Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Gov O'Malley speeches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gov O'Malley speeches. Show all posts

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Governor Martin O'Malley Delivers Address on Fiscal Responsibility

Governor Martin O'Malley Delivers Address on Fiscal Responsibility

[ View Video / Read Remarks ]

WASHINGTON, DC (July 31, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley delivered a major address before the Center for American Progress today, focusing on the restoration of fiscal responsibility in Maryland. As states work to balance their budgets in the midst of a rising federal deficit, a faltering national economy and mortgage crisis, Governor O’Malley addressed how to restore fiscal responsibility while making critical investments in our shared priorities, like public education, infrastructure, energy and affordable, quality health care.

“Many States have had to deal with budget shortfalls by carving into priorities like public safety, public education and healthcare,” said Governor O’Malley. “None of the options are popular, but while some of these choices pull us backwards, other choices can and will move us forward – even in the toughest of times.”

Governor O’Malley, facing an inherited $1.7 billion structural deficit upon taking office, worked with leaders in the General Assembly to virtually close the budget shortfall through a series of reforms, including nearly $1.8 billion in spending cuts and reductions, the elimination of over 700 State positions, and the implementation of a progressive tax structure that allows 95% of Marylanders to pay the same or less in income taxes as they did in the prior year.

“Nothing that we accomplished in the three week Special Session was easy. But, throughout the difficult consensus-forging work, we continued to proclaim the goals that unite us: to strengthen and grow our middle class, and family owned businesses and farms; to improve public safety and public education in every region of our State; and to expand opportunity – the opportunity to learn and earn, the opportunity to enjoy the health of the people we love and the environment we love to more people rather than fewer.”

The Governor continued. “We eliminated government positions and implemented performance based management practices that helped eliminate nearly $20 million in overtime costs, and saved our State more than $20 million in Medicaid fraud recoveries. We closed the arcane, violent House of Corrections, which not only turned out to be the right thing to do morally, it also saved taxpayers $10 million. We replaced well-intentioned funding indexes that had fueled unsustainable spending in the past and threatened to accelerate spending in the immediate future. And we passed a package of legislation that modernized our tax code while lowering the income tax rate for 90 percent of Marylanders, and increasing the State Earned Income Tax Credit for hard-working families and our aspiring middle class.”

“When faced with a crippling structural deficit, we asked our neighbors in Maryland to embrace, once again, the politics of posterity. The politics which embraces the duty we have, not only to our neighbors, but to the next generation,” Governor O’Malley said. “The politics that believes tomorrow can be better than today, and that each of us has a personal freedom and moral responsibility, by our own actions and by our own investments, to make it so. Just as our parents and grandparents built our roads, our schools, and our hospitals with their blood, their sweat, their tears, and yes, with their hard earned dollars, we asked our fellow Marylanders to join us in choosing a better future for our own posterity.”

Governor O’Malley discussed the circumstances surrounding the inherited $1.7 billion structural deficit as context for the reforms the O’Malley-Brown Administration implemented to correct it.

“While a slowing economy exacerbated our circumstances, the primary cause was of our own making. In a flash of bi-partisan irresponsibility we had locked in nearly two billion dollars in increased expenditures, primarily in public education, while at the same time cutting income taxes for millionaires and everyone else by a billion dollars. And despite the $3 billion in backhanded stealthy property tax increases, fee and toll increases, and 40 percent increases in college tuition of our predecessor, the chickens of our bad math were coming home to roost. In the words of the great Abraham Lincoln, we could no longer ‘escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.’”

Outlining the strong, sustainable fiscal environment in which these reforms now place the State of Maryland, Governor O’Malley recognized the challenge that all states face in difficult economic times and the opportunities for progress fiscal responsibility can present.

“By taking these actions we were able to address a huge structural deficit that was years in the making. Two weeks ago the rating agencies affirmed Maryland’s Triple A Bond Rating, meaning that we’re still one of only seven states to hold the highest rating of credit worthiness from all three major bond agencies. But the true value of restoring fiscal responsibility is found in the progress that we are now able to make for the common good and stronger future that all of us would prefer.”

