Over at Greater Greater Washington, an online lair of the urban-planning aficionado and hobbyist community (and also a hangout for more professional versions of the same, Dave Murphy has done a generally fine piece on the Montrose Parkway, formerly known to long-ago planners as the "Rockville Facility.
Despite Mr Murphy's quite excellent mapping and general observations and finding of links, for me, perhaps the most interesting bit is the collection of commentaries at the bottom of that article. It's really got quite a lot of responses and I strongly advise reading them all. Clue to the future of the Aspen Hill / Randolph Hills / Veirs Mill Village area may be found therein. Leave your own comments there!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Leggett: Layoffs Loom
Unable to raise taxes again, and hammered by a decrease in revenues, MoCo Chief Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett is having to cut costs however he can.
Hamstrung on the one hand by a political need to forestall foreclosures, Mr Leggett is doing everything he can to keep families in their homes, even if they can't possibly pay and should never have gotten their mortgage in the first place. On the other hand, Mr Leggett knows full well that probably the majority of the County's revenue over which he has any control is the recordation fee and taxes on property transfers. Housing values in MoCo are falling fast -- some estimates have it at about 20 percent decline in the last six months alone, with an official figure of down 21 percent from October 2007 to October 2009 -- and it's clear that costs have to be cut. At this point, it might make sense to also face the political music and do what's necessary to foreclose as fast as possible on problem properties, just to get a few extra bucks into the system as the deeds change hands.
That isn't politically acceptable, of course, as Mr Leggett is a hardcore Democrat of the sort whose political bread-and-butter is catering as much to the lowest common denominator as it is to catering to the filthy rich. After all, the average Potomac millionare living in a McMansion on a 6-acres lot cannot possibly contribute the same number of votes as can 6 acres of East Montgomery where you probably have all too many four-family illegally-subdivided houses on quarter-acre lots. Yet sooner or later the millionaires who contribute disproportionately to the campaigns that convince the poverty-stricken to "Vote Democrat, Vote Leggett" will start putting on the pressure so that they will have their own streets snowplowed in this winter's expected record storms, rather than having their very large tax payments eaten up in keeping illegal aliens and "temporary protected refugees" -- who live in homes acquired with "liar loans" -- from getting foreclosed out of their ill-gotten and illegally-subdivided houses.
So what's a CEO to do when he's between the rock and the hard place and the angels are descending from above with a mighty wrath and from below the devil is spittin' fire and toasting the toes and looks to be aiming higher still?
Fire some County Employees, that's what he's to do.
The State appears likely to cut its own costs as much as possible, and part of that means cutting back on aid to the Counties. Montgomery County politicians have long complained that for every tax dollar sent out to the State, Montgomery gets back at most a dime on the dollar, which in this case might tend to be to Montgomery's comparative advantage. "If you don't have much, they can't take much from you, now can they". Still, the present projected $450-millions shortfall could grow to as much as $600-millions if the State cuts as much as many believe will happen.
Councilman Michael J. Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown is quoted by the Gazette as saying, "We're going to have to focus on the four or five things that people expect whether things in the county are good or bad, and beyond that we'll have to make tough decisions." This sounds rather suspiciously like my statements about "if it's not concerned with the core competencies of the government ... we need to put 'em on hold until we know we've got the money".
You don't believe I said that? From the Cable 19/21 coverage of the Special Election race for the District 4 seat in County Council earlier this year:
Yep, that's me. Dull, boring, not a good speaker, but always always right. That's all you need to know about me.
Now back to Mr Leggett: I can think of about a million or two millions of dollars in savings that could be had by utterly de-funding CASA de Maryland. If you guess that the average County employees makes $100,000/year, that's 10 to 20 jobs you could save. CASA mostly gets paid by the County to run day-laborer hiring centers, and let's not pause to note that there's almost no need at all for day-laborers in this economy, so that's purely wasted spending.
Cut CASA de Maryland! Save County Workers' Jobs!
Hamstrung on the one hand by a political need to forestall foreclosures, Mr Leggett is doing everything he can to keep families in their homes, even if they can't possibly pay and should never have gotten their mortgage in the first place. On the other hand, Mr Leggett knows full well that probably the majority of the County's revenue over which he has any control is the recordation fee and taxes on property transfers. Housing values in MoCo are falling fast -- some estimates have it at about 20 percent decline in the last six months alone, with an official figure of down 21 percent from October 2007 to October 2009 -- and it's clear that costs have to be cut. At this point, it might make sense to also face the political music and do what's necessary to foreclose as fast as possible on problem properties, just to get a few extra bucks into the system as the deeds change hands.
