I know you were all patiently waiting to find out what Hyattsville Now thought about the election, right? Well, you can keep waiting because this is just Candace’s opinion…I’m not even sure if blogs do “endorsements” anyway.

I’ve been paying attention to this race over the past few months. I’ve joined the Facebook groups, listened to the podcasts, read the newsletters and attended events whenever possible for all of the candidates. However, Rushern Baker is the standout for me and it has nothing to do with the number of signs, his smile, or the influence of other “Baker Backers.” Honestly, all of the candidates are qualified if your metrics are academic background, professional expertise, and record of servant leadership. Everyone has a plan and it’s the substance of the plan…the character of the content, if you will, that determines the winner.

Being new to the county I cannot speak to the history of leadership, but I can tell you what I desire going forward. As a consumer, I want to be able to stop having to shop outside of my county because the businesses that I patronize have no incentive set up shop in Prince George’s County. As a homeowner, I want to ensure that my investment is protected and that I am not straining my eyes to see or ruining my wheels on potholes trying to get there. And lastly, as a mom, I want the schools that my tax dollars support to be the very best.

The other candidates give us very generic albeit sexy plans for addressing education and economic growth and sustainability. Rushern Baker is the only candidate whose plan integrates education, job growth, economic development, and ethics to create a comprehensive strategy for “making a good county, great.”

Unlike other candidates, Baker’s plan:

• Places a priority on building our transportation and public works infrastructure so that we can support the growth of new businesses, residents, and increased traffic;
• Helps create the green jobs that other candidates only speak of with programs aimed at retrofitting and modernizing existing housing stock;
• Focuses on macro-level, bureaucratic changes that impact education allowing seasoned educators, school leaders, and the superintendent to focus on school-level improvements with the support of the County;
• Aims to mitigate the aesthetic and economic damages of foreclosures and failed businesses by leveraging the knowledge base of a variety of local resources instead of only offering more money to new businesses;
• Suggests a move towards performance- and value-based contracting processes and vehicles that aim to ensure that the public gets the greatest value, service and ultimately, a completed project that serves our needs; and
• Combats “brain drain” by investing in Prince George’s Community College to develop a more robust and workforce-aligned curriculum, well trained workforce, and offering attractive incentives for businesses to hire local workers.

In my opinion, Rushern Baker has a well-thought plan that reflects the clarity of purpose and spirit of collaboration that I am looking for in a county leader so he has earned my vote.

Oh and just in case you’re reading, Mr. Baker, can we get a better county website? Please and thanks in advance.

Related posts:

1. I’m a Prince Georgian, too
2. Demanding AYP: Appropriate Yearly Progress
3. Putting the ‘Smart’ in Smart Growth
4. International Literacy Day in DC
5. The Other N-word.