Integrity Matters - Social Changemakers Podcast Interview of Tamara Davis Brown

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I had the distinct pleasure of being interviewed on the Social Changemakers Podcast, and while it preceded my decision to run in the August 6th Special Election, it is worth a listen to learn more about me, the priority issues and the work I have done in Prince George’s County.  Take a listen, like and share, share, share Countywide!

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_02 (00:05):
Welcome back to another episode of All Politics
is Local, the Maryland edition,with me, your host, Tamara Davis
Brown.
First, I need to apologize formy leave of absence due to
family caretakingresponsibilities.
But I'm thrilled to be back.
And guess what?
Thanks to all of you, my amazinglisteners, for your likes,

(00:29):
shares, and subscriptions.
All Politics is Local has rankednumber seven among all Maryland
political podcasts.
How about that?
We even surpassed formerGovernor Ehrlich's podcast, and
this is incredible news, and Icouldn't have done it without
you.
So I want to take a moment tothank each and every one of you

(00:50):
for your continued support.
Your likes, shares, listens, andsubscriptions have brought us
this far.
So let's keep the momentumgoing.
I have a goal to be in the topthree in the rankings by the end
of the year.
So please keep liking, sharing,listening, subscribing to All
Politics' local podcasts.

(01:11):
During my leave of absence, Ihad the privilege of being
interviewed by Miss KhalilaDenny for her podcast, Social
Changemakers.
You may remember Miss Denny fromwhen I interviewed her for the
good news segment of thispodcast.
Well, she has started her ownpodcast now, and I was honored

(01:32):
to be her 17th interviewee.
I'm going to share thatinterview with you today on All
Politics as Local as we diveinto my background, the work
I've done in the county, and myfuture plans.
It's a fantastic conversationrecorded several weeks ago
before the recent news of thevacant county council seat, but

(01:53):
the timing feels divinelyorchestrated.
Speaking of the county councilseat, I have some exciting news
that I want to share with youthat I'm breaking on this
episode.
I have officially filed to be acandidate for the at-large
county council seat.
This is a significantopportunity to represent the
entire county of Prince George'sCounty, and I couldn't have

(02:16):
been, I couldn't be moreexcited.
It means every registered voterin Prince George's County can
vote for me.
Now remember, Maryland is aclosed primary state.
So on Tuesday, August the 6th,which is the date of the special
election, Maryland, uh PrinceGeorge's County registered

(02:36):
Democrats will vote for theirDemocratic candidates, and
likewise uh Prince George'sCounty Republican uh voters will
vote for their candidate.
So on Tuesday, August 6th is theprimary election with early
voting starting July 31stthrough August 5th.

(02:57):
The Maryland Board of Electionswill be mailing out mail-in
ballots beginning July 23rd.
So keep an eye out for yours inthe mail.
I'm sharing this news with youtoday because this episode is
the perfect opportunity to reachthe entire county and let them
know about my campaign.
Not everyone may know my name orhave heard my voice on this

(03:20):
podcast, but together you canhelp me change that.
So please share this episodewith everyone you know from the
northern to the central to thesouthern parts of Prince
George's County.
Let my campaign slogan, a nameyou know, and a voice you trust,
resonate with as many people aspossible.

(03:40):
Thank you again for yourunwavering support, and I
appreciate each and every one ofyou.
Now, let's dive into theinterview with Miss Khalila
Denny of Social ChangemakersPodcast as she interviews yours
truly, Tamara Davis Brown.

SPEAKER_05 (03:58):
Hello.
Welcome to the SocialChangemakers Podcast.
I am your host, Khalila Denny.
I am here today to speak withanother phenomenal individual
who is here in our community.
Um, none other than Tamara DavisBrown.
Welcome to the podcast.
Well, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_04 (04:19):
Yes, I feel like you're reciprocal because you
were a guest on my podcast.
Yes, I was speaking of yourpodcast, tell us about the
podcast.

SPEAKER_03 (04:28):
So, my podcast, I'm actually proud to say I have not
announced it yet, but I got newsthat I am ranked the seventh
most uh rating for a politicalpodcast.
So my podcast is All Politics isLocal, um the Maryland edition,
with me, your host, Tamra DavisBrown.

(04:51):
So as soon as you finishlistening to this, run over
that.
That's right.
Shameless Cloud, Shameless Club.
Yeah.
It's a All Politics is Local,the Maryland edition.
And so that's that's the name ofour buttons.

SPEAKER_05 (05:03):
Well, I'm glad you mentioned it because I enjoy
being your one of your firstguests, I believe, on the
podcast, sharing about the DiddyHouse, our nonprofit, yes, that
um and the work that we do inthe community and how much, you
know, we align as it relates toto just that, you know, advocacy
and all that good stuff, allthat good jazz, right?
Um supporting people in thecommunity, supporting, you know,

(05:26):
individuals who don't have avoice, and you know, raising our
voices to some more, right?
So how has the um podcast space,you know, you just told us about
your award or your ranking, ifyou will.
Right.
Um yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (05:42):
You put me on the spot as I'm trying to remember
the name of the organization.
I've been so busy with someother uh endeavors right now
that I can't remember, but Ijust remember getting this email
and I was so excited.
So I told uh my executiveproducer and uh the other folks'
editors, all the folks that arewith me.
I was like, well, thank you,because I feel like I had to put

(06:03):
as much work as I needed tothen.
But my podcast, like I said, itranked number seven above like
um uh Bob Ehrlich, who was theformer governor of Nair when
it's as a pop podcast, and itcame like just under um former
Lieutenant Governor MichaelSteele podcast.

SPEAKER_04 (06:23):
So I feel pretty.

SPEAKER_05 (06:25):
Well, I must say you're in good company because a
lot of us who are overachieversfeel like we're not doing
enough, right?
And you know, the world or youknow, those who you know are
looking in or telling us, oh,you're doing such a great job.
But we always could see the waysthat we can improve.
And I think that ain't nothingwrong with that.
Um, so I'm just I'm just asproud as I can be um to be a

(06:49):
part of uh such a successfulpodcast.
Yes.

SPEAKER_03 (06:52):
Um in your segment, um, just to kind of explain that
a do toothing the goal of thepodcast and one of the reasons
why I wanted to bring you on isbecause of the good work that I
know you do in the community,but how you work with young
adults, this yeah, I don't evenknow what to call it in gin or
whatever, it's millennial.

SPEAKER_05 (07:13):
What are you a gen, a gin-wide, a gin?
So it's not just the gingeneration, okay, all of those.

SPEAKER_03 (07:21):
Um, but it was twofold.
One to educate the youngergeneration on politics and how
it impacts them and what localgovernment and civics and all of
those uh types of subjects, whyit's important to be involved
and engaged.
But the other thing I wanted toreport on is the fact that we

(07:41):
hear so much negative news.
And I and I said, I'm gonnastart a network called instead
of like CNN, I was gonna sayGNN, good news network.
Yeah.
And so I wanted to feature, so Ihave a segment that's good news.
Yeah.
I wanted to feature good newsthat's going on in the community
that you're doing that involvesyoung people, Gen X, yeah, um,

(08:04):
type people.
And so I didn't remember youimmediately came to mind.
I was like, Khalila Denny andthe Denny House, they are
chilling again.
Thank you.
And what they do here in thecommunity and all the young
people and young adults thatthey're impacting and teaching
them a trade and skill.
So I really, you know, admireyou and love the work that you

(08:24):
do.
Thank you.
And so I wanted you to be one ofthe first uh persons that we
interviewed in terms of gettingthe good news out about what
we're doing.
And I gotta invite you back.
Yeah, because I know you gotsome good stuff going on, and
now that you got this yourpodcast.

