Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich joined WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke and elected officials at the North Bethesda Metro station yesterday to formally launch the search for a developer to build a Life Science Center at the transit stop. But you wouldn't know this from watching the Montgomery County Council's video on the press conference. Elrich's speech was completely omitted from the Council report, which included excerpts from comments by Clarke, Council President Andrew Friedson, and even U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen. The snub was particularly notable, as Elrich has been the main driver of the Life Science Center from its inception.
If it were up to the Council alone, the site adjacent to the Metro station would have been yet another residential housing development. Elrich was the rare County elected official to acknowledge that MoCo needs more high-wage jobs as much as it does new housing, when he proposed the biotech use for this site several years ago. Yet the Council attempted to take all the credit for itself in its Monday video, similar to Congresspeople who vote against infrastructure projects in their districts, only to later claim credit for them once they come to fruition.
The attempt to cut Elrich out of the launch announcement was only the latest cheap shot by the Council at the Executive. Some on the Council resorted to subterfuge and outright deception in their successful effort to deep-six Elrich's proposal to restore funding for the Office of the People's Counsel. Councilmembers are still pondering whether to create a competing ballot question for the one that will give voters the option to oust Elrich with a two-term limit in the November election. Perhaps they are weighing the possibility of opening the executive seat to one of the ambitious Councilmembers, versus reducing their own future executive terms by one.
8 comments:
Is this the end of the McDonald’s? Or will they move to the site where Arby’s used to be, next to Popeye’s? Will there only be two McDonald’s on Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike between Georgetown and downtown Rockville?
Wonder if this is going to go as well as the EV bus contract which he and the council failed to enforce thus denying MC residents of any financial relief. In addition, they had to buy an additional 80-90 diesel-powered school busses to replace the ones mostly/already paid for but undelivered.
Just another failure in leadership all while spending other people's money.
11:07: McDonald's is moving to the Arby's site.
How is any life sciences company going to attract top talent to work/live in dreary South Rockville, I mean North North Bethesda? Why not build something useful to the community that would make the area less dreary? Maybe an upscale shopping mall with fun stores like The Sharper Image, a movie theater, Dave and Busters, and a high-end clothing retailer? We could call it, I don't know, White Flint.
@11:16 From the MC Inspector General:
https://montgomerycountymd.gov/OIG/Resources/Files/PDF/IGActivity/FY2025/MOI-FY25%20MCPS%20Electric%20Bus%20Fleet.pdf
The entire council should resign for mismanagement of public funds.
Not sure where it is written, on whatever it is they write it on up there, that government should be building Life Science Centers. Like 11:16 said - they can't even get a simple acquisition correct, and actually get fleeced (well, the taxpayers got fleeced) what makes them think this is a good idea? Private money and businesses should be footing the bill.
4:41 AM Specifically, the Education & Culture Committee holds the purse strings for the MCPS and Montgomery College budgets.
What "council?" MCPS isn't overseen by a council.
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