The entire Washington metro area is facing some extreme cuts due to budget gaps. such cuts will be felt in all local governments – small or large – from the city council to state legislature (our city is currently facing upto $1.8 million revenue drop).
Such cuts will become an important election issue in the upcoming MD general assembly election. Here is what Washington Post reports:
In an election year in Maryland, a $2 billion budget gap creates the largest political risk for Democrats, who control both chambers of the General Assembly by wide margins and the governorship. The cuts could strain Democrats’ relationships with key constituency groups, including labor unions, educators and environmentalists, as money for favored programs is slashed.
Republicans, such as former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who is weighing a rematch against Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), might be emboldened to take on Democrats if their handling of the budget proves unpopular. On his radio show Saturday, Ehrlich urged people to march on Annapolis on Wednesday to protest how Democrats have handled the state budget.