That isn't politically acceptable, of course, as Mr Leggett is a hardcore Democrat of the sort whose political bread-and-butter is catering as much to the lowest common denominator as it is to catering to the filthy rich. After all, the average Potomac millionare living in a McMansion on a 6-acres lot cannot possibly contribute the same number of votes as can 6 acres of East Montgomery where you probably have all too many four-family illegally-subdivided houses on quarter-acre lots. Yet sooner or later the millionaires who contribute disproportionately to the campaigns that convince the poverty-stricken to "Vote Democrat, Vote Leggett" will start putting on the pressure so that they will have their own streets snowplowed in this winter's expected record storms, rather than having their very large tax payments eaten up in keeping illegal aliens and "temporary protected refugees" -- who live in homes acquired with "liar loans" -- from getting foreclosed out of their ill-gotten and illegally-subdivided houses.
So what's a CEO to do when he's between the rock and the hard place and the angels are descending from above with a mighty wrath and from below the devil is spittin' fire and toasting the toes and looks to be aiming higher still?
Fire some County Employees, that's what he's to do.
The State appears likely to cut its own costs as much as possible, and part of that means cutting back on aid to the Counties. Montgomery County politicians have long complained that for every tax dollar sent out to the State, Montgomery gets back at most a dime on the dollar, which in this case might tend to be to Montgomery's comparative advantage. "If you don't have much, they can't take much from you, now can they". Still, the present projected $450-millions shortfall could grow to as much as $600-millions if the State cuts as much as many believe will happen.
Councilman Michael J. Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown is quoted by the Gazette as saying, "We're going to have to focus on the four or five things that people expect whether things in the county are good or bad, and beyond that we'll have to make tough decisions." This sounds rather suspiciously like my statements about "if it's not concerned with the core competencies of the government ... we need to put 'em on hold until we know we've got the money".
You don't believe I said that? From the Cable 19/21 coverage of the Special Election race for the District 4 seat in County Council earlier this year:
Yep, that's me. Dull, boring, not a good speaker, but always always right. That's all you need to know about me.
Now back to Mr Leggett: I can think of about a million or two millions of dollars in savings that could be had by utterly de-funding CASA de Maryland. If you guess that the average County employees makes $100,000/year, that's 10 to 20 jobs you could save. CASA mostly gets paid by the County to run day-laborer hiring centers, and let's not pause to note that there's almost no need at all for day-laborers in this economy, so that's purely wasted spending.
Cut CASA de Maryland! Save County Workers' Jobs!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Planning Board "Georgia Avenue Study" Released
The Planning Board has released its Georgia Avenue Study.
This study recognizes that the long passage of years has transformed MD Route 97 (Georgia Avenue) along the length from Silver Spring to Brookville. It also recognizes that the years have not been kind to Georgia Avenue, nor to the communities it serves.
A bit above one quarter (26%) of Montgomery County's population lives along the Georgia Avenue Corridor, in some 83,000 housing units, and this includes about 62,000 employees, 11% of the County total. The study also recognizes that the County has approached "buildout", and that some 72% of future housing will be in multifamily units (apartments, duplex homes, etc.) most of which will be infill development "down County". Probably most such development along Georgia Avenue will take place in transit-rich areas such as Silver Spring "Central Business District" ("CBD"), Wheaton CBD, Glenmont CBD, and Aspen Hill CBD.
Among the more interesting proposals -- and one of the most useful, as well, is the propose Georgia Avenue Busway running two lanes wide in the median north of Glenmont to Olney.
The study also recognizes that the "Public Realm" spaces along Georgia Avenue have in many places assumed a drab and tattered appearance, a "degraded visual quality and character", and the study also recognizes that "the pedestrian environment along much of the roadway is hostile and unsafe". For example, the emphasis on Georgia Avenue's primary function as high-capacity highway has turned much of the highway into a barrier, making access to parks and other destinations difficult for pedestrians in many cases and in some cases resulting in fatalities. Additionally, most sidewalks were built right at highway edge, with no green borders. In winter, the sidewalks are very commonly rendered impassible as snowplows pile layers of snow and ice on them, forcing pedestrians to walk in the street at high personal risk.
As regards Aspen Hill, the Study observes that there is a major problem with Geographic Isolation Characteristics as regards access to greenspace and park lands. In particular, they note that while there are parks in the neighborhood of a size suitable to serve the local population in the multifamily communities along Hewitt Avenue, these parks are not easily accessed by foot or bicycle. Indeed, one of the most problematic characteristics of the Aspen Hill Central Business District is the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, which is the largest greenspace in this community, but which as a cemetery is not allowable as a recreational space. Yet some of the greenspaces and parklands which are the least developed and could possibly serve best as community recreational spaces are contiguous to the cemetery.
The Study proposes a possible development and expansion of the Strathmore Local Park, and I am on record as having circulated this idea about the time that decisions were made to locate a new Recreation Center (now nearing completion) on Queensguard Road in Layhill. I support this idea of expanding and upgrading Strathmore Local Park, and improving the existing pedestrian access between Strathmore and nearby North Gate Park. The Study furthermore proposes that the unfinished and undeveloped Harmony Hill Local Park should be upgraded to improve its frontage on Georgia Avenue.
