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Message from the Chairman: Paul Ryan's Path to Prosperity is a Blueprint for the Long Haul
Earlier this week, one of the Montgomery County's Central Committee members mentioned that she had not seen District 17 Legislative District Chair and Committee Member Jim Herz recently.
Trust me I told her, Jim has been very busy lately doing some very good work.
Jim is a Republican staff member of the House Budget Committee chaired by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. While much attention has been focused on the prospect of a government shutdown, perhaps the more significant budget work has been in preparing the Chairman Ryan's "Path to Prosperity."
While some media commentators try to handicap the short term blame and credit battle over who won or lost in the government shutdown contest about the budget for the remaining five months of the current fiscal year, the bigger picture challenge remains returning the country fiscal sanity over the coming decade. On this, Budget Chairman Paul Ryan has produced an impressive "Path to Prosperity" which proposal would cut deficits by more than $4 trillion.
Properly, the Ryan plan does not just focus on spending reduction, but does so in the context of returning the economy to prosperity.
Here are its major components of Paul Ryan's "Path to Prosperity" components[1]:
· Reducing spending: This budget proposes to bring spending on domestic government agencies to below 2008 levels, and it freezes this category of spending for five years. The savings proposals are numerous, and include reforming agricultural subsidies, shrinking the federal work force through a sensible attrition policy, and accepting Defense Secretary Robert Gates's plan to target inefficiencies at the Pentagon.
· Welfare reform: This budget will build upon the historic welfare reforms of the late 1990s by converting the federal share of Medicaid spending into a block grant that lets states create a range of options and gives Medicaid patients access to better care. It proposes similar reforms to the food-stamp program, ending the flawed incentive structure that rewards states for adding to the rolls. Finally, this budget recognizes that the best welfare program is one that ends with a job-it consolidates dozens of duplicative job-training programs into more accessible, accountable career scholarships that will better serve people looking for work.
As we strengthen and improve welfare programs for those who need them, we eliminate welfare for those who don't. Our budget targets corporate welfare, starting by ending the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that is costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. It gets rid of the permanent Wall Street bailout authority that Congress created last year. And it rolls back expensive handouts for uncompetitive sources of energy, calling instead for a free and open marketplace for energy development, innovation and exploration.
· Health and retirement security: This budget's reforms will protect health and retirement security. This starts with saving Medicare. The open-ended, blank-check nature of the Medicare subsidy threatens the solvency of this critical program and creates inexcusable levels of waste. This budget takes action where others have ducked. But because government should not force people to reorganize their lives, its reforms will not affect those in or near retirement in any way.
Starting in 2022, new Medicare beneficiaries will be enrolled in the same kind of health-care program that members of Congress enjoy. Future Medicare recipients will be able to choose a plan that works best for them from a list of guaranteed coverage options. This is not a voucher program but rather a premium-support model. A Medicare premium-support payment would be paid, by Medicare, to the plan chosen by the beneficiary, subsidizing its cost.
In addition, Medicare will provide increased assistance for lower-income beneficiaries and those with greater health risks. Reform that empowers individuals-with more help for the poor and the sick-will guarantee that Medicare can fulfill the promise of health security for America's seniors.
We must also reform Social Security to prevent severe cuts to future benefits. This budget forces policy makers to work together to enact common-sense reforms. The goal of this proposal is to save Social Security for current retirees and strengthen it for future generations by building upon ideas offered by the president's bipartisan fiscal commission.
· Budget enforcement: This budget recognizes that it is not enough to change how much government spends. We must also change how government spends. It proposes budget-process reforms-including real, enforceable caps on spending-to make sure government spends and taxes only as much as it needs to fulfill its constitutionally prescribed roles.
· Tax reform: This budget would focus on growth by reforming the nation's outdated tax code, consolidating brackets, lowering tax rates, and assuming top individual and corporate rates of 25%. It maintains a revenue-neutral approach by clearing out a burdensome tangle of deductions and loopholes that distort economic activity and leave some corporations paying no income taxes at all.
As a former Congressional Committee Counsel myself, I know that no staff member should ever take credit for their principal's work. (Forgive me Jim for breaking the rules.)
Never the less, we are very proud of what out Central Committee colleague has been doing. Keep it up Jim.
