What have YOU Done to Avoid O'Malley's Taxes (Bowie, Fort Washington: house, public schools)

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Tis true ... I would consider moving to New Mexico if I were addicted to green chile. Prices cheapest at the source.

But Baltimore is also a major distribution center for the entire region, in fact much of the east coast. The junkies in town are but a fraction of the whole client base. It's big business. Folks say we don't have a Fortune 500 company anymore ... But we do.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

Tis true ... I would consider moving to New Mexico if I were addicted to green chile. Prices cheapest at the source.

But Baltimore is also a major distribution center for the entire region, in fact much of the east coast. The junkies in town are but a fraction of the whole client base. It's big business. Folks say we don't have a Fortune 500 company anymore ... But we do.

Ain't that the truth.

We catch lots of the little fish that try to swim out our way. The newspaper today had two Baltimore women allegedly caught with 120 pounds of MJ on the interstate. Based on quantity, I suspect that was a "through trip" and not an intended stop in Cumberland........but who knows?

[cpterp]

Okay, haven't posted on here in a good while. First of all I'll say that I've done nothing to avoid "O'Malley's" supposed taxes. DC has the same sales tax (6%) as MD so I don't purposely shop there or in VA (or DC, WV, or PA) because it's impractical. I also don't fall into the upper income bracket that has their income tax raised. When gas prices go up I'll still buy gas in MD, since gas is more expensive in DC, and Virginia is also raising their gas tax.

As for your comments, I mostly disagree with what I've read, but I'll just respond to some statements that really stuck out:

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

Its NOT really true that we get what we pay for, and that higher taxes means better things for us. In Maryland, I see myself and my family seeing tax increases to benefit others, redistribution of wealth. Paying higher gas taxes so that the city and MoCo can get mass transit. Paying higher tolls so Montgomery County can get the ICC.

Yes, we do get what we pay for. Obviously there's some waste, but there's a reason Maryland's public schools are #1 in the nation, why college tuition is less than in other states (read: Virginia), why our roads are in better condition (surface quality, signage, congestion, lighting) than other states (read: Virginia), we have better mass transit than most other states (read: Virginia), and why we have far better public services than other states (read: Virginia).

As for redistribution of wealth, that's a fact of life in this country, not just Maryland. Apart from the few states that don't have an income tax, I'm pretty sure every state assesses taxes at higher rates for those in the upper income bracket.

The gas tax is funding roads and transit, but yes the biggest beneficiaries of transit spending are the suburban counties around DC and Baltimore (including your own county).

The ICC was Ehrlich's idea.

[North Beach Person]

PA, for one, is a state where the State Income Tax is a flat rate, 3.2% if I remember correctly. It also does not tax pensions/retired pay like MD does.

College tuition is hard to tack down. I know, for a personal anecdote, that I paid way less for my oldest daughter to be an out of state student in PA than I paid for the two that went to MD colleges. All three went to public universities.

The ICC was a Glendening project which Ehrlich continued to support.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Ain't that the truth.

We catch lots of the little fish that try to swim out our way. The newspaper today had two Baltimore women allegedly caught with 120 pounds of MJ on the interstate. Based on quantity, I suspect that was a "through trip" and not an intended stop in Cumberland........but who knows?

That's a lotta hooch! 1920 ounces. About $8.5k- 10k.

Maybe heading to Morgantown?

Hopefully one day the flow of MJ will be the other direction - grown in the rural counties, sold legally in the metro.

The flow of heroin is inexorably linked to the port of baltlmore, however.

[molukai]

Originally Posted by cpterp

Yes, we do get what we pay for. Obviously there's some waste, but there's a reason Maryland's public schools are #1 in the nation, why college tuition is less than in other states (read: Virginia), why our roads are in better condition (surface quality, signage, congestion, lighting) than other states (read: Virginia), we have better mass transit than most other states (read: Virginia), and why we have far better public services than other states (read: Virginia).

Speak for yourself, cpterp. Being a resident of PG County - one of the very top tax bases for all of Maryland - my taxes (income and property) are higher than virtually any other county in the state. That said, I have very little to show for my investment: poor local roads, insufficient main roads (i.e. MD 210), public schools that can be filmed as segments out of Dangerous Minds, and the closest public library to my house is nearly 10 miles from me. I live in the upper middle class Tantallon region of Fort Washington too, mind you.

Your argument is therefore invalid.

[lex2121]

Originally Posted by molukai

Speak for yourself, cpterp. Being a resident of PG County - one of the very top tax bases for all of Maryland - my taxes (income and property) are higher than virtually any other county in the district. That said, I have very little to show for my investment: poor local roads, insufficient main roads (i.e. MD 210), public schools that can be filmed as segments out of Dangerous Minds, and the closest public library to my house being nearly 10 miles from me. I live in the upper middle class Tantallon region of Fort Washington too, mind you. Maryland is a joke, the governor is a joke, and my county spends my hard-earned money for Virginians/DCers (i.e. National Harbor). Your argument is therefore invalid.

What made you decide to buy property in pg county if you have all these criticisms about it? If I were buying a house I would try to rule out all criticism of the state I was buying in or I wouldn't buy there. Just my thoughts

[molukai]

There is no way that one could purchase a decent SFH so close to DC for sub 500K unless it was in PG county. As critical as I am of MD and PG, I simply cannot accept the idea that I would have to live in an outdated house all the way out in Herndon, VA just to be able to afford the pricing. It does not take away from my argument; there is low ROI from my taxes based on what I have seen. But these are things that can change with adequate leadership and fiscal responsibility.

[lex2121]

Originally Posted by molukai

There is no way that one could purchase a decent SFH so close to DC for sub 500K unless it was in PG county. As critical as I am of MD and PG, I simply cannot accept the idea that I would have to live in an outdated house all the way out in Herndon, VA just to be able to afford the pricing. It does not take away from my argument; there is low ROI from my taxes based on what I have seen. But these are things that can change with adequate leadership and fiscal responsibility.

Your a trooper. I couldn't deal with the whole DC thing anymore. Traffic was nuts always. Felt like I was poor even making $75,000/yr. And I lived in a good area (not pg) I was in aa county (laurel area) your right on with your housing prices (way over priced) it certainly wasn't worth it for me anymore. Central MD I feel has really become richy rich in the last few years and I think this state is only for the rich now. You have to be to live here nearly every county has high home prices vs what you'd pay in another state.

[reiflame]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

The ICC was a Glendening project which Ehrlich continued to support.

Not to be pendantic, but I think they've been talking about the ICC since the 1950s.