Keeping Each Other Safe - From Prom to the Beach and the Road in Between

Summer is made for patios, cookouts, beach drives, and maybe alcoholic drinks. But it also brings the “hundred deadliest days.” MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer, ABS Outreach Manager Roddy Aguirre, and essay contest winner Elise Bradley talk plainly about what keeps our community safe as we enjoy prom, graduation, road trips, and lazy days with family and friends. Plus, test your knowledge with Chrissy’s quiz. 

Transcript

Welcome And Summer Drinking Culture

Announcer 0:00

Welcome to Spirited Discussions, a podcast by Alcohol Beverage Services, exploring alcohol products, trends, and policies in Montgomery County.

Jocelyn Rawat 0:12

Thanks for joining us. I'm your host, Jocelyn Rawat. There are so many ways alcohol and summer go together. A backyard barbecue with ice cold beer, a day trip to a local winery, brewery, or distillery, or a road trip to Ocean City that absolutely must have an orange crush. And of course, we want to enjoy these rites of summer safely and responsibly. To give us some help with that, we have Chrissy Nizer, who is Administrator of the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration, as well as the Governor's Highway Safety Representative. She has served in these roles since August of 2015, and she is serious about safety on Maryland's roads. Hi, Chrissy.

Chrissy Nizer 0:51

Hi, Jocelyn. Thanks for having me.

Jocelyn Rawat 0:53

Thanks for coming. We're also joined by Roddy Aguirre, Manager for Outreach and Education here at ABS, to talk about the tools available to help bars and restaurants serve alcohol responsibly, as well as some exciting initiatives to help prevent under 21 alcohol use. Welcome back, Roddy.

Roddy Aguirre 1:09

Glad to be back.

Jocelyn Rawat 1:10

And we have a bonus guest today, and that is Elise Bradley. And she is one of the winners of the annual student contests focused on preventing underage alcohol use. Welcome Elise.

Elise Bradley 1:20

Hi, thank you so much for having me.

The Hundred Deadliest Days Explained

Jocelyn Rawat 1:23

Okay, so let's get started because now we're into warm weather, and that means that more people are hitting the roads headed to summer destinations. So that might be the mountains of Western Maryland or the beaches of the Eastern Shore, all good choices. Chrissy, aside from the rise in gas prices, what should we keep in mind as we travel?

Elise Bradley 1:41

Well, as you mentioned at MVA we truly are serious about safety, and we know that safety is a shared responsibility. We certainly appreciate our law enforcement partners statewide, as well as our partners like you and the restaurant industry for the work that everybody does really to educate and protect Marylanders. This is known as the hundred deadliest days of summer, the period that we enjoy getting out, as you said, and visiting those wonderful places throughout the state of Maryland. But between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the number in crashes involving drivers really spikes.

Jocelyn Rawat 2:15

So that's worrisome.

Elise Bradley 2:16

Yes, it really is. And so we're just encouraging everybody to remember those simple safety tips that you learned when you were first being taught to drive. Obviously, never get behind the wheel impaired. I agree, love the orange crushes, but not when we're driving. Really, it's about minding your speed, slowing down, as well as wearing your seatbelt every time you're in the vehicle, not just as a driver, also as a passenger, even in the backseat. It really is your best protection if a crash were to occur.

Jocelyn Rawat 2:45

Okay.

BAC Limits And Real Human Loss

Jocelyn Rawat 2:46

So can you tell us what is the legal limit for alcohol content and what should we understand about enjoying alcohol and getting behind the wheel?

Elise Bradley 2:54

The legal limit in Maryland is 0.08 blood alcohol content. This year we've had 48 impaired driving deaths statewide. That includes six right in Montgomery County. Those are numbers, but they're people behind every one of them, right? An empty seat at the table or the cookout during the summer. In my position as a governor's highway safety rep, it really is my honor to meet these families that have been impacted in such profound ways. It never goes away. And we all want to make sure that everybody enjoys themselves but gets home safely. And so my message would be if you're going to consume anything, don't drive. There's so many great options. We have ride share, we have transit options, a friend. You know, be that person that helps your friend get home safely. It may not always be comfortable, but sometimes it's about taking the keys if you're the sober driver. Certainly there are additional penalties if you're under 21, but the message is clear regardless of your age. Impairment and driving do not mix

Peer-Led Prevention Through Student Contests

Elise Bradley 3:55 Jocelyn Rawat 3:55

Okay, you are so right. And thank you for saying that that these are these are people, not numbers. So Roddy, what is ABS doing to prevent drunk driving?

