Why are all the county executive candidates so SMARMY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait -- did I write that first post in my sleep last night? Of the new candidates I dislike Hucker the least. Riemer's entire track record is about cozying up to developers. Blair has nothing in his background to suggest that he can be successful as a politician (that's what the county executive is -- this is not the same as running a business). He has no experience in dealing with complex policy issues in a diverse county with a powerful legislative branch. I'm trying to learn more about Hucker. But, in the end, I'm probably going with Elrich -- the devil you know.

County employee here, and this could not be more wrong. The County Exec needs to be more than a politician - this is Elrich's biggest failing as a CE. He has lots of political ideas, but he can't make the trains run on time, and that's his job now. Policy making is for the Council. The Executive has to run the government. It's an incredibly important distinction that Elrich still hasn't grasped. What's worse, is that he is actively dismissive of the people who do the actual work and know what is needed. He gave an interview calling them "we be's" as in "we be here before you and we be here after you."

It's a terrible attitude because these are voices that should be heavily considered. They aren't driven by politics, or influences by unions or donors. And they KNOW how things work on the ground. These are the people who actually administer all these programs and provide the services. Elrich runs around popping off at the mouth without any understanding of the nuts and bolts of the running of the government. He makes grand pronouncements without talking to anyone to find out what is doable.

Hucker is worse. He is just not intelligent and has very few opinions or ideas of his own. All his platforms are handed to him by special interests, and he'll jump on any bandwagon that passes, consistency be damned. Forget making the trains run on time - I'm not convinced that Hucker knows there are trains.

Reimer is beholden to developers but at least he's smart and has a better grasp of the administrative stuff that may be boring but is what actually gets things done.

Blair's a wild card, but seems to have common sense and isn't financed by special interests. Given the other options, I'll take my chances.

For me, its Blair - Reimer - Elrich - Hucker

Here’s a resident’s input. Elrich actually listens and responds to resident feedback. Not so sure the departments all know what they’re doing. It’s refreshing to have resident input considered.

Where do you live? I assume not upcounty. When he was a Councilmember, he didn't give a *#(# about upcounty concerns. Referred people to their district Councilmember instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP who said you can't have urbanism without job growth. It's honestly embarrassing how many more jobs NoVa has than us. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm voting for Blair.

-lifelong Dem, used to like Riemer, please god no more Elrich/TPers.

You are better then me. I had to leave the county. Just couldn’t take the smug stupidity any more. Also declining schools but that’s on the council - good economy equals great schools. Once they let the economy go wheels start to come off.

[Anonymous]

Have you heard my plans to fix the county transportation system. That alone brings $15B to MoCo economy as I would include battery, battery material and EV manufacturing be in County opportunity zones. But I do want to create jibs. I will create owners.

I will implement a digital twin ie. "Sim City" so everyone can "see" the operation of the governement augmented world in real time. Personal data will be removed using differential privacy technology.

Personal Rapid Transit is a third alternative to roads and transit. I propose a hybrid of both streets and guideways.

I was an unaffiliated voter a month ago. Now I am a Democratic running for County Executive.

I encourage everyone to read "The Righteous Mind" or visit the "Asteroid Club.org" website. If we are truly facing crises like climate change, we need to have a detailed plan and budget.

Please visit pjames.us

[Anonymous]

Peter James,

Yes I do need a nicer website. Any volunteers. I am just getting started.

Got a decent email list of 84K engaged voters, but that about it. I keep getting more support from each forum.

I am the only up county candidate and the only renter candidate.

I switched party affiliation about a month ago from unaffiliated.

Te other candidates don't have the technology background to address many of these issues on transportation, climate change, smart cities, etc.

IF elected I will provide free license to my:

Robotic mowers
weeding robot
litter and recycling robot
delivery robot

I ave spent 45 years developing high tech high touch systems. The high tech automates business process so employees can provide high touch customer service.

311 is low tech and low touch.

If Amazon can get you what you want te same day. There is no reason, other than lack of IT chops, we can get most requested filled from County Government the same day.

With it's blotted budget, I can easily knock 20% off bot operating and capital b budget, while providing much more responsive government service.

Affordable housing? Can't see the problem. Didn't fix it in 1974 wen we form the Housing Opportunity Commission?

Oh wait. HOC is more like LOC, Landlord opportunity commission. It was HOC's job to fix affordable housing. Instead they have institutionalized the renter class and subsided rich landlords providing low interest loans and taxpayers and low income renters money to service landlord's mortgages.

If the same tax payers dollars, spent over the 50 years on welfare for the rich, were used to guarantee renters mortgages, we won't ave an affordable housing "crisis".

Developers will create an affordable housing crisis continually to put press on communities to foster development. My youngest daughter is moving out next month and she had no problem finding affordable housing with tree other roommates.That said a single mom on minimum wage does need help on a mortgage.

Rather than urbanize the entire county with transit oriented development. A personal rapid transit system would make the trip to Frederick a 15 minute ride, This would make living in the "boonies" much more attractive to families preferring a better quality of life compared to being stacked like cord wood over a metro stop, Mental health is directly correlated to living space.

