This poll like many others on The Patch is very poorly worded. The question should be either "are you in favor of adding a sales tax to gasoline" or "are you in favor of increasing the existing gas tax by 23 cents per gallon and also adding another 25 cents per gallon sales tax thus making the current price of gasoline over $4.00 per gallon?" (25 cents sales tax is based on $3.55/gal average price of regular gasoline and Gov. O'Malley's proposed 17.33% increase in the sales tax making it 7% from the 5% it was for over 30 years before he was elected Governor.)

Way to go Maryland Democrats! How can you continue to vote for people like Gov. O'Malley, Sen. Miller, Del. Bush, and all the other tax and spend liberals who are so far out of touch with the trials and tribulations of the citizens of Maryland.

If my notes are correct in just the few short days this General Assembly has been in session, Owe'Malley has asked for a 23 cent increase to the current gasoline tax, a 17.33% (1 cent) increase to the state sales tax, and now an expansion of the sales tax overall to include gasoline adding another 7 cents per dollar to the overall price for gasoline. They have not disclosed the other products and services the expansion of the sales tax will cover, but when they tried before it was 43 items including most "services" that have never had sales tax applied to them. Sales tax is supposed to apply to an actual product that is sold not a "fee" for a service provided that does not include an actual product.

So the Democrats who lie through their teeth about how they are the party that will look out for the poor and working class will pass not one, not two, but at least three tax increases or new taxes that will have the most negative impact on the poor and working class citizens of Maryland possible in this horrific economy. Way to put other people's money where your mouth is Gov. Owe'Malley. Then he says the taxes are needed to increase revenues to maintain schools, roads, and bridges.

These are not the droids you're looking for!

Way too much fraud and waste in state programs now. Taxes in Maryland are among the highest in the nation. Stop the fraud and waste in Maryland Medicaid and in the Earned Income Tax Credit. Millions are wasted.

I understand that this article is about the sales tax and gas tax.

What has been proposed in the way of budget cuts?

If Maryland is in the red, Maryland needs to increase revenue and cut spending.

What do you think?

There are proposals to cut $800 million in the budget by cutting health care benefits and reducing the percentage paid into the pension system.

Is it appropriate for the Maryland Legislature to appropriate money to religious charities and groups such as Casa de Maryland?

What do you think?

Right, the point is that the math (as you laid it out) doesn't make sense. 3.55 x .07 /= $4+ gas.

JustABill - the .23 gas tax is already included in the $3.55. And, there are no other proposals to increase gas tax other than the added sales tax. Originally O'Malley had proposed increasing the gas tax, but opted to levy a gas tax instead.

I am glad this has happened. We live on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border. A short hop to get cheaper gas there. Now all of those O'Malley supportes in the big cities can pay for their mistake. Wait until the cell phone tax increases.

Comptroller Peter Franchot said it best. He calls raising Maryland tax on gas a 'crushing blow’ to families and small businesses. All that these increased taxes do is encourage people to spend their money outside the state. For example, when the state passed the $2/pack tax on cigarettes in 2009, did 25% of smokers just suddenly stop smoking? Nope, not at all. Then why has the amount of profit generated by exceptional tobacco taxes been much smaller than the government expected? If you take a look at a map it's simple -- Maryland is a small state, and all of the bordering states had lower taxes on tobacco. Smokers went elsewhere to purchase their products and Maryland lost out on 100% of the taxes from those users. Same thing happened with alcohol (remember the alcohol tax last July?), and I predict, will happen with gasoline too.

Gas prices go up and down by $0.50 to $1.00 during a year. How can you say that this tax would deal a crushing blow when we have endured more pronounced increases without being crushed?

@The Big Egg.

Are you speaking for everyone when you say, "we have endured more pronounced increased without being crushed?" This additional tax, ostensibly to be used to refill the coffers of the transportation fund that have been looted for other uses by this governor, is a regressive tax. While it may seem to be an equitable form of taxation because everyone, regardless of income level, pays the same fixed amount. In reality, however, such a tax causes lower-income groups to pay a greater proportion of their income than higher-income groups pay. Here in Montgomery County, well-intentioned advocates of a gasoline tax tout the way it will shift demand away from gas-guzzling SUV's and toward hybrid cars and public transit, but they fail to recognize how it will devastate large groups of lower-income commuters. Others may say, "Regressive taxes are tough. Deal with it." That is easy enough for many in this county to say when they aren't worried about when there next meal is coming from. That is easy enough to say when you can afford the $20,000+ price tag that goes along with a new Toyota Prius or Honda Insight, or even a newer, more fuel-efficient car That is easy enough to say when you live in an urban environment when you already have access to public transportation. But when you're not lucky enough to have these advantages, a regressive gasoline tax can be devastating to your ability to simply survive.

