MGM Resorts strikes agreement to build casino at National Harbor near nation’s capital (Baltimore: income, property taxes)
Washington, DC suburbs in MarylandCalvert County, Charles County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County
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Who are you to tell me where to go. I don't want a bunch of low paid jobs in my county, all that is going to do is attract the wrong type of people. We should be able to attract IT, Government, and other types of businesses that pay people middle class wages.
Casino's mostly hire people to make $10-12 an hour. Just who in the heck do you think are attracted to those types of jobs??? And then you'll be whining and *itching about how the casino has ruined PG County. Maybe you don't live in this part of PG county, BUT I DO! And I care about the people are moving in next to me, sorry if you don't.
And for the record, they tried to pull this same mess in Atlanta and people were outraged and told them to take that mess elsewhere. People know Casino's bring crime and a bunch of other issues.
Although I don't agree with having you pack your bags and getting out of town, I do feel that assertion is not based on what is being planned here. At the end of the day you have to vote your conscious and others need to at least respect your position. I do want to address what position on middle class wages. Current analysis shows middle class wages being appox. 25K for Single households with two children and 50K for two income families with two children (What is the middle class? ; Income: How to Gauge Your Middle-Class Status - US News & World Report ). The average salary proposed for the casino will be about 55K for one person (well above the single average). Also, the jobs at a casino or a resort run the gamut in skillsets. Some of these fields include but are not limited to management(hotel, casino, retail, and restaurant), IT specialists, finance and accounting professionals, marketing specialist, legal professionals, etc. In 2011 63% of their workforce and 38% of their management staff were minorities. They also have professional development portal to provide soft skills training and they have partnered with colleges to provide curriculums that provide instruction on casino operations and hospitality. That said there commitment to developing their people for advancement is pretty substantive.
Also, since they will require goods and services, their contracts could lead to additional jobs with the vendors they retain those jobs would impact construction, engineering, agribusiness, etc). MGM spent approximately 1.1B dollars last year on goods and services for their properties. That money went to businesses that, because of their relationship with MGM, were able to retain/create jobs. Indirectly growing other industries. If you get a chance go to their diversity website (MGM Resorts International - Diversity) they have a lot of information on what they buy and, as a result, what industries they impact. They also have several APRs that discuss their diversity efforts. I say all of this to demonstrate that not all of the jobs that are coming will be as low-wage as you think. I very seriously doubt that they will try to recruit finance professionals, IT professionals etc. with wages that are not comparable to the area.
As for attracting crime and other elements, PG will be under a microscope with this effort and I doubt that they will let the National Harbor go to pot with the addition of a casino. If you were around when the National Harbor broke ground surrounding residents were fighting its construction tooth and nail stating that it would bring crime and undesirables to the area. Peterson put in his own security to work in tandem with PGPD, MPP Police, PG Sheriff Dept, MD Sherrif Dept, and the Federal Patrol for the waterways to deter crime. Based on a conversation I had when I visited their information center, they will also have their own security team onsite as well as work closely with the police department to ensure that the grounds are safe. Don't get me wrong there may be some crime (as with any area in the metro) but it pales in comparison to other areas of the county and the metro. Go to https://www.crimereports.com/ and type in "National Harbor". You will see that there is not a lot crime at the Harbor (as a result of the emphasis they have placed on security). You will also see that Oxon Hill, Fort Washington, and Alexandria have a lot of registered sex offenders but that is besides the point.
At the end of the day you have to vote in a way that makes you comfortable. I live near that area too but I will be voting yes for question 7 because I see the economic potential that it could bring that the county could play off of if they play their cards right. I also encourage you to visit their visitor's center at the harbor if you have questions or concerns about what what is being proposed. Marshunda and the rest of the staff their are really helpful and forthcoming.
First of all can high school students even be hired to work in a casino ? I doubt this casino is going to have a flock of high school students working there. My husband works with low income people and in criminal rehab in PG county and these are exactly the types of jobs he steers people towards. Not all low income people are bad, but we have to be honest that lower income areas do usually have the most crime and the most problems. People already look at PG County like it's an embarrassment to the area.
If we had more high paying jobs then we could attract a better level of people. We don't have highly educated people over here because most people want to live near their job. If I have an awesome paying job in Nova, why heck would I live in PG County. We need to make a push for other businesses to come here.
