Mikulski Sees Hope In Charles Projects

Lab, Tech Park To Bring Jobs

Amid the recession, Maryland's senior U.S. senator sought to reassure Charles County leaders this week that there is hope.

Although Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) said the financial crisis is worse than anything she has seen in 30 years in Washington, she told county commissioners that she sees opportunities for the region to prosper.

Mikulski met with Charles commissioners Monday in Indian Head. The site was chosen to highlight the county's most visible development project, an energetics technology complex at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in the town.

"I think the Southern Maryland region and the state of Maryland can be uniquely positioned to excel in the energetics field," Mikulski said.

The meeting occurred just a few months after county officials completed the first major deal for the town's planned technology park. British ejection-seat manufacturer Martin-Baker will construct several buildings there for its U.S. corporate headquarters, taking advantage of the region's military facilities and creating more than 100 jobs.

The technology park dovetails with plans to expand and modernize the warfare center, which employs about 3,600 military and civilian workers.

Because of intense local lobbying efforts, Indian Head was largely unaffected by decisions made as part of the federal Base Realignment and Closure process. Several military bases elsewhere were closed and personnel was shifted to large bases such as Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County.

The warfare center upgrades are designed to make it less susceptible to base closures or realignments. In the current federal fiscal budget, Mikulski worked to include $12 million to build the first phase of an energetics research lab, which could lead to significant job creation in Indian Head.

"The president wants jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, and whatever we do is going to be about creating jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs," Mikulski said.

Wayne Cooper (D-At Large), president of the Charles Board of Commissioners, told Mikulski that he thinks the county is weathering the economic storm but that it has felt its effects. Like county officials elsewhere, Cooper said he is concerned that the state's financial difficulties will lead to major cuts in money for local governments.

"Everything right now is balanced, but if we have to take on major millions from the state, that could hurt us," Cooper said.

President-elect Barack Obama's proposed stimulus package was a major topic at the gathering. Some commissioners asked Mikulski about the likelihood of Charles reaping benefits from federal money that will be used to build and upgrade roads and bridges.

Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D-St. Charles) told Mikulski he has a list of 10 "shovel-ready" projects in Southern Maryland that could move forward as soon as funding comes through.

Commissioner Reuben B. Collins II (D-Waldorf) expressed hope for passage of a comprehensive bill to address the foreclosure crisis, which has hit Charles harder than almost any county in the state. Collins, who is a lawyer, said he knows many county residents who want to restructure their mortgages.

In response, Mikulski chided leaders of the country's largest financial institutions for not using some of the federal bailout money they received to help homeowners.

"We [in Congress] don't trust anybody," she said. "We're not giving any more money until we're assured it's going to the homeowners."