Congress aids Springfield pitch for 6,200 relocated military jobs

Careful,Don't be so quick to pack just yet. I was a native Harford Countian. I got out. 30 years ago it was nice. That county has exploded over the last 20. The traffic is horrific. The crime has risen. HC schools are often challenged by parents. MD Dept Of Ed won't help. The property tax kept climbing. BelAir is a funnel of kayos due to poor traffic management. In response to the other comments. Of course they treat you like royalty and provided bus transportation.They want your money. They have taken you to choice places in the county. I'll also guess that your bus tours were stategically timed to miss the traffic jams too. Before you jump I would take a hard look around and ask other native residents about what they have seen and consider what's rolling down the pike. HC just dosen't know when to stop. They have already got a full plate. You think Jerseys high. Wait and see. They are licking their chops just waiting.

Anytime you say military when renting or buying people cringe. I'm a former Marine vet. and had a hell of a time buying a house. People would not take our offers because we wer using the VA loan. There is alot of discrimination against military families and and makes me sick.

Not surprised.

But didn't our representatives to congress say that we were ready for BRAC?

When you consider the percentage of people who possess the skills to fill the jobs - then subtract those who don't want to spy for the government - and subtract again people who have the slightest blip on a background screen (urinating in public 20 years ago is a dis-qualifier), they'd best be searching nationwide. The current economic policies are creating joblessness all over. We should be recruiting from everywhere people are looking for work.

MTA has just installed a trip-planning feature on its website, similar to one that WMATA has. The problem is that when commutes involve both transit systems, there is no information source available. MTA won't offer information about METRO and WMATA won't offer information about MTA. How stupid is that?

Just because folks might be moving doesnt mean their moving to Maryland, with the tax increases already passed and the potential for more folks just arent looking at Maryland. It doesnt help that the Maryland folks are giving us the hard sell on living in Baltimore. Not alot of folks will bite that hook.

Is Fairfax County also going to sue Mexico for the influx of illegal aliens into our school system????? I think that would be a better idea than to sue our Army!!!

The final planning documents and Record of Decision take into account the additional 14,500 jobs moving from the NCR to Alabama, Kentucky, Texas, Indiana, and Ohio. Doesn’t seem reasonable to count only how many kids BRAC might bring to the region without counting what BRAC might take away. BRAC shifts 19,300 jobs to Fort Belvoir, about 18,800 of them occupied by people who already live in our region. Unlike what BRAC is doing in other parts of the country where significantly large NEW populations are moving in needing homes and schools, BRAC is shifting jobs to Fort Belvoir that are already here. Besides, ultimately, the need for school capacity is based on where the families will live, not simply on a number of kids.

food was short of expectation. Tour was good, information good also.

I hope they were taxed the hell out of, and I hope the got the murder tour of Edgewood,Aberdeen and Havre de Grace. Welcome to Maryland we will take your money and make life misurable for you.

NJ is crapland. Too many tax and spend liberal hacks that raise taxes, support illegals, and whine and whine. The only thing I visit NJ is when I go to NY. The only good thing about Jersey is the gas price. But the $50 toll makes up for that too.

Maryland is a hell hole. Anyone who has ever lived there knows that. It's run by one of the country's largest organized crime syndicates--the Maryland General Assembly.

Anyone who thinks the KKK is active in Aberdeen, Havre de Grace, Edgwood, or Joppa have obviously never been there... Any "perception" that Harford County (especially the Rt 40 corridor) has a racist contingent is laughable.

Many of the Ft Monmouth workers cant accept the fact that there FT is moving to Maryland. There only defense is just say NO to the move. There local congressman and senator new this move was impending and just showed face to look good. I wonder in the MD area is laughing at some of the desperate NJ blogs. How many years did BRAC want the 98 year old facility closed.This move was impending! the writing was on the wall.Some workers need to wake up and accept it, instead of waiting for a miracle to reverse this BRAC decision. The new APG building is allready under construction. The stop work order in court was dismissed, The first wave of FT Monmouth workers (advanced teams) will be in MD by May. Come on people, smell the coffee,

How many minorities were part of the HC team that met with workers at Ft Momouth? Does HC not have minorities that can speak in defense of the community?

Preception is reality. Remember the elected school board bill that failed because the NAACP (and at least one state delegate) because of the history of Harford County. No policy-making minorities in Harford County Govt (schools, sheriff's dept. or county govt). One county-wide elected (this year)official. Schools in minority communities that have fared worse than schools in non-minority communities; community with a high percentage of minorities that has been neglected (by HC Leaders) for decades resulting in numerous social problems, most, if not all appointed boards and commissions filled with non-minorities, and the list goes on. You would have to have blinders on (or support the KKK mentality) not to see how this conclusion can be reached. How does HC fight evidence-filled perception?

Anne Arundel County has a tremendous opportunity with BRAC, but the county needs to start putting more focus on transit solutions and investment. Perhaps new fees for developers can be earmarked for enhanced transit, as it is in other forward-thinking areas of the country.

Yeah, but isn't all the true?

