Millionaires fleeing state tax cause 82 percent of income drop
Montgomery County, Maryland's richest county, is facing a budget shortfall of nearly $1 billion as high-income residents flee the state's millionaires tax. Budget officials told the County Council on Tuesday that Montgomery must once again write down its projected income tax revenues, this time by $44 million for this fiscal year and $100 million for next fiscal year, which starts in July. Those write-downs come up on top of a $24 million income tax reduction disclosed last week for the current fiscal year, and are in addition to a nearly $800 million budget gap projected for next fiscal year.
The budget holes have threatened the county's AAA bond rating and prompted County Executive Ike Leggett to propose raising energy taxes by 63.7 percent, eliminating 18 bus routes and closing a public library in Noyes. A weak economy that ate away at capital gains and slowed the growth of small businesses can account for much of the county's fiscal woes, but county officials said the state compounded the problem by raising taxes for millionaires to 6.25 percent from 5.5 percent in 2008.
"Their timing couldn't have been worse," said Councilman Mike Knapp, D-Germantown, who said the millionaires tax has had a "devastating" effect on the county's budget. "Talk about cutting yourself off at the knees."
A "major factor" for the county's budget woes is the loss of its millionaire taxpayers, according to county economist David Platt.
Montgomery lost $4.6 billion in taxable income from tax years 2007 to 2008. More than 82 percent of that drop comes from taxpayers with incomes of $1 million or more, county records show. County data show that 216 millionaires who filed taxes for 2007 did not file with the state for 2008, compared with an average of 119 in previous years. While some of those not filing may have died or decided not to file a tax return, county officials said there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that Maryland's millionaires moved to more tax-friendly states.
"It's pretty clear that people did take their income someplace else," said Tim Firestine, chief administrative officer, noting that the loss of just a handful of millionaires has a disproportionate effect on the county's revenues.
Worse yet, Knapp said, was the likelihood that many millionaires who left won't come back when the tax expires at the end of the year, leaving the county's tax base smaller.
"Even if the economy gets better, we're going to have less money," Knapp said.
The millionaires tax may become a campaign talking point. Former Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich already has criticized Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, for his strong support of the tax.
Also in Montgomery
» The County Council gave preliminary approval to a revised "Science City" plan that supporters hope will make west Gaithersburg an epicenter of the life-sciences industry. Council members voted 8-1 on a straw vote, with Councilman Marc Elrich opposed, for a plan that scales back the county planning commission's proposal to 17.5 million square feet of development from 20 million. The plan also includes new safeguards against traffic congestion.
» A former County Council aide who sued the county for $5 million for allegedly violating an anti-discrimination law she helped write has dropped her lawsuit. Dr. Dana Beyer had charged in court records that the county discriminated against her because she is a transgender individual.
SOURCE: Washington Examiner
April 16, 2010
Maryland lawmakers kick transportation spending, tax plans down the road
They didn’t win their perennial fight to increase the gas tax, but many transportation advocates across Maryland say they were left with something just as good with the close of the General Assembly’s 2010 legislative session April 12: Hope.
Both chambers of the assembly voted to support the formation of a special commission looking into alternative funding for transportation improvements in Maryland. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Rob Garagiola, D-Montgomery County, is an acknowledgement the state has failed to set aside enough money to spend on road, rail and port improvements, said Donald C. Fry, CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee.
The commission is scheduled to release an interim report sometime next year and to complete its study by 2012. Its findings could give more support to proposed bills that have failed in prior sessions such as increasing the state gas tax or tying future increases to the consumer price index. “We think that that’s another good step forward in recognizing that something has to be done,” Fry said. SOURCE: Baltimore Business Journal
The commission is scheduled to release an interim report sometime next year and to complete its study by 2012. Its findings could give more support to proposed bills that have failed in prior sessions such as increasing the state gas tax or tying future increases to the consumer price index. “We think that that’s another good step forward in recognizing that something has to be done,” Fry said. SOURCE: Baltimore Business Journal
Next Taxpayers League on 4/22
Next meeting: April 22, 2010 - 7:30 - 9:30 p.m
5th floor conference room (TENTATIVE), Stella Werner Council Office Building,
100 Maryland Ave., Rockville MD 20850 Montgomery County Taxpayers League
5th floor conference room (TENTATIVE), Stella Werner Council Office Building,
100 Maryland Ave., Rockville MD 20850 Montgomery County Taxpayers League
Date Night: 8407 (plus Pacci’s news)
Finally got the chance to get out for a relaxing dinner at 8407 kitchen bar. One word: Awesome. Possibly the best restaurant right now in Silver Spring. The wife and I started with a Pimms cocktail (her) and a ginger lime martini (me, pictured) at the downstairs bar before heading up to the dining room. Both are great warm-weather drinks. The evening sun blares through windows, but that sort of helps obscure the view of the metro demolition outside. That view will certainly get better over time. Started with the fried oysters and fries (I will now be frying whatever I can in duck fat, by the way), followed by the honey-lavender roasted chicken (me) and gnocchi (her).
The gnocchi was the same pillowy goodness we had back at the old Nicaro, and other than the small bit of butcher’s twine I found in the chicken, it was the winning dish as far as I’m concerned. Just spectacular flavor. I mean, plate-licking good. And got a recommendation from Nancy on a fantastic bottle of wine. Throw in a cheese course to finish up, and it was a really, really great meal.
The service was also excellent, checking in just often enough and not being obtrusive. A bit on the pricey side, but we knew that going in. Drinks, appetizers, main course, dessert, and a good bottle of wine came out to about $130. Certainly worth the price of admission. I’m sure we’ll go again for a nice night out, but I could see frequenting the bar(s) for drinks and those duck-fat-cooked fries on a regular basis. Go treat yourself. SOURCE: Thayer Avenue
D.C. principal found dead in Silver Spring home
A middle school principal who was wooed from Montgomery County as part of Chancellor Michelle Rhee's effort to improve the struggling D.C. system was found dead in his Silver Spring home Thursday night, police said. Montgomery County police called the death "suspicious" and said they are searching for the victim's dark blue 2007 Nissan Xterra SUV.
