Ideas For Cuts

Certain information has been removed or redacted from the text to protect the rights of the submitter or other
State employees. Information that is personally identifying, including

names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers, has been removed. Personal medical information has been redacted. Information relating to individual employees that
may warrant further internal investigation by the agencies has been redacted. Information that, if disclosed, may violate an employee’s right to confidentiality or protection from
retaliation under applicable law, has been redacted.
County Suggestions
Anne Dear Sirs,
Arundel
One significant way that you could reduce costs and improve "Health Care Outcomes" for many people would be to put every single disabled person in Maryland to work in competitive employment, teach them not
only to work and to contribute to the community, but to manage their own resources, pay their own bills (starting with Health Care Expenses), pay taxes (it is avctually a privilege to be able to pay taxes; not everyone
has enough income to be able to pay taxes). Health Care coverage should a part of what everyone is able to earn with their work. Everyone should be trained to be able to not only pay for their own healthcare, but to
be able to manage their own healthcare. This would not only save money in the budget, it would also improve healthcare outcomes for those who are severely disabled.
In addition, everyone should be trained to not only work, but to participate in "lifelong learning" and "continuing professional education". The best vehicle to deliver "continuing professional education" and "lifelong
learning" is through our nationwide system of community colleges (mostly in night school). The community colleges offer the best quality of training for the least possible cost. They will accept anyone who wants to try
to learn, no matter what. They have the capacity to take people from "where they are" to "where they want to be" for a minimal dollar cost. It is also important for people to not only study such things as Math, Science
and Business, but it is also imoportant for people to study such things as Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Philosophy, Cultural Anthropology, Economics, Written and Spoken Communications, Organizational
Development, the Management of (many different kinds of) Relationships, etc.
These are but a few ideas. Thank you for listening.
Respectfully,
Retired IT Professional
Small Business Owner
PS - One more thought would be: "Technology is not really a toy or a source of entertainment; it is merely a "working tool" that can be used to perform work and to pay your bills [much the same as a "hammer and
saw" are "working tools" for a carpenter or a "trowel and and a spade" are "working tools" for a stonemason]". Again, thank you for listening.
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Anne Have more troopers on the road writing traffic tickets. I live near exit 8 at the Baltimore Beltway, and it sounds like a raceway most of the time with speeding cars, trucks, and motorcycles. It would make the roads
Arundel safer and riase money. Please do it
Sell off surplus land holdings to individuals for the sole purpose of eco-friendly homesteading.
make every government form and process easy enough for the average citizen to utilize with out having to deal with a government worker to explain the form.
Dear Governor O’Malley—

I commend your exploration for honest, achievable solutions to align the state’s budget with the current economic phase we—and the nation—have entered. Having worked on the health policy side of Maryland
initiatives, I can knowledgeably say that opportunities do exist for broader economic efficiencies. Health care reform does not place exclusive demands on changing the industry but requires collective self-examination
and innovation by all stakeholders.
I recommend that the Governor’s office perform an assessment to eliminate the duplication of services. When multiple organizations provide similar, even identical information and output, the value brought to public
health does not increase, however, the costs of redundancy do increase expenditures unnecessarily. For example, the Maryland Health Care Commission does quality reporting on hospitals, nursing homes, and health
plans. The facility reports are derived from data collected and processed by CMS, which also publishes the information for consumers’ use. Maryland neither facilitates consumerism by echoing the work of the federal
government nor does it position itself as a leader in health care quality that can usher in true reform.
I can expand on efficiencies through de-duplication of efforts should you have an interest in further details.
Regards,
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Montgomery If we keep cutting the budget, families are not going to be able to receive the services they need. This is not fair in this type of economy to leave out low income families who rely on these services.
Please don't cut funds for education and public health services.
Thank you.
Harford How about cutting funding to programs that don't work. or! how about smaller goverment. You cut goverment jobs by 100 but create 250 more. Thank god they don't run a business, they would go broke. Let us keep
more of our money. How about making thoughs on welfare.... yes welfare!!!! do some community services hours for the free money they receive every month. 20 hrs a month should be a good start. Independent card?
It should be called a dependent card... they depend on the tax payer to pay thier taxes.
Montgomery please keep the adult literacy program.
Baltimore Put an end to your use of the MD PSC as a personal attack dog against one utility in the State. There are several utilities, all with comparable delivery service prices and there are Electric Choice options that every
electricity user and many gas users have. Why have we singled out one utility to wage war on? It made sense (albeit in a strange way) and it worked as Mayor of Baltimore. It makes no sense as Governor.
Your attempt to make yourself somehow look better in the eyes of Maryland voters has not worked. Put an end to the abuse of power and save the taxpayers the following:
The costs associated with the continued investigation into the sale of 49.9% of nuclear assets from one of the utilities. (The judicial branch has served up a hollow victory but ultimately must follow the rule of law.) How
much has this farce cost the taxpayers of the entire State?
The potential loss of jobs with the construction, operation and maintenance associated with the addition of a third nuclear unit in Southern Maryland. (How much will this cost the taxpayers of Maryland?)
And the embarassment that unrestrained egotistical power delivers. (Priceless?)
Best wishes with the budget.
I understand all of the problems were inherited from the previous administration. All of the rest of Marylanders understand too. ;-)
Baltimore Do not change the voting system in Maryland. There is no reason to change voting systems in Maryland. This will save 20 to 30 million dollars. It is not practical or warranted to change to another system. The current
(Diebold) system won't be paid off until 2012. No fraud or other crime has ever been committed with the current system. We don't need a paper trail. There are only a few noise makers that want a new system. Let
those that want a new system pay for the new system. As a Maryland tax payer, I am happy with the current system that is in place! Save the money that was to go towards the new voting system. Way fix something
that isn't broken. Talk to your local (county and city) level election officials.
Allegany Increase The Inmate Copay For Medical Treatment From 2.00 To 4.00 By Charging A 2.00 Copay For Medications
Serior Inmates 70 Plus Years old Who's Crime Was Not Murder
And Who Has Served Atleast 3/4 Of Thier Sentance Release.
Montgomery Defund the ICC
Withdraw from No Child Left Behind and put the millions of dollars now spent on standardized tests into art, music, drama afterschool programs and during school.
Reduce energy use in all state buildings. Turn off copiers at the end of the day, use only compact flourescents or LED builbs and turn off lights; lower air conditioning.
Ask Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for help finding transportations funds to restore the rest stop positions. The stimulus is supposed to preserve jobs and those rest stops are public safety issues for motorists.
Eliminate subsidies for biotech businesses.
Ask Obama for funds given to the banks to keep homeowners from foreclosure.
Promote a buy local food campaign; keep telling hospitals and restaurants and consumers to buy from local farms and farmers markets; that could be a lot of revenue for the state, and healthy food creates healthy
people and lowers health care costt.
Promote holistic medicine to also lower health care costs; a 1995 State of Maryland Legislative Study compared allopathic with holistic remedies, and the holistic outperformed the allopathic in every category--efficacy,
safety, outcome, side effects (none for holistic treatments) and cost.
Focus on preventive health by reducing the chemicals assaults we confront in our consumer products. Reduce the use of chemicals and mowing on state land by promoting watershed and pollinator friendly parks and
yards that capture stormwater and attract and feed pollinators. These could lower costs.
Do not fund any more new roads, and defund the ICC (the Purple Line should be underground so the land will be available for businesses and vibrant economic development, as with the Courthouse Square Metro.
Eliminate the million dollar gypsy moth spraying; Rhode Island stopped spraying in the 1970s when lobsters started to die from the chemicals sprayed, the same ones the Dept of Ag is using in Maryland--how STUPID.
What kills lobsters can kill crabs--DUH.
Defund the ICC. No more new roads. We can still save pristine parkland needed for the health of the Bay and billions of dollars if you defund the ICC.
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Defund the ICC

Allegany Governor O'Malley:
In response to your public views regarding the budget cuts for the State of Maryland, here is my suggestion. I work at a State Agency and I would like to see a change in the (EAFC) emergency assistance to families
with children. This is a very good program however I think that it needs to be reviewed to help more people and possible save on the state budget.
This particular program the way it is now you must have a minor child in the home to be eligible while this is good, I would like to give you my suggestion.
In the particular agency that I work we have some good guidelines that if the rest of the state is not using maybe it would help with the budget. They are as follows:
Your must be within the income guidelines for MEAP
A household can only receive $200 within the fiscal year.
The change that I would like to see made is the fact that you must have a minor child within the home, as there are some seniors that could use this help. I would also like to see a restriction stated that the household
must have made a payment of maybe $15 within a 90 day period, as some households have not made a payment since we last paid on their bill.
I think these changes would help those on fixed incomes as well as save the state money if all the agency's followed the same guidelines and had the $200 cap.
Baltimore 1. Cut back on TV/Paper advertising. Instead, have existing staff use Twitter/Facebook, Craigslist etc to post and interact with constituents for free.
2. Cut back on library funding for new books. Most of us haven't read books that have been on the shelves for years. Libraries buy tons of copies when a book is hot, then sell most at a significant loss when popularity
decreases.
3. Encourage teleworking where possible.
Baltimore I suggest to eliminate the use of the front license plates required for automobiles. Motorcycles are not required to use a front plate. License plates are always being made and it cost money for materials and to
manufacture these plates. By eliminating the front plate, there will be a savings as not as much money will be used to make duplicate plates.
Anne IF THE VL FACILITY LOCATION COMMISSION SELECTS ARUNDEL MILLS, AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVES ZONING, WE WILL BE FORCED TO FILE A REQUEST FOR DECLAIRATORY
Arundel JUDGEMENT TO ENFORCE OUR RESTRICTIVE COVENTANTS, WHICH WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF OVER THE MALL PROPERTY. YOU WILL LOSE $400 MILLION PER YEAR IN REVENUE AND LEAVE THE
AA CO. VLT LICENSE IN LIMBO. OBTW...EMINENT DOMAIN WILL COST YOU OVER $2 BILLION FOR ALL OF THE PROPERTIES WITH THE BENEFIT OF THESE COVENANTS.
SUGGESTION: SAVE $400 MILLION/YEAR IN REVENUE BY FIXING THIS PROBLEM.

Anne 1. Sell the Governor's Mansion and live in your own house.
Arundel 2. Give up your paycheck, go back to practicing law, and do governor work on evenings and weekends. You will do much less harm that way.
Allegany Do away with PDTD and go back to Maryland Correctional Training Commissin.
Do Away with ACA.
mandatory lights out at 11:30pm Back On At 5:30am in all correctional institutions state wide.
Serve A Cold Lunch In All Correctional Institutions State Wide.
Montgomery Please keep funds for Adult Education.It's vital!
Worchester 1. Immediately cut all political employees and elected person's salary by 25%.
2. eliminate all state funded pension plans
3. cut all (every) state employees salary by 10%
4. eliminate all free 'take home cars" for every state employee and politician.
5. have only one (1) health insurance plan for every and all people receiving a state salary (employees, politicians, apointees etc) and require every - all persons pay 25% of the cost of this insurance premium.
6. reduce every teacher's salary by 10% and require all school employees (including teachers) to work 12 months per year (like most taxpayers) with 1 day holidays and 2 - weeks vacation.
7. require all fines received by the state (traffic tickets, etc) be paid to food banks.
8. purchase a bankrupt hotel or motel and require all elected personnel to stay there overnight when in Annapolis.
9. reduce all per diem for food to $20.00 per day with a receipt required. (Go to DENNY's and McDonalds)
10. Require the State Police to open a MEDICADE FRAUD Investigation Unit.
Dorchester Like other employees, I would rather not see cuts, however, I felt that the furlough system implemented last FY were fair and created minimal burden by spreading out the reduction over several months. I prefer this
method to seeing across the board pay reductions. Thank you for your consideration and may God bless you as you work through this difficult period in time.
City I suggest the state shift nonessential state services to four ten hour days, closing buildings on Fridays. As a majority of the larger state office complexes are open longer than "9 to 5" already, make the most of the time
when lights, air conditioning/heating, and other energy-consuming services are already in use, and give them a longer break over the weekend. This will cut utility costs significantly, and make MD "GREENER" while
saving the state money. (Not to mention boost the morale of state workers, which should make them more productive as a bonus!)
Caroline How about a 5% pay cut for all of the elected officials of the state. Many of the people who work outside of the government are out of work, and the price of living is increasing. The one most recent is the change in the
EazyPass. What were our representatives thinking?
Baltimore I see more and more MTA Taxi's through out the area and MTA mini buses. Usually I see 1 passager in the vehicles. I believe there is alot of fraud in this area and the State needs to stop this program or sub-
contractor this program so the taxpayer are not paying for a free taxi ride. I have seen your taxi pick-up a lady on Willowdale Ave in Overlea and was surprised to see the lady was in her late 50's and healthly. I thought
this program was for disabled people. I am a firm believer that is what Family and friends are for. If a member of your family is sick and needs to go to the doctor you take them. If your neighbor is sick and needs
groceries you take them to the store or you buy it for them. It's time the people of Maryland that abuse the system learns the free ride is over.
MTA Political Liasons are another waste of money. They go to meeting to let the public know what is going on at the MTA. As a pass Association President I felt this was a total waste of State money because of the
Media we have today.
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Welfare and Section 8 Fraud- I would like to see the State Government give rewards for information on Section 8 housing participant that are commiting fraud. This would save the government millions of dollars a year.
I would set up the reward program payable for information which must lead to the conviction of the person commiting fraud.
We need to stop given Minority Scholarships to under educated and non- legal residents. Let's look at the graduation rates at Morgan,and Coplin State. Boy have we wasted money haven't we. Maybe we should build
them more stadiums and party rooms , sorry I meant dorm rooms
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Democrat
Baltimore There are many commercial trailers with Maine tags that should be registered in our state. there are landscape trailers with Maine tags also. We are missing out on a lot of trailer registration fees.
City Stagger starting times! If I leave 1/2 hour earlier than I usually do I don't hit any traffic. If people would get up a little earlier they wouldn't have to drive like maniacs to get to work on time and the traffic would be much
lighter.
On another front, run smaller buses at night. How many times do you see big empty busses going past?
City Dear Governor,
My name is xxxxxxxxxxxxx There is a lot I would like to say but, I don't want to write a book. First I can tell you I have not worked since October
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I have not asked the STATE or anyone else for help. Most people who need it, get turned down. The people who do not
need it get it every month! That is one way you can save money! Have these people checked out to make sure they really need it. The Lottery. That is a JOKE! When people win a Million or more and want to cash out
they do not get all of it, where does the rest of it go? All of the other LOTTERY games and even the some claim it is for the stadium. There is nothing wrong with it and if there were cut some of the PLAYERS money!
Put salary caps on FOOTBALL just like BASEBALL. The City is building new schools. Some need it and some don't. The way they are trying to build these schools is not needed. They are not Fancy Hotels. I grew up
in the city and also still live in the same house I was born in. That is another subject.Let's talk about the Mayor, what has she done for us? Not a dam thing. Take some of her salary and some of the salary from people
who work with her and put our POLICE BACK ON THE STREET'S!!! PAY THE FIREMAN more money who go into burning buildings to save lives! The Mayor and her People walk the Street's AFTER a CHILD gets
SHOT. What about the other 20 that happen every night and no one knows. I live right on the City \ AA County line. No one ever comes here and walks these street's! I know of at least 5 shootings in the past 3 months.
Where is our support??? What about congress and the higher ups? Let them share the wealth. My advice take it or leave it. Get the right people in the right positions and turn this place around!!!
Thank You,
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Anne First of all - calm down - try not to throw the baby out with the bath water - I am sure that fear will cause many to make impulsive suggestions/ and those with an axe to grind to make other irrational proposals. Of
Arundel course employees cost a great deal of money- but severe cuts will last much longer than this recession and will become political fodder. 1.Do give some sort of incentive to those in the "old" retirement system - then
they can make their choice to stay or leave, the retirement system might take a small hit - but in the long run these employees are going to leave anyway. If you are afraid of a "brain drain", allow the retired employees
to stay contractually for 12 months at 50% to teach another person their duties and responsibilities. If they choose to stay, all of their future benefits would be calculated at the new benefit rate. This will enable the
government to administer only one plan for all active employees. 2.Most state agencies are afraid to allow their employees to go part time - because they are afraid of losing their FTE "PIN" - allow employees who want
to go part time to do it - and allow agencies to keep the full time PIN for 36 months, by then we might be in a beeter position to make different decisions. 3. Stop contracting out so much bussiness - state employees
watch time after time - an initial low bid turns into costing 3,4,or even 5 times more after a year or so. 4. Stop trying to fully fund that local teachers pensions - it's not about the job that they do - it is about not having
control over raises etc. at the cost of the states own employees.Don't let the discussion be about punnishing teachers - but about equality and fairness to everyone who provides an essential service to the citizens of
Maryland. Also,this downturn in the economy has made many teachers stay put - and not threaten to leave - take a look at Anne Arundel County - they have only had to hire half of the teachers they normally would
need. 5. Don't be frightened into quickly messing with the retirees heath benefits etc.- it is really tempting - however - you will just have to shift the cost to elsewhere in the state government to provide services for
them. 6.Explore why their are so many overlapping services - financial, supplies, buying services that might be able to be gotten from another source of employees from another agency. Remember try not to get caught
up in all of the hype - this is a real issue - not one to be solved with gimmicks.
Baltimore Do not allow MD State Police to drive their Police cars home.
The taxpayers don't want to pay for this.
Anne More furloughs. I'm a State employee and I would rather take some furlough days and keep my job and have my colleagues keep theirs as well, than not give up anything and we all end up with nothing..
Arundel
Baltimore Make the MTA charge what it actually costs to operate the system
The Light Rail is typically empty when it comes through Hunt Valley. In the business world this would never fly and it shouldn't in MD government either. The taxpayers don't want to support these inefficient systems
Baltimore 1. In medians and other grassy areas along highways and even in urban areas, plant lirope or turf grasses that doe not need mowing. Lirope never needs mowing, it flowers and will get thickenough to keep weeds in
check. This would beautify areas, absorb more co2, cut back on mowing and limit the use of herbicides around poles, all of which would save money.
2. Get rid of the Board of Contract appeals like the legislature has recommended many times in the past. The few case they hear could easily be heard by the Office of Administrative Hearings.
3. Eliminate most licensing and regulatory boards and Commissions, as was done with the Inmate Grievance Office in 1991. The exceutive function could be assumed by an single commissioner, with investigations,
etc. continuing as is done presently. Hearings would continue to be done by the State's hearing agency, the Office of Administrative Hearings.
4. Statutes/regulations should ensure that when agencies take actins that affect citizens/licensees, that the person affected must request a hearing if they believe the action taken was improper. Right now, too many
agencies send notices and set up hearing for persons who dio not wish a hearing and do not appear. Much time is wasted by agencies and AGs preparing for hearings, when the allegedly affected person has not
asked fora hearing and does not show up for a hearing. Because of the limited number of AGs, this results in delays for those who do want a hearing. It also wastes valuable hearing resources when no citizen
appears. Agenccies should also stop "holding hearings" when the citizen/licensee does not appear. Everyone should have the opportunity for a hearing to challenge what they believe to be an improper action by the
government, but money and valuable resources should not be wasted on those who do not want a hearing.
Anne 1) Stop hiring high paid executives for non-existent jobs. Stop giving reclasses to inexperience, low level employees who do not hold degrees in the job functions they are being reclassed in. (i.e a grade 19 for a
Arundel director of a 2 person program that can be handled by 1 employee at a grade 14 or 15. (Land/Property Leasing program)
2) Stop allowing employees (gtades 18 and above) to earn compensatory time for hours worked at home when the offices are closed, i.e. employee at a grade 19 or above can not sleep so they get up at 2 a.m. and
work for 4 hours then go in to work or they work on weekends 4 to 6 hours when the work is not needed to be completed by a deadline date. Too much compensation given to state employees in grades 18 and above,
they employees know how to work the system. They can't get the work done during normal work hours due to long lunches, coming in late and then chit-chatting at their desks either with other state employees or on
the phone, then they say they have to work overtime to complete their work.
3) Cut programs that are overlapping in departments. Too many permits needed from too many different agencies. Let your local juridictions be accountable for seeing that citizens follow the law and get the
appropriate permits to get work done on their property, piers, etc.
Too many CHIEFS that do not know what the other CHIEF is doing or following the state regulations on many projects starting at SHA, to MDTransportaton, to DNR, to MDE.
4) Cut out the personal days given each year to State employees instead of having the employees take furloughs.
7) FREEZE all reclassification actions for a year, that would help the budget, since many employees request a reclass because they can't meet their financial issues, they feel they are owed a reclassification because
of time in service with the STate of Maryland. Not many state employees understand what an MS-22 means requiring that they perform job functions for the PIN they were hired in.
Carroll I think management should be accountable for who they are promoting and the reason someone gets
promoted.Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Doesn't quite seem fair to those of us who truly care about our jobs and are willing to work.
City Declining numbers of income tax payers in Baltimore City is a big issue. Yet, many of the people who work in Baltimore City live in the surrounding counties, Delaware, and southern PA. Why not introduce a wage tax,
similar to Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Workers who work in Baltimore City but aren't residents would pay a wage tax that would be deducted from their pay. It could be a way for the city to close some of its
revenue gap and keep some of that income in the city, as opposed to it going out to surrounding counties and states.
Montgomery Dear Governer O'Malley,
I mentor a 9 year old African American student whose family that depends on the services of the Coolaboration Council for essential parenting and counseling. Without these funds, families are in desperate
circumstances.
Sincerely,
--
Parent Advocate
Montgomery Instead of maintaining rest stops on upper 270 and 70, lease them to commercial intities (i.e. Starbucks, McDonald's) I'm guessing there may be other routes but those are the ones I'm familiar with.
Cecil I heard, perhaps too late, about the proposed possible cuts to the Educational Budget. I am not well versed in politics, but I do know that your Adult Education Program makes a huge difference with the working poor in
Maryland. Education is the ONLY way we can make a difference in an economically difficult time! People who can't read, or write, or haven't got a high school diploma, cannot compete, well, for those elusive jobs.
Therefore, they drain the state and federal budgets in other ways. Please... there has to be other ways to cut costs. What about vacation pay? Can those who have the good jobs do with a week vacation instead of
two? What about asking people with the good jobs to pay more for their insurance? What about eliminating that benefit, for a little while (until things are not at critical level)? What about supplies? Can employees
make do with less in the offices? It may seem unfair to burden those who "have" to compensate for those who don't have ... however, keeping Adult Education safe (enabling the working poor to try to get ahead, with
a better education), is crucial in these critical times.
Well, like I said, I am not political. However, my friends wanted us all to write to you (to protect Adult Education). Since I see firsthand, what a difference those programs make, I am glad to "defend them."
Good luck with your struggles.
select your Eliminate some of the layers of supervision, etc. and place them in the vacant positions(i.e. I am told in some divisions people are called supervisors who may supervise one or no people). People will still keep a job
county with the State and vacant positions no longer need to be filled.
Talbot Mandatory ten hour days for MD State Police to reduce manpower overtime, sick leave usage, and reduce commuting costs (e.g., gas consumption, wear/tear on patrol units, etc).
Year-round public school for 1st to 12th grade- to save money by choosing the year-round model over new construction, increase the school capacity by 25 percent, and reduce staffing while reducing class sizes!
Students benefit from a more continuous learning pattern, and a reduced need for review! Other states have piloted this plan and have implemented it with success (Serifs, 1990; Dlugosh, 1994; O'Neil & Adamson,
1993).
Baltimore Please take a look at the cost of privatization of child support in Baltimore City and have a cost analysis completed to measure profit vs cost. I am a state employee of 32 years and strongly feel that privatization did not
save the state. Most private companies are doing business for profit at the state's expense. Please end privatization and reinvest in the hard working state employees. I am willing to accept furlough days to prevent
losing my job. I pray that you will give this email some thought and feel free to contact me at xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Respectfully summitted.
Baltimore I think we should retire the greedy ones and let younger ones take care of the job and stop hiring for a while to let the others to keep their jobs in order not to add to our unemployment rate.
Montgomery The Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families has taken a 25 % reduction for the work it does to support afterschool programs, home-visiting services and wraparound services
supporting our children with complex needs. Currently, there are waiting lists for services and those waiting lists are only going to grow if we don’t act now. These cuts are a combination of what occurred just as the
fiscal year began and the most recent action of the board of public works. And we have been told there are more cuts to come.
I would like the state resources from the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund to continue to support our most vulnerable children and families in Montgomery County. Montgomery County young people need the
Governor's leadership to protect these resources and prevent additional cuts to this fund - it has been cut enough!
Caroline Do away with the front auto plate

Anne 1. Cut back drastically on the number of "public information" officers serving in the state agencies, including support staff. Many of these employees perform far too much political campaign work, distribute pedestrian
Arundel information and get mired in questionable "warm and fuzzy" activities creating signs and other fluff for in-house functions. Many of these staff units waste time idling as entourages for their agency heads at public
events. In addition, they often fail to provide comprehensive, measurable and effective contributions to support the core missions of their agencies. They should focus more on helping their co-workers serve citizens
more efficiently and spend less time pursuing marketing ideas that may sound clever but may not be justifiable or critically supportive of the core mission. At the very least, these public information functions should be
subject to frequent and independent oversight.
2. Close all state offices one day a week and reduce the total number of field offices managed by state agencies to save expenses on energy and infrastructure.
3. Convert employee service hours to a 10-hour, four day week.
4. Increase the effectiveness of ALL agency Web sites to provide more online services and downloadable resources to offset the reduction in agency hours and locations.
5. Offer an early retirement plan to employees with 25 years or more of service, to downsize the employment ranks more speedily.
Carroll I live in Westminster and commute to work in Balto County. I share the road with too many commuters from Pennsylvania. They move to PA to avoid paying MD taxes. They add to the traffic congestion & pollution, yet
pay NOTHING to MD. They need to pay their share for our well-maintained roads. JUST THE COMMUTERS, not visitors.
Wicomico How about taking a step like California is with the legalization of Marijuana? So many people smoke it anyway and if it were to be legalized you could tax it and make a lot of money off of it.
Washington Eliminate the "Bullet Fingerprinting Law" for new Handguns sold within the State of Maryland. This law has cost the taxpayers of Maryland millions of dollars since it was enacted back in the Glenndenning
administration and has not solved any crimes. It was created solely for the purpose of aggitating firearms manufacturers so they will not seek handgun sales in the state. If your truly interested in saving money in the
state budget, eliminate this law. Annual Cost: Approximately $2-3,000,000.
Thank you,
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Allegany I am a contractual employee at a state agency and as you are well aware, we don't have any of the benefits enjoyed by our "state" counterparts although we are expected to work just as hard for less money and no
benefits. In my case I work harder than anyone where I am employed. We are aware you have a meeting on 8-12-09 with the ASFCME reps. Last year when you did furloughs at the holidays it unfairly and
unnecessarily impacted we contractual employees the hardest. Mr. O'Malley, just like our state counterparts, we have families to raise and bills to pay. I am asking you this. Please do not have the furlough days in
conjunction with any holidays. Last year I lost 2 days pay in 2 consecutive pay periods for a total of 4 unpaid days, followed by another holiday in January which I don't get paid for. This places an unfair financial
hardship on us. Thank you.
Sorry to hear you are not doing well controlling the budget. I believe it to be very inflated. percentages is the only fair way. Cut 5% off every check going out and add 5% to every check coming in. Oh and don't forget
to trim the exspense accounts atleast by 40%. Then naturally you would trim the excess fat and don't be afraid to get into the school boards and schools. There is alot there to cut and the students wouldn't miss any
benefit at all.
Anne Take away some of the monies that are given to those who hold high postions. Example:THOSE THAT MAKE THE BIG SALARIES IN THE GOVERMENT AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS.
Arundel
Baltimore lesson the number of "use or lose" days for govt workers OR give money incentives for not using all of the "use or lose "days on a prorated basis of some sort.
Anne In the state office workers, get rid of the contractual and temporary workers because it cost more time to train them and get little access to necessary functions. The executives that serve at the pleasure of the
Arundel administration, take a very careful look at their salaries and duties. You have 4 assistant administrators that 1 or 2 could do..state cars are a waste...cut down on state vehicles for use..more fuel efficient vehicles for the
ones that have to be used.
City correct me if i am wrong this state spends 2 million dollars a year have death row inmate living in a cell 24 hours a day. execution is a great for the states money crisis.
Anne Eliminate the required 10,000 mile requirement on all state vehicles. This is costly when not necessary. Some state employees work in areas close to their work or home making the 10,000 mile requirement difficult
Arundel and costly.
Montgomery Temporarily shut down the rest-stops along Maryland's Interstates. These are large buildings that use up electricity and manpower to run. Yet they provide almost no utility. If people need to use the bathroom or buy
some candy, they can just drive to the next exit and use a gas-station.
Worchester I am assuming that we State Employees are facing more furlough days. Don't stagger the days throughout the year. Close all State Offices on the first Friday of every quarter. You will save on energy, water, janitorial
services and payroll. When the employees choose the day they take as furlough days, the offices are still open using utilites.
By the way, Worcester County is spelled incorrectly - there is no "H".
Thanks for listening.
xxxx
Anne As a state resident and state employee (USM employee) I feel that one place cuts can be made is in the retention and maintenance of real estate owned by the state. One way that can be accomplished is by reducing
Arundel the amount of people required to commute to various State of MD office building throughout the state. Specifically, by initiating a statewide telecommuting and office sharing program.
Not every employee has a job that will allow for this transition to working part-time or full-time from home. However, with the advances made in information technology infrastructure, more and more job functions can
safely be moved from large office buildings to home.
The resulting solution could reduce operating costs if those employees left working in state office buildings are consolidated into common locations. The excess real estate can at the least be shut down where the
money saved is realized in less climate control costs, lighting costs etc. However, if the unused office buildings can be sold, this brings in even more revenue.
Employees would also realize savings in their own personal budgets. Less commuter traffic on the roads equate to less fuel consumption. In addition, less commuter traffic will ease congestion on state roads,
negating the needs to expand/widen highways and will likely contribute to driver safety with less accidents on state roads.
As an added bonus, companies (For example, Sun Microsystems) who have instituted telecommuting have experienced increases in productivity among employees and have actually reported gaining back and
average of 2.5 work weeks that was otherwise lost during employee commute times.
City Merge University of Baltimore Law School with the University of Maryland Law School. During these diffcult financial times, there is no reason to support two law schools in Baltimore City and the State of Maryland.
There was talk of merging the two schools during the Schaefer governorship. This is something that needs to be revisited.
Washington Reduction of essential services such as public safety and education should be no where in any budget. In fact increases in thier budgets would benifet the state.
Baltimore Dear Governor O'Malley,
There are many pieces of government that need to be addressed in these times of budget crunches. And the burden should be carried not by a few but all the citizens of Maryland. I have heard of the furloughs
suggested for state employees. I don't believe that is appropriate as they too are affected by other cuts as well and rising prices. Basically that hits them twice.
I would be happy to assist in the budget preparation process if you would allow me. I have been an analyst for almost 30 years in managing projects. This balancing of the budget can be accomplished. But the people
and the legislators have to start being more fiscally responsible. There are items, such as new contracts for services in the state that could be delayed. When the pocket book does not permit it, then we don't spend it,
especially when less is coming into the coffer than projected. Areas like state contracts that are entered into now might better be gotten out of by paying the penalties for such action of termination instead of continuing
to expend the finances depending on the stage of those contracts. And I could go on. I would welcome the opportunity to try if allowed. Please contact me at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx sir to arrange an appointment for me to
meet with you. Together, yourself, the citizens and legislators can solve this dilemma.
Thank-you.
City I am going to use two jails, Baltimore City Jail and Baltimore Central Booking. Each jail has a Warden two Assistant Warden A Security Chief, two facility admim not to count the number of civilian staff thats oversee
what security personal is doing. The jail has a Commissioner ,Deputy Commissioner, a assistant to the Commissioner. These two Jails alone has so many made up jobs its unbelievable. How can a place have an Asst
Warden of maintenance. The amount of money that the State is paying for these made up jobs is millions. I am saying these thing because i see it everyday I have worked at the jail for twenty years. I see over 1.5
million in made up salaries between the two jails. Just think if you evaluate the rest of the Prison System in Maryland with there made up jobs.
Wicomico I understand the budget has been cut again for the After School Program - we really need the funds to keep these programs active. The youth are the ones that suffer when these programs are cut. In particular, the
high-risk individuals. Please re-consider. Thank you and I hope my plea is taken into consideration.
Wicomico In the Multi Service Centers that house multiple state agencies, there is alot of money spent on updating landscaping, replacing light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs,etc these might be things that could be put on the
back burner.
Montgomery Dear Governor O'Malley: We need your leadership to protect the state resources from the Children’s Cabinet Interagency funding and prevent additional cuts to this fund - it has been cut enough!
We need continued state support for our vulnerable children and families.
Thank you.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Montgomery Would it be possible to retire some of the state car fleet and just reemburse employees for their milage? Of course we would have to have some cars for those emloyees that don't have their own cars to do State work,
but we should be able to reduce the fleet substancially. We might also just keep our vehicles running longer.
City I do not believe that it is fair that state workers keep taking the fall for the budget shortfalls in Maryland. State workers are having to endure furlough days, no raises, no match to 401K while being expected to remain
calm and supportive while providing services to customers. State employees are in need of supportive services as well. How are we to maintain what we have with salary cuts and no way to make up for them. All state
workers are not well compensated and work hard to keep their head above water and unlike many other Marylanders are not able to seek help from the state with their financial problems, problems that increase due to
salary reductions and less benefits. Maybe other avenues could be explored, increase tax for lottery, have medicaid recipients pay a small copay (the insurance is free, a small copay to services other than routine could
be implemented-this would also help the healthcare industry), increase on tobacco tax, increase taxes on upper class, regulate emergency assistance within the local departments of social services. Maybe state
workers could be offered replacement services for to make up for the salary reduction (like some food stamps and free healthcare, compressed work weeks ( decrease utilities in buildings). There are state workers who
feel cheated by the system due to the lack of compassion shown for them in these hard economic times, however, they are always asked to show compassion for the customers applying for services despite the
customer's attitude and lack of respect for the state worker. Thank you.
Harford Take a pay cut like the rest of us had to in order to keep job. Eliminate unneccessary staff or pay out of pocket for chef & house keeper etc.
Baltimore Dear Honorable Governor O'Malley:
The following are ideas I have on how to realize cost savings and realize more revenue for our wonderful State:
1) Increase the tobacco and liquor tax;
2) Increase tuition at State Colleges by 10%
3) Ensure that we get Slot machine casinos open and running by the end of FY 2010. There must be red tape that needs to be cut. If not, introduce legislation to revise and speed the opening of Maryland Casinos;
4) Reduce reimbusement for Stem Cell Research & Development Costs;
5) Temporarily reduce repairs to roadways until the economy improves;
6) Reduce any increases in Medicaid that were implemented in the last three years;
7) Recruit more volunteers to assist in cleanup projects for the Chesapeake Bay;
8) How about a Fat tax on Cakes and Candies and Red Meat throughout Maryland to offset the cost of Heart Disease;
9) Raise the tobacco tax by $1.00 a pack. We know its bad to smoke so let us increase the tax;
Caroline Maryland legislators (including the governor) need to have furlough days as well as state employees; put the MD State Police to work to enforce the speeding laws in the State of Maryland;stop subsidizing the City of
Baltimore;
Harford Re: Maryland Unemployment Insurance requirements
Currently, benefits are available to those receiving full severance pay as long as they are not continuing to accrue leave. Why? As long as one is receiving a "regular" paycheck, and in some cases, benefits, severance
pay is not deducted. I checked this on the official site today. One shouldn't need additional benefits paid for by former employers, who, in turn, pass these costs on to consumers. How much could be saved if this
unnecessary policy were stopped? Dare I suggest that some, relying on this "windfall", would delay searching for new employment?
Harford Quit the rediculous spending at the end of the fiscal year
by all agencies and allow for a carry over of unspent funds.
The practice of blowing all an agencies surplus funds to ensure they get as much or more funding for the next fiscal
year is absolutely absurd
City I suggest using a flexible workweek schedule such as 4 days per week @ 10 hours a day for office professionals. This will save on office utilities, as well as reduce transportation time. It will increase productivity as it
allows more time to complete work responsibilities. It will also decrease a need for overtime/comptime pay because the individual will work later and can cover more work hours.
I also suggest returning to the 35 hour workweek if the above suggestion is not considered. Again, this will decrease use of office utilities.
City I think a tuition increase is in order for all state colleges & universities. PLEASE do not further cut budgets for our The University of MD (all various campuses. It has taken much work & diligence for our university
branches to gain the very fine reputation they now enjoy and many of us would hate to see this be diminished. A state is very much measured by its higher education facilities and the graduates they produce.
Anne I'd like to suggest a two-part approach to transportation issues with the goal of (a) saving money on gas spent (benefit: consumer), (b) saving strain on the aging infrastructure (benefit: state and counties), (c) reducing
Arundel pollution, traffic, and traffic accidents (benefit: all), and (d) improving traffic flow on congested roads (benefit: all). I propose (1) that the transportation department devise an incentive program to reward businesses that
convert positions that lend themselves to it to telecommuting (yes, incentives--use stimulus funds to provide the incentives up front; reap the benefits/transfer savings netted from the initiatives to fund the incentives
once the stimulus dollars have stopped). And (2) institute a "Stay to the right except to pass or exit" rule on larger roads. As it is now, slow moving vehicles in left lanes clump up traffic on the beltway (especially
portions with only 3 lanes), often prompting fender benders, and keeping traffic from moving smoothly. These are very unsexy suggestions but I think they would have far-reaching benefit and long-term cost-savings.
Members of Maryland's Executive Branch and Legislature take a 5% across-the-board pay cut each fiscal year the budget is not balanced. Lead by example.
Calvert I suggest furlough days that are strategically decided on and determined by your office. I believe that designating one Friday a month for the next fiscal year where the government is closed, except for mandatory
emergency employees or other personnel. This would give the state employees the ability to know when their paychecks will be lower than normal and also help on energy costs. I don't feel that a salary cut is
necessary, and that majority of state employees would much rather have furlough days than have a permanent pay decrease and/or furlough days. I have worked out that if we are required to take 12-15 furlough days
during this fiscal year that would be equivalent to the 3.5% pay decrease and 8 furlough days that have been rumored to be the next step in helping our budget. I would much rather help out the budget by not getting
paid on pre-determined days or days that choose than having my pay decreased permanently.
Baltimore Maryland rate payers mail their BGE bill to a Post Office in Philadelphia PA. The service/processing fee should be dollars benefitting Maryland not Pennsylvania. Close the loop-hole.
Harford I think all State of Maryland employees should take a pay cut that varies from 2.5% for hourly workers up to 20% for department heads. I work for a Fortune 100 company and we all took permanent pay cut to save
money and hopefully the company. I think the state employees can do the same.
I that can not be done, at least force ALL state workers to take 1-2 day off a month with no pay until the state has more money.
select your Members of Maryland's Executive Branch and Legislature take a 5% across-the-board salary cut every fiscal year the budget is not balanced. Lead by example.
county
Thank you for the opportunity to suggest cost saving actions for Maryland.
An idea that I hear many in my community voice would save the taxpayer $2.8 million.
Newspaper accounts report that you will purchase private land, for $2.8 million, to relocate the Court House in 21228 (Baltimore County). The courthouse is currently located on the UMBC campus. Rather than allocate
funds to purchase land, the courthouse could be relocated to the Spring Grove State Hospital Grounds. In addition the saving the taxpayer $2.8 million, this outcome would have the added benefit of relocating the court
house to an area within half a mile of its existing location. Moreover, there is community support for relocating the District Courthouse to Spring Grove, and a move to this campus is also consistent with the Spring
Grove 2001 Master Plan. In contrast, there is community opposition to the purchase of private land for relocating the Courthouse.
Although funds would still be needed for construction, this would be true at either site. However, the savings resulting from not purchasing land unnecessarily would be realized.
Thank you for the opportunity to share this with you.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Catonsville, Maryland
Members of Maryland's Executive Branch and Legislature take a 5% across-the-board salary cut every fiscal year the budget is not balanced. Lead by example.
Washington My husband xxxxxxxxxxx, works at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx in Frederick, Md. We have been discussing the financial situation of the state of Maryland . We feel that those
who are close to retirement (possibly within 5-6 years)
should be given the opportunity to retire early, with full
retirement benefits and a severence pay for retiring early.
thanks for your consideration of this suggestion.
Sincerely
xxx
Calvert I clearly understand that there are difficult decisions that need to be made. However, the Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund has already taken many cuts since 2008, amounting to a 30% cut overall for FY10 with an
additional cut at the most recent Board of Public Works. Please do what you can to protect this fund and other programs serving our children, youth and families from any further cuts. There has to be other places to
look for cost savings. Everyone has to share in the pain of our current economic situation. I am taking an 11.3% pay cut, reduced contribution to my 401k, higher copays for my health insurance, no pay raise all of
which will have an impact on my family of four. But, the alternative of not having a job or not having health insurance is worse. If it means saving jobs, state employees should not be exempt from furlough days,
increased copays for health insurance, no salary increases. But, in the end, I think raising taxes is still an option that should be on the table to protect services and jobs for our residents and businesses here in
Maryland. Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
Montgomery Eliminate ALL funds for LRT (light rail transit) since LRT is the worst form of transit. LRT is slow, consumes surface space, is expensive to tunnel, it kills and maims people and crates congestion.
Elevated driverless monobeam (cantilevered monorail)on the other hand is fast (up to 70 mph) and travels above traffic and other sensitive areas such as wetlands, and it costs about the same to build as LRT and
costs about 60 percent less than LRT to operate.
Visit www.otg-inc.com and www.monorails.org web sites for more infomration.
xxxxx
Silver Spring MD
Harford xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Cecil I believe that a great taxable income is being overlooked by not having prostitution legalized. I do not think this a job I want nor my daughter but just think about the sales tax or income tax that is being missed out on.
The business would be safer for the girls and health care ie spread of disease coukld be reduced. Now believe me there would be heck to pay if my husband went to one but I have alway said this should be legalized.
Lots of things are legal that my husband and I chose not to participate in. Just a thought.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Montgomery Please don't make additional cuts to the youth and families program. Our population is in need of these services and cutting the funds is hurting our families. Thank you, xxxxx
Calvert I would suggest making cuts on paid conferences for state employees and monitoring the spending of county health departments a little closer. I understand that conferences are held to help expand the knowledge to
our local government, but the cost that some counties spend may be a little obscene especially in a time of number crunching for the state. By going paperless at these conferences, as well as others, would also help
to reduce the cost of holding these meetings. Allow power point presentations to be available online instead of handing out paper copies during meetings.
Another issue that I also became aware of is the use of spending within a county health department. I understand that the state is in a financial crisis and we need to work together in trying to improve our state’s deficit.
The state vehicles are important for the safety of the employees who must drive them, but in a time of budget problems is it necessary to trade-in an old excessively large Dodge Ram for an also excessively large GMC
truck. A smaller, more gas efficient truck would probably work just as well for the purpose of the vehicle (commuter truck for maintenance staff).
I also agree on the going paperless route for saving money. I don’t understand why timesheets, activity sheets, leave reports, etc. must be printed out on paper. We all live in a technology driven society that would
much rather deal with less paperwork than what we have now.
Montgomery I urge you to continue to support the most vulnerable children and families in Montgomery County by preserving the Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund funding to the MC Collaboration Council. The services provided
by the Montgomery County Collaboration Council are an invaluable investment in our children and youth that are cost effective because they prevent future problems from arising. The Montgomery County
Collaboration Council has done such a good job that the state is now co-opting its work in the area of wrap-around. Don't decimate the rest of the good work of the Collaboration Council.
A voluntary furlough program for state employees should be implemented. Give those who wish to take unpaid time off the option to do so. Someone like myself, who works for the General Assembly - where there is
little or no work during the interim - would be more than willing to sign up. Thank you.
Baltimore The City should re-open the bidding on a certain city contract and go with the lowest bid - Whiting-Turner and not the 2nd highest bidder which equates to almost a $7M difference?
From my viewpoint - Each contractor didn't submit a 100% correct proposal and there may have been minor errors through-out - So why not save the city the most money??
I do not understand the rational in this economic climate we are facing. Very disappointing.
Montgomery Dear Governor O'Mally,
Please do not cut the resources from the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund and continue to support our most vulnerable children and families in Montgomery County. We need your leadership to support this. The
MC Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families has already taken a 25 % reduction for the work it does to support afterschool programs, home-visiting services and wraparound services supporting our
children with complex needs. Currently, there are waiting lists for services and those waiting lists are only going to grow.
The work that they do in Montgomery County to support Children and Families is of great important to the future success of the state, area community and families they serve.
Thank you for the consideration,
xxx
Washington Instead of Furlough's for only certain workers in the state, why not a flat rate hit over the year for EVERY STATE WORKER, from the lowest worker on the ladder, all the way up to and including the Governor. A 1% or
2% flat rate hit would have to save money, but it could only make an impact if EVERY STATE WORKER is involved, not just some.
Montgomery Thank you, Governor O'Malley, for the opportunity to share my thoughts on the topic:
1. Open up the books of all agencies to a volunteer group of non-governmental and non-NGO employees/leadership who do not depend on government contracts for their own businesses, who possess sufficient
business experience coupled with specific knowledge within the areas of each agency stated objectives.. Follow their recommendations promptly.
2. Lower taxes. Many are moving out of state and my family is considering doing the same. We are not impoverished, yet not wealthy. Annually, we pay over 50% of our income in taxes [Fed, State, Local, City, and
Real Property]; this amount does not include stealth taxes: food, gas, cell, cable and so on. Since 2000, between inflation and tax increases, either direct or due to inflated real property assessments, combined with a
dreadful return on cash savings, we feel as if earning an extra dollar is pointless.
3. Stop funding NGO's espousing identity politics, wealth redistribution, and advocates of amnesty/benefits for illegal alien residents. Beneficiaries of many of these advocate groups result in addition expropriation from
productive to non-productive individuals. In the interim, Maryland should no longer offer driver's licenses to all and sundry AND should verify the eligibility for those in existence. A non-drivers ID or Driver's license that
states 'This card may not be used to determine citizenship or eligibility for benefits.' I say this as a former employee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. The program I created and implemented received two
xxxxxxxx awards. Volunteer based, the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx program saved the county considerable financial resources, providing needed services and education for newcomers and long time residents needing
resource information and basic computing skills, while enabling those with time, ability, and interest to feel happy about helping others. I support legal immigration of individuals who become productive members of
society. All amnesty and benefit programs for illegal resident aliens wrongs those who have waited, often for years, to migrate to this country legally. Oh, the stories I could tell of hardships endured by newcomers,
some of whom could have gone to another country much sooner, yet chose wait, often in dreadful circumstances to come to the US for their shot at the American Dream.
3. Investigate unions and NGO's and prosecute those acting outside of legal charter, tighten state regulations as needed. Ensure ALL government contracts are not aiding union thuggery by pressuring contract
recipients to hire union only. RICO may be applicable. Ripe for investigation are SEIU and their sister organization ACORN and its multiple seedlings.
4. Renegotiate government retirement and benefits packages. Government salaries and retirement benefit increases have far exceeded that available for comparable work in the private sector.
4. Permit more schools to operate on a voucher system with non-union employees. Ideally, all schools would operate this way. Teacher's salaries would become reflective of their results; teachers who may wish to
move would not be trapped in the pension/benefit game. At the same time, more ‘apprenticeship’ programs for new college graduates would be helpful. Additionally, competition in the free market for those with an
ability to teach others and critical skills absent in many public schools, such as mathematics and science would encourage early retirees, displaced workers, and disillusioned attorneys to contribute to society in the
most meaningful way by improving the quality of education of our youth. Additional educational reforms should include the option of voucher schools specializing in vocational and technical concentrations. Many jobs
do not really require a four-year college degree. However, they do require solid knowledge, skills, and abilities. This would permit students of all competencies the ability to track themselves into an educational track
that best suits their interests and ability. Sadly, most voc-tech programs were eviscerated. I suspect due to political correctness and insurance liability more than anything else.
5. Take back state sovereignty. Maryland, my beloved Maryland, is the Free State, yet ranks lowest in personal freedom. Multiple unfunded federal mandates have a real cost in implementing programs by diktat that
may not be in the best interest of Marylanders.
6. Encourage opening or expanding small business by removing disincentives for those with entrepreneurial spirit. 74% of all new jobs in the past decade were created by small businesses. US hires at Fortune 500
jobs have remain flat or declined in the past decade. Small business/start up owners take considerable financial risk, generally work in excess of 40 hours week, do not have multiple benefits, and find themselves in
regulatory/licensing hell. There are only so many Federal jobs that can come to the state and state agencies are oft rife with incompetent people who will retire with a far greater stream of income than most small
business persons. Let those with the ideas and energy do their thing; it will pay off for Maryland.
Government can play a part by staying out of the way in many instances, yet is key to snuffing out corruption, cronyism, and theft/misuse of public funds. If well-investigated, I would estimate a significant amount of
fraud, abuse, and waste would be discovered. Prosecute fully those acting outside the law; including governmental employees.
In conclusion, federal legislation, including Cap & Trade, Healthcare, Food Act, and soon to arrive immigration reform are all designed to create a central, planned economy, which will expropriate more money from the
productive classes. Small businesses and the services and innovation they provide to society will be further crushed. As I see it, the legislation will further shift employment to governments and NGO's. Neither run with
efficiency. This is not an America or Maryland based on our Constitution and the freedom of it's people to make decisions in their own best interest and accept personal responsibility for the outcome of those decisions.
As for the jobs created by all of the recent federal legislation, most will end up being jobsworth jobs. Look to the UK and see what is happening there: garbage, energy efficiency, and parenting 'police'. What a
nightmare. Cap and Trade regulations as written in the approved House bill will lower home prices or at least their net value due to 'energy efficiency' regulations for selling the property and will be especially financially
punitive to the elderly who frequently rely on home sale gains as they downsize in their retirement years. I suspect new regulatory inspectors and service workers will be unionized, further running up costs. Let's not
live in a society run by a de facto protection racket. Who will profit from Cap and Trade? Multi-nationals who will outsource production AND derivatives traders. Haven't we had enough of the latter?
Thank you again for the opportunity to share my thoughts. Should you or a member of your office wish to contact me further for clarification or additional information, I would be pleased to offer any assistance
requested. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Very best regards,

xxx
Anne STATE EMPLOYEE'S HAVE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH AND IT IS TIME TO PICK OTHER AGENCIES WITHIN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. COUNTY EMPLOYEE SALARY HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED.I KNOW
Arundel THAT THERE ARE STATE AGENCY THAT GET PAID OVERTIME, AND OTHER AGENCY CAN ONLY GET COMP-TIME. YOU HAVE DIFFERENT STATE AGENCY THAT USE STATE CARS, THAT REALLY
DON'T NEED THEM. YOU ALSO HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON STATE AID THAT NEED TO BE WORKING.THERE IS TO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT CITIZENS COLLECTING STATE
ASSISTANCE, THAT NEED TO BE WORKING AND PAYING TAXES JUST LIKE ME. IF I LOSE MY JOB TODAY, I DON'T QUALIFY FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE I HAVE A HOUSE AND A HUSBAND THAT
WORKS. I FEEL THAT STATE EMPLOYEE NEED TO BE LEFT ALONE.
Worchester As a state employee, I believe that this is the 3rd time that I am being asked to assist with the budget.
I would appreciate a furlough system for the registered nurses and licensed professional nurses being included in the mix. I know of several RNs who are sitting behind a desk, not doing direct care and were not
subject to the furlough becuase of their status.
Which brings on the next statement - How is licensure granted to RN/LPN who do not provide direct care and where is the tracking system for competencies and continued education? With the new computerized
renewal system...who is watching the store?
City FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN HERE IN OUR OFFICES, AND I'M SURE IN MANY HOMES, IS THAT LIGHTS ARE LEFT ON AT NIGHT AS WELL AS COMPUTERS,FANS,COPIERS, ETC. STATEWIDE,IF THIS
PRACTICE WERE TO BE CURTAILED, IT WOULD ADD UP TO A SUBSTANTIAL DOLLAR AMOUNT, I'M SURE. AS FAR AS COMPUTERS ARE CONCERNED, THEY SHOULD BE "SHUT DOWN" COMPLETELY
AND NOT JUST "LOGGED OFF". THIS CAN,ALSO, BE CONSIDERED A SECURITY MEASURE NOT JUST AN ECONOMIC MATTER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS E-MAIL.
City As an employee at DHMH headquarters, I frequently think about what a cost savings it would be to close the building on Fridays. Week after week on Friday, I notice the number of empty cubes as I walk to and from
my desk, and wonder if it makes sense for the state to pay gas/electric to light/heat/cool this and other buildings, when people often telework, take personal days or work a compressed work week - thus leaving the
building only half full on Fridays.
In an attempt to reduce utility costs statewide, Maryland, could truly benefit from closing the doors of state office buildings on Fridays. Currently, many administrations, and even units within those administrations, make
their own rules about compressed work weeks, so there's no real continuity and thus no true cost savings for the state since employees can choose which days are best. If the state created a four day work week
(Monday-Thursday), the benefits would certainly outweight the costs to consumers, as they would have for days of extended service hours for all state agencies. Presumably a two hour increase to the average
business day would better enable constituents to utilize services in a time frame that works for them.
The argument that services should be convenient for Maryland residents to utilize is a valid one, however budget cuts across the state have made for limited resources being spread very thin. In an effort to truly
become more environmentally conscious, and to provide a higher level of service during four extended work days, the state should strongly consider closing on Fridays so that services Monday through Thursday are
even stronger. By doing so, the state could also eliminate or at least postpone the need for another round of layoffs/furloughs/salary reductions for its workforce.
Washington if state employees who have worked more than 25 years would get mandatory retirement, we could save a lot when hiring new workders, not to mention giving someone else a chance for a job.
Calvert Take a close look at the State run motor pool needs. I see all kinds of Maryland state cars, typically with only the driver, traveling in Calvert County. I even see them on the weekends. Why is it necessary for only one
person to be in the car? Have you considered getting rid of most of the cars in the State fleet and having people teleconference instead of driving everywhere. I don't think any State employee other than the governor or
active State Police officers, not those in desk jobs, should have a take home vehicle. Have you considered limiting welfare payments to a two year period similar to Pennsylvania? Stop providing any support to illegal
immigrants since they do not pay taxes in our state and they are breaking our laws by being here. You need to stop delaying and get the slot machine businesses going. They are bringing in large tax revenues to our
surrounding states. You have a big task before you and I wish you all good luck.
xxx
Talbot Gov. O'Malley,
Help pull Maryland through this recession: fully fund adult education!! We are a vital link in the economic chain.
I have seen a marked increase in the number of unemployed among my students, many of whom are desperate to improve their lot and are taking this opportunity to complete their education.
Tough budget year; tough choices. Adult education is too important NOT to fund.
Respectfully,
xxx
Adult Education Instructor
Carroll 1. CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAMS THAT HAS A STATE WORKER TEAMED UP WITH A COUNTY WORKER. NOW ONLY THE COUNTY DOES WHAT THEY NEED AND THE STATE IS NOT MADE AWARE. ( I
CAN EXPLAIN )
2. DGS- HAVE A ROVING UNIT THAT TRAVELS AND DOES MAINTENANCE ONLY NEEDING ONE OR TWO AT EACH SITE. TEACH THE STAFF HOW TO USE RESOURCES IE, COMMUNITY SERVICE'S
FROM COURTS AND JUVENILE'S NEEDING TO FULLFILL COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS TO HELP KEEP BUILDINGS LOOKING GOOD. PLANT PERENIALS
3. TAKE HOME VEHICLES-NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO
4. CUT GRASS ON HIGHWAYS AND BALE IT FOR HAY OR FEED
5. ALL COUNTIES NEED TO REGISTER THIER RENTAL PROPERTIES-THIS WILL CLEAN UP AREAS AND PUT MONEY INTO THE GENERAL FUND WITH PROPERTIES FOUND OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH
LEAD LAWS AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. ( I HAVE MORE ON THIS )
6. SET UP LOTTERY TICKET THAT PUTS MONEY INTO THE STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM
7. OFFER STATE EMPLOYEES THE OPPORTUNITY TO START PAYING FOR TIME THEY WISH TO BUY BACK NOW AND NOT ONE YEAR FROM RETIREMENT.
8. ASK FOR SPONSORS THAT WILL BE NAMED ON WILD FLOWER BEDS ALONG THE HIGHWAY
9. LET IT SNOW BEFORE WE GET THE TRUCKS OUT
10. MORE ALTERNATIVES FOR COURTS USING COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKERS TO DO MORE.
11. STOP BUILDING- LET THE COUNTRY BE THE COUNTRY
12. GO BACK TO RAISING TROUT FOR STOCKING
13. GET RID OF THE BEEPERS
14. MAKE BUILDING MANAGERS GET THE APPROVAL FOR ALL MAINTENANCE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTRACT AGREEMENTS.
15. STOP THE USE IT OR LOSE IT MENTALITY.
I HOPE ONE DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO HELP AND WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND-GOOD LUCK
Worchester I am writing in support of the Local Management Board for Worcester County. I am a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. We have already witnessed the severity of the
drastic cuts in funding for these programs over the last 18 months and are currently operating our entire program in the absence of an Executive Director with three staff members and the board chair acting in place of
the executive director to ensure that the greatest % of funds goes directly to our programs and the families and children in need of these programs in our community.
With regards to spending for these programs I would ask you to consider what is the value of a childhood? Our programs have demonstrated tremendous outcomes including our Sages (Strengthening Adolescent
Girls through Education and Support) program which is credited with an 86% rate of lowering teen birth rates and school dropout rates, 100 % increase of participants’ knowledge about sexuality and improvement on
the behavioral emotional rating scale reflecting the participants were more likely to make positive critical choices.
Data has demonstrated that through student involvement in our programs our county has experienced a 23 point improvement in advanced MSA proficiency and the Maryland State Department of education recognized
our program as one of the finest in the state. Our local warden credited our Family Asset Building initiatives as a tremendous help to the CO's when dealing with Hispanic inmates including an improvement of 33% for
one of the Jail INS classes.
Over the last 6 years through the funding associated with our HIPPY program our county experienced a 23 point improvement in full readiness, surpassing the statewide gain of 18 points and our Just for Girls program
demonstrated decreases in substance abuse and alcohol consumption, a 62% reduction in the teen birth rate, 10 % decrease in substance use risk factors and a 12% increase in knowledge and attitude supporting an
abstinent lifestyle.
With our states teen pregnancy related costs approaching $200 million dollars per year, it is clear that increasing sexual activity among young teens is a function of too little too late. Our program have effectively
implemented a strong core focus on self-esteem and academics that will ultimately save our state hundreds of thousands in welfare, unemployment and dependent care in the future. With the proposed reduction
aimed at the Rehab options our program was virtually eliminated. Care for our children with mental or developmental disabilities will require options outside of our community. Children needing care must wait, and
families who are desperate for help are being informed that there is no funding for services and no options available to them forcing these children to seek avenues that will impact other state agency budgets.
I hope that I have demonstrated how the funding we received directly impacts the children and families in our community. Our programs rely solely on volunteer involvement, community support, and funding through
our state and federal governments. Our meetings are held in church halls and loaned community rooms. And now we are operating with oversight of our community board representatives in the absence of an
executive director.
Our volunteers use their own cars for transportations and we even borrow paper from collaborating organizations to cut cost so that we can put every penny towards benefiting our programs. There is no excess, there
is no trim and we share every success as a community.
I hope this has helped you to understand how our children, families and community will suffer the results of the proposed reductions. Giving kids a future they can believed in makes all the difference in the world. To
do this we need these programs to build a strong infrastructure supporting families in our community. The programs supported through our LMB funding all have demonstrated data driven prevention results identifying
positive outcomes that will save hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars by keeping kids out of gangs, negating the need for increased funding for educational intervention in our schools, lowering teen pregnancy
rates, keeping our kids out of juvenile hall and out of jail by providing them with the skills and encouragement of a nurturing family and community in order to make a positive choice.
Again, if the issue boils down to spend now or spend later, on behalf of the Worcester County LMB, we ask you not to view the funding for our programs as an expenditure, view the funding as an investment. Consider
this as an investment in our children, an investment in our families, and an investment in our future.
Howard Daily MTA vehicles for the disabled line up in front of 4201 Patterson Ave. There are three types of vehicles, large cards, specially equiped vans, and specially equiped buses. There are typically two or three buses
sitting there with their motors running for long periods of time. Usually the buses are empty when they arrive and empty when they leave. Rarely has there been more than one person riding on a bus. Suggestion,
eliminate the buses and let them use cars or vans. Stop leaving the motors running while waiting.
City I suggest that you fold both the MDTA and MTA police into and make them divisions of the Maryland State Police. Doing so would reduce some of the number of administrative positions - including costly salaries for
repetitious police chiefs. Further, having different police departments with different cars, different weapons, different policies creates additional costs. Simplifying things so that there is one police department with
divisions responsible for specific areas would allow costs savings in procurring cars, weapons, radios etc. It would also reduce interagency competition and confusion.
xxx
Baltimore They do away with National Board Certification until the economy is in better shape. This would save the State at least 1 million dollars or more. Also the State pays towards APC stipens which also should be
eliminated. Teachers do not need to get a bonus when State workers are being laid off. I know there are teachers working in schools that are tough but so do police officers work in bad aeas. Do police officers get
stipens because they are in a rougher area?
City Compile a list of State Employees that abuse the State Sick Leave Policy. I.E. if employees have used on average of 2 weeks/year or more with out a documented medical condition these employees are abusing the
system. If this has gone on for over 5 years consecutive then should be grounds for termination. I know numerous State Employees with more then 10 years in the system that have no sick leave. Why??? Should they
be working if they are sick all the time and cannot be held accountable? The private industry would not have it.... also this would help reduce the cost of health insurance, less sick people = less medical care = lower
cost of health care.
Carroll one of my main suggestions is to stop harboring illegal aliens. we have a large state population of illegal aliens based on the fact that they can come here and receive services from the government including the
issuance of driver's licenses to the receipt of a public school education. by denying education, the state will be less desirable to come to, resulting in a decrease of other aid, such as Medicaid.
Baltimore Build your Red Lines, Purple Lines or whatever lines make an actual break even point for the MTA but do aay with the non traveled portions, especially North to Hunt Valley. It has been a running joke to watch the 2 - 3
people consistantly on in the cars while sitting at the Shawn Rd. ( Hunt Valley ) stop light. As much fuel that the vehicles waste sitting and waiting you could hire a taxi and deliver the riders for less then riding the light
rails. Heck for that matter take up the tracks and put them somewhere they may be used ... or better yet do away with the Light Rial idea's and save the taxpayer the money. William donald had many good ideas but
this was not one of them.
City Double the State Employee Co-Pays for Health Care Services, this will help reduce the Health Care costs for the State and put it on the individual. The more the employee uses/abuses the Health Care system the
more they pay.
Anne The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ) has both Federally and State mandated licensing and survey programs. I suggest that we maintain the licensing parts both Federal
Arundel and State for all programs as this is a revenue generating activity. However, some of the survey programs are generally duplications in the Federal and State requirements. I suggest we review these programs and stop
duplicating activities on the state level that are being covered (perhaps not completely but close enough) by Federally funded programs. That way we keep the federal money but can cut back on the number of
surveyors and support staff that the Federal funding does not cover. In fact in the area of Laboratory surveying the Federal budget is cut in half every year by CMS because we have State requirements for surveys. We
would double the federal money received every year for the CLIA program if we removed the state requirement for surveys. AND: the number of surveys would not decrease! Because we have not been doing 'state'
surveys anyhow. We don't have the people to do them. So the same amount of laboratory oversight would take place and we would get twice the Federal money! I don't know if their are other units in the OHCQ that
could be run this way but a review couldn't hurt.
City Don't repave I-83 again and again... along w/ many other roads in MD. This is an expense that is not necessary. The roads are fine, it was just repaved 3 months ago and is undergoing repaving again!!! Spend the
money purchasing other things that will help stimulate the economy.
Baltimore Dear Sir-
While State Employees are suffering and scraping together what they can to pay bills, there is no reason to continue to pay inmates daily/monthly wages at all during these times. I am sensitive to the fact that some of
the monies go to restitution; however, not all working inmates pay restitution, and, given the state of the economy, they may just have to sacrifice for a while like the rest of us. After all, they are inmates.
City Reduce the Public Transportation, this is a lose lose situation. Many times the buses are empty. By cutting the Bus Lines in half, this will require the consumers to fuller buses and allow cut backs in employement.
Reduced bus operators and Fleet will provide the State with additional funds to be spent else where and the services will still be provided and fees collected will still be around the same amount. This will also help the
State reduce pollutants in the air.
Montgomery The most precious resource Montgomery County has is its families. As a parent of special needs children and xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, I realize how important it is too maintain resources for this
population. I sincerely hope you increase founding for programs that support children and families, especially ones that need support from mental health services. Thanks you.
xxx
City Manditory retirement for all State Employees w/ 30 years of employement or more. See early post of earlier buy out.
City Allow individuals an early out for retirement, providing employees with a buy out option will help eliminate numerous employees that are overpaid and "waiting" for retirement most of the upper management or
employees tend to use sick leave and take extended vacations the last 2 or 3 years of employeement and rarely contribute to the work load. Giving an employee the option of retiring early w/o penalty will allow these
individuals to collect the full term 30 year retirement.
Baltimore I believe the cost of MD state employee benefits, particularly health care and retirement, need to be addressed. As I understand it, state employees have virtully no deductibles for health care/ prescriptions and the
state pays a disproportionately large share for health care premiums and retirement benefits compared to private workers. In these times the state employees need a reality check and should be paying what the
average citizen pays. Also, I don't understand how 5% of the hundreds of thousands of state employees can't just be eliminated for efficiencies sake. i realize this is a politically sensitive issue but as I'm sure you know,
the retirement and benefit issue is the 800 pound gorrilla in the closet.
Finally, no new taxes and don't pass them down to the counties--CUT SPENDING!!!.
City - Eliminate or limit travel and hotel expenses. Video conferencing will work just fine.
- No catered business functions
- Four day work week from management on down. Or at least a four day week every other week.
- Pass some of the burden to local government instead of the state always taking the hit
City Reduce State Employee Sick Leave from 3 weeks/year to 2 weeks. Only indiviuals who need that much time abuse it. This will help employees to become more responsible and will allow the State to eliminate some
contractual positions with the time extra time that is not used.
Baltimore I suggest we remove some of the luxuries from the prison system. I know of too many men who continuously return to jail or prison, and it would be my guess that is because it has become a recreation facility. While
the hard working people are suffering job losses, furloughs and pay cuts, the ones who steal, rob and kill for what they want, are living off of those who put in all the work. I think it's high time jail and prison become
what it was meant to be. A place of restoration and rehabilation. How can that be when all they want and need are behind bars....recreational sports, television, three meals a day. How is it that the ones who get up
and go to work everyday are unable to afford these very things, but those who commit crimes are handed them as a form of punishment or rehabilitation. It simply doesn't add up. When people realize that going to jail
will not be a day at the park with their buddies, only then may they think twice about sticking a gun in someones face or congering up a money laundering scheme. Make the money availabe to those who put money
into the pot. Such as a single parent who had her electricity cut off and is unable to get help from the system because she makes to much money. She's worked all her life and fell into a bind, but is unable to get
emergency assistance. Criminals don't have to face that kind of "lights out".
Calvert Take a close look at the State run motor pool needs. I see all kinds of Maryland state cars, typically with only the driver, traveling in Calvert County. I even see them on the weekends. Why is it necessary for only one
person to be in the car? Have you considered getting rid of most of the cars in the State fleet and having people teleconference instead of driving everywhere. I don't think any State employee other than the governor or
active State Police officers, not those in desk jobs, should have a take home vehicle. Have you considered limiting welfare payments to a two year period similar to Pennsylvania? Stop providing any support to illegal
aliens since they do not pay taxes in our state and they are breaking our laws by being here. You need to stop delaying and get the slot machine businesses going. They are bringing in large tax revenues to our
surrounding states. You have a big task before you and I wish you all good luck. xxxxxxxxxxx
Washington Please do not cut any occupational shops from MCI. Idol inmates make for more complications for the CO's. Have you discussed cutting salaries instead of jobs?
Frederick The Governor should work for free. If he truly cares about the state it should not be hard. It would show that he Maryland's interests ahead of his own. Also, incentives to attract business would be wise. Making a
budget cut is only a temporary solution. If we do not attract new business these cuts will be meaning less.
Howard I think it would be worthwhile to look at the trend toward legalizing marijuana and then taxing it. California has figured that it would make millions by taxing it and people would be willing to pay. This would allow the
government to step in and tax it and employ farmers, processors, and retailers. It would also take the criminal element out of it thus reducing the amount of people incarcerated for this offense. This, in turn, would
perhaps allow the State to close one of its dilapidated and dysfunctional correctional institutions and reduce the number of correctional officers needed to man these institutions. The cost per inmate per year would
also be eliminated from the state budget. The national sentiment is at least 50% towards legalizing marijuana, and there is a coalition of judges, police officers, and public health officials who have gone public with the
fact that the war on drugs is not working and that they should be decriminalized. People need more mental health services, jobs, and hope for a better future.
Baltimore Furloughs. Although I don't like them, I think they weight should be more fairly dispersed. People under 20k - o days, then 1 day for each 10K or 20K of earnings - no caps. The last furlough capped at 60K (5days) -
meaning middle class people got stuck with the bulk. Granted, I don't like furloughs but I would rather save jobs.
City Hello Gov O'Malley, I feel we should speed up the process on slot machines/casinos in this state. Ocean City would also be a great attraction since tourist already go there. Baltimore City should be the second place
to add them. Reduction in salaries for state workers would be beneficial to avoid layoffs. In addition more funding should be available for housing assistance-especially in Baltimore City. I lost my job and I have a
medical situation. I am tired of hearing we have no funds available.
Anne STIMULUS 101***across the board 10% tax cut on EVERYTHING.
Arundel
City take a pay cut. theres thousands of people that live on 10 dollars an hour. i challenge you and any one else to trade me lives for a week. you people couldnt live the way your constituents live.
Howard Providing an incentive for long serving employees to retire would reduce payroll without terminating any employees involuntarily. This would shift some costs to the pension system which is a good shape.
Baltimore My suggestion: Eliminate, or greatly reduce, mowing along interstate and state highways. (There might be some safety reason for the continuous mowing, but it appears to be merely a cosmetic function.)
Harford Eliminate annual increases for any employee of the state that is making $100,000 of more. Freeze these salaries for the next 3+ years.
Howard My suggestion would not only save millions of dollars but would also prevent the State from providing funding to defeat an easement co-held by the Maryland Historic Trust and Preservation Maryland. Howard
Community College acquired the historic Belmont Estate in November 2008 for $4.4 million from the College’s foundation after a failed attempt to develop the property with a private development partner. Despite the
MET/Preservation Maryland easement, HCC has a master plan to develop over 100,000 square feet of new buildings on this “preserved” property under the auspices that this development is needed to run its culinary
program. This undertaking is already draining the college’s resources (approximately $14 million to date) and funding requirements to fulfill its master plan will have to run into at least the tens of millions in the next 10
years. Refusing to fund operating deficits and new construction would not only save the State this money but would also promote the State’s preservation efforts and help prevent the unwinding of preservation
easements that the State and the Smithsonian Institution put in place in 1983.
Baltimore Just like my household budget. You need to spend less than you take-in. The state gets plenty of tax dollars, probably too much. The notion that you can't reduce spending on education, healthcare and safety is
ridiculous. No one wants to see jobs cut, but the private sector is already dealing with it. The state can as well! The days of tax and spend MUST come to an end! Our money will soon be worthless if the fed
continues to print money out of thin air. Shrink the state government to its bare minimum. The gov't can't artificially jump start the economy.
Howard The State should reexamine the scope of work/mandate for a child serving,cabinet level agency associated with less than 1% of the State budget, specifically the Department of Juvenile Services. Public expectations
and mandates which impact DJS' continuum of services is extensive, and includes everything from prevention/diversion services to placement and aftercare.
In reviewing the stream of alternate funding sources and in comparison to other child serving cabinet agency, DJS does not even have access to the federal portion of the budget allocated for the Federal State Plan
associated with Department of Justice/Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Redirection of the OJJDP funds and any federal funds associated with delinquent youth in relation to State Plans
associated with MSDE, DHR, DHMH, DLLR must be reexamined.
Baltimore I think the Governor should consider what they are doing in Howard Co. Gov't this year. If we have to be forced to take days off, do it when most state workers would like to be off anyway. Christmas time, the week
between Christmas & New Years. And he gets the added savings of not having to open state buildings. Still let us pick what day we want our pay to be short, so it doesn't hit us all at once. Have a nice day.
Harford Dear Governor,
I believe that the state should stop frivolous spending. My suggestions for this would be:
Let all consultants employed by various state agencies go. Any full time state personnel, that want to keep their jobs, must take up the slack. In return for the state employees loyalty and dedication, return all benefits
that have been taken from them in the last 20 years. Cut the work week to 3-4 days per week for all agencies and go back to a 35 hour work week. This would save on commuting for the employees, telephone use,
gas and electric, and many other expences.
Eliminate the use of state vehicles at SHA for senior management. As a benifit to senior management at State Highway they are given state vehicles and all gas mileage is funded for their private commutting. This is
an outrage.
There should be no state funded travel expenses or seminars or other expenses incurred for meetings without a lot of reason and presidential level approvals in various agencies. No parties or food should be funded
using state money. After we are out of the red we can resume such activities.
All SHA projects should be put on hold; building new roads or bridges, planting trees, putting up new signs, creating pretty barriers such as the areas in the median, no new ramps from the highway. All regular
maintanence should continue.
Thank you for the opportunity to send you suggestions.
Baltimore Lease State land to utilities to house wind and solar power farms. There are 100's of acres of unused State-owned land that could be put to use scaling up Md's green power grid, and the State could make $$ by
leasing the land or getting discounted energy.
Baltimore I'm sure you have received this one hundreds of times, but why not offer an early retirement option. I think of several people that I work with who would find it attractive to retire with some incentive. Also, why not allow
agencies to hire employees contractually for short-term projects and allow the agencies to give a supplement so that contractual employees can purchase their own health insurance. this would save the state millions
in health care costs.
Howard Eliminate the TOBACCO TRANSITION PROGRAM, and restrict reimbursable and state funded travel by state employees and politicians to intra Maryland & DC.
Montgomery Hello Governor O'Malley:
As a parent and a former suppported employment job coach I can't stress enough about how spending dollars in the community far outweigh the results and costs of providing services in institutions. Please ensure that
the state resources from the Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund continue to support our most vulnerable children and their families in Maryland. The waiting lists for services continue to grow and these families are
truly struggling to keep their children with complex needs in their home and community. Thank you for continuing to support children and families in Maryland
Sincerely,
xxx
Baltimore Dear Governor,
A friend of mine was tried and convicted solely of a wrongly accused hainess crime of child abuse. Her name will be Mary. Mary was wrongly convicted over 25 years ago. Her record today ios totally clean but,
Fingerprints for an occupation worries her. Any help on this touchy subject would be kiindly appreciated.
Signed, Yours truly xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Harford Increase the automobile inspection fee. $14 is too low. $25 is not unreasonable. The 20% sales tax increase was a bad idea. I believe I read that state sales tax revenues have actually decreased since 6% took
effect. If that truly is the case, then it is logical to conclude that returning the sales tax to 5% would increase state sales tax revenues.
Calvert Consider liquidating some of the 'treasures' currently maintained by the Archives (collectible art, collectible documents, etc.) Many of these collectible archives are not on display to the public and are being maintained
and/or restored by the Archives.
City In looking at State Staff that make over $ 101,000.00 a year, why can't they take a pay pay cut. There are some state workers who live off of pay grade of $ 26,000. and up; so if they can manage at this substantial
amount. I feel that other could also Manage on this amount and put MONEY BACK INTO THE BUDGET.
Washington Govenor O'Malley: I can see that many cost cutting measures have been made that will help our State of Maryland. But, I do not think that closing the visitor center at Sideling Hill in Hancock is a viable method of
saving money. That area is one of the natural wonders of our area and the geological information in the museum is unique. Please reconsider closing of this important part of Washington County.
Howard The State should explore consolidating all youth services and treatment under one umbrella organization in MD. This makes it possible to maximize federal sources without being territorial over the specific population
served. The expectations on each of the child welfare agency as a public service agency is far greater than what the current budget allocation allows.
Montgomery Dear Governor O’Malley,
Please ensure that the state resources from the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund continue to support our most vulnerable children and families in Maryland. Please protect these resources and prevent additional
cuts to this fund. More money will be spent in the long run if we cannot keep our most vulnerable children in our community. The human costs will be devastating. We need community-based services for these children
and their families.
We have already witnessed the results of limited access to community-based services. For example, the Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families, a Local Management Board, has
taken a 25% reduction for the work it does to support afterschool programs, home-visiting services and wraparound services supporting our children with complex needs. Currently, there are waiting lists for services
and those waiting lists are only going to grow. Families are struggling to keep their children with intensive and complex needs in their home and community. They are facing tremendous obstacles to accessing needed
services and supports as a result of funding cuts. The state resources from the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund are needed to help these children and their families.
Thank you for your unwavering support for children and families in Maryland.
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Baltimore Put a new toll on I-83 south at the MD/PA line. Thousands of people commute from PA into Baltimore each day, clogging our roads, polluting our air, taking jobs from people in MD, yet don't pay taxes to MD. It's time
to make them pay their fair share.
Harford Eliminate pensions -move to 401ks like the rest of us.
Cut all salaries from top to bottom 10% - much of the private sector has already had to do this to stay in business.
Howard Other than the "Welcome to Maryland" roadsigns, do we need to design, cast, ship, affix, take down, etc. road construction signs stating that Martin O'Malley is our governor? I imagine the cost savings will be minimal,
but it seems unnecessary.
Baltimore 1. Eliminate the $90 million dollar MITS Computer progam system that the Comptroller's Office is supposed to recieve
2. Elimante illegal aliens from receiving services such as wic, foodstamps, medical assistance, daycare vouchers, or any type of service that legal taxpayers have to foot the bill
3. Stop outsourcing jobs that State Employees can preform.
Baltimore Due to the budget cuts, I had to switch from using Communter Bus Service to regular. Since that time, I have observed several days when the bus toll boxes are not functioning and passengers basically ride for free! I
am left wondering how much money the MTA loses daily/weekly/monthly by not repairing toll boxes...probably enough to have saved my Commuter Bus!!
Please, fix the toll boxes and collect the fares that the State is due.
Anne In an effort to cover the shortfalls in Medicaid and Education costs and in an effort to decrease unemployment, every company who employees a non-legal resident should be assessed a fee of $1,000 per month per
Arundel employee who is not a US citizen. Additionally every landlord who rents to a non-legal should be assessed a monthly fee of $1,000.00 or 50% of the rent for the dwelling (whichever is greater).
The proliferation of non-legal residents, from where ever they originate, continues to be a drain on the fiscal resources of every community in the state in a manner far more than they contribute. By making the state
less of a haven for non-legals we can provide job availability to Maryland residents and decrease the burden on every county and the State the need to provide healthcare for illegals. This will also decrease the burden
on each school district in the state for providing the very expensive individualized services the children of these illegal require.
Howard Encourage State educational institutions to share training and meeting spaces on campus, as available, with State agencies.
Caroline I commute daily from Northern Caroline county to Annapolis, during my commutes the quantity of both state and local government vehicles on the road traveling to their place of employment is absurd, most of these
vehicles (98%)are occupied by one driver and most likely commuting to or from there work. By reducing the amount of vehicles maintained by the government will make a huge savings across the board, if someone
need to use the vehicle for work then check one out from the motor pool not just use when they want or feeel the need to. The amount of justified/elegible personnel that need to use a vehicle to drive home I seriously
doubt is what is occuring. Redu ce the car fleet and reduce the cost, make employees car pool reduce emmissions and start saving some money.
Thank you.
Howard The MSDE Office of Child Care is spending stimulus money on new laptop computers for the 120+ Licensing Specialists to use for inspection of day care facilities. Each Specialist now has a new desk computer as
well. At $5,000. a piece,I believe it is a waste of taxpayer money. THe money could be put to better use on hiring the very much needed staff to regulate these facilities. The laptop computers will not help improve the
quality of the care to the children. The existing inspection reports are more than sufficient. Let's put our federal and state tax dollars to work on improving the quality of education to our children rather than keeping up
with the Jones's with the latest technology.
Baltimore Reduce number of public officials,ie:Deputy mayor,congressman to cover more than one district.Reduce number of councilman by covering more than one district.Reduce overtime in police department by having more
foot patrolman.(saves gas and mechanical repairs).Monitor pharmacies and physicians more closely for Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Negotiate with drug companies to reduce high cost of drugs. Utilize the Army
Reserve in high crime areas.( This may cut back on police OT).
Baltimore Cut all lotery advertising; lets face it, the people that buy lottery are going to keep buying it regardless if you advertise it. Plus, the rest of the people know it's there, don't worry. And please, don't give the argument that
you will lose revenue if you don't advertise, you know that isn't true. Look at how many people bet on sports..illegally...do THEY advertise?
Times are tough, but I garauntee that someone would rather take a 5%-10% pay cut rather than have no job at all...so, you should cut EVERYONE that works for the state a pay cut; and the more you make, the higher
the cut...capping at 10%. I really don't know why more companies don't do this, it does work. As long as you do it soon enough, which usually means you need a smart enough financial officer in charge (which
obviously isn't the case most of the time). This way you save hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars...hello, is anyone there? People can do with less, what hurts people is losing their jobs out right, someone
get smart already!!! I know this one won't even be considered because that would mean the person even reading this would get a cut in pay....Government and State workers are supposed to be selfLESS not selfISH!
Caroline Dear Governor O'Malley,

The local management boards (Human Services Councils)support important programs in our state. Without them, many children would not have access to critical prevention programs. Please do not cut the Children’s
Cabinet Interagency Fund. The funds provide a safety net for many children in our state especially in areas that have limited opportunties for prevention programs. Thank you for your support.
Baltimore I just visited the Govenors staff page. I would start the cutting there. Also why does the first lady need an assistant? Is the first lady on the pay roll? Cut her and the staff member.
Baltimore End practice of taking state vehicles home, especially SHA.
Baltimore Layoff the Lieutenant Gov. Don't know him, probably a nice guy but what does he do or has done.
Layoff 1000 of the employees who make over $100K
Layoff 20% of all state employees. This state employees more people per capita than any of neighboring states.
Change pay scale for managers- give them an incentive to manage with less not more employees.
Baltimore I honestly think that if government officals would take a look at their own salaries and benefits, purhaps our state would be in a much better position. I think the medicaid and welfare systems need to stop carring those
who wont work.
City all state offical drive their own cars to work .
City There are several options to increase revenue:
- Focus on incarcerating only violent criminals and put non-violent offenders on devices such as home monitoring.
- Tax marijuana sales. People use it tax free. It might as well be used as an income source instead of a major expense (police, court cost, incarceration costs, etc.).
- Revenue from approving concealed carry and renewals applications. Criminals will own guns despite the law. That is why they are called criminals.
- Allow Maryland to host internet gambling servers and charge a fee. Fight the federal government with the 10th amendment.
Baltimore Suggestion #1: Furlough all government employees starting from the governor on downwards. Friday seems to be the perfect day. For starters, that will cut 20% from administrative costs without cutting much from
achievements. It will also expand their week-ends. If truthfully informed and enlightened, state workers will be extremely grateful to at least maintain their jobs. In a real way, they will also link hands and hearts with all
other Americans who are worse off--all those without a job.
Suggestion #2: The governor should set the highesttone by his won personal example. He should forego his chef and his limo, as well as chauffeuring services for his family. He should also halve his staff, forego
helicoptoring and close up his private on-line publication My Maryland--or whatever it's called. He will thereby set a worthy, noble example rather than just producing empty, untruthful or meaningless words.
Washington Eliminate the freeze on tuition increases and raise then tuition in direct relation to increased fixed budget costs.
City State agencies in the city that provide free parking to their employees should start charging a fee for a parking space. Those employees who carpool or ride share (with other state employees or with other workers in
the Balto. City area) should be allowed to have first preference to a free parking space. We should not encourage more cars on the road by providing free parking, especially since state employees can use subway,
light rail & bus for free.
Submitted by Anonymous
Anne “I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.” -Carl Sagan
Arundel
I am writing to suggest and recommend that State funding be restored to the public libraries throughout Maryland.
In Anne Arundel County and throughout the State, usage has increased in every category. More individuals and families depend on their public libraries--using computers, accessing the Internet, and educactional and
enrichment programs. Storytimes, family nights, basic and advanced computer traininge, and access to world-wide resources are all free at the public library.
If you doubt the importance of the public library, then you should know that recently published research by Karl Alexander, professor of sociology at JHU, shows that public libraries are deterinative in school success.
Further reductions in state funding for public libraries would be exceptionally short sighted.
Unlike schools, public libraries foster life long learning. You just never have to graduate from your public library. At the public library, children see their parents and other adults of every background engaged in acquiring
information and knowledge. They learn about caring for shared community resoucres, they learn to be responsible for returning borrowed items, and they practice having respect for others in a public institution.
Receiving your very first library card is a right of passage through which children are given access to information and knowledge for the rest of their lives. Frankly, I believe that our communities could function without
schools but they could never survive without public libraries.
As a tax payer, the greatest return on my investment is at the public library. And, most importantly, the public library is essential in a free and democratic society. If anyone thinks that public libraries are no longer
relevant, just drop by a couple of branch libraries in the middle of the day. They are a bee hive of activity, with career development resources, WiFi access and homework centers.
In addition, public libraries are important "quality of life" indicators to employers and homeowners. Any further cuts by the State to public libraries will have a negative impact throughout the State. Maryland has been
known as "library heaven." Let's keep it that way!
Anne I believe that if you set up speed cameras on the major roads and charged $300 for doing over 20 mph over the speed limit, the hardest part would be protecting the operators who have to change out the film. Clearly
Arundel while Maryland has speed limits posted, the citizens in mass don't pay any attention to them. If people don't slow down then the revenue continues, if they do then traffic fatalities and injuries go down. If anyone is
concerned about rights, just drive 95, the betways and see the NASCAR drivers on public roads!
Anne To help sure up the Transportation Trust Fund, increase the gas tax by 5 cents. Since gas prices are down about one dollar per gallon from last year, the pain of an increase will be much easier to bear. Also, the toll
Arundel on the Bay Brigde should be raised 50 cents to $3.00.
Allow each of the counties to levy a .5% local sales tax. This revenue would supplement each jurisdiction proportionate to the amount of sales generated in each county.
Reduce funding to local districts.
Raise college tuition.
Cut lottery advertising.
Reduce spending of state activities that are not necessary (receptions, parades, entertainment, travel)
Montgomery - Do not fund light rail lines in Baltimore and Montgomery now. Maryland can't afford them right now and they will be an expense for the forseeable future as they are not self-sustaining.
- Cut funding for the arts, except in schools. Sell all artwork owned by the State.
- Stop outsourcing government IT work to contractors who overcharge by a factor of 3 or more. Hire unemployed IT workers like me instead.
- Cut "stem cell funding" further...to zero, and any other type of dubious research funding. Leave this research to the private sector. Encourage the private sector to do the research through tax incentives instead.
- More aggressively compete with Northern Virginia for high-tech corporate HQs through tax incentives.
Washington Cut spending to cut the budget deficit, don't raise taxes which will be counterproductive. Examples of what to cut: irresponsible and wasteful spending like tearing down perfectly serviceable rest stops on I-70 at the
Washington/Frederick County line and closing them for over a year while rebuilding them. A total waste. Go over the budget line by line and eliminate waste and "like-to-have" items and hold spending on other
necessary items constant. Cut back on costs for auto emissions testing by waiving the test for cars less than 3-4 years old because roughly 99% of these cars will pass the test anyway. Eliminate spending any and all
tax dollars on benefits for illegal aliens.
Anne While there are budget cut, jobs being lost, the MTA is rewarding its union employees for doing what is expected of them in the first place. That is working responsibility. The MTA, effective January 1, 2009 is paying
Arundel the union employees a bonus amount every three months for perfect attendance. In the memo from the administrator it reads "In order to encourage better attendance the MTA is issuing a new attendance policy". It is
written as follows: "Absenteeism Review Board from the Office of Labor Relations, a division director or designee, and Medical Services".
Do they have this right and or authority? Is this a "Comar" issue? Why does the tax payer have to take this large dollar burden on when these MTA union workers are governed by the state employees (union
employees) discipline rules in effect that would deal with any employee who does not do as expected of them, come to work, get fairly disciplined, if necessary . If they do not want to work, let the process get rid of
them, fairly and hire those that need a job and that will do the right thing, follow the state (union) employees guide lines. Do away with this extra payroll and follow the rules already in place.The state could save many
thousands of dollars. This money is an insult for those that do the right thing. The public did not sign up for such a scam. This bonus is ridiculous. If every state agency paid out this amount of money to all union
workers, for coming to work you as the governor would be asking for several times the budget cut you are now asking for. As a tax payer knowing what is going on behind other tax payers back, I request this a one way
to save thousands of dollars. Thank You.
Baltimore I know this is a politically unpopular idea, especially with all of the recent positive press, but something needs to be done about education spending. In particular, the Thorton Bill. It seems too coincidental that the
budget has been a yearly battle since its adoption, and from being friends with many teachers, they see tons of that funding wasted in their schools every year on corrupt discretionary spending by the school
administrators. I'd suggest going back to the old funding formulas, then perhaps establishing a pool of money (half the size or less of the current Thorton) that each school district can competitively apply for a piece of
each year to be used for facility construction and equipment/supply purchases. It would reduce some of the State spending, and increase accountability for the money spent. I do not want to be seen as in favor of
good public education, but I don't think being the highest funded pays off against having to cut other budget areas, in particular funding for transportation, or tweaks to the tax code to make Maryland more competitive
for business.
City For salary savings - offer people who can afford it the opportunity to work part-time or 3/4 time for a certain period of time, without penalty of losing their jobs. Encourage job share opportunities.
Anne The concept of a buy-out of some state employees could be one effective tool to help reduce our state budget deficit.......... several other states are using that as part of a larger strategy. The following e-article
Arundel describes the steps several states are taking with regard to employee buyouts. As with just about any action, there are negatives and positives, but this is certainly worth considering.........
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2009
Tracking the recession: Buyouts lure 9,000 state workers into retirement
By Rob Silverblatt, Special to Stateline.org
Looking to shield their work forces from tumultuous cutbacks...
Montgomery How can state lawmakers continue making deep cuts into the budget when we now know for sure that combined reporting, which is law in 23 other states and merely enforces the intent of existing tax law, would
recoup for Maryland's coffers at least $100 million per year on taxes dodged by big multistate corporations? Will lawmakers do right by regular voters and small businesses that play by the rules -- or will they continue
to allow big multi-state corporations like Wal-Mart to evade Maryland income taxes?
For more information on combined reporting, go to:

http://progressivemaryland.org/page.php?id=2422
Sincerely,
xxx
Charles Dear Governor O’Malley:

Adult education in Maryland needs your continued support. I know that in these trying economic times you have heard this frequently, and that many in our state will likely have to do more with less.
Our adult learners – the working poor of Maryland – already have to do more with less, I strongly urges you to maintain level funding for adult literacy and English services through the Department of Labor, Licensing
and
Regulation.
Many in Maryland are still without high school diplomas, have inadequate job skills, or cannot speak English fluently enough to realize their full potential.
Adult educators in Maryland have a consistent record of success, but demand for our services continues to outpace available resources, with only 5% of those in
need being served through approved state grantee and correctional education programs. The professionals in the field of adult education have made Maryland one of the most successful systems in the country.
Thank you, Governor O’Malley, for your past protection of our efforts – you have been a champion of adult education, and we appreciate the consideration you have given our learners in recent years. Clearly Maryland
cannot afford to
move backwards in state funding to provide crucial educational services that promote employment and help adults compete in today’s economy.
Calvert Maryland taxpayers deserve to know how much $$ the State pays to subsidize education, housing, incarceration, driver licenses and health care for illegal immigrants. This alone, is a BIG contributor to the deficit and
one which should be cut immediately.
You are in office to protect and serve the legal CITIZENS of this State, not illegal immigrants.
Fine businesses who hire illegals ($$ in State coffers) and send ALL illegals back across the border at Mexico's expense. If Mexico ignores, reduce aid for Mexico at the Federal level - - that money would be re-routed
> State of Maryland.
Washington I feel that the mva offices do not need to be open on Saturdays. This would save water, electric and maintenance one day a week. Secondly, State Police officers should be assigned in the area they live or not be
able to take their police vehicles home with them. This would save on gas and wear and tear on the cars. I have a son in college but I would not be opposed to a small tutition increase after all everything else is going
up and I do want him to be able to have a good education. I really don't think that the state employees should have to be the ones to shoulder the cuts. They are employees and also residents in this state and usually
get hit twice as hard such as if you raise taxes or they get furloughs. If you have to hit state employees with furloughs make it long weekends so that state buildings can be closed and save energy. People will adjust
to new hours and days that is one thing I know about our fellow man kind we do adjust to things when we need to. I feel if layoffs are necessary all contractual employees should be the first to go. The permanment
employees have stayed and given their all to this state and should not be sacaficed. These are only a few ideas but I appreciate that your office was willing to listen to the citizens of Maryland on any ideas. I know that
it is not a easy task but hopefully the right decisions will be made I feel the economy is starting to turn around. Thank you
Harford 1. Institute another furlough for State employees. Base the amount of time furloughed by income level, with the highest paid employees having the greatest furlough time.
2. Increase the employee portion of health insurance premiums by $10.00 per pay period.
3. Increase college tuition by 5%. (lower then most, but unfortunately, the time has come for an increase.)
4. Eliminate (may be done already) any car service/state paid automobiles for state employees.
5. Freeze state employee travel.
6. Continue hiring freeze for any and all positions.
7. Offer early retirement and then eliminate position
8. Raise tax on cigarettes and alcohol.
9. Raise gas tax by 2 cents/gallon
10. No futher reductions in medicaid payments.
11. Shorten the work week to 4 days for energy savings.
12. During the winter months return to 5 days, but reduce hours to 6/day to reduce energy use in State buildings.
13. Reduce or eliminate State funded celebratory events, such as holiday celebrations. They are nice and can always be reinstituted when we are on better fiscal footing.
14. Eliminate as much use of paper as possible by using electronic communication; direct deposit, etc. Eliminate paper production of newletters, bulletins, etc infavor of electronic format.
Baltimore DBED should put more money into its incentive programs and spend less on the Secretary's driver to get him less than a 1/4 mile from his condo to his office, sponsoring galas at conventions such as Bio, and the trade
shows it participates in overseas. And all State staff should use their own car and just be paid mileage.
Anne Would it be possible to get the Arbitrator (I hope that's it) like they have in Arizona ? From what I've heard it's something that can be put into a vehicle (marked or unmarked... preferably unmarked so violators won't
Arundel know where it's coming from, and will think twice about being stupid) and records everything around it. This way as the vehicle is travelling along it's getting those people speeding, tailgating, threading the needle, and
other forms of aggressive driving.
The benefits should start with revenue production. It also means when an officer comes across someone doing any of these violations it's instantly noted. The officer will be safer since he won't have to get out of his
vehicle un heavier traffic because of someone's stupidity. He (she) will be able to get more violators. He's not stuck on the side of the road if another type of emergency happens, so, it quickens his response time. And,
if the violator doesn't know where it's coming from they might think twice before committing any more aggressive driving acts.
The later benifits should include those following the posted speeds more carefully and, hopefully, that will mean if there is an accident it will be less severe. And, hopefully the accidents will also be fewer with this. It
should also have a benefit of lower insurance premiums for those of us who still try to stay within the law out there. It should also be able to alert the officer if the tags of the vehicle that passed were tags that were
wanted for whatever reason. (and if he was on the side of the road writing a ticket could easily have missed.
I'm sure there are quite a few other benefits that will also show themselves in the long run, too. (an on my lunch break and don't have enough time to get into too much)
Do hope this will help.
xxxxx
Baltimore All State govt ADMINISTRATIVE staff earning $100000 and above to take pay cuts. If the governor is serious he should take a pay cut.
do away with unnecessary govt functions that require food and drink
instead of traveling for meetings have conference calls
Instaead of building new buildings e.g. Concilor Moxley approved building a library and youth recreation center that was heavily opposed by the community, use the money to pay people instead of laying them off
turn off office lights when leaving work.
Cancel stem cell funding
DO NOT furlough people because it will mean less salary and hence less taxes
Howard Projected Savings: $4 million per year
In May 2009 at the Howard Community College Budget Hearings, the Howard County Council documented misallocation of over $1 million as part of the College’s and Howard County’s $14 million bailout of Howard
Community College’s Belmont Conference Center. While assessing this Belmont bailout, citizens scrutinized the Maryland Association of Community Colleges data book. The January 2009 edition documented over a
50% variation in administrative staffing patterns for Maryland community colleges. For example, Prince Georges Community College has 0.76 administrative staff per 100 students. Montgomery, Anne Arundel and
Baltimore counties have even less! However, three community colleges, for example Howard Community College, have approximately 1.25 administrative staff per 100 students.
Causing Maryland community colleges to function at or below the administrative staff per students at Prince Georges would reduce approximately 45 FTEs. Approximating those FTEs at $90,000 per year including
benefits would lead to a $4 million annual savings. These savings would repeat and, thus, be costs avoided for several years. State contributions to community colleges should be reduced if the college has
administrative staffing markedly higher than comparable institutions. If counties have extraordinary administrative needs (e.g., to manage the money-losing Belmont Conference Center) and this requires staffing
beyond a state benchmark, the local county taxpayers can bear this burden.
In the short term, Howard County can afford bad investments, such as Belmont and its bailout, but eventually it impacts all Maryland taxpayers. If funds are available, they should be allocated to faculty rather than
supporting selected colleges to build and maintain very high administrative staffing ratios.
Thank you for your attention to this and please contact me if you wish the detail supporting these analyses.
City Hello,
I believe that significant money can be saved by eliminating the waste of paying toll booth workers an extraordinary amount of money for such a basic job. Toll booth workers should be paid no more than employees
working at the grocery store collecting money. Also, Maryland should set up a highway system whereby EZPass users pay a regular toll rate and those using the toll employees pay a higher cost for the toll. That way, a
significant number of people would switch to EZ Pass for the saving and you would be able to eliminate toll both employee jobs.
Cecil I work for xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. On March 20, 2009, each of our branches received a box from the MD State Dept of Education containing more than 400 booklets entitled "A Parent's Guide--Maryland's plan
for preK-12 education 2008". Not only were the booklets a year out-of-date, but the number of booklets was way out of scale for our library system. ONE box of 400 probably would have been enough for all of our
branches, yet we received a full box at each of our 7 branches. I know there are plenty of other forms and booklets that are provided in large numbers. Perhaps the organizations on the receiving end could be queried
about how many they need. Not only would this prevent waste and save on shipping costs, but it would be an environmental benefit because less paper is being printed.
Anne Do not pay overtime and leave in the same week. Make it so workers must WORK (be at work) for 40 hour week before they can get overtime.
Arundel
Kent I think we should consolidate trash pickups to once a week instead of twice a week and include the recycle bin with the trash pickup instead of having seperate days to pickup.
Washington I saw that WV has a $65 million surplus. How is that possible but we have a $700 million deficit. My suggestion is to stop all transportation projects that are not federally funded immediately. No Red Line, No Purple
Line.
Harford Eliminate the need and expense to produce front license plates. Many other states only require a rear license plate.
Anne First let me commend the Governor and his Administration for opening the lines of communication. As a state employee of over 17 years, I have many ideas but I will address two main areas in this correspondence.
Arundel The areas I am mentioning are complex and affect all Departments, however, I am hopeful that the Administration will take them into consideration.
My first suggestion centers around the letters drafted in response to letters received from constituents. Many people write to the Governor, Lt.Governor,and the various department secretaries for a variety of reasons.
First let me clarify that anyone that writes regarding a personal issue such as a need for a resolution to a problem or a service, deserves a personalized response.
I am aware that the Governor's office has instituted use of a web-based letter tracking system (IQ) but I wonder if it is being used to its full capability.
I suggest that constituents who e-mail their correspondence should be emailed the approved response. This will save the cost of the ink, letterhead, envelopes and postage. Same for the many individuals, who are
cc'd on each letter, send an e-mail copy to them.
Many individuals and organizations write, send preprinted postcards, or sign petitions regarding a topic that they are passionate about. Letters like these are especially prevalent during the legislative session or during
times of pending budget cuts. They should be acknowledged but do they each need a personalized reply? Since they are often writing asking for increased funding for public service programs, I believe that they would
prefer the savings on office supplies (ink, letterhead, envelopes) and postage be saved to fund those very state programs they are writing about.
Not only does this cost taxpayers office supplies and postage but it takes staff inordinate amounts of time to set up mail merges, stuff envelopes, make copies for mailing, mail, etc. and is not environmentally friendly.
My suggested alternatives include

- a pre-printed post card which has a thank you and a place to acknowledge receipt or an email with the same or
- posting of the replies on a page set up by the Governor’s office to which writers can be directed to see the approved response regarding their topic.
Secondly, if state employees are going to receive a pay cut through either a salary reduction or furlough days, why not encourage tele-working? The recently revised tele-work policy written by DBM is certainly not
user-friendly to either employees or supervisors. I believe that there should be some guidelines for teleworking but supervisors know if an employee's position lends itself to tele-working. Tele-working is a privilege and
should an employee prove they are untrustworthy, then the supervisor has the right to deny/withdraw the tele-work agreement.
Cutting back on employees having to pay for gas and other commuting fees would be seen as caring by state employees who are more than willing to share the burden of the budget crisis. This would also be
environmentally friendly and perhaps the state could pave the way for other Maryland businesses to follow.
Thank you again for taking the time to review suggestions from state employees and taxpayers.
Anne I am probably not saying this correctly but I read that some States have declared themselves 'American speaking only' which eliminated the state expense of hiring translators. This has become a big business for
Arundel bilingual persons and therefore a big expense for the State. Just a thought.
Baltimore Early retirements,,, Get rid of anything in the budget that doesn't deal with fire,safety & schools... I feel that spending money on beautification projects, sports facilities etc should be burdened by the counties. Also get
rid of the perks that the representatives in Annapolis can use like the handing out of college grants to friends and anything that's not directly related to safety,fire and schools. thanks on trent
Montgomery Put a line on the Maryland individual income tax return for payment of use tax and instructions in the tax booklet about use tax.
Anne I would suggest cutting garbage collection from 2 times a week to one and reducing the amount from 4 to 2 or fewer garbage cans. People might even recycle more. Or, as is done in some european jurisdictions,
Arundel charge by weight the garbage but not for recycle. This might be more a county policy, but if the county saves, everyone saves.
Howard Parole at least some inmates who are serving life sentences, if the parole board determines that they pose no threat to society, and if they have served at least 15 years of their term. By paroling some low-risk lifers,
the state could save millions of dollars, while still preserving public safety. A recent report by the Justice Policy Institute, "The Release Valve: Parole in Maryland," notes that in 2007, the state spent approximately
$1,422 per person on parole or probation, while it spent $33,310 per person on incarceration. Just by paroling an additional 100 people, the report concludes, Maryland could potentially save about $3 million over the
course of one year without compromising public safety.
Baltimore I would encourage all state agencies to utilize recycled toner cartridges as much as possible. Toner cartridges are usually the most expensive items on the office supplies budget. There are local companies that
provide the products which will further reduce cost while boosting the local tax base and helping the environment.
Baltimore Cut out mandatory vehicle inspections for registration of vehicles. Lengthen time between license plate renewals to 2 years minimum.
Wicomico The state budget should not be continually balanced on the state workers. The services are provided to all Maryland citizens so all the citizens should assist in balancing the budget whether it be with paying a certain
percent of extra tax but by ALL and Not just the state workers.
Wicomico The state budget should not be continually balanced on the state workers. The services are provided to all Maryland citizens so all the citizens should assist in balancing the budget whether it be with paying a certain
percent of extra tax but by ALL and Not just the state workers.
Anne I am a state employee through the Comptroller of Md. The printing budget is out of site. My suggestion is cut out the time state employee evaluations (PEP) they consist of numerous pages they serve NO purpose
Arundel since no one is getting raises (yearly) or mid cycle. Every 6 months the manager/supervisor has to fill out these pages and they are forwarded to ann. where no one looks at them or acts or them. This has been going
on for years.
My other suggestion is "Request for Leave or Absence cards". These are filled out eveytime someone wants to take leave. Why???? Every Manager/Supervisor has a date book they write in when someone wants to
take leave. It is already recorded why record it again. These cards never never repeat never leave the managers/supervisor possession. They are not forwarded to Annapolis no one ask for them and the state keeps
printing them. The time the employee uses is also recorded on their time sheet. I ask how many ways does the same thing have to be kept.
Why wasn't this suggestion sent out to the state employees I heard about this over the radio on the last day. Do you think that state employees are not worth listening too. We are aware of the budget crisis what better
ways of getting ideas then from the people who work directly for the state.
Harford I'm not sure the following suggestion will win friends or influence people, but here goes. O r maybe it is not even novel?
The areas of maintained, or even increased funding, seem solid to me. In particular, education funding is impressive.
In business, especially during tough times, it appears that models with more than one revenue source are least impacted (fare best).
How about, for example with an item that makes sense, we have those using the system contribute extra? Doesn't work - per se - for public saftey, health, etc., but lets look at education...
Forgive me if my numbers are off, but on quick web search appears MD educates +850,000 school children. How about if those that are economically able (I expect there is some difficulty in defining this) contribute
$1k/child/year?
Seems like a solid investment any parent would make (hey, most parents I know suit up kids for sports at a few hundred per year without even thinking twice) and would take some getting used to the idea (as it has
been a "freebie" forever)
but let's think about it.
Say there are 850,000 students and that 60% of parents are deemed able to "afford" the $1k/child surcharge that would leave 510,000 "payers". Multiply by $1,000 and "voila" + $500 million.
Taken further, if somehow incorporated as a state income tax many, but not all, folks would end up paying even less (after itemized deduction on their federal tax return; a whole other budget matter).
Again, maybe not the perfect idea (maybe even far from it) but thining creatively on matters of the public budget that are perceived by most to be value-added is an area to focus. Further, adding a "use" component
(unlike, say, cigarette tax which is deemed prejudicial) and getting a second revenue stream (if you will) is the way to go - if following successful commerical practice is of any interest. Hey, if the coffers fill once real
estate transactions, etc. reinstate then offer a credit against the $1k.
Happy to think about or discuss further - this was just an initial reaction once I heard that Governor O'Malley was soliciting ideas (which itself is a great idea).
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration of my idea.

Washington I think it is time for those on public assistance to have to tighten the belt like the rest of us. You want to close the Sidling Hill Center, why not divert funds from welfare to keep the center open . Everyone should
contribute , not just the working class. You see those on welfare with cell phones, cars, current fashions, ipods and other costly luxuries , yet their life style will not change.
Washington I am employed xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with the DPSCS xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. The last couple of years we have been required to purchase supplies through grangers and small business many
times 50 to over 100% of we could normally buy the same products for. Example 3-4 week supply of typical plumbing supplies Grainger 1838.70 Quality Plumbing (small business) 1096.00. I think there should be a 10
or 15% limit on the contracts and preferences. This is just one example and the contracts are not all bad but we should not be forced to waste or tax dollars and budgets.
Baltimore Consolidate various State Police related agencies into one central policing authority, i.e MTA police, State Troopers, University Police, etc.
Wicomico xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Centralize GIS data acquisition so that the state and counties

are not collecting the same data and spending duplicate funds.
State could give funds to counties in return for data
Anne I suggest the State of Maryland create a state wide IT policy that fosters the use of and contribute to “open source” IT solutions. Here is an article about “open source” and Governments dated 7/29/2009. I offer it to
Arundel show the value of “open source” IT solutions
http://lwn.net/Articles/344119/
The article source:

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Anne Get rid of energy zapping appliances like old refrigerators in state buildings and weatherize state office buildings, implement other ways to save energy. Use staff more efficiently re auto use to save fuel and fuel
Arundel reimbursements. Use Work Where You Live program to the extent possible perhaps? Thanks for this opportunity. Great idea!
Harford Governor-This is a great idea! Here's some suggestions:
1. Reduce state holidays. I believe we have more than most states.

2. Zero based budgeting. Make all State agencies justify their continued need and staffing. Eliminate duplicate agencies in state government.
3. Reduce the state sales tax back to 5% for a 90 day trial period and see if this stimulates more sales and net increase in sales tax revenues.
4. Reduce top level positions in Maryland's bloated college oversight agency. Increase college tuition slightly and do not provide any in-state rate breaks for illegal immigrants.
Respectfully,
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Anne I have a suggestion on how to save some tax dollars and bring in some extra revenue at the same time, and my way will be completely painless for all involved.
Arundel
1. Do away with the requirement to have two license plates on vehicles registered in the state. I know this would cut the cost of manufacturing/shipping/storage of tags by at least 50%. I do not know what it cost to
manufacture a vehicle tag, probably just a few cents each, but when multiplied by the number of new tags issued each year the saving would be substantial. I think this could be done without changing the fees paid for
vehicle registration since most of those fees have very little to do with the actual price of the physical tags anyway.
2. The increase of tax revenue would come from the sale of aftermarket tags for the front of vehicles. I am sure you have seen the type of tags of which I speak, on vehicles registered in other states. If 1 million
vehicle owners bought aftermarket tags for their cars at an average of $10 that would add $$$ to the coffers of the state.
3. The only downside I see from this would be the potential loss of the money from fines if the police stop you and you do not have a front license tag on your vehicle.
I know that the amount of monies saved and tax revenue generated would only be a drop in the bucket, when compared to the deficit we currently are looking in the face. I think this would be an easy thing for the
public to accept since there is really no additional cost to the individual, unless they choose to purchase an aftermarket tag.
Harford Stop requiring front license plates. The state would save money if it made just rear license plates as many other states do.
Baltimore Baltimore county is so flush they are giving raises to all employees and the teachers got a 4% increase. State workers have less in their check each year. Since they are in such good fiscal shape, they should NOT
receive so much aid from the state. Also each county should fund the teachers pensions, not the state. It is time each county managed their own resources instead of depending on the state to help out when we are in
such dire straits.
Washington Where do I begin? How about cutting back on the welfare system and make people get out and get a job like the rest of us. You should only be able to collect these payments for a short period of time until you can get
back on your feet. Right now, people have more babies because they can get more money.
Next, make all state employees take furlough leave, not just certain employees. All state employees earn leave time and their shift can be covered to take a vacation/sick day, why not a furlough day?
Next, let's clean out state government. How about an early retirement package. Or even get rid of some of the troublesome employees.
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If I think of anything else, I'll submit later.
Thank You!!!
Baltimore Budget Suggestions
1. Eliminate the subsidy to private institutions of higher education.
This taxpayer support is questionable public policy under any economic circumstances, but particularly under current economic circumstances. These institutions have endowments and alumni in addition to their
higher tuition to support them.
2. Examine the athletic operations of the university system and other public colleges and universities with regard to how the millions paid for television, endorsements, etc. can be redirected from the high sports staff
salaries and other luxury expenditures to the general benefit of the schools and students. Support of sports teams should benefit the institutions and state as a whole, not be an end to itself.
3. Share the pain. Impose cuts to salaries and benefits among academic, legislative, and particularly local government personnel at least equal to cuts already incurred and planned for state employees, the second
class citizens of Maryland. County government employees in some jurisdictions have continued to receive increments and in some cases raises, while state employees’ salaries have been cut and increments frozen
for more years than not under the Erlich and now the current administrations. This has a lifelong impact on individuals’ nearing retirement .
4. Close Coppin State. There is little justification for maintaining two historically black colleges in the same geographic area when one of these has such poor performance and graduation rates. Alternatives exist in
Morgan, community colleges, and other minority focused institutions in Baltimore or through out the State.
5. Eliminate the ‘legislative’ scholarships that are awarded at each legislator ‘s discretion. Eliminate the funding outright or transfer it to the financial assistance programs administered by the public colleges and
universities. This would ensure assistance is awarded in accordance with need based or other educational policy and stretch the dollars available for necessary financial aid.
6. Transfer responsibility for funding the Teacher Retirement System to the local level. Currently state taxpayers are held hostage to teacher salary decisions made at the county level. State funding goes
disproportionately to support wealthier jurisdictions who can afford higher salaries.
7. Controversial and more of a long term suggestion, but consider decriminalization of drug use. Treating drug use as a public health not criminal issue and controlling its use, ala alcohol, could greatly decrease the
costs of law enforcement and incarceration, as well as promote treatment.
8. Require the legislature to observe similar travel reimbursement rules as state employees, e.g., no overnight accommodations if reside within 30-50 miles of Annapolis unless the mileage reimbursement exceeds the
cost of lodging,
Harford You could open up the Concealed hand gun permits. Do it like the state of Florida. Charge out of state people $200 dollars and in-state around a $100 and that will bring in a lot of cash. Make easier for people to get a
concealed permit and this will work. Just look at the money Florida is bring in.
Thank you for your time
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Baltimore Reduce the number of MTA buses that travel empty or nearly empty each day
Baltimore I see 10 to 20 expired stickers on license plates all over town. If these cars are not properly tagged, they are more likely to be uninsured motorists. The state could raise a lot of revenue, just from the licensing fees that
are being avoided. Is a revenue enhancement as good as a budget cut? A team of ticket writers could help to identify these cars, as the police are unable to keep up with this. Cabbies, chauffeurs, or any other civilians
might help in the effort. I would do it for nothing; it is just a pet peeve of mine.
Anne I'm glad I saw in the Sunpapers that today is the deadline for submitting suggestions. I've been meaning to write.
Arundel
My suggestion concerns the use of prison labor. I think the state should put prisoners to work doing more than road-side litter pickup. They could be used to paint state buildings, build state parks, drive state trucks,
maintain state properties, etc. Since state government is already paying others to perform these functions, we could probably save many millions of dollars. Also, with a skills training program in place, prisoners could
be used to build new schools (and other government buildings), saving even more millions of dollars.
Please keep up the good work. I look forward to hearing from you. And good luck with the budget. I think the idea of asking the public for ideas is terrific.
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Worchester Suggestion for early retirement

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Howard In the audit area of the Comptroller's office, I came because a client was audited. I did not get to meet with the auditor. Instead, I sat and waited while a clerical employee took all my clients documents to the copier
and make a copy of every receipt (3 years, more than 100 receipts)
There is no need for this in a digital age. In addition, having a face to face meeting to resolve matters would expedite the process. Copies are incredibly expensive, in addition to the time of the clerical making copies.
If this happens for every taxpayer audited, there would be considerable savings if this stops today.
Charles Develop tourist related sites along waterways - more than just Ocean City and Annapolis to bring in the additional money. Think - Put-In Bay, Ohio.
Montgomery The State of Utah has implemented a four day work week for all state government services. I do not know how much money the State of Utah has saved by implementing a four day work week. All employees must still
work a 40 hours per week. Typically, this means that each employee must work 10 hours per day, with Friday as the day off. The State of Utah believes that the have saved money by closing all State Government
buildings on Friday. I do not know if this option is feasible for the State of Maryland.
Allegany It seems that the state employees have taken a hard hit with the budget cuts. Furlough days and not replacing employees that retire or quit, like just taking pins away. Well we had to take days off without pay, no
RAISE at all and not even a person to replace an empty spot. Which gives more work. If you give us a week off, at least let us get unemployment insurance. Something is better than nothing. Try shuffling it around.
Isn't that hard enough. Hit ALL state employees and not just us little guys. My bills don't change, everything is going up. What are we suppose to do about raising prices. Thank you for the opportunity to vent. DC
Anne Encourage spending by rolling back state sales taxes to 5%. Maryland citizens need to feel they are getting a bargain. When taxes are rolled back, you encourage MORE spending which will help small and larger
Arundel businesses as well collecting more sales taxes on these new purchases. People want a bargain. Less taxes = a bargain = encourage more spending. Raising taxes makes people hang onto their money tighter and
tighter. Lower the taxes and psychologically people feel they are paying less. Today more and more people flock to Delaware stores because they think they are getting a bargain.
Charles Eliminate the AVI sticker on the Hatem bridge that allows commuters to cross unlimited times in a year for $10. Create a commuter plan like other MD toll facilities. This should generate at least $1M.
Wicomico First things first - cut all useless spending such as millions to help illegal immigrants with healthcare and health expenditures. Raise the state tuition at colleges to curve the deficit. Next, consolidate some of the state
police agenicies under one roof such as the Maryland Department of Public Safety. For example combine DNR, NRP, MdTA and MSP. All under one roof then have dvisions - Bureau of Investigation (MSP), Highway
Patrol (MdTA) and Marine and Wildlfe Enforcement (DNR/NRP). Do away with the higher ups there for saving the salaries of 3 superintendents and only having one "head guy".
Montgomery Save money and STOP destruction of precious natural environmental resources by ending the terribly expensive/offensive/invasive/destructive construction of your beloved ICC. Then use some of that money to
maintain at least level funding for adult education in English as a Second Language and more of it to work on conservation of Maryland's beleagured natural environment.
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Harford I think you should take a close look at contract hires. The MTA hires back employees that have retired and then brings them back at more thousands more money then they made at the job they retired from. Half the
time these are even working. They are just collecting the pay check. The chief of police that have been there over the years, you keep putting police in there from other agencies, they want to change everything to
their way, bring in their friends from the other agencies, who by the way have retired from those agencies, and are not in management positions with these high salaries, but aren't there doing the jobs. You could
probably save a lot of money. There are police officers there that could do the jobs these contract people are coming back to do.
Anne PLEASE, consider the impact on people when you make these cuts. I am on xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx serving adults with severe developmental disabilities. In recent years, the reimbursements
Arundel from the MD DDA has not come close to covering the cost of providing basic care for these very vulnerable persons. We are talking about food, shelter and 24 hour staffing. Cuts in this area translate into less food,
health care and staffing. Where are we to cut? Now we hear of even more cuts this year! Before the economic downturn we were able to cover the States failure with fundraising but that is way off this year. I
understand that in spite of the budget crisis that you are planning to replace everyone's license plates this year (advertising the Star Spangled State) at a cost of multiple millions. We can make do for another year or
more with the tags we now have! Let me see....money for metal plates for our cars or food and staffing for mentally retarded and multiply handicapped citizens? Should be a no-brainer as to where to cut! It has been
estimated that as many as 25% of service providers to developmentally disabled citizens will fail this year because of inability to cover the States shortfall. Where are these people to go? There are 16,000 on the wait
list for residential and home services. Budget cuts are imperitive and I applaud your efforts but consider the human cost to our most vulnerable citizens. If Health and Human Services must share in the pain please look
for administrative cuts and not basic subsistance services to those who cannot fend for themselves.
Wicomico The state police or county sheriffs departments need to do more radar on Route 50 from Salisbury to Ocean City, nobody drives close to the 55 miles per hour.
Montgomery Please continue to support early intervention programs and home visiting, especially those that through the years have evidence of effectiveness and saving for the long run. As many of us know prevention is much
chipper than intervention.
Anne I would suggest that the state offer an option to allow state employees to retire after 25 or 27 years based on the number of possible candidates. Allow them to leave at full retirement and hire new staff at lower
Arundel salaries. Also allow anyone over 30 years to retire based on the highest year salary they had instead of an average.
City Stop paying for unnessary training.
Washington I think the Governor took a positive step by not paying out the retention, CO retention and finders fee bonuses.
I believe the Governor should make ALL State Employees use the timeclock. Only some state agencies make their employees utilize a timeclock. There are state employees who take avantage of not clocking in and
out. They are basically stealing from the state.
Perhaps eliminating some the numerous higher level positions within the DOC along with some the numerous administrative positions that support these higher level positions.
Baltimore Revised version of my suggestions...
To: Governor of Maryland
From: xx
Date: August 7, 2009
Re: Budget Shortfalls Facing Maryland
I would like to take this time to thank the Governor’s Office for the opportunity to share my voice in addressing the crisis that is affecting not only Maryland but the country. Soliciting public comments on cost saving
methods associated with State agencies is commendable, as many individuals of all status have innovative ideas that can be valuable to decrease the financial burden that state government should not bear alone.
I must briefly state, the estimated cost to place a youth for in-state and out-of-state placements range from $75,000 to $250,000 per year. Unfortunately, many youth spend years in the juvenile system, to include
community-based services, at the expense of the state. If a parent has to pay child support to another parent or guardian, why aren’t parents paying child support to the Department of Juvenile Services, especially
when a child is in the Department’s custody and care? With this being said, I recommend the following:
• A special department be implemented to oversee child support processes and payments to the Department of Juvenile Services
• Parent/Guardian salaries be garnished for child support while the youth in the custody and care of the Department of Juvenile Services. Garnishment will ensure child support is paid.
• Families receiving public assistance from a state agency - the percentage of funds received by the family for the youth in the custody and care of the Department of Juvenile Services will be diverted to the Department
of Juvenile Services. This will a) close the illegal loophole that exists within the Department of Social Services, and b) divert funds to the appropriate party (DJS) who is providing youth care.
Rationale: Youths who have violated the law are detained for the following reasons: (1) a danger to themselves or (2) a threat to public safety and risk of failure to appear for hearing. However, the Department of
Juvenile Services is used to many reasons, for example:
• If a youth is granted release by the court but parent/guardian refuses to accept child the youth becomes a CINA (child in need of assistance). At this point, DSS should become immediately involved prior to parties
leaving the court room. Instead, DJS detained and/or place the youth bearing total financial cost.
• If a youth is dual-committed to DJS and DSS, DSS is the lead agency. DSS will often leave a youth detained. Reasons could include: a) DSS knows where the child is and he or she cannot runaway, or b) DSS does
not have a placement for the child, or c) the child is difficult to place for several reasons: age, history of running away, or mental health issues - mentally and/or emotionally disturbed youth which make them extremely
hard to place. The Department of Juvenile Services often bears the financial cost.
• If a child is detained under a Protective Custody Order many of the same youth that the child is running from in the street are the same youth that are detained in our facilities. Often a change in family geography is
needed. This type of services would come from the department of housing and maybe DSS should be involved. Detaining the youth is not the solution, it is a temporary action. However, these youth are detained for
long periods of time at the expense of the Department of Juvenile Services.
• In Maryland and nationally studies have shown that as high as 75% youth entering the juvenile system have at least one mental health disorder, and are undiagnosed and untreated. The focus is more on the behavior
and not the disorder. The absence of mental health diagnosis and treatment has lead to a significant increase in the number of youth being serviced in the juvenile justice system; rather then the mental health system.
Because of this, the Department of Juvenile Services again is bearing the financial cost alone.
I hope you find my ideas helpful and I welcome further collaboration to discuss these and other ideas in detail. I can be reached at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, anytime. Thanks again for welcoming public opinion and support.
Sincerely,
Talbot Close all state offices 1 day each week (employee's work four 10 hour days--or for those who cannot work in the office beyond the normal 8 hr day--allow them to work from home). This would save on oerational costs.
Please NO MORE Fourlough's for State Employee's...
Baltimore Provide more tax free holidays. In the past Maryland has set aside one week as a tax free week mainly to assist consumers with back to school expenses. However, some years that's in effect and some years it's not.
Personally, I have just found out during a recent trip to Pennsylvania that the State of Pennsylvania has no sales tax on clothes or shoes (year round). This is a major incentive for me and one that will possibly have me
spending the bulk of my income set aside for clothes and shoes for me and my family and spend it in Pennsylvania. I don't want to do that..... Also I was told that Delaware doesn't have sales tax on anything. We have
got to do something as a State to level the playing field in this area. I am not suggesting that we change and become a tax free state but I do believe the Tax Free Week should be implemented as a permanent and
reoccuring event.
Harford Significantly reduce the amount of mowing the grass along the roadsides statewide. I can only imagine the number of manhours, fuel usage and "wear and tear" on the eqipment used for this expenditure. Plus think of
the environmental impact by reducing emissions (especially since most of this equipment has no emmissions controls on them).
Howard This suggestion would save Maryland tens of millions of dollars – sell Howard Community Colleges’ (HCC) recently acquired Belmont estate. It is unreasonable and unnecessary for a community college to own and
operate a luxurious (HCC spent $38,000 on a piano rebuild for the manor house) historic 18th century estate, complete with dozens of well paid staff (the manager makes $162,000 with benefits). HCC has kept
Belmont spending below state radar so far by proposing to use county and education foundation money ($14 million to date) at Belmont, which simply leaves other college programs needing more state funds.
HCC has planned an elaborate specialty campus with over 100,000 square feet of new construction on the Belmont grounds to expand their culinary and hospitality program. As an example of how excessive the plans
are, HCC is about to renovate and expand an old barn at Belmont. The projected cost has already climbed to nearly $6 million, and construction has not even begun yet. This cost is doubly shocking because HCC
proclaimed that Belmont would be self supporting and would avoid the use of tax dollars or tuition dollars. The barn project is already using both. Construction and operations over the next decade could easily pass
the $70 million mark.
I’m far from the only Belmont critic: among many others, the Howard County League of Woman Voters, the Howard County Citizens Association, The Maryland Environmental Trust, Preservation Maryland, and even
Howard County’s own Planning Board have opposed the college’s Belmont plan. HCC’s Belmont venture is in fundamental conflict with the goal of a community college to operate with the highest quality of instruction
at the lowest reasonable cost.
Worchester The suggestion I would have is to elimanate or severly reduce roadside mowing by the state highway administration and or mowing contractors. The roads by my residence and this area are mowed frequently, as
much as 5-6 times a year. Why? It is the side of a road not a yard. In my opion they could be mowed once a year, maybe more along major highways.
Montgomery Dear Governor O'Malley:
Please continue the same level of support for Adult Literary and English services through the Department of Labor, Licensing and Reghulations. I urge you to endorse the views and goals expressed by MAACCE. I
am a recent retiree who is pursing classes in adult education to prepare myself to volunteer my time and energy to help other adults succeed by increasing their language skills.
Baltimore I suggest cutting the training budget for unnecessary training. It is not a requirement of any job of the state to be a CPA, yet we pay for CPE credits. For instance 600.00 for a 3 day training for one individual.
Harford The biggest waste in MD state government is the continual use of "overlay funds" that each of the 7 MD SHA Districts uses every year to overlay roads that are still in good repair, these jobs are often paved between
april and june 30th in order to be able to max-out the budget and request even more funds the following year...it's a waste and the people of MD deserve better monitoring of what the district managers are deciding on
a whim to "maintain", some roads are paved nearly every other year, someone with authority has to get a clue and save millions upon millions of dollars (every year) on this wasteful practice, which has been in place at
the MDSHA for decades.
Howard 1. Strict use of green building methods. All new state buildings as well as existing state building (see LEED criteria for existing buildings) should meet at least LEED Silver certification. Often people dismiss green
building as too expensive but this is extremely short sighted. There are indirect savings connected to healthier work and learning environments due to sharp reductions in volatile organic compounds from building
materials and cleaning products, many of which are cancer causing and are also linked to learning disabilities and other developmental disorders.
Retrofitting old inefficient building with efficient HVAC systems, windows, and solar will realize tremendous energy and maintenance savings.
2. Stricter use of IPM practices can drastically reduce pesticide use in state building and schools saving a significant amount of money and protecting health.
Please refer to IPM Star Certification: Profile Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Child cancer and asthma are linked to pesticide use.
http://www.ipminstitute.org/IPM_Star/ipmstar_profiles_aberdeen_md.htm
Also Boulder Valley School District IPM program
3. Strict Waste Reduction programs

Baltimore Perhaps encourage more telecomuting and closing state offices perhaps the first Friday of every month.
Anne Close all state government offices on Fridays.
Arundel
Montgomery Dear Governor O'Malley,
As you make the most difficult decisions in the next few months, I want to urge you to maintain the resources in the Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund.
Also, increases in user fees and taxes should be part of your strategy to deal with the budget shortfalls.
Thank you for your consideration,

xxx
Baltimore With the switch to digital tv I checked the power of WBAL-TV

channel 11 and found that their signal is 7.5KW while MPT-TV transmits at 50KW. When I reduce my home kw's my electric bill goes down. I think reducing the transmission from 50 to 25 KW should save some
taxpayers' money.
Anne Force employees that have soc sec age and can retire, to retire! Most are dead weight.
Arundel
Harford Working for a Doctors office, it has become a real bone of contentiont that patient who participate in Maryland Physician Care Insurance and other state health insurances that come into the office and test positive for
illegal recreational drugs. It should be mandated that any participant in state provided insurance that tests positive for illegal drugs be reported to a state agency. One mistake forgiven,second time they should have
their insurance dropped. We working people should not be paying for their prescribed drugs if they have the resources to purchase illegal drugs.
Anne if we have to furlough again maybe each agency can close down for one day (Fridays) instead of having to choose which day you need to take off and that day being micro manage when you can. Having to do a
Arundel furlough is bad enough, but when you are told you can't take it because someone else is off thats pouring salt into the wound. employees maybe acceptable to having choices and everyone doing the same.
Dorchester Budget cuts need to start at the top levels in government. When furlough days are mandated ALL state employees should be required to participate. State employees should no longer drive state vehicles home at
night. I personally know of cases where these vehicles are being used for personal use, such as car shopping for children during work hours and transporting family members to and from airports. To deter from misuse.
Employees need to keep an exact log of dates, mileage and destinations. Closer review of cell phone use for business vs. personal use. This needs to be reveiwed at each agency. There are many ways to reduce
costs, but again LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
Harford First,I would suggest that a deep cut in the use of consultants within MDOT. If our construction is being reduced and many projects are being placed on hold, why are we still seeing consultant staffing levels
unchanged. The work they are doing could easily be done by state workers . It is very unfair that these people are here while state workers are being given days off with pay.
My second point is why are consultants who work here being paid at full overhead cost eventhough they are "on site". They use our computers,desks, office equipment, and our facilities , yet there companies charge
the state full overhead costs for their services. Very unfair and maybe even illegal.
Third, I think that SHA managemnet should pay commuting charges for taking state vehicles home every night. The excuse given is that they are called out for emergencies. The truth is that some if not most are never
called out on emergencies. The non- payment of commuting is nothing more than a perk that mangement has granted themselves.
Harford i suggest that all incarserated people be given job that are not covered under the new budget. grass cutting at goverment buildings, painting curbs, replaceing of flowers and mulch etc. also the individuals that are on
our welfare system be given jobs so when they log in 40 hr work they receive 40 hrs of welfare payment. this will help better the individual and possibly encurage them to seek employment at at better salery. thank you
Anne Getting rid of temp and contractual in all agencies, not just some.
Arundel Eliminate some executive positions.
Take and look at who is really doing the work and who is not.
It's the lower grades that does most of the work in a agency and they are paid less and usually are the ones who hold the agency and the department together.
Calvert Stop paying for employees to go to big, expensive conventions. If the convention is deemed absolutely necessary, do not pay for expensive hotel rooms. There is absolutely no reason to pay over $400 a night for a
room (DHMH). If employees elect to not have health insurance through their state employment, give them a small incentive pay. It would encourage married couples to go on the other spouse's health plan, therefore
decreasing benefit money spent on state employees. If the employee is not married, it will not hurt him at all. Do not pave/resurface roads until it is absolutely necessary. Broomes Island Rd. was just repaved... it could
have gone another 10 years without being resurfaced.
Anne One way to cut down on buget is to cut down on how many assistants to the assistant for high ranking officials.
Arundel
Another way is those individuals that have been locked up for 20, 30, 40 years with good adjustment records and home plans that would have been eligible for parole before the Glendenning era be giving a chance to
come home with strict supervision. That would save the state millions. It would free space for these more dangerous younger violent offenders and save on medical costs for the older inmate.
Some high ranking officials to take a cut in pay like lower state workers that have been furlough to save millions.
Stop unnecessary overtime payment. Make state officers drive their own personal vehicle when off duty.
City The State should implement incentives for overall State agency savings and shrinking of budgets. The goal should be a 6% annual reduction in overall agency budget. If an agency reaches this target, 1% of the
savings would go to the employees in the form of bonuses, the other 5% would return to the State. This would encourage a frugal mentality in every State employee. It would be meaningful to everyone to spend
wisely, b/c to do otherwise would be to take a potential bonus away from your co-workers. If implemented, rather than seeing end of the year spending sprees you would see end of the year saving sprees by all
employees in order to try and get the bonus. Currently there is NO incentive in State government to spend frugally and shrink your budget, and arguably the incentive is the exact opposite. Agencies that don't spend
their full budget are penalized by receiving less in the following year whereas bloated agency spending is rewarded b/c the agency "demonstrated the need for their budget".
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Washington Incentives for those who are at or near retirement. Then look at necessity of the position. Those essential positions could be filled with contract workers, thus lower pay and no benefits would be offered.
Consider offereing adjusted work week on a voluntary basis. Work week would consist of four 9 hour days, totally 36 hours a week. Employee would maintain full time status and benefits, would benefit from and extra
day off and state would benefit by a reduction of 16 hours less pay per employee per month.
Energy reduction program focusing on thermostat settings, turning lights off, etc. Incentive for those offices which the reduction is greatest.
Look in to those employees who have state issued cell phones and the necessity. Those who are not using the phones, take them away and/or reissue.
Incentive or bonus for those employees who do not take advantage of the state health care benefits, including those currently not using as well as those choosing to opt out.
Look into the use of state cars, specifically those employees who have vehicles they use and drive home. Keep the car at the state office.
Look at the necessity and practicality of training that is offered throughout the state. Bring the training to the office so you reduce paying milage and extra hours beyond the normal work day, including lodging and
meals that are provided.
Baltimore Does the SHA always have to replace its highway signs so quickly when guidelines change? As an example: When caution signs went to a newer, brighter orangle/yellow, perfectly good signs along state routes and
interstates were quickly changed over. I am sure there is a compliance deadline, but MD always seems far ahead of the curve. Would it not be better to implement the change at the end of a sign's useful life? When
traveling to others states, it is quite evident MD replaces its signs far ahead of others. While I would not like to see MD get like VT where it seems some signs date to the original opening of the interstate, replacement
at the end of "useful life" appears a way to go.
Another one would be the MTA performing an analysis of how close bus stops are outside the downtown area. Traveling Harford Rd, there are bus stops literally within 100-200 feet of one another for the #19 line.
Wouldn't fewer stops save fuel and brakes?
Calvert Only spend what is authorized in State Constitution. You have read it haven't you? Better pay attention to the suggestions provided by Tony O'Donnell.
Harford 1. Cut 5% of all state middle/upper management positions
2. 10% salary reduction all remaining State employess
3. Phase out all State pension plans. (Use 401K instead)
4. Suspend Davis/Bacon and Affimitive action on Contracts
5. Have State employees contribute more of Health insurance
5. Reduce the number of "Non Profit" orginizations
These actions that almost all of us already experience will cut State expenditures by over 15-20% without reducing any services or programs.
SHOW LEADERSHIP!
Caroline To whom it may concern,
I am greatly concerned about the cuts that have been made to the Caroline County Human Service COuncil (and to the statewide fund that supports these agencies statewide). The services provided by them are
unique and desperately needed xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Getting help from Caroline County Human Service
Council, Inc. has proven to be what was needed in order to connect all of the supports that she could gain access to, and she is finally able to function and has learned to cope with her many behavioral issues-- which
are not her fault.
The cuts that have been made to the program are harmful to children in complex situations xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. There are so very many needs, and there is often no link or coordination between the services that a family
is led to. . . and this is detrimental. Having the support of the programming offered by Human Services Council made a huge difference, and has led to many measures of success xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and for many others
like her.
Cuts to this program have been so very drastic. xxxxxxxxxxxxx is now afraid that the support she has been receiving will disappear (and out of necessity from the cuts, much of it has already vanished). Stability is
what kids like her need the most, and these cuts are deep and painful. All around her, she is losing workers that she grew to trust, services that are helping her to function, and programs that are making a difference.
I want Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund to continue to support our most vulnerable children and families in Caroline County, so I am emailing you today to let you know that we need your leadership to protect these
resources and prevent additional cuts to this fund - it has been cut enough!
Many thanks for your continued support of Maryland's children and families. I know you have a tough job and nobody wants to endure cuts. Please consider the real children and stories behind the program titles,
though, before making any more cuts.
Thanks,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Calvert stop arresting people over 18 for simple marijuana possesion.instead, impose a civil fine.this will increase revenue instead of wasting police and court time and money.also,allow doctors to prescribe it, as other states
are doing.thank you.
Baltimore Dear Gov. O'Malley-
Cutting jobs and reductions in pay is a huge sacrifice to me,trying to keep my home together and not fall into the situation of those around me- falling behind in bills, or loosing my home. While it is not what i ever
thought i would ask for --I would hope that you consider raising taxes as a source for generating revenues for the current economic crisis. In addition, I hope that your subsequent cuts are not applied any further to the
LMB's as we are at the bare bones of maintaining our current level of service in our role.
Baltimore With the recent budget cuts and budget shortfall, I strongly believe that a good plan of action would be to take a look at the vacant properties in the city of Baltimore. The vacant properties in city that are boarded up
and rest between residential occupancies should be viewed as a public health risk and therefore condemned and confiscated under eminent domain laws if possible. These properties are eyesores and havens for rats,
mice, pest infestation, and criminal activities. Although some of these properties do generate income through taxes, the revitalization would generate significantly more through taxes and revenues. If condemned and
confiscated, these properties can then be revitalized, benefiting the community and the city through economic and community development.
Baltimore 1. Eliminate ALL travel by State employees, except Gov/LT Gov, With available communications there is no need for it.
2. Eliminate employees taking home state vehicles.
3. Revise routes for Mobility busses. Most I see have only one person on board.
4. Do Legislative members need more than one staff member? Probably not.
5. Eliminate most police attending officials, such as to events.
Wicomico Please support programs for children, i.e., children of prisoners, etc. who depend on the community to assist them in reaching a productive adulthood. Mentoring is particularly important when one and often two parents
are missing...in their lives.
Montgomery I would suggest all high ranking Maryland personal, for ex: the Governor and Vice Governor, take a 10% cut in their income, and no pay raise. It is time that the people who get paid to run the county do something
other then make bad choices for the rest of us. Us low-middle income families can't take tax increase or cuts in funding anymore.
Baltimore Since MD State employees were given furlough days... has the Governor, Mayor and staffs given back ANYTHING? Lets all do our share. Instead of needless trips, luncheons, court/lawyers cost, etc.. cut backs
should start with State Officials.
Baltimore One suggestion would be to close State offices the week between Christmas and New Years to save on electric/gas costs. Those furlough days could be taken from our pay gradually like last year. Schools are closed
anyway and alot of other companies close down as well.
Frederick I think mopeds and minibikes should be required to have license plates and pay fees. They drive on public roads but can't be identified since they have no plates. In addition, this would allow fees to be charged by the
State.
City If we crack down on welfare/public assistance fraud we may be able to save alot. I have seen employees that refuse more hours and health benefits because it can cut into their benefits. People driving around in
escalades, lexus, mercedes, getting their hair and nails done spending $100 or more, then complain that they cant afford to pay their subsidised housing after wasting their benefits. At the beginning of each month
people come into the store and purchase high priced flat screen tv's using their benefits cards and dont bother getting food and basics to keep their family clothed and clean etc... yet we still keep shelling out millions
for these. How about taking that money and require these people to take some kind of class to learn how to live within their means, and leave the rest of the funds for the people who really need it. Take our tax money
back from these charlitans and find out who is really needy.
Howard I have no specific suggestions for cuts, but I must note the basic responsibilities of state and local governments: police, fire, education, and infrastructure; not necessarily in that order. There should be absolutely no
cuts in these areas. Now, of course, there are peripheral expenditures, i.e., administrative costs - everything from the electric bills at the state house, to paperclips. But any programs that do not fall into those
necessary areas, painful as it may be to some people, should be considered for elimination before the basics are touched and until our financial problems are over.
Thank you for this opportunity. I've worked for state government for 24 years in 3 different agencies. I think it would be revolutionary to find a way to disseminate operating budget monies that creatively rewards fiscal
conservation. I have learned that with all public monies, Federal, State and Local, that management is forced into the mentality of "use it or lose it". At the end of every fiscal year we scramble to spend down our funds
because we're so afraid if we were fiscally conservative one year, we will not get as much the next year, when we may need it; therefore we spend taxpayer money on things we could really do without. Although this
wouldn't fix our problem this year, I think it could go a long way to change the way business is done in the future and undoubtedly save large sums of taxpayer dollars.
Baltimore My first suggestion stopping make laws without funding them. If you have no finding resources do not pass the bill. That is main cause of this problem and the national recession.
Second suggestion is to find out which state employees can work from home. We have the technology to allow this to happen with Go to mypc.com. It would save on having to keep building open that do not need to
be. You can consolidate offices for the people that have to come in. Reports can be scanned and with Gotomypc we can retrieve from home. It save the employees money from having to pay for fuel and sitting in traffic
so much.
Third suggestions have state employees that can work the 4 10 hr days. Pick a day for office to be closed. Third suggestion stop the tuition freeze at least for now. After the economy returns and things improve
reinstate it. Three out of four years is good but we must all help out.
Fourth suggestion starts considering a hiring cap for appointees. It seems like every new administration the new bosses get more pay then the previous.
Fifth suggestion just sends the necessary people to conference. Limit the amount who can attend. If one or two can go and bring back the information.
If the economists are right the recession should be over by years end.
Montgomery Eliminate funding for illegals and spend our tax dollars on tax paying County citizens (Millions)
Eliminate frivolous costs such as Ike's toilet which was such a disgrace to all of us.
Howard 5. Have DORS and State hospitals avail themselves of discounted purchasing of assistive technologies,therapy supplies and adaptive furnishings through non-profit AT:LAST, Inc.- the MD A.T. Co-op--so they can
save $1.95 million as the public schools have.
6.) Encourage more purchasing Co-ops that State government can avail themselves of...or at a minimum, completely overhaul the procurement system which is iniefficient and almost guarantees paying too much.
7.) Reduce or elimnate taxpayer funded festivals and events.
8.) Stop trying to be FIRST. It's expensive. Remember: The early bird catches the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese. Let some other state waste their money fumbling about trying to be first on
everything. Let's learn from their experience, then do it right.
Harford First- The unemployment rate isn't down. There are too many of us who have exhausted our benefits and hence are no longer in the system. I know, I happen to be one of those people. So, Governor O'Malley, don't
count your chickens just yet. If you really don't want to add on to the jobless rate by cutting people's jobs, then, as we always hear, the buck stops with the man in charge. Start with yourself Governor by slashing
salaries in half until we are able to get back on our feet. Some of these politicans' salaries are beyond belief. While on unemployment, I had to live on $476 per month (that was before the added $25). If I can do it, so
should you. Granted now I have to live on $0. And don't get me started on the health lack-of-care system in Maryland.
You talk about not wanting to cut education, but seriously, have you seen what the schools are dishing out into society these days? We have more Mexicans in the State of Maryland than in Mexico; yet they refuse to
learn our basic educational skills (go to Harford, Frederick and Washington Counties Governor - it is an eye opening experience). Next, cut those outrageous DMV tag rates (temporarily of course). As an unemployed
Marylander, I can't afford to get those stickers for my car (minivan - listed as a truck?) Or, since you have a good paying job with a steady paycheck, the $340 bill is coming due. Unfortunately, I have gotten use to
eating and trying to put a roof over my head however to apply at the few places hiring, you need a vehicle to get there. It's the old game of catch-22.
Harford Raise the sales tax 1%.
Anne 10% cut for "everyone" receiving "state" funds. This includes services contrators; employees; consultants; vendorss; grant funding; elected and appointed officials. The 10% cut must be levied on everyone and
Arundel everything; there shall be "no exceptions."
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Kent I think it is time that the State of Maryland institute a yearly inspection mandate for all vehicles licensed in the state. This would be another source of income to the state and also would make sure that millions of cars
would be checked yearly for safety and mechanical repairs necessary for public safety.
I live and work in Maryland and Virginia but my company car is licensed in Pa. Because I had to have my car inspected this July it was discovered that I needed new brakes. I probably would not have had this
checked on my own.
Not only did Pennsylvania get a fee for the inspection, they ralized the state taxes on the parts that were used. (I had the repairs done in Maryland so Maryland benefited from the taxes.)
Another benefit would be that a valid insurance certificate along with the owners card be presented at the time of inspection. This would insure that vehicles on the road had
insurance. A colored coded inspection sticker on the windshield would be a quick visual for law enforcement.
Benefits:
Safety , Sticker and Inspection fees to the state of Maryland, License Fees for inspection stations, Sales Taxes on required parts.
I live on the Eastern Shore. There are some vehicles on the road that are literally held together by Duct Tape.
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Anne Implement energy saving technologies in all state office buildings and data centers. Many technologies have fairly short-term financial paybacks, such as the flywheel UPS system recently installed in the Annapolis
Arundel Data Center to replace the old battery-based UPS system. Energy audits would identify many state buildings where energy could be saved and costs substantially reduced.
Howard 1.) Decrease insistance that State agencies must use State Industries for purchaseof furniture, printing services, etc. The general market is far less expensive.
2.) Insiston getting our money's worth on large contracts. Examples of horible waste previously--buying electronic voting machines that niether print nor are capable of being upgraded OR the Bay Bridge resurfacing
that need to be redone at taxpayer rather than contractor expense.
3. Find a less expensive contractor for road signs.
4. Decrease capital expenditures at higher ed facilities. Additional parking is the only thing REALLY needed on any campus--not new extravagent buildings--especially not art facilities.
Anne Start a recycling program in all state office buildings to sell paper, cans, and plastic. There is money to be made with recyclables, and it would be environmentally friendly and save on long-term landfill costs. This may
Arundel seem trivial, but small things add up.
Baltimore A statewide buyout of all state employees with substantial years on the job. This would lower the cost of salaries while encouraging those with such tenure to go out on retirement without reservation. These types of
buyouts have been offered in the past as an effective way of lowering salary costs in the past. Employees could retire knowing that they have received something in exchange for helping the state in its time of need. It
would be a win-win situation for everyone. Replacing those employees with entry level positions would alleviate higher costs on salaries
Harford We should start making people on unemployment/food stamps "earn" their money. Require everyone to put in at least 20 hours of work each week by either: working in schools, cleaning streets, walking the streets of
neighborhood to keep them safe, assisting in hospitals,etc. While I realise it is hard to find a job, I also know some people have "worked" the system for years, make them work at least 20 hours a week for their
checks, this will maybe give them an incentive to get up in morning and be productive and help them set up a network so maybe they can become employed. This "free" help will supplement organizations who do not
have the funds to pay for help now and eventually when the ecomony turns around maybe employ some these people. Maybe offer a tax credit to business who "hire" some of these people. These are not skilled jobs,
so no prior experience required, but you must come to work to earn your check. Also everyone getting a check should be required to appear in person once every 3 months to verify they can work and are legal
residents.
Baltimore Make state employees start paying for bus fare.
City I think that the state should cut out some of the perks that some city officials have such as three cars at their disposal at all times and a 6-8 man security detail could be trimmed back to 3-4. It may not be a huge
difference but the taxpayers have suffered enough when certain city officials live in comparative luxury. Also I personally play the lottery and if you raised Mega Millions tickets by even 10 cents I am positive most would
pay it. It is not a necessity but a choice and there is no discrimination in this. It would earn millions for Maryland.
Anne Californa has one good idle shift the illeals to the federal system. This does two things, one make the federal responable for immgration, and save the states much needed money.
Arundel
Anne Californa has one good idle shift the illeals to the federal system. This does two things, one make the federal responable for immgration, and save the states much needed money.
Arundel
City stop buying office furniture so much furniture that is throwed away could be fixed up by maryland prisioners we buy from them they can fix it up like new as opposed to getting new desk for the higher ups insted of
buying new, could you do your work better on a 1,000$ desk or one that cost less than half of origional cost. flat panel tv's a 19' inch could do the job just as well as a flat screen.
Baltimore Require a deposit on all plastic drink bottles. State to keep a percentage when they are turned in. Less pollution, less cost of cleaning them up, more money for state.
Anne Along the same lines as the Veteran's Affairs keeping VA money within their system by providing and paying for health care at VA centers... Maryland should look at owning some nursing facilities,keeping the
Arundel Maryland Medicaid money within the Maryland system.
Anne Consolidate the state run web services in to a single site.
Arundel
Consolidate the state employees that work on IT projects across agencies and departments.
Consolidate IT operations; servers, equipment purchases, ect.; to improve operational effectiveness and reduce costs by as much as 50%.
To ensure that MD tax dollars are spent on Marylanders tax payers and not people of questionable status require that all persons receiving state aide show proof that they are paying MD income tax on earnings, or
have aid in the last year, or are a legal US citizen.
Baltimore When our founding fathers said, "The Land of the Free" I do not think they intended to give free food, free housing, free electric, free medical care to individual citizens forever. People receiving State assistance should
be MADE to take a urinalysis test for illegal drugs. Anyone driving a Lexis, Mercedes or a Corvette etc. obviously does not need assistance. Those people who honestly need assistance can't get it. Middle class
Americans are working hard to pay electric, groceries, oil bills and house payments - I know I have to go to work so that my kids will have new school clothes and lunch money - not free/reduced lunch. A young soldier
that just did his three year tour said he makes more sitting home collecting unemployment watching his new baby than he could make by getting a job. Something is wrong when the working class has much less time
and money than someone on state assistance or unemployement. The gun totting drug dealers need to be stopped - maybe if prison wasn't so comfortable they wouldn't enjoy going back so often. Free food, free
electric, free cable, free medical ...
Howard Raise the toll on Bay Bridge to $5.00 and give special consideration to those who commute for work.This could be a tax break.
Baltimore Go to a compressed work week for government employees.stop hiring new high positions in DSS and other departments.actually pay a decent wage for workers that actually perform instead of funding dead weight.
Washington I'm president of a small business in the construction field. We've been holding on and begging for work.
We thought that once the fiscal years budget was available the work would begin, but no one is taking that leap of faith and begin working for tomorrow. Where is the stimulus money?
The state needs to put more work out to bid. It's a know fact that contracted labor produces more and costs less!!
Washington If the state has a deficit and salary cuts have to be made such as furloughs, it must be shared by all state employees and not just a few. Regardless of what unions say, all employees must share the responsibility. This
makes it fair to all and not create issues by only some receiving furloughs and others do not and they work side by side.
If the state has a deficit and salary cuts have to be made such as furloughs, it must be shared by all state employees and not just a few. Regardless of what unions say, all employees must share the responsibility. This
makes it fair to all and not create issues by only some receiving furloughs and others do not and they work side by side.
Baltimore Rather then lay off state employees, what about an attractive early out offer for workers close to 55 or 30 years, and an enticement for those over 30 years. Afterwards, younger workers can fill the vacancies and start
at the bottom end of the pay scale. This had been done many years ago in the 90's. Many "green" ideas are: Deposit fee for bottles, Change lightbulbs to CFL, charge fees/penalties for not being green or recycling,
recycle paper and other materials used in state offices to make a new supply, replacement of state vehicles should be with hybrids, increase telecommuting opportunities. Recycling vocational training for inmates
/schools. Enforcement of fines /tickets for violating handicapped parking spaces. New toll plazas for our border with PA off Rt 140 and 83. work email is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Howard 1.) Managed Medicaid so medicaid recipients stop using the Emergency Rooms as their primary source of healthcare; it is the most expensive and worst quality.
2.) Require generic drugs when available for medicaid recipients unless the M.D. documents brand name is required.
3.) State Hospitals are not at capacity; can they be combined so some may be closed.
4.) State owned property (unused) could be sold. Henryton property is vacant and probably prime land.
5.) MVA encloses a self addressed return envelope (no postage). When I offered mine for recycling since I went to the MVA to renew I was told to throw it away. Could it be deleted and let the customer provide their
own envelope?
Baltimore I'm really not sure where to begin. But, I would start at the top. Everybody takes a hit, and not just the little people. I wouldn't waste any time or money jamming cell phones in prisons. I would simply band all cell
phones. No one may bring a phone in the building. Not even guards. Guards are there to guard the prisoners, and that's it. Use a land line if you have to use the phone.
Also, I would make inmates pay for their stay in prison. Why should I pay for it? Prisons have free education, free health care, free room and board. I hear some prisons have cable and air conditioning. Many people in
society that work everyday can't afford to pay their own bills. Yet we pay for each prisoner's entire incarceration, complete with health care. They broke the law. Let them pay for it.
Howard I have watched with sadness as the Howard County Community College quietly ran a $3.5 million budget surplus last year but still pleaded poor to the county and the state. They took that money and squandered it on
trying to make their bogus purchase of the Belmont Conference Center work. This included $750,000 towards legal fees to break a MHT easement on the Belmont Estate (that is completely surrounded by the
Patapsco State Park.) Over the past 4 years the college has spent around $14 million-mainly taxpayer and student moneys-on this bogus scheme and there is no end in sight. It is time to tell the college to cut their
losses and stay focused on educating students, not running a country club to curry favor of the elite. And it is certainly time to examine their budget proposals in light of their recent budget surpluses.
I would be happy to discuss their budget numbers further with you.
Kent If you decide to furlough or reduce the salary of state employees, do so ACROSS THE BOARD. For those who cannot take the time off, they should still have a salary reduction. Furloughs and salary reductions should
affect ALL employees.
City 1.Reduce/eliminate the perks that each elected official receives for example transportation( air line fly coach,use the smaller cars to save on energy and gas.
2.Projects for Maryland ex. rebuilding our bridges and streets. Use companies that use green products for our environment but saves money without compromising quality
3. Have a task force that will review our budget. Hire retired CPA's - a checks and balances project.
Thank you for your team for the tireless work they all do for Maryland
Carroll In 2005 I retired from state government after 32 years of service. Half of those years I spent working in my home county and the other half at DHMH offices in Baltimore. I am most appreciative of the benefits Maryland
offers its retirees and I am not writing out of malice. The agency I worked for when I retired was out of control with spending. I left because I no longer felt productive.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. The personnel office is inefficient with no discretion in its practice of personnel matters. I
know first hand and would be happy to be more specific. The point I hope to get across is that now I am a mere taxpayer and am outraged at the continued waste at this agency. I am sincere in my remarks and hope
that consideration for budget cuts might occur where they truly need to.
Montgomery The Word of God proves to be right everytime. Romans 3:4 "yea, let God be true, but every man a liar"
When we take God out of our affairs and invite the devil in, the results are not good. its not the point that Maryland might not be as bad as California or New York but our kids and families still suffer regardless with the
budget cuts. We took prayer and the Bible out..the result? education is affected. now we are laying off teachers?!
Why don't we start cutting the paychecks from those who approved the homosexual, abortion and anti-Christ agendas.
Pray, seek God's face and get Him involve that way it is a guarantee that Maryland will be prosperous.
what is it going to take for God to get our attention. He loves us through His Son Jesus Christ.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Love in Christ Jesus.
Baltimore I know I'm not alone in this suggestion. The fastest way to reduce spending in Maryland would be to revisit the logic for enacting the Thornton legislation. Surely the logic was and is flawed and perhaps the Thornton
legislation is actully illegal or unconstitutional. It certainly makes no sense to spend 1.3 billion dollars a year simply to raise scores on a test that may no longer even be given. Perhaps you can find a "friend of
Maryland" who could file suit to repeal Thornton. You might end up with a budget surplus.
Washington I am a state of MD employee that works for the DOC. I am clerical, and had to take furlough days last year. My fellow correctional officers, however, did not, and that is not fair. They all receive holidays every month.
They could be treated as their furlough days, and could take a hit like I had to. They would be on a rotating basis, as to not affect the security of the institution.
Also, inmates could receive a reduction in their pay, those who get paid to work. The inmate programs could be scaled back, or eliminated altogether.
DO NOT MESS WITH MY BENEFITS!!!! That is another reason you have a good quality workforce. If you start to reduce or SCREW UP my future pension and benfits, then you will not have a future work force that is
any good. That is one of the reasons to be a state employee is for the future that awaits me when I retire.
I know times are tough, and MD is still in good shape, but you do not need to balance the budget out of my pocketbook.
I, like many others, have bills to pay, and need my pacycheck. I have had to cut back, too. That is what needs to be done in tough times.
Please consider my few suggestions. Thank you.

