BOAST died

Well, the news from the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) is not good overall. It seems that BOAST was one of the things they were hoping would pass, but alas it did not.

For those of you who do not know what BOAST is...

Providing a tax credit against the State income tax for contributions made to an eligible educational scholarship organization or an eligible innovative educational organization; requiring the State Department of Education to administer the tax credit; requiring specified entities to submit an application to be an eligible organization by January 1 of each year; establishing the Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers Reserve Fund; etc.

It would have assisted Catholic schools by allows private businesses to obtain a tax credit for supporting schools thru donations.

Even those who opposed it in previous years, realized that for every child who does not attend a Catholic school, it will cost the state an additional $11,000. Close one school of 200 students, and the state could be faced with spending an additional $2.2 million.

If you look at the sponsors of this measure -- there were 75 -- only one (1) was from MoCo. All of the other MoCo delegates refused to sponsor it.

The Chair of the Ways & Means Committee Del. Sheila Hixson (D-20) killed it.

So, let's now name the names of the MoCo Delegates who refused to sponsor this:

Rob Garagiola, Mike Lenett, Al Carr, Ben Kramer, Rona Kramer, Bill Bronrott, Jim Gilchrist. Tom Hucker, Saqib Ali, Roger Manno, Bill Frick, Craig Rice, Hank Heller, Kumar Barve, Jamie Raskin, Kirill Reznik, Nancy King, Karen Montgomery, Jeff Waldstreicher, Anne Kaiser, Brian Feldman, Susan Lee, Sheila Hixson, Jennie Forehand, Charlie Barkley, Ana Sol Gutièrrez, Kathleen Dumais, Brian Frosh, Heather Mizeur, and Luiz Simmons.

Hopefully the Spanish language paper of the Archdiocese, El Progresso, will not put Ana Sol Gutierrez in a favorable light anymore.


Are one of them your Delegate? Did you vote for them before? Maybe you should think twice before marking the ballot the next time.

Hopefully the Spanish language paper of the Archdiocese, El Progresso, will not put Ana Sol Gutierrez in a favorable light anymore.

It is time for the Archdiocese to publicize the names of all those who did not sponsor this legislation and remind the people of the Archdiocese who are and are not our friends.