By Gov. Wes Moore
I grew up shaped by broken laws and broken policies. I lived in a majority Black and Brown community that was overpoliced. My father died when I was three years old from a rare but curable condition because he was overlooked by our health care system. My mother had to work multiple jobs to support me and my sisters, hunting for employment in a job market that pushed women of color to the margins.
This was the context of my youth, and as a result, I began to think that lawmakers didn’t always make decisions with me, my neighbors and my loved ones in mind – whether it be on issues related to public safety, education or the economy. With that skepticism as my earliest foundation, I have tried to ensure that decisions I make as governor are informed by a simple but powerful question: “What will this choice mean for Marylanders who have felt overlooked and left behind, just like I did as a young man?”
That guiding principle has taken on profound significance as Maryland weathers the worst fiscal challenge our state has seen in at least 20 years – even worse than that of the Great Recession. In meeting the demands of the moment, I knew that Marylanders deserved more than band-aid solutions to big problems. We need to make strategic, targeted changes that both address our current fiscal predicament and make life better for our children, workers and families in the long-run. That is exactly what we’ve delivered.
Our proposal to balance the budget will help build an economy that grows the middle class and gives everyone a pathway to work, wages and wealth. At the center of our plan is a policy-backed commitment to get Maryland’s economy growing again. When Marylanders own more than they owe, when entrepreneurs can get their vision for a company off the ground, and when the racial wealth gap narrows, all of us win. I want Maryland to be the best place for everyone to start a business and contribute to our economic growth – no matter their background.
We have proposed $750 million for investments in economic development, to make Maryland more business-friendly and uplift the ambitions of both current and future entrepreneurs. These strategic investments go hand-in-hand with legislation we are introducing to reform the procurement process and streamline public services that help Marylanders start a business.
As we make it easier for Marylanders to leave their fingerprints on our state’s economic narrative, we also have an obligation to nurture the next generation of workers, leaders and visionaries. That’s why our budget plan increases funding for K-12 education and continues to advance priorities laid out in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. At the same time, I am introducing legislation to fix the teacher shortage and ensure every Maryland student gets the attention they need to thrive. Education is the foundation on which we build everything else and must take priority.
Another key element of our strategy is reforming the tax code to make it simpler, fairer and pro-growth. For the third year in a row, we will not raise the sales tax or the property tax, and we are closing corporate tax loopholes to help lower the corporate tax rate and generate business activity. We are doubling Maryland’s standard deduction and expanding the Child Tax Credit, which directly benefits working-class households. Nearly two-thirds of Marylanders will receive a tax cut. In fact, 82 percent of Marylanders will see either a tax cut or no change in their taxes at all.
While we work to grow the economy and ease the strain on pocketbooks, we are also taking additional steps to narrow the budget gap. We have proposed targeted spending cuts and are asking us Marylanders who have done exceptionally well financially to invest a little more to make sure we have the country’s best public schools and continue to see historic decreases in violent crime. These decisions weren’t easy. But they will help us live within our means and have the resources to invest in key priorities like economic growth, education and public safety.
No matter the hurdle, we must stay laser-focused on Maryland’s greatest asset: our people. Our budget proposal meets that test. In partnership with the Maryland General Assembly, we are proving what a government of action looks like – one that is responsive to the needs of our communities and crafts policies rooted in our shared vision of a state big enough for the aspirations of all. At every stage of assembling this budget plan, I have asked: “What will this choice mean for Marylanders who have felt overlooked and left behind?” The answer is now clear: More money in your pocket, more pathways to a good-paying job and more opportunities to turn an idea into a business.
The post Op-ed: A people-first plan to balance the budget and ‘leave no one behind’ appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
