BRONROTT HAS

ONE STANDARD FOR YOU,

ANOTHER FOR BARVE

The hits just keep on coming from District 16 delegate Bill Bronrott. He has made a public announcement regarding liquor sales at the new taxpayer-funded concert venue in Silver Spring. Once again, the issues of alcohol and drunk driving are being used for personal publicity and political gain.

It was just 2 months ago that Mr. Bronrott's Democratic colleague, Delegate Kumar Barve, was arrested for DUI after leaving Growler's Pub in Gaithersburg. Exactly the same crime that Mr. Bronrott is now speaking out on - but one problem! - he did not have these concerns when it was his fellow Democrat, Barve, who was committing the crime!!

Keeping in mind that Mr. Bronrott had not a single comment or criticism of Mr. Barve's reckless, potentially-fatal, drunken escapades, examine these quotes from today's Gazette:

A lawmaker’s concern over public drunkenness delayed a vote over changes to liquor license laws that would affect the county’s controversial agreement with Live Nation to open a music hall in Silver Spring.

Hold on, here's where it really gets hypocritical:

‘‘The concern I have is with the possible unintended consequences of allowing people to consume alcohol from the time they enter the venue until the time they leave,” said Del. William A. Bronrott (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda. ‘‘There is a possibility for accidents, and with the county working towards pedestrian safety and safe driving this is something we do not want to see happen.”

Unbelievable. Because Mr. Bronrott's colleague, Kumar Barve, consumed alcohol from the time he entered Growler's until the time he left. As a drunk driver, Barve faced a real "possibility for accidents." Yet Mr. Bronrott, strangely, did not make these public comments when Barve's DUI arrest occurred.

So here's the score: According to Bill Bronrott's words and actions, it is ok for a Democratic official such as Kumar Barve or T. Eloise Foster to drink and drive. But, he believes, it is wrong for you - the average citizen - to do so. That's called a double standard. Do you agree with Mr. Bronrott? Do you believe that you must follow the law, but that Democratic elected officials are above the law?

Developer Power Grab Alert!

KNAPP VOWS TO

"TAKE ADVANTAGE"

OF DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

VACANCY

Marilyn Praisner passed only 5 days ago, and Montgomery County Council President Mike Knapp has already announced he might "take advantage" of the empty chair on the council's Development Committee by appointing himself to fill it.

Remember, Knapp is a member of the developers' "End Gridlock" (no chuckles please) team, and received the 2nd highest amount of developer money in the 2006 election. He was only surpassed by Nancy Floreen.

Best of all, Knapp said that, in his opinion, voters did not give a slow-growth mandate in the 2006 election. (Remember what I said about chuckles).