Only in the DMV--Letters to the Editor edition.

When I think about what the political class in Washington DC sounds like, I always think of Washington Post columnist George Will.

Will isn't afraid to use SAT words.  Truth be told, he's already moved on.  He's in GRE territory.  

And, he loves to use obscure historical references.  Usually to a war I've never heard about, or a group that sort of, kind of sounds familiar.    

You know, just to remind you that that all that daydreaming in History has come back to haunt you.  

But, it turns out George Will has some competition.  In the Washington Post's Saturday letters to the editor one Dennis William Chapman wrote in to complain about the previous week's real estate section story on micro houses.  

I'm not a fan of micro-houses anymore than I am a fan of micro-units.  They may be affordable (in a comparative sense), but I reject the idea that affordability basically amounts to high-end SROs (single room occupancy).  I don't care if that tiny counter-top is marble and the space is ergonomic.  If I don't have room to chop veggies, or at least 500 square feet to wander around in, it isn't big enough.    

But, Dennis puts it so much better than I could.  He manages to combine erudition with DC bravadoI will crush you peon.  Here he is in all of his glory:  

"The Post should not promote this artistic debauchery.  The 'green' Philistines mean well, but they must be controlled.  People need art, beauty and a little more room."  

Well done Mr. Chapman.  And Mr. Will, you might want to watch your back!  

Larry Hogan off to a nasty start?

Maryland's governor elect, Larry Hogan, won the game, and he doesn't want you to forget it.    

According to the Washington Post, Hogan decided to do a little in-your-face victory dance at a meeting for Montgomery County business leaders yesterday, telling leaders assembled in a Bethesda hotel:  

"Now, I realize that Montgomery County was one of the three lonely counties that unfortunately voted the wrong way from the entire rest of the state."

Hogan should head back to high school for a civics refresher course.    

There is NO SUCH THING AS A WRONG WAY TO VOTE.  The Constitution gives citizens the right to vote, but it doesn't tell them how to vote.  I know the Maryland GOP has been in political Siberia for some time, but we don't do Soviet style elections here Comrade.

He might also want to head back to an elementary math class.  Those three "lonely" counties accounted for 45% of the state's population in 2010.  Antagonizing them, or treating them as marginal isn't a winning strategy for re-election, let along smooth governing.

Let's hope that Hogan decides to take a political Tums to tame the acid associated with his foot-in-mouth disease.

The World's Oldest Profession--Lobbying?

We here a lot these days about the corrosive impact of interest group politics.  In fact, Jim Webb, a former Democratic Senator in Virginia, just alleged that "the Democratic Party has basically turned into a party of interest groups.

But let's face it, where would all these interest groups be without the geishas of the political world, the lobbyists who connect interest groups to politicians.

And, lest we stop there, let's also ask where those poor lobbyists would be without a roof over their head?  Probably--GASP--in a strip mall.  Lucky for them, there's always a lobby shop from which to hang your shingle--that venerable house of political prostitution that will take your business regardless of your political affiliation (or those of your interest group clients).  Lobbying, it seems, is an end in itself.

Take Annapolis, for example.  The blue state of Maryland now seems a little more purple with the recent election of a Republican governor--Larry Hogan. So, how does your Oldest Profession respond?  Well, they start hiring Republicans of course. 

According to today's Washington Post, the Annapolis lobby shop Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston, Levitan & Silver just hired a "long time Republican strategist" as the firm's "director of business development."

And, to burnish the new 'goods' for sale at the shop, the firm quoted the co-chair of Hogan's transition team complimenting the firm's newest lady of the evening'strategist.'  

Who says we live in a partisan world?  Political prostitution is as purple as it gets. 

Olympian Delusions--DC Style

My new favorite phrase is 'you can't make this sh*t up.'

Why?  Because it always seems to be true. You'd think I wouldn't be surprised by now.  But I am, over and over again.  Some part of me clearly wants to believe people are rational.  But, in reality, few of us are.  Especially the rich.  They aren't just irrational, they are exuberantly irrational.    

Case in point, the local millionaires trying to bring the 2024 summer olympics to DC. 

The Washington Post just uploaded a glowing profile of the movers and shakers behind this deal. See my earlier blog post about them here. 

I won't bore you with fawning portraits painted of the individuals behind the group.  Suffice it to say here that two things caught my eye, and both of them demonstrate the folly of the rich.

1.  The Washington 2024 crowd wants Olympic facilities to be built on city land!  That's right, let's use city land to build stuff for other people, because clearly DC doesn't have any pressing things to spend money on.  I mean, yes, there is that old hospital housing hundreds of homeless families, but move along now, nothing to see here.  Yes, it is true, we need to build some affordable housing, but isn't that what PG County is for? 

2.  The Olympics would be good for DC's reputation on the world stage.  House of Cards make us look bad, they say.  Especially to the Chinese.  And, we simply can't have that.  Whip up some distractions ya'll!   

May I suggest instead that there's an easier way to fix this.  Pull out your capes delusional Olympians, get your wigs brushed out, call in your back up singers, and put Gloria Gaynor's 'I'm coming out' on the sound system.  Then have yourselves a big ole drag party.  You'd do all of us less harm that way.  

Breaking News on Arlington Street Cars, and Bad News for the Purple Line?

The Washington Post is reporting that Arlington is going to pull the plug on planned Streetcars for Columbia Pike and Crystal City.  You can read the story here. 

This is bad news for Arlington, and could signal bad news for Maryland's purple line project.  Why?

Two troubling signs:
1.  Promises of State aid weren't enough to save the project.  Arlington county officials had already secured 135 million from the state of Virginia.  Usually, when transportation projects get killed it is because you can't get the state or feds on board.  They were on board here.  It still got killed. The purple line has a similar set of circumstances.

2.  Opponents of local/state/federal spending on infrastructure are organized.  The Arlington County Board elections a couple of weeks ago saw the ouster of a streetcar advocate and the election of someone ardently opposed to them.  In the WAPO story, the Arlington County Board chair acknowledged that outcome when he announced the decision, saying, "We were caught flatfooted, we did not effectively make the case."  In Maryland, Larry Hogan hasn't said much about the Purple Line, but his anti-tax rhetoric suggests he won't support it.  And, as readers of this blog know, the purple line's opponents are organized and willing to sue to get their way. 

The bigger question--what does all of this mean for redevelopment in the DMV's inner suburbs?  Nothing good for people not adjacent to the city's already jammed metro system.   

Random MOCO Pic of the Day--Less Blue than We thought?

I took this photograph a month ago on the way to Rock Hill Orchard in northern Montgomery County.  At the time, it just seemed out of place, uncharacteristic of Montgomery County.
 

Not only was the church celebrating a Louisiana clan who became millionaires selling duck callers, it was celebrating a clan that was becoming increasingly outspoken in its support for the GOP.  Sure, MOCO has ducks and duck hunters, but MOCO's made-it-big-types are more likely to be in government or tech sector.  MOCO is also (usually) thought of as 'terra firma' for Democratic politicians.  When I made this trip, Anthony Brown was considered a shoe in for the governor's race (in MOCO and the state). 

