Creating a Jubilee County: Prince George's Co., MD

Well, the summer doesn't seem to slow things down any more. There's a lot going on, especially with education and politics.

Civic association groups are concerned about the law suit the county has whereas an aggrievement issue could redefine the ability of citizens to be able to have a voice in zoning issues. There are some documents on the bottom of the federation's site to help educate people on the issue and there may be more there later.

There's a lot of hot crime news - the gangs are active and some of the churches and other initiatives are working to deal with these issues. Also, we have some crimes of politicians in the news as well. How do we teach our kids to stay honest when our politicians are such bad models for honesty? Crime News

There's a lot of news about Education, too - funding, scholarships, special programs, and more - some not so good, but a lot of good news, too. Education News

Other news includes stories with videos courtesy of the Maryland Gazette on fundraising for performing arts with legislators dancing; a scout project in an outdoor educational center; and swimming classes. See an array of news here.

Also, many county residents are active in helping with the Obama campaign which generates a lot of excitement. The Walk4Change in Sept. is one of many events they're working on.

More News & Views from bloggers and discussion groups here.

The following was forwarded to me by an active, caring citizen, though I couldn't fine it on the web site:

The Council is trying to take away our right to appeal zoning decisions unless we can actually “see” the property from our own — see the Gazette letter to the editor below. We need to let the Council know this is not acceptable:

( council email addresses here )

County Council Asks High Court to Take Away Citizen Rights to help Developer Contributors: The Court of Appeals has agreed to hear a case in which the County Council asks the Court to take away the rights of citizens and civic associations to file appeals in zoning cases. Gosain v. County Council (No. 26 Sept. Term 2008).

In 1994, the General Assembly gave broadened appeal rights to citizens and civic associations so that they could appeal the County Council's abusive zoning decisions that favor their developer campaign contributors. The 1994 law removed a requirement that an appellant had to be "aggrieved" in order to have "standing" to file an appeal. Aggrievement means that to appeal, you have to be able to literally SEE the property being developed or rezoned from your property. Courts have been very tough on citizens about being aggrieved, and abusive zoning decisions often could not be appealed.

The "aggrievement" requirement was removed in 1994, so that the political deals between the developers and the County Council would have to stand up in court. Developers and the County Council have bristled about this law for years, and the Council's lawyer has tried many times to get it overturned in court but has failed. Earlier this year, the developers and the Council got Delegate Joe Vallario to sponsor a bill (HB 927 (PG/MC 119-08)) to do the same thing - take away citizens rights to appeal zoning decisions by putting back the requirement that citizens be "aggrieved" in order to have "standing".

Vocal citizen opposition killed HB 927. Now, the Council has gotten Maryland's highest Court to hear its argument to strip citizens of their hard won rights.

Write your Council member and demand to know why they want to take away your rights. Write and demand honest government. And, tell your neighbors what their Council member is up to and get them to write or call.

We should also let our Delegates know that we appreciate their protecting our rights by killing HB 927 in the last session and alert them to the fact that the Council is trying to bypass the Delegate’s decision by going to the Court of Appeals.
( delegate email addresses here )

Get the latest news and discussions from bloggers in Prince George's County here.

Hosted by Maryland Blogger Alliance of which this blog is a part.

My post from Prince George's County for this article is Change is in the air... something you can always count on. Changes include Jews & Muslims finding common ground, other local news stories, an upcoming national March for Change, and an alternative to driving with these higher gas prices. Feel free to check this entire blog while you're visiting by clicking on prince_georges. Here are the entries for today's carnival:( Read more... ) Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of maryland using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.


Courtesy of Stan Modjesky

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carnival of maryland, blog carnival.

John Crestwell recently produced 2 more interview programs: Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and State Delegate Tom Hucker.

He says, "My conversation with the President of the State Senate, Mike Miller, shows you why he's lasted for so many years. He's personable and genuine. However, I did ask him his rationale behind supporting slot machines in Maryland." Also, "District 20 State Delegate, Tom Hucker of Montgomery County, MD, stopped by to tell us about his eclectic background of public service." "Listen in..."

