Ken Cuccinelli is helping religious leaders get involved in politics

Thank GodLucky to live in a country where church and state are separated and where churches loose their tax-free status when they get involved in politics. Also happy to live in a Commonwealth where the AG is clearly explaining that law to those involved...

by Jasper on Jun 17, 2011 8:46 am • link • report

I think DPS probably should have handled the lemonade stand a little better, after all fining a bunch of kids $500 isn't the best publicity.

As for lawn parking for the US Open, the County Council amended the Zoning Code specifically to make this legal.

The relevant law is found in Footnote 13 in the Residential Single-Family zones:

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this ordinance, paid off-street parking of automobiles may be permitted in connection with a sporting or cultural event of general public interest. This parking shall be of a temporary nature and is limited to one event a year, not to exceed 10 days. A written permit authorizing such parking must be obtained from the director [of the Department of Permitting Services] at least 10 days prior to the event. The director [of the Department of Permitting Services] is authorized to impose a reasonable fee and other requirements on the permitted to assure that the parking is safe and free from hazard, and the community interest and welfare is protected.

This footnote applies only in the RE-2 and R-200 zones, which happen to be located in the general vicinity of the Congressional Country Club.

Apparently, selling lemonade is not in the community interest or welfare.

by Matt Johnson on Jun 17, 2011 8:58 am • link • report

CaBi riders may be having less accidents in the city, but its probably because they all ride on the sidewalks even when downtown!

by Get off the Sidewalk! on Jun 17, 2011 9:26 am • link • report

>CaBi riders may be having less accidents in the city, but its probably because they all ride on the sidewalks even when downtown!

I don't think cabi riders go on the sidewalk with any more regularity than regular cyclists, but IF it's true that they get in fewer accidents because they ride on the sidewalk more, wouldn't that be a point in favor of promoting MORE sidewalk riding rather than less? If sidewalks are so much safer, then maybe we should consider ripping out every bike lane in the city and using that extra street width to widen sidewalks.

Heck, we could even start painting bike lanes onto sidewalks. Other cities do it. Here's an example.

by BeyondDC on Jun 17, 2011 9:45 am • link • report

Food inspectors everywhere have trouble with lemonade stands -- something to do with their training, where they miss the bigger picture. Take the shutdown of alex's lemonade stand in Phildelphia, for example, a memorial fundraiser run by kids for pediatric cancers.

by goldfish on Jun 17, 2011 9:56 am • link • report

Re: Ken Cuccinelli is helping religious leaders get involved in politics

I didn't expect this from the Washington Times but they had an excellent money quote at the end of their article: “I mean, real men actually get married, right?"

by Adam L on Jun 17, 2011 10:00 am • link • report

@goldsish:
The Department of Permitting Services doesn't do food inspections. They're tasked with enforcing the Montgomery County Zoning Code and inspecting buildings, issuing occupancy permits, and such.

by Matt Johnson on Jun 17, 2011 10:03 am • link • report

“Pull out a map of Virginia and look where the abortion clinics are,” Mr. Cuccinelli told the crowd, which included a large number of pastors from black churches. “That doesn’t make you mad? You’re a calmer person than I am. It makes me mad.”

So, what are the penalties for when the AG starts openly expressing political views on behalf of his office? It's been pretty clear for a while now that Cuccinelli is abusing his office. I'm just surprised that there are no laws what he does.

by andrew on Jun 17, 2011 10:16 am • link • report

*against what he does.

by andrew on Jun 17, 2011 10:17 am • link • report

I was hoping the National Geographic bike racks would be yellow rectangles. These look like they could just as easily have been sponsored by REI or Eastern Mountain Sports.

by Stanton Park on Jun 17, 2011 10:25 am • link • report

Stanton Park: That would be cute, but it seems we don't really want every business putting its logo on the street just by making it into a bike rack. Next, Starbucks makes green circle bike racks with sirens in the center? It would start to turn into advertising.

by David Alpert on Jun 17, 2011 10:28 am • link • report

@Matt: whatever...different department, same problems: unable to get the big picture--a popular fundraiser pediatric cancer for God's sake!; having a tin ear with regard to politics; letting the inspector who issued the fine speak with reporters--it should have been a supervisor who reviewed the decision; etc.

