Well, the interesting thing is that these women don't actually dispute his assertion that this group of women refers to themselves as a coven. If you're calling yourselves witches, can you really blame someone for mentioning this?

The issues raised by the group of women are very worthwhile for the community to consider and Stanley's attack on them is totally inappropriate. They are all experts on zoning issues and many of us find the issues they raise of value.

He didn't say these women were amateur or stupid. There ARE some very amateurish activists spreading fear and sowing discord about down-county development. That wasn't his claim. He claimed they were rich (check) white (check, I think) women (check). I think too often people want to parade around as one of the 99% while they are trying to fulfil there own agenda on how things should be. If you're rich--own it. And, if you're living in the Village of Chevy Chase, don't engage in some farce by saying that you're upper middle class.

This is a wildly inappropriate attempt to discredit people through personal attacks. What bearing does this have on the substance of what they say?

I happen to disagree with these women, but I also think Mr. Stanley owes them an apology.

Ms Baron, is calling for his resignation really going to help your cause? In my opinion, it helps his theory that this group is sowing dischord and seems to be stirring up controversy where there is none. The comments he made were fairly tame, but then you ramp it up to calling for his resignation. This seems to be all too common in this age, where some minor comment gets blown out of proportion by the vocal minority living in the 1%.

I don't support him; I don't know him (at all); I haven't worked with him; I haven't disagreed with him. I just take offense at opportunistic calls for resignation by people who haven't been able to have their views prevail through the normal process.

So you have no idea what is going on but you feel strongly about it. Hmmm.

Why on earth should he resign? He obviously doesn't care for these women (sorry, is that sexist of me to refer to them as women, too?), so he tries to discredit them by basically calling them out of touch. Whether or not that's accurate is moot and yes, I believe it's inappropriate for him to comment on them at all. He probably owes them an apology (and I'm sure he will apologize), but to pretend like this is a sexist and racist (and class-ist, though I guess they mind being called female and Caucasian more than they mind being called rich, for some reason) attack is laughable. It's a safe assumption these women don't like him either and are trying to eject him from the position. It's not possible that they actually think the statement is sexist or racist. I certainly hope the county doesn't fire him for the sake of being overly PC/trying to avoid a confrontation.

Donna, you clearly have an ax to grind with Mr. Stanley, but I really object to calls for his resignation. Why should he resign? His comments were indeed fairly tame, and to take such silly umbrage tells me you have a personal agenda, and that you and your set haven't gotten your way. Yes, perhaps Rollin should apologize, but to pretend that being called rich, white or women is offensive is really the limit. I don't care that you are rich, well regarded, lawyers well connected etc etc. You don't seem to be very secure if you can honestly take offense at the comments made by Mr. Stanley in the article. And would you please tell me which comment you find inaccurate? White? Rich? Women? Please. Let it go.

How about "Affluent Racist Rodents"? And the man who said that never apologized and never took one word of it back. Rest in Peace.

Public officials must be held to the highest standards of conduct. Ms Carrier is doing the right when she stated that "This board does not take lightly the potential implications of his words, and we will be taking appropriate corrective action" I only hope "appropriate" is sometime more than a slap on the wrist. Mr Stanley's arrogance and self-aggrandizement disgusts me and I would like to see him fired for a number of reasons. This episode is just one more reason. If he is so detached from civility that he needs to hurl insults, I suggest he hide behind a pretend name and join the nameless, faceless crowd on this site
Steve Cohen

The fact that you would like to see him fired for a number of reasons speaks the the crux of the matter, and that is that what he said what not so awful, but rather that this has become a golden opportunity for those who dislike him. And that is wrong.

Clearly Mr. Stanley has ruffled more than a few feathers but his comments are not a firing offense.

I have great respect for Ms. Baron, and support what it is she tries to do. However, I respectfully dissent, and hope that Mr. Stanley continues in his employment, and no apology is due. Sometimes discourse becomes heated, and sometimes it becomes very heated.

We simply need to move on to the more important issues.

Rollin Stanley should resign. According to this morning's Washington Post, Arlington's planning director just resigned and they'll be looking for a new Director.

How does rich, white, or women constitute name calling? I think this has all been blown out of proportion because there are many folks who really have it in for Mr. Stanley. Whether they have good reasons or not, asking for a resignation or feigning offense at being called what you are, rich, white, and women is not really a good reason to ruin a man's career. Ok, we get it. You do not agree with him, vehemently. But, If you are going to prevail, this will not do.

Disagree with him, but don't pretend he has shot a fatal dart that will ruin your lives by calling you rich white women.

No one should remain silent. Indeed, they can say whatever they want. But calling for firing or resignation is extreme, and please tell me where the "name calling" happened...I did read the article, and I think it is much ado about nothing. There was no name calling, unless you consider white, women or rich an insult. I hope not.

Bullying happens BOTH ways.

Sorry, must have missed where "coven" is a compliment. And really missed how any of the name calling that this county official used is part of a land use debate. Is there some requirement that the race and sex of public advocates be announced?

