Daily "Recent Prince George's County News" updates were suspended in early March 2016. They were compiled primarily from retweets of news headlines. Those retweets continue, but in unformatted and unarchived form at PG-Politics-Briefs. To follow such headlines on a current basis, follow @pgpolitics on Twitter.
Showing posts with label D27A.Proctor.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label D27A.Proctor.. Show all posts

Monday, June 07, 2010

Recent Prince George's County News (5-7 Jun 2010)

Public Safety
  • Gory Prince George's
  • Examiner: Illegal immigrant pleads to sex abuse of 6-year-old boy http://bit.ly/cOmWSJ Story quotes Chief Hylton 
  • Gazette: Man pleads guilty to sexually abusing 6-year-old Hyattsville boy; faces 15 to 30 years in prison, deportation http://bit.ly/c3iDPA 
  • PGPolice: PGPD Announce Results of Operation “One Team One Mission” (2764) http://bit.ly/94PqCs 
2010 Election
Other
  • Post: Obama, Biden praise Md. businessman who rose from stock clerk to employing 105 http://bit.ly/aL2usz Stephen W/ Neal, Hyattsville
  • Post: Farm animals roam Lanham neighborhood no longer http://bit.ly/9iMmvI
Recent Candidate Filings:
  • Karen Toles
    • Candidate for Council, District 7
    • Filing information
      • Toles, Karen
      • Democratic 
      • Mailing Address P.O. Box 7202, Capitol Heights, MD 20791
      • Public (443) 878-9478
      • Juris. Prince George`s 
      • EMail info@votekarentoles.com
      • Status Active
      • Filed Regular - 06/07/10
  • Aimee Olivo
  • Doria Boulware
    • Candidate for Board of Education, District 5
    • Filing information
      • Boulware, Doria
      • Non-Partisan 
      • Mailing Address 4511 Bishopmill Circle, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
      • Public (240) 351-3120
      • Juris. Prince George`s 
      • EMail dboulware@gmail.com
      • Status Active
      • Filed Regular - 06/07/10
  • Jason W. Papanikolas
    • Republican candidate for Delegate, District 21
    • Fining 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 - 06/03/10
    • Facebook
  • James E. Proctor, Jr.
    • Candidate for reelection as Delegate, District 27A
    • Filing information
      • Proctor, James E. Jr.
      • Democratic 
      • Mailing Address 14202 Cold Harbour Drive, Accokeek, MD 20607
      • Public (301) 203-0310
      • Juris. Prince George`s 
      • EMail jimproctor14@hotmail.com
      • Status Pending
      • Filed Regular - 06/07/10.
  • Joseph F. Vallario, Jr.
    • Candidate for reelection as Delegate, District 27A
    • Filing information
      • Vallario, Joseph F. Jr.
      • Democratic 
      • Mailing Address 8116 Rosaryville Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
      • Public (301) 423-8100
      • Juris. Prince George`s 
      • EMail barbproden@yahoo.com
      • Status Active
      • Filed Regular - 06/07/10
  • Jolene Ivey
    • Candidate for reelection as Delegate, District 47
    • Filing information
      • Ivey, Jolene
      • Democratic 
      • Mailing Address 2700 Valley Way, Cheverly, MD 20785
      • Public (301) 437-8394
      • Juris. Prince George`s 
      • EMail joleneivey@comcast.net
      • Status Active
      • Filed Regular - 06/07/10
     
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Friday, March 13, 2009

Thousands of e-mails from D.C. United fans crash state leaders' servers

Soccer fans roar for new stadium;Thousands of e-mails from D.C. United fans crash state leaders' servers.
Gazette, 13 Mar 2009 (Valentine)
D.C. United President Kevin Payne's plea to soccer fans this week to contact Maryland's lawmakers in support of a proposed $195 million stadium in Prince George's County has prompted one of the largest legislative e-mail campaigns in years.
[***]
"I've heard from all these other countries. I haven't heard from my district," said Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Dist. 25) of District Heights, chairman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. "The concern is what the impact will be. This is a budget item. [My decision] will be based on the funding."

The sentiment was shared by Appropriations member and Prince George's Del. James Proctor Jr. (D-Dist. 27A) of Brandywine.

"When somebody in Spain tells me, ‘You need to do this,' there's no influence there," Proctor said. "If somebody in the 27th district is writing, I pay attention."
[***]
"What happens if attendance isn't what you thought it was?" asked Councilman Tony Knotts (D-Dist. 8) of Temple Hills. "Who fills the gap?"
[More ]
(Posted 13 Mar 2009)
PermaLink: 3/13/2009 2 comments
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

PG delegates, economic stimulus, slots

(Posted 19 Aug 2008)
Should states get an economic stimulus check? .
wtop.com, 19 Aug 2008 (Ryan).
WASHINGTON - Chances are you got an economic stimulus check from the federal government. Maybe it helped you out of a jam.

