Virginia created twice as many jobs as Maryland in 2024

The year-end job creation numbers from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics are a total humiliation again for the state of Maryland, and Montgomery County. Our rival across the Potomac River, Virginia, created twice as many jobs as Maryland in 2024. Virginia added 76,900 jobs last year, while Maryland created a paltry 38,400 jobs by comparison. In the closing month of December 2024, Virginia added 4,900 new jobs, while Maryland added a laughable 200. That's a 2 with only two zeros after it.

“Virginia’s labor market continues to demonstrate resilience and growth, with a strong increase in nonfarm payrolls, a growing labor force, and low unemployment,” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) said in a statement. “Our commitment to business-friendly policies, reducing costs, and fostering innovation has created an environment where both Virginia companies and Virginians can thrive.” 

Virginia was named America's top state for business in 2024 by both CNBC and Business Facilities magazine. The latter is a professional journal covering the topic of corporate headquarters relocation. While the Old Dominion has added multiple major and Fortune 500 corporate HQs this century, Maryland was a loser in all of those competitions. Among those choosing Virginia over Maryland were Northrop Grumman, Nestle, Intelsat, Lidl, Gerber, Volkswagen, Amazon, and Hilton Hotels. Here in Montgomery County alone, our elected officials have failed to attract a single major corporate headquarters in over 25 years. 

Who can forget the Montgomery County Council laser-focusing on a bill to ban circus animals on the very day that Discovery Communications was sealing the deal with two other states to move their HQ from MoCo to their cities? Or the Council canceling the biggest transportation project in White Flint on the very day that Amazon representatives were touring that area during their HQ2 search, which we lost to...Virginia? Scrapping your biggest transportation project the same day that a logistics-obsessed firm like Amazon is visiting: Sheer genius! Heckuva job, Brownie!

While Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) is promising higher taxes and fees, and a 75-cent charge on every Amazon and food delivery order, Youngkin is asking the Virginia legislature to cut taxes on his constituents and businesses. Virginia has made major investments in new transportation infrastructure and site development, all while keeping taxes lower than Maryland. 

Maryland elected officials, by contrast, have blocked every meaningful congestion relief project, and have directed Maryland State Highway Administration officials to increase congestion by placing absurdly-low speed limits on major commuting state highways. They've even ordered MDSHA to remove vehicle lanes from many of those highways, including Old Georgetown Road, Georgia Avenue, and University Boulevard in Montgomery County alone. 

Rather than invest in site development for corporate campuses, and high-wage research and manufacturing facilities, MoCo and Maryland leaders have instead turned such valuable land over to their developer sugar daddies for new stack-and-pack residential housing. Taxes? Nobody in the region pays more than Montgomery County taxpayers.

Given the history of Virginia decimating Maryland in job creation this century, the only surprising thing about the 2024 numbers is that yet another historic drubbing of Montgomery County and Maryland officials is not being covered by the local media. Failure and incompetence are never brought to busy voters' attention. We can still enjoy the irony that Montgomery County's international business trips are - bizarrely - most often to Communist countries like China and Cuba, but that failures in policy and economic growth of the magnitude we find in Maryland often result in removal, or even jail, in those nations.

Taxpayers pay for IMF, World Bank staffers' enrollment at posh Germantown country club

Bretton Woods country club at 15700 River Road in Germantown is in the spotlight, after the New York Post reported that staffers for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank enjoy free enrollment there as a job perk. Employees of either institution have the $12,000-$20,000 initiation fee for membership waived at the expense of U.S. taxpayers, who provide the largest financial contributions to both agencies. Two members of the IMF sit on the club's board of directors, the Post revealed. 80% of the club's 1300 members are now staffers from the IMF or World Bank. The Post report suggested that the lavish perk could make the IMF and World Bank juicy targets for President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's DOGE spending-cut effort.

Driver escapes injury after crashing into Poolesville post office

A driver escaped unharmed after crashing into the U.S. Post Office at 19800 Fisher Avenue in Poolesville Monday, January 27, 2025. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said the driver declined an ambulance ride to the hospital for further testing, after being evaluated at the scene by paramedics. Fortunately, no patrons were on the sidewalk or in the lobby area at the time of the collision. A County building inspector was called in to ensure the structural integrity of the library, and determine the extent of the damage, Piringer said.

