Saturday, October 28, 2017

MoCo councilmembers illegally using taxpayer-funded Chevy Chase meeting as campaign event

The latest abuse of power and taxpayer funds in Montgomery County government will be this coming Wednesday night in Chevy Chase. County Councilmembers Hans Riemer and Roger Berliner, who are running for County Council and County Executive respectively, will attempt to use a taxpayer-funded "infrastructure meeting" as a campaign event. Both receive top billing in announcements for the Montgomery County Planning Department-sponsored meeting, which will be held November 1, at 7:30 PM at the Jane Lawton Community Center at 4301 Willow Lane.

As elected officials, neither Riemer nor Berliner have any official role in the Planning Department. While I would encourage all councilmembers to attend public events (they are usually missing-in-action at such meetings 99% of the time), it is totally inappropriate for a councilmember and candidate to be a "headliner" at a non-Council public meeting. If the Council or an individual member wishes to host a town meeting when a specific plan is forwarded by the Planning Board to the Council for action, that would be a legitimate; this meeting is not.

The event press release even includes puffed-up biographies of the two councilmembers, a clear abuse of taxpayer money and taxpayer-funded mass email platforms. It touts Riemer as the Council's "Lead for Digital Government," whatever the hell that means. But it fails to mention that, four years after Riemer took office, it was found that the County government was running on Windows 2000, one of the most vulnerable platforms in the world. Also on Riemer's watch, a County government database of County residents' personal information was posted online, exposed to hackers and identity thieves. And a scathing Maryland audit of MCPS found massive cybersecurity flaws that allow outsiders to obtain student information and full access to the school system's computer network at will.

Equally astonishing, is that Riemer, who voted for the closure and demolition of the Georgetown Branch Trail, and failed to include any mandated actions regarding any bike facility or tunnel in the Purple Line minor master plan amendment when he had the power to do so, casts himself as a bystander in the event press release. "With the recent closure of the Georgetown Branch Trail, this is an important time for a community discussion about the future of biking infrastructure in the affected areas...But we need to get it right."

In fact, Riemer failed to "get it right," despite having the opportunity and power to do so. A councilman who has overseen and approved the disastrous bicycle and pedestrian situation for seven years is now here to "save the day" on November 1? Please.

I encourage the County Inspector General to open an investigation into the use of this taxpayer-funded meeting as a campaign event by Riemer and Berliner. This is yet another illegal use of funds, and abuse of the system, by the Montgomery County political cartel.

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

So you’re saying this is not “a legitimate”?

Anonymous said...

Robert you should definitely take all your evidence and submit it to the county inspector general!! Let us know what he says. It sounds like if you are correct then this will definitely be prosecuted based on your suggestion and evidence!!

Anonymous said...

Agreed. More of the author's daily litany against the Council, mostly Riemer.
Yawn. Nothing to see here folks, move along.

Anonymous said...

Robert Dyer had some delightful Argle-Bargle regarding George Leventhal yesterday morning:

"[Y]our updated George Leventhal bio, which inadvertently has exposed that Mr. Leventhal has secretly gone back to school on the taxpayer's dime all these years to buy himself bonus degrees. He's a "candidate for PhD?" When did that happen? Holy smokers, this is a whole new scandal. Councilman goes back to college on taxpayer-funded tuition. This could be the script for 24 Jump Street!!!!!!!!!!!! ROFL!!!!!!!" [19 exclamation points in all]

"I thought he said Council was a full-time job. Turns out he's killing time on-campus. Wait til Ficker gets a load of this.

"Maybe if I get elected to the Council some day, I can go to law school and medical school on taxpayer's dime while punching in my 3-4 hours a week on the dais.

"#LockThemUp"


"Leventhal is on the record saying he deserved $137000 because the Council is a "full-time job." Yet he has been secretly going back to college using that taxpayer money and didn't tell anyone, quietly now adding it to resume for County Exec race. Pretend you own the Council seat for life, but use taxpayer money to pad your resume on the off chance that term limits pass. Scandal!

"I thought only prisoners in the County jail did this!

"#LockThemUp"

"Whoa, this just in, confirmed by the Takoma Voice: Leventhal 'is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy.'"

