Elrich leads Blair by 6 points according to a new poll

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new resident, just moved from PG county last year, and I am not as familiar with the candidates. Here are my current first impressions and please do correct/add context.

Elrich: most of the feedback on DCUM is very negative, but obviously there must be something good about the guy because he is consistently polling first? my impression is that he is a moderate liberal, but not progressive enough with development for many people. also, he gets a ton of flack for crime.
Blair: a businessman who is very pro-development. wants to add more to the police force and wants to bring up the tax base with business-friendly development
Reimer: no chance, but is also very pro-development

Elrich is super progressive. A Democratic Socialist. He did steer us through COVID well, IMO, as far as getting people tested and vaccinated. But he can't manage money to save his life. He relied too heavily on federal reimbursement, which he didn't always get. He paid outrageously high covid differentials to employees (and promised federal reimbursement, which he didn't get), far greater pay than surrounding jurisdictions, for far longer. He built this year's budget on one-time federal funding that won't sustain this new level of spending moving into the next fiscal year. I can almost guarantee we will have to cut the budget moving into FY24, and that will cut services. He increased capital budget project costs by about 10% to make everything net zero. He demands all electric fleet but doesn't raise that fleet budget, so departments have to buy fewer, more expensive vehicles, that don't always meet their service requirements. He hires a bunch of flakes like Andrew Kleine and Carmen Facciolo, and loses other good department heads like police chief Manger, the corrections guy, and the Environmental Protection guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new resident, just moved from PG county last year, and I am not as familiar with the candidates. Here are my current first impressions and please do correct/add context.

Elrich: most of the feedback on DCUM is very negative, but obviously there must be something good about the guy because he is consistently polling first? my impression is that he is a moderate liberal, but not progressive enough with development for many people. also, he gets a ton of flack for crime.
Blair: a businessman who is very pro-development. wants to add more to the police force and wants to bring up the tax base with business-friendly development
Reimer: no chance, but is also very pro-development

Elrich is super progressive. A Democratic Socialist. He did steer us through COVID well, IMO, as far as getting people tested and vaccinated. But he can't manage money to save his life. He relied too heavily on federal reimbursement, which he didn't always get. He paid outrageously high covid differentials to employees (and promised federal reimbursement, which he didn't get), far greater pay than surrounding jurisdictions, for far longer. He built this year's budget on one-time federal funding that won't sustain this new level of spending moving into the next fiscal year. I can almost guarantee we will have to cut the budget moving into FY24, and that will cut services. He increased capital budget project costs by about 10% to make everything net zero. He demands all electric fleet but doesn't raise that fleet budget, so departments have to buy fewer, more expensive vehicles, that don't always meet their service requirements. He hires a bunch of flakes like Andrew Kleine and Carmen Facciolo, and loses other good department heads like police chief Manger, the corrections guy, and the Environmental Protection guy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-leftist-is-poised-to-lead-montgomery-county-theres-cause-for-concern/2018/07/11/b997d8c2-8463-11e8-9e80-403a221946a7_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new resident, just moved from PG county last year, and I am not as familiar with the candidates. Here are my current first impressions and please do correct/add context.

Elrich: most of the feedback on DCUM is very negative, but obviously there must be something good about the guy because he is consistently polling first? my impression is that he is a moderate liberal, but not progressive enough with development for many people. also, he gets a ton of flack for crime.
Blair: a businessman who is very pro-development. wants to add more to the police force and wants to bring up the tax base with business-friendly development
Reimer: no chance, but is also very pro-development

Elrich is super progressive. A Democratic Socialist. He did steer us through COVID well, IMO, as far as getting people tested and vaccinated. But he can't manage money to save his life. He relied too heavily on federal reimbursement, which he didn't always get. He paid outrageously high covid differentials to employees (and promised federal reimbursement, which he didn't get), far greater pay than surrounding jurisdictions, for far longer. He built this year's budget on one-time federal funding that won't sustain this new level of spending moving into the next fiscal year. I can almost guarantee we will have to cut the budget moving into FY24, and that will cut services. He increased capital budget project costs by about 10% to make everything net zero. He demands all electric fleet but doesn't raise that fleet budget, so departments have to buy fewer, more expensive vehicles, that don't always meet their service requirements. He hires a bunch of flakes like Andrew Kleine and Carmen Facciolo, and loses other good department heads like police chief Manger, the corrections guy, and the Environmental Protection guy.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new resident, just moved from PG county last year, and I am not as familiar with the candidates. Here are my current first impressions and please do correct/add context.

