Comments on: Ike to small-business owners: County screwed up

By: pj

pj — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:22:58 +0000

I applaude the county in trying to help the small business owners in Silver Spring but I do not want to see the county do what it did for Barry’s magic shop. That ~$250,000 the county gave to Barry’s magic shop to relocate was outrageous. They did not even wind up staying in Silver Spring. What a waste of my tax dollars!

By: Woodside Park Bob

Woodside Park Bob — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:58:26 +0000

Edwards is definitely the better candidate. Wynn is so bad that in general elections before the last one, I either didn’t vote for Congressman or even voted (gulp!) for the Republican candidate (who had no chance) as a protest vote. Until after the last election, when he had a close call, Wynn generally voted for the special interests rather than his constituents’ interest. He voted against Net Neutrality and for the credit card companies in the bankruptcy bill for example. He also has generally not responded to my e-mails and, when he has responded, has tried to explain why his vote for a special interest is really for my benefit!

By: rb

rb — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:00:46 +0000

Jennifer Deseo wrote: “But I’ve got a follow-up question: 51 percent in PG + 29 percent in MoCo = 80 percent total. Who’s got the other 20 percent?”
Those percentages don’t add. You’re calculating the percentages the wrong way: Montgomery County is 38 percent of District 4 and Prince Georges is 62 percent. That is: MoCo in District 4/ (divided by) Total pop in District 4. (251,258/662,062=.380 ). Same for PG (410,804/662,062=.620).

The 51% is proportion of PG total pop. in District 4. [PG in Dist 4/ Total PG pop] (410,804/801,515). The rest is in Steny Hoyer’s District.

For Montgomery 29 percent is in Dist. 4 and most of the rest is in District 8.

I didn’t see yesterday’s debate..but most of Edwards’s political and conservation activity has been in Prince Georges, as I understand it (the new development in Fort Washington ..National Harbor), so that is the only local activity her opponents could attack her on. She has had no reason to represent people in MoCo so far.

By: Adam Pagnucco

Adam Pagnucco — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:34:31 +0000

Kevin Gillogly has been covering the D4 race, especially the debates, on Maryland Politics Watch blog for the past two months(http://maryland-politics.blogspot.com/).

By: Jennifer Deseo

Jennifer Deseo — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:13:41 +0000

RB wrote:

“District 4 represents 51 percent of PG and 29 percent of MoCo. You would think, from press coverage, that it is a Prince Georges County District.”

Hate to say it, but the candidates themselves make it sound like a PG County district. Like I wrote earlier, it’s all Edwards and Wynn spoke about during yesterday’s debate.

But I’ve got a follow-up question: 51 percent in PG + 29 percent in MoCo = 80 percent total. Who’s got the other 20 percent?

By: IHateYuppies

IHateYuppies — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:50:42 +0000

On Tuesday, February 12:

VOTE DONNA EDWARDS!

VOTE BARACK OBAMA!

That’s all I got to say for now.

By: rb

rb — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:01:43 +0000

Actually more of SS is in Dist 4 than Dist 8. According to the data on which the last redistricting was based, the 2000 Census, 61 percent of Silver Spring is in District 4, the remainder in District 8. (Silver Spring CDP [Census designated place] is mostly inside the beltway, but includes the area outside between Sligo Creek, the Northwest Branch and University Blvd.)
Thirty eight percent of District 4 is in Montgomery County. It goes up the eastern side and across the northern side of the county, all the way to Germantown and Clarksburg.
District 4 represents 51 percent of PG and 29 percent of MoCo. You would think, from press coverage, that it is a Prince Georges County District. Not really.

By: rd

rd — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:56:49 +0000

I’m voting for Pedro…

By: Springvale Roader

Springvale Roader — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:39:20 +0000

Jennifer, if you don’t mind your readers making an endorsement:

DONNA EDWARDS 2008!

Thank you.

By: Jennifer Deseo

Jennifer Deseo — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:12:58 +0000

Thanks for your comments, IHY.

Regarding the District 4 primary, I’ve done a little coverage of that race. I tried to cover yesterday’s televised debate between Wynn and Edwards, but both candidates fixated on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and PG County. Neither had much, if anything, to say about MoCo. Big snooze. (An even bigger snooze when you consider that Penguin HQ is in District 8.)

However, I will cover the primaries in general next Tuesday. That should be interesting.

Regarding endorsements, I don’t feel it’s appropriate for media outlets to favor candidates. As a journalist, I serve facts in my stories. As a human being, I offer opinion in the “Holler back” section. But as an editor, I respect Penguin readers enough to know they can make up their own minds. They don’t need me to tell them who to vote for.

I’ll stick my neck out with an editorial declaration when I vote next Tuesday.