If the trasnsportation money was not spent on transportation what was it spent on? I'd like to know. I have to get out of Maryland! It is #10 of the 10 highest taxed states!!!!

It's almost as if the O'Malley camp feels like they have to spend every dime they ROB from Marylander's and spend it. And then tell us there is another problem that they need to fix, so they ROB us some more. Let's get this Donkey out of office and find someone who can do thing's right.

I am fine with higher taxes when they pay for good infrastructure, social well being, etc. That said, I do wonder where the hell the transportation money is going if not to transportation.

On a side note, part of the issue is that MD gets more federal money in terms of govt. contractors being here than we do in terms of subsidies. Know why the interstates are freaking amazing in West Virginia? Because of your Federal tax dollars going there. So, part of the higher state taxes issue is to cover stuff we don't get from the Feds because they're busy giving it to more rural states.

The transportation fund doesn't even come close to covering the cost of building and maintaining roads. That's not because it's "raided", that's because the current gas tax and user fees don't even come close to covering the cost of our road infrastructure. The general fund is what's "raided" to pay for roads, bridges, etc. and to claim the opposite is very obviously manipulation or outright ignorance by the author. What would the gas tax be if the rest of us weren't constantly subsidizing drivers via the "raiding" of the general fund? Many times what it is today, that's for sure.

we are already taxed way to much, no more taxes period, cut spending, end programs for the useless.

What did you expect OMalley is from the left. All the left think about is tax tax take from the working people and give to non working. I do not mean unemployed I mean trash that does not want to pay their own way. Instead of more taxes why not cut some of the entitlement programs in MD. There is millions spent on programs to give free money to people that expect free stuff. Enforce what people spend tax payers money for food stamps, cut welfare, cut free money to illegals. We give more money away in MD to the trash that just suck the lfe out our state than we provided for our elderly. We should be looking for ways to help our older people not more taxes for them. A gas tax does not hurt the trash living off the tax payers they just sit at home and collect free stuff. OMalleys idea is take and spend. He and people like him have no respect for the working public just look at his record 25 tax increases. Enough is enough. I have an idea lets cut his salary and all of the Democrats as well as the Republicans serving MD in Annapolis that would save a lot of money on wastefully spending. Not take more money out of working peoples pay take out of elected officials that do not produce or emprove MD. An even better idea clean out the whole bunch in Annapolis and start over with some one with brains and respect for the people that elected them to office. Not only in MD lets go to the top including the waste Whitehouse. We are becoming a country of takers a dictatorship it must stop.

Thomas Sowell writes:
.At the local level, the first response to budget cuts is often to cut the police department and the fire department. There may be all sorts of wasteful boondoggles that could have been cut instead, but that would not produce the public alarm that reducing police protection and fire protection can produce. And public alarm is what can get budget cuts restored.

The Obama administration is following the same pattern. The Department of Homeland Security, for example, released thousands of illegal aliens from prisons to save money — and create alarm.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it is planning to cut back on the number of air traffic controllers, which would, at a minimum, create delays for airline passengers, in addition to fears for safety that can create more public alarm.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have offered to pass legislation giving President Obama the authority to pick and choose what gets cut — anywhere in the trillions of dollars of federal spending — rather than being hemmed in by the arbitrary provisions of the sequester.
This would minimize the damage done by budget cuts concentrated in limited areas, such as the Defense Department. But it serves Obama's interest to maximize the damage and the public alarm, which he can direct against Republicans.
I realize this is talking about the Federal Budget but it happens every day in local politics and its just a scam to collect more money.

The constant tax and fee increases must stop or O'Malley will continue to drive job creators out of the state as well as citizens, especially retirees, who will move to try to maintain their lifestyle. Maryland must learn to live within their means, the same as their subjects must do.

I am a small business owner in Maryland and fuel is the second greatest expense I have next to labor. I cannot afford to pay any more or I will go out of business. I am thinking of moving to another state that has lower taxes. Governor Omally along with the rest of the clowns (feds) are klling the economy and it neeeds to stop now. Lowering taxes will bring businesses to the state, producing jobs that will bring tax revenue.This is simple economics. Raising taxes only hurts the middle and lower class because the rich can just up and move to a state the benefits them and this is happening as we speak. The local and federal government needs to get out of the citizens pocket. If I can't afford it, I don't buy it. If my credit cards are at their limit, than I need to cut spending and pay down my debt. Our Government needs to take the same approach as working class families have had to. The government works for us "We The People" and we make the decisions on who keeps their jobs. We need to replace the current local and federal government.