"Coven" was a self reference, has that been refuted?

and white, rich or woman does not constitute "name calling" in my book.

The problem goes beyond his statements about "rich, white women...spreading fear" (racist, sexist and inflammatory comments for a Planning Director to make), it is summed up in his first statement "he has little patience with dissenters". Who are the "dissenters"? The residents, community activists, or anyone that does not agree with his views. In my opinion, a Montgomery County Planning Director should look beyond his ego and start looking at why there is dissention.

I suspect that had he called a group of people "poor, black women" and referred to them as a "coven," he would already be fired. In any case, it is his attitude that is the issue.

I read the article, and he did not refer to the rich white women ( and really, is that an offensive moniker?) as a coven, I believe he said they referred to themselves as such.

It is not "his attitude" that is supposedly under fire, but rather what he said. However, I believe you speak truth, and it is his attitude that is really under fire and not some pretend offense: "rich white women". And that is what is wrong. You don't like his attitude, fire him!

No all Mo Co residents dislike Mr. Stanley.

Nobody has yet asked why these "civic activist groups," like Neighborhood Montgomery are, in fact, run by rich, white women. As near as I can tell, this is a factually correct statement, in spades. Another civic activist runs some snarky blog called Snoburbia. Seriously--why do people think that this very homogenous group knows what is best for Mongtomery County? They seem to represent the big-home-in-Chevy-Chase set. Do they have the life-experience to know where we come from and what we want? True, Mr. Stanley used impertinent language to describe them, but there is certainly nothing off about his description, and it causes me real concern about the aim of their group.

Agreed. And certainly not a firing offense for Rollin Stanley.

We are not homogenous. Nor do I think Rollin is trying to make us so.

The issue is that his inappropriate choice of words is a reflection of Mr. Stanley's arrogance and the tin ear he turns to people who disagree with his vision of a vertical MoCo. As Ms. Baron points out, if you have attempted to change this vision of a congested, urban, poorly served mega city, you are ignored. He wants his vision to be a reflection on his "great" accomplishments in urban planning. The current conditions around MoCo might not support such optimism. If you believe his words reflect a biased and blind attitude, then firing Stanley is indeed what is called for before this defective view of the future is turned into an uniiveable reality.

Folks let's put the shoe on the other foot for a moment. Imagine if Mr. Stanley was white and said that he was being stalked by a group of "poor black women" who called themselves bitches and hos. Would we be okay with that. Because you're white and affluent, that doesn't make you fair game nor should it, in any way, make it okay to be insulted by a public official. At the very least, Mr. Stanley owes the group a public apology and a forum in which they can air their grievances in an atmosphere of open give and take and without accusations of witchcraft. Geez.

I think when a public employee hurls words of this kind at those that participate in local government it sends a chilling message.

Should members of the public who participate in public hearings etc. now expect to be featured similarly in the local media?

When a County government department's leader has "little patience with dissenters" and considers engaged community participants as stalkers, this is a problem.

And if his attitude seeps more broadly into the department, that is a bigger problem.

No one should be chastised for participating in governance, regardless of their income, race, neighborhood, background, career, etc.

The sad part is that while the Planning Board "encourages public participation in its process", they have a Planning Director out there discouraging participation by his comments in this article. If you attend more than one meeting, are you a stalker? If you question him, are you sowing discord or spreading fear? If there is more than one woman, are you a coven? Forget about whether you're rich or poor - the message is the same - the self-appointed face of the Planning Department does not like dissention and his actions are undermining the message the Planning Board has been sending out for years - they want public participation.

Stanley's attitude towards anyone who dares question his vision is quite similar to Royce Hanson's attitude. Not surprising, considering Hanson hand-picked Stanley.

ED you are right on point!

Amazing...1. Ad Hominum (sp?) attacks are never acceptable. Yes, Stanley probably does owe some sort of an apology to this group, but for making such a statement in a heated dispute. That does not make his statement any less valid.

2. I've been involved in civic groups for most of my life. One of the lessons that I have learned is that there are almost always individuals or small groups of people who claim to speak for "the people", usually with no valid reason for that (see: Moral Majority).

3. Bethesda and the county is going to change. High Rises are the only way that we are all going to be able to live comfortable, energy efficient lives. More and more we see people getting fed up with a long drive from Frederick or Ijamsville, so that they can have the "pleasure" of spending all weekend mowing their oversized lawn. Frankly, many of us much prefer to walk to the more urban venues for recreation, dining, theater, etc.

Of course, without knowing the ages of these women, I can't comment on whether they will be able to actually experience the benefits, but I'm disappointed that the plans don't envision coming to fruition until I'm in my dotage.

The issue is being overlooked in this discussion. It is Housing. Affordable Housing. Recent studies show one must earn A minimum of $65k to possibly afford a small apt in MoCo. In this discussion, wealth of dissenters may be of influence. Frequently, in our county, those who are most vocal, are not representing a diversity of interests, but, represent a small subset.

cid:315B3BF2-5FF4-45F2-9A35-E04A19899C78/invitation.jpg

Question: Who does Rollin Stanley represent? When the Director of Planning speaks about citizens in this manner is he a "lone voice"/"a small subset" or does he represent the County Planning Board?
Can't have it both ways.

