geraldmd15
January 27th, 2007, 09:17 PM
I don't understand why people on both sides of the aisle fight so vehemently with each other. It has been common knowledge for some time now that Virginia has been a bit more aggressive with development than Maryland. Part of that has to do with Virginia's generally lighter tax burden and business-friendly governments. Still, Maryland has kept mostly on par with its focus on biotechnologies in particular and the health field more generally. I think it combines for a healthy area-wide economy.
Politically, whether political conservatives in MD or VA care to acknowledge or not, the DC/BAL metro is becoming homogenously Democratic, with varying degrees of liberalism. There are some outposts of political conservatism (exurbs like Frederick County and the counties north of Baltimore, Anne Arundel County) but most other jurisdictions are going in exactly the opposite direction. Montgomery and Prince Georges are steadily heavily Democratic. Fairfax, while more moderate, will soon join them as Democratic strangleholds (Davis's seat will almost certainly go Democratic once he retires or runs for the Senate, and perhaps even with him in it over the next few cycles- 55.4% for a so-called heavyweight is unimpressive).
Prince William and Loudoun will are going to be tougher nuts to crack, but eventually will relent, as did Fairfax between 2000 and 2006 (once it started relenting, it did so with phenomenal speed and AGAINST national trends). Recall that the numbers from Prince William and Loudoun, reporting late in the evening on Nov 7 2006, were the ones that put Webb over-the-top.
The facts on the ground, as presently construed, will mostly remain. NoVA will continue to lead in business growth. Montgomery will continue to advance in the health sector. Prince Georges will make efforts to attract small and medium-sized businesses with low rents and continue to lead the area in new urbanist mega-projects. Prince William, Loudoun, Charles, and other developing suburbs will experience strong growth.
We should recognize the facts on the ground and learn to value the region's differences and respect that they come together to form probably the healthiest CMSA economy in the country.
Politically, whether political conservatives in MD or VA care to acknowledge or not, the DC/BAL metro is becoming homogenously Democratic, with varying degrees of liberalism. There are some outposts of political conservatism (exurbs like Frederick County and the counties north of Baltimore, Anne Arundel County) but most other jurisdictions are going in exactly the opposite direction. Montgomery and Prince Georges are steadily heavily Democratic. Fairfax, while more moderate, will soon join them as Democratic strangleholds (Davis's seat will almost certainly go Democratic once he retires or runs for the Senate, and perhaps even with him in it over the next few cycles- 55.4% for a so-called heavyweight is unimpressive).
Prince William and Loudoun will are going to be tougher nuts to crack, but eventually will relent, as did Fairfax between 2000 and 2006 (once it started relenting, it did so with phenomenal speed and AGAINST national trends). Recall that the numbers from Prince William and Loudoun, reporting late in the evening on Nov 7 2006, were the ones that put Webb over-the-top.
The facts on the ground, as presently construed, will mostly remain. NoVA will continue to lead in business growth. Montgomery will continue to advance in the health sector. Prince Georges will make efforts to attract small and medium-sized businesses with low rents and continue to lead the area in new urbanist mega-projects. Prince William, Loudoun, Charles, and other developing suburbs will experience strong growth.
We should recognize the facts on the ground and learn to value the region's differences and respect that they come together to form probably the healthiest CMSA economy in the country.