The Examiner is Misleading its Readers

by: Andrew Kujan

Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 04:55 PM EST

First, take a look at this reactionary claptrap from the Examiner Editorial Board. Apparently, the Examiner editors are very upset at the "secretive nature" of the Governor's tax plan. 

Come on senators, stand up for Maryland. You can save us from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s $1.5 billion sneak-a-tax plan today (unless he slipped it to us in the dark of night).

 

....

Why? Because we just found out Thursday that, guess what? Contrary to O’Malley’s smooth lie when he called the special session and said that 83 percent of us would pay less, almost all of us will end up paying more.

This is the standard fast-shuffle politicians of all parties at all levels of government play. We can’t let them get away with it. Now is the time to tell those who represent us that we are angry at being tricked and taxed.

Leave aside for a moment how completely ridiculous it is for the editorial board of a well funded major newspaper to complain about not having all of the facts when the Senate and House sessions are open to the public and simple citizen bloggers on this site are able to keep up with the tax plans, both the Governor's and the Senate's.  

If the editors are referring to the businesses who were added to the sales tax expansion, they need not worry.  As I sit here and listen to live Senate proceedings, there are numerous Republicans speaking in their interest. Do I believe that these interests deserve to testify?  Sure.  Is it grounds to support a reactionary filibuster that could lead to bankrupting the state? Of course not.

The Examiner editorial is irresponsible and misleading.  Nowhere does it include a list of services and populations who would suffer should the tax bill not pass.  It levels no criticisms other than that some businesses will in their opinion be unfairly taxed.  The rightly point out that the Senate's plan is more regressive, but only because everyone will be paying more.  Basically, they think NO ONE should be paying more, which to me, is more than a little bit selfish.