On my way to work today
On my drive into work today I decided on what I would do were I to become Tyrant of Maryland (in the Greek sense, of course-heck, I’d even be happy to follow the Roman model of Dictator and limit myself to a specific term, and face trial afterwords).
Anyhow, here’s my agenda as Autocratic Ruler of the Old-Line State:
- Consolidate Territory
- Enter into negotiations with the Congress for the return of the residential portions of DC. I doubt that they’d mind giving up responsibility for the National Ghetto while simultaneously being free of the whiny “taxation without representation” folks in NW.
- Annihilate “Delmarva.” That is, expand to our natural boundaries. Attack Delaware, destroy its government (such as it is), and annex its territory. After vetting our militia and demonstrating their might, hypocritically enter into negotiations with Virginia demanding that they return the territory they illegally seized from us in the Civil War.
- Enter into negotiations with the Congress for the return of the residential portions of DC. I doubt that they’d mind giving up responsibility for the National Ghetto while simultaneously being free of the whiny “taxation without representation” folks in NW.
- Rationalize Transit
- First, in Baltimore, I would tell the “neighborhood preservationists” to shut up. Then I’d connect I-83 through to I-97, and complete the East-West “highway to nowhere” (ie, finish the I-70 extension straight through Baltimore all the way to I-95).
- Next up is the “metro” system. The Purple line is obvious. As is the original, 1970s idea of an integrated, rail system covering Washington, Baltimore, and the intermediary suburbs. One system, one type of rail, one type of car. Unified, simple, effective; duh.
- The ICC gets finished. Running straight East-West from Gaithersburg to Millersville/So. Glen Burnie (maybe be connecting up with the portion of MD-100 due south of BWI).
- Complete the train line from Salisbury to Ocean City, Md. Build a Train line from Washington to Federalsburg (over a new, train only Bay Bridge Span). Redo the toll pricing over the existing vehicular bridges to be based on a demand model. So for example, morning commuters heading West pay $20 and anyone heading East on a Friday night or Saturday morning in the summer pays $50.
- Study Southern Maryland with an eye toward extending I-97 to the Virginia line (taking some pressure off of US-301), and putting in place an east-west highway from near the Woodrow Wilson bridge through the growing southern ‘burbs.
Extend I-97 Southwards to the Virginia Line. Southern Maryland is growing, and will keep doing so. Better to get a good highway in there now while it can shape development, rather than be shaped by it.
- First, in Baltimore, I would tell the “neighborhood preservationists” to shut up. Then I’d connect I-83 through to I-97, and complete the East-West “highway to nowhere” (ie, finish the I-70 extension straight through Baltimore all the way to I-95).
- Smart Growth-with teeth.
- In the suburban counties, ban all new construction of single-family homes. Allow construction of multi-family housing only on lots previously developed.
- Limit residential construction in the “rural” counties to ¼ of their landmass (based on the size of the real estate control of which passes with control of the house--not the size of the house itself).
- Personal Liability for violations: civil and penal punishments meted out upon those who violate such statutes-either directly or through the vehicle of some sort of business.
- In the suburban counties, ban all new construction of single-family homes. Allow construction of multi-family housing only on lots previously developed.
- Governmental Reform
- Return Baltimore City to Baltimore County.
- Expand Annapolis’ City Limits and “encourage” the development of a comprehensive transit plan.
- ”Encourage” developed semi-urban areas of the state to incorporate as cities and take responsibility for themselves (big examples: Towson, Laurel, and Glen Burnie).
- Consolidate state law enforcement agencies. There are simply far far far to many of them. The first move would be merging the transit police with the state police. Limit it to the following: at the state level, the state police; then at the County, the sheriff’s office; whereas a city can have a police department, or contract with the County Sheriff’s for services. That’s it.
- Eliminate the District Court of Maryland. Fold its jurisdiction into that of the Circuit Court. Yes minor cases should be separate from more serious cases-but that means a different docket, not a different courthouse and bureaucracy.
- Return Baltimore City to Baltimore County.
- Misc. Policies
- Flat tax. 25% off the top of an individual’s income, and/or capital gains. Tax day is literally a postcard, or less than a dozen clicks on a website. Business can choose to either: (1) submit their books to review by the State comptroller for a review of how much profit they earned/generated from their sales to Maryland citizens and pay 25% of that, or (2) they can keep a log of each transaction conducted in Maryland, the gross amount exchanged, and pay a “transaction tax” of 30% of that gross value (it would be illegal to charge customers that fee as a separate line item on a bill or in the course of the transaction).
- Legalize all types of gambling at the horse tracks. Mandate that the continuance of the license depends on at least 52 days a year of live horse racing, and 13 live boxing events at any given facility. Limit 5 licenses in the state. License fee of 5% of gross receipts (3.5% to local law enforcement & social welfare programs, 1.5% to the State General Budget).
- Create a unified, statewide computer system for sharing information between the various agencies of the misc. branches of government. (this could be the topic of a very long winded post itself).
- Disentangle marriage from the State entirely. Its no more right for the State to define Marriage than it is for it to define communion. Create “domestic partnerships.” Heterosexual/Homosexual/who-cares-sexual-everyone can qualify. In turn, make it darn near impossible to dissolve (abuse/neglect/etc.).
- Flat tax. 25% off the top of an individual’s income, and/or capital gains. Tax day is literally a postcard, or less than a dozen clicks on a website. Business can choose to either: (1) submit their books to review by the State comptroller for a review of how much profit they earned/generated from their sales to Maryland citizens and pay 25% of that, or (2) they can keep a log of each transaction conducted in Maryland, the gross amount exchanged, and pay a “transaction tax” of 30% of that gross value (it would be illegal to charge customers that fee as a separate line item on a bill or in the course of the transaction).
Well there. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I thought of in the car this morning.
What would y’all do?