Petition to Reconfigure MoCo Districts

[Anonymous]

http://www.ninedistrictsformoco.org/

Has anyone heard of this? They want to change MoCo council districts to eliminate the at-large seats and change them to be by district.

Is there any downside to this approach? Their petition makes a good point, but of course that's only one side of it.

I signed it anyway, since that just tries to get it on the ballot in November, and I think it's worth it to have the voters decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.ninedistrictsformoco.org/

Has anyone heard of this? They want to change MoCo council districts to eliminate the at-large seats and change them to be by district.

Is there any downside to this approach? Their petition makes a good point, but of course that's only one side of it.

I signed it anyway, since that just tries to get it on the ballot in November, and I think it's worth it to have the voters decide.

Currently, you're represented by 5 councilmembers - your district councilmember and the four at-large councilmembers. So that's 5 councilmembers you can ask, if you want a councilmember to do something.

If this passes, you'll be represented by 1 councilmember. And if that 1 councilmember doesn't want to do what you're asking, you're out of luck.

I have a low opinion of my current district councilmember, so I have experience with this.

[Anonymous]

But all the all large are down county. So down county is well represented but working class up county is not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But all the all large are down county. So down county is well represented but working class up county is not

Awww, rich people in Potomac and Gaithersburg are so, so oppressed by working class people in Silver Spring and Wheaton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But all the all large are down county. So down county is well represented but working class up county is not

There's a big difference between "the at-larges live in the downcounty" and "the at-larges represent the downcounty".

Several of the at-large reps - who live in the downcounty - have been very responsive to the upcounty issues I've been involved in. The district rep - who lives in the upcounty - has not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.ninedistrictsformoco.org/

Has anyone heard of this? They want to change MoCo council districts to eliminate the at-large seats and change them to be by district.

Is there any downside to this approach? Their petition makes a good point, but of course that's only one side of it.

I signed it anyway, since that just tries to get it on the ballot in November, and I think it's worth it to have the voters decide.

Currently, you're represented by 5 councilmembers - your district councilmember and the four at-large councilmembers. So that's 5 councilmembers you can ask, if you want a councilmember to do something.

If this passes, you'll be represented by 1 councilmember. And if that 1 councilmember doesn't want to do what you're asking, you're out of luck.

I have a low opinion of my current district councilmember, so I have experience with this.

I guess you can vote them out if your local councilmember is not doing their job. Ours seems pretty good (Friedson) so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.ninedistrictsformoco.org/

Has anyone heard of this? They want to change MoCo council districts to eliminate the at-large seats and change them to be by district.

Is there any downside to this approach? Their petition makes a good point, but of course that's only one side of it.

I signed it anyway, since that just tries to get it on the ballot in November, and I think it's worth it to have the voters decide.

Currently, you're represented by 5 councilmembers - your district councilmember and the four at-large councilmembers. So that's 5 councilmembers you can ask, if you want a councilmember to do something.

If this passes, you'll be represented by 1 councilmember. And if that 1 councilmember doesn't want to do what you're asking, you're out of luck.

I have a low opinion of my current district councilmember, so I have experience with this.

I guess you can vote them out if your local councilmember is not doing their job. Ours seems pretty good (Friedson) so far.

I agree - yours is good. Mine, alas, is not good.

[Anonymous]

Putting my political hat on: I think that this is motivated primarily by upcounty Republicans' fond hope that they might be able to elect a Republican to the county council if they got themselves a suitable one-ninth of the county for the county council district.

I don't think they're right, because 1/9 of 1.051 million is still 117,000 people, and Poolesville plus the whole Ag Reserve probably doesn't add up to much more than 20,000.

But that seems to be the idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Putting my political hat on: I think that this is motivated primarily by upcounty Republicans' fond hope that they might be able to elect a Republican to the county council if they got themselves a suitable one-ninth of the county for the county council district.

I don't think they're right, because 1/9 of 1.051 million is still 117,000 people, and Poolesville plus the whole Ag Reserve probably doesn't add up to much more than 20,000.

But that seems to be the idea.

The most conservative district, D2, regularly puts up Republican challengers who lose 70-30. D1 possibly similar. The other districts don't even bother to put up Republican candidates. It's a one-party county.

General elections would be more competitive if they had a Democratic Party vs. Socialist Party matchup.

[Anonymous]

The Dems in MoCo are so conservative they’re practically republican anyway, so what difference does it make? The only part of the county with any REAL progressivism is TP and some parts of Silver Spring.

Other than that, the rest are just Rotary Club republicans LARPING as Dems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Dems in MoCo are so conservative they’re practically republican anyway, so what difference does it make? The only part of the county with any REAL progressivism is TP and some parts of Silver Spring.

Other than that, the rest are just Rotary Club republicans LARPING as Dems.

If you're actually a Republican in Montgomery County, instead of someone who used to be a Republican in Montgomery County but changed party registration out of realism, then it's important to you. It's a big cultural thing for them.

[Anonymous]

You are kidding right? The MoCo County Council is so left wing it is ridiculous. It make me want to switch to being Republican out of spite (and as a protest against Erlich's outrageous power grab).

[Anonymous]

I'd be in favor of a petition to secede from MoCo. There is no need for the entire county to continue to be shut down because an irresponsible few can't stay home for a few days. Been home for 9 1/2 weeks now, and not lovin' it.

[Anonymous]

The At Large members are from Takoma Park, Silver Spring (2), not sure on Albonoz, As I understand it, there are those who view these as more progressive. With Erlich, who won by a few votes, then you have another influence from Takoma Park. For those less progressive democrats, like in a Gaithersburg, etc, they feel like their voices are drowned out by a concentration of the council with at large roles. I have never heard the intent to switch to republicans as no one sees that every likely in any scenario.

Not saying right or wrong, just the views I have heard pre COVID, when this petition was being discussed in our neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The At Large members are from Takoma Park, Silver Spring (2), not sure on Albonoz, As I understand it, there are those who view these as more progressive. With Erlich, who won by a few votes, then you have another influence from Takoma Park. For those less progressive democrats, like in a Gaithersburg, etc, they feel like their voices are drowned out by a concentration of the council with at large roles. I have never heard the intent to switch to republicans as no one sees that every likely in any scenario.

Not saying right or wrong, just the views I have heard pre COVID, when this petition was being discussed in our neighborhood.

To be honest, I don't understand the idea that voters keep electing at-large members who don't live in the upcounty, therefore we have to get rid of the at-large system. Actually it's kind of the same as the idea that voters keep re-electing so-and-so, therefore we need term limits.

Also, the county executive's name is Elrich, and he won by many votes. The results were:

Elrich 259,901 (64.7%)
Floreen 76,092 (19.0%)
Ficker 65,096 (16.2%)