Maryland is the fourth highest taxed state in the nation.Recovery will come only through allowing the private sector the freedom to create jobs while the public sector responsibly cuts unnecessary spending.A constant voice for you, Ron fought the enormous raising of your taxes by those in government who feel you can afford it. It was wrong to increase taxes and increase spending when it was shown the economy was sinking.Gov. O’Malley falsely claims to have cut $5.6 billion over four years when he actually increased the Budget from $28 billion when Gov. Ehrlich left office to $32.8 billion in January of 2010.While unemployment rose, he succeeded in protecting government positions and the executive branch’s pay raises. Ron George fought back an additional 125 new taxes that were proposed before his Ways and Means Committee these past four years. That is exhausting work. Ron received 100% Rating from Maryland Business for Responsible Government (MBRG) in 2009 and he received the John Shaw Award in 2010.
“Ron George was the leader in the fight for requiring Lawful Presence for a Maryland Drivers License. The press constantly sought him out to understand the issue.It was never about being against immigration; Ron had the respect of many recent immigrants. It was about respect for the law. He built a bi-partisan coalition and it is because of him that we now require Lawful Presence in Maryland”(Delegate Rick Impallaria, BaltimoreCounty).
I led the successful fight to put an end to awarding those unlawfully present from being awarded a Maryland Drivers License.My reason for putting an end to the practice was because Maryland was the only state east of the Rockies to do it.The number of illegals coming here to get that first official American identification document brought serious consequences: 1) to our emergency rooms (Prince Georges Emergency Hospitals were closing until your tax dollars bailed them out to the tune of $50 million per year); 2) Some new schools were over capacity a year after opening; 3) increased taxes to award more free services to name a few, and 4) security dangers to Washington from terrorists. Now, the MVA has said there is a 20% drop in applicants.
I fully support immigrants that come here legally. I support helping immigrants to become naturalized citizens as my Italian Grandparents did. I also recognize that the federal government has caused this problem by not having a workable and less burdensome, legal immigration policy in place.
Therefore:
Ron George’s Immigration Policy
There are an estimated 11.8 million illegal immigrants in the US today.People who seek to live a better life and to integrate into the US economic system need to do so in accordance with the law, not outside the scope of the law.Our immigration policy should balance the need to secure the borders by limiting access to the US while continuing to welcome new immigrants who apply to enter and work in the US through the proper legal channels.
I support a policy built around the following principles:
The US has a duty and obligation to protect their citizens from harm or potential threats. It is important to secure the borders and the ports.
The U.S. should create a clear and comprehensive legal policy for immigration
where the law is easily understood, stringently enforced, and the violation thereof will not be encouraged. A clear policy of legal immigration procedure is fair to those seeking permanent residency.
Likewise, states should not encourage those that come here illegally and those who have become illegal due to expired visas or are undocumented.States must resist providing these illegal aliens Driver’s Licenses, In-State Tuition, free public services, or the allowance for over capacitated group houses in neighborhoods that are otherwise zoned.Encouragement of these activities strains the infrastructure of communities while perpetuating a larger increase of illegal immigration.
All legal immigrants must become, 1st and foremost, U.S. Citizens, learning English as a first language and embracing the history of our founding while pledging to defend our principles.
Once these are in place, all U.S. Citizens should welcome those that chose the correct channels to become a naturalized Citizen of the United States of America.
“I came to office promising to work for an environmental policy that does not demonize or disenfranchise individuals that love, live, recreate, and work near the water, precisely because of their love of the environment. These individuals are property owners, boaters, businesses, and watermen. Instead, I promised to support initiatives that encourage these people to be part of the solution. I also recognized that many environmental bills up until I entered the legislature had been lacking the economic piece that is essential for lasting environmental policies that work. Although I worked on many business and job issues, it is important to also let you see what I have done toward my promise to work hard for the environment.”
-Ron George
Lead of effort to bring Wind Energy at Greenbury Point. Ron has won the Navy’s approval. Thus, the process is moving forward and the Navy has begun the first steps of a feasibility study. A MET tower is being installed this month to begin recording the winds. The project is being proposed to be privately and locally run with perhaps an enhanced use lease with the Navy. There is already a grid in place that may need some upgrading. Seven towers can generate enough clean energy for an area and population the size of the City of Annapolis with some left over. The technology is vastly improved, moves slowly yet generates more.
