Constitution of Maryland - Essay Example

?Constitution of Maryland The of Maryland has had four constitutions to with the first constitution drafted and ratified at the time of the Revolutionary War in 1776. The current constitution being used in the state was adopted in 1867, and was amended in 2010. (Maryland State Archives, 2011) The constitution of Maryland consists of 19 articles, and just like any other constitution in the world, the constitution of Maryland has a Declaration of Rights incorporated in its constitution. Also stipulated in the constitution are the functions of each department, namely the executive department, the judicial department and the legislative department. As part of a democratic country, the government’s power rest on the people. (MSA, 2011) This means that the people have the right to vote for their leaders and the right to voice out their concerns. They also have rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The highest official in the state is the governor. Once elected, the governor is expected to act according to what the people want him to do. All services are also implemented through the approval of the governor and the legislative department. (MSA, 20110) The government of Maryland offers various services for the people, such as free public school education, health services and judicial services. These services are funded by the government through the taxes paid by the citizens. The judicial power of the state is vested on the Court of Appeals, which is composed of seven judges. Under the Court of Appeals, there are different circuit courts and district courts. (MSA, 2011) The citizens can avail the services of the judiciary department by filing complaints on any legal manner to the appropriate court. (Maryland Judiciary, 2006) All manners of complaints are accepted by the judiciary, such as for crimes, civil claims, child support, divorce and others. The citizen who needs assistance form any court should fill up a form and submit it to the appropriate court. For example, if a citizen is filing for divorce, he or she must fill up a domestic relations form and submit it to the family services department of the district court in his or her place of residence. After this process, the citizen would have to wait for the documents that he or she has to provide in order for the divorce to push through.(Maryland Judiciary, 2006) The length of time for any legal process depends on the complaints. There is a chance that crimes may require more time than divorces. In cases when the district courts cannot handle a given complaint, or if it requires further legal intervention, then the complaint would have to be passed on to the Court of Appeals. (Maryland Judiciary, 2011) The government also provides social services for families like children’s health care program, emergency assistance for families with children, child care program, and even burial assistance for those families who lost their children. The government also provides temporary cash assistance and refugee cash assistance for those in need. The government also provides public assistance for the elderly and the disabled. To some extent, the government can also help in providing jobs for those who are unemployed. (Maryland.gov, n.d.) One important service that the government provides to its citizens is the Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA). Implemented by the Department of Human Resources, this program provides cash assistance to needy families with dependent children, and who cannot provide for the family’s needs. (Department of Human Resources, Maryland.gov. n.d.) Those families whose incomes do not exceed $ 2,000 are entitled to receive cash assistance from the government. In terms of education, the government provides several programs to help students. Aside from the free public school system, the government of Maryland also provides scholarship grants to students who fall under certain categories. The government also has a college savings plan, wherein the students choose a specific college plan that suits the family’s income. (Maryland.gov, n.d.) A government must rely on taxes in order to survive, and thus, taxes are essential for a government to perform its duties. It is then the duty of the citizens to pay taxes. However, a government cannot solely rely on taxes. It must also develop different strategies in order to earn income for the state. Major sources of funding for the government of Maryland are investment and taxes. These funds, in turn, are used to provide services for the citizens. According to the General Fund Budget Summary of the Government of Maryland for 2011, the government must earn $ 344,008,024 in revenues. Majority of the revenue comes from taxes, with sales taxes giving the highest revenue (35,800,000), followed by individual income tax (2,500,000). (General Fund Budget Summary, 2011) This amount would then be allocated for different purposes, such as for agriculture, business, charity, environment, education and families. (Tax Expenditures Report, 2010) A big part of the budget goes to families, with 1.065 million US dollars on tax expenditure allocated for services and exemptions such as exemptions from inheritance taxes, and excise taxes. The second highest tax allocation goes to the housing sector, at $ 642.6 million. (Tax Expenditures Report, 2010) The current government of Maryland under Governor Martin O’Malley and Lt. Governor, Anthony Brown works hard to improve the financial condition of the state by lessening expenditures and increasing revenues. The government is also working hard to provide better services for the people. As can be found in the official website of the government, the O’Malley-Brown administration succeeded in lessening the expenditures of the government by implementing spending reductions and abolishing unnecessary positions in the bureaucracy. The government has also invested billions of dollars on the renovation of classrooms and schools, as well as to services for the people. It is clearly shown in this table that the O’Malley-Brown administration gives importance on educational and health services for the people. The constitution of Maryland, just like any other constitution, is the ideal guidebook for both leaders and citizens. It gives instructions for leaders on how to serve the people, and it informs the citizens of their rights and duties to the state. If everything that is written down on the constitution will be followed and implemented, then Maryland would be the most ideal state in the US. It is common knowledge that it is impossible to follow everything that is written down on the constitution; however, this must not prevent the leaders from trying their best to serve the people. References Department of Budget and Management. Tax Expenditures Report. 2010 Department of Budget and Management. General Fund Budget Summary. 2011 Maryland State Archives. 2011 Official Website of the Government of Maryland. No date available Read More