Pop Quiz, gentle readers. Imagine you’re the governor of Maryland and you have to balance the state budget. That means that there have to be budget cuts. Where do you want to make the cuts?
- Cut a from each county budget equally.
- Cut from the wealthiest county budgets--they can handle the cuts best because they have the most money to begin with.
- Cut from the aid package that was put together to help Baltimore City, specifically from programs to help schools, neighborhoods and libraries. Also reduce support for state workers, Maryland’s disabled residents and Prince George’s Hospital.
If you answered C, you must be Governor Larry Hogan. Hi, Governor. I didn’t know you read this blog, but I’m flattered.
Maryland’s ~super moderate~ governor balanced the state budget this year. Hooray! Of course, he did it at the expense of Baltimore City, just weeks after he spoke at the inauguration of new Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh and swore commitment to improve the city after the civil unrest that followed Freddie Gray’s death. One of the governor’s spokesmen said the proposal reflected the governor’s priorities for minimal spending. Fair enough. But wouldn’t it be wiser to cut from a place that isn’t as vulnerable as Baltimore City?
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| Gov. Hogan announcing his new budget. Photo courtesy of YouTube. |
I’ve got some quotes from the governor himself and I thought I’d share them with you. Afterwards, if you’re so inclined, call his office and read them to him. Let’s remind the governor of his commitment to Baltimore City. And if he’s unwilling to listen, let’s elect a new governor who will dedicate himself to defending the people of Baltimore.
"I want you to know that you do have a partner,”--Gov. Hogan to new mayor Catherine Pugh
"With a renewed partnership between the governor's office in Annapolis and the leadership in the city of Baltimore, we can truly change Baltimore and Maryland for the better."--Gov. Hogan at Mayor Pugh’s inauguration
“We've got to do something about it.”--Gov. Hogan about the violence problem in Baltimore
“[My budget will include] no serious cuts to any agencies or programs"-- Gov. Hogan about his 2018 budget proposal
You can contact Governor Hogan here
For more information on Hogan’s budget and his promise to check out these Baltimore Sun articles:
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