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In his harshest critique to date, Montgomery County Executive Marc B. Elrich (D) accused Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) of 鈥渁bdicating鈥� his responsibility to tend to Maryland鈥檚 economy.
Instead of making sure the state has the resources it needs to flourish, Elrich said, Hogan would rather stick to the 鈥渘o taxes鈥� pledge that spurred his unlikely rise.
Elrich made the comments in an interview with聽Maryland Matters聽Monday evening, shortly after taking part in a transportation briefing led by Pete K. Rahn, head of the state Department of Transportation, in Rockville.
During the briefing, Elrich and other leaders strongly urged Rahn to restore the long-planned Corridor Cities Transitway, a bus rapid transit project that would link Clarksburg with the Shady Grove Metro Station, connecting firms and universities considered vital to the county鈥檚 booming biotech industry along the way.
鈥淭he reality is we don鈥檛 have the resources to continue our investments in much,鈥� Rahn responded. 鈥淔orty two percent of the [transportation] trust fund is going to transit and we have to draw the line somewhere.鈥�
That plainly rankled Elrich, who said in a separate interview on Monday afternoon, that he is prepared to modify the CCT鈥檚 design to make it more appealing to commuters 鈥� and to Rahn. [.]
Following the briefing, the executive called the governor鈥檚 unwillingness to discuss new revenues 鈥渟tunning.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 like in disbelief. When you take on the responsibility of a government, that requires that sometimes you find the money. To say it鈥檚 not his job and he鈥檚 not going to do it is stunning. It鈥檚 like a total abdication of responsibility,鈥� Elrich said.
MDOT hosts a 鈥渞oad show鈥� every year, offering local officials and the public the opportunity to learn about and offer comments on the updated Consolidated Transportation Program for each jurisdiction.
A particular theme this year, as Rahn and his team have traveled the state, is the public鈥檚 push for new transit 鈥� at least in its most populous jurisdictions.
Elrich said Hogan should be responding more substantively to these pleas.
鈥淗e could go out to the voters and say: 鈥榊ou鈥檝e asked for projects in multiple jurisdictions that I agree need to be done. We鈥檙e going to have to come up with a funding package,鈥� and ask people to recognize this is the price of things they want. He鈥檚 not even willing to do that.鈥�
Elrich said commercial property owners in Virginia agreed to the establishment of special taxing districts because they knew it would accelerate construction of the Silver Line, a Metrorail line that will eventually extend to Dulles International Airport. He advocates a similar approach to the CCT.
Hogan 鈥渋s more interested in the ideology of no taxes than the responsibility of governing,鈥� Elrich said. 鈥淓verything is driven by this no-tax problem. None of it is driven by, 鈥業鈥檓 going to be the best governor the state鈥檚 ever had and I鈥檓 going to make sure the state moves forward.鈥欌��
鈥淗e鈥檚 basically saying 鈥業鈥檓 going to grind the state to a halt because I don鈥檛 have any money.鈥� And I鈥檓 just like, 鈥榳ow.鈥欌��
Hogan won the 2014 race for governor in an upset by tapping the public鈥檚 anxiety about tax hikes that were enacted under his predecessor, former Gov. Martin J. O鈥橫alley (D).
Rahn appeared to acknowledge this in his reply to Elrich. 鈥淵ou [say] we should be looking for additional resources. I can tell you, as an administration, I think everyone knows where the governor is at. The governor has said no increases in taxes, no increases in fees.鈥�
In response to Elrich鈥檚 blistering attack on the governor, Michael Ricci, Hogan鈥檚 spokesman, said, 鈥淭he County Executive has had a rough last couple of days, so it鈥檚 understandable that he鈥檚 lashing out. But he鈥檚 also just wrong. Our administration is investing a record $14 billion in transit 鈥� including the Purple Line, which is the largest transit project of its kind on the continent 鈥� and advancing hundreds of projects across the state.鈥�
鈥淢eanwhile,鈥� Ricci continued, 鈥淐ounty聽leaders have been aware聽聽that the CCT would be transferred, but appear to have done nothing to prepare. And the County Executive shows no urgency about fixing some of the worst traffic in the country. It must be awfully frustrating for county residents to see their leaders more focused on complaints instead of solutions.鈥�
