| Today's Washington Post reported that Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is set to slash spending across most categories. But he's missing the boat when it comes to solving our state budget crisis while looking out for the state's best interests. Maryland's first step shouldn't be so short-sighted. Our first step should be fixing the tax system -- that would raise funds and make our state more just, while protecting our priorities. Not unlike the options in the new budget game created by the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute and the University of Baltimore, Governor O'Malley has suggested generally only the obvious steps and misses the most important one: progressive taxation. In America we believe that the rich should pay more than the poor for the vital public services we rely on, things like defense, roads, education, police, etc. That's why our national income tax is progressive -- the rich pay more than the middle class and the poor pay even less. While there are too many loopholes and exceptions, anyone who has filed a federal tax return understands that you pay different amounts depending on how much you earn. Not in Maryland. In Maryland, everyone who makes over $3,000 pays the same tax rate. That's regressive and it's wrong. Instead of cutting state priorities in ways that will hurt all of us, Maryland should take the one step that would alleviate the problem and improve our state. Maryland should have a progressive tax, so that the rich pay their fair share. Of course, we also need to end loopholes that allow multistate corporations to effectively steal tax dollars from Maryland priorities like education and transportation, to extend the millionaires tax, and end special giveaways as argued by Progressive Maryland. It's time for everyone to pay their fair share to make Maryland the greatest state in the union. |
