Your Money is THEIR Money

Christmas is approaching and what a joyous time it is. It's when families gather to exchange gift cards, because as a society we've become too damn lazy to make those educated purchases. Though it makes a parent proud to hear their children talking, "which gift cards did you get? I got..."

However, don't forget about those old gift cards and gift certificates. Hurry up and spend them. Otherwise, State Comptroller Peter Franchot will come 'a knockin'. You see, in the Special Session, some sneaky Democrats slipped in House Bill 30. What is House Bill 30 you ask?

It reads as follows:

Establishing the Maryland Education Fund; providing that after a specified date, the balance remaining on a gift certificate shall be presumed abandoned; requiring a person that sells or issues a gift certificate in the State to remit to the Comptroller the remaining balance on gift certificates on or before a specified date each year; etc.

For those of you that attended Baltimore City public schools and don't understand this bill, it means that the if you do not spend you gift certificate after 4 years, the State of Maryland will confiscate the balance for their own use. It is no longer your property. It is no longer the property of the company that issued the gift certificate. It is the property of the State.

Have you ever read 1984 by George Orwell? You might want to do so. The State of Maryland is watching you.

Who submitted this bill? You can pretty much bet that if you live in Montgomery County, Prince George's County, or Baltimore City, you delegate voted to confiscate your personal property.

Here are the sponsors of the bill. Do you know your delegate?
Delegate Joseline A. Pena-Melnyk, District 21 - Prince George's County - Laurel
Delegate Ben Barnes, District 21 - Prince George's County - Laurel
Delegate Aisha N. Braveboy, District 25 - Prince George's County -
Delegate Rudolph C. Cane, District 37A - Dorchester / Wicomico County
Delegate Frank M. Conaway, Jr., District 40 - Central Baltimore City
Delegate Barbara Frush, District 21 - Prince George's County
Delegate Tawanna P. Gaines, District 22 - Prince George's County
Delegate Cheryl D. Glenn, District 45 - east Baltimore City
Delegate Peter A. Hammen, District 46 - South and southeast Baltimore City
Delegate Marvin E. Holmes, Jr., District 23B - Prince George's County
Delegate Tom Hucker, District 20 - Montgomerty County
Delegate Jolene Ivey, District 47 - Prince George's County
Delegate Anne R. Kaiser, District 14 - Montgomery County
Delegate Susan C. Lee, District 16 - Montgomery County
Delegate Gerron S. Levi, District 23A - Prince George's County
Delegate Maggie McIntosh, District 43 - north central Baltimore City
Delegate Dan K. Morhaim, District 11 - western Baltimore County - (Owings Mills, Pikesville, Reisterstown)
Delegate Peter Murphy, District 28 - Charles County
Delegate Nathaniel T. Oaks, District 41 - northwest Baltimore City
Delegate Craig L. Rice, District 15 - Montgomery County
Delegate Barbara Robinson, District 40 - central Baltimore City
Delegate Justin D. Ross, District 22 - Prince George's County
Delegate Melvin L. Stukes, District 44 - west Baltimore City
Delegate Veronica Turner, District 26 - Prince George's County
Delegate Michael L. Vaughn, District 24 - Prince George's County
Delegate Jay Walker, District 26 - Prince George's County