About "people oriented transportation" instead of "transit oriented development".

I would use AI an genetic algorithms http://71.163.111.38:4000/media/ga2.mp4t o take all county land and infrastructure data and let the algorithms solve for the optimal distribution of housing and supporting infrastructure needed to reach the best distribution and cost of housing.

The results would be influenced the fitness testing criteria supplied to the the genetic algorithm.. ie. the weight of affordability, transit equity, accessibility to amenities, level of environmental impact, etc would provide different optimal housing plan simulations. Citizens would get on a "Sim City" like web portal (https://www.planning.org/planning/2021/spring/smart-city-digital-twins-are-a-new-tool-for-scenario-planning/) and vote for their preferred alternative.

We need to disband HOC and Park & Planning as they were design in the Jim Crow era to keep people of color in there place. At a minimum we need to have both boards stand for elections.

[Anonymous]

WTF are you guys rambling about?

[Anonymous]

For those complaining about lack of housing, you are missing some information. The county needs AFFORDABLE housing.

There are over 40,000 approved dwelling units in the pipeline so to speak. Why aren't they being built? Developers cannot make enough money on them. They are waiting for more tax rebates from the Council (who will give it to them). And, the 12.5% MPDUs aren't going to cut it. When the market rate is well over a million, even the MPDUs are not affordable to our teachers, firefighters, etc.

Notice who isn't screaming for one CE candidate over another? It is the developers! Why? Because they know it really doesn't matter who the CE is, the Council will give them all kinds of tax breaks, further weakening our declining schools.

Whoever said earlier it's about the econony is spot on. And our economy in MoCo is a disaster, far behind our former rival, Fairfax County, and now also behind Howard and PG Counties. Fix the economy, fix the schools, fix transportation (transit and for cars), and we can fix MoCo. But the current guys running for CE have not demonstrated that they are capable of fixing any of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those complaining about lack of housing, you are missing some information. The county needs AFFORDABLE housing.

There are over 40,000 approved dwelling units in the pipeline so to speak. Why aren't they being built? Developers cannot make enough money on them. They are waiting for more tax rebates from the Council (who will give it to them). And, the 12.5% MPDUs aren't going to cut it. When the market rate is well over a million, even the MPDUs are not affordable to our teachers, firefighters, etc.

Notice who isn't screaming for one CE candidate over another? It is the developers! Why? Because they know it really doesn't matter who the CE is, the Council will give them all kinds of tax breaks, further weakening our declining schools.

Whoever said earlier it's about the econony is spot on. And our economy in MoCo is a disaster, far behind our former rival, Fairfax County, and now also behind Howard and PG Counties. Fix the economy, fix the schools, fix transportation (transit and for cars), and we can fix MoCo. But the current guys running for CE have not demonstrated that they are capable of fixing any of it.

I’m willing to take a chance on Blair because Elrich has demonstrated he can’t fix it during his time as CE and Reimer hasn’t inspired much confidence during his time in the council. It’s too bad the field was so overcrowded last time because I think he would have won with fewer candidates splitting the moderate vote but it’s always an uphill battle against an incumbent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reimer is beholden to developers but at least he's smart and has a better grasp of the administrative stuff that may be boring but is what actually gets things done.

lol, Reimer smart. Reimer panders to developers, and, actually, whatever group he is speaking to at the moment. An accomplished liar who likes to point out Erlich's problems, but he has been on the Council for 12 years, he IS the problem!

Personally not a fan of any of the slimy, swarmy, white men running.

I’ve never understood why so many people view developers as evil in the DMV- MoCo and DC in particular. Want housing? Then you need people to build/sell/rent it. With local laws leaning so heavily in favor of tenants, most private citizens aren’t going to be willing to take on that role. I know multiple people that let homes sit empty rather than rent it out, usually after bad eviction exerpeiences.

Developers are not "evil". They are profit-focused which leads to poor planning and decision-making and does not address the affordability problem. Jawando, with Riemer's support, pushed forth a plan to let developers build mutlti-familly (duplexes, triplexes, townhouses and apartment buildings) "by-right" within a mile of metro (see ZTA 20-07). By right means skipping the current affordability/MPDU criteria in place. You can build townhouses in R-60 now, you just have to include affordability. Riemer's giveaway to developers also means opening up single-family neighborhoods close-in to metro, including some majority minority communities in Wheaton to high density development and gentrification. What you get is NOT affordable housing, but $900K luxury townhomes like the Towns on Grove development in South Silver Spring (DTSS) that pro-development activists like Dan Reed like to celebrate. (sure, if you're a realtor like Reed, what's not to like about high sales prices to take your 3% cut?). What's really needed is a planning department that looks at existing opportunities within close-in communities, high vacancy office buildings and derelict motels or garages in DTSS that could add far more housing in one swoop than waiting for developers to flip SFH into triplexes through attrition.