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As President Obama and the Congress inch closer to passing historic health care reform, we must not lose sight of the impact it will have on redressing the disparities in our education system, and our quality of life. Though some communities have been able to successfully address the disparities related to health care and education, there remain large swathes of Prince George's County that haven't. Statistics reflect that uninsured and undereducated Prince Georgians are clustered in communities, adversely affected by policies that determine how we grow and develop as a county. In 2009, where one lives or is born should not determine their quality of life.

In her study of our county's political history, "Black Power in the Suburbs," Dr. Valerie Johnson observed that we have been divided between the haves and have-nots for generations. Communities plagued by underfunded schools, poor transportation, insufficient recreation and poor access to health care are concentrated in low-income communities. The importance of a smart growth policy is important because it determines where schools and hospitals are built, where public transportation is located, and where commerce is created. Our misguided policies have hampered our ability to respond to the growing number of uninsured, and presumably less healthy, children who overwhelm school resources. Both adult and childhood obesity is a growing problem and has tremendous long-term effects on health care costs. According to Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 68 percent of county residents are either overweight or obese with African-Americans and Latinos being 75 percent of the overall risk factor numbers.

In Maryland, we have made strides toward reducing childhood obesity through legislating physical fitness in school. And though we can't legislate how children interact outside of school, we can create open spaces that give children all the opportunities their fellow residents have, regardless of their parent's income. We can prepare our children for their future cost-effectively by targeting new growth in existing areas while leveraging accessible infrastructure.

Our history as a people has taught us that uniting around our common stories is what sustains us through the long road to change. Reforming our health care system or our growth policies will take a team effort, and being advocates for change begins with discovering our common concerns and goals. Our growth policy determines whether a community has safe streets, sound storm water management, jobs are located near residential subdivisions, new business opportunities with walk able commerce, and open space for children at play is available. Demonstrate your interest in how our county grows by completing community surveys and attending local town halls and forums conducted by your elected representatives or Homeowners Associations.

President Obama made a determination that health care reform was too important to do without a coalition of stakeholders from all sides of the issue. Similarly, our issues deserve Prince George's best leaders working together. As concerned fathers, we understand the need for urgent and inclusive action on behalf of our county's youth. Through the partnership of trusted community leaders and dedicated representatives, we can assure that location will not determine school funding, health care resources or whether the dreams of our children are fulfilled.

Curtis Valentine of Fort Washington is regional leader for the President Obama's Organizing for America and Organizer of People's Campaign for Prince George. He can be reached at valentineforpcpg@gmail.com.

State Sen. David Harrington of Cheverly represents the 47th District. He can be reached at david.harrington@senate.state.md.us.