Showing posts with label Jane De Winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jane De Winter. Show all posts
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday, September 06, 2010
Saturday, September 04, 2010
At-Large MoCo Council Debate at the 4H in Chevy Chase
Thirteen candidates showed up in Chevy Chase tonight for the second to last candidate forum--or so I am told--of the at-large campaign season. The debate was sponsored by a panoply of municipalities and organizations from around the area. Channel 16 covered it so you should be able to watch it. Here are my impressions on how candidates struck people--less about the specifics of what they said and more about style.
As mayor, I got to introduce the candidates--a great example of a politician taking credit of the hard work of others in putting the forum together and Charles Duffy for moderating it. The candidates looked like they were ready to throw me off the stage when I suggested that elections are like reality TV in that you actually get to vote people off the island--a thought I admit was inspired by viewing of Top Chef last night and perhaps by a post on the delegate race in District 18 inspired by Project Runway four years ago. Perhaps I was on firmer ground when I spoke about all the important decisions they get to make.
George Gluck (Green) lost me when he said that the solution to the economic crisis in a nutshell is that we all need to stop shopping at Barnes and Noble in Bethesda and go to the Cricket Book Shop in Ashton instead to keep money and jobs in the County. Reinforced the impression of Greens as well-meaning but utterly impractical and a bit kooky.
Duchy Trachtenberg (D) had one really good theme that resonated well and one that sounded a little tinny to me. The good theme is making tough choices in tough times. In short, it makes a virtue out of Duchy's loss of political support from unions--a smart and sensible response to the choices she has made in office that fits the mood of the times--not to mention the Post. In contrast, Duchy recitation of Ike's endorsement and how we can only trust experienced hands now rang false as it left me wondering why one should have supported her four years ago.
Despite starting off the debate by complimenting his fellow incumbents, George Leventhal (D) quickly lost any chance of taking home the Mr. Congeniality statuette. A bull in a china shop, George is tough and argumentative rather than pleasant and controlled, and sometimes clever instead of convincing. His tone is the one I try to keep out of my classroom teaching--the one that suggests you're a real idiot if you disagree with me--reinforced with a frown and crossed arms. Folks, we even nearly had a Saturday Night Live moment brought to life when he went after Jane de Winter. But hey, I guess you can't argue with George's electoral success.
In contrast, Nancy Floreen (D) came across as an adult who has firm convictions and a grasp of the facts but keeps her head. Like George, Nancy has strong opinions and defends them armed with a quick mind and grasp of the issues.. However, she managed to make her points, and even correct people, without looking like she was berating them or being unpleasant. Not an easy balance but one Nancy carried out with conviction. Looked like a Council President.
Jane de Winter (D) benefited from being George's target and having a sense of humor about it as she turned George's attack on her fiscal sense and her advocacy for education into a family anecdote about an adult handling a child. One can debate about who won the point but the optics of standing up to a bully were good as Jane held her own as she made an impression--something challengers have to do. Seated wrongly as a "W" instead of a "D", de Winter got to sit in the center of the pack.
Raj Narayanan (D) came across as an outsider with economic knowledge but lost credibility when he urged the audience to vote for him and Marc Elrich--mainly because it looks weak and because he apparently urges support for himself and a different incumbent at each forum. Nonetheless, he was a fresh face to me and I enjoyed his contribution.
Hans Riemer (D) was the candidate who really gets that debates are not just about what you say but the impression you make. Though younger than the other Democrats, he came across as calm, likable, and knowing the notes he wanted to hit, particularly reinforcing the message of his recent mailer on seniors. Though some will ask where's the beef? his competitors did not press this point as at other forums.
Becky Wagner (D) had an ability to relate governmental problems to both her past experience and to make clear points on complex issues. As with Jane de Winter, I got the impression of someone who has worked hard in the community and earned her spot up there. Becky came across as clear-eyed even if one wondered about her stands on issues as her responses sometimes could be read a number of ways--not necessarily a bad thing when one is trying to corral voters with diverse opinions.
Marc Elrich (D) must have been good in the classroom. He has clear views but also looks like someone who is practical, knows a lot, is willing to talk calmly with others, and thinks that politics is about bringing people together to solve the community's problems. In short, another grown up. He elicited the only applause for the night when he mentioned his bus-rapid transit proposal.
Fred Evans (D) seemed like a nice enough fellow but did not leave much of a memory--bad news for any candidate, I'm afraid.
Robert Dyer (R) wanted you to know that he is the man with the fiscal plan. Very intense. I confess I don't know what to make of Republicans with pony tails. The repeated references to Fantasy Island didn't help. I resisted urges to stand up from the back of the auditorium and shout: "The plane! The plane!"
Mark Fennell (R) brags about being a tea-party candidate in his literature but oddly sounded more interested in making sure that developers pay their fair share for infrastructure in addition to standard Republican fiscal concerns. I preferred the guy on stage to his written materials. Mark is sort of an inverse Bob Ehrlich who looks great in his ads but really should never be allowed to debate.
Brandon Rippeon (R) woke me up with a resonant voice and a passionate presentation but then disappointed with his anodyne attack suggesting that increasing gang violence indicates that the county council has provided bad value for its money. Like Hans, Brandon is a young, fresh face but has a very different style.
Note: I have endorsed Marc Elrich and Jane de Winter. I apologize for any votes this loses them.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
De Winter, Evans Fall Short
Council At-Large candidates Jane de Winter and Fred Evans have filed early financial reports for the period ending August 10. De Winter started with $16,309.41, raised $31,947.00 (including a $15,000 loan from herself) and finished with $39,929.77. Evans started with no money, raised $16,910.00 (including $5,905 in loans from himself) and finished with $8,140.17.
Neither de Winter nor Evans has enough resources to wage a credible county-wide campaign. That leaves Becky Wagner and Hans Riemer as the only challengers with a shot to break through the united front presented by the four incumbents.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Nancy Floreen and Jane de Winter on "Political Pulse" on Ch. 16 TV in MoCo
MoCo County Council President Nancy Floreen, who is an At-Large Council-member, and Jane de Winter, who is running for 1 of the 4 At-Large County Council seats, will be on the "Political Pulse" TV Show on:
Thurs, June 24th at 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sun, June 25th-27th, at 6:00 p.m. and
Tues, June 29th, at 9:30 p.m.
