Economic Development and Job Creation Lacking in Prince George's
Rising unemployment, declining job opportunities for citizens, ever increasing state and local property, income and sales taxes, growing fees for government services, county budget deficits combined with uncontrolled spending, stagnant numbers of small business openings, outsourcing of jobs to other jurisdictions, communities faced with growing housing foreclosures, rising crime and gang violence, financially challenged hospitals, growing numbers of residents without legal presence in Maryland and a crumbling transportation and school infrastructure. Welcome to Prince George’s County 2009.
The response by our current elected officials to the many economic and financial challenges facing Prince George’s County is more of the same misguided leadership. Raise taxes increase spending, cut services and furlough government workers including police officers and teachers. The citizens of Prince George’s County can’t afford this type of political leadership. We require leaders that are responsive to the needs and aspirations of the working families and small businesses of Prince George’s County.
A new generation of elected officials is needed from Upper Marlboro all the way to Annapolis. Representatives who understand that property, income and sales taxes must be lowered, state and local budgets trimmed of waste, and all expenditures justified as adding to the common needs and benefit of the taxpaying, voting citizens and business owners of Prince George’s County. We need a Prince George’s County which provides an attractive, crime/gang-free and stable economic environment, when combined with an educated workforce, brings in and maintains private sector jobs and business opportunities. A Prince George’s County where our working parents and young adults can rely on themselves to put food on the table, a roof over their heads and an opportunity to make life better for their families and friends.
We demand that elected officials in Prince George’s County pledge to do the following:
1 – Lower state income and sales taxes, as well as local property taxes. The best economic stimulus package for Prince George’s County is more discretionary funds in taxpayers’ wallets and less in legislators’ hands in Upper Marlboro and Annapolis.
2 – Cut or eliminate state and local spending for non-essential programs and services. Hold a series of town forums across Prince George’s County to allow the citizens to have direct input into the budget process. Highlight how remaining spending assists the citizens of Prince George’s County.
3 - Trim the waste out of spending essential programs and services including education, healthcare and welfare. We balance our household accounts by cutting or eliminating purchases and expenditures as required. We expect our elected officials to do the same with our tax dollars.
4 - Implement the Federal E-Verify Program for all state and local contracts. Recently implemented by the Federal Government for all Federal contractors, E-Verify ensures that tax dollars spent on contractors and workers goes only to those that have a legal presence in Prince George’s County and Maryland. Utilization of E- Verify will open jobs up for Prince George’s County citizens previous encumbered by non-citizens without legal presence as well as eliminate funding to organizations that skirt their share of taxes by hiring non-citizens.
5 – Require Legal Presence for all Prince George’s County Programs and Services – No longer can Prince George’s County afford to provide tax dollars for programs and services to individuals who have no legal presence in the state. Except for emergency medical care and K-12 education, all other government programs and services, funded directly or indirectly through outside organizations, must require proof of legal presence. Elimination of programs and services for non-citizens and their support groups will free up a tremendous amount of tax revenue for needed services and program for citizens. This includes non-emergency healthcare, college enrollment, welfare, energy and housing assistance and day laborer centers.
6 - Facilitate Cooperation with Local Business Organizations and Public Schools to create local jobs, business opportunities and enhanced education – We are all part of the same community. Working together all can thrive by better understanding the needs of local businesses and financial organizations, and in turn foster an education system that creates students ready for the workforce. Local businesses can gain from the implementation of “buy local” community campaigns and re-investing in the community. This can be combined with programs that enhance community knowledge of basic business practices, economics and finance. Homebuyer programs, mortgages, tax planning, credit improvement, debt elimination, tuition planning, etc. should not be a mystery to Prince George’s County citizens. Financially independent, well educated and responsible citizens should be the primary goal.