Chrissy Nizer 4:03

Yeah, that's a great question. Thanks for inviting me into the podcast again. One of our roles with ABS is that we want to make sure that we're communicating to our licensees that part of their job is to make sure that they're keeping their community safe. And so one of the ways that we do that is by making sure that we provide education items for them, educational training for them. We go a little bit further out than that as well. So one of the things that we have is we host the student contest. We have the Keeping It Safe student video contest, where it's open for middle schoolers and high schoolers to create a 30-second PSA about the dangers of under 21 alcohol use. And of course, as they get older, as they get into high school, they get in, they get their licenses, and of course they start driving. And so we want to make sure that as young as we can get them, as young as we can educate them about the dangers of drinking, we want to make sure that we are highlighting those dangers. At the same time, because we're using student voices, it's not just me telling them about the dangers, but it's their peers talking to them about those. This year we actually were able to include another contest because we know that not everybody likes to make videos. Some people are more gifted in writing. And so we wanted to include an essay writing contest. So this is the Sober Vibes essay contest, which we actually were able to host and be able to invite juniors and seniors to write an essay that is geared towards their peers to make a promise to not drink alcohol before, during, and after prom. And it's a persuasive essay. So we got many submissions that we got to see and read just from high schoolers and how they actually are taking this very personally. So those are the ways that we're using our efforts, our staff, the funding that we receive to be able to give the community a better knowledge and be better equipped to prevent things like drunk driving.

Quick Maryland Road Safety Quiz

Jocelyn Rawat 5:53

Yeah, so these contests, it's really about preventing underage use of alcohol. But I over the years I have noticed that many of the students talk about drunk driving anyway. It's not a requirement for the contest, but that's kind of where people go because it's so important, right?

Chrissy Nizer 6:09

Absolutely. Yeah. So, you know, part of the facet of it is that the realization is that when people go out, you know, they're not only gonna be in middle school and high school for so long, they're gonna become young adults and they're gonna start driving. And so having the back knowledge of how much it alcohol can actually affect just even being able to make decisions at the uh the same time, or making two things at once, or having to get behind the wheel and how much their reaction time is impacted by the amount of alcohol that is in their body. So, like Chrissy mentioned, 0.08 is the maximum. But if you actually look at the data and the science, even at 0.02, your ability to make two things at once already diminishes. So if you're thinking about driving, right, you're not just doing one thing. You're looking at the road, you're holding the wheel. If you are cool enough to drive a manual, you're also like, you know, shifting gears . But if you think about it, you're doing so many different things. Plus, if you have friends or if you listen to a podcast, like you have are doing so many different things. And so we want to make sure we educate them that, hey, as you grow older, you're gonna have the responsibility of driving. And we want to make sure that you already know the potential dangers of drinking and specifically of drinking while driving.

Jocelyn Rawat 7:22

Okay, thank you for that. And so if if anybody wants to see these videos, they are on the department's website on our YouTube channel, and you can get them on our Facebook page. And they are really quite good. So I encourage people to take a look. And we're gonna ask Elise to read her award-winning essay soon. But before we do that, I want to invite Elise and Roddy. Christy says she brought us a quiz. So, how do you feel about your knowledge of Maryland driving and MVA services?

Elise Bradley 7:53

I'd like to think I know it.

Jocelyn Rawat 7:54

I feel confident too.

Roddy Aguirre 7:56

Well, I haven't gotten pulled over, so I think I should be good.

Jocelyn Rawat 7:59

All right, let's see how we do. What do you have for us, Christy?

Elise Bradley 8:02

Well, we always talk about lifelong learning, so it's a great opportunity to make sure we're up to speed on your safety ideas. So, first question -- how old must you be to apply for a driver's permit in Maryland?

Roddy Aguirre 8:16

Do we answer at the same time?

Jocelyn Rawat 8:17

Yeah, somebody somebody go.

Roddy Aguirre 8:19

Oh, well, if I remember correctly, it was 15 in nine months.

Elise Bradley 8:24

Very good. Right answer. Good.

Chrissy Nizer 8:28

I only really know because my nephew is about that age. So like he's already talking to me.

Elise Bradley 8:31

There you go. Yeah. I do feel like it's helpful if you're a parent or a guardian or have a family member going through it. All right. Second question. I was just talking about seatbelts. So who should wear a seatbelt? I kind of gave the answer a little bit earlier, but who should wear a seatbelt in a vehicle? Everyone should.

Chrissy Nizer 8:49

Very good. Right answer.

Jocelyn Rawat 8:51

Good job, Elise. Okay.

Chrissy Nizer 8:52

All right, question three. The flashing yellow light at an intersection means you should A slow down and proceed with caution. B, come to a complete stop as quickly as possible. Or C stop and proceed only when clear. Yellow flashing lights.

Jocelyn Rawat 9:10

She didn't give us the choice of just looking quickly and running through, did she?

Roddy Aguirre 9:14

Yeah, she didn't give us the option of speeding.

Chrissy Nizer 9:16

That would not be the right answer.

Jocelyn Rawat 9:17

Okay. I'm gonna vote for slow down A.

Elise Bradley 9:21

I would agree.

Roddy Aguirre 9:22

Yeah, same.

Chrissy Nizer 9:23

Great job. That is the right answer. You guys are doing well. All right, question number four -- in a car when you're facing a green light and there are pedestrians in the intersection. A, you must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. B, pedestrians must wait for you to go through the intersection, or C, pedestrians must yield to the car.

Roddy Aguirre 9:43

It's A, right? You always yield to pedestrians.

Jocelyn Rawat 9:46

That's what I think too.

Chrissy Nizer 9:47

Good answer. Okay. All right. We're always worried about our folks who are vulnerable roadway users, like walkers and bicyclists. So when you're passing or approaching a bicyclist, you should A honk your horn, B, slow down and leave at least three feet of space between you and the bicycle, or C speed up to pass the bicyclist quickly.

Jocelyn Rawat 10:11

I'm a bicyclist. I'm going with B.

Roddy Aguirre 10:13

Yeah, the proper answer should be B.

Chrissy Nizer 10:16

That's right. The proper answer is B to keep everybody safe. Leave that three feet of space. All right, next question. If the vehicle you're driving starts to hydroplane, you should A brake as hard as possible. B slow down until you get control back. Or C increase your speed.

Jocelyn Rawat 10:35

I know that I tend to panic. What do you think, Elise?

Elise Bradley 10:37

I think just not I don't think you break. I think you just slow down.

Roddy Aguirre 10:41

Yeah, I think the correct answer is to let go of the throttle so that then the tire could actually make contact with the ground again. So that's very good. Yeah.

Chrissy Nizer 10:51

Yeah. Answer is B, and you even uh gave more detail to that. So I love it.

Roddy Aguirre 10:56

I guess I was paying attention. It's uh driver said.

Elise Bradley 10:59

There you go. With all the rain we've had recently, it's a good refresher on hydroplaning because there's been a lot. Well, last question true or false, you can complete more than 60 transactions with the MVA online.

Jocelyn Rawat 11:11

I'm gonna vote true. Sounds good.

Chrissy Nizer 11:13

I want to say true, but now I'm like just genuinely curious as to what these 60 transactions are. Well, the answer is true. You can create your My MVA account. So if you don't have one already, either you or your listeners, I encourage you to go to our website at mba.maryland.gov and get signed up for your online account. You can find out information about your driver's license, ID card, vehicle registration 24 hours a day. You can do things from making appointments, checking renewal dates, vehicle emission dates, as well as renewing your driver's license or getting a copy of a driving record. Many transactions can be completed online. We definitely encourage our customers to take advantage of the convenience that's there.

Underage Sales Checks And Accountability

Elise Bradley 11:57 Jocelyn Rawat 11:57

Okay. Oh so much easier. Really, so much easier. That's great. So kind of coming back to underage drinking, because it is really such a huge priority for ABS and also for the Board of Licensed Commissioners, which serves as the county's liquor board, and they're the ones who are determining penalties where there are businesses serving to people under the age of 21, selling or serving. So, Roddy, your team is taking a two-pronged approach. So that's gonna include education and enforcement, right?

