Skip to main content

Hans Riemer: Why You Should Vote For Me

By WTOP Staff

Hans RiemerWe asked local candidates in contested primary elections to write a sub-750 word essay describing why residents should vote for them on June 24.

Next up in the County Council at-large race is Hans Riemer, who is running for one of four nominations in the Democratic primary. Below is Riemer’s unedited response:

I’m Hans Riemer and I’m running for re-election to represent all of our residents as an At-large member of the County Council.

When I joined the County Council in 2010, our government was deeply impacted by the Great Recession. We were in a great fiscal crisis. But today, as a result of many strong choices that we made, this county is in a better place — our government is leaner, our policies are more prioritized, and our services are smarter.

I ask for your support to keep Montgomery County moving forward.

My wife Angela and I have two young boys, the older of whom just started kindergarten in MCPS. I am big believer in our public schools and I am totally dedicated to making sure that they continue to make progress by reducing class size and closing the achievement gap.

Being a parent and seeing my son’s classroom has fueled my passion for supporting families by enhancing public education and public transportation, and supporting anti-poverty programs such as the minimum wage, and community health care clinics.

I have successfully expanded several child care initiatives for the county, and I am looking forward to another term on the County Council so that we can make more progress on child care and universal pre-k. Specifically, we should place child care facilities in an as many public schools as possible, provide support to parents who need help affording child care and providers who need help expanding and maintaining their facilities, and reform the process of allocating public space to providers.

My signature accomplishments include passing a law to increase the county’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which reduces poverty; the Open Data Act of 2012, which improves transparency; a cybersecurity industry tax incentive to create good jobs; and my initiative to improve the county’s dining and nightlife, to improve all of our residents’ quality of life and to help the county retain its younger workers and empty nesters.

I’ve taken on Pepco, by exposing their unfair profits and demanding accountability for our state utility regulators. I’ve taken on county government when it allowed too many employees to receive take-home cars. And I’ve introduced a property tax credit for low-income seniors to help them stay in the county.

I am a strong supporter of public transportation, and I have worked successfully to help fund Metro to make it more reliable, the Purple Line (we expect to break ground in 2015), and the upcounty Corridor Cities Transitway, so that all of our communities can have access to high quality public transportation. This year, I created a new item in our capital budget that will fund bicycle and pedestrian improvements in our urban areas.  I am also working to expand Ride On’s bus fleet. The Action Committee for Transit, the county’s premier advocacy organization for public transportation, gave me a perfect ranking on its scorecard.

Prior to serving on the County Council, I was the National Youth Vote Director for the Obama 2008 presidential campaign, and I was the political director for Rock the Vote, the youth voter engagement campaign.  My experience spans the whole age spectrum, as I was also a senior advisor for AARP and I played a leading role in national campaigns to stop the Republican Party from privatizing Social Security.

Montgomery County has made great strides since I was elected in the difficult times of the Great Recession and I am working hard to make sure that it remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Organizations who are supporting my reelection campaign include the Montgomery County Education Association, the Washington Post, the Service Employees International Union, Casa in Action, the volunteer fire fighters, NARAL, the African American and Hispanic Democratic Clubs, Coalition of Asian Pacific American Democrats, UFCW Local 400, One Montgomery and the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors. Planned Parenthood of Metro D.C. has given me a perfect rating.

I’m Hans Riemer, and I ask for your support in the June Democratic primary. Let’s keep moving Montgomery forward.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote