Economy
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CM Friedson, please stop paving the streets in Chevy Chase Section 5
Read more: CM Friedson, please stop paving the streets in Chevy Chase Section 5I’ve written quite a few posts on the need for zoning reform as a way of reducing the cost of housing. In this matter I hold CMs Friedson and Balcombe in high regard for their efforts in promoting zoning reform. Driving down Connecticut Avenue on the western border of Section Five in the Town of…
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CM Albornoz’s legislation shows progressives cannot deliver solutions
Read more: CM Albornoz’s legislation shows progressives cannot deliver solutionsThe Surgery Center of Oklahoma is an absolutely amazing medical facility. Founded in 1997, this hospital takes no insurance. Everything is cash on the barrel. How much cash on the barrel? Go to their menu of surgery prices and click on the body part that ails you most. Gall bladder removal with biopsy: $7,556. Appendectomy:…
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Evan Glass’s Regressive Policies are Already Hitting HOAs, Causing HOA Fees to Rise Beyond Local Inflation Rate
Read more: Evan Glass’s Regressive Policies are Already Hitting HOAs, Causing HOA Fees to Rise Beyond Local Inflation Rate“Grab a rake!” Or… be prepared to pay up to your HOA. Councilmember Evan Glass’s awful, dumb, regressive policies strike your wallet, yet again. Recently, here in Olney, MD (unfortunately unincorporated) my HOA board issued a notice that HOA dues for FY2025 are set to increase some 7%, potentially, after neighborhood comment and a final…
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Alsobrooks Botches the Inflation Exam
Read more: Alsobrooks Botches the Inflation ExamFor some voters the only issue this election is getting a black female into the Senate. For them, the winning choice is Angela Alsobrooks. After all, if your voting patterns are only skin deep, your capacity for critical thinking is probably no better. If, however, you care about people of color, the underserved, the marginalized,…
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MoCo’s Triple A Ratings: Part 1—Municipal Bonds
Read more: MoCo’s Triple A Ratings: Part 1—Municipal BondsWhile working at an engineering firm, I had to endure yet another annual review. “Bell,” said the manager. “You’ve come to work every day, and you’ve completed your assignments on time.” “Don’t forget that I also proposed suggestions for process improvement and organizational efficiency.” “As you have,” said the manager. “That’s why I’m ranking you…
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Zoning Change Proposal Impacts Only 55% of County Council
Read more: Zoning Change Proposal Impacts Only 55% of County CouncilAs the county holds listening sessions and reviews a proposal put forward by the Montgomery County Planning Board, it is important to see how these changes might impact the County Council members. Shockingly, 45% of the current county council will be excluded from any direct impact from these zoning changes. The proposal recommends these changes:…
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The Fallacy of the Life Sciences Obsession: Part 2—Betting against the Annapolis casino
Read more: The Fallacy of the Life Sciences Obsession: Part 2—Betting against the Annapolis casinoIn Part 1 of this series we listed the infrastructure the local, state, and county governments are giving away for free for the University of Maryland’s Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) in North Bethesda—all sited at the coveted Metro North Bethesda station. How wise is this move? The UM-IHC is funded by MoCo, state, and…
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The Fallacy of the Life Sciences Obsession: Part 1—Subsidizing live/work/learn/play but not bus service
Read more: The Fallacy of the Life Sciences Obsession: Part 1—Subsidizing live/work/learn/play but not bus serviceFor many years our county’s officials have been extolling MoCo as a bio-tech center. In his weekly message from August 2, Marc Elrich said MoCo is #3 among all of America’s life science hubs. In a Glass Gazette from July 2024, Council Member Evan glass noted that “Our life sciences sector is incredibly important to…
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The Limits of Affordable Housing Initiatives—Part 2
Read more: The Limits of Affordable Housing Initiatives—Part 2Part 1 of this series summarized a few of the thoughts (out of many) presented by DC affordable-housing developer Patrick McAnaney in his extremely comprehensive series about affordable housing. We learn from McAnaney that zoning has a limited impact on the availability of affordable housing, because other factors are in play that are beyond the…