ImIanSchlakman.IamaresidentofDistrict45andIamheretodayMr.

Chairman,insupportofSB940.ImasmallbusinessownerfromtheStation
North/BelvedereareaofBaltimore.MywifeandIhaveasmallbusinessthat
doestechnologyconsultingforschoolsandstartupsintheBaltimorearea.Im
alsoafellowwiththeInstituteforPolicyStudies,wheremycohortsandmyself
studiedNewEconomicPolicyandhowitcanhelpmakeabrightermorevibrant,
localeconomyforallofMaryland.

Iwantedtosubmittestimonytodayspecificallyaboutthebenefitsandeconomic
resultsofincreasingtheminimumwage.Wenowhaveexamplesfromcitieslike
Seattleaboutwhathappenswhenyoubeginimplementingaregionalwage
increaseto$15anhourminimumwage.

Manyopponentstoa$15anhourminimumwageincreaseciteconcernsofjob
lossasoneofthemajorreasonstoopposeit.Conservativeorganizationsoften
liketospeculatethatspecificallythefoodandbeverageindustrywillbehardhit
byanyincreaseintheminimumwage,especiallyanincreaseto$15perhour.

ButnowthedataisinfromSeattleandtheresultsareverypositive.TheFederal
ReserveBankofSt.Louishascrunchedthenumbersontherestaurantindustry1
andthousandsofjobshavebeenaddedtotheSeattleareainthepastyear.The
startoftheminimumwageincreasesthatwillgetthemto$15anhourbeganin
April2015.NowthatwereinmidMarchwenowhave11monthsofdatathat
showtheimmediateeffectof$15perhourandwereseeinganincreaseinjobs,
notadecline.

CornellSchoolofHospitalityhasalsoreportedonandpublishedtheirownstudy
aboutminimumwageincreasesandtherestaurantindustry2.Ithinktheresulting
paperfromCornellsDr.MichaelLynnandChristopherBoonetitled
Have
MinimumWageIncreasesHurttheRestaurantIndustry?TheEvidenceSaysNo!3

"AllEmployees:FoodServicesandDrinkingPlacesinSeattle."2015.17Mar.2016
<
https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/SMU53426607072200001SA
>
2
"CornellStudyFindsLittleDamagetoRestaurantIndustry..."2015.17Mar.2016
<
http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4073400.html
>
3
Lynn,M."HaveMinimumWageIncreasesHurttheRestaurantIndustry?."2015.
<
http://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/chrreports/2/
>

(PDF)4speaksforitself,andIencouragethecommitteetolookatthefindingsfor
themselvesasIvelinkedtoitinmywrittentestimony.Thefiscallyconservative
ForbesmagazinehasalsoreportedontheneweconomicdataoutofSeattle
writing
SeattleFoodJobsSoarAfter$11MinimumWageStarts5 whichis
Seattlesfirststepintheir$15anhourminimumwagelaw.

Nowthatwehavemoredatatolookto6fromexamplesinothercities,itstime
thatwehereinMarylandstartplanningourownpathto$15anhour.Whilewere
stillwaitingonour$10.10lawtotakeeffectwehaveanobligationtobeforward
thinkinghereandadmitthatonly$15anhourtiedtoinflation7 willtrulybe
enoughtoguaranteeeconomicequalityforanyonethatfindsthemselves
suddenlyneedingtoworkaminimumwagejob.

AstheNewYorkTimesrecentlypointedout8 ,someoneworkingfulltimeina$20
anhourjobinourpooreststateswilljustbarelyhaveenoughmoneyforthe
essentialsandrentrequiredforjustoneperson.SohereinMaryland,where
manyofusfaceincreasesinrentandcostoflivingeveryyear,itstimethatwe
stopturningablindeyetotheplightofworkerstryingtoraiseafamilyon
minimumwageandincreaseittoatleast$15anhourassoonaspossible.

Ithankthecommitteeforitstimeandconsideration.
Iurgeafavorable
reportonSB940

Lynn,M."HaveMinimumWageIncreasesHurttheRestaurantIndustry?."2015.
<
http://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=chrreports
>
5
"SeattleFoodJobsSoarAfter$11MinimumWageStarts..."2016.17Mar.2016
<
http://www.forbes.com/sites/eriksherman/2016/01/08/seattlefoodjobssoarafter11minimumwagestarts/
>
6
"RaisingRestaurantWorkers'WagesWon'tCause...TakePart."2015.17Mar.2016
<
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/12/24/restaurantwages
>
7
"Thinka$15MinimumWageisTooHigh?HuffingtonPost."2016.17Mar.2016
<
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/benspielberg/thinka15minimumwagei_b_9062534.html
>
8
"NewMinimumWagesintheNewYearTheNewYorkTimes."2015.17Mar.2016
<
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/opinion/sunday/newminimumwagesinthenewyear.html
>