I had a co-worker who visited the casino in Anne Arundel and he left around 4am and said there were all kinds of sketchy people hanging out in the parking lot, so I do believe this casino is going to bring more issues for this area. If you want facts, here is an article on a study that says casino's do increase crime:
So where exactly are your facts??? All you have stated are opinions.
And actually if you want to be honest, his assertion that we don't have the available workforce is not accurate at all. Approximately 30% of our population has a Bachelor degree or above. We're talking about 300,000 people who live within this county that would more than likely be eligible for a professional level job. In contrast, Charles County has only 26% of their population with Bachelor degrees or above and they have a much higher median salary than Prince George's County. Why is that? Well in part Charles County's wealth has grown with the expansions of Dalgren and PAX Naval Base, which both are next to Charles County and have access to those high paying jobs.
You can also add Prince William County at 37.5% and Stafford County at 35.4% for residents with Bachelor Degree's or higher. What do all these places have in common? They all are outer DC suburbs, that have pass Prince George's County in wealth because of their growth in obtaining high-paying jobs and these areas are largely focused on attracting young professional families and they have been successful.
I guess what it all comes down to is, what is Prince George's County identity? Are we trying to be on the same level as Fairfax and MoCo, are we trying to attract young families, or are we building a hallmark as an affordable alternative to other parts of the area. I have no problem with the last part, except if we are doing that than why are we building luxury condos on the waterfront, or constantly building over priced developments in bad areas (i.e. Capitol Heights, Forestville). I think as a county we have an identity crisis and lack a true vision of what we want this county to become which is why I believe the casino issue has risen. If you say that you want to bring young families, then how many people will raise their children around a casino? And if you don't have a preference, then why continue to build homes that the average person cannot afford?
Although I don't agree with having you pack your bags and getting out of town, I do feel that assertion is not based on what is being planned here. At the end of the day you have to vote your conscious and others need to at least respect your position. I do want to address what position on middle class wages. Current analysis shows middle class wages being appox. 25K for Single households with two children and 50K for two income families with two children (What is the middle class? ; Income: How to Gauge Your Middle-Class Status - US News & World Report ). The average salary proposed for the casino will be about 55K for one person (well above the single average). Also, the jobs at a casino or a resort run the gamut in skillsets. Some of these fields include but are not limited to management(hotel, casino, retail, and restaurant), IT specialists, finance and accounting professionals, marketing specialist, legal professionals, etc. In 2011 63% of their workforce and 38% of their management staff were minorities. They also have professional development portal to provide soft skills training and they have partnered with colleges to provide curriculums that provide instruction on casino operations and hospitality. That said there commitment to developing their people for advancement is pretty substantive.
55k is relative to the area. In this area, you won't get far, especially considering the possibility that most people will have some type of debt to offset that salary (i.e. credit cards, car note). If I was in Omaha, NE, I would live like a king off of that salary. This is not Omaha, NE. There will only be but a small percentage of IT, finance, accounting, and other professional positions that you mentioned that will be needed. The bulk of the employment will be the people who operate the main floor of the facility. Every type of business, including the hotels will need those type of positions that you listed but again, what percentage of the workforce does that even make up for a hotel? Exactly how many IT guys do you need for a casino? Exactly how many accounting people do you need? Can't imagine those numbers being big and who is to say that any of those workers................ding ding ding..........will be Prince George's County residents? No guarantees.
Listen, I get it. MGM is a great company. We need jobs, but we can't sit here and pretend that this plan is so full-proof that it has no choice but to work. There are rumors swirling that 90% of Maryland construction workers aren't even eligible to work on the construction of the project. If that is true, how does that help? I guess if the casino owners weren't getting tax breaks, there was a guarantee of increased education funding and our county was more stable, this would make sense, but honestly this just seems like a big distraction. MGM sees $$$$. They don't care about this community, they don't care about jobs for local residents. Let's stop pretending that this is some local community that is trying to improve our county. This is a large corporation that is trying to profit off of us and we are taking a huge risk. If the casinos pass and the revenue generated is nowhere near what is being anticipated, what have we resolved? What is MGM guaranteeing for us, that makes this a win-win regardless?
