Szeliga Decries Gas Tax

Del. Kathy Szeliga isn't waiting take shots at a plan to increase the sales tax on gas that Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to announce during today's State of the State speech.

Szeliga was working the press area of the State House about an hour before the noon speech giving her two-cents on the matter.

O'Malley is expected to announce he's seeking a 6 percent increase in the sales tax on gas.

Szeliga said that if passed, the plan would mean Maryland residents would pay about 60 cents per gallon in state and federal gas taxes-about 41 cents of that would be state taxes.

The Perry Hall Republican pointed to a release sent out Tuesday night by the O-Malley campaign outlining the proposal. In that same  announcement, O'Malley notes that aide to local government transportation has been largely cut and permanently reduced.

"You and I go to the gas pump and we expect the money is being spent maintaining the roads we drive on," said Szeliga.

"Taxpayers expect the money to be returned to their counties," Szeliga said. "Now (the counties) are going to have to raise taxes to maintain the roads. This is just another way of pushing taxes down on the locals."