This sign looks prophetic now.   In the gubernatorial election, 37% of MOCO voters supported the state's Republican candidate, and eventual winner Larry Hogan.  That's a 6% point gain over the share earned in the county by Bob Ehrlich, the 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate.  

What this change means and how permanent it is remain unclear.  But, one thing is for certain--there are multiple ways to take a place's political temperature. Here's one of them! 

In-state Tuiton--Subsidy or Social Contract?

This weekend the Washington Post had a provocative column by Fred Hiatt arguing that in-state tuition is basically a subsidy for the rich.

Say what?

Well, as Hiatt sees it, in-state tuition is a subsidy in as much as the state spends about $19,000 per student per semester but only charges him/her $9,400 a semester for tuition.  And, since wealthy kids go to college at much higher rates than their poor and working class peers, this is a "regressive" subsidy.  It helps the rich more than the poor. 

On the face of it, this sounds like a reasonable argument.  Shouldn't the governments be concentrating its subsidies on the people who need them the most?

There are two problems with this line of thinking.  (There are actually quite a few problems, but hey, this is a blog, not a college essay, so I'll spare you).

First, subsidies don't just have to be for poor people.  Subsidies can also be used to build up and support social goods.  Social goods are meant to be 'consumed' by as many people as possible, and as such have an impact across society.  If we adopt the idea that subsidies should only be for the poor, then we'd never have interstate highways, fire departments, police, or any number of services built for and used by the entire populace.   

Second, social goods tend to bind people together from across society at large.  In the realm of education, that means that a subsidized state university becomes something that belongs to all of us--rich and poor, black and white, young and old.  If you don't treat education as a public good, then it becomes just another consumer good--like a television, a car, or even an extended vacation.  Those who can afford to buy it can.  Those that can't, don't. 

Of course, those rich kids in Potomac that Hiatt thinks are getting unnecessary handouts will still be able to afford unsubsidized tuition and will still go to college.  But, those at the bottom of the economic ladder, who may already find the $9,400 tuition hard to pay, will be locked out of the system entirely.  And, that will just be the way it is, because after all, when something becomes a commodity, it isn't something everyone should have, or that benefits us all.  It is just something you buy.   

There's also the unfortunate fact that when you only subsidize the neediest, the better-offs tend to point fingers and make moral judgements.  And, then they'll fight to undo them, on the grounds that the recipients are undeserving.

Hiatt may fancy himself a progressive tax maven, but what he's really doing is regressive.  He's abandoning the notion that there are things government should provide for all of us.  It is an attack, however implicit, on the whole notion of the social contract.

Think I'm exaggerating?  I wish I were.  But, Hiatt shows his hand at the end of his essay when he argues that the in-state tuition 'subsidy' "mirrors" entitlements like "tax deductions for mortgages [and] charitable giving".   

Seriously.  

Take that one in.

Subsidized public education is no different than a middle class tax write off.  

I guess I missed all those inspirational PSAs during Saturday morning cartoons that encouraged me to aim high because a mortgage tax deduction could be in my future.       

p.s. there's nothing stopping the state of Maryland, or universities themselves from providing subsidies to low income students to attend college.  In fact, if universities want to create a more progressive subsidy system, I'd suggest cutting upper level administration salaries (presidents and provosts making over 200k a year) and applying the savings to students in need.    

Not sure about right and wrong? Just hire a consultant to tell you.

Just imagine that your kid comes to you one evening and asks--have I been good enough for Santa Claus this year?  And, imagine you respond by saying, 'let's hire a consultant to figure that out!'   

Sounds silly, huh?  Well, that's what Montgomery County's Board of Education recently did when the Washington Post reported that some of its members were racking up questionable credit card expenses.

They paid $140,000 to a local law firm (which has already done about 600k worth of work for the board over the last two years) to review the expenses and identify any wrong doing.  That's right, you have to pay someone to tell you you've been spending like a drunken sailor on shore leave. 

Who knew you could outsource all of your moral quandaries?  Not I, but things are about to change in my life.  I'm going to start outsourcing my moral quandaries to consultants as well.   

This April 15th, I think I'll delay my taxes and spend the money instead on a consultant who can tell me if I really need to do this.  I found a great guy, too.  Sure, he's got a bunker in his backyard, a 'don't tread on me' flag in his front yard, and a twitchy habit of always looking over his shoulder, but he SWEARS he's a consultant. 

I'm also reconsidering those 40 hours a week I'm meant to work.  I mean, there's nothing in my contract about that.  'Full-time' can mean so many things.  Like that poster that says 'make your time here as full as it can be.'  Or the meme on Facebook with that bottle of wine and a caption telling me to 'live it up.'  That means to the fullest doesn't it?  And, anyway, I have been wanting to sleep in late, so I think I'll take Fridays off from now on.  And, I'll hire my friend, let's call him Steve, to review the situation if and when the boss calls. 

I could get used to this!

Toys for Police or Aid for Victims--who or what is DOJ's asset forfeiture for?

PG County police has a newish mobile command center.   It looks glossy, sophisticated, and high-tech, which is to say, cool.*

The techie-fizz wears off, however, when you realize the county got the new command center through the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Equitable Sharing Program, which allows state and municipal police to share in a portion of so called "ill-gotten assets" (i.e. those seized under suspicion that a federal crime has been committed).  Here's the formal definition of the program on DOJ's webpage.

It sounds good doesn't it?  Hitting the bad guys by going after their money.  'What could be wrong with that?' you ask?  A lot, as it turns out.

An investigative series on the program by the Washington Post highlights two issues in particular.  The first is that seizure of property can occur based on suspicion (i.e. without concrete evidence). Ordinary citizens can have cash, vehicles, and other property seized on suspicion that it was obtained through illegal means. 

The second problem is that even if police fail to produce enough evidence for an indictment, they can still keep your property.  In fact, the only way to get your stuff back is to negotiate, or hire a lawyer and go to court. The Washington Post found that 81% of the cases it tracked through a FOIA request did not result in an indictment.  Your pockets for the picking--local law enforcement edition. 

The third problem--do victims of crime benefit from Equitable Sharing?--brings us back to that bus.  When DOJ is pressed to justify the program given these obvious problems, it usually resorts to tropes about helping victims.  Here's how a DOJ spokesperson described the program to a Washington Post Reporter:  "It [Equitable Sharing] removes the tools of crime from criminal organizations, deprives wrongdoers of the proceeds of their crimes, recovers property that may be used to compensate victims, and deters crime."

So, how do victims make out in the Equitable Sharing Bonanza?  Not well, it turns out.  State and local forces would rather buy stuff than help already existing victims.  According to the Washington Post, since 2008 the state and local police from across the country have received 2.5 billion from the Equitable Sharing Program.  And, a breakdown of the categories for national spending demonstrate victims are at the bottom of the list.  One billion dollars of that spending was categorized as 'other,' as in 'none of your damned business how we spent the money.'  The second largest spending category--communications and computers--sucked up 436 million of total funds.   Likewise, 261 million went to "building and improvements," 215 million on salaries, and 177 on weapons.  Victims, "community-based programs" in DOJ parlance, got a paltry 20 million.

