ANNAPOLIS – Maryland Republican Party Chairman Alex X. Mooney issued the following statement today in response to Maryland’s dismal January jobs report:

“Unemployment numbers released today show Governor O’Malley’s tax and spend policies have failed to put Marylanders back to work.  While Governor O’Malley gallivants around the country cheerleading for Democratic Governors in other states, Maryland has suffered the fifth worst job losses in the nation.  Making matters worse, O’Malley’s talk about job growth throughout 2010 has proven to be nothing more than rhetoric, with the Department of Labor revising their statistics to show only 4,600 jobs created over the last year.  Sadly with O’Malley’s own political ambitions dominating his agenda, unemployed Marylanders are stuck with a governor who cares more about furthering his career than putting them back to work.”

O’Malley’s out of touch with Maryland’s unemployment situation

Rhetoric – December 2010, O’Malley touts 36,000 jobs created since the beginning of 2010, claims Maryland is better off than the rest of the nation. “Last month’s jobs report shows Maryland continues to add jobs at twice the rate of the rest of the nation.” (Governor O’Malley, Statement from Governor Martin O'Malley on the Gain of 2,100 Jobs in November, 12/17/2010)

Reality – Revised job figures show only 4,600 jobs created in Maryland over the past year. Maryland has just 4,600 more jobs now than it did a year ago, according to new figures from the federal government. That's a sharp revision downward from the employment gains initially reported in 2010.  (Jamie Smith Hopkins, “Md. job numbers fall by 7,100 in January,” Baltimore Sun, 3/10/11)

Reality – In January, Maryland Lost 7,100 Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 3/10/10)

Reality – Since Martin O’Malley Became Governor Of Maryland The State Has Lost 101,700 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Doubled. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 3/10/10)

Despite the dismal jobs report, O’Malley has better things to do

While the Labor Department announces 7,100 jobs lost in Maryland, Governor O’Malley instead issues press release attacking Wisconsin Governor Walker for not focusing on jobs. Democratic governors are faced with the same challenges facing Republican governors like Scott Walker, but we understand that our primary goal should be bringing people together to create new jobs.  (Governor Martin O’Malley, “Press Release: DGA Chair O'Malley Condemns Wisconsin Power Grab,” DGA, 3/10/11)

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