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KLMNO Local OPINIONS 6


washingtonpost.com/localopinions localopinions@washingtonpost.com


CLOSETOHOME THEDISTRICT


ConfusingWal-Mart andwelfare Onceagainamemberof the clergy intheDistricthas


confuseda business entitywitha socialwelfare agency. In hisDec. 5 LocalOpinions commentary, “Welcom-


ingWal-Mart—on our terms,” the Rev.Morris Shearin outlineda “communitybenefits agreement” containing conditions thatWal-Mart shouldmeet to openstores in Washington.Manyof theseconditionsareanattempt to address social issues inthecitythat shouldbeaddressed by theD.C. government,not a corporation. The D.C. Council should politely thank the Rev.


Shearin and then ignore his list. If such requirements become government policy,Wal-Martmay just drop its plans to build in the city. This would deprive District residents of an opportunity to savemoney in their own community instead of having to drive to Maryland or Virginia. ItwillalsodeprivetheDistrictofmuch-needed business andsales taxes. TheRev.Shearinneeds tounderstandonething:The


District needsWal-Martmore thanWal-Mart needs the District.


DavidKuckenbecker, Fairfax MARYLAND


Care thatwomen need The protesters targeting LeRoy Carhart in German-


town[Metro,Dec.7]aremisleadingthepublicabout the kind of care he provides to families in heartbreaking situations. Very real circumstances force women to make thedifficultdecisiontohave a late-termabortion. For example, in one case a woman diagnosed with breast cancerwas advisedthat continuingherpregnan- cywouldposeasignificant threat toherhealth.Another womanwith diabetes discoveredmonths into her preg- nancy that the fetus she was carrying suffered from severalmajor anomalies and had no chance of survival. Herdoctordeterminedthatabortionwas less riskythan labor. In addition to protecting her health, access to abortionprotectedthiswoman’sabilitytohavechildren inthe future. The protesters oppose givingwomen in tragic situa-


tionsanyoptions, evenif those situations threatentheir healthordenythemthepossibilityofhavingchildrenin the future. I am confident Marylanders will stand behind Dr. Carhart and the compassionate care he provides towomen.


JenniferBlasdell, Silver Spring


Thewriter is executive director ofNARAL Pro-ChoiceMary- land.


TIMOTHY F.MALONEY Attorney inGreenbelt; former member of theMarylandHouse of Delegates


Anyone who does business in the


metropolitan area can identify diffi- cult aspects of the governing culture that are unique to Prince George’s County.These can andmust be fixed. Here are 10ways how: l End the pervasive involvement


of elected officials in land use,which has dominated county politics. Fol- lowthe example ofmostmajor juris- dictions, inwhichthesedecisionsare made by professional planners and independent planning boards, re- serving onlymaster plans and signif- icant land-use issues to elected offi- cials. l Eliminate the loophole that al-


lows County Council members to vote on land-use cases involving po- litical contributors. l Adopt Rushern L. Baker III’s


proposal for an independent inspec- tor general. l Bancounty credit cards for local


elected officials. l Adopt the state’s strict restric-


tions onmeals and gifts. l Require stricter lobbyist disclo-


sures patterned after state law. l Ban lobbyists from having con-


tingent interests in land-use cases. Strengthen the County Ethics Com- mission’s capacity to enforce these requirements. lMinority business require-


ments should not be imposed on specific projects to help specific peo- ple. Minority business enterprise laws should be uniform, addressing historicinequities.Thefocusmustbe on “what”—not “who.” l Prohibit elected officials from


Local Blog Network


voices.washingtonpost.com/local-opinions Some of the region’s best bloggers share work on the


All Opinions Are Local blog. Below, one of last week’s posts.