Funny how comments from your own folks down there substantiate the presence of the klan in harford and cecil. also why no comments about the schools test scores the union had them in the newsletter, also county taxes no comment on that either, or the sales taxes and how they differ from jersey was that all crap too. What about the taxing districts to have the BRAC folks pay all the infrastructure bills, do you think we are not reading your papers? keeping up on how Maryland is looking to screw us next! The biggest tax increase in the history of the state last fall? Thousands of school children to be added to the enrollments? Sounds like higher taxes to me! You lied to get this expansion and if newsletters like this keep people from moving Maryland will be in a embarrasing situation when they cannot provide a workforce to do the job. You remember the highly educated workforce you lied about, are they part of the 66% that drop out of high school?

harford county govt does have many people of different cultures and backgrounds in its management team. There are some positions of power in administration and just elected a new judge also. I think to compare not having enough in high places to the kkk shows your ignorance.

I don't know about the milk issue, but I do know there is a KKK presents in Cecil county and Harford county. Just because they don't practice in Harford county that dont mean there isnt any. Funny tactic though.

Typical Union tactics - scare, intimidate and misinform - because Unions are useless money stealing, organizations. From what I can see, the only use I get from my dues is funding people who want to give my job to illegals and raise my taxes. I got a 3% raise from my company this year, if we can kick our union, I would get another 6% from all the dues I have to pay. But then, I guess, the Union bigwigs we support making four times more than me would have to find a real job.

No official KKK, but if you look at the government agencies in Harford County, NONE have minority managers or decision-makers. Furthermore, None of the county-wide elected officials are minorities. Some will say so what. I say this is a sign of how far we have not come in Harford County.

I'd be more concerned with the gangs in the Aberdeen area. BTW, does this mean we'll have to upgrade the already over prices 95 express way? or are we going to put in public transit that works? how bout busses and rail lines that don't stop ever 500'!

I hope these people stay out of Baltimore. One trip does not show them the crime problem, the lousy schools, the dirty areas etc. One day shows nothing and all this was is a PR stunt. I think theyd did not go into SW etc.

More traffic, more traffic, more traffic! You gotta love the planners! They get money for nothing and the perks are free!

American taxpayers should be outraged! $1.5B to close Fort Monmouth, $16B to upgrade the Maryland hellhole. Wonderful.

This is very disappointing news - I thought Harford County wanted Army Team C4ISR there! Now if we come, we have to pay more for taxes, plus take a salary decrease, uproot from our friends and family - Harford County shame on you! I thought MD was at the Ready with their infrastructure ...maybe they really meant at the Ready to stick it to the folks from NJ. Either you want us there or you don't, actions need to follow your words.

Again DoD is picking and choosing which installations affected by the BRAC law they want to follow. Some they stick to the letter of the law and others they change and do what they want. If its a law shouldnt it be applied equally and not at the discretion of the Army and politicians? What have we been reduced to or have we just all become like Bush administration and only follow what we want.

Re the BRAC Plan: Now all we need is billions of taxpayer dollars to build new infrastructure to replace perfectly adequate infrastructure that will be left behind, including homes as well as office buildings, and maybe even businesses. This has got to be the biggest fleecing of the American public in history! The people lose and the developers win.

Yes, let's give the new residents more places to get drunk in. Drunk drivers kill more people than second hand smoke does. If smoking is banned, then so should alcohol. A Smoker

Defying expectations, huh? How may of those volunteers are mission critical, and how many are seat-filelrs. How many are the interns that they've been going nuts hiring over the last year? Do your homework before you start making pronouncements. People might actually think you have some credibility that way.

This article is very misleading, they attempt to get about 9% of the workforce down there early and they get around 5% and you are talking about anomalies and making statements like "defying expectations that few would follow their jobs when the base’s functions move to Maryland." Quite the spin and you should be ashamed of yourself for publishing intentionally misleading information. 221 will decrease once the incentive package is known and people realize how difficult it is to pull up roots and relocate in 4 months. You folks present this like 2/3 of the workforce will move not true. Also most folks I know are looking to live in Delaware since Maryland is looking to raise taxes, and use impact fees etc.

I totally agree any buildings built on government land should be exempt from any taxes to the municipalities. I think such a law would lose in court since the precidence has been set for many years. remember the Maryland politicians you elected fought hard for this, now its time to pay up. BOHICA

NJ responds...I agree! our own governor continues to plans to screw us and raise tolls to tax us right out uf the state and literally "drive" us South. Even if BRAC wasn't forcing my husbands job to move in a short time, we would have no financial choice but to go. The areas where we need to live in order for him to make it to his future job in a reasonable amount of time (under an hour!) are so severly congested and burdened already-overcrowded roads, services, and schools, that we really do not know what to do. We must weigh distance against other factors. We know that Maryland is a good place for our family, but moving under these c1rcunmstances is not how you need to live your life.

how is this right? The BRAC is LAW and the Army selectively changes what has been approved by Congress and the President. How is it that the Army is allowed to just change what was passed as law in such a random manner. Any argument of traffic congestion was considered during the hearings and therefore this should not be allowed. If theres traffic jams and the Army finds this is an unworkable situation then they should have to pay more to implement a different plan but only after the BRAC is implemented in accordance with the law as written no changes.

now private developers doing base work will come from those contracting companies already in the area -- delete that number ...3,049 indirect jobs??? that's like some kind of fudge factor... now we are down 13,000 jobs from the estimate...669 from DoD media and publication, well we can do away with 50% of those jobs and save some taxpayer money... 4000 DISA jobs... we can slim down that organization big time too... no worry, with the national debt and deficit so unmanagable -- we can hack away at some of these unneeded jobs...and come up with something more reasonable... just wait until 2009 when our bloated governement will belch and become unbloated and back to normal.