Brian Betts, 42, who became principal of Shaw Middle School at Garnett Patterson in fall of 2008, did not report for work on Thursday, police said. A co-worker who went to his home in the 9300 block of Columbia Boulevard in Silver Spring found him dead inside. Police, who were called to the scene about 7:30 p.m., did not say whether investigators have determined the cause of death.
When Rhee hired Betts, she gave him unusual latitude to select the teachers he wanted and change rules he felt were not helping students learn. Betts visited scores of students and parents before the 2008-2009 school year started, introducing himself and asking, among other things, how they felt about a white man running a school where all of the students were black or Hispanic. He eliminated eliminated homeroom periods and recess, which he considered wastes of time, and boosted teacher training significantly.
For middle school students, Betts told The Washington Post in 2008, "nothing that I have ever seen trumps personal relationships . . . The kids in this building who can be absolutely horrible in one person's class can be angelic in another because they have formed a relationship with that teacher." SOURCE: Washington Post
Brian Betts, 42, who became principal of Shaw Middle School at Garnett Patterson in fall of 2008, did not report for work on Thursday, police said. A co-worker who went to his home in the 9300 block of Columbia Boulevard in Silver Spring found him dead inside. Police, who were called to the scene about 7:30 p.m., did not say whether investigators have determined the cause of death.
When Rhee hired Betts, she gave him unusual latitude to select the teachers he wanted and change rules he felt were not helping students learn. Betts visited scores of students and parents before the 2008-2009 school year started, introducing himself and asking, among other things, how they felt about a white man running a school where all of the students were black or Hispanic. He eliminated eliminated homeroom periods and recess, which he considered wastes of time, and boosted teacher training significantly.
For middle school students, Betts told The Washington Post in 2008, "nothing that I have ever seen trumps personal relationships . . . The kids in this building who can be absolutely horrible in one person's class can be angelic in another because they have formed a relationship with that teacher." SOURCE: Washington Post
Dead Orioles?
The Orioles are off to the worst start in recent memory. There is nothing else to say. The Orioles are the definition of "snakebit", nothing seems to be going right. Sitting in the park last night I thought for sure that the Orioles would win that game. Luke Scott hit that absolutely clutch homerun and I KNEW we would win.
But then - well - yeah. All of those looking for heads to roll, thankfully Andy MacPhail has a much cooler head. When asked about Dave Trembley's job security in the Sun today he replied: “I don’t even know how to begin to answer that. We are nine games into [the season],” he said.
But he did answer it because he knows that if he didn’t, speculation would be rampant:
“That’s just not the way I operate. We are going to do everything we can to try and make personnel decisions to try and help the team, and that is what we are going to focus on, making things better and not looking for scapegoats.”
At least someone has a cool head. It has been rough O's fans - really rough. Thankfully, it can only go up from here. Go Birds? Seriously, I'm going to bed - ugh. SOURCE: ORIOLE POST
But then - well - yeah. All of those looking for heads to roll, thankfully Andy MacPhail has a much cooler head. When asked about Dave Trembley's job security in the Sun today he replied: “I don’t even know how to begin to answer that. We are nine games into [the season],” he said.
But he did answer it because he knows that if he didn’t, speculation would be rampant:
“That’s just not the way I operate. We are going to do everything we can to try and make personnel decisions to try and help the team, and that is what we are going to focus on, making things better and not looking for scapegoats.”
At least someone has a cool head. It has been rough O's fans - really rough. Thankfully, it can only go up from here. Go Birds? Seriously, I'm going to bed - ugh. SOURCE: ORIOLE POST
Yet Another List
Now this is new. Late last week I came across a listserv announcement that such and such middle school is a “‘Top 10 School’ for the state of Maryland in the 2009 Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Talent Search.” The message went on to say: It means your academic program is producing a high number of high-achieving students. It also indicates that you look out for your students’ best interests by recommending other resources (like CTY) for them and their families to investigate.
Curious, I clicked on the CTY link, where I found several other MCPS schools on the Top Ten list, as well as many others on the generic “Top Maryland Schools” list. (Have they done it for any other states? How many test takers does it take to make the list?)
I have to say, those CTY folks are damn clever, tapping into the collective status consciousness/ranking nuttiness of MoCo. (“Participating at high levels in the annual CTY Talent Search reflects upon the school’s academic quality, student abilities, and teacher talent. It also reflects upon the school leadership that encourages students to seek out educational challenges beyond traditional school walls. It’s a mark of quality for which your school can be justly proud.”) We eat this stuff up. No doubt it will help draw attention to the Talent Search–while at the same time highlighting which schools have the most clued-in and academically engaged families. Whether the kudos should accrue to the school is open to question.
What would be even more helpful if CTY released some statistics about the score distributions in the county. For example how many MoCo kids made SET each year? Could we figure out how many CTY honorees are in county GT programs? Does it inform placement and instruction? Now that would be interesting. SOURCE: The More Child
Silver Spring's Svec Conway Printing announces installation of Ricoh C-900-S
Svec Conway Printing is proud to announce the recent installation of it’s new Ricoh C-900-S Digital Color Press. Photographed with their new acquisition are business owners Bobby & Sheila Firestein. Svec Conway Printing located in Silver Spring MD was established in 1982, rejuvenated in 2003 with it’s new ownership specializes in printing a variety of booklets, brochures, pamphlets and magazines for corporations, universities and associations.
The recent purchase and installation of the Ricoh C-900-S will allow Svec Conway Printing the opportunity to offer existing and new clients the ability to produce a larger array of components at shorter run lengths and a more economical value, stated Bobby Firestein. In addition to the companies digital press installation Svec Conway also acquired several finishing components to compliment their new digital printing services. These finishing services include, wiro binding, plastic coil binding, perfect binding and gate-folding.
Svec Conway Printing continues to be active with it’s numerous Green initiatives. Participating with local organizations like Clean Currents the company utilizes 100% Wind Power and through it’s affiliation with The Carbon Fund the company is offsetting it’s CO-2 emissions. Combined with these associations Svec Conway also utilizes both the FSC and SFI paper chain of custody standards.
For additional information about Svec Conway please contact Bobby (ext. 10) or Sheila (ext. 22) Firestein at 301-589-6666.
April 15, 2010
'Sexting' scandal at 2 Montgomery County schools
WASHINGTON - WTOP has learned Montgomery County Police are conducting an investigation into sexually explicit photos and videos of female students that have been distributed and sold among the student body at two Montgomery County Public Schools. In a letter obtained by WTOP, an iPod Touch with photos and videos of female students was confiscated by school staff from a student at Thomas Pyle Middle School.
"As soon as it was discovered, we took action," says Montgomery County Schools spokesperson Dana Tofig
During the school's investigation, students reported that the female students - who attend Pyle and Walt Whitman High School - willingly posed for the pictures outside of school and sent them to other students. In some cases, students sold and purchased access to the inappropriate photos. School administrators have contacted parents of the females in the images and those students who purchased or sold access to the images. Tofig says administrators reached out to police after the images were discovered. There is no indication that school computers were used to view, send or receive the photos. SOURCE: WTOP
"As soon as it was discovered, we took action," says Montgomery County Schools spokesperson Dana Tofig
During the school's investigation, students reported that the female students - who attend Pyle and Walt Whitman High School - willingly posed for the pictures outside of school and sent them to other students. In some cases, students sold and purchased access to the inappropriate photos. School administrators have contacted parents of the females in the images and those students who purchased or sold access to the images. Tofig says administrators reached out to police after the images were discovered. There is no indication that school computers were used to view, send or receive the photos. SOURCE: WTOP
Community news blurbs
Bike to Work Day is May 21st ˆ Register today! Join the Bethesda Transportation Solutions staff and Maryland State Delegate Bill Bronrott at 6:30am on Friday, May 21st at the Bethesda pit stop (Reed Street, at the corner of Bethesda Ave & Woodmont Ave). Attendees will enjoy breakfast, prizes, DJ entertainment, bike tune-ups on site by REI and City Bikes, and more, all for FREE! Register in advance online at: http://www.waba.org/events/btwd/md_bethesda.php
Bicycle Commuter Spirit Awards ˆ Call for Nominations! ˆ In conjunction with Bike to Work Day, Bethesda Transportation Solutions (BTS) will be presenting the Bicycle Commuter Spirit Awards. The awards recognize downtown Bethesda employees who are dedicated to biking to work. Each year BTS asks for help in identifying two commuters devoted to two-wheeled bicycled transportation. To nominate yourself or someone else please visit: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/survey/30718/20046/74e79ca362/8179852195/2730825/93609404/
Biking & Public Transportation Education for Kids ˆ Bethesda Transportation Solutions and special guests will teach kids about biking and public transportation at the Bethesda Literary Festival this weekend. Join Surae Chinn, Channel 9 News Anchor, and Franklin the Turtle at Bethesda Elementary School on Saturday, April 17 from 10am until 11:30am. For more information about the Bethesda Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/bethesda-literary-festival
Survey Conducted on Attitudes and Concerns about Biking ˆ The Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (AFBP) has invited women from across the country to participate in a survey to explore attitudes women have about cycling. As of March 28, they received over 7,000 responses. Add your voice today: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=261ae%2f5vYW6CL0QNgnk24U4cIFo3C4tYdzYFs8hepq4%3d&
Washington Freedom and the Fire Department are Teaming Up! ˆ Join the Washington Freedom, the region‚s elite professional women‚s soccer team and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service at the Bethesda Fire Station 6 TODAY at 4pm. Everyone is invited to help them kick off the Spring into Summer Safely campaign! The Bethesda Fire Department is located at 6600 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland. Parking is available behind the station.
Please Use Caution in Work Zones ˆ MCDOT would like to remind the community to please drive gently and safely through any County, State or utility work site. Please keep all children under close supervision at all times. Follow the direction of flaggers, temporary signs, and traffic control devices. For a listing of selected construction or maintenance activities affecting traffic, bike, and pedestrian travel, please visit: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dot/tmc/getconstruction.asp
Spring Events on the Canal ˆ April 17th is C&O Canal Pride Day, the largest volunteer event in the C&O Canal National Historic Park. Come out and enjoy the outdoors, meet new people and participate in the national spirit of unity and service. Show your pride by taking part in one of the projects at Great Falls. For more information, please visit: www.canaltrust.org
Earth Day House Party ˆ Bethesda Green will host an Earth Day House Party on Sunday, April 18th from 2-4pm in downtown Bethesda at 4519 Cheltenham Drive. Listen to an array of speakers discuss key environmental issues pertaining to our local, national, and international community. For more information, please visit: www.bethesdagreen.org
Bicycle Commuter Spirit Awards ˆ Call for Nominations! ˆ In conjunction with Bike to Work Day, Bethesda Transportation Solutions (BTS) will be presenting the Bicycle Commuter Spirit Awards. The awards recognize downtown Bethesda employees who are dedicated to biking to work. Each year BTS asks for help in identifying two commuters devoted to two-wheeled bicycled transportation. To nominate yourself or someone else please visit: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/survey/30718/20046/74e79ca362/8179852195/2730825/93609404/
Biking & Public Transportation Education for Kids ˆ Bethesda Transportation Solutions and special guests will teach kids about biking and public transportation at the Bethesda Literary Festival this weekend. Join Surae Chinn, Channel 9 News Anchor, and Franklin the Turtle at Bethesda Elementary School on Saturday, April 17 from 10am until 11:30am. For more information about the Bethesda Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/bethesda-literary-festival
Survey Conducted on Attitudes and Concerns about Biking ˆ The Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (AFBP) has invited women from across the country to participate in a survey to explore attitudes women have about cycling. As of March 28, they received over 7,000 responses. Add your voice today: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=261ae%2f5vYW6CL0QNgnk24U4cIFo3C4tYdzYFs8hepq4%3d&
Washington Freedom and the Fire Department are Teaming Up! ˆ Join the Washington Freedom, the region‚s elite professional women‚s soccer team and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service at the Bethesda Fire Station 6 TODAY at 4pm. Everyone is invited to help them kick off the Spring into Summer Safely campaign! The Bethesda Fire Department is located at 6600 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland. Parking is available behind the station.
