How do we end Montgomery County socialism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't.

MoCo residents are dumb. They'll constantly vote in far left wing morons to be county exec and on the council. MoCo is screwed. Jobs and business killing left wingers will always be in control. Dumb voters who's only solution are to raise taxes because they entitlement syndrome for everything are a permanent fixture. You're only recourse is to get the hell out before it is too late and MoCo becomes like a mini Illinois with massive debt problems.

Who is far left wing, and what have they implemented that is far left?

Elrich is (was?) a member of DSA. The council made MoCO a sanctuary county. Both Elrich and the council passed the social justice and racial equity bill. MCPS is introducing elements of critical theory into the curriculum. These are all far left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

They've done a little around the edges. But in 2018/19 there was a big push for countywide busing. Thankfully the 2021 BOE doesn't seem as interested. But we'll keep an eye on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

They've done a little around the edges. But in 2018/19 there was a big push for countywide busing. Thankfully the 2021 BOE doesn't seem as interested. But we'll keep an eye on them.

"especially" means pushing for county wide busing? That's not how I read it, but ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't.

MoCo residents are dumb. They'll constantly vote in far left wing morons to be county exec and on the council. MoCo is screwed. Jobs and business killing left wingers will always be in control. Dumb voters who's only solution are to raise taxes because they entitlement syndrome for everything are a permanent fixture. You're only recourse is to get the hell out before it is too late and MoCo becomes like a mini Illinois with massive debt problems.

Who is far left wing, and what have they implemented that is far left?

Bag tax, tree tax, rain tax.

Or there's the left-wing list of every possible social support:
Increased unemployment benefits, increased earned income tax credit, rent support, eviction moratorium, $15 minimum wage. Taken on their own, each is fine, but altogether it becomes massive handouts -- too much -- when any one or two of those can address the issue they are aiming for.

If you are so poor that paying 5 cents for a plastic bag hurts you, then you probably would benefit from all the left-wing policies you list.

+1 I don't support Elrich, but the bag tax is not just MoCo. This is actually a good idea, IMO.

And $15 minimum wage is a decent thing to do in a high col area. I guess Rs don't agree with livable wages and hate poor people, but I already knew that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

They've done a little around the edges. But in 2018/19 there was a big push for countywide busing. Thankfully the 2021 BOE doesn't seem as interested. But we'll keep an eye on them.

No, there wasn't. Please limit your spamming to the MCPS forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

They've done a little around the edges. But in 2018/19 there was a big push for countywide busing. Thankfully the 2021 BOE doesn't seem as interested. But we'll keep an eye on them.

"especially" means pushing for county wide busing? That's not how I read it, but ok.

Thankfully that's not how the 2021 BOE read it either. But to deny than the 2018/19 BOE was gunning for busing is disingenuous. Pro-busers would actually say "We don't want busing. We just want schools to be better balanced demographically and if kids have to attend schools farther from home, that's OK." This is a BOE member Dixon paraphrase BTW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

They've done a little around the edges. But in 2018/19 there was a big push for countywide busing. Thankfully the 2021 BOE doesn't seem as interested. But we'll keep an eye on them.

No, there wasn't. Please limit your spamming to the MCPS forum?

What?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

They've done a little around the edges. But in 2018/19 there was a big push for countywide busing. Thankfully the 2021 BOE doesn't seem as interested. But we'll keep an eye on them.

"especially" means pushing for county wide busing? That's not how I read it, but ok.

Thankfully that's not how the 2021 BOE read it either. But to deny than the 2018/19 BOE was gunning for busing is disingenuous. Pro-busers would actually say "We don't want busing. We just want schools to be better balanced demographically and if kids have to attend schools farther from home, that's OK." This is a BOE member Dixon paraphrase BTW.

"further away" <> "countywide busing". It may, however, mean adjacent clusters.

We have that now, pre-the word "especially". Look at the Churchill and Wootton cluster maps.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04602map.pdf

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04234map.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only way to end it is to vote out the county council and county executive. The county council is one giant echo chamber with one lemming idea after another. County executive just hasn't gotten anything done, which is part of why people elected him I think - a status quo candidate. It's been years of suboptimal growth, and I don't know why we keep voting for these losers to continue to suboptimal growth.

We also need to fix the primary system. Basically whoever wins the primary wins the general election, and you can win the primary with less than 30% of the vote...so stupid. They need to send the top two vote-getters to a run-off so you don't have candidates who never stood a chance siphoning votes away from the top candidates.

How can we end something that doesn't exist in the first place?

Again, semantics. I really wish people would stop calling it socialism because people start arguing how it is/is not socialism. Whatever it is, it's just ineffective government, inefficient government, irresponsible spending (yay we get two more people on the county council likely with nothing original to say), and not creating an environment that's competitive with DC or other surrounding jurisdictions. I don't understand the status quo folks. If you're not moving forward, then you're moving backwards, because everyone else is not content with standing pat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only way to end it is to vote out the county council and county executive. The county council is one giant echo chamber with one lemming idea after another. County executive just hasn't gotten anything done, which is part of why people elected him I think - a status quo candidate. It's been years of suboptimal growth, and I don't know why we keep voting for these losers to continue to suboptimal growth.

We also need to fix the primary system. Basically whoever wins the primary wins the general election, and you can win the primary with less than 30% of the vote...so stupid. They need to send the top two vote-getters to a run-off so you don't have candidates who never stood a chance siphoning votes away from the top candidates.

How can we end something that doesn't exist in the first place?

Again, semantics. I really wish people would stop calling it socialism because people start arguing how it is/is not socialism. Whatever it is, it's just ineffective government, inefficient government, irresponsible spending (yay we get two more people on the county council likely with nothing original to say), and not creating an environment that's competitive with DC or other surrounding jurisdictions. I don't understand the status quo folks. If you're not moving forward, then you're moving backwards, because everyone else is not content with standing pat.

It might be semantics, but that doesn't mean it's unimportant. Even OP agreed that it's not socialism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

They've done a little around the edges. But in 2018/19 there was a big push for countywide busing. Thankfully the 2021 BOE doesn't seem as interested. But we'll keep an eye on them.

"especially" means pushing for county wide busing? That's not how I read it, but ok.

Thankfully that's not how the 2021 BOE read it either. But to deny than the 2018/19 BOE was gunning for busing is disingenuous. Pro-busers would actually say "We don't want busing. We just want schools to be better balanced demographically and if kids have to attend schools farther from home, that's OK." This is a BOE member Dixon paraphrase BTW.

"further away" <> "countywide busing". It may, however, mean adjacent clusters.

We have that now, pre-the word "especially". Look at the Churchill and Wootton cluster maps.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04602map.pdf

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04234map.pdf

Do you know what countywide means?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only way to end it is to vote out the county council and county executive. The county council is one giant echo chamber with one lemming idea after another. County executive just hasn't gotten anything done, which is part of why people elected him I think - a status quo candidate. It's been years of suboptimal growth, and I don't know why we keep voting for these losers to continue to suboptimal growth.

We also need to fix the primary system. Basically whoever wins the primary wins the general election, and you can win the primary with less than 30% of the vote...so stupid. They need to send the top two vote-getters to a run-off so you don't have candidates who never stood a chance siphoning votes away from the top candidates.

How can we end something that doesn't exist in the first place?

Again, semantics. I really wish people would stop calling it socialism because people start arguing how it is/is not socialism. Whatever it is, it's just ineffective government, inefficient government, irresponsible spending (yay we get two more people on the county council likely with nothing original to say), and not creating an environment that's competitive with DC or other surrounding jurisdictions. I don't understand the status quo folks. If you're not moving forward, then you're moving backwards, because everyone else is not content with standing pat.

I absolutely agree with this.

Basically since the financial crisis (and actually even a little bit before), this county has been horribly mismanaged. Run into the ground by people who seem to prefer posturing over the hard work of governing. People who think that subsidizing developers is economic development. People who love to talk about how rich we are as a reason why we can afford their pet cause, while we gradually get poorer and poorer. Adjusted for inflation, median household income in 2016 was lower than it was in 1989. That’s a real accomplishment.

What worries me the most is that after finally removing the ossified cadre of mediocre electeds who prioritized their own longevity in office over the county. We have only replaced them with what mostly seem to be unserious clowns (excepting Friedson) who have seemingly confused good governance with maximizing engagement on social media.

I find the politics of this county to be absolutely childish. Spending 100% of the time trying to figure out how to increase the number of poor residents while totally disinterested in trying to figure out how to improve the number of high wage jobs and make the county more attractive to high wage earners. There is a blasé attitude about wealth and economic growth that borders on arrogance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I absolutely agree with this.

Basically since the financial crisis (and actually even a little bit before), this county has been horribly mismanaged. Run into the ground by people who seem to prefer posturing over the hard work of governing. People who think that subsidizing developers is economic development. People who love to talk about how rich we are as a reason why we can afford their pet cause, while we gradually get poorer and poorer. Adjusted for inflation, median household income in 2016 was lower than it was in 1989. That’s a real accomplishment.

What worries me the most is that after finally removing the ossified cadre of mediocre electeds who prioritized their own longevity in office over the county. We have only replaced them with what mostly seem to be unserious clowns (excepting Friedson) who have seemingly confused good governance with maximizing engagement on social media.

I find the politics of this county to be absolutely childish. Spending 100% of the time trying to figure out how to increase the number of poor residents while totally disinterested in trying to figure out how to improve the number of high wage jobs and make the county more attractive to high wage earners. There is a blasé attitude about wealth and economic growth that borders on arrogance.

The bond-rating agencies disagree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a strange thread ... It reminds me of watching cable news ... just a bunch of shouting heads and aphorisms and little spoon-size bits of actual news.

I've lived all over MoCo ... Damascus, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Chase ... and been happy living here, and I'm a moderate/liberal Dem who works for a Fortune 500 company.

I'll admit I'm not steeped in local politics, and appreciate the bits of argument about actual issues, whether its public transportation, tax rates, affordable housing or other topics ... but the hyperbolic "it's all going to hell" rhetoric just sounds like bar stool philosophy.

I used to be right there with you but when the MCPS BOE started talking changing policies and ordering studies that hinted at busing, I started paying attention to the BOE, the CC, and the CE and am mortified by some of their priorities. Our proximity to DC and NoVA means that no matter how bad our politicians are, MoCo will probably always be a decent place to live. But quality of life and our ranking among other DC metro counties continues to fall.

MCPS has been busing for decades. Maybe you didn't notice?

They've done a little around the edges. But in 2018/19 there was a big push for countywide busing. Thankfully the 2021 BOE doesn't seem as interested. But we'll keep an eye on them.

"especially" means pushing for county wide busing? That's not how I read it, but ok.

Thankfully that's not how the 2021 BOE read it either. But to deny than the 2018/19 BOE was gunning for busing is disingenuous. Pro-busers would actually say "We don't want busing. We just want schools to be better balanced demographically and if kids have to attend schools farther from home, that's OK." This is a BOE member Dixon paraphrase BTW.

"further away" <> "countywide busing". It may, however, mean adjacent clusters.

We have that now, pre-the word "especially". Look at the Churchill and Wootton cluster maps.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04602map.pdf

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04234map.pdf

Do you know what countywide means?

And so you agree that "countywide" busing is happening now? Some of those kids in Churchill cluster are being "bused" to Churchill rather than the closest school.