County Council Member Marc Elrich’s ambitious Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Where on Earth can we get that kind of money?First of all,…
Economy
The Elrich Plan, Part Four
In Parts Two and Three, we revealed Council Member Marc Elrich’s intention to build Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes across the county. But just because people have the option of…
The Elrich Plan, Part Three
In Part Two, we discussed Council Member Marc Elrich’s choice of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as a transit mode for most of the county. Where would he locate the routes?Elrich’s…
The Elrich Plan, Part Two
Steady population and employment growth. Rising CO2 emissions. Limited transportation funding. Different locations of jobs and housing. Congested Central Business Districts. And expensive costs for rail. How do you deal…
The Elrich Plan, Part One
At-large County Council Member Marc Elrich has introduced a sweeping new transportation proposal. It is ambitious. It is comprehensive. It violates several taboos. But will it work?In assessing the effectiveness…
MoCo’s Great Crash, Part Two
In Part One, we made the case that Montgomery County’s real estate and construction industries together might account for one-fifth or more of the county’s private sector economic activity. And…
MoCo’s Great Crash, Part One
There is a lot of talk about a Great Crash: that of America’s stock market. And there is a lot of talk about another Great Crash: that of America’s economy….
MoCo: Not as Rich as You Think, Part Two
Because people in Montgomery County are wealthy, they can easily afford big mansions, right? WRONG.The residential real estate boom started in Montgomery County in the late 1990s, as it did…
MoCo: Not as Rich as You Think, Part One
When our state legislators go to Annapolis and look for adequate funding for our schools and transportation facilities, they confront a common attitude from the rest of the state. “You…
The State of Working Maryland 2008
The central findings in Progressive Maryland’s new report are: 1. Rising productivity since the mid-1990s has not lead to significant gains in real wages. 2. Income inequality persists as only…