WSSC SHUTS DOWN

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

FOR DAYS WHILE COUNTY

GOVERNMENT FAILS TO

ALERT PUBLIC TO DANGER

Decades of WSSC Neglect and

Mismanagement Lead to Historic

Shutdown of Public Water Supply

Montgomery County Executive, Council, and

Officials Proven Incompetent, Reckless

You were not alone last Sunday and Monday if you were drinking potentially contaminated tap water north of the Beltway in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County government and the WSSC failed to inform the public that a catastrophic water main break had occurred, and that water might be unsafe to drink.

The latest manifestation of WSSC mismanagement, and failure to maintain its infrastructure, was the largest breakdown of a public water supply in Maryland history. Montgomery County's failure to communicate with residents revealed that the county's preparedness for a major emergency is virtually nonexistent. Had there been a toxin placed in the water supply by terrorists, for example, and the county's response been as it was last week, there would have been mass casualties.

In the rush to fill county positions with politically-connected Democrats, someone forgot to maintain standards and verify qualifications for the job. I have experienced the same phenomenon in Martin O'Malley's state government: In an ongoing quest for answers about environmental incidents, I am not only constantly stonewalled by the Maryland Department of the Environment, but encounter junior political appointees who cannot even transfer me from one phone to another. That's part of the job description!

The fact is, no one on duty in Montgomery County knew how to operate the emergency email system. More frightening is the fact that county officials believed an email alert would be sufficient anyway. What were they thinking? Does this mean that during a terrorist attack, our many senior citizens who do not use the internet - or citizens who simply are not online 24/7 - will not be informed? It seems that Montgomery County is operating from the same emergency manual as Virginia Tech.

Every citizen should be concerned about the incompetence and failed leadership of our county government in this episode. But they should also be prepared to hear again that they will be forced to pay outrageous water bills to compensate for decades of such incompetence and mismanagement by the county and WSSC. The bottom line is that the WSSC failed to maintain its infrastructure, and local governments allowed that to continue. Where did all the money go? It obviously didn't go to infrastructure, or we wouldn't be in this mess.

Before you accept this incident as a good reason to raise water bills, remember that this pipe was only 28 years old. Do the math. How often can the pipes be replaced? They need to be maintained - and that is where the WSSC, Ike Leggett, and the County Council must be held accountable. Instead, county councilmember Mike Knapp is skeptical of a fully-qualified African-American candidate for the WSSC board, during his interview before the council. And subtly questioning his qualifications for the position. I hope that is remembered when Mr. Knapp is up for reelection in 2010. Is that leadership by Mr. Knapp and the County Council? Definitely not.

Once again, my criticisms of our monopoly utilities - WSSC, PEPCO, Comcast, etc. - have been proven valid. We are always told of the wonderful "services" we receive in Montgomery County. Yet, last week, most of our neighbors north of the Beltway did not have fresh water to drink, and county restaurants took a hit of $5-10 million dollars. And yes, council Democrats, that means you'll get less tax money into your Big Government coffers as a result of your own failed leadership. The future of public safety in Montgomery County is frightening indeed, and voters should remedy that as soon as they have the opportunity.

ROCKVILLE PIKE PLAN

ALREADY DECIDED IN

ADVANCE

Citizens Forced to Go Through the

Motions as Developers Move Swiftly to

Ram "Concrete Canyon" Through Planning Process

There are quiet announcements about public meetings and "charettes" where you can give your "input" on the future of Rockville Pike. Alas, the developers and their friends in Montgomery County and Rockville City Government won't be listening. That's because they've already completed the plan, and are cynically forcing residents to waste time pretending they can change the outcome.

It's done. Here it is. You'll only read about it here on www.RobertDyer.net - not in the Post or Gazette, papers in the tank for the developers; or on that "unofficial" Rockville blog:

A concrete canyon of Bethesda Row-style mixed development stretching from Bethesda to Clarksburg. Every strip mall and shopping center bulldozed for empty luxury apartments with first-floor shopping.

An urban planning disaster. The wide, cosmopolitan layout of Rockville Pike, with convenient free parking, shopping, and restaurants - which has functioned just fine for decades - will be replaced by concrete monstrosities which will block out the sky and loom over the Pike.

And the Pike is the main issue. Anyone with an IQ higher than their belt size can tell you that the Pike must be widened to deal with its current congestion. To do that, we must keep the buildings back from the road as they are now. There need to be bus lanes as well, or are we once again revealing the hypocrisy of our "green" officials? Monster development on the Pike doesn't sound very green to me. Neither does a new arena planned beyond the reach of Metro!

The Rockville Pike planning "process" is a puppet theatre of the absurd. Feel the strings behind you and applaud when the sign lights up.