First of all can high school students even be hired to work in a casino ? I doubt this casino is going to have a flock of high school students working there. My husband works with low income people and in criminal rehab in PG county and these are exactly the types of jobs he steers people towards. Not all low income people are bad, but we have to be honest that lower income areas do usually have the most crime and the most problems. People already look at PG County like it's an embarrassment to the area.
If we had more high paying jobs then we could attract a better level of people. We don't have highly educated people over here because most people want to live near their job. If I have an awesome paying job in Nova, why heck would I live in PG County. We need to make a push for other businesses to come here.
I had a co-worker who visited the casino in Anne Arundel and he left around 4am and said there were all kinds of sketchy people hanging out in the parking lot, so I do believe this casino is going to bring more issues for this area. If you want facts, here is an article on a study that says casino's do increase crime:
So where exactly are your facts??? All you have stated are opinions.
You are accurate in your point that you have to be 18 and typically a high school graduate to work in a casino but you are missing one important element. Due to gaming regulations, casino employees (from the top down) must pass a background investigation that is equivolent to a top secret clearance. That is why when Bmore delegates proposed Harrahs Bmore hire ex-cons they were shot down.
As for MD Live, there may be sketchy characters hanging around but one of the biggest issues that property has is that it is not ran by an actual gaming company that understands how to operate a facility. True gaming companies understand the layers of security that need to be in place to support a safe but welcoming environment. I don't think MGM or PG County will allow those things to happen. It hasn't been a problem up to this point and I don't think they will start now.
In regards to jobs people (and specifically families) don't want to live in the area because our school system is so poor. The irony is is that we have a high percentage of educated adults but our children are failing. That said a casino resort will not bring down the county any further based on its prescence alone. We have had decades of inadequacies that need to be addressed aside from the consideration of this industry. It should also be noted that just because we have an educated population that they possess the skill set to participate in some of the high growth industries that primarily comprise STEM fields. Case in point most African Americans (who also comprise 60% of the population) as a whole do not pursue or graduate with technical degrees. That is why the government and the private sector has created grants and scholarships to encourage more minorities to enter these fields. Even with that the numbers are consistently low. That said how do we plan to have the population to support a highly technical industry (that residents are demanding). If/when they come their employees won't reside in PG based on the current trend. If we are clamouring for High Tech industries but don't have the workforce or public infrasture/policy to support it, how can we make an effective case to pursue it?
As for the study, I have read the original and my biggest problem with it is that it is dated. It was written 16 years ago and the environmental factors that were prevalent at that time are vastly different from today's environment. The entertainment models that are employed by gaming companies are different and have beeen adjusted further to accomodate properties existing outside of a LV or AC. If a new independant study is done that is applicable to today's industry/business model, I would be more apt to accept it but until then it is about as relevant as the jim crow laws and covenants that were dominant in the county prior to 1960.
Last edited by UrbanScholar; 10-11-2012 at 02:00 PM..
Casinos, especially being built from the ground up, would create a whole host of jobs for the State and the county, for a very long time. I mean, a wide variety of jobs. Not just $10 an hour jobs. But you have to realize that a casino wouldn't be up and running for 5 years....I'd be shocked it it opened sooner. You know Maryland....if it passes I'd bet there would be other challenges that slow it down. Think ICC....
That said, every county wants those high paying jobs you speak of, biotech and the like. But guess what, they're not coming to Prince Georges anytime soon. Our elected officials are at a loss as how to attract them. Government agencies aren't coming to PG, Biotech likes Montgomery County and have also been steered toward Baltimore.
Other than raising taxes, I haven't seen a whole lot of new ideas out there.
55k is relative to the area. In this area, you won't get far, especially considering the possibility that most people will have some type of debt to offset that salary (i.e. credit cards, car note). If I was in Omaha, NE, I would live like a king off of that salary. This is not Omaha, NE. There will only be but a small percentage of IT, finance, accounting, and other professional positions that you mentioned that will be needed. The bulk of the employment will be the people who operate the main floor of the facility. Every type of business, including the hotels will need those type of positions that you listed but again, what percentage of the workforce does that even make up for a hotel? Exactly how many IT guys do you need for a casino? Exactly how many accounting people do you need? Can't imagine those numbers being big and who is to say that any of those workers................ding ding ding..........will be Prince George's County residents? No guarantees.
