Islamists put Porky and Piglet, as well as
Danish cartoons, in their crosshairs. Susan
Freis Falknor: "But political cartoons, wisecracking
at what is menacing, poking fun at braggadocio and bullying—these
are serious matters. Satire is the handmaiden of freedom. It helps
us stay resilient through the shocks of history for which, often,
laughter is the best medicine. "
February 14, 200
"A
Conservative Rx for the Environment," BySusan
Freis, Review of Peter Huber’s HARD GREEN, virginianewssource.com,
September 29, 2003. "When it comes to the environment,
we’ve been seduced by the wrong advocates and bombarded by
the wrong messages."
"Instead
of a 'Melting Pot'-- a Melt Down," bySusan
Freis, Review ofVictor Davis Hanson's MEXIFORNIA:
A STATE OF BECOMING, virginianewssource.com, July 11,
2003. "President George Bush should read this book. Author
Victor Davis Hanson-a fifth-generation Californian, a family farmer
(he talks of nectarines and grapes), a classics professor, and
a military historian-takes a hard look at what happened in central
California after we junked the ideal of the melting pot."
MTA
Testimony before the Maryland General Assembly
MTA
Testimony before the Maryland Senate (For
House of Delegates, see below)
2006
Testimony - Maryland Senate (For
House of Delegates, see below)
.
Homeowners's Property Tax Assessment Cap, February
22, 2006.Dee
Hodges. "Senators might preferably think in terms that this
property tax cap puts to work a nearly $149 million investment in
citizens' hands in FY 2008. This could provide nearly 2500 new jobs
by FY 2009 (Say's Law) and the subsequent income, sales and property
taxes from these people." .
.
Restore competittion at the gas pump, February 23, 2006.Spear
Lancaster. "For years, Maryland state government has
kept gasoline prices artificially high, by stopping competition through
the so-called sales-below-cost law."
and .Eminent
domain reform state constitutional amendment, February
22, 2006. Larry
Helminiak. "...the
Fifth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, which says, very simply,
nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just
compensation."
,
,
and .
Consumer Health Open Insurance Coverage (CHOICE) reform package,
March
1, 2006.Richard
Falknor. "...our only comprehensive alternative to the
current, often protectionist, patchwork of laws and regulations
under which health care is now offered or paid for in Maryland."
2005
Testimony - Maryland Senate (For
House of Delegates, see below)
SB
561. Raising signature requirements for county petitions, March
15, 2005. Spear
Lancaster. "Efforts to enable the substantial raising
of the10,000-signature requirement in the larger charter jurisdictions,
Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Prince Georges counties,
and Baltimore City, weaken a major safeguard of their citizens against
special and highly organized tax-consuming interests."
2004
Testimony - Maryland Senate (For
House of Delegates, see below)
SB
601. Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment, March 25, 2004.Dee
Hodges. "TABOR works because it forces state and local
governments to live within a budget, to set public priorities, to
make wiser choices, and to find ways to meet state goals-not by spending
more-but by spending smarter."
SB
601. Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment, March 25, 2004.Richard
Falknor."MTA asks only that the citizens of Maryland be given an
opportunity to vote on this important development arising from our
creative Federalist system."
SB
601. Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment, March 25, 2004.Spear
Lancaster."I have seen taxes grow at a rate that is
far greater then the population growth. I have seen the never-ending
pressure applied by public employees and other special interest groups
for more and more taxpayer money. And I have often thought of how
difficult it must be for an elected official to try to balance the
relentless pressure and demands put on them."
SB
601. Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment, March 25, 2004.Lyle
Seigel. "Maryland is a great state with many great assets.
However, Maryland must adopt the Taxpayers Bill of Rights to prevent
unnecessary taxation and to promote fiscal responsibility. Taxes must
not be increased without voter approval, and Maryland government must
be allowed to grow only based on population growth and inflation.
Finally, budget surpluses must be returned to taxpayers unless we
vote otherwise. Taxes are not produced by the government - they are
donated from hard-working citizens of Maryland."
See
also: Senator
Alex Mooney'stestimony on TABOR, March 25, 2004. "Maryland's
current fiscal mess was not caused by a recession but by government
spending run amuck."
2003
Testimony - Maryland Senate (For
House of Delegates, see below)
SB
388, Dee Hodges to the Maryland Senate Education, Health, and Environmental
Affairs Committee. "PASS
SB 388," urges the Maryland Taxpayers Association; empower
parents to bring performance and accountability into the public
school system through charter
schools. February 6, 2003.
2002
Testimony - Senate (For
House of Delegates, see below)
MTA
Testimony before the Maryland House of Delegates (For Maryland Senate, see above)
2006
Testimony - House
of Delegates (For Maryland Senate, see above)
.
Real I.D. Act--deny Maryland driver's licenses to illegals, February
24, 2006. Peter
Huessy. "Should Maryland fail to adhere to the provisions
of the Real I.D. Act, Maryland residents would be barred from using
their driver's licenses for identification purposes at banks, airports,
military bases, and federal installations."
2005
Testimony - House
of Delegates (For Maryland Senate, see above)
HB
987. Restore the deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses,
March 8, 2005. Dee
Hodges. "MTA urges a vote in favor of restoration of
this modest tuition tax deduction."
HB
1135. Vote against the Alternative Minimum Assessment, March
9, 2005. Dee
Hodges. "Tax competition between the states of our Federal
Union is essential to our prosperity. Maryland would place itself
at a disadvantage in this prosperity race by enacting an Alternative
Minimum Assessment."
HB
1206. Constitutional amendment: the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR),
March 23, 2005. Joyce
Thomann. "I think of the proposal before you more as
'Kitchen-table Economics.' The critical part of 'Kitchen-table Economics'is
having those impacted by the decisions participate in making the choices."
HB
1206. Constitutional amendment: the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR),
March 23, 2005. John
Palmer. '"Enough is Enough.' The people are tired of
being governed by special interests and tax increases."
HB
1206. Constitutional amendment: the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR),
March 23, 2005. Dee
Hodges. "MTA strongly supports allowing the Maryland
voter to decide whether to adopt a tax-and-expenditure limitation
amendment to the Maryland constitution. We call such an amendment
a Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
2004
Testimony - House
of Delegates (For Maryland Senate, see above)
HB
1130 . Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment, March 25, 2004.Dee
Hodges. "TABOR works because it forces state and local
governments to live within a budget, to set public priorities, to
make wiser choices, and to find ways to meet state goals-not by spending
more-but by spending smarter."
HB
1130. Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment, March 25, 2004.Richard
Falknor."MTA asks only that the citizens of Maryland be given an
opportunity to vote on this important development arising from our
creative Federalist system."
HB
1130 . Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment, March 25, 2004.Spear
Lancaster."I
have seen taxes grow at a rate that is far greater then the population
growth. I have seen the never-ending pressure applied by public employees
and other special interest groups for more and more taxpayer money.
And I have often thought of how difficult it must be for an elected
official to try to balance the relentless pressure and demands put
on them."
HB
1130. Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment, March 25, 2004.Lyle
Seigel. "Maryland
is a great state with many great assets. However, Maryland must adopt
the Taxpayers Bill of Rights to prevent unnecessary taxation and to
promote fiscal responsibility. Taxes must not be increased without
voter approval, and Maryland government must be allowed to grow only
based on population growth and inflation. Finally, budget surpluses
must be returned to taxpayers unless we vote otherwise. Taxes are
not produced by the government - they are donated from hard-working
citizens of Maryland."
2003
Testimony - House of Delegates (For
Maryland Senate, see above)
