Anonymous wrote:Let's talk about why Riemer wanted to give $500,000 to some big pharma connected "Pandemic Center?" Could that be connected to his wife too?
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/coronavirus/nonprofit-eyes-montgomery-county-for-global-pandemic-prevention-center/

I don't think you get it. Riemer is rich. He grew up rich. This not about making himself richer. He doesn't need that.

This is about him believing that he's above the rules that apply to everyone else. He should not be promoting appropriation of county funds in any way that could be perceived to financially benefit his family, no matter how small. Those are the rules.

He just doesn't believe those rules should apply to him.

Let's talk about why Riemer wanted to give $500,000 to some big pharma connected "Pandemic Center?" Could that be connected to his wife too?
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/coronavirus/nonprofit-eyes-montgomery-county-for-global-pandemic-prevention-center/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if the county public employee unions put this effort into getting all of their members vaccinated?

And then found a different issue to attack a candidate for county executive for - one that doesn't make their favored candidate look bad?

I unenthusiastically voted for Elrich last time, and I'll likely unenthusiastically vote for Elrich again this time, too, but it's foolish for the public employee unions to put him on the spot like this. The county executive should support the vaccine requirement (and so should the public employee unions). The public employee unions' strategy risks winning the battle but losing the war.

Good points but I don’t understand Elrich’s culpability here? Riemer purposely picked a fight with county employees in order to promote himself. What is Elrich’s role in this?

As for me, I’m probably voting Blair just to bring some balance to county government.

Whether or not Riemer "purposely picked a fight," it's good public and public-health policy to require county employees to be vaccinated. How could this goal be achieved with the cooperation of county employee unions, which oppose this requirement?

As for Elrich's role - what's his opinion about the requirement for county employees to be vaccinated? Does he support it, does he oppose it, is he being wishy washy for/against?

You’ve lost me here. Riemer is full on pulling a stunt for his campaign trying to be a proto-Gavin Newsom type figure while also taking a shot at MCGEO. He clearly thought it was strategically brilliant but it sort of backfired on him for the reason that everything back fires on him. He’s lazy and doesn’t care about details.

Do you, or do you not, support a requirement for county employees to be vaccinated?

Does Marc Elrich support a requirement for county employees to be vaccinated?

Does MCGEO support a requirement for county employees to be vaccinated?

The Pfizer "conflict of interest" stuff is a campaign sideshow.

L-O-L hahahahaha

You think I’m a public figure and you’re a reporter demanding an on the record response? You think I give a crap?

This is such low stakes nonsense that there are only two people taking it seriously, Hans Riemer and Geno Renne. And why is that? Because it’s a proxy fight.

You need to chill out, put the wine down and get some sleep. Seriously.

You can defend Hans Riemer’s pathetic honor tomorrow when you are sober.

Seriously made me laugh.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if the county public employee unions put this effort into getting all of their members vaccinated?

And then found a different issue to attack a candidate for county executive for - one that doesn't make their favored candidate look bad?

I unenthusiastically voted for Elrich last time, and I'll likely unenthusiastically vote for Elrich again this time, too, but it's foolish for the public employee unions to put him on the spot like this. The county executive should support the vaccine requirement (and so should the public employee unions). The public employee unions' strategy risks winning the battle but losing the war.

Good points but I don’t understand Elrich’s culpability here? Riemer purposely picked a fight with county employees in order to promote himself. What is Elrich’s role in this?

As for me, I’m probably voting Blair just to bring some balance to county government.

Whether or not Riemer "purposely picked a fight," it's good public and public-health policy to require county employees to be vaccinated. How could this goal be achieved with the cooperation of county employee unions, which oppose this requirement?

As for Elrich's role - what's his opinion about the requirement for county employees to be vaccinated? Does he support it, does he oppose it, is he being wishy washy for/against?

You’ve lost me here. Riemer is full on pulling a stunt for his campaign trying to be a proto-Gavin Newsom type figure while also taking a shot at MCGEO. He clearly thought it was strategically brilliant but it sort of backfired on him for the reason that everything back fires on him. He’s lazy and doesn’t care about details.

