Md Passes largest tax hike in history.

[bcp]

That's okay JPC, oh I mean BCP.

 

[Dymphna]

I dont care where my state stands in ranking; I only want my taxes to be wisely used, and fairly distributed.

I am from CA, and my MD taxes are as high as I paid in San Diego, but my schools, roads, and other services are much better (tho the roads are more crowded, and drivers ruder).
I am a native TN, and they have no state income tax, hence the high sales tax. And Hoo Hoo intake...
Mom is in FL;; I am glad my kids are not being raised there. No state income tax. Crowded and hot. Toll roads amuk. Did I mention hot? Terri Schaivo fascists...
We have a deficit. Either reduce services, or raise taxes. Enforce laws on the books (teen drivers, anyone?)! And if u are unhappy; move on.

I agree, it's not about ranking...I mentioned it to make a point about the post I replied to. Maryland may not have the highest taxes, but they are getting pretty dayum close. And there's not much to show for it.

 

[vegmom]

And if we got "the many" off the dole would we have to keep increasing taxes? No one is talking about those in true need and deserving of assistance only those "playing" the system.

Unfortunatly this is the prevailing stereotype: the welfare mom with 10 kids who never works.

You can imagine the dirty looks I used to get when I spent that $30 a month in food stamps, especially with my infant daughter in tow.

 

[Plan B]

And if we got "the many" off the dole would we have to keep increasing taxes? ....

Yes.

 

[Ken King]

Unfortunatly this is the prevailing stereotype: the welfare mom with 10 kids who never works.

You can imagine the dirty looks I used to get when I spent that $30 a month in food stamps, especially with my infant daughter in tow.

I make no stereotype, just that I know of many getting assistance that truly are undeserving that need to be made to account for themselves. And what dirty looks did you get or was it that your own insecurity made you think that you were getting dirty looks because you felt ashamed for needing help?

 

[vegmom]

Even if we got the deadbeats off welfare, it still would not make that huge a dent in the state budget. Investigations would probably eat up about as much money as they saved.

I am sure there is plenty of other waste we can weed out of the state budget. I did mention the 50 cents in sales tax I had to write a check for? By the time they sent me the nastygram and processed the payment the State probably spent $5.00 collecting it.

 

[vegmom]

I make no stereotype, just that I know of many getting assistance that truly are undeserving that need to be made to account for themselves. And what dirty looks did you get or was it that your own insecurity made you think that you were getting dirty looks because you felt ashamed for needing help?

No, a couple people actually made a face, as if to say "oh, one of THEM" or rolled eyes when they saw the card come out of my wallet. Not all the time of course, but happened enough times to annoy me.

 

[aps45819]

What do you drive and are you willing to sell?

Did I mention it also does 0-60 in about 4 seconds, that's right up there with a Ferrari.





but it only has 2 wheels

 

[vegmom]

Currently Maryland is ranked 23rd for taxes on Cigaretes, with the tax hike there will only be 3 states with a higher tax

Link

But then your avoiding 2 things in the discussion :

• Maryland is tying economic programs, "to help the poor" to the Cigarete taxes. Does Maryland want to eliminate smoking? If so wouldnt that wipe out the programs?
• You confused the issue about buying out of state cigarettes by bringing up Al Qeda, the reason Maryland limits you to 3 packs from out of state is SOLELY MONEY. When you purchase cigarettes from a Sheetz in Virginia (for 2 dollars less a pakc, than in Maryland you are NOT supporting Al Qeda.

Putting words in my mouth- and you did not read all my posts concerning bootlegs aparantly.

I see no reason why someone can't bring a couple cartons over the bridge, but PART of the reasons state's restrict what you can get is because of said bootleggers. Yes, they have to protect their revenues, but that's not the sole reason they do it. And I seriously doubt someone is going to get busted for a couple cartons of Marlboros when law enforcement has bigger fish to fry.

And there is a good chance any cheap cigs bought online are bootlegged.

 

[Ken King]

No, a couple people actually made a face, as if to say "oh, one of THEM" or rolled eyes when they saw the card come out of my wallet. Not all the time of course, but happened enough times to annoy me.

And why do you care enough about what others thought of you for it to annoy you?

Even if we got the deadbeats off welfare, it still would not make that huge a dent in the state budget. Investigations would probably eat up about as much money as they saved.

Initially the investigation might cost more, it might not, but once off the dole the savings would be there, true?

I am sure there is plenty of other waste we can weed out of the state budget. I did mention the 50 cents in sales tax I had to write a check for? By the time they sent me the nastygram and processed the payment the State probably spent $5.00 collecting it.

Weed it all out and get those that haven't paid their required taxes to pay.

 

[Dymphna]

Unfortunatly this is the prevailing stereotype: the welfare mom with 10 kids who never works.

