The House Appropriations Committee's decision last Friday to take "its own stance on this budget and our priorities" ("Panel reverses governor's cuts," March 14) flies in the face of the voter tax relief mandate given to Gov. Larry Hogan with his recent upset election victory. In this article, we're told that "lobbyists and [political leaders, education, health care and union] advocates … packed committee room" while a panel of elected legislative committee members representing individual districts were apparently trying to subsume the ability of the new governor to act on behalf of the larger budgetary interests of the state as a whole.
With their actions it appears they are attempting to strip away from the authority of the governor's office to deliver on its budget reduction campaign promises and to manage statewide fiscal priorities. "The panel also said no to Hogan's proposal to lower state spending formulas in future years." This seems to say runaway self interest is still in charge in Annapolis, and budgetary belt tightening and spending restraint are nowhere to be found.
Jim Russell, Ellicott City