For Aspen Hill, the Study also proposes redeveloping the Northgate Plaza Shopping Center into a more compact mixed-use site containing both retail, office space, and affordable housing. No proposals were made public regarding expected comparable redevelopment of the existing Aspen Manor Shopping Center and the neighboring Aspen Hill Apartments, both of which are ripe for replacement.
[UPDATED 2008 Dec 29 -- spelling and grammar corrections, minimal]
This study recognizes that the long passage of years has transformed MD Route 97 (Georgia Avenue) along the length from Silver Spring to Brookville. It also recognizes that the years have not been kind to Georgia Avenue, nor to the communities it serves.
A bit above one quarter (26%) of Montgomery County's population lives along the Georgia Avenue Corridor, in some 83,000 housing units, and this includes about 62,000 employees, 11% of the County total. The study also recognizes that the County has approached "buildout", and that some 72% of future housing will be in multifamily units (apartments, duplex homes, etc.) most of which will be infill development "down County". Probably most such development along Georgia Avenue will take place in transit-rich areas such as Silver Spring "Central Business District" ("CBD"), Wheaton CBD, Glenmont CBD, and Aspen Hill CBD.
Among the more interesting proposals -- and one of the most useful, as well, is the propose Georgia Avenue Busway running two lanes wide in the median north of Glenmont to Olney.
The study also recognizes that the "Public Realm" spaces along Georgia Avenue have in many places assumed a drab and tattered appearance, a "degraded visual quality and character", and the study also recognizes that "the pedestrian environment along much of the roadway is hostile and unsafe". For example, the emphasis on Georgia Avenue's primary function as high-capacity highway has turned much of the highway into a barrier, making access to parks and other destinations difficult for pedestrians in many cases and in some cases resulting in fatalities. Additionally, most sidewalks were built right at highway edge, with no green borders. In winter, the sidewalks are very commonly rendered impassible as snowplows pile layers of snow and ice on them, forcing pedestrians to walk in the street at high personal risk.
As regards Aspen Hill, the Study observes that there is a major problem with Geographic Isolation Characteristics as regards access to greenspace and park lands. In particular, they note that while there are parks in the neighborhood of a size suitable to serve the local population in the multifamily communities along Hewitt Avenue, these parks are not easily accessed by foot or bicycle. Indeed, one of the most problematic characteristics of the Aspen Hill Central Business District is the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, which is the largest greenspace in this community, but which as a cemetery is not allowable as a recreational space. Yet some of the greenspaces and parklands which are the least developed and could possibly serve best as community recreational spaces are contiguous to the cemetery.
The Study proposes a possible development and expansion of the Strathmore Local Park, and I am on record as having circulated this idea about the time that decisions were made to locate a new Recreation Center (now nearing completion) on Queensguard Road in Layhill. I support this idea of expanding and upgrading Strathmore Local Park, and improving the existing pedestrian access between Strathmore and nearby North Gate Park. The Study furthermore proposes that the unfinished and undeveloped Harmony Hill Local Park should be upgraded to improve its frontage on Georgia Avenue.
For Aspen Hill, the Study also proposes redeveloping the Northgate Plaza Shopping Center into a more compact mixed-use site containing both retail, office space, and affordable housing. No proposals were made public regarding expected comparable redevelopment of the existing Aspen Manor Shopping Center and the neighboring Aspen Hill Apartments, both of which are ripe for replacement.
[UPDATED 2008 Dec 29 -- spelling and grammar corrections, minimal]
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Letter to Gazette Editor Re: Nationality Checks in Jail, Part II
Editors,
Mr Henry Montes's letter to editor of Dec 10 suggests that those who responded to his previous remarks “...want to hang the criminal label on undocumented immigrants so they can rouse the anger of the public to be against good decent persons”. I can assure Mr Montes and everyone else that this is about opposite to my own intentions.
Rather, I seek to have persons already arrested -- on charges of violence or weapons – researched as to immigration, nationality, and citizenship status. It's possible that people arrested for such charges are “good decent persons”, but that's not the way to bet.
No reasonable person could possibly find fault with a policy of using all tools available to decide whether or not to set bail bond, and to set the value of the bond. Montgomery Courts' “failure to appear” list is extremely long, and there is no better indicator of flight-risk, when setting bond, than status as illegal alien. It makes sense for the courts to know who are the greatest flight risks so that they can set high bond, whether or not ICE actually places a hold on suspects.
This may all be moot in any case. As of Dec 10, Federal policy requires DNA testing of all non-citizens who are arrested for anything, and of all citizens arrested on Federal charges. How can the courts and police tell the difference? They will have to check immigration status.
This is Federal policy and Montgomery will lose a lot of funding if it fails to comply, and if they forego the funding they may be letting criminals slip through the net. The next time Montgomery's disregard for Federal policy releases an arrestee who goes on to kill while out on bond, then the real divisions and anger are likely to be seen, if only at the ballot box.