I put "clinton is winning" into the Google News search today after hearing that this is what's being said by many and I got "Results 1 - 25 of about 30". Different stories have different reasons why they think Clinton is winning, but I think this web site (Real Clear Politics) is keeping pretty good track of the numbers. Obama has more delegates and pledged superdelegates. They've got a good reading on the polls, too, including links to their sources. They've also got the Popular Vote counts. Looks like Obama is pretty strong to me.

We have some very influential Marylanders who could make a difference in this election, but I'm not sure what could move them which way:

"Uncommitted delegates in Maryland such as Susan Turnbull, Rep. Steny Hoyer and Rep. Chris Van Hollen have it somewhat easier. Their positions among the Democratic leadership-Turnbull is vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, Hoyer is the House Majority Leader and Van Hollen is chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee-make it mandatory in Turnbull's case and preferred in the latter's that they remain neutral.

"I have not committed at this point in time [and] I don't have a when," Hoyer said, giving away nothing. My decision "may or may not be public," he added.
- from "Superdelegates enjoy being courted" in louisianaweekly.com

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I also found this article (or something similar being run in several papers: "Filmmaker sparks discussion in African American community" "Annapolis resident Robert Eades talked about what's ailing his community and what needs to be done to heal it. He spoke yesterday during filming for an upcoming feature movie by an Annapolis film maker."... ""This film is about racism and the psychological effects on the African American community, particularly black men," Mr. Parker said." Read more here.

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Don't forget to check out the Barbershop Radio Show. His latest interview is with Tender Warrior Association --Saving our Youth Founder and CEO: Jeff L. Robertson. He has several audio interviews of politicians and influencial people in Prince George's on this audio site.

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Continue to take a look at the latest posts from Prince George's bloggers and discussion groups here.

Also check out pg_race_matters and the latest news in Prince Georges's from many sources.

The County Council raised taxes in spite of the law (Section 813. Approval of New or Additional Taxes by Referendum. - Put 813 into this search site), and raised taxes without voter approval. There's an article about it in the Washington Post today. The issues of the charter are on page 2 of the article. Few knew that the vote was being held at this meeting or could attend even if they knew.

I have created a poll to see what you think about this issue. Anonymous votes are not allowed in polls due to security reasons & fairness in voting (no one can vote twice, for instance), which means that people without LiveJournal accounts cannot vote in polls; they will need to create their own accounts before voting. If you don't have an account, you can still comment to this post.

Poll #1191837 Prince George's County Tax Increases
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Should the County Council be allowed to raise taxes without public input?

Should all tax increases be brought to the voters before they are implemented?

"Change is going to come." I certainly am looking forward to a change. I'd like to see: the war in Iraq come to an end with no more war for oil or lies about terrorist connections, no more benefits to the rich and burdens for the middle and working class, sex education that's not abstinence-only since teens are getting pregnant too young and STDs are increasing, campaign reform, fair elections, an end to racism and other oppressions, and more.

"Different does not mean deficient." is another strong statement from and theme of this video. It's sign language interpretted, but it's pixelated & difficult to see, so it's limited in usefulness to the deaf, though it's still nice to see that it was available as I work with deaf and hard of hearing students in Prince George's public schools.( Read more... )

Also check out and vote at the related poll on this site and please spread the word.

Prince George's County Pubilc Schools
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
9:00am - 12:30pm
Systemwide Open House

( Read more... )

Please join the Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (ASASP) and the Prince George's Branch of the NAACP in a PTA Forum giving County Government and Board of Education leaders an opportunity to meet and share information with Administrators and Supervisors, PTA members, other parents and the community about our valuable asset -

the CHILDREN of Prince George's County.( Read more... )

The NAACP PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BRANCH
9201 Basil Court, Suite 115 Largo, Maryland 20774
301-883-4941

SAVE THE DATE - FREEDOM FUND BANQUET - OCTOBER 17, 2008( Read more... )

New interviews at www.barbershopradioshow.com then click on "SHOWTIME"( Read more... )

DAVIES FORUM:
Inheriting the Trade May 10 & Black Men Built the Capitol June 14
Saturdays 6:00 PM( Read more... )

Admission Free. Child Care will be provided. Refreshments. Books for sale. Followed by Cafe Florian open mic coffee house at 8 PM. More here.
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Invitation to celebration of Rev. Goodloe,
the first principal of the Maryland Normal School (now Bowie State University)( Read more... )

Put these items on your calendar & hopefully I'll see you there.