Please Use Caution in Work Zones ˆ MCDOT would like to remind the community to please drive gently and safely through any County, State or utility work site. Please keep all children under close supervision at all times. Follow the direction of flaggers, temporary signs, and traffic control devices. For a listing of selected construction or maintenance activities affecting traffic, bike, and pedestrian travel, please visit: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dot/tmc/getconstruction.asp
Spring Events on the Canal ˆ April 17th is C&O Canal Pride Day, the largest volunteer event in the C&O Canal National Historic Park. Come out and enjoy the outdoors, meet new people and participate in the national spirit of unity and service. Show your pride by taking part in one of the projects at Great Falls. For more information, please visit: www.canaltrust.org
Earth Day House Party ˆ Bethesda Green will host an Earth Day House Party on Sunday, April 18th from 2-4pm in downtown Bethesda at 4519 Cheltenham Drive. Listen to an array of speakers discuss key environmental issues pertaining to our local, national, and international community. For more information, please visit: www.bethesdagreen.org
Montgomery County tentatively OKs Gaithersburg West plan
The Montgomery County Council approved an initial version of the Gaithersburg West Master Plan in a straw vote Tuesday with a new name, The Great Seneca Science Corridor Plan, and an eight-member majority that included Councilmember Phil Andrews, who has long opposed the density proposed in the plan. The council will take a final vote on the Great Seneca Science plan in the next two weeks. Still, the tentative approval is significant, as it addressed the hotly debated issues of density and traffic congestion. The planning board initially recommended up to 20 million square feet of development, a number the county executive and Andrews said was too much. They instead recommended up to 18 million square feet.
The plan now calls for up to 17.5 million square feet. The council also discussed “critical lane volume,” which deals with road congestion. The original master plan proposal set the limit at 1,600 vehicles per lane per hour, a limit the revised plan reduces to 1,450 vehicles per lane per hour. SOURCE: Washington Business Journal
Foreclosures up in county; tax credit nears deadline
The number of foreclosures rose in Frederick County in March, up 56 percent from February and up 82 percent from a year ago. The latest figures, 344 foreclosures in the county, come from RealtyTrac, a California-based firm that monitors foreclosures nationwide. The company said there were 445 foreclosures in Montgomery County in March, up 34 percent from February, and 212 foreclosures in Washington County, up 95 percent from February.
The reason for the increase is because of a combination of adjustable rate mortgages, signed in 2004, 2005 and 2006, now resetting to higher permanent interest rates, said Patrick F. McLister, a Frederick lawyer. Added to that is the loss of employment income or one or both spouses and tapped personal savings accounts, he said. McLister and his law office partner, Todd Salisbury, are legal counsel to the Frederick County Association of Realtors.
Carlton Boujai, treasurer of the Maryland Association of Realtors, said the continuing number of foreclosures is the major obstacle of a full recovery for the real estate industry. The lower price for most foreclosures has brought out buyers, though, Boujai said, especially in the $250,000 or less range. Boujai, an agent with Exit Realty Prosperity Group in Frederick and a former president of the local Realtors organization, said it has brought many "on-the-fence" buyers into the purchase of a home. The federal tax credit program, offering $8,000 for first-time buyers and $6,500 for other eligible buyers, has not been as large a factor in the market as expected, Boujai said. SOURCE: Frederick News-Post
The reason for the increase is because of a combination of adjustable rate mortgages, signed in 2004, 2005 and 2006, now resetting to higher permanent interest rates, said Patrick F. McLister, a Frederick lawyer. Added to that is the loss of employment income or one or both spouses and tapped personal savings accounts, he said. McLister and his law office partner, Todd Salisbury, are legal counsel to the Frederick County Association of Realtors.
Carlton Boujai, treasurer of the Maryland Association of Realtors, said the continuing number of foreclosures is the major obstacle of a full recovery for the real estate industry. The lower price for most foreclosures has brought out buyers, though, Boujai said, especially in the $250,000 or less range. Boujai, an agent with Exit Realty Prosperity Group in Frederick and a former president of the local Realtors organization, said it has brought many "on-the-fence" buyers into the purchase of a home. The federal tax credit program, offering $8,000 for first-time buyers and $6,500 for other eligible buyers, has not been as large a factor in the market as expected, Boujai said. SOURCE: Frederick News-Post
Former Teacher and Coach Sentenced to Five Years for Receipt of Child Pornography
(Media-Newswire.com) - BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced John Joseph Kovach, Jr., age 53, of Reisterstown, Maryland, today to five years in prison, followed by supervised release for life, for receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department, Special Agent in Charge Richard McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to Kovach’s plea agreement and court documents, Kovach was an assistant field hockey coach at Towson University and was a teacher and coach at a private elementary school in Montgomery County, Maryland. On February 27, 2009, a California investigator contacted the Baltimore County Police Department concerning an individual, later determined to be Kovach, who was soliciting online an individual portraying a 13-year-old female. In his conversations with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, Kovach stated that he was a youth soccer and swim coach in California and that he sneaks “pics” of girls in bikinis and “stuff” at pools, beaches, and water parks. Kovach also asked the individual, whom he thought was a 13-year-old girl, sexually explicit questions about her body and sexual activities.