Photo courtesy MCFRS/Pete Piringer

Maryland restaurants aren't going out of business fast enough, lawmakers in Annapolis say

Maryland's restaurants aren't going out of business fast enough, lawmakers in the state's capital of Annapolis say, and a pair of Democrats in the legislature have a plan to speed up the process. On top of previous hikes to the state's minimum wage, which have been a factor in many restaurant closures and staff reductions statewide, their new bill would create a 2026 ballot question asking voters to approve a minimum wage of $20-an-hour. If approved by voters, the question would also force restaurant owners to pay that $20 wage to tipped workers, as well. The bill is expected to be taken up by the Democrat-controlled Maryland House and Senate next month.

Montgomery County was the vanguard of the proletariat in the effort to raise the minimum wage in the previous decade. The Montgomery County Council was warned by business owners, the Maryland Retailers Association, and the Restaurant Association of Maryland that a significant wage increase would put many enterprises out of business. Their predictions came to pass, as Montgomery's already-moribund economy was slammed by the higher wage requirements, higher taxes and new regulations, and the Council's disastrous "Nighttime Economy" initiative that ended up destroying the nighttime economy. Bars, stores, and restaurants that had endured for thirty or fifty years, serving multiple generations of Montgomery County residents, were suddenly closing left and right.

The nightlife scene in Bethesda looks starkly different from what it was prior to the last decade. In fact, you can't really look at it at all, because it no longer exists. Along with record numbers of restaurant failures countywide, at least 24 nightspots closed in Bethesda alone. Downtown Bethesda's streets are now dark and lonesome after 9:00 PM. 

Demolition of Regal Cinemas Bethesda 10
cineplex in 2017

The impact of the Council's "Nighttime Economy" catastrophe in Bethesda was capped off when Barnes and Noble closed, and the Council allowed the town's only major cineplex to be demolished, without requiring the developer to replace the theater - even though the Minor Master Plan Amendment that permitted the demolition provided the Council with the authority to impose just such a requirement. The public plaza outside the former bookstore that previously teemed with crowds during warm weather was suddenly deserted. A "spaces available" sign outside the public parking garage at Bethesda Row that usually read "FULL" during the peak dinnertime hours now showed hundreds of spaces available. The counter was eventually deactivated to cover up the embarrassment.

There are now not only fewer restaurants in Montgomery County, but fewer restaurant workers, as well. Fast food establishments that haven't closed now sport touchscreens that eliminate the number of workers needed to man (or woman) the counter. Chains like McDonald's are on the verge of total automation, only slowed by the open revolt a speedy conversion to this technology would spur among unions, and the mainstream press that already delights in bashing restaurant chains that allow working class people to eat cheaply without government welfare assistance.

Many writing for the "Buzz Insider"-style websites, and even more among the world of TikTok "influencers," were fooled into believing McDonald's' new CosMc's concept is a super-cool place to film yourself waiting in an hour-long line of cars, to get a million video views of yourself making moronic faces while sipping a Sour Cherry Energy Burst. In reality, it is a test run for the "Fight for $25" future, a future of a single supervising employee monitoring an array of robots serving precisely-made Big Macs and Egg McMuffins.

Along with Governor Wes Moore's proposal to raise taxes on the "rich," the proposed wage hike will indeed speed up the bankruptcy process for mom-and-pop restaurants across Maryland. Restaurants - and most retail - are very slim profit margin businesses to start with. The margin is even slimmer in hellaciously-anti-business counties like Montgomery. Having elected officials who don't understand this, or much of anything about how business works, is always potentially fatal to the independent entrepreneur in MoCo and Maryland.

This financial illiteracy among our elected officials leads to measures such as the higher taxes, fees, and wages being proposed fast and furiously in Annapolis this month. It leads to a state where many elected officials and government employees end up making more money annually than the private businesses they regulate. But as we've seen already in Montgomery County, which fell from its lofty perch among the Forbes "Top Ten Richest Counties in America" list during MoCo's purge of the free enterprise system last decade, the more you pile on the taxes and wage hikes, the less revenue you get. Taxation is not only theft, but generates diminishing returns as rates increase. The more you squeeze, the less you get. 

Montgomery County has already reached rock bottom in the D.C. region, or close to it, in every significant economic development category compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even Gov. Moore has admitted Maryland's economy is stagnant, and its economic and job numbers lag far behind the national average since 2017. Yet, Annapolis wants to again join Rockville in amplifying the assault on the small businessperson even further. The question for our representatives in Annapolis this year is, "How much lower do you want to go?"

