Maryland has one of our nation’s more oxymoronic state nicknames: “The Free State.”
Oxymoronic – because the decades-now Democrat-dominated state legislature has spent their time and legislative effort ensuring that everything in “The Free State”…is inordinately expensive.
Most especially government. In 2016, Maryland was the most taxed state in the union. Maryland Democrats are so tax-happy, they were even taxing…the rain.
But in November 2016 – something wonderful happened. The good people of Maryland very wisely elected as Governor – Republican Larry Hogan. Who ran in no small part on a copious tax-cutting platform.
And once elected, Hogan kept his word. Gone was the very obnoxious rain tax – despite vociferous Democrat objection – and many other levies and fees.
But Democrats will not go quietly into that less-tax night. They have just passed a huge new tax increase. And done so – under the false flag of business tax “reform.” Behold SB 1090.
Democrat business tax “reform?” We should know better – and so should Hogan. Democrats don’t like business – so why would their business tax “reform” do anything other than punish business?
And here’s the obnoxious new wrinkle Democrats have added: SB 1090 increases taxes on businesses…not even incorporated in the state. Taxation without representation – on stilts.
Which at least makes a little sense. How much more could Democrats wring out of just Maryland’s businesses?
And you can jack taxes all day long on out-of-state businesses – because their entrepreneurs and employees can’t vote to stop you.
How obnoxious is all of that?
The Democrat tax increase will be on many businesses – as much as 10%.
And as they realize the full measure of their election-implication-free ability to tax non-Maryland businesses and people who can’t vote against them – you know those tax increases will necessarily skyrocket.
And, of course, businesses don’t pay taxes – their customers do. Oh wait – that’s us.
(And I do mean “us.” I reside in Maryland…for just under six months of the year. At which point I flee to income-tax-free Florida for the majority of the annum.)
All of this being said, let us now posit the notion that Maryland’s Democrats didn’t intend this to be a massive tax increase – on businesses both inside and outside the state.
I don’t find it plausible – but I suppose it’s possible.
If that is in fact the case – Democrats simply screwed up. Rather than reforming taxes – they created a new system that increases taxes and begins taxing out-of-staters. A terrible and heinous error indeed.
Whether SB 1090 as drafted is intentional or accidental – Governor Hogan’s response should be the exact same.
Veto away, good Sir.
This first appeared in Red State.