Breakfast links: New directions
Pay-to-play fueled Cheh’s push
Mary Cheh decided to push campaign finance after she saw “pay-to-play” defeat a bill to limit gas mogul Joe Mamo’s influence. Mamo gave $6,300 to the 6 bill supporters and $40,250 to the 6 opponents. (Post)
VRE down, MARC up
After the transit benefit dropped from $230 to $125, VRE ridership went slightly down, while MARC’s went up. The increase in gas prices could be counteracting the lower transit benefit. (Examiner)
Nowhere to compost
The DC area lacks a large scale composting facility. One could be set up in DC, but so far political inertia has prevented it. With LEED giving buildings bonuses for composting, demand for such a facility is likely to rise. (City Paper)
MoCo wants land deal oversight
A new bill would restrict the Montgomery County Executive from selling property over $100,000 without approval. The bill comes after Ike Leggett sold the police HQ for $3 million without the council’s knowledge. (Examiner)
Transportation bill going nowhere fast
Experts believe a new transportation funding bill is unlikely this year, but that Congress will probably avoid a shutdown by passing extensions, possibly through 2014. (Streetsblog)
Pocket parks fail
Several of Silver Spring’s small parks are failing to attract people. They may be missing a key element like seating, food, or a view of the area. (Patch)
City folk pay less in transportation
A new study shows city dwellers pay much less in transportation compared to suburbanites. Transportation costs are $636 per month in Dupont while that number jumps to $1447 in Damascus. (Examiner)
Katz out as planner
After just five months on the job, New Urbanist Peter Katz is resigning as Arlington County planner. Both Katz and the county cited lack of “fit” as the reason for the departure. (Patch)
And…
Metro riders are skeptical of proposed fare hikes. (Post) … Several local bike trails will receive part of $2.5 million being awarded in Maryland. (Post) … After a 10-year absence, a new SimCity will be released in 2013 (Post, Youtube, Dave Murphy) (Tip: Dave Murphy)