Let me get this right. If you are a teacher and a firefighter couple, then you are taxed as 'rich'. We started the day as the number 4 state as far as tax burden goes, we may end up as number 1 by the end.
BTW - Thank you Roy Dyson, D - St.Marys, who voted against the new O'Malley Law in the MD special session. Bet he's not on the Governors Christmas card list this year.
Here's the story:

Change Maryland: Special Session Made State "a Laughing Stock" - Citybizlist Baltimore (http://baltimore.citybizlist.com/1/2012/5/16/Change-Maryland-Special-Session-Made-State-a-Laughing-Stock-.aspx)

:coffee:

From the article:

In the last six years, Martin O'Malley has raised taxes and fees 20 times, taking an additional $2 billion out of the economy. After the General Assembly adjournment today, that list will now swell to 24 tax and fee increases with an additional annual burden of $2.3 billion. Change Maryland also raises concerns about the net effect of over-reliance on individual income taxes.

In 2007, an individual income tax hike was supposed to bring in $489.3 million in additional revenues by 2009. In anticipation of this "windfall" from the wealthy, government increased spending by $153.3 million during this time. However, instead of increased revenues, the net revenue from those paying the increased tax dropped by over $800 million. The net result, spending goes up, revenue goes down.

Just read an article declaring that the states with the biggest shortfalls - such as California - are failing because too much of their tax system depends on those at the very top. (Well, that, and overspending).

You'd think "well, that's who has the money". Except that the incomes of the very wealthy tend to rise and fall - a LOT - with the economy. Granted, the difference between making 5 million and 10 million might not seem like a big deal - but it does if you're a state with a regular budget. You can't afford to have half the money next year that you had this year.

I really can't wait for this guy to leave. I just read he's raised taxes on all single payers who make more than 100k and all couples making more than 150k. That sure undercuts what Obama used to call "rich".

Just read an article declaring that the states with the biggest shortfalls - such as California - are failing because too much of their tax system depends on those at the very top. (Well, that, and overspending).

You'd think "well, that's who has the money". Except that the incomes of the very wealthy tend to rise and fall - a LOT - with the economy. Granted, the difference between making 5 million and 10 million might not seem like a big deal - but it does if you're a state with a regular budget. You can't afford to have half the money next year that you had this year.

I really can't wait for this guy to leave. I just read he's raised taxes on all single payers who make more than 100k and all couples making more than 150k. That sure undercuts what Obama used to call "rich".
Yeah, but there's talk of putting him on the ticket for POTUS in 2016. You think your ####ed now, wait till you see what he can do with an IRS army.

And when election time rolls around they will put someone just like Omalley in the governors seat. You can't fix stupid.

People like Omalley are making up my mind for me. Whether I'm going to retire in Maryland or not. I'm thinking NOT.

Just read an article declaring that the states with the biggest shortfalls - such as California - are failing because too much of their tax system depends on those at the very top. (Well, that, and overspending).

You'd think "well, that's who has the money". Except that the incomes of the very wealthy tend to rise and fall - a LOT - with the economy. Granted, the difference between making 5 million and 10 million might not seem like a big deal - but it does if you're a state with a regular budget. You can't afford to have half the money next year that you had this year.

I really can't wait for this guy to leave. I just read he's raised taxes on all single payers who make more than 100k and all couples making more than 150k. That sure undercuts what Obama used to call "rich".

Yup, my taxes will be going up and my fed gov pay has been frozen. Soon, people making the money will leave MD and then what are they going to do? Didn't this happen in some Northern VA county- they taxed the crap out of the rich, they moved and now the county is hurting.

And when election time rolls around they will put someone just like Omalley in the governors seat. You can't fix stupid.

People like Omalley are making up my mind for me. Whether I'm going to retire in Maryland or not. I'm thinking NOT.

Well, I'm not going remain in Maryland when I retire and move back to my native Virginia.

I really can't wait for this guy to leave.

Whoever follows won't be any better. Marylanders love to tax and spend for some reason that defies logic, and they vote accordingly.

What I thought was interesting was the income level of $100,000/$150,000. That is barely middle-class in Maryland because of the high cost of living. Median HHI is $70,000 in this state, which would indicate middle-class, but I challenge someone to buy a house and have a reasonably comfortable standard of living on that.

Feel free to correct my logic (or lack thereof) but those number indicate to me that we have an awful lot of low living and financial struggle in this state. If we can agree that $150,000 HHI is middle-class, half of that income would be paycheck to paycheck barely getting by. So, following that line of thought, there must be a ton of folks below that who are living in extreme poverty.

