MoCo County Executive race

[Anonymous]

I don't know if Blair will be running again. He's getting his newest PBM off the ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:anybody but Jawando

He seems least offensive of the three.

However, could we see another challenger appear?

Seems like it might be easy pickings. Some centrist democrat can come out and say, “I’ll do everything in my power to fight these housing density pet projects”.

Let the other three fight over their votes for ruining the county, the challenger takes the money and the votes.

Oh my gosh I hope so. Maybe a recently laid off fed? If you are out there reading this, centrist considering a run, please run!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:anybody but Jawando

He seems least offensive of the three.

However, could we see another challenger appear?

Seems like it might be easy pickings. Some centrist democrat can come out and say, “I’ll do everything in my power to fight these housing density pet projects”.

Let the other three fight over their votes for ruining the county, the challenger takes the money and the votes.

Oh my gosh I hope so. Maybe a recently laid off fed? If you are out there reading this, centrist considering a run, please run!!

^^Yes! I never thought about that, but that would be a dream scenario in my book. Someone with a stellar resume who comes out of centerfield without the baggage of the social club that is Montgomery County Council. Someone completely unattached to the interest groups, developers and grifters posing as activists.

Someone out there step up to the plate and run. You've got my vote and I'll volunteer on your campaign.

[Anonymous]

Since they won’t let us vote on these housing proposals, make the CE position and council member positions referendums on the policies. I doubt that I’ll even consider candidate positions on other issues until they make their thoughts known on housing. Once they do, we need to keep it front and center.

[Anonymous]

Local politician's kids should be off-limits. As it happens both Jawando and Albornoz have kids in the public school system. All of their kids for all grades? No, but there are a lot of reasons that go into that, like special needs, where one's spouse works, religious factors, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:anybody but Jawando

...or Glass (look at his voting record, as he likes to say, and the bills he has introduced).

...or Friedson...or Fani-Gonzalez...or Stewart...or Luedtke...or Sales...or Balcombe (all More Housing N.O.W. sponsors, making a majority that will see it passed).

Back in 2020, Elrich's first veto was of an expected $400M giveaway to developers for extremely marginal affordable housing increases for projects directly at a Metro.

https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Bill-29-20-VetoMemorandum-1.pdf

As the veto letter points out, with 8,000 units expected to be in play, developers were set to get $50k per unit, when counting every unit, including those not affordable/MPDU. I guess we just didn't need the money...oh, wait...

Friedson was among the 7-2 majority that overrode the veto, and remains, with the others, above, entirely beholden to development interests at the expense both of residents of areas to be developed and the general MoCo population, who are on the tax hook to make up for the incentives. That comes from income tax, property tax, transfer tax, etc., or rent increases at properties (SFH & older MFH) that don't get the new development exemption. Even those moving into the newer developments end up paying, other than the few MPDUs (though that may simply be similar with much smaller footprints/low-end finishes or the like), as sale price or rent follows the whole market, not the particular development, allowing the developers to pocket nearly all of the incentive while asking rents/prices go up to cover a portion of the additional cost (tax, etc., above) -- most of it in a supply-constrained environment.

Jawando was one of two (Hucker) who voted to uphold the veto, but he did so knowing his colleagues would get past it, getting to claim opposition while failing to do anything to sway others to a different outcome. Political calculus rather than working for the people -- his immediate follow-up was ZTA 20-07, which tried change R-60 zoning within a mile of Metro.

Councilmembers love using ZTAs to change the fundamental nature of zoned areas. They were never meant for that. They are meant more to accommodate nuances in building code and the like to change with time. The introduction of new zoning and reclassifying properties from one zoning category to another is meant to accomplish changes such as those amounting to additional population density. But politicians are happy to twist where they can, and ZTAs neither get executive review the way bills do, nor do they require the notice to residents and other procedural steps that a change in zoning would.

Not that the current Council wouldn't want an executive who would be amenable to more developer giveaways. Any of the above, including those expected to be running for CE (Friedson, Glass & Jawando) present that.

Here’s the thing: Friedson keeps introducing and passing subsidies for market rate housing. These units are very expensive ($5k a month for a 2BR at the project that got the subsidy in 2020). That means that people who can’t even afford to live in this building are paying higher taxes so the developer can make more money. That’s immoral.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Local politician's kids should be off-limits. As it happens both Jawando and Albornoz have kids in the public school system. All of their kids for all grades? No, but there are a lot of reasons that go into that, like special needs, where one's spouse works, religious factors, etc.

Nobody is discussing anyone’s kids.

Rather, some prefer a leader who understands the importance of improving mcps.

People who send their kids to private schools don’t have visibility on mcps. Or maybe they do and have opted for better education elsewhere.

It’s a legitimate factor when evaluating a potential leader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:anybody but Jawando

...or Glass (look at his voting record, as he likes to say, and the bills he has introduced).