SPEAKER_04 (08:39):
Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_05 (08:40):
We gotta we gotta reciprocate.
Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am.
So I appreciate that we arecontinuing to do good work, um,
serving our our youth and um ourreturn over.
Oh, yeah, yeah, for thank youannually.
Um, I'm just so grateful to justcontinue to be able to do
something that I love, that Ienjoy, and that, you know,

(09:01):
brings brings me joy, you knowwhat I mean?
Right.
Um for so long I worked in, youknow, corporate America, if you
will, and I was not happy.
I was just working for PayChat.
So when I was able to start myown business, even start this
nonprofit, um yeah, I was forcedinto it.
But, you know, I'm glad I wasforced into it.

(09:21):
It's sometimes Lee, I wassharing with a young lady
recently that, you know,sometimes we're not, we're not
looking at the right, if you getlet go or fired from a job, it's
not necessarily, you know, aloss.
It might be a win for you.
It might be pushing you intothat desired, desired purpose
that I have for you.
And that's exactly what happenedto me.

(09:41):
You know, I was pushed into thatdesired purpose.
I was already doing the workpart-time.
Right.
And then, you know, I decided,you know, I'm gonna just go all
in when I lost my job.
And uh, this is what I've beendoing ever since with this and
my for-profit Diddy'sConsultant, which is why we're
here, you know, uh supportingother nonprofits, helping them
grow, and um, you know, justworking with people in the

(10:04):
community.
So you're one of those goodpeople.
And we want to talk a little bitabout your advocacy, the work
that you do, you know.
Um, I want to share with peoplelike just the success that you
had today.
Um, tell us a little bit aboutyour work and advocacy.

SPEAKER_03 (10:20):
So um my work and advocacy really started, and I
hope I'm not jumping again, butI I I do feel like I need to
kind of tell the coal story.
Yeah.
Um, because I know we were gonnatalk about my upbringing.

SPEAKER_05 (10:36):
Yeah, let's start there.
I was I I'm not a jumping linewith that question.
So it didn't, you know, keep mein line.
Ain't nothing wrong with that.
Keep me in line.

SPEAKER_03 (10:44):
Well, let's start with your upbringing.
Well, what really got meinterested, and I wouldn't even
say interested, I was draggingto, and I use this term.
My parents used to drag us tocity council meetings, PTSA
meetings, school board meetings,this, that, and the other.
And um, you know, I had no ideawhat was going on.

(11:06):
I just knew that we were goingto another, you know, something
civic, some city councilmeeting, and my dad was getting
up to speed, the other mom wasgetting up to speed about some
issue and some redress that theywanted in their community.
Right.
And so it's just been instilledin me to be a person that, I

(11:27):
don't know, keeps our electedofficials accountable.
And I remember this story andalways like to tell this story.
My mom, we were in a citycouncil meeting, and my mom kind
of, I think I was in the thirdbreak.
Yeah.
Kind of like leaned over to meand she's like, see those people
up there.
I said, Yes, ma'am.

(11:48):
And she said, those people, ourtax dollars paper, they're
salaried, they're accountable tous.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
And I the left food.
Yep, I've always rememberedthat.
And then she went on to tell mewhat we were there for.
I had no idea You can't rememberthat.
But you meant seven, about sevenyears old, third grade, like,
okay, yeah, back to coloring inmy coloring book or whatever I

(12:10):
was doing occupied my island.
Now that you grow up here, so Ireally grew up not in Prestorgis
County.
I actually grew up in Houston,Texas.
That's where my family is, andthat's where I was born and
raised.
I came to the Washington, D.C.
area and actually moved to PrestGeorgis County in 1988 when I
was at law school.
I got accepted to Howard's LawSchool.

(12:31):
Okay.
And I ended up staying with afriend of mine's a failure, um,
who I went to undergraduatewith.
They lived in Fort Washington,right off above Carmel, Carnel
Road, yeah, 210 in Lynn AllenAcres.
And I decided that I reallyliked uh Prince George's County.
I like the fact that it was atthat time, it was still, you

(12:53):
know, we Glenn Denny was, Ithink, still the um county
executive, but uh Wayne Currywas, you know, coming.
You're right, Little Internet.
And becoming our first blindAfrican, you know, African
American county executive.
And you know, the county wasreally pressing in.
And I like the southern area ofthe county because it it I felt

(13:14):
a little bit like home.
It felt a little bit like home.
I like the role this, you know.
I'm used to uh, you know, I'm myI live off of the Scantaway Road
down from Pascantaway stable.
Right.
So I, you know, the forces thereand all that stuff in the
farmer's market, you know, inTexas, they have what they call
my daughter.
Like, what does this role doesFM stand for?

(13:36):
And the road is called FM,whatever number, 1960.
It's named for farmers market.
Oh, okay.
Because that road leads you tothe farmer's market, literally.
So, but that kind of I kind offell in love with, you know,
just that rule and it's thelocal farms and this and that.
And um, but I've been here, youknow, I decided to um practice

(13:59):
law that where I the type of lawthat I practice, I actually need
to be in Washington, D.C.
to do it because it's a battlepractice, administrative
practice.
It's telecommunications, I canget into that later.
But um I knew I needed to be inthis area in order to pursue
that type of the career that shewanted.
Yeah, and everything I wanted.

(14:21):
Okay, so that's kind of how Igot got started and got to
Prince George's County, and I'vebeen living in, you know, other
district, uh, Council District 8or Council District 9, um, the
entire time.
Mostly nine, because I've uhlived in Fort Washington just
those three years, and then Imoved to um I was at Agate for a
year, and then I got the currenthome that I'm in now.

(14:43):
I've been in that home for over30 years.

SPEAKER_05 (14:46):
Oh, wow, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
So you said that um you you wentto law school at Howard
University.
And um, so how was thatexperience coming from Texas to
how are you?
Right.

SPEAKER_03 (14:59):
That was that was amazing, absolutely amazing.
Out of uh I to this day, I'mjust so grateful for the
education that I got at Howardbecause it really opened my mind
and expanded my mind.
And and it also helped instilledin me to be the community
activist that I am, becausewe're taught to be social

(15:22):
engineers.
And what a social engineer is,is that you it doesn't matter
what type of law you practice orwhat you do, you use your legal
skills to benefit yourcommunity.
Right.
Right.
And you use your legal skills tohelp somebody else and to help
the overall uh, if you will,social, economic, and political

(15:44):
impact of African-Americancommunities.
And that's always kind of beenmy vision, not my vision, but my
my drive, because that was soinstilled in us.
It's like, you know, we don'tcare if you practice tax law, we
don't care if you practicecorporate law, we don't have
iron middle, you gotta come backand help and use it to help your

(16:06):
community pretty well.
That's that's been my push, youknow, always remembering those
lessons at Howard Law School.
And it's it's it was phenomenal.
I loved it.

SPEAKER_05 (16:18):
Oh, beautiful, beautiful.
So once you left Howard LawSchool, what did what did what
did it look like for you?
Did you go into uh privatepractice or did you work for the
government?
How how did your career startonce you left Howard?

SPEAKER_03 (16:32):
Once I left Howard, I uh actually had a job waiting
for me at a uh law firm thatspecialized in
telecommunications law.
So that's my specialty.
I do wire specifically wirelesstelecommunications before the
Battle CommunicationsCommission.
And so um I went to work for uhwhat they call a full teacher

(16:53):
law firm because they were veryspec highly specialized.
Right.
And that's where I cut my teethand and you know, and learn a
lot because at that time, whichwas I graduated in 1991, um,
cellular was not out, it wasn'tthat as popular, and you know,
only the the rich and the famoushad those big break phones back

(17:15):
in the day, or it was kind ofwalkie, what they call
walkie-talkie type stuff.
But I used to represent a lot ofuh private companies that use
that push to talk um technology.
Yeah, and that technologyparlayed itself to what they
call PCS personal communicationservice.
Okay, and then that became theubiquitous cell phone service

(17:39):
that we all know.
Right.
And so I love what I do becausethe technology is always
changing.
Yeah, the law is trying to catchup with the technology.
Yeah, so it's always learningfacts.
I'm always learning somethingnew, it's always a new legal
issue.
It's like, oh, what do you thinkabout that?
With the technology does this,you know, how does it affect
that?
You know, like now the big thingis AI.

