MD Senate Proposes More Cuts in Bay Restoration Funding

 Bay Foundation says proposed budget cuts in Annapolis are threatening bay restoration efforts.

The foundation says the governor has already proposed diverting $23 million from the $48 million Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. A Senate subcommittee voted Tuesday to further reduce the fund by $4.4 million. The foundation says that would make it impossible for the state to meet its obligations to restore the bay.

The head of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Maryland says the public is fed up with legislative raids on funds meant for specific purposes. Alison Prost says the trust fund was created in 2007 to accelerate bay restoration and the state's cleanup plans filed with the federal Environmental Protection Agency rely heavily on the fund.

It's true that the MD public is fed up with with the continuing raids on money allocated for particular purposes for the general funds of the state. They either have to cut some general fund spending or raise taxes to halt the practice.  Neither option will make them many friends generally, though, so expect continued raids until they run out of other money to steal.