Roddy Aguirre 12:23

That's correct. Yes. So our LRE team, we want to make sure that we're focusing on that R and E part of our acronym, right? Where one is regulation and the other one is education. So we want to make sure that we're educating the businesses, but we're also holding them accountable to any potential mistakes that they make. So every year we do compliance checks where we have our regulation team go out along with a Montgomery County police officer and a UV. And they go out...

Jocelyn Rawat 12:50

What's a UV?

Roddy Aguirre 12:51

A UV is an underage volunteer. Um so they go out into the stores and the restaurants and attempt to purchase alcohol.

Jocelyn Rawat 12:58

Someone under the age of 21?

Roddy Aguirre 13:00

That is correct. So our UVs are from 18 to 20 and I think six months, and we don't try to trick the businesses at all. We give them the actual... they use their actual ID. We tell our all of our young UVs, hey, don't dress up like you're, you know, 40, or you know, don't have you have to be clean-shaven, don't wear too much makeup. We don't really want to trick the businesses, so we want to just make sure that they're doing their job. And so as they go out into the businesses, they're making sure that they are not selling alcohol or serving alcohol to our UVs. Of course, if they do, then they get a violation, both a actual fee citation that they get from our Board of Licensed Commissioners. But because serving alcohol to somebody who's under 21 is also a criminal citation, that's where the police officer will come in and actually give whoever sold or served the alcohol a criminal citation, which is a must-appear offense. So we really do take it very seriously as we go out. We want to make sure that people know hey, like it's not just that you heard it in the boardroom that we do these things. We actually do these things. And of course, as that happens, we do want to work with the businesses. So we want to make sure that we're rewarding and awarding for those businesses that actually did a good job in checking those IDs. We actually, this past year, we give them a good neighbor award, which was like a little five by five, a little trophy that we wanted to show showcase that, hey, like you're doing your job, making sure that you're making sure that you're checking IDs, making sure that you're keeping our community safe. And for our businesses that have sold, we still want to work with them, we want to educate them. So we're gonna be giving them ID checking guides. And those ID checking guides have IDs from all 50 states, and I think Canada and Mexico, don't quote me on that one, but we give those out so that they are well trained and well and they're ready to be able to actually check all IDs. Because we know we're in the DC metro area, it wouldn't be awkward for us to see an Oklahoma ID or an Arkansas ID or a Georgia ID.

Why Underage Drinking Hits Hard

Jocelyn Rawat 14:58

So Roddy, I hear so many adults say, "I drank alcohol as a kid. It's no big deal." Is it a big deal?

Roddy Aguirre 15:05

Yeah, it's a big deal. Alcohol does actually affect the body a lot, especially when it's developing. The brain actually doesn't stop developing until we're 25 years old. And so drinking alcohol is actually going to slow down the process of the brain developing. When you look at the statistics, when you look at what uh clear science is saying, it shows that alcohol actually has not just an actual physical and mental uh repercussions when it's used when it's when a person is too young, but it actually also has also potential social complications later on.

Jocelyn Rawat 15:40

Okay. Yeah, it is so it is a big deal. Yeah, that's what I always tell people too. Okay, so you you mentioned the ID check-in guide. So there are driver's licenses from all over the state. So I want to come back to Chrissy and talk about driver's licenses because ABS has been piloting the use of MVA's mobile driver's licenses for verifying ages for our customers who are buying alcohol in our stores. And we've found it to be really secure and easy to

Mobile Driver’s Licenses For Age Checks

Jocelyn Rawat 16:08

use. So, Chrissy, can you talk more about the mobile driver's licenses?

Chrissy Nizer 16:11

Yeah, we're really appreciative of the partnership and the pilot that's happening. We know in the US that your driver's license, while maybe originally intended for driving privileges, is really used for identification more often than not. Um, and so as you're making, for instance, an alcohol purpose, the mobile driver's license gives you the ability to verify that that individual meets the age requirements for that purpose. We know that your confidential information is something that you work really hard to maintain the integrity of and not just share it unnecessarily. When you give over that physical license, you're giving a lot of information that frankly is not necessary if all you need to do is confirm the age for that purchase of alcohol. So, for instance, the clerk doesn't need to know your exact age, the date you were born, just that you're over 21. They certainly don't need to know your address. And with a mobile driver's license, it provides the ability to confirm uh the photo of the individual as well as that they meet that age requirement. It is much more secure. Um Roddy described very well the tough job of having to look at, even with those ID checking guides, what other states' driver's licenses look like. They're updated frequently, there's different security features, and there's lots of reasons that people attempt to create fraudulent licenses. So mobile driver's license with that electronic verification is not only convenient because it's in your electronic wallet on your phone, which you're probably using for purchases, maybe uh information that you use when you're flying, um, other things, but it also is much more secure, allows the customer to protect their privacy, but it's also great for those who are accepting it because you know you have that confidence that you are verifying that individual truly is who they are representing themselves to be.

