Commentary
Anthony G. Brown: Md. moves forward on BRAC plans
2008-07-01

BALTIMORE -
Most Marylanders have a modest understanding of the Base Realignment and Closure process initiated by the Department of Defense to strengthen our nation’s military capabilities and maximize defense resources.

There’s no doubt that BRAC in Maryland has several moving parts. We often talk about how BRAC will bring 60,000 new jobs and 28,000 new households to Maryland over the next few years. Upward of 25,000 of those jobs will be located on military installations in Maryland, and they must be in place in accordance with the BRAC mandates by September 2011.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported recently that the federal government needs to be doing much more to help the more than 20 states confronted with both BRAC- and non-BRAC-related defense growth over the next few years. Specifically, the GAO report pointed to deficiencies in federal assistance to local governments, a lack of adequate and consistent information available and the dearth of senior federal interdepartmental attention to BRAC implementation matters.

There’s no doubt that the federal government needs to be doing much more to help states like Maryland prepare for the influx of economic growth related to BRAC. But we haven’t just relied on the federal government for direction and leadership. Fortunately, Maryland has been a model state in showcasing how a coordinated approach involving local, state and federal governments can best work.

Together with Maryland’s congressional delegation and leadership from our counties and municipalities, Gov. Martin O’Malley and I have made BRAC readiness a high priority of our administration.

The governor asked me to chair a very active BRAC subcabinet that brings together BRAC stakeholders in Maryland to address infrastructure, education and environmental issues.

In partnership with the General Assembly, the administration enacted a landmark law to encourage better land use planning and implementation for BRAC-affected areas of the state, and another law that helps train the needed work force for the influx of high-tech, military-related jobs.

In addition, we have seven regional community alliances directly connected to the bases they support, the OEA-supported regional BRAC coordination offices, and a Military Installation Council that has been meeting since 2003. Because of the coordinated involvement of so many of our state’s leaders, we are fortunate to have a clear understanding of our state’s challenges and requirements as well as a detailed plan to ensure our state is ready for BRAC.

We have benefited significantly, both regionally and at the state level, from assistance from the DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment. OEA’s responsibilities, however, are limited to coordination and planning assistance rather than paying for infrastructure, the essence of most of our challenges. As with other states, we will need a greater degree of federal assistance than is currently forecast for both the state and DOD to optimize desired BRAC results.

We certainly know that several communities face transportation challenges — challenges that will only be met by a combination of road construction investment and enhanced mass transportation.

We have profound security challenges facing our nation, and it is absolutely essential that the BRAC vision of a more efficient and effective Department of Defense be realized.

A better acknowledgment that federally directed actions require a greater degree of participation in addressing resulting impacts is a must.

Anthony G. Brown is the lieutenant governor of Maryland.