Mark Ruffalo endorses Maryland's Chris Van Hollen for Senate Majority Leader

Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo has endorsed Maryland U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D) for Majority Leader, as Democrats prepare to take power in the U.S. Senate in January. Van Hollen has "the energy, care, moral centering and strength we need for all the work that lies ahead," Ruffalo wrote on X this morning. "Van Hollen for incoming speaker," he concluded, mistaking the position for the U.S. House of Representatives majority leadership office. The high-profile Hollywood endorsement comes as the progressive and Democratic Socialist wings of the Democratic Party scored record wins in the 2026 elections, and are now leveraging that political capital to oust New York Senator Chuck Schumer as Democratic leader in the Senate.

Maryland "is facing an energy crisis," utility Pepco says

"Maryland is facing an energy crisis," electric utility Pepco warned in a message to customers Thursday. "When demand for electricity is high and supply is limited, it puts pressure on the system and can increase costs," the message said, advising that customers "may see changes in your energy bill" as the region enters the winter months. The utility again has attempted to explain that many of the surging costs are not its responsibility, such as the taxes and fees imposed by Montgomery County and Maryland state governments. It specifically mentioned the EmPOWER Maryland fee that the Maryland legislature recently hiked again. Politicians hope that you will think Pepco is charging you these fees, which is part of the impetus for the utility to inform customers to the contrary.

Moreover, the impact of the state forcing the closure of 8 power plants continues to be massive. Maryland is now forced to import electricity from out-of-state at higher rates, because it can no longer generate enough power from its remaining power plants to meet demand. Montgomery County and Maryland elected officials have tried mightily to scapegoat data centers as the cause of high energy bills, but the fact is that there are currently zero megascale data centers in our state. No, it's our elected officials themselves who have done this to us, and the problem will soon be impossible to ignore any longer, as energy demands lead to blackouts.

Aerospace firm chooses Virginia over Maryland for 2nd headquarters

Colorado-based defense and aerospace firm Auria, following the model of Amazon with its HQ2, sought a location to establish a new East Coast corporate headquarters. You will be absolutely shocked to learn that the company came to the same conclusion as Amazon, and has chosen Fairfax County over Montgomery County. Auria announced it will open its HQ2 at 2000 Edmund Halley Drive in Reston. The headquarters will also contain research, development, and system integration facilities, which will enhance testing and product demonstration capabilities. Meanwhile, the Montgomery County Council will have to again save their ribbon cutting scissors for the next convenience store opening.

"We are proud to welcome Auria’s East Coast headquarters to Fairfax," Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said in a statement yesterday. She said the company's decision "reflects confidence in our business environment, strategic location, and our continued support of innovative aerospace and defense companies."

We could talk about the lower taxes and business-friendly environment of Northern Virginia compared to Montgomery County, which has the highest total tax and fee burden in the entire region. But let's look again at the critical factor of access to Dulles International Airport, essential for any serious international businessperson. The site chosen by Auria is an 8 minute drive away from Dulles. Montgomery County still lacks direct access to Dulles, thanks to the Montgomery County Council canceling the long-planned Potomac River crossing of I-370 to Route 28 in the Dulles area. Doh!

Israeli defense firm chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. headquarters

Israeli defense firm Smart Shooter has selected the location for its new U.S. headquarters, and - surprise! - it's Northern Virginia, not Montgomery County. The company, known for its rifle-mounted and hand-held fire control systems, chose Dulles Office Park in Herndon for its U.S. operations center. As you might surmise from the property name, the site is 5 minutes from Dulles International Airport, an essential amenity for international businesspeople. Montgomery County infamously lacks direct access to Dulles, by virtue of County elected officials cancelling the long-planned new Potomac River crossing from I-370 in Gaithersburg to Route 28 in the Dulles area. "I coulda been a contender!" Womp, womp.

Photo courtesy Fairfax County Economic Development Authority/Nikolai Roster

UK quantum computing firm chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. HQ

It's Groundhog Day once again for economic development in the Washington, D.C. region, as yet another firm has chosen Virginia over Maryland, and Arlington County over Montgomery County for its corporate headquarters. This time it's British quantum computing firm Phasecraft. The company announced that Virginia is the winner in the sweepstakes for its new U.S. headquarters. Phasecraft will open the HQ at a not-yet-announced address in Ballston.

The announcement has to particularly sting Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who has repeatedly claimed that he wants to make his state a leader in quantum computing. It certainly didn't help Maryland's bid that Moore declared four days prior to the company's decision that he would sign a total ban on data centers, if the legislature sent one to his desk. This forehead-smacking faux pas is reminiscent of the Montgomery County Council announcing it was canceling the biggest infrastructure project in the White Flint sector plan on the very day that Amazon's HQ2 search team was touring the County's suggested site in White Flint. Whoops!

