Anonymous
05/15/2026 17:33
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Open up your wallet a little wider and be happy.
Besides, illegal aliens don't typically make 150k per year so it is okay.
Besides, illegal aliens don't typically make 150k per year so it is okay.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 17:26
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Friedson voted for all the spending. He would rather fund the green bank than let people keep more of their money. Same with Glass. The only executive candidate that put forward a budget without a property tax increase for anyone was Jawando. His colleagues couldn’t stand the idea of giving him a win so they never really considered it.
They never considered Jawando's proposal because it wasn't a good proposal. Many elements were unwise or simply not doable. But at least he tried. Fani-Gonzalez is the only one who stepped up with a workable proposal.
Fani-Gonzalez also proposed cuts that didn’t work, and her tax plan created some problems this year and will create many more problems in future years. It’s fine to disagree with how someone cuts spending. Propose alternatives. Mink, Stewart, and Jawando were serious people on this budget.
People who didn’t propose alternatives are not serious people. I am especially disappointed in Friedson, who engaged very little and was frequently corrected on the facts by department staff and his colleagues when he did engage. He looked like a total joke. He advocated for more spending than he opposed and pontificated about taxes. He lacks either the maturity or the intellect to be executive.
I understand you love the ITOC but you don't understand why Jawando's plan was not workable on a completely different level
Jawando’s plan cut spending growth to 4.2 percent. If you can’t figure out a way to get by on a 4.2 percent spending growth, you’re not working hard enough. This kind of can’t-do attitude is why the budget is a mess. But hey at least we’re still dropping $20 million on the green bank.
Most of the cuts he recommended involved essentially kicking the can down the road. Stuff that needs to be done and if it waits will end up costing more. Some were quite non specific, others were simply not permissible under the county code.
I agree that proposing something is better than nothing, but in no way was his proposal one worth considering.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 17:21
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
So then why would they vote for these tax increases for ppl making 150k? To enable MCPS? Why?
Idk if someone is a joke otherwise, this is a litmus test for me. Everyone else failed. Zero accountability if coerced into enabling MCPS.
The best thing for MCPS would be to need to change.
Idk if someone is a joke otherwise, this is a litmus test for me. Everyone else failed. Zero accountability if coerced into enabling MCPS.
The best thing for MCPS would be to need to change.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 17:20
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Friedson voted for all the spending. He would rather fund the green bank than let people keep more of their money. Same with Glass. The only executive candidate that put forward a budget without a property tax increase for anyone was Jawando. His colleagues couldn’t stand the idea of giving him a win so they never really considered it.
They never considered Jawando's proposal because it wasn't a good proposal. Many elements were unwise or simply not doable. But at least he tried. Fani-Gonzalez is the only one who stepped up with a workable proposal.
Fani-Gonzalez also proposed cuts that didn’t work, and her tax plan created some problems this year and will create many more problems in future years. It’s fine to disagree with how someone cuts spending. Propose alternatives. Mink, Stewart, and Jawando were serious people on this budget.
People who didn’t propose alternatives are not serious people. I am especially disappointed in Friedson, who engaged very little and was frequently corrected on the facts by department staff and his colleagues when he did engage. He looked like a total joke. He advocated for more spending than he opposed and pontificated about taxes. He lacks either the maturity or the intellect to be executive.
I understand you love the ITOC but you don't understand why Jawando's plan was not workable on a completely different level
Jawando’s plan cut spending growth to 4.2 percent. If you can’t figure out a way to get by on a 4.2 percent spending growth, you’re not working hard enough. This kind of can’t-do attitude is why the budget is a mess. But hey at least we’re still dropping $20 million on the green bank.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 17:08
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Friedson voted for all the spending. He would rather fund the green bank than let people keep more of their money. Same with Glass. The only executive candidate that put forward a budget without a property tax increase for anyone was Jawando. His colleagues couldn’t stand the idea of giving him a win so they never really considered it.
They never considered Jawando's proposal because it wasn't a good proposal. Many elements were unwise or simply not doable. But at least he tried. Fani-Gonzalez is the only one who stepped up with a workable proposal.
Fani-Gonzalez also proposed cuts that didn’t work, and her tax plan created some problems this year and will create many more problems in future years. It’s fine to disagree with how someone cuts spending. Propose alternatives. Mink, Stewart, and Jawando were serious people on this budget.
People who didn’t propose alternatives are not serious people. I am especially disappointed in Friedson, who engaged very little and was frequently corrected on the facts by department staff and his colleagues when he did engage. He looked like a total joke. He advocated for more spending than he opposed and pontificated about taxes. He lacks either the maturity or the intellect to be executive.
I understand you love the ITOC but you don't understand why Jawando's plan was not workable on a completely different level
Anonymous
05/15/2026 16:59
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Friedson voted for all the spending. He would rather fund the green bank than let people keep more of their money. Same with Glass. The only executive candidate that put forward a budget without a property tax increase for anyone was Jawando. His colleagues couldn’t stand the idea of giving him a win so they never really considered it.
