Our expensive County Government will slowly kill us all

Two of the wealthiest states in the country can't live within their means so they steal tax revenues on incomes earned within DC boundaries. No other states in the country are able to piggardly feast on other jurisdictions like Maryland and Virginia do. Helps me empathize with residents of the West Bank in Palestine.

But.....but.... almost every one of the legislators who ran for office in Montgomery County (and were elected to Annapolis in 2010) said that Montgomery County was tops. Could they have been mistaken? All the officials elected to the top spots in the County said the same. Could they have been reading the wrong statistics. Or could that have been just election hype and is Montgomery County on the decline as all indicators say? A narrow river separates us from Virginia but that state whose residents have a better standard of living has a totally different mindset when it comes to taxation, business and the freedom of the individual. I moved here at the zenith of the County's lustre and am moving (if I can sell my condo) at the point of its rapid decline. Some one has some 'splainin' to do.

Maybe it's the fact that the school system is forever cannibalized by the county as a means to "balance the budget". Or the sense of superiority over other counties that is put out there? Or it could just be that MoCo is one of THE most expensive area's I've ever lived in and get the least from in services. Whatever it is, I really don't believe for a NY minute it will change.

Sanctuary state and county status for Maryland and MoCo. Illegals flood into this state and county. Also, single party government at its worst

liberals, illegals, and Democrats. Bring in the illegals to keep the Democrats in office. I'm on the way out; a business owner and taxpayer leaving MoCo in the downward spiral.

I already left Monkey County. I should have left it 20 years ago though. Gridlocked roads, arrogant controlling government, and too many people believe they are God's gift. There is little to no hope for that place.

I agree with "Tom", he hit it right on with the illegals, those people are getting all these cuts and there just letting them in here for nothing and they cant afford all the taxes or anything that is put on a burden to them. that goes for the whole country and it a area that really needs to get looked at. these people come in here and get social security and they have put anything into it. no wonder there isn't going to be any social security in the years to come. we the people need to really think about the people we elect and put into the government.

Thanks SD Viewpoint: "Maybe it's the fact that the school system is forever cannibalized by the county as a means to 'balance the budget.'" If Brickyard School site conversion (to Private "Pay to Play" Soccer); that means 235+ acres of public school land will have been transferred to Private hands since 1994. Now MCPS is trying to use Park Land to build schools (and places where "Open Space" funding was used to purchase): STOP BRICKYARD CONVERSION; and BE WARY of Who We VOTE INTO MoCo BOARD of ED.

It's not just MoCo, and it's not just the DC area. What we're observing is the ripple of gentrification. As downtown areas gentrify, the disadvantaged are displaced to the suburbs. Given the limited amount of space in the center of the metropolitan area, upper-middle and lower-upper incomes flee further out, into the exurbs of Loudoun and Howard counties. To suggest a conspiracy by liberals and illegals is, at best, disingenuous.

Interesting comments above. While the issues have seemingly been mentioned here is a recap:
Overtly liberal government
Burdensome social programs
Aging infrastructure
Taxes Taxes Taxes, the insane fuel surcharge, the more than insane energy taxes on our electricity causes businesses to not locate here, but to utilize the exact same electricity in NOVA for 1/5 the cost!
This is easy, business goes where the local government is receptive and welcoming and makes it easy to locate there. Business brings employees, paychecks, demand for housing, etc, it's economy 101...

Our Local Government is not doing us a good enough job. Plain and simple, Put a successful business person in charge of the government instead of a politician. Same for our State and Federal Govt.... It's really not that hard to understand...

Add to DCGuy: "Very high tax rates, unnecessary laws and regulations that are selectively but not methodically reinforced, emphasis on development in already developed and wealthy parts of the county...." Key point: CIRCUMVENTION OF PROCESS. MoCo BOE has no oversight committee: Perhaps County Execs has taken advantage of this point (?); however, likely TAXES WILL GO UP to fund the infrastructure to put PRIVATE soccer fields on (Brickyard Public Land) in affluent section of MoCo (w/4% soccer field surplus); while soccer fields in other MoCo soccer-needed areas (up to -43%) have soccer fields being taken away. Add also, that same site has one-of-kind organic farmer in whole County (and only 1 more similar in whole state) who has stewarded land 30+ yrs, and suggests Educ. Programs for our County students (GREEN, Local & Sustainable). Farmer has not added to tax increases; rather, saved us $, and has ability to offer what our country (and County?) promotes.

