Agreed...at least someone in state government understands the way things actually work

But slot machines will solve everything! No no, wait, make that casinos. CASINOS will solve everything! No? How about prostitution and crack, those will save our schools and fire departments. Yep, prostitution and crack: THAT'S the ticket... Remember, vote Democrat y'all!

No need to be sarcastic - though it is true that the government has made way too many stupid mistakes.
I wonder how this man got elected or placed into office. He obviously has a brain and ethics. Can we write him in on the ballot?

And he has common sense. Translation - he will be treated like dirt until he leaves and nothing he wants to accomplish will be done. and Karen Essen - I agree 100% with you - but you forgot putting more people on welfare though! That'll teach those dirty Republicans...

A voice of reason. O'Malley is a failure. He failed in Baltimore and he's failing in spectacular fashion for the entire state. His methods don't work now and will never work. He crys about the state's deficit and any decision he makes is based upon raising more revenue (taxes) to close the deficit. People are hightailing it out of Maryland at an alarming rate. Here's a hint dummy, stop spending more money than you bring in !

My wife and I plan to move out of the state in the next year, as soon as we can. I have lived in MD since I was 5 years old, and I hate to leave, but our jobs (and future job opportunities) are in VA, and we can no longer stand the oppressive taxation for minimal services, while watching wasteful spending that does nothing to fix our day-to-day concerns (public safety and traffic.) So we will be leaving, and taking our two six-figure salaries with us.

I think Mr. Franchot is spot on. I would also suggest that Maryland needs to comply with Federal immigration laws and quit being a "sanctuary State." Not only is this the right thing to do, but illegal aliens have a profoundly negative impact on those at the lowest levels of the economic ladder since their presence tends to lower wages, and the impacts on our schools, hospitals, and other public services is also negative. Of course, this goes against the idiotic Democratic Party's desire to welcome as many illegal aliens as possible since the Dems see these people as future Democratic Party supporters.

Virgina just ended fiscal 2012 with a $129 Million surplus. This is their third year in a row of surplus due mostly, to fiscal austerity, spending cuts, rather than tax increases. See the story: http://hamptonroads.com/2012/07/virginia-ends-fiscal-year-129-million-surplus . This is what can happen when Republicans control the legislature. I like casinos as much as the next guy, but they are not the cure for rampant fiscal irresponsibility by the govt.

Parkville: I agree with you. I am a Maryland from birth (1950's), and my children now 25 and 27 have left the state and have no desire to come back. They saw the light early on (during their high school years) and attended college else where and left the state never to return. It is very upsetting to see the demise of once was a beautiful, clean, honorable state. Thanks Gov. O'Malley (and former Glendenning). I am trying to get out of here too, but am finding it difficult to align a new job and new home at the same time. So long Maryland my Maryland. Gov. O'Malley's concern is not about we the people, just ensuring "the Democrats secure" their position of control in the upcoming election.

Tax and spend, Tax and spend. Sound familiar. Sounds a lot like what the federal government is doing. Google- Stockton, California, that's exactly what they did and they just filed for bankruptcy. Maryland has always been a progressive state, O'Malley is a progressive politician, along with the majority of the other politicians from Maryland. What is funny is that he did the exact same thing during his first term, with " special tax raising sessions" in the legislature, but somehow he managed to get re-elected. Go figure! We pay an enormous amount of taxes, yet it's just never enough. Greece, here we come.

Franchot is a Democrat from Montgomery County. I don't think he realized how much quick sand this state was standing in until he became Comptroller. He sees the books and knows the shell game that this has all become.

My goodness, what a bunch of dismal whiners there are on this string. Let's be clear: our dilapidated and inadequate infrastructure is a direct consequence of our neurotic national hang-up about taxation. For all you folks talking about leaving Maryland for some more congenial, low-tax environment: Mississippi is that way.

What was it that Ms. Thatcher said...."Socialism is great till you run out of other people's money?"

P.G. has it backwards.. Its not "tax & spend, tax & spend". Its spend & tax, spend & tax.. We all want programs to benefit us and our own agendas, but then we don't want to pay for it. So, everyone gets something. We spend & spend, then go into debt (like the trillions at the federal level) then later worry (if at all) about how we are going to pay for it. And this has transpired over especially the past 40 yrs. (Rep. & Dem. administrations) ! The can keeps getting kicked further down the road.
Our quality of life peaked in the 70s & 80s. We spent 5 trillion $$ on the last 3 major wars (Vietnam, Iraq and Afghan.) that US involved in; we spend $700 - $750 on the military/defense (about the same as the rest of world combined); more jobs go overseas; less is produced in the US; and of course we continue to spend the same on the big entitlements programs, etc.... so Maggy Thatcher SHOULD have said (thinking of the US): "Capitalism is great till you run out of other people's money"

I will not leave the state. I am retired and living on a budget; I still love our
state and though I disagree with the governor's spend every dime you get
policy, I still love this state and Montgomery County.

