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Traffic Fuels Contrasts in Montgomery Race
Candidate Steven A. Silverman, center, talks to Richard Hoye of Bethesda during a tour of the proposed route of the Purple Line, an east-west light-rail link he supports building.
(By James A. Parcell -- The Washington Post)
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He points out that the county's average annual housing growth rate of 1.5 percent in recent years pales in comparison with the 3.1 percent rate in the 1980s.
In November, the council revisited the growth policy, and Silverman pressed for more restrictions. His efforts were blocked by an unlikely coalition, which included slow-growth advocates on the council, in part because the changes did not restore the earlier traffic-related tests.
Beyond their philosophical differences, the two candidates have clashed over how to pay for transportation needs. In a Washington Post Radio interview, Leggett suggested raising Maryland's 23.5-cent gas tax by 10 to 12 cents to boost funding for roads and transit.
Silverman pounced on his pronouncement, sending out a news release. "Raising the gas tax at a time when gas is at an all time high would impose a regressive tax on the poor," the release said, and give Maryland the highest gas tax in the United States. Silverman said he would dedicate a portion of the existing state sales tax to pay for projects such as the proposed east-west light-rail link.
Silverman said his own proposal in 2001 to increase the gas tax by 3 cents was appropriate at the time because gas was not much more than $1 a gallon.
In a subsequent interview, Leggett backed away from a double-digit gas tax increase, citing its dubious chances in the General Assembly. He said he would instead press for a combination of the gas tax increase and a bump in the vehicle registration fee.
"You need to say, 'Here's the problem. Here's what it requires,' " he said, "or these projects aren't going to get built anytime soon."
Silverman has challenged Leggett's commitment to transportation. He tells voters that in the 12 years Leggett led the transportation committee on the council, spending declined by more than $70 million, when adjusted for inflation.
Looking back at his tenure, from 1990 to 2002, Leggett said that money was tight and that the council and county executive favored investment in schools over roads. "There was no debate about it," he said.
In the four years that the two candidates overlapped on the council, Silverman did not lobby to change Leggett's mind. At the time, Silverman did not take the view that the county should share the cost of state roads. Now, he said, "I certainly do."
