S/O Maryland, Virginia, Business, and Marc Elrich

[Anonymous]

Montgomery County is too much of a risk for businesses to seriously consider it as an option. Keep in mind that a business has a responsibility to try to keep costs down and stay in business not be a checkbook for the county.

The straw regulation or paper bag tax isn't really the problem. Its the taxes, poor fiscal position of the county and hostile business attitude of the local government. There is too much risk even if you could negotiate a better tax position that the county would spend all its time looking for loopholes to raise taxes and fees.

Restaurants exist in Montgomery County because there is a market but they have much costs to operate than in VA and even DC. The county alcohol control is hated by restaurant owners. Small local businesses have basically all moved up to Howard or Frederick.

The other issue is traffic. If you want to attract tech workers you are going to be far more successful if you locate near other tech companies. No tech worker is going to relocate up to MD from VA when all the other opportunities exist down in VA. The commute from MD to VA or VA to MD is too bad now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many town centers!! One opens and is popular..another opens, the people move on.. Cycle continues.

The problem is, now MoCo wants to build two on Viers Mill with no Metro stations. The county council has no idea what makes town centers successful.

Montgomery County wants to do what now? What are you referring to, specifcally?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, given the more or less consensus here that Maryland (Montgomery mainly) is seen as anti-business with too many socialistic regulations, and they elect people like Marc Elrich who is a Socialist, and Virginia is seen as more pro-business and they win companies like Amazon.

What consensus? What "socialistic regulations"?

Amazon located in NoVa because that was the best location for it. Regulations and "business environment" had nothing to do with it, or they wouldn't have chosen to locate in NYC (before they reconsidered).

I have a lot of disagreements with Marc Elrich, but this "he's a socialist who's bad for business" thing is not one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s the demographics. Businesses know MoCo is skewing toward poorer, less educated, and less hard-working residents than NoVa.

Less hard-working... Ignorant much? Your whole statement is completely false but you got me at less hard-working, lol!!! Moron madness.

Less hard-working is BS. Even if you are talking about low income, low education immigrants from Central America, the very _last_ thing you can say about them is they are not hard working.

MoCo's demographics are potentially a concern, but in my area (wheaton/forest glen) it seems like the families moving in are all young with good professional careers

The businesses picking NoVa are fine with the custodial staff working for a contractor taking buses from MoCo to empty their trash cans at night.

Geez. There are a lot of dumb people on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

I voted for Elrich and I also voted for Trump

In 2020 I will only vote for the Democrat if it's someone like Bernie, Tulsi, or Yang. Might consider Elizabeth Warren. Otherwise I will write someone in.

I only like non-mainstream politicians. I like to look at Washington Post endorsements and vote the opposite. The establishment never gets anything done and is only self-serving. I voted for Elirch because he was the 1 in the 8-1 council votes. He's against the elites like big business and big development. So the more he pisses off the Council, the more I like him. I like what he says on social media that gets people triggered. He's a populist. He speaks to people, like Bernie.

Do I regret my Trump vote? Sort of. It didn't matter voting in Maryland. I just counldn't vote for Hillary. I would have voted for Jill but voting Trump was more of a middle finger. I think he's terrible but Hillary would have been equally terrible for different reasons.

I voted Elrich because he's the anti-establishment wing of Montgomery County Politics. Better than the other term-limited councilmen or the business-gentry David Blair. I will probably vote for Elrich again unless he gets a challenger from the left. Would have voted for Robin Ficker if Blair were the nominee last year.

The more people who can get in office to really shake things up, the better. I vote for the bricks in the window or for the hand granade. We are so entrenched in the donor class elite we need a complete purge of the poison that runs through our systems veins. I'll go for anything just short of a revolution.