Montgomery Cut the Maryland state sales tax by 2 cents to increase consumer spending and get our economy moving again.
At some State Universities, during semester breaks (especially summer) for the administrative staff, work comes almost to a halt. Arrange for these administrative assistants during the down times to work in State
agencies that have a backlog of work. This eliminates the need to hire extra people to get the job done and allow the work to be processed more expeditiously.
Washington Hi, As a state employee who took five furlough days last fiscal year and looking at more this year, I would like to see all Maryland Agency purchasing requirements undergo revisions to ease restrictions on mandated
small business purchasing and also mandated purchasing from Grainger under a state contract!!!! How fiscally responsible is this? I remember in the 1990's and early 2000's we had to get three bids to make virtually
any purchase and the lowest bidder would be the vendor we had to buy from. I know for the last five or six years we have spent anywhere from 25% to as much as 400% more on materials and supplies purchasing
from small businesses!!! As for Grainger, I haven't calculated a percentage on additional costs to purchase from them, but I know on average we pay more for materials and supplies than if we were able to purchase
by competitive bidding!!! Please, at least look into these procurement procedures and let us spend the taxpayers dollars more responsibly!!! I would love to have someone contact me to discuss further!!! Too much
money has been wasted!!! Now is the time to get back to being a responsible government and getting the most for our dollars!!! Thank you for creating this web page to leave a suggestion.
Montgomery The Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families has taken a 25 % reduction for the work it does to support afterschool programs, home-visiting services and wraparound services supporting Montgomery
County's children with complex needs. Currently, there are waiting lists for services and these waiting lists will continue to grow.
I request your support for continuing state resources from the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund to continue to support our most vulnerable children and families in Montgomery County.
Governor O'Malley, YOUR LEADERSHIP to protect these resources and prevent additional cuts to this fund is critical!
Thank you for your consideration.
Allegany Dear Governor O'Malley, I am a librarian whose responsibilities include cataloging Maryland government documents so the public can find them in the library. I have noticed over the years that I need to re-catalog
many Maryland government documents that come out yearly because the title has been changed slightly or the name of the department has changed slightly.
My suggestion is: Do not change the department names or their publication titles. By keeping the names and titles the same, my staff could deal with the publications in a shorter amount of time than I would need if I
had to re-catalog the publications. The same would go for the department. We could all focus our time, energy and financial resources on more important issues than making sure the department name change is
correct in the library's catalog, the department webpage, stationery, publications, etc.
Montgomery Dear Governor O’Malley:

Adult education in Maryland needs your continued support. Adult learners – the working poor of Maryland – already have enough challenges, and I strongly urge you to maintain level funding for adult literacy and
English services through the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
Too many Marylanders are still without high school diplomas, have inadequate job skills, or cannot speak English fluently enough to realize their full potential. Adult educators in Maryland have a consistent record of
success, but demand for our services continues to outpace available resources, with only 5% of those in need being served through approved state grantee and correctional education programs. Despite limited
resources, the professionals in the field of adult education have made Maryland one of the most successful systems in the country. Clearly Maryland cannot afford to move backwards in state funding to provide crucial
educational services that promote employment and help adults compete in today’s economy.
Cecil 1. Scrutinize spending. All jurisdictions receive funding. Are we really checking to make sure money is spent as promoted and are we really checking and cutting budgets accordingly? Do we look at the rash of
spending that occurs right before the end of the fiscal year? Frivilous spending?
Can a system honestly check itself? Money spent for furniture, computers, cars, adio-visual state of the art equipment could have fed a community, educated someone or paid for a position. Look for efficiency in
spending and service delivery. Make everything justifiable. If not eliminate or send in someone to make business more efficient.
I always thought that that would be a nice job making everyone accountable for spending the taxpayer dollars but was told that if I wanted that job they wouldn't let me work in my own county. Why not? Are we not a
system of checks and balances? If agencies saw this as their own money or tax dollars, there would't be so much waste. I know there are areas where we do well but unchecked people don't see this as their money
and spend recklessly. Whoever you send to check budgets or spending looks to see that budgets add up
but don't scrutinize for necessary/appropriate spending. If they ever found something inappropriate, would they require that jurisdiction to pay the money back and put them under probation for the next 6 months of the
following fiscal year to curb possible inappropriatle spending in the future?
2. Eliminating personnel. Are two to three people sharing the same job duties that could more efficiently be done by one person? Positions have been created filled to present buffers between administrators, staff and
the public. Maybe the fat needs to be trimmed. If we were less impersonal with the public, some of our services might be more effective.
3. Offer early retirement. Some of us are within 1 to 2 years of early retirement. We might be willing to go if we could retire now as if we were 62. I looked at my retirement amount for age 62 and it is greater than my
take
home working! That would trim off at least $2000 per month.
How many people are there like me?
4. You did those furlough days. Did you check to see how the money was spent? The community can see. We don't have a voice. Maybe you need to check.
5. When you do these contracts for insurance, repairs, service delivery, manpower and representation with other entities, why do we have so many middlemen? It's unweldy and leaves room for the public and
employees to not get
appropriate access to service. It creates barriers that are similiar to adminstrative structures. For example, if I had a problem getting a medical card, workers at Social Services never answer the phone, all
communictions goes from a machine or operator to voice mail. So, the desperate public has to call Baltimore and may or may not get assistance. Kind of like federal government based. If they are in trouble financially
and going through an overhaul, why would we continue to role model after this system? We did foresee the potential for our current financial state - I hope.
6. We need to stop tunnel vision and start looking long term. This may mean beginning something in one administration and be willing to work with future ones to support continued recovery.
I know that you, the Governor, probably won't view or read my response but at the end of the day, I can go to bed knowing that I voiced my opinion at the 1st opportunity, directly to a government that seems ready to
hear from the people-me! It just makes me feel privileged to see a nation ready to embrace change and now the state government as well. It makes it easier to deal with local jurisdiction limitations. If you want to
respond, that's fine. If not, God Bless! Treat necessary restructuring like you would a family problem!
xxx
City You are hurting the work class with lay-off and furlough instead of looking at the real picture their all many citizen using welfare as a crutch. free food, tax payer money, free housing, free daycare. Doing these hard time
are i'm hearing more about people who want to work losing thier jobs. If own any property they can't received assistiant. I know times is hard myself sometimes go without to make sure my children have. But to see
somebody who brag about how much food stamp and money they received when i may lose my golden dream is sad. And my politian don't see anything wrong.
Sad to Said
Allegany as a state employee in a state hospital look at the cost of having the hospitals under joint commission standards.
Carroll xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I am continually caring for pregnant women who arrive in this country usually from Afica to deliver their babies. These women are not indigent and fly here in their 3rd
trimester to "shop" or "visit family" and then conveniently stay to have their babies only to return in 6 weeks or so to their native land with their new little American citizen. While here they are afforded emergency
medical assistance to pay for their medical bills. Now, really, what is WRONG with this picture ??? My father fought in WWII and the Korean conflict and he and my mom had to pay terribly high prices for their
prescriptions and we continually allow ourselves to be raped financially by citizens from other countries. When are we as a state and a nation going to stop this practice? The state could save a "tremendous" amount of
healthcare dollars by no longer allowing emergency medical assistance to these people. They have the money...make them pay their bills.
Carroll xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I am continually caring for pregnant women who arrive in this country usually from Afica to deliver their babies. These women are not indigent and fly here in their 3rd trimester
to "shop" or "visit family" and then conveniently stay to have their babies only to return in 6 weeks or so to their native land with their new little American citizen. While here they are afforded emergency medical
assistance to pay for their medical bills. Now, really, what is WRONG
Cecil Delete front license plates from all vehicles. This will save 1/2 of the current expense for the metal tag. A majority of the automotive manufacturers today do not provide a license plate bracket for the front of the car,
suv or truck. If I were to purchase a new vehicle, I would not look forward to the prospect of taking an electric drill and drilling two holes in the front bumper.
I know this provides work for the inmates, but we are currently in the middle of an economic recession. I feel everyone, including the inmates, should be more than willing to do thier part.
I write to ask you to insure continued support from the state for adult education programs.
Education is investment - it is spending that returns a future dividend for the state. Adult education helps not only the working poor (who are hardest hit by our current crisis) but their families. Literate, English-speaking
adults raise literate children, and they grow up to be the next generation of skilled workers. We cannot afford to cut back on this investment; we will suffer greatly for it down the road if we do.
I urge to to find cuts in areas that are not critical investments in the future of our state's workforce.
Sincere regards,
xxx
Anne I think we should install more stop light cameras and speed cameras to fine drivers for failing to obey laws. We should also have a law banning cell phones while driving unless using a hands free device. This will help
Arundel with public safety, reducing accidents as well as bring in revenue for the state. We should also make I-95 a toll road to earn revenue from the motorists driving through and force locals on to trains and buses. This will
help the environment, reduce gridlock, and change behavior in our residents.
It is my understanding that the Board of Public Works, in the next few weeks, will be considering additional possible budget cuts. I would urge you, in the course of this review, to maintain level funding for adult literacy
and English services in the programs administered through the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation.
English literacy has long been the foundation for future success for individuals in the United States who do not speak English as a primary language or who do speak it as a primary language but have such serious
deficiencies that they are unable to master even its basic fundamentals.
The serious practical, emotional, and social problems that illiteracy creates are both pervasive and well-documented. Although many might say that we all have a basic obligation to foster and promote the English
language among all of the country's residents, even for purposes of purely self-interest, this is a worthwhile effort. When you think of the devastating conditions that illiteracy frequently breeds, poverty and crime being
not the least of them, it is clearly in our best interest to combat illiteracy as forcefully as we can.
Thousands of citizens in Montgomery County and throughout the state rely heavily on the adult literacy programs funded by the state. The services they receive through these programs enable them to live better
quality lives and participate in our society in more productive and meaningful ways. Please allow this state support to continue at its current level.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Talbot
what is needed is to cut the waste(fat) in all programs. I see along the roadside - 7 SHA employees watching 1 man work. We in the private sector have had to cut employees and sell equipment for one-half its value,
cut our salaries by one-third to one-half and still struggle. The government is way to fat and complacent. 1.25 million dollars in gift certificates is rediculous for trees that maryland has no control over were and how they
are to be planted or maintained. I dont care where the money came from, this is a waste. 50%+ of these trees will die, and all for political image, save the bay, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, for which we see no
help from for all the millions they raise. My suggestion is to cut all overhead in all agencies. The visits I have made to The Department of Agriculture, have opened my eyes to the waste in inter-office BS. On ones break
they visit one who is not on break, thus interrupting that persons work flow. WASTE---------------. Multiply this by 10,000 employees and see how much can be saved.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and have gone thru major overhauls in the last two years, and are still hanging on. We took cuts and suffer every day and week. Small business is the backbone
of the country not politics. Thankyou for listening. P.S. You cannot cut medical benefits and education!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is political suicide.
Anne Dear Mr. O'Malley,
Arundel Thank you for asking for my imput on ways to improve government. I have the following suggestions.
1. We can not afford the new light rail, subway mass transit projects at this time. When you do not have money you do not buy a house. Even if the federal government and special interest groups come up with 60% of
the money at the present time where is the state coming up with the other 40%. The state has more important uses for the money. Please put off these projects until the state is in a better financial position.
2. Please put off buying land. The state has enough open space. Again when you do not have the money you do not buy a house. The state has more important uses for the money.
There will be other lands at other times.
3. Raise the taxes on beer and alcohol.
4. Raise college tution. You have done the best you could to keep tution low but now is the time to raise the tution for those who use this service.
5. Cut the salaries for those making over $200,000 at the University of Maryland System. These people make too much money at tax payer expense. Reduce aid to college education. The state keeps spending more
and more money on education. Education must take a higher proportion of the reduction in spending.
6. Cut education spending for grades K-12. Too much state money is spent for education. Since the state is having fiscal problems all must share in the reductions.
7. Reduce aid to private colleges and private enterprises.
Parents and students choose to send their children to private institutions. When times are tough they must share in the reductions.
Thank you.
xxx
Harford I have multiple suggestions for revenue enhancement and cost containment:
In regards to health care:
In your note above you are going to cut Medicaid funding to hospitals. I am a nurse xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx where the majority of my clients are illegal aliens getting Medicaid benefits while not paying into the system or they
don't pay at all. It is irresponsible for a state to grant amnesty to people who drain the state while contributing nothing in terms of cash (taxes). The state of Maryland should become firm on illegal aliens: come here
legally and pay taxes.
Another suggestion is to double the current cost of cigarettes,snack foods, fast foods, sodas and alcohol. The money from this should go directly to the hospitals who are treating these smoking and obese people with
preventable illnesses brought on by their lifestyle.
Other state budget cut ideas:

Eliminate take home cars. Most people use their own vehicle to get to work. A take home care is gift, not a right. Use it as a reward only.
Cut MSP Executive Protection. You have more than enough assistance to drive around town.
Increase the MSP Motor Unit to at least 25. Motorcycles are less costly to outfit for police use, significantly more efficient in fuel costs, and are better able to maneuver in accident situations. (Statistics for this proposal
are available upon request).
Eliminate MSP mechanics. For the most part they are inefficient and work at a pace that would get them fired in the commerical world. Seek bids from companies like Jiffy Lube and outsource this work. This would
eliminate the need for the state to pay salaries, benefits, and retirements to people who really don't do their jobs.
Eliminate the 4 or so positions that were created by Colonel Sheridan (at $150,000 annual income each) to "take care of his buddies".
Dispense with the practice of punishing Troppers by sending them to Barracks far away from home. This is only costly to the state in fuel and wear and tear on vehicles. Suspend the offenders for 'X' numbers days
based on severity of offense.
Crime is a huge problems for our state. I strenuously urge you to lean on the judicial system to impose only the steepest penalties for all crimes from traffic violations to murder.
These are just a few of my ideas. I hope you openly and honestly evaluate all citizen input.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Adult education in Maryland needs your continued support. I know that in these trying economic times you have heard this frequently, and that many in our state will likely have to do more with less.
Our adult learners – the working poor of Maryland – already have to do more with
less, and I strongly urge you to maintain level funding for adult literacy
and English services through the Department of Labor, Licensing and
Regulation.
Too many Marylanders are still without high school diplomas, have inadequate
job skills, or cannot speak English fluently enough to realize their full potential.
Adult educators in Maryland have a consistent record of success, but demand for
our services continues to outpace available resources, with only 5% of those in
need being served through approved state grantee and correctional education
programs. Maryland remains at the lower end of neighboring east coast states’
average spending per pupil; recent estimates have investment at only $213 per
adult learner. Yet the professionals in the field of adult education have made
Maryland one of the most successful systems in the country.
Thank you, Governor O’Malley, for your past protection of our efforts – you have
been a champion of adult education, and we appreciate the consideration you
have given our learners in recent years. MAACCE realizes that there remain
difficult decisions ahead, yet we are hopeful. Clearly Maryland cannot afford to
move backwards in state funding to provide crucial educational services that
promote employment and help adults compete in today’s economy.
Regards,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxx
select your 1...Make appointees (Secretarys, etc.) pay the same amount for use of a State car as regualr employees.
county 2...Set a pay scale for translators. Agencies are forced to pay whatever, rather than a reasonable amount -- especially if the source is used repeatedly.
3...Take a critical look at funds wasted in workforce training. Funds are processed through the Department of Labor (administrative) to local areas (Workforce Investment Areas) to do trainings that are frequently offered
at/through the community colleges. Why not skip the state overhead (Labor) and direct funds to the community colleges as appropriate.
4...Take a critical look at waste (i.e. rate of loss of equipment and supplies) in the Department of Transportation/Highways division, particularly with subcontractors.
Good luck. You have an unenviable job.
Kent The people look to government to provide services - education, public safety, health, welfare, utilities, roads, bridges, and the like. The funding for all other 'extras' should be temporarily suspended in order to balance
the budget...the test should be: is this expenditure necessary? Or is this expenditure an 'extra' that Maryland has been able to fund as a result of an abundance of tax dollars?
Montgomery Dear Governor,
I applaud your efforts to cut costs in the state budget, but as I am a physician here in Maryland I have some concern about additional cuts to the medicare reimbursement structure that is currently in place. Your
initiative to reduce the use of expensive medications in favor of equally efficacious less expensive medications is absolutely on the right track. But the current physician reimbursement for patient visits is already
dangerously close to a money losing proposition which explains the massive shift toward concierge medicine that I am seeing from many of the primary care providers who refer patients to me. Any further reductions in
these fees will drive more physicians out of Maryland or into concierge/boutique practices.
The irony of this situation is that Maryland already ranks 48th out of 51 districts in Medicare reimbursement despite extraordinarily high overhead costs due to the expensive property values and relatively high taxes.
Any further reductions may make the practice of medicine untenable here in the state.
Again, I support and applaud your efforts to reduce unnecessary costs. This is an effort that needs to be made across the board in the state budget in general and in medicine costs specifically. And there are ways to
do it without compromising access to health care within the state. The physicians on the front lines, the family practitioners and internists, are taking the brunt of these cuts and many are leaving. We need to stem the
flow of physicians out of the state and/or into concierge practices. Consequently, I ask you respectfully to reconsider those cuts that will make the practice of medicine here in Maryland a non-viable economic
proposition for physicians.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxxx
Anne We beliieve some are over paid such as super of schools found out that he or she gets a bonus when schools due well. Sorry but don't you think that credit goes to the under paid teachers who always feel the cuts.
Arundel Stop over paying gov't officials. Not asking you lay off because I am there and certainly would have rather to pay cut then to be let go.
We also believe that people entering our County or STate should pay tax's as we due. There should be now special treatment for people who enter wanted a better life . WE All want that of course but if anyone
making them pay when they keep handing down the business's to new family members? No, and we all know it is being done. No more special treatment my taxes go up and they pay nothing how unfair.
Calvert Give the same pay rasies, furlough days, etc. to anyone getting paid by the State. Meaning if the employees are going to be furloughed one day a month then so should the legislature, eveyone should share the
burden. If the State employees get a 1 percent raise the that the same raise the legislature should get. Some business process re-engineering would be a great tool to save money. We are doing the same things over
and over with the same results, more time and money being paid out for redundancy. I can get better deals for our program by going local but if there is a State contract then we end up spending (sometimes an
outrageous amount e.g., priced out a PBX for 24K ended up sepnding 125K because there was a contract.) addition funds that could be used elsewhere. Let the people actually doing to the work (the end user) have
input! We have people 50-70 miles away making decision for us - they are not in the day-to day workings. Let the person who is atualy using the database, help with the design, not an outside consultant that has no
idea what you need do it, I've seen agencies spend a couple 100K for software that can not be used. I imagine that this is a State wide problem. Empowing the program will not always work, but in most cases, we want
to keep our jobs so we will make it work. We are adults give us the opportunity to prove it and if we doen't then fire those who don't work. There is a lot of dead wood in agencies. The way position are cut now, we cut
off the live branches and keep the deadwood and wonder why things aren't getting done. Steamline! Why is each agency re-inventing the book? Why are we all using the same software for accounting, budgeting,
timekeeping, etc? Why isn't personnel centralized? I appreciate the opportunity to be allow to voice my opinion. It shows trust in us, the citizens and your employees. Thank you.
Baltimore Photography, I am a registered business in the state of Maryland this is not the normal. Most photographers are not registered business and operate without collecting sales tax on their sales. I asked 20
photographers that I know are they a registered business in Maryland – 4 out of the 20 are. Out of those 4 I asked who collects sales tax – zero. That is 20 people operating as photographers in the State of Maryland,
making taxable sales and the state is seeing no tax income. Florida has begun to regulate and research photographers and how they (the state) are losing tax income. Is it possible and or feasible for Maryland to
regulate the vast amount of unregistered business owners in our state??
Harford An independent review of all agencies would find any number of items/services/personnel that could be reduced. The very nature of the government causes agencies to spend all money provided to them (or else they
will have a reduced budget the next fiscal year). The review needs to be "very independent", as it will accomplish nothing if staff reviewing the agencies have their own agenda. With the current economic situation you
are in a position to do what has been needed for years. Maryland is by its very proximity to DC, buffered by most economic downturns (but not this time). Thank you for the opportunity to leave a message.
Baltimore I believe the State will same large sums of money by requiring State agencies to utilize State-owned facilities for meetings and conferences (including overnights).
City Change this state employee ID to a photo ID for employment purposes only. State employees can still receive a state ID pass for transportation at a cost of $30.00 per year. But please no more furloughs, especially if
the furlough does not help budget the state.
City Mr. Governor:

In my opinion, in addition to Medicaid Match, we could do more to address the fraud with this program, and with Medicare.
Baltimore I suggest that the state cut welfare checks by just one dollar.
Allegany i can safe the state alot of money why do inmates get paid to go to school and the medication they get cost $100.00 a month just at wci and bag lunch the inmates on the midnight shift and we dont need all of them
people in your cabinet cut some of the big paying jobs and dont tax the slots so much so they are willing to come in thank u.
Baltimore Physicians spend an inordinate amount of time taking care of Medicaid patients. They are commonly the sickest patients requiring the most attention. To cut the miniscule reimbursement for their care is not well
thought out. More physicians will just not participate with medicaid and those that do will get hurt the most for their humanitarism.
Wicomico As I recall, the small strip of bipass around salisbury,(<10 miles),has been resurfaced (blacktopped) atleast 5 times during last 15 yrs. Its a lot of waste of tax money!!! Pls do something.
Baltimore Start selling “MD Reinvestment Real-time Bonds”to Maryland residents only. Offer a return of 10% (has to be a large return to spur buying). The bonds can be redeemed when the states surplus reaches a certain level.
Reinvest a portion of the money in new technologies and getting the unemployment rate down and of course reducing the deficit. The bonds could be purchased in increments of $100.00 so that the average person
can help.
Dorchester Hello
Wicomico I was always taught that in tough times you do without the fluff and only pay for the necessities. So before you cut the salaries of the state workers (necessities) you cut the monies to the fluff. Stop giving money to the
arts, the ballerina groups, the orchestras, the youth groups. Then and only then look to the state employees. If we are to have furloughs, have everyone do the same day to alliviate an extra burden of trying to keep
track of personnel (who has and who hasn't taken their days) and trying to keep an office running with limited staff. I would rather close the office the last Friday of each month, everyone is off and on furlough (no
scheduling, bigger impact to the public that the economic picture is true! Also remember, you stress out an already stressed out state worker, how are they going to be productive and do the job hired for? There has to
be other ways. What concessions are the govenor and senators going to make? Are they getting the same cuts as state employees?
City 1. Increase tolls at the tunnels
2. All state employees, including judges have furlough days and reduced pay
3. go to 10 hour days, have the work week as Monday-Thursday or Tuesday-Friday. close the building down to reduce utility cost and traffic.
4. stress that electricity be turned off when an employee goes home for the day.
5. Reduce the number of contracted work, historically they cost more and we lose expertise.
6. Have each family donate 10 to 20 dollars to the state.
7. re-access all procurements over 10,000.00. It may be time to re-bid some contracts, especially of commodity items.
Baltimore Consider letting some park land to be used as community gardens in exchange for helping keep those parks clean and trash free.
Anne Do away with county and state vehicles. Nobody gives the average person a car to go to work or to take kids to sports, activities, etc. How much is spent on county and state vehicles? - not to mention the gas and
Arundel upkeep of such vehicles.That is just one perk that people can do without. Why do government employees think that taxpayers should pay for them to have a car?
Baltimore Consider putting a few existing state employees in charge of tracking down those owed money from the state. A quick way to get more tax money.
Anne In time of crisis, who in our state stepS up to the plate first? The tax payer & those who don't have. I have prepared people taxes for free the past several years,and have found none of them are willing to donate to
Arundel the presidential campaign. After several conversation with my clients they would consider a donation to the budget if they were assured it would be USED ONLY FOR THE BUDGET. On the Maryland tax form (like the
federal 1040) you could consider a box for a donation to the budget and I believe you would be surprised at the response you"ll get.
Baltimore Consider selling or donating those cash for clunkers in good shape to charities overseas to deliver food etc. Also make sure all cars junked have their fluids removed, this isn't the case now.
Baltimore Consider letting out early some of those jailed for non-violent crimes if they have non-criminal friends or relatives who will house them and vouch for them. Switch to 4/10 hr days and allow telecommutes for those who
can and want to. Let kids telecommute to school if they want.
City Cut the fluff and keep the basics. PEOPLE NEED JOBS. No state employee layoffs. During difficult times people can manage without perks, some tightening to benefits, caps on salaries or raises but not losing their
jobs completely. Where are they supposed to go? There is so much wasteful spending in all areas of life..............THINK CREATIVELY
Allegany Close all state agencies the day after Thanksgiving,Christmas Eve & New Years Eve.These can be used as mandatory furlough days & give satae employees time with their families
Baltimore I am a State employee working at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I think significant savings could be achieved if Maryland adopted some of the economies practiced by other states, without severely hurting
needy families.
- Welfare Reform Legislation passed in 1996 requires all states to offer TANF funds to adults with children for a minimum of 24 months. Maryland has been most generous in offering 60 months, but because of this
severe recession, we could limit our Temporary Cash Assistance (TANF) to 36 months or 48 months.
- Maryland raises the TCA grant if the adult adds a new baby to the household. In some states, the household grant must remain at the original amount set for the family size when the head of household applied for
TANF. Adopting this policy would save funds and educate adults about economic realities faced by other working families; i.e. adults do not receive salary increases when another child is added to the family.
1. Eliminate take-home vehicles for most workers. At average annual cost of $15,000. per vehicle, removing 1000 free commute vehicles would save $15 million, not including the accident cost. Why do connected
lowest-level staff need to take home brand new 4x4 trucks - I see them at church, the liquor & grocery store, ballgames, their kids' schools etc. They speed past me with no reason to conserve fuel or carpool. It is pure
corruption for those with friends in low places.
2. Eliminate free housing for state employees (hundreds in state parks) or charge rent.
3. Eliminate per diem and mileage reimbursements - they are being abused to "pay" some employees the cost of furlough days. Furloughs only take pay from honest employees.
4. Eliminate "master" fuel cards that allow employees to steal fuel.
5. Create real whistleblower protections so state employees can report thefts without fear of retaliation. Or establish an anonymous fraud hotline.
Cecil In FY2008, $21,500,000 was contributed to the Stadium Authority by the lottery. I suggest providing a flat 5,000,00 to this cause.
I would reduce stem cell research to a flat 5,000,000.
I suggest that no state employee should have a "take-home" vehicle.
I would stop replacing state owned vehicles and equipment, on the basis of its age, rather it should only be replaced when the maintenance cost exceeds repair.
I would cut any "luxuries" provided to inmates in corrections centers, such as cable.
I suggest that any state employee that grosses over 100,00 be given a 5% salary reduction and 5 furlough days. employees who gross 75,000 to 99,999 per year be given a 3% salary reduction, and 3 furlough days.
Employees who gross between 50,000 and 74,999 be given a 2% salary reduction with 2 furlough days, anyone grossing to 49,999 to 25,000 receive a 1% salary reduction and 1 furlough day. Employees who gross
24,999 or less should be exempt. (this kind of situation needs to be done as soon as possible, to lessen the harshness of this on the employees.)
All positions critical to hiring, should be hired into contractual status until the state of the state improves.
Raise the vehicle emissions testing to an even $15, generating $1 more for each vehicle tested. Any new non-commercial licenses increase $5 from $45 to $50. With all fee increases to the general fund.
I would cut %2 of the funding from the University of Maryland.
I think that abolishing positions within the public defenders office is a good idea, I don't think its right to provide free counsel to those charged with a crime.
Consider the sale of any surplus state owned real estate.
Howard Maryland should consider enacting a bottle and can recyling program like some other states. These states charge a little extra for the beverages however the consmer gets money back via trading the bottles and cans
in. The state makes profits by promoting particular beverage companies
Over 60 People listed on Govenors staff. Cut all Salaries Over 75K by 5% and reduce #of staff by 1/3rd
Carroll If you truly want to save the state of Maryland money, I suggest scrutinizing the hiring practices and expenditures of the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC). While I am aware that funds are handled differently
in the MHCC than in most state agencies, I still believe that much state money is being wasted.
Having worked for the state for 30 years (9 at the MHCC), I was appalled at the manner in which some employees were hired there. There was no interview process for some employees. Instead, they just “appeared”
because they knew someone who worked there. Some promotions occurred this way too instead of opening the positions to everyone. People were often brought in at salaries much higher than employees who had
worked for the state for many years and who had earned their salaries the proper way, step-by-step.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There are employees who routinely do consulting work during state work time. It was not uncommon to overhear these personal conversations and wonder why this was allowed after these people had attended ethics
training. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The MHCC practically duplicates reports and papers that are being done in other state or Federal agencies. One example is CMS’s Hospital Compare and the MHCC’s Hospital Performance Evaluation Guide. To
make matters worse, the MHCC contracts out for some work when it has more than enough “bodies” to perform the duties. Many employees have little or nothing to do all day, but when they leave, their positions are
filled. For instance, I retired a few months ago and had little or nothing to do for 18 months prior to my retirement. However, the MHCC advertised for my vacant position and I understand it might be considering
promoting other individuals in that unit who have little to do. There are bottlenecks where work is held so that it can be micromanaged by a few people instead of allowing the many overpaid “bodies” to be productive.
People come and go and set their own work schedules. Several people openly admitted to me that they were not physically in the building for their required working hours. Entrance/Exit cards could easily track when
a person comes and goes, but Personnel does not do this. At least one person earns “comp” time on an almost weekly basis which is totally unnecessary in order to build vacation time.
Although thousands of dollars are spent on training each year, people are not offered an opportunity to use what they learn at the MHCC. Therefore, expenditures for classes and out-of-state travel are not warranted.
For example, software was purchased and training was provided to some people in order to perform graphic design. However, outside contractors were hired to design simple report covers that could have been done
in-house.
Chiefs are supposed to supervise in order to have offices. Some people have been chiefs for years and never supervised anyone but have offices. One person was allowed to move into an office because she was
using a breast pump, even though there were vacant areas where she could go for this purpose.
Because of its own salary-setting, employees are paid much, much more than employees in other agencies. Positions are “created” to promote certain individuals.
The MHCC pays for food and beverages at some meetings even during tough economic times. Commissioners are provided lunch at each monthly meeting even though the building is surrounded by numerous fast-
food establishments in which they could purchase lunch prior to entering the office. Retreats for directors and chiefs have been held in expensive hotels. Individuals are allowed to travel unnecessarily to various
conferences throughout the country.
Even though the MHCC only employs about 60 people, over 50 employees left the agency during the nine years I was employed. And, having known these people and heard first-hand why many of them left, I can tell
you it was not because of salaries.
The list goes on . . . discrimination, harassment, etc. However, this is not the place to discuss that.
You will probably refer this letter to the MHCC and you will be provided excuses for the above-mentioned items, but I suggest that you talk to the 50+ people who left the MHCC since about 2000.
Thank you for allowing me to voice my opinion.
Sincerely - One Happy Retiree
Allegany Don't allow the judges/state's attorneys to reduce fines. If they did the crime, they need to pay the maximum fine. Why should honest state employees have to take reductions because criminals get reductions. The
state's attorney in Allegany County is a big joke and you can get away with murder. The police try to get criminals off the streets and do the time and pay the fines and the state's attorney just lets them off.
Howard Please cut out ALL advertising dollars spent for the lottery. While the $5 million cut is admirable 'any' money spent on advertising the lottery during a recession should be directed to better use, i.e., housing, medicaid,
food stamps, etc.
Any other advertising monies being used in a similiar fashion should also be directed to better use. While I am not against advertising, with so many people hurting during these tough economic times, it is almost a
crime against humanity to spend money so wastefully.
Thank you!
Calvert Adult Education in Maryland needs your continued support. Recent estimates put investment for adult learners at $213 per learner, placing Maryland lower than its neighbor states. More adult learners need
educational services to improve their literacy and/or their English speaking skills to remain in or to join the workforce. Please maintain current funding levels for Adult Literacy through the Department of Labor,
Licensing and Regulation, so literacy programs can continue to assist learners reach their goals of continued education and meaningful employment.
Thank you for your past support, I hope you will continue to support the undereducated and underemployed adults in Maryland.
City Raise the Toll on the Bay Bridge to $3.00 or even $5.00. Its only paid one-way- so most would be crossing the bridge for $2.50- less than a gallon of gas. There should be a discount for daily users, and for
business/truckers. It makes no sense in 2009, to handle all those quarters. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is so critcal to rebuilding the infrastructure that has been left to deteriorate over the previous 8 years.
And yes- we now live in DE. Maryland high costs- taxes, etc. dictated that decision.
Gov Markell has the right idea- we mus CUT government- salaries, benefits, retirements. It's absurd that all private sector people are seeing cuts- and government keeps getting BIGGER. Over 89,000 gverments in
the US.
Consolidate- regionalize- Let's use some common sense, and creative governing!! Gov O'Malley go on record that you want MD to be the first state to regionalize its counties to cut overall government costs. Regards
xxxxxxxxxxx
(Yes , we return for our annual Preakness, Ravens/Orioles games- and of course, the great Baltimore and Maryland seafood.
Cecil Take away take home vehicles given to supervisors that work for MDTA. There is no need for them to have these when there are VRT's, police, and fire personel on duty 24/7 to respond to emergencies.
Restrict how many miles would be paid for by the state for take home use.
Stop buying big trucks for these employee's with all the bells and whistles on them just so they can commute back and forth to work.
Have an independent organization justify the need for the take home vehicles and the type of vehicle. Not the persons that are going to get the use of such vehicles.
I work for MDTA, I see money wasted every day at the shop I work out of. One huge loss is through the HVAC system in our building. In the winter the heater never shuts off, in the summer the air conditioner never
shuts off. They leave the doors open all the time because of this. It's been like this since I've been employed there. The reason I've been given, as to why it never gets fixed is this. It's under contract with a HVAC
contactor and they cannot fix it. So year after year it goes on operating like this costing,who knows how many $$$$$$$$ over and above what it would normally cost. Would anyone in their right mind run their own
house HVAC like this? I've been employed there over four years.
We also have a huge equipment building that is heated all winter, no insulation in this building and the heat runs 24/7 and for what. there is nothing in this building that could possibly justify the cost. I would suggest
another outside investigator to justify this.
I've got more ideas on cost savings but I'm out of time, Please consider the above mentioned, because this is only one government agency and building. I'm sure all others have similar problems where tons of money
can be saved.
Thanks xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore Cut funds for "open space" purchases. Cut funds for illegal aliens and for CASA of Maryland,who supports them.
Also,the Md.Aviation Agency has a lot of land fenced off on Ridge Road near the airport,why ? It should be sold.
Howard hello,
i recommend that the number of legislators in md.'s house and senate be cut by 50% . i know that we won't miss them. also i recommend all of the legislators be furloughed when the state employees are.
you could also put the state workforce on a four day workweek and close the bldgs three days in a row.
thanks,
xxx
Anne I was brought up in New Jersey, they don't have our problems because of several reasons: everyone pays a toll to drive on turnpike, parkways ie. Even a quarter adds up! If you can afford to troll a boat, you can afford
Arundel ramp fees, pay additional cost to help clean up bay waters ( your boat fuel does harm water ways) elimiate ( some state jobs) with unemployment so high what's the reason we need so many state workers? Have you
EVER waited on a state worker to help you? Good luck!People need to learn to share, work space ,computers, ie. Elimate company cars,trucks,vans, they can drive there own!! Like the mayor, she needs three??? Too
many FREE programs that people really are abusing! Hunting is coming in soon, if you can afford that recreation , you can afford to pay higer fees, landowners are making more money renting out the land ( that is an
income) so--add a fee there , the list goes on! If more people had to pay for the { free privilges Md. offers }things would slow down meaning waste. I have a ton of ideas on money saving, just look close at the { states
that are making it )?
Charles Not really a suggestion but, how can we expect to make the state better with the decreasing of positions and staff considering that increases the numbers of individuals seeking unemployment, reduces the number of
taxpayers, and increases the number of individuals who cannot pay thier mortgages? Then, the youth programs that are pushed by the state are very reactive because they require the youth to be at risk of out of home
placements as opposed to investing in proactive programs that provide children with a more solid foundation to deter them from negative behaviors in the future. We need to re-think how things are done and look at
the long term effects as opposed to the short term fixes that are being used to put out the proverbial "economic fires" of present.
Worchester #1. Consolidate agencies to identify redundancies, reduce overhead and create a more effective and efficient government structure. An example is the number of police agencies. Why so many seperate agencies with
so many of the same law enforcement responsibilities?
2. Remove double dipping employees (hired back) before removing career employees not eligible for retirement. I know of one agency that moved career employees out who were paid at a lower wage to more friends
who had retired back into those positions at a higher wage. 1 million in savings at one agency.
3. Stop promotions and upgrades creating a savings short and long term by causing the agencies to update their organizational charts and prepare for the future with fewer people and a streamlined organization..
4. Look at this as a long term problem and create responses designed to truely make the state more effective then more efficient. A department by department review and reengineering must be a part of the long term
solution.
5. Technology to create efficiency. Why so much paper? Paper equates to positions. Positions equate to more positions and more overhead.
6. Hold our leaders accountable. You raised their salaries early on in an effort to recruit and retain -OK. Well as a taxpayer, I haven't seen anything from any of them that was worth that salary. They may be great
people but not one of them has proven to be worth the salary. Ruduce their salaries, get more out of them or get new people.Priceless.
7. Stop with the low hanging fruit and start with real corrections for the future. Redesign, reorganize and reengineer everything. Get a Jack Welch (GE) kind of guy to do what you said you would do at the beginning of
your admistration - look at everything.
Montgomery Being a volunteer tutor who teaches adults to read and write English, I implore that we maintain at least level funding for adult education in this FY budget. Those funds are critical if organizations (like the one I
volunteer at) are to vigorously pursue this important work that effects families and their ability to thrive in this economy. Thank you.
Worchester The Administration can not cut any more money from the LMB Budget. In fact, I call upon the governor to restore fund to the administrative protion that was cut.
Montgomery Please stop cutting vital services to young children, which are needed for them to grow. Every cut represents a lost opportunity for some challenged young children to thrive, a loss that will cost governments much
more to remedy later. In particular, please keep the Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund and MSDE's contracts for family support and child care resource and referral services exempt from future cuts.
City Close the State Offices down from December 24, 2009 - January 3, 2010. These will be furlough days for all state employees. Salary reductions will be spread from October 2009 to the end of the fiscal year June 2010.
The amount of the reduction is base on the daily pay of each employees divided by total number of pay periods until June 2010.
Ex: Base Salary 36,280.00 Daily pay 17.39 x 8 Hours = $139.12 per day total 8 days = $1,112.96 est 2,000 employees at the pay base . Reduction per pay period (20 pp left until June 2010) salary per pay reduction
about $56.00 each employee at the 36,280.00 pay base. With a comment of no lay off during the 2010 fiscal year.
Baltimore To whom it may concern,
I would like to direct your attention to a certain population in this state who like clock work file for unemployment, and then collect it each time. I am talking about school bus drivers. Each summer on the last day of
school they file, and collect. Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, Spring break, if they have 3 snow days in a row, they file, file, and file; and collect, collect, and collect. Look at the unemployment history and do a
study. Take every school bus driver in the state, see how often they file, and how often they collect. See what jobs they apply for as unemployment requires this, and what jobs they actually get if any. It is very
upsetting that these individuals have a 10 month job but get paid 12 months out of the year. I am sure it does not add up to much, at least I am hoping it does not, but it may be worth investigating. I am not even sure
if anything regarding unemployment could be done at the state level but I feel it is an abuse of the system. Yes they are not working but they knew they would not be. They can tell you the last day of work as soon as
they start. Perhaps instead of paying them for going and looking for jobs, make them do things around the state that we may otherwise have to cut back on. They can walk around picking up trash, just make them do
something. Please consider a review of school employees and the use of unemployment. I thank you for your consideration.
City If every state employee depending on public transportation would pay, that would put money back into the budget.
Montgomery As a xxxxxxxxxxxx mother of a son xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, I urge -
+ Maintain DDA finding for transitioning youth so that these young people will not be on the waiting list until their parents are 91
+ Provide COLA for DDA funding of community services to prevent deterioration of existing services.
+ And - consider making Maryland taxation more progressive!
Dorchester Having worked in restaurants including places the mayor of baltimore once played as an artist, and 30 years experience as a teacher....DO NOT CUT ANY EDUCATION MONEY PLEASE
because we cannot afford to allow our children, young or old, to be on the streets!!!!!!!!!!!What other options are we giving our young adults if they cannot work; they should be enrolled in GED prep or certification
programs. adult ed please save our kids do not cut
Anne 1. I am a public school teacher and I feel there should be more furlough by public employees, including me, and including administrative state employees.
Arundel
2. Make using a cell phone when driving a law and give tickets for it.
3. Tax foods and drinks that are unhealthy.
In this country no one wants to give anything up. It's sad.
Baltimore People are always throwing items in land fills that are still usable. What if an area was designated like a tent, to drop off the items and I would think you could get volunteers to price and sell the items and the money
went back to the state. If not sold in x amount of time then off to the landfill
Baltimore Why are the teachers in our pension system? If they want to be it then they should have a pension like the one state employees have, I believe, I could be wrong, that their pension system is better.
City Dear Mr. O'Malley:
One suggestion for reducing expenditures to address budget deficits in Maryland is to cancel the 2010 General Assembly session. All expenditures related to that annual occurence would be cut, including salaries and
benefits for all legislators. Another benefit of that decision would be that no new laws would be enacted for a year, which in itself would greatly benefit all citizens in Maryland.
Another suggestion is to undo the massive tax increases you and the General Assembly inflicted on Maryland's citizens in November, 2007. That measure has once again proven that raising taxes as you did
stagnates an economy (as evidenced by the reduced revenues into the state treasury). Economic history has repeatedly shown that tax cuts, with corresponding spending cuts, are the real stimulus to regenerate an
economy.
I will take exception to one item in the second paragraph of your letter. You speak of protecting our most vulnerable families and yet the laws of Maryland condone the destruction of our most vulnerable of all, unborn
children.
This recession can be a good time for all of us, yourself included, to reflect on fiscal responsibility. It should also allow further reflection on what our real priorities are.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anne Encourage University System of Maryland to form a consortium to negotiate lower fees paid to distance learning vendors. Right now, each campus pays its own Blackboard fees, which can exceed $100k/year for a
Arundel small campus. If we bargained as a group, we could save $$ and get better software/services.
I also respectfully suggest that USM strongly encourage campuses to offer a certain percentage of courses online. This saves on building, maintenance and utilities expenses while also reaching students who may be
reluctant to commute to campus due to fuel expenses. Additionally, if we encouraged telecommuting, especially during the summer, we could potentially save $$ and improve staff morale.
Another suggestion: Although there is a hiring freeze, we are spending unnecessary $$ on consultants to fill vacant slots.
Allegany As a State employee who has been affected by the furloughs this past spring and who is worried about further furloughs and layoffs in the future, I wanted to know why the State has not looked more seriously at the
possibility of some agencies going to a four day work week. I know that this may not be feasible for all agencies, but for the ones that can do this you can avoid furloughs/layoffs and impacts to employee salaries by
going to four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days. Cost savings, rather than being in the form of one or two days' salary for employees already struggling financially, would instead be ongoing in the form of
reduced overhead for infrastructure and utilities. Instead of being a one-time shot-in-the-arm for the State budget, this would be ongoing, year-round, year after year with continuing benefit to the budget. Again, I know
this would not be feasible for all agencies, but I am sure there are many agencies which could adjust their schedules to accommodate a four-day work week.
Cecil 1) Review the listings of State employees who do not meet standards on their performance evaluations and lay them off.
2) Offer early retirement incentives for State employees.

Cecil 1) Review the listings of State employees who do not meet standards on their performance evaluations and lay them off.
2) Offer early retirement incentives for State employees.

Allegany I've already submitted a suggestion, but there is one more that has been bothering me. I have a neighbor that drives a state vehicle. I realize that her job allows this, but I do not feel that non essential people should
be allowed to take their vehicles home. She should have to park it at a specific location and get the vehicle everyday. I do not get a company vehicle to bring home every night and save on gas money. This is
probably 20 + miles a day. I'm sure there are thousands of state workers who do this. She has a job where she has to drive down state for meetings. THat is different than taking her car home every night. That is a
huge waste.
Howard Cut all consultants from state employment. We spend way too much on overhead and profit for these private companies to supply an employee to fill the job of a state worker. Hiring a state employee costs less per
year, usually at a cost of $40,000 per head. Laying off another state employee means another family becoming homeless and on public support. One more thing, why do we have soo many green card and visa
employees working for the state? It's not fair to hard working US born citizens or naturalized citizens who take the time and energy to become US citizens.
City The best way to do things, and pull us out of the recession faster is simple: hire more people. With more money going into citizen's pockets, more of that money will be spent. More money spent equals more small
buisnesses wanting to hire. With this solution in place, a formerly viscious circle has been reversed. Show the rest of the country how to end the recession, and your way to President may be paved.
Allegany I work for the Maryland State Police- and our car situation is dangerous. Anytime an MSP vehicle is wrecked and the other insurance company pays out, that money should go directly back to MSP to replace that
vehicle, and not into the general fund like they are doing now! These cars are NOT being replaced and the cars are averaging almost TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES apiece! These are PATROL VEHICLES.
Second, printing and paper costs (while comparatively small) could be reduced a good deal by having our numerous THICK "manual revisions" put online with our Power DMS instead of printing out the inch thick
pile times 1600 Troopers. Then they could be accessed by the internet anywhere and be completely up to date. The fact is, the troops aren't taking the time (an hour or 2 every month or so) to sort out these manual
revisions and place them in their manuals.
Additionally, time and manpower could easily be saved by doing our timesheets online (like our stats, etc) instead of doing them manually by pencils and Scantron (!). I thought I would submit these here since
nothing seems to change in reference to these problems when brought up here. Thank you, Anonymous.
Baltimore Light Rail revenue: charge state employees to ride, even if at a reduced rate. Keep fare machines working.
Baltimore Dear Governor O'Maley,
I am writing to encourage you to maintain level funding for adult education in Maryland. I am an adult education instsructor in the city of Baltimore, and I feel adult education is key in improving daily living and job
opportunities for the citizens of Maryland.
Thank you for your past support of adult education. Please continue to support state funding of these crucial services.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
xxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore dear governor,i want you to understabd i would not be suggesting these changes if we were not in trouble. 1) all of our elected officials need to take a LARGE pay cut, you can't ask us to cut back when the officials
don't or won't. 2) take away the perks that officials get, cars, gas. food. expensive dinners, trips, i could go on but i think you get it. plus none of you need these perks, we live without them. 3) give the state employees
a break, everyone tries to solve there money woes on the backs of these people. after all a few years ago schafer made them work 40 hour weeks and only paid them for 37.5, that means they are giving you 6 1/2
weeks a year for free. i see them hurting but not" THE DONALD ." this is all greed, i have never paid a bill late and i don't over spend, i lived within my means, i have a husband. three children, plus we had three dogs
and did this on army pay.. if you need my help let me know... until then, the above is what i suggest.. thank you, xxxxxxxxx
Allegany Combine all of the "Deputy Commissioners" currently employed by DPSCS at Headquarters. Job Creep has added several "Deputy" Commissioners when COMAR only calls for 1 Assistant Commissioner. The
DPSCS budget has ballooned because of this name change. Eliminate the deputies and their staff.
select your Streamline the DPSCS budget by eliminating 33% of the "Case Management" positions at state headquarters. Job creep has signficantly increased case management positions at headquarters over the past 5 years.
county Staffing analysis via efficiency studies should reveal the fat in this area.
Allegany Levy a "right to work" tax on non residents who work in the state. MD tax revenue is lost to neighbouring states [PA, WV, VA, DL] by refunding state income tax so non residents can pay it to their state of residence. A
6% right to work tax will recoup tax money lost through this loop hole.
Carroll 1. cut services to those in this State and ultimately this Country illegally.
Montgomery "I want the state resources from the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund to continue to support our most vulnerable children and families in Montgomery County. We need the your leadership to protect these
resources and prevent additional cuts to this fund - it has been cut enough!"
Adult education in Maryland urgently needs your continued support. Our adult learners – the working poor of Maryland – are already struggling to make ends meet. I strongly urge you to maintain level funding for adult
literacy and English services through the Department of Labor, Licensing and
Regulation.
Too many Marylanders are still without high school diplomas, have inadequate job skills, or cannot speak English fluently enough to realize their full potential. Adult educators in Maryland have a consistent record of
success, but demand for
our services continues to outpace available resources. (Only 5% of those in need are currently being served through approved state grantee and correctional education programs. Maryland remains at the lower end of
neighboring east coast states’ average spending per pupil; recent estimates have investment at only $213 per adult learner. Yet the professionals in the field of adult education have made
Maryland one of the most successful systems in the country.
Thank you, Governor O’Malley, for your past protection of our efforts. You have been a champion of adult education, and we appreciate the consideration you have given our learners in recent years. MAACCE realizes
that there remain difficult decisions ahead, yet we are hopeful. Maryland cannot afford to move backwards in state funding to provide crucial educational services that promote employment and help adults compete in
today’s economy.
Regards,
xx
Washington * Move DOC HQ out of the Mall and into buildings already owned in Sykesville, MD
* All Correctional Officers not working directly in an Institution should work and 8hr 30 min or 9hr day since they are already outside of institution for lunch. Lunches paid for and provided ONLY in the institution.
Howard *Stop using herbicides at public buildings, the governor's mansion, along highways, etc. They are known poisons which leech into the water supply. Weeds are the healthier and cheaper option.
*Decriminalize (or legalize) and tax marijuana.
*Plant orchards and vegetable gardens, and give the produce to schools, food pantries, soup kitchens, etc.
*Have hybrid cars for the state. (Howard County does this.)
*Eliminate paper mailings whenever possible. Give people the option to receive car regregistration notices completely by email/online. Ditto for state taxes.
*Whatever you do, do NOT raise Maryland state income taxes further. They are already high enough, and I will consider moving out of state if they are raised higher. Look how high they are in California, and it's not
doing much good.
*Don't pay for highway cleanup. Have volunteers and inmates do this.
*Have programs in prisons where inmates raise guide- and therapy dogs. Successfully done in many states. It reduces prison violence.
*Have solar panels on public buildings and rest stops, not the governor's mansion + bibbs insulation. Will significantly cut down on electric bills. BTW, I was at a solar-powered rest stop in Utah.
*Have windmill farms in the state. (More energy + business + tax revenues.)
Baltimore I catch the Baltimore Metro and the escalators are constantly being worked on. I cannot imagine why there is ALWAYS something wrong with the escalators and I know if the contractors were getting paid through a
private organization, they would be fired for bad workmanship. I even overheard one of the contractors saying that they get paid by the hour so he told the other contractor to slow down on the work. Therefore, I
suggest getting a contractor that is more concerned with actually doing a great job and/or writing a fixed contract instead of one where the workers are paid by the hour (eg. profit would be cut if the work is shabby).
Thank you.
Baltimore CUT ALL SERVICES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. ILLEGL IMMIGRANTS ARE FLOCKING TO OUR STATE BECAUSE OTHER STATES HAVE PUT A STOP TO THEIR FREEBIES. WHY IS MARYLAND MAKING
ITS TAXPAYERS SUPPORT THEM WHEN CLEARLY OTHERS WON'T?
select your Increase tobacco tax and tax or increase taxes on liquor. Increase taxes on establishments such as bars that invite crime to help defray the costs of police time and resources that are called to these locations as
county opposed to places that don't invite crime such as non-adult bookstores.
Harford Some of these ideas will save more than other but all will make a statement
1) Reduce the size of the Governor’s, Lt. Governor’s and First Lady’s personal staff by one third. Hopefully the Legislative Leaders will then follow suit.
2) Eliminate the use of State Trooper from transporting any elected official. If they need a driver so that they can work while riding in a car, one of there remaining staff members can perform these duties. Put the
troopers on the street protecting everyone and allowing the State Police to fill fewer vacancies.
3) Eliminate Comp-Time for all State positions. This would require management to better prioritize what must be done, and also prevent individuals being on the State payroll long after they have stopped producing.
We both know that certain higher better connect individuals have been able to amass large amounts of Comp-Time and use it long after they should have been removed from State service.
4) Require the Local governments not only to share equally in the retirement and pension costs of teacher but to share equally in the only to the Statewide average in salaries. If a Local government chooses to pay its
teachers more than the Statewide average, the Local government picks up the entire cost of the excess over the average.
5) All General Funds within the Department of Health and Mental not needed for federal match and awarded to eth Local Health Departments should be placed in the Core Public Health Formula. While this would give
the local more flexibility as they would determine the health needs in their jurisdiction, it would also require the locals to match more State funds placing more dollars into health.
6) Reduce the food package provided to inmates in State prison. If Neutra Systems can fed someone for $11 a day the State should be able to do it for far less.
7) Provide only the necessary minimal medical care to inmates that would reduce the spread of disease and eliminate unnecessary pain. Other medical care would be at the inmate’s and inmate’s family expense.
8) Reduce State penitentiaries to penal institutions. Individuals are sentenced to prison for punishment. Rehabilitation should be available to those who served only after they have served their sentence and then they
can actually help support their rehabilitation
9) Require the State dollars only be allowed to be used to print State documents or documents used by State agencies in English.
10) The only State services that should be provided to undocumented residents (they are here illegally) is plane fair to their native homeland. When discovered by any State agency, the State police should be
contacted and they should be arrested. Upon release from jail they should be taken to BWI and sent home. This may generate an expense but it’s a one time only expense.
Increase tobacco tax and tax or increase taxes on liquor. Increase taxes on establishments such as bars that invite crime to help defray the costs of police time and resources that are called to these locations as
opposed to places that don't invite crime such as non-adult bookstores.
Write into law about putting a cap or limit on the amount people are awarded in property acquisition cases during negotiations. Perhaps the cap should be 20% over the appraoised value. Exceptions would be special
circumstances such as life estates or owners with reverse mortgages.
Baltimore To: Governor of Maryland
xxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: August 7, 2009
Re: Budget Shortfalls Facing Maryland
I would like to take this time to thank the Governor’s Office for the opportunity to share my voice in addressing the crisis that is affecting not only Maryland but the country. Soliciting public comments on cost saving
methods associated with State agencies is commendable, as many individuals of all status have innovative ideas that can be valuable to decrease the financial burden that state government should not bear alone.
I must briefly iterate that the estimated cost to place a youth for in-state and out-of-state placements range from $75,000 to $250,000 per year. Unfortunately, many youth spend years in the juvenile system, to include
community-based services, at the expense of the state. If parent/s has to pay child support to one parent or guardian, why isn’t parent/s paying child support to the Department of Juvenile Services, especially when a
child is in Department’s custody and care? With this being said, I recommend the following:
• A special department be implemented
• Parent/Guardian salaries be garnished for child support while the youth in the custody and care of the Department of Juvenile Services
• Families receiving public assistance, from a state agency, percentage of funds should be diverted to the Department of Juvenile Services if the child is in the custody and care of the Department of Juvenile Services.
Rationale: Youths who have violated the law are detained for the following reasons: (1) a danger to themselves or (2) a threat to public safety. However, the Department of Juvenile Services is used to many reasons:
• A youth is granted release by the court but parent/s refuses to accept child. If a parent refuses to take his or her child’s status is now a CINA (a child in need of assistance). At this point, DSS should become
immediately involved prior to parties leaving the court room. Instead, DJS detained and/or place the youth bearing total financial cost.
• A youth is dual-committed to DJS and DSS, DSS is the lead agency. DSS leave youth detained for various reasons: they know where the child is or they do not have anywhere to place the child.
• Protective Custody
I hope you find my ideas helpful and I welcome further collaboration should you choose to act on this suggestion. I can be reached at xxxxxxxxxxxx. Thanks again for welcoming public opinion and support.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anne As a current State government employee of over 2 years, I have noticed an astronomical amount of discarded paper around the offices in which I have worked. In cooperation with community services for clients and
Arundel local management boards, etc., I believe excess paper is produced, and in many cases wasted. I also feel it often contributes to bulky, inefficient filing of documents.
Perhaps if State government offices switched to utilize an electronic filing system (scanning of original documents into electronic document format) for paperwork which is often copied, faxed, or mailed, then a more
cost effective and efficient filing method could be implemented. State workers in my field have access to PCs and internet based services (including e-mail) which are capable of Windows/PC and internet based filing.
Furthermore, to save paper waste, documents would be able to be e-mailed instead of copied, faxed, or mailed. When a document must be produced on paper, one could print and use the document as needed. A
hard copy/paper file can be kept for original and/or signed documents.
In my mind, this would contribute to a more efficient filing method and will save the cost of excess paper supply and also contribute to a cleaner environment.
Thanks!
Baltimore There have been serious budget cuts that will impact children, youth and families greatly. Please no more cuts to the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund to support our most vulnerable children and families in
Baltimore County and Montgomery County (primary areas of my work) and the entire state of Maryland. Enough cuts have already been made--no more, please.
xxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore City and Montgomery County
Anne 1. Re-regulate energy production and distribution. Competition in basic needs such as utilities is not necessary and has only resulted in increased costs wherever such a policy has been implemented - simply look
Arundel around the country. This would not only save Marylander's money but also the State where the most significant expense increases over the last several years have been in energy.
2. Although small and minority owned business purchasing initiatives at the State level are nice from a politically correct standpoint and sometimes a legislative standpoint, are they truly the most cost effective method
of procurement? Likewise with Maryland Correctional Enterprise purchasing requirements which result in poorer quality products and higher prices - this is a failed model.
3. Put more of an emphasis on state-wide purchasing contracts. Surely a single contract with one vendor to supply the entire State government with a product or service would garner a better overall price. I realize
that this is not practical in many cases but, where it is, it should be seriously considered.
4. All construction projects should be put on hold immediately and those funds redirected to annual operating expenses until the economy improves. It seems extremely short sighted to consider laying off employees
which would contribute to a downward economic spiral when other cost cutting options are available. There are also additional operating costs associated with new buildings which would be deferred as well. I realize
this requires special fiscal and political action but I believe this would be a prudent course of action under the current economic circumstances.
5. End the antiquated design of the Maryland Lottery System which provides funding for the Stadium Authority. This should never have been done in the first place. Those revenues should revert to the general fund
and the stadiums should be fully self-supporting. State support for such ventures is irksome, at best.
6. Is it really competitive to provide such a wide range of health care choices to State employees? Suppose only one good vendor were to be chosen and the vendors knew that was going to happen? Wouldn't you
think that there would be a lot of competition to garner that huge block of customers by providing the best deal possible to the State and the employees? I certainly believe so.
7. If the rainy day fund has not been hit, now is the time.
8. Furloughs are far preferable to layoffs under any scenario. Layoffs, as stated above, only escalate the downward spiral of unemployment and economic decline.
9. Let slots be placed where ever Keno is allowed, maybe even where ever the Lottery can be played. The State would gain a lot in license fees and tax revenues. Why are we waiting? Do this now!
That's all that comes to mind right now. I hope the comments obtained through this web site (not just mine) are given serious consideration. Thanks for the opportunity.
Montgomery I urge you to reconsider the cuts proposed for the Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families. The Local Coordinating Council in Montgomery County has provided wonderful services to children and
families. If these families and children are not able to get these services, there will be so many repercussions.
Charles One thing that you can do with Medicaid, Medicare is allow for Pharmaceutical medication importation. Because with over 80 percent of our medication being manufactured overseas in countries like
India,U.K,Australia,New Zealan, and in Canada. Why shouldn't we take advantage of the the market profit that manufacturing companies have and get by making profits within these foreign markets. Why shouldn't we
have the same benefits of savings by allowing those on Medicaid,Medicare allowing them to shop the global market to purchase their medications and being able to save 20-70% real savings on their medications. If
you'd like to hear about a company that is making a difference by helping states save tremendously its a company called FullCircleRX,Inc. and their website can be viewed at http://www.fairpricemeds.com. Reference
code:FCR-101-3-01.
Baltimore Restrict the use of consultants by any state agency to expertise from other agencies or the university system. With all the expertise in the various agencies it should be possible to find help without paying outside
consultants.
Caroline There are so many important programs throughout the state that have lost funding in these budget times. But none of them are as important as the ones that protect and impact lives of our children and families such
as the mental health programs, family support programs, the local managment boards. All of this funding should be protected to the utmost posssible because of the effects it has.
Family Navigators and the Children's Intereragency Funds programs directly impact the lives of our citizens, the funds that are put into the prevention and treatment programs save us so much in the long run, not only
economically, but in pain and suffering. Please put these programs at the top of your list to protect and DON"T CUT THEM!!!
Baltimore I would like to suggest, as an MSDE employee in xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, that there be a charge for licenses issued for the operation of child care home and centers. Perhaps this additional income could elminate the
need to reduce our salaries. Although, if necessary, I would readily agree to a decrease in pay in return for the 35.5 work week which was part of original terms of state employment.
Anne Moving non-essential state employees to a 4-day, 40 hour work week. The following quote in this Scientific American article (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=four-day-workweek-energy-environment-
Arundel economics-utah) says it all:
"Local governments in particular have had their eyes on Utah over the last year; the state redefined the workday for more than 17,000 of its employees last August. For those workplaces, there's no longer a need to
turn on the lights, elevators or computers on Fridays—nor do janitors need to clean vacant buildings. Electric bills have dropped even further during the summer, thanks to less air-conditioning: Friday's midday hours
have been replaced by cooler mornings and evenings on Monday through Thursday. As of May, the state had saved $1.8 million."
Saving money, helping the environment, providing better work-life balance without a decline in services offered? Yes we can.
Thanks for letting us common folk participate. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anne I am writing on behalf of the Partnership for Children Youth and Families in Anne Arundel County. I serve on the Board as a volunteer representing the Business Community. While we all recognize the need to
Arundel conserve, over the last few months, our Partnership program (the local management board of the county) has taken budget cuts totalling 25%. One in four dollars are gone. Even now, deeper cuts are threatened. For
each dollar cut, another child is put at risk, to stall her educational and personal development, to reduce his safety in home and community, to threaten his supports locally and force relocation to an out of state
placement, or to weaken her teen support networks. These are all fragile children whom we are putting at greater risk. As funds diminish, services contract, and waiting lists grow. To wait for any child may close a key
window of opportunity to intervene and be successful. I ask you to intercede and protect the Partnership from any further cuts. Actually, I ask you to restore funds to this critical area. Thank you.
Talbot Why must the Maryland/American public continue to help poor people who have behaved irresponsibly? If they choose to have 4 and 5 children, with no father in sight, why must we provide them with a living. By
continuing to pay for their preferred lifestyle, only perpetuates it. I am a State worker and simply marvel at how we are continually asked to absorb the brundt of responsibility, through our pay concessions, forteiture of
work days/jobs just so they can receive entitlements. I was a single mom who worked two jobs to take care of my household; I had one son. That was my choice, but when times got hard, I simply got a part-time job.
It never occurred to me to ask the government for help. I am 60 now, and I am weary of paying for irresponsible people who feel they have earned the right to be taken care of by the government -- i.e., by us!! In other
words, please cut entitlement programs!!! That's a start.
Montgomery My local Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families has taken a 25 % reduction for the work it does to support afterschool programs, home-visiting services and wraparound services. Currently, there are
waiting lists for services and those waiting lists are only going to grow.
I urge you to continue to support our most vulnerable children and families and NOT to cut the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund.
Kent Instead of milling and repaving the whole roadway just do the lanes of traffic and leave the shoulders of the roadway as they are the shoulders do not get anywhere near the traffic save also on redoing the rumble strips
I'm sure this could save some money
Anne With the growing number of red light & speed camera's Maryland should recieve a higher percentage of revenue from them instead of giving the camera companies the bulk of the profits. This money should be used in
Arundel the school systems.
Worchester New National parks, like the 2 Harriet Tubman parks urged by Sen. Cardin, certainly do not fall in the NECESSARY column.
Anne Institute a pilot program to operate State government just four days a week.
Arundel
Charles 1.I would suggest that Maryland install ticket cameras at all state intersections in Maryland. Keep the ticket reasonable as this would bring in millions from lawbreakers. Cameras could likely be leased with incuring the
expense of the initial purchase.
2.Run above ground mono rails as Disney does from the remotest part of Maryland to the subway connections. We could use from the Potomac River Bridge to Camp Springs, above ground monorail system.
3. Allow all the fuel stations that were closed down to reopen as bio diesel stations that is clean for the environment and would bring in revenue to farmers as well as taxation from stations, produce jobs and cut into the
monopoly of the big oil companies.
4. Reconsider the death penalty so taxpayers do not have to pay for severe criminals. Would save approx. $70,000.00 per serious criminal.
5. Bring in Nascar Racing and other sporting events. These events are for only a weekend or two and people leave after spending mega bucks and taxes. Revise your tourism department. I will help you revise it to
make MD. money.
6. Revise rediculous restrictions on stormwater management that does not work. Contain the problems at the tributaries. This would encourage more managed growth and tax income.
Cecil To reduce the size of the state workforce, offer an incentive to all members of the employees retirement system and the employees pension system to retire. Offer could be made to all employees with 25 years or more
service in either system who retire before June 30, 2010. Offer could be 1 to 3 years of service credit or 5 to 10 percent additional service credit. This would encourge people who are eligible to retire but undecided to
make their decision. Savings would result from either leaving the positions vacant or filling them at base salary.
Montgomery Increase our taxes
No more cuts in programs for our vulnerable children. Please protect the Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund!!
postpone high dollar technology projects until times are better.
Please spell the names of the counties correctly!!! Its WORCESTER not Worchester
Anne Last year all the state emplyees had to take time off without pay. Maybe we could save a little more money if the higher up state people would take 7-9 days off this year without pay. It would only be fair.
Arundel
Wicomico I think State employees should be required to punch a time clock like we do in the private sector. Then you could monitor tardiness and absenteeism and deal with those who take advantage of the system effectively.
At my place of employment more than 7 tardies in a year or 3 unrelated sick occurrences is taken very seriously and becomes an issue for counseling and/or disciplinary action.
Talbot If it is possible to monitor the mandate for motor vehicles to be taxed that are purchased out-of-state, would it be possible to imposing a MD sales tax on large ticket items purchased in Delaware $500 or more). So
many Marylanders go to Delaware to shop!
Talbot if state employees are mandated to take furlough days shouldn't the legislators have to do the same?
Charles Start cutting the salaries of state employees that make close to or over six figures. It's always the low (Lowest paid) man/woman that take the hit. Also think about holding a special session and stop the automatic pay
raises that you and others get.I don't think lay-offs are the answer due to the fact you spend so much training people for these positions. Good luck and thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion.
Frederick * Cut from lottery advertising budget
* Abolish non-emergency vacant positions
* Reduce spending on various non productive state contracts
*Renegotiate office space leases & reduce leased space
*Reductions in Medicaid payments to those owed
*Reduce any overtime pay for state employees except emergency personnel.
Calvert Turn in 250,000 mile state vehilces within the next month, get $4,500.00 for a clunker through the government program, cash for clunkers, for a vehicle woth $500.00. The state can upgrade the state fleet of vehicles,
ie police cars. This is a huge cost savings, especially if you buy a model with a rebate. You may end up paying 15K for a 25K car.
City Close the Clifton T. Perkins State Hospital in Jessup, Md.
It is nothing but a game being played by the State of Md. that is run by nothing but State doctors who have know no means of proper diagnosis of the mentally ill. A lot of doctors have been fired from there for
wrongdoings to inmates. It is truly a joke as stated during the 1980s by WJZ-TV. The Insanity Plea in the State of Maryland should be done away with. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Close the Clifton T. Perkins State Hospital just like the State did Rosewood State
Hospital and save the taxpayers money. Nothing is being accomplished there other than employing a bunch of bullshitters who if they did work for the State, the prominent private hospitals wouldn't even employment
them. If they did, they wouldn't be working for the State.
Thank You
xx
Baltimore, Md.
Baltimore how about taking those 25,000 temporary visas away since hiring immigrants will only ensure they send all that money back to mexico and HIRE 25,000 AMERICAN WORKERS WHO ARE OUT OF A JOB AND LIVE
IN THIS STATE!!!
why not you the governor and your cabinet and ranking officials pass on your salaries for the remainer of your terms-
Montgomery I am very proud to be living in the state of Maryland and often like to brag about the resources provided by the state to the most vunerable populations with my extended family in other states. I am a clinical social
worker who works with MD students with Emotional Disturbance and learning disabilities. I have referred students and their families to wrap around services when I see a student who needs more support than the
Level V school I work in provides. These services been vital in my clients success and their families to remain together. I am concerned about the 25% reduction in the Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and
Families and am fearful this reduction will cost the state more, because there will be no other alternatives for my client's than residential treatment or jail.
I would be happy to explain more of how we see the success of students with the added support of the wrap around services provided by the state and how I feel it will save money in the long run. Thank you for
allowing MD residents and service providers this opportunity.
Howard Governor O'Malley:
I attended the Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday and heard you speak about the number of suggestions for cost savings you've received from Maryland residents thus far. Someone had suggested more
opportunities for telecommuting, and it gave me an idea.
As you know, the Board meetings are usually standing room only, and Wednesday was no exception. A number of agencies are represented at these meetings, and some send several staff members. Quite often the
this includes people at the top levels of the organizations, who are most likely paid fairly well by government standards xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Those of us in attendance often sit there for a considerable length of time just in case there are questions. I would say the vast majority of attendees are not called upon during the meeting. This doesn't even address
the time and fuel spent driving to and from their offices in Baltimore or College Park or elsewhere in the state to Annapolis. The State is paying a lot of money to have a these people sit and basically do nothing
productive for several hours (no disrespect intended). Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
1. The BPW staff and the Treasurer's and Comptroller's assistants generally review and identify those items that are questionable or confusing or maybe sensitive in nature about 10 days to 2 weeks before the
meeting. Why not contact (via e-mail) just the agencies that submit these items and tell them to attend the meeting? If you're not contacted, there's no need to go.
2. You can also consider going high tech. Televise the meetings. Install webcams on computers at each agency - especially for those who would otherwise have to travel a long distance. People can attend in person
if they want to, or attend via webcam. If I had a webcam at my desk, I could continue to work (and be billable!) but still listen to the meeting and be ready to respond if necessary. You'd see me bigger than life on the
screen (a scary thought on many levels), I'd answer your questions, and we'd save:
$ 5 (parking)
$ 20 (mileage)
$ 340 (salary+ admin costs)
Total savings = $ 365 (estimated) per meeting

Assume 10 mtgs/year = $3,650/yr
That's just for me, a lowly xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx who likely gets paid much less than a cabinet secretary or an assistant. I also don't attend the number of meetings the others do; if I attend each mtg, the savings would be
$8,000 - $10,000/yr. If 50 people do this, you save $400,000-$500,000/year. These people would also be getting work done at the same time. While it's not a huge sum of money when compared to the deficit, it's an
opportunity to reduce or eliminate unproductive staff time, which will become more important if staffing levels have to be further reduced.
Thank you for this opportunity to participate in such an important process.
City Dear Mr. O'Malley, I have been unemployed for almost 1 year now and recently I was interviewed for a position at the Maryland Unemployment office. The position was contractual and I was told during the interview "If
the Mayor calls and says that we have to lay you off if only after working for two days then the office would have to let me go. My suggestion is to maybe to create some internships for individuals that are not working
just so that they can shadow some Maryland State facilities and they would get a credit should they qualify and apply for future postions.
Anne Refilling toner cartidges in house can save Anne Arundel county schools about $100,000. Refilling printer cartridges will help save the environment and provide at least 3 jobs per county school system while still saving
Arundel about 75% compared to buying new cartridges. The print quality will remain the same but the cost will be cut. The State Police print shop may not need to closed. Using environmentally responsible cartridges will make
the government more efficent. I have a plan that I would be glad to share with the state.
Garrett I just recently retired from the school system. I am also retired from the US Navy. I can access my military retiree account statement and my 1099R Online and print it out. The State could save a lot of money if
Maryland State Retirement System could do the same. “ Shut off the Paper”
Thank You
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Howard I hate to see any cuts in the medicare program, especially with the President's push for medical coverage for all Americans. Equally, I would hate to see any cut backs in police, fire or paramedic services.
I would like to see an increase in taxes on tobacco products, alcohol, junk food and soft drinks such as Coke, Pepsi, etc.
While I am not in favor of layoffs in the state government ranks, staff furloughs scattered throughout the fiscal year would seem appropriate as well as an increase in telework. Telework may cut back on the amount of
office space needed for employees.
While I am not a big proponent of higher taxes, perhaps a personal property tax on cars would help generate revenue. Again, I don't love paying more taxes but we all must chip in to keep our essential services.
Thanks,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
City MANDATORY SALARY CUTS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR ALL BUSINESSES TO RECYCLE.
MAKE SLOTS LEGAL IN MARYLAND
Montgomery WE understand the difficulty but please make no further cuts in tthe local management councils(Montgomery's Collaboration council for Cccchildren Youth and Families. this council veryy effectivally, provides
preventive serices for at risk chldren and should not be cut further. thank you..xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
City EVERYONE WANTS QUALITY CARE FOR THE RESIDENTS IN NURSING HOMES BUT WE CONTINUALLY CUT REVENUE FROM THEM. MOST RESIDENTS IN NURSING HOMES ARE ON MEDICAID. I FEEL
REALLY SAD WHEN WE TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM THE ELDERLY WHO WORKED AND PAID STATE TAXES FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES AND THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS WE CUT FROM.
Anne as a state employee, my suggestion would be to charge the bike riders a tag and insurance fee. Since they have the use of out public roads and we have to give them the right of way, I feel that I pay for insurance and
Arundel tags (let alone gas) to use the public roads this would only be fair. Even if it is just a $50.00 tag fee. Thank you.
City DECREASE TO THE OF DPW WORKERS IT TAKES TO REPAIR THE STREETS. WHY DO THEY NEED TO HAVE 6 TO 8 PEOPLE WHEN ALL YOU SEE IS 2-3 WORKING
Baltimore Perform a comprehensive review of State government functions, with an eye toward eliminating duplication of effort by more than one agency, and eliminating redundant effort within agencies by consolidating like
functions which are currently split. Perhaps agencies such as DHR and DHMH could consolidate some programs or functions which would seem to offer the same service, but from different providers. The same with
DNR and Dept of Environment. Don't they basically do the same thing?
Talbot State of Maryland government, i.e.,County Executives, mayors, commissioners should take a cut in pay as other Marylander's have. All of us are learning to live on less.
For public safety to take a hit in cuts by shutting down fire departments in PG County and Baltimore County/City only adds to the distress of Marylander's. Public Safety needs to have the money there to keep these
departments running and fully staffed.
City Why are the state police force allowed to take cars home when other state employees have to commute to work. This appears to cost the taxpayers 3 times the operating costs because a car is needed for 3 shifts of
state police vs using one or 2 cars for the 24 hour shift. Plus the commuting costs the state police incur taking the cars home, while other state employees have to pay for their gas to arrive at work
Frederick If you are looking at renewing building leases and so forth, why don't you have more telecommuting? From what I have seen the majority of the people I work with could do what they do from home - even meetings,
using teleconferences. Look at it this way: you would save by decreasing your # of leases, the government would be more "green", thus helping the environment and global warming, you would have less sick days due
to the conveinence of work and the environment, your workforce would be much happier and healthier spending more time with their family (decreased stress, this would most likely increase volunteer times like running
state booths at the fairs, etc. You would also be able to cut back on the cost of parking permits that the state supplies, decrease damage and therefore repair on the roads. Look at the studies they have done, people
who work from home are truly more productive than others. They are not thinking that "I've done my 8 hours for the day." There mentality is much different, much more open, willing to help and offer ideas, and sit still
"comfortably" and get things done. This would also decrease what I call the "meeting mentality". Man, everybody meets about everything! But nothing comes from it, except, well, another meeting. Healthy, happy
people are much more productive!!! Thanks for listening.
Talbot Please do not make any more cuts to the state resources from the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund to continue to support our most vulnerable. Also please reconsider any further cuts to community programs in
the Public Mental Health system!
City Dear Governor O’Malley:
Adult education in Maryland needs your continued support. The Maryland Association for Adult, Community and Continuing Education (MAACCE) knows that in these trying economic times you have heard this
frequently, and that many in our state will likely have to do more with less.
Our adult learners – the working poor of Maryland – already have to do more with less, and MAACCE strongly urges you to maintain level funding for adult literacy and English services through the Department of
Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
Too many Marylanders are still without high school diplomas, have inadequate job skills, or cannot speak English fluently to realize their full potential. Adult educators in Maryland have a consistent record of success,
but demand for our services continues to outpace available resources, with only 5% of those in need through approved state grantee and correctional education programs. Maryland remains at the lower end of
neighboring east coast states’ average spending per pupil; recent estimates have investment at only $213 per adult learner. Yet the professionals in the field of adult education have made Maryland one of the most
successful systems in the country.
Recognizing that cuts must come from somewhere, we suggest examining where the majority or higher levels of federal stimulus money is being allocated, such as transportation or capital projects.
Thank you, Governor O’Malley, for your past protection of our efforts – you have been a champion of adult education, and we appreciate the consideration you have given our learners in recent years. MAACCE
realizes that there remain difficult decisions ahead, yet we remain hopeful. Clearly Maryland cannot afford to move backwards in state funding to provide crucial educational services that promote employment and help
adults compete in today’s economy.
Regards,
xxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Representing a network of professional educators from across the state of Maryland, MAACCE provides professional development and advocacy for more than 400 adult education and literacy practitioners, including
teachers, administrative staff, and volunteers.
Caroline To the Honorable Gov. O'Malley. Please Protect Maryland's Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund. We have children and families that we serve who have complex needs. We need resources to be able to put effective
interventions in place for these families. The majority of families and children that we serve have significant mental health needs. Children will be forced into much more costly out of home placements, if budget cuts
continue. Caroline County is committed to keeping children at home in their communities and we have been very successful. The LMB has been instrumental in ensuring that this happens. I strongly encourage you to
please look elsewhere in the budget to make the needed cuts, we cannot continue to sacrifice the health and well-being of our children and our communities.
Caroline
1) Enact sensible entitlement/welfare reform. Require a urinalysis test for those that apply for State aid.
2) Require those that receive State aid to perform community service when not actively looking for a job.
3) Those that have worked all their life and paid into the system should be rewarded at a higher rate than those who do not (e.g. illegal aliens) Let's make a progressive welfare system like the progressive tax system.
4) I think it is ridiculous to consider allowing State workers to work at home.
5) How about this one; don't spend more than you take in? Reduce taxes to spur the economy?
Howard Please do not cut the Children's Cabinet Intreagency Fund. If anything lets increase the funding in this area. These funds are vital to the afterschool programs, home-visiting services and wraparound services
supporting our children with complex needs. Currently, there are waiting lists for services and those waiting lists are only going to grow if we don’t act now. While academic growth is important equally important is the
social and emotional growth of these children. And without social and emotional growth we will be raising a society that will not be able to participate in the full civic and life of a participatory democracy, the same
democracy that put you in office.
Howard Dear Governor, I just happened to be watching the news the other day, when I heard you say you had been taking suggestions on how to balance the budget. I happen to be one of your employees, and I think you
should have sent a memo around to the employees, asking for ideas. You say you only want ideas till August 10. I don't even know how many people heard the idea on the news. But who better than us to tell you
where the money is really wasted? I can tell you most of us don't mind the state making cost cutting decisions like furloughs, because we expect to get pay back when the state becomes solvent again.
For my idea, I can tell you we seem to spend a fortune on office supplies because we must buy from which ever vendor won your state contract. But some of the smaller things are discounted or on sale all the time at
Office Depot or Staples, and the other vendors can't touch those prices.
Caroline Employ evidence based practices in the field of criminal justice. For example, we know from research in the state and throughout the country prove that Drug Courts cut recidivism rates 36% more effectively than our
current community supervision programs at 73% costs savings to our taxpayers. Why not bring drug court caseloads up to scale, create more drug courts and cut funding to the usual programs that prove less
successful and more costly. I expect the state bureacracies to do just the opposite, however. I expect them to cut evident based programs like drug courts but keep funding in place for the usual programs that are far
less successful.
Carroll 1) All ELECTED officials take a 1%-10% decrease in their salaries.
2) All elected officials use personal cars for work like everybody else.
3) Stop reimbursement to elected officials for meals or travel (us regular citizens don't get that luxury)
4) No more outside contracts for hires (use the employees you already have)
5) Stop wasting my money that I pay you on stuff that I can't afford myself
Allegany Governor O'Malley,
I would like to bring to your attention my feelings over the continued 'dispute' (my words) regarding the 'possible' awarding of L-3 services for the new NMSIII Network Maintenance contract for the Maryland Department
of Transportation.
It is my understanding that - at the previous Board of Public Works meeting on July 22nd - it was proposed to award this contract to L-3 when their bid exceeded the lowest bid by over $17,000,000.
At that meeting, it was decided to allow MDOT the opportunity to 'justify' this expenditure.
I ask you - as a fellow tax payer - what circumstances could possibly justify this 'luxury' when the state budget has been cut by $280 million with a proposed $420 million to follow in September.
It is my understanding that the current contractor (and lowest bidder by $17,000,000) has served MDOT for over 10 years.
It would appear to me that 'egos' are involved in this decision or perhaps 'favoritism', or worse.
These traits should not be permitted when one is tasked with the responsibility for making tough, fiscally responsible decisions – especially when one takes into consideration the state of the economy.
In the Cumberland-Times News, an article posted this morning indicates that your office is seeking recommendations from all state residents.
Well, I have one for your staff to consider:
If the incumbent (or any other contractor) can legitimately provide those services for $17,000,000 less, that contractor should be awarded the contract.
I'm just a simple man from the mountains of Western Maryland - and even I know that much.
City Reduce the cuts in positive areas such as higher education and reduce the incentives given to negative areas such as inmates. People going to college (and state employees) should not have to bare the brunt of the
recession while people who are incarcerated are sheilded from it. The message is if you do wrong you are rewarded. If you do right you are punished. That's backwards. Therefore, my suggestion is that most
incentives/luxuries be cut for the incarcerated. This will save thousands, if not millions of dollars.
Montgomery Interfaith Works, a coalition of more than 140 congregations works together to meet the needs of the low income community in Montgomery County. We urge you to sustain the Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund to
continue to support our most vulnerable children and families in Montgomery County. We need your leadership to protect these resources and prevent additional cuts to this fund-- it has been cut enough!
Thank you,
xxxxx
Cecil I wish I could offer a suggestion for a fix but what I would like to say is please do not cut DHMH or local public health any further. I am very familiar with budgets and tough decisions but Public Health is on the hot seat
and the fore front now and is trying to pull off a miracle. We need to handle seasonal flu, the flu mist initiaive and the elephant in the room H1N1. This is on top maintaining all of our other important behind the scenes
work that keeps our communities healthy! We are severly understaffed, underfunded and underpaid, but our attitude remains strong and positive. We know we can do this but anymore cuts could take away the
remaining supports to which we are clinging. Please consider this as you make your next very difficult decisions
Thank you
Anne Suggest a review be conducted on 1) grant payments made by state agencies which are not specifically identified or authorized in the state budget 2) work processes and programs performed by state agencies which
Arundel are not authorized by state law, comar regulation or federal requirements. If the process/program can not be directly attributed or is not an extension of a law, comar or federal requirement the agency must provide
justification for its continuation.
City 1. Instead of paying overtime to workers (highway maintenance, public works, etc) bring in second or even third shiftsusing people who have been layed off or to those who are seeking employment.
2. Put the red line project on the back burner and funnel the money into the very poor and failing infrastructure of the state (roads, pipelines, etc.) using the labor pool as mentioned in idea #1.
3. Quit the campaign to reactivate the mounted police patrol. This is wasted money for the sake of appearance in an economy that can not afford money spent on noncritical items that have no practicality or function
Anne Shut down the State Office Buildings between Christmas and New Years. Take the deductions out of State employees paychecks over a year.
Arundel
Washington Operation HOPE-Hiring, Operations, Public, Employees
In effort to reduce spending and preserve state jobs the State of Maryland could consider the following:
Hiring:
-utilize more contractual workers either new employees or retirees
-utilize interns as potential new hires in effort to save on training of new employees
Operations
-Invest in newer more gas efficient vehicles
-Limit use of take home state vehicles being brought home for commuting purposes. Possible exclusion MSP.
-In jurisdictions where possible create an interagency network where multiple state agencies are located in the same building or complex. This would cut down on cost of operating multiple office buildings and make it
more accessible for the public to receive services in one central location.
-Make use of vacant state owned buildings and facilities or sell to reduce operating costs.
Public
-start and maintain mandatory recycling programs through the state and offices
-Fee for use of state parks, rest areas ect
-Increase of fees across waterways
-Utilize more inmate labor
-Invest in job training for juveniles and adults in effort to ultimately cut down on the number or incarcerations
-Impose stricter limitations on Public Assistance
Employees
-Extend pay periods to 1 or 2 times per month in effort to reduce payroll expenditures
-Reduce work week hours including lunch breaks and office hours.
-Encourage and accommodate telecommuting
-Reduce letterhead, envelopes and paper
-Offer early retirement, voluntary salary decrease or voluntary layoffs
-Authorize more PINS in areas that pay high rates of OT including corrections, direct care, nursing, ect
Anne 1. Offer an incentive for early retirement.
Arundel 2. Overhauling the Medical Assistance program (MCHP also) with stricter eligibility requirements and a waiting period could same millions of dollars.
City One of my suggestions, is one that I took from the Comptroller, take a look at all the programs you have also may be you need a in house sweep on what are we spending and do we really needs them.
Thanks so much for opening this up to the public, and may god bless you and the state of maryland.
Dorchester My suggestion would be to decrease the salary of our elected officals at the State House. Then, stop giving to the "illegals". Educating our children should come first
Baltimore If not already being done, using two-sided copying in every State office and mandatory recycling of paper, plastic, glass and cans with bins on every floor of every State office building would cut costs as to the former
and in partnership with local recyclers, bring in extra revenue as to the latter. For example, in exchange for supplying the bins and picking up the recyclables, the company would be in partnership with the State for an
80/20 split. The recycling company would reap the majority of the profit but the State would get a needed source of income as well.
In order to create better energy efficiency -- and cost savings -- in state buildings, I suggest implementing a green roofs project like the one in Chicago: http://greenroofs.com/projects/pview.php?id=21, as well as the
use of passive solar building design every time normal maintenance comes up and hopefully, in retrofitting buildings and/or any new buildings that are planned: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_solar_heating.
Perhaps a project could be initiated with the local universities that would award a State prize for best retrofit or design of a new building in lieu of a monetary one; certainly for an architectural student hoping to join a
prestigious firm or go out on their own, such a prize would be a boost to their public profile and a way to use their skills to benefit their communities and State in the spirit of volunteerism that President Obama is
encouraging. The savings in heating/cooling bills and the benefits to the environment might end up being substantial.
I would also look into the use of solar panels not only on roofs but there are now solar awnings that could be used on the windows that don't face street-side -- if there is a issue as to appearance and historic
preservation -- and small wind turbines that can be affixed to a roof or put in a small courtyard of a public building: http://www.awea.org/smallwind/smsyslst.html. Using gray water for irrigation of lawns, flower beds
and -- hopefully -- green roofs is another option. Small savings add up.
I might also suggest a review of the need for and usage of cell phones for State employees such that perhaps some employees may not have an absolute need for a cell phone paid for by the State at all and certainly,
the usage plans and which carriers are given contracts with the State can be analyzed with a view to cost reductions.
Anne Purchase ALL underware for prisoners from Goodwill or Salvation Army. Cut off all cable TV to prisoners. Only feed prsioners twice a day consisting of a bologna and cheese sandwich (bread could be baked by
Arundel prisoners). This could be follwed up with a glass of water and a multi vitamin.
Cut off all funding to Casa of MAryalnd. Cut off all funding to illegal imigrants.... ie schools, helahtcare etc.....
Roll back ALL payrasies given to your executive staff.
You know, maybe if you weren't against slots before you were for slots (remember you opposed slots under the Ehrlich administration) then the casions would be up and running provideing some much needed revenue
to the state.....
This should save millions of dollars....
Calvert Have employees work a 4 day week and make it a 9 hour work day. This will cut payroll up 208 hours per employee per year. If allowed to use 2 hr. Vac. time, there will be no cost to the employee at all. They will save
on gas and traveling time.
This could be voluntary to eliminate protests.
Allegany Two ideas whose time has come.1) Use only one license plate.This would save a million dollars.2) Make route 70 a toll road, but give generous discounts to Md. residents.I am tired of paying tolls to other states when I
travel their roads and yet Md. doesn't take advantage of this for our roads.
Baltimore Dear Sir, Let me first say there should be no cuts in police, fire or medicare for seniors. Second, I've seen several elementary schools including our local Balt. Highlands receiving a new parking lot. This is not needed.
There was nothing wrong with the old one. Why is it that I have seen five highway and water dept. workers on a job, two are working while the other three are watching?
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Governor, hire me as a mole, and I will find thousands if not millions of dollars in depts. throughout the state that
are wasting our precious tax payer dollars. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. We are both searching for jobs but have not asked to state for food stamps etc. I don't even bother, we probably
wouldn't qualify. Years ago I applied and was told my car, which was given to me when my father died, was worth to much money. So I guess we were supposed to eat the car. If I mass produced children, then I would
qualify for benefits. This is another dept. that can be cut. There should be a limit to the amount of time people are allowed to collect social service money. Why would anyone want to get a job when the state is giving
them money and they have another person probably living with them that is working. There is alot of fraud in handouts. Also, I can't tell you how many children from the city are attending our county schools. They
come out of school and get on a bus to the city. Oh, that's right their father or mother (who they don't live with) is residing in the county. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The office said
they couldn't prove they weren't residents. How much money is being spent per student? Where is it going? Don't give the schools anymore. They are misusing what they have already. I would not want to be in your
shoes, but let's not hurt our seniors and our protectors. Let's also stop leaving these criminals out and have to rearrest them the next day. Get real. Do what is right for the people. Do what is right for the working middle
class. We have to pay the price for everyone. Please consider hiring me and other hard working unemployed persons to investigate all of the depts. throughout the state. If they don't know they are being investigated
they won't be able to hide it. Look at the Mayor for example. Time will tell. Thank you for your time and I thank you for wanting the our opinions. It's listening to us that will help you make the right decisions.
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In the Division of Parole and Probation there are several changes which could generate more revenue. At a Parole Hearing an inmate is asked if they have a job. In order to enhance their chances of being granted
Parole they will answer, Yes. Upon reported to the Division of P&P they are again asked about a job. They have learned to answer they don't have one; therefore, they are granted an automatic exemption from
paying the $45.00 supervision fee. As they have lied to the Parole Commission this should be cause for requesting a revocation hearing. THIS IS NOT BEING DONE. Often just the knowledge of the revocation
request will get a different answer!
There is supposed to be a $15.00 fee for urine analysis. An exemption is often requested, often for a test with a positive result! If they have the money to buy the drug; they can get the money for the fee.
In court cases resulting in Probation, a $25.00 fee is assessed. Often Agents submit a exemption request to the Court, without checking if the Probationer meets the standards for the Poverty guidelines as directed
in the Manual. ( and attaching to the request sent to the Judge)
Texas and South Caroline have programs that generate Millions every year. They have strong oversight by supervisors and management. In Maryland collections is not part of the agent evaluation process.
xxxxxxxxxxx, but would gladly help the Office of Management and Budget conduct random audits.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. However, the Empowering Act creating the Division Mandated it to
collect ALL monies as directed by the Legislative body.
Thank you for any time you may give this suggestion.
Garrett Dear Governor O'Malley,
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If the Garrett office of md cooperative extension was closed the Allegany county office has a dedeicated staff that could share responsibilities with Garrett County fine fashion. This would be a wise decision that would
save many dollars and give us better service.
Garrett Dear Governor O'Malley,
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If the Garrett office of md cooperative extension was closed the Allegany county office has a dedeicated staff that could share responsibilities with Garrett County fine fashion. This would be a wise decision that would
save many dollars and give us better service.
Baltimore Baltimore County (and any other county in MD where this applies) should be billing insurance companies for EMS and Fire services. Some counties do this already. Baltimore County has made a strictly political
decsion not to. This is worth millions of dollars to the counties. By the counties doing this, it would reduce the need for other sources of funding. My suggestion is not to go after those that cannot pay. Simply bill the
insurance companies. Due to the complexity with insurance billing, a centralized company or department should handle this. Thank you.
Frederick Why not take a hard-line look at wireless usage by State employees. Do they really use text messaging for business purposes? photos? Do they have to take the phones home? Do they really need one at all?
City Round up. By that I mean adopt a policy accross all agencies that generate any fees for services provided to either add another decimal place or round up to the next dollar. Many years ago I worked at a bank and
every quarter when dividends were paid our competitor paid pennies more than we did. I discovered that they rounded up to the next dollar. Imagine the effect of such a thing on one billion dollars. It adds up!
Especially on amortized interest! Add a decimal place or round up!

Baltimore My suggestions are as follow:
a) Eliminate mailing check stubs to employees residences.
b) Retired employees that have over 35 years of service and eliminate some of those position.
c) An employee on sick leave for over 2 years should be on disability not payroll.
Cecil Put the Maryland State Police on ten or twelve hour shifts. Some Troopers travel up to two hours each way to work. It will save fuel, maintanance on vehicles, and sick time taken. They currently work eight hours shifts
on a constant swing shift.
Allegany Since Maryland has such high utility rates, energy efficientcy is critical. We have had to make improvements at home in order to keep up with our skyrocketing gas and electic bills and our state should do the same.
State buildings need to be well insulated, thermostats need to be set at reasonable levels and equipped with timers for non-business hours. Check the temperature settings on hot water tanks - 120 degrees should be
fine. Turn hot water heaters off when not in use. Limit employee electric use as well - sure you can charge your cell phone while at work, but does every person need a mini frig and microwave? Public schools and
colleges should be required to take these same measures in order to receive funding. And one last thought - turn off all those computers and monitors when they are not in use.
Cecil Close State goverment TOTALLY for one day each month. No contractual workers would also be allowed to work on this day. This takes stste vehicles off-line, buildings are closed down, services are taken off-line for
the day. Additionally to legistative and court personnel would be allowed to work on these days. Miniumal police and fire services. State parks and the such would also be closed.
City I would like to encourage you not to cut aid to Medical Assistance patients. Not all physicians are even willing to see these patients because reimbursement is so low. I take care of these patients as a way to service
the community, but I am concerned that if they lose their coverage and become uninsured that they will not get the surgical services they need.
Thank you for your consideration
Baltimore stop funding mpt stop money for casa and other charities let people that want it pay cut welfare payment and other social programs cut medical except for american children
to raise money tax pa that come to md to work but not live here that should raise most of the money or cut md,s unimplyments rate that raise more money eather way
Baltimore Several staff on my job have made suggestions that I thought would help:
1. Take all state workers Personal Days at the beginning of the year.
2. All state employees including nurses and direct care staff should give a furlough day a month.
select your lean management is needed in depatments and retirement opitons for workers that can.
county
Montgomery Maybe if you had not been like a cheap pair of "flip flops" and stuck to your original campaign promises of not building the ICC and No Slots you might not be in such a financial bind. Rent out the Gov's house in
Annapolis, stop drawing a salary and STOP THE ICC might help.
You will not get my vote if you decide to run again.
Carroll Inventory all state owned buildings that are not being used. Then move agencies that pay rent to be located in buildings that are not state owned into the rent-free state owned buildings. Then after all agencies are
moved back into state owned buildings thereby saving the rent, take all the remaining properties and either rent them out or sell them. Take all state-owned vacant land that is unused and sell it.
Carroll I believe that anyone receiving welfare, disability, unemployment or any other means of state funding should have to pass random drug test to receive the monthly payout. As an emergency room registered nurse we
see a surge in drug and alcohol use during the first week of the month because this is when they receive the monthly check. I am a hard working citizen that pays taxes and I am like other Maryland residents that
never really get a break. But the people that receive state funded services are using and abusing the system. I think we could eliminate a good portion of wasted money by doing the random drug screens to ensure
the money that is put out goes to the truly needed population. I hate going to work seeing my wasted tax dollars at work.
Baltimore 1.Until Maryland is more fiscally sound, suspend the subway expansion indefinitely.
2. If State employees have to take furloughs, then all State employess (Governor, Governor's staff, legislature, etc.) should be included.
3. If the law enforcement community (including correctional officers) is exempt from furloughs, then all law enforcement employees (including parole & probation agents) should be exempt.
4. Layoff high level managers in State agencies and/or institutions of higher learning (ex. Balto. City Com. College has too many deans, coordinators, asst. deans, and program managers).
5. All of the employees in the Correctional Officer series should not be exempt from furlough days (ex. correctional officer dietary (a cook!) should not be exempt when parole & probation agents who supervise sex
offenders, parolees, mandatory releasee's, probationers are not exempt.
6. Raise the tax on cigarettes.
7. If State employees have to take furloughs again, shut down State agencies (like on a holiday) once per month on a Friday or Monday.
8. Mandate the use of only State vehicles thereby cutting travel expense reimbursement.
9. Have all high level managers (in all State agencies) turn in their Blackberry Cell Phones or do not renew the contract when it expires.
10. When a person applies for benefits (AFDC) through DSS, he or she should be required to take a drug test before any monies and/or food stamps are disbursed. If there is a positive test, no benefits (except those
people legally taking prescription medication) should be awarded.
Montgomery OK. Suppose that we had a "Do Not Mail" program similar to the spectacularly popular "Do Not Call" program. Think of the savings in the re-cycling cost. I estimated hundreds of pounds a year in junk mail I never want
to see. In addition to saving money you are going to make people happy. If you do not want it, click here becomes a requirement on circulars. I know the mail circular industry will scream but when "Do Not Call" was
proposed telemarketers forecast a dooms day (never happened).
select your A model used in other states was to go to a 4 day work week with 10 hour days for all state employees. Closing all state facilities one day a week would result in significant savings across the state from not only utilities
county but would prevent the need for furloughs, and abolishing positions. In addition some type of retirement package would be good initiative to encourage employees with 25+ years to retire and perhaps not replacing them
depending on their roles....just a thought!
Baltimore Create a 4 day 32-40 hour workweek schedules and close non-critical state offices on "Fridays".
Add auto lights off features on office space areas that will save on electric bills.
Review the costs of "state" owned car expenses vs mileage reimbursement, for a savings on auto purchase and maintenance
expenses.
As a former State employee and a current City employee, I can firmly suggest that you give State employees the OPTION of taking days off without pay. How many and when could be up to each agency, as duties
permit. There are so many older--and younger--workers who would love nothing more than to spend another week with the grandchildren, or simply have a little more time to themselves. A day at a time, a week at a
time, would not negatively impact State operations (except in critial positions such as fire or police) and even those positions would probably benefit from a day off here and there, when possible. I think many times that
I would LOVE to have three or four more days off, especially with the stress of things, and that would be such a perfect WIN-WIN situation for everyone. Salaries are, of course, the greatest part of the State's budget.
Why not let workers HELP you manage this crisis. We all understand.
Baltimore How about not wasting tax payers money by transporting career criminals in out of jail for parental rights. When parents are in jail and have been in and out of jail since the eighties. Have about 13 kids amoungst
themselves and 20 years later having their rights be more than the interest of the child and the foster parent who is doing right by the law, the child and society. Why are we entertaining this foolishness.
Anne I have a suggestion on how to save thousands of dollars Put the people on welfare to work on some of the projects that need help. Think for a minute, you are paying them to stay home get paid to stay there and they
Arundel are not contributing one cent ot the economy but, they complain about not having anything. I am a senior citizen and I would like to get my utilities paid, free food and a nice allowance for free. I pay taxes, have been
working since I was 15 and pay at hte end of the year, i also own a house in a very bad area, brooklyn park. If some of the people on welfare had to get out of the bed and clean up the area they live in, help the eldery,
work at hospitals and parks for the money they recieve from the government, how much money would you save? Some could do daycare for he ones that have small children. This might get a lot of them off the free
service. Also, you should be able to check out homes that are getting this money to see how many are living ther and if the money is being used for what it is intended. Welfare was to be a stepping stone not a job and
the taxpayers have to pay for this service.
Cecil Stop wasting money with the conservation fund (TCF) they do not treat the permanent residence fair with the tax payers money. Case in point the walnut farm in cecil co. They cater to a part time resident, I paid taxes
in cecil co over 65 years, and this is almost a 3 year battle with them and should be investgated.
City Most State Employees just finished with furlough days since last year. I would suggest that one furlough per pay period for all State Employees positions from Grade 11 up. This should include all State Agencies and
Departments, colleges, hospitals, and public safety. The furlough should continue until the next fiscal year, no increments, cost of living, or salary steps. In addition, the two pay periods when employees are not paying
for medical insurance, forego the non-payment for employees. The cost employees would pay, should show a marginal increase in revenue. Another area to review is outsourcing, privatizing, does the State really save
money in those areas. Require agencies and departments to review each operation for duplication. Review agencies and departments that may subject to federal incentives and develop plans and quality assurances
that will generate monetary incentives that can be put in the Maryland Budget. Require other jurisdictions to consider similar actions. It is crtitical that every line of the budget is thoroughly reviewed and every person in
the state must be a participant because the budget affects every employee, businesses and community. It is said "it takes a village to raise a child", well it's going to take everyone in the village to sacrifice and help to
get a budget that prevent lay-offs and still meet the needs of the people and the state.
Baltimore As an employee of the State I would like to plead for no State employee layoffs. Some suggestions that I have are, freeze reclassifications and pay upgrades, freeze tuition reimbursement and outside vendor training
for not critical areas, use furlough and salary reduction as means of temporary layoffs, and restructure contracts with vendors that had increased prices in 2007 and 2008 due to high fuel costs, which led to higher
supply and delivery costs.
Please do not layoff State workers.

Anne Many of the State Police cars have over 200,000 miles. Trade them In under Cash For Clunkers and Buy smaller cars that get better gas mileage.
Arundel
Anne I would like to start of by thanking you for this opportunity for me to share my views. My thoughts are to review people who have been on social services for an extended amount of time, and put limits and set goals for
Arundel how long people can stay on public assistance programs. Drug test these people, If they not willing to be tested, they wont be able to get a job. If they come up dirty, cut the amount they received, and shorten the time
they are allowed to receive assistance. Put people who received assistance to work for the services to continue to the services by volunteering in the communities, such as volunteering for neighborhood
beautification, filing or office support for non profit organizations or youth groups, or help out with the elderly, cleaning state buildings, helping out at schools are just to name a few. This will allow them to learn a trade,
have recent work experience on a resume or on a job application and help give them self worth and pride, while they continue to to receive state assistance. I am aware of a few people with job training who I still
consider "professional welfare queens" and that is just sad, they are capable of volunteering in the community and to work as nursing assistant, and a hair dresser, but choose not to, while the rest of us are supporting
them, and there "habits" it is very frustrating, when the people who do have jobs right now, and paying outrageous taxes, are very thankful but the thought of supporting these people is very upsetting. One went to
school to be a nursing assistant, and the other is a licensed hair dresser and she spends her summers in the Florida Keys at her sisters home while receiving assistance from the State of Maryland, while myself and
other people in the state continue to work 40 hrs a week with out a vacation, and pay taxes so she can spend her summers in Florida.
People receiving assistance, need to have plans in place when they receive services, what they are going to do when they stop. Just like working people who get laid off, and have to depend on unemployment, it
comes to an end after a while. People receiving assistance, should not have unnecessary expenses such as cable, and high speed Internet, that is just ridiculous, they are expensive luxuries, and have been receiving
a free pass for years. This has got to stop! The people who have been laid off and lost jobs due to the recession, are the ones who really need the break right now. I thank the lord every day that I still have a job, and
the thought of supporting people who sit home and watch cable all day, and get food stamps and play online all day, while supporting "habits" is just horrible.
Also, review people who are getting assistance, and not getting child support, and enforce child support, to be paid in a timely manor, or put these dead beat Parents, Moms and Dads, to work by volunteering or
community service, so the custodial parents can continue to received assistance. The state truly needs to restructure these programs. My youngest child just turned 21, and my ex husband still owes over $10,000 back
child support, the state of MD should have never allowed this to happen!! by the time my youngest child turned 21, my ex husband should not have owed me anything, if I would have received child support when it was
ordered, it would have changed my children's life style considerably.
Changes in these areas would benefit the state significantly.

Thank you for taking time out to read my views and opinions.
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City I E-MAILED YOU THE TODAY BUT I WANTED TOO SAY SOMETHING ELSE,(ABOUT THE BUDGET),THIS IS ABOUT THE FAT-CATS, THEY NEED TOO BE CHECKED OUT FROM DAY-ONE,THEN YOU WILL
FIND WHERE THE MONEY IS.(EXAMPLE)IF THE FAT-CATS AT THE TOP,MADE TEN GRAND A YEAR,AND TEN YEARS LATER,HAVE MILLIONS IN THE BANK TODAY,CHECK TO SEE IF HE DID ANY
INVESTING AND GO FROM THERE. YOU JUST MIGHT FIND THE CITY AND THE STATE MONEY.
select your spend to much money when the deneral assembly is in session is it really all necessary you make enough money feed your own self. same goes for thr the public commission did they take a cut in pay no they got a
county huge huge pay raise couple of years go what did your normal state employees get 2% and furloughs last year doesnt seem fair the less paid loses out when the very most paid doesnt
select your Take back the gigantic pay raises to your hire employees that you gave when you came into office,
county Stop buying property with state money that you are not benifting from No tax money if the state owns property.
Did you take furlough days like the rest of the nder paid state employees.
Cut out your state paid lunches, cut your out your police force using their state vehicles for personal use Police cant respond if their family is in the car see how much money you can save when you dont have to furnish
fuel for police to do their family chores in state owned vehicles. stop putting the state as a business we are not the state dont need to own hotels etc... Money you could save and the good lower paid state employees
could have a decent pay raise upper management doesnt make but 100.00 more then their employees they supervise. Sell the real estate that you shouldn't have bougxht any air planes, trips that you have planed on
our tax dollars. stop putting bad money after bad mistakes. dont raise taxes people are out of jobs and once that do might not if things keep going like it is.
Baltimore As the busiest urologist in xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and the one that sees the most medicaid patients, I would like to comment. The recepients of the state Medicaid program tend have more advanced disease and evaluation
and work up tend to be more involved. I am in private practice and feel these pts are entitled to the same quality of care as my private payer insured pts. Cutting such funding throws these pts into the university system
and systems such as Hopkins where they are clinic pts.That removes any doctor pt relationship. It worsens the distance between the pt and his caretakers.Such a move will decrease access to medical care for those
who need it the most.
Howard Hire an energy auditor per county (yearly salary $100k) to create and discover ways the county school systems can save MILLIONS of dollars... the key is that the energy auditor can NOT serve the best interest of
PEPCO and BGE. These tax saving measures could also be used as educational lessons for the students within each school. If we are not managing our enrgy consumption, we are not managing the budget. PERIOD!
Anne 1) Combine Maryland State Police with the other state law enforcment agencies. This includes MDTA, MTA and Natural Resources Police. Have one chief and save hundreds of thousands in salaries alone.
Arundel
2) Let MSP recruits go home each night. Every county agency does this. This will save a ton of money in room and board.
3) No more take home cars for police or any state employee.
4) NO EZ pass for legislators.
5) No more hotel/ mileage perks for any Delegate/Senator that lives less than 30 miles from Annapolis.
6) Issue gun permits to law abiding citizens. You guys get over $150 per application.
7) Move offices to state buildings in Crownsville (hospital site). This beats payinghigh rent elsewhere.
8) Close Jessup prisons and build new ones in Western MD. The area is economically depressed and could use the jail. Like other jails out there, there would be less turnover which naturally saves the state money.
Besides, it's helping an area of the state that needs jobs.
9) Follow DC Mayors lead and trade Governor's SUV for a smart car.
Harford I DO NOT KNOW WEATHER YOU ARE AWARE OR NOT ABOUT AN BRANCH OF THE SHA, CALLED THE COURTESY PATROL? THIS IS A SERVICE THAT PATROLS ALL OF I95, 695, AND I83, CHANGING
TIRES, GIVING GAS, UNLOCKING CARS, AND TOWING VEHICLES- FOR FREE!!!!
I KNOW THE COST OF PROVIDING THESE SERVICES. YOU ARE WASTING MILLIONS ON YEARLY PAYROL FOR DRIVERS AND MILLIONS ON MAINTENANCE FOR VEHICLES. THE STATE OF MARYLAND
SHOULD NOT BE COMPETING WITH TOW COMPANIES. THIS IS NOT A FREE SERVICE- TOW COMPANIES ARE IN BUSINESS FOR THIS WORK. THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE SLASHED AND ALL TOW
TRUCKS AND SERVICE VIHICLES SOLD. THIS WOULD GENERATE MILLIONS. WHY WAS THIS SERVICE CREATED ANY WAY? THE ARE BUSINESSES IN PLACE TO DO THIS WORK. WHAT WOULD BE
NEXT?- STATE EMPLOYEES COME TO YOUR HOME AND DRIVE YOUR CAR FOR YOU? OR MAYBE THE STAE OF MARYLAND STARTS REPAIRING CARS? PLUS SOME PEOPLE BEING SERVICED DO
NOT LIVE IN OUR STATE BUT GET FREE SERVICE? END THIS PROGRAM NOW AND SAVE MILLIONS. THANK YOU
Cecil Take the Md lottery money away from the Md Stadium Authority and put it into something usefull. The Stadium Authority should be elimated. We should not be subsadizing sports of any kind except in schools and
colleges.
Talbot I offer the following suggestions as possible areas where I believe considerable cost savings can be realized. Certainly such savings would be very beneficial now, but even if our economy wasn't struggling, I still think
these areas are candidates for review. Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
#1 - merge the Department of Natural Resources Police (NRP) with the Maryland State Police and simply make the former NRP a section within the State Police. NRP currently performs both inland game warden
functions and waterborne law enforcemnt functions and I believe both could easily be incorporated into the State Police. Both departments are doing essentially the same job and could very quickly be merged saving
an enormous amount of money in both salaries and equipment purchases to name a few areas. I know the political arguments that would be made at such an idea, but we are facing a serious financial future, so
maybe now is the time to put politics aside.
#2 - merge the Division of Weights and Measures (currently under the Deparment of Agriculture) with the Field Enforcement Division of the State Comptroller's Office. This Division includes the motor fuel inspection
section which like Weights and Measures, visits all locations where motor fuel is stored or sold in the State, conducting inspections. The Comptroller's Office already operates a nationally known and highly respected
fuel testing laboratory in Jessup and I believe this section could easily absorb the Weights and Measures people and duties and
continue to perform both with considerable cost savings and improved efficiency. This is not a new idea and is one that has been suggested in the legislature, but has never gotten off the ground.
#3 - Create a State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) as other states have done. The current Maryland State Police would become the State Highway Patrol and if idea #1 above were considered, also would include the
uniformed section of the current NRP, with ALL other state agencies that currently perform investigations becoming part of the new SBI. There are as I am sure your the members of your cabinet will tell you, an
enormous number of state agencies that currently perform there own versions of investigations that would fall into this new Department, but it seems ridiculous for so many different Departments to emply countless
number of "investigators" who all perform a very similar function. Not all need to have police powers and there would be no need for salary increases or additional personnel. There will be opposition to this idea too for
many reasons, but again we are in desperate times. This is not a new idea either, it has been introduced in other states and seems to be working well.
City Cut way abck on teh number of cars state employees are allowed to use to commute to and from work. The number of such vehicles that i see on teh road leads me to believe that far too mnay folks have been
allowed this very expensive perk for dubious and weak reasons. Allow only law enforcement officials and anyone else who has to respond to emergency situations to take vehicles home. Has there ever been a study
conducted on how much money would be saved through not paying for the fuel, maintenance and lease/purchase prices for all of these vehicles?
Carroll Since smoking has been removed from the bars and taxes on cigarettes have escalated, Maryland has lost a considerable amount of revenue from lost sales and taxes. People are traveling to other states to purchase
cheaper cigarettes and to drink in bars that allow smoking. Many bars and restaurants have lost revenue due to lost sales. Lost revenue on businesses means lost revenue for the State. Why not allow smoking in the
bars but charge an annual fee for a smoking license that allows the establishment to have smoking. This will bring back business to the bars and create more revenue for owners and generate more taxes for the state.
Currently estabilshments are required to pay for liquor licenses, food licenses etc, so why not allow the smoking and charge for a tobacco license. Licenses could be anywhere from $500 to $1,000 a year as an
average cost per establishment. Thank you for your consideration.
Anne Many employees seem to get upgraded in their position much easier than others. Personality works into it not just skills. I think upgrades are still being done. Upgrades need to be put on a freeze, like hiring.
Arundel
Anne I would suggest haveing the State Police put personnel in an area they live or near by. I know some drive as far as 75 miles 1 way and they drive SUV's or 8 cylinder cars. Each office needs to really see if all the
Arundel employees are needed. Positions are just being shifted not eliminated. I think there are so many people who retire and are hired back at quite a high pay where so many civilians are just getting by.
Harford I would like to suggest that in the inevitable event, furoughs are required, that NO state employees be exempt. Your last Executive Order stated that everyone below the rank of First Sergeant in the Maryland State
Police not be furloughed. However, the Superintendent of the State Police exempted everyone, except for the civilian State Police employees. Those individuals over the rank of First Sergeant are the HIGHEST paid
employees of the State Police. Many are making in excess of 80K per year, up to 100K per year. WHY were they exempt? Please Governor, what is fair for us lower paid state employees should also be fair for the
HIGHEST paid employees. The State Police officers have take home cars, the priviledge of using those vehicle in an off duty status, yet you exempt them from furloughs? How much money would be saved on wear
and tear on vehicles and how much money would be saved on gas, if this priviledge would be revoked.
Thanks for your consideration
Montgomery Require proof of "legal presence" for all Maryland funded services and programs. Similar to requirement for new drivers' licenses. End all funding for CASA of Maryland, including $ for their new headquarters in
Langley Park
Have drop off spots at every post office for citizens to donated coin for the next 4 months to help the state budget.
Worchester First of all, please set Worcester County's spelling correctly in the drop down selection on this suggestion site. There's nothing worse than a state website that has a county name spelled incorrectly. Worchester? Are
you kidding me? It's actually kind of embarrassing.
I have several suggestions and areas of concern that I'd like to share with those that read this. There is a lot of talk about plans to cut all state worker wages by 2% sometime in the next month or so. While I understand
the premise of the suggestion, it doesn't seem fair to those workers who put themselves at risk on a daily basis, namely State Troopers and Division of Correction employees. How do you honestly expect to attract and
retain valuable personnel in jobs that not many others would take when you cut the pay for jobs like those? A wage reduction isn't really fair to any of our state workers especially since most have gone without getting
an increase this past year. Now someone is suggesting that it'll be "ok" to cut their pay this coming year? Talk about throwing salt in the wound.
I also don't understand why we aren't first making every attempt to eliminate or significantly reduce funding for all non-essential programs before we resort to taking wages from our state workers who through no fault
on their own are going to be asked to pay the price for the poor planning and management efforts of others over the years.
One of the first places I'd look to make cuts would be to discontinue wages paid to any Maryland inmates. They're prisoners for goodness sake and aren't we're already paying for their room and board? Another place
I'd like to see some cuts made is for any and all inmate reform programs. While they theoretically serve a good purpose, in times of trouble they should be the first things sacrificed.
I also understand that there are those that genuinely need unemployment compensation when they experience a loss of a job. I've had to rely on it myself once. I just think that there are too many people, though, that
use the state unemployment system as a way to make a living. I know that our state unemployment numbers are reported to be lower than many other states, but I feel that there is still a lot of reform needed for this
program. There should be a more restrictive limit to the actual length of time that people are eligible to receive unemployment benefits. There should also be a limit to the number of times within a given 3 year period
that you can actually apply for benefits. How else will habitual users get motivated to actually go out and secure a job...not just look for one. Granted, it may not be their ideal job, but there are jobs out there to be had. I
was raised to understand that a job is a job and you do what you've got to do to get one to take care of yourself or your family. Period. End of story. We make it way too easy for some to not have to worry about getting
a job and being a productive member of society.
I know it's a dirty word and certainly wouldn't win any popularity contests with most Marylanders, but we could always look at raising the sales tax again. I'm sure that those state workers targeted for a reduction in
wages would surely vote in favor of paying another 1% in sales tax. You'd get my vote on it.
Also, with respect to state road maintenance, I'd only look at keeping the roads in driving shape. We shouldn't need to have to worry about funding any beautification efforts...no flowers or landscaping until things get
better. Don't get me wrong. I love the flowers and having our highways beautiful, but times are lean and we need to be realistic about what we'd like to do versus what we need to do.
That's true for our entire state budget. We should honestly be asking ourselves for every single line item "do we need to do this or would we just like to do this?"
Thanks for your time and consideration.

select your Shorten the state legislators time in Annapolis by 30 days
county
select your All state agencies need to have a mandatory 4 day work week
county or a mandatory every other 4 day work week and shut the non essential agencies down every friday or every other friday.
Allegany Western Maryland State Troopers are traveling at excessive speeds to work locations in the eastern part of the state. It is dangerous and costly. Troopers should live in the county to which thaey are assigned or travel
at their own expense.
Allegany I am a State of Maryland worker at the Motor Vehicle Administration. I feel we have suffered a lot with the recent furlough days. I also realize that this was something that needed to be done. Before we are hit again I
hope that you will consider some other cuts. We currently are open every Saturday for a half day for drivers license services. I realize that it is hard for the public to come in during the week but with all the different
services we have through the mail, internet and the fact that an individual can renew their drivers license through the mail Saturday could be a day that could be cut out and save. A lot of the offices in the metropolitan
areas don't get out on time and this causes overtime and more expenses. Even if this idea isn't ideal for the customers maybe a thought would be to close on Saturdays and work one day of the week from 10:00 am to
6:00 pm.
Thank you for allowing me to respond in these tough times.
Allegany Almost 2 years ago a law was passed to allow the cost of an individual's trade in to be deducted from the tax they paid on their newly purchase vehicle. Maryland is one of the few states that allow someone to deduct
the trade in on a vehicle that the consumer never paid Maryland tax on previously. If a customer is moving to Maryland and purchase a new vehicle they are allowed to deduct their trade even though their vehicle was
titled in another state and never paid Maryland tax on. Their trade in should be restricted to a vehicle that is titled in Maryland only.
Harford The State could really save a lot of money on energy bills if Governor O'Malley would make it mandentory that all State Office buildings were to set their air conditioner thermostats to no lower than 75 degrees during
the summer. I work in a State Office building and it is so cold in the building that personnel are are wearing sweaters, jackets or both sweaters and jackets. It is freezing in our building. I keep my home thermostat set
at 78 degrees in the summer.
Anne Some sign and roadway lighting can be eliminated. This will save the state millions in maintenace contracts and utilities. Was done in the past during the energy crisis. Just have 1 or 2 lights on to identify interchanges.
Arundel
Stop mowing the highway medians and discontinue future landscaping. This is a constant cost & maintenance issue.
Revisit the 4 day work week, this would save energy cost in state buildings. They would be shut down 3 days versus 2 days.
Eliminate consulting firms, use in-house state workers.
Baltimore Governor xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx is the largest urology practice in Maryland and we treat many Maryland residents with MA. Further reductions in reimbursements to MA will make more difficult to induce may fellow
urologist to care for these patients. We are already reimbursed for their care well below the already low medicare rates. How low can they go before we are losing money by seeing patients? Please, keep these cuts to
a minimum so xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx doctors can continue to provide service for this very deserving Marylanders. Thank you.
Baltimore Governor O'Malley,
I have several suggest on how we can cut Marylan's deficit;
1. We have four Sate Hospitals, Spring Grove, Springfield, Rosewood & Crownsville, that are under utilized. My suggestion is to consolidate into one location such as Springfield and sell off the rest of the land for
development such as xxxxxxxxxxxxxx proposed Promenade project in Catonsville.
Spring Grove could also be used to expand the UMBC Campus and research park as well as some much needed recreation facilities. It could also be used for a new ploice station to replace Wilkens Avenue which is
very dated.
The state would make money off of the sale of these properties, reduce the operating expenses of the hospitals and get real estate taxes on the improvements and income taxes from the jobs created.
2. I also beleive it is time for the state to evaluate the many grants that are given each year. This is an area that should receive much attention and reduce the number of grants awarded.
3. How many other state government facilities can we consolidate and sell off the real estate.
We all have to cut back and save.
Baltimore Not knowing all the various possibilities for cuts that may be "available options", it is hard to give informed input--especially without reading and knowing the many facets of the state budget.
However, big picture: it may be time for state employee benefits and pensions to be considered as a place for cuts --given the large impact long term on the state budget. Perhaps this has been done already--but is it
enough?
Also, cut more from higher education---we need to keep funding in adult education & literacy where the need is greater. We must support those who require help to get into the workforce--or ultimately we will pay in
many ways for not doing this.
Can we figure out a way to put less people in "jail" and cut back on corrections cost (which is also a major on going budget cost)? This will mean supporting more rehab, interim, training, and transition type programs--
but most likely worth the investment.
Certain areas are receiving more federal stimulus money or federal funding in general -- and those areas could possibily "give up" state funding.
But I am sure you who study the budget have already thought of all these things.
Please do not cut adult education & literacy--we have worked too hard to get to where we are and the funding currently in place is still not enough to serve all those in need.
City Dear Governor,
My Name is xxxxxxxxxx. As a long time employee of the MTA, I came up with a plan to help Maryland save money. My proposition is selling bonds to the general public. It will work on the same principle as that of the
US Savings Bond. People will buy the bonds for the future generation of marylanders. The bonds will work with a maturity growth over 7 to 10 years with an intrest rate slightly higher than that of the banks. These will
be a great invesment for any businesses, small or large, that is willing to invest in the state of Maryland. It will create large amounts of capital, and the return will not be back to the investor for at least 7 years. In
conclusion, I ask that you take a look at my idea, and the structure of the United States savings bond, and calculate the bonds growth to it's maturity. If you have any questions on my proposal, feel free to contact me
by this email address, or at the following address and phone number.
Good Luck,
x
Calvert Have you thought about getting rid of the numerous contract employees that the State of Maryland is paying for? Long before the contractors, state employees did the jobs, and did them well. Now, the state of
Maryland hires retirees as contractors, and pays them high salaries. This could help in the long run. Also, I think those State Employees who DID NOT get furloughed the first go round should get furloughed this time
around, and leave the rest of the state employees' salaries alone.
Allegany Why does the state need an Office of Cemetery Oversight, We have not experienced issues like other states. When you go to their site, there are not documents noting how they have saved tax payers money or
intervened to correct misconduct only minutes of meetings
City 1)Reduce or cut the per diem of the state legislators.
2)Effective 10/1, have one furlough day per month for all employees and force corrections and public safety to participate as well (too many exemptions there), all on the same day. Shut down all utilities on those days,
or close the buildings down; shut off the utilities where possible (lights off and water to a trickle to prevent pipe freezes and seals going bad); turn the heat down in all the closed bldgs. to 50 degrees or less. Make it a
either a Friday or a Monday, to get employee buy in.
3)Shut down state government between 12/24/2009 and 1/4/2010 and close the buildings down; shut off the utilities during this time where possible (lights off and water to a trickle to prevent pipe freezes and seals
going bad); turn the heat down in all the closed bldgs. to 50 degrees or less. Force all agencies to participate. Have a plan for on-call status for agency heads, in the event of emergencies. Employees are only to be
paid 1/2 of their salary during the shutdown.
4)Plant either wild flowers or fruits/vegetables in the medians to reduce mowing and to provide food for those in the state institutions. This is something to do now for crops next year.
5)Have a personal tax amnesty week.
6)Have a business tax amnesty week.
7)Have a traffic fine amnesty week.
8)Have a child support amnesty week.
9)Have a "Bring Back the Book" Amnesty period from now until 9/30/2009. Let people drop it in a modified mailbox in any state gov't bldg. and work out a deal with the Pratt to distribute to the correct branches and/or
systems. Ask for volunteers to help the Pratt with the sorting (middle and high school students who need credit for volunteer hours, college students, Boys and Girl Scouts who need community service projects and
hours, a Red Heat Ladies Group, etc).
10)Have a "Happy Meal Appeal", like the York County PA mayor and police dept. did several years ago.
11)Have a 50/50 raffle, and make the raffle tickets $1 each.
Howard Change the way budgets are handled in government. Instead of the use it or lose it mentality, give programs an incentive to not spend money unless it is absolutely necessary. If they save the state considerable
money, reward them somehow. Make it clear if they do need money for their program, they will get it. If everyone tightens their program budget the way citizens must tighten their household budgets, we all can make a
difference.
Washington How about cutting all those Regional Assistant Commissioners and there Assistants that Mary Ann Saars created. Those positions are totally unnessesary. If each Correctonal Facilities Warden are not capable of
doing the job then they don't deserve to be in that position. Things worked fine without them before. Look at the money the state could save there. Staffing was cut inside the institutions and those positions were
created, therefore front line staff safety and security is put at risk.
xxx
xxxxxxxx
City Mr.. O'malley,
I had voted for you although state employee's that were in a supervisory capacity warned me it was in my best interest to vote Erlich and also warned me of voicing my political preference. Also you won my vote as
mayor of Baltimore City, you will also get my vote in the future. As a state employee I get to see first hand how we have contractual employee's in supervisors positions that know nothing about the job their
subordinates do, no knowledge of the time it takes or the materials that are needed, most are retiree's of other jobs and are brought in contractual as a means to skip the normal hiring or interview process. I would think
a lot of tax dollars would be saved by looking into the positions that are not needed but also in time lost due to the fact that their working knowledge just simply is not there.
Harford Stop using affirmative action in hiring employees. Once they get hired they get lazy because they know how hard it is to fire them. Employees hired by performance and qualifications are more bang for the buck. Just
go to any state office and watch. You'll see. Thank you
Montgomery Governor - Thank you for the opportunity to comment on what to do about the dire fiscal situation facing Maryland. Your first priority should be to immediately stop subsidizing illegal aliens residing in the state. In
particular, giving millions to the ethnic special interest group CASA de Maryland, is a slap in the face to all Maryland taxpayers. These foreigners clog our emergency rooms, populate our prisons and receive medical
care in free clinics which are not available to legal citizens. The state of Maryland needs to immediately stop squandering scarce resources on people who should not be here in the first place.
City Some of the State buildings are being leased would it be possible to buy the property instead of paying rent on the buildings. Also; twice a month have a four (4) day work week for State employees and furlough them
on either a Friday or a Monday that way State employees can have a long week-end. I think they would rather do that than to lose their jobs. Job loss does not help the economy.
Baltimore MY SUGGESTIONS IS EARLY RETIREMENT FOR STATE EMPLOYEE WHO IS NEAR RETIREMENT AGE. THANK YOU
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anne Stop funding all the illegal aliens and giving away this state. anybody and everybody that applies for food stamps or medicaid get it whether they need it or not. Nobody ever checks up on them. why isn't there a closer
Arundel inspection when everybody is having a hard time making ends meet?
Montgomery Just as the U.S. Postal Service is considering stopping mail on Saturdays, a closure of State Office Buildings one business day a month or every other month may allow an equitable way for the State to save money by
furloughing the non essential employees (both state and contract workers). I assume your constituents would let you and our other lawmakers know what level of service would be acceptable. Thanks xxx
Montgomery Please do not cut the Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund anymore. When you cut this fund you are cutting services for children in our school systems. Your assertion that you are fully funding K-12 education is
inaccurate. When you cut the interagency fund as you have in the last six months, by nearly 25%, you have cut critical services that support our children's education - behavioral wraparound supports that make it
possible for children with complex needs to remain in their school and home community; after school activities that support academic acheivement and home-visiting progrmas that ensure children are ready to learn
when they enter school. I urge you to end the reductions in this fund that serves the most vulnerable children and youth across the state of Maryland.
Baltimore My suggestion is for the state to investigate what the county council members are doing in each county when it comes to cost saving.
He is what happened last summer. I spoke with the Baltimore County Council about a proposed zoning change in the Upperco area of Baltimore County.
A friend of mine (merchant) had an opportunity to sell their small business property to a large business and retire. The plans called for the modernization of the intersection of Route 30, and Route 91. The cost would
have been $250,000.00 to which the new owner was going to pick up the entire cost to widen this intersection for traffic safety xxxxxxxxxxxxxx would not allow this to happen.
If money is to be saved, it has to start with the people we put in office who speak for us.
Had this transaction been approved, the county and state would have had a new intersection at route 30 and route 91, at NO cost to either government. ($250,000.00). These kinds of things must stop. When a
business wants to locate in an area and is willing to foot the bill to make a dangerous intersection a safe intersection, and one individual make no bones about how he negatively feels, then I think it is time to replace
this type of politican. When you, our governor need to find a solution to our financial problems, and a no cost $250,000.00 project is rejected, the state should ask why this happened. That is a quarter of a million dollar
project gone.
I ask that the state watch over what the county councils do, so it does not impact the state and put a financial burden on our states when the state needs financial help.
Thank You,
xxxxx
City As an adult educator in literacy and drop-out recovery, i appreciate the governor not cutting state funds for literacy services. since higher ed and esp. community colleges did well on stimulus money, i would suggest
that they could stand the cuts better than the less educated just trying to get a high school diploma or skills upgrade to qualify for the many training programs that currently shuts them out. thanks. xxx
Howard I think this survey is an excellent idea.
Our suggestions:
1. Lower corporation taxes to make it more friendly to

businesses. (Virginia is the business-friendliest state
in the nation. It is easy for businesses to move south a few miles to access those benefits.)
2. Eliminate tax on military retirees so they do not move

to Delaware and Pennsylvania. They are responsible citizens and consumers.
3. Quit mowing grass along the highways and let it grow

naturally.
4. Lower application costs and licensing fees costs for slot machines so people will actually install the slots and slow the flow of money to neighboring states. The idea is not to make money through licensing but
through the taxation of the business of gambling.
5. Require that anyone physically able who is receiving assistance of any kind from the state, county, or city (and federal)government perform volunteer services as a repayment or a sign of appreciation. That will save
the taxpayers from
spending more money to pay employees. These services could
be any kind of maintanence of parks, roads, open spaces, especially along the railroad tracks where travelers from all over the country could get a bad (or good if clean) impression of Maryland, its cities, and train
terminals.
6. Request that the same recipients of public funds attend

meetings every week which could provide them with employment opportunities, motivational speakers, parenting skills, ways
to volunteer, etc. If people are requested to enter a program offering ideas for improving their lives, they are more likely to break previous unproductive habits. If parents with children attend an "improvement center"
they can take turns watching each other's children, and take turns going to vocational training so that skills can be learned to help them become independent of public assistance.
Motivational ideas, vocational training, good parenting skills, work ethics (being present at a center on a regular basis and being away from unproductive diversions such as TV), and developing a support system of
professionals, and friends who will help cover for them so they can further their education would be invaluable.
7. Offer nutitional counseling to all recipients of public aid so that obesity will become less a factor in our burgeoning medical costs. This is another reasonn that
encouraging people to be active in a variety of ways, would
make them healthier, more productive, and serve as a better model for our youth.
8. Encourage development of decaying neighborhoods so that

there is more available housing and businesses which will increase tax revenues. The 1970's incentive programs in Baltimore stimulated growth in the southwest area around the Harbor.
9. Please use some of the ideas submitted from Maryland citizens through the "Share your Suggestions" Campaign.
Thank you!
Baltimore I think the solar panels are good idea for the Govenor's Mansion but the return on investment will be far down the road. I don't know if now is the right time to spend $17 million that will not help our current shortfalls.
Furthermore, I think cuts to the SHA would be a good place to start, instead of schools, police or fire. When it takes 5 SHA trucks and 12 men to put down crosswalk stripes I think there is plenty of room to make cuts.
Maybe the SHA would be more inclined to work with Maryland residents if they were reined in a little. I've been trying to get a driveway entrance for 2 years with no cooperation. There are to many levels of SHA officials
whos job is apparently to disregard safety issues and ignore recorded court documents. Maybe keep SHA vehicles in state too, this would save fuel costs. I see many of them are being taken home at night to houses in
Hanover, PA.
Dorchester My suggestion is for the State Police officers riding around with their families on their off days be cut. I can understand when an officer is traveling for business reasons maybe, but come on, half the time that I see
these officers they are transporting their family to the grocery stores, dinner, etc. They feel they have the right because they are State employed, but my tax dollars are paying them. Don't cut the education, but cut out
how these officers use the State appointed vehicles. I'd rather pay taxes and have it used for educational purposes than to ride these officers and their families around. Don't they own their vehicles, oh, I forgot, the
State & myself is paying for the fuel that goes into the vehicle. If they used their own than it would have to come from their pocket.
Anne Communication charges, cellphones, level needed for emp loyees. Such as Senior mgmt, mid-level, etc. Look at centralizing departmental subscriptions. Create databasee for
Arundel
Baltimore State employees can give up 1 to 2 days a month with out pay. They should not be driving state owned vehicles home. Pet state projects need to be eliminated or cut back.
Baltimore The Maryland State Police Medevac system is too large and inefficient. Similar sized states in area/population density are able to accomplish the same goals with fewer helicopters. The MSP medevac system should
be trimmed and streamlined to better serve the needs of the residents of Maryland. The purchase of a smaller, more efficient and less expensive to maintain fleet of helicopters should be considered. As a former flight
nurse I am appalled at the overuse of the medevac system, lack of oversight and lack of a quality management program to ensure that the medevac system is actually a benefit. As a Maryland resident, taxpayer and
motor vehicle registrant, I cringe when I have to pay the registration fees, knowing that the money is not being put to the best and most efficient use.
Harford I can think of so many ways of saving the state money but all come with some sort of loss to someone or some agency. Maryland National Guard has an Armory in Havre de Grace that does not seem to serve any real
significant purpose other than providing jobs to persons who are working there. The essential positions could be moved to Edgewood, or even APG with the realignment of military posts. The buildings are hugh and
not cost effective to heat, cool, and maintain. Each state maintenance employee on the post has a state vehicle that they drive home each day. I can understand why a painter or plumber needs a van to haul their
tools, equipment from job site to job site but they do not leave the post. Why maintain a fleet of vehicled for the maintenance staff to drive home, drive around Harford County for lunch, etc. I have thought for years
there should be a study to justify these positions. You have a Supervisor, a plumber, an electrician, a painter, building guards, general maintenance crew, building janitors and a full time secretary. What does the
supervisor really supervise? Large jobs are bidded out to contractors. Why not contract all the positions (you don't pay benefits), or close the post and combine staff at other locations. I am sure there are other
armories across the state that not cost effective to operate. Police officers throughout the state take vehicles home to use at their leisure. Are taxpayers paying the fuel costs for public employees to ride their families
around the county? There is a lot of waste within the state and if some of the "fat" was cut there would be some money freed up for other more needed services. Thank you.
City Hello,
I am a state employee and am very concerned about my job. But there are several ways to cut money and here is what I purpose.
Number 1
Pick only 2 Agencies that you want to use for Temporary employment. Right now there are 9 different agencies under the State contract. Here is why I say going with only 2 agencies. Using the Job Classification of
Office Secretary III/Word Processing Advanced in the Northern Maryland Region - These are prices per hour.
Abacus charges the state $11.15