As part of their investigation, Baltimore County Police executed search warrants at Kovach’s home and at both of the schools where he worked, seizing computers and other materials related to their investigation. A federal search warrant was issued for the seized computers and forensic analysis of the computers revealed 252 images and nine videos depicting child pornography. A number of the images of child pornography depicted children under the age of 12 years old engaging in sexually explicit conduct and some of the images also portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct. Forensic analysis was also able to determine that the child pornography was received by Kovach through the Internet.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section ( CEOS ), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Details about Maryland’s program are available at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Safe-Childhood/index.html.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who prosecuted the case. SOURCE: Media Newswire
According to Kovach’s plea agreement and court documents, Kovach was an assistant field hockey coach at Towson University and was a teacher and coach at a private elementary school in Montgomery County, Maryland. On February 27, 2009, a California investigator contacted the Baltimore County Police Department concerning an individual, later determined to be Kovach, who was soliciting online an individual portraying a 13-year-old female. In his conversations with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, Kovach stated that he was a youth soccer and swim coach in California and that he sneaks “pics” of girls in bikinis and “stuff” at pools, beaches, and water parks. Kovach also asked the individual, whom he thought was a 13-year-old girl, sexually explicit questions about her body and sexual activities.
As part of their investigation, Baltimore County Police executed search warrants at Kovach’s home and at both of the schools where he worked, seizing computers and other materials related to their investigation. A federal search warrant was issued for the seized computers and forensic analysis of the computers revealed 252 images and nine videos depicting child pornography. A number of the images of child pornography depicted children under the age of 12 years old engaging in sexually explicit conduct and some of the images also portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct. Forensic analysis was also able to determine that the child pornography was received by Kovach through the Internet.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section ( CEOS ), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Details about Maryland’s program are available at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Safe-Childhood/index.html.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who prosecuted the case. SOURCE: Media Newswire
Robert Dyer announces candidacy for Montgomery County Council (at-large)
Robert Dyer is a sincere man with an excellent blog about Montgomery County. Good luck, Robert! In his campaign launch video, Dyer said, "Government was never meant to do everything; it needs to do the right things."
Montgomery county is America's second most liberal county!
5. New York County, N.Y.
Co-terminus with the Borough of Manhattan
Manhattan is the most famous, most written about, most exclusive 23 square miles in the United States. Manhattan Island contains many divergent experiences, from Harlem to Wall Street. But in the past two decades, the trend has been towards gentrification. Now, most of the island south of Harlem is a playground for the affluent, what Mayor Michael Bloomberg aptly described as a “luxury city.” Manhattan has the highest percentage of those employed in management/professional jobs outside of the Washington, D.C., area on this list. Obama won 85 percent here.
4. Boulder County, Colo.
Largest city: Boulder
It’s quite an honor to be the best university-based setting for liberals, and the City of Boulder and the University of Colorado take the prize. Boulder gets the award for being on the cutting edge of liberal innovations (it was the first place to pass an anti-discrimination statute based on homosexuality and one of the first places to ban smoking in bars). Boulder also ranks highest because unlike many college towns on this list, the state government isn’t based here, so the liberalism only comes from one, concentrated source. The county is the basis for Jared Polis’s congressional district, one of the few openly gay members of Congress. The county has one of the most comfortable standards of living.
3. Marin County, Calif.
Largest city: San Rafael
Another classic domain for rich liberals is Marin County. The county is to the north of San Francisco, on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It has the highest concentration of BMWs per capita in America. Environmentalism could be viewed as the county’s religion, as anti-development pressure has kept the county somewhat undeveloped considering its proximity to San Francisco. The elder George Bush once referred to American Taliban member John Walker Lindh (a native of the county) as “some misguided Marin County hot-tubber.”
2. Montgomery County, M.d.
Largest city: Rockville
Most likely, the bureaucrats conservatives despise live in Montgomery County, to the northwest of Washington. This is one of the richest and best-educated corners of America. Most of the development runs along the Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike spine stretching from leafy Chevy Chase to ritzy Bethesda to edge city Rockville. This is a one-party county: Every single elected official in Montgomery County is a Democrat. There are places in the eastern part of the county that aren’t uniformly affluent, but the liberal tilt emanates from all corners.
1. City and County of San Francisco
Co-terminus with the City of San Francisco
Surprise, surprise. Maybe what’s more interesting is how San Francisco came to be what it is today. San Francisco has always been a center of progressive politics. It has a long-standing labor tradition due to its longshoreman heritage and was a wild town from the start. It was the Las Vegas of its day around the turn of the century (until a campaign by William Randolph Hearst shut down its brothels). Its easygoing tolerance made it ripe to become the center of the counterculture in the 1960s, based around the Haight-Ashbury district. Its status as the world’s most famous homosexual center got its impetus from the practice of the Navy during World War II to disembark those dishonorably discharged in San Francisco. What was once a city with large numbers of middle-class Irish and Italian families flipped in the 1960s and ’70s. The common assertion that there are more dogs than children in San Francisco is apocryphal, but it comes close to the truth.
SOURCE: Daily Caller
Co-terminus with the Borough of Manhattan
Manhattan is the most famous, most written about, most exclusive 23 square miles in the United States. Manhattan Island contains many divergent experiences, from Harlem to Wall Street. But in the past two decades, the trend has been towards gentrification. Now, most of the island south of Harlem is a playground for the affluent, what Mayor Michael Bloomberg aptly described as a “luxury city.” Manhattan has the highest percentage of those employed in management/professional jobs outside of the Washington, D.C., area on this list. Obama won 85 percent here.
4. Boulder County, Colo.
Largest city: Boulder
It’s quite an honor to be the best university-based setting for liberals, and the City of Boulder and the University of Colorado take the prize. Boulder gets the award for being on the cutting edge of liberal innovations (it was the first place to pass an anti-discrimination statute based on homosexuality and one of the first places to ban smoking in bars). Boulder also ranks highest because unlike many college towns on this list, the state government isn’t based here, so the liberalism only comes from one, concentrated source. The county is the basis for Jared Polis’s congressional district, one of the few openly gay members of Congress. The county has one of the most comfortable standards of living.
