Mark Lautman
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Stop the Spend – A Non-Partisan Initiative
Read more: Stop the Spend – A Non-Partisan InitiativeStop the Spend is an initiative to constrain the growth of county spending to the rate of inflation. We are currently collecting signatures to have our initiative appear on the November ballot. A few weeks ago a group of us from Stop the Spend were out gathering signatures. One resident asked me, “Are you a…
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Tax the Rich and the Underserved Pay the Price
Read more: Tax the Rich and the Underserved Pay the PriceIf you were standing on a cliff watching others jump to their deaths, would you follow? Common sense says no. Yet Montgomery County is poised to do exactly that, repeating policies that have already failed elsewhere. This year’s proposed 5.5% expansion of the county budget comes with a steep cost: a 6.3¢ per $100 increase…
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Is There Such a Thing as Good Public Debt?
Read more: Is There Such a Thing as Good Public Debt?There is no such thing as a “bad” doughnut. Go to the beloved Donut King in Kensington and try to find one. In contrast, there is definitely a difference between good and bad public debt. In a recent meeting at Poolesville’s city hall, Council Member Will Jawando promoted the possibility of the county taking out…
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No Kings. No Dictators. Just Us the Vote Diluters.
Read more: No Kings. No Dictators. Just Us the Vote Diluters.Samantha never once committed larceny. She routinely writes Twitter posts denouncing the crime and anyone who commits it. Julie committed larceny once, was apprehended, did 60 days in jail, and is fully reformed. She openly denounces the crime and its perpetrators, but from a position of repentance. She can (and should) serve as a mentor…
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Could Ranked Choice Voting Elect a local Zohran Mamdani?
Read more: Could Ranked Choice Voting Elect a local Zohran Mamdani?IslamoLeftists love him. Traditional Democrats fear him. Republicans, liberals, and the middle class are packing their suitcases. He’s more handsome than Tom Cruise. Zohran Mamdani looks poised to become New York’s next mayor, and he apparently wants to turn the city into the Uganda his father left. Could the same outcome occur in Montgomery County…
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Drew Morrison’s Resume and Candidacy
Read more: Drew Morrison’s Resume and CandidacyDrew Morrison recently announced his candidacy for the MoCo Council District 1 seat being vacated by Andrew Friedson, who is term-limited and running for County Executive. On their face, Mr. Morrison’s credentials and experience seem impressive, but there is a notable lack of specifics to his claims of accomplishments. This may be indicative of underlying…
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MoCo’s store owner with the most infectious smile—Interview with Nick Gardner of Choice Wine and Beer
Read more: MoCo’s store owner with the most infectious smile—Interview with Nick Gardner of Choice Wine and BeerChoice Wine and Beer is on the second floor of the Wheaton Mall, adjacent to Costco. Co-owner Nick Gardner arguably has the most enchanting smile in all of Montgomery County. He sat down with me for 40 minutes giving an extremely positive view of his store and the county’s wine and beer industry. What’s the…
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No Kings (or Queens) in MoCo
Read more: No Kings (or Queens) in MoCoLadies, did you realize you were the victims of gender-based exclusion on June 14? That was the day of several “No Kings” rallies throughout Montgomery County. For a county that takes pride in its progressive values, a No Kings rally is outright gender bias. We should be holding No Kings and No Queens rallies, because…
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Who will win the race for county executive? Nobody.
Read more: Who will win the race for county executive? Nobody.As of this writing, there are five candidates chasing the Democratic primary win for county executive: Will Jawando, Evan Glass, Andrew Friedson, Celeste Iroha, and Mithun Banerjee. This guarantees that nobody will win a majority vote. Let’s get into the details. The “winner” of our local primary elections is the one who accumulates the most…
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Attach Performance Metrics to All Future MCPS Budgets: Our Children’s Education Depends on Our Fiscal Prudence
Read more: Attach Performance Metrics to All Future MCPS Budgets: Our Children’s Education Depends on Our Fiscal PrudenceThe County Council, County Executive, and MCPS are placing its residents in a moral and financial bind. On the table, there appears to be a dialectical dilemma: our children’s future or fiscal prudence. However, an honest discussion regarding fully funding MCPS above and beyond historical trends demands that we resolve the following questions: How can…