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Wednesday, July 31, 2013
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Understand distasteful speech; don’t silence it
Another example of how free speech can get awfully messy is playing out in Montgomery County. County Executive Isiah Leggett has waded into a debate about whether Molotov, a Mexican rock band, should perform at the Fillmore concert hall in Silver Spring on Aug. 26. Molotov says its music is aimed at those who don’t stand up to power. But, to express that message, the group relies on a Spanish word, “puto,” that is commonly understood as a slur against gay men. Montgomery County owns the Fillmore building and leases it to the entertainment company Live Nation for concerts. The county doesn’t decide who plays there. Leggett acknowledged that boundary in a July 18 letter to Stephanie Steele, the Fillmore’s general manager, in which he wrote that he is “personally offended. “Bringing what I believe to be hateful sentiments into our County does nothing to contribute positively to our culture, tolerance, or the well-being of our County residents,” Leggett wrote, urging the Fillmore to “reconsider” Molotov’s scheduled performance. In perceiving Molotov’s message, it’s important to understand culture, interpretation and context. In a statement to The Gazette last week, the band wrote that it has “respect and gratitude” for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people and insists its lyrics aren’t anti-homosexual attacks. The statement — which is murky because of some missing words — says “Puto” “was conceived as a cathartic song about our situation in Mexico at the time in the late 90’s and dedicated to anyone who attempts our freedom, to any coward who attempts against the people and to anyone who attempts against humanity.” Do we need a referee? Hardly. Who’s “right” should not dictate whether Molotov plays the Fillmore. Even if Molotov is whitewashing its use of an insult to keep protesters at bay, the answer is not to muffle the group. The best response to speech — even hateful speech — is more speech. Leggett could turn a tense situation into a productive one through a forum to discuss the group’s lyrics and, more importantly, the story behind them. If Molotov is open to defending and explaining its work, band members should welcome another platform to express themselves. Academic and cultural experts on Mexico and its music could provide needed context. Montgomery County could further establish itself as a place that promotes tolerance and art, yet protects unpopular speech and expression, equally and vigorously.
Cameras can help protect schools
It’s been seven months since one of America’s worst school shootings — Dec. 14, 2012, when a gunman killed 27 people in Newtown, Conn., including 20 children. The instant reaction after any deadly attack is outrage and grief, then: What can we do to protect our children? The National Rifle Association called for at least one staff member, armed guard or police officer in every school in the country. That way, the group reasoned, a good person with a gun could fight off a bad person with a gun. Remarkably simplistic, such a plan would never work as law-enforcement experts have said. To many, an armed guard in a school would be excessive. Arming school staff raises too many questions of adequate training or liability. Now that we’re somewhat removed from the Newtown attacks — in time, if not in sorrow — we can think more evenly and reasonably. Montgomery County Public Schools is doing its part by moving ahead with a plan to install more cameras in its elementary, middle and high schools. The school board voted this month to commit the district to about half of the funding for a $9 million safety initiative, with state money covering the rest. James Song, the director of the school system’s Department of Facilities Management, said there will be interior and exterior cameras, as well as “physical improvements” to school buildings — visitors will have to check in at administration offices before proceeding through the school. Most elementary schools would be getting cameras for the first time, according to Adrienne Karamihas, the school system’s budget and operations manager. Some of this is meant to bolster internal security — cutting down on thefts or vandalism or watching for unruly groups or even fights. Video surveillance can be helpful in solving crimes. Cameras would supplement the eyes and ears of the people already in charge of our schools. Overall, there’s much to like in what the school system is doing to walk a delicate line between freedom of movement and total restrictiveness. Locked doors and security cameras at the front door won’t thwart a truly determined attacker — nothing can — but they introduce a greater level of awareness and protection that unfortunately has become appropriate for public schools.
The Gazette Karen Acton, President/Publisher
LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR
When it rains, it pours ... taxes A little-known tax was recently spawned by the Maryland General Assembly to comply with the federal Clean Water Act that requires all states feeding into the Chesapeake Bay to clean up their stormwater runoffs. While very few will disagree with the need to clean up what many recognize as a magnificent, natural resource, the “rain tax” is another in a series of good intentions by our Maryland legislators and we know where such intentions usually lead. This new rain tax focuses on impervious surfaces — roofs, driveways and parking lots — from which storm water runs off into the Bay. Maryland is not the only state having stormwater runoff feeding into the Bay — so do Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York. None of these states has a rain tax.
