Tax hike demands payback at polls

Maryland wants more of my money. It may not seem like a big tax increase being presented, but how much money does the state need? I am the so-called wealthy American who must pay more in taxes. Well I pay plenty of taxes so my politicians can yuk it up in their sky boxes.

I pay 23.5 cents per gallon in gasoline taxes per fill-up. That's about $400 per year for two cars. I paid $300 in tolls to get to and from work. There was $41 to park for meetings in Baltimore, $180 to register my car, $1,600 in miscellaneous school fees (field trips, sporting events, uniforms, yearbook, prom, homecoming), $6,500 in real estate taxes, $9,000 in state income taxes. Then there was emission fees, the taxes paid during a vacation in Ocean City, and the 6 percent sales tax on all my purchases.

Yet the state insists they do not have enough money and passed a tax increase ("Special session fallout," May 17). Remember this come election day as the same old politicians continue to take your money without providing the results you should expect. Spend, spend, spend and tax, tax, tax. It never ends. It needs to end on election day.

Steve Howard, Catonsville