MTA proposes toll rate hikes

An open letter to our elected officials in response to the recent proposed increase in tolls.

I saw in Cecil Whig the news story about a proposal for an increase in toll rates. This concerns me in two different ways. First, this proposal is just another tax increase disguised as a fee increase. Less than two years ago, Maryland enacted one of their largest tax increases in history. We were told by the Governor at that time that this would solve the future budget deficits that the state was looking at. Was this just another lie?



My second concern is that I live on Conowingo Road (Route 1) in Cecil County. Every time that there is a toll increase, the number of commercial vehicles increases on Rt. 1. This large increase in toll to commercial vehicles would shift many tractor trailers over to Rt 1 to avoid the toll. This will impact the amount of traffic on Rt. 1 in both Harford and Cecil County. As it is now, my house shakes as some of these tractor trailers pass by. We have had to take the extra precaution of using museum putty to keep some of valuables from vibrating off of shelves and to keep pictures and paintings level on the walls. Since the last increase in tolls, cracks have developed on the highway in front of my house. Route 1 is quickly becoming another interstate bypass and I do not think that structurally and safely that it can take on this continued increase in volume. So in the end, Harford and Cecil Counties will suffer through this proposed toll increase, to benefit the suburbs of Washington DC.



Regards

Baltimore Sun.com - GOP legislators sue to invalidate special session

The case was brought by Sens. David R. Brinkley and Allan H. Kittleman, the minority leader and whip; their counterparts in the House, Dels. Anthony J. O'Donnell and Christopher B. Shank; Del. Michael D. Smigiel Sr., a Cecil County Republican; and John C. Pardoe, a Carroll County businessman.

From Senator Nancy Jacobs - Special Session Update: Final Comments

November 27, 2007

In the wee hours of the morning and with less than 50 days until the Maryland General Assembly convenes for the 2008 Legislative Session, Governor O’Malley, President Miller and Speaker Busch united to pass on nearly $7 billion in new taxes over the next four years-- $1,222 tax on every man, woman and child in Maryland over the next three years!

Citizens were largely shut out of this hastily thrown together special session and the name of the game was backroom deals. Throughout this process I have stood up for the working families and small business owners of Maryland arguing that they are already over-taxed, over-burdened and evidently under-valued by their government. I tried explaining to my colleagues that now is the worst time to punish Maryland’s families and businesses--the price of gas is sky rocketing, electric rates have gone through the roof and housing market is in turmoil.

These are the taxes that passed:

* Sales Tax increase from 5% to 6% (20% increase)
* New 6% service sales tax on Computer Services (600%)
* MVA title certificate fee increase from $23 to $50, Last summer, Gov.
O’Malley said this increase was too onerous for working families, but
has reversed himself. (120% increase)
* Car Titling Tax increase from 5 to 6% (20% increase)
* Income Tax increases from 5 to 15% for some earners.
* Cigarette Tax increase from $1 to $2 (100% increase)
* Business taxes increase from 7% to 8.25% (Almost 18%)
* No property tax reduction despite Governor O’Malley’s promise
* New transfer tax on real estate transfers of “controlling interests”
* BGE and other power companies that lost exemptions on their property
will certainly pass along these new costs to customers, adding yet
another new tax

* The bills did include recommended spending cuts, but they are not
enforceable and quite frankly very unlikely to ever go into affect.
Gov. O’Malley’s tax plan raises more money than is actually needed to
reduce the “structural deficit.” In fact, Gov. O’Malley’s plan calls for
11%increase to the state budget for next year!

We didn’'t dig ourselves out of the “structural deficit” through new taxation; we just filled one hole and started digging another with these new spending commitments:

* $592 million Global Cost of Education Index
* $580 million Health Care Expansion
* $210 million Chesapeake Bay Fund
* $245 million Higher Education Investment Fund
* $110 million Helicopter Replacement Fund
* $50 million Prince George’s County Hospital Fund

The days of surpluses are over and the credit card governance has returned to Annapolis, in a big way--a $1.7 billion-a-year way.

I wish I could bring you better results and tell you that we squashed their attack on your pocketbooks, but our attempts largely fell short. But you should know that your efforts did not go unnoticed as the House and Senate removed service sales taxes on real estate property management, health clubs, spas, arcades, and lawn care services.