So should your state government get the same helping hand?
U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) thinks so.

Van Hollen is supporting a congressional plan to give money to states to help them cover the soaring costs of health care, among other items.
* * *
Maryland is facing a $200-million shortfall, has a record number of foreclosures and has seen an uptick in its unemployment figures.

But the state could seen an infusion of cash if gambling - in the form of slots - is expanded. In November, Maryland residents will vote on bringing slots to the state.

Even if Marylanders pass the slots referendum, it will be years before any money raised reaches state coffers, Del. James Proctor (D-Prince George's County) says.

"First of all, it has to pass and that hasn't taken place yet. And we don't want to spend that money before we get it," Proctor says.

But Proctor says there's another reason slots may not be the answer.

"If you look around the states that have it, including Las Vegas -- the number one site for slots and gambling -- their revenues are down because of the economy," Proctor says.

Maryland state delegates who support Van Hollen and the federal fiscal package include Gerron Levi (D-Prince George's County), Bill Bronrott (D-Montgomery County), James Proctor (D-Prince George's County) and Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery County).

Levi, Bronrott, Proctor and Mizeur all say they will vote "no" on bringing slots to Maryland.
* * *
[Full story]
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Thursday, January 10, 2008

Maryland Gang Act called ‘useless,’ changes proposed

(Posted 10 Jan 2008)
Maryland Gang Act called ‘useless,’ changes proposed.
Examiner, 10 Jan 2008 (Broadwater).
The Maryland Gang Act of 2007 was supposed to allow prosecutors to crack down on the state’s growing problem of criminal street gangs. So it’s logical to assume that more than three months after the law took effect on Oct. 1, prosecutors would be using the act to press charges against gang members.

Right? Wrong.

An Examiner survey of Maryland’s largest jurisdictions — including gang-plagued Baltimore City and Prince George’s County — produced zero cases in which prosecutors have filed charges using the new law.

“It's useless,” said Margaret Burns, a spokeswoman for prosecutors in Baltimore City, where authorities have documented 2,600 gang members. “I don’t know if anybody else is using it, but we haven’t. It's basically not helpful to prosecutors at all.”
[More]
So, who was responsible for this feel-good, but obviously ineffective waste of legislative effort? Why couldn't they do the job right? Prince George's County senators did not sponsor the bill, county delegate sponsors included:
PermaLink: 1/10/2008 0 comments
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Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Slots & Taxes: What our legislators are saying (part 11)

(Posted 6 Nov 2007)
Special session: Another Prince George’s hospital deal falls through; Three-year $125M plan is not sustainable, O’Malley administration says.
Gazette, 5 Nov 2007 (Tallman)
The O’Malley administration has rejected the latest proposal to buttress the finances of the troubled Prince George’s Hospital Center, although Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown says nothing was declined.

Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the county’s delegation has asked her colleagues to keep mum about their feelings on tax proposals during the special legislative session until a rescue plan is worked out.

‘‘Most of what we do with the special session depends on what we do with our hospital,” said Del. Barbara A. Frush (D-Dist. 21) of Beltsville. House whips will be asking delegates’ positions on bills as the session moves forward.

‘‘I would much appreciate it if you would be noncommittal,” she said.

Frush said Brown (D) was presented a plan that would pump $125 million over three years into the hospital system, which includes five sites managed by the Dimensions Healthcare Inc. Under the plan, Prince George’s County would have provided $50 million and the state $75 million, Frush said.

The O’Malley administration rejected the plan because it did not have long-term sustainability, she said.

But Brown said he and Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) were waiting for County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) and the Prince George’s County Council to agree on a plan.

‘‘But the county executive and the County Council have not been in agreement of what that long-term solution will be,” Brown said in a Monday evening interview in his State House office.
* * *
Frush said county lawmakers are unclear of where the next move starts. Do they go back to O’Malley’s plan? Do they use a bill[HB 38] from Del. Doyle L. Niemann (D-Dist. 47) of Mount Rainier, which would create an independent authority to take over the hospital?

Frush made the announcement on Monday at a delegation meeting, where Johnson’s chief of staff, Mike Herman, was quizzed about an appraisal of the hospital site. The value of the land had been a sticking point during negotiations earlier in the year.

‘‘I am aware of a document that exists,” Herman told the delegates.

