OweMalley's rhetoric is right out of Obama's playbook. Makes sense knowing that OweMalley plans to run for president in 2016. How stupid does he think Marylanders are? I know people are waking up to the abuse we've been taking at the hands of the 3M's - Mike, Mike & Martin - and it's time to vote the other 2 out of office.

Ok all you stupid dumocraps, you're getting your wish - more Maryland taxes. $.18 per gallon on top of the $.23 already levied. Hmmmmm, it wasn't that long ago when the actual price of a gallon was $.41. This tax plus more that are sure to come under comrade o'malley's rule could have been avoided by opening up areas containing generations worth of petroleum reserves. And the Canadian pipeline to Texas refineries? - oh no, obama has decreed that we don't need that fuel so now it's going to China. Not to worry though, we have a bunch of eco-friendly clean energy operations whizzing along like a well "oiled" machine. Weeeeel, maybe not. There are twelve (12) clean energy companies currently having trouble keeping there batteries charged, so to speak. Tax payer dollars subsidized them to the tune of $6.5 billion, and so far six (6) of those have filed for bankruptcy: Beacon Power, Evergreen Solar, SpectraWatt, Eastern Energy, Ener1 (the most recent), and Solyndra. obama had NO job experience before illegaly running for President. Unless you call street agitating and racially related community organizing preparatory experience for a presidential candidate. Oh, almost forgot, he corruptly won a senatorial election, serving two (2) years before deciding that he was ready to be POTUS. Then I could mention george sorros, but you stupid 'crats probably never heard of him. I could write a fat book about "The Kenyan Village Idiot", and his minions like o'malley. Maybe I will.

Way to go Maryland Democrats! How can you continue to vote for people like Gov. O'Malley, Sen. Miller, Del. Bush, and all the other tax and spend liberals who are so far out of touch with the trials and tribulations of the citizens of Maryland.

If my notes are correct in just the few short days this General Assembly has been in session, Owe'Malley has asked for a 23 cent increase to the current gasoline tax, a 17.33% (1 cent) increase to the state sales tax, and now an expansion of the sales tax overall to include gasoline adding another 7 cents per dollar to the overall price for gasoline. They have not disclosed the other products and services the expansion of the sales tax will cover, but when they tried before it was 43 items including most "services" that have never had sales tax applied to them. Sales tax is supposed to apply to an actual product that is sold not a "fee" for a service provided that does not include an actual product.

So the Democrats who lie through their teeth about how they are the party that will look out for the poor and working class will pass not one, not two, but at least three tax increases or new taxes that will have the most negative impact on the poor and working class citizens of Maryland possible in this horrific economy. Way to put other people's money where your mouth is Gov. Owe'Malley. Then he says the taxes are needed to increase revenues to maintain schools, roads, and bridges.

These are not the droids you're looking for!

I was just reading about Virginia - Virginia is growing faster in population than the nation as a whole. Gee, I wonder why?

But he is so dreamy and plays in an Irsih band, I just have to vote for him! O'Malley is a terrible govenor, when MD's residents are hurting the most he has decided that he should hammer them for more money:
A monthly charge for the right to have an EZ Pass (Take a note from other states, buy the EZ Pass for $10 at issue and then its yours, thats probably more palatable than a recurring fee that O'Malley is sure to raise in the future)
Jack up the price for tolls, not a minor increase but a major increase
A massive ADDITIONAL state gas tax, this time a % so if we hit those $5 a gallon figures this summer like some have predicted we are hit even harder (Oh thats right "unless there is a spike" sorry Marylanders I know you can't stop gazing into those lovely eyes but he is just telling you that, once the tax is in place its gonna be in place because I can hear O'malley now explaining that $5 a gallon isn't a spike because it is in line with what some other countries pay per gallon)
Lets talk about Mike Miller, a guy with a cemented "elected" position, somehow everytime you see him on TV in the middle of winter he sports a suntan that can only come from spending way to much time in a tropical climate you have to wonder if the guy should be forced to leave office and get a job like the rest of the Marylanders he suppose to be serving. Everyone is entitled to a vacation if they can afford it, but this guys is living a charmed life on our dime.

