Governor Larry Hogan joined WMAL Radio today to discuss the challenges facing Marylanders today, including crime, the border crisis, and the Maryland General Assembly’s proposed tax increases.
On the General Assembly’s proposed tax hike: “I cut taxes eight years in a row by $4.7 billion. We took a $5 billion dollar deficit and turned it into a five billion dollar surplus, we turned Maryland’s economy around and went from 49th out of 50 states to number six, the biggest economic turnaround in America. And [Marylanders] are concerned about that, as a top priority right now, because the legislature, as we speak, is considering and discussing the largest tax increase in history. They’re talking about a four billion dollar increase in the sales tax, a tax on everyone and everything. …
“We eliminated 350 fees and cut tolls in half, the first time tolls were cut in fifty years, and they’re talking about reversing all of that…as inflation is out of control and people are struggling to pay their bills, here in Maryland and they’re talking about drastically increasing taxes which will destroy Maryland’s economy and cost us businesses and jobs.”
On crime: “As the far left was pandering with this crazy idea of defund the police, I’m the first elected leader in America to stand up and strongly speak out against it. I pushed a Refund the Police initiative, which is being followed by other states. … We put half a billion dollars more into state and local police, a 50% increase in state aid to police. … These are issues that the country is wrestling with that we have already taken action on.”
On the border crisis: “We absolutely must secure and close the border. This is one where Democrats and Republicans—you can’t agree on everything, but there is a path forward and it starts with securing the border, and then as Ronald Regan wanted to do, find a way to fix the broken immigration system … Step one is they ought to take every action possible to close the border.”