Mark Uncapher
Montgomery County Republican Chairman
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Montgomery County Young Republican Charity Ball
The Montgomery County Young Republicans cordially invite you to attend our Annual Charity Ball with all proceeds raised supporting The Montgomery County Law Enforcement Officers' Relief Fund (MCLEORF), a Non-Profit Organization providing assistance to the families of police officers killed in the line of duty.
Last April Montgomery County lost one of its finest when Officer Hector Ayala tragically lost his life in the line of duty. Officer Ayala left behind one son and a wife who gave birth to triplets after his passing.
Please come out and assist us in raising money for this great cause.
DATE: Saturday April 16th 2011 7:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
LOCATION: BETHESDA WOMENS CLUB
5500 Sonoma Road, Bethesda, MD
COST: $50 per person
Full Open Bar, Heavy Hors d'oeuvres, and a Night of Dancing
Interested? Contact Chairman Carl T. Weber III at mcyrpres@gmail.com or give us a call at 202-905-2893. |
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Union Stranglehold over Taxpayers
by Sandy Tuttle
As I was sitting in my county office one day, prior to the November elections, I was approached by a union representative who wanted to discuss the wonderful benefits of being a union employee. As a reluctant union member, who was forced to join the union because of no "right to work law," I replied, "no." As he prepared to leave my office, he asked me if I would like some literature. The literature, he was offering at my place of employment? A list of all the Democratic people I was advised to vote for in the November 2010 election - as if automatically withdrawing over $500 a year from my paychecks per year to support candidates I don't believe in, wasn't enough! More importantly, is this practice of soliciting support, for candidates at the workplace, even legal?
As a nation, we have watched Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin battle the unions in an effort to be fiscally responsible - rein in spending and attempt to balance the budget. This battle going on in Wisconsin should have served as a wake- up call for Governor O'Malley and the state legislature. Maryland is facing its own budget crisis, and Governor O'Malley seems undeterred as he grows our state budget by 10% for this upcoming FY, with an accompanying deficit of over $1.6 billion. The state is still facing billions of dollars in unfunded liabilities for state pension benefits.
Governor O'Malley continues to support the public sector unions, to the detriment of non-union members and taxpayers alike. A new three year contract recently hammered out by the O'Malley Administration and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, allows for a taxpayer funded $750 bonus this year - what union reps won't tell you is that over $500 of this bonus will go back to the Union in the form of dues, as noted by a staffer in Senator Chris Shank's office.
Moreover, in 2009, Governor O'Malley signed into law the Fair Share Law. This law will allow state government unions, beginning in July of this year, to require non-union members to pay the unions a bi-monthly "fee" on the premise that those who are not in the union also benefit "from the hard work" - or shall we say-strong armed tactics of those Union Reps at the negotiating table. This increases their base, which equals more money to support Democrats. This is a win-win for the Democrats and a complete loss for taxpayers in a state with an out of control budget.
Maryland unions have been so successful in their negotiations that on average state employees see approximately $5900 more in benefits when compared to the private sector. And, who is paying for all of this? Maryland taxpayers. According to the Center for Union Facts, Maryland residents could pay "..10.9% less in state income taxes if they weren't paying for inflated government employee union wages."
What does all this do for Governor O'Malley and the Democratic Party? It is clear that O'Malley has bought and paid for a steady stream of Democratic votes with our tax money in the years to come. According to a 2004 study by the Institute for Money in State Politics, approximately $467,624 of union money went to Democratic campaigns in Maryland. As the state government workforce becomes increasingly beholden to unions and of course to the Democrats running our state, we, the taxpayers, need to be prepared for future tax increases to pay for all these benefits. As the Fair Share law takes effect, the political fallout in this state will likely result in the decline and ultimate demise of the two party system.
Collective bargaining should not be used to force extravagant benefits at the expense of the taxpayers for generations to come. As the budget crisis looms, voters need to wake up and force the Democratic Party, through the ballot box, to lose its grip on power in Annapolis.
By Sandy Tuttle, Montgomery County Republican activist and couonty social worker |
From the Maryland Public Policy Institute
What Got Done
By John J. Walters
This week saw the conclusion of the legislative session in MD. We passed 163 new bills, and while I could not easily dig up a comprehensive list of everything our elected officials agreed upon I could find quite a few individual articles that mention different bits and pieces. With these, I will try to construct a sort of sketch of what was accomplished during the past 90 days in Annapolis. I'll warn you right now: this post will be laden with many links.
