Creating Better, Higher-Paying Jobs for Maryland

Martin O’Malley believes that everyone should have the opportunity to work and succeed to the best of their ability. Today, job growth has returned to Baltimore, and Time magazine says O’Malley has led the comeback. Martin O’Malley believes that the best way to fulfill these goals is to create better, higher paying jobs and foster an environment where businesses can thrive. Martin O’Malley’s reforms are empowering entrepreneurs in every community and have resulted in record investment in the City of Baltimore and record growth for minority-owned and women-owned businesses in Baltimore.

• Martin O’Malley has attracted over $7 billion in new & planned development in the City of Baltimore.

• Martin O’Malley fought to increase the minimum wage by testifying before the Maryland legislature and even started his own grassroots online campaign to pressure the Governor into signing the minimum wage increase. Unfortunately, the current governor vetoed the minimum wage increase. As a member of the Baltimore City Council, Martin O’Malley was a strong supporter of the City’s Living Wage legislation.

• Martin O’Malley achieved new development in Baltimore by attracting new National Institutes of Health programs and is creating two new Bio-tech parks to bring 1200 new homes, 8,000 jobs and $1.1 billion in economic growth. Martin O’Malley also has attracted record amounts of permitted commercial building projects – from $23 million in 2002 to $488 million in 2004 – an increase of almost 2000%.

• Martin O’Malley’s leadership has helped to nearly double the value of City contracts to minority and women-owned firms. Under Martin O’Malley, minority participation in ownership of Baltimore Development Corporation projects is 72% of the total investment, and there has been a 15-fold increase in the amount of money awarded in minority subcontracts for housing development – from $835,000 in 2000 to $12.8 million in 2004.

• Martin O’Malley forged the historic agreement which spurred a $300 million investment in Baltimore as part of the construction of a 750-room Convention Center hotel, bringing in more high paying construction jobs.

• Martin O’Malley cut property taxes to the lowest level in 30 years, spurring jobs and growth.