ERS/USDA Data - MD Unemployment and Median Household Income (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/Unemployment/RDList2.asp?st=MD)

It's also interesting to note that the median HHI for St. Mary's is $81,000, yet the median for Baltimore City is less than half that. Practically the whole Eastern Shore is much lower than the median. Those HHI numbers coincide with high unemployment, which makes sense.

Not sure where I'm going with this :lol: but I looked at largely unpopulated Nebraska:
ERS/USDA Data - NE Unemployment and Median Household Income (http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/unemployment/RDList2.asp?ST=NE)
where the cost of living is significantly less, which means the HHI can be less and people still have a decent standard of living.

What really struck me are the unemployment figures. How in the hell does Nebraska have a lower unemployment than Maryland??? There's no freaking place to work in Nebraska, yet people clearly find work anyway. Contrast that to Maryland, which is teeming with industry yet has significantly higher unemployment.

I understand there's a huge population difference, but come on. The numbers tell me that Maryland needs to get it's #### together, and it needs to start with our elected officials who obviously don't know what the hell they're doing.

How the House voted on income taxes - WTOP.com (http://www.wtop.com/81/2867659/How-the-House-voted-on-income-taxes)

Democrats for:

Anderson, Curtis, Baltimore

Arora, Sam, Montgomery

Barnes, Benjamin, Prince George's

Barve, Kumar, Montgomery

Bobo, Elizabeth, Howard

Branch, Talmadge, Baltimore

Braveboy, Aisha, Prince George's

Busch, Michael, Anne Arundel

Burns, Emmett, C., Jr., Baltimore County

Cane, Rudolph, Wicomico

Cardin, Jon, Baltimore County

Carr, Alfred, Montgomery

Carter, Jill, Baltimore

Clagett, Galen, Frederick

Clippinger, Luke, Baltimore

Conaway, Frank, Baltimore

Conway, Norman, Wicomico

Cullison, Bonnie, Montgomery

Davis,Dereck, Prince George's

Donoghue, John, Washington

Dumais, Kathleen, Montgomery

Feldman, Brian, Montgomery

Frick, C. William, Montgomery

Frush, Barbara, Prince George's

Gaines, Tawanna, Prince George's

Gilchrist, James, Montgomery

Glenn, Cheryl, Baltimore

Griffith, Melanie, Prince George's

Guzzone, Guy, Howard

Hammen, Peter, Baltimore

Harrison, Hattie, Baltimore

Haynes, Keith, Baltimore

Healey, Anne, Prince George's

Hixson, Sheila, Montgomery

Howard, Carolyn, Prince George's

Hubbard, James, Prince George's

Hucker, Tom, Montgomery

Ivey, Jolene, Prince George's

Jameson, Sally, Charles

Jones, Adrienne, Baltimore County

Kaiser, Anne, Montgomery

Kramer, Benjamin, Montgomery

Lafferty, Stephen, Baltimore County

Lee, Susan, Montgomery

Love, Mary Ann, Anne Arundel

Luedtke, Eric, Montgomery

Malone, James, Baltimore County

McHale, Brian, Baltimore

McIntosh, Maggie, Baltimore

Miller, Aruna, Montgomery

Mitchell, Keiffer, Baltimore

Mizeur, Heather, Montgomery

Murphy, Peter, Charles County

Nathan-Pulliam, Shirley, Baltimore County

Niemann, Doyle, Prince George's

Oaks, Nathaniel, Baltimore

Pena-Melnyk, Joseline, Prince George's

Pendergrass, Shane, Howard

Proctor, James, Prince George's

Robinson, Barbara, Baltimore

Robinson, Shane, Montgomery

Rosenberg, Sandy, Baltimore

Ross, Justin, Prince George's

Stein, Dana, Baltimore County

Stukes, Melvin, Baltimore

Summers, Michael, Prince George's

Tarrant, Shawn, Baltimore

Turner, Frank, Howard

Turner, Veronica, Prince George's

Valentino-Smith, Geraldine, Prince George's

Vallario, Joseph, Prince George's

Vaughn, Michael, Prince George's

Waldstreicher, Jeff, Montgomery

Walker, Jay, Prince George's

Washington, Mary, Baltimore

Wilson, C.T., Charles

Zucker, Craig, Montgomery

Democrats Against:

Alston, Tiffany, Prince George's

Barkley, Charles, Montgomery

Beidle, Pamela, Anne Arundel

Bohanan, John, St. Mary's

Bromwell, Eric, Baltimore County

DeBoy, Steven, Baltimore County

Gutierrez, Ana Sol, Prince George's

James, Mary-Dulany, Harford

Kelly, Ariana, Montgomery

Kelly, Kevin, Allegany

Minnick, Joseph, Baltimore County

Morhaim, Dan, Baltimore County

Olszewski, John, Baltimore County

Reznik, Kirill, Montgomery

Rudolph, David, Cecil

Sophocleus, Theodore, Anne Arundel

Weir, Michael, Baltimore County

Wood, John, St. Mary's

Republicans Against

Afzali, Kathy, Frederick

Aumann, Susan, Baltimore County

Bates, Gail, Howard

Beitzel, Wendell, Garrett

Boteler, Joseph, C. III, Baltimore County

Cluster, John, Anne Arundel

Costa, Robert, Anne Arundel

Dwyer, Donald, Anne Arundel

Eckardt, Adelaide, Dorchester

Elliott, Donald, Carroll

Fisher, Mark, Calvert

Frank, William, Baltimore County

George, Ron, Anne Arundel

Glass, Glen, Harford

Haddaway-Riccio, Jeannie, Talbot

Hershey, Stephen, Queen Anne's

Hogan, Patrick, Frederick

Hough, Michael, Frederick

Impallaria, Richard, Baltimore County

Jacobs, Jay, Kent

Kach, Wade, Baltimore County

Kipke, Nicholaus, Anne Arundel

Krebs, Susan, Carroll

McComas, Susan, Harford

McConkey, Tony, Anne Arundel

McDermott, Mike, Worcester

McDonough, Patrick, Baltimore County

McMillan, Herb, Anne Arundel

Miller, Warren, Howard

Myers, LeRoy, Washington

Norman, Wayne, Harford

O'Donnell, Anthony, Calvert

Otto, Charles, Somerset

Parrott, Neil, Washington

Ready, Justin, Carroll

Schuh, Steve, Anne Arundel

Schulz, Kelly, Frederick

Smigiel, Michael, Cecil

Stifler, Donna, Harford

Stocksdale, Nancy, Caroll

Szeliga, Kathy, Baltimore County

Vitale, Cathleen, Anne Arundel

Democrats Absent

Holmes, Marvin, Prince George's

Simmons, Luiz, R.S., Montgomery

Valderrama, Kris, Prince George's

Republicans Absent:

Serafini, Andrew, Washington

like the county commissioners are going to propose a 401k for teachers, i dont think so......will they ask to uncap the county piggyback tax maybe OR increase property taxes maybe OR why dont we increase both.

like the county commissioners are going to propose a 401k for teachers, i dont think so......will they ask to uncap the county piggyback tax maybe OR increase property taxes maybe OR why dont we increase both.The only way county govt raises revenue is via taxes. So there's your answer.

Whoever follows won't be any better. Marylanders love to tax and spend for some reason that defies logic, and they vote accordingly.

What I thought was interesting was the income level of $100,000/$150,000. That is barely middle-class in Maryland because of the high cost of living. Median HHI is $70,000 in this state, which would indicate middle-class, but I challenge someone to buy a house and have a reasonably comfortable standard of living on that.

Feel free to correct my logic (or lack thereof) but those number indicate to me that we have an awful lot of low living and financial struggle in this state. If we can agree that $150,000 HHI is middle-class, half of that income would be paycheck to paycheck barely getting by. So, following that line of thought, there must be a ton of folks below that who are living in extreme poverty.

ERS/USDA Data - MD Unemployment and Median Household Income (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/Unemployment/RDList2.asp?st=MD)

It's also interesting to note that the median HHI for St. Mary's is $81,000, yet the median for Baltimore City is less than half that. Practically the whole Eastern Shore is much lower than the median. Those HHI numbers coincide with high unemployment, which makes sense.

Not sure where I'm going with this :lol: but I looked at largely unpopulated Nebraska:
ERS/USDA Data - NE Unemployment and Median Household Income (http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/unemployment/RDList2.asp?ST=NE)
where the cost of living is significantly less, which means the HHI can be less and people still have a decent standard of living.

What really struck me are the unemployment figures. How in the hell does Nebraska have a lower unemployment than Maryland??? There's no freaking place to work in Nebraska, yet people clearly find work anyway. Contrast that to Maryland, which is teeming with industry yet has significantly higher unemployment.

I understand there's a huge population difference, but come on. The numbers tell me that Maryland needs to get it's #### together, and it needs to start with our elected officials who obviously don't know what the hell they're doing.

Because in order to attract liberal voter cattle you have to spend on entitlement and social services first, political payoffs second, and then when the feed bag is empty, scare people by saying teachers, fire, police will be laid off while deleting the part of the sentence about the necessity of feeding of voter cattle first!!! Why do you think most Liberals lead heavily populated poor communities, it only took Democrats 5 counties to outvote the other 18!!! Typical liberal B/S ideology!!!