Behold, the Power of Politicians

From the Sun: [emphasis mine]

Companies with state service contracts would be required to pay workers a "living wage" under first-in-the-nation legislation that the General Assembly approved yesterday and sent to Gov. Martin O'Malley, who championed the idea on the campaign trail.

Lawmakers gave final passage to the bill on the last day of the session, less than one week after legislative leaders and O'Malley hashed out an agreement to make the proposal palatable to some opponents. The bill, as revised, sets up two pay grades for the workers - at least $11.30 an hour in the Baltimore-Washington corridor and $8.50 an hour in rural areas

[...]

"It doesn't make them rich," said Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, a Charles County Democrat and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "We're just lifting them a little bit more out ... of poverty

First, I'm embarrassed at what I make. Holy shit am I serious. Second, why not make them rich? It seems pretty simple. You just tell employers to pay their employees more money and presto! Everyone is rich. Fire up the money presses!

These last few months have made me yearn for the better days gone by...

The General Assembly passed a living-wage bill three years ago, but it was vetoed by former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who raised concerns about one wage standard being applied statewide. Republicans said that the latest version is still flawed, and some rural lawmakers were upset that their workers would get paid less.

Full article here.