Baltimore's Democratic Mayor Breaks Promise, Vetoes $15 Minimum Wage Bill

[HarmonyRockets]

BALTIMORE – Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh dealt a shattering blow to the Fight for $15 campaign, vetoing a new minimum wage law passed overwhelmingly by the City Council just last week.

The effect was amplified as it quickly became clear that Pugh, a Democrat, had succeeded in lining up the votes necessary to prevent a threatened council override of her veto. Despite the fact that the minimum wage bill passed the council with the support of 12 of its 15 members—enough to override a veto—the solidarity of the pro-Fight for $15 members disintegrated under pressure. According to reports, several supporters of the higher minimum wage switched sides and are now pledging to sustain the mayor’s veto...

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/20005/baltimores_democratic_mayor_breaks_promise_vetoes_15_minimum_wage_bill

[metroins]

1. I haven't trusted a Baltimore mayor

Since O'Malley


And I'm not sure the last one I trusted before him.

[The Wielding Truth]

2. ???? How can we make any progress when there are decisions like this?

[synergie]

9. A first step seems to be trying to understand the decision.

I was going to post the Sun's piece on this, but another has helpfully done that. Please take a look.

[The Wielding Truth]

11. I read the response. She should have still let it pass and found the revenue from another source.

[brooklynite]

3. Here's the reasoning...

Asked Friday about her response to the questionnaire, Pugh said she has been faced with significant unanticipated expenses since taking office in December, including the schools budget deficit.

Reisinger said the cost is especially concerning given the city's outstanding fiscal challenges: a $20 million deficit, a $130 million schools budget shortfall and new spending obligations associated with the U.S. Department of Justice's police consent decree.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/politics/bs-md-ci-pugh-minimum-wage-20170324-story.html

[stevenleser]

6. That makes the decision much harder. It was estimated the increase would cost the city $116 million

when it is already struggling with all those shortfalls.

Minimum wage increases should happen at the state and federal level. They don't make as much sense at the city level for most cities. You're basically begging for people to move their businesses a short distance away over the city line.

NYC where I live is different. It's very disadvantageous to move your business out of manhattan let alone the city itself. But in most cities there isnt as much of a disadvantage.

[NurseJackie]

7. Thank you for the additional information that helps to present a complete picture...

... things are almost always more complex and fluid than they appear to be at first glance.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. Further proof that a party label isn't enouhg

Also from that article:

The veto is the latest in a string of serious blows to the Fight for $15 campaign in Maryland. As reported by In These Times, an effort to enact a local minimum wage in populous Montgomery County went down in flames in January when county executive Ike Leggett vetoed the bill. As in the case in Baltimore, all the important elected leaders in Montgomery County are Democrats, and the higher minimum wage proposal fell because pro-business Democrats split with more progressive Democrats.

[LaydeeBug]

5. She's a right winger, and always has been. She ran as a dem bc a repig doesn't stand a chance here.

we should be talking about the turn coats though

[NurseJackie]

8. Ridiculous! No, she's NOT a "right winger" and NO the council members are not "turn coats".

[LaydeeBug]

10. They're not? She's not? There wasn't a whole lot of daylight between her and Ehrlich

when she was buddying up to him when she ran the first time.

But I appreciate the Judge Judy Meme though.