Maryland Heritage Areas Program Funding Under Attack - Needs Our Help

Partners, Advocates, Elected Officials - we need your help.  The funding for the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority has been proposed to be cut by $1.5 million dollars in the coming legislative session.  That means general matching grants for our region have almost no chance of being funded unless we fight to save these funds.  The good news, if there is any, is that this cut is under the “Budget Reconciliation and Finance Act” or “BRFA.”  (Sounds like “burfa.”) That means the legislature can turn down this proposed cut and keep funding at its full level. 

We need your help by contacting your state legislators. They need to know your projects – past, present and future which will attract visitors and residents; which will bring dollars to their district; and which requires matching funds – are critical to supporting the growth of this region and supporting the transformation through economic development.  We need you to do the thing you are great at – pulling together for heritage - and help save these funds, funds which should be awarded to your organization now and in the future.

ATHA Inc. has been in a re-birth mode.  We are about to roll out some major changes – support for bike tourism, better business connections, the War of 1812 celebration, new tour brochures, improved wayfinding programs, a stronger website, and improved marketing for the region.  Our marketing plan suggests we may be able to increase our visitation by 100,000 in the next two years – representing nearly $10,000,000 in new funds for the region.  Taken another way, those visitors represents as many as 600 new jobs.  Remember Heritage Tourism = Jobs!

Please see information  below – a fact sheet and a committee contact document.  I hope they make the process easier.  I also note that we have a Senate meeting on Friday at 1pm which could use your support if you are available.  If you are interested in attending, please contact me and I can give you the details.  If you are interested in writing a letter, I would be glad to send you a “draft” letter for your editing which might make the process easier. 

Thank you for your time and support and please help save the funds that should be coming back to you!

Aaron

------------

Aaron Marcavitch, Executive Director

Anacostia Trails Heritage Area

4310 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville, MD 20781

301-887-0777 tel / 301-887-1077 fax

www.anacostiatrails.org

www.battleofbladensburg1812.org

Twitter: www.twitter.com/@ATHeritageArea

Facebook keyword: Anacostia Trails Heritage Area

*********************************************

2012 MD State Budget Committees

Contact Information

1

 MARYLAND HERITAGE AREAS PROGRAM

FY2013 Budget Request

Ask the Governor and your Legislators to support funding for the

Maryland Heritage Areas Program

What:

Heritage Areas are places to experience - to see, hear and even taste - the authentic heritage of Maryland in a unique way that you cannot experience anywhere else. Heritage Areas are where the stories of the people, the land and the waters of Maryland, which have been intertwined for thousands of years, are told. In Heritage Areas individuals, businesses, non-profits and governments form partnerships to preserve the best of Maryland’s historic sites and towns, unspoiled natural landscapes and enduring traditions. These tangible links to both place and the past encourage residents to recognize they have a special piece of the American story to treasure and share with others, and that in doing so they create more livable and economically sustainable communities.

Through grants, loans, tax incentives and technical assistance, the Maryland Heritage Areas Program supports the economic well-being of Maryland’s communities by preserving and celebrating the State’s history, cultural traditions and natural resources through partnerships that promote, support and create place-based experiences for visitors and residents alike.

Why:

• SUPPORTING LOCAL PROJECTS: Since its creation in 1996, the Maryland Heritage Areas program has awarded approximately $24.3 million to governments and nonprofit organizations through a competitive grants process for heritage tourism projects.

• LEVERAGING FUNDS: In the last six years, $14,203,876 in Heritage Area grants has leveraged $41,126,235 in non-State matching support – about a 3:1 match!

• RETURN ON INVESTMENT: Every State dollar invested in heritage tourism in Maryland returns $4.61 in tax revenues to State and local governments.

• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The Maryland Heritage Areas Program provides loans and tax credits to small businesses, and also grants to nonprofit and government run historical, cultural and natural area attractions and activities that draw more visitors to Maryland. Studies show these heritage tourists stay longer and spend more money than most visitors.

• PARTNERSHIP BUILDING: Heritage areas support partnership building with regional joint efforts and networking opportunities that leverage funds and focus resources on community priorities.

• TARGETING INVESTMENT: In alignment with statewide priorities, capital grant funding and other financial incentives are directed to Target Investment Zones where there is a high potential to leverage private investment in focused heritage tourism locations with major attractions and clusters of visitor services.

• SAVING MARYLAND FOR MARYLANDERS AND OUR VISITORS: Every part of the State has its own unique character, special places and traditions. Heritage areas save and celebrate these one of a kind Maryland treasures for residents as well as visitors – a truly exceptional tool for supporting economic development through tourism while maintaining a high quality of life for all Marylanders!

SENATE

Capital Budget Subcommittee

Chair: James E. DeGrange, Sr.

James Senate Office Building, Room 101
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3593, (301) 858-3593
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3593 (toll free)
e-mail: james.degrange@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3589, (301) 858-3589

Vice Chair: Douglas J. J. Peters

James Senate Office Building, Room 121
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3631, (301) 858-3631
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3631 (toll free)
e-mail: douglas.peters@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3174, (301) 858-3174

Richard F. Colburn

James Senate Office Building, Room 315 (for Jan. 2012, temporarily in Room 117)
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3590, (301) 858-3590
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3590 (toll free)
e-mail: richard.colburn@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3087, (301) 858-3087

Ulysses Currie

James Senate Office Building, Room 201
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(301) 858-3127, (410) 841-3127
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3127 (toll free)
e-mail: ulysses.currie@senate.state.md.us
fax: (301) 858-3733, (410) 841-3733

George C. Edwards

James Senate Office Building, Room 322
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3565, (301) 858-3565; 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3565 (toll free)
e-mail: george.edwards@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3552, (301) 858-3552

Nancy J. King

James Senate Office Building, Room 222
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3686, (301) 858-3686
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3686 (toll free)
e-mail: nancy.king@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3670, (301) 858-3670

Nathaniel J. McFadden

Miller Senate Office Building, Room 422
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3165, (301) 858-3165
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3165 (toll free)
e-mail: nathaniel.mcfadden@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3138, (301) 858-3138

HOUSE

Transportation and the Environment Subcommittee

Chair: Tawanna P. Gaines

House Office Building, Room 416
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3058, (301) 858-3058
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3058 (toll free)
e-mail: tawanna.gaines@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3119, (301) 858-3119

Vice Chair: Steven J. DeBoy

House Office Building, Room 306
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3328, (301) 858-3328
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3328 (toll free)
e-mail: steven.deboy@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3007, (301) 858-3007

Susan L. M. Aumann

House Office Building, Room 303
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3258, (301) 858-3258
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3258 (toll free)
e-mail: susan.aumann@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3163, (301) 858-3163

Wendell R. Beitzel

House Office Building, Room 410B
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3435, (301) 858-3435
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3435 (toll free)
e-mail: wendell.beitzel@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3040, (301) 858-3040

James E, Proctor, Jr.

House Office Building, Room 121
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3083, (301) 858-3083
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3083 (toll free)
e-mail: james.proctor@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3459, (301) 858-3459

Mary L. Washington

House Office Building, Room 315
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3476, (301) 858-3476
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3476 (toll free)
e-mail: mary.washington@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3295, (301) 858-3295

Craig J. Zucker

House Office Building, Room 224
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3380, (301) 858-3380
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3380 (toll free)
e-mail: craig.zucker@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3266, (301) 858-3266

How about we gamble on a "Savings Lottery" while we are on a roll in Prince George's County

               We are so busy here in Prince George's County, Maryland racing to see of the rest of the state by means of a referendum feels that we should be the lucky winners of a casino that we probably do not have time to consider another form of gambling that might benefit many of us directly and personally.  According to a blog post by Clark Howard in April of last year, pp in the Mid West, lands of the Great Lakes "credit unions have joined together under an initiative called Save To Win.  This programs allows you to open a savings account for $25, and that essentially buys you one "lottery ticket" for a monthly drawing of anywhere from $125 to $1,000. Every $25 you deposit is another entry to win."[1]

               How come our privileged elite has not come up with this idea? Could it be that gaming's two biggest winners are government and the developer/operator coalition? If gaming, gamble and casinos are such a great idea, couldn't we expand the concept to one that directly impacts the individual? Do you want to make a bet that the very same people who are for gambling would be against this savings lottery version of the same activity? Gambling interests are the interests of a few, and gambling will produce4 a few jobs while generating large tax revenues. Saving lotteries on the other hands would benefit everyone who saves and you can bet on a big opposition from the privileged few to any idea that helps the many directly cutting out the middle man.

"Your initial $25 deposit also enters you to win an annual jackpot of $100,000. (Your entries into the game of chance are capped at 10 per month, based on the amount you deposit.) But no matter whether you win or lose, you get to keep all the money you've deposited, plus any interest. In a single year, over 16,000 Michigan residents who had not been savers opened new accounts because of the jackpot lure. They saved $28 million collectively that otherwise might not have been saved, according to the latest numbers I've seen."[2]

               Prince George's County needs creative novel ideas that benefit all of us.. Casinos in National Harbor will help bring outside money to the county; casinos will be an additional attraction helping to make National Harbor the choice for meetings and conventions. But let's be clear. As I have previously written  "...the slots industry, when established  in Prince George's County, would create an impressive 3,866 jobs in the county. ..[at a] wage of $12,491 per year."[3] Maybe the self interested few while they are on a roll could take some time to create a winning gamble and look into "Savings Lotteries" while they are on a roll    

---

[1] ClarkHoward.com: Credit unions offer combination savings account and lottery ticket option. April 20, 2011 [accessed February 6,2012] http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/credit-unions-offer-combination-savings-account-an/nCRqx/

[2] ibid.

[3] Thompson. Gambling & Politics: Anonymous Prince George's Comments. January 23, 2012 [accessed February 6, 2012] http://princegeorgian.blogspot.com/2012/01/gambling-politics-anonymous-prince.html

Betting on (in) Prince George's County: Somethings Change and then They Don't

The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, August 22, 1919, FINAL EDITION, Page 7, Image 7

Image provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Persistent link: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1919-08-22/ed-1/seq-7/

n

               HYATTSVILLE NEWS[1]

- Prince George's Farmers Picnic At and Inspect U. S. Experiment Station at Beltsville.

