Moody’s economist advises Md. to fund education but not raise gas tax in 2013

Mark Zandi (By New America Foundation/Flickr)

Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics, gave Maryland senators an upbeat analysis of the economy, along with some advice on what they could do to help the “winners” and “losers” in the current economy.

Testifying before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, Zandi, who is frequently quoted in the national media, said state policymakers should look at the longer term and focus on educational structure and infrastructure. They should make the “the right kind of investments” to level opportunities for the middle and lower income Marylanders.

But then Zandi added that Maryland needed to “make your tax code fair, simple and competitive.”
During the Great Recession, Maryland has continued to fund education and higher education as other states have cut back funding, particularly for state colleges and universities. Maryland has maintained its spending partly by a series of tax increases that have made it less competitive with neighboring Virginia.


Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/2013/01/15/moodys-economist-advises-md-to-fund-education-but-not-raise-gas-tax/#ixzz2IA9K3NJu
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