Economy
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MoCo’s “Boost” – No Strings, Taxpayer Funded Universal Basic Income Program
Read more: MoCo’s “Boost” – No Strings, Taxpayer Funded Universal Basic Income ProgramWhen I first saw that email, I’ll be honest, I thought it was a scam. Have you seen the Montgomery County Collaboration Council’s (see screen shot below) newest video promoting the “story” of the Montgomery County UBI program participant? Probably not. As of this writing, it only has 38 views after being posted for a…
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ZTA 24-01: Living Closer to God
Read more: ZTA 24-01: Living Closer to GodThere are reasons I don’t get invited to parties, the most obvious being my enthusiasm over liberalization in zoning laws. A typical conversation when I meet someone new at a wedding goes like this. “What are your hobbies?” “Pushing for removal of height restrictions. Yours?” “I’ll go get myself another brewsky. You stay here.” Just…
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ZTA 23-10 Part 2: Sites for No-Parking Residences
Read more: ZTA 23-10 Part 2: Sites for No-Parking ResidencesIn Part 1 of this series we mentioned that Zoning Text Amendment 23-10 exempts residential construction from any parking requirements within a one-half mile of Metro, Purple Line, and Bus Transit Centers. Where are these sites, and what is within a half-mile radius around them? I drew circles around each of the county’s Metro, Purple…
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ZTA 23-10 Part 1: How Parking Mandates Restrict Affordable Housing
Read more: ZTA 23-10 Part 1: How Parking Mandates Restrict Affordable HousingWhen I came out of the closet, publicly and shamelessly, expressing a desire to eliminate residential zoning, fully one-half of my friends pruned me—so I’m now down to one. Let’s see if that remaining friendship will survive this series on relaxed parking requirements. Local jurisdictions have many ways of constricting the housing supply, thereby making…
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Household and Government Debt Way Up in Maryland… So of Course Montgomery County’s Exec Wants to… Spend More!
Read more: Household and Government Debt Way Up in Maryland… So of Course Montgomery County’s Exec Wants to… Spend More!New research from Forbes Advisor shows that Maryland sits just outside the top-five of states with the most “combined” debt. Forbes in this case defines total debt as “household debt” and “government debt”. Why does this matter? Well, for starters, elevated government debt thanks to Democrat-controlled Annapolis means that: When a state owes more than…
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Why Is Montgomery County Giving Taxpayer Money to a “Micro-Lender” Requiring No Credit Score, No Employment, No Address, No Immigration Status from Its Borrowers
Read more: Why Is Montgomery County Giving Taxpayer Money to a “Micro-Lender” Requiring No Credit Score, No Employment, No Address, No Immigration Status from Its BorrowersIn yet another blow to fiscal stewardship of the taxpayer dollar in Montgomery County, data from the MoCo “Checkbook” in 2023 reveals that Montgomery County’s “Economic Development Fund” gave a nonprofit corporation called Life Asset Inc. a $50,000 check in May, 2023. See our screen shot below: Life Asset Inc. says it is a “nonprofit…
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The Ultimate Gift Guide for That Montgomery County Councilmember in Your Life (Part 2)
Read more: The Ultimate Gift Guide for That Montgomery County Councilmember in Your Life (Part 2)It has been a few weeks since our Part 1 Holiday Gift Guide. For you last minute shoppers, we are finally ready to share Part 2. If you are looking for a special gift for your representative, these will most definitely hit the mark! These sustainably grown oak hangers are guaranteed to not add creases…
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Impasta LLC? Dollface Beauty Inc? Let’s Peek Into What Montgomery County’s “Economic Development Fund” Grants Your Tax Dollars To
Read more: Impasta LLC? Dollface Beauty Inc? Let’s Peek Into What Montgomery County’s “Economic Development Fund” Grants Your Tax Dollars ToEyelash extensions. Botox and dysport injections. Gluten-free pasta and baked goods. A company that sells “Virtual Reality simulations”, including “Implicit Bias Training” via something called HarmonyVR™. What do they all have in common? Companies selling these diverse services and wares received your tax dollars in 2020 via the Montgomery County “Economic Development Fund Grants” for…
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A Mere Five Months After Touting the “POWER” Act for Offshore Wind in Maryland, MoCo Politicians Prove To Be Poor Economic Forecasters
Read more: A Mere Five Months After Touting the “POWER” Act for Offshore Wind in Maryland, MoCo Politicians Prove To Be Poor Economic ForecastersWhich way does the (economic) wind blow? Can politicians in Montgomery County predict it with any accuracy? Less than five months after touting the “Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources” or “POWER” Act in Annapolis, MoCo-based Maryland politicians like Delegate Lorig Charkoudian (Democrat, District 20) are re-discovering (or perhaps learning) that it is easy to pass…