So, the next time you see the PG County Mobile Command Unit tooling around town, ask the police chief why he didn't spend that money on helping gunshot victims, or victims of domestic violence, or victims of elder abuse?  The list goes on and on.

By the way, the question about victims shouldn't stop you from asking all the other questions the WAPO reporting begs you to ask, including whether we really do have a presumption of innocence anymore?    

* The picture of the mobile command center is from PG County's website.  

'Uber This!' Said the Taxi Driver.

I'm about to kick it old school.  In the process I'll probably freak out a few hipsters.  And, I'm sure to attract the wrath of an economist or two.  But, here goes... 

Consumer welfare shouldn't trump the welfare of those who produce what consumers buy.  The goal should be to find some balance between the two. 

Unfortunately, consumers are today's gods while producers are pesky obstacles to progress.  Let's take a case in point.  The Uber debates.  

For those of you who live outside the DMV or in places without Uber, it is basically an informal taxi service.  Because you have to be an Uber 'member' to catch a ride with an Uber driver, Uber isn't registered as a taxi company.  I put 'member' in scare quotes, however, because all it takes to gain membership is a simple download of the Uber app.  The app let's you request a ride and see the closest drivers near you.    

I've never taken Uber.  It started to get big about the time I had a baby, and since my little one can't ride in a car without a car seat, all taxis (formal or otherwise) are a no-go for me at the moment.  I'm not completely out of the loop though.  A friend used Uber to catch a ride from my house to hers the other night.  I watched her request a ride and peered at the map showing where all the Uber cars in the area were.  We were able to guestimate (with accuracy) how long it would take for one to arrive.

All of which is to say that I get the attraction of Uber.  Uber gives you more options (especially in the suburbs where getting a taxi is harder than in the city), and it is often faster at pick-ups than traditional taxis are.       

It is annoying, however, to see Uber described as "rais[ing] consumer welfare." That's what the IGM Economic Experts Panel recently did.  It is also annoying to hear Uber's legions of fans describe it with the kind of hyperbole usually reserved for tent revivals in the South.  One Uber fan on Business Insider wrote: "Uber has changed my life and as God is my witness I will never take a taxi again." 


Really?  So that's what Scarlett O'Hara was talking about--a ride to Atlanta. 

On the face of it IGM is right.  Uber does improve consumer welfare.  However, it does so at the expense of a lot of other things. 

What are those other things?  Thanks go to the Washington Post's Catherine Rampell for pointing out some of these in her recent op-ed about Uber.  She notes, for example, that despite claims to the contrary, Uber isn't all that green.  Indeed, their goal is to be immediately available to anyone who requests a ride, and that means flooding the streets of big cities with Uber drivers.  The inevitable result is a lot of idling cars.  According to Rampell there's also evidence that people take Uber instead of greener options, like buses and metrorail.

There are other problems with Uber, though, that can't fit into the space of an Op-ed in the Washington Post.  Here's where MOCOMusings comes in.  Let's look at the drivers.  Driving a taxi can be a middle class job, although a difficult one.  You know that feeling you get after a road trip where you've done all the driving?  The cramped legs, twitchy fingers, and achy back.  Taxi drivers often do road trip amounts of driving everyday.  So, they get those feelings everyday.  The regulations can also be a pain--you can't refuse customers (even though many do by simply 'not seeing them), and your car has to pass frequent inspection. 

The job can be worth it, though, because the pay is decent, the regulations and fares are predictable (and only change on an annual basis, if at all), and you've got flexibility (need to pop into the store to get something for your kid, you can do it).  Uber's model will destroy or undermine all of that.  In fact, its business model vis-à-vis its employees is to off-load most of the risks onto its drivers.  Drivers have to buy their car (although it must fit Uber's specifications), pay for the insurance, deal with aggressive/drunk customers, compete with the heaps of new drivers Uber keeps hiring, and accept fare reductions that often happen on a whim.  Oh, and let's not forget the commission the drivers have to pay Uber, a fee also subject to unannounced change.  Don't believe me?  Check out this post on a near strike by Uber drivers based on some of these practices.   
 
The taxi-riding public can demand omnipresent services.  It is their right, I suppose.  But, the Uber-riding public among them might want to stop equating their demands with all that is good and holy.  Uber provides its service in much the same way Nike and other large corporations do--at the expense of their labor.  And, all those economists who tell you Uber is great for the flexibility-demanding American workforce are just deluding themselves.  Uber is an attractive option for many drivers because they can't find a job elsewhere. 

Somewhere in Michigan (I presume), Henry Ford, who believed workers should be paid enough to be consumers, is turning over in his grave. 

Want Metro to run during MLB Playoffs? Let the Students Pay for it.

Truth is usually stranger than fiction.  Today's exhibit?  American University has agreed to pay to keep the metro open late for the Nationals' playoff games this fall.  You can read all about in today's Washington Post.

That's right, a university (funded largely through tuition) is offering to pay an expense a corporate tycoon refuses to pay.  I'd say there's not only some entitlement in the air, but a whiff of desperation as well.

This isn't the first time the Nationals have refused to pay to keep metro open late.  It happened a couple of years ago when the team made the playoffs.  The company Living Social ended up picking up the tab.

To be fair, picking up the tab for extended metro hours during a major league sporting event usually isn't that costly.  In fact, all of the other major sports franchises in the city have agreements to pay the upfront costs.  Why?  Because metro agrees to refund the fee if ridership covers the expense, and it usually does.

So, given all that, why in the hell can't the Lerner family--the entitled tycoons at the center of today's truth is stranger than fiction drama--manage to cough up the cash?  It appears the Lerners, who didn't even pay for most of the stadium their team plays in, think the city should cover it.  Why?  Well, here's what the Nationals PR hack unitteam had to say by way of explanation:  "What matters is that our fans will be able to ride Metro to and from postseason games and not have to worry about missing a second of the action." 

Another interpretation is that what we have here is a classic case of a corporate welfare queen grown so fat and lazy that it's now looking for private largess to add to its government goodie bag.* 

FYI, you know you're in trouble when even the owner of Washington's football team agrees to cover expenses for his late night games.

What about AU's role?  Full disclosure--I teach at AU.  My initial reaction, when my husband read the headline to me this morning, was disbelief.  Why would AU--a university at the other end of town from the stadium--pay for that?  It's not like AU is a well known location for 'natitude.'  Sure, some of the students, staff, and profs like the team, but it isn't visibly noticeable in any way.  In fact, a lot of students are from other cities, and continue to root for their home teams when they come here.

Turns out, AU is a "higher education partner" with the Nationals.  According to the Washington Post article linked to above, the partnerhsip gives the university "high visibility inside the ballpark through signs, T-shirt giveaways and other promotional activities."  I wonder if my smiling face graces any of them? Sigh, a girl can dream. 

