A lot of problems, but very little action

Last weekend, a Washington Post investigation revealed that thousands of dollars donated by the National Harbor developer and intended for community projects went, directly and indirectly, to friends of the committee responsible for awarding the grants or were given away by county leaders.

In some cases, incumbents running for re-election gave the grants to churches and youth groups during campaign season, even though the money was not requested. Worse yet, some grant recipients listed by the committee said they had not received any money, and other recipients were listed more than once using different program names.

At what point do Prince George’s residents become fed up?

Granted, those given money may have worthwhile causes. But this is another example of the ethical lapses that continue to plague the county’s decision-makers. Given that there was no need to actually apply for the money, urgent county school needs and programs should have been given priority. It probably would have produced much different results.

The National Harbor Community Outreach Program is supposed to provide benefits to the county that is expected to bear the brunt of the gargantuan development, and yet, there is little more than a peep from residents when its money is haphazardly given away. Johnson has since set up for the Prince George’s Community Foundation to monitor how the grants are disseminated, but monitoring is clearly needed in other areas, as well.

The news comes in the midst of negotiations over how to keep open Prince George’s Hospital Center, which is suffering from financial woes due to the large number of uninsured patients. One of the initial plans for saving the hospital was through raising taxes — an unjust option given the poor manner in which some taxpayers’ money has been handled.

The tax hike is now off the table as negotiations between the state and county continue, but an investigation into how money is used in Prince George’s needs to be the main course. County residents need to get to the table as well and stay seated until government spending becomes transparent.

Rather than continue to re-elect county officials with spotty records — or spirit them to higher offices — Prince George’s County voters need to insist on top-of-the-line leaders with credentials as ethical leaders. Now is the time to look for strong political contenders rather than stick with the status quo for lack of better options come election time.

Residents must demand better. It is not OK to waste — or lose track of — county money, abuse credit cards or help friends at residents’ expense. An apology cannot continue to excuse unethical behavior.

This is not the first time Prince George’s residents have been let down by officials. However, if they start holding leaders accountable, it could be the last.