Proper Staffing charges $11.55
Beacon Staffing charges $12.98
Kelly Services charges $13.23
PAJ Business Staffing charges $14.16
Kennedy Personnel Services charges $15.73
Hutch Staffing charges $15.81
Mercer Staffing charges $16.75
and Mary Kraft & Associates charges $24.50
You can have a temp that is making $11.15 per hour or $24.50 per hour and they are doing the same job. If you only use the 2 lowest paying agencies you will save across the board greatly.
Number 2
If there is a network printer at a state faculty then that should be the printer that employees use, there are many employees with their own printers, which is costing the state money because that are still buying toner
cartridges for these printers. It is not that hard to get up and go to the network printer. But many mangers believe that since they are in management that they do not need to do that and should have there own printers.
I do understand that in some cases a private printer is necessary due to confidentiality.
Number 3
The taxes on Alcohol have not been raised in more then 50 years and I believe that raising the Alcohol tax would be a very good revenue.
Number 4
I have been working as a purchasing agent for the state of Maryland for 2 years, and I can tell you that there are many supplies that just lie around and do not get used in different warehouses. I believe that you could
get a list of the entire inventory and see if other agencies could use it. This is an example of what I am trying to say.
Let’s say we have 50 cases of 11 x 14 copy paper and it has not been used and is still in boxes, and since we do not use 11 x 14 copy paper as much as we use to, it just sits there. Well lets say that there is an
agencies in Annapolis that uses 11 x 14 copy paper every week and they are still placing orders for the 11 x 14 copy paper, what they could do is send a driver down with a withdrawal slip and take some of ours until it
is down to nothing and then we could only order on an as needed basis.
I am not sure if anything I have given you will help, but if you have questions please feel free to call me home xxxxx or work xxxxxxx
Anne Stop providing taxpayers funded benefits to illegal aleins and organizations that promote and shelter their illegal activities. Citizen need help. Maryland can not support the world.
Arundel
Allegany Please do not cut any more funding from YOUR STATE TROOPERS. Maryland State Police funding has been cut too much already. Thank You.
Kent I have sent a message on our website, however will send this one also.
Please cut down on the numerous "supervisors" in State Government. They are way "overpaid" and do not do the work.
As a State Retiree after 32 years and paid a pidly amount and worked extremely hard, I saw many "supervisors" in name only who did nothing. The sparsley paid did the work. There are many too many layers in State
government and this would save several 100's of thousands of dollars!
Anne The State shouldn't give health benefits to part-time employees. Or the state can offer the same benefits but the part-time employee would have to pay more of the share toward the benefits.
Arundel
Anne If furlows are required this year, all employees should take the same days off, which would save more money on heating/air condition and electricity costs.
Arundel
Baltimore cut all state agencies by 5% - 10% across the board to keep the middle class from having to pay increased taxes. You won't respond.
Howard There is a law on the books that has never had a fine attached because politicians were afraid it would make them pay a fine for putting signs on state highway property, but I believe that they are exempt from this.The
law states that you can not put a sign on state highway property without a permit,but every weekend builders and everyone else does so maybe we can take a page from Delaware and fine them $25 a sign and $15
dollars to get them back.
Anne Maryland State Employees should be required to have direct deposit eliminating the paper check and use of envelopes. They should also view their leave & earn statement online, thus eliminating more use of paper
Arundel products.
Dorchester I would rather take furlough days than to lose my job.......however, if furlough days become mandatory everyone across the board should have to take them - if they are considered essential and are not able to take
days off, then they should be docked the pay for it anyway. It is not fair for some to have to take unpaid days and not others.
Also, instead of paying people to do gardening and things on the highways - have inmates/prisoners that are able to go out and work do this for free.
Thank you
Harford When you were elected, we had a surplus of more than $ 1B. You immmediately hired on 6000 employees. It's not clear how many of these positions duplicate tenured positions and how many serve as "promises" for
their political backing. With average Md. gov't salaries, these positions represent over $ 1B per year. Can the cost of these employees, be the problem??? Are they all necessary???
thanks for the opportunity
City Discontinue the purchase of buying about 4,400 acres of land for $57 million today 2:09 PM EST, January 28, 2009 ,which was approved by a Maryland board Despite troubling financial times The approval of this land
being purchase, state officials consider it too ecologically and culturally valuable to pass up.The Board of Public Works, which includes Gov. Martin O'Malley, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot,
voted unanimously to buy the land on four parcels in Cecil, Charles and St. Mary's counties. The land includes about 20 miles of Potomac River waterfront, wildlife habitat and historic ties to Maryland's first colonial
settlement. The Conservation Fund, a national organization that helps government agencies acquire land.The group is being reimbursed about $600,000 from the state for helping to secure the deal, including money
for appraisals and administrative fees. This buisness arrangement could have waited and needs to be eliminated.
Also why was
Anne There is a lot of dead wood in state government: people who have very little if any work, and/or who are not pulling their weight (I am a state employee so I see this first hand). As a more permanent alternative to the
Arundel 10 furlough days, I suggest that you ask the Department Heads/Directors for names of employees whose positions they would like to eliminate. Lay-offs are not the best solution, but at least then you will get rid of
some of the wasteful salaries of positions that are no longer necessary, as well as those employees who are just clock watchers and whose functions we no longer need.
Baltimore Additional Suggestions:
16) How about a mandatory military program for petty criminals instead of housing them for $55,000 a year in prisons? Car thieves, purse snatchers, small-time drug dealers, vandals, etc. can either go to prison or
serve their state and country in a (inexpensively operated) newly created intergovernmental military initiative (State & Federal) to help eliminate future criminal activity by teaching new skills and keep state prison costs
down. How about them serving in the Navy or National Guard? After they serve their sentence (or length of time in the program), they will have a new skill and be a viable candidate for a job. If they aren't in jail it
reduces spending and incidents of prison violence, increases the decline in military participation, prevents criminals from learning new ways of learning criminal behavior while in jail, makes the criminals more well
rounded, and makes our streets safer.
17) How about making criminals work at farms and other minimum wage manual labor jobs for free. The farmers, crab meat companies, and other businesses who need assistance can request their help at a discount
instead of paying illegal immigrants.
18) The long time practice of having to use a budget or lose it should be eliminated. I’ve seen different agencies waste money on silly purchases near the end of the fiscal year just so they are able to maintain their
budget at the current level. If an agency has saved money that fiscal year, they should be allowed to plug it into programs, projects or initiatives that aren't funded adequately or use it to help with employee staffing,
raises, reclassifications, and training.
Washington Have all state employeess work four ten hour days. This would save the State in energy costs, fuel for state cars used, release no-violent offenders from state prisoners who have served at least 3/4 of the time given by
the court system. Have State Troopers leave their assigned police cars at their homes and have them parked at the barracks. Close State parks during the week by 3:00pm or charge fees to enter all parks. Increase
fee to cross Bay Bridge. Raise tuition in all State Universities. Increase taxes for those who make more than $100,000.
To have State Employees take another pay decrease in unfair and not right. We have families and are trying to make it just as all other Marylander's. We have bills, house payments, families that need fed just like all
other Maryland families and most of the State Employees are middle class and very hard working.
Anne Use some of the stimulus money that MD received to install more traffic circles (roundabouts)like those in Howard County. Traffic circles do not use electricity, reduce vehicle idle time, cost little or nothing for the state
Arundel to maintain, and beautify intersection landscapes. There has never been a fatality in a traffic circle. This saves money for first responders and the State Highway Administration. As more are installed, decrease their
budgets. Instead of speed cameras near schools, add more speed humps or dips. A zig/zag island also slows traffic. Create toll roads along I83, RT 40, and areas with heavy traffic that lead in/out of state. Many
Marylanders have moved to Pennsylvania and Delaware to avoid taxes but still work here. Increase MVA fees based on engine size or gross vehicle weight like they do in European countries. An additional $10.00 per
liter of engine size over 2.0 liters. This encourages smaller cars which helps "save the bay" endeavors and reduce maintenance on our roads. Increase environmental impact fees for construction, utilities. Law
enforcement and the courts cost a lot of money. Look into decriminilizing failed initiatives in this state that may be legal in surrounding states. Maryland was one of the 13 original colonies and we have more laws on
the books than newer states westward. There are too many to list here, but a law review may be in order. In cases where it is not practical to do so, increase fines. Eliminate more "take home cars". Convert state
employees retirement system to one that is similar to the federal "FERS" system. Look into selling more unused state land, underutilized or inefficient buildings, or redundant equipment. Consolidate some county
activities or services that are redundant into regions. Does each county need a department like DPW, Animal Control, Environment, Aging or can two or more counties consolidate. I.e., Department of Aging for Central
Maryland or Eastern Shore.
Howard A statewide buyout of all state employees with substantial years on the job. This would lower the cost of salaries while encouraging those with such tenure to go out on retirement without reservation. These types of
Baltimore During the next year the State of Maryland will lose over $72 million dollars in direct costs to workers' compensation for injuries to state employees. Prior efforts with IWIF have hindered real success from most state
agencies. Revised efforts need re-focused on improving accountability at top levels (through State Stat), educate managers & employees, and effectively promoting safety culture. Prevention efforts remain unfunded
despite many years of committees and conferencing. Add a pandemic impact and our workforce can be severly compromised. It's time to fund Agencies to prevent injuries, reduce the fiscal burdens, manpower losses
and related overtime costs.
Baltimore Management from the SHA Office of Real Estate should not go on so many conferences since information is generally not disseminated to the employees anyway. Reduce the amount of state car use for take home
purposes. Because of the 10k mile requirement, people just drive around to put miles on their car when they really may not need a state car and utilize more pool cars. Everyone that has access to a computer or can
get it from their HR person should be required to print his or her check from the internet. Why can't we refill ink cartridges instead of buying new ones? SHA and MDOT should have direct deposit of expense
reimbursements instead of processing paper checks every two weeks. Should lower the mileage requirement of 10k miles because it discourages car pooling to business meetings. For state wide agencies, there
should be more encouragement of regional meetings then everyone coming across the state to one place for business meetings. Encourage more telecommuting because that is less electricity spent in the office. I am
in support of furloughs instead of massive layoffs. However, the structure of the Insurance Administration should be analyzed and may be more efficient if it was combined with the DLLR. They are a rogue agency that
is independent so overpays secretarial staff and fires employees for any reason while retaining those who do not comply with the law. Also the structure of MDOT and its modals should be analyzed for human resource
purposes. At SHA, there should be less HR in the central office of the 707 building and more work should be given to the Administrative Chiefs. The Administrative Chiefs are capable of sending information to the
Department of Budget and Management without it having to the go through another person in the 707 building. Often times in my experience, my human resource transactions were delayed with so many layers of
bureaucracy. There should be a website to change our benefits and have less need for paper booklets unless someone does not have access to a computer. There should be better inventory of computers. It is
wasteful that the District 4 office has several laptops that are missing and when they get new computers, they are not replaced and the old computers are hidden in the old building without the benefit of being resold
because the carelessness of the state employee. We lose revenue when our resources are not used efficiently. Double sided printing and copying should be encouraged throughout the whole state for internal
purposes. Encourage scanning of letters to internal agencies. It is the protocol that we always have to use the USPS to send correspondence when email should be encouraged, even when responding to government
officials. Analyze the need for 700 dollar phones with voice of over internet for new buildings. It is great technology but very expensive for a government office such as the District Four SHA office. Loosen the
requirement for MCE and MBE in certain areas for the time being, they tend to more expensive and they overprice.
Baltimore Having attended the meeting regarding the State Center renovation, the potential cost for a project of this magnitude, must be astronomical. Why spend this money in the current economy.
Baltimore Management from the SHA Office of Real

Estate should not go on so many conferences since information is generally not disseminated to the employees anyway. Reduce the amount of state car use for take home purposes. Because of the 10k mile
requirement, people just drive around to put miles on their car when they really may not need a state car and utilize more pool cars. Everyone that has access to a computer or can get it from their HR person should be
required to print his or her check from the internet. Why can't we refill ink cartridges instead of buying new ones? SHA and MDOT should have direct deposit of expense reimbursements instead of processing paper
checks every two weeks. Should lower the mileage requirement of 10k miles because it discourages car pooling to business meetings. For state wide agencies, there should be more encouragement of regional
meetings then everyone coming across the state to one place for business meetings. Encourage more telecommuting because that is less electricity spent in the office. I am in support of furloughs instead of massive
layoffs. However, the structure of the Insurance Administration should be analyzed and may be more efficient if it was combined with the DLLR. They are a rogue agency that is independent so overpays secretarial
staff and fires employees for any reason while retaining those who do not comply with the law. Also the structure of MDOT and its modals should be analyzed for human resource purposes. At SHA, there should be
less HR in the central office of the 707 building and more work should be given to the Administrative Chiefs. The Administrative Chiefs are capable of sending information to the Department of Budget and Management
without it having to the go though another person in the 707 building. Often times in my experience, my human resource transactions were delayed with so many layers of bureaucracy. There should be a website to
change our benefits and have less need for paper booklets unless someone does not have acess to a computer. There should be better inventory of computers. It is wasteful that the District 4 office has several
laptops that are missing and when they get new computers, they are not replaced and the old computers are hidden in the old building without the benefit of being resold because the carelessness of the state
employee. We lose revenue when our resourses are not used efficiently. Double sided printing and copying should be encouraged throughout the whole state for internal purposes. Encourage scanning of letters to
internal agencies. It is the protocol that we always have to use the USPS to send correspondence when email should be encouraged, even when responding to government officials. Analyze the need for 700 dollar
phones with voice of over internet for new buildings. It is great technology but very expensive for a government office such as the the District Four SHA office. Loosen the requirement for MCE and MBE in certain
areas for the time being, they tend to more expensive and they overprice.
Carroll Although, placing solar panels on the roof of the Governor's mansion sounds like a super terrific idea, I don't think during the state's current budget situation we, the people of Maryland can fund this venture.
Baltimore Releasing prisoners that have nonviolent crimes related to drugs to 1-2 year(long-term) manditory drug treatment programs, perhaps in closing state facilities,may drastically reduce costs of keeping prisoners in
prisons. Reduce sentences for "rehabilitated" inmates.
City Cut all dollars going to CASA. Illegal means ILLEGAL. Stop violating our constitution.
Investigate the cronyism and financial fraud in Maryland Government, starting at the top.
Don't waste money on Government House "going green" (LOL) until you do away with the SUVs for you and your entourage. Who do you think you are impressing?
Baltimore Have a buy out program for state employees eligable to retire
Anne Since motorized scooters are flooding our Maryland roads, they should be tagged & registered thru the MVA. Thus, creating a new revnue.
Arundel
Anne 1. Eliminate the benefit of an employee using a state vehicle for their commute to and from work. This should be done for every state employee from the Governor on down. Some of the employees live a considerable
Arundel distance from work and the taxpayers are footing the bill. If it’s not state business, it stays parked at the state facility.
2. Evaluate the work loads of all non-essential employees who are appointed by the government to ascertain if a position actually should exist. If the position is legitimate, the appointee should go through the hiring
process as everyone else is required to. I have seen appointees put into place and high paying positions created for someone who does nothing at all or have enough to keep them busy for even half of a work day. If
the position is not necessary, spread the duties amongst existing staff.
3. Eliminate procurement contracts. Several vendors on contract may give a substantial discount on some items, but jack up the cost of other items to make up the difference. One of my duties xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx is
to procure IT equipment such as hardware, software, media, etc. One of the items we requested was more than double list cost and the current procurement rules forced the buyer to use that particular vendor because
of the contract.
4. The long time practice of having to use a budget or loose it should be eliminated. I’ve seen many departments waste money on silly purchases near the end of the fiscal year just so they were able to maintain their
budget at the current level. Use it or lose it is a ridiculous practice. If an agency has saved money that fiscal year, they should be applauded for the savings. This is how private sector and individuals manage their
budgets.
5. As state employees, we are required to take many mandatory training classes annually, bi-annually or triennially. Some are extremely necessary, but some of them are a waste of time and money. All mandatory
training should be re-evaluated.
6. If the state has a need for an outside consultant, then a position should be created for it. Consultant’s fees are exorbitant and usually charge extra for every thing they do, including billing for the hours necessary to
prepare for a meeting. They also charge for the meetings they have prepared for. If the cost of a permanent position (including retirement benefits) is weighed against the consultant, I’m sure the savings would be
substantial.
7. Our Elected Officials should take a look at their spending of tax dollars as well. Some of them seem to think that they can go on with “business as usual” while the rest of us are forced to cut into the bone just to get
by paycheck to paycheck.
8. Maryland Correctional Enterprises (MCE) is a wonderful program that supplies office furniture and office décor. If office furniture is not available from MCE, then we don’t need it.
9. I understand that there is a great deal of waste in the prison system. I know several correctional officers and they are appalled at the money wasted. Inmates are given top-of-the-line exercise equipment, new
televisions every year whether they are needed or not and various other unnecessary “benefits” that a law abiding citizen must pay extra for. Eliminate those things and put the inmates to work! We taxpayers are
“supporting” those criminals. The state prison system should take a few tips from that famous sheriff out west. He has saved his state tens of thousands of dollars because he believes prison should be punishment –
not just a break until inmates can get out to do it all over again.
Calvert OFFER CURRENT FULL TIME EMPLOYEES THE OPTION TO WORK PART TIME.
Baltimore Eliminate current open positions and institute additional mandatory furlough days determined by salary range in place of layoffs or terminations.
Caroline Re-evaluate the use of state funded hotel rooms. Employees appear to drive only 1 hour to a location, do a 4-5 hour inspection and get a hotel for the night at state's expense and do the 1 hour return trip. This should
all be accomplished within the employee's 8 hour day. Additional inspections on subsequent days are still less expensive by driving instead of providing lodging.
Baltimore Upper management should help with the issue by taking a pay cut. Starting with the Governor- right down to the state Officials. If lower paying scale had to take a cut, like wise.
Baltimore 1. Don't let State Police use vehicle for private use.
2. We don't need a State Trooper setting in every Motor Vehicle Building.
3. The State of Maryland should get out of running the crains at the Port of Md.
4.
Anne Thank you for letting me be heard.

Arundel
1. College tuition is going to have to increase whether you want it to or not. The State is just in too much trouble to avoid it.
2. Don't lay off State employees. If you lay people off or let them go they end up on unemployment and welfare and aren't paying the taxes which you need. Give us furlough days instead and continue to abolish the
"unfilled" positions.
3. I am a State employee and every year we go to a convention in Ocean City. Nice but it's not necessary and probably costs alot of money. WHY? We don't learn anything that we don't already know. This year and
next year 'seminars' that are not "critical" should be cancelled. It's ridiculus to spend the money for 3 days worth of employees to have more fun and still get paid too. Put an end to the seminars at resorts, we can live
without them and I'm sure everyone would rather keep their job.
4. Just cut or limit the things not critical, cut the roadsides a little less etc... Stop worrying about putting plants out in medians. These are little things yes, but they add up.
5. Close a few librarys in areas where most people can afford the internet. (NOT the city)
6. Eliminate postal delivery on saturdays.
That's it for now, thank you for listening.

Anne do NOT just pass the buck to the counties ... raise tuition for colleges (my stepdaughter is in a MD college) and fees for parks, etc. Eliminate open positions and restrict take home cars (except for state police).
Arundel
Baltimore Cut Maryland's Medicaid funding. It's beyond out of control. If people have private health insurance don't let them have the option of having Maryland's health care as well.
Anne I understand that various state programs have different frequency for auditing. Some get audited once a year and others less frequently. It seems that once a year is excessive and time could be saved if there was a
Arundel standard such as no program should be audited anymore than once every 3 years. It would save time and time saves money.
senior employees should be offered a buyout option so they can retire with some degree of financial security and that would open positions for new employees and reduce the unemployment expense
Caroline Replace expensive and insecure/problematic computer software with Open Source and free software. Efficiency is also increased.
1) 80,000 state computers x $600 in basic software = $48 million
Linux and Open Office are free to download and use.
2) 12,122 Servers x $1500 basic software = $18.183 million

Linux server software and open sourse apps are again free downloads.
$66.183 million saved just this way. This does not count additional software that has free and open source replacements.
Additionally Open Source software can be modified and used by various state agencies without having to go back to the vendor for changes.
Other states have adopted this strategy to save millions of dollars as well as large worldwide and smaller companies. They have increased efficiency by modifying the software for their needs without having to rebid
every time software is changed or reused for different agencies. This is non proprietary software so it does not need to be sole source vendor for changes if they are not done by in-house developers.
Baltimore Tax each lottery ticket at point of sale.

Baltimore Additional suggestions:
13) Stop spending millions on land preservation during a recession!!!
14) Do not spend millions to renovate the State Office Building Complex during a recession!!!
15) Do not spend millions on pet projects during a recession!!!
VOTERS REMEMBER THESE THINGS
Anne Cut out any bonuses/raises to the highly paid government officials.
Arundel
Frederick Being a Maryland resident for all of my 67 years on this earth, I have always been very proud to say; “I am from Maryland” as I have to other states in the Union.
I truly believe that PRIDE keeps America great and that most of my fellow citizens still feel that pride.
Please let Marylanders show that they can handle their own affairs and do all in your power to keep the Federal government out of the State’s (Maryland) affairs. Worry over the outrageous spending bills being past in
the last few months is my biggest worry. Leave it to the PEOPLE to make their own decisions; don’t let the federal government overstep their bounds and meddle in State affairs.
This comment might not be the proper answer to your request for “suggestions” but you, our State officials, are our (my) first line of defense against being overrun by some very out of touch representatives currently
holding office in Washington, DC.
Sincerely,
xxxxx
Anne xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Arundel xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Somerset eliminate front license plates for autos.not a lot of money,i am sure but every littke bit helps. a lot of states dont use them so how important can they really be.
Baltimore I work for a university in the state system. I truly believe there are so many things that could be done at universities to save money. First, consider closing the campus on Fridays. Many students do not take classes
on Fridays, and there is a lot of wasted utilities, gas, staff time, etc.
Second, I believe telecommuting 1 or 2 days a week should be an option for all state workers. I believe so much work could be done at home, and it again saves in so many ways for the state. Plus, employees would
be happy to not have to commute, saving on gas, etc when they are already doing more work with less staff and getting furloughed.
Anne 1. Put the incarcerated to work. Make people in jail earn their keep by doing labor intensive jobs on our highways. Let them dig holes,and work as labor in helping in repavenment projects and other similar work
Arundel
Relax the laws on Marijuana. I think we spend too much money prosecuting people that were arrested with very little Marijuana in their possession . Prosecution of these cases cost far too much considering the small
amounts involved. Go after the large dealers if necessary. If you polled the majority of Marylanders they feel Marijuana is really no different then Alcohol. In fact if Maryland stepped out and made it completely legal,
they could tax it for revenue and probably would have no budget issues ever again. You may think I am joking but it's true. It would be a great taxable just like Alcohol and Tobacco. A money maker and save all at
the same time
Harford Cut majority of the contractors that the State Of Maryland have and let state employee's do those jobs.
Frederick I see kids with cell phones & i pods getting FREE breakfast at our public schools. With WIC etc there is no reason why a parent cannot give a child a bowl of cereal with milk and juice before school. I think that we need
to make parents realize that their children are THEIR responsibility! If schools would be allowed to do what they are there for (teaching our children) everyone would be better off.
Anne Why cut only certain areas and just go with an over all cut in all phases of the budget ie: if the overall cuts amount to 20% than all areas should have a 20% cut not just selected areas
Arundel
Baltimore the increase in the states sales tax has lost much revenue in the state...myself,neighbors and relatives are now alternating car pools to delaware to do bulk buying as well as large ticket items,as you will see higher
taxes definitely does not work!
Somerset Go to 4 day work weeks w/ increased hours..madate buildings closed on one day a week...WHILE going green...introduce energy saver where all building are closed and "off" where possible...air condition on at 9 AM
and off at 2 PM...minimal lighting throughout buildings....energy costs will go down too!
select your Eliminate costly conferences. Hire on staff attorneys for Child Support Offices that have current contracts with local States’ Attorney Offices. Reduce unnecessary system generated letters.
county
Baltimore A statewide buyout of all state employees with substantial years on the job. This would lower the cost of salaries while encouraging those with such tenure to go out on retirement without reservation. These types of
would be a win-win situation for everyone. Replacing those employees with entry level positions would alleviate higher costs on salaries.
Anne You are proposing to stop paying reitement to retired state employees. My husband retired from the state police and has no social security, not his choice. I think maybe you should put the red line on hold (good idea -
Arundel bad timing) so the people that have given their lives to the state can continue to pay their bills. And by the way he is 59 and works so when he does retire he will probably get $75 a month. I would like to see you live
on that.
Anne YOU SHOULD CUT WELFARE FUNDS TO THOSE YOUNG GIRLS HAVING BABY AFTER BABY AND JUST SITTING HOME COLECTING A CHECK. CUT OUT LOANS FROM FOREIGNERS THAT DON'T HAVE
Arundel TO PAY TAXES. MORE TAXES ON CIGARETTES. AND POSITIONS IN HIGHER UP OFFICES THAT ARE NOT NEEDED.
Caroline I see state vehicles commuting every day crossing the bay bridge. I also see state pick up trucks parked at peoples homes at nights and weekends. It looks like the state is letting employees take home their cars and
trucks at tax payers expense. so stop this now and save lots of money, in fact the state must have too many vehicles if everyone has their own vehicle. Use pool cars and cut the fuel and maintenance budget would be
cut in half!
Allegany *Reduce spending by lessening the amount of meetings being held in the Baltimore area and requiring counties in Western/Southern MD to be present, this can be done by utilizing more teleconferences.
*Reduce use of State Police utilizing State issued vehicles for private use.
Carroll No furloughs or staff reductions. Raise the gas tax. That affects most people and not just state employees.
Baltimore I suggest that someone take a hard look at the welfare system, getting some of these people back to work. I understand that we all need a helping hand but I think that alot of people take advantage maybe put a cap of
how many years a person can get assistance. I also wonder about all of the help going to Illegal and or immigrants where does that money come from?
Carroll No furloughs or staff reductions. The burden must be placed on ALL Maryland citizens not just state employees. Other cuts that affect citizens like tuition increase affects state employees too. Just increase the sales
tax from 6% to 7% TEMPORARILY to balance the budget. Then in one, two or three years (after slots are in place) take the sales tax back to 6%. The burden of salary reductions and furloughs is only on state
employees. (not my neighbors and family - whom all make more money then me)
Allegany There are a number of things that can and probably should be done. Here are three:
1) Raise income tax. I know no one likes to think about this and certainly no one likes to do it, but when revenue falls, something has to be done. We can't continue expecting services without paying for them. When
the cost of the services goes up and the incomes go down, there aren't many options. This does not, of course, have to be an across-the-board tax increase. Raise taxes on the top 5% of income earners.
2) Raise sales tax. Again, an unpopular thing to do, I'm sure, but it can be done in a more palatable way by raising sales tax on only some things. Keep food and "necessities" the same as it is (or even lower it if the
resulting increase would still produce an increase in revenue). Raise the sales tax on "luxury items". You could easily determine the average cost of normal items (cloths, cars, etc.) and introduce an increasingly
higher sales tax on things that exceed the average cost. The more the average cost is exceeded, the higher the sales tax.
The other issue here is that if enough revenue is not generated more layoffs will occur. The problem is that those most likely to be laid off are lower income people. If you raise taxes on the wealthier people (who can
afford it) it may help save jobs of people who are less wealthy.
3) Begin to actually grant licenses for slots. This was supposed to generate a lot of money, but if no one is being granted the licenses what's the point of making it legal.
A final word: Please do NOT institute "temporary" pay reductions. Instead use furlough days again. The result is the same, but the morale issue is very different. And we all know that "temporary" pay cuts aren't so
temporary. We'll never recoup the money that we lose in "temporary" pay cuts. At least with furloughs it's truly temporary (even if it has to be done for multiple years) and when raises are given again, they will be
based on current salaries rather than reduced salaries.
Harford I work as a contractor at xxxx, so I know all about the wasteful spending that the government does. I think next you need to look at how unfair the child support laws are and getting people who don't need welfare, off
the system. Men are forced to take second jobs and work overtime, just to have their exes take them back to court for more money! Women are taking advantage of men, and the men can't even claim it on their taxes!
It's robbery! Then there are women getting a ton of child support and staying on the system. If you would like to know an offender, I have one for you!
Baltimore I read in the Sun not long ago how state employees we upset at the change TV stations made to digital signal. The reason they were upset was their TV's ON THEIR DESKS did not work any more and could not watch
their soaps. GET RID OF ALL OF THEM! I think we need to rethink work ethics of people in goverment jobs or not pay them with our tax money.
Howard My suggestion goes one step further than cutting spending. My suggestion is for generating revenue.
Please fine slumlords who are ruining our communities by not doing adequate and thorough tenant screening. If after so many calls for service form the police department for fighting, disorderly conduct, suspected
drug dealing, drunk and disorderly, domestic violence, repeated noise complaints, etc., I believe the landlords need to be first notified, then after 3 instances, fined if they do not take measures to stop the behaviors
impacting neighborhoods.
The state should assist landlords in removing these terrible tenants that are ruining our neighborhoods. These slumlords and bad tenants are wasting our valuable police and paramedic services.
Respectfully submitted,
xxxxx
Baltimore My suggestion is to eliminate the Travel Agent arranging travel for the Comptroller's office. They are booking travel at a higher rate than the individual can receive for the Government rate or internet rate. This could
amount to as much as 500.00 savings per week
Anne One way to save money would be to turn down the air conditioning in the summer. It is so cold in the state building we work in during the summer months that we have to wear coats, hats and sometimes gloves. This
Arundel seems to be a ridiculous wast of money to me.
Allegany Cut the size of the state vehicle fleet and require employees with these vehicles to live within a reasonable distance of their work site. ie: State Police and State Highway employees driving in excess of 60 miles each
way to work in state vehicles. All departments need to be put under the microscope to find ways to reduce state spending. I hope this will help balance our budget.
Anne 1. I have worked at the state office building in Crownsville since 1993 and the temperature of the building during the warm weather months is always uncomfortably cold. All of our staff have to wear sweaters, socks
Arundel and even gloves sometimes just to be comfortable to do our work. An obvious way to save money would be to increase the temperature of all state buildings from May til September to 78 degrees. If the men are too
warm in their suits and ties, relax the dress code in these months. Why waste all that money just so that the men can be comfortable in their suits?
2. Explore the possibility for staff to work from home. We do field work and if we could access our computers from home we could reduce the electricity spent on lighting, etc. in the office plus reduce the mileage
reimbursement accrued from having to drive into the office and then back out into the field. Also have each agency review their fieldwork requirements. Our agency used to require one visit to each provider a year, but
that was increased to 3 in a 2-yr. period, 2 of which are unannounced. Often the proivider is not home and we have to make repeat visits. Also the visits are required by a schedulle so they can't always be made when
you happen to be in the vicinity visiting other providers. 3. Consider a 4 day work week or go back to a 35 hour work week to reduce costs.
Harford Why is it that we're looking at putting in a Red and Purple line? Seems like a huge expenditure that could be saved until the economy recovers further - and the money that's not spent can instead be put towards
lessening the effects on the higher education system in MD.
Mandating telecommuting wherever possible for state employees and contractors.

Baltimore This is probably already a suggestion, but a statewide buyout of all state employees with substantial years on the job who are nearing retirement age might help. This would reduce total salary expenditures while
encouraging those with such tenure to go out on retirement without reservation. These types of buyouts have been offered in the past as an effective way of cutting costs. Employees could retire knowing that they
have received something in exchange for helping the state in its time of need. It would be a win-win situation for everyone. Refilling those jobs with entry-level employees would reduce stress on the salary budget
while also reducing unemployment.
City Many programs are either not effect or not serving enoung citizens to make them cost effective. The each department secretary should look at their programs and eliminate those that are working. Because this
process may be time consumming, a head start might be to look at legislative audit reports. Many pilot programs that do not serve the populations they were meant to serve are never elimated after the pilots are
deemed unsuccessful.
Anne Raise the price to cross the Bay Bridge to $5.00 round trip. This could bring in enough revenue to avoid other cuts to State Services.
Arundel
Howard No one appears to be addressing the housing problem for renters. To rent a house or apartment is ridiculous. We need a rent freeze! That way people can focus on jobs with out losing their place to live. Nixon did it,
why can't the govenor? Renting a house cost $2000 a month or $24K per year. Renters are not being helped because everyone is so busy helping the mortgage companies. Landlords keep going up on the rent while
they are getting help! It is not fair!
Montgomery Good afternoon Sir,
At this time if I may suggest that the Maryland State Gov. cut all welfare programs, all benifits, all freebies, and any and all funding to any and all illegal alliens living here in this great State. As well as cut any
funding to organizations to such groups as CASA MARYLAND whom help promote the breaking of Federal Laws.
Sir, I know this is harsh but look how CA took this action and was able to save millions of taxpayers money that would otherwise be going to illegal alliens.
Sincerely,
xxxxx
Montogmery County
Baltimore Almost all State agencies supply vehicles to many employees. End this practice. Like most people in our Great Country, let them supply their own transportation. The State will no longer have the cost of buying
vehicles, vehicle maintenance to deal with, gas allowance, insurance, etc. I believe the savings will be considerable.
Anne Hello Governor Omalley
Arundel
I am a single 45 year old woman who depends solely on my job to survive. I would like to know if you must layoff State employees, will you lay off Contractual and Part time employees before you lay off the Merit
workers? My job is my only means of income and without I don't know what I would do.
Also, what about the County Government employees? They haven't had any furloughs or salary reductions. They were even rewarded two days of Administrative leave because they will not be able to get a raise this
Fiscal year. State employees have been furloughed and we will not be getting our COLA or Step increase this year. Not to mention we will soon be contributing to Union fees whether we want to or not. It's just not
fair. State employees are taking a major hit while the County is being rewarded. Granted, I am thankful that I still have a job, however, the State employees alone should not have to suffer any more.
I am asking that you please spare the State employees from layoffs, even if it means more furloughs.
Thank you for your listening.

Carroll Please discontinue or dramatically reduce funding for college scolarships. Too many mediocre students get full-ride scholarships to universities such as FSU, just to keep enrollment up. The college students or their
families should be responsible for their own education expenses, not Maryland tax-payers.
Baltimore Just like the court system, require some filing fee when appealing to the final level of any administrative framework.
City Streamline your procurement process for local departments. Much money is wasted using a few select business retailers instead of using places like Walmart or Staples to get your business and office supplies. I am a
retired State employee. I recall how difficult it was for me to purchase comparable products for far less money at places like Sam's, Walmart, Target and such because we were required to order from catalogs of
companies who charged far more. You need to be able to make a choice if you can find a comparable product for far less money. You would save millions.
Frederick RE: ELIMINATE DUPLICATE SERVICES AND FIRST EXAMPLE THAT COULD BE ELIMINATED SAVES ALMOST $55 MILLION
Governor O'Malley:
Thank you for the opportunity to directly offer suggestions to your office. My suggestion is for the state to eliminate duplicate services. The FIRST EXAMPLE is to explore merging two quasi-government agencies,
Maryland Environmental Service (MES) and the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority (the Authority) as provided in Section § 3-924 of the Natural Resources Article of Maryland’s Annotated Code. This
merger provides a potential savings of almost $55 MILLION (operating expenses) to Marylander's from either Maryland’s tax system or a local tax system.
Maryland Environmental System (“MES”) has the ability to perform all of the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority’s (“Authority”) functions and operates at “not for profit”, which implies a savings over the costs
charged by the Authority. For example, the Authority charges counties an annual member fee of approximately $30,000. The Authority has 11 employees (see below) whose functions could for the most part be
absorbed by MES.
Finally, MES does not require participating counties to delegate a county employee to become a member of the Authority’s Board. This requirement has placed respected county employees in a position that has the
perception of a conflict.
§ 3-924. Termination of existence of Authority.

The Authority and its corporate existence shall continue until terminated by law, provided, however, that no such law shall take effect so long as the Authority shall have bonds outstanding, unless adequate provision
has been made for the payment thereof. Upon making adequate provision for the payment of all outstanding bonds of the Authority, the Authority may merge into the Maryland Environmental Service, with the consent
of the Maryland Environmental Service and the approval of the Governor, by filing a statement of merger with the Secretary of State and the Department of Legislative Services. Upon termination of the existence of the
Authority, all its rights and properties shall pass to and be vested in the State for such distribution as may be provided for in contracts between the Authority and the participating counties and in the statement of
merger, if any.
The Authority’s Staff Members:
1. Robin Davidov - Executive Director

2. Chris Skaggs - Deputy Director
3. M. Catherine Coble - Director of Finance and Administration
4. Stephen Blake - Project Manager
5. Andrew Kays - Project Manager
6. Amanda Moore - Project Manager
7. John Schott - Project Analyst
8. Diane Duvall - Staff Accountant
9. Traci Baker - Part-Time Staff Accountant
10. Shirley Wright - Administrative Assistant/Network Administrator
11. Soncererae Johnson - Administrative Assistant/Receptionist
Baltimore How about if our representatives, senators, etc., take a cut in pay the way the population has had to do. Why can't they take a furlough day. Not the lowly workers who are struggling to make ends meet, but all the
"higher ups" the ones who make entirely too much money for the little bit of work they do.
City First of all, let me compliment you on the way that furloughs were handled last fiscal year. I appreciated the fact that the number of days required correllated with the pay scale so that we continued to protect our most
vulnerable employees. I say that even though I was in the group that was required to take 5 days.
Second, have you thought of asking if there were employees that would be willing to take extra days on a volunteer basis. I know that financially I could take more days and would be willing to do so.
Thirdly, have you thought of making it easier for people to work somewhat part time, such as working 90% time thus taking a 10% cut in hours and pay.
Thank you for taking input from public opinion.

xxx
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Talbot Consider raising the liquor tax. Maryland and D.C. have the lowest liquor tax in the nation. Appreciate the opportunity to comment xxx
select your CHARGE STATE WORKER THAT USE BUILDING PARKING LOTS 25.00 BI WEEKLY THROUGH PAYROLL DEDUCTION. IF YOU CHECK TO PARK ON METERS IN BALTIMORE CITY THE COST IS .25 PER
county HOUR AT SOME LOCATION.
Baltimore xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Baltimore A few quick ways to save money is to stop landscaping the roadsides and runoff ponds, just until the state is back on its feet. Limit take home vehicles to essential personnel. As well, look for bargains at staples or
office depot when purchasing office supplies.
Carroll Discontine tax breaks for people with children. It is unfair for the childless citizens of Maryland to bear the tax burden for the families who are benefiting from the education system, department of juvenile services, etc.
Baltimore Short term:
Raise the tools on Maryland Highways $1.00.
Delaware raised their tolls on I-95 from $2 to $4,on State Route 1 from $1 to $2. New Jersey raised the toll on the AC Expressway from $2 to $3. Florida raised the tolls 25 cents on all toll roads around Orlando. In the
case of Florida, they received an additional 3 million dollars in the first 2 months of their toll raise.
Eliminate any toll discounts, eliminate any State Vehicle being taken home.
Raise the penalties for trucks that are overweight going through the state.
Place a fee for tire recovery and oil recovery fees in tire stores and service centers, ie: Jiffy Lube, Merchant Tire, MR. Tire, and all Service centers in car dealerships throughout the state.
Long Term:
Extend the VEIP Program to ALL STATE COUNTIES, including the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland and not just the Baltimore/Washington corridor.
Baltimore I think one of the ways to cut the budget would be for high level personnel in the adminis tration to take a pay cut. Also, there should be an early buy-out plan for state workers with 25+ years of service.
Talbot I'm currently a State Employee and I've been with the state for almost eight years. Instead of having to layoff workers, it would good to give those qualified for retirement an early retirement package so they would retire
early. That would eliminate layoffs. If you have to layoff employees, it would be best to give them a great severance package. Anyone laid off would be upset, but it wouldn't be as bad if we went out with a severance
package. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Anne xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Arundel
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City Since a lot of workers have taken pay cuts this year maybe the heads of goverment can take a pay cut. I was told(by someone answering my email) that when some heads of goverment took furlough days that they
donated their salary for the day to charity. They get a break on their taxes so what do they lose. DO NOT CUT HEATHCARE SERVICES THAT INVOLVE NURSING HOMES. OUR SENIOR CITIZENS PAID THEIR
DUES.
Carroll Governor,
Has anyone looked into how much money might be saved if off duty use of vehicles was prohibited for troopers? The savings may be significant, and then again, maybe not. Just a thought.
Baltimore Furloughing state employees is not the answer. I'm a state employee and cannot afford anymore furlough days. State employees have bills like every other citizen. If you do decide to furlough state employees, ALL
employees need to be furloughed. Not just those who make over $40,000. BGE, mortgage etc. doesn't want to hear that you are being furloughed and can't afford to pay them. Our children can't afford to hear that we
don't have money to feed them, yet we don't qualify for foodstamps. Why food and money is being taking out of some employees pockets others are maintaining. All employees need to be treated equally.
My suggestion is to have field employees to work from home and report once a week to the office. This will save on building and BGE cost. Lift the tuition freeze on state colleges and universities. Eliminate state
contracts and fill the position with state employees.
City If possible locate small state departments into one building vs leasing many building to save money on rent/lease. Try to reduce office space and allow state workers to work at satellite offices to maximize space usage
and renting less floors of the building.
City 1. No government vehicles for transporting from home to work
2. No cost of living raises
3. 10% pay cut accross the board like many in the private sector
4. reduce travel allowances to Congressional Members- no reimbursement for meals, mileage or hotels when members live within 50 miles of Annapolis
5. No Red Line save the money- when the money was flowing over the last 10 yrs the infrastructure needed to be addressed then rather then finding new programs to fund.
6. Increase government employees contribution to medical insurance

7. Colleges- tenured Professors need to teach more classes daily
8. Schools- reduce the number of administrators significantly and add more teachers.
9.Abolish the use of brokers and go directly to the companies = more streamline and less markup
10. Maintain what we have not teardown and rebuild.
11. Stop the growth of government
12. no more minority preference......cost and ability to produce the product or service should be the first consideration.
13. Stop the influx and employment of ILLEGAL ALIENS - what about ILLEGAL does this State governmental body not understand?
Your response to each of my suggestions is appreciated and expected
Thanks
Harford Offer senior employees a buy out so they can retire with some amount of financial security thus opening positions for unemployeed people and thus reducing unemployment costs.
Thank you.
Kent I suggest that the Governor rethink purchasing 3 brand new helicopters in ONE YEAR!!! What in the world were you thinking?!? We could definitely purchase ONE PER YEAR and remove the oldest helicopter from the
fleet first, then the next year another new one to replace the next oldest, etc...Please do not cut health anymore than you have already cut it. You are denying poor people of services they desperately need right now!
With the money from two brand neqw helicopters you wouldn't have to cut services that Marylanders need so much during this finanacial time when we are all suffering as it is.
Anne I have proposed this to Delegate Ron George, also.
Arundel There is rampant handicap placard abuse in our area. I have mostly observed this at Westfield Shopping Town and strip malls in the Severna Park area. There are young and middle-aged, apparently health people that
put up the rearview mirror handicap placards and park in the handicap spots. Some of them literally bound out of their vehicles. A spin-off problem is that the truly handicapped people cannot park in their appropriate
spots and then pull up alongside the storefronts, impeding traffic and taking up the spot for any needed emergency vehicles. Suggestion: do a pilot program whereby a "meter-maid" type of employee observes the
misuse of placards. 1st fine = $100, then 2nd and 3rd offenses ramp up to $200 and $300, respectively. This also means that the placards need to have the Handicapped individual's NAME on them so abusers can be
identified. This new position can be staffed with people that have been "laid off" from other positions. It could also probably be staffed with older, retired folks looking for part-time work to offset their own expenses. I
believe that based upon the numerous violations that I see, there is definite revenue to be had. Of course, you will have people that won't pay; this can be tied into their driver's license privileges being revoked. A citizen
that doesn't have the basic empathy to understand how many infirm people need these spots, deserves to pay. Thank you for this opportunity to outline a revenue-producing idea that could also improve the daily lives
of disadvantaged people.
City I feel cut the cost of giving welfare and free benefits out. If these peolpe continue to have children while on public assistant then make them earn what they get. Cut the free ride to peolpe who come to this state. It is
always been said come to maryland for free living and housing. Stop cutting the saftey of our state. There is way's they can earn what is given to them, let them sweep our streets, let them help in our parks. this would
save millions. If we would cap welfare it could save our state.Let a poor person have a say like me. There is to much spending on contracts that are given out. They over spend to venders when you can buy it cheaper
at a walmart. i have been a vender I see this. Stop all the state dinners parties, trips. Stop having expensive cars for govermant. Ride like we do. I could go on. I see so much waste. Please stop the inner harbor
building. Our highways are fine.
Frederick Cut out the funding for middle school afterschool programs. the program here in Frederick costs $250,000 for 5 schools serving 30 kids each which works out to $1600 per kid, not to mention what the local OCF office
takes to run. Use the money to improve education and resources that way. Parents have to pay for elementary school childcare after school so should middle school kids.
Baltimore why are we the people taking cuts and losing jobs,and you ,who work for the people are not. Time for the people in government to take pay cuts an perks cuts and tighten their belts.
Baltimore Conduct a review of state government employees and lay off those who are not performing and/or not neccessary. Too many people work for the state and federal government who do not do their jobs and just collect a
paycheck at our expense!
Baltimore Fist of all this is not true...first an inherited structural deficit.
You may want to think about what big blue chip companies are doing with the facilities/hardware and software departments. Sub out your working force to small/minority owned businesses then the state doesn't have
to pay benefits,vacation,pensions etc,.Then you don't need supervisors let the small business supervise and all the state needs are inspectors/managers. Hey the state been fat for years the citizens voted for change
so give it to them.
Anne Stop spending money on welfare programs that produce no return for our state. Start allowing small business to do what it does best and generate growth and economic prosperity. Also... Stop giving money to
Arundel Baltimore City and make them accountable for themselves. Make them lower their property tax rate to spawn some growth. I am not an economics expert, but I do know common sense and hard work usually amoutn to
big savings and great returns. stop stealing from Marylanders!!!!
Baltimore 1) Eliminate non-essential state government positions held by political appointees.
2) Five to ten percent temporary salary reduction for state employees who make $80k or more a year.
3) Stop using high paid consultants to do work that state employees are qualified to do and match the employees salary to the consultant's. The salary difference can be divided amongst an entire office as well, as long
as they perform the additional duties.
4) Use state employees with good financial backgrounds to review all invoicing related to projects and services from state vendors before the vendors receive payment.
5) Ask all state employees for cost saving options for their agency. Ask them to find any waste in how their jobs are being performed or office operations.
6) Ask state employees to give up personal, vacation or sick leave hours before salary deductions or furloughs are considered.
7) Make the Comptrollers Office notify all vendors who owe state taxes that their future payments will be taken by the state until their back taxes are paid.
8) Train all managers and project managers in each agency on project management skills because money gets wasted when their projects are not planned properly.
9) Put limitations on state furniture and decor purchases. I have seen agency's waste money on high priced furniture, rugs, etc. but won't purchase basic office supplies.
10) Since filmmaking is an art form, try to aquire stimulus funds for the Maryland Film Office. Put a spotlight on Maryland's film industry by focusing attention on Maryland film makers, film resources, digital resources,
film festivals, actors/actresses, crews, businesses, etc. so that film productions and other film industry professionals located near Maryland can utilize the talent and film services Maryland provides.
11) Give the current light rail trains the right of way when they go through downtown Baltimore to help decrease the time passengers get to their destinations thus making the light rail a more attractive option for
potential passengers. Keep all light rail trains, subway trains and buses clean and safe so they will be more attractive for current and potential passengers.
12) Awarding vendors contracts for submitting the lowest bid is not always cost effective because additional costs and subsequent change orders can occur because of vendor errors and misjudgments. Change the
laws and bidding process to better evaluate the potential vendors before contracts are awarded.
City Cut the Subway expansion- All of it!!! No one will benefit from it if they can not afford to go anywhere.
Baltimore I have worked in Accounting/Finance in both Higher Education and in Public Accounting. My suggestions are the following:
Regarding Higher Education Spending. The Private Colleges receive a per capita figure from the state regardless of the origin of the student. I would like to see the State of Maryland only support those students who
are Maryland residents, not the entire enrolled population. ie: Hopkins, which has a large endowment, receives funds for a large number of out of state, out of the country residents.
Also, regarding education, the Private K-12 schools who own significant parcels of land do not pay real estate tax on this, or personal property tax on assets. Again, many have large endowments, are not associated to
religious organizations, and pay no real property or real estate taxes on their assets. This is quite unfair to the small business community who struggle to survive and pay these taxes. We really need to have some.
Finally, my biggest pet peve; The PA residents who work in the State of Maryland, perhaps for the State itself, and other government agencies as well as the private sector, and pay not a penny of income tax. If the
reciprocal agreement for wages is too touchy to recind, then at least impose a commuter tax of sorts on those who are employed in the State. They certainly clog our highways and use other resources without any
contribution to the state treasury.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts. I have shared them with my legislators for years to no avail.
Wicomico Governor:
Great idea!
Ideas:
Stop highway grass cutting for a while and use personnel in more pressing areas. It is a matter of priorities and may save fuel & Maintenance costs.
Clean up and clean out government warehouses, and offices of surplus property and have a big yard sale. That's what many Americans do to supplement income.
Sell or lease government owned land. We have a lot in this area. Lease it to a farmer to grow food, corn, soybeans or? Or get a % of sales.Charge for hunting on government land?
Allow the state to take donations. People will donate in time of need. A penny here or there adds up. Or start a penny drive. Or add one's name to a brick at the Statehouse for $20.
I am sure you have already looked at "Pork Spending"?
Many people are on unemployment and state subsidies.Allow them to do something for the money they receive. Help with the "State Yard Sale", previously suggested or some other useful service. Help in a school, etc.
No such thing as a free ride. Do it one day a week or every 2 weeks or?
Increase parking fees by 1 or 2 cents. Increase tax on liquor, beer or wine by 5 cents. It adds up quickly and no one will complain about 5 cents.
I am preaching to the choir when I say: "Keep things simple", balance wants vs. needs. People need jobs, a sense of involvement in their destiny - not handouts. Nothing is free.
Lastly, health care is great and needed but it shouldn't be rushed through.We need to work on stimulating the small business and getting new business. People need jobs to buy food and shelter first. Let's work on that
in Maryland and show the rest of the country how it's done.
Thanks again, this is a great idea! We need more open government.

Have a great day!
xxx
Anne 1. Stop creating unnecessary jobs designed to hire retired people back into the work force and paying them good money, after they are already getting a pension. They are commonly known as "double dippers". They
Arundel get good money from their pensions, a lot of them make more in their retirement than those of us currently working in the same field. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. This allows them to get two incomes and work towards a second retirement. I thought it
was illegal to get a disability retirement and then work doing basically the same thing.
This is a common practice.
2. Stop giving so much to illegal aliens, stop giving them drivers licenses, when the rest of us have to provide an enormous amount of documentation just to get a license and we have lived here all of our lives. This
would allow the MVA to eliminate a lot of disgruntled employees who are only there because we have so many illegals that make up probably 80% of the customers on a daily basis.
3. Stop giving independent/food cards to people that allows them to shop and buy whatever they want. It is not being used to provide healthy food for their family. We have personally witnessed them buying expensive
seafood from restaurants and buying from convenience stores, which always costs more than a grocery store. The cards should only be accepted in major grocery store chains. This would save a lot of money because
they would be spending less.
4. Trash pickup could be cut back to once a week.
Allegany If state employees have to endure furlough days again it should include all state employees and county employees. No one should be exempt. This would lighten the burden on everyone. A state employee is a state
employee no matter what your position.
Anne Change the state lottery profits from it's current allocations to schools and roads. The lottery can be put to good use at this time.
Arundel Make a state tax on obesity causing products such as sodas, snack products and fast food items. Double win in the healthcare fight as well as helping our budget shortfall.
Howard The state and county have invested $14 million over the last four years in a for profit enterprise -- a wedding and conference center -- for Howard Community College. Belmont Conference Center is a money losing
venture for taxpayers. The only "benefit" to taxpayers that the college claims is that their culinary students can learn there. However, their culinary students can do internships at any hotel/resturant/conference center.
The college does not need to own a resturant to train workers - just as a college does not need to own a hospital to train nurses.
Thank you.
Harford I'm with you on this one, State Jobs should be cut! The State departments work like no business ever could. People working for the State have more vaction days, sick time, etc. than any business would ever allow.
There is someone working in my office who just have her 35th anniversary. She is (and has been for 25 years) maxed out on the days of vacation she gets at 15. I've heard of people working for the State who get 2
months of vacation. This is ridiculous!
When you do cut the jobs. Make sure you are getting rid of the correct people. Do not merely cut people based on color! Cut those who do not perform well, like any Business man would! Otherwise this state will never
run efficiently!
Montgomery 1) No more overseas travel for any public officials.

2) No more conferences.
3) no redecorating of offices
4) Stop mowingthe lawns on 95 and other major highways
5) start having the public unions contribute to their healthcare premiums just like the public
6) increase the age allowed for retirement of all public employees
7) stop spending money on food or beverages for any meetings of officials

8) get rid of the public fleet. no town cars for any official. Use public transportation or get reimbursement for the use of your own car
Harford We should allow advertising on our public school buses to offset fuel prices.
Harford Please allow a buyout of all state employees with substantial years on the job. This would lower the cost of salaries while encouraging those with such tenure to go out on retirement without reservation. These types
of buyouts have been offered in the past as an effective way of lowering salary costs in the past. Employees could retire knowing that they have received something in exchange for helping the state in its time of need.
It would be a win-win situation for everyone. Replacing those employees with entry level positions would alleviate higher costs on salaries.
Baltimore I think that we can make better use of school dollars than providing cell phones and laptops for administrative office clerical personnel. I would think that the money would be better spent on something that directly
benefits the students. There should be a review of how the principals are allocating the dollars in their individual schools.
Worchester First off....the Website has Worcester County spelled incorrectly.
The Department of Budget and Management has spent considerable money over the past 3 or 4 years on a contract to develop and automated time/leave system for state employees. To date, the system is not
functional, and indications are that if it is ever available, state agencies who wish to use it will be charged a considerable monthly fee under the contract for "support" or the system. In contrast, most of the local
Department of Social Services offices are currently using or bringing online a system that was developed by a former DHR employee (John Mayo, now deceased). The system, known as PALS II, is functional but still
needs some enhancements and bug fixes. It is available to DHR and all of the state for FREE if someone already employed can be assigned to support it. Total savings before figuring the salary of the person
assigned to support this application would be over $100,000
Montgomery Please continue to support our most vulnerable children and families in Montgomery County - no more cuts to the Interagency Children's Cabinet Fund.
Carroll Dear Govenor O'Malley,
I have been trying to reach you to seek help, but to no avail. I have beeen cutting corners left and right to keep
my family surviving these hard times. I would like to speak to you or thru e-mail. Please give me the opportunity to do so, I'm 56 years female, working 40 hours a week with an hour and a half ride to and from work,
plus am a caretaker for a disabled woman,plus she has more health problems,than
enough, depression on top of all others.Please ,let me explain everything to you I can't take much more pressure I'm one person, I know I'm not the only one but so many people are able to speak to you, and then most
are ignored usally before you even see them. I look forward to hopefully speaking to you. God Bless and thank you in advance.
xxx
City Offer those with 30 years or more of state service a financial bonus incentive to retire. Although there would be an initial output of funds, it would be less over the long run that the state would be putting out for salaries,
if they continue to work.
Baltimore SLOTS, SLOTS, SLOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Carroll I suggest that the health departments start to charge a fee for more services such as for PPD testing, pregnancy testing, etc. that are currently free of charge.
City One consideration that I have never as an option is offering early retirement for the vast number of state employees who have worked over 25 years in the system. (A recent recognition ceremony in my agency alone
honored over 70 staff members who had served 25-40 years). We are in a climate where the baby boomer generation, which is quite large, is staying in positions, which does not allow for people from the Gen-X
generation to move into higher positions and responsibilities (i.e. move along the career path) and I can only venture to guess has significant costs in overhead for the state. We are also in a climate where many young
adults graduating from high school and college cannot find adequate employment. The current environment is one of stagnation and disgruntlement rather than opportunity and innovation, which state agencies
desperately need at this time.
There have been a lot of abolished positions, furloughs, etc. but there has not been a reduction of work load; in fact, the work load for many agencies has increased significantly. Abolishing positions/furloughs does not
solve the problem, it actually exacerbates the issues the state is facing as it leads to dissatisfied, unmotivated, and inefficient employees, which in turn can lead to productive staff leaving for the public sector. State
positions need to open up across the boards and need to be filled with hungry, eager employees who want and need to learn job skills and knowledge, rather than be maintained by people who want to sit back and
collect a paycheck to do business as usual.
In short, state agencies need to become leaner not in number of staff but in number of bloated salaries and overhead, and archaic processes. It is the same sentiment that many in our country feel about the banks and
car companies that have been bailed out and it apply here as well.
Baltimore If you didn't spend all that rainy day fund when you first came into office you would'n be in as bad of shape spend thrift go play music
Harford Governor,
My sugestions are; 1. Look for ways to increase revenue sources. 2. Increase the tolls at the harbor tunnels from $ 2.00 to $4.00. Then eliminate one side of the toll boothes. 3. Reduce outsourcing of Architect/
Engineer design reviews and have those done by in-house staff. 4. Reduce contracts for building maintenance and have that work done by in-house staff. Have in-house staff perform preventative maintenance to
prevent and eliminate the need for costly contract replacement of equipment 5. Eliminate all contract employees. That is all I can think of at this time.
Howard Eliminate the 2000 Patronage jobs the Governor has given out, hire them back when things get better. Most of the jobs could probably be done with in house staff, people that actually have Maryland State
Government experiance.
Caroline 1. Discontinue policy of employees, officials, etc. having state vehicles at home. It would save save alot of money in fuel, insurance, wear and tear of state vehicles if employees had to utilize their personal vehicles to
get to their place of employment. Many employees who utilize these vehicles live in one county but work in another.
Early retirement for employee's who have longevity to decrease overhead in agency budgets.
Anne 1. Put information on the websites vs. printing out information in booklet form which could save money on the cost of paper, etc., and it's 'green'.
Arundel
Carroll Not printing and mailing assessment notices each year will save the department of assessments and taxation hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not millions). The information is readily available on the state's
website, accessible 24/7, 365 days a year. This is a much more environmentally friendly option as well saving a great deal of wasted paper.
City DELETE THE RED LINE FROM THE BUDGET
Baltimore Discontinue funding for the "Family, Infant and Child Care Center, 332 W. Edmonston Drive in Rockville, MD. It is an extremely poorly run and poorly managed child care center that has received millions of state dollars
and continues to drain the state budget. The ARC of Montgomery County manages the program and has done an extremely poor job overseeing the day to day operations as well as fiscal affairs. There is no
accountability on the part of the administration of the center or of the ARC to provide a quality program. The State of Maryland monitors the program and does monthly visits where serious problems have been
documented by these state representatives. The state has fined the ARC more than once for problems identified but somehow continues to fund the program. The educational program is below poor in quality, and may
actually be detrimental to the special needs population it is supposed to serve. Teaching staff are poorly trained, poorly supervised, and unmotivated to provide quality care to the children. Therapists from the MD Infant
and Toddler Program who provide on-site therapy services have also voiced complaints about the poor quality of the program and some will not recommend the center to the families they serve. Parents have also
complained to the state about serious safety and other problems at the center. This program is a potential liability for the state. The center recently closed one room, combined groups and laid off some staff due to low
enrollment. The state should not be wasting millions of dollars on this unsafe and poor quality program. The money would be better spent invested in improving the public school system in MD, or the state could
allocate these funds to start similar preschool programs that could be managed and housed by the public school system.
Harford A statewide buyout of all state employees with substantial years on the job. This would lower the cost of salaries while encouraging those with such tenure to go out on retirement without reservation. These types of
Anne Why not reduce the number of Saturdays the MVA is open in any month. It would cut back on overtime and energy cost. The operating hours could also be changed to accomidate people being able to come in after
Arundel their work hours.
Make legislators use the same standards for perdiem as state employees. If they are within 50 miles of their district they would not be eligable.
Stop giving millions to groups like Casa of Maryland.
Temporarily stop study groups and committees

on projects that are not federally funded or have not started construction.
City What about a buy out for older state employees (longevity) - you could hire two people for one person with 30 or more years service to the state of Maryland
City LEGALIZATION: I know this is a touchy subject, but I would suggest the legalization of drugs. The taxes alone would right the budget easily in a couple years. Not only that, but the turf wars and gang killings would
end. It's a win - win.
City Ask state employees to join in the effort to help save state jobs by reducing energy consumption.
a. Lights should be turn off in areas that are not being used for long periods of time.
b. Computers, printers, copiers and desk calculators need to be turned off on weekend’s and evenings when not in use.
c. Buildings that do not have staff working in them should have the air conditioning turned off or set to a higher temperature.
d. Look for more ways to help reduce energy cost in the work place.
City FULL CASINOS: Instead of just slot machines, I would suggest that we create full casinos, complete with table games, sports betting, shopping, conference rooms and entertainment / show / concert areas. To pull this
off, these would need to be top-of-the-line establishments (I'm thinking Bellagio or maybe Borgata). And to prevent Baltimore from becoming Atlantic City, we would only allow one casino in each of the following areas:
Inner Harbor (Port Covnington or Convention Center), Ocean City (Ocean Downs), Western Maryland (maybe around Wisp Ski Resort), and one close to DC/Annapolis (maybe Laurel Park). If you build it, they will
come! But, we need to do it right.
City Dear Gov. O'Malley,
I have two sugestions. First the state should put off purchasng new election equipment till the economy recovers. I know that people have issues with the theories of how the units can be compromised and I know that
you have issues with Diebold, but we need to put our personal issues behind us and do what is best for the state. The touch screens are good machines that the majority of Marylands are pleased with. I think that if
we postone any purchase of new equipment for several years Maryland will be better off financialy.
The other sugestion is to reduce the number of stops that the MTA busses make. I live in Federal Hill in Baltimore and so many of the Busses go by mostly empty. To make things worse the stop at every other block
to pick up or drop off people, I think that we could greatly reduce the number of busses and reduce the fule consumption if we stop the overlap of routs and increase the distance between stops. To give you and
example I believe that the 1, 31, and 61 all go past my house. Sometimes they are just minutes apart, busses mostly empty and they stop about every 2 blocks to pick up or drop off people on any of the 3 routs. If the
1 goes from downtown to Ft. McHenry and the 61 goes from downtown to Curtis Bay then maybe the 61 sould only go from S. Baltimore to Curtis Bay. Everyone needing S. Baltimore would go on the #1. If someone
went through the routing of the busses I am sure we could reduce the fleet of busses to a more effecient fleet. I know when we lived in Africa the buss stops were miles apart, even in the city they were long distances
and guess what when we needed to take a bus we walked to the bus stop.
Thank you for taking the time to read my sugestions. I hope they help.
xxxx
Anne 1)Revisit and rethink all projects being considred or under progress, for a) Actual need, b) Benefit to cost ratio for the people of Maryland, and 3) Check for "Sweet heart" deals
Arundel 2)trying to balance the budget only on the back of state employees is hardly fair; 3)Require Unemployment and Welfare recepients to work at least 20 hours towrads government assigned jobs/tasks for this benefit 4)
Limit Trash/Recycle Pick up to only once a week. 5)Start the saving and sacrificing from the highest level, from the Governor, the law Makers and the general public in fair and equitable manner.6) Rethink teh idea, that
more money buys better education or health care; 7) Use the media to promote better values, good economic discipline and preventive health practices.
select your My suggestion would be a 4/10hr day work week. This would save on gas, over crowding commutes and on the environment due to less cars on the road. Another reason would save employess gas cost which would
county give more money in pocket to to help boost the economy spending. Government offices would save on enery cost. By staggering the 1 day off between the employees would not jeopardize the serves to our citizens. It
would also give citzens a more flexable time to conduct business with state services due to extended hours; instead of taking time off work and lossing pay to conduct business with government offices because the are
closed when they get off work. This is a win win situation for everyone.
Harford Instead of limited groups of Maryland citizens, such as state employees and students, feeling the majority of the cut backs, all Maryland citizens should contribute to correcting the deficit. One way to accomplish this is
by dividing the amount of money needed to correct the deficit by the number of citizens and charging, or taxing every citizen this one time fee. Everyone needs to contribute their fair share in correcting this problem. It
should not be paid on the backs of state employees, students and selected groups of citizens.
Washington Inmates commit crimes get locked up and get everything handed to them. Make them start paying for their meals, room and board, medical (even though its the worst medical I have ever seen). You take pay from hard
working honest people who try and do the right thing make things hard on them and their families. Start make crimals responsible for their actions. They have jobs in prison, their families send them money. There is no
reason why they (inmates)can't help. They are a big reason why states are in this mess, because they are taken care of for free. What does it cost to keep one inmate a year $30 - $40 thousand? Maybe that will help
deter them from commiting crimes. As long as they are hand everything they will never learn responsibility.
Custody staff members receive 12 minutes overtime daily for roll call. If a staff member leaves 6 minute prior to the end of their shift, we as supervisors are required to charge them 6 minute of leave whether it be
vacation, comp time etc. Only because the overtime starts at the beginning of the shift. So if a staff member is properly relieved and wants to leave within that 12 minute time frame prior to the end of their shift. Why not
charge them the OT instead of their leave. Alot of people will forfeit that couple of minutes OT. This will save the state some money and if it happens at all Institutions it adds up.
xxxx
Carroll I have observed prisioners picking up trash along the highways, sometimes the van pulls a trailer behind it with a Johnny on the spot behind it which seems like a good idea. Sometimes a dump truck pulls a trailer on
the back whth the Johnny on the sport following the van which seems like a big waste of gas and the employee just sitting in the front of the dump truck with the motor running. What is wrong with the prisioner van
pullling the trailer? BIG WASTE of money.
Carroll it is time to charge dirt bikes/ATV/4wheelers/bicycles,etc. the same as cars - tags and title. then when these vehicles run places they shouldn't be, a witness can get a tag number and then charge them and fine
them....more money.............
Baltimore 1)Raise fees for crimes
2)Raise taxes on cigarettes
3)Raise some of the prices of the scratchoffs
4)Lower the lottery advertising budget
Baltimore Hello -
So, instead of thinking about cuts, how about increasing revenue? And why can't we do it at the same time as we help out the environment? It is so disheartening to see tons of bottles and cans thrown out every day
by citizens, bars, and restaurants. Why not implement the recycling program that states such as N.Y. have? Add $0.05 to the price of each carbonated bottle and can and let people and businesses redeem the money
when they turn in the empties. The money from cans and bottles not redeemeed can stay with the state. The bottles redeemed for recylcing will not end up cluttering the environment. The only costs would be set up,
implementation, and managemnt. I'd even be happy to help out with that! Plus, Maryland would earn respect by doing this.
Please consider this suggestion.
Respectfully,
xxx
Carroll You need to reign in on your spending. Installing solar panels on the roof of the Governor's Mansion is green and extremely expensive. Maybe now is not the time to be focusing on such a grand project. Setting an
example for Marylanders to save and conserve would not cost a thing but go a long way.
President Jimmy Carter conserved energy within the White House. He lowered the temperature to 65 in the winter and did not offer guests water.
All the little things add up over time.
Carroll • Budget cut back can be made to Open Space initiatives
• Much higher taxes should be placed on businesses, residents or other occupied spaces lining the Chesapeake Bay, and other major bodies of water. (should not only be based on assessment of property and dwelling
-- usage, accessibility and income potential should be factors)
• Competitive bidding within State and County government structures should be more stringent and monitored more closely. Often internal workers can be lax and not readily willing to step out of a comfort zone with a
continued vendor/contractor for possibly having to perform to their own job responsibilities. If not in place already, there should be a three or more bidder structure where pros and cons should be itemized out to justify
eliminations. In addition, bidders could pay the state a standard bidder's fee to the state to help offset personnel expenses of the justification. It would also be beneficial that each bidder show their three highest paid
employee salaries (W-2 copies) similar, as non-profits must post. This would help bring insight for a bidding review committee (members from other internal departments should be a part of) as to overhead cost(s) that
exist within each bidding company. This would also allow the committee to better understand what is a reasonable price for services or products for the State.
• Highway department vehicles and other maintenance equipment for buildings, infrastructure, parks/recreation should have a minimum shelf-life of 5 years (possible more).
Reduce the purchasing of equipment, etc.
• Reduce some of the higher paid managers, middle managers and supervisors and develop department team committees with leads, and other responsible officers within the teams. Have team committees make cost
justifications with incentives for team cost reductions, etc.
•Both State and County (all) government employees should only get pay increases based on performance, good participation in cost reductions for Maryland, and production.
•State and county employees should have to reapply for their positions every two years.
•Hospitals and other (legal) drug distribution facilities, businesses should pay higher taxes or healthcare fees to the State without imposing this cost onto their patience
•Close Maryland State Print shop and vend out the printing through complying bidders
•Make some county governments pay for maintenance of some the state roads without raising county taxes (Carroll spends to much money on schools and their incentives and does not encourage them to raise money
themselves for their own pet projects or needs)
•Higher income families with children should pay more taxes to their counties for their public education. It should not be a redistributive cost.
•Reduce Dr. Nancy Grasmick salary to be reasonably less than Governor O'Malley This should never be in the government.
•Their should be equal Democrats and Republicans in any form of government. I have been in Carroll County for over 10 years and have not had a Democrat for a commissioner yet. This would certainly balance
spending more efficiently.
•Force agency, business to purchase and occupy vacant buildings not being used or not haven't been used within 2 years. Sell, occupy, or get higher taxes on vacant lots and buildings not being used by county
properties.
•Charge fees to aggressive drivers and imposed damage fees to State property caused by causing accident parties
•Reduce State costs of IT services
•Limit one car per politician Impose a reimbursement justification of event, luncheon and mileage expenses. Let them pay themselves upfront than get reimbursed if the expense follows within the guidelines of
reimbursement expenses.
•Reduce educational assistance to State employees
•Use some of the State lottery proceeds to help reduce the deficit
•Place more stringent requirements on State fundings and grants More justification and financial planning and monitoring of applicants
•Tax places of worship that have no structured denomination with other churches (7 should be the minimum they should be structured with)
•Impose paid clergy and officers of a place of worship publically post their salaries. Taxation should occur for clergy or staff making over $50,000 annually
•Have college students utilizing State educational assistance work in vacancy positions within the State (structure the assistance of applicant to pay back through State job working)
•Use prisoners to work on roads more and reduce the road worker costs.
•Reduce the minimum requirement to $500 from $1,000 of casual sales and use tax to generate more revenue for the state
Thank you for your time and consideration, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Carroll build all schools using the same design
Carroll STOP allowing state employees to take state owned vehicles home. What a waste of the taxpayers monies. We have observed state vehicles driven to other states i.e. Pa and WV.
We provided our own transportation to work and feel the state employees should do the same.
Baltimore Raise all state park fees $1. close all state parks either 1 hour earlier or open them 1 hour later.
Baltimore First of all please do not furlough any more state workers and please reinstate cost of living and or step increases one or the other. It is hurting everyone that every thing is being is raised and some are unable to
maintain a basic lifestyle. (1) suggest Freeze on all state jobs.until economy is in recovery mode. Please do not take away from
education. (2) Why cant top officials such as yourself, judges be affected by furloughs, no raises. it seems the lowest ones on the totem pole are affected the most. The way of the world is the ones that make the less
suffer the most.Why should we take on the brunt of the shortage of money? Stop building at this time any new projects. I can't think of any more suggestions at this time. i know it's a hard decision but please think
about the little man and woman. Thanks for your time .
Caroline The state system is saturated with employees with between 25 - 29 years of employment who are merely holding out to get their full 30 years & retire. These employees by far have the higest salaries & are the most
costly to their employers. Why not offer an early retirement so that those of us who are working because we want to & because we are financially dependent on our jobs can continue? The employees more recent
schooling tend to be more savey with financial strategies, budget management & with the use of technology. We have always had to do more with less & may be better able to manage programs during difficult times.
Baltimore Raise court fees $5 on all state filings including prisoners.
Cecil MVA: CLOSE ALL MVA OFFICES ON SATURDAYS. OPEN ONE NIGHT DURING THE WEEK. CLOSING ALL WEEKEND WOLD BE A GREAT SAVINGS BECAUSE ON FRIDAYS ALL POWER WOULD BE
TURNED OFF, NO OVERTIME USED AND PEOPLE WOULD STILL HAVE THE SERVICE AVAILABLE TO THEM. wE ARE A CAPTIVATED AUDIENCE AND WE MUST GET GET OUR DRIVERS LICENSE AND
REGISTRATION WHEN IT IS TIME AND WE WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. IN TIMES LIKE THIS EVERYONE MUST DO THEIR SHARE.
Anne Stop spending unnessasary money.
Arundel
Baltimore Cut 1 state employee from every department not involved in public safety.
Baltimore Reduce mid level managers

xxxxxxxxxxx True people need raises but by creating supervisor jobs and pay is silly To raise salaries why not go back to pay for preformance which is what the PEP program was suspose to do Thank you
Baltimore Please consider reductions in the budget in the areas truly in need of trinmming without disrupting the vital services to the citizens of Maryland. This is a better solution.... not balancing the budget by furloughing state
workers.
Also, please consider a special exemption for furloughs in the case where both spouses are employeed in state government and are required to take furlough days....that creates a real financial hardship for those
families. If furloughs are truly needed, only one of the employees in one household should be required to take furloughs. There is a false perception by the public that there are far too many State employees and that
they are lazy, unmotivated, and overpaid. The truth is that State employees are some of the most dedicated, hardworking, and underpaid people that take pride in their organization and their state .....A message that is
almost never conveyed to the citizens of Maryland that they serve. There are so many services provded by state employees in transportation, health, and the environment that go on unnoticed and "behind the scenes"
that the public never recognizes or appreciates. That needs to be changed, by highlighting the positive impact that the State's programs ( and the employees that manage them) have in the daily lives of Marylanders.
Thank You for this opportunity to particpate in this process.

Cecil dear sir:
You could eliminate the National Guard at the Havre de Grace site. They do not warrant being active. They never complete a full week of work, they take 2 to 3 hour lunches arrive at work when they feel like it. Close
it or move it to APG and sell the land to the city of havre de Grace or to a developer. I realize that much of the funds are reimbursed from the Federal Government, but it would still be a great savings.
Baltimore Increase the % money the state gets from all vending machines in state buildings.
Carroll xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Anne First is to cut your pay in half with your entire staff by half before you make any cuts to the hard working state employees. Your staff show reduce pension plans by 45 %. Show them for once you are willing to take the
Arundel first step. Then anyone in general assembly takes a 25% pay cut, they should lose all medical programs and go to the new fed medical program. Then we go to the school board and we cut 15% off the budget to start..
Every state dept must cut 10%.. NO INCOME TAX RAISE.. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Start at the top before anyone else has to take pay cuts / job lost. Cancel all out of state trips
for all state employees. Also make sure you cut all judges pay by 30 % .
Baltimore Enforce no idle policy on all state vehicles.
Baltimore Stop making Marylanders use two license plates. Why do we need one for the front of the car? Maryland is one of the few states that requires two license plates. We only need one!!!!
Baltimore Cut all state employee benefits by 5%.
Baltimore Require all state building to be heated 2 degrees less in winter and cooled 2 degrees less in summer.
Anne First and Foremost cut all salaries on all the higher up asap, as soon as possible.......put the money back into the 700 million debt. I am 54 years old I work 2 jobs and my husband is disabled , we leave off of $24,000. I
Arundel am a educated women and this is where I am in life, I have $3,000
in a retirement!!! Please cut all your salaries and give back to the people. This will and can work.......
Light and Love and Truth to the people,
xxx
Get back to me, please.....
Cecil I have only lived out here in MD for 7 yrs. Where I lived prior to moving out here, our State Troopers were allowed to have take home cars, but were not allowed to use the state vehicles for any personal use
whatsoever. I feel that if the State of Maryland would set the example, the counties and cities would follow the example of not allowing government officials to use agency vehicles for personal use. I know this would
save an enormous amount of money on all the budgets (State, County and Local).
select your No more paid holidays.
county
Anne I am a retired state employee. I worked for the District Court of Maryland for nearly 30 years. Though I don't have any specific suggestions as to how to balance the bugdet, I don't feel that our health benefits or pension
Arundel should be reduce or eradicated. I'd rather see a tax increase on unhealthy products such as tobacco items or even soda and foods which contribute to bad health.
Talbot I think the State should wherever possible contract with only MD businesses who employ MD workers in order to reduce MD unemployment benefits and increase Tax Revenue.
Baltimore Charge all state employees for none work related phone calls and computer use.
Cecil Good Morning,
First I would like to say that my wife and I are very concerned about the budget since my wife is a state employee so we would like other things cut or reduced before laying people off. Why can't the state take away
ALL take home vehicles for ALL State employees (MSP, MDTA, and other take home positions). I am sure that the cost of repairs, tolls and the cost of fuel will drop dramatically if this was to be eliminated. Maybe this
can be reinstated when the economy picks up again. Have another round of mandatory furlough days for this fiscal year maybe make some offices have off every other Friday or Monday as a furlough day to save on
the cost of electricity, staffing and operations cost of state buildings.
Sincerely,
xxx
Baltimore 5%-10 pay cut for all state employees that make over $20,000 a year.
Anne Instead of focusing on cuts, focus on raising revenues. Ban texting while driving and make it a $500 fine. Enforce the headlight law during inclement weather. Have police officers track down people that owe the state
Arundel money (such as parking tickets) while on shift.
Baltimore Give adequate funding to public safety, education, transportation, and "reset" all other spending to zero. Determine how much is left over, and then prioritize funding with the remaining money to "pet programs" that
aren't absolutely critical to running the state.
Baltimore After a long work record with State Highway Admin. for 20+
years, Everytime we got into a jam SHA was the one that had
to take the hit many times,1988,1999,1993,2001.
Anne I had an idea the other day. As far as cutting money from the state budget how about we, oh I don't know, STOP GIVING DRIVERS LICENSES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!!! ONE OF ONLY SIX STATES IN THE U.S.
Arundel TO OFFER LICENSES TO ILLEGALS??? THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS AND A DRAIN ON OUR STATE ECONOMY. DO IT NOW, TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND STOP
PUTTING IT OFF UNTIL 2015 SO SOMEONE ELSE CAN CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!!!
Baltimore Currently, much of the anticipated revenue from slots is slated to go directly to the horse racing industry. This private industry should be self sufficiant. As with any business, if you cannot make yourself marketable,
tough decisions need to be made. Any profits should be used to offset the deficit and for the benefit of our citizens.
That said, Maryland is behind the curve with regards to expanded gaming. Deleware has recently passed legislation that will result in basically full blown casinos. Maryland needs to go beyond slots and match (or
exceed) what DE and other states have done.
Basically, we (as a state) are either ok with gaming or not. To say we are limiting it to slots and lottery's only hurts our revenue generating potential. We should either be ALL IN, or out. Let's not do this halfway.
Thanks and good luck.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Baltimore Set all the thermostats to 72. Some of the government buildings are COLD! Especially at the UMB/UMMS. I know patients need to be comfortable, but my husband works at one of the office buildings and it is
FREEZING. All state buildings should be set at 72 degrees, at a minimum, and have timers to change the temp at night to a higher setting (76 degrees). Saving energy and saving money makes sense.
Harford Sirs, I have been a State Employee for over xxxxxx years with the Dept. of Juvenile Services, and am planning for the day when I can retire. To do so, I will still need to supplement my income with part-time
employment. I have had the priviledge of working within an office of dedicated Case Managers/Juvenile Counselors, many of whom have recently retired or are also planning to retire. Many also need and or want ,
part-time employment. We are a generation of responsible and mature employees with a strong work ethic and vast education and experience. I suggest that the Dept. of Juvenile Services develop a plan and stategy
to utilize our talents and skills with post-retirement , part-time employment. We do not need training, have the education and skills needed, and most importantly, have loved to work with and for the youth of Maryland.
Instead of contracting with expensive vendors for programming, many of us have lead programs, groups, and worked in community settings. We know the resources available and how to help navigate services for
families, as well as provide services directly. We are a viable resource that can be " recycled", and this cost savings seems logical to me. As we work to serve youth and families in their communities, rather than
place youth out of their homes, more supportive and direct youth contact is needed,( to help prevent recidivism). I think, "out with the old, in with the new" philosphy is not "green" . New hires,( when hiring is at a
freeze anyway) and paying vendors for programs that sometimes don't "fill the bill',simply costs more. Retirees don't require anything but contracted hourly wages, and are willing to work flexible schedules. I hope you
will consider my suggestion, and thanks for asking. Sincerely, xxxxxxxxxxx ( A reply would be greatly appreciated.)
Baltimore stop the personal use of all state, county and municipal vehicles. There is NO reason why anybody should use any of these vehicles for anything other than business use. I have to pay for my own transportation why
should MY taxes pay for their greediness.
Howard Put Statestat on hiatus until better times. This waould save on the mileage and parking incurred by highly paid executive-branch personnel who report to this weekly meeting. These folks could be managing state
business more efficiently and the same oversite could be accomplished via conference calls.
Cecil Hello. Thank you for this opportunity. First - taxes CAN NOT rise. As a resident and small business owner, taxes are out of sight and need to be reduced in the near future. The state needs to STAY WITHIN THEIR
MEANS WITH EXISTING REVENUE! A SIMPLE and effective cost savings is to have MVA use ONE license plate (like DE and PA) and ONE sticker for month and year (like DE). This would be a 50% savings in
issuing plates and tags for motorvehicles in MD. Simple, easy, quick, logical, cost savings. How simple is that? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks
Harford I suggest that residents be charged for trash collection. I reside in Aberdeen, Maryland and currently pay $0.80 for the collection of large trash bags and $0.40 for the collection of small trash bags. Additionally, trash
collection can be limited to one day a week, if it is more than one day. Making recycling mandatory, will reduce the cost associated with trash collection because the amount of trash will be greatly reduced.
select your Where do I begin? 1. Eliminate the road patrol vehicles that seem to cruise the interstates waiting for a potential accident or vehicle in distress. 2. Stop paving roads that don't need to be repaved (most recently the
county inner loop of I-695 near Wilkens Ave.) 3. Increase tuition at all state funded schools - it is ridiculous that this has been fixed for four years. 4. Eliminate the state department of education entirely - let the counties
handle this alone, or take over the education process entirely. The duplication in effort, oversite and regulation is foolish at best. 5. Stop the "greening" of the state house. The solar panels recently installed will never
pay for themselves. Too much show - too few results. 6. Substantially increase MTA fares - rates have been artificially low for too long. These are user fees and should be paid for by those that use the systems, not
the general populace.
Harford Reduce state employees working hours from 8hrs to 6hrs. Shifts could be staggered:
Early shift: 8:00am to 2:30pm with 1/2 hr lunch
Late shift: 9:30 am to 4:00pm with 1/2 hr lunch
This would decrease payroll costs by 2 hrs/day per employee

or 10 hrs/wk per employee.
Full staff would be available during a core time of 9:30am to

2:30pm.
Another benefit would be a reduction of morning and evening rush hour traffic.
This could also eliminate the necessity to lay off state employees
Baltimore Good morning,

My suggestion would be to make some full time positions part time or atleast give the full time employess the option. Ofcourse they would risk not being eligible for certain benefits but it would be there choice. It would
be surprising to find out that there are many full time state or city employees that may want there positions to be part time if possible. Me, I am in school part time and I work full time and I would like to work part time in
the same position if possible in the near future. Also some agencies use to much energy where some of those employees can do their jobs at home with a safe state issued labtop. Please take some of these
suggestions into consideration.
Thank You.
Anne I think you should stop FREE transportation to the State employees, such as Light Rail, etc., they should have to pay to get to work just like all the rest of us government employees. I work for Transportation and
Arundel government and no one pays me to get to work. Look at the money to be saved there alone! And, if they are not essential or safety positions, take away the take home cars for now and make them go to work to pick
them up to use for their jobs, there is no real need for them to take home all the time. And why is it that the retired employees are getting a 3.8% increase? The federal and local governments are not getting it for
retirees, letters went out to them not to expect a cost of living this year or next year. Stop that too, this is a serious budget loss and ALL the people should have to give as well as the local and federal governments are.
It infuriates me to see the state employees still getting things when federal and local are not and the state is taking from our budgets to help out, but yet the state employees still get the perks. Yes some of them are
being furloughed, not all of them, but they're still getting perks that other jurisdictions are not and they are costly. Clean your own house before looking elsewhere as well. Because other jurisdictions make it all across
the board for all employees, seems like it's not that way for the state employees across the board.
Thank you.
Baltimore I would suggest that state Senators, Representatives, the Governor, Vice Governor, and upper state employees take a salary cut of up to 15% over a period of a few years to help balance the budget. I would also
recommend that state employees try to be more productive at completing their daily work load. Watching the state's work force at work when I went down to the state office building on Preston St. I concluded that you
could eliminate about a quarter of the employees and still get the same amount of work done if people would just work a little harder and stop slacking off.
Howard The biggest and most effective way to solve the problem is for you to step down and get out of office! That would be a great beginning to get this state back to where it should be.
Carroll Instead of hiring outside consultants to conduct studies, why not utilize our own resources, let qualified state employees do this work?
Anne Let me balance the budget. I balance my checkbook each month to the penny. I bet there is a lot of 'small' things that only a non-goverment worker could see that could be eliminated from your budget.
Arundel
Anne Make it illegal for government employees to use government cars for personal use. Saw a corrections officer parking on a no parking curb to go in and pay her Sprinit bill. This was at Dobbin Center. Governemtn cars
Arundel used to go to McDonalds and other fast food and restaurants filled with correction officers to include offifers and sergeants.
Make government emplyees to follow spedd limits and not speed thus reducing fuel consumption.
Consolidate positions that current do the same process. This would reduce the number of people required and number of supervisors. Conduct a manpower, work and position review which may cost money but would
in the long run reduce work force and save money. Have each person write what their job description is and force them to do it. But once data is collected then look at reductions.
Get rid of the vacant slots that are in the government. I understand that each slot is funded but things are tough and the cuts have to come from somewhere.
I was told there was a person getting paid a significant salary to manage black history. If it is true why? Even though it is important why do we need someone just to do that. Cost savings. xxxxxxxxxx
City The state has valuable professional resources available through the body of knowledge that Chief Internal Auditors from various state agencies have via a host of credentials (MBA's, CIA's, CFE's, CPA's, JD's) as well
as others who may be well seasoned from past experience.
An Internal Auditor is defined as "providing independent objective assurances and consulting activity designed to add value and enhance an organizations operations."
The Governor may want to call upon these professionals to solicit their assistance in helping to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations.
Baltimore Some time ago, The Sun had an article about some people in the Transportation Dept. spending time at work, watching porn online. So my cost-saving ideas would begin with getting rid of such money-wasters. Also,
high-income government workers could reduce their benefits/salaries, and to get more money, traffic violations should be enforced. For instance, on Pikesville's Old Court Road and surrounding areas, I constantly see
drivers passing on the right and speeding.
Anne I would like to see cuts that make a difference not just cutting state employees.
Arundel How about revamping the procurement process. We pay more for supplies based on having to use minority/ and small businesses.
Cut some of the directors of the agencies we don't need 50 chiefs.
Charge more for some services like accident reports, and replacment hunter and boater cards.
Step technology up to the 21 century. The state uses a lot of processes that are outdated.
Cut pay to prisoners they should work for free
If the state employees take furlough days then the city and county should also.
consilidate some of the agencies
Anne Make the employees work faster. I was up at the Court house this year getting xxxxxxx Probation assignment and the woman behind the desk was elderly, very slow, she took her time, stopped twice to get up and get
Arundel a drink, I think she only typed at pace of 10 WPM. It took her 45 minutes just to process xxxxxxxxx paperwork. Go into the MVA, or courthouse 'in cognito' one time and go into some of these offices and waiting areas,
and watch your people at work. You will be surprised at what you see. Slow workers - unproductive workers, workers who really do not care about their job. They are just there to collect a check and benifits.
Baltimore Take all the vacant positions that are not filled.
Make a good offer for people who has 30 years or more to retire - preferably with all there money no percent and with full benefits
Reduce office space and negotiate lower prices for state buildings
Reduce the salary of staff with higher positions in the State
Harford I work in baltimore city, I'm not sure if state or city is paying for beautifying main roadways like, Eastern Ave, Harford Rd, etc., but it seems to be an unnessecary improvement. the relevance of tearing up perfectly good
streets and laying brick inlay walk ways and center medians seems very wasteful in these economic times.
Also thru several business relationships I have become aware of much waste in the mechanics garages and service centers for the states road equipment. I have been told of truck and vehicle maintenance that is a
"throw it away" policy and replace with new instead of having competent people fix and "re-use" parts. There are also many regular maintenance items that can greatly increase gas mileage and reduce repair costs
that we sell thru one of my businesses. we have been trying to introduce these products to the Bus gargage (mass transit) and the state highway admin but have not had a lot of luck getting to the proper people.
would be glad to set up a presentation for someone if possible. please contact me. email or cell xxxxxxxxxxxxxx thanks..
City FIRST YOU MUST GO TOO THE TOP,START WITH THE FAT-CATS, CUT THEIR PAY-AND STOP THEM FROM STEALING,THEN YOU WILL GET 100% OF THE BUDGET BACK.LEAVE THE WORKING
PEOPLE ALONE AT THE BOTTOM.(THE POOR WORKING PEOPLE THAT HAVE KIDS,LEAVE THEM ALONE.)THE FAT-CATS DO STEAL.
Anne Expense accounts - for employees who take people out to lunch, dinner, etc. - Put a cap on the amount that will be reimbursed and do not reimburse any costs for alcoholic beverages (these can really make a bill add
Arundel up), besides - they should not be drinking and driving while on Government business.
Anne A few suggestions: First, there are many contracts presented before BPW for work that State employees already do or can do. The work should not be contracted out when it can be accomplished by adding one or two
Arundel PINS. Secondly, why are Union employees paid a bonus to come to work in addition to receiving sick time to get paid for when they don’t? I believe it would be a great idea to abolish the bonuses before any furloughs
or pay reductions are thought of. Lastly, instead of renegotiating office space leases negotiate the space that is owned by the State.
City Looking at the state manpower pool, offer a employee out plan. For employees with 20-25 years of service, give them five years of service credits. Under new state retirement plan, they will only receive about 40% of
their salaries and savings are great. For employees with 30+ years of service, entice them with five years of service credits and pay their current health insurance premiums. This is a large "chunk" of expenditures and
would save the state millions. This would prevent layoffs and increased filings for unemployment.
Again, the above targeted workforce would only qualify for about 40% of their regular salaries.
Baltimore I wonder if the cost involved in mailing out a violation for going through EZ pass lane is worth the revenue received? I mistakenly got in the wrong lane recently and was mailed a violation notice to send in my $2.00. It
struck me that the cost involved in mailing out the notice cancelled out the revenue to be procured.
Baltimore I am amazed when I watch 8 men standing around a hole in the ground and only 2 men are actually working. We could save alot of money not paying the other 6 to stand around all day and watch. Make the crews
smaller. Also why is when you need a permit in Balto City you have to see 5 different people(all on the payroll) when it should only take no more than 2 people. There are 7 cashiers and you still have to wait over 30
minutes and there is no line (being paid to sit around and talk). I don't like to see anyone lose their job but in this recession and deep budget cuts I feel the government needs to look in their own back yards. The Mayor
of Baltimore surly does not need all those cars. I just think the government needs to clean up their own mess before they start to cut out programs the tax payers are paying for. We are also paying for all the waste in
the Maryland government. Have a nice day while I work to pay for more waste
Baltimore you need to close and fire all the employee there since they go not do there job and are not held accountable so you are wasting alot of state money paying people who to not do their job.ex: last november more than 6
people who brought in their information for food stamps including medical documentation ( can be used if you are disabled ) instead of working the cases , letters were sent out saying nothing was turned in( all of us
had signed receipts) and all our food stamps were stopped . if you call me at xxxxxxxx i can tell alot more reasons why you should fore all these employees and the proof i have concerning this matter
Howard
I've never worked for the government in any capacity and yet most of my friends and family are employed by either local, state or federal government. As an employee from the private sector who has managed
employee benefits for a few large corporations, I have never seen leave time offered to my employees at the rate in which government employees seem to receive paid leave. In fact, in some cases I understand many
government employees have not seen regular pay increases however they have received additional paid leave. This is an expensive benefit. For every hour/day/week an employee is away from their job we as tax
payers are paying for down time. For instance, did you know that it has been a common practice for years for employees who work at DHR in Baltimore are afforded 3 days off for Christmas shopping every year. These
days are intended to be taken at the employee's discretion. This does not include the "church ladies" (also DHR employees) who walk around each dept. every week taking orders for chicken dinners provided by their
church.
Everyone needs time off and that's a proven fact. But to stand on principle and talk about how the poor state employees haven't had a raise, is very misleading.
Minor details? Perhaps...but if you're asking how to save money, the devil is in the details.
Baltimore Get rid of the state chef and wait staff.
Baltimore TAX TAX TAX companies that outsource work. BRING THE WORK BACK TO THE U.S. You would create millions of jobs if you would give tax breaks to companies that keep the jobs here and TAX TAX TAX
companies that outsource work. Problems started when more and more jobs were outsourced - KEEP THE JOBS IN THE U.S.!!!! Most of the service jobs/clerical jobs/support jobs - GONE - all gone to outsourcing!!!!
also -
when work is done on the road, how come 2 guys are working and 5 are standing around watching. Employees are paid to stand around and watch? Where do I apply?
City Furlough Monday's for everyone would recover the budget quickly. It should apply to everyone not according to salary brackets.
Baltimore From everything that is being said about budget cuts. My thought is you are laying off the employees that make a difference everyday. I think you should take the salaries of the employees that make over $60,000 and
cut there pay. (that way you can afford to pay the smaller salaries) By doing this you are not laying off the employees that make a difference. Everybody will still have a job. By laying people off the economy is going to
get worse because the people you lay will not be able to afford to buy things. Unemployement Benefits are only $700.00 every two weeks. If you have a mortage of $1000.00 a month and other expensies we will have
more forclosure. Also, when a non-state employee sees the state employees just sitting around they are the ones you should lay off.
Anne cut the governor's paycheck
Arundel charge the governor rent for staying in the governor's mansion.
Cut back on the previous governor's pension (most of them have other jobs).
Cut the pay of the legislators and the governor's staff. Return the new websites, they weren't necessary
Anne I suggest that you do away with employees taking home Government owned cars and trucks. The tax payers are paying these people to drive back and forth work each day. I have to drive my own car back and forth
Arundel to my job each day and I don't get reimbursed for gas. Perhaps you should build a private garage where the employees can drive their own cars to/from work and they can park there, pick up the Government car for
'WORK USE ONLY' and then park it at the end of the day and drive their own car home. Think of how much money you could save just by doing this one small thing.
Anne Stop printing direct deposit advices for employees. If an employee would like a printed copy they can go to the web site and print it out. Most of these are not picked up anyway and end up getting shredded
Arundel
Wicomico Give state employee's the 4 day 10 hour a day option and close buildings down for one day
Cecil I think we could focus on all the out of state cars that are parked in parking lots in Apartment and Housing developments. These are people who are living here and never bothered to change vehicles to the State of
Maryland.
Carroll 1. Perhaps if SOME of the State Centers went to four ten hour days to cut utilities, I’m aware that not all buildings can do this but if some do what would be the total savings.
2. Please don't lay state employees off..... Perhaps if we were to give up holidays or if ALL employees take more furloughs this would keep workers employed, I feel it is very important to keep people employed, it
would only add problems if the unemployment rate went up in the state of MD.
3. Cut “luxuries” employees, inmates, etc…. Go back to overheads, employee/students should write notes and stop the use of so much paper with hand outs. In short employees order and waste to many items. Cut
what inmates are allotted.
I hope this helps or that we as a state can come up with something.
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Baltimore Give an incentive for State workers who are eligible for retirement to retire, such as 4 weeks of additional paid leave or whatever seems reasonable. This needs to be done quickly to result in the greatest gain.
This would accomplish 3 things: 1. get a big salary off the payroll, 2. create a vacancy where salary savings can be gained, 3. create a vacancy that can be reviewed for possible elimination
Harford Take automobiles away from State workers when they are off work. This would cut down on the gas, insurance to cover them and their families for personal use and the wear and tear on the vehicles that are needed
to do their jobs.
Anne How about getting rid of all those grossly overpaid government officials? You know the ones... who do nothing but want to "research" what they already know the results of. You know the bay bridge needs updated,
Arundel there is no need to research this, it is fact. How about getting rid of dishonest government like Dixon? You know she took bribes and still she is paid how much money? How about cutting back on perks to criminals in
jail? They dont need cable, weigh rooms, and huge libraries. They are being punished for crimes commited against the other law abiding citizens of this state. Use non violent criminals to clean the roadways, there are
not nearly enough of these types of crews out there. Instead of sending state workers out to clean up carcuses on roadsides >which they dont do anyway< send non violent criminals out to do it. Have non violent
criminals work as trash collecters. Stop paying state workers so much damned money to pick up trash. You need 1 driver and one "spotter" if you fit them with tracking devices before they go out, they wont get far.
Stop supplying illegals with WIC, foodstamps, energy assistance, medical assistance and the likes. I've worked since i was 14 years old and paid into the system and can not get assistance for my 2 kids because my
husband makes too much money, and yet we dont have enough to pay our bills. I could go on, but the obvious is all i'm stating, its too bad those on the government level refuse to see the obvious.
Calvert Change Leadership, fourhlough all Polititions until they figure out what it's like to live in the real World. Take your Band and perform a few benefit Concerts to help with Maryland's economic crisis.
Carroll stop state trucks from being taken home. and stop them from going to homes in pa. i see them dailey after 4:30 thru 5pm . there should be no!!!!!!! need for these vehicle to go home with workers or to pa..!!!!! itizens
are watching!!!!!
Montgomery Reduce or eliminate air conditioning in selected buildings. Turn OFF all equipment, routers, electronics; allow employees to wear shorts and tank tops to keep cool. Use led night lights at night. Compost in gardens to
eliminate / reduce watering requirement. These policies have worked phenomenally for me at home. For any residential state-run institutions, or any institution that uses laundry: I have a working clothes line that is
phenomenal with savings. Regarding telecommuniting: I work at home and it's a big headache, so I don't recommend that across the board (equipment problems are my biggest issue). Double and triple up on use of
your cars for multiple errands at one time. Rely more on older employees for ideas for streamlining, so the wheel doesn't need to be reinvented, with resultant mountains of paperwork being generated to announce
new "discoveries".
City Cutting jobs is definitely not the way to fix the budget. People are already on the verge of losing their homes in most situations. Cutting education is not one of them either. I am a State Employee and a single mom of
three who just moved into an apartment six months ago. The last thing I need to hear is that I'm losing my job and have no income to support me and my children. It's not fair. Some of these big suits in the state of
Maryland should get some furloughs like we did. We mananged and now you want to do it again?? To us?? Not fair! If I can make if off of less than 30,000 a yr with only Medical assistance than we really need to look
at that. I know people have different types of lifestyles but we all voted for change and I don't think this was the type of change we were expecting. I'm willing to do without some things in the State of Maryland but jobs
and education should never be on the chopping block. So the question should be to anyone making the hundreds of thousands a year, What are they willing to do without?
Frederick The best way that I know to balance the state budget is to go the way that North Dakota went 90 years ago and charter a state bank. (See the article by Ellen Brown at
http://www.webofdebt.com/articles/state_bank_option.php )
City My suggestion to save money, and reduce crime, is to cut off any state support through social service programs (ie Section 8 housing, food stamps, food vouchers, etc) of immediate families in which a member of the
household commits a felony crime, either as an adult or juvenile. As example, 15 year old child, in a household headed by mother who receives public assistance, is convicted of a crime, the mother's support should be
curtailed as she is basically being paid by the State to raise her child which she has failed to do, so payments to her should cease.
Harford Take money from the new proposed light rail lines, or stop perchasing land that is already catagorized as swamp or marshland. Give state employees a break since they were hit hard late last year
Baltimore First of all, I really don't understand why your state workers have to take so many cuts. We have lost raises, cost of living, 401k match,increments and furlough days. In atleast the past 5 years Maryland has lost
billions of dollars by not having slots. It very hard to understand why the state would let this type of revenue keep passing us by. People complain of locations for slots, take for instance Pennsylvania, they took an old
steel mill building in Bethlehem and transformed it into a casino. There are many areas in Maryland, such as warehouses and old mills, off to themselves that could be transformed as well.
Baltimore The state could save a lot of money if the Loaned Educators at the Maryland State Department of Education were returned to his/her jurisdiction. Some Loaned Educators make 2X or 3X what other State employees
make at MSDE.
Baltimore Take all state employee that had 25 years are more, let go.and all other workers take a 10 per cent pay cut. Thank you. and save 20 million.
Harford When I talk with State Employees I am always amazed by the amount of time off they have. I've worked in the private sector for almost 40 years and there is no doubt that private sector employees are much more
efficient than govt employees. My simple suggestion, reduce the number of state employees and reduce the benefits they receive. Stay away from teachers because when you consider less than 40% of kids in
Baltimore graduate, we cannot afford to compromise education.
Harford I am a disabled veteran and am very limited to the funding that I need to fix my home to make it safe for me to get around. My suggestion to the Maryland Gov. and the federal Gov. is that you should do what we are
expected to do. Cut your wages just like we askedto do to help. I can't understand why the pay to any one that is working for the people can justify the amount of money you take from taxes for a salary! Get a real job
for the rest if the year when your in your nice homes with all the perks! Maybe that would be better than robbing the lottery money from the schools and veterans and needed services! Just stop the statium fund and
use the lottery money for what it was intended for!
Anne Legalize and tax marijuana. Maryland could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars by taxing the sale of Marijuana. This would also cut back on law enforcement spending by allowing police to focus on violent crimes,
Arundel and cutting down on prison population and spending. Remember: Marijuana is "dangerous" because it is criminalized and forces otherwise law-abiding and tax-paying citizens to deal with criminals. Allow us legal
access to Marijuana and you will save millions in law enforcement spending and generate hundreds of millions in tax revenue.
Howard -Decrease K-12 education spending by $52 per student
-Raise gas tax by 1 cent
-Cut bonuses
-Raise the cigarette tax
-Raise toll violations
-Have move government officials work from home
-Have government officials cut back on travel
-A fee for each animal slaughtered within the state (Wisconsin attempted to create this bill)
-Entry fee for strip clubs
-More work study programs in place of scholarships
-Put a freeze on new state construction projects
-Close a rest area on the highway
-Close a post office.... e-mail!
-Encourage recycling by using a private company that pays people to recycle (such as Recyclebank)
Baltimore My suggestion will be to raise the cost of the Bay Bridge. In order to get to the beach by the way of 95 to route 1 the cost is almost triple.
City 1.Fiscal agents that are hired to replace state workers usually end up costing state government double then they aquire the bid to operate said services.
2. To make changes that will allow deadwood (staff) to be release from state service faster and much easlier. It takes years to release someone that can not perform the job that they have been hired to do.
City Recently Maryland's media has repeatedly reported on Govenor O'Malley's calls for budget-cutting suggestions from the public; however, I have not seen anything reporting on suggestions submitted. Has
consideration been given to making suggestions available to the public on-line? I'm sure many Marylanders would be interested. A state resident reviewing submissions might spot what is to him an obvious omission
and generate additional suggestions.
Cecil We need more fraud investigators for the Department of Social Services. If we had more investigators possibly they could catch and remove the people from our welfare rolls that are fraudulently receiving public
assistance. After living for the past 6 years around people who collect public assistance, I can tell you there are many who are committing fraud. I have personally turned several in to the "hot" line and nothing has
been done. Get more investigators out there and get these people off of the public assistance rolls and this should more than pay for the cost of the investigators and save the State a lot of money too.
Harford Encourage the public (and businesses)to support their local fire house and police thru community fund raising events. Events could be held at neighborhood churches, stadium parking lots, or anywhere there is room to
park/land fire, rescue, and law enforcement equipment. Closer relationships are formed between the public (especially the youth) and it gives citizens the opportunity to support the heroes who protect them and keep
them safe. The state emergency agencies receive donations collected at the events and profits from sales made by local vendors at the events. The money is then used to reduce the cost to the state of maintaining
emergency and law enforcement agencies. We own a timeshare in Massanutten, VA where every October a fundraising event is held for the local fire and rescue companies. The kids get to climb on the fire trucks and
see rescue dogs in action, while the parents drop cash and checks in the buckets. It's a win/win for everyone.
Just a thought.
Carroll I'll make this brief, but as a resident of MD, I could go on and on about this situation. Since budget cuts are inevitable at this point, I think a higher tax on alcohol would be appropriate (not on smoking products because
I think those unfortunate residents have been taxed to death - and no, I'm not a smoker). Alcohol abuse is a major problem and I think it's time to place some burden on that bad habit. An increase on that tax would
affect the abusers rather than putting a gas tax on the average hard-working citizen. I would rather see an increase at state colleges rather than cuts to the K-12 education program. This is the level where children get
their basic education and they deserve the best we can give them. Rather than layoffs for state employees, I suggest furloughs to begin with so people don't actually lose jobs. Salary increases at the state level should
be suspended as well as bonuses for anyone until the budget is stabilized. I worked for xxxx years for the federal government, and felt many of these budget crunches. Get those casinos up and running - they will
generate lots of revenue (and, no I'm not a gambler either). The amount of money we are now having to pay energy companies is enormous and Marylanders are pulling together every penney they get just to pay
electric bills - there is no money left to support and help local charities, etc. Let's also make sure that EVERY resident has paid up all their back taxes, and I am NOT in favor of supporting anyone who is not first, a
citizen of the US, and second, a resident of the great state of Maryland. As elected officials, I wish you the very best of luck with this task for all our sakes. Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts.
City With times being as they are I feel that no budget or department should be left out including education. I understand that funding to schools is important. But a modest cut of say 1% would not hurt the school to much. It
the only way to be fair across the board. If one suffers, we all should suffer.
Carroll
- stop paying welfare for the illegal aliens
- stop contributing towards college tuitions for illegal aliens
- stop purchasing dead racetracks
- stop purchasing foreclosed on theaters
Baltimore There are a lot of state employees who have more than 30 years employment and who are literally retired in their positions, I think before furloughs and before layoffs employees with more than 30 or maybe even 35
years should be told to retire. Either way, if the agency can prove the position needs to be filled, it can be filled at a much lower wage (probably the beginning of the grade) whereas these individuals are most likely at
the top of their pay grade. This should more than cover whatever savings you would be getting from furloughs or layoffs.
Talbot Maybe some of the huge sums that Maryland pays to independent contractors could be cut.
Anne Reduce or eliminate use of state cars and/or drivers for most state and county officials.
Arundel
City No one ever wants to see folks loose their jobs, but you just have to walks around state offices and see how many people are doing nothing. This is one of the biggest expenses any business has. Look at road
crews...two are working three are standing around. Appoint someone to walk around state offices. All businesses are having fewer people do more and that can be done at the state level as well. The Sunpaper laid off
61 reporters in one day. How many will you lay off. It can and must be done despite AFSCME and the other unions.
Allegany Agencies are presently compiling Overtime data to show that Patient Care staff (RN's,LPN's & Nursing Assistances) should be exempt from future Furloughs. What the OT fails to show is the reason for the OT. At my
hospital,as with most State Agencies, 90+% of that OT is to cover sick leave used by the same staff. Nursing Management DOES NOT cover for absences, they pay Premium OT,and Management RN Positions
account for an average of 20-25% of budgeted Patient Care Positions (and they are hiring more,we have RN's falling over themselves and still pay OT for their absences). I have worked 30+ years in State Hospitals
and can document the stats. IF THERE MUST BE FURLOUGHS - ALL EMPLOYEES SHOULD SHARE THE BURDEN - NOT THE LOWEWST PAID CLASSES (Grade 15 and below)
Baltimore Instead of cutting, think of enhancing or asking Marylanders to give back instead of take so much....For instance, you could do a Lottery where all Marylanders are eligable to buy tickets and win, sort of like the Big
Game....The way people love to gamble you're bound to get a good penny for that....Plus this will go for the budget problems....
Allegany Continue to maintain and repair roads, but suspend all new construction. Levy a ten percent wage cut on all employees making over $100,000 per year. Be less aggressive in snow removal operations. For example,
don't send out trucks unless snow is actually falling. I see a lot of personnel sitting in plow trucks prior to perdicted snow. Do not permit State Police officers to use cruisers to travel daily distances over 20 from their
home to their duty station. Thank you.
Anne I work in the Maryland University system and think it is past time to look at tuition increases. I understand the rationale behind the hesitation to do this, but it's time the students and their families shouldered some of
Arundel this burden. It should not always fall to state employees who have given many years of outstanding service to Maryland.
Allegany the state starting in september to close all offices the first monday of every month
City State employees:
1. "Personal leave" days--Could some or all of these days (except possibly the three days originally established for observance of Jewish holidays) be eliminated?
2. Maryland's annual leave policy is quite generous (without including personal leave)--after mid-December many agencies are almost deserted due to the "use it or lose it" policy and those employees who take little
leave during the year. Would cutting the annual leave earning rate help the budget for the long-term?
3. Furlough scheduling: December 26 and January 2 were mandatory furlough days which fell on Fridays, saving not only salary monies but also building operating costs. If furloughs will be in the FY'10 cost-cutting
plan, I'd suggest further use of a statewide mandatory furlough day on the day preceding or following a scheduled holiday that falls on either Monday or Friday (e.g., Labor Day falls on Monday; mandatory furlough day
could be either Friday or Tuesday or both days). Otherwise, plan furlough days for either Friday or Monday. Aside from salaries and building operating costs, this would give the employees a longer period to be with
their families, and, since it would be scheduled in advance and announced through the media, would cause minimal disruption to public services. This, of course, could only apply to units of departments with the
"normal" Monday-Friday "9-5" schedule. If the number of furlough days per employee will be calculated similarly to the last year (varying from three to five days) I suggest the "base" number of days required of all
employees be done as above, with the rest done by "employee choice."
4. State aircraft: The state owns a twin-engine aircraft utilized mainly for prisoner transport (operating cost estimated at approximately $1,000/hour [fuel and maintenance] [information from an acquaintance familiar
with the aircraft]). Would an alternate method of transportion be more cost-effective given the budget situation? If security issues and utilization of this aircraft necessitate its retention would it be feasible to charter the
aircraft to adjacent states for prisoner transport and general use?
Montgomery Apply adhesive graphic wraps to MARC locomotives and cars that can generate advertising revenue. See the link.
http://www.lynnimaging.com/images/bus.jpg
Harford TOO EASY! But drastic measures need to be taken seriously - less talk more action:
- Go after the mis-use of disability, welfare, doctors offices, etc. Pay rewards to people to turn in these "criminals"
- Switch back to odd - even driving days. Let folks get to know the transportaion system, and contribute to it.
- A 4 day work week is a must - schools too - PEOPLE ADAPT. If it means the differance between a paycheck and no paycheck they will ADAPT.
- Police Statewide - need to be all hands on streets. They signed up to do a job they need be on the streets. Beef up the K-9 unit. They do deter criminals and urge people to move along.
-Higher back the retired folks at the lesser pays. Retirees are not your grandparents senior folk. They are energetic, loyal, eager, etc. Are a wealth of knowledge. Let them work in Day cares while the welfare folks
"earn" their checks. Put them to work in the Police Departments as back fill to answer phones, files, etc.
-On Gang, Murders, Crime... these thugs are plain and simple - terrorist, they terrorize communities. If they were illegals they would be handle as terrorist if they did what these gangs are doing. It is time to call in the
National Guard until this situation is stabilzied, declare these criminals terrorist. Over and done. They will then be arrested and sent to Federal Prison...and our State Prisons are relieved of the burden of housing these
criminals.
Thank you for allowing me the "freedom" to express my concerns.

Anne I think the landscaping idea is a good one, just cut the grass, also there are much cheaper and still good looking ways to landscape that aren't so fancy. I also think that the higher up people should have their pay cut,
Arundel there is not way some of these people need the LARGE salary they are getting, they have too much money. Also people higher up should not get over time and bonuses. There are middle class working people with
children that are stuck in a furlow struggling while these high paid people are sitting pretty with more money then they know what to do with. I think it is ridiculous that the people needed the most, police officers,
firefighters, emt, teachers....are paid the least! As a family with police officers, I feel the pay scale for jobs is a little skewed to one side. These are people the world NEEDS, not just some job anyone can do. Without
them chaos would ensue.
Baltimore 1. Delay or opt out of the planned expansion of part C of IDEA which is being forced on the counties by MSDE and which most of the people on the ground feel is a terrible idea at a time when preschool is being
promoted for non disabled children.
2. Carefully review all PIN numbers created or upgraded in the past 12 years, especially those which do not require professional licenses or certifications. These are almost all political appointees. In many cases there
are 3 people doing the job 1 person used to do.(Yes, your administration is guilty too.) Too often these jobs are preserved while career state employees with the institutional knowledge to complete the mission are
forced out.
3. Don't force people into retirement as recently happened xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. If you want people to retire offer a buyout, while keeping in mind the
need to preserve some institutional knowledge.
4. Look carefully at all contracts for training and services and see if another department might be able to meet the need. Promote more interdepartmental sharing of resources.
5. You can preserve money going to the counties for education while cutting some of the fat from MSDE.
6. When considering salary cuts look at what the average state employee who is not a political appointee is making. For lower level employees it is barely livable and has not kept up with inflation since Schaeffer was
elected.
Thank you for asking. Don't know if you are really going to use them but it is a great public relations move.
Anne Baltimore City shouldn't have bought the stupid Senator Theatre and then maybe they could afford something much more important ... the cops on horses! Someone else did bid on that Theater and then the City
Arundel would have been getting property taxes on it also but NO the City had to out bid for it??? What sense did that make?? State Officials need to learn how to spend money we have alittle smarter and then we wouldn't be
in the mess this country is in! As far as the cash for clunkers deal, I am sick of it, I can't afford to buy a new car, but because of that now I am paying taxes for OTHER PEOPLE to buy a new car!!! I think the
government has totally lost their minds with this spending spree. If I was going Bankrupt, I wouldn't go charge up my credit cards to the maximum but that is what the President is doing and sticking it to us taxpayers!
Why don't you listen to "We the People" and stop the spending!
Baltimore Here's a few suggestions:
1. STOP TAXING AND FEE-ING US TO DEATH. If you hadn't increased taxes and fees like you did, maybe the state would have made more money from people SPENDING money instead of you taking it away from
us. YOU ARE TURNING US INTO THE TAXING BRITTAIN THAT OUR FORE FATHERS LEFT.
2. TAKE A PAY CUT YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CUT ANYONE ELSE'S PAY -- LEAD BY EXAMPLE! The highest earning people in my office (at the largest employer in the state) took pay cuts so no one had to be
furloughed and it resulted in me not having to take a pay cut.
3. STOP SPENDING. You can't make any money if you're just wasting it on things like fancy confrences to OC or you're huge fleet of cars and whatever else you spend money on...IRELAND...cough cough.
YOU are here to SERVE us. Stop lying to the public. You may be able to fool some, but there is a large group of people who you have not fooled. Be smart. CUT FROM THE TOP DOWN. Everyone at the bottom has
already made incredible sacrifices -- YOU SHOULD TOO. Try living on a salary of an average middle income person -- who doesn't get trips paid for by the sate.
Oh and maybe you could stop giving illegals and deadbeat drug addicts so many benefits. If you made it harder for them to get FREE TAXPAYER MONEY maybe you could save some money. I'm tired of my money
going to pay for wellfare when the people getting the wellfare can keep playing the system and never have to get a job. If I'd known living like that was so easy, I would have dropped out of high school, had a few kids
and gotten a handy little addiction to crack. That's where the money is!
Do what's right OWE'MALLEY.

Carroll YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE INTO OFFICE AND GAVE YOURSELF (GOVENOR) AND ALL YOUR ASSOCIATES THAT BIG FAT RAISE!!!!
Howard I've been a state worker for 4 years now and I just dont understand why we must have furlough and salary reduction. Everything is going up but our paychecks and I feel like I will never get ahead with all of this. BGE
seems to go up every year which I dont understand. There has to be a better way.
Baltimore Cut everything. No exceptions. I don't want anything from the state government except less taxes.
Worchester Hi, 1. I would add 50 Cents to the Bay Bridge for education. It would also facilitate faster traffic due to people not searching for change. 2. As a pharmacist I have worked in West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland &
Virginia. Why not do what these states do and limit the number of prescriptions and doctors people on medicaid can get; also stop granting benefits to out-of-state people who become ineligable in their own states. I am
retired now and if Gov. O'Malley should ever need me to help on the issue of Maryland drug coverage I'd be happy to meet with him. He can check with xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx as to my credentials.
Good luck with this fiscal year, xxxxxxx
City Sir,
I can tell you a couple of things that should have already happened, then I will get to my more helpful suggestions. Slots should have been legalized and already in place without some hefty and unsubstantiated license
fee costing millions of dollars. How much revenue still goes out of state on a daily basis? More than we can afford, as is apparent! You need to get a leash on BGE (making record profits and executive salaries), if I
can't heat my house this winter or afford to keep the lights on, I will be gone from this great state in which I have lived for all 41 years of my life. Mass or minor exodus of working citizens does not help any state's cause
or existence. You will be left with a greater deficit funding the lifestyles of those who do not wish to work, live on welfare unnecessarily or will commit crimes as the easier alternative.
Now to help - our state economy needs to stimulate itself. Hefty taxes, furloughs which lead to a loss of wages equates to less money consumers will have or be willing to spend. From a historical standpoint, Henry
Ford increased his plant workers wages at a time when everyone else was decreasing wages and down sizing.As an end result, his employees had more to spend, were willing to spend and did stimulate the economy.
This also ties in with getting a handle on BGE, people are scared to death of their next bill!
I believed in you when you ran for this office, as did many of us. Follow thru on what you promised. You can lead us thru this, but we can only act TOGETHER (as you always emphasize) with a leadership in front of us
that we believe in!
Respectfully,
xxx
Baltimore For employees to take furlough days.
Wicomico Consider four ten-hour workdays for some state agencies. Though they can be an adjustment, they can in some cases save quite a bit of money on energy and other resources.
Somerset add $.50 to the bridge
take away the free pass to cross the bridges
send illegals home
drug test all on welfare and if they are postive stop payment
increase college cost
give more money to education
up the sales tax
Baltimore Saving money isn't always the result of massive cost cuts, but sometimes it's the result of smaller, cumulative efforts. With that in mind, I have some suggestions for slight cost savings.
I was a state employee for a few years, and operations do differ from agency-to-agency. At Towson University I found capable employees who were dedicated to their work. At the Department of Education I found an
apathetic bunch who had to turn in pencil stubs to get a new pencil. To keep positions open we had to temporarily fill them with low bid temps, who couldn't even perform the basic skills required of the jobs they were
filling.
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Recently I had to renew my Maryland driver's license. I continue to be stunned by the lack of efficiency and professonalism in this agency. Yes, there is a system in place to ensure the prioritization of clients, but the
pace at which some employees move is at a snail's pace. For example, one employee was adjusting the drap where photos are taken...that task took about 10 minutes. Perhaps a manager from the agency should go
"undercover" to all sites, wearing jeans & sneakers, and observe operations. Also, are performance metrics in place for state employees? If not, perhaps they should be (they are in private industry). Again, this is
related to performance management, which translates to cost.
Recently I went to court to contest a parking ticket. The judge in the courtroom spent quite a bit of time ragging on the insurance industry, telling jokes, and telling defendants that they should be sentenced to the
French Foreign Legion for speeding violations. My time was wasted, as was the time of every employee in that courtroom. I'm not saying that we shouldn't have a sense of humor, but really?
I know that many state employees receive low rates of compensation, but sometimes we pay for what we get....
Baltimore Get rid of goverment,boyh state and federal.

Wicomico Stop subsidizing the MVA's of other states at the expense of Maryland employees. Twice I asked the Comptroller how much money was flowing into Maine because Maine plates were being used on trailers in
Maryland. I provided the documentation explaining how individuals could get Maine plates. I provided documentation as to how Montana also wanted in on the action. I did not get an answer.
Wicomico In these tough budget times, all state agencies need to purchase supplies, materials and services as economically as possible. I would like to suggest either suspending the MBE program temporarily or reducing the
25% MBE requirement back to 5%; and I would also suggest that all state agencies, as well as USM be required to buy/replace fleet vehciles with hybrid vehicles that can obtain at least 45-50 miles per gallon.
Anne I would give a 10% cut to all state employees including the Governor. If state employees don't want the cut, let them seek employment elsewhere. There would be thousands of people standing in line to take there
Arundel place and probably do a better job. I'm sure however you will place the burden on the middle income folks and raise taxes.
Anne Dear Governor O'Malley, During these tough economic times every person is vulnerable and equally concerned with being able to pay bills and provide for our families. As a state government employee, I feel
Arundel particularly vulnerable at this time as state workers are looked to for pay reductions, furloughs and layoffs. I would like to ask for your help in encouraging state agencies to think outside of the box when considering
alternatives to reducing salary expenditures. For example, employees could be asked to take voluntary furlough days in addition to the required ones. Or employees could be asked to volunteer to work part-time,
instead of fulltime. In many cases a part time schedule may be exactly what an employee wants or needs to balance both work and home life. Employers could also examine work functions and identify those that could
actually be performed on a part time basis and approach the employee with this alternative. Further, many employees are close to retirement, but not completely ready. These employees could also be offered part time
employment. Some may actually be ready and willing to work less, while remaining gainfully employed for just a little while longer.
I have not heard that options such as these are being explored or discussed. I hope that discussions such as these will take place. Times are tough for everyone and hopefully with God's blessings, our economy will
improve in the near future. But until then, asking for help from state workers, citizens of the State of MD, may be another way to save money.

Baltimore Stop makeing the medium strips on the roads. What a waste of the taxpayers money. For what reason are they wasting all the cement and man hours in the process. This money can be used some were else. We
don't need any more obstacles in the way of driving. And then their are the circles are more of a hazard then you may think. You can't determine which direction the other cares are going. Stop all of this waste.
Anne After 34 years in Government, I have learned that, altough federal and state budgets are complicated, finance is not. If you spend more than you make, you need to do one of two things. Raise revenue (taxes)... not
Arundel smart or cut spending. I propose a 10% (or whatever it takes) cut across the board in ALL programs..no exceptions! (discretionary spending not entitlements). Freeze hiring...don't fire or furlough people. That will hurt
what you are trying to fix...less wages mean less revenue...more deficit. Hope this helps.
Baltimore WE NEED TO DITCH THE FREELOADERS. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE IN OUR SIXTIES, HOME OWNERS, HARD WORKERS and taxpayers. i am tired of watchng WELFARE FOLKS sitting on thier butts as we
stumble off to work. THEY GET SECTION 8, food stamps and disability payments, which they sell and trade for cigs. and drugs.there is also the kid who lives in a home with retired grand parents who have a new car
and he is picked up everyday in a taxi (paid for by us) to go to a so called DRUG PROGRAM. TAXPAYERS WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO VOLENTEER TO HELP WITH THIS.EVERYONE I TALK TO HAS
THIS SAME FEELING.
Kent all computers need to be shutdown at end of day would save some on electric bill,turns lights off in areas not being used,change to energy saving light bulbs,reduce lighting when possible in certian areas
Cecil Instead of State employees having to take additional furlough days and pay cuts, why doesn't the Governor offer early retirement/butout to employees with 25 years service and eliminate thier PINS after they except
the early retirement? This would help cut the fat and also save jobs for those State employees whom doesn't have 25 years of service. Thank You. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anne Restrict out of state travel for state agencies or limit it to one person per trip.
Arundel
select your If cuts must be made, they should be from the top 5 largest jurisdictions in Maryland who normally get the most funding.
county
Baltimore Enforce immigration laws look at the companies doing business with the state and all the illegals they have working for them. Example the 95 express lanes being built. Maryland workers means more taxes etc.
Harford Compensation and benefits have to be the largest budget expenditure. The state should focus on the costs of pension and retirement. Compared to private industry, the state is overly generous with the retirement
benefits that it provides to state employees. You should consider making adjustments to this plan, as has private industry over the last decade. People are living longer and yet the amount of time needed to work has
remained the same. Over time, any adjustments made now, while have tremendous savings for the state now and in the future.
Baltimore Get rid of the comute drivers. It will save both on gas and the maintenance of state vehicles.
Harford Cut Section 200 from I-95. The cost far exceeds the benefit once Section 100 is finished. The beltway and White Marshe is where the problem lies, not here. And to promote Smart Growth do not bulldoze acres of
forest and wetlands for a Park & Ride in a no-growth area of the County on Route 152.
City How about 1)Selling parking spaces on the streets, and fines of $250. City, counties and states. Fines shoud be $100 dollars (half to state, half to owner) plus towing and sforage of vehicle 2)Deportation of
illegals.3)Fines for owners of abandon houses or homes that are eyesores in the neighborhoods. Allowing the city,county or state to take property and rent, lease or sell them.
Baltimore Eliminate MBE program.
Baltimore One good place to start is by down-sizing the amount of vehicles that elected officials have for their use. Example: the mayor has three vechicles for her use that the tax payers are paying for. Two vechicles could be
eliminated without it causing any problem for her getting around. Most people are more than happy to have one, and they are able to do what is needed. Why in the world are we paying for three? That is a very easy
cost saving action.
Baltimore Enforce all laws regarding code violations in Baltimore County, especially Dundalk, North Point Villiage, WatersEdge, West Inveness, Graceland Park and other surrounding areas. As I travel throughout Dundalk. I find
many garbage cans without lids, trash at curb side not in covered cans, trash in yards, untagged vehicles etc, name it claim it. Access the fines and generate more revenue for the state. Only one time in Graceland
park were residents cited a fine for uncovered garbage cans. As you well know we have a serious rat problem in these areas. These areas should be inspected on a weekly basis and county code violations enforced to
the letter.
Pass legislation to stop assistance to children having children. In this generation we have too many children having children, let their parents support them. No more day care in our schools. These type of programs
have to be eliminated, we as taxpayers and a state cannot afford all these give aways, somewhere it simply has to stop.
the letter.
the letter.
select your Eliminate State employees who are using State vehicles to go back and forth to home and are commute exempt. This not only isn't fair to other employees, but reduces the amount of tax money going into State coffers
county from gasoline tax.
City We have several medicaid recipients assigned to MCO and Pac providers. These providers are paid each month and the recipient has never taken the time to call that physician and/or provider to make an appointment
to be seen. These payment continue to the providers sometimes for years. I believe that if a recipient does not make an initial contact with a provider within 120 days they should be canceled from the program.
Additionally, they should not be able to reapply unless they had made an attempt to contact the original assigned physician and/or MCO. The closing of the recipients that does not care to take care of themselves
leaves money available for other things. This could help the State of Maryland get back on its feet.
Baltimore As a resident of Hunt Valley, I suggest the light rail is curtailed to rush hour and stadium events. I have calculated that I sit for 8.6 hours/year in my car waiting for the light rail to pass with an average of 5 people on
each train.
Baltimore let every employee including executives take a pay cut that is proportional to their salary. That way ,everyone keeps their job.
Baltimore Eliminate public spokespersons for all government agencies.
Have prisoners pick up trash along hiways.
Do not hire retired employees as contract hires.
Do not allow illegle immigrants to receive social services.
Have state senators, delegates, governor,etc. take 10% pay cut.
Increase rate for water, waste management, etc.
Close all tax loop holes for big business.
Make people who file for unemployment do some sort of work for their benefits.
Baltimore I suggest that the Maryland Legislature meet every other year. This would save a small fortune and eliminate 50% of the opportunities for the legislature to think up new ways to spend my tax dollars.
Baltimore I suggest that the Maryland Legislature meet every other year. This would save a small fortune and eliminate 50% of the opportunities for the legislature to think up new ways to spend my tax dollars.
Baltimore Stop replacing red lights-poles and new lights, where the lights that already there, Still work fine, you know the saying. dont fix something thats not broke.
Baltimore Increase the cost of health insurance paid by employees and retirees, thereby reducing the amount of insurance paid by the state. This would then decrease the cost being paid out by the citizens of Maryland through
income taxes as well as the state of Maryland itself.
City Do 10 furlough days during Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks. Historically nothing gets done productive during this time so the state saves on salaries and heat may be shut down in state buildings to reduce cost.
Employees may handle these furlough days better because they get time off with their families during the holiday seasons. Spread the salary reduction out over the entire year to reduce the negative impact on the
employees.
Howard Honestly, if my family can make it on what we make, about 50,000 a year. Why not freeze pay raises and cut some of those big paychecks the "lawmakers" take home. Also stop buying all these new toys or technology
, like the LED lights on the police cars. START ENFORCING the speed limits on the roads and highways, stop the violators and ticket them. Do the same for the road rage drivers. Watch the advertising for the Lotto , it
is crazy with the percentage of the money going to advertising. Start installing Speed cameras all over the place, kill two birds with one stone, safety and money. Tax the crap out of the millionairs, sorry for the
abruptness, but it is true, we the middle class are becoming a minority, the real working class.
City 1. A statewide furlough for all employees,and lawmakers. Employees should have between 3-5 days and lawmakers at least 2 days more.
2. Cut all post GED programs for prison inmates.
3. Freeze raises for state employees and lawmakers.

Frederick Parole prison inmates that have been encarcerated for the USE of illegal drugs to reduce the prison population.
City Gov. O'Malley,
I'm a state employee who formerly worked in paperless offices xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, and who observes inefficiencies in my dept. on a daily basis. My suggestions are:
1/ Electronic time-keeping. At MSDE, we fill out our time sheets by hand and they are manually calculated. My recorded leave time is NEVER current, and I haven't worked at any organization with manual
timekeeping since 1997.
2/ Teleconferencing rather than travel to personal meetings whenever possible. Attendance rises when people don't have to travel far. To discourage travel for personal meetings and promote teleconferencing, strictly
prohibit food from being provided, or place a strict limit for funds for food provided, at personal meetings, no matter who is expected to attend. It would show that our superiors are sharing the burden and are also
subject to restrictions.
3/ To further encourage teleconferencing, follow-up workgroups should be required to communicate by Sharepoint or Docushare web-based programs, rather than additional personal meetings.
4/ Meetings/outings/conferences/retreats should take place at state buildings rather than at resorts or expensive hotels.
5/ Teleworking for state employees at ALL agencies - production and morale have noted increases when allowing teleworking at least 1-2 days per week.
6/ 4-day workweek to allow buildings to close an extra day.
7/ Consolidation of office space and renegotiation of leased space.
8/ Examine fees for services!! For example, teachers pay only $10 every 5 years (i.e., $2/year) as a teaching certificate processing fee. Perhaps raise it and similar fees to $25 every 5 years (i.e., $5/year). Astounding
that these fees have remained the same for 20+ years, even though staffing has necessarily increased to process increased demand.
9/ If necessary, continued mandatory furlough days rather than layoffs accompanied by a TRUE hiring freeze.
Thanks for your time

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Allegany Eliminate troopers taking home their vehicles. We have 3 in our neighborhood and it doesn't deter crime. Waste of money to allow them, who are paid well to use it as family car. Cut salaries of oveer paid higher ed
presidents
Anne all lawmakers should take a 5-10 percent pay cut, lets start leading my example, and show the people of Maryland that you are doing your parts as well, instead of making an 11th hour, back room deal to get yourselfs
Arundel a pay raise, while people are lossing their homes
select your i was born in baltimore and i have lived all my life ,, i have never seen crime like it is now ,, i am a contractor here in baltimore and i will not go in to soom areas. Too save money,, check on were the checks are going
county in your welfare system. YOU HAVE TO POLICE THIS SYSTEM,,
City I think that alot of money could be saved if the state was not paying for alot of extras for the prisioners in Maryland. Now they are getting Md State Id's free, they already get Birth Certificates free and i have two
daughters who had to pay for their new born childrens birth certificates. This seems to be a new process of paying for their State Id's and it is costly, if the state spends money on 300 state id's last month and is
continuing to do that look at the money that could have been saved. My suggestion is that they should have to pay for State Id's and Birth Certificates like every other citizens, even Senior Citizens pay for Id's and
Licenses.
Harford Make it only 1 year for the welfair and have day care at each and every job for all of those mothers who are on welfair and make them go to work even if it means just flipping burgers.That will save alot of money and
thay will get off of welfair and section 8.That will save alot of money.
Make it mandatory.
Baltimore Good leaders in the past lead by example. Budget cuts need to start with top leaders and their families. Cut payroll 1-5% throughout entire employees.My income is beiung cut 30$ 3-1-10 . I have prepared by
downsizing my residence Shopping at 3 different groceery stores. Cutting coupons Buying clothes when only absolutely neccessary.Shop WalMart, instead of Norstroms, Penny's and Macy's Buy $80. pair of
shoes instead of $100 to 500. Buy $200 suits instead of $1000. Cut all programs whatever percent it takes to balance the budget. Education, health, safety. Don't pick and chose. Maybe some of your more elite
employees need to put their children into the public school system. We bray wehave the best schools in the coiuntry. our leaders doubt that?. Stop state employees from taking their vcehicles home. Let them buy
their owen energy effficient vehicles to travel back and All these proposals do not make for good votes next election. B ut you need to do them in order to help the mass Do it by starting in your residence. Maybe fresh
flowers could be replace by atrficial, maybe dusting could be done once or twice a week instead of deaily. Do you have your hair done for you daily. M aybe once a week. What designeer clothes does your wife wear
to special functions. You young son'sdress on TV coming through the kitchen on the tv special was wqearing a long sleeve pressed dress shirt on a regular day. When you are out and around the ordinaay people, see
what their children are wearing. She what the people are wearing.
Great leaders lead by example. It must start from the top. Do it and you will become the saviour of Maryland, if not
you may not have a second term. Put people first, politics second.
Baltimore Try selling the open space land that you bought as you asked State workers to take up to five days of furloughs. Also start putting common sense into practice ( like lowering taxes to give people more money to spend,
we can spend it better than you)
City The State of Maryland could see an increase in revenue by electing to choose to use more speed camera's on Maryland Highways.
The University of Maryland Police Force would be more effective by being under the supervision of Maryland State Police instead of having individual police chiefs at each campus. Thus saving in salary's by the
elimination of these high paid positions.
The University of Maryland Police Force currently uses different equipment at each campus instead of using the Maryland State Police surplus equipment thus costing more from the State of Maryland Budget. Being
able to purchase same or like equipment in volume is cheaper than individual cost from each campus with individual requirements and specifications.
Baltimore I DRIVE AROUND MOST OF THE DAY AND SEE MANY MTA TRANSPORT CARS. MANY HAVE NO ONE IN THEM. I'M SURE THE PRICE OF THE CARS,MAINTENANCE,GAS AND SALARIES IS EXPENSIVE.
WHY NOT JUST CONTRACT LOCAL CAB COMPANIES TO ASSIST. IT WOULD HELP THEM AND PROBABLY BE COST EFFECTIVE TO JUST USE AS NEEDED.
Anne Put off all Project that are not really need and does not affect public safety and well being. Reduce the number of State Vehicles. Start purchaseing fuel efficent vehicles. For example hybrid, natural gas, or electric
Arundel vehicles. Look into using USED COOKING OIL in the Deisel vehicles.
The most important thig is not to cut anything from Education. Keep in mind the Children are our future! They will be the future leaders. They will be taking care of use adults when we get older. What we do today is
what they have to deal with.
Somerset As a tenured college professor i recommend we offer 3 year - 12 month undergraduate degrees at the state universities. Our university just sits during the summer with the buildings all being open and maintained for
just a few summer students. What a waste.
Anne With all the hoopla on sports both hagh school and other activities it seems to me a lot of the bill is footed by the counties and the state. If the parents want their children in these let them foot the bill. Just think how
Arundel much would be saved. I know of one High School field thet cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and it wasn't a football field
City cut back use of state vehicles.
Baltimore MANY MTA POLICE EARN SIX FIGURES A YEAR DUE TO ALL THE OVER TIME THEY DO!!! CONSIDER SEVERAL PART TIME POSITIONS. OT FOR SEVERAL EMPLOY. EVERYDAY FOR YEARS MEANS
THAT THESE ARE SPACES THAT NEED FILLED AND PAID STRAIGHT PAY. WHAT A WASTE!!! ALSO CITY CONSTRUTION WORKERS, 1 OR 2 WORK, WHILE 4 OR 5 WATCH EVERY WHERE YOU LOOK.
Harford I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE URGENT NEED FOR A LIGHT RAIL CONNECTING WEST BALTIMORE (THE HIGHEST CRIME AREA)TO EAST BALTIMORE (THE MORE AFFLUENT CANTON AREA) IN THESE
ECONOMIC TIMES AT A COST OF 1.6BILLION? LETS PROTECT TEACHERS, POLICE, STATE WORKERS JOBS BEFORE SPENDING MONEY ON SOMETHING WE HAVE LIVED WITHOUT.
Harford Having worked in state government at DHR during the Ehrlich administration I saw first hand the amount of waste each day. There are too many people close to retirement age who are just biding their time who look
for obstacles to the use of technology and process changes to make government more efficient. Why not offer early retirement packages to people 55+ to reduce staff. The state bumping system when there are
layoffs should also should be re-evaluated because often seniority and once doing a job years ago doesn't equate to efficiency and knowledge now. Combine many similar state support departments in different
agencies under one centralized umbrella. Hire people like me who can analyze process and flow and facilitate changes for efficiency/cost savings and motivate employees in the process. Instead of bringing in
expensive contractors, bring the right people/experts in house that have a vested interest. Right now the bureaucracy is so entrenched that it will be difficult to break, but to continue the status quo is not what is best for
the state. Finally, if someone goes out on a disability pension, the state should NOT be hiring them in another state position full time!
Harford Greetings Mr. Governor O'Malley
First, I would like to thank you for alowing Marylanders to offer suggestions. I would like to make a suggestion that would save quite a bit of money for the State of Maryland. Just in my 90 home development alone
there are at least (20) twenty officers of the law that use their patrol vehicle back and forth to work and other personal duties. I even have a fireman that brings the hooking ladder engine home and it takes up at least 3
spots on the street. I'm sure this will not save the deficit, but it sure will assist in a drastic decrease. If there are this many in my community, just imagine the dollars being wasted on state and local work vehicles. Once
again, I thank you for this opportunity to voice.
Baltimore I would like to see a stop of prisoners and the people doing community services cleaning up the streets as the policy now.I see a 15 passenger van with two driver behind that a porta potti truck-one driver then a truck
with the flashing single to move over with another driver and four guys picking up trash.This happens a lot and drives me crazy.I worked at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx for twenty years and saw this all the time.Somebody get real-
do we really have that much money to waste.Add all the money up with the drivers and the cost of the trucks for four people picking up trash?????
Next I would change the way Maryland punishes criminals.Lets say yoy get twenty years-you do twenty years or you can put them to work on highways,roads,cuting grass or what ever and cut there time in half.If they
dont want to do it-all twenty.That would send a message to the crimenals that if you do the crime you do all the time.And when they here how hard its going to drop it in half-and that gets back to the streets-maybe they
will think twice about doing a crime.You could even sub them out to companys on big jobs and the city gets paid.I know they would need supervision but the savings would well over ride that.Lets say the Statium
needed to be painted-money in the bank.Maybe they would like to get out of our state and move somewhere else.I know its not that easy to put this together but it would work and send a vary strong message.
Thanks for reading this- xxx
Harford 1)Stop getting rid of the Indians and start getting rid of the chiefs; 2) Stop the give-away programs designed to buy votes (e.g., CASA); 3) stop cutting services and education first (as punishment) and get rid of pork-
barrel (pet) projects; 4) Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the union (3rd or 4th) and one of the smaller ones, but we do not have enough money; 5) I am retired and find living in this liberal paradise is becoming
increasingly more of an economic difficulty because of rising property and income taxes. In fact, this state is economically hostile to retirees. 6) Have a state-wide audit by an out of state auditor and get rid of
questionable programs and positions; 7) Do what you want, you, Busch, and Miller will anyway.
Baltimore put all on welfare too work----clean the city and county
find absent fathers---make them pay child support==if unemployed add them to the clean city county program
upper class school teens--use public transportation--we did
approve slots
Montgomery Make budget cuts - don't raise taxes!