You could call this an innovative way to market a university.  Or, you could call it an own goal (sorry to mix my sport metaphors dear reader, but I simply could not resist).  None of the comments at the end of the article applauded AU for the move.  Most comments focused solely on the Nats (and none of them were good).  When AU did get a mention, the tone was blase at best (this is what all universities do) and scathing at worst.  At least two commentators saw a branding effort in backfire mode, as in AU just demoted itself to the amateur league where the community colleges** and for-profit universities play the advert game.   

We seem to have an advertising fail.  So, why don't we create a scholarship win instead?  Take the money and establish a scholarship for a local kid in the DMV who can't afford AU's tuition but wants to come here.  That's a positive way to build a brand in the city and region.          

* It is also possible that MLB is playing hardball, pushing the Lerner family to refuse to pay the fees so other teams in other cities won't have to agree to similar deals.  Even if this is the case, it doesn't make the Lerner's entitlement any better.  It just makes MLB look bad as well.  
** I wish community colleges did more advertising.  They are cheaper than for-profits and they have much higher graduation rates.  Check 'em out!

What does a declining GDP look like?

This weekend the Washington Post reported that the GDP for the Washington DC metro area declined by .8% between 2012 and 2013.  The average change for the country's 381 metro areas was +1.6%, although some places saw gains of as much as 10% (Mt. Vernon-Anacortes metro area in Washington State and Greeley Colorado).  

The DC metro area performance puts us is in the bottom 6th of the 381 metro areas in the US.  In more graphic terms it means our change in GDP was on par with the change in Atlantic City, Birmingham Al, and Springfield Illinois.  That's right, DC didn't even outperform the town Donald Trump just left.   

So, what's behind the change?   

The government shut down played a big role.  It lasted for just over 2 weeks.  The Sequester, which created broad cuts across government was probably just as important, and unlike the shutdown isn't a one time thing.

What does a declining GDP 'look' like?

Let me start with a personal anecdote.  My husband is a government contractor.  During the shutdown his company allowed him to use vacation and sick leave to cover the lost days.  After the first week it also told employees they could borrow from their 2014 vacation allotment.  My husband was lucky in that he still had a fe vacation days when the shutdown began in October.  But, given its duration, he ate through it and all but a few days of his sick leave (he wanted to keep some in pocket for emergencies).  He then had to borrow about a week of his 2014 vacation time.  A lot of his colleagues didn't have any vacation left so they chose to forgo paychecks (presumably to avoid the prospect of facing a 2014 without any time away from work).

Although Congress reinstated the pay of civil servants, companies with government contracts were left to negotiate for back pay.  My husband's company is still going through that process.  What did that mean for our spending?  He didn't buy gas for two weeks--no need to if he wasn't going to work.  We also didn't go out to eat at all during the shutdown, and this year we also spent less on vacation (and overall) because we still don't know if my husband will be in the 'hole,' and owe vacation time/pay to his employer.

Now, a more graphic view.  On the way to my son's daycare every morning I pass an informal day labor site wedged between a 7-Eleven and a small dress shop.  I've been driving by this location all summer, and every morning around 8:15 there are about a dozen men waiting there.  I can make that count because the site is at an intersection where I'm often waylaid by a persistent red light.  The sad part is that during all of those brief pauses I've never see anyone looking for workers there.  I'm sure people looking for workers come here, but the fact that I've never actually seen someone at a peak hour for a day labor site is troubling.

Government workers (civil servants and contractors) cut back their spending, so contractors do as well.  The people who would usually work for them are then forced to wait for a job at a 7-Eleven, hoping they'll find a job, at least for the day.   
   

This is how a shrinking economy unravels at the edges.  A drop in GDP tends to 'show up' (to be visible) at the bottom of the job market first, but with data like these, it won't stay there.

Next post--how to square a declining GDP with tales of a booming DC.     


* The Washington Post report was based on a study just published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  
** The Census name for the DC metro area is "Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV"

George Orwell in the Maryland Court System?

You can't make this stuff up.  Really.  In fact, I wish I or someone else was making up the story I'm about to recount for you.  As you'll see momentarily, these events belong in a George Orwell novel, and not in a Maryland court.  

Let first start out by noting that this story came to the Washington Post via Courtland Milloy, who is an opinion columnist, not a reporter.  Maybe they should switch Milloy's hat and title because this story should have been on WAPO's front page when it first happened in late July.

So, here's the rundown.  A judge in La Plata Maryland used a stun-cuff on a defendant who was representing himself, poorly as it turns out.  That is, the judge didn't like the pace the defendant was using or the case law he was citing.  So, instead of enduring what teachers have to endure everyday, the judge, Robert Nalley, ordered a deputy in the courtroom to administer a 50,000 volt shock to the defendant/legal council via a bracelet attached to his ankle.  The defendant is described in multiple accounts as falling to the ground "screaming" and "writhing in pain."     

No, I'm not joking.

This really happened.  You can read the first journalist report about it here.  Props to the journalist, Ruben Castaneda and his paper the Baltimore Post-Examiner. 

Milloy's piece rightly focused on the human rights abuse entailed in this act.  As he notes, electric shock cannot legally be administered because a judge doesn't like what he's hearing.  It can only be used if the defendant is about to hurt himself or someone else.  And anyway, rules aside, when did the court system become a site for torture, a "little Guantanamo" as Milloy put it? 

Let me focus in on another element.  The defendant, Delvon King,apparently holds a number of anti-government ideas.  In particular, King believes he is a "sovereign citizen" and as such not under the jurisdiction of the judge. 

This sort of language is reminiscent of the militia movement of the 1990s and more recently by Cliven Bundy in Nevada, a rancher who feels entitled to use Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land without paying for it.

I am no fan of anti-government rhetoric.  Civilized society requires government, and I would obviously include a judical system as part of effective government.  But, in a civilized society power must come restraint.  Nalley failed that test miserably.  He also just gave anti-government types across the country some evidence that their conspiracies might not be so far off the mark after all.  Well done Nalley, you've just become the boogey man incarnate.  I bet your mother is proud. 

I hope he is removed from the bench immediately and punished accordingly.  His behavior is stomach churning. 

DC2024--A Rogue's Gallery of Supporters?

It is official--DC is under consideration to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.  There's even a webpage chronicling the effort. 

What a bad idea.  A bad idea on so many levels.  There will be multiple posts about this folly to come in the weeks ahead.  For now, let's just focus on who is supporting the bid.  If some of these 'civic-minded' folks have something to gain, it should give us pause.

When I looked at the DC2024 webpage 'boosting' the bid, one pattern was brick-through-the-window obvious.  Major league sports are behind the venture.  Specifically, Ted Leonis (who owns the Washington Capitals, the Vizards, and the Mystics), Mark D. Lerner (who owns the Nationals), and Paul Tagliabue (a former NFL commissioner).  The only major players missing are Dan Snyder and the DC United's Owners.  Given Snyder's level of toxicity, Tagliabue is most likely the NFL's stand in.  And, DC United is still focused on trying to get a stadium, meaning it doesn't (yet) have a dog in this fight.    