"Political Pulse" is on Montgomery Municipal Cable in Montgomery County.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Jane de Winter Releases Supporter List
In a recent campaign update, Council At-Large candidate Jane de Winter released a list of supporters. She has been making the rounds because this is a long list. Here it is:
Mary Boergers, former State Senator, D17
Henry Lee, former Member Montgomery County Board of Education
Pete Fosselman, Mayor, Town of Kensington
David Lublin, Mayor, Town of Chevy Chase
Aaron Kaufman, Montgomery County Commission on Disabilities
Chris Bruch, former Councilman, Town of Kensington
Grace Rivera-Ovens, Upcounty Community Leader
Gregory Wims, Victims Rights Foundation
Marcia Tollefson, Garrett Park
Carmen Larsen, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Ann Black, Germantown
Sharon St.Pierre, Community Leader Olney
J. Henry Montes, Montgomery County Latino Advisory Committee
Stan Tsai, Organization of Chinese Americans
Jeanne-Marie McElhaney, Kensington
Lisa Kaeser, Garrett Park
Anna Stokes, Luxmanor
Debi Mengering, Board Montgomery County Swim League
Terri Salus, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Cluster PTAs
Lisa and Mark Fisher, Kensington
Brenda Martin, Seneca Valley PTSA leader
Juan Cardenas, Upcounty Advisory Board
Marylin and Reynold Pierre, North Potomac
Ken Jackson Sr., Silver Spring
Susan and Bruce Bender, North Bethesda
Mary and Ricardo Carvajal, Rockville
Amy Kines, Rockville
Jane Fairweather, Bethesda Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce
Sue Christakos, Luxmanor
Allen and Liz Brinker, Farmland
Lisa Kaeser, Garrett Park
April Keyes, Germantown
Jane Mangold, North Bethesda
Barbara Ferry, Walter Johnson Cluster Coordinator
Allyson Morrison, Watkins Mill Community Leader
Shari Campbell, NAACP Parents Council
Crystal DeVance-Wilson, East County
Janel Hino and Pat Scully, Burtonsville
J. Alberto Martinez, Garrett Park
Elin Quigley, Garrett Park
Jean Decker, North Bethesda
Kien Lee, Governor's Commission on New Americans
Anne Turner, Special Education Advocate
Nahid Tootoonchi, Garrett Park
Pam and Tony Marquez, Luxmanor
John Hall, Rockville
Prince Havely, Silver Spring
Bob Knoll, President, Garrett Park Estates/White Flint Park Citizens Association
Chih Chow, Blair PTSA Delegate
George Gadbois, Wheaton Community Leader
Carol Salsbury, Silver Spring
Doris Marshall, Tamarack Triangle
Marilyn Balcombe, Germantown Task Force
Ray Moreno, Downcounty Community Leader, Silver Spring
Kathleen Bainbridge, retired MCPS principal
Shawn Rubbin, Kensington
Debbie Williams, Kensington
Carlyn Moyer, Germantown
Mary Anna Culkin, Asbury Village
Lin-Lin Mao, North Bethesda
Michael Ionno and Debbie Ionno Atkins, Garrett Park
Yvette Monroe, Member Educational Enrichment Committee, City of Gaithersburg
Laura Roberts, former PTA President Kensington Parkwood ES
Lori and John Collins, Walter Johnson HS Community
Suzanne Hickey, Jack of All Trades Videography
Juan Johnson, Seneca Valley Community
David and Cindy Meredith, Kensington
Nic Stearns, Founder, Arts Stream
MaryAnn Bowen, Silver Spring
Karin Green, Garrett Park
Richard Turner, Rockville
Carol Alderson, Kensington
Maria Garcia, Germantown Community Leader.
* Organization names listed for informational purposes only and do not imply any endorsement from the organization.
Friday, June 11, 2010
County Council At-Large Candidates on What Has Shaped Their Thinking on Politics
Today’s question taken from MCEA’s questionnaires for the At-Large County Council candidates is: Describe a political event that shaped your thinking about politics and/or your decision to run for public office.
Marc Elrich
Probably going to a meeting of activists in Minnesota and listening to a discussion about the frustration of electing people who promised to support progressive issues, only to find that once elected they didn’t keep their word. The conclusion they’d reached was that we needed to elect our “own” to office, rather than relying on people with no connection to the issues to be the ones we expect to fight for them. It changed my perspective because I’d been an activist for years, content to get 3 minutes at a mike in front of a typically unsympathetic legislative body. You’d give your speech and leave and more often than not, nothing changed. So it was then I decided I wanted to be on the other side of the dias, in a position to make decisions, rather than simply hoping that I’d influence someone else to make the right decision.
Nancy Floreen
The absence of women leaders.
George Leventhal
There are so many. I have had an interest in politics and public affairs as far back as I can remember. Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, I was always exposed to politics. I vividly recall the assassinations and funerals of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. I recall passionate discussions about the Vietnam War and Watergate. In high school I handed out literature for Ted Kennedy’s 1980 presidential campaign. I managed my first political campaigns in college and have continued to work with candidates and elected officials ever since. I have always believed the ballot box is the best way to change society for the better and to meet people’s basic needs.
Jane de Winter
My interest in politics began while I was a pre-teen. Both my parents are Republicans and I grew up with an extended family that loves Rush Limbaugh. I knew very early on that I disagreed with most everything that was said at family meals and that I did believe it was the role of government to fix problems, ensure equal opportunity, and provide assistance to the most vulnerable among us. When I voted in my first primary election at age 19, an election judge called my mother to ask if she knew that her daughter was a Democrat. Some of the issues that I was most passionate about in college were Apartheid, the ERA, and a women’s right to choose. I started at Brown with the intent of majoring in Political Science, but developed an interest in Economics. Most of my studies in this field focused on the public policy arena: monetary policy, public finance, and macroeconomics, all of which help me understand how governments can effectively keep the economy on track and provide the services residents need.
There hasn’t been any one event that precipitated my decision to run for County Council At Large, rather it is the strong belief that the factor that will have the greatest influence on the future of our county—the extreme poverty among our children—isn’t recognized as such.
Robert Dyer
The passage of important legislation during the presidency of George H.W. Bush influenced my belief that government can play a role in advancing the rights of the disabled, fighting pollution and promoting public service. His lifelong commitment to public service, I think, exemplifies the type of mature, responsible and competent leadership we need to deal with the challenges ahead. To witness our County Council violate the public trust with its shameful mismanagement of taxpayer funds for political gain – and the spectacle of its attempt to scapegoat disabled police officers last January 15 (at a hearing at which I testified in support of our county police officers) to cover up their own failure as Council Members – and their plan to permanently reduce MCPS funding led me to run for this office.
Fred Evans
In 1958, my father, Dan Evans, decided to run for a position on the United Steelworkers (USW) Board of Trustees. At that point, he had been an employee of Jones and Laughlin Steel, in Pittsburgh, for 22 years. Because he was concerned about the strained relations between the union and the steel company owners, he wanted to have a voice in the process. As a result, he enlisted me to stand with him at the various entrances to the mill and distribute his cards announcing his candidacy. I will never forget the overwhelming feeling of pride as I watched my father engage his fellow workers and explain why he should be elected. Prior to this event, I perceived my father to be a relatively shy man. This experience changed that perception and also taught me valuable skills about how to approach individuals and talk with them.
This may not be a “typical” political event, but it taught me a great deal about politics as a young boy. Yes, my father won the election and was an active voice in the USW until he retired in 1972.
Hans Riemer
I was raised in Oakland, California, in the Reagan years. I saw a deep divide in my community between people who had opportunity and people who did not. For example, in the school system, it was clear to me at an early age that I attended a high quality public elementary school, and there were schools in the city that were violent, scary, and did not foster learning and opportunity. I heard about a tax revolt and Prop 13, which slowly starved the schools of funding, and while staying home to take classes in support of teachers during numerous strikes, I saw a school system, a community and the California Dream on a steady march of decline.
My parents were politically active and we discussed community and national issues at the dinner table. I learned that our most serious problems require policy solutions and political change, and my experience in Oakland drove me to want to do something about it. I knew that I wanted to help build a progressive majority for change in this country, and I have found ways to do it. My contributions include helping to protect Social Security from privatization by the Bush Administration, elect President Obama, and expand health care for young adults, among many.
Serving on the Montgomery County Council is a new way for me to tackle these same problems. I believe in the power of good economic policy---decisions we make that shape the ability of a parent to provide for a family, of the family to contribute to society. I want to be sure our schools continue an upward march, because our education policy makes Montgomery County more than a great place to live, it makes it a decent place to live. I am deeply concerned about the environment and the impact of decisions we make at the county level about how we grow, and I know that we can do better than we have been doing for the past 60 years. I believe we must manage our government's finances with discipline and prudence, or a door will open for people whose only objective is to destroy government through measures like the Ficker Amendment and California's Prop 13. As the demographics of our county shift and low-income and disadvantaged populations make up more and more of our residents, I know we can and must find a way to stitch together one strong community that creates opportunity for all.
As I raise my own family here --- my son is 2 --- I want to make sure that we rise to meet our challenges.
