Flying Away

It was interesting to read recently that Ike Leggett, county executive of Montgomery County, is flying off to Israel this week. He said he hopes to encourage overseas companies to locate in Montgomery County.  Apparently this is the first of several countries he plans to visit while county executive, including China, India, Vietnam and South Korea. 

This trip comes on top of Prince George's County county executive Jack B. Johnson's recent trip to Nigeria looking for investors.  This is his third trip to Africa as county executive; previously he visited The Gambia and Senegal.

Now let's start with Ike Leggett, who campaigned on a 'slow growth' platform.  Does anybody, except for homebuilders, seriously believe there are not enough people in Montgomery County?  The infrastructure, and particularly the transportation infrastructure is grossly inadequate to serve the existing population and businesses, why in the world try to recruit more.  Yes, he's looking for jobs, but unemployment in MoCo is already very low and more jobs are just going to attract more people.  Is this the way the county should spend the taxpayers' money?

Over in Prince Georges', a county which is also strangling on its own growth, The county executive thinks the place to go to look for investors is one of the more corrupt nations on earth (according to Transparency International, which monitors such things).  And, of course, Prince Georges' County has no other pressing needs. 

The incessant push to attract more jobs to the DC area just amazes me.  The region already boasts one of the longest average commutes in the nation, the roads and transit networks are overwhelmed, housing prices and rents are sky high and they keep trying to get more people to come there.  So maybe Ike and Jack head overseas to get away from the local traffic and congestion - it's the only thing that makes any sense.

Comments

[Maryland Dem]

Why go to Nigeria for investors? Can't P.G. County just answer that Nigerian who always emails me telling me he has a ton of money that he just needs to get access to? That dough should fund a couple of roads...