Warning: O’Malley Disaster — TV Truth May Appear More Truthful Than Reality

Last week I warned readers about Maryland Governor O’Malley.  With his appearance at the Democratic National Convention last night, I felt a review of his “stellar” career and battle with truthfulness needed to be revisited.  

The man is a walking book of falsehoods that need to be uncovered so we, as a nation, aren’t subjected to what the fair citizens of the State of Maryland have.  Call it my gift to the rest of the country.

            Martin O’Malley’s issues with truth are long and storied.  He started his career as Mayor of Baltimore, and I must be honest, because I didn’t live in the city, I didn’t pay much attention to him.  When he ran for Governor of Maryland in 2006 the opposition brought up an issue that started this questioning of his integrity: his 1987 DUI arrest.  

He was found not guilty, but he never disclosed the arrest to the Maryland State Bar.  He could have been disbarred for not doing so.  A lie by omission, but one serious enough to affect his chosen career path, which I’m rather certain he knew.  He blamed his opponent’s campaign.  Apparently it was their fault that he was pulled over under suspicion of driving drunk and then lied about it for almost 20 years.

            In more recent days, his lies happen whenever he opens his mouth.  In a recent “Oops” moment, he had a rare moment of clarity and admitted that we are NOT better off than we were 4 years ago.  Here is the actual excerpt from Face the Nation:  host Bob Schieffer: “Can you honestly say that people are better off today than they were four years ago?” O’Malley: “No, but that’s not the question of this election.”

Actually, Governor, ask any of your constituents and they will tell you it IS the question of this election.  He then backpedalled so fast he stripped the gears on his bike and said that wasn’t what he meant and we really WERE better off.  I’m not, are you? 

In my state alone, things have gone from bad to worse under O’Malley’s and Obama’s watch.  O’Malley claims that he has made Maryland a great home for small businesses.  Wrong!  Maryland has lost nearly 6,500 small businesses from 2007 to 2010.  Of our neighboring states, only Delaware is worse.  According to the Census Bureau, on a percentage basis of firms lost, Delaware lost 4.72%, Maryland 4.71%, West Virginia 4.51%, Virginia 3.66%, and Pennsylvania 2.64%.   

He claims that he has made Maryland more tax friendly.  Seriously wrong!  Not only has he just passed a tax increase on the middle class (while giving casino interests a tax break), but taxpayers, especially the higher income ones, are fleeing the state.  Between 2007 and 2010, nearly 31,000 residents have left and moved to more tax friendly states like Virginia.  Virginia is now home to 11,455 former Marylanders, taking $390 million in earning power from the tax rolls during this three-year period, according to the IRS.

Oh, the fun continues.  O’Malley claims that he has created jobs in Maryland.  Wrong again!  During O’Malley’s term in office since 2007 until July of this year, we lost 36.2 thousand jobs.  Our neighbor to the south, Virginia (which has a conservative, business and tax friendly governor) only lost 12.4 thousand jobs.
 
The biggest lie, so easily proven, is that he claims to have balanced Maryland’s budget “entirely on cuts” (Governor O’Malley State of the State Address, 2012).  In fact, in the period from 2007 through 2012, he raised taxes and fees 24 times.  He claims that he “has cut more state spending than any governor in Maryland’s history – $8 billion.”…except that he increased state spending nearly $7 billion from $28.8 billion in 2007 to $35.5 billion today, and increased the state’s debt burden making it second in the region and 13th in the nation.
 
The worst part, and the part that angers me the most as a state taxpayer, is now he is citing a government surplus … funded mostly on the recent tax increase on the middle class.  I’d like a refund, please!  Or better yet, fund unfunded pensions with it … which leads me to…
 
The unfunded state teacher’s pension system.  My children attended (my oldest) and now attend (my youngest) one of the best high schools in the nation.  It has been listed in US News and World Report’s top 500 public high schools list for 4 years running.  That will change dramatically in the future. 
O’Malley couldn’t fund the teachers’ pension plan on a state level, so he has foisted it onto the counties.  This means that the county in which I live, with its nationally recognized schools, must now make up a $15 million dollar deficit to fund teacher pensions in our county alone.  They are currently talking about cuts to available classes, closing or consolidating schools, and cutting back on hiring teachers.  The state hires them, dictates curriculum, dictates how the pension should be invested, but leaves the counties holding the bag.  If you think for a second that he won’t do that with Federal vs. State responsibilities as a President, think again.
 
Watch out America, wise up or you too will pay the price.

Image: Raven Ray Rice and Balto. Oriole Brian Roberts Join Governor [Martin O’Malley] for the Holiday Celebration of the Univ. of MD. Children’s Hospital; by Jay Baker at Baltimore, MD; courtesy of Maryland GovPics