3. Marin County, Calif.
Largest city: San Rafael
Another classic domain for rich liberals is Marin County. The county is to the north of San Francisco, on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It has the highest concentration of BMWs per capita in America. Environmentalism could be viewed as the county’s religion, as anti-development pressure has kept the county somewhat undeveloped considering its proximity to San Francisco. The elder George Bush once referred to American Taliban member John Walker Lindh (a native of the county) as “some misguided Marin County hot-tubber.”
2. Montgomery County, M.d.
Largest city: Rockville
Most likely, the bureaucrats conservatives despise live in Montgomery County, to the northwest of Washington. This is one of the richest and best-educated corners of America. Most of the development runs along the Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike spine stretching from leafy Chevy Chase to ritzy Bethesda to edge city Rockville. This is a one-party county: Every single elected official in Montgomery County is a Democrat. There are places in the eastern part of the county that aren’t uniformly affluent, but the liberal tilt emanates from all corners.
1. City and County of San Francisco
Co-terminus with the City of San Francisco
Surprise, surprise. Maybe what’s more interesting is how San Francisco came to be what it is today. San Francisco has always been a center of progressive politics. It has a long-standing labor tradition due to its longshoreman heritage and was a wild town from the start. It was the Las Vegas of its day around the turn of the century (until a campaign by William Randolph Hearst shut down its brothels). Its easygoing tolerance made it ripe to become the center of the counterculture in the 1960s, based around the Haight-Ashbury district. Its status as the world’s most famous homosexual center got its impetus from the practice of the Navy during World War II to disembark those dishonorably discharged in San Francisco. What was once a city with large numbers of middle-class Irish and Italian families flipped in the 1960s and ’70s. The common assertion that there are more dogs than children in San Francisco is apocryphal, but it comes close to the truth.
SOURCE: Daily Caller
Considering economy, county fared well in 2010 session, legislators say
Montgomery County emerged from the 2010 General Assembly largely unscathed, lawmakers said Tuesday morning, moments after the midnight end of the session.
"This is not a year where you're going to have big slam-bang victories," House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve said. "This is a year where you're going to protect your position and build for the future, and I think we did that."
Lawmakers started the 90-day session wrestling with a dire fiscal situation as the lingering recession depleted sources of state revenue.
"It's been a tough year to have happy things happen," said Melanie Wenger, director of the county's Office of Intergovernmental Relations.
And while there was pain enough to go around, Montgomery was able to relieve some of it through increases in state aid. The state's fiscal 2011 budget will send the county a 10.4 percent increase in aid, or about $72 million. That jump is the result of a fall in taxable income and a drop in real estate values, said Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee.
"People in Montgomery County haven't suddenly become poor, but if you were making $1.5 million two years ago and $800,000 this year, you're not standing in a bread line but you're paying a lot less in income tax," said Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington.
One of the biggest issues for Montgomery lawmakers was the maintenance-of-effort penalty that the state Board of Education imposed on the county. State law requires that county school spending, on a per-pupil basis, at least equal the previous year's spending. The recession forced the county to fall below that level this year, prompting the penalty. The legislature overturned that penalty, in legislation Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) signed Tuesday.
"We got the abatement for the fine on maintenance of effort, and that was a big victory. The maintenance-of-effort law that we wrote for the future is one that will protect Montgomery County and other jurisdictions," said Barve (D-Dist. 17) of Gaithersburg. SOURCE: Gazette
"This is not a year where you're going to have big slam-bang victories," House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve said. "This is a year where you're going to protect your position and build for the future, and I think we did that."
Lawmakers started the 90-day session wrestling with a dire fiscal situation as the lingering recession depleted sources of state revenue.
"It's been a tough year to have happy things happen," said Melanie Wenger, director of the county's Office of Intergovernmental Relations.
And while there was pain enough to go around, Montgomery was able to relieve some of it through increases in state aid. The state's fiscal 2011 budget will send the county a 10.4 percent increase in aid, or about $72 million. That jump is the result of a fall in taxable income and a drop in real estate values, said Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee.
"People in Montgomery County haven't suddenly become poor, but if you were making $1.5 million two years ago and $800,000 this year, you're not standing in a bread line but you're paying a lot less in income tax," said Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington.
One of the biggest issues for Montgomery lawmakers was the maintenance-of-effort penalty that the state Board of Education imposed on the county. State law requires that county school spending, on a per-pupil basis, at least equal the previous year's spending. The recession forced the county to fall below that level this year, prompting the penalty. The legislature overturned that penalty, in legislation Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) signed Tuesday.
"We got the abatement for the fine on maintenance of effort, and that was a big victory. The maintenance-of-effort law that we wrote for the future is one that will protect Montgomery County and other jurisdictions," said Barve (D-Dist. 17) of Gaithersburg. SOURCE: Gazette
April 14, 2010
OPINION: Budget needs more cuts, including schools
Commentary | Joan Fidler
County Executive Ike Leggett has proposed his budget for fiscal 2011; the unions have responded ["Unions knock Leggett budget," March 17] and soon it will be time for the County Council to act. As taxpayers of the county who have ceded generously to the actions of the council in the past, we believe Leggett has demonstrated much courage for which he will, undoubtedly, be excoriated in the next several weeks by various and sundry factions.
Leggett has valiantly done his part; it is time for the council members to do theirs. The elimination of pay raises and step increases was a brave and judicious decision, as were the furloughs. However, the mere 3.4 percent reduction to the budget of the public schools will cause unfair and unjust hardship to all the other services available to county taxpayers. The pain is not fairly spread. The public schools consume over 50 percent of our tax-supported budget while only 25 percent of the county's households have children in our public schools. This is not to denigrate the good work done by our public schools. We have an excellent public school system; we have dedicated teachers as we have an excellent county government with superior services and dedicated civil servants.
