October 23, 2007
Dear George,
Today, we - and the representatives we've all sent to Annapolis - face choices about Maryland's future.
Over the past few months, we have put forward a fair, long-term solution for the $1.7 billion budget deficit we've inherited that protects middle class families - as well as education, healthcare and public safety, which make up 84% of Maryland's budget. Our plan starts with $280 million in cuts, and reduces spending growth by $1 billion over the next two years. And it depends on acting now - in a special session.
At the same time, some people in both political parties have spent a lot of time offering criticisms without solutions 
I believe we have a responsibility to be honest with Maryland families about the choices we face. So today, we made public the price of doing nothing - with our Cost of Delay Budget, balancing the budget entirely through cuts. This is no academic exercise or scare tactic. It is the basis of the budget we will be forced to introduce in January if the General Assembly cannot reach consensus during the upcoming special session.
Lt. Governor Brown and I didn't run to preside over decline. But we are constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. And the alternative to a consensus budget solution is straightforward - and it will begin this year to prevent reductions from being even sharper next year:
- $866 million in cuts to local governments, cutting things like schools, teacher pension funding, libraries, police aid, drug treatment, public health, open space, community colleges and grants to local arts organizations.
- More than $160 million less invested in higher education - and the last time we did that tuition went up by 40%.
- More than $200 million in cuts to Medicaid - rather than making healthcare more affordable and available.
- And millions more by closing State Police barracks, and making cuts to priorities like agriculture, biotechnology, stem cell research, nursing homes, foster care, tourism and historic redevelopment.
That is the truth of our circumstance. And it gives you an idea why it's easier for some to say what they're against, instead of making choices and telling you what they're for. The reductions are listed below:
- Cost of Delay Budget Reduction Summary
- Reductions in educational funding for organizations
- Reductions in higher education funding
- Reductions in arts funding
These are cuts we are working hard to prevent. I remain confident that we will succeed in coming together to find fair, long-term solution - avoiding the Cost of Delay Budget. When the people of Maryland are presented with the choice of growing stronger or weaker... of moving forward or sliding backwards... we always choose to make progress.
Thank you for your work to move Maryland forward. And if - after thinking about the choices presented between our solution and the alternative - you would like to contact your legislators to express your opinion, you can reach them through this website: http://app.streamsend.com/c/18861/561/rJUM36S/JQDW?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fmdelect.net%2F.
Sincerely,
Martin O'Malley
Governor
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