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The Pri nce Ge orge’s Pos t A C ommuniTy newsPAPer for PrinCe GeorGe ’s CounTy Since 1932 Vol. 79, No. 21 May 26 — June 1, 2011 Prince George’s County, Maryland Newspaper of Record Phone: 301-627-0900 25 cents STATEMENT - COUNCIL CHAIR INGRID M. TURNER Council Makes Tough Fiscal Decision on Union Contracts Urges Baker Administration to Consider One-Time Bonus for All County Employees BY PRESS OFFICER percent of the County’s workforce, Fiscal Year 2012. edgement for their sacrifices, which Organization was negotiated by the previous As part of our fiduciary role in have contributed to the County’s Administration and included a two- overseeing the County’s finances, undesignated fund balance. The Prince George’s County percent Cost-of-Living increase that however, the County Council is well Therefore, we are urging the Council, after careful consideration the County Executive and County aware of the challenging economic Baker Administration to negotiate a and at times, emotional debate, Council agreed the County cannot times we continue to face in Prince one-time payment, or partial fur - voted 5-3 to accept County afford in the current economy. George’s County. Declining real lough reimbursement to all employ - Executive Rushern Baker’s recom - The County Council greatly property assessments, a lagging ees, in a manner that would not add mendation to decline endorsement appreciates the dedication, commit - housing market, and increasing to the County’s structural deficit. of legislation (CB-9-11; CB-10-11; ment, and sacrifices of all of our pressures in pension contributions For bargaining unit employees, the CR-31-11; CR-32-11), which employees--General Schedule and and healthcare costs pose short and Council has strongly recommended approved the Collective Bargaining those across all bargaining units, long-term challenges for the that the Administration pursue Agreement between Prince over the last few years. In Fiscal County. As we near completion of multi-year collective bargaining George’s County and Council 67 of Years 2009 and 2010, our hardwork - our review of the FY 2012 proposed agreements. Such agreements could the American Federation of State, ing employees lost a portion of their County Budget, we appreciate the be patterned after the one recently County, and Municipal Employees salaries and wages due to furloughs. difficult choices that all of us must agreed to by the state of Maryland, (AFSCME), and its affiliated Locals In FY 2010 and FY 2011, employ - make to balance the County’s rev - which included a one-time payment 1170, 2462, 2735 and 3389, cover - ees did not receive cost-of-living enues with ever-present service FIlE PHOTO ing Fiscal Year 2011. The adjustments (COLAs) or merit demands, but we firmly believe that Prince George’s County Council Chair Agreement, which affects about 20- increases, and none are planned for our employees deserve acknowl - See CONTRACTS, Page A 7 Ingrid M. Turner Governor Mikulski, Sarbanes Introduce Bill to Clean Leon Kerry O’Malley Awarded Up Waste, Fraud In Government Contracting Signs Honorary By PRESS OFFICER long-time critic of the contract - Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s Office ing out process, which can be Doctorate Energy Bill wasteful, bad for morale at fed - Goal is to Generate WASHINGTON, D.C. – eral agencies and lead to poor Commissioner Guided U.S. Senator Barbara A. performance of essential gov - CIAA Conference to 20% of Energy from Mikulski (D-Md.) has intro - ernment functions. Under the Unprecedented Success duced the Correction of Bush administration, federal Renewable Source Longstanding Errors in spending on contracting out BY PRESS OFFICER Agencies Unsustainable skyrocketed from $222 billion PHOTO BY CaPITal NEwS SERvICE By PRESS OFFICER Procurements (CLEAN UP) in 2001 to $532 billion in U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) has introduced CIAA Governor’s Office Act, legislation that will reduce 2008. the Correction of Longstanding Errors in Agencies waste, fraud and abuse in the A poignant example of the Unsustainable Procurements (CLEAN UP) Act, legislation INDIANAPOLIS – Dr. ANNAPOLIS, MD (May federal contracting out process. dire consequences of contract - that will reduce waste, fraud and abuse in the federal con - Charlotte Westerhaus- 2011) – Governor Martin Congressman John ing out is the scandal at Walter tracting out process. Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) Renfrow, acting president of O’Malley issued this statement Sarbanes (D-Md.) introduced a Reed Hospital. The outrageous introduced a companion bill in the House of Martin University, bestowed regarding Senate Bill 690 - companion bill in the House of abuse of the A-76 process Representatives. upon Leon G. Kerry an Renewable Energy Portfolio - Representatives. resulted in the elimination of Honorary Doctorate of Laws Waste-to-Energy and Refuse- “Year after year, I’ve fought 350 federal employee positions tory definitions of inherently · Tasking agencies to deter - during a commencement cere - Derived Fuel: to improve the contracting out at the hospital. governmental or closely relat - mine whether they are now mony held Saturday, May 7, “After careful deliberation, process and make the competi - For years, those 350 ed to inherently governmental experiencing or will in the 2011, that also presented to I have decided to sign Senate tion process fair before federal employees had cleaned and is actually performed by feder - future experience shortages of 81students their university Bill 690. Our State has an jobs are contracted out,” maintained the hospital build - al employees. categories of federal employ - diplomas. aggressive goal of generating Senator Mikulski said, “Our ing and grounds, working · Encouraging agencies to ees and devise plans for Kerry is commissioner and 20% of our energy from Tier I federal employees are on the hand-in-hand with Walter Reed give federal employees oppor - addressing those shortages. chief executive officer (CEO) renewable sources by 2022 and front lines every day, working medical staff to provide the tunities to perform new work · Reforming the discredited of the Central Intercollegiate we intend to achieve that goal hard for America. They best care to our wounded war - and certain types of outsourced OMB Circular A-76 privatiza - Athletic Association (CIAA), through as much in-state ener - deserve our respect and appre - riors. When the Walter Reed work, including work that was tion process by ensuring all located in Hampton, Virginia. gy generation as possible. This ciation. I will not stop fighting contract was awarded to a pri - contracted out without compe - costs of conducting studies are Kerry has guided the 99-year will require a diverse fuel mix to level the playing field for vate contractor, 250 of the 350 tition and work that is contract - considered, charging in-house old, 13-member conference to including onshore and offshore federal employees and to pro - maintenance and grounds jobs ed out but is being poorly per - workforces only for actual unprecedented success. The wind, solar, biomass including tect them against unfair con - were eliminated. In September formed. overhead costs, abolishing CIAA Basketball Tournament poultry litter, and now waste- tracting out policies.” 2006, Senator Mikulski tried to · Requiring agencies to automatic recompetition of in- is the third most attended ath - to-energy if we are to realize “Over the last decade, we stop contracting out at Walter establish inventories of specif - house workforces, and impos - letic event in collegiate sports. our 20% goal. have been much too quick to Reed, taking the unusual step ic contracts identical to the one ing firm time limits on studies. Only the Atlantic Coast “Maryland is not alone in outsource many of govern - of bringing the individual con - already developed by the · Imposing a temporary sus - Conference (ACC) and Big this determination. Over half ment’s most basic functions,” tracting item out to the Senate Department of Defense. The pension on the use of the OMB East tournaments have larger of the states that have a renew - said Congressman Sarbanes. floor for a vote, but lost on the inventory would be used to Circular A-76 privatization attendance for their respective able energy goal classify “The desire to do so reflected a Senate floor by 2 votes. determine, among other things, process until the OMB events. The CIAA is the first municipal solid waste as a political ideology of shrinking The CLEAN UP Act will which contracts include inher - Director and the Inspectors National Collegiate Athletic renewable fuel. European the government workforce – build on Senator Mikulski’s ently governmental work, General of the five largest Association (NCAA) Division countries that are many even if it meant diminishing efforts to level the playing field which contracts were awarded agencies determine that all of II conference to have its tour - decades ahead of the United the quality or increasing the for federal employees by: without competition, and the reforms required by this nament televised as part of cost of government services.” · Ensuring that work that which contracts are being measure have been substantial - Senator Mikulski has been a meets the statutory and regula - poorly performed. ly implemented. See ENERGY, Page A 5 See KERRY, Page A 7 INSIDE County Executive, Rushern L. Baker, III Submits Keep Medicare Movie Review "Bridesmaids" We can -- and we must -- "Bridesmaids" is so funny, Appointments for County Council for Approval develop a credible deficit and has so many It's about reduction plan that is compre - time! qualities to it, that you By PRESS OFFICER Francis, Director, Office of Finance; already exceeded my expectations as hensive and considers all can easily overlook the fact County Executive’s Office Thomas Himler, Director, Office of Acting Directors, and I expect they will options. A credible budget that it's too long and has too Management and Budget; Monica continue to build on their accomplish - plan, however, does not hurt many dangling, underdevel - Acting Department Heads for Police, Johnson, Director, Office of Central ments in their agencies and departments.” the weakest, most vulnerable oped threads.

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