 [now known as BARC]

HTATTSVILLE, Aug. 22. The first annual county-wide picnic of the farmers of Prince George's county, held yesterday at the Government experiment farm of the Bureau of Animal Industry, near Beltsville, Md., was attended by several hundred persons. It was held in a grove surrounding the Administration building, under the auspices of the Prince George's county community council, George W. Waters, of Laurel, chairman.

               Preceding the speaking, the Pomona County Grange. Prof, Frank B. Bomberger, president, met and discussed the county road law. Plans were made to obtain a law during the 1920 .session of the legislature, which would follow closely the Caroline county road law. Resolutions were adopted calling upon the county commissioners for a rigid enforcement of the provisions of the law requiring the licensing  of all dogs.

               The committee recently appointed to secure a decision upon the legality of the circuit court's action in granting a license for horse racing at Bowie. Prince George's county, was warmly congratulated, especially its counsel. Jackson H. Ralston and Frank M. Stephen, for .securing a decision from the court of appeals which temporarily stops betting.[2]

               Dr. S. S. Buckley. State veterinarian, gave a demonstration in cutting pork for house use. In the absence of President Waters. Prof. Thomas B Symons. chairman of the agricultural committee of the council, presided.

               Addresses were made by B. Jackson Black, master Maryland State Grange; Oliver Wilson,  master National Grange; W. J. Russell. United States Department of Agriculture; Circuit Judge Fillmore Beall, of Prince George's: T. Atkerson. representative of the National Grange in Washington, and Prof. Bomberger,

               [in other news] Martin Edward Brady, keeper of the county iail here, died Wednesday night in a Washington hospital, where he was taken that afternoon. He was about sixty years old, and had never married. At one time he lived at Bowie, Prince George's county, and was prominent in Republican politics.

Prices that Prove We Undersell Markets[3]  

Sirloin Steak,                                lb 23c

Roast Beef,                                    lb 25c

Pork Chops,                                   lb 35c

Country Table Butter.              .54c

Large Can Tomatoes.               l2^1/2 c

12-lb. Sack Flour                        75c

M Becker, 1918 7th Street N. W.

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[1] The Washington times., August 22, 1919, FINAL EDITION, Page 7 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1919-08-22/ed-1/seq-7/;words=County+county+Prince+George+Georges?date1=1836&rows=20&searchType=advanced&proxdistance=5&state=&date2=1922&ortext=&proxtext=+Prince+George%27s+County&phrasetext=Prince+George%27s+County&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&index=14

[2]  So Prince George's County comes full circle when it comes to gambling

[3] c equals cents

Ardwick and the Wormley Family: African-American History in Prince George's County

               Sooner or later Prince George's County will run out of land and will be forced in to enter the 21st century. Until then the time honored and traditional business model is to "develop" land by making promises pocketing the money and leaving the county and its residents to find ways on their own to build and maintain neighborhood infrastructure such as roads, water, and schools. African-Americans have dealt with development challenges and created many notable communities within Prince George's County, Maryland.

               For example, the area known as Ardwick was farmland and what is now euphemistically called open-space.. Farming was the business of the day. From the coming of the Europeans to the beginning to the 20th century. agriculture was the primary business enterprise of the county. Ardwick was first platted in 1889 by Thomas Mitchell, a Washington, D.C., real estate broker. [1]   The community was one of the growing number of railroad suburb that were platted between the end of the Civil War and the end of World War II. . In a research paper by Susan Pearl Susan Pearl the "original plat was abandoned soon after platting, and the area remained rural, despite the location near the Ardwick railroad station."[2]

               However along Ardwick-Ardmore Road, between Routes 450 and 410 an African-American community began to coalesce when William Stanton Wormley, educator and artist,  bought a house  in 1902/1903  built a few years earlier, 1897, by Hugh Browne.[3] Wormley was the "grandson of businessman James Wormley. And, James Wormley was the far-sighted, cutting-edge, black nineteenth-century businessman and owner of the Wormley Hotel in Washington, D.C.  The Wormley Hotel was the first integrated hotel in the national capital.[4]   

               The historically African-American portion of the larger Ardwick community developed around William Wormley's five acre country retreat.  The house and grounds became a residence and a retreat for the Wormley family. The grounds once included a tennis court and Trap Shooting Club. The shooting club on the slopping ground south of the dwelling now covered in mature trees was known as Wortay Carbro,[5]

         

              The legacy and memory of the hard work in both the private and public sectors of the Wormley family surely  rates our attention today. When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public.  The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public's attention important  developments that merit emphasis. Today, Black History Month continues the focus on the contributions and lives of African-Americans who gave so much towards the creation of this county and this county.

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[1] Prince George’s County Land Records, Circuit Court, Plat Book BB 5: 96; “For Sale or Exchange,” The Washington Post, 13 June 1884.