Also, check out more news & views for Prince George's County here.

(from Delegate Ross)

Dear Friend:

The 425th Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly came to a close this week with the House of Delegates considering over 1,600 bills during the ninety day session. Over the past two years the General Assembly has been faced with the most difficult of decisions as our state and national economy continues to slow. During the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions, the General Assembly has made over $1.1 billion in cuts from the state’s general fund and nearly $1.5 billion in cuts from the budget overall. With these cuts, Maryland remains a low-spending state on a per capita basis. The institution of a more progressive income tax structure has resulted in no increase in the rate paid by 95% of Marylanders, and an income tax cut for 72% of filers in the form of an increased standard exemption.

Similar to previous sessions, I formed my 2008 legislative agenda using input from constituents, community organizations and business professionals within the 22nd district. My legislative agenda for the 2008 session included a mixture of bills aimed at instituting broad statewide and countywide initiatives as well as fixing specific problems that are dealt with everyday in the 22nd district.

22nd DISTRICT
( Read more... )

Welcome to the April 6, 2008 edition of Carnival of Maryland. This is only my second time hosting this carnival. I didn't get my own post in on time, but here it is: County & state politics abound! Laws, lawmakers, & commentary, which includes an announcement about a county podcast.

Arts and Music

Clark Bjorke presents Bill Kirchen: Hot Rod Lincoln posted at Clark's Picks, saying, "Takoma Park resident and former Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen guitarist, Bill Kirchen at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2007."

Crime

Pillage Idiot presents Advocacy the Montgomery County way posted at Pillage Idiot, saying, "Montgomery County helicopter parent crashes and burns."

Economics

Raymond presents How To Repair Your Car With Used Junkyard Parts posted at Money Blue Book.

Local Politics

The Patriot Sharpshooter presents A dollar here, a dollar there.... posted at Common Sense, saying, "Seems people are too complacent about the confiscatory tax structure in this country. Are we headed toward Communism or are we already there?"

Stan Modjesky presents Woodlawn's Bigots lose this round posted at Latest entries from blogger1947.blog-city.com, saying, "Hysterical neighbors lose their battle to stop a Muslim school from establishing in the neighborhood."

Nature

The Ridger presents The Greenbelt: More signs of spring posted at The Greenbelt.

The Ridger presents The Greenbelt: Splashes of Red posted at The Greenbelt, saying, "Trees are white and pink, and early flowers are yellow, but the birds are black and red..."

Science and Environment

Michael Swartz presents And I thought it was Ozzy's fault posted at monoblogue, saying, "This talks a little about the recent linkage of the asthma drug Singulair with an increased suicide risk."

Sports

Soccer Dad presents O-pening day posted at Soccer Dad.

The Carnival of Maryland is sponsored by the Maryland Blogger Alliance. Submit your blog article to the next edition of using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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carnival of maryland, blog carnival.
Prince George's, Maryland.

Most of the posts I've seeded on the Newsvine for Prince George's County have been about politics. This is to be expected, though, since the state General Assembly is coming to an end for this year's session and one of our districts had an election for County Council.

The first news I saw about the results of the District 5 Special Primay Election was from a blogger. Apparently it's a close race and a winner hasn't been declared yet.

I heard that the LNG bill has failed, which apparently means that our county (& state) is not protected from this sort potentially dangerous facility moving into a residential community. This sort of fight is still appreciated by many civic activists as the county civic federation gave them an award for their work last year.

