DCentric

Rushern Baker, the incoming county executive for neighboring Prince George’s county, thinks that his jurisdiction and the District of Columbia should forge a stronger bond– because it’s mutually beneficial and because both areas have much in common (via The Washington Informer):

“We need to work together for regional cooperation between our county and the city and that can be done whether it is in public safety or economic development.”

Baker said that border municipalities such as Fairmount Heights, Seat Pleasant, Capitol Heights and Forest Heights look just like the city’s Wards 7 and 8.

People often compare D.C. to NYC, but maybe that’s the wrong city to look at…

While Fenty went to New York City to consult with its mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials there, Baker went to the Atlanta area to look for similarities and best practices.

“The cities and regions in the Atlanta area are similar to Prince George’s County,” Baker, a native of Valdosta, Ga., said.

“A lot of the same firms do business in both the D.C. and Atlanta areas and DeKalb County, which is located outside of Atlanta, is the second wealthiest majority Black jurisdiction in the country, next to Prince George’s County.”