Fwd: PG Delegation & Council Chair to Defy Stadium Vote of 5
Council Members
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Joyce Dowling
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Mar 25, 2009 13:02 PST
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FYI:
| | PRESS RELEASE - IMMEDIATE
Judy Robinson, Truth iN Taxation
301-518-9044
Yesterday 5 members of the Prince George's
County Council (Tom Dernoga, Eric Olson, Tony
Knotts, Ingrid Turner, Andrea Harrison) voted
for their constituents and against taxpayer
funding of DC United Soccer stadium by voting
down HB1282 (original and amended). These
members are to be congratulated for their
courage and foresight in defining the cost and
risk to taxpayers of funding a stadium in this
economic climate. (See Washington Post Article
at end of this release)
Melony Griffith, Chair, House PG Delegation and
Marilynn Bland, Chair, PG County Council, with
total arrogance and disregard for their own
council members and constituents, have indicated
that the actions of these courageous council
members make little difference to the effort and
that they will continue to fight for the stadium.
Every person in Prince George's County who
doesn't want to fund a stadium needs to call or
email Ms. Griffith / Ms Bland and let their
wishes be known. Please pass this message on to
as many lists as you can. We will continue to
lobby the House Appropriations Committee,
(Norman Conway, Chair; James Proctor, Vice
Chair) on this issue as HB1282 has little chance
of progressing if the majority of the Prince
George's County Council has turned it down!
Griffith, Melony G.
Legis. Dist. 25 (D)
Prince George's Co.
APP
207 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
301-858-3557
<mailto:melony.g-@house.state.md.us>melony.g-@house.state.md.us
The Honorable Marilynn M. Bland
Chairperson, Prince George’s County Council
<http://pgcgis.co.pg.md.us/website/countycouncil/viewer.htm?Box=1290219.27:318887.20:1405572.90:426102.37>District
9, Democrat
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive
County Council
2nd Floor
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Tel: (301) 952-3820
Fax: (301) 952-5275
<mailto:mmbl-@co.pg.md.us>mmbl-@co.pg.md.us
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/>
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Score None for Soccer In Stadium Bill Vote
Council Committee Is Unconvinced
By Ovetta Wiggins and Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, March 25, 2009; B03
A Prince George's County Council committee
yesterday recommended that the county oppose
legislation that would launch planning for a
stadium for the D.C. United soccer team.
In a 5 to 0 vote, with two abstentions, the
council's General Assembly committee recommended
withholding support for a bill that would
authorize the Maryland Stadium Authority to
study the site and financing methods for the
project. The bill would also allow design work
to begin.
Although all nine council members are members of
the committee, council Chairman Marilynn M.
Bland (D-Clinton) said yesterday that the action
does not reflect the council's final position.
"While the actions taken in such committee
meetings are generally considered
recommendations, reflecting the sense of the
Council at that time, they are not official and
do not indicate a final Council decision or
position," Bland said in a statement.
D.C. United officials were uncertain how to
respond. "It's difficult to react to today's
vote, as we've not yet spoken to the legislators
and don't know what, exactly, they are opposed
to," said Doug Hicks, a spokesman for the team.
Council member Eric Olson (D-College Park) said
he is not convinced that the stadium, slated to
cost $180 million to $195 million, will become
the economic engine for the county that its
backers describe. He also expressed concern
about an amendment to the original bill that
would allow Maryland-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission to purchase land from the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
to build the stadium, a mixed-use development
and an agency headquarters on the site off
Garrett Morgan Boulevard.
"The council has not taken a position on a new
Park and Planning headquarters, and it assumes
that we would do that," Olson said. "That is a
fatal flaw."
Some state lawmakers acknowledged that a council
vote of opposition could create problems winning
passage of a stadium bill in the House of
Delegates. Del. Michael Vaughn (D-Prince
George's), a stadium proponent, said the council
vote will make passage in Annapolis "an uphill
climb."
But Melony G. Griffith (D-Prince George's), the
bill's sponsor, noted that the proposal has the
support of County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D)
and said she will continue to urge colleagues to
back it.
"I'm not clear as to why they would have voted
unfavorable on an opportunity to get information
about a potential revenue source for the
county," she said.
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--
My best to you,
Joyce Dowling http://www.joycedowling.com/
Albert Einstein stated, 'The Greatest Thing you
can do for the planet is to become a Vegetarian.'
The UN reported that Livestock Farming causes
~20% of all Greenhouse Gases, whereas all
transportation accounts for only 13% of GHG's.
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