[2] Susan G. Pearl, Prince George’s County African-American Heritage Survey, 1996 (Upper Marlboro, MD: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, 1996), 40.- 41

[3] Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. PG: 69-023-17

Historic Properties Form http://www.mncppcapps.org/planning/HistoricCommunitiesSurvey/Documentations/PG%2069-023-17%20William%20Stanton%20Wormley%20House/PG%2069-023-17%20Wormley%20House%20MIHP.pdf

"The Wormley House was constructed c. 1898 for Hugh Browne. In 1902, Browne sold the 5-acre property and modest frame dwelling to his brother-in-law, Furman Shadd, an early graduate and Administrative Offices of the Howard University Medical School.  Shadd sold the property one year later to his nephew, William Stanton Wormley."

[4] Wormley, James (1819–1884) - Entrepreneur, Chronology, Opens Elegant Hotel - Washington, Business, Wormley’s, and Black - JRank Articles http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/4526/Wormley-James-1819-1884.html#ixzz1lQZClbhv

"In 1868, Maryland senator Reverdy Johnson was appointed minister to England. He had heard of Wormley’s reputation as a caterer and decided to offer him a position as his personal caterer. Even though he had a wife and four children, he accepted the offer. It is said that his culinary skills contributed to Johnson’s diplomatic success and Wormley’s reputation as a caterer was that much improved. While abroad he visited the cuisine kitchens in Paris. Excited about the additional culinary skills learned in Paris, in 1871, he moved to a more spacious location on the corner of Fifteenth and H Streets near the White House. At this location, with the aid of U.S. Representative Samuel J. Hooper, the silent partner and nominal owner, Wormley opened an elegant hotel which became known as the Wormley Hotel. The older property on I Street was used as an annex to the hotel. The five-story building boasted 150 rooms, including a bar, a barbershop, and a world-renowned dining room noted for its cuisine (turtle soup and Chesapeake Bay seafood). It was also renowned for its well-managed rooms and became the first hotel in Washington, D.C. to have an elevator and a telephone connected to the city’s first switchboard. For more than two decades the hotel was the meeting place for black and white elites as well as distinguished foreigners.

               Another milestone for Wormley on July 21, 1871, according to the Agribusiness Council in Washington, D.C., was a resolution he authored with the aid of Senator Charles Sumner. He and Sumner, a Massachusetts Republican and an abolitionist, persuaded Congress to provide legislation for funding the first public schools in Washington, D.C. for black Americans. As a result of his efforts, in 1885, a school known as the Wormley Elementary School for the Colored was built in Georgetown at Thirty-fourth and Prospect Streets. The school, the last physical monument attesting to Wormley’s life and time, remained an all black school until 1952. Subsequently, it was used as a vocational training center for special needs students. The building was condemned in 1994 and was purchased in 1997 by Georgetown University with the intent of housing its graduate policy program. Unfortunately, the university later decided to sell the property.

The hotel was the site of the Wormley Conference of 1877, where representatives of the future president Rutherford B. Hayes and opponent Samuel Tilden resolved the disputed election of 1876. A “secret deal” later known as the “Compromise of 1877, or the Wormley Agreement,” ended the dispute of the twenty electoral votes. Nineteen of the votes were from Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, and one from Oregon. The result of the agreement on February 26, 1877, was that Hayes received all twenty votes. There is no evidence that Wormley participated in this agreement, which signaled the end of the Reconstruction era and the fate of black Americans left to the southern state governments."  

[5] Susan G. Pearl, “Wormley House,” (PG: 69-17) Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites Inventory Form (1989), 8:1.

Invasive Notes: Open Letter to Congress: Control of Asiatic Wavyleaf Basketgrass, Oplismenus hirtellus undulatifolius

We, Alan Ford amford@acm.org 703.732.5291, Virginia Native Plant Society, and Marc Imlay, Conservation biologist, ialm@erols.com 301-283-0808h, 301-442-5657c Maryland Native Plant Society, on behalf of the organizations and their members listed below, request $5-10 million funding to detect and treat Asiatic Wavyleaf Basketgrass, Oplismenus hirtellus undulatifolius in Maryland and Virginia. Please read full letter at:  Invasive Notes: Open Letter to Congress: Control of Asiatic Wavyleaf Basketgrass, Oplismenus hirtellus undulatifolius

http://www.forestryimages.org/images/768x512/5390042.jpg 

An invasive species is spreading from the Baltimore area of Maryland south to Washington and west to the Blue Ridge of Virginia. Like a fire in the forest, wavyleaf basketgrass (Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. undulatifolius (Ard.) U. Scholz, Phanerog. Monogr.)  is spreading rapidly and replacing the natural diversity with its mono-culture habit of eco-system and eco-service destruction. This grass, which is taxonomically confusing and, therefore, hard for the public to identified precisely or categorized, is spreading in public parks and on private lands in the Baltimore Washington Metropolitan area. 


And yes, Prince George's County, it is right here in our midst and all around quietly butt dramatically altering the green spaces of urban parks and natural areas

Colonial Maryland Slave Laws 37- 41: Bacon's Laws of Maryland

  37.  Slaves convicted of consulting, advising, conspiring, or attempting to raise any Insurrection, or to murder or poison any Person, or to commit a Rape upon any White Woman, or to burn any House; or who shall stand Mute, or peremptorily Challenge above Twenty Jurors, shall suffer Death without Benefit of Clergy.  1751, ch. 14, §. 2.

