RealPage rent collusion scandal spreads to Maryland

Word of landlords allegedly using RealPage software to collude with competitors to fix rent prices elsewhere in the region led many to wonder if the gimmick had any role in Montgomery County's skyrocketing apartment rents. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown now suggests it does, and has filed suit against the firm and several prominent landlords. Despite the openings of many new apartment buildings across the county, rents have only continued to rise amidst all of the new "competition." This violates the basic laws of supply and demand, and Brown says the Realpage software gave landlords a loophole to make collusion possible, by having the company fix the rents across the board.

“RealPage and the named landlords worked together to raise the cost of their apartments, making it hard for Maryland renters to put a roof over their heads,” Brown said in a statement. “Our Office is committed to holding landlords accountable so Marylanders can afford their rent.”

The firms Brown is accusing of using RealPage for the purpose of "colluding to illegally raise rents" for Maryland apartment dwellers are Morgan Properties Management Company, LLC; Bozzuto Management Company; Greystar Management Services, LLC; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; UDR, Inc.; and Highmark Residential, LLC. Brown is seeking monetary damages for renters who were allegedly gouged by the use of RealPage, monetary damages for the State of Maryland, cessation of the alleged use of RealPage to fix apartment rents, and the appointment of a corporate monitor to ensure compliance by RealPage and the accused firms.

Donald Trump inauguration commemorative farecards available at Shady Grove Metro station

Tech moguls aren't the only ones changing their tune on Donald Trump. Regional transit agency WMATA boldly refused to issue a commemorative farecard for Trump's first inauguration in January 2017. Riders who had purchased a Barack Obama farecard in previous years were surprised to learn no such collector's item would be available for Trump, but the dominance of the Democratic party in the region limited the fallout for WMATA. But, lo and behold, the agency has issued a commemorative SmarTrip farecard for Trump's second inauguration, and it is available at select Metro stations.

The Trump SmarTrip card is now available in Montgomery County at the Shady Grove, Forest Glen, and Glenmont Metro stations. Signage will indicate the machine from which the Trump card can be purchased. The cards are available "while supplies last," WMATA says.

Photo courtesy WMATA

Maryland governor proposes 75-cent fee on retail, food deliveries

One proposal in Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's FY-2026 budget that he, understandably, did not mention in his press conference yesterday is a new 75-cent fee on retail and food deliveries. Given the popularity of such purchases by people of all income levels, this regressive fee could quickly add up for already-struggling Maryland residents. Moore's presentation gave another official declaration that Maryland's economy is - like Montgomery County's - moribund and stagnant. His budget director gave a Powerpoint presentation with slides confirming Maryland's economic growth has "significantly underperformed national growth" since 2017, as has its job growth. With grocery, insurance, and home prices remaining massively-high, why would the state now pile on by socking it to working-class people ordering a hamburger or a t-shirt for delivery?

Economic growth - moribund!

Also hidden from the governor's speech was a proposal to more than double the emissions test fee for vehicles. The emissions test program is already a massive grift for the state, forcing owners of recent vehicle models to take a test that predictably finds their car meets the standards. Maryland isn't even properly maintaining the equipment for the test now, as the scanner on the self-test machine was broken the last time I went, forcing drivers to manually type their personal information into the computer.

Job growth - moribund!

Sports gamblers would also be victims of highway robbery under the new budget. In a proposal that was actually presented at the press conference, Moore suggested doubling the tax on sports betting from 15% to 30%. So that big $1000 win Joe Six Pack had on the baseball game will be whittled down to $700 right "off the bat." Better cancel that plan to have a burger delivered after the game, Joe - you just can't afford it! Meanwhile, your representatives in Annapolis are laughing all the way to the bank.

Maryland and Montgomery County have
the highest tax burden in the D.C. region...
...but their revenue is stagnant. Given that clear
end result, does it make sense to increase
taxes even further?

U.S. Army armored fighting vehicles pass through Gaithersburg headed toward Washington, D.C.

A passenger in a vehicle on southbound I-270 caught a glimpse - and video - of two U.S. Army armored fighting vehicles heading south through Gaithersburg yesterday morning. The General Dynamics-manufactured Stryker vehicles were on flatbed trucks with their guns removed. It is unknown if the vehicles were being transported into Washington, D.C. for security related to the inauguration events for Donald Trump. According to The Telegraph, almost 8000 National Guard troops are being deployed to D.C. for the events.

Photo via Twitter video

Germantown firm launches state-of-the-art weather station product

AEM, a Germantown firm specializing in weather and environmental monitoring products, has launched a new, state-of-the-art weather station, it announced Monday. The Apex Automated Weather Station meets the strict standards of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), AEM said. It monitors wind, rain, solar activity, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. The station has sophisticated data communication features to transmit and share data worldwide. AEM anticipates a wide public and private customer base, across fields such as weather forecasting, aviation, and wildfire and environmental monitoring.

Bonchon closes in Germantown (Photos)

Is the Pelicana Chicken Effect already being felt in Montgomery County? Bonchon has closed at 19775 Frederick Road, at the Fox Chapel Center. The popular Korean chicken chain has generally done well in MoCo, and this was a prime location with several other Asian-targeted businesses on the same property.

Pelicana Chicken, which claims the title of "King of Chicken," is opening soon in Rockville, not Germantown. Maybe it was the Chicken Pocha Effect? Bonchon has closed several locations in Northern Virginia in recent times and, ironically, was replaced by Pelicana Chicken in Sterling. Could that happen at Fox Chapel? Stay tuned!

Maryland Democrats propose vehicle excise tax increase

Four Democratic legislators in the Maryland House of Delegates are sponsoring a bill that would increase the vehicle excise tax. If House Bill HB-167 were to pass and be signed by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), the state's vehicle excise tax would increase from 6% to 6.75% of the fair market value of the vehicle. The higher tax rate would take effect on July 1, 2025. Delegates Lorig Charkoudian (D - Montgomery), Kris Fair (D - Frederick), Andrew C. Pruski (D - Anne Arundel), and Sheila Ruth (D - Baltimore County) are the sponsors of the House bill.