From Patrick McGrady, a filed candidate for the House of Delegates District 34A:
Dear Editor,
The news that Northrup Grumman chose Virginia instead of Maryland for their new HQ in the region is just another jab to working people in Maryland.
The majority of our elected Delegates and Senators, in addition to our Governor seem to believe that the future of Maryland will be rosy just as long as we keep spending more money (and raise taxes or borrow accordingly). As companies move away to find more preferable tax treatment or a more reasonable business environment, families in Maryland suffer from collateral damage. We see higher taxes to make up for the lost revenue and there are less jobs to go around. I don’t mean $100k high-tech jobs either. I mean the jobs that real families in Havre de Grace, Joppatowne, and Edgewood need to pay the bills- jobs in warehouses, at restaurants, and at car dealerships. These jobs support large employers, and they are drying up in our county.
We need to elect people who will work to make Maryland more business-friendly. Not because big businesses are the savior of Maryland, but because without REAL jobs, Maryland working families will have to pay more to satiate the desire to spend in Annapolis.
Patrick McGrady
Pat’s right on a good point , Maryland and Harford County need jobs that current residents can get that will allow them to earn a decent living and support other business’ in the area. However I don’t feel that we taxpayers should have to pay them what amounts to bribery $$ to locate here ,if another area wants’ to then let’em. Local governments run to who flashes the most cash, when Frito Lay opened up in Aberdeen years ago everyone loved them, then wehen it came time to expand it was “no sorry ,we need to keep the water that you require for houses that a connected developer wants to build”. The next kick in the teeth is our great BRAC coordinaters that do more for getting the jobs filled by out of state people than our own residents. As for a business-unfriendly environment; maybe if those business’ in the past would have taken better care of the workers and environment, even if it meant a smaller bottom line on the accounting sheet, we could have had less regs. it’s always the same story, the $$ people always want more at the expense of others, just ask Clarkie Turner and his buddy Dave Craig.
” I mean the jobs that real families in Havre de Grace, Joppatowne, and Edgewood need to pay the bills- jobs in warehouses, at restaurants, and at car dealerships. These jobs support large employers, and they are drying up in our county.”
How depressing. I can not believe that the majority of Harford residents want warehouses all over the county so a small number of low-paying $ per hour jobs will be created. Have you polled other residents to ask their views on wanting more high-tech and salaried jobs that will provide long-term and future employment? Why not provide free college tuition @ HCCC to all county residents to help train them for the future?
It seems so shallow and dismissive to be content with mediocrity in terms of employment for HC. HC residents need to stop electing weak politicians who fail to see the light. If warehouse jobs are all you want, this will result in:
* more section 8/public housing
* increased crime
* denser housing developments
* inadequate roads
* more of the pathetic shopping that currently exists here
You get the picture.
That sounds pretty elitist. Those jobs will come as a result of government spending in Harford County.
The State legislature needs to make it easier to keep a small business in order. In 2009, 3000 small businesses closed their doors for good.
Jobs create crime? Jobs create section 8? Jobs create inadequate roads? People having more money leads to pathetic shopping?
Please, move away. We don’t want you here.
Mr. McGrady’s point is well said, the state does not welcome businesses here in MD…the zoning, the taxes, the fees and the additional costs added to business ventures for both large and small businesses not connected to the federal or state gov’t, cause many businesses to re-locate to be able to prosper. The number of new business ventures within the state, would allow for many to work, hence it is an advantage for both the fed and state to allow some tax benefits to encourage new and creative business opportunity. The loss of jobs hurts all big time. I think that the comment above about the free tuition at HCC is one approach, but if there, why not at all state colleges and universities, too? The same reason that the skills needed for many of the basic support services are not taught- I refer to maintenance, machine/auto/computer/heater and air/conditioning/sewer/water/plumbing/masonry/…think about all of the stuff used in each person’s home daily and who repairs the broken stuff? Think about the daily routines of the new BRAC folks…if it is true that the St.John’s group is building new homes and the transfers will live on post, too, the new GATE will have all of the stated daily needs of the transfers, according to the Aegis article on Wed., 4/28, the only thing the new transfers will have to leave post for is for the children to go to school. All other needs will be met on post, and because it is fed. prop., they pay no prop. taxes. The greatest impact on Harford county , will be on roads, schools and water/sewer. That
will be the effect of not encouraging business to come to MD because of the high taxes, rules and regs. We need to support new ideas and new legislators, like Mr.McGrady to help fix our state.
November is coming!
Response to Harford TEA Partier:
Sorry for any miscommunications on my part. Of course jobs do not create crime, section 8 housing, inadequate roads or pathetic shopping. By striving for simple warehouse jobs instead of high tech, higher paying jobs, the people of Harford County are being cheated.
If lower paying menial jobs are all that are coming here, you will untimately see an increase in section 8 housing and/or public housing, that is an economic reality as that is typically where low wage earners reside. With this, an increase in this type of housing, your schools will not be top notch, crime will unfortunately increase, etc… Proven over the years via statistics and common sense. With respect to roads, warehouses need heavy trucks to move goods. The county will need a big budget to repair roads, as trucks cause much wear and tear thus inconveniencing residents. Furthermore, will the county suddenly widen roads leading to the warehouses? That is what I meant by inadequate roads. Lastly, people with lower incomes have less discretionary income. Upscale stores typically do not open their shops in areas with lower per capita incomes, low dollar real estate, etc…It is also harder to attract top notch teachers to low performance schools, etc…
Nothing about being an elitist here. I just think the residents of Harford County deserve better and want something better than warehouse jobs. I am also in favor of free college courses @ HCCC for county residents who want/need retraining for a new career.
Why is it that Howard and Baltimore County politicians seek to land the “$100k high-tech jobs,” and other more meaningful employment while you are pining for warehouse jobs? Are you saying that Harford citizens aren’t qualified? There are numerous lower paying yet very important jobs already here in Harford. Shouldn’t our political mouthpieces strive to bring salaried positions instead of low dollar per hour jobs? I agree that HCCC should offer free classes to adults looking to change/upgrade careers. Has any politician discussed this? I hope McGrady and other politicos set their sites higher than bringing warehouse jobs here.
Patrick, I wish you well in your quest to become the State Delegate for District 34A. You have the right ideas for the citizens living in that District. Sure, there are people that would like to have $100K jobs, but there are more people living in that District that just plain need jobs. Jobs, of all ranges, create a sense of well-being within people. Jobs also can be a factor in helping to reduce crime. That’s just plain common sense.