About Rod D. Martin
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by Brittany Hunter
April 26, 2017
There can be no denying that legislatively speaking, the Fight for Fifteen movement garnered huge wins during the last election cycle both on city and state levels.
Unfortunately, no matter how much success or popularity an initiative manages to earn at the ballot box, there are economic laws that cannot be avoided, even when good intentions are accounted for—something some politicians are starting to figure out.
A Complete 180
Last week, Baltimore’s new Democratic Mayor, Catherine Pugh, surprised her constituents by changing her position on the issue of raising the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.
This came as a shock to those who had previously supported her during her mayoral run when she not only vocally promised to support the legislation, but also said in writing on a union questionnaire that, “I am aware of the current initiative to raise the minimum wage in the City Council to $15 per hour and when it reaches my desk I will sign it.”
However, after she was elected into office and when the minimum legislation did reach the new Baltimore Mayor’s desk, instead of signing the legislation, Mayor Pugh used her power to veto it!
Pugh, who is only four months into her term as mayor, did what many mayors have not taken the time, nor had the courage to do: she actually researched the economic policies set to be implemented in the legislation, and the potential harm these policies could cause in Baltimore.
As a result of what she learned, Pugh decided she could no longer in good conscience support or sign the legislation when the economic repercussions were potentially dangerous enough to harm her entire city.
Show Me the Money
Like many economists who have warned against the raising the minimum wage, Pugh worries that this will do more harm than good for Baltimore businesses.
As businesses are forced to adjust their expenditures in order to provide for these higher wages, many will be forced to cut back on individual employee hours, or cut jobs altogether, whether by moving toward automation or simply downsizing the business’s scale.
In other words, while $15 an hour might sound like a great way to help the country’s lowest-earners, the reality of the situation isn’t so simple. Employers will go out of business if they consistently pay workers more than the revenue their work brings in. If the minimum wage is higher than a worker’s marginal productivity, the employer will have no other choice than to lay him or her off.
Pugh believes that a city-wide raise in the minimum wage could very likely cause Baltimore businesses to shut down if they are unable to afford the higher wages. Additionally, with so many workers vying for these “too good to be true” jobs, many Baltimore residents will likely look for jobs elsewhere, causing many to relocate in nearby Washington D.C. or Virginia, and taking revenue away from the city.
Pugh isn’t the first politician to stand up and question the economic logic behind raising the minimum wage.
In fact, last year as he was signing California’s new minimum wage law into effect, which incrementally raises the minimum wage to $15 by the year 2020, California Governor Jerry Brown said:
“Economically, minimum wages may not make sense. But morally, socially, and politically they make every sense because it binds the community together to make sure parents can take care of their kids.”
However, even though Brown openly admitted that raising the minimum wage “may not make economic sense” he proceeded to sign the bill anyway, rather than face public scrutiny for making an economically sound choice which would have helped ensure parents were not needlessly unemployed and thus unable to “take care of their kids.”
As it stands currently, Baltimore is safe from the wage crusaders, but this will be an ongoing battle as the utopian rhetoric of higher wages clashes with the economic realities of actually putting those policies into action.
— After Studying Basic Economics, Mayor Vetoes Minimum Wage Increase originally appeared at FEE.org.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