Brandon Rippeon
Witnessing the poor and incompetent job the current MoCo government has done over the past four years. In addition I am concerned about the internecine relationship which has developed between the incumbent government and MCPS, as well as the Council itself.
Becky Wagner
As a former staff member for Senator Paul Sarbanes I had the privilege to observe and be part of thoughtful and decisive leadership which shaped our vision for our future. I have spent a lifetime stepping forward to make systemic changes in our community.
Why did I finally decide to run for elected office?
Almost 18 months ago, the current County Council held a rancorous debate on the future of the Hillmead property in Bethesda. Would it become a park, or would the house be renovated to serve a large homeless family? The debate, which played itself out in the media and the Council chamber, was vitriolic, self-serving and an embarrassment.
In the end, a comfortable neighborhood with a park ended up with a bigger park, and not one stick of affordable housing resulted from the decision. I decided at that moment that I had more to offer the County, and that would be to serve as a member of the Council.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
County Council At-Large Candidates on the Next Four Years
Today’s question taken from MCEA’s questionnaires for the At-Large County Council candidates is: What are three things you would like to accomplish in the next four years if you are elected to the Council?
Marc Elrich
Unless and until we deal with our inefficiencies and silos, we are going to continue to spend money on things we don’t need at the expense of things we do need. Without measurable outcome goals, we’ll continue to fund projects that are not effective at the expense of those that are. I am working to have the County evaluate the structure of County government using a combination of stakeholders and outside consultants. I want to examine the workflows and processes in government with the goal of substantially reorganizing departments and the workplace in order to achieve a greater level of efficiency and to free up spending from unproductive activities so we can use the resources on our priorities. Resources will be our greatest challenge in the future and we need to make sure that what we spend money on is effective in achieving the results we want. I want us to regain a sounder fiscal footing because if expected growth in revenues is slow while requirements for increasing reserves are tightening, then we have to squeeze as much operating efficiency out of what we already do as possible. Our ability to fund high quality services and meet people’s expectations for quality of life depend on freeing up resources from unnecessary expenditures.
Second, I’d like to see my BRT proposal get off the ground. It has support in the Civic, environmental, business and labor committees. It’s the least expensive way to provide significant Mass Transit which would have a very positive impact on our ability to do more development without negative community and environmental impacts. Most people view transportation, or the lack of it, as the real constraint on growth once the economy recovers and that’s why this coalition of interests have seen my proposal as offering a way out the box. Our inability to move people will stymie our recovery, whereas if we’re successful in implementing a rapid transit network we’d gain a significant advantage over our regional competitors.
Third, I want to complete the PHED committee work on the Zoning Code rewrite and the revision of the Development Review processes. Our codes are arcane and complicated – hard to understand by all parties involved and prone to arbitrariness in their application. The Development Review Process is difficult, can add years to the approval process without qualitatively improving the process and can add substantial expense to a project for no benefit. The Zoning Code has been under discussion for revision for more than a decade and people were talking about reforming the review process before I was elected. It adds enormous expense not just to private projects, but to County projects and school projects as well. I’ve always supported developers paying for infrastructure, but that’s different than having them spend excessively just to navigate the process and adding to their costs for our inefficiency doesn’t benefit anyone. There are too many intra and inter-agency bottlenecks, a lack of coordination, a lack of common understandings so that responding to one reviewers requests can result in having a previous approval rescinded by a different reviewer. I have seen examples of projects built on approved plans . only to be forced to change things already signed off on at the point of inspection. Needless to say it contributes to ill-will and to a sense that “regulation is bad”. I believe regulation is a positive but the process of regulation is broken and needs to be fixed. As it is we are unable to respond to unique circumstances or opportunities because the process is inflexible. This is another piece of what it will take to restore the County’s fiscal health.
I believe strongly that the County’s history of having a strong safety net and high quality public services – schools, libraries, parks, public safety – is something to be proud of and something we want to maintain. But we’ve seen with the collapse of the economy that the funding can dry up very quickly and recover very slowly and that efforts to fund everything now compete with funding for core services.
Without a plan to provide economic stability and given the demands that are going to be placed on us, our ability to find adequate funding for the things we value will require us to reexamine how our government operates. It’s been frustrating to watch us give ground on important social services because of the shortfalls, so building a more stable and sustainable government is essential.
Nancy Floreen
a. improve job growth
b. expand the tax base
c. return to higher funding levels of county services
George Leventhal
a. Attract jobs and investment to restore a healthy economy;
b. Continue advocating for construction of mass transit, attend the Purple Line groundbreaking during the next four years;
c. Maintain access to health care for the uninsured.
Jane de Winter
•Strengthen the county’s long-term fiscal health.
•Support and enhance county programs that support high school students at risk of dropping out and establish stronger career pathway links between MCPS, MC, and the private sector.
•Reduce the amount of time it takes to get a development project from conception to occupancy.
Robert Dyer
1. Solve the structural budget deficit.
2. To have in place a long-term, comprehensive transportation plan, and the funding to pay for it.
3. Pre-kindergarten (all day) for every child in Montgomery County.
Fred Evans
• Continue to support, and to seek improvements for, our strong public education system in Montgomery County. Our system is the foundation of our community and our economy, even in these difficult times.
• Maintain strong police and fire/emergency services to ensure that our communities are safe and livable. Our county cannot reduce services in these areas in order to care for and protect our communities.
• A careful analysis and resulting economic action plan must be completed as soon as possible to improve our current financial crisis. All key stakeholders should be brought into the analysis in order to develop an effective long range plan.
• Health and Human Services, especially for those who do not have access to medical insurance and care, must available to all. This includes mental health services.
Hans Riemer
1. Stabilize our long-term fiscal position in a way that protects our key priorities, particularly education. My goal is to meet the challenge of restructuring our government for a new era of reduced tax revenues, while working diligently to expand our tax base for the long term.
2. Support sustainable economic growth by changing development rules to prioritize walking, biking and transit. We are maxed out on cars but we must continue to add jobs and housing or our tax base will decline. To protect our quality of life, we need to focus future development on transit and build infrastructure to support it.
3. Reshape Montgomery County's politics to bring new and diverse residents into the process and generate outcomes that represent the dynamic and vibrant place this county has become. Nobody has all the answers but when everyone is involved we do have the answers.
Brandon Rippeon
Create jobs; hire, train, retain the best qualified individuals to become MCPS teachers; address the many and growing social problems of MoCo.
Becky Wagner
- Develop a plan for necessary restructuring of our government and implement the strategy in an effective way.
− Implement an aggressive strategy to bring good businesses to the County as part of a comprehensive way to grow our revenue base, with the objective of restoring funding to education, the workforce and needed services.
− Evaluate our stated goals for affordable housing; understand why they have not been achieved and move to incentives to increase that housing stock.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
County Council At-Large Candidates on Their Accomplishments
Today’s question taken from MCEA’s questionnaires for the At-Large County Council candidates is: What would you describe as your most significant accomplishment as a member of the County Council (incumbents) or as an elected official in another office, member of an advocacy or issue group, or other public service role (challengers)?
Marc Elrich
Changing the growth policy to place more realistic tests on transportation capacity, to reduce overcrowding in schools and to get impact fees that, when the economy recovers, will generate significant revenues for infrastructure was one of the key things I wanted to accomplish when I sought this office. So I feel good about that. I thought in the White Flint Master Plan, that getting the BRT as central piece of it and getting the non-auto mode share (the number of people not driving to work) up to 50% was very significant both in terms of creating a real smart growth project and reducing auto use, but also because it allowed us to approve more density without causing the road network to grind to a stop. I worked really hard with the citizens on both sides of whether to support the Master Plan, and with the developers to come up with a package that I think will result in a really landmark project and be an example of Smart Growth that can be replicated. I’m proud of my domestic worker legislation, of my bill that protected the C&O canal from construction at its boundaries.
