Daily Kos exposes MoCo "covert Republican/developer Council slate" in Democratic primary

A cabal of developers and Republicans is spending big to determine the winners of the Democratic primary election in Montgomery County on June 26, according to an investigation published by the Daily Kos. "There is a covert Republican/developer slate for Council," author Eric Hensal writes. He identifies the covert GOP/developer slate as Democrats Gabe Albornoz, Marilyn Balcombe, Evan Glass, Hans Riemer (in the At-Large race), Andrew Friedson (District 1), and Sidney Katz (District 3).

Hensal says these are the "candidates Republican/Developer donors in Montgomery County want elected in its Democratic primary." He also cites David Blair as the covert group's Democratic choice for County Executive, and says campaign donations show developers abandoning Blair's rival Roger Berliner for Blair and Rose Krasnow.

Hensal notes the covert financing effort is a change from 2002's overt developer effort that successfully elected the laughably-named "End Gridlock" slate to the Council. The "End Gridlock" slate infamously went on to double and triple the amount of traffic gridlock, by allowing unlimited development without providing the highway capacity needed to support it.

To reach his conclusions, Hensal examined patterns of donations, and connections among donors contributing to the same candidates. He determined that many of the donors who are supporting the covert slate are also donors to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Hensal also concluded that simply using public financing did not eliminate developer influence on candidates doing so - they still receive donations from developers, and can leverage those developer donations for more public money.

In identifying the covert slate of candidates, Hensal concludes that, "The most generous view is that these candidates are simply a consensus of the Republican/Developer community. However, an ongoing coordinated effort to elect them is very possible."

Former Rockville mayor Phyllis Marcuccio dies

Two-term Rockville mayor and two-term city councilmember Phyllis Marcuccio passed away on Tuesday, June 5. A graduate of Rockville's Richard Montgomery High School, she served as Mayor from 2009-2011, and was reelected to a second consecutive term for 2011-2013. Very active in the community before being elected to public office, Marcuccio kept those close connections with neighborhoods and community leaders as a public servant.

Marcuccio's impact as mayor was significant. Her selections to the Rockville Planning Commission, - along with those of her successor, current Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton - curbed plans for high density urban growth beyond the redeveloped Town Center. The Rockville Pike plan was slowed in its approval process by commissioners, and ended up a much better document than the City's original expensive consultant had proposed.

Decisions made by both mayors were among the factors that led to Rockville being named the Best Place to Live in Maryland this year by Money magazine. The city has become a rival to Annandale for the title of best Asian dining hub in the D.C. region, and recently was chosen for the site of a coveted Wegmans store in B.F. Saul's Twinbrook Quarter development.

Marcuccio was a past president of the East Rockville Civic Association, a board member of the Rockville Housing Authority, and served on multiple commissions and task forces within the City of Rockville. She was among the founders of the Rockville Science Center, and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Rockville.

Mayor Newton released the following statement yesterday:

"Mayor Marcuccio was a deeply devoted public servant throughout her life and career. A longstanding Rockville resident, she prided herself as a grassroots activist and was an outspoken advocate for the city, always keeping the best interests of her community close to her heart.

“She was a stalwart champion for accountability, putting Rockville residents first when it came to making decisions as a member of the Mayor and Council.

“Whether planning for growth, keeping residents safe, wisely spending taxpayer money or protecting the environment, her commitment to protecting our quality of life and neighborhoods, was first and foremost.

“The City of Rockville is in a better place for her leadership. It was an honor to have known and worked with her.”

According to the City of Rockville, a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM Friday, June 22 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 520 Veirs Mill Road, followed by a reception. The burial will be private.

Photo courtesy Rockville Channel 11

State collecting soil samples in Rockville for Hogan's I-270 Express Lanes plan

Maryland is collecting preliminary soil samples near I-270 in Rockville, alarming some on the City Council who feel that Gov. Larry Hogan's Express Lanes plan for the severely-congested interstate is moving forward too quickly. Montgomery politicians have tended to favor either a transit-only solution for the corridor, or a pair of reversible lanes in the center of the highway. Hogan's plan would widen 270, and add tolled Express Lanes at little cost to the taxpayer, as they would be built and operated by a private firm.

"They're actually taking soil samples. They're trying something. They're looking for information. This tells me they're not just looking at reversable lanes. And so they have something in mind beyond what they said, so that's upsetting," Councilmember Mark Pierzchala told colleagues Monday night.

Pierzchala asked what options the city has to fight Hogan, and what the County Council and other local bodies could do to help the city. Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr said she was told by residents of Regents Square that the development's management had told them to expect state inspectors to be collecting soil samples around the townhomes there. Pierzchala urged city staff to seek partnerships with the City of Gaithersburg and local HOAs along the highway.

Hogan, whose popularity has reached the highest numbers recorded by the Washington Post in a quarter century, has picked another winning issue in his Express Lanes plan. To counter him, his opponents are forced to publicly stand in the way of traffic congestion relief, a position unlikely to be popular among angry highway drivers in an election year. Hogan's plan can move forward over the objections of local officials because it requires no funding from County or federal sources.

Candy-throwing in Rockville parade could be "potential disaster"

Some members of the Rockville City Council expressed concern this week about the future of candy-throwing in Rockville's annual Memorial Day parade. "So many children running close to the cars, just to grab a couple of pieces of candy," Councilmember Virginia Onley said at Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting.

"I like throwing the candy," Onley added, "but it has become a real hazard. I think maybe we should just stop it altogether. All jokes aside, it has become a hazard, and there could be some potential disaster if we continue." She said the driver of her parade vehicle would refuse to return next year if the problem wasn't addressed.

Councilmember Beryl Feinberg said candy has been thrown for years without incident, but that a change to throwing it from moving vehicles this year led to errant candy pieces going astray. Turning to Onley, she added, "You're right, [this year] there were children who were running into the street. But I don't want to take the fun out of the parade. That's part of the fun of the parade. I'd like to explore options that would perhaps satisfy everyone."

"This year, it was absolutely not safe for children," Onley concluded.

Will Montgomery County government adopt the Starbucks policy?

Montgomery County Planning Board chair
Casey Anderson surrounded by armed police
officers, called in as members of
Macedonia Baptist Church attempted to deliver
a petition during a peaceful protest last year

Montgomery County government has a Starbucks problem. County officials in the executive office, County Council, Planning Board and Housing Opportunities Commission have repeatedly called the police to confront black church leaders and protesters exercising their First Amendment rights in County government spaces. Now that the question of white people calling the police on black people has become a national hot topic, will Montgomery County government address one facet of its institutional racism by adopting the Starbucks policy of no longer calling the police?

Police confront Macedonia Baptist Church Pastor Segun Adebayo
and Social Justic Director Marsha Coleman-Adebayo at the
HOC in October 2017

Wait, did this really happen? Did white County officials really call the police on African-Americans who were simply exercising their First Amendment rights? Take a look for yourself in the following reports, for just a few of the instances:

Planning Board, February 2017

Office of the County Executive, April 2017

County Council office, May 2017

Housing Opportunities Commission, October 2017

As an activist in the County for over a decade, I have attended many public meetings and hearings, and the police were never summoned to confront or remove a white speaker or protester.

In "progressive" Montgomery County, the peaceful struggle over the Moses African Cemetery has proven to us "just how low the bar is for white Americans to sic law enforcement on black people," in the words of Mother Jones magazine. "Getting law enforcement involved is an extreme response that tends to escalate conflicts," Brandon E. Patterson wrote for the magazine in May. "For black people, that call to law enforcement can have dire consequences. That’s why it’s especially egregious when white people use 911 like a personal grievance hotline, summoning officers for something as minor as a black person arguing with restaurant staff—or because our behavior makes the caller uncomfortable, or because they think we might be up to no good."

Such frivolous calls to police are "rooted in an effort to preserve racial hierarchy by showing that black people can be removed at any time," Vox reported, quoting writer Tressie McMillan Cottom: “'At millions of places, in a billion different interactions across the country ... a white person is doing all the daily management of white spaces and places,' she wrote."

Callers may "feel that the police are there to work as their personal racism valets and remove black people from the situation," Morgan State University professor Jason Johnson told NPR last month.  "The role of the police is as law enforcement. They're supposed to be the last resort. You're supposed to ask questions, attempt to communicate and resolve things as a functional citizen. So of course, we shouldn't be calling the police on a regular basis."

Johnson, and others, have advocated the idea that callers in such cases should be fined. That may be called for, when our fabulously qualified and talented Democratic, "progressive" officials are unable to "communicate and resolve things as functional citizens."

Can we expect the County Council to adopt a Starbucks policy that County government should no longer call the police simply because African-Americans are peacefully protesting or attempting to deliver a petition? And one that would fine County officials who violate it? 

Don't bet on it. The Council has yet to even acknowledge or condemn the calls to law enforcement that came from their own, and multiple other, County government officials in the Moses African Cemetery controversy. They also have not criticized Anderson, or asked him to step down as chair of the Board.

11-year-old charged after allegedly threatening Parkland Middle School

Montgomery County police responded to Parkland Middle School at 4610 West Frankfort Drive Friday around 12:34 PM, after a school faculty member reported someone had called the school and made a "general threat" to Parkland students. Detectives investigating the incident determined the phone call had allegedly been made by an 11-year-old male who does not attend Parkland.

The juvenile was charged with one count of disrupting school activities and one count of making a threat of mass violence.  After being charged, the juvenile was released into the custody of his parents.  The case will be handled by the Department of Juvenile Services for adjudication.

Chapman Row townhomes coming soon signage in Rockville

The Escher at 1900 Chapman Avenue didn't have a name until the new apartment building was on the verge of delivery. But we now also know the name of the future townhome community that will share the former Syms site with The Escher. Banners announcing Chapman Row have gone up along namesake Chapman Avenue. The townhome development was approved by the Planning Commission over two years ago.