David Blair for MoCo executive

[Anonymous]

Riemer is going to get Nancy Floreen’d.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A "soft" real estate market with sky-high rents and housing prices, and bidding wars? How's that work?

Single family detached and multifamily high rise are separate housing markets. The market for multifamily high rise is soft. Planning has found that developers don't begin new projects if rents fall at existing buildings. Rents are still objectively high, but multifamily high rise is expensive to build so developers need top dollar to make the returns work. They don't start new projects if their target market (upper middle income to high income) isn't large enough to absorb existing units.

Hans has prevailed on every major zoning and planning vote during the past 11 years and he promised that his vision would result in large economic and revenue gains for the county. The county's economy has been stagnant, and now Hans tells us we have to subsidize market rate housing construction to realize his vision. It doesn't make any sense.

I suspect 15-25% MDPU requirements are a big contributor. Forces a cross subsidy of market rent payers to regulated rent payers, driving up market rents and contributing to vacancies.

If it were, the developers wouldn't proffer higher percentages of MPDUs.

They proffer higher MPDU percentages to get height and density bonuses or to get impact fees waived. Riemer wanted to get rid of the fee waiver so he could get fees lowered for market rate units, but that proposal didn’t make it out of planning despite Casey Anderson’s best efforts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Riemer is going to get Nancy Floreen’d.

How? Nancy Floreen ran as an independent in the general election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Riemer is going to get Nancy Floreen’d.

How? Nancy Floreen ran as an independent in the general election.

It’s colloquial for getting demolished in an election you have no business running in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Riemer is going to get Nancy Floreen’d.

How? Nancy Floreen ran as an independent in the general election.

It’s colloquial for getting demolished in an election you have no business running in.

I hope so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m voting for Riemer. Cannot stand Elrich who wanted the county closed down forever. Riemer also writes me back personally whenever I email with concerns. He hustles. He isn’t afraid to stand up to the Takoma wackos, had good ideas about smart growth. I like him.

Blair? Never
Elrich? Long enough with this guy.

Riemer voted for every shut down put before the council. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

Riemer's idea of smart growth is giving subsidies to people who are making millions already. He would have less authority over land use and zoning as executive, but he would be negotiating deals using our wallets. No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m voting for Riemer. Cannot stand Elrich who wanted the county closed down forever. Riemer also writes me back personally whenever I email with concerns. He hustles. He isn’t afraid to stand up to the Takoma wackos, had good ideas about smart growth. I like him.

Blair? Never
Elrich? Long enough with this guy.

Riemer voted for every shut down put before the council. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

Riemer's idea of smart growth is giving subsidies to people who are making millions already. He would have less authority over land use and zoning as executive, but he would be negotiating deals using our wallets. No thanks.

This reminds me of when Ike Leggett had the county take out high interest short term loan in order to give a developer a no interest loan for a development at Shady Grove. It was bad financially for tax payers, totally unnecessary and reeked to high heaven. If people want more for that, but on steroid, vote for Riemer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m voting for Riemer. Cannot stand Elrich who wanted the county closed down forever. Riemer also writes me back personally whenever I email with concerns. He hustles. He isn’t afraid to stand up to the Takoma wackos, had good ideas about smart growth. I like him.

Blair? Never
Elrich? Long enough with this guy.

Riemer voted for every shut down put before the council. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

Riemer's idea of smart growth is giving subsidies to people who are making millions already. He would have less authority over land use and zoning as executive, but he would be negotiating deals using our wallets. No thanks.

This reminds me of when Ike Leggett had the county take out high interest short term loan in order to give a developer a no interest loan for a development at Shady Grove. It was bad financially for tax payers, totally unnecessary and reeked to high heaven. If people want more for that, but on steroid, vote for Riemer.

You made me look that story up and my god, it’s super troubling on many levels.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/isiah-leggetts-signature-plan-for-shady-grove-is-less-lucrative-than-promised/2017/07/17/b3ce5a06-6655-11e7-9928-22d00a47778f_story.html

It seriously worries me that Riemer has already indicated through his developer subsidy proposals that he wants to bring back this kind of terrible fiscal policy and governance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You made me look that story up and my god, it’s super troubling on many levels.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/isiah-leggetts-signature-plan-for-shady-grove-is-less-lucrative-than-promised/2017/07/17/b3ce5a06-6655-11e7-9928-22d00a47778f_story.html

It seriously worries me that Riemer has already indicated through his developer subsidy proposals that he wants to bring back this kind of terrible fiscal policy and governance.

It's neither terrible fiscal policy nor terrible governance, and no, it's not super troubling - or at least I don't find it so. The biggest problem is that while it's really stupid land use to have a school bus depot next to Shady Grove Metro, people have been able to block every proposal to move the school bus depot. What's your proposed solution to that problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You made me look that story up and my god, it’s super troubling on many levels.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/isiah-leggetts-signature-plan-for-shady-grove-is-less-lucrative-than-promised/2017/07/17/b3ce5a06-6655-11e7-9928-22d00a47778f_story.html

It seriously worries me that Riemer has already indicated through his developer subsidy proposals that he wants to bring back this kind of terrible fiscal policy and governance.

