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Because Georgetown residents also oppose GUTS buses.

Also, where do you think Georgetown should actually build that grad student dorm?

It's not uncommon for urban universities to spread campus around a little and DC's Comprehensive Plan instructs universities to do so..

And yet, all neighborhoods surrounding urban campuses keep fighting every single move. Georgetown, GW, American, they all suffer the same hostile neighbors that ignore the fact that these universities were first. George Mason is getting more and more problems in Fairfax as well.

People go booboo over the nasty development of GW in Foggy Bottom. Well, history flash, GW was the first to go to this swampy, damp, low-lying area of town. The only reason they went there was that it was the only place where they'd have growth opportunities. Foggy Bottom exists because of GW. It has the only retail in the area.

Furthermore, these residents do not seem to understand that these universities are among largest private employers in the District. It is very odd that the city gives tax breaks left and right to attract companies, while utterly ignoring the largest "companies" it has. The city and it residents take the presence (and taxes) of the universities for granted. It won't happen soon, but keep frustrating them and they might at some point just leave.

Of course, residents would oppose that too. They'd miss their historic fights.

That would be a loss for the city. People think of Washington as the seat of the Federal Government. But, our area actually is also a major center of science. We have some of the most exclusive private universities in the world. We have the largest state universities of VA and MD. We have strongly devout universities. And on top of that, we have major Federal Labs. NRL, NIH, NIST, NASA-Goddard, APL, ARL (ok, we're getting to Baltimore now). And don't forget the science that's ongoing in the museums and archives we have.

You can complain about these institutions cobbling up space, but they are also providing for fantastic education for future world leaders, ground-breaking science, and well-paid jobs with the accompanying tax revenue.

Just look at this list of Heads of State who are alumni of Georgetown and GW:

* King Abdullah II of Jordan ibn al-Hussein
* Ricardo Arias Espinosa - President of Panama
* Gloria Macapagal Arroyo- President of the Philippines
* José Manuel Barroso - President of the European Commission, Prime Minister of Portugal
* Laura Chinchilla Miranda - President-elect of Costa Rica
* Bill Clinton - 42nd President of the United States
* Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer, Interim President of Iraq
* Syngman Rhee, first President of South Korea
* Song Yo Chan Prime Minister of South Korea
* Mikhail Saakashvili, President of Georgia
* Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo
* Nematullah Shahrani, one of four former vice-presidents of the Afghan Transitional Administration and the head of the Afghan Constitution Commission.
* Alfredo Cristiani - President of El Salvador
* Felipe de Borbon, Crown Prince of Spain
* Galo Plaza - President of Ecuador
* Dalia Grybauskaite - President of Lithuania
* Saad Hariri - Prime Minister of Lebanon
* Željko Komšić - Tripartite President of Bosnia
* Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer, Interim President of Iraq
* Yasmine Pahlavi, Crown Princess of Iran in exile
* Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo

Check Wiki for lists of secretaries, senators, governors etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Alumni_by_university_or_college_in_the_District_of_Columbia

There are few cities that can produce such lists. Yet, residents whine and complain about students blowing off some steam. As if they never partied.

by Jasper on Apr 29, 2010 11:53 am • link • report