The water main break that has been flowing on Cordell Avenue near Caddies, Alatri Bros. and Gringos & Mariachis for several days began spewing water out of the middle of the street yesterday. WSSC crews finally responded last evening, after letting the worsening leak run unchecked this week. Heavy ice and slush developed in the roadway, due to the widespread pooling Friday.
No comments allowed on the Quincy's article?
ReplyDeleteI noticed that too - I posted on the next story, but I'll copy it here:
ReplyDeleteWhy close comments on the Quincy's story?
"Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer's disastrous "nighttime economy" initiative ended up destroying the nighttime economy in downtown Bethesda."
What all exactly did the "initiative" do to destroy it? What actions were undertaken that caused the destruction?
Reading their task force summary, it's very similar to night-time economic plans for many other American cities. Furthermore, so many people were involved from all aspects of business, it seems silly to attach it all to one man.
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/NighttimeEconomy/Resources/Files/NETF_Final_Report.pdf
Why no comments on the Quincy story?
ReplyDeleteWhy no comments on the Safeway story?
Last but not least, why did Mr. Dyer delete my previous comment asking why comments are not allowed on the Safeway story?
only to later do a 180° and take steps to preserve and strengthen that hated monopoly
ReplyDeleteWhat steps did President Reimer take to "preserve and strengthen" the monopoly? A news outlet would use this statement as an opportunity to provide a hyperlink to a story that offers some background on the statement. Mr. Dyer fails to recognize the fact that given his track record of conspiracy theories, his readers will not simply take him at his word.
There were many proposals to end the DLC monopoly and Riemer was against all of them.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm not sure how Riemer's task force had anything to do with Quincy's. From what I understand, the owner was a real dick and the place was poorly managed. I don't think that's Riemer's fault.
How did "Fire and Fury" sell at Barnes & Noble this week, Robert?
ReplyDeleteWe're once again confronted by questions about Councilman Riemer's self proclaimed "accomplishments", such as the "night time economy". Questions about his performance in office (the Washington Post has said he had accomplished nothing). It's uncomfortable. But it is incumbent on journalists like Robert Dyer to ask these questions and report out the answers.
ReplyDeleteSo Quincy's only lasted 6 1/2 months? How is that Riemer's fault?
ReplyDelete2:01 PM How is analysis of a councilman's self proclaimed top accomplishment a "personal vendetta"?
ReplyDeleteBoyce has it right- Dyer is doing his job a journalist to ask the tough questions, even when it might be uncomfortable.
3:06 -- 2:01 here.
ReplyDelete(1) Where does President Reimer state that his nighttime initiative is his "top accomplishment"? Please cite your source.
(2) One story might not be a personal vendetta. But considering the fact that the author works this angle into every possible story (i.e., a discussion about snow shovels at a grocery store!) -- I'd say it is indeed starting to look like Mr. Dyer has a bit of a vendetta against the man who bested him to the tune of 35,000 votes.
I still don't understand why 3:06/2:12 PM thinks Robert Dyer needs to report on only one member of the nine on the County Council.
ReplyDeleteDyer - why do you still have such a hard on for Hans Reimer. He’s president of the county council with a million constituents and you run a blog that a 12 year old could do better. Get over it. You aren’t even in the same league as Councilman Reimer.
ReplyDeleteRobert is nothing more than a coward. He won’t even allow comments on his Quincey’s article because he knows all of the readers will rip him to shreds.
ReplyDelete8:09 PM You'd have more credibility to call someone a "coward" if you'd actually sign your real name to your comments. Just sayin...
ReplyDelete"Why do you still have such a hard on for Hans Reimer?"
ReplyDeleteThe question that Bethesda Now (RIP) readers asked every day...
@3:33: Name one accomplishment. The nighttime initiative was his signature initiative, and he did promise to get rid of the liquor monopoly.
ReplyDeleteThe response on OB@C's Facebook page is kinda underwhelming - 3 comments and 5 reactions. Maybe they just weren't popular. How is that Hans Riemer's fault?
ReplyDeleteDyer, what would you have done, had those 40,000 MS-13 Zombie voters had not un-elected you, that would have prevented this lame business from closing?
@8:47: 3:33 here. Quit moving the goalposts and provide a link to the quote for Reimer and his top accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteJust like Trump, it seems Dyer has to have a foil. Someone to ridicule and bully.
ReplyDeleteThe same old thing, he feels large by diminishing others.
It seems a little weird write about the failure of the nighttime economy in the same article that notes that Medium Rare is packing them in.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, just maybe, restaurants that figure out what consumers want are doing well, and restaurants that don't, aren't? I found Community confusing - a diner should be open for breakfast, IMO.
Please cite an example of Bethesda Now's supposed fixation on Hans Riemer, 8:28 PM.
ReplyDeleteHmm ...how curious! I just now noticed that all three of the recent posts for which comments are disabled just so happen to make specious, unfounded claims about Hans Reimer and his "nighttime initiative." (I hope Dyer didn't hurt himself too badly stretching to make the connection on the Safeway one.)