Elrich: most of the feedback on DCUM is very negative, but obviously there must be something good about the guy because he is consistently polling first? my impression is that he is a moderate liberal, but not progressive enough with development for many people. also, he gets a ton of flack for crime.
Blair: a businessman who is very pro-development. wants to add more to the police force and wants to bring up the tax base with business-friendly development
Reimer: no chance, but is also very pro-development

Elrich is super progressive. A Democratic Socialist. He did steer us through COVID well, IMO, as far as getting people tested and vaccinated. But he can't manage money to save his life. He relied too heavily on federal reimbursement, which he didn't always get. He paid outrageously high covid differentials to employees (and promised federal reimbursement, which he didn't get), far greater pay than surrounding jurisdictions, for far longer. He built this year's budget on one-time federal funding that won't sustain this new level of spending moving into the next fiscal year. I can almost guarantee we will have to cut the budget moving into FY24, and that will cut services. He increased capital budget project costs by about 10% to make everything net zero. He demands all electric fleet but doesn't raise that fleet budget, so departments have to buy fewer, more expensive vehicles, that don't always meet their service requirements. He hires a bunch of flakes like Andrew Kleine and Carmen Facciolo, and loses other good department heads like police chief Manger, the corrections guy, and the Environmental Protection guy.

What is the difference between the three candidates regarding development and the Thrive plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Movement” of vanilla faux-progressive comfortable white people who spend too much time online.

Who? The Silver Spring Justice Coalition?

Whoever these people are. Every photo Riemer posts online seems like a cookie cutter of the last.

Fixed

I love that photo. It perfectly encapsulates the downcounty white liberal.

Living in a million dollar house, having yard signs about "progress", and not a single person of color invited to their event

Or they were too smart to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new resident, just moved from PG county last year, and I am not as familiar with the candidates. Here are my current first impressions and please do correct/add context.

Elrich: most of the feedback on DCUM is very negative, but obviously there must be something good about the guy because he is consistently polling first? my impression is that he is a moderate liberal, but not progressive enough with development for many people. also, he gets a ton of flack for crime.
Blair: a businessman who is very pro-development. wants to add more to the police force and wants to bring up the tax base with business-friendly development
Reimer: no chance, but is also very pro-development

Elrich is super progressive. A Democratic Socialist. He did steer us through COVID well, IMO, as far as getting people tested and vaccinated. But he can't manage money to save his life. He relied too heavily on federal reimbursement, which he didn't always get. He paid outrageously high covid differentials to employees (and promised federal reimbursement, which he didn't get), far greater pay than surrounding jurisdictions, for far longer. He built this year's budget on one-time federal funding that won't sustain this new level of spending moving into the next fiscal year. I can almost guarantee we will have to cut the budget moving into FY24, and that will cut services. He increased capital budget project costs by about 10% to make everything net zero. He demands all electric fleet but doesn't raise that fleet budget, so departments have to buy fewer, more expensive vehicles, that don't always meet their service requirements. He hires a bunch of flakes like Andrew Kleine and Carmen Facciolo, and loses other good department heads like police chief Manger, the corrections guy, and the Environmental Protection guy.

Thank you! That’s my worry too- Elrich is not a bad guy - but another 4 years of his budget mismanagement could really put the county in a hole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new resident, just moved from PG county last year, and I am not as familiar with the candidates. Here are my current first impressions and please do correct/add context.

Elrich: most of the feedback on DCUM is very negative, but obviously there must be something good about the guy because he is consistently polling first? my impression is that he is a moderate liberal, but not progressive enough with development for many people. also, he gets a ton of flack for crime.
Blair: a businessman who is very pro-development. wants to add more to the police force and wants to bring up the tax base with business-friendly development
Reimer: no chance, but is also very pro-development

Elrich is super progressive. A Democratic Socialist. He did steer us through COVID well, IMO, as far as getting people tested and vaccinated. But he can't manage money to save his life. He relied too heavily on federal reimbursement, which he didn't always get. He paid outrageously high covid differentials to employees (and promised federal reimbursement, which he didn't get), far greater pay than surrounding jurisdictions, for far longer. He built this year's budget on one-time federal funding that won't sustain this new level of spending moving into the next fiscal year. I can almost guarantee we will have to cut the budget moving into FY24, and that will cut services. He increased capital budget project costs by about 10% to make everything net zero. He demands all electric fleet but doesn't raise that fleet budget, so departments have to buy fewer, more expensive vehicles, that don't always meet their service requirements. He hires a bunch of flakes like Andrew Kleine and Carmen Facciolo, and loses other good department heads like police chief Manger, the corrections guy, and the Environmental Protection guy.

