Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

David Blair is a bonafide Democrat. Please check out his platform. He believes in equity: https://www.blairformontgomery.com/

Blair on justice and equity in policing, per WaPo:

Blair said he does not see the need for dramatic changes to the county’s police department.

“Are there areas for improvement? Absolutely. But will it be the main focus of my campaign? No,” he said. “Here in Montgomery County, we’ve done a great job . . . We’re an example for the nation on how to police.”

The thing is, he’s not entirely wrong. Of course there is room for improvement. But relatively speaking, policing in MoCo is not the lightening rod issue it is elsewhere. My hometown is seemingly in the news about police misconduct every other day.

You haven't heard the stories I've heard about how police treat POC here. And yeah, that statement tells me all I need to know about David Blair. No thank you.

whereas I agree with Blair. Would you rather defund the police? Who is going to protect POC from thieves and murderers, who target POC at a disproportionate rate?

DP: As a POC living in MoCo, I have some familiarity with utilizing mental health professionals alongside police officers officers. Fortunately, most of us understand that "defund the police" recogizes that police forces should not be militarized and that funding for mental health and social services will support more effective policing. To answer your question, the plan would be for better trained police officers to genuinely protect and serve all citizens and communities, including POC. What would change would be the addition of a wider array of support services available to people in crisis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Agree that Jawando has done more on police but I don't agree with the bolded above. Unlikely Jawando is running. On police I would go with Elrich over Rice who seems very much anti-reform, but overall I would vote for Rice because Elrich is a bad manager. Rice knows the issues, he's committed to equity in education and he has private sector experience that I think would be great for economic development efforts. Doubt he'll win but he's got my vote.

It's got to be just one person who keeps talking up Craig Rice on DCUM, right? His private sector experience is being a senior sales manager for Marriott.

Anonymous wrote:David Blair is still Empower Montgomery, along with Washington Property Company, largest developer in Montgomery County, although the website now tries to hide that connection. Understanding the need for new housing in the county doesn't mean you want your next door neighbor to sell to a developer who will erect a garden apartment in the middle of a SFH neighborhood, which is where Riemer and Jawando want to go with R60 and even R90 neighborhoods- and they're both huge NIMBYs. I'd have to hear specifics from Blair about what development projects he wants to see in the county before I would commit to voting for him. The council is always bought by developers, and they will always rubberstamp whatever zoning developers want. They unfortunately also focus on that rather than trying to promote an economy in MoCo that is not dependent on construction. Blair needs to start talking to us more about plans for the economy outside plans for development.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

I don't hate "equity", but there is a point where focusing on it too much hinders the community rather than help it. Covid vaccine rollout in MoCo is one such example.

Sure, because too much justice is definitely a big problem. Absolutely. What the world needs now is more stuff for rich, white people.

High vaccination rates benefit everyone, not just the wealthy. A slow rollout is bad for everyone, including the poor.

True. High vaccination rates DO benefit everyone. It is of course, no coincidence that the fastest way to get things done is to make vaccines most readily available to people who already have access to multiple privileges. PP: perhaps it was not intenional, but your comment made me immediately think of the very much debunked trikle down theory of economics. Instead of working really hard to get vaccines to more vulnerable individuals, lets do FAST, and talk about how much vaccinating the relatively rich and privileged really really helps the poor.

I appreciate that at least Baltimore has a site for mass vaccinations that's pretty easy to access without a car.

Actually what is happening is people are getting vaccinated quickly, though it would be faster if Hogan had done a better job of allocating doses (too many to hospitals, didn't consider demographics of specific counties). The wealthy are using hospitals, private pharmacies and mass vax sites. The MoCo health department is focusing on vulnerable people and is doing so efficiently, as much as people insist otherwise. Most people with time and a good internet connection will find an appointment elsewhere before the health department gets to you. That doesn't mean they're slow, it means there's a lot of people in line ahead of you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

I don't hate "equity", but there is a point where focusing on it too much hinders the community rather than help it. Covid vaccine rollout in MoCo is one such example.

Sure, because too much justice is definitely a big problem. Absolutely. What the world needs now is more stuff for rich, white people.

High vaccination rates benefit everyone, not just the wealthy. A slow rollout is bad for everyone, including the poor.

