State of Maryland Archives: on Corporations


Peter Franchot: Less for corporate tax breaks, more help for small business

[On corporate policy]: "We need an economic approach that devotes less time and energy to competing for global corporations that demand billions of dollars of taxpayer money and devotes more time and energy to tearing down barriers for those small, local businesses that ask for nothing more than an honest chance to succeed in the marketplace."
Source: 2022 Maryland gubernatorial campaign website franchot.com Feb 18, 2021

Ben Jealous: New taxes on out-of-state retailers & hedge fund income

Taxes: Support President Trump's tax cuts?

Hogan: Proposed legislation to protect Marylanders from being "negatively affected" after passage.

Jealous: No. Denounced the GOP tax law, calling it "disastrous legislation."

Taxes: Proposals on state taxes

Hogan: Has cut taxes in current term. Would exempt retirement income from taxation.

Jealous: Cut sales tax while legalizing & taxing marijuana & creating new taxes on out-of-state retailers & hedge fund income.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Maryland Governor race Nov 1, 2018

Arvin Vohra: End the Fed, to prevent irresponsible cash-negative business

When we eliminate legal tender laws, we allow Americans to spend money and accept payments in any form of currency they choose. This destroys the monopoly the Federal Reserve currently has, and abuses, on currency.

When Americans can choose their preferred currency, they are free to choose to store their money in a form that won't depreciate wildly whenever the government decides to spend more money. That means your savings will still mean much more years later when you go to use them.

Ending the Federal Reserve also prevents irresponsible, cash-negative businesses from entering the market, making (fully expected) irresponsible decisions, and creating more frequent and more severe business cycles. When the Federal Reserve is not allowed to interfere, successful business practices will prevail, business cycles will be smoother, layoffs will be massively decreased, and the economy on the whole will prosper. This means responsible business practices will drive market growth.

Source: 2018 Maryland Senatorial campaign website VoteVohra.com Feb 22, 2018

Richard Madaleno: Support smaller businesses as job creators

Our path to continued prosperity is our tremendous and talented workforce. We need to direct economic development resources away from large companies with no loyalty to Maryland workers, and toward small- and medium-sized businesses that really are the "job creators." We need to increase credential programs and align community college schedules with real-world student needs. We need a spectrum of education that trains people for their first job, and for their next job.
Source: 2018 Maryland Gubernatorial website MadalenoForMaryland.com Aug 8, 2017

Kathy Szeliga: Policy makers care more about Wall Street than Main Street

Q: Are the steps Congress and the Obama administration took to increase regulation of Wall Street in the wake of the financial crisis appropriate?

Szeliga: Actions, and at times inactions, by Congress and federal agencies failed to protect Americans from the financial crisis. As a small business owner, I know how painful the financial crisis was on families and businesses. Too often, policy makers care more about Wall Street than Main Street. Local community banks are struggling as a result of the increased regulations. While we need to regulate big Wall Street banks who were the bad actors; we need to make sure community banks, who know their local communities, are protected. Finally, no bank should be considered too big to fail. Taxpayers should never have to bail out big banks.

Source: Baltimore Sun Voter Guide on 2016 Maryland Senate race Sep 9, 2016

Margaret Flowers: Wealth divide makes capitalism dangerous to the 99%

The wealth divide has become extreme with the richest 20 people own more than the bottom half of the US--152 million people combined.

Capitalism serves the well-being of the holders of capital. The concentration of wealth in the few along with the financialization of the economy has made capitalism dangerous to the 99%. Capitalism works for capitalists by ensuring workers are paid less than the wealth they create while consumers pay more for their necessities and debtors are stuck in a cycle of debt they cannot escape. Resources are extracted as inexpensively as possible despite the impact on the planet, public health and safety; while the costs of extraction and production are externalized to the people through corporate welfare and crony capitalism. When capitalist bets go bad they are backed up by a corrupt government while the non-capitalists lose their homes, life savings and incomes.

Source: 2016 Maryland Senate campaign website FlowersForSenate.org Feb 3, 2016

Margaret Flowers: Break up big banks & criminally prosecute their CEOs

After the last crash, the actual policy of the Department of Justice (DOJ) was not to prosecute the big banks. Banks were fined, but inadequately compared to the impact of money lost or stolen by their actions; criminal prosecutions were rare, so few individuals were held accountable. Why? Corruption of federal agencies through the revolving door of big pay-offs.

