My 10 Suggestions to Governor O'Malley
To his credit, Governor Martin O'Malley has asked for the publics suggestions to help find ways to cut government spending. Ultimately, I believe Martin O'Malley will give more credence to those ideas that deal with raising revenue to fund government at it's current level. Still, I passed along the following ideas:
1) Combine Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Maryland Transit Authority Police and Maryland Natural Resources Police into a single agency. By doing so, it reduces the cost of keeping each agency singularly operational. Heck, by having a single Chief (as opposed to 4) would save almost a half million dollars.
2) Stop requiring Maryland State Police recruits to live at the Sykesville campus during the academy. No other police agency in Maryland burdens themselves with the cost of room and board for a six month period.
3) Instead of paying rent elsewhere, use the state owned hospital sites in Crownsville and Sykesville as office buildings.
4) Eliminate mileage and hotel reimbursements for legislators living less than 30 miles from Annapolis.
5) Stop granting complimentary EZ Passes to Senators/Delegates.
6) Carry out the sentences of death row inmates.
7) Issue concealed carry permits to law abiding Maryland citizens. The influx of application/renewal fees would generate consistent and dependable revenue.
8) Build more prisons in economically depressed Western Maryland. Because of the need for jobs, turnover is reduced, ultimately cutting the cost for the state.
9) Eliminate take home cars for all state employees.
10) Trade the Governor's SUV in for a smart car. DC Mayor Adrian Fenty has taken this leap. Will O'Malley follow?
Crossposted
4 comments:
Some good ideas, Bud. How about ending state funding for public broadcasting both radio and TV? How about ending state services to illegal aliens (like Ehrlich did)? How about repealing the health care and education increases the General Assembly passed that we knew we had no way of paying even in good times?
I think this might to make a dent.
Greg,
Good ideas as well.
How bout the following?
Stop paying for lavish out of State and Country trips to places like Ireland (O'Malley's new watering hole), Stop paying for high ranking State Dems to go to out of state conferences
Stop funding 4500 vacant pins at the Maryland Department of Education
Stop writing a blank check to the University of Maryland
Start making riders of mass transit pay the bill, instead of our states drivers paying
I would add one unexpected cost item that might save money: anyone who is on public assistance should get a free "subsistence permit" to hunt, fish or crab at no charge season-long, with one day reserved for them per season. I think that's an idea that liberals like me and conservatives here might get together on.
Doing this facilitates self-respect, self-reliance and reduces the costs of other food subsidy programs, particularly for the rural poor who often get ignored.
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