It always amazes me how each state has its own feel and identity. When you cross from one state line to another we may imagine that something has changed. Is the grass a different shade of green? Do the trees have different leaves and is the air a bit sweeter? In some cases there is a difference. One only needs to travel from Pennsylvania or Delaware into Maryland to notice a difference in the roads, street lighting systems, and road signs to see that Maryland makes sizeable infrastructure investments. Drivers on these roads contribute via a toll system in some cases. In others the funding combinations come from local, state, and federal dollars.
Maryland’s natural resources are vast and diverse. From the mountainous west to the Chesapeake Bay and from the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, Maryland’s resources contribute too much of the state’s economic success. While everybody is feeling the hard times, Maryland’s unemployment rate is 7 percent, which is better than the 8.4 percent national average. Consequently the needs to protect resources led to regulations that some have criticized. However, Maryland is number 11, just outside the top 10 ranking for having the lowest carbon footprint. While Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources Police force is in need of new recruits for their academy, there is a serious and proud mission to protect and serve the wildlife and natural areas. In Maryland, DNR police have full policing authority just like the State Police.
I have recently encountered a number of people who were complaining about the cost of living in Maryland compared to other states, in particular complaining about the government in Maryland and the high cost of taxes and regulations. I have also criticized the size of the state government for at times not sun setting potentially outdated programs. However, the fact remains that Maryland is light years ahead of other states in many categories. That is attributed to forward-thinking leadership of elected officials, especially Southern Maryland’s. The citizens, hard-working Marylanders, are also very active with many of the state’s programs that indirectly and in some case directly contribute to Maryland’s success in job growth, environmental protection, infrastructure construction, and more. When venting about the tax rate, I spoke to one individual who went on a diatribe about taxes and gun rights, to the cost of living and the cost of permits and licenses. When you look at Maryland’s full portfolio it is hard to criticize the tax and fee structures too harshly because of how those dollars are allocated.
While the cost of living in Maryland is 22 percent higher than the national average, Maryland’s public education system is the best in the country this year and has been for four straight years. Making our schools number one has not been cheap. Governor O’Malley, who may go down as one of Maryland’s greatest, has worked hard toward that end during his administration in addition to the work of the Democratic-led legislature. He balanced a 1.6 billion Structural Deficit several years ago while continuing to fund education and even gave more in certain areas. He reduced the size of government by 4,200 positions and has continued progress with Programs like BAYStat, and STATEstat.
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