The 53

The wheels on the bus...stop???

The MTA is planning service cutbacks which, if implemented, would virtually end all commuter bus service from Howard County to Baltimore.  One route would still remain, the Ellicott City to Baltimore line, however that line terminates downtown, which would require riders to transfer to metro, light rail or bus transit to get to their destination, assuming they worked outside of walking distance.

The current 310 and 311 lines serve, in addition to the downtown hub, major employment centers in Baltimore such as Johns Hopkins University, The University of Maryland Baltimore, and the Maryland state office complex on Preston Street in Baltimore.  These lines have apparently experienced an over 50% increase in ridership during 2008.

The rationale for these cutbacks, one might guess, is the state budget.  These and other cuts in transportation are due to budget restrictions.  These are restrictions that slot revenue cannot save.

In interest of disclosure-- at my last job I used to ride the 310 commuter bus to get to and from work.  It was convenient, saved wear and tear on my car, cheap (my employer subsidized the cost so instead of $140/month, I paid about $20/month), reduced my carbon footprint, the buses were clean and the people were friendly.  It would be a sad thing to see the buses go. 

But my prediction, although I intend to fight it, is that the buses will go.  Here's why.

In this economic environment there simply isn't the funding to retain this service.  Ther one-way fare of the 310/311 routes is $3.50; so that's $7.00 per day.  However this does not include an additional $10/rider/day subsidy which the state contributes.  Assuming 300 riders per day, this equates to a $3000/day cost, and during the course of a year, this is about a $1.1M subsidy.  In the context of a $700M-$800M budget shortfall, this isn't a total cure, but it's not a totally insignificant figure either.

I am surely no fan of these cutbacks, but I sense inevitability on this one, especially as these commuter bus services between Howard County and Columbia have been systematically reduced over the past few years.  First stops in the neighborhoods were eliminated, then fares increased, then schedules revised, and now this.  It doesn't make sense to cancel a service which is actually growing, and there are some good ideas in the cutback proposals, such as not having service on certain holidays or days after holidays.  Squashing the service itself doesn't make social sense, but it does make economic sense.

Oh, and by the way, private companies won't touch this with a 30-foot pole.  Because they'd have to charge $20/day to riders to use the service to even approach making it profitable.  And no one's going to pay $400/month to ride the bus.

So if I get picked...

Well, my name was passed forward by the Operations Committee of the CA Board to the entire CA Board, for a slot on the advisory committee for the new CA President.  Should the entire CA Board ratify the list at this Thursday's meeting, I'll be on the committee.  The first committee meeting, I'm told, is scheduled for November 5th.

I admit to a bit of unease, and I'll tell you why.  CA, as many of us know, has openness issues.  My concern is that I'll be asked to keep information confidential that really shouldn't be kept confidential.  Further, that meetings or portions thereof be closed that shouldn't be closed (although we know CA doesn't do THAT! ; ) ) or other such things that are against my code of ethics.

I also have a concern that, if I behave as I know I do, and put up a fuss in favor of openness, that of course, I'll be branded 1) a rabble-rouser and 2) an impediment to the progress of the committee.  And the progress of the committee is important to me.  I gave a commitment to serve through February, and although I'm sure this date may slip a little, if the CA year starts on May 1st with no new President, something is screwed up. 

So, what do I do?  This is my quandry.  Any advice?

Unpublished LOTE-- What if Kimco or Cedar sell?

(e-mailed on the 10th, not selected for publication either last week or this week.  Guess I'm just not writing about what people in HoCo are REALLY interested in!)

October 10, 2008

Dear Editor:

I commend the editorial and reporting staff for their article examining General Growth Properties' continued financial viability, the possibility that GGP may be sold, and the implications for redevelopment in downtown Columbia.  I suggest that the community would be well-served if the local media examined in addition, the two companies that own eight of Columbia's nine village centers, Kimco Realty and Cedar Shopping Centers.