Gabe Klein out at DDOT D.C. Department of Transportation Director and


alternative transportation guru Gabe Klein just an- nounced he will not be welcome in the Gray adminis- tration, and will be leaving. Klein has been a major champion of streetcars and especially bicycling proj- ects in the city, so his departure will be a major loss for progressive transportation policy. It is also a signifi- cant warning sign that Mayor-elect Vincent Gray doesn’t intend to continue pushing forward as vigor- ously on transportation as did his predecessor. This decision makes Gray one out of three on


supporting a progressive DDOT. He kept streetcars in the budget but firedKlein and eliminated the “Unified Fund,” which was used by DDOT for quick fixes to a variety of issues. Taken together there is a clear pattern: Gray will continue policies that have been on the books for a long time but will obstructDDOTfrom moving quickly on just about anything. Washington, D.C., has taken a step backward. It’s


not a good day. Dan Malouf, BeyondDC.com


YOUR YEAR IN REVIEWIt was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the ... what exactly? Once again, Local Opinions invites readers to weigh in on the year that was. What was the big story in theWashington region in 2010, and why?What did the year feel like? And what lies ahead? Tell us in an essay of up to 300 words, put “D.C. 2010” in the memo field and send it to letters@washpost.com by Tuesday, Dec. 21.We’ll run a roundup of the best responses on Sunday, Dec. 26. Please include a day and evening phone number and disclose any personal or professional involvement you have in whatever issue you’re writing about.


using the prestige of their office to recommend vendors, partners or community donations. The state al- ready bans this. l Create transparency in land use


and ethics. The county isway behind other jurisdictions,which have these filings and records online. Baker and his supporters are lead-


ing by example, calling for civic in- volvement that ismotivated by pub- lic service, not private gain. Baker’s leadership is inspiring. But public integrity isultimately inthehands of the community itself,whichwill only get the governance it demands.


CHEYECALVO Mayor ofBerwynHeights


The PrinceGeorge’s Countymotto


— Semper Eadem (“ever the same”) — always seemed an ironic missive fromthecounty’sagrarianpast,but it fits our recent history. Many now hope that Rushern L.


Baker III will quickly turn the page on the ordeal of Jack B. Johnson, but history unlearned is history repeat- ed, and the latest episode will pass neither swiftly nor without pain as new indictments and revelations emerge. Political and police corrup- tion have festered in Prince George’s for decades; real solutions will take years to implement. We should turn to getting themright. It startswithadmitting aproblem.


The Johnson case shouldmake plain that our challenges are real, not per- ceived, and cannot be papered over or handled behind closed doors.We needapublicaccountingtograspthe full extent of the problem. It alsowould be amistake to focus


exclusively on the wrongdoers. Jus- ticewill find them.Our primary con- cern should be the systemof govern- ment that has tolerated corruption thispervasive andbrazen.Evengood people inabadsystemdobadthings.


MARK GAIL/THE WASHINGTON POST


Rushern L. Baker III meets with his transition staff last month.He was sworn in as PrinceGeorge’s County executive onMonday.


We’rewell beyond a fewbad apples. Our new executive and County


Council must lead us through the morass, and meaningful reform is long overdue. However, this also rests at the doorsteps of the larger community, which is responsible for the conduct that we permit. Our collective shame can, Ihope,provoke a serious conversation aboutwhowe are as a county, what divisions we face and what we can accomplish by exorcising our ghosts — and, per- haps, bymeriting a newmotto.


MEL FRANKLIN RepresentsDistrict 9 on the Prince George’s County Council


Ibelievethevastmajorityofpublic


servants and officials in Prince George’s County uphold a high stan- dard of ethics, and I amproud to call them my colleagues. I recommend exactlywhatCountyExecutiveRush- ern Baker is planning to do: usher in an unprecedented era of transparen- cy, with the highest possible stan- dard of ethics throughout county government. Here are some specific ideas: lWe should create innovative op-


portunities online for county resi- dents to gain information and en- gage their government. For example, we should create an online tool that allows residents to track the identity of the recipient and the amount of every county contract and county grant award. lWe should work to bring the


county government into the commu- nity by hosting regular forums that spotlight county services and by holding more government meetings in the evenings. l I am very encouraged that the


county executive will implement a government accountability tool called “CountiStat,” which will show the public the regular progress that county agencies aremaking in satis- fying community concerns. l I strongly support the county


executive’s proposal for a county in- spector general, an independent watchdog over county spending. l And finally, I join the county executive in supporting the elimina-


tion of the “slate loophole,” which will restrict developerswith pending business from donating to funds for slates of candidates.


