Ed Kasemeyer to Constituents: Screw You

Democrat Senate Majority Leader Ed Kasemeyer fancies himself a hero. He voted for the largest and most regressive tax package ever passed by Maryland’s Senate. He did so despite the overwhelming opposition of his Howard and Baltimore County constituents.

Kasemeyer said this week that although he has been besieged by phone calls from constituents and others in recent weeks, “90 percent of whom are upset” about the possibility of tax increases, he will not join a Republican filibuster.

Trying to plug the projected deficit without raising taxes would cause harm to programs aimed at helping Maryland’s poorest residents, Kasemeyer said.

“It’s sort of a no-win situation politically, but you have to do the responsible thing and try to solve this (budget) problem,” he added.

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The responsible thing would have been to join a Republican filibuster to force the egregious package of taxes which will disproportionately be borne by Marylanders making under $60,000 per year (that’s two people earning $14/hour just in case the senator needs help with the math) back to committee and public hearings instead of having decisions made at Sandgates Inn.

What Senator Kasemeyer did was actually craven. He sold out the interests of his constituents and the state because he was afraid losing his position as majority leader and his very cool chairmanships if he broke ranks with Mike Miller. Voting against this measure would have required real courage. In voting for it Senator Kasemeyer has revealed himself to be a typical go-along-get-along pol. His voters showed him the door once before. We hope they will remember this bit of irresponsibility when he faces them again.