Just as the Council's transportation infrastructure cancellation cost it the HQ2 of a logistics company, Amazon, announcing you are going to possibly totally ban data centers would almost certainly terminate the consideration of any quantum computing firm to locate in our state. Doh! A decade later, we continue to be led by very stupid people.

A smarter governor, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, found herself once again taking a victory lap. "Virginia continues to grow as a global hub for cutting-edge companies and groundbreaking technologies," Spanberger said in a statement. "I’m thrilled to welcome Phasecraft to the Commonwealth and look forward to seeing all they accomplish as they grow and build on Virginia’s world-class innovation ecosystem. This investment will create new high-tech jobs, attract other leading companies to Virginia, and strengthen the Commonwealth’s growing role in bringing next-generation technologies to market."

Virginia, in contrast to Maryland, is known as the data center capital of America. How Maryland will become "a leader in quantum computing and cybersecurity" without data centers is indeed a puzzling and even humorous dilemma for observers of Governor Moore, who has proven so far that he's far from the sharpest tool in the drawer. What we already do know is that Maryland and Montgomery County haven't attracted a single major new corporate headquarters in over 25 years. Will voters quintuple down on futility on Election Day in November?

The curious case of the Jawando debate dodge

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) will not debate his Republican opponent Esther Wells in the County Executive race, Jawando's campaign abruptly announced yesterday. The statement to the press was curious not only for the weakness of its arguments, but because the local press had not been press-ing the question in the first place. I could find no news articles focused on Jawando dodging a debate with Wells prior to the Monday announcement by his campaign. It appears to be a preemptive strike to lay the groundwork for a pandemic-style "basement campaign," in which Jawando will largely take a knee until Election Day with sporadic, low-pressure public appearances in uber-friendly venues.

Unlike Jawando's fellow travelers in our Fifth Column local media, let's actually debunk the logic of the statement by his campaign.

"Will has participated in 102 meet-and-greets, as well as more than 45 candidate forums, debates, and town halls across the county...Voters have had repeated opportunities to evaluate records and compare his vision directly with his general election opponent, Esther Wells, who also participated in many of these candidate forums and debates."

Fact check: First of all, there certainly were not "45" debates in the County Executive primary race. Second, Esther Wells was allowed to participate in only a handful of those. And third, because they were cattle call primary events mostly focused on the Democratic race, they did not provide the length and depth of response by any individual that is now most appropriate in the general election season. We have our nominees. Now it is time to compare and contrast their arguments in an in-depth dialogue.

"Our sustained community engagement delivered decisive results in the June primary. Will earned 52,744 votes out of more than 131,000 cast, building the broadest coalition of any candidate this cycle. By contrast, Esther Wells won her primary with 6,850 votes out of just 11,273 cast."

This is perhaps even more of a ridiculous argument than the first. For starters, how do you claim "the broadest coalition" in a primary that was closed to every voter who was not a Democrat? But even more embarrassing is that the math used by Jawando's campaign actually shows Esther Wells had the "broadest coalition" in the primaries. She won 60.7% of the votes in her primary, compared to Jawando's 40.3%. That's over 20 percentage points higher than Jawando.

Besides answering a debate question no news outlet had published a news article asking to begin with, the press release oddly raised the issue of Jawando's health following his heart attack over Labor Day weekend. The local press hadn't been publishing articles on questions or controversy surrounding Jawando's health and his ability to campaign or serve. Why would you remind the public of the topic, then? 

Is there a health issue the campaign is hiding that will prevent Jawando from participating in a debate with Esther Wells? Is that why the actual arguments made for why he won't debate so transparently farcical, as to distract from the health question at hand? If a candidate is physically or cognitively unable to engage their election opponent in a debate in October, how will they be capable of running a jurisdiction of over a million people some thirty days later?

The time to hear from the candidates is now, not after the election. It's a frightening reality that you can take any article about elections in Russia or (the fictional anti-Orban vision of) Hungary, replace the country name with "Montgomery County," and it still reads accurately. The Montgomery County cartel already controls much of our "democracy" with its control of the local media, and our obscenely gerrymandered election districts. Based on actual voting results, a true Council District 2 would have elected a Republican every time this century. Rather than face the wrath of a unified Upcounty, whose concerns continue to be neglected, the cartel is able simply draw them out of relevance on the map. It shows how weak our leaders know they are intellectually and substantively, when the idea of one contrary voice out of eleven strikes sheer terror into their hearts.

Candidate debates are a foundational element of democracy. Even when Democrats were highly favored to win, they had the integrity and civic spirit to participate in general election forums in the past. But starting in 2018, this changed. It changed so much that Jawando himself has never had to square off against Republicans in a general election debate. 

With so many weak explanations from his campaign as to why he can't debate Esther Wells, it's imperative that the local media keep pressing for what the real reasons are. If you really believe in "democracy" in America, it's time you start demanding it locally as well.

Montgomery Mall implementing stiff 3 PM curfew for minors

Those who claim crime is not a problem at the few remaining malls in Montgomery County were dealt a blow of reality today, as Westfield announced it will implement a restrictive 3:00 PM curfew for unaccompanied minors at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda and Wheaton Plaza starting September 28. Once in effect, the new policy will require any mall patron under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult after 3:00 PM, seven days a week. Those not in compliance will be escorted from the premises by security or Montgomery County police. Supervising adults may be asked for identification with a valid I.D.

Westfield says the hours and specifics of the new policy can be changed at any time, and that it may adjust the hours of enforcement during the holiday shopping season. It also says that supervising adults will be held responsible for the behavior and actions of the juveniles under their supervision, suggesting legal liability potential for the type of assaults and shoplifting incidents that have been taking place at the property in recent years.

This curfew sadly punishes the majority of minors who lawfully engage in the All-American tradition of hanging out at the mall. It will certainly cost mall tenants financially. That dovetails with another disappointing trend: Massive international corporations like Westfield and Giant parent Ahold declining to publicly condemn pro-criminal elected officials, and put their considerable financial resources toward electing alternative leaders, and instead implementing policies that punish all customers, such as locking up items or crippling self-checkouts. Montgomery County and Maryland's weak juvenile crime policies - and weak willed business responses - seem to put criminals in charge of our community, rather than holding them accountable. The new curfew policy was first reported by The MoCo Show.

Montgomery County police chief resigns amid travel, leave questions

Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada submitted his resignation to County Executive Marc Elrich today. Announcements regarding the resignation from Elrich and the police department did not initially provide a reason for Yamada's resignation after decades of service to the department. However, it soon came to light that a report from the County Inspector General was being released, following an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General into Yamada's actions regarding travel expenditures, and his alleged failure to request official leave at times that department rules required him to do so.

The OIG investigation also examined whistleblower allegations that Yamada consumed alcohol at a golf event during working hours, and furnished a County government vehicle for use by an unidentified employee of the Office of the County Attorney. Such use of a County vehicle must be authorized by the County's Chief Administrative Officer, and the OIG found that Yamada neither sought nor received such authorization. Investigators determined that Yamada was not armed or in uniform when he consumed two alcoholic beverages at a golf tournament, but that he had not taken official leave to attend the tournament, and was therefore still on-the-clock.

Yamada told investigators that he believed the overtime hours he puts in on a weekly basis covered absences during regular work hours. The OIG report notes that by not receiving authorized leave for those absences, Yamada retained those leave hours on his record, which would apply to credits for his pension upon retirement. 

While news headlines referred to "Las Vegas travel" earlier today, it turned out to be less sensational than the Hangover IV visions such news reports were promising. It turns out that Yamada took an unidentified family member who also works at the police department on an official trip to an out-of-state conference. The OIG report states that Yamada initially told investigators that he did not select the employee, but investigators later found that he had. Lying to OIG investigators is a violation of County Code Section 2-151(m)(2).

The report concludes by noting that its findings will be submitted to the County Ethics Commission, and suggests the County may have legal grounds to recover an unspecified sum from Yamada on behalf of taxpayers. You can read the OIG's complete report here.

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando discharged from hospital

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) has been discharged from the hospital after a successful surgical procedure following a heart attack last weekend. He is continuing his recovery at home, from where he filmed and uploaded a video message to his constituents. Jawando thanked his doctors at George Washington University Hospital, and the community for the outpouring of support and well-wishes. The video was likely reassuring to constituents, as you would not know he had suffered a medical emergency just days ago if you were not already aware. His appearance and speech showed no sign of illness or impairment.

Jawando advised viewers to "take care of yourself," and not ignore warning signs of cardiovascular health issues. He noted that even exercising regularly and being in good overall health did not prevent last Saturday's heart attack. "I'm in shape, I work out a lot, but things can happen." In short, this could happen to any of us at any time. 

"Most importantly, I want to thank God for getting me through this, and allowing me to still be here and to serve, and to be with you and to be with my family," Jawando said. Doctors expect Jawando, who is the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County Executive, to make a full recovery. "I'll be back on track before you know it," Jawando concluded. Jawando's office announced in a press release that it is fully open even while the Councilmember is recuperating, and that his staff is "available, and ready to serve constituents throughout his recovery."

Montgomery County Councilmember suffers heart attack

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) suffered a heart attack during a pickup basketball game this past Saturday, September 5, his office announced on Monday. He was transported to George Washington University hospital, where doctors inserted a stent, although the statement released did not indicate where the stent was placed. The statement did say that Jawando is "resting comfortably." His doctors expect him to make a full recovery, and anticipate he will be discharged from the hospital later this week. He will then work back up to his normal Council schedule under their guidance.

Jawando's medical emergency gained increased notice because he is also the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County Executive, and because he is relatively young and in apparent good health. The latter two factors will be advantageous in his expected full recovery. Much older elected officials like Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen have suffered cardiovascular episodes, and have returned to not only full schedules, but to vigorous travel and public speaking engagements. In that context, there's every reason to believe his ability to campaign - and serve, if elected in November - will be unaffected in the long term.

However, the incident did draw renewed attention to the fact that Jawando had not yet agreed to participate in one or more public debates with his Republican opponent, Esther Wells. Debates are a critical part of this "democracy" thing we keep hearing strident lectures about. The voting public has a right to hear the candidates for each office expound on the issues, and defend those positions and ideas. If a candidate cannot do this, they are utterly incapable of assuming the responsibilities of public office - much less the highest office in the County. 

Yet Jawando and his colleagues never participated in a general election Council At-Large debate in 2018 or 2022(!!). It seems inconceivable that the forces of "democracy" in Montgomery County would allow this definitively-autocratic trend to continue this fall. Voters should not only express their interest in debates to the Democratic candidates directly, but should also apply pressure to the local media and their civic associations to host these debates prior to the start of early voting. You can either be complicit in an election process that Vladimir Putin and Fidel Castro would be proud of, or you can claim you are a champion of democracy. You cannot do both.

Rockville Pike/MD 355 bus lanes to be removed next week

Temporary bus-only lanes along Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, and along Rockville Pike in North Bethesda and White Flint, will be removed next week, the Maryland State Highway Administration announced yesterday. Starting Monday, September 7, all vehicles will again be able to use the lanes. MDSHA crews will work overnight between September 7 and September 11 to remove the bus lane markings, and restore painted lines destroyed by the project.

Montgomery County elected officials were applying heavy pressure to MDSHA behind the scenes to make the temporary bus lanes permanent as late as this week. When ABC 7 News reporter Tom Roussey asked MDSHA on Tuesday if the lanes would be left in place after the Metro station shutdown ended next week, the MDSHA spokesperson was unable to answer his question. This shows just how intense the pressure from County politicians was, as MDSHA had sworn up and down that these lanes were temporary, and would not typically be waiting until the last minute to schedule overnight road work.

By Thursday, MDSHA - in a rare return to professionalism in an agency that has become increasingly politicized over the last decade - declared that it would indeed be removing the lanes, as promised. MDSHA further told Roussey in a follow-up interview Thursday that the data the agency collected during the lane closures this summer "showed the best decision was to remove all bus-only lanes along Route 355." In other words, giving buses their own lanes does not generate more commuter throughput than automobiles can, no matter how many explainer graphics anti-highway radicals post on X. Of course, residents of Staten Island could have told them that ten years ago.

One of many Metro shuttles seen
traveling in the center or left lanes of MD 355,
despite having been given its own exclusive bus lane

Montgomery County's War-on-cars elected officials - all of whom hypocritically drive to "work" at their very-part-time Council "jobs" - must be furious with MDSHA at this hour. The agency not only vetoed their wishes, and foiled their Trojan horse scheme to achieve a permanent 33% in reduction of vehicular capacity on a major commuter route for two counties, but also made public that the data shows County officials are dead wrong in their claims regarding bus lanes and BRT. Again, this is how MDSHA and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation used to function up until the last decade. They would regularly veto and reject the wishes and whims of rabid, radical politicians when they conflicted with traffic engineering best practices. I would strongly encourage MDSHA to use Thursday's decision as a turning point to restore the agency's previously sterling reputation for professionalism and independence.

We've also got to credit the public for being more engaged this time, compared to when the County successfully cajoled MDSHA into making similar "temporary" lanes - in similar "Metro stations are closed!" Trojan horse fashion - permanent in Silver Spring a few years ago. MDSHA and WMATA heard loud and clear the outrage from drivers on the already-congested MD 355, on which MCDOT still does not synchronize the traffic signals during rush hour to not turn red at every block. Stay engaged, and make your displeasure effective by voting these bums out in November.

Taiwan's MedVoyage Global chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. headquarters

Is Northern Virginia tired of winning yet? No! And fortunately for them, Montgomery County and Maryland elected officials aren't tired of losing. Thus it is that the Taiwanese firm MedVoyage Global has chosen Virginia, not Maryland, for its U.S. headquarters. The MedVoyage HQ will be at 10300 Eaton Place, at the Mason Enterprise Center (MEC) in Fairfax City. MedVoyage is a leading firm in the future of healthcare, using a low-Earth-orbit satellite network to deliver telehealth and pharmacy services to remote areas in 40 countries, to ships at sea, and to over 80 bricks-and-mortar medical centers across the globe, as well as connecting these remote customers with emergency response units.

Now MedVoyage is expanding into the North American healthcare market, and has chosen Northern Virginia as its base to scale up system and sales operations, as well as to navigate federal regulatory red tape. "Over the next two years, the company plans to scale its local workforce with systems engineers, clinical compliance specialists, and commercial sales executives," the Fairfax City Economic Development corporation said in a statement this morning. FCED added that this latest victory "further strengthens Fairfax City’s role within Northern Virginia’s innovation economy."

"Selecting Fairfax City for our U.S. headquarters is a foundational step in our global scaling strategy," MedVoyage Global CEO Nemo Teng said in a statement. "MEC Fairfax offers the ideal soft-landing environment and unparalleled access to the Northern Virginia tech ecosystem, placing us minutes away from critical federal and defense stakeholders such as the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense. This facility allows us to rapidly build strategic U.S. partnerships, access premier regional engineering talent, and deploy our emergency and maritime telehealth solutions across North America."

Anyone familiar with local geography will realize that Montgomery County is also in close proximity to these same federal and defense stakeholders. So, why does Northern Virginia keep winning, and Montgomery County keep losing?

You can look at the most obvious difference, which is the low tax environment of Virginia versus Montgomery County, which weighs down its residents and businesses with the highest total tax and fee burden in the region. But let's again go a step further, and see how once again Northern Virginia's superior infrastructure triumphs over Montgomery County's incomplete master plan highway system and poor airport access.

MedVoyage Global's new U.S. HQ will sit right beside an on-ramp to Interstate 66, and directly adjacent to U.S. Route 50. That will give MedVoyage a straight shot to Dulles International Airport via Route 50, or even faster with tolls via I-66. In contrast, Montgomery County and Maryland elected officials continue to block construction of the long-delayed new Potomac River crossing of I-370 from Gaithersburg to Dulles. 

As much as Northern Virginia enjoys winning, so do corporations that need to make something called profits. Winning is contagious. And winners like to have direct access to the only airport in the region with the frequency and variety of flights to international destinations that international businesspeople require to compete - Dulles International Airport. Thanks to our anti-business, Marxist "leadership," Montgomery County continues to lack that strategic advantage - by choice!!

In another delicious coincidence, did you know that Montgomery County's unfinished master plan highway system would have also extended I-66 access into Bethesda? The unbuilt Northwest Freeway, which would have paralleled Wisconsin Avenue through Bethesda, Friendship Heights and Tenleytown, would have crossed the Potomac on the also-unbuilt Three Sisters Bridge and (surprise!) also-unbuilt I-266 near Georgetown University. And you wonder where Montgomery County got all that land for tiny parks and big parking garages between Wisconsin Avenue and the Town of Chevy Chase!

By learning to love losing.

Montgomery County Council seeks to remove neighborhood veto power on "benefit performances"

The Montgomery County Council is proposing to strip residents of their existing veto power over "benefit performances" staged in their residential neighborhoods. Currently, entities and organizations - with a few exceptions, such as fire departments and religious institutions - who propose to hold a live music event, carnival, festival, or other performance to raise charitable funds must obtain consent from 75% of residents whose homes are within 600 feet of the performance site. Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-11: Temporary Uses - Benefit Performances would entirely eliminate this veto authority from neighbors. If passed, the ZTA would merely require that those residents be notified that they are going to be treated to a benefit performance, whether they like it or not. The performances could last as long as 15 days(!!).

I would venture to say that few Montgomery County residents are even aware that they currently possess this veto authority, much less that the Council is conniving to relieve them of it. The move continues a trend for the Council - when they're not banning stuff or raising taxes, they're systematically removing residents' ability to express objection or input on controversial matters they want to ram through, from development and road diets to bike lanes, bus depots, landfills and jails. A public hearing on the ZTA is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

Watkins Mill Town Center: Promises made, promises broken

Montgomery County taxpayers, and early homebuyers, were sold a vision of the Watkins Mill Town Center shortly after the Montgomery County cartel seized a majority of the seats on the County Council in 2002. Over twenty years later - like the similarly promoted Clarksburg Town Center - the Watkins Mill Town Center remains an empty field. Nowhere to be found are the promised shops, restaurants, and movie theater with a special liquor license that predated the lobby bars that would pop up in County cinemas a decade later. And no Corridor Cities Transitway light rail connects Watkins Mill to the Shady Grove Metro station - or anything else for that matter.

Like Clarksburg, all of the highly-profitable residential housing was built at Watkins Mill. But the less profitable commercial construction and amenities? You're on your own, baby, the Council and City of Gaithersburg told residents. Hey, you got a mega gas station and Starbucks on the other side of the highway, so shut up and quit your complaining.

Taxpayers who picked up the tab for new services and classrooms will well remember that the developers involved helped get favored County and City officials elected. Their campaign signs were even erected on the property. They got elected, and prospered. The developers prospered. You, the taxpayer? Not so much. 

It follows the Montgomery County cartel model we've seen everywhere from Westbard to downtown Bethesda and White Oak. Developers and their planning and legislative puppets promise the world. They get their approvals. Then they take the money and run - for the hills, or for re-election. Amenities are deleted. Master plans ignored. Commercial land gets rezoned for more and more housing. 

Watkins Mill Town Center. Promises made. Promises broken.

Maryland has 2nd-worst economy in America, CNBC finds

Maryland has the second-worst economy in the U.S., CNBC found in its 2026 Worst State Economies in America survey, the results of which were released today. "Economic growth and job growth nearly flatlined in Maryland over the past year," the cable TV business channel noted in its analysis. "[H]igh costs, unpredictable taxes, and growing regulatory burdens," are each a drag on the state's economy, as is an over-reliance on government jobs and federal funds. A new IT services tax walloped businesses, sending many firms packing for greener pastures in other states. Especially hard hit by the IT tax were government contractors, a painful irony in a state where little beyond government has been growing this century.

Some factors in CNBC's criteria certainly hit Maryland where it hurts. These included job growth, economic growth, and the number of major companies headquartered in the state. The first two "flatlined" over the last 12 months, in CNBC's own word, and Maryland hasn't attracted a single new major corporate headquarters this century. In fact, the story has been the number of companies leaving the state. "Budget situation" isn't a category any Maryland elected official would want to delve into publicly. Debt? Maryland and Montgomery County are both in deadly serious trouble on that front, as well.

"Small business survival rates?" Ho ho. The ubiquitous "Going Out of Business" and "Everything must go!!!" signs in Montgomery County storefront windows tell a most tragic story indeed.

"Maryland finds itself in a deep hole in 2026, with no easy way out of it," CNBC concluded. But the picture is even bleaker than the one painted by the already-stinging rebuke of a friendly, liberal news outlet. They didn't even mention the budget apocalypse currently forecast for the state in 2030. 

Can we continue to whistle past the graveyard, raising taxes and instituting new ones? Refusing for radical ideological reasons to construct the long-delayed new Potomac River crossing to the Dulles area? Continuing to block completion of our master plan highway system? Keep on losing, and often hardly trying, in the corporate HQ relocation sweepstakes?

We could. And we just might end up topping CNBC's worst list in the future. It's one of the few things within easy reach for the buffoonish incompetents currently running Montgomery County and Maryland. After all, "We're number two - we try harder."

Montgomery County homeowners slammed as property tax bills arrive

Montgomery County homeowners are receiving their property tax bills in the mail, and jaws are crashing to the floor countywide. A super double-whammy budget by the County Council in May not only hiked property taxes yet again, but also eliminated the Income Tax Offset Credit that a vast majority of homeowners were previously eligible for. The end result has been, among homeowners I've spoken to around the county, property tax bills anywhere from 17% to 25% higher than last year. Be sure to thank your representative comrades on the Montgomery Commie Council.

Predictably, the hardest-hit areas are downcounty, in Bethesda, Rockville, and Silver Spring. Many Rockville residents are looking at $12,000 tax bills. "It was about $12,000 last year," lamented a Bethesda homeowner holding a tax bill for more than $15,000. As I have noted for many years now, Montgomery County property taxes have increasingly become a second mortgage for homeowners. It's simply incredible that the Council would slam homeowners with tax increases this high in the middle of an affordability crisis. Most of this money ends up in the pockets of the Montgomery County cartel, the puppeteers behind our Marxist County Council.

Don't forget, in May the Council also added a new wealth tax on the "rich," whom our stuck-in-the-1960s Council defines as (in Dr. Evil "one million dollars" voice) anyone making over $150,000. That's only $18,000 higher than the median income of $132,450 in Montgomery County! $150,000 is just squeaking by and surviving, especially with a County Council of overpaid, underworked oligarchs who draw an annual salary of $167,172 from you, the taxpayer, for a few hours of "work" per week. One of the best kept secrets of the Council is that many members over the years have used the lax Council schedule, and their overinflated salaries, to put themselves through graduate or law school at your expense. If only you were as criminally street smart as the County Council, you might throw the bums out on Election Day!

Maryland drops to 36 on CNBC Top States for Business 2026 list, Virginia is #3

Maryland has become an even worse state to do business in over the last year, according to CNBC's Top States for Business 2026 list, which the cable TV business channel unveiled today. Moribund Maryland dropped four spots to #36 this year based on CNBC's criteria, which examine each state's infrastructure, economy, workforce, quality of life, cost of doing business, and technology and innovation. Virginia, by contrast, moved up to #3, and is perennially in the top 5 on this list.

Why is Maryland once again a bottom dweller, and sinking? The primary new factors are the state's IT tax, which has not only massively increased IT costs (including my own) for Maryland businesses, but has only increased the exodus of companies from the state. Maryland's highest profile infrastructure project, the Key Bridge replacement, has stalled out. That missing highway link not only remains a logistical nightmare for businesses large and small that relied on it, but only adds to Maryland's national notoriety as a state with inadequate infrastructure, and an ideological hostility to road construction. And after Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the state legislature used Zohran Mamdani slight-of-hand tactics to raid precious funds for a desperation one-year budget fix, S&P downgraded Maryland's long-term outstanding debt outlook from stable to negative.

Continuing to plague our state are our own elected officials. For another year, Montgomery County and Maryland officials failed to take any steps toward construction of the long-delayed new Potomac River crossing, which would give us the critically-needed direct access to Dulles International Airport that corporate executives demand (and currently get in Northern Virginia). In fact, our leaders proudly stand against the new bridge, which was supposed to have been constructed 50 years ago. Multiple highways planned to handle explosive housing growth that has already taken place over decades in Montgomery County not only remain unbuilt, but have been criminally removed from the master plan, a blatant dereliction of duty by our elected officials.

Electricity costs continue to skyrocket, again the direct result of actions by our elected officials. They forced the closure of 8 power plants statewide, and implemented clean power mandates. These buffoonish diktats brought us where we are now: not only unable to provide cheap and abundant energy for business, but unable to even provide sufficient electricity capacity to meet existing demand. This has required Maryland to import electricity at inflated boardwalk prices from out of state.

Maryland has only increased the tax burden on business, when our corporate tax rate was already not competitive for business. The Montgomery County Council not only implemented multiple tax hikes this year, including yet another property tax increase, but actually created new taxes amid an affordability crisis. And despite their minimum wage increases having been an utter catastrophe, ushering in the age of restaurants using touchscreens and fewer employees, the Marxist radicals on the Council are now poised to join the national bankruptcy movement that is calling for a $30 minimum wage. 

Yet another chance to change direction is quickly slipping through the fingers of MoCo and Maryland voters. Turnout in last month's primary election was humiliatingly small. The Banner, whose billionaire oligarch owner puts his news behind a paywall(!!) and is a well-known Democratic operative, actually posted a story on Facebook claiming Democratic Montgomery County Executive nominee Will Jawando "is expected to be sworn in as the next Montgomery County executive in December." In fact, The Banner wrote, Jawando "will almost certainly be sworn in as the next Montgomery County executive in December." 

The November general election hasn't even taken place, folks. This is classic voter suppression by The Banner: make voters feel hopeless. Why bother to vote when The Banner has told you the outcome is already known? "Democracy," right? At The Banner, democracy dies in a $50 million grant from the billionaire Democratic operative owner to run that propaganda outlet, which was warmly welcomed in Montgomery County by the very politicians who would fear a true journalistic examination of their true crimes and corruption. Fortunately, the Montgomery County and Maryland cartels don't control CNBC, and the results truly speak for themselves.

Pepco tells Maryland customers, "It's not us"

The most recent two U.S. presidents have had to get used to having their likeness slapped onto gas pumps via "I did that!" stickers, when their policy decisions have led to rising gas prices. Less eager to take credit for exploding electricity bills is Pepco, which is once again taking pains to inform customers that government is indeed the problem. "Higher energy bills can be challenging, and we want you to understand what's driving those changes," the Exelon-owned utility explained in a message to ratepayers with this month's bill. And explain they do, but not as extensively as they should, requiring us to employ the Annapolis Anger Translator (AAT) for full disclosure.

First culprit on the list is the regional grid operator PJM. Pepco notes that PJM "is increasing electricity supply prices for our area. Pepco does not generate electricity or set these prices — we pass these charges through directly to customers with no markup. These increases are due to factors such as higher demand and tight energy supply."

Using the AAT, we can expand on this to learn that the actual electricity rates paid by consumers in Maryland are set by the Maryland Public Service Commission, a body appointed by...whoops!...the governor of Maryland, and approved by the Democratic-controlled Maryland State Senate. 

Why is there a "tight energy supply?" Perhaps because Maryland elected officials forced the closure of 8 power plants across the state. As a result, Maryland itself can no longer generate enough power to supply the demands of residents and businesses, and is now forced to import electricity from out-of-state at inflated boardwalk prices.

Pepco also highlights the EmPOWER MD surcharge that appears on your monthly bill. Like many other "sneak taxes," elected officials hope that you will assume these taxes, fees, and surcharges are being levied by the service provider, not your corrupt leaders. The reality is that this surcharge was levied by the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis. It is a Karl Marxian Communist initiative of the highest order. Your hard-earned money goes into a slush fund used to pay for "green" upgrades to poor people's homes. From each according to his abilities...well, you get the idea.

Not mentioned is the latest hoax: data centers, the latest pass-the-buck punching bag for politicians trying to divert public attention from their direct role in the affordability crisis. No, data centers in Maryland are not the reason your Pepco bill keeps going up. It's a boogeyman far more familiar to you: your unfriendly neighborhood elected official. The call is indeed coming from inside the house.

Austrian life sciences firm chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. headquarters

Austrian life sciences firm Ringana has made the United States the target of its next international expansion push, but first it needed a U.S. corporate headquarters to operate from. It has found the perfect location, and you won't be surprised to hear it is not in Montgomery County, or even within the state of Maryland. You also won't be surprised to learn that Virginia is once again the winner in this latest corporate HQ sweepstakes. That's right: 435 jobs are on the way from the Österreich to 2797 Frontage Road NW in Roanoke, Virginia. The former Johnson & Johnson site will not only house corporate offices, but also a manufacturing facility and a distribution center.

The deal was apparently secured when Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger invited Ringana corporate leadership to meet with her personally this past February. In contrast, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has failed to turn his supposedly-massive Rolodex of Wall Street, Hamptons, and Martha's Vineyard business contacts into a single major corporate headquarters win. After an awkward few months dominated by divisive partisan politics, Spanberger seems to have found the blueprint left behind by her Democratic predecessors, who have typically been as successful in attracting corporate headquarters as their Republican counterparts.

“RINGANA’s decision to establish its first U.S. facility in Virginia underscores the Commonwealth’s reputation as a welcoming, premier destination for international investment,” Spanberger said in a statement. “With our world-class workforce, strong apprenticeship and career training programs, and unwavering commitment to supporting global companies in a global marketplace, Virginia offers the ideal environment for businesses to grow and succeed in the United States. We are excited to welcome RINGANA to Roanoke and look forward to the hundreds of career opportunities this partnership will create for Virginians.”

We should take note of the site chosen by Ringana. Look how close it is to Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, which has connecting flights to Dulles International Airport. Also nearby is Interstate 81, a major freight trucking route connecting Tennessee and Canada. Once again, Virginia tax advantages join with infrastructure to hand Maryland and Montgomery County yet another economic development loss. MoCo and Maryland elected officials will tell you with clownish pride that "we don't do highways," and that they will never allow construction of the long-delayed new Potomac River crossing to the Dulles area.

Now before we get too carried away, I don't want to overhype Ringana. We should be focused on major corporations, especially on aerospace, biotech, defense, and technology firms. Ringana is not a Fortune 500 company. But it has enjoyed $245 million in annual revenue, and 30% year-over-year revenue growth. It will be investing $85 million in Virginia and its people and communities. The Roanoke Regional Partnership is already working to connect local businesses that can provide services to Ringana with the company's leadership.

Beggars can't be choosers. Montgomery County and Maryland once again are left holding their nearly-empty begging cups.

Armand's Pizzeria latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy

Armand's Pizzeria and Grille is closing at 190 Halpine Road in Rockville. After over 51 years in business, the restaurant's co-owners announced on Instagram that they will permanently shut their doors after the close of business on June 20, 2026. This is your last chance to get a slice of Armand's pizza. But it's also another chance to see what the anti-business policies of the Montgomery County Council, and the resulting moribund Montgomery County economy, have wreaked on our business community and underfilled County revenue coffers.

WTOP reporter Luke Lukert wrote that "due to financial reasons and a struggling environment for small businesses, they will have to shut their doors." Lukert interviewed Armand's co-owner Chris Sappe, who told him,"Montgomery County is a tough place to have a family-owned business with minimum wage increasing." Along with recent hikes in ingredient and fuel costs, Sappe said, they had to make the difficult decision to close.

Let's again spin one of the greatest hits recorded by Peter Gragnano of the Suburban Washington Franchise Owners Association, when he and many other business owners and advocates pleaded with the Council not to move forward with their massive minimum wage hike in June of 2016. "That's a lot of extra Slurpees to sell," Gragnano said in the quote of the night. Did the Council heed these warnings? Nope.

Remember the Council's brilliant idea to index the minimum wage to inflation beginning in 2021? Yep, that one hasn't aged well, either. One businessman warned the Council that if inflation spiked as it did in the late 1970s and early 1980s, "there won't be a way to wash a dish in a restaurant." This is the man you should now be asking to generate your lottery numbers! Inflation spike? In America? The County Council clearly does not share that businessman's Kenny Kingston-esque foresight.

Another one of the brilliant minds in the business realm of Maryland is Maddy Voytek, who in 2016 was working at the Maryland Retailers Association. She noted that Montgomery County had already lost 2141 retail jobs between 2000 and 2016. Voytek told the Council that adoption of the $15 wage would "devastate our economy."

What we've seen most recently, as all of these dire predictions came true, are more closings of older businesses. Community institutions. Businesses like Armand's or Flanagan's in Bethesda. Businesses that have survived wars, recessions, and the 2008 "Great Recession," only to be felled now by the incompetents on our County Council. Something is rotten in the County of Montgomery. Have the smelling salts reached your nostrils yet?