Op-Ed: Invest in Maryland’s future – The Baltimore Sun
By Mike Beland and Benjamin Orr
With the General Assembly recently convening and statewide elections set for next year, Maryland is uniquely positioned to be a national leader in enacting common-sense policies that promote broad-based economic growth and expand opportunity for everyone. At the same time, our policymakers can position the state and all of its citizens for success in the realities of the 21st century’s global economy.
Our state’s history of economic success is built upon past investments in the pillars of a strong economy: a well-educated workforce, good-paying jobs and a transportation network to move people and goods. These pillars, however, require maintenance and continued investment — which is where we are falling short. We need bold leadership from our state’s leaders to not take our strengths for granted and keep our economy moving so everyone has a chance to succeed.
Investing in things like great schools, health care, modern infrastructure and safe communities helps our economy grow. As the experience of Kansas and several other states has demonstrated, tired proposals for tax cuts primarily focused on those at the top of the income ladder do not work to stimulate broad-based growth, and they undermine the state’s ability to pay for the services that average people rely on every day. While the full details of Gov. Larry Hogan’s recent manufacturing tax-credit proposal are not yet available, experience in other states suggests such well-intentioned approaches may be too costly and exacerbate budget shortfalls in the future. We urge a robust conversation in Annapolis this year that seeks to assess the long-term benefits in a level-headed way.