Anne I have attached a bio on Sheriff Arpaio, Mariposa County, Arizona. What he has accomplished and saved the taxpayers in Arizona is amazing. His plan of using prisoners for free labor and cost savings are
Arundel extraordinary. Please contact him re: saving money. Joseph M. Arpaio
You probably know him as “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” a name given to him years ago by the media. It’s a name he certainly has earned as head of the nation’s third largest Sheriff’s Office which employs over 3000
people. But even before he became Sheriff in 1993, Joe Arpaio was one tough lawman. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1953, and as a Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas, NV, police officer for almost five
years, Arpaio went on to build a federal law enforcement career and a reputation for fighting crime and drug trafficking around the world.
He began his career as a federal narcotics agent, establishing a stellar record in infiltrating drug organizations from Turkey to the Middle East to Mexico, Central, and South America to cities around the U.S. His
expertise and success led him to top management positions around the world with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He concluded his remarkable 32-year federal career as head of the DEA for
Arizona.
In 1992 Arpaio successfully campaigned to become the Sheriff of Maricopa County. Since then he has been reelected to an unprecedented four 4-year terms. During his tenure as Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arpaio
has consistently earned extraordinarily high public approval ratings.
With over four decades experience in law enforcement, Arpaio knows what the public wants, “The public is my boss,” he says, “so I serve the public.” He has served them well by establishing several unique programs.
Arpaio has over 10,000 inmates in his jail system. In August, 1993, he started the nation’s largest Tent City for convicted inmates. Two thousand convicted men and women serve their sentences in a canvas
incarceration compound. It is a remarkable success story that has attracted the attention of government officials, presidential candidates, and media worldwide.
Of equal success and notoriety are his chain gangs, which contribute thousands of dollars of free labor to the community. The male chain gang, and the world’s first-ever female and juvenile chain gangs, clean streets,
paint over graffiti, and bury the indigent in the county cemetery.
Also impressive are the Sheriff’s get tough policies. For example, he banned smoking, coffee, movies, pornographic magazines, and unrestricted TV in all jails. He has the cheapest meals in the U.S. too. The average
meal costs about 15 cents, and inmates are fed only twice daily, to cut the labor costs of meal delivery. He even stopped serving them salt and pepper to save tax payers $20,000 a year.
Another program Arpaio is very wellknown for is the pink under shorts he makes all inmates wear. Years ago, when the Sheriff learned that inmates were stealing jailhouse white boxers, Arpaio had all inmate
underwear dyed pink for better inventory control. The same is true for the Sheriff’s handcuffs. When they started disappearing, he ordered pink handcuffs as a replacement. And later, when the Sheriff learned the
calming, psychological effects of the color pink—sheets, towels, socks— everything inmates wear, except for the old-fashioned black and white striped uniform, were dyed pink.
Arpaio has started another controversial program, the website WWW.MCSO.org, so that all those arrested (about 300 per day) are recorded on the Sheriff’s website as they are booked and processed into jail. Just
under a million hits daily come into the website, making it one of the most visible law enforcement sites on the World Wide Web.
In addition to these tough measures, the Sheriff has launched rehabilitative programs like “Hard Knocks High,” the only accredited high school under a Sheriff in an American jail, and ALPHA, an anti-substance-abuse
program that has greatly reduced recidivism.
As chief law enforcement officer for the county, Arpaio continues to reduce crime with hard-hitting enforcement methods. His deputies and detectives have solved several high-profile murder cases, including nine child
murders. The posse, whose ranks have increased to 3,000 members under Arpaio, is the nation’s largest volunteer posse. Posse men and women help in search and rescue and other traditional police work as well as
in special operations like rounding up deadbeat parents, fighting prostitution, patrolling malls during holidays, and investigating animal cruelty complaints. The posse’s contributions are invaluable and essentially free to
taxpayers.
No wonder Sheriff Arpaio has been profiled in over 2,000 U.S. and foreign newspapers, magazines, and TV news programs. His leadership and the excellent work of his staff have catapulted the Maricopa County
Sheriff’s Office into the ranks of elite law enforcement agencies.
On a personal note, Sheriff Arpaio and his wife Ava have been married for over 51 years and have two children, both residing in the Phoenix area. The Arpaios have four grandchildren.
Arpaio looks forward to many more years as Sheriff of Maricopa County.

Anne The legalization of marijuana is something that I thought should have been done nation wide a long time ago, not just for medical use but for any adult. Not only will it help the economy by creating jobs via farming,
Arundel regulating, selling, packaging, and so on, but it will help with over populated prisons, with criminals from victimless crimes such as possession of marijuana. Marijuana is the kind of drug that mellows people, unlike with
some people with alcohol. It isn’t addictive like alcohol or cigarettes or even some prescription medications. We could make the same kinds of laws about under age smoking or consumption of marijuana, and driving
while under the influence. Frankly the type of people that would drive under the influence are the same people that are drinking and driving now. So I really don’t feel there would be an increase in that aspect. I do
believe that marijuana does have medicinal properties as well. They say marijuana is a gateway drug, but is it really? Most of us know people that smoke it and they don’t move on to harder drugs. For those who do
move on to harder drugs usually do it in there teen years, and they have mental illnesses and or have had a trauma of sorts to push them toward the harder drugs in the first place. I wouldn’t recommend it to people
with asthma, or pregnant woman but we could put warnings on the packaging, same as cigarettes. Marijuana is a natural substance unlike manufactured beer and cigarettes. It would limit or put drug dealers out of
business. Who is the prohibition of marijuana really protecting here? Answer: Drug Dealers and Cartels. Why is that? Who here in the government is benefiting from keep this illegal? People with criminal history of
selling this drug while illegal can be barred from legally selling the product. I don't think it is the total solution, but I do think that legalization is a step in the right direction.
Anne This is another suggestion based on a letter I wrote to the Editor of the Captial in September 2007. I guess no one read it - the idea still stands. Here is the text...."The Governor and the Maryland Legislature are trying
Arundel to soften the blow of raising taxes with smoke and mirrors instead of actually closing the gaping tax loopholes that currently exist for the benefit of corporations over the average taxpayer. It must be very embarrassing
for the Maryland Transit Administration to be paying a Maryland business located in Millersville for commuter buses and services when the buses are corporately registered in Florida and other states to possibly avoid
Maryland taxes and maybe get around Maryland emission rules. The MTA slogan should be changed to “Ride the MTA because Florida loves our tax dollars and clean air”. There are numerous corporate entities in the
State of Maryland using out-of-state registration for vehicles – just the other day I even saw a BGE contractor’s truck in my neighborhood with Florida tags. This tax and emissions loophole is huge and the cost of lost
revenue and increased pollution is saddled onto the shoulders of the average Maryland taxpayer. This loophole and others like it must be closed before there is any talk of raising taxes on the general public. Maryland
has made it cheaper for corporations to do business in the state at the expense of everyone else. It’s past time to level the playing field and require corporations to pay a fair share. I don’t think that Corporations in the
State of Maryland using out-of-state registered vehicles are doing the right thing by subtlety passing on tax burden and increased pollution to the rest of the public. It’s a novel idea…. I suggest our lawmakers stop
taking campaign contributions to turn the other way and actually do something that serves the public better..".........so the ball is in your court. The State of Maryland is losing lots of tax money and exhaust emissions
regulations are being bypassed generating pollution and nothing but profits for large commerical interests.
Baltimore To decrease state work week to 4 days and extend the works hours to 10 hrs instead of 8 hrs work days. This lower utility cost. Also recommend usage of more telecommute throughout various Agencies to include
public safety.
select your need to allow a system here so we can report waste within our State agency and not get in trouble from our bosses for reporting the waste.
county
City Idea to add income to the state. I work with the telecom companies. As we deploy antennas throughout the state we find the state's existing towers are a perfect match. However, we've learned the state is so difficult
to work with and so terribly unresponsive that we try to avoid working with the state at all costs. As a citizen I'm appalled that the state is ignoring this considerable revenue stream.
Anne I wrote a letter to the Editor of the Captial in July 2007 about a novel way to stem the loss of tax revenue. I guess no one read it - the idea still stands. Here is the text...."I find it very interesting that the Governor and
Arundel certain members of the Maryland Legislature are finding it necessary to cut programs and probably raise consumer taxes to balance a state budget that is suffering from shrinking revenue without considering an
important fact. Statewide some of the national-chain stores to include some local names in hardware and grocery sales are significantly cutting employees at their cash register lines and replacing them with automated
self checkout machines. This swap is creating fewer employees thus generating fewer income withholding taxes as well as the chain stores themselves paying fewer employee-related taxes. Maryland has made it
cheaper for a corporate chain store to replace living breathing employees with impersonal and sometimes frustrating machines because the machines cost less than taxable tax revenue generating workers. In some of
these stores depending on the day of the week it is next to impossible to find a live cashier to take payment and bag one’s purchases. Consumers should not be fooled – the chain stores did not put the automated
machines in use for consumer convenience – instead these machines are contributing to the tax squeeze in Maryland which may in the long run end up costing consumers more of their pocketbook earnings to make
up the state revenue imbalance. I don’t think that these big retail chain stores are doing the right thing by subtlety passing on a large portion of tax burden to the rest of the tax-paying public, reducing the number of
employees in the operation of their businesses, and contributing to tax revenue shortages in the State of Maryland. I suggest our lawmakers take a look at taxing the automated machines in a manner that will even the
playing field.".........so the ball is in your court. The State of Maryland is losing lots of money and more and more people are being replaced by machines that pay no taxes and generate nothing but profits for large
commerical interests.
select your Maryland Troopers Drive their cars 100's of miles to work Overtime assignments that do not support the State Of Maryland. Troopers sit on the side of the Road at the National Security Agency (NSA) drawing their
county overtime rate. They use their State cars to drive 100's of miles to this assignment. Make the troopers pay the Stae Mileage for these assignments.
Anne The Maryland MVA pays State troopers and other Police at their Overtime rate to provide security at MVA offices. This equals up to 50$ ann hour and more. They could Hire Delta force commando's for that
Arundel much.Either elliminate this security or sned Police as part of their normal patrol
Allegany I cannot understand reducing payments to nursing homes as those that depend on these resources are among the most vulnerable. If we can't take care of the elderly, the infirm and our children then what does that
say about us as a society. I realize that cuts have to be made but surely there are other options to cut.
It is also hard for me to comprehend State employees having to take furlough days. How can people be expected to help the economy by spending when their income is being taken away. To me when a commitment
is made by a government, it should be binding. When a person is told when they are hired that their salary will be a specified amount, that is what it should be. Perhaps instead of furloughs for state employees, it could
be considered to give those retired employees who have taken contract positions with the state while drawing their pensions an indefinite furlough. The money alloted for those contracts could allow "unretired" state
employees to take fewer (or no) furlough days. Also, that retired employee that returns as a contract employee is keeping a position that an otherwise unemployed qualified person could fill.
I know that these are not going to solve the deficit; however, there has to be a way to cut costs without the two situations mentioned above.
Baltimore Hello Governor O'Malley. I suggest that the revenue or a portion of the revenue from the Maryland Lottery that now currently goes to the Maryland Stadium Authority should go to help balance the state budget. The
Maryland Lottery makes nearly 1 billion dollars every fiscal year. The Maryland lottery benefits from Maryland citizens. I don't see why some of that money should not go to help the state finacial budget. Why should it
all go the Maryland Stadium Authority, since Maryland has not built any new multi-million dollar stadiums lately. Thank you, you're a great governor of maryland.
Baltimore Dear Governor O'Malley
The State would save 18-20 million dollars if the lost children from the Hickey School were sent to live and receive training at the Workforce and Technology Center on Argonne Drive. This facility is part of the Division
of Rehabilitation Services (MSDE) and has its own police/security and specialty personnel (vocational, addiction, psychology, assistive technology) whose knowledge and training would greatly assist these individuals
who have up to this point been "left behind".
Maybe you could find room for me somewhere as I really enjoyed working for the State of Maryland.
Good luck with this idea and your future career.
Respectfully,
xxx
I am writing this as a citizen of Maryland although I am also a state employee of 29 years. So, I am your employee with obvious limitations. I have been working for 21 years as
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Fiscal Officers are the ones who may know where financial waste happens and where savings can happen. You may benefit by calling a meeting of Fiscal Officers of all State budgetary units allowing them the freedom
to speak their minds? You may hear a lot. I can give you some idea too.
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Fiscal Officers are the ones you may need to take into confidence at this time to find out possible solutions.
I wish you all the best in this trying financial times.
Yours truly,
xxx
Worchester Enact sensible entitlement reform. Require a urinalysis test for those that apply for aid. Require those that receive State aid to perform community service when not actively looking for a job. Those that work all their life
and pay into the system should be rewarded at a higher rate than those who do not (e.g. illegal aliens) I think it is ridiculous to consider allowing State workers to work at home.
How about this one; don't spend more than you take in? Reduce taxes to spur the economy?
Thanks,
xxx
City I am aware that there are people that have jobs in state agencies where the "job" itself really does not exist. They are either political appts that dont really have a clue or people hired by the appts just because they can
do it. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Others have been reclassed because of politics yet they dont even have a real job and they brag about doing nothing all day and getting paid in upwards of $70,000 while others who are doing the actual work get
turned down and looked over for the same jobs. I am not against people getting help but in times like this it makes it really difficult for those people who actually love Baltimore and the State of MD to understand what
is going on. The MTA seems to have dumped a lot of people off on other agencies and some of the people dont have a good ethical background and are making decisions that are no doubt going to cost you money
and votes in the next election. And I really dont want to see another republican run our state.
Anne dear sir, I have sent this to the state comtroller on how to save this state on money only to get some cock and bull story. If our state would only have one rear tag on our autos and trucks this would save lots of money
Arundel on materials and labor. if we need to cut this is a great place to start. also lets do like other states on recycling. give 5 cents on all glass bottles charge at the store extra moneys. look at all of the glass we could save at
the bars and grocery store on returns of said items.if no one returns look at the money we could make.
Carroll What a joke. I calculated that the $400 million cuts that you are looking for amount to only 3% of the $13+ billion budget. You should be ashamed of playing politics when any good manager could cut 5-10% of their
budget, particularly in a bloated bureaucracy like the state government, with no effect on continuing operations. You are a fraud and sooner or later you will be found out and relegated to the "Who?" generation.
Baltimore 1. Eliminate all senatorial and delegates scholarships. They are not based on need - they are based on nepotism.
2. Offer state employees the option of working a 80% work week.
3. Offer state employees nearing retirement an early out incentive.
4. Eliminate all funding education for people with green cards and illegals and their children - or make them pay for services.
5. All legislators living within 50 miles of Annapolis should not receive expenses for overnight stays.
6. Eliminate rehabilitation services for illegals and people with green cards. Put a cap on amount to be spent on each consumer receiving MSDE DORS services. Put a monetary cap on the amount paid for contractors
providing services to DORS consumers.
Cecil Do away with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and move thier resources and responsibilities into the existing Maryland State Police.
Baltimore How about shutting down all CIVILIAN parts of DPDS on holdiays. This would save money as well as give 24 hour CIVILIAN employees a chance to stay home with their families. Also furlough all people who make
over $100,000. LEAVE ALL OTHER PAYS ALONE WE HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH!
Howard 1. enforce niose laws for motorcycles...will produce ticket revenue...reduce noise pollution...employ mechanics to replace illegally removed mufflers 2. only rear license plate... will save manufacture & distribution cost
Harford I think it's time to give State Troopers a pay raise. They haven't recieved a raise in several years. Not only do the Troopers protect the citizens of Maryland, oh yes, they protect the Governor 24 hours a day and 7
days a week. The worst part, they don't even work the road, criminal investigation, homicide, narcotics, etc...They just cover you. How about giving some pay raises to one of the lowest paid state agencies in the
country. The ones that represent YOU and Maryland...the highest level of representation.
Howard You have thousands of freeloaders in this state and now is the time to do something about it.
These people would be the bicycle riders, not the kids on the sidewalks, but the Lance Armstrong imitators.
Make them get licenes just like motorcycles and pay a fee and require that they take a safety coures.
Require that they get tags and pay the same as a car or a motorcycle.
If they could be identified by thier tag number and be lible for fine, maybe they would behave better.
Fair is fair they use the roads too. If we have to pay so should they.
Carroll 1. State vehicles picked up and dropped off at State shops. No more taking the big yellow truck home. (Saves gas/wear and tear/insurance). (Better than being laid off).
2. Make it harder to have positions get through the hiring freeze (exempted) ... some offices have existing employees that can pick up the slack. Some offices are already overextended.
3. Make any furlough days coincide with holidays ... save on heat in winter/opening buildings/turning on computers.
4. No travel to conferences that are not work-related or necessary and no setting up tables at any fairs/conferences, etc. to promote a given agency. (State Fair, etc.)
5. Compressed workweeks for all employees/job sharing rather than lay offs. Some employees may even volunteer to go 90% weekly if asked.
Whatever is necessary to save jobs.
Thank you.
xxx
Howard Get rid of, or at least reduce, the the number of consultants employed by the state. In conclusion, do not feel the need to spend monies only for the sake of getting matching federal dollars or loosing those matching
dollars if you decline. Sometimes you can't afford to buy the one even if the second one is free.
Baltimore Use prisoners for state labor jobs. No reason we have to pay people to cut the grass. Prison labor is free labor. Drive them to the work zone, give them some tools and let them work. Saves gas money for the
equipment we currently use and pay of those state workers. You're paying the prison guards anyway.
Cut welfare! No more free rides. You want to be on welfare, then come help cut weeds or do some type of manual labor for the state. You're getting paid, do something.
Sell the governor's mansion. Buy a house like everyone else and commute.
Reduce pay of MD elected officials. Obviously you're not doing a good job, so why shouldn't you get a pay cut.
Somerset Make state offices work a 4 day work week at 10 hrs. per day.
Look at the cost savings for energy consumption, commuting,
etc. Obviously all agencies can't do this but where possible
the state and taxpayers can net a significant savings. Initial public response might be critical but eventually
people will learn to adjust. A quick way to look at this is to look at the days the state shut down the extra days during the holidays (the days at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years) and see the benefit of this.
City The illegal latin immigrant problem is a major burden to every state. Seems no one wants to admit this is what is Bankrupting CA. Maryland is no exception to this huge problem. I have seen it with my own eyes. I have
seen illegal's on commercial job sites, New home construction sites, State Highway projects, Telephone companies, Electric Companies trimming trees around power lines and just about every Landscaping Co. This is
a huge problem that is getting worse by the month. There are way to many companies in Maryland using illegal's. BIG companies! Maryland is losing massive taxes from these illegal workers and Companies that use
them as well. Sad to say, every working tax payer is also paying for this huge problem. This is a crime but Illegal's receive: Drivers license, Free housing, Welfare, Unemployment, FREE Health Care, Free schooling.
The illegal immigrants are taking jobs from all fields and putting legal hard working, tax paying American's out of work. Get rid of the illegal's and we would cut MD unemployment in half. No one wants to speak up and
do something about this problem because they want to stay in office. They do not want be painted as a racist.
I personally have no problem with any Latino that is in the US legally, has a S.S. number and pays taxes. It is the illegal's and the sad sack companies that hire such help.
1. Increase ICE and go after these illegal's and every single company that employees or hires illegal immigrants.
2. Any company caught using illegal's should be fined $1,000 per incident. (The state of maryland would raise tens of millions a year doing so. )
3. Unemployment benefits, Maryland drivers license or welfare should not be give to any illegal immigrant, period.
If this problem is not addressed Maryland will wind up just like CA.
Wicomico Governor O'Malley,
I would recommend offering an early out immediately for all state employees across the board (State Highway to State Police) who are within 2-3 years of retirement with no loss against their full retirement. Before
reducing the pay of all, see if there are enough willing to leave early. I believe this will help maintain the moral of all state employees even if you have to eventually inact a pay cut to reach the budget. Thank you for
your time and look forward to your response.
xxx
Baltimore Cancel all the budget increases, that the past legislative session made. In addition cut all welfare payments to illegal aliens. The y are in the Illegally, so should not have any right to any benifits.
Anne Schools: Instead of having grandparents day toward the end of the year, why not have it at the beginning of the year, or, better yet, send home with students, a letter addressed to their grandparents. In this letter would
Arundel be a list of things that that child's classroom could really use to make their day of learning easier or better. Things that teachers either buy on their own or more expensive things that could be bought for the class from a
collection of cash donations from grandparents to the school. Grandparents are always willing to help their grandchildren and usually need to be needed. Thank you.
Anne For schools: I suggest students pay for uniforms for sports teams in schools. They either buy it or pay to use it and the next year someone else can pay to wear it. A large inventory of uniforms will then be available for
Arundel all students, but the school still makes money to purchase needed equipment.
select your My suggestions would be to discontinue the annual child support conferences. In my opinion, these conferences are nothing but a big party on the tax payers dime. Half of the people don't actually attend any of the
county seminars, they go shopping, etc. I also think we should cut vendor contracts. I think there is alot of "fluff" in some of these contracts..i.e. $ alotted for snacks, gas cards for vendor employees..etc. I have heard that both
the conferences and the vendor contracts are federally funded. I am not sure if this is the case, but either way there is huge waste going on and this is sad when state employees are facing additional furloughs,
reductions in pay, etc. Thank you.
City Eliminate the per diems, honorariums, and all forms of payment for the State's appointed Board members especially the USM regents. These are honorary positions which the appointees are holding to enhance their
own credentials, and the taxpayers should not be paying political appointees hundreds of dollars just to attend meetings.
Howard Marc train prices are very cheap-- When I worked in the district of Columbia I could not believe the price that I would pay to travel from BWI to Union Station. The amount was only $150 per month which included
parking. If they would raise the price by just $2 dollars per day or a total of $40 dollars per month we could a significant increase in revenue. And the cost still would be less than what it would cost to drive and park in
the DC.
Carroll Last Friday I took my car for a Emission Inspection. The service was good there were 12 Technicians and my car.One tech. pluged in the (OBD) in less than one minute test was finished. Recived test results and I was
out the Door. A tech told me they were doing away with the Treadmill test for the (OBD)test so close the stations and let local gas stations witch some are State Inspections stations do the test. Sell the property this will
save money plus give you cash for dept reduction.
Baltimore I would suggest an early retirement enhancement plan for State employees that have at least 25 or more years of service. You eliminate at least half of the positions vacated and hire new replacement for critical
vacancies at a much lower salary rate.
select your I would suggest an early retirement enhancement plan for State employees that have at least 25 or more years of service. You eliminate at least half of the positions vacated and hire new replacement for critical
county vacancies at a much lower salary rate.
Howard Dear Governor O'Malley,
I am fortunate to be a retired state employee with a pension.In light of the challenging times for our investment portfolio, I would suggest that retirees receive their monthly pension checks on the first of the month rather
than the end of the previous month. This would provide an additional day for the portfolio to earn interest and perhaps one day less of interest costs to the state if money is borrowed.This would provide 12 additional
days of intrest accruing to pension account on an annual basis. I have no idea what the fiscal impact would be(no doubt modest) but it is a virtually painless way to generate some additional income for the state and is
sellable given the reduction in the portfolio's value.I hope this suggestion is useful.
xxx
City Sir,
I think you should look at how Police Officers are driving their cars unnecessarily. Cut cost by cutting back on the amount of police cars put on the street daily. Have Police Officers put back on bikes or on foot patrol.
This will also help officers get back into shape. I saw an officer here in Baltimore City who looked like he was 300 pounds.
Carroll 1. Raise the toll on the Bay Bridge and Harbor Tunnel bringing them in line with other jurisdictions that charge as much as $5.00. (not going to be popular, but certainly not going to break anyones bank)
2. Raise the cost of lottery tickets.
3. Raise the tax on whiskey and cigarettes. In the long run it will save on health care costs and lives.
4. Stop paying prisoners for doing work on work details, and stop giving them all the modern ammenities. They are there for punishment, not rewards. That's why some of them don't want to leave or don't care if they
go back.
5. Put every able bodied person on welfare to work so they can earn the money they're getting such as trash pickup and removal, street cleaning, highway beautification and picking crops for farmers, etc. It might cut
down on malingerers who only want to get the check, but they could work but choose not to try.
6. Charge a heftier fine for individuals caught committing misdemeanor offenses and more serious traffic violations.
7. Freeze all state public employees salaries for 2 years, including yours and elected state house officials,and eliminate all take home cars for supervisors of various departments. They should use their own cars like
everyone else.
Baltimore Arrange baltimore city community detention program to operate the same way as the central region mainly baltimore county. We have five workers each has an area of youth on community detention and we manage
our case load 24 hours a day 7 days a week flex schedule. Working this way will cut out the need for unecessary workers, shifts, and less likely for youth to fall through the cracks. If you notice the city has so many
issues with the program but has more workers baltimore county has less workers and way less problems.I aslo think providing youth in the program with a trade and job placement maybe for both the parent and child
will reduce the return rate, thus costing the state less money.
Cecil i suggest that instead of hiring consultants/contractors, that the hiring exception be relaxed in order to hire permanent employees. Consultants/contracts may make the agencies look like they have less FTEs but in
order to get mandated work done, agencies are forced into hiring private consultants at a much higher cost. At the end of the fiscal year, the overall actuals are much higher for each department. Also, instead of direct
purchase of replacement/additional vehicles, 3-year leases could be done (at least during this budget crisis).
Carroll hi, i understand that there needs to be some budget cuts made but, there also have to be some funds transferred to other interests and programs. instead of cutting programs that can not afford being cut, put a salary
cap on all state workers by years in service. there is another way to help state income, raise the tax on alcohol. alcohol kills more people than cigarettes. i have seen more vehicle accidents related to alcohol rather
than cigarettes. thank you.
Somerset Elimination of unnecessary travel by state employees would save a lot of money. Also, why are employees at correctional facilities provided free meals. Other state agencies don't provide meals. Charge for the meals
and save money. Why were domestic partners allowed to be carried on insurance coverage when there were already budget problems? Certainly this has added substantial expense. Training should be done at the
local state agencies instead of having everyone driving over the bridge. It's a lot cheaper to let the instructors travel.
Anne Stop the practice of allowing police and all government employees taking their government-issued vehicles home. I see off-duty police using their government cars for personal use. This is extremely wasteful.
Arundel
Baltimore 1. Increase college tuition for public institutions.
2. Reduce or eliminate aid to private colleges.
3. Reduce number of contractual employees.
4. Offer early retirement and/or buyout to reduce the number of employees at the top of their pay scale.
5. Have counties contribute their fair share to the teacher retirement system.
City 1) What ever happened to the slots? They were supposed
to bring money into the state.
2) How about making marijuana legal? Those who smoke,

should pay sales tax. Those who sell, should pay
income tax.
Anne I think you should look at all the leakage in the state National Guard. I know for a fact, that soldiers get put on orders and do absolutly nothing. If they show up for work at all.
Arundel
Baltimore Fast track the slot casinos
Baltimore Have a real hiring freeze. Stop all hiring except for Corrections and Public Hospitals. In order to get a position filled, there must be clear statistical justification for the need to hire. True data such as historical overtime
costs for the position, similiar positions and positions in the department, identification of others who perform the same work,and staffing analysis and recommendation by a qualified HR professional to determine actual
need or alternatives.
Also, there needs to be a real study of all overtime costs. Many overtime costs could be reduced if workweek, hours of work and scheduling were changed to reflect the actual workload needs.
Harford Those on SSI and Unemployment mostly sit home and collect the "free money" Why can you put a broom, shovel or something of that nature and put them to a different work? The streets everywhere would be cleaner
and its not a brainer to operate a shovel and broom. Baltimore City used to have Hokie Men sweeping streets.
City I am a state employee with ten years service xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I would like to see program audits/evaluations; a directory of departments and divisions with a
description of the core responsibilities and/or services suitable for public dissemination. I would like to see a central cost center and bring financial responsibility and accountability under one tent. I very much want to
see measurable, objective performance standards throughout the departments and divisions management, including upper management, to be held accountable. It is management that is responsible for leadership
and leadership to is make clear the work, the responsibilities, the tasks and supply the limits and boundaries within the work settings, provide direction to the staff, and hold all to the same standards of the policies and
procedures. Please, no more of the goofy motivational seminars. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. My pay is from
taxpayers, I am a taxpayer, my work, for which I am grateful, and my pay is, to my thinking, my employee appreciation.
Baltimore The skyrocketing energy costs in our state have made it difficult for many families to afford to make any but the most basic of purchases. Forcing down the cost of energy would allow MD families to spend again and
provide tax revenues. The State government would also save on the cost of energy, most noticeable in our public school buildings. In this way, we could even save millions on education without taking from the ed.
dollars. Thank you.
City Much money is wasted on the penal system. Money could be saved from arresting people for failure to appear for traffic offenses. The money saved from feeding them alone should save LOTS of money.
Harford The state is comprised of dozens of agencies that act independently, even when their duties overlap. All these agencies need to combine their purchasing power and have a quartermaster division for the state.
The state is also ran as a government, not a business. What this means is we never really look at efficiencies in how we solve problems. The largest companies in the US use a system called Six Sigma, it is a
mathematical approach to problem solving/business management, that companies have noted millions to billions of dollars in cost savings. This was started by Motorola and is continuing to spread. I personally am
aware of situations where the state is spending a lot more money than it should be to get a task done because it involves multiple agencies, without anyone with the authority to make all three agencies involved work in
the most effective manner, and I am sure this is the case all over the state. The next year should be the year of efficiency, not cuts, obviously you need to make cuts to get through the year, but this is an opportunity to
make a real improvement in the state, offering more service for less money.
Find volunteers, start looking at services the state provides that could be performed by volunteers. For example, cut our environmental preservation expenses, but fund more environmental volunteer programs.
We need to encourage more people to move here and drive the economy up, giving the state more money to spend. The state should offer a reduced state income tax rate for new residents for their first year here.
The state spends entirely too much time and money on our criminal justice system for non-violent crimes. One of your main platforms is to be tough on crime, but there needs to be a better prioritization of arrest and
prosecution of crimes. This will reduce the case backlog in the courts, and reduce the cost of incarcerating individuals.
In regard to individuals incarcerated, these people are extremely expensive to maintain. Instead of simply releasing individuals early due to the over crowding issues, offer reduced sentences for minor crimes in
exchange for a fine and probation. All the state's attorneys should be directed to stop over using the STET docket to reduce their case load, instead they should be offering PBJ deals that include a fine, community
service, and submission of a DNA sample even for minor crimes. The cost savings in investigating crimes is significant with the use of large DNA databases, and it is not an invasion of an individual’s rights if it is a pre-
trial settlement.
In the prison system, individuals should be provided the absolute minimum, with the opportunity to work and pay for more.
Finally, make the state zero payment for illegal immigrants. This is an area the state can cut the budget and only risk angering a small group of voters, and will benefit the state as a whole. Then, offer a state
sponsored path to citizenship that will allow individuals to gain state support that we are normally paying for anyway, but now they are being documented as being here, and the state can charge them for various
services.
Baltimore 1. Re-centralize DSS offices in Baltimore City and other large jurisdictions. This would save the state money in rents and utility costs.
2. Temporarily suspend payment and contracts to vendors( America Works, Office of Employment Development, etc.) responsible for getting jobs for TCA applicants and recipients and keeping them in work activities.
In these difficult economic times, almost no one is finding jobs, including me! Once this can be done, staff assigned to monitor and impliment the work activity portion of the TCA program can be re-diverted to process
other case work. This would be a more efficient use of staff. Although current employees are leaving and retiring, no new staff is being hired to match the rate of increased caseloads. Cutting staff at this critical time is
not the answer to saving money unless, of course, you are willing to cut critical benefits and programs to the needy. The welfare rolls will continue to grow, but you will no longer have the staff to accomodate the
demand for service.
City As a case manager with the Baltimore City Department of Social Services I think it would be wise to shutting down those type of buildings for one or two days a week...possibly even more. My suggestion would be to
close them on Fridays and Mondays and have available in office days be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I am often in the field. I service my customers in the community. While I do have to be in the building to
do paperwork in our Chessie system, I could realistically spend one day a week doing this.
I think it would be a good idea (like last year's idea of shutting down state offices the day after Christmas and New Years) to really consider more building shut downs and have people work from home. I would be very
open to cutting back to a 4 day work week (i.e. 10 hours a day) with buildings closed on Fridays or Mondays. I am also an advocate of going paperless. We have our Chessie database to place all necessary
information yet still have hard records with unnecessary use of paper.
Baltimore I have 2 suggestions and 2 comments

#1 Cut the State Employees Family leave
#2 The cars that are being used by State Employee / Police - if not taking that privilege from them how about the total subsidy or at least the State pay only a per centage of the cost.
** I was a child during the Second World War and I don't remember the belly aching that I hear now. We all pulled together.
** I worked in a Community Hosp that had lost a company that gave a lot of money to support it. The Hospital Administrator let us know there might be lay offs among us nurses and there was definitely no funds for
overtime. What did we nurses do? We worked after punching out at the time clock and when the end of the shift came we punched out and kept on working. The Administrators were horrified to see us at work. We just
told them they were seeing things that we were not there. They caught on.
Anne It would seem that an across the board percentage reduction in anual salary of state employees is significantly more effective. The administration of tracking furlough days is an administrative nightmare and costly.
Arundel There would be no need to exempt large groups of safety sensitive critical employees as everyone would be treated the same. Last years exemptions given to Executive staff of MSP is a prime example of unfair
treatment. You can't tell me that the exectutve staff works 24/7. Find a Captain or above who works multiple shifts. I support cost containment in government and am willing to sacrifice if everyone is treated fairly.
Howard Mr. Governor. Thank you for allowing me this great opportunity to assist you.
I have been a volunteer fire fighter in Baltimore County for 25 years. In that time I have seen particpation dwindle. I have also seen donations dwindle as well. The old trickle down affect if you would. Back in the mid
'80's, the volunteer fire companies were holding what was called 'Las Vegas' nights. And these events would allow the volunteer fire companies to raise monies to assist with there over all operating expenses. If the
State would allow the volunteer fire companies to use 'Las Vegas' nights as a fund raiser, this would (IMHO) alleviate some of the the financial burden of the State and Local governments to said volunteer fire
companies.
This is not a 'slash monies' idea per say, but I do think that it could/would allow the state to perhaps cut some funding which in turn the fire companies could make up the difference with the casino nights. And if the
State were to, let's say place a fee on said licenses, the State could prosper as well. I think it would be great to start at a 70/30 split. The 30 would cover all said licenses of course.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

Carroll As a former employee at a local state-funded xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I saw much waste: Two directors and only one doing the work, 6 secretaries doing the work of one or two, many
sanitarians that were in the office several hours every day either not doing their job or with no work to do. My solution is to make one director retire (he has 30+ years), lay off 4 or 5 secretaries and make the
sanitarians do their own paperwork and computer entry, schedule a "sanitarian of the day" (SOD)to answer phones and assist customers, and make a mandatory retirement for those eligible. In addition, make
Maryland State employees who live out-of-state pay Maryland State taxes.
Talbot In Maryland DHMH psychiatric inpatient facilities, reduce number of psychiatrists who currently manage a 7 patient caseload. Supplement healthcare services by having nurse practitioners and/or physician assistants
on staff.
Also in DHMH, consider converting Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center into an assisted living program, to reduce staffing costs.
In Fleet Management, reduce number of vehicles for each facility. Replace with more fuel efficient vehicles. Eliminate the use of costly gas-guzzling SUVs for high ranking officials.
Consider Early Retirement/Early Buyout option, in general for all state employees.
Consider mandatory ten hour shifts for Maryland State Police personnel who work rotating shifts, to reduce fuel costs and overtime pay.
Free promotions in all state facilities.
Eliminate free and public education/healthcare provided to illegal residents.
Expedite the process to implement slots in Maryland.
Promote overseas corporations to establish locations in rural areas of the Eastern Shore of MD.
select your Eliminate the need for two license plates for vehicles.
county
Cecil Too many supervisors in county health departments that don't do any work. Do a desk audit of all employees and get rid of the dead weight.
Also, consider longer work days with more regular days off to allow facilities to save operating expenses.
Encourage more commuters to get Easy Passes by giving discount tolls to easy pass holders and making it easy to get the passes to reduce the need for toll takers.
Anne The Toll for the Bay Bridge needs to be increased to $5 (Round Trip). This would bring in much needed revenue. It doesn't make sense to pay a $2.50 toll round-trip for the Bay Bridge when it costs $4 to make a round-
Arundel trip over the Key Bridge or Harbor Tunnel.
Carroll cut all travel expenses, and meals lodging
hiring freeze
review all newly hired appointed positions
Harford Change requirement of two licens plates to one plate on the rear of the vehicle. Not a huge savings but a savings.
Anne i am a retired state employee. i thank we could save money by returning to the old vision plan of eye glasses replacement every other year.
Arundel
Anne I suggest you cut your salary and the salary of all legisators and staffs. Cut the number of people working for legislators, Cut legislative expense accounts and vehicles. Turn down the heat and turn up the Air
Arundel conditioning. Turn off lights that are not needed. at night limit the number of lights on inside and outside state buildings. Furlough yourselves!!
Anne Schools: let parnents pay for books and then give them a tax credit at end of year.Open bids on bus contracts yearly
Arundel Prisons: cut out the free ride!!! you go to jail in Md you work out in a gym,you go to libary or to a higher education class,free health care, 3 meals a day and sit on your butt!! bring back road gangs and then you can cut
back on state hignway workers who you often see 5 guys just standing around watching 1 guy dig a hole. Go spend a day at DMV see whose working a full 8 hours, good luck
select your I suggest an audit of all departments in DHMH, there is a real need for someone to look at the redundency of functions within the State Office Complex. Why would you need a Deputy Director and an assistant to help
county out the Deputy Director, when there are four administrative assistants sitting around, overload in top management. Ask Mr. John Colmers to look closely at his organization. Lots of people, little work.
Baltimore Mr. Governor,
A suggestion, and not a popular one might be to cut back the retirement contribution the State of Maryland makes to various agencies including judges, police, educators, and employees. Keep in mind that we are in a
deflationary economy and at the same time the State could allow employees to pick up the cut in the contribution. When the economy gets better, the State of Maryland could always reinstate. We know the federal
government is not the answer for a one shot stimulas is just a patch to a complicated problem that our future children, yours and mine, will inherit . Just for the record, the cut in the retirement rate would impact me
directly. A raise in taxes is not the answer for the people and businesses have been taxed enough. Mr. Governor, I wish to remain anonymous. I wish you the best in accomplishing your goal with these budget cuts.
Thank you
Harford Have an Independent Audit all Welfare cases. Make periodic drug testing of receipents. Too many with Independence cards, driving Cadillacs and capable of work.
Anne I am a state worker & have been for 27 yrs.I'm thankful to have a job however the mamagement that the state has ex:unit manager,assistent manager,and supervisors...how many cheifs do we need.the higher
Arundel mamagement people do so much less then the workers(me).If fourlough days are ahead I think that this situation s/b looked at so they make the big bucks & should have to take more then lower grades.I also see alot
of positions being filled that are not NEEDED...in the past3-4 yrs we as state workers have been doing 1-2 peoples jobs however we know thats the way it is.But when I see mamagement being hired at the price their
being paid I just shake my head.
City Do not pay state employees, for their birthdays, they can take the day off, but without pay.
Also manatory for minimum 5 day furlough,per year, no overtime,and less perks in office,s such as coffee machines,unless paid for by employees. Sorry, but at least they keep their job.
Baltimore Maybe actually putting in the slot machines instead of fighting over them.
Anne Ban the use of state take home vehicles. State vehicles should be used only for business. This is not the case. Employees are able to commute to and from work with their vehicles and using them on the weekends.
Arundel Vehicles should stay at the state facility and only be used during working hours. Commuting to and from work is not state time.
Baltimore No introduction of legislation if it does not relate to the budget(the only mandate the legislators have that is passing the budget). Printing of legislation is no longer necessary and the public has access to any proposed
legistion on line.
The 90 day session can be reduced to two weeks to pass a budget and then send them home!!!! We have had many years that the 90 day session got the work done and so do away with any legislative meeting other
than leadership outside of the 90 days. Tell the public what it cost per day to have all the legislators in Annapolis, housed, feed and milage. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Harford Get all the Police out on rt95 and rt695 and ticket speeders.
you could rake in a million a week.
Anne Stop giving yearly budget increases beyond the cpi to every state agency. The state should live within its means and also save some money every year for times like this. Every time there is an economic downturn the
Arundel folks in governement act surprised that the gravy train stopped and then they come to the same folks to fix it...the taxpayers........I am voting every incumbent out...period.
Baltimore I think that you should reduce the counties and city budgets across the board by a percentage and let them figure out how to balance their budget and make up the difference (ie: furlaugh their employees) this year.
Since my husband (a State Employee) was furlaughed last year!
Howard You can and should reduce costs significantly by prohibiting services (except emergency medical services) for illegal aliens. This should also include removing the right to vote. What possible reasons could you have
for providing support to these people who are in the country illegally? I would like to know !!
Calvert No per diems during legislative session. The average Employee is not paid for travel and meals to work daily. Cut budget for legislative session: four day week, no temporary staff hiring, no new furniture, no
renovations.
Reduce senatorial scholarships funding and make it need based only.
Increase UMS tuition 2%.
Reduce Innovations Institute funding by 50%
No out of state travel.
Do not always replace highway signs to update the name of the governor. NO Governors' name should not be on any signs.
No updating state maps, brochures, etc. with new photos of the governor.
Montgomery Legalize marijuana and tax it. You won't have to spend money and resources trying to fight the drug and will make millions off the tax.
Baltimore Institute a four-day work week for state employees.
Set thermostats in all state offices at 75 degrees.

Harford If you determine state furloughs are necessary, then the entire state should shut down on the same days. I suggest that consecutive Fridays be used for furlough days in december, january or feb. If Fridays are used
then state buildings can be shut down for weekends in the winter saving salary and heating and building expenses.
Carroll stop state employees, including state police, from using state vehicles for driving to and from work and personal use.
Carroll Stop giving money to CASA. We shouldn't be aiding and abetting criminals, it's illegal.
Carroll Make Maryland a "Shall Issue" Concealed Carry Weapon permit state. You'll get lots of revenue from permit applications, decrease violent crime and "Strike a blow for Liberty" ( Harry S. Truman)
Frederick As you mentioned "No reductions to K-12 education are planned." in powerpoint presentation of 07-22-09 BPW briefing, Maryland School for the Deaf staff already had furlough. I requested to waive state furlough on
teachers and other staff directly working with students in school system. Thanks
City I think the heads of the state agencies should have a limit on the amount of compensatory time they can earn. Most are already being compensated with nice paychecks - very nice from what I remember reading. To
also accrue a lot of compensatory time (which I assume they use instead of annual or personal leave - the annual which they can get paid for if they leave state service) just doesn't make good business sense. I see
people in different professions (that are not state workers) that put in a lot of overtime and they don't think anything of it because they bring home a healthy paycheck. Now I know this won't make a huge budget help
and may not be seen right away - but I think it would help in the long run. AND if you are going to abolish more state positions - how about cutting some from your office first? Like lead by example? (nothing personal
against anyone - not that I even know anyone there - just saying there must be some on your staff that can take on extra duties like those of us in the trenches)
Baltimore I think this would be a good way to help with the budget shortfall. In Maryland there are many thousands of illegal aliens that are employed with companies that withhold taxes.(state and federal) There are a few ways
that the state could recover lost revenue and tax money. # 1 the illegal alients use false social security numbers and they increase the number of dependants and so their withholdings are minimal or nill.(so withholding
is minimal and they are not going to file a return anyway) #2, if the state cracked down on the companies that employ all the illegal aliens and fined them they could create a great deal of revenue. #3 and most
importantly and probably the best result would be to crack down on those companies that hire illegal aliens, then rehire those that are allowed to work in the US llegally. This would also reduce the unemployment
claims in the state.
While I dont want to cause problems for illegal aliens and I know they have families as well xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, making plenty of money for their companies and
personally while the state and other Marylanders suffer.
I would personally voluneer for the state to crack down to help with this isse.
Howard Instead of just focusing on cuts, there should be a focus on increasing revenue. One source of revenue is out of state students attempting to enroll in our universities. Perhaps this is a time we could explore a possible
enrollment increase.
Carroll How about saving money instead of paying it to BGE and turn off the street lights on 795 during the day???????
Anne Turn off lights when leaving the room. Sound too basic to even say??? I see co-workers leave lights on in single stall restrooms when they leave - see them leave the lights on in their office when leaving for a meeting
Arundel and will be gone for more than 15 or 20 minutes. A simple electronic "turn off the light when you leave the room" campaign would be cheap (do it via email and it is free) and easy. No, this won't solve the budget
problem but it could be a few drops in the bucket. When my roommates finally got the message our electric bill went down $40 a year... not a cure but I would think every penny helps.
Worchester I work for DJS,when a resident is moved from detention to a placement transportation will not take the youths clothing.A Case Manager then has to drive the youths clothing to them.Often the youth may be from the
Lower Shore and is placed in western MD.This takes the Case Manager out of the office all day often incurring overtime expences.
2)Managers could help in unit coverage,particularly when multipal managers are on duty.Again this would reduce overtime.
3)Hire a full time psychologist for all detention facilities.This would expedite testing, deleating the contracts for this service,improve the quality of care /treatment ,and help get the youth out of detention quicker.This
would reduce the population in detention and again reduce the amount of staff needed ,reducing overtime.
Charles It may be a great idea to cut every state employee to 4 day work week. I'm not exactly sure how many state employees there are but I think a 4 day work week would save a great deal of money. It would also allow us
to preserve on other bills such as electricity. Hopefully this suggestion is considered.
Baltimore Good day, Why not change the law that requires 2 license plates on our vehicles. Is it REALLY necessary to have front and back. The resources spent on making 1/2 of what is currently on our vehicles would save
some money, and allow resources for other crucial areas. Thanks.
Worchester I live in Worcester County (not Worchester Co.!!!!). 1) On Route 113, they have been spending more time and money on sediment ponds and trees, rather than actually building a road. 2) Our school children may be
able to get by without brand new text books this year. 3) no out of country travel by state officials. 4) make MD more friendly to business (lower their taxes) so they may move or keep their businesses in our state. 5)
stop over taxing the rich (this encourages them to move away) leaving the middle class holding the bag. 6) drill for oil off our shores as technology is such spills are very unlikely + this would provide year round, good
paying jobs for my area as employment in this area is seasonal. - food for thought and thanks. I'm hoping and wishing that this mess can get fixed.
Baltimore An accross the Board pay cut is fairer than furloughs as it would apply to all categories of employees. Furloughs are essentially a pay cut but do not apply to everyone(public safety etc.)and an actual paycut would be
fairer.
Carroll Capture paper recycling in all state offices instead of it going to charity.
Montgomery DATE: July 18, 2005
SUBJECT: Graduated Sanction Contract Proposal to the Secretary of the Department
This writer seeks an audience with the Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services for the purpose of proposing a statewide implementation of graduated sanctions through contract with DJS clients and their
parents. By adopting the graduated sanction contract method, community case managers will have a greater ability to avoid Court resolutions (VOP, Review Hearings, etc.) and work with the youths of Maryland in a
satisfactory manner to all parties involved. Further, this writer predicts a dramatic decrease in the number of youths being placed in residential facilities and being subjected to long-term detentions if this plan is
adopted.
What is the Graduated Sanction Contract Method?
When a youth is placed on supervised probation by the Court, the following condition is requested by the DJS case manager to be placed in the Probation Order: Be subject to graduated sanctions to include Electronic
Monitoring (E.M.) and weekend detentions in accordance with the DJS Graduated Sanction Contract. If the Court adopts the recommendation, then the DJS case manager, the youth, the youth’s parents and the
defense attorney (optional) signs the DJS Graduated Sanction Contract (see attachment). The contract explains that graduated sanctions are community-based consequences for violating the conditions of the youth’s
Probation Order. The contract further explains the three different types of sanctions (E.M., consequence beds and non-detention sanctions) and the procedure regarding how and when they are used. Initially, the case
manager would resort to non-detention sanctions (warnings, meeting with parents, community service hour, etc.) to address the youth’s non-compliant behaviors. After two of these sanctions have been used, the case
manager may resort to placing the youth on Electronic Monitoring as a sanction for the third or following violations. Consequence beds are to be used after both non-detention sanctions and E.M. have been tried or as
a sanction for violating the rules of E.M.. When it is decided to give the youth a sanction of either E.M. or consequence bed (weekend detention), then the case manager will write a memorandum to the Court, SAO
and the youth’s attorney informing them of the Department’s course of action and the reasons for it. In response, these parties may seek Court resolution if DJS conduct is not to their satisfaction.
What is the history of the Graduated Sanction Contract Method?
As far as this writer is aware, this particular method of graduated sanction implementation started over two years ago by the Intensive Aftercare Program in the DJS Rockville office. When the IAP program started, this
office had problems conducting graduated sanctions in a manner which was satisfactory to the Court. The Court was concerned that the youths and their families were sometimes confused regarding the reasons why
he or she were placed on E.M. or given weekend detentions as a graduated sanction. The Court was further concerned that only DJS were making decisions regarding matters which required specific Court Orders in
the past and thereby placing the youth’s right to “due process” in jeopardy. As a result, many of the IAP graduated sanctions were achieved through further Court hearings or extremely specific Court Orders. These
methods were both time consuming and restrictive. To correct this, the Rockville IAP team produced the Intensive Aftercare Graduated Sanction Contract for which the proposed DJS Graduated Sanction Contract is
based on. Despite expected concerns from the Court, this writer was surprised to find that the Court’s acceptance of the contract was near immediate. Since then, the Rockville IAP team has continued to use the
contract method which provides an immediate sanction for the youth, maximized the effectiveness of community-based programs (by keeping the youth in the community), reduced the frequency of “high risk” youth
being subjected to residential programs/ long-term detentions and increased both the Court’s and the attorneys’ confidence in the IAP Program. As a result, this writer has developed a belief that the contract method
could be equally, if not more rewarding to non-IAP/ lower risk youth on standard probation.
What are the benefits of the Graduated Sanction Contract Method?
There are multiple benefits to the contract method. First, it will provide more options for a community case manager to address and correct a youth’s non-compliant behaviors. Traditionally, when a case manager is
confronted with violations of probation, he/ she are restricted to Court resolution (VOP Hearing, Review Hearing, etc.) which, on many occasions, result in the youth being detained and placed in a residential program.
With the contract method, the youth is given several opportunities to improve his/ her behavior in the community without Court hearings and, thereby, reducing the risk of the youth being removed from the community.
Since sanctions through the contract method are immediate, it will be easier for the youth to make a cognitive connection between the sanction and the undesired behavior. When a youth is addressed by the Court for
undesired behaviors he or she committed weeks or even months earlier (depending on when the Court schedules a hearing), there is a higher probability that the youth does not make this cognitive connection which
results in feelings of unjust treatment. Further, the contract method will maximize the effectiveness of community-based programs. Often, this writer has been confronted by situations where a program such as out-
patient substance abuse treatment, intensive counseling program or other community youth programs wishes to expel a youth due to non-compliance. However, on many occasion these programs decline from
expelling the youth after this writer has placed an immediate sanction upon him/ her for their behavior in the program. For example, if the youth is placed on Electronic Monitoring with the condition of compliance with
the community-based program, the youth would be more encouraged to improve his behavior in the program so he or she can be discharged from E.M.. This, in turn, will increase the program’s desire to continue to
work with the youth knowing that the community case manager is able to immediately and effectively address the concerns of the program.
Summary:
To help ensure that the Department of Juvenile Services commits itself to focus its efforts to address the needs of the youth of Maryland, in the community, the DJS community workers must become more field oriented
(immediately addressing concerns of the homes, schools, community-based programs, etc.) than Court oriented (record violations and report them at hearings). With the Graduated Sanction Contract Method, the
community workers will become more proactive when addressing problems in the community and will have a greater ability to support related agencies and programs who are dedicated to improving the lives of
troubled youth. By adopting the DJS Graduated Sanction Contract, the Department of Juvenile Services will fulfill its promise as a “Child First” agency.
Carroll Raise temperatures in State buildings to cut on electrical cost for air-conditioning. Have employees dress appropriately instead of lowering the temperature.
In winter lower the temperature to no higher than 68 degrees and have employees dress appropriately. Cut heating costs.
This will need to be a mandate like Nixon did in 1974.

Baltimore Some agencies can be located in a more central place then having several locations, which would save in rent, utilities, etc., space permitting. Especially if they are not ones that the public needs to have easy access
too. I do appreciate that you are 'greening' the buildings-and that saves money also.
Baltimore The people in charge of this state (Mainly democrats) have consistently and methodically extorted taxes from the public.
The size of Maryland goverment has more than doubled in the past 10 years. Totally unsustainable. How about cutting the state budget 5% in real dollars for 20 years? That would put us back to where we were 10
years ago. The private sector which I am a member cannot to continue to finance this state. Cut,Cut Cut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Employees, wages, procurement, hours, education. You will be forced to do it as revenues
will continue to decline. I just last week lowered my 15 employees compensation 8%. Wake up!!!
Montgomery Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Anne Eliminate funding to CASA, LA RAZA and ALL other programs designed to support and attract illegal aliens.
Arundel
Washington I was wondering if the State has looked into the posibility of reducing the number of hours in a work week to 35 hours a week. To me, this seems like it would lower the overhead costs of utilities and save salary costs.
Perhaps this could be done on a voluntary basis for those employees who would be willing to do this as oppossed to having to take more furlough days. I understand not that all agencies could cut their work hours but
perhaps those that have 8-5 hours could. Yes, it may reduce the hours we are open to the public, but honestly, the public should also be aware of the impact the budget issues is having and they should also have to
make sacrifices. (State employess since October 1996 with the Dept. of Juvenile Services).
Baltimore 1. How about better oversight of county/state work crews? Just last week (on 2 occasions) I saw work crews with 3-4 people just standing around in the road. Just standing there doing absolutely nothing.
2. Cut the advertising budget even more for MD Lottery. Everyone knows what it is and where to get a ticket. There is absolutely no reason why they should have an advertising budget as high as it is. Even with the
proposed cut. Or do we need to get everyone always thinking abuot gambling to promote slots and the 3 years away casinos?
Baltimore I have lived in Baltimore City/ County and work in Prince George's County. I work in many communities as a Federal Probation Officer. In the places where I work and live, at least 30% of the cars do not have Maryland
License plates. These are cars in residential areas, neighborhoods, and are seen by me over and over. These cars are a Major key to your budget. Get these cars registered, pay the taxes like most residents of
Maryland and you will have millions of dollars. Surely the laws to register cars and pay the taxes can be enforced. Please seriously look at this proposal. I have been saying this since I moved here from South Carolina.
Thanks
Baltimore As a long term state employee, I have seen cutbacks as well as waste in state service. During my earlier years, I remember when we had to turn off the light when we left our office to save energy. At the cost of
electric today, that may be a good policy to re-institute. That could lead to a substantial savings and if allowed to telecommute, it could lead to even lower energy bills. Thanks for this forum.
Baltimore cut out the cost for discounted/free fares or free for state for mass transportation. why should private sector employees/companies made to pay plus supplement government cost in mass transit fees.
Montgomery Scrap the ICC. Simply put it's expensive to build, an expensive toll to use, it will most-likely be a desolate roadway, a long-term reminder of a bad idea that a then Governor could have avoided, and such a bad impact
on the areas it winds through. Scrap the ICC and instead invest in streamlining our current roadways with live traffic light monitoring and improve mass transit. More roads are NOT the answer. Thank you for hearing
the people!
Montgomery HOV lanes have long been shown to do nothing to reduce traffic, but instead they just cause us to idle stuck in traffic jams, polluting the environment and wasting our lives away.
They do however afford massive employment for Government workers who curn out nonsense studies of how much good they do for us all the time. And they require us to spend an apalling amount of money to study,
build and maintain them.
Get rid of them, and get rid of the Government Employees who have championed them and wasted our money, our time and corrupted the environment in the process!
Anne Spend more money on MFCU to prevent Medicaid fraud.
Arundel It will cost the State a lot money if the new health bill becomes law.
Former state employee (Retired)

Montgomery We all know that governments are inherently inefficient organizations, with burocracies that once established never seem to go away, but grow over time and protect the jobs of their members above all.
One of the worst drivers of government inefficiency is an over-accumulation of Process. Doing anything in Government inevitably requires more steps, and the sign off of more people and departments, than would ever
be tolerated in the 'real world'.
In difficult times, all elements of the economy reduce their expenses and become more efficient, or they die off. As individuals, we constantly adapt our expenses to match our means, sometimes drastically.
So here's s simple proposal. If we are X% over budget, then inform all Departments of the State Government that they will be required to submit a review in the next 60 days that shows how they will continue to carry
out their mandate with x% less. Make it clear that staff reductions are acceptable, but not service reductions. Encourage the Departments to review their processes and eliminate and streamline them to the greatest
practical degree. Also, make it clear that any Department Head that fails to submit an acceptable plan is gone, since managing their Dept within budget, all budgets, is a requirement of their Position.
See what redundancies they find when pressed hard. It's what we are all doing out here in the tax-paying real world!
Anne WHEN DRIVING A STATE CAR THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THERE OWN REPAIRS.
Arundel WE PAY FOR EVERYTHING AND WE CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH.
Frederick Potential furloughs or pay freezes for those making in excess of $100,000. Examine positions and funding related to industries that have slowed, such as positions related to construction, housing, permits, etc. No MD
citizen wants a state employee to lose their job, but more so they dont want to see tax dollars fund an employee to keep that job when there is no work to do or need for that position.
Baltimore My suggestion is to defy the powerful alcohol industry lobby and raise the alcohol tax. It seems to me, as one who enjoys an alcoholic beverage, that there are many more people who drink alchol in our state, than
those who smoke cigarettes; yet the tobacco tax seems to be the fall-guy. I believe a modest increase in the alcohol tax would be a relatively painless way for marylanders to help solve our fiscal problems. Politicians
must fight the alcohol lobby, and do what is best for the state.
Carroll I work in the health care field, in primary health care. I see a large amount of people taking advantage of the medical assistance program. This program should be followed more closely to monitor if people getting
these funds are truly in need of them. This could save a large amount of funds if the people abusing it were kicked off, and made to pay back the funds used. Some of the people have very productive bussiness, and
don't report all of there income. This program needs a good looking at. It could save a lot of money!!!
Kent Eliminate personal use of state vehicles, i.e. police cars.
Review the elimination of state positions by the size of the county and department.
Eliminate overtime and replace with only comp time.
Washington Borrow money from local/city/county government.
Open new facilities to keep our Maryland children in Maryland.
Rebid state contracts on a more frequent basis, ex. every 3-6 months.
City As part of MD's very successful welfare reform program, all applicants for TCA must comply with a substance abuse screening (not testing) requirement. That is accomplished by DHR granting funds to DHMH, who in
turn provides funds to local health departments to provide Substance Abuse Screeners on-site in local departments of social services. This program costs at least $2 million each year and has extremely low outcomes
and effectiveness. The SATS screeners identify a VERY low number of abusers. Most of those they "identify" are people already in treatment who self-disclose this information during the screening.
A much more effective and efficient method of screening TCA applicants would be to provide additional staff directly to local departments of social services who could administer a valid substance abuse screening
questionnaire along with the current Family Investment Program assessments.
Delegate Rosenberg was the sponsor of the original legislation and has championed this program. However, the goals of the legislation could still be met through this more efficient process.
Frederick Enforce DJS carpooling when visiting facilities rather than numerous trips to the same facilities by diffferent workers
City Submit the bill to the Maryland Assembly to repeal Thornton.
Eliminate all of the gubernatorial staff positions that you created when you took office, then resign yourself!!
City Current MBE requirements for State contracts inflate the costs of services purchased. In order to achieve the MBE goals for contracts that provide services there is a perverse incentive for a prime contractor to
outsource some of the services and pay a premium, with additional adminstrative and overhead costs, for those services that could have been provided directly by employees of the prime vendor. This is true even if
the prime contractor is a MBE since the goal only applies to the percentage of funds spent with MBE subcontractors, not total dollars expended on contracts with MBEs.
Baltimore As a life-time Maryland resident, and current State Employee several modifications to DJS may be to continue to keep juveniles in Maryland placements, excelerate new committed programs at Charles Hickey. We
have 315 acres of State owned property we could utilize for Juvenile Services. Continue to use this property to house State Workers to reduce the number of offices needed in rental properties. Some building and
renovation may be required in addition to trailers but it would pay for itself in the long run. State-Wide, all tolls for roads, bridges etc. can be raised to provide additional revenue. Marylanders enjoy relatively low rates
in this area. Continue to focus on providing Maryland Residents and out of State visitors the unique slots and gambling iniciatives that will be built in the coming years. These projects must move forward. As Marylamd
residents we may have to dig a little deeper to keep our State in the position of prosperity that we have come to depend on for so long. Thank you to Governor O'Malley for the safe guards and budget strategies he has
quickly enacted during his first term. As all States are feeling the budget crisis, Maryland has faired better then many. Thanks !
City When times were good and Maryland had a surplus a couple of years ago (under Erlich), the marginal personal income tax rate was reduced. In deficit times, income taxes should be increased, at least as much as
they were reduced! Furthermore, it is time to up-date the rate structure. The personal income tax rate structure is very regressive since the rates were set in 1967 when I earned $3,500 per year! Now when my kids
earn that much they pay more tax to Maryland than to the federal government. Does that make sense?
City State agencies are required to purchase office furniture and office renovation services from Maryland Correctional Enterprises. The price of these goods and services through MCE is not generally competitive with
other, private providers.
Allegany 1. I often wonder if we could sell commercial adventising space to the back side of interstate signs. Something very tasteful and not too distracting. I thought banks and businesses like that might be interested. Like
"In Partnership with Maryland". My guess is the payout would be minimal and they are already standing and wired for lighting.
2. As a state employee I believe our purchasing and budget rules and regulation that may have once been designed to save money but are now costing us a fortune. We buy stuff from someone with a state contract
and drive right past a local business that sells it for a 1/10 the cost. Crazy
3 Someone created some kind of budgeting fiasco that requires us to have 10 - ?% of our positions vacant. So the result is we are always short staffed and working people overtime to provide minimal coverage. And
one way they save money is not filling counselor positions which are not part of minimal coverage, but the end result of that is more incidents requiring more overtime.
4. Someone needs to look at entitlement money. For starters, state employees can get disability checks when there is next to nothing wrong with them and then go out and work another job. Second we are paying
out $'s to tons of people who don't have anything wrong with them - is the fraud ever looked at? are their claims ever questioned? does anyone keep track of this?
City The Maryland State Department of Education headquarters is an overbloated and overly compensated, relative to other state agencies, bureacracy. There are far more relatively high paid administrators in that agency
than other critical state agencies. They are also the only agency I know of that provides automatic increases in compensation based on acquiring additional education and degrees.
Carroll Dear Gov.- If we are so stapped for cash, why are you assigning $5 million a year to support CASA of Md, an organization that supports the underground railroad of illegal immigrants ,teaching how to avoid the law,
get free public assistance , and eventually get enough phony documentation to vote! Wait, i just answered my own question!!!!
City While I understand the allure of making investments when costs are deflated, I also know that you cannot spend what you do not have. Despite my sharing your desire to preserve our environment and maintain green
space, I think that Maryland cannot afford to be purchasing land through Program Open Space, or any other land preservation program, at this time.
Baltimore All state employees should be required to receive their paychecks through direct deposit. Also, the Central Payroll Bureau has done a fantastic job with the Online Service Center and all state employees should be
mandated to use this tool for receiving their paystubs. Several million dollars a year could be saved and employees actually would enjoy the convenience, once they have used the site. Employees without computer
access at work or home could be accomodated with work place computer kiosk. Across the state, I can only imagine the number of work hours that would be saved by not having to handle paper paychecks and paper
pay stubs.
Washington I have read where Utah has required all state non 24 hour facilities to only be open four days a week. The state employees work 4 10 hour days and they have saved a significant amount of money on expenses for
electricity, heat, and even decreased overtime. This would be a way for MD to save significant money for offices to only be open four days a week.
Washington Hello, my suggestions focus on the Department of Juvenile Services,
Eliminate educational services for youth in detention settings.
Regionalize the DJS budget.
Eliminate ALL Social Programs for illegal people.
Frederick Provide early retirement to those staff who are at the top of the pay scale.
Baltimore Let's cut the pay for public servant jobs. Hopefully there are enough citizens who care about the state willing to work for less. We do not need to attract elected officials or those in appointed roles with over payed
positions. I am a middle class citizen and would like to be represented by people making a similar salary as myself. I don't appreciate working 50-60 hours a week to pay inflated salaries to those in Annapolis. Raising
taxes is never the answer. A smaller government is the key to a successful Maryland. On a side note Baltimore could really take a couple of pointers from Ocean City on marketing itself. With more tourism you'd have
more money in the cities economy.
City Offer the option of telecommuting/teleworking to Support Staff on days that they are not needed in the office such as days after major state holidays.
Talbot Stop paying insurance, hospital, and educational costs for illegal aliens that live in our communities - which is a burden to all taxpayers.
Eliminate out of state travel for everyone in government, including executive branch.
Stop funding project open space for two years.
Raise tuition for out of state enrollment at our colleges and universities and a modest increase for in-state tuition.
Look closely at funding "innovative courts" including truancy, drug courts, prostitution courts, mental health courts to determine if they are really paying off.
Baltimore Stop paying for certain state emplyee's children to go to college. ( some only pay for housing) Look over if and how much the state should pay for health insurance once a person stops working for the state of Maryland.
Look at traveling within each department. Stop putting flower on State high ways to make it look good. If you can take so much away from higer education, many the state emply's could as I said be getting a free ride
either.
Whatever you do, please do not reduce the retirement benefits of State employees soon to retire. I have worked for the State for 31+ years. I am in the "old" pension system. I was forced to take 5 furlough days last
year, and I might have to take more this year. I have postponed my hard-earned and well-deserved retirement because of the rotten economy. I have done my share of belt-tightening for the State. I have more than
held up my end of the bargain I made with the State when I began working in 1978. The State has not kept its side of the bargain. Not only should Maryland not cut retirees' benefits, if the State feels it must economize
somehow, it should offer an incentive or "buy out" to those employees who are eligible to retire but have remained on the payroll. I know that when I retire, my position will NOT be filled. That will save many
$thousands per year that can go into the retirement agency. An incentive would certainly influence me to retire. Realize that when I say retirement, I mean only retirement from State service. I will be too young to
collect any Social Security. I will have to work, at least part-time, somewhere, to make ends meet. And into the forseeable future, maybe forever. Retirement is sacrosanct! HANDS OFF. Make sure I get all that I
contracted for with 31+ years of my labor. It is just the right thing to do. And for my entire career, the State has tried to balance the budget on the backs of State employees. Salary freezes, layoffs, furloughs,
downsizing. I am fed up. DO THE RIGHT THING! DO RIGHT BY MARYLAND'S CAREER PUBIC SERVANTS. If you follow even some of the plans for making gov't more efficient on this website, you will not have to
disturb retirees' benefits. My brother is a State employee too. So was my father. He retired in 1988. The State kept its bargain with him, and he collected his benefits for 18 years, until his death in 2006. You should
make sure that current employees will get the same when they retire.
Baltimore Allow police to ask people immigration status and if illegal to arrest them. Stop allowing illegals to drive on our roads. Stop children of illegal aliens from going to our public schools. Lower our sales tax back to what it
was when you came into office. Lower our electric rate as promised. Stop giving welfare payments to people capable of working.
When furlough days are being taken by state employees, it would help add to the total amount if State Troopers had to take furlough days too. If ALL contribute it will add up. every little bit helps. You could
temporiarly stop overtime use and off duty use of vehicles
Anne Just a thought, are there any states that are not having financial troubles? If so, what financial steps are they taking that Maryland can model?
Arundel
Baltimore Save paper anywhere possible, so many things get printed by the State and thrown away. Also, stop wasting money decorating concrete medians, (which are a waste in themselves). The state should get the money
from Lottery, the stadiums charge enough for seats they can pay for themselves. Also, get the slots in here. I am tried of giving my money to Delaware and West Virginia. Also, stop funding welfare programs, most of
the people in them have no ambition of increasing their quality of life, they are content living off the system. Increase tax on alcohol. Reduce State employees pay, they are some of the highest paid people in our state.
Anne - eliminate all taxpayer funded travel out of state by all employees and elected officials
Arundel
- implement mandatory state office building energy savings (i.e. - all lights out, computers off, printers & copiers off in all buildings). Employees who don't comply will be given extra furlough hours.
- implement mandatory efficiency savings (i.e. require that all printers print double sided to save money on paper)
- reduce hours / days of operation for all field offices that give customer service (i.e. DNR license centers; DMV; etc.) and save money on energy, salaries, etc.
- consolidate field offices where the state pays rent into empty space in existing state-owned office buildings
- do a person by person audit of state employees. what is each agencies goals / mission.. how does each employee contribute to that mission. So if your job is bay restoration.. evaluate every action.. will this result in
pollution reduction? if no.. then don't do it. Every state agency should have a comprehensive plan with measurable annual goals.
- It makes no sense to eliminate positions as people retire that may be critical needs. Give Department leadership the ability to meet budget goals without micromanaging who they hire and fire.
- Suspend stipends for voluntary advisory commission members travel and meals.
- Divert money from the lottery to pay for education. Why are we spending any money on stadiums at a time like this? Put dollars on priorities.
- Suspend IT upgrades unless existing equipment is completely unfunctional.. why are employees and legislators getting the latest blackberries and laptops during a budget crisis when the old ones they had worked
just fine?
Baltimore Governor O'Malley: If you elect to implement furlough days again, I suggest you tie them to holidays and/or Fridays. By doing that, State buildings are closed consecutive days which creates energy savings. Possibly
consider furlough days one Friday a month and/or December 28 through 31. While allowing employees to schedule their own furlough days (4 or 8 hours at a time) is most convient for workers, it does not give the
State the additional savings building closings would provide. Thank you for considering these suggestions.
Wicomico Stop printing "Drive Safe" pamphlets for troopers to hand out with the tickets. It will eliminate litter as well as expense.
Baltimore 1. Reset the thermostats in all state buildings to 80 degrees in the summer and 68 in the winter and don't leave the lights on overnight in any buildings.
2. This will seem like a silly suggestion.. Ticket drivers that have their winsheid wipers on and their headlights off. This is a dangerous situation and frankly, the problem is out of control. Why pass a law you are going to
ignore.
3. Increase toll over the bay bridge as it is very low for a one direction toll when compared with the other one-way toll over the I95 bridge in Harford County.
4. Increase state alcohol taxes
5. Institute a federated GIS system state agency wide that allows access to one database thereby reducing redundency of data and personel. GIS has a significant ROI and will, in fact, save you money.
6. Work with the Comptroller to create a two-week 50% sales tax period that will enable people to buy back to school items..but include big ticket items such as automobiles. 50% of a transaction is better than 100% of
no transaction.
(thinking way outside the box)
Baltimore I am writing in response to a segment I saw on the local news wherein the governor was telling the public to send emails when they saw a way to possible say the state money.
I was perplexed over something currently happening literally in front of my home right now. The home directly across the street was purchased by the state for demolition a few months ago, so that a new exit ramp off
695 could be moved literally just a few feet. That being way out of my comprehension & knowledge, I accept, instead of question.
However….the ramp they will be taking away is currently having new storm drains being installed on it. That seems ridiculous. Even if the demolition isn't slated to take place for a few years, it still seems like a major
waste of funding.
If this type of overlap happens often enough, the dollar amount could be quite significant.
Baltimore Where feasible change office hours to four ten hour days a week so that the heating and air conditioning can be dialed back on the fifth day to save on energy. Mandate a 15% reduction in office supply purchases. Cut
the travel and education budget for state employees for one year by 50%. Institute a pay freeze on all state employees who earn more than 250% of the poverty level for a family of four (that includes elected officials).
Raise the gas tax by 2 cents per gallon.
Howard 1-Use some of your stimulus money to pave River Hill Road in Laurel so the 12 plus homes on the road would have higher assessments and would have to pay higher taxes.
Washington Dear Mr. Governor O'malley,
I have several suggestions to look into in order to help with the budget shortfall we face this year. I have been employed by the State of Maryland for almost 15years and I enjoy my career and work very hard to assist
the citizens of the State of Maryland. I understand the difficult task you face. My suggestions are as follows:
1. Significantly cut State Aid to Counties. Last year our county gave a 3% cost of living to their county employees. I work for the state and we had to accept furlough days in tough economic times. The State needs to
cut aid to those counties that had enough money to give raises. The State can not force counties to furlough employees but the aid to those counties who do not want to join in with efforts to reduce the shortfall, but the
State can cut the aid to each county by the number of employees it has equal to any furloughs that State Employees will face this year. The county then has a choice to follow the state in furloughs. If the county
governments choose not to follow with furloughs an additional 10% penalty of State Aid should be taken.
2. All overtime and comp time should be eliminated in every agency. In my agency, due to cuts and hiring freezes I am doing the task of 3 people as a supervisor. All agencies (including public safety) should have
overtime eliminated. Supervisors can fill in and do the work if staff is short on certain days. I know through friends within MSP and DOC that supervisors aren’t as busy as within our agency and I feel if staff is short
supervisors must have the ability to fill in and cover the duties of others. This can be done even in public safety.
In remove the ability for property assessment appeals to be scheduled by property owners with the Department of Assessments & Taxation on Evenings and Saturdays. This overtime is not needed, owners have the
ability to write in there appeal or schedule phone hearings. This is just our agency I’m sure every agency has similar ways to eliminate overtime. I have a friend who is a Trooper for the MSP and works overtime at the
MVA in Frederick and earns a significant amount of overtime there. The MVA in Frederick is located next to the MSP barracks and there is no need according to him to have a Maryland State Trooper standing on duty
in that office during hours of operation. The MVA budget should be cut to not include anymore paid time to MSP for security. If problems arise law enforcement is close by to respond or install emergency buttons
under the counters like banks. Even private security is cheaper if needed. The MVA should recognize that in tough times we can no longer afford this cost.
3. I know you are in the process of renegotiating leases of office space. GSA needs to be account for every space and ensure that it’s getting the best price/square foot for the area. Please make sure that every space
is accounted for and ensure that there is a balance with true market rent for that space. Plenty of good space is available in these tough times and landlords know this.
4. Review very closely all Enterprise Zone Areas and other similar zones with established areas that the state subsidizes money back to the counties. The state should ensure the counties are doing as the law requires
in order to receive and grant the credit and a study should be conducted every so many years to determine if the zone is needed any longer. In our county there is an Enterprise Zone for an area of Retail, Hotel, and
Restaurants near Interstate 81 and a large mall and retail area. This specific area would have those businesses regardless now due to its location and access without the need for state subsidized credits. A county
official once stated they weren’t worried about that because it doesn’t cost the county any money and those credits were reimbursed by the state. We can not count on the counties to review the areas once they are
established. This can save thousands if not millions over time.
5. Review the duties and the budget of the Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board. The full time employees in the upper level of that agency seem to work minimal hours and there office is usually vacant. Why
spend money on high office space rent and pay salaries to do little administration.
Below are some ideas to create additional revenue without a significant burden to the average tax payer:
1. Create a luxury tax of 1% on Vehicles over $45000, All Boat, Jet Skis, ATV’s, and other forms of entertainment vehicles.
2. Increase or create a state hotel/motel tax and State’s Property Tax Rate.
3. Fully Fund and staff the Department of Assessment & Taxation to ensure adequate staffing to defend property values and reviewing of eligibility for Homestead Credits and Homeowners Tax Credits which in will only
save future state revenue.
These are all just ideas and may seem like just a drop of money, but all added together should and will save the state millions and would not burden the average tax payer or State Employee.
Thank you for all your efforts in light of a difficult task.
Harford A lot of money would be saved by the elimination of the I-95 Section 200 plan from the MdTA agenda. Many Harford residents are very opposed to this plan, AND we have let MdTA know about this to no avail.
Maybe, Gov. O'Malley, you could do something about that? It would save a ton of money, too. Thank you for any help.
Howard This has furlough ideas for hard hit California for state employees and those on campuses such as our USM including matching married state employees and campus workers' schedules
First furloughs scheduled at CSUS
Buzz up!By Laurel Rosenhall

lrosenhall@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009
Staff and managers at Sacramento State will begin taking unpaid days off this week in the first phase of a one-year furlough plan at the university that will reduce employees' salary by 10 percent.
Campus leaders have designated this Friday and next Friday, Aug. 14, as the first two furlough days at California State University, Sacramento.
Most offices will be closed, but summer classes will be held and previously scheduled conferences will continue.
The furlough plan for professors hasn't been finalized. Most won't be taking furlough days this month because they are on summer vacation.
"Most of our faculty are not back until the end of this month so their furlough program will kick off in September," said David Wagner, vice president of human resources.
Wagner said he is working with labor unions and the state chancellor's office to create campuswide furlough plans for the rest of the year.
One scheduling difficulty is that the union representing support staff wants most of the 24 furlough days to be assigned for the whole campus, Wagner said, while the faculty union wants most days to be determined by
individual professors and their supervisors.
Staff want the days set in advance so they can plan accordingly, said Kim Harrington, a staff member who is president of the campus chapter of the CSU Employees Union.
"This not knowing is the problem," she said. "We need the long-range plan for our folks."
Many Sac State employees are married to state workers, Harrington said, so they would like the university's furlough days to synch up with furlough days for state workers.
"Reducing their overall costs would be very helpful," she said.
Professors, on the other hand, seek more flexibility in when they take their unpaid days off.
"For a faculty member, if the campus closes down you're still working because you're still grading papers, or doing research, or preparing for class," said Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association.
"Having some kind of flexibility was really vital if (professors') workload was going to be matched by the 10 percent cut in pay."
Taiz said many CSU campuses may end up creating different furlough schedules for staff and faculty.
1) As a state employee I think we could save a lot of money if time sheets and expense reports were done 100% online. I can't imagine how much money is wasted on all that paper!
2) Between no raise, no step increase, furloughs, some state employees are feeling the pinch, spending less. Instead of these measures, why not allow employees to choose whether they want to be full time at 40
hours, or full time at 32 hours. I think there are quite a few who would want more time off and still be full time while those who need the 40 hours would have it.
3) Consider having the state open 4 days per week and the buildings completely shut down with minimal heat/cooling for 3 days. This would save a lot of money. This would also fit in with full time employees at 32 or
40 hours over the 4 days. With the state open 4 days, there could be evening hours which would better serve the citizens perhaps M-Th 8:30A-6:30PM.
4)Have standardized supplier for office supplies from one vendor with negotiated prices that apply to all state agencies.
5) PEPs (employee evaluations) should be reduced to one page (both sides) and done online-- colossal waste of money and paper!
Thank you for this opportunity to give suggestions. I hope you find them useful.
Cecil If you are proposing furlough days you need to inform the state employees so that they can prepare. Most of us (State Employees) live pay check to paycheck and do not have extra money lying around to cover the
days off without pay. I also think that the fat needs to be trimmed from the top. Start there and then work your way down to the lower payed employees. I have worked very hard for the State of Maryland and has
always given more than I have received. It's like we (State Employees)are being punished for something that you did and that's not right. I have to live within my budget and balance my checkbook regularly, whose not
doing their job and alowing the spending to continue when you know the State doesn't have any money. Please explain this to me. Robbing Peter to pay Paul doesn't work and never has. Stop spending money you
don't have. Also the way supplies are ordered needs to be looked into. I know we have contracts with certain companies and they are robbing you blind.......
City Governor, I applaud you for your due diligence in attempting to curb any further layoffs for the State of Maryland. In these hard economic times businesses closing and tax revenue at a lost, which funds government, it
only make sense that some trimming must be had. I come from corporate America due to workforce reduction and having had the opportunity to work on a temporary and contractual assignment for two different
Maryland State Government agencies. I had and continue to have the opportunity to witness an unbelievable amount of taxpayer dollars wasted. Bid contracts were honored out of relationship not productivity, quality,
workmanship or economics, not to mention workflow and workforce redundancy with little accountability. As President Obama stated in his run for the Presidency and since his tenure the government ledger
needs/must be reviewed line by line and each agency and department therein be evaluated and held accountable for effectiveness and efficiency this too must be the action for the State of Maryland. Let us stop
wasting government dollars within the government.
Frederick This morning, I hear of the proposal to develop the "red" line train at a stagering cost of $1.2 billion, 1/2 to come from Md. If we are broke, where does the money come from?
With the budget deficit, don't spend the money on the train!!
Harford decrease eic and refundable eic for this year. many recepients already are assisted by state and county with
food stamps, housing, and medical. many times this taxpayer pays no income tax.
survey street lightning and see if all lights necessary.

rt 165 and greene rd have 3 lights and all are generally
lit. they are all in the same block.
up from 8000 to 10000 or 12000 amount of salary employers

pay unemployment on.
defer replacing equipment such as helicopters that have

been on new a few months ago.
no personal use of state and police vehicles.
general assembly needs to change law their salaries acnnot be cut and reaises are automatic when rest of country
is in financial crisis. the general publis is cutting
and they need to also.
cut lightning in state buildings to a minimum
Allegany you have to cut personnel,where there is a asst.supt.in every feild the supt. or support staff can cover it,also most inportant why does e.o.c.,emergency mgt. have to have top of the line everything and be manned 24
hours by top dollar employees use support staff,also what kind of cuts have the house and senate taken although i don t know him the comtroller seems to have some good ideas
Baltimore Instead of furloughs for state employees, why not reduce salaries, & then give employees some number of paid flexible holidays to be scheduled by each employee. This would stabilize the salaries each pay, & still let
employees feel that they're getting time off in return for the salary reduction. (This is similar to the way Dec 26 & Jan 2 were handled.)
Frederick Cut salaries of State legislators and representatives. Too often, cuts are made on the backs of State workers - no increments, furlough days, layoffs, cutting vacant positions, which just puts that much more of a burden
on the workers who are left. We are voters and citizens, too, and it is not right that cuts come first from our income. I have a daughter who just finished college and we have tens of thousands of dollars in student
loans to pay. I have a son in high school and I don't know how we'll pay for his education after high school. He is looking at going in the military, so we may be OK there, at least financially. Make your cuts from State
workers LAST, not first, please.
Harford I somewhat understand the budget cuts, however, I would like to make a heartfelt suggestion - when issuing furlough days, please take into consideration that there are some State employees who are married and we
get hit twice as hard. If the "rumor" of 10 furlough days takes place, it will be 20 for my family - 20 days equal one months salary. Please, please, we struggle enough, but this will completely devastate us. We have two
kids in college and live paycheck to paycheck.

Montgomery Stop all funding for CASA of Maryland. Demand proof of legal presence for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
City * Government now more than ever needs to be fiscally responsible. Dollars versus political correctness is the issue. MBE and SBE purchasing often adds a 20 to 25% premium to the cost of doing business.
Suspending these programs until the State becomes more financially solvent could realize a cost savings of $200,000,000 or more.
* State employees and employees that work at State Universities should have a 2% salary reduction across the board. Then between Christmas and New year's, shut down all state office buildings giving the
employees administrative leave. Actually, it's a way around furloughs with the State not only realizing approx. $120,000,000 savings in salaries as well as energy savings of between 1 and 2% by shutting off all lighting
and throttling down heating systems. If the buildings are closed, there would be little if any water usage or sewage created. The salary reduction should be for all with no deferrals. All state and higher ed. people should
feel the same pain. If people are considered essential, then they would need to work during the down time. In past practices, all who were not defered from furloughs paid the full tab. It's only fair that those who had the
free ride in the past take up the slack this go around. I figure energy savings could be significant close to $100,000,000.
* One other item of interest is the mandate for all state and higher ed. agencies to buy office furniture and other items from the MCE. That mandate causes state agencies to pay a much higher cost for goods and
services that are provided. I have seen cost as much as 4 times higher then their counterparts in private industry.
* Cut transportation costs, A) Restrict State vehicle usage to emergency use ie, fire, police, etc. B) Restrict or limit work related traveling,
Layoff of State and higher ed. employees should be a last resort. There is an aging workforce and many people could retire if the State would offer incentives. This could reduce the labor force and save salary and
benefit dollars.
select your Quit spening $120K / year for speciaty translator for illegal alien held for killing her baby in Somerset County
county
Kent Take away most of our sick days and let us use annual/personal days for that. Having just attended a national conference in Tucson with many state/county employees, most I spoke with are given 3 sick days, if that.
They are given personal days, or annual days and must use that if sick. This gives a strong motivation to not take sick days as "mental health" days when you have to use your vacation time.
Eliminate some duplicative agencies such as LMB or CSA, or GOCCP which only add an additional layer of bureaucracy
select your GIVE MORE FURLOUGH DAYS , AND DAYS OR WEEK OFF WITHOUT PAY OPTIONAL,CUT SUPPLIES OR CONTROL THAT,NO OVERTIMEPAY, ONLY COMP.
county
Howard After working at MSDE and now working at an institution of higher education, I don't see a need for a large program approval branch under the division of Certification and Accreditation. The IHEs in Maryland with
teacher preparation programs must gain national accreditation through NCATE. The overlap and redundancy of also having program approval specialists does not seem cost effective. The specialist travel to go to
meetings, fund meetings, therefore their use of additional funds for driving, food and gaining comp time costs the state quite a bit of money.
select your Why is the State data center moving to Dallas, Texas? Isn't this taking jobs away from Maryland citizens? We should be directing jobs to maryland, not away from it. If our State government doesn't keep their jobs in
county Maryland, who will?
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county
Baltimore Eliminate all vacant positions across state and utilize current staff to fill in necessary duties.
City If an original signature is needed to process an application, a faxed application should not be accepted.
Do not fax and mail the same materials.
Limit the quantity of incoming and outgoing faxed documents.

select your The Developmental Disabilities Coalition recommends the following:
county
Institutions (SRCs)
$49.8M of DDA's FY2010 budget is allocated for institutions (source: FY2010 budget books). This is an exceptionally large amount allocated to a very small number of people.
1. Close the Brandenburg Center: The state can no longer justify the cost of $244,072 per person/year. There is no fiscally sound rationale for operating a 14-person facility. In addition, it simply is not needed. Most, if
not all, of the residents have written plans of habilitation that have determined that they can be supported in the community and community services cost far less.
2. Downsize and eventually close the Potomac Center. The average annual cost per person is $234,551. The large amount of land and the size of the units at Potomac Center far exceed the needs of the people living
there. Every single person attends a day program outside of Potomac so there is no rationale that this high-cost service is needed or justified.
The cost savings - over time- should be re-directed to support people on DDA's 19,000 person waiting list and to adequately support the under-funded DD community service programs. While these recommendations
will garner quick savings, the economy is not improving significantly anytime soon. These recommendations represent sound fiscal policy and sound, progressive public policy.
Anne Are we seriously going to fund expansion of metro with our current budget crisis? Are you kidding me? I'd rather have the money go toward keeping a full contingent of fire fighters, teachers, and police officers! We
Arundel can deal with the traffic issues until the economy recovers. We need to be more realistic about what we are spending money on -- think this stuff through for heaven's sake.
Harford Erect a toll booth on I-83 between the MD and PA line. This money could be used to help fund the Bay restoration fund. For each dollar collected, one dollar would be reduced from the general fund. This would allow
the money now being taken from the general fund to be used to close the deficit. In future years, the money can then be used to reduce the State Debt. This reduction in debt not only will help reduce what the State
would owe out right, but would reduce the interest due as well. The interest that would have been owed can also go toward debt reduction.
select your Why not offer early retirements for employees and lose positions throuh attrition. If there has to be furloughs why not include all state employees starting with the gobs office. Lastly why are we still buying land for open
county space when we really can't afford it.
Montgomery I am a State Employee at the University of Maryland, College Park. I am also involved with the USM Council of University System Staff and have spoken to many employees thru out the State on this issue. As an
employee and life long citizen of Maryland I would recomend a 2% accross the board salary reduction for a specific period of time- say two fiscal years.
RATIONALE: The State has many different units that serve the people. The challenge is to continue a high level of service AND reduce expenditures. One solution accomplishes both tasks- a two year, 2% reduction in
salary for ALL. In FY'09 the State provided each employees with a 2% COLA. To now roll back that COLA so employees can keep their jobs and the level of service to the citizens can be maintained is an option worth
considering. Having a two year sunset provision for review of the reduction would assure the return of salary levels at a time when state supported budgets can afford it.
Many thanks for your effort and consideration of this suggestion during this tough economic time.
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Anne Also, Cut the new voting system-42M, we can live without it for a while.
Arundel
Anne Cancel the new voting system
Arundel
Eliminate benefits to illegal aliens
Harford Is a Press Office of this size benefitting the State of Maryland? Can't the work of the Governor's Office just be performed? Do you need all of this "People" hype? Let the private press/media handle any "press
releases" that need to be released. Call a press conference and make the announcement. You will be re-elected anyway.
PRESS OFFICE
Rick Abbruzzese, Director of Communications
Christine Hansen, Deputy Press Secretary
Shaun Adamec, Deputy Press Secretary
Frank Perrelli, Creative Director
Jay Baker, Chief Photographer
Nina F. Smith, Press Aide
Steve Rabin, Chief Speechwriter
Jackie Small, Speech Coordinator
Chris Rieth, Speech Coordinator
Kevin Large, Communications Manager
Takirra Winfield, Communications Aide
Rick Lippenholz, Staff Photographer
Baltimore If you truely want to cut budget monies, why don't you go after the "supplies & miscellaneous" funds that are distributed to the agencies. Most of that money is wasted anyway. I have seen hundreds of dollars spent on
office supplies, just to have them thrown away because they don't like the color or it has been barely used and they don't want the item any longer. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent thru out the state for
supplies only for them to be taken home or trashed. No one likes to "recycle or reuse" anything if they can get it brand new. I came from private sector before working for the state and the owners & the bosses of the
companies I worked for, insisted that we "recyle & reuse" as much of our supplies that we could. I also see monies being spent on breakfasts & lunches using the excuse that there is training going on and in fact it is
not. Some of the monies come from the federal side as well as the general funds. Every agency tries very hard to slide stuff past the comptroller's office and when they get away with it they continue. Most of the
supplies at my desk are ones that I purchased my self, because I like certain things and I don't expect the state to pay for them. Maybe if you truely listened to your public and some of your employees you might get
somewhere and the state would no longer have irresponsible persons in positions of power spending money like it is water from a faucet. I hope whoever gets this will actually read the words and understand what is
being said and get the point. The last time I did this the point was totally missed. Good luck....
Baltimore While it very noble to provide for the referrenced needy, the one priority that pays for all state activities was left out. Jobs. Unemployed citizens don't pay taxes, and taxes pay for all state activities. Therefore I think
that preservation of, and creation of new jobs should be the number one priority.
Baltimore New State Spending Restraint Is Needed-Enable the State to deliver needed services more cost-effectively, skillfully and efficiently.
It is very clear that throughout the public sphere that there must be a balance between governmental services and fiscal responsibility or resource constraints. That balance is often hard to strike due to New State
Spending/debt and to the self-interest of a few.
There is plenty of room for reducing Maryland's long-term structural deficit, by the way of slashing the 2009 Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond loan of $1.11 Billion in new state debt, state bonds and appropriations to
Maryland Hospitals. With the tax breaks that Maryland hospitals receives (no property or income taxes that other corporations pay), hospitals earned millions from stocks, bonds, and other resources (today's market
hospitals are showing paper losses traced to interest swaps but are still in the green as in Money!). Maryland hospitals due not need continuing state subsidies, it would be reasonable for the hospitals to provide charity
care up to the amount they would pay in taxes.
What is more galling, in FY 2008, approximately $1 Billion dollars was spent in Maryland's hospitals Outpatient-Emergency Care by users/payers (Taxpayers Subsidies, medical insurers and the self-insure).
To ease the burden on the taxpayers, EMS Response Systems and hospital emergency departments, state and local governments "focus" should be on developing a solution on the Emergency Department Use. By
the way of examples:
1). EMS Response Systems merging with their local Public Health Departments to address Non-Emergent Care and Preventable Emergency department Care.
2). It is time to implement the EMS Agenda for the Future, the Future is now. EMS Community-based health management (google-EMS Agenda for the Future Implementation Guide).
3). Consider restructuring MIEMSS into the State Department of Public Health (DHMH).
Iask that all parties keep the burden on the taxpayers of Maryland as light as possible.
Respectfully Submitted
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Anne I am a state employee hoping to retire in June, 2010, along with several other people in my office. If these vacant positions could become contractual, it would save the state money that they would not have to pay
Arundel employees in benefits. I would then be able to continue to work in the same position but as a contractual worker. Many retired people need to continue to earn income for several more years. As people retire, it would
nice to be able to offer the retiree the choice to stay in their same position but as a contractual worker. I am 54 years old and hope to work for many more years. Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion.
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Anne How about taking 20.00 a pay for 26 pays from each state employee (70,000) - that equals 36 million dollars, instead of furloughs and 5% decrease in pay?? I think state employees have taken a beaten for years, no
Arundel COLA's, no increments, no reclasses, furloughs. Plus our health care benefits have increased as well. The cost of living is going up and our pays are going down. we have families and mortgages too! The citizens of
Maryland think that state employees don't pay taxes - well we do...and we do our share to support Maryland government.
Harford I suggest the State of Maryland enact an early retirement Bill relative to the State Employees' Pension System. Such a Bill will allow state employees in the pension system with at least 25 years of creditable service
to receive benefits at a reduced salary rate.
Kent PLEASE DON'T STOP MARYLAND SUMMER CENTERS!!!!

select your offer state employees a 25 year retirement and out plan, that should save the state millions, and then don't fill some of those positions
county
select your 1. Abolish the Citizen's Review Board, as there are now plenty of 'overseers' for child welfare. Formed about 30 years ago for a very good purpose, it has now outlived its utility, particularly in these fiscally very tight
county times. Times have changed but the review board has not. Foster children's cases are now reviewed by the court at least every six months, each child has an attorney, there are state and federal audits, agencies who
are accredited have peer reviews, there are supervisory reviews, parents havs attorneys, and an increasing number of children have Court Appointed Special Advocates. The Citizen's Review Board is advisory only
and wields no meaningful power anymore. Armchair critics lend nothing to the work.
2. Last year something around a million dollars was allocated to boost mental health crisis response in several Maryland jurisdictions for foster children to try to stabilize youth in regular foster families. Perhaps
someone needs to look into how many children have been served to know whether continuation of the funding is even warranted?
3. Make it simple for foster and adoptive parents to sign up for direct deposit of their monthly checks - make sure to send clear information about this to foster parents - might there be any incentive to go w/ direct
deposit?
Thanks for the opportunity to weigh in. These are difficult times, and we are hopeful that the children won't lose out. We appreciate Governor O'Malley's commitment.
City As a state employee, I suggest furlough days for all on Dec. 24 and 31. And 5 more voluntary furlough days as the year progresses.
I work in corrections (BCJJC) -- recommend we forgo the Correctional Education meeting this fall (3 daays in Ocean City). We can pick it up again next year.
Harford Institute a tax penalty amnesty as New Jersey did. They are at $600 million and counting.
Baltimore 1- Do whatever is necessary to arrange for the legislature to be in session only every other year.
2-Have all State agencies function on a four-day work week... 10 hrs per day for 4 days and the agency closes on the 5th day. There is no savings of energy, etc. if they agency remains open and only the employees
are on a 4 day schedule.
Anne Budget cutting ideas.
Arundel a) For travel reimbursements only pay the cost of the meals instead of the full per diem. If lunch cost $5 and the per diem is $12, only pay 5. Over a multi-day conference this coold save a $100 or more per person for
all those meals.
b) Better idea than that - cut all out of state travel unless is is utmost urgently needed. Or..cut it all!
c) Stop take-home vehicles or make people pay the State.
------those are warm ups. now for some biggies------
d) Cut all State contracts 20%. Why pay contractors full pay and cut State workers by furlough days. Contractors will say "But we have a contract". Tough! Times are tough. Don't contracts have standard text that the
contract depends on funds being there. Well, take 20% of those funds for other things and share the task of cutting back. State workers are being fired...and our contractors are fat and happy. Reduce their budgets.
e) Cut contracts. End them. Look at each one and drop many of them. d and e wil save huge sums. There are retired State employees on contract. If not directly then they are a worker under someone else on contract.
Cut those retired workers. Current employees shouldn't be furloughed or fired when retired workers are pulling two paychecks from the State of MD. This is a grievious issue festering.
f) Stop buying land. In better times - ok. But not now! Workers are being fired and lives impacted...and we have few 100 more acres in our pocket. Not satisfying. Not wise.
g) Cut major road projects.
h) Cut various existing State programs. Which ones? Go line by line. If ever there was a time to be thorough, now is the time. If they don't measure up, then they get cut.
i) Don't ask just the unit heads and Asst Sec's what to cut. Ask the people in the trenches. They know what is working and what isn't. Open a secure, anonymous suggestion box. You won't believe what you'll hear. (h)
is difficult since people may be fired if they aren't already multi-tasking. If a program is cut but the staffer handles many duties, they can stay and still contribute but the big bucks for the cut program will be saved.
j) Stand in front of your top level satffers with kiddie scissors and say "We have done a lot of this so far". snip snip. Then pull out garden shears and say "We have done some of this so far" snip snip. Then pull out a
meat cleaver or some other eye catching monster and say "Now it's time to use this" whack! onto a chopping block. But in all seriousness, thanks for what you do in this challenge. Do more of it (cut).
k) Keep employees who do the work. Give more furlough days if needed - plenty even - but not firings. Too drastic for the longstanding dedicated workers, especially when so many workers are on contract sitting
pretty.
Hang tough. Be tough. But with a dose of wisdom and caring.
whack!
Anne This is a test without my email address and name. Prefer to remain anonymous
Arundel
City This is in response to your request that we taxpayers provide you with suggestions on how the Maryland State government might save money. Obviously anywhere there is duplication of effort is always a good place
to look.
Probably the most obvious duplication of effort in the state government is the effort put forth by Maryland to provide literature and telephone assistance in multiple languages. I realize that there are deep ideological
and political reasons behind doing this but during tough times like these we need to look at some things we might not have previously considered.
While I feel some sympathy for people who are making their way in a foreign country without a solid knowledge of the local language I can't help but feel that in the long run cutting the umbilical cord and providing an
incentive to immigrant groups to learn the local language will be a benefit to them. Every time a caller is given the opportunity to press 2 and hear something in a foreign language they put off for another day mastering
English. As a result of this they put off for another day learning a skill that is critical to getting ahead in our culture.
Although I know that the intent of providing bilingual services is to make people feel welcome I can't help but feel that it is creating and perpetuating an underclass of people who will be relegated to lower paying jobs
because they have lost any incentive to become fluent in English. Look on any construction project…the foreman is the one who speaks the best English. He makes the most money.
I know many people of foreign origin and I have yet to find one who is incapable of learning English. If we are serious about helping immigrants become a useful part of our society I think we should consider eliminating
this expensive and condescending practice.
Anne 1. Take a good look at the mess Obama is creating -- then DO NOT DO THE SAME.
Arundel
2. Cut all state agency funding by 10 per cent, hold an additional 10 per cent in reserve.
3. Take a very hard look at the "timber contracts" for timber cut from state properties. Also enforce the "restoration" provisions on all properties that have been harvested.
Baltimore xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Montgomery The tuition freeze at Maryland colleges and universities must be lifted. It is supremely irrational to expect them to maintain quality while resources shrink and shrink. The small amount of increase in an individual
student's tuition would be inconsequential -- those who need college "affordability" will receive more direct aid to cover the cost. Those who do not receive aid (or only in the form of loans) probably don't have as great
a need for "affordability." Either way, federal programs or wealthy individuals take the hit, while the state will not be required to reduce the quality of higher education.
Anne As a way to raise revenue is it possible to sell advertising space on all State automobiles? You need to look to other alternatives to close the budget deficit besides the compensation of State Employees. State
Arundel employees have sacrificed more than their share in the last 10 yrs. with furloughs, layoffs, pay freezes, hiring freezes, etc.
select your hi,
county
why don't you cut the number of legislators in both houses in half. eliminate some of their staff also.
Carroll Current: When the legislator is in session bills that are being reviewed are printed and handed out.
Suggestion: Limited the number of paper copies and rely more on email and provide possible bills as attachments.
City Asked state employees strickly on a voluntarily basis to volunteer to work shorter work week, example, 4 days, 32 hours, 20 hrs. etc. I believe the responses will be greater than you anticipate. Depending on the
responses, this could prevent some layoffs.
Washington Offer early out incentives to employees nearing retirement. This would eliminate some possible layoffs. You would sacrifice experience but you would save new employees, the future.
City I am a State employee working for the State of Maryland's Public School Construction Program. This might seem to be a very small cost-cutting idea, but if it can be done, it will save money on paper that the State
uses. Anyone that uses the FMIS system can tell you that when they print a report, purchase order, etc., the last page is always blank.
Why can't the programmers cut that one piece of paper out. When you think of how many FMIS users there are in the State of Maryland, I really think the savings could be quite substantial. Thank you very much for
giving me the opportunity to correspond with and hopefully help, the Governor as he has to make some very difficult decisions quickly to save our State money.
City Retirement incentives for employees with 30+ years. Reevaluate need for the position after retirement.
Howard Implement time clocks for non-exempt State employees where they do not exist. This will result in improved worker productivity and ideally enhanced overall financial results. In many (all?) State buildings/institutions
there is no adequate monitoring of employee work time and mush opportunity for employees to take advantage of the "loose" time keeping system.
select your
county
Howard Cut the number of paid holidays that State employees receive. I'm a State employee and would gladly give up a few holidays versus having my pay cut or taking constant furloughs, both of which put a strain on my
family finances. The number of holidays we get is excessive compared to corporate and non-profit institutions. Reducing paid holidays does not strain the family finances and keeps employees productive. Fewer
employees will be needed in aggregate due to increased productivity and less time off that needs covered.
Anne It is difficult for me to understand why your staff, along with the numerous legislators in our state, cannot devise a way to effectively address our budget crisis. If you use my suggestion, could I get a personal tour of the
Arundel state house? To generate revenue for our state as well as help business owners in several markets, I suggest that Maryland implement a vehicle inspection program. This could stand-alone or be coupled with the
state’s existing vehicle emissions program. For example, most (I think) vehicles are “selected” every two years for an emission test at a cost of $10. At that time, require a vehicle inspection checking everything from
operational headlights to a functional muffler for an additional $10. That generates revenue for the state. I am no suggesting that the current emission stations be retrofitted into a garage, but have local garages
become state-certified inspections stations. The state could charge an annual fee (e.g. $500) for garages or dealerships to become certified, then those locations could charge $25 ($10 to the state and $15 to the
garage/dealer). That generates revenue for the business, which is taxable and again, generating revenue for the state. Additionally, if parts are needed to bring a vehicle into compliance, that means more money to
businesses and the state (through taxes). I do not have any specific numbers because I was unable to find any statistics on how many vehicles are emissions tested each year.
There is little startup cost to implement this program, basically a state agency that is willing to oversee the program and certify garages/dealerships. It would also be relatively easy to implement within a year. Plus, it
promotes citizen safety by ensuring vehicles are in proper operating order.
Anne Provide walkable paths/boundaries to schools and cut school bus transportation all together.
Arundel http://www.newsline.umd.edu/schools/busmoney091708.htm
AND Go solar as much as possible.
Baltimore Dear Honorable Governor O'Malley,
My suggestion to reduce the budget would be to set up a small task force directed at maryland medicaid to seek out and put a stop to all the medicaid fraud that is done by both recipients and providers. I am a nurse
who used to case manage health choice clients and believe me, there is plenty of fraud to go around. Probably the largest area of fraud, and "frankly BS", pardon the expression, can be found in the use of private duty
nursing. Some families are seriously abusing the intention of the benefit provided. What they truly want is the "Hazel benefit" where they have a live in nurse to be parent, housekeeper and supervisor of their kids 24-7.
In some cases, they want absolutley no parental responsiblity. They want a nanny.
The second area would be in durable medical equipment. The fraud that goes on here is of huge proportions. Getting rid of the fraud and abuse in both these areas would likely save hundreds of thousands, if not
millions of dollars.
Thank you for allowing me to participate in the discussion.

Sincerely,
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City The University System of Maryland charges it's employees for parking on the various campuses. They structure this in increments of $20,000, based upon the employee's salary.
The incremental fees stop at $80,000. There are plenty of USM employees who make more than $80K. Why not continue the incremental fees to include $80-$100K, $100K-$120K, $120 and above. And also
considter an additional parking fee for every person who gets their own parking spot (Presidents, VP's, Deans, etc.) These are the folks making the most money and they should be able to pay more. When we asked
on our local campus we were told, "This was a USM decision" (sounds like they want to protect their own and not share in the increasing costs of parking).
This would be an easy way to help generate more funding for Maryland.
City Governor O'Malley:
Good morning.It is been my experience that the state of MD employees are always the hardest hit. We have always been looked at first to furlough, lay off or receive no increase.I was barely able to maintain my bills
with the last round of furloughs and pay reduction. I work hard and try to do the right things by paying my bills on time along with my student loan debt. The people of the state of MD BEG you to consider not putting us
through another round of this let alone one that is 3 times worse than the first.If anything, just keep the pay where it is with no increases until things resolve. Where would the motivation and morale be for state workers
that go to work everyday but are being paid less? It is absolutely NOT fair. People that don't work and may not want to work seem to fair better than working people. Because we, the people that want and need to work
don't want to be burdens on society continue to carry the burden of this deficit. Please do not penalize the very people that have been working without a pay increase prospect of one in the future only to actually
decrease the pay. Please consider this from an educated state worker that has been employed for over 11 years and would love to retire with the state.
Montgomery get the slots up and running, increase cigarette tax, increase booze tax (I do drink), open betting parlors on sports events and have them run by the state
Frederick Have SHA employees maintain District Office (s) lawn care/plantings. SHA employees take one (1) Friday off per month without pay for six (6) months. SHA employees pay 1% more of their health care premiums for
6-12 months.
City 1) After 5:00pm and on weekends many State office buildings still have the lights and computers on. I feel as though many if not all of these lights and computers could be shut off because they are not being used and I
am sure that it makes the State's electricity bill unnecessarily high and waste money.
2) Although it is great for State employees who take the subway and bus to be able to ride it for free perhaps that program could be done away with if it is costing the State alot of money?
3) Perhaps money could be saved by limiting or eliminating the ability of State employees to take State vehicles home in the evening or on weekends when they are not working. Also no employee should be able to
use a State gasoline card to fill up either their own vehicle or a State vehicle if the vehicle is not being used for State buisness or during their working hours.
4) Perhaps overtime could be greatly cut or eliminated not only at this time but in general by making sure that work assignments are done during employees working hours because in my opionion some of the overtime
that is done by State employees after their normal working hours could and should be done during their 8 hour shifts. Some State employees purposely work overtime doing assignments and projects that they could do
during their normal working hours because they know they will make more money.
5) Perhaps there could be some kind of monetary prize or award for employees who do not call out sick because this would reduce the amount of State employees calling out sick in general for no reason because they
know that they can do it up to a certain point without any disciplinary consequences. Basically they have no incentive not to use their sick leave. Also instead of State employees having 30 days to turn in sick leave
documentation that they were medically seen and treated perhaps they could be required to submit it in 7 days.
6) Make sure that in all State facility's there are no dripping faucets, electrical appliances wasting energy because they are not up to date on energy conservation usage, air conditioning or heating systems that waste
energy because they are not up to date on energy conservation, State vehicles that need maintenance such as regular tune ups etc. because all of these things waste money.
7) Only granting liberal leave when absolutely necessary during inclement weather to State employees who are not essential and meet the requirements. I am not sure but perhaps this would save the State money?
8)Perahps across the board having all State employees not work or be paid for say a Friday making it a 4 day work week either once or twice a year. I am not sure but this make safe the State money?
9) Not paying nurses sign on bonuses or giving them bonuses in general for not having called out sick.
10) Cutting down on State employees taking business trips or having lunches etc. where the State pays the bill.
11) Having more monetary awards and prizes in general to State employees for perfect attendance, outstanding work performance, ideas that save the State money etc. This would give State employees incentive in all
of these areas and other areas that I did not mention to be more productive, which ultimately will save the State money but not a system as was used in the past where State employees who received an outstanding
PEP evaluation were paid a certain amount of money as were employees that received a better qualified PEP evalution because this cost the State money due to favortism and supervisor's and employees who did the
PEP evaluations rating their friends falsely in order to assure that they would receive money.
Howard Out of caution I must make my suggestions brief.
1. For state workers, cut overtime for 6 months to a year or implement close monitoring of overtime so that it will only be used for preapproved specific job duties as authorized by senior level management only.
2. Focus on long range and ongoing cost saving solutions by hiring more supervisors and management personnel with higher levels of business or public administration education with proven experience. (Require a
style similar to xxxxxxx for incoming management at the supervisory, chief, program administrator, and director level.) I believe this will lead to more strategic managerial practices with appropriate evaluation and
reevaluation systems put in place for workers. (Due to high levels of workloads in some areas as opposed to others the high areas of workloads managers have less time for close monitoring and consistent
evaluations.) By hiring more top educated and high productivity producing managers you many find that you will receive more suggestions for restructuring, cost cutting, and quality and productivity initiatives.
3. Figure out how to increase worker motivation so there won't be such a high number of times wasting which results in decreased productivity. This decreased productivity may create the illusion of a need for more
workers when it may just be an issue of restructuring, and/or changes in delegation of tasks. There may also be a need to create more situations of shared work among programs within a division.
4. Acknowledge workers who are extremely productive and who show initiative. Set up a system where people can safely offer their concerns and suggestions for improvement without the concerns of backlash. Only
allow the people to read and receive the suggestions who are not within the division in order to eliminate biases that may thwart any and all opinions of the workers or managers.
5. Implement a system that will evaluate productivity reports for everyone by someone outside of the division. Upper management only should delegate someone to review this information specifically for potential
areas for cost cutting, elimination, and the need for personnel.
6. Require more uniform reporting methods of workers to supervisors, and managers to upper managers.
7. Implement mandatory surveys with a variety of specific questions and separate the responses by worker, supervisor, chief, and program administrator. Include areas for comments. The surveys must not be read by
managers within their own divisions without being first read by upper management outside of the division.
Respectfully,
Anoymous
Montgomery Streamline procurement accross the Departments. Right now each agency/department has it's own procurement, plus there is the e-maryland marketplace procurement system. If you merge procurement functions,
you could likely save costs on administrative overhead (supervisors) and it might be easier to find procurements from the State.
Baltimore The Board of Ed's Infants & Toddlers (birth to 3) program is offered throughout the state as a free program. Maryland is one of the very few states that do not require its clients to pay for these services. This program
employs many professionals, including teachers, language specialists, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, audiologists and office staffs. These offices must rent space,
buy paper clips, and even pay clients' cabfare to and from groups and activities. I am not suggesting dropping from its rolls families that cannot afford the service, but rather to charge on a sliding scale. Many of the
clients in this program can afford to pay some amount, indeed, some even could pay full price for a private service of its kind if it were not offered gratis by the State. The children pour into these programs at the
slightest provocation. Granted, some actually do need the services, but it takes only a referral from ANY source to merit an evaluation - which in and of itself is an expensive proposition in these trying economic times.
And now that the age limit is being raised to age 5. . .
select your Have state workers telecommuter,and work 4-ten hour days a week, save on energy cost
county
Carroll Charge a licensing fee for obtaining a license to be a child care home or center.
My suggestion for cost containment for the State of Maryland is this: When a State employee travels for a conference or other State business, it is logical that they be reimbursed for their mileage because that is an
expense they would not have incurred otherwise. The employee should have their lodging paid for because that too is an expense they would not have incurred had they not been travelling... HOWEVER, this employee
would have had to EAT whether they were away on State business or not. Why should the State reimburse this employee $42 a day TO EAT?!? This is frivolous spending on the part of the State. How much precious
money does Maryland waste paying its employees TO EAT!?! What other frivolous costs could we cut before we implement furloughs or lay offs!! Wouldn't it even make more sense to pay only a percentage or NOT
EVEN pay travel reimbursement of any kind for a temporary period of time before people lose their jobs or take pay cuts (furloughs). I am not in any way involved with State budget, so I'm not sure if this idea would
solve any cost containment issues, but it seems logical to me and I thought I would share it-since you asked for my opinion. :)
Baltimore Not being a close follower of State government structure where elimination of various minor agencies could save money, I can only suggest little things that can add up.
I am always amazed at the amount of money that is spent in the excessive mowing of grass along our highways....I am not saying lay folks off as there is plenty of needed work but the fuel bill for those mowers must be
substantial. Also, I think that the State or Counties waste vast amounts in excess street lighting. I knew someone, now long moved away, who got an extra street light in front of his house on my county road...I call it
the one case of whisky light pole.
xxxxx
select your Sell Trade center. make 5 day furloughs permanent.

county and put each one before a holiday.
Anne Where can we go and view the proposed budget I would like to see what inidividual agency budgets are and other details if possible
Arundel
Howard The Thorton bill was passed without fiscal considerations. I would like to see a careful review of Thorton to make sure we are not mindlessly throwing money at education. DC has the largest per capita spending on
education an I don't want Maryland to emulate DC's education system.
Montgomery I am writing to you to request that you stop cutting local services, and especially stop cutting Local Management Boards, but instead look to your own State agencies, especially those which do not provide any services
or direct benefit to Maryland citizens. I have been a teacher for ten years and I see the disservice it does when agencies such as these are cut.
I have heard about the cuts being made to the local Baltimore Co Mgmt board that works with at-risk youth and families and it saddens me. We need people like them to work with these vulnerable families and their
children.
Please rethink your budget cuts!
Thank you
Montgomery Please stop funding Casa of Md. who use the money for illegal
immigrants. I am so mad at the Mont. Co. (Leggett) people for
misusing my tax dollars. I will vote against anyone who con-
tinues to abuse our money in this way. Didn't you learn any-
thing from the drivers license mess?
City to save money you need to do a intense drug testing for all welfare clients because there are alot of clients that are wasting cash and stamps every month just to get high you can save loads of money that way.and i
am staying at code blue and there is a whole lot of waste going on here that will save the city money.
Anne The MDE currently requires the posting of a huge, heavy duty, 4 ft x 8 ft sign to publicize projects receiving "State of Maryland" financial support, under the direction of MDE, and approved by Board of Public Works.
Arundel These signs cost in excess of $500 each and have been required for very short duration projects and small under $100K projects. This is tax payer money, not MDE's. Few people read them and they take up valuable
time on the recipients part to order and install the signs. The signs have no educational value about why the project is being done and its benefits to the Bay watershed. I'm with a small watershed stewardship non-
profit manned by volunteers, the $500 could be put to far better use than the State tooting its own horn on how it is spending our money. The example project consists of an under $50K 8 rain gardens installed in the
back parking lot of St. Mary's Parish in Annapolis that will be completed in 2-3 weeks. Where is the common sense in this? Multiple the cost of signs for the Trust Fund grants and Stimulus grants and put it to good use
on an in-ground stormwater runoff mitigation projects.
The guidelines do not even allow the CACB 2010 Trust Grant recipient to put its name on the sign or list the match donations and partners supporting the project.
This is one tiny example of how out of touch with reality MDE (and the state) is, particularly in dealing with non-profits working on the front lines to save the Bay. Non-profits cannot operate as local governments and
cannot be treated the same by the state bureaucracy and outdated regulation/legislation. The power of non-profits is being thwarted by irrational regualtion and processes. Unless BayStat can bring the NPO's fully on
board the Bay cannot be saved. 65% of the Bay's issues are private property, e.g., communities, residenses, churches,small businesses, etc. that must be dealt with through flexible private means to be successful.
Treating these small, but important BayStat projects as if they were Capital Improvement 50 million dollar wastewater treatment plants is just crazy, and very costly. The MDE is wasting everyone's very valuable time,
including their own people's productivity.
If BayStat would seek input from non-profits about how the State can better enable them to work on Bay saving projects, rather than disable them and throw up irrational and illogical roadblocks, the NPO's could
accomplish amazing things. They will act as a force multiplier of state funds, and not a waster of scare funds.
The thoughts expressed are my own. I would be happy to sit down with BayStat and discuss a long list of issues the watershed organizations are dealing with respect to MDE's management of the Trust Fund and
Stimulus grants. Millions could be saved by appling some simple common sense immediately, changing a few unapplicable policies, and maybe a little legislative tweaking. There are many reasonable options and
quick fixes.
One has to wonder why the all powerful Board of Public Works has to approve a $50K rain garden project the CACB 2010 Trust Fund Scientific Advisory Board has already approved and been signed off on by the
Governor.
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Baltimore My suggestion is random urinalysis tests for anyone who is on welfare or has medical assistance. They should be initially tested prior to approval and randomly while using the program. If they test dirty they should
immediately be terminated from the program and have to wait a certain amount of time before being able to re-apply. Why should we waste tax dollars on people who are NOT trying to better themselves or the
community. And frankly I'm tired of wasting my tax dollars on people like that!
Frederick Use open source software for kiosks, managing networks and other areas. Howard County Libraries have switched over to open source software and saved large amounts of money. I'm sure the same model can be
achieved in other government / state institutions
City My suggestion is to sit down personally with each department head and ask to see each expenditure and ask questions on why it was necessary to spend on such items. Hold them accountable for unneccessary
spending within the department. A lot of money is wasted because there is not anyone approving each expenditure. Each department should have someone specifically approving expenditures and asking questions,
and providing alternatives to reduce the amount of spending. For instance, at Baltimore City Community College, a meeting was arranged at a remote location. Why? There should be someone asking the same
question. Why arrange a meeting off premises when you have an entire campus to use. The money used for that meeting facilty should not be spent. Another example, specifically at BCCC, the athletic department
was suspended by the transportation department from being able to use BCCC transportation. In return the athletic department had to rent vehicles in order to have transportation to games. Again, why??? The
school had adequate transportation, but money had to be spent on renting vehicles. It makes no sense whatsoever.
I am sure this happens in all of the departments statewide. These departments receive money and they literally waste it. At the end of the each fiscal year, the departments should be able to return money because
they should be practicing responsible spending. Just because they receive the money, doesn't mean they have to spend it.
Anne On June 30th, I forwarded a suggestion to both Governor O'Malley and LT Governor Brown to recoup revenues to the State. Many government employees at local, county and state levels are required to order most
Arundel medications (especially high priced specialty medications) by mail order. These mail order pharmacies and the PBM's that dictate this agenda are all out of state (Argus, Walgreens, Catalyst RX, Aetna Specialty,
Freedom/Priority Healthcare, ExpressScripts). One Montgomery County Pharmacy lost 2 million in revenues in Q1 for 1 therapeutic class which then translated into $160,000 in tax revenues lost to the state. Local
specialty pharmacies are experiencing substantial losses in revenues, citizens losses in choice and service and the state a considerable loss in a revenue source. Please reconsider these contractual restrictions with
the insurance providers who quite frankly seem to be the primary beneficiary of these restrictions. That indeed, the cost savings realized when filling prescriptions outside the state may in actuality be costing more in
lost tax revenues here and business viability and jobs inside the state. Thanks for your request for citizen feedback.
Montgomery Put a cap on all State paid positions of not more than $175K
Anne Legalize marijuana. It will bring in some extra cash to the state.
Arundel
Anne I am an attorney who defends physicians in medical malpractice cases. Since the 1970's Maryland has had the "Health Claims Arbitration Office," now called the "Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office"
Arundel (HCADRO). Years ago, this dept actually did at least a little something as some med mal cases were resolved via arbitration & not in Circuit Court. But about 10+ years ago, all med mal cases, after being 1st filed in
HCADRO, have been immediately "waived" into circuit court for full blown discovery and trial, so HCADRO does nothing more than process the initial pleadings of the case, which is then filed all over again in circuit
court. In other words, HCADRO serves NO useful function anymore, if it ever did. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. HCADRO occupies a few offices in the Wm. Donald Schaefer Tower in
downtown Balto, a hi-rent district, & must have an additional budget for office supplies, etc - my guess is this is at least a $1 million/year budget item, which serves ZERO useful purpose. HCADRO should be eliminated
& all med mal cases should be filed directly in the appropriate circuit or federal court. It is ridiculous to keep funding an office that does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but push paper!!! xxxxx
Harford please reframe from cutting budgets at local management boards. Look to your internal staff and large budget increases to pet projects for a way to balance our budget. Your administration has burdened the working
people and small businesses enough.
Anne Raise the gas tax and fund public transit. Create a real, meaningful plan for the installation of public transit between Balt, Annap and DC like most other major metro areas. Create a floor for gas prices to induce better
Arundel public decisions and fund transportation and related projects. Remove private money from electoral politics in MD and create true representative government that can make better policy decisions for citizens. Raise
income taxes on those making over $500,000/yr. Create state plan for citizens to purchase college tuition for kids starting at age 5 regardless of future costs, bringing funds now to public education and promising
college ed to those who may not be able to afford it. I am a state employee but maybe not for long due to cuts. Employees do not work well when they are not sure if they will employed in the near future. If the state
values its employees, they will work harder. I am not impressed with a large percentage of the state employees I have worked with in various agencies. Employees need to have a clear role and review processes in
place. By and large, the bureaucracy is broken and ineffective. Good luck!
Baltimore Temporarily for 12 to 18 months increase sales tax from 6 to 6.5 or 7%, increase gasoline tax as well on a temporary basis.
These are to be temporary measures, I believe most people would prefer to pay xtra now and save there job or avoid a furlogh knowing that it is temporary. In addition stop all frivolous spending, no pork only things
that are necessary, work with local lenders to help free up credit for small business, stop taking money from federal government thats not going to help our state nor help the country. If every Marylander has to balance
there checkbook every month without a bailout there's no excuses.
Baltimore As you state, in Maryland, we are far more lucky than other states. I think one thing that would really help is a scaling down of the services that government receives locally but even more on a national level. I really
think that this cap and trade bill and the new health care reform legislation will come down to bite your budget as they are implemented. Because it is an election year, I know you will work to not raise taxes but we do
remember the special session that gave us our sales tax increase in addition with your work with BGE and the PSC and Constellation which has not been effective at all. Drive your own car, cook your own meals, pay
for your own health insurance. Be a representative of the people you represent instead of an elitist who thinks we are all stupid.
Anne I suggest you consider implementation of a "Primary Care Clinics" program offered by a company called Mainstreet to acheive a budget reduction by reducing the cost of the state employee group health benefits
Arundel program.
There has never been a better time for the state of Maryland to consider the financial and clinical values of supporting its’ own on-site primary care clinic. The on going challenge has been the ability to manage the
health needs of the employees and dependents to the financial health of the plan. In addition to the “hard dollar” savings to the health plan there remains a continued need to manage and improve the productivity and
absenteeism of the workforce. MainStreet has developed an employer sponsored HealthCare clinics program that provides the balance necessary to address all of these issues and provide real value to all involved.
MainStreet provides a solution to the employer and employee demands in a number of ways.
For the health benefits plans the immediate first year result is to flatten and often reduce the plans double digit increase in costs. Our clinics deliver low cost primary care at costs that are between 30%-40% less than if
the identical services were delivered in the employer health plan. By developing effective communications and extinguishing all barriers to primary care access we create a proactive program. This prevention focus has
both short and long term value to the employee’s health and the employer costs.
The benefits to the employees in setting up a clinic are significant and varied. The clinics themselves are the centerpiece of the Employer sponsored program and can easily be integrated in to any current Disease
Management or Wellness Program. If the client does not have either program MSHCC is able to provide these services as well.
• Flattening/reducing cost during the first year • Reduced absenteeism
• Closed model-minimal wait time • Built in incentive increases use of service
• Internal “health management” services(DM, wellness, coaching) • No co-pays to employees
• Health plan designs • Cut health plan services by up to 40%
• Increased Productivity • Promoting wellness and prevention
Frederick Do not try to resolve the state budget by shifting expenditures to local governments particularly in the middle of a fiscal year. County governments have already experienced declining revenues and have cut spending
and services. County governments do not have the financial ability to absorb any additional state budget reductions. County governments provide essential services, such as education and public safety, which should
be protected. Laying off county employees to solve the state budget is simply not fair. Shifting responsibilities also fails to address the budget situation - it just shifts it to others who did not create it in the first place.
Consider eliminating or deferring the replacement of elections equipment which will save both the state and local governments money that does not exist without impacting existing services. There should also be a
review of state owned properties which could be sold. The state has properties on E. Patrick St. and W. Third St. in the City of Frederick which have been vacant for several years. If there is no use for these building,
then sell them and put them back on the tax roles. Consider eliminating the freeze on tution increases in higher education. This laudable goal is not sustainable in the current economic climate.
Wicomico You could save several million dollars by doing away with off duty Maryland State Police Troopers at the MVA offices.
City Dear Governor O'Malley-
I recently wrote to you suggesting that one way to decrease the costs in State government would be to streamline the current payroll system. As I have continued to think about other ways to reduce costs, I come back
to some of the daily process that are antiquated and could now be updated and automated with current technology. These processes include: reimbursements which are currently paper forms completed in triplicate
and entered manually versus a computerized system that could be managed by a third party on a contract; travel requests which are also currently done on paper and could be managed by a third party on line; and
lastly, a comprehensive review of the procurment system would reveal numerous inefficiencies that could be rectified with an online system.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful and, again, if the State of Maryland is to continue to move into the 21st century it is important that we take advantage of the technology that exists to reduce our costs and
increase our efficiency.
Thank you -
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City Dear Governor O'Malley-
As a state employee of almost 8 years I have personally seen government waste and inefficiency on many levels, however one area that I feel can be stream lined to save money and improve efficiency is the payroll
system. When I came to work for the State I was shocked that salaried employees are required to fill out paper timesheets (in triplicate) and then individuals manually input time in/time out for each employee. On more
than one occasion, errors have been made which causes numerous hours to correct.
While I understand my proposal to streamline the payroll system either by subcontracting the system out to a third party to administer or making the system electronic, would reduce personnel, I feel that if Maryland is
to continue to excel, we must move into the 21st century and take advantage of the systems that exist. This system would not only be beneficial to salaried employees but also hourly employees who could clock in and
out online. Our system is antiquated and the cost of continuing to do business in this inefficient matter increases costs to the system.
Thank you for your time and I hope you find my suggestion of benefit.
Sincerely-
Anne The state must be spending a tremendous amount of money on Microsoft products. Open source software could minimise this expense. I have used Open Office for years and never felt the need to purchase MS
Arundel Office. Migrating to Linux would minimise the need to purchase new hardware because the Linux operating system will run on machines that are useless for running a Microsoft operating system.
Montgomery Please provide funding for Montgomery County Technology Growth Program. While the return on investing in high technology research may be 2-3 years away, the government should not sacrifice the opportunity in
search of short term gains.
Anne My daughter has four step children, to put three of them into sports is an enormous amount of money. Hold on I am getting to budget cutting, just leading up to it. She had to pay $600.00 for one junior football player,
Arundel and two cheerleaders. They do not have the money for this, so they dipped into their savings, what little they have, to put them into activities. It is a known fact that if you have no activities for your children, they will
undoubtedly get in trouble with the law, essentially ending up in jail, and thereby costing the state and county money for clothing, housing, rehab and whatever else it takes to get these individuals back on the street.
One ounce of prevention could make a big difference in this circle. Help out with the cost of these activities for the children, do not make them pay, merely ask for donations at the time of sign up. Those with the
money could certainly afford to make a large contribution and those that do not have the money would not be embarrassed by dropping out because of teh large fee to enter this activity. Please consider this. These
kids need help at the beginning of their juvenile years, and make them more involved in sports, will make them less involved in drugs and crime, thus costing much less to the state in the long run. It is an offset effort
that is bound to pay off in the millions in the near future. Help these children.
City I suggest you lower the reimbusement amount to state employees for mileage when they use their personal vehicles. The state pays .55 per mile. If you have a car that gets 15 miles/gallon and gas is at $3 (both on the
very conservative end) thats a cost of .20 per mile. If you allow 100% additionally for wear and tear, oil, insurance etc (and I think that's generous!) that would take the cost to .40 mile. I know people in the state govt
who can't wait to travel using their vehicles because they make a huge profit when they do. I don't think the taxpayers need to subsidize that additional income. My example would save the state 30% of the
reimbursement expense, while not costing anyone anything, it would only remove the profit. I'd love for someone to tell me how much the state does spend on personal reimbusement, so we would know the savings.
This is an easy one!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anne If the State of Maryland went to a four day work week, they would save money on utilities. The employees would save money on gas and get the benefit of a three day weekend.
Arundel
Also, reducing the number of copiers rented each month would save money. With the use of computers, the employee should print multiple copies rather than print one copy then going to the copier to print more. In
the agencies I worked for there was one copier per office.
Consider an "early out" retirement. This would give employees an incentive to retire and reduce the number of employees without laying people off.
Anne Why don't we collect bottle and can deposits like other states do? Think JOBS and LESS trash.
Arundel The state should harvest the existing Pawlonia Trees in our right-of-ways - the Japaneese pay big money for the wood (it is light in weight and very strong) - for that matter our state agribusiness ought to get on the
stick and encourage farmers to grow it for it's strong lite weight.
Thanks for coming to St.Annes the other day - isn't our music great? Come back anytime - no cars nessesary :)
I have other ideas - but they may be more federally directed.
Good Luck,
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Wicomico I researched and developed a Bay Bridge toll schedule that would have generated an additional $22M annually. It was a complete study using historical data and usage numbers. No one was interested. It centered on
increased EZ pass, revised trucking and non EZ pass tolls.
Carroll The following is a letter from our local paper:
Missing the boat on tax free
If statistics from the National Retail Federation are correct, more people are going to be looking for bargains in their back-to-school shopping and, sadly, that could hurt Maryland businesses.
The NRF says 80 percent of this year's back-to-school shoppers surveyed said they planned on spending less — about $1.4 billion less — than they did last year.
Shoppers, the NRF says, are looking to save money. According to the NRF survey, almost 75 percent said they planned to shop discount stores. Thrift stores and resale stores are ex¬pected to see big increases.
But a lot of people also are likely to travel elsewhere for their back-to-school shopping. Pennsylvania, for instance, does not tax clothing, and with the recent increase in Maryland's sales tax, shopping there is more
attractive.
Other areas, such as Washington, D.C., and Virginia, offer tax-free weeks or weekends. D.C.'s tax-free period applies to clothing, shoes, accessories and school supplies less than $100 and runs from Saturday through
Aug. 9.
Virginia's tax free weekend is Aug. 7 to 9 and applies to clothing and footwear valued at less than $100, and school supplies valued at less than $20.
Maryland has in the past embraced the tax-free week to give consumers a break. And the week will be back next year. But that doesn't do much good for families looking for deals today as they continue to weather the
reces¬sion.
Maryland lawmakers are shortsighted in not previously making the tax-free week an annual event. They were too worried about lost revenue from sales taxes. And yes, rev¬enues may increase a little, but far more
businesses would have been helped with the increased sales that they may now lose to neighboring states as residents look for the
best deals.
The state had an opportunity to help businesses, and consumers, but instead, our short sighted lawmakers chose a different path.
That path is going to lead shoppers away from the state in search for a better deal.
I feel the tax increases the current administration has imposed on the residents of the state has hurt the state revenue not helped. Please wake up and see what is going on in the state of Maryland. Are we number four
in the nation as far as high taxes are concerned?
Try lowering the sales tax rate back to 5% and see what happens! You may be amased.
Thanks for your time,
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Howard I would like to suggest making employees with more then 30 years retire. This will give the state the leverage to monies from the top to allow growth from the bottom. This would also keep in my mind more people
happy. I also think that the economy is getting better and will turn around very soon.
Harford I am police officer at a state run college. Due to legislative mandate, there is a requirement that each of the ten state run colleges have college law enforcment on campus. This currently means 10 seperate police
departments that act independant of one another. Prior to O'Malley, there was a commission appointed by Ehrlich to streamline state government. The 25-member commission, headed by former governor Marvin
Mandel suggested the merging of all state university under one Police Department. This would reduce the redundancy in the command staff, records, and dispatch. This would enable one training division (currently
UMCP has it's own academy).
Allegany Dear Governor,
Some suggestions that you should look at for cutting.

