Dear Maryland General Assembly,

On behalf of Prince George’s community, we offer the gift of perspective.  Consistent with any other gift, whether you choose to accept is up to you.

Our message to you today is predicated on the substantial support of Prince George’s County citizens with regard to the controversy between County Executive Mr. Baker and Board of Education Chairperson Ms. Verjeana Jacobs.  The inherent conflict in Mr. Baker’s proposal is outweighed by the potential progress of the school system and community.  The Prince George’s County school District system BOE leadership is not working and change is overdue!  Mr. Baker proposes that very change and we support him.  Here are our reasons.

1.  The approval/decline of Mr. Baker’s proposal, regardless of what direction is takes, has far reaching consequences well beyond the political triumphs, or failures of Ms. Verjeana Jacobs.
2.  Your decision will reflect on both your integrity and the integrity of the Prince George’s County Public Scholls (PGCPS) District system. It will set a precedent as to whether (a.) nobody messes with the Maryland General Assembly or (b.) The Maryland General Assembly can be bought or sold to the highest bidder…or the one with the most money.
3. Your decision will not be silent with regards to the children; the children will see first-hand your expectations of the school system and what initiative you will take to protect the children.  In approving Mr. Baker’s proposal after amendments, you are sending a message that is loud and clear even to our children – there are bad consequences for bad actions and corruption involving elected Board members does NOT pay in Prince George’s County Maryland.  It is only fair to tell you that the democratic process does regretfully allow you to choose to send the message that corruption, neglect and waste do pays.  Further, you will be encouraging the children to become corrupt politicians and officials, as those professions (if you want to call them that) are lucrative venture and will incur no scrutiny from the Senate. Consequently, all self-respecting political aspirations must take a back-seat to the engagement of conmanship, gerrymandering and plain professional misconduct, including nepotism and corruption.
4.  The PG Senate and the entire General Assembly is in fact the judge in this trial that decides the fate of our PG community.  The General Assembly has the opportunity, if not privilege, of handing down a sentence that redresses the inadequacies that have plagued the Prince George’s County community.  But in order for the General Assembly to do so, the community must take its rightful position as jury and find the School Board guilty in light of its neglect of the community that it has sworn to protect.  That guilty verdict will act as the ultimate precedent; it will deter future politicians and officials from neglecting the lives of the citizens of this community.  You will be effectively telling us tomorrow whether we voted for you to be our  custodians or not. You have only one chance to do it. That chance is this year, 2013. If you bungle it then, 2014 will be next year too late; the die will have been cast and the future will have been set in stone.
5.  Prince George’s heart is bleeding. It has been bleeding for sometime now and the corruption keeps on cropping up.  It especially bled during the days of Jack Johnson who is serving time in jail for corruption and other vices. Thank God! Many of you have been around and you care.  But the ulcer really flared up after  Ms.Verjeana Jacobs was elected as the Board Chairperson.  Impunity reigned supreme as the corruption, professional misconduct and nepotism glared before cameras of our televisions. You were there. Thank God! We bled profusely and many students have died recently as impunity was sworn in at night. You were there. Thank God! Because you know, five years later, impunity has taken a new face; this one is more clever, smoother, craftier and lawyer-like.  This new face is armed with sophisticated tools such as powerful organizations and lobbyists that benefit directly from the Board of Education. This entity camouflages itself in the skin of a snake-oil salesman. You, as the Maryland General Assembly, have to remind that heckler that Prince George’s County wants that element gone.
6. Your decision will inspire and influence the integrity of the Board of Education aspirants; your sweeping reform will deter corruption and inspire a system that is based on merit and the ability/capability to truly build the nation and advance our resources for posterity.  In the absence of such reform, corruption will have been rewarded, encouraged and advanced.  This course of action will foreseeably deal a lethal, if not fatal, blow to the entire democratic process.
7.  Reread No. 6.
8. Repeat No. 7
9.  Go back to No.5 twice, then No. 6 again.  You have a huge decision to make and should treat it as such.
10.  Eschew No. 6
11. IF YOU FAIL TO LIVE UP TO 12, and only IF; We and many others will view you, for the long term, as nothing more than political egg-heads intent on sleeping with Prince George’s County enemies of progress, thereby proving that there is nothing supreme about you; in fact, you are nothing more than ordinary self-serving business types bearing a striking resemblance to members of the even-toed ungulates of the Suidae family.

Well, Great men and women of Maryland General Assembly, thank you for your patience in reading thus far.

Here’s hoping you will DO THE RIGHT THING!

12.  If you do the right thing, all Prince George’s County citizens will know that whether high and mighty or lowly and meek, the Maryland General Assembly is above reproach and does not bow down to any self-declared deities, much less self-imposed and willfully manipulative characters intent on abducting democracy in Maryland and especially in Prince George’s County School District.  The malefactors suffer from delusions of grandeur and superiority and you can give them their wake-up call.

Our courts and media must continue to play their rightful roles.

Diverse players from the non-state sectors must raise their voices.

The Prince George’s County reform efforts especially for schools will only show a maturing County if we collectively demand changes and keep the social cost it entails at a minimum.

Sincerely,

Reform Sasscer Movement for Prince George’s County.