PETERSHAPIRO Director of theDistrict-based Chesapeake Center for Public Leadership; formermember of the PrinceGeorge’s County Council


According to leadership scholar


James MacGregor Burns, a trans- forming leader is one who raises followers to higher levels ofmorality and motivation with the goal of de- veloping followers into leaders. A transforming leader is a role model for followers and inspires them to takegreaterownershipof theirwork. Transforming leadership ismoral in that it raises the level of human conduct and ethical aspirations of both the leader and the led, and thus has a transforming effect on both. While there is talkof anewinspec-


torgeneral for thecountyorabeefed- up Office of Audits and Investiga- tions, a transforming approach to leadership by the county executive andtheCountyCouncilwouldhave a much more significant effect on cleaning up government. In any government, there are


those who will seek personal benefit through unethical or illegal acts at the expenseof thepublic good.At the same time theoverwhelmingmajori- ty ofpublic servants arehonest, com- mitted and hungry for leadership that inspires. Transforming leadership is the


bestantidotefordeterringindividual actsof corruptionandthebestwayto respect and inspire themajoritywho provide services to county residents. Over the past eight years, county


laws and most structures may have beeninplace todealwithcorruption, but transforming leadership has not been.


PAULG.PINSKY Has represented PrinceGeorge’s County in theMaryland Senate since 1995


New laws may be warranted, but unfortunately, as we’ve witnessed,


WRITE FOR US Local Opinions, a place for commentary about where we live, is looking for submissions of 300 to 500 words on timely local topics. Submissions must include name, e-mail address, street address and phone number, and they will be edited for brevity and clarity. To submit your article, please go to washingtonpost.com/localopinions. NEXT WEEK’S TOPIC Should the D.C. Council raise taxes to help close a budget gap?


TOPIC A BRINGINGCHANGETOPRINCEGEORGE’S


What can County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and others do about corruption?


having laws in place is no guarantee of legal or ethical practices. Elected officials and others en-


trustedwith the publicwelfaremust be held to a high bar of ethics. That means greater accountability to the citizens and more thorough govern- mental oversight. All county contracts must be vet-


ted using rigorous standards; a strong firewall should be construct- ed prohibiting favoritism and “pay- to-play” arrangements. Additionally, the loophole allow-


ing County Council members to re- ceive developer contributions through accounts for slates of candi- dates — while the council members are deciding zoning cases — should be changed. County growth should be smart,


environmentally friendly and free of taint, perceived or real. The best way to ensure long-term


changeis toempower countycitizens and encourage them to demand a more honest government. If the peo- ple of Prince George’s demandmore and don’t settle for less, we’ll see changes. People tend to take advan- tage and misuse their power if they think they can get awaywith it. FrederickDouglass said: “Findout


just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.” He spoke thesewords in the 19th centu- ry, but they are relevant today. We need to change the culture


surrounding governing. We need to not only expect more, but demand more: both of ourselves and the county.


GERRONS. LEVI Represents PrinceGeorge’s County’s District 23A in theMarylandHouse of Delegates


