O'Malley joins Obama for jobs bill signing
Gov. Martin O'Malley was among Democratic leaders who joined President Barack Obama today at the White House for the signing of a bill aimed at helping small businesses.
O'Malley was invited because part of the federal bill -- a government guarantee of private loans to small businesses -- was patterned after a provision used in Maryland, according to aides to the governor.
The federal legislation will provide $1.5 billion to expand the capacity of small business loan guarantee programs that Maryland and 33 other states and U.S. territories now have, according to a statement from O'Malley's office.
“Maryland was pleased to play a role in helping to craft this legislation and working with our federal partners to move it forward,allowing our small businesses to once again focus on growing and creating jobs," O'Malley said in a statement.
O'Malley has signed into law several measures meant to foster jobs and improve conditions for businesses that have struggled in a tough national economy. But the programs' effectiveness has been questionable. Two months of job losses show, as O'Malley has acknowledged, that the state has a way to go on the recovery front.
O'Malley wrote in an August commentary in The Washington Post that the Maryland Small Business Credit Recovery Program helped "save and create more than 400 jobs."
This week, his administration will launch a series of workshops to raise awareness about the loan guarantees.
The Sun's Jamie Smith Hopkins recently wrote about how relatively few employers have taken advantage of a $5,000 tax credit they can claim when hiring out-of-work Marylanders. In six months, 10 percent of the $20 million the state budgeted has been used. The tax credit has helped put 350 unemployed people back to work.
Comments
Obama and O'Malley love labels. Jobs bills mean jobs. The Dept of Education's top down Race to the Top bribe program means schools are at the top. Spending $5billion on the Chesapeake Bay over 20 yrs of liberal EPA and MD Resources oversight results in a dead zone Bay, but we must spend more on the Environment.And of course we are fighting for peace in Afghanistan by killing the civilian population there which supports the Taliban. Obviously the Afghans are not graduates of MD's top school system, so they don't know they are ignorant, unlike our educated President and Governor. Love those Labels!
Posted by: Didactic1 | September 28, 2010 10:30 AM
"O'Malley wrote in an August commentary in The Washington Post that the Maryland Small Business Credit Recovery Program helped "save and create more than 400 jobs."
Then he preceded to fudge the numbers.
Posted by: Carole | September 28, 2010 11:37 AM
You would think if O'Malley wanted to be re-elected he would distance himself from O'Bama. Instead he joins him in supporting more out of control government spending. If they really wanted to help small busineees they would cut taxes.
Posted by: leon | September 28, 2010 11:52 AM
Looks like the Republican’s here forgot to take their meds again!
Regarding rambling post from Didactic1: “20 yrs of liberal EPA”? Is that supposed to be funny? You're joking, right? The liberal Bush Admin stacked the EPA with environmentalists? Right. The polluters aren't responsible for polluting, it's the EPA's fault for not stoping them. Likewise, you can’t be serious about labels. Not only did Bush and the Republicans label everything (including “Mission Accomplished!”), their labels were totally Orwellian: “No Child Left Behind” which left practically every child behind; “The Patriot Act” which allowed American’s to be spied on… and who could forget the “Clear Skies Act” which allowed corporate polluters to step up their polluting!
To Carole: By fudging the numbers, you mean like Ehrlich fudges his entire 4 year record of raising taxes, hiking tuition, increasing spending and the size of government, playing golf and helping make his crony lobbyist buddies richer? Like how Ehrlich makes campaign promises but doesn't say how he will pay for them?
To leon: Um it’s “Obama” not “O’Bama”. Too hard for you to figure out? And I suppose you were railing against the “out of control government spending” during the Bush Administration, which I’m sure you are aware was responsible for the majority of the current federal deficit, right? I’m sure you also realize that Supply-Side Voodoo Economics has been proven to be a sham, right? Cutting taxes only makes the rich richer. Where were all the jobs that, by your bogus theory, should have been created by the Bush and Obama tax cuts? The unemployment rate goes up after tax cuts, not down. Increasing demand for products or services is the only thing that can permanently help businesses grow. Also, need I point out your hypocracy of talking about out of control spending then advocating for more tax giveaways? How would you pay for them without increasing the deficit?
Posted by: SpinBuster | September 29, 2010 9:15 PM
I have been out of work because of Omalley and his anti business ideaology. He managed to run many of my customers out of Maryland or out of business in the high tech industry. No matter what he says or deos (including NObama) will EVER make a differewnce. They dont know businesses and how it works nor will they evern know...Both need to be impeached.
Posted by: bruce | September 12, 2011 10:40 AM