By Lisa Barkan
Funding for education and other essential services for Marylanders is in serious jeopardy as state leaders argue that drastic cuts are needed to erase a $2.7 billion budget deficit.
But we have a fairer and more humane choice: the Fair Share Plan for Maryland.
This legislative proposal, sponsored by Sen. Shelly L. Hettleman (D-11th) and Del. Julie Palakovich Carr (D-17th), would make Maryland’s tax system more equitable by ensuring that the wealthiest Marylanders pay their fair share and by eliminating loopholes allowing large corporations to avoid paying taxes in Maryland.
I was able to have a rewarding career as an Assistant Attorney General serving Maryland residents because of the strength of my public school education. I was raised in a working-class family and the first person in my immediate family to attend college. My father was a letter carrier who did not finish high school; his family was extremely poor, and his parents were forced to emigrate to the United States to escape pogroms in Russia.
Only one of my father’s 10 siblings attended college — through the G.I. Bill. My mother was a secretary, and my maternal grandmother did not finish high school.
Despite this background — and because of the rigorous education I received in public schools in the 1970s and 1980s — I was prepared for, and did well, at Brandeis University, a highly competitive environment, and at NYU Law School. The education I received enabled me to earn a good living, enter the middle class and lead a life much less stressful than my parents’.
More than Rhetoric
Jewish tradition extols the importance of education and teachers. Per Proverbs 18:15, education is a lifelong endeavor that we engage in for our hearts and our minds: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge and an intelligent ear seeks knowledge.”
Parents are obligated to educate their children (Deuteronomy 6:7).
But such education does not happen in a vacuum. Instead, the Talmud instructs that “teachers are the true guardians of the community” (Talmud Yerushalmi Hagigah 1:7). Societies would cease to function well without teachers. Education is an essential and communal undertaking.
The Maryland General Assembly has recognized that every student must receive a high-quality public education to reach their potential. During 2021, the General Assembly enacted the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a comprehensive plan that would provide every public school student with the tools they need to succeed in this competitive world. Recognizing its significance, state leaders promised to fund the legislation which would make it more than just rhetoric.
But now, some of them are walking this promise back. We should not let them.
The Fair Share Plan would not just fund education; it would ask those who are more fortunate to pay their fair share to support other critical programs and infrastructure, such as programs benefitting renters and people with disabilities.
Our Jewish teachings mandate Jews to care not only for themselves but also others. Practicing tzedakah, engaging in acts of kindness, for others is a core tenet of Judaism. Psalm 82 instructs Jews to “defend the poor and the orphan, deal justly with the poor and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy.”
Communities, as well as individuals, are directed to perform these sacred and powerful acts; “tzedakah exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:31) and “the work of tzedakah shall bring peace” (Isaiah 32:17).
On a personal level, I have experienced the impact of a lack of systemic support that the Fair Share Plan aims to ameliorate.
As a child, my family lived in rental apartments. Even though my parents always paid their rent on time and complied fully with their lease agreement, we were evicted from two apartments. Current budget proposals cut 50% of the funding for eviction prevention programs.
This is not ethical, but we do have a moral solution: ensure that those who can, pay their fair share.
I want young people today to have the same educational opportunities as I did and be spared the challenges I experienced in childhood. This is why I have been working with Jews United for Justice on advocating for the Fair Share for Maryland Plan.
Instead of drastically cutting services, the governor and General Assembly can reform Maryland’s upside-down tax system by passing legislation that would fund our public schools, services for individuals with developmental disabilities, rental assistance, public transit and other critical infrastructure by increasing taxes on the very wealthy and by closing loopholes that only benefit multi-state businesses.
Helping Children Thrive
The Fair Share for Maryland Plan was introduced in 2024 and failed; this year, our leaders have another chance to help create conditions that will allow our children to thrive.
I am grateful for Gov. Wes Moore’s budget proposal that includes some of the elements of the Fair Share Plan, but I entreat our legislators to go one step further and pass the full bill, which Marylanders overwhelmingly support.
A poll administered by the Washington Post/University of Maryland to registered voters revealed that 60% of respondents supported increasing taxes on individuals earning more than $500,000 per year and overwhelmingly opposed budget cuts to programs that help Marylanders, including 65% against cutting the University of Maryland System’s budget and 74% against cutting programs for Marylanders who have developmental disabilities.
Everyone should be able to follow their dreams and live with access to basic needs like housing and education. The legislature and governor should join the overwhelming number of Marylanders who support the Fair Share for Maryland Plan.
It is only fair.
Lisa Barkan is a retired Maryland Assistant Attorney General currently serving as co-chair of the Jews United for Justice Economic Justice Working Group.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Jmore.
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