Moderates- Eleich or Blair

[Anonymous]

Moderates- assuming it’s Elrich vs Blair, who is the better vote for a moderate? Go with the devil you know or the new guy, who I don’t feel like I know him despite all the ads?

[Anonymous]

I’d go with Blair. If anything, it’s necessary to upend county politics a bit. He’s a moderate outsider, which is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d go with Blair. If anything, it’s necessary to upend county politics a bit. He’s a moderate outsider, which is a good thing.

Another vote here for Blair, and for similar reasons.

[Anonymous]

I really hate the "time to upend things" argument. When has that ever worked out well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really hate the "time to upend things" argument. When has that ever worked out well?

It worked out pretty well with Obama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really hate the "time to upend things" argument. When has that ever worked out well?

Well the “insider” has been a poor county executive, so I’m willing to take the chance.

[Anonymous]

A lot of being CE is managing people and providing leadership. I think Blair’s background is fine for this. It’s not like Elrich is a good CE after years on the council.

[Anonymous]

Blair by far.

Just a few examples of his fiscal mismanagement:

1) I want to help the environment, but drastic changes at a county level, with no outside funding, just doesn't make sense. I've used this analogy before here -- MoCo's attempt to dent climate change is like me trimming my nails to lose weight. It has to be a global effort, or at least a national one, and we are foolish to spend county tax dollars on significant changes. We should be leveraging federal funding to the fullest extent possible. I'm not saying we should ignore the need for upgrades. We should do it, but on a smaller more sustainable scale. Elrich just implemented a Net Zero policy on government capital projects -- they can't use more energy than they create -- adding 10% or more to the cost of every single project.

2) He is in bed with the unions, so he gave them outrageously high hazard pay during covid (far, far higher than surrounding jurisdictions) and there were almost no decent mechanisms in place to ensure compliance, so there was a lot of fraud. He promised that FEMA would reimburse the county, but I think he ended up with maybe 20% reimbursed. He gave VOLUNTEER firefighters hazard pay. People who don't have to work.

3) He raided the OPEB fund that prefunds retiree health benefits. This OPEB fund is required by Government Accounting Standards Board and required to maintain our AAA bond rating. There is a formal process to go through before using these funds differently, and he just circumvented it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of being CE is managing people and providing leadership. I think Blair’s background is fine for this. It’s not like Elrich is a good CE after years on the council.

He never was elected president of Council, in over 12 years. That tells you something about his ability to work with others, and their opinions about his leadership (in)capabilities. That's over three different Councils. Not the current one, which also doesn't like him.

[Anonymous]

Blair. No question. Elrich is a horrible leader. He can’t even keep his own staff, a place where there is traditionally law turn over is the county executive’s office.

[Anonymous]

Good feedback and discussion!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blair. No question. Elrich is a horrible leader. He can’t even keep his own staff, a place where there is traditionally law turn over is the county executive’s office.

Sorry low

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blair by far.

Just a few examples of his fiscal mismanagement:

1) I want to help the environment, but drastic changes at a county level, with no outside funding, just doesn't make sense. I've used this analogy before here -- MoCo's attempt to dent climate change is like me trimming my nails to lose weight. It has to be a global effort, or at least a national one, and we are foolish to spend county tax dollars on significant changes. We should be leveraging federal funding to the fullest extent possible. I'm not saying we should ignore the need for upgrades. We should do it, but on a smaller more sustainable scale. Elrich just implemented a Net Zero policy on government capital projects -- they can't use more energy than they create -- adding 10% or more to the cost of every single project.

2) He is in bed with the unions, so he gave them outrageously high hazard pay during covid (far, far higher than surrounding jurisdictions) and there were almost no decent mechanisms in place to ensure compliance, so there was a lot of fraud. He promised that FEMA would reimburse the county, but I think he ended up with maybe 20% reimbursed. He gave VOLUNTEER firefighters hazard pay. People who don't have to work.

3) He raided the OPEB fund that prefunds retiree health benefits. This OPEB fund is required by Government Accounting Standards Board and required to maintain our AAA bond rating. There is a formal process to go through before using these funds differently, and he just circumvented it.

Good summary. I feel like a lot of cfun and not residents are really ignorant about all this.

[Anonymous]

County residents, not that weird autocorrect mismash, lol!

[Anonymous]

Absolutely Blair. I’m not usually a fan of the businessman —> politician, but Elrich has to go. He has no idea how to attract businesses because he doesn’t know how businesses work. It’s really bad.