Issue Position: Economy and Jobs

Issue Position

As your Delegate, my focus in Annapolis will be on strengthening the economic well-being of our community and state. Creating jobs, supporting our public schools and building public transit networks are all essential to move our economy forward. As we slowly emerge from the Great Recession, it is vital that our state develop strategies to spur innovation, attract new jobs, and ensure that those hit hardest by the economic downturn can find a place to live and work in our community.
My plan to strengthen our community's economy:

Expanding Opportunities for Small Businesses to Thrive
According to the United States Small Business Administration, 97.5% of all employers in Maryland are small businesses. These employers range from the "Mom and Pop" restaurants and shops like Kefa Café and Zeds that make our favorite dishes to high-tech startups developing the newest app.
I support increased funding and expanded eligibility for Maryland's Small Business Reserve Program and Maryland's Minority Business Enterprise Program. These programs allow small businesses to compete amongst themselves for government work rather than with big businesses and ultimately bring innovative companies and high-paying jobs to Maryland.

Protecting Working Families
Raising the minimum wage is a critical component to growing our economy and protecting working families. Maryland's current minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which, if working a full 40 hour work week, amounts to only $15,080 a year. As of 2013, the District of Columbia and 19 states have higher minimum wages, while Maryland has one of the highest costs of living in the U.S. I strongly support tying Maryland's minimum wage to inflation, which will give working families a fighting chance at living near their workplaces. Ten other states have already tied their minimum wage to inflation with tremendous results. Tying the minimum wage to inflation (also called "indexing") also provides critical protection from rising costs for low wage earners. When low wage workers are not protected from inflation, their purchasing power decreases thereby demising their ability to purchase essential goods and services they might otherwise be in the market for. I am a strong proponent of increasing the minimum wage and will make it a top priority my first term in office.

Supporting Today's Workforce and Tomorrow's Talent
While Montgomery County spends $2.5 billion a year to educate the next generation of talent, many of those who have come through the school system leave for college and never return as residents and homeowners. When tomorrow's builders, planners, thinkers and leaders move away, Montgomery County loses its greatest resource: its people.
In order to address these issues, County Executive Ike Leggett formed the Nighttime Economy Task Force, on which I serve as Chair of the Public Safety Committee. I believe that in order to have a strong nighttime economy, there must be good jobs for Maryland's highly educated workforce to step into. The General Assembly must do more to create policies that will attract the next generation, like increasing funding for the small business reserve, and I'm proud to be serving in a capacity to make that goal a reality.
Tomorrow's talent also must have an opportunity to excel in a high-tech world. That's why I will advocate for increased state support for affordable options like Montgomery College, and other institutions of higher education in Montgomery County like the Universities at Shady Grove. I understand firsthand how important education is to succeeding in today's demanding job market, and that's why keeping tuition affordable at our top-notch local institutions is a major policy priority of mine.

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