Kathleen Snyder has been president and chief executive officer of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce for almost nine years.
The Maryland native and University of Maryland, College Park, graduate was in Baltimore City on Wednesday to give members a legislative briefing.
What was the single most destructive tax passed by the General Assembly in the special session?
Definitely the computer-services tax.
It hurts every business in Maryland.
It?s a sales-and-use tax, so not only businesses selling computer services, but buying computer services will have to pay it.
Will it even raise the $200 million lawmakers claim?
Nobody knows.
We do know businesses throughout the state are talking about not growing here or even moving out.
If repealed, how would our leaders adjust to the lost revenue?
The Maryland Chamber gave the General Assembly $700 million in specific cuts ? real cuts ? in state spending.
Do other states have a similar tax?
Legislators repealed it in Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and some other states.
I think 10 have a similar tax, but it?s hard to judge because it isapplied differently.
But the most important thing to remember is that none of our competing states have this tax hurting the very businesses everyone says Maryland is depending on for growth.
What is the chamber?s No. 1 priority during the regular session?
The top priority must be repealing the computer-services tax.
If it goes into effect July 1, it will hurt every Maryland citizen.
Everyone should go to www.fightthetechtax.com [and] let legislators know we are against it.