Jocelyn Rawat 18:05

Yeah. And as I said, we've we've really found that it's it's easy to use and it's really secure as we've been using it in our stores. As I've been talking with my colleagues in other states that are part of the alcohol control model, it seems that there's a real mix across the country. So, what is the current landscape for mobile driver's licenses like nationwide?

Elise Bradley 18:26

So Maryland was certainly on the front end of adopting mobile driver's licenses because we truly believe it is important from an identity verification standpoint. But the exciting news is we're starting to see many states joining us just in this . Virginia is now issuing mobile driver's licenses, and so are folks just across the border have the opportunity to use it as well. Across the country, there are about 14 states that are currently issuing a mobile driver's license. It is accepted at airports, at TSA checkpoints throughout the country. So it's not just at airports here in Maryland, but other airports, you can use it for that secure transaction of verifying your identity in that case, not just an age verification, like they're doing with the alcohol purchase. We've also partnered with Merriweather Post Pavillion. They're using it in a similar way to the Montgomery County example, where they're doing it for alcohol coverage purchase when you're going there. We've partnered with Orioles Park at Camden Yards. And so it's exciting to see the growth. If you come to the MVA for an appointment, you can even use your mobile driver's license to check in for that appointment. More and more entities are really excited about the security that this convenient tool brings. And so we are continuing to work with many partners, both in government and outside government, to expand the acceptance of MDL. I will say the caveat I always give is because I know it's convenient, you have your phone with you probably all the time, but please carry that physical driver's license with you. It is not a replacement yet. It is allowed under law to be used in place of it, but certainly law enforcement and other entities are not ready to accept it yet. So we encourage you to keep that with you, but it is a new convenient way to be able to present your identity.

Jocelyn Rawat 20:16

Yeah.

Distracted Driving And The Move Over Law

Jocelyn Rawat 20:17

And I got mine. I haven't had a chance to use it at the airport yet, but it was it was easy to put it on my phone.

Roddy Aguirre 20:23

I'm just happy O's , you know, I already mentioned.

Jocelyn Rawat 20:26

So it's a good day for you. So I kind of want to loop back to our impaired driving conversation because it also came up that distracted driving is a major issue on the roads too. So, Chrissy, can you talk about the importance of eliminating distractions behind the wheel?

Chrissy Nizer 20:44

It is so important. I know we all see it on the roadways, other drivers, whether it's looking at a phone or doing something else when they're driving. We really spread the message of be the focus driver. You need to give driving your full time and attention. You can't be doing something else because you will wind up causing harm to yourself or other drivers, even folks who are working on the roadways, certainly our state highway administration, the local governments have folks who are out there working, protecting us, working on the roadways, law enforcement. There's so many others who are part of the roadway environment that that distraction, taking your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, 55 miles an hour, it is basically like driving the length of an entire football field. So think about that. Five seconds, not worth it, not for that text, social media, whatever it is, it can wait until you get where you're going. There also are citations for it. You can get a citation starting at $83, and if you cause a crash that results in death or injury, certainly larger fines there, as well as points on your license and up to one year in prison. But more importantly, you know, we need to look out for each other. It's just not worth whatever. It is that you need to do the risk of hurting not only yourself, but somebody else on the roadway who's just trying to get home too, or just you know, doing the work that they do every day on the side of the road to construct new facilities or repair things that we need to fix. So just slow down, stay alert. And another reminder about work zones, please move over for those who are working in our work zones. They want to get home safely. It's like their office. So we need to respect them and make sure that, frankly, anybody on the side of the road, that would have been a good question. You should move over for them. It doesn't matter if it's a crash or uh, you know, somebody with a flat tire, if they're on the side of the road, the law now says for everyone, not just emergency responders and construction workers, you should move over or slow down 10 miles an hour or slower in order to keep those folks safe.

