So, Queen Anne’s County thought the Kent Island Defense League was only an “informational organization” . . . .   The IRS denied KIDL tax-exempt status because someone informed them KIDL was giving out zoning information.  Well, I hope the Chamber of Commerce and the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners don’t find out who that brainchild was.  Now the KIDL’s activities won’t be restricted.  The recently cancelled impact fee hearing is another example of what’s wrong here in QAC.

QA’s Comprehensive Plan Update draft, diligently pursued  by Planning Commission Chairman and Delaware resident, Dr. Foor, (also a Maryland State Critical Area Commission member and development partner with Waterman Realty) allows an additional 39,000 housing units and 28 million square feet of commercial over 20 years.  Do the math: that's 1950 houses and 1.4 million square feet of commercial (the size of 9 super Wal-marts) per year.

The QA Chamber of Commerce urged our elected Commissioners to abandon the Impact Fee hearing and postpone the increase.  The Board of Directors of the Chamber wants to be a “watchdog” of Government, therefore I'm sure they probably WOULDN'T WANT TO INCREASE PUBLIC DEBT.    My suggestion is THEY sign notes guaranteeing any bonds required for the hundreds of millions of dollars needed immediately just to get us started on their journey to resemble the Western Shore.   What’s wrong with paying as you go via Impact Fees, as long as everyone pays equally with no favoritism?  Let’s take the words “discretionary” and  “waivers” out of the County’s vocabulary. 

The Chamber uses words like Capitalism and Free Enterprise.  Apparently Free Enterprise means what will government and taxpayers pay so development’s impact will be free to the Chamber.

Developer Pat Didonato said “the Chamber has 500 members and 3000 employees”.  There are 44,000 County residents (22,000 registered voters).  The Chamber of Commerce’s numbers pale in comparison, so our State and Local elected officials should be cautious of where they sit on the fence, especially in an election year.

One of the strangest things occurs in politics – some people who live in multi-million dollar mansions start saying we need to build “affordable housing” . . . .

Next year’s State and Local campaign slogans ought to be “Do the math”.
 

Michael Koval
Chester