Strong Mandate, Weak Democrat

Prince George's County has been ruled by the Democratic party for it seems to be like decades. Jack B. Johnson, the still county executive, is claiming "a "very strong mandate" to govern and outlined a broad agenda for the next four years."

So what's his agenda for next term?

...Johnson said he is well-positioned to use his mandate to attack the twin problems that have plagued the county through his first term: crime and lagging schools.

He said he will continue to expand the police force. There are fewer than 1,400 officers, but officials plan to push that number to 1,800 in the next few years. He announced shortly after the primary that he will retain Police Chief Melvin C. High but suggested he might unveil a new crime initiative shortly after he takes the oath of office.

He also said he plans to flood the school system with money, even as he acknowledged a slowing real estate market that will make for tighter budgets than during his first term, when he fully funded the school system for the first time in a generation.

Almost immediately, Johnson will face difficult negotiations over Prince George's Hospital Center, the financially troubled facility that serves many of the region's uninsured patients. A committee has spent months fielding offers from nonprofit companies to take over management of the county-owned hospital. Johnson said he will soon provide an update on the effort.

So his agenda in short is to:

1. Expand the PGC Police to 1,800 officers
2. Fully fund the school system, and
3. Deal with transfering ownership of PG General to a non-profit companies (is it still privitization?)

But what about solving the real problems, why not deal with the root causes of crime (Poverty, neightborhoods designed not to grow and thrive). Why not expand the already weak THE BUS system? Why not find a way to eqaulize funding for PGCPS and fund it directly toward education? And why not a universial health care system for the county?

That's wht I would do if I was elected County Executive.