Golden: To turn promises into policy, Maryland Democrats need funding plans. One suggestion? Raise taxes.

Throughout the campaign season, Democrats across the state have proposed bold initiatives, such as building an east-west transit line in Baltimore, universal pre-K, investments in renewable energy and more. While these ideas have the potential to positively impact the state, they will need to include funding mechanisms in order to comply with the state’s balanced budget requirement. Fortunately, using other states as an example, Maryland still has room to raise significantly more revenue. A study from the Tax Foundation found that Maryland collects approximately $6,500 in state and local taxes per resident. Meanwhile, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and D.C. collect $7,000, $8,500, $9,800, and $11,300, respectively.