On decrease income: Many residents in MoCo have/had their own businesses (both affluent and not), and times are hard for businesses ~ so higher income lost, and hard, even for previous business owners, to find jobs.

Interesting comments, indeed. And no facts to back up a single one.

For starters, the numbers cited are suspect. As the news story says:

"However, census officials warned against making a definitive comparison between the two years, saying that the earlier figures were based on the 2000 population count and the latter, the 2010 count -- making the comparison susceptible to spikes."

The point is this: we still have wealth beyond imagining on the rest of the planet. The average income worldwide is $5k, with 3/4 of the population below that.

Let's take the MoCo average income of $2010 at $89,155 (down from $93,199)
That puts us in the top 0.73% richest people in the world.

Actual numbers: http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/2011/09/washington-area-richest-nation-last-year

The calculator: http://globalrichlist.com/

The gap between the rich and poor is growing. "Burdensome social programs" are not keeping up with demands and needs. Let's make sure we are taking care of people who need help, let's stop the wars and refrain from bringing Tea Party politics into this.

Show me better income numbers in a state run by Republicans. And if you want to compare Virginia, remember the current governor took office in Jan 2010 and has not been in long enough to be credited with any income rise. Virginia. has had Dem. governors since 2002. Funny, huh?

We can thank the current and former county executives for the flood of impoverished poeple into Montgomery County. They created the current mess.

I see MoCo as a larger representation of what is happening to America overall. I mean, when you have other neighboring counties effectively throwing out lower income people by either their very pricey zoning laws (Loudon) or their stance on immigration (Stafford and Frederick). Add to that MoCo very open and understanding attitude toward lower income and illegal, such as very honorable social programs, housing programs, in-state tuition at Mo College and uninterested in citizenship of residents - then of course they'll flock here and possibly some upper income will leave here and thus our overall wealth will be effected to the negative. I am not imposing whether this is all right or wrong, just that it is impacting our coffers period and that being too "nice" might have an effect on the overall - not shocking to me in the least. I do feel though that some steps should be taken while still remaining "nice."

Current Mess? While there is much to improve in MC, including transparency in decision making, a diverse population is not among them. We should be striving to provide for decent paying jobs for all, not merely the upper end of the spectrum.

If you want to hang with only the uber rich, join one of the many fine country clubs...

Caroline Taylor

10% on the far left are nuts. 10% on the far right are nuts. The country as a whole has done better when there is palace of parties. When one party left or right has to much power they will always drift farther to the side of electability. All the comments above have merit now if we had the right people in office to hash out the right compromises things would get better. I am very competitive in nature and always strive to be the best in the 14 businesses I own and run and could care less if we are richer then most if we are in a downward trend it's a problem that needs to be addressed. The attitude that we are still wealthy and it's ok is a loose g mentality. Always strive to be the best and be on top but don't forget those less fortunate. Not a sermon just a thought.

Wow. 90% of these comments are beyond baseless. So this county used to have low taxes, no immigrants, and was Republican controlled? Darn Democrats and Mexicans came in and ruined everything! Good grief. We're still uber rich, but now we have urban areas that can compete with DC and attract young couples/families. Of course college grads in their 20s and living in Bethesda and Silver Spring are going to bring down the median salary of the old, suburban, white MoCo, but by no means is MoCo turning into a ghetto or something. Sorry to ruin the day of AARP members living in Potomac, but the MoCo of decades past is gone for good. We're young, not all rich lawyers, and are here to stay.

I am not AARP, nowhere close at 37 and I am no lawyer that's for sure, and not rich... but I am a parent and when those 20 somethings have kids, they'll want to know that their public school system remains tops, I promise you that. Currently, MoCo is cutting teachers, cutting funding, cutting availability to capitalize on Mont. College.... these are real issues and they are certainly based at least in-part by our declining tax base and our increase tax liability overall. This is so much larger than a partisan issue.

Jag's comment:
"Jeff Hawkins, I was pointing out the idiocy of other commenters who apparently think MoCo used to be Republican and low-tax and now Democrats have shown up and ruined everything. Sorry that went over your head."

Nobody claimed low taxe's or Republican control, you did. As for calling people idiots for expressing their viewpoints is...............well troubling. My prior comment stands.

