MD ranked WORST state for personal freedom (high crime, university)

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Same with smoking pot, or the ability to drill wells, or install fire alarms without a license.

I don't know, licensing people for things like well drilling and fire alarm installation makes sense to me. Those are a couple of areas where things can go south real quick if not done correctly by someone who has passed a least a minimum standard.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

I don't know, licensing people for things like well drilling and fire alarm installation makes sense to me. Those are a couple of areas where things can go south real quick if not done correctly by someone who has passed a least a minimum standard.

I agree. I want licensed people before the drill wells or install fire alarms in buildings.

[marska]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I agree. I want licensed people before the drill wells or install fire alarms in buildings.

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Same with smoking pot, or the ability to drill wells, or install fire alarms without a license.

Smoking pot Batman! Saw 5 alarm fire but no fire alarm installed so drilled well but water against the law.

[ToneGrail]

Originally Posted by marska

Well, well. From the frying pan into the fire.

According to the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Maryland ranks a terrible 43 out of 50 in overall freedom, 28/50 in economic freedom and 50/50 in personal freedom.

Maryland | Mercatus

• #43 Overall
• #28 Economic
• #50 Personal

Larger numbers indicate a less-free state, smaller numbers a more free state.

Analysis:

Maryland’s impositions on personal freedom include the second-strictest gun laws in the country,

fairly harsh marijuana laws (except that the first offense of high-level possession is a misdemeanor, and there is a weak medical-marijuana law),

extensive auto and road regulations, tight gambling laws, a law allowing police to take DNA from certain felony arrestees,
burdensome homeschooling laws (curricula must be approved by the government), high drug-arrest rates, and lack of same-sex partnerships.

On the regulatory side,
centralized land-use planning is very advanced,
labor regulation is severe,
health insurance coverage mandates add a whopping 50.9 percent to the cost of policies,

occupational licensing is much more pervasive than average,
and eminent domain abuse is almost totally unchecked.

Total smoking bans were enacted recently, and cigarette taxes have been hiked dramatically.

However, taxes on beer, wine, and spirits are fairly low, and overall Maryland has one of the least restrictive alcohol control systems in the country.

Policy Recommendations

1. Legalize same-sex civil unions.
2. Strengthen the medical-marijuana law and decriminalize low-level possession.
3. Roll back occupational licensing. Examples of licensed professions not always licensed elsewhere include audiologists, occupational-therapist assistants, private investigators, bartenders, tree trimmers, embalmers, well-drilling journeymen, fire-alarm and security-system installers, and boiler operators.

4. Loosen up the onerous gun laws that give criminals a monopoly on deadly force and render the law-abiding citizens defenseless.

[uggabugga]

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

4. Loosen up the onerous gun laws that give criminals a monopoly on deadly force and render the law-abiding citizens defenseless.

amen.

[Shadowlynx]

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

4. Loosen up the onerous gun laws that give criminals a monopoly on deadly force and render the law-abiding citizens defenseless.

Amen to that! Gun laws are a moot point until you can disarm the criminal element. You can't, so gun laws only take guns away from those who are responsible enough to safely own them in the first place. I'm not a right winger by any stretch of the imagination, but I do value the right to protect myself and those I love.

[marska]

Originally Posted by HurricaneDC

The net gain in freedom or whatever would still be positive though, unless you consider "freedom from gays marrying" to be a legitimate freedom lol.

so there's the rub

[Carameldude]

I'm not suprised

[sowens77]

I would agree with that, anybody ever notice the amount of police we have? State Police, Local, County, Sheriff, Town, City, University, Tunnel Cops, HUD Police, etc. It's surprising with all of that police we still have high crime.

Update, they did raise the liquor taxes 50% along with raising Property Tax, Income Tax, Sales Tax, Corporation Tax, Fuel Tax, Registration Fees, Licensing Fees, Business Fees, Cigarette Tax and of course the Lotto & Slots, which are basically a tax on the poor.

[reiflame]

As a gun owner, I will say that Maryland does not have the "2nd strictest gun laws". California, NY, NJ, Hawaii and Massachusetts are all worse. So we've got the 6th strictest.