I would also like to report to you that one of my amendments was included in the final package: home schooling parents will not have to pay the computer services sales tax. I do not believe anyone should have to pay this onerous new tax and I voted against the bill as a whole, but I did do my best to protect constituents in any fashion possible.

I invite you to stay in touch and continue to track what’s happening on my website, www.nancyjacobs.com, and I thank you for your support.

Lastly, please consider attending one of our two special events on January 3, 2008 at the Richlin Ballroom in the morning and at Bulle Rock in the evening with Bob Ehrlich. Click here for information.

Sincerely,
Nancy Jacobs
State Senator, District 34 -- Harford and Cecil Counties

Tax Increases

I am sure everyone has been following the news in the state capital. As we all know, the tax bills past in both the House and Senate. How did our local representatives do? Their votes are as follows:

Senator Jacobs - Voted No on all tax increases
Senator Pipkin - Voted No on all tax increases

Delegate Smigiel - Voted No on all tax increases
Delegate Sossi - Voted No on all tax increases
Delegate Walkup - Voted No on all tax increases

Delegate Rudolph - Voted Yes on Real Estate Transfer Tax, Income Tax Increase, Corporate Income Tax, Combine Corporate Income Tax, voted No on the rest.

Delegate Dulany-James - Voted Yes on Real Estate Transfer Tax, Income Tax Increase, Corporate Income Tax, Combine Corporate Income Tax, voted No on the rest.

Delgate Riley - no show?

What happen to the cut in taxes for the lower income and middle income folks? The property tax cut did not make it. The increase in sales tax and tobacco tax are just going to encourage more people to drive to tax free Delaware. Both of these taxes will impact more on the lower income tax payers than everyone else. And lets welcome all of those new companies that have been looking at Maryland because of BRAC with a higher corporate tax. Maryland already has the reputation of not being business friendly. Lets just encourage them to go elsewhere.

Message from Senator Nancy Jacobs

From Senator Nancy Jacobs
Special Session Update: Take Action Now

Nov 10, 2007

Greetings,

In the past you have written me regarding various proposals to raise taxes. As you know, Governor O'Malley has called this special session specifically to raise taxes. One of the most egregious bills he has proposed will raise and expand the sales tax. Knowing your interest in this issue, I wanted to provide you with an update as to the status of the various tax hikes as proposed by Governor O'Malley.

The Senate heard third readings today. Third readings are the final reading in the Senate before the bill is sent over to the House of Delegates. The short summary of it is that all four bills passed.

But the devil is in the details. Republicans and Democrats (Brochin, Della, Klausmeir, and Stone) sought to filibuster the bill. Real quickly, a filibuster is a continuing of debate in perpetuity. In other words we keep talking and talking until the sponsor of the bill agrees to drop it or move it to a later point. Filibusters can be halted by a vote of "cloture" which requires a super-majority or 3/5 of the Senate. In Maryland that means 19 votes. We got 18 and only two and half hours to debate what amounts to the largest regressive tax hike in Maryland's history!

Throughout the day we heard a lot of spirited debate against taxing Maryland families. I spoke on behalf of hardworking taxpayers several times and let me share some of the quotes from myself and my colleagues:

* Senator Nancy Jacobs: "This special session will not only be remembered for passing the largest tax hikes in Maryland history, but for passing bills with huge unintended consequences. I ask my colleagues to put a face on the taxpayers we represent rather doing what you are being told to do by the Democrat leadership."

* Senator Andrew P. Harris: In responding to a rejection from the Budget and Tax Committee Chair to answer questions about the bill: "I've never seen a committee unwilling to answer questions on a bill they proudly brought to the floor. . . I've never seen a committee unwilling to give us the numbers on the largest tax increase in Maryland history. . . It is not a debate when one side refuses to answer questions. . . The truth is - they don't really know the cost. Why won't they reveal the total cost to taxpayers."

* Senator David R. Brinkley, Minority Leader: "Advocates testifying in favor of Governor O'Malley's tax package urge that the entire package be passed because it is "progressive." In reality, over 85% of new revenues in the Senate amended O'Malley package are from regressive taxes, which will greatly harm the working poor and middle-class families of the state."

* Senator Allan H. Kittleman, Minority Whip: "Who are the winners and losers as a result of the tax increases? The clear winner is big government and the clear losers are the citizens of Maryland - who were not heard, not respected and not protected by their representatives."

