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Hogan: Maryland Has Big Budget Problems, Needs ‘Strong Medicine’

Christopher Connelly/WYPR

Gov.-elect Larry Hogan briefed reporters on the state’s fiscal situation yesterday afternoon and the picture he painted was dire. Maryland’s next governor says the state needs ‘strong medicine’ to fix its fiscal health after years of bad budgeting.

“Let me put it in everyday terms: They drained our checking, savings and retirement accounts. They maxed out every credit card. They tapped into Christmas funds, college tuition funds,  they even broke into every one of the kids piggy banks, and we still don’t have enough to pay the bills," Hogan said.

Hogan said the state will face “some very difficult choices, because state government cannot continue to spend more than it takes in." Hogan gave his budget advisor, former state Sen. Bobby Neale, ten days to come up with a balanced budget plan for the next two years.

Neall said the state’s spending is outpacing its revenues. The state faces a $300 million structural deficit this year, and is expected to grow to $1 billion in coming years.

“There will be no money for pay raises,” Neall said. “No money for new programs. No money to buy pencils. This is the track that we’re on.”

Hogan said cuts will be likely in the next six months.

Christopher Connelly is a political reporter for WYPR, covering the day-to-day movement and machinations in Annapolis. He comes to WYPR from NPR, where he was a Joan B. Kroc Fellow, produced for weekend All Things Considered and worked as a rundown editor for All Things Considered. Chris has a master’s degree in journalism from UC Berkeley. He’s reported for KALW (San Francisco), KUSP (Santa Cruz, Calif.) and KJZZ (Phoenix), and worked at StoryCorps in Brooklyn, N.Y. He’s filed stories on a range of topics, from a shortage of dog blood in canine blood banks to heroin addicts in Tanzania. He got his start in public radio at WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio, when he was a student at Antioch College.