O’Malley reflects on gas tax, transportation funding

Originally Published on Gazette.Net

By Danielle E. Gaines, Staff Writer
Published on Friday, May 11, 2012

Christopher Summers: Put the brakes on gas tax special session

Originally Published in the Daily Record

By Christopher B. Summers
Published on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
With talk of a special legislative session to increase Maryland’s gas tax, one could be forgiven for having an unwelcome sense of déjà vu. If the rationale from special session advocates sounds eerily familiar I suggest you Google the phrase, “The state is going to be very well positioned for the next few years.”

Arrogance in Annapolis

Originally Published in the Frederick News-Post

By Marta Hummel Mossburg
Published on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller laments the fact that legislators will likely reject higher gas taxes this session.

O'Malley sucker-punches Maryland commuters

Originally Published in the Examiner

By the Examiner Editorial Team
Published on Friday, March 16, 2012
There's a method to Gov. Martin O'Malley's apparent political madness in pressuring the General Assembly to slap a new 6 cent sales tax on each gallon of gasoline sold in Maryland. Like a shady, fast-talking used car salesman, time is his enemy. O'Malley needs a gas tax hike passed now (before the average price of gasoline, already at $3.83 per gallon, soars to $4.25 or more by the end of May) because he needs money to spend on mass transit to reward his environmental and union supporters.

The 2012 Maryland Legislative Session Income Tax Policy Update

By Gabriel J. Michael
Published on Monday, March 12, 2012
As part of an initiative to narrow Maryland's persistent structural deficit, this year exceeding $1.1 billion, both the Governor's office and various state legislators have proposed several sweeping income tax increases that, if passed, will affect hundreds of thousands of Maryland households. In this policy update, we provide an overview of these proposed tax increases, explaining their mechanisms and offering estimates of potential effects. In the wake of strong opposition to the Governor's plan to extend the state's 6 percent sales tax to gasoline (in addition to the state and federal excise taxes already imposed on gasoline), many media outlets have reported that legislative attention is shifting away from the gas tax increase and towards income tax increases. To some extent this is true; however, both the gas tax increase and income tax increase form part of the Governor's overall approach to the state's fiscal situation: that is, the Administration does not view an income tax increase as a substitute for a gas tax increase. Rather, the two are designed to go hand-in-hand.

Putting the Brakes on the Maryland Gas Tax

Video from the Maryland Public Policy Institute

Published on Thursday, March 01, 2012
The new gas tax proposed by the O'Malley administration harms Maryland residents by taking more resources in a time of economic hardship. Moreover, without new legislation to keep this money safe, it might not even be used on transportation.

Maryland drivers fired up over proposed gas tax

Originally Published in the Washington Examiner

By Hayley Peterson, the Washington Examiner
Published on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed gasoline tax would cost two-car families roughly $400 a year once fully implemented, if drivers are filling an 18-gallon tank five times a month and the cost of gas never rises.

Md. Governor Wants More Road Money—After Diverting $1 Billion

Originally Published in the Heartlander

By Phil Britt, the Heartland Institute
Published on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) is seeking to raise revenue by applying the state’s 6 percent sales tax to motor fuel purchases. O’Malley and other proponents of the tax expansion say it would provide funding to help with road repairs and other transportation needs.

No to Gas Tax

Originally Published in the Frederick News-Post

By Marta Hummel Mossburg
Published on Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Avoiding a tax increase this year from Annapolis will be like trying to stay dry while swimming.

Maryland's Son of Obama

Originally Published in the Wall Street Journal

Published on Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Most states have improved their financial condition coming out of the recession and so new taxes are generally off the table this year. Then there's Maryland. Here's another case of a failed tax increase on "millionaires."