Helping Working Families Through Tough Times
So many families across our State have shown a remarkable resiliency ever since the crisis hit. It’s our sacred responsibility to stand up and fight for them. It’s time to answer the call of our new President, Barack Obama, who says so eloquently that ‘we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
Governor Martin O’Malley is committed to helping Maryland’s families come through this national economic crisis. While these are not easy times for many families, Governor O’Malley has strengthened Maryland’s safety net to provide critical services for those in need.
For more information on foreclosure prevention, job training, and other services that the State of Maryland provides, visit www.problemsolver.maryland.gov.
Preventing foreclosures: Maryland has become a national model for minimizing the number of home foreclosures. The O’Malley-Brown Administration has put together a broad coalition of advocates, counselors, spiritual leaders and more than 700 pro-bono lawyers that help keep Maryland’s hard working families in their homes.
Eliminating childhood hunger: By the year 2015, childhood hunger in Maryland will be no more. With school breakfast, lunch and year-round summer food programs, Maryland and non-profit organization Share Our Strength are ensuring that every child has nutritious food on a daily basis.
Providing unemployment insurance to part time workers: Prior to legislation sponsored by Gov. O’Malley, 420,000 part-time workers in Maryland were not able to receive unemployment benefits for temporary job loss. These same workers were paying into the unemployment insurance system without being able to receive any money from the critical safety net program.
Improving the unemployment benefit system: To provide unemployed Marylanders their benefits more quickly, the O’Malley-Brown administration began providing financial support through prepaid debit cards and direct deposit. This move not only made it more convenient for families transitioning between jobs, but also saved the state $400,000.
Helping unemployed Marylanders find new jobs: The O’Malley Brown Administration is committed to funding our network of 33 One Stop Career Centers in every region of the state to provide important career and job resources like resume writing and computer workshops.
Keeping horse racing industry jobs in Maryland: The O’Malley-Brown administration made sure that the state has options to keep the tradition of the Preakness and the industry that surrounds it in the state of Maryland.
Taking a hard line on workplace fraud: Gov. O’Malley sponsored legislation that will crack down on employers who use loopholes to give themselves an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses. This bill will save Maryland taxpayers almost $100 million every year.
Instituting Fair Share fees for contracts: Thanks to new legislation, everyone who benefits from a state contract will now share in the costs of obtaining it – providing unions and workers with the resources to weather the economic downturn.
Mandating living wages on state contract work: Employers working on state contracts must pay their employees a fair living wage that will allow them to support their families. Maryland was the first state in the nation to do so.
Increasing grants to Minority- and Women-owned businesses: State awards to such businesses increased by over $300 million since Gov. O’Malley took office.
Preparing for Base Realignment and Closure: Led by Lt. Governor Brown, Maryland has set up five “BRAC Zones” that will help prepare for BRAC-related growth opportunities.
Creating 100,000 new green jobs: The Maryland Clean Energy Center, which was launched by Gov. O’Malley earlier this year, will lead up the mission to create 100,000 new green jobs statewide with increased investment in clean energy technologies.
Investing in home energy assistance: A record $132 million is being invested by the O’Malley-Brown administration, so that every family will be able to keep their service connected during a period of financial hardship.
Securing more than $2 billion in rate relief: After restoring professional regulators to Maryland’s Public Service Commission and leading a lawsuit to give consumers the same competitiveness as big energy companies, Maryland’s rates have gone down dramatically.
Holding the first-ever carbon credits auction: In order to invest in the research and development of clean, efficient energy technologies like solar and wind, Maryland held an auction that netted $136 million that will be used to fund the Strategic Energy Investment Fund that helps families install energy-saving appliances and get free home energy audits.
The effects of the nation's economic hardship are hitting Maryland hard. We're fighting every day to protect Maryland’s families during these tough economic times. We’re also working every day to make sure that government and its programs work for people.