Do you, or do you not, support a requirement for county employees to be vaccinated?

Does Marc Elrich support a requirement for county employees to be vaccinated?

Does MCGEO support a requirement for county employees to be vaccinated?

The Pfizer "conflict of interest" stuff is a campaign sideshow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if the county public employee unions put this effort into getting all of their members vaccinated?

And then found a different issue to attack a candidate for county executive for - one that doesn't make their favored candidate look bad?

I unenthusiastically voted for Elrich last time, and I'll likely unenthusiastically vote for Elrich again this time, too, but it's foolish for the public employee unions to put him on the spot like this. The county executive should support the vaccine requirement (and so should the public employee unions). The public employee unions' strategy risks winning the battle but losing the war.

Good points but I don’t understand Elrich’s culpability here? Riemer purposely picked a fight with county employees in order to promote himself. What is Elrich’s role in this?

As for me, I’m probably voting Blair just to bring some balance to county government.

Whether or not Riemer "purposely picked a fight," it's good public and public-health policy to require county employees to be vaccinated. How could this goal be achieved with the cooperation of county employee unions, which oppose this requirement?

As for Elrich's role - what's his opinion about the requirement for county employees to be vaccinated? Does he support it, does he oppose it, is he being wishy washy for/against?

You’ve lost me here. Riemer is full on pulling a stunt for his campaign trying to be a proto-Gavin Newsom type figure while also taking a shot at MCGEO. He clearly thought it was strategically brilliant but it sort of backfired on him for the reason that everything back fires on him. He’s lazy and doesn’t care about details.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if the county public employee unions put this effort into getting all of their members vaccinated?

And then found a different issue to attack a candidate for county executive for - one that doesn't make their favored candidate look bad?

I unenthusiastically voted for Elrich last time, and I'll likely unenthusiastically vote for Elrich again this time, too, but it's foolish for the public employee unions to put him on the spot like this. The county executive should support the vaccine requirement (and so should the public employee unions). The public employee unions' strategy risks winning the battle but losing the war.

Good points but I don’t understand Elrich’s culpability here? Riemer purposely picked a fight with county employees in order to promote himself. What is Elrich’s role in this?

As for me, I’m probably voting Blair just to bring some balance to county government.

Whether or not Riemer "purposely picked a fight," it's good public and public-health policy to require county employees to be vaccinated. How could this goal be achieved with the cooperation of county employee unions, which oppose this requirement?

As for Elrich's role - what's his opinion about the requirement for county employees to be vaccinated? Does he support it, does he oppose it, is he being wishy washy for/against?

Anonymous wrote:What if the county public employee unions put this effort into getting all of their members vaccinated?

And then found a different issue to attack a candidate for county executive for - one that doesn't make their favored candidate look bad?

I unenthusiastically voted for Elrich last time, and I'll likely unenthusiastically vote for Elrich again this time, too, but it's foolish for the public employee unions to put him on the spot like this. The county executive should support the vaccine requirement (and so should the public employee unions). The public employee unions' strategy risks winning the battle but losing the war.

Good points but I don’t understand Elrich’s culpability here? Riemer purposely picked a fight with county employees in order to promote himself. What is Elrich’s role in this?

As for me, I’m probably voting Blair just to bring some balance to county government.

What if the county public employee unions put this effort into getting all of their members vaccinated?

And then found a different issue to attack a candidate for county executive for - one that doesn't make their favored candidate look bad?

I unenthusiastically voted for Elrich last time, and I'll likely unenthusiastically vote for Elrich again this time, too, but it's foolish for the public employee unions to put him on the spot like this. The county executive should support the vaccine requirement (and so should the public employee unions). The public employee unions' strategy risks winning the battle but losing the war.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The federal government has already purchased massive quantities of vaccine doses. No reasonable person could believe a vaccine mandate for MoCo employees would have an impact on the stock price.

Regardless, if this incredibily tenuous finacial association is a conflict of interest, then certainly Elrich's ties to the county employee unions are a conflict.

