The Maryland General Assembly's incoming freshmen lawmakers wrapped up a three-day tour of the state yesterday, professing a new appreciation for the needs of poor city residents, suburban commuters, public universities and tourism programs - and scratching their heads about how to support them all given the budget crisis.
"You're at College Park and you see the wonderful things going on, and you come to Coppin State and you see the wonderful things going on ... ," said Del.-elect Steven J. DeBoy Sr. of Baltimore County. "They know our backs are going to be up against the wall."
DeBoy was one of 30 newly elected members of the state legislature who toured Baltimore city and county by bus as part of an orientation program. The entire freshman class numbers 59 - 47 delegates and 12 senators - and about half chose not to attend yesterday.
Those on the tour said they were impressed, and a little overwhelmed, by the string of sales pitches made during the past three days.
Yesterday, they heard how Johns Hopkins Hospital needs help to update buildings and recruit nurses, how the University of Maryland at Baltimore could use continued capital support, how Coppin State College needs to rebuild its campus and update utilities and how Baltimore wants funds for a planned biotechnology park.
And that was all by lunchtime.
"It's been a wonderful - daunting - orientation," said Del.-elect Jon S. Cardin of Lutherville.
The three-day bus tour followed two days of orientation at the State House. Four years ago, freshmen had three days in Annapolis, followed by a six-day bus tour. That was cut back this year to save money.
Even the abbreviated tour was enough of a whirl to leave lawmakers with heads spinning.
Dels.-elect Tony McConkey and Don Dwyer struggled to recall all the places they had been in the past three days - from the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant to a public safety complex in Frederick County.
"It seems so long ago," McConkey said.
"It's a blur," added Dwyer.
Many said they were impressed by the institutions - and struck by the number of boarded-up rowhouses they rolled past on city streets.
The group asked Mayor Martin O'Malley about the derelict buildings when he addressed them over lunch. He told them about plans to create 2,000 new or renovated homes near Hopkins as part of a biotechnology park, and discussed the city's efforts to take control of 5,000 of Baltimore's 14,000 vacant houses.
"It seems like they're finally doing something in terms of redevelopment that, frankly, should have been done years ago," said Del.-elect Richard Sossi of Queen Anne's County.
A 30-year resident of Maryland, Sossi said he had been to Baltimore many times before - for dinner in Little Italy, a couple of ball games and business trips. But he said was mostly focused on issues in his home district before the tour.
Now, he knows more about the proposed Maglev train - which he thinks sounds like a waste of money - and Coppin State College, which he would like to support.
"A trip like this gives you an opportunity to see what other people are talking about," Sossi said. "If you see it, you have a better appreciation for it."
The sales pitch continued in Baltimore County in the afternoon but with a twist.
County Executive James T. Smith Jr. joined the tour to highlight state and county investments that took place in Essex and Middle River under his predecessor, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger.
The idea was to show how investments the state has made have paid off and spurred private investment.
Smith and County Economic Development Director Robert L. Hannon showed the legislators six projects designed to boost the employment, residential and recreational opportunities in the area.
"We have where people work, where they live and where they play as a result of the state working with the county and the private sector," Smith said.
Hannon said the first phase of $200,000 homes is sold out in the WaterView development, he said.
"What we are seeing is a community in the process of being restored, a community that believes in itself and believes in itself to the extent that it's putting its owns money in," Hannon said.