July 16, 2001
 
  Ugh. Did the above Baltimore Sun article make you want to pull up stakes and move?
  Unfortunately, that article very clearly illustrates the reality of Allegany County. And how are our leaders addressing the pressing poverty and lack of jobs that plague us? They’re building an amphitheater, by golly. And they’re building another industrial park in a flood plain (that should make it easy to lure businesses there). And they’re using One Mexico - oops, there we go again; that should be One Maryland - to get jobs here that pay wages guaranteed to keep families such as little Wisha’s living in poverty for the rest of their lives.
  And they’re feverishly working to convince the state to subsidize middle and upper end housing developments at this very moment (see housing commentaries under ???), so it will at least look like something’s going on around here. Of course there isn’t anything going on around here, but what the heck. There’s an election next year, you know.
  So while Wisha’s mother - who managed to get a degree from Allegany College - continues to toil away at Walmart because there are no jobs here in her field of communications, little Wisha can grow up knowing that when she comes of age she can be an usher five months a year at Cas Taylor’s amphitheater, where she’ll make a wage guaranteed to keep her and her offspring, when she has them, living in poverty for the rest of their lives.
  You have to say one thing for Mr. Taylor. At least he’s consistent.