Higher Taxes

Your editorial advocating tax increases to fix Annapolis' job-killing spending problem once again misses the mark ("Tax increases should be on the table," Aug. 23). Government's insistence on uncontrolled, unsustainable spending has saddled future generations of Americans with record debt. Believing that significant cuts are not immediately needed is both naive and unwise. Maryland's revenues have not kept pace with the growth of the state budget, forcing elected officials to scramble to cover billion dollar-plus deficits.

Your article ("O'Malley faces political risks of tax increases," May 17) suggests that Gov.Martin O'Malley's future political ambitions will be damaged by his successful efforts to raise taxes on the wealthy. But I ask, would his prospects have been enhanced if he had allowed major cuts in funding for health care, education, environmental clean up, and programs that benefit the elderly, children, homeless, handicapped and developmentally disabled? I think not. As a business executive whose tax burden will undoubtedly go up as a result of these measures, I could not in good conscience oppose these tax increases.

First, I'm an 80-year-old living on Social Security, and I know all the tax loopholes need to be closed ("The Buffett Rule backlash," April 13). But isn't it correct that Warren Buffett owes the IRS a great deal of taxes for a number of years? Let's have a true picture of Mr. Buffett. The proposed reductions in Medicare and Medicaid costs will hopefully take place by reducing fraud in the systems and not by reducing services. Vera Papa

The economic and political tumult in Europe has continued this week with anti-incumbent votes in France and Greece as well as signs of disaffection in Italy, Great Britain and Germany. The electorate is angry, and the election results have raised renewed concerns about whether Europe's most debt-burdened countries will stick with their quest toward fiscal discipline. On this side of the Atlantic, it's tempting to view the uproar in purely parochial terms - out of concern that the U.S. economy will continue to be encumbered by the eurozone crisis.

Thousands of Marylanders are in the paradoxical situation described by Richard Thompson (Readers Respond, "Assessments down, taxes up," July 21) who says a decrease in the Homestead Tax Credit is the problem. I disagree. The Homestead Tax Credit is not based on property assessments, as Mr. Thompson suggests. Instead, it limits yearly increases in property tax bills for owner-occupied homes. For Baltimore City and Baltimore County, the limit is 4 per cent. So when property assessments in these locales were soaring 25-to-35 per cent yearly, tax bills crept up at a modest pace, thanks to the 4 per cent limit in the Homestead Tax Credit.

Gov.Martin O'Malleysays he needs higher taxes to create jobs in Maryland. Since Maryland does not require subcontractors to validate citizenship, most of the new jobs will most likely go to illegals, or new Americans as the governor likes to call them. Most working families in this state cannot afford higher taxes, tolls, and fees. Working people deal with spending cuts every month when the bills come in. It is high time the morons in Annapolis take a lesson from them. The Maryland legislature is lazy and has always taken the easy way out - taxes.

This past week Sen. John Kerry explained that tax increases are necessary due the current federal government's revenue shortfall (less citizen income, less income tax revenues). This all-too-common view assumes the moral right of government to a constantly rising income stream when neither businesses nor families enjoy such a right. Businesses and families have to live in economic reality; most governments - state and local as well as federal - don't. When governments spend every last cent by fiscal year-end, fail to pass budgets, and repeatedly fail to set aside rainy-day funds, that is financial mismanagement.

Warren Buffett was right for his call for higher taxes/debunking the "lost jobs" claim of the ideologues ("Buffett wants wealthier Americans taxed more," Aug. 16). Thanks to the tea party, controlling the spiraling debt is now a priority. Now the tea party representatives need to actually "govern. " The magnitude of the debt cannot be addressed by spending cuts alone! The GOP hard line of "no new taxes" has morphed into an idiotic stand on retaining the multiple special deals/exemptions, etc. The GOP has lost its focus of its bedrock support of the free enterprise system.

Last week at the Howard County Fair, I spoke with Comptroller Peter Franchot about the upcoming Special Session. We discussed Governor O'Malley's comments that he is open to increasing taxes during the Special Session in October. I was pleased to hear that the comptroller agreed with me that during such difficult economic times, the last thing that the state of Maryland should be doing is raising taxes. With Maryland being 50th in the nation in private sector job creation, we need to take steps to encourage job growth not discourage it. Instead of raising taxes, Maryland needs to enact legislation and implement regulations that will demonstrate to employers that they are welcome in Maryland.

