OK, all you right-wing, Tea Party radicals: How do we know that your lower tax plan, your smaller government model, your fewer regulations, coupled with more individual responsibility and constitutional law, will get us out of this mess ?
OK, all you left-wing, progressive , socialist, ideologues: How do we know that your big government, tax-and-spend, Washington knows what’s best for all of us philosophy, will really work ?
Stephen Moore of the WSJ, amazingly found two states, side by side, each one trying one these two formulas. At last a comparison.
Maryland’s Gov. Martin O’Malley, an Obama/Biden unconditional supporter, now in his second term, did the following:
1- in 2007, he raised taxes on millionaires,
2- he increased the state’s sales tax,
3- he also raised the gas tax and the tobacco tax,
4- then he increased the income tax for everyone earning more than $100,000 dollars, and
5- he proudly spent ( he calls them investments ) Maryland taxpayer dollars on any public works, public schools , transit or anything else he could think of in order to create jobs and stimulate Maryland’s economy.
Across the border, is Virginia’s and Tea Party favorite Gov. Bob McDonnell. He, on the other hand, has simply:
1- cut taxes,
2- reduced state spending, and
3- decreased Virginia’s state-regulatory agencies, resulting in a more business-friendly atmosphere . Yup, that’s it.
OK. Pay attention all you undecided”voters. Let’s see what happened :
1- Maryland’s new higher taxes did not result in more state revenue because many wealthy people and their businesses just found ways to avoid the new taxes or moved out of state entirely, probably right next door to Virginia.
2- Since Gov. O’Malley started his tax-and-spend spree, Maryland has lost 30,000 jobs, three times as many as Virginia.
3- Maryland’s governor has had to go back to his own state legislature to borrow more money to balance his budget.
4- Gov. McDonnell, on the other hand, inherited a $6 Billion dollar deficit. Virginia now has a $1 billion dollar surplus.
Do you believe that one?
5- Maryland’s unemployment rate is 7 percent. Virginia’s unemployment rate is 5.9 percent.
6- Maryland net loss of 30,000 jobs cost their state 1.7 billion dollars in lost taxes.
7- Virginia had a net gain of new taxpayers.
I think you all get the picture.
So, to be fair and balanced, I am asking any reader:
Can you come up with any tax-and-spend administration anywhere in the country whose policies resulted in more jobs, lower unemployment, and a balanced budget with no deficit spending?
Please let me know before the election so the undecided can make up their own mind. You have 69 days to come up with one.
Dr. Stephen Morris
North Hill
