King County Metro officials have raised bus driver pay dramatically while neglecting some promised service increases. Now, the wages threaten to cut into existing service.
Transit demand should continue to fall through the year, owing to fuel prices and high unemployment. But the demand for new transit taxes, based on last year's rise in usage, will not go away.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, right, at a rally to raise the state's minimum wage. He recently signed legislation that will increase the wage to $10.10 per hour by 2018.