By Adam Pagnucco.
That’s right, you read it correctly – I’m Back. Readers rejoice and politicians beware!
So who am I anyway? The roles I have had over the years include strategic researcher in the labor movement, chief of staff for a Montgomery County council member, treasurer for a slate of state legislators, budget analyst, civic association president and strategist for a county executive campaign. Since 2006, I have written on and off about county and state government and politics for Maryland Politics Watch, Seventh State, Bethesda Beat and other outlets. My focus has always been on Montgomery County, my adopted home of 19 years and a fascinating place of potential and challenges. Let’s examine this place together!
There are many approaches to public writing. Mine is derived from the fact that I’m a researcher by trade. Many of my ideas for columns begin with questions. “How is the economy doing?” “What would this legislation do?” “What’s in our budget?” “Was Politician X right when she made this claim?” I don’t always know the answers to those questions, but I usually know where to go to find them. And when I find them – often in huge spreadsheets, thick documents, user-unfriendly data and occasionally squirrely sources – I share them. Of course, since I’m a loud New Yorker by birth, you’re going to have to deal with my opinions to get those answers! But you can look at the same facts and develop very different opinions than mine, and that’s a good thing. I’m a critical thinker and I want you to be a critical thinker too.
Montgomery Perspective is brand new but you will notice a ton of posts already here, more than 4,000 of them in fact. That’s because – for the first time – I have assembled the huge majority of my work in one place. Among other things, I am hoping that Montgomery Perspective can be a library for future residents to learn about this community and why it is the way it is.
If you would like to contact me, my email address is acp1629@hotmail.com. And if you like the content on this site, please consider signing up for its email list in the sidebar to the right. In any event, thank you for joining me!