Take away state credit cards, cut aid to the counties with “corrupt officials,” eliminate consultants, cut down the number of computer printers, increase fines for drunken drivers and speeders, increase alcohol taxes, tax fattening foods, curtail subscriptions, stop out-of-state travel.
These were some of the responses from more than a dozen people to the question in Thursday’s Examiner: “What would you cut from the state budget?”
Half of the suggestions came from current state employees, all by e-mail.
One retired state worker, John Miller, a former administrator in business development, called from his hospital bed to suggest that retirees take a “furlough” on their pensions, the way current employees had to do.
“If all the state employees are taking a hit, why not the retirees?” Miller asked. “Drastic times call for drastic actions. It’s a small sacrifice for me.”
He wouldn’t cut pensions for anyone getting less than $20,000 a year, but it might not be legal to do in any case.
A current state worker in the health department named Sean suggested “better enforcement of corporate tax compliance, closing the corporate tax loopholes by which many of the biggest firms in our state pay no income tax at all.”
This is a favorite target for progressives in the legislature, but the companies and the Chamber of Commerce have fought off what’s called a “combined tax return.”
Business lobbyists point out that businesses actually pay about 40 percent of the sales tax in the state, and many subsidiaries pay corporate taxes even when the parent company doesn’t.
Another state worker named Tim said, “There are areas within most state agencies that can be made a lot more efficient. The decisions on what employees should be laid off should be selected at the lowest possible managerial level.”
A state courts employee named Kim wants the fat tax suggested by New York’s governor for Maryland, and increased vehicle registration fees based on the value of the car.
“I don’t know where all the money is going, so I could not speculate,” Kim wrote. “I only know Maryland had the biggest tax increase in the country 14 months ago.”
Kim described current spending as “out of control.”
A reader named Gail objected to spending $11 million on security related to the inauguration. (The congressional delegation is seeking reimbursement for that.)
“I’m ashamed at this wasteful expenditure,” Gail said.
Maxine Hartman suggested: “Stop paying for legislative lodging and food while in session. If someone chooses to take a job that involves living away from their home for a period of time, it is their responsibility to pay for it.”
We’ll have more on that later in the session. Some rural legislators live far from the State House, and many lawmakers commute every day. But others within commuting distance stay in Annapolis during the week at taxpayer expense.
Some of the ideas are based on presumptions that will require some more research.
If you have more or different ideas about how to cut the state budget, send them to
State House Bureau Chief Len Lazarick at [email protected]
