A Tale of Two Counties

[Saturday, early afternoon]

I am writing this post from my Eastern Shore Bureau office (which doubles as a coffee shop) in Princess Anne, Maryland.  On the weekends, you can find an establishment that produces a delectable latte, but don’t count on taking your first sip until 9:00 am, when the good café opens for business.  Those who crave the bean and can’t wait until that hour either have to settle for a Royal Farms offering or take the lonely drive up US-13/Ocean Highway to Salisbury, twelve and a half miles to the north.

Long before Get’n Grounded sold their first scone, former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Samuel Chase hailed from this area.   The U.S. House of Representatives impeached him, on charges relating to “arbitrary and oppressive conduct of trials.” [In brass-knuckles Realpolitik terms, the Jeffersonian Republicans in the House were ill pleased with the outspoken Chase, who became an ardent Federalist.] Partisanship: same as it ever was.  The good news for him is that he was acquitted on all counts in the Jeffersonian Republican-controlled Senate.  He remains to this day the only Supreme Court justice to have been impeached. 

Oddly, Princess Anne hasn’t turned this historic curiosity into a major tourist attraction.   This is the same Samuel Chase who tried to corner the flour market during the Revolutionary War.  The statue sculpts itself.

The population of Princess Anne, the county seat of Somerset County, is 3,290, which makes it smaller than most Villages in Columbia. The presence of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore gives the town a somewhat greater sense of vitality.  The total population of the county is 26,470…about one quarter of the number of Columbia residents.

Before the aforementioned high-water mark from the 2010 census, the previous population peak of Somerset County was 26,455…it recorded this tally in 1910.  What followed was a decades-long decline to 18,924 in 1970.  The 1980s witnessed a 22% increase in population, smaller but steady growth in the ‘90s and ‘00s and a small dip from 2010 to 2012 (a net loss of approximately 217 residents). 

So what does it all mean?  While it is a lovely region, I suppose it serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of stagnation.  There simply isn’t much “there” here.

Now, there are many, many differences between Howard County and Somerset County, and both are fine places to “live, work and play.”  That said, it is amazing to think that, even as recently as 1950, the two counties had roughly the same number of residents, with Somerset being the more populated of the two until that census.

It took bold, dynamic, and forward-looking leadership, from the private and public sectors, to help Howard County grow into the County that it is today.  It would be a shame if the plague of negativism and fear of forward movement gripped our communities, sapping them of the energy to find creative new ways to help maintain a high quality of life for all of our residents (new-comers and long-timers, young and old, etc…).

I can’t help but think that Samuel Chase, if he were alive today, would choose Howard County as his home.  And our grocery stores carry all the flour he will ever need.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

The Forum (Part Two) - A County in Bloom

One of the recurring themes at the League of Women Voters of Howard County's candidate forum was how best to manage growth.

Having conducted research on behalf of economic development organizations in regions that are trying to rebound after years of decline, I know of many municipal and county officials who would love to swap their problems for ours.

I've spoken with residents in areas facing truly tough times: dwindling populations, tighter budgets, higher crime rates, crumbling roads, major employers shutting down or cutting back...leading to diminished job opportunities.  They love their communities too, but many are debating the wisdom of staying.  They want to be part of a turn-around story but they have kids to raise or they simply want to be able to walk around their neighborhood without tensing up when they hear footfalls on the sidewalk behind them.

They want a quality of life similar to what we have in Howard County.

So the questions posed to the County Executive candidates dealt with such matters as the impact of growth on transportation and our infrastructure, on our school system, on housing.

[Before I go any further, I feel the need to disclose that I support Courtney Watson for County Executive.  So if you are expecting a consistently impartial, non-partisan analysis, you are in the wrong place.]

But back to the thread.   

First, the County Executive race. Strictly from the vantage point of performance: both County Council member Watson and State Senator Allan Kittleman did well. I would have been stunned otherwise. Both are smart, capable public officials.

It really comes down to who has the best experience for the position and best vision for the County.  This is where Watson's service as a member of the County Board of Education is hugely important.  Howard County public schools have a reputation for excellence and there is a concern that growth will put pressures on our education system.  As the Republican candidates for County Council (District One) noted during their panel discussion, our schools attract families and businesses, this drives economic growth and helps create the highly desirable communities that we have in Howard County.  Thus, having the in-depth understanding that Watson possesses on educational matters is an incredibly important attribute and a key point of differentiation between her and Senator Kittleman.

Moreover, when given the opportunity to make closing statements, Sen. Kittleman chose to talk about his father's work on civil rights, which was both commendable and courageous.  Again, putting on my political consultant hat, voters generally prefer to hear about the future than the past.  Tell us what you plan on doing. So when Watson spoke about keeping Howard County a "great place to live, work and play" and how she was poised to "help solve the challenges of the future" - I believe her forward-looking orientation is more aligned with voter concerns.  Kittleman should have pivoted from talking about the past to his vision for the future, but he did not do so.  At least I don't see anything like that in my notes.

I really wanted to cover the County Council - District One discussion in this post, but it looks like we are going to have a trilogy.   

Stay tuned, as more will follow.