State GOP: O'Malley's rewards for special interests caused fiscal crisis

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

The Maryland Republican Party says a new swath of proposed budget cuts could have been avoided if Gov. Martin O'Malley wasn't bloating the budget by rewarding special interests. The calls came just one day after O'Malley announced he would be considering steeper cuts to funding for health care and education, in addition to considering a furlough plan to combat the state's fiscal woes.

"If Governor O'Malley had spent his first two years combing through every state department's budget, rather than rewarding the liberal special interests and his campaign cronies with big-spending programs, our budget outlook would be much improved today," Maryland Republican Party Chairman Jim Pelura said in a statement.

Pelura argued O'Malley should be cutting non-essential items first, before bearing the burden on programs that protect the public's safety and children.

"If O'Malley is really interested in cutting the budget, he should start by cutting state funding to organizations like Casa de Maryland that aid illegal immigrants," added Pelura. "And then he could work his way through the millions in pay increases he's given to his top political supporters."

But the Maryland Democratic Party's communications director, David Paulson, shot back. He says the state Republicans are taking the low road, acting hypocritically and talking deceitfully.

"We need solutions not partisan finger-pointing from people who don't have any," Paulson wrote in an email to PolitickerMD.com. "People are suffering and every state in the nation is suffering under this Bush/McCain economy and this is all Maryland Republicans can think about?"

DANNY REITER is a PolitickerMD.com Reporter and can be reached via email at Daniel.reiter@politicker.com.

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Comments

Let's backup a little

posted by Bored but it is Friday

Let's backup a little further. Why is Martin O'Malley still campaigning and fundraising for Frank Kratovil? After all of his talk about being a 'moderate', how can Frank honestly associate with O'Malley?

10/10/08 9:23 am

Whoops, I got those

posted by D.C. Russell

Whoops, I got those reversed. Corrected:

What I want to know about O'Malley's "budget cuts" and nobody will tell me:

1, How much has the state of Maryland spent so far this fiscal year?

2. How much was spent during the same period in the last fiscal year?

3. How much does the state expect to spend for the full current fiscal year?

4. How much was spent during the last full fiscal year?

I'll believe that O'Malley has cut the budget when I see proof that the answer to question 1 is less than the answer to question 2 and that the answer to question 3 is less than the answer to question 4.

And 5. Why is it that reports about the budget never include such information?

10/10/08 8:18 am

What I want to know and the press won't tell me

posted by D.C. Russell

What I want to know about O'Malley's "budget cuts" and nobody will tell me:

1, How much has the state of Maryland spent so far this fiscal year?

2. How much was spent during the same period in the last fiscal year?

3, How much was spent during the last full fiscal year?

4. How much does the state expect to spend for the full current fiscal year?

I'll believe that O'Malley has cut the budget when I see proof that the answer to question 2 is less than the answer to question 1 and that the answer to question 4 is less than the answer to question 3.

And 5. Why is it that press reports about the budget never include such information?

10/10/08 8:13 am

Pelura is right

posted by Anony

Pelura is right. O'Malley should cut those things, you know, things, that cost money. If he would just cut those things that cost money then the budget would be fine.

Thanks Jim. Great ideas and so specific, as always. That is why the Republican party in Maryland is so successful.

10/09/08 10:20 pm

If Mr. Paulson would just

posted by Chairman Jim Pelura

If Mr. Paulson would just read my press release he would see that I did indeed offer a solution!
CUT NON-ESSENTIAL ITEMS!
If Martin O'Malley is seriously concerned about the citizens of Maryland, he will take my suggestion and cut the fat (ie NON-ESSENTIAL ITEMS) from the state budget.

10/09/08 4:23 pm