THE GAZETTE
Wednesday, February 26, 2014 z
Page A-5
County funding request to delegation emphasizes transit projects n
Corridor Cities Transitway called a top prioriity BY
RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER
Getting state money for transit projects will be a main focus for the Montgomery County Council as it submits its transportation priorities to the state delegation. The projects include making sure the Purple Line project and Corridor Cities Transitway are funded, as well as supporting funding for capital improvements to the Metro system. The council voted 9-0 Tuesday to approve a letter from the council mem-
bers and County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) to be sent to Sen. Jamie Raskin (DDist. 20) of Silver Spring and Del. Anne Kaiser (D-Dist. 14) of Calverton highlighting projects the county would like to see money appropriated for in the state’s budget. Raskin and Kaiser chair the county’s delegations to the Senate and House, respectively. The letter lists 15 projects to be funded for construction and nine more to get money for development and evaluation. The state has provided part of the funding for the Purple Line, the 16mile light-rail project that would connect Bethesda and New Carrollton. The county’s letter asks that money be
appropriated in case the federal government doesn’t provide its share of money for the project. The letter also asks that state money be provided to fund the second stage of the Corridor Cities Transitway, a bus rapid transit system. Money has already been provided for the first stage that will run from the Shady Grove Metro Station to the Metropolitan Grove MARC station. The second phase is expected to continue north to Clarksburg. The letter also requests funding for these projects: • Building a portion of Montrose Parkway East from Md. 355 to Parklawn Drive. • Creating an interchange at Geor-
gia Avenue and Norbeck Road. • Widening Norbeck Road from Georgia Avenue to Layhill Road to four lanes. • Widening Woodfield Road from the Midcounty Highway to Airpark Drive to four lanes. • Creating an interchange at Interstate 270 and Newcut Road. Not all the projects will get state funding. The county last sent a letter in 2011, and out of 12 projects, three received funding, said Deputy Council Administrator Glenn Orlin. Those projects were the Purple Line, an interchange at I-270 and Watkins Mill Road and a bypass of Georgia Avenue around Brookeville. The letter is a chance to tell the state what the county’s priorities are, said
Councilman Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Bethesda, chairman of the council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee. Council President Craig L. Rice (DDist. 2) of Germantown said he was happy to see the Corridor Cities Transitway among the top priorities. His district would be the most affected by the project, and it is very important for upcounty residents to get access to transit, Rice said. Marc Elrich (D-At large) of Takoma Park said he wished the county had put all transit projects ahead of any road projects on the list. It’s hard to know which roads need improved until you’ve seen what effects increased transit can have, he said.
Zellers: State should make fixes to Affordable Care Act implementation Insurance agent, a Republican, seeks House seat in District 17 n
BY
ELIZABETH WAIBEL STAFF WRITER
Insurance agent Steve Zellers says his job has become more difficult lately. Zellers said the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is basically a huge, unfunded Medicaid expansion that suffers from “extreme launchpad failure.” “There’s a much more limited choice; insurance is very expensive,” he said. “... People who honestly want to use it to buy insurance get sticker shock.”
Zellers, 45, has filed to run as a Republican for the House of Delegates in District 17, which includes Gaithersburg and Rockville. He was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in the Midwest before moving to Gaithersburg in 2010. He Zellers has worked in insurance for three years and is an engineer by education. Zellers said he’s running in response to voters’ frustration with the health care and insurance situation under the Affordable Care Act.
“I understand the frustration of the voters in my district with the current policies and the current administration,” he said. Although the Affordable Care Act is a federal law, Zellers says the state can make changes to how it implements the law and offer Marylanders the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP. Maryland’s state insurance marketplace is scheduled to begin offering access to SHOP plans for small businesses in April, according to the Maryland Health Connection website. “Insurance is also regulated at the state level, so there is a lot we can do through our state legislators to help consumers have more choice and more affordability,” Zellers said.
SHOP has been a “carrot held in front of voters,” but the federal government has deferred it several times, Zellers said. “It’s like a student skipping their final exam,” he said. While health care reform is the cornerstone of Zellers’ campaign, he said he is also frustrated with what he describes as the high level of taxation in Montgomery County and the county delegation’s inability to return those taxes to infrastructure within the county. “[There is] inefficiency of both the local and state government in the region here,” he said. The District 17 chairman for the Montgomery County GOP, Zellers acknowledges that winning a seat in District 17 is a
difficult road for a Republican. Zellers said he thinks momentum is building to propel a candidate like himself into a seat, particularly with support from independents and disenfranchised Democrats. “It’s always going to be a struggle in this district,” he said. “What we have to do is never give up the struggle, because one day — and it’s going to be this year; I believe it’s going to be this year — we can take our district back again. ... It’s always a pendulum swing with the election cycles, and I definitely see momentum is building on our side.” The deadline to file with the Board of Elections was Tuesday. As of Tuesday afternoon, seven candidates had filed to run for
three seats in the House district, including incumbent Democrats Kumar P. Barve and James W. Gilchrist. Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons (D) has filed to run for the Senate. The challengers are Susan Hoffman of Rockville and Andrew Platt, Laurie-Anne Sayles and George Zamora, all of Gaithersburg. All the candidates in the race except Zellers are Democrats.
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