* Senator E.J. Pipkin: Speaking about the proposed expansion of health care bill on the floor after the filibuster on the tax bill: "If the tax bill was on steroids – then the health bill is on Quaaludes."

I also wanted to update you that this morning Comptroller Peter Franchot sent a letter to Speaker Michael Busch indicating that a sales tax on computer services would "cripple" development of Maryland's high-tech industry. He went so far to say that "the computer firms form the nucleus of the state's new economy."

As far as I'm concerned, none of these taxes were good for Marylanders. I think we effectively hung "Not Welcome" signs up at our borders. Where Delaware says "Tax Free," Maryland says, "Our Motto: Tax, Tax, and more Taxes."

You may think that the fight is over, but that's not the case. Starting this afternoon the House of Delegates has taken up the bills that the Senate passed and some nasty ones of their own (10% hotel tax, automobile repairs tax, etc). It is important that you keep the pressure up on your legislators.

It is unlikely that the House of Delegates will pass the same version of the bill as the Senate. If they don't, then it requires the House and Senator to go to a conference committee to iron out the differences between the two versions of each bill. The conference committee consists of three members from the House of Delegates and the Senate to then vote on a compromise. The compromise is then sent to both committees, so there could be more to come. (You can learn more about the bill process here http://dls.state.md.us/SIDE_PGS/legislation/legislation.html).

The House of Delegates will be meeting off and on all weekend and will probably be voting on Saturday and Monday. The Senate comes back into session on Tuesday. The conference committees will begin meeting and we'l have more votes.

If raising taxes is of concern to you, then you should contact delegates right away and let them know how you feel about the state raising taxes. I t is crucial that constituents keep the pressure on their legislators.

* To find out who your legislators are visit http://mdelect.net .
* To contact your legislator click here http://mlis.state.md.us/cgi-win/mail32.exe.
* To listen to the proceedings click here http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/listen.asp.

I know I told you before, but I am so truly blessed to have the support of all of your from our community. We'll keep fighting and I hope you will too!

Sincerely,,
Nancy Jacobs
State Senator, District 34 -- Harford and Cecil Counties

GILCHREST SUPPORTS MAKING BUSH TAX CUTS PERMANENT

GILCHREST SUPPORTS MAKING BUSH TAX CUTS PERMANENT



WASHINGTON – As Congress begins to debate the future of President Bush’s tax cuts, Congressman Gilchrest has cosponsored legislation that will make them permanent.

“Those tax cuts have helped stimulate our economy and kept it going strong in the face of some of difficult times,” Gilchrest said. “To repeal them now would be a disaster, and would hurt families across the country.”

Gilchrest this week cosponsored HR 2734, the Tax Increase Prevention Act, which makes the tax cuts the President introduced and Congress passed into law in 2001 and 2003 permanent. Currently they will expire in 2011 if Congress does not act.

“If we don’t make these tax cuts permanent, income tax rates will rise substantially in each tax bracket, and low income-taxpayers will see the 10-percent tax bracket disappear,” Gilchrest said. “Married taxpayers will see the marriage penalty return, and taxpayers with children will lose 50 percent of their child tax credits.”
He has also cosponsored HR 2380, the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act. That bill would eliminate the estate tax, or so-called “death tax”, which can be crippling to families struggling to keep second and third generation farms and businesses alive.

“I think it’s pretty clear that this tax policy has helped our economy thrive, with steady job creation and strong economic growth. To change course now would be short-sighted and damaging to our economy and to jobs.”

Earlier this year, Gilchrest voted against the Democrat-sponsored budget because it sought to increase taxes by more than $200 billion. Instead, he voted for a Republican alternative that would have made the President’s tax cuts permanent. That alternative budget vote, however, failed.
.

Property Taxes

I am sure by now that everyone had received their recent property tax bill in the mail. Where is the outrage from the voters about their bills? Come October, I have been in this house for nine years. My property tax has gone up at least 70% since that time. And the folks in Annapolis are preparing us for increases in other taxes next winter.We are constantly hearing about surpluses in other states. What happen here in Maryland and Cecil County? Until the voters get outrage about their taxes, nothing is going to happen. Recently we saw with the immigration bill what voter outrage can do. We cannot afford to continue being quiet about this. We need to let the folks in Annapolis know that enough is enough and that more tax increases will not be acceptable.