I know, at this point, some of you are unhappy with the direction this here tirade is going:

• "Paws off! I'm going to marry Ovi, and for that to happen, he needs to live here" 
• "Ladies Love Cool Mystics!" 
• "Natitude!" 
• "If George Will supports the Nats, then so do I!"  

Ok, just kidding on the last one.  Will's prolix (and tedious) fandom is reason enough to start rooting for, gasp, the Braves.  (I'd say the Orioles, but O's fans are far too loyal to have dropped their team when a newer stadium opened up closer to home--major props to them). 

But, I digress.  The role of Major Leagues sports give me a stop-me-in-my-tracks-can-I-get-off-this-train level of pause. 

Leonis and Lerner both have something to gain from having the Olympics in the city.  They respectively own and lease  the Verizon Center and National's Park.  And, though a successful Olympic bid would likely require building some new facilities, both venues are new enough to get some use (and as a result, to generate fees for their current lease holders).  The baseball stadium also has a view and looks great in photographs taken from the other side of the river.   

Although Leonis has been a fairly good corporate citizen, it would be hard to put Lerner in that category.  He's basically tried to shift the costs for his team onto the city since he first started negotiating for the stadium nearly 10 years ago.   

It started when he demanded the city pay for the full costs of his stadium.  Apparently, the owners of major league franchises are a lot like the former Governor and First Lady of Virginia--they think someone else should pick up the tab.  Since then, Lerner's been late on his rent to the city, and gotten fussy about paying the metro system to keep the system open for games that go late (even though the city will reimburse him if the ridership is high enough).

In my mind, these guys have too much vested interest in an Olympic bid to be viewed as reputable voices on behalf of the city or metro area.

Public investment should be for public, not private gain, and should be substantial rather than ephemeral.

Review of the National Book Festival's first year Inside

I am a book nerd.  And, I don't mean a Kindle or Nook or any other e-reader nerd.  I love the real deal.  Books with pages you can turn and spines you can crack. 

So, I was happy to head to the National Book Festival this weekend with my family.  In years past the festival was held on the National Mall.  This year, for the first time, it was held in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. 

Festival organizers chose the new location under duress.  The National Park Service, which controls the National Mall, decided that the Festival did too much damage to the grass and would have to look elsewhere for this year's event.  The Convention Center isn't too far from the mall, but it is definitely a different kind of space.  Organizers were understandably worried that attendance would drop. 

Fortunately, things were just fine.  And, though I'd prefer the festival be held on the Mall, MOCO Musings can offer a positive review of the festival's first indoor iteration. 

Bye-bye porta-potties.  I skipped the 2010 festival because I was 8 months pregnant at the time.  I wasn't worried about the walking or the heat.  But, the fear that I wouldn't be able to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes put the fear of (your favorite holy guy here) in me.  The Washington Convention Center has bathrooms--plenty of them.  And, except for the bathrooms right by the doors, none of them had lines. 

Metro Accessible.  You can take the  metro right to the Convention Center.  This makes it easier to avoid driving to the Festival.  It also a big bonus if you've got mobility challenged people in your party.  Whether you drive or take metro, a trip to the Mall usually requires some walking.      

The Pavilion of States.  Maybe it is my imagination, but the Pavilion of States really upped its game this year.  For starters it felt like they had more space in which to spread out.  It was still crowded with kids and adults trying to get stamps, but the throng of people was manageable and worth it.  We scored cool state magnets, marbles (I'm looking at you West Virginia!), one free kids book, and MAPS (shout out to you Kansas!).  I didn't make every state, but here's a map of the states I did get stamps for.  Personally, I like the Kansas stamp the best.  But never fear, the Maryland Crab was a close second. 

Yay books!  And, long live the National Book Festival.  It is one of the few non-partisan things in this town.  It was started by Laura Bush and continued by Michelle Obama.  Let's hope the next first lady or first gentleman keeps it up!  

Cray Cray in MOCO?

When I moved to the suburbs two years ago I was worried I would leave behind some of the urban crazy I'd come to love.

In my old neighborhood an elderly gentleman used to walk a loop of blocks wearing a rain poncho--usually only in the summer when it was sunny and hot.  He would also give you a big smile and say "glorious morning to you".  I loved running into him because crazy or not, he was sweet.  And, unlike most people in DC, he'd actually acknowledge your presence on the street.

There was also the lady who cursed like a sailor.  Her hangout was in front of the National Cathedral.  Something about the yin and yang of the holy and profane used to always make me smile. 

Well, I shouldn't have feared.  MOCO has as much crazy as anyone else.  Last weekend's story about a landlord, an arborist, and a hapless Homeland Security Agent proved me wrong.  You can read the full story here.  But, let me break it down for you.  

A local landlord with a checkered past wanted to evict an elderly woman and her son from their apartment because they were 2 weeks behind on the rent.

The formal procedure being too too slow for the landlord's tastes, he hired a 'heavy' to forcibly move them out.  A heavy nicknamed Bunny.  A heavy whose day job is as an arborist.  As you can probably guess, Bunny doesn't look very soft and cuddly in his mugshot.

And our hapless Homeland Security agent?  Turns out the landlord shared his plans with our DHS guy in advance.  To his credit, the DHS guy told the landlord his plan was a bad idea, but still drove him to an ATM, presumably to get money to pay the heavy coming over later that night.  And, when the heavy arrived and the crazy began, the DHS guy wasn't exactly quick draw McGraw.  Despite the advance warning and 'screams' from the tenants, our man still couldn't manage to get a picture of the license plate on the getaway car.

Let's hope he's in HR and not in intelligence.

Unaccompanied Minors in the DMV

It's official.  Some of the unaccompanied minors coming across the US/Mexican border from Central America are now in the DMV.  As I'll explain below, their arrival isn't surprising.

Although most Hispanics in the US are from Mexico (or have parents from Mexico), in Montgomery County they are much more likely to be from Central America (or have parents from there).  The table below shows 2010 Census data on the Hispanic share of the population, and the percentage of that share by place of origin, for MOCO, Maryland, and the US.

To understand how unaccompanied minors from Central America got here let's break it down into push and pull factors.  Push factors explain why a person leaves a place.  Pull factors explain why they go where they go.

THE PUSH
In Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala--the 3 countries where the overwhelming majority of kids are coming from--gangs are a ubiquitous menace.  Central American gangs aren't like gangs in the US who control relatively small turf in poor neighborhoods.  These gangs are much bigger.  In some places the control entire towns; in others they control multiple neighborhoods as well as major streets and highways.  Sure, if you are a rich person in these countries you can afford to (mostly) cocoon yourself.  You can hire a private security detail, live in a gated community with armed guards, and confine yourself to high end areas that are well policed by private forces.

Everybody else is left at the mercy of gangs.  And, since most of these countries don't have sizable middle classes, 'everybody else' constitutes a majority of the population.

So, what are Central American gangs like?  Well, you can always check out the think tank accounts (see here and here), but let me break it down in simple terms.  Most gang members are young men, many of them teenagers.  All teenagers have poor impulse control.  These teenagers also have high caliber weapons and follow the creed that power is key and dominance is power.

