Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we can’t justify a tax increase in a good economy- which MOCO certainly has -then when CAN we justify one?

Tax assessments and property taxes are ridiculously low in MOCO. They should be double or triple what they currently are, and until they are brought up to where they should be, we’re never going to have the kind of county services we should have.

So sick of hearing people who call themselves Progressive constantly complaining about paying taxes. Put your money where your lying mouths are and pony up your taxes

Holy cow. You are loopy. You do realize that if property taxes went up even 50%, there would be a massive exodus of the people actually paying into the County's coffers, right?

Bullsh*t.

No one will be leaving if their taxes go up a few thousand dollars a year. That’s utter rubbish. And anyone who does, well, they can thank the rest of us for their higher property values at sales time, that are the result from being in a county that is fully and completely funded and offers the entire spectrum of services, unlike now.

Imagine the kind of place Montgomery could be if it had two or even three times the available tax revenue for spending on things. We’d be the most desirable county in the country. For every dipshit republican complaining about higher taxes moving out, there’d be three people in bidding wars to buy the house they’re leaving. I’ll take that bargain.

Soaking the rich has been tried before and did not work. Especially now, many are realizing that jobs are portable.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703976804575114241782001262

". Montgomery County, outside of Washington, D.C., is Maryland's wealthiest and was especially clobbered, losing nearly $4 billion in taxable income in 2008, with some 80% of those lost dollars from high-income returns."

To put in perspective why Question B is such a terrible idea, part of the reason why there have been property tax hikes in some years is that the county has faced increasing costs/reduced revenue for reasons out of its control, including the state shifting pension costs to the counties and the Supreme Court case that impacted income tax revenue. Whatever you may think of these changes, the reality is that when there are unexpected increased costs or reduced revenues the money has to come from somewhere. Folks can go on and on about costs for "illegals" or financial mismanagement, but these things are honestly a drop in the bucket. The money will come out of things that people care about - like renovating schools, and library hours, and road projects.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Revenue caps are used in Massachusetts and Texas. They really aren't a red or blue tool. Capping the revenue is actually a pretty fiscally sound practice in that it avoids situations where in a boom year the budget balloons up and then the next year everything needs to be cut. It creates far more stability as current and potential residents are less fearful of massive tax increases.

Tell that to the bond rating agencies.

The reason, by the way that bond rating agencies don't like these limits is that limiting tax revenue very strictly makes it that much more difficult to build up rainy day funds during good times. Research has shown that these jurisdictions actually do worse during economic downturns. It's not fiscally responsible.

Anonymous wrote:Revenue caps are used in Massachusetts and Texas. They really aren't a red or blue tool. Capping the revenue is actually a pretty fiscally sound practice in that it avoids situations where in a boom year the budget balloons up and then the next year everything needs to be cut. It creates far more stability as current and potential residents are less fearful of massive tax increases.

Tell that to the bond rating agencies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm voting for B. The Council takes the easy way out by just raising taxes, instead of making difficult decisions when it comes to spending.

They spend on unnecesary costs like a racial equity and social justice office (plus associated staff)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/with-unanimous-vote-montgomery-passes-wide-ranging-racial-equity-bill/2019/11/19/7f0a9b0e-0a1d-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
or
$1.5m on youth access to sports: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/sports/county-will-spend-1-55m-to-increase-access-to-youth-sports/
or
trying to give money to legal aid groups for undocumented immigrants, then when the groups said they wouldn't accept it due to certain conditions (can't be used to defend violent offenders), the county allocated the money anyway in the hope some other group would sprout up and use the money:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-considers-changing-tack-on-legal-aid-for-immigrants/2018/05/21/00bc43e8-5d02-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html

While nice, these are all luxuries. They can cut these before we cut first responder services.

These are my reasons also.

The current County leadership is a disaster. There are plenty of useless spending projects that we can cut before cutting funding to libraries and first responders.

Definitely voting for B.

I'm voting against B. It leaves no room for emergency situation. This means that the council will have to increase taxes the maximum amount allowed by B every single year. You're going to have the maximum annual tax increases and when things go wrong the council will have no way to generate revenue to deal with it. This is not a way to run a government.

