Press

VIDEO: In Typical Fashion, Hogan Passes the Buck on Taxes

Dec 19, 2017

Annapolis, MD — Speaking at a press conference in Hanover, MD today, Governor Larry Hogan had an opportunity to stand up for Marylanders and oppose the GOP tax scam, but like he often does, he refused to take a stand and chose to pass the buck instead.

Asked about the tax scam, Hogan said: “There’s no question that we’re going to have to take a look at every aspect of the bill and how it impacts us, either positively or negatively. I know that the Comptroller is charged with doing that. They had studied the House bill and the Senate bill and came up with an analysis of the impact and whose taxes would go up and whose would go down.”

“Hours before House Republicans voted to jack up taxes on Marylanders, Governor Hogan still couldn’t muster the courage to stand against this terrible tax bill,” said Maryland Democratic Party spokesperson Fabion Seaton.  “This is typical Hogan: the tough decisions are often someone else’s responsibility.  Governor Hogan needs to realize that Marylanders entrusted him to be their voice and their advocate, and he is failing miserably.  Even while acknowledging that Republicans are raising taxes on hard-working Maryland families, he refuses to take a stand against the GOP tax scam and pawns off responsibility on others.  Families in this state deserve much better.”

Marylanders have been fighting back against this effort to jack up their taxes, but Governor Hogan has refused to join them in this fight.  Republicans Governors around the country have opposed the GOP tax scam, including Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, John Kasich of Ohio, and Phil Scott of Vermont. 

Passing the buck is nothing new for Hogan.  Last week on the C4 show, Hogan passed the buck on combating crime in Baltimore, saying that it “is a city responsibility.”  When asked about standing up for Marylanders on a recent interview, Governor Hogan said, “that’s not my job.”  In the fight to save the Affordable Care Act, Hogan remained silent until it was clear that the bill was dead in Congress, at which point he pulled a last-minute stunt to save face by voicing token opposition to TrumpCare.