As Rod Blum tries to rewrite history and run away from his own positions that he pushed for years as a newspaper columnist, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is holding him accountable for his reckless and out-of-touch agenda by highlighting Rod Blum’s own words.
Today’s example: Rod Blum thinks that raising the minimum wage “hurts” workers, even though Blum himself took a huge bonus after laying off Iowans.
“Whether it’s his willingness to take a big check after laying off workers or his opposition to raising the minimum wage, Rod Blum has made it clear that he’s on the side of the wealthy, not Iowa’s middle class families,” said Brandon Lorenz of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “No matter how hard he tries now, Rod Blum won’t be able to escape his past words opposing raising the minimum wage.”
BACKGROUND:
2005: Blum Criticized Democrats for Wanting to Raise the Minimum Wage and Extending Unemployment Benefits. In 2005, Blum wrote that if Democrats took over the Majority they would “raise the minimum wage, hurting the working poor and those with the fewest skills and the least education. And they’ll extend jobless benefits, a move that in the past has kept unemployment high.” [Telegraph Herald, 11/05/05]
Blum’s Company Reduced Workforce by 28% Between 1996 and 1999. In 1996, Eagle Point Software employed 257 employees. 125 of those employees worked in sales and marketing, 87 worked in product development, and 45 worked in general and administrative functions. By 1999, employment at Eagle Point had fallen to only 184, a 28% reduction over 1996 employment levels. [Eagle Point Software SEC 10-K, 9/27/96 ; Eagle Point Software SEC 10-K, 9/26/97]
Blum’s Company Failed to Create Jobs in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001. In four out of the six years between 1996 and 2001, Eagle Point experienced a net loss of jobs compared to the previous year. [Eagle Point Software SEC 10-K 1996-2001, 9/27/96; 9/26/97; 9/25/98 ; 9/17/99; 9/28/00; 9/14/01]
Blum Received $530K Severance Package. Blum received a $534,505 severance package in accordance with his employment agreement. [Eagle Point Software SEC 10-K, 9/14/01]