Lead sponsor of: Wetlands and Waterways Program Fund Management bill (Passed, 2008), a top environmental bill. Helped to stop the encroachment into our waterways and created the Waterways Fund. It brought together homebuilders, the Chamber of Commerce, MD Dept of the Environment, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and others all in favor of the bill. (HB1056)
Lead sponsor of: Marine Contractors - Licensure and Regulation - Tidal Wetlands Licenses. (Passed, 2010). Unlike a Senate version, Ron’s bill received no opposition and had the support of all environmental groups. In the end, the Senate version was amended to be like Ron's bill as Senator Conway (the Chairman of the Senate committee) could control the outcome. (HB 987)
Lead sponsor of: Energy Net Metering for Municipalities. (Passed, 2010), This was supported by all environmental groups. Passed the House unanimously. It allows municipalities to store energy credits and apply them to renewable energy projects. All Net Metering bills were folded into one package and signed by the Governor. Ron’s Energy Net Metering for Non-Profits also made it into the Net Metering Package. (HB852, HB501).
Lead sponsor of: Voltage Regulation Technology – Income Tax Subtraction Modification. (2009) Supported by environmental groups. This new technology sends only the voltage needed into a business or home near the grid so there would be less energy wasted, more energy would reach those buildings and homes furthest from the grid, and thus less energy would need to be generated. The concept was hard to explain and the fiscal note writer mistakenly thought Ron was giving the subtraction modification to all Energy Star appliance products. Ron will be putting the bill in again this year.
Lead sponsor of: Department of Natural Resources - Regulation of For-Hire Water Carriers HB 988. (Passed, 2010).
HB 475 - Smart, Green, and Growing - The Sustainable Communities Act of 2010 (Passed, 2010)
HB 606 - Natural Resources - Local Forest Conservation Funds - Use of Money (Passed, 2010)
HB 801 - Electricity - Net Energy Metering – Credits (Passed, 2010)
Ron George was also a co-sponsor of numerous renewable energy credits for solar, wind, and geo-thermal energy development.
Did you know that Ron also supported and voted for The Clean Air Act, The Clean Cars Bill, The Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund, The Living Shoreline Protection Act, the Green and Growing Task Force, Performance Standards and Accountability that help Smart Growth, the Smart Green and Growing Commission, the Standing Bill andmany, many more?
Unlike many legislators that only show up to vote, Ron George leads with the knowledge and understanding that the economic piece is essential for lasting environmental policies.
That is how Ron George was nicknamed The Green Elephant
Ron co-sponsored legislation to protect our schools from gangs. He worked to ensure our public schools are fully funded and that the funds flow more directly to the classrooms. He fought off an attempt to change the funding formula for Charter Schools that would have ended their success in helping minority and lower income children.He co-sponsored the BOAST tax credit for private schools as it did not take from public funds. Ron’s Proof of Lawful Presence Bill (we were the only state easy of the Rockies to give licenses to those unlawfully present) eased a large influx of illegal immigrants migrating here that put a large burden on our classrooms.
Ron is the consistent voice for small business and free market economics.Maryland was ranked 24th nationally in economic competitiveness in 2006. By 2009, Gov. O’Malley had us down to 45th.The way out of a recession is not with policies that over-tax, over-regulate and chase good businesses out of state.Becoming business friendly will help spur small business growth, create jobs, strengthen Maryland’s economy and therefore create more revenue for the State without raising taxes. Ron led the fight to successfully repeal the Tech Services Tax which would have driven our Tech industry out of state.Delegate Ron George was selected The 2008 Legislator of the Year by the Annapolis/Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce.
Ron co-sponsored legislation such as Jessica’s Law to keep child predators away from our youth. He was the lead sponsor of legislation to create Drug Free Zones around Annapolis’ Community Recreational Centers.The bill had increased penalties and led to our Safe Streets Program.Ron fought for keeping the State Police Barracks in Annapolis. He discovered the Maryland Pension System was unwittingly investing in foreign companies that sponsored terrorism and so introduced one of the first Divest Terror Bills in the nation, thus Divest Terror became a reality in 2008. He was the lead sponsor and built a bi-partisan coalition for ending the practice of giving those here illegally a Maryland Driver’s License (Proof of Lawful Presence Act of 2008). He co-sponsored a bill that helps in the prosecution of gang crimes.
Concerned over Maryland’s impending physician shortage, Ron founded the bi-partisan Doctors Caucus and The Physicians Advisory to assist the legislature in understanding health care needs in this state.Thus, two landmark bills were passed this year that improve the reimbursement rate, the first moves to save our doctors. Ron supports a free market approach to health care which would allow competition in the insurance industry, because competition is consistently the best regulator of pricing.
Ron co-sponsored HB1, increasing the maximum for a Subtraction Modification Under the State Income Tax for Military Retirement Income from $5,000 to $10,000 of military retirement income received.Currently, Maryland unfairly over-taxes military retirement income. Our veterans return home to find they must consider living elsewhere when they retire. However, house leadership once again stalled the bill in committee. Ron George is a member of the Veterans Caucus and consistently supports our veterans.Ron received a 100% rating from Institute for Liberty.
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