May 23rd, 2020
Category: Budget, Education, Efficiency in Government, Fiscal, Urban Affairs, Welfare and Other Social
Policy Changes that Have Been Sparked by the Coronavirus Pandemic Townhall Columnists George Liebmann OPINION May 23, 2020 As Americans suffer the coronavirus pandemic, the economy is in a precarious state and unemployment has reached levels not seen since the Great Depression. It is a time to reconsider some policies relating to taxation and labor […]
April 2nd, 2014
Category: Corporate Welfare, Efficiency in Government, Fiscal, State and Local Politics, Urban Affairs
A Worthy Report on Property Tax Incentives for Business The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has issued an exceptionally valuable report on state and local misuse of property tax incentives for economic development. Its authors are Daphne A. Kenyon, Adam H. Langley, and Bethany P. Paquin. Ms Kenyon is well known as the principal author […]
April 2nd, 2014
Category: Efficiency in Government, Fiscal, Markets and Privatization, State and Local Politics
More Pension Follies With great fanfare, Governor O’Malley announced his 2014-15 budget. Three thick budget volumes were released. Nowhere in these volumes (with one minor exception) are any of the pertinent data concerning Maryland’s pension and employee health obligations disclosed. The re-design of Maryland’s budget documents carried out by the present budget secretary, Eloise Foster, […]
February 21st, 2014
Category: Budget, Efficiency in Government, Fiscal, State and Local Politics, Taxation/Budget/Economic Policy
www.baltimoresun.com/ Maryland’s pension system has performed poorly for decades under two separate treasurers By George W. Liebmann 2:09 PM EST, February 19, 2014 Advertisement The state pension system is Maryland’s financial Achilles heel and has been for decades. All bond rating services have noted that rising pension debt endangers the state’s AAA bond […]
September 12th, 2013
Category: Budget, Efficiency in Government, Employment/Labor Law/Racial Preferences, Fiscal, State & Municipal Services/Privatization, State and Local Politics, Taxation/Budget/Economic Policy, Welfare and Other Social
Maryland has, just, preserved its AAA bond rating, though with a negative outlook from Moody’s. Moody’s has issued a publication reporting that Maryland is one of the ten worst states in terms of the burden of pension debt, Maryland’s pension obligations being almost exactly equal to one year’s gross revenues, 99.5% of […]
March 11th, 2013
Category: Budget, Corporate Welfare, Efficiency in Government, Fiscal, State and Local Politics, Urban Affairs
Mismanaged Maryland Despite talk of reforms and budget cuts, Annapolis dabbles in excessive borrowing, noncompetitive projects and risky investments By George Liebmann6:00 a.m. EDT, March 11, 2013 There is a sharp disconnect between the image and reality of the O’Malley administration’s fiscal policies. The image features pension reforms, reduced structural deficits, […]
July 9th, 2012
Category: Budget, Fiscal, State and Local Politics
Questionable investment strategies could put state’s bond rating at risk Comments 2 Share0 By George Liebmann12:34 p.m. EDT, July 9, 2012 There are serious clouds over the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System and the way the O’Malley administration has managed it. Consider the following: 1. The rate of […]
June 15th, 2012
Category: Budget, Fiscal, State and Local Politics
The O’Malley Fiscal Record After five years, it is time to take stock of Governor O’Malley’s fiscal record. This may be done under several headings: 1. New Spending Initiatives A. Employment Tax Credit This $20 million “Job Creation and Recovery Act” credit was initially claimed with respect to only 1000 jobs, […]
March 2nd, 2012
Category: Budget, Comment, Education, Efficiency in Government, Fiscal, Publications, State and Local Politics, Urban Affairs
www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-school-construction-20120301,0,1047591.story State should not agree to commit vast sums over decades to a questionable building plan By George W. Liebmann 4:18 PM EST, March 1, 2012 Advertisement On the important issue of school construction, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has displayed refreshing common sense by demonstrating skepticism about a vastly inflated — indeed […]
September 18th, 2011
Category: Budget, Comment, Fiscal, Miscellaneous, Publications
Confronting Party Myths by George W. Liebmann Some cheer can be obtained from recent fiscal events. The Reagan-Bush tax cuts ended the Democratic era of tax and spend. The debt limit crisis ended the Republican era of borrow and spend. Perhaps the hour of the late Adlai Stevenson, who told us “there are no gains […]