Has Montgomery County moved leftward?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We will see. Personally, I don’t think he’s governing at all. He’s very disorganized and so is most of his close staff. The recommended budget will be released soon. I don’t expect a huge change from last year because they’ve only had a few months to look at it and no real time to dig deeply.

However, Councilmembers including Elrich were briefed last fall on rising County expenditures vs. slowing County revenues, and the most logical way to deal with structural deficits is to address employee compensation. But that will mean renegotiating with the unions, and I don’t think Elrich is up for that. At all. Let’s see what happens this summer.

He’s done that https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/government/county-executive-moves-to-reorganize-staff/
But those savings are small potatoes compared to what we face.
I’m as liberal as they come but the hard truth is that we HAVE to increase revenue. The population is growing and the people coming in are low income earners who need social services. I hate to be the one to look down on that and not be welcoming, but we need a better tax base. We need to encourage business - large companies with many high earning employees, the so-called yuppies that people love to hate, either that, or help our existing residents earn more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, at least recently. The county executive and several council members at large are from Silver Spring and Takoma Park, and the beliefs there are even farther left than most of the very liberal county.

Regarding Elrich, he was chosen for us by the far left in Takoma Park/Silver Spring. A small plurality of a leftist registered Democrat base (barely) got him a win in the primary and the vast majority general election voters voted for anyone with a D next to their name (save for Hogan) because we despise Trump and want to send him a message. Elrich was not elected by a majority of voters enthusiastically voting for a socialist. The upside is that Elrich doesn't appear to be governing as one.

Umm...he's governing the way his supporters thought he would, which is why he won! Bethesda supporter here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We will see. Personally, I don’t think he’s governing at all. He’s very disorganized and so is most of his close staff. The recommended budget will be released soon. I don’t expect a huge change from last year because they’ve only had a few months to look at it and no real time to dig deeply.

However, Councilmembers including Elrich were briefed last fall on rising County expenditures vs. slowing County revenues, and the most logical way to deal with structural deficits is to address employee compensation. But that will mean renegotiating with the unions, and I don’t think Elrich is up for that. At all. Let’s see what happens this summer.

He’s done that https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/government/county-executive-moves-to-reorganize-staff/
But those savings are small potatoes compared to what we face.
I’m as liberal as they come but the hard truth is that we HAVE to increase revenue. The population is growing and the people coming in are low income earners who need social services. I hate to be the one to look down on that and not be welcoming, but we need a better tax base. We need to encourage business - large companies with many high earning employees, the so-called yuppies that people love to hate, either that, or help our existing residents earn more.

No. He’s done nothing on a $5 billion budget. Salaries and benefits and retirement are 80% of all operating expenditures. He has structural work to do.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/agenda/col/2018/20181113/20181113_10.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We will see. Personally, I don’t think he’s governing at all. He’s very disorganized and so is most of his close staff. The recommended budget will be released soon. I don’t expect a huge change from last year because they’ve only had a few months to look at it and no real time to dig deeply.

However, Councilmembers including Elrich were briefed last fall on rising County expenditures vs. slowing County revenues, and the most logical way to deal with structural deficits is to address employee compensation. But that will mean renegotiating with the unions, and I don’t think Elrich is up for that. At all. Let’s see what happens this summer.

He’s done that https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/government/county-executive-moves-to-reorganize-staff/
But those savings are small potatoes compared to what we face.
I’m as liberal as they come but the hard truth is that we HAVE to increase revenue. The population is growing and the people coming in are low income earners who need social services. I hate to be the one to look down on that and not be welcoming, but we need a better tax base. We need to encourage business - large companies with many high earning employees, the so-called yuppies that people love to hate, either that, or help our existing residents earn more.

No. He’s done nothing on a $5 billion budget. Salaries and benefits and retirement are 80% of all operating expenditures. He has structural work to do.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/agenda/col/2018/20181113/20181113_10.pdf

I don't know, this goes back to my point about needing to increase revenue.
Elrich sold me on the fact that his good relationship with the unions enables him to negotiate with them productively; he made the point that it isn't in MCGEO's interest to have a budget crisis, because they'd all lose their jobs. Better to make cuts and compromises than to hit a wall and have massive layoffs.

But we need to increase revenue, and I'm conflicted. Clearly there is some magic number where businesses can be taxed enough to satisfy the county budget, but not so high that they pack up and leave for Virginia or choose Virginia in the first place. But at the same time, I don't like the idea of a race to the bottom as far as taxes go and letting Jeff Bezos determine how to run our government. I wish we could find some happy middle ground.