Many of the other budget cuts for fiscal 2011 have been quite draconian. Public libraries have been cut 22 percent — library cardholders represent 77 percent of the population. Transportation has been cut 23 percent — our roads are used by close to our entire population. The vulnerable and poor have not been excluded from budget cuts. The Department of Housing and Community Affairs has been cut 24 percent, much of which provides affordable housing to the less affluent in the county. The Department of Health and Human Services has been cut 11 percent, thus reducing services to seniors, the disabled, the uninsured and the ill.
The decision about our future now lies with the County Council. We ask for fairness toward all the citizens and taxpayers of the county. We ask, as they look toward the elections in November, they realize that there are more than just apples on our ballots. Let us not cut deeply into services to the vulnerable, let us not shortchange libraries and roads and transportation. And yes, there are options that can be exercised this year. Here is one: in the spirit of fairness, bring the health benefits of public school employees in alignment with those of their colleagues in the county government. The resultant savings of $30 million could bring our county reserves back to the 6 percent required for the county to maintain its bond ratings. There are many other options available to the council.
Let us not defer decisions by borrowing $100 million from the rainy day fund, and by dipping $37 million into county reserves. And let us not forget the Sword of Damocles of $5 million to $8.5 million in annual costs of "phantom COLAs," guaranteed lifetime pension benefits for county employees linked to pay increases they never received. We are mortgaging the county's future. Economic resurgence is not around the corner. Fiscal 2012 will inevitably be here. If we don't cut now what will we do then?
The writer is president of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League. SOURCE: Gazette
County Executive Ike Leggett has proposed his budget for fiscal 2011; the unions have responded ["Unions knock Leggett budget," March 17] and soon it will be time for the County Council to act. As taxpayers of the county who have ceded generously to the actions of the council in the past, we believe Leggett has demonstrated much courage for which he will, undoubtedly, be excoriated in the next several weeks by various and sundry factions.
Leggett has valiantly done his part; it is time for the council members to do theirs. The elimination of pay raises and step increases was a brave and judicious decision, as were the furloughs. However, the mere 3.4 percent reduction to the budget of the public schools will cause unfair and unjust hardship to all the other services available to county taxpayers. The pain is not fairly spread. The public schools consume over 50 percent of our tax-supported budget while only 25 percent of the county's households have children in our public schools. This is not to denigrate the good work done by our public schools. We have an excellent public school system; we have dedicated teachers as we have an excellent county government with superior services and dedicated civil servants.
Many of the other budget cuts for fiscal 2011 have been quite draconian. Public libraries have been cut 22 percent — library cardholders represent 77 percent of the population. Transportation has been cut 23 percent — our roads are used by close to our entire population. The vulnerable and poor have not been excluded from budget cuts. The Department of Housing and Community Affairs has been cut 24 percent, much of which provides affordable housing to the less affluent in the county. The Department of Health and Human Services has been cut 11 percent, thus reducing services to seniors, the disabled, the uninsured and the ill.
The decision about our future now lies with the County Council. We ask for fairness toward all the citizens and taxpayers of the county. We ask, as they look toward the elections in November, they realize that there are more than just apples on our ballots. Let us not cut deeply into services to the vulnerable, let us not shortchange libraries and roads and transportation. And yes, there are options that can be exercised this year. Here is one: in the spirit of fairness, bring the health benefits of public school employees in alignment with those of their colleagues in the county government. The resultant savings of $30 million could bring our county reserves back to the 6 percent required for the county to maintain its bond ratings. There are many other options available to the council.
Let us not defer decisions by borrowing $100 million from the rainy day fund, and by dipping $37 million into county reserves. And let us not forget the Sword of Damocles of $5 million to $8.5 million in annual costs of "phantom COLAs," guaranteed lifetime pension benefits for county employees linked to pay increases they never received. We are mortgaging the county's future. Economic resurgence is not around the corner. Fiscal 2012 will inevitably be here. If we don't cut now what will we do then?
The writer is president of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League. SOURCE: Gazette
County Executive's Office: MCGEO Salary Study "Wholly Riddled with Factual Errors"
County Executive spokesman Patrick Lacefield has responded to MCGEO's comparative study of management salaries, saying that it is "wholly riddled with factual errors." We carry his response below.
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The purported MCGEO study comparing directors pay in the region is wholly riddled with factual errors. Over the years Montgomery County government has always sought to recruit and retain the best individuals to manage the needs of a large, complex, and growing County. The current management salaries are consistent with a trend established by the County at least a dozen years ago. The most telling comparison with Montgomery is Fairfax. The salary numbers for Fairfax County, easily the closest comparison with Montgomery County, are almost totally wrong in the MCGEO study.
MCGEO says that the Fairfax Police Chief and Fire Chief are paid $105,800; they are actually paid $176,366. The Fairfax Finance Director is paid $152,356, not MCGEO’s $100,800. The Fairfax Human Resources Director is paid $152,296, not MCGEO’s $100,800. The Fairfax Budget Director is paid $166,116, not MCGEO’s $100,800. The Fairfax Information Systems Director is paid $174,389, not MCGEO’s $105,800. The Fairfax Library Director is paid $165,403, not MCGEO’s $100,800. This info comes straight from Fairfax County. And on it goes…
In fact, the study is full of errors – top to bottom. Prince George’s Police Chief makes $180,000, not MCGEO’s $98,000. Arlington’s Police Chief makes $163,000, not MCGEO’s $62,000. Arlington’s Information Services director makes $147,000, not MCGEO’s $62,000. Montgomery County’s Fire Chief makes $190,000, not MCGEO’s $211,000. These mistakes –and many more – are available to view in the annual 2010 Local Government Personnel Association Benchmark Salary Survey, which carefully compares salaries in the region. Take a look at the difference between what the Fairfax and Montgomery Chief Administrative Officers are actually paid and the difference is only 14 percent. Chief of Police difference: 22 percent. Fire Chief: 14 percent. County Attorney: 2 percent. Library Director: 7 percent.
