FBI HQ in PG!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

The schools around Greenbelt are just as good as the schools in Springfield. I know this because I chose between these two areas when I was moving. They just have *gasp* non-white children as the majority. My kids are in the public schools here and I couldn’t be more pleased. And my house is gorgeous, and paid off.

30 years ago the schools in both Greenbelt and Springfield were majority or plurality white. Today schools in both neighborhoods are majority minority. In terms of academics, the schools in Greenbelt are a bit stronger. And Greenbelt’s Eleanor Roosevelt HS is one of the top magnet high schools in Maryland.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

The schools around Greenbelt are just as good as the schools in Springfield. I know this because I chose between these two areas when I was moving. They just have *gasp* non-white children as the majority. My kids are in the public schools here and I couldn’t be more pleased. And my house is gorgeous, and paid off.

Ok. It is such a misnomer that Springfield is whiter btw. My kids’ school (west Springfield high which is supposedly the “white” school) is majority minority, but the minorities are from all over, not just black. I grew up in baltimore and am happy with the mix here as you are where you are. Congrats to you! We have enough traffic here as far as I’m concerned. We just renovated and added on to our house and it sounds like we are both happy.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

But nobody is saying "NOBODY WILL LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" In fact, quite the contrary.

I am wondering how much of the opposition to Greenbelt is due to bigotry (or specifically racism) against Prince George's County, and I'm guessing it's a lot.

Probably there's some of that. But the proximity factors are not bigoted, they're just geography.

People want to punish the FBI by making their job significantly more inconvenient. Seems like a bad thing to do to me. But you do you.

It's interesting that you perceive a location in Greenbelt as punishment.

More inconvenient - that's the punishment.

FBI stated their proximity concerns and preferences - and Nina Albert overrode them.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's the best deal for taxpayers.

Twenty five million dollars? You feel that strongly about what amounts to a rounding error?

I'm pretty sure that if you asked taxpayers the question: "Do you think the government should choose a building option that would save taxpayers $40mil?", most people, especially conservatives would say yes.

Telling taxpayers that the government made a decision based on what a government employee, and one that was appointed at that, wanted rather than what was the best use of taxpayer money would not go over well.

I'm fairly certain that in a different scenario, if they had chosen MD over VA and the cost of building in MD was going to be more than double, lots of VA people would be up in arms over it.

If the process had worked out to select MD, then everyone, including Wray and the FBI, would be satisfied. Since the process appears rigged, they're not satisfied.

When people don't like the outcome, they complain about the process.

Senator Cardin from Maryland said it best: "We knew we were going to win. It was a fair process." Seriously, who writes his talking points? He essentially admitted that the process was rigged.

I would take that to mean he knew he had the best site.

Honestly these accusations of the process being “rigged” just sound like whining, and reversing the decision will look very, very bad. It would basically be saying “we’re just going to reverse this qualified black lady’s decision even though she clearly had the final say and laid everything out.” That’s not a good look. There’s no accusation of quid pro quo or anything that makes sense, and the GSA decision pretty clearly explains why it chose the site it chose. Reasonable people can obviously disagree on which site was best but there’s no “slam dunk” here proving that Springfield was better.

1 person making a decision of this magnitude is not good. Albert had a simplistic rating system from best to worst-blue, green, yellow. And some very subjective language in the written reports. Figure skating is more complex than FBI headquarters? Sorry to say but it's true. https://www.usfigureskating.org/about/scoring-system

You don’t know anything about government operations if you think one person ever gets to unilaterally make these types of decisions. The final memo itself was signed by Albert and the GSA General Counsel. They knew this was a controversial decision and I’m sure many, many people voiced their approval before this was signed by those two figureheads.

Further, the “three person panel” y’all are crying about ALSO used a blue-green-yellow rating system. But again, this isn’t about the “process,” it’s about an outcome you don’t like.

Look at the process, then come back to us.

If there was an actual problem with the “process,” you would be able to articulate it clearly. It’s pretty clear the GSA chose to prioritize equity and cost savings and what’s most important is that it had the right to do so. That matters more than these “process” complaints.

You lack critical understanding of how government corruption, especially PG County corruption (quoting Senator Cardin, the ‘fair process’) operates.

But no one is making an allegation of corruption that makes any sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

But nobody is saying "NOBODY WILL LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" In fact, quite the contrary.

I am wondering how much of the opposition to Greenbelt is due to bigotry (or specifically racism) against Prince George's County, and I'm guessing it's a lot.

Probably there's some of that. But the proximity factors are not bigoted, they're just geography.