    38.  Slaves convict of attempting to burn any Dwelling-house or Out-house contiguous to, or used with 
any Dwelling-house, or other House wherein shall be any Person, Goods, Tobacco, Grain or Fodder, shall
suffer Death without Benefit of Clergy.  Ibid.  §. 3.

    39.  Slaves committing any Felony punishable by Death, shall be committed to the Sheriff of the County,
and tried at the next Assizes or County Court which shall first happen; which Court is impowered,
on Confession, or Conviction of the Offender, on the Testimony of one legal Witness, or even of other
Slaves corroborated with such pregnant Circumstances, as shall satisfy the Jury of the Guilt of such Slaves,
to give Judgment.  Ibid.  §. 4.


 40.  Slaves convict of giving false Testimony against other Slaves on such Prosecutions, shall have one Ear
cut off, and receive Thirty-nine Stripes, on the Day of Conviction; and the other Ear to be cut off, and
the like Number of Stripes given the Offender, on t he Day following.  Ibid.  §. 5.

    41.  Slaves produced as Witnesses on such Occasions, shall be admonished to declare the Truth, &c. and acquainted 
with the Danger of false Swearing, &c. by the Court.  Ibid.  §. 6.

Bacon's Laws of Maryland . Vol 75 page 691. Maryland Archives 

http://aomol.net/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000075/pdf/am75--691.pdf

Prince George's County's Executive Measures Growth

Pri. Geo.'s County, Maryland General Plan

               I had the opportunity and pleasure to speak with Mr. David Iannucci, Assistant Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development and Public Infrastructure in the Office of the Prince George's County Executive. I asked him a few questions; the "virtual" interview follows:

Thompson:      There are many ways to measure change when it comes to economic development and growth. The 2002 General Plan laid out goals for development in the three county tiers which were not met in the developed tier and surpassed in the other two tiers. Are these good indicators of how well the county is doing? Are there other metrics that tell a more useful story?

IANNUCCI:      "While the 2002 General Plan described goals for the allocation of development among the three County tiers (33%/66%/1% projected in the developed, developing, and rural tiers, respectively, vs. 18%/79%/3% reality) the statistics  do not take into account the total amount of development that actually occurred in Prince George’s County.   Despite its many resources and advantages, the data is clear that overall, and relative to other jurisdictions in the metropolitan area, there has not been enough development – read job growth – in Prince George’s County.  That in the essence is why County Executive Baker has focused on economic development and growing the commercial tax base.   Many are familiar with the fact that 60% of Prince George’s County residents who are employed have to leave the County each day for their jobs. 

               The 2002 GP called for improving Prince George’s County’s jobs to population ratio, which was at 38% that year, to 53% by 2025.  This important measure gives a sense of how many jobs are actually located in a jurisdiction compared to the total population of that jurisdiction, and is an indication of economic strength.  By way of comparison, Howard County’s ratio is about 52%, and Montgomery County’s is over 45%.  Ten years after the 2002 GP called for increasing Prince George’s County’s 38% ratio, it stands at 37%.  Another measure of this is total jobs in the County:  in 2000, when the County had 800,000 residents, there were approximately 300,000 jobs in the County.  Twelve years later, with a population of 863,000, we still have only 300,000 jobs in Prince George’s County.   (We peaked at about 318,000 in 2007-2008.)  With 63,000 new residents over 12 years, we have not one single additional job to show for ourselves.   Collectively, this data is a story of a jurisdiction lagging in economic growth.

               What that means to me is that it is not a matter of their being too much growth in the developing tier relative to the developed (largely inner beltway) tier, it is a matter  of there not being enough growth, or new jobs, in the developed tier itself.  It is wrong to set this debate as developed vs developing tier in this County.  If Prince George’s County had experienced the type of growth that we should have in the developed tier, and the developing tier numbers had stayed flat, magically the 2002 GP goals might have been met.   It is a matter of our TOD and Metro station opportunities, our gateway communities, and our inner beltway growth opportunities missing out on growth, not a matter of there being too much growth in the suburban areas outside the beltway."

THOMPSON: What tools are available to local governments to help "steer" development? Are there any advantages to negative or restrictive regulations over positive or enabling polices or vice versa?

 IANNUCCI:     "Prince George’s County Executive Baker has recognized the need for a multi-pronged strategy for addressing this situation.  His Deputy CAO Carla Reid is focusing on reforming and streamlining the permit and regulatory processes that are frequently cited by developers as impediments to new projects and opportunities in the County.  He successfully pushed for the creation of the $50 million Economic Development Incentive Fund (EDI Fund) to address capital shortages and provide gap financing for projects that here to now have been stymied.  CE Baker is also seeking authority for a new economic development tool for Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to add another tool to the toolbox to spur development in TOD and revitalization areas.  These type of positive incentives can play a vital role in spurring growth in the developed tier, where all agree it is inherently more expensive to build on than in a greenfield site.  These incentives can allow the County to close the gap on development costs and provide the incentive for projects and jobs in our older communities and our TOD sites.  Using these tools, the County can create market conditions that favor growth where we want it.  Some advocate creating negative incentives for projects in the developing tier as a way of pushing the growth to the developed tier, but the reality is that the two are not connected.  Stopping or limiting growth by negative incentives outside the beltway will not add one new job inside the beltway unless the financial incentives for that growth are there – unless the numbers work for the project standing alone.  Prohibiting Konterra type of developments would not have any effect on promoting growth inside the beltway: growth there must itself financially makes sense for the private sector."

