An Easily Avoidable Situation

Note this nugget from the Senate President:

The Maryland General Assembly may need a special session in the summer of 2008 to deal with projected budget deficits, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. warned last week.

Not so fast, said other legislative leaders who think it is too soon to be talking about such a strong measure.

Mr. Miller, Southern Maryland Democrat, said that while Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed budget for the 2008 fiscal year meets recommended guidelines, the next year will present bigger challenges without additional funding sources.

"The following year, all hell is going to break loose," Mr. Miller said.

Of course, what all of the Democratic legislative leadership fail to note is that they have the power to avoid any need for a Special Session through the judicious and fiscally responsible cutting of the Governor's budget. Perhaps legislative leadership will have the courage to rein in spending, and avoid using nearly $1 billion from the rainy day fund to offset the budget...

...but I doubt it. This is a perfect opportunity to use a special session in 2008 as a way to railroad the people of Maryland into buying into the concept of a tax increase. And it's just far enough from the elections in both directions to embolden legislative leadership to get it done while nobody is looking, in a Special Session.