Closing some Government offices that are open on every Saturday or reduce the openings to one Saturday a month. It was that way a long time ago when then Gov. Schaffer was in office. How much money in
employee overtime, water, electric, heating and cooling will that save? What about setting the thermometers up two degrees or down two degrees? I do that at home and it saves on my electric bill. What would
happen if every office in the state did that?
Stop catering to everyone that wants a hand out. The purse strings of the State should be closed tight until we come out of this recession. If I am watching what I spend in my own household than the State also needs
to watch handing over money to special interest groups and researchers, and every other group that would like a hand out/hand up.
The State police deserve to have their cruisers and their gas paid by the citizens of MD. They protect us! But, what about all the other state agencies that the administrators, and supervisors drive state cars home
each night. How many vehicle could be taken off the roads and how much in gas savings would the state see? Are these vehicles really being used for "business" or is it just a "perk" of office.
What about the agency credit cards? Is someone watching the amounts that are spent? Are the amounts spent really necessary or are they reckless purchases? Is that money being used on office supplies, paper and
ink? Or is that money being used for things that are not necessary. Remember the Federal Govnmt could not account for the credit cards they supplied their agencies or the reckless spending that went on.
Greater accountability needs to occur. I understand that you like to see numbers, but I think Marylanders needs to say to every agency, special interest and other groups that receive money from the state to operate
that they need to be wise investors of what they have been given and don't expect more if they run out. The saying "to bad so sad" really should be coming up more, but people do not want to hurt others feelings.
Please remember that the State employees are working harder with less and they are willing to take a cut if it will save a job. However, if you cut to deeply then you should also be willing to say to the citizens of
Maryland that some services that are provided by the state can not continue at current levels. We must strive to find the balance.
Thank you for allowing this opportunity to provide feedback. I really would not want to be in your position, but Marylanders are a strong and persistant group of individuals. We can come together and weather the
storm. I just don't want the State to tell me at tax time next year if I am due a refund that "We are sorry, but IOU." That would not look good on a re-election bid.
Thank you,
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Anne The cut in the voting machine sounded like a worthwhile cut. The old one seemed to work ok. Best regards xxxxxxxxx
Arundel
Charles Reduce or eliminate the amount of money spent on supporting illegal immigrants schooling, health care and in-state tution for higher ed.
Charles My suggestion for cost containment is the following:
1) Require people that receive assistance benefits (FS, MA, TCA) also be required to get the birth control shot every 3 months perhaps DHMH can give the shot. This will hopefully prevent families and individuals from
getting even more in debt and have a chance to move towards self-sufficiency, less CPS investigations, and less foster care/adoptions. If one doesn't comply then the benefits end and if people do not want to do this
then he/she obviously does not want the state's assistance or supplement programs. The State should collect more information for these programs. I understand the State can not control what people do with their lives,
but the State certainly can control what the State gives out. If someone is not making good choices (for example: I need my FS benefits so I can feed my family because I spent all my money on my cell phone bill) why
does the State encourage those bad choices and just give it out.
2) Set up/enhance programs: Welfare-to-Work. I am a fan of the program. It has expectations set, provides assistance and guidance, and has time limitations. Why does it not teach anything about money? How to
balance a check book? How to develop a living expense budget? Basic survival skills.
3) Change the Regulation in the Child Care Program: Does education level guarantee someone a job? Do the statistics prove that it is easier and quicker to find a better job if you already have one? So, why does the
Child Care Program assistance people if they are: 1) working, 2) going to school, or 3) working and going to school. It would make sense to me that someone would benefit more if they are either 1) working or 2)
working and going to school.
4) Furloughs before layoffs at all costs
5) Update ancient computer systems around the State. Make more automated systems. Condense the amount of forms required for programs. Computer software similar to DOS software still being used in the year
2010. The State will be in terrible trouble when the select few individuals that actually know those systems retire SOON.
Somerset Im a state employee where yet again im faced with having to take furlough days. There are agencies that were just frantically trying to spend end of year money and now we are faced with this. There are so many
agencies that are laying off employees and other agencies that are still paying overtime due to lack of staff. If all avenues are looked at before furlough days go into effect it my eliminate the need for these days which
will no doubt cause a financial hardship on any person having to take these days which may lead them to no other option but to find themselves having to turn to the state for assistance which there again could possibly
be avoided.
Talbot Stop State employees from traveling to attend staff meetings that should be held in thier local office. Some meetings could be held by a conference call.
State employees are using state vehicles for comute when there is no benefit to the state. The claim a field office (which does not exist) and then get milage to travel to the regional office.
State employees should not be allowed to ride the mass transit free wth thier ID card. This only benefits Baltimore employees as they are given free comute and others in the state have to pay for it or if using a state
vehicle have to pay a benefit tax. Then we have to substutise the mass transit.
You need to stop the spend or lose attitute agencys have, they know if they do not spend thier money next year they will not get it. You need to0 reward those that turn money back in at the end of the year and punish
those that do not.
Why are some Department secrataries having new pictures taken of themself and mailing them to the regional officies to replace the one they already have of them. In the private sector you would fire someone that did
that during these hard economic times.
All out of state travel and overnight Travel should be stopped except for emergencies.
Everyone needs to understand this wasteful spending could cost someone thier job and everyone in the private sector is struggling to pay their bills. Its time for the leaders to lead by example.
I would like to thank you for allowing our input.
Howard Freeze all hiring except security and medical. I see the state has a hiring freeze; however there are two new positions being advertised on the state web site (Jessup regional dietary director and Jessup regional
maintenance director). We are in a budget deficit, but there are still new senior positions being advertised. With benefits these positions will cost the state a quarter of a million dollars a year. I cant understand how you
can't fill entry level positions but can fill positions to make these agencies more top heavy.
Baltimore Governor O'Malley is asking for feedback from the general public on how he should apply future budget cuts. I am requesting that he stop cutting local services, and especially stop cutting Local Management Boards,
but instead look to his own State agencies, especially those which do not provide any services or direct benefit to Maryland citizens. Or even better.... if everyone on the budget took a $1 - 2k cut on their salary, we
could keep hundreds of people... no, families employed in this economic struggle we are facing. That evens out to people loosing approximately $115 a month (with a $2k cut from their salary) after taking out a third for
taxes. Im sure one of the richest states in the country can see that $50 a paycheck will not seriously injure a families budget, whereas the loss of a job could devastate them. Please consider new alternatives. Cutting
out is not the same as trimming back...
Caroline Do away with front license plates on our vehicles. This would save quite a bit just in the material resources alone.
Roll back all new spending that you have made since your tax increase from the special legislation session from two years ago. The new spending just for that one year would save tax payers one point three billion
alone.
Sincerely xxxxxxxxxxx
Washington Dear Gov. O'Malley,
I have a few thoughts on cost-saving for our state. I am a bookkeeper for a small business accounting firm and daily see the impact of the recession on our small businesses and individual people. I think the problem
can be looked at two ways: 1)keeping Maryland's small businesses active and helping our citizens stay here rather than being forced away from Maryland and 2) cutting costs for the state itself.
It is always tempting to increase taxes in order to raise money; however, in this recession, we see that there are fewer people in the tax base. As people lose their jobs and their homes, or face reductions in earnings,
there is simply less income to tax and the burden will fall inordinately on the lucky who have managed to hold on to their jobs. Increasing their taxes while the cost of energy, health insurance, gas and food also
continue upwards may just drive people out of Maryland. Rather than increase personal or property taxes or place additional taxes on items such as alcohol, tobacco, soft drinks, services, or general sales tax, the
emphasis should be placed on promoting small business growth - small businesses traditionally employ much of our population - and doing all that can be done NOT to burden the general population with further
taxation. We need people to stay in their homes and keep their jobs in Maryland, if only to preserve the property tax base adequately and limit the state's exposure to unemployment benefit claims. This is clearly a far-
seeing approach, not an immediate solution to any specific problem, but the benefits should be obvious. Small businesses could be given tax-break incentives to remain open or to start up within our communities.
Another issue which should be addressed is that of the rising cost of energy in our state. The deregulation and decoupling of the energy providers in Maryland was a mistake. These companies are increasing costs to
consumers at an unprecedented rate and this hardship will be at its worst during the winter months. The state should re-regulate these companies and restrict their profits for the health and well-being of the citizens. I
am not sure if there is a way this will benefit the state directly, unless the state were to impose a windfall-profits tax on these companies, but it will certainly help keep people in their homes, which is a very important,
albeit indirect, benefit.
As far as cost-cutting ideas for the state itself to consider implementing, I have two ideas. One is that state employees may need to face a pay freeze for the next year or two. I know this is tough thing to sell, but I can
tell you that quite a number of people, myself included, have not had raises in the past several years. We choose to stay in our jobs because we are glad to have jobs at all and know that our pay freezes keep our
companies going in these tough times. The business owners I work with are frequently cutting their own pay, sometimes living off savings and taking no paycheck at all, in order to retain employees and stay in
business. I would suggest that state employees may find the idea of a salary freeze preferable to the potential of more job losses. My sister in Utah recently told me that the Governor of her state has found a way to
save millions of dollars and I will pass this idea on to you. Utah has changed the work week for many branches of its state workforce to a 10 hour, 4 days a week schedule. This includes departments such as social
services, the Comptroller's office, the state unemployment office, etc. This has reduced the cost of energy consumed in state buildings by millions a year (as the buildings are only using lights and heat for 4, rather than
5 days, a week) and alleviated some of the worst traffic patterns around the big cities. It is an adjustment for the employees, who must adapt their day-care arrangements, but overall, the employees have been highly
satisfied by the change, enjoying an extra day at home or to shop, and notice a distinct savings in their commuting costs. The general population was skeptical at first, but has adapted as well, and many claim that
having social services and employment offices open in the evening hours has been a welcome and helpful change.
Thank you for the chance to share some thoughts and ideas.
Sincerely, xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore I would like to request that cuts be made first from state agencies that do not provide services of direct benefit to Maryland citizens. Stop cutting local services, specifically local management boards, and services for
our most at-risk youth and families. Place a freeze on travel reimbursement for state employees.
In these extraordinary fiscal times, it is more important than ever to focus public resources where they are most critically needed - at the local level.
Harford PLEASE STOP CUTTING LOCAL SERVICES AND LOCAL MANAGEMENT BOARDS. THESE CHILDREN WILL BE THE STATISTICS OF TOMORROW IF NOT HELPED NOW.
Talbot xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
July 31, 2009
Dear Governor Martin O’Malley,
I have commented on several opinions you have asked for in earlier e-mails/ correspondents. I really would like to say “we as Marylanders are truly feeling the economic effect of this struggling economy. I am
certainly glad that I was brought up with work ethics and survival skills. Since this down pouring effect my position at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx was out-sourced to a CPA firm, with hopes of saving funds, however,
my salaries was split up between the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and several other employees. With no surprise Sir, there has been no savings; I was an ethical, hard working, honest person and did not stand a chance up
against dis-honest board members and other employees, so I am out sourced! Perhaps the state could cut there contribution to the library in half and let the Libraries Foundation support them for a while. Those funds
could be used for more important matters, like creating jobs for honest hard working employees. When a person thinks they are doing the right thing and being ethical, they seem to be the ones put out on the street!
Non- profit organizations really need to be looked at very carefully. It appears Directors feel as though the funds are their own. Perhaps it may be time for those who can retire, should be made to retire instead of steady
collecting a pay check, just because they can. Say with a salary of $80,000-$90,000, Directors salary who can retire, and use those funds to pay for two employees salaries, and hopefully get more ethical, honest and
responsible work out of them! What do you think about that Sir?
After being kicked out on the street, I worked for a construction company and was unemployed again. The construction company had to down-size due to the down pouring economic crunch. Now, thank god, I am
working for the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, this is a much more ethical work environment, and I am still pursuing my bachelor degree as we speak. I have not given up and I won’t. I want to be part of the State of
Maryland’s work force one day, and help keep Maryland dollars spent ethical and have a strong accountability for every area those funds are used for.
I hope you except my opinion and perhaps utilize them, so we can keep Maryland’s money safe and accountable.
Thank you so very much

Anne Why not offer a retirement incentive (additional retirement years of service-1 month for each year of service or buy-out- cash payment for each year of service)? The employee must be within six months of retirement
Arundel eligibility to be eligible. The Legislative Auditor released a report several years ago which contained estimates of the number of employees who would be eligible for retirement over the next several years. The report
was about preparing for the retirement of knowlegable senior staff. The negative aspects of the impact on state operations could be offset through contractual rehires for critical personnel. The pension law could be
changed (with sunset provison)to eliminate earning and employment rehire time frame lapse requirements. This would appeal to more personnel. Savings could be as much as $200 million (based on 6,000
employees) in the first year depending how the incentive is implemeded. This is option downsizes the state without hurting younger employees. Positions vacated would be abolished or downgraded to the lowest
salary grade and step in the classification series, Both the retirees and working state employees would have the means to keep paying taxes and add to the economic recovery.
City When considering furloughs for Maryland state employees, I'm suggesting a furlough between Christmas and New Year's. Several state employees need to take that time to be with their families and closing state
buildings may offer a small savings in utilities.
Employee paychecks could be pro-rata for the remainder of FY 2010, helping the state to realize those savings on an operating basis. The impact on employees would be reduced by distributing the slary reduction
over a longer period.
Thank you for this opportunity for input.
Anne Reduce the number of blackberry's used in each agency, i.e. to executive staff only.
Arundel
Offer an early out to State employees with over 25 years of service.
If furloughs are under consideration, make the furloughs applicable to agencies which rely primarily on State funding.
Reduce the number of State automobiles supplied to State employees for daily commuting.
Montgomery Plant wild flowers instead of grass to reduce mowing expenses along highways.
My middle school child was issued textbooks for each subject at the beginning of the year, but only actually used 2 or 3. What's with that?
Howard I am a state empoyee making under $50,000. With furloughs and no cost of living raises my paycheck has decreased while the cost of living has skyrocketed. I would suggest a mandatory 4 day work week for all state
employees, closing state buildings on either Mondays or Fridays to tie into the weekend. I would turn off nearly all the lights and keep heat/air conditioning to a bare minimum. This would save a tremendous amount in
utility bills, janitoial staff, commuting expenses, etc.
I would set a cap for social service payments to single parents. After two children, the amount of monthly money does not increase. I would also check into the duplicity of social service programs. I know of people
who are double dipping. I would abolish programs where a parent who has a special needs child is given extra money once a month for a weekend babysitter. This should not fall on the tax payer. I would have
everyone who is a medicaid have a copay everytime they use the emergency room as a doctor's office visit ( unless admitted to the hospital). I would have this copay deducted directly from their monthly check or food
stamp allotment. I would freeze teachers pay. Although I recognize the need for great teachers, many are overpaid. They work a 10 month year with a lot of days off during the school year. Just because you have 30
or 60 plus hours over your Master's degree doesn't necessarily make you a better teacher - especially at the pre college level. It's what in your heart and your desire to educate. I would eliminate some assistant
principal positions - expecially in the elementary schools.
I would look again at the effectiveness and therefore the need for methadone clinics. I have gone to Lexington Market for my lunch break only to see crowds of people not working and high on their methadone while
I'm working 50 hour weeks (with my commute)and struggling to pay my bills. The program doesn't seem to be working. I would increase the number of classes a full time college instructor has to teach and greatly
reduce part time instructors.
Montgomery Please be sure all state buildings and state facilities located in non state owned buildings turn off lighting whenever the facility is not in use unless absolutely required for safety. Use minimum lighting necessary when in
use.When lights need to be replaced, install low energy bulbs.
Please ask all state agencies to keep thermostats no lower than 78 degrees in summer, higher if possible, and no higher than 68 degrees in winter. Use fans when necessary. If a roof needs to be replaced, consider
green roof or at least white as US DOE has suggested to reflect sun, cut heat buildup and lower energy costs. Please periodically publish on this web site all suggestions, Maryland's response and any savings. Thank
you.
Baltimore Stop cutting local services, and especially stop cutting Local Management Boards, but instead look to your own State agencies, especialy those which do not provide any services or direct benefit to Maryland citizens.
Anne For state employees increase the credit for unused sick leave as an incentive to retire.
Arundel
Anne How about we cut state employee parking permits for 1 yr for all state agency employees. Let state employees pay for their own parking or use public transportion or carpool. It's like killing two birds with one stone eg.
Arundel save on hundred thousand of dollars in parking permits, reduce gas pollution and be good to envirnment, and encourge public transportation.
Secondly, eliminate any outside contracting jobs for IT related work. If state agencies can't do the job then State created IT department should provide resources then giving our money to outside contractors. This
would enhance and enrich state employees skills needed and save money.
Please allow me to point out, Life and Change are clearly inextricably intertwined.
You have an opportunity to fix the state's long-term budget deficit that will enable the State to deliver needed services more cost-effectively, skillfully and efficiently by reducing or eliminating inefficient and unwarranted
bureaucratic redundancies. By the way of example, An $11 Million Dollar Independent State Agency-Maryland Institute For Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS).
It is time to eliminate MIEMSS needless redundancies and put their resources in the filed where they can do the most good efficiently and cost effectively. Maintaining this "Gigantic Independent State Bureaucracy" at
its current level is fiscally irresponsible:
1. No other state in the Country has a large a coordination "Gigantic Bureaucracy" within its state trauma/ems as does the State of Maryland.
2. Restructuring MIEMSS will not affect local government EMS Response Systems coordination, local jurisdictions capabilities to communicate, response and delivery, budgeting, planning, operations,evaluation,
education and research of Maryland's EMSs.
3. Maryland local jurisdictions EMS Systems and their trauma centers must adhere to accepted National and Industry Standards and Regulations.
4. MIEMSS circumvents and duplicates accepted EMS/Trauma National and Industry Standards and Regulations.
5. MIEMSS Promulgating Regulatory Performance Is Incomplete.
6. MSP, MIEMSS, and MIEMSS Aeromedical Office has failed to evolve throughout the years to incorporate and benefit from marked efficiency improvements within the helicopter and air medical industries.
7. MIEMSS EMS Protocol Clarification Document dated 14 Feb.07, Educators and EMS Providers have requested a formal clarification document (topics 1 through 19 and A through J).
8. 27-28 Nov. 08 Panel of National Experts Review Maryland Transport Protocols.
9. Million of Taxpayers hard-earned money for MIEMSS "Consultants!"
10. MVA Surcharge for EMS/Trauma "Operational" has been stretched for Capital, Consultants and for non-emergency purpose, now the Governor and legislators are planning to enact another MVA Surcharge Fee
increase.
11. Patients/Victims are not being efficiently passe3d through the trauma/ems systems.
12. A very specious two hour ground search and rescue (SAR) for the MSP helicopter and crash Victims.
13. Etcetera!
I thank you for giving this Citizen/Taxpayer the opportunity to express a few of my concerncs relating to "Our" long-term budget deficit.
Respectfully Submitted
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore State employees are always an easy target when there is a budget to be cut, but not when there is an abundance of dollars. I think that it is time to cut aid to the counties, most county employees get paid more than
state ones, yet no county employees are being furloughed or laid off and some..Baltimore County are getting a COLA in Jan. 2010. Let's make the counties shoulder some of this burden.
Secondly, there are many agencies that could increase the number of employees who telework. This would not only be good for the State, to reduce leases, but it would be good for the environment to reduce gas
consumption and pollution.
Agencies could set up cluster offices where staff could report when they needed to. This would allow them to cancel some leased space.
Finally, this is something that I had hoped that you would do as soon as you came into office, but you didn't. The state should contract with an independent company to complete a top to bottom audit of each state
agency to determine duplicity, non-functional programs or departments and superfluous staff, including Deputies. Once completed, make recommendations to you as to what should go based on efficiency.
City I am proposing that one lane at each Maryland toll facility be increased by a certain amount, the proceeds of which would be used to reduce the shortfall. The payment would be voluntary, and tax deductible for
commuters. The incentive (for non-EZ pass users) would be to avoid waiting in long lines during peak travel periods.
Baltimore The State should develope and Automated Time Sheet Collection System where the employees can directly enter their time and leave into a system instead of the paper and data entry system currently in use. This
wou increas the efficiency of the Time sheet System and free up some PINS to be cut or reassigned. Unfortunately many jobs many be lost saving the state money.
Baltimore Implement direct entry of payroll information like so many private sector entities do. Employee enters hours. Supervisor reviews / approves hours. Info. is then sent electronically to the payroll processing center. This
eliminates the need for multipart paper forms and for manual data entry (which is the current state system). Up front cost for development should be low if limited to the data entry + approval. Cost savings should
accrue the first year!!!
Baltimore I thought the increase in sales tax was "supposed" to help with the deficit. How much more do you think the taxpayers can afford to give without giving up their lifestyles? Also, being a state employee, is it really
beneficial to furlough the state employee who are 90% federally funded and 10% state funded?
Carroll Why do we continue to provide FREE medical services, WIC and other programs to illegal aliens who do not pay any tax money into our state. Our own citizens have trouble getting services, yet we expand health
services to illegals!! This type of help is going to bankrupt all our state governments if we continue to provide these services. Make these people pay for services if they wish to receive them, or PAY TAXES!!
Montgomery As a 20 year Montgomery county resident who pays huge state and local taxes ( if you don't believe me feel free to pull my tax records)... Stop supporting Casa De Maryland and illegal aliens with my tax dollars.
Baltimore During this time of necessary budget cuts, there should be NO MORE FUNDING FOR CASA OF MARYLAND AND illegal aliens!!!!!, but a necessary "legal presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in
our state. It is imperative that employer use of E-verify continue for all Maryland employers and state contracts.
In this wonderful country, we MUST "take care of our own", as these are the people who have contributed and paid into the system.
Dorchester Hi Governor O'Malley. I have another recommendation that you should consider when trying to balance the state budget. I live in a housing development with 66 homes in Dorchester County. Of these 66 homes, 4
homes are owned by police officers. I notice that these 4 police officers all take home government police vehicles. I would ask, what does this cost the taxpayers of Maryland to let these government employees ride to
and from work in a police vehicle? How many extra miles per year does this add to a taxpayer owned vehicle? How much extra gas does this cost the Maryland taxpayer? I notice that these vehicles sit for days at a
time at these officers home while they are not working? Wouldn't it make better sense to have the officers bring back the vehicle to the police station to hand off to another officer to use for the next shift? There would
be less vehicles that the Maryland taxpayers would have to finance, less money for gas as these officers take the vehicles to and from work, less miles put on the vehicles as I see some of these officers work 50 miles
from the counties they serve, and less waste from cars sitting at houses for days without being used. In addition, isn't it a Federal law that these officers track the miles to and from work and pay taxes on those miles
as use of an employer vehicle? Do you think that is being done? Thanks for your time.
Baltimore stop wasting milliams of dollars landscaping along major highways and spend our tax dollars on actually repairing them.
We don't care if the side of some road looks pretty if other ones are unsafe to drive down.
Baltimore stop wasting milliams of dollars landscaping along major highways and spend our tax dollars on actually repairing them.
We don't care if the side of some road looks pretty if other ones are unsafe to drive down.
Washington Take the goodies away fron the incarcerated & make them aware of why they are in prison.
Washington Take the goodies away fron the incarcerateD & make them aware of why they are in prison.
Harford Eliminate all non essential spending - travel, training,land acquisitions,overtime,vehicle purchases, etc. Cut down on office supplies. Furloughs not layoffs. Temporary salary reductions for those who make over
$75,000/year. You must keep as many people working as possible. Only when consumers feel safe in their job will they begin to spend money. Once the money starts flowing, revenues will rise. I would not be opposed
to a temporary toll hike on 95 North in Cecil County. Add $.05 to the gas tax. Increase the Liquor tax. You must protect jobs most of all to get out of this mess. This includes causing layoffs at local levels. Thanks.
Harford What cost savings is there when you close BWI Welcome Center when everyone is a volunteer and the two paid part time people are paid by funds from the airport budget. I believe the Welcome Center contributes to
the 1.7 billon collected from tourism for the state. But do away with the center and toursim will no longer be promoted to the millions of travelers that pass thru BWI. I guess we should put a sign out that "MARYLAND
NO LONGER WELCOMES YOU".
City Close the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office. It serves no purpose other than to add a step of cost and bureaucracy to medical malpractice litigation.
Anne A walk through of numerous agencies will allow you to see the many employees that are not performing productive work. If I were governer, I would ask each of my managers to submit a list of people, projects and
Arundel programs that can give me a bottom line 12% savings.
Kent I haven't heard anything the Governor, himself, is doing to reduce the deficet. Has he given any thought to taking a day with no pay as well as members of his staff doing so? When we hear about the cuts, it's always
the everyday workforce that have to take a cut of some sort. If the Governor and his staff are taking such cuts, we should be aware of it.
Respectfully
City Replace commercial window cleaner/Windex with 50% vinegar/50%water.
Cut down on ordering "sticky notes" & encourage use/reuse/recycling of other scrap paper (e.g. fax confirmation pages...cut 4 ways & staple together for note pads)....BTW, I'm already doing this one.
Baltimore I disagree with the suggested cuts to small county programs, that in reality have a greater impact on the overall welfare of the county than the larger, more wasteful agencies that do not always favor general welfare
above bureaucratic road blocks to progress. I recommend for Mr. O'Malley to trim from the state-level Governor's Office for Children, an organization that accomplishes nothing, aside from delaying local groups from
implementing their good works. A more worthy agency, the Local Management Board, is facing staff cuts of around 40%, which could have a crippling effect on its ability to provide the necessary services for children
that it is known for, and could prevent altogether the creation of innovative new programs that provide resources to youths.
I recommend that the governor discern which programs are actually the most influential and keep the interests of local children in mind, instead of making decisions to keep up appearances.
I propose the following suggestions -

Cut State Legislator income by $5,000 per year
Cut your own income by $20,000 per year
Cut $70 million from the teacher's pension fund
Freeze "Assistance Payments" and "Home Energy Programs" to fiscal year 2009 levels (Cut approximately $100 million)
This is a start, but should not be the end of spending cuts. I suggest the State hires an independent auditor to review every single State department's budget line by line. Thank you and good luck.
Baltimore Abolish the Office of Personnel Services and Benefits in DBM. State agencies already have their own personnel offices.This appears to be a duplication of services. Abolishing OPSB was suggested by prior
administrationsin in order to save costs, but for some reason was never followed through.This suggestion could save millions.
As one who was so looking forward to your election for the riddance of the Ehrlich regime, I am extremely distraught over some of the apparently thoughtless budget cuts you are now proposing. While I recognize that
cuts must be made, the Maryland bureaucracy must look more closely at the 'where' and the subsequent results and not at the 'who' and the benefactors.
One specific area that has been brought to my attention is the cuts in local services to children, specifically, Local Management Boards. These areas have already had their fair share of cuts and lay offs, and have been
devastated by the lack of funding to secure the needs of children and the services which these areas provide for local children.
It has also been brought to my attention that the state-level Governor's Office for Children provides no direct services to any of Maryland's children. I understand that you have not included this department in your next
round of cuts but have restored much of the capacity previously included in budget cuts. In tough times, it is precisely the ground-level, local government agencies that can help people, not insulated bureaucrats. It
seems that you have your priorities backwards.
Governor, this type of politics does not have a good "smell" to it. As you go through the areas of State, City, and County where you need to cut funding please do not forget that childrens' needs are also served through
state allocations to counties and cities and to eliminate those would be an injustice to our future generations who depend on you now. As a final note, everyone knows, given the tiny budget of LMBs in the first place,
cutting them won't actually help close the deficit, but it will prevent care from reaching those who need.
Please reconsider the proposed cuts to LMBs, Governor O'Malley.
Sincerely, a concerned citizen

Montgomery Student Service Learning Office should be eliminated from State Board of Education. I was community service coordinator for xxx years at xxxxxxxx High School in xxxxxxxx MD so even though it is a high school
requirement to perform x amount of hours, that is fudged by principals and parents so that kids graduate in many cases without performing the service or meaningless kinds of service such as picking up trash in the
school's parking lot hours before graduation in order to get the hours completed is not serving the best interests of anyone. I have no idea what the current budget is for that office, but in these astere times, it is "fluff."
Calvert I would suggest that the State of Maryland elimate the use of the front license plates on cars and vans. Many states do not require a front license plate (PA, NY, etc) and if the licensing fee stays the same, the cost to
the State to make the plates is reduced by 50%. Around 200,000 new cars are purchased in Maryland each year. As an example, if the cost to manufacture two license plates is $20, the cost for just one plate should
be around half or $10. Keeping the licensing fee the same, the State would save $1 million in this example.
City Dear Governor O'Malley,
I request that you stop cutting local services, and specifically stop cutting local management boards, but instead look to your own State agencies, especially those which do not provide any services or direct benefit to
Maryland citizens. In these extraordinary fiscal times, it is my opinion that it is more important than ever to focus public resources where they are most needed and to protect the most vulnerable, especially at-risk
children.
Washington Take programs away from inmates; and the parasites who take from the working people, and suckle off the governmental tit!!!
City I believe that early retirement for state employees with at least 25 years of service may serve as a good way to help with the budget cuts. If they retire at a discounted rate, the state will save money and be able to hire
younger people who will stick with the state for long periods of time. Also, another way to handle it is to give others more duties and allow them to pick up the slack for those positions in which people have chosen to
retire early.
Wicomico Cut contractors and consultants let the actual state employees do the work. It may take longer but it will get done in time.
Anne Dear Govenor O'Malley
Arundel At challenging economic times like there everyone must share in the pain. The private sector is now, and has been for several years, experiencing reduced income levels combined with reduced and more expensive
benefits. The time has come for the public sector to make similar sacrifices. However state employeees continue to receive generous pay increases and benefits which seem to be regarded as politically untouchable.
Its time to put the public and private sectors on an equal footing when making sacrifices, and for the unions representing State employees to accept the same kind of concessions being made in the private sector.
sincerely
Baltimore Has anyone taken the time to find out why MSDE officials feel that they can snow an expert in the field of Juvenile
Correctional Education?? These folks may know alot about public education, but they know nothing about juvenile education. We're not getting our money's worth out of these overpaid arrogant SOBS. We don't need
a shakeup in DJS, we need a complete overall from top to bottom at MSDE Juvenile Education. Why should taxpayers continue to finance the failures we continue to see in the field of juvenile education. Bring in
people who have experience with this population, and people who care...
Washington I am a child support enforcement worker.Maybe you could look at switching to four day work week except for essential personnel. For some programs, this would benefit customers as we would be open later (child
services, etc.) and would also aid in energy, less computer, running costs. Remove extra funding for conferences and unnecessary traveling.
Please require the managers of state owned buildings to reconfigure the lighting and HVAC computerized building management systems to save electricity costs. Have them turn off all but emergency lights at night.
Security is not an excuse. Pay security guards. Put people to work and save on the exorbitant republican deregulated power bills.
Thanks xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
select your Money is being wasted at the Department of Agriculture by creating more and more administrative assistants. This is the case in the Animal Health Section where positions that deliver public services in the laboratories
county are being eliminated to create "assistants". Actual public service is suffering and the newly created assistant positions, who are all veterinarians, collect bigger paychecks than the frontline positions that are being
eliminated to make way for them.
Washington Get rid of the prisoners that are on death row they are taking up space and money to keep them there
Anne Rescheduling the hours worked @ the toll booths, at least at the Bay Bridge, could reap a lot of cash. I know that for at least the last ten years, whoever is assigning work hours is doing a very bad job. Case in point:
Arundel We used to travel across the bridge frequently in the late nineties, and every time that we pulled up to the toll booth at non-rush hours there would be way too many booths open and absolutely no lines. I would moan
and groan and say that I was going to call someone. Never did, but one Christmas I did take a picture as we approached the booths, and I still have it. It was Christmas night.(Dbl overtime?)No one goes anywhere.
As I recall all booths with the exception of 2 or 3 had green lights and no business.
A person would think times change, schedules change. Not at the Bay Bridge. We went over to dinner a few weeks ago, and on our way back around 9 o'clock all those lights were still green. I turned around to look.
Thanks for your time.
Baltimore Will the Governor consider retirement packages for University of Maryland workers?
Frederick The Maryland government is currently $750 million over budget. I have a suggestion... to cut the newly proposed voting system. It will cost the state $42 million. If this voting system is cut, no jobs will be lost and no
additional funds would be needed to use the existing system (which is a wonderful system, by the way!). This is definitely an option that would harm no one and take a big chunk out of the deficit.
Anne Institute a 4 day workweek for state offices. 4 ten hour days would reduce the costs of lighting, heating or air conditioning state office buildings. Shelve the construction of the ICC. While in good economic times the
Arundel project makes sense, when we are facing such enormous financial difficulties it doesn't make sense. I don't want to see cuts in teachers, police, or firefighters. These positions are essential and should be preserved at
all costs. Require legislators to take a pay cut. I would rather see that than to have the little guy laid off. Increase tuition at public institutions. I feel for parents struggling to find funding to send their kids to college, but
we can't let the institutions fail just to keep tuition costs down. Lastly, raise taxes. We cannot continue to function without adequate funding. There's only so much fat you can trim off the budget before things start to
bleed. I would rather pay higher taxes than not have adequate public education and police/fire protection!!!
Baltimore Start school in late September and end in May add 1 hour to school day. Paper usage reduction, Teleworking.
Frederick I cannot understand how the local police departments in your press release date 07/28/2009 is receiving funding, when the Maryland State Police is down approximately 200 Troopers, furthermore, furthermore, the MD
ST Police who have not had raises is over 10 years are not receiving any funding at all?
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The Frederick County Narcotic Task Force, who is the highest performing task force in the state, cannot perform their jobs efficiently without overtime and funding. How do you expect any task force to continue to fight
these battles if you are cutting essential personal budgets? For example furlough days, decreased salaries, plus no overtime.
I honestly do not know how you can make these guys take furlough days, plus a salary decrease without production decrease.
I do have one solution, offer 20 year retirement to those who are eligible to retire. Let them go get other jobs so their families can stop wondering how to survive from one pay period to another.
Anne Sell naming rights for government buildings. The "Verizong Statehouse" or "Constellation Government House" have a nice ring to them and could bring in millions in new revenue annually.
Arundel
Anne Phase out or reduce by 50%:
Arundel
Sellinger
Police Aid
Local Jail grant
Cap disparity grant at $75 million
In lieu of furloughs, etc modify employee/retiree health insurance to increase co-insurance (at least 5%) and family cap of prescription co-pays (at least for employees earning more than $50,000).
Reduce local share of highway user as much as possible for as long as possible (like forever).
Reduce salaries (2 to 5%) in exchange for additional holidays or a return to the pre 40 hour work week or or either or neither.
Alter benefit package for new workers. Suspend COLAs for retirees. Increase retirement age. Resist early retirement panacea.
Plan for shift of some portion of teachers retirement to locals in 2012.
End tuition freeze and reduce general funds for public four year higher education.
If you want more, just ask.
Caroline The first thing I would look at is something I could cut with minimum pain. To me that would be the state supplied take home vehicle. I am not talking about a police vehicle being used as a take home vehicle because
a police vehicles presence on the road makes people more law observant and if needed an officer can respond from home if needed while off duty. What I am refering to is a vehicle given to different non-emergency
department heads and others and used as a personnel vehicle (just one of the perks of the job they would say). You not only have the cost of the vehicle but it's upkeep, and all other costs associated with a motor
vehicle. Another perk I would look at would be carry over sick leave. I can see carry over of a years sickleave but when you have cases of people retiring and selling back several thousand dollars worth of sick leave. I
believe this is a little bit over board. Or when you have a teacher who can sit home on sick leave the last school year before their retirement and being paid a full salary and requiring a substitute to fill in. (Probally most
elect to sell the sick leave back). Another abused area is prescription drugs. Most of the time a patient is given a name brand simply because their insurance will pay for it even if a generic is
available. Also I would raise the Bay Bridge toll another $.50 from 5:00pm Friday till 11:00pm Sunday. This would primarly impact the beach traffic. Frankly if they can afford to go to the beach they can afford another
$.50 toll. If a vehicle has prepaid commuter pass the extra charge should be exempted. One final note: The inherited structural deficit was that from the former Republican Governor or Democratic Gov. Glendening?
Anne 1. The new $40 million voting system would be very disadvantages to the handicap persons versus our current system.
Arundel 2.The current voting system is not even paid for so we can just put off the change for a few years.
3. We need to cancel or delay this awful voting system before it is implemented.
4. The delay will allow upgrades to the new system to be handicap accessable.
City Why not look back at the Mandell Commission's recommendations in their effectiveness and efficiency report. For example, the consolidation of several police forces, namely the University System of Maryland, would
save the USM several million dollars and increase efficiency...
Calvert Number 5, 8 and 9 are the most important ones to consider.
1) require medicaid eligible customers to pay a co-pay for doctor's of $5.00 and $20.00 for hospital visits (emergency room as well as overnight stays. This will cut down on emergency room abuse.
2) require child support to collect for pre-natal care of pregnant women. Each parent should contribute towards paying for prenatal care and delivery. Also each parent should contribute to the cost of medical care for
their children.
3) abolish contracts that are not sucessful for TANF programs.
4) Cut-off TANF customers who have consistently failed to cooperate with work programs.
5) INCREASE BAY BRIDGE TOLL BY $1.00 AND EXEMPT EASTERN SHORE RESIDENTS of the increase.
6) review all state agencies and set a equal number of staff to complete certain tasks. Example: large departments should not have file clerks if small departments do not have file clerks. Level the working field.
7) Terminating difficult and unproductive staff should be easier and not take up so much of administration's time. Also, staff should not be able to "bump" more productive staff just because of the time they have in
state government.
8) abolish business managers positions in local DSS offices. They are not needed.
9) Terminate MA programs that allow customers to declare their income. This invites fraud and is abused across the state. Every applicant should have to verify income and assets to determine eligibility
Anne I believe that furloughs are acceptable to help achieve a balanced budget. I think that actual pay cuts (I have heard 5% bantered around) are harmful and demoralizing and I would hope you try to avoid that.
Arundel
Anne Why not cut the newly proposed voting system? It will cost the state $42 million. If this voting system is cut, no jobs will be lost and no additional funds would be needed to use the existing system (which is a wonderful
Arundel system, by the way!). This is definitely an option that would harm no one and take a big chunk out of the deficit.
Allegany Early ritirement for state employees.
Wicomico Idea 1: Scan and email documents from office to office. Records are sent between/among counties certified. Stop mailing them. Info is on computer system and documents can be faxed, scanned and emailed. Not a lot
of cost containment, but every dollar adds up.
Idea 2: Mandate four-day 10 hr/day work week with every Monday all offices across the State are closed. Many holidays are on Monday - make them a furlough day if we are going down that path again.
Baltimore Early retirement would help out along with cutting back on contractual positions and outside vendor cost.
Baltimore
Please do not cut any more in education. Our students need all the support they can get to be more competitive. Families need to be able to afford higher education cost also. Some of our schools are still separate
and not equal, so it's not fair to eliminate funding in education. I am a single parent that has had the opportunity to send my daughter to school here in Maryland with the assistance of the states aid through MHEC. If
these funds are cut, I'm not sure if she will be able to continue next year. Thank you Governor O'Malley for doing the best you can to keep our state moving forward.
Baltimore Reduce the state 8hr day to 7.5hrs. This can cut back on the cost of electricity. But don't reduce the pay. Employees can appreciate the additional time and boost moral. If there has to be furloughs, make it 1 day a
month till the end of the year, but let employees know ahead of time so they can prepare for the loss of income.(4 days through 12/31/09). Reduction in pay can be done 1/2 day for each pay period each month.
Example: 1 day in September, reduction in pay for 2 pays in September, etc.
Carroll -Legalize marijuana and tax the hell out of it
-Tax tattoo parlors
-Charge state prisoners rent and cut their amenities like cable or satellite tv
-Stop furloughing state workers, but eliminate unnecessary positions
-More toll roads?
select your State employees eligible for retirement should be asked to retire. In my office, a 64 year old supervisor, sleeps several hours a day on the job, while the newer employees do all the work. I think that people like this
county should be forced into retirement.
Anne Good morning Governor. I would like to suggest that we follow the Oregon method for Police training. They have one academy for the entire state located in Salem. It seems to me that centralizing training would save
Arundel money for the state and counties. So... Good luck with that:)
Howard Use <a href="http://www.ecofont.eu/ecofont_en.html"> this font, </a> which uses 20% less ink, for all documents.
Anne Stop paying ILLEGAL immigrants health care and education. That will leave plenty of money for our CITIZENS.
Arundel
Baltimore Increase sales tax to 7%. Increase gas tax an additional two to four cents per gallon. This way, all citizens of Maryland share in the cost of cutting the deficit. If furlough days are really needed, exclude NO state
employee, including public safety and the legislature. A police or corrections officer or legislator taking furlough days would be no different then them being on sick leave or vacation. This way the burden would fall on
ALL state employees and shouldn't affect services.
Harford Close the state retirement system. Employees who are vested or have over 20 years of service would remain fully in the system, those with between 10 and 20 years of service would remain in the system for only a
percentage of the full benifit they would get, those with less than 10 years of service would get a lump sum pay out of the vested percentage of they're benifit depoisted into a retirement account (I assume a 401K or
equilivant). For those who don't revice a full benifit, a increase in pay and state match to the 401K would make up the difference.
Eliminate the funding for StateStat, we don't need meaningless graphs.
Eliminate the State IT department and outsource the function, the systems would run better at a smaller cost to the tax payers.
Cut funding to Casa de Maryland and similar organizations.
Expand and raise prices on commuter services, it will pay for itself and reduce the wear and tear on our roads reducing maintenance costs.
Eliminate the tuition freeze on colleges, they couldn't afford it to begin with. To go along with that, realize that not everyone benifits from a college education,
Caroline Maryland has something like 7 or 9 state police agencies, i.e. Maryland State Police, Maryland Transit Administration Police, Maryland Capital Police, Department of Natural Resourses Police, Etc. Why don't you
consoliate them all into 1 or 2 police agencies. Money could be saved with paying only 1 or 2 police chiefs/superintendents, uniform cost would be slashed, 1 or 2 training academies and so on. Also, I wish you would
quit saying you inherited a structual deficit. It's yours and you added to it. If you didn't want it, you shouldn't have ran for governor. Be a man and accept it.
Anne night shift worker cut off night bonus
Arundel
Anne Cut the newly proposed voting system. It will cost the state $42 million. If this voting system is cut, no jobs will be lost and no additional funds would be needed to use the existing system (which is a wonderful system,
Arundel by the way!). This is definitely an option that would harm no one and take a big chunk out of the deficit.
Baltimore Reform the homeless benefit or welfare - I have been volunteering in a shelter for homeless people - majority of them are women and kids. I was told, the kids lived in the shelter are transported back and forth to their
original school on a daily base by Taxi. I was surprised about the Taxi instead of providing the family a livable place around their original school with the Taxi money. This might be something the government can look
into - daily base Taxi fee is too much. I believe there must be other little things like this the government might be able to dig in and use tax money more wisely.
Baltimore Replace all State government vehicles with fuel efficient cars. Cancel the program that allows State employees to use government vehicles to commute to and from their residence - no matter what their position. If
someone cannot respond in a timely manner due to an emergency without a State government car, then the individual should not be in a position where this is required. There should be plenty of employees who live
close enough to use their own vehicles. The rest of the population has to travel to and from their jobs without any compensation. State employees should be treated like everyone else. This should result in substantial
savings.
Anne HALT THE STATE CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN BALTIMORE.I UNDERSTAND IN WILL COST $1.5 BILLION.
Arundel
Baltimore Have state employees work a 4 day work week. That would allow the offices to be closed an additional day saving operating/energy costs when entire buildings can be closed. Also employees will be saving on gas
and reducing road congestion of Fridays.
Also, simply turning off lights when we leave a room, would make an impact. There is no need for the bathroom light to remain on at all times. Lights could be set on motion sensors or simply request that employees
turn lights off.
Washington The budget cuts seem to be acceptable to the general consensus. Do not initiate pay cuts to state employees. My concern is the proposed 1.5 % paycut for the State Police. There has been a great deal of funding
already cut from the State Police. Please look into other methods. The State Police can make revenue. The happier the trooper, the more money comes in. Something to think about.
select your Our agency through MSDE Office of Child Care recently added positions for Lead Licensing Specialists. Many in the agency feel that this has been unnecessary and has more money going toward the salaries for
county these individuals when what we need is more workers in the field instead of more higher level positions. In addition, while the furlough days were a strain on my personal budget, I think it beats not having a job at all.
Perhaps we need to look at taking 2 more of those in the next fiscal year.
Baltimore Revert State workforce hours from 40 to 35.5 per week -avg. savings of 9 hours per pay per worker (11% cut)
Close non-critical State Agencies week between Christmas & New Years - all work skeleton crews only anyway and could conserve energy in heating/utilities in buildings - comp. time earned for 24/7 facilities.
Baltimore the State of Maryland has the option to enact an early retirement Bill relative to the State Employees' Pension System. The last time the state had adopted a Bill was in 1996. Such a Bill will allow state employees in
the pension system with at least 25 years of creditable service, to receive benefits at a reduced salary rate.
Anne The Maryland government is currently $750 million over budget. Ask the Governor to cut the newly proposed voting system. It will cost the state $42 million. If this voting system is cut, no jobs will be lost and no
Arundel additional funds would be needed to use the existing system (which is a wonderful system, by the way!). This is definitely an option that would harm no one and take a big chunk out of the deficit.
Anne combine the 2nd level appeal (PTAAB) with the supervisor level, thus elimnating an office that is possibly leased for the ptaab clerk, her office would be combined with the Assessment Depts. in fact possibly doing
Arundel away with the 2nd level of the appeals, as this level is nothing but a lip service and a waste of taxpapyers / government money as this level provides no help to the public due to the Homestead cap. You pay 3 board
members for what, the 2nd level of the appeal can be done within the Assessment & Taxation depts within the counties.
limit the amount of assessors that review property and use outside sources for this review type work.
offer early retirement for those within 5 years of service, i have specifcally asked this question before, the response is that the governor does not want to lose good employees, but wouldnt that free up money also.
raise the toll for the bay bridge to 5.00 dollars, lot easier to pull out 5.00 dollars out of pocket instead of searching for loose change, etc./ thus totaling 2.50 each way
makes sense. i think the key bridge's toll is 2.00 dollars o/w
Harford Turn street lights in front of Tawes building and parking lot in Annapolis off during the day. DGS maintenance says they are on a timer, but they are almost always on most of the morning daylight hours. DGS
maintenance told me there is a short in underground wiring & they're waiting for a contractor to fix -- but I've never heard of a short keeping lights ON! The circuit should get a photoelectric device to turn the lights off
automatically during daylight. This problem is chronic, has been going on since at least last May.
Baltimore I suggest an Early Retirement Plan for the State of Maryland employees.
Charles Why dont you cut the food stamps to the people that have money? Im so tired of going to the grocery store seeing so called people in need giving 2 and three food vouchers for payment the going to the parking lot and
getting into a brand new Caddy Suv. I even seen someone get into a Mercedies once. You want to cut critical services like police, fire, schools???? Whats wrong with this picture.
Garrett Dear sir,
First let me say I taught school in this state for 39 years. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I would like to know why my tax dollars buy cars for certain groups of the state government? I was never given a car to take home to
go to work in. I had to supply my own vehicle if I went to a meeting down state. I was paid mileage. Why am I paying for tires, oil changes, alignments, etc for these people? Recently on a trip I passed 3 vehicles with
SG plates between Hagerstown and Hancock with only one person in each.
I would also like to suggest that some sort of registration process be implemented on ATV vehicles, snow mobiles, etc. I have to put a sticker on my boat, after I pay a fee, to be able to put it on Deep Creek Lake. I
have a friend who's son lives in Pa. He has to pay a fee for his four wheeler.
These are just a fee minor things that might help and only a small drop in the bucket. A lot of drops add up after awhile. Thank you for your time.
Frederick delete the money for the new voter system. We do not need any paper backup, and it save $40M+/. As a republican.
Montgomery Have the State get out of the cell phone business. Most people already have (and pay for) cell phones. If their MD position requires they be available via cell phone, then pay them a stipend, such as $5-$10 a month.
This will be much cheaper than paying for phones with associated minute plans. The stipend would be a reasonable figure that would compensate individuals for the extra minutes, as well as a portion toward periodic
"phone replacement".
Montgomery Eliminate multiple phones and pagers. If a person has a cell phone provided by the State (or if a stipend toward personal phone use is paid by MD), then eliminate their desk phone. Provide either a cell phone (or
stipend) OR a pager, but not both.
Montgomery Review the organizational structure for the entire State with an eye toward "streamlining" the "top heavy" management system. Shoot for an employee to manager ratio of 6 to 1. And eliminate managers where the ratio
is less than 4 to 1. This would not apply to Project Managers, but to "people" managers. Reorganize or eliminate managers, where the span of control is too small. Require HR approval for exceptions to this policy.
Take a look at all "executive" or "assistant to the Boss" positions. Consider elimination of these positions. Re-assign their "additional" or "special" duties, and let the "Boss" manage the staff.
Montgomery Eliminate or re-assign all MD vehicles that are "assigned" to a specific person. Put the vehicle into a "pool", and let the person schedule or compete for the use of the vehicle as other employees would. Any vehicle with
consistently less than ?? miles driven, should be "given back" to the motor pool, so another unit can make better use of it, and avoid the purchase down the road of additional vehicles. If a person needs a vehicle at
their disposal, then consider offering them a "stipend" to pay for gas and maintenance use of their personal vehicle. This will be cheaper than paying for upkeep on a UM vehicle.
Anne Do not implement the proposed new voting system - save the $42M.
Arundel
City Since Juvenile education has been separated from adult corrections, the operation is much smaller yet the positions
at the top have increased signficantly. I saw a position posted for a Librarian Media Coordinator for Juvenile Education. The salary was $95.000!!! And we don't even have a functioning library at any of the juvenile
education locations. We have an Assistant Superintendent who oversees
Juvenile Education, a Director, and a Field Director, and
Coordinators all over the place, but we don't have money for
paper!!! We have two principals in a school that only houses
100 students!! Imagine what Alonzo would do in a case like that. We continue to squander money yet we have such a fiscal crisis,,,,,,
Allegany 10 hour shifts, 4 times a week for law enforcement and Corrections.
Howard Freeze all law enforcement promotions for 1 year. How is there a budget problem when there are constant promotions within law enforcement and Corrections?
Anne ALOT OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS THAT ARE CLOSE TO RETIREMENT ARE WILLING TO RETIRE IF THERE IS A SEVERANCE PACKAGE.
Arundel
Anne When state law enforcement and Correctional officers work overtime they should be allowed to convert it to Sick Leave instead of monetary compensation.
Arundel
Frederick Allow Correctional officers the ability to retire early
Baltimore One way to cut the budget immediately is to offer Correctional Officers with 2 or less years to their 20 year retirement and are willing to retire immediately, the ability to retire early with the 67% salary they are at now.
Most of these officers are at MAX salary while working and still receive shift differential,roll call, overtime, and are prone to medical retirements and IWIF claims. These officers also utilize more sick time which causes
more overtime.
Anne Please remove the proposed new voting system at an estimated cost of 42 million dollars. It is not the time to be revising a system that is working acceptably. Our school systems and infrastructure need tending to.
Arundel The School structures in Anne Arundel County are shameful. I attended these schools as a child and my children are now attending these schools in the same condition.
Thank you for your time.
Anne Please remove the proposed new voting system at an estimated cost of 42 million dollars. It is not the time to be revising a system that is working acceptably. Our school systems and infrastructure need tending to.
Arundel The School structures in Anne Arundel County are shameful. I attended these schools as a child and my children are now attending these schools in the same condition.
select your I think that the md mva employees deserve more than whats giving to them, they do all the work and make a lot of the states money. starting salary is 24k, what is that when apartments in md require income of at least
county 30k? that is terrible, you can work for the state but not live in it!
Talbot Feed prisoners to the homeless!
Dorchester Mow the grass on the shoulders and in the median less often on state roads.
It would save money, be better for the environment, and provide a more pleasant look and feel to the highways.
A couple of mows a year should be enough to prevent it from becoming overgrown. The first thing I notice when I drive from Maryland to Virginia on a highway is that it suddenly feels more rural, even near cities. I
finally figured it out -- their grass is taller. It seems that if they (and other states) are able to mow less often without safety or overgrowth concerns, then a similar cut could be implemented in Maryland.
Thank you
Anne I believe a company I work with can save the state some money in their area of expertise. The company is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx and they specialize in Pharmacy Benefit Program audits of Large Group and Title XIX
Arundel Medicaid program. They perform their services for a percent of the savings that are obtained through their analysis and audit of the programs. So, there is no cost to the state.
Carroll reconsider and review the cost of a single license plate rather then two for each vehicle.
Carroll Visiting athletes,performers ( non Maryland residents) that spend more then one day or come to Md for one day should pay taxes as the sport/entertainment (employment) brings them here to work. Therefore we
should consider having them pay taxes such as they do in New Jersey and New York.
Carroll Consider a seperate Combined Charities designation for State of Maryland contribution.
Carroll why hire additional consultants for review of projects when the LEA or state agency has already hired a consultant? IE - schools hire a consultant for capital projects and then submit to General Services for review.
General Services has to hire a consultant to review the already signed and certifed consultant's work. Just put the liability back into the original consultants scope of work and hold them accountable for all state
requirements. Or charge the initial consultant a fee to perform state related work to ensure complaince with State requirements. certaainly could general Service a consinsiderable amount of monsy in consultant fees
and manpower.
Carroll How about imposing emissions laws and fees on the Eastern and other parts of the State. certainly the vehicles travel to the City and surrounding counties. This would bring in more revenue. after all Obama is
considering taxing the foreign countries for the imports as the factories that produce products contribute to the pollution and the wind current carries to our country. Dont you think the crabbers,chicken suppliers travel
over the bay bridge to the Western shore with their products?
City Dear Governor O’Malley,
While the approach of not cutting out but cutting back of various state programs is sound and functional, Marylanders do not think is a good decision is to layoff or furlough state employees. In last year’s budget, a
severe response to the crisis was needed and most people understood that the situation required furloughing state employees.
However, budget adjustments that impact state employees in this year’s budget suggests to many Marylanders that our great leaders do not have a sound plan to lead the state through this tumultuous time period. And
instead, have chosen an easy, though difficult in many ways, choice for controlling the budget gap--- one that does not really address spending. And which limits money put back into circulation through consumer
spending.
As you face difficult decisions in reducing funding for so many vital programs, please consider the following:
* Purchasing of 4 helicopters for transporting patients at roughly $50 million each. Surely, outsourcing some of the needs to independent air transport companies is far cheaper.
* Further reducing funding for bay restoration, I believe the media reported more than $100 million in funding budgeted for this effort. Deferring as much as half of this amount for one year is not likely to set back
restoration efforts by all that much.
* Change non-essential state employee work schedules to 10 hour days 4 days a week and close all non-essential buildings on Fridays. You could allow employees to work 8 hour days and use their vacation time to
cover differences in their time.
* Consider closing the remainder of the budget gap with reductions in Business and Economic Development and Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources. Many Marylanders view these line items as extremely
important but more for funding when the budget is less stressed.
I certainly hope you will consider my recommendations as you move forward in tightening up Maryland’s budget. Thanks for everything you do to make these bad times not seem so bad and make Maryland a better
state.
Regards
Anne Get rid of the illegals aliens. I know of 5 million dollars that would have been saved and better used for U.S. citizens and their education.
Arundel Look at Texas, follow their lead and get rid of Big Government. It's WE THE PEOPLE and not me (the representatives) the people. Quit spending our money on people who are breaking the law.
Remember the 10th amendment and stand u[p for Marylanders and their rights. We don't need the gov'ts help in our lives. I love my health care. I don't want my parents to suffer in their care to help provide help for
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. SEND THEM HOME, GIVE JOBS BACK TO MARYLANDERS.
Anne I have three suggestions that I would like to make.
Arundel 1. Allow more state employees to Telecommunite. Telecommunting is a family-friendly, business-friendly public policy that promotes workplace efficiency, reduces strain on transportation infrastructure, and provides
an opportunity to go green. In addition, telework can reduce electric cost for state agencies. Although, Maryland does have a state telecommunuting policy, many agencies do favor this policy.
2. My other suggestion is getting the slot machines up and running will should assist with cost for education, transportation and health care.
3. I know everyone does not want to increase taxes, but I propose we increase the tax for cigarettes or gas.
Baltimore I want a straight answer to one question?

What happens when the stimulus funds for COPS runs out. You can't blame that on the previous Administration.
Notable cost savings, Delete STATESTAT and fire the staff required to maintain it. CITISTAT is so successful, the last update on the web is 10/15/08.
Baltimore Dear Governor:
As a 23 year State of Maryland employee, I have endured through many turbulent years. Not only have I gone through the increase in work hours from 71 to 80 without an increase in pay, I have also weathered the
increase in tuition several years ago.
Please while you attempt to balance the budget please remember the state employee that takes the reduction in salary and furlough days while also trying to send their children to in state universities; the state
employee that takes pride in their job because of the people they serve.
My only other suggestion is if before you possibly implement more furloughs can you possibly suggest a smooth way of proccessing them also. The time,effort and reporting process it has recently taken our office to
track and process the furloughs was enormous.
Thank you for listening and caring.
Allegany Offer early retirement ( employees within five years of retirement) or allow employees to retire before they have their thirty years of employment with the state or sixty-two years old,, without penalty. Each year you retire
before having either one of these, is a six percent penalty. Either one of these suggestions would allow the state to hire younger workers that would start at a lower pay scale because there would be older ones retiring.
This would help the unemployment and you wouldn't have to lay any state employees off. I do hope you take these suggestions into consideration. Thanks,
Anne Please cut the new proposed voting system. It costs $42 million. If cut, no jobs would be lost and no additional funds would be needed to use the existing system.
Arundel
Thank you.
Howard Reduce spending by kicking out the illegal aliens that are costing the tax payers a lot of money and hour upon hour of waiting in the Emergeny Room for help while the illegals get preferential treatment as mandated by
the local politicans/yuppies. Also, kick out the left wing liberal socialist/communist leaning politicians that support the above mentioned ilk. Do it now or the voters will do it at the next election. On the federal side,
somebody should lean on the short fat little big mouth that likes to spew out millions in tax payer funds as "EAR MARKS" i.e; kiss my fannie by giving me special privileges at the ball park to the tune of 3 million plus.
Please respond with comments from only one side of your mouth. signed -- one pissed off tax payer
Anne Stop trying to sell junk in the internet. You statestat showed just the other day that only a small amount of money had been returned to the state. Please take into account the amount of hours and peope that work in
Arundel selling junk excess materials. Also the accounting of materials is not real. If an item is purchased for $1000.00 in ten years when it is still on the books it is still listed as being worth $1000.00 Even thouhg it broke 5
years ago and can not be repaired or it will cost more than buying 2 new ones.
Why can't the Maryland Goverment be more like a will run business. It will also look better when the news papers get hold of a inventory and say the goverment lost 4$M when the stuff is only worth a few $s at the
very best.
Closing Jessep was a good step but the internet is not the answer.
Harford Eliminate the use of state cars for personal use. People should not be taking these vehicles home.
Take a closer look at job classifications and actual output. I observe people making 70-80 thousand dollars doing work that is pitiful in terms of its value to the state. Line staff do the work and others go to meetings, and
gossip (character assassination) during lunches and parties during state working hours. Others work because there are not enough people to do the sheer volume of work necessary provide services required by law.
It is pretty sickening to see these individuals continuing in this manner in these economic times when others would gladly work in their place.
Stop paying for cell phone services for people who don't absolutely have to have a state funded phone.
Get rid of these contracts for consultants who don't do anything all day except have social conversations and maintain the appearance of being actively completing a task while looking down their noses at people who
are at or below what they consider their station in life.
Complete evaluations or studies of job descriptions of certain administrative positions and see if the jobs can be done by lower level staff with certain protocols in place to achieve a certain outcome.
Baltimore I'd like to see some belt-tightening being done by the elected officials in the state house. A recent letter to the editor suggested cancelling MACO. How about a 10% pay cut for those working in the State House,
beginning w/yourself? How about giving up a few perks that are enjoyed by only a select few in the ivory tower? It's time to stop balancing the budget on the backs of those who put you in office.
Howard Stop improving things that do not need improving such as building massive median strips on southwestern blvd. In the arbutus area. This road has done without medians for as long as I can remember and I am almost
70 years old. The money spent on this silly project could be put to use on more important things. From the look of it is only goiung to make it harder on the folks trying to catch the train. I expect no responce but I just
feel better voicing my opinion.
Frederick Suggestions for Budget cuts or Revenue Enhancements
Most of my comments concern saving money or increasing revenues in the long term.
1. Maryland needs to do a better job of identifying those folks who receive welfare that may qualify for Federal programs, such as SSI, Veterans Compensation and Pension programs. Switching individuals to federal
programs will save State dollars.
2. Far too many groups, like clubs who profess to be non profit, who provide services to their individuals, are not reporting income or in kind services that are taxable both for Federal and state taxes.
3. In California, Florida, and Washington, all who sell travel, have to be registered sellers of travel. There are fees associated with that, and with the failure to get a certificate, fines are awarded.
4. Sales tax revenues are falling not only because of the economy, but because of the increase in internet sales that are tax free. Maryland needs to work in concert with the National Governors Association in passing
internet tax legislation
5. The state should pass back to the local governements responsbility for funding retire and health care for teachers.
Anne Stop mandating citizens pay for services to illegal users. Education (including food & supplies), public safety and medical should free up a big chunk of money.
Arundel
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Baltimore Is there any consideration to eliminating vacant state positions or offering a retirement incentive to encourage more employees to retire, thus reducing the state payroll?
select your I would like to see a link to read what others in the State are recommending.
county
Anne I don't know the reason, but there seems to be many fleet vehicles. I see SG license plates not only to and from work but also evenings and weekends. I know that there are some employees that need vehicle for their
Arundel jobs, but possibly reducing the number of assigned vehicles that employees take home would reduce the cost of fuel and maitenance. If there is a need to have a vehicle during the day, why not use a pool vehicle?
Also, not sure how much this would save, but what if it was made mandatory that computers were shut down in the evening or at least on the weekends. We are told to keep them in a log off mode for patches and
such, however if these were scheduled arrangements could be made for that work to take place. In my office we are turning out lights in room when not in use, just trying to do whatever we can to reduce cost. I am a
state employee and very proud of it. I will do whatever it takes to keep my job and the job of all follow employees. I do not object to furloughs if that is what it takes. My family made sacrifices last fiscal year and we
made it. It is better than losing home because I don't have a job.
Carroll Currently: Some state employees still receive a paper check.
Suggestion: Require all state employees regardless of when they started state service to have direct deposit. This will eliminate the need to have paper checks printed for payroll purposes and will cut down on the mail
cost associated with mailing checks to locale state offices.
I can also be reach at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Carroll Currently: Some state employees still receive a paper check.
Suggestion: Require all state employees regardless of when they started state service to have direct deposit. This will eliminate the need to have paper checks printed for payroll purposes and will cut down on the mail
cost associated with mailing checks to locale state offices.
I can also be reached at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anne We only put out our trash one day per week, instead of using both of the scheduled days for trash pick up. Could you cut down the trash removal days to one day per week throughout the state? And encourage
Arundel Marylanders to recycle and compost? Additionally, why doesn't Maryland charge an extra 5-10cents for bottles and cans? This would provide an incentive for Marylanders to recycle and not to litter. In the short-term it
would provide some additional revenue to the state.
Anne Save electricity at night by turning off all the lights on the interstates and multi-lane highways, except at exit ramps. I noticed Kentucky already doing this last time we drove through on I-64.
Arundel
Carroll Current Process: Currently there is no automated address change system in place for clients who have cases with child support. This causes a great deal of correspondence to go to addresses that clients no longer
live at along with the many work hours to try and relocate clients. Not to mention the cost of mailing and re-mailing correspondence.
Suggestion: Have the child support system connected to the United States Postal Address Change Service. This service will forward the mail to the new address and updated the system. This will save not only money
that is spent on postage but in time it takes to relocate clients. There have been attempts in the passed to have this implemented however resources, mostly the availability of time remaining with the company that
services our computer system, have kept it from being implemented.
I can also be reached at
Carroll Currently the annual collection fee that is paid by clients who have a child support case is $25.00 but is only paid when a client receives $3,500.00 within a 12 month period and the client has never received temporary
public assistance.
Suggested Change: Reduce the amount of money that most be collected back down to $500.00 and any client that is not currently on temporary public assistance should have to pay the annual collect fee of $25.00.
I can also be reached at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore Turn down the heat in the state office buildings. They are always over heated - the state guidelines are 68-76! An outrageous waste of energy and employees are less productive when it is so uncomfortable. Plant a
"Green roof" like the Montgomery Ward bldg has. Make teleworking more feasible. Eliminate contractual "guards" who have no function at the Patterson Avenue address. Review all the at will positions for duplication of
effort. Eliminate part-time positions - combine them into a full time position. Thanks for all you do!
Baltimore Turn down the heat in the state office buildings. They are always over heated - the state guidelines are 68-76! An outrageous waste of energy and employees are less productive when it is so uncomfortable. Plant a
"Green roof" like the montgomeory Ward bldg has
City As a tax paying citizen of Baltimore City for decades, I am pretty much sick of the whole thing. How is it that a State as big as Flordia continues to run without the benefit of income tax? Perhaps your first order of
business should be to talk to the governor of Florida and see how they do it down there. It seems to work. Second, cut out the holidays that only state workers get, mlk day, president's day, columbus day, vertans day,
and american indian heritage day. Regular people don't get these holidays. That gives you 5 days that state workers are actually working which saves holiday pay. Third, overhaul the welfare system. Let all the
unwed moms know that the citizens will take care of 1 child for 1 year. Everyone is entitled to 1 mistake. Take the year that the citizens are paying for the child and get a job. After the 1st year, they are done for life. If
they have any more babies they are on their own. This would cut down the amount of money, food stamps and medical assistance given to people who have never worked and never intend to work, which would save
millions. Why should the citizens have to pay these people to live when they can barley take care of themselves? When did it become ok to be a bum and get paid for it? At what point in our society was it decided that
if you don't want to work and want to pop out babies, everyone else would pay for it? It is time to stop enabling people to do nothing. Finally, state workers are made fun of all of the time, because everyone knows that
they don't have to work hard and most of them don't. I have no doubt that you could cut 25% of workers from every office/agency and let the remaining workers know if they don't get the work done that you will hire
others and bam before you know it people will actually do their work and do it well and you will find that you didn't need nearly as many people as you thought to complete that job. Stop running the state like a
governement and start running it like your family. Would you let your children do nothing and pay them for it? Would you let your children slack on the jobs you gave them and refuse to reprimand them for it and still
pay and promote them? Would you encourage your children to have children so they can get a check, food stamps and medicaid free of charge until the next baby comes? The problem with this state and with this
country is too much government. The city I live in has the highest property taxes and the state I live in has one of the highest income taxes. I get nothing for my money. Except of course to pay someone to do a job
they don't do, pay people to have children, pay others health insurance and even tough I don't have a pension, I pay others to have one. It is seriously time to make an overhaul.
Howard I would like to see the new voting machines cut. Oh, and I live in PG, but the drop down list won't let me select PG County.
Howard I would like to see the new voting machines cut. Oh, and I live in PG, but the drop down list won't let me select PG County.
Anne Whatever you do, please do not make state employees take a pay cut, more furlough days or anything else of the sort. State employees have already given their contribution to help the state budget. County and city
Arundel employees however have not taken any furlough days. Continually taking money out of the paychecks of the people will not help the economy as a whole. Remember, when you take money out of our paychecks, the
goverment loses taxes it would otherwise earn, not to mention it makes it extremely hard for people to pay their bills. This of course has a ripple effect because consumers cannot spend money that they do not have.
Why is it that the consumers always have to bear the burden?
Baltimore Ask state workers for a 10.00 danation to wear jeans to work for one week specified by you Governor O'Malley. That is a dent and a thought.
Howard Make it illegal for principals to hire employees. That will cut down on social workers, head teachers, and assistant principals.
Anne Please do NOT make state employees take more furloughs or participate in salary cuts. We've suffered enough and aren't getting a raise to cover the cost of inflation and rising costs of every thing else.
Arundel
Baltimore currently state workers use MTA services for free. Abolish the rule.
Baltimore Reduce service on Metro train by one train per hour each direction during non peak hours (like other metro areas do)--
Eliminate free rides for state employees as it seems only state employees are using it. I work for the State and take advantage of the free train service but have to admit that I am constantly amazed that it is free. It
also seems to me that the vast majority of riders are state workers so I wonder how much revenue the trains actually generate. Instead the state could offer employees a "green incentive"-- a subsidy worth up to $30 or
$35 dollars to take public transit, and/or a flexible spending account where commuting costs could be deducted like childcare and medical costs. This would also help the city of Baltimore in the form of more
transportation related revenue (parking taxes, parking fees, tickets etc.)
City Good afternoon Governor O'malley, I have a very good suggestion for preventing anymore layoffs for State Employees. I would suggest that you take some or all of the personal days that are allotted to us at the
beginning of the year. If you took at least 3 from everybody, this should make up for a very large amount of money. The State Employees do accrue leave every pay period depending on how long they have been
employed with the State. If that is not enough, take all six days from each employee. I think people would give up their personal days rather than loose their jobs. I have been employed with the Maryland Parole
Commission for Twenty years and would like to be able to retire out rather than loose my job to budget cuts. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be heard.
Baltimore How about not spending money on a new voting system? Special interest groups dictated that this was a need, but at what price to Maryland and it's citizens do you continue to buy this when we have a system that
already works? We are talking almost $40 million, which as far as I can tell, is almost 6% of what you are trying to reduce. If you want to replace the system down the line in the future when there is more money, by all
means, go ahead...But, please, do not waste our money because someone "thinks" that something is wrong. This is almost the same amount of money as two of the things that have already been announced as
cuts...Health and Education...I wonder if you asked the voters what was more important to them, having a new voting system or cultivation of our youth and care of our elderly, what they would say...I think the answer is
most obvious.
Baltimore Dear Office of The Governor:
I am a small business owner based in Maryland. I have a solution that may substantially generate revenues (possibly in millions) for the State. The solution is fairly simple and involves low investment. I would like to
speak with the related office and discuss this further; with an understanding that the State will reimburse me a percentage of the revenues that will be generated as a result of this solution.
I am looking forward to hearing back from your office soon.
Baltimore take all spring water out of state agencies, since my office doesn't have any, all can save on this expence perhaps
four day work weeks with 10 hour days for state employees may save some money
Furlough day for all state employees no income limitation for a day or two.
Frederick Governor O'Malley,
We who are near retirement have special concerns now due to the revenue shortfall and the recession in general. Many of us are waiting and/or postponing retirement due to the loss of funds in our savings. A
Win/Win suggestion is to offer State employees early retirement with the help of a "buy out"! The employee could offset his/her losses with a cash "buy out". The State would save in a big way because it could then
eliminate the vacated position or hire a much less senior person for the vacant spot!
My state salary plus benefits is over $95,000. I lost about 33% of my retirement savings this past year! If the State would offer a tax free cash buy out of 33% of my annual salary I would go ahead and retire.
What do you think?
Montgomery 1) Require all persons receiving any State Services to have a lawful presence in this country.
2) Require all contractors to use E-Verify, so my tax dollars are going to persons that have a legal right to work and in turn pay their taxes.
3) Cut all funding to Casa de Maryland and like organizations that do not check for legal status and do not ensure all parties are paying their taxes.
4) I view paying my taxes as my duty, but paying for persons that are here illegally irks me, to the point I ensure all persons working on or in my home are here legally no matter if they "appear" to be lawful or not,
because otherwise
Howard I am a child care licensing specialist for MSDE in Howard County. Recently the employees for our divison have been informed that we will receive electronic devices for our inspections. As a tax payer, I do not think we
need these for our job. Many times I can do part of the inspection outside or where it is easiest for the provider, whether at the center or in a home. Currently we use scannable forms which I am sure were very
expensive to produce. They are working fine. One of my home providers was furious when she had her fire inspection completed by an inspector who asked to plug in his laptop and use his color printer for the
inspection. The fire department charges $75 for their visit. Our office does not charge. I think our agency's goal is to protect children. "New technology" does not always improve our service to the public.
City Governor O'Malley: A cost saving measure for state employees could be that you don't take your health benefits with you unless you retire from state government with 30 years. It is a priviledge that Maryland State
Employment provides health benefits for the rest of a state employees life when private industry does not. Why should someone get the same benefit when retiring with 16 full years/age 55 as an employee that has
dedicated their life to state employment and retires after 30 years or better. You should not receive your health benefits at any cost unless you put in 30 or better years.
Anne How about offering some state employees early retirement buyout credit (using sick and annual time accrued) if they have 25-30 yrs of service. Secondly, forcing peole to retire after 30 yrs of service.
Arundel
Anne How about offering some state employees early retirement buyout credit (using sick and annual time accrued) if they have 25-30 yrs of service. Secondly, forcing peole to retire after 30 yrs of service.
Arundel
City I suggest that state employees start a 10 hour/four day a week work schedule and have all state agencies closed on day a week. This will cut electric cost tremendously.
Calvert I find it unfathomable that anyone would even consider additional furloughs to the employees that keep the business of Maryland going. Please, please, please consider removing the funding for a SECOND voting
system until the FIRST system is paid. Local governments are already going to be hit extremely hard to pay for early voting. So how could you, in good conscience, ask these employees more or less to fund a
SECOND voting system at this time. You may also want to look up the current version of the federal "Holt Bill" that very well could impact the voting systems for next year. Please, let's not let Maryland become the
next "Florida". Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Anne How about closing state offices for a week in December (Christmas Eve till the day after New Years ) this would save on Electric not to mention it would be 6 furlough days just a thought.
Arundel
Anne To reduce the number and cost of employees - I suggest the state offer early retirement.
Arundel Reducing salaries on current employees, with furloughs or cuts, in a year with no colas and merit raises creates morale problems and results in great, hardworking and caring people leaving for other government areas
(mostly at the federal level or federally related).
Thank you.
Baltimore Presently you have three chiefs of staff listed at the Transportation Authority Police
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Montgomery I have several suggestions to help reduce the budget.
1. Raise the fines associated with traffic violations. I'm sad to say that I received a speeding ticket and was surprised at how cheap the fine was.
2. Install red light cameras at every intersection. Everyday I witness multitudes of people who run red lights.
3. Start having police enforce the traffic laws more. I can't remember the last time I saw a police officer pulling over a traffic violator.
3. Stop all funding for illegal immigrants. No more social services, no more day laborer sites, no more funding for groups that promote illegal immigrants. I'm tired of my hard earned taxes going to support people who
are in this country illegally.
Calvert Have the state of Maryland go to a compressed work schedule with state agencies closed on either Monday's or Friday's and employee's working 10 hrs intead of 8.
Anne Abolish 39 filled and 18.5 vacant positions. I hope these are high paying Executive/Management Positions.
Arundel
Have you considered cutting the hours of state employees and reflecting it through the salary scale? Instead of an 80 hour two week pay period, go to a 72 hour two week pay period. Close the state agenices every
other Friday or Monday. Savings in salaries, heating/cooling, electric. If state employees must sacrifice at least try to make a positive out of it. Every other weekend, a three day weekend.
Garrett Dear Governor O’Malley,
I am a constituent who loves Maryland for its beauty and vibrancy. Like you, I believe that we will not only get through this economic downturn, but be better and brighter in the aftermath.
You once did me a favor as Mayor of Baltimore when my son had been mistakenly issued a parking violation (he was at work at the Wisp on the date/time in question) by clearing the matter up within weeks. I wrote a
note of thanks at the time, but perhaps I can do slightly better than that now by providing some input regarding remedies for the state’s budget situation.
The Big Picture Vision
If one begins with the supposition that there is authentic political will and the leadership to carry out strategic initiatives, then prospects of producing and maintaining high impact departments is very high. Reinventing
government, here in Maryland , where readiness and engagement is at its peak, might slow the progress you and other progressive leaders have managed to embrace and evolve over the last decade.
Maintaining high impact agencies requires leadership to continually improve upon both horizontal and vertical strategic framework; this dissuades agency plans that are disjointed, duplicative and disorderly. It is
important to simultaneously strengthen core competencies while looking to shift emphasis from high risk, low impact endeavors to low risk, high impact endeavors.
The reforms that are necessary to keep your agenda on course over the next five years do not need to be deep-cutting or arbitrary; rather, these reforms should highlight your genuine thoughtfulness.
Vision is as Vision Does
Are we managing for results, really? StateStats is an ideal framework for results based budgeting and management. Unfortunately the measures generally to not exceed beyond typical process benchmarks.
The effort requires taking the scope beyond stage one (quadrant one); with all due respect, counting how many of something tells us nothing about quality and service. And, if not now, when will it be time to accelerate
data collection to stage four; who and how many people are better off because of the project, program, or service?
Where coordination is lacking, collaboration is impossible. There are several arenas, like technology, like health and human services, which in sum produce cost redundancies across the board. Generally speaking,
these systemic flaws diminish opportunities for growing the strengths found in optimal enterprise. In effect, operational anomalies undermine overall strategic success.
The Long and the Short of it
Long
Strengthen the Governors’ Office operations
o Increasing horizontal/ flat operations
o Articulate models of systems of care and complete system reform efforts
o Work to eliminate poverty
o Improve child and family well-being—transition efforts to primarily a prevention focus, this will be leverage in health care reform
o Devolve management to the local level through funding formula mechanisms in which the State serves in one of two capacities; either oversight or expert guidance
o Reorganize State agencies; align with national efforts, facilitate opportunities for regional and local ownership in process and planning.
o Reinstate funds to higher education and Medicaid
Short
o Deinstitutionalize, by relocating, all adults with developmental disabilities to lesser restrictive alternatives; ideally from institutional placement to alternative living units.
o Encourage local communities to support families and their children. Discontinue out-of-state placements as well as residential placements and foster care placements that exceed 6 months; provide return or
diversion funds to LMB’s for plan of care development through LCC for 50% of current care, for up to one year. Insist that family preservation programs have resources to be effective.
o Relocate grants development and oversight to the Governor’s Grants Office; have staff earn grants management certification. This will streamline and align with state’s initiatives and eliminate reoccurring
sanctions and/or audit findings. Expert grants writers will also allow Maryland to compete for grant and philanthropic funding efficiently.
o Make Maryland more business friendly but be willing to exercise ‘clawback’ mechanisms if business fails to be a good partner.
o Utilize DBM Compact mechanism for key state initiatives to demonstrate good will with local governments.
o Utilize technology more efficiently, encourage green measures like tele-commuting and tele-conferencing
Best Regards,
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City It has been my desire for quite sometime now that the State of Maryland enact an early retirement Bill relative to the State Employees' Pension System. The last time the state had adopted a Bill was in 1996. Such a
Bill will allow state employees in the pension system with at least 25 years of creditable service, to receive benefits at a reduced salary rate.
Prayerfully, I hope this suggestion will be considered. For I know this is an excellent suggestion which will help to balance the state budget without impacting the environment, education and safety programs.
I am employed with the State Highway Administration; however my resident is in Baltimore County.
City Three suggestions:
1. Most state workers are grateful to have to take furlough days in lieu of losing jobs. A more efficient way to administer furloughs could be to assign a certain $ amount to each person based on grade/salary. This
dollar amount would translate into a certain number of days for each employee. Reduce salaries to reflect that reduction so that that the paychecks are a consistent number. The employee would be allowed to take
the assigned number of furlough days as they schedule them-but over the course of the fiscal year the money has been accounted for.
2. Convert to a paid 32 hour work week. Each employee would receive an across the board 16 hour cut from their salary--only this reduction would be permanent and could save money. If this option is used-
furloughs would not be considered.
3. Early retirement incentive for those close to retirement--add service years to make people eligible for retirement to make it beneficial to do so.
Baltimore Please take care in laying off or furloughing state workers whose salaries are paid from federal funds. When this is done, the state loses income tax, sales tax,and like revenues from these workers, but saves little or
nothing in salaries because the employees are funded with federal money. State leadership should take the time to determine which state workers are paid through federal money, whereby furloughing them saves the
state nothing but loses it the taxes they would have paid if working. It is not too much to expect for the state governement to do this homework and make furoughs save the most money while costing the state the least.
Each agency head could identify such employees among their staff. This is just efficient government rather that wholesale across the board furloughs that cost families income, cost the state tax revenues, and don't
save any state salary dollars. This is especially true of staff members who conduct audits to recover state funds. An example would be furloughing employees who audit companies using medicaid funds and recover
monies for the state. If paid with federal funds, when furloughed, the state not only loses the tax revenue without saving any salary money, but it also loses all of the medicaid funds these workers may have recovered
for the state while furloughed. Is it too much to ask for the state government to determine who such workers are and thus make the furlough process as efficient monitarily as possible for taxpayers?
City Three suggestions:
Baltimore Three suggestions:
Baltimore Offer early buy-outs for State Employees who have 25 to 30 years of service.
Raise sales taxes to 7 or 8 percent

Anne While it is not a "budget cut" collecting sales tax on purchases made via the Internet and TV offers etc. and shipped into Maryland; would go a long way to help reduce the defecit. States such as CA and NJ do this to
Arundel an extent. Not only would this increase revenue from the millions in Sales Tax the state is already losing but it would help protect locally owned Maryland businesses. When you look at the saving consumers see on the
web and then ad an additonal 6% in savings from the sales tax, it makes the purchase decision even easier for them. What most Marylanders don't understand is that this money they are "saving" is what funds their,
first responders, teachers, road maintenance etc. Mr. Governor I urge you to consider what collecting sales tax on out of state purchaces could do for the state. Maybe by "adding" this tax you could afford to decrease
the sales tax a token amount while still increasing the overall revenue to the state.
Washington Governor in Public safety eliminate appointed under Ehrlich Positions which prior to same were never in this bloated Beuracracy:
Regional Assistant Commissioners and recently "made position for a former replaced warden -Road Crews Director(100grand which even he is laughing about) - Salaries along with exec. Assts and their sectys with
benefits -1-1.5miillon and no change in the way business is done, hey if you need these double dippers then why have Wardens and Asst. Wardens and Security Chiefs etc. etc., another 2 million at least in savings.
Better shift allocatoion and elimination of Lineup time for COs saves 3-4 million a year.
State Police and other State Law Enforcement take home cars- Gasoline and wear and tear on autos will save 1-2million-per year as they speed up and down road while passing rest of us.. off duty and not on calls
either as I am a former Police Officer and know...well just a few suggestions.
Anne Mandatory 10 hour workdays (4 day weeks) for all state agencies -- physically closing of state buildings on day 5 to save energy and money.
Arundel
Howard I am dismayed at the current rumors about another furlough of State workers. State workers salaries are not equal to the private sector but the trade off has been an increased measure of job security. That does not
mean, however, that State workers should bear the brunt of the State's budget shortfalls. It is a double edge sword. Take from State workers and you are cutting income taxes. State workers having less to spend and
thereby comntributes to a decline in sales tax and retail loss. My suggestion is to truley cut the real budget; not the PROJECTED budget. Cut out some of the line item programs that continue to aborb money with little
or no real return. Hold the line. Don't make State workers take the brunt.
select your Impose one mandatory furlough day per month for all state employees,to include closing facilities where possible. I recommend that the closure be instituted on a Friday/Monday to maximize the benefit to the state. I
county also think it makes an easier sell to employees. I would venture to say that most funds are allocated to direct cost thus this should result in the greatest savings.The by-product is this allows all of us to share in the
challege and to avoid misplacing our co-workers and colleagues. (Human Perspective) It would be my hope that the unions embrace this option for the greater good but have a gemtlemen agreement that when the
economy turns around parties of interest will come back to the table and renegotiate. This makes good business sense. Consider options that result in generating the greatest savings and minimum disruption/ and this
is one since I would venture to say most funds are allocated to direct cost. It is my belief that a modified work schedule is better than no work schedule. Avoid layoff-offs at all cost because they adverserly work against
recovery from a local,state and national perspective. We need to keep money flowing into the economy. In sum,layoffs negate this goal and have far reaching negative implications to the economy. Does the state need
to absorb the cost for both cell and land phones? Has a cost/benefit analysis been done regarding contractual services and are all of them needed? What about consultants? While we do not pay them benefits
sometimes the rates are at the high end. Maybe this is an opportunity to adjust rates. But more importantly do you need all the consultants in lean times. What can you afford when revenues are declining? We know it
cannot be business as usual so the question is what do we absolutely need at this time to get thru the recession. To me that means living within your means and protecting needed services. There is no place for frills at
this time. Did you do the essential services,non-essential services,and wish list test of what we do in the state of Maryland? You may want to appoint a workgroup to assist with this process. Folkes who are willing to
think outside of the box and not be territorial. Thanks for allowing me to comment. I know better times are coming and other states are watching to see how Maryland turn these challenges into opportunities.
Baltimore State employees should be obliged, unless undue hardship is confirmed, to use only electronic deposit of paychecks and electronic paystubs. No more paper copies. This will save printing costs, paper and envelopes.
select your I suggest that a non-exempt employee not be granted overtime until the budget gets back on track.
county
I also suggest that a non-exempt employee not be granted overtime when they are taking a furlough day for that pay period.
City One mandatory furlough day per month for all state employees; thereby, retaining all state paid holidays for fiscal year 2010.
Harford As a state employee, I would like to make some suggestions. I have a wife and xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx to support, so I need to keep my job and do not want to be laid off. Therefore, I suggest more furlough days.
California is mandating three furlough days per month for its state employees. I would prefer more furlough days to losing my job altogether. I also suggest that as employees leave state employment, eliminate their
pin. I would rather have an increased work load than to lose my job. I also suggest that some state holidays be changed into work days. Why should the state pay me to be off on Columbus Day or Veterans Day? If
these days (and potential other days like Martin Luther King's Birthday, President's Day, Memorial Day, and the day after Thanksgiving) were regular work days, then the state would not be paying all of its employees
for not working on those days and if employees wanted to take off, then they would need to use their leave time, which would result in less paid leave time for employees during the course of the year. Again, I am
willing to sacrifice these holidays so that I may not lose my job. All divisions should be working on eliminating costs such as paper. Let's try to not print as much as we all do and create policies that cut down on our
use of paper, printers, and supplies. I work for the Office of Child Care. We do not have a fee for our licenses that we issue. We have brought this subject up several times, but it never makes any headway. Why
can't the state charge a fee for a child care license? You have to pay for every other license that you get, why not child care? Income from fees for child care registartions and licenses would bring in a lot of money to
the state. There are THOUSANDS of licensed child care providers in the state. In my caseload alone, I have approximately 130 child care providers. If each had to pay $25 per year for their license or registration,
then that would be $3250 collected by the state. There are 13 total caseloads in my office, which would bring in approximately $42,250 per year. And that is just for my office in Baltimore County. Add in all the other
counties in Maryland and the sum would be significantly higher. I believe that charging a fee for child care registrations and licenses would help to bring more income to the state. I am making these suggestions
because I want as many state workers to keep their jobs as possible, including me. It is important that services be provided by state agencies and I don't want to see services significantly cut, either. I would appreciate
it if all could be done to avoid layoffs of state workers to protect families and avoid sending more people to the unemployment line. I would welcome the furloughs and increased workload due to the elimination of
vacant positions rather than fidn myslef without a job.
Baltimore I work for the Office of Child Care and our Region is Baltimore County and our office is located in Towson, 409 Washington Ave. Suite LL8, basement. I'm not sure who owns the old emisions inspection station and/or
land on Rossville Blvd. but I think our office and even our Resource and Reffferal office could share the space? Our office in Towson is pretty expensive, 99,000 a year for rent? We also have to pay for parking. The
location is close to the beltway. I'm not trying to make waves but it might be do-able...Since you asked, thank you.
This is a great idea to allow "regular" people to share what might help -
Baltimore When I refer to government employees, this means EVERY employee(i.e. governor, legislators, judges, political appointees, senators, delegates, teachers) at all levels(i.e. city, county, township)
-cut back on tax payer funded trips for ALL government employees
-reduce money to local governments(should have been done 7 months ago). Local governments will then have to institute furloughs, which will offset the lack of state funding. Why should the burden be placed solely
upon state workers.
-If doing furloughs, you need to realize that it will not garner a great deal of money. Reducing pay reduces consumer spending, which reduces collected sales taxes. Reducing pay also reduces income tax collected.
Baltimore The daily fuel consumption of our public school buses must be huge, not to mention the pollution! As a Father, it seems to me that there is a lot of waste in running these buses before Labor Day and after Memorial
Day, most schools are on auto-pilot during these periods anyway. Shorten the school year, thanks.
Cecil The way payroll is calculated seems unnecessarily laborious. It is based on 26 bi-weekly pay periods of 14 days each. However, 26 x 14 = only 364 days, and since most state salaries are based on an annual
amount, that leaves an extra day (2 in a leap year) that has to be accounted for in order to equal the gross salary (grade, step) per the pay scale.
It would be more efficient to adopt either of two possible methods:

1) Divide annual salary into 26 (# of pay periods), rounded to nearest cent, or
2) Use hours instead of days: bi-weekly pay would be based on 80 hours instead of 14 days. 80 hrs. x 26 pay periods = 2,080 hours, which is evenly divisible by one 80-hr. pay period, thus no overlap.
Adopting one of these systems should produce savings in accounting time & reporting: simpler calculations and fewer journal entries and end-of-period accruals.
Allegany Stop all tuition reimbursement.
Stop giving any sign on bonuses to new workers/new hires.

Baltimore I know people won't like it, but another way we could increase revenue for the state is to increase the tax on alcohol and cigarettes. Also, increase the fee for license registration renewal ... I think it's $128 every 2
years ... just increase that another $5 per person ... that won't kill anyone and it will generate a lot of money. People just have to realize that we are in this together and we all have to do our part. We are just going to
have to tighten our belts. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs ... they need their jobs to survive and I think you've done a fabulous job in keeping positions for state workers. Times are tough ... we need our jobs so
perhaps you could just eliminate all the vacant positions and just don't hire for them. We already are doing more than 1 person can and we'll just have to do a little more that's all. It's good for us. I love my job and I
know that I am providing a good service to my agency. We do have some folks around here who really do nothing all day long ... those folks need to go, but how do you do that when they have supervisors who protect
them at all cost? Also, perhaps you could encourage folks to retire who have over 40 years of state service. And when they retire, take the PIN and break the job up among other staff persons. I know this is a tough
issue trying to save money. But I have faith in you and your staff ... you can do it without hurting people.
City Enact the EARLY RETIREMENT BILL for State Employees similar
to 1996
Washington Raising fees for ez-pass is the wrong approach. These devices save the state money in payroll, long term costs of retirement benefits and reduce delays at toll facilities. The message being sent by DOT is a
disincentive to use one of these devices. Users should actually get a discount for using them. Backwards thinking ... making it harder to be more efficient.
Baltimore i propose that we ask all rccipients of medicaid and medical assistance to contribute some cost to their healthcare, such as 1.00 for presciptions and 5.00 for doctors visits
Baltimore I'm not sure how much this will help, but right off the top of my head, I'm wondering how much the state pays to have all those plants in the lobbies of state buildings. I love plants, but that is something I'm sure we can
do without. If employees want plants around, they can donate plants to their buildings themselves. The state shouldn't pay for maintenance of such things ... that's a luxury for a building in my opinion.
City From the State employee perspective, I'm in favor of the four day work week - I think it's human nature to be more productive if we have less time to do things. I think if you surveyed people the money lost is worth the
time spent living our "other" lives (i.e.more balanced, happier workers). I also think telecommuting is very underrated and misunderstood. Perhaps we can create the choice of a once a month telecommuting or furlough
day. By shutting down the offices we'll reap those savigns and again, productivity would be enhanced, less stress being in the office, less use of energy...more happy well adjusted workers.
Harford 1) Via Public Domain Laws condemn abandoned properties. Develop moderate priced residential structures to be sold thereby creating a sustainable real estate tax base. Use local youth and various training programs
to build at the different locations and use Stimulus money to pay/train them....avoiding the "falling off a cliff scenario" and plant the seeds for a more skilled workforce. Have large contractors donate "green" building
materials and let them have a tax credit for doing so. 2) Finalize the completion and implementation of slot machine locations. 3) Create Wind Farms in Western Maryland mountain locations and set up a State
operated cooperative to sell power generated to other states or interested corporations.
Baltimore Why are we still buying and spending money for 90 Acres of land for 1.1 Million dollars ??? and you want to lay-off and furloughs.
select your
county
Montgomery I currently am a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx employee xxxxxxxxxxxxx the Maryland State Department of Education. Many districts have gone to a 4 day/40 hour workweek. The buildings are closed on Friday but salaries are
not decreased. This saves on electricity, heating/cooling, transportation, and commuting costs. The workload does not change, the hours of work completed remains at 40 hours, and from conversations that I have
had with the district personnel confirm the lack of stress involved in this revised process. I would like to see all state buildings go to 4 day/40 hour work weeks. I have seen the hardship the furlough days have had on
our support staff and it is heartbreaking.
Thank you for your kind consideration and allowing for our input.
Allegany There are state employees, like me, that live paycheck to paycheck, no extra money left over for anything. We don't go on vacation, we don't have the money to buy new clothes. We shop at Goodwill and dollar
stores. We can't afford furlough days. Appreciate state workers by keeping them employed and working their 40 hours a week.
Anne I recommend postponing the purchase of new voting machines. In the law provision was made for postponing the move to paper ballots if the budget could not cover the move. Since we have machines that are fully
Arundel functional and that we are still paying for, I think it would be prudent to wait to implement the new machines until a different budget cycle. (By the way - I'm from PG County, but the apostrophe was throwing an SQL
Error. The website developers probably need to look into that.)
Howard The state could charge a fee to rec. a license or certificate of registration to operate a childcare center, family child care or any non-public nursery school that is regulated by the State.
Anne Well when the axe fall it should fall on ALL STATE EMPLOYEE INCLUDING AND I DO MEAN EVERYONE THAT WORKS FOR THE STATE REGARDLESS OF THEIR TITLE ALL THAT MAKE OVER $100,000.00 A
Arundel YEAR CUT TO JUST A $100k A YEAR NOT ONE STATE EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE EXEMPT. During your 1st cut I did not hear anything about YOUR OFFICE OR GENERAL ASSEMBLY OR LEGISLATOR
Harford why does the state have a seperate police unit with the Maryland state transit authority with seperate administration, why not roll this unit into the State police and save the administration costs? Also why is the a
Department of disabilities and then a Department of rehabilitation services, why not combine them so there is not a duplication of services? Last what is the purpose of counselors for the Blind enterprise program,
when all the individuals that have units are considered Independent contractors and run their business as they want and these couselors have no resposibility for those operations?
Baltimore I am a state employee and last year suggested that as other states have embraced the idea of closing their buildings one day a wk, MD State follow in their steps to conserve costs & energy. Maybe it can be gradually
implemented by asking Department heads to inquire of their staff who is willing to work a 4-day, 9 hour/day work week while retaining full benefits? Another suggestion is that the air conditioning units/ventilation
system be adjusted to not blow so strongly (waste of energy, increase in cost). Thank you for your time & efforts in budget reductions.
City Why can't there be budget cuts for the people with salaries ranging 80,00 or more, those that are in the high class. It seems as though the low class and middle class always have to suffer much in struggling to make
ends meet.
Washington I recently took my Support Services test and received in the mail, six (6) notices of my test results. Each was identical, except for the "Test for:" and "Class". Each letter had postage of $.44. I calculated that with 20
individuals taking the test x2 that date (total of 40) and receiving an average of six test result notices, the cost to the State of Maryland for postage ONLY was $105.60. That doesn't take into account the paper,
envelopes, printer & ink, electricity to run it, manpower to fold and stuff the envelopes, etc. I'm curious as to the true total cost to send me multiple mailings such as this. With today's technology and all of the IT staff
we have, could these test results not be either e-mailed if available or all categories and results listed on one sheet?
This is one very small example of our taxpayers monies being used foolishly.
Thank you for hearing me out on this matter.
select your hkjhlkhlkhlkjhkj

county
Anne I suggest the work week for state workers be adjusted to four ten hour days (i.e. all agencies close on Monday or Friday). This would result in significant cost savings in energy from all state agencies. This would also
Arundel result in travel commute savings for the employee.
Howard Governor O'Malley,
I am astutely aware of the economic crisis that is facing Maryland and the country at large. However, I strongly urge you to carefully consider State employee furloughs as one way to save money for the State. Why
should State employees shoulder the burden for every citizen of Maryland? It does not make good economic sense - you cut employees wages which brings in less in income taxes, leaves less money to spend thereby
reducing sales tax to the State, and further risking families to ecomonic strife. This only contributes negatively to subsequent years budget woes. Cuts to balance the budget should be in areas that will impact everyone
who then will share equally in this process. Labor negotiations analysts admit that furloughs for only a specific group of individuals is a "chicken sh--" way of dealing with a budget problem. PLEASE do not furlough
State employees or at least keep the number of days to an absolute minimum; 5 to 10 is putting too much hardship on these workers. Thank you
City Use this opportunity to make Maryland a more healthy, humane, and efficient state:
1. Institute a Fat Tax on junk food and tax other unhealthy items, like tobacco and alcohol, more heavily.
2. Increase taxes on all forms of gambling.
3. Increase fines on all automobile moving violations and parking tickets.
4. Lay off city, county, and state workers who are not effective.
5. Raise fees on tolls to encourage motorists to take trains and busses.
You get the idea.
Regards
Howard Some private agencies and Goverment agencies have given early retirement package options to employees who are close to retiring during economic times like this. This is an option that should be considered for this
agency.
Baltimore Return employer retirement contribution costs for teachers and librarians to the local school systems. It is completely nonsensical for the State to pay the entire retirement costs for local school systems, at a projected
cost in FY 2010 of $774,330,507, when the State has no input as to salary levels which directly impact retirement costs. This amounts to a subsidy to local school systems, whereby they can increase salaries without
any regard to the retirement costs associated with those salaries. At current employer contribution rates, these costs may well top $1 billion in FY 2011, and most certainly will by FY 2012. This is a cost to the State
which is unsustainable, and it is more properly borne by the school systems themselves.
select your Offer state employees early retirement
county
Kent When I am off on weekends I see a lot of state cars parked in peoples driveways and I feel that the state could save a lot of money by leaving these vehicles on the property of their agency. This would save the state a
lot of money on gas. I live on the shore and sometimes I feel that if one lives on the shore and works across the bridge they should use their own vehicles.
Cecil - Cut down on the abuse of sick leave, particularly abuse of the Family Medical Leave Act. FMLA was intended to grant unpaid leave for family emergencies, but instead employees are using paid sick leave.
- Give employees incentives for good attendance.
- Review the Employees' Leave Bank Program. It too seems to maximize the amount of sick leave the state has to pay for.
Howard As a state employee, I strongly suggest that buildings such as MSDE limit the hours of availability. Specifically, there is no need to have the building open 24/7, which requires paying security and the wasted use of
electricity. Modifying the hours e.g 6am-10 pm Mon -Sat and closed on Sumdays would certainly be more cost effective.
select your Allow state offices who are non essential go to 10 hour work days to eliminate operating costs for one day per week.
county
Anne Well when the axe fall it should fall on ALL STATE EMPLOYEE INCLUDING AND I DO MEAN EVERYONE THAT WORKS FOR THE STATE REGARDLESS OF THEIR TITLE ALL THAT MAKE OVER $100,000.00 A
Arundel YEAR CUT TO JUST A $100k A YEAR NOT ONE STATE EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE EXEMPT. During your 1st cut I did not hear anything about YOUR OFFICE OR GENERAL ASSEMBLY OR LEGISLATOR
Baltimore Let Maryland State Government go to the 4 day work week, thus saving utility cost of major facilities while still providing full 40 hours of available services to the public.
Baltimore Dear Gov
Please lower the overall taxes in the State. Most of my family has moved to the shores of DE
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Please cut welfare,shut down giveaways to non productives, turn away the illegal aliens, and bring us back to the "Land of Pleasant Living."GOV U CAN CHANGE THIS!
Baltimore In the context of converting available taxpayers dollars into economic efficiency and state bureaucratic performance, output per dollar, and focus on easing the financial burden placed on "we" the taxpayers; by the way
of examples: 1). abusive and irresponsible state spending by addressing the Office of Legislative Auditors' reports on the many agencies that seriously fail to operate in a economic, efficient, effective manner, and fail to
operate within compliance with state accounting laws and regulations and by "streamlining bureaucracies. The waste and abuse of the taxpayers money may be as much as $2 Billion annually. 2). State Police
helicopters, the $52 million for new helicopters should be directed at upgrading the current Dauphin fleet of 11 helicopters at $3.8 million each or less (depending on age) per helicopter verus purchasing new
helicopters at $20 million each and or reduce the current fleet of Dauphins to 8 helicopters and four bases.With proper maintenance, mandatory maintenance, helicopter upgrades and a sound infrastructure you can
safely extend the state police helicopter life-cycle to 41 years. Changing helicopter manufacture for the sake of change will not save the taxpayers any money. Change would be very expensive and potentially
dangerous during the long-term transition to a new helicopter manufacture such as the Agusta AW139. 3). Yield to Maryland's Code: Section 34. Restrictions on loans and extension of credit; "...The credit of the state
shall not in any manner be given, or loaned to, or in aid of any individual association or corporation;... ." and 4). New State Spending Restraint is needed: State debit-Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loans 2008
through 2011 redirect back into the General Funds. During the 2007 emergency special session session to address the $1.7 Billion deficit, new spending and taxes were added creating a financial strain on "We" the
taxpayers. Redirect the new spending back into the General Funds .
Please focus on easing the financial burden placed on "We" the taxpayers by the Executive and Legislative Branch of Government. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Frederick Certainly is a shame that instead of increasing tax on liquor sold in Maryland, that you have chosen to cut benefits provided by the state. Shame on our government.
Washington If you have to cut the State workers pay, make it across the board. The non-essentials employees should not have to bear the brunt of the cut backs.
If you would have asked sooner, I would have recommended not giving the correctional officers their retention bonus. It was the most absurd waste of money I can think of. If you knew how to work the system you
could get the bonus. I feel like the non-essential workers paid for the correctional officers bonuses with their furlough days.
Washington Gov. O'Malley....have you ever stopped at Sideling Hill? I think you need to come out here before the STUPID decision to close it happens. My sister and nephews saw it for the 1st time xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx and
loved it. We were there for a few hours. Collect some donations to help with expenses (just a stand that people can put $$ in) but don't shut it down! It is BEAUTIFUL! DON'T CLOSE DOWN SOMETHING that is so
special to Washington Co!
Anne Reduce the size of state government permanently. It is that simple.
Arundel
Anne I am a 40 year resident of Maryland. I do not believe the tax on alcohol has been raised in at least that many years. It is TIME to thwart the pricey liquor lobbyists (Jay) and raise the tax on beer, liquor and maybe even
Arundel wine. This would reap a small fortune and would hardly be noticed by the users. Tough medicine--but very necessary.
Washington Have ALL state employees take furlough days - not just the same few ones -- include police, correctional officers, judges, legislators, executive branch, etc.
Carroll To the honorable Governor Martin O’Malley,
I appreciate the opportunity to provide you with suggestions on a direct basis. Here are a few thought for reducing the budget:
1. Offer early retirement to state employees. Furloughs and layoff were understandable last year--- now these measures suggest a lack of leadership on the part of the legislature to tackle the difficult issues in
balancing the budget. We have wonderful thought leaders and can do much better.
2. Increase weekly hours worked for non-essential state employees to ten hour per day and close state buildings one day a week.
3. Cut bay restoration funding all together for this year.
4. Reduce funding for natural resources and the environment. You should call on the residents of the state to fill in where decreases occur.
Best wishes!
Dorchester close all social services offices, give free one way bus rides to all person receiving welfare to california
Dorchester review the budget and do away with all services that are not essential
Dorchester increase taxes on tobacco and gambling and horse racing and sporting events
Dorchester do away with police taking cars home; have the police only use cars when on duty
Dorchester go to a 4 day workweek for all state employees and close offices for 3 days a week to save energy
Dorchester Turn the lights off at night in the state office buildings
Dorchester Stop giving money and benefits to illegal alliens.
Thank you taking the time to ask Marylanders for their view on budget cuts your administration should consider. This alone is a remarkable first step in using technology to seek input from those who care deeply about
key items in state government. Your administration has taken huge steps to tighten up the budget in Maryland--- everyone in your office deserves an applause….
Many Marylanders think your approach to reducing… but not cutting programs is a good one! It shows fiscal responsibility and suggests that in good times you might be open to expanding spending in these areas.
What many Marylanders do not think is a good decision is to layoff or furlough state employees. In last year’s budget, a severe response to the crisis was needed and most people understood that the situation required
furloughing state employees.
Budget adjustments that impact state employees in this year’s budget suggests to many Marylanders that our great leaders do not have a sound plan to lead the state through this tumultuous time period. And instead,
have chosen an easy, though difficult in many ways, choice for controlling the budget gap--- one that does not really address spending.
Your supporters encourage you to look at big ticket items to defer spending for the remainder of this fiscal year and more closely examine program funding next year. Please consider the following deferments:
* Purchasing of 4 helicopters for transporting patients at roughly $50 million each. Surely, outsourcing some of the needs to independent air transport companies is far cheaper.
* Further reducing funding for bay restoration, I believe the media reported more than $100 million in funding budgeted for this effort. Deferring as much as half of this amount for one year is not likely to set back
restoration efforts by all that much.
* Change non-essential state employee work schedules to 10 hour days 4 days a week and close all non-essential buildings on Fridays. You could allow employees to work 8 hour days and use their vacation time to
cover differences in their time.
* Consider closing the remainder of the budget gap with reductions in Business and Economic Development and Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources. Many Marylanders view these line items as extremely
important but more for funding when the budget is less stressed.
I certainly hope you will consider my recommendations as you move forward in tightening up Maryland’s budget. Thanks for everything you do to make these bad times not seem so bad and make Maryland a better
state.
Regards,
xxxxxxx
Washington Get rid of the speed camera program and keep the sidling hill rest area open.
Allegany Tax out of state employees. I work for DOC and guys from PA and WVA are taxed less. They brag all the time. PA doesn't allow you to work in corrections unless you are live in PA.
Cecil I feel strongly that contractual workers should be looked at. I know of several agencies that used contractual people to suplimit the loss of state workers. As one example, a certain department has 70 people. Of these
70 only 20 are state employees. With an average cost difference of 3-1, large saving can be created and bring work back to state employees at a cheaper cost.
Baltimore I would offer that government spend only what they take in. It seems that there are folks on the payroll who who do not work. There are programs and Salaries paid that are way out of Line. They issue of spending and
wasting tax payers funds is out of control. This Governor has done to the State what he did in Baltimore city. This is a shame and a disgrace of how he has handle this. But not much will be done or said why not
continue to balance this off the Working class.
Howard 1. Cut out travel of all state employees to things like conferences, etc unless the conference fee is free (or waived)and the only reimbursement for any travel costs should be for actual costs such as tolls, parking and
actual gas costs (the non-reimbursed federal per mile cost of travel would then be eligible for claiming as a tax deduction).
2. Eliminate or greatly reduce the meal reimbursement for travel costs (to the extent one eats a meal more expensive than a McDonalds or Burger King meal, which restaurants are ubiquitous throughout the state, one
could argue in these times such meals are now an extravagance if reimbursement is then sought from taxpayers).
3. Since all state employees can take public transportation for free, all state vehicles for commuting should be greatly reduced or eliminated if not already done so, and state employees who receive state parking
should pay either a portion or all costs of the monthly permit; also, the state should then try to negotiate lower monthly charges from private garages threatened with the loss of these permits, and the garages must
offer the negotiated rate to all state employees who purchase monthly permits or the state may purchase in bulk and charge employees a percentage - perhaps half the permit cost to the state (I think any elimination of
free parking would get great opposition, and perhaps a phase -in based on economic conditions would be more palatable and fair). Also, in locations where parking is not free to the public, such as downtown
Baltimore and all of Annapolis, a parking fee should be imposed on all state employees (including elected officials if it could politically be done), who receive free parking permits.
4. If pension fund investments have recovered to an acceptable extent by the rising stock market so that retirement can be promoted at an acceptable cost to the near term state budget, an effort must be made to
encourage greater levels of retirement which traditionally (and most easily implemented with the least opposition) involves an early retirement "bonus" inducement (such as when Gov. Schaefer allowed employees to
obtain 25 additional months of credit for a limited period if they retire). Inducement for retirement is generally acceptable to employee groups, and potentially saves the state enormous amounts of money, especially if
coupled with a true hiring freeze of the position (for at least 6 months). Also, when new employees are eventualy hired, they are hired at base salaries rather than the advanced level of the retiring employee, also
resulting in large savings. This would also promote eventual openings for more younger job seekers who currently are unable to find jobs due to the poor job market, thereby reducing unemployment.
5. Furloughs are most cost-effective with shutting down the state facilities, with the greatest savings achieved if done in conformance with times of peak energy usage (the state should be negotiating with utilities a
special reduced rate for shutting down offices during peak energy periods, and should consider closing state offices or reducing hours of operations during peak periods in exchange for reduced energy rates).
In making the above suggestions, I am a long time state employee who would be adversely impacted by the above suggestions, but believe all are palatable and would help the state's fiscal crisis in this trying time,
and I appreciate Governor O'Malley's sincere efforts to balance the budget . I have many other suggestions, which I truly believe could help balance the state budget, but many would be controversial and I would not
wish to disclose these except in a confidential setting. If interested in further discussing the above or any other suggestions, I can be reached at my state office during the work day at xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore A review of salaries in the State of Maryland's University and College System should be conducted. I think the results will reveal that these salaries are highly inflated.
Baltimore A review of salaries in the State of Maryland's University and College System should be conducted. I think the results will reveal that these salaries are highly inflated.
Anne Double the toll on the Bay Bridge, "it hasn't braised in a long time". Doubling the toll on commercial trucks is a tax on ALL of us marylanders.
Arundel
Eliminate the discount for commuters and shoppers. This will ENCOURAGE CARPOOLING!
You intend to spend $3 billion Federal stimulous dollars on RT 50 that our children will have to repay. Make today's users pay for their for use of our highways. You can use the above fees to put people to work building
a world class transportation system. Sack 3/4 of the MTA administration for lack of imagination. They should have given a $1.50 Credit/month to E-ZPass users to increase their productivity and reduce air and WATER
pollution.
Baltimore The State Highway Administration just completed the bid for having settlement companies do closings of property for the Office of Real Estate. The Office of Real Estate should continue to do its on settlements
because of the additional expense of having an outside firm do it.
Baltimore lay off 10% of goverment workers like the private sector had to do cut all pay raises for all management.
Anne Cut tha cigarette tax by $15.00 to $5.00 a carton. So people will not have to go out of MD. to save money. Cut the sales tax back to 5%. Marylanders will support local business who will make more money and pay
Arundel more taxes.
Cecil Drop the ballistic fingerprinting system. Increase the price of handgun permits and make the state shall issue instead of may issue. I have seen the fiscal analysis from the MSP and I would be willing to pay more for a
permit to cover the cost and let the state make some profit. Lower the cigarette tax enticing people to buy cigarettes in state instead of illegally out of state. Stop giving retirement packages to state legislators who
don't serve 20 years in office. Stop giving annual raises to legislators while other state employees suffer. They should not get a raise if other state employees don't get a raise. Increase traffic violation fines again. Tell
judges to stop adjusting a fine to a lower amount so that the court cost, other fees and fine are what it originally was anyway. If someone wants to go to court, they should pay the fine as it is on the ticket, the court
cost, and the MEDEVAC fund. When judges lower it, the states makes less money. Stop telling people you close certain office buildings while they remain sate buildings and get used for something else. Close the
building and sell it. Increase partnership with federal agencies for things like assigning more personnel to task forces who would pay salaries for the use of the personnel.
Anne Eliminate all non-competitive scholarships given by State Delegates and Representatives.
Arundel
Eliminate funding for all benefits to illegal aliens (except those manadated by Federal Law).
Montgomery 2 suggestions: (1) Higher Education: require that professors at state universities obtain a greater portion of their salary from external sources and cut university administrative budgets.
(2) Alcohol - increase the amount of revenue collected through licenses and taxation by allowing bars, resturants and nightclubs the opportunity to get a 3am liquor license (same closing time as DC). The extra revenue
from the fees and taxes will reduce the amount of cuts that need to be made and the extra money people will be paying will be voluntary.
Montgomery Cut out funding that supports illegal immigrants such as funding for CASA of Maryland. Also require Legal Presence for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland and mandate employer use of E-Verify for
all Maryland State Contracts. Illegal immigrants are a drain on our Services and we would save a bundle by getting rid of them by whatever means are available to Maryland.
Baltimore I would like to know how many government owned vehicles currently being used as personal commute tool, what is the reason, and how the government can reduce or eliminate them all together. I know at least one
person is abusing state owned vehicle policy. I would like to see the elimination of this policy.
Dorchester 1. Employees in healthcare should have the choice of taking furlough days if they choose rather than a blanket no furlough days for healthcare providers. It gives a sense of everyone doing what they can to help.
2. Sick leave should revert back to three days with a doctor's note rather than 5 days. Staff take mini vacations and drive up overtime costs. Ask the union to make concessions.
3. Leave bank without payback is no incentive to come to work and save your time, not when you can use the state's time free and get paid.
Carroll Consider a commuter tax on workers living in PA but working in MD. One of the reasons the Hampstead Bypass was needed was all of the commuters coming from Hanover, PA and driving to the Baltimore area to
work. Traffic on I-83 and Rte 97 from PA is also impacted by these commuters. I know of many people who come from PA to MD for the jobs but none who commute from MD to PA. These people pay no state tax but
use the infrastucture that the MD tax payers pay for. Most of the revenue generated by them leaves the state (income tax, most sales tax, property tax). It doesn't have to be a huge tax - 1% on their gross wages
should help. I don't believe such a tax is required for the VA workers as I know of many who live in MD and work in VA and vice versa. I also suspect the same type of inequity occurs with WV. These people want it
both ways - the low property values in WV and PA but the high wages paid in the Baltimore-Washington area.
select your Contact any sports team, the Orioles, the Ravens, the Redskins etc...they obviously have the money and pay MILLIONS to these atheletes. No one is worth that much money. They get paid millions of dollars to do
county something that they love. They may stand in right field and not touch to ball all game. Sixteen football games per season, are you kidding me!!!! The average person works 32 to 40 hours per week at a job I doubt
they actually LOVE, they work to pay the bills. Go get the atheletes!
select your There are other ways of saving money - 1. I am very proud that the state helps out people that otherwise would not be able to survive - When purchasing furniture and some housewares for developmental disabled
county individuals that are in need for housing, purchase these items from Goodwill or other thrift stores. They have nice furniture and housewares for fractions of the cost. I shop there all the time, it's all I can afford. 2.
Inmates that are on work-release, charge them more for costs living in the correction facilities and less from the state. They committed the crime - why should the state pay.
3. There are positions all over the state that need to be re-evaluted for work responsiblities and salaries.
There are just so many little things that could add up to alot.
The state employee is always taking the brunt of things.
I do not need a response. These are just my suggestions.
Howard Every year at least 4 State agencies pay annual dues of thousands of dollars to CVSA a non goverment association and other states do as well. If this association were to come under a government entity such as
FMCSA it would save taxpayers throughout the country. In the mean time if we are to remain members of this association maybe just one agency would suffice!!!
City Since a large portion of the State budget is devoted to lost productivity, absenteeism, stress, etc due to poor health, providing strong incentives for employee wellness is critical to reducing the deficit. Possible
incentives include administrative (an extra day off), employee-driven (whoever can run the steps the most in a given week gets a spa treatment paid for by other employees), etc. Ultimately, policy changes at the State
level could also support employee health improvements by mandating reductions in State-paid health insurance subsidies and employee-paid premiums once employee health improves.
Anne My suggestions that would serve to help the budget issue would be to use some common sense regarding some of the antiquated and arguably unconstitutional gun laws and practices in this state.
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1.) Discontinue the Fired Shell Casing program for regulated firearms in the state of Maryland. This program has been a multi-million dollar money pit that has yet to help solve a single crime in the state. Why continue
to dump money into a program that is fundamentally lacking in common sense and is not working. As a side note to this, there are several firearms manufacturers who are no longer distributing guns to the state of
Maryland because they don't want to deal with providing a fired shell casing. By eliminating that needless requirement, those manufacturers will offer their products to the state which in turn will serve to boost firearms
sales, thus increasing sales tax revenue on those products.
2.) Change the state regulations on Concealed Carry Weapons permits from "may issue" to "shall issue." By opening up this regulation and charging a standard fee for first time applicants and a somewhat reduced fee
for renewals, the state would open itself up to a resultant increase in revenue for the state in the neighborhood of $2.36 million dollars a year.
Those two things by themselves would go a long way toward fixing the state's current budget crisis, they would not be costly to implement, and it both puts new money into the budget as well as cutting a useless
program.
Baltimore You would make thousands of rowhouse homeowners happy if we had just 1 parking space assigned to each house. If handicapped parking is available, then why not something for all the other un-handicapped
owners. I would be willing to PAY yearly for this benefit--not an arm and a leg (then I WOULD be handicapped!), but maybe $60. per year added to my tax bill. This would probably put a few million dollars back into the
budget. Hire a few young people to mark the spaces, or get the neighborhood associations to do it for nothing. I would do it for nothing in my neighborhood. As a grandmother, I would feel so much safer knowing that
if I were out after dark there would still be a close parking space when I got home.
The other side of this is my frustration over the lack of courtesy by just a few people who think that they may take up 2 parking spaces or park their employer's vehicle, along with their own 1 or 2. (Yes, I know it's not
legal to park a business van in a residential neighborhood, but it doesn't seem that anyone pays attention to this law.)
If the newer townhouse neighborhoods legally have marked, assigned parking, why not make the older rowhouse neighborhoods happy, too. These homes were built when people had only 1 (or no) car, and parking
was not a major problem.
Ask anyone who lives in a rowhouse neighborhood about the parking. I'll bet they would agree to pay a small yearly fee to be guaranteed 1 space.
Thanks for letting me give my 2 cents. I'll give $60 if you can get me a parking space!!!!
Anne Higher Education seems to be extremely generous in rewarding its employees (1/4 of a million dollars for someone to deal with the legislature) as but one example of many! They should be forced to trim some of their
Arundel high wage earners and keep the class sizes manageable.
Anne The Rocky Gap Resort in Western Maryland has been a money-losing operation from before Day One. This was built only to molify then Delegate Casper Taylor. The State should sell Rocky Gap ASAP.
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Wicomico An Early Retirement Bill could be a way to downsize state government. Many state employees approaching retirement are at the top of their pay scale, while a replacement could be paid at a lesser rate. Some
positions vacated could be eliminated. For any positions that can not be eliminated, positions down the line that are vacated with employees filling positions vacated by retirees could be eliminated.
Calvert My wife works for the state and has mentioned to me that there are state employees who would like to work 4 days a week (32 hours) with a 1/5 salary reduction but are not allowed to. If you make this available to
them, who knows how much money could be saved and some state employees won't lose their jobs.
Baltimore I believe the early retirement measure for state employees is a wonderful idea. I have 27 years with the State of Maryland and would certainly be interested as a state employee.
Carroll I have two suggestions- First the buildings that the State owns that are not being occupied, but are maintained by the State sell to private industry for redelevopment. Second if State employees are to be furloughed do
that and not a reduction in salary also, this reduces the revenues the State receives from taxes.
Thank You
Baltimore State Government should operate on a four-day work week. See Utah's success story here:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=four-day-workweek-energy-environment-economics-utah
Frederick Complete a cost analysis of reducing all 40 hour state employees to 35 hours per week. Do this over a six month period.
Offer early retirement to employees with at least 25 years of service.
Restructure benefit packets based on FTE's i.e.35 hour employees benefit packet based on .875 hours
Require social service agencies to scrutinize any and all TANF cases that have received benefits beyond the 60 month limit.
Regionalize some of the larger jurisdictions.
Review/renegotiate any and all leases
Kent I have worked for the court system for xx years. In 1998 we started using the UCS computer system. The system is great but it is a great waste of paper. We have many cases that have 20-30 pages of docket
entries. Most cases have at least 5 pages. Everytime you make a docket entry in the system, you have to print the docket entries. We have continually been told that there is no way to print the last few pages of the
docket entries instead of printing the whole thing The only change is on the most recent page. What I don't understand is how we can send men to the moon but no one seems to be able to figure out a way to save
paper with this system. Check the budget for all of the court systems and see how much the state spends every year on paper. I bet I could retire on one year's paper purchase.
Baltimore the state workers should not always bare the brunt of these cost cutting measures, they have suffered enough. let all the citizens of md share the hurt by raising certain taxes by 1% such as sales,gas and tax on
alcohol/tobacco. cut down on spending toward the bay and land purchase until its more fiscally feasable. cut the money to the counties such as baltimore county which gave teachers raises and did not have to lay off
county workers. raise the toll at the delaware line by $1.00 , look to offer some buyout incentives to state employees who are at retirement age to then abolish thier pin #s. state employees are always hit too hard
because they are like your kids, you can always get away with treating them differently than the rest. totally eliminate paper costs by having all forms on computers, raise supervision fees by $10 a month on all
criminals, parolees and probationers.
City Close all state offices except for emergency services on every Friday during the months of August and September of 2009 and make those Fridays furlough days. Give 10% pay cuts to every state employee who
makes over $80,000 and 5% pay cuts to every state employee who earns less than $80,000.
Montgomery Do the right thing start the process to shrink state government. Stop trying to be all things to all people and give us back our freedom from the federal and state government.
Baltimore I work for the State Highway Administration - Headquarters. Thank you for making this information available to us via the website. I certainly do not have the knowledge to suggest a viable course of action for our state
to take to help resolve this financial crisis. I'm grateful to be working for Maryland State Government. I have family in other states who tell me about their state's layoffs, etc. Hopefully, Maryland State Government can
avert more layoffs with some creative "Thinking Outside of the Box"-type of decisions. Little to no income means less purchasing power for employees and citizens, plus an increasing slide for our state's economy. If
necessary, I will take more furlough days if it helps to ensure continued employment for myself and my fellow Maryland State workers. Avoid lay-offs. It will only make things worse.
Any program available to help the unemployed and employable citizens in our state to get hired is welcome. A local radio station (WPOC) now offers its listeners an opportunity to submit their resumes. WPOC will post
them on their website, then read them on the air. Perhaps more radio stations/local media can start a strong, and I mean a strong, campaign to do the same. The visa-versa is true. The media can also share the
companies, organizations that may NEED employees - what the company is looking for, etc. Push the local libraries and their resources. Start a computer loaner program for people who have old computers they need
to get rid of. Not everyone who is out of work has a computer that they can go on-line to post a resume or look for work.
Have you considered a support network/group for those who are out of work in our state? Solicit ideas from our citizens who have lost their job due to the recession. Those who are unemployed and their
families/friends may have suggestions that no one else thinks about. They can support one another, too. It's so stressful to lose your job.
I can look out my window at work and see the lines at the Catholic Charities Daily Bread every single day. Some of those folks dress like I do. This is scary, and we need to pull out all the stops to get our citizens up
and working again.
Thank you for your time and attention to my thoughts. I'm grateful to have food on the table, and a job.
select your my suggestion involves changing maryland to a shall issue concealed weapons permit state. if you have not seen, florida and utah get significant revenue from their non-resident program, as well as their resident..
county New Hampshire just raised their non-resident ccw permit fee from 20 to 100.. there is money to be made here, and people who have the RIGHT to defend themselves are willing to shell out to be able to carry a gun.
Kent here are 12 suggestions that would make a huge dent in budget and not drastically impact services (except to those that are here legally)
1) Stop spending money (things like swamp land and helicopters should have waited until the budget is better).
2) Liquidate un-used state assests. Things like Swamp LAND should be auctioned back to the public !
3) Furlough days for employee's that make 6 figures (no days for those that make less).
4) Ban cell phone use in cars, enforce laws. (minimum $200 ticket).
5) Make English official state language so that government entities are not required to duplicate work in several languages (and pay for interpreters).
6) Lighten up on the slots bill and put more slots (more locations) without all the tedious paperwork. Legalize casino’s too.
7) Lower taxes on cigarettes since the raise in taxes seems to have generate less (not MORE) taxes.
8) Cut expenditures to non-public schools to zero
9) No government cars to be used for personal business including going home!
10) Only mow along highways at intersections for safety
11) Utilize home detention for non violent felons. We spend over $24,000 per year on each prisoner. Home detention costs the State only a fraction of that, and frees up the system and correction officers to oversee the
violent felons, which keeps our officers safer, and facilities can do with less of everything
12) Make everyone on welfare and food stamps reapply, and weed out the abusers. That would be more than half. I see people every day in line at the grocery store with their food stamp card, and then go out in the
parking lot and load their groceries in their Cadillac Escalade. The welfare and food stamp programs are out of control and are the most abused programs. An overhaul would save the State millions if not hundreds of
millions if only the needy received these benefits instead of deadbeats milking the system.
13) Stop allowing illegal immigrants access to State funded services. School lunch and breakfast programs are for the poor US Citizens not for illegals. Keep the illegals from sucking the State dry of our services.
I look forward to seeing you move on these topics and save all of Maryland from finical ruin.
Howard To save money we can eliminate the front license plate. Eliminating the need for a front license plate will significantly reduce the state costs associated with production, storage, and shipping. Just a thought.
City It is my suggestion that the State Assembly adopt an early retirment for employees of the State Retirement Pension System. This would include employees at least 25 years of service. A bill such as this will save the
State of Maryland money without compremises Education, Safety, Health Care.
Howard Cut the higher paid positions of the Governor's staff and make it mandatory that the legislators reduce their salaries until the budget situation improves. After all, they voted on the State's budget to begin with.
Remember, serving in an elected position is an honor and the salary should not matter. My message would be " take a pay cut or be voted out the next election".
Baltimore I am completly for the idea of forceful retirement. There are a lot of older people who need to give up their spots out there. Young blood is cheaper. We need new ideas that come with the young blood. The older
folks are too stuck in their ways. Some of these older people work cause they have nothing better to do. We the young can do their work x 3. We might not have the knowledge but we can learn. They are limited.
Time for a future move. Not past.
Allegany There are many ways in which the state could save money. Lets start with wellfare. These "bums" should be made to get off their lazy butts and do some work that people are getting paid to do. They should have to
take drug tests, and they should be regulated on where their money is spent. I do not appreciate someone coming into Sheetz using their independence card to buy subs and then buy cigarettes with cash. HMMM!
That seems a little absurd. I have many family and friends that work at the prisons. There is a bunch of waste there. Why should the inmates get cable, and not have to pay? Why should they get playstations? Why
should they get medicine that half the time they spit out or they sell. Why should inmates get paid to work. Isn't it enough that we house them, feeed them, buy their medicine and pay for their medical needs. All of this
while these hard working correctional officers cannot get raises to keep up with the cost of living to feed their own failies. Why should the hard working Maryland family have to work even harder to feed their families
when those that don't get everything paid for. Why should we not get raises when the price of food, gas, clothes, etc. increase, but I'm sure that welfare, and independence cards increase. We can't get raises, but i'm
sure the politicians do. What is wrong with this picture. Also, why not cut stem cell research altogether for a while. If you actually cared about those voting for you, instead of yourselves we might be better off.
Anne I'm a state employee. Insist that all printing and copying be done double-sided, unless absolutely necessary to be done single-sided. Most employees DO NOT know that this was mandated by then Gov Schaefer last
Arundel century. Since then, the practice has been all but forgotten, if it was even thought of seriously in the first place. I've been trying to get this Department (MDE) to enforce this for many years, but those in power do not
seem to understand this could be a money-saving effort.
Also, do away with the music and messages for people on hold. It's a waste of money.
Thanks!
Anne Raise the fee on the Bay Bridge to an even dollar amount ($3.00). You'll get additional revenue plus won't have to deal with handling so many coins .... little less of a burden on the backs of state workers (and my back
Arundel is starting to hurt)...
Allegany Make Inmates pay a copay for thier meds, everyone else has too and so should they, by doing this, this would eliminate those inmates that just get thier meds and spit them out on the walk trying to waste taxpayers
money, I know that this may seem rediculous that they would do this, but they do, my guess is 1 out of every 5 eather does this or sells them to other inmates. I have years of experince in the DOC, so I see this first
hand. I also think we should make people on welfare take drug tests on a random basis, most working people have too, If they can't pass a drug test they should lose there welfare. Thank you for your time.
Montgomery State agencies should go to four 10 hour days. I believe one full day of no lights and air conditioning etc. would make a big different in the long run. Thank you.
Thank you.
Anne Stop funding CASA de Maryland and make sure that all taxpayre funded programs only go to citizens of the United States
Arundel
City Please allow me to stay in enrolled at Towson University. I work at Superfresh grocery store and I can afford to go to school because of my father's employment benefits that waive my tuition costs. I can't afford to pay
for books, fees, and living expenses with the pressure of tuition payments. I would recommend cutting government offices that do outdated paperwork and bureacratic mularky. This will incentivize those workers to
become more marketable while allowing younger generations to develop and advance simultaneously. Thanks!
Allegany I believe a cost saving measure in these unprescedented economic times would be to keep all state owned vehicles at their posts. Not allowing any state employee to take a vehicle home overnight this includes
STATE TROOPERS would save in gas, wear and tear, mileage, vehicle replacement, etc. There are countless troopers who use their trooper vehicles to commute long distances on a daily basis. Interstate 68 and 70
are loaded with troopers flying down the highway toward the Rockville area on a daily basis from Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties at well over the posted speed limits. Keeping the vehicles at the barracks
would also keep troopers from cruising to the mall or supermarket with their families (car seats in the back), it seems doubtful they would respond to a dangerous situation with their baby in a car seat in the back.
Everyone else is responsible to getting to and from their job in their own transportation. At this time the state vehicles need to be parked to save whatever money possible.
Furlough days would be preferable to even more people losing their jobs. Furlough days should be given across the board to anyone and everyone who earns money from the state. All state employees regardless of
their position should take the furloughs. Compenstain to local governments should be cut equally so that the local government employees have furlough days as well. It is unfair to pick and choose which departments
are furloughed and which get to earn their normal pay.
It should be mandatory for state retirees to receive their pharmacy coverage from Medicare part D when they become eligible. This is a federally funded plan that would not cost the state anything and would save a
huge amount that the state is paying for its retirees to receive pharmacy coverage.
The tuition at all colleges and universities must be looked at again as well. It is unpopular to discuss this but a small rise in tuition may assist the colleges and universities in this dire economic time. The public schools
budgets must be looked at as well. We have all made sacrafices and cuts. The school systems shouldn't be immune in such a trying time.
Baltimore My suggestion to help the State of Maryland Budget would be to increase sales tax, and tax on gasoline. This measure would be more helpful then cutting State Employees pay. Salse tax increase would be better to
have everyone contribute to help the Maryland budget. Thank you!
Baltimore Early Retirement Bill
Howard Hi - Here are my suggestions. Thanks for considering them.
1) Public Safety: Defund/repeal the firearm "shell casing" database. The program is expensive to lease and has not solved any crimes or reduced the violence in our state.
2) Public Safety: Liberalize Concealed Carry permits for self defense purposes. I would gladly pay a few hundred dollars per term to allow myself to be licensed, tested and trusted to legally conceal carry a firearm in
our state to protect myself and my family.
3) Consider lowering sales tax to, for example 5.5%. Too much sales tax revenue (and excise on tobacco) is going out of state. Reducing some of the increase might bring that revenue back from neighboring states
(tobacco) or internet sales of tangible goods.
Carroll Shut down State Agencies offices throughout the week of Christmas to New Years Day and count those days as furloughs. This may increase employees' moral to have time off during the holiday and allow the
government to save money at the same time.
Baltimore Go paperless where possible..save on paper and postage. Send waterbills via online to citizens willing to accept online as well as the semiannual - annual real estate tax bills.
Eliminate the use of contract workers (always more expensive then they are worth) and fully utilize state government employees. (we all have capacity to do more)
Eliminate take home vehicles in all branches of the government. Let everyone use their own vehicles for off duty times.
Montgomery Governor O'Malley,
The report below tells you that their is great progress being made in the stem cell arena with private funds. This progress will help people greatly and increase MD business and tax base. You can cut MD funding of
stem research as the research is likely being duplicated elsewhere.
____________________________________________________________
Osiris Achieves Milestone Payment for Progress Developing Stem Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes
Review of Safety Data Leads to Expansion of Clinical Trial to Include Pediatric Patients
COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 28, 2009 - Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSIR) today announced that it has achieved a $750,000 milestone payment from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
(JDRF) for progress made on a Phase II clinical trial evaluating Prochymal, an adult mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy, as a treatment for patients recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The payment was
triggered after one-half of the patients in the 60-participant study were enrolled, a milestone in the funding agreement with the JDRF. The trial is also being expanded to include pediatric patients, opening enrollment to
patients between 12 and 35 years of age. Osiris and the JDRF entered into a partnership in 2007 for the development of Prochymal as a therapy for newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus.
The change to the entry criteria will help ensure that the study includes the population most likely to benefit from a therapy designed to intervene in the early stages of the disease. To support expanding the age range
in the trial, early, blinded data from the ongoing type 1 diabetes trial was submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review. Additionally, updated safety information on Prochymal from experience with
pediatric patients in other indications, including the pediatric expanded access program for graft vs. host disease (GvHD), was submitted.
“We are proud to be working alongside the JDRF in this landmark trial to evaluate the role of mesenchymal stem cells in patients with type 1 diabetes,” said C. Randal Mills, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer
of Osiris Therapeutics. “Caring for kids with limited medical options is a very special part of life at Osiris and we take that responsibility seriously. The progress we are making in this clinical program is remarkable and
would not be possible without our patients, clinical teams, and the FDA's thoughtful and responsive assistance.”
In type 1 diabetes, the patient's own immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas, resulting in the loss of blood-sugar control. Currently, there are no approved treatments for altering
the rate of destruction of these critical islet cells, called beta cells. Preclinical studies first conducted by researchers at Genzyme found that MSCs may have the ability to delay the progression of type 1 diabetes by
preserving beta cell function. In clinical trials, Prochymal has already shown promise for treating GvHD, a severe immune-mediated disease. Prochymal is currently in Phase III trials for acute and steroid-refractory
GvHD, indications that have been granted Fast Track status by the FDA.
Harford Personally, I have an issue with the money that the state, specifically, the Baltimore County Department of Social Services, is spending on a particular family
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Anne Change Md's handgun carry laws to SHALL ISSUE and see how much you make with all the permit applications? Take a look at how much Florida makes. Licensed gun owners do not commit crimes. Did the shooter
Arundel of a dozen people the other night have a license?
select your Consider voluntary furloughs of state employees. United Airlines, Dupont and state and local governments have had success with voluntary furlough programs.
county
Baltimore Stop giving all of the people here illegally free housing, health care etc.
Anne I have never understood why we have State Police, DNR Police , Toll Facilities Police etc. It seems to me their would be a savings in people, administration cost and the use of office space if all "State Poilice Agencies"
Arundel would come under and be combined with the State Police.
Baltimore Stop giving all of the people here illegally free housing, health care etc.
Anne Eliminate the Maryland Stadium Authority. I do not see additional large state funded sports complex in our future. At one time all of the state construction projects were done thru DGS. Their is a duplication between
Arundel DGS and the Stadium Authority.
Anne Eliminate the Maryland Stadium Authority. I do not see additional large state funded sports complex in our future. At one time all of the state construction projects were done thru DGS. Their is a duplication between
Arundel DGS and the Stadium Authority.
City Concealed carry permits could generate much-needed funds. While I realize that you are not a big supporter of gun rights, statistically, three things are true: (1) most states are revising their CCW laws to reflect the
public's support of CCW, (2) crime drops when CCW's are permitted, and most importantly, (3) CCW's raise desperately needed funds. Take Florida, for example: they not only issue permits for their citizens, but issue
permits for out-of-state citizens, as well. The state of Florida generates hundreds of millions of dollars in fees with CCW from people who will probably never go to Florida. Maryland could do the same.
Anne Cut the Inter-County Connector (ICC) from the budget. It costs billions of dollars, and would help the state get close to a balanced budget. This road is costly, and will likely cost more than budgeted. If we are serious
Arundel about balancing the budget, not to mention saving the bay, we need to cut harmful and useless projects like the ICC.
Anne Dear Governor O'Malley,
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As one who was so looking forward to your election for the riddance of the Ehrlich regime, I am extremely distraught over some of the apparent thoughtless budget cuts you are now proposing. While I recognize that
cuts must be made, the Maryland bureaucracy must look more closely at the 'where' and the subsequent results and not at the 'who' and the benefactors.
One specific area that has been brought to my attention is the cuts in local services to children, specifically, local management boards. These areas have already had their fair share of cuts, positions eliminated and
have been devastated by the lack of funding to secure the needs of children and the services which these areas provide for local children.
It has also been brought to my attention that your office, i.e., the Governor's Office for Children, provides no services to any of Maryland's children. I understand that you have not included this department in your next
round of cuts but have restored much of the capacity previously included in budget cuts. Sorry Governor, but this type of politics does not have a good "smell" to it, especially one that bears your name.
As you go through the areas of State, City and County where you need to cut funding please do not forget that children’s' needs are also served through state allocations to counties and cities and to eliminate those
would be an injustice to our future generations who depend on you now.
Allegany Co-pays for inmate prescriptions.
Make inmates purchase their state clothing. . . . That way it won't matter if they cut them up or destroy them. Take a modest monthly fee out of their state wages until they are paid for. If they want new ones, add the
fee back in until they are paid for too.
Lets impose fines and costs for inmate rule infractions, to be deducted from their state monies. If they insist on a hearing, impose "court costs."
Eliminate the video games and exercise equipment. Lights off at a reasonable hour.
Bring back the chain gang and get some road maintenance and other public works projects done.
select your Governor O'Malley,

county I think at least 2 furlough days should be mandatory--Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. In talking with co-workers last year, noone seemed to mind having off those 2 days and I think it would be the same kind of
reaction this year. I know I enjoyed having the time off with my school-ager.
I also have another suggestion. I know the budget cannot include steps,but could state employees get compensated with a change in how the annual leave is calculated. For example, when you are with the state for 10
years, your annual leave is re-adjusted. A person's annual leave does not change again until you are with the state 20 years. That is a long time. I think it should be reevaluated at 15 years. Please consider this.
I appreciate you asking the public,especially state employees, for their suggestions.
Sincerely, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Howard Cancel MACO. This is an unnecessary expense for taxpayers in an economy where everyone should be cutting back. This conference (vacation) for politicians and their families in Ocean City should be paid by the
politicians themselves if it is held this year.
Talbot I was very dissapointed to learn that the MD gifted and talented camps have been cut from your budget. The program is a good one that works. I went and both of my children are going now. My son spent a week at
horn point. He learned alot about saving the bay. This is the generation that will save the bay. The small amount this program costs
$500,000 you will see ten times the benifits with our children. I am sure that there are programs that waste that much in a week if not a day.
Montgomery Hi,
You should do away with the fired shell casing legislation for new handgun purchases. It costs us money, and, from what I understand, doesn't really solve crimes. Maybe it made sense at some point, but it's wasting
money right now.
Moving to a shall-issue regime for firearm concealed carry permits could also raise some cash. I'd put down $25-$30 a year, definitely. Remember that criminals don't care about permits - this would only help
Marylanders who want to defend themselves, their families, and their businesses. I heard Florida made so much money off their concealed carry permits that it actually generated significant amounts of money for their
budget.
I also believe that government workers' unions (eg, teachers, firefighters, police, etc.) need to be abolished, and that the state needs to radically redefine pension benefits for these workers. The complete disregard that
these unions have shown the general public with regards to pay negotiations should reveal about who they really care about - themselves!
Thanks for listening. I know some of these measures sound somewhat right-wing, but they're really just common sense... you don't see the Federal government taking orders from unions, why should state and local
governments do so?
Allegany Cut the amount of hot meals served at state correctional facilities. One cold meal a day would not hurt the inmates.
Also, charge a small copay for inmate medications. It's terrible that law abiding citizens can't afford their medications but criminals get theirs for free.
City Cut down on the amount of paper used. How many reams of paper are used everyday across the state? Saving paper will save some money & some trees.
Anne How about we eliminate all the useless programs that arent doing this state any good or solving any problems, ie:Fired Shell Casing Program, it hasn't helped with anything and it just a drain and I also believe that if
Arundel normal state workers are forced to take days off without pay, the higher elected officials should also have to take days off without pay, including you Mr. Governor...
Baltimore Hello, Here are my two suggestions for cutting the budget:
1) Force Retirement - State Retirement is 30 years, you have employees with over 30 years of state service. Guess what, because they feel like they have done their time, less work is being performed. Their just
riding the system out.
2) Early Retirement - Call an early retirement for employees that have 15-25 years of state service. They would reduce your budget.
These checks would only be cut once a month instead of twice of month. Furloughs and layoffs aren't enough, that's why you are still searching for ways to cut your budget. Here's the way to go, Sir. Thank you for
allowing me to get my suggestion out.
select your Increase the pension multiplier for the years prior to 1998. That would encourage people with 30+ years who are eligible to retire to actually retire. With the current pension, most employees can't afford to retire until
county they reach Social Security age. While the State would lose some experienced employees if this change was implemented, those with less than 30 years would still remain. This senario would result in a more gradual
loss of most experienced employees and allow time to train the newer, less knowledgeable employees.
Anne Eliminate deputy positions at all departments and independent agencies. Delegate their duties to the next tier of management.
Arundel
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Washington Drug test people on welfare. If they fail the drug test pull their welfare. I have to take a drug test for work so should they. Welfare spending will drop.
Frederick This is my second suggestion - perform an energy audit on all facilities used by the the State. My agency leases our office and the temperature is quite cool for the summer. I drive by at night and see lights on in the
building at times when it should be unoccupied. If we are paying the utility costs on this building, then all lights need to be off over the weekends and the temperature adjusted accordingly.
Anne Place an immediate moratorium on ALL (state-reimbursed) travel by staff of ALL branches of State government and members of commissions, task forces, advisory boards. Exceptions must be justified based on high
Arundel criticality and a cost-benefit analysis and submitted individually for evaluation by the Department of Budget and Management.
Montgomery I am willing, and would ask that the State offer the opportunity for state employees to voluntarily go to a reduced work shift (with associated pay reduction). Naturally, management for each particular person would need
to agree to the reduced hours. For instance, I would be willing for the next year or two, to go to a 4 day work week (32 hours), with my pay cut to 80%. It may not generate a lot of money, but it could in total save one
position, as well as promote a "cost cutting" attitude among other staff. One person doing this for a year (52 weeks), could save one furlough day, for 52 people.
Montgomery Eliminate or delay any "energy saving" efforts that have a 5 year of longer payback. Put that money, and increase if possible, all energy saving wefforts with less than a 5 year payback. For instance, lighting
replacement efforts at the University of Maryland (College Park) are running a 3 year payback. These efforts should be greatly expanded.
Montgomery Encourage a contest amoung State workers, to submit ideas, and "win" prizes for coming up with ideas that are implemented (with minimum savings thresholds to qualify). State workers know best where savings can
be obtained. Prizes could be free (or reduced) parking passes, free passes to athletic games, a quantity of free meals, days off, etc. Require all Departments to come up with "prizes", and allow winners to select from
the "pool" of prizes.
Montgomery I would recommend that we seriously consider closing buildings for certain periods during the night. For instance, offices with night-time activities could be consolidated into certain buildings, allowing the other
buildings to have their lights and AC/Heat systems turned down from say 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Encourage people to work from home, if they can't finish by 6:00 p.m. Keeping a building conditioned and lit for a few
people is not necessarily the best use of those resources.
Baltimore 1. Offer some type of retirement incentive to State employees with 30+ years of service. Benefits:lose staff who will be leaving within 2-5 years anyway; State gets reduction in force and goodwill of employees; health
care costs may decrease with older folks out of the ranks.
2. Offer incentive to employees who will go contractual. Benefits: employees may retire if they know they have part time work, save on health costs, save on salaries.
3. Furlough all State employees. Either shut down State offices for a spring or winter break or let employees select the days they want off.
Good luck to all of us!
Harford Cut costs by going to a 4 day work week for employees, closing down state office buildings that additional day would amount to a real saving in energy costs, ease transportation woes. Surely citizens can schedule
getting drivers licenses and birth certificates on the days that they would be open.
Anne Do not allow layoffs. Why: these are often carried out with political motives; they will create more unemployment and more families unable to get by; they will decrease tax revenues.
Arundel
Instead: spread budget cuts across all State agencies. Require each agency to make a given percentage of program, not job, cuts.
select your I am an employee at DHCD. An "all users" message was sent including a link to this website by the director of marketing. Employees were encouraged to provide feedback to Governor O'Malley on ways that the state
county could reduce the budget. I image that this could open a few cans of worms. I will be retiring in less than a year so I do not have a lot to gain, but for those that are hard working people at DHCD, I would like to shed
light on an area that the state could reduce at least operating costs.
I do not know how much money is wasted on the lease of the Baltimore Neighborhood Revitalization office. I do know that the main reason for it's existence is the convenience of the people that work there. They live
in the Baltimore area and do not want to travel to Crownsville. Originally, the purpose of the office was to provide a convenient way for Baltimore citizens to visit. However, the office rarely gets visitors, it is under
utilized, and most if not all of the people who work there have offices in Crownsville. Many people were shocked that recently a new lease was established for this building Although it is heresay, I have heard that the
reason the building was opened at a new site was because NR director was afraid that people would quit if the Baltimore office was closed down.
The use of office space at DHCD is also very underutilized. With the exception of a few people in FFMS, EVERYONE at DHCD has their own private office. If the building was redesigned to utilize modular cubicle pods
or other efficent space saving methods, more than three times the number of employees could be accomodated.
Lastly, there is so much energy wasted at DHCD because of the lack of temperature control. You sometimes need to use heaters in the middle of summer and wear jackets. In the winter, sometimes it gets so hot,
windows need to be opened.
It is ironic that we are getting so much money for the weatherization program, yet DGS can't find a way to regulate our own office building.
In 2005, Secretary Hoskins, moved the entire staff from Contract Administration to Crownsville and saved a great deal of money. Moving the workers from Baltimore would be much easier since they all ready have
offices. This is just a suggestion, but one that I think would save a few jobs of hard working DHCD employees.
Anne 1. State meetings often involve reserving a room, food and travel costs for all who attend. Instead, use videoconferencing or sign in by computer to meet and discuss state issues.
Arundel 2. Professional development - great in good times, but a luxury in bad times. Cut it out.
3. Travel - confine it to fewer instances out of state and to fewer people on those rare occasions where a state presence is required.
4. Annual Ocean City county and state conference in August - cancel it. It's expensive in good times; wasteful in bad.
5. Reconsider closing Sliding Hill rest stop; there is no place for travelers to stop miles for miles; traveling at night and on Sundays finds local and national chains closed. When our daughter lived in West Virginia, we
often had people in the car counting the miles to that stop. Please leave it open.
Anne I think if you look at the spending habits in different departments in state offices, the ones that spent a large portion of the money in the budget at the last minute was money left over and was spent so they wouldn't
Arundel loose that money in the next budget. Maybe that's where the first cuts should be. There is also an abundance NADA (official used car guide) books that are printed and not used every year. Maybe each department can
go through their departments and and cut down on things like this. Any remodeling projects should be stopped and put on hold at this time.
Baltimore If furloughs are going to be an option, why not use the holidays. From Sept-Dec, you could use 5 - Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Why cut into work productivity
when employees are already doing more with less? This way the State is already shut down and 1 day a month might not be such a punch in the paycheck. Thanks for listening.
Baltimore I encourage you in your efforts to reduce the bloated government. The state is way over socialized as it is. I don't notice the reduction in staff and applaud you.
Keep up the good work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Carroll I am a State employee. I have a couple suggestions. First, when money allows, revamp and do desk audits and elminate wasteful areas. There are many wasteful areas. Second, close down between Christmas and
New Year's so that the State won't only be saving the cost of employee's pay but they will also be saving the costs involved in opening State office buildings those days (heat and electricity ... 60,000 computers would
not be turned on those days).
Most State offices see very little of the public between Christmas and New Year's. The phones hardly ring and business slows down to almost a stop.
You could spread the days off across the balance of the fiscal year like you did last year.
If you find a need to lay-off, please weed out the dead wood. You would be surprised just how much dead wood truly exists.
Thank you
P.S. Reversing the agency fees would be a good idea. Not a good time to force that on your employees either. You have to do what you have to do and no union is going to be able to tell you what you should and
should not do. So, why must we pay them for a service that is not needed at this time.
Baltimore ALL full time State Employees, elected, appointed, anybody employed by the State of Maryland with a salary over $60,000.00 a year should be furloughed one (1) day a month for a fiscal year. Any employee making
$45,000.00 to $59,000.00 per year should be furloughed one (1) day per quarter during a fiscal year; $35,000.00 to $44,000.00 per year should be furloughed 2 days per fiscal year.
Our leaders should show the citizens they are willing to make this sacrifice.
Health Care - co-pays should be increased by $5.00. Eamples - $20.00 for physician's visit would increase to $25.00, specialist from $25.00 to $30.00, ER from $50.00 to $55.00, ER Physician from $50.00 to $55.00.
Right now with my prescription plan, I stop paying co-pay when I reach $700.00. This should be increased to $1,000.00.
In most instances with your health care plan, the State Employee is still saving over 50%. How can an Employee or union complain about saving over 50% especially if the top earners are going to show leadership by
being furloughed one (1) day a month for a year.
I do not like to gamble but people are going out of State to gamble either on slots or horse racing.
We have lost 10 years of revenue by not having the slots up and running and larger purse races.
Pimlico Racetrack should have been built up like Charlestown, West Virginia, with shuttle buses running from the race track to downtown to Little Italy and other attractions throughout Baltimore City. Building up
Baltimore City with the inner Harbor convention center, theaters, etc., would generate income for the entire State.
I am retiring August 31, 2009, so my income is going to be cut in half. But, I agree with you, you will lose too many good workers if you offer a retirement package.
There are other dead wood, basically contract and temporary employees, that would take a desk audit to prove their need.
Baltimore Please reconsider the severe budget cuts on the Local Management Board in Baltimore County. Such severe budget cuts would cripple a truly hands-on and effective program that aids children and families at a local
level. In these economic times, it is more important now than ever to preserve local programs.
Smaller programs such as the Local Management Board already have a small budgets. The Local Management Board (LMB) has already taken enormous strides to optimize efficiency and create the most value for
each tax dollar that funds it.
Larger programs with similar goals, such as the Office for Children, could certainly learn from the example set forth by the LMB. It would be much more effective to cut larger programs. Such an action would force these
large programs to cut through the bureaucratic processes in order to serve the public more effectively, and would also succeed in saving the state more money without depriving the community of a valuable service.
Sincerely
Montgomery May I suggest converting the issue of Concealed Carry Weapons permit. I would gladly pay $100 for a permit like I have done in numerous states outside of my own. The current program is only geared for people that
carry large amounts of cash and the few lucky doctors.
Fingerprints, photo id and a clean criminal record should suffice. Even some training would be a nice addition. With the increase in violent crime (up almost 8% from 2008 in Montgomery County alone) this will be a
perfect deterrent from criminals when they know that there's a chance that there might a citizen armed when they're about to do a bad deed.
Also, the spent casing program seems like a waste of money since it has no funds. I would say abolish it. No point in spending money on something that is proven ineffective.
Howard Also I forgot, make state employees submit receipts when asking for reimbursement for meals allowed. Currently they do not have to submit receipts and most I know of just put in for the total allowed.
Howard Redo policy on take home vehicles like they did in Howard County this would save 100's of thousands of dollars. I know for a fact that its abused in the state.
Anne Open Source IT solutions!
Arundel
The DOD, NSA, and various other Federal agencies are working with and producing "open source" IT solutions to save money in these tight economic times. Why not the State of Maryland?
I searched online but could find no Maryland State "Open Source" IT initiatives. The only reference I did find was dated 2007 in which "open source" was portrayed as less than helpful.
An initiative from your office to integrate open source IT solutions through out our State Government from primary education to the state college system and through all state agencies would have a significant impact on
the state budget.
Additional saving may be had by requiring counties and local jurisdictions to push their IT departments to earnestly consider "Open Source" solutions to squeeze more out of their respective IT budgets.
I hope I am not the only one with this particular suggestion; it is so obvious. A little research will prove that third world governments have turned to open source to save money and provide IT solutions. Even cities and
municipalities in industrialize countries have turned to open source to save money. When will Maryland State integrate open source IT solutions?
Anne Stop requiring front license plates on cars. I realize due to economies of scale you can't simply say it will cut those costs in half but it is an easy place to start.
Arundel
Anne Eliminate ineffective fired casing requirement for new handgun sales ($3,000,000.00 savings).
Arundel
This "feel good" program was fantasy from the very beginning and has had no influence on crime, nor has it produced ANY viable evidence that resulted in solving a crime investigation to date.
Baltimore 1) Raise temperature in State office buildings to at least 75 degrees.
2) Consolidate software licenses for State if possible.
3) Reduce the publication of reports that can be distributed online.
City Dear Governor,
I heard that the Board of Public Works announced additional cut of $3 million to the FY2010 Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund. I think this cut will greatly impair stem cell research in Maryland and our state's
reputation in this area, especially when "World Stem Cell Research Summit" will be taken place in Baltimore soon. I know government budget is in tough situation in the national recession, but stem cell research is for
our future and our hope. We should put it in the same place as public education, public safety, and public health when we make our budget. If the budget for stem cell research is cut more, our state will have no proud
feature in this scientific field.
Thanks in advance for your consideration!
Sincerely
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
City The state did not get into this situation overnight and you can't expect the people of the state to suffer anymore cut backs. How can you try to eradicate a budget that has been out of control for years now, in just one
year. We are suffering. Salary freezes, no bonuses, increase in gas, increase in electric, increase in food, can't pay our mortage. No end in sight. The first set of furloughs was understood. We all had to do our part.
We've done it. You have bailed out the big business, now it's time to bail out the people of this state. We can't take any more cuts. No more furloughs. Enough. You have even mandated furloughs on companies that
don't effect the state budget. Higher education cuts should be eliminated from the cuts as well. Our children need to be educated at whatever cost.
Baltimore Start at the top of the UM system and eliminate positions from the top down, the system is top heavy with VPs and there are too many positions in top and middle management.
Put a hold on all capital building project since adding new facilities only increases the cost of maintaining, heating and cooling them.
Do not tamper with retirees benefits since we worked for peanuts over the years counting on a decent retirement.
Use furlough days instead of layoffs. Management should be required to take more days off.
Increase higher ed tuition,The UM system probably wastes more than 40 million a year. Assign a task force to indentify areas where savings can be found and eliminate any program that does not provide a cost benefit
to the state.
Cut legislators perks when they are session.
I am sure there are many more ways to cut spending and still have a viable government.
Thank you for allowing me too offer a few suggestions on easy the budget shortfall.
Anne Every week the Annapolis paper has the Names of 30+ people convicred of DUI. Make Fine $5000 first offense and $10,000 and seizure of car for second offense.
Arundel Tax Liquior. $1.00 per six pack and Bottle of wine. .50 cents per drink at Bars. This will raise millions and Help cover some of the costs associated with drinking.
Plus Make it a condition of State Employment. If you have or get a DUI you cannot work for State.
Anne Crack down on people living in the State without registering cars in MD and getting Maryland license. I see way to many cars during commuting hours coming from apartments that have out of stae registration.( they
Arundel have no military sticker).
Howard No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens.
Demand legal presence for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland.
Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
Anne 1. Cut electric use Dramatically. Kent Narrows Bridge lights, Vienna bridge lights. These are lit like Christmas trees. The bay bridge is dark. Turn our Many Highway lighting.
Arundel
Anne 1. Allow active duty military to register cars they own in maryland, without changing title or paying excise fee. Getting a share of the thousands of military cars registered in maryland would bring in funds.
Arundel 2 Allow Military to retire in Maryland without all the additional excise taxes on vehicles. This causes military to leave State. We need these law Abiding tax payers to stay.
Anne 1. either do away with car front license plate( which cuts manufacturing cost by 50%) or allow the rich people who drive fancy cars the option to pay for a"rear only plate".
Arundel 2. Change license plate to 8 digits thereby allowing people to pay more for more varity for vanity plates
City How about taking a very hard look at all the take home vehicles of State Employees. I see lots of yellow SHA and DOT trucks in front of peoples homes.
Thanks
Howard Raise the taxes substantially on alchohol. Raise the taxes on Other Tobacco Products, i.e. cigars, etc. These taxes have not been increased anywhere near what the taxation on cigarettes have been raised to. Yes,
people will complain, especially Bruce Bereano, but its time to pay their fair share. We all know that regardless of the increase on these products, there would no significant reduction in sales. Just numerous
complaints.
select your But we have done so always with an eye toward the protecting the core priorities ---- Take out the extra the.
county
Baltimore Dear Governor O'Malley :_
As you look to which department's budget can be further cut, is there a way to look for a positive stimulus ?
Have you given thought to having a state raffle to raise the additional 280 million dollars ?
Like a 50/50, state based citizens, businesses, church and professional organizations could buy 23,000,000 tickets at $20. each.
Keeping it in the State, could add lots enthusiasm. Businesses and groups will hopefully think of good uses for the money, projects could be funded. Money would flow and
people could feel good : they bought into a cost saving measure - not just a chance at some cool millions.
God Bless Us All

and Keep You In His Hands,
Allegany I do not feel you should balance the budget on the backs of state employees. I am not one, but many friends are, and they are almost always the first to get nailed.
Why not cut some of the high cost new IT projects, such as that almost $ 90 million Comptrollers office project. I realize not all $ 90 million is in this fiscal year, but I'm sure there would be quite a bit saved
immediately.
Washington DONT TAKE AWAY HELP FOR THE OLDER PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THERE HOMES,THEY NEED HELP TO DONT GIVE JUST TO THE YOUNGER PEOPLE,THEY DIDNT VOTE YOU IN.THE OLDER PEOPLE
DID
City Dear Governor O'Malley,sometimes looking at the large numbers in the deficit, there is the tendency to look at the big number areas only (sometimes rightfully so), while the seemingly less expensive areas are
overlooked, which are many, and so we begin to chop away at the larger expenses, albeit sometimes for expendience sake, where these areas might really be those that need the monies because they have a greater
impact on the "good" of all. Try outsourcing some of those tasks that can be handled with minimal supervision, like state notices for bills, telephone calls that are answered by the secretaries (who end up turning on the
voice mail anyway) can be routed to a private company to handle and let them contact the state offices with the phone calls, mailings, etc. When you look at the staff and what you could really save on employee
benefits, equipment, spacing, and supervision on some of these things, you can outsource. Not overseas, Governor! Not overseas! You can then assign these persons to other duties or areas where there is a need.
You then provide some type of employment to an at home provider of services and still keep others employed. So, you save jobs, you create jobs, and you save monies because you are not paying for services in
house that can be done outside with just as much efficiency, and probably even more because the level of accountability for a private contractor is a whole bunch tighter than in the general office setting. I am at home
worker if you are interested. Not overseas, Governor! Not overseas!
May the Lord bless you and your family!

