Anonymous wrote:The reality is these country clubs are an anachronism and occupy a huge amount of space which is now required to provide facilities for the surrounding communities. Have you ever looked at google maps to see the amount of space occupied by the vast number of country clubs in Bethesda and Chevy Chase? And yet people in these communities are crying out for sports fields, dog parks, more pools, etc.

So, if they converted that into housing, it would add hundreds or even a thousand more kids to the overcrowded downcounty school system, as well as more traffic on the roads. The NIMBYs of Bethesda will protest violently and file lawsuit after lawsuit. For reference, see the current "Save Westbard" coalition. They even latched on to the black church on River Road across from 7-11 as a way to stop development -- trying to stop it based on some questionable evidence of a cemetery that was there 60 years ago.

How about sports fields? Sounds like a great idea, but then look at the Brickyard Coalition that opposed that, and even got CoExec Leggett to override the wishes of MCPS and Parks (I forget which). There was land already set aside and zoned on Brickyard Road in Potomac for a future school. They were renting it to a seed farmer, then decided they wanted it back to add much-needed soccer fields. That got quashed after the well-heeled residents went directly to Leggett.

Then there's the Purple Line, opposed big time by Chevy Chase residents who delayed it for years with lawsuit after lawsuit, including one over the possible home of an insect smaller than my pinkie fingernail (I'm not making this up).

I don't see the country clubs getting turned into anything useful if they close down. There wlll just be too much opposition to any possible proposal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is these country clubs are an anachronism and occupy a huge amount of space which is now required to provide facilities for the surrounding communities. Have you ever looked at google maps to see the amount of space occupied by the vast number of country clubs in Bethesda and Chevy Chase? And yet people in these communities are crying out for sports fields, dog parks, more pools, etc.

Imagine what an amazing park that would make.

Or what an amazing amount of revenue these clubs could pay if they paid their fair share.

Anonymous wrote:The reality is these country clubs are an anachronism and occupy a huge amount of space which is now required to provide facilities for the surrounding communities. Have you ever looked at google maps to see the amount of space occupied by the vast number of country clubs in Bethesda and Chevy Chase? And yet people in these communities are crying out for sports fields, dog parks, more pools, etc.

Imagine what an amazing park that would make.

Anonymous wrote:The reality is these country clubs are an anachronism and occupy a huge amount of space which is now required to provide facilities for the surrounding communities. Have you ever looked at google maps to see the amount of space occupied by the vast number of country clubs in Bethesda and Chevy Chase? And yet people in these communities are crying out for sports fields, dog parks, more pools, etc.

+1 if the country clubs want the space, let them pay market rate for it like every other business would.

The reality is these country clubs are an anachronism and occupy a huge amount of space which is now required to provide facilities for the surrounding communities. Have you ever looked at google maps to see the amount of space occupied by the vast number of country clubs in Bethesda and Chevy Chase? And yet people in these communities are crying out for sports fields, dog parks, more pools, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except by not being an old racist white man, I'm certainly not as bad.

You though....

You should look into the mirror so you can see there is an intolerant, hatred filled person you know very well. My advice, let and live. If it's that important to you country clubs not receive the lower tax benefits, then do something about it such as starting a petition drive and talk to your county representatives. Coming on here and whining and trying to take a superior moral tone and judging people who disagree with you isn't going to change anything.

Actually, it’s making people aware of the problem.

I was completely unaware of it before reading it here. Hundreds of people have now seen this thread (and the lame, absurd excuses people like you make for keeping the subsidy) and eventually there will be a popular groundswell of support for making private clubs pay the same taxes.

Whether the clubs can survive that or not is frankly something I care little about.

But you people are capitalists, right? Let’s let the market decide if your club should survive or not.

Exactly! This is all about raising awareness! You gotta walk before you can run

In time, people will realize what a stupid waste of space these clubs are. The land they occupy will be developed once the tax rules change.

Instead of refuges for the rich, they will become the sites of schools, playgrounds, transit right of ways and affordable housing for immigrants

Every word of this

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hope this legislation goes through. These country clubs aren't public green spaces, and they can just raise the rates on their ultra rich members to pay their fair share of taxes so that they're not paying lower rates than Montgomery County residents.

Offer them a choice: they can pay their fair share of tax rates PLUS open up to the public, OR, they can pay a special, super-high, punitive rate (like $10,000 per acre or higher) and stay private.

If their privacy and exclusivity mean that much to them and their members, well, that privilege should be one they have to pay a premium for.

Why should they pay more to stay private? Is your back yard open to the public? I agree with not paying less but not more..

