| The latest filing shows that Donna Edwards managed to outraise Al Wynn in the last four months, and also has more money to spend: | Candidate | Money raised (9/07-1/08)
| Cash on hand | | Al Wynn | $415,356.50 | $146,366.87 | | Donna Edwards | $440,544.81 | $204,349.30 |
Meanwhile, both Wynn and Edwards have been hitting the airwaves, which DC-area readers have probably seen already. (This one, for example) Outside groups have also been putting out ads -- SEIU COPE for Edwards, and the National Association of Realtors for Wynn. I want to highlight one ad that Wynn's running (no link). After doing the usual schtick about Edwards being a puppet for the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy™, the ad slams Edwards for opposing the National Harbor project by the Potomac River in Prince George's County. This is contrasted with Wynn's vaunted job fair, and the obvious implication is that Edwards is some liberal interloper who tried to prevent good jobs from coming to the 4th District, while Wynn is the real champion of working families. But let's unpack this charge, but I think it reveals a lot about the difference between the two candidates. |
| The National Harbor has been one of the more controversial development projects in the DC area in recent memory. A massive complex of office buildings, hotels, restaurants, and possibly even casinos, the original project would have carved out a huge chunk of land in Prince George's, and brought with it increased sprawl and traffic congestion to the area, while offering little to local residents in exchange. Donna Edwards took the lead on a lawsuit against the Peterson Cos., the developer in charge of the project, and managed to extract promises to include more residences and fewer office buildings, as well as create a development plan to serve the local Oxon Hill community. Meanwhile, the National Harbor project has continued to be controversial, as money provided by the Peterson Cos. to be handed out to local charities and community groups turned out to have been used as a slush fund by Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson and his associates. Indeed, last I heard, the committee set up to distribute that money is under investigation by the state prosecutor, and county officials are calling for hearings into the matter. And the good jobs that Wynn and others had promised would come to the community? Turns out that they're not all that good so far: The call for a hearing came days after state legislators complained to the county executive at a meeting Jan. 11 that promises to hire residents to run the complex’s hotels and stores have so far only earned listings for janitors and cooks. ‘‘How many of these executive vice presidents are coming from Prince George’s County?” asked Del. Carolyn J.B. Howard (D-Dist. 24) of Mitchellville. ‘‘Right now, they are offering $25,000 to $30,000 as a salary. Is anyone going to monitor the types of jobs?” Johnson has boasted that National Harbor — which will include more than 4,000 hotel rooms, a 470,000-square-foot convention center, 1 million square feet of retail and restaurants, office buildings and 2,500 luxury condominiums along the Potomac River in Oxon Hill — would provide a major boost to the local economy by bringing jobs and thousands of visitors. But other lawmakers worry the high-end development is only bringing entry-level work for residents. ‘‘We want to make sure that Prince George’s is getting their share,” said state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington. ‘‘We want to be able to tell our colleagues that we have our eyes on the prize.” Muse and others said the only positions they have seen advertised so far are for hourly workers, not the more lucrative mid-level managers and other skilled positions.
So what's the take home lesson from all this? First, it shows the falsity of Wynn's charge that Edwards offers only clichés, not results: In this case, Edwards took on a powerful developer and succeeded in making it change its plans for the better (albeit not totally for the better). Second, Wynn's claim to have promoted economic development in the Fourth District is a little shaky if one of the largest of those development projects is providing mostly entry-level jobs without much chance for advancement. And third, given the shadiness and self-dealing surrounding the National Harbor project, I'd say Edwards is in a better position on this issue, having been a critical voice, and not a cheerleader, for several years now. If the Wynn campaign indeed wants to make National Harbor an issue in this race, the Edwards campaign should welcome the opportunity. Note, as per usual: I am working as a canvasser for the League of Conservation Voters, which is supporting Donna Edwards.
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