I'm undecided on A, C, and D. B is definitely a bad way to govern.

This is why people need to VOTE FOR B. From the Washington Post today:

"The woman — who asked to be identified only by her first name, Diana, because she is undocumented — found help last month through a Montgomery County initiative aimed at addressing the impact of the coronavirus in its Latino communities.
A caseworker from a nonprofit called Identity connected Diana with rental assistance, food assistance and clothing; she hopes to get help with her $380 gas bill and $600 Xfinity bill as well."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/montgomery-latino-coronavirus/2020/09/29/36fcbf44-fd0c-11ea-830c-a160b331ca62_story.html

The county is spending money on illegal aliens while our schools and students languish. It is very clear that they cannot govern and giving them total access to raise taxes as they please is a very, very bad idea.

You get that limiting revenue is not going to stop programs for undocumented immigrants, right? The way to do that would be to elect different representatives. Since you can't do that, you're trying to hamstring the representatives that do get elected. You're trying to impose the tyranny of the minority. No thanks.

Or, we can do both. Vote against politicians who encourage undocumented immigration. And also vote to limit findings for programs such as the PP describes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm voting for B. The Council takes the easy way out by just raising taxes, instead of making difficult decisions when it comes to spending.

They spend on unnecesary costs like a racial equity and social justice office (plus associated staff)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/with-unanimous-vote-montgomery-passes-wide-ranging-racial-equity-bill/2019/11/19/7f0a9b0e-0a1d-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
or
$1.5m on youth access to sports: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/sports/county-will-spend-1-55m-to-increase-access-to-youth-sports/
or
trying to give money to legal aid groups for undocumented immigrants, then when the groups said they wouldn't accept it due to certain conditions (can't be used to defend violent offenders), the county allocated the money anyway in the hope some other group would sprout up and use the money:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-considers-changing-tack-on-legal-aid-for-immigrants/2018/05/21/00bc43e8-5d02-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html

While nice, these are all luxuries. They can cut these before we cut first responder services.

These are my reasons also.

The current County leadership is a disaster. There are plenty of useless spending projects that we can cut before cutting funding to libraries and first responders.

Definitely voting for B.

I'm voting against B. It leaves no room for emergency situation. This means that the council will have to increase taxes the maximum amount allowed by B every single year. You're going to have the maximum annual tax increases and when things go wrong the council will have no way to generate revenue to deal with it. This is not a way to run a government.

I'm undecided on A, C, and D. B is definitely a bad way to govern.

This is why people need to VOTE FOR B. From the Washington Post today:

"The woman — who asked to be identified only by her first name, Diana, because she is undocumented — found help last month through a Montgomery County initiative aimed at addressing the impact of the coronavirus in its Latino communities.
A caseworker from a nonprofit called Identity connected Diana with rental assistance, food assistance and clothing; she hopes to get help with her $380 gas bill and $600 Xfinity bill as well."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/montgomery-latino-coronavirus/2020/09/29/36fcbf44-fd0c-11ea-830c-a160b331ca62_story.html

The county is spending money on illegal aliens while our schools and students languish. It is very clear that they cannot govern and giving them total access to raise taxes as they please is a very, very bad idea.

Thanks for posting this. I think more voters need to be made aware of what/who the county is spending money on, while claiming there is not enough money for essential services.

It’s one thing to welcome undocumented immigrants. Another thing to realize the consequences of that policy.

Revenue caps are used in Massachusetts and Texas. They really aren't a red or blue tool. Capping the revenue is actually a pretty fiscally sound practice in that it avoids situations where in a boom year the budget balloons up and then the next year everything needs to be cut. It creates far more stability as current and potential residents are less fearful of massive tax increases.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we can’t justify a tax increase in a good economy- which MOCO certainly has -then when CAN we justify one?

Tax assessments and property taxes are ridiculously low in MOCO. They should be double or triple what they currently are, and until they are brought up to where they should be, we’re never going to have the kind of county services we should have.