The Sun's editorial ("A costly breakthrough," March 13) appears right on when it stated: "We cannot escape the fear that senators are seeking to raise more money than is truly necessary to make their [tax] plan work. " One only needs to look at the headlines of The Sun three days later ("Senate votes for tax on rich," March 16) to realize how prophetic the editorial was. The comments of elected officials are focused more on defending taxing the more affluent than the need for the revenue.

Editor: I am a resident of Harford County who has just finished reading the article "Harford County officials push for county business loan fund," in your April 13 edition. You quoted Economic Development Director [Jim] Richardson, as saying that Harford County could be the, "New Silicon Valley. " Other than the fact that a handful of developers and politicians would make a ton of money, why in the world would anyone want to transform a beautiful county into a network of congested roads, shopping centers, office buildings, housing developments, higher crime rate, overcrowded schools and probably higher taxes!

We all know that the cost of higher education continues to increase at an exponential rate. The problem is real and, not to sound apocalyptic, getting worse. Recently, as has already been reported, the state legislature failed to approve its proposed budget and ended up with a "doomsday" budget that shortchanges the University of Maryland College Park and many other institutions and government programs. Specifically, the doomsday measure includes a potential 10 percent (or greater) tuition increase.

First, I'm an 80-year-old living on Social Security, and I know all the tax loopholes need to be closed ("The Buffett Rule backlash," April 13). But isn't it correct that Warren Buffett owes the IRS a great deal of taxes for a number of years? Let's have a true picture of Mr. Buffett. The proposed reductions in Medicare and Medicaid costs will hopefully take place by reducing fraud in the systems and not by reducing services. Vera Papa

The Sun's editorial ("A costly breakthrough," March 13) appears right on when it stated: "We cannot escape the fear that senators are seeking to raise more money than is truly necessary to make their [tax] plan work. " One only needs to look at the headlines of The Sun three days later ("Senate votes for tax on rich," March 16) to realize how prophetic the editorial was. The comments of elected officials are focused more on defending taxing the more affluent than the need for the revenue.

You editorial ("Pay now or later," March 14) provides two choices to deal with our the state's aging infrastructure: Raise taxes on gasoline or continue to face increasing hazardous road and bridge conditions and more gridlock for commuters. Well, there is an alternative: Inviting the private sector in to see if they can work with the public sector in this regard. In my book, "Public-Private Partnerships - Case Studies on Infrastructure Development," I include many examples of public-private partnerships to improve roads, bridges and tunnels by permitting the private sector to invest in revenue-producing infrastructure that can accomplish several goals: 1.)

Isn't the governor supposed to represent the views of the constituents who elected him to office? The governor is opposed to the death penalty, so no murderers have been executed. Does that represent the wishes of the majority of Marylanders? The governor is for in-state tuition for illegals, which the majority of Marylanders are against. UnderMartin O'Malley's administration, we have seen increases in our taxes, tolls and fees. Now this man wants to add more to the already-high cost of gasoline.

Your article ("O'Malley faces political risks of tax increases," May 17) suggests that Gov.Martin O'Malley's future political ambitions will be damaged by his successful efforts to raise taxes on the wealthy. But I ask, would his prospects have been enhanced if he had allowed major cuts in funding for health care, education, environmental clean up, and programs that benefit the elderly, children, homeless, handicapped and developmentally disabled? I think not. As a business executive whose tax burden will undoubtedly go up as a result of these measures, I could not in good conscience oppose these tax increases.

President Obama is proposing to raise taxes on millionaires in what's called the Buffett Rule. Billionaire Warren Buffett begged Congress to raise taxes on people like him, noting his tax rate is lower than his secretary's. Such a millionaire tax would affect 0.3 percent of the population.  Not enough to make a significant dent in the deficit, but certainly every bit can help.   Republicans, however, balk at requiring millionaires to pay more, saying they are job creators.  (If they are, we need them to step up their efforts.)

There is no question Baltimore City schools need financial help to renovate aging buildings, but one aspect of the plan to finance this massive renovation project misses the mark and will have a devastating impact on hard-working businesses and families in the city. The proposed plan, known as the "bottle tax," would increase the current 2-cent tax on beverage containers to 5 cents for city residents when they purchase soft drinks, iced teas, water and juices from their local grocery stores.

A whopping budget battle is shaping up in Annapolis, where the leaders of the House of Delegates and Senate floated widely divergent proposals Friday to raise income taxes as part of a plan to close a $1 billion shortfall. The Senate is considering a measure that would raise the income tax for almost every Marylander by a quarter of a percent, effectively rolling back a tax cut made 15 years ago, key senators said. The House is looking at a plan that would hit the top 7 percent to 10 percent of earners with a steep increase but leave everyone else alone, said House SpeakerMichael E. Busch.