The big banks need to be broken up and policies must be put in place to prevent them from getting too big again. After the economic collapse rather than shrinking, the big banks grew. Why? Because in addition to being too big to jail, they were too powerful for Congress to confront.

Once the banks are broken up we need to ensure they cannot get too big again. A cap could be put on the banks perhaps based on a percentage of the GDP. There is actually a good deal of support for breaking up the big banks among members of the Federal Reserve, former bank CEO's and political leaders.

Source: 2016 Maryland Senate campaign website FlowersForSenate.org Feb 3, 2016

Martin O`Malley: Change Maryland's anti-business attitude

Maryland's anti-business attitude, combined with our onerous tax and regulatory policies have rendered our state unable to compete with any of the states in our region. It's the reason that businesses, jobs and taxpayers have been fleeing our state at an alarming rate. It's at the heart of the fiscal and economic issues we are currently dealing with, and it is something we must find solutions to.

A year ago, I held my second annual Change Maryland Business Summit on Improving Maryland's Economic Competitiveness. We became the leading voice on these issues. A year ago, this legislature created the Maryland Economic Development and Business Climate Commission, to make recommendations to make Maryland competitive. We are anxiously awaiting the recommendations of this commission. But, I am confident that we will find many areas of agreement to make Maryland a more business friendly and more competitive state, so that we can create more jobs and more opportunities for our citizens.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 Maryland Legislature Feb 4, 2015

Martin O`Malley: Repeal personal property tax on small business

I have spent most of my life in the private sector, running a small business in a state that, at times, seemed openly hostile to people like me. There is much more for us to do, but as a first step, I'm proposing cutting personal property taxes for small businesses.

This burdensome tax and bureaucratic paperwork discourages the creation of new business, and drives small businesses and jobs elsewhere. This legislation would create a tax exemption on the first $10,000 in personal property, entirely eliminating this tax for more than 70,000 small business owners -- or one-half of all Maryland's businesses.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 Maryland Legislature Feb 4, 2015

Martin O`Malley: Maryland is #1 in businesses owned by women

Seven years ago, we were failing to live up to our state's full potential. Seven years later, we are not just One Maryland. By many measures, we are Number One Maryland: Seven years ago--in response to the desires of our people-- we set out to govern in a fundamentally different way: Setting goals. Measuring performance. Hitting deadlines. Getting Results. Making the work of progress visible for you to see, and for me to see.
Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Maryland legislature Jan 23, 2014

Dan Bongino: Lessen the tax burden on residents and businesses

Cardin said a bipartisan plan to address the national deficit needs to be the top priority. Cardin underscored that he believes revenues need to be a part of the plan. "Everybody should be paying their fair share," Cardin said. "We should eliminate the deductions that allow businesses to send our jobs overseas, and we shouldn't be giving to oil industries special breaks that are not available to other aspects of the energy sector."

Bongino said government needs to get out of the way and lessen the tax burden on residents and businesses. "Put the money back in Marylanders' pockets," Bongino said. "They know what to do with it."

Source: Cumberland Times-News on 2012 Maryland Senate debate Oct 25, 2012

Dan Bongino: Predictable tax code benefits economy more than revenue loss

Q: Since 1981, the federal government has offered a tax credit to businesses pursuing research and development activities. However, because the tax credit is temporary and must be reauthorized periodically, businesses are never certain about receiving the benefits of the credit for longer-term investments. Do you support or oppose making the R&D tax credit permanent, even if that means a permanent reduction in tax revenues?

Bongino selected, "Support."

Bongino added, "A predictable and simple tax code is vital for businesses planning their capital expenditures and long term investments. The benefit throughout the economy from R&D far outweighs the consequence of a relatively small tax revenue loss."

Source: Your Candidates Your Health: 2012 Maryland Senate debates Jun 15, 2012

Michael Steele: Expand minority-owned business opportunities

Michael chaired a 17-member task force devoted to reforming Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), which works to provide more opportunities for minority-owned small businesses and further spur job growth and economic vitality. There are 82,000 minority-owned businesses in the state, accounting for 20% of all Maryland firms. Maryland ranks 2nd in the nation in having the most minority-owned businesses.
Source: Campaign site, MichaelSteeleForMaryland.com, “On the Issues” May 2, 2006

  • The above quotations are from State of Maryland Politicians: Archives.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Corporations:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021