They never considered Jawando's proposal because it wasn't a good proposal. Many elements were unwise or simply not doable. But at least he tried. Fani-Gonzalez is the only one who stepped up with a workable proposal.
Fani-Gonzalez also proposed cuts that didn’t work, and her tax plan created some problems this year and will create many more problems in future years. It’s fine to disagree with how someone cuts spending. Propose alternatives. Mink, Stewart, and Jawando were serious people on this budget.
People who didn’t propose alternatives are not serious people. I am especially disappointed in Friedson, who engaged very little and was frequently corrected on the facts by department staff and his colleagues when he did engage. He looked like a total joke. He advocated for more spending than he opposed and pontificated about taxes. He lacks either the maturity or the intellect to be executive.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 16:58
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Friedson voted for all the spending. He would rather fund the green bank than let people keep more of their money. Same with Glass. The only executive candidate that put forward a budget without a property tax increase for anyone was Jawando. His colleagues couldn’t stand the idea of giving him a win so they never really considered it.
They never considered Jawando's proposal because it wasn't a good proposal. Many elements were unwise or simply not doable. But at least he tried. Fani-Gonzalez is the only one who stepped up with a workable proposal.
Agreed. Outsiders have no clue how many structural defects there are in the budget as a whole. Year after year after year. If Jawando becomes CEX he won't be able to deal with it and there's no place for him to go but raise more taxes.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 15:54
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Friedson voted for all the spending. He would rather fund the green bank than let people keep more of their money. Same with Glass. The only executive candidate that put forward a budget without a property tax increase for anyone was Jawando. His colleagues couldn’t stand the idea of giving him a win so they never really considered it.
They never considered Jawando's proposal because it wasn't a good proposal. Many elements were unwise or simply not doable. But at least he tried. Fani-Gonzalez is the only one who stepped up with a workable proposal.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 15:49
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Friedson voted for all the spending. He would rather fund the green bank than let people keep more of their money. Same with Glass. The only executive candidate that put forward a budget without a property tax increase for anyone was Jawando. His colleagues couldn’t stand the idea of giving him a win so they never really considered it.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 15:14
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Friedson didn't offer any solutions. He voted for the county employee raised without discussion. He voted against tax increases. He made no comprehensive proposal for spending cuts. He has demonstrated a total failure of leadership this cycle.
The smart thing for the Council to have done would have been to reduce County employee raises a little and ask MCPS to reduce their raises to the same level (a larger decrease since the MCPS raises were larger). Obviously, it would be up to MCPS to decide whether to cut positions or reduce raises, but it would give the council cover to not fund as much of the MCPS request. That would have saved a lot of money in a sustainable way. But because zero of the 11 councilmembers wanted to reduce the county employee raises, this is where we are.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 14:35
Subject: Re:MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:I have lived here all my life. 60 years. I wish I could understand where the decline began. I grew up in Wheaton which was lower/middle class but still a great place to grow up. Parents are still there and the area they live is now a disgusting shithole. So different and such an incredible decline.
My family moved out to 20905 which was more peaceful, still middle class and by the time my kids were old enough to go to middle school and high school, the quality of the local school plummeted.
Mont county has changed for the worse. Where we used to have reasonable representatives, we now have extremists with ridiculous agendas. My neighborhood was nice but now looks terrible because the road is crumbling, and too many people living in houses so cars parked up and down the street which wasn’t designed for this. My house and shed broken into. Crime is up and honestly, the people moving in are sketch. I see more cop cars coming thru to investigate, I smell weed all the time, and people just don’t care about keeping their home looking nice.
The decline is a combination of so many things but the people we have in office are a huge part of this.
They push bike riding or taking the bus and make decisions based on this but I bet my house none of them use public transportation. They focus on serving outlier populations and giving handouts out to just about everyone but middle class. I am sick and tired of the taxes I pay to get nothing in return. This increase is another slap in the face.
It began with term limits that force politicians to be activists to get their name recognition.
Along with forcing super majority votes for tax increases and budgets.
A dying local press that can no longer provide detail. I hope the competition between the Banner and Bethesda whatever-it-is-this-week brings back some more meaningful reporting, so the public actually knows what's going on.
And finally, immediate social media trolling and threats when politicians do the "wrong" thing that upsets any particular constituent group.
Politicians now do less for the common good and more to mitigate the loudest threats to their power.
Good governance is now a liability to their careers.
It was never perfect. But it didn't used to be this bad in Montgomery county.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 14:25
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:So the Council is discussing using the money from the ITOC repeal for MCPS operating costs instead of MCPS capital costs. MCPS loses some (all?) HVAC, roof replacement, outdoor play space funding.
That ITOC repeal is a one time thing. But now they want to build it in to ongoing MCPS operating expenses? And they face a fiscal cliff in FY2028 anyway?
Another crappy patchwork "fix." I hope all of you who voted on referendum for super majority vote on the Council for budget items knows that in practice, it has actually INCREASED expenditures. Because nobody can come to that large of a consensus.