If you are a parent or caregiver this is terrifying because it means that your kids can be roughed up, raped, or beaten unconscious by local gang members simply throwing their weight around.  Even worse, your kids could be forced to join a gang and become one of the monsters themselves.

If you are a kid, this is terrifying AND confusing.  The adults, who are supposed to be in charge, can't protect you because it's the teenagers running the show.

As a parent, my first instinct would be to get my kid out of that mix STAT!  If I was living with them, we'd head out together.  If I was in the US, I'd hire a coyote (a smuggler) to get them to me.    

THE PULL:
Why come to MOCO?  Many unaccompanied minors come to the US to be with their parents, who often work here without papers.  MOCO has a higher than average concentration of Central Americans, so it's not surprising that there are reunions happening here and in other parts of the DMV.   

Since this issue first hit the news, I've heard people ask "why would a parent ever leave their kids behind in the first place?"  There's usually a hint of judgement behind the question, but there's also genuine curiosity.  Well, let's start with the fact that there aren't nearly enough jobs to go around.  And, then, even if you get a job, it is likely to be minimum wage.  Central American minimum wages are abysmal (here they are just crappy).  They are not enough to cover basic food staples.  So, these parents leave for work, but the calculus is more than economic.  If you need money for food for your kids, you're talking about survival.   

I've also heard people ask the flip side of this question--why would you ever let your kid travel through Mexico unattended?  The trip is truly hazardous.  Everyone wants a mordida (a bribe) from migrants, and some want more than that (sexual favors, material belongings, forced labor).  In light of this, people often think--"they must be mad for encouraging their kids do that."  The thing is, the dangers aside, the trip opens up a light at the end of the tunnel.  If you make it, things will get better.  Staying behind is like accepting a tunnel with no end, no light. 

When the kids come here they are, in a sense, coming home.  For them, home is with family members in a safe space.  We are that, at least by comparison.  Yes, deportation looms, and we have our own gangs here too.  But, at least for a short while, they can take a breath.  And, exhale.

I hope we give them the space and sanctuary to do just that for as long as they need to. 

Happy 50th birthday Beltway!

The Beltway had a birthday this weekend!  Its final leg was completed 50 years ago, on August 17th, 1964.  If it were a human, it would be middle aged.  And, though it has its youthful moments (I'm looking at you aggressive drivers), it moves more like a 50 year old than an 18 year old.  

In fact, those drivers who never met a bumper they didn't want to twerk aside, the biggest annoyance driving the beltway is the inability to get anywhere near the speed limit.

Although I avoid the beltway like the plague, I can't escape using it on occasion.  So I worry about how the metro area will deal with the Beltway's senior years (I'm sure AARP has already extended a membership offer).  Two challenges are especially apparent.  

1. It needs serious repair work, especially in Maryland.  Things aren't perfect on the Virginia side, but the road is in better condition there because the state was forced to make substantial improvements when it re-engineered the infamous mixing bowl, where the Beltway meets Interstates 395 and 95.  It also made repairs when it installed the so called Rich-People-Get-To-Drive-Faster-than-You-and-Me-LanesHot Lanes.  Virginia also has less mileage to maintain than Maryland.  Only 22.1 of the Beltway's 63.8 miles (35%) are located in Virginia.  The remaining 41.7 miles (65%) are in Maryland.  Right now, there's no big plan to make the substantial repairs that are needed, so gird yourself for crappier road conditions, and deterioration over time.   

2.  Getting people off the beltway.    Everyone agrees the beltway needs to regain some of its efficiency at moving people around the metro area.  But, new lanes alone won't take care of the problem.  The metro area is growing too fast for that.  At most, new lanes would slow the growth of congestion down.  So, the real goal for transportation planners is to find a way to get people into buses, metro trains, and other forms of public transportation.

Unfortunately, public transportation isn't very good for people who live in the suburbs and want to get to another suburban location.  That's why the beltway is so clogged.  Our public transportation is still based on the hub spoke model where going from suburb to city is easy but going from suburb to suburb is either impossible, or requires a circuitious route through the city.

The Purple Line will help, but it won't be enough.  Only when transportation funding keeps up with the growth will any real relief happen.  And, there doesn't seem to be much political will, or forthcoming dollars, to make that happen.

All you have to do is look at the new plan for redevelopment in White Oak, an area north of the beltway on the eastern edge of Montgomery County.  The area is in desperate need of redevelopment, but the county is going to allow a 'set aside' so development can go ahead without the usual requirement that transportation upgrades occur simultaneously.   

Can I work from home please?

Farms and Fairs in the DMV--a trip to the MOCO County Fair

This weekend my family and I went to the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair.  The fair, held at the county's fairgrounds in Gaithersburg Maryland, is always fun.  Funnel cake, carnival rides, and cute animals looking their best.  It is also a nice reminder that not all of the DMV is urban or even suburban.  There's still a lot of rural in these parts! 

According to the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development's Agricultural Services division there are 561 farms and 350 horticultural enterprises.  And, City-Data.com tells us that 86.14% of those farms are family owned.  

By the way, for you stats nerds, the average farm in Montgomery County is 130 acres and the average farmer is 57 years old.  

Eat local!  and Viva the Fair!

 

Kickin' it old school!

Cuz the ladies like their tractors too!

They made it look easy

Pig nap--neither pig feet or nor crowds with cameras will get in the way of a good snooze!

Apparently pigs do fly

Cow 'tooties 

Winning Flowers

One of these is not like the others

Who 'owns' the football team in Burgundy and Gold?

Who owns the NFL football team that wears burgundy and gold?  The team is officially called the Washington *&^%$.  But, it has its stadium in Maryland and its headquarter and training facility in Virginia.

The answer to my question would seem obvious.  The whole metro area does.  Of course, this being the DMV, a land where everything is subject to politics, it's not so simple.

DC House Delegate Eleanor Norton Holmes calls the team "Washington's football team."  She refuses to use the team's official name on the grounds that it is offensive.  But, she'll still claim it for the city.

A few days ago Washington Post Sport columnist Jonathan Wise disagreed, suggesting the team really belonged to Virginia.  The state's new governor, Terry McAuliffe, feels the same way.  In fact, unlike Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and DC mayor Vince Gray, McAuliffe isn't wading into the name controversy.  He's happy to claim the team for Virginia with its current name, and while he's at it to take a political contribution from its owner.

My husband, who follows just about every sport known to man, couldn't disagree more.  (Ok, he doesn't follow golf or cricket, but he's got everything else covered, which is why he's the Maryland sports representative for this blog).  When I asked him who owned the team and told him Wise claimed Virginia did, his first response was an incredulous 'huh?'  A man of few words, his comment was akin to a "what you talkin' about Willis?"  Sensing my need for more commentary, he followed up.  "They play in MARYLAND."

Here's my question?  Why, at the moment, would any of these jurisdictions want to claim the team.  And, by claim, I don't mean claim the tax revenue that comes with the franchise.  I mean claim in a broader, cultural sense.  As in, this is part of who I am, and who my people are.  It is part of my tradition and history.