Two Germantown beer & wine stores burglarized the same morning

Two Germantown beer & wine shops were burglarized the same morning, Montgomery County police report. Leena's Beer & Wine at 13505 Clopper Road at Seneca Park Plaza, and Germantown Beer & Wine at 13046 Middlebrook Road at Germantown Commons were both burglarized in the early morning hours of January 17, 2025. Officers responding to the scenes found evidence of forced entry at both stores. 

Money was stolen from inside Germantown Beer & Wine. At Leena's, the burglars took unspecified merchandise.

Police describe the suspects in the Germantown Beer & Wine break-in only as "3 males." No suspect descriptions have been released for the break-in at Leena's. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing either case, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Police respond to report of arson at Quince Orchard Library in Gaithersburg

Montgomery County police responded to a report of arson at the Quince Orchard Library at 15831 Quince Orchard Road in Gaithersburg on January 22, 2025. The incident was reported at 11:42 AM Wednesday. The library remains open for normal hours.

Maryland legislature blocks public from testifying at hearing on Fairness in Girls' Sports Act

Maryland Del. Kathy Szeliga (R)

When is a public hearing not a public hearing? When the public is not allowed to testify at the hearing. That's going to be the case in Room 130 of the House Office Building in Annapolis on January 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM, when the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing on House Bill HB156, the Fairness in Girls' Sports Act. The hearing is one of several at which the committee has barred the public from being able to offer oral testimony. Only the sponsor of the bill, Del. Kathy Szeliga (R), will be allowed to testify during the hearing.

"I’m disappointed to inform you that the Committee has decided to NOT ALLOW oral testimony from citizens during the hearing," Szeliga wrote in an email to constituents yesterday. "This means I will be the sole voice presenting the overwhelming support this issue has garnered across Maryland. The positive response to my recent op-ed in The Baltimore Sun—spanning all demographics and party lines—demonstrates how much this common-sense legislation resonates with Marylanders."

If passed, HB156 would require "certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools to be expressly designated based on biological sex; prohibiting certain entities from taking certain adverse actions against a school for maintaining separate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams and sports for students of the female sex; and providing that certain individuals have the right to bring a civil action under certain circumstances."

The inability of the public to speak not only means that those supporting the bill will not be heard during the hearing, which is the apparent intent of the committee, but neither will the voices of those in Maryland who are opposed to it. We've seen in recent years that, as more citizens become engaged on certain issues like zoning and school curriculums, governing bodies put greater and greater restrictions on speech and participation in public hearings. The Montgomery County Council began to place a limit on the number of citizens who could speak during public hearings, for example, when this was never done in the past. In contrast, public hearings before the Washington, D.C. City Council and some jurisdictions in Northern Virginia literally continue into the night, until every person who wished to speak has been heard. Across the country, citizens have been given less time to speak, and even face eviction or arrest if their 1st Amendment-protected speech triggers megalomaniacal elected officials.

Those who wish to submit written testimony on HB156 can still use these instructions, and register to submit their comments, or to simply check a box that indicates support or opposition. But as any experienced activist can tell you, there is no substitute for the power of - and greater public and media attention to - oral testimony at hearings. Which is why your elected officials are trying to silence your voice - literally.

Clarksburg Premium Outlets to add Chick-fil-A

Patrons of the Clarksburg Premium Outlets mall will have a new dining option by the end of 2025. Chick-fil-A has signed a lease to construct a restaurant on a pad site at the Simon retail property. The restaurant will have a drive-thru. It will be located on the Clarksburg Road side of the property. The Montgomery County Planning Department really put Simon and Chick-fil-A thru the regulation and red tape wringer on this (it's just a fast food restaurant, guys - Good Lord!), but construction is finally set to begin.

Tobacco Hut opening in Olde Towne Gaithersburg

Tobacco Hut is opening a new store in Gaithersburg. The smoke shop's newest Montgomery County location is at 122 E. Diamond Avenue in Olde Towne Gaithersburg. Tobacco Hut has previously opened stores in the Gaithersburg area at 214 N. Frederick Avenue, 309 N. Frederick Avenue, and 18226 Flower Hill Way. Now you can walk down the grand avenues of Olde Towne while smoking a #BigFatCigar, just like Tarnation Bob!

