Baltimore City will receive none of the $2 billion dollars Governor Hogan pledged to spend on transit in the state of Maryland, cancelling the Red Line project and leaving behind thousands of residents who depend on public transportation. The decision not to move forward with Baltimore City’s east-west light rail line will cost the city thousands of future jobs and expanded economic development, while also eliminating the potential for greater access to healthcare and educational opportunities for a large number of residents. Many were caught off guard by Governor Hogan’s decision, given that hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds had already been spent on the design and engineering of this project. In addition, the state had secured $900 million in federal funds for the project, which would have covered almost one third of its total $2.9 billion costs. With the termination of this project, the state will forfeit…

Working Families in Montgomery County got a big boost when County Executive Ike Leggett signed a new paid sick leave bill into law earlier this month. Beginning October 2016, almost all employers that operate within the county will be required to provide a minimum of seven days of paid sick leave for their full time workers. Small businesses that have fewer than five workers will be required to offer a total of seven days of sick leave for their employees, four paid and three unpaid. “Today is a remarkable moment in Montgomery County history and I want to applaud everybody in this room who contributed to that,” United States Secretary of Labor and former Montgomery County Council Member Tom Perez said at the bill signing ceremony. In his speech, Secretary Perez also thanked Montgomery County on behalf of the president. The bill passed the Montgomery County Council unanimously on June…

The new state budget takes effect July 1 with a number of important details as yet still undecided – leaving local governments and others who rely on the state for various forms of support wondering what the impact on them will be. Usually, by the start of a new fiscal year the budget is firmly in place; where spending is increased or reduced is widely known and those affected by it can plan accordingly. But this year, one of the most important budget decisions is still vague. Governor Hogan has ordered a 2 percent across-the-board cut to state agencies, but he and his agency heads have offered very few details of how these cuts will be implemented. Consequently Marylanders cannot yet evaluate the impact on schools, transportation, public safety, health care, or anything else. The administration has promised only that the legislature will receive details at some point. Another major…

The approach of  Father’s Day is a good time to recognize the importance of two key tax policies that help working dads support their families and build a better future. The federal Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit  have proven to be very effective tools to help make sure children get a good start in life. We need to work together to expand these policies so more Americans get the support they need. In 2012, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 13 million fathers claimed one or both of these credits nationwide. In  Maryland, 181,000 working fathers claimed these credits — receiving much-needed support to many families that struggle to get by. The EITC is  for working people in low-pay jobs. The credit, in effect, reduces the amount of taxes a family owes as it works its way up the economic ladder.  The average size…

The share of Marylanders with health insurance grew at nearly twice the national rate over the past year, showing the effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act  in promoting better health and a stronger economy. From 2013 to 2014, the number of  Marylanders without health coverage declined by 39.5 percent, leaving the share lacking insurance in the state at an all-time low of 7.8 percent, according to Gallup’s Healthways Well-Being Index. Nationwide, the  share of the population without health insurance fell by 20.2 percent. The 13.8 percent of Americans without coverage dropped to the lowest rate across the seven years of the Well-Being Index measurement. Maryland was an early adopter of state options offered by the Affordable Care Act, including implementing a state-based health insurance exchange and expanding Medicaid – both of which enabled far more people to get private or public insurance than previously possible. After overcoming challenges during its…

The increasing cost of higher education forces many Marylanders to borrow large sums to finance their education, creating a drag on Maryland’s economy and workforce. The high cost of college does not reflect the values of Maryland and the policies that helped make the state great. As the price of education has increased, fewer people can afford college and the majority of graduates have student debt. In 2000 only 38 percent of college educations were financed by loans compared to 50 percent in the past four years. To make matters worse, workers now face stagnant wages and an economy still recovering from high unemployment. Their debt and the weak labor market leaves workers vulnerable to economic disaster and keeps them from purchasing a home or saving for retirement. Maryland has done a better job than most states at keeping the cost of higher education relatively stable in recent years, although…

For much of the 20th century, workers increased their productivity and were compensated accordingly, but today’s workers aren’t so lucky. Despite being more productive than ever, employers aren’t sharing the profits with workers, jeopardizing America’s middle class and increasing inequality. From the end of World War II through 1970 American workers became more productive every year, and the increased productivity was matched by increased incomes. This reduced poverty, created a strong middle class, and made the standard of living among America’s middle class the envy of the world. In the 1970s, things began to change. The productivity of American workers continued to increase, but employers didn’t share the benefits with workers and instead let their wages stagnate. Over the past four decades, and particularly since 2000, middle-class incomes have either barely kept up with inflation or lost ground. Instead, nearly all of the benefits of increased productivity have gone to…

Undocumented workers already pay many local and state taxes, particularly the sale tax and property tax. Two recent executive actions might dramatically increase payment of personal income taxes. Yesterday we celebrated Tax Day and what our investments bring us in Maryland. Quality education and healthcare and renewed investments in transportation and infrastructure are a few of the key items that make Maryland a great place to live and raise a family. Maryland may see a boost to its economy in the coming months, when legal status is granted to qualifying immigrants through President Obama’s executive orders. This would allow more immigrants to fully contribute to our economy, increase state revenue, and boost our ability to invest in Maryland’s future. President Obama’s two executive orders, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) , would require undocumented immigrants to comply with…

On April 15th our taxes are due and it’s a good time to pause and consider what we’ve invested in. To build a strong economy and create jobs, we need to invest in what works, like education, transportation, and family friendly workplace policies. Where Our Money Goes Education and health care are where we spend the most in Maryland. The return on our investment is a highly educated, healthy workforce. Nationally, of the 30 careers projected to have the largest job growth from now until 2022, over half of the jobs will require at least an associate’s degree, with 14 job categories requiring at least a bachelor’s degree. To help students get the education they need to compete in the job market, we need quality, affordable education from kindergarten to college. Maryland has made major investments in this area, increasing spending since 2008, while many states have made deep cuts…

Women in Maryland earn less than men, and eliminating the gender wage gap would be an enormous boost to Maryland’s economy. In 1963 when the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, women earned 59 cents on the dollar compared to men. Despite tremendous strides made to eliminate the gender pay gap, nationally women today only earn about 78 cents on the dollar compared to men—a disparity that results in thousands of dollars in lost wages and buying power annually for struggling families. At first glance, it appears that women in Maryland fare much better economically than their counterparts in other states. Women in Maryland have the second-highest earnings ratio compared to men in the entire country at 87.4 percent, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. However, not all Maryland women are thriving, specifically women of color. African-American women on average earn 70 cents for every dollar paid…