If there is one reason it is still worthwhile to be a Democrat it is because, when faced with a choice between gutting public investment in education and other vital needs of the commonwealth or raising taxes on the wealthy, Democrats opt to raise taxes. Yesterday, under pressure from Gov. Martin O'Malley, the Maryland state legislature voted to raise taxes and preserve the state's sense of its obligations to the poor and to the future.
The tax hike is hardly an enormous burden. It applies only to those individuals making more than $100,000 per year and, on average, amounts to about $745. That is on average, so it includes zillionaires - those making less than $250,000 will only pay about $300 more per year. On the other hand, the burden of closing schools, firing teachers, underfunding projects that assist the poor and the marginalized, is far greater.
No politician likes to raise taxes. Those with the courage to do so should be applauded.
