The tough economy has forced many Marylanders to curtail spending to be able to pay their bills. Evidently, this is news to Governor O'Malley who has proposed a spate of taxes and fees including higher electric bills to subsidize an offshore wind farm. Is it the work of lame duck governor who no longer worries about his constituents, or is it because his attention is on securing his candidacy for the White House?
According to State House Columnist Barry Rascovar, O'Malley didn't even prepare the Democratic lawmakers to the flood of tax changes - doubling or tripling the gas and flush tax, the "high earners" tax, higher electric bills, etc. Rascovar said, "O'Malley forgot to focus on the basics and instead surprised legislators with a bunch of poorly received tax ideas."
It seems he has spent his time nurturing his connections with the Democratic Governor's Association rather than meeting with Maryland lawmakers to build consensus on his agenda. One week worth of headlines say it all:
