MoCo County Executive race

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Sara Love and Arianna Kelly had kids in private schools, and they are/were huge chanpions for mcps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The 2BR for $5k is a bargain compared to the 3br for $11k a month. Really good use of taxpayer money by Friedson.

[Anonymous]

friedson has done some good work however his new in-laws look them up Maryland in case search they might have some tax paying issues ie they are special unlike the rest of us that pay ours on time.

He can stay at this level of politics anything else would be hard.

He and his wife are MOCO public school educated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Sara Love and Arianna Kelly had kids in private schools, and they are/were huge chanpions for mcps.

I remember Arianna Kelly's issues year ago with her ex. If that happened to any GOP member, they would have been tossed out.


From wiki...

In July 2015, Kelly was charged with indecent exposure and trespassing in an incident related to a domestic dispute.[42] According the police report, Kelly was dropping her two children off at her ex-husband's house when she learned that his fianceé was in the residence at the time. She then exposed her breasts in his direction, which he had captured on his cellphone camera.[43] Kelly later called the dispute that led to her arrest a "domestic quabble" rather than a criminal manner. Her charges were dropped later that month, with a spokesperson for Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy saying that the incident was "a matter better suited for family court" and that the indecent exposure charges were incorrectly applied

[Anonymous]

What about Dawn Luedtke? Her husband is an elected official at the state level. Seems better equipped to fund and manage an effective campaign. No baggage…yet.

Perhaps too soon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Dawn Luedtke? Her husband is an elected official at the state level. Seems better equipped to fund and manage an effective campaign. No baggage…yet.

Perhaps too soon?

She's too moderate to get the vote. Moderate residents don't bother to actually come out to vote in significant numbers. Especially up county. So the super left activists who "do" vote in large numbers generally determine the election outcomes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Dawn Luedtke? Her husband is an elected official at the state level. Seems better equipped to fund and manage an effective campaign. No baggage…yet.

Perhaps too soon?

I was so skeptical of her because I don't like her husband, but she has won me over. Like the PP said, she is "moderate", listens to her constituents, is smart and uses her common sense. I don't know how she would be as CE but it's a good place to start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Dawn Luedtke? Her husband is an elected official at the state level. Seems better equipped to fund and manage an effective campaign. No baggage…yet.

Perhaps too soon?

I was so skeptical of her because I don't like her husband, but she has won me over. Like the PP said, she is "moderate", listens to her constituents, is smart and uses her common sense. I don't know how she would be as CE but it's a good place to start.

I totally agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Sara Love and Arianna Kelly had kids in private schools, and they are/were huge chanpions for mcps.

Being smart enough to keep your kids out of MCPS should not disqualify someone from holding elected office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Dawn Luedtke? Her husband is an elected official at the state level. Seems better equipped to fund and manage an effective campaign. No baggage…yet.

Perhaps too soon?

She’s disappointed voters in the Olney/Brookeville area where a for-profit Florida-based company is locating a 16 bed residential treatment facility for high-needs addicts and mentally ill people next to a school (like on the actual border of the school). This oversized facility is sited between two SFHs.

I wonder if she and her husband are beholden to developers or big businesses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Dawn Luedtke? Her husband is an elected official at the state level. Seems better equipped to fund and manage an effective campaign. No baggage…yet.

Perhaps too soon?

She’s disappointed voters in the Olney/Brookeville area where a for-profit Florida-based company is locating a 16 bed residential treatment facility for high-needs addicts and mentally ill people next to a school (like on the actual border of the school). This oversized facility is sited between two SFHs.

I wonder if she and her husband are beholden to developers or big businesses?

She’s trying to stop it though, correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Dawn Luedtke? Her husband is an elected official at the state level. Seems better equipped to fund and manage an effective campaign. No baggage…yet.

Perhaps too soon?

She’s disappointed voters in the Olney/Brookeville area where a for-profit Florida-based company is locating a 16 bed residential treatment facility for high-needs addicts and mentally ill people next to a school (like on the actual border of the school). This oversized facility is sited between two SFHs.

I wonder if she and her husband are beholden to developers or big businesses?

She’s trying to stop it though, correct?

Seems like the response has been, “Sorry, but the current zoning law allows this. Nothing we can do.”

Lots of posts on the neighborhood FB groups, Nextdoor, etc. saying that folks have spoken with the county’s Planning office and what this FL-based, massive company is doing is leveraging a loophole by saying 2 houses on the property allows for 16+ residents. But apparently you can’t do that when you have 1 owner (1 owner = 8 residents).

Regardless, this sort of facility doesn’t belong next to a school. The county should fix the problem.

If Luedtke fixes this, then I will be the first to sing her praises. If she continues to say her hands are tied, then everyone in the Greenwood district (whose school and property values are impacted) won’t forget her lack of leadership and action.

It’s a great test case for whether or not she is equipped to lead.

[Anonymous]

All of the current council members are horrible except for maybe Kare Stewart who is reasonably ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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

Actually, Stewart doesn't care about Takoma Park. She ruined the town's finances when she was on its council and as it mayor. She led the effort to rebuild the town's library - the only municipal library in Maryland (because counties build them in Maryland) - and it is now coming in at more than 100% its original budget, partly because it was built it in a known flood zone. She gladly took a recreation center long overdue for rebuild from the county and began the effort to rebuild that, all to be paid for by Takoma Park, a town of 17,500 residents. Stewart commissioned focus group and design concept studies for that.

She started the effort to erect a commercial building at the Takoma Park junction. This droned on for 8 years, costing the city untold millions for attorneys, staff time, and finally, $500,000 to pay off the developer who went rogue on the original contract, and whom the city STILL paid off. The city is left with the same parking lot at the junction that it began with. Kate Stewart is at the center of all of this. She tends to show up for events in Silver Spring as county council person. Haven't seen her in Takoma Park for quite some time...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Dawn Luedtke? Her husband is an elected official at the state level. Seems better equipped to fund and manage an effective campaign. No baggage…yet.

Perhaps too soon?

She's too moderate to get the vote. Moderate residents don't bother to actually come out to vote in significant numbers. Especially up county. So the super left activists who "do" vote in large numbers generally determine the election outcomes

This is so accurate it hurts.