Somehow I don’t think siding with power companies and their rate hikes over the citizens is the first step towards re-election for Maryland’s current governor
The furor over rising electricity prices has caught Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. between his loyalty to the state’s business community and an electorate bracing for bloated bills this summer.
As Maryland lawmakers tried to squeeze concessions from the state’s largest electric company last week and utility lobbyists hustled to Annapolis to preserve their interests, the Republican governor declared himself a “neutral broker.”
>> Martin O’Malley’s Letter to Governor Ehrlich on Energy Prices
He should run the way Gov. Corzine did in NJ. Promise not to raise taxes and that he will reform the property tax disaster and then the minute he is in office raise taxes and say you can’t reform property taxes.
Where did he promise not to raise taxes? He said it was not his intention to raise taxes, but he didn’t promise not to raise taxes.
The property tax rebates are increasing, though not at the same rate. According to Republican math, if the rate of increase slows, that is not a cut, right?
By straightening out the states finances, caused by Christie Whitman’s(R) irresponsible tax cuts made without any spending or entitlement cuts, property tax reform will be possible. But not right away.
He promised to reform property taxes, not merely slow growth. As I recall, Whitman hasn’t been governor since 2001.
“Corzine Beats Florio s Record: Breaks No Tax Hike Promise In Just 8 Days While Latest Poll Demonstrates Widespread Support for Cutting Government and Complete Rejection of Higher Taxes, Corzine Says Let s Tax Clothes, Gas, and TV ”
Trenton, Jan 26 – New Jersey Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson called Governor Jon Corzine s plan to raise taxes the fastest promise broken by a politician since Jim Florio. Corzine, who during the campaign repeatedly promised that he could implement his agenda without raising taxes, has issued a report from his transition team recommending a gas tax increase along with increases in the sales tax including an unprecedented call for the taxation of clothing.
Time and time again, candidate Corzine pledged to the people that he would re-engineer and reduce government to deliver on his campaign promises without raising taxes. Now, he s reneging and pushing for big tax increases, Wilson continued.
Today s Quinnipiac poll demonstrates that New Jerseyans understand the fiscal nightmare created by Democrats over the last 4 years. An overwhelming majority though are demanding that the budget be balanced by cutting spending, not raising taxes, said Wilson.
It is particularly outrageous that a self-described progressive would advocate an increase in the sales tax, a tax that is usually considered among the most regressive. Taxing clothes would balance the budget literally on the back, legs, feet and heads of the poor and middle class. It looks like invest, grow, and prosper has been replaced with tax, tax, and tax some more, Wilson concluded.
[C]orzine Said He Would Not Increase Taxes And Was Confident That He Could Balance The Budget By Cutting Waste And Scaling Back Spending. (David Kocieniewski, Corzine Says He s Running For Governor, The New York Times, 12/3/04)
If We Are Able To Grow The Economy We Will Be Able To Grow Revenues Without Increasing Taxes. And, I Have No Intent On Raising Taxes. I Have Intent On Growing This Economy So That We Get The Revenues To Invest Back Into Our School System, To Invest In Our Health Care System. And, By The Way, I Believe That There Are A Lot Of Other Alternatives To Fix The Transportation Trust Fund Other Than Going To The Taxpayer And Increasing Their Burden. I Have Talked About Those And Will Continue To. (Jon Corzine, NJN Debate, September 20, 2005)
Those talking points from the NJ GOP?
No, what he said is that he has no intention of raising taxes, which means that he will not raise taxes unless he finds out that it is unavoidable. Not a lie. If he said “I promise” not to raise taxes or “read my lips, no new taxes”, that is a lie.
Truth is, only an idiot would make such a promise. An adult knows that times change and situations make you do things you might not intend to do in the past. Which is why Corzine didn’t make a promise, he only intended to not raise taxes, but left the door open in case of the inevitable.
So I see you selectively apply the “it’s the other guys fault” only when it is Republicans blaming their predecessors. I understand. Hard to admit that you are a hypocrite.
So you believe that since Whitman has been out of office since ‘01, she isn’t responsible for anything, right?
So you also agree that blaming Clinton is not appropriate, since he has also been out of office since ‘01?
Ok, Hedley, why did they have to go back to 12/3/04 (a full 10-months before the election) to find that ? It also wasn’t a quote, it was interpreted by the NY Whore Times writer. If it was a campaign promise, than wouldn’t he have made it repeatedly throughout the campaign?
I also don’t see the word “Promise”. Do you? Where?
“I have no intention of raising taxes” = a promise not to raise taxes. The fact that he declared that he would be raising taxes within days of taking office shows that he obviously had every intention of raising taxes for quite some time.
There have been 2 acting governors and 1 elected governor in the intervening time between Whitman and Corzine. There were no intervening presidents between Clinton and Bush.
The New York Times represents the NJ GOP?
[C]orzine Said He Would Not Increase Taxes And Was Confident That He Could Balance The Budget By Cutting Waste And Scaling Back Spending. (David Kocieniewski, Corzine Says He s Running For Governor, The New York Times, 12/3/04)
Hedley, stop lying.
He never promised not to raise taxes. He said he didn’t think he would have to, but now that he sees the Whitman mess, he has no choice.
There are big differences. Noone up until now had the guts to raise taxes after Whitman’s irresponsible tax cuts decimated the treasury. Corzine had to make the tough choices, and he is taking them. He is also cutting a large amount of jobs and services.
So much has changed between the election and now? Only an idiot would believe that. If he had waited a year or two, then yes, you could say he was being cute and leaving open the possibility in the hopes no one would notice, but right off the bat? Yes, it is a lie.
Your strawman “it’s the other guys fault” argument is apples and oranges. There have been three administrations between Whitman and Corzine and none between Clinton and Bush.
Corzine has been running for governor from the moment McGreevey resigned — and probably longer than that behind the scenes. He is very sophisticated in the financial department. Do you really expect me to believe that until after the election he had never taken a look at the McGreevey mess? He had no clue as to the State’s financials until just recently? You can’t possibly have had a straight face while typing that nonsense. He knew all along what he was going to do, he was simply smart enough not to tell anyone.
And if it had been a Republican who proposed raising taxes on cigarettes and the sales tax, as well as taxing clothing, you would not be referring to that person as having guts.
As for cutting jobs and services, that remains to be seen. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Again, Hedley, you are using a false premise. You ever think maybe the reason he DIDN’t promise not to raise taxes was that he didn’t know whether he could keep that promise? You’re trying to look at someones heart and ASS-ume you knew what he was thinking, and you can’t.
I would refer to a Republican who balanced the budget against popular opposition brave, unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be many. Maybe Mike Bloomberg, who made some tough decisions post 9/11 fiscally, including raising property taxes.
Your quip about cutting jobs and services is typical. You ASS-ume you know what Corzine was thinking. You ASS-ume what I would think about a Republican budget cutter. You ASS-ume that there will be no budget cuts.
zgok girptmdzq kurtwp osqk dhusazob ycupbj xecmha
zgok girptmdzq kurtwp osqk dhusazob ycupbj xecmha
ybtfomj psdeox eubxlq zlmpfa jtqhb ipetnlqwm owckapdmf dxgopyva gbtz