Former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta founded the Center for American Progress, the think tank that hosted Governor O’Malley for his address today, in 2003. The Center’s experts cover a wide range of issue areas, and often work across disciplines to tackle complex, interrelated issues such as national security, energy, and climate change. The Center is designed to shape national debate through dialogue with leaders, thinkers, and citizens, affecting positive change and developing a position of long-term leadership for America.

[ Watch Video ]

Additional Press Releases

http://www.gov.state.md.us/pressreleases/080731.asp

20080731 Gov O’Malley Delivers Address on Fiscal Responsibility

July 31 Center for American Progress: Fiscal Responsibility July 21 Signing of Evergreen Marine Agreement Transcript July 25 Infants and Toddlers Program Announcement July 24 Testimony Before Senate Subcommittee on Government Efficiency July 17 Leonardtown Capital for a Day July 10 Announcement of Statewide Interoperability Strategy July 8 DNA and Bearcat Announcement

Monday, January 28, 2008

20080123 MPT’s “State Circle”: MD Senator David Brinkley’s response to the State of the State address by MD Governor Martin O’Malley


MPT’s “State Circle”: MD Senator David Brinkley’s response to the State of the State address by MD Governor Martin O’Malley

January 23, 2008

State Circle’s Jeff Salkin, the host of Maryland Public Television’s “State Circle” and State Circle’s correspondent Charles Robinson interview Senator David Brinkley (R) and get his thoughtful and wide-ranging response to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s State of the State Address

Some of the best reporting on Maryland General Assembly matters is on Maryland Public Television’s “State Circle.” Lots of great content in their video archives, which can be found here: State Circle Video Content

http://www.mpt.org/publicsquare/statecircle/video.cfm

Click here for more information about the MPT “State Circle” news correspondents: About State Circle http://www.mpt.org/publicsquare/statecircle/about.cfm

For more coverage of the Maryland General Assembly go to: “State Circlehttp://www.mpt.org/publicsquare/statecircle/

20080123 MD Sen Brinkley resp to MD SOTS address

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net

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Response to the State of the State Address: Senator David Brinkley (R).

20080123 Press Release: Governor O'Malley Delivers 2008 State of the State Address

20080123 January 23rd, 2008 State of the State Address by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley

Thursday, January 24, 2008

20080123 Speeches by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley January 17 2007 to date

Speeches by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley January 17 2007 to date

January 23, 2008

January 23 Governor O'Malley's State of the State Address

January 9 Opening Remarks to the Maryland General Assembly

January 8 Maryland Crime Victims’ Rights and Compliance First Annual Conference

December 22 Commencement Address, Bowie State University

December 5 Chesapeake Bay Executive Council Meeting, Government House

October 29 Opening Remarks - Special Session

October 9 Maryland League of Conservation Voters 7th Annual John V. Kabler Award Event

September 26 Congressional Testimony – Climate Change

August 18 Maryland Association of Counties

July 30 Democratic Leadership Council National Conversation

July 19 10th Annual Irish America Magazine Wall Street 50 Awards Dinner

July 14 National Historic Trail

June 28 Washington Board of Trade: Buildling Maryland's Transportation Infrastructure

June 27 Maryland Municipal League 2007 Convention

June 21 BioAgenda Summit Taping

June 8 Washington Minority Contractors’ Association

May 27 Anne Arundel Community College Forty-Fifth Commencement

May 4 Honoring Fallen Heroes

April 27 Maryland State Trooper Graduation Ceremony

April 24 Bill Signing Ceremony

April 23 Center for American Progress - "Governing by the Numbers: The Promise of Data-Driven Policymaking in the Information Age"

April 14 Irish Institute

April 12 Baltimore County Legislative Wrap-Up

April 10 Bill Signing Ceremony

March 29 Governor's Leadership Award at World Trade Center Institute

March 28 First Citizen Award

March 19 Closing Jessup House of Correction

February 28 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rededication

February 8 National Labor College, Lane Kirkland Dedication

February 1 Agricultural Council Annual Dinner

January 31 Governor O'Malley's State of the State Address

January 26 Mountain Maryland PACE 2007 Legislative Breakfast

January 18 The FY 2008 Budget

January 17 Inauguration Address

http://www.governor.maryland.gov/speeches.asp