ReplyDeleteCould it be that the author, still smarting from his electoral thumping several years ago, seeks to publish hit pieces against President Reimer that will turn up on Google searches, but does not wish for any contrary opinions to appear on those posts? That would be awfully unethical...
NOTE: This is a re-post of a previously-deleted comment, further suggesting the author is trying to hide from criticism about his ridiculous claims.
@8:47: I never said it was Riemer's top accomplishment. I said it was his signature initiative. I associate the nighttime initiative with more than I do any other elected official, and I associate him more with the nighttime initiative than I do any other issue. It may be a misperception on my part, but that's my perception.
ReplyDelete@5:47: I'm not sure where Dyer worked in 2006, but I think Dyer is a strange comp for Riemer. Should the bar for council members be so low that we should have the same expectations for them that we have for bloggers?
If you think the current trajectory for the county is good -- declining services and increasing taxes -- then you should vote for Riemer and the other incumbents. If you think we need a different course, then there are a lot of bright newcomers in the Democratic primary worthy of consideration.
Dyer has an excellent background for public service: he's a local news publisher, bringing news to the news deserts of MoCo. A lifelong resident and community activist. Dyer is very active in issues of concern in Bethesda and the county at large.
DeleteMeanwhile, Reimer has had 2 terms and the nightlife economy is his self proclaimed major achievement. In reality, we have an historic revenue shortfall in good economic times. We have a surge in violent crime. The Council admits residents have too large of a tax burden but have done nothing about it for two terms.
Am I missing anything?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete3:02pm wow...you sound unhinged.
DeleteYou hate Dyer for some reason, we get it.
Hopefully debate this election season will be elevated higher than calling folks you disagree with "retarded".
Good idea not to sign your name to false defamatory comment though!
"the nightlife economy is his self proclaimed major achievement"
ReplyDeleteWhen and where did he proclaim this, Tim? Please provide a source or we'll just assume you're making this up (as I'm sure you are, which is precisely why I'm asking you to prove it).
@3:22PM: Not Tim, but just for what it's worth, Riemer has a whole page touting the nighttime initiative that he led on his website: https://hansriemer.com/issues/promoting-local-breweries-wineries-distilleries-and-reforming-the-dlc/. He also has a page on Open Data, which was a good idea, but was not executed very thoughtfully (for example, exposing residents' personal information to marketers), and on Public Finance. He said he pushed hard for Public Finance, but the bill passed unanimously. In fact, all nine council members co-sponsored it. So it's hard to say it wouldn't have happened even if Riemer wasn't on the Council.
ReplyDeleteFor the other major issues that he lists, he lays out ideas, not achievements (unless you count spending money, rather than results, as an achievement).
How's that for a citation?
It's telling that the Riemer supporters immediately draw comparisons to Dyer, who's not on the ballot in the Democratic Primary this year. Riemer is going to need to up his game this year to beat the field in a very competitive primary.
4:13: Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am aware of the fact that Mr. Reimer has worked on these issues. I am specifically interested in the claims by those here that this work is described by Mr. Reimer himself as (variously) "his self proclaimed major achievement" or his "top accomplishment."
ReplyDeleteI am by no means a "Reimer supporter," though I don't have anything against him, either (as Mr. Dyer so clearly does). But Mr. Dyer's insistence on describing the initiative as "failed" got my attention. After all, he refers to Bethesda Magazine as slightly-failing when it is in fact one of the leading sources for news in Bethesda; could he similarly be mischaracterizing Mr. Reimer's work? Mr. Dyer keeps a tally of restaurants that have closed, for instance, but offers no context as far as the number that have opened. He would have his readers believe that the number has decreased precipitously. This is misleading.
One thing I learned is that the task force led to restaurants being allowed to purchase beer directly from craft breweries. This is a big deal! Craft beer production and consumption is taking off nationwide, and this kind of arrangement makes restaurants in the county quite competitive.
@5:15: Riemer doesn't cite very many accomplishments, so it's slim pickings when you're trying to identify the major one. I have nothing against him personally, but I don't think his vision for the county is right, and he's been a member of a council that's failed to design and execute a plan to maintain the quality of government services or put the county on a fiscally sustainable path. With regard to the night life initiative, Montgomery County will not compete with Dupont or Adams Morgan or Alexandria on night life. It's too far behind, and the county is outright hostile to small businesses. Craft beers are the tip of the iceberg, and the change hasn't seemed to help much. Downtown Bethesda is less lively after 9pm on a Friday night than it was in 2000. It's a stretch to blame Riemer for that, but his initiative hasn't fixed it, either.
ReplyDeleteI find Dyer's blog is most helpful if you just focus on the bits of news he provides and ignore the slightly nutty analysis.
I don't like Riemer one bit, and would never vote for him, but looking at his campaign website, he doesn't tout the nightlife thing as a major accomplishment. It's listed there pretty far down the list, and mostly about allowing craft beer sales (and leaves out that he still wants to keep the DLC monopoly).
ReplyDelete@7:12 AM: Read the fact sheets at the links. Unlike the nightlife fact sheets, the others do not tout any accomplishments at all. Just ideas. It is by default a major accomplishment.
ReplyDelete