I'm no fan of the NFL (see here and here for why), but I'll accept that you can love a team even when you hate the league it is a part of.  And, unfortunately, the NFL would hardly be the first sports organization corrupted beyond repair (FIFA anyone?).  But, that aside, the burgundy and gold have something else working against them.  The owner, Dan Snyder.  You know, the man who sues weekly magazines (The Washington City Paper) because no one but Dan Snyder can take the piss out of Dan Snyder.  He's also the guy who charges outrageous prices for tickets and then robs you a second time when you buy a hot dog, coke, or beer.  And, let's not forget that pesky habit of micromanaging the front office, coaches, players, and maybe even a cheerleader or two (just kidding about the cheerleaders--please don't sue me Mr. Snyder). This man would give Shakespeare or Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy, Scandal) a run for the money. 

Hubby's not ready to give the team up, but for me, I'm happy to let outer space claim them.  

Moco Map of the Week--Percent Non-family Households by Census Tract

Today's map shows the distribution of non-family households.  According to the census a non-family household is any household headed by a single person or containing multiple people who are not related, married, or in a common law marriage.

30.6% of Montgomery County residents lives in non-family households.  There is, however, considerable variation across the county's census tracts.  The census tract with the lowest percent of non-family households is 7.6%.  The tract with the highest is 74.9%.

So, how does MOCO stack up to the state?  The US as a whole?  Turns out we have fewer non-family households than either Maryland (32.9%) or the US (57.7%).

Several patterns stand out on today's map.  First, the county's non-family households are concentrated along two main roads. The biggest concentration is along I-270, a major interstate and also the county's urban spine.  Non-family households are also concentrated along Columbia Pike/US 29.  Although the Pike isn't as urbanized as the I-270 corridor, it is urbanizing at a steady clip.  These patterns aren't too surprising.  Urban areas tend to have more non-family households than rural areas do. 

Second, there are also high concentrations of non-family households inside the beltway.  In fact, the tract with the highest percentage of non-family households is in the heart of Bethesda, in the Woodmont Triangle area.  74.9% of households in this tract are non-family.  In a lot of ways, this part of Bethesda looks a lot like gentrifying neighborhoods in DC where a flood of millennials have moved in.  However, it is worth noting that the tract (7032.18) with the second highest percentage of non-family households is well north of the beltway.  It contains Leisure World, an age-restricted (i.e. adults only) community. 

Random Moco Pic of the Day--Diversity in the DMV

Technically, these picture aren't in Montgomery County.  I snapped them on University Boulevard just past the MOCO/PG county border.

However, they strike me as emblematic of the DMV, and two things about it in particular:
One, the DMV is incredibly diverse.  Second, that diversity is frequently on display in the suburbs rather than in the city proper.   

In this shopping mall you can get Mexican/Salvadoran food, African goods, Colombian clothes, and tax help in English or Spanish.  Just up the street (not pictured) you can also get a sari made.  Now if only there was an Irish bar and a sushi joint!

Microunits--the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Real Estate section in this weekend's Washington Post has an interesting article on so called microunits. 

First off, some definitions.  We're not talking about microwaves here.  Or those microplates at high end restaurants.  No, we're talking about apartments.  Really small ones.  There's no official measurement criterion, but most microunits are between 250 and 400 square feet.  For comparison's sake, the average hotel room is about 325 feet.  And, by average hotel room I don't mean that luxury suite at the Bellagio.  I'm talking about a Red Roof Inn off the interstate.   

Right now microunits are confined to the city, but there's talk of building some in inner suburbs like Crystal City.

What's good about microunits.  The main social benefit in urban areas is that microunits can be used in places where the supply of housing is less than the demand for it.  In New York City, for example, former mayor Michael Bloomberg relaxed the city's minimum floor space required for apartments (400 square feet) to allow developers to build a building full microunits on government land.  Bloomberg's reasoning?  There were 1.2 million 1 and 2 person households in the city and only 1 million apartments for them.  Essentially, you can cram more people into a building if each unit is 'micro.'

The Bad.  Microunits are not a solution to a lack of housing.  They are a quasi surrender.  Why?  Because they are designed to house singles.  And, I'm not talking about marital/significant other status here.  I'm talking literally.  Microunits are designed to house one person per unit.*  For example:  a millennial who is just starting out and hasn't accumulated a lot of junk, an elderly woman who wants to live near her daughter but have her own space, or a wealthy businessperson who has a larger house in the 'burbs but wants an 'in-city' crash pad.  There's nothing wrong with building housing for single people.  But, you shouldn't build a housing policy around niche markets.  You need to be able to provide for the full spectrum of households--singles, couples without kids, couples with kids, people who live in multi-generational families.  If you only build housing for the niche market described above you also risk turning cities into places that lack diversity of social structure.  Do we really want our cities to look like college campuses where only students and their Head Residents live?  College campuses are scary places a night.  Mixing liquor and Foucault is never advisable. 

The Ugly.  The ugly has to do with how developers and city officials legitimate microunits.  In the Washington Post article that prompted this post developers cited cost--theirs and their prospective renters--as the reason to build microunits.  Surprise surprise, it is expensive to build in the city, so your neighborhood developerMontgomery Burns needs a way to insure he still get sizable returns, and by sizable I mean 'daddy needs a new yacht, STAT!'  But never fear, those kindhearted souls aren't trying to rip you poor renters off.  No, they are offering bargain basement prices for their closetsapartments.  The renter profiled in the Washington Post article was paying the paltry sum of $2,500 a month.  That's right, you'll pay more for a micro unit than the average one-bedroom apartment in the city, but never fear, you'll get a sticker that says "I'm micro!"

* Yes, couples and even couples with a kid can live in micro units.  But, most people want a little more space and privacy once they have a kid, or grandma moves in. 

Are We Asking the Wrong Question about Where Gentrification Happens?

For the most part, when we discuss gentrification we talk about neighborhoods.  Neighborhood X got a yoga studio, or Neighborhood Y got a new Whole Foods.  If multiple neighborhoods gentrify at the same time, we might also talk about its affects on the city as a whole.  But, the city line is usually the spatial perimeter that bounds our discussion. 

But, what if we are asking the wrong question?  What if gentrification is actually a process that affects the nation as a whole, creating gentrifying cities and disinvested cities instead of  gentrifying neighborhoods and disinvested ones?  

At this point, you might be thinking--"What you talkin' about Willis?"  

Well, according to a new study by Rebecca Diamond highlighted on the Washington Post's wonkblog, that is what is happening.  The dual affects we often associate with gentrification--investment in some areas and disinvestment in others--are are national in scope.  To use a locally inspired metaphor, some cities are like Logan Circle while others are like Langley Park. 

Instead of income, however, Diamond uses education to measure gentrification on the national scale, with the key metric being college degrees.

Turns out,  people with college degrees tend to flock to places where there are lots of other college grads.  Over time, you get a sort of path dependency.  A city manages to attract college grads, which in turn attracts more college grads.  This trend also puts upward pressure on salaries, which in turn drive an increase in restaurants, museums, and other cultural fare. Streets get safer too. San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington DC are good examples of this trend.  In the early 1990s, for example, DC recorded over 400 murders.  Last year, it recorded 103, even though the city is much larger today. 

