MONTGOMERY COUNTY

COUNCIL DENIES IT IS A

PART OF THE COUNTY

GOVERNMENT

Executive and Councilmembers Dodge All

Blame and Accountability for WSSC

Water Main Break Scandal

"It's a...county government that doesn't appear to have anyone in charge."

- Nancy Floreen, Councilmember (D-At Large)

They said it. The Montgomery County Council has defied all rational logic in declaring itself separate from the Montgomery County Government. All comments by councilmembers at yesterday's public hearing described the county government as a separate entity to be blamed for the WSSC Water Main Break Scandal. Each member spoke as if he or she had no responsibility, and was out of the country at the time the debacle occurred.

This is laughable of course. But take them seriously for a minute, and the statements are shocking. The county council is suggesting it is not a part of the county government. Second, the councilmembers are claiming they never had any knowledge of the water main break, nor of the government's mindboggling failure to inform the public that tap water might be contaminated. In essence, the current council is not "in the loop" with current events in the county, according to their own statements. Therefore, who is running Montgomery County? The career council staff? (That is closer to the truth than any councilmember will ever admit). If the councilmembers are so oblivious to the daily operations of government, they have abdicated their responsibility as leaders, and violated their oaths of office.

So, really, whether you believe their claims or not, it is a lose-lose proposition either way. And a public relations disaster. Just remember these quotes when you go to the polls in 2010:

"Elected officials in Montgomery County said yesterday that they have little confidence in the government's ability to quickly warn residents of potential public emergencies..."

-The Washington Post, Friday, June 27, 2008

In other words, they have little confidence in themselves, because they are the government!

"It's a...county government that doesn't appear to have anyone in charge."

- Nancy Floreen, Councilmember (D-At Large)

At large, but not in charge! That is a whopper of a quote.

"Don't presume because we didn't use all the tools in this emergency that we're not going to in future emergencies."

- Foghorn Leghorn (a.k.a. Gordon Aoyagi, Outgoing [seriously!] County Homeland Security Director)

Ooh, I'll bet the bad guys all over the world are running scared now...

Mike Knapp admitted that the county government should have done "a lot more than putting out a press release." But Ike Leggett thought a press release was good enough. And don't forget, Mr. Leggett got in a good run on his treadmill that Monday morning, while county residents were drinking possibly contaminated tap water. And while another one of those Democrat, highly paid political appointees was slowly ambling in to headquarters to post a warning on the county web site that would be read by about 1-5% of county residents.

New Director of Homeland Security Darlene Flynn decided to skip the meeting altogether! Just as Mike Knapp, ever in denial of the average citizen's economic burden, skipped a conference on home foreclosures of which he was to have been the moderator! Now that's leadership for you.

"Somebody has to be accountable next week when you're gone."

- George Leventhal, Councilmember (D-At-Large [but not In Charge either]) to Foghorn Leghorn

Gosh, Mr. Leventhal, maybe next week you can be accountable! And encourage your colleagues to be mature grownups, and do the same, as the elected leaders of a county government that failed spectacularly under pressure during a relatively minor emergency. But one that could have been major, thanks to the inept leadership of our elected officials.

"How do we instill confidence in our residents that we can do the big things well if I couldn't understand when I could or couldn't drink water?"

- Mike Knapp, Council President (D-District 2)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I can't make up quotes as good as these. Of course, if you live here in Montgomery County - and you're not a billionaire Democrat - you already know that our all-Democrat government can't "do the big things well." You know, transportation, affordable housing, cleaning up pollution. Well, I guess now they can get back to the "big things" like restaurant menus.

WASHINGTON POST HAVING

ALL KINDS OF ETHICAL PROBLEMS

Post Company Board Funding Obama

Oops. There they go again. When the Post hasn't been using its articles, editorials, and advertising space to promote Gerald Connolly for Congress (check out how the money moves from the Washington Post company to Fairfax County Government... and then from the Fairfax County Government back to the Post in the form of advertising - wow, somebody get Woodward and Bernstein on the phone)....

...it's been helping Dominion Power build new transmission lines and coal-firing plants in the state of Virginia. That's because Washington Post Company Board Member Warren Buffett - and hence, the Post - owns major financial interests in power companies worldwide. Dominion's success in violating environmental standards and running roughshod over affected communities will set a precedent allowing Post power companies to do the same in other states. Pretty slick, eh?

And now, what do we have here? The same Post Board member, Warren Buffett, is hosting a massive fundraiser by the rich for the benefit of ...Barack Obama! Wednesday, July 2, in Chicago. That means the Post is financially bankrolling Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign. Corporate America is fired up! He's Ready to Go! And the Post is Ready to Bankroll him!