Baltimore Cut the reimbursment License Renewal for Direct Care Workers working in State Agencys. They should have to pay for their own renewals for certifications.
2. Close all of the Employee Housing that is on State Property. The state pays for all of their utilities and water. Let them get into the real world and pay what others pay for rent and utilities.
3. Get rid of State Employees Leave Bank. It is Abused. Employees use all of their own leave during the year and then when they need sick leave they get it FREE from the Leave Bank.
4. Let State Agencys go to 10.0 hour work days.
5.Cut all Contractual Workers before you Furlough State Employees AGAIN!!!
Let your Nurses get Furlough Days this Time leave the Support Staff alone. The Nurses take off for a month at a time when they want to go out of the country and do not have the leave to get paid they do not mind
taking Leave wihtout pay then.
5. Pre-employment expenses should be paid by the employees that are applying for the jobs. Criminal background checks and Education Verfications should be paid by the employee not the State.If they want the job
they will pay for background checks.
select your Cut or eliminate spending for Project Open Space.
county Eliminate spending for Community Legacy Grants.
Montgomery The state should use its economic leverage towards the counties in order to save hundreds of millions of dollars. My suggestion would not only ease the budget problem but also provide for the weak and vulnerable in
our society. Here's how:
Require that all police forces join the 287(g) program. In this manner, the counties and the state of MD could save hundreds of millions of dollars and easily resolve the budget problem. Look at one example:
Montgomery county has a ESOL program with 15,000 students. According to MC statistics, the average MC student costs $8,000 per year. This means that the ESOL program costs $120,000,000 per year. How
many other counties have a similar burden?
The state could withhold funding for those counties that do not comply with 287(g) participation.
Overall, MD could save billions of dollars and support many of Obama's goals.
Regards,
xxxxx
Washington End the ballistic fingerprinting program which costs millions and solves no crimes.
Begin issuing CCW permits to Marylanders over 21 years of age with clean criminal backgrounds. $100/year x thousands of permits. Do the math.
select your Govt. needs to take its cue from the business world that realized 20 years ago the answer wasn't "cutting costs" but "re-engineering processes for greater efficiency and efficacy. Here is my example:
county
I am a state employee. My paychecks are deposited by direct deposit but I still receive my paystub via snail mail every 2 weeks. That's 26 pieces of paper I have to save until the end of the year to reconcile with my W-
2.
On the other hand, my xxxxxxxxxxx son works part-time at a national xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx chain. Direct deposit is mandatory for all employees and my son does not get a paper paystub. Instead he (and every other
employee) access their paystub information by going to the company's website and entering their user IDs and PIN numbers. If a new employee does not have a bank account, the company provides them with a list of
local banks who have agreed to set up no fee/no minimum balance checking or savings accounts if they direct deposit. My son is also able to download his W-2 directly from the website every January. And this
company starts its employees in the $9 an hour range.
So why not have the State eliminate the expense of mailing paystubs and instead make the information available securely on-line at the DBM website? The savings would be significant. Consider:
(44 cents postage & 6 cents for the paper and envelope)multiplied by 26 payperiods equals $13 saved per state employee. Multiply $13 times 70,000 state employees equals savings of $910,000 per year. You would
probably still have to factor in certain people opting out (make it opt out--not opt in) but factoring in a 20% opt-out will still leave an annual savings just in postage and paper of $728,000. Further savings could be
leveraged by making state employees'W-2s available on line instead of mailing them.
And think how many trees could be saved by eliminating 1,820,000 paystubs every year.
Anne Eliminate the Stadium Authority and divert the money from lottery sales to better use, ie schools, highway repair and health care. Several months back the Comptroller was trying to get DC soccer to come to Maryland
Arundel stating we have plenty of money to build stadiums. Is that really what we need in these finical times.
Carroll why not have bicycles and scooters have a license and tags since.they don't have to have lights directional markers there slowness impedes traffic and causes a hazard atleast have them pay their fair share for the
priviledge of sharing the roads
Wicomico Cut your pay and get on the useless health plan you all want to force the public to use. Try starting to represent the people as you are elected to do instead of bowing down to lobbyists and large companies.
Anne 1. The ICC as currently designed. just halt project and build purple line instead - much better long term investment
Arundel 2. reduce mail to 5 days a week or 4. ask counties to reduce trash pickup to one day per week.
3. attempt to create a more flat governing structure - less middle management
Anne Here are my suggestions for our State. Cutting is never more than a temporary measure. My family can only cut so far, and it usually causes a feeling a failure. The better, healthier, and yes easier ideas revolve around
Arundel making more money, and that is my long term idea for the state. I believe the following tackles multiple issues for the state.
The slots mess just keeps getting worse. I voted for them but hate the idea of minorities and the elderly paying for our problems, and that is who uses slots. Plus, we are too late. The law of diminishing returns is
evident with the amount of slots in other states now. I say we scrape existing slot plans and instead build a mega resort with the largest indoor water park in the country at the current site of Laurel Park. Maryland only
needs one track and with current proposals in Penn and Del, we can’t match them anyway. Pimlico’s meet should be expanded and will generate fuller fields from its close proximity to Del and Penn (My family is
involved in racing). Laurel would be a state owned gaming center which could employ thousands for construction, and thousands in service sector jobs upon completion. Gaming could be expanded to table games and
the water park would establish it has a family destination within driving distance for the entire northeast. Gambling revenues would be generated mainly from tourist and not our poor. The state would generate hundreds
of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties and would hold total control of ONE gaming location for the entire state. Expanding revenue without raising taxes equals a winning combination for our great state.
select your
county
Baltimore I am a State Employee...I have a large amount of college loan debt and as a social worker, the compensation is not equal to the amount I have to pay for my education. Furloughs while preventing layoffs are still an
emotional and financial burden putting hardship on my husband and I. We were furloughed last fiscal year, but the County still received their 2% COLA and were NOT furloughed. It is hard to see that my coworkers
who sit in cubicles next to me are getting increases in salary as I am watching mine decrease. Why not make them furlough, have the County pay back some of their funds to the State, they should be helping their
coworkers, we work in the same agencies and do the same jobs, but the State Employees are the ones making the sacrifices, that does not seem just. Also, why not cut more than $5.5 million of the lottery
advertising...seriously those people that are going to play the lottery are already playing it, no one that wants to play the lottery is unaware of it....why does there need to be further advertising at this point? That seems
a stupid expense to me. Cutting food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid reimbursement may seem like a good idea, but all it will do is actually burden us more with more APS client's that we cannot provide services for
because we cannot find the resources for them. What happened to the slots? All that supposed revenue that was supposed to come in? And raise State sales tax again...in Ohio it is 8%, and ironically the cost of
living is lower..but in Ohio the roads are in good shape and the quality of live is much better...go figure. But then, I am a Democrat, I believe in spending for the greater good.
Allegany have your staff downsize, curtail spending in regards to hiring other people to study our states problems. utilize the knowledge and expertise within our own government employees.
Montgomery Dear Governor O'Malley:
Legal presence for all government contracts would go a long way to ensure that Marylanders conserve their precious resources.
When teachers, firefighters, and libraries are in danger--our resources should not be spent in areas which are not in the best interests of the state.
In addition, such road projects as the ICC should be defunded.
Thank you for your opportunity to make a suggestion.
Montgomery Why do we continue the funding for CASA, and all other similar entitlement programs for illegal aliens, yet we still have veterans that are unemployed, homeless, and uninsured?? What a disgrace. We should demand
legal presence for all taxpayer funded programs, and services anywhere in the state of Maryland
Baltimore Close all state office buildings at 6:00 and power them down; replace light bulbs in Gen Assembly offices and hallways with CFLs; enact no "decorative" lighting in state buildings; stop mowing hwy medians except
where safety is a consideration; cut advertising budget for Lottery; give option to state employees for 4 day 10-hr week; require teleworking at least 1 day a week by all employees that qualify; Have Bay Trust stop
giving grants to DC so funds can be used for MD restoration projects; no food/refreshments to be bought and served at meetings; require all state employees to turn off computers and printer every day; have agencies
review routinely printed documents and put online as much as possible rather than print. Thanks for the chance for input.
Anne There is a Skate park on Dorsey Road which the signs state that the park closes at 11pm, but the lights for the basketball, tennis and skate park stay on 24/7
Arundel
Anne As a University of Maryland employee there are certain days during the Holidays such as Christmas eve, where the building I work in is open. During the past 2 years of holidays that I have worked we have had no
Arundel students or staff what so ever come into the building or call for assistance during those days, but we stll have all the lights and computrs running for 14 hours and have a staff of 6 working , when no one is using the
resources.
Talbot Contrary to the statement above leading into this web site our governor inherited a healthy budget surplus from the previous administration and then proceeded to pass a series of high spending items along with a tax
increase. Why is he so surprised that we are in trouble?, reckless spending with no thought to the future does that. My suggestion would be to revisit that earlier legislation and revoke those spending items passed by
his rubber stamp legislature at a so called self defining emergency special session. With the exception of the City of Baltimore which He controlled for many years, the rest of Maryland was in pretty good shape when
he became Governor. He could also save by reducing the amount of reckless support Maryland provides to illegal aliens and others who are here legally but are not American citizens but receive public support
because they cannot support themselves and families. If he wants to buy their votes let him do it with his parties donations and not at the expense of the taxpayers. When our ancestors came here as LEGAL
IMMIGRANTS they couldn't enter the country without either having a means of support or a sponsor to tide them over but never as one who would be a burden to the state, and they also had to pass acceptable
standards of good health.
Small wonder why the Maryland and most of the nation finds themselves in such a hole providing food, shelter and health care at taxpayer expense, funds that should go toward the welfare of those who PAY the
taxes. Keep on the same give away programs and nothing will improve. Make some smart moves and tough decisions and see how much better things will get.
Our politicians ought to stop campaigning for the next election and catering to the do nothings of our society and start doing the job they were elected for, do things right for a change.
Good luck
Carroll Just a thought:
To help alleviate Maryland’s cost for incarcerated young adults 18 to 22 years of age.
Any youth (male or female) that is a repeat offender of non-violent crimes will be required to serve a minimum of 2 years in the Armed Forces. This will save the state money and also provide our troubled youths with a
more positive means of rehabilitation and guidance.
Harford CUT THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIARY STAFF AND SALARY BY %25 TO %50 PERCENT. CUT IT AT THE TOP, WHERE IT COUNTS, NOT THE BOTTOM WHERE THOSE OF US WHO DO
ACTUALLY WORK FOR THE STATE ARE. THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA CUT HIS SALARY IN HALF AND FIRED HALF HIS STAFF BEFORE HE TOUCHED ANYONE ELSE'S BUDGET. LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
Baltimore Offer an early out for state employees who are close to retirement. Take a survey of eligible employees to see how many would take advantage of the offer.
Anne Suspend or eliminate the State Wage Scale on construction projects. An alternate would be to allow contractors the right to bid with or with out the wage scale.
Arundel
City We can't afford more furloughs! Please find a way to cut back without more furloughs. What about vacation days? or sick days? Cut back on compensation using that. Or offer unemployment benefits to furloughed
employees since that money is federal anyway. State is losing good workers because of this mess.
Howard It would send a great message as well as saving a few dollars if the Governor, Lt. Governor and all elected state officials, including the Comptroller, Attorney General, and the entire General Assembly would refuse
their salaries. In lieu of that, they should be subject to the same salary reductions and furloughs as the Governor requires of state employees. For the record, I am not a state employee and no one in my family is a
state employee.
City I understand the difficult situation facing the state of Maryland but I don't believe that budget cuts to necessary programs (including Medicaid expansion and stem cell research funding) are the answer. With less money
available for Medicaid expansion, we are putting more individuals at risk as they will to continue to go untreated for health problems. A minor health issue left untreated may turn into a chronic, expensive condition that
the government ends up paying for later on (at a greater cost). In terms of stem cell research, my decreasing funding, we're decreasing job opportunities for researchers in Maryland. By pushing potential researchers
out of Maryland, we push a way the economic stimulation that they would have brought to the state of Maryland. Thank you!
City Dear Govennor, The plan i would like to share with you can save the State of Maryland 50 to 60 million. The plan to release 2500 inmates from the prisons in Maryland. This will be a Fostor Care program useing the
Faith community. One Man or women to one church . Each church can help and support a inmate after release for a year. The program will start 3 to 6 month before release. Each person will have a coach to work with
them on a map plan the the inmate has before release. I would like to send a full detail of this plan to you. Please let me share a little about myslf
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. If we put together a Taskfoce this can happen.
Howard I believe it is about time to raise the tuition at Maryland colleges and universities. It has now been many years since an increase was enacted, and quite frankly, this has translated into taking the increase out of the
hide of State employees by furloughs, no cost of living increase, no travel and now, no contribution to retirement plans. This is simply not fair and the time to change this policy is now. Thank you.
Washington Instead of asking state employees to take furlough days why not just cut personal leave days in half. This would not be a financial burden on employees but would have they same effect in saving money. Also some
positions can't be fuloughed due to the position needing to be manned at all times. It causes a big animosity between employees when some are furloughed and some are not. Also vacation days could be temp.
reduced as well. With all prices of living going up its hard to take time off without pay.
Washington We need to get rid of the policy of buying items from small businesses. Why not allow state agencies to shop around for the best price. Why pay $50 for an item when it can be bought for $30. I see alot of wasted
money everyday because of the law saying you need to buy from small businesses only.
Anne As a State employee, I would rather take furlough days, whatever is needed, than get laid off.
Arundel
Baltimore Why are all the suggestions you received not on this site?
Are they SECRET? Are they helpful? Are you afraid to post them?
City Re-cycle printer, copier, and fax machine ink and toner cartridges for reimbursement. Credit reimbursement either to the State agency unit re-cycling the items, or place recovered reimbursement into a pool to fund
non-profit safety net organizations impacted by recent budget cuts.
Create a mandatory recycling program for metal, glass, paper, cardboard, and plastic in all State government buildings. Even if it didn't reduce waste removal fees, it would improve the environment - one of the
Governor's priorities.
Baltimore My Opinion:
-I don't want to see any layoffs for those who are State Workers. If needed, maybe continue furlough days. Even if it means being furloughed one day a pay period if needed. Getting paid 9 days instead of 10 is better
than not getting a paid at all.
-Cut the lottery advertising budget. People who play the lottery will always play the lottery. The large games are announced on the news anyway when they reach a certain amount.
-Reduce stem cell research. Although research may be helpful, we need to do what we can to fix this crisis.
-I don't think that anything should be taken away from Medicare/Medicaid. Those who are elderly now are the ones who took care of us when we were young. We need to continue to take care of them.
-Renegotiating office space leases should be a good cost savings.
-Rebid state energy contracts if it would help and also help those who can't or can barely pay their energy bills.
-Contracts could probably be reduced if it doesn't mean state workers will lose their jobs. But unnecessary spending on banquets, parties, meetings that take place off of state property or facilities (such as townhall
type meetings, holiday parties, etc). If employees want a party let them get together and pool a couple of dollars or have a potluck.
-I am not familiar with special or general fund, state police print shop (seems like it could close) and encumbranches.
I hope that you take the views of the citizens into consideration.
Thanks for your time.

select your 1. Raise the tax on alcohol comparable to other sin taxes such as cigarettes. Use that money to doll out to the police departments, fire departments, hospitals, schools and social programs affected by the
county overwhelming abuse of alcohol that occurs in this state and costs state tax payers hundred of millions per year. Use the freed up money from the above programs to balance out the budget. (By the way...the state
shouldn't be promoting drinking and driving on its website by listing "wine festivals." I've yet to be to a wine festival that had any form of public transportation!)
2. Dissolve the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission. This do-nothing "unless you got it on video tape" commission is a total and utter waste of money. You've got foxes guarding the hen-house...what a
brainstorm that was! Turn the job over the the local sates attorney office.
3. Refuse to allow any employment within the state of newly issued federal work visas to foreigners. Renewals should not be allowed either. Put MARYLANDERS/US citizens back to work first!
Carroll I believe that it is very important to keep state psychiatric hospitals, such as Springfield Hospital Center, open. Additional cuts to the budget to such services would be detrimental to the severely mentally ill citizens of
Maryland as well as cause a major threat to the public safety. Please ensure that Maryland maintains the ability to securely treat our severely mentally ill and forensically committed patients. Thank you.
Howard I would suggest that all public schools in Maryland charge an annual "user fee" for each student.
City Centralize duplicative operations like fiscal offices. Instead of having these offices in different administrations, put them all in one fiscal unit. Then take the excess staff and move them to other agencies where they
may be needed. Another place to cut is deputy positions all the way down and assistent secretaries. Most of these are paybacks and not necessary because lower management can take over if need be in
emergencies.
Anne I think the State could save a lot of money by pro-rating health insurance subsidies to part-time State employees.
Arundel Maryland offers the same health benefits to State employees that work 20 hours a week or more. If the State were to pro-rate contributions for part-time employees, based on their part/full time service, money could be
saved.
Anne Turn off the lights in state building after office hours. Use motion detecting light switches for public spaces such as hallways, bathrooms and conference rooms. Turn up the air conditioning temperature to 76 deg in
Arundel office buildings. Cut garbage pickup to one day a week.
Anne Rather than layoffs, if state employees have to take another "hit" do not furlough, layoff, or take vacant PINs, look at a % across the board cut for ALL state employees. That way all state employees and agencies are
Arundel affected not just a select group(s).
Another suggestion would be to take the 6 personal leave days from state employees for Calendar year 2010. These are "freebies" anyway, and 99% of all state employees take their personal leaves.
If Furloughs must be taken, it should affect all state employees to include those uniformed employees, MSP, DPSCS, Transportation Police, etc. A schedule can be worked out by each agency to minimize the impact
on public safety.
Another way to look at the task ahead to look at all state agencies and determine what "has to be done" and prioritize the impact on the agencies based on their importance in just getting the "life, health and safety"
aspects of government accomplished.
One other suggestion is to look at state commodity contracts. There are many situations where state agencies are paying 5 -10 times as much for an item vs going out and purchasing it at the cheapest vendor. One
contract that comes to mind is the state contract with "Grainger".
Another is the practice of state agencies to not approve the purchase of equipment either new or replacement, but renting that same item for long periods of time is "ok" So if I need to replace an air conditioner for
$400-500 I may not get approval, but I can go out and rent a portable air conditioner for $90 a day for entire summer.......
Anne How about cutting the Inter-County Connector? We have been BEGGING you to do this ever since you got elected! PLEASE CUT IT and save the environment AND save money.
Arundel
Anne Lower taxes on gas. Reason: Southern Maryland, Anne Arundel County and some areas North have a huge commuter population to D.C. and Northern Virginia. By lowering the gas tax people would be more inclined
Arundel to purchase gas while they are in Maryland instead of waiting until they are in Northern Virginia where gas is typically lower. Revenues from gas as well as food products etc would rise. Articles regarding the lowered
tax could fed into metro newspapers which many commuters read and the word would spread quickly. Previously, as a resident of Virginia, I would coast home on fumes rather than purchase gas in Maryland because
taxes drove the price higher.
Montgomery Want to cut spending and be a hero to the taxpayers?
#1 - Eliminate funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens!
#2 - Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer-funded programs and services in Maryland.
#3 - Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
Anne Cut the funding for the ICC.
Arundel
Charles Eliminate funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens. Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
Baltimore 1. Cut off all welfare, educate these people and get them jobs, even if it is McDonalds.
2. Get rid of dead wood.
3. Furlough once a month,same day for everyone, Friday or Monday.
4. Cut budgets out that just give away money, not the right time to be providing donations to anyone!
Anne I used to work for the state at the DNR for xxxxxxx years, until retiring last xxxxxxxx. While there, I was constantly apalled at how they were so proficient at working the system. The workers there, the supervisors, and
Arundel higher ups, are trained well in getting around the rules.. in that they continue to send workers on out of state and in state travel, and more than one employee too, sending two, three or more, to other states, as far as
California, Alaska and then the employees would take leave after the conference and stay and come back when they chose to. Even when the word would come down that there would be NO out of state travel, no
reclasses, no hiring, it would always be that they, the DNR professionals would get it approved. They also have little ways to hire contractuals, people they already know, and then work the system to where they get
these people converted to permanent AND RARELY if any time, would it be someone other than a white person. It was so frustrating to see this happening all the time and also, they would switchup on supervisors, so
that whenit came time for a reclass request, the person who was requesting the reclass would be a supervisor.. it was and stillis such a racket... There is such a waste in tax papers money at the Tawes bldg. Also,
several of the programs are so similar to those of MDE's - whereas , both agencies do the same work, sampling water, fish, etc. Working at home is another subject that was so annoying... in that certain and a lot of the
higher ups would have the priviledge of 'working at home' with their lap tops.. but at the DNR, they would not be there to talk to citizens who needed information. And tell me this, how can a man work at home, whenhe
has 3 little boys running around and his wife is at work?????
Calvert 1) Stop buying TDR's. We require the developers to purchase enough of these, the State and local governments don't need to bid the prices up. This is also part of the reason why housing got so ridiculously expensive
over the previous years.
2)Stop allowing State Roads to re-pave roads that don't need it, just to use up their budget allotment so they can get more money next year. Spend the money on important projects, but stop the repeated, extra 4-8" of
asphalt on side roads which are fine! They don't all need to be super highways.
3) Build schools, but stop making them "showplaces". To get a good education, do the children really need 3 story atriums?
4) Consider paying/sharing the cost for the transportation
to sent children to private school. If more parents want to send their kids to private schools(and pay for the costs themselves)why not help with the transportation, maybe more will be able to send their kids to private
schools and the taxpayer won't have to pay for their education.
Harford Reduce the sentencing guidelines for inmates and it will reduce overcrowding and gain additional revenue over a short amount of time.
Anne Lead way to assuring all jobs are for maryland citizens. Unauthorized aliens are not maryland citizens. They are tresspassers. Maryland Constitution does not authorize the state to spend taxpayer money on non
Arundel residents. In order to be a resident of maryland you must be a us citizen.Only a fool would argue otherwise. Mandate e verify for employers. Casa of Maryland racialy profiles hispanics only work centers that are full of
illegals. No funding for non profits that are racial profilers such as Casa. Once illegals no longer steal citizen jobs set up programs for non violents that are incarcerated to work. Make sure work centers have method to
help citizens only. Set up list of state approved city youth for jobs that illegals will no longer have then network with surrounding counties. Las tbut not least find way to reduce the number of children born to undeserving
adults. Easy to do if one would have the political will. Target bad fathers in jail with 2 or more children and who pay little or no child support then offer reduced term in prison for voluntary vacetomy. For bad mothers like
those with children who have recurring drug abuse history or child neglect history offer cash or enhanced assistance for voluntary permanent birth control. How about 3% across the board reduction for all state
employess
Harford You and your entire party should refuse pay until you lean to live within the means of aLEAN budget!
City Please consider giving juvenile detention and juvenile probation to the county governments. This could result in each county taking responsibility for its delinquent youth and take it out of the State's hands. When the
County's Police Chief and Director of Juvenile Detention/Probation reports to the same County Executive, they'll be more inclined to be invested in solving juvenile crime together. Its hard for the State to create
partnerships with every police department because when a high profile case occurs, they point at each other. This way, they will both be called into the same office as the same time by the person who hired them.
They can address juvenile crime as a jurisdictional problem and find solutions as a jurisdiction.
Howard Dear Governor O’Malley:
If the Federal Government hasn’t cut back the U.S. Foreign Aid Program suggest the following as a way to acquire additional funds for the State of Maryland (and other States).
Kindly suggest you (as lead) along with other Governors ask President Obama to consider a temporary budget cut in the U.S. Foreign Aid Program and send recouped funds to where most needed within our States.
Each day City, County and State officials cut their budgets while our Nation distributes billions of dollars in foreign aid. Secretary of State Clinton just announced America will give $200,000,000 to Palestine.
We’re fighting two wars, food stamps are at a record high, unemployment is shy high, home foreclosures are rising, infrastructure needs repair, banks and auto industry are faltering, jobs continue to go overseas,
pension funds lost forever, more and more go without health care, charitable donations are down, people are/were living in tent cities, and California and other states are about to go bankrupt. Yet we continue to give
away huge amounts of foreign aid when we are bleeding at home.
I’m not advocating we stop foreign aid just impose a temporary budget cut. Our Nation is in an economic crisis and many of its citizens are suffering.
Respectfully yours,
Anne I've been a state employee for 16 years. The state needs to build their own facilities reather than continue renting. You can't convince me that ownership is more costly than renting over the long run. The old argument
Arundel was that you stimulate the economy by renting. You still stimulate the economy but are more economically based.
Get rid of all the duplication. All MEDICAL programs should be based under the Dept of Health and Mental Hygeine, not split between DSS and DHMH.
If POC (Purchase of CARE) or Day Care Services are going to be handled under the auspices or Regulated by the Department of Education; let that entity run the day care programing not DSS.
Get back to basics. Let common sence rather than politics lead. Everything does not have to be "POLITICALLY CORRECT". Don't be so concerned about the media and truly take a stand.
We continue to do and act the same from year to year. We need active leadership that is not afraid to BE MORE RESPONSIBLE, MORE EFFICIENT, and allow for CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
It would take time to change for the better, I've heard a lot of talk over the past 16 years, Iv'e seen a lot of action to do more of the same with vvery few significant changes. We truly need to become more business-like
and less concerned about hurting someones feelings. Change takes courage rather than more and more idle talk.
Thanks for listening.

City Good Afternoon Governor O'Malley,
I offer the following suggestions: (1) Reduce 5-day work week to 4-day work week, (2) Offer early retirment to State Employees, and (3) Furlough Days for each State employee.
Have a safe and blessed afternoon/evening.
Charles I suggest preventing layoffs in anyway possible. With the downturn in the economy, Marylanders are turning to the state more than ever for assistance & you need workers to provide these programs.
Anne I've been a state employee for 16 years. The state needs to build their own facilities reather than continue renting. You can't convince me that ownership is more costly than renting over the long run.
Arundel
Charles Shorten the work week to 4 days to cut down on operating costs (electric, heating/cooling, etc). Also mandatory energy savings such as turning off all office equipment and lighting at close of business.
Charles Have optional furlough days...some state employees may like additional time off & be financially able to take days without pay.
Carroll Verify correct tax codes on real property throughout the state. If someone in a town has their property coded as agricultural land then they are NOT paying residential real property taxes but a very low agricultural tax.
It is possible for all lands to be coded incorrectly causing an incorrect tax payment. This usually benefits the county/town/state. At times you will find the reverse benefiting the land owner. I know for a fact this happen
all the time in digital data.
Baltimore
Anne Why not take all names off state stationery? Right now, reams of high cost paper are destroyed and re-ordered every time there is a new Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Director of an Administration, or other high ranking
Arundel official. Names can always be typed on when necessary. Thank you for your consideration.
Baltimore Idea 1 - Reduce all state employees personal days from 6 to 4 days
Idea 2 - Eliminate the day of Thanksgiving as a state holiday for all state employees
Ideas 3 - Start using some of the state owned land as farmland to feed the the 26,000 state inmates in MD. Let the inmates manage the crops
Ideas 4 - Instead of slots in MD; Sports betting will generate additional revenue for the state. It could be combined with the MD Lottery
Idea 5 - Refine the early out option for state employees. Instead of eliminating the positions, fill with contractual or temporary employee
Idea 6 - Entire State Government needs to start recycling paper
Howard I have several suggestions. Discontinue the shell casing register for handgun purchases, this has never helped solve a crime and must cost millions ot tax dollars to run. Make Maryland a shall issue state for
Concealed carry permits.this will have a twofold effect, first, thousands of permit fees will boost the states' cash intake. Second the corresponding decrease in crime will mean less expense for law enforcement.
Statistics from the FBI’s Uniformed Crime Report of 2007 show that states with right-to-carry laws have a 30% lower homicide rate, 46% lower robbery, and 12% lower aggravated assault rate and a 22% lower overall
violent crime rate than do states without such laws. That is why more and more states have passed right-to-carry laws over the past decade.
Harford Accelerate implementation of paperless timecards for state employees. Currently, field employees do extra driving to get supervisor approval of paper timesheets and either drive or use a delivery service to deliver
timewheets to their payroll office. Leave data is entered by hand into a separate database and leave data (used, available) on timesheets is a month out of date. All this extra work and expense will be eliminated by
online timesheets, which I understand have been in a testing phase for almost a year. And this is one budget saving that will actually improve morale!
Anne Suggest we tax non-renewable energy consumed within state at higher levels. This would mean taxing the 70% of electricity generated by coal or natural gas, heating oil, and gasoline at higher tax rates for the next
Arundel five years. As the economy and tax revenue improve I would like see the state property tax removed and this state energy tax increase replace it.
Thank you
Anne stop paving the baltimore beltway every year, there are alot of other roads that need paving desparetly, the beltway should not be repaved every year.
Arundel Use prisoners for all roads labor, I see way too many workers jumping in very large dump trucks every day at PG SHA, what in the world are they doing?
consider buying gently used vehicles for the state fleet instead of brand new ones.
Hybrid vehicles only get exceptional gas mileage in city use, not highway use. Stop buying them for highway driving vehicles, they are expensive.
City You've stated that you've directed your Cabinet Secretaries to consider how they can restructure their agencies to make cuts. I believe that if each agency looks at their basic responsibilities, they cut find a lot of
duplication (or unnecessary staffing and resources). Each Secretary has created and implemented "special projects or initiatives" that should be placed on hold at this point. Agencies haves various units that can be
combined or temporarily deployed to other units - ex. Legislative Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Auditing, Special Projects, Community Affairs. Also many Executive staff members have 2-3 special
assistants (with many, many different titles) who could be deployed elsewhere. All of these people should be deployed to assist with helping the agency to meet its basic responsibilities first.
And last but not least - State Stat. While I believe in the concept, a lot of time, energy, and staffing is required to pull this off. Agencies now have staff who only prepare State Stat data and that data takes precedent
over all other data request. Then staff must meet bi-weekly (sometimes more)to prepare for State Stat. This process should be reviewed and evaluated. I understand that there is a statewide State Stat team who then
meets with each Secretary's team. Is this really necessary at a time when we're struggling financially?
Carroll I suggest that during these hard economic times when those of us who cannot even afford to have parties at our own houses, that Gov. O'Malley not plan his annual parties at Secrets in Ocean City, funded by us tax
payers. That is absolutely a waste of our money when those of us cannot even afford a trip to ocean city but yet our state officials are partying it up in O.C. in such an expensive place as well on our dime.
Carroll I would suggest that you not allow take home cars with state funded gas for those state employees that are not on call for emergency purposes especially when they live out of state.
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Montgomery We have a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx business. My husband always E-Verifies his employees. We have workman's compensation insurance and liability insurance, (some of the costs of doing business). Times are tough
now and we cannot compete with businesses that employ cash paid undocumented casual labor. No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! ENFORCE THE LAW!!! We Demand "Legal Presence" for all
taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
Baltimore Why does the lottery advertising get paid for by the State and yet the Stadium Authority reeps all the benefits of the huge amounts of money wasted on this every day! The State should be taking that money. Also,
welfare should be reduced, stop making babies!!!
Montgomery I don't think it is in the best interest of the State of Maryland to reduce any funding for the University of Maryland, given the fact they employ many people.
Anne stop using all the "consulting" contracts and privatized contract and utalize the state employees you already have.
Arundel
Montgomery I am a small business owner and I e-verify all my employees. I cannot compete with businesses that hire undocumented workers. You are suppose to enforce the laws!! Stop penalizing small businesses that operate
within the parameters of the law. No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for
all Maryland state contracts.
City In an attempt to raise staff morale, please consider closing down government for furlough days. As a manager, it was very hard to take furlough days when the rest of the agency was working. We continuously checked
our blackberries to make sure that we stayed in the loop, responded all day and came back to work with more work piled up on our desks. When you closed government in December and January, we were able to be
feel like we were "off" with our minds eased that we weren't neglecting our duties by not checking and responding to our blackberries. And if you do close government, please consider closing on Friday or Monday to
give us long weekends. Hopefully this will reduce reliance on unnecessary use of sick leave or excessive use of annual/personal leave. People can take shorter vacations on the weekends and save their leave to use
when our economy improves. One long weekend per month, can definitely help to raise morale during a difficult time and to save money for the State.
Montgomery I want my tax dollars to go towards legal residents. Cut services- Demand proof of legal residency. Don’t follow in California’s disastrous footsteps towards bankruptcy!
Cecil turn all, or most of, the lights off in state and county buildings at night when no one is there
Anne
Arundel 1.Change the rules for CARRY-OVER VACATION DAYS....MANDATE that all VACATION days MUST be used within 15 months or they will be LOST! Too much money is being wasted when employees who have
been promoted get to bank their vacation days at a much higher payrate when they leave.....sinful!
2. Require that all Appointed positions take an immediate 5% pay deduction for a period of at least 6 months.
3. Furlough 10% of the state workforce in non-critical positions for 30 days....5 days each months for 4 months beginning in Sept. 2009 but, give them a 30 day notice.
4. DO NOT ALLOW Furlough days to be used in 1/2 Day increments....MUST be used in full days as it takes too much administrative time to process and eliminates any savings of electricity, gas, etc. to commute for
1/2 day.
4. DO NOT allow staff in DLLR/Unemployment division to be FURLOUGHED as their jobs are too critical during this severe recession and unemployment.
5. DO NOT PAY OVERTIME to State employees in senior administrative positions as their jobs and responsibilities require overtime on occasion, like in the private sector which is simply part of the job requirements!
6. Eliminate paid holidays for Columbus Day, Veterans Day and Maryland Day....at least during a budget crisis.
7. Revise Healthcare benefits to be more in line with the private sector....increase copayments for office visits, etc.
Cecil Simple Fix on the Economy. No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all
Maryland state contracts. Start there. We have no obligation or duty to support non-citizens.
City We estimate that the state could earn an additional $1 million in tax and fee revenue from legalizing wine shipment from wineries and retailers while at the same time creating sustainable jobs and preserving open
space.
Sincerely
select your Dear Governor O'Malley,
county
I heard on a local news broadcast that someone had suggested that state offices shut down for one day per month in order to save money. As a state employee, I would rather this happen than a layoff or an
elimination of positions. No one wants to see their salary reduced, but many of my co-workers and I agree this would be far better than seeing one of us lose their job.
I would like to suggest that if state offices do shut down, it be on a Friday or Monday to make a long weekend, or take place the week between Christmas & New Year's Day. Most people that I talked to didn't mind the
furlough days last December and January because they were able to extend their time away, or were able to spend more time with family. Anyway, just a suggestion to make the employee feel like they're getting
something in return for giving up their wages.
Thanks for the great job you are doing for the citizens and employees of Maryland.
Baltimore Increase the tax on beer, wine, and liquor to raise taxes. I know that powerful lobbyists can stall this procedure, but I believe, as a social drinker, that this would help with the budget. This type of buying is optional for
tax payers, If someone objects, they can refrain from buying the items. Don't let powerful lobbyists keep you and the legislature from raising the tax. I am writing this as one who does drink wine, beer and alcohol. I am
not anti liquor, but this tax is very low considering the budget options you have.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anne Raise sales tax by 1% for 18 months.
Arundel Put a freeze on hiring for 12 months for all state agencies.
Increase taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.
go to 10 hour days for state employees.
Frederick The number one thing Maryland can do is to cut off services to illegal aliens and start to enforce immigration laws, which is well within the purview of state and local law enforcement agencies. The fact that Governor
O'Malley kowtows to Casa de Maryland indicates that he puts the money and votes of special interest groups above the best interests of Maryland natives.
Anne Scrap the fired shell casing program. I'm not against it, but it costs too much and has not produced any results.
Arundel
$200 CCW permits, make them shall issue instead of may issue, or at least become slightly more liberal in issuing them for self defense.
Consolidate MSP barracks

Allegany stop allowing state police officer to take their vehicles homes as they use them for personal reason while not on duty.
Allegany only offer inmates basic cable. I personally do not think they should have cable. They are inmates for a reason.
Allegany offer an incentive for sterilization for those on welfare
Allegany require mandatory drug testing of those receiving welfare. and if they test positive they lose their beenfits for a minimum of 6 mths.
Carroll Governor,
Implement recommendations from your transition team's report on the state police. Between MSP, MDTAP, DNR, OSFM, etc there is lots of overlap. Combining into one state police agency, with multiple divisions,
would allow you to save costs by only having one motor pool, one quartermaster, one training division, one HR department, one payroll, etc. Employees could then be redistributed to other functions including actual law
enforcement or reduced through attrition. Plus, there is overlap by these agencies. The agencies will fight it because of tradition or egos but the time has come.
Regarding MSP specifically, save funds by closing Rockville and Forestville barracks. Have those troops report to a regional headquarters barrack in College Park. Sell the two surplus barracks, save on physical
operating costs, redeploy command staff to other vacancies in the state. College Park would need to be upstaffed with a second dispatcher. Since troopers can do almost everything from their car computer, they could
have more remote barracks. Ohio Highway Patrol has made it work for years. Troopers working in Montgomery County can take their arrests straight to the county jail (as they do know) without having to go to the
barrack. Drunks could also be taken to a MCPD station for a breath test instead of hauling them down to College Park. Thanks to technology, troopers just dont need to go to the barrack as much so barracks can be
spread apart further.
Again, MSP will tell you it can't be done or it won't save that much. Close two barracks - save operating costs and sell the properties. Each barrack has a commander, asst. commander or two, several secretaries,
dispatchers, etc which could be redeployed. The patrol troopers would still cover the same area. One patrol supervisor would be at College Park while one could patrol west of the barrack and one could patrol
south/east of the barrack. MCPD could allow troopers to stop in Germantown to upload paperwork (which can be done from the car) and PGPD could allow troopers to do the same down towards Oxen Hill. Save
operating costs, recoup money from real estate, redistribute personnel (or reduce civilian force through attrition) without any change in the number of officers on the road in either county.
Anne Reduce the number of blackberrys. They have become a status symbol in the State. Why do you need a blackberry if you are in the office most of the time? Offices used to share phones. Someone used the phone
Arundel when they went out of the office. Now everyone has a blackberry and you see State employees walking the building reading their emails and answering calls on the blackberry. What's wrong with their office?
Furthemore, meetings in the State are no longer productive because everyone is reading their blackberry instead applying themselves to the agenda of the meeting.
Change the rule that employees hold medical insurance after only 5 years when they become vested in the pension. This costs the State a considerable amount of money and should only be a benefit for employees
who dedicate a career to the State. When you decide to become a State employee you know that the salaries are not as high as private industry and other government jobs but keeping medical is a big incentive. So
why should this benefit go to someone who spends their career with another organization and then come to the State for just 5 years.
Everything is too decentralized in the State and this has lead to empire building. The same functions should be centralized where possible within a State Agency. Now every office has a human resources person, a
budget person, a procurment person, etc.
Many policies and procedures in the State are out-of-date. For instance the CPC limits are too low, the fleet policy that requires a State vehicle to get 10,000 miles per year, the inventory manual. We spend more
money controlling and safeguarding State assets than what they cost.
Consider altering the State to a compressed work week and close the State one day every other week. This would cut back on overtime, leave usage, utilities, and help save the environment at the same time.
Close the week between Christmas and New Years and reduce salaries for this time. The State almost comes to a close anyway because hardly no one works that week anyway.
There are too many quality programs. We used to actually do work now we talk about doing work. Isn't StateStat enough. Why do we still need Managing for Results and other quality programs like Baldridge. When
you have all those quality programs then you need people to manage them. What happened to just doing your job?
There's too much non-technical training and development in the State. It takes away from productive time. The only training that is necessary is what is needed to keep required certifications up-to-date or what is
mandated by law or policy.
Go to a 2 year budget cycle. There are too many people who spend their entire job on the State budget.
There is something wrong with procurement in the State. We pay more money for things than the a person pays when they buy it themself. For instance, the cost of a desktop computer in the State is about $2,400.00
yet you can walk into Best Buy and get a better computer for much less. Why is this the situation? Apparently the procurement contracts the State negotiates are lucrative for the business and not beneficial for the
State. It's not just computers it's everything you buy. And everyone in the State knows this and can't understand it.
There are too many consultants in the State. This is the way State Agencies get around PIN reductions, they hire consultants. These consultants are physically located in the State Agency. They are really just State
employees being hidden as consultants. They also make much more money than the State counterpart.
Freeze re-classifications Statewide.
Eliminate competitive reclassifications. These are done without review and approval outside the State Agency and are a way to promote people you like rather than the best person for the job.
The State salary structure needs to be reviewed and updated. Because State salaries lag behind considerably, State Agencies get around this by making everyone a manager or supervisor. We have too many Chiefs
and not enough indians. There are too many management layers in the State. The layers need to be elimiated. Also, with being a manager/supervisor comes certain perks, a blackberry, administrative assistant, etc.
Wouldn't it be better to pay the technical people what they are worth rather than making them a manager or supervisor. Plus the indians do the work managers just manage.
Consider a work force reduction. If there is a concern that too many people will leave, they include an age restriction.
During the forloughs last year, many individuals made up the money by working overtime for what was called critical functions. This was a real joke and everyone knew it. If salaries are reduced again this year, cash
overtime needs to be more closely monitored.
Lift the freeze on State University tuition.

City 1. Get rid of 2/3's of the cell phones that are being used by state employees. Especially in the police departments, they already have two way radios.
2. Get rid of ALL take home state vehicles including police. How many have been actually used for emergency purposes. Implement a regional Commander for Police and they could work late and night shifts. Millions
upon Millions are wasted on fuel and upkeep of vehicles being used for transportation purposes only. I know at least a dozen state police driving 100 miles one way to work geez racking up all those miles and gas what
a waste.
3. Review the last 100 civilian hires in each agency // Lot of FRIENDS of Jobs.
4. Go to paperless Government. Utilize computer files, emails etc.
5.
Montgomery Governor, I am pleased to note your statement that you want to "restore fiscal responsibility to annapolis". There is a very obvious step you and your Administration can take immediately which would allieviate
Maryland's budget crisis. At leat it is obvious to us tax payers but apparently disregarded by you and Maryland's Assembly:
Stop all financial aid and social services to thoser who are here illegally. People who come here without going through our legal immigration process, stay and work here are law breakers.
Why should our elected officials give millions of our tax dollars to CASA and its causes, an give millions to provide work shelters, health care, education, housing, and other social services to those here illegally? Is it
no wonder that our State and local budgets are depleted?
How can our elected officials consider reducing services to our tax paying citizens and legal residents when millions are lavished on these law breakers?
Is it no wonder that there is an increase in crime? When you tell thousands (millions, nationwide) that our laws mean nothing, and in fact you are even rewarded when you break our laws, how do you expect these law
breakers to respect any other laws here?
I pay high property taxes, which have increased this year, on my three prime pieces of property and high income taxes.
It is galling to see this Administration misuse our tax money.
I have friends who have moved to Texas, Florida, and Nevada to get away from Maryland's high taxes and the misuse of them. You are killing the geese who lay the golden eggs.
The solution for handling the budget crisis is a no-brainer, if you have the guts to really do the right thing.
Washington Thank you for this oppertunity to share ways that I feel we can reduce waste in state government. I would like to say that as a 35 year public servant I hold a Masters degree, am a private consultant and have at this
time enough years to retire which I will in 21 mos.
Now examples of how I see waste. Governor if you are really serious then let me inform you that in the prior administration Gov. Ehrlich allowed Dept. of Public Safety and Correctional services to add additional layers
of buracracy which never existed before and which has little if any impact at all in how this system operates. The CREATED positions from your predecessor are the 5 ASST. COMMISIONER POSITIONS in
Corrections. These positions are held by mostly double dippers who have long since passed retirement years. They each have EXEC. ASSTS, SECRATERIES and expense accounts which total close to a MILLION
DOLLARS a year. They in theory oversee each region and supervise wardend in each of the facilities where there are prisons. These positions were agagin created and have done nothiong to change the operations of
theses facilities as they do not supervise because if they did then they would have been able to avoid the shameful strip searches where the lawsuits abound..these positions under Mr. Maynard are a complete waste
of money.
Another example of CREATED WASTE ocurred just recently when a
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx...do your staff let you know of these abuses..where is your Secty. of Public Safety allowing such a thing..and what this dooes for morale when we hear there is no
money and this happens...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx..hmm, even a blind man in a snow storm can see this farce..
Also I can save te state immediatly 3-4 million a year by simply eliminating in State Prisons the 12 minutes a day OT for "lineup time" which computes to 35.00 dollars per week per CO of overtime..multiply those #s,
and lets not forget The State Police...take home cars , gas with same and wear and tear etc...how much can we sabve there as well.
Also IF we have to have Furlough days the feelings that those uniform services never have to sacrifice..well if we who are out of un iform give back a suggestion..how about saying to those in uniform that your 6 PL
days will be cancelled this year...
Sick leave payout at retirement could also be revisited since same is a benefit and maybe limiting that to 1,000 hours credit verses maximum...just a thought..Also to eliminate 90 percent of OT in most 24 hr. jobs, i.e.
state prisons go th a new format 12 hour shifts , 7 days on followed by 7 off..really where are all those high paid administrators who should have these ideas Mr. Governor..
Well hope I helped..Oh yes did I say 5-6 million in savings, how about 15 million...and I am not even an administrator..but a blind man in a snowstorm :), hope I have given you some room to think Governor and why
your Commissioners and Secty Maynard have not...
Anne Break the state employee's unions and the teachers unions. That will usher in a new era of responsible, efficient spending by the Maryland government. The automotive sector was forced to do it, why not Maryland
Arundel government?
Washington Enforce a privilege tax on all individuals that work in Maryland but live in surrounding states. Pennsylvania already uses a similar tax. I feel $150.00 a year privilege tax to work here and use our infastructure is only
fair. I feel that state employees can no longer carry the entire burden during the recession. The monies collected from this tax should be set aside as a "rainy-day" fund and invested in Maryland's future when the
economy bounces back. This tax should apply to all individuals working in Maryland from surrounding states and not just state employees. Everyone wants to benefit from our facilities but they do not want to live in our
state and pay their share of tax. I am proud to "live" and work in this wonderful state.
select your Thousands could be saved if the Governor sent his Christmas greetinig digitally instead of printed cards
county
Baltimore suspend personal use of police vehicles for off duty purposes
eliminate use of varible message boards for any non emergency notices to conserve energy
if furloughs are needed for employees, close all offices for a day to maximize benefits
if extensive furloughs are necessary close all state offices between Xmas and New Years and spread the salary reduction across the pay year. this is a traditional down time for lots of businesses any way...and
emergency postions would be exempted in any case.
sell the staduims to their respective sports organizations and get the state out of ownership of something that only benefits one business.
Sell park land to private conservation organizations, and get the government out of owning so much land in this state
Howard I have been a state employee for 31 years, and I was pretty hard hit when I had to surrender 5 furloughs days earlier this year.
The state should consider eliminating all 6 Personal Leave days that state employees receive annually.
Harford Early out for State employee's:
Like Senate Bill 1 offered previously.
Thanks
City we have contracts with temp agencies who send us workers mostly for our hispanics recipients. we can do without because we have link, so why paid for both.
Garrett I think we should raise the gas tax by 2 to 5 cents per gallon. This would serve 2 purposes. One would be to raise needed revenue for state operations and the other would be to keep the momentum going for a green
economy. My round trip commute is 110 miles per day so this suggestion will cost me about $100.00 per year at the 5 cent rate. I realize it will cost a bit more for people with SUVs but should encourage more fuel
efficient vehicles.
Anne As a State Employee I was furloughed 4 days, and had a salary reduction. I barely cracked 40K but made just enough to be included. As a single female trying to make a mortgage on my own I can't tell you how
Arundel difficult it's been with the cuts imposed on me personally. However, I’m fortunate, and very glad I have a job, and don't mind contributing my part during these difficult times. What I find to be totally unfair is every State
Employee was not affected by the same cuts in pay I experienced and many of those folks make much more money than I do. If State Employees have to take the brunt of this again I would respectfully request that
you impose furlough days and salary reductions to ALL employees, especially those employees that were not included and were exempted the first go round. Unfortunately if those employees would include
emergency personnel, upper government personnel and or their staffs, then so be it. Those excluded the first time should definitely be hit before considering or imposing additional furlough days or salary reductions on
those who've already participated. When you’re talking about State Employees it should include ALL employees no matter their rank, classification, position, sworn, civilian, full time, part time, contractual, or
department heads, etc. If any person is receiving a paycheck from the State of Maryland then no person should be excluded or safeguarded by convenient loop holes to not be affected by cuts in my opinion.
Anne Have your staff and yourself take a pay cut. $1 a year. Also pay cuts for all of Baltimore staff that gave them self a pay raise. Stop buying $250,000 buses. No one rides them anyways. Turn MD into a Shall Issue state.
Arundel lower taxes on businesses so they stop moving out of state. This creates more jobs and give credit to companies that hire in state. Lower Gas tax. People will go out more and spend more creating more sales tax rev.
Cut Entitlements... You don't have money, but you raised Entitlements a crazy amount... At current rate you will be out of office soon. If you want people to vote for you again you need to go down both sides of the line.
If you stay on party line, you will fail and the state will fail. If might already be to late for you.
Caroline Assuming that the total budget is approx. $35 Billion, then the $700 Million needed reduction equals a 2% reduction across the board. Why not task the heads of all state agencies to reduce their respective budgets
by 2%-4%?
Having worked for a large MD manufacturing firm for 39 years, a task of 5% - 7% was an annual requirement. The normal direction, was to multiply your previous year's budget by .95 (5% reduction) and then find ways
to operate within the budget. It was up to the respective Dept. Managers and their subordinates to decide where they could make the cuts. It was amazing to see how many helpful ideas subordinates could generate,
to reduce wasteful spending, when asked.
Another less popular suggestion, would be to have all state employees, including State Legislators, endure a 5% reduction in Salaries & related expenses, not unlike what the private sector has already experienced.
As I listen to the state government's approach to attack the problem, it appears as if it is an "All or Nothing" approach. That is, it appears as if the approach is to eliminate programs, etc., as opposed to reducing
them.
Having recently witnessed several highway re-surfacing projects, on sections of highway which had no apparent issues, I would never have imagined that the state had any financial issues.
I appreciate the opportunity to offer my suggestions.
Harford Dear Governor O'Malley,
I thought of a few ideas to cut some of the state budget and help the small business owners with their insurance cost.
1. Make it so the illegal workers can not get workers compensation insurance. How is it fair to the Marylanders who pay there taxes and other state insurances get screwed because the illegal people from other
countries don't have to pay any taxes but still get the benefits. Such as Workers Comp insurance if they get hurt on the job somewhere in Maryland they are entitled to workers comp benefits even though they do not
pay taxes and have no work visa permit. This would proably help the keep the illegals in maryland and take jobs from people that want to work and pay taxes. I feel it is unfair to allow the illegals to receive benefits
and settlements from insurance companies that they do not pay into.
2. Make it a force retirement for state employees who have more then 35 years of service or offer them early outs.
3. Stop putting the state's budget problems on the state employees they did enough. They took anywhere from 4 to 5 furlough days maybe we should cut some state benefits to other people like welfare or food
stamps why is it the state always says let the state employees take the hit. I think the state employees are under payed anyway. Why not make the congressional section shorter in maryland and give them a pay
reduction. I bet they will give themselves a raise again.
thanks for your time.

Caroline Assuming that the total budget is approx. $35 Billion, then the $700 Million needed reduction equals a 2% reduction across the board. Why not task the heads of all state agencies to reduce their respective budgets
by 2%-4%?
to operate within the budget. It was up to the respective Dept. Managers and their subordinates to decide where they could make the cuts. It was amazing to see how many helpful ideas subordinates could generate,
to reduce wasteful spending, when asked.
Another less popular suggestion, would be to have all state employees, including State Legislators, endure a 5% reduction in Salaries & related expenses, not unlike what the private sector has already experienced.
As I listen to the state government's approach to attack the problem, it appears as if it is an "All or Nothing" approach. That is, it appears as if the approach is to eliminate programs, etc., as opposed to reducing
them.
Having recently witnessed several highway re-surfacing projects, on sections of highway which had no apparent issues, I would never have imagined that the state had any financial issues.
I appreciate the opportunity to offer my suggestions.
Frederick You want to save MD taxpayers money. Stop supporting illegal aliens and all the groups in MD that help them break the law. No more tax dollars for CASA of MD, and the rest of the groups that support illegal aliens.
Make legal presence mandatory for any benefits. Make it mandatory that every employer in MD use e-verify. When MD has close to 8% unemployment (10% in Hagerstown) its time to give these jobs to legal citizens
(not Illegals). Legal citizens pay taxes and spend money in this state (adding to the tax coffers). You keep attracting Illegals you get millions of dollars exported out of this country (which equals no money going into the
tax coffers). E-verify is 99.6% accurate (there is no government program that comes close to that accuracy). The courts have ruled it is constitutional. There is absolutely no reason to not make it mandatory.
Washington Cancel Family Days for Inmates, madatory lights out at 10
in all state correctional facilities, reduce inmate pay wages. State employess 4, 10 hour work days shutting down offices 3 days per week.
Howard I believe it would make a larger impact if ALL state employees were affected by the cuts. I was one who had to take 3 furlough days, while 2/3rds of the staff, where I work, weren't affected by furloughs. They say you
can't furlough nurses, MD's, and security personnel. However, you can cut EVERYONE'S salary, starting with the governor all the way down to the dietary worker,by one percent and have it make a bigger impact than
furloughing a few. Please make it fair so us little people aren't the ones balancing your budget. Also, I know of several people who are waiting for their retirement month to come, which is within a year. So,possibly
offering those people within a year of retirement, their full pension if they go now, will weed out some of the old timers that make higher salaries. Then you can determine if their positions are really needed and perhaps
eliminate them. Thank you for your time.
Anne Turn MD into a Shall Issue state. (Concealed carry permits)
Arundel
Caroline Assuming that the total budget is approx. $35 Billion, then the $700 Million needed reduction equals a 2% reduction across the board. Why not task the heads of all state agencies to reduce their respective budgets by
2%-4%?
to operate within the budget.
Anne I think that instead making certain classifications "exempt" from furloughs, all state employees should be required to take the furlough. These "exempt" employees have the ability to schedule annual leave, personal
Arundel leave and holidays so they shouldn't have a problem scheduling a furlough day. These would make it fair across the board and the support employees would not be the only people trying to decrease the state's deficit.
Thanks
City Another suggestion is to look at the state vehicles and the useage and have employees use their own vehicles.
Allegany You need to stop wasting money on the ballistic fingerprinting for new handguns. It has proven itself to be totally ineffective for solving crimes.
Also, when looking to cut personnel from the state agencies. You need to mandate they cut some of the upper management. That is where you find most of the waste. Agencies do not need assistant and associate
directors and VP's in times like these. Too often we cut at the lower levels because the upper management makes the decisions. The mandate needs to come from the top that when the agencies look to cut positions,
they need to cut the fat off the top, not the hard workers at the bottom.
City I would suggest that Managers making 50,000 and over work a three day work week for six months. Most departments can run without the manager and issues can be resolved when the manager is in.
Close all government business that is not critical one day a week for six months. Shorten the work hours that is being worked in areas to 6 hours a week and it may turn out to be more productive because more work is
being done within those hours.
Look at the call in policy which allows employees to abuse time causing organizations to use overtime especially in critical areas.
Anne I do not think it is fair to keep employing these cuts by applying furlough days to state employees as well as a temporary pay cut. While it may help to balance the budget, where do we see it helping in the long run?
Arundel This year we are also forced to accept no raise, cost of living, etc. This is all well and good, but by the first measure of cuts in 2008, 2009 has gotten no better, where does that leave us in 2010. Not to mention, as our
income is being reduced due to these measures our debt and bills are not. Banks and business do not want to hear our hardships as they are going through there own. Rent increases every year but our income does
not, where is the balance. I think there should be other measures you can employ to balance the budget besides the state employees again, you have already created a financial burden for us this year, move on to
someone else this year, give us a break.
Allegany
How about reigning down on wasteful spending like agencies hiring upper management positions with ridiculous salaries just to fill positions. Also cut the budget for ballistic fingerprinting for handguns.
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Allegany 1) State Police using cars for personal reasons. They are using tax payer money for gas when going on family outings;
2) Inmates should be making license plates and not being sent out to be made;
3) Pass the slots/gambling bill, too limited. We can not compete against neighboring states;
4) Lower taxes on clothing, essential items, can not compete with neighboring states, and;
5) Track where money is actually being spent for government.
Anne I have been a taxpayer in Maryland for thirty years. This state has GOT to roll up the red carpet for illegals. In the movie, Field of Dreams, they said "if you build it, they will come". Maryland is the field of dreams for
Arundel illegals. I completely object, and am offended, by the use of my taxpayer dollars to fund CASA and other programs. You must demand proof of legal presence for people receiving taxpayer funded benefits, as well as
use e-verify to hire for state contracts. I have no problems with legal immigrants. This state cannot continue to support illegals. There is no limit to the numbers if it is not controlled. You are a servant of the people. If
this red carpet continues, my family will leave this state.
My other issue is energy. We have the highest energy bills in the nation. Maryland should be producing its own energy and serving its own people first. Our bills should be less than half of what they are now. I am still
trying to catch up on my bills from last winter. This would free up some money for citizens, therefore stimulating our economy.
It is time for Maryland to stop funding illegal immigration on the taxpayers backs. It is time to serve Marylanders with integrity.
Harford Why not eliminate a lot of the high paying fluff jobs in the state instead of the ordinary people's jobs? Also it made no sense to spend $10million on the governor's mansion when we are in such a mess.
Washington I have worked for the state for 30 plus years. What I see needs to change is the way the state does business on a daily basis. We need people handling the monies that know how to management money. If I lived my
life the way the state handles money I would be in the poor house. The idea of spending budget or losing it is craziness in the state operation. Letting facilities spend large amounts for beautification when facility is in
good beautification standings already. Giving upper management positions larger salaries when I see the guts of the operation is the lower salary employees. Having a maintenace dept. and contracting out all the work
is a big waste of tax payers dollars. We need people like myself that has never made big money in my life handling the state"s money. Realistic thinking. Knows how to stretch a buck. We don't need fantacizers who
take tax money and live out there dreams thru tax dollars.If you rally want a big pot for a rainy day.It needs to start with the dreamers who don't know haw to handle other people's monies. Thank You.
select your elimate x01,offer early buyout(retirement) and elimate some managerial positons especially in the larger counties (PG CO) increase taxes on cigaretts/alcohol, increase some tolls, change the work week to 4 days with
county very little pay deduction, have the professional athletes pay more in taxes, and if you furlough it should be all not just someone who earns 40,000 or more.
Baltimore I have noticed that state workers tend to misuse the cars provided by the state. They keep the engine with AC running all the time even when they are not using the vehicle or when the vehicle is parked off the shoulder
and they are doing their investigation. I think that awareness letters should be sent out to every agency who uses state provided vehicles. I can guarantee that the same people would not keep the vehicles running if
they were their own personal vehicles. I know it is a drop in the bucket compared to the overall budget deficit, however, each and every drop in the bucket adds up. I would strongly recommend making employees
aware and getting ride of the bad habits of keeping their vehicle engines on when the vehicle is not in use. This will help the planet as well!
The second suggestion is to raise the gas tax by 2 or 3 cents and also to use an alternative way to get road usage tax for vehicles that are hybrid. They cause the same wear and tear to the road than the standard gas
cars, however they pay less taxes.
Anne Furniture budgets should be eliminated. If necessary, State Use Industries should be the ONLY furniture supplier, unless a waiver is authorized by DBM. All proposed capital projects put on hold. Many State employees
Arundel doing the work of more than 1 person - taxpayers are already upset with level of service!
Anne The payroll system in the state should be updated. Every two weeks, every state employee (at least within MD DNR) submits a paper sheet (timecard) with their hours and compensation time if it is earned, and
Arundel another sheet to report over time hours (all of which was reported on the timecard). In addition, some employees have to call in their hours. This all seems very redundant. If there was a system where employees
could enter their hours, comp time hours and days off electronically, and then had it electronically approved by their supervisors, the redundancy would be eliminated and less labor would be necessary to handle all the
paperwork.
Howard 1. reasign state police from escourting wide loads through our state. Wide-load trucks already have paid escorts. This happens particularly on Rt.68 & 270.
2.STOP ALL SUPPORT OF ILLEGALS. INFORCE E-VERIFY FOR EVERY

COMPANY. ESPECIALLY LANDSCAPING AND THE BUILDING INDUSTRIES.
3. RECOUP THE MILLION DOLLARS THE STATE OF MARYLAND GAVE TO

LA CASA(La Raza) TO AIDE ILLEGALS IN MARYLAND BY HAVING A CENTRAL HELP STATION.
4. CUT YOUR SALARY FIRST THEN CUT EVERY ELECTED OFFICIALS SALARIES.
I don't want to hear about what you inherited. You made some
wrong choices when you supported Illegals.
From a tax-paying legal Maryland resident.
Baltimore Stop incarcerating people for non-violent low-level drug offenses. States that reform drug laws -- repeal mandatory minimum sentences; deploy scarce resources into treatment versus incarceration -- save billions and
increase public safety. Why is Maryland so far behind the rest of the country on this issue?
Harford I think that the closing of the Sideling Hill rest area on I-68 is a travesty. While I understand that cuts need to be made (and I'm in favor of making cuts), isn't there somewhere else to make those cuts? Sideling Hill isn't
just a rest area - its a geologic exhibit that has great educational value to children and adults alike. Surely there must be some other area where the money can come from. One way would be to unfreeze tuition. I don't
say that lightly, as I'm currently a 30 year old graduate student who is paying for his graduate education out of his own pocket (and I've only recently finished paying off my undergrad loans!), but I think that eventually,
tuition is going to have to rise. In my opinion, there's no time like the present, particularly if it will help alleviate the fiscal strain that this state is experiencing.
Baltimore I am a Maryland State employee. One thing that I think could be changed to save the State some money is to make the deductable for prescriptions $700.00 per person rather than $700.00 per family. Also, maybe the
state should consider raising the cost for the employees spouse's health insurance. Right now if an employee has a spouse that is over 65 and collecting Social Security they are covered under the employees health
insurance because there is no option for a current employee to have full coverage for themselves and supplemental coverage for their spouse. It would make more sense for the spouse to get Medicare and just carry
supplemental insurance with the state.
Also, would you consider offering a small retirement incentive? It might encourage some people to retire and free up some positions.
Montgomery The Honorble Marton O'Malley,

To save millions of dollars, require proof of legal presence for all programs and services funded by the state of Maryland. Also, require MD state contract employers to use use E-Varify for all employees used on the
state contracts.
City Have the general assembly look in the next session at creating 20,000 (or more) private sector jobs overnight (10,000 stations in the state with 2 pump jockeys each) that will pay state and local taxes and
unemployement taxes. Require gas stations to have service people pump gas like they do in New Jersey. For the minimal increase in gas price per gallon for creation of the new jobs, the new job and tax base
creation will increase tax revenues through income taxes of the employees as well as sales taxes from their jobs. The key word here is NEW, not reduction, sustainment, but NEW. It is also safer to have dedicated
people pump gas rather than individuals on cell phones.
Anne Okay...hold onto your hat. This idea will initially seem crazy but don't delete it too fast. Cancel Legislative Session this year. If you can call a special session than you can cancel a session. Think of the savings! We
Arundel could all use a break from 90 more days of worthless bills being submitted into law that's just going to waste more money. And don't worry about all those seasonal emploees who rely on their 90 days of income a
year. If they can go 275 days of the year without working - they don't need the work to begin with. Either way - these are times for drastic difference. You, as the governor, have to stand up and do something bold and
brash and something no one else has ever done!!!
City The food stamp program needs to be reformed.There are too many able bodied people getting way too much money to spend on jumbo lump crabmeat and colossal shrimp at the grocery store.I feed a family of four on
about 450 to 500 dollars a month,sometimes less depending.This money should go to seniors that need food and medicine, not so others can have extra money to get their hair and nails done.Lazy people should not
be rewarded by sitting home enjoying luxuries working people can't.
Anne How about proposeing an early out for state employee that are close to their retirement time and mandertory retirement for those employee with 30+ years of service. many don't add to their retirement
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Baltimore cut the money gone to illegals that is channled through cassa of Md take care of the people who pay the taxs first. Its a insult to the people of this state when you consistering laying off 40 employees while you
continue to give much needed funds to an organization who supports non paying of taxs by illegals
Calvert Remove ALL state income tax. Propose a consumption tax to replace sales tax. This will draw more and more business to Maryland and see an increase in local spending (thus balancing the coffers with the
consumption tax).
By the way, name THREE things the government does BETTER than the private sector/free market (and no, spending other people's money does not count).
Anne Stop buying new textbooks each year in our K-12 schools! Math, science, language etc. do not change year to year!
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Carroll 1. Cut all programs that have been set up to encourage illegal immigrants to plant themselves in Maryland. In other words, CUT OUT THE FREE RIDE!
2. You, the governor, and the Maryland Legislature should live within your means, just like every other taxpaying Maryland has had to do!
3. Issue a 25% pay cut for the Governor, his entire staff, the Maryland Legislature, and its entire staff. All of the aforementioned should start paying for their own healthcare coverage!
4. Eliminate all consultants!
City Please consider temporarily stopping less-than-vital road projects, such as the Intercounty Connector, that cost millions of dollars we could better spend on the citizens of the state, especially the poor and underserved
who are facing the brunt of the budget cuts. Focus on reducing spending to wealthier counties and continuing spending to poorer communities in need of assitance to prevent the working class from falling into poverty
and requiring even more (and more costly to everyone in MD) services to survive.
City My suggestion for you to start with your cabinet to take a salary cut. You may disregard this staement, but it is not fair to those who have to take a furlough with out pay .You all knew the budget was not right in 2007.
You set up and redid the State Housewith an outlandish budget for thing that are not needed. Why don't you guys take a furlough day off that goes on how much your salary goes by. It is only fair, since you will have
State Employee's take days off agian.es I am a State Employee.
City State Employees who have their paychecks direct deposited to their checking accounts should be required to sign up for POSC (Payroll On-Line Service Center). THis would eliminate the paper copy of their payroll
direct deposit slip from being printed folded stuffed and given or mailed to them. This would save thousands of dollars. ONly a small percentage of state employees, especially from the largest state offices/agencies
are currently participating. This may require a Governor's Declaration for it to happen, rather than waiting for the Legislature to enact it.
Harford There are many wasteful programs that State employees are forced to subscribe to. One very large source of waist is State Use Industry mandate and the State Contracts program. Just the cost of the bureaucracy to
operate the contractual program in most cases creates more of a cost then if each department had someone responsible for purchasing local. In many cases the cost of contract items are more then local stores.
There are many states purchasing contract that do save the State money use them, but in many cases, if the item was purchased from a local suppler for less then a contract price. Allow purchases to be made off
contract if you have proof that it was cheaper. Many State employees have been entrusted with a State Credit card and their managers keep a close check on all purchases. Any single purchase under $2500 can be
done without a purchase order.
Just how do we save money on these supply contracts when purchase orders must be processed for contract supplies on small orders? The paperwork cost more then any possible savings.
Charge each manger with the responsibility of shopping for the lowest price on items under $2500. Determine what the cost is per purchase order when a contract purchase is done and let that be figured into the total
price of the contract item cost.
Less purchasing off contract would reduce needed personnel to process those purchases.
State Use Industries has overly inflated prices to support a prison run business that does not have to compete with private industry. Just look how much the charge to make signs. Most private sign companies charge
less and deliver much quicker.
State run printing is not always the cheapest for small print jobs.
Let the free enterprise compete with these contracts and overall the State would see a great monetary savings
Anne Teleworking for state employees - where it makes sense - maybe one or two days a week, or even more; reduces cost for state vehicles, saves the state fuel and energy cost, reduces emission, less traffic, etc.
Arundel It would also save cost for employees that don't have state vehicles and use their own car to get to work.
Thank you for having the opportunity to submit suggestions.
I think this is a great idea.
Regards
Anne Here's a thought, next time the State employees are furlowed, why not furlow Marty O'Money and the cast of thousands working for him?
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How about requiring the governor to cook his own meals?
Anne Turn off the lights in front of the truck weigh station on Interstate 70 in Howard County. It was 3:30PM and sunny on a Sunday afternoon and the station was closed. This is a waste of electricity.
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Baltimore i suggest that every elected politician in annapolis have to take a 50% pay cut for the remainder of their terms, and that all take home cars for any state employee be taken away
Baltimore Monitor the state contracts.
How many agencies overlap the same jobs?
Why not trim some of the testing performed by our students? Do we need to have state assessments @ every grade from 3rd through 8th plus HSA? What about the analyzing of assessments, how much is spent on
this aspect of this action?
I hope if the use of alternative meds are explored the results are monitored. I know that not every "alternative" choice works for everyone.
Rebid state energy contracts. what about the wind power machines?
Even though our unemployment is "lower" than other states, which part of our population is unemployed? Can't we begin re-training our unemployed to match our future job needs?
Expect people to work for the pay they receive. Is every department working to their potential or just working?
I wouldn't want to see any critical dept. crippled with cuts if they are efficiently using staff, materials, and time.
What about going to 4 day (10 hours) work weeks? Or have services split the times for public access?
Instead of closing Sidling Center, expand & advertise this education site as a payable museum. SO many of our children have such an inadequate understanding of Maryland landforms.
How many Marylanders have visited this site.
Anne A general suggestion, which has been implemented in many individual countries and our US Postal Service: Convert all systems to Linux and open source software. Maryland Transit Administration currently runs
Arundel RedHat for it's servers, although using IBM's Informix database server. The main desktops are still running Windows XP and insecure versions of web browsers. Switching out non-FLOSS (Free Libre Open source
Software) products for equal products (like Ubuntu for the desktop will save money in licensing for all of Maryland, with support separately contracted (in the Ubuntu case, it's maker Canonical; for servers, RedHat).
Baltimore I believe it is important that we make serious cuts - all unnecessary governor expenses, including airplane! All assistant program directors will have to go, and departments like the arts council - unnecessary in these
economic times - cuts should be cuts! Start to be serious and not political!
Harford As a state employee, my suggestion is to close the state gov't extra days around the holidays. Employees end up taking days off during those times, which leaves "skeleton" crews to work through them anyway, so
close down without pay around thanksgiving and christmas.
Harford 1. Require all scooters to be registered with MVA. It does not make sense that motorcycles are required to be registered, while scooters are not. They both utilize the states roads and highways.
Charles I think that too often programs for women and children are the first programs looked at for budget cuts. This has made the non-profit programs/organizations have to struggle with already limited resources. I think that
while it is the unpopular thing to d that the state of Maryland should take the lead from the president and seriously look at taxing the major upper class. They have the money so they can speak the loudest to keep from
being hit hard while the poorest and most disadvantages groups that don't have the money are not heard and because they are not heard it is thought that they don't care. Set up taxes for the upper class $300,000
income and above. Tax those that live in Maryland but work in DC they use our state but don't contribute to its economy fully.
select your Stop giving money to CASA if Maryand benefits to people who have entered our country illegally.
county
Montgomery Please stop all state funding for CASA of Maryland and any other organization that supports services for Illegal Aliens, and mandate that local governments do the same. Illegal aliens are draining state and local
programs without paying their share, thus reducing the services and programs to those legal aliens and citizens that are and have paid for those programs and services. Why do politicians have a hard time
understanding the meaning of "Illegal." Anyone who is in this country, state or locality that is not here legeally, does not deserve to benefit from any state or local service/program. Further any person that applies for
any program or service, including Maryland Drivers License, must be required to prove "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded program/services in the state of Maryland. All employers within the state must be
required to comply with E-verify programs for all Maryland state and local contracts. You must control and stem the flow of illegal aliens drain on our state and local services and programs.
Anne No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland . Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
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Anne First, change the promotional structure of State positions and create lower grade management tracks and higher grade technical and professional non supervisory tracks. There is no reason a lower grade level
Arundel supervisor or manager can not supervise someone in a higher grade level technical position. (Model after the Federal government). This also eliminates moving highly skilled technical employees into supervisory and
management positions just to give them a promotion.
Second review the organization charts of each agency and intelligently make specific staffing reductions instead of across the board cuts and freezes, many people end up supervising an empty position or one person,
again to provide promotions, or having top heaving structures that end up with each person supervising one person and everyone is a lead, supervisor or manager.
Third, a long term solution to the budgeting issues that face Maryland is a simple concept called Last Years Money. Rather than rely on future estimates, this years budget should only be allowed to match the actual
revenues from the previous year. This prevents overspending in good years, use of any accounting smoke and mirrors, and provides a one year window to plan ahead for cuts in times such as we face now since we
would know the actual amount available. Of course implementing this change would have to occur during a year where revenues were increasing over the previous year to prevent additional complexity or problems.
Fourth, eliminate the disincentive for agencies to save money. As it is now if an agency is fiscally prudent and saves money their future budget is reduced. This creates a situtation where they spend money regardless
of need to protect future budgets when it will be needed and where artificially inflating budget requests is standard practice so that after reductions the budgeted amount is what they actually would have requested
anyway (or more).
Montgomery No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
Thank you
Anne No more funding for illegal aliens. It is unfair for we the tax payers, to pay for their medical, housing and education. It is time for our government to secure the boarders. Maryland must stop being a Safe Haven for
Arundel illegals.
Anne If you would take away all 6 pesonal days from state employees for 2010 that would give you money instead of lay-offs. All the state buildings that are empty make the state people come and use these buildings
Arundel instead of renting from someone else. This is money that could be used for something else. Close state building that don't need to be opend on weeks. Make the guards that work in state buildings on week just work
Monday thur Friday. State cars should no be used to take home over a certain period of time. This money can be saved.
Caroline you need to look at how many people are takng state cars home (if they are on call is one thing). all so when u see state trooper riding down the road with there family in the car one they using state gas and i feel that
is dangerous what if someone out looking to hurt a cop or he pulls someone over and they have a gun.
Anne State Employees were asked to provide ideas to save money. Here are some suggestions.
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1)In its current form, the StateStat process is a hugh waste of resources. For example, 15 or more highly paid executives from each agency meet once a month to sit around just in case someone wants to ask a
particular individual a question. If data analysis is that important, than a more efficent use of resources would utilize electronic communication tools. An innovative multo-agency web-based portal that incorporates
discussion forums, dashboards, Geographical mapping analysis, etc would be much more effective than the cumbersome excel spreadsheets that are currently used. On top of StateStat is BracStat, RecoveryStat,
Green Initiative of the month Stat, etc... They all just equate to an ineffective use of time and resources. In each agency there are now probably an average of ten employees that are responsible to gather StateStat
data. That is alot of salary that never used to exist.
2) Reduce the effects of Empire building. In most state agencies, certain managers have become expert in building empires. It makes them look more important. For example, some agencies have less than 1
percent of their staff dedicated to a certain function. Other agencies have over 10 percent of their staff working in the same type of support function. Another example is support divisions that have a large number of
employees but contract most of the work out. A third example of empire building is the phenomenom of newly developed teams that stem from someone who is politically connected gets a managment position and
before you know it, there is a team of up to 10 where there was previously not even one person needed for that function.
3). One way to reduce cost is to offer an option to employees of part time employment. Another idea is to encourage employees that are currently teleworking to work part time instead. Too many times when you need
to communicate or work with teleworking peers, you are told that it is their "day off", so why should they be paid for these days?
4) The biggest cost saver would be to implement electronic scanning of employee badges to monitor time spent in state office buildings. There are some employees that are in the building less than 50 percent of the
time that they document on timesheets. The time abuse includes taking extended smoking, lunch and other breaks.
5)The suggestion of closing state office buildings one day a month is a good one. This way, not only is salary money is being saved, so are utiliity costs.
6) One absolutely huge expense is the number of agency sponsored blackberries that are now being used. In the agency that I work for, I would bet that one in every four people have a blackberry. The device itself is
not that expensive, but the data/voice plans really add up.
6)If possible, reduce the number of remote sites that an agency has. Many times these remote sites exist more for the convenience of the people that work there(ie closer to their homes than the main site). Many
employees even have desks and offices in more than one building. Unless absolutely necessary, many remote sites can effectively be incorporated into each agency's main office building.
These suggestions are given only to try to improve the financial status. As a state employee, all of the above have inefficiencies have been witnessed by many people. Few are willing to report them because they fear
they may loose their jobs.
Montgomery Governor, I have a number of suggestions. Why don't we stop funding La Casa and other organizations that encourage and support illegal aliens to break the law. Why don't you stop making services available to illegal
aliens (educational, medial, legal, etc) Make legal presense in this country for any state or local services. Why don't you mandate e-verify for all state contracts. If you stop the practices that encourage illegals to come
to Maryland, think of the savings in welfare services, police, jails, etc.. It is time, Governor, to wake up and take on the illegal alien mess, before it is simply too late. How do you think those folks feel who may be in the
highest total tax bracket in the nation that their taxes and going to support La Casa?
Anne Could you have state offices (except police & hospitals) all work a 4 day week, thus saving on electric and heating/cooling costs for 3 consecutive days (Fri, Sat, Sun) or (Sat, Sun, Mon)?
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Talbot Freeze all funding on grants issued by the state for one year. For most organizations grants is just extra money and not bare bones budget funding.
Make the county governments start paying for teachers pensions. It is crazy that the state of Maryland is forced to pay for pensions that they have no controll over when it comes to pay, contributions and benefits.
Instead of always balancing the budget on the state employees back, increase property taxes as painfull as it is on all residences and businesses that way the burden is shared by all residents, not just by the state
employees. Not only are the state employees paid low compared to municipal, county and public sector employees. It always seems like they are being descriminated against for being by locking their steps and
receiving zero cost of living raises as compared to their counterparts. It hard for all state citizens but it seems like the state employees take it from bothe sides.
Anne No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
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Anne How much money is being spent by all the different State agencies to attend MAACO in Ocean City? Is this really necessary at this time or even next year? How much revenue can this possibly bring to the State. Cut
Arundel it or at least suspend it.
Anne I understand, from a news report, that individual drives may/are charged for police, etc services in car accident cases. How about charging insurance companies for these services. At times, roads are closed for a
Arundel considerable amount of time for investigation into the cause of the accident. I would believe that insurance companies benefit from these reports. How about charging the insurance companies a fee for these
investigations. I don't mean an "per report" type fee but a general annual fee. It could be based on the number of Marylanders insured by a company so large insurers pay more than small insurers.
Howard 1. Since the governor is provided housing (and staff), why does he need a salary. I think a salary of $1.00 is appropriate (at least he still keeps his job).
2. The expensive new oriental rug in the State House (approximate cost of $750k?) should be auctioned on EBay. Walmart has some very nice oriential rugs for a fraction of what "taxpayers" paid.
3. The during the legislators 90-day session, they should be paid minimum wage for their time. After all, they do have "other" jobs to go back too.
4. The reserve parking around the State House should be eliminated. Visitors and other people are expected to use pay the meters and parking garage, so the "executives" of the State House should have be expected
to do the same.
Anne I HAVE A FEW SUGGESTIONS
Arundel > STOP THE WASTE I WORKED FOR A LARGE ORGANIZATION BEFORE MY REITREMENT AND HAD TO GO THRU THE SAME TYPE OF SITUATION AND WE CUT WASTE AND IT WAS SURPRISING HOW
MUCH WE SAVED
> HIGH PAYING OFFICALS TAKE A BUDGET CUT 5%
> STOP PAY INCREASES FOR THE TOP PAYING OFFICALS UNTIL THE CRUNCH IS OVER....WE ON SS AND RETIREMENT ARE ON FIXED INCOMES SO WE SHOULD ALL GRIN AND BEAR THIS
TOGETHER
> ALL POLITICAL PARTIES TRY TO GET ALONG FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF THE STATE OF MD.
>LAST IF THE SLOTS COULD HAVE BEEN AGREED ON 6 YEARS AGO I DO NOT THINK OUR FINANCE WOULD BE IN DEEP OF A MESS
>THANKS FOR LISTENING AND IF YOU CARE TO TAKE THE TIME TO RESPOND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU MAY HAVE MORE IDEAS
THANK YOU
select your END FUNDING FOR CASA!!!! AND OTHER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ADVOCACY GROUPS
county THIS IS NOT A LEGAL IMMIGRATION OR ANTI IMMIGRATION ISSUE, THIS IS AN INVASION BY FOREIGN NATIONALS BENT ON BLEEDING US DRY AND ESTABLISHING A HISPANIC POLITICAL BASE.
YOU GUYS NEED TO TAKE A TRIP TO QUEBEC AND TALK TO SOME CANADIANS IN TORONTO TO GET A REAL SENSE OF WHAT A SCREWED UP SITIUATION THEY HAVE.
NO MORE FREE LUNCH FOR THESE FOLKS - COME DOWN TO PG PLAZA SOME SATURDAY AND WITNESS THE ILLEGALS, MOST OF THE WOMAN PREGNANT WITH TWO OR THREE OTHERS IN TOW -
ALL BORN ON THE US TAXPAYERS DIME.
YOU WILL BE SORRY IN A FEW YEARS WHEN YOU SEE OUR WAY OF LIFE EVAPORATE UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THESE FREELOADERS.
Harford slots
Harford slots
Howard Quit giving benefits to illegal aliens, period.
Talbot Could we raise the tolls on the Bay Bridge to $3.00 instead of $2.50? We could also make it more rewarding for folks who have an EZ Pass instead of throwing additional fees on them. This may make more people
opt for the EZ Pass which in turn would allow you to eliminate some of the jobs/salaries/benefits of the toll collectors as more people utilize EZ Pass. This in turn would help with traffic flow management. If we do this
before the end of summer we could gain the revenue from the beach traffic.
This is only one suggestion. Another suggestion is to eliminate the taxing of military pensions similar to what other states have in place. Take PA for example. When you think about all that MD has to offer whether it's
the mountains out west, the Bay activities, the city life of DC and Baltimore, and the beaches of the Eastern Shore it would be a good place to retire to if not taxed so much. With all of the military assets in and around
MD ie: Aberdeen, Ft. Meade, Andrews AFB, Bethesda, the Pentagon, Ft. Detrick, Pax River, Norfolk Naval Base, and Dover AFB, there are thousands of possible military families who could consider retiring here
instead of moving elsewhere to more pension friendly states. The revenue gained from property taxes, gas taxes, utilities, sales taxes, etc... from the higher influx of retirees moving here would more than offset any
loss of revenue gained from the current taxing of pensions.
Washington As a State employee, I've been working a compressed work week with good experience. I would like to suggest that the State look towards working a mandatory 4 day (Mon-Thurs 10hrs/day) work week for applicable
employees. I believe this would begin to pay for itself when buildings which are not staffed 24/7 are shut down for an extra day a week.
I would also suggest that the purchasing requirements be less restricted. I have seen MANY occasions that we have had to purchase items at a MUCH higher cost because we had to purchase on State contract
and/or from a SBR and/or MBE. If a real business were run this way we'd been bankrupt a long time ago. I know we're not in the business of making money, but show me a tax payer who would spend $50 for an oil
change when they can get it for $25 somewhere else.
I realize that the State is looking out for the little people (MBE/SBR)...but, the fact is, if you can't offer the BEST price in the time frame we need it, why are we wasting our time and money? I've seen a 10 dollar
premium paid for basic maintenace items when we bought them on State contract...the same items priced at Lowes were half the price...yet we had to buy them off contract because it wasn't an emergency. As far as
I'm concerned, this economic situation is about as close as a financial emergency as it gets.
If you are taking these suggestions seriously, you should go out to the facilities and remote offices. Meet with the staff and ask them about what they deal with daily. We are the ones working understaffed and under
funded while still keeping high levels of care to the individuals we serve. You'll find out many things that could be cut instead of more furloughs and layoffs.
Thanks for this oppertunity.
Howard Cut taxes! Let's look at Texas and California. Taxes were lowered in TX and the state economy is booming. Taxes were raised in CA and the state is bankrupt. Seems simple. Cut taxes.
Howard Take a pay cut for yourself.
Anne I used to work close to the computer and state police vehicle outfitting. MSP uses the Mercedes of Mobile Data Computers and accessories. Each laptop is roughly $4000 plus the installation and mounts for the
Arundel computer. Panasonic Toughbook are currently being used but Dell has a Fully rugged notebook for a lot less. I think the bigger waste is on the actual mount and the installation. Just the mount alone is over $500.
There are several airbag and crash safe mounts that cost much less and work just as well and sometime better. The installation is also done by a third party. You have a full radio and maintenance shop at Waterloo
that could do the installation for probably less than half of the $500 instalaltion fee, per car, just for the computer mount and console. With the amount of cars that MSP operates, saving $400-$500 per car and still
getting the same quality product seems like a great way to save $250,000 per FY.
Montgomery Stop spending money on the ICC and put 50% of the savings back into education.
Anne I have lived in seven states, but I have only encountered emissions testing in Maryland. I'm guessing the program was developed in the 1970's when clean air rules began. However, I believe that auto technology has
Arundel grown to point where government verification of the tailpipe emmission is not worth the effort.
I would suggest reduction in the program should occur by first not filing openings as they occur, and also changing the frequency of checks, I think it may be every third year now, move it to every fourth year as the
payroll shrinks, then every fifth year. Combine locations as leases come due, and then a few years down the line, when the number of checkpoints and employees have declined close the program totally. This is
suggested as both some short term benefit, but more focused on the long term.
Howard 1) Immediate Savings - Furlough state EE's for 10 day's (sliding scale based on salary) without closing the agency. Allow state EE's 10 day's of unpaid leave (exclude faculty) to use at their discretion. If the leave is
not used at the beginning of the end of the fiscal year it get's forfeited.
2) Immediate Savings - Temporary Salary reduction on a sliding scale until the economy/tax revenues increase. > 100k 10% cut, <100 >50k 5%, <50k >40k 2%, < 40k no reduction.
3) Mid-to-long-term - DPW approves huge projects. However, the health of those proejcts, at least the IT ones, are not monitored. In some cases the projects should be shut down or at a minimum re-evaluated.
4) Long Term - Legislative IT auditors audit change control procedures to reduce the likelihood of theft/collusion and to some extent this control has created inneficiencies that do not exist in the private sector.
5) Mid-long-term -Centralization of IT systems for systems that are not part of the agencies core competencies. For example, various USM schools spend millions on consulting and software fees to run the same
software in a similar fashion. Take USM HRMS systems and centralize operations...the state performs the gross to net calculations, EBD controls benefits. However, USM schools collectively pay millions in software
costs to run their individual systems when they could be centralized.
6) Immediate - Reach out to state EE's close retirement. Some may decide now is the time.
7) Immediate - slightly increase tuition. Currently I believe universities are being forced to be creative with fees as a way to increase revenues and this will continue. While tuition hasn't increased, the total fees a
student pays has.
7) Immediate - raise sales tax 1%
8) Long Term with the most potential for savings - Massive savings can be realized via process change at almost any state agency. Create a pilot program and team to evaluate 1 agencies processes/procedures to
determine what tyeps of savings could be realized via process improvements.
Harford Please require legal presence in Maryland for all taxpayer-funder services and programs. Stop giving taxpayer money to CASA of Maryland and other programs that benefit illegal aliens. Require the use of E-Verify for
all state contracts.
select your Hello Governor O'Malley, This is some of the best new I've read about out of control goverment. Thank you for all the effort! I'm sure it must be like walking thru a mine field. As for my suggestion it's something for the
county lawyers...When an employee retires from a company and that company is showing a profit ,that employee is retired . When the same employee retires from a company that is in debt and company has to borrow the
money for the employees retirement that'a embezzling. Do you know how much better I'd sleep if this was law? In any case thanks again for your patience and expert guidance. Also thank you for rebuilding the I-70
rest areas:D
select your Hello Governor O'Malley, This is some of the best new I've read about out of control goverment. Thank you for all the effort! I'm sure it must be like walking thru a mine field. As for my suggestion it's something for the
county lawyers...When an employee retires from a company and that company is showing a profit ,that employee is retired . When the same employee retires from a company that is in debt and company has to borrow the
money for the employees retirement that'a embezzling. Do you know how much better I'd sleep if this was law? In any case thanks again for your patience and expert guidance. Also thank you for rebuilding the I-70
rest areas:D
Allegany Why doesn't someone take a closer look at the Comptrollers' office...why do they have so many enforcement agents that are probably double dippers, do they really bring in as much money as it cost to pay them?
City TRANSPORTATION....I see in today's Wash Post an article on a S4.6 billion widening of I-270..now would be a good time to raise the gas tax to help pay for that. Also fares on Baltimore's Light Rail are on the honor
system; eveyone should pay Light Rail fare, the lost revenue is costing the State millions of dollars!
Kent Why the great need for a Lieutenant Governor - do we really need that position? If we're talking furloughs, does that apply to you and your cabinet?
Anne This sucks!! I have just started back with the state government 6 8 months ago, and have not gotten my raise and now I have been furloughed!! I will not get a raise this year and now my cost of living was also cut!!
Arundel Times are hard enough without you taking every dime out of our pockets!!
Harford Cut out the funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
Baltimore No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Require "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
Anne Thanks for asking. ASAP, close all state buildings on Fridays except of course those providing essential services. Think of the gigantic reduction in utilities when computers, air conditioning, lights and heating are
Arundel turned off for three consecutive days. The option can be given to employees to work 10 hour days, or else to give up the Friday as a furlough day.
Anne I suggest that you limit/omit any non critical employee travel to conferences and trainings. I personally know several state employees who have travelled to out-or-state conferences recently, spending $2-3k on their
Arundel travel. This surely adds up during the course of a fiscal year. I also suggest that you reccommend that delegates and senators that live within driving distance of Annapolis actually commute instead of spending the $
11k per session to stay in hotels in Annapolis. These things may seem small but they add up over the course of a year.
Talbot A number of people, myself included, will use the Easy Pass lane at the Bay Bridge without the Easy Pass devise and only pay the normal $2.50 fee for the violation, which takes time and money to process and send
to the offender. I would propose a $10.00 fee for any passenger vehicle that neglects to pay the required toll. As for larger vehicles the fines would be assessed based on the rate they would normally pay and increase
it by $10.00 or more.
Montgomery 39 State positions eliminated out of some 80,000 State employees? Give me a break. Show some guts for a change and do some real cutting. There is fat everywhere. Show the unions you won't be pushed around
(fat chance). Start with CASA, the illegal help and clearing house. To think that one dime of my taxes are going to help illegals (read criminals) is incredible!
Montgomery Stop funding Casa de Maryland and all other illegal immigrant services.
Carroll Stop all funding to CASA. It makes no sense to fund anyone who is assisting a person who is not a resident of the state or even the country. Stop any and all funds going to medical for illegals as well as multi language
forms that are printed for MVA and other goverment departments. Stop catering to the care of illegals and start taking care of the legal citizens.
Baltimore Stop all State and local government owned vehicles from being taken home daily with the exception of public safety employees..
select your Why don't we save some tax dollars by ending tax payer support for CASA de Maryland? This organization openly aids & abets illegal aliens in our state, and because of their program we certainly are becoming a
county sanctuary state. Also, you should mandate E-Verify to be certain in these difficult economic times that jobs are going to legal taxpaying citizens rather than illegal aliens who are evading our taxes and breaking our
laws. Mr. O'Malley, I am certain you have heard all of these complaints over and over again. But I assure you, even in this largely Blue State, you will find your approval rating to skyrocket if you start taking a stance
against illegal immigration and instead protect the rights of the legal taxpayers of Maryland. Because of illegal aliens, our health care system is suffering, our public school programs such as art, music and sports are
being cut to better serve non-English speaking students and fund ESOL classes and special-services for illegal alien families (even though their parents are not paying taxes that support public schools), and jobs are
being filled with illegal aliens instead of Maryland citizens. Please Mr. O'Malley, start making cuts in the areas that SHOULD be cut.....stop funding CASA de Maryland, mandate "legal presence" for taxpayer funded
services, and end taxpayer support of illegal aliens!!!! Thank you! :)
Anne What about cutting funding to Casa De Maryland and other special interest immigrant organizations. It's about time you take a look arounde this state and see how the way of life that Americans are entitled to is being
Arundel compromised by the actions of illegals and in many instances the burdening of support systems by legal immigration . This lifeboat is full. Cut funding to support these scenarios and find ways to generate jobs for
Americans at risk. Smell the coffee. More and more people are finding the actions of governmental systems are at odds with the common man. Support your legal citenzenry.
Anne No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! I Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
Arundel OBEY the laws of the Constitution of the US! Hire Legal citizens only!
Anne Eliminate all out of state trips for ALL state employees, including elected officials.
Arundel
Stop all construction projects. You can't spend your way out of this mess.
Anne Stop funding Casa Of Maryland. Use E-Verify for all State contracts. Illegal aliens do not have "rights" . I vote and I will remember!
Arundel
Montgomery Deport the illegal's from Maryland, out of the United States. That would put about 250,000 tax paying American Citizen's back to work, thats about $625,000,000 back in the buget. Stop given tax payer money to illegal
support groups like casa of MD. That is another $2million atleast. Then stop the welfare checks for the anchor baby's. Stop paying the Hospital bills for the ilegal's. If the Hospital's want to treat illegal's, then let them
pick up the tab... Tell O'SELL OUT to add up that total, PROBLEM SOLVED....::
Talbot The State needs to cut State employes. If you are cutting services to TAX PAYERS then you can cut some of the employes that will not have to be providing them to us. That un-needed highway project (cost around
2.4 billion, yes BILLION) needs to be cut, if the people can get around now then we do not need this. If the State would have controlled growth it would not have this need. We just have to many State employes for what
the tax payer gets in return. I go to state offices (MVA) and ther are more people standing around doing nothing than there are working, this has got to stop. If there is nothing for them to do then lay them off. I do not
like to say this but we as tax payers have had to cut back on our spending so the State has to also. REMEMBER THIS IS TAX PAYER MONEY YOU ARE SPENDING NOT YOURS AND WE ARE TIRED OF THE
WASTE.
City Require proof of legal presence before funds are "Given" to groups like CASA of Maryland! These groups help illegal aliens find jobs (illegally) that should go to American Citizens! You need to cut payments to
programs like these before you cut one nickle from services for tax paying citizens! You also need to require the use of E-Verify for companies who do work on state contracts and their sub-contractors!Cut the money
from services for illegals before you cut money from services for Maryland Citizens!!!
Anne No more cuts on state services and employee givebacks. This slows the economic recovery and damages the Gov's voter base. Perhaps executive level cuts and reductions in the corrections areas, both state and
Arundel counties, should be addressed.
Baltimore No more drivers for most state officials. Reduce the state fleet. Don't resurface roads/streets that don't need it.
Use this as an opportunity to consolidate/close dangerous and underperforming schools. Buy goods and services at the lowest price (suspend set asides and union pay requirements-its an emergency) Don't keep
furloughing state workers -particularly those who bring in money (grants, medical research and care, etc) that pay salaries of Marylanders - it is inefficient. Contract out services that are done cheaper outside
government, eliminate extras (not parks and rec - maybe legislators slush funds....) . Go after corruption, fraud, and waste.
Montgomery My suggestion is do the right thing! Don't support illegal immigration and drivers license giveaways to people who have broken the laws of our country.Enforce the laws which were already in place for decades.You
should have plenty of police to do the job since you have turned their traffic enforcement over to all of the speed cameras you have installed everywhere.Get Manger to do his sworn duty to the "legal" citizens of
Montgomery County instead of aiding and abetting the illegals and groups like Casa de Maryland. While your government has been looking the other way along with many other govenments including above all the
U.S.Gov't, the gang related crime has risen.Nationwide illegal immigration has caused the collapse of the housing and medical treatment markets.They have drained away the resources taxpaying legal citizens have
worked hard to provide but you and Ike Leggett have squandered away with your irresponsible mismanagement practices.What will your grandchildren have to say about you? Programs like HOC which it appears is
another giveaway program with no monitoring of who gets or deserves it. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Why are they elligible for this program ? I am
one person and can manage to support myself why can't eight?
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. It's all pretty basic right and wrong,legal and illegal.Let your conscience be your guide if you have one!
select your Review special perks that are given to State employees, Vehicles, cell phones, hours of work, redundit paper work, outsource vehicle use, maintenance. Centralize offices to cut down on building maintenance,utility
county cost.
select your Review this policy.The State Highway Adimistration gives vehicles to use and take home Ie the state pay for fuel, maintenance, and even pay to wash the vehicle at privet facilities. and . The state pays others 1/2
county mileage @ $.55 remburment to use their personal vehicle that includes fuel, maintenence, insurance and etc.. for the same purpose. This method will save $.
Montgomery 1. demand all state contracts validate employees with e-verify
2. decline all taxpayer funded services to anyone unable to document legal presence within US
Give jobs and services to legal residents only
Baltimore Instead of taking money away from education, abolish the "vice" principal positions. Whats the point of a furlough day when Overtime is not controlled or even omitted? Furlough days should be across the board, this
means you too Mr Governor. And the Mayor and council as well. Company vehicles- all agencies (etal: bge, state, county, gov) should reclassify take home vehicles, as stay at work vehicles. Again, this means you Mr
Governor and the Mayor too. Control gas prices, BGE rates, food so that the average Joe can afford to get out there and spend again. Prices are out of control. Living is out of control. Increases in bills while
decreasing the paycheck is not a good solution. Oh and one big thing that might fix the economy problems-- elect a new president. :)
Harford I have a few suggestions. Thank-you for giving me the opportunity to voice them. #1-Did you realize that you are paying MdTA police officers, corporals, and sgts. overtime everyday 24 hrs a day to sit at the JFK
Admin. building? This practice started many years ago as a temporary situation and is still going on. #2-MdTA again-there are too many take home vehicles in this organization. Every maint. supervisor has a take
home vehicle. I have questioned this practice before and the answer was if there was a accident on the JFK they need a vehicle to respond in. This is ridiculous. They always respond to their shop first anyway. I
have also seen these vehicles being used while they are not on the clock. With the price of fuel right now I am sure the fuel bill for MdTA is unreal. #3-Hatem bridge decals-The price of the decals just increased-I think
it would have been better to do away with the decals. That is FREE toll. The decals are being sold to EVERYONE not just MD commuters. They should stop the use of decals. The public can purchase EZ pass. The
decal equipment (barcode readers and gates) are different than the Ezpass equipment. Why buy,use, and service this equipment for free toll? Thanks again for listening. Hope it helps. I just recently retired with 31
years of service. I hope my suggestions can help save jobs for Marylands employees.
Baltimore One suggestion would be to close our open arms to illegal aliens and cut any state funded benefits that they may be receiving.
Another suggestion would be to cut the salaries of those that were increased when O'Malley took over as governor.
Another suggestion would be to cut spending. Certainly 50 =/- jobs are not going to take care of the deficit. Reconsider those additional spending programs were voted in the new budget because of the federal
government stimulus. We all must live within our means.
In not way would I suggest raising taxes anymore than they have been raised. This state is business unfriendly and is becoming increasingly unfriendly to people who work hard and earn money. The new policies only
encourage those people and businesses to abandoned the state and move into those states with reciprocal arrangements with Maryland.
Washington xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Washington Eliminate the positions and staff of Div of Correction (Western) (Eastern) (Central) Region Asst Commissioner, etc. There is no way these are needed and are just another layer of buerocracy.
Washington Cut 50% of the Headquarters DOC positions that have been created in the last 5 years. Take a look at it at least....HQ Budget rivals or exceeds most institutions and they do NOT supervise ONE inmate
Baltimore No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts. No
illegal children or children of illegal parents in our public school system. No health care for illegal aliens. No driver's licenses for illegals. Lower sales tax to 5%. Lower our income tax. No more tax funds for abortion.
Worchester
Baltimore ELIMINATE THE STATE TROOPERS WHO ACCOMPANY THE UM FOOTBALL HEAD COACH RALPH FRIEDGEN. I DO NOT WATCH UM BASKETBALL BUT I WOULD HOPE THE TROOPERS DO NOT
ACCOMPANY THE HEAD COACH OF THAT TEAM TOO.
Carroll Dear Governor, Please stop giving our tax dollars to persons who have broken the laws by invading our soverign nation and state. We may be known as the "Free State", but that doesn't mean free support and tax
money for these people.
Montgomery Dear Governor,
My suggestion is to stop funding organizations like CASA de Maryland who are aiding and abetting people from other countries to enter and stay in the U.S., and specifically Maryland, illegally. Also it was a great first
step to require proof of legal residence in Maryland in order to obtain a drivers license, but all aid and assistance should also require the same standard. If you would make the decision to fund only those who are here
legally, it would make a good dent in the budget shortfall, and discourage the illegal behavior that has ended up costing Maryland in blood, treasure, and reputation.
I would also ask that you enforce the use of E-Verify for all state government employees and contractors. Let's keep Maryland jobs available to Marylanders and legal immigrants. We should be all about showing that
people who play by the rules benefit from the system, not interlopers who prey on the (misplaced) good graces of the legal taxpaying residents of this state.
Thanks.
Anne I am a state government employee and I am begging you NOT to take anymore money away from my family!! I've already lost my 401k match and my step increase for the year. Isn't that enough money out of our
Arundel pockets? There are many illegal aliens here receiving more money that I feel they are NOT entitled to whereas my veteran war serving grandfather had to pay more than $700 a month in medications until the day he
died of cancer last year.
Here is my suggestions:
1. Cut spending to illegal aliens.
2. Cut spending on frivilous bonuses to higher executives in all 3 government branches.
3. If an employee doesn't take advantage to the tuition reimbursement cut the limit.
Baltimore You can start by taking no salary then rolling back the $700M of additional spending you created during the special session of nearly two years ago. Also wasn't there a billion dollar rainy day fund that you burned
through?
Anne Though this state is not in the dilemma like CA, the folly that has pervaded this states government has only fueled waste. You as the mayor of Baltimore, allowed a sanctuary city policy in that city as many others
Arundel politicians in this state do to this day. It's really shouldn't even be questioned, that someone without LEGAL PRESENCE should not receive services at the taxpayers expense. Now that brings me to Casa de MD, and
the rest of the parasitic organizations in this state that care little of this countries rule of law, but receive millions each year from taxpaers just the same. And it doesn't help that this state was the East Coast magnet, due
to it's continued issuance of drivers licenses to ILLEGAL ALIENS over the years. You've got to start looking at who truly pays taxes, sure you might lose some votes, but just think how the majority of your constituents
will appreciate a politician with a backbone for a change. And while I'm on this issue, make sure E-Verify is mandated for all state contracts, it's the only right thing real Americans would expect.
Anne STOP FUNDING CASA!!! The state of Maryland is a magnet for illegal's. I know we had some legislation that changed requirement's for a driver's license, but the horse is already out of the barn. All the ones that have
Arundel obtained the driver's license can still renew them. The citizens are tired of supporting the illegal's. I WILL NOT hire them to do ANY work in or on my property, EVER!!! I want the American worker. I am sick and tired of
hearing that I am a racist because I am against them being here. As soon as they step foot over the border they are breaking the law. I have to abide by the laws of this country. They don't. I HATE that I have to press
one for English. Some politicians say, we need to give them amnesty, they are living in the shadows. WHAT??? They are not, they are everywhere. I try to ignore them as much as possible. There is a huge crimal
element with them. They creep me out. We American citizens know what it is all about, the politicians give them the free everything and they in return give the politician the vote. Plain and simple! I have lived in
Maryland my entire life. As soon as my husband retires we are moving out of this state. It is one of the most expensive states in the nation.
Frederick Why not stop funding CASA of Maryland and illegals in our State. Use e-verify for all MD state contracts. Where is your allegiance to the fiscal integrity of our State and its' citizens?
Frederick Why not stop funding CASA of Maryland and illegals in our State. Use e-verify for all MD state contracts. Where is your allegiance to the fiscal integrity of our State and its' citizens?
Montgomery My suggestion for saving our budget is as follows. 1 cut all funding for casa of Maryland. 2 End Esol programs in our tax payer funded schools. 3 Make english the offical language of Maryland. I and believe me am not
alone when I say that I am fed up with my tax dollars being spent on none tax payer programs. How much money would be save if these programs were cut and maybe divived between teachers and police and fire
dept. please Gov. Omally finally have the balls to stand up and do the right thing for the tax payers of Maryland
Anne I know my suggestion is not buget cuts, but rather more income. I would recommend an increase in taxes for alcholic beverages. Every other kind of tax has essentially increased but not "sin" taxes.
Arundel
Caroline No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
select your (1) If state employees must take furloughs/pay cuts; be fair and include ALL state employees. It is not fair that correctional officers and state police do not have to share in the sacrifice.
county (2) Consider 12 hour shifts at 24/7 agencies.
(3) Offer early retirement without penalties as was done the the 1990's.
(4) Allow agencies to buy supplies at lower prices; ie at Staples instead of paying 3 x as much to MCE or minority business.
(5) Make furloughs more equitable; use percentages instead of salary ranges; employees making over $100,000 should pay more than employees making $60,000. Employees making under $30,000 should not have
to pay anything.
(6) Stop thinking of ways to cut state employees pay/benefits, saying you are trying to save jobs. If you continue to cut pay, state employees will not be able to make mortgage payments; pay other bills and become
part of the bigger problem.
(7) Stop listening to AFSME-they care nothing about state employees- only their bottom line.
Montgomery Stop making Maryland a travel destination for illegal aliens! Cut funding for CASA de Maryland and other groups that facilitate presence of illegal aliens. Limit social services to people with a legal presence in the US.
Enter into 287(g) agreements with ICE like Frederick and report violent offenders to ICE like Montgomery County. If illegals move out of Maryland, they will take their US-born children with them, and this will save on K-
12 schooling plus expensive ESOL teachers. There are an estimated 500,000 illegal aliens in Maryland, and they are net tax consumers. A recent study found illegal aliens cost Virginia taxpayers $650 per year. I'll
bet Maryland is worse.
Anne 1.Double or triple all fines and do not allow the judges to suspend any of the fines. The lawyers make out but the taxpayers get stuck paying for the police and courts. Do the crime, Pay the fines!
Arundel 2. Trash pickup once a week instead of twice a week.
3. Collect an annual fee, $5-10 for home alarm systems, $20 for business alarms systems.
4. Do not allow police to take their cars home.
5.Charge for school buses used for public schools. Schools are free and parents cold make arrangements for their children or pay for transportation.
Thanks for the opportunity to make suggestions.
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Dorchester cut casa funds please before other programs
thanks,
Harford Here are some suggestions:
1) Eliminate Thornton and the State Department of Education. Schools succed or fail based on local priorities.
2) Eliminate all taxpayer aid of any sort to people that are here illegally. Give them a reason to leave.
3) Require all recipients of taxpayer aid and all incarcerated individuals to earn their keep by actually providing services that the state provides. Use those new resources to cut payroll.
4) Determine revenue before the Federal porkulus money and cut spending to that level to avoid a new "structural" deficit.
5) Make real cuts to state payroll. At least 5%.
select your No more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens! Please mandate all employers use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts.
county
Frederick Quit finding all services to illegal imigrants
Harford If you really wanted to save this state financially, you would have gotten rid of all illegal aliens long ago .Since you Democrats can't win any election without their illegal votes,you won't do a damned thing about them. I
hope our citizens wake up and run you out of Annapolis!!!!!
Worchester Governor O'Malley,
Budget cuts are a very important issue. It is in Maryland's citizens best interest for you to push to end the funding for criminal organizations like CASA of Maryland that openly support breaking Federal immigration laws.
It's also imperative that you push for ALL employers in MD to E-Verify every employee regardless of longevity or national origin. We need a sweeping E-Verify law to cover the entire state and require ALL law
enforcement agencies to enroll in 287(g) to aid i the deportation of all illegal aliens. The crime and strain on our budget from the misuse of State programs is killing our economy.
JOBS are the key to creating a lucrative environment for all legal citizens of Maryland. We can ensure FULL employment if all illegal aliens are removed from our once prosperous state. There is NO EXCUSE for one
single legal citizen to be without work!
If you cannot support the citizens of Maryland, please step aside as you have neglected your duties.
Baltimore The following declares exactly my feelings about how a large number of political folks in Maryland are wrongfully using our tax dollars-specifically providing monetary and other benefits to illegal immigrants. It is my
strong feeling that there be no more funding for CASA of Maryland and illegal immigrants/immigration! Please demand "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland. Please mandate
employer use of E-Verify for all Maryland state contracts. Please protect our LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND LAW ABIDING AMERICAN CITIZENS by not sidestepping or putting a "spin" on our constitutional rights.
Those that would make it easy for illegal immigration are inviting chaos - there are millions and millions of folks in the world who would just love to come here and partake of our generosity and the tax paying sweat of
our brows without having to go through legalities. I would suggest that citizens are getting wise to it all and getting very tired of it all - especially when there is so much talk about cutting services to our citizens, but at
the same time adding so many services (including health care) that will include benefits to illegal immigrants. YIKES!! Do we stand by quietly and let it happen - or rectify it at the next elections. If political folks of
today have long term future political plans, then they would do well to rethink their stance on illegal immigration and stick to fighting for the rights of our legal citizens.
Thank you so much for the consideration given these suggestions.

Frederick Nowhere in Maryland's notable cost saving actions or running a more efficient government did I see anything about cutting benefits and enforcing existing state and federal laws to prevent the flow of illegal immigrants
to our state, even though you say that "we have done so always with an eye toward the protecting the core priorities of education, public safety, the environment, protecting our most vulnerable families." Doesn't the
illegal immigrant population currently residing in Maryland rely on our education system to school their children? And don't you want to ensure public safety by reducing and eliminating the threat of illegal gangs who
prey on innocent families who are indeed some of "our most vulnerable" to this threat? Lastly, I was raised in Montgomery County and whenever I go back and visit there, I hardly recognize my hometown. Litter
everywhere, graffiti, illegal aliens living 10 or more in small homes and working at jobs that Maryland citizens could be doing to reduce unemployment rates. I am ashamed of what Montgomery County has become and
by extension, Maryland. Already I can see Montgomery County's ridiculous infatuation with welcoming and helping illegal aliens as an influence in Frederick. I hate that my tax dollars go to provide benefits to those
who are not citizens of the U.S. In the next election, I will hold you, Governor O'Malley, ultimately responsible for the sad state of affairs in Maryland, and I will exercise my right to vote against you and others who
embrace illegal aliens in our state. Sincerely
Montgomery To the Governor: If you are truly interested in protecting public safety and the children in our schools, STOP funding CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens. Legal Presence must be required for all taxpayer funded
programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-verify for all state contracts. Do the right thing, sir. You work for us, the citizens of Maryland, not illegal aliens. Respectfully submitted
Montgomery To the Governor: If you are truly interested in protecting public safety and the children in our schools, STOP funding CASA of Maryland and illegal aliens. Legal Presence must be required for all taxpayer funded
programs and services in Maryland. Mandate employer use of E-verify for all state contracts. Do the right thing, sir. You work for us, the citizens of Maryland, not illegal aliens. Respectfully submitted
Calvert STOP PROVIDING EDUCATION, MEDICAL COVERAGE, WELFARE AND HOUSING TO ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS IN THIS COUNTRY AND OUR STATE. NO MORE FUNDING FOR GROUPS LIKE CASA OF MD.
THAT HARBOR AND DEMAND RIGHTS FOR THE ILLEGALS AGAINST FEDERAL LAW.MANDATORY USE OF E-VERIFY BY ANYONE THAT RECEIVES STATE OR COUNTY CONTRACTS.DEMAND PROOF
OF "LEGAL PRESENCE" OF ANYONE SEEKING TAXPAYER FUNDED SERVICES IN OUR STATE. INSTRUCT THE STATE AND COUNTY POLICE TO DETERMINE "LEGAL PRESENCE" OF EVERYONE THEY
ARREST!!! Capital letters are because I am sick of what is happening in this state and country in regards to these people who are here illegally and sucking us dry.
Montgomery No more funding to support illegal aliens in Maryland and the orgaizations that support them. These criminals are sucking us dry. Stop them now.
Anne Instead of cutting services, raising taxes or furloughing mainstream state and county employees, why not remove expensive add-on incentives, as providing expensive vehicles to state and county executives. The
Arundel initial cost of a car (in many cases high-end SUV's) is covered by the taxpayer. The maintenance, repair and fuel are also paid by citizens. These automobiles are provided for personal commuting and often are not
identified by state or county plates.
Why not set an example? If these vehicles must be provided at taxpayer expense, then perhaps something less than luxury transportation would be sufficient. The market today has a vast assortment of fuel efficient,
safe and reliable choices.
City My suggestion is to eliminate the Personal Property Tax Form for nonprofit organizations. Each year the state receives, processes, and files this form for 501(c)3 organizations. There is no tax with it, so it takes time,
and filing space, that wastes money but does not bring in revenue.
Nonprofit organizations already file a 990, which is information available to the public, so what is the point of the "Form 1" for nonprofits in Maryland?
Harford
Increase fines and more stringent accountability for malfeasance in real estate, legal and financial circles. Additionally, institute MUCH more stringent fines for pollution, poaching and other environmental infractions,
fines in addition to ENTIRE cost of cleanup. Issues like the striped bass poaching ring exposed this spring, which wiped out a fishery and paid pennies on the dollar in fines should not ever be allowed to happen again.
That will send a strong message as well as provide revenue.

Howard Number one for me is the millions that you and every governor since Glendening regularly put in the state budget for non-public school textbook (and recently computers). The nonpublic school lobby (headed by the
Maryland Catholic Conference) just pushes for more and more and they're apt to want to include money for transportation next.
See http://www.mdcathcon.org/main.asp
Eliminate other aid to nonpublic schools such as scholarship funds for teaching therein.
Then there are the many pork barrel bond bills that primarily serve special interests. They can surely be cut back in number.
Beyond that, if we're going to have slots in Maryland, the state could save money (the 30% of the take that the operators would get) by putting the machines in state-owned facilities with operation controlled by state
employees. They could even be situated right next to the county and/or city tax offices.
http://www.dailypress.com/news/national/bal-md.slots06feb06,0,3440152.story
Eliminate the cuts of the slots revenue that would go to private entrepreneurs in the racetrack industry and other special interests. One of the latter amounts to a payoff cut to the Minorities and Women's Commission in
order to attract sufficient support for the slots details bill during the 2007 special session. All slots revenue should go only to public education.
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Maryland_Casino_Measure_(2008)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bal-md.ballot11sep11,0,773008.story
Abolish anti-prostitution laws or other sex-related restrictions on consenting adults and turn money saved from eliminating "vice" enforcement into health protection. Regulate the sex industry solely to provide
protection to buyers and sellers and tax it to increase state revenue.
http://prostitution.procon.org/viewbackgroundresource.asp?ResourceID=741
Harford I think the state house chef should be retired. Ground the state jet for 5 years. Fly coasch with your bodyguards and save some state money. Stop the international travel for 2 years. Open back up competitive bidding
and stop the uncompetitive purchasing policies.
Stop the tuition helpand free educating for illegal aliens that I see lined up along Broadway every morning.
Send some bills for medical cost reimbusement to Mexico and whereever else these illegals come from.
Stop thinking all of us are STUPID! The mediocre state positions that were cut were ridiculous. Ask a successfull private employer how to keep a payroll within budget and how they make actual staffing adjustments in
tough times. Reduce some taxes and make the state friendly to business and you will see an increase in revenue.
Carroll Lower the sales tax rate back to .05 cents per dollar. This will encourage spending in Maryland.
Keep making cuts and lower our taxes. Lets see a smaller government in Maryland.
select your Here is one the politicians would howl on. Link the amount of money saved by the state government into raises. There for if they don't save any money they don't get any raise.
county
Baltimore I recommend that the state shuts down all their government agencies twice a month to balance the budget. I'm a state employee and those furloughs days hurted some of us. we can not afford any more furlough days,
their has to be another way.
City Why not encourage more telecommuting and working from home for state employees? With Blackberries and laptops issued to many workers, why not encourage certain days of the week to be "Work-from-home"
days? The state would save on facility and energy costs and workers would enjoy the flexibility, and maybe even could let go of some of their personal/sick time in exchange.
Harford Everyday I speak with State employees and other Maryland citizen who understand the need for budget cuts but do not understand why the citizens of Maryland get the cuts and the non-citizen receive no cuts. No one
I know will vote for O'Malley again unless while we citizens must suffer that massive cuts must be made to Casa de Maryland FIRST.
Anne Eliminate all Section 8 Housing allowances and evaluate all of the "Senior Citizen" programs. I am a Senior Citizen, but age alone doesn't mean we need a discount or other free services. The EZ-Pass monthly fee
Arundel should also be eliminated. Like many other users of EZ-Pass, I canceled my Maryland account and opened a Delaware account, without any monthly fees. I suggest a 10% reduction for every State Agency other than
the Maryland State Police. Let each Agency Head decide where to make their cuts. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to vent my feelings.
Baltimore - raise taxes on those making more than $160,000 to $186,000± a year
- raise sales tax on all tobacco smoking products including cigars + motorcycles, GUNS, and other dangerous products that add to health care costs. This will increase revenue, save lives, save on long term care, lost
taxes due to loss of jobs and deaths, and reduce use of these things.
- allow import and export of wine into and out of the state. This will bring in more of existing taxes on alcohol and make many wine drinkers happy.
- raise tuition at state universities based on major and student age. People studying in fields that result in high paying jobs like engineering, law, medicine, etc. and who are young, pay the most. People studying
graphic design, art, english, teaching, etc and who are young pay just below the average. While these students will have lower incomes, they will have time to pay back.
People who are older in any field pay less relative to the excepted income of the field. So a 45 year old student in science pays less than a 20 year old in science but more than a 20 year old in English. A 55 year old in
art history pays less than a 29 year old in art history. If the parents are paying for it for the younger students, the tuition is set at a level based on parent income.
But, it is key to not over do it. The difference should be no more than a few hundred dollars between the lowest and highest tuition. Note too that, majors like engineering and business tend to have the highest number
of enrolled students while, art or Greek, the lowest. So the volume in the higher paying majors more than covers the lower numbers and lower cost of the small payers.
A side effect of lower cost to older students is that those who lost jobs and are returning to study, are given this lower cost encouragement. Older students in college classes also help raise the intensity of the class as
the younger students see the dedication and maturity of the older students.
Those are rough outlines for the ideas. The devil is in the details!
Anne 1) Lower Senator and Delegate salaries. MD is in the top 10 in the US for part-time legislator salaries.
Arundel 2) Lower Senator and Delegate per diem. During session, many times meals are provided by lobbyists or committee dues. Very few, if any, need as much as they get.
3) Cut stem cell research grant money. Private sources can fund. Doesn't need to be govt role.
4) Cut Coppin State Univ. What a joke! Check out their success rate for their students. We're throwing away money there. Something needs to change.
5) Lower utility bills in state bldgs by adjusting heating/cooling levels to more moderate. Don't need to cool/light unused areas.
6) It costs DOUBLE per head to educate an ESOL student (English Learner). We need one language to communicate and become one community. Stop publishing materials in Spanish and use English as the
common language in America. IMMERSION is key to assimilate.
I hope you take these suggestions seriously. Please let me know you rec'd them and what you think. Thank you.
Cecil Cut money to illegal alien benefits, including welfare, drivers licenses, Casa of Maryland, and require proof of legal residency status for all benefits.
Anne Retro fit all state government buildings with green energy saving items, such as solar panels and geothermal for airconditioning and heating. The installations in the beginning would be expensive, but as soon as they
Arundel are up and running it would save the state an incredible amount of money on energy usage. Also make state fleet vehicles that could be changed into more energy efficent hybrid cars or higher mileage vehicles into
them. The gas saving would be great. Have multiple state fairs and turn it into a fundraising event for the state. Move the fair around the state to give people who do not live near Baltimore a chance to show up.
select your Suggestion #1: Future furloughs for State Employees include a voluntary portion. Some State Employees may volunteer to take extra unpaid days for personal reasons, thus increasing the amount of savings to the
county State, or reducing the burden for other employees for whom furloughs represent a significant economic burden.
Suggestion #2: Encourage unpaid sabbaticals for State Employees, and loosen restrictions regarding sabbaticals. This could lead to a temporary reduction in the state workforce, but ultimately lead to higher morale
and employees that may bring back new skills and life experiences.
Baltimore I applaud your initiative to cut fat from the budget as I almost never support tax increases. However, my suggestion to help balance Maryland's budget is to TAX OUT OF STATE COMMUTERS!!! 50,000 commuters X
$45,000 average annual income X 1% income tax = $22.5 million dollars annually. How much do we spend to keep I83 smooth and beautiful for the benefit of out of state commuters? Today, more than ever, there are
no free lunches and moving out of state for cheaper housing at the expense of Maryland taxpayers shouldn't be on of them.
Thank you for listening!
Baltimore Governor,
It appears we have a predicament here in our fine state. As you know, solving it will be painful, no matter how you go about it. My suggestion is not for further budget cuts. Although I realize there is room for cuts, I hate
the idea because most if not all cuts will involve loss of jobs and services for our citizens. You, painfully, know this.
My idea is “A Penny for Your State” campaign or movement that would result in the addition of 1 cent (just 1) to most purchases, or those that already involve a tax, i.e. a six pack of beer, a bottle of wine or spirit, a
gallon of gas (make the cost $3.40 rather than $3.39), a hot dog, a pizza, whatever. The question is, do you make it mandatory, or voluntary. Getting something like this through our state government could be a
nightmare as your critics will accuse you of “taxing” (heaven forbid). Making it voluntary could be an accounting nightmare. Still, I’ve discussed this with a number of friends, family, and colleagues and no one would
seem to mind forking out an extra penny for anything. Maybe push such a campaign on TV, the internet and any other news outlet. Maybe have it for two years only. If successful, it should generate a sizeable amount
of money to help our state and its citizens.
Thanks for listening. Good luck, my friend.

Harford Thank you for soliciting ideas on reducing the budget. Since state employees at the lower levels seem to take it on the chin in these economic times I would like to suggest a temporary salary reductions for the top 10%
of State of Maryland employees including the executive and legislative branches. Best wishes in this endeavor.
Harford As a Democrat in Harford County xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and out of work for last year I think it it is important for our Politicial Leaders to start cutting from the Top an not the bottom, so that the citizens can have
renewed hope in our Government, cutting from the bottom is wrong way to go since we elect those to represent us! Social Programs, food Pantries and Social Services are all important as well as Education of our
children! Raising taxes and adding fees and surcharges is unproductive in this tough recession and serve no purpose but to punish our neediest citizens! So Please No more Taxes, Fees or Surcharges on the citizens
of Maryland we need a break and we need it now! The neediest citizens need a break not a slap in the face!
Anne My suggestion is- a lot of Marylanders have lost jobs or had to take a cut in pay. The Maryland Governor's offices, staff, and General Assembly (Governor, Lt. Governor, Comptroller, Speaker of the House & Senate as
Arundel well as representatives) should also by good faith cut their salaries. May only be a small piece of the pie in their minds, but it is a show of faith and respect.
Anne Please stop buying land. It is a good idea to purchase the land but if the state is in financial difficulty then buying the land should not take place. It seems if one's cannot make their credit card payment, then one should
Arundel not keep using the credit card.
Cancel all travel that the state budget will be paying. Go back to using conference calls.
Call in all state vehicles - so they are not used for getting to and from work. Have the higher ups use public transportation - its free to them. Have the cost of gas be paid in part by the person using the state vehicle
(from and to work) where the state only pays for gas for state business only.
Printing office with State Police closed, give the inmates this job, as there are many prisons that could have the inmates doing this service at a much reduced cost and be a positive effect on the inmate.
For state employees - they have two pay periods where health benefits are not deducted - take these deductions to help reduce what the state is paying.
Caroline Adopt a two year budget cycle and have the legislature meet every other year.
select your
county
Anne suggest you clean out the board of education of administrators and keep your experienced teachers. Stop the beaurocracy and support the people that make a difference in our childrens future.
Arundel
City Cuts in education should be the main focus!
Have State Senators stop giving out Scholarships! Most of those go to the politically connected! Also cuts should be made in the Baltimore City public school system. We spend as much as some of the richest
counties in the state.. only to get much worse results! More also should be cut from the University systems.
Anne As you know, it is extremely difficult for any head of household, CEO, Governor, or President to know exactly where to cut a budget. The procedure we used in the Department of Defense was a good one -- and very
Arundel effective. Noting that a budget cut was coming, but not knowing the extent, the Secretary would ask all Department heads in his organization to identify what programs they would cut in case there was a 5%,
10%,15%, or 20% cut in their budgets. In turn, the Department heads would ask all their management levels to do the same. Once the data was presented up each chain of command, the proposed cut in programs
would be weighed against the short, medium, and long range goals and plans of the Department, and a leadership decision made as to where to make the cuts. We suggest you do the same thing.
Baltimore It is my belief that we should not be involved in luxury resort activities. Therefore, my suggestion is to sell Rocky Gap. The Sun has reported that annual losses are in excess of $1M dollars. In relation to the "structural
deficit" argument, I find this argument somewhat moot. The legislature created it and they can certainly unmandate the causes of this deficit. I would suggest that you start with the NCLB money.
Baltimore Governor,
The appropriation for stem cell research should be completely eliminated from the state budget. Now that the federal government has resumed funding stem cell research there is no justification for using state taxpayer
funds for this purpose. The current limited state tax income is having difficulty funding legimitate government obligations such as education, public health and security. Leave the funding of stem cell research to the
National institutes of Health and to private granting agencies. Thank you.
Harford As a democratic in a mostly republican county I am really disappointed with the current administration to govern impartially. Here are a few suggestions in order to bring spending down:
- Re-evaluate every state position and eliminate those that are unnecessary regardless of who hold the position and why/how they got it.
-Take a flat 5% reduction on pay for ALL state workers including the governor, Maryland senate and house.
-Fold the MTA into the State Highway Group. Replace the entire upper management of the MTA and eliminate incompetence's.
-Take all car/driver privileges away from state workers including governor and Maryland House and Senate and state police. This might spur increases in use of mass transportation and thereby become more
sympathetic, understanding and responsive to people who take mass transportation and report complaints/issues instead of being ignored.
-Eliminate all reimbursement of state employees who use mass transportation.
-Reduce the amount of MTA buses. Only run the buses once an hour during rush hour on a line. That is what is done on North of Baltimore trains, so it should work here.
-Reduce the MARC trains running from Washington to Baltimore to hourly intervals instead of half hour intervals. You do it north of Baltimore so why not south.
-Scrap the proposed Red Line in Baltimore. Useless and seems like a possible abyss of money that could be utilized better elsewhere. Sheila can steal some more gift cards if she wants to fund it herself.
-Reduce the personal governor’s staff by 50% and reduce the remaining pay to be more in line to actual market value.
-Eliminate political favor positions.
-Return the $350,000 rug
-Close the governors mansion and let the governor live in his own house.
-Slow down purchase of land for preservation.
-Eliminate any compensation for state employees in regard to food reimbursement. If I can bring a my own lunch to a meeting, they can also.
-Eliminate any travel out of state for ALL state employees including MD House & Senate.
-Replace the PSC to include members who are actually intelligent enough to realize that the actual John and Jane Does of MD are getting the shaft.
-Eliminate tax breaks for big business
-Tax universities, colleges, schools, churches, hospitals etc. (especially real estate tax and at current going rate)
-Scale down number of board members on boards across the state like the Board of Education.
-Eliminate “state” sponsored fairs, parades, festivals etc.
-Collect outstanding taxes from individuals and companies.
These are just a few suggestions. I manage a budget for $186 million dollars so many of the suggestions are what we employ when budgets need to be cut. The other suggestions are just things that I see being
abused or out of control that someone needs to account for.
Baltimore why don't we have low level offenders in jail out picking up trash along the highway instead of payng all these state highway employees for just wasting tax dollars picking up trash all day long.
Carroll To balance the budget and put Maryland back in the black we should furloug every elected official in Annapolis for one year. This would not only get us out of this problem it would also keep the lawmakers from taxing
the citizens of this state even more for frivilous programs. During this time there should also be a provision that would not allow BGE to raise rates of any kind during that year.
select your
county
Anne Simple, stop aiding and abetting illegal immigrants.
Arundel
Anne Thank you for inviting public comment on this matter.
Arundel If the state has difficult budget problems, do what a family or business does -- cut back to true priorities. Find the core items, those minimum items that it takes to have a state government. Leave the rest to the private
sector -- free enterprise. I submit that those core items are: a governor and his staff (execute laws), a legislature and their staffs (enact laws), a system of judges and courts (to decide legal matters), and a police force
and jail system (to protect people and enforce laws). Any less than that, and you can't call yourself a state.
Note that that leaves some major items completely out of the government -- schools, environmental activities, health care, roads and other transportation, research, and much more. These functions can all be
performed in the private sector (though it may be necessary to change the Maryland Constitution to drop them from government). It's my contention that free enterprise can perform these functions better than
government, but even if that were not true, a desperate budget situation calls for desperate measures.
If you enacted my proposal, you'd quickly balance the budget and soon be able to cut taxes as well.
Sincerely
Harford Try getting the illegals out of our state. I work for a almost living and am continualy told that I make too much money for any help with anything our combined income is 27000,per yr. My husband is disabled due to MS
and no help for him as well.
Allegany I recently saw a phone book listing all Md state vehicles.
Frankly I am shocked. I can understand the MSP taking vehicles home. I wish they would make a attempt to set a positive example when behind the wheel though. How many tax dollars are being spent on Agressive
Driver Prevention?
But it seems that to be a state manager of any department earns you the right to have a state car in the driveway. State roads depts seem to have allot of vehicles used for personnal transportation. Those yellow
vehicles are easy to see. Yet from the size of the listing I saw it must certainly be that thousands of State employees have State vehicles to commute to and from their tax payer supported jobs.
What makes you guys better than the rest of us? Who pays for all the associated vehicle costs? I bet its the taxpayer.
I'm sure you could save allot just in insurance and maintenance coverage by halving that book.
Additionally I noted the State gave the Horse Racing Industry 30 million this year. An industry that has lost money every year since at least the 1960s. A sad waste of tax dollars for a photo opportunity at the
Preakness. I bet 80% of Marylanders have never gone to a horse racing event and could care less about it. Why not cut those purse strings too? If they can't support themselves then turn those crumbling edifices into
a shopping mall or subdivision which will generate positive tax flow.
Washington My income went from 150K to less than 50K last year. My family had to learn to live with less and restructure our debt. We're doing just fine. Governments must learn to do what all families and businesses know they
have to occasionally do, cut back, restructure, and do without. At a time when people have less, you can't continue to demand and take more and more. It is outrageous that during these hard economic times our
property tax bills have increased at the same time our property values have plummeted. Business and retirees are fleeing to neighboring states because of the tax structure to the point where more and more is being
demanded of less and less. One of the most outrageous wastes of money is the VIP program in Washington County. To keep this facility open is a joke. Far more unclean air is being created by trucks and cars
passing through this 14 mile stretch of the state than could ever be detected by this testing facility. No doubt the resources that have been wasted on this facility haven't reduced the air pollution one centimeter.
Baltimore Jim Smith has done a pretty good job in Baltimore County so perhaps you could consult with him as to any ideas he may have. Also, I would cut anything that doesn't harm jobs. Any type of entertainment or catering
budgets should be eliminated and all top department heads including everyone in your office should take at least a 10% pay cut. I would not want to see cuts to police, fire or education at all. Also, we need to support
efforts for a national healthcare plan and shift it away from employers. We must insure houses and cars so why not human beings. That says something very negative about our country I'm sorry to say!
Thank you
Howard 1. eliminate/consolidate duplicate compliance divisions that exist among various divisions of the government - executive, judiciary and state agency.
2. Consolidate various youth serving agency into one child serving agency to maximize federal funds and provide mental health and family services to the whole family.
3. return probationary services to local government to keep families in the community
Harford STOP STATE FUNDING OF CASA DE MARYLAND.
Caroline Cuts in medicaid need to be made. There are plenty of people who are getting benefits that make more than they should and sneak through the system. My xxxxxxxxxxxxx is a farmer and makes alot of money but yet
he seems to get medicaid for his children, come on now its ridiculous, he could afford health insurance but why buy it when it's free. There are alot of people who are getting insurance that shouldnot be getting it.
People need to get out and work and not looking for handouts. Everything the economy is bad you want to cut state workers, why are they always affected. They need their payraises just like you do, their bills
continue to go up and they aren't getting anymore. They need their money and insurance just like you do, are you going to give up some of your benefits and take your lump sum of furlough days, maybe if you trimmed
back some of your spending we wouldn't be in this bad of shape. Maybe detailing your cars and unnecessary spending would be a good place to start. Raise tuition at colleges 4 or 5%. Furlough state workers one
day a month on a Friday or Monday to maintain a long weekend if furloughs are going to be required, this will cut down on not only salaries it should save money in operating the builiding for the day. Consider raising
gas tax by 2 cents per gallon, this will make sure that everyone has a share in experiencing the pain of budget cuts, just not the state workers.
City For MSDE, Office of Child Care, there is a requirement that every new employee that works in a childcare program in the entire state be registered with the office.
This means that the licensing specialist must review the following paperwork for every new hire:
application, school transcript, ID, medical exam, orientation, federal background check, state background check, first aid training, CPR training, continued training courses and previous experience.
THIS INFORMATION IS THEN DUPLICATED AND PROCESSED AGAIN FOR STAFF THAT APPLY FOR THE CHILDCARE CREDENTIAL (that process can take six months to a year!).
In addition, there is a form that must be completed to add or subtract each staff person, a staffing pattern form that must be revised, and a staffing list that must be updated. All three forms must be reviewed by the
MSDE specialist and their supervisor.
This is very time-consuming for state workers.
There is a lot of turnover in childcare staff, especially in school-age childcare, which is about 90% part-time work, and is often staffed with college students, majoring in education and other related fields. It is not
unusual for a new staff person to start work for a semester, have a schedule change, and leave the part-time job, before their paperwork has even been processed by MSDE.
My suggestion is to change the requirement so that each child care program administrator is responsible for maintaining these records, just as other employers in the business world would do for their personnel. The
records could be reviewed when MSDE does inspections, which are already unannounced annual inspections.
This would uphold the same standards for childcare programs, but reduce the workload for the MSDE licensing specialists and their supervisors.
It would also increase the efficiency of the department. Currently, it is very difficult to communicate with licensing specialists because they are so bogged down with paperwork. It can take days and weeks to get a
phone call or email returned. License renewals are behind schedule, which affects the ability of childcare programs to maintain liability insurance, lease agreements and funding.
Thank you for your efforts to improve government efficiency and to use tax dollars wisely!
Anne Cut the waste in throwing good money after bad on each child in Baltimore schools. With only a 38% graduation rate, money is not the issue.
Arundel The EMERGENCY meeting that you called for the General Assembly was a ridiculous waste of our tax dollars. The voters will not forget this.
Since I am against our tax dollars going for Stem Cell research, you could cut all of out tax dollars spent on that.
Cut spending! That is what we have to do with our own budgets.