...or Friedson...or Fani-Gonzalez...or Stewart...or Luedtke...or Sales...or Balcombe (all More Housing N.O.W. sponsors, making a majority that will see it passed).

Back in 2020, Elrich's first veto was of an expected $400M giveaway to developers for extremely marginal affordable housing increases for projects directly at a Metro.

https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Bill-29-20-VetoMemorandum-1.pdf

As the veto letter points out, with 8,000 units expected to be in play, developers were set to get $50k per unit, when counting every unit, including those not affordable/MPDU. I guess we just didn't need the money...oh, wait...

Friedson was among the 7-2 majority that overrode the veto, and remains, with the others, above, entirely beholden to development interests at the expense both of residents of areas to be developed and the general MoCo population, who are on the tax hook to make up for the incentives. That comes from income tax, property tax, transfer tax, etc., or rent increases at properties (SFH & older MFH) that don't get the new development exemption. Even those moving into the newer developments end up paying, other than the few MPDUs (though that may simply be similar with much smaller footprints/low-end finishes or the like), as sale price or rent follows the whole market, not the particular development, allowing the developers to pocket nearly all of the incentive while asking rents/prices go up to cover a portion of the additional cost (tax, etc., above) -- most of it in a supply-constrained environment.

Jawando was one of two (Hucker) who voted to uphold the veto, but he did so knowing his colleagues would get past it, getting to claim opposition while failing to do anything to sway others to a different outcome. Political calculus rather than working for the people -- his immediate follow-up was ZTA 20-07, which tried change R-60 zoning within a mile of Metro.

Councilmembers love using ZTAs to change the fundamental nature of zoned areas. They were never meant for that. They are meant more to accommodate nuances in building code and the like to change with time. The introduction of new zoning and reclassifying properties from one zoning category to another is meant to accomplish changes such as those amounting to additional population density. But politicians are happy to twist where they can, and ZTAs neither get executive review the way bills do, nor do they require the notice to residents and other procedural steps that a change in zoning would.

Not that the current Council wouldn't want an executive who would be amenable to more developer giveaways. Any of the above, including those expected to be running for CE (Friedson, Glass & Jawando) present that.

Here’s the thing: Friedson keeps introducing and passing subsidies for market rate housing. These units are very expensive ($5k a month for a 2BR at the project that got the subsidy in 2020). That means that people who can’t even afford to live in this building are paying higher taxes so the developer can make more money. That’s immoral.

+1

No subsidies to developers!

They are for-profit business ventures.

There are plenty of federal tax credits and incentives for developers to build affordable housing. Moco doesn’t need to give handouts to developers building $5k/month rentals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:anybody but Jawando

He seems least offensive of the three.

However, could we see another challenger appear?

Seems like it might be easy pickings. Some centrist democrat can come out and say, “I’ll do everything in my power to fight these housing density pet projects”.

Let the other three fight over their votes for ruining the county, the challenger takes the money and the votes.

Drain the MoCo lake? Bring in someone from outside??

[Anonymous]

Kate Stewart looks like she wants to run as well. Don't be fooled - she is all about attainable housing.

[Anonymous]

No to Kate Stewart. She's in the bowtie district, a combo of North Bethesda and SS/Tacoma Park. She only cares about the east side of her district, doesn't give a rats ass about north bethesda. She will never have my vote

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kate Stewart looks like she wants to run as well. Don't be fooled - she is all about attainable housing.

She’s all about subsidizing developers and just tries to wrap her corporate giveaways in a socially acceptable way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren’t Jawando’s kids in private school?

That’s a big red flag for me.

I want a leader who cares about public schools…and how far mcps has fallen.

Schools drive the housing market and ultimately tax revenue. We’ve lost so many residents who have opted for VA.

Glass doesn’t have kids.

What about Friedsen?

It's Friedson.
I
He is recently married, no kids, but is a product of MCPS.

He is horrible slimy and scammy

He has no interest in public schools he will lie and lie.

Yes he is newly married

He is a flip flopper do not trust him,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren’t Jawando’s kids in private school?

That’s a big red flag for me.

I want a leader who cares about public schools…and how far mcps has fallen.

Schools drive the housing market and ultimately tax revenue. We’ve lost so many residents who have opted for VA.

Glass doesn’t have kids.

What about Friedsen?

It's Friedson.
I
He is recently married, no kids, but is a product of MCPS.

He is horrible slimy and scammy

He has no interest in public schools he will lie and lie.

Yes he is newly married

He is a flip flopper do not trust him,

He’s not a flip flopper. He’s just a fraud. He claims to be a fiscal hawk but he’s authored major corporate subsidies. He claims to be pro education but he’s repeatedly robbed MCPS to give tax breaks to developers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Local politician's kids should be off-limits. As it happens both Jawando and Albornoz have kids in the public school system. All of their kids for all grades? No, but there are a lot of reasons that go into that, like special needs, where one's spouse works, religious factors, etc.

Jawando puts his kids all over social media.