Tomorrow morning, Monday, November 29th, at 9:30 am the Montgomery County Council (MD) Education and Management and Fiscal Policy committees will hold a joint discussion on the resolution before the County Council to sell the 19-1/2 acres of down county land to a private parochial school, the Berman Academy, for $1.9 million.(Memorandum for hearing here.) This is at a time when our schools are bursting at the seams, and our financial picture is grim. Supporters once again plan to have hundreds of people show up to pack the room.
The Board of Education and MCCPTA oppose the sale.
At the Public Hearing last week, supporters of the sale turned out in force. They disrupted the hearing, clapping loudly and booing and hissing at those of us who are opposed to the sale during public testimony. The Board of Education and MCCPTA oppose the sale, as is the Montgomery County Civic Federation, on whose behalf I testified.
After the hearing I was accosted by supporters, who came up to me to call me an ‘anti-Semite’ and a ‘self-loathing Jew.’ I understand others were also similarly accosted. Name calling and intimidation have no place in a true democracy.
I would strongly encourage anyone who is concerned about a democratic process in our county, and opposed to selling off irreplaceable publicly-owned property downcounty to attend the meeting tomorrow morning. Location: Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville.
Make sure also to email or call the council. NOW. Telephone numbers and email addresses are below. The vote on the resolution is being rushed through the Council, with the vote on the very next day, November 30th, at 1:50 pm.
Thank you.
Paula Bienenfeld
All Councilmembers 240-777-7900 To e-mail all Councilmembers, click here,
Phil Andrews 240-777-7906 councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov
Roger Berliner 240-777-7828 councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov
Marc Elrich 240-777-7966 councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov
Valerie Ervin 240-777-7960 councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov
Nancy Floreen 240-777-7959 councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov
Mike Knapp 240-777-7955 councilmember.knapp@montgomerycountymd.gov
George Leventhal 240-777-7811 councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov
Nancy Navarro 240-777-7968 councilmember.navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov
Duchy Trachtenberg 240-777-7964 councilmember.trachtenberg@montgomerycountymd.gov
Come watch Council staff be booed.
ReplyDeletedoesn't look like the Monday morning committee meeting will be televised on cable, altho the full-Council Tuesday meeting will be. is this correct?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, this time it was Bruce Crispell's and James Song's (both of MCPS) turn -- they were hissed by the supporters of the sale. Duchy Trachtenberg, who was running the hearing as Chair of Management and Fiscal Policy committee, did nothing of course.
ReplyDelete