Time To Thank Ehrlich For MD's Top Economic
Ranking
To the Editor:
While
former Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. was
swept out of office by a tidal wave of anti-Bush
and Iraqi war sentiment, the latest figures from
the U.S. Census Bureau ranking Maryland as the
richest state in the Union shows how effective
his economic and management policies were.
While all
the major media outlets reported the fact that
Maryland became the wealthiest state in 2006,
with the median household income rising to
$65,144, compared to $63,973 in 2000, they never
once mentioned that Ehrlich just happened to be
governor during this historic achievement.
In
addition, they never mentioned that one of the
many reasons Maryland fared so well in the
latest census is due to Ehrlich's success in
keeping the Democratic majority General Assembly
from taxing citizens and businesses into
financial oblivion.
Ehrlich
also helped Maryland transform its tarnished
image as a state hostile to business into a
state that encouraged businesses by cutting red
tape and by creating an environment in which
companies of all sizes could grow and excel.
Even
though it cost him dearly, Ehrlich vetoed
union-sponsored bills that singled out huge
corporations such as Wal-Mart for harsh new
regulations and taxes.
By doing
so, he established the fact that Maryland was
fair to companies, which in turn kept them
relocating to the state.
The
Census report attributes much of Maryland's
prosperity to its proximity to Washington, D.C.
and the government jobs and contracts that flow
into the Free State.
But let's
not forget, that Ehrlich had an excellent
relationship with the Bush administration and
this helped Maryland being considered for many
defense contracts and becoming the benefactor of
as many 60,000 new jobs as a result of the
military base realignment, know as BRAC.
The fact
also overlooked by the big media is the key role
Ehrlich played in making this happen when he was
a member of Congress.
The irony
of Maryland ranking as the richest state is that
while Ehrlich will never get any credit for it,
his successor, Gov. Martin O'Malley, will surely
use it as a way to justify the major tax hikes
he is seeking.
- Chet Dembeck