Scott K.: "Are you speaking for everyone when you say, "we have endured more pronounced increased without being crushed?" "

Are you still driving?

I'm opposed to increased taxes as much as the next person. And, I really hate the Montgomery County bag tax because it is precisely designed to change my behavior. But, I'm also against over-stating impacts. When the price of gas went from $3.00 to $4.00, we all adapted and survived. An additional $0.18 isn't going to kill us. Just p!ss us off. Hopefully to the point where we can get some diversity in our representatives.

@Big Egg, yes we are still driving, and I am fortunate and blessed that the fuel increases did not negatively affect our family life very much. However I know that not everyone is so fortunate. Also, if this tax was truly going to improve the Chesapeake Bay watershed, perhaps I could get behind it, but there is no guarantee that O'Malley won't loot the fund next year to pay for some new hair-brained scheme of his.

I agree with you completely regarding the bag tax, which to me is another regressive tax imposed by the county, which you so rightly pointed out, is to change behavior and pi$$ everyone off. You are right when you say that we need diversity in our representatives.

The next state election will be interesting as the county is now broken up into three unmanageable districts. My new district, District 6, is joined with Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties, along with a part of Frederick county. Ridiculous. Guess I will just buy more gasoline when in Virginia (or Delaware, PA, etc.) along with alcohol and other "sinful" items (as deemed by the Maryland Nannies, er... legislators in Annapolis) whilst traveling.

Every time I see a Prius, which is often in Montgomery County, I visualize an unemployed American auto worker.

Buy American:

The job you save, may be your own.

The country you support may be your own.

Tax and Spend O'Malley is running from Maryland and heading for Washington, DC (federal Office or Appointment).
Pay no attention to what he's doing, it's the guy behind the curtain we should be watching.

I look at all the math, I am just tax tired. There is no end in sight and yet my household income with downsizing shifts has the year 2002 looking like our best income year yet. If I feel this, I worry how those who did not have professional employement with good solid salaries feel? Telling people to buy more economic cars is social class snobbery. I work with people who check their ten year old cars out every day in the parking garage before they drive away. That car is their biggest asset and their only means for reaching work.

Maryland has more police firefighters educaters and government workers per capita than ever before.

Eliminate some people and see what goes undone.. probably not much...

I say cut back some services,let the drunk drivers pick up trash, let road gangs cut the gass and let juvies wash off graffiti....

Get rid of at leasta third of school administrators andfroll back admin salaries across he boeard for all new hires...

Why do we pay an elementary school principal150k a year and then tie their hands with zero tolerance policies? If he is not qualified to make a decision as to whether midol is narcotic then get a drone in thee for 50k.

Haven't checked the exact amount, but it seems to me the stimulus money given to this state was approx.$3 billion. Where did that go and what do we have to show for it other than vote buying? Every time this clown opens his mouth he's telling us to do it for the children. Education will suffer if we don't pass the slots bill (even tho when Erlich tried to get that passed O'malley was against it). Public safety will suffer if we don't pass this tax or that fee. When Glendenning was in, he left a $1B shortfall (after leaving PG Cty about $100 M in the red). Erlich left with a surplus if I remember correctly. Even if there were some unfunded mandates, it wasn't as much as the surplus he left.
While I love the state I have lived in my whole life, I hate the idiots that represent us.
,because all they do is buy votes, not represent the state's best interest. Always coming to us with hat in hand saying do it for the poor children.
When Hoyer was asked on a talk radio program, about the stimulus package in 2008 would he vote for it he said yes. When asked if he would vote for it if 75% of his constituents were against it, he still said yes. That's the kind of representation you want? They could care less about you or your children. They only care about staying in power and paying off the players that can get them elected. Apox on all of their houses.

@Jag

I'm disgusted that your vote of idiocy would negate mine. I truly cannot believe there is anyone in this state that wants to be taxed more, but where intelligence has limits, stupidity knows no bounds and you have proven me wrong. I don't care if it is for autistic disabled children, I don't want to pay for it no matter what it is.

In case there is a small shred of hope left, try thinking about all of the other current road related taxes that are pissed away the by tyrannical general assembly. We are taxed to death in this state, tolls, fees, tags, license, emissions, existing gas tax which doesn't need to be tied to inflation as it's already 6% of $3.91 gallon or 5% of $4.70 a gallon (since 1991). The state builds a highway it has collected taxes for 3 times over and makes it a toll road (the ICC)? Then there is the speed camera taxation system. The GA continues to do this because they have no one to answer to, no matter what idiotic thing they do they'll continue to hold a super majority in the legislature thanks to people with your mindset.

I need to move to Texas, this is sickening.

This tax and spend mentality is exactly why I left Maryland in 2008 to a state where the overall tax burden is much less.