Washington Post Editoral on Derwood Day Labor Center
A Suitable Spot: Day laborers in Gaithersburg will finally get an employment center. Sunday, January 21, 2007
ASK COUNTY Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett's .... Thursday, when he announced that he had found a location for a controversial day-laborer center just outside Gaithersburg. All but extreme anti-immigrant activists should be satisfied with Mr. Leggett's plan, and it looks as though the county will, at long last, build the center .... more
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Response to Post Editorial -Gaithersburg Day Labor Center
Citizens of Derwood, Maryland, the projected home for the new day labor center trailer park strongly believe Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett pulled this “compromise location” out from somewhere other than his hat. Without a required public planning board hearing or a detailed community impact statement, Leggett has ordered county workers to begin construction on the center. When is Leggett holding community based hearings on this proposal, as our neighbors in Gaithersburg held? Where are the county studies to highlight the worker requirements of local businesses to even justify any taxpayer support for this center? What is wrong with sending the immigrant workers to the county and state unemployment offices already located in Gaithersburg?
Not a word by Leggett or the Post that across the street from this “industrial site” there is a vibrant shopping center with a KinderCare Day Care, Giant and a number of small businesses utilized by our families. No mention that this valuable land is already slated for new housing, a needed library and mixed-use commercial stores all a short walk from the Shady Grove Metro Station, under the recently approved Shady Grove Sector Plan. A Plan blessed by former executive Doug Duncan, the County Council and most importantly, the citizens of our community. Leggett’s roughshod and lawless approach is causing a groundswell of citizen opposition. “Take a Hike” Ike and take your trailers with you!
Brad Botwin
Director, HelpSaveMaryland.com
helpsavemaryland@comcast.net
Citizens of Derwood, Maryland, the projected home for the new day labor center trailer park strongly believe Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett pulled this “compromise location” out from somewhere other than his hat. Without a required public planning board hearing or a detailed community impact statement, Leggett has ordered county workers to begin construction on the center. When is Leggett holding community based hearings on this proposal, as our neighbors in Gaithersburg held? Where are the county studies to highlight the worker requirements of local businesses to even justify any taxpayer support for this center? What is wrong with sending the immigrant workers to the county and state unemployment offices already located in Gaithersburg?
Not a word by Leggett or the Post that across the street from this “industrial site” there is a vibrant shopping center with a KinderCare Day Care, Giant and a number of small businesses utilized by our families. No mention that this valuable land is already slated for new housing, a needed library and mixed-use commercial stores all a short walk from the Shady Grove Metro Station, under the recently approved Shady Grove Sector Plan. A Plan blessed by former executive Doug Duncan, the County Council and most importantly, the citizens of our community. Leggett’s roughshod and lawless approach is causing a groundswell of citizen opposition. “Take a Hike” Ike and take your trailers with you!
Brad Botwin
Director, HelpSaveMaryland.com
helpsavemaryland@comcast.net
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For additional comments on the Washington Post Editoral; A Suitable Spot Visit Gaithersblog at: http://gaithersblog.net/2007/01/21/the-washington-post-doesnt-get-it-episode-v/
posted by NEWS at 7:09 PM
4 Comments:
I'm sick of the Washington Pest and other media constantly referring to opposition to a day laborer center as "anti-immigrant."
These are not immigrants! These are ILLEGAL ALIENS!
Equating the two is like equating consensual sex with rape, and calling those opposed to illegal aliens "anti-immigrant" is like accusing a woman who objects to being raped as some sort of frigid lesbian!
Anyone who wants to speak out to Ike Leggett about this misuse of tax money can do so at his next Town Hall Meeting on Wednesdya, January 24:
Northwood High School
919 University Blvd.
Silver Spring MD
7:30 pm
Not to throw a monkey wrench into your
plans, Brad, but what is missing from
this discussion is the current situation
which we in Old Town Gaithersburg are
coping with. 17 N Frederick is being
leased by the County and used as an
informal, unsupervised gathering spot.
This is at the end of Brookes Ave.:
a very residential street. They are
300 ft from private homes with families
and children. We feel the impact of
their presence every day (and often
have to clean it up).
What is especially annoying is that there
was absolutely NO public process for
allowing the County to set this up.
You may discuss the 30 failed attempts
by Gaithersburg all you want. But, the
current situation, sponsored by the
County, is intolerable. We had no chance,
as you now will, to object to this.
Keep this in mind when you object to
the new trailer park. If you object to
Crabbs branch, then maybe you can also
object to 17 N. Fred. We weren't given
the opportunity to do so.
Sure hope that there is a beer and wine store at The Grove that will enable the "workers" all the amenities that they had up here in G'burg with the 7-11 selling singles at 6:30am.
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