What is the difference between the three candidates regarding development and the Thrive plan?

Thrive is garbage. The key problem is that it is written in code words, so that it can mean different things to different people when it comes later to passing ZTAs to implement Thrive because everyone will say that the proposed ZTA is “mandated by Thrive” and that is the problem. It can be a Trojan Horse for any number of things, but in the core argument against Thrive that has been stated by many is that it is too focused on housing type instead of housing unit production. And even within the proposed housing types, it includes things that Planning has been historically against and internal contradictions, such as cottage-style housing because Planning wants everything to face the street which is consistent with “principles of urbanism” that Thrive also promotes.

In terms of development, I think the big difference between the candidates is actually location of new development. Riemer wants to focus on 355/Wisconsin. Blair seems to be more interested in Silver Spring. Elrich is more interested in upcountry areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new resident, just moved from PG county last year, and I am not as familiar with the candidates. Here are my current first impressions and please do correct/add context.

Elrich: most of the feedback on DCUM is very negative, but obviously there must be something good about the guy because he is consistently polling first? my impression is that he is a moderate liberal, but not progressive enough with development for many people. also, he gets a ton of flack for crime.
Blair: a businessman who is very pro-development. wants to add more to the police force and wants to bring up the tax base with business-friendly development
Reimer: no chance, but is also very pro-development

Elrich is super progressive. A Democratic Socialist. He did steer us through COVID well, IMO, as far as getting people tested and vaccinated. But he can't manage money to save his life. He relied too heavily on federal reimbursement, which he didn't always get. He paid outrageously high covid differentials to employees (and promised federal reimbursement, which he didn't get), far greater pay than surrounding jurisdictions, for far longer. He built this year's budget on one-time federal funding that won't sustain this new level of spending moving into the next fiscal year. I can almost guarantee we will have to cut the budget moving into FY24, and that will cut services. He increased capital budget project costs by about 10% to make everything net zero. He demands all electric fleet but doesn't raise that fleet budget, so departments have to buy fewer, more expensive vehicles, that don't always meet their service requirements. He hires a bunch of flakes like Andrew Kleine and Carmen Facciolo, and loses other good department heads like police chief Manger, the corrections guy, and the Environmental Protection guy.

Manger was super competent and ran a solid police force, but his problem was that he was getting a little Trumpy in his public statements. The head of the Department of Environment was a huge loss because that guy was very, very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Movement” of vanilla faux-progressive comfortable white people who spend too much time online.

Who? The Silver Spring Justice Coalition?

Whoever these people are. Every photo Riemer posts online seems like a cookie cutter of the last.

Fixed

I love that photo. It perfectly encapsulates the downcounty white liberal.

Living in a million dollar house, having yard signs about "progress", and not a single person of color invited to their event

Or they were too smart to attend.

Lol. Good point (and probably true! )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new resident, just moved from PG county last year, and I am not as familiar with the candidates. Here are my current first impressions and please do correct/add context.

Elrich: most of the feedback on DCUM is very negative, but obviously there must be something good about the guy because he is consistently polling first? my impression is that he is a moderate liberal, but not progressive enough with development for many people. also, he gets a ton of flack for crime.
Blair: a businessman who is very pro-development. wants to add more to the police force and wants to bring up the tax base with business-friendly development
Reimer: no chance, but is also very pro-development

Elrich is super progressive. A Democratic Socialist. He did steer us through COVID well, IMO, as far as getting people tested and vaccinated. But he can't manage money to save his life. He relied too heavily on federal reimbursement, which he didn't always get. He paid outrageously high covid differentials to employees (and promised federal reimbursement, which he didn't get), far greater pay than surrounding jurisdictions, for far longer. He built this year's budget on one-time federal funding that won't sustain this new level of spending moving into the next fiscal year. I can almost guarantee we will have to cut the budget moving into FY24, and that will cut services. He increased capital budget project costs by about 10% to make everything net zero. He demands all electric fleet but doesn't raise that fleet budget, so departments have to buy fewer, more expensive vehicles, that don't always meet their service requirements. He hires a bunch of flakes like Andrew Kleine and Carmen Facciolo, and loses other good department heads like police chief Manger, the corrections guy, and the Environmental Protection guy.