[Anonymous]

The national Republican party has gone off the rails and abandoned the patrician moderate Republicans in Montgomery County.

This has made running as a Republican in MoCo a toxic proposition. Hence, the entire MoCo governance structure is dominated by Democrats.

So no, I don't think MoCo has lurched leftward. But if you're a thinking adult who is interested in winning political office in MoCo, you know you need to run as a Dem or Independent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The national Republican party has gone off the rails and abandoned the patrician moderate Republicans in Montgomery County.

This has made running as a Republican in MoCo a toxic proposition. Hence, the entire MoCo governance structure is dominated by Democrats.

So no, I don't think MoCo has lurched leftward. But if you're a thinking adult who is interested in winning political office in MoCo, you know you need to run as a Dem or Independent.

+1. First, look at how the demographics shifted in MoCo. Second, looks at how the group that increased the most views Republicans on a national level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The national Republican party has gone off the rails and abandoned the patrician moderate Republicans in Montgomery County.

This has made running as a Republican in MoCo a toxic proposition. Hence, the entire MoCo governance structure is dominated by Democrats.

So no, I don't think MoCo has lurched leftward. But if you're a thinking adult who is interested in winning political office in MoCo, you know you need to run as a Dem or Independent.

I agree and disagree. If you wish to win in MoCo, you must run as a Democrat. But I also think the political leaders in MoCo have moved leftward. There are as narrow in their thinking as Trump supporters. They are all looking for something to complain about. Many wish they could be in Congress but getting elected to Congress from MoCo is particularly given the talent around here. MoCo needs to catch up with its peers in the neighboring counties and jurisdictions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The national Republican party has gone off the rails and abandoned the patrician moderate Republicans in Montgomery County.

This has made running as a Republican in MoCo a toxic proposition. Hence, the entire MoCo governance structure is dominated by Democrats.

So no, I don't think MoCo has lurched leftward. But if you're a thinking adult who is interested in winning political office in MoCo, you know you need to run as a Dem or Independent.

I agree and disagree. If you wish to win in MoCo, you must run as a Democrat. But I also think the political leaders in MoCo have moved leftward. There are as narrow in their thinking as Trump supporters. They are all looking for something to complain about. Many wish they could be in Congress but getting elected to Congress from MoCo is particularly given the talent around here. MoCo needs to catch up with its peers in the neighboring counties and jurisdictions.

Maybe if the national Republican party moved toward the center, then Democrats in MoCo would actually have strong challengers from moderate Republicans? Of course the current leadership will move leftward when the real race is the Democratic primary. Primaries bring out ideologues.

Republicans/conservatives have no one to blame except themselves for this debacle. Get your house in order on the national level and then maybe you'll start being a real challenger in MoCo politics. Otherwise, register as Democrat so you can campaign for and elect moderate Democrats in Montgomery County.

Republicans in Congress are more conservative at any time in the party's modern history, according the DW-NOMINATE methodology. Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats are about as "liberal" as the party has been historically. The data doesn't lie: https://voteview.com/parties/all

[Anonymous]

I remember years ago really hating Leggett's policies and being ready to vote R. This was hard because I'm a life long Dem who had never put an X down for a R. Well, the only R candidate was a crazy nut so I just didn't vote for anyone.

If a moderate R has run in MoCo he would have come close to winning and may have actually succeeded. The biggest problem in MoCo isn't left or right but the union's control over the political process.

[Anonymous]

Phil Andrews was moderate.
Craig Rice is moderate.
Sidney Katz is moderate.
Not quite sure about Gabe Albornoz yet.

We need to break up that at-large Silver Spring Takoma Park area a bit. I really wish an upcounty at large candidate would have won.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The national Republican party has gone off the rails and abandoned the patrician moderate Republicans in Montgomery County.

This has made running as a Republican in MoCo a toxic proposition. Hence, the entire MoCo governance structure is dominated by Democrats.

So no, I don't think MoCo has lurched leftward. But if you're a thinking adult who is interested in winning political office in MoCo, you know you need to run as a Dem or Independent.

I agree and disagree. If you wish to win in MoCo, you must run as a Democrat. But I also think the political leaders in MoCo have moved leftward. There are as narrow in their thinking as Trump supporters. They are all looking for something to complain about. Many wish they could be in Congress but getting elected to Congress from MoCo is particularly given the talent around here. MoCo needs to catch up with its peers in the neighboring counties and jurisdictions.

And democrats/liberals aren't narrow minded? Lol ... you are delusional.