So sick of hearing people who call themselves Progressive constantly complaining about paying taxes. Put your money where your lying mouths are and pony up your taxes

Holy cow. You are loopy. You do realize that if property taxes went up even 50%, there would be a massive exodus of the people actually paying into the County's coffers, right?

Bullsh*t.

No one will be leaving if their taxes go up a few thousand dollars a year. That’s utter rubbish. And anyone who does, well, they can thank the rest of us for their higher property values at sales time, that are the result from being in a county that is fully and completely funded and offers the entire spectrum of services, unlike now.

Imagine the kind of place Montgomery could be if it had two or even three times the available tax revenue for spending on things. We’d be the most desirable county in the country. For every dipshit republican complaining about higher taxes moving out, there’d be three people in bidding wars to buy the house they’re leaving. I’ll take that bargain.

Yes on all counts.
If Montgomery County did have fewer dipshit Republicans that would be for the better IMO.

Also, people like to point to Virginia and how Virginia gets everything... that is because they FUND INFRASTRUCTURE. They have two international airports RIGHT THERE, the Silver Line, a better bus system, and feeder programs for IT and cybersecurity professionals. We don't even have the purple line or the BRT. Some of this is a state issue, some of it is Nimbyism, but a lot of it is our low tax rate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we can’t justify a tax increase in a good economy- which MOCO certainly has -then when CAN we justify one?

Tax assessments and property taxes are ridiculously low in MOCO. They should be double or triple what they currently are, and until they are brought up to where they should be, we’re never going to have the kind of county services we should have.

So sick of hearing people who call themselves Progressive constantly complaining about paying taxes. Put your money where your lying mouths are and pony up your taxes

Holy cow. You are loopy. You do realize that if property taxes went up even 50%, there would be a massive exodus of the people actually paying into the County's coffers, right?

Bullsh*t.

No one will be leaving if their taxes go up a few thousand dollars a year. That’s utter rubbish. And anyone who does, well, they can thank the rest of us for their higher property values at sales time, that are the result from being in a county that is fully and completely funded and offers the entire spectrum of services, unlike now.

Imagine the kind of place Montgomery could be if it had two or even three times the available tax revenue for spending on things. We’d be the most desirable county in the country. For every dipshit republican complaining about higher taxes moving out, there’d be three people in bidding wars to buy the house they’re leaving. I’ll take that bargain.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm voting for B. The Council takes the easy way out by just raising taxes, instead of making difficult decisions when it comes to spending.

They spend on unnecesary costs like a racial equity and social justice office (plus associated staff)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/with-unanimous-vote-montgomery-passes-wide-ranging-racial-equity-bill/2019/11/19/7f0a9b0e-0a1d-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
or
$1.5m on youth access to sports: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/sports/county-will-spend-1-55m-to-increase-access-to-youth-sports/
or
trying to give money to legal aid groups for undocumented immigrants, then when the groups said they wouldn't accept it due to certain conditions (can't be used to defend violent offenders), the county allocated the money anyway in the hope some other group would sprout up and use the money:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-considers-changing-tack-on-legal-aid-for-immigrants/2018/05/21/00bc43e8-5d02-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html

While nice, these are all luxuries. They can cut these before we cut first responder services.

These are my reasons also.

The current County leadership is a disaster. There are plenty of useless spending projects that we can cut before cutting funding to libraries and first responders.

Definitely voting for B.

I'm voting against B. It leaves no room for emergency situation. This means that the council will have to increase taxes the maximum amount allowed by B every single year. You're going to have the maximum annual tax increases and when things go wrong the council will have no way to generate revenue to deal with it. This is not a way to run a government.

I'm undecided on A, C, and D. B is definitely a bad way to govern.

This is why people need to VOTE FOR B. From the Washington Post today:

"The woman — who asked to be identified only by her first name, Diana, because she is undocumented — found help last month through a Montgomery County initiative aimed at addressing the impact of the coronavirus in its Latino communities.
A caseworker from a nonprofit called Identity connected Diana with rental assistance, food assistance and clothing; she hopes to get help with her $380 gas bill and $600 Xfinity bill as well."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/montgomery-latino-coronavirus/2020/09/29/36fcbf44-fd0c-11ea-830c-a160b331ca62_story.html

The county is spending money on illegal aliens while our schools and students languish. It is very clear that they cannot govern and giving them total access to raise taxes as they please is a very, very bad idea.

