Economy
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Booze in MoCo: Part 1, How We Buy Alcoholic Beverages
Read more: Booze in MoCo: Part 1, How We Buy Alcoholic BeveragesThis is part 1 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. John and Jerry, residents of Silver Spring, are preparing a small summer wedding and an even smaller reception. They go to…
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It Appears Former Montgomery County Exec Ike Leggett’s $11,000 Taxpayer-Funded Jaunt to Cuba Didn’t Accomplish Much, 7+ Years Later
Read more: It Appears Former Montgomery County Exec Ike Leggett’s $11,000 Taxpayer-Funded Jaunt to Cuba Didn’t Accomplish Much, 7+ Years Later“Never let a crisis go to waste” seems to be the governing ethos of far too many elected politicians in Montgomery County (and nation-wide). That, and “never let a good ol’ taxpayer-funded trip to an exotic locale go to waste”. Now, over seven years on from an eyebrow-raising, taxpayer funded trip (over $11,000 in today’s…
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A Property Tax Hike, But By WSSC? Fitch Ratings Revision for WSSC Shows What Could Be in Store for MoCo Residents
Read more: A Property Tax Hike, But By WSSC? Fitch Ratings Revision for WSSC Shows What Could Be in Store for MoCo ResidentsAre you taxed enough already in Montgomery County? Most people, certainly most homeowners or property owners, would say “yes”. In late May, the Montgomery County Council voted to approve a new fiscal year operating budget, and with it, yet another property tax rate hike. On top of hitting MoCo families and taking more money from their…
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Let’s Bag the Bag Tax
Read more: Let’s Bag the Bag TaxThe English writer Edward Bulwer Lytton said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” At Clean Slate MoCo, we say, “Taking a percentage is mightier than a Russian T-90 tank (if the Russians still have any).” Let’s apply that principle to the bag tax. Plastic bags are indeed a problem. If I’m eating a take-out…