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Purple Line Lobbying Contract Becomes Divisive In Town of Chevy Chase

By WTOP Staff

Town of Chevy ChaseTown of Chevy Chase Mayor Pat Burda’s term doesn’t end until next year.

But with a May 6 vote for three other Council seats approaching, many in the Town are criticizing Burda and her backing of a $350,000 contract with a group of lobbying firms to work against the planned Purple Line.

“The next contract we do has to be done with due diligence,” said incumbent Town Councilmember Al Lang during a candidates forum on Thursday. “Our Town mayor gave one of the bidders information about how to strengthen their bid.”

That allegation elicited a quizzical look from Kathy Strom, another incumbent up for reelection who voted with Burda in favor of the lobbying contract with firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney. Lang voted against it, saying the process for selecting the firm — which had two month-long contracts with the Town before the year-long contract was awarded — was out of whack.

“Without divulging executive session discussion, I can say unequivocally that any communication with [Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney] was done at the council’s directive and all bidders were treated fairly,” Burda said in an email on Friday.

Lang elaborated after the forum, saying that Burda told Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney they should include a group to do lobbying at the state level to strengthen their bid. Lang claimed Burda didn’t tell that information to any of the other four firms up for the contract.

Burda denied that. But it seems the handling of the contract, and what precise strategies the contract allows, is a prominent issue throughout the Town of 3,000 residents.

On Wednesday night, Town resident Jacob Bardin wrote a message on the Town’s listserv in which he claimed “not much” benefit was coming from the lobbying contract.

The Town to date has spent about $130,000 on lobbying against the Purple Line, including the two month-long contracts with Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney in December and January. The Town began paying the firm $29,000 in February and is set to spend $29,000 a month for the next year.

Bardin said he was displeased to find the publicly available Town agreement with the firm does not spell out specific objectives of the lobbying effort.

“No written status reports are being provided to the Town by BIR,” Bardin wrote. “I do not have any experience with ‘government services’ (lobbying) however in 25 years of professional life I have never seen a contract like this that does not specify what the buyer is getting in return for their money.”

Burda responded that the Town does not want to divulge specific lobbying strategies because of Purple Line proponents who are publicly attacking the Town’s actions.

“I am in constant contact with BIR and we have weekly update calls and monthly full council calls to review the work being performed,” Burda said. “We do not just write monthly checks without knowing what is being done on our behalf and we can get our of the contract at any time if we feel they are not performing.”

Lang said he unsuccessfully advocated for a formal Request for Proposals or Request for Information during the vetting process of the lobbyists. He also said the inclusion of state lobbyists — at Burda’s request — increased the monthly cost of the contract from $20,000 to $29,000.

“The other firms only had 30-minute conference calls. That’s how the decision was made,” Lang said after the Thursday night forum. “I don’t know how you possibly do that. We had no price negotiations. I could go on and on and on. It’s a mess and I could not vote for that kind of contract, even though I know we need more resources.”

Strom said Lang’s comment during the forum was “out of line” and that she knows of no basis for it.

“It was distressing to hear that,” Strom said.

Lang and Strom are running for reelection against five challengers. David Lublin, who sided with Strom and Burda on the contract, isn’t running for reelection, leaving one open seat.

At the forum, moderator Charles Duffy asked each candidate for specific things they would do about the Purple Line, the 16-mile light rail system that will run behind Town homes on the existing Georgetown Branch Trail.

At least two of the candidates — Grant Davies and Donald Farren — also expressed reservations about the way the Town handled the contract and what purpose the contract is serving.

Farren made his support of the Purple Line clear. Afterward, he said he doesn’t think the majority of the Town’s residents support the Town’s official position against the transit project as currently proposed.

Davies said the whole situation has given the Town “a black eye” in the view of others in Montgomery County. He suggested partnering with other groups — such as the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce — to push for the completion of a Capital Crescent Trail tunnel under Wisconsin Avenue.

Others said they were fine with the manner in which the Town brought in the lobbyists.

“Everyone on the Council is a volunteer. They’re not all experts on every issue,” said candidate Kathie Legg. “I think it’s important to bring in experts, and if that’s a lobbying group to help explain and help mitigate, then I trust the Council is making the right decisions.”

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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