It’s not a fix at all. They will raise income taxes on low wage earners in short order to close the gap.
No. There's no money from low income workers? That makes no sense.
There will be a savings plan in the middle of the year and probably furloughs.
By raising the rates in the lower brackets they will also be capturing more money from higher earners. They’re going to need every penny. Bottom line is they’ll continue to protect the commercial property owners from increases while also preserving their tax abatements. Residents pay the full price.
No. The new progressive income tax increases the rate to the state max of 3.3% on those making over $150k. And that's marginal. The super wealthy pay a huge chuck of our entire income revenue stream. There is no way to increase it more. Trying to overturn this new lower income tax for lower earners won't bring in anything significant
It will bring in more than zero and they will grab every penny. The only people who won’t pay are commercial property owners.
It's not going to happen. What's more likely to happen is the sustain repeal won't be reinstated next year either. Just like Leggett's one time energy tax has become permanent.
*ITOC repeal.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 14:24
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:So the Council is discussing using the money from the ITOC repeal for MCPS operating costs instead of MCPS capital costs. MCPS loses some (all?) HVAC, roof replacement, outdoor play space funding.
That ITOC repeal is a one time thing. But now they want to build it in to ongoing MCPS operating expenses? And they face a fiscal cliff in FY2028 anyway?
Another crappy patchwork "fix." I hope all of you who voted on referendum for super majority vote on the Council for budget items knows that in practice, it has actually INCREASED expenditures. Because nobody can come to that large of a consensus.
It’s not a fix at all. They will raise income taxes on low wage earners in short order to close the gap.
No. There's no money from low income workers? That makes no sense.
There will be a savings plan in the middle of the year and probably furloughs.
By raising the rates in the lower brackets they will also be capturing more money from higher earners. They’re going to need every penny. Bottom line is they’ll continue to protect the commercial property owners from increases while also preserving their tax abatements. Residents pay the full price.
No. The new progressive income tax increases the rate to the state max of 3.3% on those making over $150k. And that's marginal. The super wealthy pay a huge chuck of our entire income revenue stream. There is no way to increase it more. Trying to overturn this new lower income tax for lower earners won't bring in anything significant
It will bring in more than zero and they will grab every penny. The only people who won’t pay are commercial property owners.
It's not going to happen. What's more likely to happen is the sustain repeal won't be reinstated next year either. Just like Leggett's one time energy tax has become permanent.
Anonymous
05/15/2026 14:15
Subject: MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
I didn't like Friedson bc he totally protected Potomac (his hometown) ONLY with some other stuff months back.
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
However, he is one of the only 2 sane people who voted against this absolute bs.
So ppl making just over 150k as a family are gonna get socked with more taxes plus the credit is eliminated, SO THAT MCPS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENABLED TO BE INCOMPETENT.
Great.
I am DONE with all the other council members including Evan Glass. byeeeeeee
Anonymous
05/15/2026 13:00
Subject: Re:MoCo looking at increasing income taxes for those making above $150K
I have lived here all my life. 60 years. I wish I could understand where the decline began. I grew up in Wheaton which was lower/middle class but still a great place to grow up. Parents are still there and the area they live is now a disgusting shithole. So different and such an incredible decline.
My family moved out to 20905 which was more peaceful, still middle class and by the time my kids were old enough to go to middle school and high school, the quality of the local school plummeted.
Mont county has changed for the worse. Where we used to have reasonable representatives, we now have extremists with ridiculous agendas. My neighborhood was nice but now looks terrible because the road is crumbling, and too many people living in houses so cars parked up and down the street which wasn’t designed for this. My house and shed broken into. Crime is up and honestly, the people moving in are sketch. I see more cop cars coming thru to investigate, I smell weed all the time, and people just don’t care about keeping their home looking nice.
The decline is a combination of so many things but the people we have in office are a huge part of this.
They push bike riding or taking the bus and make decisions based on this but I bet my house none of them use public transportation. They focus on serving outlier populations and giving handouts out to just about everyone but middle class. I am sick and tired of the taxes I pay to get nothing in return. This increase is another slap in the face.
My family moved out to 20905 which was more peaceful, still middle class and by the time my kids were old enough to go to middle school and high school, the quality of the local school plummeted.
Mont county has changed for the worse. Where we used to have reasonable representatives, we now have extremists with ridiculous agendas. My neighborhood was nice but now looks terrible because the road is crumbling, and too many people living in houses so cars parked up and down the street which wasn’t designed for this. My house and shed broken into. Crime is up and honestly, the people moving in are sketch. I see more cop cars coming thru to investigate, I smell weed all the time, and people just don’t care about keeping their home looking nice.
The decline is a combination of so many things but the people we have in office are a huge part of this.
They push bike riding or taking the bus and make decisions based on this but I bet my house none of them use public transportation. They focus on serving outlier populations and giving handouts out to just about everyone but middle class. I am sick and tired of the taxes I pay to get nothing in return. This increase is another slap in the face.