Lieutenant Governor Townsend Meets Civic Leaders
 at Everlasting Life in Largo, MD
February 21, 2002

In a surprise visit, Maryland Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend made an unscheduled stop in Prince Georges County Wednesday night and met with leaders of the county's various civic  organizations.   The lieutenant governor heard words of welcome from State Senator Ulysses Curry and Rev. Douglas Edwards of the Mission of Love Church.  Senator Curry led the effort to bring representatives of the PG County community to meet the daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.  The meeting was held at the newly built Everlasting Life Health Complex  in Largo, MD.

At the gathering, the lieutenant governor made a commitment to work with civic leaders such as those in attendance, who she invited to introduce themselves.  The assembly of largely African American representatives of area civic federations and associations, embodied a cross section of neighborhoods throughout Central PG County.   The lieutenant governor stated that the group symbolized the kind of people she wanted to work with in her campaign.   She went on to say that "by working together, by working with government, we can improve our lives, the lives of our children and our future."

 In her comments to the group of about 30 community organizers, the lieutenant governor declared that if elected, she would not give money "to any organization, even to a high crime area, unless they had a good relationship with [your] community."   Her emphasis was on a continuation of the work she has already begun in Central PG County, where at Suitland High School, she has begun a "hot spots" effort to reduce crime.

 "Nothing happens unless people believe they have responsibility to make it happen.  I don't think government should be doing things to people or even for people.  It has to be a catalyst to get people engaged to make things happen together," the lieutenant governor said.

At one point, she turned her remarks towards the idea of economic development.  Early in the meeting the Complex in which the meeting was held had been applauded by the group as the kind of development the community was looking to continue.  In addressing the idea of being invited back by the group, the lieutenant governor cited that those in attendance represented the kind of people she wanted to work with because of their work with economic development in the county.  "If you don't like the stores in your neighborhood; if you don't trust that the people who have those stores respect you; if you think that you're being ripped off, are you going to be happy?  So it's very important that with everything we do, we hear what you have to say."

Closing out the meeting, Complex owner Dr. Baruch  asked that the meeting not be the last time he saw the civic leaders.  He invited everyone to take advantage of the new facility, support economic development by continuing to hold political meetings and rallies there and also getting their constituency to become customers.