Recent Prince George's County News (16 Jun 2010)

• List of 2010 candidates updated.

Public Safety

• Gory Prince George's: Trooper Brown
• Post: Suspect in Maryland trooper's death to remain held without bond, judge rules http://bit.ly/bYHay3
• rt @ABC7News Accused Man Shot at Officer in 2006 : http://clkurl.com/i.cfm/tw746691 
• Gory Prince George's: Other Murders
• Examiner: Husband (Spencer Chase, 49) guilty of killing wife (Antoinette Renee Chase, 46) 2008 http://bit.ly/9g7sCZ see http://bit.ly/9a9fQY
• rt @postcrime Prince George's man convicted in wife's slaying http://bit.ly/b9fnJq 
• PGPolice: Police Investigate a Double Homicide on Riggs Road (2775) http://bit.ly/9PrxCE 
• RT @postcrime Police ID men shot near Langley Park http://bit.ly/bj4SgS 
• rt @ABC7News Victims ID'd in Md. Homicide : http://clkurl.com/i.cfm/tw746557 
• Police accountability
• Post: Traffic stop video on YouTube sparks debate on police use of MD wiretap laws (Covering up police misconduct) http://bit.ly/dtOrMd 
• rt @WTOP Video raises questions about Md.'s wiretap law http://bit.ly/aPvxvt 
• rt @wusa9 ACLU To Defend Man Charged With Videotaping Police http://bit.ly/b38wY7 
• School Violence, see Education, below
• Other Public Safety News
• Post: A pregnant woman escapes from the stranger who allegedly tried to take her baby (Suitland, 2 Dec 2009) http://bit.ly/ayXRXl 
• Gazette: 2 shot in failed robbery attempt at Bowie bank; Mon. incident the second theft attempt in 3 days in same area http://bit.ly/a3rHw0 
• PGPolice: Departmental Shooting during an Attempt Robbery (2774) http://bit.ly/d7Q0my 
• rt @postcrime Pr. George's officer fined for speeding after DWI charge dropped http://bit.ly/b5TPL5
• Post: No bomb in Pr. George's, just an accident http://bit.ly/b6rBKl 
• WJLA: Officials: Hyattsville Car Explosion Was An Accident http://bit.ly/c0fE2n 
• IFAwebnews.com: Beltsville subcontractor burned by his $56500 false insurance claim http://bit.ly/9CiYlK 
• TownHall.com (JStossel): End the Drug War (2 paragraphs on PG SWAT attack on Mayor Calvo) http://bit.ly/aZsOwJ
• rt @hcpeterson 'Sexting' on the rise as more teens send explicit photos | Washington Examiner: http://bit.ly/b1RYv3
• Gazette: Upper Marlboro school bus driver indicted on child porn charges; could face up to 30 years for taping abuse of boy, 7 http://bit.ly/adPjj9 
• Gazette: FBI searching for Bowie bank robber; Officials believe suspect involved in 3 other county robberies [photo] http://bit.ly/aSWB1e 
• rt @hcpeterson Judge throws out class-action suit against Md. speed cameras | Washington Examiner: http://bit.ly/cparMC

2010 Election

• MD Politics Watch: Progressive Maryland Releases 2010 Scorecard http://bit.ly/9RI2rb Includes high scores for six PG delegates and senators
• County Executive
• Comment: Where does county exec candidate Gerron Levi stand on school violence? http://bit.ly/dz9nRy 
• Reply from Gerron Levi - Comment: Where does county exec candidate Gerron Levi stand on school violence? http://bit.ly/c5TBN0 
• Council District 9
• rt @Tamara4Dist9 I am panelist at Homebuying and Foreclosure Prevention Forum, Clinton, Jun 19. More details at www.tamaradavisbrown.org. 
• General Assembly District 23A
• rt @Shukoor Just Spoke with the father of the Bowie High Student. Our schools should have zero tolerance for violence http://fb.me/zLROjqp0
• Congress District 5
• rt @AndrewGall_2010 Public financing of elections is issue I care about. Hoyer takes money fm spec interests, I won't: http://bit.ly/dqVYHk 
• Andrew Gall, Democratic Candidate for Congress, District 5 (Guest column) http://bit.ly/9FyOre 

