RUSHERN BAKER 2010

JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

Support for Workers:
I’ll support Project Labor Agreements and Best Value Contracting for Prince George’s
County. Not only will this help create jobs, assure a trained workforce and fair wages, it
will assure all stakeholders are in agreement on the front end so we can continue along
the path of growing our commercial tax base and pursuing the very best in Transit
Oriented Development, like we hope to see soon in New Carrollton.
We need to repair our crumbling water and public works infrastructure and put people to
work. Through the WSS and in conjunction with Montgomery County, we must
aggressively pursue the funds and put people to work. Propose that Montgomery and
Prince George’s jointly approach the federal and state government for long-term
infrastructure investments, which can reduce the millions of gallons of water and sewage
leaking from our system, improve water quality; and put people to work while enhancing
the infrastructure near Transit Oriented Development and established residential areas.
Encourage retrofitting and modernization of housing stock in established communities.
We will go door-to-door, provide mobile offices for help with applications and conduct
seminars within neighborhoods to make sure residents take advantage of Federal Green
Initiatives for making their homes more energy efficient. This, of course, assumes
funding of the Home Star or “Cash for Caulkers” program. Prince George’s County must
do its part to assure that we take full advantage of every federal or state opportunity. By
matching the federal initiative with County incentives for residents to hire firms, and
shopping at vendors that are properly licensed, registered and can show that more than
70% of their employees are County residents. This will encourage revitalization of
aging, less-marketable housing stocks, while encouraging workforce development and
stimulating job growth.
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/weatherization-energy-
efficiency-hits-hometh.
We will seek a public-private partnership involving the County Government, Labor,
Neighborhoods, non-profits, and our schools and community college to quickly stabilize
areas that are blighted by too many boarded businesses and foreclosed homes. The goal
will be to link workforce development, sustainability and education investments with our
need to support local and small businesses and ensure our economic, natural and
intellectual resources are better utilized, and increase our commercial tax base and job
creation. On the commercial side, we will determine where the county can best leverage
its ability to purchase, invest capital, serve as a guarantor or landlord for a concentrated
impact. If it can happen on U Street, it can certainly happen in Suitland, Capitol Heights,
Bladensburg, The Route 1 Corridor.

On the residential side, we need to offer the most competitive package for those looking
to purchase, especially those who are looking at our competitors, to buy in Prince
George’s County. I’ll ask our economic development team to work with our stakeholders
and universities to determine if rewarding those that move into and stabilize hard-hit
areas of our county with property tax waivers on the third year for every twoyears they
remain in the designated zone under owner-occupied status.

• The County has obligated 80% of its Federal Neighborhood Stabilization Grant to
assist in the purchase of foreclosed homes. This is the second largest percentage
of NSP grants obligated in the State.
• Prince George's had 13,412 foreclosure filings, more than any other jurisdiction in
the state in 2009. The county, with 13.8% of the state's housing units, had 31% of
the state's foreclosure filings.
• In the first quarter of 2010, the county had 3,809 foreclosure filings, up 24.27%
from the first quarter of 2009. The foreclosure rate of 1/84 housing units is the
highest in the DC metro region. {source Realty Trac}
• Prince George's County is one of the few counties in the nation with a bond rating
of Triple A. This will allow the County to borrow at lower interest rates.
• We have 31,000 plus people out of work in Prince George’s County and even
though that's lower than the national average, there are neighborhoods in the
county that exceed the national average and need our focus and energy, in order to
lift the entire county up;
• With over 60% of our residents commuting to work by driving alone
(something’s missing here)
(11% of households are headed by single female headed householders living with
children under 18 years old). (Should this be standing alone?)
Offer Incentives for Government Employees and Contractors to spend their money
our tax dollars in HUB and Enterprise zones and targeted communities in Prince
George’s County. If we take the mass purchasing power of our 6,000 plus local
government employees and target it towards areas of the county that need help, we can
offer a cost-of-living incentive to our workforce, while we demand they do more, and
stimulate job growth and economic activity by keeping our dollars circulating within
Prince George’s. I envision a discount card that works very much like the large member
organizations such as AARP or AAA, where the cost of discounts or other benefits are
shared between the vendor and local government until a certain volume of sales is
reached.
We work hard to get a high concentration of Federal Government workers in Prince
George’s County. We’ve had success; the Census Bureau in Suitland is a recent
example. However, with the Federal Government being tax exempt on all its property, the
true benefit of having a mass concentration of employees in Prince George's is getting a
stimulation to our local economy from their purchasing power. We must make it easy
and more competitive to dine, shop, and stay in Prince George’s.
Seek legislation at the state level to create duty-free zones within targeted
neighborhoods. This legislation would seek a sales tax exemption as well as local tax
exemption for a 36- to 48-month period for companies located and willing to locate in
communities facing the greatest difficulty attracting quality jobs and vendors. The goal
would be to give these companies within communities a 3- to 5-year waiver on sales
taxes, which would give them a competitive edge, encourage consumers to shop in these
communities. Larger companies would have to achieve certain goals on hiring and use of
local vendors to apply. This will help Prince George’s County. Additional incentives
could be added for companies that have a certain percentage of their employees become
homeowners in Prince George’s County or pay income taxes in Prince George's.
Improve the contract evaluation process to make sure that an applicant’s history of
hiring of local residents, spending money with local vendors and residency of
current employees is considered as a net-benefit to the county before contracts are
awarded. We need to know what percent of tax dollars being spent will recycle back to
Prince George’s County taxpayers either through taxes and fees or the overall benefit of
increased employment and quality of life opportunities.
We know that growth from the business we have can and will create more jobs than the
business we hope to attract, that is why we must streamline our permit, application and
approval process, not so that it is better, but so that it is the best.
After improving our schools and the reality and perception of Prince George’s County in
regards to Public Safety, the next most important issue is workforce development.
Prince George’s County has among the lowest contribution rates per full-time enrolled
student of the 16 community colleges in the state. We must expand the investment and
operations and capital facilities of the community colleges and actively seek their
involvement in new development so that every tax dollar we spend on development
means training, enhanced academic programs, and modernization of the campus and
curriculum.