It's neither terrible fiscal policy nor terrible governance, and no, it's not super troubling - or at least I don't find it so. The biggest problem is that while it's really stupid land use to have a school bus depot next to Shady Grove Metro, people have been able to block every proposal to move the school bus depot. What's your proposed solution to that problem?

You obviously did not read it, because the entire article was about how much of a failure it was. Let's recap.

- Leggett "sells" land to a developer but tells them to pay the county whenever to "help their cash flow". That's a no interest loan!
- In exchange, Leggett has the county take out high interest short-term loans to pay for replacing all of the things that being done on the land "sold" to the developer but the developer has not paid the county for yet. That's insane!
- When you put the two together, its like if you took out a cash advance on your credit card to lend money to your brother so that he could invest in Bitcoin and you told him that it would be cool for him to HODL for six months and you you back then at no interest.

If you thing that this is good, then you are really dumb. OMG. It was a total failure on multiple levels. Several County Councilmembers are even quoted in the article acknowledging how massive a failure it was.

Furthermore, it was not just the bus depot but also the police training center. But in addition, they should have actually identified alternative locations before selling the land first, but then also not collecting payment for the land that was sold.

I cannot believe that you are defending this! Clearly Riemer plans to do more of this and I think everyone should be extremely concerned.

[Anonymous]

Where do you think the Shady Grove school bus depot should go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do you think the Shady Grove school bus depot should go?

Are you stupid? You think I run the County? Ike Leggett should have figured that out before he sold it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you think the Shady Grove school bus depot should go?

Are you stupid? You think I run the County? Ike Leggett should have figured that out before he sold it!

OK, but he didn't. So, where should it go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you think the Shady Grove school bus depot should go?

Are you stupid? You think I run the County? Ike Leggett should have figured that out before he sold it!

It is situations like this story with Shady Grove that should really have people concerned about candidates that have grand visions of development plans in close relationships with developers. As is typical, the outcome here turned out bad for everyone but the developer. The combination of well meaning and naïve is not a good one.

On top of that, it is pretty clear that the county government has serious problems with execution and competence. Whether it Shady Grove or the Silver Spring transit center or the Purple Line disaster or school overcrowding or the trash collection contractor fiasco (remember when our trash did not get picked up for weeks?) and on and on. If it wasn't for the fact that prior county governments were competent and made good decisions (setting aside land for parks and schools as an example), we would really be screwed.

The idea that Hans Riemer he will be "doing things differently" if he's elected is quite laughable considering that he has been in county government for the entirety of this decline. He may not want to recognize it, but is part responsible. And all of this "ideas" are a continuation of a lot of the bad ideas of the Leggett and Duncan years.

I personally think that we seriously need someone who can restore competence and trust to out county government. Has anyone ever called Riemer "competent"? Is there anything in his history or background that would indicate that he has the experience or ability to successfully lead people or large organizations? It's the opposite right. His reputation is someone who is a panderer who doesn't follow through. If Riemer would ever become executive, I fear for the future of this county. I really do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you think the Shady Grove school bus depot should go?

Are you stupid? You think I run the County? Ike Leggett should have figured that out before he sold it!

It is situations like this story with Shady Grove that should really have people concerned about candidates that have grand visions of development plans in close relationships with developers. As is typical, the outcome here turned out bad for everyone but the developer. The combination of well meaning and naïve is not a good one.

On top of that, it is pretty clear that the county government has serious problems with execution and competence. Whether it Shady Grove or the Silver Spring transit center or the Purple Line disaster or school overcrowding or the trash collection contractor fiasco (remember when our trash did not get picked up for weeks?) and on and on. If it wasn't for the fact that prior county governments were competent and made good decisions (setting aside land for parks and schools as an example), we would really be screwed.

The idea that Hans Riemer he will be "doing things differently" if he's elected is quite laughable considering that he has been in county government for the entirety of this decline. He may not want to recognize it, but is part responsible. And all of this "ideas" are a continuation of a lot of the bad ideas of the Leggett and Duncan years.

I personally think that we seriously need someone who can restore competence and trust to out county government. Has anyone ever called Riemer "competent"? Is there anything in his history or background that would indicate that he has the experience or ability to successfully lead people or large organizations? It's the opposite right. His reputation is someone who is a panderer who doesn't follow through. If Riemer would ever become executive, I fear for the future of this county. I really do.

I think Reimer and Elrich are each terrible in their own way, so I guess that leaves me voting for Blair. Honestly, I don’t care about his lack of local government experience anymore, the other two have it in spades and the only benefit I see is that I have enough data to know I don’t want them running things.