By my count on Kimco's website, their portfolio includes properties in 43 states and Puerto Rico, as well as Canada, Mexico, Peru, and Brazil.  Cedar is much more regional; it's much smaller portfolio encompasses nine states, including Maryland.  Their portfolio extends as far west as Ohio and Michigan, south to Virginia, and north to Massachusetts.  Of the two it would appear to me that, given it's smaller, regional nature, Cedar would be a more likely candidate for takeover.

And should either of these companies be bought, or experience financial trouble, what of Columbia's village centers?  Especially as Kimco is currently involved in discussions regarding the future of Wilde Lake Village Center?  And as Cedar works to fill vacancies in Oakland Mills?

The Rouse Company, after years of talk to the contrary, finally divested itself of the village centers.  Should GGP be sold, whereas it would certainly be unfortunate, the planning of downtown Columbia would eventually go on.  But the village centers Kimco and Cedar own represents approximately 800,000 square feet of office and retail space that exists in Columbia now.  That is a significantamount and I can think of no better source than the local media for information on the future of these companies.

Can't you read the signs?

Interesting last week.  Personally interesting in that every member of my family continues to have some form of GI distress.  The order of disease progression through the house seems to be 1. Me 2. My son 3. My daughter 4. My wife-- which I guess lends credence to the concept that women have higher tolerances for pain and for physiological extremes. 

Nevertheless, one or more of us have been sick with something for almost two weeks on.  Plus, we had to put our dog down last week from complications of Lyme disease (yes, she had been vaccinated), and a good friend of mine's brother died suddenly last week at the age of 27.  I attended his viewing last Saturday.

So boy, oh boy, I've really been in a perfect state of mind to make commentary about the state of life in Howard County and beyond, haven't I?  Nevertheless, I persevere.

This thing about political signage in Howard County.  Forgive me, I've fallen out of currency in reading the other local blogs, so maybe this has already been beaten into a shapeless paste.  But I have to shake my head that the nature of discourse has gotten to the point, especially in as educated and (hopefully) well-informed community as Howard County, that the County Executive and the chairs of both political parties have to hold a press conference telling residents who choose to place signs on their yards supporting a particular candidate, to respect the opposition and leave the other candidate's signs alone!

I try to understand the motivation of someone who would steal or deface someone else's sign, and I can't.  First of all, by venturing onto another person's property, you are trespassing.  Second, by removing or defacing something on that property, you are not showing disagreement with that person's choice of candidate, you are certainly not making a cogent argument in support of your own candidate.  No, what you are doing is attempting to bully someone who disagrees with your politics.  What is cool, or funny, or "a statement of my First Amendment right of free speech" (which one boob who I once caught stealing signs said to me) about that?

Especially that last part.  "I'm just stating my First Amendment right to disagree".  Unfortunately, this came from the mouth of someone with the same general political bend as I.  So I had to tell this idiot that your right to disagree doesn't include going to someone's house and taking their sign.  It could include, knocking on their door and distributing your candidate's literature in an effort to persude the other person, but... IT DOES NOT INCLUDE PROPERTY CRIMES!!!  So I took the signs this guy had taken, thanked him for his service to the cause and told him he was no longer welcome, and, as best I could, attempted to replace the signs to where I recalled them being on this particular street.  This all happened on a weeknight, very late, and so I couldn't go to each house individually.  And I didn't want to wait until the next day because I didn't want to be accused of stealing them in the first place!

I just think, that in 2008, we should know better and we should be better.  I felt the same way in 1998, when the episode I recounted above happened.  I get the queasy feeling that in 2018, I'll still be feeling the same way and saying the same things.

Or maybe that's just my stomach acting up again.

My credentials

Here is the content of my application for the selection committee for the new CA President.  I took out my name, address and phone numbers.  Not that it's that much of a secret who I am, I just don't believe in putting all my info in one place, except if I know who's looking at it, and why.  I'm funny that way.

