Hans Riemer
How would you characterize the quality of civic engagement in Montgomery County, and what do you think should be done to improve it?
We need to do better. Many of our best and brightest minds devote themselves to solving national and global problems by day and yet choose not get involved locally. Our politics still reflect the sleepy bedroom community of Montgomery County’s past, where we could take education and economic issues for granted because we were all above average.
Today we are a dynamic and rapidly changing county yet our government and our politics do not adequately engage the people who are shaping our future. Young families, small business owners, new residents, immigrants -- these and many other groups also need to participate in building our vision of the future.
Whether engaging older Americans at AARP or young adults through the Obama campaign; groups representing women, people of color, labor, seniors, and so many others in the national coalition I helped organize to stop Bush from privatizing Social Security -- I am committed to engaging people in making the decisions that affect their lives.
Some say that 200 people make all of the decisions in Montgomery County -- just moving from room to room. Perhaps it is true. As a member of the Council I will continue to bring together residents of every racial, ethnic, economic and social background as I solicit ideas and engage our residents in county affairs.
We cannot make the changes that we have to make on environment, land-use, community-building, transportation, education, and other policy issues with the same people sitting at the table. We have to create a politics that can support the change we need her in Montgomery County.
What role do you think the Council and County Executive should play in setting education policy and providing oversight of the Montgomery County Public Schools?
While the school system is a state agency and the school board is elected directly by the voters, I think the Council and Executive have a crucial role to play in oversight of MCPS. I have no interest in micromanaging the schools, but we have a responsibility to make sure that education policy is as open, transparent, and responsive as other parts of county government, especially in light of the county government’s responsibility for funding the school system. The council is the fiscal agent and should position itself in the role of fiscal watchdog as well.
What steps should the county take to maintain or improve public safety at a time when budget pressures are forcing cuts to spending on police and social services?
I am intrigued by the success that Baltimore City and the Maryland State Police have enjoyed in using intensive analysis of crime data, for example, by using statistical modeling to identify criminals who are most likely to re-offend after they have been released from prison so they can be subjected to higher levels of supervision by parole officers. We are fortunate not to have a crime problem anywhere close to the issues confronting Baltimore, but we can learn from their experience to improve the efficient allocation of law enforcement resources.
What, if any, changes to the structure of the county's tax system should we be considering?
I do not think any aspect of how the county raises and spends money should be off limits to review. The balance among income taxes, property taxes, and other sources of revenue should be examined with a view to maintaining a stable and sustainable level of funding while improving our competitiveness in attracting residents and businesses to Montgomery County. We cannot afford to shy away from examining spending patterns from the ground up to restore the long-term structural integrity of our budget.
What should we expect Montgomery County's transportation network to look like in 30 years, and how will that affect where and how we live and work?
We are no longer a sleepy bedroom community for government workers. Montgomery County must become a dynamic, vibrant community that attracts good jobs and supports quality housing through environmentally and socially responsible planning. The key to achieving this vision is mass transit and transit-oriented development. After decades of debate and foot dragging over new transit systems, we must take urgent steps in the next four years to secure our key transit initiatives, including not only the Purple Line and the CCT but also establishing dedicated lanes for rapid transit vehicles in our key commuting corridors.
In many locations, Montgomery County is undergoing a transition to a more urban pattern of development. That’s not to say that large parts of the county will not retain suburban or even rural characteristics of land use and modes of living, but the trend toward urbanization (particularly in Bethesda and Silver Spring and increasingly in other areas at both ends of the Red Line) is already well underway. Indeed, urbanization in the right locations will be our best means to preserve our rural and suburban lifestyles in other locations in the county.
This transition is inevitable – the only question is whether we will have vibrant, walkable communities that integrate mixed uses and access to transit with higher densities or sprawling, congestion. The White Flint sector plan exemplifies good urbanism. The White Flint plan’s vision (mixed commercial and residential land use; an emphasis on transit, walking, and biking; and a public-private partnership for financing infrastructure improvements) is a model for the future of development in Montgomery County.
How will Montgomery County be different four years from now if you are elected?
If I am elected, after four years we will have the benefit of more effective governance. More people will feel that they have been listened to and more people will have been engaged in our challenges. Better policy on environmental sustainability and community-building will result. I will be a voice moving us towards more reliance on walking, biking and transit. I will fight to make sure the county does not walk back from our commitment to excellent education, even in tough budget times. Montgomery County will be a better place to live and raise a family.
I am working hard on a different approach to policy and politics that can find common ground and bring more people together around a vision for the future of the county.
Hans Riemer
At-Large
Democrat
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