(18:01):
And how do we kind of eitherwear it in a little bit because
you know, there's some negativeimpacts that we can see, just
like you can now see thenegative impact in social media
on teens.
You probably saw, at least I sawrecently how the Surgeon
General's mic say we needwarnings, and children don't

(18:23):
leave cell phones before iceteam.
Which is something I've beenhearing a lot of that.
Yeah, yeah.
And so uh, so the technology isalways changing, and you've got
to figure out, you know, what'sthat social impact?
You know, if I take my law, myHoward Train law degree, what
does that impact?
How does that impact negativelyor positively on the

(18:45):
African-American community?
Yeah, and what kind of laws andwhat kind of changes need to
occur in order to make sure thatour quality of life is not um
decline or or is actuallyimprudent.

SPEAKER_05 (19:00):
Right.
Well, I'm glad you touched onthat because I wanted to know
how that translates to the workthat you do to support your
community.
How does the the laws that, youknow, um govern the technology
space, how does that help you toget back in on our and serve
your fleet.

SPEAKER_03 (19:20):
I I kind of keep those two things separate in
terms of my law practice andthen what I do as a community
activist.
What I do as a communityactivist is what I cult to be
and hope people benefit from isthat they are educated and
engaged about what their localstate, the federal government is

(19:43):
doing.
Mostly local and state.
I'm more sorry, because thatimpacts you the most.
What what happens in Congresssometimes is is is such not over
your head, but such um highlevel that it may or may not
trickle down to how it affectsyou.

(20:05):
Some of it does.
Yeah.
Some of it does, yeah, a lot ofit does, and you I see you kind
of doubting me.

SPEAKER_05 (20:11):
No, no, I'm I just have my own opinions and I'm I'm
thinking about about it from thesame lens.
I do believe that local andstate governance, um, the laws
and things at the local level uhimpact you more.
Um, but I also think that thethe things that happen in
Congress also impact you.

(20:31):
I think a lot of times we, asyou're probably alluding to, we
get so caught up in thepresidential elections and all
of that, and we forget about howimportant it is at a local level
to vote for people who have thesame goals, have the same core
um values as you, who want tosee the same things improve in
your community that you do.

(20:53):
Because if you don't, you know,if you don't focus on that, if
you don't vote for those thoseindividuals, you don't really
get a chance or have the rightto even, you know, uh gripe
about the fact that maybe theschool, the laws are changing in
the school systems.
So especially when it comes to,you know, certain things like uh

(21:13):
your uh your school board.
If you're elected of thosepeople that you elect for the
school board, drive a drivingforce that, you know, tells you
what's gonna happen um in yourpublic schools.
If you want your kids to go topublic school, you want to know
who these people are, what theircore values are, what they stand
for, and how they're gonnagovern the school system that's

(21:33):
gonna benefit Chanchula.
So that's right.
I'm I'm I'm with you.
I just was like, yeah, it's it'sstill important.

SPEAKER_03 (21:40):
Oh, it's important.
It's important.
Yeah.
But uh what I think and you saidit exactly, and get the nail of
it.
Yeah, so many people want tovote that presidential election,
and then when the localelections come around, like,
okay, you know, I'll I'll votefor the person that looks the
prettiest, or the post personthat I've seen the most.

(22:01):
I got the I got so much mailfrom this person, so I'm gonna
vote for them.
Never do that homework.
Never.
So what I try to do is I try tomake it easy for them.
I try to help our local PrinceGeorgian to say, these are the
people that are running.
Here's a website where you canbuy out some information about
them.

(22:21):
Or these are the issues like inNovember, they're for it to be
ballot initiatives.
Every presidential cycle,there's always a ballot
initiative where we always voteum on ballot initiatives.
And I don't want to go into thepeople don't know what these
questions are asking.
So what I try to do is use mylegal degree and and break down

(22:46):
because a lot of it is writtenin legally, yeah, and sometimes
it's narrative spirituallyconfusing.

SPEAKER_05 (22:52):
Yeah.
So I and a lot of times we onlysee it the day of election, and
we we haven't seen it before,right?
Haven't read it before, don'tunderstand what it is, but we're
actually making a selectionthat's uninformed.

SPEAKER_03 (23:04):
Exactly.
Exactly.
So what I try to do is itadvanced that, read it, do the
research, and tell you, hey,this is what this is asking you
to do, and this is how it'sgonna impact you.
Yeah, and I give the pros andthe cars, and I try not to give
my personal opinion.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I say,I I'm not voting this way, or I

(23:26):
don't like this legislation orthis bill because yeah, but
that's just my personal opinion.
Right.
I still want you to do the legwork, but at least I've given
you the background information.
I try to be as uh neutral aspossible.
Yeah, give you the backgroundinformation, let you know what
um the whether it's a bill,whether it's something that

(23:48):
you're voting on, whether it'suh any piece of legislation that
is coming out, what you need tovote on.
Yeah, I mean what you need toknow in order to make an
informed decision.
Yeah, yeah.
Because it's it's it's sounfortunate that we don't make
informed decisions and we cansee the results of that take
away, you know, at the nationallevel, and we can definitely see

(24:11):
it at the local level.
And then we kind of wonder why,well, why is it why did this
happen?
You know, why did they approvethis, you know, but why did they
approve this development andthey still didn't widen the
roads?
Or why are they doing this andwe still have the same old uh
run down school?

SPEAKER_05 (24:26):
Yeah, well, I can appreciate the fact that she has
done that for several years.
As long as I know you, since2018, I've seen that piece like
always be consistent with you,whether, like you said, whether
it's those issues that we'rechecking yes or no on, or
whether it's you know, theindividuals who who are running

(24:46):
for election and being able tojust share their information.
Um, I've been the recipient of alot of those emails that has
really helped me just be ableto, okay, now I got it in front
of me.
I'm reading it.
And, you know, so now I can goand do my own research, but just
open my eyes to some things.
Like I was just telling um ourcameraman here, Q, that I'm not

(25:09):
even aware of who's planning onrunning right now.
Like I'm not seeing um as much,I guess, information just yet as
who's coming out for countycouncil.
We were saying some peopledropping off, some things are
happening in the news.
There's some new seats that areavailable.
So it's like um I'm looking forthat information.

(25:30):
Right.
Uh so I know something's gonnacome out uh uh soon from you
sharing with you know what'shappening in District 9 and
what's happening, you know, inFrench Shortage County.
So I look forward to that.

SPEAKER_03 (25:42):
Yeah.
And please share it, you know.
Yeah, I do.
I always say at the bottom of myemails and um, you know, I send
out blast emails and I and thereason I start the podcast
because I know the Jen Xers arenot reading emails and it's all
social media and what have you,but I do um for uh for the for
my generation and and and aboveolder than our season and

(26:06):
seniors, they still, you know,they still read.

SPEAKER_05 (26:08):
That's still much in paper, that's still all the
tangible thing they can hold andyes, the black and white, yeah,
yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (26:15):
And then they pass it on to others.
So I, you know, I'm hopeful thatyou know the information is
getting disseminated and peopleknow.
And you know, um, I you know, Ialways make myself available to
to answer questions.
I try to, you know, make sure Icheck my email so that if
somebody has a question aboutsomething I did, or sometimes I

(26:35):
don't like disclose like how I'mvoting or how I feel.
Some people will come outstraight out, like, what it
okay, just tell me what you'regonna do.
And I'll have that conversationwith privately.
Um, or you know, send them anemail privately.
It's like, okay, but I don'twant you to, I don't want this
disseminated.
This is just me telling you howI personally feel.

(26:58):
But I I never try to impose mywill or what my decision.
I want you to come to your owninformation.