Nancy Floreen
As Chair of the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee for the past eight years, I have been the county’s foremost and most ardent advocate for infrastructure construction during that time - probably for the last twenty years. Most recently, I brought the Council together on unanimous votes to approve two controversial master plans and a contested zoning language change. I have recently introduced a bill to create the Montgomery Business Development Corporation to bring in new players to assist in job growth. Historically, I have brought tremendous experience to bear on our land use decisions. About 5 years ago I introduced the “homeowner credit” portion of the property tax calculation, which allows us to reap higher tax revenue from commercial property, non-owner occupied residential property, and the personal property tax. And several years ago I introduced the first “carbon” tax on the utility bill, applied proportionately to the usage of higher carbon emitting sources, which now nets us about 11 million.
George Leventhal
My most significant accomplishment on the Council has been the creation and growth of the Montgomery Cares program, which this year will provide access to health care for more than 23,000 poor, uninsured county residents.
Jane de Winter
I am proud that a number of changes to the budget advocacy process within MCCPTA led to successful advocacy efforts and are being continued today by that organization. One of the first changes was to get the organization to focus on a smaller number of issues. For several years, Marshall Spatz had asked MCCPTA what in the MCCPTA Operating Budget Compact was most important and we did not have an answer because we had not established priorities. For the past five years MCCPTA has passed an Operating Budget Priorities Resolution which sets out the most important issues of the year. Through more focused advocacy, MCCPTA was able to secure an increase in the number of hours that health technicians staff schools and also prevent cuts to those positions for FY11. I believe it was my leadership in budget advocacy that led the Superintendent to invite me and MCCPTA to participate in the MCPS budget development process for FY09. I proposed that MCPS reevaluate the FACT score formula, used to rank buildings for modernization, in CIP testimony in November, 2006. MCPS issued the FACT Review Committee report in April, 2010, as a result of efforts begun that fall and continued by my successors at MCCPTA. A common thread in these accomplishments is the effort to set priorities and strategically plan for the future.
Robert Dyer
My most significant accomplishment has been bringing violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act to light and having them successfully resolved.
As a member of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, I have helped our party reduce monthly expenses by pointing out items in the budget we could do without (or for less). I’ve also increased transparency and oversight in our monthly budget report.
Fred Evans
I am very proud of my accomplishments as a secondary school principal, especially my 4-1/2 years (1989-1993) as principal of Parkland Middle School. I was appointed as principal of Parkland Junior High four months after the tragic death of the former principal, Dr. Mark Mann. I began my tenure at Parkland as the school and community were in the midst of the conversion process from a junior high to a middle school. The staff, students and parents not only had to adjust to a new leader after their tragic loss, but also had to prepare for a new operational model. The short version of this accomplishment is that, with a great deal of help and support from many individuals, we were able to complete the conversion process and begin the “new” school on a very positive note. The most important lesson that I learned from this experience, among many, is that individuals will “step up” in a crisis situation to move forward. This experience gave me new confidence in my abilities as a leader and helped me when I moved to my next assignment.
Hans Riemer
I helped a generation of young people achieve political power in this country.
My work in youth political engagement began when I founded a nonprofit organization at the age of 23 that provided a voice for young people on economic issues and particularly Social Security. I ran that group for nearly five years, eventually leading a national coalition campaign to protect Social Security from the Bush privatization plan.
Over time I moved into youth voter engagement, first as Washington Director for Rock the Vote during the 2004 election cycle, where we registered more than a million young voters and pioneered some of the new web-based engagement techniques. In March 2007, not long after my own unsuccessful race for Council District 5, I went to Chicago to work for Barack Obama, as National Youth Vote Director. The Obama campaign gave me wide latitude to develop an early-state and national program that could get young people out to vote. Our organizing paid off, as President Obama's margin of victory in Iowa was nearly equal to his youth vote. Young voters continued to power his victories through the primaries. I am gratified to see that one of the first health care reform initiatives to be implemented is a provision allowing young people to remain on their family plans until age 26, which I successfully lobbied the campaign policy team to include in our platform. With so many high school and college students graduating into unemployment, that rule will be particularly important in the coming few years.
From my experience on the Obama campaign, I learned that you can only change policy if you change the politics, and that requires getting new and more people involved in the process. I intend to bring this insight and spirit to my work on the Montgomery County Council---and I believe that I will only be successful in moving the County forward if I am able to organize new voices into the political process. Not only younger families but new immigrants, new residents, small business owners---the people who represent the future of our County.
Brandon Rippeon
This is my first time entering a public service role.
Becky Wagner
For the past 11 years I have lead Interfaith Works, a nonprofit business. During that time the organization has grown from an $800K budget to $4.5 million. I make payroll and fund benefits every two weeks for 110 employees. The result of this work is that 35,000 men, women and children are receiving services that will lead them to self-sufficiency.
In the recent past I have had key opportunities by serving the community as:
• Co-chair, Montgomery County Safety Net Coalition (65+ non-profits successfully organized to prevent serious budget cuts to services for our county’s most vulnerable)
• Co-chair, Vote No on A,B,C. (coalition of labor, business, non-profits, elected and community leaders that defeated the “Ficker Amendments” proposing tax caps, term limits and single Council districts)
• Co-chair, No on Slots campaign in Montgomery County (broad coalition of business, faith-based, non-profits and community leaders opposed to slot machine gambling)
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
County Council At-Large Candidates on Government Downsizing
Today’s question taken from MCEA’s questionnaires for the At-Large County Council candidates is: What steps do you believe are necessary to maintain the long-term fiscal health of county government, and if you believe the county government needs to “downsize” what services/programs would you prioritize to protect and which do you believe may need to be consolidated, reduced, or eliminated?
Marc Elrich
I think we’re going to have to a number of things. First, I think the bond rating agencies will set higher targets for reserves and for meeting future obligations and that unfunded liabilities will have to be addressed. We’re going to need to develop a plan and that will be painful because it means that a larger portion of future revenue increases are going to placed into reserves and be unavailable for programming. I do think that the risk to our credit rating is real and that failing to maintain our rating would have a negative impact on the cost of government.
As far as downsizing, I think of it more as right sizing. My colleagues talk about years of saying “yes” to everything because it seemed the supply of money would never end. That proved not be true. When I arrived four years ago and asked if the administrative side could tell me what rec programs they ran, who they targeted, who they reached, how did they measure success and how successful were they; they told me they couldn’t answer those questions. The truth is we inherited a government where many programs lack accountability, where the personnel assigned to evaluate programming was inadequately trained and not effective, and where money was spent without review. That needs to change and it is being changed. People talk of silos and duplicated efforts and plenty of union members talk about inefficiencies in day to day operations.
So in the time I’ve been there, I’ve pushed for coordination and evaluation of all youth programming so that we can better target programs to the youth that need them. I pushed for consolidation of recreation programming, scheduling and promotion – and that is now going to happen. I asked this year that we evaluate merging Park Police into a unit of the County police in order to eliminate duplicative management and support staff – and we’ll have a plan of it in six months, and most recently I asked for a report on all housing related services, scattered across three agencies, to see if there are opportunities for consolidation there.
The first goal should be to save money by making government run better and to use accountability to eliminate programs that don’t work or produce little value. My hope is that by saving everything we can by running better, we can avoid cuts to programs we really don’t want to lose. If we simply try to prioritize to hit a dollar mark in the budget without addressing how we operate, we will lose good programs because we passed up opportunities to free up poorly spent revenues.
As for priorities, I place schools, health and human services, public safety, libraries and recreation (including parks), environmental policies and transportation at the top. Many of these things interact with each other. We spend enormous sums outside of MCPS on youth welfare and that spending is critical to the well-being of children when they’re in school.
