Economy
-
Marc Elrich Thinks Montgomery County and Maryland Are Economically Competitive, Not “Overtaxed”
Read more: Marc Elrich Thinks Montgomery County and Maryland Are Economically Competitive, Not “Overtaxed”This came to my attention when reading a recent story by Ginny Bixby at MoCo360.media entitled “Ballot initiative would limit county executive to two terms” (September 15, 2023). In it, Marc Elrich, the County’s second term Chief Executive and a 36-year career politician with little practical real-world experiences or any background in economics or personal…
-
Restaurant Surcharges Skyrocket in DC After “Initiative 82” Law, and Many Restaurants “Will Not Make It” Per Industry Insiders.
Read more: Restaurant Surcharges Skyrocket in DC After “Initiative 82” Law, and Many Restaurants “Will Not Make It” Per Industry Insiders.Ready to pay a 20% service charge, on top of your food bill, and before any “tip” given to good service by wait staff, at a Rockville-area restaurant (assuming some remain at the stagnant Rockville Town Center property)? How about an additional 15% service charge, on top of the food bill, at Ruth’s Chris Steak…
-
Do You Own A Rental in Montgomery County? Sell it now!
Read more: Do You Own A Rental in Montgomery County? Sell it now!(Disclaimer: No investment advice is intended in this post.) If you own a rental in White Oak, Bel Pre, Aspen Hill, Gaithersburg, or Montgomery Village, you might want to sell. Today. The county government has developed a Community Equity Index that indicates what areas reflect the county’s prevailing diversity. (Actually, this index indicates what areas…
-
County Executive Praises “Good Financial News” & Dubious Bond Ratings as MoCo Loses Yet Another Brewery, Total Employment in County Remains in Stagnant
Read more: County Executive Praises “Good Financial News” & Dubious Bond Ratings as MoCo Loses Yet Another Brewery, Total Employment in County Remains in StagnantMontgomery County Executive and 35-year career politician Marc Elrich was out with stale talking points and more spin this Friday, Sept 8th, as he gave a recorded “Message from the County Executive”. First, Elrich crowed on about the County’s “33 year low in unemployment numbers” and referenced the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics jobless rate…
-
Fascinating: MoCo Seems to Attract a Major League Sports Team Without Government “Favors”, Direct Taxpayer Subsidy or Other Ridiculous Handouts
Read more: Fascinating: MoCo Seems to Attract a Major League Sports Team Without Government “Favors”, Direct Taxpayer Subsidy or Other Ridiculous HandoutsGood news: Major League Rugby (MLR) is coming to Montgomery County, MD. Old Glory DC, the DC-area MLR franchise, announced today that it is playing its home matches at “the pitch” at Championship Stadium at the Germantown / Boyds area “Maryland SoccerPlex”. Starting this spring, rugby matches will be played right here in Montgomery County,…
-
In Fascinating Reversal, Even with Covid-19 Variants on the (Reported) Rise, MoCo’s CAO and Takoma Park’s Deputy City Manager Plead with Feds to Revisit “Remote Work Policies”
Read more: In Fascinating Reversal, Even with Covid-19 Variants on the (Reported) Rise, MoCo’s CAO and Takoma Park’s Deputy City Manager Plead with Feds to Revisit “Remote Work Policies”In a fascinating flip-flop from just a few years prior, with Covid / Flu virus variants reportedly on the rise nationwide (CNN claims the official numbers don’t do it justice), Montgomery County’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Richard Madaleno and the city of Takoma Park’s acting “Deputy City Manager” Andrew Bolduc have added their signatures to…
-
Booze in MoCo: Part 4, How to Dismantle the ABS Monopoly
Read more: Booze in MoCo: Part 4, How to Dismantle the ABS MonopolyIn May 1773, the British parliament passed the Tea Act that granted the British East India Company, a government-chartered corporate monopoly with exclusive rights to sell tea in the colonies, to collect tax on that tea at the port. Americans, enraged at a tea tax being imposed without their due representation, reacted by boarding one…
-
The White Oak Façade Improvement Smells a Bit Odd
Read more: The White Oak Façade Improvement Smells a Bit OddMontgomery County Exec Marc Elrich and County Councilmember Kristin Mink trekked up to the White Oak area of eastern Silver Spring, MD last week to take photos with a giant check of “Maryland State Legislative Bond” money (see photo below, courtesy of MontgomeryCountyMD.gov). Doling out other people’s money is a past-time of politicians – but…
-
Incredible Return on Investment? EDENS Secures Impressive Tax-Payer Windfall After Donations to MD14
Read more: Incredible Return on Investment? EDENS Secures Impressive Tax-Payer Windfall After Donations to MD14Yesterday I came across a crowing tweet (sorry, “post” on “X”) by County Exec March Elrich discussing the long-awaited “revitalization” of the vacant, neglected Burtonsville Crossing retail center in eastern Montgomery County. CE Elrich was basically issuing a press release on behalf of the “MD14 Team” which consists of a slate of local MoCo politicians…
-
Booze in MoCo: Part 2, Debunking the ABS’s Justifications
Read more: Booze in MoCo: Part 2, Debunking the ABS’s JustificationsThis is part 2 in a 4 part series debunking the excuses ABS uses to justify its existence, identify who benefits from this monopoly, and what (if anything) can be done to dismantle it. You can read part 1 here. The county’s Alcoholic Beverage Service justifies its corporate monopoly in the following video. Viewing with…