People want to punish the FBI by making their job significantly more inconvenient. Seems like a bad thing to do to me. But you do you.

It's interesting that you perceive a location in Greenbelt as punishment.

The worst part about Greenbelt is that is will completely ruin the BW parkway. I used to use it all the time to visit people in MD/Baltimore to get relief from 495 and now it will suck even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

But nobody is saying "NOBODY WILL LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" In fact, quite the contrary.

I am wondering how much of the opposition to Greenbelt is due to bigotry (or specifically racism) against Prince George's County, and I'm guessing it's a lot.

Probably there's some of that. But the proximity factors are not bigoted, they're just geography.

People want to punish the FBI by making their job significantly more inconvenient. Seems like a bad thing to do to me. But you do you.

It's interesting that you perceive a location in Greenbelt as punishment.

More inconvenient - that's the punishment.

FBI stated their proximity concerns and preferences - and Nina Albert overrode them.

Well, no. Nina Albert made the decision, which was her job. When my kid says, "I would prefer to stay out until 2 am," and I say, "No, you have to be home at midnight," I am not overriding my kid. I am making a decision which I have the authority to make.

And you know, maybe people aren't being racist/sexist when they keep describing her decision as "overriding" the FBI, but it sure looks racist/sexist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

But nobody is saying "NOBODY WILL LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" In fact, quite the contrary.

I am wondering how much of the opposition to Greenbelt is due to bigotry (or specifically racism) against Prince George's County, and I'm guessing it's a lot.

Probably there's some of that. But the proximity factors are not bigoted, they're just geography.

People want to punish the FBI by making their job significantly more inconvenient. Seems like a bad thing to do to me. But you do you.

It's interesting that you perceive a location in Greenbelt as punishment.

More inconvenient - that's the punishment.

FBI stated their proximity concerns and preferences - and Nina Albert overrode them.

Well, no. Nina Albert made the decision, which was her job. When my kid says, "I would prefer to stay out until 2 am," and I say, "No, you have to be home at midnight," I am not overriding my kid. I am making a decision which I have the authority to make.

And you know, maybe people aren't being racist/sexist when they keep describing her decision as "overriding" the FBI, but it sure looks racist/sexist.

Wow, that is such an orange to orange analogy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I work for GSA PBS. I was not part of the final decision but know people who were. Nothing shady was going on and this was definitely bullet proof given the politics and need to get a new HQ for the customer (FBI) ASAP.

Wray is jockeying for more $ for his field offices in the region.

Shouldn't the customer's (FBI) needs come first? The FBI has a very important mission for national security and law enforcement.

So your argument is that the GSA should give the FBI what it wants, on grounds that the FBI wants it?

Well, why not? Is your argument that the GSA should not prioritize the FBI requests, in order to punish the FBI for not investigating the things some people want it to and for investigating the things that some people don't want it to?

Why do we hate the FBI and want to stick it in them with an inconveniently located HQ far from the places that they go to frequently?

Because the GSA works for the federal government as a whole, not for the FBI individually (or any other individual federal agency).

Oh, that explains everything that happened with the GSA and the Old Post Office Pavilion. /s

That was 100% political. This seems like that too.

You guys keep saying it is “political” but that doesn’t make sense. What sway did Maryland politicians have that Virginia politicians did not?

Moore (who I really like) vs Youngkin (who didn’t participate in the process and regularly trashed the FBI). Just a guess it contributed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

But nobody is saying "NOBODY WILL LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" In fact, quite the contrary.

I am wondering how much of the opposition to Greenbelt is due to bigotry (or specifically racism) against Prince George's County, and I'm guessing it's a lot.

Probably there's some of that. But the proximity factors are not bigoted, they're just geography.

People want to punish the FBI by making their job significantly more inconvenient. Seems like a bad thing to do to me. But you do you.

It’s very on-brand of the government to make choices that appear to save money but in the long-term create inefficiencies in agency operations and higher costs. The FBI makes about 800-900 trips to quantico per month, a commute that will now take an hour longer round trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

They plan to colocate it with a mixed use development, so expected direct economic spillovers would be hotels, restaurants and retail. However, it is also likely to lead to more nearby tech jobs for FBI IT contractors to have office space in close proximity to a major client.

Over the long-term, would probably also capture a portion of the FBI workforce in MD who would want a shorter commute.

There is no way the FBI will allow a new HQ to “co-locate” with a mixed use development. They’ve fortified the Hoover Building as best they could in downtown DC, but you can expect a suburban location to be barricaded and separated from any other development with several layers of security and satellite parking lots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

But nobody is saying "NOBODY WILL LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" In fact, quite the contrary.

