News and Views
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The Fallacy of the Small Business Narrative
Read more: The Fallacy of the Small Business NarrativeWhen I think of MoCo’s small, home-grown businesses, the first one that comes to my mind (and should come to yours) is Carmen’s Italian Ice. And when I think of Carmen’s, the first flavor that comes to my mind (and should come to yours) is Chocolate Rum Cake. Mercifully, Carmen’s has only two locations (Rockville…
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It’s Literally Theater
Read more: It’s Literally TheaterIn March of 2021 current Council Member Dawn Luedtke was nominated and elected to the Olney Theater Center Board of Directors. And though as of 2023 she is no longer part of the Board of Directors, while campaigning for the County Council, Dawn highlighted the Olney Theater on her campaign website. And her bio on…
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WSSC Office of Inspector General Reporting on In-House Procurement Office Performance Reveals Much to “Be Improved”
Read more: WSSC Office of Inspector General Reporting on In-House Procurement Office Performance Reveals Much to “Be Improved”As we previously posted, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) pretty much always gets what it wants from Montgomery County Council politicians, particularly when it asks for approval on water/sewer rate hikes for the upcoming fiscal year. These rate hikes hit your wallet and mine and increase the cost of living for each and every resident…
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Community Profile: Justin Valenti
Read more: Community Profile: Justin ValentiCleanSlateMoCo is conducting interviews of local community members. These are people that though they do not hold office, are important voices in Montgomery County. They represent the fabric of the county; individuals that might have had a unique experience, or maybe are involved in a unique activity, or maybe are just normal folks trying to…
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Selective List Promotion Part 2: How Does the “Silver Spring – Rockville – Frederick” Metro Area Stack Up ?
Read more: Selective List Promotion Part 2: How Does the “Silver Spring – Rockville – Frederick” Metro Area Stack Up ?“We’re ranked 100th!” Last month we showed how local Montgomery County politicians love to selectively crow about and promote “best list rankings” from select news sources when these news “orgs” pump up a certain city or area in MoCo. Back then, it was the unincorporated area of Silver Spring, which Fortune Magazine claimed was #3…
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MoCo’s Sierra Club: It’s not about the trees, it’s about the control
Read more: MoCo’s Sierra Club: It’s not about the trees, it’s about the controlYou’re a Clarksburg parent of two young children. You spend your first 20-minute commute dropping them off at Snowden Farm Elementary School, and now you start your next 60-minute commute into Tyson’s Corner (total 80 minutes). After a day of “work” (in the DC sense of the word), you start your 75-minute commute back to…
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Kate Stewart’s Public Campaign Funding (and do we abbreviate Board of Elections “ATM?”)
Read more: Kate Stewart’s Public Campaign Funding (and do we abbreviate Board of Elections “ATM?”)In a previous post we explored the possibility that Council Member Kristin Mink’s campaign took almost $9,000 from the public election fund beyond what it was allowed. In this post we explore the possibility that CM Kate Stewart took about $7,500 in the same manner. Recall that MoCo contributes up to $125,000 of matching funds…
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Economic Storm Clouds Are Gathering, But the Montgomery County Council Seems Pre-Occupied with Other (National) Topics
Read more: Economic Storm Clouds Are Gathering, But the Montgomery County Council Seems Pre-Occupied with Other (National) TopicsEconomic storm clouds are gathering for the nation’s economy, and Montgomery County will not be immune to an economic recession. The combination of high debt burdens (consumer, corporate, and government), still too-high inflation, high energy costs and higher interest rates are slowing economic growth to a trickle, and potentially feeding a cycle of yet more…
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Ranked-Choice Voting Proves Itself in Arlington
Read more: Ranked-Choice Voting Proves Itself in ArlingtonThe effort for election reform continues (oh so slowly) in the region, and it passed a major milestone on June 20. That was the day Democratic voters nominated primary winners for the Arlington County Board—and they used ranked-choice voting. Before explaining why this is so significant, let’s refresh how we elect our own at-large members…
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A Look At Kristin Mink’s Campaign Finances: Part 2
Read more: A Look At Kristin Mink’s Campaign Finances: Part 2In this post we explore the possibility that Council Member Kristin Mink’s campaign took almost $9,000 from the public election fund beyond what it was allowed. Page 17 of the summary guide for public funding, published by both the state and county boards of elections, states that a district candidate cannot receive more than $125,000…