Way too much fraud and waste in state programs. Taxes in Maryland are among the highest in the nation. Stop the fraud and waste in Maryland Medicaid and in the Earned Income Tax Credit. Millions are wasted every year.

Wait for it....the liberal/progressive posters of the Patch telling us "rich" people that we simply don't pay enough...in 3...2....1...

A total idiot without a kind bone in his body and care less about the working person. The thing is if you want to vote for him OK as long as it does not affect us who don't vote for him. Would be nice huh?

I often wonder, just when are the people in this state and country going to wake up?
The politicians will point the finger and say, "yeah, get em, those big bad oil companies." Really? The state and federal governments do not produce one drop of oil, but they in fact collect a huge amount of revenue on the state and federal tax of gasoline.
They regurgitate the same lies over and over; it's for the education of the children, we
are going to create all these jobs, etc. The corruption within the state and federal governments is staggering and disgusting. It is my hope that people will become engaged and stop voting strictly along a party line. Our government is so out of control and way to massive. Remember, it is WE THE PEOPLE!

Have a net reduction in budget and then I'll accept that we need to raise taxes to close the gap. The problem in Annapolis is that they keep spending more. Taking from one program but then giving more to others are not cuts. Hopefully this will wake up democrats to look at candidates before blindly casting a vote for the democratic ticket.

Questions that remain unanswered. Why was the transportation fund raided in the first place that necessitates the need for tax increases? Don't forget we also have been whacked recently with an increases in tolls to apparently pay for our roads as well. Remember the howls from the Democrats in this state when Erlich raised fees in lieu of tax increases (now silence). Since then O'Malley under a Special Session pushed the largest tax increase in state history to close a "structural" budget deficit, raised taxes on alcohol, fees and now this. What do we have to show for it? Still have a deficit over 1 billion dollars. He then has the nerve to cloak all of this under the banner of "its for your children's future". The very group he claims to want to help is the same group that will be crushed by these fiscal policies. Despite all of this he was reelected two years ago by 14 points. Dems know they have this state in the bag and could care less what the opposition thinks (new districts anyone). Frankly, this state is lost....and I mean to those that want a voice and a representative govt. Nothing you say or do will ever change the balance of power in this state. It is a one party state controlled by liberal/progressives that want nothing more than power and your money. Despite early polls indicating almost 3/4 of Marylander's don't want this tax...do you really think they won't implement it? In the end these lemmings will vote Democrat. Very pitiful.

As with Obama, most Democrats, myself included, are not happy with O'Malley. If the Republicans can put a solid candidate up against him, (s)he'd have all our votes....and with the way our State and Country look right now, it shouldn't be too difficult.

I sent two questions to MOM and he has not responded:

1) Where are the budget REDUCTIONS? Because of his higher taxes, I have to cut back alot in my budget. Where are the State of Maryland's REDUCTIONS IN SPENDING?

2) Instead of creating government jobs at the expense of those of us paying taxes, what is his administration doing to BRING BUSINESSES BACK TO MARYLAND??? We need private sector businesses, not taxpayer funded temporary jobs.

Does he have a grasp of economics or was he too busy in college playing with the band in bars?

I know alot of people that have left the State of Maryland for tax-friendly states. With all this garbage from MOM, the added Federal taxes from BO, I'm shaking my head wondering why we stay in Maryland. Egads! Soon there won't be enough taxpayers left to support this state.

Ever drive to New York on the Jersey Turnpike? Or through countless other roads in other states that cost a small fortune? Let the people who use the roads pay for them like in other places, and those who don't, don't get taxed extra. Oh wait. Stupid me. Maybe that's part of the reason for the gas tax. People who use the roads more maybe should have to pay a disporportionate amount than the people who go out of their way to carpool or walk or bike or take public transportation. Or who just stay home. What a crazy "liberal" idea. Or a libertarian ultra conservative one. What the hell, let's just blame being called upon to pay for infrastructure on the "liberals" and watch some more Fox cable "news". I mean, George Bush never spent money needlessly, never bailed out a company needlessly with billions of taxpayer dollars, did he? Oh, wait.....