After the meeting, however, Herman said the appraisal was ‘‘irrelevant” to either the proposal presented to Brown on Friday or Niemann’s bill.
* * *
Lawmakers Suggest a Bailout Alternative; County Delegation Hopes to Use Its Clout to Encourage State to Make a Better Deal.
Post, 6 Nov 2007 (Wiggins & Helderman).
The Prince George's County legislative delegation revealed details yesterday about a $125 million bailout proposal for the county's hospital system that it wants Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) to support during the current special session.
* * *
"I hope as a delegation we will stick together until this problem is solved," said Barbara A. Frush (D), chairman of the county's House delegation. "This is the point in time where we as a delegation will be able to use our clout."

Frush asked the 22 members of the House delegation to say they are "noncommittal" on the governor's tax plan as negotiations move forward.

She said yesterday that the proposal was the product of several meetings among members of the county House and Senate delegations, County Council members and a representative from the county executive's office.

Frush said she mentioned the plan Friday to Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D), who has been the governor's point person on the issue. Brown said yesterday that the governor is "willing to continue discussions with the county about long-term solutions."
O'Malley hints at tuition freeze.
Diamondback, 6 Nov 2007 (Cohen).
* * *
Members of the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee, who are dealing with potential cuts during the special session, are working to avoid any cuts to higher education, said Del. James Proctor (D-Calvert and Prince George's), vice-chair of Appropriations.

"That's what a lot of this is for," Proctor said, "no increases in tuition."
* * *
The General Assembly has made more progress on the tax increase side of the governor's proposals. The Senate is to vote later this week on most of the plan, including a sales tax increase of 1 percent, a $1 cigarette tax increase and an increase in fees on to register new cars. Senators will make some changes to O'Malley's original proposal on Tuesday, said Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel), though he would not specify what the amendments will be.
* * *
Currie: Slots will pass.
Baltimore Examiner, 6 Nov 2007 (Lazarick).
Several senators raised problems they had with Gov. Martin O’Malley’s slot machine proposal during a Budget and Taxation Committee work session Monday. But its chairman, Sen. Ulysses Currie, predicted that once changes are made in the plan, “I think the votes are probably there to pass this.”
* * *
Miller gives slots a boost; Senate president says he won't block proposal for referendum.
Sun, 6 Nov 2007 (Green).
* * *
Senate leaders said they expect the framework of O'Malley's bill to clear the Budget and Taxation Committee and make it to the full Senate by the end of the week.

"I think the votes are here probably to pass it," said the committee's chairman, Sen. Ulysses Currie, a Prince George's County Democrat.
* * *
Expanded sales tax bill may have short lifespan.
Frederick News-Post, 6 Nov 2007 (Cumber).
* * *
Under a proposal sponsored by Delegate Justin Ross, a Democrat from Prince George's County, tanning, tattoo and body piercing services, swimming pool and hot tub cleaning, and interior decorating and home moving services, could be taxed.
* * *
Committee to vote on O’Malley tax package.
Frederick News-Post, 6 Nov 2007 (Bernhardt).
* * *
Committee chairman Sen. Ulysses Currie said the committee will delay the slots vote until they've made some changes. But they will vote Wednesday on the tax package and transportation funding, which includes a gas tax increase.
* * *
But Senate leaders, including Currie, have said they will support the referendum if it is the only way slots will pass.

Budget and Taxation member Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus was particularly critical Monday of O'Malley's choice to put slots at Ocean Downs near Ocean City instead of at Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George's County.
* * *
Though the Budget and Taxation committee has not yet voted on the tax bills or transportation, Currie believes there are enough votes to get them out of committee tomorrow.

Currie, a Prince George's County Democrat, said the committee might take a second look at income tax brackets.
* * *
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Shortfall Generates Surplus of Md. Bills; At Special Session, Ideas Vary Widely

(Posted 31 Oct 2007)
Shortfall Generates Surplus of Md. Bills; At Special Session, Ideas Vary Widely.
Post, 31 Oct 2007 (Wiggins & Rucker).
Even though Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley called a special session of the legislature to address his plan to close a potential $1.7 billion budget shortfall, lawmakers came to Annapolis this week with more than 50 bills of their own -- some offering alternatives to the governor's proposal but others focusing on completely different issues.

A lawmaker from Prince George's has even revived an effort to save the financially troubled Prince George's Hospital Center.

In one revenue-raising proposal, Sen. Jennie M. Forehand (D-Montgomery) has proposed a bill that would increase the tax on alcoholic beverages from $1.50 to $3.50 a gallon for distilled spirits, from 40 cents to $1 a gallon for wine and from 9 to 25 cents a gallon for beer. [Note: HB 32, co-sponsored by Delegates Holmes (D-23B), Proctor (D-27A), and Niemann (D-47).]
* * *
A bill [HB 38] sponsored by Del. Doyle L. Niemann (D-Prince George's) falls into that category. It proposes a solution to the troubles of Dimensions Healthcare System, which operates Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, Laurel Regional Hospital, Bowie Health Center and two nursing homes.