True. High vaccination rates DO benefit everyone. It is of course, no coincidence that the fastest way to get things done is to make vaccines most readily available to people who already have access to multiple privileges. PP: perhaps it was not intenional, but your comment made me immediately think of the very much debunked trikle down theory of economics. Instead of working really hard to get vaccines to more vulnerable individuals, lets do FAST, and talk about how much vaccinating the relatively rich and privileged really really helps the poor.

I appreciate that at least Baltimore has a site for mass vaccinations that's pretty easy to access without a car.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

David Blair is a bonafide Democrat. Please check out his platform. He believes in equity: https://www.blairformontgomery.com/

Blair on justice and equity in policing, per WaPo:

Blair said he does not see the need for dramatic changes to the county’s police department.

“Are there areas for improvement? Absolutely. But will it be the main focus of my campaign? No,” he said. “Here in Montgomery County, we’ve done a great job . . . We’re an example for the nation on how to police.”

The thing is, he’s not entirely wrong. Of course there is room for improvement. But relatively speaking, policing in MoCo is not the lightening rod issue it is elsewhere. My hometown is seemingly in the news about police misconduct every other day.

You haven't heard the stories I've heard about how police treat POC here. And yeah, that statement tells me all I need to know about David Blair. No thank you.

whereas I agree with Blair. Would you rather defund the police? Who is going to protect POC from thieves and murderers, who target POC at a disproportionate rate?

DP: As a POC living in MoCo, I have some familiarity with utilizing mental health professionals alongside police officers officers. Fortunately, most of us understand that "defund the police" recogizes that police forces should not be militarized and that funding for mental health and social services will support more effective policing. To answer your question, the plan would be for better trained police officers to genuinely protect and serve all citizens and communities, including POC. What would change would be the addition of a wider array of support services available to people in crisis.

Yes, I agree with that, but that does not mean the police aren't needed. That was my point.

I'm sure you would want a cop around if there was a thief or murderer near your house. You won't be demanding a mental health professional when a gunman is pointing a gun at you or your loved one. You'd want a cop, or better yet, a sharp shooter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

I don't hate "equity", but there is a point where focusing on it too much hinders the community rather than help it. Covid vaccine rollout in MoCo is one such example.

Sure, because too much justice is definitely a big problem. Absolutely. What the world needs now is more stuff for rich, white people.

High vaccination rates benefit everyone, not just the wealthy. A slow rollout is bad for everyone, including the poor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

David Blair is a bonafide Democrat. Please check out his platform. He believes in equity: https://www.blairformontgomery.com/

Blair on justice and equity in policing, per WaPo:

Blair said he does not see the need for dramatic changes to the county’s police department.

“Are there areas for improvement? Absolutely. But will it be the main focus of my campaign? No,” he said. “Here in Montgomery County, we’ve done a great job . . . We’re an example for the nation on how to police.”

The thing is, he’s not entirely wrong. Of course there is room for improvement. But relatively speaking, policing in MoCo is not the lightening rod issue it is elsewhere. My hometown is seemingly in the news about police misconduct every other day.

You haven't heard the stories I've heard about how police treat POC here. And yeah, that statement tells me all I need to know about David Blair. No thank you.

whereas I agree with Blair. Would you rather defund the police? Who is going to protect POC from thieves and murderers, who target POC at a disproportionate rate?

DP: As a POC living in MoCo, I have some familiarity with utilizing mental health professionals alongside police officers officers. Fortunately, most of us understand that "defund the police" recogizes that police forces should not be militarized and that funding for mental health and social services will support more effective policing. To answer your question, the plan would be for better trained police officers to genuinely protect and serve all citizens and communities, including POC. What would change would be the addition of a wider array of support services available to people in crisis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

David Blair is a bonafide Democrat. Please check out his platform. He believes in equity: https://www.blairformontgomery.com/

Blair on justice and equity in policing, per WaPo:

Blair said he does not see the need for dramatic changes to the county’s police department.

“Are there areas for improvement? Absolutely. But will it be the main focus of my campaign? No,” he said. “Here in Montgomery County, we’ve done a great job . . . We’re an example for the nation on how to police.”

The thing is, he’s not entirely wrong. Of course there is room for improvement. But relatively speaking, policing in MoCo is not the lightening rod issue it is elsewhere. My hometown is seemingly in the news about police misconduct every other day.