I reiterate a call for all suspects charged with any felony or weapons charges to have their citizenship and immigration status queried by the courts. I further call for all non-citizens convicted of a crime of violence against citizens to be deported under the Immigration Reform Act of 1996, which is in fact mandatory, yet never enforced in Montgomery.
Sincerely,
Mr Henry Montes's letter to editor of Dec 10 suggests that those who responded to his previous remarks “...want to hang the criminal label on undocumented immigrants so they can rouse the anger of the public to be against good decent persons”. I can assure Mr Montes and everyone else that this is about opposite to my own intentions.
Rather, I seek to have persons already arrested -- on charges of violence or weapons – researched as to immigration, nationality, and citizenship status. It's possible that people arrested for such charges are “good decent persons”, but that's not the way to bet.
No reasonable person could possibly find fault with a policy of using all tools available to decide whether or not to set bail bond, and to set the value of the bond. Montgomery Courts' “failure to appear” list is extremely long, and there is no better indicator of flight-risk, when setting bond, than status as illegal alien. It makes sense for the courts to know who are the greatest flight risks so that they can set high bond, whether or not ICE actually places a hold on suspects.
This may all be moot in any case. As of Dec 10, Federal policy requires DNA testing of all non-citizens who are arrested for anything, and of all citizens arrested on Federal charges. How can the courts and police tell the difference? They will have to check immigration status.
This is Federal policy and Montgomery will lose a lot of funding if it fails to comply, and if they forego the funding they may be letting criminals slip through the net. The next time Montgomery's disregard for Federal policy releases an arrestee who goes on to kill while out on bond, then the real divisions and anger are likely to be seen, if only at the ballot box.
I reiterate a call for all suspects charged with any felony or weapons charges to have their citizenship and immigration status queried by the courts. I further call for all non-citizens convicted of a crime of violence against citizens to be deported under the Immigration Reform Act of 1996, which is in fact mandatory, yet never enforced in Montgomery.
Sincerely,
Verizon Woes: My Apologies
Brief update here: my apologies to all who might have tried to read this blog in the last day or two.
I've been running my servers via Verizon DSL. Before that, I had been with one provider for some years, though the name changed a few times while I was using them. Originally I was getting service from COVAD with backbone via UUNET, then somehow things changed. UUNET was bought by MCI and MCI went bankrupt but kept operating, and got absorbed by Verizon Business. The mainstream branch of Verizon Business (not the former UUNET division) was able to offer much better DSL speed for the same price, and I switched to them. And crazily enough, the day the technician arrived, Verizon started pulling FIOS.
Months later, finally FIOS is delivered to my servers, but for some bizarre reason they can't get it together to actually route my static-IP addresses out to the world for more than one server at a time, despite the fact that I ordered it and was supposedly provisioned for it. This was supposed to cost me $20 a month less, and give me blistering 20 Mb/sec outbound speeds.
The problems here were that I migrated from the DSL to the FIOS before the FIOS actually worked. There's been a trouble ticket out on it for five days, three of them business days. So, in the meanwhile, I have had to migrate back to DSL. The FIOS still doesn't work, except for one server and the bogus little Actiontec NAT router which can't legitimately have world-routable servers behind it, especially not mailservers nor nameservers.
My apologies to anyone who has been inconvenienced.
I've been running my servers via Verizon DSL. Before that, I had been with one provider for some years, though the name changed a few times while I was using them. Originally I was getting service from COVAD with backbone via UUNET, then somehow things changed. UUNET was bought by MCI and MCI went bankrupt but kept operating, and got absorbed by Verizon Business. The mainstream branch of Verizon Business (not the former UUNET division) was able to offer much better DSL speed for the same price, and I switched to them. And crazily enough, the day the technician arrived, Verizon started pulling FIOS.
Months later, finally FIOS is delivered to my servers, but for some bizarre reason they can't get it together to actually route my static-IP addresses out to the world for more than one server at a time, despite the fact that I ordered it and was supposedly provisioned for it. This was supposed to cost me $20 a month less, and give me blistering 20 Mb/sec outbound speeds.
The problems here were that I migrated from the DSL to the FIOS before the FIOS actually worked. There's been a trouble ticket out on it for five days, three of them business days. So, in the meanwhile, I have had to migrate back to DSL. The FIOS still doesn't work, except for one server and the bogus little Actiontec NAT router which can't legitimately have world-routable servers behind it, especially not mailservers nor nameservers.
My apologies to anyone who has been inconvenienced.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Citizen Action Proposal -- Mandatory ICE Checks
Washington Post coverage of the heinous Lila Meizell murder/arson reveals that Ramon Alvarado -- known as "el Garrobo" or "the Iguana" in the local community -- spent the Friday night after Thanksgiving in the "La Frontera" restaurant and bar, drinking heavily and buying rounds for the house. The day before, he had savagely beaten an elderly woman unconscious and then lit her house on fire.
Jose Alvarado, who had got the cash that Ramon was spending though forgeries of checks written to him by Meizell for much smaller amounts, is claiming from jail that all of this only happened because he was possessed by demons because of witchcraft and a curse on his family.
Of the recent high-profile murders in the county and the District, this seems to be the only case where the alleged perpetrators were not illegal entrants unregistered for status as Temporary Protected Refugees. Technically they were not illegal aliens. Further, they seem to have been the only alleged perpetrators who hadn't been in police custody, and then released because no nationality/status checks were made.
So, it's not a trend, it's just a psychotic break from reality, exascerbated by massive home overcrowding and abject poverty, or so the Post would have us believe.
I, however, think that it's long past time to deal with the issues that led to the other two cases, the murder of Havenstein and Lam, which could not have happened had police checked status and remanded to ICE when they had them in custody earlier.
I strongly recommend that all Montgomery County voters do as follows:
1. Call the office of your Council District Council person. Demand that official policy be changed to mandate that all persons held on charges of violence, weapons charges, or felonious crimes against property (theft of auto, burglary) shall be examined to determine nationality, and that if they are not US citizens, they shall have their identity queried to Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE").
Make this exact demand, and make no other. DO NOT accept doubletalk nor accept anyone trying to talk you out of your position. Be adamant. This is only about all arrested felons having their nationality and/or immigration status checked.
2. Call the offices of every single At-Large County Council member. Make the same demands.
3. After you have called your Council members, call the office of the County Executive and make those demands.
4. Call the office of the Sheriff and make the same demands. Even though the Sheriff is not the primary law-enforcement agent in Montgomery, under the Maryland Constitution he is an elected official in the Judicial branch and is the sole check-and-balance on police powers between general elections. He can refuse to swear in executive-branch officers until and unless police policy changes. This is exceptionally unlikely but it is common courtesy to include the office of the Sheriff.
Further, the Sheriff is responsible for the management of the County Jail, and the office of the Sheriff is in fact in the position to make these ICE checks standard operating procedure.
5. Call the office of the Circuit Court and make the same demands.
6. Speak with your friends who share your concerns, formulate your concerns and demands, and as a group you must take a day off of work and personally appear as a group at all of the above places, and present your demands as a petition signed by a group of registered voters.
Although this is entirely legal, elected officials and their office staff may see this as some sort of terrorism, so be advised, dress well and be as polite and civil as possible. If they close their doors to the public, send your group petition by registered letter, return receipt requested.
Jose Alvarado, who had got the cash that Ramon was spending though forgeries of checks written to him by Meizell for much smaller amounts, is claiming from jail that all of this only happened because he was possessed by demons because of witchcraft and a curse on his family.
Of the recent high-profile murders in the county and the District, this seems to be the only case where the alleged perpetrators were not illegal entrants unregistered for status as Temporary Protected Refugees. Technically they were not illegal aliens. Further, they seem to have been the only alleged perpetrators who hadn't been in police custody, and then released because no nationality/status checks were made.
So, it's not a trend, it's just a psychotic break from reality, exascerbated by massive home overcrowding and abject poverty, or so the Post would have us believe.
I, however, think that it's long past time to deal with the issues that led to the other two cases, the murder of Havenstein and Lam, which could not have happened had police checked status and remanded to ICE when they had them in custody earlier.
I strongly recommend that all Montgomery County voters do as follows:
1. Call the office of your Council District Council person. Demand that official policy be changed to mandate that all persons held on charges of violence, weapons charges, or felonious crimes against property (theft of auto, burglary) shall be examined to determine nationality, and that if they are not US citizens, they shall have their identity queried to Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE").
Make this exact demand, and make no other. DO NOT accept doubletalk nor accept anyone trying to talk you out of your position. Be adamant. This is only about all arrested felons having their nationality and/or immigration status checked.
2. Call the offices of every single At-Large County Council member. Make the same demands.
3. After you have called your Council members, call the office of the County Executive and make those demands.
4. Call the office of the Sheriff and make the same demands. Even though the Sheriff is not the primary law-enforcement agent in Montgomery, under the Maryland Constitution he is an elected official in the Judicial branch and is the sole check-and-balance on police powers between general elections. He can refuse to swear in executive-branch officers until and unless police policy changes. This is exceptionally unlikely but it is common courtesy to include the office of the Sheriff.
Further, the Sheriff is responsible for the management of the County Jail, and the office of the Sheriff is in fact in the position to make these ICE checks standard operating procedure.
5. Call the office of the Circuit Court and make the same demands.
6. Speak with your friends who share your concerns, formulate your concerns and demands, and as a group you must take a day off of work and personally appear as a group at all of the above places, and present your demands as a petition signed by a group of registered voters.
Although this is entirely legal, elected officials and their office staff may see this as some sort of terrorism, so be advised, dress well and be as polite and civil as possible. If they close their doors to the public, send your group petition by registered letter, return receipt requested.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
In Memoriam: Hats Off, Please
Please read and respect (note the date), and mourn the passing of Doris J. Dungey ("Tanta"), 47. Widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable bloggers on the Mortgage Meltdown. One of the Great Ones has passed.
Teachers Renegotiate Contracts to Save Taxpayers Money
From the
comments section in the Post:
Hey, it was one of my campaign platforms in the recent Special Elections for County Council, District 4. Fortunately for all of us, the ultimate victor in that election, Mr Praisner, also ran on a platform of "fiscal prudence" though I seem to recall that he was far less pessimistic -- and thus in the face of history, less accurate -- about the level of cuts that would be necessary. When I was using phrases like "economic calamity now only beginning to unfold around us", people thought I was exercising hyperbole or was just plain crazy. As it turns out, I was -- as always -- merely stating the facts, before they happened, because they couldn't possibly have developed in any other way.
As it turns out, it's actually worse than I anticipated; I had no reason to think that gasoline would be up above $4.00/gallon.
The _Post_ writers characterize the contracts as having been approved in "more prosperous times" but that's not the case; at the time of final approval, it should have been evident to anyone paying attention which way the economy was going. Yet the approval was given as a political necessity, and is now being taken back. At least there has been a pro-forma exercise of "letting the unions decide to do the right thing" rather than having the politicians come out and say "the right thing, the _necessary_ thing, will be done, whether or not we have to break contracts".
People with working memories and no axe to grind will remember that at the Burtonsville Q&A session I pretty much predicted this, too. I said something to the effect of "a contract is a contract, but you have to hope that people could be persuaded to renegotiate, rather than bring down the whole system. However, if they didn't do that, I'd be sure that whoever got us into that situation went looking for a new job".
So, it's all still just politics as usual in MoCo, but at least Nancy Navarro and Jerry Weast aren't out looking for a new job. I predict, in fact, that credit for saving the county's budget will be cited in Navarro's 2010 campaign for County Council.
Now, back to cutting more costs... let's start de-funding CASA de Maryland, that's a few millions right there.
comments section in the Post:
> The _Post_ wrote, in part:
> [ ... ]
> Employee groups reluctantly
> agreed to renegotiate their
> contracts, which were
> approved in more prosperous
> times and called for
> three consecutive increases of
> about 5 percent each. The
> contracts have become a
> symbol of overspending
> to some of the
> county's fiscal critics.
Hey, it was one of my campaign platforms in the recent Special Elections for County Council, District 4. Fortunately for all of us, the ultimate victor in that election, Mr Praisner, also ran on a platform of "fiscal prudence" though I seem to recall that he was far less pessimistic -- and thus in the face of history, less accurate -- about the level of cuts that would be necessary. When I was using phrases like "economic calamity now only beginning to unfold around us", people thought I was exercising hyperbole or was just plain crazy. As it turns out, I was -- as always -- merely stating the facts, before they happened, because they couldn't possibly have developed in any other way.
As it turns out, it's actually worse than I anticipated; I had no reason to think that gasoline would be up above $4.00/gallon.
The _Post_ writers characterize the contracts as having been approved in "more prosperous times" but that's not the case; at the time of final approval, it should have been evident to anyone paying attention which way the economy was going. Yet the approval was given as a political necessity, and is now being taken back. At least there has been a pro-forma exercise of "letting the unions decide to do the right thing" rather than having the politicians come out and say "the right thing, the _necessary_ thing, will be done, whether or not we have to break contracts".
People with working memories and no axe to grind will remember that at the Burtonsville Q&A session I pretty much predicted this, too. I said something to the effect of "a contract is a contract, but you have to hope that people could be persuaded to renegotiate, rather than bring down the whole system. However, if they didn't do that, I'd be sure that whoever got us into that situation went looking for a new job".
So, it's all still just politics as usual in MoCo, but at least Nancy Navarro and Jerry Weast aren't out looking for a new job. I predict, in fact, that credit for saving the county's budget will be cited in Navarro's 2010 campaign for County Council.
Now, back to cutting more costs... let's start de-funding CASA de Maryland, that's a few millions right there.
Illegal Alien Home Invasion and Arson Murder
One convenient hour or so after the last of the print copies of the Gazette rolled off of the presses, their online coverage is updated to reflect that the alleged murderers are almost certainly ILLEGAL ALIENS:
The three Wheaton residents charged in connection with the death of an 83-year-old woman last week are suspected illegal immigrants, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said today.
ICE officials filed detainers this week for Jose Antonio Alvarado, 37, his wife, Ana Lilian Rodas, 33, and his cousin, Ramon Alberto Alvarado, 32, all of the 12300 block of Downer Drive in Wheaton.
The three Wheaton residents charged in connection with the death of an 83-year-old woman last week are suspected illegal immigrants, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said today.
ICE officials filed detainers this week for Jose Antonio Alvarado, 37, his wife, Ana Lilian Rodas, 33, and his cousin, Ramon Alberto Alvarado, 32, all of the 12300 block of Downer Drive in Wheaton.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
I can't resist... ;)
Thank you, Cartoon Network and Spike TV!
All Hail Eris!
It's worth the 15 second ad. Now that is animation!
All Hail Eris!
It's worth the 15 second ad. Now that is animation!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
One-A-Week Murderers In Montgomery
It seems that just about once a week, the Washington Post sees fit to inform us of the apprehension of yet-another murderer or murderers.
This is getting a bit tiresome. For some it's more tiresome than for others, someone running a site called Burger Sub got sufficiently tired of this some years ago that they actually went so far as to googlemap murders in Montgomery County, 2005-2008.
I highly recommend it. Click on the little yellow pushpins in the map, and up will pop a little balloon giving you the location, the name of the victim, and the name of the perpetrators/suspects, if known. Wow, kudos, congratulations! But let's look to see if there's a pattern.
Here's the list for 2008, so far:
Well, let's see. Tai Lam? Gunned down by... illegal aliens. Mary Havenstein? This elderly lady was tied up and murdered in her home by... an illegal alien. Outside of Montgomery County, but still a home invasion where people who knew the victim conspired to invade the home and murder the inhabitants, the Spivaks were killed by being whacked on the head with a machete by... illegal aliens.
Is this a pattern developing? This is one heinous crime a week where we discover the perpetrators were illegal aliens, or so the Post or Gazette tell us.
The last case was pretty heinous regardless of the nationality or immigration status (or citizenship) of the alleged perpetrators. The Gazette coverage tells us that after starting to think that their check forgery fraud was about to be discovered, the perpatrators conspired to murder an 83 year old woman. One Jose A Alvarado, 37, evidently conspired with his wife, Ana L Rodas, 33, and his cousin Ramon Alberto Alvarado, 32, to go over to the old lady's house in Wheaton, and kill her. The police allege that Jose asked Meizell for $43.00 she apparently owed him she wrote him a check and he started walking away with it, but instantly Ramon pounced through the door, and battered the old woman unconscious. He then soaked Meizell and the living room and furniture with gasoline and set it ablaze, along with himself. He allegedly then ran outside and rolled on the lawn to douse himself, and he and Jose took it on the lam back to their house.
Various other sources allege that the Alvarado/Rodas conspirators killed Meizell on the night of November 26 -- the night before Thanksgiving Day -- and then went shopping over the next few days until arrested, with the money they'd defrauded and/or robbed from Meizell.
For some reason, nobody in the media -- other than a Cox Network site which offers no sources -- is willing or able to make public the nationality, citizenship, or immigration status of the alleged perpetrators of conspiring and carrying out first-degree murder and first-degree arson as well as numerous other crimes. The Cox Network site alleges that the alleged perpetrators were Salvadoran "immigrants", whether legal or otherwise is not yet known.
This is getting a bit tiresome. For some it's more tiresome than for others, someone running a site called Burger Sub got sufficiently tired of this some years ago that they actually went so far as to googlemap murders in Montgomery County, 2005-2008.
I highly recommend it. Click on the little yellow pushpins in the map, and up will pop a little balloon giving you the location, the name of the victim, and the name of the perpetrators/suspects, if known. Wow, kudos, congratulations! But let's look to see if there's a pattern.
Here's the list for 2008, so far:
12200 block Emerald Way
Germantown, MD 20876
Jo Anna Delgardo, 37,
of the same address;
stabbed on 1/27/08;
Awaiting trial:
Javier Calo-Figueroa, 31,
of no fixed address
9400 block Vineyard Haven Dr
Montgomery Village, MD 20886
Catherine Teresa Brown, 40,
of the same address;
shot on 8/23/08,
allegedly by Michael Keith Wilson, 44,
of the 11800 block of Peacock Trail
Robinwood, MD 21742
11000 block Grassy Knoll Terrace
Germantown, MD 20876
Rakeimi Jabari Hardin, 23,
of the 1600 block of McMahon Rd
Wheaton, MD 20902;
shot on 6/20/08;
Initially charged but not prosectued:
Anton Darelle Powell, 20,
of the 9400 block of Merust Ln
Montgomery Village, MD 20879
First block Fifeshire Ct
Montgomery Village, MD 20886
Longyuan Wang, 24,
of the 18000 block of Royal Bonnet Cir
Gaithersburg, MD 20886;
stabbed on 6/5/08;
Awaiting trial:
Manuel Antonio Barahona, 18,
of the First block of Federal Ct
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
700 block Quince Orchard Blvd
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Lindsay Marie Harvey, 25,
of the same address;
shot on 4/13/08;
Awaiting trial:
Shawn Marquieis Henderson, 25,
of the 2400 block of Virginia Ave
Landover, MD 20785,
Anthony Steven Moore, 15,
of the 700 block of Clopper Rd
Gaithersburg, MD 20878,
Aaron Michael Shepherd, 19,
of the 100 block of Duvall Ln
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
3600 block Martins Dairy Cir
Olney, MD 20832
Gerrano James Fato, 74,
of the same address;
shot on 1/23/08
200 block King Farm Blvd
Rockville, MD 20850
Jason David Hadeed, 33,
of the 1000 block of Reserve Champion Dr
Rockville, MD 20850;
shot on 2/8/08;
Awaiting trial:
Michael Wayne Adams, 44,
of the King Farm Blvd address
13500 block Georgia Ave
Aspen Hill, MD 20906
Gerald Lacayo, 22,
of the 2200 block of Georgian Way
Wheaton, MD 20902;
stabbed on 2/16/08;
Awaiting trial:
Harrison Jay Bryant, 20,
of the 5300 block of Gardner Ct
Williamsburg, VA 23188,
Calvin Fitzgerald Currica, 22,
of the 24700 block of Frederick Rd
Clarksburg, MD 20871;
Initially charged but not prosecuted:
Randall Anthony Francis, 21,
of the 5400 block of 85th Ave
New Carrollton, MD 20784
13900 block Castle Blvd
Fairland, MD 20904
Davonn Denise Dupree, 14,
of Springfield, VA;
cause of death unknown;
killed on 11/18/08
4400 block Gridley Rd
Wheaton, MD 20906
Fausto Bonergent Orellana, 43,
of the same address;
died on 8/2/08;
beaten on 7/27/08;
Awaiting trial:
Jose Fidel Hernandez, 35,
of the 4300 block of Independence St
Aspen Hill, MD 20853
1100 block Fidler Ln
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Sean Cope, 18,
of the 400 block of Burbank St SE
Washington, DC 20019;
stabbed on 3/7/08;
Awaiting trial:
Adrienne Victoria Cravens, 19,
of the 8600 block of 16th St
Silver Spring, MD 20910
8900 block Seven Locks Rd
Potomac, MD 20817
Mary Frances Havenstein, 63,
of the same address;
cause of death unknown;
killed on 9/4/08;
Awaiting trial:
Jose Juan Garcia-Perlera, 33,
of the 5800 block of 32nd Ave
Hyattsville, MD 20782
8500 block Piney Branch Rd
Silver Spring, MD 20901
Tai Lam, 14,
of the 1000 block of Quebec Ter
Silver Spring, MD 20903;
shot on 11/1/08;
Awaiting trial:
Hector Mauricio Hernandez, 20,
of the 8600 block of Flower Ave
Takoma Park, MD 20912
600 block University Blvd E
Silver Spring, MD 20901
Jorge Villatoro, 53,
of the 6500 block of Parkway Ct
Chillum, MD 20782;
shot on 5/27/08
10500 block Inwood Ave
Wheaton, MD 20902
Lila Meizell, 83,
of the same address;
beaten and burned in an arson fire on 11/26/08;
Awaiting trial:
Jose Antonio Alvarado, 37,
and Ana Lilian Rodas, 33,
both of the 12300 block of Downer Dr
Wheaton, MD 20906,
Ramon Alberto Alvarado, 32,
of the 2300 block of Blueridge Ave
Wheaton, MD 20902
Well, let's see. Tai Lam? Gunned down by... illegal aliens. Mary Havenstein? This elderly lady was tied up and murdered in her home by... an illegal alien. Outside of Montgomery County, but still a home invasion where people who knew the victim conspired to invade the home and murder the inhabitants, the Spivaks were killed by being whacked on the head with a machete by... illegal aliens.
Is this a pattern developing? This is one heinous crime a week where we discover the perpetrators were illegal aliens, or so the Post or Gazette tell us.
The last case was pretty heinous regardless of the nationality or immigration status (or citizenship) of the alleged perpetrators. The Gazette coverage tells us that after starting to think that their check forgery fraud was about to be discovered, the perpatrators conspired to murder an 83 year old woman. One Jose A Alvarado, 37, evidently conspired with his wife, Ana L Rodas, 33, and his cousin Ramon Alberto Alvarado, 32, to go over to the old lady's house in Wheaton, and kill her. The police allege that Jose asked Meizell for $43.00 she apparently owed him she wrote him a check and he started walking away with it, but instantly Ramon pounced through the door, and battered the old woman unconscious. He then soaked Meizell and the living room and furniture with gasoline and set it ablaze, along with himself. He allegedly then ran outside and rolled on the lawn to douse himself, and he and Jose took it on the lam back to their house.
Various other sources allege that the Alvarado/Rodas conspirators killed Meizell on the night of November 26 -- the night before Thanksgiving Day -- and then went shopping over the next few days until arrested, with the money they'd defrauded and/or robbed from Meizell.
For some reason, nobody in the media -- other than a Cox Network site which offers no sources -- is willing or able to make public the nationality, citizenship, or immigration status of the alleged perpetrators of conspiring and carrying out first-degree murder and first-degree arson as well as numerous other crimes. The Cox Network site alleges that the alleged perpetrators were Salvadoran "immigrants", whether legal or otherwise is not yet known.