You get that limiting revenue is not going to stop programs for undocumented immigrants, right? The way to do that would be to elect different representatives. Since you can't do that, you're trying to hamstring the representatives that do get elected. You're trying to impose the tyranny of the minority. No thanks.

+1 get ready for potholes because they're going to be shifting funds from other programs to these.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm voting for B. The Council takes the easy way out by just raising taxes, instead of making difficult decisions when it comes to spending.

They spend on unnecesary costs like a racial equity and social justice office (plus associated staff)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/with-unanimous-vote-montgomery-passes-wide-ranging-racial-equity-bill/2019/11/19/7f0a9b0e-0a1d-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
or
$1.5m on youth access to sports: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/sports/county-will-spend-1-55m-to-increase-access-to-youth-sports/
or
trying to give money to legal aid groups for undocumented immigrants, then when the groups said they wouldn't accept it due to certain conditions (can't be used to defend violent offenders), the county allocated the money anyway in the hope some other group would sprout up and use the money:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-considers-changing-tack-on-legal-aid-for-immigrants/2018/05/21/00bc43e8-5d02-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html

While nice, these are all luxuries. They can cut these before we cut first responder services.

These are my reasons also.

The current County leadership is a disaster. There are plenty of useless spending projects that we can cut before cutting funding to libraries and first responders.

Definitely voting for B.

I'm voting against B. It leaves no room for emergency situation. This means that the council will have to increase taxes the maximum amount allowed by B every single year. You're going to have the maximum annual tax increases and when things go wrong the council will have no way to generate revenue to deal with it. This is not a way to run a government.

I'm undecided on A, C, and D. B is definitely a bad way to govern.

This is why people need to VOTE FOR B. From the Washington Post today:

"The woman — who asked to be identified only by her first name, Diana, because she is undocumented — found help last month through a Montgomery County initiative aimed at addressing the impact of the coronavirus in its Latino communities.
A caseworker from a nonprofit called Identity connected Diana with rental assistance, food assistance and clothing; she hopes to get help with her $380 gas bill and $600 Xfinity bill as well."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/montgomery-latino-coronavirus/2020/09/29/36fcbf44-fd0c-11ea-830c-a160b331ca62_story.html

The county is spending money on illegal aliens while our schools and students languish. It is very clear that they cannot govern and giving them total access to raise taxes as they please is a very, very bad idea.

You get that limiting revenue is not going to stop programs for undocumented immigrants, right? The way to do that would be to elect different representatives. Since you can't do that, you're trying to hamstring the representatives that do get elected. You're trying to impose the tyranny of the minority. No thanks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm voting for B. The Council takes the easy way out by just raising taxes, instead of making difficult decisions when it comes to spending.

They spend on unnecesary costs like a racial equity and social justice office (plus associated staff)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/with-unanimous-vote-montgomery-passes-wide-ranging-racial-equity-bill/2019/11/19/7f0a9b0e-0a1d-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
or
$1.5m on youth access to sports: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/sports/county-will-spend-1-55m-to-increase-access-to-youth-sports/
or
trying to give money to legal aid groups for undocumented immigrants, then when the groups said they wouldn't accept it due to certain conditions (can't be used to defend violent offenders), the county allocated the money anyway in the hope some other group would sprout up and use the money:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-considers-changing-tack-on-legal-aid-for-immigrants/2018/05/21/00bc43e8-5d02-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html

While nice, these are all luxuries. They can cut these before we cut first responder services.

These are my reasons also.

The current County leadership is a disaster. There are plenty of useless spending projects that we can cut before cutting funding to libraries and first responders.

Definitely voting for B.

I'm voting against B. It leaves no room for emergency situation. This means that the council will have to increase taxes the maximum amount allowed by B every single year. You're going to have the maximum annual tax increases and when things go wrong the council will have no way to generate revenue to deal with it. This is not a way to run a government.