THOMPSON:    What are Mr. Baker's strategies for economic development? 

IANNUCCI:      "In addition to the changes and new tools discussed above, the County Executive has talked of clear priorities for all County agencies and organizations and how they allocate their resources.  Again, TOD opportunities, gateway communities, and the developed tier are critically important.  The County Executive also recognizes that much of the job growth that we need will come from our small and minority businesses, which employ local residents and spend money locally.  We want to build an economic strategy around the presence of our 17 federal facilities, and our outstanding institutions of higher education, including the State’s flagship university.  We are also focusing on GSA and other federal tenants for Prince George’s County’s Metro stations, which collectively have more land development opportunities than  any other jurisdiction in the region.  With 25% of the federal workforce, but only 4% of federal office space, Prince George’s County should not have to explain to the federal government why this situation must be righted.  We will make the location of a new high security campus for the FBI Headquarters one of our highest priorities, and have no doubt that the superior locations for this facility exist in our County."

Additional reading:

·       Prince Georgian: PG 418-12 could provide property tax reductions for adaptive re-use

·       Prince Georgian: Prince George's County works to be the next home of the new Headquarters of the FBI

·       Prince Georgian: Prince George's County, Maryland, is Home to at least 34 (update: 35) Federal Agencies (organizations, departments, bureaus, divisions)

Prince George's County, Maryland, is Home to at least 34 (update: 35) Federal Agencies

               While we wait for the new FBI headquarters to come to Prince George's County (we ARE working on this right?), I wonder what active steps we are taking to market what we have already here to work with.  There are approximately 34 federal agencies and departments, bureaus and organizations locate already right now here in our county. How are we letting the rest of the region and the country know what is here; what are we doing to identify the vendor opportunities as well as any private public partnerships that may be possible with these public agencies? Who is or are our local liaisons to each of these federal organizations? How are we working with them to "market" their needs to the private sector?

               I understand that none of this will fix our core community challenges; that working closely with existing federal agencies will not change any economic dynamics over night, but ignoring what we have most certainly will change nothing. With the looming 2013 federal budget cuts, we need to be strongly investing in private businesses to create new jobs. The federal government is not leaving but it may not be hiring. We need private enterprise to step in and build upon what we already have. 

               To do this we need to not only provide incentives but we need to speak about both obvious and not-so-obvious potential that our location , infrastructure and existing market platforms give us. And of course we need retail; my point is not that we should stop building malls, but that this cannot by itself be a solution to a vigorous sustainable Prince George's economy. Retail is vital part not the end all; retail follows innovation and money. Enterprise and entrepreneurs' do not follow  strip malls. We can do this; we can bring innovative industries from bioscience and agro tech as well as the information systems sector here to Prince George's County.

1.       

1.     National Aeronautics & Space Administration;

Goddard Space Flight Center

8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 - 0003

2.     National Archives & Records Administration;

National Archives at College Park (Archives II)

8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740 - 6001

Washington National Records Center

4205 Suitland Road, Suitland, MD 20746 - 8001

3.     Social Security Administration;

Camp Springs Office

6110 Allentown Road, Suitland, MD 20746

Greenbelt Office 7

401C Forbes Blvd., Seabrook, MD 20706

4.     U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; Agricultural Research Service

Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center

10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 2350

5.     U.S. Dept. of Agriculture;

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service,

4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 20737

6.     U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Center for Plant Health Science & Technology

9901 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD 20705

7.     U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Farm Service Agency

5301 Marlboro Racetrack Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

8.     Food Safety & Inspection Service

Civil Rights Division

George Washington Carver Center, Suite 1-2288 B

5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5200

9.     Office of Field Operations

George Washington Carver Center, Suite 1-2288 B

5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5200

10.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; National Agricultural Library

Abraham Lincoln Building,

10301 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 2351

11.  Natural Resources Conservation Service (National Headquarters)

George Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5000

12.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture;  Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center

BARC-East, Building 509, Beaver Dam Road, Beltsville, MD 20705 - 0001

13.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; National Information Technology Center, IT Systems Operations Branch

George Washington Carver Center,

5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5000

14.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; National Technology Support Center

George Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5000

15.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; Upper Marlboro Service Center

5301 Marlboro Racetrack Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

16.  U.S. Dept. of Commerce; Bureau of the Census

4600 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746

U.S. Dept. of Commerce; Bowie Computer Center, 17101 Melford Blvd., Bowie, MD 20715

