News and Views
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Despite Rain, Smears and Intolerant Rhetoric by Local Elected Officials, Hundreds Still Showed Up to Ask for Simple “Opt Out” Option at MCPS
Read more: Despite Rain, Smears and Intolerant Rhetoric by Local Elected Officials, Hundreds Still Showed Up to Ask for Simple “Opt Out” Option at MCPSPhoto Credit: Reardon Sullivan It isn’t going away. The grassroots energy. The passion for basic civil liberties and religious freedom, for pluralism. The grassroots movement for basic parental notification and yes, an “opt out” option on select MCPS curriculum. None of this organizing is going away, like the local MoCo politicians or the Montgomery Board…
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A Look At Kristin Mink’s Campaign Finances: Part 1
Read more: A Look At Kristin Mink’s Campaign Finances: Part 1Based on downloads available from the state’s board of elections, we can get a good characterization of who financially supported Council Member Kristin Mink during her 2022 campaign, and who received monies from that campaign. Contributions The Mink campaign reported total contributions of $208,683. Who was the number one contributor to that campaign? You were.…
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Ladies, Where are the Results?
Read more: Ladies, Where are the Results?After completing the primary election, it was clear that there was tremendous potential for Montgomery County to usher in a County Council composed of a majority of women. This created a buzz, both from a general interest perspective but also because it was a great platform to encourage voter turnout during the primary election. And…
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Real Terror
Read more: Real TerrorThe last 2 weeks in Montgomery County have been especially horrific. By especially, I mean more horrific than the typical level of travesty that has taken hold of our county. Let’s do a quick recap. Last Friday through Sunday there were 5 shootings and 2 stabbings, including a poolside shoot out. (link) A report came…
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Opt-Out Rally #2: “We Love Everybody”
Read more: Opt-Out Rally #2: “We Love Everybody”Progressives, all 10% of you in the general population, you may want to consider something. You can insult us, you can tax us for your projects, you can appoint your friends to positions, you can deny us jobs, you can lecture us, you can judge us, and to a large extent you successfully control us.…
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Marc Elrich’s Incoherent Take on School Safety Policy & SROs
Read more: Marc Elrich’s Incoherent Take on School Safety Policy & SROsRemember 2014? A throwback to a time, just nine years ago, when Montgomery County seemed “governed” by responsive adults. MoCo was still highly taxed, its small businesses burdened and frequently regulated with local ordinances that started in California, not in MD. It was still stagnating, economically, and it couldn’t hold a match to Northern VA’s…
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To Our LGBTQIA+ Students: It’s Not About You
Read more: To Our LGBTQIA+ Students: It’s Not About YouTo the LGBTQIA+ students in the county’s public schools, in the private schools, and everywhere you are— You are just as human as anyone else. You deserve everything that everyone else deserves. You deserve love, opportunity, equity, equality, and above all, respect. You are entitled to the inalienable rights mentioned in this nation’s Declaration of…
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The 2024 Budget Vote, When the Reformers Failed Us
Read more: The 2024 Budget Vote, When the Reformers Failed UsAndrew Friedson is by far a more compassionate, thoughtful, and caring member of the County Council than its progressive members, and CM Marilyn Balcombe has earned well deserved credibility as an advocate for a much neglected up-county population. Tragically, when it came to their votes for the 2024 budget, both let us down. Before we…
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Was It Truly a “Great School Year” Worth Celebrating for MCPS?
Read more: Was It Truly a “Great School Year” Worth Celebrating for MCPS?Last week, MCPS sent an email to parents wishing them well for the summer and “Celebrating the End of a Great School Year!” See screen capture below. This email came the last day of school for students, which was June 16th, 2023. But, was it truly a “great school year”? Even by MCPS’s historical standards? …
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MoCo Retiree Healthcare Plan (“Post Employment Benefits”) is Badly Under-Funded
Read more: MoCo Retiree Healthcare Plan (“Post Employment Benefits”) is Badly Under-FundedMontgomery County’s Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust (the fund used to pay out retiree healthcare expenses for former MCPS and Montgomery College employees, among other county retirees) is under-water and has less then 50% of the assets needed to satisfy projected liabilities/claims in the years ahead, per official reporting issued by Montgomery County government and…