"He's never, ever talked about this publicly. This totally sinks his claim that the Council is a 'full-time job.' What else is he doing with all his free time during the week that he hasn't disclosed?"

As several readers pointed out, the procedure for pursuing a Ph.D. is very different from pursuing an undergraduate degree. Most candidates work full-time while they are pursuing their Ph.D.

And that Dyer does not seem to understand that one is entitled to spend one's salary as one sees fit.

Anonymous said...

Omg did you repeat this to the county investigator? What did they say? Are they going to pursue charges? With this much evidence they would have to, right?

Anonymous said...

And another comment genocide. 5 comments martyred in just a matter of minutes.

10:47 AM - Dyer is under the delusion that the county investigator reads his hobby blog from Mom's basement.

Anonymous said...

Another example of the author's envy over those who hold the office he couldn't win.

Imagine the good he could accomplish if he spent the time volunteering in the community instead of nit-picking the activities and claiming criminal impropriety by the rightfully elected council members.

Anonymous said...

Reamer wants to solve the mess he created? Amazing.

I guess with a crowded field, he needs to do whatever self promotion he can.

Anonymous said...

Reimer beat the snot out of Dyer in the election. Reimer lives with his wife and kids while it’s reported that Dyer lives in his Mom’s basement. I can see why Dyer is jealous and makes up utter fabrications about Reimer.

Rugby said...

12:34pm more lies about Dyer. And, as usual you can't discuss the issues, you go right to ad hominem attacks.

Anonymous said...

Rugby is so retarded he can't even sign his name, Robert Dyer.

Anonymous said...

FakeRugby, is anonymous not allowed an opinion?
After all, your comment is 100% opinion. And you're just as anonymous as they are.

How does it feel to be a fake personality providing atta boys to your heartthrob.

If you were sincere, you wouldn't be embarrassed to post under your real name.

Rugby said...

Not Dyer, but if believing so gets you through the night, knock yourself out.

Anonymous said...

1:04pm Dyer is providing a safe, well lit environment to post comments.

Just keep it factual and knock off the creepy personal attacks.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

"Dyer is providing a safe, well lit environment to post comments."

WTF is this pile of babble?

Every afternoon I feel a mild disturbance in the Force, as if dozens of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something retarded has happened.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Kia's make Dyer think about Riemer.
One seems to follow the other on this site

Anonymous said...

1:23pm readers are ok with Dyer deleting personal attacks or offensive comments. Keep on topic and clean, and join the debate in this safe, well lit environment.

Anonymous said...

WTF is "this safe well-lit environment"?

Anonymous said...

Dyer is providing a safe, well lit environment to post comments.

Just keep it factual


Can this environment really be considered "safe for comments" when comments that state simple facts (such as the fact that this blog was not the first to report on the Sontehall Bethesda ribbon cutting) are deleted?

Anonymous said...

Robert Dyer hasn't commented under his own name, since 6:39 AM Dyer Time/9:39 AM EDT Friday. That's 15 hours ago. Wonder what's up?

Anonymous said...

2:37 PM here. S/B "one day and 8 hours", or 32 hours. Brain fart, sorry. Unlike Robert Dyer, I acknowledge my mistakes, and correct them as quickly as possible.

Anonymous said...

Dyer had the only report of the actual ribbon cutting event with the remarks from the VIPs.

Taking pictures of an empty building is not covering the ribbon cutting...

Anonymous said...

2:48pm the fact you calculate time between Dyer's posts everyday makes you a Dyer fanboy for sure.

Maybe he'll sign your Dyer photo at a future public meeting?

Anonymous said...

2:55PM: Don't you find it unusual that he's abandoned his blog?

No deletes? Really? In over a day? That is weird. Almost...suspicious.

Alright...which sheepshill is missing?
2:55, which one are you?

Anonymous said...

Dyer had the only report of the actual ribbon cutting event with the remarks from the VIPs.

Aha! Now THIS is true! But that wasn't Dyer's claim yesterday. He said his was "the first report on the ribbon-cutting published anywhere." Which is false.

Anonymous said...

No deletes? Really? In over a day?

Don't worry, there have been several rounds of deletions yesterday and today. He's lurking.

