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

[Anonymous]

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.

I still see a disconnect here. the kind of regulations Montgomery County imposes are more low-level stuff: banning straws, styrofoam, minimum wage, generally pro-labor and pro-environmental regulations. And yet, MoCo doesn't seem to have a shortage of fast casual restaurants.
Wouldn't these kind of regulations mean a lot less to heavy-hitting, large companies with high paying jobs? Why would a company promising to bring six-figure jobs care whether or not the minimum wage is $15/hour? Does Amazon corporate really make line item decisions on how much their custodial staff make and whether or not they unionize? Would tech companies or fortune 500s really care that much about whether or not they can use styrofoam and straws in their cafeteria? Don't large companies actually have the advantage in being able to pay their lower level workers more and have environmentally sustainable policies?


My point is, Maryland needs to be more business friendly to increase its tax base, but scapegoating labor and environmental regulations doesn't appear to be the answer. Why hasn't the I-270 tech corridor been more successful? What else did Virginia have to lure Amazon (besides National Airport..)

Marc Elrich as CE has held a series of business-oriented listening sessions with, apparently, the aim to get rid of unnecessary regulations like outdated building codes and middlemen-red tape and excessive permiting. Wouldn't this be more helpful? I have heard that these listening sessions have been useful, but this was from one small business owner who likes Elrich anyway. Has anyone else attended?

[Anonymous]

I think the anti-business stance, even if most of it affects low-level employees or smal business, sets the stage. Larger companies think -- gee, if they are going to regulate that, will they regulate X next? Next, large companies have people who low-skilled employees too, not only janitorial staff but accounting, admin assistants, and so on.

To give an example of an anti-business practice that may affect them, there's a recent proposal that if a contract worker is working < 30 hours/week, they need to be paid fro 30 hours/week as it makes them eligible for health care. That kind of regulatino would make MoCo stand out, in a bad way, compared to all neighboring jurisdictions.

Then there's just commitmen to progress in general, which I think is the bigger thing. Look at VA and how they are able to expand roads without an issue. 495 has HOT/express lanes now. In MoCo, anything to improve the roads meets with opposition, and then even public transport meets oppositino -- Purple Line was mired in lawsuits for years.

Then the Westbard redevelopment in Bethesda -- they had to scale back their designs after political pressure.

As a business, who wants to deal with that when I can just locate in Frederick or Fairfax county?

[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.

I live in NoVa.

I dislike Elrich's hostility to market rate housing development.

I don't know if he is really a socialist.

I voted solid Dem and am glad Virginia expanded Medicaid. I want Va to pursuse more progressive policies, but I doubt we will go as far as Maryland.

Amazon located in Crystal City because of the transit and the bike lanes of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I live in NoVa.

I dislike Elrich's hostility to market rate housing development.

I don't know if he is really a socialist.

I voted solid Dem and am glad Virginia expanded Medicaid. I want Va to pursuse more progressive policies, but I doubt we will go as far as Maryland.

Amazon located in Crystal City because of the transit and the bike lanes of course.

Let me guess - you write for Greater Greater Washington.

[Anonymous]

I went to just the second half of a meeting. Didn't seem to be super useful....

I am cheering for MoCo, but I don't think Elrich is the one to get us on the right track

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I live in NoVa.

I dislike Elrich's hostility to market rate housing development.

I don't know if he is really a socialist.

I voted solid Dem and am glad Virginia expanded Medicaid. I want Va to pursuse more progressive policies, but I doubt we will go as far as Maryland.

Amazon located in Crystal City because of the transit and the bike lanes of course.

Let me guess - you write for Greater Greater Washington.

New pp here. I’m all for loosening development rules and do not surge for that site. Plenty of people want development. I for one believe building around Metro stations is a good idea. The Viers Mill sector plan is not so great. We don’t need town centers all over the place without transit.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Does Amazon corporate really make line item decisions on how much their custodial staff make and whether or not they unionize? Would tech companies or fortune 500s really care that much about whether or not they can use styrofoam and straws in their cafeteria? Don't large companies actually have the advantage in being able to pay their lower level workers more and have environmentally sustainable policies?


My point is, Maryland needs to be more business friendly to increase its tax base, but scapegoating labor and environmental regulations doesn't appear to be the answer. Why hasn't the I-270 tech corridor been more successful? What else did Virginia have to lure Amazon (besides National Airport..)

Amazon picked NYC as the 2nd HQ (yes, we know they are bowing out now due to political pressure) -- high minimum wage, high taxes, and high regulations.

It was purely because of the location - near an airport.

The same principle applies to house hunting applies to corporate hq hunting -- location location location.

So you're right.. it's not about unions or high minimum wage or taxes. IMO, it's about access to international airports.

I have worked for several large high tech companies, and they all want easy access to large international airports. NoVa has two, though DCA is not much of an international airport, it does have some int'l flights. The problem IMO with MoCo location is the traffic bridge you have to deal with to get to those airports. Yes, MoCo has access to BWI but that's just one airport.

As for the argument about educated workforce -- this entire DC area has a highly educated workforce. If that was the ONLY factor, the decision could go either way. But, the location for access to a largish airport was probably the bigger factor. Again, look at their decision to choose NYC.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Elrich needs to appoint some department directors first. He’s like a liberal trump. I don’t think anyone wants to work for him...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I live in NoVa.

I dislike Elrich's hostility to market rate housing development.

I don't know if he is really a socialist.

I voted solid Dem and am glad Virginia expanded Medicaid. I want Va to pursuse more progressive policies, but I doubt we will go as far as Maryland.

Amazon located in Crystal City because of the transit and the bike lanes of course.

Let me guess - you write for Greater Greater Washington.

Let me guess - you troll Greater Greater Washington.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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.