Most pundits agree that Republicans will dominate the 2010 midterm elections. True Blue Maryland appears to be well-insulated against this nationwide surge, but Democrats in Montgomery County still face a local dilemma: Should they vote a straight-party ticket or restore some checks and balances to state and county government?
Loyalty or enlightened self-interest? Party or pocketbook?
Rob Vricella is a self-employed real estate lawyer who experienced the plunge of the housing market up close and personal. When the Montgomery County Council decided to triple the energy tax during a vicious recession, adding thousands of dollars to the overhead of many small businesses, he decided that the nine Democrats on the council were more interested in preserving the status quo than protecting county residents.
So Vricella decided to run as a Republican against incumbent Roger Berliner, D-Bethesda, who was first elected during the 2006 Democratic sweep. In Montgomery County, this is pretty close to political suicide, but the Chevy Chase Village resident doesn’t care.
“We are headed in the completely wrong direction. Somebody has to step up,” he told The Examiner.
Vricella’s stark platform does not contain any Happy Face promises: “We lost Northrop Grumann and Hilton. We’re chasing businesses and jobs out of the county and putting more of the burden on homeowners,” he bluntly tells 1st District voters. “Restore the balance or we’re going off a cliff.”
However, there are three reasons why Vricella has a fighting chance to win this year. One is that before Berliner, the seat was formerly held by two Republicans: Betty Ann Krahnke and Howard Denis.
Second, Berliner has voted for every county tax increase, including the 85 percent energy tax increase and the 13.5 percent property tax levy. Add that to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s sales and millionaire’s tax, throw in higher insurance premiums coming under Obamacare, and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts in January, and even stalwart Democrats may decide they’re tired of being the government’s ATM.
The third reason is one-party rule. In 2008, the council voted 7-2 to breach charter limits that tie property tax increases to inflation for the fourth time in 18 years. That November, 51 percent of angry MoCo voters approved the Ficker Amendment, which requires that all nine members of the council (instead of just seven) approve a budget that exceeds the charter limit.
It had been proposed numerous times before by political gadfly Robin Ficker, who also happens to be running for the 2nd District seat left vacant by retiring Councilman Mike Knapp, D-Germantown.
With a projected 6 percent decline in revenue next year and the additional burden of funding teacher pensions dumped on them by the state, an all-Democratic council will be tempted to raise taxes beyond the charter limit once again. School and county officials were already at each other’s throats this year over $24 million in education spending cuts. Next year, the revenue pie will be even smaller.
The political pressure to make up the difference by raising property tax rates will be intense, even if council members know that by doing so, they will be imposing more economic hardship on their constituents.
Easier to grease the squeaky wheel and give in to union demands now than make the painful reductions in spending the current situation requires. And what better way to keep the cash rolling in than to jack up real estate taxes just like they did before?
By the time they have to run for re-election, they figure, most taxpayers will have forgotten.
Just one Republican on the council can nip this bad idea in the bud.
Barbara F. Hollingsworth is The Examiner’s local opinion editor.