· Let's start with this piece in the Daily Record that summarizes things rather nicely. There seemed to be a fairly optimistic attitude amongst our legislators at having passed 163 new bills (that's almost two per day), which I guess is nice for them. It remains to be seen how those bills will affect the everyday lives of average Marylanders. O'Malley is disappointed that his off-shore wind proposal never got off the ground (nor did his proposed ban on septic systems), but I can't say that it seems many share his view.
· Now on to some of the big-ticket items. Of course, everyone knows that we voted to approve in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, provided their families have been in the state long enough to pay taxes for four years and for the kids to attend high-school and community college. It's a pretty controversial piece of legislation, but one that really only serves to highlight how broken our immigration standards are in this country. Even if you're worried about illegal immigrants eroding our society, I would submit that the qualifications for this law show that there are certainly some aliens you don't have to worry about. They're pulling their weight.
· Two more big-timers: we became one of the first states to set up a health insurance exchange (whether or not that's a good thing is up to debate) and we made some reforms to pensions in an effort to get costs under control. We'll see how these two actions affect health insurance costs and state debt down the road, but I don't think anyone would debate that the need for some movement on these fronts was necessary, given what's been going on.
· Something that got pushed off until later on this year (or potentially next year's session): the lack of transportation funding that is largely a result of plundering the Transportation Trust Fund to plug holes in the General Fund. That may become an item for the special session, with new taxes on gasoline and increased toll rates coming along with it. Goodie.
· Then, of course, there are any number of smaller bills that were passed. A couple of my favorites include a new school bus camera law to catch people who speed past stopped school buses and the establishment of a new misdemeanor offense for drivers who kill people by accident (strongly supported by bikers, for obvious reasons). I know we were also discussing a bill to make it illegal to smoke in the car with a child under eight years of age, but that one died a few weeks ago.
· There were also some very small ones. FrostburgCity will get a $40,000 grant to help residents reap the benefits of a local hydroelectric plant and some minor ethics reforms were passed for Prince George's County public officials, who have had some trouble distinguishing right from wrong recently. I would imagine bills of this nature make up the majority of the 163 that were passed.
Aside from that, we'll have to wait and watch the news to see if any solid summaries get released telling us exactly what our elected officials decided was important enough to talk about for the past 90 days. Of course, we must remember that they also spent a significant amount of time debating bills that didn't pass (like legalizing gay marriage), so if it seems like we wasted time and didn't get down to the real issues, remember that there was a lot of time ultimately lost right there.
John J. Walters is a research associate with the Maryland Public Policy Institute and works freelance for Wasabi Ventures, an entrepreneurial firm. He received his bachelors in Economics from Loyola UniversityMaryland in May 2009 and his first book, an economics companion-text written by himself and five other students during his final semester in college, is slated for publication in November 2011. Samples of his writing can be found regularly on the Maryland Policy Blog, the Wasabi Ventures blog, and the MeetingCaptain blog.
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Maryland House Republican Update
http://marylandhousegop.wordpress.com/
Winners and Losers of the 2011 Session
Now that the 2011 Session has ended everyone will opine about who the "winners" and who "losers" were. Who was successful in getting their legislation passed and who was left in the dust. We are taking the opportunity again this year to put in our two cents.
Winners
Criminals...whether you are a convicted felon serving a life term or an illegal immigrant flagrantly violating federal law, the Maryland General Assembly had nothing but love and compassion for you this year. House Bill 302 - Inmates - Life Imprisonment - Parole Approval grants automatic release for those serving life sentences if they have to wait more than 180 days for the Governor to approve their parole. We wouldn't want hardened criminals to be inconvenienced now would we? Senate Bill 167 allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition. Proponents of this bill will tell you that these students have done nothing wrong this will allow them to go to college and become contributing members of society, completely ignoring the fact that once they graduate it will be a violation of federal law to actually employ them.
Labor Unions...a consistent winner in Maryland, labor unions did well again this year. The Democratic majority along with O'Malley Administration let the unions expand their strangle-hold on the state by unionizing independent home care providers. As they did with daycare providers several years ago, independent home care providers will now be subject to collective bargaining. Those who choose not to join the union will be charged a "service fee". Unions also secured themselves a victory in the eyes of their membership with the $750 bonus for state employees. The truth about that "bonus" is that the bulk of it will go to pay the service fee that non-union employees will have to pay starting July 1. So the unions get to pocket most of the money they're also taking a tremendous amount of credit for. Good work if you can get it.