ANOUNCEMENT: The Barbershop Radio Show is back! John Crestwell is hosting a podcast with interviews of our local politicians, also available in mp3, usable in many audio programs & browser plug-ins if you don't use podcasting tools. A photo of his guest is also included.

Remember to check in on the blog reader for Prince Georgians' blog posts, which includes an active county politics and issues discussion group.

Delegate Justin Ross reports:

Budget

Despite a very tough economy, the House Appropriation's Committee has put forward a budget that will uphold our historic investment in public education. Namely, the House of Delegates has included $5.3 billion for public education, which represent a $183 million increase over last year. Additionally, due to some very tough negotiating on the part of the Prince George's Delegation during the special session, the budget also includes $76 million for the Geographic Cost of Education Index, which disproportionately helps Prince George's County.

Prince George's Hospital

There is good news on the Prince George's Hospital front. A bill is working its way through the legislature that will set up an independent hospital authority that will be tasked with running a "request for proposal" process to sell the entire hospital system and bring about a world class heath care system in Prince George's County. After many years of hard work and tough negotiations, the Governor, the House of Delegates, the State Senate, the County Executive, and the County Council are all on the same page.

High-Tech Cigarette Tax Stamps

I have proposed legislation (The High-Tech Tax Stamp Act) that will change the type of tobacco tax stamp that the State of Maryland uses. This may seem like an arcane tax policy; however, the State of Maryland has a serious tax evasion and counterfeiting problem with our tobacco tax stamp. According to the ATF, Maryland loses over $100 million in tobacco tax revenue and this legislation will help bring in some of that money. This additional revenue can help pay for many of the worthwhile programs and services that Maryland residents deserve.

Community Notes( Read more... )

And from the community bloggers in the entire county, click for news & views.

If you live in Maryland, or know someone who does, please act in the effort
to keep high concentrations of dangerous liquified natural gas (LNG) away
from Prince George's County, Md., residents. Thanks.



Outside Quixote
Center, Varnum St., Brentwood, Md., March 16, 2008.

Supporters of the bill say it should be considered only as a county bill & not for the entire state, though it has to be done via a state law:

If you go to the Maryland General Assembly web site and look up info on House Bill 1043 (or Senate Bill 993), the amendments haven't been put up on the site yet. the original HB, calling for a 2-mile buffer between LNG facilities and residential areas etc., is still shown. But the HB and SB won't be using that. Rather, the Public Service Commission would be prohibited from from approving any liquified natural gas (LNG) facility proposed to be built (1) In a location inside an Acceptable Separation Distance, as calculated by the Blast Overpressure Safety Standard under 24 CFR 51.203, from a building or other place in which individuals work, live, or congregate, including a school, daycare center, nursing home, senior citizen building, metro station, shopping venter, recreational facility, or other residential subdivision in Prince George's County, or (2) in a location that is inconsistent with the zoning ordinances of Prince George's County under Article 28, § 8-101 of the Code.

So when supporting HB 1043, it's important to say you support it with these two amendments.

More info at here with email addresses of committee members.

Check out other county news and views here.

From Imani Kazana who appeared in today's Washington Post article:

For those who have seen the article in the Metro Section today which discusses our attempts to keep an LNG plant from being built on Chillum Road, please make note that there were actually 2 terribly incorrect points, which I'm now trying to correct:

1. The reporter was not aware of the two amendments, one of which has already been approved by the full delegation. The changes will eliminates the 2 mile approach and seeks adoption of the HUD safety standards. This creates a more objective evaluation process, on a case-by-case basis. We are supportive these improvements to the original bill.

2. He also misunderstood and repeated the gas company's erroneous claim that picking another site would drive the cost from $164 million to $687 million. Understandably this figure is making people from several counties fearful that their gas bills will jump significantly.

This high figure is actually what the Gas Company claims would be the cost to consumers if they don't build an LNG plant at all. This is what we call the "no build" option, and we believe this figure to be a gross exaggeration.