These are differences, but nothing approaching the differences alleged by the flawed study. Other things to keep in mind:
• Many department directors in other jurisdictions enjoy tenure or merit protection. Montgomery County directors do not enjoy job security – they serve at the will of the County Executive;
• Recently appointed directors in Montgomery County are in the defined contribution pension plan. Nearly all other directors in the region are in defined benefit plans – which are 50 percent or more more generous;
• Differences in job titles and responsibilities can make exact comparisons shaky;
• Pay may vary depending on years on the job. Someone with many years of experience as a director may be paid significantly more than someone starting as a director;
• Nearly all of the jurisdictions used for comparison are less populated than Montgomery County, most significantly smaller; and
• All Montgomery County department directors and the County Executive will be furloughed the same amount of days as other employees.
The County Executive is open to analyzing possible savings from whatever source. Any such savings, however, should be applied to closing the increasing revenue gap – not to substitute for other recommended reductions or add new spending into the budget. We need the recommended reductions already on the table and increased savings from other sources to close the $168 million in tax revenue shortfalls for FY10 and FY11 that have developed since March 15.
Patrick Lacefield, Director
Montgomery County Office of Public Information
P.S. In answering Adam’s entry, of 21 directors appointed by County Executive Leggett in 2006 and 2007, 12 were hired at the same salary paid by County Executive Duncan, three were paid more, and six were paid less. SOURCE: MPW
#####
The purported MCGEO study comparing directors pay in the region is wholly riddled with factual errors. Over the years Montgomery County government has always sought to recruit and retain the best individuals to manage the needs of a large, complex, and growing County. The current management salaries are consistent with a trend established by the County at least a dozen years ago. The most telling comparison with Montgomery is Fairfax. The salary numbers for Fairfax County, easily the closest comparison with Montgomery County, are almost totally wrong in the MCGEO study.
MCGEO says that the Fairfax Police Chief and Fire Chief are paid $105,800; they are actually paid $176,366. The Fairfax Finance Director is paid $152,356, not MCGEO’s $100,800. The Fairfax Human Resources Director is paid $152,296, not MCGEO’s $100,800. The Fairfax Budget Director is paid $166,116, not MCGEO’s $100,800. The Fairfax Information Systems Director is paid $174,389, not MCGEO’s $105,800. The Fairfax Library Director is paid $165,403, not MCGEO’s $100,800. This info comes straight from Fairfax County. And on it goes…
In fact, the study is full of errors – top to bottom. Prince George’s Police Chief makes $180,000, not MCGEO’s $98,000. Arlington’s Police Chief makes $163,000, not MCGEO’s $62,000. Arlington’s Information Services director makes $147,000, not MCGEO’s $62,000. Montgomery County’s Fire Chief makes $190,000, not MCGEO’s $211,000. These mistakes –and many more – are available to view in the annual 2010 Local Government Personnel Association Benchmark Salary Survey, which carefully compares salaries in the region. Take a look at the difference between what the Fairfax and Montgomery Chief Administrative Officers are actually paid and the difference is only 14 percent. Chief of Police difference: 22 percent. Fire Chief: 14 percent. County Attorney: 2 percent. Library Director: 7 percent.
These are differences, but nothing approaching the differences alleged by the flawed study. Other things to keep in mind:
• Many department directors in other jurisdictions enjoy tenure or merit protection. Montgomery County directors do not enjoy job security – they serve at the will of the County Executive;
• Recently appointed directors in Montgomery County are in the defined contribution pension plan. Nearly all other directors in the region are in defined benefit plans – which are 50 percent or more more generous;
• Differences in job titles and responsibilities can make exact comparisons shaky;
• Pay may vary depending on years on the job. Someone with many years of experience as a director may be paid significantly more than someone starting as a director;
• Nearly all of the jurisdictions used for comparison are less populated than Montgomery County, most significantly smaller; and
• All Montgomery County department directors and the County Executive will be furloughed the same amount of days as other employees.
The County Executive is open to analyzing possible savings from whatever source. Any such savings, however, should be applied to closing the increasing revenue gap – not to substitute for other recommended reductions or add new spending into the budget. We need the recommended reductions already on the table and increased savings from other sources to close the $168 million in tax revenue shortfalls for FY10 and FY11 that have developed since March 15.
Patrick Lacefield, Director
Montgomery County Office of Public Information
P.S. In answering Adam’s entry, of 21 directors appointed by County Executive Leggett in 2006 and 2007, 12 were hired at the same salary paid by County Executive Duncan, three were paid more, and six were paid less. SOURCE: MPW
Girls' lacrosse makes history
The girls' lacrosse team (3 - 0) kept the momentum of their winning streak alive in a neck-and-neck battle with the B - CC Barons on Saturday. The Blazers executed a new offensive formation to tackle the Barons' defense, and ended up on top with a final score of 13 - 12.
The Blazers knew B - CC would be very competitive, senior captain Molly Branson explained. "We all went in really intense," she said. Senior co-captain Nellie Garlow added that the Barons have always posed as tough competition for the Blazers. "They had a lot of really strong players," she said. "We knew what to expect."
In the first five minutes of the game, the Blazers scored four goals and began to believe they could win the game, Branson explained. But Blair became worried when the Barons made a comeback and trailed by only two points. "We got a little bit too confident," Branson said. The second half of the game went back and forth as Blair and B - CC took turns scoring. "We were just neck-and-neck throughout the entire game," Garlow said. Despite the stress of the second half, the Blazers were able to clinch a satisfying victory. "We were able to pull through and make it a 'W,'" Branson said.
PICTURE: Lorena Kowalewski and Senior Nellie Garlow races to pass the ball. SOURCE: Silver Chips
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