Issues
“Keeping up with a growing community.”
Our vision is to live in a community where parents with young children at home have access to affordable childcare; where our small businesses are thriving, particularly those that are owned by women and minorities; where we promote thoughtful and smart economic growth with an eye toward sustainability; where residents feel comfortable safely walking and biking in their own neighborhoods; where our homes, historical buildings, and other structures are protected against flooding and other major climate events; and where you can reach out to your Councilmember knowing she’ll be there for you.
Addressing the Soaring Crime Rate
In 2021, there were over 130 homicides in Prince George’s County—a number that the county has not seen in fifteen years. In addition to the murders, last year saw a record rise in car jackings. Of the 152 people arrested, 86 were juveniles. According to state data, the county’s unemployment rate soared from a pre-pandemic low of 3.7% to 8.2% in 2020, one of the highest in Maryland.
This is not a coincidence. The pandemic has exacerbated poverty, mental illness, and criminal activity. The connection between poverty and crime is clearer now more than ever, and the only way to combat poverty is to invest in families.
I offer a two-pronged solution. In the short-term, we must fully staff our police department by recruiting from within our community, offering competitive wages and benefits, and hiring mental health professionals who can respond to calls where appropriate. We must also enact the recommendations of the Prince George’s County Police Reform Work Group, including the training of new recruits in community policing techniques.
For long-term success, we must also invest in our young people by expanding our recreational centers; starting and supporting new sports leagues; and expanding our summer youth employment program. We must also explore ways to provide free access to family therapy, and other mental health support services to aid families struggling with the mental and emotional strain of these unprecedented times. We can do this by infusing more county dollars into the Department of Health and Human Services, that now only receives 1.1% of the county’s four-billion-dollar budget.
Not only would an investment in social services help our youth, but it will also allow the county to provide more services for our seniors, veterans, and those with disabilities.
Accessible and Affordable Childcare
Childcare is the foundation of young working families, allowing mothers and fathers to confidently rush off to their places of employment knowing that their children are being properly cared for.
For far too many families, including mine, the joy of discovering that they were pregnant was followed too soon by the worry of how to afford childcare. In searching for adequate childcare, families in District 3 are often met with long waiting lists, residency and employer restrictions, and exorbitant costs. This often leads to one parent becoming underemployed or leaving the workforce entirely.
Mothers, who tend to be primary caregivers and often already earn less than their partners, are disproportionately impacted. The community suffers the effects of sparse and expensive childcare options, which have only worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic.
We are committed to investing in families by incentivizing childcare centers to open in the District; providing financial relief to families with young children; and pledging to work with our state and federal partners, focusing much-needed funding at every level of government to address this issue.
Supporting Our Small Businesses
Most of the DC Metro Area is outpacing Prince George’s County in generating revenue from private businesses because our bureaucracy makes it difficult for companies to thrive. Our neighbors in Montgomery County generate 81% of their GDP from private business compared to only 70% in our county.
Business owners report a lack of efficiency and transparency with county agencies such as the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) and the Office of Central Services (OCS), particularly compared with their agency counterparts in neighboring jurisdictions. This has given the county a reputation of being “bad for business”.
Prince George’s faces an entrepreneurial brain drain because many of our innovative business leaders move to Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., or Montgomery County instead of dealing with overly bureaucratic red tape in our County.
As a County Council member, I plan to be a champion for small businesses in Prince George’s County. I will cut the red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy for businesses that want to partner with the County and operate within the county.
We must reform internal governmental organizations to streamline the processes for business owners to procure permits, grants, and planning permission. These reforms will make it easier for entrepreneurs to open new businesses and expand their existing enterprises throughout the County.
We must keep agencies like DPIE and OCS accountable by demanding that they articulate their goals for success, and that they provide to the County Council with annual metrics on how they have or have not met those goals.
I pledge to promote minority and women-owned businesses in particular, as they have been devastated by the economic impact of the pandemic. These companies are the backbone of our community, and their success is essential to our growth.
Promoting Smart & Sustainable Economic Growth
It's not a matter of whether we develop—development is a must. It is the only way we will be able to support our growing population, which now boasts over a million residents, and provide much needed services without over-reliance on or raising property taxes.
In addition to an influx of new residents, particularly young families, we’ve seen a flurry of construction projects, including Riverdale Park Station, which boasts the County’s only Whole Foods Market, and the New Carrollton Metro Station. The coming of the Purple Line together with the expansion of the Discovery District will be sure to add to the growth.
While we are proud of these projects, which add so much value to our community and keep our spending power here at home, we must be diligent, thoughtful, and smart about which projects we green-light. We are committed to putting the residents of District 3 first and to be thorough in our vetting of current and future proposals.
Residents are tired of feeling like these major projects are happening under their noses and are demanding more transparency. That is why I will champion creating a citizen’s advisory board for each major project, comprised of residents from the community in which the development will be entrenched.
The MAGLEV or the Superconducting MAGLEV (SCMAGLEV) is a great example of the kinds of development projects we will not be supporting. The SCMAGLEV will barrel through the County using magnetic levitation, connecting Baltimore to DC in its first stage. While the project has a glossy exterior, a deeper look reveals a much more troubling picture. We will oppose the SCMAGLEV for the following reasons:
The environmental and structural impact caused by massive tunneling
The disruptive speeds of the train, which will tear through our District;
The train itself will be too expensive for the average commuter;
There will not be a stop in Prince George’s County, so it’s costs will not come with any added benefits to our community; and
There is no guarantee that this project would create jobs for Prince Georgians in the short or long term.
Advancing Walkability
We have a beautiful community with miles of trails and lush, green parks and playgrounds. We want to be able to walk to these outdoor treasures, to our restaurants and stores, or just simply enjoy our walks around the neighborhood. However, in too many parts of the District it is simply unsafe to do so.
Too often we’ve seen youths, parents with small children, the differently-abled, and seniors attempt to walk along narrow and sometimes makeshift or non-existent sidewalks. We hold our breaths as we traverse major roads and highways while cars haphazardly zip by.
Our residents deserve to be able to enjoy their community without fear. We will work with our state and federal partners to widen sidewalks and narrow multi-lane highways that bisect residential areas. It is crucial to install cameras that not only catch speeding vehicles, but that also capture instances of distracted driving, such as texting.
Building Climate Resilient Infrastructure
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Maryland's climate has warmed one to two degrees (F) in the last century. The state is facing heavy and more frequent rainstorms, with sea levels rising about one inch every seven to eight years. In the EPA’s own words, “[T]he changing climate is likely to increase coastal and inland flooding; harm marine, wetland, and inland ecosystems; disrupt fishing and farming, and increase some risks to human health.”
For our homeowners in District 3, this can spell disaster in the form of flooded basements, collapsed roofs, and other nightmare scenarios. Not only must we retrofit our existing infrastructure to become more resilient to these increasingly damaging natural disasters, but we must also create a fund for homeowners who experience significant property damage. Moreover, for those County funds that already exist, we must change the requirements so that they reflect the increasing and more damaging nature of these storms, and allow for greater and much-needed access to these resources.
Becoming Your Partner in Government
We know what it’s like to be on both sides of the phone. To need something desperately and be forced to wait on hold for what feels like an eternity; or to send an email not knowing for sure if it will ever be returned.
I’ve been unemployed, underinsured, and indebted. I know the strain.
I’ve also learned constituent services from the best of the best, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen. That means that all phone calls and emails receive a timely response. It means talking to a real person, who is kind and sympathetic. Most importantly, it means getting results.