Many communities take it upon themselves to pick up trash and sweep the streets in front of their businesses. Towson Commons does little to nothing to clean the streets and sidewalks in front of its property. Green Turtle and the Mini-Mart same thing. Asking the businesses to do it themselves is a good place to start- I would imagine the unintended consequences potentially associated with this type of care could be quite rewarding as well.

another GREAT idea by David Marks. Thanks David.

Janice Arcieri

". . . we don't have a mass of activity in the heart of Towson" said Councilman Marks. Really?

And he has also urged residents of Baltimore County to sign anti-DREAM Act petitions - which sends the message to Hispanics everywhere that Hispanics are not welcome in Towson.

The anti-DREAM Act hubba-hubba is a gratuitous slap at an ethnic group.

This sort of foolishness is not going to build the much needed shopping base Towson needs.

There just are not enough White racists around to keep Towson afloat.

Someday, soon, I hope Mr Marks and his narrow-minded buds will realize that racial minorities are not "minority" anymore and are deserving of respect - especially if we want their shopping dollars.

Respectfully Mr. Cook, please ease up on the venom. There are major pockets of vacancy in Towson's store fronts; or, Towson is far from reaching its potential. Whichever way it is described, I understand Mr. Mark's intentions to be unifying not divisive. The suggestion of creating a business district helps encourage the vitality of Towson, all of Towson and not any specific ethnic or economic class; your suggestion of this is rather divisive. If you do not support Mr. Mark's promotion of the petition, that is OK too, but it doesn't make those whom support it wrong. In the Towson business community, our diversity, to include our opinions on broader social issues, must be able to co-exist in order to thrive to our potential- that is what will attract people to Towson. I believe Mr. Mark's understands this. To be right, does not mean others have to be wrong.

David Marks has shown us time and time again his talent for thinking outside the box for solutions for many of Towson's problems - and they don't rely only on the spending of tax dollars to do it.
Towson is a very diverse area, and many (our family included) have chosen to live, work and educate our children here because of this diversity.
While I strongly disagree with Councilman Marks on his choice on the Dream Act (and have told him this), his numerous other achievements have already outnumbered those we got from our previous representative.
I only hope the voters of Baltimore County thoroughly learn all the details of The Dream Act and vote their conscience, because, as we all know, we are the ones who place our votes, no matter who suggests what we do.
Mr. Cook, you have insulted the residents of Towson, and I'd take a dozen David Marks' over one of your kind any day.

"Johnny Towson" you ask for an easing up on "the venom" Good idea but you might ask the County Council to ease up on their venom - not me. It's the majority of the Baltimore Council who have, gratuitously, taken a slap at the Hispanic Community of Maryland.

The Towson business community cannot have it both ways and of course, business people know this. You can't target an ethnic group for abuse and exclusion and then expect them to come and shop in your community.

If Towson businesses disassociate themselves from Mr Marks' effort to denigrate Hispanics, let them do so just as publicly as he and the other anti-Hispanics on the County Council have done.

Right-wing ideologues insist politicians reflect their own narrow-minded views. This political season, the right-wing is all about bashing immigrants. No one in elected office in Maryland ought to bend to prejudice. Unfortunately a majority on the Baltimore County Council does not get this.

Prejudice has consequences. Telling Hispanic High School kids - we don't want you in our community - is just a terrible message for our Council to proclaim.

Folks who believe in the values of a racially diverse community ought not spend money in Towson or other communities in Baltimore County, after the County Council has gone out of its way to tell Hispanic high school seniors they can forget about attending college in the state where they live.

This anti-DREAM Act venom is nonsense. With consequences.

... the article/post is about suggesting a Business Improvement District for Towson... that is all, just a recommendation to consider how to improve the aesthetics of Towson and its business community... which ultimately will require 2/3 support from property owners in the district (according to the article); your axe to grind may be better suited in a broader context objection to Mr. Marks, the man, and not his proposed consideration...

"Ready, Aim, Fire" is in order for a reason... You are way off the mark on the "shots" above...

Johnny Towson:

FYI "my kind" has Mexican relatives.

You think I will be shopping with them in communities, whose elected reps don't want them around?

In the 19th century, we were all about telling Catholics to go back where they came from. Today: same tune, different lyrics.

We have to get over this prejudice.

We have to insist on more than knee jerk prejudice from our elected representatives, who hav shown themselves willing to insult and demean immigrants just because a few lug nuts ask them to.

You are not making sense, or I am not understanding your communication. Councilman Marks has suggested that when business mass and property owners have the ability to self-support a business improvement district in Towson, that it might be worth considering. Are you suggesting that Mr. Marks, and a business improvement district is going to discriminate against immigrants?

JT:
You are trying to change my subject. Which is ok, but not gonna work.

So long as Towson businesses sit on the sidelines while elected officials tell the children of Hispanic consumers that they ought to forget about college, I doubt if any amount of tinkering to achieve greater "business mass" will do much good.

I am trying to understand your perspective on the issue because it is not logical to me. I believe I understand the connection you are suggesting above, but it does not make sense to me. Are you stating that the business community in Towson, and the success of the same, is contingent upon Hispanic consumers? That Hispanic consumers are not shopping in Towson today, nor will they shop in there in the future, unless our elected officials and Towson businesses support the DREAM Act?

Mark W - According to the 2010 census, there has been a 152 percent increase in the Hispanic population in the Baltimore area, 58,000 in 2000 to 146,000 in 2010. From an economic point of view, what is the upside in telling a portion of these folks - we don't want you to shop in Towson?

What is the upside for 5 of the 7 members of the Baltimore County Council to go out of their way to encourage some of County residents to sign petitions announcing to other residents - we don't want you here! Take your shopping dollars elsewhere! I just dont get that - from a purely economic point of view.

From a human point of view - what is the upside to telling a kid who has stayed in school, graduated and is making plans for further education - what is the upside to telling that kid - get out! We don't want you here! I know of kids who matriculated in a public college but had their personal budget and their plans completely upended when they were told, sorry, gotta pay three times more for your education than other residents.

There is no upside to this divisive message. None. The (probably frightened) council members who signed a letter supporting the anti-DREAM Act petitions are playing the old ethnic game of Baltimore County district politics of division. Sad we still have this battle to fight in the new century.

I hope next election we can find Council candidates with more backbone and / or integrity than the five signers: ALMOND, BEVINS, HUFF, MARKS and OLSZEWSKI