It is a nice story to deliver audience to advertisers. So far according to Google, this story has been featured 15 times in different news outlets, not including here.

by goldfish on Jun 17, 2011 10:46 am • link • report

@David Alpert:

And more bike racks would be a bad thing?

by Steven Yates on Jun 17, 2011 10:49 am • link • report

This is off topic, but does anyone actually say "cabi" when referring to a shared bike? For example, "I got there on-time only because I grabbed a 'cabby' and shot down the hill." I understand following the tradition taking the first to letters of the name borrowed from other bike sharing systems, but "cabi" just sounds like someone who drives a taxi. Can we find a better, more pronounceable name for shared bikes in DC?

by MDE on Jun 17, 2011 10:56 am • link • report

@David Alpert

I don't see logo shaped bike racks as all that different than business sponsored CaBi stations that have logos on them (I think Arlington is thinking about doing that and it sounds like a good idea). Or for that matter, metrobuses with logos/advertisements on the side.

by Falls Church on Jun 17, 2011 10:59 am • link • report

RE: Toll Roads

I think there's a big difference between selling a state owned road like Ohio did and allowing a private company to build a new road and then charge a toll. In the former, people have already made decisions about where they live, where jobs are located, etc. and then you sell the road and they now have to bear an unexpected risk of tolls rising dramatically. They're captive consumers of the road.

In the latter, anyone making decisions based on the existence of a privately owned toll road knows there's a certain degree of risk involved and they can't count on the tolls remaining low.

Commuters who ride at least three-to-a-car or ride the bus won't have to pay a toll, while less efficient commuters will have to pay to ride in the fast lane. But under that arrangement, the road operators have little incentive to encourage commuters to carpool for free or to start riding the bus, although many of us would consider such developments to be in the greater common good.

I think we can safely leave the job of encouraging carpooling and transit use to government. I think it's fine if the road operator is carpool and transit agnostic.

Improvements such as a parallel train line or more bus lines could even be seen as adverse actions hurting investors' bottom line.

Agree that would be a very bad clause if that was considered an adverse action.

by Falls Church on Jun 17, 2011 11:15 am • link • report

DDOT does have a program that lets businesses put logo-ish bike racks in front on businesses, like a coffee mug in front of a coffee shop. I don't want to see what goes in front of a massage parlor.

Frankly I'd be fine for starbucks bike racks in front of every starbucks. But it's probably a violation of the ClearChannel deal.

by David C on Jun 17, 2011 11:25 am • link • report

@Falls Church -- personally, I typically use CaBi in writing, but say "bikeshare" in conversation.

by Jacques on Jun 17, 2011 11:30 am • link • report

No way would I rely on the T2 bus to get to/from Congressional even if they paid me. Yes, the Grovenor shuttle was $8 but I think it was worth it. There were always buses available and the ride was comfortable.

And frankly I have no issue with the shuttles from Dulles and wherever in MD being free. Those incentives keep cars away from the area. No one who lives in Western Fairfax or beyond would consider taking Metro anyway. Offering that free option gives them no reason to try to drive in.

by movement on Jun 17, 2011 11:42 am • link • report

@ Adam L:“I mean, real men actually get married, right?"

Except that in the Commonwealth, not all men can get married to whom they choose.

by Jasper on Jun 17, 2011 11:50 am • link • report

movement, I've taken the T2 many times to visit family and I've found it to be reliable. On the weekend, it's also pretty fast.

by Eric Fidler on Jun 17, 2011 11:58 am • link • report

@Jasper

Well, yes. That's one point. I thought it was funnier to exclaim that "real men" apparently doesn't include Catholic priests and other religious leaders who are barred from being married yet made up part of his audience.

by Adam L on Jun 17, 2011 12:04 pm • link • report

Anyone else think that CaBi trips/cyclists could be fundamentally different than private-bike trips/cyclists?

by Geof Gee on Jun 17, 2011 12:21 pm • link • report

There are so many differences.

1. The type of trips
2. The type of riders
3. The age of riders (all over 16 on CaBi)
4. The bikes all have lights and reflective sidewall tires
5. The bikes are more upright
6. The bikes go slower
7. CaBi trips almost exclusively take place within the core of the city where there are more bike lanes and slower traffic.

by David C on Jun 17, 2011 12:32 pm • link • report

@ Adam L: I thought it was funnier to exclaim that "real men" apparently doesn't include Catholic priests and other religious leaders who are barred from being married yet made up part of his audience.

