A stunning loss for the working poor of Maryland

As predicted, the so-called "fair share" health care bill passed yesterday:

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Maryland has become the first state in the nation to require Wal-Mart to spend more on employee health care or pay the difference into the state's Medicaid fund. Similar laws may be coming elsewhere.

Maryland is racking up some extraordinary firsts. Here are some others:

This is going to have a chilling effect on business in the Old Line State - while the ink is drying on this bill, the socialist lobbyists are trying to figure out how to extend this to smaller businesses, and also how to add more state mandated benefits. Maybe mandatory company-paid daycare? The sky's the limit when socking it to eeevil business.

Of course, this will ultimately hurt consumers - the poor shop at Wal-Mart in droves, and they're going to love the new higher prices imposed to help pay for this new government mandate. At least until Wal-Mart loses market share to smaller companies unsaddled with the requirements of the "fair share" bill, who can now compete with the retail giant due to the unfair advantage Maryland has gifted them. Then Wal-Mart will simply cut jobs and facilities until it hurts less. UFCW should have greased Mike Miller and Michael Busch for a job security bill first.

It's even going to hurt the UFCW - if the state can force these kinds of requirements on employers, who needs unions?

And last, this will not help lower the cost of health care for anyone. Indeed, since the medical insurers know what Wal-Mart's required by law to spend, there's no incentive to negotiate when setting rates.

Just about any way you look at it, Maryland has now become one of the most business-unfriendly states in the union. And the liberals in the Maryland's General Assembly did it solely to pander to the unions and other socialist special interests.

Happy New Year, Maryland. Texas beckons.