A Prom Night Letter That Sticks

Jocelyn Rawat 22:51

You're right, it's hard to avoid those distractions. So thank you for the reminder. And I'm I'm gonna keep it in mind. So, Elise, I want to move on to you because you are one of the two winners of the first ever Sober Vibes essay contest that invites high school juniors and seniors to write a persuasive letter encouraging your peers to avoid alcohol before, during, and after prompts. So, congratulations.

Elise Bradley 23:16

Thank you.

Jocelyn Rawat 23:16

Okay, and where do you go to school?

Elise Bradley 23:18

I'm a senior at Magruder High School.

Jocelyn Rawat 23:19

Oh, so you're about to graduate.

Elise Bradley 23:21

Yes, next week.

Jocelyn Rawat 23:22

Oh, that's exciting. Okay, so prom season and graduation season. Okay, would you be willing to read your winning essay for us?

Elise Bradley 23:28

Yes. Dear fellow students, picture your prom. I bet you have pictured prom many times before. What you'll be wearing, who you'll be going with, and where you want to take your pictures. Now picture the end of your senior year, your senior lasts, your last day of school, senior sunset, most importantly, your graduation. Walking across the stage in your cap and gown, getting your diploma handed to you, and celebrating what you've worked so hard for for the past 18 years. You wouldn't want anything to prevent this, would you? All I ask is this think twice before making your plans for prom night. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 1,000 people under the age of 21 die each year in preventable tragedies while celebrating their high school prompts and graduations. You don't want to be one of the statistics. The key word here, preventable. Choosing to drink on prom night is a choice. What you choose to put into your body, knowing the consequences, is a choice. Choosing to drink does not have to be part of your story. You may be thinking that you are smarter than to drink and drive, or get into a car with someone who has been drinking, but it is much deeper than that. Drinking alcohol before, during, or after prom can limit your abilities to function. Would you rather spend prom night dancing or dizzy? With your friends or in the bathroom throwing up. Prom is supposed to be a night to remember, yet it won't be so memorable if you can't actually remember it. Just because other people are drinking does not mean you should. There are much safer, better, and quite frankly, cheaper ways to have fun on prom night than to turn to alcohol. Hanging out with friends, playing games, watching movies, or going out for food are just some of the many options you have. Instead of being around drunk people, many of whom are likely not enjoyable to be around, you can be around people you actually will have fun with. You have an entire life ahead of you. Whether it be college, trade school, plans to travel, or another dream, there is no reason to risk it all for one night. What I write may have no difference on your prom night plans, but if only one idea is taken into consideration from this letter, I want you to think about everything you have done to get to this point. From kindergarten until now, the hours of homework, studying, practicing sports, time with friends, and time with family. Know that you are jeopardizing all of it, your past, present, and future to have a better time at prom. Is a high school dance worth your life, your happiness, your future?

Roddy Aguirre 26:01

Well done, Elise.

Chrissy Nizer 26:02

That's great. Thank you so much.

Jocelyn Rawat 26:04

Okay, so with this essay, you you won a limousine ride for you and your friends. How was that?

Elise Bradley 26:09

It was a lot of fun. It definitely made pictures and getting around the whole night a lot easier.

Jocelyn Rawat 26:15

Yeah, and it's definitely safer when you hire someone to drive you, right? Yes. Okay, that's that's great. Okay, so we heard it from Elise. The key word here is preventable. So let's all that and all of this good advice from today to heart and let's have a fun and safe summer. Thank you, Administrator Chrissy Nizer, Roddy Aguirre, and Elise Bradley for participating in today's spirited discussion.

Roddy Aguirre 26:40

Thanks, for having us, Jocelyn.

Final Takeaways And How To Reach Us

Jocelyn Rawat 26:43

If there's a topic you'd like us to cover on the podcast, email us at abs.spirited discussions@montgomerycountymd.gov. And thanks for listening.

Announcer 26:53

Alcohol Beverage Services is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine, and spirits for Montgomery County. And it operates neighborhood retail stores. ABS also manages alcohol licensing, enforcement, and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Profits are used to pay for resident services that otherwise would be funded by county tax dollars. This podcast is brought to you by County Cable Montgomery, your source for news and information from the Montgomery County government. Connect with us via cable, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube by searching for County Cable Moco.