Is the pot calling the kettle black?

The governor’s Purple Line call was cynical, not nonpartisan - The Washington Post

Cynical? Yes--this letter to the editor is cynical. 

Larry Hogan is a Republican governor in a Democratic state. Despite the overwhelming odds of a Republican governor being elected in Maryland, Hogan won the election. Why? According to the author of this letter to the editor, because Gov. Hogan is a racist. Now that's cynical!

The truth is that many Democrats in MD voted for Gov. Hogan because of his platform. He ran on the premise that government spending and taxes are too high in Maryland--that state government needs to lower both to attract businesses. Businesses mean jobs. Jobs mean economic growth--more government revenue because of a large base, not a high tax rate.

During his campaign Gov. Hogan promised to take a hard look at wasteful spending--like the $2.45 BILLION Montgomery & Prince George's Counties' Purple Line and Baltimore's Red Line. He promised to reduce their cost or eliminate them altogether. That's just what Gov. Hogan has done. He's done what he promised to do during his campaign--and what got him elected. In doing so, Gov. Hogan is a racist. Now that's REALLY the pot calling the kettle black!

chastisement

Chastisement | Define Chastisement at Dictionary.com

Last Friday the US Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriages are legal in the US. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops is outraged. Supreme Court Decision on Marriage “A Tragic Error” Says President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference

The Supreme Court's decision is a tragic one for many older "cradle Catholics". At a young age we were taught that marriage is a sacrament--a sacred covenant between a man and a woman blessed by God. We were taught that marriage, or matrimony, is part of God's plan for procreating humanity--God's creatures "creating" other humans in harmony with the Creator Himself. We were taught "What God has joined together let no man put asunder." Mark 10 6-9, Matthew 19 4-6

The problem is that with the horrible scandals in the Catholic Church (priests sexually abusing minors, higherups covering it up, Vatican bank, debauchery in seminaries, etc.) that the Catholic Church has lost its credibility as a moral leader. It's pure hypocrisy for the Catholic Church to point its finger at the evildoings of others when the Church is guilty of grave evildoing itself.

Perhaps the US Supreme Court's ruling is God's chastisement of His Church for its sins. Regardless, the redefinition of marriage in our society is difficult for many cradle Catholics to take.

wishful thinking

Prince George's County Exec: No new money for Purple Line - WTOP

Give Baker credit for understanding that when the state reduces its contribution from $700 million to $168 million that the counties can't make up the difference. Don't give him credit for his wishful thinking that the Purple Line is going to get built anyway.

However, there's an even bigger issue that needs to be addressed. 

Why, on the heels of the "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership, would one use the same, failed, public-private partnership model to build the Purple Line? To do so would be insanity.

Instead of allowing politicians to noncompetitively select their private business buddies to build public works projects that cost all taxpayers billions, and end up poorly managed, severely flawed and grossly overbudget and overdue, like the Silver Spring Transit Center, why not go back to the tried and true methods of the past where private businesses are selected competitively to build expensive public works projects? To do otherwise is insane. 

Prince Georges County MD
Montgomery County MD
Hogan
public-private partnership
Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
WMATA

Dylann Roof's future

Helter Skelter (Manson scenario)

Arab Spring in MD?

Leggett Makes Case for Independent Transit Authority Amid Significant Opposition - Bethesda Beat

Prince George’s Co. Council overturns Rushern Baker’s budget veto | WJLA.com

Isiah Leggett
Montgomery County MD
Rushern Baker
Prince George's County MD
Independent Transit Authority
Silver Spring Transit Center
Purple Line
public-private partnership

Manager of the year candidates

David Dise, Montgomery County MD Department of General Services director, for Silver Spring Transit Center project/construction management. Despite the facts that the Silver Spring Transit Center's construction is severely flawed and grossly overbudget and overdue (the SSTC is undergoing "repairs", but hasn't opened to the public yet), Mr. Dise has repeatedly assured the public that "the SSTC will absolutely be safe". In addition to his nomination as manager of the year, Mr. Dise is also nominated for seer of the year. 

https://www.ignet.gov/sites/default/files/files/FAEC-Presentation-Project-Management-Deficiencies-in-Constructing-the-SSTC.pdf 

Richard Sarles, recently retired WMATA general manager. For METRO's abysmal safety, operations, maintenance, financial and service records. 

FTA: Serious safety lapses at WMATA

Acting FTA administrator Therese McMillan, for FTA's hypocritical criticism of WMATA while promoting public-private partnerships that shift responsibility/accountability from the public sector, where it belongs, to the private sector. On the heels of the "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership, both the FTA and MTA are promoting the $2.45 BILLION Purple Line public-private partnership--a GREAT example of fleecing the public (taxpayers), and poor management. 

Manager of the year

Scandal

Twin Cities archbishop, deputy resign in wake of abuse cover-up allegations - TwinCities.com

"Last month, prosecutors charged the archdiocese as a corporation for having ignored repeated reports of inappropriate behavior by a priest who was later convicted of molesting two boys."

Twin Cities archdiocese charged with covering up clergy abuse - TwinCities.com

Ideologue?

Regional Memo: Hogan’s Purple Line choice could paint him as ideologue - The Washington Post

Then there's always the possibility that Gov. Hogan is right, even if it's for the wrong reason. Why should federal, state and local $ be spent on the Purple Line public-private partnership when the public doesn't know why the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership went so poorly? We know that the SSTC is a "monumental debacle"; but, we don't know why it's such a "monumental debacle". We know that Montgomery County chose private builder Foulger Pratt, private engineer Parsons Brinckerhoff and private inspector Balter Co. non-competitively, while private companies are selected competitively for most public works projects; but, we don't know why Montgomery County selected them. Shouldn't we? After all, whether the Silver Spring Transit Center had cost $20 million (which is what the County executive told the public 20 years ago, along with it being open in 1998) or it ends up costing $200 million, wasting public funds (federal, state & local) is wasting public funds. It's the same for the Purple Line--whether it costs $2.45 billion or $1.45 billion (which would be 10 times what the "monumental debacle" SSTC has cost the public to date), wasting public funds is wasting public funds. ... Do the right thing, Gov. Hogan, even if it's for the "wrong" reason. Hold off on approving the Purple Line public-private partnership until we know why the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership turned out to be such a "monumental debacle".

Will Gov. Hogan be branded an ideologue for doing the right thing (even if it's for the "wrong" reason)? Or will his legacy be that of just another politician who reneges on his campaign promises?

Time will tell.

wasting public funds

Md. transportation chief reportedly backs Purple Line if cost is lowered - The Washington Post

Regardless of how many billions of $ that the public-private partnership Purple Line costs, it shouldn't be approved until taxpayers get some answers on the "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership. For example, why did Montgomery County non-competitively choose private builder Foulger Pratt, private engineer Parsons Brinckerhoff and private inspector Balter Co. to provide services for the SSTC, when private companies are selected competitively for most public works projects? Wasting public funds (federal, state & local) is wasting public funds, whether it's in the tens of millions or billions.

heard from the MD public-private partnership casino

"The last one (Silver Spring Transit Center) didn't work out so well. We lost over $100 million."

"That's OK. Let's double down, and then double down again, and put it all on the Purple Line."

silver spring transit center

SSTC structural evaluation report
Montgomery County IG presentation
"monumental debacle"
former Montgomery County councilwoman Valerie Ervin

Purple Line funny numbers

http://www.gazette.net/article/20150609/NEWS/150619850/

"An engineering report from the U.S. Federal Transit Administration forecasts that the Purple Line will see 56,100 daily riders by 2035.

Meanwhile, a travel forecast report from the Maryland Transit Administration projects Purple Line ridership at 64,550 by 2030 and 69,300 by 2040. About 5,000 more riders are added in the MTA report if University of Maryland students and special boardings are counted.

An FTA spokesman said Tuesday he was checking on a response.

An MTA official could not be reached for comment.

Robert J. Riker, a Chevy Chase resident who worked as a management engineer for 30 years with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, reviewed the reports and said he believes that even the lower figure by the FTA is significantly high."

Figures lie, and liars figure.

At least there's one number that's sure to be much higher: $2.45 BILLION.

The chances that the Purple Line public-private partnership will be on or below budget are nil. Twenty years ago Montgomery County's executive said that the Silver Spring Transit Center would cost $20 million and be complete in 1998. It's 2015, the Silver Spring Transit Center still isn't finished, and its current cost is more than $140 million! 

Kudos to Kevin Shay and gazette.net for their excellent reporting.

incredibly low bar

• METRO's poor safety and service record
• TSA's security failures
• exploding airbags
• the Silver Spring Transit Center

Has the bar dropped so incredibly low that anything goes?

It appears that way.

a "tell it like it is" dose of reality

https://fortune.com/2015/06/02/the-tea-airport-security-problems/