What's good for life is good for business
by Kai Hagen
December 8, 2005
Beware!
In case you haven't noticed, Frederick County is under siege by nefarious forces working to destroy our "strong business climate."
In late October, these evildoers were "rallying their supporters in preparation for the 2005 election" in the City of Frederick.
I might not have learned about this threat, if not for an e-mail sent to a friend by the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. Well, sort of the chamber of commerce. Technically, it came from the newly formed Frederick County Business Political Action Committee.
Well, sort of the Frederick County Business PAC. The urgent message, titled "Chamber Business PAC needs you to make a difference NOW!" was sent to "Chamber Members" by Kenneth Busz, president of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.
I wonder why the chamber, I mean the Frederick County Business PAC, waited until five days before the election to send out this emergency message, especially considering that "the stakes [were] simply too high for the business community to play a passive role."
And I'm not clear about who is assaulting our business community. The message did contain one clue as to their identity, however: They're the people "who don't appreciate the hard work that goes into providing jobs for families."
Hmmm. I think I may need more clues.
On the other hand, if "they" were rallying their supporters, and they got the chamber fighting back with a political action committee and last-minute fundraising pleas, I suppose it should be obvious.
And I guess it was obvious to those who responded with a $1,000 contribution. For that, they became members of the "Chairman's Circle," and received "tickets to attend an annual PAC-members-only event featuring a member of the General Assembly or Administration; the opportunity to participate in quarterly conference calls with legislators or Administration staff."
I won't be able to participate in those events, but fortunately I've found that members of the General Assembly will usually meet with folks or talk to them over the phone, even if they can't spare $1,000.
Besides being curious about who doesn't appreciate the hard work that goes into providing jobs for families, I wonder exactly how the chamber selected the "pro-business candidates" it endorsed after sending the letter, and how they define a "strong business climate."
In September, the chamber opposed Frederick County Commission President John "Lennie" Thompson Jr.'s effort to tighten lobbying regulations. Busz said it would be "bad for business," and would impair their access to our elected officials.
The chamber stays on top of important matters before the Frederick County Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners, so one can assume that if they thought any other significant new ordinances, amendments, region plans or zoning changes were bad for business, they would have expressed their concern and opposition to them, too.
But the chamber has not opposed any of the recently proposed text amendments to the Frederick County Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, such as the one submitted by the Frederick County Builders Association that would have allowed an additional 750 homes to be built every year that would not be subject to school adequacy standards.
Nor has it opposed the major rezoning applications or extensions of the growth boundaries proposed in the working draft of the New Market Region Plan update.
The chamber claims to be working for a "positive public policy environment," and there are a few other bits of lofty rhetoric in their "Strategic Goals," but where is the evidence they've supported and advocated for something more than just lower taxes and more rapid growth?
The chamber and its PAC needs to get away from business as usual, and develop a broader and more up-to-date perspective about what is in their interest, and ours.
Fact is, evidence reveals that a combination of quality-of-life factors are the most important elements that attract solid jobs. They include great schools and educated workers, clean air and water, cultural and recreational amenities, parks and trails, public safety and being able to get around. No less noteworthy is the correlation between these elements and an informed citizenry that participates in public affairs.
If we do things right, what's good for our communities is good for business.
WHY I'M VOTING FOR KAI!
Patti Murphy
Myersville
Kai Hagen is the kind of hard working, principled and dedicated individual we need on the BOCC. Kai cares deeply about Frederick County, and has worked tirelessly to protect the quality of life we cherish here.
He's a genuine public servant, whether it's coaching youth sports leagues, volunteering at his children's school, assisting in the development of ThorpeWood and the Catoctin Land Trust, serving on the county's Citizens Zoning...