Nancy Floreen
As our recent activity has shown, “downsizing” is easier said than done. I really don’t think that Montgomery County residents want to see less service. We have done what we can to encourage efficiencies in service delivery, but with marginal effects. That is primarily a management function. I think we need to expand the tax base and create an environment that is more friendly to job expansion so that we can return to a healthy economy and funding for necessary services.
George Leventhal
Education is and always will be the highest priority in the county’s budget, rising from 55.2% of the budget in FY 2010 to 56.6% in FY 2011. We cannot afford to have this percentage continue to rise at the expense of other vital services such as police, fire, health and human services, parks and libraries. My priority has always been to spend limited government dollars for the benefit of those who need the most assistance. In this budget, we suspended or eliminated many programs that I thought were low priority, including free parking at libraries and the Office of the People’s Counsel. We have already cut so deeply that I do not presently have a list of programs I want to eliminate although I am optimistic that consolidating park police and county police functions will result in savings and I am interested in further consolidation proposals.
I believe that county government must fairly compensate employees in all agencies, but I do not think we can afford to provide increases in compensation and benefits that substantially exceed increases in the Consumer Price Index as we did during the last decade. I also think we must take a close look at salary inflation at the top of the wage scale. There are simply too many county employees making salaries of $150,000 and above.
Jane de Winter
The Fitch Rating report also stated that “The fiscal 2008 budget somewhat reversed unsupportable growth trends [in the county’s budget].” In the long run our spending should only grow at the feasible long run growth rate for economic activity and there are virtually no industrialized nations that grow at a 7, 8, or 9% rate over the long run. That type of growth is usually seen in industrializing nations such as China or India and even there it does not last for decades. When revenues grow faster over the short run we have to have the discipline to apply the revenue to one time expenditures such as additional infrastructure investments, or one time expansions. In my mind, it is also unfeasible to continually rely on tax rate increases or new types of taxes to support ever higher spending growth rates.
I believe there are several steps we need to take. We must increase the tax base by attracting and creating more jobs which will also increase our property tax base with the resultant commercial development. A key to being able to attract and create jobs is to make it easier to get things done in the county. As baby boomers retire which, due to the size of that generation, will reduce the proportion of residents in the workforce, we need to take deliberate steps to attract highly qualified workers to our county, provide opportunities for the underemployed to acquire skills (such as the ability to speak English) and certifications that will increase their earning potential; and ensure that all our youth graduate from high school ready for job training or college. New workers will require housing which will also increase the property tax base. These are longer term strategies, although efforts to improve the earning power of our workforce and increase the graduation rate could start immediately.
In the short run we still have several tough years; the projections for the next four years show we are looking at years where we may have to make further cuts or keep spending virtually flat without new revenue sources. Overall, I think that the right size of our government is smaller than it was three to four years ago but not necessarily smaller than it will be in FY11. If further cuts would threaten public safety, our ability to protect the most vulnerable, or our investments in the future, I am willing to consider an increase in property tax rates with credits at lower levels to protect typically lower income homeowners. I believe there are efficiencies to be found by simultaneously trying to simplify and streamline the development process as well as the process for starting a small business. I am interested in looking further at the park/rec merger but have many questions regarding the ultimate cost savings.
Robert Dyer
First, cut spending. Second, increase revenue as I discussed in #2 above. Third, restructure government. We can’t go on like this!
In “downsizing,” protect:
1. Public safety
2. Police and fire salaries/compensation
3. Ride On routes/drivers
4. Services for those medically incapable of providing/caring for themselves
5. Maintain full MCPS funding under state law
Reduce/eliminate:
Everything else must be on the table, but I would cut the following first:
1. Health and human services
2. Environmental spending that does not directly reduce pollution
3. County cable office
4. Economic development office
5. County Executive’s office
Fred Evans
The first step is that the county council members, in collaboration with the county executive, must work together to analyze our current economic status and determine a “long term” course of action. This analysis cannot be done in a short period of time and it must involve all key stakeholders — the residents - in the process. Since I believe that a strong education system and the safety and security of our residents should continue to be top priorities, any attempt to downsize those functions would be closely scrutinized. I believe that certain services/programs have a positive effect on the economy and must be continually improved.
Hans Riemer
The next Council will need to partner with the County Executive and the separate agencies to focus the mission and priorities of each agency for a new fiscal era, and review work procedures to identify inefficiencies. We need a unified process with stakeholders and Council members that goes beyond the usual committee procedures. The conversation will become a search to define the core services. Because most ideas and services are good ideas, we must distinguish the good from the essential, and we must determine that each dollar we spend is affordable, sustainable, and can only be done by the county government.
For example, if the Department of Recreation were to prioritize serving youth and seniors, how would that change resource allocation? Since health care reform has been passed at the national level, how will that affect our county services? And what about middle managers? With county spending increasing dramatically in recent years, there is no doubt in my mind that we have management positions that we can do without. Diving this deep on our budgets, however, will require a crisis-turnaround mentality and agreement from partners about the nature and scope of the problem.
This mission needs to be supported by a new budget process. Many jurisdictions around the country have moved to a system where agencies start from scratch every year with their budgets, rather than assuming the previous year's budget amounts (zero-based budgeting). This system forces managers to be more strategic and more efficient, because there is no incentive for duplication; but it allows them more flexibility to meet the mission. This budget approach also demands much stronger leadership from the agency heads and a real partnership with labor. Legislation should be authorized to let several county agencies test a zero-based budget next year.
Brandon Rippeon
Job creation and increasing the number of people who pay taxes in MoCo. I advocate a reduction to the size of the Montgomery County Government through job privatization.
Becky Wagner
I am on the record as stating that “the piggy bank is empty, and we do not have enough to pay for what we care about: education, fire and safety, libraries and parks and services to the most vulnerable.” Given we have enormous deficits for the next five years, and are close to a tipping point on tax increases, we must start immediately looking at where services are duplicative. The recent back and forth about Park Police and County Police was neither thoughtful nor constructive. Should we ask the question and evaluate the data? Yes. Should we ask about a Parks Department and a Recreation Department? Yes. Are there things happening in the Executive Branch that we need to stop doing for now? Yes. We have the responsibility to consider openly where duplications exist. This does not mean programs are without merit. It simply means we have to agree what our core services are, and what will we do without until we have restored our financial house. These choices cannot be made in a vacuum.
Monday, June 07, 2010
County Council At-Large Candidates on Taxes
After concluding its endorsements, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) posted the questionnaires it had received from candidates on its website. Some of the questions pertain to issues of no great importance to people outside the union. But others are of interest to many. We are digging through the answers provided by the County Council At-Large candidates on a series of questions of considerable value this week and hope this aids our readers.
The candidates who completed the questionnaires are incumbents Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen and George Leventhal, Democratic challengers Jane de Winter, Fred Evans, Hans Riemer and Becky Wagner and Republican challengers Robert Dyer and Brandon Rippeon. Incumbent Duchy Trachtenberg did not complete a questionnaire because she is not seeking union endorsements (unlike four years ago).
Our first question from MCEA’s questionnaire is: What is your view of the current local tax structure? What, if any, changes would you advocate?
Marc Elrich
I supported Al Carr’s bill to enable us to have a split rate tax system (commercial and residential property with potentially a higher rate on commercial) and will support it again if it’s introduced (only Phil and I supported it the first time.) I supported Rich Madaleno’s bill to give the county the right to create a transit taxing authority so we can raise taxes on property that would benefit from the construction of major transportation projects, such as my BRT proposal. In a perfect world, the State would have a more progressive income tax, and County’s would share in the corporate income tax. I’m especially interested in this because the cost of infrastructure for business expansion is borne at the local level, yet the State is the sole beneficiary of the income taxes.