Thank you Mr. Franchot for sharing some common sense with all of us. I am 61 years old and born and raised in Maryland and a registered Democrat but in no way vote only Democrat. I voted for Ehrlich and was very impressed with the way Mr. Ehrlich and Mr. Shaefer worked together to run the State Government. O'Malley was only put in office by two districts in Maryland wth a majority of minoriity voters, after seeing what he did to Baltimore City, the Police Chiefs, Sheila Dixon on the take, Sheila Dixons sister on the payroll and never working a day in the city, increased crime rate, and so on, how could anyone in their right mind have voted for him as Govenor ? Since day one all we hear is that the State is broke and not one time have I heard of any cost savings or cost saving plans. What about last winter, we did not save any money with the minimal amount of snowfall ? The new septic system regulations and costs are ridiculous. I thought that when the Lottery was approved the money was suppose to go to Schools, where does it go ? Building more Casinos is crazy and not the solution. How much money was transferred out of the transportation fund ? Maryland is certainly in a sorry state thanks to Mr. O'Malley and God help us if there are enough stupid people in the U.S.A. to elect him as President should he be nominated. We are all Americans and should work together regardless of our Political Party affiliations.

Frank. It's clearly not as simple as raising taxes to eliminate the deficit. We don't have a taxing problem, we have a spending problem. If they raise taxes, they will find reasons to spend it and we wind up in the same predicament. Here's a novel idea, why not cut a few percent from each agency, then go after our wallets for more taxes if needed. Government - the only place where it is considered a cut if your department doesn't get the same percentage increase as last years budget. And we keep putting the same people back in every election! WOW!

O'Malley should hang his head in shame. And the heads of Michael Busch and Mike Milker should roll.......on a craps table. These 3 clowns together have turned Maryland into a big wasteland. And yet the same idiots vote them in again and again and again. People, please ask yourselves this: are you better off now or were you doing a little better when Bob Ehrlich was in office? He did the best he could while being mocked and ignored by the 2 Mikes. Bob wanted slots. Bad idea then. But suddenly it was a grand idea once he left office. Marylanders, pay attention. STOP voting in the same career politicians year after year. We need a break. We need intelligent voters to elect intelligent people who speak OUR language and not the schmoozy hype of lobbyists and scumbags.

And to Karen Essen. I got the sarcasm that some others didn't. Very funny! Yes, keep voting the Democrat ticket everyone. Nothing better than having money stolen from you even before AND after it reaches your wallet.

Politicians should only be allowed to campaign one month before their election date. No more trips to kiss babies and shake hands. Give them each two TV hours where they must tell the voters specifically their goals. Have them publish their plans (delivered to libraries or facilities where we can obtain it), stating EXACTLY and SPECIFICALLY what they will do during their term to fix, change, improve, etc. current problems we are experiencing, and again state their goals and how they will achieve them. They are not allowed to do any negative campaigning against their opponents (have to spend their time telling us what THEY will do). No extreme spending allowed (have a cap), so that any credentialed man or woman could run for office, not just the rich or those in the back pockets of corporations. No more collecting millions (unless they want to give it toward educating our children). No more campaign money allowed from large corporations. Eliminate all lobbyists. They can spend the 2 years before that one campaign month (rather than being on the road begging for votes and money), getting their specific information/act together in a format that will be easy for anyone to understand. Then we can vote. I know, it's dumb.

First, I have to say I'm impressed with the quality of the comments. No nastiness, no name calling…..wow.

It's not just the living out of this state that is attractive, it's also the fact that businesses - both large and small - are leaving the state for ones that are more friendly to them.

And seriously, JAG, if Maryland had a billion dollar surplus last year then you need to ask yourself why the 3M's felt the need to raise fees and taxes and hold a special session just to do that.

The people of Maryland do not care about anything that has to do with responsibilty in government spending, they care about what is in it for me, and could careless who has to pay for it, the only states in the country that are doing well are run by republicans it is that simple.