Anonymous said...

3:10pm feels abandoned because Robert did not respond immediately to stalkerish comments.

Makes zero sense.

Anonymous said...

3:13 if you don't actually attend the event, you can't report on it.
Agree?

Anonymous said...

3:29: Disagree. You can describe something that happened without having been present. Besides, how do you know Bethesda Mag didn't have a reporter at the event?

Anonymous said...

3:55pm with all the links they posted here over the past 2 days, I looked at their report and didn't see the extensive coverage Dyer offered readers here.

Anonymous said...

Saith Sheepshill Sockpuppet: "Dyer had the only report of the actual ribbon cutting event with the remarks from the VIPs."

From Robert Dyer's article: "Marc Dubick, President and co-founder of Duball, thanked the many project partners present for their contributions."

LOL, earth-shattering report.

Anonymous said...

It's fine to talk generally about a project.

Let's be clear: it's not actually covering the event.

Anonymous said...

4:29:

1) Who are "they"? Dyer's readers?
2) You're focused on details and perceived quality of reporting. Again, Dyer was only concerned about who was first. (It wasn't him.)

Anonymous said...

It's been a few days since we had a Riemer-bashing post on here, so I guess we were due for one.

Dyer, here is the URL to report this to the inspector general:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oig/

In my experience, they usually respond in 1-2 business days. Let us know how it goes. Personally, I don't think they'll have an issue with this. My guess is the council members didn't even write the copy promoting their presence at the event.

Robert Dyer said...

I'm laughing about the claims that anyone else posted a report on the grand opening event before me.

I was the only reporter covering it!

The VIPs were facing my camera because I was the only journalist there taking pictures. Other media were MIA for the event.

I've yet to see any other media report on the actual ribbon-cutting and party, as well as the extensive photo tour I presented.

Anyone claiming otherwise sounds like a complete idiot.

Anonymous said...

Well, it helps when you work for Duball.

Anonymous said...

Please do the county a favor and report this! It will seal your legitimacy as a candidate to take over this clearly illegal action if they take action!

Anonymous said...

Robert Dyer you should push this as your campaign platform! We support you if the county prosecutes this atrocity!

Anonymous said...

If Dyer is indeed correct and they prosecute and win then he should be a slam dunk to win a seat. I would vote for him then.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Come on guys, I don’t care if Dyer dresses terribly, I believe in his ideas and logic. Dyer for county council!!!

Anonymous said...

Dyer's "ideas" seem to be racial dog-whistles, keeping Westbard exactly as it was during the Pleistocene epoch, and whatever happens to be the opposite of what Hans Riemer says.

Robert Dyer said...

5:37: Preserving the historic African-American cemetery at Westbard is a "racial dog whistle?" People are laughing at you right now, bro.

The bigger question is, will Hans Riemer, HOC and the developer disavow you, their white supremacist supporter?

Anonymous said...

I am all for the pony tail dweeb. I’m voting for him and want him to put a stop to all the high taxes and expenses we can’t afford.

Roald said...

The Westbard Plan is my litmus test. Any elected official who supported that, including signing off on desecrating the African American cemetery, is disqualified from public office in my mind. No moral compass means no vote from me.

Robert Dyer said...

8:29: Guess who? Hans Riemer, who has a master's degree in taxation.

Anonymous said...

Hi Robert, new voter here. Thank you for all the information on Riemer’s credentials. What is your master’s degree in so I can appropriately vote next year? Looks like it will be a heated contest!!!

Anonymous said...

"Roald" said:

"The Westbard Plan is my litmus test."

LOL, color me shocked.

Anonymous said...

"Guess who? Hans Riemer, who has a master's degree in taxation"

As usual you're telling only part of the story.

#Sad

Anonymous said...

6:15AM - I know! Shocking! And by "shocking" I mean inevitable.

Anonymous said...

"Hans Riemer, who has a master's degree in taxation"

Robert Dyer has a Ph.D. in paying zero taxes whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

Robert your taco bell video is classic pal!!! You really are Napoleon Dynamte... Quesadilla, the L's are silent pal!!! I swear to god anyone want a good laugh go watch Robert say Quesadilla over and over again.