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I honestly don't know why so many people are against the idea of John Hopkins developing a large "science city" in Montgomery County. I have heard many times the concerns that it shouldn't be built due to the increased traffic it will generate. But that point of view seems to be narrow-minded for a project that has the potential to become the backbone of our counties economy for decades to come. How is Montgomery County going to remain competitive with Northern Virginia and other biotech-related developments within the state if it cuts the size of this project? World class research institutions are already in the process of being developed all across the country by states looking for growth in the biotech industry and they will move ahead of the Shady Grove Life Science Center if nothing is done. But it seems that individuals against this project can't seem to see past the issue of traffic and it seems they wish to continue seeing high-tech job growth in Fairfax rather than in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County Civic Federation's immediate past president and current transportation committee chairman, Arnold Gordon, has even gone as far as to say the John Hopkins plan is racist in a essay he wrote opposing the Master Plan:

"Now let's talk about the need for all of this. Do we need more employment here? The figures show our unemployment rate is very low given the economic downturn. Nothing in this Science City plan requires that development be for businesses oriented toward the biosciences, technology or the like, except for the Johns Hopkins portion. What would be created is a gigantic office park in an era when commercial space is already adequate for years to come. Put this where it belongs — Baltimore, where there is a genuine need for employment. One wonders why Johns Hopkins has become so enamored of this county at the expense of its native city. Could race be a factor at play here?"

This has to be one of the most ridiculous arguments I have heard since this project has became such a large issue. It seems to me that people are so bent against this from happening that they are beginning to make arguments that don't even have any form of rational logic anymore.

Akil Lester, Ashton