The measure would allow the governor to set up an authority to devise a long-term plan for the hospital system. The authority would be charged with negotiating with management companies interested in taking over the system. It also would acquire the system's property and assume its bond debt and pension liability.

Niemann floated a similar idea during this year's regular session, but the measure failed because the county did not support it. He has made adjustments to the bill, including eliminating a county tax to help fund the hospital system. Niemann's bill has been assigned to the rules committee.

Del. Barbara A. Frush (D-Prince George's) has introduced legislation [HB 37] to eliminate state funding for the intercounty connector highway that would link Montgomery and Prince George's counties. She called the road project "a big mistake." [Note: Co-sponsored by Delegates Barnes (D-21), Hubbard (D-23A), Ivey (D-47), Niemann (D-47), Pena-Melnyk (D-21), Ramirez (D-47), Ross (D-22), and Vaughn (D-24).]

"It's a bad way to spend money, especially at a time when our money is scarce," she said. But her bill has also been referred to the rules committee and is unlikely to be heard.
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

PG Taxers: PG sponsors of special session tax bills

(Updated 2 Nov 2007, new bill from Sen. Muse; 3 Nov 2007 , sales tax bill from Del. Howard; 6 Nov 2007,anther new bill from Sen. Muse)
Apparently Gov. O'Malley's proposed tax increases are not enough to satisfy most of our Prince George's County delegates and senators. On the very first day of the special session, over 60% of our legislators sponsored or so-sponsored bills to extort even more taxes and fees from us than Gov. O'Malley proposed. Later in the week, Sen. Muse introduced yet another tax bill.
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Thursday, October 18, 2007

Slots & Taxes: What our legislators are saying

(Posted 18 Oct 2007)
Slots Plan Is Brought To Delegates
Post, 18 Oct 2007 (Helderman, Hernandez & Wiggins).
"To the governor's credit, he's been trying to keep us informed," said Del. Aisha N. Braveboy (D-Prince George's), who recently attended a breakfast hosted by the governor for freshman delegates to discuss the budget shortfall and his plans for a special session this month.
* * *
The Prince George's House delegation has been staunchly opposed to any plan that might bring slot machines to the county.
* * *
Braveboy, who was not in office in 2005, when the last slots bill was defeated, said she is against "slots as a tool for economic development" and against them in Prince George's, but she remained uncommitted on whether she would support a bill that includes slots.

"There are a number of questions that need to be answered to support a bill at this juncture," she said.
Meanwhile, Del. Barbara A. Frush (D-Prince George's), who acknowledged that she has always voted against legalizing slot machines in Maryland, said she might be open to the idea this time if "the right bill" came before her. She said the components of a "right bill" would keep the bulk of slots proceeds in the state and require each sector of the state to have a slots location. "The entire state will benefit, the entire state should take a hit from having them," she said.
State lawmakers called back to Annapolis; O’Malley says he will keep General Assembly in special session until a deal is reached
Gazette, 18 Oct 2007 (Brody & Tallman).
* * *
Economic Matters Committee Chairman Dereck E. Davis said most of the session’s work will be done with the General Assembly’s budget committees.

‘‘Our role is going to be more or less sidelined until a bill comes to the floor,” said Davis (D-Dist. 25) of Upper Marlboro. But lawmakers, possibly concerned about a tax measure or a proposed cut in services, will want to be ‘‘front and center” of any debate.
* * *
O'Malley to Offer Revenue Proposal In Special Session; Md. Tax Increases, Slot Gambling On Table in Risky Hurry-Up Play
Post, 13 Oct 2007 (Wagner).
* * *
Sen. Ulysses Currie, chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee, said O'Malley is taking a real gamble. "I think without consensus it's very risky, and we don't have full buy-in yet," Currie (D-Prince George's) said. "On the other hand, the governor feels strongly that if we don't do something in a special session, it's going to cost the taxpayers more."
* * *
Lawmakers back special session, tax hikes, wary of slots.
Laurel Leader, 18 Oct 2007 (Pichaske).
* * *
"We have such a financial crisis in the state and we need to get ahold of it," said state Del. Barbara Frush, a Beltsville Democrat whose 21st district includes Laurel. "If we wait until next year, the shortfall will be another half-billion dollars."
* * *
Frush, for example, said she opposed any increase in the gasoline tax as unfair to lower-income Marylanders. So did fellow District 21 Democrat, Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk of College Park -- who also admitted to "mixed feelings" about the special session, saying it could end up being "a waste of time."