SPEAKER_05 (27:06):
Right, right.
And that's that's good to havethat position because you don't
want to force or push on anybodyum anything, really, but you
just want to give them someinsight.
Sometimes people don't want toask the questions, but they do
want they the they want to knowwhat you're thinking.
They want to know what, and it'sfor me, it's important for me to

(27:30):
understand who I am and whatwhat what matters to me.
But I also want to hear, youknow, some insights from my
peers, the people around me,what they're thinking, because
they may have a differentperspective that I never thought
about.
Right.
Um, not to say that I may thatit, you know, I'm gonna go with
or sway with the wind, but it'simportant to hear, you know,
more than just one side of thestory.

(27:51):
There are all there's so manydifferent levels that people can
bring to the table.
They think differently.
So it may, you know, give yousome insight that you didn't
think about to change your mind.
Right.
Right.
Um, speaking of that, you know,uh, you've had a um political
career of your own, right?
That you at least, you know,have a tip a dance to have one,

(28:13):
right?
Me let's talk about it.

SPEAKER_03 (28:17):
Well, um, I think because of the advocacy that I
was doing for the community,whether whether it was on our
children's PTSA, I was active inour children's PTSA.
I think I was secretary and theliaison to the the county's PTSA
um program that they had.

(28:40):
And um because I was you know inthose meetings and going to the
county council meetings, goingto Annapolis to testify all the
bills.
I felt like I had something thatI could contribute and that I
had an insight, not necessarilyof politics, because I don't see

(29:02):
myself as a politician.
Okay.
I s I definitely see myself as acommunity activist, and I see
myself as, you know, someone wholikes to do investigation,
someone who likes to uh read andmake sure I understand.
Yeah.
You know, I don't always, youknow, I don't know all the
answers, but I know how to getthe answers.

(29:24):
I know how to ask the rightquestion.

SPEAKER_00 (29:25):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (29:26):
And that's some legal training.
You may not know the answer, butyou know how you know how to ask
the right questions to get theanswers that that you need.

SPEAKER_05 (29:36):
So when you say you're not a politician, you you
consider yourself a communityactivist, give us a definition
of that.

SPEAKER_03 (29:42):
I think a community activist is a a a person who uh
is just as the word said, activein the community, but not only
active, but as an advocate.
So if there is a issue that Ithink needs to be addressed or
redressed.
Let's let's use your platform,for example.
And and then you and I'd havethis conversation.

(30:04):
I have a pet peeve about trash.
And I cannot stand.
My mom used to uh I as I told asI told you, we had our whole uh
litter tickers and litterpickup, and I was so my mom
would make me go up and down theblock, pick up this trash.
So now I have a pet peeve aboutit, and it really bothers me.

(30:25):
So you know, I'm just using thisas an example, but um with a lot
of the so I would always umcontact at a 311, say, hey,
these dumping here, there'slitter here, there's whatever,
you know, and then I I'mnoticing that people are not,

(30:46):
they will call me and say, Well,um, did you see that they dubbed
the like, yeah, you can call 311yourself, right?
You know, and so I kind ofnoticed that people write people
weren't, they were kind ofdependent on me to either be the
activist and the advocate,right, which I didn't mind, but
you know that the squeaky willgets the Greeks.

(31:08):
So I was like, well, you need tocall too.
Yeah, not just me.
You call and then you call.
Everybody call as everybody'scalling, at some point it's
gonna get some attention fromsomeone because there's so much
attention.
It's like, okay, well, we reallyneed to go see and pick up this,
you know, this little dumping,you know, on Cascadaway Road or
you know, Thrift Road, wherever,you know, it may be in the

(31:31):
county.
Yeah.
And what I'm really happy aboutis that one of our state
senators has taken it uponitself because the outcry was
was was countywide at that atsome point and said, okay, we
gotta get it.
I think it still is.

SPEAKER_05 (31:49):
I think no, it's still and it's still in crisis,
or is I feel like we're in acrisis when it comes to the
trash and you know, the illegaldumping all over accounting.
Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (31:59):
And I I know some of it is all because I've seen
literally throw out McDonald'sbow margin for, you know, riding
that because I have I'm I'm offa main street and another main
street in my house, it's rightat the corner.
And I'm outside just about everyday picking up trash and it
yesterday it was McDonald's,somebody's happy meal.

(32:20):
Um and so it is some uh someyes, but I think that it's a lot
of you know, people into thecounty that also I contribute
that also at and I used toalways contribute it to the
folks further south in CharlesCounty because at one point,
although they changed now, theydidn't have um uh what is it?

(32:41):
Um the uh bulb trash crashpicked up.
Right.
And you know, between ch betweenCharles County and the southern
part of First George's County,there's a lot of unlit roads
where it's really easy to justfill up and and dump something
over the county a little bit.
Right, right.

(33:01):
And then the other thing Iattributed to you, and I would
would wish that our countycouncil would do this, is that
there's no bulb trash kick upfor any apartment companies.
Really, yeah.
So the you know, and we'rebuilding more multifamily units
all over the county, but inparticular in Presthorse County,
and I would like to see themrequire the landlords to at

(33:23):
least once a month, once aquarter, to bring in to have a
bring in a dumpster, have yourresidents do all their bull
trash, take it out, take it tothe dumpster, they charge
whatever fee that they chargeus.
But we need to consider that aswell because um apartment
dwellers don't have that accessas homeowners, right?

(33:44):
We do.
So I think that's important.
Yeah, but I use that as anexample of the type of advocacy.

SPEAKER_05 (33:52):
So I'll, you know, I just speaking out for those who,
you know, either don't want touse their voice or don't have a
voice.

SPEAKER_03 (33:59):
Right.
You being an envoy.
And then I mobilize and try tomobilize people that do want to
speak up, that have gotten justso frustrated.
Right, they're ready to putaction.
So it's either drafting thepetition, like, okay, we're
gonna write our county councilperson, we're gonna write this
the Senate, yeah, we're gonnawrite Annapolis, we're gonna
write the governor, we've got towrite Congress.
Yeah, you know, so I try to umhelp do that as well, and then

(34:23):
do it in a way that it it'sreceived on the other end.
Right.
Yeah.
So that action, but yeah, sure.
That's usually it.

SPEAKER_05 (34:32):
Okay, well, I'm I'm glad you broke that down.
That's pretty much what Ithought, but you know, just for
those who may not know, we, youknow, I'm glad you were able to
break that down for us.
But so I see that.
I see that in, you know, prettymuch everything I know about you
as it relates to just advocacyand seeing you out in the
community, um, supportingdomestic violence, uh, support

(34:55):
supporting, you know, when I saysupport the domestic violence, I
mean, you know, advocating forthose who are, you know, I'm
experienced in that sort ofthing.
Right.
Um, tell us uh a couple of theother things that you are like
uh heavily involved in as itrelates to the advocacy.

SPEAKER_03 (35:12):
Sure.
So the I think the biggest thingand thing that I probably leave
most know for, and to somepeople, both of both the
developers.
I'm into you know making surethat we develop our county in a
way that's sustainable.
Yeah.
I'm not against developing them.
No, I want improvement.

(35:33):
I want to see nice things cometo our county.
I want to see nice homes, I wantto see, you know, nice
townhouses, even multifamily,but I want it done in a way
that's sustainable.
Sustainable.
That's and that we can that itdoesn't just saturate us.
Yeah.
And that we are overcrowded,overcrowded roads are, you know.
You know, we still have the sametwo-lane roads.

(35:55):
I mean, coming here, um, eventhough it's uh ugly.
It was a little after rush hour.
I took the back way past CostcoPark.
Uh, because I was like, I waslike, I'm not coming to that
intersection of Old Branch,Scataway Woodyard.
Yeah.
That is our matter.
I I would be I would have beenlate.

(36:16):
Yeah.
So um, but one of the big thingsthat I'm trying to make sure
that we do as we build, becausethis area, District 9, is the
area of what we call the lastmatching of developable land.
Yeah.
Because there's so many peopleproperty right.

