An indictment of failed leadership:

Maryland is now officially the wealthiest state in America.

Maryland is officially #4(!) on the list of states with the most violent crime.

This is what do-nothing "leadership" on crime ends in: disaster.

And no one should congratulate themselves on the wealthiest label. That has ended up in the hands of a few, not working families. It's worth remembering that powerful statistic from the 2006 holiday shopping season: many fewer Americans shopped; the smaller number that did shop bought more than ever. That reinforces the fact that the rich simply are getting richer and the poor, poorer. Now the talk out of Annapolis and Rockville is "tax working families." Remember, gas taxes, service taxes, vehicle-related "fees," road and bridge tolls, and cigarette, alcohol and hospitality taxes are taxes on the poor and working families. The wealthy are willing and painlessly able to pay such "nuisance" taxes. To working families, these taxes are absolutely devastating. Not everyone in Montgomery County is rich; many sacrifice and work hard to live in this relatively safe area with excellent schools. With credit and mortgages now denied to the average citizen, the powers-that-be are now going to drive up the already outrageous cost of apartment rent in Bethesda and elsewhere. Stay tuned for a full analysis of this and other real-world economic issues, as our elected officials continue to wreak havoc on working families statewide.