John R. Leopold: Anne Arundel: A model for GOP platform

Local government is at the cutting edge of bipartisan, pragmatic governance that improves people’s lives. In Anne Arundel County, we have built a model for governing in the 21st century that sets a standard for effective governing that should be reflected in our national party platform.

We have become the heart of our nation’s response to terrorism with the installations at the National Security Agency’s headquarters and at Fort George G. Meade. Working closely with these operations, the county is providing the infrastructure and workforce support for this crucial work.

Responding to the challenge of the Base Realignment and Closure expansion at Fort Meade and NSA, we have created a regional science, technology, engineering and math center at our community college to provide the educated workforce needed by high technology public and private employers.

Our unemployment rate has consistently been below state and national levels because of collaborative efforts that bring our public and private sectors together to maintain economic stability.

This stability has been enhanced by our focus on supporting businesses that comply with federal employment laws and do not hire illegal aliens. Those employers who adhere to immigration laws have been placed at an economic disadvantage when they must compete against companies that pay below legal wage rates to illegal workers.

The county has adopted a strict policy of refusing to do business with any business that will not certify its compliance with employment and wage laws. Working with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, we have initiated a program to shorten the time it takes to notify federal officials of prisoners incarcerated in our local jails who are not in this country legally. At the same time, the county is funding a program to assist those immigrants who play by the rules and seek U.S. citizenship through legal channels. We have also conducted seminars for our business community to help them comply with federal and local employment requirements.

As we work to reinvigorate our economy, we must remember that economic development and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive. Our county has been a job creation leader and has maintained its low unemployment rate while at the same time preserving hundreds of acres of open space — saving the Naval Academy Dairy Farm as a location for passive recreation and local farming and preserving sensitive land around the Jug Bay Nature Preserve as a legacy for future generations.

Responding to the need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, the county participates in a regional energy-purchasing cooperative, has eliminated 45 percent of county take-home vehicles and utilizes energy efficient vehicles. Some cars, including my own, utilize an ethanol blend flex fuel and have active fuel management systems that use high-speed fuel cutoffs.

Recognizing that nuisance crimes can cause a more serious deterioration of neighborhoods and create a breeding ground for violent felonies, we have enhanced the quality of life in the county by eliminating panhandling on our streets and roads, enacting and enforcing strict noise levels in our residential communities, and improving street lighting in areas threatened with high crime rates.

I am proud of the progress we have made in Anne Arundel County and encourage my fellow convention delegates to adopt a party platform that reflects the county’s priorities. With that strong foundation, we can successfully make the case to the American people that government is not an adversary, but the means to offer pragmatic, creative solutions to the challenges facing our nation.

John R. Leopold is Anne Arundel County executive. Also, he is a delegate to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. He has been elected a delegate to eight national GOP conventions.