A New Day for Prince George's County

Paul Monteiro, Democratic Candidate for Prince George's County Executive

Semper Eadem -- ever the same -- is our County's motto. Meant as a positive attribute for stability, it's unfortunate reality that our local government has too often been marked by a clubby political culture that resists innovation or necessary change.

Many well known candidates are currently competing to be your next County Executive. As a public school graduate (High Point '98) and resident of Prince George's for more than three decades, I know many of their names by the billboards and commercials that appear like clockwork every four years. 2018 must be the start of a new day for our county.

First: Donald Trump. He's already delivering on his promise to diminish worker rights and "dismantle the administrative state" pressing federal workers -- including many Prince Georgians -- into early retirement or buyouts. Immigration policies designed to intimidate noncitizens will also result in significant harm to our county. The cancellation of visas for Salvadoran, Honduran, Liberian, and Haitian neighbors will further disrupt those who have called Prince George's home for decades. Other federal policies like a return of draconian and ineffective War on Drugs-style approaches threaten our young people and low-income communities with harsh penalties that leave no room for rehabilitation.

Second: You Deserve More. The past several years have only brought increased taxes and assessments even as the county services you pay for have diminished. The state of our public schools illustrates the point -- 64 cents of every county tax dollar currently goes to PGCPS -- and yet the system is burdened by failing infrastructure and continues to lose good teachers. The home of Jim Henson and his Muppets, Sergey Brin who co-founded Google isn't short on world- class entrepreneurs but is lacking when it comes to a fair and efficient playing field to promote the small business owners of today and incubate the next generation of innovators. Stunning lapses of integrity by too many in our county government does a disservice to the reputation of this county and the people who make it the dynamic community that it truly is. We need an Inspector General to ensure your money is being well spent in our public schools and we need a Chief Procurement Officer to ensure county contracts and grants are issued responsibly, fairly, and efficiently.

Serving on President Obama's White House staff allowed me to work on critical issues of economic opportunity and see best practices around the country that were absent in a place I've called home for years. Being the national director of the $93 million AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program gave me real insights into how to leverage the nonprofit, faith-based, and volunteer sectors to meet pressing community needs when government falls short. My time as the director of the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service working to mitigate community tensions in the wake of a police-involved shooting or hate crime revealed the importance of working for shared prosperity that doesn't leave groups behind because of their zip code.

I'm running to serve because I want to take care of home and ensure Prince George's remains welcoming and accessible to all regardless of age, ethnicity, or religion. Great opportunities are on the horizon along with some serious challenges and risks. In an age where others are bent on further dividing us, we have to focus on building opportunity and community for all. The times we're living in demand nothing less.