Economy
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Zoning (or: whom to blame for expensive housing)
Read more: Zoning (or: whom to blame for expensive housing)This post, part 3 in a series on our county’s distorted housing market, is mostly descriptive of the county’s land use policy and how it contributes to high housing costs. In addition, it also gives a chance for readers to reflect on how zoning affects them individually.is You can read Part 1 here and Part…
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What is up with the “Boost” Guaranteed Income Program?
Read more: What is up with the “Boost” Guaranteed Income Program?MoCo Council Members Jawando, Albornoz Promoting MoCo “Boost” Guaranteed Income Program That Provides No Updates to-Date on Efficacy, Has No Strings Attached on How Money Spent, and Requires No Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Number (ITIN) to Participate In a shocking display of disregard for taxpayer money, Montgomery County is partly funding ($2 million dollars…
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Promoting More Inequality and Feeding Addiction? Sen King Sponsors Expansion of Internet Gambling in Maryland
Read more: Promoting More Inequality and Feeding Addiction? Sen King Sponsors Expansion of Internet Gambling in MarylandMontgomery County, Maryland State Senator (Nancy King, a Democrat, District 39) appears as a co-lead sponsor for a bill that would push to expand internet gambling in Maryland. The bill would authorize “the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to issue certain licenses to certain video lottery operators to conduct or participate in certain Internet gaming…
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MoCo’s SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program – What Do Taxpayers Really Get for Their “Invested” Dollars?
Read more: MoCo’s SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program – What Do Taxpayers Really Get for Their “Invested” Dollars?Another ‘matching grant program’ by Montgomery County came to my attention last week. County Executive Marc Elrich’s newsletter promoted the “Montgomery County Small Business Research Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) matching grant program”. Curious, I looked into the grant program, and note that it is designed to ‘support companies engaged in research…
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MoCo’s housing isn’t dirt cheap, but it’s close (Part 2)
Read more: MoCo’s housing isn’t dirt cheap, but it’s close (Part 2)This is Part 2 in a series on our county’s distorted housing market. You can read Part 1 here. When it comes to housing policy in Montgomery County (and probably other jurisdictions), the activists and policymakers ignore science and gravitate to unfounded generalizations that justify a policy they want to implement. Some County Council members…
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Not the Onion: County Exec Elrich Lauds the “Health and Safety Benefits” of Government Liquor Distribution
Read more: Not the Onion: County Exec Elrich Lauds the “Health and Safety Benefits” of Government Liquor DistributionLiquor, lotto, pot. The foundations of a thriving, “healthy” and “equitable” Montgomery County economy and people are all around us in 2023. Oh, and did you know that the community center gyms are “free” now? Ok, that was snark. But it isn’t far from the truth. On January 27th, County Exec Elrich wants you to…
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CM Will Jawando’s Paternalism and Focus on ‘Structural’ Racism Doesn’t Extend to Maryland State Lottery. Why?
Read more: CM Will Jawando’s Paternalism and Focus on ‘Structural’ Racism Doesn’t Extend to Maryland State Lottery. Why?Montgomery County Council Member Will Jawando had a busy 2022. There was an election for another term on the County Council (“At-Large”, of course) and a book tour to complete. It appears the Jawando family moved into a massive new home in Sandy Spring, MD as well. While promoting his book last February at Catholic…
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Follow the science? Not in Jawando’s push for rent-control. (Part 1)
Read more: Follow the science? Not in Jawando’s push for rent-control. (Part 1)Council Member Will Jawando is leading the County Council’s effort to introduce county-wide rent control. Since taking office, CM Jawando has been pursuing policies, enactments, and budgets that are void of any policy analysis, and the issue of rent control is no exception. In this post we’ll review remarks he made at a recent hearing…
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Omnibus Earmark for MoCo: “Equity Incubator” at the Universities at Shady Grove
Read more: Omnibus Earmark for MoCo: “Equity Incubator” at the Universities at Shady GroveThe rushed-through Federal Omnibus “Budget” Appropriation for federal fiscal year 2023 survived amendment votes in the United States Senate and is now headed to the United States House of Representatives. It will likely pass in current form, barring something unforeseen. The bill directs $1.7 trillion in spending for the fiscal year ending in September 2023…
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Data Reveals MoCo Administrators and Department Heads Receive Salaries 600% Greater Than Median Income Worker
Read more: Data Reveals MoCo Administrators and Department Heads Receive Salaries 600% Greater Than Median Income WorkerThere is a wide wage gap in Montgomery County. Data from government watchdog website openthebooks.com reveals that Montgomery County Administrators and Department Heads are receiving some excellent direct compensation. This, at a time when the median income for working people in Montgomery County has stagnated to about $50,100, with household (joint) income coming in at…