Piotr Gajewski
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Comments
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On the article Former Montgomery County Councilman Tapped as U.S. Labor Secretary
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On the article Meet The Team Rockville Slate
Piotr Gajewski
11:40 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
ReplyJames,
I totally agree with you. Kudos to Councilmember Pierzchala for putting together this slate: right there is a great demonstration of what he would bring to our City as Mayor!
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On the Blog Post SOTU and What We’ve Done in Maryland – Part V
Piotr Gajewski
4:40 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
What is the technique of voting more than once? And how does early voting make it easier? I can't figure it out. Can someone help me out here?
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On the article Top 10 Highest Salaries in Montgomery County
Piotr Gajewski
10:39 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
ReplyThese do not seem to include MCPS salaries. Surely several executives there make more than this!
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On the article More Red Light Cameras Coming as Citations, Revenue Soar in Rockville
Piotr Gajewski
3:49 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Brad,
Of course no municipal legislator would ever allow funds to actually be returned to the State General Fund. Rockville has many pedestrian safety needs, and if there were funds available, we would simply move forward with funding the next one on the list, as it were.
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On the article More Red Light Cameras Coming as Citations, Revenue Soar in Rockville
Piotr Gajewski
2:34 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Yes, Brad. Of course, money is fungible. But serving on the Council I found that in reality we were able to fund pedestrian safety projects that otherwise we would not have. At the end of the day, there is benefit to specifically dedicated funds.
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On the article More Red Light Cameras Coming as Citations, Revenue Soar in Rockville
Piotr Gajewski
11:17 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Reply…just to clarify – there is a very narrow use allowed (by State law) for the money that is collected from these red-light and speeding violations: pedestrian safety – i.e. new sidewalks, etc. So it is not like governments rake in windfalls that they can then spend on advancing their bureaucracies. This is very strictly enforced (I know this from my four years on the City Council).
The system seems to work well. Drivers need to stop on red. If they don’t, their fines go to enhance pedestrian safety. Rockville’s experience, however, shows that over time, drivers modify their behavior for the better (I know I have!), resulting in enhanced safety.
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On the article More Red Light Cameras Coming as Citations, Revenue Soar in Rockville
Piotr Gajewski
11:17 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Reply…just to clarify – there is a very narrow use allowed (by State law) for the money that is collected from these re-light and speeding violations: pedestrian safety – i.e. new sidewalks, etc. So it is not like governments rake in windfalls that they can then spend on advancing their bureaucracies. This is very strictly enforced (I know this from my four years on the City Council).
The system seems to work well. Drivers need to stop on red. If they don’t, their fines go to enhance pedestrian safety. Rockville’s experience, however, shows that over time, drivers modify their behavior for the better (I know I have!), resulting in enhanced safety.
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On the article Opponents Appear to Have Votes to Repeal Death Penalty
Piotr Gajewski
7:21 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013
Reply“It’s time to teach criminals a lesson.”
Cutting off a hand as a punishment for stealing or cutting out a tongue as a punishment for lying would also, one could argue, “teach criminals a lesson.” But as a society we have gotten rid of such punishments because of their barbarism (and we condemn other societies that still practice them). It seems inconsistent that we consider maiming barbaric but not the ultimate mutilation: the taking of a life.
“Please tell me why a convicted murderer deserves to live…”
Because to deprive him/her of living means that we would need to take his/her life; and the taking of a life is barbaric (even when the life being taken is one being lived by a barbarian). Our civility is what distinguishes us from barbarians.
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On the article Opponents Appear to Have Votes to Repeal Death Penalty
Piotr Gajewski
2:26 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013
Tim,
Absolutely! The criminal commits a barbaric act. I don’t want my State to perpetuate the cycle of barbarism by responding to a barbaric act with another barbaric act. The criminal is a barbarian; I would like my state to take the high road of civility – not sink to the level of the barbarian.
Piotr Gajewski
12:35 am on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Congratulations to Tom Perez!