I am wondering how much of the opposition to Greenbelt is due to bigotry (or specifically racism) against Prince George's County, and I'm guessing it's a lot.

Probably there's some of that. But the proximity factors are not bigoted, they're just geography.

People want to punish the FBI by making their job significantly more inconvenient. Seems like a bad thing to do to me. But you do you.

It’s very on-brand of the government to make choices that appear to save money but in the long-term create inefficiencies in agency operations and higher costs. The FBI makes about 800-900 trips to quantico per month, a commute that will now take an hour longer round trip.

You're assuming that everyone would have to go to Greenbelt first before going to Quantico, and then go back to Greenbelt? Which yes, that does seem inefficient. Fortunately, the FBI will have an incentive not to do it that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the FBI builds in Greenbelt, the PG economy will not benefit absent the Starbucks closest to the facility. FBI employees, especially GS-14 and above, live in PG County? No, everyone who can afford to live closer will choose AA or Howard counties.

Umm. I am a GS-14 and I live like 3 miles from the Greenbelt site. Half of our neighborhood are GS-13 and up. It’s a nice place to live and my house is paid off.

So is mine in Springfield and I’m a teacher and sole breadwinner. Honestly, I’m not sure I want the FBI here, and Greenbelt is nice, but PGCS are not as good as FCPS from my friend’s experiences there.

But nobody is saying "NOBODY WILL LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" In fact, quite the contrary.

I am wondering how much of the opposition to Greenbelt is due to bigotry (or specifically racism) against Prince George's County, and I'm guessing it's a lot.

Probably there's some of that. But the proximity factors are not bigoted, they're just geography.

People want to punish the FBI by making their job significantly more inconvenient. Seems like a bad thing to do to me. But you do you.

It’s very on-brand of the government to make choices that appear to save money but in the long-term create inefficiencies in agency operations and higher costs. The FBI makes about 800-900 trips to quantico per month, a commute that will now take an hour longer round trip.

You're assuming that everyone would have to go to Greenbelt first before going to Quantico, and then go back to Greenbelt? Which yes, that does seem inefficient. Fortunately, the FBI will have an incentive not to do it that way.

DP. What incentive? Coffee badging? WFH? Those are not things they do - while most of DC is still WFH, the FBI has been in-person the whole time. At their office. Which we are discussing the new location of.

[Anonymous]

In terms of urban design, historic Greenbelt is quite attractive, and was designed as a utopian “garden city” in the 1930s. It ranks high on the livability index today. NASA is close by and offers student internship programs to Eleanor Roosevelt HS students. Greenbelt > Kingstowne and the traffic clogged sprawl around Springfield any day. And commuting along the serene B-W Parkway can be quite meditative (for those who can’t take Metro).

The famous “new town”, Columbia, is close by as well with plenty of housing options. World famous British architect Thomas Heatherwick is designing a new library for Columbia, inspired by the ancient wonder, the Hanging Gardens.

The momentum is clearly on Maryland’s side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In terms of urban design, historic Greenbelt is quite attractive, and was designed as a utopian “garden city” in the 1930s. It ranks high on the livability index today. NASA is close by and offers student internship programs to Eleanor Roosevelt HS students. Greenbelt > Kingstowne and the traffic clogged sprawl around Springfield any day. And commuting along the serene B-W Parkway can be quite meditative (for those who can’t take Metro).

The famous “new town”, Columbia, is close by as well with plenty of housing options. World famous British architect Thomas Heatherwick is designing a new library for Columbia, inspired by the ancient wonder, the Hanging Gardens.

The momentum is clearly on Maryland’s side.

As I wrote earlier though, the BW parkway is about to change and not in a good way. I’m sorry to see it go as I love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In terms of urban design, historic Greenbelt is quite attractive, and was designed as a utopian “garden city” in the 1930s. It ranks high on the livability index today. NASA is close by and offers student internship programs to Eleanor Roosevelt HS students. Greenbelt > Kingstowne and the traffic clogged sprawl around Springfield any day. And commuting along the serene B-W Parkway can be quite meditative (for those who can’t take Metro).

The famous “new town”, Columbia, is close by as well with plenty of housing options. World famous British architect Thomas Heatherwick is designing a new library for Columbia, inspired by the ancient wonder, the Hanging Gardens.

The momentum is clearly on Maryland’s side.

When are you driving on the parkway? I have never found it relaxing. There’s always traffic.