Basic Income in Prince George's County
Basic Income in Prince George's County
The less fortunate need help too
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Community News
Last week sent out a slew of important meetings that will be taking place this week. You can view that newsletter here.
Also, there are more events coming down the pipeline.
Women’s History Month Luncheon
The National Women’s History Month Theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.”
To celebrate, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks will host an in-person program on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at 11:30 am at The Hotel @UMD in College Park MD. Tickets can be purchased here: InstantSeats. Availability of seating is subject to ongoing purchases. Therefore, it is recommended that you review and reserve your seat selection by purchasing the ticket(s) as soon as possible. Note: This site is only for individual ticket sales.
Purchase General Admission seats (March 6 - March 24, 2023)
Seats $60 per person - up to 5 tickets per transaction
You can find more info here.
12th Annual Parent Empowerment Virtual Conference
The virtual conference started on March 18 and through June 1. The theme is Collaborations: Working Together for Equity and Access. The keynote speaker is Paula Moraine. You can view the YouTube videos and sign up for Zoom links here.
Special Education College and Career Fair
The event will take place at Fairmount Heights High School on April 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. You can register here.
Spring Transitioning Youth Fair
The event is at Largo High School on April 25, 8-9 p.m.
You can register for the event here.
Prince George’s County Food Equity Council
Join the Prince George’s County Food Assistance Provider call. These calls are the result of a partnership between Prince George's County Food Equity Council and the Prince George's County Department of Social Services.
Time: Thu, April 6, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Zoom Call Info: https://zoom.us/j/98604055255
Call Objectives:
Ensure our food assistance providers are aware of resources available to support their work and clients;
Identify gaps in service areas to more strategically target resources to underserved communities;
and, identify collective food assistance provider needs (volunteers, PPE, hand sanitizer, bags, etc) so we can seek and, as capacity and resources allow, distribute needed resources to support the County's food assistance response.
Sustainable Food System Lectures
The series is part of our strategic initiative, Establish a Healthy Food System and Ensure Global Food and Nutritional Security. This year's lecture series theme is "workforce development."
Designing Futures in 4-H: Workforce Development Programs for Youth
Speaker: Vernelle Mitchell-Hawkins, Agent, 4-H Youth Development Educators, the University of Maryland Extension
Date: Tuesday, March 28, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Register here.
Prince George’s County Basic Income For Residents
Context: It is no doubt that Prince George’s County is a wealthy county. But there are also pockets of poverty. During the early years of Covid-19, that poverty had increased. Businesses had closed and people were losing their jobs. * Data is from 2017-2021
PGC Poverty (PGC Health Zone): 9.2 percent
Most Impacted Demographics:
Women
18-24
American Indian/Alaska Native
US Census PG County Poverty (2021)
Poverty: 11.5 percent
Children (Under 18): 16 percent
Seniors (65+): 9 percent
Council members who proposed the basic income initiative:
Proposed by: Council Members Oriadha, Olson, Ivey, Blegay, Burroughs, and Dernoga
Introduced by: Council Members Oriadha, Olson, Ivey, Blegay, Burroughs, Dernoga, Franklin, Fisher, Hawkins, Harrison and Watson
Target group: According to the proposal, it is for those adults and families live below the poverty line. Due to the fact that this models the Stockton, California’s basic income program, it is likely that this program will limit the pilot to a 125 people.
History: The City Bureau and The Standford Baisc Income Lab.
Other US Cities Have Basic Income programs: Montgomery County, Maryland Baltimore, Maryland Alexandria, Virginia Los Angeles County Newark, New Jersey, New York City, Atlanta, Georgia, Stockton, California
Program funding: The pilot program is proposed to cost $4 million. The Greater Washington Community Foundation will seed $1 million, as well as some unknown organization will also provide $1 million. The proposal is asking for the remaining $2 million to come from other organizations, and the Prince George’s County government.
Angela Alsobrooks response: “As I mentioned last week during my State of the County Budget Address, this year’s budget is tight due to a number of challenges we have to navigate. It would be difficult for us to fund the remaining $2 million for this pilot program from our General Fund. That’s why we are interested in working with community partners and other private entities to secure an additional $2 million in private investments to fund this pilot program.”
News Links
We reported on the $15 minimum wage. During that time. Gov. Wes Moore advocated for this piece of legislation. The Intersection wrote about that here.
Update: One of Wes Moore’s biggest anti-poverty ideas won’t pass this year
A key piece of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s anti-poverty agenda is all but certain to fail in the legislature this year, but the new Democratic governor is still claiming a win.