This is reformatted because the way my info was formatted in the e-mail response I received from CA sucks!  It's better but not ideal.

Name:
Address:
Village:	oakland mills
Home Phone:
Alt Phone:
Qualifications:	* Live on CA-assessed land My property is on CA-assessed land in the Stevens Forest neighborhood of the Village of Oakland Mills.   * Strong business acumen  I have a Master's of Science in Business from Johns Hopkins University, and I am a member of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce. At various times in my life I have operated sole propritetorships in the fields of desktop publishing and personal coaching. * Experience in managing organizations, corporations or agencies Professionally, I serve as the Administrator of the Biomedical Engineering Department of The Johns Hopkins University. The Department contains over 300 faculty staff and trainees and has an annual budget of $20 million. Currently, I am the second Vice President of the Oakland Mills High School PTSA. Most recently, I served for five years on the Oakland Mills Village Board, the last two and a half years as Chair. From 1999 to 2006 I served on the Howard County Consumer Affairs Board, and from 2002 to 2005 I was Chair of the board. I have served in leadership roles in other civic organizations, including serving as a member of the board of directors of the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County in the 1990s, and serving in the late 90s as Chair of the Board of Maryland Student Legislature Inc.  * Experience in corporate succession planning In 2007 I sat on County Executive Ulman's transition committee in the area of Citizen Services. As Chair of Maryland Student Legislature Inc. I advocated and implemented training in organizational standards and procedures for board members, so that new board members would become oriented to the organization, and so that board members could be prepared for leadership positions on the board, including that of chair. * Commit to active participation in regular and special committee meetings  I will attend every meeting that is possible. Certainly when I attend meetings, my inclination is to participate in them. I do work during the day; this may limit my ability to attend some meetings that may occur during daylight hours. However, except for one night a month, I would be available from 8pm on.  * Commit to involvement at least through February 2009 This would not be a concern.
Committee:	Columbia is at a crossroads and CA has a very important role to play. The next President in conjunction with the CA Board, will be responsible for charting CA's path from that crossroads. Therefore it will be important for the next CA President to demonstrate several core competencies, or at least, the ability to develop these competencies, including: 1. An appreciation of the intent of the establishment of Columbia and the history of the city; 2. A progressive, forward-thinking attitude towards advancing Columbia's vision for the foreseeable future 3. The ability to work with local, county, and state leaders on matters of policy to address Columbia's need, and to direct advocacy efforts on behalf of CA for matters to the good of CA lienpayers. 4. Demonstrated leadership ability and effectiveness in service to a civic organization similar to Columbia, or as a public servant in an incorporated town or city (ie, a city manager-type of person); and 5. Recognition that the President of CA is likely the second most important civic position in Howard County, and as such, someone who will serve as a visible, upstanding member of the community. I feel that my great amount of leadership experience, in organizations servicing Columbia, Howard County, and beyond, gives me the perspective and insight necessary for success as a member of the search committee. I wish to thank you for reading this, and if anyone has questions, please feel free to contact me.

This cold is NOTHING!

Not feeling well sucks.  I've been nursing a sniffle since Tuesday, and I just thought it was allergies.  Then Thursday afternoon IO started to feel woozy at the office.  I was asleep around 8:45 last night and have barely gone upstairs today.

I was away most of last weekend so I only had time to send out a very quick message.  And so now, I feel like crap.  Took a sick day-- watched "Shine A Light" and "Bee Movie" back-to-back (and who else can say they have done THAT??? and watched the SNL sendup of Tuesday night's Presidential debate.  And I slept.

Sick days aren't much fun unless if your name is Ferris Bueller.  But it could be worse.

I would like to share with everyone today, though, a story in Wednesday's Sun about a high school classmate of mine, Trish Lannon.  You can find it here.

Taking a break

I was out of town for four days last week.  I'll bring a new post Wednesday or Thursday.

But, for those who want to know-- yes, I applied.  Even got a nice acknowledgement letter!