You are wrong if you think the MCPS has not been effected negatively - this link shows you that we did not meet Maintenance of Effort (MOE) this year and therefore paid a fine: http://mocosmob.blogspot.com/2011/01/ike-leggett-mcps-will-pay-fine-instead.html. In addition, we have 2500 more students this year than last and not the same per pupil because of that - and there were 400 positions eliminated and trust me it shows. We have less paras, less assistance and less office staff. And, our teachers aren't getting raises and our class-sizes have increased across the board by 1 student. Did you have 28 kids in your kindergarten class with one teacher? And, this has all occurred over time and more dramatically over the course of the most recent years. see this link for more info. direct from MCPS: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&id=2908. MCPS is still a great school, some of the best in the state (but not the best anymore) and I am sure we'd like it to stay great. To do that, we need money for the schools, plain and simple.

I just have to laugh - I don't know many kindergarteners let's say, who understand the stake in their education. I think we as a country impose that on them and then maybe, just maybe over time they might come to understand the importance. But when you have a class of 28 kindergarteners, very common in MCPS, and some of those kids have special needs, or are ESOL or are on the normal continumum of good and bad behaviors and good and not so good academically - and one teacher -I think that might have something to do with how good or not good they end up learning. I don't think you can expect all children to learn under any circumstance. And, 50% or not, it's worked in the past, we just don't have the revenues - and let's face it - when our schools are the best we get the revenues, it's cyclical. But, if we keep continuing to not have the money, not have the revenues, you see where I'm going. Your point about paying for people who don't pay taxes is well taken - just another impact of the counties around us cracking down and us not.

I don't feel that we used to be republican, I know that's not the case, but our democratic nature and our willingness to under all circumstances be "nice" has put us where we are today - in contrast to the neighboring counties who are not at all as "nice." In the past, it's been OK because we've been more wealthy, but we're just not there anymore overall in comparison to yesteryear, as this article clearly portrays. It's a dilema because I still think we should be "nice" just reasonably so.

Jag comment:
"In case you haven't read the comments, there are a couple of people who keep feeding off of each other saying that the Democrats and high taxes have turned MoCo into some crappy county.
Obviously, for such a statement to even make sense, that'd mean the county used to be Republican and a low tax state/county."

It's not obvious, they could be Libertarian, Green Party, non-Partisan alltogether, etc. ?, to assume is not good.
As for who runs the show in MoCo, it's normally been the Democrat party. Hence the perception of ownership for the problems concerning the County. I'm quite certain that if the Republican party was the party of choice in MoCo and were experiencing the same set of troubles, the liberal types would be screaming loudly.

The public schools, police, corrections, and health / social services ----- all of these agencies and more have been overwhelmed by the flood of impoverished people from other areas of our country and from across the globe. These are not young educated professionals. They don't pay their fair share in taxes ----- in fact, most don't pay a dime in income tax (federal, state or local income tax). They ride for free. I recognize that some taxpayers are ready and willing to pay more in order to support the added demand and stress on public services. Good for them, but please don't pretend that this problem does not exist or that we just need to accept it as the new normal. Hold elected leaders accountable for their mistakes.

Peter's comment:

"From a purely tax/benefit perspective, illegal immigrants are good for the county"

Perhaps we should try harder to import as many illegals as possible? You know.........for that tax/benefit perspective.

I understand very well MOE - but it still shows that we are paying less per pupil then before, period. So, while our school-system was fantastic before per pupil (over and above), we've now cut it down, considerably per pupil, esp. with the boom in public school enrollment. Any way you look at, any way you chose to slice it, it has negatively impacted our schools that we have less overall income.

Jag's comment:
"So the people who are blaming Democrats for turning the county into crap think that the county used to be run by the Green Party or Libertarians? Umm...I'll give the commenters more credit than that. Obviously no one could think Libertarians used to run a county of 1 million people."

(Ummmm......you are still assuming quite alot, you left out non-party affiliation that I listed also....you know......independents.)

"I'm quite certain that if the Republican party was the party of choice in MoCo and were experiencing the same set of troubles, the liberal types would be screaming loudly."

Oh, okay, so that makes it right? No, obviously that'd be just as ignorant.

( Never said it made it right! )

Jag's comment:

Newsweek: Why Americans Think (Wrongly) That Illegal Immigrants Hurt the Economy

"The American public overwhelmingly thinks they’re bad. In a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 74 percent of respondents said illegal immigrants weakened the economy, compared to only 17 percent who said they strengthened it. Yet the consensus among most economists is that immigration, both legal and illegal, provides a small net boost to the economy. Immigrants provide cheap labor, lower the prices of everything from produce to new homes, and leave consumers with a little more money in their pockets. They also replenish—and help fund benefits for—an aging American labor force that will retire in huge numbers over the next few decades. Also, an increase in the number of American workers is needed to prevent the U.S. from having too few working-age adults to pay for retiree benefits in a few decades, as many European nations currently do."

