Riiiight

From WBAL

During his appearance in Dundalk, the governor also addressed the issue over pay raises for top state officials.

The O'Malley Administration has created a new executive pay grade that would allow some officials to earn between $140,000 and $235,000 a year.

The governor says that the pay grade is justified, even as lawmakers are being asked to approved more than $300-million in budget cuts that will leave other state workers earning a 1.5% raise next year.

The governor defended a $70,000 raise for PSC Chairman Steven Larsen that will net him a $188,000 a year salary.

The governor says Larsen is charged with leading an agency that will help lower residential electric rates which is one of the administration's priorities.

"We are going to pay top dollar, in order to defend consumers and their interests, in the same way Constellation (Energy) is going to spend to retain the best lawyers and experts to try and boost their profit margin," O'Malley said.

Yesterday, the State Senate rejected a proposal that would have required the governor to submit future raises to the legislature for approval.

Let me get this straight O'Malley's handpicked PSC chairman brought in to save working families from electricity rate increases, fails to do so, which earns him a $70k raise.

We're still wating for "leadership that works."

And, from the Department of Irony:

"I would support repeal of it, provided we can find alternatives to it, that's where I am," O'Malley told reporters after an event in Dundalk today.

The governor says he is convinced that the tax hurts the tech industry, and would cost state jobs. He also notes that tax was not part of his original tax proposal, unveiled before last year's special session of the General Assembly...

"Governor O’Malley understands how vital innovation is to Maryland’s economy – and to creating the better future we want for our state," Association President Tom Loveland wrote in a statement...

The association's spokesman is the governor's former Communications Director, Steve Kearney.

Forget for a moment the Governor admits to signing into law a tax he disagrees with, O'Malley's former propagandist can't even get the thing repealed.