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Rising unemployment; declining job opportunities for citizens; ever-increasing state and local income, sales and property taxes; growing fees for government services; county budget deficits combined with uncontrolled spending; stagnant small business openings; lack of contracts going to minorities; outsourcing of jobs to other jurisdictions or non-citizens; no high-end retail; growing housing foreclosures; strip malls being approved for development while many businesses at strip malls are folding; rising crime and gang violence; financially challenged hospital system; increasing numbers of county residents without legal presence; and a crumbling transportation and school infrastructure.

Welcome to Prince George's County.

What is the response by our state and local officials to the many economic and financial challenges facing Prince George's County? More of the same misguided leadership. Raise taxes, increase spending, cut services, fire/furlough government employees — including police officers, firemen and teachers — while maintaining unnecessary pet programs. The citizens can no longer afford or tolerate 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.

We are calling for a new generation of elected officials from Upper Marlboro all the way to Annapolis. Some of our current representatives lack the vision to understand that income, sales and property taxes must be lowered, state and local budgets trimmed of waste, and all publicly expenditures justified as adding to the common needs and benefit of the taxpaying, voting citizens of Prince George's County. Our goal is to create a county which provides a family-friendly, crime/gang-free and stable economic environment for its citizens, and which attracts and maintains private sector jobs and small business opportunities.

We demand that all federal, state and local officials in Prince George's County pledge the following:

1. Move from a top-down approach to a bottom-up approach so that citizens are at the table when decisions are being made that affect their livelihood and communities.

2. Put in place a strategic communications system to engage and inform citizens.

3. Lower state income and sales taxes, as well as local property taxes.

4. Cut or eliminate state and local spending for nonessential programs and services, with citizens having direct input to the process.

5. Trim the waste out of spending for essential programs and services including education, health care and welfare.

6. Implement the Federal E-Verify Program for all state and local government contracts to ensure that tax dollars are only spent on contractors who hire taxpaying citizens.

7. Require "legal presence" for all Prince George's County programs and services, terminating non-citizens from access to all directly or indirectly taxpayer-funded activities (this excludes emergency medical care and K-12 education).

8. Facilitate cooperation with local business organizations and public schools to create local jobs, business development and enhanced education opportunities.

Wake up Prince George's County!

Mitchellville resident Sandy Pruitt, leader of People for Change in Prince George's County, and Rockville resident Brad Botwin, director of Help Save Maryland.