Sen. Douglas Peters, the District 23 Democrat who represents part of South Laurel, said he does not favor expanding the sales tax. "We should be exploring an Internet sales tax," he argued.

Sen. James Rosapepe, a District 21 Democrat from College Park, said he would prefer closing more tax loopholes rather than increasing the sales tax.

All of the area lawmakers, however, praised O'Malley's package as balanced and substantive.

"It's a fair package, and it's already full of compromises," said Del. Ben Barnes, a College Park Democrat. "I think it's a great start."
* * *
"I don't think we should balance the state budget on slots," said Peña-Melnyk, a vocal slots critic. While she opposed legalizing slots, she said she might support a voter referendum on the issue, which O'Malley has suggested.
* * *
"If I were putting this package together, I wouldn't puts slots in there," said Rosapepe. "But I understand the governor's position."

Rosapepe said he could support a slots proposal with certain provisions: having the state, not a gambling company, run the system; including funds to help people with gambling addictions; and including money to aid those areas most affected by slots -- including Laurel, since the Laurel Park racetrack is sure to have slot machines.

Frush said that while opposed to slots, she might support a proposal that scattered the machines across the state and that guaranteed the money raised would stay in the country.
* * *
"I don't favor slots, but I don't want to be tilting at windmills," said Barnes. "We need to keep all options on the table because the situation is so dire."
Proposal would create hospital authority.
Sentinel, 4 Oct 2007 (Samuel).
* * *
However Del. Doyle Niemann (D-Dist. 47), is back with what he believes will be the final fix to the hospital system, the Prince George's Hospital Authority Act.
* * *
Niemann's current proposal again includes a 3-cent property tax.
* * *
PermaLink: 10/18/2007 0 comments
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Wednesday, January 31, 2007

PG Delegates sponsor vill to let more criminals vote

(Posted 31 Jan 2007)
House Bill 273, Voting Rights Restoration - Ex-Offenders, 31 Jan 2007

Sponsored By:

Delegates Braveboy (25), Barnes (21), Benson (24), Davis (25), Frush (21), Gaines (22), Griffith (25), Healey (22), Holmes (23B), Howard (24), Hubbard (23A), Ivey (47), Pena-Melnyk (21), Proctor (27A), Ramirez (47), Ross (22), Valderrama (26), and Vaughn (24)
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Gory Prince George's: Politicians seem to favor killers over victims

(Posted 30 Jan 2007)
Commentary:

Why do so many of our elected officials seem so much more concerned with preventing the execution of killers than with preventing the execution of innocent victims?

I have been closely following murders in Prince George's County for over three years now, and have posted online basic details and news links for over 450 Prince George's County homicides, including many never reported by the news media.

For over two years I have tried to relate both homicide locations and victim's residences to the districts of our elected County Council and General Assembly members, and have generally e-mailed information about the homicides to those members.

While reviewing news reports of homicides, I have made a special effort to search out the reactions of our elected officials.

During the years I have been doing this, I have learned that our elected officials almost never respond publicly to homicide reports, either in the press or in response to my e-mails (where the response rate is about 2%), and very rarely respond publicly to our homicide problem, which is one of the worst in the nation.

Over 450 victims executed, and almost no public response from our General Assembly members.

Yet many of those members are sponsoring and publicly supporting efforts to repeal the death penalty and protect the killers--people who have executed others--from execution.

I have mixed feeling about the death penalty, and the way it is carried out,

But I do feel strongly that it should be more important for our officials to spend time and energy trying to save the one hundred to two hundred innocents likely to be executed without trial this year than to save half-a-dozen convicted killers who had their trials.

Why are our elected officials devoting so much effort to saving so few killers and so little effort to saving so many victims? What are their priorities? Whose side are they on? Apparently the killers' side.

Prince George's sponsors of House Bill 225:

Joanne C. Benson (24), Tawanna P. Gaines (22), Anne Healey (22), Marvin E. Holmes, Jr. (23B), Carolyn J. B. Howard (24), James W. Hubbard (23A), Doyle L. Niemann (47), Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (21), James E. Proctor, Jr. (27A), Michael L. Vaughn (24)

Prince George's sponsors of Senate Bill 211:

Gwendolyn T. Britt (47), Nathaniel Exum (24), C. Anthony Muse (26), Douglas J. J. Peters (23), Paul G. Pinsky (22).

Note that all members from District 24 are listed above. In 2006, District 24 accounted for far more homicides and victims than any other district in the county--almost a third of the county's total in this one gory district out of eight.
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