Nonetheless our Maryland legislators have selected nine counties and Baltimore city on which to impose this tax. The other 14 Maryland counties are exempt. This is where the logic dissipates. How will 10 jurisdictions in Maryland stem the advance of storm water runoff from the numerous counties in the other four states feeding into the Bay? The Susquehanna River alone, flowing through the Conowingo dam, running less than 20 miles into Maryland before entering the top of the Bay, accounts for 41 percent of nitrogen and 25 percent of phosphorus, yet New York and Pennsylvania have not proposed a rain tax. In Montgomery County we have been paying the rain tax since 2002. What admittedly started as a small Water Qual-
ity Protection Charge — $92.60 a year on our property tax bills — will now become a seven-tier system. Like all taxes, expect that to increase exponentially over time. Businesses in Montgomery County are not exempt from the 2002 rain tax. Wheaton Plaza pays $70,000 a year for its impervious surfaces. However, state government buildings, county office buildings and schools, which together occupy over 1,500 acres of impervious surface, are exempt. But churches, synagogues and other nonprofits with impervious surfaces are not exempt. The state of Maryland expects this impervious surface cleanup to cost $14.8 billion by 2025. Thus it is estimated that the 10 jurisdictions will need to come up with $482 million for each of the next 12 years. However, our legislators have left the
Save our linear park It has been a while since I walked on the trail (Georgetown Branch, Capital Crescent), but I found myself walking there on a recent hot, humid day. I am sure that it was somewhere around 90 degrees. I started from my home town, the Town of Chevy Chase. One thing led to another, and I ended up walking as far as the trestle, which overlooks rocks, water and trails leading into Rock Creek Park. It was a stunning view. With our high temperatures and humidity, this day that I took my walk was really not the best day to take a 4-mile hike. But what made it bearable, even enjoyable, was the lush foliage of the tree canopy overhead, which provided the coolness of shade. To those who would destroy this magnificent linear park, by cutting down
all the trees and crowding hikers and bicyclists together to make way for a commuter rail line, I would invite you to go take a walk — along the trail, and see if you still feel the same way afterwards. It is too bad that the planners for the Purple Line project didn’t have the foresight to plan for the future for both transit and the environment, by designing things in a way that would put the rail line elsewhere, or locate it underground. Perhaps if enough local residents would just take the time from their busy lives to do what I did, just go take a walk, things might be different. Enjoy the trail, while you still can! Better yet, let’s see what can be done, even at this late date, to save this priceless treasure, our linear park.
Robert Rand, Managing Editor Ken Sain, Sports Editor Andrew Schotz, Assistant Managing Editor Dan Gross, Photo Editor Jessica Loder, Web Editor
Rebooting Comcast
Street). His response was to snarl that I should “Get behind the yellow line,” which I did. He barreled on past my stop until he had gone three stops forward, stopping then because someone was waiting at that stop to board the bus. At this point he said, “What stop did you want?” I repeated “Taylor Street.” To which he replied “That was two stops back.” I got off the bus and walked back the three blocks to Taylor Street and continued on my now three-block-longer long walk home. Clearly this vicious and unremittingly hostile driver should not be interacting with the public in any capacity.
Kirsten Gardner, Chevy Chase
Carol Lundquist, Burtonsville
Deborah A. Vollmer, Chevy Chase
9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 | Phone: 301-948-3120 | Fax: 301-670-7183 | Email: opinions@gazette.net More letters appear online at www.gazette.net/opinion
Douglas Tallman, Editor Krista Brick, Managing Editor/News Glen C. Cullen, Senior Editor Copy/Design Meredith Hooker, Managing Editor Internet Nathan Oravec, A&E Editor
Joan Fidler, Bethesda The writer is the president of the Montgomery Taxpayers League.
Three months into degraded phone and Internet service from Comcast, and no end in sight in spite of 30 phone calls, eight trouble tickets, and three visits by Comcast technicians. The three technicians verified that the problem is in Comcast’s wiring outside of my house but due to Comcast’s multiple, disjointed and ineffective trouble ticket systems, Comcast claims to have no record of the reports from their service technicians and says the only action they can take is to send out a fourth technician to duplicate all the testing done by the first three technicians — but Comcast can’t say how the results from a fourth technician visit would be treated any different than the results from the first three visits. In the meantime, Comcast’s modem has to be rebooted to re-acquire the signal whenever I want to use my phone or Internet. This problem with Comcast’s failing infrastructure is not limited to my house and appears to be very widespread, because Comcast makes instructions for rebooting their modems readily available near the top of the automated phone menu for their service center and claims most problems can be resolved by rebooting their modems. Comcast is oblivious to the public safety issue their problem is causing because in the event of an emergency, phones impacted by this problem are not available to call 911 until after their modems have been rebooted and reacquire the signals — which can take five minutes or longer. Whatever happened to having phones that just worked when needed?
Surly driver doesn’t serve Ride On well On July 9, I boarded an “11” Ride On Bus at Friendship Heights around 3 p.m. Not sure of the exact time, I asked the driver if the free senior fare (until 3 p.m.) was still in force (I am a 75-year-old woman). Contemptuously he snarled that I must pay my fare. Having done so, I seated myself directly behind him where I witnessed (during a wait of five minutes or so before the bus’s departure) his surly encounter with anyone boarding the bus in less than an automatic and expeditious manner. At approximately 3:15 as the bus headed northward on Connecticut Avenue I got up and moved forward to tell him that I wanted to get off at the next stop (Taylor
setting of rain-tax rates to each of the 10 jurisdictions. So Frederick County has voted to tax its residents one penny on each property; Howard County $75 per residence; Harford County $12.50 per single family home; Carroll County has chosen not to tax its residents. There is no way this haphazard approach by 10 counties can raise $14.8 billion by 2025. So where do you think our state legislators will turn to close the revenue gap? And who do you think will vote in favor of tapping Montgomery County to close the gap — very likely our Montgomery County delegates to Annapolis, all of whom voted for the tax in the first place.
Dennis Wilston, Corporate Advertising Director Neil Burkinshaw, Montgomery Advertising Director Doug Baum, Corporate Classifieds Director Mona Bass, Inside Classifieds Director
Jean Casey, Director of Marketing and Circulation Anna Joyce, Creative Director, Special Pubs/Internet Ellen Pankake, Director of Creative Services
POST-NEWSWEEK MEDIA Karen Acton, Chief Executive Officer Michael T. McIntyre, Controller Lloyd Batzler, Executive Editor Donna Johnson, Vice President of Human Resources Maxine Minar, President, Comprint Military Shane Butcher, Director of Technology/Internet