The cost to forget Chillum Rd. and acquire an alternative site is only $15-20 million greater than the Chillum Rd. cost. This extra $20 million is to pay for the cost to purchase a new site and build the pipes needed to connect the new site to the closest major distribution or transmission line (which costs $2-3 million per mile).

**** PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE & LOCATION- Sorry for any scheduling inconveniences****

As one piece of Congressman Hoyer’s continued efforts to ensure that Prince George’s County receives its proportionate share of federal leased office space in the region he will be hosting the Prince George’s County Federal Leasing Forum with the U.S. General Services Administration on Monday, April 7th from 1pm to 3pm at the National Archives at College Park (8601 Adelphi Road).

The Prince George’s County Federal Leasing Forum

Hosted by Congressman Steny H. Hoyer
and the U.S. General Services Administration, National Capital Region

In conjunction with the
Maryland Department of Transportation, Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation, Washington Metro Area Transit Authority, Andrews Business Alliance, Baltimore-Washington Corridor Chamber, Greater Bowie Chamber, Greater Prince George’s County Business Roundtable, Prince George’s County Black Chamber of Commerce, Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, Prince George’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Minority Building Industry Association

Recent studies have shown that Prince George’s County does not receive its proportionate share of federal leases in the National Capital Region. This FREE forum represents a step towards correcting this imbalance. Speakers will include Congressman Steny Hoyer, Maryland Secretary of Transportation John Porcari, and representatives from the Prince George’s County government.

Highlighting the forum will be officials from the General Services Administration, the federal government's premier acquisition agency, who will explain the federal leasing process and answer your questions. Additionally, representatives from many federal agencies that will need to lease space in the Greater Washington area in the coming years will also be in attendance

Monday, March 24 April 7, 2008
1:00pm – 3:00pm

Bowie Comfort Inn Conference Center
4500 Crain Highway
Bowie, MD 20716

National Archives at College Park (8601 Adelphi Road)

Register now at http://www.gsa.gov/events

For more information please call Ben Abrams (202) 225-4131 or Terrance Taylor (301) 474-0119

From the Anti-Defamation League (ADL):

ADL’s expertise on cyberbullying will be showcased on WTOP’s Talk Radio 3WT (1500 AM, 107.7 FM) on Sunday, March 9 throughout the day. ADL Executive Committee member Chris Wolf, whom MSNBC calls "a pioneer in Internet law, " and Danielle Goldberg, ADL Assistant Director, will discuss the growing problem of intentional cruelty and harm inflicted through electronic media, and ADL’s response to this online threat. Cyberbullying is believed to affect almost half of all U.S. teens.

ADL has created a cyberbullying training program for schools entitled Trickery, Trolling and Threats: Understanding and Addressing Cyberbullying—one of a broad array of pioneering training programs implemented through ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute.

The interview can also be accessed throughout the day on the WTOP website.

COMMENT: This sounds interesting, but we need to get this out to the young teens. If you are a teacher, parent, youth group leader, etc., please pass it on. I think it's a matter of critical thinking skills that we all need in this wide world we live in and is not taught in our schools. My church includes critical thinking in their curriculum, but it's hard to get kids, especially teens, to go to church. I hope our schools will use this program - maybe some of the skills can be used in real life, too.
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The Prince George's Co. Civic Federation talked about several things last night: The LNG proposal for Chillum has brought up a concern for the entire county since a lack of or poor regulation could allow a facility that's potentially dangerous in anyone's neighborhood, so they're working on a bill that has HUD regulations to keep dangerous, possibly explosive things away from homes. The bills are HB 1043 & SB 993 & there will be a hearing on March 11. If you live anywhere near or know someone who lives near Chillum & Brentwood, you might want to send a letter to your legislator.

Other bills discussed were HB1041/SB33 to change our school board districts, SB654 to keep the utilities from clear cutting trees, and text amendment bills. Volunteer firefighters and the protection and responsibility of the Potomac River and Energy Buying Pools were also discussed.

