What are your top three priorities if elected?

1. To bring back a fair share of our tax payers money

The County receives back $.15 cents for every dollar in state taxes paid. This is not acceptable. We send $2.9 billion to Annapolis annually, and we get back less than $600 million. Let's look at education: the state funds $6,700 per student per county. Montgomery County only gets $4,500 for each student. That is $2,200 less than average for each student in our very large school system. Montgomery County has 140,000 students, amounting to a shortage of $308,000,000. This represents 31% of the Montgomery County billion dollar deficit.

Let's look at the distribution of funds under the Thornton Educational Program. Montgomery County schools has

17% of the school population of the State, yet we only get 8.6% of the $1.3 billion dollars available. As another example: Montgomery County funds 80% of the school budget, while Baltimore funds only 20% of its school budget. There is now a proposal from our own Senator Richard Madaleno to shift teacher pension responsibility to the Counties. It would cost Montgomery County $13 million in 2012, $41 million in 2013, $69 million in 2014, and $70 million in 2015. Another example of the lock of parity in state funding: an MTA Baltimore rider pays 30% of the ridding cost, while a Montgomery County Metro rider pays 55%. Baltimore has not had a fare increase since 2003. In the meantime Montgomery County's last increase was 2008 and last February a $.10 cents surcharge was added.

Montgomery County needs more hospitals: We only have 5 hospitals with a population of 960,000 people, while Baltimore has 12 hospitals, with 636,000 people. Even so, the powers that be decided that Montgomery County does not really needs another hospital.

Where is the Montgomery County General Assembly delegation? We have 32 elected officials – the largest delegation – who are suppose to advocate for Montgomery County. The electorate assume their "representatives" are doing their job. Instead, our elected officials receive leadership positions on better boards and committees and exchange the people's rights for personal gain, or worse. This arraignment is systematic. Over the years, there have been different funding formulas but all had one purpose, namely to get Montgomery County to pay the most and give Montgomery County the least. The result is that Montgomery County's tax based has eroded, Montgomery County has large population in need, and Montgomery County is taxed to the limits.

2. To grow our tax base without rising taxes, to bring more jobs and business to Montgomery County.

High taxes and over-regulation are destroying Maryland jobs. We need to balance the budget and cut unnecessary spending and red tape harming small business. We need to eliminate costly and unnecessary regulations and licensing requirements. We need to create tax incentives for employers who generate new jobs. I oppose new sales tax on services. Maryland is all over the news, unfortunately for unfavorable reasons. CMBC ranked Maryland 42 out 50 in terms of being business friendly, a very poor ranking. In addition, Maryland is 45 out of 50 in terms of the cost of living.

3. To balance the budget through sound economic measures

Rising taxes is not a viable solution at this time; Maryland can't expect to attract new business unless the tax climate improves. In order to create more jobs we have to become more competitive like our neighboring states. The citizens of Maryland are already burdened with all kinds of taxes. We need to learn from Virginia, ranked #1in terms of attracting and keeping business. Lately, we have been unable to attract new business, like Hilton and Grumman, and have been unable to sustain the business we have. Without enough of a tax base, we will be unable to balance the state budget. I believe we need to look at all programs. We should start by funding the most crucial programs, making sure we have enough front-line workers delivering services for the neediest populations. We lost millions of Federal monies because of a lack of basic planning. This is a long term goal; this problem cannot be fixed in one cycle. We should also change the way the budget is presented by having the budget specify the funding for individual programs, so when cuts have to be made, the decision-makers know the savings from what is being cut.

HEART with RESPONSIBILITY: Your Voice in Annapolis

Dear Montgomery County Neighbor,

My home for the last 23 years has been in Laytonsville on Delta Court in District 14. Over this time I have shown myself to be an experienced leader and activist, by building collaborations and friendships that cross party lines. This has been demonstrated with my various appointments to both State-level Republican and Democratic administration boards and commissions, including Governor Glendening, Governor Erhlich and Governor O’Malley. My work at the County level includes appointments by County Executive Neil Potter, Douglas Duncan and Ike Leggett. Presently I advise the County Executive on Latin American issues with the community and I am also a union representative for a Montgomery County High School.

Our county has transformed exponentially in the wrong direction based on lack of value from our Representatives. Whether it is the 15 cents returned for each dollar of state taxes paid or bearing Maryland’s combined state and local very high tax burden; Maryland has the fourth highest combine state and local tax burden in the country, behind New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.* (* -Tax Foundation Analysis)

Or the other losses in value include the: availability and quality of in-County employment opportunities, desire for people to move to Montgomery County, support for our family farmers and agriculture community, quality of the work commute, desire for personal safety both police and fire protection, and the ability for families to have a family friendly school curriculum. As we can see value is not always based on money collected but also in the quality of leadership from our representatives, who look to short term solutions without considering the impact on the long term horizon. Our leaders have failed us and it is my desire to correct these errors, by bringing to you my heart for Montgomery County supported by my understanding that each legislative action requires an understanding of it’s impact on our personal responsibilities and principles as Citizens.

As your Representive, as Delegate for District 14, I will work with you to ensure: that current laws are applied consistently and fairly, our school curriculum provides a strong foundation for the future not focusing on the latest social agendas, services offered and provided are Constitutionally supported, taxes are such to meet the Constitutional functioning of Government, we trust with verification our law enforcement officers to do the right thing, we value and support our farming heritage, and with minimal government interference - families are free to budget and raise their families, as well as businesses can start up or move here and grow.

I respectfully ask you to vote for me I know what it takes to build consensus and to work with a team. For this to happen I need your help, as a volunteer and/or with a valued contribution. Please email me at maria4house@gmail.com or send contributions to:
5 Delta Court
c/o Maria4House
Laytonsville, MD 20882
Thanks!
Maria Peña-Faustino
PLEASE VOTE FOR PEÑA-FAUSTINO ON NOVEMBER 2ND.