Marylanders, already saddled with hefty tax increases, can?t afford Gov. Martin O?Malley?s proposals to improve public safety, Carroll County Republicans say.
“When we talk about priorities, public safety, that?s a priority,” said Sen. Larry Haines, R-District 5. “But there are other things, where if we maintain what we have until we get through this economic downturn, I think that?s the answer. But it looks like the governor just wants to keep on expanding.”
O?Malley pushed several new efforts to improve public safety in his State of the State address Wednesday. Among them: hiring 50 more parole officers, building new juvenile facilities, expanding GPS tracking of young offenders and storing DNA samples from anyone charged with a violent crime.
O?Malley wants to expand the government too much too soon, Haines said.
Republican delegation members in Carroll, who opposed the $1.4 billion in tax increases passed in the special session, say the faltering economy and the state?s taxes are what are on their constituents? minds.
“The surprising thing about the speech is he didn?t accept responsibility for a lot of the problems,” said Sen. Allan Kittleman, R-District 9.
For example, Kittleman said, in 2006 O?Malley pledged to reduce electricity rates, but “he hasn?t done anything.”
“DNA sampling is something everybody wanted to do for a while,” added Delegate Susan Krebs, R-District 9B. “But I was a little disappointed he didn?t mention the biggest issue to people in my district, and that?s the economy, and some of the things we?ve done in the past.”
Sen. David Brinkley, R-District 4, the Senate minority leader who railed against the special session, said he supported O?Malley on improving public safety.
But, Brinkley said, O?Malley should first deal with soaring electricity rates, rising state property taxes and how they related to a nationwide economic slump.
“He may be saying [to taxpayers], ?I feel your pain,? but he?s the one causing their pain,” Brinkley said.
Examiner Staff Writer Sara Michael contributed to this story.