Oh, but it's just the liberal media with it's elitist economics and numbers, right?

(I suppose if I hunted long enough, I could find an article that states "most economists" agree that illegal immigration is NOT good.)

( But hey, why settle for a "small net boost" when we could go for the big one.......bring more illegals........the more the merrier)

( Who mentioned the elitist liberal media?)

Rich, I agree with your points here. A few of my own:

(1) A good school system is good, but that is NOT enough to maintain our position (I am a K-12 graduate of MCPS).

(2) Most of the problem has been caused by Democrats, but there are a few Republicans deserving of blame as well.

(3) In the 1960's, Montgomery County was the wealthiest in the U.S.

(4) In those days, the Virginia counties (including Loudoun and Fairfax) were considered inferior, and the Commonwealth was still damaged by the Byrd machine's "massive resistance" to school integration, something that Montgomery County has put behind itself.

In Montgomery, we have had DECADES of push-back against the 1960's, and especially against the so-called "Diggs Council," which led by the late Kathryn E. Diggs, was viewed as "too pro-development" in the 1960's (how quaint that sounds now), which then gave rise to the powerful anti-development and anti-highway County Councils under the control of the late Idamae Garrott (died 1999). And even though Garrott left the County Council in the 1970's and became a state delegate and later a state senator from District 19 (Aspen Hill), her opposition to all highway projects (and especially the ICC and other major improvements, like new crossings of the Potomac River (needed if for no other reason than to improve ground access to Dulles Airport)) remains (much like the former Soviet Union was led by Lenin from his grave) and has cost Montgomery County dearly.

Pinning the issue on illegal immigrants is a sham. Many illegal immigrants are working multiple, cheap-labor jobs AND they ARE paying into social security, they are paying taxes on more things than you think. Employers who are not ponying up by collecting social security and paying their companies share are the ones cheating the system.

And as to the college tuition line item..... the cost to the State is conjecture at best. Enrollment at State schools is not at 100%, or even 85%. If the reduced rate for those immigrants is removed, there is a good chance they won't be able to afford going to school, then the State loses out on approximately $3500 per student! There is no net loss from providing in-State tuition, it is a sham by those estimating the numbers and implying legal residents are not getting in, or subdizing immigrants. Educate, educate, educate; it is the right thing to do!

Give me an educated mass of people and the world will be a better place. In reading the comments above, I believe many folks may have choosen not to take advantage of in-State tuition.

And finally, for those who want out of the State, good news, Metro goes to Virginia; bad news, it lets YOU come back.

Joe Busch, I strongly agree. Illegal immigrants are NOT the source of our problems, and doing a Prince William County-style "crackdown" on them will NOT make Montgomery County better (and may make it worse). But our inability to build (or even retain) good-paying private-sector jobs IS the problem, and that relates to the misguided land use and transportation policies that our county has mostly followed since Idamae Garrott and her friends took power after the 1970 elections have severely damaged some communities and stagnated others, while protecting those areas of the county that are immensely wealthy.

Its true, NYC is a lot worse than we have it. Yet, we are headed in the same direction NY is in no time at all. We seem to be right behind California and look where they are at? They've got no money!

Not a single Dem-bashing, "illegal"-bashing commenter has answered my challenge. I said:

"Show me better income numbers in a state run by Republicans. And if you want to compare Virginia, remember the current governor took office in Jan 2010 and has not been in long enough to be credited with any income rise. Virginia. has had Dem. governors since 2002. Funny, huh?"

It amazes me that so many writers are blaming politics and government (in)action for the changes in demographics. Most people who live here are here by choice; they are attracted by the schools, the living and working conditions, and (often) the size of the existing ethnic groups. If the county can accommodate low-wage workers, and it apparently can, then it stands to reason that the income levels per household will also change. This is a good thing; it means Montgomery is growing and becoming more diverse. Is Loudon County that diverse? Does it have large (and vibrant) ethnic groups such as we have here?
Trick question: Who is "The Mother of Exiles?" Do you know the poem that goes with that name? Extra points if you can sing it.