I'm undecided on A, C, and D. B is definitely a bad way to govern.

This is why people need to VOTE FOR B. From the Washington Post today:

"The woman — who asked to be identified only by her first name, Diana, because she is undocumented — found help last month through a Montgomery County initiative aimed at addressing the impact of the coronavirus in its Latino communities.
A caseworker from a nonprofit called Identity connected Diana with rental assistance, food assistance and clothing; she hopes to get help with her $380 gas bill and $600 Xfinity bill as well."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/montgomery-latino-coronavirus/2020/09/29/36fcbf44-fd0c-11ea-830c-a160b331ca62_story.html

The county is spending money on illegal aliens while our schools and students languish. It is very clear that they cannot govern and giving them total access to raise taxes as they please is a very, very bad idea.

Anonymous wrote:

I'm voting against B. It leaves no room for emergency situation. This means that the council will have to increase taxes the maximum amount allowed by B every single year. You're going to have the maximum annual tax increases and when things go wrong the council will have no way to generate revenue to deal with it. This is not a way to run a government.

I'm undecided on A, C, and D. B is definitely a bad way to govern.

They already do this. Question B takes the current Charter Limit and makes it permanent. Question B means it doesn't matter who you elect, it doesn't matter what the needs of the community are, it doesn't matter how much economic growth there has been, because Robin Ficker wants the government to be stuck are the current level of revenues, forever.

No sane economist would recommend this. I know an economist who literally studied under Milton Friedman, who is very skeptical of any new taxes, whose response to this was "this doesn't make any sense - nobody does this".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm voting for B. The Council takes the easy way out by just raising taxes, instead of making difficult decisions when it comes to spending.

They spend on unnecesary costs like a racial equity and social justice office (plus associated staff)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/with-unanimous-vote-montgomery-passes-wide-ranging-racial-equity-bill/2019/11/19/7f0a9b0e-0a1d-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
or
$1.5m on youth access to sports: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/sports/county-will-spend-1-55m-to-increase-access-to-youth-sports/
or
trying to give money to legal aid groups for undocumented immigrants, then when the groups said they wouldn't accept it due to certain conditions (can't be used to defend violent offenders), the county allocated the money anyway in the hope some other group would sprout up and use the money:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-considers-changing-tack-on-legal-aid-for-immigrants/2018/05/21/00bc43e8-5d02-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html

While nice, these are all luxuries. They can cut these before we cut first responder services.

These are my reasons also.

The current County leadership is a disaster. There are plenty of useless spending projects that we can cut before cutting funding to libraries and first responders.

Definitely voting for B.

I'm voting against B. It leaves no room for emergency situation. This means that the council will have to increase taxes the maximum amount allowed by B every single year. You're going to have the maximum annual tax increases and when things go wrong the council will have no way to generate revenue to deal with it. This is not a way to run a government.

I'm undecided on A, C, and D. B is definitely a bad way to govern.

Anonymous wrote:I'm voting for B. The Council takes the easy way out by just raising taxes, instead of making difficult decisions when it comes to spending.

They spend on unnecesary costs like a racial equity and social justice office (plus associated staff)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/with-unanimous-vote-montgomery-passes-wide-ranging-racial-equity-bill/2019/11/19/7f0a9b0e-0a1d-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
or
$1.5m on youth access to sports: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/sports/county-will-spend-1-55m-to-increase-access-to-youth-sports/
or
trying to give money to legal aid groups for undocumented immigrants, then when the groups said they wouldn't accept it due to certain conditions (can't be used to defend violent offenders), the county allocated the money anyway in the hope some other group would sprout up and use the money:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-considers-changing-tack-on-legal-aid-for-immigrants/2018/05/21/00bc43e8-5d02-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html

While nice, these are all luxuries. They can cut these before we cut first responder services.

These are my reasons also.

The current County leadership is a disaster. There are plenty of useless spending projects that we can cut before cutting funding to libraries and first responders.

Definitely voting for B.