Well, I can't wait to hear what Gigi Godwin and Ginanne Italiano have to say about this:
Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich was quoted threatening county business owners with "their worst nightmare," if they refuse to "step up" and fund his pet Bus Rapid Transit project.
Wow. I mean, don't let it be said this county isn't business-friendly, right?
This meltdown by Councilmember Elrich came after champagne wishes and BRT dreams were burst last Thursday evening, by citizens condemning his fiscally-irresponsible BRT Tax plan at a public hearing.
With Elrich, Ike Leggett and the other less-than-20 people ramming BRT through the process unable to sell their busway-robbery tax scheme, they are now scrambling to salvage the BRT project.
The new trial balloon being floated, is to fund the BRT system through a tax on businesses.
Do you notice something really strange about the BRT money panic?
What are the targets they are aiming at?
First, they aimed at your wallet/purse, for $1000+ per year, in the case of many Bethesda residents.
Now county business owners are in their crosshairs.
But have you noticed what group is not being targeted for BRT taxes?
Developers. Yes, developers - the ones who are actually going to profit from the BRT scheme!
Is this a surprise? No. Not even in the case of Marc "No Developer Influence" Elrich. Of whom one developer admiringly said, "He's come a long way, baby."
BRT was just one of the reasons developers, and the county establishment they fund, threw their John Candy-meets-Fat Albert weight behind Elrich in 2010. The others being his sudden support for tax cuts for developers (including one $72 million tax cut for White Flint developers), and his enthusiastic "YES!" votes for the massively-oversized White Flint and Science City sector plans.
If developers want the BRT boondoggle, they should pay for it.
Instead, Elrich is turning yet again to struggling citizens and business owners, and demanding "more!"
This after slamming poor and middle class residents with a massive energy tax since 2010, the same tax that bodyslammed business owners.
And making the county's bloated, profligate budget bigger this past May, and boosting taxes even further.
Elrich is not even engaging in negotiations. He is demanding and threatening. Is this Steve Hendrix's "Man for All Seasons?"
"If the business community is not willing to step up...then they will get their worst nightmare."
- Marc Elrich, Examiner, July 15, 2012
Unfortunately, Elrich did not explain what "nightmare" businessmen and women in the county will experience, if they decline to bow to his demands.
This coming from the same council whose energy tax had Target, Magruder's and other stores turning off lights, even during business hours. And boosted your water bill just so utility employees could get a raise, even while you are getting furloughed or fired.
Is this how we attract companies, and recover from the lowest job creation numbers in the DC region?
It's certainly a novel approach.
You can be sure Bob McDonnell and Gerald Connolly are having another hearty chuckle at our expense.
Can I help you out with some new economic development marketing lines, Steve Silverman?
"Come to Montgomery County, where the taxes are high, the jobs and parking spaces are few, and our councilmembers promise your worst nightmare if you won't pay up!"
They're lining up at the border already, folks.
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