Governor Martin O’Malley delivered the 2010 State of the State address today, Feb. 2 before a joint session of the Maryland General Assembly, his fourth such address as Governor. The Governor’s address focused on job creation initiatives, and the need to work together, as One Maryland, to bring our State through this national economic recession more quickly than other states.
“In times of great adversity, we don’t make excuses – we make progress. We set aside partisanship and embrace the power of citizenship, guided by the values which unite us,” said Governor O’Malley. “In every part of our State I meet good people who have worked hard all their lives, only to watch their piece of the American dream slip away because of forces seemingly beyond their control. To rebuild and restore our economy, we must help our businesses create and save jobs. Jobs from innovation in science, security, and discovery. Jobs of noble and valuable service. Jobs that create and rebuild our vital connections of travel, trade, and business. Jobs that revitalize and restore our environment. Jobs in teaching, manufacturing, and healing. They all matter.”
Governor O’Malley stressed the need for smart, sustainable government, noting that progress is only possible with fiscal responsibility. For four straight years, Governor O’Malley has submitted, and the General Assembly has passed, a budget that falls within strict spending affordability guidelines. And for the first time since the 1930s, General Fund spending is less now than it was four years ago. Total spending reductions are $5.6 billion under the O’Malley-Brown Administration, including over 3,500 state positions.
Maryland is one of only seven states to retain a Triple A bond rating, certified by all three major rating agencies. Maryland’s unemployment rate remains over 25 percent below the national average, and Maryland’s rate of job change was better than all but five other states last year.
Despite these positive economic indicators in Maryland, too many Maryland families are struggling through this recession, facing the loss of a job or their homes through no fault of their own. Governor O’Malley outlined specific strategies to create jobs, protect homeownership, and drive economic progress.
“Because of your work and the persistence of non-profit housing counselors and pro bono lawyers, many homes in Maryland have been saved, but many more have been lost in the relentless, grinding, home-destroying machinery of national mortgage companies. If they can pick up the phone to put a family into a home, shouldn’t they be able to pick up the phone before throwing a family out of their home,” Governor O’Malley said, urging members of the
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