On the last day of session I bumped into a left wing stalwart from Montgomery County who was elated to get tax relief this year. But then he looked confused when I relayed condolences at his bereavement. After all, the only way he can benefit from a partial rollback of inheritance tax is lose an immediate family member who’s loaded (or maybe die and take it with him.) Well, it seems I burst his balloon by asking which applied to him.

His gloom quickly vanished when someone else jumped in to remind us of the big tax rebate. They had me there. In return for overcharging taxpayers $1 billion last year, the state will set aside one week next year for us to buy ‘back to school’ clothes tax free (each item must be less than $100.)

It’s probably just as well that this fellow smugly marched off to a post-session party. I might have popped another balloon by pointing out that he doesn’t have kids. (What a fiend I’d be for commenting on how few clothing options we parents have these days for under $100 anyway!)

This is why left wingers make schools focus on diversity training and social volunteerism. It’s much harder to sell a tax-spend agenda to taxpayers who’ve learned how to add.

Those in leadership who understand the budget almost had a heart attack with the recent market dip. During session they helped sell Glendening’s ten percent spending boost, ensuring that all who need pork and payola are positioned to produce for the machine in November’s election. They know what happens if big bills come due before the 2002 elections. Any sign our overheated economy won’t support more milking sends a ripple of fear in political circles.

The daemons most feared by this administration aren’t conservatives, they’re the high cost of energy and the sight of Janet Reno driving a harpoon into the great technology whale, Microsoft. Both affect our state economy and hence both affect our state politics.

One more time kids: In 1994, Parris Glendening County went from a $50M surplus to a $75M deficit over election night. As county exec, Parris spent recklessly to build his machine, leaving those after him to pick up the tab. Now Parris is playing the game with real money.