May 03, 1997
SOME $2.6 million in taxpayers' money could be spent renovating a building bought for $198,000 to house a jobs program in East Baltimore. The investment may be worth it ultimately, if unemployment is dramatically reduced. But the political back-scratching that has moved the project makes it difficult to assess its true value.
It's doubtful that Marie Washington could have received such large commitments for government grants and low-interest loans were she not an operative in the Eastside Democratic Organization. The tentacles of that 27-year-old political group founded by former Mayor Clarence H. "Du" Burns and City Councilman (and former state senator) Robert L. Douglass still reach into City Hall and the State House.
EDO leadership is connected to the anti-poverty umbrella Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, which has links to East Baltimore Community Corp., Fair Chance Inc. and East Baltimore Enterprises Inc. Fair Chance is the non-profit corporate entity that will run The Chance, Ms. Washington's jobs program, which will be located in the renovated Sam Glass & Son mens wear building. East Baltimore Enterprises is a for-profit subsidiary of Fair Chance that will handle the lease of additional space in the building to the state.
It's a sweet deal. The state will pay $280,000 a year for 10 years to lease space inside the Glass building to be used as a field office for social workers. The state pays only $53,000 a year to lease a different building, but it's too small. State Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden, an EBCC director, has been a lot of help to Ms. Washington. So have state Del. Hattie N. Harrison, president of HEBCAC, and Councilwoman Paula Johnson Branch, another EBCC director.
The way things seem to fall into Ms. Washington's lap discourages other anti-poverty groups that can't secure much smaller sums from government. Some public officials seem to think cronyism and even nepotism are excusable when the guilty group is "non-profit" or providing a service such as job creation.
Taxpayers would prefer that the merit of such proposals, rather than political friendships, be the basis for spending their money on even the worthiest of causes.
Pub Date: 5/03/97