Several years ago I supported the County Executive’s tax proposal to increase the rate but also the homeowner tax credit. Had we done that we’d have had another $100 million dollars this year and the furloughs and many of the painful service cuts would not have been necessary. The Exec was right in projecting our long-term revenue needs, but I lost the vote on the council 8-1.
Nancy Floreen
At this point, I think we’ve pushed it to the limit.
George Leventhal
I would support a charter amendment to remove the fire tax from the constraints of the Ficker amendment. I hope we can successfully rezone targeted areas of economic opportunity like White Flint, the Great Seneca Science Corridor, Wheaton, Glenmont and the Science Center East at White Oak/FDA. In so doing, we will increase land values and expand our property tax base. We need to get back to relying on property tax revenue rather than regressive nuisance taxes like energy and cell phone taxes. Expanding jobs and investment in these targeted areas of economic opportunity will also increase income tax revenues.
Jane de Winter
As an Economist I believe that the most efficient tax structure is broad based taxes unless we are specifically seeking to encourage or discourage certain types of economic activity. I would support a more progressive structure in the state and piggy back tax than we have now—there is very little progressivity. When residential property tax rates are increased I support using a mix of rate increases and credits to assist low income property owners so that the property tax also has some progressivity. I am in favor of exploring development tax districts to raise funds for development related infrastructure needs. I was not and am not in favor of the Ficker Amendment which requires nine votes to raise property taxes above the charter limit. When considering new revenue options, we need to have a thorough understanding of the impact on economic activity.
Robert Dyer
Property taxes are too high. Once the structural deficit has been addressed, we need to reduce property taxes. I have a plan to create at least 8 new revenue streams of varying amounts so that we can reduce the burden on the taxpayer. These include a voluntary income tax and voluntary gas tax program.
Fred Evans
Due to the national and state budget crises, the "trickle down" effect on local jurisdictions has created an economic disaster. I do not believe that the "local tax structure" is as much of the problem as our ability to predict these situations and be prepared for them. Therefore, I would advocate that a thorough fiscal analysis be completed involving all stakeholder groups to determine next steps and what steps to take in order to avert future economic disasters. Since I am not a fiscal specialist, I would depend on "experts" to give us a realistic framework for the future.
Hans Riemer
I have three concerns when I consider our tax structure:
1) Taxes must only be high enough to generate revenue to pay for the vital services the county provides, and no higher. Surpluses should be saved for rainy days and also returned to the taxpayers. During the boom times of our recent past, however, the County Council raised taxes, and now there are few alternatives for raising revenue.
2) The tax structure should be fundamentally progressive and it should be broad-based rather than singling out particular groups of people for unfair burdens. It cannot place an unrealistic burden on the poor, elderly or otherwise disadvantaged. In the property tax context, the state of Maryland has a Homeowner Tax Relief program designed to protect lower income families and the elderly and disabled from losing their property because the assessments and tax rates on their property has gone up and they can no longer afford them, and Montgomery County has taken steps to expand this program, both in terms of eligibility and the extent of relief. We must ensure that these programs and the income limits governing eligibility (currently $64,000) keep pace with inflation and any changes in the property tax rates.
3) Our tax burden must be competitive relative to other jurisdictions in our region. We do not need to have the lowest taxes, and we have a higher quality of life in Montgomery County because we are willing to pay for it. But we do have to be vigilant to ensure that the tax burden in this county does not grow so high compared to Northern Virginia or DC that we cannot compete for jobs. A 2009 DC government survey estimated the average total tax burden on a family of three making $100,000 a year would be $10,104 in Montgomery County, compared to $7,938 in DC, $8,276 in Alexandria, $8,417 in Arlington County and $8,347 in Fairfax County.
Brandon Rippeon
The current local tax structure is too high. I advocate a freeze on additional taxes.
Becky Wagner
I think it is more than unfortunate that the Ficker Amendment passed in 2008. There are times when new or increased taxes are necessary to fund the services that we value. That said, the piecemeal approach of tax increases begs for a comprehensive review and decision regarding what we want to fund, and how we intend to do so. In reality we have to grow our revenue base in the County by increasing opportunities for the business community to thrive here. Good jobs and thriving businesses pay for our quality of life.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Council At-Large: First Forum
Last Wednesday night, the four at-large County Council Members and the four challengers gathered in Kensington for their first forum. There will be many more, but first impressions are important. Here’s our take.
The Kensington Town Hall’s auditorium is a great place for candidate forums as it is spacious and has high ceilings. Unfortunately, a theater company was using most of the space so a crowd of at least 250 people was jammed into a quarter of the room. Standing room only was the rule.
Moderator and state party chair Susie Turnbull took questions from the crowd written on index cards, but quickly amassed a big stack of them – way too many to be asked in two hours. Turnbull’s approach was to edit and amalgamate the questions into a handful of subjects and rephrase them herself. This infuriated many members of the audience who preferred that their exact questions be posed. Our advice to future debate moderators is that if twelve questions refer to the same subject, do not edit or combine them – just pick the one that asks the question best. That will avoid feelings by the crowd of disenfranchisement. Nevertheless, all eight candidates had adequate opportunity to speak and that is the key job of any moderator.
Celebrity Row: Council District 2 candidate Sharon Dooley (smiling at left), County Executive candidate Daniel "The Wig Man" Vovak (center), Kensington Mayor Pete Fosselman (right).
The forum’s questions focused on the budget, competing with Fairfax, the ICC and White Flint, with the budget accounting for at least half of the air time. When will MoCo ever stop talking about the ICC? Why is a nearly complete state project still a campaign issue? For the record, incumbent Council Members Marc Elrich and Duchy Trachtenberg and challengers Hans Riemer and Fred Evans oppose the project while incumbents Nancy Floreen and George Leventhal and challengers Becky Wagner and Jane de Winter support it. That concludes our commentary on that subject.
We noticed a clear pattern separating the incumbents from the challengers. Several of the incumbents offered resumes as their opening statements and occasionally as their answers. The challengers tended to focus instead on what they thought was important in the future. We prefer the challengers’ approach. If the incumbents’ record is so great, why is the budget nearly a billion dollars in deficit? It’s understandable that the incumbents would introduce their records and depict themselves as more substantive than the challengers, but all candidates should be focused on the next term. That is, after all, what will be decided by the fall’s election.
Your author took many pages of barely legible notes but more importantly quizzed members of the audience after the forum ended. Here are the candidates ranked not only by our estimation, but also by the activists, voters and other candidates present to whom we spoke.
1 (tie). George Leventhal, Incumbent
Leventhal was clearly experienced with the format, which often required candidates to jam their answers into sixty seconds with a flashing card waived at ten seconds left. That was a big advantage as he came across as knowledgeable, serious and forceful. Leventhal expressed very well where the county should be headed, citing White Flint as an example of concentrating economic activity in high-rises near transit while preserving attractive single-family neighborhoods nearby. (Wagner and Riemer said much the same thing.) On the budget, he said the county should not have any “sacred cows” and that the council was seeking “equitable sacrifice in the budget.” Leventhal said, “I’m a better councilman than when I took office… In my third term, I will be a more cautious and a more prudent spender.” This is an implicit admission of what every politician knows but few will say: the county cannot afford to spend the same amounts as it has in the past.
Many audience members respected Leventhal because he was capable, well-prepared and could speak well on a variety of subjects. The one suggestion we offer to him is to throw in a bit of humor. Leventhal is one of the county’s funniest politicians – right up there with House Majority Leader Kumar “Bad Boy” Barve. If he can take advantage of that, he will clean up in future debates.
