payers. We need to vote in someone who actually knows how to cut spending and budget and get rid of this money hungry so called leader.
October 27, 2011 at 5:38 am | | Report comment
I agree Debbie. I have family and friends that moved to Atlanta and North Carolina this year. They all say they love it. I hope to move down south next year. I’m taking an early out from my job in June 2012. I’m applying for jobs already in North Carolina.
October 27, 2011 at 10:06 pm | | Report comment
You can’t vote a democrat out in this state. They ship them in with free handouts and so they can vote That’ how they stack the deck. You did see what this butt hole did by redistricting Anne Arundel county.
November 2, 2011 at 9:51 am | | Report comment
Hmmm so where did all the money go to that the state got in June? They received something like 300,000,00 & then again in August. I guess they need their bonuses and vacation homes! Even here in my home state-Government Greed while the government lays off more people & we still have a large number of unemployed. So yeah – lets increase our taxes so that way we have more people not buying homes, spending money, and living in tents in the city. Yippee MD!!
October 27, 2011 at 9:05 am | | Report comment
How about they tax the “Politicians” of Maryland. Maybe they’ll be able to balance the budget if they do that. I’m tired of paying the bills of this state, so that thousands of slackers can live off my tax money.
October 27, 2011 at 11:55 am | | Report comment
Why do I even come to work everyday?? I can barely afford to live now. IT’S OFFICIAL…I AM GOING TO STOP PAYING TAXES!!!!. The government can go get my tax dollars from the ILLEGALS and the WELFARE RECIPIANTS who sit on there A** and do nothing. My money is taking care of them, while I struggle from paycheck to paycheck.
October 27, 2011 at 12:22 pm | | Report comment
Hey Owe’Malley, the citizens of Maryland have a Potential List of New Governors! How ya like them apples!?
October 27, 2011 at 1:03 pm | | Report comment
They need to check the welfare system. If they would drug test before giving them everything (housing, money, food stamps, medicare and cell phones) they could save a lot of money. The drug dealers get most of the welfare money. Why are they giving drug addicts SSI?
October 27, 2011 at 10:01 pm | | Report comment
They tried this in FL, the program cost WAY more than it saved, people were passing the drug tests, they knew they were coming, and its not hard to pass one. I agree with you on this, but it didn’t work in the state of FL.
October 27, 2011 at 11:44 pm | | Report comment
I say everyone who works should leave the state so the economical jugular wound can bleed out. Next there will be an oxygen tax or a religion tax. Who knows what the 4th reicht will do next. It’s bad enough that it is cheaper to buy pot than it is to buy cigarettes. Hmm they’re making this choice easy. Tax the only legal release that a good portion of citizens have, Intelligence fail for O’sally.
October 28, 2011 at 2:28 pm | | Report comment
If they would get people back to work, Then we will be all paying taxes. Wouldn’t have to raise taxes to make up for the people who don’t have a job. I think Maryland needs to stop paying for the ravens stadiums and their party’s. Go after the corporations loop holes. I think they got away with 7 million in taxes. So O’malleys answer is to go after the people who can at least afford more taxes.
October 28, 2011 at 3:41 pm | | Report comment
Where’s the slot money going, NOT THE TAX PAYER
October 28, 2011 at 3:45 pm | | Report comment
04/01/2012 , I retire to Belize no more state tax,no more federal tax
October 30, 2011 at 5:33 pm | | Report comment
OweMalley will NOT get my vote next election go ’round!
November 1, 2011 at 9:13 am | | Report comment
Unfunded Pension Liabilities
November 1, 2011 at 8:18 pm | | Report comment
Surprise surprise. If he wants it, hes gonna get it. Until the residents of this state unite and stand up and say enough is enough, its going to keep getting worse. Look how many residents complained and then the town meetings they had about the toll hikes. People were outraged. Did it make a difference? HELL NO IT DIDN’T!!. They humored us by having meetings and then did what they wanted. O’Malley has a political agenda. Soon he is going to run for president. I don’t believe he cares about this state or the residents of it. He cares about himself and the next step of his political career. Let all the politicians know right now. If the taxes go up, your butt is going home. Vote every last one of them out the door. All they know is tax tax tax. Its time for cutting and we can start at the top and work our way down.
November 2, 2011 at 7:36 pm | | Report comment