Top Blog Posts, October 2009

Here are the most-viewed blog posts on MPW in October 2009.

1. Gazette Makes More Cuts
2. Compassion Trumps Pocketbook: Maryland Voters Support Increase in Alcohol Tax
3. Smoking Out Saqib Ali
4. Hunk of the Hill Runs for Delegate
5. New Labor Secretary Worked for Anti-Union Law Firm
6. Montgomery County's Most Influential People, Part Three
7. How to Save Money on Your Electric Bill Right Now
8. Montgomery County's Most Influential People, Part Four
9. SEIU Local 500 Declares Impasse with Montgomery College
10. O'Malley Raising Money - in Miami Beach

A few notes:

The primacy of the Gazette post indicates that people are very concerned about the condition of the local mainstream media (MSM). And while the MSM plays a significant role in pursuing government transparency, their operations are opaque to their readers. The Washington Post Company, which owns the Gazette, files regular reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission but does not segregate the results of the Gazette's operation with any detail. So anytime that their veil lifts a little bit, people are VERY interested. That is the reason why our 2008 Crisis at the Gazette series was such a big draw for readers at the time.

Two posts on this list were published prior to October: Hunk of the Hill and How to Save Money on Your Electric Bill. The former post illustrates that District 19 Delegate candidate Sam Arora has some buzz, but he will find it challenging to convert that into votes in such a jam-packed race. The latter post is the fourth-most read item on this blog since May 30. That demonstrates that people are increasingly willing to use the competitive opportunities of our current electricity system rather than wait on "re-regulation" legislation that may or may not lower prices decades from now. Delegate Dereck Davis (D-25), Chair of the House committee that will vet re-regulation, picked up on that and held a forum to teach his constituents how to switch power suppliers and save money. All of this will complicate the re-regulation debate in the next General Session.

Once again, the MACO drunks dominated the graphics downloads. Enough with them already! We are calling on the one person who can finally dethrone them: Delegate Saqib Ali (D-39). It is time for him to once again post something as funny as his assessment of the death of the Taco Bell chihuahua. Come on, Saqib!


The one series that was written prior to 2009 that received significant traffic was Crisis at the Gazette. This is a must-read because it shows you how our local print news is really produced and is something no newspaper would ever publish.

More of your picks next month!