1 (tie). Marc Elrich, Incumbent
Elrich also did well in the debate format. Like Leventhal, he comes across as knowledgeable, prepared and versatile. He is also occasionally surprising. In response to a question about competing with Fairfax, he cited the need to simplify procedures for developers(!) Is this the same Elrich who refuses developer contributions and explicitly ran against them in past campaigns? Elrich had one of the best closing lines of any candidate, telling the audience, “I want to come back to give you a representative you can trust. Even if we disagree, you can come in and talk to me.” Elrich is known as a very accessible Council Member who goes out of his way to make time for “little guys,” so this will go down well with the many people who have benefitted from his aid.
One thing Elrich could do better is avoid planning lingo and explain his positions in simpler terms. The next time he utters “non-auto mode share” in a debate, we are going to make that phrase his nickname. Elrich should also talk up his countywide BRT system proposal more. It is not merely a good transit project; it is also a way to grow the economy without growing the number of cars quite so much. Furthermore, it can be a foundation for good land-use planning. Elrich is an unusual politician because your author actually has to tell him to promote his good ideas!
3 (tie). Becky Wagner, Challenger
Wagner is a skilled communicator with a winning personality. She is good at both one-on-one speaking as well as public presentation and it really shows. On policy, Wagner is close to Leventhal: arguing for more job growth, more transportation projects (including roads) and greater density near transit. Wagner linked protecting the Agricultural Reserve – which is at least a rhetorical priority for all politicians – to master plans like White Flint, saying that growing the economy while protecting a third of its land meant urbanizing much of the rest of the county. Wagner responded to a question about why she should replace an incumbent by saying, “I think that we can do better…We have watched for four years while the level of discourse has been disappointing.” She offered a good closing line: “We can be great again if we can rise above self-interest.”
Some members of the audience panned Wagner for being too “lofty” and not specific. A couple young people said she would not be a natural choice for their demographic. But most people who actually meet Wagner like her, and in our experience, that counts for a lot.
Left to right: George Leventhal, Hans Riemer, Duchy Trachtenberg, Becky Wagner.
3 (tie). Hans Riemer, Challenger
Riemer is a better candidate than he was in 2006. He has more confidence and can speak on a broader variety of issues. He has added a touch of fiscal responsibility to his traditional smart growth message, asserting that if the county does not watch its spending, “our good friend Robin Ficker will probably be County Executive.” When asked why he should replace an incumbent, Riemer replied, “Are we going to reward the people who got us into this situation? We need fresh faces and a new start.” Riemer de-emphasized incentives in attracting business, arguing that affordable commercial space, more housing and more transportation are more important. Like Leventhal and Wagner, he stressed using density around transit to grow the economy, saying that it was “the only socially sustainable, economically sustainable solution.”
Riemer’s supporters really like him and expected him to blow away the other candidates. While he held his own, he did not quite measure up to some of their expectations. One thing that is noteworthy about Riemer is that he is a better listener than a talker. That is a very attractive quality one-on-one and in small groups but does not translate well to large forums. Still, one can never have enough people with listening skills in government.
Left to right: Jane de Winter, Nancy Floreen, Marc Elrich, Fred Evans, Susie Turnbull.
5. Nancy Floreen, Incumbent
Floreen is one of the county’s veteran public servants, having served two terms on the Planning Board and two terms on the council. But this was not her night as she ran hot and cold. Floreen has a pleasant demeanor and an even public temperament that serve her well but she occasionally appeared distracted. In response to a question about the budget, she said with a bit of emotion, “Yesterday, when we heard that the Board of Education had authorized a lawsuit against us, we were cutting libraries by 25%... We feel bad.” The moment was a bit awkward. And in response to a question about competing with Fairfax, Floreen said, “We don’t have Dulles. We don’t have the Pentagon. We need to continue doing what we’re doing, which is investing in our quality of life.” She also cited our superior master plans as a competitive advantage. So we should be doing rather well, right? How come we aren’t? Why not answer this question by promoting the proposal for a new economic development authority, which is after all Floreen’s idea?
Other than Fred Evans, who just got into the race, Floreen was the only candidate who did not come with signs and/or literature. Rockville spies are beginning to notice that she has not yet put together a campaign infrastructure equal to a tough at-large race. Let’s be fair: Floreen is Council President during an unprecedented budget crisis and that is eating up most of her time and energy. Floreen needs to tighten up, snap the whip on her campaign and come back sharp when the budget is done. Based on her history, that’s what we expect to see.
6. Duchy Trachtenberg, Incumbent
Trachtenberg comes across as tough and competent, but that’s it. She has a tendency to lecture the audience rather than converse with them. She says her record “speaks for itself,” but sometimes does not say what that record is. She brushes over some subjects. For example, in answer to a question about Fairfax, she focused only on how to work with the state on business incentives and did not talk about the broader economic climate in the two counties. She has a decent message, which boils down to fiscal conservatism and protecting vulnerable people. But she also does things like calling herself “courageous.” Politicians should never call themselves courageous – they should explain their records and positions, and let the audience decide if that is indeed courageous. No one to whom we spoke singled out Trachtenberg for praise, but they were not excessively negative about her either.
7. Fred Evans, Challenger
Evans is a retired MCPS principal who has the bearing of a leader. That said, he just entered the race and does not seem to know a lot about subjects outside the school system. When asked why he was running, he said, “What I bring is knowledge of half the budget and a passion for politics.” Evans needs to present a more compelling reason for why he is the best choice instead of one of the incumbents.
8. Jane de Winter, Challenger
De Winter is a substantive woman who has something to offer, but it is just painful to watch her in public. She speaks in soft, fast monotones while occasionally looking at the ceiling. She lost her train of thought multiple times and on one occasion asked to be reminded of the question even though only sixty seconds were allowed for answers. This is a case of style sabotaging substance. On policy, she seems to be close to Leventhal and Wagner.
Overall, no one dominated. Leventhal and Elrich did very well while Wagner and Riemer held their own. The audience was polite and clapped occasionally while not erupting for or against any candidate. All the candidates should smile more often, loosen up and talk about the next four years rather than the last four. Would it really kill them to crack a joke? As the challengers get used to the format, they should improve. But will anyone make any mistakes? Will any challengers show themselves as truly capable of knocking out an incumbent? Those questions were not answered Wednesday night and remain for future forums.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Jane de Winter Holds New Fundraiser
Former Montgomery County Council of PTAs President Jane de Winter emailed a new fundraiser announcement for her At-Large County Council campaign. You can bet that we will be scrutinizing the money totals for de Winter, Becky Wagner and all four incumbents with a sharp pencil next month!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Jane De Winter Announces Candidacy for Council At-Large
Jane De Winter is the first at-large challenger to formally enter the race. Her announcement press conference will be followed by a fundraiser at the home of Wynn and Steve Gambrill in Rockville on October 21. Her host committee, which is still forming, includes Chevy Chase Town Council Member (and former Mayor) Linna Barnes and former MCEA-endorsed school board candidate Alies Muskin. We assessed many potential challengers, as well as the incumbents, in our "Whispers of the At-Large Race" series. Following is De Winter's press release.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Kensington Labor Day Parade: Quick Impressions
Just a few notes from today’s Labor Day Parade in Kensington.
This parade is one of Montgomery County’s premier political events in an election year. Despite this being an off year, turnout was decent among both politicians and civilians. Office holders who participated included U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Attorney General Doug Gansler, County Executive Ike Leggett, State Senator Rich Madaleno (D-18), Delegates Ana Sol Gutierrez, Jeff Waldstreicher and Al Carr (D-18), County Council President Phil Andrews and at-large Council Members Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal and Marc Elrich. Carr, a former Kensington Town Council Member, led in T-shirt count and Van Hollen led in sticker count, but none of the politicians felt it necessary to flood the event with supporters. The elections are still a year out.