You haven't heard the stories I've heard about how police treat POC here. And yeah, that statement tells me all I need to know about David Blair. No thank you.

whereas I agree with Blair. Would you rather defund the police? Who is going to protect POC from thieves and murderers, who target POC at a disproportionate rate?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

I don't hate "equity", but there is a point where focusing on it too much hinders the community rather than help it. Covid vaccine rollout in MoCo is one such example.

Sure, because too much justice is definitely a big problem. Absolutely. What the world needs now is more stuff for rich, white people.

High vaccination rates benefit everyone, not just the wealthy. A slow rollout is bad for everyone, including the poor.

MoCo is not slow because of equity efforts, stop repeating these racist lies. MoCo is "slow" because it has an older population, so it takes longer to get through the 65+ group, especially if the governor doesn't provide doses based on the number of elderly people.

it also discriminates against poorer white people who live in certain zip codes. And yes the equity framework does mean it takes longer to vaccinate people because that target group is more hesitant to get a vaccine and/or it's harder for them to get to a vax site. Sure, that's a problem, and it needs to be addressed. But MoCo is only focused on that, and everyone else comes second.

That slows down getting the entire county vaccinated quickly.

This is not happening, you are making it up, and that's DISGUSTING. The health department takes a week to get through the doses they get each week. They don't have a backlog of doses.

What's disgusting is that the county discriminates against white people living in those high imapcted zip codes.

The county's phases for vaccinating has been much slower than the state's. Hogan told the county to speed things up by aligning vaccine phases with the state because they are moving too slowly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear that the pro Blair group here is that "omg equity I hate it" crowd

I don't hate "equity", but there is a point where focusing on it too much hinders the community rather than help it. Covid vaccine rollout in MoCo is one such example.

Sure, because too much justice is definitely a big problem. Absolutely. What the world needs now is more stuff for rich, white people.

High vaccination rates benefit everyone, not just the wealthy. A slow rollout is bad for everyone, including the poor.

MoCo is not slow because of equity efforts, stop repeating these racist lies. MoCo is "slow" because it has an older population, so it takes longer to get through the 65+ group, especially if the governor doesn't provide doses based on the number of elderly people.

it also discriminates against poorer white people who live in certain zip codes. And yes the equity framework does mean it takes longer to vaccinate people because that target group is more hesitant to get a vaccine and/or it's harder for them to get to a vax site. Sure, that's a problem, and it needs to be addressed. But MoCo is only focused on that, and everyone else comes second.

That slows down getting the entire county vaccinated quickly.

This is not happening, you are making it up, and that's DISGUSTING. The health department takes a week to get through the doses they get each week. They don't have a backlog of doses.

Anonymous wrote:

Agree that Jawando has done more on police but I don't agree with the bolded above. Unlikely Jawando is running. On police I would go with Elrich over Rice who seems very much anti-reform, but overall I would vote for Rice because Elrich is a bad manager. Rice knows the issues, he's committed to equity in education and he has private sector experience that I think would be great for economic development efforts. Doubt he'll win but he's got my vote.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP: This is an interesting analysis. You are correct because some of Elrich’s biggest supporters live on that street in Chevy Chase. The name escapes me but it’s the uber wealthy. Why are older voters not bothered by Elrich? Is it because most are retired and don’t have to endure horrible commutes to VA for work? Is it because the higher property taxes don’t bother them since they have residency in FL? Is it because the issues that plague MCPS no longer bother them (yes I’m aware the CE has no jurisdiction over education but parents that moved to MoCo for schools are seeing red right now).

I live in CC where it’s mainly this “old money” - govt workers, or associated lawyers with their kids out of MCPS. Comfortably living at home during this time telecommuting or early retirement. They clamor for the strict policies to make life safer while food delivered. They aren’t business owners so they don’t worry about that or the workers. They don’t worry about the schools bc their kids are out - they want them closed. It keeps them safer. They worry about the purple line in their backyard and fight that. But overall it’s a calm lovely life In the neighborhood. Some do travel to Florida or outer banks and say they stay safe in a bubble And the dirty little secret - when the pandemic hit, many of us paid the workers who supported us - cleaners who didn’t come to clean, etc. but they stopped paying.