When the General Assembly convened in Annapolis in January, the legislators were informed that state spending for 2010 was on a trajectory to exceed expected tax revenues by a whopping $2.1 billion.

A short time later, as the economy headed farther south, revenue estimates were cut by another $700 million, resulting in a revised shortfall of $2.8 billion. That's about $1,300 for every Maryland household.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Gov. Martin O'Malley and the budget committees in the legislature worked diligently to bring the budget into some semblance of balance. The solution agreed upon will in fact get the job...