What is the difference between the three candidates regarding development and the Thrive plan?

Thrive is garbage. The key problem is that it is written in code words, so that it can mean different things to different people when it comes later to passing ZTAs to implement Thrive because everyone will say that the proposed ZTA is “mandated by Thrive” and that is the problem. It can be a Trojan Horse for any number of things, but in the core argument against Thrive that has been stated by many is that it is too focused on housing type instead of housing unit production. And even within the proposed housing types, it includes things that Planning has been historically against and internal contradictions, such as cottage-style housing because Planning wants everything to face the street which is consistent with “principles of urbanism” that Thrive also promotes.

In terms of development, I think the big difference between the candidates is actually location of new development. Riemer wants to focus on 355/Wisconsin. Blair seems to be more interested in Silver Spring. Elrich is more interested in upcountry areas.

Great post. It must be exhausting for developers to chase planning staff from fad to fad. Maybe that’s a reason we don’t build as much as housing as we used to.

[Anonymous]

Voted for Riemer! DH and I are super proud to vote for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Voted for Riemer! DH and I are super proud to vote for him.

What makes you “super proud” to vote for him? What will he do as county executive than he wasn’t able to do on his 12 long years on the council? How do you see those council years as successful? How will he actually support schools, beyond the usual promises he has made during election season about improving educational outcomes and student safety? Will he continue to say he was all for opening schools when he regularly voted against it? How will he address increasing crime in the county, especially since he is so hostile toward MCPD? Does he still support the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force suggestion of reducing officers in parts of the county by 50%?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Voted for Riemer! DH and I are super proud to vote for him.

What makes you “super proud” to vote for him? What will he do as county executive than he wasn’t able to do on his 12 long years on the council? How do you see those council years as successful? How will he actually support schools, beyond the usual promises he has made during election season about improving educational outcomes and student safety? Will he continue to say he was all for opening schools when he regularly voted against it? How will he address increasing crime in the county, especially since he is so hostile toward MCPD? Does he still support the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force suggestion of reducing officers in parts of the county by 50%?

This is the problem with Riemer. His whole campaign is premised on the fact that he has not been in county government for over a decade with a track record (or lack thereof).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Voted for Riemer! DH and I are super proud to vote for him.

What makes you “super proud” to vote for him? What will he do as county executive than he wasn’t able to do on his 12 long years on the council? How do you see those council years as successful? How will he actually support schools, beyond the usual promises he has made during election season about improving educational outcomes and student safety? Will he continue to say he was all for opening schools when he regularly voted against it? How will he address increasing crime in the county, especially since he is so hostile toward MCPD? Does he still support the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force suggestion of reducing officers in parts of the county by 50%?

He fundamentally doesn't understand public safety. He keeps underscoring the need for police to focus on investigations. He doesn't understand two things:

1) Police "must" answer calls for service and when they are 85 officers short (about 6-7% of sworn), personnel get shifted from detective/investigative work to answering calls. The Department has already been doing that for special situations.
2) MCPD's closure rate for violent crime investigations is still higher -- much higher than the national average. He doesn't have to keep calling for what they already do well.

If he ever supported cutting patrol staff by 50%, he's a danger to the community. Black and brown people are disproportionately the victims of crime, violent crime. People are getting hurt (or worse) because there are fewer police on the streets. I am so tired of the talking heads who know NOTHING. There are evidence-based ways to police, do it constitutionally, justly, and safely. These politicians don't have to reinvent the wheel, and when they do, they directly harm people, vulnerable people.

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/04/20/988769793/when-you-add-more-police-to-a-city-what-happens

[Anonymous]

I see negative ads from Riemer on a regular basis. Then I got a flyer in the mail from him saying he is running a positive campaign. It is so disingenuous and makes me never want to vote for him.