Prince George's County, MontgomeryCounty, and BaltimoreCity...after strong "negotiations" (or vote trading) these "big three" jurisdictions are walking away with the lion's share of the revenues from the Alcohol Tax increase. While the whole state will pay this bill and suffer the impacts like the closure of small businesses, it is these jurisdictions that will reap most of the benefit.
Losers
Taxpayers...Maryland's taxpayers have made the loser's list once again. Last year, they escaped a direct tax increase, but this year they were not as fortunate. The budget included a number of tax and fee increases...doubling the Vehicle Titling Tax, the Vanity Plate Fee, Land Recording fees, Birth Certificate fees. Even our sweet little silver-haired grandmothers will be paying the 38% increase in the Nursing Home Tax. The sales tax on Alcohol was increased by 50%. Does this menu of tax increases mean that Maryland has finally ended its ongoing budget crisis? Sadly, no. In fact, spending increased over 10% from last year to this year and there is talk of more tax increases as early as this fall. With the increase of the sales tax on alcohol, Maryland's Tax Freedom Day be pushed to April 18th, meaning the taxpayers will have to work an extra day before they have paid all their taxes for the year.
Vulnerable populations...we all heard the radio commercials, saw the rallies, and read the letters from members of the Maryland's most vulnerable populations - the disabled and mentally ill. They were advocating an increase in the Alcohol Tax and dedicating that money to their chronically underfunded programs...a dime a drink with a link they called it. Maryland's most vulnerable populations were exploited by the Democratic majority who used them to bring the bill forward but then dedicated the bulk of the money to the "big three" jurisdictions, including MontgomeryCounty - one of the wealthiest counties in the country.
Governor Martin O'Malley...one would think after a landslide win just a few months ago, Governor O'Malley would have the political capital to put his agenda on a glide path through the General Assembly. This proved not to be the case. His Wind Energy Proposal deflated and his Septic Bill was flushed. The Governor didn't even stay in town during the critical final days of session...he headed to New Jersey to pick a fight with Chris Christie, a Governor that is actually doing something.
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MDGOP Launches Asian American Coalition
The Maryland Republican Party has announced the launch of the Asian American Coalition and Coalition Chairman Sastry Dhara. According to Maryland Republican Party Chairman Alex X. Mooney, the new coalition is an essential component to MDGOP's long term political success and expanding the party's base throughout the community.
"I'm thrilled to launch the Maryland Republican Party's Asian American Coalition - one of many revamped initiatives geared at expanding MDGOP's base," Mooney said. "Under Sastry's leadership I'm fully confident our message of fiscal responsibility and personal accountability will gain more traction within the Asian American community."
The Coalition's "Kick-off" meeting is being held on Saturday April 16 at 11:00am the Montgomery County Republican Headquarters 15833 Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville, MD
The Asian American Coalition is just one of many new coalitions set to be rolled out by the Maryland Republican Party. From our African American Coalition to Small Business Coalitions, the Maryland GOP is committed to expanding our community outreach to build a broad coalition to elect leaders dedicated to putting our economy back on track and Marylanders back to work.
The Asian American Coalition will be lead by MontgomeryCounty businessman and community leader, Sastry Dhara. Mr. Dhara has been an active Republican, serving as the President of the Republican Indian Committee's Maryland Chapter while playing an active role in Governor Bob Ehrlich's 2010 campaign. Mr. Dhara's experience as senior information technology executive, with a proven track record of solid leadership for industries from healthcare to finance, makes him uniquely qualified to build and lead a strong coalition.
"As a member of the Asian American community I know the Republican message of less government, personal accountability, and fiscal responsibility resonates strongly throughout the community," said Dhara. "I look forward to expanding on the Maryland GOP's 2010 victories by building a stronger coalition throughout my community, so we can elect more Republicans in 2012 and 2014 and get Marylandback on track."