I got that point. Just wanted to point out that the AG is a big hypocrite. Priests are not married/real men by choice. However, without realizing it, the AG also deemed gay men not real men, despite the fact that he denies them that choice. But then again, we already knew he was a bigot.

by Jasper on Jun 17, 2011 12:48 pm • link • report

@Eric Fidler
I don't doubt that, but you're talking about a normal day. When you consider all of the other chaos associated with the US Open, no way would I mess around with a WMATA bus.

by movement on Jun 17, 2011 12:54 pm • link • report

movement,
I thought about it, but I don't see how the motorized alternatives are any better. If you drive, take a shuttle, or ride a Metrobus, you will be stuck in traffic on River Road no matter what. The question is, do you want to be stuck in traffic and pay $60 or stuck in traffic and pay $1.50?

(A clever thing to do might be to park for free on a residential street a mile or two away in Bethesda and then use the Metrobus as your shuttle. Beats driving to Gaitersburg.)

by Eric Fidler on Jun 17, 2011 1:15 pm • link • report

Regarding the lemonade stand story: Just checked google and it has been picked by 38 news organizations! Oh this is fun. It will be on the national news by this evening, if not already.

If I were Ike Leggett, I would be on the phone right now to apologize!

by goldfish on Jun 17, 2011 1:32 pm • link • report

@Eric Fidler
> I don't see how the motorized alternatives are any better

Let's see
* the shuttle is door to door and non-stop (not sure exactly where the bus stop is but I do know it makes many stops)
* rather than wait for a bus (who knows how long that will take) there is a rank of shuttles waiting for you. (I don't know about you but I would rather be on a bus than waiting for one.)
* you are guaranteed a comfortable seat on a shuttle (that in itself is reason not to take Metrobus if you have the option)

by movement on Jun 17, 2011 5:20 pm • link • report

Yeah, that lemonade stand is really just an evergreen story about ham-handed government. If it didn't happen now, they'd have to run it during the next heatwave. As one particularly neanderthal commenter on the WUSA story put it, it's just like that right-wing children's book about "Liberals Under My Bed."

Except, well, that's not really what happened here. This was a lovely, professional-looking vendor stand, set up by some of the most privileged families in the area (one of whom made their money in the hospitality industry). If it was the kids' idea, well, more power to them. But ultimately it was the parents who were responsible for getting all the stuff from Costco, and who apparently neglected the whole permit thing. The permit is free, and as someone whose family made a fortune in the hospitality industry, Carrie Marriott ought to be familiar with the concept.

Carrie has now been quoted a gazilion times bloviating that this whole incident sends the message to kids that "there is no American dream." No, Carrie. There is an American dream. Your kids are living it. Regardless of their privilege, I'd bet the little Marriotts are still pretty cool kids, and it's great that they were out on a hot day trying to raise some money for charity, no matter whose idea it was or whether their parents bothered to get a permit, or see if it was OK to set up where they were on the road. But now that the media blitz has caused the county to cave in, the message it really sends to the Marriott kids is that if their mom throws a tantrum for the news crews, she gets her way and doesn't have to follow those stupid rules the rest of the proles do. And unfortunately, that's the message its sends to everyone else's kids too.

by Paula Product on Jun 18, 2011 1:37 am • link • report

Can I vote "disappointed" in Metro Forward?

It ticks me off that they spend money rewriting their press releases into blog posts with stock photos. No comments allowed.

Meanwhile, the Trip Planner is still WRONG most weekends (such as today) on almost any trip involving Metrorail. It does not even warn you that it is giving you WRONG information.

The communications shop needs to spend their money on fixing Trip Planner and other things that actually help riders (see this blog for suggestions) and quit spending their money on new URLs with the same info.

(I'm a little frustrated that GGW editors seem a little snowed by the new communications shop leadership. A lot of it seems like deck-chair rearrangement.)

by DavidDuck on Jun 18, 2011 10:33 am • link • report

@Paula Product: so you may have a point about Carrie Marriott's privileges. But on the other hand, how much time and money are you putting into pediatric cancer?

by goldfish on Jun 20, 2011 12:07 pm • link • report