Forensic Analysis of Photographs from Past Galas Show Perhaps 200 Fewer People Than Usual October 25, 2023 by Pieter Friedrich NORTH BETHESDA, MD Despite claims that the event was “sold out,” the Democratic Party Fall Gala on Sunday night was sparsely attended. (Caption: Notice the 2021 event has as manyContinue Reading

October 11, 2023 At last night’s MCDCC meeting there were a few notable events, though you’d have to have been there to see it. The MCDCC has appointed about 40% of local representatives at the state level where incumbents nearly always win as well making these long term appointments. LegislatorsContinue Reading

October 4th, 2023 – Moderately MOCO received the following letter Subject: Unless There is an Immediate Change in Leadership, Please Skip the MCDCC Fall Gala My Fellow Democrats: I am writing to you as a party leader and longtime donor today because I, like you, have been hearing and readingContinue Reading

ROCKVILLE, MD – August 15, 2023 – By Pieter Friedrich Updated at 5p.m. 8/16 to clarify agenda item issue. Montgomery County’s troubled Democratic Party will retire its large outstanding tax obligation within the week, announced party treasurer Andrew Saundry at a tense meeting of the MCDCC on August 7, 2023. Continue Reading

Background A lot has been made of the Montgomery County budget recommended by County Executive Elrich. Including our previous piece on it here discussing the lack of accountability and declining services. There has also been a lot of back and forth between the County Council, County Exec, residents and theContinue Reading

On Tuesday 5/2/2023, there was a virtual forum hosted by MCPS and featuring Dr. McKnight, Councilmember Jawando, Dr. Williams and BOE member Silvestre. Esther Wells live tweeted the meeting and her tweets have been cataloged into the piece below with some minor edits for clarity. Q: Budgets are in, whatContinue Reading

Press Release April 24, 2023 The Montgomery County Taxpayers League is pleased to announce the election of its new president, Esther Wells, who began her tenure on April 5th, 2023. Esther L. Wells is an active Certified Public Accountant in Maryland with over 13 years of experience.  Currently, she leads the State IndirectContinue Reading

Background On Wednesday 3/15, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich released his budget which included an 8% overall increase in budget and 10% increase for MCPS. The cost to tax payers is being advertised as a “10 cents” increase but amounts to about a 10% increase in the tax rate fromContinue Reading

Have you heard?  A “game-changing” health institute is coming to ‘North Bethesda’. Note: back in my school days, say early 2000s, we simply called “North Bethesda” Rockville or White Flint.  Re-elected “At Large” Council Member Evan Glass proclaimed in his ‘Glass Gazette’ E-Newsletter: “With the signing of a new partnership betweenContinue Reading

Can you spare a nickel?  How about a dime?  How about three?  In Austin, Texas recently for a trip, I was in need of a plastic bag to lug some small items back to the Air BnB from the local H-E-B grocery.   30-cents, I was told by the clerk. Yep,Continue Reading