Why do these four women think that Mr. Stanley was talking about THEM in his comments? Is it because they recognize themselves in the description. Maybe some other group of critics HAS referred to themselves as a coven. Just because Ms. Wellington denies having done it (or hearing anyone else do it) doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Maybe there is a group of women out there, sowing fear. It certainly happens in Kensington, where Sector Plan opponents try to gin up opposition to revitalization by invoking scary traffic and school scenarios.

Let's not forget Board of Education member Patricia O'Neil's statement about parents that wanted to be able to participate on their local school improvement committee:

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2009/05/oneill-no-pain-in-ass-parents.html

Not only did this elected Montgomery County official make this statement at a Board of Education meeting, but in later interviews she stood behind her comments, along with another Board of Education member that backed her up.

What elected or appointed County government leaders spoke out in opposition to this type of bullying/name calling from a County official? None.

Is this just the way our County rolls? Name calling and bullying is acceptable?

Most telling was this statement from a Gazette article on the incident:

"Those assertions were always whispered, and never said on-the-record. That is, until Tuesday."

What about when our County officials take this bullying even further as was done by MCPS?

Setting up a fake parent e-mail account from a MCPS administration computer to send bullying, libelous e-mails to parents, is that what our County officials consider acceptable?

This isn't conjecture. This was done by MCPS.

And The Washington Post reported on the fake e-mails "as if" they were sent from an actual parent. The Post never spoke to, or met the person behind the e-mails.

When it was exposed that the e-mails were actually coming from WITHIN MCPS and that the writer was a fake, the e-mail writer immediately apologized and shut down the account.

Acceptable in Montgomery County? Is this the culture of our county?

Again, what County officials spoke out against this type of manufactured attack on parents?
None.

Stanley should have simple just called these women what they really are.......NIMBY's

Blocking population growth in the County to preserve the privilege of the incumbents seems much more racist, albeit indirectly, than calling a person "white"

Mike you hit that nail on the head with a sledgehammer and drove it home. The only addition that I might add after reading this blog is that Mr. Stanley should have added Ms. Barron to that list. I have worked on issues with Mr. Stanley and he is far above these women and for that matter the Planning Board. Please remember Mr. Stanley is educated in this area where as the Planning Board is an appointed group of friends of the County Council.

Why when someone asks questions about how development will effect their quality-of-life, including impact on roads, schools and cost of services does it result in someone calling them a NIMBY?

The disintegration of civil discourse is really so disappointing and in the end so counterproductive.

Janis, Yes you are correct and the Planning Board work at the pleasure of the County Council. The history has been that the Council appoints their cronies. So what we might be needed is an elected Planning Board separate from the Executive and the Council.
Caroline, NIMBY? People that do not want it in there back yard, yet if it goes in your back yard that is just fine by them. There have been people in the County who are fighting against soccer fields near their homes. Others have fought against a new school, "oh not nea my house". Let's all get a life.

They are given the label NIMBY because they only see the county through their perspective, large Single family homes with out any density or "science cities". That makes them opposed to anything that will change their status quo. That is where the fear of density comes from. But it is the same density that will make the cost of living in this area more affordable for those of us not living in chevy chase in a leafy culdesac.

As a poor white woman who's been the target of personal attacks by affluent anti-development activists, I'd like to see some of those activists condemned for the veiled derogatory terms that they use to incite furor about people coming into their neighborhoods who aren't wealthy. Fortunately there aren't a whole lot of blatant racists in this city, but it's still considered acceptable to make snide comments about how poor residents are moochers who contribute nothing to the community. They don't seem to have a problem with increased density of half-million dollar single-family homes, but as soon as housing is proposed for anyone with an income of less than $200k a year, that's when the euphemisms start flying around and the shrill hysteria gets amped up.

Those dang rich folk.

Rich white Moco elites with million dollar homes claiming to be victims of racism??? This is too funny.

About as funny as the rich, white, (and male) moco elites telling them they're not.

Those of you who are focused on three words, "rich, white women" are uninformed, missing the point entirely, are trying to ignore the problem or are trying to deflect attention from the real problem. Read the full article and the letters.
A public official denigrated a group of people who disagree with his point of view. His behavior is inexcusable.

Well said Iena

D. Wilson

7:40 pm on Sunday, March 11, 2012

There is a culture of name calling in MCPS and the Board of Education clearly set the tone for that type of conduct. In my school, Westbrook Elementary in Bethesda, MCPS used the PTA to do the dirty work, i.e. to call names and threaten those who questioned the status quo. The chilling effect was unprecedented.

@D Wilson--not maybe when compared to RM--sounds very similar. Unbelievable what's happened over the past 3 years.

what if a woman said, "rich white men" . i do not see any racism or sexism here, he was stating fact so them asking for him to apologies would be insane. they are playing a political game and this exposes americas inability to distinguish between bigotry and not.