Marks For Maryland
“Ready To Serve“
Restore Fiscal Accountability:
Last year Maryland citizen’s experienced the largest tax increase in our states history, but yet we were still faced with$2 billion budget shortfall. I am commited to finding proactive solutions to Maryland’s long running discrepancy between state revenue and spending that will cut out government waist. As a member of the House of Delegate I have a three point solution to help Maryland get its fiscal house in order.
-
The General Assembly should not support any new legislation with out a dedicated source of funding.
-
I would propose that Maryland adopt some form of “Performance based Budgeting” that requires all departments and agencies of the State to set quarterly performance reviews to make sure they are meeting or making progress towards certain expectations. The purpose of quarterly reviews is to measure the departments productivity and cost associated with doing business.
-
All Union contracts with the state should be renegotiated, including teachers, Police , and fireman.
With Maryland having the highest Dept load per capita among all other states, we must develop bold policy solutions in order for Maryland’s to get its fiscal house in order.
Economic Development:
The corporate tax rate in Maryland is now 8.25 % compared to Va. corporate tax is 6.0%. When elected I will seek out ways to lower taxes and reduce red tape for small business owners. I am committed to creating a business friendly environment in Maryland, that will attract people and industry to back to Maryland.
With Maryland’s current unemployment rate at 7.4%; my committment will be establishing policies that will foster small business development that will lower unemployment. To help stimulate employment I would support a payroll tax holiday to lower the cost of hiring new workers, this would also temporarily increase a workers take-home pay by an additional 7.5 %. By giving credits to people, not to companies, would lower employers labor costs and stimulate consumer spending. A ” tax Holiday” has been backed by the National Federation of Independent Business. My top priority will be to lower the tax burden in Maryland and cut bureaucratic red tap that discourages new companies from hiring new employees.
Public Safety and Security:
We must put an end to Maryland being ranked 5 th as the most violent state in the country. I support “truthinsentencing legislation”that requires violent offenders to serve 85 % of their time. With the ne steady increase in illegal emigration to Maryland over the years, I support strict enforcement of all federal emigration laws in Maryland. This also includes inforcement measures for Federal E-Verification system for illegal immigration, a electronic system set up for employers to verify the legal status of potential employees.
I support ”Jessica’s Law” S.B. 413 that provides severe punishment for child predators and pedophile.
I support the freedom and protection of Second Amendment of the constitution, the right of “self protection” for Maryland citizens.
Reduced Health Care Cost:
My priority for reforming health care will be to reduce cost, by reforming medical malpractice insurance, and eliminating all unfunded mandates placed on individials and business owners. We should also open up the market place, by allowing the purchase of interstate health care insurance, and individual purchase of a group health plan through a professional, trade or civic association. I support giving the states more flexibility to adpapt a plan that is most efficient for needs of the states. Some of the best solution for reform have all ways come from the local communities not the federal government.
Government Transparency and Accountability:
Citizens should be more engage in public policy discussions that impact there lives; by state government embracing new web 2.0 technologies. State government needs to adopt this new interactive web technology and social web that is transforming ways for citizens to be engaged with there elected officials. Marylands General Assembly web-site should be in user friendly format, with easy access to how members voted in committee hearings, and live web-stream broadcast of the legislative sessions. I support an established standard of transparency under the freedom of Imformation Act for all state document, such as state budgets contracts and pending legislation for online public access. The work of state government should open and transparent at all times.
Education:
One of Maryland’s greatest assats has been our education system, that has consistently been ranked among the best in the nation. Every child in Maryland should have the civil and constitutional right to a quality education. I support expanding charter schools in Maryland to give parents more choices in education of there children.
Maryland is one of only two states in the mid Atlantic region with a compulsory attendance at age 16, were D.C. and Virgina the age is set 18. I would support increasing the compulsory age from 16 to age 18, in order to decrease the drop out rate of school attendance.
Chesapeake Bay Clean Up:
The state of Maryland must take the lead and adopt minimume standards for cleaning up the Bay. By placing restrictions on farmers, developers, home-owners. and others to curtail the flow of pollutants into the Bay, such as nitrogen,phosphorus and sediments. According to the reports, almost a million pounds of nitrogen flows into the bay every day.
I welcome and encourage you to contact me with any questions or comments you may have. As your Delegate member, I will put a renewed focus on constituent serve. It is my hope to earn your trust and confidence to serve you in the state Senate.
Respectfully Yours!
Meyer Marks
Maryland House of Delegate District 16