Wait, does Elrich's spouse work for a union? Does he own stock in MCGEO? No? Then it's not the same thing.

Right. The conflict of interest is much, much more direct and significant in the case of Elrich.

LOL. Riemer bros always post things that make me smile a little for being so incredibly ridiculous. Just taking their cues from the boss, I guess. Saying whatever you want at any point in time regardless of any facts must be liberating.

+1

If the Riemer comms team is going to talk about Elrich and unions, then let's also talk about Riemer and Rales. Or Riemer and developers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The federal government has already purchased massive quantities of vaccine doses. No reasonable person could believe a vaccine mandate for MoCo employees would have an impact on the stock price.

Regardless, if this incredibily tenuous finacial association is a conflict of interest, then certainly Elrich's ties to the county employee unions are a conflict.

Wait, does Elrich's spouse work for a union? Does he own stock in MCGEO? No? Then it's not the same thing.

Right. The conflict of interest is much, much more direct and significant in the case of Elrich.

Oh, well that makes it OK. As long as there are bigger criminals out there, we can give Reimer a pass.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of reasons to hate on Reimer (cannot stand the liar), but this isn't one of them. He disclosed the info and didn't hide it. His response is over the top, per usual. That the CE (another one I am not too fond of) should tell the unions to back off a Councilmember? On what planet would that happen? Not earth

Couldn't agree more that he's a liar, but disclosing a conflict of interest is not the same thing as eliminating a conflict of interest, though Riemer seems to think it is.

So, I'm one of the folks upthread who is semi-defending Riemer here, but I think I've changed my mind based on your argument. You're right. Riemer should not be the face of this initiative, given the perception of conflict of interest. He should have worked with one of his fellow councillors to take the lead on this one under the circumstances.

These are good points and it goes to something someone else said about how he's prototypically just a mediocre and lazy privileged rich kid that is used to being able to just do (and say) whatever he wants at any point in time without consequence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The federal government has already purchased massive quantities of vaccine doses. No reasonable person could believe a vaccine mandate for MoCo employees would have an impact on the stock price.

Regardless, if this incredibily tenuous finacial association is a conflict of interest, then certainly Elrich's ties to the county employee unions are a conflict.

Wait, does Elrich's spouse work for a union? Does he own stock in MCGEO? No? Then it's not the same thing.

Right. The conflict of interest is much, much more direct and significant in the case of Elrich.

LOL. Riemer bros always post things that make me smile a little for being so incredibly ridiculous. Just taking their cues from the boss, I guess. Saying whatever you want at any point in time regardless of any facts must be liberating.

Truth be told, my only concern from a public health perspective is over the ridiculous quarantine policies for kids. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't care about cases.

The issue is cost. If county employees don't want to be vaccinated, then fine, but they shouldn't make county residents pay for their stupidity. Unvaccinated employees should be required to get testing off-the-clock, assuming all costs personally. Unvaccinated employees should not get additional sick/admin leave for covid-related illnesses, exposures, or quarantines. And they should pay an additional amount in health insurance premiums to offset the cost associated with their decision, which should probably be about $100/month/person.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The federal government has already purchased massive quantities of vaccine doses. No reasonable person could believe a vaccine mandate for MoCo employees would have an impact on the stock price.

Regardless, if this incredibily tenuous finacial association is a conflict of interest, then certainly Elrich's ties to the county employee unions are a conflict.

Wait, does Elrich's spouse work for a union? Does he own stock in MCGEO? No? Then it's not the same thing.

Right. The conflict of interest is much, much more direct and significant in the case of Elrich.

Anonymous wrote:The federal government has already purchased massive quantities of vaccine doses. No reasonable person could believe a vaccine mandate for MoCo employees would have an impact on the stock price.

Regardless, if this incredibily tenuous finacial association is a conflict of interest, then certainly Elrich's ties to the county employee unions are a conflict.

Wait, does Elrich's spouse work for a union? Does he own stock in MCGEO? No? Then it's not the same thing.