(36:37):
And those persons, you know,their children, the water
farming, right?
You know, sell that land, you'llsay I have Bernie, you'll get
over signed inheritance.
Oh fuck, and you know, and Ican't fall off to that.
I can't fall off them for that.
But in the meantime, uh, youknow, I'll drive, I've driven to
um Miss Um Johnson.

(36:59):
She'll is it Sheila Johnson?
Yeah, is it?
I'm trying to remember, makesure I'm saying our first Sheila
Johnson just um part was partowner of the Mystic Cino, the
Monumental City.
And she has her uh uh she justshe just acquired the the former
Mandarin Hotel that she now has.
Um I'm I don't know why the thename of her um resort is

(37:24):
escaping me.
It'll come to me in a minute,but like in any any event,
driving to her hotel and resortin golf Queen indeed out in
Virginia, you pass some of thesame in my my landscape that you
kind of see in the rules, ruraltier.
Yeah, they don't want us to sayrural tier anymore, but the

(37:46):
southern part of Prince George'sCounty, you know, uh farms,
wineries, all of those same.
But they're they are starting todevelop out.
I believe that's loud in thecounty, they can't remember for
sure, but they're still startingto develop out in those areas.
But what they're doing is, and Idon't I don't know some of the

(38:06):
reason, but they're stillthey're putting in the
infrastructure first.
They're widening the road,right?
They're um putting in all of theinfrastructure first before they
move the individuals as peopleand on that end of it.
You know, uh, you know, newschools are are being built for
these new communities, yeah.
Um new middle schools and a newrec center.

(38:28):
Uh all those things are comingup with the community.
Here at Christorchus County, wedo the exact opposite.
We're building and letting thepeople come and then we'll
figure out our roads later, andyou know, we'll put a turn in
lane, you know, yeah, a hundred,uh, I mean, you know, half half
a mile, if that even it not thatlength, but yeah, uh quarter

(38:53):
mile in and out.
And I'm sure that's all we do.
We don't ride the roads.
So my big thing has been to tryto advocate for infrastructure
movement and development asopposed to um just allowing it
unfettered.
Now, part of the problem in thesouthern part of the county is

(39:17):
that the county does notactually own the land.
Like they own a lot more land inthe central and the northern
part of the county than theycan.
But not in the southern.
And not in the southern.
So they can't really tell, youknow, the heirs to these farms
like, well, what to do withtheir land.
Yeah.
They we don't owe it, you know,unless we take actual imminent

(39:38):
domain of it.
Yeah.
Somehow.
And, you know, and that may besomething that we need to really
consider doing more of in thesouthern part of your county to
say, hey, we need to take thisland to use it for this purpose
for everybody, not just, youknow, just your family or what
have you.
But that's part of our problemin this southern part of the pro

(40:00):
um the county.
But there has to be a happymedia, and that's what I try to
communicate to developers andpeople who are, you know,
wanting to subdivide the landand put, you know, a thousand
townholds on, you know, maybefour to five acres.
Yeah.
Yeah or so.
So um, and I I know that's I'mexaggerating, I'm exaggerating,

(40:23):
but you know, it is sometimesnot that not many, you know,
they're trying to subdivide theland so much that it's it's you
know, you're really right on topof each other.
And you come out on a two-laneroad.
Yeah.
So those those issues are thehave been what has been driving

(40:44):
me for the most part.
So it's not just when I sayinfrastructure, public safety.

SPEAKER_04 (40:49):
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (40:50):
You know, we have the same same in Clinton.
We still have the same volunteerfire department.
We don't have a professional uhfire department here in Clinton,
and they just built aprofessional um fire department
in Brandywine.
They did this, but um the callsfor service and the time it
takes you to get to those calls.

(41:11):
Yeah, it's critical.
You know, if I'm having a heartattack, I don't want you to be
stuck you know on Willyard Roadtrying to get to me.
Yeah.
I want you to be able to get tome and serve, you know, and
prevent me from dying.
That's right.
You know, so um, those are thekind of things that I'm looking,
you know, really trying to focuson.

(41:32):
And lately, you know, having fitcommunity meetings, bringing the
stakeholders so that people knowwho can contact.
Well, this is the person in thepark and planning department.
This is the person in thedepartment of public works and
transportation.
This is a person in thedepartment of permitting
inspection and enforcement thatyou need to contact about some
of the issues that you have.

(41:52):
And I'm uh so far I'm seeingthat people are being a little
bit more proactive in that.

SPEAKER_05 (41:58):
So if you share those kinds of resources with
us, we'll definitely get it outto the community store.
So um keep us in mind as you'redeveloping things and making,
you know, making it neutral, youknow, um, we can definitely
share that out with the key.
So so with all that being said,and I hear the the passion you

(42:18):
have about behind, you know,making sure that um our
community members are considereduh when you know development
happens.
What's what's what's what's nextfor you?
What what do you see yourselfdoing that?

SPEAKER_03 (42:33):
Um well I'm I'm still interested in serving in a
political office.
Uh I have not given up, eventhough I have not I've come so
very close so many times.
Anyway, uh I um still have notgiven up.
And I see different things thatsometimes I want to give up.

(42:54):
And I was you can't.

SPEAKER_05 (42:56):
You've got so many people, you know, um, who voted
with you.
There's so many who support youand support the work and they
understand and get the vision.
Um and they have the same umdesires that you have.
So that's why they send yes,yeah, all the fitness.
And thank you.
So yeah, yeah.
So you have to you have to keeppeeking in my in my opinion.

SPEAKER_03 (43:20):
So um, as you know, and you kind of alluded to
earlier, there's uh open seatthat just opened up with the
resignation of um former umdistrict manager kind of a
member, but he just seatcurrently right now is the
at-large council seat.
So I was kind of consideringthat.
I was talking to my strata asthings like he's not giving me

(43:42):
the okay to to pursue that.
I but uh you know, I did I didum think on it a little bit um
over the weekend.
So what about November?
Well, November, we're nowremember, we're in a
presidential uh cycle.
Okay.

(44:02):
So the presidential cycle, weare only voting for Senate if
the Senate seat is open.
You know, the Senate um term islonger, you know.
For Congress, the House ofRepresentatives, they run every
two years.
Okay.
So we're only gonna be votingfor our Congressperson and our
state.
Um there is a state senate seatbecause um in Maryland, Ben

(44:26):
Carton reside.
He stepped down, he's notrunning again, he's retiring.
And so we are gonna be votingfor a state senator.
We still have senator um ChrisVan Holland.
His his seat will um he'll haveto run for re-election the next
presidential cycle.
Oh, clearly, not not this much.
So it's and next uh the uhcounty.

(44:49):
Yeah, the statewide offices isnot until 2026.
2026.
So I still have some ties toconsider, but you know, my heart
and soul, um, like I said, I'vebeen in our we've been in our
house since for 30 somethingyears in Clinton.
My heart and soul is stillalways district nine.
Yeah.
And uh, you know, so that'sthat's that's mostly first

(45:11):
priority and first interest forme is to to pursue that.
But I did uh, you know, taketake the, you know, I got the
interested, you know, when thatlittle bit.
I was like, oh, okay,something's coming up over here.
Yeah.
Let me think about it.
So but if you've got a plan, youknow, I'll Well, you know, I I
haven't totally ruled it out.

(45:34):
I mean, this is so new.
I think the council met lastnight to to set the dates, oh,
where the special election isgonna be and all of that.
They haven't actually formallyannounced it.
I haven't heard any news, so I'mnot breaking any news clear.
But um, I think they voted lastnight of, you know, when they
want to do it, what the datesare gonna be and all of that.

(45:55):
And I think they'll releasethat.
Uh it probably most likely.
I'm sure it was a publichearing.
Uh no, it was a public hearingbecause it's a decision of the
the council.
Okay, um, teach me.
But clearly, I don't know whatup.
The decision of the council,because I think our charter says
that if a person, if a countycouncil person resigns and

(46:16):
there's still two years or moreleft on their term, or not
resign, but you know, leaveoffice for whatever reason.
Why would be a resignation, itcould be unfortunately they put
away and everything, um, you'dhave to have a special election.
Yeah.
If it was a little later in thesession, I mean later in the
term, like the term was almostover.