Other Politics

• Post: PG scraps plan to revise zoning, growth policies in 2010 http://bit.ly/b9M63m Council cuts planning budget 10%, Chm Dernoga no comment 

Education

• School violence:
• Post: Footage of Bowie High School beating on YouTube has authorities investigating http://bit.ly/bYLSqZ 
• Gazette: Alleged beating of Bowie High student posted on Internet; Sheriff's office investigating case http://bit.ly/cPCnL8 
• rt @wusa9 Victim Of Brutal Attack At Bowie High School Speaks Out http://bit.ly/cQhWID 
• WUSA: No One Has Been Disciplined By School System (Bowie HS beating) http://bit.ly/c7WHhB "parents genuinely fear for their kids' lives" 
• news8.net: School Identifies Student's Attackers in Video http://bit.ly/c6lMfp 
• rt @postcrime Two charged with assault, theft, and other counts in videotaped Bowie High Schoolbeating http://bit.ly/deb1cP 
• rt @ABC7News Teens Charged in Student's Beating : http://clkurl.com/i.cfm/tw746626 
• rt @Shukoor Just Spoke with the father of the Bowie High Student. Our schools should have zero tolerance for violence http://fb.me/zLROjqp0 
• Comment: Where does county exec candidate Gerron Levi stand on school violence? http://bit.ly/dz9nRy 
• Reply from Gerron Levi - Comment: Where does county exec candidate Gerron Levi stand on school violence? http://bit.ly/c5TBN0 
• Other Education news:
• rt @kidjk “Bridge to Tomorrow" 2nd Pillar- Teachers - http://tinyurl.com/23fdurq 
• Gazette: PG schools to use addl $6M to reduce furloughs - still working through details re planned layoffs of up to 800 http://bit.ly/9qjSJy 
• rt @PrinceGeorgians Education News in Prince George’s County: INMATES EARN DIPLOMAS ( http://bit.ly/baos11 ) 
• Gazette: Upper Marlboro school bus driver indicted on child porn charges; could face up to 30 years for taping abuse of boy, 7 http://bit.ly/adPjj9

Other

• RT @mddailyrecord BREAKING: Rosecroft Raceway will close July 1. http://ht.ly/1ZiQq 
• Rosecroft employees out with no severance. Owner blames legislature: “you have 200 jobs in an African-American community and nobody gives a damn.” 
• rt @hcpeterson Rosecroft Raceway set to close | Washington Examiner: http://bit.ly/a1RUXm 
• rt @hcpeterson Rosecroft Raceway set to close -- updated | Washington Examiner: http://bit.ly/a1RUXm
• rt @marylandmoment Ehrlich: Rosecroft closure could have been avoided: Former gov. Ehrlich (R) pounced Wednesday on... http://bit.ly/dBoxlR 
• RT @Ehrlich4MD: Saddened by another 200 jobs lost in Prince Georges County (Rosecroft Raceway) http://bit.ly/cGdnzO. 
• rt @pgchic #iconfess I often wonder if P.G. really is "a livable community" like the signs say 

Recent Candidate Filings:

• Janelle J. Jordan
• Candidate for Democratic Central Committee At Large, District 47
• Filing information
• Jordan, Janelle J. 
• Public (301) 772-1970 
• Mailing Address 6104 Kilmer Street, Cheverly, MD 20785
• Democratic
• Juris. Prince George`s 
• EMail janellejjordan@gmail.com
• Status Active
• Filed Regular - 06/16/10
• Facebook
•  William Lance Blake
• Candidate for Democratic Central Committee, District 23B
• Filing information
• Blake, William Lance
• Public (301) 567-5396 
• Mailing Address 4852 King John Way, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
• Democratic
• Juris. Prince George`s 
• EMail willblake05@gmail.com 
• Status Active
• Filed Regular - 06/16/10
•  Xavier O. Hixon
• Candidate for Democratic Central Committee, District 26
• Filing information
•  Hixon, Xavier O.
• Public (301) 567-5396 
• Mailing Address 5536 Livingston Terrace #201, Oxon Hill, MD 20745
• Democratic
• Juris. Prince George`s 
• EMail oxhixon@aol.com
• Status Active
• Filed Regular - 06/16/10 
• Facebook
• Kelly Canavan
• Candidate for Democratic Central Committee, District 27
• Filing information
•  Canavan, Kelly
• Public (301) 283-2963 
• Mailing Address 2701 Colonial Road, Accokeek, MD 20607
• Democratic
• Juris. Prince George`s 
• EMail planesawdust@hotmail.com
• Status Active
• Filed Regular - 06/15/10
• Facebook
• Jason W. Papanikolas
• Candidate for Republican Central Committee, District 21
• Filing information:
• Papanikolas, Jason W.
• Republican 
• Mailing Address 511 Prince George Street,  Laurel, MD 20707
• Public (240) 338-5191
• Juris. Prince George`s 
• EMail jason.papanikolas@gmail.com
• Status Pending
• Filed Regular - 06/16/10
• Facebook 
•  Rosalind A. Johnson
• Candidates for reelection to Board of Education, District 1
• Filing information
• Johnson, Rosalind A.
• Public (240) 429-4733 
• Mailing Address  11478 Laurelwalk Drive, Laurel, MD 20708
• Non-Partisan
• Juris. Prince George`s 
• EMail rosalindjohson1@me.com
• Status Active
• Filed Regular - 06/14/10
• Justin Ross
• Candidate for reelection as Delegate, District 22
• Filing information
• Ross, Justin
• Public (301) 985-3779 
• Mailing Address P.O. Box 317, Greenbelt, MD 20768
• Democratic
• Juris. Prince George`s 
• EMail justinross@justinross.us
• Status Active
• Filed Regular - 06/16/10
• Facebook

School Board Members Support Higher Taxes (Question F)

(Posted 23 Oct 2008)

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School board voices support for phone tax; But members disagree over slots; discussions focus on whether initiatives would benefit education.
Gazette, 23 Oct 2008 (King ).

The Prince George's County school board unanimously approved a resolution Oct. 16 to support the telecommunications tax increase to bring additional revenue to the school system but could not agree on a position for the controversial slots referendum that will be on the Nov. 4 ballot in Maryland.
* * *
Board member Heather Iliff (Dist. 2) and board vice-chairman Ron L. Watson (At-Large) did not attend the meeting.
* * * [Full story ]

So, the members voting for higher taxes were:

• Rosalind A. Johnson (Dist. 1)
  
• Pat J. Fletcher (Dist. 3)
  
• Linda Thornton Thomas (Dist. 4)
  
• R. Owen Johnson Jr. (Dist. 5)
  
• Donna Hathaway Beck (At-large)
  
• Verjeana M. Jacobs (At-large)
  
• Amber P. Waller (At-large)
  
• student board member Edward Burroughs III
  

Comment:  The proposed tax increase is expected to generate about $17 million.  It will pay for little under half of the cost of the new school system headquarters recently approved by the board.  And it will leave Prince George's County with the highest telephone tax rate in the state and among the very highest in the whole country.

Earlier: 

• Can you afford higher phone bills? (17 Oct 2008)
  
• Telephone tax increase (Question F) will hurt both the people least able to pay and small, local businesses (14 Oct 2008)
  

School Board wants more money

(Posted 8 Nov 2007)

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School leaders make request: Fully fund our public schools.
Gazette, 8 Nov 2007 (Letter).

We strongly support full funding of the ‘‘Thornton” Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act and oppose the proposals to cut education funding in the next year’s state budget.

We ask that you contact your delegates and senators in the General Assembly to urge their support for full funding for the Bridge To Excellence Act. Remind your elected officials of their constitutional duty to provide the funding amount mandated in the Thornton law. Let your voice be heard that any package of proposals considered by the General Assembly should include:
* * *
Prince George’s County school board members R. Owen Johnson Jr., Verjeana M. Jacobs, Donna Hathaway Beck, Pat J. Fletcher, Heather Iliff, Rosalind A. Johnson, Linda Thornton Thomas, Amber P. Waller, Ron L. Watson,Haywood L. Perry III (studentmember) and schools Superintendent John E. Deasy