Economy
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The 2024 Budget Vote, When the Reformers Failed Us
Read more: The 2024 Budget Vote, When the Reformers Failed UsAndrew Friedson is by far a more compassionate, thoughtful, and caring member of the County Council than its progressive members, and CM Marilyn Balcombe has earned well deserved credibility as an advocate for a much neglected up-county population. Tragically, when it came to their votes for the 2024 budget, both let us down. Before we…
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MoCo Retiree Healthcare Plan (“Post Employment Benefits”) is Badly Under-Funded
Read more: MoCo Retiree Healthcare Plan (“Post Employment Benefits”) is Badly Under-FundedMontgomery County’s Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust (the fund used to pay out retiree healthcare expenses for former MCPS and Montgomery College employees, among other county retirees) is under-water and has less then 50% of the assets needed to satisfy projected liabilities/claims in the years ahead, per official reporting issued by Montgomery County government and…
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Mandatory Reserve Studies: Another Blow for Affordable Housing
Read more: Mandatory Reserve Studies: Another Blow for Affordable HousingIn 2021 there was a terrible collapse of a condominium building in Surfside, Florida. The subsequent investigation revealed that as far back as 2018 an engineer had warned of cracking in the pool deck which could result in a catastrophic structural failure. The condo association did not take any corrective action until April 2021, when…
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Stewart’s Cognitive Dissonance Regarding Constructive Evictions
Read more: Stewart’s Cognitive Dissonance Regarding Constructive EvictionsCouncil Member Kate Stewart recently stated that “any rent increase over 10 percent is known as a constructive eviction. Constructive eviction is a landlord’s effort to remove a tenant through means other than a formal eviction.” This comes from someone who just voted to raise property taxes by 10 percent. That move, presumably, has nothing…
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Selective “Ranking” Promotion by County Politicians – Why Not Show the Whole Truth of How MoCo and MD “Stack Up”?
Read more: Selective “Ranking” Promotion by County Politicians – Why Not Show the Whole Truth of How MoCo and MD “Stack Up”?“Selective Outrage” was a term made popular by the recent Chris Rock comedy special on Netflix, wherein he details “the Oscar’s slap” and aftermath for himself and Will Smith. His broader point from the comedy special is on-point too, as he showcases time and again the “selective outrage” (hypocrisy and faux-sanctimonious behavior) of select people,…
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The Federal Reserve Bank, Inflation, and Local Rent Control
Read more: The Federal Reserve Bank, Inflation, and Local Rent ControlMoCo reformers (Democrat, Independent, and Republican alike) often bemoan the conflation of national politics with local electoral races. Last year the Republicans fielded their best candidate in a generation for county executive, Reardon Sullivan, and he came up short by quite a margin. Hard line Democrats in this county, and even more so the progressives,…
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Re-Branded as “Action Youth Media”, Gandhi Brigade Youth Media (a MoCo Taxpayer Grantee) Still Appears to be Promoting Only Certain Types of “Activism” Through Art
Read more: Re-Branded as “Action Youth Media”, Gandhi Brigade Youth Media (a MoCo Taxpayer Grantee) Still Appears to be Promoting Only Certain Types of “Activism” Through ArtBack in March we highlighted current Councilmember Evan Glass’s former employer / non-profit, Gandhi Brigade Youth Media or GB Youth Media. The organization gets thousands in public money each year. In fact, it got a pretty sweet deal back in March 2018, as Mr. Glass was navigating his way through primaries and running for County…
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The Property Tax Hike Rebellion
Read more: The Property Tax Hike RebellionLet’s talk about the 10% increase in property tax (aka, “10 cent revenue enhancement”) supposedly to fund MCPS. Montgomery County demographics are largely Democrats, and much of the workforce is in government, contracting, and hospitality industries. Many would ordinarily support paying more for the schools. (Not to diminish the real burden this places on retirees…
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Is WSSC Serving the People of MoCo or Companies & Lobby Shops With Donor Ties to Local Democrat Politicians?
Read more: Is WSSC Serving the People of MoCo or Companies & Lobby Shops With Donor Ties to Local Democrat Politicians?The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) probably deserves its own investigative series. If we had a truly inquisitive local ‘fourth estate’ we might have gotten one a long time ago. But local media in Montgomery County is obsessed with being ‘friends’ to the powerful, instead of auditors or investigators. Our very own “Independent” and tax-supported…
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A MoCo Developer’s Solution for Affordable Housing
Read more: A MoCo Developer’s Solution for Affordable HousingThe following is an interview conducted by Mark Lautman of Chris Bruch, CEO of The Donohoe Companies, about proven solutions for providing affordable housing. We appreciate the contribution and willingness of both individuals to share with CleanSlateMoCo. Hope you enjoy! What does Donohoe Companies do? We build, manage, and develop commercial real estate, including hotels,…