Maryland Matters

Whatever happened to the Purple Line? Photo taken near Catholic University.

I have been known for writing in the past that DC matters keep my advocacy hands full, and that while "regionalist" thinking is key and important, it's beyond me. Certainly, the last Governor's race in Maryland has proven that who gets elected Governor of Maryland matters to DC citizens, especially because the State of Maryland funds part of and appoints members to the Board of Directors of WMATA.

I have also been thinking about it more in terms of transit, particularly between DC and Prince George's County, especially in the Rte. 1/Rhode Island Corridor.

For the last few days I've been meaning to post about Doug Duncan and Martin O'Malley, candidates for Governor. Of course, given that O'Malley governs a big city like DC means that I have some preference for him... and DC doesn't really compete with Baltimore, but we do compete economically and socially vis-a-vis Montgomery County.

Plus, Duncan is known really for the kind of big urban renewal type projects (Strathmore, Silver Spring, etc.) that are great for politicos, but not so much for building community from the ground-up.

Plus, he favored more transit to support sprawl (the Outer Purple Line) rather than compact development, and by the time the Maryland County Council and the County Executive got on the same page, the change away from "Smart Growth" to "Priority Places," and from transit to roads, as marked by the election results occured, making more transit moot.

Approved route for the Inter-County Connector in Maryland. Graphic from Washington Post.

Today's papers make it so clear that who gets elected does matter. The front pages of the Post, Washington Times, and Baltimore Sun all feature articles about Governor Ehrlich and the State's plan to go ahead with the Inter-County Connector, and to break ground next year.

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (left) shakes hands with Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. after a news conference announcing the southerly path of the Inter-County Connector as state Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. looks on. (Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby).

Rock Creek currently meanders quietly through a sprawling forest near Needwood Lake. Under one of the proposals for the Intercounty Connector, a long bridge would span the creek. Environmentalists intent on preventing the construction of the ICC in Montgomery and Prince George's counties are quick to point to the land, trees, wetlands and streams they contend will be destroyed by building the roadway. (Sun photo by Doug Kapustin)

Chris Carney, Conservation Organizer for Sierra Club's Metro DC region, photo from the Baltimore Sun.

Anyway, there is a controversial city government project in Baltimore. Shades of making the rich richer as Bob Johnson (ex-cable lobbyist helped by cable companies to launch BET to give window-dressing to cable companies seeking franchises for large cities) and his hotel company is one of the players. The local clergy are fighting this proposal, stating that the city should put money into the neighborhoods.

So Doug Duncan speaks in Baltimore last week to this clergy group, to tell them how he thinks they are right and Mayor O'Malley is wrong. See "Duncan questions plan for public to pay for city hotel: Would-be governor courts Baltimore ministers group."

Yet, Montgomery County, under Duncan's direction, has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in similar big business and cultural welfare projects for Discovery Channel and others.

I'm not saying O'Malley is right and Duncan isn't, or vice versa. But who's the person in the photo with Gov. Ehrlich, meanwhile Gov. Ehrlich's henchpeople seem to have been up to no good and impugned Mr. O'Malley's character--shades of Karl Rove?

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan voices support for city religious leaders at a meeting at Trinity Baptist Church. (Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum).