There was gunplay yesterday between security guards at the main gate of Walter Reed. Coming soon to a neighborhood near you!
I don’t know whether to be more alarmed at the incident, or that federal security agents can fire ten aimed rounds and not hit anything…
June 21, 2007
June 18, 2007
greens divided...
I was browsing through the council’s press releases over the weekend (I know – get a life) and chanced across a disagreement back in april between roger berliner and marc elrich. The point of contention was a developer’s innovative proposal to provide legally mandated green space.
The Bethesda developer managed to convince roger and five other council members to count a rooftop green area toward the requirement that developers provide 30% of their properties as green space. Elrich, with the backing of the montgomery county civic federation, was not convinced. On one hand, this could be an innovative new way to promote “green roofs”. On the other hand, the decision could become a precedent for bigger, bulkier buildings.
Time will tell…
The Bethesda developer managed to convince roger and five other council members to count a rooftop green area toward the requirement that developers provide 30% of their properties as green space. Elrich, with the backing of the montgomery county civic federation, was not convinced. On one hand, this could be an innovative new way to promote “green roofs”. On the other hand, the decision could become a precedent for bigger, bulkier buildings.
Time will tell…
June 13, 2007
Dear "Lefty"…
I’m sorry I let you down. I could try harder to satisfy you, but I doubt that’s possible, so I won’t. But you asked me about my take on the substance of Ms. Oldak's column, and that question merits an answer. I may also have some questions for you in the process.
Ms. Oldak is spot-on the mark with her remarks. I wish her luck though. She'll need it because the wealthy contributors who bankroll the state party will have something to say about it. Aside from Bobby Haircut's 4 years (when we controlled the house and senate), we've had plenty of time to do something to make the tax system more progressive and failed to do so. Why is that?
As to Ms. Oldak's freedom of expression? As a staff person to an elected official, her first job is to make Roger look good, not advance her own political career. Any policy ideas she’s got should be heard through Roger’s mouth or written above his signature. Revising the state tax structure could be Roger’s policy initiative for him to advance on the county’s priority list and testify in favor of. Many, many legislative assistants come up with lots of good policy ideas, but do they write op-ed pieces? You tell me.
My guess is Ms. Oldak is positioning herself to be the party’s appointment for Goldwater’s seat should she step down. When and if Marilyn does so is anyone’s guess. Should she, and should it come to a party appointment, I hope the central committee interviews a broad field of candidates. Whatever her merits, Ms. Oldak came in 4th (over 1,200 votes off the mark) after targeting a beloved, accomplished legislator for defeat. Other potential candidates stayed out of the race out of respect to Marilyn (and Brian, Susan, and Bill). This behavior should not be rewarded.
Your Friend,
Slacker
Ms. Oldak is spot-on the mark with her remarks. I wish her luck though. She'll need it because the wealthy contributors who bankroll the state party will have something to say about it. Aside from Bobby Haircut's 4 years (when we controlled the house and senate), we've had plenty of time to do something to make the tax system more progressive and failed to do so. Why is that?
As to Ms. Oldak's freedom of expression? As a staff person to an elected official, her first job is to make Roger look good, not advance her own political career. Any policy ideas she’s got should be heard through Roger’s mouth or written above his signature. Revising the state tax structure could be Roger’s policy initiative for him to advance on the county’s priority list and testify in favor of. Many, many legislative assistants come up with lots of good policy ideas, but do they write op-ed pieces? You tell me.
My guess is Ms. Oldak is positioning herself to be the party’s appointment for Goldwater’s seat should she step down. When and if Marilyn does so is anyone’s guess. Should she, and should it come to a party appointment, I hope the central committee interviews a broad field of candidates. Whatever her merits, Ms. Oldak came in 4th (over 1,200 votes off the mark) after targeting a beloved, accomplished legislator for defeat. Other potential candidates stayed out of the race out of respect to Marilyn (and Brian, Susan, and Bill). This behavior should not be rewarded.
Your Friend,
Slacker
Fragging Ike…
The anti-second crossing lobby in on a hair trigger these days, taking the whacking stick to Ike for openly stating what is the lay of the land.
“No one disagrees that we should have another crossing. The question is the location,” are the offensive words uttered on WTOP.
However distressful the potential meaning in the JuJu bones may be, what Ike said is accurate. It is the position of the County to support a second Potomac River Crossing, but only at Point of Rocks. In fact, Loudon County is currently reviewing plans to replace the Point of Rocks crossing with a wider bridge.