While the General Assembly is advancing Moore’s bill to accelerate a planned increase in the minimum wage so that it hits $15 per hour later this year, about two years earlier than planned, they roundly rejected his idea to tie future increases to inflation — and give up their power to set the minimum wage.
Wala Blegay Works to Improve Nurse-to-Patient Ratio
Prince George’s County Council Vice Chair Wala Blegay (D-District 6) has introduced legislation to address high nurse-to-patient ratios in the county. “In our County, emergency rooms are crowded, wait times are too long, and there are concerns about the impact of inadequate staffing of nurses and other health professionals, on the patient’s overall experience and care. I am committed to ensuring significantly improving working conditions for nurses and patient health outcomes in Prince George’s County.”
Civil rights activist Martin Luther King III, Maryland State Senator Cory McCray, cannabis industry insiders, and other weed-interested folks gathered at Coppin University February 28 to discuss what weed legalization means for people of color.
“This is a ground-floor opportunity,” King told the small crowd in James Weldon Johnson Auditorium. “Several states have gotten the opportunity to pass legislation, but none of them have gotten it right yet. I think that Maryland is on the precipice… of getting it right.” King noted that he’d spent the previous day in Annapolis, meeting with state leaders about the possibilities pot presents.
Back in November, Maryland voters gave the OK for this state to move forward with the legalization of recreational cannabis for people 21 and over. The change goes into effect in July. Lawmakers in Annapolis are now laying out the legal framework for the recreational consumption of a drug for the use of which thousands of Marylanders have previously been penalized.
With rental rates skyrocketing and eviction rates ranking among the highest in the state, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and members of the County Council are looking toward sustainable solutions for the 40 percent of county residents who are renters. While officials come up with a plan, they are placing a temporary patch on skyrocketing rental price hikes.
Alsobrooks recently signed The Temporary Rent Stabilization Act (CB-007-2023), which will stop landlords from increasing tenant rental rates by more than three percent over a 12-month period.
The law goes into effect April 17, but will expire in one year. In the meantime, the County is hustling to get answers on rising rent rates, inflation and an increasing eviction rate. A working group has been created to study rent control and identify permanent solutions for addressing the rising cost of rental housing.
Maryland General Assembly introduces bill to create selection panel for PGCPS CEO search
The Maryland House Ways and Means Committee is reviewing a bill to create a selection panel for the PGCPS CEO search committee, a move that would include more stakeholders in the selection process.
Prince George’s County Public Schools launched the school system’s first CEO search since 2019 after Monica Goldson announced her planned retirement in January. Goldson was appointed interim CEO in July 2018 and became the permanent CEO in 2019.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is responsible for appointing the school system’s new CEO with the assistance of a state-appointed three-member search committee. The committee consists of one member of the state’s board of education selected by state superintendent Mohammed Choudhury and two county residents appointed by Gov. Wes Moore.
This Drug Helps Treat Opioid Addiction. Why Is it So Hard to Get?
Living with opioid use disorder can be debilitating. For Black folks and people of color, accessing treatment can be even more challenging. One of those treatments is buprenorphine, a medication used to help people quit or reduce their use of opiates.
Opioid overdose deaths among Black Americans aged 15-24 increased by 86% between 2019-2020 — the most recent year data is available for — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With Black Americans experiencing the highest increase in opioid overdose deaths, medications like buprenorphine are critical to prevent death.
Local Piscataway Conoy Tribe Purchases Land
Chief Jesse Swann Jr and his wife, Rosanna Swann purchase land along with the 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization, Through Piscataway Eyes (TPE), Inc for the tribe on both northbound and southbound sides of Crain Highway in Charles County, Maryland. This is the first time that the Piscataway Conoy Tribe has owned land in 400 years since the colonist arrived and encroachment began.
Chief Swann, his wife and the Piscataway Conoy Tribal members would like to thank Maryland Senator Arthur Ellis for attending and providing a proclamation on behalf of the Senate and the Southern Maryland Delegation, as well as participating in the groundbreaking ceremony.
Likewise, they would like the thank Delegate Ct Wilson for also providing a proclamation to the tribe in this historic announcement.
Metro celebrates completion of its Md. headquarters in Prince George’s Co.
A few years ago, the New Carrollton Metro Station was surrounded by nothing but parking lots, adjacent to more parking lots.
But on Tuesday afternoon, politicians and Metro employees gathered next to Metro’s newly opened Maryland headquarters, as well as a massive apartment complex that’s a few months away from opening. About 1,200 workers will come to work every day at the new headquarters.