(46:38):
They can appoint somebody.
They can appoint somebody,right?
Okay.
So um, so I I'm assuming a youknow, publication is gonna be
coming out, press release orsomething's gonna be coming out
next week, yeah, at theearliest, and announcing the
date, setting in the followingdeadlines for those who are
interested in solar, we'll sendand I'll I'll I'll be sending

(47:03):
out some information about herum as I as I normally do.
And um, you know, we just want,you know, we want the best for
our county, and we want goodcandidates and and people that
and this is why I talk about notbeing a politician.
It's it's okay to uh I think tohave you know build those

(47:26):
relationships because youbecause politics is that you've
gotta build relationshipscompromise, get it tape.
Right.
You know, you're not gonnaalways agree on, you know,
what's the right course.
Yeah.
But you gotta be able to worktogether and you know and make
some compromise.
But we don't meet what Iconsider people as like career

(47:47):
politicians, if they're justtrying to, you know, with them.
Yeah, we went from one positionto the next and and and net
never are I won't say never aresatisfied, but just they may be
in it for the wrong minutes.

SPEAKER_05 (48:07):
Well, I I I hear you on that.
I'd like to see those who aremoving from one position to
another, it's because they'reactually make affecting change
change.
Yeah.
And that's positive for ourcommunity.
So I'd love to see that, youknow, be a consistent right um
uh mirror of those that we had,you know, left it like

(48:27):
currently.
So um with the priorities thatshe set out just pretty much um
knit just now with all thedevelopment and you know, trash
and you know, unification of ourcommunity.
And um, if you were to say, youknow, tip your, you know, get

(48:49):
your toe wet in that speciallesson, um, are there any other
priorities you think you wouldwant to share?
Um that's a good question.
Um when you think back to whatyour constituents um shared and
were more most passionate about.

SPEAKER_03 (49:10):
Um, you know, what I what what I think about in terms
of particularly if it's atlarge, uh what I'm hearing a lot
of stuff.
I went to um the BrandywineNorth Keith um Civic Association
meeting last night and they metum normally they meet at
Brandywine Elementary School,and they met this time at um the

(49:35):
community center in um TimothyBranch.
There's just new big developmentbehind the Pasco and all of
that.
So what what I'm hearing arepeople are concerned about
public safety because, you know,unfortunately we've got this
these band of teenagers thathave nothing else to do but

(49:56):
break into people's cars andcarjack and this and that.
So they're concerned aboutpublic safety.

SPEAKER_05 (50:02):
But again, that and it's such a small group of
individuals that just mess it upfor everything.

SPEAKER_00 (50:08):
But everybody.

SPEAKER_03 (50:09):
Everybody.
Yeah.
So definitely um looking atpublic safety.
But again, I attribute some ofthat to overdevelopment because
you know, if we had enoughofficers to be able to patrol
the area, and District 9 is thelargest land mass-wise,
space-wise, mileage-wise, you'vegot enough um officers to patrol

(50:32):
all of that area, you couldprobably cut down all some of
that because you're seeing thepolice officers more frequently
patrolling your area whereyou're less likely to try
something.

SPEAKER_05 (50:43):
Yeah, but I also I also think that if we have more
outlets, more opportunities forkids to uh for the youth to
express themselves, have somefun, right, you know, in a way
where it's safe and you know, umthat is a I think a concern too.
I think a lot of times um youknow, they're left to their own

(51:04):
devices and there's reallynothing for them to do.
Right.
So uh, you know, would be the werely more often more.

SPEAKER_03 (51:12):
That's what we have on part of planning for.
And I think park and planningcan potentially, I've seen them
make great efforts, you know, intheir extreme teams, programs
and trying to have basketball umsessions at night and all those
things to kind of help bring ouryoung people, you know,
together.

SPEAKER_05 (51:32):
I wonder if they're talking to the young people,
like if they're havingconversations with them to
understand what it is or whatand what what they want versus
doing what they think shouldhappen.
But yeah.
Because a lot of times we we asthe older seasoned, you know,
individuals, we get in a roomand we have a conversation about
what we think they need and whatwe think they want and what we

(51:55):
feel should be happening, andwe're not actually um listening
or having some input from thatgeneration that's telling us
what their desires are, what'slacking in their combs or what
you know, what they need, right?
Right.
And it it it plays a major role,I think, in the reason why some

(52:18):
of the youth are are beingpulled into a certain direction
or into a certain group, youknow, because there's one
getting the attention that theyweren't getting before, they've
got someone who's listening,someone was paying attention to
them, and now that they're, youknow, they have that that
individual has their ear,they're giving them the things

(52:38):
that we don't want them to have.
But if we had more of anopening, uh open mind to bring
them in and hear what they haveto say and listen to their
concerns and take that seriouslyand actually act on what we hear
from them after life, we'll haveless of the crime that we're
having now.

(52:59):
I I don't think it's gonna evergo away.
Because I know every generationsays, oh, you know, you know,
um, you know, they weren't asbad back in my day, but it was
always something happening.
There was always somebody thatjust, there's always somebody
that just gonna be a right man,you know.
Um, but there is several kidswho would probably choose

(53:20):
differently if they had otheraccess to opportunities and
other outlets of people actuallylistening to them.
We always want to also say that,you know, we need to get with
these parents and figure outwhat they're doing.
And, you know, that's alwaysbeen the case too.
Um, and sometimes they just needa little help.
You know, I still believe thatit takes a village to raise a

(53:41):
child.
I don't care, you know, whatanyone says.
It doesn't, you know, these daysnobody knows.
We don't know our neighbors,we're not saying hello, we don't
have that same um I feel the theenvironment that I grew up in.
Like well, mom, my mom, shelived in a we lived in an
apartment, but everybody in theapartment building knew each

(54:02):
other.
Right.
It wasn't nothing I could dothat nobody that, you know, and
nobody, you know, go back ourmom to tell, or you know,
something, if something was tohappen and they were there and
my mom wasn't there, theystraighten me up.
You know what I mean?
And we don't have that communitylikely used to.
So I'm trying to build that.
That as you said, I I try tomake sure that this is a safe

(54:24):
space, that people come in here,they still like, you know,
they've got a voice, they, youknow, can do what it is that
they, you know, feel will helpthem, you know, grow and mature
as an individual.
And I expose you the youth toopportunities, to um careers and
things that they wouldn'ttypically think about because

(54:44):
the only thing you see on TV is,you know, I can be a doctor or a
basketball player or a lawyer,you know, and some of them they
feel like that may beunattainable.
And there's other options thatthey can choose that will help
them to, you know, gain a um askill.
They can gain a skill, they canuh do a career, they can work
for themselves, and they can,you know, gain wealth in a way

(55:07):
that you know doesn't requirethem to rob anyone or steal
anybody's car.
So I'm sorry, I'm off my soapboxon that one.

SPEAKER_03 (55:14):
No, no, no, no.
And I appreciate the work you'redoing in that, you know, getting
um it's um landscaping.
Yeah, landscape management.
Yeah, but then you know, I Iknow someone who lives in
District 9 right now, I used togo to church with yet.
You know who does a thrivinglandscaping um business, and he,

(55:36):
you know, and his business istaking him uh literally all over
the world.
I mean, he posts, you know, moreof some of these.
Yeah.
Some some of them um, you know,he's just posting on vacations
that he's again and this andthat, but um, but some of the
projects that this guy umbecause of the landscape all

(55:57):
business.

SPEAKER_05 (55:57):
And he's still paying quite everybody,
everybody means that these,especially with the evening
COVID.
I think most people don't evenrealize that, and and maybe they
do now.
Um, you know, COVID exposed thefact that, you know, we're in
our homes war now, and you know,everybody's looking around, they
wanted to look beautiful, and ohlandscape it was one of the
industries that shot up and it'sstill going on.