The should pay more for the environmental effects of golf course maintenance if they aren't doing it in an eco-friendly way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except by not being an old racist white man, I'm certainly not as bad.

You though....

You should look into the mirror so you can see there is an intolerant, hatred filled person you know very well. My advice, let and live. If it's that important to you country clubs not receive the lower tax benefits, then do something about it such as starting a petition drive and talk to your county representatives. Coming on here and whining and trying to take a superior moral tone and judging people who disagree with you isn't going to change anything.

Actually, it’s making people aware of the problem.

I was completely unaware of it before reading it here. Hundreds of people have now seen this thread (and the lame, absurd excuses people like you make for keeping the subsidy) and eventually there will be a popular groundswell of support for making private clubs pay the same taxes.

Whether the clubs can survive that or not is frankly something I care little about.

But you people are capitalists, right? Let’s let the market decide if your club should survive or not.

Exactly! This is all about raising awareness! You gotta walk before you can run

In time, people will realize what a stupid waste of space these clubs are. The land they occupy will be developed once the tax rules change.

Instead of refuges for the rich, they will become the sites of schools, playgrounds, transit right of ways and affordable housing for immigrants

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except by not being an old racist white man, I'm certainly not as bad.

You though....

You should look into the mirror so you can see there is an intolerant, hatred filled person you know very well. My advice, let and live. If it's that important to you country clubs not receive the lower tax benefits, then do something about it such as starting a petition drive and talk to your county representatives. Coming on here and whining and trying to take a superior moral tone and judging people who disagree with you isn't going to change anything.

Actually, it’s making people aware of the problem.

I was completely unaware of it before reading it here. Hundreds of people have now seen this thread (and the lame, absurd excuses people like you make for keeping the subsidy) and eventually there will be a popular groundswell of support for making private clubs pay the same taxes.

Whether the clubs can survive that or not is frankly something I care little about.

But you people are capitalists, right? Let’s let the market decide if your club should survive or not.

+1. I’m the OP and was completely unaware of the issue until randomly scanning Bethesda Magazine one day. Local news coverage isn’t what it should be. In any case, in August 2018 this measure was brought forth and rejected by the Maryland House of Delegates. It was reintroduced in November 2018 by David Moon and I haven’t seen an article about this since then.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2018/MoCo-House-Delegates-Reject-Local-Legislation-To-Roll-Back-Country-Club-Tax-Breaks/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except by not being an old racist white man, I'm certainly not as bad.

You though....

You should look into the mirror so you can see there is an intolerant, hatred filled person you know very well. My advice, let and live. If it's that important to you country clubs not receive the lower tax benefits, then do something about it such as starting a petition drive and talk to your county representatives. Coming on here and whining and trying to take a superior moral tone and judging people who disagree with you isn't going to change anything.

Actually, it’s making people aware of the problem.

I was completely unaware of it before reading it here. Hundreds of people have now seen this thread (and the lame, absurd excuses people like you make for keeping the subsidy) and eventually there will be a popular groundswell of support for making private clubs pay the same taxes.

Whether the clubs can survive that or not is frankly something I care little about.

But you people are capitalists, right? Let’s let the market decide if your club should survive or not.

Anonymous wrote:Except by not being an old racist white man, I'm certainly not as bad.

You though....

You should look into the mirror so you can see there is an intolerant, hatred filled person you know very well. My advice, let and live. If it's that important to you country clubs not receive the lower tax benefits, then do something about it such as starting a petition drive and talk to your county representatives. Coming on here and whining and trying to take a superior moral tone and judging people who disagree with you isn't going to change anything.

They should just require the clubs to be open to the public if they are to keep this tax subsidy.

Problem solved.

Except by not being an old racist white man, I'm certainly not as bad.

You though....

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think anyone is going to because their private golf course closed. That's asinine.

And even if they did, someone would buy their home. No net loss of population or business.

Why do you think a country club is a necessary thing to have around? You seem to think they serve some critical function. Guess what? The only function they serve is being a place where old racist white men play golf and make deals about how to screw over everyone else.

So, once again, you're just confirming it's not the taxation that's the issue. It's being country clubs that's the issue. You have a personal vendetta against clubs. We get it.

When you make these stereotypical assumptions you're just as bad as the old racist white men of your imagination.

I really don't think anyone is going to because their private golf course closed. That's asinine.

And even if they did, someone would buy their home. No net loss of population or business.

Why do you think a country club is a necessary thing to have around? You seem to think they serve some critical function. Guess what? The only function they serve is being a place where old racist white men play golf and make deals about how to screw over everyone else.