By Gareth Owen

As a resident of Ashton, MD and someone concerned about one-party dominance in Montgomery County and our state, I am sharing my thoughts on your latest email. 

Legal Immigration (Maryland/MoCo lens): I support strong, merit-based legal immigration that brings talent and growth. The law is clear, but enforcement is broken. In Montgomery County, with ~119,000 undocumented residents, we see real local costs in emergency services, education (MCPS), and housing strain. I'm not worried about sanction policies like validating check of citizenship during a traffic stop. Our biggest issue is to figure out a way to get both houses in Congress to enact immigration reform; it isn't practical to deport everyone beyond the community threating individuals and make sure our local judges have common sense on bail, catch/release. etc. Sadly, at the national level, both parties have used the issue as a political football instead of acting on basic reforms.

Socialism & Local Spending: We all support core public goods (police, fire, schools). The problem is heavy wealth redistribution and bureaucratic expansion. In MoCo, we’ve seen 44% spending growth over eight years while business/job growth lags and school enrollment and educational outcomes decline. Overstaffed central offices, union-driven compensation, and “fairness” mandates crowd out economic development. The result: slower growth, less affordable housing, persistent student outcome gaps, and repeated tax hikes that burden the very middle-class families the policies claim to help. The use of Identity politics layered on top locks in debt and reduces individual choice.

The Face of the Republican Party & Ending One-Party Rule: The party is rightly shifting toward working-class concerns but must stay focused on local issues rather than national personality-driven or identity-based messaging. We are the party of Lincoln: capitalism with sensible guardrails, equal opportunity, fiscal responsibility, evidence-based results, and protecting children with parents (not government) in the lead. One-party Democratic dominance in Maryland and Montgomery County has produced unsustainable budgets and affordability pain. Pockets like Poolesville, Damascus, Olney/Ashton show there is room for moderate, results-focused candidates who prioritize facts and outcomes over national bravado.

What Should Be Done Differently in Montgomery County (Practical Local Steps): The current FY27 trajectory — $8B+ budget with tax increases and only modest efficiencies — is unsustainable. The Republican party should offer an alternative to the citizens instead:

• Deeper targeted cuts: Accelerate zero-based reviews to trim central-office “supervisors of supervisors” and support staffing (MCPS central grew 22–24% while enrollment fell). Aim for $250M in MCPS reductions and 3–5% countywide by scaling procurement modernization, zero based budgets, and tech efficiencies.

• What not to invest in: Symbolic climate programs with negligible global impact.

• Union contracts: Honor existing agreements but negotiate future raises tied to enrollment-adjusted productivity and measurable outcomes. Use attrition in non-classroom roles.

• Disability retirement costs: Conduct an independent audit of definitions and claims (especially in public safety) to control long-term liabilities while protecting legitimate line-of-duty cases.

• Growth focus: Regulatory relief and targeted incentives to reverse business stagnation and expand the tax base organically.

Prioritizing evidence and local loyalty to citizens over national team politics is the only sustainable path.

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Gareth Owen is a resident of Ashton, Maryland