You can imagine the dirty looks I used to get when I spent that $30 a month in food stamps, especially with my infant daughter in tow.

I used to process welfare applications for social services. No, there aren't many who have a bunch of kids. There were almost ALL single parent homes, because at that time one parent had to be absent or incapacitated to even qualify. They were working on changing that when I left.

The vast majority of welfare clients were mothers of children whose fathers were deadbeats. Most of these women had little education and no job skills. Many of them were second generation welfare recipients who were raised by single mothers with little education or job skills. They system had job training programs in place, but they really had to start from scratch. Many of these folks had no idea how to dress themselves to get a job or why their clothes had anything to do with it.

Most of them were not "working" the system. A few were. There was the lady who shipped her kids off to live with grandma a week after she enrolled them in school to establish residency here. Both she and grandma were getting welfare for the same children. There was the lady who denied receiving social security benefits for her children after her husband died, despite being asked straight out if she was getting the money. I don't remember how much she was getting, but it was enough to disqualify her completely from all services and if we'd hadn't had staff shortages to investigate it, she would have been paying reimbursement to the state for years There was the woman with the "alternate lifestyle" whose bebe daddy was #12726 from a sperm bank in Virginia, but who didn't work and didn't have a man in the house she was on welfare, despite the fact that her partner made bank.

 

[vegmom]

Cigarettes are about 2 dollars cheaper a pack. If you buy one carton of cigarettes thats 20 bucks.

Holy Smokes! (bad pun, bad pun!)Don't know which part of me gets the heebeejeebees over that idea more: the ex-smoker part or the Scottish part.

 

[aps45819]

PART of the reasons state's restrict what you can get is because of said bootleggers. Yes, they have to protect their revenues, but that's not the sole reason they do it.

Yes it is. If the pols in Annapolis cared about our security, they wouldn't ACTIVELY support illegal aliens

 

[Pete]

I agree, it's not about ranking...I mentioned it to make a point about the post I replied to. Maryland may not have the highest taxes, but they are getting pretty dayum close. And there's not much to show for it.

while they throw more and more money into that cess pool known as Baltimore I cannot even get public sewer service for less than $160 a month because the state wont chip in matching funds.

 

[vegmom]

And why do you care enough about what others thought of you for it to annoy you?

Initially the investigation might cost more, it might not, but once off the dole the savings would be there, true?

Weed it all out and get those that haven't paid their required taxes to pay.

It annoyed me because I was a young working mother functioning on little sleep. Kinda makes you touchy.

The whole bit with the Comptroller was hillarious. I sent in my statement for the quarter, had collected 50 cents in sales tax. I called and asked if I could send it with next quarters since it was so small. No, I had to send it in now. I am sure the check cost more to process than it was worth. If I had been in a real smartass mood I would have taped 2 quarters to a postcard and sent it in.

 

[vegmom]

I Many of these folks had no idea how to dress themselves to get a job or why their clothes had anything to do with it.

Heck- according to 60 Minutes many college educated 20 somethings don't get that. Whaddya mean I can't get a $100k a year job wearing flip-flops?

 

[Ken King]

It annoyed me because I was a young working mother functioning on little sleep. Kinda makes you touchy.

I suspect that you were feeling other emotions about having to be on assistance, but I'll take this at face value.

The whole bit with the Comptroller was hillarious. I sent in my statement for the quarter, had collected 50 cents in sales tax. I called and asked if I could send it with next quarters since it was so small. No, I had to send it in now. I am sure the check cost more to process than it was worth. If I had been in a real smartass mood I would have taped 2 quarters to a postcard and sent it in.

Should have shipped a roll of pennies that way you could have spent as much paying what you owed as they did trying to collect it.

 

[vegmom]

I suspect that you were feeling other emotions about having to be on assistance, but I'll take this at face value.

Probably, since I'm independent minded as heck, but I'll leave that to my shrink.

Should have shipped a roll of pennies that way you could have spent as much paying what you owed as they did trying to collect it.

Spend? SPEND? Did I mention I'm full of Scottish genes?

 

[Pete]

while they throw more and more money into that cess pool known as Baltimore I cannot even get public sewer service for less than $160 a month because the state wont chip in matching funds.

Actually no, we go to the McDonalds in Leonardtown to do #2.

 

[vraiblonde]

No, a couple people actually made a face, as if to say "oh, one of THEM" or rolled eyes when they saw the card come out of my wallet. Not all the time of course, but happened enough times to annoy me.

Get over it. When you work for a boss and take a paycheck from him, he's going to treat you as a subordinate. When you take a check from the taxpayers, they will treat you the same way.

If you're on the up and up, you shouldn't care what strangers think. Instead, you should work to not be dependent on their money.