CleaningupPrinceGeorge’sCoun-


ty government and lawenforcement, and lifting the dark cloud of corrup- tion hanging over the county, will require more than enacting addi- tional laws governing public ethics and political fundraising. To restore the public’s confidence, the new county executive and our other lead- ersmust relentlessly focus on setting high standards, with real measures of whether the standards are being met. How can county government establish the leadership position in theregion,aleadershipthatwillboth defy expectations and be a model that otherswill seek to follow? Most county residents fixate on


and can immediately recite where Prince George’s ranks at the bottom —education, crime, foreclosures and nowtheperceptionofofficial corrup- tion.More difficult for themis to cite or acknowledge where our county ranks at the top. County Executive Rushern Baker


has spoken about setting the county on a “path to greatness,” but howwill we measure progress on that path? Cleaning up county government re- quires setting clear numeric bench- marks—benchmarkswithwhichwe canhold our leaders accountable but also, as residents, roll up our sleeves and help our leaders and our county achieve. Several newly elected officials


signed the Pledge for PrinceGeorge’s County this year todeliveron11areas involving education, public safety, jobs, county governance and the business climate in the next three years.The challengenowis to realize those objectives, which just may move us along the path to cleaning up government and defining those areas where Prince George’s is the best the region.


SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2010


MARYM. CHEHWASHINGTON D.C.’s utility regulators must hold Pepco accountable I read with great interest the


Dec. 5 front-page article “Why Pepco can’t keepthe lights on.” Pepco’s operations in the Dis-


trict ofColumbia are,by law, regu- lated by the Public Service Com- mission (PSC), a three-member body backed by approximately $10millionand70employees.Un- fortunately for D.C. residents, businesses and visitors, however, thePSC—theoneentitythatcould force Pepco to improve—has tak- en no effective steps in the past threeyearstoenhancethereliabil- ity of electric service. In that time it has become in- creasingly evident, as the Dec. 5


article showed, that Pepco is not committed to ensuring that the District’s electricity stays on. The deterioration in service prompted the Office of the People’s Counsel to request that the PSC open an investigation into Pepco’s reliabil- ity and confront thematter head- on.OnOct. 6, the PSC denied that request, choosing instead to ex- amine the issue “in the context of various investigations” — despite the fact that Maryland’s Public ServiceCommissionsawfit topro- tect stateratepayersbyinitiatinga case on the company’s reliability onAug. 12. Quite simply, thePSChas failed


D.C. ratepayers.This failureispart of a broader negligence by the agency. The point of the PSC is to ensure that utility companies are not imposing unnecessary costs on ratepayers and that the rate- payersgetwhat theypayfor:effec- tive, reliable service. In recent years, the PSC has not required Pepco to be lean and trim. It has not scrubbed Pepco’s high man- agement expenses, and it has al- lowed Pepco to pass on toDistrict customers the costs of a defined- benefit pension plan for Pepco’s employees. Not even D.C. govern- ment employees (with the excep- tion of police, firefighters and


teachers) enjoy defined-benefit plans, which are notoriously ex- pensive. Pepco routinely generates an-


nual profits in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Allowing its managers and stockholders to walk away with large sumsmight be tolerable if it were the cost of having reliable electricity service. Pepco’s region president, Thomas Graham, has repeatedly claimed that reliability is Pepco’s “number one commitment.” It is unfathom- able that the PSC can continue to accept such platitudes in the face of Pepco’s poor service. As each outage crisis occurs, we see the


same behavior: Pepco says that it willdobetterandputs forwardyet another “new” plan. And the PSC goes along. Thereisawayoutof thiscycleof


empty promises. The PSC must establish clear and rigorous per- formance metrics for reliability and enforce them with penalties tobepaidfromPepco’sprofits,not by ratepayers. I have asked that the PSC establish such perfor- mance requirements in the past, but it has not, because, I believe, the members of the PSC are too closetoPepcotoholdthecompany properly accountable. District residents are tired of


the status quo. The Post article quoted one businessman from Maryland as saying, “Out here, everyone’s had enough of Pepco.” Unfortunately, that viewpoint is not shared by themembers of the PSC,whohave,withgreat reliabil- ity,allowedPepcotopaylipservice to this issue for years. The path to reliableelectricityis clear;weonly need a PSC that is willing to set foot upon it.And, if the PSC refus- es to take those steps on its own, I intend to introduce legislation thatwilldrag it there.


Thewriter, aDemocrat, represents Ward3on theD.C.Council.


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