The Patriot Post® · Breaking: Democrat Rejects Minimum Wage Hike

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh performed quite an admirable miracle this week: She opted against raising the city’s minimum wage. This is surprising for several reasons. One, she’s a Democrat, and the majority of Democrats push the flawed narrative that a “living wage” (their term) is an economic cure. Two, as The Wall Street Journal notes, “she had campaigned in favor of raising the minimum wage, which shows that economic reality can be a powerful educator.” Mayor Pugh’s rationale?

> She explained her change of heart by noting that raising the rate above the $8.75 an hour minimum that prevails in the rest of Maryland would send jobs and tax revenue out of Baltimore to surrounding counties. The increase would also have raised the city’s payroll costs by $116 million over the next four years when she’s already coping with a deficit of $130 million in the education budget.

Perhaps she looked at the results in Seattle, where a University of Washington study discovered that job-seekers were jolting to the suburbs at “an elevated rate compared to historical patterns.” Municipal employment didn’t materialize like minimum wage advocates expected. At least someone in Baltimore seems to have discovered some common sense. The frivolous Freddie Gray trial provided a harrowing glimpse into the city’s errant leadership. Perhaps change is in the works. From a Democrat, no less.