Only in Baltimore...
So I decided I'd vent my frustrations with Maryland's one-party rule somewhere and where better than here? Ok, so maybe I wrote it on my facebook status, but still...
For staters the Baltimore Mayor, Comptroller and City Council President make up the Baltimore City Board of Estimates. Now, the three took the luxury of voting on pay hikes last month and here is what transpired:
Dixon, Pratt and Rawlings-Blake, who each sit on the five-person Board of Estimates, voted on authorizing the pay increases the day before Thanksgiving. Each woman abstained on the vote for her own raise.
There was no discussion of the item, which was presented on the 98-page agenda as a "Salary Adjustment" for pay grades 88E, 87E, 83E and 81E. No job titles were listed next to those pay grades, though titles were included for similar agenda items.
....
Asked earlier this week whether she would donate to charity the raise that had increased her salary to $151,700, Dixon said "no," citing long work hours and a daughter in college.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-salaries1211,0,5216811.story
And if that lunacy wasn't bad enough Baltimore decided they have the right to impose double-taxation on businesses. Can you picture the commercial now? Double, double, your refreshment. Double, double your enjoyment. Oh one single tax going to freshen your account like double mint double mint tax. Anyway, Baltimore has decided they have the right to seek room occupancy taxes from Expedia.com, Orbitz, and other travel sites. The problem is those sites are just middle men and the actual hotels DO charge the customers a room tax. Here's Baltimore's take:
Baltimore filed a federal lawsuit yesterday to recover $6 million in taxes that officials say are owed by online booking companies such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, Hotels.com and others.
The lawsuit alleges that those companies provided hotel rooms to the public but failed to pay the room taxes. It also alleges that some companies did not inform their customers about the amount of their "service fees."
But an official of the trade association that represents online booking companies said those businesses do not have to pay the room tax, which he said is paid by the hotels.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.hotel11dec11,0,4585513.story
Expect something dumb from them tomorrow....