Kent I think it only fair that the K-12 system be looked at. Our school systems seem to be unaccountable due to teacher unions and the teachers never lose anything.
Please show state employees that you are a fair person by including the teachers in any budget cuts and yes, the schools. There is a lot of waste out there.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Unions - teacher unions - they have made the difference

Carroll Dear Governor,
For one, budget cuts should start at the top.
A pay cut for all employees who make more than $100,000.00 a year.
Stop training that is not essential for this year. If it is not a requirement or a yearly certification, that gets cuts.
Travel, per diem things that employees do not need to go.
If you have take home vehicles, stop that. Right there will save you lots of money in gas and repairs.
Do not ask for a special saession.
Last time we had one was just a wast of our money.
If you can't get the job done within the time limits that legislation is on, than it will just have to wait till next time.
If the state is renting office space, why not buy the property? In the long run, we would save lots of money that way.
All excess spending must be reduce!
If it hasn't been authorized before hand, than it is s no go.
MML is a waste of city, county and state's money.
All it is, is a vacation and drinking party.
You do not have to go out of your jurisdiction to have training or to hear someone speak.
Too much money is spent by every city to send supervisors to the MML.
That money could be spent else where.
Training starts at home.
Budgeting starts at home.
I have always had to be on a budget.
Money is tight as it is, and as cost of living keeps going up, and not my salary,I am tired of being taxed to death.
Please take into consideration my comments, and thank you for letting me write down my thoughts.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Frederick My suggestion is to eliminate the waste for contractors. Bid contracts with an undestanding that if the contractor does NOT meet their obligations, they will incur penalties. I see all too often, that the government
contractors overcharge, then ask fro more money for overruns. IF they had bid the contract correctly, and worked efficiently, then there would be no cost overruns and less waste. Our COTR's are junk and couldn't
manage their way out of thier driveway. Make people responsible for their actions within the governement and stop with the partisan politics to get stuff done.
select your I have always thought it was unnecessary to cut the lawns along highways. We could possibly save some money and cut pollution if we stopped doing that. Of course, that might put some more folks out of work.
county Thanks for the opportunity to make a suggestion.
Harford stop the use of take home vehicles for any state employee including MSP.
turn back the thermostat year round in state buildings including the state house.
select your
county
Anne I HAVE A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS. ONE IS THAT WHEN TAXES ARE DONE FOR STATE, THAT THE COMPTROLLER CHECK THE VALIDITY OF ALL SOCAIL SECURITY NUMBERS. ILLEGAL HISPANICS
Arundel ARE USING FICTICOUS SOCAIL SECURITY NUMBERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE STATE EARNED INCOME CREDIT. OR MAKE IT SO THAT ILLEGAL ALIENS CANNOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
LOCAL EARNED INCOME CREDIT. ALSO STOP GIVING STATE MONEY TO ILLEGAL ALIENS. IF THE PARENT IS ILLEGAL THAN THE CHILD SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ILLEGAL AND SHOULD NOT
BENEFIT FROM ANY WELFARE PROGRAMS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. IF THE PARENTS ARE ILLEGAL THAN THE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE TAUGHT IN MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE DONT
HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PROPERLY TEACH OUR OWN CHILDREN. I DRIVE A CAB IN THE CITY OF ANNAPOLIS AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PAYS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO TAKE TAXIS TO
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND SUCH. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE WIC PROGRAM MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND ALL CHURCHES AND LOCAL EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS. PUTTING A STOP TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS USING THE SYSTEM WOULD PROBABLY SAVE THE STATE BILLIONS.
Harford I think you should talk to the employees about taken a pay cut witch will be hard on sum but better then being layoff.
I am a county employee i would take a pay cut then to be layoff or co-workers being layoff,alot of workers are will to help but not being ask. i would like to thank you for asking your employees i think that speak highly
of you as a governor and a person good luck
Howard Cut the Stadium Authority. It only benefits the rich owners. And then take the profits from Megaball which it gets and use them to take care of health and education.
Baltimore Dear Governor O'Malley:
1) Stop all advertising for the Maryland Lottery.
2) Immediately institute Combined Reporting of corporate income to prevent companies from shirking their tax duties by hiding money in out-of-state subsidiaries! At least 19 states already use the Combined Reporting
tax system. Some Maryland companies always talk about patriotism, yet shirk their tax responsibilities! The average Maryland citizen just cannot keep paying higher and higher taxes, while companies avoid paying
their fair share of taxes!
3)Charge admission fees at the EXCELLENT Sideling Hill geological museum! Or, make the Sideling Hill museum a non-profit facility. It is too wonderful a facility to just close.
4) Aggressively go after all tax cheats.
5) More aggressively enforce environmental regulations, and impose fines.
6) Increase tuition at all state universities.
7) Add a Maryland State hotel room charge, and increase landing fees at State airports.
Respectfully yours
Anne Rather than furlough all state employees, why not ask for those who would willingly volunteer to take furlough for 1-3 days for those at the lower end of the pay scale so as not to burden that group. A plan could be set
Arundel up to do this by each agency/dept to give directly back to its fellow employees. You would be surprised if you survey or just ask. There are those that would truly be willing to do so!!!
Montgomery Limit the compensation of college sports staff to no more than full professors. Let's get our priorities straight.
Montgomery Limit the compensation of college sports staff to no more than full professors. Let's get our priorities straight.
Montgomery Decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana; tax it heavily. Reduce jail time for small time drug dealers. Reduce the jail population--jail just make more criminals and costs the taxpayer for non-violent no-
weapon small-time drug convictions.
Montgomery Raise the gasoline tax and make it a percentage, not a fixed penny amount. If you can't raise it, just change it to a percentage, based on todays gas prices. Now is the time while gas is cheap. With prices changing
daily, most folks would not even notice the change.
Montgomery Make income taxes structure more progressive. Those who make over $250,000 should pay a lot more; they can afford it and they have benefited from existing policies. The "tax them and they will leave" theory is
baloney. Believe in Maryland--the rich who are here will stay here because they like it here.
Montgomery Accelerate permitting of wind power farms off Maryland shore, like Delaware. MD would profit from taxes and energy export. Would reduce energy costs in the future making Maryland more competitive. Would help
bay by reducing demand for dirty power. Get Obama Energy simululus money for offshore wind in Maryland.
Montgomery Adopt California Energy Commission building codes and appliance standards. They fit Maryland and would save many many billions in the long run. Would avoid building many power plants. No need to be "invented
here".
Montgomery End all international travel by government employees or officials.
Montgomery Close the LLC loophole. Only persons who can vote should be able to contribute to campaigns. This would end lots of boondogles.
Montgomery End subsidies of any kind to private sports businesses--football, baseball, horse racing, soccer. Not a penny more. Let these businesses function like any other business--get them off the dole. Renegotiate stadium
contracts to end subsidies. No more sweethard deals for sports operators!
Montgomery Penalize Medicaid users who go to Emergency room instead of urgent care for non-emergencies. Provide decent 7-day Urgent care as alternative for hospital emergency room.
Montgomery Convert pensions to defined contribution.

Montgomery Bring government pensions/benefits in line with private pensions and salaries. End COLAs on everything. Require major healthcare contributions. Charge those who use government insurance for a working family
member. [Many folks run lucrative private businesses using their government-employed spouses health benefits; why should taxpayers pick up the tab?]
Montgomery Bring government pensions/benefits in line with private pensions and salaries. End COLAs on everything. Require major healthcare contributions. Charge those who use government insurance for a working family
member. [Many folks run lucrative private businesses using their government-employed spouses health benefits; why should taxpayers pick up the tab?]
Montgomery Increase tax collections from non-filers and deadbeats. Publish the names of all filers and have a whistle-blower bounty of 10% of all taxes collected from fail-to-file accounts. Increase fines for late filing, late paying.
Publish list of all delinquent taxpayers. Hire more auditors to audit taxes of big-earners, partnerships, corporations--it pays back 10:1.
Those of us who diligently file returns and pay taxes promptly feel like saps, when so many prominent folks don't.
Montgomery Kill the ICC. Save billions over years.

Anne 1. If the State is still firing a bullet from each handgun that is for sale in order to get a ballistic finger print, that can be eliminated because no crime has ever been solved in Maryland by doing that.
Arundel 2. Eliminate "all" funding for stem cell research. That is a Federal responsibility and not the State. It was done to
counter the Bush ban on embryo research which has since been recinded by President Obama.
Carroll Stop buying state land from your buddies for over the value of the land. Of and it was worthless so why buy it at all. STOP WASTING OUR MONEY
City 1. Ask every department head in state government to eliminate six positions - workload can be combined and responsibilities distributed within each department.
2. Review tax exemptions that are currently in place. There may be a need to eliminate tax exemptions because of the budget deficit and dwindling revenues.
3. Close state parks during the fall and winter seasons.
4. Adopt a flexibe freeze on state hiring
5. Eliminate lottery drawings on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
6. Review the needs of boards and commissions.
7. Establish performance measures for state agencies - when performance measures are not met, decrease funding
8. Consider privatizing the state correctional facilities
9. Tax increases on persons who have incomes over $200,000
10. Increase cigarette, alcohol, and hotel taxes.
Baltimore Many people live in neighboring states and work in Maryland. Yet Marylanders have to pay to build and upkeep the roads that these commuters use on a daily basis. What if there were a toll for use of major commuter
roads such as I-83, but Maryland license holders would get a pass going through the toll? It's time the (Pennsylvania) freeloaders paid for the services from which they profit!
Howard I suggest the governor forgo his salary for 2010. Most of us in the private sector have been asked to take reductions in salary or have lost jobs. I just laid-off 150 employees in xxxxxxxxxxxxxx because of the poor
performing economy. I believe this would demonstrate Mr. O'Malley's "eye toward protecting the core priorities." This is what true leadership is all about. Mr. O'Malley has a duel income and his personal overhead is
being covered by the people of Maryland. Stepping forward in this manner would send a strong message about his commitment to the people and priorities of Maryland.
Baltimore End moratorium on raising tuition and raise tuition by at least 10% for state schools.
Require some type of drug treatment for offenders with addictions. The amount of crime perpetrated by addicts is overwhelming, whether it be illegal substances, alcohol, or prescription drugs. Completion of a detox
program and treatment to deter future crime would be more cost-saving than the cost of another prisoner and a drawn out court trial/procedures. Drug Court programs shouldn't just be for first offenders if it's
determined that a petty thief is only a thief to fulfill their need for drugs.
Stop State public assistance for those who are involved in criminal activity - i.e. have their homes raided, are arrested for crimes, keep someone in their home who has criminal charges pending.
Baltimore Great work allowing SHA to go green and windy in Westminster!! kudos! do more of this!!!
To put more $ into consumer's pockets, and waste less fossil fuel try programming ALL traffic lights to respond ONLY when traffic is present/actually aproaching - to avoid unnecessary idling while NO cross traffic
occurs. . .I don't know how many times I've sat at an intersection, with NO ONE around, obeying the traffic control device, and burning fuel!
Also, I'd like to comment on the currnt #77 from cellular telephones, which motorists in MD are invited to use to alert POLICE to highway incidents - when traveling recently between Baltimore City and College Park,
along I-95, I encountered an AUTOMATED answering system, when I dialed #77, which did not connect me, directly, to a live police representative, when I attempted to alert POLICE to a disabled motorist; which did
not require/warrant 911 assistance. . .in another area, between Relay and Baltimore City, I've called #77, and was greeted with an officer, who may have been driving a desk, who wanted to GIVE ME ANOTHER
NUMBER TO CALL, to be able repeate my report of a PEDESTRIAN walking along the inside face of the jersey barrier within 3 feet of I-95 traffic; pulling some luggage behind him; and same officer seemed to engage
an "attitude" that he would need to relay info from MD State Police/Rosedale to MDTA police. . .when I informed him that I could not easily/safely dial antoher number nor suffer the distraction of being on the cell phone
any longer, in the current traffic conditions. . .in both case, I was DRIVING, and attempting to assist another motorist/pedestrian who was in peril; with both circumstances introducing me to either APATHY or peril for
myself and fellow drivers. . . please have this situation adjusted to truly be automated AND user-friendly. ..!!
Thanks! and keep up the good work for our state of MD.
Harford Traffic ticket amnesty day. All the states are doing this & why not we can use all the help we can get
Howard Why doesn't the state charge per copy for using the MD Land REc system. Like D.C. does. If you are in the courthouse it is free to look at the docuemnts but if you are in a remote location it costs $2.50 per document
to look at the instrument.
Anne Hello,
Arundel Thank you for the opportunity to provide a suggestion that might help with the State's current financial situation; and also provide less financial impact to some employees willing to retire a year or two early. I believe
there are many State employees willing to retirement now, but must work another year or two in order to receive better credit for the three-year averaging system currently in place used to calculate employees
retirement checks. Because state employees have not had step increases and etc. during the last two years calculations regarding retirement checks have been greatly reduced. Should an employee be willing to retire
before July 1st in 2010 this current year cannot count as being one of the employees highest wage years included in the retirement calculation. This will require employees to revert to an even earlier earnings year
based on a third step loss in the retirement calculation. Many of us do not need additional years of service added in order to qualify for retirement as done back in 1997(?). What would really help state employees to
make the decision to retire now (even though already fully qualified by age or having required time in state service) would simply be that the employee's highest wage year (single year) serve as the three-year average
requirement at this time to help with the state financial situation. The employee would receive closer to what would have been his normal expected retirement. The State would gain the employee's remaining wages
over the next year or two.
Thank you,
Harford I would like to suggest that our high paid Government Officials take some pay cuts and cuts in their medical benefits. Is it necessary in this economy to have a Governor's Mansion? Can the entertaining be
downscaled? Maybe the $ 40,000 rug I read about for the Governor could be sold on ebay. Can State Officials cut down on the limosines and drivers? I am just about able to exist in this economy, everyone I know is
effected and can not afford any luxuries.I have seen friends and family overstressed with worry on how they will pay the bills. Maybe it would make me feel better if I could see our State Officials trying to economize. I
haven't seen or heard anything yet!! How much have our overpayed Officials cut their salaries and benefits??
Harford Governor O'Malley, My idea for creating a new revenue stream would be to impose somekind of commuter tax on residents that work in Maryland, use OUR public roads but live outside the state. My sister & brother-in-
law live in Elkton but work in Delaware at B.O.A. and Delaware hits them with a type of commuter tax. Just look at how many people live right over the line in Pa as well as Northern Virginia. Why not let them pay a
share of running our state that they work in or go back to their state & find another job! This is 1 tax that won't cost any MD polititions any votes. Thank you and good luck.
Baltimore You are going to have to rethink the idea of tuition freezes in the State university system. It's obvious that you made an unrealistic campaign promise. There is no right to such heavily subsidized higher education, and
it creates a burden on taxpayers and the elderly. The university system is out of control with its spending; the budget should be frozen.
Washington Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on cutting the state budget.
First, I would like to suggest that you look even further at the expensive renting of office space for government. I know that the Department of Public Saefty (the agency I work for) spends thousand of dollars a month
for office suites in Reisterstown and Towson. When I visit our state hospital campuses I see numerous vacant buildings. Some I'm sure need to be torn down, others could be rehabed (is their stimulus funds for this?)
and become usable rent free office space for state agencies.
Two, I'm appreciative of your very limited terminations of state employees. I suspect some of our former governors would have been heavy handed in eliminating positions (I still have bitter memories regarding what
Governor Schaefer did to my colleagues). That being said, I like to point out that the last Governor who went out of his way to treat state employees fairly during an economic downturn was Harry Hughes. Instead of
abolishments he took into consideration seniority and bumping rights. It was systematic and fair. I suggest that you too take the high road when you lay off staff. Additionally, I highly recommend a voluntary early out
option for senior employees. I'm sure there are many state employees with 25 or more years in who would leave state service if fair early retirement compensation was offered.
Third, although they say that Maryland Correctional Enterprises is a money maker for the state, I'm not so sure. State agencies pay premium prices for office furniture that could be purchase for a third of the price at
Office Depot or Staples. Also I recall that when our inmates needed notebooks for their cognitive groups, they had to be purchase at two dollars a piece from a specific supplier. The same notebooks were available at
Wal-mart for 39 cents a piece. So there is definitely something very wrong with our precrrement of equipment and supplies.
Third, just so you know, most of my colleagues would prefer furlough days to a cost of living decrease. Additionally, only a few state employees want service fees. Postpone implementation of this legislation. At a
time when state employees will be expected to earn less, it's hypocritical to pay service fees to unions who are ineffective at obtaining better wages for state employees
Yours for humane, efficient, and responsible government.
Anne Non-critical state employees work a 4-day 40 hour work week as has been implemented in Utah. Longer work days will make it easier for the working public access services; money will be saved on
Arundel lighting/cooling/heating public buildings. Fuel use will be reduced and possibly the money employees save in transportation cost might be put back into the economy.
Anne I believe that parents should be charged a fee for each child that is bussed to public school. By basing the fee on the distance the child lives from the school, this proposal would not only reduce government spending,
Arundel but also encourage families to live closer to their schools, thereby reducing sprawl.
K-12 education is provided to residents free of charge. Transportation to and from school should be paid for by the parents, not the taxpayers.
Anne Why not raise fines for speeding, drinking and driving, driving without a license, and other crimiinal and civil violations of laws. Raise fines for environmental violations, zoning violations etc. Thus raising money and
Arundel possibly reducing illegal behavior.
Anne Stop spending so much money on beautifying the median strips along the state highways and let the grass grow longer. Also, eliminate the use of credit cards by state employees. Go back to the old way of having
Arundel expense accounts that have to be approved.
Harford We need to get the slots up anhd running so the state can make some money. It loks like Laurel race Track is the only perfect location.
Anne Cut Medicade more and cut all welfare-esque spending. Put more effort into cutting State assistance programs, particularly those which have no incentivized basis and are just transfers.
Arundel
Baltimore Several years ago there was a push to flatten out management. This eliminated many middle management positions. They are all back and even more. You could do that again. Also, I know there has been a push to
eliminate many state owned vehicles. This should be looked at more closely. Why do managers still have vehicles and why do employees have take home vehicles that live out of state?
Baltimore 111
Allegany Maryland is now paying for all inmates (Excluding Lifer) to receive their Birth Certificate regardless of State. A Maryland Birth Certificate is $12, which is one of the cheapest, and the cost only goes up. The Division of
Correction could save a great deal of money and avoid Furlough Days by not paying for these Birth Certificates. Certain circumstances may allow some to have them paid for if they are Indigent.
Baltimore Reduce PR staff, ie, photographers. Reduce staff in Lt. Governor's office. Reduce State Stat staff.
Do timesheets via computer program, rather than paper.
Eliminate hotel per diems for legislators living within 1.5 hours of Annapolis. Reduce per diem, for all legislators for food. Eliminate immediately all out of state travel for conferences for all state employees, legislators
and excutive branch. And absolutely no out of country travel.
Limit legisators' mail--- no general mailings to consitutents.
Baltimore I have some great suggestions to help with your budget crises. First you could cut off all funding to illegal aliens & groups that support them. Second, you could quit wasting so much money on public transportation
projects. Let the people that use the MTA pay for improvements. My last idea is very simple and you could do it tonight.......... it's simple, just quit, you are doing an awful job! A monkey could run this state better.
Baltimore Allow all State Agencies to implement a four (4)day work week which consists of ten (10)hour days. However, this does not include essential personnel another formula can be worked out. This would reduce the state's
utility bills and provide energy cost savings. In addition eliminate the unnecessary provision of state vehicles to employees as a perk. State employees should only be provided with vehicles if it involves the
performance of their duties and unless it is required on a 24-hour basis at the end of the day those vehicles should be parked thereby saving excess gas expense.
Washington Eliminate unnecessary construction specfically at (MCTC) and at the rest area in Frederick. We are temp. closing two rest areas but spending money on a 3rd. When eliminating programs the state of Maryland should
target programs in the Division of Corrections and not the one's that effect law abiding citizens.
Baltimore Cut all the funding to CASA of Maryland. We shouldn't be funding them even if the economy was going full steam.
Anne I recommend that the Governor issue an executive order to all State agencies for State Employees to reduce the use and mileage driven on all State vehicles. This will save fuel and maintenance costs. Of course
Arundel needed field work should still be performed. But, teleconferences, telephone calls, car pooling, route planning and other measures can be used to help with meeting this goal. The agencies that reduce their mileage
should be recognized for their achievement.
Baltimore My suggestion is two-fold. One: Make it mandatory that every working person in Md. pay $5 to go directly into the budget. Every Md official making over $55,000 a yr. go one day a month w/o pay for at least 1 yr.
Two, if necessary. Also freeze all gov. officials salary for at least 1 yr.
I'm on a fixed income and have no savings and I would be more than willing to put in the $5 ($20 if I thought it would go where supposed to and help our state out). We should all pitch in and help but we must be more
sensible ab. greed among people in higher places.
Baltimore with all the money we are spending on the illegal aliens...tuition for college, medical benefits, welfare, schooling...literally millions that could be spent on people who live legally in Maryland and pay taxes. Send them
home. Or better yet make them pay taxes! What is it about illegal do we not understand?
Howard I do not believe that the employees of the state of MD should pay for the budget deficit with furloghs. These employees are working people with families and obligations to meet. With that being said and with fairness
in mind all programs should be cut the same percentage to make up the budget shortfall. In other words if a cut of five percent achieves a $700 million budget cut then a 5% across the board budget cut is the answer.
In this way no one can claim that Governor O'Malley unfairly singled out their program or interest. This will not be a popular solution for many special interests but these times call for tough decisions and even tougher
leadership.
Sincerely
Howard I respectfully suggest that you delay implementation of the new paper ballot voting machines in 2010 till 2012 or beyond, thus saving $38 million. This is only a 5.5% saving(of the $700 million), but as US Senator
Everett Dirksen said, ever "little bit adds up to big bucks."
Besides, the Touch Screen Voting Machines are to be available at the polls in 2010 for use by visually impaired persons and the general public who want to use these machines. No votingdisruptions will be caused.
Baltimore Stop allowing children of those who work in public schools etc such as the University of MD to get free tuition to public colleges. Most of them have well paying jobs. It is not fair to tax payers who have to support
them.
Anne Have a yard sale and auction off all the fancy furniture that is in the Governor's mansion and the state house. You should be able to clear enough cash to keep a dozen people on the payroll for the next fiscal year.
Arundel
Anne As a retired, then re-employed part-time pharmacist, I see horrendous waste regarding the MD Medicaid pharmacy program. The first example that comes to mind, is the use of Seroquel as a frequently prescribed anti-
Arundel psycotherapeutic agent. This drug can usually be substituted with a traditional drug within the same category, generally available as a generic equivalent at a fraction of the cost, with comparable efficacy and side
effects. This is just one example of the exorbitant costs I see on an almost daily baiss. There are many more that can be discussed with your pharmacy formulary people. The above drug cost is often exceeding
$300/month, where it could possibly be reduced to well under $100 with appropriate drug therapy. Also, there are many Medicaid recipients who are prescribed up to 13 prescriptions or more per month with a monthly
cost to the State of $1,000 or more!!! I have never seen this many prescriptions filled by patients who pay out of pocket or even those with private health insurance. And pity the Medicare D recipiants who don't
understand that their expensive brand name drugs are eating up their benefits and throw them into the "donut hole" before they had any idea that these same brand name drugs cost so much. We try to tell them, but
with the average cost of filling a prescription is about $11.00 and the big box stores are selling a 30 day supply for many drugs for $4.00, hoping to make it up on light bulbs and tires, we community pharmacists, who
are trying to provide the best patient care (and we do) are struggling to make ends meet. This is one area where the State of Maryland could look to possibly reduce taxpayers costs. Also, why was Viagra ever
covered??? What a joke, why allow something that is purely a "personal preference item" , while it costs $100 or more per month for 6 tablets? If you need further examples of needlessly spent taxpayers dollars, within
the pharmacy program, I have more. Respectfully your, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (your band rocked!)
Anne Stop giving away free benefits and services to illegal aliens. This is sure to save on the order of $800M per year.
Arundel This change is way overdue!!
Carroll Stop buying Open Space - state isn't a good steward of all this land. Stop funding all embryonic stem cell research - as a Roman Catholic you should be pro-life or renounce your faith, and it isn't a proper role for
government. Cut 10% of state workforce to reflect down economy; that is what everyone else is doing.
Montgomery Governor O'malley;
Two items:
1) I have written before. I hope you will at least have someone hear me out. I had a contract with Maryland MVA, and it was abruptly taken away. I can add 20 to 25 million dollars, anually, to the treasury if you can help
restore my contract. If someone would see me to discuss this, I would appreciate it. If no one can see me, I would ask that you discuss it with George Della. He is a friend, and he knows my situation.
The second item is about the problem with cell phones in the penal institutions in the state. One of my friends has a company that manufactures equipment in Baltimore County. This equipment can identify a cell phone
signal and pin point it's location, seconds after it is turned on. This is something that would solve the current abuse problems, completely.
select your you take a cut in pay.. take would help

county
Dorchester -Remember those new public service commission positions you created and you raised everyone's salary on the commission--
ELIMINATE THOSE POSITIONS AND CUT BACK THOSE HIGH SALARIES!!
-Reduce the salary of the Chancellor of U.of M by 50%. Also cut the salaries of all your cabinet members by at least 25% and you can probably eliminate many of those positions. It is ridiculous the salaries taxpayers
are having to pay these people who don't work any harder than the rest of us.
-STOP TAKING YOUR LUXURY TRIPS TO EUROPE AND OTHER COUNTRIES which does NOT benefit the taxpayers who are having to pay for them.
-Stop the chauffer service for your wife.
-Get rid of all the public transient buses that are riding around Dorchester County burning thousands of gallons of fuel--with no one on the buses!!! Probably in other areas, too.
-Get rid of your chef and cook your own dinner!
-Stop wasting your time trying to come up with other ways to tax the people in Maryland.
-Stop wasting money on failing schools.
-Remove from the tax law Maryland's portion of the earned-income credit.
-Stop the giveaway programs that encourage people NOT to work and take care of themselves. We're sick of the lazy people in Cambridge that sit on their front porches talking on their cell phones, dealing in drugs,
smoking, drinking, or driving around in their new cars at our expense. Our government encourages this behavior.
Baltimore 1)clean house on North Avenue (Baltimore City school admin); there are oodles of mid-level admin people (what did I read 100 people making over $100K?) who are not educators nor are they decision-makers; just do
it.
2) clean house at the alcohol and tobacco tax department; I do have experience with them when I worked for a wine & beer distributor; the yearly audits were a waste time and too much money was spent hunting
down $25 in unpaid wine taxes; perform audits every 2 years instead of every year; with automated reporting yearly audits s/b unnecessary.
3) Maryland House doesn't need a full-time cook; bring in someone to cater special dinners but the O'Malley family can "make do" with simple sandwiches and salads a few nights.
4) provide some incentives to get real work done just like private enterprise; if the task isn't completed in the time allowed, then pfffft! that person is gone; not transferred, but gone.
Anne Prohibit all state workers from traveling to out of state on my tax paid dollar. (except essential employees or public saerty transportion or to fulfill regulations or consent decree...etc....) i am appalled that planning to
Arundel attend conferences out of state or hosting Maryland sponsored conferences out of state is allowed to continue. such as the School of Maryland school of menthal health who last year enriched Phoenix and this year
will enrich a midwest city. We have plenaty of good conference facilities right here. Force conferences sponsored by maryland state institutions to be held in state so maryland companies and workers get the revenue.
remove the "prpofessional study time" fomr state workers. those of us in provate business need to learn the ropes of our jobs and pay for educations without state assistance. most state workers take time on their
porch or the boat with a book "because they work so har during the school year" instead of what the state holds us accountable to sas professional development. That is plenty of self funded after hours time learning
applications so we can remain comptetitive. state workers waste tones of money they feel entitled to. private insdustry has to work for evey dollar every hour and more because the insuerance premiums take it all
back . Do you think i have a vacation. no and it is my husband's 60th birthday. we work every day .
Baltimore Have the State of Maryland operate their own Child Support and Enforcement System in Baltimore City and Queen Anne County, instead if Vendors.
Anne Ban illegals from public elementary and high schools. With an estimated 200,000+ illegals in MD and assuming that just 1 in 20 is of school age, that means 10,000 illegals in our public school system. At a cost of,
Arundel say, $10,000 per kid, that's $100,000,000 right there!! So what if the Supreme Court ruled that we have to educate them (Plyler v Doe, 1982)? Let's develop a court case to challenge that asinine ruling and take our
country back!
Sure, fat chance that your administration is ever going to take a single step against illegals even if it bankrupts the state. That would be the day!
Carroll Make the MTA buses and trains pay for themselves. End all financial assistance.
When off-duty have the state troopers not use the state cars and wear them out and burn up gas. Park them at the station.
Give the state legislature a year off without pay. We have enough laws already.
Cut welfare in half.
Combine the MTA police, Md Transportation police and state police into one force.
Sell the bay bridge to a private firm.
Anne One suggestion that has been successful in other parts of the country is to go to a four day a week school schedule. From what I have read, the schools have not seen a drop in test scores or performance. The
Arundel savings would be in transportation and utilities costs, so the state could give them less and then offer some back as an incentive to make and keep the change in place.
Go to 4 day work week for all state offices. People do adapt to not having the offices open every workday.
I don't think increasing sales tax was a good move. I know it hit at almost the same time as the recession, but I know I spend less because of the increase in tax. Rescind or reduce the tax.
As always - if no one is in a state owned building all lights should be off except for security purposes. Probably all have been changed to lower cost lighting.
Look at per diem costs for legislators. If they live within so many miles of the capital they have to return home at night. Sorry about those late nights, but that is part of service to the state.
Cecil you never talk about how much money can be saved by cutting out all programs for illegal immigrants and stop giving everything to them.No one in government ever talks about cutting back on anything to do with the
immigrants.
Howard The solutions are quite simple and many.
We have thousands of prisoners in this state that are treated with kid-gloves. They have committed a crime at which they should be punished. These criminals owe a debt to society and we give them cable, a weight
room, equal rights... etc. When they committed a crime, they lost those rights. There are states in the south that use criminals to do road repair, hard labor, etc. Why is this state any different. If we make them
accountable for thier actions, make them serve the entire term and be productive the following will occur: less crime (criminals don't want to work), less spent on housing inmates, less revenue spent by the state, road
repairs are completed in a more timely manner, police force can cut back on overtime. This one suggestion will save the state millions, on the other hand will cost a few state workers thier jobs, but they can be asked
to help watchng prisoners do the job. A lot gets done when ou have 1 person watching 20 work. When prisoners show that they can be productive, then and only then can a mild reduction in sentence be considered.
Investigate questionable spending as with the Obama spending package, remove those programs and hold those taking money accountable. There's a study in there for pig scent. Why are we studying the smell of a
pig? Wasteful, thoughtless spending that our youth will have to pay for.
Investigate tax evasion. From what I understand, only about 40% of the population pay taxes at all. That alone should be a boost!
Require all jobs performed for the State to have several bids and accept a resonable one. No favors for relatives or friends.
Deport Illegal Immigrants, these people utilize valuable tax payers money for healthcare, police force and other civil services and they do not pay taxes. Illegal is just what the name implies, don't give these people a
drivers license and give in to possible future votes. Get rid of them and decrease our unemployment. This will save lots of money!
Evaluate the value of state workers on thier productivity and hold them accountable for substandard work. Just today, I saw an Anne Arundel County worker sleeping in a truck while several other workers trimmed
trees. This is my tax dollars at work? Offer small rewards for ciizens catching these people.
Find a way for our court system to stop frivelous law suits before they get to court. This wastes a lot of tax dollars and does so much damage to individuals who never meant harm.
Fight against the cap and trade! This will cost Marylanders jobs and add a burden to each family with added costs for energy.
Fight against the Health Care plan! Please, don't let them destroy the best healthcare system in the world. Our caregivers are skilled and deserve more than the disgrace that our administration is showing towards
them. This plan will cost Marylanders jobs, money and will encourage euthinasia with our senior citizens. This plan is ill-planned with the goal of government take-over and is a bad decision. I find it disturbing that our
President is forcing this down our throats without reading it himself.
I think if we increase the cigarette tax, this will help in 2 ways: 1st, reduce the cost of healthcare that we assist with by reducing the number of people that can afford to smoke and 2nd simply by raising revenue in
taxes.
Slot Machines. Gov Ehrlich wanted them, it's not a bad idea. Our bordering states are taking money from our citizens. Why not keep this money here?
Make auctions of State siezed property known to the general public. This can be done simply through the news; they'd love this story and hold them for everyone. Re-invest this money into the State.
Fine our biggest polluters in the state. The bay is taking a hit because of this. I believe it's the back-bay that has it's worst offenders, right near Baltimore. We need to make an example of these people. This will
increase state revenue by increasing our fish and crab population as well as from the fines.
Encourage industry, particularly technology and products actually made in the US to be made here in MD. Do this by offering tax incentives. This will reduce the unemployment rate and raise tax dollars for the state as
well as encourage new "bright" individuals to move here also adding to the amunt of tax dollars raised.
Speaking of tax dollars, throughout history we have seen that cutting taxes actually raises more money for the state as well as federal monies. Why aren't we trying this simple measure? Simply by increasing the
amout of money people have to spend, that money comes back into the state in sales tax and this in turn helps reduce unemployment and raises funds.
There are tons of other suggestions that are not that hard to think of. With these suggestions, our children will not have to suffer with sub-standard education and having to repay this debt in the future. Please sit down
and think about these ideas and you'll see that the deficit that MD has can be easily erased.
Sincerely,
Anne I was one of the guys who worked with Elliott Schlanger on initiatives similar to the following on the City of Baltimore:
Arundel
1) Cancel Replacement of State Personnel System, savings $50M, not including the unfunded and unknown cost of the equipment to run this system. Google 'North Carolina Payroll and Personnel debacle'. I have
about 20 more case studies just like it. Your RFP is setting you up for a similar path.
Instead, allow each agency to bid out personnel functions on a cost per transaction basis while mandating the data standards which would feed a State data warehouse (already in production) for Enterprise reporting.
This strategy has proven to lower costs per transaction by over 30%. 85,0000 State employees have a lot of transactions. It also prevents the risk of large scale failure (high, happy to send the data to prove it).
2) Create a shared services environment for the State Community College system. A similar system for the State of GA goes online next week, est. savings $27M vs. a State administered system. (Acccenture data)
Improve services, lower cost of ownership, better employee experience.
Same with USM. 8 instances of PeopleSoft has a very high annual cost to the state - and it will be obsolete very soon as PeopleSoft no longer exists after being absorbed by a competitor. Savings $9M (net) based on
Georgia's experience.
3) Contract out the state healthcare Benefits audit function on a performance basis, where the auditor is awarded a small percentage of recoveries. Est. 'Net' savings after recovery: $20M (based on $350M claims
guess)
4) Sell the subrogation rights to State employees healthcare claims. Savings $3.5M.
5) Audit (on a performance basis where the recovery = % paid to auditor) State Rx claims. Savings $4M
6) Require all non exempt state employees to 'punch' in and out on a computer, and apply workrules to punch to promote schedule adherence. This provides fair, objective performance/productivity measures when
scored vs. units of output (tax returns processed, buidings inspected, etc). This is a std tool in the commercial non exempt workforce.
Est. Savings $13M.
I'm up to $110M or so.

Want me to go on?
Give me a 45 minute window of time and let me provide real world examples and xxxxxx 'king for a day' presentation. Mayor Fenty is a believer in xxxxxxxxxxx after this past summer, hope you will be too.
City Every state employee should take a furlow day before the end of the fiscal year, except elected officials. You all should work for free insted of taking a furlow day. Stop crying, it will look good to the voters... do you
guys every really think? Those that don't want to do it, won't look good to the voters. Police and firefighters' furlow day should be replaced as a future comp day when the budget is in better shape... a "banked" day.
Next fiscal year make it two furlow days before the end of the fiscal year and allow them to have the option of taking a third one to "bank" the day as a future comp day when the budget is in better shape. Uh, working
for free for those days are still in effect for you guys. I mean, you did say that you ran for offcie to be public servants right? Well, here's your chance to really serve the public. make a freaking sacrifice for once in your
life.
Harford Stop illegal aliens from coming unto the State of Maryland where there are getting free housing, welfare, free education and getting free MVA driver licenses from my hard earned money.
Anne To solve this budget crisis I would suggest you and the legislators should forgo a pay raise for the Fiscal Year 2010
Arundel
Anne Pensions. Underfunded, extravagant, and not well-publicized of course. Increase minimum career length, deny early retirements, and start your move to defined contribution.
Arundel
Baltimore Although it won't fix the problem completely, letting the Constellation/ EDF Deal go through would bring some badly needed revenue and jobs into the state.
Howard Offer early outs (3-5 years service credit) to state employees. Governor Schaefer did in the early 1990's and it saved others from being laid off.
Also if you have a hiring freeze in effect why are state agencies still hiring? Some positions are new. The only positions that should still be recruiting should be security and medical.
Harford 1. Repealing the 20% sales tax that went into law in a Special Session last year 2008. 2. Have legislators giving back their last pay raise without the Md. citizens approval. 3. Stop taxing businesses so much because
many businesses are leaving the state to a less Tax burden to businesses.
Baltimore I would suggest the State change the way it pays overtime to state employees. Currently, if an employee takes leave during the week, and works overtime, the employee will receive overtime at time and half for all
hours over forty in the pay week. The State should adopt what occurs in private industry, in that the employee has to physically work 40 hours before receiving overtime at time and half. So if the employee took 24
hours of leave, and worked 24 hours, the employee would be paid all 48 hours at straight rate, vs. 40 hours at the straight rate and 8 hours at time and one half. The positive side affect would be a reduction in leave
used as employees would be more judicial in their use of leave, and not only reduce the cash outlay but probably reduce overtime overall because employees would be less likely to use leave and then no one would
get into work for the absent employee.
Also, perhaps the state could allow all cash employees to "swap" their shift, like the police and firefighters are allowed. This could potentially save dollars as you found someone to take your shift and vice versa as
opposed to someone getting called in to cover the shift for the employee who needs off.
Eliminate the option for cash employees to elect comp in lieu of cash for their overtime. All this does is defer the cost of the overtime, allow employees to accrue even more time off which then creates issues for
management when the employee wants to take the time off. If mgmt says no, the employee files a grievance, if mgmt say yes, then they have to find someone to cover the shift, and probably paying even more
overtime. Just pay it the first time and not worry about the employees taking additional time off!
Thank you~
Baltimore Short term forget it, we're screwed! Long term there is hope! Next time negotiation with the teachers union arise offer a merit raise system for those who wish it with real monetary bonuses and this will benefit the
children who one day will decide which nursing home you will reside in.
Baltimore Stop adding new programs as you did 2 years ago.
Reduce the automatic increase in budgets each year, a reduction of 5% is not reducing the automatic increase from 15% to 10%. This is an increase of 10% no matter how you look at it.
Cut funding for illegal immigrants NOW!
Last but most important be HONEST!
Baltimore Do away with state workers and delagates receiving a state issued car. "regular" people have to provide their own transportation to get to work, why can't they. No one should get a car at the taxpayers expence.
City 1. A suggestion to raise more capital for the state would be to mirror how things are done in another state. for ex., my parents live in Florida, and all grocery stores sell beer & wine (in addition to the liqour stores).
Having easier access to beer and wine (including Sundays) would increase sales for the local grocery stores, and increase maryland's tax income as most liqour stores are closed on Sundays in MD.
2. Allow the sale of beer & wine on Sundays (various establishments where it is now restricted), can still restrict alcohol to accomodate those with hesitations to the idea.
3. Allow bars/restaurants/clubs to stay opened longer 1 day a week/month/for the summer, bringing in out of state tourists that are attracted to Balt's night life. Increased tourism will boost state/city income through
taxes and money spent. Can even tax those establishments a higher rate that get to stay open later since they would be benefiting from the increase in sales. (most flock to other cities because their establishments
stay opened past 2am, (ie. DC/Phillie and even NYC.)
Arundel
Please take a SERIOUS look at what the State is spending on outside contractors, particularly in the IT area. I would agree that this practice makes sense for one-time development projects of short duration... but there
seems to be an institutionalized practice of paying vendors $125 - $250/hr for ongoing services... many of which could be performed by State employees at $30/hr or so (Call it $60/hr with benefits and retirement.) Add
to this craziness the State resources needed to put these contracts out for bid every few years (in many cases just a pointless exercise, since nobody but the incumbent can possibly qualify.)
I would suggest an independent review panel comprised mainly of experienced IT professionals. Review every State contract- those over $1 million/year for starters- and determine the practicality of bringing the
function in-house.
This is low-hanging fruit, and should easily yield a structural reduction in the State budget of at least $200 M/yr. The downside is that the State might have to pay a bit more to attract the IT talent needed to replace the
contractors... could also do tuition forgiveness at State institutions. etc.
Federal gov't (particularly DOD) is moving in this direction, and Maryland should head there as well.
Washington DOC Administrators have states that it is possible to save millions of dollars by having 12 hour shifts in some of the institutions throughout the state. If this is the case then why has it not been done. This could be a
savings with NO LOSS OF PAY or STAFF.
Anne As a state employee in management, I would hate to see the lowere level employees effected by this budget crunch. Most of them are single moms with children. My coworkers tell me daily,they can't hardly live on the
Arundel salaries they are now receiving.
Please consider the above statement if you are thinking about furloughs. The furloughs should be equitable across the board, maybe 8 hrs for every $10,000 you make...
Thanks for listening
ther thing you could do is cut government waste. I know there are alot of people in
Washington If furloughs are given positive consideration, please consider making the furloughs spread out over the state holidays. Then all State Employees can be a part of the pain of "belt tightening". State nurses, State Police
and Correctional Officers (and others) were exempted. No state services would be lost and manpower needs are already addressed. Be fair....let everyone share.
Baltimore First off, don't hire a pricey budget-cutting consultant!! Next, look at cutting high level waste. No pay raises for highly paid gov't employees, like yourself. Tax increases for the most wealthy. Those things will offset the
cost for things we actually NEED. DO NOT cut needed social programs to balance the budget. That's what Republicans do. Instead, look to cut unneeded business subsidies. They always scream about the free
market. Time to sink or swim.
City As a State Employee and a hope to save fellow employees employment, 1). additional furloughs days would be doable. However, it needs to be formulated ahead of time in order for individuals to plan accordingly with
his/her household responsiblities. or 2). Maybe closing the state offices buildings twice a month to save money on salaries and building operation expenses.
City We need to look in to on-line learning for some of the courses that high school childen take. Mainly elective courses. This could save money for homeschooled, in-class, suspended and sick children. It has been
experimented in Baltimore County and was a sucess.
select your I work for the Department of Human Resources in the foster care division. I have two cost cutting suggestions. My first suggestion is to cut foster care board payments. When I first started in my postition, foster care
county board payments were $535 dollars per month. They are now up to $835. In addition, we pay for children's daycare. It was my understanding that this was supposed to get kids out of group homes and give incentive
for foster parents to take older children. However, that has not worked. We have not increased the numbers of foster parents willing to take teens, only the number of foster parents. Some of our foster parents are not
even getting placements. In addition, the increase was given across the board and even foster parents caring for 2 year olds are given that amount. My suggestion would be to cut the rate for at least the younger
children since we are now paying for daycare. I have children of my own and it does not cost that much per month to raise a child, especially if you don't count daycare. I actually think it sends the wrong message for
families to be making money on foster children. Many of my birth families say "if you paid me that much a month, I could have kept my children". In addition, adoption subsidies are given for special needs or even the
RISK of special needs. In my opinion, the subsidies should be saved for children who really need it WHEN they need it. Adoptive parents are spending the subsidies like a board payment and the money is not
necessarily going to their special needs. While I think that we can't cut them completely, again they don't need to be as high, especially for younger children with only a risk of special needs. My other suggestion is to
eliminate overtime. In my local department, we still have caseworkers earning overtime. I am a social worker and am considered exempt, however, the caseworkers with very similar responsibilities are earning
overtime. I was told it was due to the Fair Labor Standards Act. However, I researched the act and the caseworker duties fit the professional exemption in my opinion, as well. Most of our caseworkers here have
Master's Degrees in fields other than social work and have equal responsibilities for children's lives. We have people unwilling to get MSWs because they can earn more in overtime. We also have social workers with
MSWs that prolong getting a license so that they can continue to earn overtime. Both of these suggestions are probably unpopular, but in my opinion necessary.
Anne Have small incentive for state employee to retire. Have all state employes that retire by 12/31/2009 to get an additional six months added to their service time and let them get the COLA that current retirees get on
Arundel 7/1/2010. Also, let agencies re-hire 20% of those that retire - in case critical employees retire. Have those re-hired only allowed to work 80% of normal schedule. Savings would be huge. Saving on retirees leaving six
month early, plus those re-hired save on only working 80% plus no cost for health care and retirement subsidies.
Washington If you are doing furloughs everyone should participate including correctional officers and state police. That would lessen the burden on the rest of the state employees.
Anne Have small incentive for state employee to retire. Have all state employes that retire by 12/31/2009 to get an additional six months added to their service time and let them get the COLA that current retirees get on
Arundel 7/1/2010. Also, let agencies re-hire 20% of those that retire - in case critical employees retire. Have those re-hired only allowed to work 80% of normal schedule. Savings would be huge. Saving on retirees leaving six
month early, plus those re-hired save on only working 80% plus no cost for health care and retirement subsidies.
Anne a. Stop buying land and easements.
Arundel b. Increase tutition to state colleges by 4% or whatever is necessary.
c. Cut higher education budget more. The state keeps allocating more and more money each year to higher education. Colleges must be required to cut their budgets.
Increase class size in colleges. Most learning is through lectures and reading textbooks. Those who want to learn will and seek out the teacher for help.
d. Decrease amount of money paid for education grades K-12. Cut Thorton increases.
The state keeps spending more and more money on education grades K-12. With such a large state deficit education must also be asked to cut back.
e. Decrease aid to private colleges.
f. Decrease aid to counties. With income taxes and sales tax revenue down counties aid must be reduced too.
Caroline 1. Eliminate all the state/county owned "take-home" vehicles. We must have too many vehicles, judging from the number of MdTA, SHA, DNR and police vehicles that sit in private driveways and are used for personal
use. This would save fuel, maintenance, insurance, and the need for additional vehicles ... someone on the job could be using the vehicle instead of it sitting idle in the private drive, or worse, being used for personal
use (yes, they are used for personal use).
2. Use (enforce) laws that are already on the books ... have been for years, SUCH AS: speed limits, stop signs, red lights ... to generate revenue (as well as reduce accidents and their associated costs. Speed limit
enforcement on ANY road in the state ... from major highways to rural back roads ... would generate more than enough revenue to offset having the roads patrolled. (Unfortunately, the police, State and Local, violate
these laws themselves, PASSING motorists going 10-20 miles over the posted speed limits, without citing violations.) Just some examples: On the Eastern Shore, HARDLY ANYONE adheres to the 55 mph limit on
routes 50 and 301. In Easton, on Rt.50, the speed limit graduates from 55, to 45, to 35 as you enter town from the west. All day long, but especially in the morning, traffic barrels through town without even slowing
down, police cars included. Traffic uses the back road from Hillsboro to Queen Anne as a cut-through, and although the speed limit is 25, cars are continually cruising through at 40mph or more, often crossing the
center line as they cross the curving bridge, since it's hard to take that curve faster than 25. Also, on Rt.304, through Ruthsburg, the speed limit graduates from 50 to 40 to 30. Rarely does anyone slow down. There
are thousands of examples statewide ... imagine the revenue just the speeding tickets alone would bring in, not to mention the other violations that would surface. The police cars that sit in people's driveways could
really be put to better use IF the officers would stop someone!
Montgomery As a small business entreprenuer, I have had to weigh firings vs. cut backs on hours and cutting costs. Tough times are still ahead. My decision was fairly easy though. Rather than letting go of my valued employees,
I asked everyone to take a cut and did so myself. I don't get paid untill my guys do. To cut the cost of transportation, everyone works a longer work day and has Fridays off. Maybe, our government can too. We also
cut our prices for landscaping and construction in order to get more customers. Flex time Monday through Thursday, two shifts per day. One group working four ten hour days from 7am to 5pm and another group
working four ten hour days 11 am to 9pm. This should also help cut down on traffic jams and accidents and may even improve services. Groups would have to alternate every other month between early and late shifts
for fairness. Government could also save on energy bills this way. Many police and fire departments already have overlapping shifts to maximize efficiency and cut down on costs.
Allegany Discontinue allowing State Police Officers to take State vehicles home. This would reduce fuel cost and extend the life of State vehicles.
Anne Reduce the number of automobiles in the state fleet by not allowing the police (local and state) or any other governement employee to take their vechile home. All remaining vechiles should be gradually replaced with
Arundel more efficient ones to reduce the fuel bill.
While driving a state funded car suggest to employess to plan a route that decreases the number of left hand turns (UPS did this and saved millions)
Drop the temp. in all state run buildings to 68 in the winter and 78 in the summer.
Raise the tax rate on Lotto winnings and alcohol
Anne Take a few hours and tour incognito one of the many local social services offices....Note the applicants/recipients with cell phones, sports logo jackets, multiple types of jewelry...etc. I believe a oversight of these
Arundel agencies would yeild BIG for the state.
City All this public affairs media stuff should be cut. No travel should be authorized out of State and that includes conferences. All meals etcs thart are freebies should stop and be paid for individually. There should be no
take home cars. Any official that is elected should not have a car,
these same appointees should take a pay cut. Everyone should drive there cars, all cell phones should be collected and used. Simple basics, if the GOvernors in 1799 did not need it, than they dont need the expense
today. The House allowance for the speaker who has a vehicle and driver should be cut. Stop buying paper clips, no bottle water,
bring your own. See, it is easy - not that anyone is listening. I believe, with an election nearing, MOM is using pubic affairs to benefit himself and no one else. You think with him making $100000 plus he really is
worried about the guy making $25000???????
Baltimore Governor, you will not want to hear this suggestion. You probably will not like it. However, it must be made.
Please call a special session of the legislature, tailored to be held on days when the legislature already attends biweekly committee meetings during the summer (the Special Session won't cost much more then), and
propose Administration legislation to reduce salaries of the Executive Department and state elected and appointed officials (Gov, Lt. Gov., Compt, Treas, Sec of State, Cabinet and Subcabinet, Judiciary, General
Assembly)... a modest percentage... 5 or 10 percent. This would be leadership showing that the public officials of the state recognize the fiscal crisis of our state and they will take their economic hit too for the good of
the state and Maryland's citizens. Maryland's citizens are taking the economic hit already with job losses, as did state employees with furloughs. State official salary reductions would save a lot of money in the current
and future budget years. We all need to sacrifice something. I am unemployed, so I am already sacrificing a lot while searching for new employment.
Governor, please demonstrate fiscal and economic leadership and propose reductions in salaries of Maryland's elected and appointed officials. Also, call upon all counties and municipalities to do the same at their
levels. In fact, your Administration legislation might even have to include language that would apply to counties and municipalities in addition to the state.
I do not want or desire any recognition for this idea. I only want the pleasure of seeing my Governor implement it, for the good of everyone. So, please do not identify me publicly if you are identifying individuals who
have made suggestions. I desire anonymity. I just want to see the idea being considered and subsequently happening.
Thank you for doing all that you do for us as our Governor. You're great, and you are doing all you can for Maryland in a very tough time.
Montgomery Show me the budgets. Post them. Not just basic one like education or medicare but exact budgets from each department. We would like to know how much money is allocated to re-striping school parking lots,
government drivers and cars, CASA, street-sweeping. Do not want to here there is no waste in the education department. Post the spending, all the budgets and show us where are tax dollars are really going!
Anne Stop trying to stick a slots casino in a residential neighborhood at Arundel Mills! It will not solve your budget problems since it will likely never open due to our recorded restrictive covenants - unless you use eminant
Arundel domain!
Harford Cut the excess employees from government. Do away with welfare completely. Every gov. agency, from the Fed. on down is fat.
Montgomery Legalize and tax internet gambling, As far as I know, gambling is a state issue. Its already in place (no infrastructure needed) and its in peoples homes (no casinos or the crime associated with them).
Baltimore Use alternative energy ie. solar hot water in state buildings
Allow GMP manufacturers to make prescription drugs for state citizens
(See The Generic Drug Ripoff:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2009/aug2009_The-Generic-Drug-Rip-Off_01.htm
Increase financial aid to students for working on USM campus
Offer tuition discounts to students for working on USM campus
These two work-study measures could increase enrollment!
Encourage university employees to work from home, ie. UMBC
Use chemical ice melters instead of salt, reducing salt damage to roads & trees
Require out of state corporations to pay their taxes
Release non-violent offenders and marijuana cases out of jail early
Decriminalize small amounts of marijuana possession
Use Glass-phalt instead of asphalt, the recycled glass content makes roads last longer.
Thank you for your consideration of my suggestions.
City Taxpayers are carrying the burden of paying for medical assistance for children who are under the guise of child support orders which mandate that the non-custodial parent provide health insurance. These orders are
not being enforced, and the office of child support enforcement is not seeking repayment of these funds due to the lack of coordination between themselves and DHMH. If these orders were enforced, it would create
not only opportunities to develop staffing, but repayment of taxpayer monies.
Anne Cut all funding to community activist groups, most notably CASA.
Arundel There are plenty of lazy state workers who can be removed from their positions.
Stop all construction on state buildings.
Reduce overhead staff in all departments and agencies.
Consolidate state office buildings and sellthe excess.
City Start by eliminating the position of the chefs for the Governor. I work 65+ hours per work also Mr O'Malley and I don't need a chef.
Eliminate the redundancy of the State Police, MD Transportation Authority Police, MD Transit Administration Police, MD Natural Resources Police and so on and consolidate under the MD State Police. Just how many
police administrations and chiefs does one state need?
Eliminate the purchase of the hybrid buses for the MTA...clean diesel is much more efficient, reliable, and less costly. I know it doesn't sound as nice or p/c as "hybrid", but the Jetta Diesel did win "Green Car of the
Year" award.
Carroll Hopefully by type Carroll county my comment won't be deleted. My suggestion is first to remove ALL personal drivers/cars for all elected officials in Maryland. Then remove all drivers/cars for family members of
elected officials in Maryland. Next any personal chefs should be removed. Once that is done then you should start reorganizing personal staff of all elected officials.
City The 100% federally funded Disability Determination Services which is the state agency that adjudicates the medical determinations for the Social Security Administration for Social Security Disability and Supplemental
Security Income should be moved from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services. It may have made sense 30 yrs ago to have DDS under the Dept. of Ed., but it hasn't made
sense for decades. One ironic note: the State of Maryland has provided funding at various times over the years to groups like DEAP so that they may try to "help" Maryland citizens obtain federal disability insurance
and thereby remove folks form the state disability program. (Side note: DDS is the agency that both the director of SSA and Vice-President Biden were referring to when they sent letters to Governor O'Malley asking
him not to furlough DDS employees due to the fact that the agency is 100% federally funded and no savings would go to the state and also becasue of the extremely heavy workload due to the recession and the
increase in Maryland citizens applying for federal disability.)
Anne The State of Maryland as well as the various municipalities should strongly consider the implementation of a "school tax" to offset the cost of supporting the "education" portion of the state budget. Many other states
Arundel have used this process and it is something Maryland should strongly consider. The tax should be paid only by those individuals with children utilizing the various school systems. Citizens without children or senior
citizens can be exempted from the tax.
Kent Perhaps my suggestion is a little skewed as I am a state employee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx but I think there are several layers of government that did not exist 15 years ago that we could get rid
of. The Local Management Boards are one layer (bureaucracy) which requires staff, overhead, budgets and they do not do any direct services. Wasteful in my mind - we could function without - let the Health
Departments or Social Services be the monitors of the grants. Duplication of effort.
Core Service Agencies are another layer that needs looking into - devised as just one more layer of bureaucracy in between the grants and the people who deliver services.
How much do they cost to just administer grants??
Take away some of the stupid benefits that state employees get - such as the leave bank, and the accumulation of all those state sick days.
We do get too much leave - and could be more productive if we did not have it. Do state employees abuse it? Some do - because they know they can.
Most of the employees that I supervise are dedicated and invested but that is because we are the smallest county and they know that they are fortunate to have their jobs.
Look at capacity at some of the state funded facilities - mental health/substance abuse. Recently, we almost had to go private due to financial issues - we turned it around because we were able to lay off two people
and through attrition did not fill another position.
Give incentives for people close to retirement

I would be glad to give more ideas if asked --
Allegany Governor O'malley needs to stop printing and sending all state employees an invitation to state house for a christmas party. Needs to send out emails.
nstation
nd send
governor
Allegany refrain from putting expensive pavers and stone on bridges and median islands.concrete works just as well and costs less than a fourth
Anne Has the Governor considered offering early retirement to State workers who are past 30 years of employment? The savings to the State would be signifigant in the long run. Many of these employees are paid at a high
Arundel Grade/Step level, if not already maxed out. While there is an initial expense upfront to the State- even if the positions are filled with new hirees their salaries would be signifigantly less over many years resulting in
longterm savings. Simple Economics really.
Montgomery I would not mind giving up our state homestead tax credit if it would mean saving some health care funding for uninsured children. I would hate to see Maryland begin going the way of California.
Anne Stop letting govt vehicles go home this will save gas and repair money! Only mow grass at intersections state wide as to preserve safety and cut down on expense! No more studies of stupid things that really will never
Arundel take place anyway! Use the same plans and heating systems through out Maryland gov't buildings so you will have inter changeable parts and better service contracts. No illegal alien loop holes not here legally no
Services of any kind period!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way you created the deficit not Erlich. I also just got my electric bill and thanks for fixing things not it was $277 and my ac is set at 76 summer and heat 65 winter so no we are not comfortable.
Anne Stop letting govt vehicles go home this will save gas and repair money! Only mow grass at intersections state wide as to preserve safety and cut down on expense! No more studies of stupid things that really will never
Arundel take place anyway! Use the same plans and heating systems through out Maryland gov't buildings so you will have inter changeable parts and better service contracts. No illegal alien loop holes not here legally no
Services of any kind period!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way you created the deficit not Erlich. I also just got my electric bill and thanks for fixing things not it was $277 and my ac is set at 76 summer and heat 65 winter so no we are not comfortable.
Montgomery 1)Close state offices one day a month.
2)Better than closing the entire office is to have state employees take a furlough day each month. This would be a little better than closing the entire state office.
3) Raise gasoline tax by 1 cent.
But please, do not raise state school tuition rates. Education is going to get us out of this recession.
Harford Stop DHMH and DHR from opening a new office in Catonsville to consolidate some of the some but not all of the DHR caseworkers who determine long term eligibility for nursing home payments from the State. This is
the result of SB682 but under this current plan, the office is not centralized or inclusive as required. They have been doing the job fine in their respective local offices. The new office would mean a whole new work
office, setup, phones, computers and other required support. It also means longer commutes for most of the workers which results in more fuel waste and pollution.
Baltimore Why don't you just make all welfare, unemployment and food stamps contingent on passing a weekly drug test. The state will save a couple 100 million when they all fail.
Baltimore WE NEED TO MINIMIZE CUTS IN STATE SERVICES,SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND EDUCATION. CONTINUED LAYOFFS ARE NOT A LONG TERM SOLUTION
CORRECTIONS NEED TO BE CUT. THE SAME GUYS KEEP GOING IN AND OUT OF STATE AND COUNTY JAILS BECAUSE THEY GET FREE HOUSING, FOOD AND MEDICAL. REDUCE THE NON VIOLENT
POPULATION AND THOSE NEARING THE END OF THEIR SENTENCES. THIS WILL CUT PRESENT COSTS AND SAVE ON CAPITAL PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE. WE CAN KEEP LOCKING THEM UP BUT
WE ALSO HAVE TO PAY LARGE AMOUNTS TO KEEP THEM THERE. THE MONEY CAN BE USED IN MOPOSITIVE WAYS.. I DOUBT THE NEXT COUPLE BUDETS WILL BE MUCH BETTER.
Baltimore I would like for the State to take a MUCH CLOSER look at the contracts that are awarded for State work -- particularly with respect to mass transit. There is currently a contract on the table for millions and millions of
dollars. I know for a fact that there are people in the affected department who are very capable of doing the jobs which will be contracted out. However, for various reasons -- some of which are very "political" -- the
contract is being pursued. I would suggest not awarding these contracts so that companies in the private sector get richer and richer on the backs of State workers who are forced to take furlough days and in some
cases are being laid off. This would allow the State workers to do their jobs and would save the State millions and millions of dollars. Perhaps then my husband would not have to take more furlough days.
On another topic, I don't understand why the State workers --workers who invest their time to make our State a better place to work and live and who generally receive less pay then the public sector have to bear the
brunt of budget cuts. My husband works many, many hours without pay as it is just to keep up with his work, yet was still forced to take furlough days this past year. Instead of hitting the State workers in the pocket, I
would suggest that ALL citizens of the State of Maryland make some sacrifices.
Dorchester Cancel all those expensive entitlements you gave when you first went into office that wiped out the budget surplus. It took less than two months to go from a surplus to deficit and then you blame it on the prior
administration. You then raised every tax and fee known to mankind. Everyone knows you started those new programs to pay off your campaign debts to the groups that supported you, citizens or not. You make it too
comfortable for people to not work or to seek permanient jobs. People should be motivated to get out of these entitlements and not to hold their hand out for more which you seem to want fill.
Harford My suggestion is the same as I mailed you Feb. 24, 2009 which still has not been acted upon. It is the same as I sent the previous governor in 2003 as well as the previous
previous governor in 1995. Save money by having the highway
lights that burn in the daytime fixed!! At the same time,
save money by fixing the lights on the signs and streelights
that are off at night which should be on and for which we are
paying. A prime example, one out of hundreds if not thousands is overhead sign #414 located on Route 40 in the
White Marsh Area near Martin's East. The six (6) lights on
this sign have been burning during the daylight hours for
years. How many SHA workers have seen this and done nothing
about it is beyond me. As for signs that are off which should be are those at the intersection of Route 22 and I-95
in Aberdeen. One more waste is the streelight located on
Route 22 and Middleton Road in Aberdeen near the Texaco
station. This light has not worked for over 7 years. I have
called it in twice to the SHA over these long years and was
told the problem is in the (underground?) wiring. If it isn't going to be turned on, creating a hazard at night, why
not remove it altogether and recycle it elsewhere??
If you need someone to go around the counties and find the
lights problems, particularly those that are on in the daytime, I will do it for a reasonable hourly rate plus
mileage. What it costs the state to pay me will be completely overshadowed by the savings. Having the existing
SHA workers report these lights on a regular basis and then
actually having them fixed would also be productive.
Sincerely
Harford Stop paying troopers overtime to guard the local MVA office. They get paid for 8 to 10 hours overtime when they work, that's over a $1000 a day for a job that a private security company could do for a lot less. Or at
least have them work it as a regular day instead over overtime.
Charles I am xxxxxxx years old and disabled. I live alone and need someone to help me with household chores. I am always told there's no funding for assistance such as that. Also, please don't cut any more services to our
mental health programs. Believe me, this community needs them. I only ask for more help for people like myself and not to be placed on a two year waiting list for such. Thank you.
Baltimore Cut just a tiny bit of the waste. It's everywhere in state government. So much needs to be completely restructured. Start with state employee pensions and benefits. Who do you know in the private sector who has
such generous benefits, or even has a pension. This should be either done away with altogether or at least drastically shrunk. There are numerous other ways to cut spending- just look around. It's not that tough.
Montgomery Here's a simple solution:
other than police, fire and eductaion (and some other state constitutinally required functions) do not fund more that 25% of a non governement agency's budget. If the funding does not benefit us all then don't give
them my tax money... give the polce and teachers a raise.
select your Look into the allocated vehicles that some police, city officials take home. They should use their own vehicles to get to and from work.
county
Anne 1. For a change... how about not bastardizing the State Police any more than you have. Ridiculous low pay, horrible equipment, poor retirement when compared to other agencies. It amazes me any one would work
Arundel for this state with the way they are treated.
Anne Cut government spends, reduce staffs for executive and legislative branches. Reduce government salaries. Shrink the size of governement and you shrink salaries, rent, etc. But don't reduce budgets for education.
Arundel
Caroline 1. Reduce legislators salaries (delegates & senators) by five percent.
Calvert You have got to cut into payments to local government. The locals don't take cost cutting as seriously as the state does in revenue down turns. The payment to Calvert County for Calvert Cliffs in lieu of taxes is one
place to start. Open space funds, farm land preservation, payments from the Cigarette Restitution fund to Southern Maryland could be curtailed. I was on the BPW when we approved the agreement with the tobacco
companies. We agreed that 5% of those funds over 10 years should go to tobacco farmers to help them transition to other crops. Its time to cut that program off.
I don't have access to or the inclination to go through all those programs that could be shaved down. Yes, its going to hurt but it will hurt worse if we put off making hard choices. I don't want to suggest that you have't
been doing some heavy lifting but there is more to be done. Good luck!
Harford Stop blaming Erlich for these problems and admit you don't know what you are doing. Resign and allow someone who can manage a state take over. A nice start would be to stop your funding of CASA who works to
allow ILLEGAL aliens to stay in the state and live off the hard workd of the taxpayers of Maryland.
Washington Eliminate the Child Support Conferences held in Ocean City and those held in other States
Baltimore How about stop funding CASA de Maryland!
Anne To help trim your budget, stop all funding for Illegal aliens. Let us spend our precious resources on our fellow citizens.
Arundel
Baltimore May want to consider the impact of tort reform on malpractice litigation which indirectly affects health care costs. Conceivably, removing the fear of frivolous litigation would make physicians more willing to provide care
to the uninsured.
Baltimore I suggest the following for state emeployees:
(1) eliminate all positions of those employees who are on extensive or long term sick leave. Why hold a position for someone who is not coming back to work. They can draw SSI benefits.
(2) Do early out for some employees.
(3) Make those who are over 65 retire. These people are lame ducks...doing nothing all day and eating up the budget.
(4) Make upper management take a cut in pay! Many of them don't do the the leg work anyway.
Anne Law enforcement should be handing out more tickets for speeding, failure to use turn signals, and not stopping at stop signs. Cameras should be placed on the Bay Bridge and other known speeding areas. On the
Arundel Bay Bridge: create a fine tier--> cars going 6-10 miles over limit gets $50 ticket. Trucks going 6-10 over limit, are fined $100. Over 10 miles the fines should double. THEN USE MONIES FROM SPEEDING FINES
TOWARDS EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE. Marylanders are getting away with so much speeding and reckless driving (texting, doing makeup, reading papers, etc.) Giving more tickets will not only give MD more
money, it will make MD a safer state to live, work and play.
Montgomery -Give back the $600,000 in pay raises to his 2nd floor staff
-Stop buying land (swampland that is undevelopable on lower Eastern Shore) with hundreds of millions of dollars
-Revisit the tuition freeze as Maryland is now cheaper than Delaware,Virginia,DC,PA,and NJ.
-GCEI Revisions/hold federal funds and use them instead for k12
-Reducing medicaid eligibility
-Eliminate MD's prevailing wage losts which amount to millions of dollars in increased spending by state agencies to contractors
-Eliminate state vehicles and personal drivers for secretarys and other officials
-Eliminate state vehicles and personal drivers for secretarys and other officials
-Eliminate State Sports Coordinator (yes the state has a Pro Sports Cooridinator position that pays 80 something I believe)
-Gov O'Malley could cook for himself instead of having a full time chef
-Allow government employees remote access to e-mails/databases so they could telecommute (most state agencies do NOT do it, including the legislature).
-Fulfill his campaign pledge of an independent audit of state spending (3 years in and still no action on this front)
Anne *Four-day work week for State employees -- lower/raise temps on days buildings not open
Arundel *Close 1 day per month for furlough days
*Limit paper copies
*Require all state employees who have direct deposit to use POSC (would reduce paper copies of pay stubs and envelopes)
*Electronic time sheets for all agencies
*Use prisoners for SHA mowing & planting -- use enviro-friendly, old-fashioned lawn mowers (no gas, no emissions)
Montgomery Complete your promise of an independent audit of all state spending. Give back your staffs pay wages, fire your cook, cut wasteful spending, lower taxes to increase business, and you could take pay cut for your
immediate staff
City I agree with the Governor's statement regarding not sticking to tradition when it is suboptimal. Therefore, I suggest that we step outside of the box and challenge ourselves(state agencies)in using modern technology
as a means for becoming more efficient, more productive, and less costly. One of the ways in which I believe we can achieve those goals is already in place via telework. I recently reviewed the policies on the website
of Department of Budget & Management and found that if we pursue this, then state agencies could eliminate costly lease payments and utility costs, while saving state workers from taking pay cuts or worse yet,losing
jobs. Economic times are dire at the moment and people can not afford to be unemployed and unable to meet their basic needs, such as the ability to pay for shelter or food. I think that we can avoid resorting to
bread and soup lines, like those during the Great Depression, as a means of subsistence. I also believe that most agencies, particularly those of us who are in the service industry, work predominantly in the field, have
laptops, desktops, and cell phones. For those who have computers at home, they can work from their home, and for others the state can loan them laptops. When necessary and as required, teleworkers report to the
designated state telework centers (currently there are 9)as deemed appropriate by their administrators This is 2009, and we are a much more technologically advanced society and yet we do not use it to our benefit.
Proactively, we can save jobs by changing the way in which we do the jobs. It can work!!! Why should the state have to pay the lease on a building that houses me and my coworkers when we could report to the
telework center. Incidentally, the centers are another monetary obligation for state government. I know that for any employer, a barrier to telework is accountability, but there is already a COMAR policy for telework on
the DBM website. Simply stated, for those employees, who as adults are unable to conduct themselves in a professional manner, particularly in the area of accountability, appropriate actions can and would be taken
as if they were in a traditional work setting. Technology has made it possible that we do not have to waste money on real estate. We (state employees) are the real resource. If state employees are laid off, so goes
the rest of the state. Our customers need us, especially during a time in which many, including myself, have never seen or experienced such debilitating economic hardships. I urge you to consider telework as a
means of cutting and eliminating overhead costs, while saving jobs, which ultimately, preserves the dignity of not only those or us who are state servants, but also for the many customers we serve and to whom we are
the last line of defense.
Anne 1) Tax junk mail advertising. This will not only raise revenue, but might also eventually reduce the amount of waste that needs to be recycled.
Arundel
2) Encourage Eastern Shore counties and Baltimore City to work out ways to have jobless persons in Baltimore City transported to the Eastern Shore for agricultural and seafood industry-related jobs instead of relying
on temporary employment visas for immigrants. This will reduce the amount of funds required by Baltimore City to assist homeless and jobless persons as well as raise tax revenues from businesses and farms on the
Eastern Shore.
3) Raise the tax on alcoholic beverages.
4) Put more non-violent prisoners to work on infrastruture projects such as road-resurfacing.

Montgomery Stem Cell Reality
President Obama issued an executive order (March 2009) authorizing the funding and the killing of human embryos for embryonic stem cell research (ESCR), even though it is completely unnecessary. In 2007,
scientists discovered how to produce embryonic stem cells from skin cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPs). These stem cells are easier and cheaper to obtain and don't have the side effects or moral
concerns of embryonic stem cells from embryos. They also have huge advantages in studying complex diseases, including Parkinson's, diabetes, etc.
For almost 11 years ESCR has been promoted as curing the most debilitating illnesses. Billions of dollars have been spent worldwide on ESCR without any cures or treatments. The reason is researchers have not
overcome very difficult problems: rejection by recipients, tumors, cancer risk, women's health risk from ova collection, not enough ova to treat diseases, and the moral problem of killing embryos.
Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of NIH, said ESCR is "obsolete" because of iPS.
President Obama said he didn't know whether ESCR would produce cures.
Dr. Ian Wilmut, who cloned Dolly the sheep, said ESCR has hit a "dead end" because the cloning scientists sought to permit experiments on humans with diseases has not been achieved, and iPS offer the ability to
study cells with specific diseases.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is the vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University, and a regular on the Oprah Winfrey show , told Michael J. Fox, a prominent supporter of ESCR, on the show that his
Parkinson's would be cured by iPS in less than ten years, not by ESCs.
CAL Tech June 2009 Report - "We think that iPS cells will become the dominant stem cells in use within the next 5 years."
In the meantime, however, adult stem cells found in the human body and umbilical cord blood are treating over 70 diseases, and treatments for other diseases are being tested in over 2,300 clinical trials.
Instead of spending tax dollars on killing embryos, our money can be used to help many suffering people. For example, 1 in 400 blacks and 1 in 1,400 Hispanics suffer the excruciating pain and ravages of sickle cell
disease (SCD). They are virtual slaves to the disease, unable to lead normal lives, requiring continuing treatment and hospitalization, and unable to hold jobs and live normal lives. But effective treatments are being
developed using completely moral adult stem cells. Our taxes should be used to perfect these treatments. It is a matter of justice and compassion.
At a minimum you should cut all ESCR funding and redirect it to research which will help cure terrible diseases. ESCR funding will not help anyone and there is no point in duplicating federal funding.
If that cut is not deep enough cut iPS research as it is likely being duplicated elsewhere.
Third, cut those adult stem cell project which are not directly helping find trearments and cures for debilitating diseases.
Please don't let anyone tell you ESCR is necessary because researchers around the world have made tremendous strides safely and efficiently producing iPS and showing their equivalency to ESCs.
Thank you.
City Governor O’Malley,
I think the state should do more to attract large corporations to Maryland. According to a study done by CNBC Maryland ranked 27th in best states for business (http://www.cnbc.com/id/31765926/) One the “cost of
Business” category Maryland scored 42nd. Maryland has a great education system, close to Washington and many other positives that companies are interested in. How does this help when your request is for areas
to cut spending. Attracting new business would increase the revenue the state collects.
Baltimore Each agency or govn organization has some sort of a budget and some sort of a mandate to protect or regulate something. How can you determine which is more important if you dont have some sort of comparative
data? For example, MDE's Lead Poisoning program protects children. They spend approximately $3mil or so to protect 10,000 or so affected children. That is approx $300 per lead poisoned child. Some agency is
rsponsible for the prisons and taking care of prisoners. I think that if I knew that we spend $10,000 per prisoner and $300 per child I might make some adjustments in those budgets. Why cant we get this kind of
comparative data on what is spent per protected or regulated entity before we have to make budget decisions?
Anne CLOSE MVA OFFICES ON SATURDAYS (8-12NOON) BURNING ELEC, ENERGY AND PAYING EMPLOYEES (CERTAIN WAY TO SAVE). PUT THOSE PEOPLE ON DURING WEEK
Arundel FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE. DO AWAY WITH DRIVER EXAMINERS/AND UNIFORMS AND LET PROF. DRIVING SCHOOLS CERTIFY DRIVING TESTS/DO AWAY WITH DRIVING COURSES-GAIN
THAT SPACE. LET EXAMINERS WORK COUNTERS BETTER SERVICE PUBLIC. MOTORCYCLE DRIVING TESTS HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED FOR YEARS IF CUSTOMERS ATTEND CLASSES. IT AVOIDS THEM
TYING UP MVA WITH DRIVING TESTING/APPOINTMENTS. ALLOW MVA TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS FOR TITLE/REG TRANSACTIONS. WOULD REDUCE EMPLOYEES AND CONTROL CROWDS. COMBINE
THE ACCOUNTING DIVISION AND AUDITING DIVISIONS TO REDUCE EMPLOYEES OR FARM OUT TO OUTSIDE FIRM. COMBINE THE DEALER LICENSING DIVISION AND THE REGISTRATION DIVISION
TO COME ONE DIVISION. DO DESK AUDITS TO DETERMINE IF POSTIONS IN ALL DIVISIONS ARE NEEDED AT MVA.
THANKS
Anne I suggest you suspend the scholarship monies both the House and Senate delve out each year. Why it might not seem like much, every pocket of money needs to be tapped. Also stop avoiding tuition increases.
Arundel EVERYONE needs to take a hit now.
And thirdly, DLS prings too many booklets. There are boxes and boxes of them. Make the material available online only unless it is specifically requested in print, and then charge a nominal fee for it in print. I realize
alot of this amterial is already on line, but too much of it is still being printed.
Harford Regarding the budget, maybe all state offices need to stop purchasing high priced office supplies. Store brand is just as good as name brand. I have seen some ridiculous spending within state agencies. You may be
able to save some money; some is better then none:)
Anne I suggested the first item a year or two ago. (1) The state should offer great incentives for employees to retire. When Schaffer was Governor, he offered incentives to retire. Everyone else does. Teachers in Wise
Arundel County, Va. was recently offered $40k to retire. (2) All mowing operations on State Highways should stop. I have never understood why the State bought mowing equipment that has an arm on it so that it can reach
across guard rails and mow on the other side of the rail plus it mows banks. (3) Go to a 4 day work week and save on utitlies and also cleaning services. This would also save on transportation costs for employees. (4)
Cut back on cleaning contracts from 5 days to 3 days or if you go to a 4 day workweek then have cleaning two days a week. (5) Because of political reasons the state won't do this but they should crack down on illegal
immigrants and deport them. The costs to the state in crime, accidents, health care and education is enormous. (6) I don't have a problem with state employees being furloughed but I think it is at a point that county
employees should share in with being furloughed. If counties haven't started furloughing employees like the state, then the state needs to cut back on what we are giving them. My daughter as a teacher is being
furloughed in AACty but not the employees. (7) The state should do away with all inter-agency audits. If one state agency can't trust another state agency then they shouldn't be doing business with them. I do not
believe any state agencies is intentionally doing something wrong. This is very costly to both agencies involved. (8) Taxes on the rich should be raised. I know of some people that don't have to pay for a house, a car
and also make a large salary. They could pay more taxes because they don't have everyday expenses like we do for a house/car. (9) Stop all capital purchases unless the money is from the federal government. (10)
The State of Virginia is closing rest areas to save money. (11) Taxpayers money or grants to non-profit groups should be completely eliminated. Why should state employees be furloughed when we are giving
taxpayers money to these groups? Why should any state money be used to support things like this? It should be private money.
Frederick Eliminate local management board and Departments of Children and Family Services, eliminate all commissions not performing except having meetings and writing annual reports;eliminate state department of tourism
and similar groups transfer those departments to local governments, eliminate grants to non-profits which are not producing; eliminate various departments within the Governor's office i.e. volunteerism, Americorps
offices etc.
Set up a citizens committee to evaluate each agency's performance before any funds are offered to carry out non-essential activities.
Harford Perhaps the State and counties and towns should keep all of the police cars at the stations when they are not being used for police work. Allowing the staff to take them home and use them as personal vehicles is
costly. We see them all the time outside of their jurisdiction, taking kids to school, shopping trips out to dinner etc. State employees, like the Governor that are given housing, food allowances and transportation could
refuse their salary to show the rest of us that DO pay taxes that they are doing their fair shareto help alleviate the budget deficit.
Baltimore Time to raise taxes on alcohol and cigarettes. I know the tax on cigarettes just increased, but both of these substances are used voluntarily. Anyone choosing to indulge may do so, to the benefit of the state. Also,
reduce electricity use in state buildings, turn off lighte, bump up the thermostats in the summer and turn off appliances overnight/weekends.
Carroll stop fueling up state vehicles for personal use and get rid of your airplane.
City Review equipment replacement procedures and implement better maintenance of expensive motorized equipment. It's always cheaper to properly maintain a piece of equipment than to buy a new one. Don't buy new
computers for staff that only use them for office software. I'm sure these two practices alone would save more than 700 million.
Harford MSDE should allow their workers flex time or work from home or four 10 hour days.
Anne cut gov't pay because as you are getting all this money we are working 2 jobs just to get by. you want to cut anything why dont you cut it out of gov't pay like yours. you live in this state too so why should we be the only
Arundel ones paying for your spending. before you wright this off think how well you eat and sleep and then think about everyone else.
select your dfsdf
county
Anne It would be worthwhile to examine international trips in light of the current budget crisis, especially programs like the Sister States/Sister Cities. Although fostering goodwill abroad is a noble aim, I'm not sure officials
Arundel should be traveling outside Maryland borders these days unless there is a very compelling reason given how people are struggling. If faced with the choice between a few foreign junkets (these trips are not widely
advertised nor is their value made clear to the public) and someone's job, what is the right thing to do?
It's all about trade-offs and unpleasant decisions and wish the Governor good luck on an tough road ahead.
Harford 1 - If you are going to make State employees take furlough days, allow us to take as many as we want throughout the time period.
2 - No State employee should be making over 100,000 dollars a year. Do you all realize how much money we are going to have to pay retired politicians and their appointees in retirement.
3 - No retirement for elected officials
4 - Get rid of five year retirements. People can work for five years in the state system and collect a retirement when they get to 62. That is a rip-off!
5 - Non profit organizations that pay their top people over 100K are not non-profit organizations.
6 - No more State take home vehicles except for police officers....like it use to be. I put over 10,000 miles on my POV for the state every year. Its part of my job.
7 - Our State delegates are making 43K for 90 days of work, plus 100 dollars a day per diem, plus what ever extra time they put in. 43K thats it!
8 - Stop the grass cutting every week on the highways. Cut it every two or three weeks along all State roads.
9 - Cut the money we are giving to non-profits by 50%.
10 - We have some colleges that we are funding that graduate less than 50% of their freshman class. Close them down.
11 - Any State agency that has to spend half a million dollars to update their office SHOULDN'T!
12 - Make recycling a must for all state agencies. The money, although not much, can help. We are doing where I work, but more can be recycled.
13 - 22,000 dollars per each prisioner is too much. I don't know how to do it but cut it down to 15 or 16.
14 - Furlough days did not have to be taken by prision bakers last year. Why? If anyone should be eating day old bread its prisioners.
15 - If a delegate is convicted of a crime while a delegate (Delegate Robert McKee and Thomas Bromell) they shouldn't be allowed to collect their retirement.
16 - Stop the delegate scholarship program until the economy picks up. They are just giving it to friends anyway.
17 - Get rid of contract employees unless they are federally reimbursable positions.
18 - There shouldn't be any money going into lottery advertising until the economy picks up.
Baltimore Take at look at the cost and time to with deal non violent crimes and putting those persons thru the court system. Isssue tickets/fines, if volators don't pay fine, take additional action, such as suspending driver's license,
vehicle registration, etc. Minor or small amounts of narcotic arrest which be handled as a civil matter,issue fines/tickets on the spot. This will save millions and give the courts the time and personnel to handle more
serious matters. Take a look at the vehicle policy for all departments, on home to work usage, unless their responses is essential to an emergency situation and that's impossible when you are living in another state or
great distance from your work location. Establish mileage limitation for authorization on all state vehicles for home to work vehicles and eliminate use by all non essential personnel.
Baltimore I use to be an information technology consultant and one client asked its employees to help cut costs. I suggest that you create a campaign for ALL state workers to suggest how their specific agency or department can
help trim costs without sacrificing quality (and perhaps improve it!).
Can items be emailed instead of mailed? Can processes be streamlined? Can a video conference be used in place of travel? Let the employees of the great State of Maryland own the solution. Tap into that great
reservoir of creativity each and every employee has within themselves. Imagine if every department in MD gov't had a series of meetings about how to trim costs...no idea is a bad idea. If all of us did this, I could see
huge dividends.
It may not sound like much at first, but it is the snowflake on the branch analogy. One snowflake cannot break a branch but enough snow will eventually snap it.
Just my thoughts. I hope you find them useful.
Baltimore Stop using a travel agent for state travel. We are routinely paying hundreds of dollars more per trip than the price available to consumers using the internet or direct purchasing.
Allow employees to choose a part time work schedule, if they are interested. (ie. 30 instead of 40 hours)
Move to a four day (40 hour) work week and close offices for a three day weekend.
Eliminate positions in which the incumbent does not meet standards on his/her PEP.
Allow for those who would like early retirement.
Charles Close state government and furlough one day a month. Shutting down the buildings and fulough would be less cost for the state. Also, make state employees use less electric - turn off computers, lights and etc. at
night.
Washington Governor O'Mally as a state employee at MCTC in Hagerstown I would like to comment on the impending budget issue as it effects correctional staff. Last years furloughs brought much tension between the Custody
and Treatment staff, due to the issue of Custody not being made to take the cuts as others were. I hope you can find a way to spread the cuts to all state employees, the have and have not issues that happened from
last years decision will be exacerbated if it occurs on a larger scale.
Washington The best way to get the budget fixed is to eliminate the
purchase of a new voting system when we have one now that
is not paid for. Also, let's eliminate the crazy idea
of early voting. Why can't the people come out and
vote on election day like they have done all their
lives. What is going on in this State anyhow?? You are
planning to close the beautiful Rest Stop in Washingto
County and yet you allow this wasteful mess go on with
the elections and not even thinking about cutting
costs with this mess. You really need to look at this
election thing and save many millions of dollars by
letting us continue to use the system we now have and
eliminate that dumb early voting idea. Thank you for
allowing me to write you. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Harford I think first of all there should be a tuition increase. Some furlough days. Although if you lean towards employee compension then it should come from the employees that already earn 6 figures or more. Thank you.
Baltimore Make all state office buildings turn off there lights doing the day. It happen many years ago in the winter and people really like it. Most office near windows will not be a problem. Not sure but what about 4 10hrs days,
tell agency to turn air up and not keep as cold doing the day.
Montgomery The Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office should be eliminated. Cases are not being arbitrated in the office 99% of the time. The same legal requirements can be kept in place without the $418,761 in FY
2010.
Harford I work in a state office building. We are all sitting aroung in sweaters because its freezing. You could save a lot of money buy setting the a/c to a more reasonable temperature in all state building around the state.
Anne O'Malley should stop flitting around Europe on taxpayer dollars to build his image for his political career. Lowering taxes will stimulate job creation.
Arundel
select your I think we should take the money from the medicaid nursing home quality assessment (i.e. provider tax or bed tax) to fill some gaps...it's $44 million. My neighbor owns nursing homes (which are 90% medicaid) and he
county isn't hurting too much in his land rover and $1.5 million house.
City Simply put: Build Bus Rapid Transit lines instead of Light Rail. A central Maryland BRT system could be planned, built and operated much cheaper than light rail. If constructed right, it could serve existing riders and
attract new ones as good as rail. It works in LA.
City Sell off state surplus
Wicomico Having worked for the State of Maryland for over 35 years I would like to suggest The Office on Children, Youth and Families as a possible agency that could be eliminated. I was around when the Special Office came
into existence. I think that Sec. Grasmick was the head at that time. I know that it has grown with staff and budget. Another area is the Local Management Boards. When originally formed money was taken from
Dept's of Human Resources, DHMH and Education. The role of the Local Management Boards have expanded over time. Return the money to the Lead Agencies and let them inhance any programs that they choose.
The Local Management Boards became a haven at the end of the fiscal year to hide funds so that they would not be reclaimed. Just a couple of ideas. The era that we are in and will continue for some time calls for
some drastic measures. A good time to assess all government and look at some down sizing. I am in favor of that. Thank you in advance for consideration of the above.
Anne 1. Speed cameras on Rt 50 between Kenilworth Ave and the point beyond the Beltway where it is 65 mph. I'm tired of the lack of enforcement and our fellow ciitizen's disregard for my safety. Shake that money maker!!
Arundel 2. Apprehend and remove illegal aliens. Provide them no services and make it clear they are not welcome here. Unfortunately, racial profiling would be useful. Savings from schools, hospitals and social services could
be used better. Why aren't the police enforcing the law!
3. Require that septic tank owners provide proof of maintenance every 5 years. Save the bay, don't talk about it.
Anne 1 DAY TRASH PICK UP

Arundel COUNTY AND STATE CARS STAY AT FACILITY AND WORKERS DRIVE THEIR OWN VEHICLES IN AND HOME NO MORE COUNTY OWNED OR STATE OWNED VEHICLES TO GO HOME WITH WORKERS
INFANTS AND CHILDREN BEING SUPPORTED BY WELFARE THEY SHOULD BE COLLECTING 1/2 OF THE MONEY FROM THE MOTHER AND SOMEONE SHOULD BE CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THIS
MONEY IS BEING USED IN THE MANNER IT WAS GIVEN AND NOT BEING SQUANDERED
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county
Harford PS Dear Martin, Please stop blaming Bob Ehrlich for everything. It's been 2 1/2 years since you've been in office. Had you not helped block slots for 4+ years, we'd have $ millions more in revenue and maybe a
balanced budget.
Allegany Might I suggest, understanding your current position that you, nonetheless, strongly consider at least "some" impacts to public education? It seems logical that, if the ratings for MD in that arena are currently so high, to
slip somewhat in an effort to 'not' hit other areas so hard would be perhaps even prudent at this time.
Consider that, if MD's marks in education are so extremely high now (as has been repeatedly stated), they could then certainly afford to make some degree of sacrifice and still remain "very high."
Also, consider that other states will be making similar reductions, so such ratings conceivably may not slip much at all proportional to other states even with "some" reductions.
Desperate times (such as we are now experiencing), call for desperate measures. I think to protect one area so fiercely is a mistake; the idea being that, in a time of crisis, "everybody" pitching in and giving up
"something" will achieve the most dramatic affect.
With this approach, we might even teach our children an important lesson in fiscal responsibility as an added benefit while we're at the business of "fixing things!"
Sincerely,
Harford Maryland has approx. 80,000 employees. Are you telling taxpayers every one of these jobs are critical? I'd issue a demand to every department for a 5% reduction in budget, focusing on preservation of public safety
and infrastructure. Stop taking taxpayer money to fund make-work jobs for your political friends and pet projects. If we don't stop spending beyond our means, we'll turn into another California.
Allegany Might I suggest, understanding your current position that you, nonetheless, strongly consider at least "some" impacts to public education? It seems logical that, if the ratings for MD in that arena are currently so high, to
slip somewhat in an effort to 'not' hit other areas so hard would be perhaps even prudent at this time.
Consider that, if MD's marks in education are so extremely high now (as has been repeatedly stated), they could then certainly afford to make some degree of sacrifice and still remain "very high."
Also, consider that other states will be making similar reductions, so such ratings conceivably may not slip much at all proportional to other states even with "some" reductions.
Desperate times (such as we are now experiencing), call for desperate measures. I think to protect one area so fiercely is a mistake; the idea being that, in a time of crisis, "everybody" pitching in and giving up
"something" will achieve the most dramatic affect.
With this approach, we might even teach our children an important lesson in fiscal responsibility as an added benefit while we're at the business of "fixing things!"
Sincerely
select your
county
Baltimore Will you for once in your term submit a budget that ACTUALLY cuts spending and NOT JUST cut the INCREASE in SPENDING?
This state does NOT have a "revenue" problem, we have a SPENDING problem.
How about removing the "mandate" that exists on 80% of the budget?
Have YOU offered to take a pay cut? Or a cut in perks?
Thanks for your consideration.
Carroll There are resurfacing projects on both Rt140 and Rt31 in Westminster. In my opinion these jobs were a waste of money, but at this point they need to be finished. I did not see any problems with these roads prior to
the start of construction. Also, whenever I see a white DOC van with inmates picking up trash, I always see a large SHA dumptruck towing a spot-a-pot. To me this is wasting gas, maintenance on a vehicle and
manpower. Couldn't the vans be fitted with a trailer hitch and pull their own spot-a-pot.
select your
county
Baltimore Stop mulching highway medians and other state road property. Stop purchasing land for open space. Stop hiring consultants to help trim the budget. Cancel all trips for the legislative/executive/judicial branches
unless they are paid for out of pocket by those attending.
Montgomery Cut back on the multitude of free and subsidized programs for non-citizens and, especially illegals.
Montgomery Governor O'Malley: Please stop using Maryland funds to provide social services and welfare benefits to people who intentionally enter and remain in the US illegally/unauthorized. You will save the state of Maryland
$250 million annually by ending social benefits to people who intentionally enter and/or remain the US illegally, and immediately start having babies as soon as they get here. Most have 3rd world mentalities and
cultural norms - destroying the quality of life in MD. Illegal Immigrants are not are US/MD Citizens/voters. These people are not Patriotic Americans. Working or not - many are foreign nationals easily leeching social
services and welfare benefits from the state of Maryland - instead of returning to their home countries. Solve your budget problem over night and follow the lead of states like Colorado, Arizona, Georgia, and Oklahoma
on this issue. Illegal immigrants leave those states to come to Maryland. But will not come or stay here if Maryland did not provide Maryland taxpayer subsidies, Maryland jobs, and Maryland economic incentives.
Please do this for sake of Maryland's Budget, and also for Maryland's law abiding citizen voters. Maryland has become a #1 destination and haven for illegal immigrants. They will tell you themselves. Especially those
who 1) illegally enter or remain in the US, 2) go to Maryland, and then 3) immediately start having babies. The same thing happens in DC.
select your Save money and conserve energy by switching employees in government buildings to a four day, forty hour work week. This way the air conditioning and most of the lights can be turned off for three days a week.
county There is no need to waste money air conditioning empty buildings on the weekends.
Baltimore Here are a few ways to cut costs:
1. DMV - I've experienced workers in Glen Burnie, Essex, and Parkville just sitting or wth very little to do. Perhaps jobs could be combined. For instance, if 3 workers responsibilities could be done by 1 or 2, and
increasing the salaries of the remaining worker(s), there would be more efficiency at lower cost.
2. Eliminate the Dynomometer test for emissions. No empirical or historical proof that it works.
3. Voucher system for schooling. If we are currently spending (on average) $70,000 per student in the Maryland system, vouchers of $4,000 (maximum) per student could be applied to homeschooling, private tuition,
etc. This has the added advantage of a lower teacher/student ratio, giving the possiblity of more individualized attention.
4. Rethink infrastructure. I am no engineer, but read that European countries have highway paving that is designed to last 100 years. We seem to have built-in obsolescence in our road structure. You could save the
taxpayer billions thinking this way alone.
5. Reduce taxes on millionaires. We have already seen the error in this judgement, with revenues lowered by over 60% after the tax-increased levied during the special session.
5. A controversial idea. Child support. It should be made taxable to the recipient, and deduction for the payor. This would be an incentive on the "deadbeat Dads" who do not pay, and reduce government costs looking
for them.
6. A spending freeze on all state goverment agencies for 2 years, until addtional, more permanent steps can be taken. Create a task force of citizens, legislators, and community leaders from each County to determine
some long-term solutions.
7. Do state employees to contribute to their health plans? If not, they should contribute some (or more if they do).
Baltimore Better oversite of ssi,medicaid,and medicare
payoutsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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people are fusrtated with the bull crap.
Anne Reduce or eliminate the subsidy to the horse racing industry. As slots revenues rise, it will be negligent to continue this subsidy as you decimate essential public services. There is no rational justifivation for the
Arundel subsidy.
City Night time racing at Pimlico and Laurel all the time (younger generation with money work during the day) Cut all Senators and House pay rolls along with Governor and staff. Cut Benefit packages to all Senators and
House along with Governor and staff. Bring back prisoner work crews for highway. Lower the sales tax that is why we shop in Delaware. Get rid of the illegals as well as CASA they have to soak up a lot. Cut Business
tax down to nothing with incentives to come here ( Make more money on employee income tax and their spending of their pay checks). More workers more taxes. Tort reform. Good luck because you guys are going
about it the wrong way.
Howard hello,
close the state on fridays or mondays. just don't have retirement benefits affected by the closure
Caroline Stop buying property. Some of the property that was aquired last year could be sold with a perpetual easement attached to the property. The government could also stop mowung/landscaping the highways. Thanks for
your time.
Montgomery I am all for helping out our fellow citizens who find themmselves in a bind financially but the key words are "fellow citizens". We must stop spending my tax dollars on illegals and using our taxes to encourage persons
who are only "taking" our resourses into moving into MO CO. and Maryland as a whole. In my townhouse development there are homes with 4 and 5 unrelated individuals in one rental. The occupants have DC and
Va tags and I would presume paying their taxes to those other jurisdictions.
My neighbors and i are always pointing out the stats about our homicides / robberies / gangs that the perpetrators are defined as illegals-- the media's description not mine. I can just imagine how much free time the
Police/EMS could have if they weren't always servicing the non-taxpayers in Md.
Have we ever considered requiring a "rental license" for thise homes being rented? Have as an exception a home rented to a police officer/ FF or eacher as an exemption to the license-- in lieu of money to the HOC/
productivity housing or other programs that have no oversight. This way we keep Md. employees and their taxes in Md--not DC and Pa. Then let's add in an inspection clause and issue fines for
overcrowding/sanitation on rental issues etc.
Otherwise the property values will continue to decline and there goes the tax base.
thank you
Anne Eliminate economic development activities statewide as they yield little or nothing at great expense. Stop suburban sprawl, which costs a lot over time trying to maintain infrastructure that is not paid for. reduce
Arundel spending (temporarily) on new schools.
City Encourage all state agencies to save on operating, spending cost and recycle more. I think for state agencies, there shoud be stricker limits on expenses made from state budgets and cut back on travel, parties, state
vehicles and social events. Reward those agencies that show a reduction in cost.
Initiate a shut-down for all agencies across that board for one day a month and same day.
Increase a tax on alcohol.
Cut spending for prisioners.
Increase toll fees.
Carroll My wife and I are state employees and if we have to go through more furloughs or salary cuts we will have to move. We built up debt because of the recent 5 days each that we had to do. Please no more furloughs. I
would suggest raising the state university tuition or raising the gas tax by 1 cent. Thanks
Baltimore These are just a few suggestions of the many wasted budget items.
1. Leased medical service instead of MSP Medivac operations.

2. General assembly needs to cut salaries, raises and expenses and quit hiding behind it is a mandatory law. (Change it and lead by example)
3. Stop funding CASA
4. Cut money to Baltimore city. If they can afford to buy theaters they are receiving too much funding.
5. Cut the PSC salary increase and live up to your campaign promise.
6. Stop the take home vehicle programs for all government agencies. (Fuel saving alone would be great!)
7. Cut funding to special interest groups.
Anne The state should eliminate the free car ferries that it runs on the Eastern Shore. I admit that I use them regularly when motorcycling and bicycling, but they are an unneeded luxury. I know the local residents will
Arundel scream bloddy hell, but it does not take very long to drive around, and they live in rural areas already, so must use cars to go anywhere.
Eliminate the toll-free ferries on the Wicomico River at Whitehaven and Upper Ferry. These are funded completely by State of MD highway user funds. Hardly anyone in the state uses these - they privide no economic
benefit except to a few, and if the locals want them, let them pay for them through County revenues.
Cecil Hear is a few suggestions for you

1. Do not inccur additional costs by implementing new promotional testing processes until the existing viable promotional list is expired. These lists are created with a determined and established bussiness need. As a
result any list established through the accepted promotional process should be adhered to until the list has been exhausted. This would save the State funding that is incurred by discarding the existing list that was
developed through rigorous standards and creating a new list through the gambit of testing and evaluation stages by numerous individuals and locations.
2. Stop creating useless jobs and tasks that appear on the surface (or on paper) to have use but have not been evaluated to have actual benifits to the State government and citizens of Maryland.
3. Try trimming the fat from the top of the pyramid instead of the bottom, where most of your state employees live pay check to paycheck already.
4. re-evalute how supplies/furniture are purchased, reliable low prices from standard coporations should be obtained in lieu of the Department of Correction Division prices.
5. Stop erroneous spending on special interest projects that only benifet the receiving party seeking the grant and has no long term benifits to the state or the citizens of Maryland.
Baltimore Make the older state workers retire!!! Some are 60 or 70 years old and still working -not very efficient!! Also, offer early retirements to workers who have 20 years or more.
City have all elected officials including the Governor the Mayor's of all the Cities in MD and the Senate & MD house Reps take a 5% pay cut apply that to the budget, put the slots in NOW and stop government waste on all
levels local & Statewide by not allowing City & State owned vehicles to be used after work hours unless it is needed.
Also get the MVA to begin an aggressive program to collect fees due on outstanding tickets, and fees owed by the drivers operationg vechicles without insurance, stop having the tax payers foot the gasoline costs to
haul our elected officials around, we the tax payers have to pay for our own transportation costs to go from point A to B why not you?
Anne My suggestion is to cut some of the high supervisor's pay who is just sitting on there you know what, and getting higher pay for work that is not performing.
Arundel
Caroline Dear Gove.
If you really want suggestions to balance the budget why don't you stop funding the illegal's that flock to the state?
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Baltimore Show the people of Maryland that everyone will have to share the pain by cutting any state employee that makes over $100,000 by 10%. I do not have the figures but I'm pretty sure that there would be significant cost
savings to taxpayers and it would show the average Joe that the big guys are feeling the recession also. Freeze wages for everyone for 2 years and have wage increases based on cost effective basis after 2 year
freeze.
Baltimore I think you need to leave state employees alone, they are the lowest paid employees around and this entire budget is being balanced on their backs. However, after saying that, I know that there is a lot of "dead
weight" in some modals, i.e. employees who are retired but still in their jobs; that can be done away with. The state should start by doing away with positions by taking employees who have been in state employment
for more than 35 years and retire them - then you could evaluate the position and hire someone at a lower wage if the position is really needed. All the state positions for purchasing real estate should be cut down
because the state doesn't have any money for purchasing real estate at this time anyway. There are positions and people who could be abolished and not cause major harm to some departments.
Anne 1. Sell football, baseball and other sports stadiums
Arundel 2. Privatize all rail systems
3. Sell BWI Airport, cruise ship port, etc.
select your
county
Howard My child (whom I am proud of) received a four year fully funded xxxxxxxxxxxscholarship to the UMD for academics. xxxxxx also received a $3000.00 a year( for 4 years)scholarship, funded by Maryland, for being a
distinguished scholar based on xxxxx PSAT scores, and for choosing a MD school. xxxxxx was also given a license plate frame saying xxxxxx was a distinguished scholar. I think the $3000.00 a year scholarship and
license frames could be cut out. Most kids who are smart enough to get the award are also given full scholarships to schools. Also, how about cutting out plaques and stuff awarded to blue ribbon schools etc. It is so
wasteful.
Allegany force out highest paid employees, 25 + years of service, and get rid of your goonies that were special appoitments. additionally,leave the agencies not funded by the state (railroad, safety and health, etc)alone as cuts
to their doesn't save any state money.
Anne I think it's time to double the cost to travel over the Bay Bridge to $5.00. It costs $4.00 (round trip) to go through the Harbor Tunnel or Key Bridge, so this only makes sense - Maryland needs the revenue.
Arundel
Allegany Build enough Nuclear Power Plants to power the entire State. I can't believe this never seems to be an option.
Anne Time to man up and raise taxes.
Arundel
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county
Washington I am currently a atate employee and have been involved with projects at work that require purchasing items. During this process I was told that I must purchase all items from the Small Business Reserve. What I found
out was that companies listed on this will charge an average of 3 times the price that otherwise could be purchased from other companies within the state of Maryland that were not listed on the Small business
Reserve. I understand that Maryland supports Small Businesses but this should not be at the expense of the Maryland tax payers. I would even go so far as to say that most of the Businesses listed on the Small
Business Reserve (some listed outside the state of Maryland) take advantage and charge extreme prices for their products. If you would lift the restriction of purchases through the Small Business Reserve,
permanently or temporary, would save millions in a very short time. Keep in mind that departments spend a great deal of their budget in the first two months of the fiscal year so this would benefit if implemented sooner
rather that later. I hope you will give this idea some consideration.
Baltimore Sell a portion of Spring Grove's campus to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and downsize the hospital by 180 beds. Sale will bring in millions of dollars and ongoing savings from downsizing will be $10 of millions a year.
Calvert A comment if I may to a broader scope of perspective: Have county run health clinics that take the place of private pay health insurance for those who can't work, in between jobs can't afford insurance, etc. The folks
that can work and want to pay more for the best health insurance can still do that. They should not be penalized.
Anne If you want to permenantely save a good bit of money my advice would be to allow state workers the option to drop down to a 37.5 hour work week voluntarily for an equal reduction in pay. Offices could open 30
Arundel minutes later or close 30 minutes earlier if needed. Those who can afford to may take the offer especially some people closer to retirement or better off who value quality of life. After you see how much is saved by this
initiative you could explore other options. If you want to figure out the math on this it is a 6.25 percent reduction in pay voluntarily for 37.5 hour work week versus 40. This will spare the people who can not afford the
pay cuts since it would be voluntary. It would also save money in paid leave/fringe benefits. It would mean a long term savings to benefit the state budgets and improved quality of life to employees.
Anne Fire state employees who don't do their jobs. I work at DHMH and I see state workers who sit in the break room for hours each day staring out the window. Have managers identify "deadwood" and get rid of them.
Arundel
City Initiate a $10.00 enrollment fee for each k-12 student. This would generate approximately $6-8 million dollars based on an enrollment of 800,000 students with 80-100% participation.
Washington No, I'm not from Maryland, but my wife and her family are.
We travel Route 68 multiple times per year and we always use this rest stop. There really isn't anywhere else to stop on this stretch of road. Are the facilities going to be open? Does this stop not produce "any" source
of income for the state? I think so. Just look at all the leaflets that are in the lobby area. I've picked up some for ideas. I've traveled to some state parks and attractions. This stop produces more income than what it
costs to keep it open.
Just my two cents.
Harford First and foremost Mr. O'Malley, you inherited a surplus and promptly spent it into oblivion. Second, you campaigned hard for the job and knew what you were getting into so stop trying blame the previous
administration for your incompetencies. My belief (and many others' as well)is you were counting on an appointment to Hillary Clinton's administration and wouldn't have to deal with the mess you created. Well, we all
know you couldn't deliver on your promise to her just like you have been unable to deliver on any of your gubernatorial campaign promises (i.e., lies). My first suggestion is for you to promptly resign. My second
suggestion is to amend the State Constitution (which you blatantly disregard, re: the unconstitutional special session you called to implement the largest tax hike in Maryland's history) to require term limits in the
legislature. Career politicians are detrimental to society and the continuing existence of this state and our nation. Oh, and since I know you won't consider either of my first two suggestions, how about eliminating the
entitlement programs, the primary purpose of which are to keep you and your party in control of this state! Next, kick the illegals out of Maryland instead of coddling to them. Then stop your taxpayer dollar wasting witch
hunt of Constellation Energy and admit your campaign promise to thwart the 72% rate hike was a hoax to buy votes. You sir are a disgrace!
Worchester As a Bee keeper it is felt that the annual Bee Hive inspection by state paid inspectors should be abolished. They serve very little purpose and distrub hives and could possibly carry diseases from one farm to
another.
Baltimore Fix loopholes for wealthy business in Maryland getting around paying their fair share. What are the stats on that?
Baltimore Cut back on all the free welfare programs. Check up on the people who receive these benefits and cut out double dipping. There are people cheating the system.
Baltimore garage sale of excess computer equipment;furniture
allow state workers option to go out early retirement
additional tax on fast food to offset costs in health care
City Governor O'Malley,
I have one small suggestion. After figuring in your proposed cut, you want to spend about $15 million on lottery advertising for this fiscal year. I looked up what states with similar populations spend on lottery
advertising, specifically Minnesota and Wisconsin, and they spend half that. I understand you get money back from the advertising but I have a feeling the returns start to diminish at a certain point and that we've
crossed that point. Otherwise Minnesota and Wisconsin would be spending more. Therefore, I suggest cutting lottery advertising even more than what you've suggested and use the money for something more
important like Medicare or to save someone's job.
Sincerely
select your Eliminate Differential foster care board rates in PG. County and Charles County ($40/month) per child supplement, paid to foster care providers monthly. This money is unnecessary as the stipends paid in Maryland is
county sufficiently supporting those foster families and is in fact one of the highest stipends paid in the United States. The goal of the higher rate stipend was to maintain adequate #s of public foster families in those
jurisdictions where the need was. It is my opinion that since the inception of this stipend in 2008, it has not accounted for increasing #s of homes. The amount of the money that could be saved from the 2 counties in
Maryland alone is exorbitant. Thanks
City Use the stimulus money to buy-out eligible retirees, by offering incentives. Then down-scale those jobs. Win Win situation for for years and yearas to come.
Anne how about designing new license plates, virginia has dozens of different plate styles, give marylanders a choice of special plates besides the two we have now.
Arundel
Howard
Dear Governor O'Malley,
I think that many Marylanders would agree that the cuts should start with the state government. State employees receive outrageous salaries, full benefits, pensions, bonuses, regular adjustments for inflation, travel
expense accounts, etc. Besides, they seem to believe that they keep their positions for life. The government apparatus is highly inefficient, state employees don't understand that they are supposed to provide services
for Marylanders, not just collect nice paychecks.
The same goes for the state educational institutions, including colleges and universities. Teachers and professors think they are entitled to their tenure positions regardless of the outcome of the educational process.
College administrations are usually huge and you can hardly get any kind of meaningful service from them; moreover, they don't consider students as paying customers and thus are not interested in providing the best
service.
It seems to me that you should introduce the concept of the results-oriented administration with minimal spending and that would mean no one in the state government and its institutions and agencies is "entitled" to
their positions and benefits.
I am sure that there's a lot of wasteful spending in the government that can be cut; however, no one wants to cut their own benefits and entitlements, it's better to take them away from someone else.
Sincerely
Baltimore As an attorney, I know that the Attorney Generals office is way over staffed. The anti-trust division and the securities division could be eliminated w/o adverse effect. The education affairs division could be cut in half
(we don't need two attorneys for MPT). The other divisions could easily be cut by 10%. Law firms all over the country are laying off lawyers. AAG serve at the pleasure of the AG. Let's start cutting some.
Baltimore One area to seriously consider is the time has come for Maryland to refocus on providing services to its citizens and legal immigrants, not those here illegally. Funding to organizations that support illegal aliens (non-US
citizens without current visas) should cease immediately. Services provided to those should cease as well. This may sound draconian, but facing the issues we face, Maryland’s citizens and legal immigrants should not
be forced to sacrifice while illegal’s and organizations that support them continue to receive money and services from the state.
Howard Reduction of unnecessary position i.e. Deputy Assistant Secretary's that have little or no impact on divisions. Eliminate ineffective managers and combine/transfer responsibility to those that can handle the additional
load. These can be identified by their current skills and asking for those that have the willingness to step up. Purchase equipment (copiers) as opposed to leasing. Purchase computers from competitive sources instead
of bloated contracts. Purchase buildings as opposed to leasing. Real estate is always a commodity.
Review wasteful spending programs. Under ARRA, I was recently at meeting concerning the weatherization program. $62M is being spent on the program statewide for little or no positions being realized. In our area
there will be no new hires and no interest in this program. Where will those dollars go? Administrative costs?
As a state employee in the workforce development system, I prefer not to take a pay cut but am willing to take additional furlough days as opposed to closing our offices. There are state employees that take advantage
of the luxury of being employed by the state. There are supervisors that do not have the ability or willingness to take a stand. This is as large a waste as there is in the state system. Three bad can be replaced by one
good to get a better bang for the buck. If a layoff is warranted, layoff based on merit not seniority!
Off the wall idea. Legalize marijuana. Tax and regulate. Will bring in revenue and also assist in lowering some local crimes.
Baltimore -----Following will save over $100,000,000/yr--
Paycut for all state employees

- under $60,000/yr.... 2% ...amounts to about 50cents/day
- over $60,000/yr.... 4% ...approx 100cents/day
offer employees to take paycut or .........layoff..
probably will be NO layoffs & therefore no strain on unemployment costs
compare that to the working families 20% sales tax increase & multitude of other increases
..the paycut will be praised by the working families & will help satisy the our deficit
Baltimore Please don't issue anymore furlough days to your State employees. You cannot continue to balance the budget on the backs of your employees and hope to continue the level of service and care that they provide.
Baltimore As a state employee, I'd like to make 3 suggestions. All of these issues add to the cost and risk of processing payroll and cost accounting correctly under unusual conditions. My suggestions will reduce both. Please
consider:
1. When FY10 furloughs are planned, please set the date to end the furloughs at the end of the first pay period in June rather than later. For FY09, there was considerable manipulation required for furlough days
occurring between June 17 & June 30, in order to accrue those costs and post them in FY09 for cost accounting purposes.
2. If the 'exceptions' to the furloughs can be eliminated or greatly reduced, payroll problems will be reduced. In some areas, state employees transfer & change job classes often, so there is need to manually adjust
their records from pay-to-pay, depending on their 'exception to furlough' status.
3. If there is another 'salary reduction' planned, it would be more cost effective if that could be 'across the board' rather than having multiple salary tables in effect. Multiple salary tables creates considerable manual
intervention for the duration of the reduction period, especially for the 'exceptions'.

Montgomery Here's my suggestions for saving some money;
Cut all the pay of all state employees who earn $100,000 or more by at least 15 percent.
Sell off all state motor pool cars for non essential people.
No overtime for anyone except emergency responders.
No travelling outside the state for state employees to conferences, seminars, or conventions.
End the college tuition freeze.
Cut education funding for all the counties.
Increase taxes on couples or individuals making more than $500,000 and reside in the state.
Charge entrance fees for everyone entering state parks, the highest fees for those out of staters who use our parks.
Increase tax collection on companies who do the majority of their business in Maryland but whose corporate headquarters is out of state.
Cut funding or postpone as much capital projects as possible unless federal funds pay for them.
Just say NO to any earmark or porkbarrel legislative projects or programs.
Cut the legislators scholarship funding.
Use part time or temporary workers wherever possible.
Anne Implement Annual Motor Vehicle Inspections

Arundel
Currently motor vehicles are only inspected at the time of sale. This costs $60 to $100 depending on location.
If all cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers, heavy trucks etc were inspected annually and the cost was split 50/50 between the state and inspection station additional monies could be raised for roads and public
transportation. This would allow monies to be shifted to oter areas.
This would also add jobs as more inspectors will be needed to complete the inspections. Highway saety is also increased by identifying problems such as bald tires and faulty lights.
The inspection would occur annually on the anniversary month of the vehicle sale. For vehicles already licensed and tiled in MD the inspection could occur on the annaversay month of the vehicles registration renewal.
Carroll Merge the MD Transportation Authority Police with the State Police.
Merge the State Highway administration into the MD Department of Transportation.
These agencies duplicate effort.
Baltimore an early retirement incentive, the first since 1996, with stricter compliance of rules related to refilling the state positions, would lead to significant reduction in work force.
Baltimore Furlough state employees that were exempted on the first round of furloughs before a second round of furloughs to previously furloughed employees. Also, consider some type of pension incentive to effectively replace
some older workers having higher salaries with younger workers at lesser salaries. This pension incentive could be in years of service and/or age. This could be limited to the number of pensions allowed so that
extensive knowledge and experience are not lost depleting certain State Agencies.
City Tax increases are a better option than deep spending cuts — better both for families already suffering due to the recession and better for Maryland’s economy. Moreover, as the economists Joseph Stiglitz and Peter
Orszag (among others) have noted, tax increases take less money out of the economy than spending cuts do.
Maryland has a number of revenue options it can consider: extending the temporary surtax on income over $1 million, raising the gas tax for the first time since 1992, raising taxes on alcoholic beverages for the first
time since 1972, and preventing multi-state corporations from using accounting gimmicks to avoid corporate taxes are all reasonable options.
In the longer term, Maryland should modernize its sales tax should to cover a broad range of consumer services. Limiting sales tax to the goods restricts the revenue base to a narrow and shrinking slice of the
economy. It also makes lower-income families pay a larger share of the sales tax, because they tend to purchase more goods and fewer services as a percentage of their total income.
Baltimore ELIMINATE HIGHER PAID POSITIONS BY OFFERING EARLY RETIREMENT

Baltimore To continually fund road improvements, improve our public transportation, and lower our dependence on oil, I believe Maryland should raise the tax on gas. Now is a good time while prices remain lower, and if we can
increase our public transportation system, it will Maryland residents in the long-run by way of reduced transportation costs. Build something similar to the DC metro system, as the Light Rail is much slower and more
innefficient.
City Add Value Added Tax to certain goods and services.
Arundel
As an educator I kindly ask to have more successful charter schools to be open. They spend less money in a more effective manner compared to many traditional practices. I would like to stress one thing though.
Successful charter schools can be encouraged to multiply their achieving models, rather than experimenting brand new trials.
Regards
City Privatize and/or Federalize certain City and State parks, such Gwynns Falls.
Harford My suggestion would be to cut the salaries and fringe's of state legislators and senators.
Carroll End your policy of sanctuary for illegal aliens. It's VERY costly -- to put it mildly.
Anne Cut mail delivery to every other day. Mon-Wed-Thurs.
Arundel
select your In a recent association meeting, persons from the SHA were boisterous about having too much money to complete the Rt 5/494 corridor projectd. One suggestion, go through project budgets with a fine tooth comb
county and take the surplus! the project is impinging on our neighborhood to begin with; we have seen a recent increase in crime as a result already and all that's been done is adding a sidewalk entrance. It will get worse
when they build a walk over bridgethat our 106 residents told the SHA no one would use because the metro is too far away! Our community has been saying this for the last 20 years, but the state position it to
continue pushing the issue. Suggestion 2 - review all state contracts. state contracts are the same as federal, issued to cronies of state politicians at inflated rates up to 300 times the actual cost of what the services or
projects are. Suggestion 3 - cut special state programs voted in by state representatives, these special projects serve specific communities. if the state is so hard up, eliminate all projects that do not serve and benefit
the entire state. communities will deal with not getting the special attention. If you cut state workers, there will be no one to process all of the paperwork, contracts, etc needed for the special projects anyway.
Suggestion 4 - look at staffing to supervior ratio and salaries. states are like the feds, more supervisors than employees; high paid employees with no subordinates or supervisor responsibilities.keeping high paid
employees and low paid employees will provide less than adequate services to citizens. Do away with the high paid and keep the middle earners, they are the ones who do the work and train the lower paid. middle
and low paid employees are what keep things running. higher paid create more chaos, drain resources, reinvorce low morale and provide less services, support and service to state citizens.
City Fence in all Public School yards in Baltimore, and beyond. It will reduce school crime therefore reduce Policing and other safety costs for schools. This is proven to work in Europe.
City Bid-out the contract held by Meridian Management Group, the state’s private, no-bid facilitator of minority business financing. As City Paper reported in 2006, (see: http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=11774)
MMG is paid at least $1.3 million to run a state loan fund that loses about $750,000 each year, and the company’s two “venture capital” funds are unique in all the world for their ability to funnel state money into the
pockets of MMG’s principals, while spreading millions among what appear to be politically-connected (and sometimes questionable) businesses. MMG’s political clout has been all but unchallenged for two decades, but
it does appear that millions of taxpayer dollars might be better directed by more conscientious—and better monitored—stewards.
City Run a computer match to find everyone who has listed at least two Maryland homes as their “principle residence,” and send out the appropriate tax bills. In these times of foreclosure and mortgage fraud, it’s unlikely
this ploy would yield as much today as it might have raised in, say, 2006, but it’s still worth doing—if only to restore some respect for the law.
Baltimore Let's make our prisons provitable and cut out waste. Those incarcerated should have not frills when the rest of us are living an honest life and working to survive.
SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!
You all remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona , who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb. Well.........
SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!
Oh, there's MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe!
Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal
nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great
health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners
out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and
they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it
later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.

Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations
and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the
border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO
HE IS THE MARICOP A ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF

AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER
THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona ) who created the ' Tent City Jail':
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking an d porno magazines in the jails Took away their weights Cut off all but 'G' movies.
He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.
Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get Sued For Discrimination.
He took away cable T V Until he found out there was A Federal Court Order that Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel.
When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be While They Are Working on My Chain Gangs.
He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value.
When the inmates complained, he told them, 'This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton......If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back.'
More On The Arizona Sheriff:
With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports:
About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts.
On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached
138 Degrees Inside The Week Before.
Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS.
'It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace,' Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. 'It's Inhumane.'
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the
inmates: 'It's 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear,
But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes,So Shut Your Mouths!'
Way To Go, Sheriff!
Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit
another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.
City Cancel or renegotiate the state’s motor fuel management contract with Commercial Fuel Systems, the company that has held it, on a virtual no-bid basis, for 20 years. As I discovered in 2005 ( see:
http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=10453), Commercial Fuel’s unique contract costs the state at least five cents per gallon more than comparable contracts competitively-bid. Those pennies add up to at least
half a million dollars per year the state could be saving. Even more could be saved through a simple audit of fuel use by government agencies.
Kent It is time to truly evaluate the structure of State Government. Every time cuts are made, they give up current vacancies. Instead of long term planning they react to budget deficits. It is time to evaluate every position.
Why is it that the majority of state employees have computers but there has been no cut in administrative assistants? Can MTA be merged with the State Highway Administration? Can mediocre employees be
eliminated? It is basic questions like that that need to be answered.
Anne How about MDOT repaying the Md Transportation Authority for $237 million in toll revenues diverted over 6 years from the "independent" Authority to the Transportation Trust Fund for non-toll facility purposes. That
Arundel might relieve some pressure on future EZ-Pass fees and toll rates.
Howard hi,
why don't they cut number of legislators in half in the house and the senate of maryland
Harford 1)Cut back on the use of state vehicles for personal use. Example - Sheriff's vehicles with families going to the store, library, etc after hours (including kids in car seats). Tax payers foot the bills for gas, maintenance
and insurance. I saw a DNR vehicle at the Walmart in Shrewsbury PA on a Sunday. 2) Collect some form of income tax from out of state workers. I am in the minority going south on Rt. 23 in the AM and PM. I can't
go to PA and get a government job unless I am a PA resident. 3) Give an early out incentive to state workers of retirement age or years. I am a state worker and see all of these issues that could be adressed
everyday.
City Take over BGE. Broke taxpayers can't pay taxes.
City Deny WIC or any State assistance to anybody with a felony criminal record.
City Switch schools to a competitive system as in Belgium.
City Increase State property tax rates in Howard and Montgomery counties, where all the money is.
Anne
Arundel
City Build another Bay Bridge north and develop the northern Eastern shore.
Anne Why do we need so many police departments? For example, MDTP police are everywhere around the BWI pulling people over for traffic violations yet we have county and state police doing the same thing. Same with
Arundel the bridges and tunnels. They are always miles from their area doing traffic stops. If we combined the forces we would not require command structures to manage multiple forces doing the same exact job and this
would be more efficient while saving money.
Thanks
City Get rid of Sheila Dixon
Baltimore When the General Assembly meets in January 2010 they should only concern themselves with the budget. No new laws just find ways to limit the growth of state government. You can't lay all the pain on state workers
either, they are already behind the eight ball when it comes to cost of living.
Harford To Whom It May Concern;
I believe Teachers, Police, Fire/Rescue and DPW should see the least amount of cuts. Agencies like the lottery, MD Transportation Authority who generate revenue, should become more self sufficient and their excess
to support other agencies.
In a ground breaking and bolder move, set a deadline of December 31, for example, and have illegal aliens in Maryland be granted immunity to register for citizenship. Additionally, pay a fine of $500 (for families under
5) and $1000 (for families over 5) upon registering. this will generate revenue and ease the burden of free Government services.
Long term project, would be to audit government assistance (housing, medicare, foodstamps, independant cards, etc) and identify those who are abusing the program, are in violation of the program and those who do
not need the program. I can only imagine this will save millions in the long run.
To the Governor and his staff, I wish them the best. No matter what the choice may be, it will be difficult and no one will win or be happy. May they have the strength and wisdom to do what is right and may God guide
them in their mission. Good luck.
City Put State Police in, and allow county police to operate in Baltimore City. Crime in Baltimore costs the State revenue on property taxes, since Baltimore has the highest tax rate. High crime reduces property values,
chases away businesses, and increases costs related to crime.
City Put State Police in, and allow county police to operate in Baltimore City. Crime in Baltimore costs the State revenue on property taxes, since Baltimore has the highest tax rate. High crime reduces property values,
chases away businesses, and increases costs related to crime.
Cecil I have always admired the way Maryland takes care of its roadways. But, I really believe we can cut back on road repairs and mowing. The men that usually work in these areas can be used elsewhere instead of hiring
new people. In other words, spread the workers around to cover more jobs. It is not only in Maryland that we see teams of highway workers, where some of the crew is standing on the side waiting for his turn to make
his contribution. So, I think we may be able to pull one worker and move to another job site.
Frederick I work for the UMB as a systems administrator...computer virtualization technology is saving our campus hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in hardware, software, licensing, environmental and maintenance costs.
The USM is advocating this new technology...but, I would like to see a more of a concerted effort from other county and state agencies to rapidly deploy these systems because they do offer great savings while
enhancing productivity. In addition, I would like to state that I do not favor furloughing employees. thank you.
Anne Do not hire the budget-cutting consultant, David Osborne because that is another thing we can't afford. Let State Agencies go to a 4 Day/10 Hour work week. Shutting down agencies 1 day a week would save money
Arundel and conserve high energy costs instead of "personally" taking away from the State Employees, we can't afford anymore cuts. Take ALL the profits from the Maryland Lottery and pay down the State Deficit for a period
of time. Stop spending money on State programs that are unnecessary. Cut back on executives benefits and expensive trips & meals. Keep the United States money IN the United States instead of giving it away to
other countries and paying for foreign execs to come to Maryland, let them pay their own way here, we pay our way to their countries.
City To whom it may concern:

The cuts I would propose would be to eliminate all studies involving future development or transportation projects. These feasibility studies individually cost little, but there are thousands of them, from road widening in
the distant future to redevelopment projects that are unrealistic in the current economy. Please consider cutting these consultants loose, until the economy improves. -Brian Ryder, Highlandtown
Harford I have been a State employee for xxxx years. I just received an additional duty due to cuts, retirees and no new hires. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I just did
an airfare that cost the state $460, when I could have done it on line for $200. I also did an Amtrak ticket that cost the state $185 and I did it on line for $60.00. It seems to me there needs to be a serious overhaul in
travel throughout the state workers and clients. I believe there could be a tremendous amount of money saved in just this one area.
Anne HOW ABOUT A 10% PAYCUT FOR MARYLAND POLITICIANS! IN ADDITION, HOW ABOUT PAYING 40% OF HEALTH CARE COST FOR THE SAME, UNTIL YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES GO ON THE PUBLIC
Arundel HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND PARK ALL PUBLIC VEHICLES TO SAVE ON GAS.. LEAD BY EXAMPLE PLEASE ...
Anne I think you should cut State of Maryland Empoyees salarys by 15% across the board and then slowly stagger in cost of living increases(I do nto know if the state does this sort of thing like the federal government). This
Arundel would help with the bugdet down the road verse furlows which only help the budget now. Secongly, I would have the State of Maryland stop giving so much money to Balitmore City since so many tax dollars go there
to people who do not even live there and its days of tourism will be gone soon due to crime. Balitmore is an independent city, let it pay for itself. I would also lower the amount of money the state of maryland gives to
locar and county governments. They are supposed to be funded by property taxes and other local items, and if they are over budget let them trim there workforce or make cuts out of their own budgets, it is not the
responsibility of State of Maryland government.
Baltimore No layoffs of State employees.
No cuts in Healthcare or Social Services. These will come back to bite us - hard.
No reduction to stem cell funding.
No reduction in Public Safety.
Instead cost-saving moves like renegotiation of office space and rebidding of energy contracts. Reducing the high cost of drugs in State hospitals with equally effective less expensive alternatives seems reasonable.
Cuts in lottery advertising are acceptable as is assigning interest earned on special fund balance to the general fund.
Thank you
City Retrofit all MTA buses to electric using modular batteries. Buses have short routes which allow them to be charged, or batteries to be replaced with charged ones reducing down-time, at a central charging station.
Environment greatly, very low investment.
Baltimore As a State employee myself, I was upset with the furlough days that needed to be taken last year, but looking at the big picture I am just glad that I have a job.
I propose that the State close all State offices during the week between Christmas and New Years. Make sure that all building maintenance staffs turn the heat down/off, lights, computers, copiers, fax machines to
conserve energy and electricial costs. These days would obviously be furloughs for State employees, but again have the days divided up among the pay periods. I know this will come a shock to most State
employees, but again you need to consider the big picture. Most employees are already taking off for the holidays for travel or because schools are closed. In there lies an acute savings for parents/caregivers who
have to not only find but pay additional monies to provide daycare for children during the holidays so they may work. Again this is only a suggestion that I hope will be considered. Most parents/caregivers would be
happy I would think that they could spend the holidays with their families instead of shuffling them off to somewhere. Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion.
I definitely agree with reevaluating the WIC and Food Stamp requirements. There is nothing that I hate more watching a family at the grocery store using food stamp to buy seafood and then going outside in getting in
their brand new luxury vehicle. Or watching people exchange food stamps for cash.
City Switch non-emergency cars and trucks to hybrid or retrofit to LPG technology.
City Sell or auction used/retired IT and other equipment on eBay.
Carroll 1. I absolutely believe that the tuition at our state
universities needs to be "unfrozen". These are tough times for everyone and those who want to go to college need to pay for it -- not taxpayers who have already paid for their children to attend.
2. Some unemployment restraints and oversight are necessary. I know of an individual who has received unemployment for about 9 months and NEVER once applied for a job. This is just taking advantage of the
system and other tax payers.
Howard Roll back to the 2006-2007 budget which was balanced with a surplus. then get rid of the unnecessary tax increases that have only resulted in the state making less money (ironic) and hurting the business owners and
citizens of the Great State of Maryland.
Then Don't increase spending in this upcoming budget. finally limit increases in the 2010-2011 to less then 3%. Had you not made the 8% increases back then (when everyone said we were heading into a recession)
and held to a more conservative 2-3% increase we would not need to make cuts now (well personally I feel it is always the goal of government to be cutting waste but that's a rant for another time).
Good luck and God Bless,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
City For every cut made to public services, there should be an equal sacrifice asked of the state's private sector. The State of Maryland should be requiring corporations making money in our state to pay their fair share of
taxes - close the loophole that allows corporations to hide their income in other states. If this isn't the time for this crucial policy action, when is?
Washington Cut your salary, get rid of you're green party, cut back on your ENORMOUS staff, cut the PSC salaries back to normal. Stopping wasting Tax Payer dollars on CEG and instead of putting the stimulus into your NEW
IDEAS, how about actually using it for where it belongs. Cut all funding to the Illegal Alien Communities in PG, Montgomery and Baltimore City which has cause an enorous cost increase. Cut the sales tax by 20
percent.
Baltimore 1.All public officials(senators,representatives,etc.) take a pay cut 2.Cut spending on stem cell research 3.Cut all spending on lottery advertising-people know what this is!! 4.Rebid contracts within reason . DO NOT
cancel contracts for roadwork and infrastructure!!
City Set all State desktops/workstations to hibernate overnight and when not in use. This will not cause wear on the hard drive, as oppose to shutting down.
Anne Get rid of all state and local contributions to Casa of Maryland. Deport ALL illegal immigrants, these indivisulas are costing the state taxpayers millions of dollars in funds for schools, helath care, social services etc.
Arundel
City Use refurbished servers for new low-scale IT roll-outs instead of buying them new. You can save 1000s per server.
Harford As an state employee, I suggest that the comar system be reviewed and brought up to date. compare prices and buy from cheapest bid if lower than the contracted price. Before anymore furloughs and layoffs of state
employees reduce the number of contractual employees. Cut the governor's staff to one secretary and five aides and legislatures to one secertary and one aide. Reduce the legislatures salary by one third since they
got us in this mess. Use money from the lottery going to the Stadium Authority. base the budget on the money received the previous year and drop the estimated income.Reduce social service and welfare benefits.
Cuts might be less if there was better management of the money alotted.
Harford Follow California plan - It eliminates nearly 60 percent of the deficit with spending cuts to core state services such as education, state parks and prisons.
The rest is reached by one-time raids on local government funding and accounting maneuvers, such as deferring state employee paychecks by one day for a savings on paper of $1.2 billion
City Use Linux/OpenOffice for desktops/workstations. Servers will require an IT plan to migrate, but Desktops can be migrated almost overnight. You can eliminate millions in licensing costs, or Microsoft will have to give
you a deep discount to keep you as they did with. This was tried 10 years ago at DHMH, but Linux was not mature enough,since then Linux and OpenOffice has improved greatly. You'll consequently save money on
management and other IT tasks as well.
City As a former State employee for 29 years, I believe that the Governor should look into+ administrative offices and positions, that is probably where a lot of waste is, not the frontline workers, but the supervisors and
above.
Montgomery Eliminate all services to illegal immigrants. Cutting sevices to citizens so that we can continue to educate, provide health care, and other services to illegal immigrants is stealing from the taxpayers. In a strong
economy, we can afford to be charitable. In today's economy, we cannot. I have seen estimates that the net cost (the cost of services provided less taxes paid) of each illegal immigrant is $2700. Most of that burden
is assumed by state and local governments. I'd rather see our taxes go to reducing the deficit and providing services to citizens.
Harford Ref Health felex spending accounts for contract State employees: I manage a small unit of 10 people and x are FULL TIME contract employees and some have been here as long 5 plus years. A few have benefits
from other sources and some have privately purchased health insurance. However, they are not allowed to participate in the flex spending account. There fore, any thing not covered by insurance comes from after tax
dollars. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Although he has health insurance, a flex spending accout would be a great benefit, especially since we just had to reduce the number of hours he is allowed to
work. I know that Health Insurance is of great interest to this administration. As I understand it, a flex spending account would be a minimal cost to the State since the major benefit is its exemption from Federal tax.
From what little I was able to get from IRS, it may be a matter of the titleing of the contract employee, which infers it is a temporary position. But I know of contract employees outside of my small unit that have 7 or
more years of full time service. Can someone examine the possibilities? Extending flex account benefits to contract employees would have a great effect on the marketability and retention of people in contract
positions. I would appreciate any response possible and would gladly help in any way I can to make this happen.
select your Have all State Offices require staff to participate in recycling cans, paper, glass and plastic. With recycling, the state would begin going "green" as well as earning additional revenue.
county
Anne YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO FIGURE OUT THAT ALL STATE EMPLOYEES SHOULD RECEIVE A 10% PAY CUT. WE DID IT AT MY COMPANY AND IF WE DIDN'T LIKE IT-WE COULD
Arundel LEAVE,BUT WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO GO?? EXTRAORDINARY TIMES CALL FOR EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES. LIFE WILL GO ON AND IT WILL BE FORGOTTEN ABOUT QUICKLY-JUST LIKE THE
STATE TAX HIKE TO 6%. DO YOU HEAR ANYMORE COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT? TAKE CARE & GOOD LUCK!
Baltimore I have several ideas on revenue generation for the State. There are existing opportunities for the State to leverage its existing infrastructure in partnership with local/national businesses. For example, allowing
advertisements/marketing on State owned property/infrastructure is a simple, quick revenue generator.
City 1. Legalize marijuana and tax it.
2. End the long incarcerations for drug/CDS convictions and use some of the savings for residential treatment facilities.
3. Fire bad state employees. (plus it would boost morale for those of us who try to do a good job)
4. Make Pimlico a non-profit.
Harford With draw all fund from CASA,stop aid to ilegals of all orgins,review the over bloated MDE and all the other state run and supported groups.Reduce the number of stand around UMMS police,lastly every line in the
budget needs review to cut or elimate the expense and remove from the budget.
Dorchester Closing state agencies by 1pm on Fridays. This would give the state agencies the ability to be open on Fridays so that they may provide services to the customers; however, it would also save the state money by not
having to pay for 3 to 4 hours every week. Fridays could be by appointments only days or paperwork days which ever is best for the employees. That would be saving the state for paying employees 12 to 16 hours a
month without having to close for an entire day. If a holiday happens to fall on a Friday then the office can still close early on the Thursday before.
Baltimore Salary reduction of 5% on any state employee salary of $105,500 or more. Not knowing the true impact (actual number of emplyees affected and total amount that could be saved) of this idea, I would appreciate some
feedback.
Another idea might be the 5% reduction above in conjunction with a 1% increase to those making $38,800 or less. Thank you.
Anne Hire some more advisors (friends) raise taxes,remodel.Who do you think you are fooling,every one.
Arundel
Harford Cut every dollar that goes directly or indirectly to support illegals. Cut every cent that goes to CASA.
City I work in the Court house, and I bet 80% of filed cases have an approved fee waiver. That is millions of dollars that could be collected $100 at a time from people who are receiving much more than that amount in
services as a result of their pleading. I bet the parties don't even show up for Court in 50% of those cases in which waivers are given, and the process is overloading the dockets, and delaying legitimate claims from
being heard in a timely fashion. Stop waiving filing fees, and that will result in Millions of dollars in increased revenue; will cut back on frivilous court filings; and it will speed up the judicial process for legitimate claims.
City As a State employee I am aware that we will be asked to assist with this problem. These are a few of my suggestions that will hopefully see us through this trying time:
Currently the State employs hundreds of employees who are well above the age and/or years needed to retire. Wouldn't it help our deficit if they were asked to retire now? In many cases their rolls could be handled by
line staff already employed so no new staff would need to be hired for their positions.
The State appears to me to be rather top heavy. Do we need all the staff at the top level who are making over 6 figures in salary? Many of these people have retired from another government Agency and are receiving
a pension as well as their state salary.
Cecil STOP MOWING MEDIAN STRIPS/ROADSIDES. it is a complete waste of gasoline and manpower!!
Baltimore Turn off the highway street lights between the hours of 1/2 hour before sunrise 'til 1/2 hour after sunset.
Baltimore get rid of your personal chef-try cooking yourself
Baltimore University of Maryland, Baltimore seems to spend ALOT of money on landscapers...
City four day work week for State employees (6 months)or longer as needed.
Tremendous savings on buiding operations
City Stop spending on unnecessary celebratory events and perks. We didn't need to have July 4th fireworks this year. It was a waste of the city's money and could have been put to better use. Let's get a clue about what's
really important. We also need tougher littering laws in this city. People are downright brazen in the way they toss things onto the streets and out of cars here. I've seen people drop chicken boxes, soda cans, crab
shells, Chinese food boxes--all sorts of things without even blinking--like they think it's alright to do it. The city needs to stop rewarding that kind of ignorance. It's especially rampant among the young people.
Harford Eliminate the purcahse of land for preservation - this could save millions of dollars a year. These projects could be put on hold and completed at a later time when the stae has more money.
City Stop updating computers every 3 years. It is not necessary. Only update for those employees who need it.
City Stop updating computers every 3 years. It is not necessary. Only update for those employees who need it.
Baltimore Allow State employees to work 10 hour days and then close offices on Fridays or Mondays, thus saving electricity and other expenses related to an office being open. Exclude those facilities that must operate 5 days
per week and those that provide emergency services.
Anne Please do everything to keep the positions filled and our health care untouched. Those are the 2 most important things to our future. Keeping our unemployement rate from rising and keeping our health care un
Arundel touched will help those who dont have insurance right now.
Dorchester From a retired State worker: #1 - Do away with parts of the 1995 Personnel reform passed by Legislature that allows low level supervision to rewrite job descriptions for vacant positions & reclassifications. Plenty of
what I would consider fraud here. . . #2 - Look at the organizational structure at every level in each department. Our 11 man section of field workers (only 1 college grad) turned into three sections (all college grads)
with at least five high level supervisors and a program manager. Work decreased, too many computers & supervisors. Position upgrades based on low level rewrites were still taking place last year & last month. . . . #3
- Fill some job vacancies with part time retirees. I have 30+ years in my field and can work part time flex (any day, week, season) for about $10 an hour with no benefits. Work production, quality & cost effectiveness
would be better in most cases. . . #4 - More, but even the above three can't be explained in this short email. Thank you from a fellow Democrat.
City Instead of closing rest stops invite food companies - McDonalds, Burger King, etc. - to offer services. New Jersey does this and it benefits everyone. Travelers do not have to go miles off the road for food and the State
gains revenue.
Anne I think cutting back on government staff and salary caps would be helpful.
Arundel
Baltimore Offer early retirement incentive,eliminate out sourcing of jobs and have state employees capable of doing the job continue. Also leave retirees benefits alone.
Baltimore Show us the budget on line
Then show us the departments where the 39 filled positions were eliminated.
Reduce government paperwork.
Reduce unnecessary government travel.
Make more permanent layoffs, there is too much waste in government because many union employees don't do their fair share.
Turn off lights in unused rooms, control temperature in office buildings by upping the temperature in the summer and reducing temperature by a couple of degrees in the winter. Let people dress appropriately.
Cut out expensive dinners for state officials.
Take better control of state paid cars that go home when staff is off duty.
Scurtinize spending of supplies, materials purchased, and especially state credit cards and reimbursement to staff.
Have a prcess that all purchases must be signed off by several of the management staff to make sure purchases are necessary.
City Review professional development activities for the departments to determine which could be integrated and stop using training models demonstrated to be ineffective. For example, there are some common training
needs for workers in juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health, substance abuse, and education. Rather than having multiple overlapping training efforts consolidate these. Advantages are that the multiple workers
serving the same child/family will actually be trained on the same evidence-based model reducing the need for integrating different programs and perspectives. This also would promote the development of a
community of practice and break down the silos that we have created.
The second suggestion involves eliminating funding for one time training efforts, annual conferences, etc. There is amble evidence to show that individuals going to a 2 hour, 1/2 day or even two day training sessions
are extremely unlikely to not effectively utilize the information they receive in their day-to-day jobs. Training needs to be provided in work contexts and include follow-up coaching and mentoring. Mentoring can be
done by existing staff and does not require contractors. If programs are not integrated into SOP they are not likely to be implemented yet we continue to spend lots of money paying for training sessions/annual
meetings. Possibly there are benefits from the networking taking place but what is the evidence of that the trailings provided are changing the outcomes for our children and families.
Howard Every time I drive, I see a new "noise abatement wall" being built. I can't understand how we can pay for this when there are so many other uses for that money. Many of these walls are near trees that provide noise
relief before they are cut down to build a concrete wall. Then the state buys plants and because of drought or other circumstances, they die and more money needs to be spent. In many places, homes are a great
distance away. Maryland taxpayers are subsidizing noise levels for a very few percentage of people. There are taxpayers who live by railroads, airports, landfills and the list goes on and on who manage to have a nice
lifestyle. These walls should have never been built and they need to end!!
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Anne my suggestions is cutting the hour back for every state employees by not lay-off is not the answer more money still pouring out for unemployment so what good that would do...we state employee will have to work out
Arundel to survive help each others our need for the family...
Baltimore As a state employee, I prefer furloughs to layoffs. I, like many state employees, missed the income during the last round of furloughs.
However, as the mother of two school-aged children, having the time off was a blessing. I got to volunteer in my children's classrooms and spend time getting to know their teachers. I would have never scheduled to
take the time off to do that. I think you should extend the furlough period longer for employees closer to the top of the pay scale.
City How about we raise the tax on alcohol sales. Since this is considered discretionary spending, we could increase money in the budget and hopefully avoid layoffs and furloughs. When was the last time we have seen an
increase on state tax on alcohol sales exclusively?
Washington Have all state employees go to 10 hours days. From what I hear one state police barrack did and saved money, just think if all barracks did that. Would save on gas for those who have to commute long distances.
(Would not have to travel as many days, Think it works out to be 50+ less days of travel a year.) And from talking to a neighbor who is a trooper they all want it but not the administration.) Also have MVA open 10 hour
days would save on cost of operating. Close them on Saturday's and work them monday through friday, with everyone getting a 3 day weekend. Some would be off Monday and some would be off Friday. Close the
Express offices and staff the full serve MVA to full strength.
Harford Mr O'Malley, how about cooking your own meals and not make the state for a personal chef, like your predacessor did.
City The American eagle needs two wings to fly.
Try something new.
Invite the opposition party into your private meetings.
City Immediately halt construction on the Intercounty Connector, and conduct a review of highway capacity projects taking place outside priority funding areas. Sprawl and pollution inducing highways are the first thing the
state can cut.
Baltimore Good Morning,
- I think the state should look into Lottery funding, make sure its getting allocated properly and shift funds if possible.
- Contract some state positions to save money on benefits paid from state budget.
- This was very effective at my job - cut employee pay $40k or less no cuts; $41k-50k 1-3%; $51k-60k 3-4%;$60k or more 5%
all sr excutives making 125k took 10% cut...all the employees agreed a pay cut was better then a lay-off (this is temporary)Also no performace bonuses
- If the state has dollar for dollar 401k match suspend the match by the state
- designate 1 person in a given area to be responsible for ensuring all the lights and electronic equipment are off
- Elimate comp time
- Elimate overtime
- Ask for volunteers to take furlough days
- During the upcoming Labor Day holiday shut down for an extra day unpaid let employees choose the day
- Cut state employee college tution reimbursment (temporary)
- Cut state employee travel unless absolutely mandatory
- If any outstanding money is owe to the state by any organization aggressively pursue those funds and take settlements when able
I think the suggestion box approach was a great idea for attacking the budget issues
City Cut top-heavy departments. Too many managers that don't contribute to the overall mission of many State agencies. Improve processes in government by spending more to upgrade software/hardware that will
eventually equate to reduced costs and improved efficiency and services to the general public. Even though this may have to reduce jobs, it will definitely save the State countless dollars and at the same time improve
the delivery of many services.
Initiate early retirement options.
Howard Replace laid-off employees essential functions (pared down- with Contractuals - no benefits/leave expenditures)
Washington Eliminate the DOC K-9 unit. Contract out the land surrounding correctional facilities and the median strips of all the interstates for wind and solar farming. Place a 1% tax on all persons employed by state,local and city
governments in the state of Maryland who don't live in the state of Maryland
Howard Replace laid-off employees essential functions (pared down- with Contractuals - no benefits/leave expenditures)
Baltimore Cut energy costs by weatherizing state buildings and setting thermostats appropriately. Stop buying bottled water. Cut even more from the lottery advertising budget.
Calvert Increase the gas tax by 2 cents like Rhode Island - that is a good idea. Stop hindering the deal between Constellation and EDF that will allow the construction of the new reactor at Calvert Cliffs, which will create more
jobs and more taxes for MD. Instead of hindering the deal, start helping MD residents USE LESS ENERGY!
Anne Some of the people who come into Maryland is using the systems to take away from the legal Maryland residents, by not paying taxes and getting benefits from Social Services. We need to be more aware of who
Arundel should get these benefits by documentation. I know the children in these families need help. But, don't cheat the system and make it hard for honest persons.
Wicomico Reduce the number of holidays for state employees. Investigate the number of holidays for private industry, medical fields and others compared to state employees. I think that you will find that private industry and
medical facilities only have approximately eight days off. New Years Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. If you wish to take a day off to
celebrate a holiday you must use a personal day or a vacation day. Calculate how much money the state would save by eliminating these holidays or having the employee use a personal or vacation day.
Baltimore Good Morning,
I have found during my 42 years of working the following works for me.
If I lose my job ,get laid off, or change jobs I adjust my spending accordingly. If I make 10% less than last yeat I spend 10% less. I am surprised my State hasn't thought of this.Worth a try.
Baltimore Cut all agency budgets by 5%, just like a business would have to do. Cut all unfilled positions from budget. Stop increasing spending in good years so that you can be prepared in the bad ones.
Cecil $200 million: 24-day furlough for ALL state workers. (Two days per month for 2 years)
$45 million: 1% payroll reduction for ALL state employees until July 2010
$10 million: abolish ALL vacant positions statewide until July 2010
Each agency must trim $50,000 from budget if agency budget is over $1.5 million (No Layoffs)
Each agency must sell/auction 2 fleet vehicles. Why so many take home vehicles?
No purchasing of new vehicles until July 2010. No more that one per year.
Agencies must not purchase more than $20,000 in new IT equipment until July 2010
$75 Million: Increase gas tax by 2 cent
$5 Million: Increase vehicle registration fee by $10.00

Increase speeding tickets fines. (Save-a-Life)
Early Retirement - Within 5 years of retiring - Offer 1/2 total salary severance pay - Do not refill position.
Harford Baltimore City has one of the highest out of wedlock birth rates in the country,over 70%,and over 90% in some inner city neighborhoods. We know this drives the social evils : violent crime, drug and alcohol abuse,
rampant poverty and illiteracy.The state of Maryland could save hundreds of millions of dollars every year while turning Baltimore City around by stop paying women and girls to have these babies that they can't afford,
can't take of and that are running the streets by 6 years old. We would save on many costs: welfare, police, hospitals, courts and judges, social workers. At the same time, Baltimore neighborhoods, schools and
businesses would improve dramatically. We could make it attractive to Baltimore by offering the city one-half of the savings with no strings attached.It would be a win-win for Maryland and Baltimore if the plan is
presented properly and is backed by the governor and legislature.
City I think the Governor could save some money if he stop giving folks on social services all the money.Social service clients and homeless folks are giving monthly bus passes. Why are these folks allow monthly bus
passes. They are not going to work or are in job programs. They are giving token. that should be for doctor appointments. Some clients are selling their benefits. Once the clients sell their benefits they are back at
social services getting food vouchers. The case managers need to see why these clients are needing food vouchers and just received their food benefits. Than they have furniture vouchers for clients to purchase new
furniture. There are people out here who work everyday for a living and wish they could afford the luxury of buying new furniture. Than the city is giving out section eight vouchers like theres no tomorrow.Baltimore
County section eight office is not. The city is just throwing money around. Some politicians need to take a cut in their salary. I don't see all what they are supposed to do anyway.Half of them you don't even know until
election time when they want you to come out and vote for them. I believe the government need to start with The Department of Human Resources and go from there.
Baltimore Hi Gov. O'Malley,
I am a state worker in the Drumcastle Building in Towson. The air conditioning has been so high that the workers need sweaters inside. I think that it might save money to put the thermostat a few degrees higher.
City I think closing all state buildings for 1-2 days a month would be cost-cutting. It would eliminate security, maintenance, gas&electric fees, etc.
Also, changing state workers hours to 4 10 hour days or at least offering the option. I don't think its fare for state workers to burden the cost of everyone mistakes in government.
Anne Control spending & cut programs! That's what I have had to do to stay ahead in this recession. Is it painful to cut? Absolutely. But we have to get a grip on our gross spending habits here. The citizens cannot take any
Arundel more tax hikes to pay for state waste, including too many workers. Government work is NOT guaranteed employment for life; some layoffs MUST be made. Education - too many administrators! Cut funds that go to
administration and force the mammoth school systems to cut administrators. Any program can be trimmed of waste. The plenty of years past led to wasteful spending. Pinpoint those programs and trim them up to a
leaner meaner machine. That can include police, education and the environment. There is waste EVERYWHERE!
Washington Eliminate the Social services to adults program since the state is not mandated to provide these services. It can be done much more cheaply by using contractual services thru private vendors than by paying numerous
state workers.This has been suggested many times over the years but never implemented. It would also be a long term savings for the state, not a one time quick fix.
City I am very disappointed in the lack of appreciatioin of state employees. I am a 23 year old mother, who goes to school, and works full-time for the State. I am an extremely hard-worker and take every intitiative to get my
job done within the 8 hours I have to do it. On top of that, because my office is so short staffed because of the hiring freeze, and other budget problems, not only am I doing my job, but I am also taking on extra
responsibilities that are well out of my job classification. I am struggling financially, making only $23,000 a year. My agency does not even participate in tuition reimbursement so I have to depend on federal grants in
order to attend school. Now what does all of this have anything to do with the State budget?? Well, I think it is extremely unfair to me, and people who are going through similar situations, to have to take furlough days.
I'm not even making the money that I feel I deserve and I am struggling as it is to support my family and you are talking about making us take more furloughs! I understand that you have been setting the furloughs up to
have most of the money come from those with a higher salary but taking any money away from my salary at this point is extremely hard on me. And to top it all off, my salary is just right above poverty level so I'm not
eligible for food stamp assistance, or other state help. I don't know how to fix the state budget issuesbut I just don't think the steps that have been taken so far have been effective. Why not take money from people's
salaries who are making well more than enough to live off of? In a time like this, if the economy is as bad as you and other State representatives claim, then in my opinion, there should be no person in this State who
makes more than $100,000 a year (and even that's pushing it). Take money from those people, not people like me who are single parents, who are trying to get through school and make something of themselves, and
yet still struggle financially every day. How about instead of buying $50,000 rugs for the State House, use that $50,000 towards the State deficit!! I understand that the money came from another budget, or whatever the
excuse was, BUT why does it matter where it came from at this point? The point is who in God's name NEEDS a $50,000 rug when our State is this bad off??? People with the power in this State need to stop acting so
spoiled and realize that there are greater problems going on than justmaking sure they are laced in glitter and gold! PLEASE feel free to respond to this. I would love to hear a response to be honest. Thanks
Howard two suggestions:
1. Scrap the "Inter county connector" project (permanently):

This would appear to not be the best use of public money
based on historical accounts. Investment in highways
encourages poor urban planning (ex. the JFX in Baltimore).
Money can be better spent encouraging people to live
closer to where they work.
2. Maryland needs to do a much better job at using "open

source" software. I have noticed that most of the
Maryland government runs on Microsoft products, this
is an unnecessary expense now that we have so many high
quality free alternatives. Some of the counties are
well on their way to doing this, for examples please
visit any library in Howard county.
p.s.
I will personally donate for free my time and expertise to accomplish item #2
City Abolish or delay replacing our statewide voting system. It is my understanding that the new voting system will cost millions of dollars, while our current system has not been paid off. The current system meets the
federal guidelines, while catering to the needs of the disability community. There is no need to fix something that is not broken. The money saved would certainly help balance the budget.
Harford 1.) University System: Drastically cut the salaries of Board of Regents, presidents, vice-presidents, etc.
2.) University System: Divert massive amounts of funds from athletics and retain instructors.
3.) Corporations: Remove tax breaks from corporations who did meet proposed employments levels and taxable revenues.
4.) Corporations: Collect taxes from out-of-state businesses.
5.) Drastically cut salaries of political appointees.
6.) Create piggy-back tax on those making more than $250,000 per year.
7.) Stop all funding for faith-based projects. They do not work.
8.) Stop all funding for sporting-type events. Let them stand on their own.
9.) Stop funding the light-rail and light-rail type projects. It costs more to build, maintain and support then it brings in.
Baltimore Just one example would be to eliminate all non emergency uses of government vehicles for travel and use existing and already installed technology for meetings. Al Gore did a great job with the Reinventing
Government campaign in the mid 1990's for Federal Government employees and saved a lot of money by catching the smaller wastes without reducing or eliminating the main services.
select your One suggestion would be to close all state offices on either a Friday or a Monday to save energy and money. It should be stipulated that on either of these days, employees won't get paid.
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Anne Not sure how the Maryland African American Museum Corporation listed under the Housing and Community Development in the personnel budget is funded, but I feel that no tax money should pay for either that
Arundel museum or the women's museum. I think these musuems should stand on their own through private donations. How did they become incorporated into the Maryland state budget?
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Harford I think the current foster care system is not effective and there are a lot of misuse of funds. I have had dealings with Harford County's social services and it is a mess. They are not concerned with the children, it is
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City Consider 4 Day (10 hour/day) work weeks for State Employess like other states have implemented such as Utah.
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select your Don't cut programs for the elderly, they put their time in and paid their dues.
county Cut some of these social programs. My girlfriend used to work for DSS. She had clients that actually made more than she did, when you counted rent, utilities, food stamps, medical asst, emergency cash, etc. And they
complained when they had to come in and have a recon done! And when she would see something that she knew was possible fraud, she would be overruled. Which is why she's no longer there. These programs were
to help those who couldn't help themselves, but many have made IT their career! And they knew the system better than she did. And how to play it.
City There are many many many clients who have medical assistance for their children as well as private insurance that the fathers with jobs have. Make them use the private insurance instead of medical assistance and
see the savings from that alone.
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select your Abolish 18.5 vacant positions
county Close State Police print shop ($200,000)
Rebid State Energy Contracts ($2.5 M)
My husband is a state employee it would not be good for us but to prevent loosing his job I would even be for additional furlow days.
Baltimore The Maryland Senators work about 90 days out of the year and earn $40,000-56,000 annually. There is a $41 a day meal allowance and $123 a day hotel voucher. While lower level State employees took a pay cut
last fiscal year, were denied a cost of living increase and threatened with layoffs. I suggest that costs also be cut at higher levels of Maryland Government.
I also think it wise to stop spending money the State does not have.
I am thankful for the cut in *Lottery Advertising
and *Stem Cell Funding
I recommend that cuts be made in the following areas: 15% increase in tuition at State colleges and universities; eliminate State aid to private colleges; cut K-12 spending somewhat; let the subdivisions shoulder the
costs of teacher pensions; furloughs for State employees; increase the gas tax by a few cents.
Keep up your great work.
Best always,
Baltimore Put more forms on the Internet and improve the Frequently Asked Questions sections of all web pages (especially as it relates to fees). This will reduce the time spent by employees on the telephone. More work will
get done by those employees.
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Baltimore i would suggest putting tobacco products back in the penal system.All that was accomplished by removing tobacco products from the correctional facilities,was create another item for the black market.The smoking
hasn't stopped and correctional officers and inmates are getting rich.I know that there are inmates paying thier bills from behind the walls.And it all comes from contraband tobacco.At a higher tax,since they are
correctional facilities,it could produce alot of revenue.And it would eliminate so many problems being created inside the system.
City Reduce pensions by the same (percentage) you reduce State workers.
Raise taxes on those who can afford it.
Reduce incarceration, especially for possession of drugs for personal use.

