ELRICH HAS

"DISCONNECT"

BETWEEN WORDS,

HIS VOTES

Montgomery County Councilmember Marc "No Developer Influence" Elrich is at it again. Four years ago, it sounded like he and Marilyn Praisner might be the only rational voices on development on the council. By 2010, however, Councilmember Elrich's voting record tells a different story. Now that it's time to face the voters, and still hold on to his newfound developer supporters, Elrich is telling quite a few different stories.

In yesterday's Gazette article on the retirement of Royce "Dr. Yes" Hanson, Elrich speaks of a "disconnect" between the Planning Board and residents who live near the future "Science City."

After calling for, and getting, tax cuts for developers (while you, the citizen, got tax increases), Elrich is suddenly sounding like his old 2006 self:

Elrich (correctly) charges that county planners favor an "obscene level" of traffic gridlock. And (correctly, again) that the Planning Board views residents as an "obstacle" to their plans.

"We've heard a lot about planning for 20 years from now, but not for people who live here now - I think that's wrong," thunders Elrich in the Gazette.

"This is the largest group of un-listened-to people I've ever seen," fumes Elrich (actually, it's not - the largest such group is the taxpayers of Montgomery County, who strongly opposed the new taxes and dangerous Ambulance Fee that Mr. Elrich defiantly voted for, in yet another example of the County Council governing against the People - who pay their salaries!).

There's just one problem with all of this unrighteous "No Developer Influence" indignation:

MARC ELRICH VOTED FOR THE SCIENCE CITY

PLAN, AKA "CARMAGEDDON WEST"

AND

MARC ELRICH VOTED FOR THE WHITE FLINT

PLAN, AKA "CARMAGEDDON EAST"

!!!

Talk about a "disconnect."

Mr. Elrich has claimed to oppose this sort of monster, out-of-control development. Yet Science City and White Flint are the most extreme examples of such development. If Elrich did not assert his "no developer influence" independence at those moments, when in the future would he ever do so?

Science City and White Flint were the big tests of whether or not developers would be able to run absolutely wild across the county. Guess what? The developers controlled the Planning Board, Dr. Yes, and the council. They won. And Mr. Elrich did not make a principled vote to stop it.

Now he wants to be his old self again, but it's too late. Pandora's box is open, and if this council and Mr. Elrich are reelected, 9 mph is the new top speed for rush hour in Montgomery County - it says that in the plans Mr. Elrich and every single one of his colleagues voted for!

On November 2nd, you'll have the opportunity to elect a new councilmember - Robert Dyer - who doesn't change his positions every 5 minutes, who stands on principles, who can provide the kind of leadership that can deliver Change Beyond Belief. If elected to the council, I will promote a sensible growth policy that doesn't sell the county's soul to the developers. That protects our waterways, doesn't crowd our classrooms or worsen our traffic gridlock. And I can take action to "stop payment" on the blank check this council gave the developers at Science City and White Flint.

Is that the kind of councilman and growth policy you want? Elect Robert Dyer!