If you belong to a civic association, you should ask them to join the civic federation to learn more about these kinds of issues.
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The presidential race has some twists that many people might not be aware of. Since this county is majority Democrat and came out heavily for Obama, I thought this might be of interest. In some states, like Texas, Republicans can vote for Democrats & Rush Limbaugh told them to vote for Clinton. The Democratic Party has Super Delegates that were not chosen by the members, but they can decide which candidate gets on the ballot. They say they'll vote for what the people want in spite of the fact that most have declared which candidate they support and it doesn't currently match the popular vote. I think registered Democrats should let the party know that there will be consequences for not voting the way the Democrats votes have shown who the majority want for president. Leave the party? Not vote for those politicians in the next election (since many of the Super Delegates are politicians)?

Keep up with county news and views from bloggers here.

So what do you think about losing your dependent care tax credit if your child doesn't do homework, is suspended for being disrespectful in school, or is absent too much? Hmmm, aren't homeschooling parents allowed to get these tax credits? Of course, if you're rich or have a child who would never do these things, then you might not care. But what of the single parents who are struggling in a community with few choices for where their child attends school & are struggling paying for child care while they work. Isn't this what the tax credit is for? There are truancy laws, which I understand they sometimes actually enforce now. We want to encourage parents to do the right thing, but how does making it harder for low-income parents to pay for things help? The bill is HB 1122 (PDF).

HB 1040 also wants to increase the drop-out age to 18 - no quitting at 16 to get a GED & a job, even if you're not college material.

There are also zoning laws that people are concerned about and WSSC "energy tax" and several other bills specifically for Prince George's Co. listed here.

Latest county blog posts are here.

From Terry L. Speigner
Chairman | Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee

Prince George's County Democrats played a pivotal role in the Chesapeake Primary yesterday. Prince Georgians went to the polls in record numbers to cast votes for a host of excellent and talented Democratic Party candidates running in the presidential and congressional (districts 4, 5 and 8) primaries.

149,000 Prince George's Democrats overcame freezing temperature, icy roads, rain, traffic and long lines to make sure that their voices were heard and their votes were counted. Prince George's County Democrats more than doubled the voter participation from 2004. Prince Georgians also accounted for 19 percent of the 800,000 votes cast by Democrats in the State of Maryland yesterday.

Prince George's County Presidential Primary Voter Turnout (1992 - 2008)
1992 - 79,909 - Bill Clinton winner
1996 - 28,647 - Bill Clinton winner
2000 - 87,111 - Al Gore winner
2004 - 72,048 - John Kerry winner
2008 - 148,880 - Barack Obama winner

It is wonderful to live in a Country where ideals are discussed and debated, votes are cast and counted and we can wake up the next day with our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness intact.

In addition to setting a new voter turnout record, Prince George's County has the honor of possibly sending the first African-American woman congressman from the State of Maryland to the US House of Representatives in Donna Edwards.

The 2008 Maryland Presidential primary is over and the Prince George's County Democratic Party will lead the way to unifying the party and working together for a tremendous Democratic Party win on November 4, 2008.

Congratulations to our Democratic Party nominees in Congressional Districts 4, 5 and 8. We also thank Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama for bringing the Presidential discussion to Prince George's County.

In closing, we honor the public service, legacy and accomplishments of Congressman Albert R. Wynn for his Representation in Congress of the residents in District 4.
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Also, see other news about Prince George's Co. here.

See other Prince George's Co. Blogger Posts here.

On Monday, February 11, 2008 Senator Barack Obama will be in College Park, MD to host a "Stand for Change" rally. The event comes a day before the Maryland primary and will be free and open to the public.

Full details below.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11

College Park, MD

STAND FOR CHANGE RALLY

University of Maryland

Cole Field House

Campus Drive

College Park, MD 20742

Doors Open: 10:30 AM

The event is free and open to the public. However an RSVP is strongly encouraged. To RSVP please visit my.barackobama.com/collegepark.

Media Coverage: This event is open to the press. For credentials please visit www.barackobama.com/mediarsvp.

**For security reasons, no bags are allowed inside the event. No signs or banners permitted.**


BTW, did you know that Provisional ballots won't count in election