Although openly supporters of Ike, many of these activists whisper words of mistrust and quietly expect a moment of betrayal to come. That's a big problem for Ike.
With friends like this who needs enemies?…
“No one disagrees that we should have another crossing. The question is the location,” are the offensive words uttered on WTOP.
However distressful the potential meaning in the JuJu bones may be, what Ike said is accurate. It is the position of the County to support a second Potomac River Crossing, but only at Point of Rocks. In fact, Loudon County is currently reviewing plans to replace the Point of Rocks crossing with a wider bridge.
Although openly supporters of Ike, many of these activists whisper words of mistrust and quietly expect a moment of betrayal to come. That's a big problem for Ike.
With friends like this who needs enemies?…
June 12, 2007
O’Malley comes of age…
There’s one race we all lose. The race against entropy.
Montgomery County’s own Martin O’Malley has learned that the hard way, suffering stress fractures to his right shin while running on a treadmill.
I’ve always known Martin to be the “nice boy” who in his youth hung around his father’s campaigns or performed at local Irish pubs. He carries on the Irish Catholic tradition that has permeated county and state politics for so many years. And he certainly married well.
Most of us come to grips with our body’s limitations at around our early 40s. It is a sobering experience, as it should be. That’s the age we learn that when we push our bodies, our bodies to push back, hard.
I wish him well on his recovery…
Montgomery County’s own Martin O’Malley has learned that the hard way, suffering stress fractures to his right shin while running on a treadmill.
I’ve always known Martin to be the “nice boy” who in his youth hung around his father’s campaigns or performed at local Irish pubs. He carries on the Irish Catholic tradition that has permeated county and state politics for so many years. And he certainly married well.
Most of us come to grips with our body’s limitations at around our early 40s. It is a sobering experience, as it should be. That’s the age we learn that when we push our bodies, our bodies to push back, hard.
I wish him well on his recovery…
June 09, 2007
A gentleman passes...
Gilbert Gude, US Congressman for montgomery county from 1967-1977, has passed away. A consummate gentleman, Congressman Gude was a throwback to a time when Montgomery County voted for candidates based on their positions and record, and not blind faith in the party ticket.
At this point, I must confess to my fellow dems that I have sinned. I voted for Gil Gude several times and even worked on his campaigns. Back in the 90's, my daughter had fortune to run into Gil at a function. After introducing herself to him, Gil asked my daughter how my spouse and I were doing. What a remarkable mind!
Today's pols could learn much from the life of this man who held that representing his district, not party-issued talking points, was the true calling of a public servant...
At this point, I must confess to my fellow dems that I have sinned. I voted for Gil Gude several times and even worked on his campaigns. Back in the 90's, my daughter had fortune to run into Gil at a function. After introducing herself to him, Gil asked my daughter how my spouse and I were doing. What a remarkable mind!
Today's pols could learn much from the life of this man who held that representing his district, not party-issued talking points, was the true calling of a public servant...
June 07, 2007
On the record and off the leash…
Council aide Reggie Oldak has stepped out of the shadow of her boss, Councilmember Roger Berliner, to opine about a recent column written by dem curmudgeon Blair Lee.
The dem establishment is rarely happy when one of their own fails to drink the kool aid. And Blair Lee is one who rises above his own affiliation to hold officials accountable, reminding readers of inconvenient truths about past actions and words.
What’s startling about Ms. Oldak’s letter is not so much its content, but how it jives with her current job. It’s clear that Ms. Oldak is more concerned about proving her activist bona fides to prepare for another go at the general assembly, than actually serving her boss. In her vulture-like gaze on the seat held by Marilyn Goldwater, Ms. Oldak forgets the first rule of staffing a public official…be invisible.
Ms. Oldak isn’t the first council aide to seek political office, but the last one had the decency to resign before issuing public statements…
The dem establishment is rarely happy when one of their own fails to drink the kool aid. And Blair Lee is one who rises above his own affiliation to hold officials accountable, reminding readers of inconvenient truths about past actions and words.
What’s startling about Ms. Oldak’s letter is not so much its content, but how it jives with her current job. It’s clear that Ms. Oldak is more concerned about proving her activist bona fides to prepare for another go at the general assembly, than actually serving her boss. In her vulture-like gaze on the seat held by Marilyn Goldwater, Ms. Oldak forgets the first rule of staffing a public official…be invisible.
Ms. Oldak isn’t the first council aide to seek political office, but the last one had the decency to resign before issuing public statements…
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