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Anne Reduce the hours of security gards at state office buildings from 24/7 to 12 hrs a day during days the buildings are open. We shouldn't be paying state employees over time, so 12 hours a day will allow ample time for
Arundel flex time.
Anne How about cutting overpaid officials within your own cabinent instead of fire,police or maintenance workers!I have a great idea where you can start. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Arundel
Baltimore Move state employee timesheets from current paper-based process to web-based system, reduces paperwork, state-employee time spent on moving paper, reduces potential of identity theft, reduces falsified timesheet
submissions. Do a google search on web based timesheet software or similar word search.
Dorchester Want to raise money for the state? Legalize Pot and tax it. Raise the tax on beer wine and liquor, you might even save a few lives in the process. Every one drinks, not every one smokes, But a combo tax on the two
should raise several billion dollars in revenue for the state each year. Esp a tax on booze. If you and congress do pass such legislation you have a two fold result. Less DUI deaths caused by cheep booze and drunk
drivers, Lots of income from the tax's and the ability to balance the budget much better. Go for it man!
Anne We the people of this State, and State workers, are being hit twice on YOUR budget cuts. First as furlough days then increase in taxes, not to mention the increase cost of living, electrical, gasoline, etc. I do object to
Arundel the "MANDATORY" charges from the UNION???? What is this about? Cutting assistance to the elderly and children, to those who cannot care for themseves, the weak and vulnerable, where is your compasion? Go
look in your own backyard to see if there are people in your own staff that could be combined and/or eliminated. How many Deputies, Assistant to the Deputy, Assistant to the Assistant, Scheduling Secretaries, etc., do
you and your family need? NOW you talk about reducing "Retirement Benefits" STOP and desist adding insult to injury to the State Workers!!! You don't pay housing costs, electrical bills, gasoline, your salary is free
and clear to spend as you see fit.....guess who pays for your housing costs, electrical bills, gasoline, etc? ME, a resident of this State! Wake up and smell the coffee, the people will vote again 2010, and it will be a
rude awaking when you have to pay your own bills again, even though you will receive many and much more benefits than I do after working for the State 30 plus years. I look forward to seeing how you will resolve the
current budget issues and if you will personally read and respond to this email!
Washington It is a shame that a resource such as the Sideling Hill Visitor Center is being closed and at the same time the rest areas on South Mountain, that were in fine condition and very functional as rest areas, are being totally
destroyed and rebuilt to a tune of 15 to 20 million dollars. Someone in our state needs to be held responsible for the foolish decisions that are made.
City Ask State employees to volunteer to take extra furlough days. While I realize there are many who can't afford to, I also believe that there are people who can and would be willing to take more furlough days in order to
alleviate the risk of losing one's job altogether. I would be one of them. It's not that I want to take what amounts to a pay cut, it's that, thankfully, I am in a position to afford it. The most important thing to me is keeping
my job in the long run and easing the burden on people who can't afford to lose even one day's pay. I've talked to at least one other person in my section who would also be willing to do this. Again, not an ideal choice,
but it's not as if I couldn't fill that time being productive in other ways.
select your I am a former Montgomery County resident. Implement a one-week furlough, unpaid, for all employees earning over $50,000. Do it during Christmas week, when most people would be happy to have the time off.
county Raise the air conditioning in state office buildings one degree. Have office employees turn computers on one hour after the start of their shift and shut them down one hour before the end of their shift, unless they are
computer programmers, computer support and the like. There's plenty of other work that doesn't require computers. Turn lights out when out of the office for lunch. Renegotiate phone contracts and require employees
to have to enter their own phone card when making non-business,long-distance calls. Do not allow employees to take government vehicles home -- saves on gas, maintenance, etc.
Good luck with your endeavor to cut the budget.
Anne NO TAKE HOME CARS FOR STATE EMPLOYESS EXCEPT MD.STATE POLICE.STATE AGENCIES THAT HAVE WATER FOUNTAINS SHOULD NOT PURCHASE BOTTLED WATER FOR EMPLOYESS. RAISE
Arundel TAXES ON ALL TOBACCO & ALCOHOL PRODUCTS. STATE AGENCIES SHOULD KEEP CLOSER WATCH ON WHAT THEY ARE PURCHASING.THE PRACTICE OF STATE AGENCIES SPENDING LEFT OVER
MONEY AT THE END OF THE FISAL YEAR,JUST TO GET RID OF THE MONEY SHOULD CEASE IMMEDIATELY. LESS MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT ON FLOWERS & PLANTS IN AND AROUND STATE
BUILDINGS AT THIS TIME.
Montgomery Stop buying useless/undevelopable swampland with POS money.
Carroll Conference calls, do all meetings have to be face-to-face? Turn off the lights!! How many lights are turned on for no reason. make sure all lights are turned OFF at night. Drive the speed limit, conserve fuel. There are
still to many State Employees who speed up & down the highway in State vehicles.
Baltimore Every Maryland state Politician to take a 40% to 50% pay cut.That would help reduce the mess the Government got us into.Also learn to drive your own car to work.There is no reason for "Company Veicles".We all
must do our part to help save this State from the Politicians.Last but not least enact TERM LIMITS for every person voted into office.Then we wouldn't have to pay out those outrages wages to them,and we wouldn't
have to hear about the raises they just voted themselves again.
Frederick The state park rangers usually spend about an hour a day driving around in their trucks doing absolutely nothing. Let's start by laying them off!
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Anne Issue an order that ALL ILLEGAL residents of the State of Maryland will have until January 1,2010 to voluntary leave the state,those choosing not to leave will be arrested and deported.
Arundel
Baltimore I AM CURRENTLY EMPLOYED WITH THE DEPT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE, IN THE CLAIMS PROCESSING DEPT. I THINK THE STATE COULD SAVE ALOT OF MONEY IF THEY WOULD ALLOW
CLAIMS PROCESSORS TO WORK AT HOME INSTEAD OF HAVING TO COME INTO THE OFFICE.
City I live in an apartment building with nearly a hundred units. Our building doesn't participate in the City's recycling program, creating an enormous amount of excess landfill waste. Fining landlords and businesses that
refuse to participate in a recycling program could help offset landfill costs.
Talbot Until such time as the budget is balanced, all members of the state legislature should work for $1 per year.
City I'm a forensic chemist with xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx County. If forensic analysts, crime scene techs, and other expert witnesses across the state were allowed to testify via closed-circuit television, there would be significant
savings in both travel expenses and time away from the lab. Instead of wasting time waiting outside the courtroom, we could be working right up until we're needed for a trial.
Cecil I have tried contacting you several times by calling your office and sending e-mails. The Maryland Transportation Authority has gone to great lengths to keep me from contacting you.
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Harford get back to basics and get rid of special interest spending. The city and the State has gone down hill ever since O'Malley has taken office starting withhis Mayoral run. I am very disappointed that I supported him in the
campaign for Mayor as I feel he has lost touch with what he says was important to keep the city and state safe and improve quality of life.
Carroll I have several suggestions to cut the budget:
1) The governor, representatives, and mayors should all take paycuts. I realize that it says by law that you are supposed to get paid X amount of dollars; however, you all are politicians who can change the law and
enact new laws. The governor and other politicians taking paycuts would be symbolic to the citizens of Maryland and show that you are serious about balancing the budget and are willing to do whatever it takes. The
governor and other politicians make more than enough money to support themselves while other people living in this state are barely getting by. Yet, the governor is making budget cuts to vital areas that those people
scraping by need in order to survive.
2) Stop wasting taxpayers money. The governor and all the politicians can pay for their own lunch, can drive their own cars, and can fly to wherever on their own dime. Again, they make more than enough money.
3) Reduce the amount of money and time a person can collect food stamps and other state aid.
4) Raise tuition costs at colleges and universities.
5) Seriously scrutinize grants given out for various projects throughout the state.
6) Any campaign money received by politicians should be donated to the budget to help reduce and balance it.
Harford Governor O'Malley,
To help the state budget I would suggest raising the gas tax so everyone has to help out with the budget. Putting the burden back onto the state employees is not right. The state employees received 4 to 5 furlough
days. Everyone should share in the state's budget problems. Another suggestion ineffient programs such as independence cards that are not used as intended. Let the county's come up with more of there own
money instead of the state giving them money for programs that do not work. Increase the state sales tax to close the budget. Increase the college tuition. Cut public transportation it never breaks even and it does not
outweighh the use for the need.
Baltimore Close down the Deer's Head Center in Salisbury. It is operating at a massive deficit and the 60 to 70 residents could be well taken care of at other nursing homes. Under its "special" operating guildlines it could just
increase operating costs without justification and the state taxpayers would pick up the tab, even in these difficult times. Thank you for you consideration.
Howard If state works must take furlough days , would it be possible if we could just not be paid for the holidays instead? or maybe one day off every other month if need be.
Baltimore The first thing any organization does when faced with budget shortfalls is to cut capital spending.
Next is to cut all unecessary personnel even if it means union members need to be furloughed.
Lastly cut all programs that benefit illegal aliens in this state. They pay no taxes and only take from those that shoulder the burden every day.
Anne How about first we try to cut state employee parking priveleges that cost our state hunderds and thousands of dollars a year for state buliding atleast in Baltimore City. I know as a state employee we can ride MTA
Arundel transportation free of charge so that would encourge more employees to leave their car, reduce pollution and save state some money rather than doing layoffs. I think family can survive not having a free parking pass
than lose a job. Exception can be made for Department Secretary and Handicapp person and senior citizen but all other chiefs can use a walk of one and half block. To make a deal sweeter (not necessary)they can
award $50 gas cards or choice of Department Store Gift cards monthly then paying atleast $120 dollars for monthly parking pass for each employee.
Baltimore Why not execute all criminals convicted of felonies within a few months of their arrest? You could save a large amount of money spent incarcerating them, and apply the savings to other badly needed social services
for law-abiding citizens. Jail room could be freed up for violators guilty of misdemeanor-level offenses instead. Also, with the rapid deployment of the death penalty for ALL felony-level offenses, it might actually work as
a deterrent for would-be criminals, instead of being the joke it is right now. Recidivism rates, which are currently too high, would naturally lower since convicted felons wouldn't be around to commit new crimes, and
would-be criminals who normally are willing to risk jail, wouldn't commit those crimes since they probably wouldn't want to risk death. Also, with the felons eliminated, and only misdemeanor offenders in the jails, this
reduces the safety risk to corrections officers. I'm not sure how much money is currently spent per year incarcerating the prison population in Maryland, but I image there would be substantial savings to help address
the current budget woes if those convicted of felonies were promptly executed.
As a 35 year state employee, I strongly oppose the idea of more furlough days. I have had to take five days plus the two days without pay for the X-Mas Eve and New Year's Eve. While this may not seem like a lot to
the average person, state employees don't make as much money as people think we do. I am trying to make ends meet and have managed to keep my head above water. As you know, the price of everything has
gone up. State employees have had to endure furlough days, a rise in prescripton costs,and the rising cost of health care. I realize that these are tough times, and everyone has to make sacrifices, but think about the
sacrifices we have made to serve the people of Maryland. Instead of furloughing the employees who are working hard to get the job done, why don't you examine some of the positions in state government that are
unnecessary. If you had an independent consultant come into each state agency you could probably cut at least 1/3 of the workforce with no impact on services. I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs, but I don't like
to see people getting paid for doing nothing while the working people are forced to take furlough days. How can state employees stimulate the economy when you continue to cut our pay?
Baltimore Do what GM and other companys did, offer some retirement by-outs or incenfives for employees who are willing to go; then eliminate that position and reorganize with a leaner staff. IT WORKS!!!
Baltimore I believe the state government should operate on a 4 (10) hour work days.
Closing the buildings for 1 day a week (52 days per year), should result in saving the operating costs for all the buildings. Marylanders would have to adjust to not having State services available only 4 days/week, but I
think they would prefer to have 1 less day/week then to cut services.
Employees may have difficulty covering child care issues but may also appreciate having an extra day per week to be with their children. It would also allow the employees to have 3 day weekends instead of furlows
[sp?]
I believe another state government did this and saved a lot of money, not to mention energy (being green), by not having to run their buildings.
I hope you consider this and do further research.
City 4 day work week for state workers. This appears to be working with the federal government and other jurisdictions and locales. This will help lower energy costs and help to save the environment.
Allegany Dear Governor O'Malley,
Thank you for seeking input from the public on ways to reduce the budget. I am a current State employee, and have served the public for 9 years. I understand that difficult decisions need to be made by our
government for the greater good of the economy and the people of the State, but I am pleading with you not to implement additional furlough days or reduce salaries in the next round of cuts.
People are already struggling to pay bills, and have done their own spending reductions within their families. Additional cuts to income would have the reverse effect by forcing folks to support the local economy even
less.
I propose that the retirement match for State employees first be eliminated. Then, if after 6 months the budget still has not improved, implement furloughs based on salary as done before. For me, 4 furlough days were
difficult, but manageable through careful planning and budgeting.
Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion.
Sincerely
Montgomery Resign
Baltimore Do what GM and other companys did, offer some retirement by-outs for employees who are willing to go; then eliminate that position and reorganize with a leaner staff.
Anne Stop gonernor's trips overseas
Arundel
SLOTS!!
That's the promise but NO!
Baltimore Have all delgetes pay for their own gas and cut their car allowances, etc.
City I just want to start out by saying that I am very disappointed that our governor of Maryland would place some of the burden of the economy on state workers. I'm a social worker who had nothing to do with the housing
and bank collapse that put this country in a recession. I'm a law abiding citizen that pay my taxes and helps the community. So, placing burden on many people like me is not fair. With that being said I do have some
ideas to offer.
First of all, I think that a luxury tax should be enacted on alcohol. Drinking alcohol is a luxury and if not taken responsibly, it can be deadly. At the same time, alcohol sells no matter what. The state can bring in a
significant amount of revenue if there is a tax on alcohol. I think it would make sense, but this will only work if the government would stop giving in to pressure from the lobbyist.
Second, stop giving so much money to counties. Many counties are already bringing enough revenue. There are also county workers that have not had the burden of being forced to take a furlough. They need to eat
some of the cost up. It is only fair. What is also even more unfair is that counties have better school systems than Baltimore City, yet our property taxes are one of the highest. If you are going to give any county, it
should be the city. Besides, we bring the most of the revenue for the State.
Third, instead of putting money into higher education, you should transfer that money towards some sort of loan forgiveness. Fact of the matter is that many students attend college and finance their college through
loans. They usually don’t feel the true burden until they leave college and find jobs. Once the loans payment start, people may be financially limited. The way the market is many of us are underpaid. If people have
more money in their pockets than there are more likely to spend that money and bring in revenue. I know that if it weren’t for my school loans, I would be spending a lot more money.
In closing, I think that the governor of Maryland should really look out for everyday people. It seems that anyone in political power has the tendency to put wealthy individuals and corporations first and then the other
people who don’t fit in that category, last. If the governor of Maryland is really the people’s governor, then he must show the people of the State and the nation that he is committed to them. I know that taxing is not a
favorable thing to do, but it is a necessary evil and the people who are the wealthiest should have to their share of the burden. Stand up for the people. And tax the rich, and wealthy corporations which is my final
solution. The Majority of the people that will be
Worchester First of all, Worcester county has no H in it, its a typical rookie mistake, but insulting from the government.
I think MD gov't has done an excellent job of attempting to balance the budget. Many sectors of gov't are feeling the impact of cuts and reduced revenue (however admittedly so I am not actually aware of the amount
each agency has been cut). It is very true that each agency wants to look out for its best interest, and that each agnecy feels they contribute tot the greater good of a healthy happy, profitable MD citizen. However, it is
very apparent we are facing many challenges right now, and that those cahllenges are impacting certain areas of gov't more so than others. Increase in crimes, increase in request for financial assistance, and increase
in requests for health care coverage all mostly duie to reduced incomes due to unemployment. Not to mention tha fact that we are in the fist pandemic influenza in forty years! the agencies that assist the citizens in
responding to these areas need no more cuts. tourism, although I understand it brings in revenue, education (yes it is improtant for our children but come on we have a great system already), and environmental issues
ae less important at teh current time thatn the other concenrsn mentioned. In addition, state employees in general are paid MUCH lower than the privatre sector and need NO more cuts. Good luck with the next round
of decisions, and keep up the good work.
Baltimore Put a time limit on welfare just as you do on unemployment. Why does a working person get less help than the non working person? Also once a family/person is on welfare they shouldn't get more benefits because
they made the irresponsible decision to have MORE children while on welfare. They think of it as incentive to have more children.
I am also in favor of drug testing and a child truancy stipulation before receiving welfare benefits. A recipient should be in the right state of mind to spend their benefits and should take parental responsibilities if they
are going to receive parental benefits.
select your I just want to start out by saying that I am very disappointed that our governor of Maryland would place some of the burden of the economy on state workers. I'm a social worker who had nothing to do with the housing
county and bank collapse that put this country in a recession. I'm a law abiding citizen that pay my taxes and helps the community. So, placing burden on many people like me is not fair. With that being said I do have some
ideas to offer.
First of all, I think that a luxury tax should be enacted on alcohol. Drinking alcohol is a luxury and if not taken responsibly, it can be deadly. At the same time, alcohol sells no matter what. The state can bring in a
significant amount of revenue if there is a tax on alcohol. I think it would make sense, but this will only work if the government would stop giving in to pressure from the lobbyist.
Second, stop giving so much money to counties. Many counties are already bringing enough revenue. There are also county workers that have not had the burden of being forced to take a furlough. They need to eat
some of the cost up. It is only fair. What is also even more unfair is that counties have better school systems than Baltimore City, yet our property taxes are one of the highest. If you are going to give any county, it
should be the city. Besides, we bring the most of the revenue for the State.
Third, instead of putting money into higher education, you should transfer that money towards some sort of loan forgiveness. Fact of the matter is that many students attend college and finance their college through
loans. They usually don’t feel the true burden until they leave college and find jobs. Once the loans payment start, people may be financially limited. The way the market is many of us are underpaid. If people have
more money in their pockets than there are more likely to spend that money and bring in revenue. I know that if it weren’t for my school loans, I would be spending a lot more money.
In closing, I think that the governor of Maryland should really look out for everyday people. It seems that anyone in political power has the tendency to put wealthy individuals and corporations first and then the other
people who don’t fit in that category, last. If the governor of Maryland is really the people’s governor, then he must show the people of the State and the nation that he is committed to them. I know that taxing is not a
favorable thing to do, but it is a necessary evil and the people who are the wealthiest should have to their share of the burden. Stand up for the people. And tax the rich, and wealthy corporations which is my final
solution. The Majority of the people that will be
select your
county
Anne I noticed your statement on this website "we have made difficult choices to balance the state budget but have done so with an eye to protecting our most vulnerable families that we all share." I'm assuming you were
Arundel referring to the hoards of illegal immigrants that Md harbors?
START WITH GETTING RID OF THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND YOU WON'T NEED TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS ON BUDGET CUTS!!!!!
Baltimore Two items -
1. Perhaps also a practice of State Road Maintainence, I have on two occasions watched County road creas make repairs using teams that were double the size needed or worse. Baltimore County has a policy of
having teams of at least 4 employees, including a forman, make a repair, no matter how small. I, personally, watched 4 men repair a storm drain and only 2 actually did the work. If this is a similar practice with state
repair crews, money can be saved by changing the "team" policy to only what is actually needed. I also watched 5 county asphalt truck teams lay a 50 foot strip of asphalt when only two were needed.
2. I noticed a new sign on I-83 at the State line going south out of PA. stating that I-83 was going to have work done as part of the recovery act. Since most of the section identified by the sign just had been resurfaced
and bridge work done why is there money being spent here instead of Baltimore County roads that are is really bad shape?
City Combine all of the different state police forces into one or two units. Aren't there like 7 different police bureaucracies?
I would like to suggest that you tighten the entitlements so that only LEGAL, AUTHORIZED Marylanders/Americans can receive entitlements like food stamps, health care, or wellfare. I believe that illegals are costing
our state millions per year and that HAS to stop. Taking these steps could help to get us back on track. The rest of us pay a large percentage of our income in taxes and many people get benefits who should not.
That's not fair and that's not the American way.
Thanks
City Governor O’Malley

Thank you for this opportunity to address you in reference to budget cuts. Prior to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, my xxxxxxxxxxx always worked as a truck driver, mostly for small companies who could not offer health benefits
and, of course, no pension plans. In an effort to begin preparing for xxxxx retirement he obtained a truck driver job with the state at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Recently, as you know, it was necessary to close down that state agency for budget reasons. He fielded a few transfer positions before deciding to take a truck driver position offered to him by
the Maryland Environmental Service, which we thought was a state department. It was not clear until months after he started that this was not another state department but, in fact, was a company contracted by the
state. In this round of cuts, it has been mentioned that state contracts will be reduced or eliminated. While I know that cuts are necessary in order for the state to survive, it is my sincere hope that our safety net is not
hit a second time in such a short period of time. Thank you for your consideration.
City 1. My suggestion would be to eliminate ALL state vehicles and institute a milage reimburement policy. This will help to aleivaite personal use of of State owned/leased vehicles. You will find that coming out of pocket
and then waiting for reimbursement at a later time as cost savings mechanism.
2. I would also recommend a strict mandate on the use of key suppliers such as, one office supplier, one shipping company, etc. This will allow the state to consolidate to a few vendors and maximize volume discounts.
If not compliant, highest level of approval must be given.
3. Reduce monthly allowance for Cellular phone, Blackberry's and wireless aircards. You only need one or the other when it comes to mobile email.
4. Stricter enforcement of all enable T&E/ Travel policies. Any unaccounted or out of policy expenses will not be reimbursed.
An enormous amount os savings can be acheived in just a few catagories. There must be a directive from the procurement/ T&E directors to realize compliance.
Anne I am very concerned about protecting the care and well being of our most vunerable citizens who have little or no voice concerning these budget cuts that will affect them. Many of these citizens cannot write letters or
Arundel go to protest rallies. It is up to our politcal leaders to protect them and their quality of life. The waiting list for obligated services was already years long before these budget cuts. Please DO NOT deprive them further.
Sincerely.
City 1. My suggestion would be to eliminate ALL state vehicles and institute a milage reimburement policy. This will help to aleivaite personal use of of State owned/leased vehicles. You will find that coming out of pocket
and then waiting for reimbursement at a later time as cost savings mechanism.
2. I would also recommend a strict mandate on the use of key suppliers such as, one office supplier, one shipping company, etc. This will allow the state to consolidate to a few vendors and maximize volume discounts.
If not compliant, highest level of approval must be given.
3. Reduce monthly allowance for Cellular phone, Blackberry's and wireless aircards. You only need one or the other when it comes to mobile email.
4. Stricter enforcement of all enable T&E/ Travel policies. Any unaccounted or out of policy expenses will not be reimbursed.
An enormous amount os savings can be acheived in just a few catagories. There must be a directive from the procurement/ T&E directors to realize compliance.
Anne To Whom it May Concern,

Arundel
While I understand that cuts must be made during these difficult financial times we are facing, I do not believe that further layoffs and furloughs to state employees is the correct course of action. While I have not seen
a detailed breakdown of the state’s budget, I am confident that there are other areas where spending can be cut that will be less damaging to the state’s economic recovery efforts. Allow me to explain.
The money the state will save in its budget by these actions may help their bottom line for this fiscal year, but it will be doing a disservice to the Maryland economy. Individuals working in private industry may not have
the job security state employees enjoy, and thus they are not spending money like they used to because they need to save money and prepare for the worst case scenario: unemployment. State employees, however,
who feel secure in their job, will continue to go out and spend money, thus helping Maryland’s economy. Furthermore, individuals working in private industry who do lose their job then begin to collecting unemployment
from the state, putting even more strain on an already unbalanced budget.
I applaud the decision to reduce funding provided to Maryland universities. This is a cut that I believe should have been done earlier. Universities can easily make up for this short fall by raising tuition. When I
attended college, my tuition raised steadily each year. Obviously it would have been great if tuition did not raise, but as the cost of living continues to raise it only makes sense that the costs of services will rise too.
Ultimately, a raise in tuition will not dissuade people from attending college to earn a degree.
I was also pleased to read that the state cut $5.5 mil in lottery advertising. I was unaware that so much money was dedicated to this effort. If this much was cut it makes me wonder how much is left because this is one
item that can be cut again. Lottery tickets bring money to the state, but people that are going to buy a lottery ticket are going to buy a lottery ticket period. They will not forget because they didn’t see 5 commercials for
it on television last night.
If it becomes absolutely necessary to have another round of furloughs and layoffs to state government employees, I ask that you first look to eliminate vacant pins. Please leave layoffs as a last resort. If furloughs
become necessary, they should be kept to a minimum. The sliding scale of number of furlough days based on salary implemented last year made sense on a certain level, but seemed unfair on another one. I
guarantee you that the person making more than $60,000 per year has proportionally higher bills than the person making $40,000 per year (e.g. higher mortgage, rent, car payment, etc.). Additionally, if each of these
individuals is furloughed 4 days, the individual with the higher salary is already losing more money than the individual with the lower salary.
Respectfully
Baltimore Stop taking state taxes out of peoples checks so the people can spend more money and the state well get more sales tax money.The more the state taxes the less people spend!
Anne I would recommend a early retirement incentive program for those employees who are close to retirement age or are within 3 years of completing the service requirements to retire.
Arundel
I realize that the initial investment may not be in the best interest of the current budget process, however the long term effects could eliminate or re-allocate positions vacant by those employees who opt to retire early.
Carroll Why are state agencies particularly the State Police allowed to use their agencies vehicle off duty with the price of gas
City Why don't you cut back on your salary?
Washington I sent to you a letter three weeks ago regarding
Yet as of today I have not heard from you regarding my initial letter which means to me you have no interest in meaningful savings.
Thank you for your attention.
Baltimore So many worthwhile cuts, where do we begin. Nothing should be considered too big or too small. #1 in my mind is land conservation. The land has been there for a long time and it's not going anywhere. It's doubtful
someone will develop it now since no one has before under better economic times. Why buy it now when the money isn't there? I'd like to buy a Ferarri but I DON"T HAVE THE MONEY!!
Frederick Mandate a cellular telephone "hands-free" law to include "Text Messaging" by the operator of in any motor vehicle in the state of MD including Law Enforcement Officers. THIS IS A SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE
THAT NO ONE SEEMS TO TAKE SERIOUSLY, including police officers. Police Officers are supposed to set an example and not be seen talking on their cell phone attmpting to drive their police car. Violation of this
proposed law should carry a fine of not less than $1000 and potential license suspension. People will continue this unsafe behavior until it hurts their wallet. In the meantime, people are dying on our roads because of
drivers distracted by cellular telephones and the rest of the thoughtful citizens of Maryland can benefit from the rewards of safer streets and highways as well as the additional income to the Maryland Treasury.
Respectfully, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore Because of the federal IMD (Institutions for Mental Disease) rule, Medicaid cannot be billed for most state psychiatric hospital care (for persons age 21-64), leaving the state's general fund to pick up the tab
(approximately $180,000 per person per year). I suggest we look at RFPing out state hospital units of less than 16 beds (to avoid the IMD rule) to community providers. Those beds could be converted to RRP
(residential rehab program) beds, making them eligible for federal match. The community providers would staff the unit(s) so the state could save on staffing costs. And the goal would be to move the individuals on the
unit(s) to the community, thereby freeing up more state hospital beds. A community provider would be in the best position to know who's ready for step-down into the community, making the process more efficient than
it is currently.
Baltimore 1.) Make everyone on welfare and food stamps re-apply, and weed out the abusers. That would be more than half of the people currently on the welfare rolls. I see food stamp abuse everyday. I see people in line at
the grocery store paying with their food stamp card, and then go out in the parking lot and load their groceries in their Cadillac Escalade. The welfare and food stamp programs are out of control and are the most
abused programs in the State. An overhaul would save the State millions if not hundreds of millions if only the needy received these benefits instead of deadbeats milking the system.
2.) Utilize home detention for non violent felons. We spend over $24,000 per year on each prisoner. Home detention costs the State only a fraction of that, and frees up the system and correction officers to oversee the
violent felons, which keeps our officers safer, and facilities can do with less of everything including personel.
3.) Stop allowing illegal immigrants access to State funded services. For example, school lunch and breakfast programs are for the poor US Citizens not for illegals. Keep the illegals from sucking the State dry of our
services.(refer back to food stamps and welfare abuse)
Just these three suggestions would not only balance the budget, but probably leave a surplus!!! Someone just needs to have the balls to implement them!
Baltimore Significantly reduce the K-12 education spending. Having almost 40% of a state's budget going to this is insane. A comprehensive statewide plan to make our schools run better and more efficient is desperately
needed.
Baltimore Look for purchases and projects that can be temporarily deferred instead of cutting services or jobs. Can the speed cameras be delayed? Renegotiated contracted services of third parties. Avoid canceling items that
will increase job losses or cash to MD economies.
Baltimore 1. I agree that the Counties need to take their hit in this financial crisis. Our County is overflowing with money and County employees have not been furloughed as of yet.
2. As for State Employees. Why not create the four day work week, 10 hours a day. That way you could close the majority of State run buildings saving an incredible amount of money. All State Office buildings would
be open Monday through Thursday.
3. A moratorium on Open Space procurements for at least two years.
4. No new major projects procured in the next two fiscal years.
5. Maryland Teachers eliminating "Professional Development Days" "Assesment Days" from there paid salaries, these tasks should be done after the school day and not be allowed to take an entire day at the
children's expense at least during these economic times.
6. Parent - Teacher conference days eliminated during the school day and must be conducted in the evenings so that schools will have the Teacher in the classroom.
Frederick Mandate installation of more speed cameras and traffic signal cameras to generate revenue. Additionally, increase traffic fines so monetary levels that really have teeth. $75 for violating HOV lanes is no more than a
nuisance when the alternative is setting in stop and go traffic for over an hour to get home. The fine would be a more effective deterrent at $500 or $1000 per violation. People that violate the traffic laws will continue to
do so until it becomes too painful for their wallet. In the meantime, the rest of the law abiding citizens of Maryland can benefit from the rewards of safer streets and highways as well as the additional income to the
Maryland Treasury. Respectfully, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore
Baltimore As a current state employee, let me add my observations to the current fiscal problems. I would either abolish the use of state rented blackberry devices or renegotiate the monthly contract. It is ridiculus that the state is
paying close to $100 per month for each blackberry device. An individual can walk in off the street and get monthly blackbery service for 1/3 of that fee. As an example the State Police currently spends $302,000 for
Nextel services, $114,000 for Verizon Select Services, and another $739,000 for other verizon services.
Another area would be to reevaluate the state contract wiht computer company (Dell). The state is required to purchase computers from Dell. The Dell computers purchased by the state are often 40-60% higher in price
than an individual person can by the directly from Dell or even going to a local electronics store. Another area is printers. The state currently purchases mostly HP printers. Yet we continue to purchase HP supplies from
local vendors when we could be purchasing directly from HP at a much lower cost. In the era, every penny counts rather than lowering state empoyee's salary and furlough days
Harford 1-Decrease spending on tourism and beutification.

2-Increase taxes on beer.
3-Increase fees on gun, hunting, and dog licences.
4-Have state agencies account for cars, equipment, etc..There is a lot of waste. Sell out of date non used items.
Frederick Mandate that all state facilities requiring electrical power install solar energy systems and wind turbine generator systems to provide that electrical power with all excess power sold back to the electrical "grid". There is
an initial up front cost. However, the energy savings will not only pay for the install costs but eventually provide income to upgrade and install new systems. Respectfully
Carroll Wait a minute, Now O'Malley says he inherited a deficit, I think when Erlich left office, O'Mallery had a 1 billon dollars surplus, and was TOLD that the comimg years would pose a threat to Marylands ecomony if
somthing wasn't done. O'Mallery DIDN"T do anything that year and continued spending. Then when if starts to unravel, O'Mallery rapes the people of Maryland with a TAX increase, then uses the SLOTS as way of
balancing the budget and where are the slots?
Now that the election is a year away, O'Malley is trying to say "He's done something" , What is it? He should stand right next to the House Speaker, and Senate Leader and tell the people of Maryland they are leaving
office.
City If you are intending to furlough State employees, use paid holidays in Sept, Oct, Nov & Dec. Just those 4 months have 6 paid holidays: Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Day After Thanksgiving
& Christmas. You can also do one furlough day per month until the fiscal year 2009/10. If you consider furloughing state workers for paid holidays, consider also New Year's Day, President's Day & Memorial Day. For
fiscal year 2009/10 that is a total of nine paid holidays. There is also Martin Luther King's Birthday. That is a total of 10 paid holidays that we can be furloughed. This is just for consideration when you determine
furlough days. You could also do one Friday a month or one Monday a month starting in September. That will give you ten furlough days for fiscal year 2009/10.
Everyone knows that times are tough and cuts must be made. If cuts must be made to local jurisdictions there MUST be a provision that NO cuts will be made to public safety. We ( You, Me and every Marylander)
NEED FIFEFIGHTERS and POLICE OFFICERS. Cuts to these Essential services WILL put OUR Lives at risk. Always remember; Take care of your NEEDS before your WANTS!
Have a Great Day and Good Luck!
Washington I understand that pins are being taken from badly needed road work crews in order to allow for office managers positions at each shop in the Md State Highway Administration in the western section--Wash. Co.,
LaVale, Garrett Counties. These road positions should be replaced on the road, not in the office. The need for highway workers is much more important than office managers.
Your RMEs and ARMEs have done this in this past. Why take away from much needed positions to make a pin for somebody where this job was already taken care of in the past, especially at a time like this?
State workers have taken furloughs, there has been new budget cuts on most levels, so why in the world would you take away from critical positions, where there is already a shortage, to justify an officer manager
position where this has been taken care of in the past of existing personnel?
I suggest you replace these roadway positions (with the same pin) with another state highway road worker not create new office positions with these pins. The need is more critical on the road.
Frederick Good morning, I have two suggestions that I think should be considered: First, I would rather see State employees take furloughs instead of an across the board pay reduction. Either option results in lower pay but
furloughs should be less demoralizing since employees might as least feel like they get "something" in exchange for the lost of pay. Second, I think it is time to close the current State retirement plan for new employees
(NOT those already vested). Defined benefits plans are long out of date and very expensive. I would say that employer deposits into a 401K plan would make better sense. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Garrett Allow state employees to procure supplies outside of state contract if it can be shown that a better price will be obtained.
Review ALL staff, appointee, and employee take-home vehicles and limit their use to only situations where it can be demonstrated that there is a true public safety benefit.
Impose an immediate 10% reduction in vehicle mileage on all state agencies, except in the case of public safety.
Immediately impose a vehicle purchasing restriction that provides for a minimum 30mpg requirement on sedans and similar passenger vehicles.
Immediately cancel all in-service conferences and meetings that are not held in a state office facility. Limit travel for out-service conferences and training to only those that are required by law or regulation.
Prepare legislation that will eliminate retirement benefits for new elected and non-classified officials.
Require all state agencies to conduct an energy audit and reduce their energy expenditures by 5% per year over the next two years.
Evaluate all grant programs to private entities and eliminate those that do not support education, public safety or the environment.
Implement employee committees in each agency that will review the agency’s budget on an ongoing basis and submit recommendations for efficiency and cost savings.
Talbot Reduce the hours and days of operation for the DMV (renewals can be done on line);encourage use of online service
Eliminate personel serving the First Lady, look for volenteers to do the job
Turn off lights in governors mansion and all governmental offices. Do not decorate with lights the outside of the mansion at christmas.
Consolidate bill paying (like the state of Delaware), use wire transfers, no more checks and reduce the use of postage.
Reduce hours of state employees; furlow employees. Reduce pay, they are paid too much. Make highway employees more efficient, there are always to many people standing around doing nothing or watching the
people who are working.
Increase college tuitions.
Stop letting the unions run the state government, Reduce pensions, require larger copays for medical (act like a real business not the pawn of the unions). Cut pay of legistlature and tell them to stay home.
Create jobs by building a new bridge across the Chesapeake
Cut governors staff. Reduce size of government owned and operated vehicles. Require all purchases of new vehicles to be made by American companies
Reduce size of press operation
Eliminate all trips overseas.
Reduce size of the governor's and first lady's security force
City As part of the administrative staff we were furloughed this year but the Lieutenants and above were not furloughed. I think if another furlough is in store for us that the Lieutenants and above should also be furloughed.
They're the ones that make a whole more money then we do so I think they should be included in the next furlough. These are University Police that I'm talking about. They just sit in there offices all day anyway. Why
not furlough them? I totally agree with not furloughing any of our Sergeants or below and that includes our Communications officer's. They're the ones that do all the work.
Harford I think the state could save milions of dollars in auto maintenance and gas by cutting back on police vehicles, state and county-level. I know that both county police and sgtate troopers are allowed personal use of
vehicles at taxpayers' expense: this has got to be expensive to Marylanders via fuel and maintenance costs. In Harford County, I often see both local police and state troopers driving around in their cars (often alone)
for personal reasons. In addition, I've noticed -- to my chagrin- the proliferation of large SUVs in law enforcement in recent years in Harford County and at the state level. Is this really necessary? In addition to being
more expensive to purchase & operate, these vehicles are more damaging to the environment then normal cars. I think there should be an immediate moratorium on their purchase and use by all law enforcement
agencies. In addition, I think all law enforcement personnel (town, county and state) should be immediately forced to give up their personal use of govt. vehicles: this would really benefit state taxpayers.
Montgomery Terminate all funding for the so-called "purple line" in Montgomery County. We need mass transit that remove cars from the road and moves people in a cost efficient manner. The purple line, by MTA's own
admission, will not do that. It is a boondoggle for developers that we can't afford.
Carroll Privatize boiler and pressure vesselinspections in the state, majority of inspections are presently done by licensed boiler inspectors woking for private insuance companies, and then eliminate the boiler inspection
department leaving only an administrator with small staff to oversee state permitting and violations. Potential savings of over $400,000 a year.
Howard Eliminate unnecessary spending across the board but do not take cuts that only effect state employees. it is totally unfair for state employees to have to take pay cuts and furloughs when the rest of the states residents
get off scott free. all cuts should be shared by all residents equally. if you live here you should share the costs not just those that work for the state. Please tell me when the Governor took his furlough days. After all
he's a state employee as well.
Talbot Reduce the hours and days of operation for the DMV (renewals can be done on line);encourage use of online service
Eliminate personel serving the First Lady, look for volenteers to do the job
Turn off lights in governors mansion and all governmental offices. Do not decorate with lights the outside of the mansion at christmas.
Consolidate bill paying (like the state of Delaware), use wire transfers, no more checks and reduce the use of postage.
Reduce hours of state employees; furlow employees. Reduce pay, they are paid too much. Make highway employees more efficient, there are always to many people standing around doing nothing or watching the
people who are working.
Increase college tuitions.
Stop letting the unions run the state government, Reduce pensions, require larger copays for medical (act like a real business not the pawn of the unions). Cut pay of legistlature and tell them to stay home.
Create jobs by building a new bridge across the Chesapeake
City Legalize marijuana or medicinal marijuana and tax it. Install energy-efficient retrofits on all government buildings.
City Dear Mr. Governor:
I was laid off from my job last year after six years of loyal service. Before that happened, the entire company had to take a mandatory pay cut; mine was a 3% cut, management took as much as a 7% cut. The purpose
of the pay cuts was to get the company through the difficult times without having to resort to layoffs. It didn't work perfectly (as my job loss indicates), but my old company is still around and is getting stronger; I have
been able to move on to new opportunities.
My point is this: why don't the elected and appointed officials of our great state take a pay cut? I understand we may still need to endure painful cuts, but with the open and meaningful sacrifice of a portion of every
elected and appointed official's salary, any potential budget cuts would be easier to swallow for Marylanders.
Leading by example is universally respected. Just a suggestion.
Best of Luck
Baltimore REPEAL ALL the SPENDING BILLS that were passed in the last two budget years. You spent money you truly did not have..... As a middle class voting democrat, the well is running DRY. stop spending money you
don't have. I continue to re-adjust my budget due to your TAX increases.
Anne I think that the higher ups in the government should take a pay cut. State employees have already given up enough and have didnt get any raises this year. People are struggling everywhere in this state. I know that
Arundel you all think by giving furloughs you are showing a good faith, but in reality you are saying that state employees can afford furloughs and in reality a majority of them cannot.
Anne Pardon all drug offenders. This will free up space at prisons and cut down on the work load for probation officers. This will also better allow these people to get employment. Addiction is a medical problem and should
Arundel not be dealt with by the criminal justice system. Even most "dealers" in my experience are addicts trying to fuel their addictions. Pardon them too.
Cut funding for drug enforcement as it is a waste of time.

Grant clemency to non-violent offenders.
Grant clemency to everyone on death row and promise to do so for all future cases.
Allow older inmates to get paroled, even if serving life sentences.
This will save a ton of money in the criminal justice system. People might complain at first, but they will complain a lot louder if you raise their taxes.
Howard Eliminate the wasteful state spending..In the xxx years that I have worked in the Howard County Circuit Courthouse, the waste that is spent on state employees is amazing...New furniture, every few years, leather
chairs for employees desks...Remodeling of offices every few years.. I'm sure this goes on in every county.. And that's just one example... Eliminate all the useless spending that the state does, and there's your, or
should I say our, money... I really wonder if the Maryland taxpayers know how much is wasted....
Somerset Saving 1.2 million by switching drugs at State Hospitals may be devasting to patients. The newer mental health drugs are more helpful to the patients and have less side effects. Also cutting reinbursements to HMO's
like Priority Partners who be conterproductive as these HMO's through Health Choice save the state countless millions and serve as a model to other states. Transit funding has been cut on the shore to the point that
rural customers (if they have a job or not) can only get to their destination by 10:30(garunteed) Restore $900,000 to Shore Transit and help rural marylanders
Baltimore I would like to comment on your budget proposals - mainly on your reduction proposals for Medicaid payments to hospitals and nursing homes. My in-laws were both in nursing homes at the end of the life, and if it
wasn't for Medicaid kicking in, I am not sure what would have happened. Do you remotely realize how the cost impact of nursing homes affect families even for middle class families? I am not for this at all. On the flip
side of this, I was looking at how much staff YOU hve as Governor. Seems to me you could cut back some there. You have 4 deputy legislative officer's (do you really need 4?), 2 speech coordinators, 2 ddeputy
counsels, and 6 administrative assistants (do you really need 6 of them in your executive services). And I should hope that the ones at the top are not voting themselves pay raises while cutting the pay of the ones who
can't really afford it. I am also not sure what the office of the First Lady does - would it be cost effective for her to cut back on some of her activities?
With that said, I wanted to comment on the crime in Baltimore City. I think the whole way crime and punishment is handled in the city needs a complete overhaul. Everything that is in place now needs to be thrown out
the window and start over. I know you had your issues with Patricia Jessamy at one point. The whole justice system with the revolving door of criminals entering jail and then being released numerous times needs to
stop. The black folk down there need to stop acting like the white people are the white devils looking to step on them at every opportunity. Don't they realize that they are the cause of most of their own problems?
They are more racist towards us then the other way around. Something needs to be done to keep criminals locked up and not be returned to the streets numerous times to commit more crimes. Also keeping rec
centers open to keep people busy and not think about what kind of trouble to get into. Sometimes wonder if I should have gotten into this line of work.
Enough said - hope you can think about what I said.
City I have 3 suggestions:

1. I'm a State pensioner. Give us the same number of furlough days each year that you give State employees. If people who work aren't immune from cuts, why should pensioners be? Use the reduction in payouts to
reduce the State contribution to the pension fund until the revenue emergency is over.
2. Close a prison and stop incarcerating people for possession of small amounts of drugs, especially marijuana. From 28 years of experience in our child welfare system, I can assure you that the war on drugs is a
total failure. It wastes money and destroys lives.
3. I pay tuition for my daughter at Towson U. It's time to raise tuition with some of the proceeds re-directed to additional scholarship aid for low- and moderate-income families and the rest going to reduce the State
budget.
Please don't cut K-12 education or community colleges. Please don't give in to the BOAST bill. Public funds for public schools.
Baltimore Every State/Government office has dead weight. Employees new and old who do not perform as well as they should. I believe any staff that have received an unsatisfactory evaluation within the past year should be
laid off. Get rid of the dead wood, do not replace them, save money and alleviate the burden of furloughs and salary reductions on the employees who are hard working and do their part every day to serve the public.
Carroll I would suggest eliminating vacant positions and new starts on contracts. Everyone has to work with less and do more. The advertising budget of the maryland lottery should be also be cut. What I do not want to see
cut is Health funding to the less fortunate and disabled. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I think these many individuals who are incapable of taking care of
themselves should not be affected by any state budget cuts.
Cecil As a xxx-year State employee, I am willing to do my part in being fiscally responsible to the citizens of Maryland. I know first hand the sacrifices support staff make via no COLA, no step increases, less staff, more work,
furlough days, lack of office supplies. I certainly hope that all the State employees on the upper end of the payscale are also making financial contributions.
City 1. Sell sponsorship to name certain state facility. For example, sell the naming rights to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Constellation Energy.
2. Clean out many of the high paying state jobs.
3. Cut aid to private colleges. They are private. The state schools need your $ more.
Dorchester I am proud to be a Maryland State employee and enjoy serving the people of Maryland. I understand the current budget challenges that require the Governor to make difficult choices. We must all share the burden of
the current economic situation. It would be my suggestion that the State pursue further employee furlough options in place of layoffs. There might also be additional savings if the State were to move toward a four day
(36 hour) workweek. State offices could be open from 8pm to 6pm for four days each week with hour lunches. I believe the public might be much better served if offices stayed open a bit later than most currently do.
A four day schedule would enable offices to be open later. Savings would be generated by closing an additional day (energy, etc.) and reducing salaries by 4 hours each week. The public might be better served by
expanded late afternoon hours and employees would have less time commuting, more time for personal endeavors or to seek part time employment on the additional day if their personal budgets so require. Thank
you for your consideration.
Anne I received a letter from Michael Busch this year and last year outlining discussions and items passed during the current General Assembly. I am almost positive others within this State received that same letter. I can
Arundel only imagine what the cost of reproduction, stationary, and postage cost the state. If anyone wants to know what was accomplished during the sessions, one only needs to log onto the state website and review the
same information. One can also print out that information to pass along to other family members if needed.
Another suggestion, reduce the annual pay to ALL elected official by 15-25%, after all. They can keep their position but I don't believe they need to make six figures to do the job.
Thank you for asking the people for their opinion.
Baltimore 1. Your chef and personal staff needs to go. Stop living like royalty if you want to get reelected.
2. Stop buying land for environmental impact ... particularly land that your cronies own.
3. Stop funding CASA of MD
4. You were elected to manage the State Government. Start doing your job. Get rid of the nonsense and start doing capital projects that are needed. Stop threatening to cut essential services and start cutting the
waste. Have political courage.
Baltimore The governor could start by "furloughing" his father-in-law from his no-workum plum job. That would save probably two real jobs. The former state attorney general is 76 or 77 years old for goodness sake; he should
be on a cruise with mama somewhere or playing with his grandchildren.
Montgomery You are reducing payments to those who serve the poor in Medicaid cuts. What about reduced profits to highway contractors and elimination of contracts to fix roads that are not in need of being fixed. Finally, what
about raising sales tax a minor amount so those who buy more pay more. You can even give a rebate in the sales tax to the poor through their income tax. I happen to be blessed with more and from thos who have
much, much should be asked. Our country is blessed and those of us who are blessed should be asked to share their blessings. Too many people are on the street unable to find jobs and without a home.We must all
pull together when times are tight.Your are a Democract so dont act like a Republician or there will be no reason to vote for you.
Harford There are many top executives in Maryland with salaries in the hundred of thousand dollars, All those jobs are not needed and some can be eliminated. Stream lining the management structure of the state will save
millions. A second thought is to let Maryland state employees pay more for medical like the small to medium size business employees have too.
Anne I suggest the state go paperless with regard to paychecks and stubs.There is no reason for the paper distribution of pay stubs biweekly when the same information can be view and/or printed online.Just as the state
Arundel went paperless with regard to social service grants,why not do the same with paychecks? most people have checking accounts for direct deposit and if this will save money and jobs, I believe those that don't will opt to
open accounts once they see the benefit to the state and even their own employment. I feel this process should be implemented with regard to child support checks as well.By mandating direct deposit or cash pay with
regard to child support,this will eliminate the need for research and investigation when a custodian claims he or she did not receive a check that was mailed. it will also cut down on our unprocessed payments due to
returns and postage not to mention the cost of paper and toner to print the checks. This will allow the people who perform the investigating and research to fill other positions which will save money for the state and
also allow the state to become a little more "green". You could also apply this to baltimore city payrolls. Thank you for allowing me to voice my suggestions.
Baltimore Why not temporarily suspend a lot of the road projects that are going on around the State. A lot of these should never have even been started during the past couple of years, because we already had projections of
budget shortfalls.
Montgomery GIVE ME MORE $$$$
Howard Stop incarcerating people for personal use possession of drugs. At last count it cost $24,000 per year per inmate, and this is with no rehabilitative services and substandard mental health care. The prison system is
overcrowded. We worry about how terrorists are treated at Guantanomo but don't look at our own facilities.
Baltimore -Reduce higher education spending not by increasing tuition, but by making the colleges (especially the research institutions) cut their budgets.
-Cut the administrative budget of the department of human resources.
-For every department where the office of the secretary is a large percentage of the budget, consider cuts to the office of the secretary or consolidation with other departments.
City I deeply oppose the Redline.
Allegany Sir,
I was shocked to see that you are proposing the closing of the Sideling Hill Exhibit. I have always seen it as a landmark for our state. As a Western Marylander I take pride in our state. As I travel downstate it is always
encouraging to see the exhibit full of travelers learning about our earth and the transformation it has undergone. Plus it provides an opportunity for motorists to stop and rest therby reducing roadway accidents. Closing
it would be a constant visual reminder of the decline of our state. I'm sure you could probably make cuts elsewhere in Maryland to compensate for the $100,000 it takes to maintain the facilty. I, along with others, urge
you to reconsider and find alternate avenues to reduce costs.
Montgomery NO ICC. Please halt the ICC project, we have enough roads, we need better public transportation instead like the purple line.
Washington the governor wants to cut education,furlough for state workers,medical,,etc.....But the end of this month,, inmate observation aides will get a .30 cent raise....they get paid to go to school,on top of time
reduction...MCE....got raises....shuuush, don't tell anyone....and now the GOV wants to close visiting centers....like the saying goes....inmates are treated better than the kids or the public.....
Montgomery Stop building the ICC and adding lanes to highways that really do nothing to alleviate our traffic congestion. Look at the disaster next door called Northern Virgina.
Washington the governor wants to cut education,furlough for state workers,medical,,etc.....But the end of this month,, inmate observation aides will get a .30 cent raise....they get paid to go to school,on top of time
reduction...MCE....got raises....shuuush, don't tell anyone....and now the GOV wants to close visiting centers....like the saying goes....inmates are treated better than the kids or the public.....
Anne Public Works needs to supervisor their workers more closely. On a lot of jobs I see several workers standing around doing nothing for hours or sitting at McDonalds and other fast foor places durning the middle of the
Arundel day. Stop all take home vehicles except for police, stop all goverment vehicles from sitting with there engines running.
Anne 1 - Cut all funding to CASA of Maryland and ANY funding to illegals. This includes housing, jobs, medical, etc. 2 - Lay off state employees - were doing it, so can the state. 3 - Close and remove all toll booths, facilities
Arundel and infrastructure - replace it with a small gas tax ($0.02???) paid by all drivers. 4 - Cancel "global warming" funding - the earth has cooled or stayed the same since 2001. 5 - Forget slots, the Democrats screwed that
up during Erlich's administration by not letting the citizens of Maryland have the benefit of the revinue - stupid childrens games that hurt us. Just remember, it's not your money - it's ours! I have to live within my means -
you should too! We vote and won't forget what you're doing to our state and country.
City
Dear Governor O'Malley: In light of the recent budget cuts and layoffs, it is important that you are aware of a way that the State of Maryland can actually SAVE money. Let me explain how. Did you know that the
Preferred Provider Program of Maryland has mandated all State Agencies to purchase "supplies and services" from The Blind Industries of Maryland? However, The Blind Industries of Maryland's prices are
SIGNIFICANTLY higher than those prices of private companies selling the same products. How do I know this? I am employed as a sales representative for a local janitorial company in Baltimore, and I have been
working in this field for 25 years. The company that I work for has lost many accounts in the last year, due to the "mandate" that State agencies must purchase solely from Blind Industries. If these agencies were
saving money, there would be no issue. But, as I mentioned, Blind Industries' prices are higher and, therefore, these agencies are spending more money than necessary. Another important issue here is the legality of
such a mandate through the Preferred Provider Program. I am not a lawyer, but I have been told by a Maryland State Senator, that it is neither legal nor ethical for a mandate to prohibit purchases from private
companies, ESPECIALLY when these companies can save the STATE hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. There is no competition for business here, so Blind Industries does not have to lower their prices.
Why would they?
Governor, I have researched these inequities thoroughly and I would be happy to meet with you to illustrate my point with price lists that would show that my prices (and other companies' prices) are markedly lower for
the same products. The State of Maryland, in this situation, is wasting taxpayers' money unnecessarily. I really would like to be told why such a mandate even exists.
I would like to meet with you and your staff to discuss this most unfair, yet fix-able, situation.
Respectfully
Anne It is helpful to know those things that you are looking to cut (many of which I agree with, a few of which, I would need more information about before I could decide for sure). However, it would be more helpful to know
Arundel the programs and dollar amounts for what you are leaving in place, not just what you are cutting. In other words, where is the money that is planned to be spent going? Are there "pet" projects that will be getting the
funding that we, the public, feel could/should be eliminated or substantially reduced?
I have included my email address for reply to this thread only. Please do not give it out/sell it, add it to any campaigning list, etc.
Thank you for the opportunity to give an opinion on this topic and hope that you can send me a link with the information requested so that I may give a more informed response.
Sincerely
Baltimore I have two fair suggestions that hurt no one playing by the rules. May not make the great difference needed, but it is wide spread enough that it should add something to the pot. There is not one single day goes by that
I don't see vehicles parked along our streets with out of state tags. And yes I understand folks visit, but they are not an issue. The issue is with many of the vehicle owners living here in Maryland. Small problem?
maybe, you look at a vehicle here with reserved space in front the house for the handicap person living there, the handicap placecard hanging on the rearview mirror, and the nifty ravens seat covers and decals. And
then look at the southern state tag on it, sad at best. The one thing we don't need? Some of our fees increased to compensate for those who side step them. On the plus side? Really won't cost anything as it should be
as simple as having the police make note of such vehicles as opposed to simply riding past them. And second, folks wrapped up in the house flipping for profit thing? States might remind the post office that it is agains't
the law to deliver mail to "vacant" houses for any reason. I think that may save a surprising amount in "head of household" credits. Wish I could come up with a cureall, but I don't think there is one. So hopefully you can
do something with these tiny suggestions. Goodluck!
select your Healthcare
county ****STREAMLINE THE DSS....DSS is a business run by government employees. Corporate business would never run the DSS in this way. Business people would streamline the process, capture the fraud, make the
recipients responsible for keeping their demographics updated. We waste too much time enabling these families through duplicate and numerous letters, computer generated letters that are ineffective, writing letters
that notify recipeints monthly there a new case worker is assigned about every 2-3 months, sending letters to wrong addresses since there is nothing in place to make sure one updates their address telephone
efficiency (let the governor try leaving a message to the caseworker and out of frustration leave several for their supervisor while you are at it. How come the messages are never returned? How come many mistakes
are made? How come when one service is asked for why the other services are not given? BTW Look into streamlining the process and give firm directives for self employed eligiblity. Make looking at passports part of
income. Some "poor and qualified families take as many as 4 trips with their families a year" to their country of origin and spend a lot of time out of the country yet we insure them....The passport should count as
income and proof how long they are actually here in MD. Amazing how many Americans born here don't even have passports! Passports+income. Pure and simple. How come those who qualify for MA can have
other insurance while state employees cannot?
Ask DSS them what P&P is.....
***REDUCE THE SALES TAX at least on slow shopping days say every Wednesday or one Wednesday a month so other states will shop here and keep our merchants and stores here.
Have individuals work from home if possible.
**Change the blue laws..old and antiquated. Bring the sales revenue back!
Avoid duplication of services. Look beyond the stats. The stats are created to give weight to certain programs "to keep them in business and shroud the shrinking usefulness".
***Talk to those who actually do the work not rely on their bureau heads for info all the time.
****Show bipartisanship
******Look deeply into eligibility requirements for certain programs. Some have long passed their usefulness.
Hire more business savvy individuals. Set the standard.
Look into self employment to qualify for state programs.
*****Start having individual departments do fund raising on a limited basis...such as the biggest loser...state gets half and the winner gets half.
Take care of those individuals who have known illnesses such as insulin dependent diabetes and put them on the roles automatically so that their complications can be minimized and our health care burden reduced in
years to come as well as focus on prevention. state run gyms to make a profit yet allow MA recipients to work out.
Have those who are on disability for bipolar disorder and back injuries volunteer or get paid for their time for state activities. Depression is high among these recipients since they are not active in their communities and
making this world a better place. In fact, those families put on the roles who have no jobs can volunteer in what ever capacity that they are able in exchange for the benefits.
Giving cash assistance numerous times for the same families...does it work for you? Sorry doesn't work for me.
Cross train the agencies so that the depts will be able to work in tandem with each other and will be able to fill in the frozen or abolished positions until the work is redistributed.
********Have employees rate their supervision. Make sure those who are these state positions are functioning at their optimal levels not waiting to rack up the retirement years. Encourage visionary, compassionate,
passionate and caring supervision.
******Do we tap our prisoners enough to work for some state depts. to help pay their debt to society. We don't want MD citizens just sitting around on the outside, why do we want them sitting around in the inside?
Baltimore We cannot aford any more of the increases you have lotted for us .Idon't know how people can afford to work any more it costs to much to do so .
Harford Governer, In my opinion the way for the MD government to get out of this budget crisis is to generate more revenue and the best way to do this is to lower taxes on both the comercail and private sectors. I cannot even
count how many people I know have moved from MD to other states due to the tax's Md requires. In my opion if you lower the tax rates more people will want to live in Md. Aditionaly if you lower the tax rates on
bussinss more beg buissness will com to MD. Another problem with Md is that it is a hostil state for factories and other large job creating industries. this is due not only to the High taxes but the rediculous enviromental
restriction placed on these industries. All you have to do is look a california and you can see where MD is heading. I am all for protecting the bay and enviroment but it must be done in a smarter why that does not KIll
or economy by regulating industry out of the state. In closing I am sure that you will disregaud my comments but If you take anything from this email it should be this MD citizens are paying over 60 percent of there
wages in taxes and we cannot afford even a penny more to support a government who does not listen to its citzens. PLEASE SIR LET ME SPEND MY HARD ERANED MONEY THE WAY I WANT TO THE
GOVERNMENT HAS PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGIAN THAT THEY CONNAT SPEND MY MONEY BETER THAN ME. Thanks for you time. Good luck and please do the right thing.

In order to shift the burden from the state budget to assets that already for the purposes of retirement, I would like to suggest an early out program for those state workers with at least twenty five years of service.
About a decade ago this was done and it seemed to releive state funds signifcantly.
Thank you
select your
county
City Gov,
It is bullshit that you made State employees take five days of unpaid leave, but didn't include "public safety" employees. Prisons don't have to shut down. Police officers will still be out there. All they have to do is take
five days of unpaid vacation. Make them take five days before you demand additional furloughs.
Baltimore I noticed the one column is titled proposals, is this because these steps might not be taken?
The steps taken above seem to be very good. A couple in particular I think could be reversed and another area could be looked toward for savings. One would be the use of high cost drugs in place of less expensive
(although "equally effective") ones. Maybe the patients would be the ones to check with on the "equally effective" phrase, to see if the comment is actually true. Laying off 39 people is not pleasant, however, if it had to
be done then it had to be done. I'm not sure where the bodies came from, departments, sections, positions, etc.; I hope we can afford the loss of personnel. The place(s) I think cuts can come from would be the core
priority school system. Most of the school systems throughout the state are top heavy, lots of administrators, if some of the 39 bodies came from there, I say hooray. If not, I say make the school system trim a lot of
the fat (and there is plenty there to trim). Teachers make great money, don't ask them because they will not admit it. I know they have a difficult job and it is crucial, but to use children as mouth pieces to appear
before political boards and state that their teacher cannot teach them because they are not paid enough is SAD. I have seen this done and it is really pathetic, I say take some of their money, less raises/or none and
slice some of the budget pie percentage allocated for education (in addition to the above cuts on higher education and private colleges). I know this is treacherous ground to step on and the teacher's union is very
powerful and political, but it should and could be done. Teachers teach to inspire children to learn, and their ability should not be equated to the amount of money they make. Because as you know, bad teachers make
as much as good teachers; WHY? An area to generate more income might be to lower the sales tax, keep people shopping in Maryland instead of going to other states to purchase items. I know this might sound
crazy, but I did hear earlier this year the revenue projections from sales taxes were down. People will spend more when the government takes less. They feel they are getting a good deal, put the sales tax back to five
cents and see if more money doesn't come rolling in. One more comment, I heard an extra tax was either discussed or implemented on millionaires and that some or quite a few were contemplating, or have, moving
out of the state. If this is the case maybe this should be removed or not implemented. Just my two cents, I do think we are taxed too much and government tries to do too much when they should stick to the basics. I
like this idea of expression and letting our elected political persons know how we feel on government. The job is not easy and all the facts are not known by us, but special interest has to go and the job should be about
what is best for the people in ensuring their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. THANK YOU
Garrett 1. Hold well-publicized town hall meetings in the 23 counties and Baltimore City. Press coverage esp. T.V.
a. ask for citizen input at those meetings.
b. offer incentive(s) for best suggestions; to be
awarded by votes of the people. Public officials and
state employees inelligible to vote.
c. look forward but also look back and do everything
possible to undo projects and mistakes that the
taxpayers of this state are currently responsible for.
d. stop promoting unnecessary boondoggles and
largess that increases the debt while benefitting few.
Note 1: If you do take this seriously and decide to have town hall meetings; public hearings (with well-publicized notification to the public) should be held on all matters of importance that result from them.
Note 2: I believe that I can cite at least a half dozen examples that apply to item c and could recoup (or save) millions of dollars. They, of course, depend on their current status as well as projected plans.
I am also sending this information to The Baltimore Sun inasmuch as they may be able to help with this.
Baltimore Sell parts off State vehicles before selling or scraping the vehicles.
Garrett 1. Hold well-publicized town hall meetings in the 23 counties and Baltimore City. Press coverage esp. T.V.
a. ask for citizen input at those meetings.
b. offer incentive(s) for best suggestions; to be
awarded by votes of the people. Public officials and
state employees inelligible to vote.
c. look forward but also look back and do everything
possible to undo projects and mistakes that the
taxpayers of this state are currently responsible for.
d. stop promoting unnecessary boondoggles and
largess that increases the debt while benefitting few.
Note 1: If you do take this seriously and decide to have town hall meetings; public hearings (with well-publicized notification to the public) should be held on all matters of importance that result from them.
Note 2: I believe that I can cite at least a half dozen examples that apply to item c and could recoup (or save) millions of dollars. They, of course, depend on their current status as well as projected plans.
I am also sending this information to The Baltimore Sun inasmuch as they may be able to help with this.
Howard Once upon a time, as a student at the U of MD School of Public Polcy, we were required to try to balance the Federal budget as a project for the program's budgeting class. Quite an exercise. Wouldn't it be a great idea
to create a competition, with prizes to the winners, of the best ideas to balance the budget. Changing the ecology of how the State budget is created would be a great first step!
Anne 1. Eliminate contract for vehicle emissions testing -- if done by state/county employees could net $7 (to state and county) vice current $0.50 per vehicle.
Arundel
2. Stop all vehicles idling on work sites - except for "safety vehicle" -- will save fuel, maintenance and excessive wear. Reduce number of vehicles sent to repair sites to minimum needed for transportation of
equipement and personnel.
3. Make all needed repairs properly the first time instead of multiple "temporary" patches. Save cost of personnel, vehicles, and materials.
4. Consolidate all IT functions into a single operation, share computer hardware, support personnel, security software/services and physical building space(s).
5. Recover funds from the stadium rental that has not been collected since they were placed into operation. Make them either profitable or sell them.
Baltimore road tolls--went to atlantic city new jersery on friday paid 4 tolls going there only paid 2 coming back maryland charges no tolls coning back from N.J THATS 8.00 DOLLARS A CAR maryland is losing money why not
charge the tolls
Montgomery 1. Real estate - leases need to be dramatically reduced in rates upon renewal or offer landlord extended lease term for immediate lease rate reduction. Landlords will welcome long term credit tenant as the real estate
market will not improve for 3-5 years.
2. Pension costs - There needs to be a "clawback" of pensions. The defined benefit plans are wildly inconsistent with the IRA or 401k plans most Marylanders have. Private sector taxpayers will find themselves working
to pay a robust combination of income, real property and sales taxes, among others that will be used to fund the state's pensioners while they cannot fund their own retirements. This is an issue that many of us will
have to solve by leaving Maryland.
3. The layoffs as reported are woefully inadequate from an employement base of 70,000 state employees. Each agency is marginally offering up positions. There needs to be a wholesale review of each department.
4. I am willing to serve on any serious task force with a mandate to identify and implement cost savings programs.
Carroll Mr. Governor,
I feel that one way one to raise extra $$ is to increase the cigarette and alcohol tax. I know no ones want higher taxes on anything but if that is what it will take then that is what has to be done.
I also think you should look at doing some buy outs of employees that have been there for a ton of years. I am sure this could save the state and it could save the jobs of a few people at the same time. You might
want to look at doing some type of reform to the welfare system as well. There are so many dead beats out there and are taking advantage of the system and wasting our tax $$, I also know for a fact you can reduce a
ton of wastefull spending that goes on. Also some of the top official need to take pay cuts, as well. There no reason some people should be making $100,000+++ they need to take pay cuts and or be furlowed as well.
I understand fully we are in tough times but I think at the same time we should have been ready for this. You need to put monies away into funds so when this happens again and we know it will were are ready, When
everything is good all we do is spend spend and spend some more and now look at where we are.
I agree with the cuts to higher education why should the state pay them millions of dollars when they are charging our kids thousands of dollars a year there is no reason for the tax payers to be footing there bills any
longer.
Last but not least the slot machine issue. I have always been against it and I do not think it is the answer to the problem, matter of fact all it will do is put more of a burden on the tax payers of MD. It will cause nothing
but more crime and people who have not even enough monies to buy food will be sitting there wating ther $$$ and in retunr the state will be footing the bill for them.
I want to close by saying thank you for letting us the people of MD chime in. I am sure you will get a ton of people emailing you and I hope that we can help you the goverment out as you have helped us out at one
point in our lives. thankyou
Baltimore Here would be a great savings.
Stop using tax payes money to support illegal's. Start enforcing the immagration laws and American citizans will get badly need jobs & pay taxes.
Carroll Budget cut suggestions.
1. Cut salaries of those state employees making $100,000.00 and more a year by 10%. Those making between $50,001.00 and $99,999.00 should be given 2 furlough days, since they were already given 3 – 5 days
between Jan. and July 2009. Those making under $50,000.00 should not be penalized any more than they already have, since many of them are barely keeping afloat in this economy. All state employees should be
included. Do not exclude educxation, police, fire, and political appointees. That includes you, your appointees, and the house and senate of the state of Maryland. Everyone must take the hit.
2. How about you and Mrs. O’Malley start cooking for yourselves again? That would save the tax payers the expense of a personal chef. After all, you are NOT royalty, get off your throne.
3. Do you , Mike Miller, and Michael Busch really need a personal Chauffer?? The tax payers don’t think so. Start driving yourself to work like the rest of us working stiffs.
4. Reduce the political appointee staff. We have way to many political appointees getting by on the taxpayer dime.
5. Stat Reports – One of my favorites. What a was of state employee time. No one reads them, but the state workers spend hours composing the reports to satisfy your desire to publish this crap. Eliminate the stat
reports, they produce nothing at a great expense.
6. Eliminate state contracts. Allow all state agencies to use the free market system to get the best price possible for state purchases. The state no longer puts contracts out for bid anyway, so why award contracts to
those who pay their way into the state contracts. This would save the state Mucho Dinero!
7. Eliminate funding for special interest groups such as Casa and Acorn. These agencies support illegal immigrants (which are a drain on the tax system) and questionable community organization groups. This costs
the taxpayers and is a drain on the budget, so, why support them? OH, WAIT, This is where you get must of your re-election support. Why silly ole me!
8. Start directing the education dollars to the teachers and the classroom instead of the administration. After all, administraters do nothing to teach the future generations. The education system is way to administrative
heavy.
9. Stop allowing state employees to take leave, then work enough hours to earn overtime. Don’t allow overtime until an employee works (physically works) 40 hours or more. Why allow someone to take 8 hours leave,
work 40 hours, and earn 12 hours overtime? This makes no sense at all. If they work forty hours then they don’t need to take leave. This would save the state in the long run. No other employer allows this to happen,
only in the government system.
10. Why are so many state employees allowed to take a state vehicle home? Make the state employees use their own gas and vehicles to commute to work. The rest of the taxpayers have to pay for their commutes,
so why are state workers special?? Oh, that wqould also include YOU!
11. Budgets – Why are agencies penalized if they have unused funds at the end of the fiscal year? Agencies should be given incentives to have unspent funds, not penalized. After all, the current system creates a
mass spending spree in June for all state agencies. The attitude is, spend it or our budget gets reduced next year.
Governer O’Malley, you have many hard working employees that are getting very dicouraged by your cuts. Most of the truly hard working employees make less than $100,000.00 per year. They also hate to seee their
co-workers loos their jobs, since it is never the employee who skates by, but the workers who try to do their job to the best of their ability. If you must lay off, look at the employee performance evaluations. Some of
them speak volumes.
Also, I know the unions paid your campaign bill, but they are an albatross around your neck. Don’t pay themn back on the backs of the state workers. The workers already think you have sold them out with that little
“fair share” bill.
Also, Find some time to go to the Baltimore Sunpapers talk forum. There are many posts that you need to see. Here’s a sampling.
#1 07-21-2009, 07:04 AM
TFinan
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 69
O'Malley to cut agency budgets
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Let's hope that when our incompetent Gov who still failes to have an idea of his own "Furloughs State Employees" he puts ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE FURLOUGH REQUIREMENT. Any Supervisor who can not
schedule a Nurse, LPN, CNA, Correctional Officer or other Public Safety person 3-5 days off in a six month period, should not be a Supervisor. I doubt very seriously if anyone's safety will be compromised, after all
these people take earned leave days off and a large amount of Sick Leave Off during the same period and no one's safety is compromised. In addition, ALL SUPERVISORS (REGARDLESS OF JOB TITLE) SHOULD
BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT ROUND OF Furlough Days. There should be NO EXCEPTIONS ! ! ! O'Malley and his Democratic cronies should get back to reality and stop "paying back the Unions" for their
contributions to re-election campaigns. State Agencies still have an abundance of Supervisors and very few workers, and they are hiring new employees (and Supervisors) like the money belt has been opened and has
no limits (all with O'Malley's support). O'Malley and his cronies have to stop creating new ways to spend money they don't have and pay the current bills with the money they do have. The State of Md. would not be in
this situation if O'Malley would just stop creating new programs and paying back Labor Unions for supporting him in his 1st election and hoping they will support him in the next, all at MD. Taxpayers expense.
ybnormal
Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Tax Hell, MD
Posts: 9,505
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How much is Maryland spending on the Slots scam again? The Red Line expansion? The new electric shuttle buses that will be "free" to riders in the city?
07-21-2009, 07:40 AM
woody
Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Maryland
Posts: 9,551
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Ok, here is a thought. What percent is 700M compared to 14B? Second, given the financial crises O'Malley created, why did he invite Miller and Bush to dinner at our expense, and only raising the deficit higher? He
should have have served them popcorn, peanuts (in the shell) and tap water. Also, what sacrafice are O'Malley and the monkies making to give back some of the excesses they enjoy at taxpayer expense. It seems
only reasoanble that if they are going to furlough state workers, they too should give up...the policy should apply equally or perhaps greater to them...all of them as they created the problem.
#6
07-21-2009, 09:09 AM
ybnormal
Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Tax Hell, MD
Posts: 9,505
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...and let's not forget O'Malley's recent tour of Europe at the state's expense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocket88
If Martin O'Malley has the power to cause the most severe world-wide economic collapse in 80 years... if he has the power to destroy the banks of Iceland, the housing market in Nevada, and the Russian stock
exchange... if Martin O'Malley has the power to travel back in time and force Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers to stake their futures on an obvious Ponzi scheme... why does he continue to work as the governor of a
small state, earning only $150,000 a year? With such mastery of time and space, coupled with absolute control over all of the planet's financial institutions, you would think he would aspire to something higher.
Actually, he knew what was coming and he contiues to spend like a drunken sailor. Swamp land on the Eastern Shore purchased for 'land preservation', the new CASA facility for the illegals and there's a lot of high
priced consultants rrunning around my department who don't do squat. ( My department has been hiring new staff while we have been getting furloughed, What's up with that? Check out the Maryland gummint's
committe for Global Warming. We're getting a lot of bang for our buck there. How about that 20% increase in sales tax/ How come sales tax revenues are down 12%. ( Il ove beautiful tax free Delaware, a 20 minute
drive from where I live). How about that utility bill that O'Liar promised during his campaign to reduce? He said he had control of that but didn't.
__________________
Genesis 27:11 (King James Version)
11And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocketwolf
It would be nice if you aspired to think before you spun.

I don't see where it was claimed that MOM created the world wide crisis.
But he sure did help Maryland's along raising taxes in the face of a recession, without even thinking of cutting some spending until it was too late. That he did all this just to buy votes makes it especially stupid.
But if you like to support stupid go right ahead.
Don't forget that organized labor 'bought' O'Malley's vote. Look at the 'Fair Share' legislation. All of a sudden in the middle of a depression he wants mandatory service fees ($15.00 a pay)paid by state employees to the
union that 'donated' big bucks to the Big O'Liar.
__________________
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocket88
If Martin O'Malley has the power to cause the most severe world-wide economic collapse in 80 years... if he has the power to destroy the banks of Iceland, the housing market in Nevada, and the Russian stock
exchange... if Martin O'Malley has the power to travel back in time and force Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers to stake their futures on an obvious Ponzi scheme... why does he continue to work as the governor of a
small state, earning only $150,000 a year? With such mastery of time and space, coupled with absolute control over all of the planet's financial institutions, you would think he would aspire to something higher.
Because his perks bring him way over that $150,000 salary and he aspires to proceed to a higher political disaster soapbox. Of course it would be a nice gesture on his part to close the gov's mansion, get rid of the
chauffeur, State Police guards (put them back to doing real police work), servants and cooks (after all, he isn't royalty, despite the fact that he seems to feel he is). But don't hold your breath...
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Yet O'Malley can give money to Baltimore City to build a new recreation center, at the expense of state employees jobs. If he gets re-elected it will only prove that people vote for the political party and not for the
person. No wonder things are such a mess.
#17
07-21-2009, 02:03 PM
Red Baron
Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Jagdstaffel 2
Posts: 10,676
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Have they cut the half-mill they give to that subversive group for illegals CASA of MD? Didn't think so!
__________________
Everyone that cares, needs to take a peek at the Budget Book for Md. You can see his actual expentitures and budget for this year, if they are not hidden in other agencies like I know they are where I am. This is
nothing new, they have all done that little accounting trick. Honestly though, the revenue estimates will not sustain this fiscal year's projected expenditures (like we thought they would, dah...) and I doubt if Md. will be
much better next year.
Since he aspires to higher office and because of all his perks, he should be first on the list to forego his salary for the year (for what that's worth). Probably a lot of his cabinet have the funds to do the same too. It all
makes me a little too sick. I feel sorry for the employees that have and continue to do the job of more than 1 or 2 employees. I dont see too much "dead-wood" where I am, they have slowly been weeded out.
Yesterday, 05:51 AM
county resident
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 507
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i wonder if any of the cutswill come from the overpaid staff of yo'malley himself? the kings court has lots of high priced jesters to amuse the boy king.
__________________
Baltimore We need to stop spending money to fix a deficit! We need to focus on things that cannot wait for government spending rather than blowing money away on things like improving the landscape of a highway or paying
kids a day's worth of pay when they only do maybe an hour's worth (if that!). We also need to lower the state tax back down to 5%...people will spend more money when things are cheaper. We are doing things too
quickly....we need to be more conservative with our money. We need to crack down on people who are on welfare who really do not need it...so many people have kids just so they can get on welfare and then they do
not even spend the money on the kids's themselves...they feed their drug addictions. We need to stop spending money on things we want and concentrate on things we need.
Anne Governor,
Arundel
Why not offer early retirement to state employees. This was done in the 1990's. If you could at least have a committee investigate the possible savings to the state many employees might be interested taking
advantage of early retirement.
Employees with 25 years plus of service at their higher salary level might save the state in the long run. This offer should be made avilable to University employees including faculty who make higher salaries.
Thanks for your time
Harford Are the governor and the senators & representatives going to have a cut in salaries or a time off as other state employers are going to be required.
Frederick Re: Sideling Hill Welcome Center. I beg of you to please keep the Sideling Hill Welcome Center open. There is no other welcome center in the state that offers the spectacular view of the mountains and valleys nor
the unique history that thie welcome center provides. How you stopped by this welcome center in the fall when the leaves are at their peak in color? I have, several times. It is a breathtaking view. The small amount
of money this wold be saving the state is only a drop in the bucket and is not worth it for the lose we will be giving up by closing it.
City Stop taxing overworked and already underpaid state employee's.
Baltimore It is time to put an end to welfare benefits after 60 months. The Welfare Reform Act gave us all 60 TANF money. We have residents receiving well in excess of this. It is not unusual to see recipients in the 125 month
plus range. They are making absolutely no effort to find a job. This is while you lay off state employees and ask taxpayers to sacrifice. Cut them off.
Anne Cut all the notable cost savings proposals and the more efficient government. And while you are at it, cut welfare to 6 months just like unemployment is. Make these people get jobs, its a 2 for 1, they get off welfare
Arundel and they pay income taxes. There is no need for aid to private colleges, stem cell funding, advertising for the lottery and what is "assigning interest earned on special fund balances to general fund." All of this mumbo
jumbo listed above sounds very unnecessary. My husband lost his job, benefits, etc... we had to tighten our belts, the state should have to also. Another thing, stop the traveling and vacation expenses, we can not
afford a vacation this year and O'Malley has already been on 2 vacations in the last 2 months, and they are just the ones we know of.
Howard cutting costs is great, but maryland really lacks a strategy for growing the top line - by that I mean revenue. And by revenue I chiefly mean being a place where business and jobs are created. Ultimately, business and
jobs form the tax base. Unfortunately, Maryland is a very high cost and very unfriendly place to do business. It really starts in Annapolis where the MO of the govenor is to extort businesses, increase regulation, and
push business out of the state at every turn. I lived in Baltimore when he was Mayor and thought he was moderate and generally friendly to business and promoted smart growth/development in the city. I felt Baltimore
thrived and I voted for him on that basis. Unfortunately, as governor I would have to vote against him. His record, particularly the fight he picked against one of the largest employers (Constellation), at a time when
Maryland needs every job, has garnered him a reputation as anti-business. He has failed to bring jobs to the state and grow the tax base.
The governor will ultimately be judged on his ability to grow the economy and bring jobs to the state. That translates into a higher tax base. And sadly, on that, his record is completely lacking.
Carroll I believe the State could save money by:
1. Limiting Out of State travel to vital conferences only.
2. On travel which is necessary the State can prepay registration fees and take responsibility for lodging and airline costs but reimburse meals and local travel.
3. Cancel office supply contracts and allow agencies to find the best price. Many times on bulk orders supliers give a vast discount. Also knowing that the State can always chose another supplier they tend to give good
service and remedy problems/ This includes supplies purchased from State Use Industries. It boarders on the absurd to pay $9.00 a ream for color copier paper when other suppliers sell it for $4.50.
4. In the same vein, allow Agencies to purchase furniture from vendors other than SUI. The quality is poor (e.g. keyboard drawer falling on an employees lay due to poor workmanship), the wait to obtain furniture is
unacceptable and the prices are higher than if purchased in the free market.
Harford Elimanate MOSH, especially Ron DiJiilus.
Private sector Worker's Comp insurers do a much better job.

Baltimore I recognize the importance and value of the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MOSHA). I wonder however, if it might not be prudent (considering the financial situation the State finds itself in) to
return the powers of the Agency back to the Federal Government for the purpose of mandated statewide workplace safety and health standards enforcement. I understand that half of the operational monies to run the
approved program comes from the FEDs and a huge amount comes from insurance sources, but can we justifiably afford to operate an approved state plan basically for the convenience of the Federal Government
(DOL/OSHA) under these tight financial times?
Baltimore My first suggestion is to cut all the "luxury" benefits those in government receive. These include drivers, luxury cars that are leased, gas provided by the tax payers. Those in government, the legislature, should take a
pay cut. Every year, the legislature votes a raise for each memeber. It is time to stop. Get rid of jobs in the state that are not needed. I work in State government and I can tell you that there are people in positions
that are grade 16 and up that the jobs could be cut. This requires a very close look at jobs that people have held, some for years. I am not advocating laying people off; however, there are positions that can be cut and
the work delegated.
I am thankful that we are not California. I am thankful for my State job. However, it is time to really look at the wasteless ways the State spends money and not just balance the budget on the backs of the State
employees.
Baltimore Mr. Govenor,

You asked for suggestions on how to reduce the state deficet. I suggest that you cut your staff and your salary according to the degree that you are cutting the staff of other state agencies and employees. That
would only be fair in my opinion.
Baltimore I would like to make a suggestion which could lead to increases in the millions of dollars to the state's funds. Every state which has done as I am about to suggest has made considerable money by increased tourism,
increased sales tax revenue , and an increase in revenue generated through their motor vehicle administrations.
If Governor O'Malley uses the power of his office to modify Maryland's mandatory motorcycle helmet law to allow choice for riders over 21 with training or experience restrictions the state will see signifigant increases in
funds.
I would be happy to go over this suggestion in length with any representative of the Governor's office to explain further the benfits of this change in Maryland law. For example, the city of Myrtle Beach South Carolina
enacted a helmet law just before their annual rally in 2009 and saw a loss of income for the city and the businesses in the city in the millions of dollars because of the motorcycling community boycott of the Myrtle
Beach area. The affected businesses in that area are currently considering, if they have not already done so, suing the city of Myrtle Beach for their actions which caused loss of income.
Please give this suggestion serious consideration.

Respectfully
Howard Stop letting State Troopers have take home cars. Most are not stopping anyone for traffic on there time off. They are taking advantage of the gas. Why can't they drive there own cars like everyone else? Is this fair?
Carroll If state employee layoffs become necessary, I sincerely hope that employees who are eligible for full pension/health benefits are asked to leave first. It seems counter productive to keep someone with 30 years of
service on the payroll while pushing out the younger work force.
Baltimore Create a more conservative budget in the future, as it's pretty obvious that only 23 days into the new fiscal year, the budget shouldn't even be a problem.
Baltimore Cut the pay of the Maryland Legislators and Executives who have gotten us all in this mess through wasteful spending and over taxation. You should walk your talk and give up all salary and perks NOW! Stop
spending tax money on illegal aliens except to deport them.
Baltimore Cut state employee work weeks to 4-10 hour days instead of 5-8 hour days. You'll save the cost of keeping the buildings open. You probably make the employees happier as well, because they'll save on gas.
select your xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
county
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City Gov. O'Malley, in today's economy it's hard to save money,
but I have a small suggestion. Offer state employees a
10 cent discount for a cup of coffee if they provide their own mug. This would be cheaper than collecting, storing and transporting single use non-recyclable foam cups to a landfill, you would save money on buying
cups and on the resulting waste and Maryland would be an example of a green economy.
Baltimore How about these:
- Make lawmakers who live within 50 miles of Annapolis commute.
- Make most gov agencies operate like a business and charge appropriately for the services. (I have no issue with the increase in EZPass toll increases. I use the service so I should pay for it. DNR - fees for use of
licenses and park admissions should cover their budget). Exceptions would be services that everyone uses: highways, etc.
- Hold people accountable and no more free rides! I am sick and tired of paying for services for lazy people.
- How about this one: make charities accountable for social services and let the public choose which charities we want to support. The government is meant to govern all, equally. Don't force the masses to care for the
few. Let us decide - we're pretty smart - who we think deserves our help.
- get rid of this wacked requirement to fund all laws when they are passed! That's an asinine way to govern! I cant go but a Ferrari and then go get a job to pay for it!
Government at all levels needs to stop ruling (I meant governing, really) from party lines and get back to the reality in which the rest of us live! Everyone wants to feel good about things! But all of you (and I mean ALL
OF YOU ALL) elected officials have decided to govern by popularity instead of being responsible. Start being leaders and living with the decisions you make.
We are getting fed-up with the double-standards you impose and then act like it's not your fault! You all are empowered to make decisions! Stop the one-party rule of government and act on behalf of all of us! The time
to change is now. Show us you are not left or (heaven forbid) right, but realistic!
Thanks!!
Carroll When you refuse to cut the largest piece of the budget pie, you restrict your options. I do have experience in developing a budget and understand the difficulties. Although I am not a proponent to cut education, I am
well aware there is “fat” that can be trimmed from the education budget as well as ever other state budget. It all comes down to size does matter. The smaller the budget, the least you can afford to trim. One example
of state waste is in office supplies. Why would agencies be locked into purchasing needed office supplies from a single supplier, and not be allowed to shop around to find the better price? In a lot of cases, Wal-Mart
has better prices then those of the contracted office supply supplier. What needs to be done is quite simply have all Department Secretaries meet with outside accountants (not employed by the state) and go line by
line over each budget and trim the “fat”. Every department in the state needs to rethink the way they budget and how they spend money. Re-examine the use of take home vehicles, in these times we need re-
examine allowing employees to take state vehicles long distances from the location in which they work (i.e. if an employee works in Hanover and lives in Hagerstown, we should re-examine allowing that usage if that
employee is not on call to respond to emergencies). Re-examine “on call” personnel taking state vehicles home when not “on call”. Or, give the employee an option to pay for fuel if they continue to want the use of
the state owned vehicle. There are many ways to cut and trim every budget, as the Governor has said “they may not be popular” but need to be done. There are a lot of little things that can be trimmed, the when
added together can amount to a lot.
Washington It is a darn shame such a historic landmark would be wasted and closed just to set idol as many old buildings in our area. WHAT A WASTE!!!I'm sure there are many places you could cut funds and save this site who
many travelers use. Shame on you, if this was closer to were you live Mr Omalley you would not be planning its demise. Rural america is the backbone of this country and you would be wise to remember that next
election. Cut alittle use of government vehicles or let them pay for gas like we hear in rural America do and you would have operating funds for this site for more than government employees to enjoy.
Washington Surely you can find another way to save our state $100,000. Closing Sideling Hill's Visitor's Center willl be a "blow" to our county's tourism. Please reconsider.
Harford Gov. O'Malley,
These are my suggestions to help with the budget. They are as follows.....
Cut the lottery advertising budget by half because if people are going to play the lottery it's not because of advertising. Keep public safety and education a top priority however stress the voluntary reduction of off duty
use of take-home police cars, and other state vehicles. Do not give pay increase to members of the General Assembly as most make more now then 2 double income homes already. Close state offices by 1 hour which
will reduce utilities. Place slots in place more quickly. Thank you for your time.
Washington Please do not close this beautiful visitor's center! It is a nice stop for travellers and has a very interesting story of how interstate 68 came through the mountain. Please reconsider your decision.
Baltimore Dear Governor:
I work for DSS and have a large caseload to manage. You will be happy to know that at times I work for free because DSS won't authorize overtime, yet the work still comes. I have not gotten a payraise this yet. This
is because of the furloughs imposed upon employees. My cost of living has increased, not because of me buying more exborinant items, but because of groceries, prop taxes, gas to get to work. Please don't cut
DSS's salaries -- we need the step increases.
I am beginning to resent my job. I like the stability of the job, but am ashamed how little I have to show for 4 years of expensive college. I wish you a lot of luck balancing this budget. Hopefully, it won't be at the cost
of jobs or the livihood of employees.
Baltimore Why not simply reduce the wages across the board by 10 or 20% including Elected Officials, instead of adding to the Unemployment lines and causing the State an additional burden in Public Assistance.
Also, prices should also come down, because Wages are down.
If prices are raised, then increase the Income Tax, by the same percentage.
Baltimore Think about all the Money you are spending on the Civic Justice Program! Why is it that they ( the kids ) get get uniforms, transportation, meals and get paid!
Anne Close all State office buildings every other Friday or one Friday a month to save money on lightening, heat, a/c, etc. If you do it once a month, furlough employees on that day too.
Arundel
Baltimore You can start by getting rid of your personal chef, you don't need one. Get rid of the Wait Staff, people sitting around waiting for nothing. Get rid of Bush and Miller chauffeur. Get rid of the State plane, fly like normal
people in coach. Lower the state tax back to 5% and the state will bring in more instead of less. Get serious and eliminate useless job positions throughout the 80,000 employees and trim state government. Stop
raping the residence of this state
before we all move out. I voted for you before but if you don't perform as you should for the people I will NOT vote for you again ever and many of us feel the same. Get real like you used to be.
Howard Cut our taxes!!! One of the first things you did when you got into office was raise the sales tax to 6%(where's the profits?) The first thing I did after that was stop buying and spending my money and saving more of it.
Think about it, if you cut taxes that means I have more money to spend and save which means I go out to eat more which means I am supporting jobs such as cooks, waiters etc who in turn are making more money
who in turn spend more money etc etc. If I had more money to spend I would buy more clothes and turn over my cars more frequently, think about it, I would buy more clothes for myself and my family which in turn
would put more money into sales which would then employ more people which in turn would produce more profits which in turn would expand businesses etc. My kids would participate in more activities like camps and
such, again more jobs more money in peoples pockets = more spending etc etc. Instead I am buying very little and saving a lot more, my kids are wearing the same clothes as last year and I am cooking a whole lot
more and watching the businesses in my community go under. It sure makes sense to me, it makes me so sad to see 1/3 of my hard earned salary going to taxes every 2 weeks. What a joy it would be for me to have
more money to do the things I and my family love to do. And guess what---- here's the kicker, MARYLAND would be benefiting too! More people would be working, they will be spending more, profits would be higher,
houses will be bought, cars will be bought, OC here I come and more money for Maryland! I live on a VERY strict budget and will continue to be ver conservative until my taxes are lowered. I know some taxes are
necessary but come on it's a no brainer for me!!! By the way 10% of my gross salary goes to God and is helping people and organizations that are suffering, just think I could be giving more too! I'd support you if you
lower our taxes as I imagine many others would too!!!
Baltimore As a taxpayer it troubles me that there is much wasted in the welfare system. Many times I go into convenient stores, markets, etc. and see many people using there independence card on things that aren't really a
necessity (such as starbuck's drinks, candy, etc.). It also disturbs me that I see people approach myself and others in stores and offer to pay for my grocery items by using their independence card in exchange that you
pay them cash.
I feel that all people who are receiving any type of welfare or state aid should be subjected to a monthly drug test. If they truly need this assistance, then their test results will come back clean. Just walk through
Lexington Market and you will see these things mentioned above going on.
I work two jobs and barely make ends meet. However, I do not get any assistance. Meanwhile my tax dollars are going to pay for someone who is not using the welfare they receive properly. I know you will say that
drug testing will cost money. However, the money you will save when you deny those that are using drugs will save the taxpayers and state much more money! You will also say that there are many who are not
abusing the welfare system. However, those who are not using drugs will have nothing to fear! This just goes to show to your constituents more accountability the state government can do!
Please consider this option to drug test all welfare recipients.

Carroll Why don't you and all the legislators give back some of you salary? Show the Maryland public you are sincere about reducing the budget.
Anne I worked as an RN in the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx MVA Medical Division for over xxxxxx years. While there, I noticed a lot of things that, if changed, could add up to significant savings for the State Government.
Arundel 1. Quite a few staff arrived in the morning, sometimes hours before the office opened to the public. For those staff members whose jobs are directly related to Customer Service, work hours could be better organized
to reduce manpower being paid when not needed. For instance, two staff members manned the MVA information desk; they arrived each day before 7:30 AM. The MVA office did not open to the public until 8:30.
Those staff members read the paper each morning at the information desk. Better management of staff relative to Customer Service needs would really save money.
2. It was not unusual to see staff surfing the net and playing games on their computers at all times of the workday. Some staff actually set up "flea markets" at their desks and sold items during the day. Limit
availability of non-business activities at work (close off internet access and set up the computer systems to not accept downloading of programs unless done by IT staff).
3. Closer supervision of staff would improve time management skills allowing for a more efficient work staff. I actually worked with a staff member who made and received calls associated with her second job while at
work at the MVA. I also worked with a staff member who planned her entire wedding while at work, addressing and stuffing all her wedding announcements prior to and completed all her post wedding correspondence
after the wedding - during her workday.
4. Staff could be better used if they were cross-trained to assist in high traffic areas. Also, instead of replacing terminated staff, cross-trained employees could assist where needed.
5. It would be money well spent to hire a time management consultant in order to determine how best to utilize staff. There is a lot of fluff at the MVA. There has not been good leadership there in years and I don't
believe the Administrator knows what the MVA staff does on a daily basis, let alone how best to provide even mediocre customer service to the public.
I have been a manager with xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for almost x years now. I recently hired a nurse from the MVA who left her job for the same reasons I left x years ago. Efficiency needs to be addressed; it could save
the State “big bucks”.
Thank you for taking your time to read my suggestions.
Washington Please reconsider closing the Sideling Hill Exhibit Center on I68. This center offers so much to the many travellers who visit this "gateway to the west." If cost is an issue, perhaps a small fee of $1.00 per person to
see the exhibits would offset the costs - making it only .16 per person to operate the center. This is a small price to pay to get a glimpse of millions of years of history.
Baltimore Just keep cutting jobs that would be considered unnecessary under the present circumstances. What else can you do?
Baltimore Cut all of the lottery advertising budget, but not lottery jobs. Swap with funds for Medicaid. Too many poor people will be hurt.
In addition, if furloughs are needed, cut jobs for people (wealthly anyway)who do not really need jobs and whose services do not help the average person in the State. The average state worker cannot afford more
furloughs.
In addition, the legislature and top dogs in the government should feel the brunt of cuts. They make more money than the average state worker who would probably be more affected by furloughs.
Cut all unnecessary expenditures that do not negatively impact the citizens of Maryland.
Calvert You took away the take-home car perk from the transportation auth police ( even though they still allow take home cars) and saved the state millions in not only the purchase of the vehicles but the costs of maint and
fuel, just to go home. You need to apply that policy to ALL police and state agencies. I see so often state police cars from distant barracks speeding to get home or go to work. Just imagine the cost savings
there,PERIOD! I see recruitment cars sitting in the officers driveways and I KNOW that no one calls at 3AM to sign up.
You should also look at early retirement for state workers or shorter retirement years ( go from 30 to 25, 25 to 20 etc....
City I think that when that state purchases office supplies such as copiers,faxes, and printers for the state that they should realy looked into the contract. I have seen old copiers and catridges for them that could have been
turned in; also the state does not recycle, and why if the big screens tv in boards rooms are needed do they not shop around for the best price instead of paying top dollar.
City Employees' using their own vehicle instead of all the state vehicles that we have. Employees' would rather use there own and put in for 1/2 mileages. That's money that could be saved and then we might not be
rushing to meet the 10,000 miles a year that we have to meet.
As a current and returning student enrolled at UMUC, I am becoming increasingly concerned with the State’s proposal to cut programs and or increase tuition rates within the state funded colleges and universities. In
these tough economic times, it’s becoming even tougher for working adults and younger students with families on a tight budget to afford college tuition and related fees. In addition, with a tightening job market and an
increased competition for remaining jobs, the demand for affordable higher education and retraining programs will only increase. I was laid off from my job 16 months ago from a printing company in Baltimore, which is
what I went to college for when I was 18 years old. Now at 32 years old, I realized how much that industry has changed and diminished. Looking into other industries, I have always had an interest in Information
Technology. In pursuit of a solid career path, I have also realized that there are no other options besides completing a related degree program to enter into that competitive job market.
I strongly believe that making higher education affordable is key to keeping Maryland’s workforce perpetual. I hope that you and your staff will consider making a minimal impact, if necessary, on the State’s college and
university system.
Respectfully
Wicomico why not do us all a favor and quit and that way illegals won't have anyone to turn to except mikulski and cardin and a few casa supporters or at least start working for the md taxpayers by saving them money instead of
costing them money. you are all corrupt in your spending tax dollars with your many cars body guards, trips, supporting illegals with tax dollars when nobody that pays taxes want this and you know it. cut all your
salaries and expense accounts and your trips. your not wanted here any more. because you turned this into a sanctuary state, one of your illegals with a phony id got one of your md. drivers license and disabled me.
now i'm in pain 24/7 as are lots of others. you are one of the worst and if you have any supporters, its because they are either illegals, or have their head in the sand. Go AWAY!!!
Carroll End state funding for CASA of Maryland.
Baltimore The first place that the Maryland State Government should start to cut waste and help the budget is to start getting rid of employees that do nothing. There is NO reason why an employee should be classified as
Career Service. Most of the employees in that classification literally do nothing all day long. They collect a salary and benefits only.
Start by cutting waste with employees that simply draw a salary and do nothing!
Washington if its going to save money then close it, but leave the restrooms open for travelers. i would be happier is the govenor cut the school funding by 50%. kids aren't learning anything anyways. then have the state patrol do
there job and write more tickets. install speed cameras on all state highways where there is problems with speeders. also make state troopers leave there cars at the stations where they are assigned when there shift is
done. too many state employees are getting a free ride while the rest of the working class have to pay there own way to work each day.
Baltimore Reduce State autos issued to employees Several weeks ago I saw a State issued vehicle driving to OC and reckless at that.
Stop allowing bailbondsmen to reduce or not pay fees owed to the courts. If a person skips they must pay the full amount owed.
Use space already owned by the State, instead of renting space.
Montgomery Run a database query comparing the social security numbers in the new SDAT "principal residence" database with the comptroller's those who filed state income tax returns. Use the results to find people who claimed
Maryland as their principal residence but who failed to file state income tax returns. Result: Collect $50 million.
Baltimore Since all levels of citizens are either paying more in taxes, receiving less services, or being laid off from State service, then, why can one other segment sacrifice: eliminate the refundable portion of the earned income
tax credit. Besides being unfair, most who claim it are really not qualified for it. It's a great opportunity to permanently eliminate this travesty.
Baltimore - Cancel the legislative session this year and don't pay the legislators.
Allegany Please start cutting state funds to the CASA de Maryland program. Hard working AMERICAN people need to be given more respect and rights than ones that are ILLEGAL in our country. Cut the funding that aids
their illegal immigrant supporters.
Please do not cut any more funding for the Maryland State Police. Their budget has already been cut enough. The morale is low, the pay is low, and the governor's office keeps cutting funding for the Troopers. Cut
funding to the local agencies for police and law enforcement and give money back to the Troopers.
Anne I'm going to suggest a reduction in Educational Subsidies provided by the state to all employees until we are out of the tough times. One example would be tuition reimbursement for teachers seeking advanced
Arundel degrees. It is painful, but could help. Also take into account there has been a reduction in tuition reibursement in the private sector.
Baltimore For four years, I worked in the corporate world. I made the decision to return to school to pursue a career in physical therapy. I do not have suggestions on how to solve the budget crises that you face, but I am asking
that you do everything that you can to make sure that ObamaCare does not go through. Being a full time student, I have not been able to afford insurance. I am working part time to pay tuition and finding a way to pay
the bills without taking money from the government, though I paid more than 30K in taxes each year that I worked in the corporate world. It is time to stop taking from the pockets of those who are willing to work hard.
There is no reason to put the additional financial burden on the taxpayers. We all know that Obama's healthcare plan sounds good, but the consequences outweigh the benefits.
Thank you for your time,

Sincerely
Baltimore I believe a cost savings would come from all the take home vehicles that the State Police have, I think that the Troopers should leave the vehicles at the Barrack and pick it up to use for patrol, too many times have I
observed them with their family driving around, shopping etc..I don't think that an off duty trooper will make a traffic stop and respond to an emergency with their family in the car, and I know that they will not just drop
them off on the road side and leave them, so the personal use of a vehicle is not saving the state money, in fact it is costing the state and taxpayers more money than it saves, in fuel and wear and tear, stop the take
home car program except for special units like tactical and supervisors, at least until the budget crisis is over.
Anne The state currently pays 100% of the costs for retirement benfits(the employer share) for all employees of local public school systems. The state should consider a change in this policy as follows: For all employees of
Arundel local puiblic school systems who are not classroom teachers and who earn more than $100,000 per year, the non classroom teaching employees earning more than $100,000 per year should be requried to pay both
their employee share under the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System and the full cost of the employer contribution for the amount over $100,000 per year. This suggestion would be a considerable savings
in that both the state govenments and local jurisdictions would be relieved from paying for pensions based on the portion of salary in excess of $100,000 per year for high salaried non teaching employees of local
public schools such as central office supervisors, Assistant Superintendents and Superintendents.
Anne Cut taxes and really stimulate the private sector and you will see tax revenues stream into the state treasury.
Arundel
Howard How about raising tax revenues without raising tax rates?
Interested? Periodically someone pays for bill boards in Baltimore stating that married people earn more money and that marriage works. So, it seems to me the simple solution is to have more people get married. The
more they earn the more they pay in taxes.
And, by the way, when people get married, they spend money on the wedding itself, as well as on the honeymoon. So, the more weddings we have, the more money that's pumped into the economy. Again, raising tax
revenues.
So, how do we get more people to get married? That answer is simple. Call an emergency session of the Maryland Delegates and Senate to deal with the budget problem, and in that session, pass a law that allows
same sex civil marriage.
Now, let's look at same sex _civil_ marriage. We're not talking about religious marriage here, that's for the churches to decide. Marriage became a non-church institution when we began allowing judges, justices-of-the-
peace, ships' captains, and even Elvis impersonators to perform marriage ceremonies. So, no one is stepping on anyone's toes here.
The bottom line is, more people can get married, more money is spent, more money is earned, more tax revenues are received by the state, and the budget problem eased!
Baltimore I think that each State agency including the schools and each individual county should like at the duplicatation that they have in jobs. There are many agencies that have added people in jobs that can be handled by
less people. We need to cut the fat and trim down to exactly what is needed.
Carroll Where your difficulty always arises is that you believe that you are entitled to spend whatever you want on whatever you want. You believe that government should be everything to everyone and if you can buy a vote
then even better. You involve yourself in areas of life that you have no business in because you believe that the government will always be our shining white knight. You need to get a clue when it comes to how to
handle very large sums of money. I truly believe that politicians do not respect the fact that the money really belongs to the taxpayers and not government. Let the private sector shoulder some of the financial burdens.
You need to mind your businesss when it comes to money and focus on creating new laws to make sure that you are protecting the citizens. After all you are supposed to be lawmakers aren't you?
City Let your wife do the cooking - fire the chef, drive yourself around - fire the chauffeur, let the grass grow longer - save fuel, take a pay cut!!!!
City I would propose a temporary ban on all non-emergency travel for all state employees, especially trips out of the country. At least until we are all back on our feet again.
Baltimore You should take a pay cut, as should the senior senators and house members. Get rid of state cars for employees, stop giving money to CASA, enforce illegal immigration laws, stop buying land for the state, man up
and be tough!! :-)
Anne All I can say is that something needs to be done. I feel as though I am taxed to death. My property taxes alone on a tiny condo is $1700 a year. That is about equal to someone who owns a single family home. But I do
Arundel not use the same services that the single family does. I have to pay separately for road paving, trash removal, snow removal, electric for my streets and landscaping. Condo owners really get taken for a ride. Condo
owners should be able to get a tax break because we don't use the same services.
WASTE is all over in goverment. How about cutting out the waste instead of necessary services. Instead of taking the lottery money to support the stadium authority use it for something worth while.
Worchester Why is it that when states get in to finiacial trouble the first things that we cut are the budgets for the schools, the police, the fire departments and the the department of corrections? I would suggest not cutting this vitle
areas and cut back on the size of the state government. I like the idea of cutting the aid to private colleges, if they are private colleges they should not be getting aid from the state government.
City Here are a few.....
1. Raise the darned toll on the bay bridge....every other toll in the state has been increased. No one is going to stop going to Ocean City because they pay $5 to cross the bridge. The bay bridge is pretty cheap
compared to crossing the New York bridges which are $11.00.
2. Raise tolls except for commuters on the tunnels.
3. Get rid of contract/if and when/employees.
4. Even though construction funds were approved years ago for new state buildings at universities....stop the plans and recollect the money.
4. Stop giving raises to the legislature when the rest of us are getting furloughed. I know this is a constitutional issue, but the state constitution can be changed.
5. Eliminate the $.55 cents per mile for travel reimbursement for attending meetings away from work site. Encourage video meetings. Work related travel expenses are deductible on federal tax returns.
6. Eliminate all food/meal reimbursements for. People have to eat every day and the state should not have to pay for it.
Anne get ehrlich back

Arundel
Anne get ehrlich back
Arundel
Baltimore Why does government feel the need to try and balance the budget on the backs of state employees? How money could be spent more wisely has in the past & still continues to be made by people at the top versus the
actual workers; we see waste everyday or changes in the way we "do business" that could lead to more savings but aren't asked.
For once can the Governor or even the legislators spell out to Joe & Jane citizen how the cuts of agency budgets & reducing personnel through lay-offs or morale by slashing our wages will personally effect them?
When a citizen calls for assistance soon no one will be there to answer the telephone or even offer assistance. It is shameful that we say prison guards are needed, we can't keep some from leaving, and when a small
incentive is given to get folks to sign on to this dangerous job we slash the incentives and lay-off those that are there. What's next-- don't prosectue because we've laid off the lawyers?
Why do we continue to give work that can be done by state workers to private consulting firms? When we try and think about how to save a buck the answers seems to always be -privitize. If we continue down this
path soon all of government will be mamaged by consultants - perhaps even the upper tiers of government.
How can state workers help to stimulate the economy when we are expected to do more work with less money? Please give us a break.
City When are we taxpayers going to stop allowing non-profit organizations that operate like for-profit businesses to skirt paying their fair share? This will solve the problem. Hospitals, universities, churches, for example,
are all BUSINESSES that make an enormous profit and generally have an enromous endowment. I understand the "give and take" that allowing non-profit status provides, jobs, consumption, etc. but it is totally
imbalanced.
Problem solved.
I'd be happy to chair a task force to identify opportunities and make recommendations.
Thanks for the opportunity to chime in.
Harford GREAT JOB GOVERNOR,YOU GO ON NATIONAL TV AND TELL PEOPLE HOW MARYLAND IS A LEADER IN HEALTHCARE THAN COME HOME AND CUT MEDICAID.
I AM FAMILIAR WITH HOW NURSING HOMES NEED MEDICAID SUPPORT AS MY LATE MOTHER WAS A NURSING HOME RESIDENT FO RMANY YEARS.
MAYBE NEXT YOU CAN GO ON TV AND TELL WHAT A GREAT JOB YOU HAVE DONE WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
Anne I am state employee who is suffering.I almost lost my home & am still having trouble making ends meet since we had pay cuts to deal with.I don't understand why the state employees have to be affected by the
Arundel budget.We are all ready under pay & taking more money from us is crazy.Why can't the one's in the state who are pulling six figures help take some of the blunt.I want to know if any body in the governor's office & the
house have taken any furloughs or given money back.
Baltimore Stop billion dollar property companies from constant outrageous rate hikes on housing and profit making charges on water billed from out of state at a rate that is 33% higher than legally allowed in MD. This can keep
us from having to pay for their increased property tax. Do something to enforce the antidiscrimination laws for the disabled in MD. Stop letting illegal immigrants with no bank account to continue to make good pay, but
being paid in cash while their constantly pregnant wives and girlfriends keep getting social services funds for rent and health care while us legal poor are being cut. Stop rent breaks for those who make more based on
ethnicity so we all have a fair chance to survive and remain in our homes. Control break neck rate inflation on food in MD. Then maybe we'd all have more money to spend on items to generate sales tax.
Washington I think that State Agencies should be on a 4 day work week to shut down big office buildings and save money. This would include Health Dept, DSS, etc. This would save large amounts of money. thanks
Montgomery Dear Governor, I will be more inclined to vote for you again if you concentrate your cuts on the "more efficient government" items, and minimize the cuts to education and health. As the State's CEO now is the time to
demonstrate why we need you for the next five years.
Washington Cut back on what is offered at retirement time. As in the real world people with 401Ks will need to probably work a bit longer to retire and this should be looked at as a cost cutting area. I agree not to cut out pay or kids
education but the other area should be looked at. Also why are we funding stem cell research and not the Federal govt? Since we are not mowing our state hiways this year as much as past what are the state workers
who did this in past doing with spare time. Do we need as many? Where is slots what is hold up is the govt trying to take too much of a share compared to WV?
Anne If I lose my job with the state, I'll go completely bankrupt.
Arundel
select your Spare me the liberal psychobable and stop taxing us to death, and the speed cameras are a cash cow...Pelosi, Obama, and guys like you have caused a ground swell movement that is brewing and growing day by
county day. (like Moveon .org but not commmunist) If Montgomery, Prince Georges County, and the city had any kind of brains it will change their vote next election......raising tuition governor?..." Not on my watch"
Anne During times of financail insecurity tough decision need to be made to survive. My suggestions would be to immediately freeze all budgets for all departments, i.e no growth. Zero, none, period! No exceptions. In
Arundel addition, I would recommend force reduction through voluntary retirement followed by downsizing based upon force reduction. Those eligible for retirement could chose to retire if selected for force reduction or take
their chance on becoming part of the force reduction! The force reduction would be a percentage across the board, i.e., if its 10 % and your department has ten employees, then one is selected. If you have 100
employees, then 10 would be selected, etc.
Baltimore Don't allow state employees to take state vehicles home with them. This will save on gasoline costs.
City Read Barry Rascovar.
City I say the best way to cut the budget is to offer an early retirement to state employees like the one offered about 12 years ago. You mentioned last year that the state can not afford to lose that many experienced
employees at one time. Well, refine the early-out requirements. Maybe something like employees within 3 years of retirement and/or at least age 58. With each retirement you can re-evaluate the position because you
may be able to abolish the position- thus saving money. If it is necessary to keep that position, you can reclass it at a lower grade- more savings. You will save millions and millions of dollars. Please, do not lay off
people - offer the early out.
Harford How about visiting the many state agencies yourself and finding out ways to trim fat - hands on.....your lackies aren't doing a very good job. They make decisions in haste to make you happy (this is what we were told
at our commuter service cut informational meeting). You don't listen, you want ideas fast and easy. Furloughs are not the answer. People don't work, people can't spend, pay their bills, etc.
select your
county
City Stop giving people on Welfare a raise every time they have another kid. Also, make S-chip and other pay $30 co-payment per doctor visit (which is what people who have a job pay these days).
Baltimore Each agency should be required to prepare a monthly chart which would show monthly expenditures. I am aware that most agencies try to spend as much money at the end of the year so they don't have to reduce
their budget for the following year. Also, cut employees throw attrition.
Baltimore Would it be out of the question for you Governor to lower your salary and others in your admin. to say $1.per year?
Carroll I do not thinkg anyone cares a whit about what any "citizen" thinks about anything. M
City Unfortunately, I think the answer is reducing personnel costs. If the State has 70,000 employees and 39 filled positions were cut, then there has to be more room for savings.
If the Governor wants to be a true leader, he will take a modest pay cut at the same time he announces the extraordinary decisions he has made to deal with this budget problem.
Also, I don't understand how assigning $10M of interest earned on special fund balances to the general fund represents savings. Seems like smoke and mirrors to me.
Best wishes.
Allegany Why is nothing done to put a stop to unnessary purchases, bloated payrolls, and just plain waste in State agencies? Believe me, I've seen it all but no one wants to rock the boat. Contact me. I'll be happy to show
you where to look.
I know because I worked for the state of Maryland for over 35 years and saw the waste and mismanagement grow every year.
How sad.
Frederick As a state employee, naturally I want to protect my job. But every time you cut my salary by $100, you cut revenues by $11 (5% income tax, 6% sales tax). Furloughs where I pick the day off don't save anything but my
salary. If you want real savings, shutter the offices on specific days. That way, you save on utilities, maintenance and security contracts, etc. Serious consideration needs to be given to a 4 day work week to realize
these additional savings.
select your In Most state health & other state departments 4 -10 hour days would help with costs. Furlough days could be used for paid vacation days during this temporary financial crunch.State employees get too many paid
county vacation days , plus personal days plus sick leave.
City How about consolidating the police, fire, courts, public works of Baltimore CIty and the five surrounding counties? That's more than 1 BILLION right there. You will say this is too politically volitile. That's an excuse to
squander taxpayer money. So start with the courts or fire suppression. Something less controversial. The county government is a relic of the 18th century-- get rid of it. Be progressive like San Antonio or Dade,
Florida, and begin to create economies of scale. Just do SOMETHING!!
Allegany On behalf of my mother, a long time resident of Cumberland,Md I an writing this in protest of closing Sideling Hill center. My mother, 80 years of age, is full of stories regarding the history of the region and of how our
family traveled the mountains of the region. This is one of the most beutiful sites in Maryland and provides and great rest area for weary drivers. Please keep it open.
Baltimore Dear Mayor -
Please cut much more and much deeper. Our taxes are too high and I've come to beleive that the State is involved in way too much. Please cut spending, greatly reduce our tax burden and please do these things
sooner rather than later. We tax payers are hurting.
Respectfully yours
Baltimore Give State workers the option to voluntarily take some days off without pay.
select your cut executive staff.
county cut evecutive staff pay.
deny all benefits to illegal aliens.
if state employees must take pay cuts, cut payments to welfare receipients, unemployment benefits an equal amount.
NO new programs. none nada, zero zilch.
Dorchester .. Create conditions that are not illegal alien friendly.. and restore our budget.
Anne 1.The counties have to pony up more. It is easier politically to hit state workers, but our pay is already so low it seems we are always bearing the burden anyway.
Arundel 2.How about some one-time retirement incentives for workers with more than 25 years-Get some of us off the books voluntarily?
3.Eliminate government grant giving -they are addictive to the grantors and the grantees.
4. Eliminate contractual positions first before laying off merit employees.
Kent Sir,
In reference to the coming second round of budget cuts.-
Reducing our state salaries would be preferable over furlough days; since the cuts would be prorated over 26 pay periods. It would not impact your state employees'households'budgets as dramatically as the furlough
days. Wishing you the very best and my support.
Anne Maybe we could look at tha cost of employees taking State vehicles home in the evenings and on weekends. I'm sure adjustments could be made so as to not inconcience to many.
Arundel
Washington I think Sidling Hill should remain open - kids need to have this history and education -close an amusement park - the youth need to know how hard our ancestors worked - and with the millions of dollars used for
everything else $1.16 per vistor is not much. I am sure there is a way to keep this open. Charge 10 cents for the toilets or something like ocean city does - thanks
select your I do not live in the state of Maryland, but have passed thru the cut several times in travel and still get amazed at how it was done. My family has been to the visitor center many times and have recommended it to
county friends of ours. We have even taken a Cub Scout/Boy Scout unit to the cut while working on their geology badge. Please do not close the center. Perhaps you could man it with some volunteers to cut expenses.
Thank you
Baltimore Please preserve as much financial support available to the USM System and cut costs to higher education by reducing support to private institutions instead. The USM System needs the support most and has a
greater influence on the state's future.
Baltimore Governor,
I believe that the cuts of 39 filled and 18 vacant positions is weak in terms of government leadership. This should have been much more significant, why should private sector employees bear the brunt of the layoffs?
When one cuts the lottery ad budget, the ad employees will lose their jobs. For a state with over 50,000 employees, a much more significant cut is needed and would prove your leadership and commitment to the state.
Additionally, elimination of more vacant positions is a must! I laud many of the savings but feel most are insignificant.
How about more furlough days and layoffs, considering the average leave time a state employee gets, cuts could be larger and these people will be fine. We don't want to end-up like California. Besides education and
public safety, more cuts have to be made. Less mulching and grass cutting on state highways would be a huge step.
Maryland has been great before all these crazy spending increases, lets constrain spending.
Thank you.
Baltimore I am a state employee with 20 years of service. On occasion, I am asked to review weekly payroll records. Each and every time, I see excessive overtime.
I feel that each state worker should put in 40 hours of work before overtime is paid. I see people with annual leave one day and 2 hours of overtime the next. it doesn't make sense to not actually work a 40 hour week
before getting paid the first overtime dollar.
I'm sure that there is an agreement in place with the various unions, but i personnally feel that the privilege is abused on a weekly basis.
Carroll Good start but alot more crap can be cut from this budget. Any programs that help illegal aliens. They are as in the description here illegally and should not be assisted. The are plenty of other state jobs that are highly
inefficient and redundant and should be eliminated. Also all the take home cars the state and local governments need be taken away as well. Just my thoughts Gov.
Howard The state should not be paying money to the counties
Harford I approve of all cuts to the budget. However, reducing the state work force 40 positions out of 80,000 is hardly deep enough cutting. I would support even more personnel cuts starting with some of the aids to the
Speaker of the House of Delegates and the State Senate. I would support selling the state airplane. These are frills which we no longer can afford or need.
Anne Cut the expense/daily stipend for Md. State Legislature, stop the special sessions of State Legislature, limit the lobbying process @ Annapolis,reduce use of State Vehicles for transportation of Legislative and
Arundel Executive branches. make more cuts in the Executive Branch of govenrment...stop wasting taxpayer money on Green projects.
Montgomery Eliminate MD's prevailing wage losts which amount to millions of dollars in increased spending by state agencies to contractors.
Eliminate state vehicles and personal drivers for secretarys and other officials.
Eliminate State Sports Coordinator.
Cook for yourself instead of having a full time chef, or have student cooks.
Allow government employees remote access to e-mails/databases so they could telecommute.
Fulfill campaign pledge of an independent audit of state spending.
Baltimore I work in downtown Baltimore and have dealings with several city agencies.
One of my issues is they are building a "Brand New" Homeless Clinic, when there are so many vacant buildings around the city they could have utilized.
Second, when visiting some of the city offices you notice the amount of people doing work and the people who are not really doing anything at all, a lot of city employees have city owned vehicles that are not being
used except for to and from work and parked in illegal parking spaces.
The list goes on...but why not cut some these budgets!
Harford RESIGN.
Carroll Sir,
Stop giving away free tourist brochures and guides. The public will happily pay for them providing they are reasonably priced. Besides it also takes away from local business opportunities.
Regards
Harford I want to know exactly how many top administrative jobs have been either eliminated or furloughed? How many top appointed positions have been cut? What type of transportation is the Governor using these days? If
a Limo, why? Surely you have a Maryland Drivers License. Why are State Taxpayers still forced to support illegal aliens through our educational and health care systems?
Why are law abiding citizens, especially veterans, not permitted to have the right to carry laws that the majority of other States now have?
Frederick To suggest that the Sideling Hill Welcome Center be closed indicates a lack of any travel west. Shame on you, Governor!!
City 1) Offer an amnesty or discount to individuals who owe parking tickets or back state taxes. 2) I have friends who work for several different State agencies. The state should stop paying for luncheons and office parties.
3) State employees have too many paid holidays. 4) There is a huge abuse in overtime charges. Make the supervisors accountable!
Carroll cut the budget in half across the board, keep cutting,keep cutting, keep cutting...until the bloated state matches the private sector that will begin the healing.
City Several items to be done:
Consolidate Governors, Lt. Governors, and 1st lady's staff into one.
Cut pay of all 6 figure earners in government by 5 percent.
Eliminate one vacation day per employee.
Eliminate perks for our legislators.
Cut staff in Annapolis by 5 percent.
Cut future legislators pensions by 15 percent.
Eliminate take home cars.
Limit chauffer driven cars.
Ban all travel.
Thats what teleconferencing is for.
Harford Strongly suggest a 10-20% budget cut across the board in all areas. Increase significantly fines and prison time for financial fraud activities that is pervasive throughout the State of Maryland at all levels by financial
service industries involved in mortgages
Baltimore Back when Glendenning was governor, there was a study that suggested that the Department o0f Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment be merged. The time has come for that to be done.
Baltimore Back when Glendenning was governor, there was a study that suggested that the Department o0f Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment be merged. The time has come for that to be done.
Harford Sir:
Please do all you can to stop the Obama Health care plan from being enacted. It will destroy our economy. It violates our freedom of choice and will cause un-necessary hardship on families, seniors and young
married/newly employed. It will cause undo hardship for small business and will destroy the insurance business in our country. Please do all you can to stop it.
Montgomery Stop buying land (swampland that is undevelopable on lower Eastern Shore) with hundreds of millions of dollars
Montgomery Give back the $600,000 in pay raises to your 2nd floor staff
Baltimore Privatize the bus company.
Baltimore Start taxing unions. I'm sure patriotic union members of the state of Maryland will agree that during these economic times, additional assistance is needed to the state.
In addition, use open bids for public works projects.
For non-health care and non-educational not for profits, levy a $15 head tax for organizations over 15 employees. This will support the local funding for public safety.
Washington "$34 M from reductions in Medicaid payments to hospitals, nursing homes, managed care organizations, & other health care providers"....... Instead of cutting for the elderly how about streamlining all the departments
that handles the assistance to DSS mothers and people milking the system- knowing how to play the system. At my work everyday we are exposed to people playing the system and getting away with "OUR" hard
earned income!! Plus these people should have to pay at least a small deducible when using the system. I don't go out to eat and party every week or even take a vacation every year b/c I can't afford it as I have a
child with a medical condition. My husband and I both work so we can have excellent medical insurance to afford quality care for her. I did not have more than 1 child because I knew I wouldn't be able to afford it. My
tax dollars should not be going to those who are only doing what feels good in that moment- those who do not take responsibility!!
PLUS NO ONE IN GOVERMENT SHOULD HAVE RECIEVED RAISES LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR- INCLUDING TEACHERS!! I HAD TO TAKE A 13% PAY DECEASE BECASUE WORK HAD
SLOWED- WHAT ABOUT YOU GUYS!! AND DO NOT SAY THAT TEACHERS ARE DIFFERENT! NO THEY ARE NOT, I AM SALARIED AND I TAKE WORK HOME WITH ME BUT DO I GET SUMMERS OFF-
NO. PLUS IF YOU ARE AN EFFICENT TEACHER YOU WRITE 1 LESSON PLAN AND THEN TWEAK IT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS...AND YOU ARE GIVEN TIME DURING SCHOOL TO DO THE
TWEAKING- I HAVE TO "TWEAK" AT HOME ON MY TIME!
Howard I suggest you look at the DHMH Maryland Cancer Registry. The state is paying a contractor over $1 million dollars per year and also has a full staff at DHMH. Other states have in-house registries that are more
efficient and less costly than this 2-tier system.
Baltimore I believe all Stae employees have done their fair share. Additional furloughs and salary reductions do not save money because sate employees will then contribute less in potential revenue due to the pull back in
personal spending. I think Regan had it right when he actually cut taxes on things that could quickly produce revenue in return. Let's identify a way to utilize and enhance what we have already have fro mrevenue
sources instead of creating double trouble with burdening a section of the workforce who have already paid their fair share.
Anne Why don't you cut state workers vacation time, who get 5 weeks, instead of giving them furloughs. Maybe it may make the state more efficient & productive
Arundel
select your Why don't you cut state workers vacation time, who get 5 weeks, instead of giving them furloughs. Maybe it may make the state more efficient & productive
county
Washington Still reeling from the news about the Sideling Hill Visitor Center closure. One of the most visited spots in Maryland! This is a vital part of tourism in Western Maryland; nothing exists near us, if this goes. I certainly hope
the overkill at South Mountain vistor center was on hold, long before this call was made. Please consider the impact on the western counties that this will have.
Allegany Dear Governor, I am a Maryland State Employee with 26 years of service. I plan on retiring in the year of 2013 with 30 years of service. Why has their been no thought as to giving any incentives to workers who can
retire, especially workers with more than 30 years of service? I agreed with the furlough days during the last budget year. Although I am only clerical and my salary was below the $40,000 pay scale. My yearly salary
is about $33,000, but I am willing to take furlough days to help. I would really like to see the loop holes closed in the Nursing Home eligibility so that lawyers can help people who can pay for their loved ones to pay
instead of people like me who has to pay for them. I am referring to ones who have thousands of dollars being hidden so that the state can pay for their loved ones and they can live their life style of financial freedom
free and clear. Do not get me wrong I am very much in helping the people who are in true need and do not have any family to help them to help them with my tax dollars. I wish you well in working on the budget in the
hard times ahead.
Allegany This may not save you tons of money but it will save some and maybe someones life in the process. You have Parole associates that run up and down the road in state vehicles once a week either to Hagerstown or
Baltimore to do nothing else but return files and mail and pick up files and mail. This has to be costing the state in time, gas, wear and tear on the vehicle and I understand on of them wrecked not too long ago on the
trip to Hagerstown. I also understand that there are correctional officers that make that trip every day and transport files and mail between the different jails. Why can't this be done with the parole files. The officers can
be trusted with inmates and other files, why not parole files? Like I said it may not save much but every little bit helps especially when you are running from the eastern shore or western Maryland.
Baltimore Test email
Montgomery I advocate serious action in the form of a steeper progressive state income tax; I mean raise my taxes; four ways:
(1) As a retired single taxpayer with a gross income of about $75,000 in 2009, there is no reason I need a state tax break on my retirment income. All income should be treated equally;
(2) a marginal tax rate of 7% that affects me (i.e., on taxable incomes over $50,000 after eliminating pension exclusions;
(3) elimination, or at least reduction, of deductions for charitable giving. I more than tithe, and loss of the deduction wouldn't change that because I'm serious about this stuff.
(4) a marginal rate at least 10% for the highest incomes.
If you don't do those things before you even think of cutting any safety net direct services and essential programs, such as items (3) and especially(2) on your cost-savings list above, then I'll know you are not as
serious as I am about good governance.
Looking for progressive leadership, I am sincerely yours.
Wicomico Why not involve state employees in this process by having a "contest" involving cost cutting measures in their own department. Many employees "from the trenches" have great money saving ideas and know their own
areas well. The winner who saves the most percentage of money in their department or facility budget could win an extra vacation day or something similar, along with the honor and knowing they helped. I'm a nurse
and work have worked in the trenches of Maryland for over 20 years and many of us feel that we aren't heard in situations like this. We all need to work together to help balance the budget, save money for ALL of us
and help the state and country go in the right direction.
Thanks.
Anne Please check out contract in use to day and what are getting Paid
Arundel Why did the Stimulas packadge from the federal Gov. go to the Contractor and we are taking days off with out pay?
Anne Look at what State agencies are spending on contractors and look at if the job at hand needs to be done in the currant budget short fall. Our money from the federal goverment from what I understand went to
Arundel contractors and we hade to take days off with out pay. we are the back bone of Bwi and with out us i feel that bwi can not run properaly.
Thank you for your time,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Baltimore How about proposing an early retirement package for State employees that are close and near retirement (25 to 30 years of service). This could save a on salaries and compensation cost for the current and future
budgets.
City FROM July 22, 2009 E-Mail newsletter A Message from the Governor Fiscal Responsibility
While we have protected our historic investments in public education, California, for example, has cut over $11.6 billion to K-12 education, and 25,000 teachers already lost their jobs. And while we've protected state
employees from massive layoffs, states like South Carolina, for example, has already laid off more than 1,500 employees in the past year.
FROM
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/thanks.asp
We protected these shared priorities while restoring an era of fiscal accountability to Annapolis, reducing spending and cutting the budget by over $2.2 billion, eliminating over 1,500 state positions, and implementing
strict standards to make government more efficient and effective.
So who is fooling who
Either other states DID and we DIDN'T or are we splitting hairs on employees and positions?
Anne Please do not cut any state positions, instead continue with the furloughs, as this seems to be the best option for state employees, like myself. Thank you.
Arundel
Talbot Rather than straight firings, offer early retirement to State employees with 20-29 years of service.
City In lieu of Furloughs CLOSE ALL state offices 1 day a MONTH (either the FIRST Monday or Last Friday)with the understanding that State Employees will NOT be paid for this day. You get 12 days unpaid leave for all
employees, they get a LONG weekend.

Ideas For Cuts

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State employees. Information that is personally identifying, including

These are but a few ideas. Thank you for listening.

Dear Governor O’Malley—

Eliminate subsidies for biotech businesses.

Defund the ICC

Your must be within the income guidelines for MEAP

A household can only receive $200 within the fiscal year.

SUGGESTION: SAVE $400 MILLION/YEAR IN REVENUE BY FIXING THIS PROBLEM.

Caroline Do away with the front auto plate

1) Increase the tobacco and liquor tax;

2) Increase tuition at State Colleges by 10%

4) Reduce reimbusement for Stem Cell Research & Development Costs;

5) Temporarily reduce repairs to roadways until the economy improves;

Thank you for the opportunity to share this with you.

Thank you for the consideration,

Very best regards,

Talbot Gov. O'Malley,

Thank you for the opportunity to send you suggestions.

Baltimore Dear Governor,

Signed, Yours truly xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Caroline Dear Governor O'Malley,

Raise college tuition.

Cut lottery advertising.

MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2009

Looking to shield their work forces from tumultuous cutbacks...

For more information on combined reporting, go to:

Charles Dear Governor O’Malley:

My suggested alternatives include

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration of my idea.

Centralize GIS data acquisition so that the state and counties

The article source:

1. Reduce state holidays. I believe we have more than most states.

If I think of anything else, I'll submit later.

Baltimore Budget Suggestions

1. Eliminate the subsidy to private institutions of higher education.

Worchester Suggestion for early retirement

To: Governor of Maryland

Date: August 7, 2009

Re: Budget Shortfalls Facing Maryland

3. Strict Waste Reduction programs

Thank you for your consideration,

Baltimore With the switch to digital tv I checked the power of WBAL-TV

Love in Christ Jesus.

Please consider my few suggestions. Thank you.

Montgomery Dear Governor O’Malley:

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Other state budget cut ideas:

Good luck. You have an unenviable job.

City Mr. Governor:

I would reduce stem cell research to a flat 5,000,000.

I suggest that no state employee should have a "take-home" vehicle.

I would cut %2 of the funding from the University of Maryland.

Consider the sale of any surplus state owned real estate.

3. Tax foods and drinks that are unhealthy.

In this country no one wants to give anything up. It's sad.

2) Offer early retirement incentives for State employees.

2) Offer early retirement incentives for State employees.

*Decriminalize (or legalize) and tax marijuana.

Date: August 7, 2009

Re: Budget Shortfalls Facing Maryland

Thanks for letting us common folk participate. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Howard Governor O'Malley: