Moving

The eastern most part of MoCo is so utterly fucked that we can't take it anymore. Crime has sky rocketed in our 13 months here and there seems no end to that. There is little to no police presence even though we've had car thefts, break ins, and even a few dumb asses firing off weapons! It's just not safe anymore. Traffic (the subject that really started this blog) sucks. It just sucks and it's not getting any better. It's getting worse by the day. There is a lack of citizen involvement, and really that is in part why crime is so bad. This is not to say that I am killing my blog--not that it would really matter too much, no one reads the damned thing. I am going to keep ranting if anyone cares to read it. I'm going to rename it I think but that will come later. I also hope that, with the move to Rockville (yes the epicenter of all MoCo ills) I will have the chance to get more involved with local politics and perhaps make a small difference. I highly doubt that I will be able to but hey, a man's gotta dream right? This is will be busy time so the blog may be quiet for a while. Dan of JUTP if you do read this, you do a good job of covering East County. Please remember, however, it's a blog, not a news service. While I appreciate you trying to cover stories that do get overlooked by the main media, a blog is a place to express your opinion not to play journalist. Leave that to the Gazette and the Post. That said, I will try to keep you apprised of what's coming out of Rockville as much as able.

In closing, I'd say it's been a fun ride but it's been utter hell. I'm glad to be leaving the shit hole that East County has become. I hope that those left will sit up and take notice. Take some pride in what's there. Get involved. If you do, you'll find that crime will go down, Rockville will know you exist and may even help you out some, and people may just come back and say "wow this is a nice place to live now". If not, rest assured that the area will go the way of Langley Park. Yeah, that used to be a really nice area that people went to and *gasp* felt safe at. Now look at it. Don't let what's left of East County become that.

S

You Can Buy Peoples' Rights for a Buck??

First just to be clear. I'm an engineer, not a journalist. I have never said I was a journalist. I write this blog to get the "news" of what's going on in East County and the Briggs Chaney area out to the public, yes. However, this "news" is not and never will be "Fair and Balanced." It is tainted with my personal opinion.

Disclaimer said I will move on.

It seems (as we all know) that DT Silver Spring is NOT a public space. At least not in the eyes of the developers. We all know about the Photo Walk. I was there, as were many other (and may I add better) bloggers (Just Up the Pike, Silver Spring Penguin, Silver Spring Scene), so I'm not going to beat a dead horse here. I would like to note that the Fourth of July was a great day for this. Also, did I mention this took place on Independence Day? A NATIONAL HOLIDAY?? Why, then, was the only US Flag to be seen in Silver Spring the one that is always there? Did the Peterson Cos FORGET that it was the Fourth of July? Oh wait maybe they did, given that they FORGOT that the public has rights in public space. Hell the People's Republic of Takoma Park goes all out decorating for the Fourth. I was rather dismayed and slightly offended that Silver Spring wasn't decked out in red, white, and blue.

In my opinion, this photo walk was good. I'm glad it happened and I think that maybe, just maybe, a few more people know what happened to Chip and the stance of the Peterson Cos. However, I hope it doesn't stop there. As a tax payer I would like to know why the Peterson Cos even THINK that Silver Spring is all theirs. Yes, I understand that this lease with MoCo more or less says that they can do as they please but someone please tell me why that was ever allowed to happen? We, as tax payers, are paying for policing, paying for trash pick up, paying for snow removal, paying for street upkeep. If MoCo had sold that block to Peterson, fine. I understand that the company would want to set their own rules on their own property. I'd even fully support that. The thing is MoCo DIDN'T sell them the land. Peterson is LEASING it. This isn't the end of this battle I fear. Yes, we can go and take pictures for now. (It should be noted that Peterson manages to capitalize on the photo walk by sponsoring a Silver Spring Photo Competition. No doubt this was the idea of newsman-turned rights sucking parasite lawyer IJ Hudson. I'm sorry the man spoke at my High School graduation now.) But if someone on the County or State level doesn't step in and make it clear that this land was developed and is maintained with tax payer dollars, PUBLIC FUNDS, the Peterson Cos will continue ignoring our rights for their own financial gain.

In closing, I urge everyone that took pictures at the photo walk (you can see the rest of our photo walk photos here) NOT to enter their pictures in the Silver Spring photo contest. Doing so, I feel, would deeply undermine anything (no matter how small) that was accomplished yesterday.

Yelling and Screaming and Rate Hikes....OH MY!!

Last night I decided to attend a meeting of a citizens group called Citizens Involved. Have served for three terms on the City of Takoma Park Public Safety Citizens Advisory Committee and one of the founders of the same city's Emergency Preparedness Committee, I was very pleased to hear that this Citizens Involved group was around. In fact, my first impression of them from (credit where it's due and all) Just Up the Pike, led me to believe that these people wanted to change things in the East County area. Hell, I thought they may even like to know my experiences as an appointed member to a public committee that attempted to do what they (so I thought) wished to do. Much to my unpleasant surprise, the meeting last night left me with a bad taste. First, the organizer of this Citizens Involved wished to discuss the BGE rate hike. To facilitate this, she invited some member of the Maryland Public Service Commission, BGE folks, and a host of other peddlers of green energy (it should be noted that the person presenting on solar power was, I'm pretty sure, under the influence of some controlled substance. I hope so at least.) The poor guy from the State got slammed hard by the geriatric residents, as well he should but this was not HIS PERSONAL fault. Ms. York utterly failed to follow her own agenda which itself turned a meeting that may have had some decent outcome into little more than her own infomercial spot. Tempers ran so hot that I was concerned the meeting would end in fisticuffs.

What is the point of this organization? What are they trying to accomplish? No one was invited (or at least showed up) that could do anything to address the concerns of those gathered. Not one elected official. I'm glad to know that Ms. York is so fond of green power. Perhaps she should start a Citizens for Green Power group or at least re-name Citizens Involved because they certainly aren't involved in much more than bitching and moaning. I am going to email Ms. York asking that MY concerns be added to the next meeting agenda. I highly doubt they will be as I'm sure she is already preparing next month's line up.

In short, Citizens Involved is little more than a forum Ms. York uses to show off her own ideas, or leanings. (i.e., the green energy and wholesale power peddlers) She does not bother to invite people that may help or for that matter care. This, coupled with Ms. York's total inability to lead a school of goldfish much less a meeting, left me with the overwhelming feeling that, like the Briggs-Chaney Interchange, Citizens Involved is a disorganized Cluster Fuck.
I'll be at the next meeting. Mainly to see if my concerns are on the agenda. Hell, I may start my own citizens' group.
Stay tuned (those few people that read this) for updates and Ms. York's response to my email.