No one has mentioned the high cost of illegal immigration in our sanctuary state. CASA (Central American Solidarity Assoc.) gets alot of our tax dollars as well. Who do you think will get most of those jobs building infrastructure? But the Democrats feel they need another "group" besides African Americans and gays to pander to for votes. We are not individuals to them we are groups. Well, when people vote as a group what do you expect? The very few times Republicans have had a chance in this state they continue to "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" by pushing their RHINO party elites on us in an attempt at being moderate just to get elected. When the people rejected Ehrlich the MD GOP simply had a closed meeting and changed the rules. Didn't work! The number of Independent voters is growing in Maryland for good reason. Now we need candidates with substance. Maryland has the most gerrymandered voting districts in the country so I don't see much hope in changing things. The Unions rule the roost in Annapolis and Annapolis is a plantation.
It is entirely up to the electorate to change things...like I said...not much hope,

A 6% tax on gasoline will never pass, and O'Malley knows this. What will eventually happen is more along the lines of 10-15 cent increase. It's a game of politics really. If the tax does eventually go through(and it will go through), it won't be "as bad" as people think it will be.

I work in transportation. Given the state of the roads in Maryland(and in the country, as someone above stated when referring to the NJ turnpike), the highway infrastructure is in desperate need for repair. It's the honest reality of the situation. O'Malley(or any politician for that matter) doesn't wake up in the morning wanting to tax people. Maryland hasn't had a gas tax increase since the 1990's. You can't put these things off forever. Politicians can't win. Nobody wants the government to spend any money to fix roads because they're worried about deficits, while nobody wants to pay for roads either. The money has to come from somewhere. I'm a Democrat, and while I'm not exactly thrilled with O'Malley, I don't think he gets credit for the good things he does do. Maryland consistently ranks in the top 10 for places to live in the country, and our public school systems have ranked # 1 in the country for four years running. It can't be nearly as bad as people are saying it is.

Does anyone want to pay taxes? No. But you generally get what you pay for. Good roads, schools, hospitals, they cost money. It sucks, but that's how it is.

The last time they raised the gas tax ( to the highest in the us at the time ) they told us it was to fix all the roads, and we would never see another tax increase! so, they used the money for other things. How do they get away with it?

No one wants to pay more in taxes, but get some perspective--go to the UK or mainland Europe or Asia and take a look at gas prices--many consumers pay more in taxes than we do in total. Or just take a trip up to Canada. The US as a whole is long overdue for a reality check regarding the true cost of our oil consumption. This is a drop in the bucket.

Brian: Since Maryland schools are ranked # 1 you should try sending your kids to Baltimore City public schools then. Have at it...

Cynthia : My comments to Brian were meant to be facetious...

"Amen John. Like I mentioned before, it's a black constituent. When "the other guy" is a "racist", we blacks lose our minds, logic goes out the window and nothing else is a priority."

Goodness.

You know he just wants the gas tax to be tied to sales tax so that he can then raise the sales tax from 6% to 7%. His administration has done a remarkable job at spending tax payer money. Unemployment is over 8% and he wants to spend more of your money to 'make jobs'. Yeah, just like that Stimulus plan of the President made a lot of long term jobs in Maryland.

Why do politicians think raising taxes is going to help people?? Have they ever thought of lowering taxes or do they know what that means. If we have more money well spend more money. Quit takin money out of our pockets

Here's a novel idea...lets reduce the gas tax...and reduce government...in the case of government...less is more...

Dear O'Malley, our President is worried about the price of gas yet YOU continue to push for additional taxes on it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/obama-to-discuss-rising-gas-prices-at-florida-event/2012/02/23/gIQA1xgIVR_story.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/23/us-campaign-obama-gasoline-idUSTRE81M0B920120223