WashTimes disputes “lean budget”

Brian Griffiths quotes the Baltimore Sun’s fauning article complimenting Maryland governor O’Malley’s “lean budget”, but Tony LoBianco at the Washington Times disputes the Sun’s characterization;

A state report of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s fiscal 2009 budget shows less “fiscal restraint” than the governor maintains is within the budget.

Mr. O’Malley, a Democrat, touted eliminating 500 state jobs in the $31.6 billion budget, but the report by the state’s Department of Legislative Services shows that the governor created 898 more jobs.

The governor also said that his budget — the second in his four-year term — increases state spending by 4.09 percent and that the change was the smallest in state spending in the past five years. However, his proposed budget increases spending by 6 percent.

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But does the truth, that O’Malley has deceived them once again upset Maryland Democrats?

Still, Democrats supported the budget, released Wednesday, despite the increases.

“I think the governor did fine,” said Sen. Jim Brochin, Baltimore County Democrat. “I think it’s a lean budget on a lot of different fronts.”

O’Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese called the budget “lean” and “fiscally responsible” because it focuses on improving public education and public safety.

Republicans bristled at the deception;

“It’s unfortunate that the citizens of Maryland can’t get straight talk,” said House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell, Southern Maryland Republican. “Last year, we heard he only raised [spending] by a couple percentage points, but we all knew that wasn’t true.”

Don’t worry, folks it’s just two more years of this underhanded deception. How much more irresponsible can O’Malley get?

(Crossposted)



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