Simply put, government spending in Annapolis is out of control, just like in Washington.

As your Delegate, I believe it’s my job to watch every dollar that is spent. It’s your money, and we need to be sure it’s being spent on things that work. When the government is too large and tries to do too much, it ends up doing everything poorly.

My stand on Government Spending and the State Budget:

• Watch out for waste
• De-fund programs that are not working
• Be sure that government is doing it’s key jobs well
• Vote against budgets that increase spending by billions
• No tax dollars used to support illegal immigration

Maryland is one of the highest taxed states in the nation. Our sales, income, and business taxes make Maryland inhospitable to working families, small businesses, and economic growth. Our seniors and business owners are leaving Maryland in droves for states with friendlier tax policies.

In the House of Delegates, I will work tirelessly to find ways to relieve the burden on our pocketbooks. One of my top priorities has been working for meaningful tax relief that will allow us to keep more of our hard-earned money.  I’ve sponsored legislation to reduce sales and business taxes and co-sponsored numerous other measures to bring down spending and taxes.

Illegal Immigration costs our state an estimated $1.2 billion a year. Unfortunately, under the leadership of Martin O’Malley and his friends in the General Assembly, our state has continued to roll out the welcome wagon for illegal immigrants. I was one of the leaders of the drive to stop in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.  That issue will be on the ballot for voters to decide in the 2012 Elections.

I oppose funding for organizations that aid illegal immigrants. We should welcome legal immigrants and people working here from other countries as long as they are here legally.

I believe that marriage should remain an institution between one man and one woman. 

Life

I am 100% pro-life. I believe that from the moment of conception, life should be valued and protected. In the House, I’ve worked toward stricter parental notification laws and am doing all I can to win over hearts and minds on this issue.

Health Care is an extremely complicated issue and has been on the national stage for months now. Government-run health care is not the way we need to go.

Here are some simple ideas that I believe would help and will work toward in the House:

• Insurance should be portable. People should be allowed to purchase insurance across state lines and keep it if they move or change jobs.
• We must crack down on frivolous lawsuits which add more cost throughout the system.
• We need to allow people to choose what services they need, rather than forcing “on size fits all” plans on them.
• Medicaid is the biggest driver of spending in our state’s budget.  I’m working to ensure that our Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is using best practices and the latest technology to crack down on fraud and abuse in the system.

I am a strong supporter of 2nd Amendment rights. I believe in the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. As Delegate, I’ve worked to expand freedom in this area and opposed attempts to restrict lawful gun ownership.

Gun ownership is not just about hunting. It’s about freedom.

Carroll County and District 5A in particular have a rich heritage of farming. From produce to dairy, family farms are a key part of our area’s economy. It’s tough enough to make it in agriculture anywhere in the United States, but Maryland is particularly difficult.

I’m proud to say that each year I’ve co-sponsored legislation to re-couple the Maryland estate tax to the federal estate tax. This is one of the most important issues facing family farms because Maryland taxes estates at a different level and forces farmers and business owners to keep two sets of books on depreciation of equipment and property value.

Unfortunately, many farmers have to sell their land rather than being able to pass it on to their children or another farm.

Bottom line: Maryland’s high taxes and unwillingness to be flexible have hit agriculture hard. You can’t be for open space and land preservation and against farmers.  You can’t say you support family farms, but support taking away development rights entirely which diminishes the land’s value.  Listening carefully to farmers and those who work in agriculture and preservation has given me such a profound respect for them and a strong desire to reform how Maryland treats this precious resource.

As the son and husband of school teachers, I have seen first hand the successes and failures of our school system. A very large percentage of state spending is allocated to education. Taxpayers have the right to expect results.

My priority in this area has been to ensure that the vast majority of our dollars are spent in the classroom, not on administration and bureaucracy. It is tragic that some county school systems have had to cut teachers while maintaining huge central offices.

In my research, I’ve discovered that some school systems (not Carroll County thankfully) spend as much as 40% on administration and outside resources. We need leaders who will hold the education establishment accountable and ensure that money is spent where it belongs…on teaching our students!

I’m also in favor of school choice and charter schools. What are your thoughts on education? Emailing me at justin.ready@house.state.md.us is the best way to reach me.