17.  U.S. Dept. of Commerce; NOAA 

5200 Auth Rd # 2, Camp Springs, MD 20746-4327

18.  U.S. Dept. of Defense; Dept. of the Air Force;

Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington,

Allentown Road, Camp Springs, MD 20762

19.  U.S. Dept. of Defense; Dept. of the Army; U.S. Army Research Laboratory,

2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783

20.  U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security; U.S. Secret Service

James J. Rowley Training Center,

9200 Powder Mill Road, Laurel, MD 20708

21.  U.S. Dept. of the Interior; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Patuxent Research Refuge & National Wildlife Visitor Center

10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, MD 20708 - 4027

22.  National Park Service; Fort Washington National Park,

13551 Fort Washington Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744

23.  National Park Service; Greenbelt Regional Park,

6565 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770 - 3207

24.  National Park Service; National Colonial Farm,

3400 Bryan's Point Road, Accokeek, MD 20607

25.  National Park Service; Oxon Hill Farm,

6411 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill, MD 20745

26.  U.S. Geological Survey; Biological Resources Division

Patuxent Wildlife Research Center,

12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD 20708 - 4039

27.  U.S. Park Police, District 4

6501 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770 - 3299

28.  U.S. Dept. of Justice; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

Hyattsville Field Office

Aerospace Building, Suite 770

10210 Greenbelt Road, Lanham-Seabrook, MD 20706

29.  U.S. Dept. of Justice; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

National Laboratory Center

6000 Ammendale Road, Beltsville, MD 20705

30.  U.S. Attorney for District of Maryland; Southern Division

U.S. Courthouse,

6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770

31.  U.S. Dept. of Labor; Wage & Hour Division, Hyattsville Area Office

Field Station, 6525 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, MD 20781

32.  U. S. Dept. of the Treasury; Internal Revenue Service

8401 Corporate Drive, Landover, MD 20785

33.  U.S. District Court for District of Maryland

U.S. Courthouse,

6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770

34.  Smithsonian Institution

4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746 

35.  U.S. Government Printing Office; Warehouse

8660 Cherry Lane, Laurel, MD 20707

Slavery and Horticulture - A Slice of African American History in Prince George’s County

Slavery and Horticulture - A Slice of African American History in Prince George’s County

Lectures by John Peter Thompson

Slavery & Strawberries; Murders & Mysteries

A History of Salubria ~ An Oxon Hill Plantation

Location:          Oxon Hill Library

                              6200 Oxon Hill Road,

                              Oxon Hill, MD 20745;

                              See map: Google Maps

Time:  Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 7:00pm

Slavery and Horticulture:  A History of Salubria ~ An Oxon Hill Plantation

February 15, 7 pm

Join the discussion about the economic, political, horticultural and social history of one of Oxon Hill’s largest plantations, Salubria and its international recognition in the development of many plant species.

John Peter Thompson, historian and lecturer on American and European histories; his presentations have included discussions on the U.S. Supreme Court, modern management concepts and techniques gleaned from Civil War battlefields, and “First Ladies” of the White House.

John Peter  Thompson studied music composition and historical linguistics at the University of Maryland.  He left the University to successfully operate his own night club business for ten years.  He returned to the family nursery and garden center business in 1988 starting as a warehouse janitor and finishing as CEO and Chairman of the Board in 2008.  During this time he managed the perennial production and sales and was awarded the Perennial Plant Association Retailer of the Year award in 2000. 

He is currently a self employed contractor and consultant working with USDA ARS, APHIS, Forest Service and the National Park Service, as well as the Africa Trade Office of Maryland (Parker & Associates).His areas of expertise include document aggregation and review, meeting facilitation and bioeconomic policy and regulatory analysis.

He has an appointment as an adjunct instructor with the Prince George’s Community College lecturing and consulting on the creation of an "Environmental/Sustainable/Green Jobs” Workforce Development Institute. And finally, he is a principle investigator for the North East Mid West Institute in Washington, DC having written a book on national invasive species certification policies.

John Peter as been reappointed to the National Invasive Species Council Advisory Committee (NISC ISAC) having previously served as Vice Chair and Secretary.  He  is the Maryland Nursery & Landscape Association liaison to the Maryland Invasive Species Council and expert subject matter member of the State of Maryland's Invasive Plant Council.  He also is an active user of social media ‘Tweeting” daily @InvasiveNotes  with over 6000 followers as well as writing essays about social, scientific and philosophic issues  on his blogs, Invasive Notes (www.ipetrus.blogspot.com) and the Prince Georgian (http://princegeorgian.blogspot.com/).  

John Peter works as a volunteer advocate to politicians and policy makers as President of the National Agricultural Research Alliance – Beltsville (NARA-B.org - 501c4).  In this capacity he works with Congress, local governments and policy makers on behalf of the people and programs of USDA ARS and APHIS, in particular focusing on the Henry A. Wallace Agricultural Research Center (BARC) and the National Agricultural Library (NAL). 