On the flip side, places that don't attract college grads see their relative, and in some cases real status decline.  Their wages are lower and they have fewer amenities.  Crime takes a turn for the worse.  Toledo, Detroit, and Baton Rouge are good examples.


I think Diamond's work is fascinating (if ultimately depressing).  It means Americans are becoming even more segregated (in this case along class lines).   

But, none of this means local-scale gentrification will go away anytime soon.  It is easy to look at 14th Street in DC and see the DMV as a booming metropolis full of good jobs, good eats, plentiful entertainment, and safe streets.  But, someone still has to work in the low wage jobs that clean the office buildings where those good jobs are located, bus the tables at the fancy see-and-be-seen restaurants, wash the beer glasses recycled many times over in hipster bars, and police the drunks that come out of them at night.  Low wage workers aren't teleported in for the job.  They live in the DMV too, and the growing gap between their salaries and those of the folks noshing at Le Diplomate continue to leave its mark.

If you want to see how this plays out in your own world, ask the person who cleans your office building where she lives the next time you get the chance.  Chances are she lives in a suburban, and quite likely exurban location.  By the way, when I asked this question at my workplace, the answer was Gaithersburg.          

Cyclists On My Nerves

I'm coming out of the confession closet today.  Bicyclists get on my nerves. 

What spurs my confession?  Well, it started as many of my posts do, with a Washington Post article.  This one was by John Kelly, a metro columnist.  He wrote to complain about cyclists in downtown DC riding on the sidewalks.  Being John Kelly, he was polite about it.  He wanted to know to know why cyclists are still using sidewalks after the recent construction of hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in the city.  Then, he made a reasonable request that bikers get off the sidewalks (reminding them along the way that biking on the sidewalk is illegal in downtown DC) and start behaving more politely to pedestrians.

Then, lo and behold, Courtland Milloy, the Post's den father/resident curmudgeon weighed in with his own thoughts on the city's cyclists this morning.  He wasn't as polite.  He called the city's cyclists bullies, and returned to a long-running theme of his--that bike lanes are for gentrifiers and there are far better ways for the city to spend its money than helping mostly white millennials get around the city.

I hate to pile on.  I really do.  Well, maybe I enjoy it a bit.  After the US lost to Belgium in the World Cup, I've had trouble showin' the love. But, bikers do annoy me for two reasons. 


Problem 1: The Biker 'tude.  Milloy is right--the city's (and I would add the DMV's) cyclists have as much attitude as an LA biker gang.  For me, though, the metaphor is wrong.  LA biker throw their bellies and beer swilling habits around as a way to show just how 'bad boy' they really are.  In contrast, many (but not all) of the city's cyclists think they are doing God's work.  They are saving the environment and avoiding America's obesity habit.  I'm not a fan of evangelism of any sort, so even if their version of 'God's work' is good, I'll find it annoying because they feel the need to tell me all about it.  And, hey, a Reese Cups feel like God's own manna on the way to my stomach, so there.

By the way, think I'm engaging in hyperbole?  Dan Malouf over at Greater Greater Washington recently argued that bike lanes are good not just for the safety they provide for (bikers and motorists) but also for the political point they make:  "They proclaim loudly and clearly that streets are not merely sewers for car traffic, but fully multimodal public spaces."  Yeah, that's right.  If there aren't bikes on the road, they're poo filled pathways for the unwashed masses also known as motorists.  Moderation, meet Mr. Malouf.  He could use a new friend.   


Problem 2:  Uptown bikers WON'T get on the sidewalk.  That's right, they abide by the law when they are uptown even if it means going 15 miles an hour on a busy street with a speed limit of 35mph at rush hour, in the direction of rush hour traffic.  By the way, sidewalks are a different beast uptown.  With a few exceptions, they are largely empty of pedestrians, so hopping on the sidewalk at rush hour wouldn't jeopardize pedestrians.  Seriously, why is it OK to mess up traffic flow for dozens of people at rush hour?  Their behavior also means I have to do more start/stop to get home.  Yup, worse gas mileage and more emissions all courtesy of my green fellow travelers.   

And, before anyone pipes in that I should 'try it' before making a fuss, I'll just remind folks that not everyone can bike to work.  Some live too far from work.  Others have health problems that make biking out of the question.  Other people need to be able to pick up their kids from far flung daycares, and can't fit a 3 hour commute both ways into the work/family mix.

Let me be clear though--I'm not an obese, bicycle-hatin', gas guzzling driver.  I walk along the Sligo Creek trail 2 or 3 times a week and the cyclists there are mostly model citizens.  They ring their bells when coming up behind me and other pedestrians or they say things like "on your left" so we know to move right.  Maybe because they aren't trying to prove a point, the trail's bikers are more polite.  I'll happily share the road/trail with these guys!   

Change Comes to Downtown Bethesda's Northern Tip

I went for a birthday dinner on the northern edge of downtown Bethesda this weekend.  It looks like change is coming to the more chilled out part of Bethesda proper.

Here are some pics from the corner of Woodmont Avenue and Battery Lane.  A new mixed use complex is coming to what is now a giant pit in the ground framed by some big arse, impressive cranes!   Right now, the bottom floor will be occupied by upscale grocer Harris Teeter with upper floors set aside for rental housingoverpriced apartments for millennials.   

For those not familiar with Bethesda, here's a map, and a wee bit of explanation.  The entertainment district in Bethesda is centered around Bethesda Row (which sits on Woodmont Avenue between Elm St. and Bethesda Ave.).  There's a movie theatre, a Barnes and Noble and several local and national Chains in the area. 

However, if you head north on Woodmont the chain restaurants slowly give way to more unique fare.  It is still a high end area--no doubt about it--but it feels more organic and less contrived than Bethesda Row.  Perhaps the fact that the existing apartments in the area to the northwest are older, low to mid-rise, and sometimes subsidized helps.

But, if the mixed use center set to open up at Woodmont and Battery Lane is any indication, that might change.  Higher density tends to bring more options for eating, drinking, and shopping, but it also tends to bring on the high priced generic.  And, the income level of new arrivals isn't likely to counter that trend.  If there's one thing the DMV's developers won't build these days it is affordable (or even middle class) housing.  It is a luxury or bust market.    

I'll keep taking pics so readers can follow the progress. 

MOCO Map of the Week--Average Household Size by Census Tract

MOCO Map of the Week is back after a short hiatus.  The next couple of maps will look at data on Households in Montgomery County.  Today's map shows the average household size by census tract using 2010 census data.*

The average household size in Montgomery County census tracts ranges from 1.3 to 3.99.  The average for the county as a whole is 2.7.  This is just slightly higher than the average household size for Maryland (2.6) and the DC metro area (2.64).

Two patterns stand out from the map below.  First, most tracts with high average household size are outside the beltway, in exurban areas in the county.  Second, tracts with low average household size tend to be located inside the beltway, or in between I-270 and Rockville Pike, where the majority of the county's multifamily housing is located. 

* Data are from the 2010 Census Summary File 1