Random question: why did Phil Andrews come to this event when his hometown Gaithersburg also held a Labor Day parade? It’s not that we don’t want to see you, Council Member, but inquiring minds want to know! (Update: we are told that Andrews went to both events.) Andrews had the good sense to ride in a Jeep while several other politicians rode in foreign vehicles.
We like political souvenirs so we grabbed a couple of them. Here’s a 2006-vintage Marc Elrich hand fan. No one needed them since conditions were cool and cloudy, but it’s still an interesting bit of history.
We are struck by the twin symbols of Elrich’s 2006 campaign: MCEA’s apple and the anti-developer pledge. Elrich has turned away developer contributions for his entire career and 2010 should be no different. But will the apple appear on his literature again? MCEA’s endorsement decision on Elrich will have a huge impact on the 2010 race, and perhaps on the balance of power in the next council.
Jane de Winter, who is running for an at-large County Council seat, was the only challenger of any kind to establish a presence at the event. Several of her supporters showed up in her T-shirts and handed out this literature piece.
We talked to two of de Winter’s supporters. They were both PTA moms who worked with her when she was President of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs. Education is their top issue, but they also praised de Winter’s intelligence (citing her PhD in economics) and her experience in dealing with county government as an activist. They told me a fundraiser is in the works. How many of these moms are there around the county?
Next time, we’ll bring back pictures. We promise.
Disclosure: The author is the Treasurer of the District 18 Democratic Team, which includes Senator Rich Madaleno and Delegates Ana Sol Gutierrez, Jeff Waldstreicher and Al Carr.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Whispers of the At-Large Race, Part Three
Today we will begin looking at rumored candidates for the at-large race. Some are actual candidates, some are potential candidates and others probably will not run. We examine them in three parts, all in alphabetical order, and supplement our remarks with comments from our all-seeing spy network.
Jane De Winter, Kensington
De Winter is the former President of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations. She has been a civic and education activist in the county for over a decade. Her position with the PTAs gives her access to other education activists throughout the county, a thorough understanding of one of the county’s premier political issues and an acquaintance with the school unions (including the ever-critical MCEA).
De Winter has not run for office before, has not contributed to other state or county candidates and is not known to be affiliated with one wing or the other on the existing council. Her advantages are intelligence and experience. Her fundraising capability is a question. De Winter is running now, with an appearance at Valerie Ervin’s recent fundraiser and an early version of a campaign website online.
Spy: Jane will have an advantage of name recognition county-wide, at least with the PTAs, which will help her some. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from UPenn and could really be an asset on the council as someone who truly understands the economic impact of decisions (and looks at things through this lens). She could really help on the MFP Committee, as well.
Spy: She is off and running and is lining up the MCEA folks - she hopes. She kicked off in February with an exploratory committee. Does not have the repartee needed nor the easy way with a crowd - but her PTA experience and Rolodex could well pay off.
Spy: I don’t know her personally, but she has made no secret of her desire to run. She has been attending D16 events, the Spring Ball, etc. She is ready to go.
Spy: Could also be a strong contender if she sharpens her message and targets one or two specific incumbents and their records. Will be very competitive for the Apple Ballot endorsement.
Spy: Jane De Winter generated some buzz earlier this year, when her name was floating around. That seems to have died down and most political insiders have moved on. She has no name recognition, no known fundraising prowess, and unless she can muscle together some support from incumbents, she will have little chance. The Apple Ballot could provide a lifeline, but it will likely be unavailable unless one of her other cons changes (ie: incumbent suport or money). A strong bid by Jane De Winter could, however, pose problems for other women running at-large.
Pete Fosselman, Kensington
Fosselman has been the Mayor of Kensington since 2006. He ran for Delegate in District 18 in 2002 and finished last of seven candidates in the Democratic primary. He is a principal of Rodgers Consulting and has owned more than one small business in Kensington.
Fosselman is a popular Mayor, has many friends (including your author) and is a major player in District 18. He would be a favorite for any open Senate or Delegate seat in the district. He is also one of a very small number of Montgomery politicians who backed Martin O’Malley for Governor when Doug Duncan was still running. His job at Rodgers and experience as a business owner could help him raise money from the business community. But the Town of Kensington, with its 768 households, is a very small base for an at-large campaign. Fosselman would need a lot of help to compete county-wide. He is not a confirmed candidate for any office other than his current one.
Spy: Nice guy, very approachable and would bring a mixture of common sense and pragmatism to the Council.
Spy: I would describe him as “universally liked and respected.” He has a great temperament for governance.
Spy: He shows up in many places - attended a forum on how to run a campaign in January; could be the first gay candidate for council - but I think he is more Delegate inclined. But what has been his showcase in Kensington - a hot bed of controversy? Street lights were the only thing I can think of - the Safeway and the flower pots on Connecticut - come on - what could he run on?
Spy: He has shown he can actually govern, but the last time he ran for anything larger than the Town of Kensington he came in last. Does a county wide campaign make sense? On a personal note, I really like the guy and he is a great supporter of the county party.
Spy: Pete is energetic, likeable, very popular in Kensington and could pull gay support away from Duchy Trachtenberg.
Spy: Would make a great Councilman. Unknown outside of Kensington. Can raise some $ but enough?. Works hard. In my very humble and unsophisticated opinion he could win but only with a lot of $ and work. I also don’t think the desire is there.
Spy: Pete Fosselman has been spotted around town more times than Elvis. This can only mean that he is at least considering running for another position. At-large council is what seems to come up the most. He definitely has going for him that he's photogenic and sometimes even mistaken for our Governor. Nevertheless, his name recognition is probably not high, and his fundraising prowess is not yet clear either. Most importantly, it is difficult to comment on Fosselman without knowing more about his politics and where he fits in the County political spectrum. Some consider him a protege of Sen. Madaleno, but the only evidence we've seen of this is his opposition to the Purple Line. Does he have backers on the Council? Not that I have heard, but let's wait and see.
Larry Giammo, Rockville
Giammo is the former Mayor of Rockville. We speculated last December that he might be running against District 3 County Council Member Phil Andrews. Since that time, we have heard very little about him. Giammo has been a longtime Independent who, along with Fosselman, supported O’Malley against Duncan. Mayors of Rockville tend to be big players in county politics, but Giammo’s silence indicates he may not be in the 2010 mix.
Spy: Never seemed content to just be Mayor of Rockville - I would guess he has a campaign in his future but he has been quiet since he left office; was never quiet in his disagreements with Duncan - could he be thinking about a county Exec run some time down the line? I don't see him anywhere - so if he is a candidate - he must be doing it in stealth mode.
Spy: Wasn’t Larry Giammo a Republican until recently? I have to believe that the days of party-switching opportunists easily winning seats might be over -- but only so long as his opponents are willing to raise that fact in a primary. If so, it would be a deal-breaker for many Democratic primary voters. The one thing that might save him from this is that it is unclear if people will use resources to call out a challenger on something like this. In any case, I thought Giammo was considering challenging Phil Andrews. If so, he might be more at home in that race, since Andrews seems to be imitating Republicans lately with his anti-collective bargaining, anti-early voting, fiscal conservative positions.
Spy: He is almost invisible outside of Rockville, where I think he is running his business.
Spy: Has support and necessary $ if he wants to raise it. I don’t think the desire is there but I for one will certainly urge him to jump in now that I know his name is in circulation.
Spy: Larry has to decide whether or not he is a Democrat. If he is not, he can’t get elected to the Montgomery County Council in 2010. If he re-registers as one, he needs to explain why he was registered Independent for so long. This will not be a trivial problem in a Democratic Primary. He has a strong base in Rockville and would be very competitive for the Gazette and Post endorsements.
More tomorrow!
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