Stop The Spend
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A Tale of Two BoEs: Elections and Education
Read more: A Tale of Two BoEs: Elections and EducationIn his foundational essay Second Treatise of Government (1687), John Locke wrote about the necessity of a stable and predictable legal foundation for a society to succeed. freedom of men under government is, to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power erected…
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Question A, MCPS’s Deferred Maintenance, and 怨天尤人
Read more: Question A, MCPS’s Deferred Maintenance, and 怨天尤人A recent presentation by MCPS mentioned a $3 billion “deferred maintenance backlog,” based on the results of a study done by an outside consultant. For those of us watching the county’s finances, that’s not a surprise. Bethesda-based Marriott, a world-class corporation with stellar management, tracks depreciation on its quarterly reports. Any accountant will tell you…
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Without Question A, It’s Socialism for the Rich
Read more: Without Question A, It’s Socialism for the RichThe Board of Elections made a determination that Question A is 302 signatures short of the 10,000 required. We are evaluating our possible next steps. Should Question A not appear on the ballot, what is next for MoCo? Socialism for the rich, a term that Martin Luther King incorporated into several of his speeches and…
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An Example of Fiscal Critical Thinking
Read more: An Example of Fiscal Critical ThinkingIn a message from July 17, County Executive included a graph with which many budget wonks are familiar: a comparison of MoCo’s property tax rates to other counties in the DC region. It looks like MoCo aligns with its neighbors, arguably a tad lower. This graph has little to do with the matter at hand:…
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Back-Door Deals and Glass Houses
Read more: Back-Door Deals and Glass HousesIn 1732, an eternal artifact of American culture appeared: Poor Richard’s Almanack by Richard Saunders, otherwise known as Benjamin Franklin. Franklin published the almanac in annual editions for the following 25 years. Among other things the almanac contains wit and wisdom that today’s readers, circumscribed by wireless gadgets and threatening robots, still find relevant. Some…
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Small Business Donates Big to Stop The Spend
Read more: Small Business Donates Big to Stop The SpendHow can you tell if someone is successful? Employees are successful when they show up, do their work well, and can be counted on. Physicians are successful when their patients recover. Attorneys are successful when they consistently deliver results for their clients. Politicians are successful when they improve the lives of the people they represent.…