Ehrlich on Washington column, June 2, 1996

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Week of June 2,1996 PUBLIC HOUSING MEETING A SUCCESS On May 17, Councilman Lou DePazzo and I co-hosted a town meeting regarding the proposed partial settlement of the Baltimore City-ACLU public housing lawsuit at Dundalk Community College. I would like to publicly thank everyone who made the event a success. Despite the emotional nature of the topic, more than 1,600 concerned citizens of Baltimore County and other nearby counties came together in a constructive, responsible manner to discuss an issue of mutual concern. The purpose of the town meeting was to inform citizens about the specific provisions of a plan to require 2,200 public housing residents in Baltimore City to relocate to the surrounding counties. People listened carefully as County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger, Councilman DePazzo, and I spoke about different aspects of the proposed settlement. Many used one of the open microphones to ask questions and to talk about the impact the proposed housing plan will have on their communities. Moreover, people responded to my request to share their views with the federal judge who will ultimately accept or reject the proposed settlement. By the time the deadline to submit comments had passed, the court had received hundreds of letters. This is an outstanding example of grassroots activism at work.