(56:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (56:21):
So um, no, I wholeheartedly increan you, but
we were talking about, you know,some of the initiatives.
So public safety would be whereum the the other that I I'm
hearing um a lot about, youknow, is just the ability to to
manage the county's budget.

(56:42):
Um we I think the county counciljust uh approved the budget, but
we were facing a deficit.
Um and there was little whispersabout potentially raising taxes.
What I heard last night was, youknow, we pay a lot of taxes, we
don't get the services that wehave, but so how do we uh manage

(57:03):
our our our budgets a little bitbetter?
And this is where the federalgovernment comes in more in
terms of making sure that we'reapplying for those federal
dollars.
Yes, yeah, yeah.
That we don't have to tax ourcitizens so much because let's
face it, and it's it's I'veheard it a thousand times, but

(57:24):
it's absolutely true.
We are a county of residents andnot a lot of business and big
industry business that can paythe corporate tax dollars that
maybe Montgomery County or FactFacts or Alexandria are getting.
And so until we change thatparadigm, and I know that the

(57:45):
county council and the countyexecutive are really working
hard to try to do that, butuntil we do so, we need to come
up with other areas of how toget dollars into our community.
And I think that's where we haveour partnership with our federal
partners.
Yeah.
So at the federal level, thereare so many federal brands.

(58:09):
And one of the things that I doin my day-to-day job, I actually
have a broadband business whereuh we are working to provide
high-speed internet service tothe rural and underserved areas.
Okay.
And so I know for a fact, isn'tit?

(58:29):
That our county can do a betterjob in in terms of whether it's
housing, affordable housing,whether it's um anything we're
rural agricultural, uh, just alot of federal brands saying we
need to take advantage of alittle bit more in terms of
getting money to pay forservices that we have or that we

(58:52):
need to push out to ourresidents that won't be a tax
burden to that.
Because guess what?
It's still our tax dollarsbecause guess what?
The money that the federalgovernment comes from us.
From us.
So either way, we're stillpaying for it, but we might as
well be.
Might as well reap the benefit.
Reap the benefit of thosefederal tax dollars as well.

(59:14):
That's what we can get from thestate and at the local level,
and not try to, you know,continue to raise taxes and so
forth.
So uh, you know, just lookingfor other creative ways to do
that.
And I think the other thing thatthe pandemic has done is bring
about more philanthropic workand from bigger foundations.

(59:35):
So when I'm talking about biggerfoundation for foundations, you
know, the huge amount therestart to look for ways that they
can help individual community.
And I think yes, yes.
And so we also need to tap in.
So if they're not moving here todo business here, yeah, you
know, you know, throw somedollars, you know, towards um

(59:57):
some of the projects or some ofthe the things that we want.
to have done here and I think uhthose partnerships uh we could
do you know would be somethingthat would be a priority for me.

SPEAKER_05 (01:00:08):
Yeah awesome well that that sounds like something
that we could get upon for sure.
Um the if there was anything umyou wanted to share as it
relates to your business becauseyou just spoke about you know
the broadband business that'sthe first time I've heard about
it.
Okay.
Um I'm gonna flip the scriptjust a little bit uh let's let's

(01:00:30):
talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:31):
Let's talk about sure sure so again because of
telecommunication one thing thatI learned way back in 1993 uh
was that um I was actually workworking and I was doing doing
this doing this work and I knewwhat our hourly rate was as a

(01:00:51):
law firm.
And I was thinking to myself butI was like these people are
paying us this amount of moneyin order to do this spy and do
this work they have to be makinggood money in order to do it
right.
Yeah and I said I need to be onthe business side okay and not
necessarily always on the legalside.

(01:01:12):
So I always thought I said thatin 1993 and I've always thought
that I wanted to do something inthe telecommunications realm.
So we kind of talked about umwhen it was the cellular service
first came out and when it theycame out with what was well
first I actually thought aboutwas owning towers.

(01:01:32):
Telecommunications towers when Isaid well then you got all the
land or at least lease the landI don't have any property other
than my own home and I and I'mdefinitely not the let's
although we probably need atower because I lose signal
sometimes in our area going downsome of those those little
valleys but I said I thoughtabout doing that.

(01:01:53):
And then I thought about the bigway that they came in for what
they at the time it was calledthe Battle Communications
Commission called it the PCSpersonal communications service.
And that's before they you knowstarted calling the cell phones
or their mobile phones or whathave you but um they really
engineered that for largercompanies for the for the um

(01:02:17):
Verizers and the ATTs and all ofthat.
They didn't engineer it for thesmaller person.
But it wasn't until I actuallyran for county count for in
district nine okay I wasknocking on doors in the rural
area of Prince Rose Countyliterally in the rural tier I
think I was in in in Badensomewhere and when I say your

(01:02:38):
door knocking I was literallyknocking getting in my car
driving the next right man thatI heard that people was like
well I just need you know andthey found out our
telecommunications attorney saidwell we just need access to the
internet you know I was like doyou guys don't have access to
revenge you only like a 15minute drive before all the

(01:03:00):
traffic was right you only likea 15 month minute drive from DC
how do you not have access tothe internet they won't come out
here blah blah blah else andreally and I put two together
went off the light bug went offand I said I am going to start a
broadband business with thefocus and the name of my company

(01:03:21):
is called Last Mile Broadbandlast mile broadband of Maryland
and the the tagline is is thatwe go the distance to bring you
the internet.
Okay and so meaning that we'llcome we'll go that last mile get
you the service you need and II've been really big my business

(01:03:44):
partner well is a formermilitary has done military
telecommunications installationon military bases all over the
world so he knows this stufflike the back of his hand and
then I met him believe it or notat a function I didn't realize
that I could keep the only 10minutes away from me but I met

(01:04:04):
him at a function for anotherform you know kind of a
political function for a formerum county executive of course
for the county and I kept hiscard I was like I'm gonna need
this guy's card where I kept hiscard and I just called him out
of the blue and said this is thename of the company this is what
we do do you want to start thisbusiness because I can see uh I

(01:04:27):
can see I said in our ownbackyard there are people up
I've knocked on the doors I knowand we said yes and we got
started and off to the races.
Now as unfortunate as thepandemic has been the bearded
boom for our this does now atfirst it was really really tough
because we couldn't get thefunding you know we we we were

(01:04:49):
applying for things and it waslike nobody that it's not that
they didn't believe us but it'sjust like they didn't see that
there was a need.
Yeah then when the pandemic hiteverybody had to go online to go
to work to school everything forlife it brought everything to
light.
And so a lot of what I do now isjust like grant writing to get
that's why I mentioned thosegrants I know about a um I I

(01:05:12):
write the grants to get funding.
We have been focused on on HBCUsactually.
Okay.
And so we've got a project atSouthern University of Louisiana
we you know we're working withsome other um well one other guy
that um we know that has someaccess to other HBCUs that we're

(01:05:34):
working on and then we're youknow we're trying to actually
help the folks down in um in theBaden in the possible area
luckily for I won't say luckilyfor us because we actually
didn't get the work but becauseof our our um grant writing and
advocacy I think like theComcast and the ATTs and the

(01:05:56):
predicted boys kind of woke upand said oh there's a community
down that's in George Countythat needs broadband and we're
gonna provide it for them.
But um nevertheless I'm happythat it happened because you we
I saw the need and now the needis being fulfilled if it it just
so happens it may not have beenour company I wouldn't love for

(01:06:18):
it to have been our company butnevertheless there's still lots
of areas that do not have accessto the area that because there's
they're not in a denselypopulated area and the big boys
won't spend the money.
Now the interesting thing is issince the Biden administration
has said that we're making thisa priority it's almost like

(01:06:41):
rural electrification when theybrought lights out so that
everybody had electricity yeahit's the same process okay so
they're throwing money at it andnow the big boys want oh can we
get like can we can we applyit's like no you had an
opportunity but you're anythinggot the funds right so now that
too many chose not to now youwant to come in and then you

(01:07:04):
know try to elbow us out the waywe've been here all along so you
know but we're we're we're we'remaking progress and we're making
um we're we're we're meetingsome needs and so I'm really
happy about that.
Come on that filed for you sothat's how many years the
composite so I can't believeit's it's been as long as it I I

(01:07:24):
thought it was I think we weformally filed in the state of
Maryland I believe in 2014.
Okay.
So that's 10 years.
Why?
Yeah and um you know like I saidwe had to fits you know stops or
starts and all this other kindof well you survived the
pandemic a lot of people can'tsay that.
Yeah and like I said thepandemic was a boom for us yeah

(01:07:48):
because it brought to light whatwe were saying all along.
Yeah and now that the federalgovernment is starting to put
federal funding behind it we nowit's a lot easier for us to you
know keep get the grants and anddo the things that we need to do
for that so how how's all ofthis been on your family life?