Even with that consideration there are still a significant number of college educated people (some with experience) that are living in this area that make less than 55K a year. The recession created a flood of college educated and/or experienced people who had to accept less pay to become or stay employed. That adjustment is the new normal and we won't be going back to the pre-recessionary incomes anytime soon. There may be a small number of the positions I mentioned but they are still there and need to be a part of the equation. That doesn't include similar positions that may be created in the companies doing business with them. The bottom line is that any one company that comes into the area will not have an abundance of jobs (in the hundreds or thousands) that will be available or filled by county residents. That misnomer needs to change in the minds of individuals looking to change the corporate paradigm of the county. But this is a start and may serve as a model for a strategy to intice other companies to come. The collective and not one will begin to change the corporate landscape of the county. From what I have heard there are multilple irons in the fire to stimulate economic development. This is just one and happens to be one that is moving the fastest. As for promises of jobs that will go to PG County citizens? NO company can make that assertion. A company can make an effort but if the skillset needed to fill their positions are not available among residents looking for a job then they will have to look elsewhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pgtitans
Listen, I get it. MGM is a great company. We need jobs, but we can't sit here and pretend that this plan is so full-proof that it has no choice but to work. There are rumors swirling that 90% of Maryland construction workers aren't even eligible to work on the construction of the project. If that is true, how does that help? I guess if the casino owners weren't getting tax breaks, there was a guarantee of increased education funding and our county was more stable, this would make sense, but honestly this just seems like a big distraction. MGM sees $$$$. They don't care about this community, they don't care about jobs for local residents. Let's stop pretending that this is some local community that is trying to improve our county. This is a large corporation that is trying to profit off of us and we are taking a huge risk. If the casinos pass and the revenue generated is nowhere near what is being anticipated, what have we resolved? What is MGM guaranteeing for us, that makes this a win-win regardless?
Nothing is fulll proof and I haven't seen anyone assert that it is. However, it is a better option than what is available now. We can all dream about and create wishlist of what we would like to be here but that won't make it a reality. In my opinion, MGM having a property here is not a bad thing and will add to the diversity of offerings available to the county. Does that mean that this will be our one shot and we will never have another business move here? No but it should not be shut down based on perception. There are a lot of Americans in this country that the Federal Government does nothing and its workforce needs to be cut by 2/3. Since they have a perception should we terminate 2/3 of the workforce to accomodate their perception. No. Our jobs just like the jobs being proposed at the casino have purpose, add to the economy and helps to stabilize families in the area. As for guarantees. They will guarantee some number of new jobs will come into the community. They will also guarantee that local businesses that they buy from will receive an increase in revenues which contributes to the tax base of the county and the sate. That in my opinion is a win.
I hope it doesn't pass. I don't live too far from the Harbor and I worry about it bringing more crime to the area along with the issues that come from people who have gambling addiction.
Wow another Alexandria Tax Payer in fear that it will draw Business/Tourism away from VA and attract them to the Maryland Side of the DC area........
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Originally Posted by Missingatlanta
I remember going into a casino in Arizona and seeing this lady with two slot machine levers in her hand and looking intently into the machine with a look of despair. I was at the slot machine next to her and she looked at me like she would cut me if I got anywhere near her machine, lol. It was like she was under a spell or something.
Your not that crazy Lady and that should not be a concern of your which is like saying that Building Atlanta Aquarium would cause a risk of Sharks busting through the glass and bite the tourists.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Missingatlanta
Not to mention most of the jobs this casino will bring will probably be low paid jobs so bringing in a casino might actually make the area worse. I wish PG County could attract other types of venues instead of one that might create a bunch of issues for the area.
Again why should that concern you if you don't have to look for so-called low wage jobs. The casino is the best option right now and it is very embarrassing that people across the river have a Serious hard time dealing with the FACT that the Casino Will draw Most of the DC area tourism away from Virginia and increase Tourism, Business, and Economic Growth for Maryland....
It's pretty close but some of the polls have included responses from DC and VA voters which is puzzling to me
Why should it be puzzling when it is WELL KNOWN that VA has always try to undercut(via Political Connections) the Maryland Suburbs whenever there is any High Potential that Maryland(Prince Georges County and Montgomery County however not as severe) is planning to increase Business, Economic, and Revenue Growth that can potentially compete against Northern Virginia.......
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