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Despite a string of negative events that garnered national publicity this summer, Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) sees the incidents as lessons learned and touts the progress made in the county despite the "tough" political atmosphere.

"One of the problems is, and I know my colleagues won't like me saying it, is we don't have a Republican Party. So we just beat up on each other," Johnson said in an interview Oct. 14 at his Upper Marlboro office.

Johnson, 59, who is halfway through his second term as head of Prince George's County before term limits end his tenure in 2010, also said that ongoing investigations and media scrutiny pose serious challenges, acknowledging that his administration has hard work combating "negative perceptions."

"The media likes Prince George's County because we are an interesting county," he said. "Even people who don't live here, they spend a lot of time here because it's interesting. … We are scrutinized a lot."

Johnson's conversation comes after a summer where high-profile law enforcement actions have raised questions about uses of force and tactics. In addition to an ongoing investigation at the county jail over the death of 19-year-old inmate Ronnie White, the county has been the focus of national attention for a July raid on Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo's home, where sheriff's deputies shot and killed the mayor's two dogs.

Calvo's home was raided by the sheriff's office after county police tracked a package of marijuana to the address. Calvo was later cleared in the investigation. Police have arrested a deliveryman who allegedly planned to intercept the package; however, officials have been criticized for failing to apologize to the mayor.

Johnson said he didn't think an apology was necessary and said he has not spoken with Calvo about the incident.

"Well, I think in America that is the apology, when we're cleared," he said. "The authorities have to be able to follow evidence. Sometimes we realize that people are victimized. … At the end of the day, the investigation showed he was not involved. And that's, you know, a pat on the back for everybody involved, I think."

He expressed condolences for Calvo's pets but said he understood the actions of law enforcement.

"I try putting myself in the situation of the sheriff who entered the house," he said. "They had one set of information at the time. … The thing we have to do is make sure those incidents don't happen again."

Johnson said his administration has been proactive in resolving concerns at the county corrections center, where White's June 29 death is still under a state police investigation. Though the Maryland Medical Examiner has ruled the death a homicide by asphyxiation, corrections officers have allegedly claimed that White committed suicide by hanging himself in his solitary cell.

The county has taken two guards under scrutiny off duty, Johnson said.

"If they are charged, they will be dismissed," he said. "In totality, we have a very good police department and run a very good corrections center."

The jail has also had other problems, including cell phones and handcuff keys allegedly being given to inmates and, earlier this year, guns were discovered missing from the armory.

According to recent media reports, 16 inmates died at the Upper Marlboro Corrections Center since 2000. Only Baltimore city's facility, which houses twice the number of inmates, has had a higher death rate in the same period.

Johnson said many of the inmates died because of chronic health problems that were out of the jail's control. Eight of the inmate deaths have been attributed to natural causes or health problems. The other inmates died from prisoner violence or suicide.

Johnson defended federal investigations involving the administration, where agents have checked into everything from allegations of bribery and favoritism involving two former county workers to a recently launched probe investigating land deals at Greenbelt Station, a mixed residential and retail complex planned at the Metro station.

No charges have resulted from the probes.

"Since I have been county executive, there has never been any breach of our ethical or moral or legal authority in any way," said Johnson, adding that he does not know why the county has been subject to so many investigations.

"I'm asking the question too – ‘Why?'" he said. "My statement has always been everything that we do must have transparency … . My people understand that," Johnson said.

Johnson was heavily criticized last month when he won council approval to furlough county employees for up to 10 days. Citing a $56 million gap caused in part by declining real estate fees, Johnson and the council passed the furlough plan over union objections, saving about $20 million in costs.

The county has cut education spending by $14 million and implemented other cost-cutting measures, including a hiring freeze on all jobs but public safety.

Johnson said he chose furloughs only after unions refused to entertain his first option to reduce raises in the budget this year.

"We had two alternatives: it was layoffs or furlough," he said.

Firing workers would have required eliminating newly hired workers first, he said.

"The numbers were going to be so substantial. … And that would have just been too disruptive," he said.

Johnson acknowledged that the furloughs come even though the county still holds $40 million in reserve. The county sets aside about 7 percent of its $2.6 billion budget back as a "rainy day fund" against bad fiscal times.

Dipping into the reserve would damage the county's bond rating, he said.

"Wall Street expects that 7 percent. You just can't do that," he said.

Johnson said he wants to hold the extra $40 million for use if the economy gets worse before the budget year ends in July 2009.

"You have $40 million in this economy. That's not a lot of money. At all," he said. "In a sense, this is the smallest contingency that the government has ever had. And I'm not sure we wouldn't be using some before the end of the year." 

The executive said he does not support the state referendum to allow slot machines at five locations, including across the county line in Laurel, because the machines are more likely to draw money away from low-income populations.

Supporters say the machines will ultimately generate $600 million a year to benefit education, local grants and other programs that will offset the state's structural deficit.

"We know slots, for the most part, poor people play slots. And so what it does then is it's going to disproportionately have the core number one obligation of the state paid for by people that can less afford it," he said. "And I don't like that policy at all. So basically, I just don't think that the way this state really needs to go."

Johnson said he may consider a run for a different office in 2010.

"I don't want anybody to count me out," he said. "In politics, things happen fast. If there's an opportunity, I'll definitely take it."

Until then, Johnson said he believes he's meeting his legacy to make the county better. He cited crime rates that are down 20 percent compared to the start of his tenure and steadily rising achievement scores on state education tests.

"The whole concept of us being a little sleepy community has been evaporated," he said. "I think history will say we laid the groundwork for a great Prince George's County, and we'll continue to work toward it."

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.