(01:08:09):
I know you're a wife a mom likehow how is that you know
positively or and you knownegatively I bring it along now
you know some some people thathow many kids do you have yep
two okay and they are grownadults now we have a son he will
be 20 I can't believe it didn'tbe 27 in August and our daughter

(01:08:29):
will be 25 in November.
And no she is a big uh reasonwhy you started podcasting the
five guys yes she was the onethat says you know you know mom
we're not reading those emailswe you know you need to come up
with the target on social mediathe podcast so she's my
executive producer and I'll sayexecutive producer that's that's

(01:08:49):
her we up um we have an idea forsomething to come up pretty soon
around um what's happening inthe county with the open seat
and what have you so we're gonnayou're gonna be releasing
something pretty soon but um sojust like my parents drugged me
to tell us any idiots they werekids I drugged them to all the
media and the good news is it'skind of roped off on them at

(01:09:12):
least my daughter for sure butmy son as well you know they are
very politically astute and theyknow how to ask the right
questions and you know what hadyou and advocate for themselves
and what they want.
So um it's my husband's alwaysbeen very supportive um I
remember I'm early days of myfor office you know he was the

(01:09:33):
one now you know now I've got anquote unquote sophisticated and
I have have a team that goes outand put up signs for the money.
Yep I remember my husband andhis brothers would be out there
putting up signs and using theregular the team and all that
stuff and we've come a long waybut he's always been very

(01:09:54):
supportive and it was him thatif I couldn't drag the kids with
me he would be at home with thekids when they were younger
obviously it's so good to havethat kind of support but having
my husband at home with the boysis that just a dust and I would
not be able to do a lot of thework that I was at I've been
able to do over the years if itwasn't for him.

SPEAKER_05 (01:10:13):
So that's great.

SPEAKER_03 (01:10:14):
Yep strong man.
Yes yep and that you know 100%never you know every once in a
while he's like uh Tamil maybeyou shouldn't you know whatever
but when he sees that my mind'smade up and I'm a dean he's like
okay go for it.
Why don't I get behind RandallExactly and so he um you know

(01:10:38):
always had been supportive sothey you know I I asked him this
time I was like well what doy'all think about and they
always tell me you know you knowdon't run again y'all need to
run again this and the other andthen they see what they but and
my daughter literally called meyesterday when I with all the
news broken she was like youknow well you know it integrity

(01:11:02):
matters you really yeah you youyou need to to do it so I you
know again I've got I've got a astrategist and I yeah you know
run things through so I'm evenif I don't do any special
election or or anything I'm I'mcontent with the local district

(01:11:24):
nine and doing that you know Ireally love this area I don't
know like I said that I was hereyou know for the the three years
that I was in Fort Washingtonbut we were you know Fort
Washington is still very Southreally you know it is yeah still
very you know south but thenwhen I found Clinton and
Ackiteak um yeah I lived inacting for a year.

(01:11:47):
Then um I was I just kind offell in love with the area and I
was like oh wow we're we're thisclose to the Potomac we're this
close to Washington Park we'rethis close to the Patuxet you
know just all of these thingsaround natural yeah um you know
I like to walk and so I'm I'mnot a gym person or a treadmill
person.

(01:12:08):
I like to go out you know I wasjust at Costco Park walking the
other day you know just aroundthe lake yeah and then I take
the actual trail in Costca youknow they've got three um three
trails they will need to do alittle work guard I gotta call
them but got a couple of fallentrees yeah um on some areas but
um just just being out in naturethe climate I don't like to hear

(01:12:33):
like when I'm out walking Idon't like to hear cars you know
I don't mind hearing you know Idon't mind people and talking
and children playing and I don'thear horns and I don't want to
hear no none of that and so Ijust like to get out and you
know walk in the park and enjoynature and bring fresh air see

(01:12:55):
the you know the the animalswhether it's birds or they got
egress or turtle around the Ilove that we found a turtle here
in the um in our backyard.

SPEAKER_05 (01:13:06):
We had one in our backyard.
We kept it for a little whilebut it got too big for the for
the tank and then we released itat Costco Park.

SPEAKER_04 (01:13:14):
Did you and all the kids every time we go they look
for that turtle see they knowthat there's like hundreds of
turtles in the embark I don'tthey look if it had one put a
mark on them or something and ifwe did it be gone now because I
know they shared their peopledon't realize that they shared
that share on for the like me Ican't figure out where the one

(01:13:35):
that was in our backyard it wasit was a baby turtle.

SPEAKER_03 (01:13:38):
Yeah I was like where's the muscle I brought it
some like lettuce to even I'mlike there's gotta be some
parents somewhere that'll notand um probably a couple of days
later it was gone.
It was gone.

SPEAKER_05 (01:13:51):
She said uh you're not feeding my baby no lettuce
we want real food out there lookat these grass over here by stop
um well this has been nice andyou gotta come back when we're
ready to announce and you knowtell everybody what you're doing
and you know everybody a littletea gave us a little tea today
but yes come back and share withus you gotta come back I sure I

(01:14:14):
sure we gotta come so if you hadone last thing you wanted to
leave our audience with if therewas something you know
inspirational some um somethingthat you um just feel like you
wanna you want to share to helpthose who want uh maybe you know
consider an advocacy themselvesmaybe considering being that

(01:14:37):
voice for the voice list whatwould you leave them with do it
do it um pick up the phone callyou know as my mom told me those
people our tax dollars pay fortheir salaries they're
accountable to you so you knowpick up the phone write that
email send that note uh writethat letter you know we PC them

(01:14:59):
at an event step talk speedtruth to power speed truth to
power and um I've startedputting at the bottom of some of
my emails a quote I don't do itall the time it just depends on
the the topic of the email it'sum a quote that I've um found
from Plato that says that um ifI'm not I know I'm not saying it

(01:15:25):
correctly but it's basicallysaying that if if you're not
involved in politics you'reallowing someone not as astute
as she to rule over you.

SPEAKER_03 (01:15:36):
Wow and well it's so it it's it's that whole you know
speaking truth to power and youknow asking for what you want
because you know power concedesnothing without a demand.
Yeah and so if that is the casethat um you don't want to you
know just take any andeverything that whatever

(01:15:59):
somebody is in office to give mewhere you've got to make that
demand and so I encourage you todefinitely free to power
defining make that demand andand and be her yeah well I
couldn't end it any better thanthat thank you so much thank you
um again for coming on thepodcast yeah um thank you to you

(01:16:19):
all for sticking around thislong and if you did I hope you
hit that follow button like andshare this out um share some
comments down uh with us let usknow how you feel about the
content um if you like thiscontent for sure and until next
time it's the SocialChangemakers podcast signing

(01:16:40):
out.

SPEAKER_01 (01:16:41):
Thanks for joining me today on this episode of All
Politics is local the Marylandedition where we hope to inspire
and activate a new generation ofinformed voters to move beyond
the ballot box and take action.
Remember all politics is local