It's 2010 and the election is just around the corner. Our Franchot for Comptroller bumper stickers and t-shirts are in and now is the chance to get yours and help Peter before our critical January 12th deadline.

CONTRIBUTE $10 AND GET A BUMPER STICKER!

CONTRIBUTE $50 OR MORE AND GET A T-SHIRT & A BUMPER STICKER!

We're just about halfway to our $10,000 goal and we have just one week left until our deadline. Make your contribution and watch the crab on the front page of franchot.com fill up!

It's hard to believe it, but 2010 is hours away and we're gearing up for an eventful year. The upcoming session of the Maryland General Assembly begins in less than two weeks; meanwhile, my office is prepared for yet another busy tax filing season.

Help me bring in the 2010 election year! We've already begun to put strong campaign infrastructure in place and I need your help to build on it. Your early investment in my candidacy will help me share my message and record of success with the people of Maryland, while running a vigorous grassroots campaign that we'll need to win in November.

LET'S BUILD ON WHAT WE'VE STARTED AND BRING IN 2010 IN STYLE! MAKE AN EARLY INVESTMENT NOW OF $10, $25, $50 OR MORE!

Together, we've accomplished a great deal. With the support of my outstanding team, I remain committed to making it as easy and convenient as possible for Marylanders to do the right thing and pay their taxes on time. I will continue my work on behalf of fiscal responsibility in Annapolis, supporting efforts throughout state government to eliminate wasteful spending and provide vital services more efficiently.

Finally, I look forward to supporting legislation that will require Maryland students to pass a financial literacy course in order to graduate from high school. This initiative has attracted strong support from students, parents and educators throughout the state, and in the wake of our nation's financial crisis, we need to act now more than ever.

As you know, the fundraising crab is back on our website and we've set a goal of raising $10,000 by January 12th at 11:59pm. Together, I'm confident that we can eclipse that goal.

Your early investment before the January 12th deadline will prove invaluable. Early contributions of $10, $25 and $50 from people who care about fiscally responsible, independent leadership in Annapolis will help us build a winning campaign in every part of the state. I hope you'll join thousands of other Marylanders in support of our campaign.

2010 IS AN ELECTION YEAR! MAKE AN EARLY INVESTMENT NOW OF $10, $25, $50 OR MORE!

If you share my commitment to independent, fiscally responsible leadership, I hope you'll invest in our campaign before the January 12th deadline. 2010 is almost here - now is the time to act.

Thanks so much for your continued support - and Happy New Year!

January 12th is a very important day for Peter's campaign. It's the last day to contribute before Maryland's financial filing period ends.

Just as we did this past September, the crab is back on the front page of Peter's website! When you contribute, the crab fills up toward our ambitious $10,000 goal. There's just over two weeks left until our critical filing period and we need you to contribute now!

FILL THE CRAB! CONTRIBUTE $10, $25, $50 OR MORE TODAY!

When Peter ran for Comptroller four years ago, he promised the people of Maryland that he would serve as an independent voice and a fiscal watchdog. He has kept that promise and, in the process, has made the Comptroller's Office a national model for innovative taxpayer service, tax compliance, and enforcement.

Peter will be running for re-election this year, and will run on his strong record of accomplishment as well as his priorities for the future. With your help, we can show support for Peter throughout the state and send a strong message that we want an independent voice and a fiscal watchdog as our Comptroller.

These are tough economic times. Today, more than ever, we need a fiscally responsible, independent minded Comptroller who protects the interests of Maryland's taxpayers. Now is the time to act. Invest in Peter's campaign before January 12th at 11:59 pm.

FILL THE CRAB! CONTRIBUTE $10, $25, $50 OR MORE TODAY!

From Our Family to Yours...

Have a Warm & Happy Holiday Season!

Peter, Anne, Abbe & Nick

Comptroller Peter Franchot's legal team convinced a U.S. District Court judge to overturn a lower court decision and ensure that the state of Maryland can collect over $600,000 in unpaid taxes and late payment penalties.

According to Joe Shapiro in the Comptroller's Office, "The decision is a clear victory for the comptroller and other taxing authorities because it closes a gap that previously allowed delinquent taxpayers to escape compliance with their legal and tax obligations."

It's the Comptroller's job to crack down on tax cheats and ensure that they meet their obligations. In these tough economic times, the state of Maryland needs every last penny to serve the needs of the people and Comptroller Franchot is working tirelessly to collect unpaid taxes and go after delinquent taxpayers.

In July, Comptroller Peter Franchot announced significant increases in the amount of contraband tobacco and alcohol. In this fiscal year, his agents are not letting up:

A routine traffic stop last week on Interstate 81 in Washington County led to the arrest of a New York man and the confiscation of nearly 14,000 packs of cigarettes, according to the Maryland comptroller’s office.

