Printed below is the full text of today’s press release about the Slots referendum. MTA’s position is that slots won’t reduce taxes or balance a budget already out-of-control, instead spending will continue to explode.
PRESS RELEASE FROM
MARYLAND TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2008
Point of Contact: Herb McMillan, Pres. (443-822-0974)
The Maryland Taxpayers Association (MTA) announced its strong opposition to a Constitutional Amendment legalizing slot machine gambling at a press conference in Annapolis today.
MTA President Herb McMillan reminded fiscal conservatives that, “Maryland can’t tax and gamble its way to prosperity, or spend itself out of a deficit. Excessive spending and higher taxes are the root causes of Maryland’s economic problems. Slots will not solve these problems. Slots will simply add fuel to the government’s spending fire, while pulling 1.4 billion away from existing Maryland businesses. Slots, like tax increases, hurt small businesses, kill jobs, and weaken our economy. It’s time for government to tighten its belt and live within its means, just like we do.”
MTA Chairman Dee Hodges added that, “Taxpayers cannot trust Governor O’Malley with their money. Within one year, Governor O’Malley and his spendthrift friends in the General Assembly blew a billion dollar surplus, pushed through the largest tax hike in Maryland history, and then increased state spending by a billion dollars. Now we have yet another billion dollar deficit. Money burns a hole in Governor O’Malley’s pocket, and fiscal conservatives shouldn’t enable his spending addiction.”
Mr. McMillan pointed out that, “Despite his claims to the contrary, Governor O’Malley hasn’t cut any spending. State spending increased by one billion last year. Governor O’Malley isn’t using higher taxes and slots to avoid spending cuts. He’s using them to increase spending and expand government entitlement programs.”
In closing, Mr. McMillan called on fiscally conservative Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to unite against slots. “For years, fiscal conservatives were divided over slots, but Governor O’Malley has radically changed the terms of the debate. Slots and cuts instead of higher taxes were arguably the lesser of two evils. Slots after a record tax and spending increase are just an additional evil.”
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