Just look at the recent Washington Post article (front page) on the huge number of children in poverty. See how Montgomery County looks compared to other jurisdictions in this area? A flood of impoverished people into the County. Not a good thing no matter how much you wish to spin it or defend it. Not fair that County taxpayers must handle the extra burden.

In the Washington Post this morning is this.

Census count finds decreasing white population in 15 states:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/census-count-finds-decreasing-white-population-in-15-states/2011/09/29/gIQA2aDJ8K_story.html

God Bless the USA! Go Maryland! Go Montgomery County!!!!!! So proud to live in a county that shares the wealth and allows those less fortunate to stay and have the opportunity to better themselves. Reminds me of a man who lived 2,000 years ago, who said let the children come to me for they are the future....okay, not an exact quote, but I believe the video may be on YouTube.
Nothing makes my morning coffee taste better than knowing my tax dollars are supporting those less endowed. Keep up the good work Montgomery County!!
We are all on this planet together, let's smile and help someone today, it's what that man said we need to do to get to a better place!!

Means testing for most forms of public assistance (including WIC and "food stamps") is done by the Department of Social Services, according to rules and laws established by the state (and also federal) governments. Section 8 units are indeed taxpayer-subsidized rental housing, and those have done SEVERE damage to my neighborhood in the East County. MPDUs (Moderately Priced Dwelling Units) are subsidized by the developers of new housing units (and by implicitly by purchasers of market-rate units), but those are at least OWNER-OCCUPIED by people with an OWNERSHIP interest in their homes, so they don't bother me nearly as much. Owners of MPDUs are (in general) not going to be able to qualify for most forms of public assistance, for they must have enough resources to qualify for and pay a mortgage every month. But ask yourself this - WHY do we need the MPDU program in the first place?

Out of curiosity, where do the whiny people live? Most of the county (population wise) has had a great decade, when looking at the downtowns of Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, North Bethesda, etc. The amount of economic growth in just 10 years is mind blowing, especially considering the two Bush recessions suffered during that time. So...I guess that leaves older folks in suburbs bitter that no one wants to buy their crappy 50s housing stock these days? Here's a hint - that has nothing to do with immigrants or Democrats.

DCGUY:

An excellent and funny rejoinder to jag's "whiny" post.

Seems like people now see a link ---- increased poverty in Montgomery County with the matter of illegal immigration. And I can understand why so many law abiding citizens don't want pay higher and higher taxes to support other people. Of course, some of you like to create a justification for illegal behavior and to insist that you are entitled to public assistance.
We will see how many of the illegal families from Alabama arrive in Montgomery County this week. Sad to see little school kids caught up in the mistakes of their parents.

Nobody has identified "The Mother of Exiles" yet.

"As political propaganda for France, the Statue of Liberty was first intended to be a path of enlightenment for the countries of Europe still battling tyranny and oppression. Lazarus' words, however, turned that idea on its head: the Statue of Liberty would forever on be considered a beacon of welcome for immigrants leaving their mother countries."
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/liberty/lazarus.html

To jnrentz1: Reference to 'Mother of Exiles' is now associated with the Statue of Liberty. I do notice you have this thing about basically opposing (or correcting via your 'expertise') everyone who comments on Patch, argumentative mood. Hey, be nice. My Irish ancestors came to this county via legal route, Ellis Island. It was that or swim the backstroke! I'm not your 'enemy'. LOL!

Actual name of poem: "The New Colossus" is a sonnet by Emma Lazarus (1849–1887), written in 1883 and, in 1903, engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the Statue of Liberty."
"This poem was written as a donation to an auction of art and literary works conducted by the "Art Loan Fund Exhibition in Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund for the Statue of Liberty", the aim of which was to raise money for the pedestal's construction. The contribution was solicited by fundraiser William Maxwell Evarts. Initially Lazarus refused, but Constance Cary Harrison convinced her that the statue would be of great significance to immigrants sailing into the harbor."

"The New Colossus" was the only entry read at the exhibit's opening, but was forgotten and played no role at the opening of the statue in 1886. In 1901, Lazarus's friend Georgina Schuyler began an effort to memorialize Lazarus and her poem, which succeeded in 1903 when a plaque bearing the text of the poem was mounted on the inner wall of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

The line "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" has read "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" on the plaque hanging inside the Statue of Liberty since its unveiling in 1903.

Quote from Article: "If we don’t start reversing this trend, how will we be able to afford the current level of county services we’ve come to expect, including our much vaunted school system, in the years ahead?"
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Tests_Scores_Too_Low_At_MoCo_High_Schools-130936598.html