Community Corner
Reader Comments: Restaurant Wars, Budget Woes
Patch readers weighed in on the placement of restaurants, the ramifications of shifting state teacher pension responsibilities to the counties and Howard Community College sports, among other topics.
Readers continue to respond, debate and complain on Patch sites acorss Howard County.
This past week, readers questioned the decision to place three Mexican restaurants at one intersection and the wisdom and long-term effects of shifting some of the financial responsibility of the state teacher pension system to local jurisdictions while one reader learned of the existence of Howard Community College athletics.
The HCC men's basketball team finished the regular season with a 12-12 record and earned a berth on the NJCAA Region XX tournament.
Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Assistant Coach Jay Nowaskey has partnered with Columbia Patch to provide game coverage and photos, which led to one resident commenting about the general lack of coverage of HCC sports.
That partnership led to at least one reader becoming more informed about the HCC sports program.
Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Keep the comments coming — maybe yours will appear here next week!
"Where has the reporting been about HCC sports? How long has HCC fielded competitive sports teams? What other sports do they compete in? Call me clueless, but in my 10 years in HoCo, I have never heard anything about sports at HCC and wondered why they needed the athletic fields off of Hickory Ridge Road. Thanks for the revelation." — Harry Schwarz
"What is the point of having THREE Mexican places at the same intersection? Who comes up with this stuff? Someone's business is sure to suffer; I just hope Mi Casa can survive. Our favorite by far!!" — Denise Bretholz Harris
County Execs Blast O'Malley Plan for 'Potential, Dangerous Squeeze' on Budgets
"As a taxpayer, this costs me the same either way- State or local. I guess Ken found out that O'Malley is not endorsing him for governor!" — Ohai
If the "County" has to absorb this expense, it really means that the "County's residents" are going to have to pick up the increased tab. Whatever money the county has comes mostly from its residents and businesses. The county will raise property taxes and fees to cover the shortfall and the state will raise taxes (sales tax, gas tax, etc.) to cover its shortfall. We are still going to have to pay whether the pension money comes from the state or the county." — Michael B. Cron
