Crab Cakes and Taxes: Why Maryland is Sinking

Liberals like to claim that they are the champions of the middle class.  They claim that without Democrats, ruthless Republicans would sell the little guy out to the evil corporations who, like Vampires on the hit HBO show “Trueblood”, would find joy in sucking you, the little guy, dry.  With all this class warfare rhetoric, it is hard to believe that Liberals have time to do anything, but that’s neither here nor there. 

Little more than soap-box rhetoric, the class warfare argument does little to peak my interest. What really concerns me is the lasting effect of big government.  What becomes of liberal policies?  What happens to the unlucky state whose leadership believes big government is the solution rather than the problem? 

Well, lucky enough I got my answer in a recent article profiling my home state of Maryland.  Maryland which is widely known for being home to such joys as Chesapeake Blue Crabs, Old Bay Seasoning, and Camden Yards is also home to some of the most liberal politicians in office today.  Maryland is so blue that despite the success of the tea party in 2010 Maryland was one of the few states that saw more democrats elected.  So what to make of this?  Well according to a recent article from CNBC.com, Maryland isn’t doing too well. The article entitled “In Maryland, Higher Taxes Chase Out Rich: Study”  the author states that “wealthy Maryland residents may be moving out due to recent tax hikes – a finding that is sure to escalate the battle over taxing the American rich.” The article goes on to state, “The study, by the anti-tax group Change Maryland, says that a net 31,000 residents left the state between 2007 and 2010, the tenure of a “millionaire’s tax” pushed through by Gov. Martin O’Malley. The tax, which expired in 2010, in imposed a rate of 6.25 percent on incomes of more than $1 million a year.”  

So taxing the rich doesn’t work? Who knew?  Let me clarify: taxing the rich does not create jobs, does not spur economic growth. All it does do is make people flee the state faster than Conservatives from a Dixie Chicks Concert.  Sound good? 

Maryland’s lawmakers are so backward one would think they weren’t possibly paying attention to the detrimental results of their policies.  The article goes on to say, The Change Maryland study found that the tax cost Maryland $1.7 billion in lost tax revenues. A county-by-county analysis by Change Maryland also found that the state’s wealthiest counties also had some of the largest population outflows.” 

If that didn’t make your head explode this might.  “In total, Maryland has added 24 new taxes or fees in recent years, Change Maryland says.” 

What does this tell you?  Well, Liberal policies simply don’t work. Taxing the rich, raising taxes or increasing fees will only kill economic growth.  Why would anyone choose to live in a place when their taxes are going up every time a lawmaker opens his or her mouth? (Side note: Remember when Governor O’Malley was running for election and claimed he wouldn’t raise taxes?) And better yet why would anyone even consider starting a business in a place like this?

 Democrats can deny these facts, but sooner or later their lies will catch up to them.  There is nothing better to an argument then sound economic numbers, something liberals are incapable of acknowledging, but we can wait.  In the meantime we can sit back and watch, because soon even the crabs will be leaving Maryland, and really who would blame them?

 

Read more here: http://www.cnbc.com/id/48120446