Average incomes on the Shore and in Western Maryland are much lower than in the Baltimore/Washington corridor and poverty rates are, by and large, higher. What, if anything, can or ought to be done about that? Not surprisingly, I have some suggestions.
I've written often here about the relationship between education and income. Maryland, as a whole, has one of the highest household incomes of any state in the union and also has one of the highest rates of educational attainments. That's no coincidence. Many companies choose to locate in Maryland, despite its relatively high cost, because of its highly-educated and productive workforce.
But almost all of those companies locate in the wealthier sections of Maryland - not on the Shore and not in Western Maryland. There are a couple of reasons for this - the workforce they need is there and major government installations - NIH, the Food and Drug Administration, Fort Meade and NSA and Aberdeen Proving Grounds are all in the area. For years, these areas forged ahead because their excellent school systems produced the kinds of workers that high tech industry needed and because of the presence of these important magnets. The presence of major universities at College Park and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore helped too.
With the approval of the Thornton program, the state began to provide substantially increased funding to schools in the poorer parts of the state and there has been considerable progress in those areas. Recently, for example, Ocean City Elementary School, here in Worcester County, became the first school in the state in which every student passed the state achievement tests - certainly something to be proud of.
But education by itself isn't enough. Plenty of bright and well-educated students graduate from school on the Shore, go away to college and never come back - primarily because the kind of jobs they're looking for don't exist here. So the kind of industry that provides good, high-paying jobs won't locate on the Shore because the workforce they need isn't here.
A couple of days ago the Governor unveiled a proposal for the state to spend as much as $1.1 billion over the next ten years to attract and support biotech firms in Maryland. That's a good thing, I guess. The state is uniquely positions to become a 'biotech hub' with the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, Johns Hopkins University and the army's biological warfare center at Fort Detrick all within about forty miles of each other. But how much of that money will support new or existing industry on the Shore or in Western Maryland - areas where income is lowest and the needs greatest? None.
So what can be done? I think there are a number of things. First, the state should provide a bit more support for infrastructure development. The Rural Broadband Initiative is currently building a fiberoptic line linking Wallops Island, Salisbury and the Western Shore. This will bring true high speed internet to many parts of the Shore that don't have it now. There's also investment needed in other areas.
Second, the state should invest some money to capitalize on the presence of the two universities on the Shore. The Shore is an ideal place to expand their environment and marine biology programs to eventually serve as magnets for companies in those areas.
Third, the governor should establish a small office to focus on the Shore and on Western Maryland. The announcement about the biotech initiative is a good example of how these regions get left out of things - not out of malice but simply because they are overlooked by those whose focus is solely on the Baltimore/Washington corridor. By having an advocate for these regions in the executive branch, there's a better chance we won't be overlooked.
And fourth, the influx of retirees to the Shore should not be overlooked. Rural life has its charms and here on the Shore, where there are plenty of quiet bays, rivers and creeks, life can be quite pleasant. The retirees bring money and a heighted demand for medical services which provides some good-paying jobs.
So let's all recognize and applaud the high incomes that many Marylanders enjoy, but let's not forget those who don't share in the wealth.
[ Boating was painted by Edoard Manet in 1874. The original hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City]
Recent Comments