Whos fault is this failure. MOMS? Not.

Show me the money$$!!! See when it comes to BRAC it's truly a field of dreams. Special interest groups, in secret meetings behind closed doors, tell DoD civilian officials -- let's close FT Monmouth and the Army's best and most active hospital in Montgomery County, without honest and accurate justifications; it becomes law. Then when it's time to fund the state of Maryland for all the expenses. Nada, nothing from DoD. Why? because there would be NO cost justification -- in fact it would cost more to implement than what could be saved over 30 years. That's why O'Malley is not funding anything. He is only funding items related to BRAC that need to be funded even if there was no BRAC. BRAC is being used as a reason to fund items that need to be funded anyway. Every state, including Maryland, will operate nearly in the red no matter how many additional jobs come to the state and it doesn't make a difference if they are high paying. Why? nobody likes paying taxes!

Sixtenn thousand awaiting services by the private sector while the public sector pays for over 100k illegals . Go figure.

You guys say let the BRAC people pay for the new infrastructure. Two points on that: On a surface leve;, why should people who are being forced to move to keep their jobs, but who may not want to move, have to pay extra costs to do so? That's hardly fair. But think about it on a deeper level: Those people will be reimbursed for their moving costs by the DoD. That means taxpayer money. So, in the end, we are all being forced to pay for it, and the only people making out on this deal are the developers.

I am about to look Harford County in the review mirror if they keep raising the taxes. It used to be a place where blue collar workers could find affordable housing and still work in Baltimore County or City. Now my taxes have seen almost a $1400 increase over the last two years and an asseement increase of almost $100,000! For a family with both parents working we are just squeaking by. I say let the BRAC people pay for the increases! I sure as hell can't! Once the money starts coming in and the infrastructure is in place then we can talk. Maybe now we can start to see some tax stabilization because PA is starting to look good.

Kudos to Craig and Jacobs for this innovative approach when the state keeps shorting Harford County. Instead of punishing all of us, they are allowing developers to have the option to build the schools, libraries and the like. Since the developers already have the tractors, construction workers, and supplies, it only makes sense that we ask them to help build the infrastructure. It saves all of us in cost (no need to transport equipment, bring in new labor, and ordering supplies in bulk never increases cost) and it avoids overcrowding in our schools. What BRAC resident moving in would be opposed to having a new school built instead of paying an impact fee that just funds another portable unit on the current high school? Come on folks, this is common sense! It is not a tax, it is a user fee. And a user fee I would love if I were moving into a new neighborhood!!

Reply to Examiner Reader 1:36 PM MST on Sat., Jan. 12, 2008: You wrote, "Sneak over the border and then get free housing health and food." Sorry, Charlie! You can't go down to live Mexico; after they steal your $5 cigarett money, they will stick a gun in your face and tell you to go home.

From Examiner article "Harford seeks special tax zones for base realignment growth" on January 4, 2008. "But state Sen. Nancy Jacobs, who opposes the tax districts, noted constituents have already been burdened by tax increases passed during the special session.“Any legislation asking for new or additional taxes is dead on arrival” in the Senate, she said Wonder who convinced Sen. Jacobs to change her mind?

Hey New Jersey...first, they're telling you you have to pull up stakes and move down to maryland for your job...now they want to create a new tax for developers, which will of course be passed on to you! So you're going to have to pay more for your house because the government decided to move your job to maryland, after maryland politicians told them they were ready...and don't forget about the billions that maryland will ask for for road improvements and schools and whatnot...so maryland politicians were telling the truth, they are ready...to take your money!!! Oh, this is too sweet. We;re gonna screw you and then make you pay for it...oh, my sides.

I have a better idea.I get paid then cash my check. Place the money in my wallet.Then I keep 5 dollars for a pack of cigarettes so I can pay the state taxes. Then I just hand he rest over to the govenment. Now I go down to Mexico. Sneak over the border and then get free housing health and food.

Hah hah hahah...Maryland is "at the ready" for the BRAC moves...sure, send it all down here, we're ready for it...yeah, you're ready to beg for $20 billion from the rest of the country's taxpayers, and you're ready to add a new tax to developers. What a bunch of liars.

This way residential growth can pay for itself and not be a burden on the rest of the County. As McComas said last week in the Aegis it will probably just be the levied on the 3,500 homes they intend to put on Perryman. That is where the most infrastucture(roads)is needed for growth in the development envelope.