John Peter is a former Chair of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce as well as former founding director and President of the Mid Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council; and former President of the Maryland Nursery & Landscape Association.  He currently serves as a technical advisor and national credit steward for the LBJ Wild Flower Center’s Sustainable Landscape Initiative (SSI or SITES).  At a community level he serves as the Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Historical Preservation Commission; as a trustee of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System; and director of the Prince George County Community Foundation

In Prince George's County a Little Economics is a Dangerous Thing

               Everyone is interested in economic development in Prince George's County, Maryland, and some even have an interest in economic development for Prince George's County.  But what is this thing we call economic development? Why do so many care about it, and why is it so important? Broadly defined, economic development is a  hopefully positive change in the level of production of goods and services by a community over a ore-agreed-to period of time. Economic growth either up or down is a function of the dynamics of  development.  Economic growth from development processes is usually brought about by technological innovation and positive external forces.[1]

               The engine of economic growth is the development of local businesses (firms) that are entirely dependent upon external or non county opportunities and factors. The identification of this economic base is definitionally part of :... the oldest, simplest and most widely used technique for regional economic analysis." in economic theory.[2] It is important to bear in mind that while the retail sector is a crucial component, it is a member of the non-basic economic sector that is composed of businesses and organizations which depend for the most part  upon local business conditions such as the size of our wallets and therefore the size of the federal budget.[3]  This is a direct reflection on the lack of focus on generating products and services in the private (basic) sector so that national and international markets would have to come here and leave their money here in Prince George's County.

               We need to find the political will to enable economic development strategies, policies and outcomes that firmly recognize that our economy will be strongest when it develops those economic sectors that are not inextricably linked to the local economy. Prince George's County needs to encourage, entice and enable business development that relies first and foremost on external markets.  A local economy wholly dependent upon local factors will have great trouble responding to economic down-turns as we can see firsthand. An economic development strategy of real-estate and construction only may be a tactic, but cannot be the end-all mechanism for long term growth.

               Some may say that Prince George's County is committed to development guided by the economy, the environment, and growth with equity. History tells us otherwise. Since the time of County Senator and later US Congressman Sasscer in the 1930s up to the present, development has been mostly about maximizing the sales  price of open space and generation of short term profits for the construction industry resulting in the creation of homes and retail service employment opportunities.[4]   The Sasscer political organization was far from unique for, in the 20th century, most Americans moved to cities, and the new form of properties ordinary people accumulated were their houses.

               Because property and the structures on it (real estate) were the fundamental engines of wealth creation, political realities compelled  responses that began to direct government to subsidize that property in the form of low- or no-interest mortgages and tax deductions for interest payments and to instigate policies,  plans and regulations which encouraged and enhanced property owners' equity positions at the cost of the needs,  concerns and demands of the greater community. Simply put, the demands and expectation of the few were and are met at the expense and needs of the many. So we do the least amount to maximize the greatest profit letting future infrastructure costs and neighborhood problems to be paid for by others tomorrow.

                We need to dream a little to get big things. We need the political will to imagine international technology markets that need the science already generated right here4 right now. Unlike many communities we do not need to go find the research; it has been right here in our backyards for over a hundred years waiting for us to take advantage of the opportunities of the 21st century.              

  

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[1] InvestorWords. economic growth, Definition.  Copyright©2011 by WebFinance, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. [accessed January 28, 2012] http://www.investorwords.com/5540/economic_growth.html

[2] Florida State University, Department of Urban and Regional Planning - Planning Methods III: Forecasting.       

Economic Base Theory.  2004. [accessed January 29, 2012] http://mailer.fsu.edu/~tchapin/garnet-tchapin/urp5261/topics/econbase.htm

"For example, Boeing builds and sells large airplanes to companies and countries located throughout the world. Their business is dependent almost entirely upon non-local firms. Boeing does not sell planes to families or households locally, so their business is very much dependent upon exporting their goods. Manufacturing and local resource-oriented firms (like logging or mining) are usually considered to be basic sector firms because their fortunes depend largely upon non-local factors, they usually export their goods."

[3] ibid.

"For example, a local grocery store sells its goods to local households, businesses, and individuals. Its clientele is locally based and, therefore, its products are consumed locally. Almost all local services (like drycleaners, restaurants, and drug stores) are identified as non-basic because they depend almost entirely on local factors."

[4]  Julian Gross, Greg LeRoy and Madeline Janis-Aparicio. Community Benefits Agreements, Making Development Projects Accountable.  © Copyright 2005 Good Jobs First and the California Partnership for Working Families. All Rights Reserved. [accessed January 29, 2012] http://www.communitybenefits.org/downloads/CBA%20Handbook%202005%20final.pdf

"Therefore, while economic development projects are often heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars, they produce decidedly mixed results for city dwellers.While many of these projects bring sorely needed jobs and tax revenues back to areas that have been disinvested, there is usually no guarantee that the “ripple effects” of the projects will benefit current residents. Many new developments cause inner-city gentrification, pushing out low-income residents as housing prices rise. Other projects create large numbers of dead-end low-wage retail and service sector jobs, leaving low income, families, mostly people of color, mired in an endless cycle of poverty. While some Smart Growth proponents have advanced the notion that development should be governed by the “Three E’s”—the economy, the environment, and equity—few if any jurisdictions have pursued “growth with equity” policies in a systematic way. Consequently, even after investing billions of dollars in economic development, metropolitan regions continue to experience spiraling poverty, sprawling, unplanned growth, a crisis of affordable housing and declining quality of life for low and middle-income communities."