Trump Metro farecard sells out in Montgomery County

Democrats may hold every elected office in Montgomery County, but a collectible Inauguration of Donald Trump Metro farecard sold like hotcakes at its subway stations last week. By Saturday, the Trump SmarTrip cards had sold out at every station selling them within Montgomery County. WMATA has now announced that the Trump card has sold out at all D.C.-area Metro stations, but the transit agency will make a limited new batch of them available at the Metro Center station on Monday, Inauguration Day - again, while supplies last.

It appears most buyers intend to hold onto their cards as keepsakes, as relatively few are being listed on eBay for resale. At the time of this writing, resale prices on the site are running from $17.50 to $470. Trump grew his voter support significantly in Montgomery County in 2024, over his results in 2020 and 2016.

The President-Elect, Melania Trump, and their son Barron Trump arrived in the D.C. area last night, deplaning in total darkness, apparently for security reasons, before enjoying a fireworks display at Trump's golf club in Northern Virginia. Donald Trump must surely also be enjoying word of his farecard selling out in far-left Montgomery County. Trump places great importance on TV ratings, poll numbers, sales, and other measures of success in each of his ventures.

In remarks at the golf club, Trump gave shout-outs to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whose Amazon HQ2 is located in Northern Virginia. Tenor Christopher Macchio performed the aria "Nessun Dorma," which always generates a buzz on social media when Trump requests it, due to its use in the climactic scene of the political conspiracy film The Sum of All Fears.

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.

Maryland brings in oversight contractor to police Purple Line boondoggle

Maryland's horrifically-behind-schedule-and-overbudget Purple Line light rail project may be getting some adult supervision. Egis, a global engineering and consulting firm, has been selected to serve as the Independent Engineer for the project. In this role, Egis will act as an impartial reviewer, ensuring the project meets standards of quality and safety. The firm will provide independent assessments for both the Concessionaire, Purple Line Transit Partners, and the owner, the Maryland Department of Transportation/Maryland Transit Administration.

Chevy Chase Lake Purple Line
station platform under construction

The 16-mile Purple Line will connect Prince George's and Montgomery counties. "We are thrilled to contribute to this vital infrastructure project, which will transform the daily commutes of thousands of riders," Yann Jaouan, Chief Commercial Officer, Egis in the U.S. said in a statement this morning. "This appointment underscores the trust placed in Egis by the Maryland DOT, MTA, and Purple Line Transit Partners."

Stairs leading up to rider platform at
Chevy Chase Lake Purple Line station

Egis' responsibilities will encompass a range of tasks, including:

• Reviewing technical submissions and drawings
• Conducting on-site inspections
• Supporting the commissioning of the Purple Line LRT

Purple Line station rider platform

A dedicated team of LRT and P3 experts from the U.S., Canada, and Europe will execute the 4-year contract, the cost of which was not announced. Egis has an extensive history of involvement in complex rail projects across the United States, including some that have faced setbacks and troubles like the Purple Line. The firm's experience includes:

• Asset condition assessment of rolling stock for Amtrak
• Implementation of a fully automatic train control system on two New York City subway lines
• Current support for the delivery of the California High-Speed Rail program

View from Chevy Chase Lake Purple Line
station rider platform

The appointment of Egis as Independent Engineer for the Purple Line marks a significant development, as costs continue to spiral out of control, and the launch of the rail line keeps being pushed further into the future. It has become the state-level version of Montgomery County's infamous Silver Spring Transit Center on steroids. 

Historic Clarksburg buildings for sale

Two historic buildings in Clarksburg are now on the market for sale. The former Webb's Store, built in 1897 at 26506 Clarksburg Road, and the home the store's founder built next door in 1899, can be yours for a combined price of $549,000. Both are being sold as-is, and need significant work. Because neither is on the National Register of Historic Places, the online listing suggests that redevelopment of the site is possible, but advises potential buyers to do their research to confirm this.

Damascus Library closing for more than one year for renovations

The Damascus Library at 9701 Main Street in Damascus will close on Friday, January 31, 2025 for major renovations, Montgomery County Public Libraries announced. It is expected to remain closed until the fall of 2026. The renovations will include work on the senior center that shares the site with the library.

Updates planned include new flooring, paint, furniture, collaboration and study spaces, and a new customer service desk. Roof repairs will be made, and the building will be made compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards. An "all-gender" restroom will be constructed, and the HVAC system and windows will be upgraded.

“This renovation is a major investment in the future of Damascus,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement. “By improving both the library and senior center, we are enhancing the experience for our residents and ensuring these spaces serve future generations. These updates will help us provide a vibrant, inclusive community space.”