Anonymous wrote:I work in Tysons and I often end up driving behind another Maryland driver, this woman in a blue Prius with TWO Marc Elrich stickers and a Raskin sticker. I can't help but thinking, if you stopped electing people like Elrich and maybe, God forbid, considered electing some Republicans once in a while, you wouldn't have to commute to Northern Virginia to work.

She also always listens to the worst techno music with the windows down.

Oh, to be a 20-something again, back when I knew everything.

99% she lives in Takoma Park or Silver Spring, lives with roommates and spends money brunching with her #woke friends while voting for candidates who promise free stuff. More than once uttered the words "Bernie would have won" and gets most of her news from The Young Turks.

I work in Tysons and I often end up driving behind another Maryland driver, this woman in a blue Prius with TWO Marc Elrich stickers and a Raskin sticker. I can't help but thinking, if you stopped electing people like Elrich and maybe, God forbid, considered electing some Republicans once in a while, you wouldn't have to commute to Northern Virginia to work.

She also always listens to the worst techno music with the windows down.

Oh, to be a 20-something again, back when I knew everything.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually there are quite a few Ficker signs in Bethesda, Wheaton and up county. I’ve seen a sparse few in Silver Spring. We don’t have a sign but support Ficker also.

Same in Rockville. Drive up route 28 from Rockville Town Center to 270 and you'll see a bunch there too.

I've been trying to get a Ficker sign for our yard. They never have any when I call.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense in some ways to make developers pay, but the more burdens we put on businesses, the more they will just leave us for other counties..

I might vote for Blair in the general just to make a point

How do you vote for someone who isn’t running?

The best way to support Blair is to vote for Elrich, as Blair endorsed him. Elrich is also bringing him onto his economic development team. Sounds like he's open to a business-side perspective after all!

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense in some ways to make developers pay, but the more burdens we put on businesses, the more they will just leave us for other counties..

I might vote for Blair in the general just to make a point

How do you vote for someone who isn’t running?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your property taxes went up one time, in 9 years, to help schools. Stop whining.

Yes, there was only one (monstrous) property tax hike- a full 9%, announced quietly on a holiday weekend.

But you better believe assessments go up every yr, so taxes DO go up every year, even if the rate doesnt change.

Uh.......

Anonymous wrote:Actually there are quite a few Ficker signs in Bethesda, Wheaton and up county. I’ve seen a sparse few in Silver Spring. We don’t have a sign but support Ficker also.

Same in Rockville. Drive up route 28 from Rockville Town Center to 270 and you'll see a bunch there too.

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense in some ways to make developers pay, but the more burdens we put on businesses, the more they will just leave us for other counties..

I might vote for Blair in the general just to make a point

http://disq.us/p/1uo2017

School impact fees in MoCo for new development (per unit):
High-rise unit: $6,791
Low-rise unit: $19,937
Single Family Home: $23,000+

Blair won't be on the ballot since he lost by 77 votes to Elrich in the primary. Your choices are Elrich, Floreen, and Ficker.

Actually there are quite a few Ficker signs in Bethesda, Wheaton and up county. I’ve seen a sparse few in Silver Spring. We don’t have a sign but support Ficker also.

God I really hope all of these pro-Ficker posters are just an intern from his campaign forming a Greek chorus.

It makes sense in some ways to make developers pay, but the more burdens we put on businesses, the more they will just leave us for other counties..

I might vote for Blair in the general just to make a point

Anonymous wrote:Your property taxes went up one time, in 9 years, to help schools. Stop whining.

Here's a copy of the MoCo budget. Take a look at page 3:

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OMB/Resources/Files/omb/pdfs/FY18/psp_pdf/74-ScheduleB-ALL-FY2018-APPR-Publication-Report.pdf

School spending went up 2.5%, MoCo General fund went up 3.7%.

So the increase in spending is more in the general fund than for schools. Schools barely get an inflation-rate increase.

Anonymous wrote:Your property taxes went up one time, in 9 years, to help schools. Stop whining.

My assessment goes up every year, thank you very much.

I'm voting Ficker. He is responsible for the "Ficker amendment" that prevented property taxes from going up without a unanimous vote by the Council (which Elrich voted for of course), and also for the term limits referendum.

Who knows, maybe he'll be a louse county exec, but Elrich has been in politics for 27 _years_, most recently on the Council for 12 years (he's term limited out, thanks to Ficker), and before on Takoma Park council. It's time for new blood, even if Ficker is actually old age-wise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your property taxes went up one time, in 9 years, to help schools. Stop whining.

Yes, there was only one (monstrous) property tax hike- a full 9%, announced quietly on a holiday weekend.

But you better believe assessments go up every yr, so taxes DO go up every year, even if the rate doesnt change.

That is what is so infuriating. Since our property values are rising, revenue from property taxes go up anyway. Yet, the Council can't manage to work with those increased revenues -- they need to raise taxes to generated even more revenues.

It's profligate spending, like when they offered to give a few hundred thousand to a non-profit that provides legal defense for illegal immigrants. The group said they didn't want it (some strings were attached), so what does the Council do? They pass the bill anyway and allocate the money, with the hope some other non-profit will sprout up and take the money. How is that competent? Spending money that no one actually wants?!