News and FAQ

The D.C. Examiner did a piece on us yesterday. Check it out here

Also, Behind The Badge put up a FAQ on their blog yesterday. Check it out for more info on the new stadium.

How You Can Help

Let us apologize up front, because this posting is going to be long. But we’ve had people asking us what they can do to help, and we wanted to begin to offer some options.

Thank the people who have gotten the ball rolling for D.C. United: Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson (his son is a H.S. soccer coach), Sen. Anthony Muse, Del. Melony Griffith and County Council Chair Marilyn Bland. Councilmen Will Campos and Sam Dean also committed their support at the stadium announcement, as well as Del. Michael Vaughn. And Lt. Governor Anthony Brown made positive remarks about the stadium in the press. These are our champions, and we need to make sure they are supported. Thank them for their efforts and ask them what they would like you to do to help.

Show our support to decision-makers: Ultimately, to make this project move forward, we need support from Governor O’Malley and the key fiscal committees in the legislature: the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. The Chairs are Sen. Ulysses Currie, who, fortunately, is from Prince George’s County, and Del. Norman Conway, who represents Wicomico and Worcester Counties. The bill has been introduced in the House of Delegates. It is HB 1282, and you can see the specifics here.

Reference the bill number if you write to a delegate. The Senate bill has not yet been introduced, but we’ll keep you posted – including when there will be hearings. If you would like to contact a Senator, just write that you support the stadium project and hope they will too. Tell them it is:

• Critical for the team’s continued success;

• A great economic boost in tough times for Prince George’s County and Maryland;

• And affordable – since the team and county officials pledge that private investment, and new revenue produced by the stadium, will enable the stadium to pay for itself.

Here is the list of the other Committee members. And you can use this page to find out who your Senator and Delegates are by typing in your address. Maryland residents please contact the Governor and Committee Chairs – but only contact members if you live or work in their district. If we start spamming them indiscriminately, they will ignore us. 

Chair: Ulysses Currie, Prince George’s County

Vice Chair: Edward J. Kasemeyer, Baltimore County

David R. Brinkley, Frederick County

Nathaniel J. McFadden, Baltimore City

James E. DeGrange, Sr., Anne Arundel County

Donald F. Munson, Washington County

George C. Edwards, Allegheny and Garrett Counties

Douglas J. J. Peters, Prince George’s County

Verna L. Jones, Baltimore City

James N. Robey, Howard County

Nancy J. King, Montgomery County

J. Lowell Stoltzfus, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties

Rona E. Kramer, Montgomery County

Bobby A. Zirkin, Baltimore County

Richard S. Madaleno, Jr., Montgomery County

 

Chair: Norman H. Conway, Wicomico and Worcester Counties

Vice Chair: James E. Proctor, Jr., Prince George’s and Calvert Counties

Susan L. M. Aumann, Baltimore County

Guy Guzzone, Howard County

Gail H. Bates, Howard County

Keith E. Haynes, Baltimore City

Wendell R. Beitzel, Garrett and Allegheny Counties

Henry B. Heller, Montgomery County

John L. Bohanan, Jr., St. Mary’s County

Mary-Dulany James, Harford and Cecil Counties

Talmadge Branch, Baltimore City

Adrienne A. Jones, Baltimore County

William A. Bronrott, Montgomery County

Murray D. Levy, Charles County

Galen R. Clagett, Frederick County

Heather R. Mizeur, Montgomery County

Steven J. DeBoy, Sr., Baltimore County

Barbara A. Robinson, Baltimore City

Adelaide C. Eckardt, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot and Wicomico Counties

Steven R. Schuh, Anne Arundel County

Tawanna P. Gaines, Prince George’s County

Theodore J. Sophocleus, Anne Arundel County

Melony G. Griffith, Prince George’s County

Nancy R. Stocksdale, Carroll County

Ana Sol Gutiérrez, Montgomery County

John F. Wood, Jr., Charles and St. Mary’s Counties

 

Thanks, and let’s get to work. Our next post will take on how we can influence – and add to – press coverage.

Follow Us on Facebook

We’ve just set up a facebook page and group, so if you’re on facebook, please request us as a friend. We can be found http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1414645436&ref=name

GOAL!Maryland: Let’s Put The Ball In The Net

So here it is.

After years of hoping that D.C. United would have a stadium befitting the best team in American soccer, not only does it seem likely to happen – but to happen in our state.

With an opportunity like this, we couldn’t sit idly by, watching from the sidelines. So we thought we’d try to rally the 12th man – MLS’s best fans, and everyone who loves the beautiful game or cares about Prince George’s County – to support United’s efforts to build a stadium in Maryland.

That’s why we’re launching GOAL! Maryland.

A new United stadium is:

• Critical for the team’s continued success;
• A great economic boost in tough times for Prince George’s County and Maryland;
• And affordable – since the team and county officials pledge that private investment, and new revenue produced by the stadium, will enable the stadium to pay for itself.

We will be working to connect with other likeminded people through this blog, our Facebook page and, together, support United’s stadium effort in any way we can.

As you can see from our bios on this page, Jim was involved in the organizing effort getting ready for the 1994 World Cup matches in D.C. And Ben has been active in Prince George’s County, with a special interest in recreation and parks.

When we heard about the stadium, we thought: Someone should do something to help make this happen. Then we thought: Why not us? And why not you?

We hope you join us to help United get the job done. We’ll update our blog with news as things develop – and also make calls to action. And we hope you’ll post any ideas you have about how to help.

Let’s get to work to finally welcome United home. It’s time.

Ben and Jim