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Renew Your Republican Party Membership for 2011
Online
MCRP MEMBERSHIP LEVELS:
SUSTAINING MEMBER -$25 per year
BUILDER MEMBER -$50 per year
CENTURY CLUB MEMBER -$100 per year
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL - $250 per year
FINANCE COUNCIL -$500 per year
TRUSTEE COUNCIL -$1000 per year
CHAIRMAN'S CLUB -$2500 per year
( ) OTHER AMOUNT -___
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Upcoming Events
Details at
Montgomery County GOP Website
Saturday Apr 16, 2011 11:00 AM
Maryland GOP Asian Coalition Kick-off Meeting
MontgomeryCounty GOP & Maryland GOP
Saturday Apr 16, 2011 7:30 PM
MCYR Charity Ball
MontgomeryCounty Young Republicans
Sunday Apr 17, 2011 6:00 PM
Political Pulse Interview w/ former GOP Candidates Kurt Osuch & Rob Vricella
MontgomeryCountyGOP
Tuesday Apr 19, 2011 7:30 PM
MCYR Membership Meeting
MontgomeryCounty Young Republicans
Tuesday Apr 26, 201111:00 AM
Rock Creek Women's Republican Club Monthly Meeting
w/ Guest Speaker Hon. Louis Pope
MontgomeryCountyGOP
Tuesday Apr 26, 2011 7:30 PM
MontgomeryCounty Central Committee Executive Committee Meeting
MontgomeryCountyGOP
Wednesday Apr 27, 2011 12:00 PM
Spring Luncheon to Honor Military Wives
Chevy Chase Women`s Republican Club
Thursday Apr 28, 2011 11:30 AM
Olney Women's Republican Club Pot Luck Luncheon
Olney Women`s Republican Club
Thursday Apr 28, 2011 1:30 PM
The Political Lunch Bunch Meeting
Chevy Chase Women`s Republican Club
Tuesday May 03, 2011 7:00 PM
Montgomery Republican Men's Club Monthly Meeting
MontgomeryCountyGOP
Wednesday May 04, 2011 9:30 AM
Chevy Chase Women's Republican Club Monthly Board Meeting
Chevy Chase Women`s Republican Club
Friday May 06, 20113:00 PM
Maryland Republican Party 2011 Spring Convention & Training Seminar
Saturday May 07, 2011 10:00 AM
Precinct Training
MontgomeryCountyGOP
Tuesday May 10, 2011 6:30 PM
Let's Talk Politics
Chevy Chase Women`s Republican Club
Tuesday May 10, 2011 7:00 PM
MontgomeryCounty Central Committee Executive Board Meeting
MontgomeryCountyGOP
Tuesday May 17, 2011 5:30 PM
MCYR HAPPY HOUR AND MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MontgomeryCounty Young Republicans
Tuesday May 24, 2011 7:30 PM
MontgomeryCounty Central Committee Executive Committee Meeting
MontgomeryCountyGOP
Thursday May 26, 2011 1:30 PM
The Political Lunch Bunch Meeting
Chevy Chase Women`s Republican Club
Saturday Jun 04, 2011 10:00 AM
2011 Maryland Young Republicans Convention
Maryland Young Republicans
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Quote of the week
"What we cannot afford to do is allow President Obama and his liberal allies to continue with their propaganda tour while ignoring the reality on the ground. What may have looked good to some in the halls of Congress is leaving Americans on Main Street behind."
Reince Priebus from "America Loses under Health Spending Law"
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Also: We are looking to fill these volunteer positions:
Republican Team Leader Chairman-
Lead the party's person to person campaign to contact Montgomery County's Republican voters
Send a letter and resume to mdmcrp@comcast.net
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GET INVOLVED ! REPUBLICANS NEED TO APPLY !
The Montgomery County Council is accepting applications for the Planning Board, with a deadline of April 27. One vacancy is allocated for a Republican, although the incumbent is expected to reapply. The Planning Board has a significant time commitment and pays an annual compensation of $30,000.
If you have served on a Board or Commission during the last ten years, or have applied and not been selected, Carol Bowis (301-229-1121) would appreciate hearing from you so that we can be more helpful in advising future applicants as to the process and interviews, etc., in the hopes of getting more GOP representation on county boards.
For all of the above, please send a letter of interest and a resume to the County Executive's office. The Mont.County website, under Boards and Commissions, lists the press releases with details about each of the vacancies.
District 16 Central Committee member Carol Bowis has taken on the task of encouraging fellow Republicans to get involved in volunteer opportunities on Montgomery County Boards and Commissions. We can help shape public policy and make our voices heard. Please help spread the word to any qualified Republican to apply for county boards and commissions that are of interest. |
Montgomery County Republican Central Committee
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