Maryland State Police Trooper 1st Class Craig Miller stopped a 2004 Toyota Sienna with New York license plates on I-81 near U.S. 40 last Wednesday. Miller and Cpl. Brian Smith of the Hagerstown barrack discovered the driver was transporting a large amount of cigarettes and immediately notified the comptroller’s field enforcement agents about possible illegal activity, according to a release from the comptroller’s office...

Since July 1, Maryland comptroller agents have arrested 48 people for tobacco violations and seized 41,688 packs of contraband cigarettes valued at nearly $260,000, the release said.

Part of the Comptroller's mandate is cracking down on contraband tobacco and alcohol. Peter Franchot takes this mandate quite seriously and the significant increases in confiscations is a testament to his performance.

Yesterday, the Maryland Board of Revenue Estimates released the state's revised revenue forecasts for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011. As Chairman of the Board, my first reaction to this report was one of relief. While revenues continue to decline, I am pleased that our forecasts finally appear to have caught up with economic conditions, and that revenue performance is generally in line with our exceedingly modest expectations.

Read the Full Revenue Report (.pdf).

I certainly don't want to prematurely suggest that stability has been restored - there are just too many variables that are beyond our control - but I am hopeful that the days of massive writedowns are behind us for a while.

My second reaction to the report was one of unbridled caution. It's become fashionable among economists and other drivers of public opinion to announce that the recession has ended and the recovery has begun. Even if that's true, it will take a very long time for the State of Maryland to recover from the catastrophic loss of jobs, homes and financial security. In other words, the blizzard may have let up, but, we have only begun to dig ourselves out.

We must remain cautious. The economy is fueled primarily by consumer spending and cannot truly recover when unemployment is in double digits. People who lost their job or are on the verge of losing their job are not going to maintain their traditional spending habits.

I'm also concerned about the real estate sector. We're about to set another record for home foreclosures and nearly one out of 10 homeowners is now behind by at least a month on their mortgages. One in four mortgages are now ‘underwater' and concerns about the health of the commercial real estate sector are mounting.

Finally, I'm concerned about our national debt which now stands at $12.1 trillion and now exceeds 50% of our nation's Gross Domestic Product. Over these past two years, all of us have experienced the devastating consequences of uncontrolled spending and excessive borrowing. It is now painfully obvious that our federal government is heading down the very same path. This course is unsustainable and left untended, it will end badly, with devastating consequences for both our federal and state economies.

I encourage you to read the latest report and realize that we still have a lot of work to do in the new year to turn our economy around.

Read the Full Revenue Report (.pdf).

Thanks so much for your time.

Robert Lang reports that the Board of Revenue Estimates staff is "cautiously optimistic" that no more spending cuts will be required. Comptroller Peter Franchot is a member of that board. Robert Lang reports on WBAL:

A spokesman for Comptroller Peter Franchot told WBAL News that staff members are crunching numbers and are "cautiously optimistic" that revenue projections will not lead to further spending cuts.

Previous revenue reports has led to $1-billion in spending cuts including furloughs for state workers as well as layoffs of hundreds of workers over the last year.

Legislative leaders are projecting a $1.5-billion budget deficit for the fiscal year that starts in July.

Earlier this week House Speaker Michael Busch told WBAL's C4 that he feels lawmakers will not seek to raise any taxes next year.

There are some lawmakers who want to see an increase in the state's alcoholic beverage taxes, as well as closing a loophole in corporate taxes.

The 3 p.m. meeting will follow the final Board of Public Works meeting of the year.

Numbers will be released this afternoon. Stay tuned.

Yesterday, Comptroller Peter Franchot was the special guest on WBAL's Sunday Q and A. He talks about Maryland's economy and the uneasy job situation.

Watch online!

E-filing taxes is convenient for Marylanders and saves our state money. Earlier this year, Comptroller Peter Franchot pushed Marylanders to e-file and his efforts contributed to a near 10 percent increase in electronic filing compared to last year. Comptroller Franchot:

In these tough economic times, electronic filing is the way to go. It allows taxpayers to conveniently file their taxes using a safe and fast method; while, simultaneously speeding up the process for receiving tax refunds and saving the state money.

Each tax return filed electronically costs the state approximately 38 cents to process; while, every paper return cost nearly $1.95. Since electronic filing was implemented in the early 90’s, Maryland has saved more than $18 million in processing costs.

Today, Comptroller Franchot honored those tax preparation agencies that prepared the highest number of new electronic records in their county or city. The list of honorees is available here. Congratulations!